Mordecai's Birthday

One of the things I love about this medium is the ability to quickly put down thoughts, impressions, and memories...however, I got way off course when I went to Colorado, Utah, Wisconsin, and Oklahoma in March and April. I haven't been very consistent since and I don't want to stop doing something that I have started - writing about the Sweet Ones that fill my life - commemorating their birthdays. So, over the next couple of days I will try to get Mordecai, Wanda, and Cherstin done - especially because Desi, Abby, and Levi are all celebrating birthdays in the next few days! (If I don't get on this now it will quickly become like my quilts! oops! LOL)

Mordecai and Desi for Easter 2010

Mordecai John Rogers was born March 13, 2008. He is now two and quite the charmer. However, my thoughts aren't really of the day that he was born so much as the months inutero - except for the relief that came knowing that he was finally here, safe, unharmed, and that the months of agony for Desi were finally ending.

Our Precious Newborn

Mordecai's Blessing Day

I remember being at Wanda and Robert's home for the birth of Moroni in September when we received news that Desi and Mike had finally sold their home and they were going to purchase Wanda and Robert's home in Westminster. That was wonderful news but terrible timing! I was still in Wisconsin and was to be heading to Oklahoma for the birth of Emmett when I left Wisconsin - but the condition of the sale of Desi and Mike's home was that they needed to close in two weeks. Since Rich, Felicia and I were living in Wanda and Robert's home it would necessitate us finding some place quickly to move to and doing it in 2 weeks - I wouldn't be there to do any of that. Desi and Mike were excited and assured us that they could handle everything - our move and theirs - LOL - especially because I wouldn't be there, Rich was ill, and Felicia was in school.

Well, they did find us a place, started packing us, and getting us moved, but one evening I got a phone call from Desi that had me a little concerned. She was pregnant with Mordecai but experiencing quite a bit of pain. She thought that perhaps she was just tired from all the stress but she just didn't feel good. A couple of days went by and she still was uncomfortable, but the next phone call was very upsetting. She said that she was doubled up in pain and couldn't walk - but she was feeling the pressure to get everything done and didn't want to say anything to Mike or Rich, especially because there was so much to do. I told her to tell Mike immediately and for him to take her to the hospital, and then I waited.

The next few days brought some answers and lots of concerns. A serious kidney infection and kidney stones were the cause of the difficulty. After a stay in the hospital with IV antibiotics and other treatment she was allowed to go home. Gratefully Mike's brother and sister-in-law, Keith and Kim, came from Utah to help Mike complete the moves...I will always be grateful to them for helping Mike and Desi and Rich and I.


I drove home from Wisconsin but was there only about 8 hours when I received word that Cherstin was in labor with Emmett and so I headed out as quickly as I could (didn't make it but I was there that evening) all the while Rich was chastising me for coming home instead of heading straight to Oklahoma. He kept assuring me that everything would be okay - but I just felt completely discombobulated.


While I was in Oklahoma I received word that Desi was having more difficulty. Concerns about Desi's long term health and the health of the baby were weighing heavily and so the family had a fast for her. More hospitals, medicine, pain, difficulty, and uncertainty ensued.


I finally drove home the weekend before Thanksgiving - arriving to a house full of boxes - knowing that I needed to unpack as much as I could because we were having our entire family come to Denver for Thanksgiving and we were going to have Joey and Carlie and their family stay with us, as well as Phil, Hannah and Orion. Desi and Mike were hosting Thanksgiving at their place and having Wanda and Robert and their family stay with them, and Cherstin and Dan were coming in too - but would be staying with Dan's folks. The plan was to bless Moroni and Emmett that weekend and to have family photos as well. It was a very tall order for the circumstances and made all the worse when Wanda and Robert's children started coming down with a 24hr stomach virus well after they were already on the road, and that virus would run through the entire family that weekend.

However, that was just part of the drama that would be a part of the weekend - Desi continued to experience extreme pain, nausea, and vomiting necessitating multiple trips to the hospital. In fact, Desi and Mike didn't even get to have Thanksgiving dinner because of a trip to the hospital. We did, however, manage to have photos taken between trips to the bathroom and the hospital, and we even blessed our precious new babies, Emmett and Moroni.

