It is a fair and blessed thing when you have a friend to walk with you. It doesn’t matter how far, it’s being one of a set that seems to make everything better, especially middle school.
Category: Life according to Angela
The Book of Mormon and Mental Health
This is a post about how I read the Book of Mormon and some things I am learning. I don’t think my way is better than your way, but it works for me.
For personal study, I try to read a certain amount of time each day. I focus on one topic as I make one complete reading of the Book of Mormon. I don’t mark my scriptures much, but I read with paper and pen in hand to take notes on the topic. I write on loose leaf paper, folded in my scriptures, and when I finish the Book of Mormon, I staple the note pages together and use the notes when I need them. My notes include quotes from the Book of Mormon, but more often, the notes expand beyond the words on the page and reflect what I think the Spirit is teaching me. Over the years, my topics have ranged from the gathering of Israel to qualities of the Savior, and strategies for facing family challenges to forgiving others, and more.
Currently, my focus is, “What does the Book of Mormon teach about mental health?” Holy hand cramps, Batman, there is a lot about mental health in 1 Nephi.
A few of the mental health tips I have gained this week from Nephi:
Keep a record of goodness in your life. (1 Nephi 1:1)
Acknowledge the goodness of your parents above their flaws. (1 Nephi 1:1)
Create things with your hands. (1 Nephi 1:17)
Show courage in your beliefs. (1 Nephi 1:18)
Find evidence that God delivers us and write about it. (1 Nephi 1:20)
Did he mention that murmuring is a bad idea? (everywhere)
Be community minded. It’s not all about you. (1 Nephi 1:5)
Understand you won’t always know what to do, but you can trust that the Spirit will lead you if you are obedient. Also, keep moving even if you don’t know how to proceed. (1 Nephi 4:6-7)
Understand that sometimes it’s necessary to go through really unpleasant things. The difficulty you are facing now may be essential, and may help countless others. (1 Nephi 4:13)
Identify when you have misplaced blame for your own crisis on a loved one, and identify poor logic in your thinking. Be humble, apologize, and share what you have learned. (1 Nephi 5:2-6)
Seek out your genealogy. It will fill you with the Spirit. (1 Nephi 5:14-17)
Search, make use of resources the Lord has provided to inform you and help you. Hint: they are not just the scriptures. (1 Nephi 5:21)
Create goals and value statements, identifying your righteous purposes and live by them. (1 Nephi 6:4-6)
Press forward through the mist, and hold on to your faith. (1 Nephi 8:24)
Nurture humility, practice awe in God’s greatness, and proclaim truth. (1 Nephi 10:8)
All of us have things to overcome, including mental health challenges, and God has prepared a way for each of us. (1 Nephi 10:18)
When you don’t understand something, or why something has happened, push forward in your mind the knowledge that God loves his children. (1 Nephi 11:17)
The Atonement of Christ is necessary in a journey to better mental health. Don’t forget that one fruit of the Atonement of Christ is joy. (1 Nephi 11:22-23)
Believe that angels minister to you, and prepare you for healing in Christ. (1 Nephi 11:30-31)
No one escapes mists in which the devil seeks to tempt, blind, and harden. No one escapes some degree of misery, but having an overriding perspective that good will triumph can be helpful. (1 Nephi 12:17-18)
We don’t draw up the contract of how we will be acceptable to God. Crippling perfectionism, and dependence on self mastery alone cannot save us. We must look to the words of Christ to know the terms by which he helps us and saves us. (1 Nephi 13:41)
I don’t think Nephi set out to write about mental health, and if you look up the references to what I have written, you will see that the scriptures that inspired these thoughts are not really about mental health. But that’s the beauty of the Book of Mormon. It is a means to receive revelation for what we need right now.
What have you learned from the Book of Mormon recently? It doesn’t have to be about mental health. Truly, I would love to hear from you.
Almost…through…January…gasp!
Today, I share a few things (some really dumb) that have made me laugh or nod my head in agreement. Good job, us. We have almost made it through the bleak fest we call January.
