The beginning of March 2020, we were in Mexico. While we were on the beach soaking up the vitamin D, the world at home tipped a little on its axis. We had heard about Covid before we left – from a distance. But it seemed to explode the week that we were gone. We arrived home March 11, and went through the usual immigration check points at the airport with nothing unusual. No one said anything to us about covid related precautions. Dan went back to work the next day, as per usual. My sister insisted we isolate ourselves, but I reasoned that the Canada border officer didn’t say a word about any such necessity. We had little reason to go out anyway, so we didn’t do a whole lot. Listening to the radio over the next few days we started to absorb some of the vibes, and on Saturday I told Mom that perhaps the responsible thing for us to do, was to lay low for awhile. After all, we had recently spent 6 hours in a plane breathing the same air as 200 other people. . . .
Truth be told, we didn’t need groceries anyway, even though we had very little in the fridge. I had picked up some perishables a couple of days after we got home, simply because I could, but I felt no urgency, nor compulsion to do so. I knew that we had in our pantry and home store, anything we could want or need for an extended period of time. And just as important, those pantry foods were ‘normal’ to our way of eating anyway. We hadn’t shopped in a grocery store for a couple of weeks before our trip, trying to clear out perishables. Rather than feel any of the stress that comes with the panic-buying we witnessed on news reports, we felt none. We hunkered down in our warm house. Mom sewed and I worked on some rugs. Dan still went to work every day.
We missed the kids of course, who normally would have all been over to say hello in the days after we returned. We missed our friends at church of course. But worry? There was none of that. Shortages? They didn’t seem to affect us. We wondered just like everyone else, how long it would go on. We were sad to read and hear reports of job loss, retail panic, even outright fear. But at home, life was pretty much what it always had been.
Without expecting a pandemic, we realized we had been preparing for this all our lives. Our home-store, (in no small way thanks to THRIVE LIFE freeze dried foods), had contributed greatly to our feelings of comfort, security, normalcy, and above all, peace of mind. We were grateful for the counsel we’d adhered to for decades, to have a food storage on hand, and to “STORE WHAT YOU EAT” and “EAT WHAT YOU STORE”. Of all the benefits we’d enjoyed over those years, the greatest was the current peace-of-mind we were then experiencing. There is no price on peace-of-mind.
So almost two years later, our society has learned a few things, we’ve developed a vaccine and many people have taken advantage of it. The vaccine is a very devisive subject, and has become a major source of contention among friends, families and society in general, with not too many people walking down the middle of the road. We’ve seen unbelievable upheaval in our society due to this pandemic – and not just our society, but the world over. Economical, emotional, physical, familial, educational, . . . everybody’s been affected. We became familiar with terms we’d never used before, like “supply chain” – which still affects us almost two years later, not just food, but in every other area we deal with: retail items of all sorts, construction, vehicle manufacturing and maintenance, medical supplies, . . . . areas that our affluent society previously believed we were immune to. So much for that.
It is late fall 2021, and in our province, we are leveling off our fourth wave. Who knew we’d still be here 21 months later? Yes, we are well aware of the world around us, and yes, we’ve been affected in our own way too. Life goes on and we’re all adjusting, and mourning some losses, and reaching out to serve and assist in the best ways we know how. There’s nothing convenient about a pandemic. Everything and every one has been affected. Its been hard. Hard enough without having to worry about food and debt. One of the biggest blessings in our home, is the peace-of-mind that came from being prepared for an unexpected interruption we couldn’t forecast. The peace-of-mind of not needing things we didn’t have on hand already. The peace-of-mind of living within our means, and of avoiding the frustration of debt.
When it comes specifically to food, we are grateful for the lifelong habit of having a food storage, and it is THRIVE LIFE freeze dried foods that we are most appreciative for. Nutritious fruits and vegetables, dairy and protein – always here, always ready, always nutritious, always convenient. And that’s all I have to say about that here. It’s been a blessing. A tremendous blessing. Thank-you THRIVE LIFE. You were there when we needed you.
Was there anything specific that helped you get over the uncertainty of this long covid season? I want to hear about it.
Thanksgiving is always the second Monday in October for Canadians, about six weeks before our American neighbours celebrate the same holiday. It is an important and very unique holiday for a number of reasons. For one, it’s secular in origin, not religious like Christmas and Easter, and rather than celebrating an ‘event’, it celebrates gratitude, something society as a whole seems to have a hard time practicing in general. Although it isn’t religious in origin, its roots lie with the very Christian American pilgrims who gave thanks to God for bounty at the end of a successful harvest in 1621.
For 400 years North Americans have traditionally paused to give thanks at the conclusion of harvest. Even though most of us no longer feel we’re connected to harvest, make no mistake, it is still a successful harvest that ensures a comfortable winter – for all of us. Never in my life has that been more evident than in the year of 2020. For the first time in memory, the planting of spring was in jeopardy across the nation due to supply chain issues and minimized seasonal foreign workers (upon which many market gardens, grain farmers and ranchers depend), and during the first few months, issues with social distancing caused many meat plants to shut down creating a problem for meat producers who depended on them to get their meat to market. Over the months, we came to accept, and even expect in-store shortages and not being able to get what we order as soon as we were used to getting it. True definition of a first world problem at the best of times, but a little more tangible recently.
Bountiful harvests in 2020 and 2021 were questionable right from the onset of spring planting, and many people were worried. Me included. It looked like we were in for desperate food shortages, and very high prices. But from the perspective of hindsight, we can say that the inconveniences of ‘out-of-stock’ items has been only that, an inconvenience. Some prices rose, but the situation warranted that. Though frustrating at times, these inconveniences were only ever ‘lumps-in-our-oatmeal‘. At least for the time being. Other things were a little more impactful: special events that had to be altered, postponed or even cancelled, ill loved ones we couldn’t visit, funerals that sadly got missed, family gatherings that didn’t happen, loneliness – especially for the elderly or immune compromised, jobs that were affected, income reduced, businesses that suffered and some that couldn’t survive, dental care and other health related appointments that were set aside, as well as the loss of other services we enjoyed and upon which many jobs were dependent. Our economy was driven to its knees and we worried about the reliable availability of food and other necessities.
Now, in the autumn of 2021, we’ve learned many things. We’ve learned to continue on, keeping a bigger distance between each other, washing our hands more often, masks have become part of our outer clothing, and technology has become our connection with the world outside our front door. We’re still seeing results of the global upset, and it is affecting our food supply, promising to be more than an inconvenience in the near future.
But we have SO much to be grateful for, and it is more important than ever to not only acknowledge these blessings, but to focus on them. Yes, in some ways its been tough, but there are many good things that came out of our unwilling courtship with covid. I am so grateful that THANKSGIVING gives me pause to reflect and appreciate the specifics of my bigger picture.
If I were to get into details, the things I am grateful for, are innumerable. Though I try to consciously “count my many blessings, and name them one by one“, to do so takes a long time. Those are better left for personal reflection and my journal, for me to review from time to time with my Heavenly Father. But more generally, I can summarize many of them in these broader points.
1. Jesus Christ The gospel of Jesus Christ blesses my life in every way. Through it, I understand where I came from, where I am going, and what I am doing here. It provides a clearer vision of what I want, it helps me appreciate the many roles I play and helps me define my core values. I am grateful for His atoning sacrifice that paid the price for my sins, and swallows up my sorrows. I am grateful for the example He set, the unconditional love and the gate through which He walked which points the way to my Heavenly Father. I am thankful for His gospel which continues to be a beacon in my life, helping me to let go of the past, overcome weaknesses and to focus on becoming the person I want to be. I am grateful for scriptures that teach of Him, and for prayer that is the means of communication He makes available to me.
2. My family Those who produced me, and those I had a hand in producing and in whose lives I had influence – I hope I did enough. For siblings and cousins with whom I walked in my formative years, and who are still in my life. For nieces and nephews who choose to continue to stay in my life. For those of my family who have gone on before me – I appreciate so much, the choices you’ve made to bring me to this place and time. I will do what I can for you. And for those who have yet to be born – I feel some accountability to leave you a better world, and a faithful family in which to grow.
3. Dan The man I share this life with, and with whom I share all these children and now grandchildren. For the growing experiences we’ve had together both good and bad – they’ve made us who we are. I am grateful for love in my life. And as time goes on, I am increasingly grateful for the future we still have before us. I am grateful with confidence that we will grow old together – sealed for this life and the next.
4. The church I belong to which provides doctrine to help me understand my relationship with God, and my responsibility to my fellow human beings. It provides community to me, of like minded people who I love and respect; a community of people I can rely on, people I can reach out to, and people I can help, serve with and learn from. It has been the village that helped raise my children. It is the vehicle through which I make sacred covenants with my Heavenly Father, which sustain me, bringing me comfort and confidence as I walk that covenant path. It provides me with meaningful service opportunities which allow me to put myself and my perspective aside from time to time, to focus on a bigger, all inclusive picture.
5. Good health and strength to accomplish the things that are most important to me. As an extension of this, I am grateful for a good medical system that serves my community. Doctors, nurses, dentists, pharmacies, and all those who work in the medical field, that I most often take for granted.
6. Good nutrition which is the building block of good health. For many of our early years, we lived from month to month, not being able to afford a lot of extras, and many times not even buying much in the way of groceries in any given month, but through it all because of gardens, food storage, tithing and careful management, there has always been healthy food on our table. That blessing was always appreciated.
7. Friends. We’ve been blessed with dear friends over our lifetime. We don’t get together in the same way of course, we don’t sit for hours and chat face to face like we used to, we don’t go to movies or out to lunch as we have in the past, but we do what we can in these covid times. We’re still in each other’s lives and we’ve found ways to be creative. The important thing is that when we do get together its as if there’s never been an absence. How I appreciate the love of good friends.
8. Tradition. Traditions are a critical part of our culture. In many ways they are the building blocks of what brings us together, and holds us together. They connect us to our history and provide clues about why we are the way we are. They separate us from others in a good way, providing unique similarities that bind cultural identities, and family units. They provide context for those who came before us, acknowledging the contribution they’ve made to the quality of our lives and the way we understand our world. They are an important thread in the tapestry of what makes us unique – providing a sense of comfort and belonging. Traditions don’t have to be old, handed down from generations before. We can develop new meaningful traditions that have the power to bless our lives in the future, and to create a legacy that will enhance the quality of life of those who come after us. Truth is, we are all creating a legacy of one sort or another – consciously or not. How much better it could be if we focused on what that legacy will look like to those we’re leaving it to.
Not all traditions are good. Part of our responsibility to our family is not only to pass on healthy traditions, the ones that connect and edify, that strengthen and uplift – but to break the cycle of unhealthy traditions, the ones that foster hate and prejudice, division, unhappiness and abuse.
9. Technology Never thought I’d ever say it, but I am grateful for technology. Even to the degree that I understand it, and the terrifying learning curve that is repeatedly before me, I must concede that it has enhanced my life. It has kept me connected with the people I love and care for, the information I need, the community I want, and a multitude of opportunities to serve those around me. Mobile phones, tablets, desk top computers, televisions, the internet that makes them all friends, and yes even social media avenues that help me reach beyond my own immediate circle. Without technology this year, it would have been a lot lonelier than it was.
