Pliny The Younger

Last night I was watching PBS about the history of Christianity for the first three and half centuries.

They affirmed, however, the whole of their guilt, or their error, was, that they were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft, or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food -- but food of an ordinary and innocent kind. Even this practice, however, they had abandoned after the publication of my edict, by which, according to your orders, I had forbidden political associations. I judged it so much the more necessary to extract the real truth, with the assistance of torture, from two female slaves, who were styled deaconesses: 

Do You Remember?

Often while I am in the kitchen I will need a spoon or some other thing that is near.  I hardly ever open the right draw.  I will open three different drawers before I open the right drawer.  I then may grab the fork instead of the spoon.

Many times I will get need to get something a shovel.  The shovel is by our greenhouse.  I then walk some distance right past it.  I turn around and walk past it again.  Again I turn around walk back a few steps and take hold of the shovel.

There are times that I go to the post office to mail a letter.  I end up at the church.  I turn around and come home then realize I still have the letter.  I then make it back to the post office.

A couple of Sundays ago I made a Wednesday of  appointment to meet with the bishop 6:50 pm for tithing settlement on Wednesday.  When I got home I wrote on the calendar the time on the following Sunday.

Last night I went home teaching.  My home teaching partner moved a few blocks into a different home.  I drove past his home going to the house where he used to live.  I quickly made a you turn and stopped at his home.

I wonder sometimes if I would leave Holden, drive ninety miles to Prove.  Upon arriving at Provo, would I wonder, what am I doing in Provo.

Personal Tragedy

There are hundreds if not thousands of personal tragedies every day.  Here are a few.  Mother backs out of the garage and runs of her toddler.  Father leaves a year old baby in the tub for a minute to answer the phone.  When he gets back the baby has drowned.  Neighbor driving down a street, a young child learning how to ride a bike rides out of the driveway in front of car.  The drive cannot stop in time, the child dies on the way to the hospital.  A bus stops; two children exit the bus. One child crosses the street in front of the bus.  A passing car ignoring the warning siganals from the bus and hits the child.  A choking child is rushed to the hospital, but not in time to save his/her life.   A predator takes a young girl, molest and kills her.

One could search the newspapers and find numerous real examples.  The list could go on and on.
The Sand Hook school killing is a tragedy beyond almost beyond imagination   The enormity of it has reached many more people than all of the single events.

The authorities are searching for causes.  The next phase will prevention.  I believe that there is no prevention unless our freedoms are severely limited, and punishment for a fenders sever and quick.

Three Keys to Understanding the Things of the Spirit

About 600 BC prophets are warning the Jews of impending destruction.  Jeremiah was one of the prophets.  He was put in prison for the things that he said.  Other unnamed prophets were killed. Lehi may have heard Jeremiah and repeated the warnings.  Because of his concern for his family's safety and even for their lives, they left Jerusalem and traveled in the wilderness.  They are commanded to go back to Jerusalem and obtain the Brass Plates of Laban   There is a need to have spouses for Lehi's children they go again go into Jerusalem and invite Ishmael and his family to come with them.

While on their journey Lehi has the vision that is called the Vision of the Tree of Life, which he shares with his family.  Nephi wants to see the same vision that his father had.  The following verse in the Book of Mormon.

• "...I had desired to know the things that my father had seen, and believing that the Lord was able to make them known unto me, as I sat pondering in mine heart I was caught away in the Spirit of the Lord, yea, into an exceedingly high mountain, ..."  1 Nephi 11:1

The three basic elements in this verse are keys to our own understanding of the scriptures are:

• Desire:  This is really basic.  If there is no desire, of course there will be no understaining.
• Belief:  If one truely believes that they could gain an understanding
• ponder: to contemplate the experience  meditate, and prayer

Nephi done this and was granted the same vision of his father.

In contrast Laman and Lemuel did not understand the vision of The Tree of Life.  Nephi asked if they had inquired of the Lord.  They said that they "...had not..."  The following verse was Nephi's response:

Do ye not remember the things which the Lord hath said?—If ye will not harden your hearts, and ^aask me in ^bfaith, believing hat ye shall receive, with diligence in keeping my commandments, surely these things shall be made known unto you.

Please Comment