Scripture Stories for Little Saints

Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. (KJV)In the very beginning, there was Nothing. No trees or flowers or rocks or waterfalls or dirt or grass or land or ocean. There weren’t even stars or lights or days or nights or moons or months or years or anything. And God decided to take this Nothing and make . . . well, everything.God started with an enormous breath. And then he spoke. And his words were deep and sharp and strong like a knife. And they separated one thing from another. He said, “Let there be light,” and the light separated from the darkness. Dark over here. Light over there. And the light and dark grew bigger and fuller and brighter and darker. From the light and the dark, God spoke the sun, the moon, and the stars into being. And God looked at his creations and saw that they were good. And they were.God spoke again and separated out land, water, and sky. God breathed in, and the land grew, steady, firm and dry. And the water rushed down the land, running and leaping and swirling into rivers and lakes and oceans. And the sky stretched wide like she was just waking up, filling the space with oxygen, wrapping the land and the water with a blanket of air. And God looked at his creations and saw that they were good. And they were.God breathed in again and spoke. And his voice was like a deep breath, breathing life into the world. And soon there were octopuses and whales and manatees in the ocean. And on land, plants began to grow. And soon animals were crawling, and walking, and running across the earth. Frogs, beetles, bears, tigers, and monkeys. God looked at his creations and saw that they were good. And they were.On the plains were deer, buffalo, and lions. In the mountains were marmots and pikas and sheep. Trees grew from the ground into forests, and squirrels played in their branches. Soon, the animals leapt into the sky. Owls, bats, and eagles flew over branches and cliffs. Life was spreading and dividing and separating further and further.God looked at all his creations and saw that they were good. And they were. So good, in fact, that God was ready to put his own children on the earth. And so he took dust from the ground, and he spat on it to make clay. And he formed that clay into a human. And then God took another breath, in and out. And as he breathed out, the human breathed in.And God called his child Adam. And Adam was happy. Because how could he not be happy amongst all of God’s beautiful, good, lovely creations? He was living in a garden with flowers and enough fruit hanging from the trees to have a picnic every single meal.Adam woke in the mornings with the sun on his face, and he’d eat grapes and apples and nuts and berries and then swim all day with alligators that didn’t bite or play with lions that didn’t growl, and then he would watch the most marvelous sunsets as he fell asleep.But then one evening, as the sun was setting, it was even more magnificent than normal. Shafts of yellow and red and even purple dashed across the clouds, and Adam said, “Isn’t that beautiful?” But there was no reply. And that made Adam feel hungry. No, not hungry. It was like hunger but even deeper and sadder. It was not a hunger for food, but for a person. For the first time in the history of the world, a man felt lonely.And the beauty all around Adam only made his loneliness worse. He wanted to share it with someone. He wanted someone to talk to. Someone to laugh with. Someone to watch sunsets and have picnics with. So that when he said, “Isn’t it beautiful,” they’d respond, “Oh yes, isn’t it!”And God was watching Adam and knew just what to do. Separating everything was just the beginning of creation. The world he’d made with all its difference and diversity would continue to separate, and splinter, and fall further and further apart into a million-billion-gazillion shattered, lonely, desperate pieces unless it was held together by something.And so God created another human. This one was a woman named Eve. And God introduced Adam and Eve and explained that they would help hold the universe together. And he taught them what they had to do. “Cling to each other,” he said.Cling, a definition:To hold onto something so tightly that you don’t float apart.And that’s what Adam and Eve did. They clung to each other. They watched sunsets together, they prepared picnics, and when they woke in the morning, they held hands before getting out of bed. It was easy now. They were a new couple. They hadn’t had their first argument, or had babies, or lost jobs, or lived with in-laws, or had anything but perfect days and pleasant weather. They were new to love. They didn’t know how far it could stretch without breaking, how deep it could go without dissolving, how long it could last without expiring.Some day, they would have to learn all of this. They would learn to love like God loves and to cling like God