Election Time

Tomorrow is the election, and as we gathered the kids together for Family Home Evening we had a reminder of what it is all really about. I was scurrying around getting things together to take the kids to grandma’s house for a sleepover so that I could leave at 5:30a.m. to be at the polling places as a Coalition representative. Since I’d been so tied up with all of that all day I confess I hadn’t given a thought as to what lesson we would have for FHE. Rob could see I was frazzled so he grabbed our handy little book “52 Weeks of Family Night” which has 5 minute lessons in it that you can do with little to no preparation. (BTW…highly recommend that book!)

As we settled the kids down Rob said, “Caleb, pick a number” Caleb picked Lesson #16 randomly and Rob began to read,

“When Captain Moroni, the leader of the Nephite armies, heard of Amalickiah’s plan to be king, he became angry. He knew that if Amalickiah became king, he would try to destroy the church of God and take away the people’s liberty.

Moroni tore his coat to make a flag. On it he wrote a message to remind people to defend their religion, their freedom and their peace. Moroni put the flag on a pole and called it the title of liberty. He told his people to think of their freedom and to think of their families. Then, dressed in his armor, he knelt to pray. He asked God to protect those who believed in Jesus Christ and prayed for freedom in the land, calling it a land of liberty.

Moroni went among the people. Waving the title of liberty, he called them to come and help protect their freedom. People came from all over the land. They promised to obey God’s commandments and to fight for freedom.”

Rob was a teary mess and barely able to finish with the lump in his throat. As he and I looked at each other with tears streaming down our faces, the kids wanted to know what on earth we were crying about. We explained the significance of what we’d just read and how it relates to us today. It was a good reminder to slow down and remember what it is that we are working toward.