10. Our Garden
For many years while I managed our family business, an LDS Bookstore – I didn’t have time to fully enjoy my garden. It was a chore that somehow compelled me from spring to fall. I put in the work, and while I can admit I often found solace losing myself for hours in the distraction of it, I confess that I hardly ever harvested it in those busy years. Some years I was tempted to let it go, reasoning that because the store kept me so busy every fall, the final satisfaction of harvest alluded me. But one day I realized that it wasn’t the harvest that soothed me during the calm peaceful summer hours that I quietly weeded with only the birds and squirrels. It wasn’t the harvest that distracted me from business worries and stress in the spring while I planted flowers and potatoes. It wasn’t the harvest that took me on pleasant greenhouse excursions looking for evening scented stock and some new herb that I hadn’t yet grown. I realized that my garden was therapy, and though one day I hoped it would become a-year-long therapy, I would be making a terrible mistake if I stopped the process simply because one portion of it wasn’t working for me. From this vantage point, I am very glad for that decision long ago. My garden has paid me back many times over for the hours I devoted to it these many years. It has been good for me.
I am grateful for continual clean water, electricity, furnaces and fireplaces, hardwood floors, meaningful employment, vacuum cleaners, brooms, chickens, cherries, kale, dill and sunny days. I am grateful for Vitamin D and aloe vera plants, books, movies and this blog that gives me an outlet of expression. I am grateful for the constant drive to improve and learn new things. I am grateful for Santa and teddy bears and quilts and clotheslines.
Being grateful makes us happier. It really does. Because it helps us develop a more positive outlook, it promotes optimism, lowers stress, depression and anxiety. There is growing scientific evidence that demonstrates expressing genuine gratitude improves our physical health as well as emotional. It improves our quality of sleep and even enhances our immune system.
Thanksgiving is a gift. It is the opportunity we often neglect to take without a reminder, that is to pause, take a few minutes, reflect on what we’re really grateful for. I hope you take this time to do exactly that. I’d love to see your list. No doubt you’ll remind me of many more things I too am grateful for.
“Grow old along with me! The best is yet to be, the last of life, for which the first was made. Our times are in his hand who saith, ‘A whole I planned, youth shows but half; Trust God: See all, nor be afraid!” – Robert Browning, a 19th century British poet, and famous for the poetry he and his wife Elizabeth Barrett Browning wrote together, still often quoted today.
Many things he wrote touch my heart. But this: “Come grow old with me. The best is yet to be . . .” this one is my mantra. I first heard it when I was 17, recited by a television character in an episode of “Marcus Welby MD”, and it imprinted in my brain. I thought it was the most wonderful and idealic expressions of love I’d ever heard. Although I couldn’t really visualize a life that wasn’t youthful, I knew already that I wanted to grow old with Dan. And I completely trusted that “the best was yet to be”.
Robert Browning
Well, over 45 years have come and gone – nearly half a century. (Sheesh right ). And I have realized for years that I am living my dream. Although it hasn’t always been a picnic, and we’ve certainly waded through much struggle over those years, I am indeed growing old with Dan. Ironically, Robert Browning outlived his wife Elizabeth by 28 years, never remarrying. He grew old without her, dying at the age of 77. How very, very sad. But not sadder than the hundreds of similar stories we see unfold all around us. Loving marriages, cut short here on earth by the passing of one. How grateful I am for the promise I have absolute faith in: that families are forever. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, families can be sealed together for eternity, and live together in family units forever.
Dan and I are approaching retirement. We hope and we pray for, and we truly look forward to the time to finish growing old together. We have many productive and wonderful years ahead, to spend together and to enjoy our family as they grow old too. But if not. If, for some reason that neither one of us will understand, that is not to be – then we can lean on the knowledge that we have chosen to seal ourselves to each other, with our family, and that we will be reunited in due time, and continue our life together in another place.
In our goal to care for ourselves and our families, there are many challenges. Some more practical and some more emotional. But one of those practical challenges is to find ROOM!
Room to store food that will be accessible enough to our day-to-day living, so as to allow us to not only “Store-what-we-eat“, but to actually “EAT-what-we-store“. When I was a child, it seemed that most houses were built with a cold room. Ours was for sure. And it was COLD, all year round. All our non-frozen food went in there, the boxes of fruit my mother bought, and everything else that needed to be kept cold but not frozen. Twenty years later, by the time Dan and I were looking at houses to buy, the fashion was very different. There were fewer cupboards in kitchens, no (or very small) pantries and zero additional space to store food – especially if you wanted it cold. What the heck? Another twenty years later, with the homes my kids have purchased, I am noticing some common trends. The newer homes have fairly nice sized pantries, but virtually NO available space for additional storage. It seems that for the last several decades, storing more than a few week’s worth of food requires considerable creativity. And being creative is important, because where we store our food storage is a big factor in *how long we can expect it to last, *the quality that it will retain, and more importantly *how accessible it is to us to be able to USE. Types of containers, and conditions in the space we store it will impact its shelf life.
FINDING SPACE WHEN YOU’RE PRETTY SURE THERE ISN’T ANY
After we bought the house we are currently in, it took us a few years of trying this and that before we settled on not one area that worked for food storage, but a combination of three areas. A little over a decade ago, we made some big changes in what we were storing, which influenced of course, how we stored it. Although I still do home canning and I still dehydrate when its suitable, and yes, we still have a freezer, about ten years ago we began to incorporate FREEZE DRIED Food into our food storage. The exceptionally long shelf life was the initial attraction – twenty five years, as opposed to the suggested two years of canned food (whether home canned or commercially canned), and the one year or less recommended for frozen food. That’s a BIG Plus! But it was also the variety that appealed to me. Everyone knows that the weak spot of any food storage program is VEGETABLES. Eating canned fruit isn’t bad, but who really likes canned vegetables? canned peas? or green beans or beets? When I was a child, Popeye tried to convince us that canned spinach was desirable. It would make you strong! he said. And although he did a good job convincing me it would make me strong, even Popeye couldn’t make canned spinach taste good. Suddenly with freeze dried food, one could have spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, celery, onions, and a whole lotta other vegetables – that tasted like they had just been picked, and which were FULL of important nutrients! And not just vegetables. Fruits, dairy products and even meats!
When considering where to store food storage, it is important that you find a place that is dry, dark and cool. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those cold rooms of yester-year? But even though most modern houses don’t plan for that sort of thing, those three factors of *dry, *dark, and *cool, must be our focus when looking for a suitable place. All other factors are secondary to moisture and temperature.
CONTAINERS
Common containers for food storage are: *paper – such as sacks of flour and sugar, or cardboard pasta boxes – short term only. *plastic or cellophane – such as pasta bags, raisin bags etc – short term only. *plastic buckets with air tight lids – suitable to pour from, or place bagged foods into. Practical for holding large amounts of food while keeping smells in or out, air out, and light blocked. Shelf life is completely dependent on what you put into them. *glass – mostly used by home canners, this is as effective as metal cans except for the obvious need to keep in the dark. Food exposed to light will react to it. Shelf life is recommended to be two years or less. *metal cans – of wet food such as fruit, cans of soup etc – like jars, recommended shelf life is two years. Metal cans – of dried food extends the shelf life considerably. It is the absence of moisture and the absence of oxygen that is so beneficial, but of course, it depends what is in the can, and how dry it was when sealed.
In all cases, moisture in the #1 enemy, It is imperative that we protect food from moisture which creates a perfect environment for harmful micro-organisms to thrive in. *hint: moisture doesn’t always mean liquid. Be mindful of moisture in the air that dry food will absorb when exposed to it.
CREATING ROOM
When you invest in food storage, “where am I gonna put this?” has got to be a question we ask ourselves. We can’t just keep buying food without a proper place to put it. We need shelves of one sort or another. And we need some kind of dedicated space.
underneath our stairs we created a spot that promised to work just fine. The shelves are deep enough to hold #10 cans three deep.
The space underneath stairs is often awkward and poorly used. Its generally an unfinished area, without heat, and If its in the basement, the cement floor helps it to be cool. The absence of a window keeps light to a minimum. Building some sturdy shelves can take best advantage of the space. Make sure the shelves are high enough for large #10 cans and deep enough for 3-4 of them or 4-6 quart jars.
The incorporation of freeze dried food into our family food storage meant that our storage situation needed to be adjusted. Frankly, it made it a lot easier. We had already invested in a shelf rotation unit. The company was then called SHELF RELIANCE (changed their name in 2013 to THRIVE LIFE). We opted initially, for the variety unit which held small cans like tuna sized, right up to the large number 10 sized cans, and everything in between. Seriously, it was one of the best investments we ever made in the area of food storage. It made rotating the cans so easy, and rotation is a major consideration when managing long term food storage. First in, first out. No more wasting food because it gets forgotten behind something else. The shelf rotation system was simple and brilliant.
For those like us, who needed some serious organization and to maximize storage space, this can-rotation system was the cat’s meow. It holds more cans than I could have imagined – up to 300 cans of varying sizes. No more stacking boxes and searching for what you’re pretty sure you have somewhere. And more importantly, no more forgetting about cans that remain tucked away until way past their expiry date. They are suitable to set up in a pantry, in a closet, in a food storage room, tucked into some corner in the basement, or in whatever available space you have – it keeps food uncluttered, visible and accessible.
In time, we bought another unit to accommodate some of our growing supply of large family sized cans of freeze dried food. But still, where to put them? and where to create more storage space? When we first got them, we kept them both in the laundry room which wasn’t ideal for a number of reasons, so we kept our minds open to other possibilities.
two rotation units side by side. One is for larger cans only, the other is for a variety of sizes.
At the time, we had an exceptionally long family room in our basement. We measured off a few feet at the back and Dan built a wall, instantly creating a new room, narrow but sufficient for our needs. We put our rotation units into it, adding additional shelves as were appropriate. Having two rooms for food storage might not have been our initial preference, but one must make the best of one’s situation right? It does allow us to diversify and organize better. And it allows for easy access.
TEMPERATURE
When dealing with food that has such an exceptionally long shelf life as freeze dried food, it is tempting to assume that shelf life is unconditional, Make no mistake – there is no such thing as unconditional. Fluctuating temperatures of summer highs and winter lows undermine the integrity of any food, no matter how dry it is stays. That 25 year shelf life is dependent upon ideal conditions. Q: What is the ideal temperature condition? A: Consistent temperatures below 70 degrees Fahrenheit (or 20 degrees Celsius) with the most important part being “CONSISTENT”.
Yes, we all know people who store their food in an unheated garage, but in that condition (at least in the climate I live in) it is impossible to avoid drastic fluctuation of temperature. However, if that is your only option, all you can do is make the best of it. Do you best to keep the temperature as consistent as possible, and know that your 25 year expectation should unavoidably be adjusted. I have even known some who store their freeze dried food in an outdoor shed! Though it may offer shelter from the rain, shed, temperatures can easily dip below -40 C in winter and rise to almost +40 C in the summer, with everything in between. This is extremely undesirable, and will most assuredly affect the stability of your food. It is not necessarily cold or heat that causes the damage, as much as the continuous fluctuation between the two extremes.
In the end, all we can do is the best we can do. I am of the firm belief that FOOD STORAGE is very important. I believe it should be food of the highest quality possible, and that all precautions should be taken to ensure it stays healthy. Where to start? That is a discussion for another time, but it is critical to start somewhere. Better to have some than none. Better to start! Don’t wait for a location to suddenly appear. Take charge and carve out a spot that is dark, dry and maintains a temperature as consistent as possible. Build or buy some shelves to store it, and GO FOR IT. You’ll never regret it.
Where have you found the best place to store your food storage? I’d love to hear your creative solutions when space was limited.
