Captain Crunch....because a few pieces of French Toast, scrambled eggs, sausage, hash browns, fruit, orange juice, chocolate milk, and milk was just not enough for breakfast?!???
Look at that multi-tasking....physical + spiritual workout!
Ryan, reliving his "Samuel the Lamanite" part he played at the reenactment of the Book of Mormon at our Youth Conference 1 1/2 years ago.
Kyle - he pays attention, that boy! He noticed that the dates in the footnotes don't always follow in
chronological order, and raised the question, which led to an explanation from the
YM President. Such a proud mama to know he was
into it! AND he was OK with me sitting by him for some of the time. :)
He started drawing (free hand, not tracing) the people he was reading about in Book of Mormon.
Moroni, raising the Title of Liberty
Ammon, ready to fight off the
thieves
One of the Stripling Warriors.
I think he's got
TALENT!And so the hours went on....
This young man
averted my camera whenever I came around! He hid behind his book or hands, he turned his head or body away from me...and then
FINALLY, I got a picture (and caught him cleaning out his teeth with his fingers - SEE, he should've just let me take a normal photo!) :)
...Until,
we had finished the whole Book of Mormon!!!
We gave the youth the opportunity to bear their testimony in church afterwards. For many, this was the very first time they had ever read the whole Book of Mormon. What a great start for them to build on the rest of their lives. Some simple just stated that they were glad they went. Others declared that they thought it was "cool" or "fun" or "good." How exciting that even the smallest testimony is being nurtured! Most of them admitted that when they were listening, or when they were following along, or when they were quiet, or when they weren't goofing off, or when they were fully engaged and trying, they felt the Spirit! Most also wished they had done better. Imagine that - what a novel concept!! :) It's so true, you get out of it, what you put into it!
Ryan was the first one to stand, and got me tearing up right from the get-go. He said that
this time reading
The Book of Mormon he was enlightened the most, he marked the most scriptures and testified that the truths found inside are a "Guide Book" for our lives and he is so thankful he can rely on it in his life.
This sweet girl shared that she was so touched by the many people in
The Book of Mormon who
sacrificed so much, even their lives, in
defending the gospel and
standing up for the church. (i.e. Abinadi and Moroni,
"And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ...") because
IT IS TRUE!
Don't let his tough look fool ya....this Young Man shared the strong
impact reading about the Savior's visit to the Americas had on him. During that part, we actually had the lights turned off, and we just
listened to the words of Jesus Christ. This Young Man said that he felt as though he was
really there with Christ, and he
FELT that he was
really important to Jesus! He testified,
fighting through emotion, that he
KNEW Jesus loved him and that Jesus loved all of us, too!
This Young Woman taught us so well during the testimony meeting. Before we started reading the last third of Alma, our Young Men's President had asked the youth to think about
WHY about 20 chapters in
The Book of Mormon was all about war and battles -
what did it all have to do with us? She stood up in the testimony meeting and told us that she had realized that, in
The Book of Mormon,
when the people relied on the Lord and were humble and righteous, they had
success in their battles. Likewise, she testified, that
WE have our own battles in life, and
if we have faith and rely on the Lord, she knows
WE will be
strengthened and
successful in
overcoming them.
Wow.
As I am writing this, tears run down my cheeks remembering the strength and truth that came from their words.
I told the girls who were sitting by me that they might feel like they're on "B of M overload" and want to take a "break" on Monday, BUT I advised them they're already on a 3-day streak! If they read Monday, they'll be on a 4-day streak, Tuesday makes it 5 days, etc. etc. Which is a better streak than they may have experience before - and that is AWESOME - so don't quit! :)
Here's the
one and only picture of me - it's proof that I was there, too!
The Book of Mormon I have now is quite new. It became necessary to get another one after my toddler daughter ripped out page after page after page when I wasn't looking a while back. She had a grand time!! ;) I have had about four different B of M's through the years, before they get too worn out to use anymore. I still remember my first B of M as a child was a BIG blue one with large print - with my eyesight like it is now, it might be a good idea to go back to that type! :) It's kind of hard to get new scriptures because I get used to where I have marked everything and written notes and I rely on them to understand....but I think it also makes me stretch, and read with "new eyes" and find new insights without using my past markings as a "crutch."
With this experience, I was able to mark my scriptures with many things that the Lord was teaching me through the Holy Ghost:
- I know the Lord will make things known to me if I believe in Him and keep the commandments (1 Nephi 15:11)
- Keeping the commandments means ALL of them - and ALWAYS (1 Nephi 15:25)
- I know that the Coming Unto the Lord = Happiness (2 Nephi 9:43)
- The Lord delivers His people time and time again (Mosiah 11:26) and I know the Lord has power to deliver ME from whatever problem/challenge I have.
- Believing should lead to ACTION. (Alma's example in Mosiah 17 & 18)
- My own slothfulness hurts my progression... and my children... and generations after me - I should never be weary of good works (Alma 37: 33 and 41)
- Forget myself and go to work. Be Fearless! (Helaman 10:4)
- Christ can HEAL me [from sin, emotionally, physically, psychologically] - and everyone. (3 Nephi 17: 7-9)
- NO contention is a good goal - I want this in my home! This begins with me. (4 Nephi 1)
- The word of God and his Gospel is not the way of the world - it is a MORE EXCELLENT way, prepared lovingly for ME...and you! (Ether 12:11)
- All GOOD things come from God and Jesus Christ (Moroni 7:12)
(just to name a few ~ there are many more!)
....and the way I spent my weekend was definitely
GOOD. It was exactly what my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ would have wanted all of us there to be doing.
Who cares what all the "naysayers" said or thought!This quote sums it up:
"We find that sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven. And in the end we learn it was no sacrifice at all." Spencer W. Kimball
She is THRILLED! She really is!
