Tag: Temple-side Chat

11 Peaks in 11 Days: Utah Climbing Itinerary

IMG_2268Unfurling Banners to STOP CHILD ABUSE!!!

July 24 – Aug 3, 2019

Over the course of 11 days, 11 peaks and trails will be hiked to raise awareness that our children need protection, especially in religious institutions where so many of our precious little ones have been abused.

Tyler Slack has meticulously lined up the itinerary below.  I thank my friend for the hours of thought and toil required to put this all together.  He plans to join me on many if not all of the hikes.

There is a wide variety of climbs.  From easy to strenuous.  Around the Salt Lake Valley, up to Ogden and down to Utah Valley.  Some start before sunrise.  Some last past sunset.    Pick a peak and join us.

Day 1, Wed July 24:  Mt Timpanogos

Meet-up time:  4:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Timpooneke trailhead, 40.4313, -111.639

Estimated Time:  8-12 hrs (Likely shorter depending on snow pack)

Length: 14.3 miles (4,389 ft. elevation gain) 

Difficulty:  Strenuous

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Trail Information

Notes:   Climb from 7,360 ft to 11,749 feet for a total of 4,389 feet elevation gain. Allowing many extra hours to complete due to anticipated congestion due to the holiday. Possible $6 fee if starting later in the day.  The actual length of the hike may be impacted by snow pack blocking the trail.  For safety reasons, we won’t be going beyond that point.

Day 2, Thu July 25:  Mount Baldy from top of Snowbird Tram (Hidden Peak)

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  9385 Snowbird Center Dr, Sandy, UT 84092

Estimated Time:  2 hrs (4 hrs including tram ride)

Length:  2 miles (240 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Notes:  $18 Tram Ticket (if purchased in advance) 

Day 3, Fri July 26:  Donut Falls

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Donut Falls Trailhead (40°38’22.6″N 111°39’04.4″W)

Estimated Time:  2 hrs

Length:  3 miles (531 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Notes:  Depending on how busy it is, parking at the trailhead may not be possible, in which case it’s an extra .5 mile hike from overflow parking near the canyon road.

Day 4, Sat July 27:  Ben Lomond Peak

Meet-up time:  7:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Pioneer Trail, Ogden, UT  (41°19’13.8″N 111°53’55.7″W)

Estimated Time:  7-9 hrs

Length:  14.9 miles (3,618 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Strenuous

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Trail Information 

Day 5, Sun  July 28:  Sunset Hike, Ensign Peak

Meet-up time:  8:00 pm

Meet-up Location:  166 Ensign Vista Dr, Salt Lake City, UT

Estimated Time:  1.5 hrs

Length:  .8 miles (374 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Day 6, Mon July 29:  Night hike, Big Beacon Mt. Wire Trail

Meet-up time:  9:00 pm

Meet-up Location:  Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Salt Lake City, UT (40°45’46.6″N 111°49’23.1″W)

Estimated Time:  3 hrs

Length:  4.7 miles (2,184 ft elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Moderate

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Trail Information  

Notes:  Bring flashlights

Day 7, Tue July 30:  Sugarloaf Peak (Including Cecret Lake)

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  9530 S Campground Rd, Alta, UT 

Estimated Time:  3 hrs

Length:  5 miles (1,801 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Moderate

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Trail Information  

Notes:  Possible $6 fee to park at trailhead.  Possible shuttle to avoid fee.

Day 8, Wed July 31:  Battle Creek Falls

Meet-up time:  10:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Bonneville Shoreline Trail, Pleasant Grove, UT (40°21’46.5″N 111°42’02.8″W)

Estimated Time:  2 hrs

Length:  1.2 miles (400 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Trail Information  

Note:  We are only going to the waterfall which is 1.2 miles round trip.

Day 9, Thu Aug 1:  Grandeur Peak

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Church For trailhead, 5861 Mill Creek Canyon Rd, Salt Lake City, UT

Estimated Time:  4.5 hrs

Length:  6.5 miles (2,647 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Strenuous

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Trail Information  

Notes:  $3 fee for Millcreek Canyon.

Day 10, Fri Aug 2:  Temple Quarry

Meet-up time:  10:00 am

Meet-up Location:  Little Cottonwood Creek Trail, Little Cottonwood Rd, Sandy, UT

Estimated Time:  2 hrs

Length:  2 miles (300 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty:  Easy

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Day 11, Sat Aug 3:  Hidden Falls

Meet-up time:  11:00 am

Meet-up Location:  S-Curve in Big Cottonwood Canyon

Estimated Time:  1 hrs

Length:  .6miles (42 ft. elevation gain)

Difficulty: Easy

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Trail Information  

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Temple Side Chats

Starting on July 25, each evening after the hikes, I’ll be stationed across from Temple Square.  With microphone in hand and Facebook Live rolling, our chat will be broadcast around the world.  One hour long, it will start at 7pm MDT.

