Scripture Stories for Little Saints

Genesis 4:7 If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? (NIV)Life after Eden was even harder than Eve or Adam could have imagined. Eve got pregnant and gave birth to one boy and then another. And they named them Cain and Abel. And while childbirth was so, so, so hard, it still wasn’t as hard as raising children. Because although children are adorable and snuggly and delightful, they are also a lot of work.For example, when their baby Abel got a stomachache, he stayed up all night crying. So in the morning, Eve and Adam were very tired and a little grumpy. And because they were tired and grumpy, they quarreled over whose turn it was to change his diaper. And they spent the whole day feeling tired and grumpy and angry at each other until finally they apologized during dinner. And though apologizing seems easy enough, it wasn’t. Like everything about living in this world, it was surprisingly difficult.In the Garden, Adam and Eve never had to cook a meal. They simply plucked berries from thornless bushes, fruits from short trees, and honey from stingless bees. But in the world, the bushes all had thorns, and the trees were tall and rough, and the bees had stingers. Getting food was not so simple anymore.But even after bloodying their hands plucking berries, and skinning their knees climbing trees, and getting stung on their face trying to retrieve honey, they were still hungry. The harder they worked to gather food, the more food they needed. The sweet berries, fruit, and honey were not enough.Have you ever seen a lamb? It’s white, and fluffy, and oh so cuddly. Well, it’s something else as well. It’s tasty. And Adam and Eve were getting hungrier and hungrier. They needed fats, proteins, and meat to feed their hard-working bodies. And looking at the sheep, they started to salivate. Pretty soon, they were meat eaters.And God taught them a ritual, so they would never forget the preciousness of life and the cost of survival. They had to give some of their sheep back to God. It was called a sacrifice. Abel would put a lamb on a rock, and God would send fire down to take the lamb back to heaven. It was a way to thank the animals for giving their lives. And also thank God for creating all the animals.As Cain grew, he watched his parents mess up and make mistakes, and have to kill and eat innocent animals. They were always having to say “thank you” and “I’m sorry.” And Cain decided that he was going to do something different. “Maybe the world has fallen,” he said, “but I don’t have to fall with it. I don’t have to get tired or angry or grumpy. Nothing has to die in order for me to survive. I will be self-reliant. And I will never have to say thank you or I’m sorry because I will live perfectly perfect all the time, all by myself.” And so Cain became the first perfectionist.Perfectionist, a definition:A perfectionist is someone who is terrified of imperfection. They are scared of being late, or dirty, or wrong, or smelly, or rude, or any other kind of imperfect. When they do make a mistake, instead of looking at God and saying “oops,” they look at themselves and say “yikes!” Being a perfectionist is not easy. Because whenever you try to be perfect, you fail. Because you are not perfect. No one is. And if you are scared of failing all the time, you will find that it is very difficult to be happy or pleasant or nice or good. Which only makes you more imperfect. And so perfectionism is a burden that multiplies itself. The longer you carry it, the heavier it becomes until at last it crushes you.Cain was a perfectionist. While Abel cared for a big herd of sheep in the field, Cain tried to sustain himself with a garden. He picked every weed, cut thorns, relocated briars. And Cain wanted his parents to see what a good job he was doing. When they complimented Abel’s newborn lambs, Cain would say, “Taste these fresh strawberries.” And when Abel cooked mutton, Cain would say, “How about another slice of tomato?”Cain competed for his parents’ attention because he was filled with doubts. He was trying so hard to be good, but then he would feel flashes of anger, or sadness, or smell a whiff of lamb and want a bite. And he’d hate himself for these feelings and worry that he wasn’t good enough. And because of his doubts, he desperately wanted to show everyone his good works, and for people to say, “Good job, Cain!” and pat him on the back. Only then would he feel like he was succeeding. Only then would he feel good. But he never felt good enough.And so he tried harder and harder. He tried to pray more, fast longer, memorize complicated scriptures, and sit perfectly still in church. Because the person he was trying to impress more than his parents or his brother was God himself. And so Cain decided he would get God’s approval in front of everyone so they would all know that he was really, actually a very good guy.And so when Abel sacrificed another lamb and thanked the lamb for its life and thanked God for the lamb, Cain brought his own offering. But instead of an animal, Cain left out a large cornucopia of fruits, nuts, and vegetables. Their family would soon see that Cain’s offering was so much better, purer, cleaner than Abel’s. So everyone watched as the leaves rustled, the sun dimmed, and a fire came down from heaven, consuming the lamb. But all of Cain’s fruits and vegetables were left untouched.