This is an activity that we did combined with the Young Men and Young Women, but it can also be done with just the YW. I will try to give every detail to make it easier for you all.

-Tell the youth that they will be going on a scavenger hunt. That’s all they need to know. We called ours "The Amazing Race." (That kind of makes it sound a little more exciting!)

-The only people that can be involved with the planning of this activity are the 2-3 leaders in charge and the Bishop. No other leaders, and none of the youth should know exactly what will be happening, besides a "scavenger hunt." It was hard to leave the class presidency out of the planning of this, but we just told them we wanted them to be surprised.

-The point of this activity is to make the youth/leaders realize that service is so important. It does not always come at times that are convenient for us. We need to make sure we don’t rush through each day without looking for opportunities to serve.

-We found three people to help us with the activity. They were people that we knew nobody in the ward would know. We used my sister, and the advisor’s mom and sister. At each location, one of these women were there, pretending to be in need of help.

The first destination was Deseret Book (if you have a library close by, you could use it as well). The clue for this was D&C 88:118. We added as an extra clue the intersection at which it was located, so they could know for sure where they were supposed to go. Each group must take a set of scriptures on the hunt. We had the clues taped outside on the window, and as the groups came running over, she was walking out the door. She was using crutches, and holding a bunch of books which she dropped.

The second destination was a bread store. The clue for this was Matthew 4:4. We also put the intersection on the clue. The clues were taped outside the store. In the parking lot was a woman with the hood of her car up, with two children inside the car.

The third destination was a nearby park. The clue for this was Zechariah 8:5 My sister was there, pretending to have lost her wedding ring. As the groups came running, she asked if they could keep an eye out for it, or if they had seen one.

When they came back from the activity, the groups were told to not speak to any other groups, and they had to fill out this worksheet. They need scriptures for this as well. The scriptures all have to do with service. You will probably have to figure out which changes you’ll need to make for your ward…you’ll know what I mean when you read it.

I’m going to put the answers next to the blanks.

Turn to Mosiah in the Book of Mormon.

To find the chapter, use the number of letters in the Bishop’s first name, then subtract three.

To find the verse, take the age you have to be to go to a church dance, then add 3.

Mosiah _______: _______ READ THE SCRIPTURE! (Mosiah 2:17)

 

Turn to St. Matthew in the New Testament.

Find the chapter that has the same amount of letters as the Young Women President’s full name (first and last), then add 10.

To find the verse, take the age you have to be to be President of the United States, then add 5.

St. Matthew _______:_______ READ THE SCRIPTURE! (Matthew 25:40)

 

Turn to St. John in the New Testament.

To find the chapter, take the number of Mia Maids that are in the Glenview ward, then add 9.

To find the verse, take the age of accountability, multiply it by 3, then add 2.

St. John _______: _____ READ THE SCRIPTURE! (St. John 12:26)

 

Turn to St. Luke in the New Testament.

Which day of April was the church organized? This is the chapter.

Find the verse by how many days are in July.

St. Luke _____: _____ READ THE SCRIPTURE! ( St. Luke 6:31)

 

Turn to Mosiah in the Book of Mormon.

Find the chapter by the age of the youngest Deacon, subtract the age of a sunbeam, then subtract 4.

Find the verses by counting how many doors there are in the whole Cultural Hall, add the age that you can start to date, then Subtract 12. (the 2 verses are consecutive)

Mosiah _____: ____&____ READ THE SCRIPTURE! (Mosiah 5: 12&13)

 

WHAT DO THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON? ________________________

After every group completed this worksheet, we checked everyone’s answers, then the bishop got up and spoke for about 5 minutes on service. Then he said that we had some visitors to bring in. In came the three people that were at each location. Hopefully everyone will recognize them. It’s pretty fun to see everyone’s faces as they walk in!! Some groups stopped to help these people, and some did not. Each of them spoke for just a minute or so about what they experienced, if people helped, etc. The spirit was really there, and I could tell the youth could feel it. We served cookies while they were doing their worksheets- most likely you’ll be a little short on time!

Here are some important things to discuss at the beginning of the activity, before the groups leave:

Every driver must obey traffic laws—no speeding!!

When you arrive at the destination, EVERYONE, including the driver, must get out of the car to get the clue.

The winner is not the group who arrives first. It is the group who completes the hunt the fastest. The groups left in 3 minute intervals—I would probably increase it to 5 if you have enough time for that. So make sure you record the time each group leaves and returns.