Is God a "Prepper?"

IAT = I am thankful

for food, electricity, computers, cell phones, our easy 21st century life

In our faith, for many decades we have been asked to be self-sufficient and to prepare in advance for uncertain events that come to everyone and uncertain times that may yet be to come.

One of our previous prophets said in our General Conference many years ago:

The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah. Ezra Taft Benson, 1980 (Ironically from a talk entitled, Prepare for the Day of Tribulation)

I've been intrigued by the word prepare in the Book of Mormon. The thought that the Lord has many times "prepared a way" in advance of events. So, this morning I thought I'd do a word study of the word prepare. WOW. 

First off, when you consider that the atonement was prepared from the foundation of the world, and you think of the Great Plan of HAPPINESS, you discover that Heavenly Father really is the Master Planner/Preparer. He knew in advance what it would take to get the most of us home.

As I searched the scriptures through my LDS app, I noticed something I had not before. There is a small number next to every search result. I realized that the small number tells how many times that word or a variation of it occurs in the chapter you are about to click on. COOL!

So, with that in mind, I wanted to find the chapters of scripture that had the most references to preparedness and what they say. Many chapters have 1 or 2. Several chapters have 3 or more. But very few have more than 5 or 6. So, I wanted to see what the most prevalent usages of the word prepare had to say. Here they are.

Old Testament 

Ezekial 46, 8 uses, ordinance of worship and sacrifice 

2 Chronicles 35, 7 uses, Passover preparation 

1 Chronicles 22, 6 uses, David prepares the temple

New Testament 

John 19 is the only chapter with more than 2. 

Preparing the body of Christ before Passover.

P of GP 

Abraham 4, 4 uses, Earth prepared for Creation.

D and C 

Section 88, 10 uses, Obedience prepares man for the appropriate kingdom, angels prepare the way for the coming of the Lord 

Section 133, 8 uses, note the double usage in verse 4. Preparation for the Second Coming. 

Section 78, 7 uses, preparation to inherit all things

And the ULTIMATE preppers manual of the scriptures

Book of Mormon 

Alma, 1, 2 Nephi, and Ether have the most combined references with Alma leading the way 3 and 4 to 1. I supposed if we want to understand preparedness, we should understand Alma.

Top chapters 

Alma 49, 11 uses, Nephites prepare themselves against the Lamanites for war. 

Ether 12, 7 uses, Faith and the Lord's preparations for US 

Alma 13, 6 uses, things that were prepared from the beginning 

Alma 5, 5 uses, What you need to be prepared to meet God.

The Book of Mormon truly is a preparedness manual. How to prepare for war, escape, gathering. How to prepare our hearts to meet God. How the Lord has prepared places, peoples, his Son for our welfare, blessings for after this life and places for the wicked. While I DON'T think God is this kind of prepper:

I do believe He has prepared a way for us, will continue to prepare a way for us when we follow Him, and expects us to be prepared so that we can fully receive the blessings He has promised us. 

Don't leave word studies out. They're awesome!

Suffering

IAT = I am thankful

for prayer, grace, mercy, the Comforter, an eternal plan


Just over a week ago, I received tragic news of a sweet child, dear to a church my cousin attends in Georgia. The family of this child had recently bought a home with a pool. They were at the home to check on some things before they moved in. This darling brown-eyed, blond, three year-old boy, slipped quietly undetected outside and fell in the pool. By the time he was found, he was already gone, but paramedics were able to bring back his heartbeat. As word spread, hundreds, maybe thousands across the country began imploring heaven for a miracle in this family's behalf. After several days, and agonizing decisions, this sweet little guy went home to heaven, leaving several other people on THEIR way with a renewed life because of his donations to them.

During those days, as I joined many others in praying for Christian, I read these verses.

21 Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

 22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

Surely many believed that Christian would be spared and awaken into the loving arms of his joyful family. Instead, I am sure he was welcomed into the loving arms of family that went before him. Why? Why did he have to leave a grieving, despairing family behind? I learned a long time ago, that why is rarely a good question to ask in these kinds of situations. A better question might be, what can I/will I learn from this? An even better question, what do YOU want me to learn from this experience?

