A challenge met and blessings received — December 2005
President Hinckley issued a challenge to all church members in August of 2005. That challenge was to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year 2005. I was delighted to accept this challenge, and I was able to complete the Book of Mormon twice during those 5 months. My life was richly blessed by this beautiful opportunity. The amazing thing to me was that many scriptures were opened up to my understanding in new and enlightening ways.
I could share several thoughts that were brought to my mind, but one in particular stands out. On a given morning, I started reading in Ether chapter 10. I had said a brief prayer, asking the Lord to inspire my mind and bless my understanding. This particular part of the book of Ether is somewhat difficult, as it describes the various doings of several good and bad kings. However, as I read verse 2 in chapter 10, the spirit whispered for me to stop, look, ponder and feel. I had just read in verse 1 that a king named Shez had begun to build up a broken people. Verse 2 mentioned that he established a righteous kingdom, and as I read the next phrase of the verse, spiritual bells and whistles went off in my soul! The prime reason that this good man had walked in the ways of the Lord and had established a righteous kingdom was because “…he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep…”! In other words (the spirit whispered to me), this man did what he did because he appreciated the incredible sacrifices of his ancestors and the foundation of faith and determination they had laid for those who would follow. This enlightenment struck a very harmonious chord in me. I have always enjoyed church history and the personal histories of my ancestors, and I have drawn strength from them. This good man Shez had pondered much on the past and on how blessed he was because of the righteous examples of others. I feel the same. I am humbled as I try to imagine the hardships, persecutions, trials, tribulations, and discouragements of my wonderful ancestors and of early church leaders. Their perseverance helps to galvanize my resolve to remain faithful and true to the cause of righteousness. As Shez thought of Jared and his brother, so we should think of Joseph and Brigham, of the handcart saints, of those expelled from Missouri, of faithful early elders in this dispensation, all of whom withstood the most vile and shameless persecution and hardship possible, and they did it gladly for the cause they knew to be true.
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