Transparency

Time has been so short of late.  So much ruckus going on in the world; so many things to consider.  So much in the news and so much in the scriptures.  As I watched the tail end of the Presidential Debate last night between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, I realized how easy it is to be confused by the news, and therefore the truth of which way is up and which way is down.  Good is so often called evil, and evil called good.  One thing that cannot be adulterated, however, are the heavens.

Untouchable, immovable by the finger of man, the stars, moon, and sun cannot be changed to our liking.  We cannot adulterate them, their positioning, or their rotation.  The Lord has said that the lights in the firmament are to be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years (Genesis 1:14).  So what have we of signs of late?  Of seasons?

Last week marked the turning of the autumnal equinox.  It was fun because at our home we studied this "corner of the earth" during science class with my new homeschooler.  Neither of us could say "autumnal equinox" very well without getting tongue tied.  I was grateful that our little nature science book called it to attention, because otherwise I might not have given it much thought.

Joseph was visited by the angel called Nephi (in my opinion, despite the bulk of the LDSs believing it is Moroni) on the night of September 21, 1823.  I will summarize the key points of the message Joseph was given, however I acknowledge this will not do the message justice.  So I am simply highlighting for brevity.  This can be found in the Joseph Smith History 1: 30-54.

• Joseph's name would be had for good and evil throughout the world.
• There was a book deposited written on gold plates, giving the account of those who lived on THIS continent, and contained the fulness of the Everlasting Gospel as delivered by Christ to these people. 
• There was also something called the Urim and Thummim deposited with the plates, which were "seers" used for translating the book. 
• He quoted Malachi 3 and 4, and cited some critical points differently than in the King James Version.  (Another post on that...)
• He quoted Isaiah 11, saying it was about to be fulfilled. 
• He quoted Acts 3: 22-23 exactly as the KJV.  Declared that prophet was Christ. 
• He quoted Joel 2:28-end.  Said it was not yet fulfilled but would soon be. 
• Said the fulness of the Gentiles was soon to come in.  
• He quoted many other passages of scripture, explaining much. 
• He gave instructions regarding the plates. 

If that isn't a download of vast information I don't know what is.  But after leaving, again Nephi returned again, and again, and again.  

During the second visit he added a warning of great judgments coming to the earth.  

During the third visit the previous was recited, with an addition that Satan would try to tempt him to use the plates for growing in wealth.  He was warned to not use them for any other motive than building his (God's) kingdom.

During the fourth visit, everything was recited AGAIN, with the addition of instruction to go share the message with his father, Joseph Smith, Sr. 

Joseph describes in his history that it took four years of visiting the hill where the plates were deposited before he was able to remove the contents that were buried there.  Still, it was the night of September 21, 1827 when he retrieved them.  

In the Jewish way of thinking, the new day begins at sundown.  Joseph was visited by the Israelite, Nephi, on the autumnal equinox.  I'm not a calendar genius, however I'd suggest that we Americans label this time as September 21, and an Israelite might reference the Hebrew calendar's recognition for September 22.  

Interesting things transpired on this end of the Jubilee year.  

• I am told that September 22 is the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, according to those who use the stars/heavens to recognize the holy days.  (Thanks, Melissa and Jonathan for the tips!)  This is the festival, the holy days remembered as an ordinance from year to year by the Jews, in recognition of the Exodous out of Egypt.  It began this year on September 16, which date also witnessed a penumbral lunar eclipse. 
• In Utah, in the north of the state, near Ogden, there was reportedly an F1 tornado. 
• In Utah, in the south of the state, near Panguitch, there was also reportedly an F1 tornado. 
• In Utah, in Salt Lake City, a new skyscraper was dedicated on the very date of September 22, 2016.  It is reportedly built by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' subsidiary named City Creek Reserve.  Let's examine it a bit.  Feel free to break to read it: http://www.sltrib.com/news/4386439-155/new-mormon-church-owned-skyscraper-brings-high  

Some points of concern for me regarding the skyscraper: 

• Address is 111 Main.  111 is often called an "angel number".  The number 1 symbolizes God the Father.  Repeated three times symbolizes resonance of that number, as well as Father, Son, Holy Ghost.  Main street denotes the primary street in town, the center of the town.  A vast number of towns in America have this street name somewhere running through them.  The repetition of the number one reminds me of other numbers with scriptural references which are repeated three times.  
• It is 24 stories high, totaling 387 feet high.  In average sized building standards, this would be aprox. 38 stories.  
• "It is clear Salt Lake City has a new icon," said Mayor Jackie Biskupski, "and this is just the beginning."  The definition of "icon", per Google: 

