I discovered a woman who lived back in the 1700’s, who has touched my heart.  Her name is Isabella Marshall Graham.  I invite you to google her.  Her biography, “Power of Faith” will inspire you as it inspired me:  Power of Faith

She was born in Scotland in the year 1742.  She received a good education, which was unusual for the time.  Her husband was a physician with the Army who was assigned to Canada, where their children were born.  He was soon transferred to Antigua.  They lived there a short time when her husband suddenly died of a fever in 1774.  She was left with three small children in a foreign land.  She decided to go back to Scotland.  As she was returning to Scotland, her vessel shipwrecked in a storm.  She prayed all night as she held onto her babies, and finally floated onto shore.  While she was away, her father lost everything.  It was a hardship to find a place to live and set up a teaching position immediately after her arrival, but there were friends who were willing to help her.  She cared for her father until his death.  It was always her desire to return to America; she knew “that America was the country where the church of Christ would eventually flourish” and she wanted her children to benefit from this.  She finally arrived in New York in 1789.  Arrangements were made immediately to start a school for higher branches of female education which she would open up, one of the first of its kind.

Isabella is best known for being the founder of a Female Relief Society, again, one of the first of its kind.  It was for the relief of poor widows with small children.   

On Isabella’s deathbed, in 1814, she said, “I have no more doubt of going to my Saviour, than if I were already in his arms: my guilt is all transferred; he has cancelled all I owed.  Yet I could weep for sins against so good a God.”  (You’ll notice her death date precedes the First Vision)

She created a notebook of all of her favorite scripture passages, poems, hymns, which she called “Victuals Prepared For Crossing Over Jordan”.  Great title, don’t you think?  A feast of the words of God to take with you to heaven.  She committed her little homemade book to memory.  She was literally able to “take it with her”.  These words were her comfort when she couldn’t sleep at night, or when she was most troubled, or in particular, when she had lost someone close to her.

I have to say that a book like this could be invaluable.  When I make my book, I’ll be able to put all of my favorite scriptures, quotes, hymns, poems, etc. in it, but I will need to have growing room for all of the new passages of scripture and prophets’ words that continue to inspire me.  For years, I have wanted to cross stitch some of my favorite scripture passages, but I have to admit that it will never happen.  But gathering all of my favorite words from God in a journal is something I can do.