Silver Linings

I've just finished listening to a book on tape I got from my local library - "Overcoming Life's Disappointments" by Harold Kushner. I've long respected Rabbi Kushner's work - going back to his early book "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People." There were several nuggets, little slips of true and powerful principles in this book that will stay with me for some time. However, the one that really hit home had to do with glass & mirror.

A man was asked to look out a window and tell what it was that he saw. The man responded "I see people." He then was asked to look in a mirror and again report what he saw. "I see myself" was the obvious answer.

"Isn't that interesting?" his companion asked him. Both the window and the mirror are made of glass. However, the mirror has a thin coating of silver on it which obscures your ability to see out to others, making it so you can only see the reflection of yourself. How often is it that when we get a little silver we stop being able to see outside ourselves to others needs, feelings, and concerns and become caught up only with ourselves?

I've given some thought to the relationship between material abundance (getting some silver) and spiritual progression (how we see the world and ourselves.)

I do not believe that poverty is more spiritually honorable than abundance. I don't think that having nice things or a fat bank account is a sin. However, I have seen plenty of examples (both in scripture and in my own observations of the world) of people who allowed lust for money or the things it could provide to cloud their perspective and destroy their focus on the sacred.

In Matt. 6: 19-21 it says:
"Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

I don't think this scripture means God is telling us it is bad or wrong to have a nice house or to discourage us from preparing for the future through 401K or other sound investing. But I DO think He is making very clear where our focus should be.

I think it is just as wrong to covet OUR OWN possessions as those of others. I believe I need to acknowledge that ALL THINGS with which the Lord has blessed me are mine only in stewardship. I have the opportunity and the responsibility to help others with my means and I need to make sure what my heart truly treasures is NOT the shiny things of this world, but the shining truths of eternity.

Easy to say - hard to do sometimes.

Each person must decide for himself/herself how much of their time, money, or other resources to give to lift others. How much is enough?

I routinely give 10% of my gross income in "tithing", but I do not consider that a donation at all. That's just giving back to God what was His in the first place. What I wrestle with is AFTER the 10%.... the stuff left over that feels like MINE. How much of that am I willing to share? What is my moral duty? What would I be willing to sacrifice or do without in order to help someone with less?

When does my longing for what's comfortable, convenient or pretty win out over what someone else may truly need? When does my silver cause me to look only at my own reflection rather than out at others?

I will continue to wrestle with that question, I suspect, prayerfully pondering and never really being sure what the best answer is.

I worked for a while as executive director of a non-profit emergency social service agency where I managed a foodbank and made arrangements for homeless shelter among other things. Day in and day out my work was all about helping those who were down and out. Through that experience I really did come to know that no matter how much we help, there will ALWAYS be more need that we can fill. So at what point can we consider our efforts "enough"? When is it okay to relax and enjoy what I have earned?

Is it morally ok to spend money on frivolous things like cable TV when I know there are people going hungry? On the one hand, no matter how much I give, there will still be people who lack. It doesn't really make sense to impoverish myself to help others. But should I get seconds and thirds and fourths of extra stuff (fancy vacations, eating in nice resturaunts, pricy new toys) when there are people who have not had their basic needs met?

As King Benjamin taught: "...I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants. And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength..." (Mosiah 4:26-27)

Clearly, there are no easy answers of how much is enough. We each ponder and pray and find the level that feels right for our family. I'd say that if our giving doesn't pinch some, require some level of sacrifice it's not enough. But how big that sacrifice should be... every person has to decide that for themself.

Who Was Jesus Christ?

For the past several years I have been assigned to teach various groups of children in Primary, the auxilary organization for children within the LDS church. I've recently been released from this calling, and have been reassigned to work in "Relief Society" which is the organization for adult women. I know from experience that there are opportunities for growth where ever I may serve, but as I make this transition I can't help but reflect on all I've learned while working with the children, and how much I will miss my time there.

In Primary there are monthly themes that convey basic ideas about the gospel. Those themes are then supported by various lessons each week intended to clarify for the children the basic teachings that will give direction to their lives.

The theme for this past February was: "My faith in Jesus Christ grows when I know who He is." (And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God” John 6:69).

