Posted on

Composting – making something outta nothing

“Compost is a product that results from the slow decomposition of plant and animal material by living organisms. It is nature’s way of recycling the nutrients that exist in all living things and returning them to the soil to enrich and feed further generations.”
– Pauline Pears in Organic Book of Compost.

40% of all household waste is compostable.

So WHO should be composting? And WHAT should we compost? And WHERE would one set up a compost? And WHY would we bother? And HOW do we go about it? HOW does it all work? Lets go through those valid questions.

WHO?

Everyone! You do not need a large yard. You do not need a science degree or expensive equipment. And yes something as simple as kitchen and yard waste can make a difference. Turning what would otherwise be wasted into something valuable is somehow empowering. You are taking control of another area in your life. You are in fact, taking responsibility for managing a good part of the waste you produce, instead of making it someone else’s problem. It is the responsible thing to do. When we look at the big picture, it’s hard to believe that our pitiful contribution can have much environmental impact, but the small project of household compost means we are part of a solution, NOT the problem.

What is the personal benefit our of compost? As in why bother?

  1. Using the compost you produce, helps your future garden grow. It in fact becomes rich, loamy, dark brown soil , “whole food” for plants, providing nutrients and fiber. The more it breaks down the more it improves, making nutrients even more available.
  2. Compost increases your soil’s ability to absorb and retain moisture, which naturally wastes less water, and reduces the need for water.
  3. A natural fertilizer, compost contains balanced amounts of nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and other important minerals.
  4. Improves the composition and texture of the soil, making heavy clay soil lighter so it drains better, and adding body to sandy soil so that it holds water and nutrients better.

WHAT

What you compost is categorized into two simple groups: GREENS and BROWNS.

GREENS = wet, sappy material that breaks down readily
BROWNS = dry fibrous material that is slower to decompose.

A good compost needs a balance of both. Too many greens will make your compost too wet and too many browns will make it too dry. Both conditions will impede proper decomposition and progress. Greens are nitrogen rich, and often referred to as HOT. Hot means they have the ability to burn plants if used in too high of concentrations, or too ‘raw’ – like chicken manure. It also means that it creates heat in compost that is necessary for the breakdown of material.

There is no BEST way to compost. What works best for me, might not work for you at all, and vice versa. What worked for me years ago, doesn’t work anymore. The BEST way for you to compost is the way that’s going to work best for your situation right now. Do you have a big garden? a big yard? so that you can afford more space for your compost? Do you have a small yard? maybe even a town house? perhaps an apartment? When space is limited, naturally you have fewer options for space, but that doesn’t exclude the possibility of having a compost. Don’t make excuses for why you canNOT have a compost. Find ways you can make it work. The secret is to mesh your compost with your lifestyle. If its to inconvenient, good intensions are soon abandoned.

FROM THE HOUSE –
I use ALL fruit and vegetable trimmings, scraps and leftovers for compost. I also use paper and cardboard. I do not use meat trimmings or scraps of any kind. (see below)

Citrus –
Worth mentioning separately, because there are different schools of thought that warn against using citrus. Evidently, citrus peels take a long time to break down due to the natural chemicals and acidity which repel worms and other microorganisms, sometimes even killing them. Personally, I add citrus and onions (which some also warn against). My thinking is that in the big picture, citrus makes up such a small percentage of my total composting material, that I simply don’t have time to fuss about it. On the other hand, if I had a LOT of citrus, or if I was composting on a very small scale – like in an apartment using worms, I would probably avoid citrus peels because I don’t want to risk hurting my worms. But in a normal household compost, don’t worry about that. Just how many oranges do you eat anyway? I use ALL produce.

Coffee grounds –
improve soil looseness.  They are a good nitrogen source for composting, but use with moderation as they are acidic and excess acid prevents the compost from heating up. Adding them directly to the garden may be too much direct acid for the novice gardener, but blending them with everything else in your compost is perfect.
We don’t drink coffee in our house, so once or twice a year we’ll go to our local Tim Hortons with a pail and ask for their day’s left over grounds. They don’t save them usually, so we leave our pail and pick it up the next day. I remove the paper filters when I dump the pail into our compost bin. In a normal household I wouldn’t hesitate to use whatever coffee grounds are produced. I’d totally call that moderation. Again, how much can one normal household produce?

Meat, fish, fats, oils and dairy –
Can these protein foods be composted? Of course they can. Everything that ever lived is compostable. With meat, fish and dairy however, you risk attracting unwelcome pests like flies, mice, and cats, even skunks, racoons and coyotes if you live in an urban area, or bears if you live in rural areas. Its the smell of rotting meat that is offensive to humans but attractive to animals. There are many composters however, who do compost meat, being careful to cover it with a layer of sawdust or other dry material to minimize odours. There are others who say that decomposing meat contains bacteria you don’t want, while others say the heat generated takes care of it. In the end, you-do-you. I prefer not to deal with it.

Paper products –
Most paper products are great for composting. Thin printed paper like newspapers are perfect. Help speed up the process by shredding them or ripping them up when you throw them into the bin. Also paper towels and tissues and even shredded cardboard. They are from trees, after all! Avoid coloured glossy paper like magazine pages as they have been treated with coatings to make them so bright. Not only do they not break down well, they contain toxins that are best left avoided.
I also add paper towel rolls, toilet paper rolls, paper egg cartons, newsprint flyers that come to the door, some packing papers, as well as many brown cardboards. Just rip them up and add them to your compost bin.

Egg shells –
are a rich source of calcium and other essential nutrients that plants need. Not only are they excellent for your compost, but many people also add them directly to the soil they are transplanting vegetables seedlings into. If you throw eggshells directly into your kitchen pail and then transfer it directly to your garden compost, you may find some undecomposed egg shells the following spring. Not to worry, they’ll finish decomposing. But if you take the time to dry your shells, and then crush them before adding them to your compost or garden, you’ll speed up the process, and reduce the inconvenience.

Walnuts –
NO. Walnut shells, nuts, leaves and bark should not be used in compost destined for a vegetable garden. Walnut trees release a chemical called juglone which occurs naturally and is toxic to some vegetables and plants. Some say that the leaves can be composted because the juglone toxin breaks down when exposed to air, water and bacteria, with the toxic effect degraded within a few weeks, but to me – why take the chance? In my part of Alberta, walnuts don’t grow anyway, but if you’re in southern BC or the western states, then you already know that walnut trees are not a gardener’s friend, and you already know what to avoid. Apparently, compost containing walnut residue is excellent for lawns. For the rest of us – I choose not to put walnut shells in my compost. Its an easy choice.

Old straw or wood shaving bedding from small pets like hamsters–
Yes. Just dump the soiled bedding into your compost bin and let it age like everything else.

Indoor plants that become infested with bugs or disease –
NO. Get rid of them. In a bag, into the trash. Don’t risk spreading disease or pests.

FROM THE YARD

First spring mowing –
will include a lot of great brown material like dead grass, snow mold, dead leaves etc. HOLD ON! Don’t bag it all up and haul out with the garbage. Mow them up and use as the base of a new compost pile.

Grass clippings throughout the year –
Yes – But! Grass clippings are usually green and moist. They matt and break down, but prevent moisture from getting through them when they matt. For this reason its not a good idea to use as plant mulch fresh from the lawn mower. Best to spread them out and maybe even toss them with a fork the next day or two to prevent that matting, and let them dry a bit. I have an area that I have Dan dump the clippings, them I spread it out with a rake. A couple of days later I spread it out again, and that should do it. I don’t want to miss out on their goodness.
For the compost bin – absolutely. Green grass is quick to decay, adding nitrogen which helps everything around it decay.

NO – when you’ve recently treated your lawn with weed killer or fertilizer. Give it a mowing or two before adding to your compost.

Garden waste and weeds –
Another Yes But! Anything organic from your garden is fabulous and is best returned to it. Some weeds like dandelions, thistles and quack grass, spread through root cuttings, so be prepared that you might be creating more by recycling them. Also, some weeds spread through seeds, so it they’re already gone to seed, you may be recycling those weeds again the following year. If seeds are tough enough to get through a 40 below winter, they’re probably tough enough to make it through the decomposition process of a typical compost.

If you’re weeding before the weeds go to seed, you should be fine to use them. Most weeds that I pull from my garden go straight into the compost.

Wood –
Small pieces of wood scraps and small branches are perfect additions to your compost bin. All untreated wood will decompose, but obviously bigger pieces like logs or big branches are going to take a lot longer. Breaking down large branches through a wood chipper will make all the difference.

Sawdust –
is another great addition in moderation, but not all sawdust is equal. If the wood has been pressure treated, varnished, stained or painted, the toxic compounds in those chemicals will not break down, and can negatively affect the microorganism activity, and ultimately the health of future plants. This is totally logical, as those chemicals are used to protect the wood from decay in the first place. Not something you want in your garden.

