HEBER CITY, Utah — On a chilly June evening in the mountains above Heber Valley, several hundred people gathered to participate in a new experience called the Look Unto Christ Walk.
As sunlight faded into night, Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, first counselor in the Young Men general presidency, stood on a rock and addressed the group.
Weeks after its installation at the Church’s Heber Valley Camp, he said, thousands of youth have already traversed the dimly lighted trail, calling it “incredible” and “life-changing.”
Brother Wilcox promised a “mountain-top experience” to bring them closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
“Marvelous things happen on mountain tops,” he said. “Ask Nephi about that. Ask Moses.”
What is ‘the walk’?
The Look Unto Christ Walk gets its name from the 2025 youth theme, “Look unto Christ,” from Doctrine and Covenants 6:36, a message reflected throughout the experience.
The 1.3-mile walk, divided into nine checkpoints, starts with participants receiving noise-canceling headphones. Groups of 20 to 30 hike the path, listening to recorded audio with thought-provoking dialogue, Church leaders’ quotes and inspirational music while passing large images and television screens depicting scenes from the Savior’s life.
The messages, music and images are designed to help individuals navigate life’s trials and have sacred, personal experiences with Jesus Christ.
The Young Women and Young Men general presidencies, who were introduced to the concept last fall, hope to replicate the experience for youth worldwide in the coming years, said Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman.
“We will learn from Heber Valley Camp this year in an effort to create an experience that can be used worldwide. ... I hope that every person who has a chance to walk this path will find a deeper love for the words of ancient and modern prophets, will feel a deep strengthening of faith and commitment and will come to know Jesus Christ better than they did before. He walks with us,” she said, adding that “Jesus Christ is the strength of youth,” as taught by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
Young Men General President Steven J. Lund agrees.
“As youth leaders, we always hope to create settings where our young people are caused to think deeply about their spiritual lives and to open themselves to spiritual influences,” he said. “This often happens best in nature, away from worldly distraction, surrounded by the beauties of creation. We should plan for every opportunity to blend the beauties of nature with powerful spiritual teachings.”
The backstory
Kyle and Liz Bennion first created this night walk for a Young Women camp in Arizona in 2019.
Brainstorming ideas for a spiritual activity, they considered a guest speaker or musician before feeling inspired to try something different.
“Somehow the spark came — ‘Let’s do a night walk with audio files,’" Kyle Bennion said. “It was very simple. We collected [smartphones] and headsets. We knew that combination of elements was something powerful in nature, having the contrast of dark and light. Then the audio with music and narration would combine to make something personal and powerful.”
After moving to Riverton, Utah, the Bennions created an enhanced night walk for a stake youth activity.
Last summer, they set up a temporary walk at Heber Valley Camp, and in the fall at Mutual Dell in American Fork Canyon, where the Young Women and Young Men general presidencies participated.
The Bennions were then called as service missionaries and tasked with building a permanent walk at Heber Valley Camp. They said they have felt the Lord’s guidance and witnessed miracles throughout.
“We love Jesus Christ, and we love the youth,” Sister Bennion said. “It’s such a blessing to be able to help the youth draw closer to our Savior. That brings us so much joy.”
‘We do not journey alone’
President Freeman learned about the walk from a Young Women general advisory council member who suggested a permanent site at Heber Valley Camp could bless the youth.
President Freeman’s husband, Brother Greg Freeman, was undergoing chemotherapy treatments when she experienced the walk.
“We were carrying such a heavy load. I took that first step into the dark of the walk path and listened to the words of Church leaders and Apostles. Immediately that load was lifted,” she said. “The pictures of Jesus Christ and the videos of Him that we watched as we walked reminded me that we do not journey alone. He is right here on the journey with us.”
Her “sweetest moment” came when participants ponder a question and reflect on their relationship with the Savior before writing thoughts that are displayed along the trail for all to read.
“The witnesses captured in those written words that had been hung by those who had walked ahead of me were powerful and added to my own witness of Jesus Christ,” she said.
Building the trail
After feeling guided by the Lord to select the right location, construction on the trail began in late April as snow cleared, said Heber Valley Camp President Lorry Jay Pitcher.
Community volunteers from surrounding areas donated significant time and resources, completing the project in five weeks.
“It was heroic,” President Pitcher said. “Individuals wanted to help. They brought their expertise, equipment and people, and they worked for hours and hours. ... In the building of it, we saw miracle after miracle.”
Touching lives
Two months after it was untamed forest, the Look Unto Christ Walk has already helped thousands to feel God’s love, said Mel Wolsey, first counselor in the Heber Valley Camp presidency.
“Many have said, ‘I’ve never had a spiritual experience like that before,’” he said. “Half of those walking out are shedding tears because of the experience they had. It’s touching the lives of a lot of people.”
Said participant Dana Wiest: “There’s so few places that you feel the Spirit. ... I want all the youth to know what that feels like. That’s what we are all seeking for is to feel the Spirit and the love of the Savior.”
One family blessed by the experience included Jason and Krista Gillman from Myton, Utah, with their 8-year-old twin daughters, Madison and Brooklyn, recently baptized.
“This just reiterated the importance of helping the youth of my stake look to Christ because His strength can help them overcome any challenge and know they are not alone,” Jason Gillman said.
His wife and daughters liked how the path was illuminated with light and pictures of the Savior.
“When we are facing hard times, He is right there walking with us every step of the way,” said Krista Gillman, with her daughter Brooklyn adding, “I felt peace and comfort that Jesus was with me all the time.”
Make a reservation
Reserve a time for the Look Unto Christ Walk at camping.ChurchofJesusChrist.org by logging in and searching for Heber Valley Camp. Youth staying at the camp in June and July can attend nightly, Monday through Friday, while others can book Saturday times (8:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m.). Weeknight reservations are available in August.
