Laboring for My Children

Jacob 1:4-8


4 And if there were preaching which was sacred, or revelation which was great, or prophesying, that I should engraven the heads of them upon these plates, and touch upon them as much as it were possible, for Christ’s sake, and for the sake of our people.
  5 For because of faith and great anxiety, it truly had been made manifest unto us concerning our people, what things should happen unto them.
  6 And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come.
  7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children of Israel were in the wilderness.
  8 Wherefore, we would to God that we could persuade all men not to rebel against God, to provoke him to anger, but that all men would believe in Christ, and view his death, and suffer his cross and bear the shame of the world; wherefore, I, Jacob, take it upon me to fulfill the commandment of my brother Nephi.


I think to believe in Christ, view his death and suffer his cross and the bear the shame of the world isn't possible unless you are diligently laboring to persuade others to partake of the goodness of God. As a mother of small boys I don't get out much and therefore, don't have the opportunity to share with others the beautiful truths of the this wondrous gospel. But what I fail to remember most of the time is that there is no greater missionary work that we can do, than with our own children. And the time will come, when my children are older and we are out of the house more, that God will use us for another purpose. I know of no great cross, thus far in my life, than self-lessly serving my three little toddlers. There is nothing more humbling and trying and yet, nothing more fulfilling and beautiful either. I may not be able to rest and take a break for the next 20 or so years of my life, but I sure am glad I have a friend to lean on:)