"Because I drew him out of the water" Exodus 1-2 Moses' mother Jochebed

Jochabed and Miriam send Moses Off 

Yesterday was mother's day. I was able to spend it with my Mother, in her 83rd year and feel grateful for the joy that she has given me. On Saturday, I drove her to the store, purchased seed and flowers and planted her a garden, and then helped her shop for food. Sunday I drove her to church and afterward we, with my husband enjoyed a delicious meal together.  Afterward as we walked by the water's edge near her home together we felt peace and joy.

Through the years she has protected me from the world. She has fed, loved and instructed me, placed limits on me, given me opportunity to play and grow and learn, and all she has asked in return is my love and respect, plus some shared moments  of time here and there.  A little more time as she matures and her body slowly fails her. Time is my gift of love to her. Time is the greatest gift.

Is she perfect? No. Is she humble about her imperfections. Not really.  Does she still have her wit and humor? Yes, delightfully so.  Does she try to make my life better? Always. Has she always done the best that she knew how? Yes. Does the life she has lived teach me to live by faith? Most assuredly.

Motherhood gives us the gift of time. Time to learn, to grow, to mature, to become. It gives us the gift of living water that comes from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I am thinking now of Moses' mother. I have never really thought of her before. I knew what she did to save Moses, but when you put it all into perspective, it is really amazing what she did and why?

Of the house of Levi, Jochebed had migrated with Jacob's family to Egypt. She knew the pharaoh's decree to kill all of the male children, to destroy the Hebrew family. She knew of his fear that the Hebrews would grow so numerous that they would threaten the Egyptian culture. Still, She, Moses' mother, feared God more.

She feared God more than Egypt, more than the soldiers who would have surely killed her if she had been caught. She feared God and chose to help her son live. She chose faith over fear. She needed time to ensure his safety and time to listen to God's love as it taught her what to do, so:

• She saw that he was a goodly child
• She hid him three months 
• She made an ark (a boat) of bulrushes 
• She coated it with slime and pitch
• She put the child in it 
• She put the ark near the river's edge
• She pushed it towards the Pharaoh's daughter who was bathing 
• She set her daughter Miriam to be near by
• She had Miriam arrange for the Pharaoh's daughter to hire her for pay to nurse her own son. 

With God's help, Jochebed devised a plan. With faith in God she knew that she would not be killing her son, nor allow others to do so. She employed her mother's love to conquer the fear that ruled the day.

Not only did she want to protect him from the world that would drown him in the river Nile, she also desired to carve out a place where Egypt and the world could see his worth and learn to revere his life, his family, his culture, and his God.

Jochebed both created life and crafted life. By faith she released him into the water and by faith she prayed him drawn out again. She defied the Egyptian laws, she defied the midwives orders, she defied the lack of compassion in a world gone mad,  and she prayed in faith for guidance. She prayed in faith for hope in a plan that would save her son and her family. 

What did she rely on? The rules of men? No. The rational of men that lived in fear? No. Jochebed relied on compassion. Compassion born of faith and inherent to women. Compassion for the gift of life and for a better way. Compassion that does not live by rules but rather by the hope for emotional security.  

The Pharaoh's daughter was not alone when she discovered the ark in the bulrushes. She was with her handmaid's, who knew of the command of her father. And because her party was without the presence of men, she was empowered to choose compassion over obedience.  Men might have been strict to the law, they might have denied her the right to exercise her compassion. Driven by compliance to the Pharaoh's edict, a man would have seen the child with different eyes.  A mother's love is eternal.

The maids drew Moses from the water and Miriam, who watched nearby to both protect her brother and aid her mother's plan, came quickly to disclose that she knew of a Hebrew woman who had recently given birth, but was without child and could nurse the child. She had sent Miriam to guide the ark, to watch over. Another part of her plan to protect him, like she had protected him with pitch.

Why did she put pitch on Moses' ark? To protect him from the water that would cause the small boat to sink. The pitch kept the water out and Moses dry. What does this mean metaphorically? The pitch that Jochebed used to cover the ark that she would place her son in can be likened unto the love and faith that she was exhibiting in sending this child forth into the waters. She knew she could not keep him, for as he grew he would certainly be discovered, but she could protect him with her love, her faith, her good works, her songs and her craftsmanship, and then, once protected send him forth and rely on God's love to continue what she had begun. The pitch both protected him physically and spiritually.  

And it worked. Her foundation of faith that God would protect her son worked to not only save his life but the lives of all of the Hebrews whom he delivered from captivity eighty years later. 

The faith of a mother. What she will not do to stand between the evil that will destroy her child and the living water that will deliver him. How diligently she will pray and problem solve. So great was Jochebed's love that she would have, if needed given her own life.

For every day that she kept him alive was not her life in peril? For every day that his voice grew within him and he cooed in comfort and cried in hunger was not her life and the life of her family in peril? Yet she did this for three months. Each day praying for one more day before the day she must let him go. Praying for a plan that would ensure his survival in a world that certainly wanted him dead. 

And think of her plan to save him, was it not born of God's love for both her and the Hebrew nation?  Would a realistic plan have encouraged the hiding of her son in the household of those whom wanted him dead? Only the Pharaoh's daughter could convince her father to allow the child to live. Only the Pharaoh's daughter would pay Jochebed a wage to nurse her own son. Did the Pharaoh's daughter know the bond between mother and child? I think so, for true compassion can never be naive, but requires an eye of empathy. 

I wonder what Jochobed knew of the Pharaoh's household? Were his wives allowed to bear children? Was it a house of faith or one of desperation? How well did she know the goings on within the palace that she knew to send her son into this home? What faith she must have had to do such a thing. 

And the surprise of course is that because of Moses being raised within the household of the pharaoh as his adopted son, he knew the governmental weakness and he alone was the one who could stand before him and declare the Lord's command, "Let my people go." 

Moses' name means "drawn from the water".  And it is too the water that many people go to renew themselves, to cleanse themselves, and to find peace and answer.  Consider how Jochebed sent him into the water. Think how and why the Pharaoh's daughter visited the water edge: to find peace, to give peace, to pray, to seek answer.   Think how she she sent Miriam to stand within the water, and how Moses not only came from the water, but because of a mother's faith in the living water of our Savior, Jesus Christ was saved not from the water but because of the water.

I am grateful to all mothers that do for their children what Jochebed did for Moses. For those who must give their child up for adoption, for those who do not but strive all of their lives to place pitch in their child's boat before they send them out upon the waters of life, so that they like Moses might be drawn from the waters to save not just himself but all of his family.

