Two summers ago I was on the grounds of the temple taking a walk outside with my grandchild Sammy while her parents were inside. It was the picture of peace and beauty as usual. As we were walking I noticed a huge bird, the biggest bird I had ever been so close to, outside of a zoo. As we rounded a corner I looked ahead and saw that my daughter, who had come to join us, was standing on the walkway in the distance, observing the same bird.
I walked toward her telling her how amazing the bird was. She stopped me mid sentence and said, “Mom, it’s not wonderful. It’s a hawk and the hawk is taking the baby birds out of that mother robin’s nest one at a time.” I was horrified. “Lord here I am on the grounds of the most sacred place on earth. How can such devastation be encroaching here?”
I was immediately reminded of the tremendous struggles within the homes of the families in my own ward and community. The thought came to my mind, “Nannette, THE HAWK IS ON THE TEMPLE GROUNDS! We have got to protect our children from the hawk by arming them with the ability to come unto Christ for the very real direction and power and protection they can receive because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”
By Nannette W.
Written Summer of 2006
Posted Saturday, August 15, 2008
Copyright 2008 by Nannette W. All right reserved.
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