If you haven't seen this- check it out- How these players didn't hit back- is a true sign of self control. I think I'd want to pound the girl...Tuesday, November 10, 2009
I'm a Proud BYU Alumni
If you haven't seen this- check it out- How these players didn't hit back- is a true sign of self control. I think I'd want to pound the girl...
Friday, October 16, 2009
Complacency
President Benson admonishes us that to be worthy of citizenship we must take an active interest in our country. He warns that there are dangers in complacency. Check out this You tube video.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Monday, September 21, 2009
This Nation Will Never Fail
Harold B. Lee's Quote on America
"Men may fail in this country, earthquakes may come, seas may heave beyond their bounds, there may be great drought, disaster, and hardship, but this nation, founded on principles laid down by men whom God raised up, will never fail. This is the cradle of humanity, where life on this earth began in the Garden of Eden. This is the place of the new Jerusalem. This is the place that the Lord said is favored above all other nations in all the world. This is the place where the Savior will come to His temple. This is the favored land in all the world. Yes, I repeat, men may fail, but this nation won't fail. I have faith in America; you and I must have faith in America, if we understand the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are living in a day when we must pay heed to these challenges. I plead with you not to preach pessimism. Preach that this is the greatest country in all the world. This is the favored land. This is the land of our forefathers. It is the nation that will stand despite whatever trials or crises it may yet have to pass through. (Ye Are the Light of the World, 350-51)
Sunday, August 30, 2009
old cigar smoking inactive swearing pool player
Jeffrey R. Holland tells the story of Eli H. Pierce:
He begins, Repentance is not easy or painless or convenient. It is a bitter cup from Hell. But only Satan, who dwells there, would have you think that a necessary and required acknowledgment is more distasteful than permanent residence. Only he would say, “You can’t change. You won’t change. It’s too long and too hard to change. Give up. Give in. Don’t repent. You are just the way you are.” That, my friends, is a lie born of desperation. Don’t fall for it.
As you know, the Brethren used to announce in general conference the names of those who had been called on missions. Not only was this the way friends and neighbors learned of the call, more often than not it was the way the missionary learned of it as well. One such prospect was Eli H. Pierce. A railroad man by trade, he had not been very faithful in Church meetings—“even had my inclinations led in that direction, which I frankly confess they did not,” he admitted. His mind had been given totally to what he demurely calls “temporalities.” He said he had never read more than a few pages of scripture in his life and that he had spoken to only one public gathering (an effort which he says was no credit to himself or those who heard him). He used the vernacular of the railroad and the barroom with a finesse born of long practice. He bought cigars wholesale—a thousand at a time—and he regularly lost his paycheck playing pool. Then this classic understatement: “Nature never endowed me with a superabundance of religious sentiment; my spirituality was not high and probably even a little below average.”
Well, the Lord knew what Eli Pierce was, and he knew something else. He knew what I’m pleading for today. He knew what Eli Pierce could become. When the call came that October 5 in 1875, Eli wasn’t even in the Tabernacle. He was out working on one of the railroad lines. A fellow employee, once recovered from the shock of it all, ran out to telegraph the startling news. Brother Pierce writes, “At the very moment this intelligence was being flashed over the wires, I was sitting lazily thrown back in an office rocking chair, my feet on the desk, reading a novel and simultaneously sucking on an old Dutch pipe just to vary the monotony of cigar smoking.”
He goes on. “As soon as I had been informed of what had taken place, I threw the novel in the waste basket, the pipe in a corner [and have never touched either to this hour]. I sent in my resignation . . . to take effect at once, in order that I might have time for study and preparation. I then started into town to buy [scripture].”
Then these stirring words:
Remarkable as it may seem, and has since appeared to me, a thought of disregarding the call, or of refusing to comply with the requirement, never once entered my mind. The only question I asked—and I asked it a thousand times—was: “How can I accomplish this mission? How can I, who am so shamefully ignorant and untaught in doctrine, do honor to God and justice to the souls of men, and merit the trust reposed in me by the Priesthood?”
