All these things. . .

I apologize this is one long paragraph. Blogger has changed their format. I will need to find out how to make paragraphs. This is not very pretty. :) 1 Nephi 21 Isaiah speaks about the gathering of Israel. I must confess these are difficult chapters for me to understand. One time I went through them word-by-word and wrote in the margins what a book, “Understanding Isaiah” by Perry, had to say about each word. That certainly helped. Many of my notes that I wrote in margins I can still read. Suffice it to say, the chapter is on gathering Israel. It's not clear as glass, but if you understand a few symbolisms, it becomes clearer. The “mountains” are the temples. Kings and Princes are covenant people. Those who are covenant people will be about the business of rescuing Heavenly Father's children. How will that be? For one, we will be rescuing the deceased as we do their temple work. The other is seeking out those of Heavenly Father's children who are lost and need rescuing. This is done by serving missions, yes; but it is also done one friend at a time as we come in contact with people who have not heard the gospel of Jesus Christ. As I was reading this morning, my mind wandered to when I first left my parents' home and went into the world. Since visiting teaching is sitting hard on the front lobe of my brain currently, I thought about that time in my life. I thought of the many blessings I have missed out on because I did not have a visiting teacher at that time in my life. Had I had a friend who saw it as her responsibility to “rescue” me from my inadequacies and shyness – who would have been my friend, who might I have become? Where would I be today? Don't misunderstand what I'm saying. I would not change the people who are dear to me in my life. I'm totally happy with how my life has turned out. But I know I missed out on serious growth and blessings because of my nine years of inactivity. If that's not enough, I created a host of problems for a sweet daughter and her children by sticking them with a family consisting of a dead-beat dad/grandpa who she is now caretaker over (somewhat), not to mention his ailing sibling and mother. Now is all this a bad thing? Absolutely not! All these things shall be for our experience and will be for good in our lives, meaning it will help to sanctify us. (D&C 122:7) I can say without a doubt that the bad things I have experienced have benefited me as I have served the Lord. They serve me quite well right now as I serve as Relief Society president in a singles ward. They serve me as I grieve for a daughter who has turned from the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that what she is going through has the capacity to eventually help her be a better person if it doesn't kill her first. And even then, only the Lord knows what she is going through and he will be the judge.