Serving in Stake Primary 2020-2024

I was called as the Stake Primary President of the Lehi Thanksgiving Stake in March 2020. If you remember your world history, that is the month that everything shut down for the Covid-19 Pandemic. I was the very last in-person meeting that President Cody Tower had before everything moved to virtual meetings. (I don't think I wore a mask, I don't think those were things yet.) I was released on November 17, 2024. 

This calling has been such a beautiful experience for me and I am beyond grateful for the opportunity that I have had to learn, to serve, to teach, and to stand as a witness of the Savior Jesus Christ in such a tangible way. I am grateful for the people I have served with, the people I have met, the people I have learned from. I simultaneously felt like this was the perfect calling to use my specific talents and skills (administration, inspiration, public speaking, connection, leadership) and also felt like I was constantly stretching beyond my capacity. 

(Pictured from left to right: Samantha Shulca, Shantel Peaden, Lisa Freeman, Carolyn Morris.) 

When President Tower called me and told me I needed to call a presidency, I asked him if he had a list of people to consider for counselors. He responded "The stake directory." I think that response shocked me more than the call to serve in the Stake Primary did. I prayed and prayed to find the people that the Lord knew would be able to fill in for my weak areas and that would support me with kindness and friendship. Over the past (almost) five years I had four 1st counselors: Melissa Arnell, Ana Septon, Gabriela Palacios, and Samantha Shulca. I had three secretaries: Carrie Clark, Michelle Bradshaw, and Lisa Freeman.

But I only had one 2nd Counselor: Carolyn Morris. 

Each of these sisters brought goodness, perspective and love and each were a direct answer to my prayers for what the stake primary needed at that time. I could share stories about each sister and each situation and bear testimony for how I felt the hand of the Lord in bringing us together. From Melissa Arnell as the very first counselor I knew I should call and whose organizational skills were invaluable in setting our presidency up for success from the very beginning, to Samantha Shulca whose name I submitted after receiving a prompting that even though in the past I felt strongly about having a Spanish speaking sister to help communicate with the Lehi 51st Spanish ward, I should call this sister from France only to find out in the setting apart meeting that she is tri-lingual and also speaks Spanish fluently, I KNOW that the Lord led and guided me to find those I needed to be serving in this presidency with me. Of all of the amazing women that I served with, however, I can not think of Carolyn Morris without being filled with so much gratitude that tears come to my eyes. We were in it together since the beginning and every step of the way she was my support, my comedic relief, my voice of reason, and my dear friend. I could never have known, when I submitted her name as my counselor, just how much I would come to depend on her and to love her. Nothing happened in Stake Primary that didn't have her magic touch turning it to gold. Ugh, I am just so grateful for her, I don't even have words. 

Stake Primary has been filled with monthly president councils, monthly stake baptisms, primary training, leadership training dinners, ward conference Sundays, new presidency meetings and stake primary day camps. Additionally, as President I had the opportunity to attend Stake Council (2xmonth), speak as female leadership in each ward in the stake alongside a High Councilor (1xmonth), and a myriad of other neat opportunities like leadership trainings, working with the other women auxiliaries at the stake level, and meeting people from all over the stake. 

Our Day Camps were our biggest events of the year:  

2022: Step Right Up

2023: Saratoga Springs Temple Celebration

2024: Power of the Book of Mormon

Even though Stake Primary Day Camps were the biggest events, Stake Baptisms were easily where most of our efforts went. We hosted stake baptisms every second Saturday throughout our entire calling. It was amazing to see how things changed from the rigid guidelines of the 2020/2021 pandemic (Only a certain number of people could attend, then only immediate family) to gradually reduced restrictions to back to "the new normal". Some incredible benefits of these changes: families can now video chat their baptisms to family members who live far away, we were able to change the way the Stake does baptisms to be a much more intimate and child/ordinance-focused meeting.  We were able to serve with two different sets of Baptism Specialists, Dwight and Karen Miller and Robert and Katreena Merrill. 

