Have faith, be well, and wash your hands.

It has been a long, tragic, and challenging few weeks – even longer for countless other people around the world. The impact of COVID-19 starting really hitting Alaska as of a couple weeks ago – above and beyond the crazed shoppers buying up toilet paper and other supplies. I am grateful for the wisdom of many teachers while I was growing up (my parents, church leaders, schoolteachers, etc.) who taught me about being prepared and ready for unexpected circumstances. I am also very grateful for a loving husband whose outlook and perspective on many things line up with my own. He’s also great company for hunkering down and social isolation.

That being said, things aren’t perfect, but we’re doing OK. The organization I work for rolled out an official telecommuting policy as of January 1st this year which allowed me to work from home twice weekly starting then since I work behind the scenes in management. Thankfully, when leadership asked everyone who could work from home to do so in an effort to stay a step ahead of COVID-19 risks, the transition was pretty smooth. Rick hasn’t had such an easy time given that he works directly with clients, but his employer has been understanding and allowed him do alternative work tasks for a few days this last week. When he hasn’t been working for work, he’s been home working by rearranging and cleaning the garage (yippee!) and making fabric masks; yes, he’s cool like that.

Others aren’t so lucky right now, so we’re trying hard to count our blessings every day.

While reading for my religion class, I thought of all the missionaries around the globe from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who were out serving the Lord, sharing His gospel, and now have been relocated and/or sent home from their missions amid this pandemic. They have worked diligently, prepared themselves for their missions, and I know this was a huge alteration of plans for everyone. Despite the change of plans, these wonderful men and women should hold their heads high and be proud of all the work they’ve done, the examples they’ve set, and the hearts they’ve softened. When they share about this time in history with their future children, grandchildren, friends, etc., I hope they are able to share a strong testimony (made only stronger by this experience). In Alma 36:24-26, a great missionary (Alma) said the following to his son:

Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.

Yea, and now behold, O my son, the Lord doth give me exceedingly great joy in the fruit of my labors;

For because of the word which he has imparted unto me, behold, many have been born of God, and have tasted as I have tasted, and have seen eye to eye as I have seen; therefore they do know of these things of which I have spoken, as I do know; and the knowledge which I have is of God.

Something else I’m extremely impressed with is the inspiration shared by the prophet and other leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-ay Saints. The church has had programs in place for many years to help its members serve each other and have people to turn to if needs arise. Growing up, I was told that the programs were in place so that one day when the world got to a place where we couldn’t worship together anymore, we’d have a system already in place to ensure we remained united. Never did I think we’d see this in my lifetime, nor did I figure it would be due to a pandemic (I had imagined something more political myself). The ministering program (previously known as Home and Visiting Teaching) is a wonderful resource and strength right now as we’re socially distant, yet together in spirit.

In addition to the ministering program, a recent change reduced our well-known 3-hour church block to 2 hours with the advice to use the old 3rd hour worship at home. Who would have thought that so soon, we’d be worshiping, teaching, and learning at home full-time? Thankful for technology, it isn’t as challenging as it could be, but it is still new and different. Here we are in 2020, we are in a way teaching and learning in private, much like Alma taught people after his conversion in Mosiah 18:1-3:

And now, it came to pass that Alma, who had fled from the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi—

Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.

And as many as would hear his word he did teach. And he taught them privately, that it might not come to the knowledge of the king. And many did believe his words.

Despite being prepared, finding ways to cope, having things in place to keep going through trials, it can still be tough. I know that I have started feeling the stress in different ways over the last 2 weeks. The tragedies that have affected people I know (not COVID-19 related) has worn me down – as one with a helper spirit, it’s hard to stand by with limitations of how I can support those I love. I’m impressed at their strength to keep going, and I found what I see as their strength spoken in Alma 26:6-7 by Ammon:

Yea, they shall not be beaten down by the storm at the last day; yea, neither shall they be harrowed up by the whirlwinds; but when the storm cometh they shall be gathered together in their place, that the storm cannot penetrate to them; yea, neither shall they be driven with fierce winds whithersoever the enemy listeth to carry them.

But behold, they are in the hands of the Lord of the harvest, and they are his; and he will raise them up at the last day.

May we all remain gathered together in our places as the storm roars through. The storm cannot take us down, we shall stand firm because we are in the Lord’s hands. Have faith, be well, and wash your hands.

He Kept His Promise - Go, Do, and Keep His Commandments

In 1 Nephi 17:50, Nephi told to his brothers that if God were to command him to do all things, he could do them. Nephi declared the following: “If he should command me that I should say unto this water, be thou earth, it should be earth; and if I should say it, it would be done.”

God had commanded Nephi to build a ship, which his brothers doubted in his ability to do and were unwilling to help with the labor toward such. In verse 51, Nephi profoundly asked them, “[…]if the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that he cannot instruct me, that I should build a ship?”

Perhaps we should start questioning ourselves similarly when we come upon life’s various happenings.

If the Lord has such great power, and has wrought so many miracles among the children of men, how is it that He cannot strengthen me, that I should withstand this trial? How is it that He cannot guide me, that I should find what I am seeking? How is it that He cannot heal my heart, that I might love once more?

Knowing the power of God, one answer we can turn to for every inquiry comes from Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

1 Nephi 3:7 offers another answer we can draw strength from - Nephi testified that “[…]the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”

Reyna I. Aburto, Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, spoke in October 2019 General Conference (find her talk HERE). She discussed struggles that are very real for many people (more than most realize), life circumstances which bring folks to the edge of their tolerance limits, and how the refiner’s fire has great potential to make us better people. Addressing those of us who are struggling or supporting someone who is struggling, Sister Aburto reminded us that we need to have The Spirit with us always, and in order to ensure that, we need to follow God’s commandments. She echoes something I touched on in an earlier blog post, that it’s the small and simple things we do “that will give us spiritual strength.”

Sister Aburto then addressed the fact that Christ came here to earth in a mortal state and took upon himself every ailment, burden, challenge, trial, pain, loss, etc. that all humankind had and would be faced with. He did this so that He could know and understand how to help, comfort, heal, and guide us through this mortal experience. This very topic is something that I was again reminded of recently by the instructor of my religion course this semester, Brother Jeffrey Coleman (highly recommended if you’re taking online classes through BYU-Idaho).

Brother Coleman shared a passage with me from a book I read years ago by Chieko N. Okazaki called, “Lighten Up! Finding Real Joy in Life” (p. 175). The message shared was wonderfully timed and really hit home for me, much like Sister Aburto’s talk referenced earlier did. As a conclusion to this blog post and a point of thought for all who pass through (I refuse to distract from the gem below by writing anything further), here is what Sister Okazaki wrote:

We know that on some level Jesus experienced the totality of mortal existence in Gethsemane. It’s our faith that he experienced everything—absolutely everything. Sometimes we don’t think through the implications of that belief. We talk in great generalities about the sins of all humankind, about the suffering of the entire human family. But we don’t experience pain in generalities. We experience it individually. That means Jesus knows what it felt like when your mother died of cancer—how it was for your mother, how it still is for you. He knows what it felt like to lose the student-body election. He knows that moment when the brakes locked, and the car started to skid. He experienced the slave ship sailing from Ghana toward Virginia. He experienced the gas chambers at Dachau. He experienced napalm in Vietnam. He knows about drug addiction and alcoholism.

There is nothing you have experienced as a woman that he does not also know and recognize. On a profound level, he understands about pregnancy and giving birth. He knows about PMS and cramps and menopause. He understands about rape and infertility and abortion.

His last recorded words to his disciples were, “And, lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.” (Matthew 28:20) What does that mean? It means he understands your mother-pain when your five-year-old leaves for kindergarten, when a bully picks on your fifth-grader, when your daughter calls to say that the new baby has Down’s syndrome. He knows your mother-rage when a trusted babysitter sexually abuses your two-year-old, when someone gives your thirteen-year-old drugs, when someone seduces your seventeen-year-old. He knows the pain you live with when you come home to a quiet apartment where the only children who ever come are visitors, when you hear that your former husband and his new wife were sealed in the temple last week, when your fiftieth wedding anniversary rolls around and your husband has been dead for two years. He knows all that. He’s been there. He’s been lower than all that.

He’s not waiting for us to be perfect. Perfect people don’t need a Savior. He came to save us in our imperfections. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes. He’s not embarrassed by us, angry at us or shocked. He wants us in our brokenness, in our unhappiness, in our guilt and our grief.

What Percent Are You?

With all the natural disasters over the past few years and concerns of illness outbreak that have recently come to light, emergency preparedness has been on the forefront of many peoples’ minds. The organization I work for is updating the policies and procedures in our operations manual, something I got roped into helping with recently. Doing this includes updating our preparedness plan for 4 supported living apartment sites housing anywhere from 4 to 10 clients each, somewhere around 20 clients who live independently in the community, over 100 clients who are employed in the community, and somewhere around 200 employees.
Disclaimer: The numbers here are estimates based on my best guess. After 12 years at the organization, you'd think I'd know all the stats, but nope!

The CDC recommends storing at least 1 gallon of water per day for each person; more for folks who are pregnant or sick, and for those living in hot climates. The minimum water storage advised is a 3-day supply for each person with a goal to have at least a 2-week supply, if possible.

Do you know what that means??? It means we have to store a LOT of water.

Why is water so important?