December continued just as September, October, and November had - trips to the hospital and continued difficulty. One of my precious memories occurred one day when Desi again was suffering. This time I took her to the hospital and Desi had called Mike at work to join us. As we were in triage of the obstetrics unit Desi was struggling mightily against the pain and nausea. Mike had rushed over from work and it was past lunch. A little nurse, maybe 5'2", was trying to put in an IV into Desi's arm so that they could give her some morphine for the pain. Mike was standing between Desi's bed and the wall - maybe a foot or two wide. As the nurse tried to "fish" for the vein Mike suddenly turned ashen, his eyes rolled back into his head, and he slumped into a heap on top of the nurse and Desi - he had passed out cold. I yelled for help and nurses came running. Smelling salts brought Mike back quickly but he still looked pretty woozy. Medical personnel brought him something to eat and checked him out, much to his chagrin and to our relief. The only real damage was to the nurse's glasses and Mike's ego. However, Desi continued to have extreme pain regardless of how much medication they pumped into her arm. After a considerable length of time I looked at Desi's hand - it was all bloated. After showing the nurse it was discovered that because of all the commotion they had forgotten to take off the tourniquet! No wonder Desi had remained in pain - none of the medication was reaching her system - but as soon as the tourniquet came off she found relief!


Doctors eventually placed a nephrostomy tube into Desi's side so that her kidneys could work - that provided a great deal of relief. However, even that was frought with difficulty. She also had a pic line so that they could continue the antibiotics. All this was done to provide Mordecai a chance at life. They had reached the radiological limits for a fetus and they needed to give him some time in utero before they would attempt to get the stones because the procedure could potentially start labor. It was a wait and see game calculated to get him here safely.

Eventually they did take out the stones and Desi felt good for the first time in months. However, new ones quickly grew and took their place, creating all the familiar problems. The relief we felt (especially Desi) when Mordecai was finally born was tremendous. Gratefully there seems to be no lasting problems for him and we are thankful for that. Desi, on the other hand, continued to have kidney stones for some time - but all seems well at the moment.

In August of 2008 Cherstin, Felicia, Desi, and I had taken the little ones to a park in Westminster. As they played, we talked and enjoyed our ourselves, watching and helping children as needed. As usual, the subject of names came up - and we all laughed as Desi recounted the story of the selection of the name Mordecai over the other possiblity of Teancum. Interestingly, a Jewish family had come to the park and you can imagine the fun we had when the gentleman said something to the effect of, "Mordecai! A good Jewish name!"

I think we had all worried about the potential harm Mordecai might have had due to the pregnancy problems, but we also were a little anxious that he might have similar problems as Emily, with the hemangiomas - however, so far so good. He has had difficulty with bowels and vomiting that have worried us some - but that seems to be remediating at this point.Brother and Sister

Mordecai has had a very peaceful disposition. In fact, for a very long time he just seemed content to watch everything going on without getting too involved. But, he has become less passive and now takes matters into his own capable hands (especially Emily or Desi's hair LOL) just like any other well adjusted two year old will do! He loves watching DVD's in the car, anything that has to do with trains, and teasing his sister. He loves milk, snacks, and his Mommy. He doesn't like playing in snow and cold or sharing his train. He is very verbal and enjoys sparring with anyone who'll play along. If I had to guess I think he'll probably love to play ball as he gets older - soccor, baseball, basketball, football - part of it because of exposure from Daddy - but lots of it seems to be his own natural desire. He also loves cars and trucks...watch out Daddy! Sixteen might seem like a lifetime from now - but in the blink of an eye he'll be asking to borrow the Daewoo!

Mordecai at the Children's Museum in Nashville

Making Gingerbread Houses for Christmas 2009

Don't you just love that coy smile?

Mordecai sporting his Cougar Shirt from Aunt Felicia

Mordecai - we are so glad that you came to our family. You are dearly loved. Happy birthday!

Habits

I have been trying my very best (or giving my very best effort) to lose weight, get fit, and become the healthiest person I can. The down side of this is that I am having to learn how to incorporate the time and effort into my daily schedule...I have yet to succeed at that!

I have been going to a gym in Clinton that is associated with a physical therapy group and who work extensively with people who have joint problems - that's me!!! It's only 16 miles away but between the travel time, the gym part, and the water aerobics class I am spending quite a bit of time each day.

It has been a month now and I have lost some pounds and inches. I have gained some flexability and balance. But, just like the "law of the harvest," this is going to take some time. Probably years. However, I don't feel discouraged at the moment, rather encouraged.

I keep thinking of the scripture in Alma 37:41 "Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey."

