We barried OUR swords

2011

It is officially a new year. How exciting!!
New Years Eve Sister Tuifua and I were having our companionship study. We both talked about how we looked back on this past year and just pondered on the accomplishments that we have done, and how our relationship with God has increased.
During my personal study that morning I read, in the ensign, about a mother that was concerned with her children and the language that they were using with each other.

After church one Sunday, her son told her about the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon and how they buried their weapons and made a promise to the Lord never to kill anyone again. Alma 24:17-18 

...all the people were assembled together, they took their swords, and all the weapons which were used for the shedding of man's blood, and they did bury them up deep in the earth. And this they did, it being in their view a testimony to God, and also to men, that they never would use weapons again for the shedding of man's blood; and this they did, vouching and covenanting with God, that rather than shed the blood of their brethren they would give up their own lives; and rather than take away from a brother they would give unto him; and rather than spend their days in idleness they would labor abundantly with their hands.

We were inspired to do as they did. We had some habits, or more like words, that we wanted to bury and be done with. So... I drew swords on a piece of paper and we wrote our own words on our swords that we wanted to bury.

So New Years Eve night, we dug a hole and had a ceremony. We read the story of the Lamanites then we barried our swords.

Now we help remind each other with these words that we barried. If we slip and say these words we tell each other, "HEY! We barried that remember?"

Its funny I think about it now, and I look back at that night and I never thought that I would be so happy to get rid of some of these words in my vocabulary. No, they weren't necessarily bad words, BUT I thought to myself, "ya I don't want to say these words around the Lord." 

It wont be easy for me to stop saying these AT FIRST, but its nice to have the reminder, Hey we buried that.

I'm grateful for the Lamanites, for being an example to me. I hope, like them, I can keep my promise to the Lord and keep them barried.