WALKING OR FLYING? THE CHOICE IS YOURS!

It is now New Year's Eve, 2020. I don't think anyone will be sad to see this year go.  Of course, I also don't think 2021 will be any better.

This past year we have been studying the Book of Mormon.  It has been really difficult because I can't read about the Nephites and Jaredites without seeing America falling off the same cliffs.  This year we will be studying the Doctrine and Covenants.  I am looking forward to the spiritual impact these reading will have.

I began the day by watching Taylor and Tyler from Book of Mormon Central. Tyler told a story of a ward of chickens.  

The Bishop was sad to see his ward members walking to and from Church every week.  One Sunday, he decided to teach them to fly.  After all, they are birds, aren't they?  All of the chickens flew around the chapel and the Bishop was happy.  After the closing prayer, all of the chickens left and walked home.  The moral of the story is easy to see.  It doesn't matter what we learn, if we don't make improvements in our lives as a result of what we have learned, then we really haven't learned anything.

NEW BEGINNINGS: HOW TO TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND IN SEVERAL, NOT-SO-EASY STEPS; #2 Hope

HOPE

When you allow the light to shine upon your life, one of the first things you will notice is all of things that need to change to get better.  It is easy to get discouraged, thinking that this process is beyond your ability to do. If you wallow in this kind of discouraging thought, it can lead to depression and even despair.  That is not what God wants for His child – you. The road we call life is going forward, even when the going gets tough.  I found this little quote online: The road that is built on hope is more pleasant to the traveler than the road built in despair, even though they both lead to the same destination.

That is why I want to talk about HOPE this week, but not just blind hope.  I want to talk about hope centered in Jesus Christ. He understands you even better than you understand yourself.  He can direct your steps – even provide miracles, if necessary – if you let Him.  That is where you place your hope. Together with faith and love, God can get your through whatever the challenge is.  President Nelson wrote: faith is rooted in Jesus Christ. Hope centers on His atonement. Charity is manifest in the pure love of Christ.  These three attributes are intertwined like strands in a cable. Together, they become our tether . . .. They say, when you come to the end of your rope, tie and knot and hang on.  That knot is the faith, hope, and love centered in Jesus Christ. Through Him and through His atonement, you can be forgiven of any sins or mistakes in your life. The prophet, Isaiah, wrote: Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as wool.

A wise person once wrote that hope can inspire dreams . . . but hope alone does not cause us to succeed.  Many honorable hopes have gone unfulfilled, shipwrecked on the reefs of good intentions and laziness. Praying is absolutely essential and absolutely not sufficient (to borrow a term from my high school math class.) You have to pray as if everything depends on God, then get off your knees and work as if everything depends on you. Hope in Jesus Christ is a verb, not a noun.

If I know that Christ died for my sins and that, through Him, I can be so totally forgiven that it is as if the sin never occurred, then I can have the strength to move forward, no matter what the trial.  The devil may whisper: you can’t withstand the storm; but you can answer: With hope in Christ, I can be the storm.

The prophet, Nephi, wrote: Wherefore, you must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men. Daily prayer and scripture study will help shine that brightness of hope even in the darkest corners of life.

Things to do: Each day this week, set aside a few minutes to read one of these references to our Savior. Put yourself in each situation, as if Christ was doing all of this just for you. Continue to pray daily.

1.     Sunday Jesus Christ was foreordained to be our Savior from before the world was created. (Abraham 3: 27)

2.     Monday Ancient prophets knew about Christ and prophesied of His coming. (Isaiah 9:6 is just one example)

3.    Tuesday We all have hope in Christ. (Moroni 7: 40-41)

4.     Wednesday We can be forgiven of all sin through repentance and the atonement of Jesus (Isaiah 1: 18)

5.     Thursday Believing in God is the first step toward hope (Ether 12: 4)

6.   Friday  Everyone is born with the Light of Christ to guide them when they feel lost (Moroni 7:16)

7.     Saturday Jesus outlined the path to Him in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 3-9) Jesus repeated His outline among the Nephites; He told them they would be blessed if they would come unto Him. (3 Nephi 12: 3-9)

NEW BEGINNINGS: HOW TO TURN YOUR LIFE AROUND IN SEVERAL, NOT-SO-EASY STEPS; #1 Honesty

A new year will soon be upon us, a time for traditional resolutions to improve oneself.  With the year we've all had, I don't think we should wait until January. Each week, I will post one of these not-so-easy steps together with a suggestion to do.  If we just think about it, but don't do anything about it, nothing will change. 

