The First Vision! Excitedly I read through my seminary manual to prepare a seminary lesson on that glorious event when a 14-year-old boy approached God in prayer to know which church to join. Joseph Smith felt the necessity of God in his life. He searched for answers in the Bible. He found possible direction in James 1:5. 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. Was it possible? Would God... Read more
A scriptural phrase which always peaks my interest is: “Sing a new song.” That phrase appears in my favorite books—Isaiah, Revelation. But what is a “new song?” How do I learn it? Can I just make it up or are words divinely inspired? I’m fascinated by ancient hymns because the hymns show me how the singer worships God. The last hymn I found was the Hymn of Jesus. Today, I found a hymn Abraham sang while caught up to heaven.... Read more
Herod eagerly received Jesus from the Sanhedrin, “because he had heard many things of him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by him. Then he questioned with him in many words; but he answered him nothing.” I’ve thought long and hard about those words “he answered him nothing.” Why didn’t He answer? I decided in one sense, Jesus just didn’t respect Herod enough to speak to him. Maybe He stood in kingly silence juxtaposed to a babbling king. But after Herod’s interrogation... Read more
The creation of Life, continuing on the theme of creation in 3 Nephi—to identify it and apply it to myself. First, the earth cleaved. In that destruction, Matter Organized. Secondly, Firmament Divided. The Holy Ghost taught me that the pattern applied to the Earth and also to the People. I applied it to Light. The creation pattern for those days were obvious and beautiful to me. But then I came to Life! God created plants and animals and mankind, life. I didn’t... Read more
Last year I found out about a Bushman family reunion honoring my third and fourth great grandparents. These wonderful people immigrated from Germany and Switzerland, settling in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. They served as caretakers for Rockford Plantation belonging to Revolutionary War general Edward Hand. Family built a house on land in Gettysburg, and ultimately found themselves in the middle of the battleground. Our cousins Elder John Carmack and Richard L. Bushman were featured speakers. I wanted to see these homes and... Read more
In vision, Ezekiel saw water springing beneath the temple in Jerusalem and flowing down the mountain east towards the Dead Sea, would heal everything, including the Dead Sea. [T]the waters shall be healed. And it shall come to pass, that every thing that liveth, which moveth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live: and there shall be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters shall come thither: for they shall be healed; and every thing shall live whither the river... Read more
What is the sacrament? We partake of it every week, but why? In my quest to further my sacramental understanding, I decided to study the sacrament’s components. And I started by looking at the word itself. Origin: From Latin: sacer (sacred) to sacrare (to hallow) to sacramentum (solemn oath) combined with the Greek’s musterion (mystery) became sacrement in Old French and finally sacrament in Middle English. Sacred, to hallow, solemn oath, mystery. I reviewed definitions in Webster’s... Read more
To some extent, I’d always looked at the Sacrament table with its white cloth as a metaphorical funeral pyre. The prayers say we eat and drink in remembrance of Christ’s body and His blood shed for us. I always saw that as representative of His death. And I believe that view has served me well as I’ve contemplated His matchless love and saving grace in my behalf. That singular view changed one Sunday as I sat watching the Sacrament... Read more
And [Jesus] took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. I learned that the Greek word for bread, ἄρτου, also (significantly to me) designates the shewbread of Old Testament tabernacle/temple covenants. Meaning, literally bread of the face or presence bread, shewbread was “the name given to 12 unleavened cakes placed in two piles on the Table of Shewbread, which was made of acacia wood and stood on the north side of the... Read more
I watched the priests as they took their places at the Sacrament table. They were smiling and talking. I enjoyed their mutual friendliness. I could tell the tall one in the middle was a jokester. Everything from his mop of curly red hair to his Scooby Doo tie to his broad smile indicated that he didn’t take life seriously. “What a goofball,” I laughed to myself. As the meeting began, all three young men became reverent. I forgot about them,... Read more
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