1.a painting of Jesus Christ or another holy figure, typically in a traditional style on wood, venerated and used as an aid to devotion in the Byzantine and other Eastern Churches. synonyms: image, idol, portrait, picture, representation, likeness, symbol, sign; 2. a person or thing regarded as a representative symbol of something. "this iron-jawed icon of American manhood" synonyms: idol, paragon, hero, heroine

• "City Creek Reserve declined to share the cost of 111 Main. But a similarly sized tower just down the street, 222 Main, sold for $170.5 million in 2014, a record price for downtown real estate at the time." 
• "For Mormons, "this is sacred ground," Caussé said before leading the crowd of about 100 people in prayer."  Caussé is the Presiding Bishop of the LDS Church. 

Soooooooooooooooooooooooo.  Let me put some Chlorox in our muddy water of what's going on here.  

On the autumnal equinox, the last day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the largest denomination which hails Joseph as their leader and dispensation head decides to dedicate a building, a "Tower", mighty high and mighty expensive, (which are edifices NEVER spoken of in positive terms in any scripture,) only available to the "high end" customer to rent?  And two tornadoes blow through the north and south ends of the state, covered with a high population of Mormons?  

Am I missing any other signs?  

It would do the reader well to study the book of Malachi, as well as Hugh Nibley's Approaching Zion, which can be found and read online with a simple Google Search.  (EXCEPTIONAL book.)  Malachi in particular is a warning to the priests and teachers of Malachi's day.  They were scolded for their misuse of tithing funds, having robbed God with the tithes and offerings.  I suppose the tornado was indeed a sign.  It might have been more shocking and startling had the tornado ripped through the city center during the dedication, but God love and cares for his chickens children, ever covering them with his wings.  I don't understand all the signs, the turning of the seasons, or what it all means.  But He does.  Hopefully we can use these signs as just that: signs.  Not flukes of nature, or random occurrences.

In all the earth, when Christ was born, the only individuals who know of his birth without being informed by heavenly messengers or visions were the wise men.  They knew how to find Him because of the new star.  It would be wise to be informed, to study, and to pay attention to these things.  In asking, God can explain it to us, and let us know how to be prepared ourselves to travel from afar, should it be needed.  

Lucky Duckie

My son absolutely loves ducks.  If I'm not mistaken, "duck" was probably his first word as a baby. He had his birthday this past week, and wanted a blue stuffed animal duck as his primary gift.

The only problem is, there are next to zero blue stuffed ducks in the marketplace.  We searched for months, well before Christmas (it was his request then too), and finally found ONE.  Not a single duck more, unless we looked into the rubber duck category.

His grandma actually found this one pictured above and ordered it, and it came just in time for his birthday.  It if would have been left up to me, he would not have received it in time, because I didn't think the odd thing around this ducky's abdomen would have been acceptable to him.  But it suited him just fine, and he loves it.

This morning, as I was preparing for a much awaited dentist appointment, I heard my boys playing with this duck.  They were calling him "Lucky Duckie".  (I realize I'm spelling ducky/duckie two different ways.  I think "Duckie" as more of a personal name... evidence that yes, I'm neurotic sometimes.)  It was fun to hear their squeaky little pretend voices, talking about Lucky Duckie as their friend who had a voice with his own desires and interests to share.  The thought came to me that I should take Lucky Duckie with me to the dentist, so that when I would be stressed out in the chair, perhaps this stuffed animal would help me smile.  I entertained the thought just enough to realize I needed to be more brave.  But it would be my first visit to have this kind of procedure, so I figured I would keep on praying and hopefully the anxiety would leave me.  I'd been nervous for weeks, and finally the day was here.

Needless to say, I walked out without the ducky, wanting to be a "big girl" and went to the appointment, carrying on with my day.  After some tense moments at check-in, the dentist she pointed out in good humor that I was dressed colorfully for the appointment.  I was wearing spring green pants.  I added to her smile by pointing out that I was also wearing green socks with shamrocks on them, for good luck, calling them "lucky socks".  (Going to the dentist has long been a cause of such anxiety, I do all I can to brighten it up.)  After we got started, and after sitting in the chair for about 75 minutes, the dentist went out to take care of some impressions for my tooth, and up in the corner of the room, wouldn't you know it, but I saw this:

It looks like someone wanted me to know that this appointment was lucky, after all.  With a half numb face and tongue, I pointed it out to the dentist, how hard we had looked for a blue ducky for my son, and we all had some good laughs on the nature of toys these days.  She said it belonged to another dentist, but since the hygienist pulled it off the shelf in the corner, I was able to find out that it is a Beany Baby toy.  Never thought to search under that name for my son's toys!