"Look unto the rock from whence ye are hewn" 2 Nephi 8 Isaiah 51,52

Our rock is strong and steady. It casts upon our world the light of  God's law. 

Yesterday I received an email from my brother. His grandson had become very ill and was not responding to traditional treatment. His email requested that our family include his family members (grandson and parents) in our prayers and because it was the first Sunday of the month, also in our family fast.

My brother was looking unto the rock from when we were all hewn. Our family has great strength because of our testimony in the Lord Jesus Christ. He understood that our combined faith could only add strength to his own. His email and this reading from 2 Nephi 8 made me reflect on our families rock.

One line is nearly 100 % Scottish and as such as given us the strength through a culture that values friendships and faith. My Grandmother Conkey was a woman that used her great moral authority to be a powerful force in the community. When I think of her and look to her example, my resolve to do more, to do better is strengthened.  I am reminded of how she "knew righteousness," and how the Lord had written his law upon her heart. (vs7) She never feared the reproach of men nor was she afraid of their reviling(s). (vs 7) Instead, she led the efforts to build a State Park, to improve her small farm community, and to encourage her husband to run for public office. In a day and time when women did not have many educational opportunities, she formed a women's social group that met solely to improve their lives through education.  She also helped others in need and through her smile and love for each of us, instilled a bright "gladness and joy."

My Grandfather Conkey's line, also nearly 80% Scottish also has taught me to "put on the strength and arm of the Lord." His faith in me was unfettered. I still have numerous letters of encouragement from him urging me to express my voice, to write and experience the joy of the creativity. His life was not easy and though he never formerly proclaimed his allegiance to religious faith, his life speaks to differ. Through perseverance and faith in one another, he and grandmother built their own Eden from the Michigan wetlands. They established the base for my father's family history work, created strong family ties between their children and showed all of us how to find the joy midst the angst of hard work. What I remember most about him was how his love for my grandmother stood above all other loves and desires in his life. His example of faith and devotion to her is a rock we all attempt to emulate.

My grandmother taught me that women
 have within them the power of a great moral force. 

Other family lines bring their own stories of faith. Each family has it's own rock to which we may look as we journey out into the pathways of our lives. My mother's line stands strong with English and German rocks. These stories bring renewed commitment and remind us of our God given strengths and gifts. Some family rocks stand taller and stronger, but no matter the strength or the height each has its own purpose. Isaiah helps us remember to remember the solid foundation that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ brings to our lives.  Isaiah wanted us to remember that the God of Abraham brings us security, comfort, joy, gladness, strength and above all eternal salvation.

In the illness of their child, my niece had a need that made us reflect on our own immortality and the struggles of life.  Recognizing the strength that comes from a family of faith, they realized the strength of their own rock was being tested. Rather than trying to withstand their trials alone, they chose to utilize the strength of their parental rock. Her parent then utilized the strength of the extended family rock. We all responded with our own prayers and faith imparted for their behalf. The power of prayer knows no distance.

Isaiah wrote prophecies for all time

This particular section of 2 Nephi has been taken from Isaiah 51 and 52. Nephi wanted his brethren to understand their relationship to Abraham and Sarah and remember the foundation of their families strength. Isaiah reminds us that Abraham and Sarah were once in need, once considered a waste place, a wilderness, but the Lord comforted them. (vs 3) I was reminded of their story and how Sarah struggled to conceive, how in more ways than one the Lord brought this first family of faith safety, comfort, thanksgiving, how he dried the red seas (vs10), and made the waves roar for them, for us.(vs15)

Yesterday in Fast and Testimony meeting our Bishop remarked on the importance of viewing life through an eternal lens. Isaiah speaks to this and reminds us how the Lord's "righteousness shall be forever and my salvation from generation to generation."

Prayer helps us draw strength from our rock of faith

As I thought about this next generation and how our family has chosen to be "redeemed of the Lord,"(vs 11) I realized the great blessings and joy that our family has received because of this great rock of faith that we have been hewn from. I realized the great strength that we have garnered first from the Lord and secondly from our beloved family members. I am grateful to family who have chosen to remember "lift their eyes to the heavens," and who "wait pun the lord and put their trust in his arm." (vs 5)

I realized that Isaiah knew our day. He understood that the Lord's law will be a "light for the people." (vs 4) He knew that the eternal path of righteousness leads us out of the desert and into the garden.  A garden wherein a rock of great stature stands. A rock that we all were hewn from and from whence flows the fountain of eternal life.

“And the Lord is near” 2 Nephi 7 Isaiah 50

 

"The Lord is at hand"

My daughter keeps a blog about her families activities and lessons they share with one another. Recently she posted on the importance of faith and doubt. She commented how doubt is a part of being human. President Uchtdorf spoke on this subject last fall in General Conference and taught how we should “doubt our doubts” before we doubt the Lord.

"the Lord is nigh"

Doubts seem to come when trials darken our paths, when strength weakens or social acquaintances thin, or when clouds of gloom block our eternal perspective. But we must remember that we do have light if we will but open our eyes and cast them upward.  We can find God's light and spark our own light by learning “set our face like a flint.” (v7)(Isaiah 50:7) Isaiah’s reference means that we can be determined to see God’s love and to follow through on our commitment to God as God has followed through on his commitment to us.

Living for the Lord requires strength and determination. The views of the world infuse every aspect of our lives; they don’t have to be sought out, for they come to us in a myriad of ways. The Lord’s love, however, no matter how subtle and constant its influence may be, must be answered by a welcoming heart. For those who have sense to perceive, it grows in the trees, rides in the breeze, sings on the bird’s song and finds passage to our heart through the gift of service or the familiar echo of truth’s testament.

Isaiah spoke of the Lord’s willingness to find presence in our lives.(2Nephi 7). As I read this chapter and reread Isaiah’s words that spoke of the Messiah, I began to think of how our doubts creep into our daily lives and rob us of our access to the Lord’s redemptive power. 

"the Lord is nigh"

Isaiah conveys to us, to Israel, the power of God’s love for us. He helps us to see that when we do not feel God in our life, it is not because he is not there, for he “came,” and “there was no man,” he “called” and “there was none to answer,” (2), and if we are not redeemed it is not because he “has no power to deliver.”

The Lord’s power is omnipotent and omniscient.  As I thought about this I realized that the veil between God and man is only as thin as it needs to be. Not as thick, but as thin. God does not want to keep us apart from Him; he wants to draw us as near to him as he possibly can. By keeping the veil as thin as possible, as thin as it can be, we are able to reach for and call upon the redemptive powers of the Lord. We are able, if we believe and live a life that puts belief before doubt.

