How Do I Testify?

I often wonder what I will testify if I'm given the chance. It won't be on a mission where I'm called by a prophet. It will be in my service and my daily movement. This one sentence should put me at ease. To testify what is in my heart! What would that be?  It would be that I'm a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They love me. They like me a lot! Jesus sacrificed his entire life for me! Does it get any better than that? I feel loved by Clyde when he does kind things for me (and he does them a lot); but can you imagine someone dedicating an entire life just for you? just for me? I stress because I'm getting tired and see myself covering less territory each day—doing less caring for others and more caring for my personal needs so I can be healthy enough to keep serving. Jesus never got to that point. ( hung in there (literally) to his very last breath and even then, He was setting an example of love and caring for others. Serious lessons here for all of us.

Yes, what is in my heart? My biggest desire is to please Him and to be worthy of His presence and my Heavenly Father's presence in my life and to return to their kingdom. Nothing else matters! So why do I get caught up in living? These are the flaws I need to fix. That's what is in my heart today.

Tithing – More than a truth!

This weeks lesson in the Old Testamen includes Elijah’s request that a widow who was destitute provide him the first cake from her last handful of meal. That had to be hard for the widow and certainly a sacrifice, but she did as he asked. The cruz of oil never did fail, as Elijah had promised. As I read this story, I was reminded of my own experience with gaining a testimony of paying tithing and paying it willingly and completely.

I was newly divorced and finally able to spend my paycheck the way I felt fit. When my boss handed me my check, it hit me like a brick that I could now pay my tithing. The was something my X had forbidden me to do because it was "our" money. Oh brother! I took a minute to go through my bills and the money I had just been handed. I was lacking the exact amount of money that I would need to pay my tithing. Do I wait until next paycheck? No, I knew that wouldn't be right. It had to be now. I quickly wrote out the check before I changed my mind. 

I know we shouldn't expect an immediate evidence to the promise the Lord has made as it pertains to tithing, but I was blown away at how quickly this one happened. My very next paycheck I was given a bonus that would be more than enough to continue paying tithing and still have rent money. The Lord is good on His promises. We are the weak ones.

In 1977, after my divorce, I was faced with the decision of paying tithing. I had been deprived of this blessing for the nine years I was married because it was "our" money. Oh, how foolish I was to not stand up for the things I believed were true! 

I sat down and carefully went through my responsibilities and the amount of paycheck I was given twice monthly. The amount I made was exactly minus that which it would take to pay a full tithe. What to do??? It really wasn't a difficult decision. I knew what I had to do and paid my tithing with the thought that I'd figure it out. I didn't necessarily "figure it out", but the Lord did. The very next week, I received noticed that I had been given a merit raise—something the company doesn't do often. I feel it was a direct result of paying my tithing. 

 

Alma 41:15 - Judge Righteously

As I was reading from Alma this morning, and also including in my prayer that I be forgiven for my lack of grace last night, this verse hit me with force. I'm constantly asking Heavenly Father to help me be rid of my judging nature. It is wrong, and I know it.

Most of my serious sins happen within the confines of my mind and stay there. On unfortunate rare occasions, those judgments slip through my lips and cause me serious pain. 

Such was the case last night. Maybe we were both tired. Nonetheless, I was annoyed that my opinion on appropriate dress for a nice affair was not valued, and I brought contention into our home. This is something that doesn’t happen much anymore. Like I said, I think we were both tired. Talk about having the Spirit chased instantly out of our house! I had been busy writing music. That came to a screeching halt. I wasn’t in the mood to do Family Search. Things just got cool. I apologized profusely; he did as well and we moved on. It was awkward though. Not only that, but sleep was nearly impossible to attain. All night long I tossed and turned and the song I was working on worked on me. (Funny thing, but the song is "I Believe in Miracles".)

I find it amazing that in my first life—before turning to the Lord and letting Him be my guide, my life was nothing but contention. There was never a peaceful moment. I can’t believe I didn’t have more problems than I did. I also go back to my childhood and see now why the explosiveness in my childhood home was such a negative thing in my own life. You would think I would have been smarter in choosing my first companion just because of that. 

So how do I bring this around to judging righteously? If peace is something I truly desire, (and I do), maybe I need to be more tactful in my comments; in my righteous judgments. I believe firmly that if something is not of eternal consequence, then it is of no consequence at all. Maybe I need to do better at practicing this again. Maybe I need to thoroughly repent and be done with this insidious trait. Ah, but I error in my thinking. This is an imperfect world and we are all imperfect, but trying to do better and be better. Today I will do just that——and try to remember it in the future. 

How do I Receive Inspiration / Revelation

How do I receive inspiration/revelation from God? I believe I am doing most of what this section has suggested, but there is much room for improvement. I fall so short of having the understanding of the scriptures that I should. I try, but it seems I fall flat.

