#TheWeirdThingsMormonsDo

Well the youngest got the opportunity to go on our church's Pioneer Trek this year. It only happens every 4-5 years, and it's only for the youth (and those lucky adults who get called to be Ma's and Pa's), so I was glad she got to go.

The kids dress in pioneer garb, although they are allowed modern shoes and sunglasses. They pack their 3 days of belongings into a 5-gallon bucket which will also serve as their camp chair. Our trek took place in the high sierra, and the kids covered 17 miles of rugged country pulling their hand carts.

We have pioneer heritage in our family, so I looked up one of our ancestors for Natalie to walk in memory of. She walked for her 5th great aunt, Judith Oviatt who was 10 at the time she and her family travelled with a handcart company from Ohio to Utah.

The company she was with had to turn back on their first attempt because of "indian trouble", but left again a few weeks later without incident. They arrived in Utah some 3 months later.

Natalie was given a new "family" with new brothers and sisters and a ma and pa. There were about 8 families per company and three companies, so all in all, close to 300 people did this little trek!

When Nat returned she was filthy, but in good spirits, and full of stories of sleeping under the stars, her new siblings and the songs and games that they entertained themselves with. She was required to give a short talk at church a few days following her return. We had 12 youths go on the trek, and they all spoke. Most of the kids said a few silly things, but Nat was the only one with a prepared talk. Here it is:

Trek 2015

As said in the journal provided for us on the first day, this trek was both physically and spiritually challenging. Whether you were almost too exhausted to participate in scripture study or family prayer at night, or too sore to take another step after six miles, compared to the pioneer's 16 [per day], you found a way through faith, and the pure fact that there was only so many more miles until you could go take a shower and sleep in your own bed again.

One of the most challenging parts of the entire trek was the 200 foot stretch of steep, slippery, rocky, mountain that took about 15 people and a breather to get up, but the reward when we got up it was a delicious lunch.

What this taught me was that the path to heaven is not an easy one that you can get through alone, and that it's not a smooth ride--with the influences of satan, or in this case, rocks, but once you finish the reward is sweet, (or savory pulled-pork sandwiches).

But that was not the only lesson or connection taught. The first night we were at the campsite, my ma Kaity S., made a connection about our family. She said, "Our family at camp was picked by whoever would be good for us," much like our actual families back at home were picked for us by Heavenly Father. I knew as soon as she said it that it was true because our family for the three days really acted like a family, whether it was my crazy little violent brother being tickled by all the older siblings, or all of us singing Uptown Funk on the trail, I knew I had a newfound bond with my brothers and sisters that we would all remember.

Some of the most striking things about this camp that I'm sure I can never forget is like when we were going up that slope mentioned before, a lady began asking the young men helping out how many times they've helped the carts up the slope, and the lady said she got some good answers such as, "I lost count", but never a number. And when she asked how many more times they replied with "Until I can't do it anymore" or "as many times as it takes", but still never a number.

I was amazed by this because I only had the strength to push the cart up that hill once, but these young men were willing to help the other two companies until they passed out from exhaustion. The connection here was that every day all kinds of people pass someone in need without a second glance or thought because of fear or rivalry or social class or whatever, which brings me to what another person said.

This person talked about something that was holding them back from experiencing something until they conquered their fear.That person also challenged everyone listening to find what holds you back from accomplishing your goals and defeat it. I plan on accepting this challenge and I hope you do too.

I leave you with that person's challenge to search your brain for that negative thought that's holding you back, and get it out of your brain for good so you can accomplish something new, or serve someone in need.