Where You Are Is Where It’s At

The next two articles are about young men who found adventure right in their own backyards. One group made the discovery in the lonely red rock canyons of the Colorado Plateau—the other in the steel and glass canyons of New York City. Although the concrete path of the New York Scouts was almost a continent away from the sandstone trail of the young men from Utah, they both enjoyed the same rewards—knowledge, reverence, excitement, and inner peace. By seeking their adventure close to home, they not only saved money and time, but learned to love their own part of the world.

They also followed the counsel given at a Regional Representatives seminar on April 3, 1981, by Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, who was at the time a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, now Second Counselor in the First Presidency. He said, “There is a growing disposition … to arrange exotic trips for young people. For instance, some on the mainland have made trips to Hawaii. Some in California have made trips to Nauvoo. While there may be some families who can afford the cost of such long trips, there are others who cannot, and who are put under great strain to see that their youngsters are not placed in an embarrassing position. It is not necessary to travel far. … It isn’t the place that makes the difference so much as it is the program and association.”

After reading these two exciting stories, you might want to write us about your own ward’s plans for down-home adventure. You and your friends could just find yourselves in the New Era. Then everyone would know that where you are is where it’s at.

Photography by Laird Roberts, Marty Mayo, and Floyd Holdman