Earth Should Pass Away

After Alma was led to Amulek, and after a space of time where Alma spent blessing Amulek's home, they "went forth and began to preach and to prophesy unto the people" (Alma 8:32).  Mormon includes five whole chapters of their preaching to the people, specifically of Ammonihah.  This is aprox. the same size of the book of Jacob.  It is longer than the book of Moroni.  The sermons last about 18 pages long.  

Two verses into their preaching, we learn of the first objections of the people of Ammonihah.  What were Alma and Amulek teaching that was so contrary to their beliefs?  In as soon as verse 2 of Alma 9, we find out: 

"Who art thou?  Suppose ye that we shall believe the testimony of one man, although he should preach unto us that the earth should pass away?"

Who are you, Alma?  You think we should believe your single, solitary word?  Why should we believe you?  Where's your authority?  You're not coming through the proper "chain".  You look awfully weak, don't you?  Why should we listen to what you say.  We can pretty much count on knowing that you're a wack-job who is going to suggest we drink some kool-aid.

And you're preaching that the earth should pass away?  Whoa, whoa!  Next you're probably going to say your god will destroy this city.  Let's laugh at you.

So the folks did not believe Alma, and objected at his simple nature, but also thought his concept of the earth being destroyed was mock-worthy.

Question: if someone came to you and told you the earth should pass away, in all seriousness, would you believe them?  Do you believe the earth will pass away?  That it will die?  What does that even mean?

"We believe ... that the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory." - Articles of Faith 10 

What does that mean?  We have little to no concept, really, of what Alma was talking about.  It was a big enough of a deal that Alma taught it to these stiff-necked, hardened people.  And he taught enough about it that they objected to it, and it is the first of their objections.

To be honest I know very little about what particulars will happen when the earth dies and is renewed.  Does this only refer to it being burned at the Lord's coming?  Later in this chapter we receive quite a warning about the Lord's coming, although frequently when I have read it, I presumed it was about his First Coming.  But when looking closer, Alma points out when he comes, it will be in great glory.

"And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers.  And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name." - Alma 9:26-27 

He is referring to his Second Coming.  The whole of this chapter is a warning to us, not just the people of Ammonihah.  We frequently say that Mormon and Moroni saw our day.  That Nephi warns us in our day too.  Right here we have evidence that Alma, too, saw our day.  It's pretty phenomenal.

Despite the fact that the passing of the earth appears to be a largely lost doctrine, really the bottom line is that Christ comes to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance.  We must have faith on HIS name.  I believe this is different than simply being baptized to join a church.  While that might be important to fit into a community or social structure, being baptized to repentance has much greater weight.  When we place the focus on baptism solely to join a group, that is mal-placed; there it is ill-defined.  If God knows the intents of our hearts, and our heart simply intends to show gratitude for people who accept us into their social circles, that is different, I believe.

If you have been baptized, was the intent of your heart to give it to God, to have a complete change of heart?  Or was it to show your teachers that you appreciate them?  Currently I have a nephew serving a mission, and he bears testimony with great power.  There is electricity in the room.  Then the question becomes if the person will accept marriage, chastity, abstinence or some other prohibition as well.  This is all well and good, but will not the change in behavior be a natural result of true repentance?  Must we act as gate-keeper to the kingdom?

I love that Alma simply taught truth.  He had a LOT of it.  But like other prophets who see our day, they repeat that the bottom lines are very, very simple.  Faith on his name.  Baptism unto repentance.  And if we're lucky, we learn some of the mysteries of the kingdom along the way. 

Death of a Friend

Yesterday a longtime friend of the family underwent a double mastectomy.  For those unfamiliar with medical speak, that meant that the tissue held within the breasts are removed, the breast skin sealed up, and sometimes implants are later used to replace the tissue.  It is a very painful process.

Two days ago, when I heard the news about yesterday's surgery, I also happened to unpack a box of things that had been in storage for over a year and a half.  Stuffed in the box was a pink breast cancer awareness shirt I had received as a gift from a different friend, nearly three years ago when she got diagnosed with breast cancer.  She purchased a pink shirt with the classic pink ribbon, only this one had a heart drawn with the ribbon.  She had given one to me and several other friends in her tight circle of friends.  We watched and journeyed with her through her own double mastectomy, reconstructive surgery, and healing.  I remember sitting in the hospital room as she awoke from the anesthesia, and her bedroom from time to time through her healing.  Calling it painful and arduous would be an understatement.

Karol Truman writes that cancers of the female organs are indicative of many core issues.  Some big ones are "unresolved resentments", "holding onto deep anger, resentment, hate, revenge or jealousy", or "not open to 'light' or divine help" (Feelings Buried Alive Never Die, p.235).  In my Connective Tissue courses in massage school, we learned that the chest/heart area was responsible for issues of the "heart".  (duh- lol!)  In one instance, the instructor placed her left hand on my heart under the drape, and simply told me with her eyes to "let go".  It was as if something magical happened, because I could feel all sorts of pain rushing through, being released.  I had instant tears, and didn't even quite know why.  Too bad everyone can't go to massage school – that kind of bodywork is priceless.

Regardless of the conscious or subconscious cause of breast cancer, yesterday I had cause to reflect, being so greatly reminded of the old friend (via the shirt), and the cancer of both women, and where I have been in the two years since the death of the woman who gave me the shirt.  She's very much among the living, I presume, but the friendship is deceased.  In so many ways, her passing instigated the changes in me that have taken place ever since; they have been deep and will be longer lasting than the friendship was.  