I have a dear friend who is going through some very rough times. She has a strong faith in the goodness of man and of God. But this has not availed her in the times of her trial. She is learning of God’s love for her. She is learning that God's love is there to help her discover the strength within.

When I read verse 7 I had to share it with her. I wanted her to believe that the power of God’s love lies within each of us. And that is the beauty of faith; faith builds strength, personal strength that Isaiah speaks of, the kind that helps us overcome our own trials through the redemptive power of the atonement.

When “the Lord is near” and I seek to be near him, I am justified. I am measured full and my shortcomings are forgotten. For the Lord God will help me.  He helps all who seek him, who feel his presence, who understand truth.

But, what about the doubt? What about the world that will condemn me for my faith? Well faith is an eternal gift, for the eternal soul. Those that condemn me for my eternal view and faith in an eternal God who will stand beside me, will wax old and be eaten by the moth. (v9)

 

Sometimes when I walk with nature I feel close to God.. I suppose it's because
I am in the midst of his creations. It's hard to feel alone when you are in awe. 

I think of doubt differently now. It’s purpose is to derail my journey of joy.  I am learning how to doubt my doubts first… before I doubt my faith in the Lord.  I want to be there when he calls, to open my heart to him when he knocks and above all to kindle the sparks of the fire of my testimony upon “my face .. that is .. like a flint.” It is my hope that when darkness comes, and it will come, that I may have the sense to remember that “the Lord is near,” and that it is I that must turn to him to spark the light that will guide me through so that I might feel and know without a doubt of the strength of his love.

for your sakes 2 Nephi 6 Elizabeth Smart My Story

Tonight my son tonight gave us all a great lesson on service.  It was a simple lesson. He read a wise quote on how service to one another brings us closer to God and then he had us discuss why and how we can serve one another. What benefits do we receive and why does service make us feel so good? Why do we do it?

Jacob teaches words of  Isaiah

Somewhere in our discussion the thought came to me that when we teach one another, as my son did tonight, we are serving one another. We want others to learn of God. We want them to glorify God. and we want our loved ones to know to whom we can  "depend for safety" (vs. 2 ).  During Jacob's time, it seems the people had looked to Nephi as a king, but mostly as a protector and someone who would provide them with safety. Jacob points out that he had been ordained and consecrated by Nephi to serve the people through the teaching of the word of God. 

All of this made me think of Elizabeth Smart. I recently read her book, "My Story." As I read this chapter where Jacobs teaches the people about safety from those who do not believe, and how the Lord will protect them that do believe, her story kept playing in my mind. 

I recognized how the words of her father, mother, her grandfather and even her Sunday School teacher were spoken in service, "for her sake." How they were spoken with sincerity and love and backed up with good works of caring.  Their words gave her strength to endure and continue to believe in a God who did not forsake her. When it came down to the very base of her trials, it was the words of the prophets and the faith she had in those whom had served and taught her that gave her the strength to carry on. Through the midst of her trials, she would gain her own witness that what they had taught her was true. 

Jacob speaks for the "welfare of souls, with great anxiety and with diligence." (vs 3) He taught them the words of his father Lehi and of the prophets of old that told of the world's creation. He taught them of present truths and of future truths. He speaks of Isaiah that they "may learn and glorify the name of your God." (vs 4) 

We all hope that the words we hear will sink in and we can know their truth based on the experiences of others. No one signs up to be the messenger of our own experiences. We all hope we can learn from others. Elizabeth had experiences that no other child her age should ever have to endure. And as I think of her story, I realize how her story relays to us how faith in God precedes our modern day miracles.

 She was like Isaiah described when he spoke of the Gentiles who believed in Christ,  "they shall be saved; for the Lord God will fulfil his covenants which he has made unto his children." And she knew, like the Gentiles after their trials, "of the Lord" and she was not made to be "ashamed." For there is no shame in her trial. She bore it with courage, and strength and a faith that most girls her age have not been taught how to cultivate. Because of the love of her family, because of the service of her community of which she both partook and received, she learned to trust that a higher power would bring her home to her place of safety. 

Isaiah speaks of those who wait on the Lord. He says "for they shall not be ashamed that wait for me." 

I believe that those who believe in Jesus Christ as Jacob goes on to teach about - his birth and life here on earth - those who believe in him have learned to serve and to nourish their faith with patience and temperance. They have learned to combat the tug of war of life with service through word and deed. 

We all look for safety in this world. We build our homes, we create networks of friends and associates for safety, we attain an education, we seek shelter from storm and financial crisis, and we strive to prepare for all that might go wrong. But what Jacob was teaching was that the best safety comes from believing in a the power of the covenants that we make, as children of Israel, with God. He wants us to know that in the end of our trials, if we have kept our covenants and kept our hearts pure, we need not be ashamed, "and the people of he Lord shall not be ashamed." (vs 13) 

I was struck by  Elizabeth's story in a most amazing way. You would have imagined that after her return home, she would had needed untold hours of therapy and counseling. That she would not have been able to return to school or a "normal" social life. That because of what someone tried to take from her she would have naturally felt great shame. But if she was ashamed, she did not show it, nor does her story convey it. Why? I believe it is because she never gave up on her God. And God responded to her faith, providing her with miracles that continued long after her rescue, guidance and opportunity to regain her life. 

On the third night of her thirst, when her tongue was thick and dry, while her captors suffered in their sleep, she awoke to a tall glass of cold ice water. In a camp where there was not one drop of water and where the spring was a distance down the trail, God had sent her manna from heaven. And when her captor had left her for 7 days without food or water, God sent rain to fall only on her tented secluded valley. God heard her prayer and knew the sanctity of her pure heart. There were many miracles that spoke to the relationship between her and her God. As long as she kept God in her trial, she had no need to be ashamed. 

And consider verse 14. "he will manifest himself unto …the destruction of their enemies, when that day cometh when they shall believe in him, none will he destroy that believe in him. Elizabeth knows that statistics that she should have been. The miracle of her life is that she has lived to tell us. Seventy-four percent of abducted children who are ultimately murdered are dead within three hours of the abduction and twenty percent of those reported abducted by non family members are not found alive. (Child Abduction Facts, www.parents.com) 

Elizabeth was kept safe by powers higher than the world is capable of defining. Jacob believed that teaching the people about safety through the words of Isaiah was a good way to convey the strength of the Lord's power. Isaiah taught about the destruction and eventual regathering of Jerusalem so that the people would know that God will protect his covenant people, "for the Mighty God shall deliver his covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contents with them that contendeth with thee." (vs 17) 

All this so that we might know… for our sakes… that "all flesh shall know that I the Lord am they Savior, and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob." (18) 

I wonder how Elizabeth's story might have been different if she had not been served in her parents teaching, for her sake. Or if she had not listened to the words of her Sunday School Teacher or felt the sincere love and faith of her parents and grand parents? I wonder if she might have had the faith to survive and endure all that she had to suffer. I wonder how differently the story might have been if she had not known faith as a child? 

Her words were not defiant or rebellious. Her story was one of hope and deliverance for those who have ever felt a trial of unspeakable terror and fear. Her story was given with grace and with dignity that only a woman of God and of faith could give. 

I watched a few interviews and again I was taken back by the courage she portrays. She was not bitter nor angry but emitted an aura of faith and sureness that comes deep from within the heart of a person who has known of God's love and safety. 

And that is what Jacob wanted us to know. That is what Elizabeth wants us to know.  That faith can be taught through words and service, and how once taught and learned well it can help us all to "learn and glorify the name of our God." 

How the word of God is the best safety. And it is given with a hope that it will save not only our sake, but the sake of our families. The word of God is after all  as Jacob taught "for our sakes." 

The Gifts of Prayer Alma 31-33, Enos. JSHistory

My three year old daughter expresses her joy at her birthday gift-
a daisy dress with matching head band-a gift from her grandparents. 

I love gifts. I love most how they change my life for the better. I love how they connect me to family and help create relationships. It seems we always remember the wonderful gifts given us.

Gifts are lovely things. They entice us. They surprise us. They fill us with joy.  Prayer is a gift and like a well presented gift it will surprise us with the joy of God's love in our life.

Gifts were meant to be opened and prayers were meant to be given.  When we take time to open the gift of prayer, the gifts of God make themselves "present" (no pun intended) in our lives. How many of us would receive a gift from a dear and loving friend and then say to them, I'll open it later. God gives us the daily gift of prayer so that he can bless us daily and lead our lives with the guidance of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

Prayer is a gift that brings peace.

Gifts present us with new opportunities and treasures. Prayer does the same. But we must learn how to open the gift of prayer and allow it to help us feel and see God's presence in our lives.

Alma prayed that he and his brethren might have success in their Zoramite people. He understood that when we invite God to be a part of our desired goals, and then invite him through prayer, we invite success. (Alma 31)

Alma prayed

Alma understood the power that prayer brings to one's life work. Alma prayed for strength, (vs30), comfort and patience (vs31), success and the ability to bear their afflictions (vs 32-33), and power and wisdom (vs35) to help them help the missionary work.

When Alma taught the Zoramites (Alma 32) on the hill Onidah in the land of Antionum, he said that he "had never beheld" such a manner of worship. The Zoramites had allowed their pride to alter their beliefs as to whom they prayed and ultimately their manner of prayer.

All of the Zoramites had helped build their synagogues and their tower of prayer known as the Rameumptom. But only one person at a time on one particular day of the week was allowed to offer one rote prayer. And only those members who were rich enough, stylish enough, popular enough, or good enough were allowed to use the Rameumpton. It reminded me a little bit like our modern way of dealing with one another publicly- like playing "king of the Mountain," or a popularity contest.

Their craft of worshiping did not allow for personal prayers, for the hope of redemption, or even for salvation for others not of their faith. In fact it really didn't allow for the salvation of many of the poor of their faith, but it did require the poor to help in the labor and maintenance of their synagogue.

The Praying Mantis is so called because of his
front legs that are ever ready to offer prayer. Anywhere.

When Alma discovers these poor who had been divided out from them and not allowed into the synagogue for worship, he rejoiced at the opportunity to teach them correct principles of prayer.

He taught them that they could use the gift of prayer at any time, in any place, for any purpose
and for any amount of time. He quoted the Old Testament prophet Zenos, "

Thou art merciful, O God, for thous hast heard my prayer, even when I was in the wilderness;...when I did cry in my field...thou didst hear me. and in my house, and my closet.
Yea, thou art merciful unto thy children when they cry unto thee, to be heard of thee and not of men, and thou wilt hear them." Alma 33: 3-8

Alma goes on to explain how Zenos' prayers were heard by God in "congregations," or when "cast our or despised by mine enemies." As he explained that the gift of prayer did not require a specific setting or presentation of place, he helped them understand that prayer to God requires a simple sincerity and honesty of heart.

He also explained how Zenos taught how prayer to God the Father is connected to his Son, Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ's life was more than an example, Jesus became the mediator between us and God.  Zenos explained, "for thou hast turned they judgments away from me, because of thy son."

Prayer is a gift that is given to us by our loving Heavenly Father. It requires that we thank him, our Heavenly Father for the blessing he sends, then ask Him for what we stand in need of, and then to close our offering in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer is a gift that is given to anyone who believes or desires to believe in God and his son Jesus Christ. It is not reserved for a select few. It is not only for the educated. All that is required is a sincere desire to have a personal relationship with God.

Gifts often bring us new ways of looking at and appreciating the world around us. Sometimes we receive items that have instructions or require work. Prayer requires work. Enos tells us "I cried unto him in mighty prayer...all the day long..and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heaven."(vs4)  Sometimes we don't receive answers in the time or manner that we expected. That is why the answers we receiveare a gift.

Gifts are often misunderstood. In this era of entitlement many believe that gifts should be tailored to the desires of the one who will receive. But gifts were never intended to only appease the insatiable desires of a child's heart. When given and received with humility and with respect gifts can offer great insights into the givers heart. It can help the receiver to grow in ways he would not have known. In fact gifts are meant as a way of guiding us along our earthly journey of growth. They were first given not just for the joy  of receiving the unexpected but also of offering needed items of sustenance and survival.

Prayer is one of those gifts essential for survival. Again Enos taught "for he said unto me: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it." (v15) Prayer provides us with joy and with the opportunity for personal growth. It provides us with insights and new perspectives. But mostly it provides us with a window into God's truth.

Farmers are aware of the power of hard work, knowledge and prayer. Only God can give us all that we truly need.

The prophet Joseph Smith learned firsthand of the power of prayer when he read James 1:5, "If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God who giveth to all me liberally (freely) and upbraideth not." Because he read and believed James invitation to pray, he walked into the woods near Palmyra New York and like Enos knelt in sincere prayer. He asked of God. And he received of God.

Prayer changes things. It's a positive force for good in our lives. Prayer is the gift that keeps on giving.

Obedience 1 Nephi 16-18 Building One's Own Boat

If the sun were me or I were the sun.
I would shine my light for everyone.