With such genuine humility fostering resolution rather than defeating it, Eli Pierce fulfilled a remarkable mission. His journal could appropriately close on a completely renovated life with this one line: “Throughout our entire mission we were greatly blessed.” But I add one experience to make the point.
During his missionary service, Brother Pierce was called in to administer to the infant child of a branch president whom he knew and loved. Unfortunately, the wife of the branch president had become embittered and now seriously objected to any religious activity within the home, including a blessing for this dying child. With the mother refusing to leave the bedside and the child too ill to move, this humble branch president with his missionary friend retired to a small upper room in the house to pray for the baby’s life. The mother, suspecting just such an act, sent one of the older children to observe and report back.
There in that secluded chamber the two knelt and prayed fervently until, in Brother Pierce’s own words, “we felt that the child would live and knew that our prayers had been heard.” Arising from their knees, they turned slowly only to see the young girl standing in the partially open doorway gazing intently into the room. She seemed, however, quite oblivious to the movements of the two men. She stood entranced for some seconds, her eyes immovable. Then she said, “Papa, who was that . . . man in there?”
Her father said, “That is Brother Pierce. You know him.”
“No,” she said, matter-of-factly, “I mean the other man.”
“There was no other, darling, except Brother Pierce and myself. We were praying for baby.”
“Oh, there was another man,” the child insisted, “for I saw him standing [above] you and Brother Pierce and he was dressed [all] in white.”
Now if God in his heavens will do that for a repentant old cigar-smoking, inactive, swearing pool player, don’t you think he’ll do it for you? He will if your resolve is as deep and permanent as Eli Pierce’s. In this Church we ask for faith, not infallibility. (See Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow, pp. 407–13.)
He begins, Repentance is not easy or painless or convenient. It is a bitter cup from Hell. But only Satan, who dwells there, would have you think that a necessary and required acknowledgment is more distasteful than permanent residence. Only he would say, “You can’t change. You won’t change. It’s too long and too hard to change. Give up. Give in. Don’t repent. You are just the way you are.” That, my friends, is a lie born of desperation. Don’t fall for it.
As you know, the Brethren used to announce in general conference the names of those who had been called on missions. Not only was this the way friends and neighbors learned of the call, more often than not it was the way the missionary learned of it as well. One such prospect was Eli H. Pierce. A railroad man by trade, he had not been very faithful in Church meetings—“even had my inclinations led in that direction, which I frankly confess they did not,” he admitted. His mind had been given totally to what he demurely calls “temporalities.” He said he had never read more than a few pages of scripture in his life and that he had spoken to only one public gathering (an effort which he says was no credit to himself or those who heard him). He used the vernacular of the railroad and the barroom with a finesse born of long practice. He bought cigars wholesale—a thousand at a time—and he regularly lost his paycheck playing pool. Then this classic understatement: “Nature never endowed me with a superabundance of religious sentiment; my spirituality was not high and probably even a little below average.”
Well, the Lord knew what Eli Pierce was, and he knew something else. He knew what I’m pleading for today. He knew what Eli Pierce could become. When the call came that October 5 in 1875, Eli wasn’t even in the Tabernacle. He was out working on one of the railroad lines. A fellow employee, once recovered from the shock of it all, ran out to telegraph the startling news. Brother Pierce writes, “At the very moment this intelligence was being flashed over the wires, I was sitting lazily thrown back in an office rocking chair, my feet on the desk, reading a novel and simultaneously sucking on an old Dutch pipe just to vary the monotony of cigar smoking.”
He goes on. “As soon as I had been informed of what had taken place, I threw the novel in the waste basket, the pipe in a corner [and have never touched either to this hour]. I sent in my resignation . . . to take effect at once, in order that I might have time for study and preparation. I then started into town to buy [scripture].”
Then these stirring words:
Remarkable as it may seem, and has since appeared to me, a thought of disregarding the call, or of refusing to comply with the requirement, never once entered my mind. The only question I asked—and I asked it a thousand times—was: “How can I accomplish this mission? How can I, who am so shamefully ignorant and untaught in doctrine, do honor to God and justice to the souls of men, and merit the trust reposed in me by the Priesthood?”