Water is a vital nutrient involved in maintaining the health of all the cells in our body. It’s the building material for cells, a good medium for chemical reactions in the body, and a solvent (it cleanses). It also transports nutrients throughout the body and helps with efficiently getting rid of waste – always important. Water also absorbs shock for our brains, spinal cords, and babies in the womb.

Up to 60% of the human adult body is water. Did you know the brain and heart are composed of 73% water? The lungs are about 83% water. Our muscles and kidneys are 79% water. Each day we need to consume a certain amount of water in order to survive, dependent upon various factors like age and climate.

There was a woman a long time ago, living in a very dry climate, who needed water. She grabbed her clay pot and went to a well to fill it. The woman lived in Samaria, a place generally avoided by Jews due to conflict between them and the people occupying it; the Samaritans. While Christ and his disciples (to note, all Jews) were traveling to Galilee from Judea, He purposely chose to pass through Samaria. While there, they stopped at the well for water and to rest – the same well that the Samaritan woman was at gathering water. The disciples left to find food while Christ stayed at the well to chat. He asked the woman for a drink of water. She questioned Him, asking, “How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria?”

He told her if she knew the gift of God, and who He was, she would have asked Him for water and He would have given her living water, what the Bible dictionary defines as a symbol of Him and His teachings, both essential for eternal life. The woman didn’t immediately realize this, though. Seeing that Christ had nothing that could have held water, she asked where He had the living water. This is where Christ testified that he was the source of living water and said, “Whosever drinketh of this water [meaning the well water] shall thirst again. But whosever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

The woman completely missed what Christ was getting at; she was intrigued by the idea of never being thirsty again and getting to ditch the duties of hauling the clay pot back and forth all the time. I can relate, I don’t like feeling thirsty and I certainly wouldn’t want to haul water to make sure I remained hydrated. If I lived back then, I’d have no problem surviving a famine (obviously), but I’d definitely die from thirst first. I have a hard time remembering to fill the Brita water pitcher in our fridge - I’d never make it back then.

In a talk delivered in 1975, Elder A. Theodore Tuttle shared the following, referring to the initial misunderstanding the woman had in response to Christ’s declaration at the well:

This difficulty of understanding about water recalls the story of a sailing ship that had become disabled in a storm. It drifted aimlessly for many days. The crew and passengers became famished and parched from lack of food and water. Finally, another ship came into view. They signaled frantically for water. The other ship replied, “Let down your buckets where you are.” This communication made no sense at all, for they supposed they were far out to sea in typical ocean water [which you can’t drink because it’s saltwater]. Again, the famished ones requested water. Again, the signal came, “Let down your buckets where you are.” They could not know that they had drifted into the mouth of a great river and that the water beneath them was fresh and could save their lives. The water of life lay just beneath them, yet they were dying for lack of this knowledge.

Like the folks on the first ship who didn’t realize their ship was in fresh water that they could have consumed to save their lives, many people around us are thirsting and seeking to find “living water.” Just as water is a vital nutrient for our physical bodies, living water (Christ, His teachings, and the Holy Ghost) are vital nutrient for our spiritual selves. It’s the building material for our testimony, a good medium for spiritual change and growth, and a solvent (it’s cleansing). Living water also helps with efficiently getting rid of spiritual waste – always important.

Like the people on the second ship, we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints are trying to signal that we have found Christ, His teachings, and the gift of the Holy Ghost, or the “living water.” This has brought us happiness, peace, fulfillment, and the promise of eternal life. Food for thought: Are we sharing our testimony our actions, our words, and our deeds?

Though the woman at the well took a little bit, she did come to know who Christ was. What did she do next? She left the well, left behind her clay pot, and testified of Him – she ran around the city telling people there was a Jew at the well and she believed he was Christ. The testimony of this 1 woman brought many of the Samaritan people to Christ where they asked him to stay and teach them. Christ stayed there for 2 days before continuing his journey to Galilea. During those two days he taught a lot of people.

The promise Christ made to the Samaritan woman has been made to all of us; every one of Heavenly Father’s children. Doctrine and Covenants 63:23 states that “unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life.” By living a faithful and obedient life, we develop an eternal life source within us that will quench our thirst for happiness, peace, and eternal life.

As we do to prepare for natural disasters and emergencies, we need to work on preparing ourselves to endure the variety of physical and spiritual trials life may hand us by filling our personal emergency spiritual storage with living water. We can do this through the daily exercise of our faith; an essential part of our spiritual development and maintenance. This is where Primary answers fit perfectly. We can exercise our faith each day by reading our scriptures, praying, being kind to others, practicing humility, loving our neighbors, keeping the commandments, adhering to the covenants made at baptism and in the temple, and many other things.

