Look at my Eyes

"Travis, look at my eyes."
For 15 years, my husband and I have used this phrase to capture the undivided attention of our autistic son.  We learned that, unlike most children, eye contact does not come easily for Travis and other children with autism.  So, in order to be sure that he is listening, we give him this prompt almost daily and sometimes many times a day.  It comes so naturally to us now that we often use the phrase with our other children when we need them to focus on something of particular importance.
"Look at my eyes."

I read a news story this morning about a young boy who had been kidnapped by his father and taken to another country.  For nearly two years, he lived in fear as his father attempted to "change him to a Muslim".  For nearly two years, he lived without seeing his mother.  One day, as he was getting off the school bus, a woman in a burqa grabbed him by the arm and put him in the back of a waiting car.  "My first reaction was [to wonder] if that was my mom or not, and then I saw her eyes," the boy said.  Her eyes.  The ones he hadn't seen for nearly two years.

In reading the scriptures, the phrase "and thus we see" is used whenever the writer wishes to convey a message of importance.
"Look at my eyes."

Of all the gifts bestowed upon me by my Creator, today I am most grateful for my eyes.  They aren't anything special to look at - I have fairly short eyelashes, bushy eyebrows and they are just an average shade of blue - but oh, how special they are to look through.  Through these eyes, I witness miracles.  Every single day.  I see a daughter, usually apprehensive about getting hit on the soccer field, stand her ground against a much bigger girl and save her team from being scored upon.  I see a son, who should be "too cool", bring up coloring pages on his iPod so that the neighbor's toddler will sit still in Sacrament Meeting.  I see the flowers fighting their way to beautiful blooms in this colder-than-usual Utah spring.  I see so many things.

Look at my eyes.

Glad Tidings

Copyright Darrell J. Wyatt

It never ceases to amaze me that each time I read the Book of Mormon, I can come away with a completely different thought than I did the last time.

I've mentioned before how much I love these few chapters in the Book of Mormon (Alma 36-42) because of the great example that Alma sets for me as a parent.  He talks to each of his sons in a very personalized manner - holding back neither candor nor unconditional love.  He praises Helaman and Shiblon for their straightness in following the commandments and he chastises Corianton for his rebelliousness.  He talks to them individually and pointedly, but lovingly.  Usually, this is the focus of my thoughts when I'm reading these chapters, but this time my mind took me in a different direction.

I have been, on occasion, questioned about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon by close friends and even family members.  They quote verses from the Bible that they interpret to mean that there can be no other scripture apart from that great Book, which invalidates any Word beyond the New and Old Testaments.  I have always maintained that it is impossible that Christ would only speak to a portion of the people on the earth, that there were "other sheep" who were surely awaiting his birth and that it only makes sense that they would have kept a record of such.  Reading Alma 39:15-19 this morning reinforced this thinking.  Corianton must have been questioning the need to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and his impending coming, thinking it to be in vain.  His wise father said:


 15 And now, my son, I would say somewhat unto you concerning the coming of Christ. Behold, I say unto you, that it is he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world; yea, he cometh to declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people.

 16 And now, my son, this was the ministry unto which ye were called, to declare these glad tidings unto this people, to prepare their minds; or rather that salvation might come unto them, that they may prepare the minds of their children to hear the word at the time of his coming.

 17 And now I will ease your mind somewhat on this subject. Behold, you marvel why these things should be known so long beforehand. Behold, I say unto you, is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming?

 18 Is it not as necessary that the plan of redemption should be made known unto this people as well as unto their children?

 19 Is it not as easy at this time for the Lord to send his angel to declare these glad tidings unto us as unto our children, or as after the time of his coming?

All souls are precious to the Lord.  Why would He ignore an entire continent?  He would not.  He could not.    I also thought, as I was reading, that these verses really are applicable to today.  Missionary work is so important!  Heavenly Father needs all of his children to know that Christ is coming, that they may prepare for that great day.  The work is going forth as never before.  The time is near.

I love scriptures like this which seem to serve the purpose of buoying me up and building my testimony.