You know, you wonder to yourself when your children are wiggling on the floor and sitting on each other's heads during Family Home Evening and Scripture Study, if they are actually listening. But every once in a while you see glimpses of heaven.
Lately, Hyrum has asked me to sit down and be scribe at the computer as he dictates his "novel." (He is quite interested in writing, reading, and illustrating things as of late.) We have done this the past two Sundays and, though it is somewhat repetitive, I have been humbled by his sweet testimony (and rocking diction...makes an English grad proud!). I wanted to copy it here on the blog to remember it, realizing fully that it reflects far more on the stature of his spirit than the quality of our parenting. Clearly.
Here is the transcript thus far. In typing for him, I have only stopped occasionally to help him choose a different word from say "importantest" to "most important." The body of the text, in its entirety, is his.
The pearl of great
Chapter 1
Believe in God and read the scriptures and the Book of Mormon. The Bible and Book of Mormon teach you what to do. Do the right things to live with Heavenly Father again. The testaments are true. Ponder and pray the things that you must do to live and read the Bible and Book of Mormon with Him.
Chapter 2
The keystone is Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The little bricks are--one of them is--testimonies. And also one of them is, read scriptures and the Bible, and the Pearl of Great Price, and the Doctrine and Covenants. And another one of them is the Holy Ghost. The articles of faith is one of the bricks too. The keystone is the most important. It is in our life. The keystone is it.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
by Hyrum Baker, March 13, 2011
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Chapter 3
The Church is true. Believe in the Gospel. Have family home evening, and listen to the prophets. Watch Stake Conference, and General Conference. These things are important. This is another testament of Jesus Christ. This book was translated by Hyrum Baker.
Chapter 4
You must read the Book of Mormon and the Bible. These things are the most important. Believe in God. Knowledge of the truth. Listen to the Holy Ghost.
The End
Chapter 5 - Article of Faith - New Story Index
1. We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.
2. We believe that man will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam’s transgressions.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
2. We believe that man will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam’s transgressions.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
Back to the Pearl of Great
Let’s talk about Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith went up to the HIll Cumorah and he found the golden plates, but before he could take them, the Angel Moroni came and told him not to take the golden plates.
Every year for four years. The angel said I’ll teach you in the second year, third year, fourth year. The fourth year he could take the golden plates, but before he could take the golden plates, Joseph Smith knew he had to translate these golden plates.
Hyrum Baker, March 20, 2011
The End
Chapter 6
Read Doctrine and Covenants and the Book of Mormon. Do you remember the keystone in this story? Let’s talk about the keystone some more. And the little bricks too. We will be resurrected in life. In these things, you will read this real testament. Read it every day and every night. This book is the very importantest book of all books. The book will be copied ten pages. The pages are important.
Chapter 7
Doctrine and Covenants has the Articles of Faith. There are some at the top. Did you read them? Yes or no? You are supposed to.
Now we can talk about another story of Joseph Smith. When Joseph Smith told somebody in one place and other people, they laughed at Joseph Smith. The person who he talked to the very first, made him go off his trailer. Joseph Smith wanted to tell more people about it--what he had seen. They laughed at him because they went to a bad church. Joseph Smith had to restore the church, and he did.
Chapter 8
Let’s talk about some of the Book of Mormon. Alma and Amulek were good people. Zeezrom tried to fight them, but Alma was a true prophet and Zeezrom obeyed him and some people got mad at him and took him to the judge and the judge asked him some questions and yelled at them. But they couldn’t trick him. The judge ordered them to be put in prison.
The End