With such genuine humility fostering resolution rather than defeating it, Eli Pierce fulfilled a remarkable mission. His journal could appropriately close on a completely renovated life with this one line: “Throughout our entire mission we were greatly blessed.” But I add one experience to make the point.
During his missionary service, Brother Pierce was called in to administer to the infant child of a branch president whom he knew and loved. Unfortunately, the wife of the branch president had become embittered and now seriously objected to any religious activity within the home, including a blessing for this dying child. With the mother refusing to leave the bedside and the child too ill to move, this humble branch president with his missionary friend retired to a small upper room in the house to pray for the baby’s life. The mother, suspecting just such an act, sent one of the older children to observe and report back.
There in that secluded chamber the two knelt and prayed fervently until, in Brother Pierce’s own words, “we felt that the child would live and knew that our prayers had been heard.” Arising from their knees, they turned slowly only to see the young girl standing in the partially open doorway gazing intently into the room. She seemed, however, quite oblivious to the movements of the two men. She stood entranced for some seconds, her eyes immovable. Then she said, “Papa, who was that . . . man in there?”
Her father said, “That is Brother Pierce. You know him.”
“No,” she said, matter-of-factly, “I mean the other man.”
“There was no other, darling, except Brother Pierce and myself. We were praying for baby.”
“Oh, there was another man,” the child insisted, “for I saw him standing [above] you and Brother Pierce and he was dressed [all] in white.”
Now if God in his heavens will do that for a repentant old cigar-smoking, inactive, swearing pool player, don’t you think he’ll do it for you? He will if your resolve is as deep and permanent as Eli Pierce’s. In this Church we ask for faith, not infallibility. (See Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow, pp. 407–13.)
Friday, August 28, 2009
We are Children of God
“Through the ages , some persons without spiritual understanding, have tried to explain our existence by pretentious words such as ex nihilo (out of nothing). Others have deduced that, because of certain similarities between different forms of life, there has been a natural selection of the species, or organic revolution from one form to another. Still others have concluded that man came as a consequence of a “big bang”, which resulted in the creation of our planet and life upon it.
Top me, such theories are unbelievable. Could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary? It is unthinkable! One might argue that it is within the realm of possibility, but even if that could happen, such a dictionary would certainly not heal its own torn pages, renew its own worn out corners or reproduce its own subsequent editions.
We are children of God, created by him and formed in his image."
Russell M. Nelson
Sunday, August 23, 2009
You are Never Alone
Elaine S. Dalton compares her experience in the Boston Marathon to life. http://www.youtube.com/mormonmessages
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Stake Temple Day
What a privilege it is to be able to go to the temple, where we may experience the sanctifying influence of the Spirit of the Lord. We serve, and in that process we attain that which comes of no other effort: we literally become saviors on Mount Zion. As our Savior gave His life as a vicarious sacrifice for us, so we, in some small measure, do the same when we perform proxy work in the temple for those who have no means of moving forward unless something is done for them by those of us here on the earth.
Thomas S. Monson, “Until We Meet Again,” Ensign, May 2009, 112–14
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
It's Really Pretty Simple
In a Time Magazine Article, entitled: The Church and Gay Marriage: Are Mormons Misunderstood? Elder Ballard is quoted as saying:
"Our Message for the World," says M. Russell Ballard Jr., one of the 14 apostles
just under Monson, "is that we are His children, we lived with Him before we
came here ... we're striving to keep His commandments so that when we die we can
be entitled to receive all the blessings that the Heavenly Father has for His
children." Ballard adds emphatically, "People like to make it complex. But it's
really pretty simple."
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Friday, May 29, 2009
This Land
2 Nephi 1:Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
A New Day
I remember growing up- my mother and father gathering my siblings and I together for scripture study every day.
Perhaps it is a new day. Maybe I don't have to do it the same way. On the Mormon Channel- at 7:25 is Scripture Stories. Not that I would use this everyday- I still think it is important for the children to read out loud... But I think this could be a fun way to "shake up" scripture reading- I think it will help to keep family scripture study fresh and interesting.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Funniest Video Ever!