If it is revelation I want, I must:

1. Cease to be angry, hurt, or defensive [sigh] I try hard. Most of the time, I feel like I do fine. My motto I recite to myself and anyone who will listen is: "Don't ruin what is becuase of what isn't". I stand by this quote. Even when things are gloriously great, if we seek to improve them in a worldly way, these emotions can sneak in.
2. Loud, inappropriate laughter is offensive to the Spirit. I've had to learn to laugh. It wasn't something that came naturally to me. But inappropriate laughter, unfortunately, comes too easily.
3. Care and quiet speach. Is that another way of saying soft spoken? Well then, I've got that one. 
4. Good health habits, i.e. clean foods, enough sleep, exercise. This is a constant effort to adjust and readjust as I get older. I know this one is a truth. 
5. Don't get distracted. Ugh! This one is harder for me. Multi-tasking is a distraction. I have always felt mastering this skill has been a virtue. I can now see where it isn't. I'm trying ever so hard to overcome it by being present in a conversation or in the moment. It is a "left-hand" movement, but I'm improving.
6. Record instantly meaningful dreams or any inspiration I get. There's always room for improvement.

Elder Richard Scott's talk was a great reminder of this skillset. His bullet points:

• Inspiration carefully recorded shows God that His communications are sacred to us. Recording will also enhance our ability to recall revelation.
• One must be ever mentally and physically clean and have purity of intent so that the Lord can inspire.
• Humility is a fertile soil where spirituality grows and produces the fruit of inspiration to know what to do.
• Our Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail but to succeed gloriously.
• Two indicators that a feeling or prompting comes from God are that it produces peace in your heart and a quiet, warm feeling.
• Should choices be wrong, they can be rectified through repentance. When its conditions are fully met, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior, provides a release from the demands of justice for the errors made. It is wondrously simple and so incomparably beautiful.
• Communication with our Father in Heaven is not a trivial matter. It is a sacred privilege. It is based upon eternal, unchanging principles. We receive help from our Father in Heaven in response to our faith, obedience, and the proper use of agency.

Alma 38 - To Be Born of God

How are we born of God? Alma is talking with his son, Shiblon on this very topic. Alma had gone through a refiner’s fire that lasted three days. He saw an angel and had been rebuked. He's sharing this information with his righteous son.

 

We can know these things for ourselves as surely as anyone when we are born of God. It is a process.

 

What exactly is the process?

• Verse 2: steadiness and your faithfulness unto God as well as enduring to the end. There is no need to stray and have an angel call us to repentance. We can know through our good works as the spirit testifies to us of our goodness.
• Verse 7: stop the work of destruction - stop fighting the truth if this is one of our weaknesses.
• Verse 8: Cry out to Jesus for a remission of your sins, AKA repent
• Verse 9: there is no other way or means whereby man can be saved, only in and through Christ.
• Verse 10: Be temperate in all things. I nearly missed this one. What is temperate? It is the ability to master oneself. When I look at the Topical Guide, it mentions wine, but it also mentions all physical excess. Hmmmm
• Verse 11: Here is that P word again - PRIDE. Do not boast of your own accomplishments.
• Verse 12: bridle all your passions - Again, temperance. What does it mean to bridle? The dictionary says: Bring something under control.
• Verse 14: acknowledge your unworthiness before God at all times. - Pray sincerely.

 

Shiblon was a good guy - a missionary for the Lord. Alma was giving him a father's blessing, with a warning and guidance. This chapter is one that could be shared with all our worthy missionaries.

 

Obedience is Better Than Sacrifice

1 Samuel 15-16

We are being taught a very important thing in the verses that tell us of Saul’s rise and fall. He starts out as a righteous king doing the Lord’s work. When he starts experiencing success, his focus shifts to himself. 

In 1 Samuel 15:12 he “sat him up a place”. My attention was drawn to the true purpose of this place. He created a monument to himself so the people would see his greatness! It wasn’t the Lord he was giving credit for their success. Where is Saul’s heart? Is he being obedient to God?

And then Saul lies and tries to justify his actions. He plays the blame game. V24 He recognizes he disobedience because he was seeking the approval of the people. Good coaches and good leaders take the blame when things go wrong; they give credit to the Lord and the team when they go well.

Chapter 16 – v9, the Lord looks on the heart. God chooses His leaders because of their goodness. God chooses people fully in line with His teachings — 100%. 

My take away from this morning’s study: We must align ourselves to the will of God. He knows the end from the beginning and He has a work for us to do. We can choose to be part of that work or fall to our demise as did Saul. Even though annihilating an entire city seems like a pretty drastic order to me, it was saving some of the animals to sacrifice to the Lord that was the problem. I can imagine what they were thinking: “Why should we destroy these perfectly good animals. They aren’t the problem; it’s the people!” Do the words “Exactness and Honor” come to mind? They should. It should be something we think of every day. Are my thoughts and actions in line with the Lord’s will. Is it His work I’m doing? Am I taking the credit for the success? Think on this. “Obey is better than sacrifice.”

Scriptures Are My Lifeline!

 This morning I read Alma 32—one of my favorite chapters of scripture in all the standard works.

