Book of Mormon – Page 6 – Letters from Home

Be thou my vision

In the Book of Mormon, Jesus visits the people of the Americas. He teaches His gospel, and gives commandments, just as He did among the Jews. I like this verse,

“And ye see that I have commanded none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world; and whosoever breaketh this commandment suffereth himself to be led into temptation.” (3 Nephi 18:25)

Today, I thought about the words, “Come unto me that ye might feel and see.” This is an invitation to a tangible, sensory relationship for the people of the Americas who met him. I like to think it is also an invitation to anyone. As we come, He enhances our ability to feel and see.

He will help us feel His love for us and for others. He will increase our depth of feeling, so we can be better ministers to others and comprehend greater truths.

He will help us see beyond fears, pain, and limitations, and expand our vision for our existence.

As we give ourselves to Him through our obedience, He becomes our vision, the lens through which we see the world, and the heart and guide by which we feel the safe path through the darkness. I am thankful for a Savior who helps me to feel and to see a little better day by day.

Happy things today

A happy list today:

Negative Covid test results for a loved one

A sunflower in a vase beside my sink

My Christmas quilt is all quilted with gold swirls and I’ve attached the binding. It’s ready for hand sewing. This might be my favorite step.

New fabric on the pillows

Time spent in the Book of Mormon: I love that book.

Our kids have fun interests (classic cars, portraits, music composition, cooking, piano, woodworking, reading) and they are good company.

Richard is a good calculus tutor.

Rain is in the forecast.

My first issue of The Friend arrived today, after letting our subscription lapse for a few years after our kids left Primary. I have missed this church magazine!

I just watched the first episode of The Chosen series. I don’t think it’s very accurate but I really liked it, if for no other reason than it portrays biblical personalities as relatable people.

Emotional tool kit

I have done some work in the family’s bedrooms this week, and this video speaks to the feelings I have as I watch my children’s rooms change as they grow and leave home.

Seven months ago, before the pandemic impacted our lives, I had an idea to create an emotional tool kit, with physical objects to inspire and comfort. I wrote down a list on a post-it note, and began to move the note in my day planner, putting it off for another time. Maybe I was in denial. “Oh, I won’t need this,” or, “If I make it, something will happen that will make me need this.”

Then came new levels of isolation, earthquakes, uncertainty about the evacuation of missionaries, challenges from distance learning in schools, canceled plans, discomfort and disfigurement from abdominal surgery, and the secluded hospital stay. And so on.

I have been comforted, even without my little tool kit, no doubt about that. Still, this week, I remembered that I hadn’t compiled it, and decided it was time. It wasn’t difficult. I gathered things into an old hat box and slid it beneath my bed. Who knows if I will ever use it as I envision I might. If nothing else, it is a time capsule, and a reminder of my faith that comfort can be found in Christ, always.

The objects are small and have personal meaning. Some things are soft; others spur memories; on the bottom of the box are the scripture notes I have taken this year, which follow my 2020 spiritual journey even better than my journal. I tucked in a Michael Buble album that I love.

At times, everyone needs reminders that things are going to be okay.

If you are doing well, share your energy with others. If you are doing poorly, consider handling some physical reminders that Heavenly Father loves you and sent His Son for you. Allow the Spirit to bring joyful things to your remembrance. (John 14:26)

Angels are surely with you.

Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?
Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.
2 Nephi 32:2-3

And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also. Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned.
Alma 32:23

Today I am thankful for this newly baptized little eight-year-old who is already speaking the language of angels.

Wilderness and Plenty

Some thoughts and good words from studying the Book of Mormon lately:

The Lord didn’t command Nephi to build a ship until after an 8-year wilderness journey, followed by many days of rest in a bountiful place. You may be in the wilderness level of experience some days, focused on survival. There is value in the wilderness experience, and don’t be frustrated you are not asked to do creative tasks at this time. There will be a bountiful life ahead and creative endeavors to come. (1 Nephi 17:1-2, 6-8)

Even the simplest words, given in faith, can have great effect. (2 Nephi 3:20-21)

“Many shall be afflicted in the flesh, and shall not be suffered to perish, because of the prayers of the faithful.” (2 Nephi 6:11) The Lord is consistent throughout history: the prayers of the faithful bring help to all around. Keep praying for relief from Covid-19, for the gathering of Israel, and for softened hearts for mankind. Prayer is a work best done in isolation.