Dog or cat waste –
NO! Not in a normal compost as it is yucky, stinky and has bad bacteria. However, there are many who have specific compost containers for it. More power to them. I’m not of that persuasion. That’s all I have to say about that.

Rabbit or Chicken bedding / droppings –
*Rabbits: Unlike the droppings of other animals, rabbit pellets are a great addition to any compost and even straight into the vegetable garden at the end of the year. It is generally considered that after six months any pathogens that survived the heat of the compost are sufficiently broken down. Rabbit manure is considered GREEN – so add equal amounts of straw, wood shavings, leaves or other BROWNS to balance it out. It is rich in nitrogen, so is a great way to give your plants the boost they need for strong, healthy growth. If you or your friendly neighbour have rabbits, you’ll always have an excellent source of nitrogen for your compost pile. Yay for Rabbits!

*Chickens: Chicken manure is an excellent addition to your compost. It increases the water holding capacity and beneficial organic makeup of your garden, contributing more of the critical elements – nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium (by about three times!) than horse, cow or steer manure! (particularly good for tomatoes bytheway) It is so high in nitrogen (GREENS), you’ll want to be sure you’re adding sufficient BROWNS to balance it, but the way I look at it, I am usually adding chicken manure WITH the straw bedding anyway – so, problem averted.

Don’t be tempted to use it ‘raw’ – straight from the chicken coop. It can burn and damage your plants, as well as potentially carrying pathogens that can harm people. As with other manures, it really should be composted / aged before using.  Six to nine months is plenty of time, and since in our climate, your compost is likely frozen much of November through mid April, count one gardening season to the next gardening season. If you use that as a safe rule of thumb and you cannot go wrong.

Ash –
Wood ash is great to add IF it is clean ashes. Dan used to use diesel to start his fires in the firepit, but even months later when you shovel out the fire pit, you can still smell the diesel. Bad sign. We also used to burn a lot of scrap wood that was often varnished or otherwise treated. I have made a concerted effort the last few years, to clean up out fire pit burning so that I can use the ashes in the garden. No gas or diesel. No treated wood, including varnished or oil based painted wood. No coal or charcoal ash, as they contains enough sulfur to make the soil excessively acidic, and harmful to plants. Many charcoal briquets are treated with chemicals. When you’re burning old tree logs, leaves and other brown garden waste, your ashes will be a welcome, moderate addition to your compost bin. As with most things in life, moderation is key.

Diseased or pest infested outside plant material –
NO. Get rid of them. Once in a while I might lose a Delphinean to some kind of infestation. I cut if off, put it into a plastic bag and dispose of it. I do not want to keep it on the property and risk re-infecting a different area. If you have a plant that died inexplicably, don’t risk passing that disease on. Get rid of it. Remove it completely from your property, in a plastic bag.

WHERE?

Where is it going to work for you? Sometimes you don’t have a whole lotta choice. Ideally, you want it in the sun to keep it warm. Ideally, you want it close to your garden so transferring the finished soil is easy. Ideally, you want it away from your sitting area – for obvious reasons. But ‘ideal’ is not always possible. Sometimes, you just have to put it where it fits. And its not like you’re putting in a foundation. If, in a few years, it needs to be moved, then move it.
Don’t fret about the perfect spot for now. Just get it ‘somewhere’ so you can find out if its gonna work there or not. Next spring, you may change your mind if you want.

WHY?

Your compost pile will turn once living matter from your yard and your kitchen into rich, dark, wonderful, soil. Combine yard waste like grass clippings, leaves, and garden weeds with kitchen waste like fruit and vegetable trimmings, even leftover yesterday’s dinner, and you’re good to go. Essentially you’re taking what cannot be used and making it useable. The real question is “WHY NOT?”

Is compost the same as fertilizer?

I like to compare fertilizer to vitamins. For all intents and purposes, it is the same thing: vitamins for plants. Fertilizer feeds plants in a similar way to how vitamin supplements ‘feed’ us. For the record, I am not opposed to vitamins, but they are not ‘food’. And fertilizer is not ‘food’, it is not intended to feed the soil, it is intended to meet the need of specific plants. Rather short term.
Compost on the other hand, is food for the soil. It amends the actual composition of the soil, making and keeping it a healthy home in which healthy plants flourish, Compost and organic fertilizers can work together in the same way that nutritious food and good supplements can work together for our body’s health. The organic matter in compost not only increases fertility by providing trace nutrients that plants need, but also increases its ability to hold moisture, which helps release the nutrients in organic fertilizer. Soil that is regularly amended with aged manure and compost is soil that will stay healthy, providing a healthy environment for plants.

HOW?

How do you go about creating your first Compost?
or How do you resurrect a compost that wasn’t all that successful?

How does Composting work?
Composting will happen with or without you. It is the natural process carried out by millions of tiny creepy crawlies, all uniquely organized for this purpose. Most are microscopic, while others such as worms and insects, you can see. Its that great circle of life. All you have to do is to keep things natural enough that those creatures are welcome and safe in your compost yard.

Different methods
There is no end to the different bins/containers for composting you can employ . From big to small, from free to expensive, from an eyesore to fitting right into your garden – and everything in between. If you’re handy and like the DIY thing, you can make make your own with wood, or a garbage can, or buy one already to go. Your available space will likely be the biggest influencer in your options and will ultimately determine your decision. 

Our first attempts at composting were with varying degrees of success.

#1 was just a wooden frame and we put everything in it with no idea of how to layer, what not to add, how to toss and even what to expect. To sum it up, it was pretty much an organic garbage pile and very unsightly. It was also in a spot visible from the alley, which didn’t endear us to our neighbours I’m sure. And because we didn’t have an end goal, we never really knew when it was ‘done’. I’d like to forget about that one, and my apologies to all our former neighbours, who for the record, were all kind and patient with us. We were young, and most of them were considerably older. I think they thought our efforts were ‘cute’ and they were just glad someone was taking care of the property .

Our #2 was slightly better. Another house. We dug a hole in the far corner of our garden and we tossed everything into it. We had a better idea, but a marginally better plan. In the early spring, we forked it out and spread the resulting rich soil, but other than that, we hardly ever paid attention to it. Unfortunately, on the other side of the fence our neighbours had a nice tidy sitting area. Our compost attracted flies and apparently had an odour we hadn’t made note of. Our neighbour was kind, but asked if we could cover it for his benefit. Sorry again.

the UPRIGHT plastic bin

Our #3 was the purchase of a black upright bin. It cost about $100 which was really pricey for us in those days, but at least it was contained. We filled it up throughout the warm months, let it sit for the winter, and tipped it over in the spring to fork out the resulting soil. There was always a upper layer that didn’t break down, so we put that in the bottom of the current year’s collection. It was more successful. And tidier. The black colour kept it warm in the summer, which helps. My one criticism was that it didn’t allow for much air circulation. That perhaps affected the final result, but it was still adequate for our needs.

Over the years, I paid a little more attention to layering better with greens and browns. Dan and I had different expectations from our compost, and different opinions about what should go into it. *For instance, he didn’t like putting corn husks or cobs into the compost because there were always rogue ‘undigested’ cobs (and egg shells) the following spring. I on the other hand, didn’t mind that. They just got mixed up with the rest of the soil in the spring, and soon enough ceased to exist. That was good enough for me. And in corn season, corn on the cob is a family favourite, so we always had plenty of corn compostables in August. I couldn’t bear to waste them.
*Dan always put the first spring yard mowings into bags and hauled them out to the garbage cans for pick up. He was all about ‘tidy’. If I saw them in time, I’d haul them back into the yard and dump them in the compost ‘area’ as my bin couldn’t handle it all. I am all about ‘compost’. We’re not always on the same page lol.
*If there was anything identifiable left in the compost bin when we emptied it in the spring, Dan felt that it was a failure and we should stop doing it because clearly we don’t know how. I on the other hand, didn’t expect everything to have disappeared, and I didn’t mind those last contributions from the year before still looking like their former lives. So we just agree to not talk about it, and I take care of the compost. It works. We’ve found our peace.

When we moved to our current house, we brought our black upright bin with us, where it served us well for many years. But it began showing its age, and last spring, died. I threw the top half in the garbage and continued using the bottom half till it didn’t suffice anymore. I gave it a proper funeral, and we came up with another style that so far is working beautifully. See below.

the TUMBLER:

A tumbler is a bin designed to turn on an axle or to roll, allowing the ingredients to mix as it is turned. If you have a small yard and garden which is visible to your back deck, then a tumbler may be a good fit. It is neat and tidy, rotates easily – keeping the compost itself tossed and aerated. As it is a closed unit, you don’t have to worry about a bad smell or animals getting into it, and its easy to dump out. It speeds up the process from the whole season, to about half the time.

