We Can Do Hard Things.

I should have known. I really should have known. When a priesthood leader starts off an activity with all of us saying together "We can do hard things!" I really, really should have known. But, I didn't.

I always wanted to hike the trail to the top of the mountain above the temple, Frenchman's Peak. What a rugged and beautiful mountain. Our stake planned an activity for the Aaronic Priesthood Young Men to hike the mountains with their quorums and their fathers. Spencer and I were going to do this together. Ben claimed to be sleepy from late nights of doing homework and performing in Savior of the World. I think he had already hiked the mountain and knew the truth.

We gathered at the stake center for a kick off. We gathered at the church by the temple and talked again about the goal. We gathered at the trailhead to start the hike. Each time we talked of the importance of gathering, the importance of working as quorums, and the importance of serving each other.

The hike was made in sections. Each section was lead by a priesthood key holder, a deacons quorum president, a teacher's quorum president or a bishop with a yellow bandana and a hiking stick. We made eight stops along the way. At each rest stop, an Aaronic priesthood holder talked on a purpose of the Aaronic priesthood.


Please dear reader, understand that this is a hard thing, (except for Mark who would have yawned and been bored at our grueling pace.) This hike is 4.5 miles round trip. The elevation climb is 1632 feet which is an average grade of 14%. Highway in the mountain passes are typically a 6 or 7% grade.

I remember being at one point and looking up to the saddle just a few switchbacks up and feeling exhausted. I was so excited to be so close to the top. As I reached the saddle, I realized that the trail moved on. It dropped down 300 feet and then right back up another 730 feet in elevation to climb to the summit. (At the top of the saddle behind us is an H1 rescue vehicle)


Today at church Spencer reported on the hike in priesthood meeting. He mentioned how our leader said that the vistas were wonderful and we looked back at our cars and we had come a long way. The base of the mountain had been used as a dump and looked a lot like the Telestial Kingdom. The saddle we had just reached was the Terrestrial kingdom and then we looked up at the summit which was the Celestial kingdom and we hiked on.


When we reached our goal, we could see the whole Las Vegas Valley on the west and Lake mead on the right. ( You can see the temple right at Spencer's left shoulder.) The Lake Mead side probably resembled a lot what the Salt Lake valley looked like when the pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley. We Talked about the Ensign that was raised to the world, A yellow handkerchief on a walking stick. We talked of the word being sent out to all the world from that point. We talked of young men preparing to serve missions. We sang:

High on the mountain top
A banner is unfurled.
Ye nations, now look up;
It waves to all the world.
In Deseret’s sweet, peaceful land,
On Zion’s mount behold it stand!

For God remembers still
His promise made of old
That he on Zion’s hill
Truth’s standard would unfold!
Her light should there attract the gaze
Of all the world in latter days.

His house shall there be reared,
His glory to display,
And people shall be heard
In distant lands to say:
We’ll now go up and serve the Lord,
Obey his truth, and learn his word.

For there we shall be taught
The law that will go forth,
With truth and wisdom fraught,
To govern all the earth.
Forever there his ways we’ll tread,
And save ourselves with all our dead.

We did hard things.