STOP- take a minute- watch this- it is the funniest video EVER!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vGPjI0lB3FE
Great Things
1 Nephi 16:30
And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
How Beautiful Upon the Mountains
1Nephi 13:37
And blessed are they who shall seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, for they shall have the gift and the power of the Holy Ghost; and if they endure unto the end they shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the everlasting kingdom the Lamb; and whoso shall publish peace, yea, tidings of great joy, how beautiful upon the mountains shall they be.
Monday, May 11, 2009
The Fruit
10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree,whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
24. they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
30.they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Monday, March 23, 2009
I Can Find the Lord
I read about the birth of the Savior this morning, snooping around You Tube- I found a video that I really liked: click here.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Noblest of Virtures
Said the Lord in a revelation given through the Prophet Joseph Smith, “In
nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those
who confess not his hand in all things.”10
May we be found among those who give our thanks to our Heavenly Father. If
ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place
among the noblest of virtues.
Thomas S. Monson
I Can't Keep My House Clean
If you are still in the process of raising children, be aware that the tiny
fingerprints that show up on almost every newly cleaned surface, the toys
scattered about the house, the piles and piles of laundry to be tackled will
disappear all too soon and that you will—to your surprise—miss them profoundly.
- Thomas S. Monson
Finding Joy in the Journey
Monday, March 16, 2009
Counsel With the Lord
"Prayer becomes more meaningful as we counsel with the Lord in all our
doings."
"We are promised that if we pray sincerely for that which is right and good
and in accordance with God’s will, we can be blessed, protected, and directed
(see 3 Nephi 18:20; D&C
19:38)."
Elder Bednar, Pray Always
What could we need more, in these uncertain times, then to be "blessed, protected, and directed."
3 Nephi 18:20 And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.
D&C 19:38 Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing—yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to the extent thereof.
Alma 37:36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
(the butterfly at the top of the post is called the Mormon Butterfly. I wonder how it got that name?)
Sunday, March 15, 2009
The Affections of My Heart
This is the new scripture that I am thinking about lately:
Alma 37: 36 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
I am intriguedby the line, :let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.
Gene R. Cook used this scripture in a talk he gave on charity:
May the Lord bless us to always have “the affections of [our] heart … placed upon [Him] forever.” “That [our] burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son”
Marcus B. Nash, in his address, Cultivating Righteousness, said this:
We experience His love as we yield our hearts to Him (see Helaman 3:35), place the affection of our hearts on Him forever (see Alma 37:36), and love Him with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength (see Moroni 10:32).
I have never thought about the phrase "affections of thy heart" before. I think I was always more interested in verses 35 and 37, breezing over 36. But it has really made me think, are the "affections of my heart" on my Savior? I find that it can be so easy to consume my thoughts with my life, and all I have and want to "do."- I need to spend more time with the affections of my heart on my Savior. Easter is coming, and I am going to read the four gospels, to remind myself of all the Savior has done for me, focusing on my love for the Savior growing.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Free to Choose
“Both abundance and lack [of abundance] exist simultaneously in our lives, as parallel realities. It is always our conscious choice which secret garden we will tend . . . when we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that’s present—love, health, family, friends, work, the joys of nature, and personal pursuits that bring us [happiness]—the wasteland of illusion falls away and we experience heaven on earth.”
Sarah Ban Breathnach, in John Cook, comp., The Book of Positive Quotations, 2nd ed. (2007), 342. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG9XfJxMY8A
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG9XfJxMY8AWednesday, March 4, 2009
Prophet's Prayers
The prayers of prophets are childlike in their simplicity and powerful
because of their sincerity.
Elder Bednar
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Prayer is the Soul's Sincere Desire
I am studying Elder Bednar's talk, Pray Always. Although I have read and listened to it a few times already- some sections hit me this morning that I hadn't REALLY noticed before- about praying for others- below are the quotes for the talk that I really liked.
Praying for others with all of the energy of our souls increases our
capacity to hear and to heed the voice of the Lord.
Speaking of Lehi:
The vision came in response to a prayer for others and
not as a result of a
request for personal edification or guidance.
