The Purpose of Mountains

  Throughout the history of this world mountains have had significance. They have stood as powerful sentinels in the sky for all the generations of man. They are seen as a way to draw near to God. Many people have had their most sacred spiritual experiences on the top of a mountain. I for one believe that God gives us mountains, both of the physical kind as well as the spiritual, to help us become more like him.

Meteu's (Met-tay-oo) Journey up The Western Mountain

  In the Order of the Arrow ceremonies the Medicine Man, Meteu, calls upon us a challenge; to "strictly keep a pledge of silence", for "Hours spent in thoughtful silence help us make the right decisions". He had heard the principles and admonitions of the Order "whispered on the western mountains". It was on a mountain that the Order of the Arrow began. It's principles where sent from God, and are very much needed in the world we live in. 

   Meteu talks of how he journeyed up the mountain, experiencing hardship while also receiving some of the most profound wisdom from on high. This is symbolic of our lives, Meteu says at the conclusion of his tale, "you need seek no rocky summit: These high places are within you", and so they are. 

  What makes a Mountain Sacred? 

  Mountains bring us out of our lives. As we climb we are able to leave behind our everyday troubles and touch the divine. This comes from it's height. It also comes from the difficulty of the accession. To reach a summit and realize that you have overcome an obstacle and now stand above your troubles bring peace and puts you in a position to receive inspiration from on high. 

  Similarly we can find spiritual mountains in our lives. We call them trials, adversity, and opposition. These things do the same thing to our spirit as a mountain does to our bodies. When we experience adversity it takes us away from our normal lives. It pushes us, and is difficult to overcome. But when you finish that journey, you can stand above your afflictions with a testimony of Christ and all he's done for you. This is when He can talk to you and pour out blessings on your head the most. 

My Journeys to the Western Mountain

  I have had these thoughts on my mind for a long time. They were developed as I learned on my mountains; both the spiritual and physical kinds. I am privileged to say that I spend my summers at the base of my "Western Mountain", the Tetons. As I work at Camp Loll all the summer long, I have received some of the most sure witnesses and revelations of my life. I made this blog to share some of the "striving, fighting, battling" I experience on my mountain this summer as well as the "whisperings, urgings, promptings" that I glean from those experiences. I wish you all well. And may you ponder the words you hear whispered on the mountains.