It struck me as I was reading in Moses 1 yesterday morning an interesting event that happens in the lives of several of the prophets. They are shown into the presence of God or an angel and are shown all the works of God, His many creations on this world, all the planets, worlds without number, and so much more: “And it came to pass, as the voice was still speaking, Moses cast his eyes and beheld the earth, yea, even all of it; and there was not a particle of it which he did not behold, discerning it by the Spirit of God. (Vs 28) And he beheld also the inhabitants thereof, and there was not a soul which he beheld not; and he discerned them by the Spirit of God; and their numbers were great, even numberless as the sand upon the sea shore. (And then vs 29) And he beheld many lands; and each land was called earth, and there were inhabitants on the face thereof.”
So I thought, “Why that?” Why are they shown, as the crowning event of God’s trust in them and their closeness to Him, all of the children of the earth and His creations? The answer came in Moses 1:39: “For behold, this is my work and my glory…” So, a couple spin-off thoughts from that…
1. The contrast between what God shows the prophets and what Satan showed Christ atop the temple. Satan showed Jesus glory, power, and riches. God showed the prophets people and their doings, where they lived, who they were, and every particle of the earth.
2. When we learn about people, places, and the world around us (especially with the light of the Spirit), we are “beholding” the work and the glory of the Father…we have arrived! To be able to see the many cultures, the many people, to study the planets and their orbits, the earth and the many creations, is to be truly engaged in the work of God!
As we engage in learning, led by the Spirit (as it states in Alma 12:10-11), our understanding of the world around us will enlarge until we can see seemingly impossible things…like “each soul” among the numberless inhabitants of our planet alone. This is what the prophets were shown when they were experiencing mighty visions! It gives me different perspective on the value of learning. We become more intimately engaged in "His work and His glory".
Painting
As I have been painting the house, it has been a very good thing to reflect upon each room and memories I have made in that room…very good closure. I don’t mind leaving the house, caught up in the “rightness” of it all, so fixing it up has not been bittersweet at all. Even the time spending there has allowed me to rub shoulders with dear, dear friends I will miss.
Friends
So that is what I do miss, and which I will never have “closure” with, thankfully! Dear, dear friends! It is not real to me yet, all the people I may never see again, although a good many I will, and others I hope to at least keep in contact with. I miss my friends, some of whom have become like sisters to me, a relationship I cherish. To have someone who understands and knows you (like an email I got from one friend a while ago: “Mary, you are on the computer at 8 am! Is everything alright?”), who has seen all the really stupid things you have done, and still loves you, embraces you, and accepts you with all your idiosyncrasies is so precious! This Christmas, I am very grateful for the gift of friendship that I have been given by so many of you!
That is such a powerful though. Thanks for sharing it!
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