Written by: Shae Siebert (Trip Leader) Meanings of Covenant Confidence Confidence because of your covenants Having confidence in Jesus Christ day-by-day because of the covenant power you know you have access to. Scripture References: D&C 121 – Confidence in the Holy Ghost as your constant companion (instead of other companions/friends) D&C 87:8 – Confidence to stand in holy places (instead of sit, or shy away) Romans 1:16 – Confidence in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (instead of shame) 1 Timothy 4:12 – Confidence in your belief (instead of feeding doubts) Examples of Confidence because of Covenants 2 Kings 6: Elisha was confident in what he could see Mark 5:24-34; Matthew 9:20-22: The Woman with the Issue of Blood – The Woman was confident in what she had heard Confidence in your covenants Having confidence that God will follow through on every promise He has made to you Scripture References: 3 Nephi 16:11-12 (3 Nephi 10:6) – confidence that Christ will gather you Mosiah 26:30 – confidence that Christ will forgive you D&C 84:88 – confidence that Angels will help you Exodus 14:14 – confidence that the Lord will fight for you. (Peacemakers Needed, President Nelson) Examples of Confidence in covenants Genesis 17:2-7: Abraham had confidence in God’s promise, even when it was not logical John 9:6-25: the Blind Man was confident in Christ’s promise, even when it was not conventional/traditional 1 Nephi 17:3 AND 1 Nephi 17: Nephi was confident in God’s promise, even when he had no idea what it looked like. “Jacob” to “Israel” – Let God Prevail Other resources Jesus Is a God of Miracles What covenant confidence can look like for you. How can I have confidence in God’s promises when I don’t see them? D&C 58:3 I feel far away from God? D&C 121:1, 7-9 It feels like too much to ask? 1 Nephi 3:7, It feels too simple? Alma 37:6 I feel all alone? Joshua 1:9 My family doesn’t believe the same things I do? 1 Nephi 16:20, 23 I messed up the plan? D&C 110:33 I made a mistake? Mosiah 26:30 I can’t see the next step? 2 Nephi 28:30, 1 Nephi 4:7, Christ’s Covenant to Gather The Healing Power of Covenants Covenant Confidence irl Nephi from 1 Nephi 3:7 to 2 Nephi 33:6 1 Nephi 3:7 – I will go and do 1 Nephi 4:7 – nevertheless i went forth 1 Nephi 4:13 (?? lol) – it is better that a nation should perish 1 Nephi 7:11-12 – how have you forgotten/ let us be faithful 1 Nephi 11:1 – I desired to know the things which my father had seen 1 Nephi 11:17 – I know that…nevertheless i do not know… all things 1 Nephi 17:3 – and thus we see 1 Nephi 17:15 – strive to keep the commandments 2 Nephi 25:26 – we talk of Christ 2 Nephi 33:6 – my Jesus

Written By: Josh Miner (Trip Leader) “I the Lord am Bound” I the lord am bound, D&C 82:10 and 24 What are the things God is bound to do? What are some promised blessings that have happened in your life What are some promised blessings that haven’t happened yet Abrahamic covenant, Genesis 15 Genesis 15: 1-6 (This would be doooope if you did it at night under the stars) Emphasize verse 5, replace seed with miracle. Abraham was very concerned about having children. He was 75 with no kids, not to mention his wife was 75 years old as well. Imagine being in his shoes. Wanting to have children for all that time and not being able to. I bet this was something that held a lot of pressure on Abraham. Something that he knew he wanted but maybe pushed those emotions away when it was brought up. What are some things that you wish could improve your life? Abraham deeply desired to have children, maybe you are wanting a friend. Maybe you are wishing that your anxiety or depression would go away. Maybe you wish your relationship with your parents or siblings could improve. These desires that we have, like Abraham, often seem improbable to us. Not gonna lie, the odds were pretty stacked against Abraham and his wife. 75 years old. Didn’t seem too probable. But as Abraham expresses his doubts, God tells him to look at the stars, to try and count them, then he promises Abraham that this is what his legacy will look like. Genesis 15:8 It is hard to comprehend God’s promised blessings. Abraham has a hard time. This is ABRAHAM. The patriarch, prophet, Father of muslims, and he saw God. He doubted too. “How will I know that these promises will come true?” “How can I be sure that you are ‘Bound’?” Genesis 15:9-10, 17 This action of cutting animals in half and walking through them used to represent a promise. The person who would walk through the animals promised to keep their end of the deal, or else they would look like that animal. In verse 17, the light (representing God) passes through the split animals. God binds himself to this covenant with Abraham, and he is held to that same caliber of commitment with our covenants. He promises us that he has our back, that he will be there for us, and that our blessings will be as numerous as the stars.

Written By: Gabby Segura (Trip Leader) Covenant Confidence: What creates confidence? Confidence in ourselves comes from when we are prepared and feel strongly that we can get something done. Confidence in other people comes from when they show they are trustworthy and consistently meet our expectations or empathetically communicate when they can’t. Confidence from other people comes from when they show us support and encouragement. When they lift us up and help us see our potential. What challenges confidence? What challenges confidence in ourselves= when we experience self-doubt. We listen to the negative thoughts the adversary sends our way. What challenges our confidence in other people = when they let us down repeatedly and unapologetically. When they show lack of integrity, or say one thing and do another. What challenges our confidence from other people = when they put us down. When we constantly compare each other. When we feel unsupported. What is the reward of confidence? The reward for having confidence in ourselves= facing our fears, chasing our dreams. Confident people are kind people, we have better relationships when we feel good about ourselves. We encourage others to be confident too. The reward for having confidence in other people= we support each other through tough times because we know they would be there for us. Together we can accomplish more than just by ourselves. The reward for receiving confidence from other people= we feel loved, we feel supported. Add covenants to all of this. Covenants help us be endowed with power. They help us know that we are children of God and have a divine identity. We aren’t afraid of life’s challenges because we know through the Savior, we can accomplish anything. Covenants help us have confidence in God. We know that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We know that even when we don’t get what we want or feel is right, He has something better planned for us. Covenants help us lift each other up. We use the power we get from our covenants to serve and love others. 3 Nephi 29. – The promises that God gives you in order to be confident in your covenants is not in vain.

Written By: Emmett Rock (Trip Leader) That They Do Always Remember Him…But How? That they do always remember Him. It’s a seemingly simple phrase that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints promise to do every week when they renew their baptismal covenants by taking the sacrament. In return, we are promised to have His spirit to be with us. I don’t know about you, but my life is pretty busy and overwhelming. I sometimes wonder how I am going to make it to tomorrow. Your trials might be different from mine, but they share a common component: they are hard and will try your faith. I need the spirit to be with me to survive spiritually and you do too. That means that we need to remember Him. To do that, we need to know who He is by studying what He did and said. I am going to walk you through some scriptures that teach us about what He did and said and I invite you to listen to the spirit as you ask yourself “Who is He and what does that tell me about who I am?” Feel free to look up other scriptures as you feel inspired to instead of only sticking to the ones below! John 15:12-14 How can you become Christ’s friend? Why did Christ lay down his life for you? What can you do to love others as Christ loves you? John 8:3-11 Why did the Savior not condemn the woman? Are you casting stones at others or even yourself? Who does Christ want you to cast stones at? Why? Mark 5:24-34 Why was the woman fearing and trembling? Why did the Savior stop for the woman? What would the Savior tell you if you reached out and touched him? Luke 22:39-44 If you were the angel that comforted Christ as he suffered in Gethsemane, what would you say to Him in that moment? How would that change how you live your life? Why was Christ willing to follow Heavenly Father’s will instead of His own? That they do always remember Him. Keeping this covenant means developing a greater love for yourself, your loved ones, and even your enemies, because Christ found all of you worthy of His love. He laid down his life for you . As you ponder how you can remember Him, I invite you to read these scriptures that can increase your confidence in being able to keep the covenants you have made (or will make), and that can increase your confidence in knowing that your Heavenly Father will always deliver on His promises. 2 Nephi 25:23 Even after we do everything in our power, how are we saved? Doctrine & Covenants 6:33-37 Why does Christ not condemn you? What does Christ promise you?

Written by: Lincoln Oldham (Trip Leader) Finding Answers to Gospel Questions Discussion: Today, each of us is going to have the opportunity to do a deep dive into the scriptures about whatever we feel inspired about. In church or seminary, you may have had invitations to study the scriptures on your own but haven’t connected how you might like to. Every person that has ever read the scriptures has felt lost or confused by what they have read at some point. This is how it starts for everyone and we learn “line upon line.” There is an analogy that one of the ancient apostles gave about milk and meat (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). The wording here is a little weird but how do you think milk and meat might relate to our ability to develop and expand our gospel understanding? -When we are babies we can pretty much only drink milk. Over time as we get stronger we can start eating mashed carrots etc. until we can finally get to the good stuff (meat!) There’s no short cuts to the process. Just like an infants development, everyone has to put the time and energy in to become a meat-eater-gospel-studier and there are no short cuts! When we study the scriptures, we want to be meat-eaters! It takes time and a lot of work but today let’s try and get used to some of the tools we have that can help us become effective studiers. (This lesson is all about exposure and it will take a lot of practice outside of HXP to get really good but that is just the natural order of things – milk before meat!) Pray : On your own say a little prayer asking Heavenly Father to allow the spirit to be with you as you study. There is no better way to learn than by the spirit! What is on your mind? Ask the Lord what topics or questions he would have you study today. If after you pray you still feel a little unsure about what to study, it’s okay! You won’t always get super direct answers to your prayers so maybe choose a topic that you have been thinking about recently or that you simply would like to know more about. Question I’m Studying: Index, Bible Dictionary, and Topical Guide: A great place to start looking for answers to your questions are in these resources. Each of them contain a list of people/places/things with references to scriptures that relate. Once you have chosen your topic or question, try and look for related words in one of these guides. The topical guide probably has the most topics available so if you can’t find a word you are interested in the other guides then maybe check here! Once you find a related word, try checking out some of the references in the scriptures. Remember the purpose isn’t just to read/check boxes.. We want to be meat eaters! Take your time reading and ask yourself how the scripture relates to the thing you are insterested in. Example: If I want to know how I can better get along with my family, maybe I could check the Topical Guide for related words such as “forgiveness”, “patience”, or “kindness” Footnotes: When you open the scriptures, you will find small letters next to the words you read. These letters correspond to a list of different resources at the bottom of the page. There are often scriptures relating to the sentence. There are tons of footnotes and not all of them will relate to what you are interested in but when you see a word or sentence that you find interesting, check the footnotes and follow them to other related scriptures. This will help you get deep quickly! Notes: Make a note of the scriptures you find that you really like so you can find them again later! Also note any promptings, feelings, or new things that you learned. This activity may or may not have worked for you. If there were certain aspects that you liked, then try to incorporate them into future studies. If there were things you didn’t like, then you may just need more practice, but there also isn’t only one way to study! Find what works for you and keep growing. This is a great way to study when you have gospel questions and it is the style I find most rewarding.

Written by: Matt Kleinman (Trip Leader) Covenant Confidence “You can’t have fruits without roots!” Goal: Help teens identify the “roots” of their covenant relationships with God Potential Related Talks: “Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ” Sis Freeman Oct ‘23, “Nourish the Roots, and the Branches Will Grow” Elder Uchtdorf Oct ‘24 Outline: Think of all that goes into getting fruit from a tree. For an apple to grow you need to plant a seed, water the ground (a lot), weed, prune the tree, make sure the tree has enough light, enough time, the soil needs to be good, you need to keep bugs away, etc and only THEN do you get the fruit. When you plant an apple tree, your goal is not to get roots from the tree, your goal is to get the apple, or the fruit! However, the fruit can’t come until the roots are strong and nourished, which takes time and effort In this devotional, we are going to look at the “fruit” that comes from living and keeping our covenants- AKA all of the blessings that obedience to God can bring So the question we need to answer is this: what are the “roots” of living your covenants? Write down your honest answer to this question: what is a covenant? Definition of covenant: A covenant is a promise that you make with God. We promise to follow His commandments, and He promises specific blessings in return PNelson has said “the covenant path is all about our relationship with God ” Let’s focus on the covenant of baptism. Write down everything that you think is involved in the covenant of baptism. What do you promise to do? What does God promise to do? (Hint: think of the sacrament) Now read Moroni 4:3 and use the sacrament prayer to see how close you got (Mosiah 18:8-10 is another way that we can live this) Here are the promises we make: we are willing to take God’s name upon us We will always remember Christ We will keep the commandments that we have been given Here is the promise God makes: That we will ALWAYS have His spirit (Holy Ghost) to be with us to guide us Now we need to figure out the roots of the baptismal covenant. The roots are the simple things we can do each day to help nourish our tree so that we can get a ton of fruit! Focusing on what we promise to do, I want you to write down 1 way that you can nourish the roots for each of the promises above (example: I can show I’m willing to take God’s name upon me each day by choosing to treat others how Christ would) Now we are harvesting the fruit. Write down 1-2 ways that the promise of always having the Holy Ghost with us can yield “fruit” in your life (example: Holy Ghost can help me make decisions etc) Insert testimony about how these roots can help them get the fruit!

Written by: Sage Tornow (Trip Leader) Covenant Confidence Through BINDING to Jesus Christ In tandem skydiving, you are strapped to an experienced instructor. You trust them completely to guide you, open the parachute, and bring you safely to the ground. Without them, you wouldn’t know what to do, and would never make it home safely. Just like a skydiver trusts their instructor, we need to “strap ourselves” to the Savior through covenants. By binding ourselves to Him, we allow Him to guide us safely “home” to our Heavenly Father. Read Matthew 14:22–33 – The Story of Peter Walking on Water After feeding the 5,000, Jesus sends His disciples across the Sea of Galilee. A storm arises, and the disciples are afraid. Jesus appears, walking on the water. Peter boldly says, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.” With faith and confidence in the Lord, Peter steps out of the boat and walks toward Jesus. When Peter looks at the wind and waves, he becomes afraid and starts to sink. He cries out, “Lord, save me!” Jesus immediately stretches out His hand, catches Peter, and calms the storm. What lessons did you learn from Peter’s experience? __________________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________________________ Faith Is the Harness: Peter’s ability to walk on water depended on his faith, or confidence, in Jesus Christ. When he doubted or focused on the storm, he began to sink. The Savior’s Immediate Rescue: Jesus didn’t hesitate to help Peter when he called out for help. He’s always ready to help us when we stay close to Him. Covenants Keep Us Connected: By making and keeping covenants, we “strap ourselves” to the Savior, trusting Him to guide us safely home. The Power of Binding Yourself to the Savior The Importance of Being “Strapped In” Covenants are the way we “strap ourselves” to the Savior. When we are bound to Him, we can confidently face life’s challenges. Just like a skydiver doesn’t question the instructor’s skills, we can trust the Savior to know the best way to lead us back to Heavenly Father. What Does It Mean to Bind Yourself to the Savior? Making Covenants: Baptism, sacrament, and temple covenants are how we commit to follow Jesus Christ. Keeping Covenants: Daily acts of faith, such as prayer, scripture study, and service, strengthen our bond with Him. Trusting in His Guidance: When we rely on the Savior, He directs us, even when life feels like a freefall. What Happens When We’re Bound to the Savior? Confidence in Trials: Life can feel uncertain, like falling through the air, but when we’re strapped to Christ, we feel peace. Strength to Endure: Covenants give us spiritual strength to open the “parachute” of hope and safety. A Clear Destination: Just as a skydiving instructor leads their partner safely to the ground, the Savior guides us safely home to Heavenly Father. What can I do to bind myself to the Savior? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

Written by: Preston Hughes (Trip Leader) Part 1: I want to preface these devotionals by saying that their structure is a reflection of my experience with Slope School. We have multiple discussions every day during class, and we really lean heavily into a Socratic Discussion format. Socratic discussions are driven heavily by questions, as facilitated by a guide or discussion leader (who rarely responds in anything but questions to prompt more discussion). Basically, here are a bunch of discussion questions centered around the 5 laws we covenant to make in the temple that could serve as catalysts for discussions: Why do you think God often asks us to follow commandments before we fully understand them? How does this build trust in Him? What do you think makes a sacrifice meaningful? Is it the size of what we give up, the intent behind it, or something else? How can living simple gospel principles, like prayer and service, create confidence in facing life’s challenges? Why do you think personal purity affects how we see ourselves and our ability to feel close to God? What does it mean to fully consecrate your time and talents to God’s work? How does this affect your relationship with Him? How does living these laws consistently—rather than occasionally—affect your ability to trust in God and His promises? How can you stay true to these principles when those around you don’t share your beliefs? What keeps you anchored? Which of these laws do you think most helps you grow spiritually, and why? How might they work together to strengthen your faith? What do you think is the connection between facing challenges while living these laws and receiving greater blessings later? How does understanding the eternal purpose of these laws influence your daily decisions and goals? What role does faith play in being obedient? Can you be truly obedient without faith? Why or why not? Have you ever experienced joy from making a sacrifice? Why do you think sacrifice often leads to unexpected happiness? What does it mean to “live the gospel in your heart” rather than just outwardly following commandments? How can this difference change your life? How does living a chaste life contribute to feelings of self-worth and confidence in relationships with others and with God? How can dedicating your talents to God’s work help you discover your greater purpose in life? Why do you think God asks for daily effort in living these laws rather than occasional, big displays of faith? How does this shape your character? How do these laws teach you to trust God’s plan for your life, even when it’s difficult to see the full picture? How do these laws respect your agency while still inviting you to align your will with God’s? How do these laws influence your ability to form meaningful and lasting relationships with others? Which of these laws has had the most transformative impact on your spiritual growth or testimony? Why? Part 2: The first thing that came to mind when you asked me this was about the 5 laws we covenant to uphold in the temple. So…you asked for one devotional, but here’s five :). I think an HXP trip could be a unique form of temple preparation. Plus, I think they’d benefit from having a greater understanding of obedience, sacrifice, gospel, chastity, and consecration sooner rather than later. What a special way to see these 5 Laws we traditionally learn about in the Temple in action while digging a frickin 6-foot deep foundation trench in the middle of Tanzania. The Law of Obedience Imagine this…you’re on your school’s swim team, and the new coach insists the team practice a strange breathing technique. At first, you doubt it will help, but you decide to trust the coach and follow the instructions anyway. At the next competition, you find yourself finishing faster than ever because of the increased stamina you gained from the technique. You realize the coach’s instructions were for your good, even if you didn’t fully understand them at first. Would you rather follow a commandment without fully understanding why and later see the blessings, or wait to understand everything first and risk missing out on those blessings? Talk : “Obedience Brings Blessings” by President Thomas S. Monson Scripture Story : Story of Nephi building the ship (1 Nephi 17). Follow-Up Questions: What if the commandment requires you to do something uncomfortable or unpopular? How would that affect your decision to follow it without full understanding? How might your trust in God grow or weaken depending on your choice to obey immediately or wait for clarity? Discussion Prompt : How does your experience show that obedience, even without full understanding, can lead to unexpected blessings? The Law of Sacrifice Imagine this…you love spending Saturdays playing video games with friends, but your neighbor, Mr. Lee, needs help fixing his fence after a storm. You reluctantly give up your gaming time to help. As you work, Mr. Lee shares stories of his own youth, giving you advice and encouragement you didn’t know you needed. You feel a deep sense of peace, realizing you gained far more than you gave up. Would you rather give up something you really love now for a greater reward later, or keep what you love but miss the chance for something better? Talk: “Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice” by Elder Bruce R. McConkie Scripture Story: The story of the Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17). Follow-Up Questions: What if the thing you’re asked to give up is central to your identity or future plans? How would you reconcile that sacrifice with faith in God’s promises? What if the reward isn’t immediate or isn’t something tangible? How would you stay motivated to make the sacrifice? Discussion Prompt : How does your willingness to sacrifice your time teach you about the blessings of putting others’ needs first? The Law of the Gospel Imagine this…you decide to start your mornings with scripture study and prayer, even though you’re often tempted to sleep in. Over time, you notice that your days feel calmer, and you handle challenges with greater patience. You also find yourself being kinder to your siblings. Would you rather focus on one big, noticeable act of service each month or commit to doing small, quiet acts of kindness every day? Talk: “Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing” by Elder David A. Bednar Scripture Story: The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10). Follow-Up Questions : What if the small, quiet acts of kindness go unnoticed and unappreciated? How would you stay committed to living the gospel daily? What if the big act of service required significant personal effort or risk? Would you still do it if it meant others might depend on you? Discussion Prompt : How do your consistent efforts to live gospel principles affect your daily life? The Law of Chastity Imagine this…our friends encourage you to watch a show you know goes against your values. You decline and choose to spend time with your family instead. Though your friends tease you, you feel peaceful knowing you’re living in line with your beliefs. Later, your younger sibling tells you how much they look up to you for staying strong. Would you rather stand alone to defend your values, or follow the crowd? Talk : “Personal Purity” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Scripture Study: Story of Joseph resisting Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39). Follow-Up Questions: What if standing alone meant losing close friendships or facing ridicule? How would you find strength to stay true to your values? What if following the crowd seemed to lead to short-term happiness or success? How would you discern the long-term consequences of that choice? Discussion Prompt : How does your decision to stay true to your values illustrate the blessings of living a virtuous life? The Law of Consecration Imagine this…you have a knack for photography. When your ward needs photos for a service project, you volunteer your time and skills. Your photos attract attention on social media, inspiring more people to donate to the cause. You feel joy knowing your talent made a difference. Would you rather dedicate a talent to help build God’s kingdom and see it grow, or keep it for yourself and never know its full potential? Talk : “The Law of Consecration” by Elder Neal A. Maxwell Scripture Story: Early Saints building the Kirtland Temple. Follow-Up Questions: What if dedicating your talent required giving up personal opportunities or recognition? How would you feel about that trade-off?” What if you didn’t see immediate results from your efforts to build God’s kingdom? How would you maintain faith in the value of consecration?” Discussion Prompt : How does your willingness to consecrate your talents for a good cause show the power of this law?

