Book of Mormon Reading: Moroni 9

After reading Moroni 9 chapter, I truly believe that the goodness and prosperity of a nation reflects on how women and children are treated and regarded.

Book of Mormon Reading: 1 Nephi 11-12

Today I noticed that Lehi's descriptions of the Tree of Life are words that also describe the Savior in some way: beauty, exceedingly white, whiteness of the driven snow, precious above all.

I also pondered the role of righteous women. Righteous women testify of God in their actions, attitudes, and behaviors.

The Widow's Mites

For me, the story of the widow’s mites contrasts starkly against the story of Ananias and Sapphirra. Each tells a story of giving an offering to the Lord. Each, in turn, tell of its consequences.

The widow, under the glare of wealthy Pharisees, cast into the treasury the only worldly wealth she possessed. It was a small offering. It was her whole offering. The widow gave everything she had the Lord. On that day, she walked away from the temple as a witness that God rewards those who render to Him all that they have and are.

Meanwhile, Ananais and Sapphira received payment for something they had sold. No one knew how much they chose to held back. They easily could have held back as little as two mites. Nonetheless, when they laid their offering at Peter’s feet, he immediately recognized a whole offering had not been made. Holding back, even the smallest part, not only kept Ananais and Sapphira from standing as a witness of God, it kept them from ever. standing. again.

I find it interesting that we aren’t told the age of the widow. We aren’t told if the widow had children or grandchildren. But over the years, for me, the age of the widow has decreased from an aged, slumped over ninety year old to a mother in her late thirties with small children to feed. A widow young enough to be persuaded to keep at least one of the two mites . . . for her children’s sake.

Her willingness to give “all her living,” not only did God witness that her heart was all His, she testified to her children in Whom to look in order to live.

I’d like to think this widow’s specific act blessed her and her posterity one hundredfold beyond measure. Her one recorded act has certainly has blessed me!

The widow's mites has taught me that my giving must come from a giver’s heart. And that my giver’s heart must be filled with gratitude for God.

Some years ago, my husband and I were literally down to our last $59 dollars. My husband was self-employed. We were expecting child number eight. We had a house payment and a van payment and everything else that comes with home ownership and raising children. While I didn’t know it then, we had a choice to be like the widow or Ananias and Sapphira.

I learned that in circumstances so dim, it’s not easy to be like the widow. We live in a world that sympathizes with those who hold back a part. It would have been easier to justify giving part or half or none. But we choose to offer all. Even when our offering was so insignificantly small. 

What I felt during those struggling years, as we gave in our want, was a joy beyond anything I can describe – a sweet, sacred joy that has surpassed any giving I have done when I have had in abundance.

I hope to someday stand before the poor widow who gave her two mites and thank her for her act of faith which has blessed my living beyond measure.

Tidbit Tuesday - Women and the Priesthood

"The emancipation of women in this mortal sphere does not yet involve priesthood. Women in our great nation enjoy civil rights and liberties like men: they can vote and run for public offices like men: they can own property and drive cars like men; they can frequent public places like men, they can work when, where, and if they please like men; they can smoke, curse, and blaspheme the name of God like men; they can eat, drink, and be merry like men; they can cut their hair like men and wear men's clothes. One thing they cannot do as men—they cannot violate the oath and covenant of the priesthood as some men who bear the priesthood do. Maybe you should thank God for that. If that, dear Sister, gives comfort to your soul, then let me disturb your comfort by reminding you that by reason of your temple experience, you do have certain priesthood covenants to keep and uphold. Had you forgotten them?" 

-William J. Critchlow Jr.

General Conference October 1965

Mirror, Mirror

Some years ago I was listening to a woman on the radio who was discussing her book.

She was a Christian woman who believed that as a society we should be teaching self-worth to our children, instead pushing the agenda of self-esteem.

I was interested in her insights, for what she described is an excellent illustration of their differences.

Self-esteem is like looking the the mirror.  One looks in the mirror to see himself or herself.  Very rarely is the person looking in the mirror concerned about what happens around them.  And for many, a mirror may never seem big enough.

Self-worth, on the other hand, is like looking through a glass window.  One looks through a window to see what is on the other side.  But the beauty of glass is that many times, when the light is right, one can see their own reflection.

Thus, self-esteem is all about me.  Self-worth is about how and who I am with everything around me.

Which brings me to what I found ironic and juxtaposed. (Does that even make any sense)?

