Write at the Heart

I need to add something to my last post about how Mormon could go on despite everything. PURPOSE. He knew his purpose: Help others come to Christ. On the outside looking in, boy, does it look like he failed! On the contrary! While he could not help his own people, He has helped millions of us. The Book of Mormon has helped millions of us! As I read Mormon and Moroni's words,  I FEEL GOOSEBUMPS! "Therefore I write unto you, Gentiles...   that ye may believe the gospel of Jesus Christ, which ye shall have among you; (Morm 3:17, 21) And Moroni's-"Behold, I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing." (8:35) They write to ME. They speak to US. They warn US. They bear testimony to US. Their last days of loneliness & sorrow were spent writing &  abridging records for US. They buried them, unburied them, and buried them again FOR US. "...having been commanded of the Lord t...

Why a 10-year-old? Ammaron tells 10-year-old Mormon, the same age as my 5th grader, to prepare to be a keeper of the plates! He tells him when and where to get them, to watch the people over the next few years, and to write down his observations.  What great faith to have in a child! But Ammaron knew exactly what he was doing! He knew Mormon was a good kid, a “sober” kid (or as the footnote suggests, “trustworthy”) and “quick to observe,” (or as Elder Bednar said, “prompt to watch and to obey”). And Mormon “remembered the things which Ammaron commanded [him]” (Mormon 1:5) and followed through with everything asked of him, despite horrible circumstances. He “tasted and knew of the goodness of Jesus,” (Mormon 1:15) and continued faithful for years while his people self-destructed all around him! We have the Book of Mormon because of many, but Mormon’s part was VITAL. And it all started as a child. It’s hard to wrap my head around until I start thinking of my own children. They’re not...

The Princess Bride movie is one of my favorites to quote! Near the climax when Westley wakes up from being “mostly dead,” he asks, “Who are you? Are we enemies? Why am I on this wall? Where is Buttercup?” Inigo says, “Let me explain. No. There is too much. Let me sum up. Buttercup is marrying Humperdink in a little less than half an hour. So all we have to do is get in, break up the wedding, steal the princess, make our escape, after I kill Count Rugen.” Westley responds, “That doesn’t leave much time for dilly-dallying.” 😆 Can you imagine the task Mormon had with multiple records of two great civilizations laid out before him? How could he possibly decide which parts to include and which parts to leave out? His abridgment would be for US, the last days, the climax! There was too much to explain! He had to sum up. “And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach the people.” (3 Ne. 26:6) Luckily he had God to tell him what t...

These chapters in 3rd Nephi are some of THE most beautiful! THIS is Jesus Christ! His compassion, His teachings, his personal ministering to the One, & His prayers to the Father! Yes, the scriptures give us snapshots of utter evil and darkness- and it’s recorded for a reason. These are the last days. We can relate, learn, & prepare. But the scriptures also give us glimpses into the extraordinary light and goodness of the gospel, & what it will be like when Christ comes again. Christ IS coming again! We HAVE this account of Christ’s visit to the Americas because “the multitude did see and hear and bear record” 3 Ne. 17:25 That phrase, “they did bear record,” is in these chapters AGAIN and AGAIN in one form or another! -They did bear record when Christ prayed to the Father for them They did bear record when Jesus wept They did bear record when angels encircled them They did bear record when Christ ascended into heaven They did bear record when the disciples received the Holy ...

I just listened to the “All In” podcast episode with Randal Wright, and am totally & completely inspired. Maybe you’ve heard of his “3 word journal” idea, but this is a first for me, and it’s EXACTLY what has been on my mind for a couple YEARS now.  I used to blog all the time when my kids were younger, and I cherish those posts more than words can say! Over time, life got busier, and every post became just a catch-up post, losing the raw and real that only writing truly in the “moment” can bring. I felt this voice whispering in my soul, “Erika... You’re missing it.” Meaning, missing those beautiful little slivers of wonder, pockets of joy, nuggets of amusement, enlightening lessons from every day life that you find when you look for them. Blogging about these things not only was my sanity in the craziness that having 6 kids in less than 8 years brings, but it kept my perspective of motherhood one of gratitude, entertainment, and true enjoyment.  I started this account to ...

