A long time ago in a decade far far away, I had the ambitious dream of being what I assumed at the time every young single adult dreams of being – an EFY counselor!  I had attended Especially for Youth as a participant when I was 15 and 16, but the summer after I returned home from my mission, the time had finally come for me to don the lime green shirt and wear my badge with pride. 

I learned the dance.

I prepared my lessons.

I even mastered the cup game to play in the cafeteria – I was set! 

One morning as my small youth group gathered at our spot on the University campus, I had prepared what I was certain would be a mind-blowing devotional that would most definitely set the course for the rest of their lives. 

I began by asking the young men and women if they had all brushed their teeth that morning.  With a few exceptions (eww), they all replied that they had.  I then proceeded to tell them that I work in the dental field and that new research indicates you only have to brush your teeth once a week!  I continued to explain that a concentrated effort to brush your teeth for a longer period of time coupled with proper flossing is an appropriate level of dedication to your oral health and its effects can last up to a week, even two! 

I paused for effect . . . then, wait for it . . . plot twist – I’m lying! 

“Who thought I was telling the truth?”

“Who thinks this is a good idea?” I asked.

Just like proper dental hygiene is maintained by small consistent efforts to brush and floss daily, our spiritual growth and testimony must be nurtured daily by the word of God.  It is not a once-a-week concentrated effort.  It is a daily cleansing of the soul that keeps us pure and unspotted from the world. 

As I concluded my morning devotional, I waited for everyone to experience that ah-ha moment where the lightbulbs would go on and hearts would be changed . . . as you may have guessed, it didn’t exactly turn out that way.  I am sure half of the kids were still asleep and the other half were either focused on which cute boy they were going to dance with that night or how much chocolate milk they were going to chug at breakfast.  Slightly anti-climatic.    

Although my spiritual thought was not as life altering as I had ambitiously hoped for that small group of teenagers all those years ago, perhaps the reason I felt so impressed to share that message with them was because the person who actually needed it the most was me!

I don’t know if it is because I actually worked as a dental assistant for several years or maybe just because I honestly love the feeling of freshly brushed squeaky clean teeth – but the thought of going an entire week without brushing my teeth absolutely disgusts me!  Even on those busy Mom days where I’m still in sweats and haven’t washed my hair in . . . a while – I can at least say that I have brushed my teeth that day. 

It is a habit that helps my day to get going . . . I feel the need to brush my teeth from the moment I wake up in the morning. 

I feel clean and complete once I have brushed my teeth and free from the build up of unwanted filth.

Are you seeing where I am going with this . . . replace the words “brushing my teeth” above with “reading my scriptures.” Then take a moment to ponder.

The sad (and slightly embarrassing) irony is that I can honestly tell you that there have been many times in my life where I have gone a week or even longer without spiritually brushing my teeth!  Regular dental check ups and fluoride treatments – of course!  But then I come home from the dentist armed with knowledge and ambition, and somehow loose track of the most important thing he told me to do.  I don’t know if any of you can relate to this . . . going to church every Sunday, listening to the prophet at General Conference, even reading the scriptures with my own children – check. 

But when it comes to meaningful personal daily scripture study – I struggle. 

It’s not that I don’t want to read my scriptures.  I think I just allow myself to tirelessly fill my jar with all the little pebbles so to speak, leaving no room for the big rocks at the end of my day. 

I was reminded of this principle in a very different context as our family was studying the Old Testament last year. In Exodus we read the incredible story of the Children of Israel and their miraculous deliverance from captivity in the land of Egypt.  Although they were saved from the torturous plagues, delivered from bondage and even witnessed the parting of the Red Sea by the power of God – they were quick to complain and in Exodus chapter 16, they started to get a little hangry.  Now in their defense – there were 600,000 men plus woman and children!  Considering I can’t even walk with my kids to the park without them whining for a snack – I’d say it’s a fair concern. 

The Lord then tells Moses, “Behold I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or not.” 

Did you catch that – every day! 

The Lord could have easily provided enough Manna to last each family for an entire week, even two . . . but that is not the Lord’s plan.  God wanted his covenant people to learn to rely on him.  It was not a once-a-week concentrated effort. 

The daily act of gathering the life-sustaining manna sent from heaven is symbolic of our daily effort to partake of the living bread of Jesus Christ that fills our souls when we learn of him and study his words.

Knowing all this then, why is it so hard? 

The answer came to me a few weeks ago as I was listening to President Nelson’s talk entitled, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum.”   

He says, “Momentum is a powerful concept . . . so I ask, what can ignite spiritual momentum? We have seen examples of both positive and negative momentum . . . Momentum can swing either way.”

As I listened to those words, I realized that over time I had allowed the momentum of my busy schedule, my lack of energy and every other excuse I had to pull me further and further away from a daily habit that is eternally more significant than brushing my teeth and brings far more blessings. 

Momentum can swing either way.

I started that day.  I sent my older girls off to school, then before making the beds or cleaning up breakfast . . . even before brushing my teeth! – I sat down at the kitchen table and spent time with the Savior studying his word in the scriptures.  It was a manna from heaven kind of morning.

I felt filled.

I felt inspired.

I felt the spiritual momentum I needed so badly ignite within me. 

President Nelson went on to teach, “We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now . . . [it] will keep us moving forward amid fear and uncertainty . . . Spiritual momentum can help us withstand the relentless, wicked attacks of the adversary and thwart his efforts to erode our personal spiritual foundation.”

Now just to keep things real here, I will tell you that just as I was about to finish this incredible personal scripture study, I heard a panicked cry from my husband calling me to help him.  I ran upstairs to find that our two year old daughter had clogged the sink, left the water running and completely flooded our bathroom! 

A dozen soaking wet towels and a soggy basement carpet later – I was reminded that there will always be distractions and my efforts to gather manna daily may at times seem futile. 

But since that morning I have taken the time (even just a few minutes some days) to gather the manna I need to feed my soul.  It is not always easy, and sometimes I am tempted to gather a little extra so I have enough for the coming days (in case I “don’t have time” to read my scriptures tomorrow).  But as the Children of Israel learned the hard way – excess manna gathered from the day before spoiled and they were chastised by the Lord. 

It is not that he doesn’t want us to have enough – there will always be enough.  It is that God still wants his covenant people to learn to rely on him.  It never was and never will be a once-a-week concentrated effort. 

He wants us to gather the bread of life daily. 

So here I am – perfectly imperfect at everything I do.  But I am trying.  Trying to spiritually brush my teeth on a regular basis, gaining positive momentum every day as I gather the manna that I so desperately need to feed my hungry soul. 

Remember the words of the Savior when he was faced with temptation and struggle, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”