Each ward was assigned a slot and we did our best to make sure that they felt that they were the only ones getting baptized that day. That they felt loved by Heavenly Parents and that they felt connected to the Savior as they made this very special covenant. Sometimes we had 12 children being baptized in a day. Other times we had only 1. Each day was special and important and such a blessing for us to be able to facilitate that. Sometimes I would leave our orientation area and just go sit through a baptism to feel the spirit testify of the good things that were happening through these ordinances. This took the most time away from our families, and I would be remiss if I didn't express gratitude for David who without complaint took 100% of the home responsibilities each of those Saturdays (many of which were our cousin weekends and had 4-6 extra kids at home). This was also one of the most tender parts of this calling.  

I loved it all. I loved teaching in primary for Ward Conferences, I loved leading training meetings, I loved attending Stake Council, I loved being able to share my testimony as female leadership in the church. I loved serving the Lord and helping bring people closer to Jesus Christ. 

I had a really interesting and faith-building experience before I was called as the Stake Primary President and I feel prompted to record it here. (I haven't shared this with many people because I think it can be taken poorly, or out of context - this isn't a lesson for everyone, but it was a very personal very tender lesson for me.) 

 I had just been released after serving in the ward primary presidency for 5 years and I was feeling a little adrift.  I was having some personal wrestles with my faith and testimony and wasn't in the strongest spiritual condition. (Not a faith crisis, but navigating some questions and feeling a little conflicted.) I knew that the then-current stake primary president was being released and I received a prompting SO strongly that I was going to be called as the next primary president. I remember very clearly the words impressed upon me "You are going to be the next Stake Primary president." After I felt this, I remember thinking "They are only going to pick me because I was just released as a ward primary president." I didn't have a lot of faith in the revelatory process that would lead to that calling at that time and I was feeling upset about receiving the call considering all that was going on in my personal life. I felt that it would be a convenient, but not inspired, call. But I knew. I knew, knew, knew that I was going to be the next Stake Primary President and was trying to gear myself up for it. 

And then I did NOT get called as the Stake Primary President. It was someone else that was called, not me. I was so surprised when this other sister was called over the pulpit, and later that day when I was thinking about it these words came to me (and sometimes I say this, and it sounds weird, but it's really the only way I have to describe it, it's not necessarily audible words, but I felt the words impressed upon my heart so strongly that it was as if I was hearing them spoken) "I have a work for you to do, but you are not ready yet." The impression was "you are not good enough yet, you are not at the right place that I need you to be to do the work that I have for you to do. I need you to get to place." It was very, very humbling because I had just been the ward primary president, and even with my questions and other wrestles I still felt that I was obedient, and righteous, and had faith, and loved the Lord - like LOVED the Lord. I loved the Lord then and I love the Lord now, but it was very humbling for me and I felt like I had a lot of work that I needed to do and I did it. I dug in and came out on the other side of the things that were unsettling me. I consecrated myself and my time and my efforts and I found myself with a stronger faith and also a testimony that no one is above falling away and that you have to put in the work through scripture study, prayer, faith, and action to keep the fire of your flame burning bright. 

That Stake Primary President moved about 4 months later and I was called immediately after as the Stake Primary President. I learned so much through that experience and it's really tender for me. It testified to me that the Lord had a work for me to do and responsibilities that he needed me to fill and that has been such a blessing in my life to then be called and serve as the Stake Primary President. 

(I think this is where that story can get a little tricky because this is a lesson just for me. The lesson is not "you have to be more righteous than you are to be used by the Lord", because I don't think that is true. The lesson is not "If you hold a stake calling you are more righteous than other people that don't hold stake callings" because that also is not true. I am not more righteous and was not more righteous  than other people, but it was a lesson that I needed to learn. It was a lesson that the Lord needed me to learn, that He had a responsibility for me to fill and that He needed me to put in more personal effort in order to do the things that He wanted me to do. That is my lesson that I needed to learn.)

