Being deliberate....

The post at Clover Lane really got me thinking,here are some of my thoughts.....Back in November I gave a sacrament meeting talk based on the General Conference talk entitled, "Stay on the path" by Rosemary Wixom. Much of this is from that talk.

“The world will teach our children if we do not, and children are capable of learning ALL the world will teach them at a very young age. What we want them to know five years from now needs to be part of our conversation with them today. Teach them in every circumstance, let every dilemma, every consequence, every trial that they may face provide an opportunity to teach them how to hold on to gospel truths.” Rosemary Wixom

I have always wondered why there are so many chapters on war in the Book of Mormon. I have always thought it was to keep my boys attention due to all the weapons, armor and battles. But really it is because we are waging a war today. Not a physical war where we are fighting with swords and shedding blood but one against Satan and his angels. It is perhaps more fierce than the battles in the Book of Mormon! I would like to share with you some insights I gained while reading these chapters in how to win this battle, in order to win we have to be deliberate and intentional:

In Alma chapter 43 vs. 29 it states:
And now, as Moroni knew the intention of the Lamanites, that it was their intention to destroy their brethren, or to subject them and bring them into bondage that they might establish a kingdom unto themselves over all the land;

Moroni could defend his people because he knew who his enemy was and the INTENT of his enemy. He knew his enemy wanted to utterly destroy his people and shed as much blood as possible. Do we know who our enemy is? What is his INTENT? It is to destroy us through putting us into bondage or straying from the path. All Perhaps through distraction and being caught up in what my dad always called, “the thick of thin things”.

All of these media blasts that focus on appearance and oversexualize our children are FROM OUR ADVERSARY who wants these valiant spirits destroyed so they can't perform their incredible mission on this earth! He doesn't have a body and wants o destroy ours because he knows of our potential.

Our intent should be the same as the Nephites in these chapters. In Alma 43:45-46.

Nevertheless, the Nephites were inspired by a better cause, for they were not fighting for monarchy nor power but they were fighting for their homes and their liberties, their wives and their children, and their all, yea, for their rites of worship and their church.
46 And they were doing that which they felt was the duty which they owed to their God; for the Lord had said unto them, and also unto their fathers, that: Inasmuch as ye are not guilty of the first offense, neither the second, ye shall not suffer yourselves to be slain by the hands of your enemies.

We too must defend our homes, our children and our liberties.

Moroni FORTIFIED his soldiers with the proper armor and weapons. Are we fortifying ourselves and our children with the armor of God?

Moroni fortified each city. In Chapter 50:1-3 it gives examples of how he fortified their cities:

“And now it came to pass that Moroni did not stop making preparations for war, or to defend his people against the Lamanites; for he caused that his armies should commence in the commencement of the twentieth year of the reign of the judges, that they should commence in digging up heaps of earth round about all the cities, throughout all the land which was possessed by the Nephites.
2 And upon the top of these ridges of earth he caused that there should be timbers, yea, works of timbers built up to the height of a man, round about the cities.
3 And he caused that upon those works of timbers there should be a frame of pickets built upon the timbers round about; and they were strong and high.
4 And he caused towers to be erected that overlooked those works of pickets, and he caused places of security to be built upon those towers, that the stones and the arrows of the Lamanites could not hurt them.

It states the Moroni did NOT stop until every city was fortified. Listen to his preparation. Are we that tenacious? How are we fortifying our homes? Do we have heaps of earth (family prayer) and on top of that timbers (scriptures study) and a frame of pickets (FHE) and towers (following the prophet)to protect us and our children?

Who is the watchmen on the tower of our home? Are we vigilant about our job or casual?

One thing that really stood out to me is there was one entrance into the city and how they guarded it with their strongest men In chapter 50:20 they call it their secure place.

Is our home a secure place for our children? Are we defending the entrance to our home with the strongest fortifications? Sister Julie B Beck has likened wives and mothers to lionesses at the gate. We MUST protect our cubs. We must not allow anything to enter our homes that will weaken the foundation. We must turn off TV shows that drive the spirit away, we must not let fleeting pleasure distract us from true joy, we must not go places that the spirit cannot be, we must not let the hundreds of distractions that are around us take us from our focus of protecting and fortifying our families.



We have to be better, more focused and more deliberate than our own Mothers if our kids are going to withstand the world and not get swept away with the crowd. We have to be courageous and firm (I also happen to be teaching this Sunday on "Courageous Parenting" and "Be Thou an example ).


Most of all we need to teach our daughters AND our sons that they are Children of God and that their body is sacred. We need to teach them the doctrine of the family and why the power of procreation is so important. Elder Packer said it is the VERY key of the plan of salvation. If they gain a testimony of that on their own they will not get swept away into this world that is focused on an unrealistic image of physical beauty.

One of my all time favorite quotes is this:
“True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior.” Boyd K Packer

We don't need to fear, we have all the tools and weapons to defeat our enemy....however...we need to be deliberate and intentional in our teaching. We must be vigilant and not only talk the talk but walk the walk!

(if you are in my ward....you may hear some of this on Sunday in my lesson...sorry for the repeat:)