I studied the people’s clothes, which were mostly animal skins and hides fashioned into various apparel. At the front of the room there was a man lying on a bed with fur blankets around his still form. He was the most ornately clothed, and the feathered and jeweled headdress near his head made it clear that he was the ruler of whatever land this was.
A woman lying on the floor near his bed was dressed in a similar way, with the addition of an impressively large necklace and gold bracelets on her arms. I assumed she was the queen, and I racked my brain for a story which contained a king and a queen in the Book of Mormon.
The other people in the room all appeared to be servants, and they all had brown or bronze-colored skin—all except one.
A large, muscular servant stood out from the others both because of his dress and because of his skin tone. It was easy to tell that he was not native to this land, and I puzzled over this fact until something caught my eye.
A servant woman was kneeling in the back of the room, observing the scene before her with tears in her eyes. Although she was crying, I soon realized they were tears of joy. Her countenance was lit up with a glorious smile as she bowed her head in prayer. She knelt for several moments, and then she stood up and fled from the room.
I looked at Grandma, trying to disguise my bewilderment. Something about all of this was familiar, and I knew I’d heard this story before, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, and that made me feel irritated.
“So, any guesses yet?” Grandma teased. I could tell from her delighted expression that she knew I was stumped but that I wasn’t about to give in.
“Just give me a few minutes. I know I can figure this out!” I snapped as I returned my attention to the foreigner. Something told me that he was the key to unlocking this mystery.
In my head, I quickly went through each book in the Book of Mormon, thinking through every story I could remember that mentioned a king. It was the book of Alma that finally gave me my answer.
“I’ve got it!” I yelled triumphantly, momentarily forgetting my natural inclination to speak quietly around all of the resting figures on the floor. “This is the story of Ammon and King Lamoni, isn’t it?” And then, after seeing Grandma’s nod, I couldn’t help but rub it in. I danced merrily in a circle around her chanting, “I got it ri-ght, I got it ri-ght, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-HA!”
Grandma chuckled and then asked, “All right, Miss Smarty-pants, then can you tell me the name of the woman who went running from the room a few moments ago?”
I stopped dead in my tracks. “Her name? Does it even mention her name in the scriptures?” I asked incredulously.
Grandma theatrically placed a hand over her heart and assumed an expression of false shock. “You mean to tell me you don’t know? Tsk-tsk!”
“Oh, come on, Grandma! I don’t have all the names in the Book of Mormon memorized. I bet not even my seminary teacher knows all of them by heart.”
“Well, this is a name you should know, because this woman is the reason we’re here. Her name was Abish, and she was the queen’s servant.”
I said the name a few times, liking the way it sounded as it came out of my mouth. Abish.
“After her father received ‘a remarkable vision,’ as the scriptures tell it, she was converted to the Lord. She held this testimony close to her heart for many years and secretly remained faithful until the time came to act on her faith. Of all the servants of King Lamoni, she alone knew what was taking place when the king and all of his court fell to the earth. The Lord had prepared her, and she was ready.
“After witnessing what happened here in this room, she was overjoyed because she knew it was the power of God. She thought that if she could gather as many people as possible to come see what was happening, they would also become converted.”
While Grandma spoke, people began gathering in the court, and it wasn’t long before a large crowd had assembled. They all seemed to be incredibly astonished at the scene that lay before them.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before an undercurrent of conflict swept through the group as they debated over the cause of what they were witnessing. With hatred burning in their eyes, many men repeatedly pointed to Ammon in accusation.
One man in particular seemed to be seething with uncontrollable rage. All of a sudden, he drew his sword and rushed toward Ammon’s still frame. I gasped in shock and horror, wanting desperately to intervene in some way, but moments before the man reached Ammon, he stopped as if he’d hit a brick wall and fell to the ground.
There was complete silence in the room as a man went over to check on the fallen swordsman. He looked up at the crowd and shook his head, confirming that the man had died.
