Tricky Tuesday #5

Finally... some pictures of the chicken coop portion of the goat shed/chicken coop structure in the part of our yard reserved for our pets (that are livestock)!

This is the front view of the goat shed, which is the back view of the chicken coop.

The chicken coop is, of course, on top.  Take note that there are protrusions

on either side of the chicken coop.  Those are nesting boxes.

 

 



Here we peek into the back of the chicken coop (the piece of plywood being lifted)

and see a waterer and a feeder in the middle and nesting boxes to either side.

Under the floor of the chicken coop, you can see a little bit into the goat shed.

 

 

We are looking in through the back door and UP.

Centered in the photo is the Wyendotte rooster

and a hen on each side of him.

You can kind of see into one level

of the nesting boxes off to the left.

 

 

Looking in through the back door again,

you see the nesting boxes on the right side

(looking at it from the back, of course).

And, of course, two hens on a roost.

 

 

 

This is the left side of the structure.

I hope you can see how the nesting boxes jut out just a little.

Oh, and do you see the home-made hinges on the nesting boxes?

Why yes, they are made of leather!

 

 

Nesting boxes on the left.

There are two levels and a divider in each,

for a total of 8 nesting boxes.

 

 

 

Wyendotte hens, one in each nesting box (lid lifted to look in).

 

 

This is looking directly at the right side of the structure.

 

 

Looking into the coop from a nesting box

on the right (when viewed from the back of the coop).

 

 

This is a view of the front of the chicken coop,

which is also the back of the goat shed.

The ladder for the chickens does NOT reach to the door.

Basically, it's just meant to help them

 get high enough to flap up to the door.

 

 

Almost the same perspective as the previous picture,

except that the opening into the coop is visible

because the board blocking it (in the first picture)

has been moved to the right (it juts above the height of the roof).

 

 

Although it's not perfectly discernable, the foundation of the structure was built by joining three pallets.  The pallets and other wood used in construction of this structure was either from pallets or used fencing material (all free).  And the hinges were made from old leather boots Jessie cut down and turned into hinges.  Although we did buy the boots, they were worn as footwear until the soles came off the leather uppers, so I call them free, too... since most folks would've put them in the landfill when they could no longer function as boots!

 

 

 

 

 



Meditation Monday #16

Still going.  I missed Friday this last week because of the confluence of a regular Friday morning appointment and feeling unable to awaken early enough to meditate before it most Fridays!  Working on getting it straight every week.  So far I've only meditated once on a Friday I had this appointment.  ahwell... I still consider 6 days per week pretty darn good.

I'm amazed that today is day 161 of meditating.  I'm just very happy about it.  I definitely believe, like most good activities one can add to their daily routine, it has a cumulative effect as well as an immediate!  :)

Oh, by the way, for the last couple weeks I've focused on Kirtan Kriya.  Only a couple days have I also included the meditation for addiction.

Saturday Soliloquy #9

I also began running while in Japan.  Running helped me control those anxious feelings.  I was able to lock them into thoughtlessness while I focused on breathing… I did not have an easy time running… as I was and had ever been relatively unhealthy and overweight.  However, while in Japan I shed many pounds and sizes.  My jeans, which fit pretty tightly upon my arrival, were hanging off of me when I returned to the USA.  How?  Why?  Many factors played into the weightloss.  One of the most important factors that impacted my weight was that activity was built into my whole day almost every day in Japan.  I rode my bike to the train station (about 15-20 minutes).  Then I walked little bits here and there between trains.  Then I walked about 25-30 minutes to school.  During the day at school there was often much walking going on (like to a grocery nearby to buy nashi).  And if we did anything after classes, we walked to get there.  To get home, I walked, walked a little and then biked.  That was 5 days each week.  Saturdays usually involved quite a bit of walking to go sight seeing, too.

Also, my okaasan was very controlling of the food.  She was shocked, I think, at how much I ate and limited my food consumption at home.  I ate breakfast and dinner there during the school week and, often, three meals on Saturdays and Sundays.  I often awoke feeling hungry in the night, but didn’t feel comfortable to go to the refrigerator to get anything to eat.  I definitely would not recommend THAT part of the weight loss.  Feeling hungry almost all the time just is NOT a comfortable feeling!

I think another factor that played into all of it was that the food was made differently.  Even breads and chocolate was less calorie dense.  That may also be part of why I was always hungry.  Who knows.

All told, I went from a snug size 16 to around a tight size 10 while I lived in Japan.  I liked the size I attained, but I didn’t like feeling hungry.  I sure would like to have activity built into my life that way again, but think it unlikely that I’ll ever get back to Japan.  I sure loved it while I was there, though!

Why?  Well, come back next week to read more and maybe find out a few reasons I loved it so well.

Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful that others have been posting much about thankfulness this month.  I have much to be thankful for, but haven't been up to keeping up with things lately.  So, I'm thankful that others are expressing thankfulness so widely.  It lifts my spirits.  I'm definitely thankful for that!

