I found this very amusing and was reminded of a similar experience. While serving as bishop in Lehi, Utah, I attended the Friday events at our YW Girl's camp near Heber Utah. The evening's event culminated in a journey through the woods at night, in the dark, where I was to be the leader, holding a flashlight, while the girl's followed me, as they were instructed to follow the light. We encountered several lighted stops along our pathway where other girls gave short presentations and demonstrations of life's challenges, ending with some spiritual lesson to be taught, and testimonies born. Then we continued on our journey. I was instructed that we would be passing through "a mist of darkness" but that we should hold to the rod (a rope) and continue on our pathway, and at the end I would see a light up ahead where I should lead the girls. Indeed we encountered the mist of darkness, and as we emerged, a young man dressed in a very nice dark suit stopped me and said "hold on to my arm, I will lead you the rest of the way." I did as he requested and he led me off the path, in a different direction away from the light. After traveling about 50 feet down the slope, into the thick underbrush, with all the girls following me, the young man stopped, turned toward me, and started laughing, "I got you!" Only then did I recognize that he represented Satan, and had led me astray, and taken the girls with me. I had not taken heed to my original instructions to look toward the light. To this day, whenever I encounter one of those young ladies, they remind me of that event. Then I say "And I did that intentionally so I could teach you a very important lesson, to be alert and aware that you are following only those who are truly inspired."
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Bruce NormanDecember 3, 2014
I found this very amusing and was reminded of a similar experience. While serving as bishop in Lehi, Utah, I attended the Friday events at our YW Girl's camp near Heber Utah. The evening's event culminated in a journey through the woods at night, in the dark, where I was to be the leader, holding a flashlight, while the girl's followed me, as they were instructed to follow the light. We encountered several lighted stops along our pathway where other girls gave short presentations and demonstrations of life's challenges, ending with some spiritual lesson to be taught, and testimonies born. Then we continued on our journey. I was instructed that we would be passing through "a mist of darkness" but that we should hold to the rod (a rope) and continue on our pathway, and at the end I would see a light up ahead where I should lead the girls. Indeed we encountered the mist of darkness, and as we emerged, a young man dressed in a very nice dark suit stopped me and said "hold on to my arm, I will lead you the rest of the way." I did as he requested and he led me off the path, in a different direction away from the light. After traveling about 50 feet down the slope, into the thick underbrush, with all the girls following me, the young man stopped, turned toward me, and started laughing, "I got you!" Only then did I recognize that he represented Satan, and had led me astray, and taken the girls with me. I had not taken heed to my original instructions to look toward the light. To this day, whenever I encounter one of those young ladies, they remind me of that event. Then I say "And I did that intentionally so I could teach you a very important lesson, to be alert and aware that you are following only those who are truly inspired."
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