There are some basic truths that rule life, no matter what culture or religion we come from. One that, whether we like it or not, we’re all subject to – is the “Law of the Harvest“. What exactly is that? Well, it is very simple and straight forward – essentially “We reap what we sow“. One of life’s great lessons.
Joy of the Harvest by Simon Dewey
A cousin of the Law of the Harvest is “the LAW OF ATTRACTION” which, simply put, is that “like energy attracts like energy”. A negative, complaining type of person always has something to complain about because they find the negative in everything, while a positive, cheerful person always finds the good to be happy about. I’m sure we all can think of examples of both types of people, and can acknowledge that they create self fulfilling realities for themselves. The law of attraction however, goes further. It is based on the idea that people and thoughts are made up of pure energy and that not only can a person attract positive or negative experiences through their positive or negative thoughts and affirmations, but that the process can literally improve one’s health, wealth and personal relationships. I believe this. To a certain extent. But I feel there is a critical component missing.
Let me explain. Harvest is a natural law, a tangible, physical, visual, easy-to-understand law. It says that harvest always comes after a season of sowing. Every farmer and backyard gardener understands the intimate relationship of sowing and reaping. And it is an analogy that transcends beautifully into all aspects of our lives, including spiritual applications.
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Galations 6: 7
In 1903, British philosopher James Allen published a book that he called AS A MAN THINKETH. It is based on Psalm 23:7 “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he“, and follows the process of the mind guiding our footsteps as we progress along the pathway of life. “Purity of mind leads inevitably to purity of life, to the precious love and understanding that should control our everyday acts and attitudes towards friends and foes.” he wrote, and his life exemplified his philosophy.
James Allen, author of As a Man Thinketh
Born into a working class family in England, James was the older of two brothers. His mother could neither read nor write. His father was a factory knitter. In 1879, following a downturn in the textile trade of central England, James’ father travelled alone to America to find work and establish a new home for the family. Within the first two days of arriving in New York City, his father was killed, believed to be a victim of robbery and murder. At the tender age of fifteen, James was forced to leave school and find work to support his family.
Having a better education than either of his parents, he eventually found work as a private secretary in several British manufacturing companies, and by his early thirties, was earning his living in journalism and reporting. He married, and found an occupation writing for a magazine where he could rely upon his spiritual and social interests and skill as a writer. This provided him the time and opportunity to be creative, and he published his first of many books, including “As a Man Thinketh”. James and his wife Lily, had only one daughter Nora. He died at the untimely young age of only 47, having written several books, and leaving material that would be published into several more. His words have had a positive impact on generations, and they illustrate the use of the power of thought to increase personal capabilities. Although he personally never achieved great fame or wealth, his words continue more than a century later, to influence people around the world.
The underlying premise of “As a Man Thinketh”, is that noble thoughts make a noble person, while lowly thoughts make a miserable person. Truly, he knew of that which he wrote. A lesser man could easily have let his difficult beginnings pull him down into a defeated life, but against all odds he rose above it. What he learned through a lifetime of application, was that purity of mind can bring happiness and confidence. By magic? By some miraculous process of magnetism? Not at all. But through hard work, and by applying guiding principles that he learned through heartfelt searching. No doubt his father’s tragic death and his family’s economic hardship shaped his future development. He observed that many people were trying to improve their worldly position without seeking spiritual betterment, when he had learned the opposite was true: that by seeking spiritual betterment one gained the power to improve worldly position. He didn’t teach about getting rich, or seeking power, except as it applied to personal empowerment to ACT. And it was through acting upon the truths he learned, that he created a good and fulfilling life for himself and his family.
Through his book, James Allen pointed the true way to a better life. “Out of a clean heart comes a clean life and a clean body,” he wrote, and likewise “Out of a defiled mind proceeds a defiled life and a corrupt body.”
James Allen may have introduced the concept of the law of attraction, but since then, it’s taken a turn that I kinda doubt he would be proud to be connected with. In its basic form – to me, the principle of attraction sidetracks at best, the part God plays in our betterment. For some reason, it seems to attribute the attraction of good to some mystic force of the universe, some inner energy without a name. It circumvents the missing piece of the puzzle. That piece is ACTION. Action follows intent. Intent alone – no matter how much energy we spend thinking about it, is insufficient to bring about change necessary for a different result.
Viktor Frankl – neurologist, psychiatrist, philosopher, author, and Holocaust survivor
Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl proved that while we cannot always alter the outer forces of our experiences, we can determine the type of person we allow ourselves to become. He said “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves. Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms — to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.” Viktor Frankl and James Allen could have been great friends if they had lived in the world at the same time. Each of them was influenced by their unique and tragic circumstances, and yet rose above them. Neither pretended it was easy, but their ‘thinking’ ultimately changed their lives.
And that brings us back to where I began – THE LAW OF THE HARVEST. It is a foundational gospel truth. One that we can count on to apply in all aspects of our lives. Yes, it is possible from time to time, for our harvest to be slightly delayed, tricking us into thinking we got away with something. But in the end it always catches up, and we WILL reap what we sow; in the end, we WILL get what we deserve.
That isn’t a threat, and it certainly isn’t always negative, although I admit, sometimes it comes across that way. To every action there is simply a consequence. Years ago, a teacher demonstrated this principle visually for me with a pencil on the table. We may only pick up only one end of the pencil, but the other end is unavoidably affected. We may choose an action, but we cannot choose the consequence. There will always be a consequence, and in many cases that consequence is a pre-selected, natural result – governed by nature.
Ben
I knew a handsome young man once who consistently made poor choices, but rarely seemed to pay their price. I’ll call him Ben. Inevitably Ben’s poor choices would catch up and then pile up, and suddenly some spark would ignite the whole pile, and the world would come crashing down on him in consequence of his latest series of poor choices. Most of those times, Ben chose not to take accountability for the results. It was always easier to blame others, or circumstances beyond his ability to control. Of course, it is more comfortable that way. Not very productive, but a whole lot more comfortable to never accept responsibility for ones failures.
Eventually Ben started making better choices, some might even say – excellent choices. Choices that were difficult, and didn’t show too much comfort in the immediate future, and which required firm resolve and commitment to follow through with them. But the consequences of his previous poor choices had long lasting results and he still had to pay the piper. For a time it seemed that no matter how much he did right, he still lived with the ill consequences of his prior actions. He was still reaping – albeit a little late, the dismal harvest he originally sowed. And ironically, that harvest continued to be in affect a long time after his attitude changed course.
A couple years into these better choices, Ben began to see better results. He had become so accustomed to living with his prior consequences, that he was unprepared when they began to fade into the background. One day he realized his life had taken a turn for the better and he literally marveled at the good place in which he found himself. But it was not by accident, nor coincidence, nor even simply a change of heart. The fact was, that the unfortunate consequences had nearly all run their course, and he was starting to live with the results of his better choices. The natural consequences of THEM. A much fuller harvest.
Specifically, how did the Law of the Harvest apply in Ben’s life? He paid a price for his poor choices. At the time the price seemed disproportionately high to him, and lasted too long, and in some ways, he is still living with the regrets of some of them. But he has placed them in the past and moved forward. When his choices matured, and his actions followed, he began reaping a richer harvest.
Amelia
Amelia is a lovely young mother with a handful of cute kids. Now if you’ve never had four or five kids at the same time, trust me – some days can be challenging, even overwhelming. I get it. And overwhelmed she was. Amelia began to dream of the education she wished she had taken seriously in her younger, pre-mom days. And it became easier to escape into a desire to improve her mind, than it was to take care of her children. She justified it of course, because who can find fault with the desire to improve one’s education? It is a noble goal. But the timing was now difficult. Children aren’t ‘hobbies’. They are living, breathing human beings with personalities and potential. Their health and well being is completely dependent upon their parents. They literally have CLAIM upon us, legally, morally, and eternally.
The truth was, Amelia found reading her ‘lessons’ more fulfilling than doing dishes, changing diapers and cleaning house. She found the things that she was learning were insightful, satisfying, and rewarding. The more she escaped to her studies, the worse life became around the house. Who’s gonna make the meals? Not mom. She’s busy improving her mind. Who’s gonna clean the house, take the kids to school, help them with homework, ensure they get their chores done, learn personal grooming, develop good friendships and interpersonal skills, gain confidence to deal with challenges and to go into the big wide world? Not mom. She’s busy improving her mind and getting the education she wished she got when she was younger. Can you see where this was headed?
The result was a house of chaos, and the more chaotic it became, the more Amelia retreated behind closed doors to study her ‘lessons’ – because after all, she had important things to do. Education was important, and she was choosing it. It made her feel good. It was much more meaningful that the lowliness of housework, and the drudgery of meal planning – both of which as we all know, never-Ever end. But no matter how distracted you are, there are basics that need to be done in any household, especially where there are children. So who was preparing the meals? Doing the laundry? Doing the shopping? It isn’t that Amelia didn’t love her children. Any one could see she did. She simply found it easier to depend on others to rescue her when she so often fell behind. She got used to friends bringing in family meals. Often. She got used to friends coming in and cleaning when the house got away from her. She began thinking it was her ‘due’. She expected it. She couldn’t even count the times her well-meaning friends and neighbours had helped out with various things – trying to lighten her load. Sometimes when the meal wasn’t just right, or it was a few minutes late, or was too similar to what someone else brought recently, she’d even complain. Just a little.
The Law of the Harvest was gonna play out in Amelia’s situation; of that there was never any doubt. In fact, it already was. And it was beginning to look tragic.
If I had a relationship of trust with Amelia, the first thing I would suggest she do, is to visualize what kind of harvest she wants at the end of this metaphorical ‘season’. My guess is that in her heart of hearts, she’d want happy, healthy children – equipped to handle the adult world confidently, who know and love their Heavenly Father, and keep his commandments. I believe she’d want to have a happier marriage, where both she and her spouse were not only contributing active parents, but equal loving partners. If I am right, I might suggest she look at her current actions and ask herself serious questions like: “How is this action going to help my son have a better day in school tomorrow? my daughter be a good friend? show my children that I love them and that home is a safe and happy place? How is this going to help my children grow into the happy, confident individuals I want them to be? How will this help me be a better mother and/or a better spouse, and show my spouse that I value him?” and so forth . . .
If the honest answer to any of these questions is “Its not” then, I might suggest its time to reassess the action. Children grow up all too soon, there will be time for Amelia to catch up on her education. It’s alright for her to lay it aside for the time being and focus on those who need her.
How awful would it be, to finally reach the top of the ladder we spend years climbing, only to find out it is leaning against the wrong wall?
Specifically, how can Amelia use “the Law of the Harvest” to guide her life? Amelia planted tomatoes in the sun, and she waters them when she feels motherly, but she’s expecting others to stake them and prune them.
She could try to understand that as a mother, she owes her children more than she is currently giving them. By nurturing the seeds she’s already sown, she will be investing in a more rewarding harvest at the end of season, with fewer regrets. Taking care of the immediate priority of children now, doesn’t imply that she will never be able to fulfill her dream of getting her degree. Not at all. To everything there is a season. Delaying the harvest of one, for the harvest of another that is more important, and by necessity more immediate – is not failure. It is a conscious choice of priority.
Alex
Alex was a sales rep for a well known tech company. His company was the biggest in the country, and he was one of the top sales reps in his region. His clients were professionals, and he was a man of no small reputation. Some time ago, a competing company hired Alex, thinking to benefit from his experience and success in the field, and perhaps even to gain some of his existing customers.