Recalling that our physical bodies are made of about 60% water, supplied through consuming ample amounts of water on a daily basis, I pose this question for thought: What percentage of you is made up of living water?

I bear my testimony that I know this is the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth today. Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us, as we are, and wherever we are on our journey back to Him. This is the time to prepare ourselves for that journey; to do hard things, endure through trials and challenges that come our way, and to do so faithfully.

Fun Little Update!

The last post has the magazine spread that I created... but was merely my rough draft.  I just wanted to share the complete project, which has taken on a whole different look! 

Thanks for hanging in there with me!


Overall view of my magazine spread final draft:

Close-up view of my final draft, page-by-page!

In Humility, Our Burdens Are Hefted

For this week's insight sharing assignment in the religion course (REL 275C - The Teachings and Doctrine of the Book of Mormon) I'm taking through BYU-Idaho online, I've been given permission to utilize an assignment I've also been working on this week in my communications course (COMM 130 - Visual Media).  

In my Visual Media course last week, we learned about and analyzed common design elements used in magazines. This week, we designed our own single page and corresponding 2-page spread.  One of the assignment requirements was that we utilize an article or talk from our church's website or BYU-Idaho's news website.  Another requirement was that we needed to utilize at least 2 photographs that we took ourselves during this semester.  My mind immediately went to a the snapshot I took with my cell phone of a winter sunset behind the large cross outside the Methodist church in Eagle River where my Great Aunt Kathy's funeral services were held last month.  Though I understand why members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints typically don't wear or display crosses as symbols of faith, I love the symbolism of the cross that so many Christians worldwide use and have used for many generations.  At that, I decided my second photo would be one that features a cross necklace a friend gave me a while ago who said she thought of me when she saw it; what a kind and touching compliment that I may never feel deserving of.  I wear that necklace occasionally, not so much to remind me of Christ, but to remind me of my own potential and that maybe, just maybe, I'm doing something right with my life.  

With my visuals mostly planned out, I set out to find my spread's content.  Imagine how thrilled I was to remember a recent talk from a recent conference that was centered on the concept of taking up our own crosses!  The talk I chose is from October 2019 General Conference, delivered by Elder Ulisses Soares, titled "Take Up Our Cross." 

Elder Soares said something that spoke to my quiet love of the symbolic cross:

Jesus purposely and metaphorically used the symbol of a cross to help His disciples better understand what sacrifice and devotion to the Lord’s cause would truly mean. The image of a cross was well known among His disciples and the inhabitants of the Roman Empire because Romans forced victims of crucifixion to publicly carry their own cross or crossbeam to the place where their execution would occur.

I imagine that back then, the aforementioned victims forced to carry their own cross were compelled to do so by means of physical punishment and torture.  On the way to Golgatha for His crucifixion, Christ carried His own cross, willingly.  The son of God, on His way to his final saving sacrifice and act of love, set an example of incredible humility.  Christ carried His cross; more than just the huge heavy beam.  He carried His burdens, the things weighing heavy on His heart, and exercised faith in the grimmest of times.  He set the ultimate example for us to follow, so are we?  It's something to think about, for sure.  

Thinking about the example Christ set for us during His life, but especially during His last days as a mortal being, reminds me of Alma 32 and the blessings of humility.  It discusses the whole concept that those who are compelled or forced to be humble by reasons of circumstance, etc. are blessed, and those who are humble without the need to be compelled are blessed even more.  Where here do I stand? How about you?

Elder Soares's talk reminds us that taking up our own cross or burdens requires humility, faith, patience, and the ability to endure; never give up.  It includes other wonderful gems of wisdom that I believe individuals of many faiths can really appreciate.  If anyone is reading this, please take some time to read his message.

Below is the magazine layout I created (1 single page and a 2-page spread) with Elder Soares's talk, two original photos of mine, and one of my favorite Latter-Day Saint artist's portrayal of Christ (quote added); if you haven't checked out Liz Lemon Swindle's art, please do! If you want to read a fabulous story about the man who is the model behind that gentle face of Christ, check this out too!

The smaller images show the whole layout so you can see how it works together.  Below them are larger sizes of each page where more detail is able to be seen.

Thank you for sharing this time with me today.  Know you are loved and can handle anything life hands you.  You got this.  We got this. I believe in you, and so does your Heavenly Father. 

Now That's Dedication.

This last week, we were asked to submit two inspired questions regarding the required reading in my “Teachings of the Book of Mormon” course.  One of the questions I turned in has been on my mind since I submitted it on Wednesday.

Is "the fall of Adam" a deceptive description for what took place after Adam ate of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?  If you could rename this event per your understanding of God's plan, what would you call it to help others really see its significance and worth?