Saturday Soliloquy #8

Japan: Part 2

I attended Kansai Gai Dai Daigaku in Hirakata-shi.  I lived in Katano-shi.  It took me about an hour to get from my host family’s home to school.  I rode my bike to a bike parking lot near the eki (train station), locked it up with a neat tire lock that was the combination kind, rode the train with one changeover to Hirakata-shi and then walked about 30 minutes to my school.

The sheer horror I felt upon realizing that no one I knew was going to help me to know where to go from the changeover to my school was one of the most frightening things I’d experienced to that point in my life.  Thankfully, I’d taken it upon myself to get to know as many of the other foreign exchange students as I possibly could during our week before host family placement.

My host sister directed me to where I should go and I, a scared woosie, cowered inside myself and tried to follow her directions.  I kept wondering how I would ever know if I’d gone the right way!?  Surely I wasn’t going the right way and would end up somewhere far from where I should be!  You cannot imagine the degree and extent of my relief when I saw another foreign exchange student from Kansai on the platform I ended up at.  (I was elated to realize I had comprehended her directions AND executed them properly!)

The poor fella I recognized?  Well, I was so thrilled to realize I knew someone there that I ran up to him and embraced him with the exuberance that only someone who knew me back then would understand.  I’m not the person I used to be….

Anyway… the first couple weeks were full of anxiety and fears.  I had a difficult time acclimating to Japanese life.  Not that I disliked it.  I guess you have to understand who I was up to that point a little better.

Before I went to Japan, as I remember myself, I was a very shy person who was working on “fake it till you make it” outgoing-ness.  I was doing really darn well, apparently, because no one around me believed for a second that I was shy or introverted.  Yet, I definitely was.  When I was younger (before I absolutely HAD to start doing things for myself, working, and making purchases and whatnot), I was terrified of social interactions.  Even the simple kind of a barely communicating purchase at a fast food place seared me with dread.  I was shiver-me-timbers scared stiff.  Seriously.

I remember one time, when I was trying to do something or another online, I started to feel the room was shrinking around me.  It felt like I couldn’t breath.  Honestly, I thought I was going a bit nuts and burst away from what I was doing just as quickly as I could, jammed my outdoor shoes on and ran to the top of the hill to a small park of sorts.  It’s a quiet place I’d found.  I often escaped there during the school day when I felt the beginnings of that anxiety-attack feeling come upon me.

Meditation Monday #15

Meditation continues daily.  I've had to get up early a few times to make sure it happens, but it has.  I'm grateful for this tool of "peace integration" in my life.

Today is day 155 of meditating.

Sunday Preach It

Much of time has been on my mind. Time spent. How was it spent? Did I spend it as the Lord would have had me spend it? My mind has been pondering time.

So the stream of thoughts I felt I almost observed flowing in my mind was particularly interesting to me.

I think I need to set this up more.

First, I believe most of us are way too dang busy. Our calendars are ordered by the hour with various appointments, dates, and to-do lists.

Second, I believe that most folks believe that the full calendars equate to fullness and satisfaction in life.  They see a full calendar and believe that this means they are doing something especially well and right.  This may be, but I think, more often than not, it just means that we are too busy.

Third, I believe that the most important things we can accomplish are things we can readily and easily do within the confines of our own homes – almost all the time.  Obviously, church and Temple attendance are two important exceptions for most folks.

Back to the stream of thoughts I was interested in that I felt myself almost apart from and observing:

It was a day a couple weeks ago in which I felt particularly happy and peaceful as I sat down absolutely alone, in a Chick-Fil-A with only one lunch to deal with, after visiting the Temple earlier.  It was the very first time in, literally, years that I’d been out by myself for any length of time.  While I was preggie with Jmy I went to the Temple alone a few times, but I never spent any more time away than the time it took to get there, work and get home.  So, this particular day a couple weeks ago was special and quite nice.

If someone had told me ten years ago that I would relish and be happy to sit alone to eat in a restaurant, I would’ve likely laughed them to scorn.  But, I was truly enjoying the feeling of having accomplished very little (but good things were accomplished) and probably not accomplishing much more upon returning home, other than the normal routine of straightening the house, milking the goat, eating dinner, and the bits preceding going to bed.

A pair of women took up the seat to my back.  They immediately began comparing the busy-ness and activity of their day.  Before one even finished a sentence, the other way chiming in with the things that she did that made her morning or the hour just prior busier than the other woman’s morning or hour.  It was not only one of them who did this.  It was a back-and-forth exchange.  They communicated about the busy of their lives like it was the most important thing they could possibly discuss.

Although it is contrary to who I desire to be and the life I am cultivating, I found a part of me wondering if maybe I wasn’t doing enough.  I’m speaking symbolically when I say that the strange stream of consciousness began small enough and was rather curious, so I paid a little attention.  As I paid it some heed, it seemed to surge and gain strength… it began to grow and I started to actually feel a concern that maybe my life was going in the wrong direction… perhaps I should be doing more, earning more, making more of myself.  I almost started to feel sad and unhappy with my quiet life when I realized what was happening and I slammed a wall in front of the head of that stream and quickly shoveled as much dirt on top as was necessary to staunch the flow of that stream.