A number of years ago I lost quite a bit of weight and I was exercising daily. But I was never successful about getting down to my goal weight - because "life" happened. I got slothful, and didn't really believe that I could get there and I let other activities (and they were good things too - just not the things that would help me get to my best weight and health) supercede the committment to myself and my health. I didn't just "stop in my journey" - I reversed course completely! LOL

Today the health threats loom and my ability to "do" is severly hampered because of my weight. This isn't the way I want to live the rest of my life - and while I may never fully overcome the years of neglect nor the genetic predisposition for some ailments, I certainly can minimize them by doing what I should have been doing all of my life. The question remains though - how to put these habits into my life - so that the people and things that I love to do are not neglected. So far I haven't found a way to accomplish that - although I am just now trying to do that because I have felt that I wanted to get one thing going at a time - rather than my "all or nothing" mentality.

So - "Karen, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things preceedeth that which is great." Habits, hopes, faith, ideas, true principles, work - these are some of the small things that will ultimately help me succeed at this and anything else I undertake. Ironically we can change the past as we change the present - and the future is certain when we do. So let the journey continue!

Monday I went to see Dr. May, our primary care physician. I have really been having a terrible time with my legs. Somewhere in all of this I had realized that it just wasn't just my knees but especially my calves and hamstring areas. I had done some research online to see what might be the problem, to no avail. But Rich has been telling me that pain is a symptom and to go see Dr. May. So I did.

As always, she was kind, compassionate, and to the point. She ran some tests and determined that it isn't PAD. Good. It isn't DVT. Good. However it may be that the nerves in those regions are being affected by my knees and so she has me scheduled to do some nerve conduction tests and perhaps that will help give an accurate picture of what is happening.

I was down 16 pounds since I last saw her 8 weeks ago, but that isn't anywhere what it could of or should have been. I have talked to her quite explicitly about my desire to lose weight and how I have felt the urgency to do so. She had been working with me on a low insulin response diet and that had been working - but with all the travel - I hadn't stayed with it like I would have liked. This week she just asked if I had ever considered gastric bypass and if not, why not.

She was quite blunt about the fact that I have been battling weight for years, that there must be a family genetic predisposition towards obesity (and I am sure there is), and the fact that the window is closing quickly because most bariatric surgeons have age limits and I am approaching that window. She urged me to research it and consider it seriously.

I went right out of the office and headed to the therapy clinic down the street and enrolled in the fitness portion of their business. They have all the exercise equipment, water aerobics classes, and their programs are monitored and run by physical therapists and certified trainers. And they are open from 5:30 am to 8 pm five days a week and on Saturday morning.

I came home and talked with Rich. He has been wonderful and very supportive. As a morbidly obese person you never really want to announce to the world that you are "on a diet" again. You know that the chances of failure far outweigh the chances of success - you have done it over and over and understand all too well the chances. But as I have talked with Rich I have really decided that I don't want to pursue the bypass...although I hold it in reserve...just for safety sake. But, seriously, I have only known one person who has had it that has had a great outcome from beginning to end. And, I doubt my psychological and emotional responses are good indicators for success in the long term - I just can't see me eating 1-2 tablespoons of food for the rest of my life. And, somehow, I believe I am supposed to stuggle against this. I think the things that I am learning are important for my growth and development. And, it is true that I have failed for the last 20 years...but perhaps it is because I have failed all these other times that I will be successful now. I don't know. But I am giving myself until the end of August to lose 50 pounds before I have to make a decision...and so far I have lost another 10 since Monday...that isn't a bad start.

So, every day this week (Tuesday through Friday) I have gone to the center and worked out on their "land" equipment and then taken a water aerobics class. This is consuming huge amounts of time - 20 minutes travel time both ways, and 2+ hours there. However, I have balked about expense, time, and freedom long enough. The fact is, I need to do this now. It can't wait until the time is better. I have to reclaim my health and wellness, strength and endurance, and if I don't do this now then I will probably have the same issues that my mother had, in a few years. However, I am still suffering with guilt issues about taking so much time for myself - it seems so selfish. There is so much else that I need to do and I have come home exhausted each day - too exhausted to accomplish much else. Perhaps the more that I do it the more I will learn to streamline things here at home. And perhaps the more fit that I become and the more weight I lose the more energy I will have to come home and do the things I need to - all of this remains to be seen. But I can hope.

Rich has also helped in that he purchased me a Body Bugg - it hasn't arrived yet but I am looking forward to using it. Supposedly it tracks energy expenditure against the food that you log into it...and it is something else that I will need to learn how to operate...wonderful! He has also reassured me emotionally - and I am grateful for his support.