I would not let the cold of storm
keep the earth from knowing warm.

I would not let the dark of night
make me want to hide my light.

I would not let the thick of cloud
keep me from shining- shining - out loud

I would shine on field and flower
and help them know of God's power.

I would not miss one single day
to share my light - to brighten another's way.

I would set my course..
I would set my mind.
I would set my path.
I would shine. I would shine. I would shine.


The sun comes up. The sun goes down. The world spins round. And, the sun shines. It lifts my soul, it brightens my way. It is one of God's creations that knows obedience. It is one of God's creations that displays it's purpose and power daily. It's sureness of path inspires and calms me.

With God's help, Nephi knew he could build a boat.

Like the sun that obeys God's design, Nephi knew the power that comes from obedience. He understood that God gives us commandments and sets us on a path because He loves us! God wants us to know who we are. He wants us to know our potential. But, unlike the sunshine, a knowledge of who we are is something that can't be given; It must be uncovered through our willingness to obey. The power of self is something that we have to discover.

The only way we can actually discover who we are and the power of God that lies within us is to follow God's commandments. So I ask the question, "Why does God not politely ask us to obey his commandments?"He could ask, "Would you please keep the commandments?"

The reason. God is Great. God is the creator of all things both in heaven and in earth.(17:36-39) He knows what is best for us. To ask is to suggest. Keeping the commandments is not a suggestion. It's a sure way. Like the sun, it's a path that is meant to teach us how to shine, how to give warmth, how to love, how to help all around us grow, how to learn consistency, how to stay the course and be still in an eternal realm where agency holds the key to eternal joy.

Nephi was able to build a ship and he knew it. Not because of his own power but because of the power that comes from obedience to God's commandments. (1N17:49-51)" He understood that, "When we obey God - we follow the influence of the Spirit and choose to conform to His will." (PmGpg.72)

Lehi discovers the Liahona at his tent door

But we are human. We are not the sun. We have weaknesses. When Nephi's bow breaks, Lehi and his family succumb to their hunger and begin to murmur. They had only just begun their journey when they forgot God's goodness - how he  blesses us when we obey. God knows our weaknesses. He blesses us and teaches us line upon line.. precept on precept. (2 N28:30)

To Lehi he gave a Liahona: a ball of curious workmanship whereby he might learn how God blesses us through our obedience to faith, and diligence to duty, and willingness to heed to the God's spirit.

the Liahona 

And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld the pointers which were in the ball, that they did work according to the faith and diligence and heed which we did give unto them.1 Nephi 16:28 

To Nephi he instructed through prayer.

 And it came to pass that after I, Nephi, had been in the land of Bountiful for the space of many days, the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying: Arise, and get thee into the mountain. And it came to pass that I arose and went up into the mountain, and cried unto the Lord.1 Nephi 17:7

Nephi was instructed to build a ship. Though his brothers mocked him and complained, he held sure in his belief that if God had commanded it, it was possible. His brothers had forgotten those who wanted to take their lives and the promised destruction of Jerusalem.  Wanting to remember their ancestral heritage of God's hand in their lives, Nephi spoke to them of Moses. He asked:

Do ye believe that our fathers, who were the children of Israel, would have been led away out of the hands of the Egyptians if they had not hearkened unto the words of the Lord? 

Yea, do ye suppose that they would have been led out of bondage, if the Lord had not commanded Moses that he should lead them out of bondage?1 Nephi 17:23-24

Lehi's travels led them through dangerous dessert

Keeping the commandments of God protects us. It was pointed out in last nights class that while traveling in the dessert the Lord commanded the family troop to not build fire. That seems like an odd thing - when fire is needed for warmth and the preparation of food. But by not building fire, the family was protected from marauding bands that would have robbed and carried them away. The light from a dessert fire carries long and far and offers no protections from the evil heart of man.

The only protection against man's choice for evil is man's choice for good. When we choose to live God's commandments we choose protection, power, love, light and eternal life.  Alma taught about the commandments when he said,

 Wherefore, he gave commandments unto men,...., knowing good from evil, placing themselves in a state to act, or being placed in a state to act according to their wills and pleasures, whether to do evil or to do good—Alma 12:31

But Keeping the commandments does more than protect us. It helps us discover our eternal spirit. It helps us discover and remember a purpose greater than survival. It helps us give light and warmth and become a source for good. It helps us learn to love as God loves and see the world as He intended it to be: a place for us to grow and learn - a place for us to share his love and bask in the warmth of his word.

I can't be the sun. But I can be like Nephi. I can say..

Wherefore, I Linda, did strive to keep the commandments of the Lord, and I did exhort my brethren to faithfulness and diligence.1 Nephi 17:15

And like Nephi I can build my own ship of sure faith that will carry me.  I am sure there will be times when God will ask things of me that others will mock. And I myself may question, but it is my prayer that the experiences I have will help prepare my heart so that it will not be hard, but willing - and that it will not murmur - but be filled with gratitude. And that it too - like the sun - will learn to shine, shine, shine and spread God's glorious love to all who will not only embrace it, but use it as a source of strength as they too learn the power that comes from keeping God's commandments.

Endure to the End Jacob 7, Enos and 4th Nephi 1-22

Last night while walking I witnessed a display of mother nature's glory, an explosion of light. Brilliant flashes streaked the sky and at times was so bright that it lit my path. It filled me with wonder.

Above me lines and patterns of light emerged on the sky's dark palette. I marveled.

This display of nature reminded me of the patterns that God has placed in each of his creations.
The sun, the moon, the seasons, the weather, the plants - all of God's creations were created by a pattern of design that not only determines its beauty and shape, but also sets its purpose and time.  I thought how these patterns give us reassurance. We know that each day the sun will rise as a ball of fire in the east. And each month the moon will rise big and round and glorious. We know the birds will migrate each fall and again in the spring. God has instilled in each of his creations a pattern to live by- a pattern to ensure their existence on this planet.

But what about man? What pattern did he instill in us to ensure our survival? To help us endure our journey here?

Unlike God's other creations, man was given a higher degree of intelligence to choose his mortality- his morality -his own path. Unlike the migratory Robin who innately sings songs of gratitude, God has given man the agency to learn for himself of eternal joy.

Last night, in our class we read the stories of Jacob and Sheram, and Jacob's son Enos, and the people of 4th Nephi. We read and discussed how they took a pattern of life that God has given all men and put it to the test and found the joy and peace that comes through faith and repentance - God's pattern of life. We talked about how their lives exemplified a pattern of enduring to the end.

What is God's pattern for man? And why didn't God instill in us a programmed life - like he did the Goose, who as I write is flying overhead honking and squawking on his way? to where?

