Week 63: Mists of Darkness (September 16, 2019)
Thick. I believe that to be the best word to describe them. Choking,
tear bringing, unbelievably thick. And the devil uses them to drag his
victims away, far away.
In the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Lehi describes his vision of what we call The Tree of Life. He describes the struggle it is to walk through life, clinging to the iron rod at all times, and how many tools the adversary will use to bring us away from that thin rod. In one of those verses he describes, "And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost." [1 Nephi 8:23]
I have read this account more times than I can remember in my life, and every period of time brings a new meaning to the different circumstances at different spots of the iron rod. This week, I felt in a new sense, the blinding haze of these mists.
(The beginning may sound negative, but spoiler alert: I promise it gets better)
You remember our miracle with Naomi, in last week's email? Well in order to keep confidences, I will only share brief details of what all happened. Starting Tuesday morning, we received several phone calls that she was missing. Later after several events, where she was found fine back at home with her boyfriend, we were instructed by the Salt Lake legal department to talk to the police. And then our bishop called. And our Stake President. And the man who had hurt our friend was calling any number of a church member he had, and telling them that we were awful people who had hurt him. And I mean, everyone.
Jesus taught his disciples that they would be persecuted, and that they would be "hated of all men for my names sake" [Matt. 10:22]. Now, I would say that would be extreme to say we are hated by all men. But this week brought a whole new layer for us... And it did not stop there.
We had long days where misfortunate things would just, happen. We rushed out of a dinner appointment one day to go to Carrol College, where we would be helping teach a genealogy class. We had to run through sprinklers, and ended up crashing a party on campus... And the DEAN of the school had to tell us that the class we were thinking of was at Helena College, not Carroll. We had lessons where members we had brought made insulting comments, we had nights open up and appointments fall through. Friday the 13th rolled around, and all the troublemakers were out. And by Saturday, I got really sick. And that kept us from performing at our highest availability.
The devil attacked us in more ways than one. He was always there, telling us to give up, let go, and walk farther into the mists that were already surrounding us.
The Prophet Lehi went on to describe another group of people, the verse following his depiction of the mists of darkness, "And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree." [1 Nephi 8:24]
We study the scriptures so that we may be wise, that we may recognize when the adversary would surround us, hoping to take us as easily as a mouse is taken by a block of cheese. Let me describe to you some miracles that came about despite these mists:
I was on exchanges with Sister Shimakonis, who typically serves in Boulder, MT. She came to my area, and we went by the local Family History center at our church building, to finish up some training for our class the following weekend. Sister Honor, (my FAVORITE PERSON, who moved into our ward from my first area) who is in charge of the class, was there to assist us. While there, and towards the end of our time that day, a lady named Lois walked in. Lois had been sent over from multiple places, and wanted help learning some things about her family! Lois is 94, and after some introducing by Sister Honor, would love for some visits from the missionaries. It was a little tender mercy, that the Lord sent to us.
While we were speeding over to Helena College as quickly as we could allow, we jumped out of our vehicle and ran up the sidewalk, about twenty minutes late. As we were running up, we saw a family we knew, the Wilsons, parked at the curb. We said hi but kept on past at a fast pace. Had my companion not been a little slower behind me, we would have missed the request to help an elderly person in their family, get to the class. As she got out of the van, walker trudging forward, our pace was slowed by 90%. Yet, it was something the Lord needed us to do. It was something that despite the circumstances that had caused us to be late and that had seemed to us, as negative circumstances, the Lord had used them for us to be there at a time that we could help this lady.
At a lesson with someone we are teaching named Russ, we decided to read Ether 12 with him, as we had planned in prior lessons to do, but never got around to. As we were reading, and discussing the difficulty the people in the chapter had, had in viewing their own writing, Russ looked at solemnly at the page and said, "Recently I had to write a letter... And I was struggling so much in writing it, that I prayed that Jesus would help me write better. And I made it through the letter." Russ has a 14 year old education. The Lord had already blessed him with an experience that would allow him to better feel of the Spirit, teaching him that day. It was a great lesson.
