Today’s Reading: Alma 1:26-2:15
12 Therefore the people of the Nephites were aware of the intent of the Amlicites, and therefore they did prepare to meet them; yea, they did arm themselves with swords, and with cimeters, and with bows, and with arrows, and with stones, and with slings, and with all manner of weapons of war, of every kind.
13 And thus they were prepared to meet the Amlicites at the time of their coming.
When my dear friend was told that her four-year-old daughter had cancer “in ALL of her bone marrow, in every bone of her entire body” the doctor told her that she and her husband could choose whether or not to treat their little girl. Having a daughter the same age, I cannot even begin to fathom that option–not pursuing treatment to save their child’s life?!
My friend felt the same way:
“There was no choice for us. A life without Arliana is unimaginable”[i].
And so they fought. . . and continue fighting. Because their daughter is so precious to them, they have valiantly wielded every weapon at their disposal to keep her alive and well: Chemotherapy, high-dose chemotherapy, multiple oral and intravenous medications (20 shots daily), stem cell transplants, a low-bacteria diet, four baths per day, quarantining, three life flight helicopter rides and the list goes on.
As extensive as this list is, these doctor-prescribed measures aren’t the only methods they’re using to fight the cancer! They have also made use of spiritual weapons! To name a few: Arlianna has received multiple priesthood blessings; The sacrament has been administered to them in the hospital every Sunday; Relief Society sisters watch over Arlianna so her Mama can go to the temple; And with what little time and energy she has left, Arli’s Mama works hard to research and prepare the healthiest food for her family, so that she can tap into the blessings of the Word of Wisdom. I admire the persistence, faith, and optimism of that little girl and her family. They are shining examples to me of how to fight valiantly. I have learned from their story that cancer is a daunting enemy to fight. But the weapons are many and those weapons will be used!
When cancer or impending death are the enemies, I believe most of us would be vigilant in fighting against known threats. But are we equally driven to protect our spiritual well-being? To fight against our spiritual enemy? What lengths are we willing to go to protect our eternal life that we may be worthy to live in the presence of God?
James E. Faust quoted President Kimball by saying:
“In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families.”
Elder Faust went on to say:
I wonder if having casual and infrequent family home evening will be enough in the future to fortify our children with sufficient moral strength. In the future, infrequent family scripture study may be inadequate to arm our children with the virtue necessary to withstand the moral decay of the environment in which they will live [ii].
In our personal lives and in our families, we must not be casual about our use of the great weapon of scripture study. For we know that the word of God can influence behavior more powerfully than even the sword (Alma 31:5). We are promised by President Benson:
There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path [iii].
Like the Nephites, and like my friend, let us avail ourselves of every weapon we can to protect and strengthen our families. Let us not be satisfied with the weapon of church attendance alone, but add to our arsenal family prayer, scripture study, family home evening, temple attendance etc. Satan is a daunting enemy to fight, but the weapons are many. Will you use them?
To read more about Arliana’s battle, check out arliana.org
After growing up in the bitter cold of Alberta Canada and serving a mission in the scalding heat of Tucson Arizona, I finally settled for the “moderate” climate of Utah. I met my best friend and love of my life at BYU where I received my degree in Marriage and Family Studies. I stay at home with my two little girls, teach marriage classes with my husband, and run an alumni Facebook group. I love to write, bake, travel, teach, and feast upon the words of Christ, but my favorite happy thought of all is going on weekly dates with my husband!