"And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked..(Mosiah 4:14)

Day 14 (Dec 14) #LIGHTtheWORLD
Jesus taught us to clothe the naked and you can help

Always loved this scripture about clothing the naked. I felt it really pertained to motherhood and all the laundry I did and frequently continue to do.

"And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of all sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of by our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness." (Mosiah 4:14)

Some days, and maybe it is really some weeks that I am better at getting the laundry done. I keep trying to have my children learn to do their own laundry so they can eventually clothe themselves.  I believe that helping my children learn how to do their own laundry is part of clothing them. And this applies to clothing them physically and spiritually. It takes commitment and time. Sometimes I call it climbing a mountain, simply because I literally have mountains of clothes to wash, fold, and put away. You can read a whole post about climbing a mountain of laundry (here).

One more thought, doing laundry and repentance, they pile up if you don't keep doing the washing. And another thing, they both feel so good when I keep working on them and don't get such a large mountain to climb.

Previous laundry all done and folded (taken by me and folded by me)

"...clothed with power and authority...and to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that [are] in darkness" D&C 138:30

I wash and fold  mountains of laundry, which I do pretty much on a weekly basis. Sometimes it's so much laundry that I take pictures of before and after. Kind of funny, but hey, sometimes I just gotta record how much laundry is done, for some reason it makes me feel better when I see what I have accomplished. 

The mountain before washing

A few years ago when I felt like I was drowning in laundry and knew that the laundry was always going to keep coming I needed a new view. This is the view I got: "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil" (Mosiah 4:14).  When I first read this I knew that I needed to make sure my children had clothes to wear. It was a symbolic gesture to make sure they were "clean" and that I was teaching them correct principles about modesty and caring for their own bodies. Doing laundry, or clothing my children is more than just teaching them to have clean clothes. I also have the vital responsibility to make sure my children are clothed with power, charity, even the armor of God. 

Christ has organized his work to be done by the righteous, those who are clothed in His power and authority. "But behold, from among the righteous, he organized his forces and appointed messengers, clothed with power and authority, and commissioned them to go forth and carry the light of the gospel to them that were in darkness, even to all the spirits of men; and thus was the gospel preached to the dead" (D&C 138:30). I know this scripture is talking about when Christ went to the spirit world to teach those who have passed away, but I feel that it also applies to us (see 1 Nephi 19:23). 

Mountain after washed, but not folded

As a mother I have the responsibility to help prepare my children to go and "carry the light of the gospel to them that [are] in darkness". This is an amazing plan- I learn truth, teach my children, and they go forth to serve and teach more of His children, and they teach their children. Doing "laundry" is part of that great plan. It has become a great blessing for me in my life and the life of my loved ones to do "laundry" and help clothe the world. 

We also get to teach our children to "clothe [themselves] with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace" (D&C 88:125). We clothe them and ourselves with charity as we serve them, love them, and are a good example of kindness, goodness, covenant keeping, honesty, and all other Christlike qualities.

So today, as you work on the mountain of laundry that never seems to be conquered (even if it's just your own laundry), remember, you are doing a "great work" (see Alma 26:3; D&C 138:48; D&C 64:33) - you are helping clothe the world in charity and light and truth.

Mountain climbed...all washed and folded