Sonagolese

If it happens – as it sometimes happens That your world turns dark and blue, Dark clouds gather round you And all the dreams you’re dreaming won’t come true, Pound your fist upon Earth-Mother, Lift your voice and cry And when your temper is all over Lift your heart and dream again. If it happens – as it always happens That someone goes before, Keep your memories in your pocket, Wear them as a treasured locket, Feel the love that still surrounds you As you go upon your way For as sure as springtime’s coming You will meet again – someday.

Hello Jane. How's it going?

It was the 10:30 in the evening on Christmas Eve in the tiny house on the Indian reservation and John could not sleep. His mind was filled with joyous thoughts of the bounty of toys, candy, cookies and cakes that the next day might bring him. His joy was tempered with uncertainty though, because this would be the first Christmas that John would spend without his mother, who had died earlier in the year. So, John was truly troubled. He knew that if he didn’t fall to sleep soon, he would be much too tired to awake early. And he wasn’t sure whether Christmas would ever be quite as special as it had always been before. Finally, after debating with himself about the wisdom of it, John called to his father and pleaded with him to help him fall asleep. With a whimper in his voice, John cried, “Papa! Please tell me a story.” John listened as heavy footsteps came up the ladder into the loft where his bed was situated in the tiny house. In a deep, soft voice John’s father spoke, “You know you’re suppose to be asleep, don’t you? Well, never mind. I was much the same when I was your age on Christmas Eve. You want a story, eh?” “Oh yes, please!” John replied. John’s father thought for a while before he spoke again. Then, in almost a whisper, he said, “Now that I think about it, I haven’t told you the true importance of this time of year before. Most people think that Christmas is all there is worth celebrating during wintertime. But, before there ever was a Christmas to celebrate, our people knew there was something very special about this time of year.” John’s eyes grew big with wonder and excitement. His father’s voice took an almost distant tone as it often did during storytelling, so John remained silent and listened as his father began to speak. “Long ago, when the world was young, it was a very different and much more beautiful place. It was a time long before noisy cars and airplanes, and the only rush you heard was the sound of the wind as it rustled through the leaves in the trees. Human beings lived in this world, but there were not many of them and they were very different than they are today. Because they lived so close to the animals, rocks, and plants of the forest, they had learned their many languages and could speak with them. One day, a most horrid thing happened. The sun did not set and the moon did not rise. Because of this, there was no nighttime. At first, all the creatures enjoyed themselves. The sun always shined and the sky was almost always clear and blue. But as time went on, and as beautiful as it was, the creatures found it pretty tiresome to wake up time after time in a world that never changed. Each day was bright as the day before. But, because the days never altered, the task of survival became more difficult. As their boredom and hardships increased, the creatures began to mutter. Someone must have done something to have so upset Creator to bring about this change. Of course, each creature blamed the other. Beyond the question of who was to blame, they began to wonder how or whether the world would ever be the same as it had always been. With this uncertainty came a great sense of fear in the world. It was finally decided that there should be a Grand Counsel to discuss the matter. Each form of creature was permitted to send one of their kind to attend the great counsel. So it was that, from among humankind, a man named Glikikan was sent to the first grand counsel of creation. It is from him that this story was passed down through the generations. The time came when the Counsel finally met. As the meeting opened, the oldest of the representatives in attendance, the Tree, spoke first and very slowly. “We are gathered from all creation to discuss this most peculiar matter of the sun and the moon. Although we have each been affected in different ways, we should each be aware that this situation cannot continue. There are many gathered at this counsel and each should be given the chance to speak. But each who has something important to say should be given the chance to speak in an orderly manner.” Having said this, the Tree rustled one of her branches until a small stick fell to the ground. “For this purpose, I set before you a means to govern our discussion -- that while the one who holds this talking-stick may speak, all others will give their undivided attention and listen. Turtle, who was sitting next to the Tree, reached out, picked up the stick, and began to speak. “I thank you, Tree, for your wise words. Long have you graced this world with your beauty and grace, and it pains me to see your leaves singed brown by the hot sun. Although I have heard many mutterings during my travels, I believe there is no one here who knows the true cause of this calamity. Therefore, I suggest that we send Eagle as our emissary to speak with Creator and bring back to us the reason for the sun’s never setting and the moon’s failure to rise.” As Turtle spoke, there was a mumble of agreement among all the creatures gathered at the Counsel. Eagle stepped forward with all his dignity and bowed. Reaching forth with his great talons, he gently grasped the talking-stick from Turtle. “I am honored by your task and humbled by the grave responsibility you have given to me. I will fly as fast and as high as the wind will take me. If I do not return, you will know that I have died attempting to fulfill your request.” Dropping the talking-stick at Turtle’s feet and without hesitation, Eagle flapped his great wings and sprung up into the air. Everyone watched in awe as he soared higher and higher until not even Owl could see him anymore. Minutes turned to hours and hours turned to days as the Grand Counsel waited in anticipation and watched for signs of Eagle’s return. Finally, after nine sleeps, Eagle returned as he had promised. Word quickly spread throughout the land and all the creatures waited anxiously to hear the message that Eagle carried to them from Creator. Around the Grand Counsel, the representatives waited patiently as Eagle was fed and was given drink for he had not rested nor eaten since he began his journey. It was Turtle who purposefully walked up to Eagle and placed the talking-stick at his feet. Finally, after he caught his breath and smoothed his worn feathers, Eagle related to them what he had been told by Creator. Not a sound could be heard as he recounted his experience. “My friends, I have spoken with Creator and he has spoken to me. I asked him why he had made the sun to never set and the moon to never rise. He told me that the bond between