Go into the Mount Oft

Oh, how I love the mountains! I couldn't live without them! I am blessed to live in a place where I see mountains out of most of my home's windows and where I am just minutes from several canyons. There is something about the majesty of mountains that fills my soul with all things good and makes me feel closer to God.

The scriptures are full of references to mountains and their holiness.  It was on Mount Sinai that Moses met with the Lord and received the commandments. Abraham's test with Isaac took place on a mountain. Book of Mormon prophets wrote of personal prayers and answers received on mountains: "And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things" (1 Nephi 18:3, see also Ether 3).  Jesus went purposefully to the mountains, a few instances of note being to teach (Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5-7), to give priesthood keys and be transfigured before Peter, James, and John (Mount of Transfiguration, Mark 9:2-10), and to pray (Luke 6:12).

As we studied mountains in our geography lessons, I wanted to impress upon my children the spiritual nature of mountains outside of plate tectonics.  So we gathered up our scriptures and our journals and headed into a canyon we haven't previously explored.

We've had an unusually warm and dry autumn, but the morning we took to the mountains we had a change overnight to record lows. It was a beautiful clear day, but it was a cold 12 degrees! Thankfully my 14-year-old Boy Scout knew where some matches were in the car. With some garbage papers and a lot of twigs and wood laying around, he had a fire going in no time and we gathered around it for a search and discussion in the scriptures.

In peaceful solitude I shared my love for the mountains with my children as I told them how much closer I feel to God when I'm in them. I told them of the clarity a running river brings to my mind and shared why I believe that is with Joseph Smith's account of his vision of the Savior in the Kirtland Temple:  "His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun; and his voice was as the sound of the rushing of great waters, even the voice of Jehovah..." (D&C 110:3)  

And then we spread out to each be by him/herself with thoughts, prayers and journals and we were still. 

Then with dirt and icy cold water from the creek we put out the fire and headed home, hopefully with a lasting impression.