#1 HONESTY

Let’s face it: we all have our blind spots. Unfortunately, these can get in the way of our happiness.  If you want to be your best self, it will take some work.  The first step is HONESTY: admitting to yourself that there are some drastic changes needed in your life.

This chart is called the Johari Window.  It was created in 1955 by psychologists Joseph Luft and Harry Ingram. It is often used in self-help groups for people wanting to make their lives happier and more productive. I have used it in my counseling practice for years (although I originally thought Johari was a term used by an Indian guru!) The chart indicates areas of your life known to yourself and others, just to yourself, just to others, and unknown or subconscious.

The first quadrant is the open area. I try to spend a lot of time in this area because it is authentic and honest.

The second quadrant is the blind spot: things that others see in me that I don’t see in myself.

The third quarter is a façade or hidden self.  These are things I know about myself that I don’t share with anyone.

The final quarter is unknown to me or to others.  This quadrant is huge in so many people’s lives. This is the one that tends to get us in trouble. We perseverate dysfunctional behaviors because we don't understand from whence they come. It is difficult to improve on something we don't understand.

Here are some ways to use this matrix:

You can access the first box by being honest and transparent with others whenever appropriate.  Be selective here. Not everyone needs to know everything about you. But when you do choose to share, do so without guile or hypocrisy.

You access the second box by listening without becoming defensive to feedback from others.  Again, you don’t need to listen to everyone because each person has his/her own agenda, but you should listen to that handful of people who truly love you and have your best interest at heart.

The third is like a mask you wear.  Sometimes, wearing the mask is appropriate for self-protection.  The trick is knowing when to take it down. When I was working, my mask was “cheerful, competent Kathy.” Underneath was a lot of anger.  I had to take care when and how I dealt with the anger.

Most people feel that the unknown self is inaccessible.  I’m here to tell you that it is accessible: it is known to God. In order for you to profit from this knowledge, you need to work on a consistent and close relationship with Jesus Christ.  He will tell you what you need to know, when you need to know it, and how you need to hear it so that you can accept it.  He is incredibly patient and merciful and He won’t overload you all at once.  The few examples where He did so included Alma the Younger in the Book of Mormon; the Apostle Paul in the New Testament; and the prophet, Jonah in the Old Testament.

Things to do: Pray daily. Begin by being honest with yourself and others.  Be honest with God.  If you are prayerful – at least once a day – He can guide you by the Light of His spirit. Be prepared to hear things from yourself, others, and God that are difficult to hear. Difficult, even painful, but necessary for growth and joy. 

And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness.  I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them. (Ether 12: 27)

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson December 2020                                                                                                                                                                 

GOD'S MESSENGER - Malachi

In the Book of Malachi* in the Old Testament, the Lord asks and then answers questions relating to His relationship with Israel.  After He warns of a burning at His coming, He asks who will be purged by a refiner's fire and fuller's soap.  His answer? - The proud and they that do wickedly.

Why did He accentuate the sin of pride and lump all of the other sins - some extremely heinous - in one category?  I think it is because, according to C.S. Lewis, Pride is the father of all the other sins. I agree.

My question for the Lord is this: How do I walk that fine line between purging pride without also scouring my sense of self? Jesus was humble and meek, yet He never questioned that He was the Great I Am. Can I do that?

I'm open to any answers.

* Just learned that in Hebrew, the word malachi means God's messenger. His name is who he was.

IS ANYBODY THERE? DOES ANYBODY CARE?

Somehow, in the past few years, I lost myself.  I've done it before and it usually turns out to be a blessing because of the spiritual and emotional growth I experience finding myself again.  In 1983, a year after my husband died, I went to BYU for the summer term and walked the streets of Provo for hours every Sunday.  I wondered to myself, "What am I looking for?" and I realized I was looking for me.  Somehow, in 20 years of marriage, I lost myself to Carmon's dream. It took months and years before I felt like Kathleen.

I've done the same thing again - lost myself.  Again, my life has been about someone or something else - my sister, my friend, my school.  When I moved away from my mountain home in 2016, I essentially lost all of those things and I lost myself in the bargain.