I remember with clarity sometime after General Conference and I was pondering on the feast we had just had, as I was making my bed. All of a sudden, I stopped in my tracks. When they were telling us to read the scriptures daily (I don’t remember who said it, of course), who did I think they were talking to? I had read the Book of Mormon. I hadn’t done much reading outside since I had turned my life around. It was at that very moment that I knew the Lord was speaking to me and I needed to repent and come up with a plan. This was sometime after 1980, and I have not stopped reading daily since. I have noticed on days when I’ve had to “shake up” the order of things that my attitude and ability to cope with the stresses of life decreases. I have noticed the habit of reading daily has changed my ministering , and that I consciously seek to help others. I have noticed that when I get lax in my study of the scriptures and the words of the prophets, that I become selfish and less easy to live with. I have noticed my tolerance for others decreases. I have noticed that my love for mankind increases when I am faithfully reading and searching to be closer to my Heavenly Father.

Does Alma’s counsel make sense to me? Absolutely! My scriptures are my lifeline. Generally, it is the first thing I do in each day after I have prayed for guidance in my day. Yes, scriptures are my lifeline!

Scriptures and Blessings

Judges 2:10-11 Isn’t it interesting that when you “know not” the Lord nor his works, that the next step is that you begin evil in the sight of the Lord? Parents, I hope you’re getting the message. The time to teach your children is from birth to launch. They are agents unto themselves and will do their own deciding, but it is critical that they are taught about the Lord and all His doings. 

Then we say, “We’re not doing bad things; just not teaching good things.” Well, are you really? You’re following after the ways of the world when you embrace their practices, i.e. tatoos, piercings, inappropriate language befitting a son or daughter of God, watching their entertainment rather than choosing to serve those around you and learn of Christ. That is, in a sense, worship. 

I read through Judges 4 this morning. It sounds like a mass of confusion and war among the people. If someone were to write the history of our world today, would they be focusing on the different gangs. It’s quite confusing to me to try and make sense. Suffice it to say, sometimes the Lord is pleased and blesses the people. At other times he is angry and his wrath is shown.

Then I read from the Book of Mormon in Alma 21-22. King Lamoni is back at his home and Aaron, one of Mosiah’s sons is on scene answering King Lamoni’s questions. This is a fascinating story to me. Remember King Lamoni was ready to give up half of his kingdom when Ammon was about to slay him. Ammon withdrew his sword and all he asked for saving Lamoni’s life was that his brothers (Aaron included) be released from prison and that King Lamoni’s son would give his part of the kingdom to his son, Lamoni, to rule as he wished. That wasn’t a lot and King Lamoni pondered Ammon’s mercy for days.

He later wanted to know from Aaron the mysteries that were not answered in his own mind. This is fascinating to me. Quite a contrast; but is it really? When I was returning to the Covenant path, I had lots of questions. Most of them were Sunday School questions and easily answered. I had forgotten all that I was taught as a child in my parents’ home and in my classes. I hadn’t really forgotten, but I had suppressed these teachings. I was “golden” much like King Lamoni. I just needed to read these things from the Book of Mormon and the leaders of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I was a dry sponge. I couldn’t learn fast enough. 

And that brings me to this question, which is pretty simple: What did the scriptures look like that Aaron was quoting from? Certainly not a Quad like I have—not even a bound book. So, I began to ponder where these scriptures came from. As I followed the footnotes, Lehi had the records of the first five books of Moses that came from Laban. These records cited the genealogy of his people. Stay with me here. Lehi’s family were wandering in the wilderness, etc. for quite some time. What was Lehi doing when he wasn’t “on the road” so to speak? He didn’t have the distractions of the world we have today. His sons were the ones hunting for food, so he wasn’t even all that involved in food. Is it a stretch to think that he may have been duplicating these records for his children? If so, what was he writing on and with what? Nephi made it clear that he took ore and made plates of brass to record his history. Did he know how to do this because he’d watched his father do a similar thing in the process of duplicating the records? This is such silliness on my part, but I wonder about the day-to-day experiences in nearly everything I read. Don’t worry; it’s across the board. When I watch an action movie and the stars never sleep or take a meal, I wonder about that one too.

Well, suffice it to say, I took a detour today which brings me to this one “take away”: I’m grateful beyond belief for the sacrifices made by many to bring the scriptures into my life. It wasn’t until I started reading the Book of Mormon that my testimony began to grow. This was the missing link in my youth. Where were my scriptures? I know my dad read in the evening from his scriptures. It seemed like a nightly ritual, but that may not have been the case. If Mom read the scriptures, it was after we went to bed. I know she had a testimony of them. I was given scriptures as a wedding present from my parents. Did I appreciate them? Not even! But they were the ones I turned to when I became “thirsty” for knowledge.

Back to the parents: Are you spending time in the scriptures with your children? Are you studying Come Follow Me daily? Are you bearing testimony to the blessing the scriptures are in your life? Do you even realize how blessed you are to have them, and recognize the blood that has been spilled to preserve them? We are so blessed in our day and need to pass this gratitude of blessing onto our children. In today’s world with so many distractions, that is a tall order. They are so attracted with their devices and the things of the world that an ancient book with writings isn’t an attraction at all. It is up to you—and to all of us, to repeat these faith-promoting stories like that of King Lamoni, to our children and grandchildren.

