Mothers: A Symbol of the Savior

I have been thinking about how mothers are intended to be types of Savior since I read a scripture for Sunday School in Moses 6:59. I figured, however, there was no need to rewrite my thoughts when they've been captured just fine in this article I found written by somebody else! Enjoy. 

We are taught that as mothers, we are “partners” with Christ. We offer ourselves as vehicles through which spirits can come to earth. But perhaps we are more than just “partners” with Him.  Take a look at Moses 6:59:

“As ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit...even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten.”

Isn’t that stunning? Physical birth (from a mother) is symbolic of spiritual re-birth that will take place later in life (from Christ). So, as mothers, not only are we partners with Christ--

We are symbols of Christ. 

We offer our physical bodies in pregnancy and childbirth to provide life for our children. Jesus Christ offered His physical body in death, to provide life for God’s children. And both involve water, blood, and the Spirit.

But it doesn’t stop there. A mother’s offering does not begin or end with her body. Yes, a mother offers her body through sleepless nights, weary arms, a well-worn lap, an aching back, and a listening ear. But what a mother offers most is her heart. Her entire soul. And isn’t that what Jesus Christ has offered us as well? Just as we see it symbolized in motherhood, He offers us His body, and His heart and soul.

So I ask, how does this knowledge--that we are symbols of Christ--change the way we view motherhood? Does it change the way I see myself or my children? Should it? And what is the meaning of it all? Why has He chosen to use mothers in this beautifully symbolic way? 

I think it means He thinks we’re pretty special. 

I think it means that mothering should be reverenced and protected.

I think it means that by daily nurturing, loving, teaching, and sacrificing for my children, not only am I coming to know more about Him, I am coming to be more like Him. 

And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

http://tofw.com/Mother-Symbol-Savior-Whitney-Permann%20of%20Mercy%20River/s/498

A Keeper of Sheepers...

My Old Testament study this week has revolved around the stories of Abel, Cain, and Enoch. A scripture I found in Moses 5:17 struck me differently this time as a good self-introspection question: Are you a righteous "Keeper of Sheepers" or a carnal "Killer Tiller?" I apologize for the cheesy rhyming, but once you understand the context, you'll realize that this is a very pertinent question!

Moses 5:17-

"Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground." 

We all know the extreme differences between these two brothers, as well as the resulting, eternal consequences of their choices, and I find it fascinating that their life professions were symbolic of their personalities.... And because I want what Abel got, I'm thinking maybe I should switch from daytime therapist to night time sheep keeper! 

IMPORTANT NOTE: Although there may seem to be distinct similarities in The Adam's family professions when compared to my very own maternal grandparents' resume, I would like to make note that I intend to keep family peace by focusing on the spiritual symbolism of Cain and Abel's pursuits rather than their actual farming preferences. 

This story caused me to ponder the meaning of the word "worship." We use that word all the time... But what does it really mean? Well we worship through scripture study, church and temple attendance, serving in our callings... So here's what I came up with...

Worship is: Admiring, giving praise to, spending time with, learning about, loving, thinking about, respecting, talking to, listening to, motivated by, trusting in, focusing on....

So set that aside momentarily and ask yourself the following:

What or who do you just absolutely love? 

With whom or what do you spend the majority of your time?

Who or what do you spend most of your free moments thinking about?

When you have a problem or an excitement, who do you tell first? Who do you go to for advice and comfort? 

Well then... That or she or he is what you worship. Now I'm not saying you can't have relationships or interests or collections or simple thoughts.... But is God your first priority and your best friend? Is He really who you worship?

During his mortal life, Christ said, "If you love me, feed my sheep." Well how do we do that? We follow The example of The True Shepherd, the Lamb of God who gave up his life for His friends. As we strive to follow Him by obeying our covenants through appropriate sacrifice, by serving Heavenly Father's children, and by making heavenly pursuits our top priority, we begin to be "sheep keepers." A sheep keeper's pay day comes in the form of a fruitful mortal experience (Moses 7:17), the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and the eternal salvation of our souls (Moses 6:52). Compare that with the wages earned by killer tillers... Little worthwhile worldy yield, a vain existence (Moses 5:37), and nothing to look forward to in the eternities to come. 

So which job offer are you going to take? (2 Nephi 2:27-29).

Thoughts on the Fall

So my ward is a little bit behind in our Sunday School lessons because we had Ward Conference... And we will be having Stake Conference this next week, so I will be even more behind! But here are some interesting things I found on The Fall- the lesson my ward will be having tomorrow.

So have you ever had that conversation that sounds something like this? "I loved my college years... But I would never go back." Or... "I was so happy when I was a kid! Life was so simple and stress free.... But I would never want to go back." I've always kind of wondered about that and why it is that this is such a universally common thing to say and feel. 

Last week in Sunday School, our teacher read a quote that said something like this: "God does not intend for us to experience only the simple happiness that comes from the innocence of childhood, but desires that we achieve the eternal joy that comes from righteous living." (If anyone knows where that comes from, please let me know!) This makes so much sense! It also helps me to better understand why Adam and Eve chose to partake of the forbidden fruit. 

