10 Day Spiritual Trek Guidebook & Journal ... - Jenny Phillips

10 Day
Spiritual Trek
From www.jennyphillips.com
Guide Book & Journal

stopped at Fort Laramie and never continued on through Devil’s Gate, South Pass, Fort Bridger, and
all of the destinations they needed to come to in their journey in order to make it to the Salt Lake
Valley.
David O. McKay taught us that this mortal life is a test of how valiant our faith is. He said: “Man's
earthly existence is but a test as to whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul upon
things which contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical instincts and passions, or
whether he will make as his life's end and purpose the acquisition of spiritual qualities.” (Conference
Report, April 1958)
Guide Instructions for Day 10:
c Fill out the following
This 10 Day Spiritual Trek was one step in your journey of discipleship. Finish your trek by writing
your testimony and feelings about the journey of discipleship, including what you have learned and
the steps of discipleship you need to continue to take. Then pray for at least 10 minutes to close
your trek experience.
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Day 10:Arrival in the Salt Lake Valley
Instructions:
1. Start on a WEDNESDAY so that the Sabbath Day falls on the 5th day of your
trek.
2. Every morning read your guide book for that day and follow it’s instructions.
Check off all the items that have a check box next to it (c) once you’ve completed
the item.
Congratulations!!! You Finished the Trek. Today is a day of rejoicing! Can you imagine
how the pioneers must’ve felt when their eyes finally beheld the Salt Lake Valley?
Can you imagine what it would be like for your eyes to finally behold the Celestial Kingdom?
Or, can you imagine what it would be like to find out, at the end of your journey that you actually
traveled somewhere else and you will never end up in the Celestial Kingdom?
Remember the journey
Remember this time
You are being tested
You are being tried
Remember your promise
Remember your design
With every breath, with every step
Walk faithfully
Remember the journey
3. If you are not able to do all the items or if you miss a day, either catch up as
soon as you can or skip forward to where you should be. The important thing is to
not give up!
3. The guidebook asks you to walk 1 mile a day if you can. If you can’t go 1 mile,
consider taking at least a short walk. If weather or health conditions prevent you
from walking, take a few minutes to find a queit place and ponder.
It is so easy in our lives to forget the vital and eternal importance of our mortal journey. Every
one of us prepared for this mortal journey for ages before we were born. What greater tragedy
could there be than to forget the journey we are on and fail this test after we prepared for and
anticipated it for ages?
Each step of the pioneers was a constant reminder to them of the path they were on, and their
trials pushed them towards greater faith and discipleship. Our test today, in a loud, busy, comfortable,
confusing, and distracting world, is to make sure we are also taking constant, daily
steps towards greater discipleship. If we live the gospel partway, we may find, at the end of our
journey, that although we were honorable, we didn’t live with “valiant faith.”
The scriptures remind us that those “who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus” lose the
promised crown of glory in God's kingdom (D&C 76:79). President Ezra Taft Benson explained:
"Not to be valiant in one's testimony is a tragedy of eternal consequence.” (Ensign, May 1982,
p. 63.) If we don’t live with valiant faith, we may realize too late that we are like a pioneer that

Day 1:Leaving Your Homeland
Most of the saints in Europe in 1856 had never seen the prophet or even heard his voice. Yet
the power of the Holy Ghost witnessed to them that a living prophet was again upon the earth
and that the gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored. When the prophet’s call came to them
to gather to the Salt Lake Valley, they left their homelands, their possessions, their fields and
their orchards, their farms, their friends, and even family they would never see again, and they
crossed the great seas and walked halfway across a continent under trying conditions. The
faith that burned in their hearts was more than belief—it was a power that moved them to
begin a great journey.
To start your “spiritual trek” you don’t have to leave behind your homeland, but there are
things you must leave behind in order to start a journey of greater discipleship. Some of these
things may be very hard. But just as the pioneers had to give up almost all their possessions
and leave the life they knew, great sacrifices are required of us today. Sometimes the things
we need to sacrifice today are harder to recognize.