 

 As I was reading Judges 4:14 this morning: “. . . is not the Lord gone out before thee?” I also read the references suggested by Come Follow Me manual, i.e. D&C 84:87-88 which led me to this note in my scriptures:          

Can there be any doubt that when we are acting in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, we are on His errand. He will be on our right, left, etc.!!! What a blessing. I have felt this numerous times as I've served in various callings - and sometimes even when ministering. I will never forget the day I was so encumbered with my own "list" and a neighbor was really sick. I called her with the intent to cheer her up. At the end of my call I asked what I could do to help her. Why did I say that? Did I really want to help, or just make myself feel better for asking? Her biggest concern was her family’s laundry. No problem! I took it on — the laundry for a family of six! Where in the world was I going to get the time. All of a sudden, my "list" (which included preparing for a meeting where I was the one introducing a theme for our Girls Camp, became secondary to the Lord's task— that of helping a friend. I had that laundry clean, folded and back to her in time to make it to my meeting. That night, the Lord put into my mouth the words that were important to Him. It was a faith-building experience I will NEVER forget! Rosemary Lind repeated often: Give the Lord an hour and he’ll give you two back. This was certainly the case that day.

Deborah prophesied that the Lord was with the Israelites and they had won, even before they had overtaken the Midianites. There is much I don’t understand about the Old Testament, but this message was not lost on me. The Lord will fight our battles. We just have to get out there and do His bidding.

D&C 84:88 – And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.

Amen to that! I’ve seen it happen enough times that I believe it. Every time I visit a friend, especially when my day is full anyway, I manage to see the Lord make the way. A truth I will not dispute!

 

Touch, Belief, Service, Equalizer

Alma 15:6 – This reminds me of a very powerful experience I had at Girls Camp at Mia Shalom many years ago. As stake YW Presidency, we had a teaching moment where we taught something to the girls and then put something in their hands as a reminder of the lesson. Truly, the lesson is not the focus of this post. It was the way in which the item was given. The first group that came through, things went well enough. I wasn’t unhappy with it, but it wasn’t until the second group came through and I changed the method in which I handed the item to the girls that things became spiritual. I held each of their hands as I put the item in and closed their fingers around it. As I did so, I looked into their eyes, The Spirit washed over me in a way that I will not forget.

I believe this is probably what Alma experienced as he held the hands of Zeezrom and asked him if he believed the power of Christ to heal him? Any time we are serving the Lord, it might not be a bad idea to find a way to express His love in any way we can. These experiences come through faith—faith in the giver and in the recipient.

In Alma 15:16 we are told Amulek has forsaken his gold, silver and basically his family and friends for the word of God. Is this required in order to embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ? There are numerous places where Jesus tells people to “leave their nets [their form of livelihood] and follow Him”. It may be required of us, but we are here to build the Kingdom of God, and that takes faith and works. Works in our education, and various forms of career. It is those works that allow us to help build the kingdom. I’ve walked away from a house. I know I can do that and would do it in a flash, if the Lord asked it of me. For now, I’m being asked to be in my home and serve the people in the valley who are unable to find resources for health care. Many times, I miss activities with friends or family because of this service. I feel we are blessed for it. The Lord needs us to be willing. Pres. Nelson told us “the Lord loves effort”. Sometimes this is a lot of effort, but we both feel blessed because of it.

In Alma 16:16 it says “and there was no inequality among them”. Yes, I believe the Lord equalizes his chosen people as they serve each other.

Enter Into that Rest—Repent and Work Righteousness

Pres. Joseph F. Smith: "What does it mean? To my mind it means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in His purpose and in His plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else. We are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine." Gospel Doc., p58

 

Alma 13:10-13:  I find comfort in these verses. One of the blessings of the Gospel is knowing that the Lord has known this day, our day, the last days, were coming forever and that there is a Plan. We have no need to fear for the future, as He has it worked. It will be interesting to see what happens. I feel the same way about all the issues in my life currently. I chant frequently to myself that the Lord has a Plan. I don't need to know what it is (though that would be nice); I only need to have the faith that there is a Plan.

 

Alma 14:13 – Alma’s comment to Amuleck when he says they might throw them into the fire as well is an excellent example of “finding rest in the Lord”. He knew God had a plan and he didn’t need to know beyond that. We could all benefit from following this example—especially today as the world seems to be unraveling at such a rapid rate.  “Be it according to the will of the Lord.” 

Alma Teaches Us as He Teaches Zeezrom

 Exactness. Honor

This is so familiar and the Lord gives us this same counsel today. Stay within the bounds the Lord has set.” In this there is safety. In this there is peace. Might I be so brave as to say this is where joy is as well?

Alma 12:1 – Zezzrom began to “tremble under a consciousness of his guilt. . .”  Really? Does preaching the gospel to someone get them to see where they are guilty? It was such a gradual process for me, although I always knew I was guilty of going against the will of the Lord. 

Alma 13:10-12 — Repent and work righteousness

Enter into the rest of the Lord - AKA At-One-Ment

Enter into that rest — Pres. Joseph F. Smith: "What does it mean? To my mind it means entering into the knowledge and love of God, having faith in His purpose and in His plan, to such an extent that we know we are right, and that we are not hunting for something else. We are not disturbed by every wind of doctrine." Gospel Doc., p58  I watch people I love search for the next thing that will bring them happiness. There is only one thing: The Gospel of Jesus Christ, that will offer true and lasting happiness.

