Today’s Reading: Mosiah 29:26-47
26 Now it is not common that the voice of the people desireth anything contrary to that which is right; but it is common for the lesser part of the people to desire that which is not right; therefore this shall ye observe and make it your law—to do your business by the voice of the people.
As a four year-old child I remember standing on our bench at the Mormon Church in Fort McMurray, Alberta and singing the hymn, “Put Your Shoulder to the Wheel.”[i] I first found my voice of testimony by uniting with my family and standing together that Sabbath day.
During my elementary school days in Stettler, Alberta, we stood as a class to sing our national anthem. I first found my voice of patriotism by uniting with my friends and standing together each school morning.
We moved again, and as a 7th grader I apprehensively attended my first day at junior high in Northern California. In a world turned upside down as a little Canadian prairie turned California girl, I declared, when asked, that I didn’t date until I was 16.[ii] I first found my voice of courage by uniting with others from my church youth group and standing together each day at school.
I grew up and went away to Brigham Young University for college and lost my academic scholarship after my midterm trip to the testing center. I first found my voice of hope for my future while uniting with a neighbor and standing together outside that building in the cold.
I realize now that by uniting with each one of these voices I was only trying to unite with the Savior’s. Yet, as the years have passed, I have also heard a thousand other voices I just as passionately ignored. So, if the Lord trusts his children to do their business by the voice of the people then I have a responsibility to seek out and hear the voice of the Savior and help others to hear his voice as well.[iii]
Then, maybe, we can stand together and lead the world with a voice of testimony, patriotism, courage, and hope. Only then can we overcome those thousand other voices in this world until the Savior’s millennial reign when we will have the privilege to observe and make His law, our law, and do our business by His voice, not our voice.
I was born and raised in Alberta, Canada and California and promised every childhood friend I would never raise my family in Utah…until I fell in love with the most amazing fourth generation Orem boy. Now we are raising our kids in the house he grew up in and we love it. I am an estate planning attorney and marriage educator but I really want to be better at those half-baked talents like speaking Spanish, playing the piano, and making dinner every night! Read more about me at mormon.org