Missed Opportunites

 

A few years ago, Dave and I were in a situation where we were being treated unfairly, at least in my eyes. At one point after the situation was over and we were looking back on it, my emotions were such that what I wanted to do was complain about the situation and how he just didn’t deserve to be treated that way and how we could have spoken up and maybe handled it differently than we did. He said, “We were just given an opportunity to be Christ like”. That stopped me in my tracks. Of course, he was right. I was reminded of that recently as I was doing some scripture reading.

 

I was reading in the Book of Mormon about the letter exchange between Moroni and Pahoran. I’ve recently enjoyed these 2 chapters because they tell us a lot about the character of these two men. You remember the story. Or in case you don’t or have never even heard about it, let me tell you a bit. First, we have Moroni. Now this is Captain Moroni, not the Moroni who hid the plates with all the writings and history and later delivered them to Joseph Smith. Captain Moroni was an incredible commander of the Nephite army. He was a passionate defender of truth and freedom. They were involved in a war with a group of people, the Lamanites and other groups that joined the Lamanites, who wanted to wipe the entire Nephite nation off the face of the earth. Now to understand my intrigue with the letter exchange mentioned above, you first need to understand the character of Moroni. In a passage in the Book of Mormon found in Alma 48: 11-12, it tells us this:

   11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;

   12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.

 

The Nephites were taught to defend their freedoms, but only to take a life or shed blood of their enemies if it were in defense of their own lives and freedoms. It further tells us in verse 17:

 

   17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.

 

So, Moroni was an incredible human being. His faith in God, his commitment to follow God and his understanding of listening to the promptings and inspiration are what made him the leader he was. These qualities lead him and his armies to regained many of their cities after the Lamanites came in and took over. Many times, without taking any lives, but purely by strategy. They were clearly outnumbered by the Lamanites but had many victories. So, here’s where it gets interesting. In the course of these battles and travels from city to city over many years, Moroni and his armies were expecting food and more men sent to relieve them and fortify them. This help did not come. They were hungry and weak and desperate, expecting help and still it did not come. So, Moroni wrote a letter and had it delivered to Pahoran, who was the Chief Judge, or head of government. This was not a kind letter. This letter was full of passion and accusation, and even threatenings. It can be found in chapter 60 of Alma. I can feel the intense passion, even incredible anger when I read it. Moroni really let loose on Pahoran for his neglect and betrayal of the armies in their need. Now Pahoran had been a good guy so far, supporting the cause of liberty and sending out forces to retake the Nephite cities that were taken over by the Lamanites. This behavior of Moroni’s certainly shows his passion for the well-being of his armies but I often feel it is not consistent with the character of Moroni. Verse 33 has caught my attention numerous times, stating:

 

   33 Ye know that ye do transgress the laws of God, and ye do know that ye do trample them under your feet. Behold, the Lord saith unto me: If those whom ye have appointed your governors do not repent of their sins and iniquities, ye shall go up to battle against them.

 

Keep this scripture in mind for a few minutes while I go on and tell you about Pahoran’s letter back to Moroni, which is in chapter 61. Turns out Moroni had it all wrong. Everything he accused Pahoran of was not true. Seems there were dissenters in the area and gathered and gained power. When Pahoran was supposed to be sending out reinforcements to Moroni’s army, he was busy in his own city with his own men fighting for their lives and freedoms. Battles were raging there too and Pahoran and many others had to flee to save their own lives. To me, it seems in verse 33 above, Moroni is saying the Lord told him to write this letter to Pahoran and to even threaten him. Many times, reading this, that just didn’t make sense to me. But not too long ago, it made perfect sense and became clear in my mind. Pahoran’s letter was not filled with anger back towards Moroni who had just accused him of some really awful things. He did explain why he was not able to send help and food, but the tone was one of meekness and love. Verse 19 and 20 of chapter 61 is where the reason for verse 33

above was made clear to me.

 

   19 And now, Moroni, I do joy in receiving your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren.

   20 But ye have said, except they repent the Lord hath commanded you that ye should go against them.

 

Pahoran was looking for answers himself. He was looking for the next step of what to do in this battle. He had his answer in Moroni’s statement, even if delivered in a seemingly unjustifiable way. His dilemma was solved. He was also given an opportunity to be Christ like. He did not miss that opportunity. I think we are all given many of those opportunities in this life. Whether we see them that way or not.

What I Learned From the Sheep and the Goat

Last Sunday, we had a video chat session with my oldest son and some of our grandchildren for our Come Follow Me study.  When talking about the separation of nations at the end of Matthew 25, and the sheep on the right side and the goats on the left, one of my grandchildren asked about the significance of the goat and sheep.  None of us had a real profound answer, but being the farm girl, I offered what I knew.  I was raised on a dairy farm, but my brother worked at a neighboring sheep ranch for a while.  Somewhere in my memory I seemed to know that sheep follow the shepherd and goats typically don't.  That seemed to satisfy the question and certainly the reference to "The Shepherd" was understood.  I've thought about that since.  My metaphorical mind wanted a little more and seemed like there should be more.  I read a few things about the difference in the 2 animals that opened my mind to more symbolism and caused a bit of personal introspection.  I'll share what I read, but before I get to that, read a few verses in Matthew 25, just to refresh your memory.  

31 ¶ When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

The text goes on and you could pull out your scriptures to read the rest if you like.  But I'd like to just spell out some differences in the goat and the sheep here.   In Jewish and Hebrew history, they were both essential, both could be used for sacrifices as long as "unblemished" and both had important uses.  They could mingle together in the herd and often did and still do.  Perhaps the only reference to separating the 2 was because it was something easy for the Jewish people at that time to understand.  But I love how the parables and Christ's teachings take on meaning to us now in ways that we can understand too.  So put on your metaphorical mind and see what lessons pop into your head as I lay out some things I read.

