Youth Conference: Book of Mormon Live. And a couple of Young Women Activities.

We've been doing some pretty fun things with our youth at church, and I count myself pretty lucky that I get to tag along as a leader.

I just want to take a post and catch up on a couple of the fun things we've done with them, and touch on Youth Conference which was completely intense and amazing.  I've never done anything like it.

First of all, in preparation for Youth Conference, which was called Book of Mormon Live, the youth had to draw Book of Mormon stories out of hat and recreate them on a cake.  Then other leaders had to go around and see if they could guess which story it was.  I was a leader who got to supervise, but really, my group had a pretty good grasp on what they wanted to do.  Also, they had to answer trivia questions about the Book of Mormon to earn their candy to decorate with.

Caleb, Noah and Casidee

See if you can guess what Book of Mormon story these cakes are (if you're familiar with the book that is :)

Above: Christ visiting the Nephites at the temple

Above: Moroni burying the plates in the hill Cumorrah.

Above: King Benjamin teaching his people from the tower

Above: the Liahona

this was my group's cake

Above: The Title of Liberty

Our Young Women also got a chance to visit with a native Navajo Indian who taught us about the Navajo culture.

He and his wife helped the girls make Navajo Tacos.  I'll admit, I thought Navajo Tacos was an Anglo American thing, but come to find out they're authentic Navajo.  Who knew?

Not me.

And the Youth Conference to top all Youth Conferences, in my humble opinion.

Book of Mormon Live.

If you ever get the chance to go to Book of Mormon Live, do it.

We read the entire Book of Mormon (almost 600 pages) in three, long days.

But not only that, we brought it to life, we participated in it, we watched it, it became real.

And we might have had wheel barrow races.

With real wheel barrows.

That would be me chilling in that last wheel barrow :).

Can you guess which stories these are:

Above: The burning of Abinadi.  Imagine our surprise when  real fire was lit up.

Above: Alma at the Waters of Mormon.

Above: Ammon cutting off the arms of the robbers.

Which was probably the funniest thing I have ever seen.

Above: Captain Moroni and the Title of Liberty.

Above: The 2,000 Stripling Warriors (surrounded by angels of course).

And there was so much more.  I can't even tell you the impact of being a part of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's had on all of us.  The burying of our swords and the refusing to pick them up again while the Lamanites came in...

And sitting in the darkness listening to the storm rage.  And then hearing the voice of Christ.  And then walking with everyone to the "temple".  And then seeing Christ come of the woods...

Samuel on the wall.

Every story played out in front of us.

I dare say I will never be the same for it, it touched me with so much goodness.

If you don't know what the Book of Mormon is, or if you've heard of it but never read it, or if you're curious to the stories I've just talked about it, whether in skepticism or genuine curiosity, feel free to look into it.  You can even get a free, no obligations copy HERE.

I, for one, love this book with all of my heart and soul, and feel it to be the true word of God.

How grateful I am to have spent three days with it.

And while I'm on the subject: