And It Came To Pass....

23 September 2018

The on-going Latter-day Saint joke is that 1 Nephi is the single most read book of the Book of Mormon due to all the Isaiah chapters in the following book, 2 Nephi!  This is where most Saints would fade away from their scripture studies because Isaiah is a bit challenging to read and comprehend.   When I was a young mother with all six children at home I am not even sure I ever got to 2 Nephi.   It seems like I would have JUST sat down thinking I had a moment when I could do my own scripture study when a child desperately needed something or I could see a child's ridiculous stunt being performed outside or a childish squabble needed refereeing.  So, "And it came to pass..." quickly became my favorite scripture not because it meant so much to me but because that was about all I have time to read!  

One day I was asked, "what did you learn today in your own scripture study?"   I thought about that question often because I just wasn't reading beyond "and it came to pass".    So I really began to think about what I was reading.  What does that piece of scripture mean?   And certainly what does it mean to me?  What am I to learn from this?   I put that question to prayer.   What I learned was life-long lessons that are still applicable today.   

"And it came to pass" means that it didn't come to stay... whatever "it" is?     What is "it"?    "It" can be the hardships and challenges of being a daughter, wife, or mother.    We all have trials in whatever role we are wearing at the time.   No one is void of trials, but how we handle them is so critical to our progression.    
'And it came to pass" merely means that the trials won't come to  stay and you will overcome them and live to tell the story. 

I walked into my kitchen one day and could smell plastic burning.  It was a very strong odor.   I immediately called all the boys up stairs.  
                                                                  "Who has matches?  I can smell plastic burning."  

It didn't take a genius to know it was the six year old twins due to the looks on their faces!     The other two boys stuck around knowing they were safe this time because it wasn't them but was curious as to what their little brothers had done this time.    One of the twins went to the microwave and pulled out the wireless phone.    There was no logic in what I was seeing,  but the phone did not look good!  Thinking that they had just hid the phone in the microwave I asked,
                                                                    "What did you do?"   
                                                                   
                                                                    "We put it in the microwave" explained one twin. 
 The other twin finished the explanation, "We wanted to see what would happen if we put it in there for 100!" 

The two older boys started laughing and shaking their heads so I excused them right away.  I opened up the phone to look at the damage and all I saw was a sea of melted plastic and burnt wires.   Then I put a cup of water into the microwave for the ultimate test to see if it could at the least still heat water.   Not expecting what I witnessed, I was relieved.   IT STILL WORKED!   I was shocked!   I explained to the boys that they were SO lucky that my microwave was still operational, not to mention that they hadn't started my microwave on fire and burned the house down! 

"And it came to pass" can also tell the rest of the story.     

And it came to pass that two miracles happened that day:   my microwave came out of it unscathed and so did the twins!    
One of those twins today is a Junior High School Science Teacher and the other with an accounting degree works for the Church in Salt Lake City and has a set of twins himself.   They each can amply teach about miracles and microwaves.  

"And it came to pass" continues to teach me.   It has taught me that those sweet moments with our children are fleeting.  some of those problems that seemed so huge are now pretty minor.   Now that I am a bit older all the problems I fretted over in my earlier years now have a basis of comparison.  I can more clearly see the value of the scripture "and it came to pass" with that comparison.  It has a calming effect through the love of God.    "And it came to pass"  pats me on the head and says things will be OK. 

"And it came to pass" can indicate that a change has taken place.  My sins, flaws, and imperfections can come to pass through the Sacrament each week.   Through repentance and Christ's  atonement I can change.   So does my scripture say, "and it came to pass that her heart changed"?    Does it say, "and it came to pass that she is making progress"?   

Fear makes me wonder if I am staying the same but then I remember my beginnings as a Latter-Day Saint in 1973 in the Pryor Oklahoma Branch for that basis of comparison.   It was just a small little Branch.   Everyone there was a convert with exception to the two full-time missionaries.   No one in the Branch  had been to the temple, not even the Branch President, because no one had been a member of the Church for a full year.   Even the building we met in was a convert ..... it used to be a laundramat!    At one point a wonderful family from Utah moved into town.   They had four children two of which were Aaronic priesthood holders.  Everyone was so excited.     The family provided two experienced, expert Aaronic priesthood holders to help pass the Sacrament.  These boys were only 12 and 14 years old.   And it came to pass that the Pryor Branch grew into a full ward with its own building and I am sure with its own quorum of experienced and expert Aaronic Priesthood holders.   

It is easy to see that the Pryor Branch made progress by the number of Saints that now live there and the beautiful chapel they now call home.   Am I different?  How have I progressed?   The progress begins with partaking of the Sacrament each week, taking upon myself the name of Christ.   Then progress can come through prayers offered, service rendered, callings magnified, children who were taught to live the gospel,  grandchildren who are being taught the gospel, Temple attendance, missions served, learning how to teach the Savior's way, and a continual learning of how to minister like the Savior.   All these are a work in progress for me.   I can't say any of them have been mastered but I am better at it today than I was yesterday. (Most days I can say that!)

 I have learned that every learning experience isn't always pleasant, nonetheless, valuable.  This past summer was painful when the reality was reinforced that my kind, shy, quiet friend was really the strong one.    And it came to pass that she left this earth life with a legacy of kindness and strength.  She was long suffering and endured to the end maybe not as gracefully as she had wanted, nonetheless, she remained faithful. 

"And it came to pass" can give hope and encouragement.    Jacob gave just such encouragement, " And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw that his olive tree began to decay; and he said: I will ^aprune it, and dig about it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches, and it perish not."   Jacob 5:4    I feel I have been pruned, and dug about, and nourished.  I also feel the best part of me are my children and grandchildren, those young tender branches that give so much hope.  They are far better people that I am.   

I no longer lightly read "And it came to pass".    I see it for the teaching moment that it is.    "And it came to pass"  always makes me look back with the Lord's measuring stick so that I can go forward with greater strides.