Youth Conference Temple Trek

David and I had the most amazing experience this past week going on a Youth Temple Trek visiting 4 of the pioneer Temples.  We went to Logan, Salt Lake, St. George and Manti all in 3 days!  The planning was flawless and everything was perfect!  Our ward chartered 2 buses.  We were split into 8 “families” and David and I were over 8 kids in our family. 

Day 1:  We drove to Logan and ate lunch that we all brought from home.  It rained the whole day!  Luckily the park we ate at had a pavilion.  Then while we waited to go to the temple we played this fun game on the bus.  It got pretty animated!  Then we met a member of the Temple Presidency in the baptistery of the temple.  Then our group went and toured the Logan Tabernacle just down the road from the temple.  Then we switched the other group and did baptisms.  Then we headed towards SLC, stopping in Centerville where the food committee had dinner ready and waiting for us at a church.  We got to change into our normal clothes too.  After dinner we went and watched an Irish/Celtic performance that was supposed to be in a park but was moved to the Assembly Hall on Temple Square because of the rain.  It was a blast and the kids got up and danced and had a lot of fun!  Then we walked to the Shilo Inn and dropped of the kids with their room keys and David and I headed back with a small group of adults to Springville where we spent the night at our own homes.

Day 2:  We met the bus at 6:30 am at the church and the deacon’s and Beehives (12-13 year olds) drove with us to SLC where we met up with the rest of the group.  Cameron got to come on this day!  We didn’t see very much of him since we were in separate groups.  We met a member of the temple Presidency who talked to us.  Then we split into 2 groups again.  We went to the cemetery just up the road and visited 4 gravesites that we talked about their life and involvement with the temples.  They were Daniel H. Wells, Erastus Fairbanks Snow, Wilford Woodruff and Annie Wells Cannon.  Then we explored and found other gravestones.  We also found President Monson’s future gravesite where his wife is buried.  Then we headed to Temple Square and ate lunch prepared by the food committee.  Then it was our turn to tour Temple Square.  We started off with a  scavenger hunt then got bored and decided to take a tour on top of the Conference Center.  We headed back to Springville to drop off the 12 and 13 year olds then headed to Fort Cove.  This is where Ira Hinckley (Pres. Hinckley’s great grandfather) was asked to build a place of refuge from the Indians, a stopping place for travelers and also the post man delivering letters twice a day between St. George and SLC.  Then we had a very spiritual testimony meeting.  Then off to St. George where we stayed in the Dixie dorms!

Day 3:  We did baptisms in the St. George Temple, a member of the temple presidency spoke to us, visited the Visitor’s Center, ate lunch across the street from the temple on the grass by the church then headed over to Brigham Young’s house in St. George.  Then we left to Manti.  We met our ward at a park where dinner was provided by the food committee.  It was great to see all our kids again!  My mom came down and watched our kids for us while on trek and so she was there with the them.  It worked out great!  The ward chartered a bus for those who would like to ride to Manti on it and so I put Mom and my kids on for $50.  It was a great deal! 

The Manti Pageant was amazing!  Our family has never seen it and to have the temple lit up like that was just so pretty!

This is an experience that comes once in a lifetime.  This was a huge undertaking for all those involved in the planning.  There are not many wards who have the people willing to serve and put this much time and effort into something like this.  We are in a very unique ward who see catch the vision the Bishop has and run with it.  The bishop felt prompted to help the kids understand and strengthen their testimony of the temple and look to that as a place of refuge.  The pioneer temples are the perfect places to visit as they were built at a time when the pioneers had nothing and still built these beautiful temples because of the blessings that would come through the ordinances therein.  We feel very blessed to be a part of this!  The hardest part of moving has been for me to look outside of this amazing ward!  I know there are not many that compare to a ward like this.  My testimony was strengthened and my resolve to attend the temple more often and find ways to strengthen my kids’ testimony of the importance of the temple on this trek.