This experience has come to my mind several times over the last few weeks and it ties really beautifully with another experience that I had right before I was released. We had our last Primary Leadership Training in September, where we invited all of the Ward Primary Presidencies to a leadership dinner for encouragement, training, and connection. As I was planning my opening remarks I felt inspired to share how amazing it has been to watch each of them accept the call to serve as the Primary President and step into that calling with faith, grace, and humility. I had been the stake primary president long enough to see new presidencies in every ward, and in many wards multiple presidencies. I felt vulnerable as I shared that when serving in a calling that you put your heart and energy into, it can start to feel like it defines you. "I am Shantel - I am a Stake Primary President". I don't think that I shared this with them, but I have sometimes found myself feeling so connected to the calling that I felt a not-insignificant worry that once I was released I wouldn't even know who I was anymore. But in this moment, I was able to testify that is was not the calling "Stake Primary President" that defined me, rather the thing that defined me is that "I am a disciple who will serve the Lord wherever he needs me". Immediately after my message, the entire group sang "I will Choose to Serve the Lord." 

It was tender for me, because it came as an answer to my worries about being released and feeling lost. I was so grateful for each of those women who choose to serve the Lord in their callings and also confident in my own determination to continue to serve the Lord wherever I was needed. Less that 2 weeks later I was meeting with President Gardner and he was informing me that the time had come and I would be released soon. 

These pictures are from my last week as Stake Primary President. I felt so inspired to celebrate the 200 temple milestone with the primaries in our stake. It felt like such a gift from heaven that even though I knew I was going to be released in September, the process took long enough to allow me to organize this celebration and go to all 9 wards on November 10th and 17th to teach them about the "majesty of this moment". It was the perfect way to end the last five years of Stake Primary. 

David and I have received a new calling to serve together as Stake Temple and Family History leaders, and we are so thrilled. We aren't exactly sure what it all entails, but we will get to serve together and we will be serving in the stake and continuing a lot of the things I loved so much about that. David was ordained as High Priest and is now the High Councilor over Temple and Family History Work. I am so excited to be able to serve alongside him, sharing the things that we love about temples and learning more about family history work. 

I wanted to share the lyrics to the primary song "Choose to Serve the Lord" by Angie Killian and Blake Gillette as I go forward choosing to serve the Lord with every step I take. 

Queen Esther's story shows me that I can stand for right

Elisha taught that angels protect me by my side

Like David, I can slay Goliaths in my way

Like Deborah, I can lead my friends to Christ

I will choose to serve the Lord

Like my scripture heroes of old

As I learn and grow in faith

God will be my strength

With every step I take

I will choose to serve the Lord

Like Moses, I find courage, for God provides a way

Like Noah, I will listen to heaven and obey

I'll trust the Lord, like Job, and live with love and hope

Like Hannah, God will hear me when I pray

I will choose to serve the Lord

Like my scripture heroes of old

As I learn and grow in faith

God will be my strength

With every step I take

I will choose to serve the Lord

Caleb was brave

Joseph forgave

Ruth stayed

Daniel prayed

Jonah changed

I will choose to serve the Lord

Like my scripture heroes of old

As I learn and grow in faith

God will be my strength

With every step I take

I will choose to serve the Lord

God will be my strength (God will be my strength)

With every step I take (with every step I take)

I will choose to serve the Lord

Stake Primary Day Camp - Carnival

One of the things that our Stake Primary has done in the past is to hold a Day Camp for the Primary Activity children. We haven't done one either of the previous two years that I have been the Stake Primary President because of Covid restrictions and concerns. However, this year we were able to do one. It was a LOT of work and I wish that I had planned a little better, but it came together and was a wonderful day for the kids and leaders.

Our Activity Purpose: 

Primary Activity Children in the Thanksgiving Stake will gain a sense of belonging as they see that they are part of a gospel family that is bigger than themselves. They will make connections with those around them and strengthen their own spiritual foundations. They will learn to identify how they feel the Holy Ghost and feel encouraged to listen and act on promptings they receive. They may be encouraged to implement the Children and Youth Goals program in their own life.

I'm SO grateful for Carolyn Morris, my second counselor. She did so much to make this day possible and donated SO much time and energy to the effort. I'm grateful for ALL the leaders who donated time to help us set up and run the day camp. It was truly a blessing

Our theme was: Step Right Up!

Agenda: 
Intro to Theme Krystal Roberts
transition
Station #1 Team Building (primary room)
transition
Station #2 Carnival Games (Pavillion Lawn)
transition
Station #3 Fruit Basket Game (Gym)
(closing prayer) transition

Snack Outdoor Pavillion, turn in tickets for snacks.