I find comfort in this Pres. Smith's quote. One of the blessings of the Gospel is knowing that the Lord has known this day was coming forever and that there is a Plan. We have no need to fear for the future, as He has it worked. It will be interesting to see what happens next. I feel the same way about all the issues in my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren currently. I chant frequently to myself that the Lord has a Plan. I don't need to know what it is (though that would be nice); I only need to have the faith that there is a Plan.

So what is required that we may obtain that “rest”? Humility, faith, repent,  - Alma says it best in v28 “But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering.

• Humility
• Prayer – watch & pray continually
• Repent
• Hear Him (Listen to the Holy Ghost and promptings)
• Meek
• Submissive
• Patient
• Full of love
• Long suffering

I wrote in my scriptures that this is a perfect description of Clyde. I’ve never known anyone like him. This was in 2018, and is even more so four years later.

Just as Alma spoke to the people, I wish I could have the opportunity to speak these things to my children and grandchildren. There is a Plan! There is a better way to find joy in this life and eternal life with our Heavenly Father after this life. This life is a probationary period to overcome the selfish, self-centered natures that we are all ridden with. Don’t fall into the trap the world and Satan have created to snare you and get your off track. If you are off track (and aren’t all of us at one time or another?), then repent now! Humble yourselves and turn to the Lord for guidance and forgiveness. Be meek, which does NOT mean weak, submissive to God’s will (Let Him Prevail), patient and full of love for yourself, God and for all of His children, and be long suffering. Endure to the end those things that you can’t change. They were created to test you to see if you would follow Jesus anyway. Don’t ever forget that!

Yes, and if I ever had the chance, this is how I would speak to my family. 

 

Moses a Type of Jesus and Prayer of the Righteous

Moses was the savior of the Israelites who took them out of bondage into a wilderness where they could learn to be obedient to the commands the Lord gave them. 

So how is Jesus like Moses? Let's make it personal. I was definitely in bondage—bondage to sin, unbelief, a slave and provider to an evil master (husband), and not free to make my own decisions. I make it sound pretty bad, and it really was. It wasn't until I realized I had a Savior, even Jesus Christ, whom I could turn to for help that those things changed. I was taught about Jesus all my life; but I didn't know Him or have a basis for belief of what His purpose was in relation to me. Somehow, that escaped me. 

 

Bit by bit, as I exercised the faith to read from the Book of Mormon, then incorporated sincere prayer into my life, I began to believe I could do better and be better. I changed, and it was noticeable to me as well as others. My life was renewed. I made changes that allowed me to serve Him and love Him and want to be like Him. I have never looked back with longing—not for a second. Jesus has saved me from a dark world that I would wish on nobody.

 

And this have I always known: Deuteronomy 7:6-9 — It was never about me. The Lord didn’t save me because of me (although I do know I am one of his favored daughters and sometimes I feel like His favorite child), or any more special than someone else. He saved me because of the covenants of my fathers and mothers—my parents and ancestors who went before them. My Patriarchal Blessing even says as much. It was the covenants that were made in the temple by my parents and progenitors that made me worth saving, for which I will ever be grateful. 

 

In reading Alma 10, Amulek is telling the people about himself. In v6 he says: I knew of these things, yet I would not know; therefore I went on rebelling against God. I guess you could say my heart was hardened like Amulek’s. 

 

In Alma 10, Amulek also stresses the fact that the prayers of the righteous will be the only thing that spares the people. This is an off-the-wall thought, but I often wonder if it is our prayers that are slowing the return of our Savior. Just a thought. I certainly wouldn’t stop praying that my loved ones would return to their covenants and live worthy of the blessings the Lord has promised. But the thought occurs to me from time to time that it is those my prayers that get in the way of His return. Many times, when I’m praying for peace in war-torn countries, or to get the moisture we need to fill our reservoirs and aquafers, or for our politicians to miraculously embrace righteousness, I feel like I’m praying against the Plan Heavenly Father has in place. I guess that’s where the phrase to Let God Prevail comes into play. I will be patient and wait upon the Lord. I know His goodness will outweigh any plan I might contrive to get there sooner rather than later. 

The Power of Grace and Moving On

This is pretty elementary, but the way I think.  From Deuteronomy 8:2-5 I drew some thoughts worth writing about for me. 

 I frequently tend to go to the everyday happenings in the lives of people I read about. How did they provide for their needs? How did they make their clothes? How did they deal with sickness and injuries. Well, according to these verses, they didn't? The Lord was providing for them. Their clothes didn't fall apart with wear and tear. Their feet were healthy. Having dealt with some unhappy feet the last few months, this is a big deal to me. Did they not have injuries? It almost sounds like they were protected in that regard and enjoyed good health. This is huge!

And the question comes up. Did they know the Lord was doing these things? Does a small child know that Mom and Dad are caring for their every need? No, they don't. And the forty years in the wilderness was so they could see the hand of the Lord in their lives and learn to worship Him for his goodness and his daily care. Awesome!