Daily Steps
i
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study (at least 15 minutes). In your BofM index, look up the topics “sin” and “sacrifice”
and study certain scriptures that jump out at you.
c Walk 1 mile or more if possible and use that time to ponder the spiritual progress in your
mortal journey. Neil A. Maxwell said: “Pondering our performance and our progress is also important.”
(Where Ye Must Press Forward, pg. 31) ponder.
Joseph Smith: “. . . a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power
sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for, from the first existence of
man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained
without the sacrifice of all earthly things.” (Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith 6:7)
Joseph Smith: “The sacrifice required of Abraham in the offering up of Isaac, shows that if a
man would attain to the keys of the kingdom of an endless life, he must sacrifice all things.”
(Joseph Smith, History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 7 Vols. 5:555)
Brigham Young: “As to trials, why bless your hearts, the man or woman who enjoys the spirit
of our religion has no trials; but the man or woman who tries to live according to the Gospel of
the Son of God, and at the same time clings to the spirit of the world, has trials and sorrows
acute and keen, and that, too, continually. (Discourses of Brigham Young, p. 348.)
Today you will need to come to know your Rescuer and let Him carry you.
Listen to the song “The Arms of the Rescuer” (from the CD “Remember the Journey”)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study. Study the atonement for at least 30 minutes.
c Continue to leave behind inappropriate TV & music, immodest dress, immoral thoughts, etc.
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated).
c Be cheerful in the way you talk and think. Smile as much as you can.
Guide Instructions for Day 9:
c Fill out the following
Rescue from Sin. Jesus Christ has the power to rescue us from sin and temptation. How can you
more fully rely on Christ to rescue you and carry you away from sin?
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Rescue from weakness. The grace of Christ, through His atonement, also offers and enabling
power. How can you better lay hold of Christ’s enable power to help rescue you from your weaknesses?
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Day 9:Martin’s Cove
When Brigham Young learned that there were still handcart pioneers out on the plains, he immediately
organized rescue parties
Brigham Young: “"I will now give this people the subject and the text for the Elders who may
speak to-day and during the conference. It is this. On the 5th day of October, 1856, many of
our brethren and sisters are on the plains with handcarts, and probably many are now seven
hundred miles from this place, and they must be brought here . . . "I shall call upon the Bishops
. . . "I will tell you all that your faith, religion, and profession of religion, will never save one soul
of you in the Celestial Kingdom of our God, unless you carry out just such principles as I am
now teaching you. Go and bring in those people now on the plains. And attend strictly to those
things which we call temporal, or temporal duties. Otherwise, your faith will be in vain. The
preaching you have heard will be in vain to you, and you will sink to Hell, unless you attend to
the things we tell you." (quoted in LeRoy R. Hafen and Ann W. Hafen, Handcarts to Zion
[1960], 120-21).
Ephriam Hanks: "When I saw the terrible condition of the immigrants on first entering their
camp, my heart almost melted within me. I rose up in my saddle and tried to speak cheering
and comforting words to them. I told them also that they should all have the privilege to ride
into Salt Lake City, as more teams were coming.”
Solomon Kimball said, “The water in places was almost waist deep, and the river more than a
hundred feet wide . . . To cross that mountain torrent under such conditions to them meant
nothing short of suicide . . . They had walked hundreds of miles over an almost trackless plain,
pulling carts as they went, and after making such tremendous sacrifices for the cause of truth,
to lay down their lives in such a dreadful manner was awful to contemplate. They became
alarmed, and cried mightily unto the Lord for help, but received no answer . . . After they had
given up in despair, after all hopes had vanished, after every apparent avenue of escape
seemed closed, (four) eighteen-year-old boys belonging to the relief party came to the rescue,
and to the astonishment of all who saw, carried nearly every member of that ill-fated handcart
company across the snowbound stream. The strain was so terrible, and the exposure so great,
that . . . all the boys (suffered) from the effects of it. When President Brigham Young heard of
this heroic act, he wept like a child, and later declared publicly, ‘that act alone will ensure C.