Here are some pictures: 

Stake Primary March - Speaking,Training, & Baptisms

As part of my calling as the Stake Primary President, we hold baptisms on the second Saturday of each month. It's such a sweet experience to be a part of these baptisms. When Covid hit, we changed things significantly from what they were before to a smaller, simpler, more "focused-on-the-one" style and I can't say enough how much I love it. 

The last week of February we held a training meeting for the Ward Primary Presidencies and their Primary Activity Leaders. It was a lot of work to put together and I'm just hoping that it went well. The highlight is that I asked Lydia if she would come and be a speaker at the training. She did an amazing job talking about her experience with making and setting personal goals and her experience with her primary activity leaders. She asked if she could play "Peace in Christ" as part of her talk and I told her that she could if she wanted to. I wondered if she would be too nervous the day of, but she wasn't - she confidently read her talk (that I helped write, so it was longer than she would have done herself) and then played Peace in Christ beautifully. I was so proud of her and I am grateful for all she added to the meeting. I hope that it gave these primary leaders a glimpse into the why of what they are doing. 

For my speaking assignment this month, I was assigned to the Lehi 51st Ward - our Spanish ward. I love this ward SO incredibly much - each time I get to interact with them I am overwhelmed with love. Love for them, love from them, love from Heavenly Father. I was a little nervous about speaking in their ward because, remember, I don't speak Spanish. I had a translator standing right next to me, who gratefully I knew and was comfortable with, and after I said each sentence she translated into the microphone. It was a wonderful experience and I hope that my message was well received by this ward that I hold so dear.

March 20, 2022 – Lehi 51st Ward

Topic: Invite members to prepare for General Conference and encourage the

brethren to help all women 11+ to be able to attend the Women’s Session.

The Need for a Church - President Oaks

Making time for the Lord - President Nelson

General Relief Society Podcast on “Belonging”

Good morning Brothers and Sisters, (Buenos días hermanos y hermanas)

I am Shantel Peaden, the Stake Primary President. We were in your ward several weeks ago for Ward Conference and there is such a sweet spirit in your primary. I love the primary children of your ward and I love those that serve with them. The Lord loves his Primary children and He loves this ward. 

Did you know that this year marks the 180th year of the Relief Society? President Jean  Bingham shared: “It started with a small group of women who joined together because they wanted to do good, and were formed through the power and structure of the Priesthood. Now there are 7.5 million members of the relief society. We still have the same purposes: we still have the same purpose to relive suffering and to save souls; to reach out to one another.  

We have the same needs, we need to belong to a group who believes in God and who wants to pattern our lives after his son Jesus Christ. I think belonging to this group gives us strength as well as examples to see how this is done. 

We gather strength through our association with one another. We give support to one another through our challenges. And as we are united in our goal to live eternally with God and with our families, we help each other over the bumps in the road that we all experience in this mortal life. We also see how staying on the covenant path brings happiness even through our challenges.”

You, each one of you, has an important place here – you belong. This ward and stake are better for having you here. 

Sister Reyna Aburto said: 

You are exactly who you need to be for the Lord to use you. Each of us has talents and gifts and strengths to bring to the table. That doesn’t mean that we are going to always be what we are right now because the Lord will change us and the Lord will make us better. But it does mean that we don’t have to be anyone else. We just have to look inside us and see those wonderful things that the Lord has already done with us and then offer them to Him and others. 

Sister Sharon Eubank added: 

“As we come more refined in the gospel, as the Lord works with us longer, I don’t think that we become homogenized, that we are like each other. I think we become more pure versions of our unique selves.”

Together, with each of your unique strengths and also your struggles, you can lift and support each other in this Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

At our most recent general conference, President Nelson opened by saying:

“The pandemic has demonstrated how quickly life can change, at times from circumstances beyond our control. However, there are many things we can control. We set our own priorities and determine how we use our energy, time, and means. We decide how we will treat each other. We choose those to whom we will turn for truth and guidance.

I love the doctrine that President Nelson shares about how we get to choose how we use our energy, where we turn to for truth and guidance, and how we will treat each other. 

I believe that choosing to put our energy into supporting each other, turning together to God for truth and guidance, and treating each other with kindness no matter our differences will create a sense of belonging in this ward family where each person knows they are valued and that they have an important part here in this ward.  

