This will be a transition week. I thought I would put all the random things remaining from the Book of Mormon in last week's post, but I forgot something. I also thought I would start with adult Jesus in the New Testament, because the other stories are more about the people around him, and not him. Still, he has an influence.
The Book of Mormon thing - and I had thought of it before - was that for all of the editing work that Mormon did, it is appropriate that Moroni was the one who went through Ether's record. Both of them witnessed the end of their respective civilization. The solitude must have been hard, especially without knowing how long it would last.
"Now the last words which are written by Ether are these: Whether the Lord will that I be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved in the kingdom of God. Amen." Ether 15:34
It makes sense to add that to the account of the Jaredites anyway, but for someone who was in such a similar situation, I think those lines meant a lot to Moroni. I think he took comfort and strength from them.
There are other helps too. In Mormon 8:11 Moroni tells us that the remaining disciples have ministered to him and his father. If last week was about how the Lord gives us credit for what we do, this week is that he won't leave us alone as we do it.
And that is how we bridge to the New Testament, because there is a beautiful relationship between cousins Mary and Elizabeth in Luke 1.
Being unmarried and pregnant can still be pretty hard in our time, but Joseph literally could have had Mary stoned. That he didn't probably didn't take away the social censure.There may also be some elements of people judging you when you are an older woman who has been barren and is suddenly pregnant, plus now her husband has been rendered temporarily speechless, with deafness implied.
It doesn't sound like pregnancy was great under Mosaic law anyway, but here are two women who are righteous and doing important things and they are still subject to scorn and ridicule and judgment.
They do not have to do it alone. They will not be together the entire time, and there will still be hardship, but they can support each other and at their coming together there is an outpouring of spirit and joy.
It is good to be a good friend to others and to be supportive, but there is also something to bringing others together. These people would enjoy each others' company. These people would relate to each other. This person would be a great mentor for that person. Then we are not only recognizing the needs of others, but also their abilities, and that everything doesn't have to be about us.
In such exhausting times it can be hard to think of inviting people over and making ways for them to meet each other, but maybe it doesn't always require that. Maybe sometimes it's just a message on Facebook and encouraging a connection.
We can at least try.
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