Now one more insight into this story. Forty years. That's not quite the amount of time we have been married. So all the time the children of those who were slaves would have been having families, raising them and seeing them move on to have families of their own. Grandchildren were brought into the mix, and they were taught the things of God. The grandparents aged and died, leaving the new generation to carry on. Were these new generations more aware of God? Certainly they had never known slavery and the way their parents lived prior to wandering in the wilderness. They never knew the deprevation of living in slavery and being oppressed. Did they understand? Well, eventually they did, because they were allowed to move on.

So the question is asked: What connection do I see between Deuteronomy 6:5-6 and Matthew 22:35-40? The manual pretty much spoon feeds the answer to this question, but it is obviously LOVE GOD! Love Him with all my mind, heart and soul. Never forget His influence in my life. Ah! And remember to Love His children. This is the ongoing challenge. We are human and sometimes, people will get under our skin. One lesson I learned in our study in the past few years was the power of Grace. I believe Brad Wilcox spoke of it in a devotional at BYU that was epic. Sometimes, we just "give it to people". We don't engage in talking of the difference—especially when it is of something that is totally not of an eternal consequence. We do our best to set a righteous example. We are strong in our determination to live as God has asked us, but we don't force it on others. We walk away from potential conflict; change the subject and forgive. Move on!

Be Wise and Look Forward

Thursday’s take away from reading the Book of Mormon, Mosiah 28: Be wise and look forward. Did I ever hear those words as a teenager? Tom assures me frequently that I did. Man, I must have been deaf! 

Such simple things, yet if we would all do that as we are making decisions, what a difference that would make in our lives. Did I even consider the long-term ramifications of my poor choices? Not in a way that would have made any difference. I was young and foolish to say the least. Funny how that's the case when we make most of the decisions that will impact the rest of our lives, i.e. career choice, companion choice, friend choice, entertainment choice, etc. Be wise! What more is there to say? Consider these things and look forward.

Verse 19 - Do we have any idea what a blessing it is that the Lord "looked forward" to the hope that we would make righteous choices and that we COULD repent and move forward in righteousness? This is a powerful scripture that means so much to me. I will forever be grateful for the sacrifice of Jesus so I could change my path. What a blessing it has been from that day forward!

Verse 22: If ever there were a scripture that describes our current political situation, it would be this one. We have a president that is a loose cannon (Pres. Biden), and he has blood on his hands because of decisions he made regarding the 20-year war in Afghanistan. Billions of American dollars in military equipment have been left behind for the enemy to use against us and any other nation they decide to annihilate. It's a sad, sad thing going on because of a stupid president and a stupid majority of leaders. Heaven help us! Now add to that the carnage because of his ridiculous decisions concerning Covid. Ugh!

Verse 36: Easy to see in today's world. Our nation's leaders are corrupt and absolutely we are experiencing these things:

1. wars
2. contentions
3. bloodshed
4. stealing
5. plundering
6. whoredoms

 

To name just a few. It is a very sobering situation we are in - not only our nation but throughout the world!

I’m reading “Red Notice” by Bill Browder written in first person and his experience as an American who got into trading in Russia and one-by-one is taking down the oligarch’s who have illegally purchased the oil in Russia and are making billions of dollars that belong to the people. It’s a fascinating read and as he is discovering the corrupt tactics of these oligarchs, I can’t help but see these things are happening in our country. Chilling!  Verse 43 – I couldn’t help but wish we could only have presidents in our country like Alma!

  

Numbers 11 – 

 

I tell my kids frequently: "The Lord didn't bring you this far to bring you this far." There is a Plan and we have to trust in that plan and keep moving forward, being worthy of the revelation the Lord promises us each week when we partake of the sacrament. Anything less than that is a disappointment to the Lord. He doesn't mess around in these two chapters. He is "provoked" big time and sends a plague to show the people that He is serious. 

Sometimes I feel a little like Caleb. I will get impressions I feel come from the Holy Ghost and move on them as best I can. I don’t doubt their origin, but I will also listen to the Lord tell me that my husband is the priesthood holder in our family and he too receives inspiration. He’s worthy of that inspiration, and I take seriously my position in our commitment to do the Lord’s work. I have been told very distinctly in the temple that I would be better off to follow my husband’s counsel than to be right and insist we go my direction—even if I feel it’s not what the Lord has instructed me to do. I do the best I can do and adapt my service accordingly. There are no limitations to the way we can serve. I don’t know if this is right or not. It just is. I know I’m happier when I don’t make waves in our marriage and things usually pass and I am blessed.

 

Two Lines of Authority

 As I read the first part of our Come Follow Me lesson for this week, this is what I got from it:

These verses and Pres. Oak's conference talk on "Two Lines of Authority" make it quite clear that we need to keep the lines of revelation open. We seek guidance from our prophet, of course! But we are responsible to keep ourselves worthy to receive our own revelation. We do this by worthily partaking of the sacrament each week so that we will have the promise given us of the Holy Ghost to be with us ALWAYS.

Do we really realize what a blessing that is in our lives? Sometimes, I believe we forget. We get so busy with the busy-ness of our lives that we forget to seek guidance from Heavenly Father on what He wants us to be doing. I try so hard to keep it balanced. There are household chores and personal maintenance that must be done. They don't get done as often as they did when I was a young mom, or even a younger empty nester. Why is that? I have felt promptings to be GATHERING on both sides of the veil. I do my best to set a righteous example, but I don't get much one-on-one with those who have different beliefs (other than my own children, of course). So, I have started doing Family Search (love it!) and attending the temple more often (love that too!). This is counsel from our Prophet, and I want so badly to be worthy of the blessings that are promised from following his counsel. 

