Elijah restored the sealing keys

I felt like sharing this here. I was reading from the Joseph Smith manual just now, “Chapter 26: Elijah and the Restoration of the Sealing Keys,” and came across the following passage:

"It may seem to some to be a very bold doctrine that we talk of—a power which records or binds on earth and binds in heaven. Nevertheless, in all ages of the world, whenever the Lord has given a dispensation of the priesthood to any man by actual revelation, or any set of men, this power has always been given. Hence, whatsoever those men did in authority, in the name of the Lord, and did it truly and faithfully, and kept a proper and faithful record of the same, it became a law on earth and in heaven, and could not be annulled, according to the decrees of the great Jehovah. This is a faithful saying. Who can hear it?"

I know it refers specifically to baptism for the dead, but as I read it I thought of priesthood power in general and what a bold doctrine that is. It brought to mind an experience my great-grandmother Clara Worlton had as a young girl. It's an experience that always makes me feel a little emotional.

Clara, born in 1898, was raised in Salem, Idaho, near Sugar City, just north of Rexburg. Early farmers in the area found that sugar beets grew well in the sandy soil, and Sugar City was incorporated in 1903 to support a sugar factory, which was the focal point of the new city.

Near the end of 1908 the schools at Salem and Sugar city were combined, and children from Salem now walked a mile and a half or so to the schoolhouse in Sugar, which was just west of the railroad tracks. Clara and others often walked to and from school on the railroad tracks because they were dry even though they had to skirt around beet cars, which were left on the track when not in use.

On April 26, 1911, just a few weeks before her thirteenth birthday, Clara and others were walking home from school on the tracks, and they decided to have a ride on one of the beet cars.They all pushed, and after the car got moving, Clara slipped and fell under the wheel. The heavy car crushed much of her body as it rolled over her.

Two men working nearby removed the unconscious girl from under the car, and neighborhood women drove her broken little body home in a bumpy, one-seated horsedrawn buggy. The local doctor hurried over, but after examining the damage said there was no hope for poor Clara. She couldn’t possibly live until morning. Nevertheless, he did set a few of the broken bones. The others were mashed so badly he thought it a waste of time to try, as she would not live.

Clara did regain consciousness that day, and when she did, she immediately asked for the elders (her father had died when she was six, so there was no priesthood holder living in the home). Two worthy men blessed her and promised she would be made well in every way. When the doctor came the next morning, he could not believe she was still alive. Even so, he didn't expect her to live much longer and said that even if she did, she would never walk again and would always be an invalid. Her foot and hand were mashed so badly that none of the bones in either were ever set. The ligaments of her knee were torn, and the knee cap was out of place. Her leg was broken twice above the knee, her arm just above the wrist.

Within three days her leg had turned black, the mutilated flesh detaching from the splintered bone. The doctor said it would have to be amputated at the hip, but Clara’s mother said, “No, wait a little longer.” She remembered the elders' promise. The doctor acquiesced, and someone holding the priesthood stayed with Clara at night to help her rest better. A thin layer of skin was all that covered the the hip joint, causing a new wound where the bone rubbed the skin. This wound was dressed every day by the doctor, who, in doing so, had to move her broken leg repeatedly, a leg which never had a splint.

Three weeks after the accident Clara was lifted to her feet so the doctor could move her leg and see if her knee cap would have to be wired to keep it in place. It turned out to not be necessary, although it took years for the knee to get strong enough that she wouldn’t fall if she didn’t hold it in a certain position.

Clara's family and ward members prayed often for her, prayers and faith that brought much help and miraculous recovery. Over the next year when the pain would get so bad, Clara's mother would call the elders for a blessing, and each time she was blessed she received almost instant relief. Despite the pain and difficultly of recovery, progress was constant. On the fifth of July, just three months after the accident, Clara walked with crutches and went to Parker for a celebration. By September she walked a mile and a half to school and then home again without even a cane. The doctor admitted that a higher power than his had helped her heal.

The elders' promise was fulfilled. In time she could walk and run like everyone else, and one of her favorite things to do a few years later when she started dating her soon-to-be husband was to dance. They attended every high school dance and many at Ricks Academy. And despite the crushed hand, Clara developed an expert ability to sew, making beautifully embroidered pillowcases, dresser scarves, doilies, and baby clothes requiring fine crocheting and tatting. She even made her own wedding dress.