Man- like all of nature- can follow a path that will lead us to eternal life. For man however, it involves conscious choice. The ability to discern between good and evil. It involves faith not only in nature but first in the supreme creator Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism and following the Holy Ghost.

As we studied the lives of Jacob and his son Enos we found adjectives that described what they did to discover the peace the gospel brings. When Sheram challenged Jacob's testimony, Jacob recounted his "many revelations," his ministering angels, the many things that he had witnessed, and how the voice of Lord had instructed and comforted him. Because of all these things, Jacob could not be shaken.  We considered Enos and his mighty prayer that released him from his guilt, and how the people of 4th Nephi were able to live in harmony for 200 years before time and pride erased the living memories of their experiences with the Savior Jesus Christ.

What I found interesting is that these men were given experiences that impressed upon their minds and their souls the eternal nature and love of the Savior Jesus Christ. The desires of their heart were to know of a truth that would guide them to peace. Their lives were not without danger, trial or discomfort.  Peace does not mean you will not have trial. True peace comes when while in the midst of trial you have the power of faith in a true and living Savior who will wind your sails and calm your soul.

God has sent us many heralds of peace. Each day is a miracle of his love. Each day reminds us that he has given all of his creations a pattern to live by. This pattern is sure; it is eternal; it is beautiful.

I believe that it is why - when I see the night sky display its artistic brush or experience the sunrise or hear the bird song - I am reminded that God's love for all his creations is sure and steady. But for man... we must choose.

And I am grateful for the lives of men like Jacob and Enos and the disciples of Christ who witnessed the resurrected Christ and showed by their lives that enduring to the end is a real possibility. It is not only a possibility it is what God wants for us. It is his pattern for our lives. It is what he promises in 2 Nephi 31:20:

20  Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.    2 Nephi 31:20

Even though we don't have a programmed migratory path we do have the law and the light of Christ for which we are promised eternal life if we will but endure. But for us we must look, we must endure, and then shall we know eternal life.

Behold, I am the law, and the light. Look unto me, and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal life.
3 Nephi 15:-1-9

Like Father Lehi 1 Nephi - 2 Nephi

Drawing by Chris White 

Everyday I see new evidence that the Lord loves us -Really loves us. He has promised that if we will ask, with sincerity, that he will never leave us alone and that he will protect us and guide us to our promised land -like he did Lehi. In my class tonight we discussed this very principle. We talked about prophets and how the Lord uses prophets to establish his Kingdom on the earth. We talked about Lehi and how we can be like Lehi. 

We learned that prophets teach us about spiritual truths, bear testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ and write the word of God into what we call Holy Scripture. Through prophets we have the power and authority given to men to act in God's name for the salvation of his children -  the priesthood. They teach us wonderful patterns of behavior and principles of truth: like prayer, revelation, forgiveness, patience, temperance, etc. Prophets help us understand our relationship to God as we seek to obtain eternal life. The relationship between God and his prophets is a good one to model after. 

So I asked the class to read the first few books of Nephi and to look for Lehi's relationship with the Lord.  I found a few clues that I thought were pretty good, but as is usually the case when the spirit of God takes over the lesson, together we all found some that surprised us. And tonight the teacher became the student. 

Not a Prophet?

As a Jewish merchant and citizen of Jerusalem
Lehi listened to the many prophets as they
testified of Jerusalem's destruction. 

As we listed many of Lehi's roles and characteristics on the board, one sister said, "and he wasn't a prophet." I asked her why she believed this and she described very accurately how he had been listening to the prophets prophesy, so how could he be a prophet? Okay... I didn't see that before. So we read on and discovered that indeed, in the beginning of his story, before he left Jerusalem, he was a merchant, a father, a Jew, a citizen of Jerusalem, a student of Hebrew but he probably was not always a prophet. Wow. 

Called to be a prophet  

But he believed the prophets! That set him apart. And because he believed, he gained a conviction to follow the pattern that prophets follow. He had to ask. So (if) he wasn't a prophet in verse 5 when he knelt by the rock and prayed "with all of his heart, in behalf of his people," certainly by verse 6 when he beheld a pillar of fire, he was on his way. I don't know about you, but I have never seen a pillar of fire "dwell" before me on a rock when I prayed. I believe this was his calling. God needed him to do what only Lehi could do. He would be called in his dispensation to lead a nation to a promised land. 

                  

We talked about the unlikeliness of being called as a prophet. Don't think so. But still there are things that we are called to do that only we can do. Things that the Lord knows. So no matter who we think we are, our wealth, our station, our place in life, God made it plain to Lehi that he knew who Lehi was and that there was a work meant solely for Lehi to do. Are we any different? Does God not have a job for each of us? A job that only we can do that will change the course of our family's life?

Prayerful 

Prayer - sincere heartfelt prayer - can open the heavens. Lehi was so filled with the spirit of God because of all he heard and saw, in answer to his prayer, that he trembled. Soon he had to go home. When he got home he fell on his bed and had a vision.  His spirit had been touched by the truth of testimony and he had to know. He had to pray and ask for himself. And when he prayed he found out that God had a lot more in store for him than he might have thought. But mostly he found out that God loved him and that he didn't have to perish with all of Jerusalem. But .. he would have to share his new knowledge. and that's where life began to change for him and his family. 

Filled with the Spirit of Revelation 

At home he was thus so “overcome with the Spirit and the things which he had seen, that he was carried away into a "vision.” (vs7-8) While caught up in his vision in which he sees God and his apostles, he is given a book that foretells of Jerusalem's destruction. He rejoices that he will not have to be destroyed. Why? Because he knows the truth. And now that he knows the truth he can obediently follow God's spiritual direction that will lead him to a promised land.  

He thus had his confirmation of prophesy concerning the people and place that he had called home his entire life.

Later the Liahona is given to Lehi to direct their travels. Like a compass it worked strictly by the power of revelation and the Holy Spirit. When Lehi fails to ask God, the Liahona fails to work. Lehi was the only one who could use it. Not even Nephi could usurp his father in this calling as a prophet to interpret the direction his people were to travel.

Goodly Parent

Lets back it up a bit. Lehi was also a goodly parent, (1 Nephi 1:1) who taught his sons and particularly Nephi knowledge and  the culture and learning of the Jews through Egyptian Hebrew(1 N 1:2). He cared about the welfare of his family. He cared about the welfare of his neighbors. He questioned. He asked. He listened. He received. He educated his family and he worried about what would become of them. He was a father filled with great love and dedication to his family. Else why would he have prayed? If his heart was not set on the things of an eternal nature, why would he have cared?

