What is the take away from this story told in SM?

[_honorentheos]

Respectfully, can we keep this thread about what the Mormon interpretation is of these types of stories and events?

Just Me,

The very last stake conference I attended included a talk by a man who had served as the scout master of a ward. He had been asked to tell us about a miraculous event where a couple of scouts were miraculously saved during a snow storm after they were lost.

I was angry after the story. I could not believe anyone would see it as some miracle from God. Rather, it was a textbook story of how stupid, ill-prepared adults could endanger the lives of young teens who were trusting them to know what they were doing.

The details that stood out to me:

- None of the adults in the group had much experience in back-country camping or hiking
- Despite it being mid-fall, because the group lived in an area where the weather was ok that time of year, no one had thought to check the weather for the location they would be camping in. Turns out, it snows in the mountains that time of year, but none of the group was prepared for cold weather conditions.
- When the inevitable happened, it snowed, and the group had to make their way back to camp without adequate clothing in order to leave early, the leaders did not have a system in place where everyone was accounted for. So apparently two of the boys became separated from the group as well as each other.
- Faith promoting moment: one of the boys was discovered quickly by a leader after they had made it all the way back to camp. Don't remember the details of how. But the fact they had hiked for hours before getting to camp, had packed up and were leaving before anyone realized the two boys were missing killed me.
- Bigger faith promoting moment: the second lost boy, while walking, claims he heard an audible voice tell him to take one fork in the trail over another. By taking that fork, he came across a camp with people who were prepared for the snow, treated him for hypothermia, and saved his life. So when the leaders found him - the next day! - he was sitting by a fire in a borrowed winter coat waiting for them.

That was one of the worst stories I've ever heard in a church setting. Maybe it came across different to others. To me, the man speaking never once acknowledged that the leaders involved had no business leading kids into that kind of environment and that they personally nearly killed two kids.

I'm opposed to church scouting programs now, too.

[_Polygamy-Porter]

I'm opposed to church scouting programs now, too.

The LDS arm of the BSA is nothing more than missionary preparation and youth cult bonding.

Additionally the LDS BSA is used to recruit young unwitting non member boys.

[_honorentheos]

I'm opposed to church scouting programs now, too.

The LDS arm of the BSA is nothing more than missionary preparation and youth cult bonding.

Additionally the LDS BSA is used to recruit young unwitting non member boys.

Probably true, PP.

When I went through scouts, I was very lucky apparently.

My blazer adviser was former army, had served in Vietnam, and was one of the best resources I've ever met regarding roughing it. We had great hikes and camps. He taught biology at a high school, and knew a lot about the plants that we could or couldn't eat. And we had hands-on lessons. Not to mention, he had a few pet snakes he'd bring home from school over the summer that we would get to handle. I consider him one of the most influential adults in my early youth, and think positively of him still.

My later advisors through explorer scouts had all either served in the military or had been fire fighters for the forest service. They were also the product of a scouting program that seems so much different than the babysitting service it has become today.

When I went through Army basic training, I was surprised at how much almost everything we learned was not only familiar but old hat to me. I suspect that the scouts used to be aimed at training young men for just that type of service, too.

[_Scottie]

You can read about him here. Kevin Bardsley

Yeah, that's him.

[_just me]

Respectfully, can we keep this thread about what the Mormon interpretation is of these types of stories and events?

Just Me,

The very last stake conference I attended included a talk by a man who had served as the scout master of a ward. He had been asked to tell us about a miraculous event where a couple of scouts were miraculously saved during a snow storm after they were lost.

I was angry after the story. I could not believe anyone would see it as some miracle from God. Rather, it was a textbook story of how stupid, ill-prepared adults could endanger the lives of young teens who were trusting them to know what they were doing.