As I mentioned above, the goat typically does not follow the shepherd, but the neutered male, the wether as it's called, can be trained and sometimes does follow.  But aside from this, they are much more independent and curious than the sheep and even if trained to follow, they don't need the shepherd. They are also described as obstinate.  Sheep not only follow the shepherd, but need or depend on the shepherd for direction and guidance. They are also described as submissive. The independence of the goat sometimes causes problems in the herd.  The goat is more aggressive. The sheep more docile and gentle, causing no problems in the herd. The word docile, in Webster's dictionary, is described as "readily trained or taught".  Because of this gentleness and lack of aggression, they depend on the shepherd not only for comfort, but for protection.  

The eating habits are of interest.  The sheep are grazers and they graze a lot.  In fact as I recall seeing herds of sheep, what I remember is their heads down to the ground, eating.  It's as if they can't get enough and are constantly nurturing themselves.  Interestingly, when they eat, they only eat what is on top of the ground, leaving the root to grow again and feed other sheep or themselves on another day.  Because they munch on the grasses that are low to the ground, they are constantly exposed to parasites and other diseases associated with the manure also on the ground.  However, because of the constant exposure to these things, they have a much higher immunity to the parasites and diseases and aren't effected much by them.  You might say they are stronger because of it.  The goat is not a grazer but a browser, a little here and little there, jumping around back and forth from one source to another.  They typically don't eat the ground food, at least not their preference. They will eat leaves, shrubs, vines, weeds often found at the tops of plants, off the ground, higher up.  Because of this, they are not exposed to the ground parasites that the sheep are exposed to.  When the goats are forced to eat from the ground, due to a lack of the preferable "higher up" food, they are effected more dramatically by the parasites and diseases.  They will also eat everything when eating from the ground, including the root, leaving nothing for later growth and later food and nourishment.  Of additional interest, goats will eat garbage too. They are not picky eaters.

Tail position was of interest to me too.  The tail of a goat is held up high, vertically.  The tail of the sheep hangs down low.  As I mentioned above, the sheep is typically a docile animal, but the male sheep can become aggressive when needed.  When he is aggressive, he keeps low, with his head low and butts with his head in a powerful forward motion.  The goat, in his aggressive state, raises up on his hind legs and attacks in a downward motion.  Goats naturally have horns and use them to establish dominance.  They often "pick fights". Most breeds of sheep do not have horns.  Goats like high places and often head "upwards".  They can follow in the herd, but prefer to lead and if given a chance will wonder off or even revert back to their wilder conditions.  Sheep are steady and stable.  

So is there more to learn from the separation of the sheep and goats here.  For me, I think there is.... pride and hotiness vs humility and teach ability;  selfishness vs unselfishness;  wandering nature vs steadfastness;  being taken down by the effects of trial vs gaining strength from those trials, and building our own spiritual immunity;  only need The Shepherd when convenient vs total full-time dependence on The Shepherd;  gaining spiritual nourishment in a browsing fashion vs a constant grazing upon the word.  I find the significance of the neutered male, being able to be taught to follow, a bit interesting.  Perhaps putting off the natural man??  Sorry, but I warned you that I have a metaphorical mind.  But seriously, is that not telling us that even the goat can learn and change? 

Yes, perhaps I've stretched this a bit far and perhaps none of this was what was intended by Christ when he taught this principle to his disciples.  But these things are what popped into my head as I read about the goat and sheep and isn't that the way we learn from the spirit.  Isn't that what a parable is all about, layers of learning for those that have ears to hear?  Sheep and goats can live and mingle in the same herd, just like we live and mingle with those all around us.  But there will be a separation in the end.  Oh, did I forget to mention the smell?  The male goat has a terrible offensive odor (except the neutered male), but I'm told if around them long enough, you won't notice the smell quite as much.  Hmmm, maybe a parable in that too.  I'd be interested to know what, if anything was in this for you to learn.  It could be entirely different than what I gained. 

One last thing..... a gentleman wrote about visiting Scotland and staying in a chalet.  His host had sheep that were out on the hillside, mingling with sheep from other nearby farms.  The host opened his back door and called them by using a Gaelic word which means "little sheep".  This man said it was more like a sound than a word, but when this sound was made, his sheep came running and the other sheep from the other farms kept grazing and did not even lift their heads.  The next day the man tried to imitate the sound and call the sheep in, but they wouldn't respond to him, only to his host, their master.  "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me"  John 10:27

"He Keeps the Happy Inside"

A few weeks back, Dave and I were in Washington for a new grandson baby blessing.  Sunday afternoon we had a big family dinner at the home of our daughter-in-law's family.  The gathering included a family devotional where the children were asked to share some of their favorite scripture stories.  Then they were asked who wanted to share their testimony.  Three year old Seirsha's hand went up like a shot.  I don't know if she knew what she was volunteering for, but I suspect she had a good idea.  However, she stood and said nothing for a minute or so.  Her aunt called Seirsha over and set her on her lap and said, "What do you believe?"  Seirsha answered, "Jesus".  Her aunt then asked, "What do you believe about Jesus?"  Without any hesitation, she said, "He keeps the happy inside."

I shared this story in a talk I was asked to give in Sacrament Meeting a week later.  For those reading this who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I will explain that a "talk" in Sacrament Meeting is what other churches would call a sermon.  Although we don't call it that.  We speak in the main meeting to the whole congregation from the pulpit about a gospel centered topic.  I have since had a debate with myself about whether or not I wanted to share what I spoke about with all of you in this blog.  Since you are reading this, you can figure out which side won that debate.  

I started out with a few questions to ponder.  What does a Christ centered home look like?  What does a Christ centered life look like?  What do these things feel like?  