Immediately, the room erupted into shrieks and outcries. Confusion, fear, and anger all created an atmosphere of chaos as the people tried to figure out what was happening.
In the midst of the turmoil, I saw a woman push her way to the front of the crowd. It was Abish, and she looked completely distraught and heartbroken. Tears streamed down her face as she watched the spirit of contention overtaking the crowd. She had gathered these people with the intent of leading them to the truth, but they were blind to the hand of God.
I watched her bow her head in earnest prayer, and then she did something remarkable. She wiped her tears, and with head held high, she began walking toward the queen. Some watched her, waiting to see if she would be struck dead as the last man had been, but many others were completely unaware of her, arguing among themselves.
Abish stood beside the queen. Reaching down, she took her by the hand and immediately the queen stood up. Her countenance was glorious! She praised God and spoke many words while several people in the crowd watched in amazement.
The queen then took King Lamoni by the hand, and he also stood, his face radiating pure joy. After a few moments, he saw the arguments that were taking place among his people. He instantly went to them and began quieting their disputes, preaching the gospel to any who would listen.
I couldn’t help but watch Abish as all of this was taking place. The happiness had returned to her face, and she continued to move quietly about, helping and serving whoever was in need, all the while giving thanks to the Lord for this great miracle.
“So,” Grandma whispered, “do you think you’ll be able to remember her name now?”
I nodded resolutely. “I had no idea what a special person she was! Why have I never paid attention to this part of the story before?”
“Abish is just one of the many examples of people who go quietly about, staying faithful and doing good works with little or no recognition. In the eyes of her people, she was merely a servant, but in the eyes of the Lord, she was much, much more. He knew her heart, and He knew that when the time came, she would not fail Him because she possessed something special—integrity.” Grandma looked at me pointedly, and I smiled. I should have remembered that this was the value we were focusing on tonight.
She continued. “Can you imagine the courage it would have taken to remain faithful for so many years when you were the only one who believed in the true gospel? Can you imagine how frightening it would be to attempt to touch the queen when you’d just seen a man struck dead for coming within mere feet of Ammon?” She paused, emphasizing her next words. “Oh, yes, Abish had integrity, and there’s a great lesson to be learned from her story.”
The walls began to fade, and I knew we were done visiting this scene. I looked once more at Abish and smiled, wishing she could see me and that I could thank her. It was strange that I could feel a bond with a woman who’d lived thousands of years before me, yet somehow it seemed like if I’d lived back then we would have been friends, and that thought made me happy.
The room disappeared around us, and Grandma and I now stood on a long gravel road that seemed to stretch for miles. The terrain around us was completely flat and barren, reminding me of what the Midwest must have been like during the Dust Bowl. In fact, standing there, I felt almost as if I were Do
rothy and this was the legendary Yellow Brick Road.
Just as I was about to begin singing a rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” Grandma’s voice broke through my thoughts and saved me from myself.
“You know, Eliza, when it comes right down to it, integrity is a simple concept. It means staying true to the things you know are right, regardless of what others may think or say. It’s putting your beliefs into action and truly living the gospel, not just claiming to be a member of the Church.
“Having integrity is like telling someone you’re going to walk down this road until you get to the end of it, and then starting out. It might seem easy at first, but when the tornadoes come or when you see people you love heading off the path, claiming they’ve found a better way, it gets a little tougher to keep the goal in sight.”
She bent down and picked up a rock. It was a deep shade of purple and perfectly smooth. “However,” she continued as she handed it to me, “if you stay the course and keep moving down the path, eventually you’ll get to the end, where you’ll find a reward so great you’ll know it was all worth it.”
I squeezed the rock in my hand as I looked down the seemingly endless stretch of road. It appeared daunting, not being able to see the end from where I stood, but I figured that’s where Grandma’s lesson on faith came in. If you could see the end when you began, then it wouldn’t require any faith to get started.
