Passover, Blood Moons, Easter Sunday and Grandma

Not sure where to start this post.  It's the fourth of April.  The night after a blood moon.  The second day of Passover.  The night before Easter Sunday.  This year we've decided to try celebrating Jewish Holy Days, rather than ones with quasi-Christian influences.  Over the years I've heard bits and pieces of people suggesting that Christian holidays are really take-overs by Christians of Pagan ones, so after thinking about it, I settled to reason that their ideas were sound.  That maybe if Mormons believe they are adopted into the House of Israel, maybe I ought to become more familiar with these holy days, and how to celebrate them.  

I started by sharing this video with my husband and mother, both of whom would be influential in making any effort a success.  Without their support, I knew I'd have a high "fail" rate.  

It's short and sweet, and after watching it 3 times I felt I'd have a good idea on how to attempt to do this, even though there are many aspects that are quite nearly impossible for a modern family to achieve.  For example, how does one get the blood of the firstborn, unblemished lamb on their door posts?  I don't even know where I could buy lamb's meat, much less acquire blood.  So this video suggests simply painting on cardboard to simulate the idea.  We did that tonight.  And last night we did a "treasure hunt" for the leavened bread, hid throughout the living room.  My kids loved it so much they asked if we could do it again tonight!  haha!

Since Passover this year supposedly goes from April 3-11, we'll be doing little bits and pieces of the celebration over that time.  Today we participated in a Seder with a Jewish lady in the ward, and although the kids went a bit haywire (and I kinda lost my mind too), it was really enjoyable.  I feel confident I could try this on my own next year.  

Now that the kids are asleep and we're wondering if we ought to fill Easter Baskets, I began thinking of my grandma.  She was the only grandparent I really knew, as the other grandparents had passed either before I was born, or when I was very young.  She was devoutly Christian, in fact probably the most religious person I'd ever known.  If one could be called fanatical, she would be one.  I've heard stories of her taking the bible so literally as to "eat" the word, by tearing out pages of her scripture and eating them.  Gosh I love her.  What I would give to be able to sit down with her and share all the things I've learned over the last few years.  I would love to see her response.  Would she support my findings?  Would she oppose me, and call me a heretic?  She was one who searched for a restoration of God's church, following minister after minister.  She would stand up in church and bear her testimony, rather than walk up to the microphone.  This past Sunday I stayed home after recovering from Strep Throat, and heard that a brother stood up in his pew to bear his testimony, and didn't go up to the stand.  I told my mom that he must've been thinking of Grandma, because that's totally something she would do.  Considering it was Palm Sunday, even more something up her alley.  (As I write this, my husband just walked in with two Easter Lillies, which is exactly what she used to take in to church and set on either side of the pulpit on Palm Sunday.)  In fact, on Palm Sunday or Easter - whichever would be closest to Easter, she would typically go up to the pulpit and sing us a song.  A capella.  And usually she couldn't hear if she was off tune, so we just smiled and hoped she'd sit down now.  But what I would give to sing with her songs of praise.  I think she'd probably be the only one in the house I'd really feel comfortable singing with like that.

Also on Easter Sunday, Grandma would call up the phone operator at 6 am, and announce "He is Risen!"  She would wear her royal blue dress, and on one of her lapels she would pin a large white cross.  Sometimes they were jeweled, and sometimes made with paper and tape.  Easter was surely her favorite holiday.  For her it was truly a Holy Day, and for years it has been one for me too.  I have to wonder if she would approve of our consideration of Passover.  She loved the Jews, and one of the highlights of her life was her trip with my granddad to Jerusalem.  Years before she died she gave me a large picture book that she had as a memoir of her trip, and I still keep it as a cherished reminder of her.  Oh how I wish I could talk to her again, in her prime of her mind and coherence, and see what she makes of all the amazing things going on in the world today.  I have to wonder what she would say.  

Fittingly, her name was Mary.

1 Nephi 1:1-3

I, Jen, am starting the Book of Mormon again.  And I'm going to do my best to blog as much as possible about it.  Expect a lot of words.  Don't feel you have to read everything, but I invite you to join along.  I'll be sure to post about other things too, but I really have loved the 6 month challenge I just completed, and want to "jump back in the pool," so to speak, and blogging about my thoughts and ideas has really helped keep me focused and loving it.  So with a package of Mint Oreos next to me in my desk and a prayer in my heart, I begin. :)

Oh - but first - a disclaimer.  I am not a scholar.  I am not a student of historians who interpret and modify and make assumptions on scripture, mixed with history.  I am simply a reader, and seek inspiration to apply these verses to my life.  So I won't be making assumptions and telling what happened that isn't recorded in these verses.  I will simply be applying more depth to what I think the verses entail, and what the authors might be trying to express.  That's my intuitive goal–to get what the authors wanted me to get.  That said...