“It’s okay,” Eve told Cain. “We like your fruits and vegetables.” And she tried to give Cain a hug. But Cain would not let her. Instead, he ran to his room, closed the door, and screamed.And God came to Cain and told him not to worry so much. “You are trying so hard to be perfect. But all I have asked is for you to be good. And that is hard enough. Because the world is very messy. It is full of hurt and sin and suffering. It is all around you, all the time, and it is powerful. If you face it alone, it will eat you right up like a fire or a hungry lion. And you will become worse and worse. You must let go of perfection. Let go of the world you want and accept the world that is given to you. It is good, and you are good enough.”But Cain was angry and yelled at God. “If we’re only ‘good enough,’ that’s your fault. You made us this way! It’s not my fault I get tired, or sad, or angry. It’s not my fault I need attention. It’s not my fault I get embarrassed and blush. You made me this way — broken and stupid like your world. It’s all your fault!”And Cain ran from God. And he grew angrier and angrier and angrier. Angry at God. Angry at his family. Angry at his brother. And angry with himself. Angry at the fallen world. Angry that he couldn’t fix it. And the anger consumed him, eating away at his heart until at last Cain did something worse than he ever could have imagined. He invited his brother into his garden where the vines were overgrown so that no one would see what was about to happen. Then Cain turned and killed Abel and watched his brother’s blood seep into the earth like another slaughtered sheep.And the blood poisoned the earth so that not even weeds could grow from it. And Cain ran and gagged and cried. And God came to him. “Cain,” God said. “What have you done? This is the worst thing a person can do. You were supposed to care for your brother, not kill him.”When the family of Adam and Eve found Abel, they gasped. It was the first death and the first murder all in one. And Cain wept and waited for the inevitable. They would come for him. They would seek justice. And they would kill him. He was sure of it. And so he waited. And waited. And wandered and waited. But no one came to kill him. Not his family. Not God. They let him live. And who knows why. But maybe it was because there is already too much hurt and death and brokenness in this world. It is everywhere around us and inside us. There is no avoiding it. You cannot walk without stepping on it, you cannot outrun it or get around it. It is in the air we breathe and the food we eat. So much life has been given so that you and I can live.That is our reality. But don’t hate yourself for being who you are. Don’t be scared to say “thank you” or “I’m sorry.” Ask for help when you need it. Try to do good, even when you want to do bad. See beauty in the world, even when there is ugliness. And when someone is cruel or mean or worse than you can imagine, try to forgive them and let them live.You will fail sometimes — often, probably. But be brave, and try again. Do not let your failures consume you. Know that you are crammed, stuffed, bursting with goodness and badness. Know that you are broken and imperfect like the world you live in, and it will take more than a lamb to save you and more than a thousand lambs to fix this world. God himself would have to die. And because he died, you don’t have to be perfect. And because you don’t have to be perfect, you can just try to be good.To purchase a hard copy of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, visit ForLittleSaints.comTo access the complete audiobook of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, become a Friend of Faith Matters by subscribing at FaithMatters.org/subscribe. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. (KJV)In the very beginning, there was Nothing. No trees or flowers or rocks or waterfalls or dirt or grass or land or ocean. There weren’t even stars or lights or days or nights or moons or months or years or anything. And God decided to take this Nothing and make . . . well, everything.God started with an enormous breath. And then he spoke. And his words were deep and sharp and strong like a knife. And they separated one thing from another. He said, “Let there be light,” and the light separated from the darkness. Dark over here. Light over there. And the light and dark grew bigger and fuller and brighter and darker. From the light and the dark, God spoke the sun, the moon, and the stars into being. And God looked at his creations and saw that they were good. And they were.God spoke again and separated out land, water, and sky. God breathed in, and the land grew, steady, firm and dry. And the water rushed down the land, running and leaping and swirling into rivers and lakes and oceans. And the sky stretched wide like she was just waking up, filling the space with oxygen, wrapping the land and the water with a blanket of air. And God looked at his creations and saw that they were good. And they were.God breathed in again and spoke. And his voice was like a deep breath, breathing life into the world. And soon there were octopuses and whales and manatees in the ocean. And on land, plants began to grow. And soon animals were crawling, and walking, and running