Trip Leader Devotions

March 12, 2025

Trip Leader Devotionals

This is a page dedicated to our devotionals that we will be sharing with the youth on our trips.

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Shae Siebert (Trip Leader)

Meanings of Covenant Confidence

- Confidence because of your covenants

Having confidence in Jesus Christ day-by-day because of the covenant power you know you have access to.

Scripture References:

D&C 121 – Confidence in the Holy Ghost as your constant companion (instead of other companions/friends)

D&C 87:8 – Confidence to stand in holy places (instead of sit, or shy away)

Romans 1:16 – Confidence in the Gospel of Jesus Christ (instead of shame)

1 Timothy 4:12 – Confidence in your belief (instead of feeding doubts)

Examples of Confidence because of Covenants

2 Kings 6: Elisha was confident in what he could see

Mark 5:24-34; Matthew 9:20-22: The Woman with the Issue of Blood – The Woman was confident in what she had heard

Confidence in your covenants

Having confidence that God will follow through on every promise He has made to you

Scripture References:

3 Nephi 16:11-12 (3 Nephi 10:6) – confidence that Christ will gather you

Mosiah 26:30 – confidence that Christ will forgive you

D&C 84:88 – confidence that Angels will help you

Exodus 14:14 – confidence that the Lord will fight for you. (Peacemakers Needed, President Nelson)

Examples of Confidence in covenants

Genesis 17:2-7: Abraham had confidence in God’s promise, even when it was not logical

John 9:6-25: the Blind Man was confident in Christ’s promise, even when it was not conventional/traditional

1 Nephi 17:3 AND 1 Nephi 17: Nephi was confident in God’s promise, even when he had no idea what it looked like.

“Jacob” to “Israel” – Let God Prevail

Other resources

Jesus Is a God of Miracles

What covenant confidence can look like for you.

How can I have confidence in God’s promises when
- I don’t see them?
  - D&C 58:3
- I feel far away from God?
  - D&C 121:1, 7-9
- It feels like too much to ask?
  - 1 Nephi 3:7,
- It feels too simple?
  - Alma 37:6
- I feel all alone?
  - Joshua 1:9
- My family doesn’t believe the same things I do?
  - 1 Nephi 16:20, 23
- I messed up the plan?
  - D&C 110:33
- I made a mistake?
  - Mosiah 26:30
- I can’t see the next step?
  - 2 Nephi 28:30, 1 Nephi 4:7,

Christ’s Covenant to Gather

The Healing Power of Covenants

Covenant Confidence irl

Nephi from 1 Nephi 3:7 to 2 Nephi 33:6
- 1 Nephi 3:7 – I will go and do
- 1 Nephi 4:7 – nevertheless i went forth
- 1 Nephi 4:13 (?? lol) – it is better that a nation should perish
- 1 Nephi 7:11-12 – how have you forgotten/ let us be faithful
- 1 Nephi 11:1 – I desired to know the things which my father had seen
- 1 Nephi 11:17 – I know that…nevertheless i do not know… all things
- 1 Nephi 17:3 – and thus we see
- 1 Nephi 17:15 – strive to keep the commandments
- 2 Nephi 25:26 – we talk of Christ
- 2 Nephi 33:6 – my Jesus

Christ Heals

Written By: Katelyn Hall (Trip Leader)

Mark 5:

25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years,

26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse,

27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment.

28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

30 And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes?

31 And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

32 And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing.

33 But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth.

34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague

Likely every individual in that crowd had some need for healing… physical, emotional, social, mental…

For some reason, Christ made it a point to stop the crowd and publicly proclaim that someone had utilized His strength/power …

not for His sake does that He points it out… but so that we can know with our faith we can receive healing too

If I was this gal, reaching in faith for the power of Christ, what healing would I be hoping for? If not healng where could I use His strength

On Sunday as the sacrament (representing christ) is passed through throngs of people, imagine His being passing through the crowds.. WIll I be someone that just watches him pass? Maybe brushing shoulders with him as I take the tray, or will I intentionally reach for the sacrament in an act of faith requesting healing, enabling, strength, direction that is specific enough that it’s easy to see when that act of faith “makes you whole”

invitation: make the sacrament more meaningful by asking for strength/power in your life

Luke 6:17-19

17 ¶ And he came down with them, and stood in the plain, and the company of his disciples, and a great multitude of people out of all Judæa and Jerusalem, and from the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon, which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases;

18 And they that were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed.

19 And the whole multitude sought to touch him: for there went virtue out of him, and healed them all.

Talk to go along with it “what lack i yet”

I the Lord am Bound

Written By: Josh Miner (Trip Leader)

“I the Lord am Bound”

I the lord am bound, D&C 82:10 and 24
- What are the things God is bound to do?
- What are some promised blessings that have happened in your life
- What are some promised blessings that haven’t happened yet
Abrahamic covenant, Genesis 15
- Genesis 15: 1-6 (This would be doooope if you did it at night under the stars)
  - Emphasize verse 5, replace seed with miracle.
    - Abraham was very concerned about having children. He was 75 with no kids, not to mention his wife was 75 years old as well. Imagine being in his shoes. Wanting to have children for all that time and not being able to. I bet this was something that held a lot of pressure on Abraham. Something that he knew he wanted but maybe pushed those emotions away when it was brought up.
    - What are some things that you wish could improve your life? Abraham deeply desired to have children, maybe you are wanting a friend. Maybe you are wishing that your anxiety or depression would go away. Maybe you wish your relationship with your parents or siblings could improve.
    - These desires that we have, like Abraham, often seem improbable to us. Not gonna lie, the odds were pretty stacked against Abraham and his wife. 75 years old. Didn’t seem too probable.
    - But as Abraham expresses his doubts, God tells him to look at the stars, to try and count them, then he promises Abraham that this is what his legacy will look like.
- Genesis 15:8
  - It is hard to comprehend God’s promised blessings. Abraham has a hard time. This is ABRAHAM. The patriarch, prophet, Father of muslims, and he saw God. He doubted too.
  - “How will I know that these promises will come true?”
  - “How can I be sure that you are ‘Bound’?”
- Genesis 15:9-10, 17
  - This action of cutting animals in half and walking through them used to represent a promise. The person who would walk through the animals promised to keep their end of the deal, or else they would look like that animal.
  - In verse 17, the light (representing God) passes through the split animals.
- God binds himself to this covenant with Abraham, and he is held to that same caliber of commitment with our covenants.

He promises us that he has our back, that he will be there for us, and that our blessings will be as numerous as the stars.

Your Heavenly POV

Written By: Jenner Pennock (Trip Leader)

Your Heavenly POV

As a competitive gymnast during my youth and then becoming a competitive springboard and platform diver in college, I have always been judged for my technique. In comparison to team sports where a ball is used to score points, artistic sports require discipline and a pristine capability to make your entire body execute difficult skills flawlessly. One small mistake can affect your placement and might cost your advancement in a competition. Judges can spot the smallest of errors from a bent knee to a flexed foot (according to the angle at which they are watching). Spectators on another hand can see something that the judges may not. It is all based on the POV of the viewer.

One of my favorite conference talks shared by Neil L Andersen is titled “An Eye of Faith” where he shares God’s Point of View and how that correlates to His children on the covenant path. He states:

“We see the spiritual truths of God through the perspective of an eye of faith. Paul said: “The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned (1 Corinthians 2:14).” The scriptures, our prayers, our own experiences, modern prophets, and the gift of the Holy Ghost bring us the spiritual perspective of truth necessary for our journey here on earth.”

Your POV can be obscured through distorted media or dishonest behaviors. Aligning your Point of View with that of your Heavenly Father will assist your execution on the covenant path. While living a mortal life here on Earth, we are often looked at from the POV of the natural man. We can choose for ourselves to visualize the temptation of worldly affairs or acquire a Heavenly Point of View, which is in perfect alignment. God desires for you to live with Him again. Our Savior is the way, the truth, and the light to lead us along the covenant path. This truth is promised in the Book of Mormon when Jesus shares His invitation: “If ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me (3 Nephi 9:14).” He is always there to help you, even when you mess up and your POV starts to become blurry to the everlasting plan of salvation made possible through our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

Elder Andersen closes with this:

“There is One who knows your burdens because of His sacrifice made in the garden and on the cross. As you seek Him and keep His commandments, I promise you that He will bless you and lift the burdens too heavy to bear alone. He will give you eternal friends and opportunities to serve. More importantly, He will fill you with the powerful Spirit of the Holy Ghost and shine His heavenly approval upon you. No choice, no alternative that denies the companionship of the Holy Ghost or the blessings of eternity is worthy of our consideration.”

Surround yourself with people who have a Heavenly Point of View and want you to remain firm on the covenant path. As you do so, you will feel God’s genuine love he has for you.

How can you alter your POV to be in perfect alignment with the Lord?
Who are some people in your life (or even here on your HXP trip) that have a heavenly POV? How do you know that?

Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail

Written By: Bryson Slater (Trip Leader)

If you fail to plan you plan to fail

This trip is the start of something phenomenal for your life. Moments like these are once in a lifetime experiences when you can connect with God and your peers in an adventurous, spiritual service oriented trip.

The question I want you to ask yourselves is: what is my purpose here on this trip? I’m not meaning why you came to this location. Or why you chose the project I mean for you personally. What is your purpose for being here? Is it to draw closer to God? Is it to make your parents happy? Is it for an adventure, service, to better yourself?
The purpose you discover for this trip can help shape how you approach your life’s greater purpose. These moments are interconnected.

Ill ask you to consider this as well: What is your purpose for your life? When all is said and done what is the one thing you want said of you?

God said to Moses “For I, the Lord God, created all things, of which I have spoken, spiritually, before they were naturally upon the face of the earth.” (Moses 3:5)

We see this pattern in God’s plan. Before things are created a plan is made, then with that plan miracles happen. So here is your chance to create the most life changing trip for you and all your friends you’ll meet along the way.

Think about this, deeply, who do you want to become as a result of this trip?

If you think figuring out your purpose for the trip and for your life is too hard. That’s ok, we all need examples to follow. Jesus probably felt a little overwhelmed about his life’s purpose too, you’re not alone. So what can we learn from our Savior?

Of Jesus it was said that “he went about doing good” (Acts 10:38). Jesus served others by healing, listening, teaching, and simply being present. His actions, though simple, had eternal impact.

Could it be that simple? To find a purpose that will bless your life and help you be there for others?

So I ask again. What do YOU want your purpose to be?

It could be: to uplift all around you, to be a true friend, to see people and listen to them or to go about doing good.

Each day we have this choice. Who do we want to be today? And each day we can start fresh. Thanks to the Atonement of Jesus Christ we are able to start anew every day, even every moment if we would like to. If you find that you are not where you want to be. That’s ok. If you think you have done too much or gone too far, know that Jesus’s hand is outstretched still (D&C 35: 8). We don’t need to be perfect to have access to Jesus for he is the one who makes us perfect (complete). Know there is always hope, people who have lived some pretty tough lives (of crime, substance abuse or worse) are still invited to repent and be baptized. So why not us? I truly believe that God’s mercy is over all who choose him (or even sort of want to choose him :)) and as you choose to do the little things daily to try and draw closer to him he WILL draw closer to you. If you need to hear it from Him look up D&C 88:63.

You are uniquely created by a loving God. There never will be anyone quite like you in all of creation. You were made to shine. God has given you all the tools necessary for you to be the brightest light you can be. Your purpose needs to be authentic to who you are.
The interesting thing about gifts though is: If you are only focused on developing them for your benefit, you may make some progress. However, if you focus on serving and uplifting others your spiritual gifts, your unique qualities, will be magnified.

God knows you, your heart, better than anyone. Be sure to bring Him into your study as you work on this. His spirit will guide you as you ponder your purpose.

I want you to take a sec right now, to breathe and ask God “What is my purpose?” Write down the first thing that comes to mind. Ponder on that these next two weeks and act on it. As you act you will feel the spirit confirming to you that you are on the right track.

I leave you with a challenge. To come back to your purpose every morning of this trip. Pray fervently that God will guide you as you seek to fulfill your purpose and then watch the miracles as they unfold. 😉 it’s worth it. I promise.

We are Never Alone

Written By: Sophia Demordaunt (Trip Leader)

Because of the Promises We’ve Made, We’re Never Alone

Covenant Confidence

Nephi was a teenager with a family that argued just like yours and mine—yet he became a prophet. (1 Nephi 1:1-4)

Peter was an ordinary fisherman—yet he became the Chief Apostle of Christ’s church. (Luke 5:1-11, Tip: Peter was originally known as Simon)

Joseph Smith was a young farm boy from upstate New York—yet he restored Christ’s true church on earth. (Joseph Smith- History 1:1-20)

None of these disciples of Christ likely saw their potential or the magnitude of what God would ask them to do. In fact, some openly admitted they felt unprepared—just read 1 Nephi 4:6.

But despite their weaknesses and simple beginnings, God chose them. He empowered them to perform miracles, to lead His church, and to accomplish what seemed impossible.

Sounds intimidating, doesn’t it? Maybe you feel the same way right now, asking yourself:

How am I ever going to serve a mission?
How can I leave my family and go to college?
How can I keep the Spirit with me when I return home from this trip?
How can I stay strong in my faith when my family, or the people I love most, don’t believe?
How am I going to make it through this trial?

Luckily for us, God has shown us time and time again that He uses the weak and simple to do miraculous things.

And here’s the even better news: because of the covenants we’ve made, we can be confident that we don’t have to face these challenges alone.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland put it beautifully: “Because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so.”

Through Christ’s Atonement and the promises we’ve made, we can be confident that God is always with us. He will never forsake us. And He will always—ALWAYS—keep His promises.

Let’s dive into a story from the scriptures that illustrates just how true this is.

Here’s the setup: The civilizations in the Book of Mormon were constantly changing. Leaders rose to power, and sometimes those leaders mocked or persecuted those who believed in Christ. Ever feel like that? Like you’re alone in your faith or maybe even a little out of place?

This story captures one of those moments. Christ’s followers were driven out of their land by King Noah, a leader obsessed with treasure and power. But God had their back. He warned them about the trouble ahead, and they were able to escape.

Let’s start with Mosiah 23:1-5.

What did the Lord do for His people in these verses?

Next, read Mosiah 23:19-24.

Who was the only one who could deliver them?
How does this shift your perspective on where to turn for help when you’re in need?

Now, things take a challenging turn. Sometimes life doesn’t go the way we expect.

Read Mosiah 23:25-26.
Remember the Lamanites? They were the people who didn’t like the followers of Christ. Sadly, they come back into power and make a wicked man named Amulon their king.

How would you feel at this moment? Scared? Frustrated? Wondering if the Lord really had your back?

Read Mosiah 24:8-11.
Imagine what it would be like to be in their shoes. Now you’re not even allowed to pray. It would be so easy to feel abandoned or to doubt the promise that Christ will never leave us comfortless.

But here’s the turning point— the verses to follow remind us that God is an “always God”— always with us, always listening, always there to help.

Read Mosiah 24:12-14.

Why does God deliver them?
Does He come through for them?

Finally, read Mosiah 24:15-21.

What did God do for His people?
What do these verses teach you about how God keeps His promises?

The story you read is about ordinary people like you and me—people trying to follow God, facing trials and doubts along the way. They weren’t perfect. They must have wondered if God would really keep His promises. They must have asked themselves, “How can I do what God asks of me when life feels so hard?”

But as we saw, God did come through. He strengthened them so they could “bear their burdens with ease.” He didn’t remove their challenges immediately, but He made it possible for them to move forward “cheerfully and with patience” as they did His will.

And that’s the beautiful truth of this story: God’s promises are as real for us as they were for them. He doesn’t expect us to face life’s challenges alone. When we turn to Him, He reminds us that we have a Savior to strengthen us, guide us, and lift us in ways we never thought possible.

So, the next time you feel overwhelmed, remember this: God is always with you. He sees your potential, even when you don’t. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to trust Him, take the next step, and let Him do the rest.

How will you let God strengthen you today?

Covenant Confidence

Written By: Gabby Segura (Trip Leader)

When I first read the text asking me to write a devotional for this summer, I misread the text and thought the theme was “Covenant Commitment”. So for a while, I was brainstorming about “commitments”. When I went back to the text and saw that it was actually “Covenant Confidence”, I said to myself, ‘oh that has a better ring to it’. BUT, I still had this idea of “Covenant Commitment” in my head.

So I did what anyone would do these days, I put it into ChaptGPT– “What is the difference between ‘confidence’ and commitment’?” Here’s what I got back:

Confidence

Commitment

Definition: Confidence is the belief in your ability to succeed or handle a task effectively.

Focus: it is your mindset, believing in yourself and your abilities.

Example: Believing you can run a marathon, because you’ve trained and are prepared.

Definition: Your dedication to achieving a goal or fulfilling an obligation, regardless of challenges or doubts.

Focus: it’s about action, persistence, and sticking to your goals over time.

Example: Training daily for a marathon, even when you feel unmotivated or uncertain about the outcome.

Here is what it says about the two combining together: “Confidence leads you to start, while commitment ensures you will follow through, even when confidence wavers. Together they are a powerful combination for success”.

Then, I had a lightbulb moment. Wait, the word “covenant” in itself MEANS “commitment”! A covenant is that two-way COMMITMENT between us and our Heavenly Father, made possible by the Savior.

When we choose to have Covenant Confidence, we choose to take the steps towards making covenants with Heavenly Father, BELIEVING that we will succeed with the help of our Savior, making it to our end goal. We practice COMMITMENT (or honoring our covenants), by being dedicated to achieving our goal, regardless of challenges or doubts, training daily, and sticking to our goals over time.