To the degree that I rely on the “sparks” kindled by others over the light that Christ offers, I need to repent. Seek his light above other philosophies and ideas. (2 Nephi 7:11)

Being separated from what you know is not to be “cast off.” The Lord leads the righteous to a better place. Focus on the blessings and opportunities from this isolating time. (2 Nephi 10:20)

“The Lord hath commanded … That they should not have malice, that they should not contend one with another…whoso doeth them shall perish.” (2 Nephi 26:22)

“He denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female…all are alike unto God.” (2 Nephi 27:33)

“They that erred in spirit shall come to understanding” (2 Nephi 27:35) Truth will not elude us forever, and we can be patient with one another as we do our best to figure things out right now.

God still rules the earth, not just the heavens. (2 Nephi 29:7)

Reception of the Holy Ghost brings the ability to SPEAK with the tongue of angels, not just receive from them. We should be active in speaking our faith wherever we are. To do this, we need to feast on the words of Christ so we know how to act in our own circumstances. (2 Nephi 32:2-3)

There is so much knowledge in plain sight in the Book of Mormon, but it takes searching to find. (2 Nephi 32:7)

You can be one of the “many who have many revelations daily” if you repent and if you have faith. (Jarom 1:4)

Losses and Gains

I am home from the hospital, feeling a little neglected because I am not awakened each morning at 3 or 4 am to stand on a scale and have my blood pressure checked. 😉

I have lost a length of my intestine. I have lost sleep, my appetite, and a lot of weight. But I have also lost a level of fear about this time, its isolation and uncertainty, and illness in general. People really do take care of one another. So, with all the losses, there are gains in perspective and understanding.

I am not able to focus on reading very well, so I have been reading my notes I took during my Book of Mormon study before my surgery. On the day I became ill, before I had any idea my life was about to change, I wrote these notes, under the caption of “Life Instructions during the Covid-19 pandemic”:

Remember God has delivered your ancestors. (Alma 36:2)
Trust God. You will be supported in this. (Alma 36:3)
The Atonement [of Christ] covers the harmful effects of [everything]. Let your mind catch hold on this thought: Christ’s mercy. He will make all this suffering better. He is that powerful. (Alma 36:14-18)

Sure things

There is nothing unique about my experience during this past week of cancellations due to COVID-19. I have watched my email folder fill up with messages from schools and church and made necessary adaptations. The boys are home, except when they go out to work or walk. My life stays largely the same, including my level of fear. During most of my adult life, I have regularly expected to catch each illness, die of sepsis from an abscessed tooth, or choke to death all alone… if a car accident didn’t take me first. I have similar fears for each family member. In other words, welcome to my world, world. The real weight of this time for me rests in the reality that Daniel is thousands of miles away, on another continent.

A few sure things to which I cling:

Our Father in Heaven knows where we are and exactly what we need.

Our Savior Jesus Christ knows the depth and breadth of our feeling.

The Father’s plan is never frustrated.

Angels minister to us.

The Holy Ghost never misspeaks or offends. He brings comfort, power, and direction. What an amazing friend and companion.

The Book of Mormon is dear and true. It has helped me through every challenge, my whole life, and it continues to help me now.

No one is unique in their struggles, and my struggles are not more valid than yours. But Sure Beings and the true things carry every one of us through, whether we have eyes to see or not. This I know.

The Book of Mormon and Mental Health

This is a post about how I read the Book of Mormon and some things I am learning. I don’t think my way is better than your way, but it works for me.

