During the summer of 1977 (or so), this boy left Minnesota for the Rockies. On a whim, I drove up to Grand Targhee in hopes of seeing spectacular views. The lifts were not running; the place seemed vacant. So I took a hike. It started at the parking lot (elevation of 2420 m; 7940 ft) and ended at the top of Fred’s Mountain (2968 m; 9738 ft). While that climb isn’t impressive in any possible way, for a guy who lived at 255 m (837 ft) and was absolutely unprepared (e.g., no water, no real prep, wrong shoes) and unaccustomed to that elevation, it was arduous.
On returning home, this experience was shared with the ward. The story was much like the related portion of the recent conference talk by Elder Whiting: “Becoming like Him” (but not so preachy :- ). As an aside, said talk resonated more than others.
And yet, there was a distinct difference. On reaching the top of the mountain, the view was overwhelming. The thought occurred that summiting Mount Fred exposed another, higher, more grand mountain (no pun intended), hidden from view during the entire ascent. That mountain, if ever climbed, would first require a descent and obviously a more challenging ascent. During this trip I received the endowment and was sealed to my family.
How this all connects is left as an exercise for the student.