"he will be merciful unto you..forever" 2 Nephi 4: 1-12

Lehi speaking to Laman and Lemuel in the Valley and by the River

I cannot comprehend the love that Lehi must have felt for his son Laman, his first born. I can try but I am sure I will not come close. The love a parent feels for a child stands within its own realm. The love between father and son can be one of the greatest known to man.

While reading the first verses of 2 Nephi 4, I was struck at the imposition Laman's behavior puts Lehi in. I was struck even more by how he manages to maintain his integrity of faith and still express his love for his firstborn son. Lehi understood that the love he felt for God could only magnify the love he felt for his son. A love and life that began in Jerusalem.

Lehi's life before he left Jerusalem - what was it like? While we can really only give supposition to most of the facts, we  do know that he had great wealth. (1 Ne 3:22-24) That this wealth did not bring him joy can be deduced from his desire to forsake it and find security in the God of Abraham. Although we don't know much that occurred before his prophetic call, we do not that after his call (1 Ne 1:6) he finds great joy in the Lord. So great was this joy that he describes it as being "encircled about eternally in the arms of His love."(2 Ne 1:15) All he wants is for his "seed", like Joseph of Egypt's "seed"(2 Ne 4:2) to have the same joy and peace. He wants his son to know of God's love as he has known of God's love.

God's love is like that. It's joyful. It's life changing. When I read the scriptures and feel of their power, when I pray and feel of God's love in my life, all I want is for those I love to feel of it as I do. What I want most is to share the joy. Lehi's life changed and he only wanted to share the joy with Laman.

An Angel speaking to Laman and Lemuel

But how can Lehi convince Laman? Laman and Lemuel's behavior has caused great discontent, guilt, grievous sorrow, and even the promise of a curse. (1 Ne 2:23)

The promise of this curse came not through Lehi, but rather through Lehi's youngest son Nephi, who like Lehi had "great desires" and a "softened heart"(1 Ne 2:16). His belief caused him to speak to his brothers about their behavior and to then hear God's word. Nephi, not Lehi is promised that if his brothers rebel against him the Lord will "curse them even with a sore curse" (1 Ne 2:23).

Lehi must have taken Nephi's prophetic news with great disheartenment. He must have felt great sorrow with regards to the family discord. To suppose that the sibling rift was such that even his own impending death does little to convince them. Despite his disappointment he uses his faith to bestow blessings of promise upon his son. Despite his sorrow, he uses the power of prayer to sustain his faith and calls on the strength and promises of the prophets before him. (2 Ne 4:2)

After reading the prophecies of Joseph of Egypt concerning his own seed, (Nephi tells us that "there are not many greater," ) Lehi wants to do as Joseph did and leave a blessing upon the heads of all of his children.

Lehi understood the Lord makes covenants with those who love him and that the Lord's blessings and promises are sure. He calls his sons forth and bids them to listen.

As he contemplated the blessing he would give to Laman, Laman's contentious past must have given Lehi much pause. How many times had he and Laman and even a few of the sons of Ismael bound Nephi? or beat Nephi? or openly rebelled against Lehi? How often had he tried to teach them with his words? Only the fear of death and destruction keep them from returning to Jerusalem.

Yet Lehi loved Laban. He was his first born. He was his son. He was his seed. He loved him and wanted only to bless him with the goodness of the Lord's love.

This is where I realized that the love of Heavenly Father becomes our supreme example. Lehi realizes that he has taught them well. He quotes Proverbs 22:6 and tells them:

I cannot go down to my grave save I should leave a blessing upon you; for behold, I know that if ye are brought up in the way ye should go ye will not depart from it.

He draws on the hope of his and Sarah's parenting skills. He draws on the hope of his love and concern for his son. But what if Nephi is right? What if Laman's choices have caused him to be cursed and cut off?

This is when I realized that even the best intentioned parent cannot ensure their children's salvation. Life is a gift that we receive from our parents, but salvation is a choice we make for ourselves. Aware that he can't ensure Laman's salvation, Lehi seeks to buy him more time.

Israel blessing Ephraim. Joseph is standing

Lehi was aware of the many prophetic covenants within his family line. He was aware of the Lord's own promises to him. His love for his own son is such that he does not wish him to be "cut off from "the Lord's" presence." (2 Ne 4:4) His love is such that all of his days he has tried to bring him "up in the way" in such a way that he would "not depart from it." (vs 5) Yet what if Lehi had erred? What if the guilt lay upon the parent? What if while in Jerusalem he had not taught Laman all that was required?