Dreamer and Visionary- A Prophet 

So in our class we talked about what makes a prophet a prophet. Lehi had asked to know. And when he asked God gave him: a pillar of fire, the spirit of God, a vision, revelation, understanding, a book that filled him with the Spirit, dreams, and knowledge about how our actions affect the paths that we are on. There are many of us who dream but this does not make us a prophet. Dreams need the power of revelation to be interpreted in truth. As a literal descendent of Joseph of Egypt, his propensity for vision and dreams came naturally. 

Lehi's dreams and his visions give him guidance and strength in truth. Through his dreams and visions we learn of the tree of life, the dark and dreary wastelands, the large and spacious buildings, the iron rod, the book of life, God and his twelve apostles, the tender mercies of the Lord, the need to depart and travel towards the promised land, and many other truths.

Lehi accepted his call to be a prophet when he courageously shared all that he had learned with anyone who would hear. Even though they had stoned and killed the prophets before him, he was not afraid. He understood that the "tender mercies" would give him "the power of deliverance." (vs 20) The revealed truth of God is powerful. It moved Lehi to change. It moves us all to change. It is the basis for the gospel of Jesus Christ.     

Grateful 

Lehi reverenced God. His reverence for God and his omnipotent power is expressed in verse 14 and 15 when upon the realization of his Father’s love for him he extols his gratitude and praise upon God. He realizes God's love, power, goodness and mercy for him. He understands that God will not "suffer those who come unto 'him' that they shall perish." (1N1:14) As long as he gives all of his faith and obedience to God, God will protect him from destruction - destruction from stoning or from the destruction of Jerusalem. Who wouldn't be grateful at the realization of this source of eternal life?

Optimistic

It was pointed out to me that Lehi, through all of his difficulties in Jerusalem, in prophesying, in leading his family always looked forward to where they were going. He didn't get bogged down with where they had been, where they were, or the problems they faced. (Okay he did murmur once when Nephi broke his bow. He was hungry(1N1:6)) Lehi's constant communication with the Lord kept him happy and optimistic about life. (My favorite prophet has always been President Gordan B. Hinckley because he exuded the epitome of optimism.) Even before his death Lehi could only bless his children with positive words of hope and prosperity. He is a man who gives full credence tot he promises that God has given him. His seed - though they will have difficulty - will not be utterly destroyed because God had made him a promise. 

Faithful and Obedient -

The first thing he does upon leaving Jerusalem and setting up camp is to build an altar to God and offer sacrifice and worship. (1 N 2:1) Religious rites keep our minds and bodies obedient to the laws of heaven. Lehi shows his obedience in many ways. I have to believe that he, like Nephi, was also of goodly parents who taught him the importance of strict obedience and respect for God's higher laws. 

Compassion and Sorrow

Is it possible to have Godly mercy extended to you and you yourself not want to do the same for others? Lehi knew that all he had heard was true and he wanted to help protect those with whom he lived and did business with, those with whom he had grown old with and raised his family with. But he was mocked and “cast out” (vs 20). In 2 N 1:17 we learn that his heart was sorrowful for the fear that his family would be cut off and destroyed forever. I imagine it was difficult for him to learn that his children did not share his deep understanding of God's love. 

Family Problems

Even Sariah murmured and two of his sons were disrespectful and rude. Were they not taught like Nephi? Sariah called him a visionary man and complained, but Lehi comforted her. He did not rebuke her. He did not become frustrated and distraught, he comforted her. He was a good husband and a strong family leader. Why? Because he drew his strength from his undeniable faith in God.  Consider what he has asked Sariah to do? 

• Leave the only home they had ever known. 
• Leave their family and friends,
• Leave their material possessions, wealth, clothing 
• Bear at least two more sons in the wilderness, away from the strength of community
• Travel to an unknown destination 
• Make your sons return at the peril of their lives to retrieve a book of history

Now consider how he can convince her and his sons that this is the right thing to do. He has no visual aid, no map, no travel guide, no plan. He only has his faith in God and this is what he must use to comfort and lead his family. 

Scribe

Lehi wrote. (1N1:16) The Lord commanded him to write and keep records of all that he had seen and heard and bear testimony of it. His record known as the plates of Lehi were first given to Joseph Smith and were part of the original small plates of Nephi.  The information on these plates were very similar to accounts given in the other sections of the small plates of Nephi so that when Martin Harris looses these plates of Lehi, the Lord does not have Joseph Smith re-translate them. 

His words were lost to the world.  2430 years after he leaves Jerusalem, the Lord restores them as the Book of Mormon and they act as a second witness to Jeremiah, the prophet of his time. Though we do not have the actual words, Joseph Smith was told that the essence of their teachings were contained in the other books of Nephi. 

 Leader

He understood what would be needed for their trek in the wilderness to the promised land. He was not leaving for fear for his life. He was leaving because the Lord commanded him to so that the Lord might preserve him and his family.  As a leader of a family he knew that they would need more than food and water and shelter to survive. They would need hope of a better tomorrow. This would come from the brass plates that contained the record of the Jews ( or the 1^st five books of the books of Moses  .ie. the Torah).

Leaders are not inherently strong, they receive strength from somewhere. Lehi's strength in leadership came from his deep understanding of scripture. Upon receiving the Brass plates, the first thing he does is to search them. (1 Neph 5:10.) Upon seeing the book in his vision, he reads it and is filled with the spirit of God.  As a leader he understood the power of positive reinforcement and he rehearses to his family the many things the Lord has done. (2N 1:1). He understood the need of physical provisions so he had his family pack seed of every kind. (1 N 8:1) He was humble and did not take credit for that which was God's. His humble submission to God's will gave him problem solving skills, insight, the ability to know the future, and how to comfort those whose faith was not like unto his own. 

Patriarch/Historian

As a patriarch he gave all of his children blessings, much like the tradition of Israel. As a historian and genealogist he recounted his family history to his children often. He understood the need for a people to have and share a common story. The rich culture of the plates of brass gave him a rich heritage from which to teach his children as well as the lineage of his family. I was surprised to realize that Lehi had most likely never read the fullness of the brass plates before. Even though Laban was his cousin, he had kept the plates but had not shared their significance nor their faith value. 

