When I came home to report my mission to my stake president he asked me to promise I would read the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of my life. I promised. With very few exceptions (probably less than 20) I have done so, even if it was only one verse. Lately, I've been trying to teach Annalee about the importance of the scriptures by reading them with her during breakfast. I usually read silently while I'm eating, then I read to her while she finishes eating, then she "reads" a verse or two at the end. I try to explain what's happening as we go along. That part has gotten a lot easier and more interesting now that we are in the war chapters of Alma.
For the last few days we've been reading the letter the prophet Helaman wrote to Captain Moroni about the war in the western part of the land. I showed Annalee the stick figures of the stripling warriors I had drawn in my scriptures. (She loves them.)
Yesterday we read that Helaman and his chief captains wanted to take back more cities from the Lamanites, but the government wasn't sending them the men and supplies they needed. They prayed, asking God how they could succeed when they didn't have the things they needed.
Today we read that God spoke peace to their hearts and told them they would be successful. He increased their faith and hope. So they came up with a plan to take the city Manti, and took it without "the shedding of blood," as Annalee read.
"What is 'shedding of blood'?" she asked.
"That means that they took the city without killing anyone. They used a trick instead of fighting."
"They took the city? Where did they take it? Now there's no city?"
[Laughing--she is so smart!] "No, the city didn't go anywhere. That's how we say that they made the Lamanites leave the city because they were making everyone sad. Then the Nephites lived in the city and made everyone happy."
I love scripture time!
No comments:
Post a Comment