Heidi's Smile and Question!

Heidi asked her family this question a couple evenings ago. It made me smile when I read Elisa's emailed words:

"Last night we were talking about The Book of Mormon and why it is called the Book of Mormon. Then we said that's why people call us Mormons, etc. Heidi (without missing a beat) said, "So if his name would have been Bob we'd be called Bobs?" 

Ha!  I love that we think alot alike Miss Heidi!  

(Plus, I like dogs too!)  

Sure do miss you.  

The following cut n' paste is a little part from my journal 
A conversation I had with my father when I was about 8 yrs.old (long long long ago!) 

"I
asked Daddy if Jesus was a Mormon.  He told me that he was not.  I
wondered why I needed the book if Jesus didn’t have a copy.  My
father smiled.  I think he liked it when I asked questions because he
knew I wanted to know the truth.  The truth was that if Jesus wasn’t
a Mormon then why in the world did I want to be one?  He told me that
The Book of Mormon was a book of scripture all about Jesus Christ and
His gospel plan.  That’s when I learned that we are only Mormons
because people nicknamed us that. Mormon was only a man, although a
very good one, who became a prophet and compiled ancient records and
journal writings into a book.  My Father said Mormon wrote in the book
to tell us why he loved Jesus Christ, and to tell us about The Gospel, like some of the
other authors did. 







 Before Mormon died, he gave the records, mostly
engraved on gold plates to his son and told him to take very good
care of them. His son, Moroni, buried those records before he died
and they stayed buried for a very long time until Heavenly Father
wanted us to have those testimonies again.  I like that!








I
thought about that conversation a lot; it was interesting that we
were called Mormons because there are so many prophets and men of God
who have written scripture. So, we could have been nicknamed Pauls
because he wrote lots of letters in the Bible.  We could have been
the Lukes.  He wrote the story of Jesus’ birth that we would always
read on Christmas Eve (right before we’d open our new pajamas and
act surprised).  We could have been Jeremiahs or Exechials or Nephis
or nicknamed Joshuas or Ruths but somebody wanted to
call us ‘Mormons’. 







At church we call each other ‘brother’ or
‘sister’ because we know that we are all related.  Daddy told me
that we should be called ‘Christians’ because we worship Jesus
Christ.  He said that we shouldn’t feel bad when people get things
confused a bit. When people call us by a good man’s name, whatever
the nickname is, then that is pretty good.  When people know the
truth and call us by a perfect man’s name: Jesus Christ, then that
is even better.  We know who we are.  We belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-Day-Saints.  I was okay
with that and glad that Daddy helped me understand it.  If Mormon had
gathered these writings together into a book and gave his life for it
then I decided I had better take care of it.  I never put it on the
floor again.  It went on my dresser next to my Bible, which I knew
was more journals written about Jesus.  All of the authors in both
books adored Jesus and wanted to share all they knew about him.  









Daddy
said there will be more writings about Jesus that will come forth as
witnesses that He is the Son of God.  That really makes sense to me. 
God would not quit talking to people just because one book was
already made.  He loves you and me as much as those who wrote in
their journals long ago. We are His children too!"







My Heidi,







I am forever thankful to be a Christian.  

I am so thankful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ. 

It means that we can be a family forever and ever, 

because the Priesthood Keys have once again 

been restored to the Earth.  I love that!







And...I am ok with being called a Mormon.   

People can call me about anything they want to.  

(and sometimes they do!)    

Doesn't change a thing!!!   



Love you Honey!