That was follwed up in April with "My faith in Jesus Christ grows when I know He is my Savior and Redeemer." (“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” John 3:16).

The final monthly theme for the year wil be "Jesus Christ once lived on the earth, and I have faith that He will come again." (“This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven” Acts 1:11).

There are so many different ideas in the world about who Christ really was. It is essential that I learn all I can about His life and mission. But beyond knowing things ABOUT Christ, it's far more critical that I know Him in the context of developing a relationship with Him. I do not view Jesus Christ as a facinating historical figure. I know Him to be a very real being who exists TODAY and who has an ongoing interest in my concerns.

One of the songs we often sing that truly resonates with what I believe about Jesus Christ is "I Know That My Redeemer Lives” (Hymns, no. 136)

So, for me the title/heading for this post is all wrong. It should not be who WAS Jesus Christ. It should be who IS Christ. Because He is very much alive. There is much I do not know or understand. But this I am absolutely certain of.

Atonement

"We believe that through the atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel." (3rd Article of Faith)

Perhaps the most significant AND the most incomprehensible topic in the universe is the that of the Atonement of Christ.

I believe that Christ's sacrifice in Gethsemane far outweighs His death on Calvary. Yes, the crucifixion was a necessary step so that He could die and then be resurrected, breaking the bands of death. But what good would any of that have been without the other step, which allowed Him to also overcome the sins of the world?

Perhaps I'm wrong in giving one greater precedence that the other. Truly, together the two parts of salvation and exaltation work in tandem. As it says in Moses 1:39 - "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

Through Christ I will become an immortal being - I will live again after this mortal body is laid to rest. But even more precious to me, through Him I can also gain Eternal Life, which is to return to live in the presence of God. Without the atonement of Christ I would be forever lost, for truly "No unclean thing can dwell in the presence of God."

He knows my actions, He knows my thoughts, He knows the intent of my heart, He knows my desires. There is MUCH there that is unclean.

But, as I am taught in Isaiah 1:18 "...though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

I stand in awe of that.

What I know for sure is that Christ is the Savior of the world - the mediator, the one who made it possible for me to be accepted back into the presence of God even though I have many shortcomings and sins.

What I DON'T know is how this is possible. The whole process of balancing Justice & Mercy remains incomprehensible to me.

What does it mean that He took on my sins? How was that possible? What role does my faith, obedience and repentance have in how I access His priceless gift?

I believe that we will ALL be resurrected as a free gift from the Savior. He wiped out death for each of us, no matter if we were wicked or good, wise or stupid, striving or lazy. But I believe He expects something from us in order for us to fully be forgiven for sin. I believe there is a requirement that I acknowledge my sin, that I allow myself to experience true sorrow and humility, surrendering my sinner's heart to the Savior. I believe I need to honestly strive to overcome my weaknesses. I also need to be willing to forgive others who have caused harm to me. However, no matter what I do - I cannot of my own efforts "earn" my way into the Kingdom of God. I need to do all I can. But in the end, it is ONLY through the Atonement of Christ that I can be forgiven and allowed to enter God's presence.

His Grace is something I just can't wrap my mind around. Still, I know it is real. One scripture I absolutely appreciate is the one found in Mosiah 4:9

"Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend."

There is much I cannot comprehend. But I do know that God lives. I do know that Christ is the means by which I can be forgiven.

On occasion I have attended an Orthodox church and I've been to three different monasteries of that faith. From them I've learned the Greek phrase: "Kyrie Eleison" meaning Lord, have mercy.

The Orthodox concept of mercy is described by Anthony M. Coniaris He writes:

The excellent book "Orthodox Worship" describes the meaning of the word mercy as follows:

"The word mercy in English is the translation of the Greek word eleos. This word has the same ultimate root as the old Greek word for oil, or more precisely, olive oil; a substance which was used extensively as a soothing agent for bruises and minor wounds. The oil was poured onto the wound and gently massaged in, thus soothing, comforting and making whole the injured part. The Hebrew word which is also translated as eleos and mercy is hesed, and means steadfast love. The Greek words for 'Lord, have mercy,' are 'Kyrie, eleison' that is to say, 'Lord, soothe me, comfort me, take away my pain, show me your steadfast love.' Thus mercy does not refer so much to justice or acquittal a very Western interpretation but to the infinite loving-kindness of God, and his compassion for his suffering children! It is in this sense that we pray 'Lord, have mercy,' with great frequency throughout the Divine Liturgy."