They soon discovered however, that though he was knowledgeable in his field, he was arrogant and unteachable. They learned that though he could give exemplary service, he rarely did; he didn’t like being inconvenienced. Yes, he represented his company with confidence, but he was pushy and impatient with prospective clients. He was the top of the food chain and he liked it there. He felt that he shouldn’t have to work as hard as others did anymore, after all, his ship had already come in. And it was a yacht. His reputation among his clients and peers was now one of mixed reviews. Some respected his knowledge, others resented his arrogance. Some appreciated his confidence, others did not feel he valued their opinions.
Specifically, how is the Law of the Harvest playing out in Alex’s life? At some point, Alex had sown good seed to get where he was. Because the harvest he was currently reaping was the result of previous work, Alex is choosing to not pay attention to how things are changing. Perhaps his previous company had an edge earlier, because of something completely independent of him, and he may have been in the right place at the right time. Perhaps existing clients simply don’t like change, so they stuck with him out of habit. Who knows? Whatever the truth is, his previous reputation and professional success was a harvest he happily reaped. But he forgot about the principle of choice and accountability, and its close tie to the law of the Harvest. He neglected to take into consideration how small the professional world in his field is, and how reputation spreads. With his current attitude and work ethic, he is now sowing an entirely different crop than the one he wanted. He wants tomatoes, but he was caring for them as if they were hostas. Hostas don’t want sun; tomatoes must have it. If you want tomatoes Alex, you must do more than put the seed into the ground. You must give them what they need to flourish.
Frank
Sometimes we get in our own way and we refuse to take responsibility for our own faults. Frank is not getting the shifts he wants at work. He feels persecuted by his supervisor, and is considering filing a complaint with the union. Frankly, (no pun intended), he is lazy and has a reputation for shuffling off when there’s work to be done. Colleagues don’t like working with him, and some have even asked not to. The problem is, that Frank convinces himself he is a good employee, and tells anyone who wants to hear it. He doesn’t think there is anything amiss with his performance.
Sometimes we need to take a long hard look at ourselves and ask what our responsibility is when we are not seeing the desired harvest. I have no idea what can be done for someone who is so blind to their own faults.
Helen
Helen is negative about most things: her job and the people she works with, her neighbours, her friends, her spouse, her in-laws, . . . . . She has a hard time seeing the good in people and talks ‘smack’ about them behind their backs. When people hear what she says about others, they wonder what she says about them. She has a victim mentality and feels like everyone is out to get her (and by extension, her family). She is quick to be offended, and has no problem telling people off when she is. She considers herself a loyal friend, but usually that means taking up their fight with them. Consequently she doesn’t have a good group of friends who want to be around her. Her nature makes it difficult sometimes to recognize the blessings she has in her life.
Like Frank, Helen may need to take a long hard look in the mirror to discover her responsibility when she doesn’t see her desired harvests. The most important thing she needs to recognize, is that many of her problems are self made. She can learn to alter her thinking with a little hard work, but first she must be able to accept that the common denominator in all she finds wrong with her world, might be herself. And that is not an easy thing to admit. For anyone.
Dean
Dean just got laid off. He hadn’t seen it coming, and assumed it never would. He had had a government position, and kinda felt that he was immune from such things. Like thousands of others, he had been working a lot from home during the Covid months, but was asked to come into the office Monday. That was that. Done. A fair severance, but no job. Understandably, it took a few days to digest it and to be able to talk about it. He reviewed his family’s situation: He had three young children at home. His wife had been working part time – picking up shifts now and again. He had been with his current employer for almost a decade and had a good reputation there; he knew he could get some good references. He and his wife had a house with a mortgage of course. They didn’t live outside of their means. They paid an honest tithing, and understood the blessings that came from doing so. They had a couple of older vehicles that he always kept in good condition. Most importantly, other than their mortgage, they had strictly avoided debt. What a relief that was at the moment! He felt sure that that fact alone was going to reduce the stress and nervousness of being between jobs for awhile.
Hard to say how long it might take for Dean to find another job in this market. Thankfully, they have some modest savings that they’d have to be careful with, but when combined with his severance, it will help. But back to the debt thing. They have NO credit card debt! No heavy monster interest hanging over their heads.
Specifically, how does “the Law of the Harvest” apply here? One cannot assume that doing one’s best will shield them from trials. Trials are inherent to our mortal experience, and we can learn a lot from them, but there are things we can do in preparation to prevent them from being worse than they have to be. We can in fact, soften their blow. By paying an honest tithing, and avoiding credit card debt, Dean protected himself and his family in the very best way he could have. Although this unemployment experience was not on his radar, he was prepared for it. He understands that while it is only a bump in the road, it could be a big bump. But it is not the harvest. The harvest is yet to come.
~
The moral of these stories is singular: “If you want tomatoes, plant TOMATOES.” Plant exactly what you hope to sow. Tomato seeds yield tomato plants, which in turn produce more tomato seeds. Keep your desired harvest in mind: TOMATOES. Choose your actions intentionally. Whatever they are, YOU WILL REAP WHAT YOU SOW. Using my friends Ben, Amelia, Alex, Frank, Helen and Dean as examples, consider the seeds you are currently planting, and ask yourself if those are the ones you really want to harvest? At one time Alex sowed tomatoes, but he hasn’t taken care of them for a long time, and he cannot expect to continue to reap a harvest he is no longer nurturing.
sometimes we Sabotage ourselves with self defeating behaviour
When one finds problems overwhelming, or maybe even painful, it is tempting to find a bandage, some kind of self-medicating behaviour, rather than learning from those experiences or developing strategies to work through them. Self medicating behaviours are ones that offer relief from pain, or fear-of-failure, and though some can be helpful in the short term, many times they are counterproductive. Self medicating behaviours that remove the worst of our fears, might take the form of alcohol, drugs, inappropriate relationships, self harm, over eating, over exercising, pornography, over spending, excessive indulgences, and so forth. The problem with this solution is that eventually it wears off. And reality comes back into focus, revealing the same problem that never really went away, and has now resurfaced. And we have still not developed skills to deal with it. Instead of learning skills to improve, we have simply learned to escape, and very often have introduced a new problem that can be worse than the original. Addiction.
The more one employs escape strategies, the more dependent we become on them. We find relief there. In our self medicating behaviour we chill out, we become more confident, we like ourselves better, we lose our usual inhibitions. Its a happy place for us. But soon enough it ends again, and we’re back to where we started – again. And the only things we seem to be learning, are quicker ways to escape those things we find difficult. Addiction is forming. Addiction to what? Addiction to whjhjhatever behaviour you are employing to avoid the pain you are living with. The longer you go on, the more serious your addiction becomes and the less you are equipped to deal with the new consequences that it brings with it.
And of course, there will be a reaping of this too.
In my studies and reflection, I have come up with five principles of the Law of the Harvest. They’re not official, not very profound, and probably never gonna be written anywhere else but here. But they are personal to me, learned through my experience. Understanding them helps me apply them to my benefit, and they help me hold myself accountable. Perhaps you may find them of benefit as well.
Lesson 1 – We Reap what we sow
Look ahead. What is it you WANT to end up with? If you want tomatoes, start by PLANTING tomatoes. Find out all that tomatoes need to thrive and do you very best to give it to them. They need as much sun as possible, so pick a sunny spot. They need nutrients, so make sure their soil is rich, continually adding to it with compost and mulch. They need air, so prune and stake them to ensure they have space to grow, and air flow to prevent disease. They need water, but water remaining on their leaves may cause disease, so water from beneath. When you ensure tomatoes have the very best environment and care, you can reasonably expect a bountiful harvest of beautiful, flavourful, nourishing tomatoes. Taking shortcuts in any of these areas will reduce the quality of your harvest. Planting marigolds will not give you a basketful of tomatoes. And letting dandelions flourish will not give you a basketful of tomatoes.
Reading text books will not get your kitchen cleaned up, and meals made. Browsing Pinterest, and flipping through magazines will not give you the kitchen you desire. Staying in bed all day because you’re overwhelmed, with not help your kids learn the golden rule and develop feelings of self worth.
When you have decided what you WANT in a final harvest, plant THOSE seeds, and NURTURE them along the whole season.
Lesson 2 – Sometimes the harvest is not immediate
Trying to cheat the natural consequences of our actions prevents us from valuable learning opportunities and preparation. We simply will not develop the skills we should have. Our world is governed by natural laws; its how we know objects will fall down instead of up, how we know the sun will rise in the morning, and why we know the rain will get us wet. These are things we can count on, without which life would be chaos.
Sometimes we make poor decisions, choices others may even have warned us not to make, actions that we innately sense are not for our own good, . . . nevertheless, we don’t suffer. In fact, everything seems to continue on pretty much as normal. We enjoy the immediate fruits of over spending, we neglect to change the oil in our car regularly, or maintain tire pressure properly, and yet it seems to run fine, we eat poorly but our health doesn’t suffer, we don’t study but we do well in class, …. etc. The delay of consequences can be empowering. We might even feel that we cheated them. Then all of a sudden, the exam looms and we know we’re going in unprepared, we can’t afford to pay the bills, the motor in our car fails and our tires wear out quicker than they should, our lack of energy catches up to us, and we seem to be getting sick a lot, . . . . . . Our lack of preparatory work becomes painfully evident, and bluffing our way through isn’t working anymore. It seems the whole world comes crashing down all at the same time, and we can’t “catch a break”. We compare ourselves to others, and fail miserably. And most importantly, we are stressed to the max, and unhappy.
Then the opposite may also be true from time to time. We try our best. We do everything we know how to do, to abide by ‘the rules’ associated with promised blessings. We work tirelessly, we follow the golden rule, we put God first, we pray for help, we teach our children, we show them by example the path we’d like them to follow, . . . and yet it seems, the same problems continue to plague us. We can’t get ahead, the light at the end of the tunnel seems so far away we can’t see it clearly, our kids choose paths we know will bring them misery. I’ve been there, I know how discouraging some of those things can feel. But I have learned that no matter what it looks like now, the promised harvest is absolutely assured. We must carry on, stay the course, do the right thing because IT IS the right thing, having faith that God is in control.
A favourite scripture of mine says: “There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated – and when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.” (D&C 130:20,21) I have seen it come true time and time again. I have absolute confidence in it. You might say it has become a mantra to me, encouraging me on, trusting that God is in control and that I will receive the promised blessing.
Lesson 3 – Trust that the harvest WILL come, and it will be exactly what we sowed.
We live in an immediate gratification world that sometimes makes us believe everything should happen instantaneously. That’s hard to argue with, when so much around us reinforces it. Infinite information is a only a click away. We talk to anyone we want, practically anytime we want, from wherever we happen to be. New furniture is ours with the click of a mouse, delivered to our door next Monday. There is an app for everything. Instant results. We don’t like to wait, and we don’t see why we should have to. Hey, I live in the same world. I am as guilty as anyone else.
So how do we trust in something that doesn’t seem to be happening quick enough? How do we learn to step back, take a breath and have confidence in something we seemingly have no assurance of? Well, there are some things we DO have assurance of. Some things that we can count on.
