The interesting thing about discovering that you are a child of God,
is that you have to recognize so are the people standing next to you
the strangers at the grocery store
the weird person walking down the street
those of different cultures, backgrounds, and ethnicities
We are all children of God
We are brothers and sisters
We all have that divine spark and purpose
to treat anybody, or any group of people as less than us in value is to deny that
Sisters, never met before, but glued together in purpose
and love
this is Zion
the smiles I needed today
Brothers, ready to help
White shirts and ties
jumping in with jumper cables and charge
as soon as they are asked
this is Zion
Instantly knowing you can trust and be trusted
all give what they can
and share what they've got
This is Zion
All are equal
All are loved
All are needed
My heart counts time
from when it was shattered
across the laundry room floor
oh how it hurt
but it was put together again
piece by piece, lined with gold
glowing, a new thing
made out of the old
silver made slivers
and then into gold
There was so many
little tender mercies
eyes opened
layers of gifts and understandings
only 3 white dresses
little baby
calm innocence stares out at me
as I snap her picture in an eyelet white dress
So new, so inspiring
her sweet spirit shines
8 years later in a white jumpsuit
covenanting with God through baptism
her sweet spirit has now been teamed with a personality of cuteness
I hear her singing "I'm trying to be like Jesus"
now I am holding her last white dress
lace tricot with puffy short sleeves
her sweet innocent eyes and playful smile are seen
in glimpses, visions, memories
Having just read 1 Nephi 17:2-3, I realize that even though the Book of Mormon is written from men's perspectives, these verses show Young Women's progress.
The daughters of Ishmael were probably all between the ages of 12 and 25 when they left their cushy home in Jerusalem. I bet they had never camped or journeyed much. They trusted and followed their father into the wilderness. They get married off to a set of brothers, not all of them thoughtful and patient, but young and impertinent as young males tend to be. We do not know how much was love and how much they just did as expected. But then they lose the one male they trusted thoroughly, their father and they "did mourn exceedingly" (v 16:35), now they get to rely on the young man they married for all their support and protection, and maybe their old father-in-law Lehi, who they or may not have much connection with. But they get through their mourning, and the next thing we know, not only are the traveling, but they are doing it well being pregnant and new mothers.
That transition from murmuring to motherhood, from fragile femininity to strength to care for our children in any circumstance, is one we all must go through in life. How great this transition is Nephi calls it a blessing (thinking the raw food diet was tough, when it was probably more healthy than they ate in Jerusalem). And then how this diet and daily activity level gave the women strength like the men.
I am sure the women found ways to do all the daily chores in the wilderness while traveling, and that alone helped quiet their murmuring, but so does the magic of holding your baby while he softly sleeps on your chest. That transition to motherhood, called "matrescence", is a powerful thing, involving much bio-psychology and physiology, and has a spiritual dimension that we only began to understand in hindsight.
It is no wonder Nephi doesn't talk much about it, as he couldn't, having not experienced it, and his wife, most likely left uneducated in reading and writing, was too busy taking care of the children and household, couldn't take time to write to us about her experience. Which is too bad, more women's voices are needed in the gospel.
Revelations 7:
The Lion of Judah...the lamb that has been slain.... lamb with 7 eyes and 7 horns
I like the contrast of king of beasts and the sacrificial lamb, the power, the humility, all wrapped up the slain lamb standing up with his 7 horns and 7 eyes- or the representation of seeing all and being all powerful
