Book of Mormon Journey

Ryan, Oakley and I had the opportunity to go with our Stake Youth Conference on A Book of Mormon Journey.  What an INCREDIBLE experience! Such a testimony builder for our youth!! My job on the journey was to be the photographer from our ward.  I LOVED that job! Nice and easy and so much fun!!

The journey started when they dropped us off with Lehi and Sariah (our Stake president and his wife) riding out on camels.  Lehi told us of the wickedness in Jerusalem and that we needed to leave.  He asked us to "follow him to the promised land."

 

 So off we hiked. 

We hiked and we hiked and we hiked.  We finally got to the top of a steep hill and Lehi and Sariah met us again.  Lehi told us that we needed to go back to Jerusalem for the gold plates.  :( Our hearts sank.  We HAD TO GO BACK! I seriously never even thought of that part of the story!

 So once again we hiked and hiked and hiked. 

 It was SOOO HOT and SOOO DUSTY/DIRTY!  When we got back to Jerusalem, Sam (Nephi's brother - a counselor in the stake) visited with us.  We then hiked on (FOREVER) to the Promised Land.  What a neat set up they had there.  Wish I would have got a few pictures! They had olden' day tents, a pen full of goats, chickens running around and the camels tied to the trees.  SO NEAT! That night the stake leaders re-enacted the story of Nephi's broken bow and how hungry their family was.  They told us there would be no dinner.  :( Here we hiked all day and were starving and now NO DINNER! Nephi made a bow out of a stick and headed into the woods.  A few minutes later he came out cheering that he had killed some food.  He pulled out the biggest bag of hotdogs you've ever seen.  We were thrilled!!

Each ward was assigned a different Book of Mormon story to re-enact at some point over the 4 days we were there.  They were all incredible.  The sky was black behind Captian Moroni as he climbed the tower to hoist the Title of Liberty. They told us how the Title of Liberty was raised in lands round about and all the sudden across on a different ridge this enormous flag was raised.....and then on another ridge...and another.  AMAZING!

As Samuel the Lamanite climbed up on the wall and yelled repentance to all of us the thunder roared in the sky.  It was very powerful! And being on top of the mountain with the storm was VERY SCARY! As soon as his message was over they told us all (500 people) that we had to get off the mountain before the lightening came.  500 people hiking single file off the mountain in a hurry is a sight all in itself.

 After each re-enactment a member of our bishopric reviewed the story with our youth and bore testimony of it.  Here is my sweet Ryan.  I am SO PROUD of the man he has become!

 And my girl! LOVE HER!

 Our ward was asked to do the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's including Ammon and King Lamoni.  It was SO GOOD! They worked so hard on the play and did a great job with it.  It was a powerful ending watching them bury their swords.  The spirit was very strong as they ended with a "Come Unto Christ" song.

 What a blessing it was to be able to be a part of such a life changing event! I loved every dirty, rainy, cold minute of it!!

One of my very favorite re-enactments was when we got to the part of the Book of Mormon when Christ visits America they put us all in snowmobile trailers and closed the doors so it was pitch black.  They then started beating on and shaking the trailers like crazy. We bounced around inside for several minutes.  When they opened it up they spoke to us of the destruction that happened in America when Christ was crucified.  They then walked us into a grove of trees.  They had the song Oh Lord My Redeemer playing over a speaker and out of the trees walks Christ. He was dressed in white and seriously glowing.  The feeling in that grove of trees was like no other feeling.  The spirit was so strong! We then went back to camp and had a testimony meeting with our youth.  The youth of this day and age are INCREDIBLE!! SERIOUSLY INCREDIBLE!! They are so strong and know so much! Very impressive!

On the last day they took us down to the Sacred Grove to see Joseph Smith.  As we all hiked down into the grove it became silent.  You could see down into the grove and the light shining through the trees on Joseph Smith before you even got into the grove you could feel the power that was there.  They had a violin playing and that set the perfect environment for a spiritual experience. 

 As we walked into the grove they handed each of the youth a gold painted wooden book with the words My Personal TESTAMENT of Jesus Christ on it and a marker to write in it.  During our time in the grove we heard Joseph Smith's testimony, our Stake presidents testimony and the stake missionaries testimonies.  We then handed each youth (450+ youth) letters from their parents in which their parents were asked to bear their testimonies.  The tears flowed for so many.  The stake president explained that the grove had been dedicated that morning for this purpose and after the last youth walked over the top of the ridge and out of the grove it would no longer be a dedicated place....but for that time it was.  It was a great way to end the Book of Mormon Journey!

 I absolutely love these pictures of our ward!

WE DID IT!! YAY!!

I am so blessed to be a member of the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth today! I am grateful for the knowledge of where I came from, why I am here and where I am capable of going.  I am grateful that I know the Savior well enough to know His was a perfect example and I just need to follow.  I am grateful for the knowledge of a living prophet and for the Book of Mormon which goes hand-in-hand with the Bible.  I am also grateful for testimony building experiences like this in my life!