1 Nephi 1:1 -

I, Nephi, having been ^aborn of ^bgoodly ^cparents, therefore I was ^dtaught somewhat in all the learning of my father; and having seen many ^eafflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a ^frecord of my proceedings in my days.

I'm not sure how to start analyzing this in any comprehensive form, besides to share my thoughts.  

I find it interesting that the first word out of Nephi's mouth here is "I".  He's introducing himself to us.  Just like we would introduce ourselves if we were taking a new class, or meeting someone we wanted to talk to.  He's talking to us, so he says, basically, "Hi!  My name is Nephi."  (Ok, maybe it would be more like, "Hello," minus the exclamation point.  Or maybe, "I'm Nephi."  I don't know if he would be as excited as I am when I meet someone new.)  Anyways, beyond that, he tells us some basics. 

• I have good, decent, honorable parents.
• My father taught me some of what he knew.
• I've seen a lot of pain in my life.  I haven't been sheltered or lived in a bubble of bliss.
• Even so, God saw fit to bless me greatly.  In fact, He made evident His goodness and even taught me His mysteries.
• That's why I'm writing.  And it's only about my experience, in my lifetime.  I'll let others share their story when it's their time to do so.

1 Nephi 1:2 - 

Yea, I make a record in the ^alanguage of my father, which consists of the learning of the Jews and the language of the Egyptians.

Jen's translation: my dad was bilingual.  haha!  Just kidding.  I don't know if that means he spoke Egyptian but was taught Judiasm, or if that means he spoke both languages.  (One of my books already makes the assumption that he was bilingual.  If you look closely, it doesn't exactly say that.  Or maybe it does?)  But it does tell me that he knew of the "learning" of his father.  While it doesn't say what Nephi's father's profession was, since this book ends up being about God, I will assume he's talking about learnings of his father which were spiritual or religious in nature.  I conclude that to mean he was taught the law of Moses, which was practiced at that time (about 600 B.C.).  That also tells me he likely followed through and observed the law of Moses.  It means he respected the 10 commandments, he observed the law of the Sabbath, and respected life and loved God.  Their family likely participated in feasts of the Passover, offered animal sacrifice, and possibly participated in worshipping God in temples. In principle, Nephi tells us his parents were good, and that tells me they were likely loving and generous.  They were likely "religious", but also "spiritual".  (The two do not always equal each other.)  I can assume the "spiritual" part, in that God showed Nephi of his "goodness" and "mysteries", which He doesn't always do to the simply "religious".  There is a difference.

As far as the "language of the Egyptians", it would be interesting to fully understand the history of the region, and why the people in Jerusalem (where Nephi first lived at the beginning of this history) were speaking Egyptian.  This is where my ignorance shows through a bit.  But I'm not too concerned. 

1 Nephi 1:3 - 

And I know that the record which I make is ^atrue; and I make it with mine own hand; and I make it according to my knowledge.

 Jen's translation: 

• Nephi just testified that what he's about to share is true.  It's as if he's swearing under oath, in front of a court, hand on a Bible, that he is about to share the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help him God. :) 
• Nephi etched these things into metal plates with his own hand.  He also melded, molded, and shaped the plates with his own hands.  He found the ore, melted it down, and created these metal pages for the purpose of sharing these things with us.  Incredible.
• He shares only things that he knows.  There is no doubt involved that maybe he was hallucinating.  He isn't living and sharing other people's experiences.  Everything he shares, he experienced first hand.  And he knew it would be worth the time and effort to share it, because he knew his efforts would not be fruitless.  We would get to read his words, 2612 years after his history begins.   

These three verses are only part of the first page of this book, but what a ton of information they hold.  How fast I skim over things sometimes.  Already I know so much about Nephi and his parents.  I'm excited to learn more. 

And thank you for that introduction, Nephi!  It's nice to meet you.  Thanks for taking an interest in me and the people who get to read your words.

xoxo

p.s. - I wonder what Nephi and his parents look like.  Maybe I'll find some pictures to hypothesize.  That would be fun.