clings. But while their love was young and inexperienced, it was also precious. And God saw the way they looked at each other and knew that it was good. No, not just good. Very good.Because the world needed love. And Adam and Eve would have to hold onto each other no matter what happened next. Even if the garden died away and the fruits turned bitter. Even if they got hurt, sad, or injured. Even if they felt scared or alone or confused or didn’t know if they could go on. Even if they fought, or their children died. Even if their world shattered. Even in the face of war and famine and tornado and fire. Even if they grew bored or angry or tired. No matter what, they had to cling to each other and to the world with everything they had. They must love. Their world depended on it.And someday, Adam and Eve would raise children. And they would teach their children to be clingers, too. To cling to each other and to the world God created. You are one of their children. They have passed this most important job down to you.You are a clinger. And so when you feel lost or scared or sad, or if it seems like the world is splintering and falling apart, or if you see someone who’s lonely or cast out, do what Adam and Eve learned to do: love. Love each other. Love the world. Love your mother. Love your father. Love your sister and brother. Love your neighbor. Love the refugee. Love the animals and the plants. Love the oceans. Love the sunsets.Because while the universe was separated by the power of God’s lungs, it is bound together by the gravity of his love. And you are a lover. You are a clinger. And so love on. Cling to each other. And cling to the God who already clings to you. And we will hold the world together.To purchase a hard copy of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, visit ForLittleSaints.comTo access the complete audiobook of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, become a Friend of Faith Matters by subscribing at FaithMatters.org/subscribe. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

You do not have to believe in God to acknowledge how much the Bible has done for this world. From a historical perspective, it shows a group of people who were trying to be good. They were crafting laws to foster morality, aid the poor, and safeguard human dignity even in the most extreme situations. From a literary perspective, it is a masterful collection of poetry, personal essays, sermons, and songs. From a philosophical perspective, it asks all the hard questions about life and about God and comes to various, brilliant, and surprising conclusions. From a religious perspective, it has captured the hearts of billions of people.And so it is no small thing to decide to retell Bible stories. And even more daunting when we are writing these stories for children, who are both vulnerable and impressionable. And so we want to be clear that our mission was never to produce a work of scholarship. Reading our stories will not teach your children Hebrew or Aramaic. We will not pontificate about the meaning or origins of Elohim. In fact, we mostly avoid dabbling in etymologies or exegesis. We were not even particularly careful to be historically accurate. In fact, we intentionally use playful anachronisms, like Abraham and Sarah packing their things into moving boxes. We do this to help make the ancient world feel familiar to children. In short, we are not attempting to give an authoritative, scientific, or historical gloss to these stories.Instead of explaining the stories, we have tried to tell them, and to tell them beautifully. We hope it will help bring them to life in new ways for both you and your child. Of course, we couldn’t tell every story in the Bible. It’s a big book, and every history is layered with histories. But the stories we do tell aren’t just the simple ones with easy, happy endings. Instead, what you will find in these pages are moments of tenderness, injustice, triumph, failure, deep sorrow, radical hope, and God’s enduring love — much like what you will find across the pages of your own life.And while people have argued over biblical interpretations for thousands of years, we are not entering that arena. We are not trying to indoctrinate or convert children to a particular faith beyond general Christianity. And while we do practice a specific form of Christianity ourselves, we see these stories as a shared treasure. And we hope to contribute to the millions of artists before us who have praised God with their words and chords and colors. Artists whose work is shared by Catholics and Protestants, Copts and Mormons, Baptists and Evangelicals alike.There is a chance that some of these stories will surprise you. But the Bible is full of surprises. And you might see new sides of old characters and find fresh possibilities in familiar readings. However, if you think we got something wrong or took too much liberty, go ahead and tell