“I think I understand what you’re trying to say, Grandma.” A rush of sadness overwhelmed me as I suddenly realized that we had only one more value to discuss. “Will you still come to visit me after the next dream? I’ll really miss you if you don’t.”
Her expression saddened a bit as she smiled. “No sense wastin’ time and tissues worrying about that now. Just remember what you learned tonight, and I’ll be back again when you’re ready.”
I wanted to stay with her, but slowly the warmth of Grandma’s smile was replaced by the warmth of my bedspread, and I was fast asleep.
Chapter Twenty-One
Wake up, sweetie.” Mom’s gentle voice aroused me from deep slumber, and I squinted against the early morning sunlight. “Dad and I are leaving in a few minutes, and I wanted to make sure you didn’t have any questions before we go.”
I blinked and sat up in bed. “Um, I don’t think so. Unless you have certain rules for Courtney.”
My parents had established a few set rules for when they weren’t home, and I knew them by heart. Rule number 1: No boys allowed in the house. Rule number 2: No throwing wild parties (which couldn’t really happen unless rule number 1 was broken). Rule number 3: Be home by curfew.
Mom sighed. “Actually, I’d like you to keep an eye on Courtney while we’re gone. She’s been acting so different lately, and I’m worried about her. If it’s not too much trouble, I’d like you to send her a text every so often asking where she is and what she’s doing.”
She patted my knee. “I know you have a busy day, but I’ll feel better knowing you’re checking in on her often. I didn’t want her to be lonely tonight, so I told her Alexis could stay over. Courtney knows the rules, but call me if anything goes wrong, okay? In fact, call me tonight when you get home and let me know how everything is going.” She sighed again, her brow wrinkling with concern. “Maybe I shouldn’t go with Dad today. I just have this feeling like something’s wrong.”
I placed my hand on her arm. “Don’t worry, Mom. You and Dad deserve a night away. I promise I’ll check in on Courtney a lot—I’ll even text her every hour if you want me to. Everything will be fine. You guys go and enjoy yourselves.”
Conflicting emotions passed across Mom’s face as she struggled to decide. It was obvious she really wanted to go with Dad, and after I gave her another squeeze and a smile of encouragement, she relented. “Okay. I guess it’s only one night. Thanks, sweetheart. I’m so lucky to have a daughter as trustworthy as you.” She gave me a hug. “Don’t hesitate to call us anytime. And I left the address and phone number of our hotel in Denver, just in case, but I’ll always have my cell with me, and—”
“Come on, Vivian!” Dad appeared in my doorway. “Eliza’s a big girl now, and she can handle this. If we don’t leave now we’re going to miss our flight.” Dad walked into my room and smiled at Mom playfully before kissing her cheek. I gave him a grateful wink, and he leaned down to hug me good-bye. “See you tomorrow, captain. You’re in charge of the home front until we get back.”
“Aye-aye, sir!” I saluted, and he saluted back, then took hold of Mom’s hand and marched her out of the room.
“Are you sure you don’t mind us missing the concert tonight?” I heard her call from down the hall in a last attempt to guilt herself into staying.
“I already told you, it’s fine! You were there last night and you taped it. Get out of here already!” I said in exasperation.
“Okay, love you!” Now her voice was coming from the stairway.
“Love you too!”
After a few moments, I heard the luggage rolling on the kitchen floor, followed by the door closing. Amazing! They actually left. I smiled as I thought of Mom and her worries, but then I heard the music blasting from Courtney’s room. I hoped I wasn’t getting in over my head when I’d promised everything would be fine.
Courtney was definitely going through some sort of phase, and I still couldn’t understand why. I thought about Grandma and the advice she’d given me and decided I would try to get closer to my sister by continuing small acts of service.
