As I make preparations to climb Mt. Kilimanjaro in June,
I have been dedicating my daily scripture reading
by paying particular attention to any mention of the word mountain.
Mountains point and remind us of the majesty and wonder of the Lord,
and are mentioned numerous times throughout The Book of Mormon,
and the Bible, and are rich with symbolism and meaning.
In my study, I decided to break up my
mountain discoveries into 6 different categories:
Promises
Victories
Trials
Refuge
Beauty/Majesty
Greatness
Each verse that mentions mountains fit into one of those categories.
As I take special notice of them while I study God's words,
I, too, can witness their beauty and understand why
the Lord uses the significance of mountains in the scriptures.
I've never looked at a majestic mountain without thinking about God.
I love hiking mountains because that's naturally
a place where I feel close to Him,
where I feel His love for me, and where I get inspiration and revelation.
I love what President Nelson said about mountains,
"Everything to do with becoming more like the Savior is difficult.
For example, when God wanted to give the Ten Commandments to Moses,
where did He tell Moses to go?
Up on top of a mountain, on the top of Mount Sinai.
So Moses had to walk all the way up to the top of that
mountain to get the Ten Commandments.
Now, Heavenly Father could have said, 'Moses, you start there,
and I'll start here, and I'll meet you halfway.'
No, the Lord loves effort,
because effort brings rewards that can't come without it."
One of the first things I wanted to do when I woke up from my coma
after the accident was to hike a mountain.
That spiritual urge felt like a light in a dark world,
it was motivation to get better.
I knew the mountain journey I chose to hike would be hard,
but the top would bring me clarity and triumph.
And it did.
I am preparing physically every day to hike Kilimanjaro through daily vigorous exercise;
I've been exercising my lungs by working out with an altitude mask on and
Christian and I are gathering gear to protect us from the elements
so we can hike and sleep properly.
And, spiritually, I am understanding why mountains are significant to the Lord,
so I can have my own" Mt. Siani experience,"
and to come closer to Him in the process.
For me, physically hiking mountains is usually a welcomed challenge,
because I know that there is beauty awaiting me at the top.
I love to push myself to stay motivated and focused along the journey
no matter how hard it is or how bad I want to quit.
Christ uses mountains as symbols of faith, so we
will use patience, discipline, and control to overcome our personal hardships.
I love how God uses everyday symbols to bless and help us.
(Hiking the Y mountain with Christian
in our burn garments, 2009)