“I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.” (D&C 82:10)
“Do what I say.”? . . . I can do that. I want to do that. I will do that. I made a commitment long ago to do that. Sometimes I might have to learn His will on a particular subject, but when I do, I will do whatever is necessary to align myself to it. Why? Because of this assurance: “My words are sure and shall not fail, …. wherefore be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great. Behold the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; …. ” (D&C 64:31-34)
I decided long ago that there was no one I wanted bound to me, more than God. His counsel here is simple and straight forward, hard to misunderstand: “DO WHAT I SAY”. His promise is equally simple and straight forward: “I THE LORD AM BOUND”. The opposite is true in reverse “when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”
~
Someone recently told me that not only was I relying on unsustainable promises regarding the law of the harvest, but that I was encouraging others to put too much stock in harvests that may never come. She pointed out that sometimes a gardener plants and cares for a garden only to lose it through no fault of his or her own. Drought. Disease. Hail. Early frost. Any number of rotten tricks that nature can play on us will affect a harvest. And can even remove a season’s harvest completely from the picture. I know that. I’ve lost seasons’ harvests to unexpected early frosts, to hail and to other things beyond my control. But it has not diminished my testimony of the bigger picture.
Many years ago, we had an experience that taught me a life long lesson, that became the foundation of what would develop into a strong testimony of this principle. It is a lesson that I have seen recur multiple times, not just in my own life, but in the lives of those I love. Dan and I lived in a small Alberta city – Camrose. Our first baby had just been born, Dan was working in a bank there, and we began to set down roots, expecting Camrose to be our home for some time to come. We bought a modest home that we were to take possession of July 1, and since it was empty, we asked if we could plant a garden before we moved in. It was to be our first ‘real’ garden in our very own ‘real’ home. We felt so grown up.
We planted the garden. I have no idea what we planted in it, only that we did. About the middle of June, Dan lost his job. Big surprise, and overnight everything changed. We couldn’t take possession of the house obviously, and we had already put in notice with our landlord. So we packed up and moved into Dan’s mom’s basement while we tried to figure out what we were going to do from there. By September, Dan was back at school upgrading, working on the weekends delivering pizza, and we found a little apartment in our old ward on the west side of Edmonton. Friends in the ward were harvesting their own gardens and we received garden gifts from time to time. Cucumbers here, tomatoes there, lettuce, carrots and beets – it was wonderful. One day I mentioned to my new friend Shirley Clelland, “I didn’t even have a garden this year, and yet I am harvesting probably more than I would have if I had had one .” She offered a perspective I had never considered, with a gospel truth I had not known.
“You may not have harvested your own garden Cindy,” she said “but you DID plant a garden. And it is because of your garden that you are being blessed this way.“ She pointed out the principle of obedience. That promise that when we obey a law, we receive the blessings associated with it. Plain and simple – according to her. The prophet said “plant a garden” – we had. The circumstances surrounding the fact that we didn’t harvest it were incidental. The principle stood. She bore testimony to me in her straight forward way, that I could count on that principle all the days of my life. “There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated.” she recited, “And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which is is predicated.” (D&C 130:20,21) I didn’t know it then, but my life changed that day.
I had seen the fruit of the principle with my own two eyes. And yes, Shirley was right, I had planted a garden. Pitiful though it might have been, I had been obedient. I had tried my best to obey. That was all that mattered. God is in the details. When we get stuck in expecting the harvest to look exactly how we think it should, we may miss a lot.
Lesson 4 – Don’t discount a harvest simply because it looks different than you expected
Assurance of a harvest doesn’t mean you’re always gonna have a bumper crop of tomatoes. It doesn’t guarantee employment, or freedom from problems. And obeying gospel laws and principles doesn’t protect us from all of life’s trials. But it will frame them differently, and it will make all the difference in the final outcome.
We’ve had our share of unemployment. Along with many others in the economic downturn Alberta experienced in the mid 1980’s, we lost our house. Dan went back to school and worked part time when we had four children. There were many hard things about those years, and in the following years of repaying student loans. And there were great blessings too, although none of them looked much like money. We learned the importance of having a Food Storage, and we relied upon it. We learned to live within our means. We learned the difficult lesson of staying out of debt. Dan got a job he enjoyed with the government, and we got on with the business of raising our children.
In 1996 we bought a failing business that we believed we could turn around. An independent niche Bookstore. It wasn’t a dream we’d always had, it simply presented itself one day, and it felt like the right thing to do. Dan continued to work full time, and I took over the management of it. Our kids all worked there over the years we owned it, and there were many wonderful things that came from those years. But it was very hard too. 60 hour weeks. The first four years of no income from it – every dollar went back into it, paying off the bank loan, overhead, stock, freight, staff, . . . . etc etc etc. About five years later, we had a big surprise. One day Dan went to work as usual, and was home two hours later.
Downsized. It took our breath away. We were stunned. Could hardly speak. It took a few days before we could even tell the kids. We had five children by then, our daughter had just gotten married, our oldest son had recently returned from a mission. Our other boys were aged 11 – 17. While we sat together in a family meeting, our oldest asked the question that was on everybody’s mind: “What does this mean? What is this going to look like on the day-to-day? What’s going to change? What do we do different?”
It was with relief and tremendous gratitude that I could reassure them with “We are in good shape. Other than the house, we don’t have any debt. We own two decent cars, if we have to sell one, we can. Our priority is to not loose the house. Every ounce of energy will go into protecting it, and we will do without what we must do without to keep it safe. ” I reminded them of our Food Storage. “From the outside looking in,” I said “it will appear as if life is going on the same as it ever did. We pay our tithing and the Lord will sustain us. We’ll simply be careful until Dad is back to working fulltime.”
It went on a lot longer than we expected; in fact – Dan never did get back into his field. It was an emotionally difficult time, especially hard on him, as much of his confidence and feelings of self worth, were tied up in being gainfully employed. He picked up part time seasonal work at a local hardware store, then started building fences and decks. He eventually started a maintenance business and gained a contract with a big property company in the city. But that took years. Through it all, we still had our bookstore, which just before his layoff had turned a corner in that we had finally paid it off. So many times in the months and years that went by, I paused and considered “Wow! Who could have imagined that this would go on as long as it has? What would have happened to us if we had had credit card debt?” I had no doubt that had we been in unnecessary debt, we would have lost the house.
Bad things happen. Even to good people. Job loss happens. Illness happens. No one is exempt from trials in this life. And some of the harvests are less than stellar. Sometimes what we worked for ends up being regrettable. As difficult as that episode was for us, it was a first rate lesson in the importance of staying out of debt. Debt would have changed our harvest considerably. It was a tangible, touchable lesson for our whole family. Most of our kids were old enough to understand, and went into their own marriages with a healthy appreciation for living within one’s means. For that alone, I would say it was worth it. Not that I’d ever want to go through it again, but what we gained from those hard years is hard to put a price on. The harvest? Nothing we pictured in the beginning. But as so often happens when the Lord is involved, it turned out much better.
Lesson 5 – Don’t look back.
Every season gardeners learn new lessons about what they’re growing. Sometimes the lesson is what worked beautifully, so that we can repeat it. Sometimes the lesson is what NOT to do next time. But whatever we learned, it took the whole season to finalize the lesson. Nothing can be done to reverse a season, and we only get one chance at it. We may even lose the whole season’s harvest.
There is nothing to do, but to go forward. Next time – simply do better, applying what we learned, gaining confidence along the way with improved skills. Maya Angelou’s counsel is another mantra to me, and I have it written in big letters on a wall I see every day. “Do the BEST you can until you know better. Then when you know better, DO BETTER.” I love it because it doesn’t dwell on past mistakes. It encourages me not to grovel in guilt after I have repented. It motivates me to go forward and do better. It is simple and straight forward – just like the gospel. I do best with “simple-and-straight-forward”.
~
The law of the harvest is as real to me as the sun and the moon. I have seen it implemented year after year, simple and straight forward, and above all dependable. I have confidence in it. I have reaped many harvests – not all of them good, but they were what I sowed. I am currently reaping a harvest I set in motion many years ago. I trust the principle so much that it is a guiding influence in my life. It motivates every decision. Some people refer to serendipity. Some refer to karma. Some refer to luck. Those things imply fickle ‘chance’, and I cannot invest in chance. The law of the harvest is not chance. It is a natural law, as much as gravity is a law of physics, and we can count on it to the same degree. Even more so. And when we do, I pray that it will be the JOY OF HARVEST we experience, as is so beautifully depicted in Simon Dewey’s classic picture above.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the law of the harvest and how it applies to life outside the garden as well as in it.
Okay, yes, the simple answer is that the Articles of Faith are a summary of Latter-Day Saint doctrine, coming from a letter Joseph wrote to a journalist named Wentworth, and that letter has come to be called “the Wentworth letter”. I think most of us could recite that little fact. But who was John Wentworth and why would Joseph feel that much of a commitment to take the kind of time he devoted to drafting up this extensive discourse for him? He was an extremely busy man, and couldn’t possibly dedicate that much time in responding to everyone’s curiousity. And more importantly, at least for me, where did each point of doctrine come from? How did Joseph gain a testimony of each of them? And what do each of them tell of his personal journey?
In 1842 a request was made of Joseph Smith for a brief review of the history of the “Mormons” and what they believed. Who better to ask right? Though the request was made by John Wentworth, editor of the Chicago Democrat Newspaper, it was ultimately not for him. He made the request on behalf of his friend George Barstow, who was writing a book about the history of New Hampshire. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints up till that point, had been the target of much persecution and continuous slander in newspapers across the country. You might say “the Mormons” were used to being misrepresented – even joked about, in the papers. Certainly honest inquiry for a fair understanding was not often made. Since Joseph judged that Mr. Barstow had taken the proper steps to obtain correct information, he agreed to provide it, with one stipulation: that “he publish the account entire, ungarnished and without misrepresentation.”
Wentworth Letter in THE TIMES AND SEASONS March 1842
The result was what Joseph entitled “The Rise, Progress, Persecutions and Faith of the Latter-day Saints”. It contained not just a history beginning with his First Vision, but a prophetic declaration of the Church’s future success in the earth under the protective hand of the Great Jehovah, and several important details not found elsewhere in the Prophet’s teaching. It was the first time that Joseph Smith published his own account of the First Vision, and it concluded with a summary of the basic beliefs of the Church in 13 distinct declarations of faith. Interestingly for his own reasons, the essay was never used by Mr. Barstow in his book, but it was published in the Times & Seasons – the Church’s twice monthly publication from their printing press in Nauvoo – in March of 1842, and has become of tremendous worth to the members of the Church. It’s funny how important things come out of unexpected opportunities. The letter itself became known as THE WENTWORTH Letter, and the 13 points of doctrine became known as THE 13 ARTICLES OF FAITH. Later that year, on October 10, the Articles of Faith were formally accepted as scripture by vote of the members of the Church. They are as important today as they were then, as they encapsulate beautifully and concisely, the basic tenets of our religion.
He succinctly summarized the amazing and moving history of the church, made even more amazing since it was not quite even a dozen years old, and included what he called the inhuman treatment of his people at the hands of mobs (winked at by politicians). Notwithstanding the stumbling blocks continually put in the Church’s path, including his own multiple arrests and lengthy imprisonments, Joseph gave a review of the progress the church was making. That they made any progress at all – is miraculous. “Persecution has not stopped the truth,” he said “but has only added fuel to the flame, it has spread with increasing rapidity. … Amidst calumny and reproach, …” he names states and countries where Elders of the Church had travelled teaching the gospel, and from which thousands of converts were springing. He concludes his heartfelt historical summary up till that point, with this announcement, beloved by members of the Church till this day for its stirring message:
“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.” (the Wentworth Letter)
Take THAT! A powerful statement that has proved true in the almost two centuries since he wrote it.
