Red Ribbons

after a brief interlude we return to the mountains! The great teachers of my life, I honestly have learned more lessons wandering in the wilderness of the Rocky mountains than any other place on earth (thus far anyway, still lots of time for that to change) This particular time I was not in a large group of family and friends, but rather it was my Father and I! we were hiking a trail in preparation for a scout jamboree of sorts. it was an fun hike however one with a very important lesson learned!

as I remember it was a long drive to the trail head on a sketchy, bumpy, rutty, dirt road (if those vibration training machines really do work I must have lost 15lbs) finally we arrived at the trail head, a little disoriented from the effects of the whiplash but in fair health! and we started up the trail, the first part of the hike went without note worthy incident! just headed up as on any other mountain. there was shale and other obstacles to be expected while hiking the Rockies but nothing overly unusual, it was not until we got up onto the ridge walk that things went array! the ridge walk is where the trail kind of disappears into a scramble, the trail was only marked by these red ribbons, (those who know me know where this is going, the rest of you will have to wait in suspense to learn what is going on) and cairns (man made piles of stone to mark the trail) we followed from cairn to cairn and made fairly good time, UNTIL we went down this one saddle (so named because the curve of the mountain ridge looks like the seat of a saddle, it seems logical) and we hit the tree line.... all of a sudden the cairns stopped and we had to rely on red ribbons and orange spray paint on the trees. this is not good news! why? I am orange green colour blind, orange paint and red ribbons on green trees for me is like trying to spot a camouflaged sniper from 100K, it doesn't matter how hard I look it is still going to be invisible! good thing I had dad with me......... well it
would be if he knew where he was going..... so we are sitting at this tree line trying to figure out which way takes us in the right direction, I am useless in this effort, I won't be able to find the trail with the markers used and it is my first time up this particular peak, so........ yup! well we (and by we I mean I) made our decision to go right (after all "choose the right when a choice is placed before you" (hymn # 239)) and we headed into the brush...... it wasn't long before we realized we went the wrong way..... but it was long enough we could not turn back! so now what? bush whack up toward where the trail should be! it was still early "summer" and so there was plenty of slippery, slushy snow banks to walk on, making the journey slow and hard! trying to find the spots that you wouldn't slip and fall into the snow as deep as your hips! (IN JULY!!!!!!!! welcome to my home and native land, Canada!) this wasn't to bad for me.... but for my 60+ Father with heart problems, we will just say we took it slowly! (I took first aid and all.... but I didn't have any plans on trying to fix my dad!) after a couple hours of bush whacking and snow shoeing we had the bright idea to stop and say a prayer (took us long enough) we decided to try a different direction and within 5 minutes we found the trail...... however it was still red ribbons!!!! so I gave dad point (not my favourite thing to do... I like being in front on the mountains) and after a long day of hiking, getting lost, having hail on us, a crazy mountain grouse that wouldn't let us pass and then..... getting lost again we found our way out! when we came back a week later with all the other scouts to hike the same trail, we saw where we had gone wrong and what a difficult clime we really did have to make, we were grateful that this time we were able to help others along the path and stick to the right path so that they didn't have to go through the same frustrations we did the first time!

so what lesson did I learn? to pray.... yes that was a lesson I learned however that was nothing new I have learned that lesson over and over! what lesson stood out that day? in 2 Nephi 31:3 we learn that the Lord will give us light and understanding in our own individual ways! that He knows us individually and will help us in the way that works best for us individually! We will be taught by the spirit in a way that makes sense to us as individuals! Orange paint and red ribbons may not work for
me, if I am left alone to it I would without doubt get lost, however I was given a guide, My dad, to help me get to the next point when I couldn't do it myself anymore! My mountain analogies may not be helpful to you however you have similar experiences that have taught you the same lessons! that day I learned that there is a God, and He KNOWS me, He knows how to guide me, He knows how to teach me! He helps me through this life through different experiences and lessons than he will for anyone else because he made me different than anyone else, same goes for you the reader! however when others can't quite see the next ribbon we can be the guide that helps them get through the brush safely! often times we are the tools the lord will use to bless the lives of his children and answer their prayers!

WMI? GOD KNOWS YOU PERSONALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY!!

unidentified!

This was a hard lesson for me to learn! I had to humble myself a lot and find out what was really going on! I don't often share this experience however I feel like as though there are those out there who would need to hear it at this time! in fact I barely have the ability to describe accurately the feelings I had at this time! Bare with me as I endeavor to share this lesson I've learned! this is my story and it is why I am a missionary today!

