By Tim Frodsham, 11 February 2021
I firmly believe our true limitations are well beyond what we envision of ourselves, and I followed that ideal as an adult leader in the Boy Scout organization. I loved the Scouting program, the activity arm of the Aaronic Priesthood, when used to challenge our young men. My goal of each high adventure activity was to push these young men beyond their perceived limitations.
I helped them learn to trust in their Lord and Savior and their fellow Aaronic priesthood holders as they learn to trust in themselves. One of my fellow adult leaders jokingly refer to this as “hiking them down to death’s gate and then swinging them out over the abyss a few times before bringing them home.” Through back packing trips, cycling the San Juan Islands, and high-adventure camps, they gained confidence in themselves; they relied on each other and the ability of our Lord and Savior to guide and direct their lives.
I had two rules and one admonition for my 14 and 15 year-old scouts while on a high adventure trip. The first rule: Always hike or cycle with a buddy; you should never be on the trail alone. The second rule: When backpacking or cycling, one person was assigned point, at the front of the troop, another assigned sweep at the back. Stay in the middle, never pass point or drop behind the sweep. The point would periodically call a halt, allowing the sweep to catch up and bring all the boys and leaders together before the next segment of the trail.
The admonition was to use common sense on the trail and life in general. This is something we heartily discussed on long stretches of trail and in camp.These lessons struck home on a back packing trip through the Zion Narrows in Southern Utah.
It was a cold, fall day in October. We were late breaking camp because our water bottles were frozen and it took extra time to thaw some water for breakfast. Hiking the Zion Narrows from top to bottom is a twenty mile backpacking trip extending over two days.
Before striking out, I admonished the young men to take extra caution as the water was cold and we would be in the river for most of the hike. For me it was barely above my knees, but at times, the smaller boys would be in that ice water nearly to their waists. The Zion Narrows is a spectacular hike. At one point in the upper narrows, standing in the Virgin River, I could touch one wall of the canyon with my left hand, and the other wall with my walking stick in my right. The canyon walls extended hundreds of feet above us, curving so we could not see the sky, only the sunlight diffusing down the canyon walls.
On the second leg of this backpacking trip, our youth leader assigned me to be the sweep. The waters of Kolob Canyon joined the Virgin River a mile or so below our overnight camp, and the water was extra cold and deep. In addition, smooth granite boulders washed from the canyon litter the stream bed, making our footing treacherous. While running sweep, another adult leader and I (remember rule one) came across one of our young men, nearly to his waist in the cold water and suffering from the onset of hypothermia. We gave him a firm clutch and helped him through several more miles of the Narrows to our next stopping point, Big Springs. I had an hour of hiking to consider how I am going to approach our young men concerning this obvious breach of back packing protocol which had endangered the life of this young man.
Rather than making a fuss, we perched our young man on a relatively flat rock in the sun, began pulling off his wet clothes and rummaged for a backpacking stove to make some hot chocolate. Jason, the youth leader, was playing water football with the rest of the boys in a wide spot in the canyon. Admiring at a glance the spectacular throws and water catches, I was focused on drying and warming this young man.
After several minutes, Jason took a more than cursory look at what we were doing, assessed the situation and immediately came to our side. I described briefly the young man’s condition, and he and his fellow scouts took over the rescue efforts. Sleeping bags were pulled out to wrap him in the warm sun. Stoves appeared to make hot chocolate and other food. We adult leaders stepped back and watched these young men take action.
With the crisis averted and the young men restoring equipment and sleeping bags to their backpacks, Jason came to me and in near tears, apologized for his conduct and the conduct of the young men under his direction. They should never have left this young man to hike alone. I sincerely accepted his apology and encouraged him to make it right with the young man whose life had been placed in danger because of their neglect.
We were packed up and ready to complete the last leg of our hike when Jason asked if before we would strike out, he could offer a prayer. I of course consented; they were his young men after all, and it was his responsibility to lead them. Jason then uttered the most humble, powerful, soul-searching prayer I have ever heard. He begged his Savior for forgiveness, for both himself and the young men in his care and thanked the Savior for the safety of each of his young men. He then called down the powers of Heaven to protect all those under his responsibility.
During that prayer, I caught a glimpse of the meaning of 3 Nephi 17:16, “The eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard, before, so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the Father” It may not have been Jesus standing in the waters of the Virgin River and speaking that prayer, but he was certainly a son of God. I would not have been surprised if during that prayer, the canyon walls had split asunder and the Savior himself descended on steps of gold to greet this young man who so valiantly honored the Priesthood he bore. “Lord, you are late” would have been a comment appropriate for the situation.
I am grateful for the Aaronic Priesthood program, from Sabbath day quorum meetings and an activity arm that elicits the best from these young men, As the church takes additional responsibility for the activity side of the Young Men program, I look forward to an increased level of spirituality and dedication. I learned that day, the power and spirit the Lord has instilled in these young men. As I watched a teacher in the Aaronic Priesthood call upon his God with majestic power and authority, I felt great comfort knowing His church, His gospel and His mission will be safe in the capable hands of the next generation.
Copyright 2021, Tim Frodsham, latterdaysaints.life
Latter-Day Saints 