What has made it more complicated is that health problems, physical and emotional, have brought on an accelerated aging which makes it hard for me to do what I did almost forty years ago.  I can't walk for hours - or drive - or work.  I spent the past two years almost housebound. I had brain surgery last August to address the physical issues, but it didn't heal them or correct them.  I have lost my independence and I don't think I'm getting it back anytime short of heaven.

I don't know what to do next.  When Carmon died in August 1982, I got "stuck." Where he's concerned, he is still 42 years old and I'm 37.   I'm now 76 and my body and mind know it. 

I'm stuck in 2016 and grieving.  How do I find me again when the me I am now cannot be the me I was then?

I am giving my sorrow words.  Is anybody there? Does anybody care?

ADVENT SUNDAYS

 

There are only 4 Sundays until Christmas. Tuesday is December 1, the time to start your advent calendar. This year, Advent Sundays begin on November 29.

Early Christians had a special advent calendar.  It involved lighting a candle on every Sunday before Christmas and talking about Jesus Christ and the example He set for us. It was taken from ancient pagan rituals of Europe and, like many other of our Christmas traditions, were borrowed and used to teach Christian principles.  

I have borrowed the candle idea to teach my family about Jesus, beginning even before He was born.  Many critics argue that there is "too much Jesus before Jesus" in the Book of Mormon, but as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I understand that Jesus has lived from everlasting to everlasting (see Moroni 7:22) He was the foreordained Savior in the very beginning, before the world was even created.

We all lived as spirit children with our Heavenly Father.  Father had a plan for us; He would create a world where we could come to get bodies.  He would give us our agency, which meant we could choose right or wrong.  He wouldn’t force us.  He knew that we would sometimes make wrong choices.  We would need someone to Save us.  He called us all together in a great council and explained His plan.  He asked for volunteers to take the important role of Savior.  His son, Jehovah, said He would go down and follow the Father’s plan. Another son, Lucifer, said he would go down and do things his own way.  He would take away our agency and use force.  He said he would save us all, but that he wanted all the glory and power of the Father.  Heavenly Father chose the first.  The second son became so angry, that he rebelled and caused a war in Heaven.  He and all of the spirits who followed him were cast out.

Jehovah used Heavenly Father’s plan and created the world in which we live.  He created Adam and Eve, our first parents.  Satan (for that is who Lucifer became) tried to ruin Father’s plan by tempting Eve.  What he didn’t realize (because he didn’t know the mind of God) was to move the plan forward. God told Satan that he might be able to bruise mankind’s heels, but that one day, a man would crush his head.  That was the first recorded prophecy about the coming of a Savior.

Each of the four candles in the outside of the ring, represents one of the four Sundays before Christmas. The lighting of the candles is, therefore, a form of countdown to Christmas. It helps focus our attention (particularly children's attention) on the Savior at Christmas.

The first candle is for hope.  We all have hope for the future because of Jesus Christ.  All of the ancient prophets knew that He would keep His promise and come atone for our sins, die, and be resurrected.  Here are just three of those prophecies from the Old Testament and examples from Jesus’ life in the New Testament that to show how He fulfills the prophecy. There are many other examples.

Isaiah 7:14 -Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel (God with us.)

Luke 1: 26, 27, 31 – And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee, named Nazareth, to a virgin espoused to a many whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. . . And, behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name JESUS.

Matthew 1: 23 – Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

Micah 5: 2 – But thou, Bethlehem, . . . though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

Luke 2: 1, 4-5 – And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. . . And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judah, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. . .

Isaiah 9:6 – For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Luke 2: 6-7 – And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

 

The Book of Mormon prophets also foretold the coming of Jesus. 

1 Nephi 11: 14, 15 - And it came to pass that I saw the heavens open; and an angel came down and stood before me; and he said unto me: Nephi, what [do you see?]

And I said unto him: A virgin, most beautiful and fair above all other virgins.

Alma 7:10 -. . . he shall be born of Mary, . . . she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring for a son, yea, even the Son of God.

Hope of Israel

You can search for others at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

THE LION HAS ROARED

I love the Old Testament!  When I taught Gospel Doctrine class (several different times in several different wards) I really loved teaching Old Testament. While it is not always easy to understand, it does form the foundation for the entire story of God's dealing with His people, particularly Israel.  As such, I've been watching the Old Testament scripture discussions on BYUtv.  