Those same principles can guide our own spiritual development: 

President Nelson also said “There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul.” 

If we get to choose our own priorities and determine how we use our energy, where we turn to for truth and guidance, and how we will treat each other – then we have the responsibility to make those choices wisely for ourselves and for our families. 

General Conference will be here in two short weeks, including a Women’s Session held Saturday April 2nd. I encourage you to open your hearts and prepare for the messages that we will hear. 

-Listen for encouragement from the Spirit whispering that you are in the right place at the right time for the work that the Lord has for you to do. 

-Listen for the ways that you can create space for those around you to belong and for the knowledge that YOU belong.

-Listen for the testimonies of the Savior Jesus Christ that your own testimony may be strengthened.

I testify that we are stronger together and that there is an important work for each of you in this Gospel of Jesus Christ. As you choose to make space for the Lord in your heart and in your life – your life will be blessed. 

I will close with the words of our Prophet, Russel M Nelson: 

“I love you, dear brothers and sisters. The Lord knows you and loves you. He is your Savior and your Redeemer. He leads and guides His Church. He will lead and guide you in your personal life if you will make time for Him in your life—each and every day.”

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Maple Canyon

There is just a special place in my heart for Maple Canyon. Thankfully, David enjoys camping there just as much as I do and we are well on our way to making camping here a family tradition. I don't think that we'd ever plan to come every year, but every other year or every third year is a pretty good amount for making memories in a place that we love. Here are some posts about the last three times we've come (and maybe a couple of other times that didn't make it to a blog anywhere.) 

2015:https://thepeadenlife.blogspot.com/2015/07/staycation-2015.html

2015:https://thepeadenlife.blogspot.com/2015/08/mp-camping-2015.html

2018: https://thepeadenlife.blogspot.com/2018/07/vacation-2018-maple-canyon-camping.html

This year we booked a camping spot in mid-march with the hopes that we'd be able to come. Even booking so early we had to book a Monday-Wednesday slot because all the weekends were so full. (I think that all of the Covid-everything influenced that.) We had a few hiccups right before our trip, mainly our family has been on-and-off sick for the past 6 weeks and Caleb woke up Sunday night with a croupy cough and strider breathing. We took him to the doctor first thing and after talking to her decided we probably shouldn't take him to sleep in a tent hours away from a hospital if he had croup. So we pushed back our camping trip to Tuesday morning - Wednesday. (We are usually two-night campers, but I was just so glad that we were still able to go that I didn't mind the single night.) 

Also, last-minute we invited our across-the-street neighbors and good friends the Wards to come with us. They had been planning to go camping the weekend before but their plans got canceled so we told them that they should tag along with us. It was great. The kids had a great time, we had a great time, no one else got croup. It was a win all around.  

I have so many good memories of coming to Maple Canyon: an elementary school field trip about rocks, hiking with my family and Walker cousins, camping with the Olivers, rappelling with a high school date-dance group, etc... 

One of my favorite things about Maple Canyon is the Box Canyon hike. 

In fact, after our recent trip to Maple Canyon - I had to write a talk to give for my Stake Calling in one of the wards in our stake. I was up at 5 in the a.m. writing my talk the Saturday before (because that's when I get my best talk writing in) and the experience that we'd had came to my mine and the words just flowed. I hope they captured my love for this canyon and my love for the Gospel of Jesus Christ: 

"Recently, my family went camping at one of my favorite spots in the whole world: Maple
Canyon. It’s a majestically beautiful location tucked in the middle of nowhere, Sanpete
County. To drive there, you have to drive through miles of empty land, past occasional
turkey farms, and headed to an unimpressive mountain range that even from only a few
miles away doesn’t look like any sort of destination at all. But soon after you start driving
up a small dirt road into the canyon to enter the Manti-LaSal State Park – everything
changes. The scraggly trees start to get denser, fuller, and as you come around a turn
you can see towering cliffs of conglomerate rock. Immediately you are transported to a
completely different environment than the one you just passed through. Maple, Oak,
and evergreen trees cover the ground surrounded by narrow canyons of Cobblestone
rock, created over thousands of years and made of millions of small smooth stones
cemented together with a concrete-like sediment.

