Jarom - Parenting and Blessings

Questions from Jarom:  When has the Lord blessed or prospered you for keeping His commandments? From your experience, what testimony can you share about the Lord and His promises?

It has been my experience that the Lord is quick to bless me when I am doing His will.  My counsel to my children is that the Lord takes care of those who love Him.  It’s not that He doesn’t love all His children, but He has made promises He must keep.  Verse 9 is His constant reminder:  “Inasmuch as ye will keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land.”  He emulates the perfectness of parenting.  Don’t we all want to bless our children?  But when they actively rebel against the teachings of the gospel, it becomes very difficult to do so. It is the nature of parenting to want to bless obedient children, I believe.

When has the Lord blessed me?  I need to start with the fact He was always there for me, but I didn't have eyes to see it.  Until I prayed for guidance and committed that I would do what it takes to find peace in my life once more, I was pretty much blind to the blessings.  I didn't see the good health, good jobs, perfect baby, etc., until I showed a willingness to do what was right and changed.  Immediately upon saying that first prayer, things changed for me.  There were people there to help me along my way.  I was protected from danger.  I had new friends with strong testimonies and willing to share them.  I was given opportunities to serve in my ward that strengthened me spiritually and made me feel needed.  I felt love, love, love from family and friends.  Most especially, I felt my Heavenly Father's love and concern for me and I knew I was pleasing him.  And it just went on from there.  

It is my belief that this same love is there for each of Heavenly Father's children.  We are all given certain "gifts" when we come to this earth.  Those gifts are to be used in navigating our way back to Heavenly Father.  My daughter has been the strongest person I have ever known in my entire life.  She has self will like none other!  I know some day she will use that will that has starved her body and taken her away from our family and the church by embracing Satan's counterfeits of happiness to return to her Heavenly Father's fold.  I must remind myself of that constantly.  And when that day comes, she will be able to see the blessings she's had along as well - not the least of which will be a family that is there for her and wants to help her.

Jacob 6 - The Lord's "Arm of Mercy"

How did Jacob describe the Lord? What does it mean to you that the Lord’s “arm of mercy is extended towards you”?

Jacob described The Lord as merciful.   The dictionary describes mercy as:  compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power to punish or harm.  Certainly the Lord has the power to punish or harm me, but instead extends his “arm of mercy”.

Jacob said the Lord remembereth the House of Israel.  Who belongs to the House of Israel? His people – both root (our ancestors) and branches (our posterity).   He has remembered me and extended his “arm of mercy” to me and drawn me back into His fold.  I have no reason to believe that same gift will be denied any of my loved ones – ancestors or postery!

Jacob tells us to “cleave” unto God.  The dictionary describes cleave as:  To adhere strongly to and to become very strongly involved with or emotionally attached to.   As we partake of the blessings the Lord is so willing to give us when we keep His commandments, we become emotionally attached and strongly involved.  I believe it is part of the process.

The Lord’s “arm of mercy” has been most effective in my own life.  It is everything to me as a mother and grandmother to know that this same kindness, patience, and concern is extended to all of His children – including mine.  I know in His own way and His own time that same “arm of mercy” is being extended to my wayward loved ones.  What does it mean to me?  Everything!

Jacob 5 - How Can I Participate in the Hastening?

As you consider your opportunities to serve the Lord, how will you apply the truths we have discussed in Jacob 5?

Our prophet has given us a sense of urgency – hastening, that the work needs to move along faster.  There is no room for slackers of any kind.  We all must be about the Lord’s business of gathering in his children before His return.  It starts in our homes and our families.  They need to know and understand the urgency.  It radiates from there to our church callings and responsibilities.  We must use every opportunity to bear testimony of the saving grace of our Savior and His love and redeeming powers.  We must be working on this side as well as the other side of the veil, i.e. genealogy.  There are many ways to accomplish this and we must learn to work around our own limitations.  There is something we all can do. 

Jacob 5:49-69 My Personal Pruning

Jacob 5:49-69 - Because of the Facebook question: When have you felt that the Lord has labored with you as you have participated in His work?  I couldn’t help but make this a personal interpretation of the scripture this time as I read.  This is probably due to the way the question was phrased.  I understand it is actually talking about the gathering in the last days.  But isn’t the gathering one person at a time?

The Lord is very involved in the pruning of my individual tree.  I can say I felt the “branches of the natural tree” – those things I believed and knew to be true as a young girl - being grafted back into my natural branches, one simple principle at a time.  “Servants” – and I might say they were self-appointed servants rather than “called missionaries” - were constantly at my side leading me gently back into the fold as they taught me principles I had forgotten as I strayed.  I know with certainty the Lord is involved in the details of our lives.  He is laboring alongside the Servants every step of the way as the bad branches are cleared away and room is made for good to replace them. 

Jacob 5:34-48 Parents' Lamentations

How does the master’s care for his vineyard represent the Lord’s love for us?

As I read this morning’s assignment, my mind went to a level it really hasn’t gone in times past reading this same passage.  The master’s love is shown in several comments parents of wayward children say frequently:

• What shall I do that I may preserve again good fruit?
• I know that the roots are good!
• The Lord of the vineyard wept.  What could I have done more?
• I did plant in a good spot of ground.  (My home was a good home.  We taught the gospel.)
• I cut down that which cumbered this spot of ground. (Don’t we protect our homes from evil influence?)
• The clincher:  Is it not the loftiness (pride) that has overcome the roots which are good?  That dang pride!

Reading this morning’s assignment reminded me a lot of parenting.  Our Heavenly Father, the Master gardener, demonstrates parenting in this chapter.