On the last day of their 150-mile bike ride, Young Men President Ryan Haws of the Clarksburg West Virginia Stake rode alongside two young men who despite their earlier struggles were poised to complete the journey.
As they pedaled toward their final destination, one said he would miss the camaraderie and fellowship developed within his quorum over the past few days.
The other young man shared with his stake Young Men president, “I prayed this morning that my legs wouldn’t hurt, that I could make it these last 40 miles, and I did it.”
Listening to these and other meaningful experiences reassured President Haws that the activity had been worthwhile.
“To hear those kinds of statements from these boys who struggled — we wondered if they would make it — to see they were going to make it and felt they could do it, that they could rely on each other and the Lord, that their prayers were answered and they could do hard things, that was amazing,” Haws said. “For some, it was a life-changing experience.”
They were among a group of 43 young men — including deacons, teachers and priests — and 17 leaders from the Clarksburg West Virginia Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who all completed the June 17-21 bike ride through the Great Allegheny Passage, the 150-mile rail trail that extends from Cumberland, Maryland, to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“The goal was to give the young men an experience of doing something hard and learning to rely on God,” said Brandon Jenson, an adult participant and second counselor in the Cheat River Ward bishopric.
Preparation
Starting nine months in advance, the stake organized a planning committee that included participation and input from 15 priests.
Each youth participant was encouraged to prepare physically by completing a long-distance bike ride upward of 15 miles.
A training was also held to teach participants the basics of bike maintenance, such as fixing flat tires and patching or replacing inner tubes.
‘Brotherhood and the priesthood’
As they started out on June 17, the young men were organized into three groups, with adult leaders at the front and back of each group in an effort to keep everyone moving together. Other leaders accompanied the group to assist with repairs, address any accidents or injuries, and contribute to meal preparation and camp setup and takedown.
Inspired by the motto “We Started Together, We Finish Together,” the group averaged 30 miles a day over five days.
Off the road, the young men engaged in lessons and personal scripture study and held nightly devotionals. They learned about being true disciples of Jesus Christ, attributes of the sons of Helaman and other gospel principles.
The first day — a 2,000-foot climb over 23 miles to the Eastern Continental Divide — was one of the most difficult. Rain added an extra challenge that day.
One of the heartwarming highlights occurred when some of the younger boys began to lag behind. In a spirit of camaraderie, some of the older boys attached tow ropes to help pull them along, while others offered words of encouragement to lift their spirits. The tow ropes were utilized at various points during the journey when needed.
“There were a lot of cool moments when the older young men stepped up and helped lift up the younger boys,” Jenson said.
Jenson remembers seeing one priest, Isaac White, pulling a younger rider. White appeared exhausted. Jenson asked White if he wanted a break.
“He said, ‘No, I got this,’” Jenson said. “He just pushed along the entire day.”
White, who doesn’t consider himself a strong biker, found the experience humbling. He developed an emotional bond with the young man he assisted, and it strengthened his faith to see so many willing to help each other. White was recently set apart as a missionary and is on his way to serve in the South Africa Durban Mission.
“It was a good experience for me. ... We were in this together,” White said. “There was a strong sense of brotherhood and the priesthood. That is such a strong connection, and it was just so powerful for me.”
‘Heavenly Father will help you’
Maddox Pudder, a priest from the Clarksburg Ward, was initially hesitant to take time off work for the trip, but he is glad he went. He found the scenery, the camaraderie and sense of accomplishment rewarding.
“I think the perseverance that was required to get through it helped me with my faith,” Pudder said, adding that he was inspired by the mission experiences shared by his leaders. “Knowing that I completed this challenge, as well as learning some of the lessons taught, will help me stay on the covenant path and away from temptations.”
While riding through a dark tunnel without flashlights, one young man didn’t notice the tunnel narrowed and ran into the wall, causing a multiple-bike pileup.
The first young man to crash was bleeding from a badly scraped knee and elbow, and he needed help. Pudder pulled out a medical kit and began cleaning the wound until an adult leader arrived to help. During those intense moments, Pudder realized that the Holy Ghost was guiding him to assist his friend.
“Heavenly Father will help you,” he said.
Jenson, a physical therapist, reported few injuries on the trip — mostly minor scrapes from kids falling off their bikes, with one youth experiencing a pulled muscle.
Good examples
Luca McInelly, an 11-year-old deacon in the Morgantown Ward, returned home shortly before a scheduled baseball game and had only a few minutes to tell his mother, Shawna Luke, about his bike ride.
Before the activity, Luke had no concerns about her son physically — “He’s very athletic,” she said. But she was still adjusting to his participation in the Young Men program and wondered what kind of experience her young son would have among “these huge priests.”
“It was a little bit nerve-racking,” she said.
But any concerns she had quickly faded as her son spoke admirably of the older boys and their stalwart examples, especially those who had plans to serve in or had just returned from the mission field. Her son also expressed gratitude for the spiritual experiences that had strengthened his testimony.
“As a mom, I was like, ‘OK, everything is good,’” she said. “Those were the things in those minutes that he had to tell me. To have those older boys be good examples to him, it really touched my heart. I’m glad that he got to have that experience.”
Faith strengthened, lessons learned
White’s legs were at the point of giving out when they reached Pittsburgh. He was proud of the accomplishment and relished the chance to rest on the car ride home. He felt strengthened by the Savior and knows the experience will make him a better missionary.
“I know the Savior is always there for me, even when I’m doing hard things,” he said. “It was a difficult week, I will not lie, but I was able to feel some peace through the times of difficulty.”
Reflecting on the activity and its lessons reminded Jenson of Ether 12:27 from the Book of Mormon, which teaches that the Lord can transform a humble person’s weakness into strength. Activities like this, he said, place youth in uncomfortable situations where they must learn to manage without modern comforts. With careful planning, they can be successful.
“Learning to trust in the Lord in situations where you can overcome the challenge is an important thing to prepare you for challenges you are going to have later in life,” Jenson said. “They will be able to say, ‘I completed that bike ride, and it was hard, but I did it because I trusted in God.’”
Observing the youth as they rode through downtown Pittsburgh — a line of bikes stretched a half mile long — President Haws knew they had accomplished something remarkable.
“As we rolled in, it hit me that we had really done it,” he said with emotion in his voice. “They had been willing to do it, knowing it was going to be tough. They put a lot of preparation into it. They had banded together and helped each other, and they made it. It was neat for me as a leader to watch that, just an incredible experience.”
