Sellars Creek Ranch
What is Sellars Creek Ranch?
Sellars Creek Ranch is located about four miles south of Bone, Idaho. Since the early 1960s, the Ranch has been home to one of the church’s welfare cattle operations, and later for Camp Cumorah girls and family camps, and most recently—the site for stake and ward youth conferences and family treks.
In mid-2015, the Sellars Creek Ranch Trek Operation was authorized as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' eighth handcart trek site. The Ranch is 1,680 acres in size, and has a 700-foot elevation change from the lower meadows on it’s east side—to the top of Perspective Peak on it’s west side. The property is administered and managed by the Agent Ammon Idaho Stake to be an official Church Handcart Trek Site, as well as one of the Church's 54 Welfare Department sites. It hosts grazing pastures for hundreds of cattle and calves each summer as part of the Welfare System to provide food for the poor and needy. Within this multi-purpose role, the Ranch also hosts a 29-acre recreational camp for girl's, families, and other priesthood purposes. This recreation property called Camp Cumorah, is managed by the Agent Ammon Idaho North Stake.
The purpose of the youth conference and trek program is to strengthen young men's and women's relationships with the Lord Jesus Christ. This mission enables youth to become agents unto themselves, and to experience spirit-prompted personal development. Youth and their leaders may plan outdoor learning experiences here that complement what they are learning at home, in their ward classes and quorums, and in their Seminary classes. Some ideas that have been incorporated into youth conference planning include:
- Activities associated with becoming members of the Lord’s Youth Battalion, and centered on aspects of the “For The Strength Of Youth” pamphlet
- The new Youth Program for 11–18-year-olds (released on Nov. 17, 2019)
- Activities related to pioneer handcart treks
- Bible and Book of Mormon story reenactments
- "Come, Follow Me" program learning activities
- Other priesthood-purposed and faith-promoting experiences that add to scriptural knowledge, personal development, and increased conversion.
Who manages the Ranch?
The Office of the Seven Presidents Of the Seventy designated the Ammon Idaho Stake as the Agent Stake Presidency to administer and manage the Trek Operation.
- There are four additional Stakes that were also designated as Sellars Creek Ranch Trek Operations Committee members. They are the Ammon East, Ammon Foothills, Ammon North, and Idaho Falls Ammon West Stakes.
- During the trekking season from mid-May through mid-September, the Church Service Missionary Couple called to be the “Trek Coordinators,” manage the site for the Agent Stake on a day-to-day basis.
- Missionary couples are called by their respective Stake Presidency, and set apart by their home Ward Bishop to be “Trek Specialists.” The length of their full-time service can vary from one to three trek seasons.
- Missionary couples live at the Ranch during the summer season of their service.
- Before, during, and following the trekking season, these couples work with the Church Units that register for stake and ward youth conferences, and/or family treks.
How You Can Get Involved
Couples interested in serving as Church Service Missionaries or stake Trek Specialists are invited to contact Brother Greg Johnson to discuss service opportunities. He can be reached by calling or texting 208-589-2269.