across the earth. Frogs, beetles, bears, tigers, and monkeys. God looked at his creations and saw that they were good. And they were.On the plains were deer, buffalo, and lions. In the mountains were marmots and pikas and sheep. Trees grew from the ground into forests, and squirrels played in their branches. Soon, the animals leapt into the sky. Owls, bats, and eagles flew over branches and cliffs. Life was spreading and dividing and separating further and further.God looked at all his creations and saw that they were good. And they were. So good, in fact, that God was ready to put his own children on the earth. And so he took dust from the ground, and he spat on it to make clay. And he formed that clay into a human. And then God took another breath, in and out. And as he breathed out, the human breathed in.And God called his child Adam. And Adam was happy. Because how could he not be happy amongst all of God’s beautiful, good, lovely creations? He was living in a garden with flowers and enough fruit hanging from the trees to have a picnic every single meal.Adam woke in the mornings with the sun on his face, and he’d eat grapes and apples and nuts and berries and then swim all day with alligators that didn’t bite or play with lions that didn’t growl, and then he would watch the most marvelous sunsets as he fell asleep.But then one evening, as the sun was setting, it was even more magnificent than normal. Shafts of yellow and red and even purple dashed across the clouds, and Adam said, “Isn’t that beautiful?” But there was no reply. And that made Adam feel hungry. No, not hungry. It was like hunger but even deeper and sadder. It was not a hunger for food, but for a person. For the first time in the history of the world, a man felt lonely.And the beauty all around Adam only made his loneliness worse. He wanted to share it with someone. He wanted someone to talk to. Someone to laugh with. Someone to watch sunsets and have picnics with. So that when he said, “Isn’t it beautiful,” they’d respond, “Oh yes, isn’t it!”And God was watching Adam and knew just what to do. Separating everything was just the beginning of creation. The world he’d made with all its difference and diversity would continue to separate, and splinter, and fall further and further apart into a million-billion-gazillion shattered, lonely, desperate pieces unless it was held together by something.And so God created another human. This one was a woman named Eve. And God introduced Adam and Eve and explained that they would help hold the universe together. And he taught them what they had to do. “Cling to each other,” he said.Cling, a definition:To hold onto something so tightly that you don’t float apart.And that’s what Adam and Eve did. They clung to each other. They watched sunsets together, they prepared picnics, and when they woke in the morning, they held hands before getting out of bed. It was easy now. They were a new couple. They hadn’t had their first argument, or had babies, or lost jobs, or lived with in-laws, or had anything but perfect days and pleasant weather. They were new to love. They didn’t know how far it could stretch without breaking, how deep it could go without dissolving, how long it could last without expiring.Some day, they would have to learn all of this. They would learn to love like God loves and to cling like God clings. But while their love was young and inexperienced, it was also precious. And God saw the way they looked at each other and knew that it was good. No, not just good. Very good.Because the world needed love. And Adam and Eve would have to hold onto each other no matter what happened next. Even if the garden died away and the fruits turned bitter. Even if they got hurt, sad, or injured. Even if they felt scared or alone or confused or didn’t know if they could go on. Even if they fought, or their children died. Even if their world shattered. Even in the face of war and famine and tornado and fire. Even if they grew bored or angry or tired. No matter what, they had to cling to each other and to the world with everything they had. They must love. Their world depended on it.And someday, Adam and Eve would raise children. And they would teach their children to be clingers, too. To cling to each other and to the world God created. You are one of their children. They have passed this most important job down to you.You are a clinger. And so when you feel lost or scared or sad, or if it seems like the world is splintering and falling apart, or if you see someone who’s lonely or cast out, do what Adam and Eve learned to do: love. Love each other. Love the world. Love your mother. Love your father. Love your sister and brother. Love your neighbor. Love the refugee. Love the animals and the plants. Love the oceans. Love the sunsets.Because while the universe was separated by the power of God’s lungs, it is bound together by the gravity of his love. And you are a lover. You are a clinger. And so love on. Cling to each other. And cling to the God who already clings to you. And we will hold the world together.To purchase a hard copy of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, visit ForLittleSaints.comTo access the complete audiobook of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, become a Friend of Faith Matters by subscribing at FaithMatters.org/subscribe. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

