Feasting on His Words: Lehi and Sariah

"Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." - 2 Nephi 32:3

This year the Primary is focused on daily scripture reading.

My 6 year old, Avant Garde Gal (AGG) and 4 year old, Dauntless Daughter (DD) are totally excited about this. We started the program this past Sunday and have read 1-2 chapters a night, from the Book of Mormon. The girls beg for it the moment they wake up and beg for more reading after each chapter. I am... so grateful. They are making this easy on me. I honestly, don't know what I did to deserve this. I believe the Lord knows how distracted my husband, Phantom, and I can be, but when it comes to our girls - we actually pay attention. So he gave us really great girls, who love to listen to me read (with inflection and dramatic intonation...naturally) the scriptures.

Tonight we read 1 Nephi 5 after Lehi's family have left Jerusalem. After Nephi slew Laban and returned with his brothers, Zoram in tow and the brass plates. My girls are completely engrossed in this story. I am inspired by their attentiveness. I am awed by how easily, readily and faithfully they understand and can articulate why the scriptures are important, and why God commanded Lehi to send his sons back to Jerusalem to retrieve the precious records.

As I read, sometimes I pause and explain things in layman's terms - and sometimes my husband pipes up too. This is how 1 Nephi 5 began:

1And it came to pass that after we had come down into the wilderness unto our father, behold, he was filled with joy, and also my mother, Sariah, was exceedingly glad, for she truly had mourned because of us.

QS: Sariah mourned, because she worried about her sons.

Phantom: She was sad.

2For she had supposed that we had perished in the wilderness; and she also had complained against my father, telling him that he was a visionary man; saying: Behold thou hast led us forth from the land of our inheritance, and my sons are no more, and we perish in the wilderness.

AGG: She MURMURED!

DD: Yeah, like Laman and Lemuel.

QS: Yes, but she was worried about her kids, and... this is what wives do. Phantom: Trust me girls, Daddy knows.

3And after this manner of language had my mother complained against my father.

Phantom: Every man knows this.

QS: That's right girls. It's our job.

4And it had come to pass that my father spake unto her, saying: I know that I am a visionary man; for if I had not seen the things of God in a vision I should not have known the goodness of God, but had tarried at Jerusalem, and had perished with my brethren.

QS: Lehi tries to comfort Sariah, even though she says, "You. YOU! You VISIONARY MAN!"

Phantom: That's right. You knew who I was. You married me. Then you decided to procreate with me. Twice. I mean...


I love that the scriptures offer real marital relationships. I love that we can find humor in theirs, and our own.

I am so grateful to have daughters that inspire me. They are a very real manifestation of God's mercy towards me.