On Tuesday, after the whole mess had began, we were at tech time at Hunters Pointe. They had turned off the power in the building, and we were both kind of stressed. We were doing different activities, both keeping us occupied and busy. And well you see, the Lord always sends the important things to us when we think we are busy. There is this woman who up to that point, I did not even remember her name. She had been in a car accident when she was 23, which had caused severe brain damage. She walked around Helena, and if you made eye contact with her, she would ask you if she could tell you a story; the same story each time. Well we knew not to make eye contact if we were busy... But this time around, she walked up to me. And stood there, staring at me as I stared at the table. And I KNEW that I was not doing what the Savior would do. It struck me hard, how wrong we were. So I turned around, however slowly, and looked her dead in the eye. She began the same as always, and sat down across from me. BUT WAIT! She began the same story, just long enough for me to engage with her and turn my heart to God, and then she stopped. And asked me questions. And we talked for a good ten minutes. And we shook hands, and introduced ourselves, and she called me her friend.
How blind I could have let myself be! How far I could allow my heart to droop, not reaching out to someone like Dana. Dana is my friend.
We had amazing lessons scattered throughout the week. And yes, I am still sick. And yet, my heart rejoiceth that I have a God who would not allow me to stay as I am. That would allow the adversary to step in a little closer, to singe our hair just a little, in order for us to come that much closer to Him.
The rest of the scripture in Matthew 10 reads, "...but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
We may have hard days, weeks, months, or maybe even years. Job, a Prophet in the Old Testament, spent the majority of his life in unbelievable pain. And yet, he turned to God, and prayed for those who hurt him. The book of Job ends by telling us that the Lord blessed Job, even giving him, "..twice as much as he had before." The Lord does not leave us in affliction, affliction just makes the haze a bit thicker, and our reach needing to be that much stronger.
I feel the feelings of Alma when he cried, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." [Alma 29:9]
May you feel that through your weeks where the mists of darkness are a little too thick to breathe, that you can reach out to Him. I promise He will be there. And He will catch you, even if it is part of His plan to catch you right before you hit the bottom.
May He be in each of your days, your lives, and your moments, is my prayer.
Sister Walstad
In the Book of Mormon, the Prophet Lehi describes his vision of what we call The Tree of Life. He describes the struggle it is to walk through life, clinging to the iron rod at all times, and how many tools the adversary will use to bring us away from that thin rod. In one of those verses he describes, "And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost." [1 Nephi 8:23]
I have read this account more times than I can remember in my life, and every period of time brings a new meaning to the different circumstances at different spots of the iron rod. This week, I felt in a new sense, the blinding haze of these mists.
(The beginning may sound negative, but spoiler alert: I promise it gets better)
You remember our miracle with Naomi, in last week's email? Well in order to keep confidences, I will only share brief details of what all happened. Starting Tuesday morning, we received several phone calls that she was missing. Later after several events, where she was found fine back at home with her boyfriend, we were instructed by the Salt Lake legal department to talk to the police. And then our bishop called. And our Stake President. And the man who had hurt our friend was calling any number of a church member he had, and telling them that we were awful people who had hurt him. And I mean, everyone.
Jesus taught his disciples that they would be persecuted, and that they would be "hated of all men for my names sake" [Matt. 10:22]. Now, I would say that would be extreme to say we are hated by all men. But this week brought a whole new layer for us... And it did not stop there.
We had long days where misfortunate things would just, happen. We rushed out of a dinner appointment one day to go to Carrol College, where we would be helping teach a genealogy class. We had to run through sprinklers, and ended up crashing a party on campus... And the DEAN of the school had to tell us that the class we were thinking of was at Helena College, not Carroll. We had lessons where members we had brought made insulting comments, we had nights open up and appointments fall through. Friday the 13th rolled around, and all the troublemakers were out. And by Saturday, I got really sick. And that kept us from performing at our highest availability.
The devil attacked us in more ways than one. He was always there, telling us to give up, let go, and walk farther into the mists that were already surrounding us.
