Scripture Surprise

There have been many nights when Tom or I have heard giggles or squeals or just illegal rustlings long after bedtime and had to pull ourselves out of bed, walk across the house (cursing the isolated master bedroom,) and correct our boys, getting them back into bed in short order. It's never something we enjoy and it makes us angrier and angrier by the step, that our own precious sleep has been compromised by the miscreants and we are forced to be enforcers of the rules. It's not a fun thing for either party involved. But this Easter Sunday, I am more grateful than I can say for the effects of trying to live a part of the gospel called scripture study. I have been comforted and helped by it personally, and when I walked into my boys' bedroom at 11 p.m. and found them studying their scriptures together, I -- there --it gave me a feeling too sweet to describe. I was all ready to be furious with them, as they were in blatant violation of the rules--the light was even on!--but what a pleasure to be stopped dead in my tracks with joy. A verse from Alma came into my head, chapter 36:20, "And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain! (or in my case, anger)."



You may wonder as I did what a 7- and 4- year-old might do on their own with the scriptures. They were "scripture chasing" in Jacob, where we are as a family. A verse was called out by one, and the other had to find and read it. I don't know how long they'd been at it. When I came in they asked if they could highlight some verses they liked (having recently learned about the special red pencil) so we did.

I just might forgive them for goofing off when we read as a family earlier..............