I can get overwhelmed by the problems I see around me. Sometimes I will have an interaction that leaves me speechless and baffled by the things I observed. Sometimes I’m part of the problem, but at least then I can do something about it.
There are other times when my actions and attitudes have no part in the problem. The person is beyond my reach or beyond my capacity to help. At these times, I’ve seen the emancipating power of this phrase during prayer, “I trust Thee,” meaning that I trust the timing and manner of God’s miracles. For me, a frequent equivalent of offering loaves and fishes is offering prayer.
In my recent study of Exodus, I’ve focused on the symbols of Jesus Christ in the Passover, Moses’ ministry, and the means by which the Lord redeemed the children of Israel,
Providing huge miracles and wonders,
Supplying daily bread,
Making water sweet,
Leading them to an oasis for rest,
Raising up a prophet to point them to the Lord,
etc.
This morning I had the idea to place our small Covid-era sacrament trays in my scripture study area. Symbols of Christ surround us in all His creations, and I’m not sure where this visual reminder will lead my thoughts and feelings this week, but we’ll see.
Exodus= from Greek, meaning, “the road out”.
Spiritually, it connotes an escape from bondage to freedom through transformation.
We know the story of the Flood and the covenant that God made with Enoch and Noah. In the Bible, the rainbow is the token of that covenant. We know it so well that we might consider it a great story to tell children, but find little meaning in it for ourselves.
When I read a little deeper, though, I find a beautiful lesson about God,
The Lord’s tears for the wicked who will suffer are as the rain upon the mountains.
Likewise, when Enoch sees in vision the suffering of the wicked in the flood, he weeps and thinks that he will never be comforted.
The Lord weeps for the wicked, but He doesn’t want us to weep, but look to the atonement of His Son and rejoice. Will we allow Jesus Christ to carry the burdens of our sadness, fear, weakness, and sin?
Heaven’s tears are as the rain, and the Savior is the sunlight that can cut through our darkness.
A rainbow reminds me of the Lord’s covenant. It also reminds me of a God who weeps, who is just, merciful, and sends light to shine through the tears.
Tears + Light = 🌈
A just, merciful and loving God who weeps + the Light of Hope in Christ = A Fulness of Joy 🌈
I don’t think we’re using hashtags or saying “#Goals” anymore, but this verse is pretty aspirational for me.
Notice that Nephi says his father Lehi was obedient unto the word of the Lord. End of statement. This is a character trait of Lehi, a long-established pattern in his life. Nephi continues, “Wherefore (meaning because of this, or for this reason), [Lehi] did as the Lord commanded.”
Nephi also says he was born of goodly parents. To Nephi, GOODNESS and OBEDIENCE were defining characteristics of his parents, so (of course) they would do what the Lord asked of them.
I have parents like this, and they have been missing from our lives for a year because they have been serving a mission. This is their second mission together. They served as mission leaders for three years when they were in their fifties, and now they are in their seventies. They have been serving in Puerto Rico where my dad served as a young missionary in the early 1970’s.
I can say of my parents, “They are obedient, so they answered the call for more senior missionaries to serve.”
They come home this week. I have their car in my driveway, a nice bedroom waiting for them because they fly in so late, and flags to wave at the airport. Hooray!
When I want to understand my relationship with God, forged by covenant, my go-to article is by President Nelson. A key point revolves around the Hebrew word, hesed. This week, this paragraph stood out to me,
Hesed is a special kind of love and mercy that God feels for and extends to those who have made a covenant with Him. And we reciprocate with hesed for Him.
The Everlasting Covenant by President Russell M. Nelson, Liahona, October 2022.
Wait, I can reciprocate hesed (loving kindness) to God?
In other words, hesed isn’t just Heavenly Father’s role in the covenant relationship? He truly wants my love?
How, then, can I show that love?
in gratitude for God’s merciful love (hesed), we show our loyal love (emunah) by keeping His commandments.
Faith: A Bond of Trust and Loyalty by Elder Sandino Roman
So, keeping commandments is the way I show loving kindness/devotion to God. That seems obvious, now that I write it.
Elder Roman used a different Hebrew word, emunah, rather than hesed, to describe our role in the covenant relationship. What does the word, emunah mean?
The short answer is faith, but like all Hebrew words, it is rich in meaning.
From website Chabad.org
So, I am to practice, hone, and create a lifestyle of action to show my love for God.
By doing, I come to know God. This is how I build a loving relationship with Him.
The process isn’t, “know then do.” The process is “do in order to know.” This is faith. This is love.
And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the audience of the people: and they said, All that the Lord hath said will we do, and be obedient.
Exodus 24:7
15 ¶ If ye love me, keep my commandments.
John 14:15
So, I can show love for God through obedience, crafting a life of faithful action.
If all of this is true, a key question is, What is the most important faithful/loving/obedient act that I can do right now?
Maybe it is to apologize to someone.
Or, it could be to share my faith with others.
Perhaps it is to praise God more and whine less.
It’s often going to be temple work.
Always, it is to acknowledge that the Savior makes a relationship with God possible.
Whatever the Spirit inspires us to do to show love for Heavenly Father today, may we do it and find rest in Him.
I have needed the counsel from my patriarchal blessing all my life, especially at times of decision or challenge.
Over time, I have discovered that there are many scriptures quoted throughout my blessing. Sometimes they are indicated with quotation marks, but more often, a few words are woven into the cadences of sentences without notation. This opens a new level of discovery for me. As I find and study the quoted passages, these scriptures provide context, expand my understanding, and often give me a scripture hero with whom I can relate. As I collect these hidden references, they become valuable endnotes to my patriarchal blessing.
Every time you wonder what you should do with your life, study your patriarchal blessing. Every time you want to feel God’s love, read your patriarchal blessing. Your patriarchal blessing is your own personal revelation, and it’s scripture just for you.
-Teresa Bell, The Hand of God in Your Life
Here is a link to Teresa Bell’s talk with some of the best insights and doctrine about patriarchal blessings. The segment begins at minute 17:43.
I attended this young lady’s temple endowment this week and it was one of the biggest honors of my life to be included.
I remember my grandmother using the same word, “honored,” as she accompanied me for my endowment. I noted this, but didn’t understand why she would say it until I learned the significance of temple covenants for myself.
I think my grandmother understood that she was witnessing the sacred acts that would bring Heavenly Father closer to me and allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to do its work in me…enabling me to overcome anything.
What an honor it is to witness the stunning grace of God for a loved one.
And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;
Here are some of my thoughts from a recent study of Doctrine and Covenants 25.
One thing I have misread in scripture with my modern eyes is the instruction to Emma Smith that her “time shall given to writing.” The Lord wasn’t telling her to be a writer or historian while running a 19th century household. Occasionally, she was to write as a scribe for Joseph. She was also to write in preparation to expound scripture and exhort the church.
I have found guidance and wisdom from this section of scripture all my life. One reason I misunderstood what the Lord was telling Emma was because the Spirit was inspiring me to actually be awriter through these words.
This scripture is still instructive to me. Like it was for Emma, my efforts to write help me learn new things. With this knowledge, I can amplify the gospel of Jesus Christ within my circle of influence.
In writing about faith and sharing glimpses of family life on the blog these past 16 years, I don’t think I’ve expressed anything new. However, I have come to see truth more clearly, so I have “learn[ed] much!”