But WHERE did those points of doctrine come from? There were not direct revelation, as were so many other doctrines Joseph brought to us. Upon close scrutiny, it is clear they sprang from specific and accumulative milestones in Joseph’s life. Teaching milestones. I find it helpful to privately review them, and to consider the possible life experiences that proceeded them, and that caused Joseph to affirm each individual doctrinal testimony – for that is exactly what they are. Testimonies.
We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost.
Joseph taught that the most important thing we could ever know was the true nature of God. Before the spring of 1820, like the rest of us, he had no idea what that might have been. The concept of the Trinity had infiltrated most Christian religions although to explain it, was most difficult. Joseph learned first hand, visually, audibly and spiritually that the Father and the Son are two separate, distinct beings, and that together with the Holy Ghost – they constitute the Godhead. Not one in being, but one in purpose. It is not surprising then, that the Articles of Faith should begin at the beginning – with revealed truth as taught where his mission began, in a grove of trees. It came to be known as “the FIRST VISION”, for there would be others, many others.
What was the First Vision?
In the years leading up to 1820, the eastern region of the United States was afire with religious fervor, a veritable explosion of religious revivalism. These were the decades following the Revolutionary War, most families still had grandfathers who fought in that war. Recent climate upheavals owing to the volcanic eruption of Mount Tambora in the Dutch Indies (present day Indonesia) triggered extreme global affects. April 10, 1815 was the day Mount Tambora reached its violent climax, but increased steaming and smaller eruptions continued to occur for the following three years. The resulting ash dispersed around the world and lowered global temperatures in a way that has not been observed in recorded history before or since. In many parts of the world, 1816 became known as the Year-Without-a-Summer.
Many people interpreted this to be a manifestation of divine disapproval. It is not surprising that it sparked religious intensity. But as we all know, religion does not always imply peace, and there was anything but peace in the revivals that sprang up and traveled among the American states. In Joseph’s words, “the cry and tumult were great and incessant“. Communities and even families were split between factions. Joseph’s family was no exception, some filing off to the Methodists, some to the Presbyterians.
1820 was Joseph’s 14th year, and as an earnest youth he was anxious to find the right church for himself. “While I was labouring under the extreme difficulties caused by the contest of these parties of religionists” he said, “I was one day reading the Epistle of James, first chapter and fifth verse which reads: If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. Never did any passage of scripture come with more power to the heart of man than this did at this time to mine. It seemed to enter with great force into every feeling of my heart. I reflected on it again and again, knowing that if any person needed wisdom from God, I did; for how to act I did not know, and unless I could get more wisdom than I then had, I would never know; for the teachers of religion of the different sects understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the question by an appeal to the Bible. At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to ‘ask of God’ . . .”
The Desires of My Heart by Walter Rane
In accordance with his determination, Joseph retired to a spot in the woods near his home and kneeled down to offer up the desires of his heart to God. The result, as any Latter-day Saint knows, was not only the answer to his prayer, but the answer to the prayers of thousands of pure hearted truth seekers for centuries. The time was at hand, and this young American plough boy – who had been prepared from the foundation of this world to be the prophet of the Restoration, got his first glimpse of what the rest of his earthly mission would entail.
The first Article of Faith states firmly and without distraction, what Joseph observed with his own two eyes that day. That God the Eternal Father, and His Son Jesus Christ were two separate and distinct, tangible beings of pure light and glory. Their relationship as stated by the Father, is undeniably that of Father and Son. He also experienced first hand, the power of the Holy Ghost. Everything else he learned would come after this foundational truth.
Why do WE Believe this principle? Well, I don’t know why you believe it, but I believe it because as I have learned the doctrine and studied the account, and come to know my Saviour personally, the Holy Ghost has testified to me that it is true.
2. We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression.
In the years following his First Vision, Joseph had some growing up to do; he wasn’t above the usual follies of youth. Those and the painful lessons he learned surrounding Martin Harris’ loss of the 116 pages, regarding the principles of agency and personal accountability, became foundational in his testimony about how we are accountable for our own actions: sins or mistakes. Lessons that would shape his future life, and influence every decision he made from that time forward. He was not a perfect man, and that imperfection was made so abundantly clear repeatedly as he went through the refiner’s fire of his short life. Those who loved him most knew he had his weaknesses. Who doesn’t? Being a prophet didn’t make him a perfected being? Even Abraham had his weaknesses.
But what a tender mercy it is to know that the mistakes we’ll pay for, will be our own, and not someone else’s. Understanding Choice and Accountability gives us responsibility for our own actions. It is made even more marvelous when considered in the light of the following doctrinal truth.
3. We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.
Though he feared for his soul after the loss of the 116 pages, he learned about mercy in section 3 of the D&C. The Lord laid out the situation, and exactly where the problem lay – fearing the opinion of men more than God. And who could blame Joseph for being concerned about the good opinion of men such as Martin Harris? and his father in law Isaac Hale? To his mortal way of seeing things, they were integral to moving the work forward. Without them Joseph had no means, and his ability to make a living could sustain his family only, not the additional expense of such a project as he was currently involved in, that of translating the record and its eventual publication. “You should have been faithful” the Lord tenderly chastised “and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary and he would have been with you in every time of trouble.” (v8)
The Lord reminded him that what had happened was not conclusionary, and that though Satan constantly seeks to thwart the plan of God, yet “The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.” (v1) “Remember, … it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men.” (v3) Joseph needed to keep in mind who’s errand he was on. He was reminded that he had been given strict guidelines to follow regarding the plates, which were not only intended to protect them, but also to arm him. Promises that if he was diligent in their protection, the Lord would reach out and protect them, but at the same time – if he failed in his due diligence he had no such promise. Strict obedience regarding the plates, was crucial. (v5) He was comforted by the reassurance that “God is merciful” and though the situation was indeed serious, it was not unredeemable, and if he repented, he was still chosen, called to do the work. (v10,11) The Atonement of Christ overcomes all. The price was in fact – paid.
Why do I believe this principle? Because I too, have made mistakes. I too have carried the weight of not being right with my Father in Heaven. I too have been accountable for unhappiness (mostly my own), resulting from my actions. I too have judged too harshly, spoken too sharply, and reacted too swiftly. I too have felt the weight of repentance – a literal “turn” of my heart and actions. And I too have felt the redeeming joy of letting go that the Atonement has allowed. I literally know for myself that through the Atonement of Christ, I am saved. And through the Atonement of Christ, I can repeatedly put my life to rights again and again, and again.
4. We believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Throughout the Book of Mormon, Joseph was taught that two principles always precede the ordinance of baptism. No privilege and blessing comes from God without repentance, but there was no point in repenting if one doesn’t first have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. With a measure of faith and following repentance, baptism is the first ordinance of the gospel – necessary to join with the Church of God and to progress. In 3 Nephi 11, he learned that the Father would visit those who were baptized with the Holy Ghost. “I bear record that the Father commandeth all men, everywhere, to repent and believe in me. And whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved . . . [And the Father] will visit him with fire and with the Holy Ghost.” (3N 11:32-33, 35)
5. We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof.
Restoration by Liz Lemon Swindle
Joseph learned throughout his translation of the Book of Mormon, that men of God did not act without authority. And when they did not have authority, they deferred to someone who did – postponing important ordinances until one with authority could perform them.
The perfect example of this is found in Mosiah in the story of Limhi. Limhi was the son of King Noah, himself a good man not withstanding the terrible precedent set by his father. At the time Ammon and his search party found them, Limhi’s people were in bondage to the Lamanites, forced to pay high tribute, unable to escape, and nowhere to go if they did. The arrival of Ammon and his friends brought hope and joy to Limhi’s people, and more than that – they learned more of the gospel as taught by Abinadi.
“And now since the coming of Ammon, king Limhi had also entered into a covenant with God, and also many of his people, to serve him and keep his commandments. And it came to pass that king Limhi and many of his people were desirous to be baptized; but there was none in the land that had authority from God. And Ammon declined doing this thing, considering himself an unworthy servant.” (Mosiah 21:32-33) Whether Ammon lacked the authority or not, is unclear, but with or without authority he did not consider himself worthy to act in the name of God. “Therefore they did not at that time form themselves into a church, waiting upon the Spirit of the Lord. . . . They were desirous to be baptized as a witness and a testimony that they were willing to serve God with all their hearts; nevertheless they did prolong the time . . . ” (Mosiah 21:34,35)
Where does one get the authority to baptize? Joseph and Oliver Cowdery (his friend and scribe), saw how Jesus gave his disciples authority to baptize in the Book of Mormon – even giving specific instructions about how to do it, and the words to use. (3N:18) We know that this doctrine brought Joseph and Oliver to the realization that they had not been baptized, and they were very aware that they did not then posses the proper authority. That question was answered in the visitation of John the Baptist who conferred upon them the Aaronic Priesthood which he held and which thereby gave them the proper authority to baptize. As they continued to translate and write, they realized there was more. Line upon line, precept upon precept. More questions led to more revelation, and to them receiving the higher priesthood at the hands of Peter, James and John – which gave them authority to impart the gift of the Holy Ghost not only to each other, but to all those they would baptize.
They knew how that Priesthood authority was conferred because they personally experienced it, first at the hands of the resurrected being John the Baptist, then at the hands of Peter, James and John. Such was the restoration of authority to perform gospel ordinances, which led directly into the establishing of the Church, or rather restoring of the Church.
6. We believe in the same organization that existed in the Primitive Church, namely, apostles, prophets, pastors, teachers, evangelist and so forth.
Without Purse or Script by Liz Lemon Swindle
With power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, as established by Jesus Christ in His primitive Church, Joseph followed the same patterns that existed in that ancient Church. The process began in Fayette, New York on April 6 1830, and continues till today, one step at a time as revelation directs. Within the first five years, offices and quorums of the Priesthood were organized, and as in the original church, apostles and prophets were called. From there, line upon line, principle upon principle – the Church of Jesus Christ unfolded as revelation directed and as the people were ready.
And almost two hundred years later, it is still unfolding line upon line, as revelation directs and as the people are ready. The Lord speaks today as He always did, through the mouth of His prophets. Why would it be any different? Can Heavenly Father love us less than he loved the Jews in the Old Testament or the Nephites in the Book of Mormon? Can all that we should ever know really have been provided two thousand years ago? Is God not still living? And if so, why would He not be involved in our doings? Why would He leave us without direction?
I am so grateful for the blessing of a living prophet on the earth today. I eagerly listen to every word he speaks in his position as President of the Church, and I happily align my life to the direction and counsel he gives.
7. We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues and so forth.
An outpouring of gifts of the Spirit were evident throughout the establishment of the Restored Church, but in Kirtland the Saints were blessed with unparalleled spiritual manifestations including all of the gifts mentioned in the seventh Article of Faith. All members of the Church were converts, and most had joined after only a few meetings with travelling missionaries – themselves new converts. While doctrinal understanding may have been minimal, the Saints were fueled by a constant flow of recorded revelation from a modern-day prophet and the Holy Ghost which testified of its truthfulness. It was an unbeatable combination.
Kirtland Temple dedicated March 27, 1836
The sacrifice that those early Saints were called to make astound us, but as Joseph later taught “A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation”. (Lectures on Faith 6:7) They certainly had experience with sacrifice, especially in the early Kirtland days, and they were rewarded with spiritual gifts of pentecostal proportions.