After telling the story about Seirsha, I told of a time years ago in my life when I didn't have much happy inside. You might say, I was going through a very, very long trial.  I didn't share many details about that time in my talk and I'm not going to share them here.  They really don't matter.  But I will say that I was active in church, going every week, holding callings, even leadership callings.  My 3 oldest children had served missions and I should have been happier.  Something was obviously missing.  I could have blamed some external circumstances for that, blamed actions and choices of others, and maybe been justified in doing that by some standards, but what it came down to was the lack on my part of a personal relationship with my Savior.  Without that, I couldn’t make any changes in myself or my circumstances.  We had just moved into a different ward and stake and we almost immediately had a visit from the president of the Relief Society (women's organization in the Church) and also the Elder's Quorum President (men's group).  They were there to welcome us to the ward and assess any needs we might have.  Within a month or so, we started having visits from a home teacher who impressed me a lot. Brother Meacham was in his late 80s.  He was at our home faithfully every month with the traditional home teaching visit.  What impressed me about him was his willingness to do what he was assigned to do in the manner that he understood it should be done.  He had a lifetime of service behind him and he was not going to stop now.  I saw people in this new ward who were so impressive and I knew the Lord could count on them.  They were such an example to me.  One night, I prayed desperately to be someone the Lord could count on, because I knew that I was not.  Let's just say a long chain of events, over the span of several years, began to happen and change started to take place in me.  

Somewhere in that time frame, I had a dream.  In this dream I was looking for a home in a forest area.  I couldn't see very far off, due to the thick trees.  Then I came around a group of trees to a clearing.  I immediately knew that this is where my house would be, but I had to build it.  It wasn't there yet.  But what was there was a paved driveway coming up to where the garage would be, and the trees had been cleared and the ground leveled.  It was prepared and I now had to do my part to build it.  Now my dream fast forwards and I'm now in the newly built house showing someone around.  I walk from room to room and what I woke up remembering about this house is that there was a fireplace in every single room, even the kitchen, and a fire burning in every single fireplace.  As I was now awake from my dream and thinking about it, the words, 'the spirit of God like a fire is burning' came into my mind.

Now in my talk, I shifted gears and spoke about the parable of the 10 virgins.  You know the one, where the Bridegroom came and 5 of the virgins were ready with oil in their lamps and 5 had empty lamps, with no oil.  They had not prepared and were caught off guard.  (Matthew 25: 1-13)  A few questions that come to my mind are: What were those 2nd 5 doing ?  Why hadn't they filled their lamps?  Why couldn't those 1st 5 share their oil with the last 5?  An eye opener for me was when I learned that Elder Bruce R McConkie stated that all 10 of those virgins represent members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who were all looking for the 2nd coming.  Elder Lynn G Robbins of the Seventy said in a talk titled Oil In Our Lamps:

The ten virgins, according to Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “represent those church members who are looking for the Bridegroom to come; and the oil-filled lamps are symbolic of the Holy Spirit which lights the way before the saints.”

“And five of them were wise, and five were foolish”.

Elder McConkie further explains that this parable is not about “good and bad, not righteous and wicked, but wise and foolish. That is, all of them have accepted the invitation to meet the Bridegroom; all are members of the Church … but only five are valiant therein.”

In the parable, only those with oil in their lamps were able to enter the house of the bridegroom. In modern times, only those worthy of a temple recommend may enter the house of the Lord.

“They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them;

“But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps”.

Those 2nd 5 still had their vessels, but the vessels were empty.  When I heard that talk from Elder Robbins, I was struck with the thought of being an empty vessel, being one of the 2nd 5.  I knew there was oil missing. 

I then spoke about our General Conference that took place earlier in April.  After some of the changes we've experienced in the Church lately, I think many of us didn't want to miss a thing.  We anticipated some more announcement of change at conference.  These are the quotes I shared from conference.  See if you can catch the change they're all addressing.

Elder Ballard told us with all the recent changes we’ve had, let’s not forget the Spirit behind the change, real reason for the change..   “…even though we cannot control those external forces that impact our lives here on earth, as we strive to become faithful disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we can find peace, joy, and happiness despite the worldly troubles that swirl around us.”

President Eyring spoke of a Home Where the Spirit of the Lord can dwell…..  “So building faith in Jesus Christ is the beginning of reversing spiritual decline in your family and in your home. That faith is more likely to bring repentance than your preaching against each symptom of spiritual decline.”

In President Oaks talk, titled 'Where Will This Lead?',  he said, “Some things are better than good, and these are the things that should command priority attention in our lives. … We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best.”

President Nelson said in the Priesthood session that we can do better and be better, but Sisters, do you really think we are excluded from that wisdom and counsel??  He said, “Does everyone need to repent? The answer is yes.”  He also said,  “Whether you are diligently moving along the covenant path, have slipped or stepped from the covenant path, or can’t even see the path from where you are now, I plead with you to repent. Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little better each day.”   

I think we all fit into one of the 3 categories he mentioned.

Elder Renlund spoke of how a fire is started,…..with one small match.  He said a massive wood pile is like heavenly blessings, but there needs to be kindling, wood chip, sticks come next, then a small log and finally huge logs.  (sounds like all of these are blessings that build upon each other)  Nothing happens to these items without the strike of a small match, a single small flicker and then a small flame.  He said, “Striking the match and lighting the kindling are small actions that enable the potential energy of the wood to be released.  Until the match is struck, nothing happens, regardless of the size of the woodpile. If the match is struck but not applied to the kindling, the amount of light and heat released from the match alone is miniscule and the combustion energy in the wood remains unreleased. If oxygen is not supplied at any point, the combustion reaction stops.”    (I was reminded of my dream of the house with a fireplace and a fire burning in every room at this point in his talk)  He also said, “In a similar way, most blessings that God desires to give us require action on our part—action based on our faith in Jesus Christ. Faith in the Savior is a principle of action and of power. First we act in faith; then the power comes—according to God’s will and timing. The sequence is crucial.  The required action, though, is always tiny when compared to the blessings we ultimately receive.”  