First off, we need to talk about God’s plan.  Previous to eating fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were innocent, pure, had ongoing communications with God, and were living in a paradisaical state within the Garden of Eden.  They were given two commandments: 1) don’t eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and 2) procreate and populate the earth.  These are two commandments they had to choose between as it was impossible to follow both.  Their innocence was maintained by not partaking of the fruit, but that prevented them from even knowing they were naked; a huge hindrance to the whole “get busy and make me grandchildren” request from Heavenly Father.  Right?  Logic, people… logic.  In order to enter into a state of understanding that would allow them to procreate, they had to have their eyes and minds opened to full knowledge.  The way to do that, was to eat of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 

Heavenly Father knew that Adam and Eve wouldn’t partake of the fruit on their own.  Without a push in the righ-… wron-… different direction, they would have lived forever in their innocent state and nothing would have come of the rest of us.  The serpent, or Satan, being in the garden wasn’t a fluke; if God didn’t want him there, He would have kept him out.  Perhaps the scriptural record describing Satan as a serpent was just a representation of him to illustrate his wiliness, trickery, manipulative nature, etc.  I wonder if Satan presented himself to Adam and Eve in the same way he presents himself to us – in a type of thought.  Picture the dialogue from the scriptures without the serpent, Adam and Eve deliberating with themselves, possibly in their own minds.  Here’s what I envision Eve’s self-dialogue might go:

Ah, the tree is very beautiful today, indeed.  I’m here hanging out with the new goat family and these cute bear cubs, but I just want another look at that tree.  Mmm, it really is a marvelous view.  I wonder what the fruit is like.  Since we were told not to eat it, it’s probably far less desirable than the fruit of the other trees we eat from.  Or maybe… it’s more desirable?  No, it couldn’t be.  Why would God make it so that desirable fruit grows on a tree that will cause us to die?  Well, we won’t surely die.  It’s probably not immediate.  Eventual death might be a worthy trade-off for the taste of that fruit, and the knowledge that comes with it.  Would a small bite hurt?  A nibble?  No, no, no, no, no!  We’ve been commanded not to.  Why am I even glancing at it?  It’s just so… beautiful.  And I want to know more!  Like how can we keep our second commandment?  The only things that are fruitful and replenishing anything around here are the plants and animals.  This is great, but what about us?  Perhaps a taste of the fruit will help me understand. 

[Eve walks up to the tree.]  Wow, it smells fantastic.  I just want to know more.  With more knowledge, I can navigate the disappointment Adam will have in me, and God… ooooh, He’ll be upset.  No, I shouldn’t do it.  [Looking back at the baby goats and bear cubs.]  Why am I drawn to the new little lives so much?  I’m missing something… I’m missing something big.  [Looks back at the tree.]  That’s it.  I won’t die, what will it hurt? [Takes a bite.]

I imagine Adam’s self-dialogue would be similar, ending with Eve (having full knowledge) helping him understand how breaking one commandment is necessary to fulfill the other.  If Adam wouldn’t eat of the fruit, Eve would be cast out of the garden, he’d be left in the garden, and they doubly wouldn’t be able to fulfill the commandment to procreate and replenish the earth.  Adam partook of the fruit in order to ensure our existence would come to be.  Now that’s dedication.

This also shows that Satan, be it him in a representative serpent or a influenced thought, played right into God’s plan all along.  God knew what needed to occur in order for mankind exist.

Testifying of Divinity

My husband and I taught the 11/12 year-old Sunday School class last year and moved up with them for the new year, so now we're teaching the 12/13 year-old class. I think we were more excited to keep them than they were to keep us (I got really attached, OK?). Then again, they're in that awkward "tween-age" time of life where they'll stick around class and deal with you if they know oatmeal chocolate chip cookies are part of the bargain (or mint gum on fast Sundays). I don't take their harmless mild attitudes to heart much, it's a touchy age... an age I struggled to enjoy when I was in their shoes myself. They're good kids and I love 'em.

This week's "Come Follow Me" studies covered 1 Nephi 8-10 in the Book of Mormon.  During our Sunday School class today, we engaged in a conversation with our kids about how Lehi described the physical attributes of the fruit on the tree of life in 1 Nephi 8:11.

Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.

I had asked everyone to relay to me how Lehi described the fruit. I heard, "glowing," "white," and "white to exceed all whiteness." Then a question: "How do we know it was a fruit?" I replied with a reminder that it was Lehi's vision and accounting regarding what he saw and ate, and that we need to have a little faith that he shared his vision with accuracy and honesty. Right as I got cozy with my opportunistically inserted testimony of faith, another kid piped up with a little 'tude and proclaimed, "Geeze, we know it was fruit because vegetables don't grow on trees."  Oh my goodness, if there was ever a "mic drop" moment in class, this was most definitely it. I'm still chuckling a little on the inside and proud as heck!