I've come to understand at a very personal level that the Atonement of Christ is NOT limited to taking away my sins. As critical as that is, He went even further. Through the atonement, Christ took on all my pains and sorrow. He took on my grief. He took on my loneliness. He took on my self doubt. He took on every moment of fear or shame or sadness. If I allow Him to, He is willing to STILL carry those things, to comfort me, to take my flawed, sinners heart and make me whole.

Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy
Lord have mercy

God's Will

For the past few weeks I've been waiting on pins and needles to hear if I would get an interview for a particular job that I had applied for. I was so excited about the possible opportunity. From everything I could learn about the job it seemed like I would be a perfect match. However, it now appears I didn't even make the first cut. Since it had been quite a while since the position closed I called the HR department today to inquire. They have scheduled interviews. I'm not on the list.

So I've been disappointed, dejected and down right glum. Then of course I start thinking along lines of questioning what God's plan for me really is. Maybe God has some other job in mind for me. Maybe God just doesn't give a rip what sort of work I do...to Him that could be as inconsequential as whether I wear the red shirt or the blue. He probably cares HOW I work - whether I do so with integrity, set a good example to others, etc etc. But maybe it just doesn't matter whether I'm a plumber or a proctologist.

This is an area where I am filled with ambivalence and ambiguity.

Sometimes I believe that God wants me to be in certain places at certain times for very particular reasons. Other times I suspect that He's not that concerned with the details. Some times I think whether door #1 or door #2 get opened to me or not when I pray for them will be directly related to some cosmic litmus paper test of worthiness. Other times I believe what I want is irrelevant, that all that matters is whether or not it is "God's will."

I believe in a God that knows each of us on a very personal level. He knows our hopes and dreams, He intimately understands our feelings and absolutely knows our needs. I believe God always has our best interest in mind.

But just how much God takes an active role in shaping the day to day events or circumstances we each individually face, I really can't say.

Some days I think He watches it all unfold in whatever manner it is going to unfold, confidant in the knowledge that ALL THINGS can be used for righteousness.

Other times I think that He really DOES intercede on our behalf when we approach Him in faith, so long as what we are asking for is not contradictory in any way to the big plan. "Ask and ye shall receive" right?

But I have logical conflicts with that. Sports are a perfect example. Let's say there are kids in some little league game, and both the players and their families from BOTH sides are praying to win. What does God do? Is there some sort of cosmic calculation over which side has the most prayers? Or who is most worthy / deserving to get the big Yes? Or does He just stay out of it and let the teams duke it out on their own merits?

Is their a heirarchy of what sorts of things are "worthy" to pray for and what things are just wasting God's time?

I DO believe that prayers are heard and answered. Sometimes I think that events truly can and do change as a direct result of the power of prayer. I've seen this in my own life and in the lives of others.

I've also had experiences with not getting something I wanted with all my heart that I had prayed very hard for, only to learn later that having it NOT happen was the best thing once other information came to light.

At one time I used to believe that prayer was like some sort of metaphysical vending machine - if I would put in sufficient obedience and faith then CHA CHING! I could pull the prayer handle, the dials would spin and out would pop whatever it was I really needed. The main determining factors were a)if I was sufficiently faithful and 2)if what I was asked for was or was not consistent with that ever elusive "God's Will."

These days I am more inclined to believe that prayer is not for asking God to change STUFF, but to change ME. What I pray for the most lately is that He will help me understand and accept HIS will. Because so often I'm clueless about what God really wants.

How does one tell if you are moving closer to God's plan or getting derailed?

Sin

"We believe that men will be punished for their own sins, and not for Adam's transgression." (2nd Article of Faith)

I am the middle child of five siblings. The five of us were born across seven years, producing a wild pack of kids who were at times ferociously close and at other times at each other's throats. One of the things that used to make me madder, more outraged than anything else when I was growing up was when I would get blamed or punished for what one of the other kids did. I would howl with the injustice of it. It just felt so unfair, so wrong.