Elder Holland spoke of a more Christ Centered Sacrament Meeting.  He wasn't speaking to our bishops about the way things are conducted, he was emphasizing that WE are the ones to make that happen in our dress, our attitudes, our actions, our early arrival, our reverence, and our thoughts of the Savior who we come to worship.  He said, “By commandment, we gather for the most universally received ordinance in the Church. It is in memory of Him who asked if the cup He was about to drink could pass, only to press on because He knew that for our sake it could not pass. It will help us if we remember that a symbol of that cup is slowly making its way down the row toward us at the hand of an 11- or 12-year-old deacon.”

There was so much more that I could have quoted, but time did not allow, but did you catch the big change in all of that?  Many of us turned to conference looking to our leaders for the Next Big Change.  When in fact, they are looking to us for that Big and Mighty Change, perhaps the biggest change of all.  We can all make changes.  We can all go to the Lord and ask “What lack I yet?”  Or if we know what we lack, and I suspect many of us do, we can desperately ask for help with that particular thing.  

Sister Sharon Eubank (1st counselor in General RS Presidency) recently posted this:
     I spent 2006 living in Paris. My apartment was just a few blocks from Notre Dame Cathedral, and I can’t count how many times I walked along the river and ended up staring at that stunning church. With the rest of the world, I watched in horror as the 850-year-old Notre Dame Cathedral was on fire. I read a news report describing the “forest” of lumber that medieval craftsmen used to build the great ceiling. Many of those trees, in order to be long enough, were 300+ years old. I can’t imagine how those laborers cut down those trees, dragged them to the little island in the middle of the river where the cathedral stands, hoisted them hundreds of feet into the air, and somehow attached them to the walls and roof. Tragedies like this one make us mourn what is lost. Much of it is not replaceable. There is no way to calculate the value of what a visit to that glorious edifice has meant to millions of people. Our hearts are with beloved Paris.

But I also believe the cathedral can and will be rebuilt and will be even better suited to serve as a reminder of God’s love—ancient and modern—to all who visit. Most importantly, our Heavenly Father can make “cathedrals” of each of us. We will probably have to suffer the scorching of our hearts to really know the depth of His power and love. We long to keep the old-growth forest on which we’ve built our lives. But He has a plan that is even better. When we call out, Jesus Christ rushes to our aid to help quench the flames. Let us turn our hearts over to Him and not be afraid to build with His beauty upon our ashes.

So…. let’s not settle into our testimony and feel that we’re ready with our vessels, only to find out they’re empty and no time to fill them.  President Nelson also told us TIME IS RUNNING OUT.  That came from a prophet of God.  Regardless of where we’re at on the covenant path, we all have changes we can make. We can be better and do better.  We can make changes, we can turn to our Savior to “keep the happy inside”. 

Little Faith

Some questions have come to my mind in reading in our Come Follow Me home reading and study the last week or so.  I want to share my thoughts about Peter walking on the water.  First question that came to mind is....why do we only read about that in Matthew?  We do read in Mark and John about Christ walking on the water to come out to the boat to meet the disciples, but they say nothing about Peter stepping out of that boat and walking a few steps.  That is a big deal!  Why didn't Mark and John include that?  If any of you have thoughts on that, please share them.  But let me share what I've really been pondering about. So, remember in Matthew 14 we read about the disciples in a boat in the middle of the sea.  They had just witnessed and been part of Christ feeding over 5000 people from a mere 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, with a gathering of 12 baskets full of left overs when everyone was full.  Jesus then remained behind and told them to go ahead on the boat.  Basically, he would catch up.  So here they are on this boat, it's middle of the night and the winds get strong and it's a bit tense out there.  They then see someone walking toward them on top of the water.  This frightens them.  I think that's a natural emotion for that situation.  Jesus calls out to them and tells them it's just him and not to be afraid.  So here's Peter's part in all this.  He calls out to Jesus saying, "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water".  So what were the other disciples doing at this point?  I don't know the answer to that, but I do know they weren't asking to be called out onto the water.  But Peter did, and when Christ invited him out by simply saying, "Come", Peter did just that.  He stepped out of the boat.  Did he know if he was stepping onto the water or into the water at that point?  My guess is he didn't know which, but he did leave the boat!  Then he actually walks on top of the water toward Jesus.  When did he realize he was not sinking?  When did he realize he was doing the impossible?  I don't know the answer to that.  But at some point his attention is drawn to the winds, the boisterous winds, around him and he started to sink into the water.  What did he do then?  I know, because Matthew tells us.... he called out to Jesus to save him.  And we know from the story that is exactly what happened.  Christ immediately reached down and grabbed  Peter and kept him from sinking any further.  Christ then said to Peter, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?"  We also know they made it back to the ship together.  Did Peter walk back with Christ?  Did Christ carry him?  I don't know, but does it matter?  I think about Christ telling Peter he had little faith.  Is "little faith" a bad thing?  He certainly had more faith than the other disciples at that point.  At least it seems that way to me.  They didn't ask Jesus to bid them to come and they didn't step out of the boat.  Peter did.  Christ tells us in a later chapter about what we can do with faith just the size of a mustard seed.  A mustard seed is incredibly small.  He said mountains can be moved with faith just that small size.  So was he being critical of Peter's "little faith"?  I would like to think he was not, but merely making a statement about what Peter was able to do with his little faith.  But he also asked him why he doubted.  So this is how I would like to believe the conversation went.  Christ had just saved Peter from falling into the depths of the sea and He says lovingly, "Peter, look what you did with the little faith you have! Tell me why you began to doubt."  Of course he doubted.  Don't we all let the boisterous winds around us cause us to take our eyes off of Christ at times, even for a mere few minutes, letting the distractions of life interfere and get in the way?  Unfortunately I think I do more than I would like to admit.  At least my eyes are not as fixed on Him as they should be at all times.  And what happens when I start to sink?  I hope I do exactly what Peter did and cry out to my Savior.  Because if I do, He will do exactly what He did for Peter and does it matter if He carries me or if I walk beside Him.  No, it doesn't matter at all. 