A tumbler is limited in size and so you’re restricted in the amount you can compost – which may suit you just fine if you don’t have a big yard anyway. They can be kinda pricey, but there are always options to maybe pick one up second hand, or to make one yourself. You will need to make sure you balance your contents out by putting in brown material or you could end up with a stink slimy mess of rotten kitchen produce. They generally have a trap door for adding material, adding water if needed and from which to dump the finished product.

homemade wooden bin with wire netting

I love this style. It is compact, but big enough to last a typical backyard garden all season.

The wire allows for air circulation.
The lid can be closed if there is a lot of rain, but still allows the sun to still do its magic.
I love the trap door in the front which makes it accessible to fork out the bottom next spring.

If its made with cedar it could be a little pricey, but will last a long time, so it will be worth it in my opinion. I’ve seen this same style made with three compartments, allowing for bigger yards, bigger gardens, more material.

Repurposed plastic garbage can

This is our #4 Compost bin, and it is perfect for us right now.
It is an extra large garbage can turned upside down. Dan cut the bottom out for me to make a new ‘top’. He drilled lots of holes around the main body to allow for air. I filled it last summer so we added a second toward the end of the season. The idea is to simply tip it over in the spring, like I did for years with the black one, then fork out the new soil.
Because our compost area is in the very back of our garden, it is rarely visible so it doesn’t need to be ‘pretty’. It is surprising how ‘full’ a compost bin can get and how much it compacts. This can was full to overflowing more than a couple of times during the season, and things would settle as it decomposed, always making room for other material. When I went out to have a look at it recently, it is only about half full, although I know that at the end of the season last fall, I couldn’t put anything else in it.

This image is from a reader – Meagan Kessler, and I am using it with her permission. Look in the upper left of center, about 11:00, to see a garbage can painted the same colour as her fence (brilliant bytheway). It has the bottom cut out of it, and several holes drilled into the body of it to all for more airflow and therefore, better composition.
It is the perfect solution for her small townhouse lot. Meagan said she would did a hole in the spring and empty its mostly composted contents into it, where it would finish the process. Though Meagan says it was less than ideal, it worked well for her over 14 years. At the end of the day, you’d still end up ahead by repurposing all those food scraps and putting them back into your soil. I think its a great example of using what you have, and making what you have work. Thank you Meagan.

Basic Needs

There really is no ‘right’ container, and no ‘wrong’ container. It is completely about what’s gonna work for your situation: your garden/yard size, your budget, your skill level, your level of commitment to composting, your preferences.
– Your compost needs a healthy place to BE.
– It needs a good balance of greens and browns. Browns like sticks and cardboard etc, give the compost structure and provide air pockets.
– Your compost needs air.
– Greens give it nitrogen which speeds up the decomposition.
– It needs moisture, but we all know, that too much ‘wet’ is not good either. If it is pouring rain for days, its good to have a lid to keep your compost from flooding and drowning the tiny creatures that live there. You’ll know if its too wet, it will be slimy and mucky and may begin to smell bad.
– There should be good drainage so that water doesn’t build up in the bottom. Normally, mine just sits on the ground. Sometimes I have small branches and twigs in the bottom, sometimes I’ve even raised the black upright container a little off the ground with bricks or logs.
– Warmth keeps a compost happy. It can’t always be in a sunny spot – we all know there are only so many of those to go around, but try to at least situate it in a warm spot.

Compost is Ready

In the central Alberta climate I live in, (zone 3A), traditional composting season is generally from May through September. I start mine as soon as it is warm enough to dump out last year’s compost – and that is usually further into May than I think it should be. That big clump of compost sometimes takes an extra week or two to thaw – depending on the spring, and how much sun gets to it. But as soon as it has warmed up a bit and I can pull the bin off of it, then its ready to use. It will be dark brown in colour, and look suspiciously like ‘soil’ lol. It will have a pleasant ‘earthy’ smell. Don’t expect it to look like a bag of purchased compost, it’s not likely to be ready all at once. Some of it had most of the summer to decompose, while the last of it was added at the end of the season just before the cold weather hit. There will still be lumps in it, perhaps some egg shells, a few corn cobs, twigs etc. If you’re like me, you likely have some leftover brown material on the top. Don’t worry about that. Just put it in the bottom of your new season’s compost and build on top of it. It can show the new stuff how to do it right.

I use it right away, and I always wish I had more. This year, I’m starting out with two big cans, so I’m hoping to have lots. Use it on top of your garden beds. It’s actually better to leave it on top rather than work it in. That way, the rain will help break it down, and bring the nutrients down will it, into the soil. Use it in your vegetable garden, as mulch around your flower beds, and tomato plants, or mixed with your potting soil. Use around your fruit trees and current bushes.

GREEN MANURE or COMPOST

Comfrey is a perennial herb that has a very deep tap root which draws minerals to the surface and into its large fuzzy leaves. It grows fast and tall, and can be cut a couple of times during the growing season to make a compost activator or to use as a green mulch. Sometimes I chop it down while Dan is mowing the lawn. He mows over top of the comfrey pile, chopping the leaves into mulch, so that I can remove the mower bag and use the mulch wherever I decide I need it.

Another excellent green compost are pea vines. Pretty much do the same thing I do with comfrey. Throw them on the lawn and mow them up. Then throw them into the compost or use as mulch in the garden.

TRENCH COMPOSTING

Early in the spring I am usually ready to start composting before my compost bin from last year is ready to be emptied. I don’t want to add ‘fresh’ kitchen scraps on top of last year’s compost. Sometimes the compost isn’t even completely thawed yet. So what to do? Trench compost. I dig a hole in a part of the garden I am not going to grow root crops. Perhaps zucchini, butternut squash, lettuce, swiss chard, beans, etc.

If its a one time thing, dig a hole and bury it. Simple as that.
If you plan to use the method for a week or two, dig narrow trenches, about a foot deep and the width of your shovel. Heap the soil along side of the trench. Then, as your kitchen scraps become available, dump them into the trench, spreading dirt over each section as you fill it. When your real compost bin is ready, cover it over with 4 or more inches of dirt and pretend its not there. Plant your seeds and enjoy knowing that you have buried treasure in your garden.

I’d love to hear of your adventures with composting, your opinions, and your feedback.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

Food in the Year 2021

I don’t pretend to be an economist, or an expert in any area other than the way I choose to live. But like you, I have to purchase food, and like you, I’ve witnessed many changes in the way this is done over the years. Never more, than the changes we all witnessed in 2020.

So what is “buying food” gonna look like this year?

As with everything else in our world, grocery buying trends in 2020 were drastically affected by the Covid pandemic.  Within weeks the whole landscape, worldwide – changed.  As the year wore on, food shortages that modern generations have never before seen, became less of a shock and more of the ‘norm’.   Images of empty shelves became common place.   Panic buying in the early months, turned to strategic buying, and the term “Food Security” took on new meaning.

There is little doubt that our collective experience in 2020 altered the way we as a society look at food shopping, but have you noticed any changes in your personal experiences? Has your buying behaviour been altered over the last twelve or so months? If so, in what ways?

The pandemic uncovered gaps in the way our food was distributed – as the unthinkable became reality.  Our former collective sense of invincibility became a little more vulnerable, and all those freaky people who practiced Food Storage, suddenly seemed a little less strange.  Consumers stopped buying just for today, and started buying with tomorrow in mind.   Food companies responded by setting aside the development of fun, new products, to make way for the bigger challenge – that of keeping the shelves stocked with staples.   And that, was no small challenge!

The pandemic uncovered gaps in the way our food was produced too.   We had gotten away from locally produced food, as it had become more cost effective to import from distant producers.   This always made me nervous. Market gardens and farms that depended on seasonal migrant workers found that their once dependable labour supply was no longer able to cross borders. Adjustments had to be made. Social distancing requirements made it necessary to close meat plants, and other assembly line productions.   More adjustments had to be made. Home gardening skyrocketed in popularity as food supplementation became important to more and more North Americans.   Many seed companies began selling out. More adjustments had to be made.

Restriction in movement, and general hesitance to gather in public, with health and safety protocol implemented on every level, created a whole new reality for buying groceries.   Newly introduced delivery options were embraced quicker than before, so that consumers rarely had to walk the aisles in person unless they chose to.   And all this time, healthy eating remained a priority – even gaining renewed attention.   Afterall, our best defense against disease is good nutrition. 

So here we are, standing in a new year, not seeing the changes we all hoped we would by now. 2021 looks suspiciously like 2020. After months of lifestyle adjustments, experts believe that the evolution of consumer behavior will continue in it’s current trend, as more and more of us have experienced first hand, the convenience of groceries delivered right to our doors.  Online subscription purchasing continues to rise in popularity, providing flexibility, consistency, and food security.   Buying ahead requires food stability, so alternatives to perishable foods are critical, and people are looking at the quality of freeze dried food with renewed interest. 

Our once ‘outgoing’ society, has given way to a ‘homebody’ society, and for the foreseeable future, that implies a ‘homebody economy’ – of home cooking, home baking, home renovations, home gardening, and DIY projects.   Online recipe searches have increased dramatically, and online shopping of food and other essentials, seems to be here to stay. 

