Seminary this morning

I had a moment of coolness this morning in seminary. We were talking about Joseph F Smith. Of course I had taken in all the facts and details available to me the night before in preparation for class but didn't make the personal connections. Standing in class, I asked the kids how seeing his father and uncle dead at 5 years old might have impacted him, testimonywise. One of them said that since he was only 5 he probably didn't even remember it and it wouldn't have had a lot of impact. Right then and there I realized I had a personal connection to that lesson. I told them my mother died when I was 5 and I definitely remember the feelings and thoughts that I experienced then. Those impressions have grown and evolved into a deeper understanding of things than I had at 5 but my experiences at a young age have a lot to do with who I am today. I think seeing that his father had sealed his testimony with his blood must have been a huge faith builder for him just as experiencing the loss of my mother the day after our family was sealed for eternity in the SLC temple has strengthened my testimony of the eternal nature of families and the importance of temple ordinances. There was no way I ever would have married anyone outside of the temple.

We went on to talk about the responsibilities he faced as a young boy - crossing the plains without a father. At 7 he was in charge of one of his families wagons. His mother died when he was 13, leaving him to care for his younger sister.

I recalled how much I wanted to know about a mother I barely knew and imagine that he also sought to learn all he could about his father which probably led to his deep understanding and testimony of the gospel.

I recall taking care of my brother who was 6 months old when my mother died. I didn't think about it at the time but it was a lot of responsibility for a 5 year old. My father worked at night so that he could be home during the day for us. Working nights means he slept during the day and I did a lot of cooking, cleaning and diaper changing while my dad slept. I remember when I was 5 or 6 I got a dishwasher for Christmas and I was really excited about it. It never occurred to me that this was not normal for a kid my age.

I think facing difficulties at an early age and dealing with things most young people don't have to think about prepared Joseph F. to become the prophet he was. He spoke of the importance of using our youth wisely and not wasting that time. He is an example of what can come when youth is not wasted. He instituted the seminary program which is a wonderful way for the youth in the church to make wise use of their time.

As I realize how my own experiences are similar to Joseph F. Smith's I have to also realize that I should be doing a lot more with my life and work harder to be the person I have been prepared to be. Sure I know that the church is true but what am I doing about it? I know that I am strong and smart and capable but what am I doing with that? I really need to pick up the pace.