More than Just Stories

Last night, I had one of the most beautiful experiences with my children. As a child, I can remember being fascinated by the prophet Moses. He's still one of my favorites. I knew how much my children loved to hear the scripture stories, and so I thought they would LOVE the movie "Prince of Egypt". So we rented it and watched it with the kids last night.

As you know, the story starts out with Moses's mother having to place her baby in a basket and send him down the river, in hopes of saving his life. (All the while, we were explaining to our children what was happening.) I looked over at my daughter, Natalie, and was touched to see tears streaming down her face as she watched this little baby being place inside a basket and pushed down the river. I immediately realized that maybe this movie was too intense for her young age, and I wrapped my arms around her and took her into the next room where we rocked and talked about what she had just seen. She continued to cry while saying, "What's gonna happen to her baby?" I began to cry too as all of a sudden the scripture story I knew so well became very real to me. A mother, just like me, who loved her baby very much, really had to place Moses in a basket and send him down a river in hopes that he's life would be spared. I had never really thought of Moses's mom and the part she played, and her feelings, but last night, she became my hero. My heart ached for her and the trials she faced, and I wanted to have faith like her.

In my prayers last night, I thanked Heavenly Father for the many righteous women, especially mothers, whose stories go unnoticed, yet their affect is world changing and life altering. I hope to be such a mother.

Another such moment happened about a month ago. We were teaching the children about the prophet Abinadi. My children were on the edge of their seats listening to what was going to happen. When we got to the end of the story, and said Abinadi was burned for his testimony and his beliefs, our son said, "But...he was choosing the right? Why did he die?" Again, that story became very real to me as I realized how tough it must have been to be the only one to be doing what was right and to still receive "punishment" for doing so.

The people in the scriptures are people. They really lived. They had fears. They had hard times. They were tested and tried. I know that their lives are recorded for us to benefit from. I had my desire to live righteously renewed last night. I want to be numbered among the righteous that gave their all for what they believe. I want to be remembered as "more than a story" to future generations.

I heard once in a fairytale storybook, "And although they did live happily ever after, the point is that they lived." So it is with the scriptures.

The point is that they lived.