2020 was a fascinating year, of change that none of us could have imagined at the beginning of it, but we humans are an adaptable lot, and we’ve learned ways of being successful with our new reality.   While Covid fatigue is a real thing, and we yearn to get back to our former lives, there is little expectation that we will ever return to many of our pre-covid behaviours.   There will be loss in that – of course.   But change also implies growth.   We’ll figure this out.  And in the process, hopefully we’ll hold on to those things we loved about our pre 2020 lives, while we embrace new, innovative ways of going forward.  

The challenge of course, is to open our eyes, and to not only ‘see’ for ourselves what those new, innovative ways of improving our Food Security are, but to be willing to incorporate them. Freeze dried food is the most nutritious food on the planet – second only to what we can grow in our own backyard, organic gardens. It is shelf stable, making long term food storage easy. There is zero waste so it is more economical when compared to the 40% food waste in the average North American home. And it is light weight, making it easy to ship thousands of miles. It is the answer to the high cost of food in the north, and food shortages in many countries.

For the average North American home, it is the answer to nutritious, delicious meals prepared in half the time they used to take. For people focused on healthy eating, it is the best way to eat vine ripened, “fresher-than-fresh” nutrition. For people to whom food security is a priority, the 25 year shelf life is a huge benefit.

I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions for food security going into 2021.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

Law of the Harvest

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.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

What do the Articles of Faith Mean? Where Did They Come From? and Why do we Believe what we say we Believe?

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.

  1. 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)

~

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.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

Gardening 101 – How to Begin

“By Failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” – Benjamin Franklin

At the risk of being too cliche, Benjamin’s counsel about planning is absolutely true. It may be tempting to skim through the planning stage of your garden, or even to skip if altogether, but if you do, I promise you will regret it in the not-to-distant-future. I have been gardening in the same garden for over two decades, but there is not a single year that I don’t plan it out again BEFORE I plant. There is never a time when the garden is the same as it was the year before. I am always wanting to try new things in new places, and as the sun/shade ratio in my backyard (due to tree growth etc) has evolved over the years, it has changed how things grow and flourish (or not) in certain areas. Where am I going to put the potatoes? What can I do to get the carrots more sun? What can I do to amend my soil in this bed? What is going to separate the potatoes and tomatoes? (they hate each other bytheway) It is no exaggeration to say that this is the most important step in growing a garden.

Start at the beginning, with a PLAN. Map out your garden – keeping friends together, bad neighbours apart and considering sun and shade

WHERE:

Choosing WHERE to plant your garden is not to be taken lightly. You can’t just plunk it in an available patch of ground. There are important things you must look for, that will determine the type of garden you can grow. If you’re growing flowers there is a lot of flexibility, but if you’re growing vegetables you need . . .

SUN: You can do without a lot of things in a vegetable garden, but you cannot do without SUN

Get to know your yard and garden.   Go out into your yard at different times of the day.   Find the spot with the most sun you can afford to convert into garden space.   Six good full hours of sun is considered FULL SUN, and that is what you’re looking for.  Don’t discount using pots in sunny areas.  Don’t discount the front yard either. Who said that gardens must be in the back yard. Some of the best and most beautiful vegetable gardens I have seen are in front yards, so open your mind.

To begin with, pay attention to the light patterns in your yard every couple of hours. Note how they’re different in the spring, summer and fall. Get outside in the spring, and assess where the shadows fall and for how long. Record your findings. Either use marking stakes to indicate light and shadow in your yard, or draw a map, sketching in where the shade in two hour increments. Start about 7 AM and stop about dusk. Use a pencil to mark shady sections of the yard. Note the sun and shade pockets throughout the day. Vegetables need at least six full hours but many flowers will do beautifully with less.

Remember that light patterns change. The position of buildings may not change but many other things do. When we moved into our current house the yard was bordered with trees, especially along the west side, many of them evergreens. They provided a sense of privacy and necessary shade in the hot dinner hours when we chose to eat outside, and we appreciated them. As time went on we noticed that we needed our sun umbrella less, and one day I was shocked to note that by 4:00 in the afternoon, our shade stretched all the way to the trampoline, a good 100 feet! Clearly that shade had been gradually increasing but I had never paid a whole lot of attention to it, other than to notice that our table wasn’t as hot at dinner time as it used to be. Once I did start paying attention however, I noticed how that shade had changed the growing patterns of a huge chunk of our yard. Dan had been wanting to cut those trees down for a few years because of the shade, but I wasn’t convinced till my big discovery. Trees grow. Big trees become bigger trees. It happens so gradually that until we are prepared to open our eyes and seriously take NOTE of the sun vs shade situation in our yards, it simply escapes us. But regardless of whether we’re taking note, it is affecting the growing conditions of everything it touches.

We live in a neighbourhood that is about 40-50 years old. That’s a lot of evergreen trees that 1st graders1 received at the end of their school year, planted with not much forethought in bare yards. Those “Arbor Day” trees grew up. Many of them are now almost half a century old! Driving in neighbourhoods the age of ours, one sees MANY evergreen trees planted too close together, or in unsuitable spots. They grew so gradually at first that it was easy to ignore what was bound to happen. . . .

No one likes to cut down trees, but sometimes it just has to be done, and I knew for a long time the day would come that our two big spruce trees would have to go. They had grown to a whopping estimated 35-40 feet tall, and in their ideal environment, were only gonna grow taller. Dan had been trying to talk me into removing them for years, but I liked that I couldn’t see other houses from our yard, they gave the illusion that the houses weren’t there. We had noticed for a long time that growing patterns in our yard were changing, but I remember well the fateful day that I finally agreed. I was standing in the middle of the yard about 3 or 4:00 in the afternoon when I noticed I was totally in shade. As I looked around me taking in all the shade, I was surprised at how I hadn’t noticed it before. Yes okay, I had noticed less sun in an area that used to grow great vegetables; I noticed that we could eat dinner on the patio without an umbrella anymore; I noticed that the black currants stopped growing a long time ago. But it wasn’t till that afternoon that I put it all together and realized Dan was right – those trees had become bullies, and worn out their welcome. We needed sun. Don’t get all huffy on me; I appreciate trees and we have plenty others around the yard. But these ones (on the west side of our backyard) were restricting too much sun, making it difficult to grow other things that were also important to us.

When you’re tracking your sunlight, keep in mind that in the spring bare branched trees are not giving as much shade as they will in the summer; once they leaf out, the former illusion of filtered sunlight morphs into full shade. Be frank in your assessment, it doesn’t do you any good to be sentimental about trees. If they work they work, if they don’t they don’t. You’re the boss. You can replace a tree that’s grown too big with another smaller, more suitable-to-the-space tree. Perhaps a fruit tree.

Ideally, for your vegetable garden you’d like to find a nice sizable patch of ground that receives 8 hours of full sun a day, unobstructed by tree shade or building shade. But if your yard is mature, that may not be possible without removing or at least pruning a tree or two. Removing the lower branches of a tree can allow filtered sun to shine through where full shade once dominated, and for flower gardens that might suffice, but vegetables need more than filtered sun.

Our sunniest spot was over on the north east corner – where the previous owners had parked their RV and a couple dead cars, so it was packed gravel, and possibly contaminated with oil. We didn’t have the resources to dig it all out and replace it with good soil, so we opted to put in raised beds, bricking in the pathways. Over the years, fruit trees have been planted in the yard and other trees have had to go – mostly because of shade in the wrong spots. The point is that sometimes you can MAKE sunny spots, or at least REMOVE sun impediments.

Your best spot might be in an area where all you have to do is remove grass. Lucky you. Your best spot might be shaded by some nice trees. You can always prune lower branches to open up sunlight, or you might have to remove one or two trees. Remember, you can always plant another tree in another area where it can be a better neighbour.
Your best spot might be in an area with poor soil or as in our case, no soil. In that case, raised beds might be your best option. Your best spot might be on your patio, in which case you may be obliged to grow in containers. If you live in an apartment, your best spot might be a balcony. Sun will determine your best spot. Every other condition is manageable.

I believe that for the most part, gardening directly IN the soil bed is the easiest and usually the best. But raised beds are a great alternative with a whole list of benefits.  
Container gardening IF the container is big enough and is watered frequently, is ideal for spaces where soil space is poor or not available like a patio or balcony. Remember however, that it doesn’t have to be all or nothing. There is no reason you can’t employ more than one method depending on what your yard or space provides. I have several flower gardens throughout my yard, all IN ground. My tomato garden is IN ground. My vegetable garden is in raised beds. I use containers throughout my yard, especially on my patio to extend my growing area. In-ground, raised beds and containers can all have a place in the same yard depending on space and exposure.

