Family Scripture and Prayer

Having just finished reading "The Book of Mormon" together as a little family, Jon and I decided to start reading "The New Testament" together. Being that Jessica is in town and often over at our house, she sometimes joins us.

The other night, the three of us were reading Matthew 6. We were on verse 6, and it was Jon's turn to read. He started reading the verse on the couch sitting next to us...

"But thou, when thou prayest,"

...and then stood up while still reading and started walking towards the closet...

"enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door,"

...got inside--still reading...

"pray to thy Father which is in secret;"

and shut the door. 

(From within the closet): "and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly."

I think Jon has mastered the principle of likening the scriptures unto himself. Spiritual giant, that one. 

At times like this, I have to wonder what family scripture and prayer is going to be like when we have kids. I mean, what's Jon Jr. gonna' do to Lindsey Jr. when we get to the war chapters in "The Book of Mormon"?!! Whatever it's like, I'm sure that Dad will keep it interesting!

Homework Time!

Tonight after FHE I was cleaning up things from our activity so that Jon could get started on some homework ("Do you have lots of homework tonight?" I'd asked him..."YES!!! LOADS!!!" or something like that was his reply). After I cleaned up FHE I went in the kitchen and got out things to be productive so that I could make good use of the time while Jon was getting homework done. In the middle of all this, Jon got up from the table and disappeared into the living room. I didn't think twice about it, assuming that he was going in there because it was cooler and he'd been complaining all night about how hot he was.

The culprit...the game "Wordament"

I wrapped up working on something and then, realizing that I needed my iPad for my next task, got up and started looking for it. When I walked into the living room I found Jon holding my iPad. At first, I was confused. Then, as I walked up to him and asked: "What are you doing?" I realized what was going on. Jon looked up at me like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar--guilty, cute five-year-old smile and all. He was not doing homework. No. He was playing a word game app that he's been addicted to for the past month.

My brain could not take it in. This is my husband, and I feel like I'm walking up to a kindergartner! He just kept smiling up at me with that guilty, five-year-old smile as I exclaimed: "Aren't you supposed to be doing homework?!" and then I just burst out laughing. It is one of the most ridiculous/endearing/hilarious things that Jon has ever done. And when I tried to take the iPad away he said, in his best five-year-old voice: "No!" and then I started laughing again. So much for the "LOADS" of homework.

Yes, I realize that this story is probably ten times more funny to me than to any of you, but man--if you could have just seen his face...At the very least, I think I can adamantly claim that Jon has mastered the following scripture:

“…Verily I say unto you, except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” –Matthew 18:3

The Words of Christ

“If you pray for an angel to visit you, you know what he’ll do if he comes. He’ll just quote the scriptures to you—so you’re wasting your time waiting for what we already have.”  -Hugh Nibley 

"Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."  -2 Nephi 32:3

I love this quote from Bro. Nibley! The irony is biting. Sometimes I find myself pining for answers and wishing that the Lord would hand them to me on a silver platter. I stress over it, pray over it, think really hard over it. I wonder how much less stressful my life would be if my impulse instead was to turn to the scriptures, because though the platter may not be silver, the scriptures are definitely waiting for us, every answer we could wish for on the pages. We do not need the tongues of angels; we need the word of God, and we can access those more readily today than any other generation of God's children has been able to before. How grateful I am for the scriptures. I hope that I can make them a more dominate part of my life. 

The Book of Mormon

One of my goals for this year is to read the standard works in their entirety. It's now May, I'm half-way through month five, and 600 pages of the way through (a month behind, but I'm still not giving up!) For the past four-and-a-half months, I've been in the Old Testament. It's been wonderful...ish. Actually, let's be a tad bit more honest here: I just finished Chronicles, and it was hard to get through. In fact, the past several months have been a tad bit hard to get through. Over the past several weeks I've been feeling like I should maybe pair my study of the Old Testament with a study of the Book of Mormon, even though that's not what's on my schedule (BOM isn't until September!) But last night I decided to finally give-in and start reading the Book of Mormon.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I just didn't want to stop! It kept me up until 1:30am and was full of goodness and I could feel the Spirit when I read it and it made me want to be a better person! It made me feel! 

This experience has testified to me of the power of the Book of Mormon. I love that book. From this day forward, no matter what set of scripture I choose to study, I want to study the Book of Mormon along side it. The goodness and peace and motivation to be awesome that I feel when I read it testify to me that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the true church of God. I want to draw closer to Him in all I do, and that includes in my scripture study. If you don't yet have a testimony of The Book of Mormon, all you have to do is to read it with pure intent and purpose. I promise you that if you do, you will know the truth of it and that it will surge a power into your life unlike anything else. I know this because that is what it has done for my life.

