A Weekend of Fun and Spiritual Activities at Hurst Texas Father and Sons Campout
by Debby Adair
Fathers and sons from the Hurst Texas area spent the first weekend in May building rapport, comradery, teamwork and family bonds during an overnight campout in Denton, Texas. The annual event, called the Fathers and Sons Campout, hosted by the Hurst Texas Stake Young Men's program commemorates the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood to the Prophet Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over 80 people attended.
Here, the boys are practicing log sawing. Pictured from left to right: Martin Pulido, Seth Blackington, Joshua Murray, Hyrum Graf, Samuel Keil, Fredrick Pulido, Jacob Blackington. Photo courtesy of Bob Collins.
“The Father and Sons Campout was a great experience for me and my son this year. We were able to spend time with a few members of our ward (congregation) that we just don't get to see on a regular basis and had a great time getting to know them better,” said Dave Harper, a member of the Hurst Ward and father of Jackson Harper. He continued:
“I also felt the spirit strongly during the evening activity. Members of the stake were sharing experiences of how they were converted to the gospel and I felt the spirit testify personally to me how important it is for each of us to be converted to Christ.”
Celebrating the Priesthood as Fathers and Sons
The weekend included a presentation on the Restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood by Shawn Heaton, Stake Young Men President, Tom Rogers, 1st Counselor and Taniela ‘Etuake Vake, 2nd Counselor of the Hurst Texas Stake.
“We had a great experience. It strengthened my testimony about the priesthood by helping me understand it better and how it was restored to the earth,” said Jack Jones, son of Adam and Natalie Jones, of the Bedford 2nd Ward. “It was a testimony building experience. One thing that really strengthened my testimony was when we got to hear members share their conversion story.”
Adam Jones and his two sons, Miles and Noah. Photograph courtesy of Bob Collins.
The campers spent the night, and after a hearty breakfast, the fathers and sons participated in various activities, including tomahawks/knife target throwing and log sawing.
“The Fathers and Sons Campout was a great mix of fun activities and spiritual activities. I really enjoyed it,” said Jackson Harper, son of Dave and Jamie Harper, of the Hurst Ward.
Read more about this annual campout.
Debby Adair serves as a Hurst Stake Website Editor and Reporter. She is a former Financial Compliance Officer / Financial Fraud Examiner. She now spends her days enjoying retirement and enjoys traveling internationally, cooking and interior decorating during her free time.