“And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.

“But behold, all things have been done in the wisdom of him who knoweth all things.

“Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy” (2 Ne. 2:22–25).

Eve and Adam had a choice- they could continue to live in a simple state of endless innocence and happiness, or they could choose to face sin, death, and  sorrow in order that they may have the opportunity to experience joy. It put a new spin on this scripture for me- "Men are that they might have joy..." meaning "Adam and Eve chose to leave their state of innocence so they could have children who, through righteous living, would then have the opportunity to experience joy."

I also like the clarity Elder Oaks brings to the difference between the words "sin" and "transgression." 

"Some acts, like murder, are crimes because they are inherently wrong. Other acts, like operating without a license, are crimes only because they are legally prohibited. Under these distinctions, the act that produced the Fall was not a sin—inherently wrong—but a transgression—wrong because it was formally prohibited." 

By giving them two contradictory commandments, God intentionally put Adam and Eve in a state where they would have to choose innocence or mortality. He would not violate their agency by choosing for them, but knew by their character in the premortal life that they would listen to his teachings in the Garden and eventually use their agency to make the choice that would allow God's plan for all of His children to ensue.

What incredible insight the world is missing in their understanding of the Fall and of the character and essential role if Adam and Eve! 

Bake a Mistake 101

So Chad loves cake and milk.... together... in the same bowl. So, despite the fact that I think that this practice is somewhat strange, I attempted to express my love for him by building him an awesome cake.

Note that I had to try again on another occasion because the first came out looking like meatloaf...

Satan: Supervillain

So rumor has it I have this terrible addiction to cookie dough. I recently took up baking- definitely not because I am good at it and surprisingly not even because I quite enjoy eating cookies. I just crave that unique opportunity to lick the dough-covered beaters, to pick out a glob of chocolate chips covered in sugary goodness, to line up cookie dough balls on a cookie sheet… and then eat them before the oven even has a chance to heat to 350...  Wow, what a life.

But herein we have a problem. I hate to break it to you folks, but cookie dough is bad for you.

Please do not mistake what I am saying. I am not talking about calorie counting here. If that were the case, I would also be moved to suggest that caramel caribou ice cream, strawberry cheesecake, and Boston crème pie are bad for you, and considering that this can’t possibly be farther from the truth, then I most definitely am not suggesting that heavenly cookie dough could be even remotely related to the development of an increasing waistline. What I am suggesting, however, is that cookie dough has one very dangerous ingredient. This ingredient is called… the egg.

Apparently the innocent-looking animal product we call the egg- if accompanied by the deadly Mr. Salmonella- can cause a wide variety of abdominal discomfiture, a feeling of feverishness, and an undesirable familiarity with the porcelain throne.

Well, something else you must know about me- I have a terrible fear of having food that once went down come back up. Call me a pansy, but I avoid such an event like I would the plague. Call me up when you have the stomach flu and I will quickly run to your aid… by leaving a bottle of pink Pepto and a can of chicken noodle soup on your… driveway. Now imagine how difficult this phobia must be for me considering that cracking raw eggs is an essential part of baking cookies. Anyone who has seen such an event before knows that I take great care to keep the raw egg  off of my hands and that I instantly wash my hands while singing the alphabet (3 times) as soon as the dirty deed is done. But mix in a little bit of butter and sugar and voila! Cookie dough supreme. My aversion to toilet time is suddenly and completely overshadowed by my addiction to my delectable indulgence.

How is such a significant shift possible in such a short amount of time? The answer can be discovered in a conversation I once overheard between two bad guys:

Titan:                     This town isn't big enough for two supervillains!

Megamind:         Oh, you're a villain all right, just not a SUPER one!

Titan:                     Oh yeah? What's the difference?

Megamind:         Presentation!

Presentation. That’s what makes the difference. All Salmonella needs to do in order to get in my belly is to disguise itself as an irresistible, gooey, chocolate chip filled ball of sugar dough and immediately my thoughts are diverted from those of frantic flu fear to “Me want cookies!” … no matter the cost.

Let’s take a little dishonesty and call it a “white” lie, shall we? Maybe we’ll even put it in a shiny box and put a pretty white bow on top to show just how white a lie really can be. Let’s take destructive drugs and give them cute little breakfast cereal nicknames like “co-co puff” and “special K.” Let’s take a shiny golden cow, melt it down, and remodel it into a fancy car, a beautiful boat, or any other “must have” that keeps us from ever experiencing “all that the Father hath.” Let’s take a little immorality and put it in a flashy movie with a captivating plot and impossibly beautiful people. Maybe we’ll even spice it up by inappropriately labeling it suitable for children 13+, as if to suggest that inherent immorality has the potential to convert into something lovely and of good report the second an adolescent’s hormone levels reach a specific level of crazy.  

All I’m saying is that if sin came wrapped in a raw egg, we’d wash our hands of it. We’d have nothing to do with it. So beware of the flashy, the flirtatious, the tantalizing, the stunning, the sneaky sensational, the contagious counterfeit.  Because today it may be cookie dough, but tomorrow it’s all about to become nothing more than a serious reversal of Newton’s law of gravity.