Allen Huntington, George W. Grant, David P. Kimball, (and Stephen W. Taylor) an everlasting
salvation in the Celestial Kingdom of God, worlds without end . . .’ ” (Belated Emigrants of 1856
by Solomon F. Kimball, Improvement Era, 1914, Vol. Xvii. January, 1914 No. 3.)
Guide Instructions for Day 1:
c Go through your clothes and put any immodest clothing in a box or a bag and put it aside for the
ten day trek.
c Go through your movie & music collection and put all movies and music not in keeping with the
spirit (any music or movies in which the spirit couldn’t remain with you the entire time) in a box or a
bag and put it aside for the ten day trek.
c List the TV shows you have watched in the past month:
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Cross out any of the TV shows you listed above that include any of the following (all of these items
are taken from the “entertainment & media section” of the For the Strength of Youth):
--presents immorality as acceptable
--presents violent behavior as acceptable
--makes what is wrong and evil look normal and exciting
--Is vulgar in any way
--what is being presented does not meet Heavenly Father’s standards
c Commit to not watching any of the TV shows crossed out above during the 10 day trek. Commit
to not watching any other TV show or movies that don’t meet the standards listed above during
your trek.
c Commit to avoiding any habit-forming drinks for the 10 day trek.
Day 1 Journal: The handcart pioneers had to leave their homes and possessions. What sacrifices
do you feel are required in your life in order to start a more serious journey of discipleship?
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Day 2:Sailing to America
The saints spent 4-6 weeks on the sea. Most of the saints suffered from seasickness--most
not regaining their strength until the voyage was over. Samuel Openshaw wrote: “For my part I
paid the most devoted attention to the slop-pail about every half hour."
Despite their sickness and their cramped and poor living conditions, these saints were noted
for getting along and showing great patience and tolerance with others and with their situation.
John Jaques reported, "It is one continued scene of bustle from morn to night, but amidst all
this bustle and jostling together, we do not hear one cross word but all move on like clockwork."
They also worked hard on the ship, arising at 5:00 am each morning. Every day they scrubbed
the ship and disinfected their bedding. They also made dozens of tents on the ship that they
would use once they started traveling with the handcarts. When the members of the Martin
handcart company gathered on the deck for their final meeting before disembarking . The
captain of the ship said "that this company of emigrants was the best he had brought across
the sea. He complimented them on their good behavior.”
The saints behavior on the ships is a great reminder of two traits of charity listed in the Book
of Mormon: “is kind” and “is not easily provoked.” Their behavior was especially exemplary because
in difficult, tedious, and cramped conditions it can be easy to become irritated and impatient.
Neil A. Maxwell: “How we handle life's little irritations often exposes how large our remaining
selfishness is. Little irritations show, sometimes embarrassingly, the gap between what we
know and what we are. Often these little irritations are merely dressed-up versions of childish
concerns over "my turf," "my praise," "my place," "my possessions," and "my timetable." . . . It
is seen in the simplest of daily things: The light is green, but the car ahead is not moving; he is
in "my" way, holding "me" up! . . . Jesus, who knew who He was, scrupulously avoided letting
the little irritations reach Him. Big individuals refuse to be vexed by little irritations, which is yet
another dimension of freedom.” (That Ye may Believe, 117-118)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study. (Study “adversity”)
c Walk 1 mile or more if possible. Ponder the trials in your life--whether brought upon by sin or by
circumstance. How can these trials help mold you?
c Continue to leave behind inappropriate TV & music, immodest dress, immoral thoughts, etc.
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated).
c Be cheerful in the way you talk and think. Smile as much as you can.