Do our spouses, children, and other family members likewise feel the power
of our prayers offered unto the Father for their specific needs and desires? Do
those we serve hear us pray for them with faith and sincerity? If those we love
and serve have not heard and felt the influence of our earnest prayers in their
behalf, then the time to repent is now. As we emulate the example of the Savior,
our prayers truly will become more meaningful.
I feel like I learned something new this morning. I am going to have a renewed focus on praying for others.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Feeling Fine in '09 starts today :)
We have a healthy challenge that starts today in my local church woman's group. I am including a copy of the needed papers here for my team members and anyone else interested in joining in on the fun!
Thursday, February 26, 2009
Esther Part IV
E7:3
The queen answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, if it please
the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my
request: For we are sold, I and my people to be destroyed, to be slain and
to perish.
Do you think Haman has an idea yet- do you think he is starting to squirm, wondering if Esther is a Jew- or do you think he is clueless?
The king answers:
Who is he, and where is he that durst presume in his heart to do so?
And Esther replies,
The adversary and enemy is this wicked Haman.
And the scripture says, "Then Haman was afraid before the king and queen." I bet that is an understatement :)
The king, upset, leaves and goes to the palace garden, probably to think and decide what to do. While he is gone, Haman pleads for his life before Esther the queen. They get in some kind of fight, and as the king returns he finds Haman fighting with Esther on the bed.
Poor Esther, I can see her overpowered physically by this horrible man, who is so mad at her. I am sure that she is fearing for her virtue as well as her life.
As you can imagine, walking in on this scene, further angers the king, and if he hadn't decided to before, he now decides to have Haman killed. Ironically, he is hung on the very gallows that he had made for Mordecai.
Yes, perhaps Esther was born at that time, and put in that place, "for such a time as this." What beauty, what bravery, what faith...
(I think this story would make a wonderful movie- a big time movie- with Anne Hathaway as Esther, Liam Nielson as Mordecai, who do you think should play the king - maybe Sean Connery- or is he to predictable- and Haman?)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Esther Part III
Esther tells her concerns to Mordecai- mainly- she is concerned that going before the king could mean death for her. Mordecai responds: "Think not with thyself." Good advice Mordecai. And then he goes on to say,
who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as
this?
this?
Esther responds :
E4:16
Go gather together all the Jews that are present in the Shushan and fast ye for
me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my
maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not
according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
On the third day, Esther put on her Royal robes and went tin to the inner chamber. When the king saw her, he was pleased, and the king held out to Esther the golden sceptre, so Esther came closer and touched the top of the sceptre.
The king asks Esther,
"what would you like. I will give you any request, up to half of theEsther no doubt thought for a moment- maybe I should just ask him now- that is a pretty good offer- but she doesn't. She came in with a plan, knowing what she was going to say- a plan that she had no doubt prayed about, and had all planned out. Instead of asking him right then- she invites the King, and Haman to a banquet- that evening.
kingdom?"
However- at the banquet the king asks her again, "what is thy petition?" Here I would think she would tell him the purpose of the visit- but for some reason- she does not- instead, she asks him,
E 5:8
Let the king and Haman come to the banquet that I shall prepare for them, and I
will do tomorrow as the king hath said.
She promises to ask him tomorrow. Why? Did she chicken out? Was she too scared? Or was this too part of her plan? Did the spirit whisper to her- "wait- ask him tomorrow."
Haman went home pretty proud of himself. As he left, ""joyful and glad of heart" he sees Mordecai- the thorn in his side, on duty outside. Of course, Mordecai, like usual- does not bow to him. I see two strong men. One so full of himself, so accustomed to being treated with adoration and respect- to the point that he is requiring a worshipful greeting. And the other- equally strong- if not stronger- but without the position. His strength comes not from a position, but from is knowledge of who he is, and who he worships. And he worships none, but the Lord God.
With his confidence soaring after dinner with the king and queen. he gathers his wife and friends when he gets home, and tells them about his day. He has accomplished so much. He has riches, he has position. He just had dinner with the king and queen! And yet he comes out side, and who is there? Mordecai. he should be thrilled- so happy- but seeing Mordecai- he is filled with anger and indignation.
