In the Cultural Celebration #3 and #4 were Stripling Warriors.
For their staffs, they went hiking to find the perfect stick then came home sawed off all the branches, and then sanded them smooth. It took them quite a few hours.
Here are my boys. (Fast forward to minute 8.)
Watching this again, makes me cry- again. This was an awesome sight to see 2020 strong, righteous, and faithful young men all assembled together.
These boys are modern day Strippling Warriors. They are not fighting against Lamanite armies. but they have even tougher army they are up against - drugs, pornography, dishonestly, selfishness, etc
They are our defenders of truth and right. God is with them and they shall not fall.
I hope as their mother I have taught them that "if they [do] not doubt, God will deliver them" just as he did Helaman's Army.
My daughter did a hoola hoop dance to I know that My Redeemer Lives. (#2 is in the 3rd row, 4th person from the back.) I love this song. It always makes me cry. This night was no different. To see my beautiful daughter dancing to I know that My Redeemer Lives with a backdrop of the temple behind her just about did me in. She was beautiful, it was beautiful.
Here is the footage of #2's dance.
Link HERE
Link HERE
To commemorate this special day, our Stake gave each participant a plague made from remnant wood from the Payson Temple.
Members of our Stake spent several hours cutting and carving our Stake's logo into these plagues for our youth.
This experience is something they will remember for ever.
I hope they will keep these plagues forever and display them in their future homes as a reminder to them and a testament to their future children.
Come back tomorrow for the Grand Finale!