Lehi 's love was such that he accepts the curse upon his own head. He says in verse 6

If ye are cursed, behold, I leave my blessing upon you, that the cursing may be taken from you and be answered upon the heads of your parents." 

The mercy he feels for is own son is akin to the mercy that had been extended to him by an all loving God. For what does our Father in Heaven do for us, but say that if we will but come unto him all that we have done wrong can be answered through the atonement of Jesus Christ?

Lehi is not sure if Laman will be "cut off." He can not be sure about Laman's future choices and if he will bring a cursing upon his own head. Likewise he cannot be sure as to who to put the blame of Laman's transgressions, but he can and does know that the Lord's promises to Lehi are sure. So he promises Laman and all of his children, that they will not perish, but rather "He will be merciful unto you and unto your seed forever."

The power of this blessing comes not from the fact that Laman's actions ensured his destruction, but rather that the love of Lehi for God ensured his existence. Lehi is aware of the difference.

He bestows the same blessing upon Lemuel's seed and then states "thou shalt not utterly be destroyed." To Nephi and Sam he promises that they will be "blessed in all thy days." The contrast between the two older sons blessings with their younger siblings seems small, but a lifetime of experience proves it to be much greater.

To the elder is given "mercy ...forever" and the promise of not being destroyed." To the younger  the promise of the land and a blessing of "all they days."

Why couldn't Lehi simply bless all of his sons with great promises from the Lord? Security? Eternal life? Joy? Peace? Because it was not his to give. As a patriarch he is bound by the promises of the Lord. These promises come to those who desire to dwell within the Lord's presence. They come to those whose actions prove their love.

That Lehi loved his sons is apparent. That he worried about the err of their way is also apparent. As a prophet of God and a father what a wonderful blessing he gives to all of his sons. What a wonderful blessing of mercy he gives to those who have not yet comprehended the love of God.

I am grateful to have understood this aspect of Lehi's love. I am glad to have mercy extended to me and feel certain that Laman and Lemuel shared a love for their father, if only for the promise of mercy that he extends to them. What a blessing it is to see this mercy fulfilled later within the pages of the Book of Mormon. Jacob points out a time when Laman's children were "more righteous" than the Nephites  (3 Ne 10:18). After Christ visited the continent there was even at time when the seed of Lehi shared no contention between them. (4 Ne 1:2).

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.

those (families) of the Fourth Generation (Helaman 13: 9-17)

Four Generations of Happiness

Sociologists have long studied the relationship between family tradition and family stability. Traditions can best be described as how a family does things, over and over again: dinner table, play, holidays, respect, diet, entertainment, etc.

Traditions can be compared to the strengthening of heart muscle. When we do a certain exercise over and over with a purpose, we build strength; when we let heart muscle sit, we get atrophy that eventually leads to disease and death. Just like the exercising of the heart muscle, family traditions can build strength of family unity, or they can lead to family atrophy. The direction and strength of a family depends on the strength and purpose of family traditions.

In recent years I have spent a great deal of time and energy doing genealogical research. Family history has given me a perspective on my traditions that I simply would not have otherwise gleaned. In one of my four (grandparents) lines, I have seen a distinct correlation between traditions and the happiness of my generation.

Paternal Grandfather: Me. My father. My grandfather. My grandfather's father - In this line of my past, the tradition of education has steered my family and me. So important was the idea of education that the legacy of where it all began has been told with great passion.

I. Generation One :

Like many families near the end of the 19th century, our family depended on agriculture to survive. My great grandfather had migrated with four of his brothers from Ontario, Canada to South Dakota, where in 1884 he homesteaded so that he could received his U.S. citizenship. After a time he returned to Michigan where he purchased a home in Chandler Township. Chandler Township was

important to him because it promised the best education for his children. My grandfather and his two surviving sisters walked 3 miles from the family farm to Pinnebog until graduating from 8th grade. High School graduation followed four

years later in the town of Bad Axe, some 20 miles away. In order for the children to attend, Grandfather rented a house in Bad Axe where my Great Grandmother stayed with them through the school year. On holidays she would bring the children back to Kinde by train (10 Mile) where their Dad would meet

them to drive another 7 1/2 miles by carriage. All three of my Great Grandparents children then went on to become the first citizens of the township to graduate from college.

