It was an interesting week. Nonetheless I survived. I've been listening to Hugh Nibley lately...my Grandma would be proud. Listening to the lessons there was a comment that ancient civilizations, in order to prove a spiritual experience, would sniff burning bay leaves that would make them pass out. I mentioned this to a co-worker and told her that I wanted to research that online. She said that I shouldn't try that until after my actuary exams. Considering I've never done anything like that I told her that I wouldn't. I then told her that I was just curious if that could actually happen...I would never do it. My boss had a good laugh about that.
At Subway, day before yesterday, a police officer walked in and asked the worker "whose bags are by the table." The worker said "the lady was in the bathroom." He asked "if she was causing any problems." "Not today," the worker replied, "but she was causing some problems yesterday." "Okay," he said, "we had a complaint at Starbucks." Just then she walked out and rolled her eyes walking to her bags. The officer asked her "how are you?" "Horrible," she exhorted, "the worker at Starbucks stole my gloves." They then didn't say anything for about five minutes and then she yelled at the officer, "stop harassing me." He replied "I haven't said anything more since how are you." "Well your harassing me," she then stomped out with her bags. It was interesting. I told my co-worker and she said if she started losing her mind let her know. I told her I would make sure to find her on the streets and put her in a home.
My daughter fell down the stairs head over heals on Thursday. Luckily she didn't injure herself. I don't even believe the dogs were running up and down the stairs.
I have the privilege of giving a talk at the end of the month. The verse, Genesis 4:9, "And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?" Cain knowing perfectly well what happened to Abel, he didn't have multiple personalities or something like that, quickly lied to in answering the question. In trying to justify his lie he adds the phrase "Am I my brother's keeper?" The truth is that we are our brother's keeper and we best not be forgetting that. We should "love thy neighbor as ourselves" (Matthew 22:39). and "Love [our] enemies, bless them that curse [us], do good to them that hate [us], and pray for them which despitefully use [us], and persecute [us]" (Matthew 5:44).
A wonderful example of Matthew 5:44 is found in the Book of Mormon. Enos prayed diligently for forgiveness of his sins, all day and he didn't cease when the night came; aren't we lucky if we can even get past ten minutes of prayers...let alone hours. A response came stating that "[his] sins [were] forgiven...and [he] shalt be blessed" (Enos 1:5). Now he could have stopped right there and wandered on home feeling clean and pure. However, he didn't. In fact he proceeds to "feel a desire for the welfare of [his] brethren, the Nephites, wherefore, [he] did pour out [his] whole soul unto God for them" (Enos 1:9). He was told that they would be visited from time to time "according to their diligence in keeping [God's] commandments," (Enos 1:10) but with a strict caution that if they fall into transgression he will "bring ... sorrow upon their own heads" (Enos 1:10).
Now Enos had received forgiveness for his own sins and had been guaranteed, from God, that the Nephites wouldn't be forgotten; his work is done...right...he should just head on back. No, it wasn't completed. Remember the loving your enemies part. He prays on. Now recall that Enos is the son of Jacob who was the son of Lehi. What happened to Jacob? Well, along with the other Nephites, he was persecuted from the Lamanites. We don't have all the records of their wars and contentions, but there were many. Of course there was some great qualities of the Lamanites, such as their devotion to their wife, as Jacob addresses in chapter 3 of Jacob. Notwithstanding there was still some hard feelings between the Lamanites and the Nephites. So what would Enos think concerning this situation...love enemies...it states that he "prayed unto [God] with many long strugglings for [his] bretheren, the Lamanites" (Enos 1:11). Wow...what dedication...what faith...do you see the being a brother's keeper in that. Remember that the Nephites, at least Enos, was continuously trying to teach the Lamanites the truth without success...I'm sure missionaries never experience that. So what was he praying for? In his own words he states:
And now behold, this was the desire which I desired of [God]—that if it should so be, that my people, the Nephites, should fall into transgression, and by any means be destroyed, and the Lamanites should not be destroyed, that the Lord God would preserve a record of my people, the Nephites; even if it so be by the power of his holy arm, that it might be brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation— (Enos 1:13)
If only we could be more like Enos.
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