Skipping down to the kitchen, I poured myself a bowl of cereal and then one for Courtney. After placing her bowl and a glass of juice on a tray, I made my way up to her room. I knocked on her door, but her music was still blasting, so I entered before waiting for an answer. She was sitting up in her bed with a magazine in one hand and her cell phone in the other. Texting Alexis, no doubt. She didn’t bother to look up as she said sarcastically, “Thanks for knocking.”
I did my best to maintain a cheerful disposition. “I did knock, but I guess you couldn’t hear it over the music.” I stepped over to her stereo and turned down the volume a few notches. “I brought you some breakfast. Are you hungry?”
Courtney glanced up from her magazine and looked at me for the first time. I might have imagined it, but I thought I detected a hint of surprise in her eyes.
“Yeah, I’m kind of hungry. Thanks.” She set down her things and took the tray from me. I sat on the edge of her bed, and after a few mouthfuls she asked, “Why are you being so nice to me all of a sudden?”
“I just realized that I haven’t talked to you in a long time, and I miss you. Mom and Dad left a few minutes ago. What are your plans for today?”
She shrugged. “I dunno. Alexis is coming over in a little while, and I guess we’ll figure something out when she gets here.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry I won’t be around much today. I have to work, and then I have the concert and a date after that, but I’ll check in on you to see how things are going, okay?”
Courtney instantly looked annoyed. “You don’t have to babysit me. I’ll be fine.”
“I know. I just don’t want you to feel like I don’t care, and besides,” I added authoritatively, “Mom asked me to.”
“Mom asked you to check on me?” she asked suspiciously.
“Yeah, you know how Mom is.” I smiled and shrugged, trying to smooth down the irritation I could see in Courtney’s eyes. I looked around her room, searching for a way to change the subject, when something on her dresser caught my attention. It was a black velvet drawstring bag, and as soon as I saw it, I remembered—Courtney collected rocks!
“How’s your rock collection coming?” I moved to the dresser and picked up the bag as casually as I could. “Mind if I take a look?”
“Huh?” She was once again absorbed in her magazine, and she looked up in irritation. “Oh, yeah. I haven’t collected rocks for a long time. It was a stupid hobby.”
I winced a little at her words. She used to love sp
ending time outside and collecting things. What was happening to my little sister? Since she didn’t seem to care one way or the other, I turned my back to her and opened the bag. As the contents spilled onto my palm, I was immediately disappointed. There were several rocks here, but no purple stone.
Fighting to hide my disappointment, I was about to return the rocks when I felt a hard lump at the bottom of the bag. Somehow I’d missed one! I quickly turned the bag upside down and heard a soft plop as the object fell onto the carpet.
The purple stone! Smiling triumphantly, I picked it up and inspected its smooth surface. Grandma would be so irritated to know that I’d found it this fast!
But I hadn’t won yet. The rock still belonged to Courtney. I replaced the rest of the stones in the bag and placed it back on the dresser, and then turned to her. She was already annoyed by my presence so I knew I had to keep things short and sweet.
“Hey, Court, since you’re not collecting rocks anymore, do you mind if I keep this one?”
She put down her magazine and looked at me suspiciously. “Why?”
“I don’t know . . . it’s pretty. Where’d you get it?”
“Mom gave me that one. She said it used to be Great-grandma’s so I thought it was special. It was one of my favorites.” She eyed the stone in my hand, and for one terrifying moment, I thought she wasn’t going to let me keep it.
“Well, if it’s special to you . . .” I unwillingly moved to put the token back in the bag, but Courtney sighed.
“You can have it, if it means you’ll leave me alone.”
“Thanks. Sorry I bothered you.” I was deeply hurt by Courtney’s rudeness, but I realized I used to treat her the same way when she came into my room.
I turned to leave, but Mom’s words kept ringing in my ears and so I stopped at the door. “Courtney, are you okay?” I asked timidly.
“I’m fine!” she snapped. “Why does everyone think something’s wrong? I’m the same old Courtney I’ve always been. I don’t get why everyone’s freaking out lately!”
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