sun and moon had become withered with age and had broken. He commanded that I return to you and ask your help in finding a new binding that he could use that would never break, but would hold the sun and moon forever in balance.” The Grand Counsel looked at Eagle in surprise and relief. They were surprised that Creator would admit to a flaw in his creation. But they were relieved that none of the earthly creatures, through some misdeed, were guilty of such a catastrophe. Their relief turned to puzzlement and dismay as they considered the task laid before them. What substance could they possibly find that would be strong enough to bind the sun to the moon for all eternity? The talking-stick was passed among the Counsel, but no one could think of anything to say. Finally, it was Muskrat’s turn to speak. Clearing her throat, she said, “Our task is clear! We cannot hope to find this binding here as we talk among ourselves. I propose that we spread out and search throughout the land and return not later than ten sleeps from now.” After some careful thought about what Muskrat had proposed, the Grand Counsel agreed. In a rush, the representatives returned to their kind and reported what had transpired. They told of the message brought back by Eagle and of the task that lay before them to find some substance that would bind the sun to the moon for all eternity. Throughout the land they searched. Birds flittered about looking high on rock ledges in the mountains. Otters swam through rivers. Fish swam down to the depths of the oceans. Each member of creation, to the extent that they could, searched high and low for the mystery substance that would save them from eternal daylight. As the time for their tenth sleep approached, all creatures found it very difficult to fall asleep. They had gathered together all sorts of grasses, vines and other substances—hoping that one would serve the needs of Creator. Each was strong enough for their daily needs, but whether they would bind the sun to the moon for an eternity, that was doubtful. Wearily, the members of the Grand Counsel gathered together. Sadly, not all of the Counsel members were present. It was learned that some had perished in their search. After songs were sung in honor of their fallen comrades, each representative placed the product of their search in the center of the circle until it was stacked high with bindings of all sorts. When they gazed upon the pile of bindings, their spirits rose a bit. Perhaps if all the bindings were tied together, that would make a binding strong enough for Creator to use. Eagerly they bent to the task. After a bit of a struggle, they produced one binding from the mass of material that was before them. The task complete, they then puzzled how to test the binding. Would it hold? Frog hopped over to one end of the binding, picked it up, and said, “There’s only one way to find out! Let’s pull on each end. If the binding holds, then we will have completed our task.” Although he looked a bit silly straining to hold up one end of the binding, none could argue with his logic. So all the creatures, great and small, gathered on each side of the binding and pulled with all their might. The binding tensed and strained. Finally, with a loud snap it gave way and all the creatures lay in a heap of feathers, hair, scales, and leaves. They had failed. With much sadness, they helped each other from the ground. How could they have hoped to accomplish such an impossible task, they wondered. Why would Creator have played such a mean trick on them? Would it not have been easier for Creator to have fashioned a new binding himself? After all, he had created all things and knew their properties and strength. Squirrel began to softly weep, not for herself, but for her mate who had fallen down a chasm attempting to retrieve a nice, fat vine. She began to softly speak, to no one in particular, of her fond memories of him. How swift and cunning he was; how they had happily toiled into the night in search of food for their children; how gently he had removed burrs from her coat and tail. Softly she wept. Other creatures nearby, upon hearing the sweet mutterings of the squirrel, were greatly moved and began to reflect upon their own kin who had been lost or had been left behind at the beginning of their quest. Slowly, the murmurs and weeping spread to each Counsel member. The soft weeping and voices of creation blended into one great sound. Suddenly, to the amazement of all, the sun began to move from its position high in the heavens. As the sun continued its downward journey, the moon slowly rose and shadows began to fall on the ground. “What is this? What has happened?” they wondered. At that moment, a soft breeze began to rustle through the leaves of Tree. As the breeze passed through the Counsel, a voice was heard to say, “You have done well, my children. You have discovered a bond that I was able to use to renew that which had withered.” All the creatures bowed their heads, for they realized that Creator had come among them. It was Owl who spoke, “What bond have we discovered? As you see, the binding that we constructed lays in pieces on the ground.” Softly, the voice responded. “No. That is not the binding of which I speak. Your weeping and memories of your loved ones have reached my ears. So strong was the bond between you and them and between each of you. You see, I had noticed lately that in your haste to fulfill your own wants and needs, your memories of those who had gone before had begun to fade. So I devised this means to cause you each to renew that bond. As you honor your loved ones and love each other, you strengthen the bond between yourselves, with creation, and with me, your Creator” Owl replied, “Your wisdom is great and without end and we, your children are grateful to you. So that this bond remains forever strong, we beg you to devise a means by which to remind us to renew this precious bond.” At that moment, snow began to fall from the heavens. As the flakes fell upon the ground, Creator exclaimed, “This I give to you as a sign that it is time for remembrance and renewal. With that, the breeze moved softly on through the forest. And so it has been from that time that with the falling of the first snow, we must renew our bond with those we love and with our Creator. “Now the hour is late, young man, and tomorrow promises to be a busy day for both of us. You really do need to try to get some sleep.” John’s father said abruptly. As for John, visions of the creatures of the Great Counsel were fresh in his mind. His father gently tucked him warmly in his bed and plodded slowly down the ladder. “Dad!” exclaimed John. “Yes, son?” replied his father. “Dad, I love you. And I love mom, too!” John said with a tear in his voice. “Me too.” John’s father replied. “Goodnight Son, and merry Christmas.” John turned, snuggled under his blankets. As sleep began to overtake him, he gazed out his window and beheld the flakes of snow beginning to fall past his window. With a knowing smile on his face, John whispered, “Goodnight Mom, and merry Christmas.” With that, John fell to sleep.