The breast contains and protects the heart.  My heart was completely broken, smashed to smithereens, and then rebuilt by God himself.  There is no other way to explain it.  It had to happen, because I would not allow for change otherwise, and openly admitted such.  I refused to move away from the woman, would never reject her phone calls, and put our visits and gatherings above the needs of my children and family, and unless the friendship was demolished, I would have stayed and stewed in Utah Valley quite possibly for the rest of my life.  When I write so frequently in my posts here about idol worship, it hits so powerfully home to me, because I was the worst of the worshipers of this graven image of a goddess.

When the friendship was smashed with an iron rod, I was gently given a pillar to lean on.  I received a blessing from God through a friend, which warned me of the dissolving of the friendship, and the opening of my heart, the pain, the tears, and the healing and metamorphosis that would take place.  In the two years since the woman wrote me a long, horridly horrifying letter, I have "shifted" in ways formerly unimaginable, such that I doubt she would recognize me, were we to talk again.  And I have no desire for her to recognize me, because I no longer worship her.

I bear no ill will, and I was actually able to wear that shirt yesterday, with a prayer in my heart for both women struck by breast cancer.  Other times when I had seen the shirt in the box, I could hardly touch it, and preferred to leave it sit there until I had the gumption to throw it away, burn it, or donate it.  Somehow, I was able to put it on my body, and my heart felt nothing but gratitude.

Without her, I would not have been so openly introduced to so many people who taught me so many wonderful things.  I hate to give her too much credit, but I would not have been introduced to energy work.  I would likely have never met my close friend and mentor, who cared to teach me muscle testing, and the cascading effects that have come from that:  I would not be a massage therapist.  I would not be working with doTERRA as a business.  I would not be rubbing shoulders with people in my upline and downline who I truly love and cherish with my entire soul, because from them too I have learned so much.  I would not have a "downline", because there was no chance in hail that I would've grown a business with it had I stayed in Utah, and I left Utah to get away from any chance of ever seeing her or her "circle" again.  I would not have 10 awesome brother-sister-friends from massage school.  I would not have a massage business in my home.  I would not be working from home.  I would not have picked up various books that are now my go-to sources for spiritual education.  I am eternally indebted and thankful for the once friendship, and two year old death of a friendship, which has changed my life.

The leaves fall
The tree waits
For a new beginning
It held all along within 

Bad News, Superman

My little boy just woke up from his nap.  I gave him a cookie, and he wanted a second.  When I wouldn't give him another one, he climbed on my leg and started hollering.  When I got the chance to peel him off, I decided to catch a few seconds on film.

(It's really not a funny video.  I think it seemed funnier to share it than it actually is.  Sorry.  And I don't blame him.  Thin Mints are really worth crying over sometimes.)

This afternoon I found out that one of my favorite uncles passed away.  I was never too close to any of my extended family, due to living several hours apart.  But this one kept a soft place in my heart. 

He had spent the last decade dealing with the effects of a stroke.  Unable to speak, besides saying "no" and a few other sounds, he really struggled during these later years.  Despite the affects of his stroke, I'll never forget how he asked me to dance the night I was married.  He couldn't talk, but he danced with me anyways, before someone else cut in a few bars into the song.  I always wished I would've asked the relative cutting in to let me finish the song with him.

I know that my uncle is likely enjoying his new-found speech, and all the other capabilities which the stroke stripped him of, years ago.  But I kinda want to have my own tantrum, to include lying on the floor, kicking, and refusing to get up, for just a short minute. 

On the bright side, from what I understand, angles and spirits really have it good sometimes.  Like, some serious "Superman" capabilities.

I want superpowers.

I want to be able to fly!  To fly around the world in a millisecond, and not have to care about relocating a household of goods via truck.  I could go wherever I wanted and return just as fast to my temporal supplies, as needed.  Cool!

I want x-ray vision, to see through the veil.  I just read how the brother of Jared (Ether 3:19) could not be kept from seeing beyond the veil, because he knew that if he believed, the Lord would show him anything.  I'd like to figure out how to have faith to make that happen.

I want the power of "Thor's hammer".  To be able to affect the elements was something Jacob knew how to do.  Clearly one has to be willing to keep this ability within the confines of God's will.  Not sure I could do that just yet...

An inspired friend named Jaralee brought me a small copy of this picture yesterday:

(photo source/purchase link)

I had never seen it before, and it really moved me.  It's called "The Comforter", by Scott Summer.  If you zoom in (or click the link), you can see scars for the nail prints.  I'd never seen them portrayed like that.  I love that the woman doesn't hardly recognize (yet) that He's there, offering support.  Is that not how we are, so often?

When my friend brought this to me yesterday, I truly thought she was inspired.  When I was sitting, writing about the passing of my uncle, it felt even more inspired.  I don't worry that he's not in a good place, or even happy.  I know he's not stuck in a dead body, in a miserable state, soon to be buried.  I know he's ok, and thanks to a "redeemer", even Jesus Christ, I know that he's going to be, if he isn't already, just fine.

So my only mourning is for myself, and when it comes to thinking of the Savior, something remarkable was brought to my attention in a book I recently read.  It was pointed out that so often, we think the Atonement is only available to use when we die.  But it's not.  The Atonement is an act in progress, and something that we can make use of, every day, as we struggle through life's difficulties. (Concept and credit of source elaborated upon in Eighteen Verses, by Denver Snuffer).  I'm a little sad that I don't get to see him at family reunions.  The aunts and uncles are dropping like flies.  Three have passed on this year.  But I truly know they're in a most wonderful place, if not on their way.

Upon requesting that my older relatives quite dying (on my Nerdbook wall), my friend Paul wrote, "But how will they get home?"  That's precisely it.  Gracias, Paul!

It's so true.