I don't know exactly when I started to learn this lesson, I suppose it was a life long process! I was raised in the faith of Jesus Christ, as  member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I knew what I wanted out of Life and I knew what I would have to do to attain those goals! I had read in the Book of Mormon many times that "This life is the time for men tprepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labours" (Alma 34:32) I always knew

and often thought I understood that I was here to prepare to live with God again! as I grew up I tried my hardest to live the standards I knew to be right and correct! as I grew older, entering my early and mid teens it became harder and harder! I noticed that little things started creeping into my life! however I continued to put on the mask of a good boy! I tried my hardest to make the outward appearance seem as though all was well! I continued to slip up and got deeper and deeper into sin, but didn't want anyone to know, especially not my family! I was embarrassed and thought they would be ashamed of me! and yet as I continued trying to hide it I got further and further! I noticed in the morning when I woke up and brushed my teeth that I literally didn't recognize my reflection in the mirror! that lead to me eventually realizing I had been hooked and that I was addicted, I realized that if I stayed on this path I would not be prepared or worthy to serve as a missionary (which had been my highest goal from my very early childhood (and I was getting closer and closer)) or to receive many other blessings I knew I was missing out on! unfortunately, with my thick skull, I justified it away from myself, "not me, I am not doing anything that bad", "well I can stop and get out of this mess by my self" so I would try to quit and I would do good for a week or so..... then I crashed again! then I would say "no more, I am finished with this" and I was for a week! again I would say "THIS IS STUPID! I WILL HAVE NO MORE OF IT!" and once again for a period of time I was clean, but again I would fall back into it! this continued on until I finally realized that I was going to be 18 soon and would only have one more year to prepare for my mission! I had to come to accept that of myself I could do nothing more than what I have done, if I wanted different results I would have to do something different! I knew I had to confess to the Lord (which I had done) and I also knew I had to go to one of his representatives here on earth, my bishop! (in the Mormon church we call the leader of our local congregation a bishop! He is a lay minister (meaning he gets no pay for his service) and holds the priesthood keys to lead those withing his congregation) and so one evening (it was a Saturday evening as I remember) I said the most sincere and honest prayer of my life! I prayed to my Father in Heaven that I would have the courage and strength to go confess to my Bishop and ask him for help! I
remember going to church the next morning, listening during the first hour with my gut wrenching and my soul in agony! I was so scared! when Sunday school rolled around my mother invited me to go with her and sit with her as my dad was going to teach the other Sunday school class..... so I sat with my mom during Sunday school while my mind kept on reminding me of the prayer I said the night before! well when Sunday school finished and the third hour started (yes, Mormons have three hours of church every Sunday. and then other activities during the rest of the week.... it is such a great blessing!) I Remember going to my meeting still thinking of that prayer the night before! Then as the wise and inspired man he is My Bishop sent the secretary to find me and call me in for a standard interview, I knew inside that this was the beginning of the answer to my Prayer! so I went in for a regular meeting with bishop! I grew to love that man! I remember at the end of the normal conversation he stood to shake my hand and I just burst into tears, I asked him for his help and told him about my addiction! THE BEST FEELING OF PEACE EVER fell upon me, his love was evident as he told me what we were going to do and how we were going to move forward from here! the spirit was so strong in that room! When I walked out of that room I felt the difference, literally a weight was taken off my shoulders, and I knew that I was

My mission call in my mail box

finally freed! It wasn't always easy after that but I knew I had someone I could rely on 24/7 and that he had my back! well it was only one week after meeting with my Bishop that I turned 18 years old! I continued to talk with him as often as I felt I needed to! one week to the day we went to General Conference (A broadcast of the teaching of Prophets and Apostles to the general population of the Mormon Church) and watch the Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson make a remarkable announcement! that all young men willing and worthy to serve a full time mission could now serve at age 18 instead of age 19! I sat in that conference center and the words I heard in my heart were "Brother Forsyth, Thank you for listening to me, you are now not only willing but worthy to serve as a full time missionary, thank you again" I was so excited! as soon as I returned home from Utah I saw my Bishop and got my mission paper started! He looked me square in the eye and said "I know you are ready for your mission and I can honestly tell you that I believe you are fully repentant and ready to go" I was so excited!

looking back just over a year later I am so grateful that through the Atonement of Christ I was able to be forgiven and released from my past, that by following the promptings of the spirit I went through the process of repentance and am now serving as a full time missionary to preach the Gospel of repentance "that I might bring [others] to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste" (Alma 36:24)  to let others know that there is forgiveness in Christ, "yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in Him" (Moroni 10:32) The love and grace of Christ is sufficient for all those who come unto Him and repent! There is hope for the addicted, the afflicted, the weak, the sinner, the infirm! or In other words there is HOPE for YOU!