Why do we have to suffer anyway? I personally know people who have suffered through the suicides of family members, the murder of family members, their own rape, abuse, or similar wrongs at the hands of others. Death of children, unexpected life course through accident, disability, or unplanned divorce or infidelity. The list goes on and on and you know people too, in similar circumstances.

It hurts! It's hard to get through! Why would God allow suffering anyway? I can only speak to my own experience and my conclusions from my own thoughts.

THE defining moment for me, after being on the child's side of 3 divorces, was the death of my mother by her own hand when I was 19. I only had her for about 7 of those years, mostly on the front end. You can read those details here. I learned how precious people and moments are and not to take them for granted. That was just one of my childhood difficulties. There were many more.

The day Christian passed from this life, I went to Pima's seminary graduation. Emily attends Thatcher High School, but graduations are done by stake, so we attended Pima's. Our stake president brought up some interesting points that I want to share because they tie in to my learning about suffering. Pres Beus spoke of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. His enemies sent letters to him multiple times to meet with them and come down from the wall. Nehemiah's response was, "I am doing a great work and cannot come down." Then he told about Nephi, who from the outside seemed like he was a bit of a failure. His father sent he and his brothers to complete a task, but it took them several tries. But the only reason they succeeded is because Nephi kept saying, "I will go and do." The older brothers were ready to pack up and go home after the first attempt.

Just prior to Pres Beus, Brother Tilley, the seminary teacher spoke about a verse in the Book of Mormon. In Alma 44: 5, Moroni lists all of the reasons that they have prevailed over Zerahemnah. "...by our faith, by our religion, and by our rites of worship, and by our church, and by the sacred support which we owe to our wives and our children, by that liberty which binds us to our lands and our country; yea, and also by the maintenance of the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness; and by all that is most dear unto us—" Their faith, family, and the word of God brought them happiness. Interesting to me since they had just been through a terrible war. But they were still happy.

What does that have to do with suffering? Well, first of all, the Savior of the world never gave up. What if he made it half way through his suffering (in the garden) and decided not to finish on the cross? What if he got to my trials and said, you know I just can't take one more person's sins and heartache? What if he'd run for the hills and lived out his life in a cave in solitary peace? Well, the whole plan would have been thwarted. Jesus was acquainted with suffering because He took the entire world's suffering, person by person, upon himself. Not just sin, but sorrow, and all other suffering. How in the world can we expect to come to Him after this life and to be "joint heirs" and glorified if we aren't at least slightly acquainted with the same sorrows and suffering?

Elder Hallstrom, said in April 2016, the following:

In real life, we face actual, not imagined, hardships. There is pain—physical, emotional, and spiritual. There are heartbreaks when circumstances are very different from what we had anticipated. There is injustice when we do not seem to deserve our situation. There are disappointments when someone we trusted failed us. There are health and financial setbacks that can be disorienting. There may be times of question when a matter of doctrine or history is beyond our current understanding.

When difficult things occur in our lives, what is our immediate response? Is it confusion or doubt or spiritual withdrawal? Is it a blow to our faith? Do we blame God or others for our circumstances? Or is our first response to remember who we are—that we are children of a loving God? Is that coupled with an absolute trust that He allows some earthly suffering because He knows it will bless us, like a refiner’s fire, to become like Him and to gain our eternal inheritance?⁹

The book of Abraham says, "And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;"

Will we? Do we want to belong to Him or not? Then sometimes, we get to suffer. If we hang on tight, and hold on to Jesus Christ, He will help us and strengthen us and in the end, reward us, for staying true. I will not pretend to know what it is like to lose a sweet little baby. There is no judgment from me for those who linger in grief after devastating losses. But I know this, when Peter cried out as he attempted to walk on water and failed, "Lord save me!" He will. Whether it's sin or suffering, He will because He knows this cry as well.

Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.

I know, that in our personal Gethsemanes of loss and sorrow, He is there, if we cling to Him. For we are building spiritual walls, we are expected to complete the assignments we came to complete. He invites us to return to Him and our happiness will be found in our faith in Him.

"Save Me" by Yongsung Kim

Becoming Eve

IAT = I am thankful

to be a mother.
for my 7 wonderful children.
for the man that gave me that gift.
for a mother waiting for me in heaven, where all wrongs will be righted.
for the doctrine of the role of mothers.

In the beginning, (Genesis 3) we read that Adam called his wife Eve, "because she was the mother of all living." I find that interesting because,  it's not until chapter 4 AFTER THE FALL, that Adam "knows" his wife Eve in the biblical sense, and she conceives and begins bearing children. Eve's name in Hebrew means, to breathe, or life-giver/nurturer. I liked this article about it.

I LOVE the idea completely, that Adam declared Eve the mother of all living before there was even a twinkle in her eye for her children. Eve was the literal hope of all mankind. She had the consequential task of being the very first mother of the first children who would become the family of us all, combined throughout history and humanity. It's amazing and humbling to consider. I wonder if she did.

I believe that also means for each of us, whether we have become mothers, or are yet to become mothers, that we can breathe life into places and things that didn't exist. We can give life to those in need, and we can help nurture our children, family members, strangers, and beyond. Had I not had many mothers willing to nurture and breathe life into me, I would not have succeeded myself as a mother. I love the Doctrine of Motherhood.

I just have to love Sherri Dew's coverage of the subject as well. I love it even more after hearing her tell the story of how she received the assignment to speak in conference, how the Spirit directed her topic, and how she struggled with it, not having been given that blessing in her life.

Those of you who have read my blog, or know me, know that I did not have the lifelong gift of a mother. In fact, of the 19 years I had a mother, I only "had" her as my mother for 5 years. So, when I embarked on the motherhood trail, I was woefully unprepared. As I mentioned before, it was other loving mothers, mostly of my closest friends and family, that reached out, pulled me in, and loved me through some painful times.

I cursed myself, when as a young college student at BYU, I saw many little families with stair step children. It wasn't uncommon to see a flock of little ones behind a pregnant mommy. "*I* will never have so many children so close together!" I cried judgmentally. Only a few years later *I* had 4 darling little boys in 5 years!!! Yes, I felt the sting of my previous thought. (YES, I KNOW what causes THAT!)

Those early years felt a bit like a train wreck to me. I am sure I am harder on myself than needful, but most of the time I felt like I was in a canoe with one oar and only allowed to row on one side. I dealt with a lot of anger from my own childhood. The stresses and demands of all those little boys alternately made me feel depressed or crazy. It was HARD. No one told me it would be so hard!!! Only they did. I just didn't choose to hear it.

But it was also fun. There were moments I thought my heart would burst from joy. There were times I wanted to lock myself in a closet and not come out, or flee from the house and drive into the desert to pray. Sometimes I felt completely out of control. Others I knew such peace that it was staggering.

But, just because I became a mother on April 15, 1989, did not mean I WAS a mother yet. Just as Eve was not yet a mother physically, becoming a mother physically does not necessarily make you a good one. I know several women who have not had children but obviously have that mother heart. My husband has been an excellent example to me of strength AND nurturing.

I went on to have 5 boys and 2 girls, and one unknown. I admit, I was in love with mothering babies. I loved welcoming a new little person into our home and holding that sweet little infant for hours. No, I didn't love every minute and was exhausted for years, but HOW I loved those little sweet ones! Here are a few of my mothering moments that are probably similar to yours.

Mommy Math: I figure conservatively I have done close to 6000 loads of laundry, changed over 30,000 diapers, washed 3000 loads of dishes, and spent close to 31,000 hours in the kitchen. Somewhere in all of that domestic delight, I became a mother.

