Cleave

"The shepherd and his flock have been ever-present symbols of the Lord and the people of His pasture.  The ancient role of a shepherd was much more than an assignment to herd sheep.  The shepherd loved his sheep, he knew them, named them, provided for and protected them.  In return, the sheep responded to their shepherd and recognized his voice.  His call alone could bring them back from their wanderings in unfamiliar paths.  If lambs were lost, he sought them out and brought them back to the fold.  Those who hear the Master's call and then seek to follow His path will find Him and there enjoy contentment and safety at His feet"("Lost No More" Item Description at The Original Greg Olsen Art Gallery).

My home teachers last school year gave me a postcard with this picture because last year, my testimony grew faster and larger than it had ever grown in my life.  I've grown up in the Church, but it was easy for me to just ride along with everyone else and trust what people were teaching me.  Last year, I really began believing it.  I watched as my roommates read the scriptures on their own, not just because they had to, but they looked really into it.  And I heard about how long my one of my roommate's personal prayers always were.  I wanted that.  I wanted to look forward to scripture study and to be lost in prayer.  So I read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and for the first time, I really paid attention to what I was reading.  It was an amazing experience, and I still get something new out of the Book of Mormon each time I open it.  That book was a way that I was brought back into the Lord's presence.  Not that I ever entirely left it--I just hung out on the edges of the herd most of the time.  And now one of the thoughts that most often runs through my head is "What should I read today?"

Choose to Cleave.
*Read my first post, "Preface," for more information about Cleaving