Opera Night
My friend Anne invited me to join her at the Opera this week. This is what we saw. I especially loved the three-tiered set, the three leaders of men, and the scene in the snow where they sang about simple things of home. And the poppies.
The ritual of reclaiming the house
The ski passes are back in use and school has begun. Slowly, in quiet minutes and hours, I retake territory lost over Christmas by wrappings, wedding packages, Eagle project donations, furniture swaps, gifts, and decorations. During the past three months, many things expired in the fridge without my notice, and the coat collection grew out of bounds again in the mudroom. We ran out of some staples in the food storage room. On Christmas Eve or so, Timothy cleaned out his closet and I told him to just plunk his castoffs down in the middle of the craft/wrapping/sewing/printing workshop for me to deal with later.
I had everyone’s help, friend, family, and fiance to set up Christmas, but this year, I have taken things down by myself. As I stow each light, ornament, and dish, I find order, but also an expensive gift that I had hidden and forgot to give, and more cleaning supplies that need to be donated ASAP. Never mind, the peace still seeps in with each room reclaimed.
I thought I would need a couple of days to recharge after the wedding, but as I helped during a stressful Stake baptism day last Saturday and ventured to a friend’s home this week, I see that I am not ready for my usual routines. I am still in need of the gentle cycle of rest, reading, comfort, and quiet. January was invented for just such needs as these.
Testimony
I didn’t realize this is how grown up our family looks. I’ve had lots of moments to reflect on life and our Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness in the past few weeks. This picture (even the absence of our adored missionary) represents all that the Savior has given us: absolutely everything that brings us joy. Here are just a few things this photo represents to me, made possible by our Savior:
repentance and forgiveness
the Gospel of Jesus Christ
covenants and ordinances
marriage
sacrifice
missionary work
miracles of healing and understanding
children
hope
testimony
faith in Christ
obedience to commandments
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
patience
love
Write every day
25 years ago, my sisters and I went to the film, Little Women, just before I was engaged. We decided to go to the newest version together this week. Now the group included sisters-in-law and daughters we could not dream we would have all that time ago. Our group became divided by a storm, and half of the women stopped at a different theater to watch the movie rather than risk the icy roads. That night, we had an epic text exchange among all of us, discussing the movie, the acting, the actors, the screenplay, and which characters we see in ourselves. The movie brought us together, and that felt sweet. In twenty-five more years what will our family be like? What will we have accomplished by then?
I don’t have Jo’s temperament, but her writing caused a lot of introspection for me. The ache to write is real. I feel it when I see someone’s published work, when I drive by myself, when I look at my collection of books on writing, and when I allow myself to make a wish. So, this year I will write something every day, whether it’s a blog post or private journal entry, a small story, or a memory. This year I will be a writer.
Biggest Week So Far
Richard and I came away from Paige’s wedding day without a single picture, which tells you what a great time we had. We will post more another day. These are snapshots from family and friends who have taken the time to share with us. Thank you!
Leading up to the wedding, we had a big week, including Timothy’s 17th birthday and Christmas, and a hundred other interactions and lots of music. We saw Star Wars and decorated candy houses, turned in two Eagle Scout applications, and finalized special gifts. I am very happy.
Joy, December 11
“O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. Because thy lovingkindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. Thus will I bless thee while I live: I will lift up my hands in thy name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.”
Psalms 63:1-5
Nothing captures my ideal prayer more than this Psalm, and yet, I find my lists of needs and names dominate my prayers more than my gratitude and longing for God. How would a prayer like this change me? Perhaps it would make me less selfish. Perhaps it would help me trust Him more.
Joy, December 5
“Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise. Sing unto the Lord with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the Lord, the King…Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together.”
Psalms 98:4-6, 8
I’m pretty sure as we sing in church as this little boy is singing, with eyebrows raised and the words coming from deeper than just our throats, we grow in joy. As I play my violin this season, I give thanks that the Lord has given me a means to express how I really feel, and allow others to experience deep emotion together.