Contrived Hardship

[FMCoug]

The youth in our old ward in Texas are doing their own version of this today ... walking to the temple.

It seems like we are hearing more of these kinds of things going on. And I wonder ... is there really a point to this? Trek is another example and how it has become so popular. Do youth really get more out of it this way?

[wuapinmon]

It reminds me of that episode of Breaking Bad where all the people are crawling to the Santa Muerte shrine.

[Portland Ute]

How are Alpine and Draper both 22 miles from the SLC temple?

And why didn't brother Moyle buy a damned horse?

[byu71]

This is an event they can remember for the rest of their lives. I tried to remember such an event from my youth. The only one I can come up with so far concerns some of us who started skipping Sunday School and heading to the donut shop in Bountiful. On one such occasion my Dad showed up, he was in the Bishopric, he said if this is where you want to hold Sunday School, OK. He pulled out a lesson manual and started. We all walked out, heads bowed. I still get asked by a couple of the guys if I had ratted out to my Dad where we were going. I didn't and don't know who ratted us out. He would never tell and now he is too old to remember.

[Jarid in Cedar]

The youth in our old ward in Texas are doing their own version of this today ... walking to the temple.

It seems like we are hearing more of these kinds of things going on. And I wonder ... is there really a point to this? Trek is another example and how it has become so popular. Do youth really get more out of it this way?

Have we declined to the point that a 22 mile walk is considered a hardship?

[il Padrino Ute]

Have we declined to the point that a 22 mile walk is considered a hardship?

22 miles?!? Who in their right mind would willingly walk that far?

[BlueHair]

Have we declined to the point that a 22 mile walk is considered a hardship?

I wouldn't want to walk 22 miles for no reason. I'm lazy, though.

[Pheidippides]

Have we declined to the point that a 22 mile walk is considered a hardship?

Yeah, more than a few of us here do that for fun six or so times a year. Except we run it.

[Portland Ute]

This is an event they can remember for the rest of their lives. I tried to remember such an event from my youth. The only one I can come up with so far concerns some of us who started skipping Sunday School and heading to the donut shop in Bountiful. On one such occasion my Dad showed up, he was in the Bishopric, he said if this is where you want to hold Sunday School, OK. He pulled out a lesson manual and started. We all walked out, heads bowed. I still get asked by a couple of the guys if I had ratted out to my Dad where we were going. I didn't and don't know who ratted us out. He would never tell and now he is too old to remember.

Carmacks? Such a shame it disappeared.

[byu71]

Carmacks? Such a shame it disappeared.

I think that is it. It was on Main St. and as I remember it, just before 5th S. heading South. Awesome donuts, but good burgers too.

[FMCoug]

This is an event they can remember for the rest of their lives.

I get that. Is this an effect of the budget changes? The things I remember most fondly from my youth are super-activities. Gone the way of the do-do.

But ponder this. Given an all-day activity for youth in the Dallas 'burbs.

Option 1:
Walk to the temple

Option 2:
Go to an inner-city soup kitchen, shelter, etc. and spend the rest of the day doing real service and seeing how "the other half" live.

Which has more value a) to society and b) to the youth?

[byu71]

I get that. Is this an effect of the budget changes? The things I remember most fondly from my youth are super-activities. Gone the way of the do-do.

But ponder this. Given an all-day activity for youth in the Dallas 'burbs.

Option 1:
Walk to the temple

Option 2:
Go to an inner-city soup kitchen, shelter, etc. and spend the rest of the day doing real service and seeing how "the other half" live.

Which has more value a) to society and b) to the youth?

If one believes there is nothing more important than to insure a young person does not leave the church, then I would say anything that builds a bond, indoctrinates, promote a spiritual experience, (whatever you want to call it) is the most important thing for a youth leader to do.

Also going on such a walk does not preclude doing something useful for society too in another activity.

[Eddie]

The youth in our old ward in Texas are doing their own version of this today ... walking to the temple.

It seems like we are hearing more of these kinds of things going on. And I wonder ... is there really a point to this? Trek is another example and how it has become so popular. Do youth really get more out of it this way?

I think that hardship - contrived or not - builds bonds and brings emotions to the surface. Similar to group members becoming close through experiencing a traumatic experience together.

I think it can be overdone - in that if you do it too frequently then the effect you are going for it lost.

I also think that it can be beneficial and a memorable experience, particularly for our modern day youth. Working with the youth myself, I find that many do their best to avoid anything difficult. I won't necessarily go so far as to call them lazy and selfish, but I think there is often a focus on showing up for the easy stuff and planning things that won't be too hard to accomplish.

From that perspective, I think that sometimes pushing them to accomplish something a little more difficult - or something they didn't imagine being able to do - can sometimes give them some confidence in their ability to do difficult things.


And I agree with BYU71 - doing something like this won't keep them from doing another service oriented activity like working in a soup kitchen, etc. But really you are talking about two activities that are very different with different goals in mind as far as what you are hoping to achieve as an outcome.

[LiveCoug]

I get that. Is this an effect of the budget changes? The things I remember most fondly from my youth are super-activities. Gone the way of the do-do.

But ponder this. Given an all-day activity for youth in the Dallas 'burbs.

Option 1:
Walk to the temple

Option 2:
Go to an inner-city soup kitchen, shelter, etc. and spend the rest of the day doing real service and seeing how "the other half" live.

Which has more value a) to society and b) to the youth?

Why can't you do both? Walk to the temple, get an interesting personal experience with a good story, one month and then do the soup kitchen another? They both can have their place.

[TripletDaddy]

How are Alpine and Draper both 22 miles from the SLC temple?

And why didn't brother Moyle buy a damned horse?

Does anyone have more info on Moyle?

This article says that "every Monday" he would take off to SLC. I suppose this means that he was gone for days at a time? I did a quick search and apparently he was gone Mon through Friday every week for as long as he served as chief superintendent of construction on the temple.

Why didn't he just relocate closer to SLC and be able to spend more time with his family and keep normal hours? I would be interested in reading more about this story. Apparently he also lost his leg in the process.

If there were no reason that he couldn't relocate closer, is this really a story of sacrifice? Are people with long work commutes sacrificing themselves righteously by living really far from work?

Also, the article says that he had to be at work by 8AM. What happened in the mid 1800s when you showed up "late" for work at the temple construction site? Were you fired?

Here is a pic of Bro and Sis Moyle



He is responsible for this well known carving