Camping Trip #4 - Moroni's Quest

Boy am I a slacker or what? I have had an incredible summer that has been very busy but very rewarding. I finally have a few moments of down time to catch myself up on my blogging so forgive me as I go backwards in time starting with our most recent and current event - Moroni's Quest that happened July 26th-29th.
To start out I have to be honest and truthful with you - I was really dreading this event and put off making costume preparations and last minute details until the very last day. I wasn't that excited about going and if someone said to me - "Sister Leavitt we really don't need you and your husband," I would have been more that willing to step aside. I feel like our whole summer has been consumed with church events - not that it is a bad thing but we have had something every other week since school got out and I was a bit overwhelmed with everything. Looking back now I am so grateful that I wasn't given the opportunity to back out for I would have missed out on one of the most spiritual experiences of my life and I was lucky enough to have experienced it with my sweet husband and our two oldest daughters.
Day 1 - We meet at the stake center at 6:45 a.m. where we were divided up into tribes.

Melissa and two others from our ward (Kenya & Kelsi)

Hannah with friends

We had 10 youth in our tribe. We made a tribe flag and came up with a tribe name "The Leavitt-ites". Throughout the week we had 24 re-enactments of the Book of Mormon acted out by the youth and directed by Toni Hendrickson.  During the summer the youth went to the radio station over here to record their parts so all they had to do was act them out up at camp. That was a good thing because some of the parts were lengthy.
The first reenactment was done at the stake center which showed Mormon and Moroni writing on the plates and also Nephi obtaining the plates. We left from there and went to Wilson Lake were we did a few more reenactments and then the youth crossed the rocky waters to the promised land. It was quite windy that day and the youth were not too excited about getting wet - though some of them did.

Melissa getting ready to help guide her boat

We ended up driving from there to a mountain top near Pomerelle. It was kind of controlled chaos the whole day and was even more crazy when we unloaded all the kids out of vehicles in this very small look-out area. I am sure that the people who were up there thought ' "there goes those crazy Mormons again - and what are they wearing?" We hiked down in tribes and just to give you an idea about how far up we were here is a picture of our tribe in snow!

Our tribe in some snow

Getting ready to start the hike

So they said that the hike was around 3.2 miles downhill but I beg to differ. It was probably one of the hardest hikes downhill I have ever been on and what hike that is 3.2 miles takes 4 hours?!? (We found out later Sunday night that it was actually 5.3 miles). We were all happy and excited to get this going but by about the last mile I could hardly take another step. I just wanted to bawl - my toes hurt so bad. They were being jammed into the top of my shoes and my knees were killing me. There wasn't really a path but I am sure there is one now that 200 people have trampled through it. It was beautiful but it was hard to take in the scenery because the terrain was so uneven you had to keep looking down at your feet to keep from rolling down the mountain. It was pretty much straight down. You rejoiced in the rare opportunities that the ground leveled out or went up hill. The smells as we were hiking were incredible. We would stop occasionally along the path and I swear it took forever for us to finally look like we were making progress towards our camp.

Our camp is the little white dots in the middle of this picture

I guess if the purpose of the hike was to prove that we could do hard things than I guess I can say that I did it but I would have rather them dropped us off 10 miles away from camp and walked in than hiked down that mountain. I am not going to be doing that again anytime soon.
The camp was located in Oakley, Idaho about 1 hour and 20 minutes away from home. It is a beautiful camp area but the terrain is either up or down. We slept at an angle, we ate at an angle and we sat at an angle. You had to hike up a step path to the bathrooms and then back down again to camping areas and the lodge. I had vertigo issues the first day we were home. I honestly believe my body had adjusted to the angled way of life. So after the hike every step for the next 4 days was very painful. We all looked liked little old women and men as we hobbled around from area to area. The youth fared better than the adults of course. That first night I went to bed I could actually feel a pulse in my feet without touching them because they were throbbing so badly. O.k. I am sure that you get the picture now. It was awful! By the end of the first day we were physically tapped out.
The climax of the night was the tree of life scene. They had the great and spacious building (which was on an angle) and a tree lit up with Christmas lights with an iron rod next to it. There was even mists of darkness and the tree even had white fruit on it! After the reenactment they encouraged everyone to grab hold of the rod and choose their own path. I must agree the great and spacious building was tempting. They had great music and they were offering candy but most of us pressed forward to the tree of life. As I reached the top I saw my girls there and I cheered inside that they had made the right choice and and the very thought that there is a possibility that not all my children may want this about broke my heart. I prayed then that my children would have the courage to stand up for what is right and be able to resist the temptations of the world so that we can all make it back to our Father in Heaven again.
That 2nd day we had more reenactments and after each reenactment we had more discussions about it as tribes. The object was to show the youth how the scriptures can apply to their lives. It was a great idea but we had like 16 discussions for the 24 reenactments and on the second day it was getting a bit repetitive. By the end of the second day we were spiritually tapped out. So what did you think..... How did it make you feel...... How do you think we could apply this to our lives...... You get the picture. The second day we also batted as Lamanites and Nephites. The youth really enjoyed killing each other with flour bombs and foam swords. There was a lot of resurrecting going on - you only had 5 hits and then you were supposed to be dead but not so much with some of them. They were like the energizer bunnies that keep going and going and going.

