Different from the message of the adversary to withdraw from others, the Savior invites us to gather together, to feel included, to recognize our acceptableness, and to come and stay engaged in His gospel. All of us who have ever built a campfire know this. I have been on many campouts and outings with the young men. I don’t think I have been to a YM campout where a YM didn’t want to start a fire, and usually the bigger the better. One of my favorite YM outings was traveling with Bishop Rob Foote and a group of young men for a high adventure rafting trip down the Arkansas river in Colorado. During our first evening, we camped along the river and built a campfire, one of the biggest campfires I have seen. It was warm, and bright, and awesome. Later that evening, with a bright moon above us and with flashlights in hand, we had a wonderful experience climbing the mountain behind us and enjoyed sitting at the top, sharing with each other our faith together.
Often, when a campfire is built, a YM will pull a stick out of the fire to watch it burn, and from time to time swing it around, hopefully not to the detriment of others around the fire. What happens to that stick after a few moments? That stick begins to burn less brightly and eventually will go out. This experience has a spiritual message for us. The adage–what goes in the fire, stays in the fire–is a good one for us to remember. Our spiritual sticks of wood should stay in the fire, where they can burn brightly for others to see. Gathering together with others of faith at church and in our homes can help combat loneliness and isolation and can be a fuel of faith that strengthens our testimony and relationship with our Savior.