After only 4 days my legs seem a little stronger. They still hurt terribly and this will not eliminate the need to have my knees replaced - but strengthening the muscles that support the knees are beneficial now and when the surgery is done. And, hopefully, as I take weight off I will begin to feel the added pressure be released and the bulk adipose tissue disappear. Again, I can hope.

Our Heritage

The last few days were spent in Wisconsin where Wanda and Robert, Phil and Hannah, Joey and Carlie, Desi, and Rich and I gathered with 18 of our 21 grandchildren for Easter and Conference. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to be able to have Mike, Cherstin and Dan with their little brood and Felicia there too. I guess I will have to wait until September for that - but so far as I know - we will at last have the famous reunion then!

One evening while we were at Wanda's home I ducked my head into her bedroom because things were awfully quiet and I had seen a couple of our little ones head in there. I wish I had had a camera - words just can't adequately describe what I saw. Anyway - what I found was Moroni, Orion, Levi, Mordecai, Ruth, and Emily all sitting or laying on the bed engrossed in a tv program of some sorts. What flashed before my mind's eye though was a sure knowledge that these little ones had been brothers and sisters in our pre earth life and were all friends there as well, and had just been waiting for the chance to come and be together here.... And knowing these wonderful six - heaven is a lot quieter now! LOL And just as suredly I know that each and every one of our wonderful 21 are also part of this tremendous plan and purpose. In that very instant I realized that I (with my finite knowledge and understanding) couldn't have even envisioned that moment some years ago - but the Lord knew - and I feel so privileged to have had these tender moments with Him and my loved ones. How blessed and fortunate we are to have each other - and I felt (just for a moment) kind of like I think Father Jacob must have felt as he gave his children their patriarchal blessings - I thought how fortunate the world is that these wonderful sons and daughters had come because I could sense their greatness and the tremendous contributions that they will make in the lives of those who are seeking to know the Lord and feel His peace. They are being raised in very treacherous times, but they are strong, valiant spirits who are the answer to a famished world. The onus is on us as parents and grandparents to teach them and love them and help them rise to their greatness and to never flinch. That is a tall order - but we're up to it:)

The Last Two Weeks

Things have been pretty busy during the last couple of weeks and I probably won't be able to share all of the happenings but...some of the important events were a trip to Colorado, then a continuing trip to Utah, returning to Colorado and now we are awaiting word about a car so that we can head out to Wisconsin.

Mike (my brother) had asked for a family meeting so that we might discuss the issues that we are facing as a family. Dad has been experiencing quite a bit of dementia lately and it is becoming apparent that the time is coming when he will no longer be able to stay alone. His doctor is also requesting health agent and advance directive paperwork.

You always hear about families that have such a difficult time when it comes to making these kinds of decisions. In truth, I had been a little anxious about this meeting...anyone who knows us will know that we are all "chiefs" and not one of us is an "Indian!" LOL However, we started our meeting with a prayer and I believe that set the tone and gave us great compassion and concern for our Dad and united us in our efforts to make decisions that will bless his life and brought us together in recognizing the stresses and concerns for the various families that are so involved in Dad's care.

While I was there I had the opportunity to talk with Dad and remember.... I also had the opportunity to go with Dad to the doctor for his appointments for his prostate biopsy and for his catarract consult. The catarract surgery won't be for a few months and they will do the worst eye first. At first Dad was quite resistent. I believe that he thought that they were going to do the surgery that day and I could see that he was frazzled. He had had the biopsy the day before and it was taxing on him. I was reminded as I watched him stress that he really has a gentle spirit and was always mindful of us...and in our effort to improve his quality of life I think we sometimes don't realize how frail he really is...I don't want to paint him as an invalid...he isn't! But since none of us are 81 I don't think we realize how much the aging process takes out of us until we're the one doing it.

The results of the biopsy came back and Mike and Dad went into the doctor Monday to learn about what Dad is facing. The good news is that while the tumors are stage 7 & 8 (aggressive) the cancer itself is a slow growing kind and will probably not be his cause of death. It appears that there has been no metastises but they well be doing a bone scan to verify that. The result of the scan will determine the course of treatment.