I don't know about you, but I'd say this was a pretty lucky moment.  In fact, more than lucky, I'd call it a miracle, as evidence that Jesus was with me, as were angels, helping this dentist do safe, nearly pain free work.  The entire time I was praying her hands would do perfect work, as though Christ were at the helm.  He knows best what my mouth needs.  If I'm not perfect in my faith, to heal my teeth without intervention from medical professionals, having Him guide her hands was the next best thing.  I'll take the blue ducky as a sign that my impressions were true.  He was indeed there, as I suspected.  Thank you Jesus, thank you Father.  What a gift to know I was not alone in this.    Yes, I call it a sign and a miracle, thank you so much. 

Zacharias and the Atonement

After finishing the BoM last week, I've had a hard time getting back started in my studying.  I had lots of ideas on where to pick up with, but for a few days, I've been kind of stagnant.

On Sunday, I wrote over at JenHeadJen about a miracle in my family's life.  Today, I saw another miracle happen.  I was somewhat pondering the idea of asking for "signs".  In Denver Snuffer's "The Second Comforter", he talks about how signs work, in a general sense.  We are warned not to ask for signs, as "a wicked and an adulterous generation seeketh a sign" (Matt. 16:4), but Snuffer points out that once we have sufficient faith and believe, we can ask for signs.  He devotes some time in The Second Comforter to this concept, however, in reading one of his other books (Eighteen Verses), he points out that we should take care when asking for signs, as they may prove to bring a challenge to the seeker.  This was the case, he shows, with Zacharias asking the angel for a sign that his elderly wife will yet bear a son.

Having just read the account in Luke 1, however, I think perhaps there is perhaps more to explore in Zacharias' faith than even what Snuffer warns, regarding signs to the faithful.  It seems as though Zacharias, in speaking with an angel, still doesn't believe the details this message from a holy messenger.

  "And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I ^aknow this? for I am an ^bold man, and my wife well ^cstricken in years."  (Luke 1:18) 

So basically, Zacharias says, "Prove it."  This, he says, moments after the angel said to him, 

"...^aFear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a ^bson, and thou shalt call his name John.
And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth."  (Luke 1:13-14)

Now I'm not going to criticize Zacharias, because I'm no scholar of scriptures, and by no means one to judge.  But I appreciate the opportunity to learn from his experience, to apply to my own "belief".  My interpretation is that for whatever reason, he didn't yet believe.  He had an angel, a messenger of God, telling him to "fear not", "thy prayer is heard", and now you're about to experience a miracle... quite similar to what the patriarch Abraham experienced.  His elderly wife – past menopause, basically – is going to conceive.  I am going to assume that the angel would have understood if Zacharias was just sheerly amazed, and saying, "Seriously?  Really?  Me, a lowly servant, beyond childbearing years, am finally going to have a son?"  

I trust God and His angels are reasonable beings, and it is easy to assume and know that they would have understood amazement at their sheer glory and power.  Even amazement at the thought of such a miracle.  But Zacharias was in the temple.  The holy temple.  There was no need for doubt as to whether or not this angel was of God, and there should have been little room for doubt as to the authenticity of the message.  It seems apparent that Zacharias just did not believe.  How do I know you're not just pulling my leg, Mr. Angel?  Prove it.

And then he left the temple, not being able to speak for many, many months.  Stuck dumb until John would be born.

At the end of Eighteen Verses, there is a talk that was given in Utah, and Snuffer included the full talk as an appendage to the book, although its content is not entirely applicable to the rest of the book.  In the talk, Snuffer expounds on the holy rooms of the temple, and what transpired in them, and how they were a preparatory testament to what would happen with the Savior as he lived out the Atonement.  Oddly enough, not even a week after finishing that book, I picked up Annalee Skarin's Ye are Gods, and picked up where I left off.  And where I picked up at, she began a discussion on the holy rooms of the temple, and what was done there, just as Snuffer did.  Both authors talked about Zacharias, and I thought how interesting, that while I never know each day where my studies will take me, here, a week before we celebrate the death and resurrection of Christ, I am able to be led to study two discussions of the activities done within the temple, Zacharias' qualifications to participate in this holiest of spaces, and how the temple ceremonies of old typified the Atonement of Christ.  

Not only learning this things was cool, but seeing how to apply them to my own life was eye opening.  I'm grateful, not only for the knowledge, but the way the Spirit led me to each account, particularly during the days before we remember these very important events.  

Pretty cool.