You do not have to believe in God to acknowledge how much the Bible has done for this world. From a historical perspective, it shows a group of people who were trying to be good. They were crafting laws to foster morality, aid the poor, and safeguard human dignity even in the most extreme situations. From a literary perspective, it is a masterful collection of poetry, personal essays, sermons, and songs. From a philosophical perspective, it asks all the hard questions about life and about God and comes to various, brilliant, and surprising conclusions. From a religious perspective, it has captured the hearts of billions of people.And so it is no small thing to decide to retell Bible stories. And even more daunting when we are writing these stories for children, who are both vulnerable and impressionable. And so we want to be clear that our mission was never to produce a work of scholarship. Reading our stories will not teach your children Hebrew or Aramaic. We will not pontificate about the meaning or origins of Elohim. In fact, we mostly avoid dabbling in etymologies or exegesis. We were not even particularly careful to be historically accurate. In fact, we intentionally use playful anachronisms, like Abraham and Sarah packing their things into moving boxes. We do this to help make the ancient world feel familiar to children. In short, we are not attempting to give an authoritative, scientific, or historical gloss to these stories.Instead of explaining the stories, we have tried to tell them, and to tell them beautifully. We hope it will help bring them to life in new ways for both you and your child. Of course, we couldn’t tell every story in the Bible. It’s a big book, and every history is layered with histories. But the stories we do tell aren’t just the simple ones with easy, happy endings. Instead, what you will find in these pages are moments of tenderness, injustice, triumph, failure, deep sorrow, radical hope, and God’s enduring love — much like what you will find across the pages of your own life.And while people have argued over biblical interpretations for thousands of years, we are not entering that arena. We are not trying to indoctrinate or convert children to a particular faith beyond general Christianity. And while we do practice a specific form of Christianity ourselves, we see these stories as a shared treasure. And we hope to contribute to the millions of artists before us who have praised God with their words and chords and colors. Artists whose work is shared by Catholics and Protestants, Copts and Mormons, Baptists and Evangelicals alike.There is a chance that some of these stories will surprise you. But the Bible is full of surprises. And you might see new sides of old characters and find fresh possibilities in familiar readings. However, if you think we got something wrong or took too much liberty, go ahead and tell your children the story as you understand it. You won’t hurt our feelings. This is about you and them. These stories are successful when they create a moment of grace, where both parents and children feel that tickling, that warmth, that whispering of the spirit at the very same time. And you can tell them what it is. Or, more accurately, who.To purchase a hard copy of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, visit ForLittleSaints.comTo access the complete audiobook of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, become a Friend of Faith Matters by subscribing at FaithMatters.org/subscribe. Because the stories are written in chronological order and the Bible is not, we will release some stories before they come up in Come, Follow Me. Below is a schedule of which episodes to listen to each week, if you’d like to use this along with Come, Follow Me.January 12-18 (Genesis 1-2; Moses 2-3; Abraham 4-5)1. The beginning of everything (Genesis 1)2. The Bitter, Tasty, Forbidden Fruit (Genesis 2-3)January 19-25 (Genesis 3-4; Moses 4-5)2. The Bitter, Tasty, Forbidden Fruit (Genesis 2-3)3. Cain, who was a perfectionist (Genesis 4)February 9-15 (Genesis 6-11; Moses 8)4. Noah, the man who saved things (Genesis 6-9)5. The people who tried to climb to heaven (Genesis 11)February 16-22 (Genesis 12-17; Abraham 1-2)6. The man who learned to be generous (Genesis 12)7. The followers and their promise (Genesis 12-15)8. The God who sees (Genesis 16)9. Son of laughter (Genesis 17-21)February 23-March 1 (Genesis 18-23)9. Son of laughter (Genesis 17-21)10. The boy who lived (Genesis 21)11. Lot and his wife and their daughters (Genesis 18-19)12. The sacrifice (Genesis 18-22)13. Finding a wife (Genesis 23-24)March 2-8 (Genesis 24-33)13. Finding a wife (Genesis 23-24)14. The world in Rebekah’s belly (Genesis 25)15. The amazing, goodlooking, athletic brother (Genesis 25-33)16. Jacob, who traveled through time and wrestled an angel (Genesis 28-35)17. Two sisters, a lot of babies, and their strange names (Genesis 29-30)March 9-15 (Genesis 37-41)18. Band of brothers (Genesis 35-45)March 16-22 (Genesis 42-50)18. Band of brothers (Genesis 35-45)19. Giving food and taking dignity (Genesis 46 - Exodus 1)March 23-29 (Exodus 1-6)19. Giving food and taking dignity (Genesis 46 - Exodus 1)20. A conspiracy of women to save the boys (Exodus 1-2)21. Moses, who learned he had power (Exodus 