Trails to Testimony: Bringing Young Men to Christ Through Scouting

by Bradley D. Harris

He lay there shivering in his tent, wondering why the Lord wanted him to go camping. That was the beginning of his search as to why outdoor experiences are so important to the Lord. He started to search the scriptures to find cases where the Lord had sent his prophets and his people out into the wilderness. He found that Moses and his people went on a forty-year camping trip that prepared them to enter the promised land. Adam was sent out of the garden into the wilderness to gain experience, and Abraham left his home and became the father of all nations. Zion’s Camp and the Mormon Battalion prepared future Church leaders. After searching the scriptures, this Scoutmaster changed his attitude. He realized that just being out in the campsites, cooking together, serving each other, and learning together can create opportunities to positively influence young men. In both the classroom and at the campsite, Scouts learn to serve and love their quorum members. Inspired by this Scoutmaster’s revelation, I searched the scriptures and had a similar experience. Here are my findings: Abraham was commanded to “Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac . . . into the land of Moriah . . . upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of” (Gen. 22:2). “So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness . . . ”(Ex. 15:22) as the Lord commanded. “ . . . and the LORD called Moses up to the top of the mount . . .” (Ex. 19:20) to receive the tablets containing the T...