Guide Instructions for Day 8:
c (Only do this activity if health conditions permit). To try to understand this part of the saints journey,
measure out1/2 cup of flour in the morning. The Willie company’s daily rations were cut down
to about this at one point. Very soon, they would run out of food completely. Mix the flour with water
to the consistency of pancake batter and cook on a skillet into pancake like cakes. Eat only these
and drink only water for breakfast & lunch. (Don’t add butter, jam, honey, etc.) You can bring these
cooked cakes to work with you for lunch. Before you eat dinner, find a quiet place to ponder for a
few minutes. Think about the pioneers having only a few ounces of flour to eat each day. Think
about their exposure to the ice and freezing conditions--how some of them only had rags around
their feet, how many of them suffered such severe frostbite that they would end up loosing their feet
or legs. How hungry they were Imagine that today your little 8 year old boy froze to death. How
would you be feeling? Can you feel how these experiences must’ve pushed these saints to have a
deep humility?Ponder how you can push yourself to have this same kind of humility without being
compelled to.
Journal: Write about your experience and feelings today:
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Day 8:Devil’s Gate
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“To describe conditions surrounding the old fort at Devil's Gate during the first few days of November,
1856 would be a difficult task. About twenty-five out of the nine hundred emigrants
who had arrived there . . . had already perished, and others were lying at the point of death.
Their food supply was nearly exhausted, and there were no signs of help. The snow was
eighteen inches deep on the level, and the weather intensely cold. . . . and the more feeble
among the Saints were literally freezing to death. Unless immediate steps were taken to relieve
the situation, all would perish together.” (Belated Emigrants of 1856 by Solomon F. Kimball,
Improvement Era, 1914, Vol. Xvii. January, 1914 No. 3. )
Watch the video “If Thou Endure it Well.” You can watch the video here:
http://www.jennyphillips.com/music_remember.htm
Despite the faith of those in the Martin and Willie handcart companies, they endured countless
hardships on their journey. Because their boats had been delayed, and they arrived in the
United States later in the season than planned, along with many breakdowns on the trail that
delayed them, and other situations, they began to run out of food, and their rations were constantly
reduced until they reached the brink of starvation. And they faced early and severe
winter storms. Many perished, and others lost limbs and suffered the effects of frostbite for the
rest of their lives. Mothers buried their children in the frozen ground. Husbands and wives
were separated through death. And children became orphans.
Their trials were great. But those saints did not become faithless or bitter on their journey.
They felt God walking with them and holding them up in their trials, and they experienced
many great miracles.
Every person who comes into this world must be tried. Opposition and adversity are a vital
part of this journey. Adversity can help mold us into more humble, diligent, and faithful saints.
Howard W. Hunter said, “Church history provides us with a lesson that when resistance and
opposition are greatest, our faith, commitment, and growth have the greatest opportunity for
advancement; when opposition is least, the tendency is to be complacent and lose faith.”
(That We Might Have Joy, pg. 99)
The Lord is aware of those who are suffering on the journey. He will not always take our suffering
away, but He has promised us that if we come unto Him, He will hold us up, and He will
give us the strength needed to bear our burdens. The Lord has said, “. . . for I will go before
your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts,
and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” (D&C 84:88)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study. (Study scriptures listed under “Patience” in the topical guide.)
c Walk 1 mile or more if possible and use that time to ponder the spiritual progress in your mortal
journey. Joseph B. Wirthlin said: “Pondering—which means to weigh mentally, to deliberate, to
mediate—can open the spiritual eyes of one's understanding. Also, the Spirit of the Lord may rest
upon the ponderer.” (Finding Peace in Our Lives, pg. 209”) Today focus on pondering the way you
treat people, how patient you are, if you are easily provoked, and how you can specifically improve
in these areas.
c Continue to leave behind inappropriate TV & music, immodest dress, immoral thoughts, etc.
Guide Instructions for Day 2:
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated). Be patient and kind and slow
to anger with all those you come in contact with. Try to view every person you are with today as
Christ would view them. Try to act towards them as Christ would act towards them in word, in action,
and in thought.