One could easily begin to think that a life cultivated in quietness and worship is wrong and foolish if streams such as those are allowed to cut paths into belief and eventually become torrential and life altering rivers.

The following are a few memes I’ve run across on facebook that are particularly pertinent to my point:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have any experiences like this?

 

 

 

Saturday Soliloquy #7

Japan: Part 1

My trip to Japan was actually before my trip to Australia.  I’m glad, for the most part, but the awesomeness of Japan definitely outshone Australia as a result.  I think if I went to Australia first, I might not have been so disappointed with it.  Who knows.

So, I left for Japan in August of 2000.  I was only there for three and a half months, but those were some amazingly full months!

I wrote a newsletter about my experiences there, which I sent to a few people.  One of those people is my Mom… I rather hope she has copies of what I wrote.  I need to ask her.  However, I’m going to initially, at least, write my story of Japan as I would be left to tell it… from my memory now.  Since my children, especially Ria, ask me regularly to tell about my time in Japan, this really is the best way to do it.

Perhaps I should start before the trip with a few details.  First, it is important to know that my Dad’s limited time in Japan as a result of a Navy cruise definitely influenced my decision of destination to Japan as a foreign exchange student.  However, if I had not been taking Japanese with Ishibashi-sensei, I may not have seriously considered Japan when I started to think about doing exchange trips.

Ishibashi-sensei is such a spunky, smart, amazing lady that I wanted to be in her presence as much as possible.  So, I decided to add Japanese to the Education minor, which was necessary for me to become a teacher.  As a result of this choice, Ishibashi-sensei convinced me to go to Japan to complete the majority of the course requirements for my Japanese minor.  She conveyed how much more amazing and wonderful it would be to learn about Japanese religions and be able to visit shrines and temples IN Japan.  Because I was seriously planning to go SOMEwhere as an Exchange Student anyway and my Dad had such a great experience there, I was an easy sell on going to Japan.

As a result of getting all of my information submitted first, I won a travel scholarship.  That’s how my plane fare was paid.  What a huge blessing that was to me!

I worked full-time during that summer break and saved up somewhere around $1000.  Thankfully, at the time I went to Japan, the exchange rate was quite in US currency’s favor.  So, my $1000 US became a little bit more in Yen.

I honestly do not remember where I ran into them, but somewhere and somewhen I was out and about I happened to see and speak with some LDS Missionaries.  To be completely honest, I do not remember the meeting at all.  I only know it happened because I retained the business card of one of the missionaries I met.  His name was Elder Triplett.  As an interesting connection, these many years later, I am currently (2012) in DeLand 2 Ward with a brother of Elder Triplett.  Amazing, right?  Regardless, I know that this “chance” meeting that I don’t even remember was orchestrated by our loving Heavenly Father.  It was one of His Love notes to me.  He was showing me in a very real and concrete way that He knew where I was and that He was mindful of me… and wanted me to know that ministers of His Church would touch my life wherever I went (remember me meeting Elders in Sydney and then Perth, Australia!?).  This is a precious gift to my heart now, though I didn’t get it then.

Five Things For Friday

1

Things rarely go as I plan.  I was hoping to accomplish some grocery shopping on Monday, in preparation for the big week ahead.  Tea went ahead and climbed up and then subsequently fell off of a pretty low (but high enough) shelf in the toy room. Unfortunately the Shoenhut piano broke the impact of her head and left a nice 'T' shaped gash in her scalp. 

 

2

As a result of Tea's fall, I calmly and firmly directly Ria to place an emergency call to her Daddy.  She did is much better than last time... and last time she did a terrific job.  The gash had pretty much stopped bleeding on its own by the time Jessie arrived home (within 5 minutes of the call)... so long as I held it together.

 

3

Jessie applied skin glue, while I held the gash in place.  He then got excited and got Tea excited about a non-stick tape he'd seen (and wanted to buy) at Tractor supply.  If I'm correct, I believe they use this "tape" to tape up horses' forelegs.  Anyway... he bought pink zebra, which Tea was thrilled with... though she did say it was too bad there was no orange zebra... which is particularly funny since she asked for pink.  She ended up looking quite the punk rocker by Tuesday morning (this all happened Monday early afternoon, of course).  So, needless to say... the grocery trip (and mostly everything else, too) was put off.

 

4

Is it somehow true of everyone... or just me?  That when I have the most to do (or would like to get done) the least is accomplished?  *sigh*  That seems to be the case for this week... big birthday coming up... so of course it's uber difficult to accomplish what needs to be done!

