Friday, August 07, 2009

The Power of the Word

Many of you know that I have been struggling over the past year or so. I have felt very sad, very distraught, at times even despairing. We live in perilous times. Our day is the day spoken of by ancient and modern prophets alike. Many are lost, wandering in mists of darkness. Many are purposely seeking out that great and spacious building Nephi described in his vision of the tree of life.
I have often found myself wondering what I should do and feeling like there was nothing I could do. I remember one Sunday in January while I was sitting in sacrament meeting having the thought, "read your scriptures," very clearly enter my mind. I was relieved, ready to try anything. I spent the next week reading daily, and then something happened and I got out of the habit before it could even become a habit. I guess I just didn't have enough information to convince me of the great importance of reading the scriptures daily.
Over the next six months I often felt the spirit whisper again to me, "read your scriptures." I justified my excuses: I'm too busy, I'm too tired, I have too many little children, now is not the season of my life for reading the scriptures, I don't see how it could help all that much anyway, on and on and on.
As I was preparing last month to teach the 4th Sunday lesson out of the conference issue of the Ensign on Adversity and Be of Good Cheer, a wonderful series of events unfolded for me. I was led to the information I needed. The Ensign had been left open to a page that had an excerpt from the talk given long ago by President Ezra T. Benson called "The Power of the Word."
I strongly encourage each of you to read it. I absolutely LOVE this talk. He was speaking to the priesthood leadership of the church. So instead of the flowery often watered down talks they give in conference, this talk is no-holds barred. He just lays it out there and it was exactly what I needed to hear.
If we seek for comfort, for guidance, for understanding, for direction, for love, for help. . .those things are all to be found in the scriptures. The scriptures, especially The Book of Mormon, are the small and simple things to which Nephi referred. They are absolutely essential to our spiritual survival. If you do nothing else every day, except read the scriptures, it would have been a day well worth while.
There is a power in the scriptures which our mortal minds cannot exactly understand. When I was justifying away the direction the Holy Ghost was giving me I often thought, "how will the scriptures help me have more money?", or, "how can the scriptures keep my kids from annoying me?" It seems like it would be impossible for the scriptures to impact those things.
I have now read the scriptures, or the words of the latter-day prophets, every day for 17 days, and there has been no great miracle, but there has been many small miracles. It's not that I have magically found more money, but the spirit brings hope and acceptance to my heart. It's not that my children magically obey everything I say, but that the spirit grants me a larger measure of patience and understanding. It's not that I always feel elated, but I am content with what the Lord has seen fit to bless me. I am not magically stronger, smarter, or happier, but my capacity has been greatly enlarged by the spirit of the Lord.
The small sacrifice I give the Lord each day of taking 20 minutes to read the words He has provided for me is enough, and He blesses me by lifting me above what I could otherwise do.
I love each of you, and want you to find the same joy in the scriptures that I have just found.
I have always loved the scriptures, but have never been a consistent reader because I have never fully understood why it is necessary to do so.
I bear my testimony of the power of the word, and pray that each of you will hold tightly to the "rod of iron" that is the scriptures, so that you can guard yourself and your family from the evil that is at our doors. So the the Holy Ghost can be a constant companion, and so that he may lift you above that which you can do on your own.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Heather- I love this post!! I too have been going through my own trials and everyday I hear the same voice telling me to read the scriptures as a family and even though we have only been at it for a short while I can see the difference it has made, maybe not in my children but in the way I deal with them and my eyes and heart have been opened up in new ways. Thank you for sharing this with us :).

Tyler and Sheena said...

Heather your testimony about this may be just what I need. I to have been having a rough patch lately. I'm going to try just what you did. Thanks for sharing your testimony.

Jenny said...

Yes, thank you for sharing this. I know I need to be more committed and consistent about studying the scriptures...I've had times in my life when I was very good at it, but the last 2 years, I haven't. Thanks for sharing your experience and giving all of us encouragement to do what we know we should.

And that is an amazing talk by Pres. Benson...I haven't read it in about a year, but it's one I've read over and over.

Rob O said...

Amen sister. I agree that they are all wonderful but somehow the Book of Mormon seems to be the high calorie variety as far as spiritual food goes.

Little Lovables said...

That is a wonderful talk. and I think a lot of us have similar feelings as you! It is amazing how rejuvinated one can be when reading the scriptures daily. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Unknown said...

Thanks for sharing your beautiful testimony. That's one of the things that I love about you. Along with your cheerful smile and good sense of humor even when things aren't going the best. Thanks for your example.

Jenni said...

Sorry I didn't realize I was signed in on Joshua's account.

Kristin said...

Thanks for this post. It was wonderful and I will do my best to follow your lead. :)