WMI? THERE IS HOPE FOR YOU!

Lost?

I don't know about you but I love the feeling of getting lost! when I was young I would walk different routes home from school different paths just because I wanted to get lost and then find where I was! as I grew up this fascination grew with me! I would walk different ways anywhere, I would ride my bike down new paths to find out where they went, and I would even take new roads to my destinations afar off as I drove from place to place! to be fair I was never truly lost, I always knew at least one way I could find my way but finding new paths was my goal!

One of my favourite scouting activities was orienteering! learning how to use a topographical map and a compass to find my way not only around town but also to find where I was in the middle of the mountains (I told you I spent a lot of time outdoors in those mountains) one scout camp in particular stands out in my mind! we were divided into small groups  (2-4 young men) and given a compass and a topographical map of the area! all that was marked on the map was where our camp was set up! then the leaders drove off to set up camp when we got there! I LOVED IT!!!!! now selflessness and humility and the will to share are all things I have been working on, I didn't have those attributes at this time, that being the case I grabbed the map and the compass and took it upon myself to lead these boys out! We started with a word of prayer (the second or third we had said (all of which were for safety and for our arrival at camp before dark)) I LOVE FEELING LOST!!! now the trick with a compass and a map is all in triangulation! you find two fixed point you see (such as mountain peaks or the edge of a lake) and find out where they are in relation to you (via the compass) dial in the degrees and then find those same fixed points on the map! draw the line that correspond with the a fore mentioned degrees (again via the compass) and then voila, where those two line intersect is exactly where you are! now I know where I am in relation to where Camp is! (are you following this....?) one more calculation and we find what is the degree of travel needed to get to camp! once again by using the compass you find that degree and then follow it toward camp! in an idea world this would be a simple path to follow straight flat and obstacle free...... however the mountains are obstacle filled, peaks and valleys rounding all the way (FAR from the ideal, but it makes it fun and interesting) well there are plenty of things that can go wrong! to avoid fatigue we tried to stay on a course that was relatively flat! I don't like hiking with wet feet so we wanted to avoid the rivers! luckily with the tools provided we could create a basic course of travel that would take us around these major obstacles! it would be a little longer than a straight line but it would be much much easier!

I remember triangulating where we were and then heading off on the desired course of travel! we got to what we thought was the desired location to change course and continue to move forward..... however after triangulating again I found that we were a bout one kilometer away from the originally planed location so we adjusted the plan got back on course and headed out again! after traveling a short distance we came across a stream that didn't show up on the map! upon triangulating again we found that it didn't show up and that we were had to find a way to cross! after a little bush whacking we gt across however found we didn't know where we were! we had to use our map and compass to triangulate again, fix our course and begin traveling in the right direction! obstacles and mistakes like these continued to happen, a rock slide here forcing us to find a new way around, bear scat and tacks that made us reconsider going that direction! ect. ect. each time we rearranged and got around it we hoped we had gotten closer to our destination than we were when we started our scramble! well after a long afternoon of hiking, triangulating, re-calculating and re-adjusting we did finally arrive at camp! we were tired but safe, we had bumps and bruises, scratches and scars, but we were alive! and our leaders set up tents and cooked up a simple noodles and sauce packaged dinner! I tell you though it was near heavenly for a tired group of boys who needed food and sleep!

We have been given in this life a map and compass to find our way through this life! Our map? the scriptures. These books are divinely inspired to help guide us through the ravines, rivers and roads we find in this life! When we study them carefully we can see and avoid most of the major pitfalls in life! We read in 2nd Nephi 32:3 "Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." Our compass? The Spirit! Christ taught his disciples "when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth" (John 16:13) The spirit is here to literally guide us to true paths that will lead us back home! these two tools are given to us to help us create a basic outline, and to help us make adjustments when we get off track so we know where we are in relation to our final destination! However the tools alone where not what help us know how to get from point A to point B! To use these tools I needed to solid points I could see from both, where I was standing and on the map! What could we use as solid standards to help us through life? What about the spire of your local church building? Or the pinnacle of the temple nearest to you?  or the Baptismal font? when we find where we are in regards to making and keeping the sacred covenants we make with the Lord at these locations we can find if we are on course or if somewhere we have got of track! Of course as we go through life things we didn't see coming are thrown into our path and we must find a way around them and then re-establish where we are in relation to our destination using the tools and our way points! In 3rd Nephi 18:18 The Lord, Jesus Christ, Commands us to watch and pray! it is through unfailing triangulation and constant prayer that we watch and pray! constantly be on guard so we can remain on course! above all I know, after a hard journey through life, with constant re-evaluation and constant revisions we can find our way to our final destination where we will not find leaders with tents and a merger camp meal.... But God with a mansion and an expansive feast to celebrate our return!