Sun is serious business, and I have a philosophy about where plants reside in my yard. If you are a plant that tolerates shade or partial shade, you will get it. There are too many plants that MUST have full sun, to be wasting it on any that are agreeable to less sun. So we have a very segregated neighbourhood in our yard: separated by their need for sun, full sun, less sun, partial sun/partial shade, mostly shade, full shade. Each area is populated by those who do best in it.

Sunny areas can be very HOT and will need special attention, and watering is very important.  Not watering often enough or giving too little water at a time stresses plants and makes them susceptible to disease.

Flowering plants like tomatoes and cucumbers love the sun. The sunnier the better. They will ripen better in the sun, and will in general do better in every way.

Leafy plants will bolt in hot sunny areas, so they could use a more filtered area. Partially sunny areas like east or west exposures offer a balance that is suitable for many plants including leafy plants.

SOIL – Preparing your soil and maintaining its best health

Soil is more than just ‘where your garden lives’, it is also ‘what it eats’, so pay attention to what’s in it.  Most garden soils, without regenerative organic additives will be depleted within just a few growing seasons.  To improve depleted soil or maintain good soil to a rich healthy plant-supporting environment requires a simple plan of adding organic material such as aged manure and compost.  Whether you buy compost or make your own, along with manure it is the best organic additive to your soil.

Getting to know your soil: sandy-clay-loam, acidic or alkaline

SANDY Soil is very loose, letting both moisture and nutrients drain away.  Working in organic matter like garden compost acts like a slow-release fertilizer helping restore nutrients, as well as providing absorbing material so important in moisture retention.  Preventing water from leaching through so quickly with also retain nutrients. 

CLAY is made up of very fine particles that stick together making it difficult to drain.  Working in nutrient rich organic matter like compost and well rotted manure (emphasis on WELL ROTTED), physically breaks up the clay improving drainage and acts as a slow-release fertilizer.   It also makes the soil easier to work in, and less compacted after rain. 

LOAM is a rich soil containing a well balanced amount of sand and sediment and other rich organic matter with a smaller proportion of clay. It is what we’re striving for in the perfect garden soil.

Replenishing your Soil

Even the best of soils must be constantly replenished with nutrient rich additives to keep them fertile.  Without replenishing, the soil becomes nutrient poor, no longer attractive to worms and not a good source of food for plants.  This results in weak plants with stunted growth, that are susceptible to pests and disease.  The answer is not fertilizer – vitamins, the answer is good organic material – FOOD.  I am not anti-vitamins for people or for gardens, but it cannot replace good food.  As with people, good nutrition is key.  Vitamins come afterward, if needed. 

Well rotted organic material and woodchip mulch is an excellent way of nourishing your soil, increasing soil moisture and adding loam to both sandy or clay soil. 

The best time to bring in manure is late fall or early spring, before planting or after the season’s growth is completed.  If you live in a rural area it might be easier to find, but hey, that’s what google and social media are for.  Do a little searching, ask a few people – you’ll find good sources.  The emphasis is always on “OLD” when talking about manure, especially if you’re going to use it in the spring.  How old is old?  There are many factors that contribute to breaking down manures so its not as simple as saying “3 years old is best”.  Manure that has decomposed adequately will be brown and crumbly.  It will have a fresh earthy smell, not the yucky fresh manure smell.  That could be as soon as second year, or take as long as three or four years – depending on sun and moisture.

Applying manure to your garden beds:
It’s all about your purpose. You may be adding manure for a number of reasons. If you are doing a big over haul of your soil in the spring or winter, you’ll be adding a lot.  Remember the older the better. Whether adding in the spring or fall, go ahead and layer it over the top. In the spring you should be able to plant as usual.  If adding in the fall, it will further break down over the course of the winter. If you’re applying old manure as a mulch mid season around flowers, spread one to three inches deep.  This will help conserve soil moisture, and will break down slowly over the season.  Leaving the manure in the top layer will slowly release its nutrition over the course of a season’s watering, letting it soak through with the moisture. You’ll get many years of ‘fertilizer benefit’ from this, as well as improving the texture of the soil.

Applying compost to your garden beds:
I generally apply last year’s compost to my beds in the spring as I prepare the soil for planting.  If I was buying it, I would do the same thing – in the spring. How much?  Since I make my own compost, I use whatever I happen to have.  If I was to buy a truckload, I’d apply it like horse manure – everywhere, and then either spread it on top or work it into the top layer. As with manure, if you need the material to break up the soil as with clay and sand, work it into it.  If your soil is already good texture, and you’re just adding it for nutrition, leaving the manure or compost in the top layer of your soil, will slowly release its nutrition over the course of a season’s rain.    

Burying Food Scraps in the Garden:
In the early spring I am anxious to start composting, but often times my existing compost is not quite ready for me to add my kitchen scraps.  In fact, most of the time it is still not quite thawed.  What to do?  The ground is generally thawed a lot sooner, so I dig a hole in a spot where I will NOT be planting root vegetables like carrots or beets, and bury my kitchen scraps.  By the time I am ready to plant seeds in that spot (making it impossible to bury more food scraps there), the compost pile is ready for the new season’s offerings. 

PH balance:  Soil PH is an indication of the acidity or alkalinity of soil and is measured in PH units.  The PH scale goes from 0 to 14 with PH 7 as the neutral point.   From 7 down to 0 the soil is increasingly more acidic.   From 7 up to 14 the soil is increasingly more alkaline or base. 
Why is this important?  Plant nutrients become available or unavailable according to the soil’s PH level.  Most vegetables thrive in slightly acidic soil, because that PH affords them good access to all nutrients, a good range being between 6 and 7. Its not possible to ensure your soil is exactly the right ph for each individual vegetable, but in general terms you can focus on certain ranges. Below is a good estimate.                                                                                                                      
Extremely acid: < 4.5
Very strongly acid: 4.5-5
Strongly acid: 5.1-5.5
moderately acid: 5.6-6
slightly acid: 6.1-6.5
neutral: 6.6-7.3
slightly alkaline: 7.4-7.9
moderately alkaline: 7.9-8.4
Strongly alkaline: 8.5-9
very strongly alkaline: >9

It is easy to test with a simple garden soil test kit using dyes, available at hardware or gardening stores, but don’t expect extreme accuracy with ‘numbers’, more just ranges with these kinds of tests.  You will however, get a good idea if your soil is strongly acidic, strongly alkaline or neutral.  Amending your soil is not difficult to do, and you can do it organically, but the sooner in the season you know what you are dealing with, the sooner you can start amending.  In addition to adding manure and compost there are things you could be adding to increase or decrease over all acidity. For instance, peat moss is an excellent soil amendment for acid-loving plants and is easy to incorporate. Simply spread two or three inches to the top and work it into the upper layer of soil. For soil that is too acidic, try adding agricultural limestone to it. Work it into the upper layer of soil. Do your research, and ask around for suggestions. These are two very different things bytheway. Asking your neighbour for his opinion is not research, but both are valuable. In this day when google can be your neighbour, you’ve got the best of both worlds at your fingertips. WHAT:

What vegetables?   What variety of those vegetables?  Where do you buy your seeds or seedlings?   

Plan to maximize your harvest by drawing a map.   Perfection and accuracy isn’t necessary, just be reasonable and close to realistic.   Planting rows north and south is always best, its just not always possible depending on your yard configuration.   If you have to plant east and west, watch that the bigger plants are in the back of the garden (north) so they don’t shade the shorter ones.   Do the best you can with what you’ve got, that’s really all you have to do. 

Best choice of vegetables to grow is entirely related to what is suitable for your area, your climate, your spot, and your sun availability, and of course your preferences.   Yes, you want to be adventurous, and Yes, you’d like to try new things, but remember this whole adventure is ‘NEW’, so maybe don’t get too exotic in your first year or two. Yes, you want to think outside the box – but you want also want to give your plants the RIGHT conditions where they can be their best selves.   Your first few years are important to your confidence as a new gardener.   Set yourself up for success by selecting varieties that others in your area are finding success with.   Ask around for best suggestions of what vegetables to grow, and what is suitable for your area.   Ask neighbouring gardeners.  Ask on gardening facebook groups.  Gardeners are always happy to share what they’ve gleaned and learned from others.  You want to give your plants the RIGHT conditions where they can be their best selves.