Last week, they were discussing the Prophet Amos.  Amos prophesied from approximately 792 to 740 B.C. in the days of Uzziah, king of Judah, and Jeroboam, king of Israel. He was from a small town just south of Jerusalem in the Kingdom of Judah, but he was called as a prophet to the Kingdom of Israel.  Talk about your foreign missions!  It was a dangerous calling in a way because Israel and Judah were politically at odds.  Israel and Syria had formed an alliance to defy Assyria (the big bully on the block) and had asked Judah to join the alliance.  Uzziah had refused, so the allies had turned on Judah. But the Lord's patience was growing short. Amos wrote: Behold, I am pressed under you, as  cart is pressed that is full of sheaves (Amos 2: 13) - an ancient Hebrew way of God's saying "This is the last straw, Israel!"

Israel's time to destruction was short.  The Lord warned them again so that when calamity struck, they could not say, "But you didn't tell us this was going to happen!" That is the context in which Amos wrote: Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. (Amos 3:7)

God wasn't keeping any secrets.  He wasn't whispering.  Amos wrote: The Lord will roar from Zion. . . (Amos 1: 2, emphasis added) He reminded Israel that they were His people and that He had blessed them above all the nations of the earth. They should be walking with Him, but they had turned away. Can two walk together, He said, except they agree? (Amos 3:2)

Amos then described that if a lion is roaring, there must be prey; if a bird is ensnared, there must have been food in the trap. Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not [known] it? (See Amos 2: 3-6)

God had spoken to his prophets.  They had warned Israel repeatedly to turn away from her sins and repent.  By the time Amos was teaching, the lion hath roared . . .. (Amos 3:8) He asks: "Why aren't you afraid?"

~ ~ ~

The lion has roared again. Prophets have warned of great tribulation if the people won't repent.  9-11 was a huge wake-up call.  This pandemic is a huge wake-up call.  All of the storms and fires and famine are wake-up calls.

America, are we awake yet?

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson November 2020

O, JERUSALEM; O, YE FAIR ONES; O, YE AMERICA - HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

Have you ever had a dream that you knew was significant, but when you tried to tell someone else or, worse, write it down, it came out as confusing?  Whenever I read the Apostle John's remarkable Apocalyptic Revelation, I think about that. Just as Jesus taught in parables while He was alive, so He - as Jehovah - taught with symbolic visions.  

By stark comparison, the Book of Mormon has got to be one of the most plain and precious books ever written. I love the Book of Revelation and have done the spiritual work of seeking an understanding, but even the uninitiated can see the future played out before their eyes in the Book of Mormon.  The Jaredites and the Nephites are types and shadows of our nation - indeed the world - today. This artist's rendition of the last battle of Cumorah shows me he, too, made the comparison.

Studying the Book of Mormon has been difficult for me in many ways. Each chapter I read was as relevant as the latest political post on social media or on the morning news. I feel the depth of Mormon's sorrow as he said, "Oh, ye fair ones . . .;" just as Jesus once said, "Oh, Jerusalem, Jerusalem. . .." My heart often aches as I think, "Oh, America, America . . .!" 

The Lord of the Vineyard lamented, "What more could I have done. . .?" What more could He have done for this nation? There are only two nations in the history of the world that were founded on the principles of the Lord and with His power: Ancient Israel and America.  Israel failed Him and paid a terrible price at Samaria, Jerusalem, and Cumorah.  Will we also fail Him?  I pray with Paul, "God, forbid."

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson November 2020

LIVING IN THIS WICKED TIME or WHY I AM CHOOSING TO STAY ON FACEBOOK (for now)

I think it was Charles Dickens who said, "It was the best of times; it was the worst of times." That describes our day perfectly.  Satan's minions are flaunting and celebrating their evil spoils while the gospel is being preached and Israel gathered for the last time before the Savior comes again. But our times are not unique in that this battle between good and evil has been raging since before the creation of the world.

How do those who love the Lord and whose hearts are set on His righteousness act when surrounded by wickedness?  I think there are few better examples than the prophets, Mormon and Moroni. Mormon never knew peace and neither did his son.  They were born into war and wickedness, but they were called and set apart by Jesus Christ as His witnesses and historians to chronical that wicked time for the benefit of future generations.

I have always been moved by the words of Moroni. Even though my trials can't compare to Mormon's of Moroni's, I can relate to them because I, too, live in a world filled with evil and, because of my long widowhood, I have experienced what it feels like to be alone.

And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.

And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.

Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not. (Mormon 8: 2-4)

Now I, Moroni, . . . had supposed not to have written more, but I have not as yet perished; and I make not myself known to the Lamanites lest they should destroy me.

For behold, their wars are exceedingly fierce among themselves; and because of their hatred they put to death every Nephite that will not deny the Christ.

And I, Moroni, will not deny the Christ; wherefore, I wander whithersoever I can for the safety of mine own life. (Moroni 1: 1-3)

I, too, will not deny the Christ.  Many of my family and friends are leaving Facebook because of their liberal censorship of all that is good, but I will stay there and continue to witness of Christ is word and picture.  If that offends the "politically correct" than let it offend them.  I will not deny the Christ, even by omission.

Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. (Mark 8: 34)

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson November 2020

4TH NEPHI - A BOOK OF EXTREMES

 The short book of 4th Nephi is - or should be - a primer for our times.  They achieved a Zion society of perfect happiness that lasted more than 200 years.  They then began to be lifted up in pride and they divided into groups.  That led them in a short matter of time into total apostasy and total destruction.

Here is an exercise I found online.  It is a mind map of those things in 4th Nephi that give insight into how they created Zion.  I want to do this with my family.

TITLE OF LIBERTY

When Captain Moroni raised the Title of Liberty, there was a significant sub-group of Nephites who refused to serve to save their own nation and culture. I see this happening now.  People appear to be ignorant of the dire consequences this nation faces with liberal leadership (or lack thereof).  My driver told me yesterday that she was voting for Biden because he was the lesser of two evils.  Trump, she said scares her. He is unhinged.

I wanted to educate her right there in the car!  The media has portrayed our president in the worst possible light.  Unhinged? Not on your tintype granny!  I had a plethora of things I wanted to tell her, but I just said I disagreed.  Biden won't be her president even if elected: Harris will be.  And if Harris is, we will be Venezuela before her first term is over.

LET GOD PREVAIL

 

In the book of Genesis, we read about three great patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  With the help of his mother, Jacob had deceived his father into giving him the birthright blessing, even though he was the second-born twin.  In their defense, Rachel had received a vision telling her that she carried two nations in her womb and that the second was to rule over the first.  She knew God wanted Jacob to receive the birthright.  Also of note is the fact that Esau, the first-born twin, had married outside the covenant and was not living a righteous life.  He sold his birthright to his brother for pottage which showed the level of his regard for it. Nevertheless, once the blessings were pronounced and Esau became aware of his brother's deceit, he was wroth and sought out his brother to destroy him.  Jacob fled his brother's wrath. In the course of his journey, he had two remarkable experiences.  One was a dream in which he saw angels on a golden ladder coming down from and going into heaven.  The other experience changed his life.

The Bible talks about Jacob wrestling an angel, but I personally believe that this was symbolic of Jacob's struggle with God. As the birthright son, he had responsibilities.  Not only was he temporally responsible for his mother and family, but he was spiritually responsible for bearing the promises of the Abrahamic Covenant.  I think his struggle was reconciling his current life with the expectations of his calling. 

The final outcome was the renewal of God's covenant with his grandfather, Abraham.  Just as God had changed Abram's name to Abraham as a token of the covenant, so, too, He changed Jacob's name.  The name Jacob means usurper.  The new name God gave him was Israel. I learned in Conference that Israel means prevail, referencing, I'm sure, Jacob's prevailing, by accepting God's will for him.

I find it interesting that Israel's name meant let God prevail and that the descendants of Esau have taken the name of Islam with means submit to God's will. A Muslim is one who submits to God's will.  An Israelite is one who allows God's to prevail. Hmmm?

I like that.

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson October 2020

NON-NEGOTIABLE

This Protestant Pastor Preaches Non-Negotiables

Today on Facebook I saw a post done by a Catholic priest in Maryland.  He talked about our freedoms and how he wasn't going to tell anyone for whom they should vote.  He said that differences of opinion about things like climate can be discussed and negotiated.  BUT, he went on, there are some things that are non-negotiable to believing Christians of all faith:

• The sanctity of human life
• The sanctity of marriage
• Religious freedom.

Non-negotiables

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always strived to be politically neutral and has, instead, encouraged its members to study the issues and the candidates and vote prayerfully.  But there are exceptions.  These exceptions are the same three non-negotiables mentioned by Father Edward Meeks.  When there are issues surrounding abortion, marriage other than one man to one woman, and religious freedom, they encourage members to stand up and speak out.

