Youth Conference

I had a great weekend at winter Youth Conference with the youth in our ward and the leaders. Fun, great food and too much dessert. Many spiritual talks, thoughts, lessons and testimonies. I admit last summer as we put it on the calendar, I originally voted to not do it -- especially because we have FSY this summer with instruction to not have a separate summer youth conference. It's a lot of work and planning and a weekend away from home. But our Bishop and Young Women's President wanted to do it. When they made the decision to move forward, the thought came to me, "I would pay several hundred dollars for Nick to have a weekend with other youth having spiritual experiences and being mentored by adults I admire. So why am I not wanting to take advantage of this opportunity being offered?" It changed my outlook entirely.

We left Thursday after school (no school on Friday for end of term). 

I loaded the girls in my class in my car and drove to the cabin but unfortunately didn't have good directions and ended up at the wrong place -- about 30 minutes away in a different canyon from where we were supposed to be! Fortunately the girls were good sports with positive attitudes. I also didn't have service when we hit the wrong dead end which made me nervous. But 10 minutes back down that canyon, I got good instructions and we made it to the cabin (more like beautiful mansion in the wilderness) and didn't miss a thing.

We catered Cafe Rio for dinner which was a huge hit. Then had an outdoor activity from an amazing outdoorsman in our ward. He tied the kids together in groups then gave each of them a receiver. He had hid three beacons in a big snowy field and the kids had to try to find their "friend" lost in an avalanche. It was a great learning experience and fun for the kids. After they found the beacons, he hid them again and they got another chance. Everyone loved it.

Back at the cabin, he taught a lot about back country safety and then tied it to the gospel. The bishop spoke after him. It was a fun activity and great life lessons. The kids then stayed up all night and the leaders were up until 1:30 a.m. talking! 

Saturday morning after a huge breakfast, we went tubing at Soldier Hollow. 

Then back to the cabin for soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. Our service activity was putting together lunch packs for children at a local elementary school and making scarves for them as well. 

"Go and Do" song practice

Then free time. My highlight was seeing the cool senior boys playing Risk with the new not-as-confident 13-year-old Teachers. It was the epitome of kindness and brotherly love. I also loved that my girls were 100% dedicated to the one 13-year-old girl who was able to come. They included her in everything they did and genuinely loved her. I'm so impressed with the kids in our ward!

Friday night we had the incredible privilege of having Brad Wilcox come and speak.

He brought replicas of the gold plates, the Urim and Thummim and seer stones. 

We all loved gaining a better understanding of what these actually were and how Joseph Smith used them and how incredible it was that he was able to translate the Book of Mormon. 

Everyone was riveted.

We ended the evening with a testimony meeting that was so spiritual. 

It was a highlight of everyone there. 

Well, of course, the evening didn't actually end. The kids stayed up all night again and the leaders stayed up talking until 2:00 again. But that's to be expected.

The next morning we had breakfast, cleaned up and got home by 11:00.

I've come home even more in love with our youth and super grateful that I got to spend the weekend with them. So grateful for all the leaders who make an impact on my own son and the impressive men and women he gets to learn from. And especially the Gospel and the positive impact it has on our children and the blessing of the knowledge that God has a plan for us, he loves us and will help us in our lives, and we will live with him again.