"Put your money where your mouth is..."

For the past 5 weeks of so, I have taken the Young Women Challenge to read the Book of Mormon for 5 minutes a day. I have LOVED this experience! The first time I took a challenge to read the Book of Mormon was from my Sunday School teacher, Sister Beatrice Sorenson (the same person who inspired me to go on a mission, great lady!) Ever since then I read the Book of Mormon every year in High School and College, plus several times on my mission, and many, many times since I have been married, including President Hinckley's challenge in the fall of 2006.

This most recent challenge has had an amazing effect on me! I have enjoyed this experience immensely. It has been like "Licking an Ice Cream Cone Slowly". Reading for 5 minutes at a time, gives me a chance to actually remember and think about what I have read. I have journaled, talked, pondered and testified about the truths that I have learned.

One of the great principles that has occupied my thoughts is that Nephi spoke in terms of being commanded...

• Lehi was “commanded” to preach repentance to the people of Jerusalem.
• Nephi was “commanded” to get the brass plates.
• Nephi was “commanded” to build a boat.
• They took provisions on the ship that they had been “commanded” to gather.

Not only were they “commanded to do these and many more things that were hard, they were given step by step instruction on HOW to do them and THEN they were “provided a way to accomplish the thing which the Lord commanded them to do” (1 Nephi 3:7). He also did “nourish them and strengthen them!” (1 Nephi 17:3)

Using the language of Nephi, I have opened my ears and hopefully my heart to what the Lord through our Prophet, our Stake President, our Bishop and the Holy Spirit is “commanding” me to do.

In concert with these scriptures from the Book of Mormon is a scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 59:3-4 "Yea, blessed are they whose feet stand upon the land of Zion, who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth, and it shall bring forth in its strength. And they shall also be crowned with blessings from above, yea and with commandments not a few, and with revelations in their time--they that are faithful and diligent before me."

I believe that commandments are blessings.

Now comes the hard part……the time for me to “put my money where my mouth is”. Or another phrase we use in our family is…”She talks up a storm with her wooden teeth, can’t shut them off, but when it comes to putting her name on the old parchmentaroony…try and find her.”

In other words I KNOW…but will I DO?

I heard someone say recently that we should look at our lives, if they are going along smoothly, get prepared for a trial. Yesterday as we were singing a song in Sacrament meeting on page 280, there was a line “trials make our heart grow stronger”. For some reason that phase caught my attention.

Trial doesn’t need to mean “suffering” does it? Can’t it mean “trial offer”, “try it, you’ll like it”, “we will prove them here with…”

So, if you are still with me here’s the deal. Last night the Bishop came to our house to talk to Glenn and I. (I know the Bishop can’t call a member of the stake presidency to a calling, so of course, I was a little nervous, because I really enjoy my calling as the Laurel advisor.) He asked us to HOUSE THE MISSIONARIES!

We took in a young 17 year old convert when we were in our early 30’s, not a good experience! Two of our nieces lived with us for a school year and even though they were great girls and we love them dearly, it was very hard for me to give up my space. We had several other nephews live with us for different summers. I am sure I failed miserably in my role.

So when my husband was the Bishop and they needed names to be submitted for people to house the missionaries, I warned him in very graphic terms that we were NOT candidates for that! (I will spare the details.) Been there done that.

The past week the Lord has been working on me and softening my heart, unbeknowns to my husband. Thoughts have entered my head like…”If the prophet asked you to house the missionaries what would you say?” “If you housed the missionaries the Lord would bless your life…”

Although I was completely surprised when the Bishop asked us to house the missionaries, I can say that at least the Lord had been working on me to soften my heart and prepare me for the “calling”, or in Nephi’s language, the “commandment”.

I am sure my response was a huge surprise to my husband! But honestly, how can we ask the Lord for the things that we are asking him for if we aren’t willing to give Him the thing he is asking us for?

More phrases from the hymn book come to mind. “Be Still My Soul”, How Gentle God’s Commands”, Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven” and here is the best
“MASTER THE TEMPEST IS RAGING...PEACE, PEACE, BE STILL."