Not all plants do well in all conditions, or even in all areas of your yard.  For instance, I don’t grow carrots worth a hoot in my yard, but my friend a few blocks over grows the best carrots I’ve ever seen. I suspect its a sun issue for me, so I’ve tried different areas of my garden, but still I have yet to have a great carrot experience since living in this house. There may be some conditions that are simply not suitable, so I focus on what I grow best.

buying seed

There are no shortages of places to buy seed: local hardware or garden supply stores, dedicated seed stores, even grocery stores.  Many people order their seeds from seed companies.  Last year was the first year in a very long time that I ordered from a seed company on line, and I did that because with all the Covid weirdness that was manifesting itself in the stores (like the shocking TP shortage) in the spring of 2020, I wasn’t at all confident that I’d find seed in the usual spots.  It is my habit, and has been for most of my gardening years, to buy seeds one year ahead.  Every year I buy seeds for NEXT year, and this year I plant the seeds I purchased LAST year.  This way I am never worried about my prospective garden being at risk because I cannot find seed, or perhaps I might not be able to afford seed in any given year.  There have been years like that for us, and seeds are not cheap.  Planning ahead is part of my philosophy for being self reliant.  Of course, I may pick up an extra package of something to use this year, but by and large the pattern is to buy ahead.

while there are others I add from time to time, the basic vegetables I grow that I think are pretty universal are these:

BEANS: bush or pole; green, yellow, purple; all are tender and must be planted well after last frost; assorted varieties.  You may already have your favourites.  If not, ask around for recommendations.   For most years I have planted bush beans because they I’ve never really had places for pole beans to climb.  But last year we added some vertical trellises and an arbour to our garden in the hopes that by reaching UP, we might increase our productivity in the ground space we have, so, now pole beans are my preference.   Taste wise, my personal favourite type of bean is purple beans.  I like them for a number of reasons, but mostly taste.  They grow purple so they are easy to pick, but don’t worry, when you steam them they turn a gorgeous bright green.  They have a somewhat ‘nutty’ taste which I love.

BEETS: red, yellow; round, cylinder.   My personal favourite is the traditional gorgeous round red beets.   Detroit or Ruby Red are my choices.  Detroits also produce nice tender greens which is a big plus in my books. 

CARROTS: orange, red, white, yellow; long, short; varieties: Nante Coreless are my go tos but I am still open to suggestions and could be persuaded by seed company claims of traditional sweet tasting carrots.

CORN: best suited in large gardens with LOTS of sun.  Best to plant in groupings as they cross pollinate each other.  There are some years we’ve grown corn even in our city raised bed garden and had beautiful corn, there are other years the summer simply wasn’t long enough and it turned out we wasted the space.  You takes-yer-chances with Corn up here.  A favourite among the people I polled is Extra Early Super Sweet.

CUCUMBERS:   I haven’t had a lot of luck with cucumbers in my present garden.  I am looking for suggestions myself.  I am very motivated to have them grow UP on my trellises.

dill growing with poppies in strawberry patch

DILL:  This is a garden must for me, and I buy the seed in bigger bags of 250+ grams.  I broadcast the dill among my other plants as they grow straight up and don’t compete with their shorter neighbours. I realize dill is not a vegetable, its an herb – but it lives in my vegetable garden and I replant every year. For more references to dill in other posts, just search the key word.

GARLIC:  I plant bulbs in the fall to harvest the next late summer.  Grown in amongst potatoes, said to deter potato beetles.

KALE:  For years I have avoided everything from the cabbage family simply because I got tired of trying to outsmart the cabbage moth that is responsible for the thousands of ugly worms in cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts.  I tried everything I ever heard about or read about, and in the end I gave up and decided those would things I bought from the grocery store.   So when ‘kale’ became popular, I didn’t even consider it.  Last year I bought 6 kale plants quite by accident, thinking I was buying flowering kale for my flower pots.   When I realized my mistake I decided to plant two of them in three different spots in my garden to see if there was a favoured spot.  I was pleasantly surprised that they grew well and we ate kale almost daily for most of the summer.  By late summer, the two that were furthest into the garden, and so less in my sight line, got quite eaten by some kind of rude bug – but the others seemed fine.  Lesson learned, this year I’ll be planting kale on purpose, and probably double what I planted last year.   *hint: they need sun of course, and water often. 

I have fallen in love with kale in the garden. It is ready to use from June to freeze up, always happy and healthy – just a little more ‘mature’ toward the end, like the rest of us.

LETTUCE: leaf, romaine, butter, head; I plant a pretty generic leaf lettuce that I buy in bigger bags of at least 250 grams.  I plant in the early spring, then replant about three weeks later to have some variety in readiness.  You could be picking baby spinach for a mixed green salad by mid June and will be picking right up till freeze.   Green garden salads almost every day. 

ONIONS: green onions or bulb onions, and every thing in between.  I didn’t grow onions for years, cannot recall my reason for stopping.  But last year I planted several green onion bulbs, to be pleasantly surprise with the results.  I think we’ll be good friends for many years to come as I plan to do the same thing from now on.  They grew well and quickly.  I planted them among radishes and leaf lettuce and harvested as needed ALL summer long.  They were wonderful to have on hand and we used the entire plant from bulb to the top green tip.

PEAS:  Peas are a great cold weather crop, so best to plant them early when they ground is finally ready to be prepared.  They like cold feet so don’t worry about a little cold.   For years I did not grow them because they took up more room than I felt I could spare, but now with my emphasis on growing UP, I suddenly am much more interested in planting some.   They’ll be done by the end of July, especially if you planted them really early.  So you can plan for them to make room for something that might need the sun later in the summer, perhaps zucchini?    
Stupid cutworms were a problem for me last year.  I’ve gotta come up with a better plan to combat those enemies this coming year.

potatoes in garbage bags with leaf mulch 2020

POTATOES: red, white, yellow, purple; varieties like Netted Gems, Red Norlands, Yukon Golds, Banana, Purple, etc. I love all kinds of homegrown potatoes.  Since we’re in raised beds, room for potatoes has been a problem for years but I generally plant a few plants every year anyway.  My very best experience with potatoes was many years ago when we planted about six potato plants in straw.  Everything about it was great but sadly, for one reason or the other we never repeated it.   Soon we moved from that house and the spot was different, getting straw was sometimes more difficult than others, . . . This coming year, I am committed to repeating the experience with some barley straw. 

RADISHES:  I am not particularly a fan of the taste of radishes, and a handful in a salad once or twice a year is usually sufficient for me.  However, for some inexplicable reason I bought two packages of radish seed last year and decided to throw one package in amongst my spinach, green onions and lettuce seed.   As expected, they grew quite quickly and were up and happy in good time.  In thinning some spots out, I tasted a few and loved the fresh, slight peppery flavour of the tender greens.  Always scouting for young greens to add to spring salads, I began adding the radish greens.  Terrific!  I found a recipe for radish green pesto so I made a batch.  BEST pesto Ever!  I made a great discovery that season that will pay off for the rest of my life.  Me and radish greens will be friends from now on.

SPINACH:  plant as early as possible, they like it cold and will bolt in the summer heat.  By the beginning of July, they’re done. 

SQUASH:  bush like zucchini, trailing like acorn, butternut, spaghetti.  My fave squash is butternut

SWISS CHARD:  This is a standard in my garden, I couldn’t have a garden without it.  One of my favourite summer dishes is SPANAKOPITA which I grow swiss chard especially for.  Its almost the only thing I do with it actually, other than a dish of steams greens here and there – but I am THAT serious about Spanakopita.

tomatoes along the west side of the house, climbing on a trellis to provide airflow along the bottom. Companioned with chives, basil, feverfew and marigold, with a healthy kale plant along for the ride just for fun.

TOMATOES: small tomatoes in pots, larger tomatoes in garden; determinate – fixed size which are usually caged; indeterminate which will continue to grow and grow and grow as long as the season allows, producing tomatoes all along the way.  In another climate, an indeterminate tomato could grow for years, trailing the ground and establishing rootings frequently.  
I have come across my favourite tomato ever in the last few years, first introduced to us by my sister who was given a tomato gift from a gardening acquaintance.  The story goes that the seed for the tomato came from Romania, so the type and name are a mystery.  My sister collected the seed and the following year grew her own plants.  She gave me some, we loved the tomatoes and collected our own seed which we started in the house last March.  At this point, I am convinced I may never grow another tomato variety again.   They are indeterminate.  They are hearty and healthy plants.   The fruits are delicious and sweet, and HUGE, as in huge-like-a-dinner-plate. 
I call them ROMANIAN GIANTS and I have seed to sell. 

when planting seeds, always defer to the instructions on the packets for specifics

TURNIPS:  I am a newly converted fan of turnips since I started roasting them (like sweet potato fries), so this coming summer will be my first attempt at turnips for at least two decades.  A perfect example of how one should never discount learning new favourites to grow in the garden.  Here’s hoping for a good experience. 

CABBAGE:  All members of the cabbage family with the exception of kale, are of NO interest to me in the garden.  I love them all, and use them in my daily meal planning, but I will not grow them. See above. 