 

5



I've now been blessed to visit the temple six weeks in a row.  The visit during the second week was just that, but it's still a visit to the temple!  :)



Thankful Thursday

I'm thankful for Tea!  Today is her fourth birthday.  I can hardly believe she's been in this world that long... and short.  I feel like she's always been with me and don't know how we could've ever been a family without her!  She's a wonder and a pleasure.  She's smart and considerate.  She is a super finder (and this is especially helpful for times like lately when I misplace things frequently).  She usually loves to help and do what she's asked.  She wants very much to learn how to do EVERYthing her big sisters know how to do.  She is usually a loving little AND big sister.  She is quite a proficient reader, for her age, and improving daily.  She is just wonderful and amazing!  I'm grateful our Heavenly Father chooses to preserve her with us each day she is!

My Mom has come in to town to celebrate Tea's 4th birthday.  I sure am thankful she's able to make it!!!

Tricky Tuesday #4

The chicken coop has been completely finished!  It looks amazing!!!

The underneath part, which is a goat shed, is also mostly complete.  It still needs a holder for hay and a couple holes covered up.  But the goats use it regularly, which is lovely to see!!!

The chickens, on the other hand... I hope we'll shut them up in it very soon (the Wyendottes, only) so that they learn to stay there and lay their eggs there for me!!

Jessie did a fabulous job executing my vision for the coop above the "shed"!  We don't have the sheckles (money) to buy hinges currently, but that didn't stop Jess from numerously hinging this beauty!!  Seriously!  It's awesome!!!

You want pictures?  Well, they'll come next week.  I've been rather busy and quite tired.  So, everything takes more time when those two combine!

I'll tell you a little, at least, for now:

So, the entry way for the goat shef faces the yard... so that we can see them enter/exit from the house if we look out.

The entrance for the chicken coop faces the opposite direction.

On both sides of the coop there are four nesting boxes that slightly jut out, thus not taking up valuable floor space.  On each side there are two levels of nesting boxes, each level has two boxes in it.  Thus we have 8 nesting boxes.  Since we have 8 hens currently, it seems to work out perfectly.  Of course, it's unlikely that they will lay in different boxes, but we're giving them plenty of room for it AND setting!  I sure hope the Wyendotte return to the broody behavior they exibited before moving here!

Each of the 4 levels of nesting boxes is hinged.  We had no money for hinges, so Jessie made hinges out of a pair of old leather shoes!!!  It looks amazing and works VERY well!!!

On the back of the coop there is a large hinged access door.  This door is so that we can add food and water and clean the floor.  To keep this door closed, Jessie installed a piece of wood with screws for stops on each side.  They flip up when I want to open the door and flip down to hold it closed.  Very nice.  Very resourceful!  Perfect for Tricky Tuesday!!

Oh, and ALL of the wood for this structure was free!  It can be tricky to save money... but it IS possible to make things happen even when resources are limited.

Meditation Monday #14

Meditation continues steadily.  Still daily, but I have switched things up a bit recently.  For the past week, I've been doing Kirtan Kriya almost exclusively.  I've done Meditation for Addiction a couple times, but I've done longer KKs most days.  It's been quite nice.  :)  Oh, and a couple times, I've done more of a guided imagery/breath meditation (without a recording), which has also been very nice.

Today is day 149 of meditating.

Sunday Preach It

I was reading, not so long ago, in The Book of Mormon.  I felt an absolute clarity, as if I could see the truth of what I was reading super-imposed on our day.  I could see that it was absolutely and completely true for us here and now.  I've had this experience, to a lesser degree, while reading the Bible, too... but I'm going to share what I came across in The Book of Mormon because it was so much more clear and easy to understand.

If you know much of anything about fractals, The Mandlebrot Set, and other such phenomenon, you'll know that the past and the present are all the same and in it's place as a part of the greater picture it is also different.  It's all the same while still maintaining differences.  Doesn't it make perfect sense?

The situation long ago, in the ancient days that were contemporary to the authors of The Book of Mormon, was writing and to which he was referring were certainly different compared to now.  However, the subject about which he was referring is exactly the same, regardless of how it manifests itself: sin.

What I include next is going to be a bunch of verses from The Book of Mormon.  I'm going to link to the verses for you, too.  They will appear as though I am randomly copying and pasting, but their order is purposeful.  I see these verses direct applicability for now... our day....

"Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.

"And behold, it is wisdom that this land should be kept as yet from the knowledge of other nations; for behold, many nations would overrun the land, that there would be no place for an inheritance.

"Wherefore, I, Lehi, have obtained a promise, that inasmuch as those whom the Lord God shall bring out of the land of Jerusalem [homelands] shall keep his commandments, they shall prosper upon the face of this land; and they shall be kept from all other nations, that they may possess this land unto themselves. And if it so be that they shall keep his commandments they shall be blessed upon the face of this land, and there shall be none to molest them, nor to take away the land of their inheritancce; and they shall dwell safely forever.

