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

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?)

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. 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. 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.


3. 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.


4. Enos 1:15- Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.


5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.

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:

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."

Hey Ladies, You'll Like this one...

I have a new quote to share from the book I am reading: Emma Smith, an Elect Lady:

A little background first- When Joseph and Emma were living in Commerce, IL, their home was a resting and stopping point for many visitors.

When one Latter-day Saint observed the dilemma Joseph faced with frequent guests and penniless converts and that he had reduced himself to "woman's work," he concluded the issue was home management and suggested the root of the problem was Emma. "I said to him, Brother Joseph, my wife does much more hard work than does your wife." The Prophet Joseph replied, "if a man cannot learn in this life to appreciate a wife and do his duty by her, in properly taking care of her, he need not expect to be given one in the hereafter." The flippant advisor wrote, "His words shut my mouth as tight as a clam. I took them as terrible reproof. After that I tried to do better by the good wife I had and tried to lighten her labors."\

Now there's a quote that any woman can appreciate. :)

Increase my Productivity

I am reading a new book. It is: Emma Smith, an Elect Lady by Susan Easton Black. I personally LOVE Susan Easton Black. In college I never met any of her sons, but I wanted to marry one just so that I could be her daughter-in-law. Then I would also be "Sister Black." How cool would that be? OK- now you all know that I am psycho. But I'm not too worried- I only have about 3 readers :)

Below is a passage from the book, Emma Smith, An Elect Lady, by Susan Easton Black, of course:

David Whitmer remembered one morning as Joseph was preparing to translate passages from the gold plates:

Something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something
that Emma, his wife had done. Oliver and I went up stairs, and Joseph came up
soon after to continue translation, but he could do nothing. He could not
translate a single syllable. He went downstairs, out into the orchard and made
supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour- came back to the house, and
asked Emma's forgiveness and then came up stairs where we were and the
translation went on all right.

It seems more obvious that Joseph needed the spirit to do his work, but I know that I need the spirit to do my work well also. If I don't feel as if I have the spirit with me- I should spend an hour doing what I need to to get it, and then go forward and have a productive day.

The Power of Deliverance

But behold, 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.
1 Nephi 1:20

I think it is natural to want "immediate deliverance." Elder Maxwell said that some of us (like myself) want to go through life with all "green lights and empty parking spaces." Which sometimes might come, but generally there are a good number of red lights and full parking lots in our journey through life.

I love this scripture, where Nephi tells me the secret is remaining strong in faith, which will result in the tender mercies of the Lord, leading me to deliverance.