2-4)22. The freedom plan (Exodus 5-15)April 6-12 (Exodus 7-13)22. The freedom plan (Exodus 5-15)April 13-19 (Exodus 14-18)22. The freedom plan (Exodus 5-15)23. A new law and a new king (Exodus 16-40)April 20-26 (Exodus 19-20; 24; 31-34)23. A new law and a new king (Exodus 16-40)April 27-May 3 (Exodus 35-40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19)23. A new law and a new king (Exodus 16-40)24. The sin eaters (Leviticus)May 4-10 (Numbers 11-14; 20-24; 27)25. Moses’ 70 helpers (Numbers 9-11)26. All of God’s children are prophets (Numbers 11-20)May 11-17 (Deuteronomy 6-8; 15; 18; 29-30; 34)27: Moses gives advice and says goodbye (Deuteronomy)May 18-24 (Joshua 1-8; 23-24)28: The conquest (Joshua-Judges 16)May 25-31 (Judges 2-4; 6-8; 13-16)28: The conquest (Joshua-Judges 16)June 1-7 (Ruth; 1 Samuel 1-7)29: Ruth, who lost a husband and gained a family (Ruth)June 8-14 (1 Samuel 8-10; 13; 15-16)30: The first king (Judges 19 - 1 Samuel 10)31: The king who trusted a shepherd (1 Samuel 10-17)June 15-21 (1 Samuel 17-18; 24-26; 2 Samuel 5-7)32. Two boys who decided to be brothers (1 Samuel 18-20)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)June 22-28 (2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 3; 6-9; 11)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)34. Solomon who was less remarkable than a lily (1 Kings 2-11; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes)June 29-July 5 (1 Kings 12-13; 17-22)35. A man and a woman whose miracles ran out (1 Kings 12-17)36: Elisha, who was nobody (1 Kings 19 - 2 Kings 2)July 6-12 (2 Kings 2-7)36: Elisha, who was nobody (1 Kings 19 - 2 Kings 2)37. A little girl without a name (2 Kings 5)38. More with us (2 Kings 6)July 13-19 (2 Kings 16-25)42. Hezekiah, the man who fought for today (2 Kings 18-20; Isaiah 36-39)July 27-August 2 (Ezra 1; 3-7; Nehemiah 2; 4-6; 8)49. The Rebuilders and The Remained (Ezra; Nehemiah)August 3-9 (Esther)48. The queen of Persia (Esther)August 10-16 (Job 1-3; 12-14; 19; 21-24; 38-40; 42)46. A story about a man called Job (Job)August 17-23 (Psalms 1-2; 8; 19-33; 40; 46)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)August 24-30 (Psalms 49-51; 61-66; 69-72; 77-78; 85-86)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)August 31-September 6 (Psalms 102-3; 110; 116-19; 127-28; 135-39; 146-50) 33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)September 7-13 (Proverbs 1-4; 15-16; 22; 31; Ecclesiastes 1-3; 11-12)34. Solomon who was less remarkable than a lily (1 Kings 2-11; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes)September 14-20 (Isaiah 1-12)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)September 21-27 (Isaiah 13-14; 22; 24-30; 35)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)42. Hezekiah, the man who fought for today (2 Kings 18-20; Isaiah 36-39)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)September 28-October 4 (Isaiah 40-49)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)October 5-11 (Isaiah 50-57)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)October 12-18 (Isaiah 58-66)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)October 19-25 (Jeremiah 1-3; 7; 16-18; 20)44. Jeremiah and the rich who became poor and the poor who became rich (Jeremiah)October 26-November 1 (Jeremiah 31-33; 36-38; Lamentations 1; 3)44. Jeremiah and the rich who became poor and the poor who became rich (Jeremiah)November 2-8 (Ezekiel 1-3; 33-34; 36-37; 47)45. The dreamer, playwright, poet, artist, Ezekiel (Ezekiel)November 9-15 (Daniel 1-7)47. The memory keepers (Daniel)November 16-22 (Hosea 1-6; 10-14; Joel)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)41. Hosea and his strange marriage advice (Hosea)November 23-29 (Amos; Obadiah; Jonah)39. Jonah and the whale and the bush (Jonah)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)November 30-December 6 (Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)December 7-13 (Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 1-4; 7-14)50. Healing in his wings (Zachariah; Malachi)December 14-20 (Malachi) 50. Healing in his wings (Zachariah; Malachi) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

Moroni 6:6, 9 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. For as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.Moroni was still alone. Even after reading all the books, even after writing down more stories and letters, even after running away and trying not to be killed, even after years and years, Moroni was still alive, and still alone.He had not always been alone. Before the big horrible final battle, he lived in a family with parents and brothers and sisters who all loved each other very much. And he had friends, too. Friends who had lived in his neighborhood. Friends he had met in the army. Friends he grew up with at church.He remembered playing with them in nursery and singing with them in the primary program. He remembered sitting in class with them and imagining what it would be like to be baptized, and wondering whether his toes would come out of the water and they’d have to do the whole thing again. And he was glad to remember these things.But then he remembered that his friends were all gone. And because they were gone, these things were just memories. He would never listen to another friend’s talk or see another primary program. He would not be able to teach the sunbeams how to fold their arms or hug his daughter after she was confirmed. Because Moroni was all alone. And when he died, these memories would die too, like his friends.And that made Moroni very sad. “God,” he said, “In case you have forgotten, I am still here, alone in my cave. Nothing but me and my books and my memories. How long will you leave me here alone? I am tired of this world. I want to see my friends. My father, my mother. I miss them.” And Moroni began to cry.And God was also crying. “Child,” God said, “even though you are lonely, you are not alone. I am with you. And your father, and your mother, they are here, too. And there are other people still, living in the world with you.”