Throughout these two centuries, spiritual blessings have never ceased. We live in a day of witnessing prophecy fulfilled, of continual revelation unfolded before our very eyes, of healings and all manner of miracles associated with the Holy Spirit. It is our responsibility to see the hand of God in all things and to acknowledge His hand, in fact “in nothing doth man offend God, …. save those who confess not His hand in all things…” (D&C 59:21)
8. We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
Joseph grew up in a God loving, Bible reading family. He believed in, and honoured it as the word of God. He was accustomed to studying it, and as a young man with a troubling problem turned to it for help, with revelatory results. Shortly after the establishment of the Church, Joseph was engaged in the work of the translation of the Bible (1831 – 1833). It is important to note that in Joseph Smith’s day, the word translate not only meant to take something from one language into another; it also implied – to transfer, convey, interpret, or explain. Joseph frequently “used the word ‘translation’ in the wider sense of transmission, having reference to copying, editing, adding to, taking from, rephrasing, and interpreting“. (John F. Hall) When he said the Bible was not translated correctly, he wasn’t necessarily referring to the many languages it has been translated into, but also to the text having suffered at the hands of editors, copyists, and revisionists through centuries of transmission. This cannot be disputed or what explanation could there possibly be for having so many different interpretations of the Bible, as Joseph Smith experienced, and as we also experience.
Bible and the Book of Mormon Testify of Christ by Greg Olson
In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter. The fact that Latter-Day Saints refer to the Book of Mormon as “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” implies that there are primary testaments or witnesses. In fact there are two ‘other’ witnesses: the Old ‘testimony‘, and the New ‘testimony‘, and we continue to use both of them – the Bible – alongside of the Book of Mormon. Using the Book of Mormon: Another Testament(or testimony) of Jesus Christ along side of it, second witnesses many of the important truths, clarifies many conflicting points of doctrine, and resolves many doctrinal stumbling blocks. That is the beauty of an additional witness.
To the phrase “as far as it is translated correctly” the Prophet provides further insight in this statement “I believe the Bible as it read when it came from the pen of the original writers. Ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing or corrupt priests have committed many errors.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, edited by Joseph Fielding Smith 1938)
Do we revere the Bible to be the word of God? YES! A resounding Yes. As far as it is translated correctly. We also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.
9. We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
Joseph was an intimate witness of the fact that God continued to reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. His entire adult life was a revelatory affair, many of which are recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants. What God had previously revealed was in scripture – which we reverently believe, and in those pre-1842 days referenced in the Wentworth Letter, Joseph received countless revelations – big and small. We believe that while a prophet lives, there is continual revelation – a literal outpouring of truth.
10. We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; and that Christ will reign personally upon the earth; and the the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
In 1838, the Saints moved west to Missouri. There they laid the foundation for the establishment of Zion, and from there the Lord called missionaries to go forth unto all the world, (D&C 114:1) expanding the work worldwide in gathering and restoring the tribes of Israel.
Although the article of faith refers to a physical gathering of Israel, the spiritual gathering of Israel refers to a complete conversion to Jesus Christ. In the early days of the church, baptism most often included a call to Zion that inspired tens of thousands to leave all they knew behind, sail an ocean and walk across a continent to be with people who believed as they did. They heeded the call to ‘gather’ to Zion in the 19th century.
This work of Gathering is no less in effect today, although physically converts remain in their own countries as the Church is established there. It remains of primary importance in the Church – so says President Russel M. Nelson. In speaking to the youth of the church in 2018 he clarified “When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They decide for themselves if they want to know more.” How important is it? He added “This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.” (Russell M. Nelson, Hope of Israel June 3, 2018)
11. We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where or what they may.
Freedom of Worship by Norman Rockwell
How bitter it had to have been for the early members of the church to experience the intense hateful persecution they endured throughout their history. From the first hour Joseph shared his vision with a certain clergyman, he felt the sting of religious intolerance which escalated into vicious bullying. Everyone who followed him, shared in the same fate. This, in the “land of the free”, the land where their fathers and grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary War against tyranny, the land that boasted of inherent freedoms, one of which was Freedom of Religion. The American Constitution said “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” And yet, members of the new church were denounced, reviled, threatened, beaten, driven from their homes, imprisoned and even murdered. From New England to Ohio, from Ohio to Missouri, from Missouri to Illinois and after Joseph’s murder, to Indian Territory in the Valley of the Great Salt Lake.
Members of the Church knew first hand what that was like. All because of their religious affiliation. Is it any wonder that in Nauvoo, they established religious liberty? Away from the fires of Missouri, the horrific year surrounding their exile from the state, and Joseph’s imprisonment in Liberty Jail. A people who suffered like the early Saints suffered would not be able to idly stand by and watch the religious persecution of others. One year before the Wentworth Letter, Joseph published in the Times and Seasons newspaper “… we claim no privilege but what we feel cheerfully disposed to share with our fellow citizens of every denomination, and every sentiment of religion, and therefore say that, so far from being restricted to our own faith, let all those who desire to locate themselves in this place, or vicinity, come, and we will hail them as citizens and friends and shall feel it not only a duty, but a privilege …” (A Proclamation to the Saints Scattered Abroad,” Times and Seasons, 15 Jan. 1841) This was something intimate and personal to him.
12. We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honouring, and sustaining the law.
It is ironic that the law (or at least the people who represented the law), that chose not to protect the early Saints, was the very law that Joseph taught them to uphold. To do otherwise would be anarchy. In 1835, seven years prior to the Wentworth Letter Joseph Smith signed his name to the “laws and governments” that the leaders presented for the church, and now found in scripture: Doctrine & Covenants section 134. Verse 5 reads “We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen, thus protected . . .” (D&C 134:5) Who could have imagined the horror that lay before them in the next few years? And yet, two years before he himself was murdered while awaiting trial, by a mob, their faces painted as black as their hearts, Joseph taught his people “We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honouring and sustaining the law.” Irony at its worst.
13. We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul – We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things.
This is TRUE RELIGION. Practical Religion. This last profession is not one of doctrine, but of action. It is the walk that goes with the talk. It entails proper respect for oneself and love for one’s fellow men. “Religion without morality, professions of godliness without charity, church-membership without adequate responsibility as to individual conduct in daily life,” writes James E. Talmage “are but as sounding brass and tinkling cymbals – noise without music . . . . . Honesty of purpose, integrity of soul, individual purity, freedom of conscience, willingness to do good to all men even enemies, pure benevolence – these are some of the fruits by which the religion of Christ may be known. . . . . . . ” – James E. Talmage (Articles of Faith, pg 429)
“We have endured many things, and hope to be able to endure all things” summarizes over a decade of enduring experiences that taught values of Christian life better than an easier time might have. Joseph dedicated his entire adult life to learning these lessons. In summarizing them in these 13 Articles of Faith, he not only explained them to gentile readers, but taught them to members of the Church. They “are not abstract, theoretical, or theological propositions.” writes John W. Welch “They reflect real life. They crystalized out of the daily efforts and yearly struggles of faithful men, women, and children to do the will of God and to build His kingdom here on earth.” (John W. Welch is BYU Professor of Law, and Editor in Chief of BYU Studies)
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I learned the Articles of Faith when I was a girl of 11 years old. I memorized them then and they still reside in my mind, and in my heart. They are a comfort to me, and they put into words my foundational understanding of the gospel. They represent my core values. I thank my Heavenly Father for His Son, and for the gospel restored on the earth today through His Church. I thank Him for a living prophet and continued revelation. I thank Him for these 13 Articles of my Faith that solidify my testimony of critical principles. I often find myself rephrasing them in the first person: “I believe in God the Eternal Father, and in His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. I believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam’s transgression. I believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. I believe that the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel are: first, Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, repentance; third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. . . . . I believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. I also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. ….. I claim the privilege of worshipping almighty God according to the dictates of my own heart. And I allow all men the same privilege …. I believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed I may say that I follow the admonition of Paul – I believe all things, I hope all things, I have endured many things, and I hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, I seek after these things.”
I’d love to hear your thoughts on not only the Articles of Faith, and the experiences that led to their creation, but of how they affect you personally.
President Ezra Taft Benson declared: “There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called ‘the words of life’ (D&C 84:85), and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon. When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance. … [You will also enjoy] increased love and harmony in the home, greater respect between parent and child, [and] increased spirituality and righteousness.” “These promises,” President Benson assured, “are not idle promises, but exactly what the Prophet Joseph Smith meant when he said the Book of Mormon will help us draw nearer to God” (GC, Oct. 1986)
I have found over my life, that these words are true. I have taught that they are true. And one can receive the blessings from that power according to the personal diligence that one gives to the book. I taught my seminary students that if they were to do nothing but carry that book in their arms to and from school, and between classes and lay it beside them during classes, they would receive strength from it. How much more then, could they receive from it, if they opened it up and looked at the pictures now and again? And if so, how much more strength could they receive from it if they actually read from its passages? And then – what if they chose to start at the beginning and read it through? And finally, WHAT COULD BE OUR BLESSING if we seriously engage in an earnest STUDY of it? With a faith filled desire to know and understand its mysteries?
I testify from my own personal experience that the power and strength one receives from the Book of Mormon, will be in direct association to the time and focus one devotes to it. There is, as President Benson promised – “a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book.”
Who among us does not want * greater power to resist temptation? * power to avoid deception? * power to stay on the strait and narrow path? * life in greater and greater abundance? * increased love and harmony in the home? * greater respect between parent and child? * increased spirituality and righteousness?
Are you kidding? What would I be willing to give in order to see these promises fulfilled in my life? What would YOU be willing to give to see them fulfilled in your life? As with so many things that come from God, the deal is not complicated. The answer in fact, is deceptively simple. ‘Simple’ does not necessarily mean ‘easy to do’, it just means ‘straightforward’ and ‘uncomplicated’. A prophet of God – Ezra Taft Benson, promised me that “When [I] begin to hunger and thirst after those words . … ” I will see those blessings manifest in my life. I took him at his word. I engaged in the ‘challenge’, and I though I loved the book before, my appreciation for it increased exponentially, and my love deepened.
For some strange reason known only to Facebook, I cannot share this video on my facebook account. Whaaaat? Personally, I think its brilliant, and I did share it several years ago to my personal fb page, but it came up in my memories today and I thought it worthy of bringing it front of mind. Well, not according to facebook. They warned that my account has been restricted because of it. Oh bruuuther. I have my theories about key words fb is programmed to detect, and yes, I realize that they cannot spare human hours to find those key words, and machines cannot be reasoned with . . . . . .
But in the meantime, this wonderful demonstration interviews several young boys, who appear ‘normal’ and average in every way. They prove themselves however, to be extraordinary when push comes to shove. The first time I watched it, it brought tears to my eyes. Wouldn’t it be nice if they could actually ‘influence’ the behaviour of adults, who sometimes justify their own sense of right and wrong. You can see the boys struggle with the seemingly innocent instruction to ‘hit’ a girl. Unfortunately, you start to wonder about one or two of them, but in the end their gentle inner voices prevail. They are each examples of what Thomas S. Monson taught “May we ever choose the harder right, instead of the easier wrong.” One has to wonder if there were others who were initially part of the ‘experiment’ but who failed and so not included in the video. Oh I hope not.
In this world, too many still justify violence against women. Even some who are idealistically against it in principle, find ways to rationalize their behaviour when they choose to give in to “the easier wrong.” In some cultures it is completely accepted, and horrendous crimes perpetuated against women go unpunished because society justifies it. This is a discussion that should be had around the dinner table over and over again. President Ronald Reagan said it best — “All great change in America begins at the dinner table. So, tomorrow night in the kitchen I hope the talking begins.” Well I am not American, but I completely concur with what he says. Truth is truth, and is irrefutable, so let me take a minor liberty: “All great change begins at the dinner table.” God bless our dinner tables. God bless our homes.
