On Target Letter of
President Gordon B. Hinckley
President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Office of the President
47 East South Temple
Salt Lake City, Utah 84150-1700
July 20, 2002

Greetings, Boy Scouts,

I wish that I were with you. It is a great thing to climb a mountain. I hope that out of the wonderful experience you are having there will come into your hearts a new respect, even a reverence, for the earth on which we live.

I hope, also, that there will come an added respect and greater reverence for our Creator, the God of the universe, and His Beloved Son, the Savior of the world, who, under His Father's direction, served as the Master Creator.

As you have climbed up to these mountain peaks and felt the stress in your bodies, I hope you have resolved to keep them clean and strong -- free from such impure and destructive things as drugs, alcohol, tobacco, and other substances which can harm.

I hope that as you lift your sights to the wonders of the heavens, you will realize also that each of you is a son of God, created in His divine image, and that you have a responsibility to keep your minds clean from bad and evil thoughts, from reading pornographic materials, from anything which would lower your thoughts into that which is filthy, instead of lifting them to that which is beautiful and bright and wholesome.

By mirrors and signals, you are able to communicate with one another as you stand on various peaks. Never forget that it is possible to communicate with your Father in Heaven without signals, or mirrors, or radios, or telephones, or anything of that kind: but rather, through humble quiet prayer. Wherever you go, please know that He is available and that He stands ready to hear and to help.

Again, I congratulate you on what you have done in climbing these magnificent mountain peaks. I hope this will be an unforgettable experience for each of you, that you will have a wonderful time "On Target". May you never lose sight of the larger and more important target -- to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, to keep your bodies clean, your minds clean and alert, and your spirits in tune with things divine. God bless you.

Sincerely,

Gordon B. Hinckley
President