For personal study, I try to read a certain amount of time each day. I focus on one topic as I make one complete reading of the Book of Mormon. I don’t mark my scriptures much, but I read with paper and pen in hand to take notes on the topic. I write on loose leaf paper, folded in my scriptures, and when I finish the Book of Mormon, I staple the note pages together and use the notes when I need them. My notes include quotes from the Book of Mormon, but more often, the notes expand beyond the words on the page and reflect what I think the Spirit is teaching me. Over the years, my topics have ranged from the gathering of Israel to qualities of the Savior, and strategies for facing family challenges to forgiving others, and more.

Currently, my focus is, “What does the Book of Mormon teach about mental health?” Holy hand cramps, Batman, there is a lot about mental health in 1 Nephi.

A few of the mental health tips I have gained this week from Nephi:

Keep a record of goodness in your life. (1 Nephi 1:1)

Acknowledge the goodness of your parents above their flaws. (1 Nephi 1:1)

Create things with your hands. (1 Nephi 1:17)

Show courage in your beliefs. (1 Nephi 1:18)

Find evidence that God delivers us and write about it. (1 Nephi 1:20)

Did he mention that murmuring is a bad idea? (everywhere)

Be community minded. It’s not all about you. (1 Nephi 1:5)

Understand you won’t always know what to do, but you can trust that the Spirit will lead you if you are obedient. Also, keep moving even if you don’t know how to proceed. (1 Nephi 4:6-7)

Understand that sometimes it’s necessary to go through really unpleasant things. The difficulty you are facing now may be essential, and may help countless others. (1 Nephi 4:13)

Identify when you have misplaced blame for your own crisis on a loved one, and identify poor logic in your thinking. Be humble, apologize, and share what you have learned. (1 Nephi 5:2-6)

Seek out your genealogy. It will fill you with the Spirit. (1 Nephi 5:14-17)

Search, make use of resources the Lord has provided to inform you and help you. Hint: they are not just the scriptures. (1 Nephi 5:21)

Create goals and value statements, identifying your righteous purposes and live by them. (1 Nephi 6:4-6)

Press forward through the mist, and hold on to your faith. (1 Nephi 8:24)

Nurture humility, practice awe in God’s greatness, and proclaim truth. (1 Nephi 10:8)

All of us have things to overcome, including mental health challenges, and God has prepared a way for each of us. (1 Nephi 10:18)

When you don’t understand something, or why something has happened, push forward in your mind the knowledge that God loves his children. (1 Nephi 11:17)

The Atonement of Christ is necessary in a journey to better mental health. Don’t forget that one fruit of the Atonement of Christ is joy. (1 Nephi 11:22-23)

Believe that angels minister to you, and prepare you for healing in Christ. (1 Nephi 11:30-31)

No one escapes mists in which the devil seeks to tempt, blind, and harden. No one escapes some degree of misery, but having an overriding perspective that good will triumph can be helpful. (1 Nephi 12:17-18)

We don’t draw up the contract of how we will be acceptable to God. Crippling perfectionism, and dependence on self mastery alone cannot save us. We must look to the words of Christ to know the terms by which he helps us and saves us. (1 Nephi 13:41)

I don’t think Nephi set out to write about mental health, and if you look up the references to what I have written, you will see that the scriptures that inspired these thoughts are not really about mental health. But that’s the beauty of the Book of Mormon. It is a means to receive revelation for what we need right now.

What have you learned from the Book of Mormon recently? It doesn’t have to be about mental health. Truly, I would love to hear from you.

Joy, December 21

And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.
Alma 31:38

Thinking of our son today…and every day, hoping that his difficulties are covered by the joy of his message.

Joy, December 20

“…O have mercy, and apply the atoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be purified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who created heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.” And it came to pass that after they had spoken these words the Spirit of the Lord came upon them, and they were filled with joy, having received a remission of their sins, and having peace of conscience, because of the exceeding faith which they had in Jesus Christ who should come…
Mosiah 4:3-4

When I was very young, I remember putting this exact scripture to the test. I had done something wrong and I had confessed and tried to make things right. Then I prayed in my room and asked if I might feel this kind of joy, too. And I did.

I didn’t understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ very well back then, but I surely felt its effects. I think we’re all immature in our understanding of the Atonement of Christ, but we aren’t asked to comprehend it, but to have faith in it. This is the path to joy.