While I have been with Desi and Mike I have had the opportunity to enjoy Emily and Mordecai in "real life." The other day I had gone to do something and when I returned Emily said (in a very relieved tone), "There you are! I was bewildered about where you were!" I had to chuckle. The last few days everything has been "ridiculous!" Yesterday I went to get a pedicure at my favorite place in the lower 48. I took Emily with me. As we drove out of North Park she gave me directions about where to go and where to turn. As we pulled in to the parking spot and I was getting her out she told me (in a very serious manner), "After we get done here I will be able to speak Chinese." I responded with, "You will?" and she said, "Yes. I don't know why but I will." I had to chuckle once more. Obviously she recognizes that the technicians are of Asian descent, and even that they speak another language (they are actually Vietnamese)...but who would have guessed her response.

Mordecai continues to have difficulty with his bowels and the poor little guy really struggles. Desi is going to consult with her pediatrician and we sure hope that it is nothing of any consequence. He is a funny little guy. He LOVES trains and tracks, balls and cars. He is all boy. His speech is pretty articulate too. Today Desi took Mike to work and I watched them while she was gone. Mordecai was doing just fine until he realized that Desi was gone. He started to sob and cried for his momma. I tried to help him but that just made matters worse. He finally decided that he would share his concerns with Emily. "Emmowee, I scawoold!" (Emily, I scared!) he cried over and over. Emily told him that it was okay and that Grandma was here and that she was too. Moments later Desi walked in and all the tears were gone.

On our return from Utah Desi and Mike's car was acting up...not terribly...but Mike is understandable concerned about us traveling alone to Wisconsin without knowing that the car is okay. They took it to their mechanic...but we have yet to hear about its status. I was so hoping to be on the road to Wisconsin by at least today...I sure hope it is tomorrow at the latest!

Mooing Mom

Today I cleaned house....and so what? you might ask. Well it has been a very, very long time since I have been able to stand on my legs to be able to accomplish that and while I am paying for it tonight, it does feel really good to have floors mopped and bathrooms cleaned, dusting and vacuuming accomplished, and general order. I am hoping that my legs will have continued improvement too! You never know how much you take for granted until you don't have it or it doesn't work properly!

This evening I made rouladen for supper - but it still had about an hour to cook when Rich came home and so it is still cooking. However, we went out to Ryan's for a quick bite. I sure wish Rich would find someplace else that he likes! LOL

As I made the rouladen my mind wandered back to my Mom. When we moved to Germany when I was a kid none of us spoke ANY German and Mom just treated it like one big adventure. We lived on the "economy" just like the missionaries and we didn't have access to any American products like our military friends. We had also gone there with only 44 # per person - about what you could put in a suitcase. But Mom created a wonderful home for us and worked really hard to learn what German food products were so that she could prepare meals that we would enjoy.

One day Mom and Dad went to the local farmers' market for produce and other items for our family. Lining the market were some "metzgereis" (butcher shops) and Mom decided to venture out of her comfort zone and get some meat - she specifically wanted beef and she was a little leery that she might get horse meat of something else. However, because she didn't know the word for beef (or really anything else at that time) she had to resort to pointing at what she thought was beef. However, as the butcher started to put her selection on the scale she really began to think that she needed to be sure that this was indeed beef. She tried asking him but he didn't speak a lick of English - nor did he understand her. Both the butcher and Mom tried to find someone who knew any English but there was no one...so as the transaction continued finally Mom resorted to the only thing that she could think of to verify that this was indeed beef - so she started mooing. The butcher was startled at first, and I think he was probably a little confused, and you can imagine how others in the market reacted too. Mom said that at one point she wondered if German cows actually mooed the same as they did in America - or maybe the Germans didn't express it the same way that we did...nevertheless...she continued to moo until the butcher got the point that she was trying so hard to make - and yes it was beef! LOL

Mom made wonderful rouladen and I don't even know where she learned how - I don't remember it until we moved to Germany - it could be that she had some in a restaurant and she just tried to duplicate it...but wherever she came up with it, she did it beautifully. And, it sounded so good tonight...but I guess we'll have it for lunch tomorrow. I wish I could just call her up and talk to her...sometimes I believe she had the wisdom of Solomon and I could sure use that right now...besides the sheer joy of just talking to her. Oh well, I still talk to her...I just don't hear her response.

I received a new calling recently as R.S. instructor for the "gospel principles" lessons. While teaching doesn't throw me much these lessons look to be somewhat of a challenge. Looking over the lesson that I am to teach in April, The Holy Ghost, is only 3 pages long and very basic information.... It would seem that everyone would have this knowledge - but perhaps things are not always as they seem. But I wonder how to teach this so that basic information is imparted and so that those who have the information in their knowledge base will also be edified. So my studying has taken me on a quest to learn what I might not know - and to ponder my relationship with the Holy Ghost as well.