Who are invited?  Why everyone of course!

  • I hope to see friends and make many new acquaintances.
  • Parents, grandparents and any one interested in protecting every child.
  • Victims and survivors of childhood trauma are particularly welcome.  We mourn for what happened to you.  We cheer for your healing and progress.  We love and support you.  We are standing up to protect today’s children from the indignities that your suffered.

Will there be an empty chair this year?  Yes!  During the hunger strike the chair remained empty for the entire 23 days.  This year I hope it will be occupied every single night.

Who is the empty chair for?  Representatives of any institution that has implemented strong child protection protocols….especially churches.  I invite a pastors, bishops, leaders or members of a congregation to share with the world how they Protect Every Child in their organization.

News Conference

In the midst of the hiking schedule, a new conference will be held.  Please, please come.

  • Date:  Sunday July 28
  • Time:  10:30 am
  • Place:  50 West Club & Cafe
  • Address:  50 West Broadway, SLC

March to End Child Abuse

Remember, the huge upcoming event:  March for the children on October 5, 2019 in Salt Lake City.  Be a part of this historic happening.  Help us leave a lasting imprint on the lives of children who will never experience the horrors of abuse.  We need **5,000** people to show up.  Please come and bring every single person you can muster.

Register HERE.

 

 

Temple-side Chat with Jesus

EmptyChairFor 15 nights, I invited the 15 apostles to come to temple square and meet with adults who have been hurt as children.  Over those 15 days, upwards of 800 people, members and former members gathered with anticipation.  Every night their hopes were dashed.  They were greeted by an empty chair.

The apostles are fully aware of the thousands of children who their policies have dreadfully hurt.  They are fully aware that their protocols continue to put our kids in harms way.  They continue to refuse to even recognize their victims.  The apostles remain in their comfy ivory tower and look down with, what appears to be, dismissal and disregard for the masses.

Well, fine.  If that’s the way they want it, I am going over their heads…directly to the master of the universe.  For the last 4 nights at Temple Square, I’ve invited Jesus to join us.  

Will he actually show up?  I don’t have certain confirmation.  However, I’m pretty sure He will not disappoint.  A chair will be awaiting Him.  Not a red velvet throne fit for an apostle.  Nope.  A lowly camp chair.  The same humble seating that the apostles treated with disdain.

Tonight’s Temple-side Chat with Jesus will include 3 significant events.

1) Christ will occupy the empty chair.  I hope.

2) This night will be my Ezekiel evening.

3) A new ritual will be established and continued for the last 4 nights of our Chats.

If you are a victim or survivor of abuse and shame please come. The next 4 Temple-side’s are designed specifically for you.

This is all something completely new to me. I’m a little nervous and also very much looking forward to it.

Of course, you can watch it on FB livestream.

Wednesday 8/15, 7:00pm, South Temple St, SLC

PLEASE SHARE

Letter to Apostles–Invitation to Temple-Side Chat

Apostles ancientThe following letter was delivered to the apostles earlier today.

Dear Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,

By now, I’m assuming that you are aware of what is taking place nightly in the shadow of our gorgeous and sacred Salt Lake Temple.  Just in case, here are the details again.

For a total of fifteen days, an event is being held across the street from temple square.  It is called Temple-side Chat with an Apostle.  Each day, one of the apostles will be invited to join us.  A chair will be provided for his comfort. The chat will last around an hour, unless the apostle desires to extend it.

People will gather each evening.  Many will be victims and survivors of the heartbreaking consequences resulting from youth interviews. They desire to speak directly with those responsible for the policies that enabled the crippling indignities suffered while they were mere children.

The stories of hundreds of these good people were delivered to your offices last March.  Elder Christofferson has read them all.  He described them as TRAGIC.  To many survivors, it has been highly meaningful that their accounts actually landed on Elder C’s desk.  That he read them is huge.  Just think what it would mean to them for an actual apostle to listen in-person to these TRAGIC stories.

A central purpose of the Savior’s gospel is healing. Our gentle Lord was in constant out-reach to those who were shunned by the priesthood holders of his time.

Jesus is lauded for healing in his wings.  As a Special Witness of Christ, please come and spread that healing to those we have harmed.  You will be spreading the Balm of Gilead not only among those present, but among thousands upon thousands around the world.

The Temple-side Chat with an Apostle begins every night at 7:00pm on the sidewalks of South Temple Street. If you would prefer a different venue, please let me know and we’ll happily convene there. Here is the schedule of invitations.