My favorite hike to do here is a narrow canyon called box canyon. Some of my favorite
childhood memories involve coming to this canyon with family or friends and hiking
through this slot-like canyon to the end where there is a small trickling waterfall. The
canyon starts out fairly wide, and as you hike back in you’ll almost certainly pass rock
climbers clinging to cliffs on each side. The path is rocky, made up of thousands of stones that have eroded from the cliffs above, but it’s fairly flat – as long as you
step carefully you’re fine. As you hike on, the canyon begins to narrow and get steeper-
up ahead you can see giant boulders of conglomerate rock that have fallen from above
blocking the path. Continuing the hike, you can find places to squeeze under the large
boulders and occasionally climb over them. Hiking this with small children includes a
lot of boosting and supporting and instructing them to stay close to us and away
from the dangerous edges. (I hope that you can see the parallels between this hike and
the path through this life.)

I’ve taken my husband on this hike three previous times over the past 12 years. Each
time, we have gotten stopped at a giant pile of boulders that, with our skills and
abilities, we just were not able to cross. Each time, I’d petulantly state something like
“we just have to try harder – we can do it!” and each time after multiple failed attempts, I’d
concede defeat and we’d head back to camp. The hike is beautiful and worth it for the
experience alone, but I would always regret that we weren’t able to make it to the
waterfall at the very end. This time, however, as we made our approach to the
uncrossable boulders I heard my husband from ahead say “Shantel is going to be SO
happy!” There in front of us, tied firmly with strong cords of rope was a ladder
propped right against the spot that had previously been unpassable. Joyfully I
helped each of my children up the ladder and we carefully made our way to the waterfall
at the end of the box canyon. I hadn’t expected any water to be flowing because of the
drought we are suffering this year but there was a steady flow over the towering cliff-end
which seemed a great reward for our perseverance.

Brothers and Sisters, discipleship in this Gospel is like that Box Canyon. It is a path that
brings great beauty in the midst of a weary world. With diligence and hope, we carefully
make our way step by step, supporting and encouraging those with us on the
journey. We move forward with hope that we will reach the end, even though we will
undoubtedly stumble, occasionally take a more difficult path than needed in our
attempt to cross the boulders in our lives, and possibly wonder if we should just turn
back now because the trail is getting much more difficult. We will certainly come to our
own personal boulder that is insurmountable.

Jesus Christ is like that Ladder, placed in the spot that is impossible to cross ourselves.
He is the one that works the miracles in our lives to overcome obstables and He is
the one that has prepared the way for us back to Heaven. He is the way that we are
saved.

President Nelson has said:
“Allowing God to prevail in our lives begins with faith that He is willing to guide us. Your
growing faith in Him will move mountains—not the mountains of rock that beautify the earth
but the mountains of misery in your lives. Your flourishing faith will help you turn challenges
into unparalleled growth and opportunity. "

Jesus Christ is there with us every step of the way. Every stumble of our own, every time
our arms stretch to support those around us, He is there willing to guide us and lead us
on the path."


End of talk exceprt. I think I'll include the full talk below because I really enjoyed writing it and the sacrament meeting was going long so I was only able to share about half of it when I was actually speaking. 














































Full Sacrament Meeting Talk Below:


Bound to the Savior through Covenants and Ordinances
Stake Speaking Assignment – August 2021 – PL1