In my ponderings I have thought a lot about my own testimony. And, I have thought about how the testimony of others have added to mine.

When I was very little, 3 or 4, I remember going to Primary and having my teacher talk to us in our class. She gave us construction paper with drawings of a placesetting on them that helped us learn how to set the table, where the glass went, knives, forks, spoons, etc. and play dishes to practice. I have no recollection about how that relates to a gospel principle - but I vividly remember that the Spirit testified to me (it still gives me goosebumps as I recall it all these years later) that the gospel was true, that the things my parents were teaching me were true, and that the church was true. That experience has had a profound impact on my life. And, when people dismiss the importance of teaching children I always think of how important that was to me and remember that it was the children and babes in arms when Christ came to the Americas that uttered such marvelous things that could not be written...children can be so very close to the spirit and feel its' power because their faith is so pure.

A few years later - as a 9-11 year old - I HATED Fast and Testimony Meeting. It seemed like the very same people got up every time and said the very same things, over and over again. I am sure my eyes rolled every time they got up. However, I came upon a way to get out of these "BORING" meetings quite by accident and I made use of it as often as I could for quite some time. My Dad was the bishop of our ward and so he didn't sit with us. And my Mom would have us (the kids) with her on one of the benches - usually in the middle of the chapel. Sometimes, when one of my little brothers were squirming, fussing, and being difficult Mom would nod to me and I would take them out into the foyer for a drink or to walk around a bit (these were the days when Sacrament Meeting was 1 1/2 hours long and in the afternoon or evening). One day I was really struggling with the testimonies and I was holding Jimmy (and he was being good too) and I thought how nice it would be if I could escape...and so I pinched him...just enough to make him fuss...and sure enough, Mom nodded to me to take him out! I was so happy. However, now as I have matured somewhat, I remember some of those testimonies and wish that I had appreciated them more.

Just a few years later - in my teens (15-16) - I had an experience that really helped me understand that my testimony really did inform everything that I did and was. It was during the height of the hippie movement and in that culture (which is like the pop culture of today) it was common for the kids of that time to think that they were so enlightened and they often engaged in asking "deep, philosophical questions" such as, "who am I really?" and "What is the meaning of life?" It was a time when drug use was rampant, New Age thinking was being promoted, and free love, peace, and make love not war were the typical slogans. I remember sitting on my bed one day, looking out the window and thinking about what was happening and the influence of these kids. I remember looking into a mirror and asking, "who am I?" and as I sat there it was as if a voice inside me just burst into my consciousness and said I KNEW that I was a child of God and I KNEW that I didn't need to waste my time or energy because I KNEW that the gospel was true, the Church was true, and that the plan of salvation was true. I KNEW I wanted to return to my Heavenly Father and I KNEW how to do it - and this wasn't the way. I dropped any fascination and preoccupation I had with these influences because I KNEW the truth. The Spirit had once again confirmed the truth to me in a very tangible way.

Years later, when we lived in Germany, I was teaching Gospel Essentials in Sunday School for the investigators and new members, I had the opportunity to teach about the Atonement. I had learned about the Atonement all my life and I thought that I knew it pretty well...but as I prepared to teach it (especially to non members and new members) I realized that I needed to do this very well - with plain language and in a very straight forward manner. I felt the responsibility keenly of teaching about this sacred event and I wanted the class to understand it well and I was also very concerned that there be no misunderstanding. I studied and studied and studied. I don't know how well I taught the class - but I had been taught by the Spirit as I studied and I was changed because of it.

As I continued my studying today In Moses and Genesis I was reading in Moses 6. Seven times (at least) there is reference to "teach" the gospel and the ways of God to our children. In fact, in one verse is says, "teach these things freely to your children" which I interpret to mean to do so at every opportunity - not just in formal settings - but in the day in and day out experiences of life. I believe that it was because I was taught early, carefully, lovingly, and frequently by my parents, teachers, and others that allowed the Spirit to whisper to me in unmistakeable terms that these things were true. In fact, if we do not teach can the Spirit confirm that truth? Probably yes, but likely - I doubt it happens much. Without testimonies that are built on bedrock we can too easily be swayed and influenced by the doctines of men and the lies of Satan. And if we do not teach these things to our children they are in grave danger and may well fall prey to the forces that seek to destroy and cause them endless misery. And, if we do not teach these things to our friends and neighbors and associates there is little hope for their happiness and joy - for truly it is the gospel of peace.