A good film to show your families, and an important topic to discuss. Every where.
Let me paint a picture for you. (cc 20-5 years BC – Helaman 11)
A people abound in wickedness, former enemies, but by now both are enemies of truth and right. They are called Nephites and Lamanites, and though they consist of many tribes, those nations are how they are identified to history. Their contention and disputations one with another erupt into full out war, nurtured by the deception of a power hungry group of evil men known by their founder’s name – Gadianton.
A prophet – Nephi is his name, is given – the power to bind and loose on earth and in heaven – (Helaman 10:7). He persuades the Lord to replace the war with a famine that the people might be brought to humility and repentance. The rains stop, and the earth does not yield forth grain in the season, slaughter from war ceases. A year without rain and a great famine covers the land. Destruction from the sword is replaced by destruction from famine. Two years without rain. The effects of the famine are felt among all peoples: Nephite and Lamanite alike, both wicked and righteous. Another year passes with no rain. The people perish by the thousands, especially (it is noted), in the more wicked parts of the land. Finally, the people begin to remember the words of the prophet Nephi – and they remember that there is a God. Funny how it sometimes takes so long to get back to the basics. I’ve heard it said that there are no atheists in foxholes. It appears there may be fewer atheists during famine as well. The people return to their God, who they had forgotten. At the point of their utter despair and almost sure destruction they acknowledge their former wickedness, repenting of it and plead to the prophet to intercede on their behalf and to send rain.
Moved by their plight, Nephi goes to the Lord in prayer for the people. Almost FOUR years without rain! “And now O Lord,” he pleas “wilt thou turn away thine anger, and try again IF they will serve thee? And IF so, O Lord thou canst bless them according to thy words which thou hast said.” (Helaman 11:16)
These are Big IF’s.
The people still have some proving to do. The Lord sends rain. So much so, that the earth begins to bring forth fruit in the proper season, and grain in its season. And the people are happy and glorify God, and the whole face of the land is filled with rejoicing. They rightly esteem Nephi to be a true prophet and a man of God, having great power and given authority from God. The people begin again to prosper and to multiply and spread out. They cover the land. They live in peace, forgetting previous offences, and thus it goes for more than two years, three years, almost four years. Then old grudges surface, conflicts begin to be rekindled, dissenters change sides and new strifes take hold. People begin again to fraction off into ‘tribes’ being divided by differences that could not be resolved in the absence of love. War commences. Gadiantons resurface, feeding on the discontent and exaggerated flaws of one’s opponents. In only a few short years the people have devolved from the terror of famine, to a return of the conditions that preceded it. Natural consequence when ‘love’ is not present.
The land virtually erupts in havoc, as the Gadiantons increase in number and wax strong, defying laws and those commissioned to enforce them. They plunder and murder for their own purposes, receiving daily additions to their numbers from the discontented. Government forces attempting to put them down are driven back, they literally infest the land, killing at will and even stealing women and children.
Can you imagine such a scenario? Anarchy in the streets. No regard for civil law. Proud and stiff necked, conspiring men who flatter the people and manipulate them to do their bidding in the name of whatever appeals to the people. This is no fairy tale, no work of fiction. It is literally out of the evening news in the year 20 BC on the American continent, as found in the chapters of Helaman 11-16.
This is the generation of Samuel, when believers among the Nephites are fewer in number than believers among the Lamanites. All over the land the people (both Nephite and Lamanite) are being prepared for the coming birth of “the Messiah” about whom their men of God have been prophesying for six hundred years. Believers await the signs they have trusted in all their lives. Unbelievers ridicule and mock them and trample everything that is precious and sacred under their feet.
Turmoil grips the Nephite capital city of Zarahemla, despite the not-to-distant humbling life changing destruction the famine. Into this environment comes a prophet, another one, this one from among the people of their traditional enemies. He preaches repentance to the people and they cast him out of their city, refusing to readmit him. He finds himself a podium upon which to speak – so that he can be heard by the greatest amount of people possible. He stands literally atop the city wall. His name is Samuel. He preaches as Nephi did, of impending destruction if they do not repent and trust in God, having faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. He claims an angel of the Lord declared it unto him. He tells them that it is for the benefit of those few righteous among them, that their city is saved, and had it not been for them, the Lord would have caused fire to come out of heaven to destroy it. He warns that if they ever cast out the righteous from among them, they would have no such safety net. He condemns them for their pride and greed, which he says leads them to much grosser sins like persecution of the righteous and even murder. He says that if a prophet told them what they wanted to hear, they would accept him and esteem him as a prophet, and even pay him well for being one, but if he testified against them, they would call him a false prophet and they’d get rid of him.
Up till this part in the book, I find the story disturbingly, even hauntingly familiar. It literally IS the news stories I read on line, the commentaries on every news radio station, and the speculative theory of talk show hosts and political podcasts. Anarchy in the streets of America’s capital. Those who meant harm, at the threshold of government offices. Corruption and inefficiency widespread. Gadiantons in public office. Secret oaths of conspiracy and collusion. And so here we are, the people – hung out to dry, wondering who is going to prevail, and which ‘side’ is right if either of them can be. And in the middle of it, a world wide pandemic which frightens even the most seasoned front line worker, keeping people isolated from work and peer groups. Unprecedented unemployment. Hotly contested political issues. Conspiracy theories abound. Accusations of treason on the highest levels. Freedom of speech, that sacred holy grail of democracies is being intimidated and altered. Faction against faction. Discord damaging communities, congregations and even families. Neighbour against neighbour. Brother against brother. All forgetting the higher law about loving one’s neighbour as oneself.
Ancient Samuel taught the people sound doctrine, and therein laid their hope. Modern prophet Boyd K. Packer taught that true doctrine has a greater ability to change behaviour than any other course of action, and it proves itself out in story after story throughout the Book of Mormon. After some stern chastisement, Samuel prophecies about specific signs to be given by which the people will know that the Messiah is born in the land of Jerusalem. The people knew for decades that the time was nigh, but if was always something vaguely in the future. Samuel gives specific details regarding a firm time within which to see these signs. “FIVE years” he says. Five years is a frighteningly short time, even if one has waited six centuries to get there
In our day, Russel M. Nelson teaches sound and pertinent doctrine, and herein lies OUR hope. He teaches about gratitude and of acknowledging the good that surrounds us. He teaches tolerance and racial unity. He teaches about the critical role we play in the Gathering of Israel, and admonishes us to focus on our responsibility to accomplish it. He teaches us to love our neighbour and obey the laws of the land. He uses social media posts to reach the people on our own level – wherever that may be. He has found his wall. He teaches us about love at home, and the responsibility of the home in training and strengthening children.
“I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me” Mormon 8:35
In Samuel’s day, many who believed went forth to be baptized. Many more did not. The chasm that separated those who believed and those who did not believe grew to a wide fissure, a gorge.
I am not trying to sound like I think I know the answers to our problems today. That is why we have prophets. I am just overwhelmed by the similarity between the world I am reading about which unfolded over 2000 years ago (as they awaited the birth of the Messiah), and the world I live in in 2020 (as we await the return of that same Saviour). The more things change the more things stay the same, I guess. Mormon testified “I speak unto you as if ye were present, and yet ye are not. But behold, Jesus Christ hath shown you unto me, and I know your doing. And I know that ye do walk in the pride of your hearts; and there are none save a few only who do not lift themselves up in the pride of their hearts, …. For behold ye do love money and your substance and your fine apparel … more than ye love the poor and the needy, the sick and the afflicted. …” (Mormon 8: 35-41) I think he pegged us. I think we can learn a lot from a book which was written by a people who’ve been where we are now. I’d hate to repeat ALL their mistakes. Just sayin’.
so, this is an unusual post I’ll admit. In fact none of the words below this introduction are my own. They were sent to me without notation and it took me a while to find their original author. I did by posting it to which a friend responded. Thank-you Kate Evans for solving the mystery. And thank you Heather Farrell for writing them. A link to her facebook page Women in the Scriptures (a marvelous site which I highly recommend) is below. The message was originally shared by my friend Suzanne, and I was moved by their message. They spoke to my heart, and I have always, always, always believed them.
Mary Heard His Word by Walter Rane; “… Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:38-42)
God loves His children. All of them. None more or less than any other. But to men and women He has given distinct roles, evidenced by their very natures, and their natural inclinations. There is no need to put one gender down to lift the other up, although many have felt the need to do so. Both are equal to our Heavenly Father, in their different roles. Of this I am confident, and constantly validated.
Seeking Shilough by Joseph Brickey.
In the church I belong to, the “Priesthood” is given to men. I’ve heard some (both men and women) outside the church who have a problem with that. For some reason they feel the need to defend Latter-day Saint women as if somehow we’ve been shortchanged. Not the case. And though I thank you for your care and well meaning intention, I don’t feel threatened by this difference. Not at all. In fact, I am completely content in my standing before God. I feel loved and valued. I serve my congregation in meaningful ways, never in a lesser way than my husband, sons or any other ‘male’ in it, notwithstanding the fact that I do not hold the Priesthood, which means that I will not ever hold some offices within my church. Totally okay with that too, as there are also many roles within the church that men will never hold. We’re back to that ‘difference’ in our roles again.
Some of this is a conversation for another time, but for now, may I share my testimony that GOD SPEAKS TO WOMEN.
Enjoy Heather’s words below. I have updated this information since my original post.
God Comes to Women
Lamoni’s Wife by James Fullmer
“Have you ever noticed how in the scriptures, men are always going up into the mountains to commune with God? Yet in the scriptures we hardly ever hear of women going to the mountains. But we know why—right? Because the women were too busy keeping life going; they couldn’t abandon babies, meals, homes, fires, gardens, and a thousand responsibilities to make the climb into the mountains! I was complaining about this to a friend the other day, saying that as a modern woman I feel like I’m never “free” enough from my responsibilities, never in a quiet enough space I want with God. Her response floored me. “That is why God comes to women.” she said “Men have to climb the mountain to meet God, but God comes to women wherever they are.”
I have been pondering on her words for weeks and have searched my scriptures to see that what she said is true.God does indeed come to women – where they are, when they are doing their ordinary, every day work. He meets them at the wells where they draw water for their families, in their homes, in their kitchens, in their gardens. He comes to them as they sit beside sickbeds, as they give birth, care for the elderly, and perform necessary mourning and burial rites.
As it Began to Dawn (Mary Magdalene) by Elsbeth Young
“Even at the empty tomb, who were the first to witness Christ’s resurrection, were only there because they were doing the womanly chore of properly preparing Christ’s body for burial. In this seemingly mundane and ordinary task, these women found themselves face to face with divinity.
So if – like me – you ever start to bemoan the fact that you don’t have as much time to spend in the mountains with God as you would like, remember: God comes to women. He knows where we are and the burdens we carry. He sees us, and if we open our eyes and our hearts, we will see Him, even in the most ordinary places and in the most ordinary things.
). And I have realized for years that I am living my dream. Although it hasn’t always been a picnic, and we’ve certainly waded through much struggle over those years, I am indeed growing old with Dan. Ironically, Robert Browning outlived his wife Elizabeth by 28 years, never remarrying. He grew old without her, dying at the age of 77. How very, very sad. But not sadder than the hundreds of similar stories we see unfold all around us. Loving marriages, cut short here on earth by the passing of one. How grateful I am for the promise I have absolute faith in: that families are forever. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, families can be sealed together for eternity, and live together in family units forever. 
