It's not that I don't have opinions on important subjects; any of my Facebook friends could tell you that's a long way from the truth. But I think everyone could use a break from the depression and contention that has taken over social media.
That's why, when I could have been complaining here about the healthcare system or the roads, analyzing the election, or railing against conservatives and liberals alike, instead I've written conspiracy theories about Thomas the Tank Engine and Lego, griped about my kids' pajamas and how hard it is to name a boy, and confessed to crashing into a Wendy's and being (apparently) worth abandoning in Canada.
You can get your news and commentary from plenty of other websites; I'm just here to (hopefully) make you smile between news outrages and Internet debates.
But I'm going to diverge from my typical practice today and flirt with a hot issue. And, if you'll bear with me, I'm also going to narrow down my target audience for this post to just my Mormon peers--though I think much of what I say can still apply to anyone. I'll try to place hyperlinks wherever necessary to help explain some jargon.
So, the Deseret News published an interesting headline this week: "Boy Scouts of America announces that it will allow transgender youth in boys-only program." The article began:
"The Boy Scouts of America said Monday it will begin accepting transgender boys in its boys-only programs, which is a move away from its long-time practice of determining eligibility by gender as stated on a birth certificate.
"In and around Utah, many wonder how that policy change will affect the Boy Scouts’ relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BSA’s first sponsoring unit with more than a century’s history as well as its largest chartering sponsor."
Naturally, the article attracted a lot of attention, and I made the mistake of looking at the comments. That's right, I violated the First Rule of Online Sanity: never read the comments.
The upset reactions came as no surprise. Some people demanded the Church cut ties with the BSA--an increasingly popular sentiment at least since the 2015 allowance of gay Scoutleaders. Some accused the BSA of abandoning its values. Some questioned the moral courage of Church leadership for remaining involved in Scouting. One guy said he was returning his Eagle Scout award to BSA headquarters, and another said he was removing his Eagle from his resume.
Lots of angry people.
I'm not here to argue whether the Boy Scouts of America did the right thing. I'm not going near that.
I have a different point to make. And this is why I'm specifically talking to the Mormons, whose Church has been the BSA's largest chartering sponsor for decades.
I want to address a specific type of comment I noticed in the dark pit--the type that ran along the lines of, "Scouting offers nothing of value because it doesn't build boys' testimonies, help them develop Christlike attributes, or prepare them for Priesthood responsibilities and missionary service."
Well, brothers and sisters, I don't speak for the Church, but I believe that line of thinking is narrow-minded and erroneous. And I can back my opinion up. Here are 4 ways Scouting builds boys into strong, faithful Priesthood holders:
Close your eyes and think "Boy Scouts." Chances are you saw that iconic brown uniform, a campfire, and a tent. Am I right?
Outdoor skills are usually the first thing people associate with Scouting, and there's nothing wrong with that. But camping and survival are only a small part of what Scouts learn.
For example, my Personal Management merit badge required me to plan and follow a budget for three months.
For the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge, my Scout troop wrote letters to our Congressional representatives.
The Family Life merit badge included extensive discussion on what makes an effective father.
All three of those badges are required to earn the Eagle Scout award. Many other badges are available that teach boys science, trades, arts, business skills, and more things that will aid them as adults. I got a more well-rounded education in my Scout troop than I did in school.
Following a budget. Family relations. These sound like the kinds of things that help boys become good fathers. Isn't that the most important Priesthood responsibility a boy will ever have?
I can still recite the Scout Law:
And the Scout Oath:
And even the Scout Slogan:
But I'm going to diverge from my typical practice today and flirt with a hot issue. And, if you'll bear with me, I'm also going to narrow down my target audience for this post to just my Mormon peers--though I think much of what I say can still apply to anyone. I'll try to place hyperlinks wherever necessary to help explain some jargon.
The Issue
So, the Deseret News published an interesting headline this week: "Boy Scouts of America announces that it will allow transgender youth in boys-only program." The article began:
"The Boy Scouts of America said Monday it will begin accepting transgender boys in its boys-only programs, which is a move away from its long-time practice of determining eligibility by gender as stated on a birth certificate.
"In and around Utah, many wonder how that policy change will affect the Boy Scouts’ relationship with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, BSA’s first sponsoring unit with more than a century’s history as well as its largest chartering sponsor."
Naturally, the article attracted a lot of attention, and I made the mistake of looking at the comments. That's right, I violated the First Rule of Online Sanity: never read the comments.