I’ve always been awful at thinking on my feet. Ask me a difficult question or get in a debate with me and I’ll be like “Uhhh,” but if you give me time to write it down, I could give you a decent answer. I wish I were better at finding words in the moment! When Samuel was cast out of the city, the Lord told him to go back, “and prophesy unto the people whatsoever things should come into his heart.” So he climbed the WALL and “cried with a loud voice, and prophesied unto the people whatsoever things the Lord put into his heart... “Behold, I, Samuel, a Lamanite, do speak the words of the Lord which he doth put into my heart” What obedience! What trust! What courage! He knew the Lord would put words in his heart. He just had to speak them. “Open your mouths and they shall be filled” D&C 33 Sis. Eubanks once talked about using “your voice and your power to articulate what you know and feel.” It resonated with me a LOT. So did Pres. Nelson’s words, “As a righteous, endowed Latter-day Sai...

During the long drive to our new home in January, we stopped briefly in Nauvoo. My husband and I were immediately struck by the feeling in that place! The spirit of Nauvoo is incredibly special, tangible, sacred. I felt encircled by the past and the people who lived there. Their whispers, their strength, their sorrow, their faith.  I felt the Saints there. I think it’s interesting that as Nephi is lamenting about the wickedness happening around him, he reflects on the faith of his ancestors. “Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land... Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.” Hel. 7 Along with his namesakes, he talks of Moses, Abraham, Zenos, and more, testifying and rejoicing in Christ. He longs to rejoice with them. It’s special to rejoice with others who share your beliefs. That k...

My husband and I visited some church history sites a few years ago and have been wanting to take the kids. So when we heard that you’re now able to walk the grounds of some sites even though tours and visitor’s centers are still closed, we made it happen! We visited the Sacred Grove at dawn today, walking the paths as the sun poked through the trees, and then stopping to pray and think. I loved sharing this holy, peaceful place with my kids! So much of who I am hinges on what happened here 200 years ago, as God the Father and His Son appeared to an earnest 14-year-old. And now that I have a 14-year-old, it really puts it into perspective. We also visited the Hill Cumorah where I had a really beautiful experience. I felt so close to God, and had the thought to read some of Moroni’s last words before sealing up the plates. I felt such a connection to him, sitting on the very hill he buried the plates he had abridged and preserved. The very hill where ALL but 24 of the Nephites, Moroni’s ...

In Alma 37, Alma entrusts his son Helaman with the brass plates, also instructing him to keep his own record of the people, and to “keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise purpose that they are kept... which purpose is known unto God... that he may show forth his power unto future generations.” Then comes a warning: “If ye transgress the commandments of God, behold, these things which are sacred shall be taken away from you by the power of God, and ye shall be delivered up unto Satan...” And a promise: “But if ye keep the commandments of God, and do with these things which are sacred according to that which the Lord doth command you... behold, no power of earth or hell can take them from you, for God is powerful to the fulfilling of all his words. For he will fulfil all his promises which he shall make unto you, for he has fulfilled his promises which he has made unto our fathers.” I have a lot of thoughts, but the main ones are th...

I, along with every other parent, am wrestling with what to do with the kids this year for school. I go back and forth, back and forth, and as I seek for answers through prayer, I am frustrated. Why can’t I get like a CLEAR answer for once? Like, BOOM, “Thou shalt do THIS!! THIS is what’s best for your children, THIS path is what I want you to do, and you will NOT ruin your children with THIS PATH!!!” Alas, I’m not hearing that. Sigh. Instead, I’m reading everyone else’s back and forth debates online, trying to get a read of what everyone ELSE is doing... cause I’m kind of a follower. Personal revelation is hard sometimes, yo. And I’d like to get better at it. I really really want to “hear Him” a lot better than I do. Don’t get me wrong, I try, and I have definitely been guided throughout my life. But sometimes it’s just so dang subtle and I am weary of guessing and hoping a certain direction is right... after a few steps in, more clarity always comes, but it requires so much patience!...