Beneath the Wraps

  Yesterday I posted this picture without a caption.   My sister was the first to make a comment to which I replied:   “That is Palmyra.   They don’t know where in the sacred grove was the first vision.   It’s not so much because of the first vision [that this picture brings peace] but because of the solitude I felt just being there."  NY had just reopened and had barely started phase one.  Tours were done virtually - although we took a self guided tour before the missionaries showed.  There were more cars in the parking lot when we left than had arrived.  It was a nice peaceful feeling being in the grove by ourselves. I provided more info in this post  Today’s caption for this photo: “When the angel comes to the shepherds to announce the child’s birth there is a light that shines through the darkness and changes the countenance of each shepherd (or shepherdess) and I can see a sign of “hope” in their faces.”

          There are so many creative posts to facebook lately, and just as many that are hurtful such as warnings to NOT buy products from the Chinese.   Really?   Someone has the odyssey to promote bigotry during these trying times.   I would think the citizens of China have even less to say about their government than do US citizens.   Though there are Trump supporters and followers many Americans are just as offended by his lack of leadership skills or lack of compassion as perhaps citizens of other countries are ashamed.   In China it is against the law to cross the government whereas in the USA citizens have the right to voice their opinions and even criticize the government without being arrested.   This pandemic is not the fault of the Chinese citizens.   They are victims just as much as anybody.   They did not choose to become guinea pigs of some governmental experience anymore than soldiers...

H old O n - P erseverance, E ndurance Yesterday I made a comment to a quote expressing a limited hope targeted to a certain group of people for basically following his or her own heart.   Perhaps I was out of line with my answer, but I elaborated as the one who posted the quote followed my comment with a question that sounded to me as though she is feeling despair. But we have to have hope.   Hope is what brought the children of Israel out of bondage.   And it was hope that caused slaves in America to move from the South to the North.   It was with hope that so many Jewish people (among others) stayed hidden before and during World War II.   It is with hope that we are even to leave our house each morning. I like how President Uchtdorf says, “Hope, on the other hand, is like the beam of sunlight rising up and above the horizon of our present circumstances.” In his talk The Infinite Power of Hope We all hope to get out of bo...