...like crazy!!

A young woman approaching her mission date to Scotland/Ireland shared this thought in her talk. There was a list of things to do hanging up that said stuff like this:

Shower
Read scriptures
Pray
Get ready

etc...

Well apparently a missionary wrote after all of the phrases "like crazy" so the list now reads like this:

Shower like crazy!
Read scriptures like crazy!
Pray like crazy!
Get ready like crazy!

and I'd like to add a few more.

Love like crazy!
Serve like crazy!
Clean like crazy!
Work hard like crazy!
Play with your kids like crazy!
Worship the Lord like crazy!!

It made me smile. She then went on to ask, "When was the last time you read your scriptures like crazy?"

Today as I was trying to read my scriptures like crazy I was reading in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ, in the book of Mosiah chapters 9 and 10 (see Chapter 10 ). It is a story about the people of Zeniff, a group of people who wanted to return to Zerahemla to possess the land of their fathers. Feel free to read the chapters. Anyway, Zeniff's leader wanted Zeniff to spy on the people of Lamanites and to destroy them but Zeniff saw they were good people. So he told his leader he wouldn't do it. His leader wanted to kill him and their army started to fight within themselves and Zeniff was spared.

Which brings me to my first lesson of the day: Sometimes while trying to live virtuous lives with integrity we will need to do hard things, even when it may mean losing our lives.

Then after Zeniff's leader is killed in the battle they go home to tell the families of those who died what happened. Zeniff then returns to negotiate with the Lamanite king that he was spying on to see if Zeniff's people can take back Zerahemla. The Lamanite king basically says "of course!" and his people leave Zarahemla. As I read this, I thought to myself..."that was far too easy..."

Point number two: Sometimes when something that should be difficult is far too easy to accomplish, look twice at your circumstance. If the path you are on has no resistance from Satan, maybe you should look a little closer.

You see, the people of Zeniff are what we call "Nephites" and the Nephites and Lamanites come from the same ancestry. There was a lot of hard feelings while their family was leaving Jerusalem and Laman (who the people of the lamanites are named for) wanted to kill Nephi, his brother (for whom the nephites are named) because Laman did not believe that God told Nephi's family to leave Jerusalem. Nephi and his wife and all those who would listen left the party before Laman and his brother Lemuel could cause any more strife and the people of the Laman became a very hatefilled people. They taught their children to hate the nephites and to want to kill them because they felt like Nephi had stolen Laman's right to rule the people and had taken them away from their luxurious life in Jerusalem.

Back to the story. The Lamanite people let Zeniff's people come into the land so that after they had worked the soil and become farmers and created a productive community the Lamanites could come in and steal their crops and take what they wanted. 12 years later that's what began to happen. Zeniff's people. As the people of the Zeniff forgot the Lord they were brought into bondage, but as they cried unto the Lord they were protected. During one of the battles that ensued 3,000 of the Lamanites were slain, whereas only 300-ish of the people of Zeniff were killed. Afterward Zeniff caused that weapons of war should be made to protect the people against the lamanites from attacking again.

Point three: There is nothing wrong with defending your family or your people. Of course we would all rather not, but when push comes to shove, there is nothing wrong with defending your faith, your beliefs or your people.

Point Four: All things are possible through God. Against all odds these people accomplished many incredible feats. I'm still reading about them and refreshing my memory but I think it is a good lesson to remember that when we are on the Lord's side he will bless us and when we are not on the Lord's side we will be brought into bondage, whether that is physical or spiritual.

We have about 39 days left until the weekend before our induction. It is my hope that through the next 39 days as I study the scriptures and study the talks given at the LDS General Conference that our home will be blessed by the spirit of the Lord. It is the only way I can think to prepare myself for the challenges ahead.

You are welcome to join our family as we pray and study--if only to strengthen your conviction and your testimony of Jesus Christ.

In His sacred name,

Amen.