I never met my great-grandmother Clara, and neither did my mother. Clara died in 1943 at the age of 45 due to an infection. However, the 32 years of life she was given between the beet car accident and the time of her death allowed her to marry, bring eight children into the world, and teach them gospel truths. Especially strong was her faith in the healing power of the priesthood. That faith has been passed on to my grandmother, my mother, and me. I hope to pass it on to my own children.

Elijah came to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers. While Clara was a faithful member of the Church who didn't need me to do ordinance work for her in the temple, I still feel that my heart has been turned to her. I'm grateful for the sealing power, and I look forward to the day I can meet and talk with her.

Mosiah 29; Alma 1-4: pt 1

I love the example of Mosiah's sons refusing to become king because they were preaching the gospel and had no desire to be king. It didn't matter that the kingdom rightly belonged to Aaron; his heart was in preaching the gospel, and I assume he knew there was a better way than to have a king. Recently I have seen some examples of adult siblings contending somewhat over the inheritance of their parents. This type of contention would not exist if they would follow the example of Mosiah's sons. I am going to use this part of the Book of Mormon as I counsel clients or others who may have lost sight of what really matters.

Mosiah 25-28; Alma 36: pt 3

The Lord saw fit in his infinite mercy to spare Alma and the sons of Mosiah. Likewise, he has seen fit to spare each of us. Every one of us must be born of the Spirit. The Lord knows whether we need to see an angel and be struck lame and dumb or if there is some other way for him to call us to repentance. He deals with each of us in the way that will make it most likely, short of taking away our agency, for us to obey and follow him. It's good for me to remember and feel this.

Mosiah 25-28; Alma 36: pt 2

Chapter 26, verses 13 & 33: When Alma was confronted with a new situation, he asked the Lord for guidance because he was afraid of doing wrong in the sight of God. It might have been easy for him to rely on past prayers or to have a casual attitude about it, thinking he was in tune with the Spirit so he'd be fine. Instead, he sought the Lord diligently in prayer. He did not have a casual attitude toward the new problem he faced. He was rewarded with a direct and specific revelation. Further evidence that he did not take it lightly is that he wrote the words of the revelation down, "that he might have them."

I am faced with a new and difficult question. So far I have taken a casual approach to it, but reading this tonight tells me I need to follow Alma's example. I need to be afraid to do wrong in the sight of God and pray earnestly to know his will.

Mosiah 25-28; Alma 36: pt 1

Chapter 25, verses 8-11: Things that should cause us sorrow: loss of our loved ones, people killing other people, the sinful and polluted state of others. Things that should cause us joy: deliverance from bondage, the immediate goodness of God and his power.

One of the purposes of this lesson is to inspire class members to continually apply the principles of repentance. As we do so, our hearts, and thereby our emotions, will be more aligned to God's heart and emotions. We will be more like him in sorrowing for the sin we see around us (instead of ignoring, being entertained by, or glorifying and promoting it like so much of the world does). Likewise, we will be more like him in feeling joy at the blessings received by others, especially the blessing of being delivered from every type of bondage.

Mosiah 18-24: pt 2

Chapter 20 verse 22: And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood.

Three good points here from Gideon:

1. Just because the Lamanites broke their oath doesn't mean it's ok for the Nephites to break theirs.

2. It was better for them to be in bondage than to lose their lives. I suppose it's better for us to live through a difficult situation than to stop living, mainly because we don't know when God will deliver us. We usually don't know how good our life is going to get, and it may be sooner than we think.

3. This one goes without saying.

Mosiah 18-24: pt 1

Chapter 18 verse 10: Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

Sometimes it's helpful to me to apply this verse by putting blanks to be filled in, like this. Now I say unto you, if _____ be the desire of your hearts, what have you against _____, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?

If a strong family unit be the desire of my heart, what have I against family scripture study, that the Lord may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon us? If charity for my fellow man be the desire of my heart, what have I against serving others, that the Lord may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon me?

The lesson I learn from this is that there is always a way for the righteous desires of our heart to be fulfilled; we just have to be willing to do what is required. What do we have against it?

Mosiah 12-17: pt 2

Chapter 13 verse 11. Somehow I've never read this verse and thought about the danger of studying iniquity. I've just always glossed over that part and only thought about King Noah and his priests teaching iniquity. Often people think there's no danger in studying things that are contrary to gospel truths. There are all sorts of ways to rationalize it, and all sorts of iniquity to study. We would do better to study righteousness.

Mosiah 12-17: pt 1

If you teach the law of Moses, why do you not keep it?

Sometimes a few days after giving a talk or teaching a lesson I'll catch myself not doing some of the things I taught that we should do. It's disappointing.

Mosiah 7-11: pt 3

The children of men flee from the Shepherd, and scatter, and are driven; and their understanding is blind and impenetrable. I was just thinking that it's funny how every time a group goes out to the wilderness, they get lost. It seems like the Nephites and Lamanites are always getting lost, and they have to wander around for days. I suppose we're all like that. Thank goodness for prophets and seers, watchmen on the tower.

Mosiah 7-11: pt 2

I like that Limhi recognizes that the suffering of his people is due to the wicked things they did, in particular the killing of Abinadi.

Mosiah 7-11: pt 1

Sorry about the past week.

A couple of things from chapter 7. First, I am impressed with the concern Mosiah and his people had for their brethren. Zeniff and his people left 3 generations earlier, yet Mosiah cared enough about them (who knows if he remembered when they left or knew any of them personally) to go find them. We have ancestors we should be willing to search for and reclaim through family history and temple work.

Second, I am impressed with Ammon. He was a strong and mighty man, and a leader, yet when he was captured, he did not get angry. He recognized that it was simply a misunderstanding. He was humble.

Third, I am impressed by Limhi's faith that sixteen men could rescue them from the Lamanites. I am also impressed by his recognition that despite the promise of rescue, there remained an effectual struggle to be made. Just because we've repented and been forgiven, or just because we've been on a mission, or just because we finally got married and had kids, or just because we finally got a good job--it doesn't mean we are done with struggling. Like Limhi, we can trust that there remain struggles, but also like Limhi, our faith should not be undaunted because of it. Like Limhi, we should lift up our heads and rejoice and put our trust in God.

Mosiah 4-6: pt 2

I know that my heart has been changed, but it doesn't make me impervious to temptation.

Mosiah 4-6: pt 1

Chapter 4 verse 2: And they had ^aviewed themselves in their own ^bcarnal state, even ^cless than the dust of the earth. And they all cried aloud with one voice, saying: O have mercy, and apply the ^datoning blood of Christ that we may receive forgiveness of our sins, and our hearts may be ^epurified; for we believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who ^fcreated heaven and earth, and all things; who shall come down among the children of men.

Occasionally I see myself in that state, and it can be discouraging. I take comfort in knowing that others have felt that way, and especially in knowing that when I cry out to Heavenly Father to have mercy on me and to apply the atoning blood of Christ so I can receive forgiveness of my sins, that it will be done. I have often felt forgiveness for sin. I know of God's goodness and mercy, and I know of the power of the atonement.

Mosiah 1-3: pt 3

This time I really did miss a day. My life lost a little of its structure after finishing the semester Friday. I am repenting for having missed a day, and I will strive to not make it a habit.

Chapter 2 verse 21 tells us we are unprofitable servants. I am about to start an internship that will last almost 4 months. I don't know how to do the things I will be asked to do this summer, and it will take more work for my employer to train me than to simply do the things himself. This summer I will not be an asset to the company that employs me. I will make no profit. I will spend the summer learning how to do things on my own so that hopefully in the future I will be profitable. Likewise, here on earth none of us has achieved godhood. We are still being trained, and any good thing we do is creditable to the Lord, not to ourselves. But the Lord knows our potential, and if we continue to be teachable and bend our wills to his, some day we will achieve godhood. Some day we will be profitable.

Mosiah 1-3: pt 2

I read but have no comments today.

Mosiah 1-3: pt 1

This lesson is called "Eternally Indebted to Your Heavenly Father." The purpose is to increase our understanding of that indebtedness and encourage us to put off the natural man through the atonement of Christ.

In chapter 1, verse 2, we're told that one of the reasons King Benjamin had his sons taught in the language of his fathers was so they would know the prophecies spoken by their fathers. In verse 4 we read that Lehi learned the language so he could teach his children, and they could in turn teach their children, and thus fulfill the commandments of God. Being taught in the language is specifically mentioned in both verses, as though it is more than just learning to talk as all babies and children do. I think that just like Lehi and Benjamin's sons were taught in the language of their fathers, we need to be taught in the language of the scriptures so we can in turn teach it to our children. It includes not just the mechanics of scriptural writing, but also how to feel the Spirit while we read, how to understand the Lord's dealings with his children, and how to find answers to our own questions.

Words of Mormon

It appears I have missed a day. That's only partially true. It is currently a little after midnight, so Wednesday has only been over for a few minutes. I have my reasons. Still, I will do better.

As for the Words of Mormon, I know they are true. The Sunday school lesson manual for these chapters says in its conclusion to "Remind class members that the writers of the Book of Mormon kept and preserved the records of their people so that future generations would know the dealings of the Lord with these people." As I read the Words of Mormon, I feel and know that the various sets of plates Mormon speaks of really exist, that the small plates of Nephi really were added for a wise purpose, that the translation of the 116 pages was not repeated because the Lord had prepared for it and commanded Joseph Smith to simply continue. I am filled with gratitude for the Lord's wisdom. I am also filled with a desire to keep my own record so that my descendants will "know the dealings of the Lord" with me and my wife and children.

Omni

Since I had so little time to prepare last week's lesson, I didn't make it through the whole thing. Today I read Omni. I really like the way it bridges two "larger" portions of the Book of Mormon. Here are a couple of observations/questions:

• I used to wonder why everyone in the book of Omni wrote so little, but then in the last verse Amaleki tells us the plates are full. I guess Omni, Amaron, Chemish, and Abinadom were probably all afraid to be the one to fill the plates and leave no more room for the next guy. Maybe they didn't know how to make more, or maybe the plates were constructed in such a way that more couldn't be added to this set.
  
• Another reason they didn't write much might be because they weren't filled with the Spirit. Omni claims to have been a wicked man, and maybe the others weren't entirely faithful either and didn't have much preaching to do. But the line didn't fall completely away as Amaleki tells us to come unto Christ.
  
• Abinadom tells us in verse 11 that the record of the people is kept upon plates that are had by the kings. I assume (but I don't know) that the record he is referring to, or the plates he is referring to, are the large plates of Nephi. If so, I wonder at what point the large plates were separated from the small plates, and why.
  
• I used to read of Mosiah and the discovery of Zarahemla as though it happened in the space of one or two days, but reading it just now I realized that probably wasn't the case. First of all, Mosiah and those who went with him were led through the wilderness by preachings and prophesyings and continual admonishment by the Lord. When they found the people of Zarahemla, they couldn't communicate. I think, even if the language hadn't strayed too far, that it would have taken more than just a few days for the people of Zarahemla to learn a new language. It makes a lot more sense to me this way, realizing that the peoples were simply united and years likely went by before they were homogenized with a single language and Mosiah was made king. As a kid I always imagined Mosiah and his people marching up over a hill, seeing the city of Zarahemla, marching in, and the people putting a crown on Mosiah's head and making him king right there on the spot.
  

Well, ok, so most of my observations are more narrative than anything. I guess some days are just like that. I'm glad, though, because sometimes connecting the dots like this helps my understanding of how the Lord works among his children.

A Look Ahead

I'm running out of things to say about remembering. My three original questions have been answered. Looking at the Book of Mormon verses coming up, I'm not sure they'll add anything to the answers I've already found. Here's what's coming just in Mosiah:

• Mosiah 5:11-12 The name of Christ
• Mosiah 9:3 The Lord your God
• Mosiah 13:16 The sabbath day
• Mosiah 16:5 Carnal man is an enemy to God
• Mosiah 16:13 Only through Christ can you be saved
• Mosiah 23:27 The Lord your God
• Mosiah 25:16 It was the Lord that delivered you
• Mosiah 27:16 How great things the Lord has done for your fathers
• Mosiah 29:18 The destruction of the wicked

There are another 20 or so relevant verses in the book of Alma. (Interestingly, the word remember does not appear in the Book of Mormon after Alma 55:31.) Each of these verses teaches an important principle, but since I feel I've found what I was looking for as far as the time I take in keeping journals and working on family history projects, I think I'll move on to something different. I feel peace with the way I've decided to keep journals and do family history, and I've even understood a little better what I might focus on in the records I keep for my children. This experience has been a clear example of how I found answers in the scriptures. I look forward to having many more such experiences.

For now, I'll turn my attention away from these verses on remembering, and I'll start studying the Sunday school lessons. I will continue to jot a few notes in this blog because the principle of accountability described in the very first post still holds true, and it has helped me put a little more effort into studying.