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Recreation, Outdoors and Religion
Finding God In The Great Outdoors

Finding God In The Great Outdoors

Last updated on: July 15, 2026 at 9:58 am by Abby Christianson

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Finding God In The Great Outdoors 2026-07-15T09:58:32-06:00 Abby Christianson

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Image by Sergio Cerrato - Italia from Pixabay

Finding God in the Great Outdoors Image by Sergio Cerrato – Italia from Pixabay

July is National Park and Recreation Month. I was recently asked if the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plans hikes, retreats, or outdoor worship services in the summer. Oh boy, do we! And I am really excited to tell you about them. The Church does informal and formally organized outdoor activities in the summer. Enjoying the great outdoors is one of my favorite activities.

When I was teaching Primary (ages 3-11), I remember taking the kids outside the building to have a lesson on the lawn when the weather was nice. That may not be as feasible for those in large cities, but we were in a small town. Our congregation often organized camping trips for those families interested in going. And every summer, I really looked forward to Girls’ Camp and Youth Conference.

Girls’ Camp

Girls’ Camp is typically a week-long outdoor camping experience for girls aged 12-18. Sometimes we were in cabins, other times we roughed it in tents. But we cooked outside, took long hikes, and had campfire devotionals. It was the highlight of my summer every year.

We learned to serve one another, sang silly songs and beautiful hymns, and enjoyed time away from our busy schedules and hectic lives. These were the days before cell phones, way back in the 1900’s. But I am sure they don’t allow devices at camp today. I loved the crafts and learning to cook some of our own meals, and I learned about God and how much He loves us.

Growing

Image by Siegfried Poepperl from Pixabay

bird Image by Siegfried Poepperl from Pixabay

At Girls’ Camp, girls are given leadership opportunities as they get older. The oldest girls get to be youth camp leaders (YCL’s), and the girls just younger than they are are Junior youth camp leaders (Jr YCLs). They plan activities, hikes, support the adults, and encourage the youngest campers. They even teach outdoor survival skills. It is a fulfilling role if you are a people person and a chance to grow, no matter who you are.

I remember that in my first year at Girls’ Camp, I learned about the laws of physics and gravity. I was poised to jump into the pool for a relay race, and accidentally jumped the gun. Because I didn’t want to be disqualified, I tried to correct my error midair and succeeded in landing on the pool ledge, on the concrete. I had never been in so much pain.

I am amazed I didn’t break my leg, to be honest. And for my trouble, I earned a purple bruise the size of a football on my upper thigh. It is not a lesson I will ever forget. Once you are already in midair, keep jumping into the pool; don’t lean back. And being disqualified is not the worst thing that can happen to you.

Outdoor Learning

Image by bertvthul from Pixabay

Driving to camp Image by bertvthul from Pixabay

I also gained a greater testimony of God’s love for His children as I attended and served the girls at camp. I made lifelong friends and learned about nature and the outdoors. We took long hikes, and on one of them, I discovered I was afraid of heights and learned how to overcome that paralyzing fear with the help of my camp leaders. We learned how to start campfires and use a propane stove. That propane stove lesson is still one I use when I need to cook outdoors. It’s a genius invention.

One of the highlights of Girls’ Camp was the outdoor campfire testimony meeting at the end of camp. Everyone got a chance to speak and share their love of God. The tears flowed freely that night, and my love for the women around me and for my Savior grew exponentially.

Youth Conference

Youth Conference was another wonderful summer experience. In this week-long camp, boys and girls both got to participate. (Of course, the boys have Boys’ camp, so they were not left out of a similar girls’ camp experience.) They divided us into “families,” with adult couples supervising groups of youth, typically with an equal number of boys and girls. And we spent the week participating in activities designed to promote unity and strengthen our bonds with each other and the Savior.

I remember one year, the theme was the life of Christ. To start off, we were each assigned specific disabilities. We had some in our group who were blind, one of whom we had to carry because they could not walk, and others of us who were mute. I think I may have been one of the mute ones, and I really struggled because I was a major chatterbox.

Image by James Chan from Pixabay

We went through team obstacle courses while accommodating our disabilities, and at the end of the day, we gathered to hear about the Savior’s life. How He healed the sick and cured those whose bodies weren’t working properly.

A man dressed in Old Testament garb came around the room and touched the top of each head. And we dropped our disabilities as we were symbolically healed. It was such a relief to be free! I gained a greater appreciation for what the people of Jesus’ time experienced. They literally got their lives back as they were granted freedom from their infirmities.

Coming unto Him

One evening, we had a devotional followed by a time to reflect in a quiet room. At the front of the room, they had set up a table like the Last Supper, with an image of the Savior in the center. We went into the room and sat quietly while music played.

I felt the Spirit so strongly as I thought about how much the Savior had worked to teach us a new way, and how much He must have loved us to sacrifice so much. The lights were low, and there were lit candles on the table. The atmosphere was perfect for pondering, and it has stayed in my memory as a major moment in my life.

I feel God in the great outdoors

I’ve gained a greater appreciation for our world, our God, and His love for us as I have spent time outdoors. There is a special feeling when you are away from civilization. Simply taking a walk in the park evokes the peace that nature gives. And taking a hike lets you visit some of the greatest sights on earth. I haven’t seen the Grand Canyon in person, but I did drive through Zion National Park. The rock formations in those areas are impressive.

And if you want to see waterfalls and rivers that will make you stop and stare, you should go see the Snake River in Idaho. California’s Redwood forests are impressive in the extreme. So are Idaho’s Craters of the Moon and Hell’s Half Acre and Yellowstone; honestly, the list is very long. And across our country, there are majestic examples of God’s creative power in nature. I hope you get some time to spend in nature this summer. The time for peace and outdoor reflection is healing to the soul.

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