these plates

1 Nephi 9

These plates

I am amazed at the multitude of things there are to write about. Nephi must have also considered this as he began to write. Because he wrote on metal plates, his writing entailed a great deal of thought and planning.

Today we almost only need to think a thought and it can be "published" via.. tweets.. texting, blogs, phonecalls, etc. Communication has made great strides.

I learned the importance of separating out the history from the ministry. I learned the importance of choosing carefully not only what you write, but to organize it so that your intentions are clear. I learned to write down the miracles that God gives us and the important things in our life that beg to be remembered are not the house, nor our possessions but the gift of knowing that "the Lord knoweth all things". I hope that as I learn to separate out the important things of my life, that "these plates" will begin to reflect how God has blessed my life with his ministry and miracles.

Words and Phrases

great many more things (vs 1) I am sure that as a writer Nephi was dismayed at how much he had to edit out. In the editing process the Lord was teaching him the importance of sifting through the spiritual valuable. The world is full of wonderful things and our experiences in life create many valuable stories that are filled with both fun and lessons. The nature of writing on the plates necessitated that Nephi edit out anything that did not minister to the souls of men.

In our day when there are so many choices for entertainment, I think this is a wise lesson for me to learn. It is a wonderful gift to have so much entertainment at our disposal, but I hope that I will first sort through and find the things which will first feed my soul.

other plates (vs 4) Another set, another book will tell the story of political reigns, wars, stratagem, history, and culture. We have our scriptures that contain the words of God's prophets. We also have our books of historians, war, and poetry. I appreciate the separation of the two plates as it keeps us from becoming confused. We would not expect a mathematician to write on the medical issues of their time. Why would we expect to have one book to explain everything about this time? It was for a wise purpose that these two sets were separated out.

a wise purpose in him (vs. 5) - I have often known the Lord's time table as well as the Lord's wisdom. He has helped me to understand that He does care for me, as His daughter, as he cares for all of his children. What I love most about God's love, is that it will never leave you alone. It encompasses all of his children in such a way that his purposes are meant to benefit all who come unto him.

We now understand the wise purpose that the Lord had for Nephi's words. They eventually (after many hundreds of years) became the Book of Mormon. Talk about patience and understanding. Still I have to believe that it was Nephi who benefited the most as he wrote the words of God as they spoke to his soul.

the Lord knoweth all things (vs. 6) I remember when we were trying to sell our home in Ohio. I remember because I was pregnant, ViolinBaby had received her first surgery (Feb) and Hubby had left to work in INdianapolis. It was very hard. SaxoBaby(15) was very sad because she was having to leave her friends. All I wanted was for the house to sell and relieve us of this financial and physical burden of (caring for it).

I pleaded day and night with the Lord. I thought that this was what we needed.

We were scheduled to move in January. Hubby left for INdy and began working in Jan of 1997. Then something happened and the sale of the company did not go through, so we could not leave. The company would not pay for our transfer. The brother of the owner filed a lawsuit of some kind that delayed the sell of the company, and put everything on hold.

I had taken ViolinBaby (age 6) into Dr. Scoles office for her back check-up. He had been monitoring her for the curvature of her back. M.R.I's were relatively new and had not yet been used extensively on children. After 2 years, Dr. Scoles decided it was time for an M.R.I to determine the cause of her curvature. They would have to use Fetinol to keep her still and asleep for 3 hours of imaging.

Before I made it home from the hospital, the Dr. had called to schedule surgery A.S.A.P. They had discovered a cyst on her spinal cord. Surgery was needed to decompress the spinal cord and relieve the pressure that was causing the curvature.

What if we had moved? What if there had not been a law suit? What if God had answered my prayer immediately and we had sold the house? What if Dr. Scoles had not decided (before he retired that next season) to do an M.R. I? ViolinBaby's case is one of the first diagnosis of ACMI (Arnold Chiari Malformation I) in children. It came about because of the M.R.I. and the ability to give medication to keep them still during the imaging. Her case opened up the way for many others to be diagnosed at an early age and end a life-time of unknown pain and deformity.

I know that the Lord knoweth all things. I know that he cares deeply for me and helps me as I learn to follow his time table. I know that when we follow his plan, he takes care of us.

I know that we don't always get the things we want, but with God we always have what we need.

ViolinBaby had her decompression surgery in February. We recooperated in Cleveland and then moved the family in June. The lawsuit was settled. And the family was taken care of. But not before we learned how much God loved us as he takes care of all things and helped all of my children, as well as the Doctor's who gained a new understanding of ACMI.