by Ryland Most, Canton Ward
It’s summer again, and that means it’s time for stake activities! This year’s Young Men’s camp was just as memorable as any other. Camp started Wednesday, June 14th, and went through Saturday the 17th, and we had over 75 young men attend. Our theme was “Get Yoked,” coming from the scripture in Matthew 11. The message taught throughout the evening devotionals was to teach us about the importance of yoking ourselves with the Savior.
One of the activities we did when we first started camp was a tractor pull. We were divided into groups, and the goal was to pull the most number of boys with the least number of boys in our group on a sled to a certain distance. For us to be able to do this, we had to all work together. If we had to pull all the weight on our own, it would be very difficult or impossible. With the help of other people, we were able to pull more, just like when we are yoked with the Savior.
During our stay, we got to participate in many enjoyable activities. Thursday, we participated in a service project where we got to paint a cabin close to our campsite, had a spiritual lesson about yoking ourselves to the Savior, as well as participated in chair soccer and field hockey. That same day we drove over to a large community pool in Uhrichsville. That night similar to last year, we had another thunderstorm, which never fails to make camp more interesting! On Friday, we went canoeing on the Tuscarawas River. The trip was 8 miles and took us about 2 hours. The rain from the prior evening made the trip much easier with the faster current! The rest of the day consisted of a few activities: Atlatl was led and taught by Brother Rodgers; he showed us how to throw arrows and had us aim at hay bales. Brother Oda taught a class on finance where he introduced us to investing and how if we are responsible with our money how it will benefit us in the future. We also learned about plumbing and had the opportunity to practice the skills we learned by building plumbing structures off of a diagram made by Brother Murawski.
That evening the priests split from the teachers and deacons for their own separate devotion. The priests and bishops hiked up Buzzard’s Roost about a mile and a half, where we learned about the importance of the temple. We specifically learned more about the covenants we make during the endowment. Our leaders all shared a message with all of us and bore their own testimony about its importance and the power that can come through the endowment. Being able to hear that from our leaders was one of my favorite experiences from camp this year. Young Men’s camp was a great spirit-nourishing experience this year, and I am already looking forward to next year.
Akron Ohio Stake News 