Day 2 Journal:
List the ways you were “easily provoked” and irritated yesterday or things that often easily provoke
you:
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Ponder and write some ideas for handling those situations better:
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Listen to the song “He Will Hold You Up” on the Remember the Journey CD.

Day 3:Iowa City
Iowa City was as far as the west-bound railroad went in 1856. It was here that the saints were outfitted
with handcarts to begin their trek.
The handcart pioneers had to be very selective about what they put in their handcarts. If they
loaded their handcarts with too many non-essential items, their progress would be slowed or even
stopped, the handcarts would be more likely to break down. But they also had to make sure they
had the essential food and clothing packed in the cart, or they wouldn’t make it very far.
Watch the Video “Handcarts” from: http://www.jennyphillips.com/music_remember.htm
Imagine if you were in Iowa City loading your cart with trunks of your favorite books, decorations
and knick knacks, etc. but the only food you added was one pound of flour. Having the essential
spiritual things in our life is just as vital to our spirit as food is to our body. It would’ve been easy to
see the mistake of only brining one pound of flour. It can be harder to today to realize that we
don’t have enough of the essential things in our life to keep our spirit strong and alive.
Richard G. Scott: “The essential things must be accomplished during your testing period on
earth. They must have first priority. They must not be sacrificed for lesser things, even though
they are good and worthwhile accomplishments. After this life, you will be restored to that
which you have here allowed yourself to become. Oh, if I but had the capacity to communicate
the peace and serenity that come from knowing that you and your family have worthily received
all of the saving ordinances and the corresponding covenants are being righteously
kept.” ("Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer," Ensign, May 1997, 53)
Julie B. Beck: "These are essential things which must be done before nonessential things.
These are simple, indispensable practices that almost seem mundane when we talk about
them. However, they are marks of discipleship which have always been foundational for Relief
Society sisters. No one can do these things for us-these are personal practices and habits that
set us apart as strong and immovable for that which is correct. What a different world and
Church this would be if . . . every sister qualified for a temple recommend and worshipped
more often in temples; if every sister studied the scriptures and doctrines of Christ and knew
them so well that she could teach and defend those doctrines at any time or place. Think of
our combined strength if every sister had sincere prayer every morning and night or, better
yet, prayed unceasingly as the Lord has commanded. If every family had family prayer daily
and had a family home evening once a week, we would be stronger.” (“What Latter-day Saint
Women Do Best: Stand Strong and Immovable,” Ensign, Nov 2007, 109–12)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study.
c Walk 1 mile or more if possible. Today focus on pondering with gratitude while you walk.
c Continue to leave behind inappropriate TV & music, immodest dress, immoral thoughts, etc.
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated).
c Be cheerful in the way you talk and think. Smile as much as you can.
Guide Instructions for Day 7:
c Today, every time you are tempted to complain or feel depressed or feel things are unfair, instead
find things to be grateful for, and focus your thoughts on them.
c Express gratitude to at least 5 people today.
c Have a prayer in which you don’t ask for anything, but only express gratitude.
Journal: Write about your experience today
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Day 7:The Sweetwater River
Ellen Pucell crossed the plains with the handcart pioneers when she was a young girl. Her father
slipped and fell while crossing a river of freezing water, the sixth crossing of the Sweetwater River,
and died soon after. When Ellen’s mother died five days later, she became an orphan. By the time
she reached the Salt Lake Valley, she was so badly frost bitten that her legs were amputated just
below the knees. There was no skin to cushion the bone, so her aching sores never healed. Although
she was in pain the rest of her life and could only move around on her knee stumps, she
married and raised six children, and she served her family and her church, not only faithfully, but
cheerfully and without complaint.
The story of Ellen Pucell reminds us that happiness does not come from the external conditions
around us. David O. McKay said: “Happiness consists not of having, but of being; not of possessing,
but of enjoying . . . . Man is the creator of his own happiness. It is the aroma of life, lived in harmony
with high ideals. For what a man has he may be dependent upon others; what he is rests
with him alone.” (Pathways to Happiness, pg. 104)
We can find reasons to be grateful, no matter what the circumstances around us are like. Today the
destination you are traveling towards is deeper gratitude.