Good morning Brothers and Sisters, My name is Shantel Peaden and I am serving as the Stake
Primary President. I have a special love for the primary children of your ward and those
that serve with them. You have a wonderful Primary Presidency and the efforts of each
primary teacher and leader is seen, is needed, and is valued. The Lord loves his Primary
children and He loves this ward. I am so happy to be here with you today.
One of the most beautiful things that I get to be a part of as a member of the Stake
Primary is to help facilitate the Baptisms of the children of this stake. This month I was
able to be a part of the day of 9 beautiful children of God as they took the step forward
on the Covenant Path of our Savior. I first heard that phrase “The Covenant Path”
several years ago and I love the imagery that is associated with it.
Elder Christofferson said of the Covenant Path:
We embark upon the path at the gate of baptism and then “press forward with a
steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all
men [the two great commandments] … to the end.” In the course of the covenant path
(which, by the way, extends beyond mortality), we receive all the ordinances and covenants
pertaining to salvation and exaltation.”
Baptism is the beginning of a journey – a Covenant Journey. It places you firmly on the
path and equips you for the journey. Just as you might take a map, a flashlight, water, or a
walking stick on a hike you are going on – the journey on the covenant path is easier
with the gift of the Holy Ghost, the scriptures, help and support from parents and
leaders, and the Living Water of the Savior.
Recently, my family went camping at one of my favorite spots in the whole world: Maple
Canyon. It’s a majestically beautiful location tucked in the middle of nowhere, Sanpete
County. To drive there, you have to drive through miles of empty land, past occasional
turkey farms, and headed to an unimpressive mountain range that even from only a few
miles away doesn’t look like any sort of destination at all. But soon after you start driving
up a small dirt road into the canyon to enter the Manti-LaSal State Park – everything
changes. The scraggly trees start to get denser, fuller, and as you come around a turn
you can see towering cliffs of conglomerate rock. Immediately you are transported to a
completely different environment than the one you just passed through. Maple, Oak,
and evergreen trees cover the ground surrounded by narrow canyons of Cobblestone
rock, created over thousands of years and made of millions of small smooth stones
cemented together with a concrete-like sediment.
My favorite hike to do here is a narrow canyon called box canyon. Some of my favorite
childhood memories involve coming to this canyon with family or friends and hiking
through this slot-like canyon to the end where there is a small trickling waterfall. The
canyon starts out fairly wide, and as you hike back in you’ll almost certainly pass rock
climbers clinging to cliffs on each side. The path is rocky, made up of thousands of


stones that have eroded from the cliffs above, but it’s fairly flat – as long as you
step carefully you’re fine. As you hike on, the canyon begins to narrow and get steeper-
up ahead you can see giant boulders of conglomerate rock that have fallen from above
blocking the path. Continuing the hike, you can find places to squeeze under the large
boulders and occasionally climb over them. Hiking this with small children includes a
lot of boosting and supporting and instructing them to stay close to us and away
from the dangerous edges. (I hope that you can see the parallels between this hike and
the path through this life.)
I’ve taken my husband on this hike three previous times over the past 12 years. Each
time, we have gotten stopped at a giant pile of boulders that, with our skills and
abilities, we just were not able to cross. Each time, I’d petulantly state something like
“we just have to try harder – we can do it!” and each time after multiple failed attempts, I’d
concede defeat and we’d head back to camp. The hike is beautiful and worth it for the
experience alone, but I would always regret that we weren’t able to make it to the
waterfall at the very end. This time, however, as we made our approach to the
uncrossable boulders I heard my husband from ahead say “Shantel is going to be SO
happy!” There in front of us, tied firmly with strong cords of rope was a ladder
propped right against the spot that had previously been unpassable. Joyfully I
helped each of my children up the ladder and we carefully made our way to the waterfall
at the end of the box canyon. I hadn’t expected any water to be flowing because of the
drought we are suffering this year but there was a steady flow over the towering cliff-end
which seemed a great reward for our perseverance.
Brothers and Sisters, discipleship in this Gospel is like that Box Canyon. It is a path that
brings great beauty in the midst of a weary world. With diligence and hope, we carefully
make our way step by step, supporting and encouraging those with us on the
journey. We move forward with hope that we will reach the end, even though we will
undoubtedly stumble, occasionally take a more difficult path than needed in our
attempt to cross the boulders in our lives, and possibly wonder if we should just turn
back now because the trail is getting much more difficult. We will certainly come to our
own personal boulder that is insurmountable.
Jesus Christ is like that Ladder, placed in the spot that is impossible to cross ourselves.
He is the one that works the miracles in our lives to overcome obstables and He is
the one that has prepared the way for us back to Heaven. He is the way that we are
saved.
President Nelson has said:
“Allowing God to prevail in our lives begins with faith that He is willing to guide us. Your
growing faith in Him will move mountains—not the mountains of rock that beautify the earth
but the mountains of misery in your lives. Your flourishing faith will help you turn challenges
into unparalleled growth and opportunity. “


