MLC HIKE!! 10/28/13

 PLEASE CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR ALL PHOTOS OF THE HIKE AND MLC MEETING

This is the view we had as we arrived at our scheduled Mission Leadership Council Hike.

We have 10 Zones with 2 Zone Leaders each, we have 2 Assistants to the President, and we have 8 Sister Training Leaders.  These along with the Mission Presidency make up the MISSION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.

Once a year, when it cools down enough, we take the Council on a hike somewhere.  This year we went back over to Thunderbird Conservation Area so we could hike near the new Phoenix Temple Site.

I played photographer and President Taylor led the way.  This was a hike with purpose.

 As we got going, we had several stops along the way to share thoughts on the Doctrine of Christ.

At the base of the first mountain, I presented some thoughts on FAITH.  Faith is an action of trust, and of love.  We were following President Taylor out of faith.  I am grateful that we have to have faith...that all the answers are not just laid out for us and that we have to stretch and grow!  I thought it was pretty neat that we were hiking, and how that relates to exercising our faith.

 We follow the path laid out for us by prophets and apostles and have the scriptures and their counsel as our guide along the path.

 Next we headed up what we call "REPENTANCE HILL."It is a long haul up, pretty relentless.
Partway up, President Taylor had everyone stop and drop a rock he had asked them to pick up earlier in the hike, into a backpack we had brought.  The rocks represent burdens that we bear.

 Then he gave the backpack to Elder Wardle to carry for us the rest of the hike.  He did not have to say anything for everyone to realize what this represented about the power of the ATONEMENT.

 We made it up the long REPENTANCE trail and President Taylor told his thoughts about how repentance is something necessary, and a blessing in our lives to bring peace and happiness.  He reminded us all that we need to teach repentance.  We cannot brush over the importance of repentance.


Up at the top of the next hill, we stopped and took a large group photo and talked about BAPTISM. How appropriate that baptism is considered a GATE along the path of our lives, that enters into the straight and narrow path back to God and eternal life.  Baptism and the Holy Ghost are how we completely repent.  The ORDINANCES in our lives are critical in our journey.

 Front kneeling/sitting: Sisters Holmes, Taylor, Neary, Hansen, Beck & A Walker. Elders Gerritsen and Cardoso. Row 2: Sisters Dayton, Pickett & Vallejo. Elders Knabe, H. Peterson, J Wade, Bryant,(Standing) Bangerter, Zayas, Hughes, Gorham & Parsons. Back: President Taylor, Elders Lower, Knobbe, P. Wilson, E Jones, Wardle, Brothers, B. Jones, Bartleson, O'Neal, Weiler, Baker.

 Down the hill, President Taylor gathered the group once more to talk about the GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST, that constant companion that guides us along our trail back to Heavenly Father.  What a precious blessing we have.  We do not want to know what it would be like without it in our lives.

Here he had Elder Wardle dump out his burden of the rocks he was carrying for each of us.  This was a representation of the burden that the Savior carried for each of us through the ATONEMENT. It also represents how we are to share the burdens of others as we take upon ourselves the covenant of baptism.

 Out last stop was up at the top of the last hill before we headed down.
You can see in the background our own PHOENIX TEMPLE.  It is coming along so beautifully.  They are finishing up parking lots and starting landscaping and fountains.  We still do not know when the temple will be complete, still also hoping it is while President Taylor and I will still be here.
We talked about ENDURING TO THE END.
How important that we are constantly working on keeping the commandments and the JOY that brings into our lives.  It does not mean that our lives will be easy or trouble free.  What it does mean, is that we will have all the resources we need to be able to deal with whatever we need to...that we can have JOY IN THE JOURNEY.  That we need the ordinances of the TEMPLE in order to have the power to overcome and truly find joy now and forever.  We understand that more than ever in our lives.  The promises of the temple are sure.  Our family is bound together through OUR obedience to the commandments and we find great peace in knowing that.

Our wonderful friends, the Call family from our stake here, and the Kings and President Morris from the Mission Presidency had a wonderful hot breakfast waiting for us when we arrived at the temple site.

What a view to have as we ate!  We are so blessed to have your incredible children/friends with us on their missions.  This is a great place and we are teaching others how to have joy in their lives as they come unto Christ.  The Gospel is meant for everyone.
If there are any questions in your life that you think the Gospel does not address, or that it is not for you, think again.  Please let us know how we can help you as family or friends of these missionaries.  We know without a doubt that this is Christs Church restored once more to the earth in completeness.