His wife and friends give him advice- go have some gallows made, and hang Mordecai- tomorrow. Then- when you go to dinner tomorrow evening- you can be truly happy!. Haman thought this was a great idea- and so he had the gallows made.
That same night- the kind could not sleep. And so- he has the book of records brought to him, and read to him.
E6:2-3
And it was found written, that Mordecai had told of Bigthana and Tersh, two
of the kings chamberlains, the keepers of the door, who sought to lay had on the
king Ahasuerus.
And the king said, what honor and dignity hath been done to Mordecai for
this? Then said the king's servants that ministered unto him, There is
nothing done for him.
The king then says, I know it's late- but who is still here? Anyone- well yes- Haman is here. (Haman had come back after having the gallows made to convince the king to let him kill Mordecai tomorrow.) The king says- have Mordecai come here.
Haman came to him , and the king asks Haman- I have this person whom I would like to honour- what should I do for him?
Haman, again, so full of himself- things- (he is talking about me! I'm the special guy around here- who would he like to honour more than ME?) Boy he is excited, and he gives the king a good list of nice things to do for this person.
Let him wear your royal clothes, and your crown. Let one of your noble princes parade him through the streets on your horse- parading though the streets - proclaiming all the way that the king delights to honor this man.
The king says- oh yes- good idea- go do all of that for Mordecai.
I cannot imagine how upset this made Mordecai- but the next day- when he was planning on the joy of hanging Mordecai, instead he was parading him through the streets- with Mordecai wearing the kings Royal robes and crown- proclaiming for all that this was whom the kind delighted to honor. I wonder if he did that with a sarcastic tone to his voice.
While he was discussing his horrible day with his wife and friends he is summoned to dinner with the king and queen again.
So- did Esther just chicken out yesterday?- Or was Haman supposed to experience the humiliation and disappointment that he had that day. Once seated and eating, the king again asks Esther- "so, what is thy petition? "
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Esther- Part II
After twelve months of purification, the virgins were brought before the king. When it was Esther's turn- everyone liked her- including the King.
Esther 2:15 and 17-
And Esther obtained favor in the sight of all them that looked upon her. And the
King loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favour in his
sight more than all the virgins; so that he set the royal crown upon her head,
and made her queen instead of Vashti.
Mordecai, while at his duty watching the king's gate, found out about a conspiracy. Two of the king's chamberlains, Bigthan and Teresh, were mad at the king and conspiring to kill him. Mordecai told Esther about it, Esther reported it- in Mordecai's name. When it was looked into- and found out to be true- the two were killed. All of this was recorded in the book of the chronicles.
Haman got promoted to be the King's chief of staff. He required, in his new position, that all the guards bow to him. Mordecai wouldn't bow to him. This really chapped Haman- "Haman was full of wrath"- the scripture says- and it didn't take long before Haman hated Mordecai. At first Haman was just going to kill Mordecai- but when finding out he was a Jew- he decided to have all the Jews throughout the kingdom killed instead.
So- Haman goes before the king- and tells him that there is a certain group of people (he doesn't name them by name) who have different laws. he tells the king that they are not keeping his laws- and it doesn't benefit the king to have them around. He should dispose of the people.
The king tells Haman- here is my ring- go ahead and do what you think is best. I picture his ring being a type of "stamp." I can see in my mind's eye- Haman writing a proclamation- and rolling it up- putting some hot wax on the closure- and stamping it with the king's ring. I don't know if that's really how it works- but that's how I see it playing out. In a later scripture- the message is "sealed with the king's ring." (E3:12) The word was spread to all the provinces- that the Jews were to be killed on this certain day.
Mordecai, of course, was very upset. He went before the king's gate in sackcloth and ashes, which is not allowed- but he didn't care. All of the Jews were mourning and fasting and weeping. Esther's chambermaids told her about Mordecai. She sent out clothes for Mordecai, but he refused them. Esther sent someone to go ask Mordecai what was going on. And via this messenger- Esther found out the fate of her people. Mordecai asked Esther to bring it up with the king, and see if she couldn't get him to change his mind.
This might seem easy enough- but appearing before the king uninvited was a risk to your life. If the king did not put forth his scepter to you- you were killed- as simple as that. Furthermore- the king had not summoned Esther in over a month.