Thomas S. Monson: “Well could we reflect upon our lives as individuals. We will soon discover
much to prompt our personal gratitude. First, there is gratitude for our mothers. Mother, who willingly
made that personal journey into the valley of the shadow of death to take us by the hand and
introduce us to birth—even to mortal life—deserves our undying gratitude. One writer summed up
our love for mother when he declared, “God could not be everywhere, and so He gave us mothers.”
(Ensign May 1992)
c If possible, do something to show gratitude for your mother today.
Gordon. B. Hinckley: “Gratitude is a divine principle. The Lord has declared through revelation:
“Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things. … “And in nothing doth man offend God,
or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things.” (D&C
59:7, 21.)
Our society is afflicted by a spirit of thoughtless arrogance unbecoming those who have been
so magnificently blessed. How grateful we should be for the bounties we enjoy. Absence of
gratitude is the mark of the narrow, uneducated mind. It bespeaks a lack of knowledge and the
ignorance of self-sufficiency . . . Where there is appreciation, there is courtesy, there is concern
for the rights and property of others. Without appreciation, there is arrogance and evil.
he fact is that not more than one in a hundred of the people in underdeveloped countries will
ever, in all his life, have what a North American family would consider a good, square meal.”
(Ensign, 1988)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study. (Study “Feast” and “scriptures”)
c Walk 1 mile or more if possible. Today focus on pondering how well you “feast” upon the scriptures.
Are they a priority in your daily schedule?
c Continue to leave behind inappropriate TV & music, immodest dress, immoral thoughts, etc.
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated).
Guide Instructions for Day 3:
c Evaluate how well you are focusing on the “essential things” in your life. Make a plan for making
the essential things more of a focus:
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“Richard G. Scott: "We knew that we would be tested here. Our determination was to live obediently
to be able to return to be with our Father forever. Part of that testing here is to have so many
seemingly interesting things to do that we can forget the main purposes for being here. Satan
works very hard so that the essential things won't happen.” ("Jesus Christ, Our Redeemer," Ensign,
May 1997, 53)
Day 3 Journal:
List the things you think are most essential to a disciple’s journey.”
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Why does Satan want you to fill your life with things not essential to your spiritual progression:
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How alive and strong do you feel your spirit
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Day 4:Walking Towards Council Bluffs
The handcart pioneers would walk 1,300 miles to reach the Salt Lake Valley. They were very
organized and followed a strict schedule. The bugle horn would sound at 5:00 am every day
and bedtime was about 9:00 pm. They cooked by campfire twice a day, they set up and took
down tents, and they all had duties assigned to them. Life on the trail wasn’t easy as they encountered
intense heat, dust, fatigue, blisters and sore feet, stormy weather, muddy trails,
rivers to cross, and rationed food. However, they found joy on their journey and often sang
and danced, even after a long and exhausting day. Notice the optimistic and happy words in a
part one of the songs they sang:
The Handcart Song
Chorus
For some must push and some must pull,
As we go marching up the hill;
So merrily on the way we go
Until we reach the Valley-o.
Verse 2:
And maidens fair will dance and sing—
Young men more happy than a king,
And children too, will laugh and play
Their strength increasing day by day.
["The Handcart Song," Pioneer Songs (1940), 21]
Finding joy in the journey is always possible, no matter the circumstances. The journey of discipleship
has difficult times that require a lot of work, but the journey never has to be depressing
and grey--even if the circumstances around you are. Today the destination you are walking
towards is being “cheerful” and “optimistic.” (Listen to the song “Joy is in the Journey,” from
the CD Remember the Journey.”
Marvin J. Ashton: “Good cheer is a state of mind or mood that promotes happiness or joy . .