your children the story as you understand it. You won’t hurt our feelings. This is about you and them. These stories are successful when they create a moment of grace, where both parents and children feel that tickling, that warmth, that whispering of the spirit at the very same time. And you can tell them what it is. Or, more accurately, who.To purchase a hard copy of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, visit ForLittleSaints.comTo access the complete audiobook of The Bible Storybook: The Old Testament, become a Friend of Faith Matters by subscribing at FaithMatters.org/subscribe. Because the stories are written in chronological order and the Bible is not, we will release some stories before they come up in Come, Follow Me. Below is a schedule of which episodes to listen to each week, if you’d like to use this along with Come, Follow Me.January 12-18 (Genesis 1-2; Moses 2-3; Abraham 4-5)1. The beginning of everything (Genesis 1)2. The Bitter, Tasty, Forbidden Fruit (Genesis 2-3)January 19-25 (Genesis 3-4; Moses 4-5)2. The Bitter, Tasty, Forbidden Fruit (Genesis 2-3)3. Cain, who was a perfectionist (Genesis 4)February 9-15 (Genesis 6-11; Moses 8)4. Noah, the man who saved things (Genesis 6-9)5. The people who tried to climb to heaven (Genesis 11)February 16-22 (Genesis 12-17; Abraham 1-2)6. The man who learned to be generous (Genesis 12)7. The followers and their promise (Genesis 12-15)8. The God who sees (Genesis 16)9. Son of laughter (Genesis 17-21)February 23-March 1 (Genesis 18-23)9. Son of laughter (Genesis 17-21)10. The boy who lived (Genesis 21)11. Lot and his wife and their daughters (Genesis 18-19)12. The sacrifice (Genesis 18-22)13. Finding a wife (Genesis 23-24)March 2-8 (Genesis 24-33)13. Finding a wife (Genesis 23-24)14. The world in Rebekah’s belly (Genesis 25)15. The amazing, goodlooking, athletic brother (Genesis 25-33)16. Jacob, who traveled through time and wrestled an angel (Genesis 28-35)17. Two sisters, a lot of babies, and their strange names (Genesis 29-30)March 9-15 (Genesis 37-41)18. Band of brothers (Genesis 35-45)March 16-22 (Genesis 42-50)18. Band of brothers (Genesis 35-45)19. Giving food and taking dignity (Genesis 46 - Exodus 1)March 23-29 (Exodus 1-6)19. Giving food and taking dignity (Genesis 46 - Exodus 1)20. A conspiracy of women to save the boys (Exodus 1-2)21. Moses, who learned he had power (Exodus 2-4)22. The freedom plan (Exodus 5-15)April 6-12 (Exodus 7-13)22. The freedom plan (Exodus 5-15)April 13-19 (Exodus 14-18)22. The freedom plan (Exodus 5-15)23. A new law and a new king (Exodus 16-40)April 20-26 (Exodus 19-20; 24; 31-34)23. A new law and a new king (Exodus 16-40)April 27-May 3 (Exodus 35-40; Leviticus 1; 4; 16; 19)23. A new law and a new king (Exodus 16-40)24. The sin eaters (Leviticus)May 4-10 (Numbers 11-14; 20-24; 27)25. Moses’ 70 helpers (Numbers 9-11)26. All of God’s children are prophets (Numbers 11-20)May 11-17 (Deuteronomy 6-8; 15; 18; 29-30; 34)27: Moses gives advice and says goodbye (Deuteronomy)May 18-24 (Joshua 1-8; 23-24)28: The conquest (Joshua-Judges 16)May 25-31 (Judges 2-4; 6-8; 13-16)28: The conquest (Joshua-Judges 16)June 1-7 (Ruth; 1 Samuel 1-7)29: Ruth, who lost a husband and gained a family (Ruth)June 8-14 (1 Samuel 8-10; 13; 15-16)30: The first king (Judges 19 - 1 Samuel 10)31: The king who trusted a shepherd (1 Samuel 10-17)June 15-21 (1 Samuel 17-18; 24-26; 2 Samuel 5-7)32. Two boys who decided to be brothers (1 Samuel 18-20)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)June 22-28 (2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Kings 3; 6-9; 11)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)34. Solomon who was less remarkable than a lily (1 Kings 2-11; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes)June 29-July 5 (1 Kings 12-13; 17-22)35. A man and a woman whose miracles ran out (1 Kings 12-17)36: Elisha, who was nobody (1 Kings 19 - 2 Kings 2)July 6-12 (2 Kings 2-7)36: Elisha, who was nobody (1 Kings 19 - 2 Kings 2)37. A little girl without a name (2 Kings 5)38. More with us (2 Kings 6)July 13-19 (2 Kings 16-25)42. Hezekiah, the man who fought for today (2 Kings 18-20; Isaiah 36-39)July 27-August 2 (Ezra 1; 3-7; Nehemiah 2; 4-6; 8)49. The Rebuilders and The Remained (Ezra; Nehemiah)August 3-9 (Esther)48. The queen of Persia (Esther)August 10-16 (Job 1-3; 12-14; 19; 21-24; 38-40; 42)46. A story about a man called Job (Job)August 17-23 (Psalms 1-2; 8; 19-33; 40; 46)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)August 24-30 (Psalms 49-51; 61-66; 69-72; 77-78; 85-86)33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)August 31-September 6 (Psalms 102-3; 110; 116-19; 127-28; 135-39; 146-50) 33. David faces another giant (1 Samuel 22 - 2 Samuel, Psalms)September 7-13 (Proverbs 1-4; 15-16; 22; 31; Ecclesiastes 1-3; 11-12)34. Solomon who was less remarkable than a lily (1 Kings 2-11; Proverbs; Ecclesiastes)September 14-20 (Isaiah 1-12)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)September 21-27 (Isaiah 13-14; 22; 24-30; 35)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)42. Hezekiah, the man who fought for today (2 Kings 18-20; Isaiah 36-39)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)September 28-October 4 (Isaiah 40-49)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)October 5-11 (Isaiah 50-57)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)October 12-18 (Isaiah 58-66)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)43. Isaiah and the new city called Zion (Isaiah)October 19-25 (Jeremiah 1-3; 7; 16-18; 20)44. Jeremiah and the rich who became poor and the poor who became rich (Jeremiah)October 26-November 1 (Jeremiah 31-33; 36-38; Lamentations 1; 3)44. Jeremiah and the rich who became poor and the poor who became rich (Jeremiah)November 2-8 (Ezekiel 1-3; 33-34; 36-37; 47)45. The dreamer, playwright, poet, artist, Ezekiel (Ezekiel)November 9-15 (Daniel 1-7)47. The memory keepers (Daniel)November 16-22 (Hosea 1-6; 10-14; Joel)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)41. Hosea and his strange marriage advice (Hosea)November 23-29 (Amos; Obadiah; Jonah)39. Jonah and the whale and the bush (Jonah)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)November 30-December 6 (Micah; Nahum; Habakkuk; Zephaniah)40. What the prophets said (Isaiah; Amos; Micah; Joel)December 7-13 (Haggai 1-2; Zechariah 1-4; 7-14)50. Healing in his wings (Zachariah; Malachi)December 14-20 (Malachi) 50. Healing in his wings (Zachariah; Malachi) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

Moroni 6:6, 9 And they did meet together oft to partake of bread and wine, in remembrance of the Lord Jesus. For as the power of the Holy Ghost led them whether to preach, or to exhort, or to pray, or to supplicate, or to sing, even so it was done.Moroni was still alone. Even after reading all the books, even after writing down more stories and letters, even after running away and trying not to be killed, even after years and years, Moroni was still alive, and still alone.He had not always been alone. Before the big horrible final battle, he lived in a family with parents and brothers and sisters who all loved each other very much. And he had friends, too. Friends who had lived in his neighborhood. Friends he had met in the army. Friends he grew up with at church.He remembered playing with them in nursery and singing with them in the primary program. He remembered sitting in class with them and imagining what it would be like to be baptized, and wondering whether his toes would come out of the water and they’d have to do the whole thing again. And he was glad to remember these things.But then he remembered that his friends were all gone. And because they were gone, these things were just memories. He would never listen to another friend’s talk or see another primary program. He would not be able to teach the sunbeams how to fold their arms or hug his daughter after she was confirmed. Because Moroni was all alone. And when he died, these memories would die too, like his friends.And that made Moroni very sad. “God,” he said, “In case you have forgotten, I am still here, alone in my cave. Nothing but me and my books and my memories. How long will you leave me here alone? I am tired of this world. I want to see my friends. My father, my mother. I miss them.” And Moroni began to cry.And God was also crying. “Child,” God said, “even though you are lonely, you are not alone. I am with you. And your father, and your mother, they are here, too. And there are other people still, living in the world with you.”“Lamanites?” Moroni hiccuped. “But they don’t like me at all. If they found me, they would kill me.”“But still they are mine,” said God. “And I will rescue them. I am sorry they have been very mean to you. I am sorry you are lonely. I am sorry your friends are gone and your family. I am sorry there is so much evil and death and pain in the world. I am sorry for all of it.“But Moroni, there is more for you to do. There are more souls to save. If not these Lamanites, then the ones that will come after. I have big plans for that little book you are holding, Moroni. And people will need your memories. They will need to know how to pray, how to baptize, how to bless and teach and love each other, and make a church together. Because there is still good in the world. And it will return to this place, just like your book. It will rise out of the earth and your words will grow and stretch until every person feels their light. And so, I am leaving you here, Moroni. Just a little longer. Just long enough to finish your story, and make it right.”And so Moroni opened the book and wrote his memories. He wrote about the baptisms, and the blessings, and the prayers, and the meetings. He wrote the words his friends had said, and he remembered how beautiful they were. And they looked