One more thing......Peter's little faith enabled him to ask for that miracle in the first place.  This experience of Peter's has so much for me to learn about little faith, about using that little faith to ask for the miracles we need in our lives and then stepping out of the boat to do our part, about keeping our sites fixed on the Savior.  But also knowing He will always reach out to us, no matter what, and will be there to hold onto.  I only hope I can match Peter's little faith in my life.

Those Parable Moments

I've been thinking about parables lately, not only the ones Christ taught, but the parables around us.  I see them from time to time.  I write about them from time to time.  Some of my already posted blog posts are about some of those parable moments.  Some call that metaphorical writing, I prefer to call it a parable because there is always something to learn, something to help me understand more, to be better, or maybe just to help me endure.  Something that comes to mind is the change of seasons.  Living in Idaho now has me experiencing that change in a whole different light.  Yes, I know I grew up in Idaho, but I've also lived in Arizona for over 40 years.  I've experienced different types of seasons and I also see things differently as an adult, or maybe as an adult in this particular stage of life.  I see and experience winter here in Idaho but I'm not a fan of Idaho winters. Oh it's okay, even nice until Christmas, then I don't like it anymore.  I'm ready for spring.  But spring doesn't happen on my timetable.  I just have to wait and wait and wait..... And then when the 1st signs of spring arrive, I want to dig and plant and see flowers.  But, alas I still have to wait and wait and wait.  I see a pattern here and something to learn, perhaps about patience. Yes definitely about patience.  But it's more than that.  Here in the winter, when it's really cold and snowy and icy, there is a real lack of joy for me.  Everything seems dead outside.  I don't go out much, actually I don't think many do.  I don't see my neighbors out and about near as much in the winter.  I think people just stay in a lot more.  At least that's my impression.  There's a lot more depression in the winter months.  Lack of sunshine, lack of vitamin D, increased depression, oh I know there's science behind it, but still something to learn, something of a parable.  Some winters last a lot longer than others and even though we are ready for spring, it just seems like it may never come, but it does and the weather starts to change.... sometimes gradually, sometimes more drastically, but it changes.  More sunshine, warmer temperatures, snow and ice gone and I start to see people outside, walking, biking, working in yards.  Things start to bud and grow.  Somehow, the bulbs and roots store energy and nutrients and food, just waiting patiently for the right time to sprout.  Again, a scientific explanation.  Seeing that new life sprout up from a once frozen ground is amazing.  What I feel inside is incredible too, something like an awakening.  A renewed sense.  I guess it's no wonder that Easter is in the spring.   After all that's what Easter is all about, that awakening and renewing, even a perfecting.  So many things to learn and experience and understand, just by observing the change of seasons.

We certainly all have those change of seasons in our lives.  Some winter periods of our journey are mild, some pretty severe.  Some are long and some relatively not so long.  We may even stay inside ourselves and not venture out.  I have certainly experienced that.  For some it might seem like spring is so far away, maybe even not coming at all.  Lack of joy, lack of hope, even despair.  But even the weather, the change of seasons we experience every year is teaching us about our Heavenly Father's plan and our Savior's role.  Spring will come, the sun will shine.  New growth can and does sprout out of that once frozen ground and it is an incredible thing to see.  It is an even more incredible thing to feel and experience that growth sprouting within ourselves.  The Son will heal us from the winters in our lives, no matter how severe, how hopeless or how long.  He not only heals us, but is with us every single minute of those long winters.  If we can only stay rooted in our Savior's life and love, we will have what we need to survive those winters and it most definitely will be a glorious Spring.

The Every Day Atonement

Last week in Relief Society we were given an invitation to read about the Atonement over the next week for 20 minutes, reflect and be prepared to share our thoughts and feelings.  My own personal reading led me from one conference talk to another and I know it took much longer than 20 minutes.  To share my thoughts in Relief Society, during the few minutes given in opening exercises, would simply take too long and take time away from others who would also like to share.  I felt my thoughts were worth sharing, so doing it on my blog seemed a likely solution.

To start with, let me say being raised as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints does not ensure you know or understand all there is to know or understand about the Gospel.  Quite the contrary. It only opens up doors and thoughts to things of eternal perspective that won't be understood to the fullest in this life, but will be understood as we progress in the eternities, to the extent of the things we need to understand for our own personal journey.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it affects me personally is no exception to that.  It is not simple nor easy to understand.  We learn about how it helps cleanse the repentant, how it heals and gives peace, how it perfects us, etc, etc, etc.  I've heard many times how we could, even should, access the Atonement every day of our lives.  But how do we do that?  How do I do that?  I want a nice list of things to do or a recipe to follow telling me how to do that.  It seems so confusing to me.  I've certainly felt the effects of healing and the strengthening power of the Atonement of Christ in times of weakness and trial, but how do I use it everyday, every normal, mundane, typical day?  I feel like I've had a recent breakthrough to this question.  My husband, Dave and I just finished a book titled 65 Signs of the Times by David J. Ridges.  The last chapter is titled How Good Do You Have To Be In Order To Have A Pleasant Second Coming?  Interesting question that I bet several of you have had in some fashion or another.  So think about this..... are we told "no imperfect thing can dwell in the presence of God" or are we told "no unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God".  Well he quotes several scriptures all stating that no unclean thing can dwell with God or enter into His kingdom.  So what is the difference between "unclean" and "imperfect"?  There are certainly scripture passages using the word "perfect", the most commonly known among many of us from the Sermon on the Mount, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt 5:48)   He then quotes President Dallin H Oaks:

                      

   "Another idea that is powerful to lift us from discouragement is that the work of the Church.....is an eternal work.  Not all problems ....are fixed in mortality.  The work of salvation goes on beyond the veil of death, and we should not be too apprehensive about incompleteness within the limits of mortality." (Powerful Ideas, Ensign, November 1995, p. 25)    

That word, 'incompleteness'...... remember that.  And what does that have to do with perfection or imperfection, being clean or unclean?  And how does this all relate to using the Atonement daily?