W.M.I.? Triangulate your location often and adjust as needed!

"The Muff"

growing up I always thought it a great pleasure to spend time with my brothers! all of them are a wee bit older than I and I have always looked up to them! most of my life has been spent trying to walk in their footsteps (both literally and figuratively, physically and spiritually) what they thought was cool I thought was cool! what they did I tried to do! I spent many summer days playing catch and Frisbee and "Arm Ball" with them! another thing my brother liked to do was go down hill cycling and mountain biking! as you can probably guess this enjoyment has rubbed off on me! 

I remember one almost-summer day, I say almost because I do remember walking home from school and barely having time to take off my back pack before my brother Neil told me to unlock my bike! He said we were going to go ride! I can't even begin to describe my excitement.... My older brother Neil was going to take me riding!!!! I threw my back pack on my bed (I remember because when I got home my homework had spilled all over my floor) Grabbed my helmet (safety first!) and unlocked my bike! It was a warm day and we rode toward the coulees! Keep in mind here I am about 9 or 11 years old at this time..... kind of a slow rider! nonetheless Neil rode right a long beside me and talked with me on our way! Needless to say I really liked that! well eventually we got to the coulees and the trail we were going to ride! I assume Neil observed my face as I remember feeling a little overwhelmed looking down at the trail we were going to ride on! however Neil gave me a little encouragement and shared a profound insight! "Tyson" he said "as long as you look at the head of the trail that is where you will go!" I must have looked confused again so he elaborated "if you look at the ravines, you will go into the ravines, if you look at a tree you will run into that tree. so watch the trail and you will be just fine" and then, as so often happened I was placed into a "learning on the job" kind of experience! Did I forget to mention this was my first time ever riding a down hill trail? well it was! and by the time I realized that Neil had already started down the trail! and about the same time I realized another thing..... with out him I didn't know where I was or where to go!!! so I was left in a dilemma. stay at the head of the trail and be "lost and gone forever" (at least in my mind) or take off down this trail and hope I survive! So I did what seemed like the best option, and started on down the trail! I remember the wind in my face and my grip on the handlebars! I remember hitting a few 1 foot drops and and rounding a few of the berms! I loved the ride!  filled me with adrenaline and excitement! The whole time I had Neil's words running through my head! Well he was right! There was a huge tree that grew right along side the trial! And I starred at it thinking in my head "don't hit it, don't hit it don't hit it" well I hit it and it left a big ole bruise on my hip! Of course by this time Neil was way in front and out of my line of sight and so I had no other choice but to get back on my bike and keep going! There was also a part of this particular trail that broke out into an open space on the one side! The open space lead right into a gully! I looked at the gully thinking about how much it would suck to end up in it...... Then I realized I was veering off into it...... Then I realized I Was in it! luckily there were just a few thorns, and burrs and twigs! I  picked up my bike and was able to walk out relatively unharmed! Again I got back up and began riding down the trail now with a more determined resolution to "watch the trail!" Eventually (and without further accident) I reached the bottom where I saw Neil waiting for me! I can only assume I was a little dirty from my attempt to tackle the tree, and must have had a few prickly friends from my encounter with the make shift half pipe because he reminded me "if you watch the trail you will never go wrong!" After that incredible ride I remember Neil getting us slurpees at 7-eleven! 

This experience helped me through many other life experiences! I learned the importance of looking at the "straight and narrow" trail! if we want to stay close to God we have to look towards him. Obviously not literally we would look ridiculous if we all walked around with your heads kinked upward! How do we look toward God? We can talk too Him, we can read His word, and we can go to His house of worship on Sunday! Doesn't sound to hard right? Well I learned another lesson that day! The dangers of looking of track! I know looking off track leads you off track! I have experienced that as well! It is so easy to take a glance off track and find yourself in a ditch and covered in thorns!  It is a slippery slope after that first glance off of the blazed trail! Been there done that! Not fun! However through the atonement of Christ we can recognize what we did wrong, correct it and get back on our bike and keep riding! Sometimes we may fall multiple times, however each time we can get right back up and continue down the trail of life! Each time we fall we can learn.... Finally after a few tumbles, falls and crashes, a few bruises, cuts and gashes we learn to WATCH THE TRAIL! When we apply this lesson, to watch the trail, and when life's trail ends we will find our elder brother, Jesus Christ waiting for us, and He will treat us to a reward far greater than any slurpee, far greater than anything found on this planet!

W.M.I.? WATCH THE TRAIL!!