The Prophet Lehi went on to describe another group of people, the verse following his depiction of the mists of darkness, "And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree." [1 Nephi 8:24]
We study the scriptures so that we may be wise, that we may recognize when the adversary would surround us, hoping to take us as easily as a mouse is taken by a block of cheese. Let me describe to you some miracles that came about despite these mists:
I was on exchanges with Sister Shimakonis, who typically serves in Boulder, MT. She came to my area, and we went by the local Family History center at our church building, to finish up some training for our class the following weekend. Sister Honor, (my FAVORITE PERSON, who moved into our ward from my first area) who is in charge of the class, was there to assist us. While there, and towards the end of our time that day, a lady named Lois walked in. Lois had been sent over from multiple places, and wanted help learning some things about her family! Lois is 94, and after some introducing by Sister Honor, would love for some visits from the missionaries. It was a little tender mercy, that the Lord sent to us.
While we were speeding over to Helena College as quickly as we could allow, we jumped out of our vehicle and ran up the sidewalk, about twenty minutes late. As we were running up, we saw a family we knew, the Wilsons, parked at the curb. We said hi but kept on past at a fast pace. Had my companion not been a little slower behind me, we would have missed the request to help an elderly person in their family, get to the class. As she got out of the van, walker trudging forward, our pace was slowed by 90%. Yet, it was something the Lord needed us to do. It was something that despite the circumstances that had caused us to be late and that had seemed to us, as negative circumstances, the Lord had used them for us to be there at a time that we could help this lady.
At a lesson with someone we are teaching named Russ, we decided to read Ether 12 with him, as we had planned in prior lessons to do, but never got around to. As we were reading, and discussing the difficulty the people in the chapter had, had in viewing their own writing, Russ looked at solemnly at the page and said, "Recently I had to write a letter... And I was struggling so much in writing it, that I prayed that Jesus would help me write better. And I made it through the letter." Russ has a 14 year old education. The Lord had already blessed him with an experience that would allow him to better feel of the Spirit, teaching him that day. It was a great lesson.
On Tuesday, after the whole mess had began, we were at tech time at Hunters Pointe. They had turned off the power in the building, and we were both kind of stressed. We were doing different activities, both keeping us occupied and busy. And well you see, the Lord always sends the important things to us when we think we are busy. There is this woman who up to that point, I did not even remember her name. She had been in a car accident when she was 23, which had caused severe brain damage. She walked around Helena, and if you made eye contact with her, she would ask you if she could tell you a story; the same story each time. Well we knew not to make eye contact if we were busy... But this time around, she walked up to me. And stood there, staring at me as I stared at the table. And I KNEW that I was not doing what the Savior would do. It struck me hard, how wrong we were. So I turned around, however slowly, and looked her dead in the eye. She began the same as always, and sat down across from me. BUT WAIT! She began the same story, just long enough for me to engage with her and turn my heart to God, and then she stopped. And asked me questions. And we talked for a good ten minutes. And we shook hands, and introduced ourselves, and she called me her friend.
How blind I could have let myself be! How far I could allow my heart to droop, not reaching out to someone like Dana. Dana is my friend.
We had amazing lessons scattered throughout the week. And yes, I am still sick. And yet, my heart rejoiceth that I have a God who would not allow me to stay as I am. That would allow the adversary to step in a little closer, to singe our hair just a little, in order for us to come that much closer to Him.
The rest of the scripture in Matthew 10 reads, "...but he that endureth to the end shall be saved."
We may have hard days, weeks, months, or maybe even years. Job, a Prophet in the Old Testament, spent the majority of his life in unbelievable pain. And yet, he turned to God, and prayed for those who hurt him. The book of Job ends by telling us that the Lord blessed Job, even giving him, "..twice as much as he had before." The Lord does not leave us in affliction, affliction just makes the haze a bit thicker, and our reach needing to be that much stronger.
I feel the feelings of Alma when he cried, "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." [Alma 29:9]
May you feel that through your weeks where the mists of darkness are a little too thick to breathe, that you can reach out to Him. I promise He will be there. And He will catch you, even if it is part of His plan to catch you right before you hit the bottom.
May He be in each of your days, your lives, and your moments, is my prayer.
Sister Walstad
P.s. These
pictures look like we planned them, but my companion takes most of our
weekly photos without me even knowing it. So she is the best. The views
outside were traveling up to visit someone!
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