beautiful in the golden pages of the book.And seeing them, Moroni smiled. And he put his pen down. And he sighed and looked at the clouds. He breathed in and out, very slowly.He could see them now, there in the future. The people God had told him about. They were reading his book. And Moroni tried to think about what they needed to know. What he could tell them about God. He did not think he could write good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough. But they would need help to succeed. What they were doing would not be simple. They would mess up and have to try again. But they were his hope now. They were his people’s hope. They were all people’s hope. They would build Zion. And when they were finished, it would stay. Not for four hundred years. Not for four thousand years. Forever.And if they were going to build Zion, they would need to start by building a church. And not any church. God’s church. Because Zion is not just one heart, but a whole congregation of good, pure, imperfect hearts all knit together like a big comfy blanket. It is not something we do by ourselves. But if you bring your heart to church, God will start knitting.And so Moroni picked up his pen and wrote: “And this is what a church is. It is a place where people sit together often. And they talk together. And they are honest and kind to each other. And they practice being good and helping others be good. And God is there with them. And whether God tells them to teach, or talk, or serve, or sing, or pray, or forgive, or ask forgiveness, the people do it. The people at church are not perfect, but they care for each other very much. And the people try. They really try.”Joshua is an award-winning writer and director. His recent book, Ali the Iraqi, was published by BCC press. Sarah is a literature and theology doctoral student studying the Book of Job in the twentieth century.Artwork by Maddie Baker. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

Ether 6:12 And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord.Jared and the Brother of Jared and their family and friends all agreed that they would follow God and step into the boats, which were actually barges, which were like submarines. And then they pushed into the water and took one last look at the land before closing the hatch. It would be a year before they saw land again.And a year is a long time to be stuck in a boat on an ocean with people and animals and honey bees. Because when you’re all stuck like that, people tend to get seasick, and smelly, and probably a little bit grumpy. And bees are not always the friendliest neighbors.Even though the family was cranky and smelly and bee stung and sick, they remembered that God was with them. Because they had shining rocks that lit up the room like electric light bulbs. And they were glad to have light because even though sometimes they couldn’t stand each other, they were glad to be able to see each other and play games and draw pictures and do school.And God blew the boat all the way to the Promised Land. And when it arrived, the people fell out of the barges and onto the earth. And they picked up the white sand and kissed it and let it slip through their fingers and into the emerald ocean and cried at the green trees. And everyone ran along the beach and laughed and spun in circles on the earth under the sun.“God,” they laughed, “the world really is beautiful.”And the people made a promise to God: they would remember him, and love the world he had created for them. And they built the city God had sent them to build. And the children grew into adults and taught their children to trust God and love the earth. They planted gardens, harvested honey, ate fruit, and they grew old and content and eventually died.And the children’s children saw it happen. They saw how much their parents and grandparents had loved the world. And it didn’t seem right that they were dying. They were meant for the earth. They were beautiful here. And so the children’s children made a mistake.It was a similar mistake to the people who tried to build the tower to heaven. Only this was the opposite. They were not running away from the earth. They loved the earth too much. They were running away from death. Just thinking about death made them shiver. And so they tried to gather money and gold and power so that they could be healthy and safe and live as long as possible.They gathered armies and created kings and told secrets and set up passwords to protect themselves and their cities and their money. But the more they focused on surviving, the harder it became. Soon, they began fighting. Kings and towns and cities fought for control and killed each other. Because no one wanted to die, so many people were dying.Children wanted to be grownups. Old men wanted to be young again. Old fathers became jealous of their young sons and stopped feeding them food. Sons fought with their fathers and