Decisions Determine Destiny

Many years ago, my dad and I went on a camping trip in the Uintah Mountains of northeastern Utah. Our plan was to join a group of scouts who had already hiked into the Pinto Lake basin a few days before, about 8 miles into the wilderness area. We asked for directions when we arrived at the trail head and were told to take the trail just over the "brink of the hill" as I recall. However, there was a "fork" in the trail and we had to make a choice ... as it turned out, we chose poorly! After hiking for several hours, the trail ran out and we ended up a long way from where we wanted to be ... lost deep in the wilderness.

I remember being pretty concerned, but my dad was remarkably calm. He reminded me that our truck was at the base of one of the prominent mountains in the distance and that we just had to make our way back to the base of that mountain. We hiked the rest of the day, exhausted, but we made it back to our truck just as it was getting dark.

We slept in the back of our truck that night and the next morning took the correct trail and found the scout troop at Pinto Lake right were they were supposed to be! I have never forgotten that experience and have applied it many times in my life since then.

Years later, I heard President Thomas S. Monson use the phrase, "Decisions Determine Destiny" in one of his talks. It brought back into my memory that fateful trip with my dad and the fork in the trail all those many years ago. It was a great object lesson for me that has had real meaning for me ever since.

The other day, I was reminded of this experience and decided to paint the scene as I remembered it, at the the fork in the trail ... decisions really do determine destiny!