While I still feel very sad about being released as our ward seminary teacher last year, I can't deny that continuing to teach Glo seminary has been a huge blessing for our family. In fact, I wonder exactly what John and I are going to do about scripture study once Glo moves away, and I'm no longer pushed into preparing a daily lesson.
Most days, we wait for John to come home so that we kill two birds with one stone: holding seminary for Glo, and having our family scripture study. Plus, it's nice for both Glo and me to have an additional class member so that we aren't both doing all of the answering of questions!
I'm reminded of the scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 87 that says, "...stand ye in holy places..." More than one time, our dining room table, or our car, or our living room has been a holy place as we've studied the scriptures together.
One of the most sacred experiences happened about a week ago, and I record it here for posterity and for the clear manifestation of a loving Heavenly Father.
We were discussing chapters 3 and 4 in the book of Joshua in the Old Testament. In chapter three, the Israelites are finally preparing to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. However, the river was flooding, and there was no way that over a million people (including women, children and animals) could successfully cross it. The Lord told the priests to take the ark of the covenant and step into the water. They didn't know what would happen. I suspect in their minds, they saw themselves being swept away. However, once they exhibited the faith to just step in (much like Indiana Jones when finding the Holy Grail), the solution was given to them as a reward of their faith. As David A. Bednar teaches us,
Then, soon after crossing, the Israelites were commanded to gather stones to build a memorial to remember the miracle that had just happened. In other words, when things got tough in the future, or when they felt the Lord wasn't there, they could think back on crossing the river and remember that they just need to have faith during other times of uncertainty. Marlin K. Jensen said about remembering,
He was out running through the fields of Germany, praying for Ethan and probably for all of us. While praying he received an overwhelming impression that Ethan would be serving his mission in Eastern Europe.
As John was telling Glo this, I thought that he was tying this experience into the faith that the Israelites manifested by stepping into the river. However, he was realizing something at that moment that he hadn't put together himself even though it had been six years since this experience.
A month later, Ethan received his mission call to Poland, just as John had been told during his prayer. It was a miraculous experience to remember.
However, John had also received another impression during that prayer, and it came immediately after the revelation about Ethan's mission call. He felt just as strongly that he would be called to serve as a mission president someday.
As John sat there at the kitchen table, he realized the reason for that revelation to come at the exact same time. While his feelings about where Ethan would serve his mission came to pass within a short period of time, he has continually questioned if and how he will ever be able to serve as a mission president. He feels completely unworthy and ill-prepared for it to ever happen. However, he has a 12-stone memorial now. He can lean on that simple and quick experience of faith to help him have the faith that will be required for something that will take a longer amount of time and a significant amount of more faith. It's almost as it the Lord was proving his words to him. In my mind, the Lord is saying, "I have given you this one experience to prove that ALL things that I reveal to you will come to pass."
I must admit that I have done a poor job of describing this very sacred experience. John was in tears as was I, and the sacredness of the moment hung over us like a cloud. However, I realized afterwards that if we had not been studying the scriptures together through the seminary program, John would not have come to the realization that he did, and none of us would have benefited from that sacred moment.
It was a good reminder that the Lord does indeed know what is best for us even though it's hard for us to understand it at the time. What a blessing that I could be released.
Most days, we wait for John to come home so that we kill two birds with one stone: holding seminary for Glo, and having our family scripture study. Plus, it's nice for both Glo and me to have an additional class member so that we aren't both doing all of the answering of questions!
I'm reminded of the scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 87 that says, "...stand ye in holy places..." More than one time, our dining room table, or our car, or our living room has been a holy place as we've studied the scriptures together.
One of the most sacred experiences happened about a week ago, and I record it here for posterity and for the clear manifestation of a loving Heavenly Father.
We were discussing chapters 3 and 4 in the book of Joshua in the Old Testament. In chapter three, the Israelites are finally preparing to cross the Jordan River into the promised land. However, the river was flooding, and there was no way that over a million people (including women, children and animals) could successfully cross it. The Lord told the priests to take the ark of the covenant and step into the water. They didn't know what would happen. I suspect in their minds, they saw themselves being swept away. However, once they exhibited the faith to just step in (much like Indiana Jones when finding the Holy Grail), the solution was given to them as a reward of their faith. As David A. Bednar teaches us,
The floodwaters were held back, and the Israelites crossed over on dry ground. What a tremendous amount of faith!"Recall how the Israelites came to the river Jordan and were promised the waters would part, and they would be able to cross over on dry ground. Interestingly, the waters did not part as the children of Israel stood on the banks of the river waiting for something to happen; rather, the soles of their feet were wet before the water parted. The faith of the Israelites was manifested in the fact that they walked into the water before it parted. They walked into the river Jordan with a future-facing assurance of things hoped for."
Then, soon after crossing, the Israelites were commanded to gather stones to build a memorial to remember the miracle that had just happened. In other words, when things got tough in the future, or when they felt the Lord wasn't there, they could think back on crossing the river and remember that they just need to have faith during other times of uncertainty. Marlin K. Jensen said about remembering,
"Remembering enables us to see God's hand in our past, just as prophecy and faith assure us of God's hand in our future."It was at this point that John interjected. He began to tell Glo about an experience he had back in December of 2009, just weeks before Ethan submitted his mission papers.
He was out running through the fields of Germany, praying for Ethan and probably for all of us. While praying he received an overwhelming impression that Ethan would be serving his mission in Eastern Europe.
As John was telling Glo this, I thought that he was tying this experience into the faith that the Israelites manifested by stepping into the river. However, he was realizing something at that moment that he hadn't put together himself even though it had been six years since this experience.
A month later, Ethan received his mission call to Poland, just as John had been told during his prayer. It was a miraculous experience to remember.
However, John had also received another impression during that prayer, and it came immediately after the revelation about Ethan's mission call. He felt just as strongly that he would be called to serve as a mission president someday.
As John sat there at the kitchen table, he realized the reason for that revelation to come at the exact same time. While his feelings about where Ethan would serve his mission came to pass within a short period of time, he has continually questioned if and how he will ever be able to serve as a mission president. He feels completely unworthy and ill-prepared for it to ever happen. However, he has a 12-stone memorial now. He can lean on that simple and quick experience of faith to help him have the faith that will be required for something that will take a longer amount of time and a significant amount of more faith. It's almost as it the Lord was proving his words to him. In my mind, the Lord is saying, "I have given you this one experience to prove that ALL things that I reveal to you will come to pass."
I must admit that I have done a poor job of describing this very sacred experience. John was in tears as was I, and the sacredness of the moment hung over us like a cloud. However, I realized afterwards that if we had not been studying the scriptures together through the seminary program, John would not have come to the realization that he did, and none of us would have benefited from that sacred moment.
It was a good reminder that the Lord does indeed know what is best for us even though it's hard for us to understand it at the time. What a blessing that I could be released.
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