Lehi understood the need for the power of revelation. He understood that revelation begets revelation and that his ability to follow the Lord's guidance through the wilderness would require him to have the power of scripture. His life changed when he took that first step to listen, to learn, to live and to lead others to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We too can be like Lehi. We too can search the scriptures and harvest from them not just the stories but the power of revelation that lives within them. We too can accept the tender mercies of the Lord and receive the protection that comes to them that follow him.(1N1:20) We too can be like Lehi and find our own promises of the Lord. We can find our own promised land of truth and peace and prosperity. We can look for the patterns of the prophets, the peace that exudes from their words and their actions, and we can use the conviction of truth to change what needs to be changed in our own lives. 

Lehi has many notable characteristics. I am sure that others will find many more in the few verses that describe his relationship with God and his family. I am sure that as they do they will discover the power and wonder revelation brings into our lives. What a wonder it is that God loves us enough to call prophets who can see what we cannot. What a blessing it is to behold the Kingdom of God here on earth, to witness in the lives of those who testify. What a wonder God's love is to behold. 

Today I am thankful, like Lehi, for God's merciful love for me. And I too want to share. I want to try to be like the prophets that first inspired Lehi. I want to try to be like Father Lehi.

2 Nephi 1: 8-32 "Inheritance: the security of thy seed"

Inheritance: gifts that pass from one generation to another

Christine Conkey reading the Beatitudes from the Bible 

In the early 1990's when I would visit my grandmother Christine at her Michigan farmhouse she would give me small nicknacks from her kitchen. I have a small tan and white cream cow, a gold trimmed 50th anniversary cup, and a few of her favorite recipes.  Well into her eighties she realized that the time for collecting life's tangible things had passed and she began to distribute them as gifts to her grandchildren.  Likewise, my grandfather Hal gave me a few of his smaller art prints and had me sign my name to the back of one of his larger pieces, to be given to me after his passing. These small tributes were but a small part of my Conkey Family inheritance. As I consider these heirlooms in my life, I realize that the greatest gifts I have receive from my grandparents are not tangible things.  I have found my greatest inheritance in their words, their love for family, their way of life and their faith in one another and God. 

Inheritance has long been associated with the "passing on of properties, titles, debts, rights, and obligations upon the death an individual." (m-w.com) Inheritance is meant to help the next generation obtain the necessary security to move forward with their life. For most of the world this security is wrapped around monetary wealth: i.e land and property, art, furniture, keepsakes. But as I read and reread the first chapter of 2 Nephi and considered what was it that Lehi wanted to convey, I began to see his vision of a worthy inheritance to his children. 

Lehi was mindful of his imminent death. He says, "a few more days and I will go the way of all the earth" (v14) He is preoccupied with what gift he will give them. And before he begins into this he recounts the great gifts that the Lord has bestowed on his family: history(v 1), mercies(v 2), warnings (v 3) and even the physical land of promise (v 3). And as if to help soften the blow of what he cannot give them he reminds them of how all of the wealth and land and social position which they had obtained in Jerusalem was gone. (v 4) He reminds them of how fleeting these "gifts" are and he begins to teach them and remind them of a greater gift, the gift of eternal life itself.  

Hal Conkey singing his rendition of "How Great Thou Art" 

My own grandparents gave me a greater gift. As I watch my grandfather sing his favorite song, "How Great Thou Art," or see my grandmother reading "The Beatitudes"I am reminded of my greatest Conkey Family gifts of inheritance: self expression, good books, a love of learning, a desire to do good,  love for one another, a love of poetry, and above all their faith in a God capable of the love, the strength, the vision, and insight to give a  security which material possessions could not bring.

Lehi begins in verse 5 to reflect on the great gift of the promised land the Lord had given them through bringing them here. Here in this new land they would not face captivity from other nations, they would not even  have to worry about the other nations knowing about their existence. They would not have to worry about the land being nutritionally depleted but in stead it would help them to "prosper"(v9). In deed if they would keep their desires and focus on their faith  they were assured prosperity and protection.

I remember my grandmother speaking of Scotland (she was 100% Scottish) like she had been raised there. Only 2 generations from it's shore, her paternal grandparents and her maternal g grandparents had all been born in Scotland. The stories she told reverberated with love for a distant culture but mostly for respect for the blessings the new Canadian land had brought to her family. Here in this new land the Conkey's were free from political turmoil, religious constraints, and farming blights.  The 1848 potato famine hit Scotland as well. In addition the 1840's saw many highlanders evicted and forced into immigration. I remember my grandmother singing songs of the highlands and recalling her grandfathers love of the Argyle Highlands. She had such a happy and merry voice that carried me with her across the pond to where my fathers plowed and my mothers made fire.

Lehi continues to recount the outcome of what could happen if his posterity would ever forget the mercies of the Lord in their life. What he wants is for them to remember both the "statutes and judgments" (v 16) of the Lord. Like any good organization Lehi's family understood the basis of rules and consequences. His discourse is merely trying to remind his children that the Lord's goodness comes to those who remember his statutes and give respect to his judgments. He wants his children to keep their prosperity in perspective with what is true prosperity and from where all goodness comes. 

My grandmother always looked for the good. I remember a few conversations with her where she might have been overcome with worry for struggling family members, but she always remembered the good their spirits brought to the family. And she managed to keep my grandfather's high ideas down to earth and help him realize the most important things in life revolved around family. He loved to write and always wanted to write the next great novel, but family commitments, financial obligations, and the tedium of day to day life kept him grounded. In the end, the greatest story he ever wrote was upon the hearts of his children and grandchildren. It was the love story that he and my grandmother shared as they worked together to "secure their seed" with the goodness of their inheritance.

The word "inheritance" can be found 185 times in the Old Testament.  It is also found  58 times in the Book of Mormon. In my recent readings of Abraham's story of how God gave him the blessing of an eternal inheritance I was impressed with his desire to teach the next generation the necessary truths needed for eternal life. The fact that Isaac was not born to a young Sara was key. The fact that the Israelites wandered 40 years in the wilderness was key. The Lord wanted to preserve the goodness of his "inheritance", the belief that we are spiritual children of an eternal God. Lehi wants the same. My grandparents may not have understood the eternal nature of life as Lehi did, but they did believe in it and they wanted what all parents want for their offspring: goodness, happiness, and the tools to succeed.

Fiddle by Robert Shaw Guitar Linda Shaw 

Of all the tools they shared, I am reminded mostly of the mirth that my parents had for life.  In 1993 when these videos were taken grandmother was nearing her 90th near and grandfather was in his 94th year of life. And yet they were happy enough to dance around the living room and rejoice in their life. I hope that this is the legacy that I can leave my children.  An inheritance of goodness, of spiritual truth, of love, of joy, and mostly of the gift of the Holy Ghost that will help them discern between right and wrong as they navigate their own course in life. As they step out to dance their own steps around their own  living room.