Today’s Reading: 1 Nephi 8:1-23
My Mom would write in her journal at the kitchen table, “Come sit by me. Have you heard this story before?” My Dad would turn on the living room lamp light at 5 a.m. and study the scriptures, “Come sit by me. Why don’t you read this verse?” In their daily actions my parents called me to “come unto [them] and partake of the fruit also.” 1 Nephi 8:15. I know Lehi held the mantle of prophet not just because he fearlessly called the people of Jerusalem to come unto Christ, but because he fearlessly called to his own, sometimes surly, young single adults to do the same.
Emily Dickinson said, “Forever—is composed of Nows—”[i] and so the words of an ancient prophet calling to his children are the words the Savior uses to call to me and the words I am determined to use to call to my four teenagers.
Come unto me and sit by me.
Come unto me and I will scratch your back during that church meeting.
Come unto me and I will pass you my scriptures during family scripture study.
Come unto me and I will pray with you before you leave for school.
“Come unto me” are not just the words of an ancient prophet or my Savior. They are the words of any disciple of Christ with a resolve to teach fearlessly while honoring agency.
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