Both had the same experience but Nephi was blessed and strengthened, and nourished while Laman and Lemuel were miserable and unhappy.
For 4.5 years Scotty battled brain cancer. And despite surgeries, and rounds of radiation and chemo and all of the side affects and being so sick at times, Scotty like Nephi, decided to go and do what the Lord wanted him to do and he too was blessed and strengthened and nourished.
As Brian mentioned, Scotty kept a journal throughout his entire life. He also recorded video journals during his cancer journey. Having the opportunity to read some of his journals and watch some of his videos, I was able to see for the first time during his cancer journey, a Scotty who had moments of discouragement and worry and fear.
But in every single journal entry or video, Scotty did what we call "the turnaround." Where he would turn from whatever his troubles were and express gratitude for his blessings and re-commit to the Lord to work harder and be more faithful.
In one of these videos he's in the emergency room after just having a grand mal seizure and in the video he explains what happened and you can tell he's pretty down about it and then he does the turnaround and ends up sharing this profound and heartfelt love for his Savior. It's incredible!
Here is a journal entry from 1995 when Scotty was just 13 yrs old:
"I've decided from this day forward I will go on an all-out war against Satan. I will fight till the day I die. I will be a soldier. I love the Lord. He loves me. He died for me. I will be a child of God and strive to the end...I will pray, read my scriptures, fast, keep the commandments, love my enemies and be a friend to everyone."
In one of his more recent journals, there was an entry titled: "My Plan to a Deeper Conversion" where he listed 10 things he would do to draw closer to the savior. I'd like to share this with you: (see attached)
May we all adapt Scotty's plan to have a deeper conversion in our lives.
Scott loved and cherished his sweet wife Emily and his kids. He was a note writer and Emily has a huge stack of love notes and letters he wrote her throughout their marriage. I came across one letter to Emily where he was reassuring her of their future together. He made a long list of all the things he knew with certainty. Each sentence started with "I KNOW" in bold capital letters. With Emily's permission, I'd like to share just a few:
- I KNOW you make me so happy
- I KNOW saying I love you could never adequately say how I really feel about you
- I KNOW I would be lost without you
- I KNOW that we will be together forever
One of Scotty's "I knows" was this:
- I KNOW that one day we will have a beautiful home with an awesome porch, a lush garden, a big grassy yard, with trees, plants and shrubs.
Emily - I want you to know that I know that you and Scotty will be together forever and that you and him will have a beautiful home with an awesome porch, a lush garden, a big grassy yard, with trees, plants and shrubs.
The Norton family has decided that the best way that we can remember and honor Scotty is when we're faced with a difficult decision or a hardship in our lives, to ask the question: "What would Scotty do?"
Today as we celebrate Scotty's amazing life, let us continue Scotty's legacy to pattern our lives after the Savior Jesus Christ. May we all declare an all-out war against Satan. May we all commit to a deeper conversion and may we all bear our burdens with a bigger and brighter smile and with gratitude for our blessings because that is what Scotty would do.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Great post and example of how attitude effects those around you. Also, my heartfelt sorrow for your loss, Just a few months ago we lost my sister by marriage to cancer also. I had the priveledge of helpng in her care as we battled a very aggressive cancer for over a year and she too had that peace of God and never complained even to the end.
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