PINNEBOG STORE

II. Generation Two:

My Grandfather graduated with a degree in English in 1923 from the University of Michigan while his two sisters graduated with teaching degrees from a college in western Michigan.

My grandmother attended school through

the 8th grade and then stayed at home for two years helping her

family on the farm. Her grandparents and parents served on the school boards of their local county. So badly did she want a high school education that she worked for a family by the name of Percy McMullen. The McMullen's who welcomed her into their home for four years in exchange for

housekeeping chores, lived in Bad Axe. While there she served as editor of the High School newspaper, and met my grandfather who was working as her English Teacher.

Even though she was not able to attend college, she did not let this subvert her thirst for knowledge. She organized and ran a county women's society for higher education. This society would meet regularly to discuss various educational topics. She also was very politically rooted to her community.

III. Generation Three:

My grandfather's children (all 4) continued the tradition by graduation from Michigan State University, all with great sacrifice and cost. My father and Uncle got through with help from the GI Bill. My two aunts saved and sacrificed to help with the costs.

IV Generation Four:

My own education experience has not been without difficulty or sacrifice. After caring for the needs of my large family, I did distant learning and finally graduated at the age of 49 from Ellis University

(an on-line university).

MyDr.Brother honored our long-standing family tradition regarding education by receiving his Doctorate this past spring. He is the first member of our family to receive the advanced Doctorate degree. His own example has set precedence and his son is on track to soon follow. I am certain that if you asked, the drive and determination of our four generational traditions played a big part in his personal motivational drive.

This family history gives good illustration to the importance of family tradition with regards to education. In my mother's family she and her sister were the first to graduate from college. This too came with great sacrifice.

Errant Attitudes

In addition, it was in my mother's line that I saw a clear line of tradition in regards to the pain of divorce and the attitudes it brings. In doing my research, I was able to go back four generations to my g grandfather's father who died at the young age of 23, leaving his wife with 3 children under the age of four and one in utero. After his father's passing, my g grandfather was the oldest and only son and became used to being the man of the house. When his mother remarried some 10 years later, he was nearly 15. He did not take to his step-father (the new man of the house) and left off on his own to ride the rails and discover the world. He was the first in a long family to divorce and actually was married 3 times( to my knowledge.) From his generation down all of the families have divorced, including my own parents.

Why is this important?

Because I saw the clear correlation to attitude, security, and past traditions of belief, I chose to choose differently. When my own family faced difficulties, I purposely chose to find a way to hang in there. I recognized the difficulties that divorce leaves and the legacy of pain. I studied the problem, read the experts scientific statistics, and rather than give in to the pain, I found strength and faith in my Savior's atonement.

I learned to change my own families traditions and create stronger more secure attitudes.

A Mother's Faith

With my mother came her families introduction to Christianity. Her grandmother taught her of faith and was the first to take her to church. Later she continued this faith through the study of scripture and the practice of changing wrongs that errant family traditions can bring. She became the first in her family to forgo alcohol and set her children on a path of clear thinking. For my mother's family line, our faith in Jesus Christ has become a strong and lasting family tradition.

Civil War and Family

My husband's family has four generation patterns as well:

His g grandfather was one of ten brotherswho fought in the Civil War. Five of the brothers died.

Four were injured, and one deserted so that he could care for his large family after his wife passed.

Okefenokee Swamp

He hid out in the Okefenokee Swamp until he was certain he was safe from being tried for desertion. The fourth generation in this family was my husband's father. He was the first to be rid of the fear and the negative feelings the association with the Civil War brought.

Prophets teach to warn us of traditions that destroy us. Wicked traditions weaken families. Strong traditions strengthen us and guide us into happiness.

What traditions do your families have that strengthen one another? that weaken one another? that weaken society? What changes has technology brought that have changed your family traditions?

Words and Phrases

vs 9 they shall be smitten - actually if a civilization lives in wicked tradition for a very long time, the Lord does not need to do anything, they will bring the sword, the famine and the pestilence upon themselves. A war of such proportions to regard is the Civil War. You could equate the slave trade to this: The south suffered sword, pestilence, and famine as a result.

vs 10 those of the fourth generation: think about this for a moment... why four? Why because we cannot link to anymore than that? Unless we live longer lives, it is the fourth generation that becomes the oldest living in our family. The example, the principles, and the morals that their lives represent sets the basis for their entire family to follow. If there are weak traditions, there will be weak families. And if there are strong traditions there are strong families, but it takes four generations for it to completely manifest itself.

