Opposite of a Bear

 Bears hibernate during the winter 

                            when it's cold

I hibernate during the summer

                            though it actually isn't summer yet

I am preparing ahead of time

Group Texts

 

          The opportunity of blowing up my phone

and wearing down my battery

I get it. 

I get the group text thing. 

Why it’s done. 

It’s convenient for the sender –

instead of sending out 10 plus texts

that say the same thing:

                                        Emma’s Blessing

                                        Service Activity

                                        Pool Information

and so forth.

 

For the most part I don’t even

recognize the other 12 numbers

that are coming up. 

Sometimes I don’t even know

the other people that the numbers belong to.

It’s just annoying to have ALL replies

                              come to me when I know

they are not meant for me

but the

initial sender. 

Meanwhile my battery dies down. 

Use my email

or messenger 

 

PLEASE.

Reminiscing Baptisms and the Spirit

             We had another convert baptism in our ward today.  Two of his cousins were baptized over a year ago.  Their mom is a member but does not attend as English is not her native language and so she does not always understand what is being said.  All of her children are bilingual.

          The member who gave the first talk felt prompted to bear his testimony in Spanish.  The Spirit was louder than his words (for me) and tugged at my heart strings (which evidently are wired directly to my tear ducts) and I was touched.  I think the family was as well.

          I thought about many primary baptisms I’ve attended in the last ward I was in – all of which I have mentioned in various posts.  The bishop’s son made a paper airplane out of the program which reminded me of the most irreverent baptism I’ve ever attended.  I was also reminded of two baptisms I had attended when the Spanish ward was in charge of the program – Jaime’s being one of them.

          Translators were provided for the speakers who presented their messages in one language or the other.  With the first baptism it was the same brother that had translated from English to Spanish with the first talk and then from Spanish to English for the second. 

          I had noticed that the English speaker would say only one or two sentences and would allow the brother to translate those one or two sentences to the end of the talk.  The Spanish speaker seemed to start out her talk the same way but then continued speaking without stopping – which I did not understand until the translator stood at the microphone and said something to the affect that one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost is to bring things to your remembrance. I don’t remember if she was through with her talk at that point.  I think that she was and the translator had told us that the speaker had concluded her talk providing him with the opportunity of showing us how gift that worked. I thought it was very powerful.

          When Jaime was baptized each of the speakers brought their own translator.  The sister who translated for the Spanish speaker didn’t seem to have a large English vocabulary as far as translating all of it accurately.  Those that were in the crowd that had a knowledge of a second language (for example my brother who served in Belgium who knows French) could make out more words than those who spoke only English – but the Spirit was felt as the initial speaker poured her heart into it. 

         I don’t think I felt the Spirit quite as much then as I did today.  I remember watching Jaime who understood it all.  I was so proud of her for knowing what was being said.  I still am proud of her today.  She truly is my sunshine.

The Circus Comes to Myrtle Creek

                Richard and I had a date on Saturday.  We went to the circus.  I did not get any pictures of the lions – female liger?  The back door was open which gave an appearance of silhouettes within a cage – at best.  My photos really weren’t turning out and so we took pictures with Richard’s phone.  

          I don’t think I’ve been to a circus since I was in junior high.  It wasn’t bad.  Richard sat behind me so that I could lean on him.  My pictures, of course, don't our outing justice.  

Elks sponsored C&M circus Saturday May 18

I Didn’t Want to Leave Zarahemla

               Throughout my blog I have created various posts about my personality, growth, and my gratitude toward the “Come Follow Me” program.  Last week Bro. Wilcox shared a lesson on “Not Leaving Zarahemla”

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zRiZgJBzP-8&t=2852s

          Metaphorically that is where I raised.  I had heard about the outside world but had no desire to be out there among the wolves.  I feel blessed that so much of what others view as temptations were not tempting.  I never wanted to do drugs, smoke, attend parties, or what have you.  I was safe in Zarahemla.  That is where I wanted to be.

          I understand the need for some to leave Zarahemla in order to grow.  Unfortunately, due to poor choices, there are hardships that need to be endured.  It involves a lot of pain – not just for the individual who makes those choices but those who love said individual and don’t wish to see him or her be in bondage to dragons and such.

          We can choose our actions but not the consequence of those actions.  My siblings and I have always had great strength and wisdom to learn through the examples of others.  We watch and we learn.  I think my sibs are better at watching and learning than I am.  I still tend to judge others rather than look upon them with the same eyes as God does.  Still have not humbled myself but am working on it.

          I’m not happy to have shown what lies outside of Zarahemla.  And yet those are still my brothers and sisters who are living in bondage.  They may not be asking me to assist them directly – but there is a silent cry.  I know I need to respond.  But I would rather they come to Zarahemla than my going outside to look for them.  And somehow that feels wrong.  I need to go out among them without allowing myself to be swallowed up.  But to remain yoked with Christ for their return.

Groups in Bondage, Rulings and Escapes

          In my last post titled “That’s Messed Up” I gave a brief account of those who had traveled during the reign of Mosiah found at the end of Book of Omni and all throughout Book of Mosiah.  Zeniff was among the first party who had come from Zarahemla.  He ended up as a ruler in the land of Nephi-Lehi.  His group of people were in bondage to the Lamanites for at least three generations.