This led to further discussion about the descriptions in various scriptures that mention others as shining, appearing as lightening, fire, or having an exceeding light, brightness (sometimes compared to the sun), or whiteness, etc. Just two weeks ago, "Come Follow Me" covered the introduction to the Book of Mormon, which includes the testimony of Joseph Smith where we see a repetition of these descriptors with every visit from the messenger (angel), Moroni. From a quick surf through the scriptures online, I have found 24 instances (including references to the fruit from the tree of life) where these are used throughout all the written works (Old and New Testament, Book of Mormon, Doctrine of Covenants, Pearl of Great Price); 25 plus if you count the multiple references in Joseph Smith's testimony. The fruit on the tree of life exceeding "all the whiteness" is in good company with the following:

• Christ's disciples having recently been blessed and "shined upon" by His countenance (3 Nephi 19:25).
• "[...]and behold they were as white as the countenance and also the garments of Jesus; and behold the whiteness thereof did exceed all the whiteness, yea, even there could be nothing upon earth so white as the whiteness thereof."

• Christ as He was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John (Matthew 17:2).
• "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

• Christ as He was transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John (Mark 9:3).
• "And his raiment became shining, exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them."

• Christ as He appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery in the Kirkland temple (Doctrine and Covenants 110:3).
• "His eyes were as a flame of fire; the hair of his head was white like the pure snow; his countenance shone above the brightness of the sun[...]"

• The messenger (angel), Moroni, as he appeared to Joseph Smith in the account of his first visit (Joseph Smith - History 1:31).
• "He had on a loose robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a whiteness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor do I believe that any earthly thing could be made to appear so exceedingly white and brilliant."

• God's glory, as described by Ezekiel from a vision (Ezekiel 10:24).
• "Then the glory of the Lord went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of the Lord’s glory."

• God, as described by Habakkuk in a prayer (Habakkuk 3:4).
• "And his brightness was as the light[...]"

• Christ, as described by Paul (Acts 26:13).
• "At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun."

• The twelve apostles, as described by Lehi from a vision (1 Nephi 1:10).
• "[...]their brightness did exceed that of the stars in the firmament."

• Christ, as described by Lehi from a vision (1 Nephi 1:9).
• "[...]his luster was above that of the sun at noon-day."

• The justice of God, as interpreted by Nephi from Lehi's dream (1 Nephi 15:30).
• "[...]and the brightness thereof was like unto the brightness of a flaming fire[...]"

• The light of God and Christ that appeared as a precursor to the first vision, as described by Joseph Smith (Joseph Smith - History 1:16).
• "[...]a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun[...]"

• Moses, as observed (three times) by the children of Israel after having spoken to God (Exodus 34:29, 30, and 35).
• "[...]the skin of his face shone[...]"
• "[...]the skin of Moses’ face shone[...]"

• Abinadi, while delivering his divine message of truth to King Noah and his priests while imprisoned before his death (Mosiah 13:5).
• "[...]his face shone with exceeding luster, even as Moses’ did while in the mount of Sinai, while speaking with the Lord."

• The faces of Nephi and Lehi while they testified to a multitude of people as prisoners of the Lamanites (Helaman 5:36).
• "[...]they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels."

• The righteous saints of the church in paradise after their death, as described by Joseph F. Smith from a vision (Doctrine and Covenants 138:24).
• "Their countenances shone, and the radiance from the presence of the Lord rested upon them[...]"

These are wonderful patterns in the scriptures, which I unfortunately was only able to touch on briefly earlier today in class. I believe the way in which Lehi described the appearance of the fruit of the tree of life in his vision shows us that it was instilled with God's power and love based on what we know from all these similar references. This conclusion is right in-line with 1 Nephi 11:21–24, which clarifies that the tree and fruit represent the love of God and the blessings of the atonement of Christ. To conclude, the exceeding whiteness of the fruit from the tree of life does more than just offer a detailed description, it testifies to the divinity of this significant symbol in Lehi's vision.

Simple The Way

I am feeling that blogging day-to-day scripture studies with my husband is not achievable right now given that I'm back in school and life remains busy (full-time work, part-time school, teaching piano lessons, teaching Sunday School, and the list goes on).  We began reading together when I was inspired to choose it as the activity for the "conversion project" in my religion class for school, for which I'm truly grateful.

The following in an excerpt from the working document I will be turning in throughout the semester in various stages of completion regarding the conversion project:

My goal with this conversion project is to make scripture study as regular and normal as our daily prayers have become.  I want to do this for me, for my husband, and for our future family.  Having been single for quite a while (I married at 34), my efforts over the years have been mine alone.  I am excited to see how things will be different now that I’m married with a supportive husband.  If we can work on this together, I believe we can succeed together and establish diligent scripture study into our daily lives and marriage. 

