A Murmur and a Chastisement

January has been a rather hard month. We have had at least one child sick almost every day, I have felt more tired than I think I ever have in my entire life because of this pregnancy, and John has been away from home a lot because of work and church stuff. We have also had a hard time trying to help Rachel to be happier and less whiney and needy. It seems like we have been at war with Rachel most of the month. I was feeling rather complainy last night as we put three of our kids to bed with fevers. I thought I would write a blog this morning about how some times are just hard. I thought maybe an appropriate start would be, "Sighed Mayzie a lazy bird hatching an egg..." Then I read this section from the Joseph Smith priesthood/ relief society manual in chapter 24:

As the members of Zion’s Camp marched from Kirtland, Ohio, to Missouri, they learned many leadership principles from their association with Joseph Smith. George A. Smith, a member of Zion’s Camp, recalled: “The Prophet Joseph took a full share of the fatigues of the entire journey. In addition to the care of providing for the Camp and presiding over it, he walked most of the time and had a full proportion of blistered, bloody, and sore feet, which was the natural result of walking from 25 to 40 miles a day in a hot season of the year. But during the entire trip he never uttered a murmur or complaint, while most of the men in the Camp complained to him of sore toes, blistered feet, long drives, scanty supply of provisions, poor quality of bread, bad corn dodger [corn bread], frowsy [spoiled] butter, strong honey, maggoty bacon and cheese, etc. Even a dog could not bark at some men without their murmuring at Joseph. If they had to camp with bad water, it would nearly cause rebellion. Yet we were the Camp of Zion, and many of us were prayerless, thoughtless, careless, heedless, foolish, or devilish, and yet we did not know it. Joseph had to bear with us and tutor us like children. There were many, however, in the Camp who never murmured and who were always ready and willing to do as our leader desired.”

I suddenly felt rather like the men that complained, and I knew that I have not been good enough. I have many many blessings. I know that by just choosing, and I tell this to my kids all of the time, that I can be happy and not murmur even when things are very hard. January has been just a little bit hard. I am grateful for the books, and prophets, and scriptures that I have to chastise me when I need it for the good of my life, my soul, and my family. I am sure this passage was in answer to my daily prayer of, "help me to do better, and to be more patient." I would like to be like the men who despite blistery feet, rotten food, and bad water were always ready and willing to do what was required of them.