The Power of Unity

I feel Alone.

I understand that I’m not alone, but there are times that I feel alone and completely powerless.  What can be done?  Others have their agency and are free to act for themselves and if I didn’t care about them or their welfare, there would be no problem. 

Fortunately, I do care.  But it does bring feelings of temporary hopelessness, powerlessness, and isolation. 

I think that is why this address by Elder Wong of the Seventy has been so hard for me to digest. 

It speaks to my heart’s desire, but is a painful reminder that I currently don’t have the resources that he suggests as a solution.  

I get that I do have powerful resources.  The most powerful resources – legions of angels and a loving Savior and Heavenly Father who are rooting for my and their success.  I have abundant desire and faith that the rescue is possible.  I have promises that my prayers are heard and will be answered in my best interest.  I have ample evidence and tender mercies that the above power is working in my life.  I have a loving husband and family who support me in my desire and efforts.  I have the power of fasting, personal prayer, righteous living, and the temple’s prayer circle.  I have HOPE.  I know I am not alone. 

But I don’t have a bishop, a missionary, a relief society president, an elder’s quorum president, or an Aaronic priesthood youth who are interacting in the lives of my distant friends.  Becoming friends, sharing their influence, and bringing goodness into their life.  At least not to my knowledge.  And so now I am wondering if my influence or faith or desire. . . is enough.  Elder Wong said that Unity is essential in the rescuing effort. 

I long for unity.  Especially since we live in a divided nation.  As I study the scriptures and see the need for unity in developing a Zion people, I struggle with the disconnect in everyday living.   

The City of Enoch was so united that they were translated.  The Nephites (without the -ites) were united and experienced peace for over 200 years.  And with the knowledge that, that kind of unity is necessary in order to live the celestial law, I can’t help but wonder how to bring it about.  My life’s mission is to provide a baby step in that direction. 

I’ve experienced to a small degree the power of unity in my own life.  All my life, I’ve said personal prayers and have been blessed by so doing.  But when my husband and I started holding evening couple prayers – and not just saying a prayer but really pouring out our heart’s desire and confessing our sins and seeking the Lord’s power in our lives, the prayer was different.  I could feel the Lord’s sanction of our unity and my abilities had increased as well as my desires.  We have had an increase in our love for one another and an increase of love for the Savior.  As well as an alignment of goals and communication.  Yes – Unity is powerful.

I’m not sure where to go from here, in order to COUNSEL TOGETHER of those with whom I desire to rescue from ignorance, addictions, false traditions, deceptions, and distractions.  But I reinforced my desire to be united in that effort.  And if I pray about that desire, I know the Lord will provide a solution somehow. . . . . .  someday.  

The Ponder Point

Every year for Christmas my children receive the gifts of the wisemen.  One gift represents the Gold – something to delight them, another the gift Frankinsense – something practical or useful, and one is the gift of Myrrh – something of deep meaning.  That one gift of meaning usually indicates a huge amount of time investment on my part- because sadly I’m not a very craftsy person. 

One year, I made little Sacrament Covenant Booklets, with the intent of helping the focus be on the Savior and the covenant renewed each week.  I don’t know that the gift was a great success.  If I recall, I didn’t even finish making them before the 25^th deadline arrived. (And I had every intention of completing the task in the down time between Christmas and New Year’s.    Aye, It didna happen.)

Alright, so it wasn’t a fabulous idea to make nine individualized, scrapbook style mini-books, but I do know that I developed a much deeper appreciation for the nature and purpose of the Sacrament that year.  And for many months to come.  Since I had put so much of my blood, sweat, and time into the project, I made sure to utilize it myself.

This address on the Sacrament was a wake up call that I have slipped back into habitual partaking of the emblems without accessing the power therein.  

I believe I found the point.  The point that makes the difference.  Habitually going through the motions of once a week taking the sacrament is good, but to receive the cleansing, healing, renewing, and deeply spiritual experience, there has to be something more.  That something is PONDERING. 

I’m as guilty as the next person at having my preparations for this sacred weekly ordinance consist of gathering all the family at church (since we’re all there anyway, right) and try to keep the littles quiet so as to not disrupt others.  Oh, and maybe I’ll have a 2 second visual of the Savior pass through my mind as I covenant to remember him always.  Pretty pathetic, I know, but unfortunately it has become the norm. 

But I have had times where the preparation was much richer and much, much more rewarding.

Like when I took time on a Saturday evening, or even during the sacrament itself, to reflect on the previous week.   Considering my thoughts, my words and my deeds.  Considering my effectiveness at keeping the commandments completely.  Considering whether I really exercised faith or simply touted my beliefs.   Considering the questions that plague my mind, or problems I haven’t found solutions to, or challenges I haven’t overcome yet.  Considering the aspects of my life where the atonement has already given me the enabling power to do more than I could on my own. 

That’s a lot of things to consider, especially if we are totally honest with ourselves.  In my little Sacrament booklet, I included a long list of questions to really help me to analyze where I stood.  Gut wrenching questions that if answered honestly, I always find a long list of sins that I hadn’t realized I was guilty of prior. 

The pondering point continues.  Listen intently on the sacramental prayer and review the aspects of the baptismal covenant outlined in Mosiah 18:8-13.  Such things as my desire, my willingness, my commitment, my witness as well as God’s promises.  Think on the symbolism of the sacrament, and remember.  Remembering is the key to spiritual growth and so vitally important to the purpose of the sacrament and our standing firm in our end of the covenant. 

In 1 Corinthians 11: 28-29 it states:

                “But let a man EXAMINE himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

                “For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body.”

I’d never realized before that I had been only doing half of the ordinance.  If there is no examination of self, no reflecting on my progress, no introspection as part of the process, no pondering - than not only am I not receiving the full benefit of the sacrament, but I’m cutting my own throat by doing it unworthily. 

That ordinance itself takes, what, about 5 to 10 minutes each week.  That’s not a huge amount of time to examine oneself.  But apparently, the Lord feels it is enough.  Enough that if we ponder, seek forgiveness and inspiration, and recommit; that we can access the power of the atonement to clean our slate and start fresh. 

If I can just do the 3 R’s:

(1) REMEMBER

(2) REPENT

(3) RENEW

Then I feel that I have worthily accepted the Lord’s invitation to be healed, to be forgiven, to grow spiritually.