Counseling family members

As my group was reading and discussing 1Nephi 15:25 in our joint meeting on Sunday, I was impressed that Nephi counseled his family members "with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed". As parents of adult children, we sometimes struggle with knowing what our role is in counseling our grown-up children. On the one hand we believe that our role is to "teach them correct principles and let them govern themselves" but, at other times, we still feel prompted to offer some counsel and advice. We see our children counseling and advising each other, as well. This passage of scripture reminded me of the many examples in the scriptures when fathers counseled adult children. Sometimes the children asked their fathers for advice and other times, it was unsolicited. What I learned was that it is good to offer counsel and advice when the Spirit directs. We, as parents, shouldn't avoid those opportunities or feel that it is no longer our role.

Sally Hildebrandt

Sisters in the Gospel

Alma 7:23

When my mother reached the age of 93, she took the challenge offered by her bishop to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year--a mere two months of action time. In facing final health challenges Norma turned to reading the Book of Mormon as her solace and her strength. To her Bishop's astonishment, she read the Book of Mormon five times in two months. She remained educated, refined, and intelligent to the last, though she had gone through two World Wars, the Depression, and a lifetime of family, health, and financial tests, gaining strength by clinging to her scriptures.

In our last ward, a new move-in was a tiny roughed-edged older woman who, as a new convert, would bear her testimony of the goodness of God at every single opportunity. She was single with children long since out in the world, and her every mannerism spoke of the difficult, manual labor life she had led. One Sunday as the adult Sunday School class was about to begin, I sat by her and commented on her beautiful set of scriptures. She glowed at the comment, and leaned in to whisper to me, "You know I can't read, don't you honey? I bought these so that I could be close to them. Whenever I'm having a hard day, I hold onto them and feel their spirit." This sister had gone through abusive husbands, long hours of back-breaking work, and disappointments that she faced alone in this world, but she too gained strength by, literally, clinging to her scriptures.

Though each of these sisters tread different roads, many of the hardships were similar, perhaps even to some of our own challenges. Each of them crossed the finish line with a beauty of spirit that can only be obtained from a closeness to the Gospel and the scriptures and the Book of Mormon. "And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive. And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works." Alma 7:23-24 Verena

Therefore I Was Taught

How many times have I read those first words of The Book of Mormon, "I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father..." ? Is is possible I could get any new insight into that verse as I begin reading the sacred book once again? Tonight the answer is yes!

As strange as it may seem my new insight is based on the word, "therefore." I looked up the definition and it means, "since the preceding is true" or "for that reason." It hit me that not only were Lehi and Sariah goodly parents, but one of the reasons they were goodly parents is that they taught their children.

It gave me an increased appreciation of the importance of parents teaching their children. Teaching what? Well, Nephi says he was taught in all the learning of his father. To me that means teaching everything from how to cut the lawn to how to develop a budget to how to pray and study the scriptures, because that's what goodly parents do.

by Jay Hildebrandt

Welcome

Welcome to the Shamrock Park Ward Book of Mormon Blog. This blog gives ward members an opportunity to share insights from their reading of this sacred scripture and comment on the posts of fellow ward members. It is my prayer that ward members will strengthen one another and draw closer to the Lord through this sharing process. May the Lord bless us all as we undertake this challenge.

Bishop Hildebrandt