Then I read a few conference talks that all focused on the same thing, at least in my mind they all lead me in the same direction.  Those talks are What Lack I Yet? by Elder Larry R. Lawrence, Perfection Pending by President Russell M Nelson, and Be Ye Therefore Perfect---Eventually by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. (links at the bottom)

One of the big things to know from reading these talks is explained by President Nelson.  He talks about 2 types of perfection, mortal perfection as we would think of it, and eternal perfection.  At the Sermon on the Mount, when Christ tells us to be perfect, "even as your Father in heaven is perfect", he now raises our sights above the bounds of mortality.  Our Heavenly Father has eternal perfection.  He explains that the original language of the New Testament was Greek.  The word 'perfect' in the New Testament comes from the Greek word 'teleios', which means 'complete.'  'Teleios' is an adjective derived from the noun 'telos', which means 'end'.  He has a lot more to say about this meaning and it is not only interesting, but inspiring and encouraging! Christ also said just prior to his crucifixion, on "the third day, I shall be perfected." (Luke 13:32)  Did that strike you as it did me?  Jesus Christ....spotless, clean, without any sin or misdeed, but not perfect..... not until he died and was resurrected on the third day.  Then, and only then, was he perfect, complete, and was finished.  

Read Elder Oaks quote again:

   "Another idea that is powerful to lift us from discouragement is that the work of the Church.....is an eternal work.  Not all problems ....are fixed in mortality.  The work of salvation goes on beyond the veil of death, and we should not be too apprehensive about incompleteness within the limits of mortality."

To me this all means we will not be complete/perfect in this mortal life, We will have progression and opportunity to continue that quest and it isn't even possible in mortality.

So what is possible in mortality?  How do we get as close to "cleanliness" as possible so we won't be left out when that statement about "no unclean thing entering the kingdom of God" really hits home?  As I read Elder Holland's talk and as explained in the last chapter about having a pleasant second coming in the book I mentioned, it seems so clear and simple.  I try each day to be better than yesterday.  I find things I need to improve, to be a better family member, a better ward member, a better ministering servant to my friends and neighbors, a better community member, to obey the commandments with faith and exactness a little better today than yesterday, ultimately to be more Christ-like just better than yesterday.  I even ask my Father in Heaven in prayer what I need to improve or "What lack I yet?" as spoken of so personally in the talk by Elder Lawrence.  The whisperings of the Spirit will tell me, and they will be just for me, up close and personal.  Then I need to be prepared to ask for the help I will need to work on what ever it is I'm directed to do. I will need to be humble and recognize when I am not quite up to par with improvement. That's what I need to do to make use of the incredible gift of the Atonement every normal, mundane, typical day.  It may not always be easy, but it will be worth it! 

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/perfection-pending?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/what-lack-i-yet?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/be-ye-therefore-perfect-eventually?lang=eng 

                  

Why I'm a Mormon

Earlier this week I was impressed with something to write about.  I didn't have the time at that very minute and when I did have the time, many of those pressing thoughts had left my mind.  This morning, I woke at about 3:00 a.m. and couldn't go back to sleep, so what did I do.....grabbed my phone, of course, and scrolled through Facebook.  It was filled with the usual, but I also came across some disheartening posts and updates from LDS sites that caused some emotional upheaval.  The thoughts I had earlier in the week started to come back to me as I tried to process what I was reading through the Facebook links.  As those thoughts came back into my mind I felt stronger than ever about sharing them.

I want to tell you all why I am a Mormon.  What does that have to do with the emotional Facebook posts, you ask.  Bare with me here, I hope to explain it all.  

So why am I a Mormon?  Or by its official name, why am I a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints?  The short and most basic answer to that is... because my parents were and I was baptized at the age of 8.  At least that's how it all started for me.  That was the beginning.  But in reality, it started much earlier than that.  My ancestors joined the LDS church in the 1840s.  That ancestry is filled with faith, strength, passion for truth and right, sacrifice, and the list goes on and on.  I grew up on a family farm with my grandparents living just behind our house and I witnessed first hand how they lived the gospel of Jesus Christ.  That example still sticks with me today and influences my life and my choices.  As I grew up hearing their stories of faith, something inside of me just "knew" there was truth to what they did and why they did it.  I grew up knowing and understanding their reasons and driving force.  I believe I was simply blessed with the ability to see and understand truth.  I have come to realize that as a true blessing, maybe even a gift, as it doesn't come as easily for others. 

Now let me go to the real beginning.  I'm going to tell you things that Mormons believe, but in doing so, I am telling you what I believe.  I am not just a Mormon by name, or by religious affiliation, I am a Mormon inside and out.  It's what I am made up of.

We lived in a pre-mortal world as spirit children of a loving Heavenly Father before we were born.  Have you ever held a new born baby and looked into their eyes.  I'm guessing you have.  So that little spirit was in this pre-mortal world not long before that birth took place.  In this pre-mortal world, our Heavenly Father told us of a plan.  He would create an earth where we could gain bodies, experience things we couldn't experience in the world and in the state we were currently in.  We would learn new thing, gain strength and knowledge and when our earth life was over, our spirits would return to that Heavenly realm, with the possibility to live with our Heavenly Father again.  Have you ever wondered where you came from?  I mean really came from.  Why are you here on this earth?  Where are you going after you die?  These are not mysteries to me.  The answers are absolute.