.With God's help, good cheer permits us to rise above the depressing present or difficult circumstances.
It is a process of positive reassurance and reinforcement. It is sunshine when
clouds block the light . . . What a joy it is to see someone of good cheer, who, when others because
of an unpleasant happening or development live in angry silence or vocal disgust,
meets the situation with cheerful endurance and good spirits.” “(Be of Good Cheer)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study (study the different names of Jesus Christ and their significance see “Jesus
Christ” in the Topical Guide)
c Walk 1 mile or more if possible, taking time to ponder your spiritual progress on your walk.
c Continue to leave behind inappropriate TV & music, immodest dress, immoral thoughts, etc.
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated).
c Be cheerful in the way you talk and think. Smile as much as you can.
Guide Instructions for Day 6:
c Write the name of Christ on the first line below, and your name on the second line below:
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Does seeing your name next to Christ’s give you a feeling of needing to live with deeper reference
and devotion to the Lord and to His name that you have taken upon you?Are you standing next to
Him in your thoughts and actions?
Christ has many names. 4 of them are written here. Imagine yourself having taken upon you that
name, and list things that you can do to live up to that name better.
Good Shepherd:
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Exemplar:
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Light of the World:
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Rock:
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c Have a prayer today in which you review with Heavenly how well you’ve lived up to His son’s
name, and recommit yourself to writing His name in your heart and retaining it there.

Day 6:Independence Rock
Many saints painted or carved their names in independence rock when they passed
by. Named for a fur trader's Fourth of July celebration in 1830, this huge rock became
one of the most famous of all Oregon Trail landmarks. The giant piece of granite is
1,900 feet long, 700 feet wide, and 128 feet high. The landmark was a favorite resting
place for travelers along the trail. Called the "Great Register of the Desert", more than
5,000 names of early emigrant were carved on this boulder.
"We heard so much of Independence Rock long before we got there . . . It is an immense rock with
holes and crevices where the water is dripping cool and sparkling. We saw a great many names of
persons that had been cut in the rock.” ("Journal of Rachel Emma Wooley Simmons," Heart Throbs
of the West, Kate B. Carter, comp., 12 vols. [1939–1950], 11:162).
Today you have made it to Independence Rock. Congratulations on making it to this point of the
journey! Write your name on the picture of Independence Rock below:
Writing their names on this rock was a way for the early saints to leave evidence that they had
passed this point. But those early saints, also wrote the name of Christ on their journey. Not on a
rock, but in their hearts.
Mosiah 5:12: “I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always
in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice
by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.”
Is His name written in your heart as evidence that you have passed a certain point on the journey
of discipleship? Today your destination is to a deeper understanding of Christ’s name and what it
means to have his name written on your heart.
Robert Millet: “There is a name which is above every other name . . . It is the blessed name of
Jesus. It is the name disciples take, the name by which they are known . . . True disciples do not
travel along the path to eternal life very long before they sense the significance and seriousness of
speaking and acting in the name of Christ.” (Eye Single to the Glory of God, pg. 13)
Ardeth Kapp: “Too often we allow ourselves to be driven from one deadline, activity, or opportunity
to the next. We check events off our calendar and say to ourselves, "After this week things will let
up," or "After such and such happens, the pressure will ease." We live with false expectations. Unless
we learn to take control of the present, we will always live in anticipation of better days in the
future. And when those days arrive, we shall still be looking ahead, making it difficult to enjoy the
here and now. The beautiful fall leaves come and go, and in our busyness we miss them. "Given
another season, we'll do better," we say.” (Joy of the Journey, pg. 4)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Scripture Study. (Study “Cheer” and “Happiness”)
c Walk 1 mile or more if possible. Today focus on seeing the beauty everywhere around you as
you walk and ponder.
c Continue to leave behind inappropriate TV & music, immodest dress, immoral thoughts, etc.
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated).
c Houseclean, straighten up, refuel car, and prepare clothing and food today in preparation for the
sabbath.