Jesus Christ is there with us every step of the way. Every stumble of our own, every time
our arms stretch to support those around us, He is there willing to guide us and lead us
on the path.
When we make Covenants with him, starting with Baptism and moving along step-by-step
as we progress along the path, we choose to bind ourselves to the Savior. President
Nelson also said:
“Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping
these covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to
men, women, and children everywhere.
Blessings and Miracles are available to us. When we are bound to Christ and we keep
our Covenants with him, our relationship with Him can fill in the blanks or the holes or the
difficulties in other relationships. He has already paid the price for our heartaches. Our
hearts can be lifted.
We are each at our own unique place on the covenant path. Children preparing for and
keeping their baptismal covenants are strengthening their faith in Jesus Christ. They are
learning to receive and act on personal revelation as they exercise agency and choose
opportunities to grow for themselves. They are building a bedrock foundation of faith
in the Savior that will hold them steady as the winds blow throughout their lives.
Youth can feel hope and belonging as they bind themselves to the Savior. They learn that
they have a divine nature that the world cannot take away and that repentance is a tool for
happiness and continued joy.
Adults find healing and strength during even the most difficult of times. Their covenants
give them the determination to stay faithful even when questions, tragedy, or doubts
arise.
President Nelson powerfully declared:
Every woman and every man who makes covenants with God and keeps those
covenants, and who participates worthily in priesthood ordinances, has direct access to
the power of God. Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s
priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how
to draw upon that power.
That understanding of priesthood power and the spiritual treasures to be had in the temple
has changed me.
There have been times when my faith has been challenged and I have struggled to know,
understand, and navigate different topics and issues in the world and in the church. Holding
to the covenants I have made and attending the temple, even amid, no, especially amid,
those challenges gave me a security and protection that I did not understand at the time
but have come to be so incredibly grateful for.


In 2018, President Nelson closed the April session of General Conference by announcing
seven new temples (which felt like a very lot at the time) and saying, “My dear brothers and
sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple
surely will.
He followed with several specific blessings:
“In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more
time in the temple. I bless you with greater harmony and love in your homes and a deeper
desire to care for your eternal family relationships. I bless you with increased faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ and a greater ability to follow Him as His true disciples.” That promise and
blessing was so impactful to me that I printed it out and it hangs by my bathroom mirror.
As a mom of young children, serving in the temple regularly is a little tricky. However, this
promise from President Nelson sank deep into my heart. Somewhere along the way,
attending the temple changed from a checkmark box of things I should be doing to a true form
of self-care. Often our society touts self-care, especially for moms, as “treat-your-self”
chocolate eating, bubble bath taking, time for yourself. But I have found that making time
for myself to be able to attend the temple, feed my spirit, and connect with my true
purpose has been more impactful to my happiness in motherhood than anything else
and has been my greatest form of self-care, spiritual or otherwise, from the past 5 years.
My covenants bound me to the Savior and gave me the fortitude to stay fast while I navigated some
tricky questions and experiences. I held on to every covenant I had made and every
promise that I had received from the Lord. My faith grew and my determination to serve
Jesus Christ increased.
My faith is still growing and it is growing into something stronger than it was before. I
am more committed to the Lord and I am more confident in my determination. This is
what binding ourselves to the Savior can look like.
Each of you is a beloved child of God with a divine nature and destiny. In addition to the
eternal blessings He promises to the faithful, He wants to bless you now, during this life.
Each child of God is needed in the work of building His kingdom. Let me repeat: Our
Heavenly Parents love us individually. YOU are loved right where you are, right to
the very center of you, and YOU are needed here. The Savior is there for you and
HE will work miracles in your life as you come to Him.


I'm grateful for the Power of God in my life and the blessings I have received through binding
myself to Jesus Christ through my covenants. I share my testimony of the power of holding an
active temple recommend and keeping your covenants, even when you have different
struggles in your life or are navigating difficult questions in your faith journey. I testify that
you have Heavenly Parents, who love you. You have a Savior who is infinitely invested
in your life. I do not know the trials, struggles, questions, or details of your life (although, I
know that each one of you has them), but They do. When we bind ourselves and commit our
lives, we give them opportunity to bless us.


In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.