Be the One

Despite the fact that nine months have passed since Patrick, my youngest brother, left the youth program, we still receive the New Era along with the Ensign and the Friend. I am grateful beyond words for that fact; otherwise I wouldn’t have known about the wonderful article in the May 2013 New Era entitled “Be the One.”

The author, Angelica Hagman of California, writes about how she has “been on the lookout for less-prominent story lines” in her study of the Book of Mormon. Being a person that enjoys seeing how each story connects within the Book of Mormon, I decided to keep reading, to discover what she had found and what it had to do with being “the one.” Hagman shared three of the stories she had discovered: the conversion to the gospel of the only Amalekite in a very wicked part of the Lamanite kingdom; Morianton’s maidservant, who fled a terrible situation after being beaten and found a better situation by finding refuge with Captain Moroni’s army; and the Lamanite servant Laman, falsely accused of murdering the Lamanite king, who, after seeking refuge with the Nephites, risks discovery when he offers to take a small party of Lamanite descendants with some wine to the Lamanite guards.

Each story had its own lesson and application in Hagman’s life and in our lives. After reading her article, I’m challenging myself to look much closer at the stories the scriptures contain. In the past, I’ve read the stories, I’ve loved the stories, I’ve marked and connected the stories, but I’ve rarely thought about how they can apply in my life. Leaders have encouraged us to apply the scriptures to our lives, but I’ve never understood how. “Be the One” is an excellent example of personal application.