vs 11 repent and return unto the Lord your God... God's way is the only way to correct wicked traditions. God's way is the only way to engage a strength beyond our own.

vs 12..woe unto this great city... people make up families, and families make up cities. When family traditions go awry, cities eventually go awry with them. The family is the building block of our civilization.

vs 13 if it were not for the righteous? what do the righteous do? they pick up after the ill mannered. They restore joy where hatred runs rampid. They give perspective. They do good. They bring hope when there is little. They serve as God's standard. When there is no standard, there is not hope.

vs 16 wo be unto all the cities ..because of the wickedness in them... wo. wo. wo. when I think of this word I think of riding my mare. When I wanted her to slow down I would say "Wo.. Girl.." or turn .. "wo.. Girl. "Wo is a word used to slow us down, to stop and think about what we are doing in our lives? What are the traditions (old and new) that might cause God to say to us "Wo... unto all the cities" all the families.. ?

vs 17 a curse shall come ... curses comes when people are not looking. Curses are like disease. When in my kitchen I fail to clean up my sink, my countertop, or my cutting board, a curse will come. It will be in the form of germs. If I do not watch and clean my counter-top my family could receive the curse of Strep, or something worse. Curses follow those who do not follow the rules of nature. Spiritual curses follow those who do not follow the rules of God and the Universe.

Conversing With Angels

Helaman 5: 38-52

Conversing with Angels

If I had the opportunity to converse with an angel what would I talk about? What would I ask? What would I say? It appears that Nephi and Lehi had the opportunity. They looked upward into heaven and listened with all of their attention as the angels taught them.

When I think of angels, I am still reminded of beings of white that travel where they will with wings. This is the popular iconic version of angels that helps us understand they can fly (or move about lightly) and we cannot.

It makes me wonder how else we are different from angels?

Angel: a spiritual being believed to act as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God, conventionally represented in human form with wings and a long robe.

Notice that the definition says an angel "acts as an attendant, agent, or messenger of God". Therefore when someone does something that is as "a gift from God", we might be prone to call them an angel. Or if they (like Amanda's and Lehi's angels) remove the clouds that blind us we might call someone our angel.

I was impressed with how those who saw Nephi and Lehi conversing with the angels felt the desire to do so also. They asked, "What shall we do that this cloud of darkness might be removed from overshadowing us?" In my opinion, they saw the prophets speaking with the angels, saw the contrast of difference between their situation and that of Nephi and Lehi and wanted to change.

I liked Aminadab's response. He told them that they

1. First needed to repent

2. Cry unto the voice that spoke to them through the cloud of darkness

3. Have Faith in Christ

4. Remember the faith that was taught you by Alma, Amulek, and Zeezrom.

When they were finished doing as they were instructed (they did not vary from their obedience to repentance) they found that they too were encircled by a ring of fire! How amazing it is to go through something that is difficult and discover that we were in fact protected by God's power.

Soon.. after a few events they are going to have what they desired. God does answer prayers. They will soon find that they are going to have angels come down and administer and speak with them!

I am reminded of several personal experiences in my life where angels came down and administered to me. I could not see them, but I knew they were there. I felt their presence, I heard their whispers of comfort and their instruction. I knew what I needed to do or not to do.

For me angels are real. They are in deed spiritual beings. This means that we must have a spiritual mind to understand their presence, to follow their missions, and to understand their purpose. But sometimes, like the 300 who heard the voice, saw the prophets speaking to the angels, and then after their own repentance experienced the administration of angels in their own lives, we don't always know that an angel was in our life, in our day, or in our presence until after they have completed their work.

The real angel in this story was Lehi and Nephi. They were willing to submit to God's mission and serve these people (even if they through them in jail with the intent of killing them). They were willing to submit to the harsh treatment, the cruel words, and the darkness of a cloud, so that they might teach those who would "be convinced". They were willing to go the extra mile so that others could find their way back. It would be wonderful to know what the angels told them as they conversed. It would be wonderful to know what the angels did when they administered to those who repented and became convinced of Jesus Christ.

I will take time to say that the one place you are sure to find angels is in the work of Family History. Every time I begin my Family History Work, I feel the presence of angels in my home. Every time I begin to pray about a name, pray about a family, I feel I am helping angels do their work. I am convinced that my personal angels are indeed my own family members(passed one)who have a vested interest in keeping me safe, leading my way, and helping me help our family line.

