You new Scouts probably learned tonight that our troop neckerchief has other uses besides looking good and showing our troop’s colors. You found that it can be used in first aid, too. Over the next few months, you’ll find that the neckerchief has other uses, too. There’s one use, though, that you may not think […]
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I believe that one of the primary things we should focus on in Scouting should be our Duty to God. In fact Lord Baden Powell (BP) said “Our objective in the Scouting movement is to give such help as we can in bringing about God’s Kingdom on earth by including among youth the spirit and […]
Our efforts as Young Men advisers and Scout leaders can have eternal consequences. When I was a mission president, one particular zone was having a lot of success. I asked one of the zone leaders, “Elder, what’s going on here?” He said, “President, in high school I ran cross- country with a handful of friends. We trained hard and competed together. For four […]
As part of Duty to God, I subscribe to newsletters of several faiths. Ministry Matters reminded me that today is the first Advent Sunday. My first exposure to Advent was in Germany more than 40 years ago; it was a rewarding experience. As Scouts, celebrating Advent seems like an appropriate way do our Duty to God […]
In a world of moral drifting, it often is wise to look for bedrock—something so secure that it doesn’t move an inch over time. In Boy Scouts, the Utah National Parks Council has done just that by “Putting the First Duty First”—and the first duty of Scouting is the duty to God. The program the […]
One of the key points for a church is reflected in the twelfth point of the Scout Law, “A Scout is reverent.” Although scouting is a secular organization it is grounded in tenets that reflect a recognition and reverence for God. British general, Lord Robert Baden-Powell, mentioned “duty to God” as a primary function of […]
Recently one of our readers wrote: “I find it sad that the BSA seems to be removing most references and trying to completely avoid the word God as much as possible. Sad to see the degradation of societal morals spreading to scouts. very sad…” Here at The Boy Scout we are not quite sure where our reader got […]
Part of a speech given by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Boy Scouts of America national annual meeting on 23 May 2013. Now that’s the essence of what we do—giving boys an understanding of the words duty to God. That means we must teach them, translate for […]
Part of a speech given by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Boy Scouts of America national annual meeting on 23 May 2013. So here is the lesson for us. Duty to God is a new concept for young minds. Scouts need the understanding that goes […]
Part of a speech given by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson, Presiding Bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at the Boy Scouts of America national annual meeting on 23 May 2013. Sometimes we forget that we are part of a like-minded faith-based society — that the precepts embodied in the scout oath, are generally […]
In 2004 Hurricane Ivan swept through the Caribbean and the United States. At its peak, it reached category 5 strength and winds as high as 165 miles per hour, becoming the 10th most intense Atlantic hurricane on record.[1] Damages were estimated at nearly 19 billion dollars.[2] One of the islands hit hardest was Grand Cayman. During part […]
Some churches think of Scout troops and Cub packs as annoying groups that simply use the church as a meeting space. On the contrary, the presence of hundreds of unchurched youth meeting in our churches offers an opportunity for congregations to minister to the needs of youth. Pastors should help congregations view scouting as a […]
To me, doing my duty to God means giving service to others. Because I love God, I try to help other people at all times and love my neighbor as myself. I believe that it is my duty to help other people come closer to God in their lives, and I try to do so […]
This week the local LDS Chaplain is on a service mission in South America and all the other Philmont Chaplains are back home for the season. Vic Rowberry, the Management Training Section Director for our National Camp School, has given me the assignment to run a “Scouts Own” interdenominational church service and act as chaplain, which I […]
Our efforts as Young Men advisers and Scout leaders can have eternal consequences. When I was a mission president, one particular zone was having a lot of success. I asked one of the zone leaders, “Elder, what’s going on here?” He said, “President, in high school I ran cross-country with a handful of friends. We […]
The twelfth attribute in the Scout law is to be reverent. A Scout is reverent. He is humble. He is respectful. He walks with quiet dignity. Reverence is an internal expression although there are outward signs but unlike the Publicans, a Scout is not reverent to obtain awards or glory but as his duty to […]
“Scouting is nothing less than applied Christianity” – (Scouting & Christianity, 1917) “The religion of a man is not the creed he professes but his life – what he acts upon, and knows of life, and his duty in it. A bad man who believes in a creed is no more religious than the good […]
Scouting seeks to encourage members to grow stronger in their faith. [1] “A Scout is reverent. He is reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties and respects the convictions of others in matters of custom and religion.” [2] The Religious Emblems program of the Boy Scouts of America lists the religious emblems […]
As 2013 draws to a close, let us reflect on the one of the most significant changes that took place this past year described by the LDS Church as, “‘the most comprehensive listening exercise in its [Boy Scouts] history.’” [1] In 2013 the Boy Scouts of America reviewed its membership policy and a change was […]
The Boy Scouts of America is a youth program that seeks to instill in the lives of youth values to help guide them to make moral and ethical choices. When a youth turns 18 he is no longer eligible to participate as a Boy Scout. So are you no longer a Scout because you have […]