When I was 15, I attended a church activity where parents were asked to bring an item that represented their daughters. All the other parents brought flowers- roses, daisies, and tulips- for their beautiful, delicate daughters. Not my mom, she brought a LEMON- yes, a lemon- to represent me.
Was she calling me a piece of junk? Was I sour? I was mortified and just wanted to be a flower like every other girl. Then she read the letter she wrote explaining her lemon choice. She noted that the lemon stands out amongst all the fruit because it is the brightest. The lemon cleans, and preserves, and takes away foul odors. Plus it makes a refreshing drink and yummy desserts.
By the end of the letter, I wasn’t sure if I was more proud of my mom- for being thoughtful- or me- for being a lemon. Now I am raising my own kids with the hope that they will be lemons too.
Read the full letter:
![I spoke in church today and said the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the greatest act of Charity. I read Moroni 7:45-47 to make my point. But wherever there was the word ‘Charity’ I substituted it out for ‘the Atonement of Jesus Christ.’ See if these scripture verses now have new meaning for you:
“And the Atonement of Jesus Christ suffererth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth in the truth,
[The Atonement of Jesus Christ] beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not the Atonement of Jesus Christ, ye are nothing, for the Atonement of Jesus Christ never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail-
But the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.”
So Easter really reminds us of love. The first and greatest commandment.](https://www.raisinglemons.com/wp-content/plugins/instagram-feed-pro/img/placeholder.png)