locked them away in prisons. And everyone worshiped the strong and the beautiful. They wanted to eat the best food, see the best things, marry the handsomest spouse, and have the prettiest life. A life someone could take a picture of and show others, and it would make them jealous.And for this life, the people were willing to hurt and kill each other.And this is not what God meant when he told the people to love the world. And so God sent prophets to explain. And one of the prophets was Ether. Ether was born in a prison, because his grandfather was put in prison, and his father lived his whole life in a prison, and then Ether was born. And even though Ether was born in a prison, he learned to love the world. And not just the easy beautiful things, but the hard, prison things, too.And Ether and the prophets told the people that loving the world is not loving one part of it, or just the beaches, or just the sunlight. But to love all of it as it passes by. The rocks and the snow, the seeds and the flowers, the bees and the honey. And the people, they were always the best part of the world.The adults were not more important than children. Young bachelors were not better than old couples or widows or widowers or people who were never married. Kings were not more important than queens or peasants. And handsome people were not better than less handsome people.They were all part of the world. They needed to be loved for what they were. And they needed to be taken care of. And the prophets warned that if they did not take care of the world, they would lose it. And like sand on the beach, the harder they clung to life, the quicker it would drain away. And soon, there would be nothing left but dust, and bones, and nothing.“So try again to love the world,” the prophets said. “But this time, love every bit of it. Because life is not a road trip for a vacation where you are bored or sleep and wait to arrive. It is a sightseeing tour. And you are here now. And every part of the tour has something to love. Even the ending.”But the people just rolled their eyes.“You are only saying that because you are jealous,” they said. “Because you are weak and poor and you will die soon. Look at your ugly clothes, and your worn-out sandals, and your wrinkly forehead, and your calloused hands.”“That is not right,” said the prophets, “We are old. But we love the world more now than ever. It has only gotten better for us. We have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. It is true that our knees ache and our skin is thin and easily sunburned and we are slow and getting weaker every day. But life is still getting better and better and better.“Because loving the world is like hugging a person. You savor the moment, you hold it against your chest, you breathe in and smell it and love it. And then you let it go. And you watch it as it departs. And you do not love it any less but more and more and more. Because you know that is not the end. There will be another day, another hug, another moment to savor and then to let go.“You do not need to fear death or cling to the world. Instead, believe in God, and care for the world. And you will make it a better world. And God will transform the world with the touch of his finger. And we will see that every rock and every person is a bright shining thing. And the world will get better and better until it is all finished. And God will stand beside us, and we will hold hands, and never have to let go.”Joshua is an award-winning writer and director. His recent book, Ali the Iraqi, was published by BCC press. Sarah is a literature and theology doctoral student studying the Book of Job in the twentieth century.Artwork by Maddie Baker. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe

Moroni 8:3 And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people.Mormon was one of the only survivors of the big, terrible, Nephite-ending battle. His city was destroyed and he wept for the roads and the buildings. His dog and his horse were killed, and he wept for the animals. His friends and his soldiers were killed and he wept for them because he could remember how beautiful they had been when they were still living. But most of all he wept for his family — his wife and daughters who had been taken away, his son who was now one of the unknown bodies lying lifeless on the ground.Everything he had ever loved or cared for was gone. His own body was injured and he could feel it slipping out from under him. He was old already. The world was not what he wanted it to be. He was ready to die. And so he sat on the ground and waited for the Lamanites to come and find him.But then he heard a voice. It was young and strong and more than a little familiar. It was his son, Moroni. There he is, across the battlefield, stumbling over bodies, looking at dead faces, calling, “Father, Father! Where are you, Father?”