Arkansas woman dies in Oklahoma recreating Mormon trek

[_Doctor CamNC4Me]

I mean, what's next? Have the kids crawl on their hands and knees to Temple Square? Jesus.

My kid, against my advice, participated in this a couple of years ago. crap, she isn't even baptized yet she got roped into this nonsense by her mom and associated Mormons. It's just so screwed up. This faith-promoting hardship-porn is just... I don't know.

- Doc

eta: At least when I was in Ward leaders could do epic things without an associated faithful narrative. Our Scout troop ascended Mount Ranier and was one of the most rewarding and formative things I did as a youth. These days? I just don't know...

[_Sethbag]

It seems that a few decades ago young LDS people got to take part in quite a lot of activities that might reasonably be classified as 'fun'.

However, as an outside observer, I have the distinct impression that at some stage the leadership decided that such things were too light-minded. From then on, everything had to have a Gospel angle and be a religious teaching opportunity, preferably one involving the performance of duties of a not very attractive kind.

When were the relevant decisions taken, by whom, and - most importantly - why? Was anything ever said explicitly?

I recall as a youth in the 80s we went from having fun Mutual and scouting activities that were engaged in for their own sake, to having to justify everything by stating a "priesthood purpose" for it. That lead to some mind-bending logical twists as we sought to justify whatever it was we wanted to do on some sort of religious pretext. How stupid.

[_Chap]

I recall as a youth in the 80s we went from having fun Mutual and scouting activities that were engaged in for their own sake, to having to justify everything by stating a "priesthood purpose" for it. That lead to some mind-bending logical twists as we sought to justify whatever it was we wanted to do on some sort of religious pretext. How stupid.

But ... whose brilliant idea was it to take the church in that direction? I can't think it has been good for the retention of younger members in the long term.

[_Amore]

It comes down to this woman (like MOST ADHERING LDS) ignored her own gut instincts in favor of the church. Spiritually, many LDS are like her - dying mentally (anxiety, shame, depression) and financially because they worship the church's teachings (some good, some harmful) and the church's financial manipulations.

The church has curriculum to pretend that they are superior and righteous and anyone questioning their insanity is wrong. It's like those movies- Divergent Series.


Btw- My previous bishop assigned my son to be a trek leader and argued with me when I told him he wasn't going and how I had no idea about it. He had got stake pres calls to meet but they never told me or him what they were about - only later I realized it was about trek.

[_kairos]

Here in gilbert/phoenix az, the latest trek is over- bishop son and wife and daughter participated in an 6-8 stake 3-4 day trek. these events are highly organized from the top down-dates, assignments, activities, dress codes, meals, activities all drawn up like an army division battle plan. youth are mostly coerced- girls in heavy pioneer dresses, boys in long sleeve shirts and pants, parent helpers similarly attired. it seems the goal is to teach deprivation through experience- for example similar sized families are put together- each family given a hand cart which they must pack with all their shit- if they pack incorrectly the cart will be bitch to push. the trail is laid out to be difficult ,up hill, down hill, rocky, muddy whatever the leaders can come up with.

there are tons of people behind the scenes-one guy had the calling to move the portajohns from one location to the next as the trekkers passed by. others set up feeding tents and medical respite tents- my DIL worked there and treated dozens of dehydration, heat fatigue and downright burnout among the kids who should medically not even be out there because of obesity,allergy etc.

in one trek the men called as hunters actually shot and killed a bison for food and the kids were given lessons in skinning that bison and carving it up for the evening meal-over the top imho.

fill the trek with devotionals and testimonies and that type bull crap for 3 days to try to make the kids feel special about their heritage and those poor pioneers.

bottom line in gilbert was that the next day was Sunday F and T and only 2 boys and girls who participated stood and bore their testimony about how special the trek was. my granddaughter was one who did not-she told me later the trek was "ok" but not really worth all the work the stakes put in to it.

it will be interesting to see who gets hung as being responsible for that mom's death- those taking credit in slc for what a wonderful program it is will run for cover and put the blame on some poor bastard stake prez who did not take "all due care" in the trek under his control.

now will the psr's have the balls to see how stupid the trek program is and abolish it?

[_huckelberry]

It seems that a few decades ago young LDS people got to take part in quite a lot of activities that might reasonably be classified as 'fun'.

However, as an outside observer, I have the distinct impression that at some stage the leadership decided that such things were too light-minded. From then on, everything had to have a Gospel angle and be a religious teaching opportunity, preferably one involving the performance of duties of a not very attractive kind.

Correlation has killed most of what made individual ward units unique and done away with most of the fun activities (dance festivals, road shows, Gold & Green Balls, church wide sporting competitions and so on) that created ward identities. When the church started to send local money elsewhere, which I think was part of correlation, the fun stuff was no longer affordable or controllable on a local level.

You know in a way it is funny because correlation in many ways resembles the fictional plan Satan is supposed to have proposed in the preexistence, in that it has removed the need for much of the decision making

I believe Satans program is to get rid of all fun. Of course there are other people who incline to want to rid of fun to.

So I read that all the fun stuff I remember from my LDS youth are disappearing . Sad. Jesse mentioned above that Treks (utterly remote from my experience despite having ancestors who did the original deal) may be replacing YOUTH CONFERENCES.

I am blank , what in the world are youth conferences? Are they something so dull that they dropped from my memory pack? Started after 1967? They sound like more dull meetings from which a spell stretched on the rack(or handcart) might at least be a change of pace.