I’d love to hear your garden experiences.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

  1. The Arbor Day tradition in Edmonton began in 1893 with school children planting trees. In the early 1950s, the City of Edmonton started providing seedlings to grade one students. The Government of Alberta soon took on this unique initiative and the City created a day of learning for grade one students.
    https://www.edmonton.ca/programs_services/for_schools_students_teachers/arbor-day#:~:text=The%20Arbor%20Day%20tradition%20in,learning%20for%20grade%20one%20students ↩︎
Posted on

Pot-pourri

What a bleak world this would be without flowers: without their gorgeous colour, and their sweet intoxicating, natural fragrance. In the warm months, flowers abound in and around our homes, with many practical reasons for growing them – not simply “to gladden the heart“. But in the cold months, one has to be more ‘deliberate’ about including them. That’s where potpourri becomes an invited guest, but before we get to that, lets talk about how important flowers are to our gardens. Here are 6 reasons to grow them.

1. To attract pollinators

Bee enjoying the flower head of garlic chives, cut and destined to be part of a kitchen bouquet

The most important reason I grow flowers is because I like them. But probably the most important reason I grow flowers IN the vegetable garden, is to attract pollinators. Bees are not the only pollinators, but they’re the most recognizable, and they’re every gardener’s friend. As the bees (and other insects) collect pollen, they distribute it to nearby fruits and vegetables pollinating as they go. The longer pollinators stay in your garden, the greater the pollination rate, so planting flowers among vegetables like zucchini and other squash, and cucumbers is very important. Look for bright coloured flowers. Studies indicate that bees like the colour purple. I grow Borage throughout my vegetable garden primarily because of their purple flowers which attract the bees.

2. As companion plants

rosemary in the centre, marigold to the right, red orach behind, poppy leaf at 11:00, borage leaf at 7:00

Sometimes for shade, sometimes to attract pollinators, sometimes to attract pests away from vulnerable neighbouring vegetables, sometimes to repel pests, flowers are more than just pretty faces in the garden.

3. To improve soil

Flowers from the legume family like Sweet peas, Lupins, Wisteria and Clover can improve nitrogen levels in your soil, not just from growing but even after they’ve finished growing. With the lawn mower, chop up spent bean and pea plants, and then use as mulch in areas of your garden that need nitrogen. As the mulch breaks down and rain filters through it, important minerals like nitrogen are returned to the soil. As my Borage grows bigger and begins to shade surrounding plants, I cut stems to put into summer bouquets, but remnants get added to the mowing.
There are many other plants (not just flowers) like Mullein and Comfrey – that provide great ‘green manure’ for your garden. Be open minded to a benefit you may not have considered before.

4. To eat

summer garden salad: garden greens including leaf lettuce, nasturtium leaves, lambs quarters, dandelion leaves, carrot greens, marigold petals, nasturtium flowers, candied pecans, fresh garden raspberries

Many flowers like nasturtiums are more than beautiful splashes of colour in the garden, and more than attractive faces to pollinators. They are delicious, and nutritious. Nasturtium flowers and leaves, pansies and marigold petals are the perfect addition to any summer salad. Making sure they’re free of chemicals is important, but you know what you’re adding or not adding to your own garden. Common edible flowers are Nasturtiums, Calendula (and other marigolds), Borage, and Pansies (including violas). I even freeze Delphiniums and Geraniums in ice cubes to add to chopped water in a glass dispenser.

All parts of the Nasturtium plant is not only edible and delicious, but highly nutritious: flower, leaves, stem and seeds. Search the keyword “nasturtium” to read other posts about this wonderful and versatile plant.

*cautionary hint: Not all flowers are edible so do some research and get recommendations before you freely harvest. My grandkids enjoy eating the many things I give them to try but we have a very strict rule which is – you cannot eat anything that isn’t a berry – unless Gramma gave it you to eat.

5. To gladden the heart

Getting back to the “gladden-the-heart” part. For most of my married life, my mother in law had freshly cut flowers on her table all summer long, and I came to find JOY in that. It is a rare day that I do not follow her example and have fresh garden flowers on my table during the warm months. Through doing so, I have personally come to know the meaning of what ‘gladden the heart‘ means. Growing flowers ensures a steady supply of every changing seasonal bouquets, and that has become increasingly important to me as I get older.

6. Preserving

Drying flowers when they’re in their prime extends their season and their reach throughout the winter. Who says we can’t have flowers on our table all winter long too? That’s where potpourri comes in.

Flowers in the house – Potpourri

The definition of Potpourri (pronounced ‘poh-poo-ree‘, is “a mixture of dried flower petals with spices, kept in a pot or jar for their fragrance“. Variations of potpourris have been used for millennia, all over the world – for fragrance. The type of potpourri I make is patterned after European recipes, mostly because of climate related ingredients. The mixture contains dried flower petals and spices, and essential oils, as well as ‘fixatives’ – the ingredient used to ‘FIX’ the scent.

While there may have been a myriad of reasons people used potpourri in days gone by, there is only one reason I use it. Because I love the smell of flowers. There is something about flowers that come from one’s own garden, lasting for years in a potpourri mixture . . . . I have a 3 gallon crock in my living room full of flower petals that I have dried – some of those petals have been there for decades. I add to it yearly, tossing new petals into the old. Making your own potpourri is easy, and using flowers and herbs from your own garden makes it personal and memorable.  

part one – the ingredients

When selecting flowers, look for ones that keep their colour.
* Rule #1 – don’t rush your potpourri. Like many good things, sour dough and potpourri cannot be rushed. You’ll be starting in the summer as you’re drying flowers, and you’ll be finishing mid winter – perhaps. This isn’t a race, and good potpourri will last for years and years – so relax, take a breath and enjoy the process.

* Rose petals have always been the most basic and important part of any potpourri mixture. I grow few roses, but I collect some from friends, and of course – I receive fresh roses from time to time throughout the year. I never waste them.

Other flowers: Any flower that has a pleasant natural scent and retains a nice shape and colour when dried, is a prime candidate for most potpourri mixtures. Carnations, lilacs, violets, pansies, geraniums, peonies and lily of the valley are good choices. The only petal that I keep separate for its own unique potpourri is ‘Lavender’, and that is simply because it is different enough that it deserves its own pot, and because I am particularly partial to the scent of lavender. If I am to add any other flowers to a lavender potpourri, they will also be purple, of small delicate petals and similar in general, like lilacs, dephiniums, corn flower (bachelor buttons) and forget-me-nots .

Common herbs: such as oregano, rosemary, marjoram, thyme, lemon verbena, basil, assorted mints, sage, lemon balm and meadow sweet are good choices to add to floral mixtures or to use separately.

Spices: fragrant spices such as cinnamon bark pieces, whole cloves and allspice are sometimes used, and I can see their value, but they don’t usually make it into my own mixtures unless I’m making something ‘Christmassy’.

Citrus peel: In many old recipes, dried whole oranges are crushed and mixed with spices. Or one could thinly pare the rind from an orange, lemon, lime or even grapefruit and dry till crisp. They can be added whole or crushed.

this jar is chopped and dried orris root from 2019 and 2020.
Probably next summer I will grind it up in my coffee grinder to use.

Fixatives: A fixative is a substance that absorbs scents and retains them for a long time.  You really need a fixative, the gentle scent of flowers is simply too delicate to last.

The only fixative I have ever used in ORRIS ROOT. You may find it in specialty shops like spice stores, some garden shops, health food stores, or even craft stores, and it is something I can make myself – which of course is always appealing. Orris Root is literally the root of an iris plant. When you buy it, it may come in ‘crumbles’ or as a fine powder not unlike icing sugar in texture. It is easy to use.

Sandalwood. I have never used sandalwood, mostly because I don’t know where to buy it, but I do like the smell of it, and wouldn’t be opposed to using small pieces or slivers of it in a potpourri mixture from time to time.

Essential oils: Essential oils are added to potpourri mixtures to strengthen the scent. Be adventurous and experiment: of course you’re going to use your favourite scents, but try combining oils of ‘like’ scents, try mixing floral and herb scents that you like. Constantly test the ‘scent’ when mixing into your bowl of flowers.

part two – colour and texture

Potpourri should be as beautiful to look at as it is to smell, so pay particular attention to the dried colour of what you’re using. Occasionally you come across a flower or herb, that when dried, completely loses its beautiful colour. Don’t use it unless it smells so amazing you cannot pass it up, but seriously, I cannot think of a single example of an ugly dried flower that smells that amazing. Flowers that dry with beautiful shapes and colours are: borage, delphinium, forget-me-nots, hydrangeas, marigolds, nasturtiums, pansies, salvia, tansy and zinnias. Consider adding rose hips and other interesting treasures in your garden for texture.

Sometimes you come across such perfectly shaped small flower heads or beautiful whole buds, that it seems immoral to rip them apart. Keep them in their form. If drying them is an issue, you can use a drying agent – a ‘dessicant’ to help.

using desiccants for texture

Silica Gel
The most commonly used medium for drying flowers is SILICA GEL. You should be able to buy from a drug store, a craft store or a hardware store. To use, simply put a one inch layer of silica gel in an airtight container, gently place the trimmed bud or flower on top of the gel, stem tip down. Some flowers may want to lay on their side, some might be best laid stem tip up. Be flexible. Gently pour the gel on top of the flower, taking care to get gel between petals if possible, eventually covering the whole flower. Seal the container and place in a secure place, safe from being jostled. Expect it to take 2 – 6 days for most flowers depending on how dense they are.
* hint: Afer use, silica gel must be re-dried. Spread out on a tray and dryin a low oven until completely dry. Store away for future use.

Borax
I have never used borax to dry flowers but it sounds very compelling to me. I will for sure try it. According to directions, take 1 part BORAX and 2 parts cornmeal and stir to completely blend. Layer borax mixture in airtight container the same as for silica gel, place flower on top in the same way as above, gently sprinkling borax mixture over top. Not necessary to completely cover. Seal and put away. Leave for about two weeks, checking occasionally after the first week.

part three – harvesting and drying

Flowers: Just when the flowers are at their most beautiful – usually just before fully opening, is when they’re perfect. Afterward, both scent and colour will begin to diminish. Gather on a dry day, mid morning is best – after the dew has dried but before the heat of the sun.

When drying, pay particular attention to not crowding them. I usually just leave them spread out and loose on a clean tea towel in the open air inside the house and away from direct sunlight which may fade them. If you have a lot, use a baking rack to keep the air circulating. Petals should be dry and slightly crisp, which could take several days in some cases, so don’t be in a hurry.

part four – assembling your Potpourri

– Dry all flowers and leaves till they are crisp.
– Use a glass or ceramic bowl or pot to mix. Never use plastic or anything porous, or metal. Plastic will keep the smell long after making it difficult to use for anything else, and some metals may react to some oils. You really should dedicate your bowl to potpourri – then you don’t have to worry about scents lingering.
– Place all your petals and leaves in large bowl, add any other non powdered ingredient.
– Mix your scent and fixative: Simply add drops of the essential oil of your choice a few drops at a time and mixing well after each addition to an amount of orris root. How much orris root? Depends on how much potpourri you’re making, but maybe start with 4 ounces for approximately 6-10 cups petals. Blend essential oil into the powder with your fingers or the back of a spoon until thoroughly blended.
– Sprinkle the scented orris root onto the flower mixture, then toss with your hands to ensure it is sufficiently incorporated.
– Add whole citrus peel, whole spices and buds if using. Gently toss with fingers again.
– Gently move potpourri mixture into jars, crock, or ziplock bags. Seal to leave for about 6 weeks to set. If in a jar or bag, do not leave in direct sunlight. Toss petals or shake bags frequently – every day or two to prevent fixative from settling.

part five – Enjoying your potpourri. For years!

My 3 gallon Medalta crock is the main container for rose scented petals of all kinds. I’ve been using this crock for about 40 years. It can never be used for anything else at this point; I expect that scent has become part of the crock.

For many years I kept my potpourri in a crock pot in the living room. When the house whas freshly cleaned, I would remove the lid, toss the petals and let the scent waft through the room. A very good friend of mine developed a sensitivity to perfumes that evolved into sensitivity to most scents, including flowers. At first, I paid attention to NOT having the potpourri open when I was expecting her to visit, but it got so that I stopped lifting the lid at all in case she stopped by. I didn’t want her to not be comfortable in my house. This was quite a sacrifice at first, but soon we mostly forgot about what was in that crock. Life changes and my friend moved away. One day I rediscovered my lost love of potpourri and began the process of getting back into the habit of using it.

How to use

rose scented and mostly rose based in an antique jar and a not-so-antique jar

Don’t leave your potpourri out in the open for days at a time. The smell will dissipate over time. Personally, I never bring it out until the house is cleaned. It’s kind of a reward I suppose, but it just makes sense to me that a clean smell should go with a clean house.

1. Pour your potpourri into an attractive bowl in your living room. Toss with your fingers. Before you go to bed, pour back into the crock, or jar.

2. Make small sachets out of thin cotton fabric. Store them in your drawers, closet, linen cupboard, or even pillow cases.

3. Keep in pretty antique jars that you can put on the table, your dresser or your bathroom counter when desired. When done, replace the lid and put away. Keep jars out of sunlight.

Remember, that even the best oils will eventually lose their scent. Toss the petals with your hands from time to time, and refresh your potpourri with a few more drops of oil when needed. You can always start a new batch next summer, or continue to add to existing batch every season. For years I have two potpourris going. The big one is probably one third roses, so I use ROSE as my primary scent of choice. The smaller one is LAVENDER which is about half lavender petals and leaves, and the other half – supplemental petals like lilacs, delphiniums and borage flowers.

Lavender with a few like coloured flower petals like pansies, violas, lilacs and even a rose.

4. I buy nice little jars or make nice little cloth sachets and fill them up for gifts. Tie a piece of ribbon or lace.

I’d love to hear your experience with homemade potpourri. If this is your first time making one, be brave – you cannot go wrong. Have fun and tell me how it went.

warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

there is Power in the Book

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.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

what we teach little boys . . .

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.

I’d love to hear your thoughts.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle

Posted on

a house should have a cookie jar

Many years ago I happened upon this little poem, and I wrote it down. Where? or when? or from whom? I cannot even venture a guess at this point in time, but it has been in my collection for decades – and I’ll have to leave it at that. When my mom was a little girl she promised herself that when she grew up to be a ‘mommy’, she would ALWAYS have a cookie jar that was full of cookies. I can attest that we had a cookie jar when she was momming, and occasionally it had cookies in it. I on the other hand, made no such promise.

“A house should have a cookie jar for when its half past three
and children hurry home from school as hungry as can be
there’s nothing quite as splendid as spicy, fluffy ginger snaps and sweet milk in a cup.

A house should have a mother, waiting with a hug. No matter what a child brings home, a puppy or a bug
for children only loiter when the bell rings to dismiss
if no ones home to greet them with a cookie and a kiss. “
– annonymous

And that’s all I have to say about that.

But I’d love to hear your experiences with a cookie jar.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle



Posted on

parable of the missing socks

Have you ever lost the mate to a pair of favourite socks? Where DO they go? I am a reasonably responsible adult. I pay attention to detail. Okay probably not as well as some, but certainly better than most. I endeavour to keep my socks together when I wear them, when I put them in the laundry basket, and I believe they are still together when they go into the washing machine. So then what happens?

What happens to the ONE is one of life’s great mysteries and I have heard several theories, some more reasonable than others.

Canadian cartoonist Lynn Johnson theorized that the one missing mate somehow, during some drier-cycle-gone-wrong fluke (that just inexplicably happens sometimes), gets transported in time to some future drier. And just as we puzzle over the mysterious DISappearance of the odd mate, some future homemaker will puzzle over the mysterious APpearance of strange socks without mates. In all my research, this really is the only theory that holds any water, or that has any standing logic in my opinion.

The point is, as Joe J. Christensen established decades ago, you have a perfect match of socks in the beginning. They were prepared, even ‘created’ to be together. They have gone through the wear and tear of their useful life ‘together’. They have in effect, up to the critical time, eked out the measure of their creation together, until some inevitable, but unexpected ‘fire’, perhaps this time the heat of the drier caused more of a challenge than they had the power to overcome . . . and they became – separated. Lost. At least to each other. I mean how long does one continue to hold out hope that the missing sock be found? When does one simply cut their losses and throw the survivor out like yesterday’s garbage? It seems so heartless to punish the survivor, the one who ‘stayed behind’. But.What.Does.One.Do?

It may sound like an over simplification to propose that such a universal first world problem as missing and presumed lost socks could have a solution the kind of which I am going to present, but don’t discount it simply because its easy. What if it really could have been ‘this easy’ all this time? Nature’s best joke. Joe J. Christensen suggests – “the sock lock“. The binding tool of many successful ‘sock couples’. You use it by pinning the socks together by the toe (the strongest part) every time you put them in the laundry. I admit it sounds difficult at first, but hear me out. What if you developed the habit of doing that every time you put your socks into the laundry? It could happen. And if it did, it could solve an age old problem that has plagued generations.

Liken the ‘sock lock’ to the extra influences we are counselled to take advantage of, as binding influences in our marriages. Binding influences like PRAYER: as an individual, as a couple, as a family. Binding influences like DATE NIGHT: regular consistent meaningful dates between couples. Binding influences like COURTESY: not taking each other for granted, using good manners with each other, and giving genuine compliments. Binding influences like RESPECT: treating each other kindly no matter what, never-ever-ever-ever using bad language, raised voices, sarcasm, or rudeness when communicating with or about the other. The sock lock could be like any one of these other “binding influences”, it could be like all of them put together.

What if the problem of the missing socks was a ‘type’ – of something greater and more meaningful? What if we could actually LEARN something from socks? Sometimes great things truly do come from small things. The key to unlocking the mystery of the missing socks could actually be the key to happy marriages.

And here all this time, we thought it was about socks!

I’d love to hear some of your BINDING INFLUENCE suggestions and experiences.

Warmly,

Cindy Suelzle