The idea that I could be "born in sin" is appalling to me. I've got trouble enough to contend with dealing with my own flawed, imperfect nature without taking on somebody else's sins right from the start.

I am mortal because of Adam. I will struggle, age and die. But the whole point of the atonement of Jesus Christ was to pay for the sins of the world, giving me a chance to make it through this crazy, complicated life if I will but rely on Him. Because of the atonement, Christ has conquered the two big barriers that cut people off from God: sin and death. Because of His resurrection I too will live again after I die. Because of His atonement, I can be forgiven when I sin.

1 Cor. 15: 22 "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. "

I believe that children are born innocent into this world of sin. I believe that the mistakes little kids make do not count as "sin" up until the age of accountability, which my faith accepts as eight years old. Imagine my surprise when in graduate school psych classes on human development I learned about how judgement and moral reasoning develop, and heard that right around the age of eight some key shifts happen making it possible for children to comprehend the consequences of their actions in different ways.

Now, I could go on and on about what is or is not "sin" after that age. I'm sure I'll address that topic as I go on in other posts. But for now, suffice it to say that my belief system is that there is no sin for little ones.

Correlated to that is my understanding of baptism as an expression of faith and symbol of repentance, dieing to the old self and being born again new in Christ. Because that is how I view baptism I do not believe in the baptising of babies. They cannot sin. They cannot repent. They have no need of it.

That being said, I recently had a new understanding of infant baptism when I attended my brother's wedding in Santa Fe.

My oldest brother met his soul mate with the help of e-Harmony. After a very brief whirlwind romance they decided to get married. They had originally planned for a June wedding, but on impulse they got married last December while they were traveling in Key West, Florida. For whatever reason they decided they wanted to formalize their commitment to one another then and there. So they went to the local court house, bought themselves a license and legally tied the knot.

However, they still had their June wedding. It was important to them both to have a ceremony where they could share their union with family and friends. They were already married. They didn't NEED to go through a public ceremony. But that ceremony was very significant to them, and became so to many of us who love them as a way for us to bear witness to their union and to publicly say we are invested in the success of their bond, that we committed ourselves to stand with them in good times and bad, that we were on their side.

I think infant baptism is a lot like that. The baby has no need of it. It doesn't change anything at all in the child's relationship to God, just as my brother's public ceremony did not change his marital status. However, infant baptism, for those who believe in it, gives the family and friends of the child an opportunity to bear witness, to commit to their part in helping raise up that child in the family of God. Now, I believe it is very possible to do the same thing with a Christening that does not involve baptism. In my own faith new babies are given a name and a blessing in a brief church ceremony that is recorded in the permanent records of the church. I believe that is an important event.

But I am convinced nothing bad happens to a baby who happens to die without baptism. I believe that the spirit of that child would go right back to the loving Heavenly Father who sent them here in the first place. I also believe that Heavenly Father does not approve of infant baptism because it is both a distortion of the ordinance of baptism and a dismissing of the power of the Savior's atonement. So religiously I object to infant baptism. Socially, however, I can see how it could be a powerful ritual in people's lives.

Godhead

"We believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." (1st Article of Faith)

I do not believe in the concept of trinity. I believe in three unique and distinct beings who make up the Godhead.

"God", to me, is "Heavenly Father." He is the the creator of my spirit, the architect of the universe, the author behind the whole design. However, beyond spirit, I believe He has a glorified physical presence. I don't think His body is of the same material nature that ours are. But I do believe that He has arms, legs, a face, and some sort of internal functioning system. He is tangible. When the scriptures say that we are created in the image of God, I think it means that in a very real physical sense. I believe in a God I will one day hug. When my time on this earth is over the day will come when He will draw me up into His arms and welcome me home.

Jesus Christ is aligned with God in a bond that is incomprehensible to me....one in purpose, one in intention, one in Glory. But I believe that Christ is a specifically different being. Like Heavenly Father, Christ also has a physical body. It is the body His spirit was resurrected into after His mortal death on the cross. Again, what the exact nature of that physical presence is I have no clue. But it is real in terms of substance and matter.