"Without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and into your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God."  -President Gordon B. Hinckley, A Testimony Vibrant and True

Letters

Dear Kaka, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!! You are one of my most favoritest people in the whole entire pool of existing peoples!!! Have the happiest and bestest day ever being awesome and turning 17 and doing crazy things and eating yummy food. I LOVE YOU!!!

Dear Abby, We are being AWESOME at doing this whole scripture reading goal thing! only 11 days into the new year and we've read about 80 pages of scripture!!! Let's keep this up!

Dear Kate, I miss doing awesome things together like we did over break. Can we be bestest phone friends and talk this weekend?

Dear Facebook World, Thank you so super duper much for all the birthday wishes! I love you all and appreciate the time you took to think of me!

Dear FHE Family, Thank you muchly for the fantabulous surprise birthday bash. You are all fantastic!

Dear Emily, What the heck! Because our schedules don't coincide  we NEVER see each other!!! This = super lame. We must make up for all this lameness by having super extra much fun this weekend, okay?

Dear Work, I'm so glad things have calmed down so that I don't leave every day with a headache. I hope it will stay this way for a while.

Dear Homework Load, How on any green or brown or blue earth am I ever going to stay on top of you? Sleep may no longer be an option.

Dear Self, For help with above, see: "Trust in the Lord" or "Pray" or "Study your Scriptures Daily".

Dear Heavenly Father, I haven't been relying on you as much lately as I should. I'm sorry. I pray that You will help me learn how to rely more fully upon you during this crazy, pull-your-hair-out semester. I also pray that You will help me learn how to rely more fully upon those around me.

Dear Mom, Thanks for always being willing to talk to me on the phone, especially when I'm being ornery.

Dear Weekend, I'm ready to have awesome fun, do productive things, and be super happy!

Letters

Emily and I at Evidance

 

Dear Emily, I loved being able to go to the Evidance performance last Saturday. Spending weekends with you is the best. I also love having weight-lifting class with you twice a week. Not only do I get to get super strong, but I get to spend time with you. Good luck with school this week! You can do it!

Dear Lauren, You can do it. All of it. End of story.

Dear Gideon, WELCOME HOME!!!! Has it really been two years?! Good job for serving faithfully. It's so good to have you back.

Dear School Week, Please, have a little mercy. Don't kill me.

Dear School Week, Please keep pushing me hard so that I become even more super awesome and learn so many super awesome things!

Dear Self, Think you might be feeling a little conflicted about the school week?

Dear Hymn Book, I really like studying a song from you every night before I read my scriptures. You bring so much comfort and enthusiasm and love to my study. Thank you.

Dear Me, Heavenly Father knows how crazy your life is because He's the one who has given you so many things to get done each day. The responsibilities you have come from Him. Why? He trusts that you can do it. He knows that you can do it. Conclusion? You can most definitely do it.

Letters

Shen Shen and I at Spoon It Up!

Dear Shen Shen, I loved hiking the Y and having a water balloon fight and going to get frozen yogurt and playing Uno and celebrating your birthday with you. You are such a sweet, fun girl!

Having fun at the top of the Y!

Dear Eric, Thanks for hiking the Y with Shen Shen and I and for helping with the water balloon fight and for going to Divine Comedy with Sarah and I. You are pretty much the best x-coworker in the whole world!

Dear Spencer Olsen, Thanks for stopping to say "hi" last night. It meant a lot.

Dear Old FHE Group, Yea for going camping this weekend! I'm super excited to be outside and have lots of fun with you all. Let's make it the best EVER!

Dear ASL Class, I'm going to miss you so super much! Thanks, Brandon, for teaching us so much and for letting us have so much fun. I really love ASL.

Dear Scriptures, You are amazing. Let's hang out tonight, okay?

Dear Kelly Prue, I'm so excited to get to serve with you in the Relief Society Presidency! You are awesome and amazing and we're going to have so much fun!

Dear Sarah Porter, You are pretty much an awesome person. Thanks for going to Divine Comedy and for watching Becoming Jane with me on Saturday night and for sending me nice text messages and for talking on the bench outside and for giving amazing Relief Society lessons and for writing amazing music for BYU's play Arabian Nights and for just being an awesome "you". Keep it up.

Letters

Dear Kristen Herrscher and Rachel Munayn, You guys are AWESOME for amusing me by listening to me talk about my life at work every day. Five high!

Dear Heavenly Father, Being reminded of my insignificance today was very humbling. It makes me even more astonished at the fact that you know, love, and care about me. Thank you for taking me as I am and for loving me perfectly.

Dear Paul, Thank you for Romans 8. Today is the second time I have found lots of personal meaning and help in it. You were awesome for sacrificing so much for a people so far in the future. I hope that I can serve and inspire people the way you do.