E4:11-
All the king's servants and the people of that king's provinces do know that
whosoever, whether man or woman, shall come unto the king into the inner court,
who is not called, there is one law of his to put him to death, except such to
whom the king shall hold out the golden sceptre, that he may live; but I have
not been called to come unto the king these thirty days.
...to be continued
Monday, February 23, 2009
Esther- Part I
This is how the story starts: The King and the Queen had fight.
We don't know the background- but clearly- the King did something to upset the queen. (the scriptures left this part out )
Ahasuerus is the king. He is King over the land from India to Ethiopia- quite a large area- over 127 provinces at the time.
During his third year as king- he threw a feast- inviting all the important people. Somewhere during this- or before this- he ticked off the queen, Vashti.
On the seventh day of the feast- he sent for the queen- to show off her beauty before all his guests. "for she was fair to look upon" the scripture says.
But the queen refused to come. (did I mention that she was upset?) I'm sure this angered the King on several levels. First of all- the queen should always be obedient. Secondly- she is embarrassing him in front of important people. His consultants let him know that he had a third issue on his hands- the queen was setting a bad example for other women- what if other women in the kingdom started disobeying their husbands after seeing such a public example by the queen? They too might start to "despise their husbands." The king needed to show who was boss around here. He was mad - "his anger burned in him." His consultants told him that he should very publicly ditch the queen and get "another that is better than she." And so he did.
The kingdom had the first beauty pageant. All of the fair virgins were were brought in to be "checked out" by the King. The one that "pleaseth the king" the most would be the next queen.
One of the guards at the king's gate was Mordecai. He was a Jew, and was raising his cousin, who was an orphan. The cousin's name was Esther, and she was very beautiful.
E2:7-
And he brought up... Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither
father or mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her
father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter.
Esther made the finalists of the competition. As such, she got to stay (or perhpas was forced to stay) at the court of the woman's house.
Esther, under Mordecai's direction, didn't tell anyone who she was- that she was Mordecai's family, or that she was a Jew. (background checks weren't what they are today back then.)
Esther 2:10-11
Esther had not shewed her people nor her kindred: for Mordecai had charged
her that she should not show it.And Mordecai walked every day before the court of the woman's house, to
know how Esther did, and what should become of her.
...to be continued
(I love the painting above- I saw it first in the Bride's Room at the Sacramento Temple- does anyone know where I can purchase a very large one- over 48 inches in length?)
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My Memorize List
I am trying to memorize a scripture a week this year- I am a bit behind, but I want to start making a list of them here.
- 1 Nephi 1:20- I Nephi will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he has chosen because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.
- 2 Nephi 9:51- Wherefore- do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel and feast upon that which perisheth not neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.
- Jacob 4:10- Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works.
- Enos 1:15- Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.
- Omni 1:26- And now my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the holy one of Israel, and partake of his salvation and the power of his redemption, Yea come unto him and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting ands praying and endure to the end, and as the Lord liveth, ye will be saved.
- Words of Mormon 1:7- And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore he worketh in me to do according to his will.
- Mosiah 24:14- And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as a witness for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.
Friday, January 23, 2009
An Elect Lady
I just finished the book I've been reading: Emma Smith, and Elect Lady. Here are a couple of highlights:
Her son, Joseph Smith III asked her about the plates- here is her response:
A quote form her patriarchal blessing:
Her son, Joseph Smith III asked her about the plates- here is her response:
The plates often lay on the table without any attempt at concealment, wrapped
in a small linen table cloth, which I had given him to fold them in. I
once felt the plates, as they lay on the table, tracing their outline and
shape. They seemed to be pliable like thick paper, and would rustle wit h
a metallic sound when the edges were moved by the thumb, as one does sometimes
thumb the edges of a book...I moved them from place to place on the table, as it
was necessary in doing my work.
In her 74th year she said of her husband, Joseph Smith,
"I believe he was everything he professed to be."
A quote form her patriarchal blessing:
"The holy angels shall watch over thee; and thou shalt be saved in
the kingdom of God even so, Amen."
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