Life is a process. We try; and then we try again. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost and feel like I frequently am aware of his influence in my days. Balance is what I hear in the messages of this day. We need to seek balance as we listen to the words of the prophet and seek personal revelation for the details in our lives. Heavenly Father knows our needs. He knows the desires of our hearts. Like Pres. Nelson has counseled, we need to let HIM (Heavenly Father) prevail in our lives and keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Dispute the Power of God? NEVER!

 

Time is short, but as I read Mosiah 27 this morning, I couldn't help but go back in time to my own miraculous conversion. It was a dark world I was living in.

Not for a second can I dispute God’s power. I didn’t see an Angel and the earth didn’t shake, but I will never doubt the fact I was rescued by a power beyond this earth. I was taught by earthly angels, but the Spirit called me back to the covenant path and has been guiding me ever since. 

Mosiah 27:15

Book of Mormon

15 And now behold, can ye dispute the power of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also ^abeholdme before you? And I am sent from God.

 

 

Leviticus 19 - Thou Shalts and Idolatry

As I'm reading these "thou shalt" verses in Leviticus 19, the thought occurred to me: These are the chosen people of Israel who have been led by a Prophet of God into the wilderness. They chose to follow him. They aren't perfect. Although they are following a prophet, they have not overcome the ways of the world. That is a process, just as it is for those of us who have repented from a wicked and dark world to live worthy of living with God once more. It doesn't happen overnight or even in a few weeks or even a few miracles. It is a life-long process and pursuit.

All are equal in the sight of God and that must be our goal as well. Pray to see others as the Lord sees them. We must always be looking out for those who struggle to find means for themselves and their families. Using it all up for ourselves is a sin.

The bottom line on all of this is to love God with all our hearts, might, mind and strength and love our neighbor as ourself. This entire chapter could be boiled down to these two commandments. I listened to a podcast with Steve Young yesterday on his new book, The Law of Love. It was a captivating podcast and talked about his struggles as he overcame generational depression and the feelings of unworthiness of any good in his life. As he began to see others as the Lord sees them instead of someone to compete with, he was able to see himself in a different light as well. He is passionate about this concept and it was a game changer for him.

Now let’s talk a bit about idols. The idols we choose in our modern world are so different from what ancient Israel chose. They actively created a golden calf. That took time and sacrifice of goods (think gold and jewelry here). Are the decisions to follow the ways of the world vs God any less time consuming? What are the idols of today? I can think of a few, and there are many more for sure:

• ·      Celebrities
• ·      Body worship
• ·      Material possessions
• ·      Entertainment (wholesome and worldly)
• ·      Perfectionism (Yup, think about it!)
• ·      Social Media 
• ·      Approval of others

Every one of these takes our eye off the "ball" so to speak. We spend time accomplishing them. If it is a celebrity, we follow them on social media, seek to dress like them and mimic them. Add to this that there will always be the next celebrity to follow. It is never ending because the “goal” keeps moving. Jesus needs to be our goal. He doesn’t change!

Body worship takes serious time at the gym as a gym rat instead of pursuing more righteous endeavors. Being fit is one thing; worshiping the fitness is the problem.

As I age, the material possessions become less of a draw. I would much rather be at home doing Family Search than in a store buying the next item that will bring happiness. 

For some people, it is always the next adventure that is their draw. They keep themselves so busy in pursuit of the next thrill that the thrill of the Gospel and becoming more like Jesus becomes more of a duty than a joy. I could be wrong on this one. 

Some are so focused on a perfect yard, perfect home, perfect body and wardrobe or perfect children, that they are distracted from focusing on the Savior and perfecting their relationship with Him. These goals are changing as well. There will always be the next thing to become perfect at. Again, Jesus doesn’t change!

Social media and approval of others just might be lumped together. Why do people spend endless hours making videos of themselves lying down in seductive poses and talking without a filter about whatever it is they are thinking? I don't get it. 

 

 

Random Thoughts On Making a Tabernacle

Years ago, Jon Schmidt said the best way to write a song is to write the first note; the rest will follow. I have found that to be a truth.

Let’s hope it works with journaling my thoughts for my blog because I don’t know where I’m going today.

I studied Come Follow Me this morning and had some good thoughts, albeit fragmented. Mostly I was focused on Exodus 40 and Leviticus 1. When I first read through this week’s lesson, I must admit it didn’t really register like it should have. When I read it with the intent to find meaning in the individual items, then it was more meaningful. 

Do you think the smell of incense would become a sweet memory, that when you smell them you think of a time that was sacred to you? I do. Smells are so important to me. There are some that will transport me back to a time that was one to remember forever. I love them. Frequently, it is the smell of a certain food. Bacon cooking takes me to a home where breakfast was always shared as a family. The kitchen was comfortably warm as we prepared for the first meal of the day. We would all kneel down around the kitchen table as Dad would give thanks for the blessings in our lives and pray over those in need and protection for his family.