And the best part is, Heavenly Father is mirroring that same thing right back at us! Read those boxes again, and think about Heavenly Father applying that to us. He is CONFIDENT in you, He BELIEVES in your abilities and knows that if you rely on Him and the Savior, you will finish that marathon. He is COMMITED to you. He WILL listen and answer your prayers, comfort you, and guide you daily, even when you feel unmotivated or uncertain.

SO, if you’ve been wondering lately, if you are good enough to get started on the covenant path, maybe you’re lacking confidence in yourself, guess what– Heavenly Father already has confidence in you! And that’s all you really need to get started is knowing that just by being a child of God, you have His confidence. His confidence can lead you to start, and your commitment together can help you overcome life’s challenges. The power of covenant blessings can and will be a powerful combination for success.

Covenants help us have confidence in God. We know that He is the same yesterday, today and forever. We know that even when we don’t get what we want or feel is right, He has something better planned for us.

Covenants help us lift each other up. We use the power we get from our covenants to serve and love others.

3 Nephi 29. – The promises that God gives you in order to be confident in your covenants is not in vain.

Covenant Confidence

Written By: Gabby Segura (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence:

What creates confidence?

Confidence in ourselves comes from when we are prepared and feel strongly that we can get something done.
Confidence in other people comes from when they show they are trustworthy and consistently meet our expectations or empathetically communicate when they can’t.
Confidence from other people comes from when they show us support and encouragement. When they lift us up and help us see our potential.

What challenges confidence?

What challenges confidence in ourselves= when we experience self-doubt. We listen to the negative thoughts the adversary sends our way.
What challenges our confidence in other people = when they let us down repeatedly and unapologetically. When they show lack of integrity, or say one thing and do another.
What challenges our confidence from other people = when they put us down. When we constantly compare each other. When we feel unsupported.

What is the reward of confidence?

The reward for having confidence in ourselves= facing our fears, chasing our dreams. Confident people are kind people, we have better relationships when we feel good about ourselves. We encourage others to be confident too.
The reward for having confidence in other people= we support each other through tough times because we know they would be there for us. Together we can accomplish more than just by ourselves.
The reward for receiving confidence from other people= we feel loved, we feel supported.

Add covenants to all of this. Covenants help us be endowed with power. They help us know that we are children of God and have a divine identity. We aren’t afraid of life’s challenges because we know through the Savior, we can accomplish anything.

Covenants help us lift each other up. We use the power we get from our covenants to serve and love others.

3 Nephi 29. – The promises that God gives you in order to be confident in your covenants is not in vain.

Always Remember Him

Written By: Emmett Rock (Trip Leader)

That They Do Always Remember Him…But How?

That they do always remember Him. It’s a seemingly simple phrase that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints promise to do every week when they renew their baptismal covenants by taking the sacrament. In return, we are promised to have His spirit to be with us. I don’t know about you, but my life is pretty busy and overwhelming. I sometimes wonder how I am going to make it to tomorrow. Your trials might be different from mine, but they share a common component: they are hard and will try your faith. I need the spirit to be with me to survive spiritually and you do too. That means that we need to remember Him. To do that, we need to know who He is by studying what He did and said. I am going to walk you through some scriptures that teach us about what He did and said and I invite you to listen to the spirit as you ask yourself “Who is He and what does that tell me about who I am?” Feel free to look up other scriptures as you feel inspired to instead of only sticking to the ones below!

John 15:12-14
- How can you become Christ’s friend?
- Why did Christ lay down his life for you?
- What can you do to love others as Christ loves you?
John 8:3-11
- Why did the Savior not condemn the woman?
- Are you casting stones at others or even yourself? Who does Christ want you to cast stones at? Why?
Mark 5:24-34
- Why was the woman fearing and trembling?
- Why did the Savior stop for the woman?
- What would the Savior tell you if you reached out and touched him?
Luke 22:39-44
- If you were the angel that comforted Christ as he suffered in Gethsemane, what would you say to Him in that moment? How would that change how you live your life?
- Why was Christ willing to follow Heavenly Father’s will instead of His own?

That they do always remember Him. Keeping this covenant means developing a greater love for yourself, your loved ones, and even your enemies, because Christ found all of you worthy of His love. He laid down his life for you. As you ponder how you can remember Him, I invite you to read these scriptures that can increase your confidence in being able to keep the covenants you have made (or will make), and that can increase your confidence in knowing that your Heavenly Father will always deliver on His promises.

2 Nephi 25:23
- Even after we do everything in our power, how are we saved?
Doctrine & Covenants 6:33-37
- Why does Christ not condemn you?
- What does Christ promise you?

God is the Author

Written By: Ashley Hansen (Trip Leader)

Confidence that God is the best author of our story

Scripture story: Comparing Naaman vs Nephi (inspired by Bonnie Cordon)

2 Kings 5:1-14, 1 Nephi 4:1-18

At first glance, you might think that the stories of Naaman and Nephi have nothing to do with each other.

Naaman was a great military leader in Syria. He was a war expert and extremely skilled and strong, but he had leprosy. Some friends suggested that he go visit Elisha, a Prophet of the Lord, to be healed of this incurable condition.

Read 2 Kings 5:1-14

How did Naaman react to Elisha’s direction?

Keep this story in the back of your mind but now we are going to read about Nephi in the Book of Mormon.

This chapter is at the beginning of the Book of Mormon, when Nephi and his brothers were asked to return to Jerusalem to acquire the plates from Laban.

Read 1 Nephi 4:1-18

How did Nephi react to God’s instructions?

It’s interesting to compare both stories. Both tasks were very difficult for each person. If Nephi were asked to dip in the river Jordan 7 times to get the plates from Laban, he would’ve easily obeyed. If Naaman were asked to cut off someone’s head to be cured of his leprosy, he would’ve done it no problem. God was very intentional in asking each person to do something that stretched them.

Each experience was tailored to their needs, weaknesses, and hesitations. God knows where we lack confidence in Him and in ourselves. He purposely will present us with opportunities to overcome those weaknesses. God wants us to trust Him. He wants us to feel safe in His loving arms. He knows us better than we know ourselves and gives us experiences to make our weaknesses become strengths.

Our unique trials and experiences tutor us. We each have different needs. We each will need to learn how to place our trust and confidence in God in different ways. What you need might not be what someone else needs. Write about a time in your life that stretched you and what you learned from it.

Sometimes THE way is the HARD way. If something is challenging or stretches you, it’s not a sign that God is failing you. It’s a sign that God trusts you. That He has confidence in you. It’s an opportunity to place your confidence in Him.

The Character of God

Written by: Ashley Hansen (Trip Leader)

The character of God

In order to trust God’s promises and have confidence in our covenants, we must know who He is. Wherever you are in your faith – having a firm testimony of who He is or questioning if He is real – lean on the testimonies of those in the scriptures.

Say a prayer right now and imagine God sitting right next to you. What would you say to Him? What would you ask Him? Do you need strength? Comfort? Hope? Forgiveness? After expressing your most heartfelt thoughts, ask Him how he feels about you.

Read John 3:16, Romans 8:38-39, 1 John 4:16, Psalm 103:8

What does the Bible teach you about God?

Read 2 Nephi 26:23-34, 2 Nephi 27:23, Mosiah 4:9, Alma 36:3, Alma 30:44, Mormon 5:23, Moroni 7:13

What does the Book of Mormon teach you about God?

It’s important to pour out your heart to God, but it’s also important to listen. Take some time to think about these scriptures. Write down some ways you’ve seen God’s hand in your life or His hand on this trip.

Not everything in your life might make sense right now. You may be wondering why certain things happen or why certain things don’t happen. Try to focus those questions not on the “why” but the “who.” A God of love. A God of mercy. A God of compassion. A God of miracles. A God who gave you a perfect Savior. A God who matches your tears with His own. A God who doesn’t want to watch you suffer even one minute longer than what is necessary for your growth.

It’s not about faith in outcomes, but faith in a loving Father in Heaven.

Experiences With the Lord

Written by: Ashley Hansen (Trip Leader)

Confidence in your spiritual experiences with the Lord

In a BYU speech called “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence” by Elder Holland he says, “There is a lesson in the Prophet Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision that virtually everyone in this audience has had occasion to experience, or one day soon will. It is the plain and very sobering truth that before great moments, certainly before great spiritual moments, there can come adversity, opposition, and darkness. Life has some of those moments for us, and occasionally they come just as we are approaching an important decision or a significant step in our life.”

Read JSH 1:13-20

Why do you think Joseph Smith faced so much opposition prior to his miraculous experience? How did God come through for him?

Write about an event or decision coming up in your life.

Read Hebrews 10:32, 34-35

What are your feelings about this decision you need to make? Have you felt prompted to act in a certain way?

Whether you feel like you’ve received an answer or not, remain confident that God will lead you if you let Him. If God has told you something is right, if something is indeed true for you, he will provide the way for you to accomplish it.

Once you have received an answer or had a great spiritual experience, write those feelings down. Pray to remember how you felt. Hang on to those spiritual experiences and have confidence in your promptings.

Elder Holland said:

“I wish to encourage every one of you today regarding opposition that so often comes after enlightened decisions have been made, after moments of revelation and conviction have given us a peace and an assurance we thought we would never lose. Once there has been genuine illumination, beware the temptation to retreat from a good thing. If it was right when you prayed about it and trusted it and lived for it, it is right now. Don’t give up when the pressure mounts. Certainly don’t give in to that being who is bent on the destruction of your happiness. He wants everyone to be miserable like unto himself. Face your doubts. Master your fears. “Cast not away therefore your confidence.” Stay the course and see the beauty of life unfold for you.”

What experiences and feelings are you going to take home with you?

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Kelsi Christensen (Trip Leader)

Have you ever been told a secret and promised not to share it? Or have you ever shared a secret and the recipient promised not to share the secret? Have you ever experienced a broken promise? How did that feel? (Builders exchange personal stories on the subject).

Now imagine you shared the same secret with a friend and you both pinky promised. This isn’t a secret shared over text or through DMs. This pinky promise was made physically in person with eye contact and pinky fingers intertwining. How confident are you that your friend will keep the promise?

This is similar to covenants. Covenants are physical acts we perform to demonstrate our willingness and enthusiasm to keep promises we make with God. Covenants are like making pinky promises with God but knowing that He is guaranteed to keep His promises. We can have confidence in our covenants because God is perfect and is literally bound to keep our promises when we do our part.

Have you ever had a friend break a pinky promise? Or have you broken a pinky promise? How did that feel? (Builders share stories). It can be hard to make promises with people who have broken our trust, especially when we really believed in them. It can also be just as discouraging to be the person who broke the promise. You might feel guilty, shame and disapppinted in yourself. However, the beautiful part about covenants with God is that no matter how many times we break our promises, He will always forgive us. We always have access to our covenants no matter how much we have sinned as long as we repent.

Baptism is the first covenant we make. Just like a pinky promise is a physical way to show someone “hey I’m serious about this – I won’t let you down,” baptism is like making the ultimate pinky promise with God. When you enter the waters of baptism, you choose to take his name upon you, always remember Him and keep His commandments. In exchange, God promises to forgive you and you receive the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. Nobody is perfect and you will for sure break your covenants at times. Maybe you missed an opportunity to stand up for Christ when people around you were mocking Him, maybe you aren’t reading your scriptures frequently enough to “always remember Him,” or maybe you have been breaking commandments. Either way, there will be times when you will break your covenants. It’s part of being human. That is the literal reason why Christ gave us the sacrament – so we can not only repent but do something physical to remember Him and express our willingness and enthusiasm to continue following him. In return, we are promised forgiveness from our sins and the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost.

When we choose to show up and take the sacrament, we can receive confidence knowing that we are forgiven and we have the Holy Ghost to guide us. Who is the most loyal person you know? (Builders share stories). Now imagine a perfect version of that person. That is the confidence we should have in our covenants. Have builders share stories of when keeping covenants has given them confidence.

Elder Soares: “Those who gain genuine confidence in the covenants made in the house of the Lord through Jesus Christ possess one of the most powerful forces that we can access in this life.”

To wrap it up, have trip leader(s) or parent builder(s) share experiences or testimonies of how making and keeping temple covenants have blessed their lives or given them “covenant confidence.” (Since I assume most builders haven’t yet made temple covenants). The end should inspire and encourage builders not only to keep their covenants but to inspire them to want to make more covenants in the temple because of the confidence it provides.

Scriptures to discuss (if there is time left)

Deuteronomy 7:9

“Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations”

Mosiah 2:41

“Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven.”

Ether 12:4

“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men.”

Mosiah 7:19

“Therefore, lift up your heads, and rejoice, and put your trust in God, in that God who was the God of Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob; and also, that God who brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, and caused that they should walk through the Red Sea on dry ground, and fed them with manna that they might not perish in the wilderness; and many more things did he do for them.”

Mosiah 7:33

“But if ye will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put your trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind, if ye do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of bondage.”

For Such a Time as This

Written by: Mckall Cebollero (Trip Leader)

Many of you may know the story of Esther. It is a very inspiring story of a young Jewish girl whose parents died, leaving her to be raised by her older cousin Mordecai and his wife. Mordecai took Esther to the palace when the king of Persia was looking for a wife. The king was pleased with Esther and made her his queen.

Haman, a powerful man in the king’s court, was angry at Mordecai because Mordecai refused to bow to him. To get revenge, Haman tricked the king into believing that a certain group of people (the Jews) didn’t follow the king’s laws and should be wiped out. The king gave Haman permission, so Haman sent letters ordering the Jews in all 127 provinces to be killed on the 13th day of the 12th month—including men, women, and children.

Through a servant, Mordecai communicated with Esther concerning the decree against the Jews

Read Esther 4:11-15

Vs. 14: Mordecai reminded Esther that she might have been placed in her position “for such a time as this”. How might God be preparing you for a unique purpose in your life right now?

Although reluctant at first, Esther agrees to talk to the King even though she could be punished by death for talking to the King without being summoned. Esther gathered her courage and asked for all Jews to fast and pray with her.

Have you ever been asked to stand up for what was right, even if it was unpopular or scary?

Read Esther 5:1-5 & Esther 7:1-7

Esther, through fasting, faith, and courage, had saved a nation. Even when she didn’t know the outcome, she trusted God’s plan.

How can you develop more confidence in God’s timing and purposes for your life?

What is God asking you to do right now that requires faith and trust in Him?

The God of Assurance

Written By: Anna Hoole (Trip Leader)

The God of Assurance/Fulfillment

Elder Soares said “those who gain genuine confidence in the covenants made in the house of the Lord through Jesus Christ possess one of the most powerful forces that we can access in this life.”

What is this powerful force?

READ 1 nephi 3 1-7

Nephi was asked to return to the place he had just escaped from. If this was me I would think God was playing a joke on me.

Nephi could have complained which is what I would have done, instead Nephi having faith in his covenants returns with great courage.

Because of Nephi’s confidence in the Lord’s promises, he was able to accomplish what he had been commanded to do.

Nephi did not know why he needed to get the plates. He may not have known why for years, however trusting in the Lord he went anyway. The confusing revelation Nephi once had brought forth generations of knowledge to millions of people.

When I look at an artist painting a picture, I often get confused. I am for one not an artist and I am not the artist of that picture. They may make a brush stroke and i don’t get why. When the painting is finally finished I can see the work perfectly. Each brushstroke, even if confusing, had a purpose defining this painting. We are not the artists of our life, and we may be confused watching as certain brushstrokes play out. However they are all painting a picture that is perfect.

The lord won’t always answer our prayers in the way that we anticipate him to, but knowing he loves us and will keep his promises to us, we know they will be answered in the way that is best for us

When you keep your covenants YOU CAN feel confident that the lord will provide a way for you not only that but that he will grant you what is best for you. Giving you a powerful force… the power of God, the power of a higher joy.

What are ways you have been able to access the higher joy?

What are some of the covenants you are keeping right now?

How are you trusting in the Lord right now?

Lords plan is the best plan for us
Knows us so well that nothing else matter

Look Unto Christ

Written by: Brinley Dayton (Trip Leader

Last month, Grant and Sarah Jackson went away for a few days and they asked me to go watch their kids. Stay the night, get them to school, you know. It was only two nights and the Jackson kids are awesome so I was happy to help out.

I wasn’t feeling great when I showed up at their house. It wasn’t anything too bad though so I decided to power through. The kids and I played some games and then they headed to bed. At this point, I really wasn’t feeling great. I went to the bathroom, got sick, and decided to just lay down and watch a show on my laptop. I had brought my little puppy Scooby with me to the Jackson’s house and she fell asleep on the bed next to me.

When I was ready to sleep, I closed my laptop and closed my eyes. I still wasn’t feeling very good and thankfully I fell asleep quickly. At 2am, I woke up. Groggy and confused, I saw Scooby sitting upright on the bed, gagging. I understood what was happening a little too late and before I was able to move Scooby off the bed, she threw up. All over Grant and Sarah’s bed. I was mortified. My dog just threw up on my friends’ bed at 2am and I didn’t know where any of the cleaning supplies was. And I was still feeling sick myself. Talk about a nightmare!!!

Luckily, my husband had packed the cleaning spray we use whenever Scooby has an accident in our house. I searched their home and found what I hope were old towels. After spraying and wiping, and spraying and wiping, I decided to just throw everything into the wash. I bundled up everything on the bed, took it downstairs, and tossed it in the washing machine. I set an alarm for 4:30am to change the sheets from the wash to the dryer and fell back asleep.

At 4:30, I got up and switched the laundry. After moving all of the sheets out of the washing machine, I noticed that there was still something in there. My stomach dropped when I saw what it was. In my groggy, panicked state, I didn’t take time to look at what I was bundling in with the sheets. There, in the washing machine, was my laptop. Glass shattered, splitting apart, completely destroyed.

I was too embarrassed to tell Sarah and Grant the full story, so I only mentioned the part about me feeling sick and headed back to my own house after I dropped their kids off at school. I told my husband everything then went to the store to buy a new laptop, as it was finals week for my first semester of grad school.

Looking back at this experience now, I can laugh about it. It was a disastrous, expensive mistake that could have been completely avoided had I just taken the time to look. Christ promises that if we look to Him, we need not doubt nor fear (D&C 6:36). His love, compassion, knowledge, patience, humility, and promises will guide and protect us.

Our 2025 Young Women’s class vision is to “look unto Christ by strengthening my testimony of the Book of Mormon, seeking and acting upon personal revelation, and loving and serving those around me.” I will look unto Christ by strengthening my testimony of the Book of Mormon comes from our Stake Youth Council’s focus on the Book of Mormon. I will look unto Christ by seeking and acting upon personal revelation comes from the Young Women theme that we recite every week. I will look unto Christ by loving and serving those around me comes from Mosiah 4:15: “But ye will teach them to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love another, and to serve one another”.

I promise that as you look to Christ this year by studying the Book of Mormon, seeking personal revelation, and finding ways to love and serve those around you, your relationship with Him will be sweeter than it ever has been before. You will feel more peace and joy, and you will be guided in everything you do. I love the Savior and I love all of you!

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Grace Carter Budge (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence

God’s covenants help His children remain clean and stay focused on eternal life. We can follow the example of covenant keepers in the Book of Mormon. The Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s kept their promises to God, even when it meant risking their lives.

Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s:

Chose a New Name: Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s
Made a Covenant With God
Buried Their Weapons of War
Withstood Temptation to Uphold Their Promises
They Did Never Fall Away

Chose a New Name Alma 23:16 – 17

Once they were converted to God they wanted a new name to be distinguished from their brethren.

Question: In what modern day circumstances do we choose new names? Marriage, creating a band, starting a business, adoption, etc. What is the significance of changing your name?

Made a Covenant With God Alma 24: 2, 6, 12-13, 15-16

The people viewed their repentance as a second and LAST chance, and didn’t want to mess that up.

Question: When have you been given a second shot at something, and not taken it for granted? How can we treat repentance in that same way?

The Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s wanted to perform an action to show God their commitment.

Question: What actions do we perform that go along with our covenants? What is it about performing actions and making promises that helps us as humans to stay faithful to God?

Buried Their Weapons of War Alma 24:17-19

The people took action to make sure they could follow their promise to God.

Question: Why did the people want to BURY their weapons? Why couldn’t they just leave them in the house, and not use them? What things in our life do we need to remove to make sure we don’t fall into temptation?

Withstood Temptation to Uphold Their Promises Alma 24: 21-23, 24-26

A time came when the people could have easily justified going back to their old ways. Their promise to God was so present in their minds, and so important to them, that they gave up their LIVES to uphold it.

Question: What worldly pursuits, worldly friends, or worldly habits do you need to give up to honor your covenants with the Lord? Are you willing to give your life to God like the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s? What does that actually look like day to day?

When the Lamanites saw the unflinching dedication of the people to their covenants with the Lord, their hearts were changed.

Question: What effect did the example of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi’s have on the Lamanites who were attacking them? When have you been inspired by someone else’s example, or when has your covenant keeping example inspired others?

They Did Never Fall Away Alma 23:6-7

The Anti-Nephi- Lehi’s were so strong in their conversion to their God, that they not only converted many Lamanites, but did never fall away.

Question: What can you do to grow a conversion so strong that you will never fall away? How can your covenants help you with that challenge?

Because I Have Been Given Much

Written by: Julie Free Paxman (Trip Leader)

Devo starts with singing “Because I have been given much” (ofc)

Now this song relates to you in this very moment more than you know. You are far from home and are getting to know a lot of new people and maybe a new culture with new foods and probably nothing seems familiar. Right?

But there is something that is the same. There is a particular part at the end of the song that you are doing at this very moment.

“Because I have been blessed by

thy great love dear Lord;

I’ll share thy love again

According to thy word;

I shall give love to those in need,

I’ll show that love by word and deed;

Thus shall my thanks be thanks in deed.”

You have left your home, your bed, your family, friends, sports, and whatever it is you love, to sing this exact song.

You maybe didn’t even realize it, but you are following exactly what God has asked you to do and for some of you, if not all, you are fulfilling your baptismal covenant (your promise you made to God).

Funny how you had to travel far from home to realize that you could fulfil your promises to God anywhere, anytime, anyplace.

Who would’ve thought that it would be so easy that you didn’t even realize you were doing it.

This song goes hand in hand with a covenant (promise) that God asks us to make with Him and you are going to learn a little more about what that exactly is/means.

Let’s dive into a story in the Book of Mormon that teaches us more about our promise.

Let’s set the stage: there is this group that has become top secret that goes into the woods very often to hear a special message from a prophet of God that has one of the greatest of all time turning to Jesus moments.. These people are top secret because the King at the time wanted to kill anybody that was learning about Jesus. Sheesh.

One day, the prophet Alma that was teaching them about Jesus, started to talk about this same covenant that was mentioned above.

Picture yourself right now as if you were these same people who were fearing for their life that they would be killed but they still had a desire to gain a relationship with Christ.

Lets jump into Mosiah 18:8-11 and ask:

“How am I doing this exact same thing on my trip right now?”

Now read a little further about one of the coolest baptism experiences ever: verses 12-17

Now answer this:

“What am I willing to do to show God that I am willing to keep my promises with Him?”

(P.S. You are already doing it)

Read further verses 27 and 28 and try to find similarities between you and these very faithful people.

To finish off this story, jump ahead and read verse 30.

What would you define the Waters of Mormon as?

Maybe a place that someone gained a relationship with God and Jesus Christ and made promises with God?

Could wherever you are right now – Asia, Africa, Europe, America, or some island country- be considered the Waters of Mormon for you? A place where you gained a relationship with your Heavenly Father and Savior?

Write down some thoughts about what you are learning about your covenants and what you are learning about God and Jesus Christ.

And just know that God gives you much because He loves you much.

And He knows how much you can give to His children all over the world that need much.

We are His

Written by: Seth Bradshaw (Trip Leader)

Confidence in knowing we are His

As we get closer to the second coming of Christ, the world will become more and more chaotic.

D&C 88:91 And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.

As we get to the final days, Satan will try harder and harder to make us miserable and doubt our relationship with the Savior.

86 Abide ye in the liberty wherewith ye are made free; entangle not yourselves in sin, but let your hands be clean, until the Lord comes.

As you continued reading in Section 88 (verse 110), it mentions how Satan is bound during the millennium. Elder Richard G. Scott’s “Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority” (October 2014 General Conference). In it, Elder Scott teaches that when individuals and families consistently engage in righteous practices like prayer, scripture study, family home evening, and temple worship, Satan’s influence is greatly diminished, effectively “binding” him in their lives.

Read 2 Nephi 28:20–21 and 28.

20 For behold, at that day (the final days) shall he rage in the hearts of the children of men, and stir them up to anger against that which is good.

21 And others will he pacify, and lull them away into carnal security, that they will say: All is well in Zion; yea, Zion prospereth, all is well—and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell.

28 …For behold, he that is built upon the rock receiveth it with gladness; and he that is built upon a sandy foundation trembleth lest he shall fall.

How can your covenants be a rock?

As we get closer to the Savior, Satan will try harder to occupy our minds. In Preach My Gospel, under the Christlike attribute of Virtue, it says to let it garnish our thoughts unceasingly.

It describes a stage in our mind and that there is only enough room on the stage for one thing at a time. It says we needs to fill that’s stage with Christ. On empty stage in our minds is free game for Satan. When we do all we can to prioritize Christ in our lives, there isn’t room on the stage for Satan and he essentially has no power.

How can making and keeping covenants and promises with God bind Satan in your life?

Think and pray about some things God might want you to do to be more committed to him. What are some of these things and what might help you “bind” Satan in your life?

Finding Answers

Written by: Lincoln Oldham (Trip Leader)

Finding Answers to Gospel Questions

Discussion: Today, each of us is going to have the opportunity to do a deep dive into the scriptures about whatever we feel inspired about. In church or seminary, you may have had invitations to study the scriptures on your own but haven’t connected how you might like to. Every person that has ever read the scriptures has felt lost or confused by what they have read at some point. This is how it starts for everyone and we learn “line upon line.”

There is an analogy that one of the ancient apostles gave about milk and meat (1 Corinthians 3:1-2). The wording here is a little weird but how do you think milk and meat might relate to our ability to develop and expand our gospel understanding?

-When we are babies we can pretty much only drink milk. Over time as we get stronger we can start eating mashed carrots etc. until we can finally get to the good stuff (meat!) There’s no short cuts to the process. Just like an infants development, everyone has to put the time and energy in to become a meat-eater-gospel-studier and there are no short cuts!

When we study the scriptures, we want to be meat-eaters! It takes time and a lot of work but today let’s try and get used to some of the tools we have that can help us become effective studiers. (This lesson is all about exposure and it will take a lot of practice outside of HXP to get really good but that is just the natural order of things – milk before meat!)

Pray: On your own say a little prayer asking Heavenly Father to allow the spirit to be with you as you study. There is no better way to learn than by the spirit!

What is on your mind? Ask the Lord what topics or questions he would have you study today. If after you pray you still feel a little unsure about what to study, it’s okay! You won’t always get super direct answers to your prayers so maybe choose a topic that you have been thinking about recently or that you simply would like to know more about.

Question I’m Studying:

Index, Bible Dictionary, and Topical Guide: A great place to start looking for answers to your questions are in these resources. Each of them contain a list of people/places/things with references to scriptures that relate.

Once you have chosen your topic or question, try and look for related words in one of these guides. The topical guide probably has the most topics available so if you can’t find a word you are interested in the other guides then maybe check here!

Once you find a related word, try checking out some of the references in the scriptures. Remember the purpose isn’t just to read/check boxes.. We want to be meat eaters! Take your time reading and ask yourself how the scripture relates to the thing you are insterested in.

Example: If I want to know how I can better get along with my family, maybe I could check the Topical Guide for related words such as “forgiveness”, “patience”, or “kindness”

Footnotes: When you open the scriptures, you will find small letters next to the words you read. These letters correspond to a list of different resources at the bottom of the page. There are often scriptures relating to the sentence.

There are tons of footnotes and not all of them will relate to what you are interested in but when you see a word or sentence that you find interesting, check the footnotes and follow them to other related scriptures. This will help you get deep quickly!

Notes: Make a note of the scriptures you find that you really like so you can find them again later! Also note any promptings, feelings, or new things that you learned.

This activity may or may not have worked for you. If there were certain aspects that you liked, then try to incorporate them into future studies. If there were things you didn’t like, then you may just need more practice, but there also isn’t only one way to study! Find what works for you and keep growing. This is a great way to study when you have gospel questions and it is the style I find most rewarding.

I am

Written by: Rylee Schild (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence – “I am” Statements

Intro:

Covenants with God have been part of His plan since the beginning. God loves each of His children and desires a close relationship with them. Covenants provide a way for God’s children to make promises with Him. In return, we promise to love God and love people. In baptism, we promise to “take upon the name of Christ” (Mosiah 5:7), and God takes care of the rest.

Trusting God brings confidence, knowing He will provide a way. God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to make everything right—performing miracles, serving others, and most importantly, performing the Atonement. Christ’s atonement took care of everything. Absolutely everything. Death, grief, insecurities, temptations, anxiety, sin, depression, and anything else you can think of, Christ paid the price so that we can overcome.

Because of Christ, we can have confidence that everything will work out. Focusing on Jesus Christ, covenants, and confidence can transform our perspective, giving us what we call Covenant Confidence—all made possible through Him.

——

Study/Discussion:

Think about how good it feels to be recognized—whether it’s scoring the game-winning point, being elected student body president, or receiving applause for an exceptional musical performance. Those moments of praise can bring a surge of confidence. Now, consider having the Savior by your side—steady, consistent, and always seeing the good in you. Even on your worst days, He supports you. The confidence that comes from knowing Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, stands by you and loves you no matter what is unlike any other. While the applause of the world fades with time, the Savior’s support never does. Covenant confidence means knowing that Jesus Christ can help you through any trial or challenge. As Isaiah 49:16 says, “Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands,” meaning Christ is with you every step of the way. With Him, you can become the person God needs you to be.

How can I have covenant confidence? How do I feel close to the Savior?

The answer lies in Jesus Christ and the baptismal covenant.

Read – Mosiah 5:7-9; Mosiah 18:7-11

Because you promised at baptism to take upon Christ’s name, He is always with you.

So anytime you say “I am ____ (negative or positive attribute)” about yourself, it’s like saying “Christ is ____(negative or positive attribute).”

Choosing Christ means choosing kindness for yourself.

Jesus Christ sees the best in you. He sees you for who you are trying to become and loves you for where you are at.

Think about what covenant confidence looks like for you. Who are you because of Jesus Christ? (Ex: I am strong, I am worthy, I am loved, etc.).

Fill out 3-5 truth statements:

I am ____

It takes work and practice to have covenant confidence. Here are some examples from the scriptures of people who had covenant confidence. Choose one story to read, and then answer the following questions. Listen to what thoughts or impressions the Spirit will teach you about what it means for you to have covenant confidence.

Confidence In Christ to do the Impossible —

Peter walking on water (Matthew 14:22-33)

Abish (Alma 19:14-18;28-36)

Brother of Jared (Ether 3:1-14)

Confidence in Christ to make hard decisions —

Nephi and the Sword of Laban (1 Nephi 4:5-18)

Sons of Mosiah (Mosiah 28:1-9)

Confidence in Christ to trust God’s plan —

Christ’s Atonement (Alma 7:11-13; Mosiah 3:5-11)

Captain Moroni (Alma 46:10-15)

Joseph Smith (JSH 1:7-19)

Why is it important to “take Christ’s name upon you?” How will you have confidence in Christ to do hard things? How will you trust Him? How will you rely on the Spirit?

Each person has their own journey, with unique strengths, gifts, and challenges, and the opportunity to trust in God for help. The same is true for you—through Jesus Christ, you can find the strength to overcome whatever you face.

——

Invitation:

God keeps His promises, which allows us to have real confidence in Him through our covenants. Philippians 4:13 reads, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Write down 3 “I am” statements, and then say a prayer asking God to help you be more confident through Christ TODAY. Then, get to work & see what miracles await.

God has total confidence in you.

——

A Letter From God

Written by: Olivia Obneg (Trip Leader)

A Letter from God- Binding Confidence in Dark Times

One of my favorite ideas is that scriptures are just a series of personalized letters written to us from Heavenly Father. When Moses parts the Red Sea you could call that A Letter From My Father For The Impossible. Or when Joseph Smith prays in the Sacred Grove- A Letter From My Father When I Just Don’t Know. Today I want to read a Letter from our Father together.

“The scriptures are our Father in Heaven’s letters; There are times in our lives when we need to open the letter and communicate with our Father in Heaven, and understand what He is like and His concern for us.”

-S. Michael Wilcox, Bread or Stones: Understanding the God We Pray To

March 31, 2009

Open your scriptures to 2 Nephi chapter 4, we’re gonna start in verse 12. First, let’s set the stage.

Nephi has been through a lot his entire life. As a teenager he wasn’t sure if his father was prophetic or psychotic- but he prayed and got an answer. Still, he was always trying not to be killed by his brothers, while still teaching and leading them. On top all of that, God is asking him to do one impossible thing after another after another. Through it all Nephi always had support from someone very important- Lehi, his father. But Lehi wasn’t only his dad, but Lehi was his prophet, and his support. As the hatred from his brothers increasingly became more intense, and as God’s requests became more and more impossible, who do you think Lehi was for Nephi? What must that have been like?

Now read verses 12 & 13

What do you think Nephi is feeling in this moment? How would you feel in this moment? Write it down.

Now let’s read Verse 17-30. As you read these verse look for what troubles Nephi and note how he describes them. How is Nephi Feeling? Then, look for the type of relationship he has with God and how he describes it.

*Important Note: The word “Nevertheless” is VERY interesting. It’s put in scripture between two principle, events, concepts, etc. and used to show that whatever the first stated principle/ event is, it pales in significance because of second one is so much more important and holds greater weight.

Example: Verse 19: And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted.

Nephi is expressing a moment where he wants to rejoice- to be happy- but he feels weighed down by his sins and sorrows. He’s vulnerable and sad and trying to crawl out of dark place, but just can’t. That darkness is all too real, for Nephi and for us. These moments are significant.

But what’s more significant? Nephi knows who he trusted. That one principles shines brighter than any pain, any heartache, any sin that Nephi has, is, or will ever face. He is bound to God.*

In these scriptures you can see Nephi swallowed in this impenetrable sorrow, weighed down by feelings of inadequacy, probably looking at the tasks ahead without his support and wondering he’s finally going to break. But then he starts to remember. Who he is, and whose he is. One memory by one- all the ways he has bound himself to God and God has bound Himself to Nephi. How? Why? Because of a covenantal relationship. Through that, he has come to know God in special and real way. And so can you.

Now this next part of the Letter is my favorite. Nephi asks some really real questions, you can feel that these comes from Nephi’s soul.

What are questions of your soul?

How did Nephi’s Covenantal Relationship lead him to answers for his questions?

The last two verse are a testimony. Bore both to us and God. And honestly, probably Nephi testifying to himself. Even through darkness, hopelessness, pain, and questions- we see how Nephi retained his confidence in Christ through his relationship with Him.

Even in your hardest moments, what do you know about God?

This letter is for you. These questions asked by Nephi are an echo of your own. Nephi’s pain and state of darkness a validation of your own. For some of us, this letter is for now. Some of us later- Some sooner than later. But save this letter, and all the other ones God has written you throughout scripture.

What would you name this letter?

A Letter From My Father For _________

Your Loving, Heavenly Father

Written by: Ty Miller (Trip Leader)

God is your loving, Heavenly Father.

What does this mean? It means He loves you so much that He wants to be part of your life—the good and the bad. He is “Heavenly” in that He sees all, knows all, and has a perfect plan for you. As your “Father,” He has provided everything you need to be successful in this life (Moses 1:39).

Now, take a moment to think, what does the perfect father look like to you?

What does God, your perfect, loving, Heavenly Father want you to know about him? Check it out and write your thoughts:

He has a plan of salvation (Alma 12:22-34).

He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to redeem you from sin and death (John 3:16).

He invites you to seek Him (Joshua 24:15).

He sees you and never denies you (Alma 26:37).

He asks us to make covenants with Him (Alma 7:15).

Life can feel overwhelming especially when faced with big questions: What should I do after graduation? Should I serve a mission? What career path is right for me? Who should I allow into my life? How do I even begin to “adult”? Add on the call to a make covenants and it can feel like ALOT.

Confidence in making and keeping covenants comes from confidence in God’s character.

I know He loves you.

He is your loving, Heavenly Father.

Always.

Fruits & Roots

Written by: Matt Kleinman (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence

“You can’t have fruits without roots!”

Goal: Help teens identify the “roots” of their covenant relationships with God

Potential Related Talks: “Walking in Covenant Relationship with Christ” Sis Freeman Oct ‘23,

“Nourish the Roots, and the Branches Will Grow” Elder Uchtdorf Oct ‘24

Outline:

Think of all that goes into getting fruit from a tree.
- For an apple to grow you need to plant a seed, water the ground (a lot), weed, prune the tree, make sure the tree has enough light, enough time, the soil needs to be good, you need to keep bugs away, etc and only THEN do you get the fruit.
  - When you plant an apple tree, your goal is not to get roots from the tree, your goal is to get the apple, or the fruit!
    - However, the fruit can’t come until the roots are strong and nourished, which takes time and effort
- In this devotional, we are going to look at the “fruit” that comes from living and keeping our covenants- AKA all of the blessings that obedience to God can bring
- So the question we need to answer is this: what are the “roots” of living your covenants?

Write down your honest answer to this question: what is a covenant?
- Definition of covenant: A covenant is a promise that you make with God. We promise to follow His commandments, and He promises specific blessings in return
- PNelson has said “the covenant path is all about our relationship with God”
Let’s focus on the covenant of baptism. Write down everything that you think is involved in the covenant of baptism. What do you promise to do? What does God promise to do? (Hint: think of the sacrament)
- Now read Moroni 4:3 and use the sacrament prayer to see how close you got (Mosiah 18:8-10 is another way that we can live this)
  - Here are the promises we make:
    - we are willing to take God’s name upon us
    - We will always remember Christ
    - We will keep the commandments that we have been given
  - Here is the promise God makes:
    - That we will ALWAYS have His spirit (Holy Ghost) to be with us to guide us
Now we need to figure out the roots of the baptismal covenant. The roots are the simple things we can do each day to help nourish our tree so that we can get a ton of fruit!
- Focusing on what we promise to do, I want you to write down 1 way that you can nourish the roots for each of the promises above (example: I can show I’m willing to take God’s name upon me each day by choosing to treat others how Christ would)
Now we are harvesting the fruit. Write down 1-2 ways that the promise of always having the Holy Ghost with us can yield “fruit” in your life (example: Holy Ghost can help me make decisions etc)
Insert testimony about how these roots can help them get the fruit!

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Gillian Maxwell (Trip Leader)

By this time you probably know what covenants are. And even what blessings can come from making them. But I want to show you what life can look like by keeping them.

What do you understand about covenants so far?

One of my favorite parts about making and keeping covenants is frequently attending the temple. The temple truly is sacred ground. When I go to the temple I feel heaven! But I didn’t always have the strongest testimony of the temple. I wouldn’t say I didn’t like the temple, I just didn’t understand it.

What do you understand about the temple? What questions do you have? (Pro-tip: Ask your Trip Leaders these questions! They would love to help you find the answers!<3)

Then in March 2022 I became a temple worker and everything started to change. I became more comfortable with the temple, and parts that used to overwhelm me didn’t anymore. And later that year I went through some super hard things that really impacted me in some major ways. Each trial I was dealing with would have been hard on its own, but everything kept compiling and together it was too much for me to handle alone. And then I read the talk “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation” by President Nelson. This became a turning point for me. He says, “If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often–not less. Let the Lord, through His spirit, teach and inspire you there. I promise you that over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.”

What promises is he making here?

Pay attention to what he says next:

“And to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently–to understand temple covenants and ordinances. Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation.”

In your own words, what is he saying?

Once I read this I was immediately sold. Challenge accepted. Get me to the temple! If going to the temple more often meant that I could have angels attend to me and receive direction from heaven, then count me in. However, this was a time when I was BUSY. But I knew I needed to be in the temple. So I went. Sometimes I even went 3x per week. And I absolutely did not have time for that. (Note: I am not telling you to go to the temple 3x per week. That would be crazy. But I am encouraging you to work with the Lord to find a temple routine that works for you and stick to it!) BUT THIS IS JUST EVIDENCE OF WHAT GOD CAN DO. As I found myself in the temple, my life fell into place. My mind was healed. My heart was mended. And I was whole. Angels literally attended to me and I received true direction from heaven–some of which led me to HXP. My covenants will always and forever be such a blessing to me because keeping them means I get to go to the temple. Where I find safety, solace, revelation, and peace. Where I find angels. Where I find heaven. And where I find the Lord. So I extend to you President Nelson’s invitation– to go to the temple more, not less.

What does the temple mean to you?

What would you like the temple to mean to you? And what are you willing to do to get there?

Now prayerfully make a plan with the Lord about how often you would like to go to the temple.

Now as a group take a moment to discuss some thoughts and feelings you had as you read and wrote about the temple.

Covenant Confidence

Written by: McClain Easton (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence

Since your early days in primary, you have been told the story of the Israelites crossing the red sea. You sang about it in sunbeams while humming the tune of “Follow the Prophet”, stared endlessly at paintings of this monumental event, and chances are you even dreamed of Moses parting the waters as you drifted off during sacrament meeting.

But long before the Israelites were even in Egypt, God had made them a series of promisesdependent upon their obedience – covenants. Through Abraham, he promised a posterity without number, a blessed land, a lineage of kings, and most importantly an everlasting relationship with God. These sorts of blessings might not be top of mind when you kneel in prayer every night, but I’d like to think that this was exactly what Abraham had hoped for not only for himself, but for everyone he loved.

Over time, Abraham’s family grew. His son Isaac had a son named Jacob. Jacob had his named changed to Israel. Israel had a son named Joseph. And then Joseph’s brothers pretended to kill him and sent him on his way to Egypt. Not a great moment in the history of brotherly pranks.

Did Joseph deserve it? Absolutely not. He was arguably the most righteous of his brothers – in tune with the spirit and possessing a gift for prophesying of the future. However, with time the brothers made amends, and the whole family followed Joseph into Egypt.

Not only were they all reunited, but they eventually became a powerful nation. So powerful, in fact, that the Pharoah became insecure. He enslaved them all, until the Lord raised from among them the prophet Moses. After hundreds of years and countless miracles, Moses lead the ultimate escape mission. Miraculous plagues, burning bushes, and finally an escape from the Pharoah’s troops right along the ocean floor. I can’t imagine Moses ever thought himself capable of such incredible things, but God had made him a promise. And because Moses trusted in that promise, Abraham’s people were finally on their way back into the land of their inheritance.

But this all happened so long ago. You probably won’t ever reminisce with Moses about that time you literally parted the sea. You also probably won’t ever find yourself leading thousands of your friends while running away from an Egyptian army (as cool as that might be). So, what is the big deal? Why does this story even matter to you? And why does your seminary teacher constantly try to make a lesson out of this?

God keeps his promises. Always. In his time. In his way.

He knew the Abrahamic people perfectly, and despite his perfect love for them and awareness of their needs, he allowed them to struggle at times throughout their sojourn in Egypt, all the while listening intently and planning with perfection the blessings he would pour out upon them:

“And God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God looked upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them.”

Not only did he respect them, but when their time came, he led them out of Israel and back to the land of their inheritance.

God kept his promises.

With time, he not only brought them back into the land of their inheritance but also came to fulfill the remainder of the incredible promises he had made to Abraham so long before. And just like God remembered the covenants he had made with Abraham; he remembers the covenants he has made with you.

You don’t need to be the father of great nation to receive his incredible and endless blessings – you are divinely entitled to them! And you have already taken the steps to claim what is rightfully yours. You took the first step when you were baptized. You renewed your commitment to your end of the bargain on Sunday when you took the sacrament. And someday soon, you will continue along this covenant path when you enter the house of the Lord.

Just like God had made specific promises to Abraham, he has made specific promises to you. As you seek to be obedient, help those in need, serve those around you, and remember Jesus Christ, you are promised the constant companionship of his spirit, freedom from sin, and one day – eternal life.

The promises God had made to Abraham gave Moses all the confidence in the world to something seemingly impossible. In the same way, the promises God has made you should give you the confidence to move the mountains in your own life. You can make the team, you can overcome addictions, you can find your people, get into college, go on a mission – the list is endless. Because of the covenants you have made, no goal is out of reach.

Take confidence in that. The same eternal principle that gave helped Moses keep his head high when things got touch is the same principle from which you can find power today; yesterday, today and forever:

Good keeps his promises.

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Parker Smith (Trip Leader)

When you think of confidence, what or who do you think of? I think all of our first reactions were the “rizzlers” around us. The ones who could make the whole room laugh and could do the best TikToks (RIP TikTok…for all of a second). Or maybe we thought of James Bond or characters in books or movies similar to them.

Whoever you thought of, honestly, you are probably right! Many of them are confident. In today’s world, we are pretty good at displaying or recognizing confidence. But what we tend to lack is how we get there. Even those who are confident may not recognize how they became confident in the first place.

So…what is confidence? If you look up the literal definition of “confidence”, the first definition provided (so the most used definition of “confidence”) is: “full trust; belief in the powers, trustworthiness, or reliability of a person or thing.” Confidence is trust!

Self-confidence = self-trust. You trust yourself to do what you say you are going to do or what you are capable of doing. James Bond trusts that he is the best spy and can do the mission (uh…cause he is and will)

Similarly, Covenant Confidence = Trust in your covenants. You gain Covenant Confidence when you are trusting in and will receive the promises that God has given to you.

Easier said than done, right?! Trust is something built over time through consistent completion of promises. You might be saying…that’s great and all, but how can I develop confidence, or trust, in something that I sometimes do not ever see a result from? Did I do it because I was told or does God really see and reward it?

Let’s paint a picture! There was a prophet named Enoch in the Old Testament. He was notorious for the formation of the most righteous city on Earth, Zion! He helped them become so righteous that God decided to take them up to Heaven because they had done EVERYTHING right. Pretty amazing! Talk about a prophet with confidence, right?!

Well, it did not start out that way. Let’s start from the beginning. Here Enoch was minding his own business, journeying around in the land, when the Spirit spoke to him commanding him to do the one thing he did not want to do…speak!

Open up the scriptures and read his story:

Moses 6:26-31

Are there things that God has asked of you that seem impossible for you to do? List some of the things God has asked you to do.

Or you feel like it’s not what you were made to do? List your strengths.

They don’t always match, right?! Enoch expresses those exact insecurities to God! “Wherefore am I thy servant?” (Moses 6:31) is him saying the equivalent today of “Dude, you have the wrong person!” How he shows a lack of Covenant Confidence. Sad face…

So how does this amazing prophet go from having no confidence, or trust, that God was choosing the right person for the job to converting thousands to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, creating the most righteous city, moving mountains, and becoming confident in God? Because of Covenants!

The Lord invites Enoch to follow his covenants when the Lord says: “And the Lord said unto Enoch: Go forth and do as I have commanded thee,…Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you” (Moses 6:32-33). Then comes the promises that Enoch can be confident, or trust, in: “…and no man shall pierce thee. Open thy mouth, and it shall be filled, and I will give thee utterance, for all flesh is in my hands, and I will do as seemeth me good. … Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore WALK WITH ME.” (Moses 6:32,34)

Wow! That’s amazing! Which of those, if it came true, would convince you that God was really fulfilling promises and worth trusting?!

But do you think Enoch just instantly gained confidence that he was the right choice all of a sudden? Did he go from that experience with the Lord to moving mountains and rivers? NO! But he was willing to put it to the test. We cannot assume that because it was a couple verses apart or in the same chapter that not much time has passed (especially since people went from being born to hundreds of years old in a matter of a verse). Enoch probably started small…talked to one person about this. When that went well, he talked to three people. So on and so forth.

Being Covenant Confident involves the groundwork first. Enoch shows us that this is a process from fear and doubt to confidence and trust. Perhaps that is what God meant when He told us to “not run faster than [you] are able”.

Finally, we catch up to him when it says that “Enoch went forth in the land, among the people, standing upon the hills and the high places, and cried with a loud voice, testifying against their works; and all men were offended because of him.” (Moses 6:37) Now we start to see that Covenant Confidence from him! And then God fulfilled His promise to Enoch: “And it came to pass when they heard him, no man laid hands on him; for fear came on all them that heard him; for he walked with God.” (Moses 6:39).

Just as we can all recognize the self confidence of characters like James Bond, they recognized the Covenant Confidence that Enoch had when they knew that “he walked with God.” Others can recognize the same within us as they did with Enoch. That as God showed Enoch that He was there for Enoch, when Enoch did what God asked, similarly, we can gain confidence that God will be there for us when we do what God asks by the fulfillment of His promised blessings.

We may be, right now, the Enoch of the beginning of the story. We may say to God, like Enoch, that we are not the right person for the job. He has made a mistake asking so much of you. In other words, lacking our covenant confidence in today’s world.

May we remember Enoch. May we remember that as we consistently do what God asks and look for the ways He fulfills His promises, we can grow our covenant confidence. The promises to Enoch are the same today. May we become as Enoch that they may one day say of the Covenant Confidence of us that they did of Enoch: “And so great was the faith of [insert your name here] that led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he [or she] spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his [or her] command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of [insert your name here], and so great was the power of the language which God had given him [or her].” (Moses 7:13)

The Good Life

Written by: Kelly Mannewitz (Trip Leader)

Nephi had a good life.

He was really strong. He had awesome parents. His mom loved him and his dad encouraged him and showed him who he had the potential to become.

He had some brothers and they challenged him, as most brothers do. But they had a lot of great experiences and adventures in the wilderness together.

In the beginning of the book of Nephi, we read about Nephi telling us about his father. Maybe he had leaned on the testimony of his father for a bit. And that’s great.

Who’s testimony do you lean on? Who’s testimony influenced the one you might have today? Tell me about them.

Now, after leaning on his father’s testimony, Nephi was ready to have an experience of his own. So, him and his brothers venture into the wilderness to find the plates. It wasn’t easy. Many times, they wanted to turn away. They cast lots (made bets) because no one wanted to be the one to go talk to the big guy in charge. Nephi even played dress up. Amidst some murmuring and complaining, the brothers finished the task together. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that one of their first spiritual experiences, without their dad, was one they got to do together. God wants us to have good friends who help us be close to Him. Who do you have in your life that you can have spiritual experiences together?

As you can see, Nephi had a good life. Good parents. Good spiritual mentors. And he had had his own spiritual experience with God. Nothing could stop him.

Right?

But, back in the wilderness, Nephi faced some incredibly tough challenges. While he had been blessed with spiritual experiences with God in the past, those moments had become distant memories. Now, Nephi needed God’s power to deal with his brothers, provide for his family, and even build a ship!

But was Nephi supposed to just keep looking back at those past spiritual experiences, reading his journal over and over? That may help for a time, but the further we drift from those memories, the harder it is to feel their power. Instead, Nephi actively sought out new experiences with God. After all, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

You are only as strong as your most recent spiritual experience. What are you going to do to have continual experiences with God?

How will these experiences build your confidence in His promises?

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Jenna Gremillion (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence

Imagine you come in possession of an absolutely priceless treasure – the first thing you would want to do would be to protect it and cherish it right? Or would you just leave it lying around for anyone to take?

In our lives, our covenants with God are our greatest treasures. When we make covenants with Him, it is like depositing those treasures into the most trustworthy bank you can imagine. This spiritual “bank” does more than just protect what we have put into it – it actually multiplies our treasures with peace, blessings and eternal rewards.

Read Matthew 19-25

God’s promises to us are like a guarantee that your investment will stay safe and always grow. As long as you do your part, He will do His.

President Nelson has said “The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple…As we keep His covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power.”

What treasures has God already blessed me with because of my covenants?

What changes can I make to multiply my covenant confidence?

Am I making regular investments into my spiritual bank account?

God's Unfailing Promises

Written by: Camila Castillon (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence: The Power of God’s Unfailing Promises

Think about a promise that’s been made to you—something you can count on no matter what. Maybe it’s from a parent, a friend, or a mentor. Now, what about when that promise is broken? It hurts, right? It can shake your confidence in people and sometimes even make you question your worth.

But here’s the thing: what if I told you the Creator of the universe has made promises to YOU? And that His promises are nothing like that. They are unbreakable. They will carry you through the toughest storms of life. They don’t depend on how good or perfect you are. God’s promises stand, and they always will.

Now, think about the one thing you literally can’t live without. You know, that thing you check 500 times a day—your smartphone?👀 You use it for everything—talking to friends, finding answers, getting directions, even to chill when you’re stressed. And if you forget it? You freak out. You’ll turn the car around, retrace your steps—nothing gets in the way of you and your phone.

But what if you could have the same kind of automatic connection with God? What if you treated your relationship with Him like you treat your phone? When you need answers, you go to God first. When you feel lost, you check in with Him like you check your notifications.

Think about it: we trust our phones to always be there, to give us the answers we need. But guess what? Phones crash. They die. They get lost. And when that happens, you’re stuck without them. But God’s promises? They never fail. They’re 100% reliable. You never have to worry about God dropping the call. Like. Ever. His love and promises won’t crash. They’re always on.

Covenant confidence is knowing that when life gets tough, you can turn to God with the same confidence you have in your phone. God’s promises won’t fail, and He’s always there to guide you, no matter what.

It’s like that deep, almost instinctual trust you have in your phone. No matter what happens, you trust it will keep you connected and help you find your way. Imagine if you had that same trust in God—to go to Him first for direction, to stay connected no matter what.

But it’s not always easy to feel that confidence. Sometimes, we mess up. Sometimes, life feels like a battle. And sometimes, we wonder if God is even listening. But let me tell you this: God’s promises don’t depend on how perfect you are. His promises stand, no matter how many times you fall. They are true—always, no matter what. He will never leave you.

Covenant confidence is the trust that, no matter what happens, you are held by a love that never fails. It’s knowing that God’s love and promises are bigger than anything this world can throw at you. And no matter how many mistakes you make or how many times you stumble, His love and those promises will still be there, always faithful, always true.

The God of Imperfection

Written by: Deanne Backman (Trip Leader)

The God of Imperfection

No air, no light, no steering.

The brother of Jared and his people with their flocks, swarms of bees, fish, and seeds, followed the Lord who was in a cloud. They built barges, crossed waters many times, and then, after all that, they pitched their tents and stayed there for four years. And at the end of those four years, “the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared…and for the space of three hours did the Lord…chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord.” (Ether 2:14).

Instead of defensiveness, the brother of Jared “repented of the evil which he had done” (Ether 2:15). And then, as the Lord commanded, he built more barges, but this time, to make it to the promised land.

The brother of Jared did exactly as instructed, but even then the barges were flawed. So flawed that if used, they would all die. No air, no light, no steering. These flaws could have caused the brother of Jared to feel he was not enough to go to the promised land. But instead, he called upon the Lord (Ether 2:19).

There was no light in the barges, they couldn’t steer and, they would die if they went in the barges because there was no air to breathe. The brother of Jared “made the barges according as [the Lord] hast directed” but they weren’t enough for the treacherous journey they were taking to the promised land. The barges were imperfect.

And that is where our God shows up, in the midst of our imperfections, in our flawed barges.

Read Ether 2:20-23

God gave the solution to the lack of air, and the brother of Jared followed. Then God allowed the brother of Jared to find his own light.

Read Ether 2:24-25

Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?

In chapter three, the brother of Jared finds his light, and in the process he finds God. Not the God he knew in a cloud but a God of flesh and bone. Ether three describes this incredible encounter, but Ether two shows us how imperfection led him there.

God could have handed the brother of Jared blueprints for perfect barges, equipped with all the bells and whistles. But He didn’t. Instead, He used imperfection as a tether. He invited the brother of Jared to trust in Him and His promises.

The God of Imperfection is your God too. He doesn’t need you to be flawless; He just needs you to show up. He uses your gaps, your weaknesses, your flawed barges to guide you toward the kind of faith that makes Him real and tangible.

Your imperfections are not your disqualifications—they are your connection to Him. The God who guided the brother of Jared is the same God who guides you. He’s not asking for perfect. He’s asking you to have confidence in the covenants you made with Him. To have confidence in Him.

God made the brother of Jared a promise and He makes the same promise to you.

“I will prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come.” (Ether 2:25)

One day, just like the brother of Jared you will stand before Him—despite the waves and winds and floods. And your God will beam at His imperfect child who braved the storm to be with Him again.

Remember

Written by: Kaela Whittingham (Trip Leader)

Remember

Words carry a lot of meaning. What do you think the most important word in the dictionary is?

President Spencer W. Kimball said that perhaps the most important word is REMEMBER. He said our greatest need is to remember (Circles of Exaltation, June 28, 1968).

Fun fact: The word remember appears over 180 times in the Book of Mormon!

Study Helaman 5:5-9

The Book of Mormon prophet Helaman knew how important it is to remember. He urged his sons Nephi and Lehi to remember to keep the commandments of God. He asked them to remember the great men they were named after. He asked them to remember the words of the prophets. Most of all, he asked them to remember that Jesus Christ would come to redeem the world.

Study Helaman 5:12

I love the word foundation found in verse 12. Think about your time so far on the worksite or in the classrooms. How many times have you heard the word foundation!? Are you tired of mixing buckets and buckets of cement to strengthen the foundation? You are physically building a foundation at the worksite and it is not easy. But think about how important it is to build a strong foundation. Not only physically but also a strong spiritual foundation for yourself. A foundation that gives you confidence in Him.

As you study about the word Remember, I want you to take a couple of minutes, write down, and remember what you have felt in your new found sacred places whether that’s at the worksite, eating meals, during morning or night devotional, or on a random walk in this foreign land. Remember what you have learned, how you have let God prevail on this trip. Remember the changes you want to make in your life in order to have more Covenant Confidence. Remember each other, your new hxp family. Remember why you are feeling the way that you do.

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Nic Blosil (Trip Leader)

HXP Devo – Covenant Confidence

During covid, President Nelson gave a talk called “Let God Prevail”.

He had so many banger quotes in this talk it’s hard to count.

Then at the very end, he gave an invitation that changed my life forever. Here’s what he said:

“As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life.”

It took me a couple months after hearing this invitation to do anything about it. Between you and me, this invitation honestly just sounded boring! Covenants didn’t make a lot of sense to me to start with. Now President Nelson is asking me to study covenants made to people in the Old Testament? I don’t even hardly understand the Old Testament.

This was the math equation in my head: not understanding covenants + not understanding the Old Testament = how am I going to get anything out of this?

Well, I finally humbled myself, exercised a little bit of faith, and gave it a go.

I went to the topical guide and looked up “Israel”. There were a ton of sections and it was a little confusing but I picked the one that said “Israel, Blessings of” and started reading.

Now before I share what happened to me, you try it!

