Liken

The other night we had one of those nights.

As we were sitting down to dinner, the boys started to fight over who would sit next to me...I tried to explain that I wasn't hungry and wouldn't be sitting down to eat, but they were too busy arguing to listen. I sent them to their rooms to "work it out". The next thing I know they are yelling back and forth at each other, flinging playground profanities: "You're a booger butt!" "You're a booty head!"

I go in to lay down the law: "I hear one more name or we have one more fight, you two will be done for the day. No dinner. No stories. Nothing. Got it?"

No sooner had I walked out of the room and they were whipping each other with their blankets and heading straight for a brawl.

I hate it when my kids force me to make good on my threats. I am not in love with the idea of my children going to bed hungry.

Nevertheless.

There were many tears.
"I'm starving!"
"Those are the consequences"
"What can we do to make it up to you?"
"I warned you what would happen, and you chose to continue the fight."

That night we sat on the floor and read from the Book of Mormon Stories (you know the one that looks like a very serious comic strip?)

Here was the story we just happened to be on:

"The Lord told Nephi to warn the Niphites that if they did not repent, they would be destroyed. Nephi went immediately to warn the people. The Nephites did not believe Nephi. They tried to throw him into prison, but the power of God protected him. Nephi declared the word of God to all the Nephites. But the people became even more wicked and began fighting each other. Nephi prayed for a famine, hoping that a lack of food would humble the Nephites and help them repent. The famine came. There was no rain, so the ground dried up and crops would not grow. The people stopped fighting. The Nephites were hungry, and many of them died. Those who lived began to remember the Lord and what Nephi had taught them. The people repented of their sins."

I am not making this up.

I never thought of going to bed without dinner on the same level as a famine throughout the land, but it was just as effective. Those who did not die, promised to do better and really enjoyed their breakfast the next morning.

And behold, there was peace throughout the land.