July 29:  Elder Soares—Failed to show.

July 30:  Elder Gong–Failed to show.

July 31:  Elder Renlund–Failed to show.

Aug 1:     Elder Stevenson–Failed to show.

Aug 2:     Elder Rasband—Failed to show.

Aug 3:     Elder Anderson–-Failed to show.

Aug 4:     Elder Christofferson–-Failed to show.

Aug 5:     Elder Cook–Failed to show.

Aug 6:     Elder Bednar–Failed to show.

Aug 7:     Elder Uchtdorf–-Failed to show.

Aug 8:     Elder Holland–Failed to show.

Aug 9:     Elder Ballard–Failed to show.

Aug 10:   President Eyring–Failed to show.

Aug 11:  President Oaks–Failed to show.

Aug 12:  President Nelson–Failed to show.

Thanks for your heartfelt consideration,

Sam Young

P.S. Yesterday, referring to me, you stated: “Further meetings with him are not necessary.”  If you prefer that I not to be at the Temple-Side Chat when you are present, I’ll gladly accommodate.  Healing victims and protecting children are my primary concerns.

Dear Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Gong

Dear Elder Gong,

This past May, you and your wife Susan, spoke at BYU’s women’s conference.  Susan shared “three observations about what it might mean to love as Jesus loves.”

The first one was to understand.  She said, “There is healing, there is hope in just being known, just being understood.” She added, “If I am to love as Jesus would love, what do I need to do? I need to learn to listen.”

Secondly, she said, we must “feel compassion.”  Specifically she stated that “compassion requires imagination and intention . . . To feel how it really feels to have been abused.”

And finally she concludes, “Like the Good Samaritan, when Christ finds us suffering, He has compassion on us, He comes to us, binds our wounds, and brings us to the inn and cares for us.”

Elder Gong, there are wounded travelers on the side of the road.  They have asked to meet with you.  As your wife said, they long to be heard and understood.  Who will stop and love them as Jesus did?  And who will pass them by on the side of the road?

These wounded travelers are victims of abuse at the hand of church leaders who gained access to their victims through our church’s own policies that allow private one on one interviews where leaders can inquire after personal sexual issues.  This policy has the unintended consequence of providing cover and opportunity for the worst desires of humanity and this must change.

I plead with you, come and talk with the wounded travelers. Share the Savior’s love with them. Have compassion and hear their stories. Love them as Christ would if he were here.  It is me to them.

I trust that as a disciple of Christ  you will know what our Savior expects of you to be the Good Samaritan and not pass by like the priest or the Levite.

For a total of fifteen days, an event is being held across the street from temple square.  It is called a “Temple-side Chat with an Apostle.”  Each day, one of the apostles will be invited to join us.  A chair will be provided for his comfort.  The chat will last around an hour, unless the apostle desires to extend it.

Elder Gong, you are the apostle who I’m cordially inviting to join us on Monday, July 30th at 7:00pm.  The chat will be broadcast live on FB.  You will reach 10’s of 1,000’s around the world with your healing words.

With Love,

Sam Young

P.S.  This invitation was not composed by me.  It was written by a woman, an active member of the church.  She fears family and ward backlash if she were to openly sign this letter.

Dear Elder Ulisses Soares

 

Soares-Ulisses2017Congratulations on your new calling as an apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  I’m confident that you will continue to serve the Lord diligently and faithfully.  You have my support and prayers.  Today, my wife went to the Houston temple to specifically put your name on the prayer roll, along with the 14 other apostles.

Yesterday, I was told that you should already know of me and my cause to protect our children.  Thank heavens that the Quorum of the Twelve has paid attention to the thousands of members who are crying out in concern and pain.

For the next fifteen days, an event will be held across the street from temple square.  It will be called a “Temple-side Chat with an Apostle.”  Each day, one of the apostles will be invited to join us.  A chair will be provided for his comfort.  The chat will last around an hour, unless the apostle desires to extend it.

Topic of the chat?  It will center on our church policy for interviewing minors.  There is no matter more important than keeping our children safe.

Who will the apostle be chatting with?  Adults who have been egregiously harmed as children.  Concerned parents.  People with questions about our interview practices.  Others who simply want to express love for our leaders.

Elder Soares, I cordially invite you to be the first apostle to intimately grace the presence of concerned members.  Join us, Sunday, July 29th at 7:00pm.  This will be broadcast by livestream on FB.  You will touch 10’s of 1,000’s around the world with your compassion and wisdom.

Please don’t leave the chair empty.

With Love, your brother in Christ,

Sam Young

P.S.  If for some reason, your chair does sit empty, I’ll try my darnedest to give good answers to those who participate in our Temple-side-Chat-with-an-Apostle.