We've had broken bones, stitches, childhood diseases, sleepless nights in hospitals, and illness on several holidays. There have been fevers and vomit and snotty noses and diaper blow outs that took two people to maneuver. We've had sports of nearly every kind. Basketball that never stopped (one week there were 17 games). Scouts!!!! And more scouts and more scouts. Can anyone say Pinewood derby? There have been plays and primary programs and graduations at all levels and concerts and field trips.

We've had giggle fests and tickle fights and family vacations (are we there yet?) and eating competitions. We've had hurt feelings and holes (Joboseph) in doors and walls (Mr GQ) and broken windows and pestering (Mish 4) until the mother nearly lost her mind. We've put band aids on knees and soothed broken hearts and found peace in the midst of fights and asked for forgiveness. We've learned about Christ together and strengthened our faith together and worshiped with friends and family and felt the love of God through it all. We've celebrated successes and shared tears and laughed till we cried and become a family.

Through those many years and times together, somewhere in the midst of it all, my unpreparedness shifted to experiences learned. My lack of experience became knowledge gained. My horrible failures became learning lessons. My desire to become a good mother, was often fed by reading many, many books often at once, and applying what I had learned.

What's the greatest thing I've learned in my becoming? THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT ROLE IN THE WORLD is MOTHERHOOD. And THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE IN THE WORLD is HOME.

For all the young mothers struggling to get through the piles of towels and tears, know that the greatest lie ever told is this. "What I'm doing (changing diapers, wiping noses, loads of laundry) doesn't matter." It does matter. BEing THERE is the greatest thing that matters. Exactly like an investment, you put the effort in for years without seeing much, and then one day the dividends start coming in. They get bigger, and Bigger, and BIGGER, until the day you realize that all those years of putting in with nothing in return, were the greatest years ever because of the return you are now getting on that investment.

This is long enough. Happy Mother's Day. It's about BECOMING.

my previous posts on motherhood

 Mommy Grinch
Joy, Joy, Joy

The Surprise Ending to a POWERFUL Gratitude Moment

IAT = I am thankful

rest, good food, SS messages, testimony, silence

grat·i·tude

ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

noun: gratitude

the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness.

"she expressed her gratitude to the committee for their support"

synonyms:

gratefulness, thankfulness, thanks, appreciation, indebtedness; recognition, acknowledgment, credit "Chip was miffed by his nephew's lack of gratitude"

It's funny, this practice of being thankFUL. I've been at it on and off for ten years now; being grateFUL on purpose. I always start my blog posts with 5 things I am thankful for because it's a reminder that there is so much to be thankful for. My last few years have been spent practicing gratitude in the midst of trial. I am getting better at it. 2 steps forward, 1 step back. It's amazing the little nuances to learn about being grateful. You can read a few of my other posts here. 
 
PREVIOUS thoughts about Gratitude

Or just search my blog for terms like thankful, grateful, gratitude. I've written about it A LOT.

 

I know these things already, but it is so helpful to keep having experiences that teach me it is so. Almost two weeks ago, I went to a lunch class that my doctor was teaching. I wasn't originally going to go because the topic was one I felt I understood and I wondered if I had the time in my day. But realizing that not having the time, meant I should probably take the time anyway, and that I always enjoy what he has to teach, I went. The topic was mindset, how to have a proper one for making changes in your life.  I took a few notes and was glad I had been uplifted for the day. Especially learning about the energy of the heart and how it creates a field that interacts with others. Then he asked for a volunteer. Well, no one was jumping so I raised my hand.

He hooked my ear lobe up to a sensor and turned his laptop around so everyone could see my heart coherence. His screen looked similar to this but there was also a red bar.


He taught us that our heartbeat coherence is rarely equal. There are differences between each beat and it has a lot to do with our stress. He asked me (knowing much about me) what was my most difficult real estate transaction at the moment. Well, I went right "THERE" and told him that was easy, because I could practically see the place from his office. Details don't matter but immediately I was thinking of all the challenges that house had brought me in over a year since listing it and my greatest desire was to sell it to help the circumstances of the owner.  Well the red bar that ISN'T shown, immediately began rising, up and up. And the green bar was very low.