Open to the topical guide in your scriptures and find the section titled “Israel, Blessings of.” Start at the top of the list and read 2 or 3 of the verses referenced there. Gen = Genesis, the first book in the Old Testament. As you read, have your pen and paper handy and do what President Nelson invited us to do as we study these scriptures: “make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel.” Once you have read and written down the promises you find in those 2 or 3 verses, come back and keep reading.

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How was that? If you’re like I was, still a little confusing but also kind of interesting too.

Can I tell you a little more about what happened to me as I did this study?

When I started doing this study, I was at a scary place in my life.

I was graduated and living on my own, and I had just told my boss that I wasn’t going to be working there anymore. It felt like the right thing to do, but I didn’t have a plan for what I was going to do afterward to make money to live.

Have you ever felt like your future was uncertain? Have you ever felt a little scared of the unknown, like what’s going to happen if your family moves to a new place, or you have a brand new class schedule, or you change schools, or you graduate?

Ok now think of a scenario where you were a little uncertain or even scared of the future like I was. Go back to the list of scriptures under the heading “Israel, Blessings of” in the Topical Guide.

Read Ex. 19:5, Lev. 26:12, Deut 7:6, and Deut. 28:2 and “make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel.” Once you have read and written down the promises you find in those 2 or 3 verses, come back and keep reading.

————————————————

When I started studying these verses, the language was a little confusing. I mean, it is the Old Testament!

But soon the Spirit told me something that wasn’t written in Old Testament language; something that maybe He’s already told you.

The Spirit whispered to me, “these promises were not only for covenant Israel thousands of years ago. These promises were made to all who have made covenants with God, throughout all of Earth’s history. These promises are for you.”

All of a sudden, I had this image in my mind of people in the Old Testament and forward going all the way down to my ancestors and grandparents and parents and others adult leaders who have loved me, making and receiving covenant promises from God and passing these blessings along with all their faith and love down from one generation to the next, all the way down to me.

I realized that not only was I receiving one set of promised blessings; I was receiving thousands of years and generations of promised blessings. They all added up and came down on me.

You know when you get a blessing and there are so many people in the circle that they all put just one hand on your head? I had that image in my mind thinking of faithful covenant-Israel ancestors laying hands on my head and passing down the blessings God made to them and giving new ones to me.

This multi-generational inheritance of covenant blessings is true for you, too.

So now to finish today’s devotional, I want you to look again at the “list of (some of what) the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel.” And I want you to write your answer to this question:

“What do these promised blessings mean to me?”

I promise that as you think about your life and your fears and concerns and uncertainty about the future, by re-reading the promised blessings God has made to covenant Israel — to your ancestors, and to you — that the Spirit will highlight the blessings He knows you need right now.

Some of these blessings might be spelled out in the text.

Many will be spoken directly to your mind and your heart.

I invite you to write down these thoughts and feelings that come to you, because I promise God wants to tell you, (insert your name here), how much He loves you, one of His covenant children, and the promised blessings that He has in store specifically for you.

As you do this, “I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life.”

Binding to Christ

Written by: Sage Tornow (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence Through BINDING to Jesus Christ

In tandem skydiving, you are strapped to an experienced instructor. You trust them completely to guide you, open the parachute, and bring you safely to the ground. Without them, you wouldn’t know what to do, and would never make it home safely.

Just like a skydiver trusts their instructor, we need to “strap ourselves” to the Savior through covenants. By binding ourselves to Him, we allow Him to guide us safely “home” to our Heavenly Father.

Read Matthew 14:22–33 – The Story of Peter Walking on Water

After feeding the 5,000, Jesus sends His disciples across the Sea of Galilee. A storm arises, and the disciples are afraid.
Jesus appears, walking on the water. Peter boldly says, “Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.”
With faith and confidence in the Lord, Peter steps out of the boat and walks toward Jesus.
When Peter looks at the wind and waves, he becomes afraid and starts to sink. He cries out, “Lord, save me!”
Jesus immediately stretches out His hand, catches Peter, and calms the storm.

What lessons did you learn from Peter’s experience?

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Faith Is the Harness: Peter’s ability to walk on water depended on his faith, or confidence, in Jesus Christ. When he doubted or focused on the storm, he began to sink.
The Savior’s Immediate Rescue: Jesus didn’t hesitate to help Peter when he called out for help. He’s always ready to help us when we stay close to Him.
Covenants Keep Us Connected: By making and keeping covenants, we “strap ourselves” to the Savior, trusting Him to guide us safely home.

The Power of Binding Yourself to the Savior

The Importance of Being “Strapped In”

Covenants are the way we “strap ourselves” to the Savior. When we are bound to Him, we can confidently face life’s challenges.
Just like a skydiver doesn’t question the instructor’s skills, we can trust the Savior to know the best way to lead us back to Heavenly Father.

What Does It Mean to Bind Yourself to the Savior?

Making Covenants: Baptism, sacrament, and temple covenants are how we commit to follow Jesus Christ.
Keeping Covenants: Daily acts of faith, such as prayer, scripture study, and service, strengthen our bond with Him.
Trusting in His Guidance: When we rely on the Savior, He directs us, even when life feels like a freefall.

What Happens When We’re Bound to the Savior?

Confidence in Trials: Life can feel uncertain, like falling through the air, but when we’re strapped to Christ, we feel peace.

Strength to Endure: Covenants give us spiritual strength to open the “parachute” of hope and safety.

A Clear Destination: Just as a skydiving instructor leads their partner safely to the ground, the Savior guides us safely home to Heavenly Father.

What can I do to bind myself to the Savior?

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Written by: Preston Hughes (Trip Leader)

Part 1:

I want to preface these devotionals by saying that their structure is a reflection of my experience with Slope School. We have multiple discussions every day during class, and we really lean heavily into a Socratic Discussion format. Socratic discussions are driven heavily by questions, as facilitated by a guide or discussion leader (who rarely responds in anything but questions to prompt more discussion).

Basically, here are a bunch of discussion questions centered around the 5 laws we covenant to make in the temple that could serve as catalysts for discussions:

Why do you think God often asks us to follow commandments before we fully understand them? How does this build trust in Him?
What do you think makes a sacrifice meaningful? Is it the size of what we give up, the intent behind it, or something else?
How can living simple gospel principles, like prayer and service, create confidence in facing life’s challenges?
Why do you think personal purity affects how we see ourselves and our ability to feel close to God?
What does it mean to fully consecrate your time and talents to God’s work? How does this affect your relationship with Him?
How does living these laws consistently—rather than occasionally—affect your ability to trust in God and His promises?
How can you stay true to these principles when those around you don’t share your beliefs? What keeps you anchored?
Which of these laws do you think most helps you grow spiritually, and why? How might they work together to strengthen your faith?
What do you think is the connection between facing challenges while living these laws and receiving greater blessings later?
How does understanding the eternal purpose of these laws influence your daily decisions and goals?
What role does faith play in being obedient? Can you be truly obedient without faith? Why or why not?
Have you ever experienced joy from making a sacrifice? Why do you think sacrifice often leads to unexpected happiness?
What does it mean to “live the gospel in your heart” rather than just outwardly following commandments? How can this difference change your life?
How does living a chaste life contribute to feelings of self-worth and confidence in relationships with others and with God?
How can dedicating your talents to God’s work help you discover your greater purpose in life?
Why do you think God asks for daily effort in living these laws rather than occasional, big displays of faith? How does this shape your character?
How do these laws teach you to trust God’s plan for your life, even when it’s difficult to see the full picture?
How do these laws respect your agency while still inviting you to align your will with God’s?
How do these laws influence your ability to form meaningful and lasting relationships with others?
Which of these laws has had the most transformative impact on your spiritual growth or testimony? Why?

Part 2:

The first thing that came to mind when you asked me this was about the 5 laws we covenant to uphold in the temple. So…you asked for one devotional, but here’s five :). I think an HXP trip could be a unique form of temple preparation. Plus, I think they’d benefit from having a greater understanding of obedience, sacrifice, gospel, chastity, and consecration sooner rather than later. What a special way to see these 5 Laws we traditionally learn about in the Temple in action while digging a frickin 6-foot deep foundation trench in the middle of Tanzania.

The Law of Obedience

Imagine this…you’re on your school’s swim team, and the new coach insists the team practice a strange breathing technique. At first, you doubt it will help, but you decide to trust the coach and follow the instructions anyway. At the next competition, you find yourself finishing faster than ever because of the increased stamina you gained from the technique. You realize the coach’s instructions were for your good, even if you didn’t fully understand them at first.

Would you rather follow a commandment without fully understanding why and later see the blessings, or wait to understand everything first and risk missing out on those blessings?

Talk: “Obedience Brings Blessings” by President Thomas S. Monson

Scripture Story: Story of Nephi building the ship (1 Nephi 17).

Follow-Up Questions:

What if the commandment requires you to do something uncomfortable or unpopular? How would that affect your decision to follow it without full understanding?
How might your trust in God grow or weaken depending on your choice to obey immediately or wait for clarity?

Discussion Prompt: How does your experience show that obedience, even without full understanding, can lead to unexpected blessings?

The Law of Sacrifice

Imagine this…you love spending Saturdays playing video games with friends, but your neighbor, Mr. Lee, needs help fixing his fence after a storm. You reluctantly give up your gaming time to help. As you work, Mr. Lee shares stories of his own youth, giving you advice and encouragement you didn’t know you needed. You feel a deep sense of peace, realizing you gained far more than you gave up.

Would you rather give up something you really love now for a greater reward later, or keep what you love but miss the chance for something better?

Talk: “Obedience, Consecration, and Sacrifice” by Elder Bruce R. McConkie

Scripture Story: The story of the Widow of Zarephath (1 Kings 17).

Follow-Up Questions:

What if the thing you’re asked to give up is central to your identity or future plans? How would you reconcile that sacrifice with faith in God’s promises?
What if the reward isn’t immediate or isn’t something tangible? How would you stay motivated to make the sacrifice?

Discussion Prompt: How does your willingness to sacrifice your time teach you about the blessings of putting others’ needs first?

The Law of the Gospel

Imagine this…you decide to start your mornings with scripture study and prayer, even though you’re often tempted to sleep in. Over time, you notice that your days feel calmer, and you handle challenges with greater patience. You also find yourself being kinder to your siblings.

Would you rather focus on one big, noticeable act of service each month or commit to doing small, quiet acts of kindness every day?

Talk: “Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing” by Elder David A. Bednar

Scripture Story: The parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10).

Follow-Up Questions:

What if the small, quiet acts of kindness go unnoticed and unappreciated? How would you stay committed to living the gospel daily?
What if the big act of service required significant personal effort or risk? Would you still do it if it meant others might depend on you?

Discussion Prompt: How do your consistent efforts to live gospel principles affect your daily life?

The Law of Chastity

Imagine this…our friends encourage you to watch a show you know goes against your values. You decline and choose to spend time with your family instead. Though your friends tease you, you feel peaceful knowing you’re living in line with your beliefs. Later, your younger sibling tells you how much they look up to you for staying strong.

Would you rather stand alone to defend your values, or follow the crowd?

Talk: “Personal Purity” by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Scripture Study: Story of Joseph resisting Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39).

Follow-Up Questions:

What if standing alone meant losing close friendships or facing ridicule? How would you find strength to stay true to your values?
What if following the crowd seemed to lead to short-term happiness or success? How would you discern the long-term consequences of that choice?

Discussion Prompt: How does your decision to stay true to your values illustrate the blessings of living a virtuous life?

The Law of Consecration

Imagine this…you have a knack for photography. When your ward needs photos for a service project, you volunteer your time and skills. Your photos attract attention on social media, inspiring more people to donate to the cause. You feel joy knowing your talent made a difference.

Would you rather dedicate a talent to help build God’s kingdom and see it grow, or keep it for yourself and never know its full potential?

Talk: “The Law of Consecration” by Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Scripture Story: Early Saints building the Kirtland Temple.

Follow-Up Questions:

What if dedicating your talent required giving up personal opportunities or recognition? How would you feel about that trade-off?”
What if you didn’t see immediate results from your efforts to build God’s kingdom? How would you maintain faith in the value of consecration?”

Discussion Prompt: How does your willingness to consecrate your talents for a good cause show the power of this law?

GODFIDENCE

Written by: Janeal Rydlach (Trip Leader)

GODFIDENCE

Confidence is having assurance, belief, trust, or faith in something. In God.

But what if we put a bigger emphasis on God in our confidence? What if instead of having confidence, we had GODFIDENCE. (Ps 118:8 it is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man)

Okay let’s just talk about that.

1 Corinthians 3.

Why don’t we talk about it more? There are some DOPE things in there that relate to the idea of GODFIDENCE

The footnote says: milk comes before meat in the church. What do you think that means? Have you ever heard of that before?

Some people believe this expression means that the simple things should be understood before moving to the complexities of life.

So the beginning of this chapter is one of the apostles, Paul, talking to some members about having faith in Jesus and not the people who baptized them (in man).

Verse 6: I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase.

Take a minute to ponder that line. What does that mean to you in your life? Think about an “increase” or something that God has added to your life after you did everything you felt you could.

Then he goes on to say in verse 7: so then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but GOD THAT GIVETH THE INCREASE.

(Maybe study more verses in this chapter if needed?)

It makes me think of that story with Jesus and his apostles after days of Him teaching and a LOT of hungry people later.

Read Matthew 14:15-21.

Think about this process that these apostles went through and compare it to the verse you read earlier (1 Corinthians 3:6) what similarities do you see?

In one story, someone was a planter on God’s field, another was the waterer and nothing would have happened without God giving the increase. Now with this other story, there were thousands of starving people, apostles who initially thought the solution to the problem would be to send away the people to go find their own food, but Jesus told them to just bring all they had. I’m sure the apostles were thinking, “okay but Jesus what are you gonna do for FIVE THOUSAND PEOPLE with 5 loaves and 2 fishes? It’s virtually not even going to feed our group of 13.”

– and at this point they have seen him perform miracles. They’ve seen him heal the sick and raise the dead and make the blind see. But I’m sure they were still surprised. We probably would be too if we were there.

But they still collected what they had and brought it to Jesus. They gave all they could and watched the miracles unfold. And people still talk about that miracle after thousands of years.

And guess what. He is the Great I Am, not the Great I was. He isn’t done making miracles happen in the world. He did it for them, and He can do the same for you in your life.

Think about something that feels completely impossible in your life. It can be one word. It can be a whole sentence. But write it down.

God has a plan for that thing you just wrote down. And it might not be the way you are thinking or hoping, and it might not be when you want it, but it will come. And all He asks of you? Is to choose Him.

That’s what GODFIDENCE is. Choosing Him no matter what. And not because you think that it will result in a life without anxiety, or heartache, or suffering. And not because He is only a good God if He gives you what you want. But choosing Him because no matter what the outcome is, with Him there’s always hope. On your own, you might be down to your last steps, but with Him you can do so much more.

If you bring God what you have, whether that’s seeds, water, 5 loaves and 2 fishes, a thought of Him, a commitment to try again after messing up, trying something uncomfortable for you… He will bless your life more than you can comprehend.

As you go throughout your day today on the worksite, think about laying it all on the line. Whatever that looks like to you. The beautiful thing about this, is no one’s ALL looks the same. THANK GOODNESS.

And that’s where GODFIDENCE comes from. It’s the only way to get it. You just have to lay it all on the line and keep stepping forward not knowing and sometimes questioning if it’s enough. Maybe feeling like what you have to give at times is not enough.

But it doesn’t have to be “enough” because we have a Jesus who makes it enough. Our ALL is simply incomplete without Jesus Christ. He makes the difference. He fills the gaps. He feeds the 5000. He gives the increase.

Love me More Than This

Written by: Kylee Shaffer (Trip Leader)

“Do you love me more than all of this?”

Just under 2,000 years ago, a fisherman named Simon Peter was fishing on a lake called Gennesaret. A lake that he likely went to often to cast his nets. This was his expertise, and he was pretty dang good at it. I’m sure that most days were the same. Wake up, eat breakfast, go fishing. It was what he knew.

Little did he know, that one interaction with one Man, on that lake that probably felt like home, would change everything. Open up your scriptures and read Luke 5:1-11 in the New Testament to see what I mean.

Maybe Peter was just having a rough go on the water… he wasn’t catching much that day. But fishing was what Peter did best. So when a Man, who Peter didn’t know well, showed up and told Peter what to do… I can imagine that in the back of his mind he might have been thinking “…. but why?”

But here’s what I love: in verse 5 Peter says, “we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing. Nevertheless… I will let down the net.”

And because he did so, he ended up catching so many fish that the net literally broke. Do you know how many fish have to be caught in a net for it to break?! (I don’t…. but just imagine with me okay…)

It was a miracle. And it was enough to show Peter that this Man, Jesus Christ, who had beckoned unto him, was someone He should trust and listen to.

So he “forsook all, and followed Him”. Which, to be honest, must have been a scary thing! Imagine it: leaving everything you know and are good at to walk a new life based on faith.

But he did it anyway.

And you know what? Peter changed because of it. He walked side by side with The Christ for three years, and witnessed so many miracles. He became a disciple.

And yet, after the crucifixion of Christ, even Peter himself, having seen all of those miracles, went back to what he knew how to do best – fishing. It was a life he knew well, and he was comfortable in it. Christ was gone, and Peter was probably asking himself, “what do we do now?” So he went, and at least six of the Apostles followed.

But alas, the first night back didn’t result in success – they didn’t catch a single fish.

Now turn your pages one book over and read John 21:3-15.

What do you think the resurrected Savior meant when he asked Peter, “lovest thou me more than these?”

I see myself in Peter.

Having incredible spiritual experiences and seeing undeniable miracles… and then sometimes going back to what is comfortable because it is what I know.

But what Peter chose to become… was more.

He did end up leaving those nets, for good.

He became a true disciple, healed a lame man who couldn’t walk, conferred the Holy Ghost to people in Samaria, healed people of the palsy, raised a woman from the dead, took the gospel to the Gentiles, was arrested and thrown into prison at least three times for preaching the good news of the gospel, and that’s just the tip of it!

In fact, God used him for so much good that some people refer to Peter as “the rock of the Church” because of the kind of disciple he became.

He unapologetically preached and ministered until an order was placed by the Roman Emperor, Nero, to have him crucified. And that’s what they did – they crucified him, as they crucified one of his best friends, years before.

But the point of the story – is who Peter became because of his choice to drop his nets and follow Jesus.

And who YOU can become, if you do the same.

And of the life that Christ is desperately waiting to show you, if you are willing to trust Him. To know Him. To love Him. To join Him in the wondrous work that He started so many years ago.

To love God and love people.

I promise that a life with Him is better than any other life you could dream up on your own.

It’s magic.

Questions to ponder:

What kind of relationship do you currently have with God?

What kind of relationship do you WANT to have with Him?

What are the “nets” in your life that you can drop to more closely follow Him once you get home from this trip?

Confidence in Your Covenants

Written by: Bethie Gallacher (Trip Leader)

You can have confidence in your covenants

Sometimes life is scary. It’s messy, it’s hard, and you might have lots on your plate. When life gets tough like that, you might feel like you don’t have time for God, church, etc. But what’s crazy is, you can be confident that if you stay close to God and keep your covenants, you’ll have literal angels on your side helping you. Why? Because of your covenant.

Let’s learn a little more about this. Review what a covenant is by looking up the word “covenant” in the Guide to the scriptures (if you don’t have this guide in your physical scriptures, ask a Trip Leader or Parent Leader to look it up for you). What do these two paragraphs teach you about the covenants you have made with God? How would you explain a covenant to a friend who isn’t a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

Covenants are an insanely merciful gift from God that give Him a doorway to bless you even more than He could without a covenant: “I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say” (D&C 82:10; Psalm 97:10; D&C 58:31; and D&C 130:20-21).

Read President Nelson’s talk from the October 2022 Liahona entitled, “The Everlasting Covenant.” After reading it, write down what it means to “enter into the Abrahamic covenant.” Also, write down how the Abrahamic covenant is a testament of God’s love for you.