I was flipping through the weekly ads that come through the mail and found an ad for THIS.  The 3rd Annual Dove Self-Esteem Weekend.

Which, so very ironically, is the SAME weekend as General Conference.

And I am quite sure one will offer self-esteem. Complete with a mirror hanging on the wall.

The other, however, will quietly, yet powerfully remind me of who I really am.

That I am just one spiritual generation away as a daughter of God.

And if I'm quiet enough, that glass window of self-worth will remind me whose image I need engraven on my countenance.

Heed and Counsel

An ancient prophet has given us prophetic insight as to why a people - his "family" - were completely destroyed.

Though I could be wrong - because I am not versed in history or humanities or psychology - I believe the rise and fall of a society may, in great part, depends on the treatment and regard given to women and children.

 And, at least for me, prophets trump university classes, professors, research stats and Phd's.

One of the atrocious scenes described by Mormon, is his observance of the Lamanites in their degenerate and depraved (remember that they were considered "the enemy"), taking Nephite families as prisoners and then slaying the "husbands and fathers of those women and children," and then feeding "the women upon the flesh of their husbands and the children upon the flesh of their fathers" (Moroni 9:8).

I don't even want to imagine . . .

Because I have thought nothing could be worse than that. 

But Mormon goes further, telling his son Moroni, "And notwithstanding this great abomination of the Lamanites, it doth not exceed that of our people . . . For behold, many of the daughters of the Lamanites have they taken prisoner; and after depriving them of that which was most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue - . . . they did murder them in the most cruel manner, torturing their bodies even unto death . . . and they do it for a token of bravery" (Moroni 9:9-10).

And boy, I've been thinking about the symbolism of how our society "slays" the husbands and fathers of so many women and children and how women and children find reason to feed upon their flesh.

And how daughters of Heavenly Father are taken (or give themselves) "prisoner" and are deprived of "that which is most dear and precious above all things, which is chastity and virtue."

And how bodies are "self-tortured" and minipulated, becoming symbols of art or lifestyle or rebellion.

Oh, how the God of Heaven and Earth must weep.

Gratefully, the prophet Mormon (unlike news stories that fail to give hope at the scene of the horrific and appalling), does provide the comfort and the guidance of how to stand above such a wicked generation.

"Be faithful in Christ," he says.

"And may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down to death; but may Christ lift thee up, . . . and the hope of His glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever.

"And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of His power, until all things shall become subject unto Him, be and abide with you forever" (Moroni 10:25-26).

Feeling A Little Abish

I identify with Abish.

Of course, my interpretation of her story may be all wrong, but let me tell you: there have been many times I have found myself in a situation thinking, "I'm sure this is exactly how Abish felt!!"

You remember Abish, a "Lamanitish woman."

Servant to the Lamanite Queen who was the wife of King Lamoni.

And you remember what happened when "all the servant of King Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen and the king." Abish thought that it would be the perfect opportunity to make it "known unto the people what had happened to them" (Alma 19:17).

A missionary effort.

A testimony builder.

Why not?  It was the power of God that had come over this people.  And Abish knew of His power (Alma 19:16).

So off she went, "making it known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God."

Her desire was to gather together the people and have a spiritual, fireside-like experience. 

But kumbaya it was not.

Instead, the multitudes gathered and contention - "exceedingly sharp contention" - ensued.

So much so that when Abish saw and heard the clamor and the din she was "exceedingly sorrowful, even unto tears" (Alma 19:28).

To tears!

And that is were I identify with Abish.

For because there have been many times I have felt like my righteous desires had became the cause for mild debate, or warm conflict, or brooding contention.

Really.

And when those moments occur I am grateful that I am not alone.

Because there is Abish, the Lamanitish woman, who's been there.  Done that.

Not that it make me feel any better, but it gets me through another righteous desire gone south.

Please tell me I'm not alone.

The Most Beautiful Women in the World

So today I am going to get my haircut.  And it never fails that when I go I have to decide: do I keep the same ol' style or do I do something completely different?

So last night, as I was studying the General Conference Talk for Sunday's Relief Society lesson, I got to thinking that maybe, just maybe, I could find a really good hairstyle somewhere in the photos pages of the Ensign.

So I began to look.

Turning page.

After page.

After page.

And when I got to the end of the magazine, I still hadn't found a stylish haristyle.

But what I did find was that the most beautiful women in the world are not on the cover of People magazine.

The most beautiful women in the world are those who know they are daughters of God and then live and act accordingly.