I felt stressed and anxious to a degree, just thinking about it without saying a word about it. I know all about the power of thoughts, the little receptors on the end of every nerve cell that respond whether we have a positive or negative attitude. But he caught me off guard. And things had been going SO WELL. :-)

The next thing he instructed me to do was to look at the blue bar, which on his screen was moving up and down regularly, and to breathe in and out with it, and as I did so, to think of things that made me happy. To think of things that brought gratitude. To focus on things that would bring me a good feeling. Well, like I said in another post, I'm no newbie to gratitude. I know which words and thoughts have the most powerful affect. 



For one thing, there is the heart math institute that teaches all about heart coherence and how the mind is not the only thinking center. The HEART is as well.  Such cool work and studies being done there. Not only that, I learned from Masaru Emoto, the power of our words on the physical plane. In his book The Hidden Messages in Water, I learned that every word we speak is a blessing or a curse on water, and ultimately our own health. I learned that LOVE and APPRECIATION have the most blessed response on water molecules.

So I started breathing in and out to the blue bar and I began praying and feeling gratitude. Why did I pray? Well, first I believe in prayer and second there's that whole ho' oponopono thing. (Click on those words, scroll half way down the page for an amazing story) The hoodawhata? It's a Hawaian healing practice. I figured if it could heal a ward full of psychos, it could do me some good and I've used it on occasion. So I changed up his instructions just a little bit. Instead of thinking of things that made me happy or grateful, I started praying over this house.



I blessed, loved, thanked, said I was sorry, and asked for forgiveness over my stressful thoughts and feelings. Then I began repeating the words from another technique,  Infinite Love and Gratitude over and over. All the while, breathing in and out. Then something amazing happened. If I had been sitting in church, I'd say, I began to feel the Spirit welling up within me, but since I wasn't sitting in church, I equated it with peace. I felt my heart and chest fill with joy and peace. And it felt great! On the screen, everyone took note of the fact that my green bar was heading up, up, up and the red bar had decreased significantly. Dr Drew explained that the more we practice this technique, the more our response to things can go from being stressful to feeling peaceful. Well, that's a pretty awesome promise, so I think I need to practice this as I go to bed every night!

Then he showed how the whole thing worked with a little guy about aged 4 that was in the class. So easy for them to shift and move into that happy space! We adults are all weighed down by filters, negative experiences, and our opinions of what life is "really like."

If I had left with only having a peaceful feeling, it would have been great. But something happened I did not expect. The very next day, a miracle began with the very house I was stressed about. Another agent called me to say he was showing the house. Within 2 hours, he sent me an offer on the house. Not only that, the offer was such that it was THE MOST OPTIMAL circumstances that house could have had. We countered and reached a positive conclusion for everyone. Two WEEKS later, we'll be closing any day. But I marveled over the weekend, that this happened less than 24 hours after my heart coherence exercise, and then it hit me!!! The exercise and how I chose to address it, in that moment as I came to the realization that it wasn't bringing me gratitude or joy, completely HEALED the situation I was in!!!! I am still a bit dumbfounded.

I realize anyone reading may just think it's a crazy coincidence. But I truly believe that consciously practicing the virtue of gratitude while praying and bringing in other principles I knew to be true, had a direct influence on the outcome. I have done EVERYTHING I could think of to put that house in the best possible position to sell, but it just didn't. I did the exercise with no expectation of a change in outcome, but how it changed the outcome!!! I'm so grateful. For those who may think, well you just wanted to get paid. I could have actually forced another offer that was lingering to come in, and I would have been paid double. But the one that showed up was perfect for the situation. There was no amount of money that would make it worth it to me, to turn down that perfect manifestation.



I know that reading the links in this post will be time consuming, but I really hope you will consider reading them. I may do some other posts on those subjects just so people have a clearer view of them, but for now, I testify that gratitude really CAN change everything. I invite you to try it.