One time when I worked on the Heath Family Line, I wanted very much to discover Thomas Heath's wife's maiden name. Hannah Heath? I had done all of the research I could on the family line (he had ten children). I had found everything I could find out about each of the ten children, their children and so forth. I had discovered several family distant cousins who helped me fill in several missing pieces, but I could not find out Hannah's maiden name. So I prayed. I fasted. I researched and then hit "repeat". Finally I received an answer. "Wait". Not now. Wait".

Okay. I had a baby due. I would wait. Then one night out of the blue as I was kneeling in evening prayer came my answer. "Now. Check the Internet, now for Thomas Heath!". I could not believe my luck. I arose directly from my knees and typed in Thomas Heath. Bingo. A distant family in California had posted their family line on line. Within their family history contained a detailed description of where the family had migrated from. I had one more piece of information that would make my job easier. With a few more research trips I was able to find her family in the land records of Pennsylvania. She was a German-Dutch family by the name of Yarnell. Who told me that this family was on line? Who helped prompt my CA cousin to put this information on line? Who do you think? God's angels. They are real. They are spiritual. They do his work. And when I do his work, I can be an angel to those relatives of mine who want to understand the gospel from across the veil.

I think we can all converse with angels. I think we all must do as Abinadab counseled and repent, cry to God, have faith, and then believe. I have many more stories in my life where angels have carried me, they have loved me, they have counseled me, they have taught me, inspired me, warned me and protected me. There is a pure "joy which is unspeakable" that comes to those who converse with angels.

Words and Phrases

vs 38 with whom do these men converse? Who do the prophets speak? Who do we speak when we are in dire circumstances? Whom do we speak when we ask God? Sometimes the Holy Ghost, sometimes angels?

vs 40. what shall we do? Sometimes when life is dark, when we are overwhelmed, tired, angry, confused, we don't know what to do. It is appropriate to ask? What shall we do? Help me to find my way out of the darkness.

vs 41 the cloud of darkness shall be removed - How? by following the instructions. Remember there are times of darkness in our lives when we want the clouds removed.

vs 44 a flaming fire - it did not harm them.. it did not consume the walls, filled with joy. This reminds me of a few Old Testament stories. I.E. Moses. Elijah, etc. they dealt with the fire of the Holy Ghost that protects, and does not consume. It is a fire like none found upon the earth. It is a fire of eternal element not known to the earth? It is the Holy Ghost's fire of the spirit.

vs 45 they could speak forth marvelous words- The power of the Holy Ghost gives us a passageway into wisdom, into eternal truths, into heaven. When it is in our hearts we find ourselves changed with its power.

vs 46 a pleasant voice. When God speaks, he speaks in a whisper, pleasantly, with love, with conviction, with the power of goodness. His voice brings peace because of our faith. There is no peace in fear.

vs 48 they cast their eyes up- When we want to converse with angels, we must look to where they are. We will not find them amongst our terrain, or below us. They will be in heaven. We must look upwards.

vs 49 marvel not, neither should they doubt - God's words bring us peace, power, and convince us of a world above our own. When we have the privilege to experience a life above our earthly existence (because of our faith), it is not our place to doubt it. Time cannot fade the feelings that come from these experiences. Time cannot change the spiritual truths that are planted deep within our souls. We must not marvel at something so great. When we understand God's great love for us, it is to understand that it is part of the plan.

vs 50 greatness of the evidences - God gives us evidence daily. He helps us by giving us witness to our faith. Our faith cannot be without testing, nor can it be without evidence. A peach pit grows into a peach tree, but will only produce fruit if it has the right amount of cold, water, fertilizer and sunshine. When we plant our seed of faith, we too must learn to cultivate the correct amount of faith, experience, and belief so that we can bear fruit. If we just have sunshine and no water... if we just have water, sun and no cold, .. the evidence comes when we cultivate our faith through our belief.

vs 51 did lay down their weapons, hatred, traditions of their fathers.

What does it mean to have a real faith? What will become of us when we choose to believe in Jesus Christ. These people (like the people of Ammon) were convinced to the point of change that 1. quit war 2. quit hate 3. quit their father's traditions and 4 give back what they had taken.

I wonder if I could do the same? I wonder if I could believe with the same conviction. I wonder if angels came down (remember they spoke with Laman and Lemuel with no effect) and conversed with me, administered to me, and filled me with the power of the Holy Ghost would it change me forever? Yes.