When Nature Calls

Tetons in  Wyoming

One of my favorite things to do is just be outside, in the mountains, forest, woods, the list could go on and on. I remember in one year a group of us decided we would go hike the Tetons in Wyoming and Gary the guy heading this up, told us to prepare because it would be a hard hike. So I decided to go run  in the mountains to prepare, I remember running these trails it was hard sometimes up I found the most amazing views around where I lived and that made it worth it. The time came it was I think sometime in June. we all woke up at 3 that morning, that was rough, and went to go hike the middle Teton, It was only a 8 mile trip to the top but in those 8 miles we would experience a dramatic
change in elevation. We hiked the trail started out easy but then we came to this point where there would be lots of snow for the rest of the hike, and a funny story one of us (not me) slipped on this sheet of snow and if you slipped you would keep going tell you hit some dry ground, but we had some ice picks to prevent this, so and he hit the ice pick in the ground and lost hold of it and slid down and hit a pile of rocks and man was his butt bruised but he finished the hike if you wanted to know. But it was one of the hardest hikes I have done in fact it was the hardest.  But as I knew in previous hikes the top was my goal and I knew it would be

worth it.  As we were struggling to get to the top some had to quit because of the stress of the elevation was making it hard for are body to get the oxygen it needed.  But the rest of us grunted are teeth and made it to the top.  It was the most beautiful and amazing sight I have ever seen and at the top was this plaque that said 12,804  feet elevation and we all touched it, the accomplishment felt amazing and as we had are fun at the top we hiked down and it was a lot quicker then we made it up.



Then at the end of the hike Gary one of the guys that organized this hike said " Now you all have done something very hard, and when something in life is getting hard, you all can say I have done something harder. " or something to the ring of that. I still remember that and every now and then when something in my life is getting hard I can reflect that to that hike and think it will all be worth it in the end it will be beautiful, and I can say I have done something harder.



In life there are many difficult challenges, of every kind emotional, physical, or mental, or even spiritual. But if we just keep going it will be all worth it.  One of my friends told me a quote from the prophet Gordon B. Hinkley-

“Life is to be enjoyed, not endured”

― Gordon B. Hinckley  

Painting by Greg Olsen

One of my favorite stories in the Bible in (Matthew 14: 22-32) talks a lot about enduring life's challenges and to just trust in the Lord that we are supposed to learn and grow in these hard times and he will help us and come to are aid.  In this passage, as the apostles get into the ship Jesus Christ decides to go up into the mountain to pray, and the Apostles run into a storm, and they says they are troubled, or in other words afraid, then they see something walking on the water towards them and they say "It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear".  But in there fear Christ says:

"But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid."

After he says that peter wishes to come and meet him, and hes starts to walk on the water to him but as he is walking on water, waves and disturbance in the water scares him and he starts to drown and  he cries "Lord save me"   then it says in Matthew 14:31:

" And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him and said unto him , O thou of little faith, where fore didst thou doubt." 

By Simon Dewey

Just like Peter I to have had my moments when I was weakened by fear and doubt, In this times I to have felt as if I where about to drown. But as we ask are Heavenly Father to help us get through this trial and be able to bear it. I know that the Savior will be there with us and help strengthen us and when we are trying are hardest he will reach out his hand to save us.    I testify that God is a loving Heavenly Father, and that he sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ, to die for us so that we may be able to overcome this world, and everything that comes with it. But most importantly he died for are sins and was put up on the cross and was resurrected so that we will also live again.  I know that he is real, I have felt His help though out my life.  He will be there for us always we just have to follow Him.  And just like Peter when we get weak and we fear the things that come in life. If we call out to him he will rush to save us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.