I have heard Latter-day Saints say they won't vote for our current president for a variety of reasons.  There is even a group of Mormon's out there who are openly opposing the president (led by a former BYU professor.)  Quite frankly, that confuses me.  What is their alternative? For whom will they vote?  The only viable other choice is the Democratic ticket.  I Googled third-party candidates and found no one who has a snowball's chance of being elected.  A vote for one of them takes away a vote from the one electable candidate who supports traditional marriage, religious freedom, and denounces abortion.

I am not voting for Donald Trump. He comes across as arrogant.  But I am voting for his platform which includes the non-negotiables.  I've studied the Democrat's platform and listened to their candidates and I hear voices in the background as if from the War in Heaven.  Under what "inspiration" do they derive their stance.? As a Christian, I cannot in good conscience vote for that platform or for the man and woman representing its tenets.

I'll end with this: In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children . . . (Alma 46:12)

Write that on your coat and hang it on a pole.

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson October 2020

IF YE ARE PREPARED YE SHALL NOT FEAR

Another theme that was prevalent in last weekend's Conference was that of preparedness.  It pleased me that speakers spoke of both spiritual and emotional preparedness as well as physical preparedness.  It seems that in years past when anyone spoke of being prepared, it normally meant food storage, but the emotional and spiritual preparedness are even more vital.  Several years ago, I was asked by a neighboring ward in Snowflake to speak at their preparedness fair on just that topic. You may have a trial or crisis arise that won't require you to dip into you year's supply, but I can't think of the trial or crisis that doesn't require you to rely on your spiritual power and emotional strength.

Our recent experience with this pandemic is a perfect example.  While many people lost employment and had financial challenges, some requiring using stored food, everyone had to deal with the emotional trauma of the event. I belong to a Facebook group called Worldwide United.  People post prayer requests in the same way we used to have names put on the temple prayer roll. The response is HUGE!  I cannot read them all - I don't even try - but of the ones I do read, a significant percentage of them deal with such topics as depression and despair.  If someone's emotional well is shallow, a crisis such as brought on by COVID could deplete it.  The ongoing nature of the shut-down, with no end in sight, can wear down even the heartiest souls.

I believe the greatest thing we need to prepare and the one we will have to draw upon daily is spiritual strength.  An unwavering testimony of Jesus Christ, when coupled with a personal disciple's relationship with Him can take us through many storms.  I love to remember that He is in charge, that the cause of truth will eventually win, and that He will come again.  I need to keep my spiritual lamp full of oil so that I will be prepared when He does.

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson October 2020

GOD WAS NOT CAUGHT UNAWARE - SHALOM

Someone posted: "I wonder which chapter of the Book of Revelation we're going to be living today?" Signs of the times? - We're here!  In light of this, I especially loved Conference.  I noticed several themes.  One of those comforting themes was that the current state of affairs that seems so meaningless and chaotic is neither.  It is all part of God's plan. He is moving forward with the gathering of Israel preparatory for His second coming.

I contrast this spirit to the spirit of fear so pervasive all around us.  Even the great Christian gathering in Washington, D.C. the weekend before had an atmosphere of fear and high tension. While I agree with the message that America is living out Israel's fate and is in danger of the judgment without sincere repentance everywhere, I also don't expect to see that repentance.  Those who need it most are those who, like the Pharisees, think they need it least. They have made secularism their new religion and causes their new gods. The irony this has created is mindboggling.  Go green and stop global warning, but, by-the-way, it's okay to kill unborn (and even newly born) infants.  Save the whales and kill the babies.  Those who think this way are not the ones listening to the call to repentance!

General Conference was uplifting in that it underscored that God is in charge and this is His plan which we see unfolding.  While we will not be spared tribulation, God will uphold us in tribulation.  One of my favorite quotes was when Elder Uchtdorf said: "There are still a lot of unknowns about this virus. But if there is one thing I do know, it is that this virus did not catch Heavenly Father by surprise.  He did not have to muster additional battalions of angels, call emergency meetings, or divert resources from the world-creation division to handle an unexpected need . . .. though this pandemic is not what we wanted or expected, God has prepared His children and His Church for this time."

