Brightly Beams

Growing up in and being raised by goodly parents I was taught to say no. I was told to say no to drugs, to alcohol, and many other unwise actions. When I asked my parents for things I often heard the response of no. Can I stay up late tonight? Can I sluff school today? Can I get a supersized happy meal? Now that I am older I still hear the answer no. Can I buy an 85 inch TV? Bank account says no. Can I get the new Tesla Model 3? Again my bank account says no. Can I speed down the highway? The officer who pulled me over says no. On my mission, I was told no many times. Can we come in and share a message with you? No. Can we baptize your daughter? No. Can we get extra miles in our car this month? No. Growing up in the church I was taught to always try your best to say yes to a calling. When I was a youth I never heard of people saying no to a calling. Now that I am older I hear it all the time. My parents are in a ward which seems to be doubling by size each week, yet they struggle ...