“Lamanites?” Moroni hiccuped. “But they don’t like me at all. If they found me, they would kill me.”“But still they are mine,” said God. “And I will rescue them. I am sorry they have been very mean to you. I am sorry you are lonely. I am sorry your friends are gone and your family. I am sorry there is so much evil and death and pain in the world. I am sorry for all of it.“But Moroni, there is more for you to do. There are more souls to save. If not these Lamanites, then the ones that will come after. I have big plans for that little book you are holding, Moroni. And people will need your memories. They will need to know how to pray, how to baptize, how to bless and teach and love each other, and make a church together. Because there is still good in the world. And it will return to this place, just like your book. It will rise out of the earth and your words will grow and stretch until every person feels their light. And so, I am leaving you here, Moroni. Just a little longer. Just long enough to finish your story, and make it right.”And so Moroni opened the book and wrote his memories. He wrote about the baptisms, and the blessings, and the prayers, and the meetings. He wrote the words his friends had said, and he remembered how beautiful they were. And they looked beautiful in the golden pages of the book.And seeing them, Moroni smiled. And he put his pen down. And he sighed and looked at the clouds. He breathed in and out, very slowly.He could see them now, there in the future. The people God had told him about. They were reading his book. And Moroni tried to think about what they needed to know. What he could tell them about God. He did not think he could write good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough. But they would need help to succeed. What they were doing would not be simple. They would mess up and have to try again. But they were his hope now. They were his people’s hope. They were all people’s hope. They would build Zion. And when they were finished, it would stay. Not for four hundred years. Not for four thousand years. Forever.And if they were going to build Zion, they would need to start by building a church. And not any church. God’s church. Because Zion is not just one heart, but a whole congregation of good, pure, imperfect hearts all knit together like a big comfy blanket. It is not something we do by ourselves. But if you bring your heart to church, God will start knitting.And so Moroni picked up his pen and wrote: “And this is what a church is. It is a place where people sit together often. And they talk together. And they are honest and kind to each other. And they practice being good and helping others be good. And God is there with them. And whether God tells them to teach, or talk, or serve, or sing, or pray, or forgive, or ask forgiveness, the people do it. The people at church are not perfect, but they care for each other very much. And the people try. They really try.”Joshua is an award-winning writer and director. His recent book, Ali the Iraqi, was published by BCC press. Sarah is a literature and theology doctoral student studying the Book of Job in the twentieth century.Artwork by Maddie Baker. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

Ether 6:12 And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord.Jared and the Brother of Jared and their family and friends all agreed that they would follow God and step into the boats, which were actually barges, which were like submarines. And then they pushed into the water and took one last look at the land before closing the hatch. It would be a year before they saw land again.And a year is a long time to be stuck in a boat on an ocean with people and animals and honey bees. Because when you’re all stuck like that, people tend to get seasick, and smelly, and probably a little bit grumpy. And bees are not always the friendliest neighbors.Even though the family was cranky and smelly and bee stung and sick, they remembered that God was with them. Because they had shining rocks that lit up the room like electric light bulbs. And they were glad to have light because even though sometimes they couldn’t stand each other, they were glad to be able to see each other and play games and draw pictures and do school.And God blew the boat all the way to the Promised Land. And when it arrived, the people fell out of the barges and onto the earth. And they picked up the white sand and kissed it and let it slip through their fingers and into the emerald ocean and cried at the green trees. And everyone ran along the beach and laughed and spun in circles on the earth under the sun.