Beauty Divine

"I looked and beheld a tree... and the beauty thereof was far beyond, 

yea, exceeding of all beauty."

(1 Nephi 11:8)

Breathtaking vision, It's a sight to behold,

Something about it that never grows old.

Its brilliance is timeless and shines like the Son-

Bright as the day heav'n and earth become one.

Age will not tarnish purest beauty Divine

Each passing year only ripen, refine

Growing in majesty and flourishing grace,

Kindness, compassion, a smiling face,

Inspiring virtue, fine-tuned affection

Hope, friendship, joy, and human connection.
A new Spirit within from heaven above
Constantly reaching with a Christlike love,

Everlasting beauty that conquers the grave

Lives on in the soul and all that they gave.

by, Alicia Rawlins

Tree of Life by, Audiomachine

“I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and … lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.” - President Thomas S. Monson

"I have come to know that it is the love of God and neighbor that gives meaning to life. May we follow our Savior’s example and His admonition to reach out to others with love." - Cheryl A. Esplin

"There is no happiness in having or in getting, but only in giving." - Henry Drummond

"You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments when you have truly lived are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love." - Henry Drummond

A Marvelous Father

Yesterday, I had the privilege of attending the homecoming of my nephew, Dane.  What a solid, good, and pure young man!  I'm so incredibly proud of him.  He's such a naturally righteous soul: timid like a lamb on the outside but roaring like a lion with bold testimony on the inside.  Once, I asked his mother the secret to raising such an amazing kid.  She shook her head at me with surprise, "Alicia, you have no idea... honestly, he came that way.  He is unlike any other, I've never had a child so naturally obedient." I thought to myself, "She's been blessed with a 'Nephi.'"

The messages in Sacrament meeting yesterday were beautiful; centered on charity, the pure love of Christ.  Then Nephi... I mean Dane, concluded his testimony of miracles and angels (both seen and unseen.) I smiled.

In Sunday school we discussed 1 Nephi 8 and the Tree of Life and in Relief Society we learned about the Kingdom of God established on earth as it is in Heaven.  

I took mental note of the talk referenced in Sunday school by Robert D. Hales entitled, "With all the Feeling of a Tender Parent." Still thinking of my sister-in-law's comment and the varying dispositions of our children... what about Lehi's children?  What a contrast between Nephi and his brothers! How much did this affect the emotions of their father?

• "The hymn often sung by our pioneer ancestors tells us what to do: “Gird up your loins; fresh courage take. / Our God will never us forsake.”  That courage and faith is what we need as parents and families in these latter days.
• Father Lehi had such courage. He loved his family and rejoiced that some of his children kept the Lord’s commandments. But he must have been heartbroken when his sons “Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit” representing the love of God. “He exceedingly feared for [them]; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.” - Elder Robert D. Hales

Lehi was an incredible father; devoted, loving, and true to the Faith!! Some of his children chose to follow his counsel and others refused.  In all of his ups and downs, joys and heartache... I can't help but wonder if he ever just needed some affirmation for his valiant efforts, some reassurance that he was a good father, a marvelous father, regardless of the choices his children were making. (If he lived down the street from me, I'd take a moment to tell him that.) ;)

• "Our worthiness will not be measured according to their righteousness. Lehi did not lose the blessing of feasting at the tree of life because Laman and Lemuel refused to partake of its fruit. Sometimes as parents we feel we have failed when our children make mistakes or stray. Parents are never failures when they do their best to love, teach, pray, and care for their children. Their faith, prayers, and efforts will be consecrated to the good of their children. "  - Elder Robert D. Hales

Also, if  Lehi were my neighbor, I think I'd encourage him with this too;

• "Remember, remember all the days of your [fatherhood]: 'Ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.'
• Rely on Him. Rely on Him heavily. Rely on Him forever. And 'press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope.'  You are doing God’s work. You are doing it wonderfully well. He is blessing you and He will bless you, even—no, especially—when your days and your nights may be the most challenging." - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I offer my prayers for all those parents who strive so diligently to keep that brightness of hope alive in the midst of storms and pending gloom.  Keep shining!  Your light is seen by many and it warms their hearts... God will bless you for keeping that fire burning in your soul! It's beautiful!

-Alicia ;) 

Reaching

My kids have the opportunity of participating in the Cultural Celebration and Temple dedication for the Provo, City Center Temple.  They had their first dance practice last night.  Afterwards, my son came home and told me the song they are performing to was "Reaching" by, Audiomachine.  I thought to myself "That's perfect! Absolutely perfect" because whenever I think of Audiomachine, I think of their album, "Tree of Life."  This temple and the Tree of Life have long been tied together in story for me. 

• "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified." - Isaiah 61:3

This temple is a symbol of incredible beauty, shining like a light, a symbol of a new life, of redemption from the ruins, of triumph through tragedy, and holiness out of heartbreak... How glorious it is, to rise from the ashes, and constantly reach to a higher and more noble place no matter the cost.  Through Christ, all things are possible.  The Lord is aware of our every need and every struggle.  He is mighty to save and there is nothing we can't make it through when we rely and trust in His wisdom and grace.  He is so very good... all is well... all is well.