Covenants aren’t meant to be a burden to you, but rather they’re meant to help you navigate this often confusing world. So, when you go through challenges, you can have confidence in the covenants you’ve made. In other words, you can have confidence that, because you’ve promised to follow Jesus Christ, He will “go before your face. [He] will be on your right hand and on your left, and [His] Spirit shall be in your hearts, and [His] angels round about you, to bear you up” (D&C 84:88).

You can BE confident because of your covenants

Read D&C 121:45. What does it mean for your confidence to “wax strong in the presence of God”? How can keeping your covenants help you be confident in your everyday life?

When I was in 7th grade, I struggled with self-confidence. I was worried about what others thought of me, and I thought I needed to look perfect everyday so people would like me. During that time, I found the scripture above. Worrying about what other people thought of me was causing me so much anxiety that I wondered what it would feel like for my “confidence” to be “strong” in God. After all, if I could be confident in the presence of God, couldn’t I be confident in front of anyone?

As I thought and prayed about the scripture, the Spirit taught me a powerful lesson: I could learn to be confident in who I was because of whose I was. I was (and am) a daughter of God. I realized if I could care more about that than about what other people thought of me, I could be confident. I could be confident because of my covenants—because my covenants wrapped me in God’s arms and meant I could never fall out.

Shortly after this experience, I stopped stressing about wearing the perfect fit, watching the coolest shows, etc. And you know what, I actually made even more friends because of it. I was able to focus on other people, like God does, instead of focusing on myself. I learned how to be a better friend because God made me His friend first.

Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have your back. They get you. They love you. And They will always love you: “you can never do anything that will make you fall beyond where the light of Christ reaches” (President Holland). God won’t forget you. He can’t forget you. As you remember Him, trust Him, and obey Him, He will show you who you are. He will show you how much He loves you. He will work miracles in your life. He will be your friend. He will be your confidence. He will bring you home. And He will be your home.

Reference: The Everlasting Covenant by President Russell M. Nelson

You Will See Miracles

Written by: Rhett Fackrell

My final football season was off to a strong start. I established myself as a prominent player on the team and we had just made it to our first summer training camp. Things were different this year with our new coach. He was the most serious and ginormous man I’d ever met, tough as nails, and unafraid to yell at us with a voice that resembled a bear’s growl. He didn’t know it yet, but his stress levels would increase from yelling at us so much that he would have a heart attack later that year.

To start off our training camp, everyone on our team got to take turns going around the circle saying something interesting about themselves. The head coach went first and talked about his time in prison. He really set the “I’m tough” mood right off the bat.

I was the first player to go besides the coaches and I had a great story planned out in my mind all about the struggles of getting back into sports after a surgery and how one of my arms was a little shorter now, because that was plenty interesting.

However, I felt something that I’m sure all of you have felt at one point or another in your lives. A small thought popped into my mind that I should establish a different kind of identity. I should take the opportunity to let people know what made me different.

No way I was about to say this in front of my teammates and coaches. This was not an environment where someone could share a testimony about religion and walk away without getting bullied for the rest of my high school years.

The team had already grown into an environment where the Spirit wasn’t likely to be found. You all know the type of place or people I’m talking about. I knew that the safe bet was to stick with the story about my surgery and let the next person go.

The feeling came back again and stronger. I needed to tell this group something about me much more important than a recent surgery.

Although I was so nervous about what everyone would think of me, I was unsure if I was receiving a prompting from the Holy Ghost, and I was scared to be different and stand up for what I believed was true, I took a deep breath, said a quick prayer for help with what I was about to say, and trusted that if God was prompting me to be an example, then He would help me stand up for myself.

So I stood up, introduced myself, and the words started pouring out of my mouth. I explained to my teammates and coaches that I didn’t expect them to understand why I lived the way I did, why I was about to go serve people I’d never met before for two years, or why I didn’t do drugs and kept my language clean. All I asked was that they would respect me as I respected them.

I sat down, and panicked. What did I just do?! Did I really just ask everyone to respect that I lived differently and was preparing to be a missionary? I was going to be laughed at for the rest of my life for that. I bet my teammates will cuss me out everyday just for the fun of it.

My little speech was not smooth nor was it well-spoken, so what happened next was nothing short of a series of miracles. After the meeting, several teammates and coaches came up to me and thanked me for sharing what I said. Then a bald, burly coach covered in tattoos pulled me aside and asked me to help him if he stepped out of line because he wanted to be a better father for his little kids. Even my head coach, unashamed of his prison life, demanded the team to keep their behavior and language clean to create a better environment for our team.

That season we went on to perform the best we had during my entire time at the school. However that season was special more than anything because my understanding and testimony of God’s miracles grew.

I learned that as I strove to keep my covenants the best that I could, that I could be confident that He would help me fulfill my covenants because he just did exactly that. He might as well have parted a sea of temptations and vulgarity so I could walk down it.

Read Alma 24:1-19 and write down what the Anti-Nephi-Lehies already knew about their covenants.

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To a much greater degree than I experienced, these people had so much confidence in the promises they made with God that not even the fear of death made them think twice about breaking a covenant they made with Him.

God does not forget about those striving to make the right decisions.

God does not let your efforts to keep your covenants go wasted.

Through my experiences, I know that God can perform miracles to help you live the covenants you have made with Him, and as you strive to keep your covenants, you will know it too! I promise.

Write down two scenarios in which you can make a stand for the covenants you’ve made. Then write down a plan for each scenario to exercise your confidence and faith that God can help you improve the situation and pray for His help to do it.

(Example: 1 – My friends have gotten into making a lot of sexual jokes about girls at our school. Plan – I will pray for strength to ask my friends to stop making those jokes.)

Plan 1 –

Plan 2 –

It’s okay to be scared to stand up for what you believe or what you’ve promised to God that you will do, and you won’t always be perfect at it because no one has been besides Jesus.

However, when you learn to be confident in the strength he gives you from keeping your covenants, you will see miracles.

More Than I Asked For

Written by: Cort Richards (Trip Leader)

More Than I Asked For

Sometimes, we all tend to view the gospel through a laundry-list lens. Prayers become a run-on sentence of “Please bless ___” and commandments get whittled down to a bunch of “Thou shalt’s” and “Thou shalt not’s”. Sometimes it feels like no matter how much we ask God for something good that we want, it never seems to come. Or no matter how much we try, we can never live up to all that God, our parents, our church leaders, or others expect of us.

Nephi knew a thing or two about trust. He trusted his father Lehi enough to follow him, leaving his home behind as his family journeyed in search of a promised land. He trusted the Lord enough to go back for the bronze plates, even when it meant that he had to do it alone. And yet, when Lehi told his family about an incredible vision he had had, Nephi wasn’t satisfied with just hearing about it. He wanted to see it for himself, so he decided to ask God to show it to him.

Read 1 Nephi 11:1-3 to read about Nephi’s prayer.

What did Nephi ask for?

On the surface, it seems pretty straightforward. Nephi knew what he wanted, so he asked for it. But while Nephi knew what he wanted, God knew what Nephi needed. So God didn’t just give Nephi what he asked for… He gave him so much more.

Read 1 Nephi 11:24-33

What did Nephi see?

What more did God show Nephi that he wouldn’t have seen if God had only given him what he asked for?

Because God loved Nephi and because He knew what He wanted Nephi to become, He gave Nephi an answer that went beyond Nephi’s immediate need. He gave Nephi an experience that Nephi could remember and rely on whenever things got hard for the rest of his life.

Peter knew a thing or two about falling short of expectations. From what we read in the New Testament about Peter’s time following the Savior, it’s easy to imagine how overwhelmed he must have felt at times, just trying to keep up. There seemed to always be a disconnect between how Christ saw Peter and who he was, a gap of mistakes and shortcomings that kept him from fulfilling his mission as an apostle.

Where Christ saw a disciple, a future fisher of men, Peter saw himself as “a sinful man” (Luke 5:5-11).

Where Christ saw a man with enough faith to work miracles and walk on water, Peter doubted himself, “was afraid and [began] to sink.” (Matthew 14:27-31)

Christ saw Peter as a spiritual rock, a great leader who could be trusted with heavenly power (Matthew 16:17-19). Peter promised the Savior he would die for him before he would deny him, but in a moment of weakness, he denied knowing Christ three times, just when the Savior needed a friend the most.

And yet, despite all his shortcomings, Christ knew Peter. He knew who he could become, even when Peter didn’t seem to believe it. And the promises that Christ had made to Peter were still as real as ever, even when Peter felt like he didn’t deserve the blessings he had been promised.

Read Acts 5:12-16 to see what Peter became with the help of Jesus Christ.

Christ did not give up on Peter. He doesn’t give up on any of us. He promises to lift us, change our hearts, calm our storms, and help us become who He needs us to become.

Even when our prayers aren’t answered how we want (or answered at all), even when we feel like we’re falling short of what we promised Christ we would be, we can trust that our God is a God of exceeding expectations. He gives us more than we asked for. He pours out more blessings than we have room to receive. He works miracles beyond what we could imagine. He did it for Nephi. He did it for Peter. And He will do it for you.

What has God promised you?

How can you trust Him when you feel like those promises aren’t fulfilled?

Confidence in Christ

Written by: Monica Bertha (Trip Leader)

Confidence in Christ

Let’s be real—have you ever felt like you’re stuck in a cycle of making the same mistakes over and over? Like, “Why even bother praying about this when I know I’ll mess up again? Should I just give up?”

The answer is NO. You should never give up. Why? Because you’ve been given something truly amazing: the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Okay, but what even is the Atonement? And can it really help with stuff like my insecurities, loneliness, heartbreak, confusion, or the fact that I can’t seem to get it together? YES. It absolutely can.

There’s an analogy from Brad Wilcox’s book The Continuous Atonement that breaks it down like this: You know how the sacrament prayers have to be word-perfect? If the priest messes up, he doesn’t just stop and give up. He gets a second chance, and a third, and however many more tries he needs. And when he finally gets it right, it’s counted as perfect.

That’s how it works with God. He’s not lowering the standard of perfection, but He gives us as many chances as we need to keep trying. Perfection is the end goal, but for now, God just wants us to make progress.

Here’s the deal: you don’t have to be perfect today. You just have to keep trying. Even if it feels like you’re taking one step forward and two steps back, every step matters. Christ is there to help you move forward—even when it feels impossible.

The next time you hear the sacrament prayers, think about this: no matter how many times you mess up, Christ is ready to help you start again. He’s never going to give up on you, so don’t give up on yourself.

Take a second to read Enos 1:2–12 and think about how he poured his heart out to God. How can you do the same?

Now let’s talk about those moments when life feels like too much. You know the ones: when you’re thinking, “Why is this happening to me? It’s not fair. I feel so alone.” Or maybe even, “God, if You’re there, why are You allowing this?”

Read Doctrine and Covenants 122:4–8 and ponder how this could be a reminder to our purpose on this earth. (And watch out for verse 8, it’s like the Lord straight-up drops the mic)

“The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?”

Ouch, right? But also—wow. Christ went through it all: rejection, pain, betrayal, everything. If He wasn’t spared hardship, we shouldn’t expect life to be smooth sailing. But here’s the difference: Christ suffered alone in Gethsemane so you never have to be alone in your trials. Will life always be fair? No. Will loneliness or heartache still find you? Probably. But you have been promised an added, unexplainable strength to help you through.

Right after that mic-drop moment, the Lord says something powerful – to hold on thy way because the power of God shall be with you forever.

In other words: Don’t give up. Don’t quit. Keep walking. Keep trying. There’s help and happiness ahead. -(Elder Holland)

Christ is with you every step of the way. When you feel like giving up, lean on Him. When you don’t want to talk to Him, cry to Him. When you have doubts, turn to Him. Through your covenants with Him, He has made bounding promises to help you.

Learn of Him. Seek Him. He is the answer.

Have confidence in Christ because He has so much confidence in you–more than you know.

The Power of "What If"

Written by: Bryn Greenhlagh (Trip Leader)

The Power of “What If” in Covenant Confidence

Hebrews 10: 35-36:

35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward.

36 For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.

Starting off strong with a piece of/pieces of this fire Letters to Juliet quote:

“Dear Claire,

“What” and “If” are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if? What if?

If it was true then, why wouldn’t it be true now? You need only the courage to follow your heart. I don’t know what a love like [that] feels like…but I’d like to believe if I ever were to feel it, that I will have the courage to seize it. And if you didn’t, I hope one day that you will.

All my love, Juliet”

Just like Claire, I think your life can be changed if you start looking at “What if?” a little differently. When we ask and answer “What if?” with curiosity and excitement and hope, we are telling ourselves, however subtly, that no matter what, “It will all work out.”

Because truly, even if you’re failing (or at least have gotten yourself to THINK that you are), what if that IS life or things “working itself out”?

Even if you don’t believe it right now — if you don’t believe that God cares, if you don’t believe that He has blessings in store specifically for you, if you don’t believe that you have the power to become better — ask yourself, “But what if? What if He does/He will/I can? What if that’s true? Why couldn’t that be true for me?” (Or better yet, “How has that been true for me already?”)

Covenant confidence starts with a belief that ‘it will all work out’.

Our trust in our Heavenly Father and Jesus can eclipse everything that the world can throw our way. But it starts with having confidence that they are looking out for us. That they will help lift the burden as we choose to move forward (however shakily at times).

There’s this beautiful thing that I’ve seen people do for those they care about.

You know what I’m talking about. It’s like this feeling of incredulity at the thought of one of our friends being “lesser than,” or “subpar,” or “not enough.” Because we look at the people we love, and we hear what they say about themselves or see how they feel about themselves, and we just can’t believe it. We immediately reject it; we deny its validity. Then comes this wish. It’s a wish for those same friends to have greater confidence in themselves, in the direction of their lives, in the huge potential of their futures.

Think about it! How often do you look at a friend you love and think to yourself:

“I wish you thought more of yourself”

“You’re so much more than you say you are. Than you think you are.”

“If only you saw yourself the way I do.”

“I wish you knew just how much confidence I have in you.”

If you could, I’m sure that you would instill your friends with as much internal confidence as possible. Don’t you think that, if they could, your parents or loved ones would choose to do the same for you? Don’t you think God would do the same, but tenfold? Because isn’t that what every loving, attentive, involved parent wants? For their child to grow up CONFIDENT in themselves, to believe that they can do and grow up to be anything, and that they will receive help all along the way?

Go back to those questions. Don’t you think that’s how God thinks about us? I want you to read them again, but this time, imagine God is saying them to YOU.

“I wish you thought more of yourself.”

“You’re so much more than you say you are. Than you think you are.”

“If only you saw yourself the way I do.”

“I wish you knew just how much confidence I have in you.”

I truly believe God wishes these things for us and thinks these things about us all the time. And isn’t that powerful, thinking that God Himself, your Heavenly Father, is unfailingly confident in YOU? And all we have to do is hold up our end so that He can keep blessing us abundantly forEVER??

As much as we wish we could wrap up covenant confidence with a ribbon and ship it to our loved ones’ front doors, we can’t. It has to be grown within. It has to be a choice, an acceptance, a continual commitment from each of us. God knows we have to be the ones to do this. But never alone.

*CUE BUS MIRACLE STORY*

And from that moment forward, I decided that I wasn’t going to let my own anxiety and unsurety and hesitation get in the way of receiving His miracles again. I wasn’t going to let my own self-doubt overshadow my confidence in Him. I was going to work on trusting that He would always get the bus going again, no matter how “silly” it felt while I was asking.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that He was always planning on delivering us from that dumb, overheating, cramped, broken-down bus. In fact, He didn’t even let me finish my sentence; He was so eager to provide me and my group with something we really needed right then. He was just waiting for me to grow the bravery to ask Him for it. He was waiting to prove to me that, yet again, He was there. All I had done was chosen to listen to the Spirit and cross my fingers, and when I opened my eyes from that half-said prayer, I found that He had been patiently waiting in the wings with a specifically tailored blessing of relief and deliverance the whole time. To me, that was God saying to me (lovingly, but a little cheekily): “See? I told you I would. I always have.”

What does this story have to do with covenant confidence? It’s about trusting God. It’s about gaining (or regaining confidence) that He is there for us, that He will keep being there for us as we keep trying. At the end of the day, we have to first trust God. When we trust Him, we know He will do what He said He would. We trust them to be there for us. We trust them enough to follow through and do our parts.

Now remember this: complete understanding never has, and never will, come all at once. It’s only through our experiences–our try-agains, our redos, our job-well-dones, and our maybe-next-times–that we can gain that knowledge. Keeping our covenants, bringing daily awareness to our minds of what we can do better—sometimes those things are large and feel terrifying! And sometimes they feel smaller, more bite-size, more doable. But no matter, because every single time we course-correct, whether in a big or small way, we show Heavenly Father that we have confidence in His plan for us and in His promises to us. And that’s enough for Him. It always has been, and it always will be. Our covenant efforts are enough for Him to bless us–openly, generously, willingly, JOYFULLY–with abundance and grace.

So can we be better? Yes. Of course! As long as we live, that’s always going to be true. But that should not, in any way, decrease your confidence in yourself or in Him. That’s the whole point. To try to be just a little better. And to trust in the consistency of the goodness we can receive from Him from trying to be better. From keeping our covenants. From growing as disciples, as His children. He’s so proud of us for continually trying to do that. (A million times prouder than the parent standing in the bleachers and zooming in to take a blurry picture of you receiving a participation award for a sport you secretly hate.)

Unlike a lot of things in life that we may have experienced and are now wary of, God is not too good to be true. He wants all of your “What ifs” to come true, and He’s more than prepared to help you get there. You can trust that He will actually bring you joy. Peace. Comfort. Stillness. Wisdom. Calm. Anything you need.

It is what He has promised, today and until forever, to those who choose to keep Him close and to keep His commandments. That is His greatest promise. Always.

May we all have the courage to seize, to believe in, and to trust in that kind of unrecompensed love. And like Juliet reminds us — if you didn’t yesterday, then today, I hope you will.

Co-Creators

Written by: Anna Young (Trip Leader)

Co-Creators

One of my favorite words recently has been the word “create”.

Write down 5-10 words that come to mind when you think of the word “create”:

–

Maybe you wrote something about art or food or creativity in general.

Maybe you thought about painting or music or cooking.

But lately the word “create” has made me think about the kind of life I’m creating.

And who I’m creating it with.

Now open up your Book of Mormon and read 2 Nephi 2:25.

After reading this verse, write what you learned the purpose of this life is _____________.

But now read a couple verses down in the same chapter, vs 27-28.

What did you learn about agency (our ability to choose) in those verses?

What did you learn about the Savior?

I don’t think it’s a coincidence we read about joy, agency, and the Savior all within a few verses of each other.

I think it’s because true joy – the literal purpose of us being here – comes when we CHOOSE to create a life WITH the Savior. And with God.

True joy comes when we become creators in our lives and invite God to co-create with us. Kinda like partners in crime. (not actual crime but you get what I mean)

But honestly, this is easier said than done.

Because sometimes despite our best efforts and plans and intentions to create something amazing out of our life, we fail.

Something doesn’t work.

We fall short.

We mess up.

The “plan” doesn’t go to plan.

When was a time in your life that things didn’t go how you wanted? When plans changed? When you felt like you failed? Write about it here:

Whatever you wrote above, it’s comforting to know that we are in good company. Humans have been experiencing failure and ruined plans since the beginning of time. We find all sorts of stories about it in the scriptures.

For example, in the book of Ether I’m sure the brother of Jared and his friends and family hadn’t planned to end up in the wilderness for “many years”. That probably wasn’t in the og plan.

Now read Ether 2:16-25

And I’m sure the brother of Jared also wasn’t planning on having to build barges on his own and cross the whole ocean.

I’m sure he didn’t understand why on earth the barges were sealed shut with no open air or light.

That was a huge problem with the barges, right? There was no air and light.