The details that stood out to me:

- None of the adults in the group had much experience in back-country camping or hiking
- Despite it being mid-fall, because the group lived in an area where the weather was ok that time of year, no one had thought to check the weather for the location they would be camping in. Turns out, it snows in the mountains that time of year, but none of the group was prepared for cold weather conditions.
- When the inevitable happened, it snowed, and the group had to make their way back to camp without adequate clothing in order to leave early, the leaders did not have a system in place where everyone was accounted for. So apparently two of the boys became separated from the group as well as each other.
- Faith promoting moment: one of the boys was discovered quickly by a leader after they had made it all the way back to camp. Don't remember the details of how. But the fact they had hiked for hours before getting to camp, had packed up and were leaving before anyone realized the two boys were missing killed me.
- Bigger faith promoting moment: the second lost boy, while walking, claims he heard an audible voice tell him to take one fork in the trail over another. By taking that fork, he came across a camp with people who were prepared for the snow, treated him for hypothermia, and saved his life. So when the leaders found him - the next day! - he was sitting by a fire in a borrowed winter coat waiting for them.

That was one of the worst stories I've ever heard in a church setting. Maybe it came across different to others. To me, the man speaking never once acknowledged that the leaders involved had no business leading kids into that kind of environment and that they personally nearly killed two kids.

I'm opposed to church scouting programs now, too.

As a mother of a scout this is truly frightening. OMG And another example of the terrible stories used to promote faith in the Mormon god. YIKES!

[_cafe crema]

Respectfully, can we keep this thread about what the Mormon interpretation is of these types of stories and events?

Just Me,

The very last stake conference I attended included a talk by a man who had served as the scout master of a ward. He had been asked to tell us about a miraculous event where a couple of scouts were miraculously saved during a snow storm after they were lost.

I was angry after the story. I could not believe anyone would see it as some miracle from God. Rather, it was a textbook story of how stupid, ill-prepared adults could endanger the lives of young teens who were trusting them to know what they were doing.

The details that stood out to me:

- None of the adults in the group had much experience in back-country camping or hiking
- Despite it being mid-fall, because the group lived in an area where the weather was ok that time of year, no one had thought to check the weather for the location they would be camping in. Turns out, it snows in the mountains that time of year, but none of the group was prepared for cold weather conditions.
- When the inevitable happened, it snowed, and the group had to make their way back to camp without adequate clothing in order to leave early, the leaders did not have a system in place where everyone was accounted for. So apparently two of the boys became separated from the group as well as each other.
- Faith promoting moment: one of the boys was discovered quickly by a leader after they had made it all the way back to camp. Don't remember the details of how. But the fact they had hiked for hours before getting to camp, had packed up and were leaving before anyone realized the two boys were missing killed me.
- Bigger faith promoting moment: the second lost boy, while walking, claims he heard an audible voice tell him to take one fork in the trail over another. By taking that fork, he came across a camp with people who were prepared for the snow, treated him for hypothermia, and saved his life. So when the leaders found him - the next day! - he was sitting by a fire in a borrowed winter coat waiting for them.

That was one of the worst stories I've ever heard in a church setting. Maybe it came across different to others. To me, the man speaking never once acknowledged that the leaders involved had no business leading kids into that kind of environment and that they personally nearly killed two kids.

I'm opposed to church scouting programs now, too.

the leaders did not have a system in place where everyone was accounted for

I just can't believe this, it is the most fundamental rule of a group situation, is everyone here. How can any adult not make sure all the kids are accounted for? It's something adults do all the time, trick or treating, birthday parties at commercial places, watching kids in a pool, going to local events, anytime you have kids in your charge???? Tonight we walked to and from our towns fireworks, in that time we encountered a lot of people, little groups we knew. Moving around, walking to and from the fireworks, groups would form and dissolve according to how fast people walked. Through all this the kids would run all over all, the parents in these ephemeral groups managed, while socializing, to pay enough attention to be able to respond if any parent couldn't find one of there kids. I must have heard tonight a dozen time in our hour walk a parent ask "where is Rambunctious??" answered by another parent "oh she's over there with Curious".

in my opinion to be unaware that a child in your care is missing in a dangerous situation is child endangerment and a criminal offense.