• "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus." - Philippians 3:13

• "For ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. " -2 Nephi 31: 19-20

• "He saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree." 1 Nephi 8:24

-Alicia :)

Master Teachers

A few months ago, I took my children on a field trip to the Monte L. Bean museum up on the north end of  BYU's campus.  They had a new display there to honor the life of President Boyd K. Packer.

 I walked alongside the glass encased memories and photographs frozen in time.  A powerful spirit filled the room.  My six-year-old daughter clung to my side and followed my steps as I occasionally lifted her so she could get a better view.  My heart was full and I was inspired as I reflected on of a life well lived and anchored in truth.  I was in awe of the numerous sculptures and paintings so skillfully made by the hands of this incredibly gifted man.  Each piece was evidence of one who truly rejoiced in the beauty and majesty of God's creations.

Then I noticed, in the center of the room, a display that illustrated President Packer's most defining and admirable gift - his deep love for the scriptures! There lay open a ragged and worn Book of Mormon from his days in the military.  It was heavily marked with red pencil and notations crammed within its margins, evidence of his love for this sacred text.

I returned to the museum yesterday with my children to look at his scriptures again.  This time I paid closer attention to what part in the Book of Mormon they were opened to.  I was excited to see that it was Alma 34 (a section of the reading my religion class is reviewing.) The word "PRAY" was written in big bold letters in the column along side verses 18-27 as if to give a hearty "amen" to Amulek's testimony.

I gazed upon the open verses and pondered on the two simple yet vital themes I had already chosen to write about.  There they were before me in this artifact like a picture that tells a thousand words - they illustrated a lifetime of "effectual prayer" and "internalizing scripture."  Tears of gratitude welled in my eyes for the truth so evidently treasured by this apostle of God.  He was undoubtedly a man of deep prayer.  He also knew what it meant to internalize the word, to have the word engraved upon his heart - and he was definitely a master at teaching it.

President Packer once taught,  “True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior.”  (Boyd K. Packer, Ensign, Nov 1986)

Alma was also a master teacher and understood how true doctrine changes us. He compared "the word unto a seed"¹ and promised that if we "give place”² for it in the soil of our hearts, if we "nourish it with much care³...  looking forward with an eye of faith,"⁴ it will grow into the very "Tree of Life."⁵  We will gain understanding⁶ and discernment.⁷  We will "reap the rewards of [our] faith, and [our] diligence, and patience, and long-suffering"⁸ and we will harvest the most precious and pure fruit,⁹ we will feast on "light!"¹⁰

When the word of God is internalized, when it becomes engraved upon our hearts, it changes us.  This is where conversion or transformation begins,¹¹ this leads us to Christ. All throughout Alma 30 -63 we see the evidence of the power of the word. "It had more...powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else."¹² Alma also compared it to a compass and testified that it will "show... the course which [we] should travel"¹³ in this wilderness of life.  It will lead us to peace and prosperity.¹⁴

Even and especially through times of war - What was it that was guarded so closely?  What was to be "written and sent forth among the children of men... kept sacred, and handed down from one generation to another?"¹⁵ It was scripture!

The other powerful theme emphasized in these chapters was "effectual prayer," that great eternal companion to effective scripture study and opening the windows of heaven. Amulek taught that we must "call upon [God's] holy name."¹⁶  He taught that we "must pour out [our] souls"... to have our "hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto Him continually."¹⁷  When Alma is blessing and instructing his sons, he tells Helaman, "Cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord... counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and He will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord... and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God."¹⁸  Helaman believed his father's words and followed his wise instruction.¹⁹ As a result, he went on to lead a powerful army of 2,000 warriors who were miraculously delivered because they "did pour out [their] souls in prayer to God."²⁰

Everyday we make a choice whether or not to pray sincerely and internalize God’s word in our hearts.  Life is a battle field.  We consciously decide if we are going to wield the "sword of truth." ²¹  What do we treasure?  What do we value?

President Packer wisely taught, “Our lives are made up of thousands of everyday choices. Over the years these little choices will be bundled together and show clearly what we value.”

Clearly, he was a man who greatly valued the scriptures, one whose heart was "drawn out in prayer continually."²²  He was an ordinary man called of God, transformed, changed, converted, and centered on Christ.  We can all experience this for ourselves as we let the basic, simple, and repeated doctrines “sink deep into our hearts”²³ and become one with our very souls.  I know this is true!

-Alicia

Farewell to a master teacher.

Footnotes:
1-Alma 32:28
2-Alma 32:28
3-Alma 32:37
4-Alma 32:40
5-Alma 32:40,41
6-Alma 32:28
7-Alma 32:35
8-Alma 32:41
9-Alma 32:42
10-Alma 32:35
11-Alma 53:10
12-Alma 31:5
13-Alma 37:38,39,44,45
14-Alma 49:30
15-Alma 63:12,13
16-Alma 34:17
17-Alma 34:27
18-Alma 37:37
19-Alma 45:1
20-Alma 58:10
21-Hebrews 4:12
22-Alma 34:27
23-Enos 1:3

"Kept and Preserved"... by what?

I discovered some things in my studies this morning as I've sought to dig a little deeper into scriptural soil.  It's like I struck a vein of gold, a vein of pure and clear doctrine!  I found it in the mix of my religion class studies and our ward scripture study.  Almost two weeks ago, I shared on our ward page this comment about truth:

"This is a day of testing, of probation and we will reap what we sow (2Ne. 9:16). Where our treasure truly is, there will our heart be also (2Ne. 9:49-52). The things of this world cannot and never will satisfy the human soul, only truth can do that.... But truth must be what we treasure otherwise truth will be the very thing that slays us." 

And ever since that day, I've been thinking of the "sword of truth" that we wield in this mortal battle, that only part of defensive armor we have as stated in Ephesians 6:10-18.  I thought of Adam and Eve and their probationary time on this earth and how a “Cheribim and a flaming sword" were placed to guard the way of the tree of life - Genesis 3:24

Now, I've heard this phrase "cheribim and a flaming sword to guard the way of the tree of life" innumerable times before but it has been playing in my head almost like a broken record since I shared my "truth comment" on our ward page.  What did it mean and why a cheribim and a flaming sword to guard access to the tree of life?

It must have been the same day or the next morning that the answer to my question hit me. The Lord wanted Adam and Eve to come to the tree, He wants all of us to come to it "black, white, bond, free, male and female." After all, it's the tree of salvation, the Savior of the world.  But remember it was a probationary time for Adam and Eve (and for all of us).  We need to prove ourselves first, prove where our hearts are, prove what we truly treasure.

Yesterday in my religion class, we read the verse about the "Cheribim and a flaming sword" in Alma 42:2 and I thought to myself, "Perfect timing!  I've been constantly thinking about this 'flaming sword' for over a week!"

Now here's the good part!!

If truth is what we have treasured in this life, this time of probation, then the sword that guards the way of the Tree of Life will NOT slay us but will be given as a GIFT to us, like the coronation of royalty.  We will kneel before the "Cheribim" he'll lay the sword before us and give it to us as a symbol of trust and honor.  We will have this glorious sword in all our battles and it will not only continue to keep and preserve the tree but it will also keep and preserve US!

"Yea we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God [this sword], which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil... and land their souls,...at the right hand of God." - Helaman 3:29,30

This is where I saw the connection in our ward study for today:  The wonderful and humble King Benjamin stands before his people and admits to them that he is far from perfect, "I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power." (Mosiah 2:11)  

Now, let's stop there and talk about being "kept and preserved."
What was it that "kept and preserved" him??
Alma 42:2 says the flaming sword did "keep" the tree of life.
Now read Mosiah 2:15.
King Benjamin reveals the core of who he is, the core of why he taught and served his people, why he did what he did...  can you find it?

"My brethren, I have not done these things that I might boast, neither do I tell these things that thereby I might accuse you; but I tell you these things that ye may know that I can answer a clear conscience before God this day." (Mosiah 2:15) and in verse 27 "I had served you, walking with a clear conscience before God."

How had King Benjamin been "kept and preserved"?
HE TREASURED TRUTH!
Truth kept and preserved him!  He was a man of complete integrity, fully and completely centered on Christ.  King Benjamin didn't care about popularity, about being a 'crowd-pleaser', about saving his image, or building his ego... he knew that all of that was nothing, that he was nothing, "less than the dust of the earth!"  He openly admitted, "I...am no better than ye yourselves are" (vs. 25, 26).

How rare it must have been and how RARE it truly is to see one in such power and authority so humble! The truth set him free: the truth of who He was in relation to his people, to God, and who God was in relation to Him, the truth of acting in honor of his stewardship and fulfilling his responsibilities for the right reasons and not for personal gain, the truth of living everything he taught in word and deed.

Perhaps no royalty before or since has ever wielded a "sword of such power" as King Benjamin!

I love the scriptures!  I love these veins of gold that are meant to be discovered but we must search for them, we must seek them diligently and whole-heartedly.  Truth must be what we hunger and thirst for... it must be what we treasure!  This will "keep and preserve" us in this mortal battle... this is our sword!

Elder Richard G. Scott has counseled, “As you seek spiritual knowledge, search for principles. Carefully separate them from the detail used to explain them. Principles are concentrated truth, packaged for application to a wide variety of circumstances. A true principle makes decisions clear even under the most confusing and compelling circumstances. It is worth great effort to organize the truth we gather to simple statements of principle.”  (Elder Richard G. Scott; Oct 1993)

God is good, so very, very good!
- Alicia