We believe in a savior, Jesus Christ.  He was there with us in the pre-mortal world.  He presented a plan to come to this earth with a most specific mission. Lucifer was there in the pre-existence too.  He also presented a plan, one where he would eliminate all choice and we would follow all our Heavenly Fathers commandments without fail and all would return to live with Heavenly Father again.  Forced...with out option to even think for ourselves. He would take all the credit and glory for all of our success in returning.  Christ's plan was that we would be able to make choices for ourselves.  Learn from our choices, the good ones and the bad ones.  Knowing we would make bad choices along the way and even sin, He would come to this earth and atone for our sins and imperfections.  The atonement is a complex subject, but in simple terms, if we recognize our sins or imperfections and have a sincere desire to improve or change bad behavior, we can be made perfect because Jesus Christ already suffered or atoned for those sins.  I didn't say we are perfect, but we can become perfect and it is a life long process that won't be achieved until we are finished with this mortal life.  We believe that our Heavenly Father chose Christ's plan, but there were many who wanted to follow Lucifer.  They (Lucifer and his followers) were cast out of Heaven and would not have the opportunity to be born and gain bodies.  We believe that Lucifer and his followers, in their anger, are now actively working to keep those that are born to this earth from returning to live with Heavenly Father again.  I believe that all to be true.  I've never doubted.  Evil exists in this world.  It is evident all around us.  It affects all of us in some way or another.  But I also believe in good.  The mercy offered to us all through Jesus Christ is what makes this earth life so worth while.  Jeffrey R Holland stated, "However many chances you think you have missed, however many mistakes you feel you have made … , I testify that you have not traveled beyond the reach of divine love. It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s Atonement shines.” 

I believe we have been given prophets, even from the beginning of time with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, etc.  Prophets that gave us direct council from God to help us along the way.  To help us stay clear of that evil or to help us get back on the right path when that evil has effected our lives.  We believe that Jesus Christ was born in the meridian of time to fulfill the law of Moses.  That his ultimate sacrifice was necessary to the whole plan.  We believe that after his death and after the death of his apostles, the direct revelation from Heavenly Father to His prophets was lost.  The dark ages is a period in history when revelation was gone.  It is prophesied in the Bible as a great apostasy.  We believe in the Bible.  It is filled with great truths and teachings and recordings of God's dealings with man in the eastern world, not to mention a record of Christ's life and teachings.  But we also believe that God has placed prophets in other parts of the world.  He communicated with the western world too.  Those records are found in the Book of Mormon, which is a sacred history of people on the American continent, both before Christ and after Christ.  It is a second testament of Jesus Christ as the prophets prophesied of his birth, his life, his mission.  It records how He, Jesus Christ, came to these people after he died and was resurrected.  He spent time with them teaching the same things He taught in Jerusalem.  I believe all of this to be true.

We believe that after a long apostasy with no communication from God to his prophets, a young boy was being prepared to fulfill his mission on this earth.  Yes, Joseph Smith was young.  At the age of 14 he questioned all the religions being taught.  Some taught very conflicting doctrine.  He had the insight to know they couldn't all be true doctrine.  He had enough goodness in his heart to want to know for himself which church he should join.  He read in James 1:5 "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him."  He believed with all his heart his prayer would be answered.  He went into a private grove of trees and asked his sincere question of which church he should join.  As I said, he was being prepared for his specific mission on this earth, therefore, his prayer was answered in a most miraculous way.  God, our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him.  He was told none of the churches had the complete and true doctrine at that time.  That ended the great apostasy.  God was again communicating with man and a prophet was being prepared.  We believe that over the next several years, Joseph grew in knowledge and spiritual strength.  He was lead to the plates that had the history of those people on the American continent.  We believe that through divine inspiration, Joseph, of little formal education, was able to translate those records into the Book of Mormon.  Through divine inspiration and prophesy, he was able to restore the church that Jesus Christ organized when He was on the earth, both in Jerusalem and on the American continent.  You see, when the great apostasy occurred and revelation was lost, that perfect church fell apart.  There were many bits and pieces of it around, but no revelation to hold it together and continue.  As many good and honest people searched for goodness in the world, they sought after religion and found some of those bits and pieces.  Religious groups were formed and given names in this effort to find goodness.  We believe that all religions have good and many of those bits and pieces of Christ's church exist in all of them.  But we also believe that the whole doctrine was lacking, until it was restored in it's fullness by Jesus Christ himself, through a latter day prophet, Joseph Smith.  We believe prophets have continued from that day to this very day.  We are promised that revelation will not be taken from the earth again.  We believe we have a prophet today, Russell M. Nelson, who recently followed Thomas S. Monson after President Monson's death.  President Nelson presides as president of a world wide church.  We believe and sustain other prophets as they are called to the Quorum of the Twelve, just as Jesus had twelve apostles. Jeffrey R. Holland, mentioned above as the author of a quote, is one of those 12 men.  These men lead our church and give us council directly from our Heavenly Father.  I know these things to be true.  We have a world wide conference twice a year and with the marvel of technology, it can be heard, viewed, read, all over the world.  All (Mormons and non Mormons alike) are invited to watch or listen.  One of those conferences is occurring this weekend (March 31, 2018 and April 1, 2018).  There are 3 sessions on Saturday and 2 on Sunday and can be viewed live on www.lds.org or viewed at a later date on the same website.  We Mormons love this conference time and love and look forward to listening to these prophets of God.

There are so many things I could continue writing.  Perhaps I should save some of that for a later post.  But I do want to add.....yes, there is controversy in the church, as there is opposition in all things.  As I said, evil does exist and we believe that.  Paul prophesied of many horrible things that would take place before Christ returns.  So why should these things be surprising?  There are things I don't know and can't answer, but I don't let the things that I don't know interfere with the things that I do know.  One of my blog posts expresses how I feel about being a woman in the LDS church.  That topic carries controversy in a world where people want to disregard true doctrine for changing times and opinions.  True doctrine doesn't change and I for one am not the least bit threatened by that.  In fact, it gives me great comfort.  As for the things I read this morning on the links, well perhaps you've read those things too.  As I said earlier, evil does exist and it can and will effect all of us.  People are not perfect and this church is made up of millions of imperfect people, some with little imperfections and some with big sins.  But the doctrine is true and perfect.  It is Christ's doctrine.  I know this to be true.

I love being a Mormon.  I love the peace and comfort it gives me in my life.  My membership doesn't give me that peace and comfort, as there are many with that same membership who lack that comfort.  But what does give me peace is knowing that I am trying my best and that I'm not alone.  I have guidance through ancient prophets in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon.  I have guidance through latter day prophets in our conferences and other sources.  I have a loving Heavenly Father who does not leave me to fend for myself.  I have a loving and merciful Savior, Jesus Christ, who not only helps me on my life long quest for perfection, but can heal wounds inflicted in this imperfect world filled with imperfect people.  I love this life, in all it's imperfections, because the good far outweighs the bad.  I know this all to be true.

A Dose of Humility

So I'm laying in bed, not sleeping and my mind drifts to a favorite passage of scripture of mine.  One that has confused me over the years, but one that is becoming more clear to me in my own life.  It's in the Book of Mormon, Ether chapter 12.  Moroni is expressing his feeling of weakness in writing.  For those who don't know, Moroni was the last Nephite in the American continent.  His father, Mormon had all the writings of his people, from the time they left Jerusalem in 600 b.c. and sailed to what is now America, until about 400 a.d.  He abridged these records onto a single but large book made of gold plates.  These records contained prophesy and history of the people on the American continent during the same period of time that Jesus was born in Bethlehem and taught there and was crucified there.  They contain record that He, Jesus, visited these people on the American continent in his resurrected form and ministered to them and taught them, just as he had for the people in Jerusalem in his 3 years of ministry there.  The book is another testament of Jesus Christ and his teachings along with the Bible. Mormon did most of the abridgment of these records, but left them to his son Moroni to finish.  So as I said, in Ether 12, Moroni is expressing to the Lord his feeling of inadequacy of writing, not only his own inadequacy but of his people who had done most of this record keeping. That alone is so hard to understand.  Especially when I read this marvelous record of history and testimony in the Book of Mormon.  The words are powerful and inspired.  But Moroni goes on to say that they have been given words to speak and are mighty in speech, but their hands are large and awkward, making writing difficult and hard to express themselves in writing.  He knows that these writings are being preserved for future generations of Gentiles (us).  He is afraid that the Gentiles will mock or make fun of the writings. (I definitely see that happening around the world). The Lord answers him, starting in verse 26

      26 And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn;   and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;

      27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.

As I mentioned, this has confused me.  How can weak things become strong?  I believe it can, I don't doubt the Lords words, but I am analytical and want to know the "cause and effect", the "how" this can happen.  I want to know how to explain it in words in a very logical manner.  So I have pondered this from time to time over the years.  Laying in bed this morning my thoughts became clear and I knew I had to share them.  

I have always been a very weak person, or at least weak in expression.  I might have great thoughts or something to say or share, but the words wouldn't come, or if they did, I would stumble all over myself and babble and so on.  Overall, not really expressing what I wanted to say at all.  Definitely felt much like Moroni in his feeling of weakness in writing.  I felt as if no one really wanted to hear what I had to say.  I would feel as if people would make fun of, or mock, at my words.  Something has happened over the years.  I can't even tell you when or how it happened.  It just did.  There have been times in my life when I really needed the RIGHT words.  Maybe something really important that I needed to express, maybe a conversation with a child of mine going though difficulty and needing something good from me, maybe in a church class setting when a thought to share comes into my mind, maybe while teaching a class in church and needing the right words.  I have said in my mind in the form of a quick prayer, "Father, please just give the words".  I have opened my mouth and those words have come and surprised me as I was saying them. Over more recent years I have had people tell me I have a gift for articulation.  You can imagine how strange that might sound to me, given my feeling of weakness.  I will tell you there are times when the words don't come.  I trip and stumble all over the words.  I say the wrong words for what I am trying to express. Yes, it still happens a lot.  I have come to realize that  it is just a big dose of humility that I need to keep in check.  To keep me realizing just where this gift of articulation is coming from.  I am experiencing weak things being made strong, through the Lords grace, as was told to Moroni, but written for all of us to learn from.  I still worry that people will make fun of or mock what I say, or even what I write.  I started writing this blog several years ago at a time when I needed an outlet to express some thoughts.  I felt I needed people, even my own family, to get to know the real me.  I didn't think I had really given them the chance to do that.  I was always hiding the real me.  Writing became a way for me to open up and show the real me.  I still risk being mocked, I still wonder if I really have anything worth saying or writing.  I haven't blogged in a while, but I guess that's because it was easier when times were harder.  There seemed to be more contemplation, more growth, more things to write about in my journey and my parable moments along the way.  When times are good and everyday brings happiness, as it is now, the writing doesn't seem to flow.  But this morning, I had to share this.  I hope to keep writing and sharing my thoughts.  I hope and plan to keep opening my mouth, not knowing if the stumbling, bumbling, me will be expressed, or if the words put there will surprise me.  I can't risk not allowing that to happen.  I will continued to be humbled, I'm sure, but I can't risk not allowing that weakness to become even stronger.  It is a true promise, not only for Moroni, but for me and for you as well!