"...by labouring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, ... did once more establish peace in the land" (Words of Mormon 1:18)

As thoughts of soul expanding experiences have been on my mind, the words of this scripture took on new meaning for me. "Wherefore, with the help of these [holy men], king Benjamin, by labouring with all the might of his body and the faculty of his whole soul, and also the prophets, did once more establish peace in the land" (Words of Mormon 1:18).

As a mother, I have been given the help of  holy men and women, such as sisters, brothers, friends, leaders, parents, grandparents, teachers, bishops, and so many more people to help me establish peace. I have labored "with all the might of [my] body and the faculty of [my] whole soul..." to establish peace in our home. Think about these words, faculty of the whole soul. It's with the entirety of our souls that we do all we can to help lift and strengthen the family of God.

As a parent, I do use "all the might of my body" to help my family be united and strengthened in God's love. I do know what true peace, even the "peace of God, which passeth all understanding" (Philippians 4:7), feels like and I want my children to feel it, too. I don't know of any parent that doesn't seek and strive to maintain peace in their homes.

And then the words: "...faculty of  his whole soul..." (Words of Mormon 1:18). This phrase caught my attention. Faculty means: "1) an ability, natural or acquired, for a particular kind of action: a faculty for making friends easily. 2) one of the powers of the mind, as memory, reason, or speech: Though very sick, he is in full possession of all his faculties. 3) an inherent capability of the body: the faculties of sight and hearing. 4) exceptional ability or aptitude: a president with a faculty for management."
Nephi said this about "faculty": 

• "Wherefore, I, Nephi, did exhort them to give heed unto the word of the Lord; yea, I did exhort them with all the energies of my soul, and with all the faculty which I possessed, that they would give heed to the word of God and remember to keep his commandments always in all things" (1 Nephi 15:25).

  To me, this sounds very much like the soul expanding experience of a mother trying to teach her children to learn of God, to put their trust in God. It's the soul expanding experience that comes as I teach my children to repent and keep the commandments because they love God more than the fear of not knowing everything.  I know this, because I do believe I use all the faculties I possess, even those of love, of patience, of hearing the still small voice of the Spirit...I use every single faculty so that my "children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins" (2 Nephi 25:26). 
• • 
    
  • I can tell you that every day is worth the effort. Every day, all the small things, they do add up and make "great things come to pass" (Alma 37:6). I'm writing this for myself, because I find it too easy to forget that all those small things do make all the difference. All of my efforts, using all my faculties, and all my might, is soul expanding- not just their souls, but my soul as well. Keep up the "Great Work" (Alma 26:3, D&C 64:33)! It's totally worth all the effort. This I testify.
    

    

    The small things in life add up and truly expand my soul.

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:7).

Without going into any details, let me just say that this week has been more than I have been able to comprehend in a lot of ways. Yes, it has been a trial, a burden if you will. Yet, I have felt that my burden has been made lighter by so many kind, good, humble, diligent, faith-filled people . I know that God has heard my supplication, even my request for help from Him (see supplication).  To me, I know that God has sent angels to lift my burden and make it lighter (see Mosiah 18:8), most of whom have no idea they have even done this lifting.

I love these verses: "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

One of the reasons I love this is it reminds me to not worry and "don't be unduly concerned about anything" (Phil. 4:6a). I'm working on not letting my runaway thinking of the "what if's" take over; but rather to "meditate upon these things;  [to] give [myself] wholly to them; that [my] profiting may appear to all" (1 Tim. 4:15). Meditating and pondering on the things of God helps me to calm my heart, clear my mind of fear, and focus on His power to guide and comfort me (see ponder). Meditation is a gift of calm and quieting the heart. I highly recommend it.

Another reason I love this verse is because of the advice to pray and supplicate the Lord with thanksgiving. Offering thanks has been a great blessing to me, especially in times it seems when all I see is "through a glass darkly" (1 Corinthians 13:12). Praying with thanksgiving is very humbling when I am in what seems to be a dark abyss. It helps me see the truth and reality that I am in a world filled with light and peace (see Luke 1:79). Giving thanks is a reminder that indeed, "I have been given much" and therefore, "much is required" (D&C 82:3; see also Luke 12:48).

I can testify of the truth of the words, "The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." When I petition, and supplicate the Lord for His help, I must be open to receive this gift, "even peace in this world" (D&C 59:23). His peace does pass all understanding as I keep my focus on Christ, letting go of fear, and trusting Him that all things shall work together for my good (see D&C 98:3; D&C 100:15; Romans 8:28). It's not easy. But it's the "good way" of going through the tough stuff  "therein, and ye shall find rest unto your souls" (Jeremiah 6:16). This I testify. 

Christ makes it possible for me to see through the dark, for light is always brighter. 

Day #17

I am so grateful for this scripture that invites us to learn of Jesus Christ. This scripture has been one of my favorites for a long time. I love learning.

"Learn of me, and listen to my words; 

walk in the meekness of my Spirit, 

and you shall have peace in me" 

(D&C 19:23).

Learning for me is fun. I love reading new things and then doing them so that I really learn and know the information and how to apply it. This is how we also learn of Christ. We need to read His words in the scriptures and read what prophets have taught and testified about Christ. We then get to "do" it by walking the walk (see 1 John 2:26; 2 Nephi 31:12-13) and not just talking the talk.

Christ wants us to learn all about Him, His ways, His behavior, His actions. As we do this we "shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ", and "grace and peace" shall be "multiplied" (2 Peter 1:8 (2-9)). That's exactly what He promises- "you shall have peace in Me" (D&C 19:23). 

That's pretty awesome stuff to learn! 

Original artwork by J. Kirk Richards

Original artwork by J. Kirk Richards

Original artwork by J. Kirk Richards