"I never want to let my sisters down spiritually."

"Recently I participated in a pioneer trek with young men and young women in our ward. Each morning I asked myself, 'What is my sacrifice? How do I come after them?'

"On the second day of the trek we had pulled our handcarts eight miles (13 km) when we came to a place on the trail called “the women’s pull.” Men and women were separated, and the men were sent ahead up a hill. As we started to pull our handcarts, I looked up to see our priesthood brethren, young and old, lining both sides of the trail, hats off in respect for the women.

"The path was easy at first, but soon we were in deep sand, and the hill grew steep. I had my head down and was pushing with all my might when I felt a tug on the cart and looked up to see Lexi, one of our young women and my neighbor. She had pulled her handcart to the top and, seeing our need for help, ran back. When we reached the top, I wanted so much to run back to help those following me, but I was breathing heavily and my heart was pounding so hard, the words heart attack entered my mind more than once! I watched with gratitude as other young women dropped their handcarts and ran to help.

"When everyone reached the top, we took some time to record feelings in our journals. I wrote: 'I didn’t prepare well enough physically so didn't have the strength to help those following me. I may never need to pull a handcart again, but I never want to let my sisters down spiritually, never!' It was a sacred experience that awakened me spiritually to my duties to my family and others."

Carole M. Stephens, Wide Awake to Our Duties. October 2012 LDS General Conference.