Shac Jam 2010: Church News Article

Below is an article about the Shac Jam that Bennett and Garren went to. It was published in the LDS Church News and Bennett is in one of pictures that was in the article.


Elder Claudio R. Costa of the Seventy (right) leans over to speak with Elder Gifford Nielsen from the Area Seventy.

Bennett with other kids from our ward.

A leader of troop 1478 instructs young men on the Church's exhibit at the Sam Houston Area Council's jamboree.

LDS young men prepare for sacrament meeting on Sunday August 10, 2010

The Houston-area scouts put up a display showing details about the Duty to God program.

More than 1,600 Church members gather on the Texas World Speedway for a sacrament meeting on October 10, 2010.

LDS young men are among thousands of Scouts at Jamboree in Texas

By Bradley Olson

Church News contributor

Published: Friday, Oct. 15, 2010

As David Mojica looked out on the multitude of young men, all wearing their Boy Scout uniforms and receiving the sacrament he had helped to prepare for the congregation, he caught a glimpse of how Helaman's stripling warriors might have felt.

.More than 1,600 young men and their leaders from about a dozen stakes in the Houston area gathered Oct. 8-10 to celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America, along with more than 24,000 Scouts from other faiths and backgrounds.

For David and others, the culmination was a rare Sunday-morning sacrament meeting in which Elder Claudio R. Costa of the Seventy presided and spoke, along with Elder Gifford Nielsen, an Area Seventy.

"It felt like we were in the army of God," said David, 17, of the Houston North Stake. "It was so amazing to see that many people take the sacrament at the same time. I kept thinking about Helaman's army and when Jesus fed the multitude.… I knew I might never see something like that again."

Beginning Friday, Oct. 8, LDS Scouts of all stripes streamed in to the old racetrack site at the Texas World Speedway near College Station, pitched their tents and went about enjoying the fruits of the Sam Houston Area Council's 100-year jamboree.

Jerry Birkinshaw was among many LDS adults who spent countless hours volunteering to make the jamboree a success. An assistant district commissioner overseeing the Scouting programs of several Houston-area LDS units, Brother Birkinshaw helped direct traffic, register staff and even organize a major exhibit about the Duty to God program and other LDS Scouting awards.

More than 1,600 Church members gather on the Texas World Speedway for a sacrament meeting on October 10, 2010.

"It's extremely important that we're involved in any event like this," Brother Birkinshaw said. "As a worldwide Church, we can't hide our beliefs in God and we have to put our best foot forward and participate in the Scouting community. We want folks to know who we are and to respect the way we do things."

Adult leaders from various stakes helped man the booth and answered questions from the hundreds of Scouters who stopped, many of whom were intrigued by a near life-size photo of the Christus statue.

"It was wonderful to be able to promote the role faith plays in our lives and to find some similarities in what we're teaching to other faiths that participate in Boy Scouts," said David Ramirez, first counselor in the Young Men Presidency of the League City Texas Stake. "It shows that Scouting still has faith at its core."

Leaders and young men enjoyed a concert Friday night, spectacular fireworks Saturday and reams of opportunities for fun and learning that ranged from rock climbing to shooting clay pigeons and observing World War II-era military vehicles in action.

Grayson Russell, 13, a patrol leader with Troop 1961 in the Spring, Texas, area, said he enjoyed watching more than 3,100 model rockets shoot into the air at the same time, a feat that set a Guinness World Record.

"It's not just the fact that we got to do a whole bunch of Scout stuff, but we got to be away from everything in this really cool place, doing things we liked to do," said Grayson, who also passed the sacrament on Sunday.

Truman Davies, 16, was pleasantly surprised by the band at the concert, which played popular music songs from this generation and others. Being able to watch the concert and roam about the grounds to participate in all the activities — using the buddy system, of course — was one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip, Truman said.

Many were also moved by the words of Elders Costa and Nielsen.

Elder Costa, who also had the opportunity that weekend to address a conference of more than 1,000 young women and another gathering of single adults, praised the young Scouts for their reverence, read extensively from the new Duty to God books and urged them to write diligently in a journal.

"He (Heavenly Father) will help you as you turn to Him in prayer," Elder Costa said. "You will feel a great sense of accomplishment as you fulfill" your Duty to God.

Elder Costa urged the young men to be faithful missionaries, to study the scriptures diligently and to learn to know God, which the scriptures define as "life eternal." That would help them "qualify" to marry the young women in the Church who, he said with a smile, "are much better than us."

"This mortal life is the time the Lord gave to each of us," he said.

Elder Nielsen said, "This is going to be an absolutely incredible army of God that will fill this earth with missionary work." He urged the young men to remain worthy so they could serve in the area the Lord is preparing for them.