I have a testimony that this is true.  When the Church introduced home-based gospel study, complete with a curriculum and other resources in 2019, many of us wondered why.  Wasn't the current model working?  But after a year of using it, we were prepared when the world shut down and sheltered at home, beginning in March.  Our family slipped into have Sacrament meeting at home like a hot knife slips into soft butter. Did the Lord prepare us for this time? He certainly did.

Elder Uchtdorf went on to say "We will endure this, yes.  But we will do more than simply grit our teeth, hold on, and wait for things to return to the old normal. We will move forward . . .."

President Nelson talked about living the "new normal" and advised us "not to spin our wheels in memories of yesterday. The gathering of Israel moves forward.  The Lord Jesus Christ directs the affairs of His Church and it will achieve its divine objectives"

He cautioned that "the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice and to use our energy to help gather Israel."

"Our ultimate security comes as we yoke ourselves to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ? Life without God is a life filled with fear.  Life with God is a life filled with peace."

May your life be filled with Shalom.

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson October 2020

WOULD YOU LISTEN? WOULD YOU OBEY?

If you received a text tomorrow that said: "Adam is coming to address his children on Saturday," would you go? 

If Enoch invited you to join his people in Zion, would you listen?

If Noah warned that the world would be destroyed if the people didn't return to God, would you repent and get on the ark?

Would I find blood on your door posts and lintels after a visit with Moses? Would you look upon the brazen serpent?

Since the beginning of time, God has called good men as prophets to carry His word to the people. A sincere reading of the Bible and the Book of Mormon will teach that while a few people listened, most did not.  Many readers say to themselves, "Were I there, I would listen and obey."  But would they? Would you?

200 years ago, a young boy prayed to understand what God wanted of him.  He prayer was answered in a most astonishing way.  Joseph Smith listened and he obeyed.  Through him, the Church of Jesus Christ was restored in its fullness upon the earth.  He, like others before him, was a prophet of God.

Since that time, they has been an unbroken line of priesthood authority leading and guiding Christ's Church.  Today, we have 15 apostles and prophets doing just that.  This weekend, we have the opportunity to hear God's word through them.

Will we listen?  Will be obey?  

WATCHMEN ON THE TOWER

Last Saturday, I wrote a post about Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.  It is the first of the sacred fall feasts of Israel.  It is sometimes called the Feast of the Trumpets because it is heralded in by the blowing of the Shofar, the rams horn trumpet. The blowing of the Shofar ushered in the fall holy days.  It also sounded a warning to Israel to return to her God.

The Prophet Ezekiel wrote of the Lord placing watchmen upon the tower (Ezekiel 33: 1-7).  Because of his higher elevation on the tower, the watchman could see the danger afar off, long before anyone living in the city was aware.  When he saw the enemy approaching, he sounded the alarm by blowing on the Shofar.

The Feast of the Trumpets sounds as a warning to Israel that they need to prepare.  They need to look into their own souls for any thought, word, or behavior that is out of line with the will of the Lord.  Rosh Hashanah then ushers in the 10 Days of Awe; a time of repentance and turning, away from the world and toward God.

This feast of Israel is of special significance to the founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After four years of waiting, on September 21, 1827, the ancient prophet Moroni allowed the Prophet Joseph Smith to take possession of the Gold Plates.  That year, September 21 marked the beginning of Rosh Hashanah. A new watchman had been called to the tower and his receiving God's word fell as observant Jews around the world were sounding the warning on the Shofar: repent and prepare for Yom Kippur - the Day of Atonement.  Joseph's calling, and that of latter-day prophets who follow him, is the same: repent.  We are to prepare for the Second Coming of He who gave His life in the Ultimate Day of Atonement.

Moroni and Rosh Hashanah

This year, Yom Kippur falls on Monday, September 27. Five days later, on October 3 and 4, Latter-day Saints and others have the opportunity to hear fifteen modern Watchmen on the Tower.  General Conference in April was one such as had never been before.  I have faith that this October Conference will likewise be of utmost important.  

We have all seen the signs.  We know the fate of this nation and the world will be impacted by what happens in America on November 3,  2020.  Let us listen to our called and anointed Watchmen on the Tower and heed their words.  Let us strengthen our relationships with Jesus Christ.  Let us renew our faith.  Let us take stock and repent of anything out of harmony with God's teachings.  Let us seek to more fully align our wills with God's. In so doing, let us pay strict heed to Gods apostles and prophets.  Let us pray for our nation.

© Kathleen Rawlings Buntin Danielson September 2020