"But behold, when the time cometh that they shall dwindle in unbelief, after they have received so great blessings from the hand of the Lord—having a knowledge of the creation of the earth, and all men, knowing the great and marvelous works of the Lord from the creation of the world; having power given them to do all things by faith; having all the commandments from the beginning, and having been brought by his infinite goodness into this precious land of promise—behold, I say, if the day shall come that they will reject the Holy One of Israel, the true Messiah, their Redeemer and their God, behold, the judgments of him that is just shall rest upon them.

"Yea, he will bring other nations unto them, and he will give unto them power, and he will take away from them the lands of their possessions, and he will cause them to be scattered and smitten.

"Yea, as one generation passeth to another there shall be bloodsheds, and great visitations among them; wherefore, my sons, I would that ye would remember; yea, I would that ye would hearken unto my words.

"O that ye would awake; awake from a deep sleep, yea, even from the sleep of hell, and shake off the awful chains by which ye are bound, which are the chains which bind the children of men, that they are carried away captive down to the eternal gulf of misery and woe.

"Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth." (2 Nephi 1: 7-14)

"And men are instructed sufficiently that they know good from evil. And the law is given unto men. And by the law no flesh is justified; or, by the law men are cut off. Yea, by the temporal law they were cut off; and also, by the spiritual law they perish from that which is good, and become miserable forever.

"Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.

"Behold, he offereth himself a sacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto none else can the ends of the law be answered.

"Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who layeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise.

"Wherefore, he is the firstfruits unto God, inasmuch as he shall make intercession for all the children of men; and they that believe in him shall be saved.

"And because of the intercession for all, all men come unto God; wherefore, they stand in the presence of him, to be judged of him according to the truth and holiness which is in him. Wherefore, the ends of the law which the Holy One hath given, unto the inflicting of the punishment which is affixed, which punishment that is affixed is in opposition to that of the happiness which is affixed, to answer the ends of the atonement —

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.

"Wherefore, it must needs have been created for a thing of naught; wherefore there would have been no purpose in the end of its creation. Wherefore, this thing must needs destroy the wisdom of God and his eternal purposes, and also the power, and the mercy, and the justice of God.

"And if ye shall say there is no law, ye shall also say there is no sin. If ye shall say there is no sin, ye shall also say there is no righteousness. And if there be no righteousness there be no happiness. And if there be no righteousness nor happiness there be no punishment nor misery. And if these things are not there is no God. And if there is no God we are not, neither the earth; for there could have been no creation of things, neither to act nor to be acted upon; wherefore, all things must have vanished away." (2 Nephi 2: 5-13)

"And, in fine, wo unto all those who die in their sins; for they shall return to God, and behold his face, and remain in their sins.

"O, my beloved brethren, remember the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God, and also the awfulness of yielding to the enticings of that cunning one. Remember, to be carnally-minded is death, and to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.

"O, my beloved brethren, give ear to my words. Remember the greatness of the Holy One of Israel. Do not say that I have spoken hard things against you; for if ye do, ye will revile against the truth; for I have spoken the words of your Maker. I know that the words of truth are hard against all uncleanness; but the righteous fear them not, for they love the truth and are not shaken.

"O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

"And whoso knocketh, to him will he open; and the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches—yea, they are they whom he despiseth; and save they shall cast these things away, and consider themselves folls before God, and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

"But the things of the wise and the prudent shall be hid from them forever—yea, that happiness which is prepared for the saints.

 "O, my beloved brethren, remember my words. Behold, I take off my garments, and I shake them before you; I pray the God of my salvation that he view me with his all-searching eye; wherefore, ye shall know at the last day, when all men shall be judged of their works, that the God of Israel did witness that I shook your iniquities from my soul, and that I stand with brightness before him, and am rid of your blood.

"O, my beloved brethren, turn away from your sins; shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast; come unto that God who is the rock of your salvation.

"Prepare your souls for that glorious day when justice shall be administered unto the righteous, even the day of judgement, that ye may not shrink with awful fear; that ye may not remember your awful guilt in perfectness, and be constrained to exclaim: Holy, holy are thy judgments, O Lord God Almighty—but I know my guilt; I transgressed thy law, and my transgressions are mine; and the devil hath obtained me, that I am a prey to his awful misery.

"But behold, my brethren, is it expedient that I should awake you to an awful reality of these things? Would I harrow up your souls if your minds were pure? Would I be plain unto you according to the plainness of the truth if ye were freed from sin?" (2 Nephi 9: 38 - 47)

"Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blamelss before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?

"Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.

"Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.

"And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?

"Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!

"Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!

"Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.

"Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;

"Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—

"For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn.

"O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice!

"Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.

"And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.

"For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.

"Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.

"And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works.

"And now, my brethren, I would that ye should hear me, for I speak in the energy of my soul; for behold, I have spoken unto you plainly that ye cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God."  (Alma 5: 27-43)

"Now Alma, being grieved for the iniquity of his people, yea for the wars, and the bloodsheds, and the contentions which were among them; and having been to declare the word, or sent to declare the word, among all the people in every city; and seeing that the hearts of the people began to wax hard, and that they began to be offended because of the strictness of the word, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful."  (Alma 35:15)

"O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

"Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God. I created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are. I was with the Father from the beginning. I am in the Father, and the Father in me; and in me hath the Father glorified his name.

"I came unto my own, and my own received me not. And the scriptures concerning my coming are fulfilled.

"And as many as have received me, to them have I given to become the sons of God; and even so will I to as many as shall believe on my name, for behold, by me redemption cometh, and in me is the law of Moses fulfilled.

"I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.

"And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea, your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

"And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost, even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and they knew it not.

"Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the world, to save the world from sin.

"Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved." (3 Nephi 9: 13-22)

"And now, I speak also concerning those who do not believe in Christ.

"Behold, will ye believe in the day of your visitation—behold, when the Lord shall come, yea, even that great day when the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, yea, in that great day when ye shall be brought to stand before the Lamb of God—then will ye say that there is no God?

"Then will ye longer deny the Christ, or can ye behold the Lamb of God? Do ye suppose that ye shall dwell with him under a consciousness of your guilt? Do ye suppose that ye could be happy to dwell with that holy Being, when your souls are racked with a consciousness of guilt that ye have ever abused his laws?

"Behold, I say unto you that ye would be more miserable to dwell with a holy and just God, under a consciousness of your filthiness before him, than ye would to dwell with the damned souls in hell.

"For behold, when ye shall be brought to see your nakedness before God, and also the glory of God, and the holiness of Jesus Christ, it will kindle a flame of unquenchable fire upon you.

"O then ye unblieving, turn ye unto the Lord; cry mightily unto the Father in the name of Jesus, that perhaps ye may be found spotless, pure, fair, and white, having been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, at that great and last day.

"And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues;

"Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them.

"For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing?

"And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles.

"But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are.

"Behold, he created Adam, and by Adam came the fall of man. And because of the fall of man came Jesus Christ, even the Father and the Son; and because of Jesus Christ came the redemption of man.

"And because of the redemption of man, which came by Jesus Christ, they are brought back into the presence of the Lord; yea, this is wherein all men are redeemed, because the death of Christ bringeth to pass the resurrection, which bringeth to pass a redemption from an endless sleep, from which sleep all men shall be awakened by the power of God when the trump shall sound; and they shall come forth, both small and great, and all shall stand before his bar, being redeemed and loosed from this eternal band of death, which death is a temporal death.

"And then cometh the judgement of the Holy One upon them; and then cometh the time that he that is filthy shall be filthy still; and he that is righteous shall be righteous still; he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still.

"And now, O all ye that have imagined up unto yourselves a god who can do no miracles, I would ask of you, have all these things passed, of which I have spoken? Has the end come yet? Behold I say unto you, Nay; and God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.

"Behold, are not the things that God hath wrought marvelous in our eyes? Yea, and who can comprehend the marvelous works of God?

"Who shall say that it was not a miracle that by his word the heaven and the earth should be; and by the power of his word man was created of the dust of the earth; and by the power of his word have miracles been wrought?

"And who shall say that Jesus Christ did not do many mighty miracles? And there were many mighty miracles wrought by the hands of the apostles.

"And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles.

"And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust.

"Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

"For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature;

"And he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved, but he that believeth not shall be damned;

"And these signs shall follow them that believe—in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover;

"And whosoever shall believe in my name, doubting nothing, unto him will I confirm all my words, even unto the ends of the earth.

"And now, behold, who can stand against the works of the Lord?  Who can deny his sayings? Who will rise up against the almighty power of the Lord? Who will despise the works of the Lord? Who will despise the children of Christ? Behold, all ye who are despisers of the works of the Lord, for ye shall wonder and perish.

"O then despise not, and wonder not, but hearken unto the words of the Lord, and ask the Father in the name of Jesus for what things soever ye shall stand in need.  Doubt not, but be believing, and begin as in times of old, and come unto the Lord with all your heart, and work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before him.

"Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.

"See that ye are not baptized unworthily; see that ye partake not of the sacrament of Christ unworthily; but see that ye do all things in worthiness, and do it in the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God; and if ye do this, and endure to the end, ye will in nowise be cast out." (Mormon 9: 1-29)

"Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.

"And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.

"And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.

"And whatsoever thing is good is just and true; wherefore, nothing that is good denieth the Christ, but acknowledgeth that he is.

"And ye may know that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever."  (Moroni 10: 3-7)

That's it for the Book of Mormon quotes. 

If you're still 'thirsty,' feel free to continue on!

Next, I'm including a whole talk by Marion G. Romney (from way back in October 1975, but even more pertinent today than it was then!) because it's totally pertinent to the subject of this whole post.  I'm going to highlight parts and also write my own commentary as I desire in a different color from the standard black of the type in the talk.  It's a bit long, and if you've made it this far... I'm super impressed.  I hope you will continue with me and see what we can see:

America’s Destiny

Marion G. Romney

My beloved brothers and sisters, I invite you to join in a prayer that while I speak you and I may both enjoy the Spirit. I will give you a lesson today that the Lord has taken great pains to bring to us.

Among the questions frequently raised in connection with our upcoming national bicentennial is “Can we maintain our basic freedoms, peace, and prosperity for another 200 years?”

The answer to this question is yes, if we shall individually repent and conform to the laws of the God of this land, who is Jesus Christ.

He has stated the basics of his laws in the Ten Commandments, the Sermon on the Mount, and in the two great commandments:

“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. …

“And … thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” (Matt. 22:37, 39.)

Millennia ago he declared: “There shall none come into this land [he was speaking of America] save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

“… this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them.” (2 Ne. 1:6–7.)

Another ancient prophet said,

“This is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.” (Ether 2:12.)

It is my purpose in making these remarks to point out from the record of ancient inhabitants of America that the foregoing decrees have been carried out.

In the western part of the state of New York near Palmyra is a prominent hill known as the “hill Cumorah.” (Morm. 6:6.) On July twenty-fifth of this year, as I stood on the crest of that hill admiring with awe the breathtaking panorama which stretched out before me on every hand, my mind reverted to the events which occurred in that vicinity some twenty-five centuries ago—events which brought to an end the great Jaredite nation.

You who are acquainted with the Book of Mormon will recall that during the final campaign of the fratricidal war between the armies led by Shiz and those led by Coriantumr “nearly two millions” of Coriantumr’s people had been slain by the sword; “two millions of mighty men, and also their wives and their children.” (Ether 15:2.)

As the conflict intensified, all the people who had not been slain—men “with their wives and their children” (Ether 15:15)—gathered about that hill Cumorah (see Ether 15:11).

“The people who were for Coriantumr were gathered together to the army of Coriantumr; and the people who were for Shiz were gathered together to the army of Shiz. …

“Both men women and children being armed with weapons of war … did march forth one against another to battle; and they fought all that day, and conquered not.

“And it came to pass that when it was night they were weary, and retired to their camps; and … took up a howling and a lamentation for the loss of the slain of their people.” (Ether 15:13, 15–16.)

This routine was repeated day after day until “they had all fallen by the sword, save it were Coriantumr and Shiz.” Shiz himself “had fainted with the loss of blood.

“And it came to pass that when Coriantumr had leaned upon his sword, [and] rested a little, he smote off the head of Shiz.

“And it came to pass that after he had smitten off the head of Shiz, that Shiz raised upon his hands and fell; and after that he had struggled for breath, he died.

“And it came to pass that Coriantumr fell to the earth, and became as if he had no life.” (Ether 15:29–32.)

Thus perished at the foot of Cumorah the remnant of the once mighty Jaredite nation, of whom the Lord had said, “There shall be none greater … upon all the face of the earth.” (Ether 1:43.)

As I contemplated this tragic scene from the crest of Cumorah and viewed the beautiful land of the Restoration as it appears today, I cried in my soul, “How could it have happened?”

The answer came immediately as I remembered that some fifteen to twenty centuries before their destruction, as the small group of their ancestors was being divinely led from the tower of Babel, the Lord “would that they should come forth even unto [this] land of promise, which was choice above all other lands, which the Lord God had preserved for a righteous people.

“And he had sworn in his wrath unto the brother of Jared [their prophet-leader], that whoso should possess this land … from that time henceforth and forever, should serve him, the true and only God, or they should be swept off when the fulness of his wrath should come upon them.

“And now, we can behold the decrees of God concerning this land,” wrote the ancient prophet-historian, “that it is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.

“For behold, this is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God.” (Ether 2:7–10.)

Pursuant to this decree concerning the land of America, the Jaredites were swept off in the manner we have reviewed, because, rebelling against the laws of Jesus Christ—the God of the land—they “ripened in iniquity.”

Nor were they the only people who anciently were divinely led to this choice land to grow in righteousness to be a mighty nation and then to deteriorate in wickedness until they ripened in iniquity and were, pursuant to God’s decree, swept off.

I emphasize “divinely led” because, as above indicated, the Lord told them that they were being so led, and “that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord.

“Wherefore, this land is consecrated unto him whom he shall bring. And if it so be that they shall serve him according to the commandments which he hath given, it shall be a land of liberty unto them; wherefore, they shall never be brought down into captivity; if so, it shall be because of iniquity; for if iniquity shall abound cursed shall be the land for their sakes, but unto the righteous it shall be blessed forever.” (2 Ne. 1:6–7.)

This second civilization to which I refer, the Nephites, flourished in America between 600 B.C. and A.D. 400. Their civilization came to an end for the same reason, at the same place, and in the same manner as did the Jaredites’. From the account of their death struggle, I quote:

“And now,” says Mormon, their historian, “I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites … to the land of Cumorah. … And when … we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah, … my people, with their wives and their children, did … behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.

“And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.

“And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.

“And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow … from the top of the hill Cumorah, [230,000] of my people who were hewn down, …

“Even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had dissented over unto the Lamanites, had fallen. …

“And my soul was rent with anguish, … and I cried:

“O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! … How could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!

“Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. …

“O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, … how is it that ye could have fallen! …

“O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you.” (Morm. 6:1, 4, 5, 7, 9–11, 15–19, 22.)

Moroni a little later wrote:

“Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. …

“… after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, … the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.

“And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people.” (Morm. 8:1–3.)

The tragic fate of the Jaredite and the Nephite civilizations is proof positive that the Lord meant it when he said that this “is a land of promise; and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall serve God, or they shall be swept off when the fulness of his wrath shall come upon them. And the fulness of his wrath cometh upon them when they are ripened in iniquity.” (Ether 2:9.)

This information, wrote Moroni, addressing himself to us who today occupy this land, “cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles” (now, Gentiles is the term used by the Book of Mormon prophets to refer to the present inhabitants of America and to the peoples of the old world from which they came), “[this] cometh unto you, O ye Gentiles, that ye may know the decrees of God—that ye may repent, and not continue in your iniquities until the fulness come, that ye may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon you as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.

“Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ.” (Ether 2:11–12.)

In 1492, in harmony with the Lord’s statement heretofore quoted, “that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord” (2 Ne. 1:6), Columbus was divinely led to America.

Away back between 590 and 600 years B.C., Nephi, looking in vision down the stream of time, “beheld a man among the Gentiles [that is, among the nations of Europe], who was separated from [this promised land] by the many waters; and I beheld,” said he, “the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto … the promised land.

“And it came to pass that I beheld the Spirit of God, that it wrought upon other Gentiles; and they went forth … upon the many waters.

“And it came to pass that I beheld many multitudes of the Gentiles upon the land of promise.” (1 Ne. 13:12–14.)

Columbus himself corroborated the fact that he was divinely led to this land.

“In the royal presence of Isabella, Irving [his biographer] says: ‘He unfolded his plans with eloquence and zeal for he felt himself, as he afterwards declared, kindled as with a fire from on high, and considered himself the agent chosen of heaven to accomplish the grand design. …

“His son Fernando, in the biography of his father quotes him as saying on one occasion: ‘God gave me the faith and afterwards the courage so that I was quite willing to undertake the journey.’

“And the will of Columbus reads:

“ ‘In the name of the … holy trinity, who inspired me with the idea and afterwards made it perfectly clear to me that I could navigate and go to the Indies from Spain, by traversing the ocean westward.’ ” (Nephi Lowell Morris, Prophecies of Joseph Smith and Their Fulfillment, Deseret Book, 1945, pp. 289, 294–95; italics added.)

Because Columbus was led, we are here in this choice land.

God gave us victory in the Revolutionary War. We are indebted to him for our nation’s independence. He has prospered us in every righteous endeavor. He established the Constitution of the United States “by the hands of wise men whom [he] raised up unto this very purpose.” (D&C 101:80.)

He himself with his Beloved Son appeared to the Prophet Joseph Smith to open a new dispensation of the gospel of Jesus Christ here in this land. He has established his Church here and has sent and is sending representatives thereof into every nook and corner of the land—and as far as possible to all the earth—to declare and teach the laws of Jesus Christ, the God of this land.

He has revealed anew and repeated over and over again the ancient decree: “This is a land which is choice above all other lands; wherefore he that doth possess it shall serve God or shall be swept off; for it is the everlasting decree of God” concerning this land. (Ether 2:10.)

This knowledge has been revealed to us that we “may know the decrees of God—that [we] may repent, and not continue in [our] iniquities until the fulness come, that [we] may not bring down the fulness of the wrath of God upon [us] as the inhabitants of the land have hitherto done.” (Ether 2:11.)

We are living in the dispensation of the fulness of times, which will be climaxed by the second advent of the Lord Jesus Christ. Concerning the approach of that event and what is in store for the inhabitants of the earth between now and then, the Lord said 144 years ago:

“The wrath of God shall be poured out upon the wicked without measure. …

“Wherefore the voice of the Lord is unto the ends of the earth, that all that will hear may hear.”

And this is his message: “Prepare ye, prepare ye for that which is to come, for the Lord is nigh;

“And the anger of the Lord is kindled, and his sword is bathed in heaven, and it shall fall upon the inhabitants of the earth. …

“The hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.

“And also the Lord shall have power over his saints, and shall reign in their midst, and shall come down in judgment upon … the world.” (D&C 1:9, 11–13, 35–36.)

Now my beloved brethren and sisters everywhere, both members of the Church and nonmembers, I bear you my personal witness that I know that the things I have presented to you today are true—both those pertaining to past events and those pertaining to events yet to come. The issue we face is clear and well defined. The choice is ours. The question is: Shall we of this dispensation repent and obey the laws of the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, or shall we continue to defy them until we ripen in iniquity?

That we will repent and obey and thereby qualify to receive the blessings promised to the righteous in this land, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen.