The Book of Mormon tells
stories of families. As we read these
stories, we find that families haven't changed
that much over the centuries. Even though they lived in
another time and place, they're a lot like us. You know the story. The Lord commanded
Lehi's sons to go back to Jerusalem for the records. Now, the brass
plates were a record. They contained the scriptures. But they also contained Lehi's
genealogy and his family history. Lehi then taught his family what
he had learned from the plates. You might say that
the tent of Lehi became a family
history center, just as our homes should be today. Our Heavenly Father's
plan for His children centers around this
kind of a family, with children who draw strength
from ancestors many generations back, and parents who seek
to bless their posterity for generations to come. Have you ever
wondered why the Lord didn't command Lehi,
rather than his sons, to go back for the record? He was the patriarch
of the family. The Lord gave him the vision. And wouldn't Lehi have had
more influence on Laban than his young sons? Yet the Lord commanded
Lehi's sons to go back. We might ask
ourselves, What does the Lord want our
sons and daughters to learn by going back to
retrieve our family records? Brothers and
sisters, when we know who we are in relationship
to God and to each other, it changes the way we
think, the way we act, and the way we
treat other people. Looking back prepares
us to go forward. Just as Lehi sent his
sons back to Jerusalem for the sacred records, let
us send our children back for our family records. Just as the Lord
provided a way for Nephi, He has provided the Internet
and other technologies that will enable your children
to find that string, gather, and heal your families. And He has provided temples
where we can take the names and find and make our gatherings
permanent through sealing ordinances. Brothers and sisters,
I promise you that as you invite your
children to go back and find the records, like
Lehi and Sariah, you will "rejoice exceedingly." You will be "filled
with the Spirit," for you'll find that
they are "desirable; yea, even of great worth." And you will know that
it was wisdom in God that you should carry
them with you as you journey in the wilderness
towards your land of promise.