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When we make plans to take a trip, there's a lot of discussions on the subject, what way we're going to go, if we're going to fly or drive, and what we're going to pack.

Planning is part of life. We plan to go to school, or go on a mission, or go to the temple, we plan on doing our spring cleaning, or end of summer activities.

Did you ever plan on becoming inactive? Is that something we plan, or does it just happen? How about coming back to the church, is that planned?

Let's share the following excerpt from a March 2011 New Era article by Gary Leikness, A Small and Simple Rafting Trip.

In it, the author tells us how he'd been baptized at the age of eight, but through the years he and his family stopped going to meetings. Until one day after he'd spent some time with friends away from home, he comes back to find out his dad  had accepted an invitation from the bishop and had signed him up for a youth rafting trip. He met boys that he knew, but he wasn't involved with the 'church people.'

The thing is, he had fun at that trip, and noticed the difference between his worldy friends and his newfound friends. He was invited to come to church, and he said that maybe he'd come. The next Sunday he got up and got dressed, and surprised his family by going to church. He did that for a few weeks, until his family decided to join him.

He says:

"One small invitation led a family back to church. I earned my Eagle Scout Award and went on a mission. Patti and I each got married in the temple to returned missionaries. We’re now raising our own families in the gospel.

"If you invite a less-active person to an activity, it may or may not impact their lives. But if you don’t invite them, it definitely won’t."

So, tell us, what kind of trip are you prepared to take?

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