“I’m alive,” Mormon yells back. The boy looks up and runs to his father. They are both bloody, sore, limping. But all is forgotten as they embrace. And Moroni helps his father to walk and Mormon takes Moroni to his cave where they hide from the Lamanites and bandage each other’s wounds. And Mormon is glad to be with Moroni. And he pats his hand, and looks at his face, and thinks, “You are my beautiful boy.” And Moroni is glad to take care of his father.Mormon’s wounds were severe and his face was pale, so Moroni made soup and fed it to his father, trying to make him well.But Mormon would never be able to run again. He could not run to catch a rabbit. Or run to get water. Or run from the Lamanites. And the Lamanites were looking everywhere for Mormon and Moroni. Soon enough, they were bound to find the cave.Mormon knew he was going to die. But he wasn’t ready anymore because he did not want to leave his son alone in the world. And so before he died, Mormon took Moroni to the back of the cave where he uncovered a stack of metal books and said, “These are for you. They will keep you company when you are lonely. They will be your friends when there is no one else. And they will be your family when you have none.” And then Mormon reached into a bag and took out another book, brighter than the rest, made of gold. He ran his fingers over the cover, then held it out to Moroni. “And this is my book. Take all these and run far away so that no one will ever find you.”“I will take you and the books,” Moroni said.Mormon shook his head. “That is impossible. The books are as heavy as I am. You cannot take us both. And if you take me, I am dying anyway. Metal is much stronger than skin. And if you take the books, in a way, you are also taking me. And you will save my life. Not for a few more years, but forever. Because someday, people will read my book, and they will know we were here. And that we were here with Jesus.”And Moroni cried and took the books, and looked at his father one last time, and ran away.And Moroni wandered around all alone for years and years and years with nothing but books for company. And he liked to read his father’s book, but sometimes it made him sad to think of his father. And so he read the other books. And one of the other books was sadder than the rest. It was called Ether. And Moroni learned that he liked sad stories. He could relate to them. They were his friends because they could understand his sadness and give voice to his sorrow.And sometimes, when he read these stories, he would forget he was alone. But he was alone. And the book was cold and not warm like his father’s hands on his shoulder or his mother’s kiss on his cheek. There was no one to talk to, no one to sing for, no one to play with or love.And so Moroni decided to imagine there were people around him. The people his father talked about. The people who would live hundreds and hundreds of years later. The people who would find his father’s book and read the stories.These people became his imaginary friends that he talked with and cared for, and he even began to write them letters. And he put these letters in his father’s book along with the sad stories of Ether.And we’re telling you this because you should know: the stories that we are about to tell you, the stories that come next, they are often sad stories. But they are important. They are important to us and they were important to Moroni.Because it is important to know that some stories are sad. And sometimes praying and fasting and asking and telling and begging God to stop bad things from happening, doesn’t actually stop bad things from happening. And that does not mean God is not working. Because a sad story can still be a sacred story, just the same. Like this book. Like Moroni’s lonely life and his sad stories that were his friends.Because God is not the opposite of sorrow or pain. These are also part of God. He feels them too. If you are sad or lonely or hurting, you might think that God has left you or even left the world. “But,” Moroni wrote in one of his letters, “God is still a God of miracles.” And because God is here and is working, we will laugh again and dance again and find so much joy again.But first, there is sadness. First, there is death and grief. It’s coming in the next few pages. And if you don’t want to turn the page because you know the story is sad, you should know that it’s okay to be sad, and it’s okay to be nervous. But you should know also that everything is going to be okay. Know that there is sacredness in grief like there is sacredness in joy. And know also that when you turn the page, God will be there, too, like a miracle.Joshua is an award-winning writer and director. His recent book, Ali the Iraqi, was published by BCC press. Sarah is a literature and theology doctoral student studying the Book of Job in the twentieth century.Artwork by Maddie Baker. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.faithmatters.org/subscribe