Zeniff had been righteous and had kept records.  Before he died he conferred the kingdom to his son Noah who was not righteous and who probably committed every sin there ever was.  It was during his reign when Abinidi was sent to call King Noah and his people to repentance.  Alma, then one of King Noah’s priests, believed in the words of Abinidi.  When he tried to defend Abinidi it was not well received and Alma fled and recorded the words of Abinidi and went about teaching anyone who would believe him.

          Alma was not the only priest to separate from King Noah.  Eventually all the other priests (we don’t know how many were in his court) also got fed up with Noah to the point of killing him (about 148 BC).  The kingdom was eventually given to his son Limhi to rule over.  All this time still in bondage to the Lamanites.

          There comes a time when the priests (still referred to as the priests of Noah though Noah is deceased) see some of the Lamanite daughters dancing and decided to kidnap them and keep them.  The Lamanites blame the people of Limhi and attack them (about 121 BC)

Meanwhile . . .

Alma and his people have wandered the wilderness before they establish their own city upon a beautiful land (between 145 and 121 BC) before the Lamanite King decides to invade their land and assigns Amulon (a former priest of Noah who had probably served in the same courts as Alma) in charge of bondage to Alma and his people.

Meanwhile . . .

          Limhi and his people escape bondage and return to Zarahemla (about 121 BC)

Meanwhile . . .

          Alma and his people also make their escape from Amulon

          All (both?) groups end up in Zarahemla and Mosiah (son of King Benjamin) reads the records of Zeniff and other records that were collected – including the plates that had been found by another traveling group (about 200 BC) which I forgot to mention.  Those plates date back to the Tower of Babel.

          There is more.  Lots more.  The book that follows Mosiah is Alma.  You should really pick up a copy of The Book of Mormon and read it for yourself.

That’s Messed Up

           That’s probably not the best title for this post – but I am not the only mind that has felt a sense of that thought at some point during one’s life time. The Book of Mormon starts out as an account written in first person.  Nephi has two sets of plates which he so cleverly refers to as the large plates of Nephi and the small plates of Nephi.  Say what?

          The large plates share the history of the people while the small plates refer to the word of God.  Nephi writes according to what he is told and what he learns and would like for us to learn.  Nephi is the author of the first two books.

          From my understanding the small plates were handed down from one generation to the next while the large plates were passed from king to king (or ruler to ruler).  So before Nephi dies he passes the plates to his brother Jacob who passes them onto his son Enos who passes them onto his son Omni.

          Omni contains only 30 verses written by 5 different authors – Omni writes 4 verses.  His son Amoron adds five more.  His brother Chemish writes only one followed by his son Abinadom writes two and the remaining 19 are written by Amaleki.  The book of Omni takes place between 279 and 130 BC. In conclusion Amaleki mentions three journeys of various groups leaving Zarahemla – first to search for the land of Nephi or land of their inheritance. Third to search for those that did not return. 

         Amaleki mentions a brother who who had gone with the search party who were still missing when the small plates end. The small plates are given to King Benjamin who also has the large plates of Nephi. The Book of Mosiah starts out with the reign of a righteous king named King Benjamin.  But before Mosiah starts and where Omni ends are The Words of Mormon. This is known as a bridge that ties the small plates and the large plates together.  And the world was in such chaos at the time Mormon writes (or translates) the plates that Mormon seems to have a lot of time on his hand to do so.

(There is an illustration of this on the church website here.  The words come out blurred in the portrait appearance but there is also a PDF (here) in landscape that is readable) 

          Now comes the confusion (for many of us at some point within our life time) as Mormon also writes in first person.  His words are recorded about 385 AD.  But not to worry he does take us back to the continued story (or stories rather) of the journeys and the results of leaving Zarahemla and being in bondage – flashbacks with history and more important the acceptance of Christ and groups who’d forgotten and groups who accepted and groups moving through the wilderness and more bondage and more trials.  Eight different journeys and finally getting back to Zarahemela. 

          The Book of Mosiah starts about 124 BC.  In chapter 7 we meet the third group that has journeyed to find those who had left Zarahemla initially.  We meet Ammon who is part of those who took the third journey from Zarahemla.  In verse 7 they are thrown into prison.  Fortunately the king (Limhi) is willing to listen to their explanation of why they had come.  We learn all kind of things about bondage and trials and discoveries and so forth.  It is quite fascinating. 

          Limhi tells about his grandfather Zeniff from the first journey made about 200 BC.  Chapters 9 and 10 gives an account of Ziniff and his people as told by Zeniff.  But chapter 11 goes back to a third person account written by Mormon as he continues the story under the ruling of one of Zeniff’s sons named king Noah. Not every verse is in third person.  Sometimes there is a first person.  One of the first persons quoted is Abinidi who often quotes the Lord also in first person.  I have heard that the first person account changes more than 1,700 times throughout the Book of Mormon.  No doubt.

 

          To be continued . . .