Ah, there is another smell that transports me. It is the smell of coffee in the outdoors. Stay with me here. I'm not a coffee drinker, but that smell transports me to good times with my aunts, uncles and cousins as we would gather for annual family reunions in the woods in Colorado. Those were really good times. I think the key word in both of these examples is "Gather". 

Just a thought, but isn't that a word Pres. Nelson has used to ask us to participate in as we prepare for our Savior's return? The GREAT REUNION so to speak. Where we will gather with those we love and have loved who have moved beyond the veil. I'm even more sensitive to that word as I've begun to do Family History in an effort to gather my ancestors. 

I think the person getting the most out of making all these items of worship for the Tabernacle would have been Bezaleel. Can you imagine the hours it took to accomplish all these things? As he did so, where were his thoughts? Surely they would have been on the task at hand, but do you think he was thinking how they would be used? His mind was most likely free to go where it wanted, and I believe he was thinking on sacred things. In the process, he was becoming more holy as well. No doubt, he was being “beaten down” in the process as well and it had to be hot. It wasn’t in a “cooled” environment with air conditioning. I'm sure this isn't where the majority of thinkers go with this, but I tend to gravitate to more simple things.

As for the candlestick, just exactly what was the symbol? Light? It was of "beaten work", not ready to be used for the purpose in which it was created. It needed to be beaten down and made moldable. Aren't we like gold? The Lord has told us we are His work and His glory, but we know we are far from perfect. Are we being beaten into a beautiful work of art with the experiences we are having on this earth? 

As for the six branches going out of the sides of the candlestick, I wonder. What are the numbers representing? What is the total? Six on each side? Would that be 12? Does it represent the twelve tribes of Israel? In v22 it says: ". . .all of it was one beaten work. . .". Again, beaten. I'm sure each tribe is, in its own way, being beaten and made to be the people the Lord will invite in His kingdom.

The incense altar of shittim wood - it was perfectly square and overlaid with gold. Why gold? What was its purpose? To burn incense. That requires fire and I would think the wood would go up in flames without the gold. Right? As the gold has been beaten down in order to mold around the wood to protect it, isn't that what is happening to us as we are beaten down? Are we becoming more moldable? Is that making us more resilient to the evils, dangers and trials that come our way and giving us the power to do the Lord’s work? Maybe that is the symbol. Notice I don't do a deep dive into the words that the scholars teach. It's more than I can wrap my brain around. These are simple thoughts—the kind of I have.

And that’s my thoughts for this day. Yes, somewhat fragmented, but that is a representation of who I am, I guess.

Idleness, Prayer, Agency

Three principles I feel very strongly about. Today as I was reading from Mosiah 23-25, some my own notes struck me.

Mosiah 23:5

Idleness: I think we fail to realize the importance of this word. My mom would often say “an idle mind is the Devil’s workshop”. The older I get, the easier it is to see that this is what is ruining our world, our nation and even our children and grandchildren. I believe it is the need to survive that will eventually turn this around and our people will begin to put in the work necessary to survive—and not at the expense of someone else’s hard work. Work (and Jesus) will bring order into the world again. Today, there is madness all around us. This is due, in part, to not having to be concerned about food or a roof over their heads. Somebody will fix it. That somebody will be Jesus, but it has been made clear how that is to happen. Prayer and learning how to pray can be its own kind of “work”, but brings miraculous results as we humble ourselves and look for the Lord’s hands in our lives. 

Prayer: (Mosiah 24:22)

Maybe I even mentioned yesterday a little about the importance of prayer. It is such a big thing to me and becomes more so as I age. I watch this principle of faith in prayer being watered down and it grieves me. Family prayer is powerful and wonderful and I fully endorse it, but at an early age, (even before those little knees are able to bend on their own), I believe children need to be taught to kneel down at their parent’s knee and utter their own simple prayer. When they’re tiny, it might be nothing more than “blah, blah, blah, Jesus.” Or “blah, blah, blah Mom and Dad” or whatever. It is crucial to their ability to survive as they navigate their way in this world. Pres. Nelson has told us as much in his pleadings that we teach our families. Without learning to pray for God’s presence in our lives, we’re not going to make it through these last days. And as I type this, I think on my own family. Maybe I need to put Agency as a tag line in this missive. Oh, we didn’t do everything right—that is evident. But we did pray as a family and teach our children to pray. More of our children walked away from that principle of truth than embraced it. Yes, Agency is a big deal. Jesus died to give it to us. The Spirit just chastised me a little.

Mosiah 25:10 — It is so important that we look for the hands of God in the details of our lives and remember to thank Him for His kindness. Rescue is miraculous. It doesn’t have to be a big rescue like I read about in Mosiah this morning, either. Sometimes it is as simple as having a neighbor ask you for help and give you the opportunity to be the Lord’s hands in their lives.

Mosiah 23:21-22 — And Just because we're doing it right doesn't mean only good is going to come into our lives. We are on this earth to develop the character of Jesus. Patience is of one of those traits. We need to see the trials as blessings in disguise as well. Ugh! Much easier to type than it is to do. Nonetheless, it is critical to our becoming like little children so that we can be in the Lord’s presence someday.