[_Lemmie]

From a poster commenting on treks, on NewOrderMormon forum:

When my wife and I were asked to be a "Ma and Pa" on our youth trek years ago I was actually kind of excited. I'm an out door guy and I do considerable hiking to stay in shape for fall hunting season. Even at my age, (mid-fifties at that time) being in good condition and doing a little suffering in the out of doors was important for me.

As we learned more about the "Trek" I began to think the church might be asking a little too much of other people who weren't in as good of condition as I was. After all, we weren't really in a life or death situation where there would be a valid reason for asking a member to give their last ounce of life for the cause.

I was especially hesitant about what our Stake leaders called the "Women's Pull" where in some of the steepest and most difficult terrain, the women and young women of the ward would be called upon to haul the handcarts alone for a time, without the aid of the men. I asked several Stake leaders, including a counselor in the SP what the purpose of the Women's Pull was and always got an oblique answer that was kind of shrouded in facial expressions that said, "Don't ask".

Eventually I was given to understand that the women (especially young women) needed to know how important the priesthood men were in life's struggle. The point being, "You can't make it through this life or the next without us. You need us more than we need you.

As we progressed through the trek we were asked to do a couple of miles in our bare feet on blistering sand. When we got to the women's pull, it was extremely difficult for most of the women who were not prepared for this kind of exertion. My wife was among them and I could see she and others were faltering. The men were forbidden by leadership to assist in any other way than to have "facial expressions" of encouragement while we stood to the side and silently watched the struggle up a treacherous, rocky hill . Nothing verbal could be said.

After watching this travesty for some time, I finally said to myself, "To Hell with this" and broke ranks and aided my wife's cart and a few others when leadership was looking the other way. Some of my boys wanted to help but I waved them off for fear of drawing too much attention to what I was doing.

Finally it was over. As I looked back on the experience I became more and more convinced that it was totally unnecessary and risked injury to devoted people who were unprepared for the ordeal. Looking at it now the irony is so strong that I see our current leaders as being every bit as stupid and naïve as those who encouraged the Willie/Martin companies to go out on their ill-fated journey. Almost 200 years and still they have learned nothing.

That's what makes the following article about the loss of this poor woman, wife and mother, stick in my craw so badly. Totally unnecessary. Totally uncalled for. Totally preventable with a little wisdom and logic.

I'm sure some idiot somewhere is trying to make up reasons why this tragedy was "meant to be". All I can do is borrow a line from a movie I once saw and apply it to both local and general church leadership.

"You must be stupid, stupid, stupid......."
http://www.ldsliving.com/LDS-Youth-Lead ... =pop160623

http://forum.newordermormon.org/viewtop ... =2&t=47934

[_Lemmie]

A statement released by her 'family.'. wanna bet LDS leadership told her 'family' what to write?

A statement released by her family Wednesday reads:

It is with heavy heart and sorrow that we share the passing of Meaghan Lee Blair. Meg was the wife of her beloved husband Michael Blair and mother to two young children. She and her family lived in Northwest Arkansas where Meaghan worked for Wal-Mart’s corporate headquarters and her husband is a mechanical engineering student at the University of Arkansas.

Meaghan leaves behind her husband and children, her parents, Brad and Maureen Querry, and her husband’s parents, Jim and Teresa Blair, all of whom reside in Northwest Arkansas.

Meaghan also had three younger sisters and an extended family who live in various places around the country. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints where her service was directed to children and attended the Rogers 1st Ward. (A ward is a local congregation.)

Meaghan died at 1:15 a.m. on June 21. Prior to her death, she had been participating in a church youth activity near Pawhuska, Oklahoma. Meaghan and her husband Michael were volunteering as youth leaders. The activity was a handcart trek, commemorating the sacrifices made by mid-1800s pioneers who walked across the plains to Utah. This specific activity was scheduled to last three days and had begun on the morning of Monday, June 20.

Careful planning went into the event and specific plans were made to cope with the anticipated hot weather. She stopped regularly on the trail to consume water and salty foods and had trained outdoors in preparation for the activity. The group had walked six-and-a-half of the planned seven miles when Meaghan expressed that she was not feeling well. She was immediately taken by ATV to the medical tent and was treated by the on-site doctor and registered nurses.

Some time after her arrival in the medical tent, Meaghan began to have seizures. She was flown to St. John’s hospital in Tulsa. Although there has been some speculation, the medical examiner has not yet determined the cause of death.

Meaghan’s family wishes to thank the medical staff—both those who were on site and those at St. John’s hospital—for their care of Meaghan. They also express their profound gratitude for the outpouring of support and love in the wake of Meaghan’s passing.

A memorial service will be held Friday, June 24, at 3 p.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse at 2805 N. Dixieland Rd, Rogers, Arkansas. Funeral services and burial will be held in Herriman, Utah next week.
http://gephardtdaily.com/religion/lds-w ... th-youths/

[_Jersey Girl]

I wasn't planning to touch this thread, but here goes. You'd think that a church that can't even pull off a Boy Scout weekend camping trip without placing their scouts at risk would know better than to do these treks.

[_Jersey Girl]

From Lemmie's NOM Forum link:

I was especially hesitant about what our Stake leaders called the "Women's Pull" where in some of the steepest and most difficult terrain, the women and young women of the ward would be called upon to haul the handcarts alone for a time, without the aid of the men. I asked several Stake leaders, including a counselor in the SP what the purpose of the Women's Pull was and always got an oblique answer that was kind of shrouded in facial expressions that said, "Don't ask".

Eventually I was given to understand that the women (especially young women) needed to know how important the priesthood men were in life's struggle. The point being, "You can't make it through this life or the next without us. You need us more than we need you

Outsider looking in here. Does it bother the church at all that the above attitude isn't remotely Biblical? Not even close!