The upset reactions came as no surprise. Some people demanded the Church cut ties with the BSA--an increasingly popular sentiment at least since the 2015 allowance of gay Scoutleaders. Some accused the BSA of abandoning its values. Some questioned the moral courage of Church leadership for remaining involved in Scouting. One guy said he was returning his Eagle Scout award to BSA headquarters, and another said he was removing his Eagle from his resume.
Lots of angry people.
I'm not here to argue whether the Boy Scouts of America did the right thing. I'm not going near that.
 |
| No siree, Bob. Can't stand worms. Image credit: Web2Carz |
I have a different point to make. And this is why I'm specifically talking to the Mormons, whose Church has been the BSA's largest chartering sponsor for decades.
I want to address a specific type of comment I noticed in the dark pit--the type that ran along the lines of, "Scouting offers nothing of value because it doesn't build boys' testimonies, help them develop Christlike attributes, or prepare them for Priesthood responsibilities and missionary service."
Well, brothers and sisters, I don't speak for the Church, but I believe that line of thinking is narrow-minded and erroneous. And I can back my opinion up. Here are 4 ways Scouting builds boys into strong, faithful Priesthood holders:
1. It's About More Than Camping
Close your eyes and think "Boy Scouts." Chances are you saw that iconic brown uniform, a campfire, and a tent. Am I right?
Outdoor skills are usually the first thing people associate with Scouting, and there's nothing wrong with that. But camping and survival are only a small part of what Scouts learn.
For example, my Personal Management merit badge required me to plan and follow a budget for three months.
For the Citizenship in the Nation merit badge, my Scout troop wrote letters to our Congressional representatives.
The Family Life merit badge included extensive discussion on what makes an effective father.
All three of those badges are required to earn the Eagle Scout award. Many other badges are available that teach boys science, trades, arts, business skills, and more things that will aid them as adults. I got a more well-rounded education in my Scout troop than I did in school.
Following a budget. Family relations. These sound like the kinds of things that help boys become good fathers. Isn't that the most important Priesthood responsibility a boy will ever have?
 |
| They might as well just call it the Fatherhood merit badge. Image credit: meritbadge.org |
2. Scouting Teaches Everyday Character
I can still recite the Scout Law:
A Scout is trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent.
And the Scout Oath:
On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.
And even the Scout Slogan:
Do a good turn daily.
Those are the kinds of things I learned at church on Sunday. But I also learned them during the week at my Scout meetings. Scouting taught me how to be a good person just as much as church did. Living the Scout Oath during the week reinforced Christ's teachings in my character the way nothing else could.
I know Scouting isn't the only way boys can get exposure to important Gospel principles during the week--after all, they also have mutual activities, family home evening, and seminary--but isn't it good to have a program like Boy Scouts, outside a purely home or spiritual setting, to help boys understand that what they learn in church applies all week?
This is everyday character we're talking about--not simply a religious practice. On top of that, Boy Scouts learn how to study and apply new ideas, diversify their skills, serve others, and take care of themselves. In other words, you show me a good Scout, and I'll show you a prepared missionary.
At twelve years old, I was the small, scared, unathletic runt of my Scout troop. I could hardly swim. I couldn't ride a bike. I lost my breath playing HORSE.
Can you imagine how much it terrified me that the Swimming merit badge was required for my Eagle? Or how it discouraged me to have basketball stars in my troop?
I didn't think I could go very far in Scouting.
But I had a good Scoutmaster. The boys in my troop always had my back. And I swam. I hiked. I camped. I learned impossible knots. I served. I grew.
I didn't just survive; I thrived.
Three weeks after my fourteenth birthday, I finished my Eagle project. Just a few months later, I shared a Court of Honor with a friend in my troop, where friends and family had gathered to celebrate our hard work.
Earning my Eagle is one of the hardest things I've ever done. At twelve I doubted I could do it. But in Scouting, I found strength I didn't know I had. I found the courage to do hard things.
You know what else is hard? Serving a mission. Holding high standards of behavior in college. Living the Gospel in a world that increasingly tries to drown religion out.
Scouting prepared me for all of that. If I can pass a swimming test; if I can hike fifty miles with thirty pounds on my back and one cup of food per meal; if I can tie a sheet bend and a double half-hitch; then I can keep my faith intact in 2017.
I mentioned a minute ago that the boys in my Scout troop had my back. Those boys also happened to be my deacons' quorum.
