It Cannot be Comprehended

I"ve watched 17 Miracles a lot the last couple months.

There is a line in there--said by one of the people--trying to describe what it was like as the snow fell, and the deaths rose:

"It Cannot be Comprehended, except by those who went through it"--something like that.

I've heard many people--especially LDS people, of course, talk about how they could never be pioneers---

Or how they are so glad they were not an early Saint.

I've come to find this concept one of those "myths" in the Church.

During one of my early teaching positions--I was asked to face so many hard things all at one time. I felt like I was literally being attacked from all sides.

After almost no "teaching" experience, I was being asked to do things that would have knocked over and stomped on teachers who had been teaching for years.

But it was not just the teaching being attacked that year--my personal life--faith, hope for the future--everything was being attacked. Mind you--this was all BEFORE 9/11/01!

One afternoon, as I lamented in my mind to the Lord--trying to find out what I should do....

I asked how could my great grandmother have done it? She taught in a one room school house, with farm boys older than she--and WAY taller.

Children at many ages, whose fathers were mainly miners, in the middle of literally nowhere. I could only imagine how hard that would be for basically her first teaching position.....

And then...

This thought hit me like a ton of bricks--straight from the Spirit:

"Mary, it was NOT this hard!"

I'm not sure if that was a whisper from just the Spirit--or from my great grandmother herself--but it floored me.

It was NOT this hard???? Huh?

I immediately was filled with comfort from the Spirit.

It was a lovely blessing--very private--but I'm sharing it publicly now for a reason.

I think we need to not compare ourselves to our progenitors in this faith.

Certainly, facing 13 deceased Company mates--and more--plus frostbite, the Spiritual fight of faith vs. fear--- and so forth....

Was incredibly real--and incredibly hard.

So hard that many Willie and Martin Handcart Company members typically would not speak often of their experiences (I know....my great great great grandmother was a member of the Willie Company--and nothing of her experiences were recorded until she was old and the Church requested the records)--and even then--very limited amount of information was revealed by her.


But to compare our times--I believe General Authorities have made a few statements about this. I believe one in particular (I want to say Pres. Hunter--but I'm probably wrong--it may have been Pres. Spencer....or one of the 12 years ago) talked about how even though the physical strain on our generations--getting closer and closer to the "coming"--MAY be less (notice--they say MAY), the mental and emotional strain and the Spiritual struggles may be beyond comprehension--even to any previous generations.

I believe there is even a GA who has been quoted, just years ago, stating something to the effect that our progenitors may be someday heard to wonder how we got through these years (I'm obviously summarizing--no where near quoting).

I personally believe this is very so. 

In the last 2 weeks I've been floored---floored with how some are asked to suffer.

Floored with grief.  Floored with watching even the once strong in the faith, fall.

My heart aches. And over the last week, the thought that hit me last week (from the Spirit), was that line from 17 Miracles that basically said "It cannot be comprehended, except by those going through it".

Somehow, this brings comfort.

The Lord loves us. The Atonement works. The Church is true---even when the truth is not easy to hear or understand.

It is all because the Lord loved us enough to give us our agency--even if it means our consequences are not pleasant.

 But, I've also learned that moral choices MATTER!!! They matter for us--but more so, they matter for our descendants.  Years of moral choices cannot erase unrepented sin. BUT---they can save those who follow us--

Oh....the pain!

This song has also brought comfort. I pray for those who need His comfort FAR more than me....

(Please forgive the annoying advertisement).

Or, in other words....

Get help....

Get help....

Get help, get help, GET HELP!!!

I DON'T CARE if you're male or female!!!

Whether it's in a community--

Whether it's in a doctor's office (i.e. Therapy)!

GET HELP!!

This is the message of my week--the last 2 weeks. Please, please--please--get help!

A friend's brother wrote this beautiful Eulogy--for their father.

Hopefully it will help explain:

Click here

This has been "A week".  It's been hell for many---many I'm praying for.

It's been painful--hard.  More for others than for me----

But still--it's been "a week".

So--I've been trying to find the moments of joy amidst the mayhem.

I don't usually like commercials. I usually see them as the parts of TV to avoid. But these 2 commercials....

Let's just say some advertising designers "hit the spot" with these.

Enjoy!

(With this one you have to wait through the commercial--to get to the commercial. Ha ha...yes--that was sarcastic).

Take a Whack At Ouiser!

I just had a "Take a Whack at Ouiser" moment---

It was personal--it was rightously funny, and completely irreverent...

It felt SO seriously good--after a day that has been OH, SO SAD!!! My stomach hurts!

And my cheeks. But, oddly enough, tears through laughter is a very helpful emotion.

 "Clairee: Hit this! Go ahead M'Lynn, slap her!
Ouiser Boudreaux: [taken aback and confused] Are you crazy?
Clairee: Hit her!
Ouiser Boudreaux: Are you *high*, Clairee?
Truvy: [in a frightened tone] Clairee, have you lost your mind?
Clairee: We'll sell t-shirts sayin' "I SLAPPED OUISER BOUDREAUX!" Hit her!
Annelle: [in a scared tone] Ms. Clairee, enough!
Clairee: Ouiser, this is your chance to do something for your fellow man! Knock her lights out, M'Lynn! Ouiser Boudreaux: [snatches away] Let go o' me!
Clairee: M'Lynn, you just missed the chance of a lifetime! Half o' Chiquapin Parish'd give their eye teeth to take a whack at Ouiser!"

At the moment I so wanted to be Clairee I think.

But--I'd rather be in pain because of laughing uncontrollably--and have some relief of the sorrow, than not!