I will begin by setting aside time every day to read from The Book of Mormon, starting at the beginning, and will invite my husband to join me.  After reading, I would like each of us to identify one thing we read that sparked intrigue, made us feel good, inspired a question, etc. and share why or what we learned.  The anticipated challenges I foresee relate to time management; some days will be tougher than others.  I will just need to remind myself that making time to do this is as important as the time I set aside for school studies, the time I dedicate to my job, the time I prioritize for date night, etc.  Even if we must read by the light of a flashlight as we cuddle at the end of a long and tiresome day, we must read.  My intention for recording progress will be to take notes during our brief discussion each time, and then transpose them to a blog I created years ago for a past religion course.  

Again, I'm feeling like the blogging part of this goal is not achievable on a day-to-day basis (obviously, if you've seen the past post and note the date on this one).  Though it is part of the assignment and a way to document our progress, I need to set my sights a little lower; simplicity is key.  The daily reading and quality discussion with my husband is what I should focus on.  I will come and write about it frequently enough to document things, toss around some ideas, pose some questions, etc., but I will NOT beat myself up for not writing every day anymore (I felt really bad about it this week).  

I need to simplify things, which brought me to the story of Moses and the people people he saved by parting the Red Sea for a safe exodus from Egypt.  They were poisoned by the bite of a serpent God sent to teach them a lesson when they essentially complained about their meager and challenging circumstances.  God gave them a simple way to be healed (physically and spiritually); he had Moses make a bronze serpent to place on a pole so people could simply look at it and be healed.  As evidenced in the scriptures below, many people couldn't bring themselves to engage in such a simple act.

1 Nephi 17:41

And he did straiten them in the wilderness with his rod; for they hardened their hearts, even as ye have; and the Lord straitened them because of their iniquity. He sent fiery flying serpents among them; and after they were bitten he prepared a way that they might be healed; and the labor which they had to perform was to look; and because of the simpleness of the way, or the easiness of it, there were many who perished.

Alma 33:20-22

But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.

O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish? 

If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people,and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day,according to their works.

At first glance, the fact that the people who were bitten by serpents wouldn't look at the brass serpent baffles me.  It was such an easy thing to do; look and live. Heck, even if it didn't work, looking wouldn't have cost them anything to try at least.  Looking in faith would be best but looking with skepticism would have been better than dying, and probably could have led to a renewal of faith.  Maybe they were just over-complicating the whole situation?  I do that all the time.  Don't we all?  If my leg were cut off in an accident and someone told me that putting a bandage on it would make it regrow, I'd think they were nuts.  I wouldn't even try it because for sure, it wouldn't work.  But who says it wouldn't (forget biology and science for a moment)?  If it were the prophet or an apostle who gave me that instruction, would I do it then?  I surely hope that I would because, helloooooo, they are incredibly tight with God and if He wants to fix me up, I'm not arguing.  Hand me that bandage and a roll of tape, let's regrow me a leg!

All jokes aside, how often are we given promises from God that are predicated on our choices and actions?  All the time.  Listen to any General Conference talk, read any lesson in "Come Follow Me" and the scriptures that correspond, pay attention during your temple work and you'll see that we are given simple instructions to follow with results that include opportunities to receive blessings, grow closer to God, recognize truth, be spiritually healed, and more... constantly.  Am I following the simple instructions I've received?  Are you?

In Doctrine and Covenants 88:63, it says:

Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

I am committing myself to quit over-complicating simple things.  I will read and discuss the Book of Mormon each day with my husband, enjoy the simple act of drawing closer to and seeking Christ together, and write here in the blog as I'm inspired to do so.

Well... Um... Crap.

The remainder of this week was a bust.

On day 4 (Wednesday), I had one of the worst migraine headaches of my life.  It started in the morning and by the time I got home from work, I was completely useless.  I was hydrated, I ate dinner, I took Ibuprofen... nothing helped at all.  I ended up passed out on the couch with my face buried in a pillow on my husband's lap.  There was no phone, no computer, no reading, no homework, no nothing for me that evening.  I'm not even sure I remember going to bed that night... or brushing my teeth.  Ugh. *Shutter*

Day 5 (Thursday) brought great relief from the previous day's horrid experience.  I telecommuted from home for over 9 hours of work before taking a shower and enjoying date night with my husband (yes, you read that correctly, Thursdays are our date night; long story).  I learned this week that we shouldn't bank on reading scriptures on date night... because date night activities *ahem* don't always offer the extra time to do so.  OK, fine.  We're all adults here.  I really don't want to go flip open my scriptures after a good romp in the hay.  There, I said it.  Thursdays are out.  Other days where hay romping may occur will be dealt with individually... but I'm calling it for Thursdays for sure.  God understands and still loves me, we're cool.

Day 6 (Friday) came with the last leg of that killer migraine from Wednesday.  They can last up to 72 hours and it seems that Thursday was just a merciful eye of the storm for me.  It got worse as each hour passed and by the time I got home on Friday, I was unable to speak well, unsteady on my feet, nearly in tears, and probably shouldn't have driven from work to the chiropractor, or home from there.  I didn't realize this until I stumbled across my kitchen floor, sideways flopped into a chair, and noticed the room spinning.  Needless to say, I ended up again passed out on the couch.  Like before, I was hydrated, fed, and this time I took Exedrin Migraine with no relief.  One of our nieces was over for dinner but I don't remember much beyond her opening Christmas gifts from us (Influenza B had us out of commission for the holidays), her giving me a big stuffed whimsical narwhal stuffed animal for Christmas which I had clutched under my arm when I woke up on the couch around midnight, and me almost vomiting on my husband's lap twice. This was another evening of no reading for us, and no anything-else-either for me.

Day 7 (Saturday - today) was the perfect opportunity to get back on the reading wagon.  I slept (finally) in till about 12 noon thanks to yesterday's migraine, worked on school stuff most of the day in rotation with playing what-the-heck-is-wrong-with-my-gut marathons (fun side affect of post-flu recovery and some migraines), and attempted to watch an episode of "Blue Bloods" with my husband while also responding to stray discussion posts in my classes that nobody replied to (I try to be nice like that).  I thought that after the episode we'd read scriptures together and review the "Come Follow Me" lesson for tomorrow's Relief Society/Priesthood classes, but my sweet husband fell asleep sitting up!  I didn't realize he was so tired, so he went to bed and I'm still up writing this blog post.

UPDATE (well into Sunday morning):
I received a Facebook message from a sister at church whose whole family is now down with the flu asking for help teaching her new Primary class.  What my husband doesn't know yet is that tomorrow (or I guess today since it's weeeelllll after midnight) we're teaching a combined class of 7, 8, 9, and 10 year-old Primary kids (apparently there is a teacher shortage at the moment)! On the first and third Sundays, we teach the 11/12 year-old Sunday school class, but last week someone covered for us since we were still sick enough we didn't want to accidentally spread it to our church friends.  Now we can pay-it-forward by teaching for someone else... and by we, I mean me.  I am going to stay up until I'm done preparing a lesson for the kiddos.  So, technically, this counts toward my scripture reading goal, right???

A Father's Support

This evening we read the testimony of the prophet, Joseph Smith.  Immediately, the unquestioning support of Joseph Smith's father stood out to me in the following passage (emphasis added):

The first thing that I can recollect was a voice speaking unto me, calling me by name. I looked up, and beheld the same messenger standing over my head, surrounded by light as before. He then again related unto me all that he had related to me the previous night, and commanded me to go to my father and tell him of the vision and commandments which I had received.

I obeyed; I returned to my father in the field, and rehearsed the whole matter to him. He replied to me that it was of God, and told me to go and do as commanded by the messenger. I left the field, and went to the place where the messenger had told me the plates were deposited; and owing to the distinctness of the vision which I had had concerning it, I knew the place the instant that I arrived there.

I am an only child and a "daddy's girl."  I love stories that illustrate strong connections between parents and their children, especially fathers and daughters.  Though that (the fathers and daughters thing) is not the case here, I was still drawn to the fact that Joseph's father did not hesitate to affirm that his experience was "of God," then told him to get going with what he had been commanded to do.  This tells me that Joseph's father was a man of faith who recognized God's hand in his daily life, and was in-tune enough to know the message from his son was truth.

This passage similarly stood out to my husband as a testament that people truly can change.  From church history, we learn that Joseph Smith's father was known to be a religious man but not one who bought into organized religion much, though he did join a Universalist society in his young adult years.  We also learn from church history that early on in his marriage, he invested in ginseng root as it grew wild in Pennsylvania, but was robbed of his profitable return due to a deceitful business partner.  It is my theory that to the knowledge of his ventures with ginseng, twisted or perhaps malicious reports seem to have somehow equated Joseph Smith's father with some "out there" stuff as his name appeared on a flyer or advert in an episode of "Mysteries at the Museum" my husband watched a while back that touched on Houdini, spiritualists, and something to do with poison and ghosts...?  Case in point, ever since seeing that episode, my history-buff brain-like-a-sponge husband had it in his head that Joseph Smith's father was into some super weird stuff back in the day and incorrectly assumed he went from some voodoo magic type to all-supportive-God-fearing-father type.  We had quite the research session between the two of us to clear this all up.  Those who search historical content together stay together, right?  Right???