Guide Instructions for Day 4:
c Smile as much as you can today. Smile at every single person you meet, even all the strangers
you pass by today.
Joseph B. Wirthlin: "We've all met those who seem to radiate happiness. They seem to smile
more than others, they laugh more than others, just being around them makes us happier as well.”
(Press On)
c Be cheerful in the way you talk. Try to make every sentence you say today be cheerful, optimistic,
and positive.
c Do little things today you normally don’t do. For example, get down on the floor and play with
children, sing, hum, or whistle as you work, stop for quick moments during the day to watch the
clouds in the sky. And especially try to notice the beauty in human life--look for the good in others
and give them cheerful compliments.
Journal: Write about your experience today
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Day 5:Sabbath Day on the Trek
The handcart pioneers didn’t travel on Sunday. Instead, they worshipped and rested and kept the
Sabbath Day holy. It might have been easy for them to try to justify traveling on Sunday in order to
get to the Salt Lake Valley quicker, but they were determined to keep the commandments.
James E. Faust: “Keeping the Sabbath day holy is much more than just physical rest. It involves
spiritual renewal and worship . . . God knows that left completely to our own devices without regular
reminders of our spiritual needs, many of us would degenerate into a preoccupation with satisfying
earthly desires and appetites. This need for physical, mental, and spiritual regeneration is met
in large measure by faithful observance of the Sabbath day . . . In this day of increasing access to
and preoccupation with materialism, there is a sure protection for ourselves and our children
against the plagues of our day. The key to that sure protection surprisingly can be found in Sabbath
observance: "And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go
to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day" (D&C 59:9). (“Finding Light
in a Dark World”)
Spencer W. Kimball: “The Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence
from work and recreation is important but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts
and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe
it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting
the ill and distressed, sleeping, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of
that day to which he is expected. To fail to do these proper things is a transgression on the omission
side. (The Miracle of Forgiveness (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1969), pp. 96-97.
James E. Faust: “I would counsel all students, if they can, to arrange their schedules so that they
do not study on the Sabbath. If students and other seekers after truth will do this, their minds will
be quickened and the infinite Spirit will lead them to the verities they wish to learn. This is because
God has hallowed his day and blessed it as a perpetual covenant of faithfulness” . . . The Mosaic
injunctions of Sabbath day observance contained many detailed dos and don'ts. This may have
been necessary to teach obedience to those who had been in captivity and had long been denied
individual freedom of choice. Thereafter, these Mosaic instructions were carried to many unwarranted
extremes that the Savior condemned. In that day the technicalities of Sabbath day observance
outweighed the "weightier matters of the law" (Matthew 23:23) such as faith, charity, and the
gifts of the Spirit . . .
In our time God has recognized our intelligence by not requiring endless restrictions. Perhaps this
was done with a hope that we would catch more of the spirit of Sabbath worship rather than the letter
thereof. In our day, however, the pendulum of Sabbath day desecration has swung very far indeed.
We stand in jeopardy of losing great promised blessings. After all, obedience to the
covenants of the gospel is a test by which the Lord seeks to "prove you in all things" (D&C 98:14)
to see if your devotion is complete.” (“Finding Light in a Dark World”)
Daily Steps
c Morning & Evening Prayer
c Don’t watch any TV or movies today. Rather spend your time resting, serving, studying, and
spending quality time with your family.
c Try as hard as you can today to not be easily provoked (irritated).
c Be cheerful in the way you talk and think. Smile as much as you can.
Guide Instructions for Day 5:
c Study the scriptures, conference talks, etc. for at least 1 hour today.
c Do one act of service such as visiting the elderly, sending a note to someone,or writing a letter
to a missionary.
c Avoid shopping, eating out, and any other activity inappropriate for the Sabbath Day.
c Rest from your labors and school studies.
Journal: Write ways that you can make the Sabbath a day of physical and mental rest and most
importantly a day of spiritual renewal and workship.
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