We had a wonderful testimony meeting today, I loved Sunday school and YW rocked my socks off. I was so excited to get home and read my scriptures, I feel like a little kid coming home to watch their favorite cartoon, I am just so excited to read and be inspired. So happy to have this sweet man living with me I call husband. He is eating it up too and he is just that much more handsome to me as we embark on this scriptural journey together. He gave our lesson in FHE, I love being taught by him, I feel stronger knowing he's my man.
Scripture of the Day:
1 Nephi 9:5-6
5 Wherefore, the Lord hath commanded me to make these plates for a awise purpose in him, which purpose I know not.
6 But the Lord aknoweth
all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to
accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath
all bpower unto the fulfilling of all his words. And thus it is. Amen.
Thoughts:
So Nephi is surrounded by all these records, journals, family portraits, ancestries, thirty years after what we are reading has actually happened. He's looking at the work that his father has put into writing the family history and still he feels inspired to write many of the same histories in his own words. Do you ever feel like you've been inspired to do something that logically makes no sense, but in the end covers all your bases? Fast forward a couple thousand years. Martin Harris lost 116 pages to be translated by Joseph Smith. Can you imagine The Book of Mormon with out the vision of the Tree of Life or a similar story? I know we don't have everything that those lost records contained, but I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to double up and record those things that impressed him from his father's records so we could benefit from their message in The Book of Mormon.
When I was a freshman in college at BYU in Provo, UT I received an unexpected and wonderful phone call from my club soccer coach in San Diego. Our goalkeeper had evidently injured herself and he graciously gave my teammates, who were all seniors in high school at this point, the option of borrowing a player for state cup or flying me down to play with them. I still can not believe that they chose to fly me down. I had been cut my senior year from the team, with all the love in my heart it was everything I needed yet didn't want to happen. God was seriously watching out for me. Here they were inviting me back a year later, so funny and awesome! I packed up my bags, I had just ended the semester and was taking a Book of Mormon class where our teacher invited us to share the Book of Mormon we had been marking up and studying from the past four months. He emphasized that the most important parts of that book were now inside of us, but our experiences could still be passed on in the form of our notes, I packed the book in my luggage, only with his words passing lightly through my mind.
I was in San Diego for the tournment and had to wake up really early to travel a couple hours away for the games. My family was really busy and I was carpooling with a family from the team that morning. Many of them were like a second family to me, they will always hold a special place in my heart. I love them so much. I have a distinct memory of my mom gently shaking me awake that morning. Before a "how are ya or good morning"or any other expected phrase at 4:30am, I make out, "You've always wanted to be a missionary right?" In my half dreaming state I wisely reply, "....huh? She continued...,"Well nevermind, I woke up this morning with the distinct impression you are to give the ___________ family a Book of Mormon. I've been searching all morning for a Book of Mormon to give them and have been unsuccessful. But the spirit has told me that the book will make itself available" she then pulled out a book and said, "I remembered I had this one". She proceeds to pull out a very tattered Book of Mormon, pages frayed, kool-aide I'm sure spilled on the binding from being inside our van or cabinets for years. My mom knew that it didn't matter what the book looked like that the message inside that book was what needed to be shared, and that she was to follow that directive no matter how strange it seemed. I remember telling her about my religion professor and showing her the actual book I was to deliver. It was one of those moments where time just stops for a second, memorable.
I delivered the Book of Mormon to this family after our game, unfortunately quite ungracefully and articulated such inspirational words like, "Here, my mom wanted me to give this to you." I know...so embarrising. None the less it was received. I remember the book was taken and automatically turned up-side-down against the receivers chest and then shown to their spouse briefly in the car then put away. I wish I would have been more bold to share what that book had done for me in my life, but I feel like I've made up for it in other areas. I had some growing to do. My mom followed up and made it clear why the copy they received was so special to me personally.
Nothing ever came of it. I don't know if it ever will. But I'll certainly not ever forget the impression it had on me. Nephi had to wait 2000 years. I don't know if there are that many years left in mortality, but I do know "[God] prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men." Even if it wakes them up at 4:30am in the morning.
If there is one thing I've learned about my mom it's if she wakes up with an impression in the morning you follow it. It's like heaven rests on her pillow and she can't wait to wake up and share with us what she learned while she was there.
Happy Reading...off to embark on day four.
I think this was the team when we were like...13 or 14 years old. love it.
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