When he asked for help, God took care of the air problem (in vs 20). He showed the brother of Jared exactly what to do to get air in the barges.

Sometimes God shows up in that way.

But then God flipped the question on the brother of Jared for the lack of light.

“What will ye do that ye may have light in your vessels?”

God wants to hear the brother of Jared’s ideas. He wants him to try out creating something.

So then read in Ether 3:1-6, where we see what the brother of Jared comes up with.

16 stones that he asks the Lord to light up.

(I probably would’ve chosen a flashlight or a lamp but this works, too).

And so God touches the stones and illuminates them.

Ether 6:2 tells us the result: “… behold, they did give light unto the vessels.”

Just like in this story with the brother of Jared, God wants us to use our agency to CREATE a life full of joy. To choose it and make it and come up with ideas for it and mold it for ourselves. He wants us to come up with solutions to our problems and to boldly attack the path we want to take. However, He wants to be included. He wants to be trusted. And when we decide to co-create with him, we build a relationship with Him. A covenant relationship.

With the most loving being to ever exist.

The one who knows all.

Is insanely invested in us.

And won’t let us fail.

The creator of the universe.

A god who so badly wants us to know the joy of creation just like He does.

“God left us the world unfinished for man to work his skill upon. He left the electricity in the cloud, the oil in the earth. He left the rivers unbridged and the forests unfelled and the cities unbuilt. God gives to man the challenge of raw materials, not the ease of unfinished things. He leaves the pictures unpainted and the music unsung and the problems unsolved, that man might know the joys and glories of creation.” – Thomas s. Monson

Reflection questions:

How can you start to create a relationship with Him today?

What would you do differently if you knew you could not fail?

What kind of life do you want to create?

Covenant Strength

Written by: Casey Jones (Trip Leader)

Covenant Strength Devotional

Start with an object lesson: (Need 2-3 regular pencils)

Have one kid try to break a regular pencil. They will easily be able to break it in half.
Next, pair a full pencil with an allen wrench or something hard/metal. Tape them together. Have another kid try to break it. It is harder this time – if the kid breaks the pencil, the wrench will still stay taped to the part of the pencil that wasn’t broken off.
You can try again with your last pencil, wrapping more and more tape around the pencil & allen wrench.

Ask –

What’s the Pencil? (us)

What’s the Allen wrench/metal (God)

What’s the tape? (Our covenants)

How much tape would work so it absolutely wouldn’t break? (a lot!)

Imagine if the tape wasn’t actually there, but the pencil and the wrench were just sitting next to each other. How does that change things?

But just because we have covenants doesn’t mean we are immune. We can still break away from God, just like how the pencil can break even if it is taped to the metal.

So, how do we fortify ourselves?

__________________________________________________________________________

Think of the tape in this visual. The tape represents our covenants.

Discuss: What did the tape do to the pencil and the allen wrench? (Invite discussion. The tape kept both of them together even though certain forces tried to break them apart)

Why is it important to be bound multiple times over?

We have many covenants:

Baptismal
Priesthood
Obedience
Sacrifice
Gospel
Chastity
Consecration
Marriage

Give kids 10 minutes to study a topic. Just to do a deep dive. Bible dictionary, guide to the scriptures, all 4 books of scripture, etc. Since there are 8 covenants and 23 people total, rip up 23 pieces of paper andwrite one on a piece of paper. There should be 3 papers with the same one. Have kids grab a paper and they will study that assigned covenant. After the 10 minutes, they will teach their neighbor what they studied for 5 minutes.

Then come back together.

Share: What did you learn?

In a sense, the layers of tape represent the strength and reinforcement that making and keeping covenants makes in our lives.

Ether 2:23, 25

Ether 3:2, 4-5

Elder Renlund said:

“Why are multiple covenants needed? It is because the multiple covenants are not only sequential but are also additive and even synergistic in our relationship with God. Each covenant adds a bond, drawing us closer to and strengthening our connection with God.”

“…We develop a stronger and closer connection to God through those multiple covenants. When we confront life’s challenges, the likelihood is decreased that we distance ourselves from God…Multiple covenants draw us closer to God and strengthen our connection to Him. The purpose of these bonds is to help us become more converted, faithful, and committed disciples of Jesus Christ.”

“Faithfulness is an individual choice about how we live the covenants we have made. Not being sealed to a spouse does not halt your progression in your discipleship to the Savior. As you continue being valiant to your testimony of Jesus Christ, your progression continues.”

To END: journal writing:

What do covenants mean to me? How do my covenants really manifest in my day to day life?

We have a confidence that we are right before others and that we are right before God. It gives us a security that we are living our lives in a meaningful way.
There is power that comes from seeing ourselves as God sees us, and seeing others how God sees them
We have the companionship of the Lord. We can be led and guided in what to ask Him for.
We claim miracles!
We have a right to an eternal perspective. Because we know that the eternity is REAL

Covenant Decisions

Written by: Casey Jones (Trip Leader)

Using your Covenants to help make decisions

Raise your hand if you have ever had to make a decision in your life. (All kids should raise their hand haha)

Now tell me, guys. What decisions do you make? Gimme all of them. Blurt them out.

Story Time:

Tell the story about deciding to go back on my mission (how HARD it was to choose that but the influence of the atonement was powerful) OR deciding to call my dad when he was getting re-married (I didn’t want to do it but how my conversation was guided by the spirit and my relationship with God)

(For other trip leaders: Pray about a story (keep semi short) that you could share illustrating a decision that you had to make)

Give each kid a small piece of paper

Tell them to write down a decision they are needing to make. Could be about a mission. College. Family relationships. Dating. Friend relationships. An apology they may need to make. How to live their life after they return home after the trip. ANYTHING – It can be big or small.

Give each of them a piece of tape and they are going to tape it into their journal. Or just keep it with them. (We will come back to this)

Have a short discussion – turn and talk with their neighbor:

How do you guys make your decisions?
How do you know something is right?
How do you know something is wrong?

Circle back and have a short share about what they talked about.

Guys, we face hundreds of decisions everyday. It ranges from things like “What do I wear?” to “What should I eat for breakfast?” to “Should I stop playing this sport?”, “What college should I go to?”, “Should I serve a mission?”

Let’s dive into the scriptures. Let’s see how decision making is evident in the scriptures and in the life of our Savior.

Turn to D&C 9:8-9: This is counsel about decision making from the Lord to Oliver Cowdery

“But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.

“But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong.”

While this is great counsel, when it comes to making big decisions, sometimes we rely a little too much on the part where God tells us what is right and not enough on the part where He tells us to study it out in our minds.
We become too bogged down waiting for God to confirm our decisions or even tell us what to do that we let incredible opportunities pass us by.
We may even recognize the role of agency, but we can be terrified of making a decision that could take us off course from our “predetermined plan”
This creates unspoken tension between our own agency and personal revelation

So, what is God’s role in helping us make decisions?

Brother of Jared Story:

Ether 1:36-43

Ether 2:22-25

After the languages were confounded at the Tower of Babel, Jared asks his brother to inquire of the Lord whether they should leave the land, and if so, where they should go
The Lord leads them to the seashore and directs every step of their journey.
God gives them detailed directions how to build their ship but when they realize there were no lights, they ask the Lord for direction.
Instead of answering, however, God asks, “What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels?” (Ether 2:23). Rather than giving detailed instructions as He had before, this time the Lord waits for the brother of Jared to decide what to do.

_____________________________

The Savior covenanted to do the work of his Father.

In the story of the loaves and fishes, the Savior, “took the five loaves and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed them, and brake, and gave to the disciples to set before the multitude. And they did eat, and were all filled: and there was taken up of fragments that remained to them twelve baskets.” (Luke 9:16-17)

The Savior looked to the Lord and a miracle happened.

_____________________________

What pattern are you seeing here? What is the common thread?

An interaction, commitment, and promise between a person and God.

Covenants.

Raise your hand if you have made a covenant.

(Everyone should bc baptism unless you have a nonmember in your group of kids)

Baptism! Kay. At baptism, we all covenanted 3 things. Anyone know? We hear it in the sacrament prayer every week.

Take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ
always remember Him
keep His commandments
We also promise “to serve him to the end”

Is this a one time thing? Or a way of living?

These covenants are not just a list of things we do, but a guide and framework for who WE can become. They are a commitment to become more like the Savior. These attributes will be woven into the desires of our hearts. When we face moments of quick decision, what will be our knee jerk reaction? When a cup is knocked off of a table, whatever is in it will spill out. The same goes for us – when we are knocked or jolted or faced with a decision we need to make quick, what will come out? Will you choose God or will you choose the peer pressure not so good influence of friends? Who are you and who do you want to be?

Your covenants will guide you in EVERY decision you need to make. Your commitment to having God as a partner with you in life should assure you that you are never alone in your decisions and should give you the confidence that God has your back.

We were promised the gift of the Holy Ghost when we made the covenant at Baptism. The Holy Ghost is a direct fruit from your covenants that will guide you in knowing what the right decisions will be for your life – big or small. 2 Nephi 32:5 For behold, again I say unto you that if ye will enter in by the way, and receive the Holy Ghost, it will show unto you all things what ye should do.

Sometimes when you are making a decision, praying about it, and listening for an answer, you might simply receive nothing. Silence.

Does this mean God is ignoring you?

No!!!

Absolutely not.

God trusts you. He honors your own agency, your own desires, hopes, dreams, and wishes. He wants to be a co-creator with you in your life.

If you receive silence from the Lord when trying to make a decision, move forward with a choice. God can’t steer a parked car. Trust that your covenants with God are like a harness and rope for rockclimbers – as you move in faith, the Lord will still be tethered to you, even if you can’t see orfeel him. If you find that as you move forward, it isn’t the right choice for your life, you can re-route. I promise you that the Holy Ghost will be by your side to help route and re-route you. The Holy Ghost will help you discern when you are having a stupor of thought.

President Eyring said, “Reception of the Holy Ghost is the cleansing agent as the Atonement purifies you. That is a fact you can act on with confidence. You can invite the Holy Ghost’s companionship into your life. And you can know when He is there, and when he withdraws. When He is your companion, you can have confidence that the Atonement is working in your life”

When you are living true to your covenants, you will have a sense of security that you are right with God. You will feel peace. You will feel a greater confidence of who YOU are – that you aren’t trying to copy the life or personality of someone else. That you are living the kind of life that will lead you to becoming more like the Savior. That is a sweet feeling.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught: “The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done, it is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.”

Give the kids time now to look at their decision, pray about it, open the scriptures to study about it, and journal how their own covenants already can help them in making this decision. What are they drawn to do? What is the spirit telling them?

Close:

Moroni 7:13, 16-17

13 But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.

16 For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God.

17 But whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

Covenant Confidence

Written by: Miguel Esteban (Trip Leader)

Covenant Confidence

When did you decide it was too late to conquer your dreams?

Read Abraham 1:1-2.

What are Abraham’s hopes and dreams?

Abraham dreams of “greater happiness and peace and rest”. He dreams of “great knowledge”. He wanted to “be a greater follower of righteousness”. He dreams of becoming “a father of many nations” and “to keep the commandments of God”. He dreams of “the blessings of the fathers” whose ultimate blessing is Eternal Life.

Take a moment to think, “What are my biggest dreams? What do I hope to accomplish with my life? If I could do anything, what would it be?”

(Space to write down the builders’ thoughts)

Abe’s wishes alone, however, were not going to do much. The Lord requires action, so he took steps towards greater peace, happiness and righteousness by being baptized and receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. (Verses 3 and 4). He also married the love of his life Sarai, which according to the scriptures was an absolute 10/10. That’s three incredibly important covenants that he made with the Lord. And you’re about to witness what the Lord does with everyone that makes and keeps covenants with him…

Even though Abe was trying his best, the odds were stacked against him. He was surrounded by the worst influences, and it wasn’t like he had chosen bad friends; his earthly father, the man he’s supposed to look up to, was very wicked. He grew up in a society where most of the people in power were plain evil and turned to the things of the world for pleasure. (verse 5-6). They worshiped “dumb idols” (Verse 7), and sacrificed men, women and children to these false gods. Oh, did I forget to mention that Abe was about 75 at this point???? He could be a great grandpa by now! (remember one of his biggest dreams is to “be a father of many nations”) but he doesn’t even have kids yet. By this point everyone that knows old little abe probably voted him “most likely to die without accomplishing his dreams”. SOOO sad 🙁

To make matters worse, three virgins refused to bow down to these gods so they were killed upon the altar. Abe was their next victim, he was upon the altar, about to be sacrificed as an offering to the gods… And then Read verses 15-19

Why did the Lord save him? What do these promises mean to him? What do they have to do with his hopes and dreams? What do they have to do with your hopes and dreams? What does God expect from him?

I’ll give you a quick recap of what happened for the next little bit (approximately 25 years)…

(Abraham 2:1-5) There is famine in the land. He does as told and leaves his hometown to the land the Lord commanded him to go to (Haran). Abe’s father follows him to Haran and brings idolatry with him.

Verses 6-11. Jehovah established his covenant with Abraham. He is promised Eternal life.

Verses 12-25. Jehovah commands and he follows, they pack up and move again (without Abe’s dad this time). They

are promised the land Canaan (an “idolatrous nation”), the Lord says “Unto thy seed will I give this land.”

There is more famine. They go into Egypt and are highly favored by the Lord because they keep the covenants they have made. They leave Egypt with many riches and return to Cannan.

Jehovah speaks with Abraham in a vision, and Abraham is once again reassured that he will be a father to many nations.

Abraham obeys all of the commandments of the Lord and has all of his household enter into covenant with the Lord.

Abe clearly has a lot of confidence in the Lord. But he has just reached three digits in years, 100 years old. Do you even know anyone that is 100? Cause I don’t. Sarai isn’t getting any younger either. I know their bodies were different back then, but if you asked a doctor I bet they’d say that it was too late for Abe and Sarai to have their firstborn. They probably had some conversations where they said “Maybe the promises of the Lord were more symbolic”. Back then, having children was one of the most beautiful and sought after blessings because they carried on the family name, business, traditions, and lineage. Having children meant eternal progression. Being barren was seen as condemnation. Their dream of having an eternal, happy family seemed too out of reach.

Read Genesis 21:1-6.

This is just the beginning. Through Isaac the promises of the Lord to Abraham have been fulfilled for thousands of years and to this day they are still being fulfilled. Abraham found the greater happiness and peace and rest that he was seeking. He received greater knowledge. He became a Father to many nations. He received the blessings of the Father. And so did his posterity, as long as they were/are fully confident in the covenant, just like he was.

Have you shared your deepest desires with the Lord? Have you included him in your dreams?

When did you decide it was too late to conquer your dreams? 75? 100? 16? 17? 18? 19? 24?

With all my heart,

Miguel

Bound for Greatness

Written by: Johnny Gremillion (Trip Leader

Devotional: Bound for Greatness

Every one of us has moments in life when we feel like we’ve messed up. Maybe it’s a mistake we can’t undo, a decision we regret, or a time when we felt weak or unworthy. But one of the most beautiful truths of the gospel is that no matter where we’ve been or what we’ve done, God sees the greatness within us. He knows our potential, and He is always ready to help us rise, learn, and become the person He created us to be.

Throughout history, God has used imperfect people to accomplish His purposes. Two amazing examples of this are Joseph Smith and Peter the Apostle. Both men struggled at times, made mistakes, and even denied the Lord. Yet, God used them in powerful ways. And just like them, our weaknesses don’t disqualify us from being a part of His plan—our weaknesses are an opportunity for His strength to shine through.

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Joseph Smith:

Joseph Smith, the prophet of the Restoration, didn’t start out as a perfect man.

– As a young boy, he faced confusion and doubt about which church to join.

– As a young man, he struggled with weaknesses and temptations, just like anyone else.

– He faced opposition, both from people around him and from his own internal struggles.

– At times, Joseph’s faith faltered.

– In one particularly difficult moment, he was struggling with doubts and wondering if he had really heard from God.

– There were moments when he faced ridicule, fear, and even discouragement.

But through it all, Joseph had a vision: he sought the Lord, prayed, and was determined to follow God’s will. God, in His mercy, didn’t give up on Joseph. Instead, He continued to guide and support him, allowing him to fulfill his divine calling.

Joseph Smith was imperfect, yet God used him to bring forth the Book of Mormon, restore sacred priesthood authority, and establish the Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days. His story shows that our imperfections don’t prevent God from using us to do great things. What matters is our willingness to keep trying, to trust in His grace, and to press forward with a focus on our covenants.

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Peter:

Peter, one of Jesus’ closest apostles, also had his share of shortcomings.

– He was known for his boldness, his zeal, and his deep love for the Savior, but he also struggled with fear, doubt, and even denial.

– He denied Christ three times, just after promising that he would never leave Him.

– Peter often misunderstood the nature of Jesus’ mission.

– His fear of the judgment of others led him to act hypocritically in his interactions with others.

– Peter stepped out of the boat to walk toward Jesus on the water, but as soon as he noticed the wind, he became afraid and started to sink. His impulsive faith faltered when he took his eyes off Jesus.

Jesus didn’t give up on Peter. After His resurrection, the Savior sought Peter out, asking him three times, “Lovest thou me?” (John 21:15-17). Jesus gave Peter a chance to redeem himself, and He made it clear that Peter’s weaknesses didn’t disqualify him from the mission ahead. In fact, Jesus told him, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21:17). Peter was still called to lead and guide others in the gospel, even though he had faltered in the past.

Peter went on to become one of the greatest leaders in the early Christian Church, performing miracles, teaching the gospel, and strengthening the faith of others. His story is a reminder that God doesn’t look at our mistakes as the end of the road; instead, He offers opportunities for us to repent, to grow, and to become who He knows we can be.

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You: A Child of God with Unlimited Potential !!!!!

Just like Joseph Smith and Peter, we all have our weaknesses and mistakes. We might feel like we’re not good enough or like we’ve messed up too many times to be used by God. But the truth is that our faults don’t disqualify us from God’s love or His plan for our lives. In fact, our weaknesses can become opportunities for God’s grace to work through us.

Our imperfections don’t mean we are not called to greatness—they mean that God can refine us, shape us, and help us grow into something more than we ever imagined. Joseph Smith and Peter were able to do incredible things despite their shortcomings because they kept trying and focused on the true source of their power…Their savior Jesus Christ.

We are all bound for greatness—not because we are perfect, but because we are willing to be instruments in God’s hands. The Lord loves us just as we are, but He also wants to help us become who He knows we can be. Keep striving to be better, keep trusting in His love, make and keep covenants with him and never forget that your story is still unfolding.

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Questions for Pondering and Journaling:

How does knowing you are a child of God change the way you see yourself and your potential?
When you think about your weaknesses or mistakes, how can you see them as opportunities for God to help you grow and do amazing things?
In what areas of your life can you trust God more to help you achieve greatness?
How can you show God your commitment to Him, even when you don’t feel perfect?

You are a child of God, loved beyond measure. Your mistakes don’t define you—your potential does. Just like Joseph Smith and Peter, you are called to greatness, not because you’re perfect, but because you are willing to let God guide you. When we focus on our loving Father and commit to following Him, He empowers us to change lives and accomplish incredible things. With Him, your weaknesses become strengths, and your mistakes become lessons.

You are bound for greatness, and through Him, you can do amazing things.

Trip Leader Devotions

Trip Leader Devotionals

Written By: Sophia Demordaunt (Trip Leader)

Part 1:

Part 2:

“Dear Claire,

“What” and “If” are two words as non-threatening as words can be. But put them together side-by-side and they have the power to haunt you for the rest of your life: What if? What if? What if?

If it was true then, why wouldn’t it be true now? You need only the courage to follow your heart. I don’t know what a love like [that] feels like…but I’d like to believe if I ever were to feel it, that I will have the courage to seize it. And if you didn’t, I hope one day that you will.

All my love, Juliet”

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