We have made a renewed goal to study the scriptures daily in our family. Everyone is up @ 6:30 am and downstairs ready to read the Book of Mormon. Some days we read a chapter, other days it's just a few verses. But it has truly blessed our lives and made our days so much better.
One of the resources we use in our family scripture study is this book:
This morning we read from 1 Nephi Chapter 8. We are thick into Lehi's vision of the tree of life and the symbolism associated with it. We are spending a good deal of time talking with our kids about choices, prayer, faith, etc. What I love about this companion book is that there are quotes and questions and stories that relate so well to each verse and chapter we are reading. Today's story touched me and I think my kids really "got it."
It is a story shared by Elder Vaughn J. Featherstone in his guide, "A Generation of Excellence." I cannot find a link to it online so I will have to paraphrase...
He tells of living in a mostly Mormon community as he grew up and one night he was invited to a party after the state basketball tournament. The cheerleaders were throwing the party and they had invited both girls and boys. Elder Featherstone found out upon arriving at her home that her parents were out of town. They turned the music up loud and things started to get crazy. Just then, a cheerleader came out with a package of cigarettes and said, "Hey- trainings all over, we can smoke tonight!!"
One by one the kids took a cigarette and lit up. As the cigarettes got closer to him, it seemed that everyone had taken one. He decided that it was "just one" cigarette and he didn't want to be embarrassed. When the cigarettes got to the kid on his left, he said, "No thanks... I don't smoke." And he passed them on.
Elder Featherstone: "The strength of the friend on my left gave me the courage to do what I wanted to do all along. I said, 'no thanks too' and passed them on. The thing I have wondered through all of these years is, what would have happened to me if I had been sitting on the other side of my friend?"
WOW... POWERFUL STORY!!!!!!!! I loved it! My kids loved it! It was a teaching moment!!!
My parents always made sure we chose good friends. That was very important to them. And, they always had an open invitation for our friends to come to our house... it was the "party house." (I'm sure it didn't help that we had 2 full size arcade games in our family room...) We always felt so comfortable having our friends at our home and their parents knew that their kids were in a good place too. It has been my hope that I can carry this tradition on in my own family. Thank you for that example mom and dad! I love you!
And to Bill's parents-- thank you so much for raising such an amazing son who was ready to be my "friend" and eventually my "boyfriend, fiance, and now husband." He was raised to be a good kid with high morals and respect for all those around him and I am so thankful to my in-laws for the incredible upbringing they gave Bill. I love you both!
Kids-- choose your friends wisely. President Ezra Taft Benson declared, "Have good associates or don't associate at all." Amen to that.