Our tribe as Lamanites

The 2nd day our ward did their first reenactment (each ward had two or three) about Abinadi. It was by far the best. We actually burned a dummy. After wards as we reflected about it with the youth in our ward they commented how it felt to be on the other end - encouraging the guards to burn Abinadi and it was a very uncomfortable place for them to be. It just didn't feel right.

Our ward reenacting Abinadi & King Noah

Melissa was a servant

Hannah was one of King Noah's concubines

Day 3 was more reenactments and more battling. One particular battle was the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. All the tribe leaders and the oldest two youth were the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and the rest were the Lamanites. As Anti-Nephi-Lehies we buried our weapons of war as we heard the war cries of the blood thirsty Lamanites. We were told to kneel in an attitude of prayer when they arrived and to look into their eyes. They were ruthless and pretty much slaughtered us all, but after wards as we reflected on it with our tribes the youth told us that it made them uneasy and how could they fight someone who was kneeling in prayer and didn't have a weapon. It was pretty powerful.
The evening reenactment was by far the best and the climax of the conference. We blindfolded the youth and took them on a walk as tribes and along the way we stopped and shared 6 scriptures about Christ. We arrived in an area where the youth were then divided up into wards. The bishop went up and took each youth and told them who he was and that he was taking them from there. After all the tribes had arrived the youth walked in darkness again to a somewhat level clearing among sagebrush and grass.

Bishop Thompson leading our group to sit down

They were still blindfolded at this point. They sat in the darkness for at least 10 minutes. The stake was trying to make sure every youth was there. Some had not been feeling well, etc. After we were all sat down on this hillside, over the speakers we heard loud sounds as if the earth was groaning and buildings were falling. It was then that it dawned on the youth that this was the period of darkness that happened before Christ appeared to the Nephites. After a couple of minutes of buildings being destroyed they played calming heavenly music with words from Christ from the scriptures and then they asked the youth to take off their blindfolds. The sun was so bright and as they squinted to look around up on a hillside there was a white figure. It was our Stake President Tateoka representing the Savior. He slowly and gracefully descended upon the crowd. It was complete silence as he moved his way among the crowd and touched each person's hands. Tears were streaming down everyone's face and you had a great desire to run up and hug him. You couldn't wait to have him come and touch your hands. It was President Tateoka's body but the spirit of Christ was there also. I felt as if I was really there among the Nephites waiting for the Savior to bless me. As President Tateoka made his way through the crowd twelve boys rose to greet him and he embraced them and blessed them. We were all a little jealous of the 12. They walked with him and he blessed the bread and water with them. He then slowly walked away and you wanted to cry out for him to stay a little longer. We then sang "I know that my Redeemer Lives". Alan and I were standing there with our daughters arm in arm. It was one of the most spiritual experiences of my life and I desired once again for all of my family to be together when Christ comes again. I know that Heavenly Father loves each one of us so much and he wants each and every one of us to return to Him. It was kind of symbolic as we waited for the few struggling youth - Heavenly Father wants us to seek out all of his children. He wants all of us to return to Him and He is waiting patiently for us to find our way. His arms are always open no matter what path we may be on. He will take us back - it really is up to us to decide which path to take in this life. No matter our hardships, no matter our discouragements, no matter our trials - it really is our choice. I am so grateful for the gift of the atonement and that I can apply it in my life daily - without it I would be lost. I am so grateful that I was born of goodly parents who brought me up in the gospel which has shaped who I am today. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have about the plan of salvation and that I can return to my Heavenly Father and that I can be there with my family.
After the reenactment of the Savior's visit to America we returned to our ward camps and had testimony meetings. All but a few youth bore their testimonies and the spirit was so strong. Big and loud boys bawled like babies. Testimonies were strengthened. Many youth testified about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and how there was no doubt in their minds now about if the gospel was true or not. It was simply amazing! By the end of day three we were emotionally tapped out.
The last day we had three more reenactments ending with Moroni burying the plates and Joesph Smith finding them. There was also one last war where all but a few of the Lamanites lived. The gospel is true!
It was a long exhausting week but well worth the effort. One thing about our stake - they go far and beyond the call of duty. Will they do it again? You betcha....