The Holy Ghost is the third member of the sacred Godhead. He does not have a physical body. As a spirit being, He has the capacity to touch mortal hearts and minds in some very unique ways. His role is to serve as comforter, testifier of all truth, and a guide to help us to recognize when we are getting closer or further away from Heavenly Father's plan for us. I have no idea what "spirit" is made of or what it looks like. I imagine it as energy, love and light. But I don't know. He is no "ghost" even though that is part of the name we call Him. In my mind, the Holy Ghost is a being of infinite intelligence, compassion, and purpose who is united with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in the grand design of bringing to pass the "immortality and eternal life of man."

I accept the reality of those three beings as absolutely true, even though my comprehension of them is so incredibly limited.

At different times throughout my life I have had very different views about who or what God was. I suspect that my understanding of God and my relationship to Him may continue to evolve as I mature in my Christianity.

Part of what I believe is shaped by the teachings of the scriptures. Part of it is guided by the words of men I accept as modern day prophets. Part of it comes from my own personal experiences and answers to my prayers.

The part that blows my mind is that God knows and cares about me. He's got a whole universe, maybe many universes, to be concerned about. Yet He knows my heart.

When I went to Egypt last fall I has some very special experiences as I was praying on Mt. Sinai that bore witness to my soul in an extremely powerful way that this was true. God knows and cares about me. He has a plan and a purpose for my life. I honestly can't say I fully understand what that purpose is. But I know that it is unfolding, and as I put my trust in Him I will come to understand more.

Pre-Existence

Many years ago I went to a mall with a neighbor of mine to run some errands. As we were walking along the shops we passed a lady with a TINY brand new baby in her arms. I smiled and said: "You know, I've often wondered if the veil of forgetting happens all at once when we are born or if it closes bit by bit over the first few months of life. Sometimes I think that it's all together possible that brand new infants may still remember what it was like to live with Heavenly Father. Maybe the reason it takes so long for human babies to acquire language is because God knows they still remember that important sacred stuff and He doesn't want them spilling the beans."

My friend looked at me like I was utterly insane and asked with total incredulity "WHAT are you talking about??" Then it hit me. My mistake. Because we were both people of deep faith in God it seemed we had much in common. But the reality was that our beliefs had some very big differences. In fact, MOST faiths do not believe in the concept of pre-existence. Some think our spirit came into being at conception. Some say it happens when a child takes his/her first breath. But other than the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, I don't know of any who believe we lived as spirit children in the presence of God before we were born into this mortal life.

I just forget that sometimes. It feels so absolutely right and true, normal and obvious to me that I lived in Heaven before coming to this world. There I learned and progressed all I could in that spiritual state. Then, I was given the opportunity to CHOOSE to come to THIS life. I have no clue how much I knew about what it would be like. I'm sure it was explained to me that there would be pain, heartache, illness, suffering and death. But those concepts didn't mean a whole lot to me before experiencing what it was like to be in a physical body. So with great confidence and bravado I thought - YOU BET, I think it will be GREAT - SIGN ME UP!

Then came mortality. PAIN. HEARTACHE. ILLNESS. SUFFERING. Oh my. So much bigger than I had ever thought they could be. DEATH. Feels so real, so permanent, so absolute.

Still, it is so worth it. Because along with the sorrow there is joy, there is faith, there is wonder, curiosity, excitement and discovery.

There is so much about God, about life, about death that I do not understand. But there is absolutely not one single shred of doubt in my mind that I lived before I came here. I know without question that my mortal walk in this world is just a blip in eternity, and that when my spirit rises to meet the Savior when I'm all done I will be RETURNING, not going there for the first time.

In the words of William Wadsworth:

"Our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting:

The Soul that rises with us, our life's Star,

Hath had elsewhere its setting,

And cometh from afar:

Not in entire forgetfulness,

And not in utter nakedness,

But trailing clouds of glory do we come

From God, who is our home..."

The Truth Restored

I was excited to see the new developments of the Church's missionary website: mormon.org

I use LDS.org all the time, either for the online scriptures, resources to prepare talks or just to get news of what's going on in the church world wide. But it had been a while since I had checked out any of the resources over on the other site.

Thanks to Jennifer over at Lord of the Manor for pointing this out!

Finding My Way

For over 20 years now I have been a practicing "Mormon". Not your typical LDS woman by any stretch of the imagination (if there even is such a thing) I never the less DO believe in my heart and soul that the teachings of my faith are indeed very real.
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There are some things I question and others I plain don't understand. But whenever there is a gap between what I think and what the prophets teach us, I am very clear which one of us needs to move. It ain't Gordon.

I also have had my spiritual life deeply enriched by my exposure to the Orthodox faith. Orthodoxy is SOOOOO different from my own religion. Some find it strange that I continue to have a deep attraction to and affection for the ancient church even while maintaining a firm conviction of the truth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. I will not try to justify myself here. I will simply say that while I believe the true priesthood of God was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith, my understanding of repentance has been clarified by Elder Ephraim and my understanding of my worth in the sight of God has been sweetened by friendship with Fr. Daniel and Sub-Decon Thomas, among others at St. Silouan parish.

Over the coming weeks I hope to write what it means to me to be a daughter of God in this fallen world and how my testimony of Jesus Christ gives me the strength to endure, and to find peace, regardless of the chaos that may surround me.

I very much accept the Articles of Faith to be true principles which guide my life. I also recite the Jesus Prayer whenever I am in need of strength. To me this is not some "vain repetition." Instead, it is grabbing out for a lifeline - reaching toward my Savior in a meaningful way that comforts my heart.

Ever Evolving Blogs

I've been blogging for a while now. I started with the site Apprentice Human in the Making in March of 2006. It was your fairly typical personal blog, originally launched as a way to stay in touch with family and friends. I really did not give any thought at all to it being a "public" site. I just wrote about whatever I was thinking about / doing at the time.

A couple months later I created Mind Muffins to give myself a bit of anonymity. This was the place where I explored some big ideas - and some not so big - but spent more time pondering questions that mattered to me and opened up some debate for whoever happened by. It was less focused on ME, more on what I found interesting, puzzling, annoying, whatever. It was for MM that I created the pseudonym of Belladonna Piranha. It was with that identity that I explored blogs far and wide, sampling various ideas and information. When safely cloaked with that persona I felt more comfortable bantering back and forth, debating ideas or cracking jokes with strangers in the blogosphere.

In June of '06 I also created Curious Minds just to use as a holding tank for educational resources. I occasionally go back to it now to add a new link or two under the various resource lists, but I never planned to post much on it.

By the end of 2006 I was tired of going back and forth between my two different blogs, so I formally closed down shop with Apprentice Human and began focusing on Mind Muffins exclusively.

I've gone through several incarnations with MM - have changed the background template multiple times and have rearranged the sidebar more often than I can count. My interest in keeping it has waxed and waned, but even though I've taken the occasional break from it, I keep coming back to it sooner or later. It's gone through some silly phases. I'm still not entirely sure what it's purpose or focus is. Mainly it's a place where I explore ideas and share with pals - some known and some virtual. I certainly don't take it all that seriously.

Recently I started a brand new blog called Life-by-Design. This is the place where I have been recording various life lessons that have been significant to me. I like that one a lot. I honestly don't care if anyone but me ever looks at LBD. On Mind Muffins I've tended to add or subtract stuff out of consideration of my audience. On LBD I don't. There are no side links, no blog roll, nothing to make it "popular". It's just there for me to remember key insights that were of value to me.

However, as I begin THIS new blog I have a different purpose. This will be the place where I record my expressions of my spiritual journey.

In the Book of Mormon the story is told of how Nephi recorded information on two different sets of plates, transcribing them for all posterity onto the metal pages. The large plates were where he told of the government & political events, wars, social commentary and various comings and goings among his people. The SMALL plates, however, were where he recorded the teachings of the prophets. They were the place for writing down matters of the spirit and truth to be shared with the ages.

This blog will be my own version of Small Plates - where I will write about answers to prayer, sacred reflection, and teachings of the prophets that touch my spirit. I have no illusion that anything I write is going to come even close to the sacred significance of the record kept by Nephi. But if this does nothing more than strengthen my own testimony of Christ, and stand as a witness for what I believe, that will be enough.