In church we learned and carried out our Priesthood responsibilities.
We passed the sacrament.
We gathered fast offerings.
We served our ward members.
It was meaningful, and we grew a lot.
But it was in Scouts, as a Scout troop, that we truly learned to love and serve each other. We kept each other safe at camp. We cheered each other on in fitness tests. They taught me physical skills, and I helped them out with the more academic stuff whenever they needed it.
Nothing bonds a group of boys like gazing at the Milky Way around a campfire and talking about life.
We worked hard and achieved great things together. I believe because of Scouting we became a unified Aaronic Priesthood quorum. To this day we're all still friends.
Don't get me wrong: I think Church activity and deep, abiding testimony are more important than Scouting. Building faith and learning and carrying out Priesthood responsibilities should take priority over all the other skills boys learn in Scouts. But Scouting is a good means to a good end.
I also get that not everyone has had the same experience with Scouting that I did. Some troops don't have good leaders. Some boys just are not engaged--many aren't even engaged at school, home, or church. But I don't believe the problem is with Scouting. Let's all reflect a little.
Scouting's not a perfect program, by any means, but we can't forget the good it does. If the Church comes up with something new that does as good a job, or better, at combining both the temporal and spiritual to teach our boys, I'll be the first to jump on board.
But in the meantime, Friends of Scouting is always welcome at my door. I'll be glad to donate.
3. Scouting Helps Boys Find Their Strength
At twelve years old, I was the small, scared, unathletic runt of my Scout troop. I could hardly swim. I couldn't ride a bike. I lost my breath playing HORSE.
Can you imagine how much it terrified me that the Swimming merit badge was required for my Eagle? Or how it discouraged me to have basketball stars in my troop?
I didn't think I could go very far in Scouting.
But I had a good Scoutmaster. The boys in my troop always had my back. And I swam. I hiked. I camped. I learned impossible knots. I served. I grew.
I didn't just survive; I thrived.
Three weeks after my fourteenth birthday, I finished my Eagle project. Just a few months later, I shared a Court of Honor with a friend in my troop, where friends and family had gathered to celebrate our hard work.
Earning my Eagle is one of the hardest things I've ever done. At twelve I doubted I could do it. But in Scouting, I found strength I didn't know I had. I found the courage to do hard things.
You know what else is hard? Serving a mission. Holding high standards of behavior in college. Living the Gospel in a world that increasingly tries to drown religion out.
Scouting prepared me for all of that. If I can pass a swimming test; if I can hike fifty miles with thirty pounds on my back and one cup of food per meal; if I can tie a sheet bend and a double half-hitch; then I can keep my faith intact in 2017.
 |
| "Hold to the Rod?" Not a problem with my prusik hitch! Image credit: lds.org |
4. Scouting Can Build Unity in Quorums
I mentioned a minute ago that the boys in my Scout troop had my back. Those boys also happened to be my deacons' quorum.
In church we learned and carried out our Priesthood responsibilities.
We passed the sacrament.
We gathered fast offerings.
We served our ward members.
It was meaningful, and we grew a lot.
But it was in Scouts, as a Scout troop, that we truly learned to love and serve each other. We kept each other safe at camp. We cheered each other on in fitness tests. They taught me physical skills, and I helped them out with the more academic stuff whenever they needed it.
Nothing bonds a group of boys like gazing at the Milky Way around a campfire and talking about life.
We worked hard and achieved great things together. I believe because of Scouting we became a unified Aaronic Priesthood quorum. To this day we're all still friends.
One Final Note
Don't get me wrong: I think Church activity and deep, abiding testimony are more important than Scouting. Building faith and learning and carrying out Priesthood responsibilities should take priority over all the other skills boys learn in Scouts. But Scouting is a good means to a good end.
I also get that not everyone has had the same experience with Scouting that I did. Some troops don't have good leaders. Some boys just are not engaged--many aren't even engaged at school, home, or church. But I don't believe the problem is with Scouting. Let's all reflect a little.
Scouting's not a perfect program, by any means, but we can't forget the good it does. If the Church comes up with something new that does as good a job, or better, at combining both the temporal and spiritual to teach our boys, I'll be the first to jump on board.
But in the meantime, Friends of Scouting is always welcome at my door. I'll be glad to donate.
If you want to read more on this topic, check out Bradley D. Harris' Trails to Testimony: Bringing Young Men to Christ Through Scouting.
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