Jacob 4

1 NOW behold, it came to pass that I, Jacob, having ministered much unto my people in word, (and I cannot write but a little of my words, because of the difficulty of engraving our words upon plates) and we know that the things which we write upon plates must remain;
(Book of Mormon | Jacob 4:1)

Think of the work making scriptures took back then. Amazing, and we still just toss them to the side and hope that we don't forget to look at them once in awhile? Sad. But I must say, I am the same way. I'll read and read other things, then forget to read a few verses of scripture.

2 But whatsoever things we write upon anything save it be upon plates must perish and vanish away; but we can write a few words upon plates, which will give our children, and also our beloved brethren, a small degree of knowledge concerning us, or concerning their fathers—
3 Now in this thing we do rejoice; and we labor diligently to engraven these words upon plates, hoping that our beloved brethren and our children will receive them with thankful hearts, and look upon them that they may learn with joy and not with sorrow, neither with contempt, concerning their first parents.
4 For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.
5 Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son.
6 Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.
(Book of Mormon | Jacob 4:2 - 6)

Such joy in the gospel. Such faith!!! As I sit here wondering how to follow Christ as purely as these Saints did, I keep having the thought...simplify. There wouldn't be as much to clean, if you simplify...
But then I argue with myself...the kids! What would the kids DO if we got rid of all this stuff? The answer comes....they would play. But with what? What would they learn if they don't have all these educational toys? These books, papers, scissors, glue...the mess makers of it all? Aren't we schooling them? How can we school them without STUFF--books, paper, crayons, markers, beads...
But to be able to have the faith that the very trees would obey...my heart yearns for that kind of connection to God, but my brain says, "Yeah, right."