Educated by the Spirit

Education is wonderful, but being able to feel the Lord’s power and Spirit upon us is the highest education we can achieve.

This is a quote from Sister Beck's talk at the BYU Women's Conference this past April.  You can read the entire, wonderful, powerful, message here.

Is this what Zion might be like?

Zion is a huge topic on my mind lately.

And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.  Moses 7:18

We can have Zion here, now.  In fact, that's what we are supposed to be doing.  We can have Zion in our selves, in our homes, in our families, in our wards, in our stakes, and eventually in the Church and World.  But it starts with us.
 
Leo, at mnmlist.com, has written an article about society, reimagined.  It made me think of my vision of Zion. 

We’ve gotten fat, tired, sick, deep in debt, disconnected from our kids and other family members, divorced, separated from our neighbor, all in the name of money and work and profits and buying. This seems broken, to me.

But what’s a better way of living? A society reimagined, built around people and a love for our environment and living and working and playing together, a love for being outside and playing and being active, a love for doing things and spending time with people rather than for buying things and working to support that buying habit.

What would such a society look like? I hesitate to put forth my vision, because it shouldn’t come from one person but should be reimagined by everyone who will live it. However, I’ll put forth a small sliver of such a vision, just to get the conversation started.

Please read the rest of Leo's post to see his ideas.  And then, you can read the follow-up where he explains that it starts with us. 

My neighbor has a banner hanging in her house.  I love the last part that says something like, "We will be a force for good, not by the loudness of our voices, but by the strength of our example."

Be the change you want to see. Live the gospel with all your heart. Be a shining light on the hill for others to see.

Be Still, And Know That I Am God

Have you ever noticed a subject or idea that keeps coming popping up on you?  That subject for me lately is meditation.  It is on blogs I read, in books I read, in an upcoming conference I'm attending.  And it is in the scriptures.
Felice, at The Gift of Giving Life, is offering her wisdom on meditation. It has been tremendously helpful for me, especially the one for more patience!
Meditation is not easy.  It is the work of quieting the mind to be able to more clearly hear the Divine.
In our house, we are trying one minute of meditation in the evenings.  We repeat silently in our minds "I am a child of God" or something along those lines. 
With five young children, it can be hard to find a quiet moment in my day.  I want to make those brief moments of higher quality, more communion with my Maker.
I love this passage from Psalms 107.  It reminded me of the storms that are often raging in my mind.

28 Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

29 He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

30 Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

31 Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Plain and Simple

We recently finished reading 2 Nephi as a family.  The wonderful Isaiah chapters.  The great counsel from Lehi.  Warnings for us in our day.  One of my favorite scriptures:

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  2 Nephi 30:15

Then Nephi sums everything up.  He speaks plainly so there is no misunderstanding.  We must be baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, have unshaken faith in Christ, feast on the words of Christ, and pray always.
I have been pondering feasting, gaining soul nourishment from God's word.
In the end of 1 Kings, we get to read about Elijah.  What impresses me is his faith, the power behind those mighty miracles.  How much faith would it take to believe that birds will feed you for three years?  To raise someone from the dead?  To call down fire from heaven?  How do I develop that kind of faith?

Faith is like a little seed, if planted it will grow. (Faith, Children's Songbook)

We can begin with faith that doing the plain and simple things will bless our lives.  And as we feast on the words of Christ, we will receive His Spirit and His instruction for us, personally.

The Temple as the House of God

In Truman Madsen's book, "The Temple" he says there is truth in the practice of facing the Temple when we pray.  Yesterday, I read 1 Kings 8 - Solomon's dedicatory prayer for the newly built Temple.  Solomon tells the Israelites to face the Temple when they pray.  He built the Temple, under God's direction, so the Ark of the Covenant would have a permanent home.  So God would have a home on earth. 
In the past year, off and on, I have faced the Temple as I prayed.  Everytime it amazes me how I can feel my heart turning, too.

I saw tomorrow passing

I saw tomorrow passing on little children's feet
And on their forms and faces her prophecies complete.
And then I saw tomorrow look at me through little children's eyes.
And I thought how carefully I must teach if I am wise!
Author Unknown

I am reading a little gem of a book called Daughters of God by M. Russell Ballard.  It is so full of insights about the value and importance of women, especially as nurturers of children.
One of my favorite scriptures is from Isaiah, and repeated in the Book of Mormon:

And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. 

Isaiah 54:13 and 3 Nephi 22:13

Another scripture about peace, from Isaiah and repeated in the Book of Mormon is this one:

O that thou hadst hearkened to my commandments -- then had thy peace been as a river, and thy righteousness as the waves of the sea. 

Isaiah 48:18 and 1 Nephi 20:18

I know the Lord wants us to have peace.  We can have peace in the midst of our trials and struggles.  We certainly should have peace in our homes and families.  The way to achieve that is through teaching our families of the Lord and His commandments.  Everything else is secondary in importance.

Swimming Upstream

Before I had my first child, I bought all the stuff that comes with children in our culture.  Thankfully, some of it rarely got used.  I was exposed to ideas about child-rearing that were outside our cultural norm.  These ideas fit better with my instincts.
I am so grateful for those that were willing to talk about how they were different, even when they were in the small minority.  It made a big difference in my life, and the lives of my children.  It also helped me to become more open-minded to all the new ideas I've encountered in the last 10 years.
Bruce Hafen describes it perfectly.

The world today is a polluted river.  We are like fish swimming in the pollution, often carried by a current of which we are only vaguely aware, until someone swims against the current.  Then we see the contrast.1

This idea, of seeing the contrast, has really been apparent to me lately.  Anytime I have left my home in the last week or so, I have been shocked at the contrast between "the world" and my home.  Not that my home is perfect, but it is a safe haven bubble.  And it feels a lot safer than what is outside.
Making the first step to fortifying our homes is the most difficult.  "Can we really live without the cable tv/video games/pop music?  What will we eat if we get rid of meat/sugar/processed foods?  What will the kids do if 95% of their toys are gone?"
If Heavenly Father has been whispering to you to make some changes, you can trust that He has your best interests at heart.  Elder Oaks article in the April 2010 Ensign on The Atonement and Faith has a lot to say on the subject of Faith in God's Plan for us. 

I'll end with a quote from Orson Pratt.

In the latter days there will be a people so pure in Mount Zion, with a house established upon the tops of the mountains, that God will manifest himself, not only in their Temple . . . [but] when they retire to their [homes], behold each [home] will be lighted up by the glory of God - a pillar of flaming fire by night.2

(I wanted to say more, but it's hard to think and type with sick children, a potty-training toddler, and a crying baby. Motherhood calls!)
1 The Temple, Truman G. Madsen, pg 70
2. The Temple, pg 74