“God,” they laughed, “the world really is beautiful.”And the people made a promise to God: they would remember him, and love the world he had created for them. And they built the city God had sent them to build. And the children grew into adults and taught their children to trust God and love the earth. They planted gardens, harvested honey, ate fruit, and they grew old and content and eventually died.And the children’s children saw it happen. They saw how much their parents and grandparents had loved the world. And it didn’t seem right that they were dying. They were meant for the earth. They were beautiful here. And so the children’s children made a mistake.It was a similar mistake to the people who tried to build the tower to heaven. Only this was the opposite. They were not running away from the earth. They loved the earth too much. They were running away from death. Just thinking about death made them shiver. And so they tried to gather money and gold and power so that they could be healthy and safe and live as long as possible.They gathered armies and created kings and told secrets and set up passwords to protect themselves and their cities and their money. But the more they focused on surviving, the harder it became. Soon, they began fighting. Kings and towns and cities fought for control and killed each other. Because no one wanted to die, so many people were dying.Children wanted to be grownups. Old men wanted to be young again. Old fathers became jealous of their young sons and stopped feeding them food. Sons fought with their fathers and locked them away in prisons. And everyone worshiped the strong and the beautiful. They wanted to eat the best food, see the best things, marry the handsomest spouse, and have the prettiest life. A life someone could take a picture of and show others, and it would make them jealous.And for this life, the people were willing to hurt and kill each other.And this is not what God meant when he told the people to love the world. And so God sent prophets to explain. And one of the prophets was Ether. Ether was born in a prison, because his grandfather was put in prison, and his father lived his whole life in a prison, and then Ether was born. And even though Ether was born in a prison, he learned to love the world. And not just the easy beautiful things, but the hard, prison things, too.And Ether and the prophets told the people that loving the world is not loving one part of it, or just the beaches, or just the sunlight. But to love all of it as it passes by. The rocks and the snow, the seeds and the flowers, the bees and the honey. And the people, they were always the best part of the world.The adults were not more important than children. Young bachelors were not better than old couples or widows or widowers or people who were never married. Kings were not more important than queens or peasants. And handsome people were not better than less handsome people.They were all part of the world. They needed to be loved for what they were. And they needed to be taken care of. And the prophets warned that if they did not take care of the world, they would lose it. And like sand on the beach, the harder they clung to life, the quicker it would drain away. And soon, there would be nothing left but dust, and bones, and nothing.“So try again to love the world,” the prophets said. “But this time, love every bit of it. Because life is not a road trip for a vacation where you are bored or sleep and wait to arrive. It is a sightseeing tour. And you are here now. And every part of the tour has something to love. Even the ending.”But the people just rolled their eyes.“You are only saying that because you are jealous,” they said. “Because you are weak and poor and you will die soon. Look at your ugly clothes, and your worn-out sandals, and your wrinkly forehead, and your calloused hands.”“That is not right,” said the prophets, “We are old. But we love the world more now than ever. It has only gotten better for us. We have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It is true that our knees ache and our skin is thin and easily sunburned and we are slow and getting weaker every day. But life is still getting better and better and better.“Because loving the world is like hugging a person. You savor the moment, you hold it against your chest, you breathe in and smell it and love it. And then you let it go. And you watch it as it departs. And you do not love it any less but more and more and more. Because you know that is not the end. There will be another day, another hug, another moment to savor and then to let go.“You do not need to fear death or cling to the world. Instead, believe in God, and care for the world. And you will make it a better world. And God will transform the world with the touch of his finger. And we will see that every rock and every person is a bright shining thing. And the world will get better and better until it is all finished. And God will stand beside us, and we will hold hands, and never have to let go.”Joshua is an award-winning writer and director. His recent book, Ali the Iraqi, was published by BCC press. Sarah is a literature and theology doctoral student studying the Book of Job in the twentieth century.Artwork by Maddie Baker. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe