Bishop Colby Burr wanted to plan a high-adventure activity that would challenge the young men in his Idaho Falls ward. Something that would push them. Something they’d remember.
When he came across the 50/20 hike, 50 miles in 20 hours, he knew he’d found it.
It traces back to President Abraham Lincoln, who allegedly said that every American man should be able to walk 50 miles in a day. Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy later gave the same challenge to the Marine Corps. Eventually, it became known as the “Kennedy March.”
Bishop Burr thought it would provide an ideal, empowering opportunity for his ward. But what he didn’t expect was how much they’d learn about God and themselves along the way.
Walking Into the Dark
Last summer, 12 young men and 8 leaders laced up their shoes and set out at 3 p.m. from Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. After leaving behind the iconic scenery, they followed bike paths through Jackson to end in Hoback.
Fifty miles. Through the night. On foot.
The early miles were full of excitement. But as evening settled in and the route stretched on, the real work began.
Blisters formed. Feet swelled. Muscles ached. The relentless rhythm of one step after another became its own kind of battle.
Conner, one of the youth, said, “I wanted to quit at miles 10, 30, 35, 38, 42, 46, and 49. My goal was so close, yet so far away.”
Another young man, Cameron, said he really started to struggle around mile 32. “The real exhaustion and repetitive nature of the hike started to hit. When I realized I had to do this for 18 more miles, I thought, Why am I doing this?”
Reaching a Spiritual Turning Point
That’s when Cameron prayed for support to keep going.
The answer came, not as relief from pain, but as a shift in perspective. “After I prayed, God helped me change my mindset,” he explained. “I stopped seeing as much of the negative and started seeing the positive. That made it so I could finish the hike.”
Conner found himself doing the same. “I prayed a lot during the hike that I would be able to finish it. It was a humbling experience where I knew I had to call on God to help me through.”
Gavin, a young man who had reconstructive surgery on both feet a few years earlier, said he drew strength from something Bishop Burr said when morale was low: “He said, ‘Think of how hard this is, but think of how hard it was for Christ to go through all our pains.’ … That definitely helped me get through it mentally.”
As one leader, Shawn Kilpatrick, put it, challenges can help us develop greater faith and trust in the Lord:
“I think everybody needs to go through an experience in their life where they do something that they think is too hard and then do it. After that, you realize you can do anything that needs to be done. Challenges change from being insurmountable to, ‘Yeah, I can do it. I may not know how, but it’ll happen.’ That’s what faith is. The ability to move forward, when you don’t see how, knowing God will help it work out.”
The Support Vehicle: A Reminder of the Lord’s Presence
While the leaders walked alongside the youth, leading by example and encouraging them with treats and good attitudes, they also encouraged the young men to access nutrition, first aid, and rest as needed from an RV support vehicle.
“Spiritually, the Savior does the same for each of us,” Bishop Burr said. “Not a single participant would have been able to finish the hike without help from the support-and-gear vehicle. As with us, we will not be able to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father without the help of our Savior.”
Shawn said that at a rest stop in Jackson, he watched one young man, Kent, wrap his blistered feet in Ace bandages in the RV before choosing to continue with the hike. “He jumped out with his blistered, bandaged feet and hobbled after us. We had a pretty fast pace, and Kent was right there with us the whole time. That moment reminded me that, with the Lord, there’s no pain we can’t endure, no hardship we can’t get through.”
What They Took Home
In the end, the young men finished the hike in 18 hours—two hours beneath their target time.
These young men had more than blisters as souvenirs. They learned to see challenges as opportunities and gained confidence in their capabilities.
Thinking of his experience, Cameron said he remembered the Biblical story of David:
“David had the faith and confidence that he could kill Goliath because God had prepared him by giving him the experience of killing the lion. Doing hard things allows us to rely on God and know He will help us. Challenges like this are opportunities to build confidence, because confidence is built primarily by experience.”
Gavin, who had to stop a few miles short due to hardware in his feet, said he didn’t see it as defeat: “I went further than I thought I could.”
Brad Roedel, another leader on the hike, said, “Experiences like these help boys recognize their abilities, the need to work together, and [when to] work alone when necessary. They learn how to push through struggles while keeping their goal in mind and accomplishing the task.”
Additionally, Bishop Burr pointed out that research has shown the benefits of embracing challenges: “Similar to a muscle adapting under stress, the brain rewires itself in response to challenges.”
But perhaps the most important thing these young men learned isn’t measurable in miles or brain chemistry. It’s something quieter—the kind of knowledge you can only earn by seeking divine assistance in moments of humility and discomfort.
As Gavin put it, “I definitely felt God’s presence.”
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