Neither do I hold any doubts. My own father has always been my rock. He was the last of a long line of forefathers who were raised in a traditional Native American way and was greatly loved by his people. I've gone through life, I've heard people recount stories of how he was as a young man that do not always fit with the image I've grown up with. These stories, even if true, do not diminish the reverence with which I hold of him. This is my choice: to cast away that which has been my anchor because of what others may say or to hold close what I know myself to be true. Faith in God or in the prophets is much the same. We each make choices as to whether we will accept them or not as our anchors in the trials of life. While others may not always agree with our choices, they are our choices.

The holiest among us are not always holy. The wisest among us is not always wise. One's faith should not rely on how we view others or even how others view us, but how we view ourselves and our relationship with our Creator.

Thanks. I'm very glad you liked it. :)

The Spirit of Nature by Sonagolese I have come from the heart of all natural things, Whose life from the soul of the beautiful springs, You shall hear the sweet waving of corn in my voice, And the musical whisper of leaves that rejoice, For my lips have been touched by the spirit of prayer, Which lingers unseen in the soft summer air. And the smile of the sunshine that brightens the skies, Has left a glad ray of its light in my eyes. ~ On the sea-beaten shore, 'mid the dwellings of men, In the field, or the forest, or wild mountain glen, Wherever the grass or a daisy could spring, Or the musical laughter of childhood could ring, Wherever a swallow could build 'neath the eaves, Or a squirrel could hide in his covert of leaves, I have felt the sweet presence, and heard the low call Of the Spirit of Nature which quickens us all. ~ Grown weary and worn with the conflict of creeds, I had sought a new faith for the soul with its needs, When the love of the beautiful guided my feet Through a leafy arcade to a sylvan retreat. Where the oriole sung in the branches above, And the wild roses burned with their blushes of love, And purple-fringed astor and bright goldenrod, Like beautiful jewels adorned the green sod. ~ How blessed to feel from the care-laden heart, All the sorrows and woes that depressed it depart, And lay tired head, with its achings, to rest On the heart of the one who loves it the best. Thus, it is ever, when wearied we yearn To the bosom of nature and truth to return, And life blossoms forth into beauty anew, And we learn to repose in the simple and true. ~ No longer with self or with nature at strife, The soul feels the presence of infinite life, And the voice of a child, or the hum of a bee; The somnolent roll of the deep-heaving sea; The mountains uprising in grandeur and might; The stars that blaze forth in the infinite night; All speak in one language, persuasive and clear, To those who in spirit are waiting to hear. ~ There is something in nature beyond our control, That is tenderly winning the love of each soul. We shall linger no longer in darkness and doubt, When the beauty within meets the beauty without. Sweet Spirit of Nature, wherever thou art, Fold us like children, close, close to your heart. Til we learn that your bosom is truth's hallowed shrine, And the soul of the beautiful is the divine.

Wecome back! :)

Welcome. What area of science are you studying?

Thank you. My pleasure. :)

Silent Watcher As a child beside the curbstone Watching each parade that passes Is the Native in his homeland. All the color and the fanfare, All the banners flying gaily, All the heavy tanks and mortar, All the wealth and might of nations Pass before his wondering glances. Quite secure upon his curbstone Sits the child of nature marveling. Knowing deepwithin his spirit Still Earth Mother soon will call him. "Come, my child for this is over. Come into the hills and forests. Let me show you greater glories -- How the fern leaf curls in spring time, How the moon glows on the water, How to raise your arms at dawning Drawing deep the air of freedom. Come and watch with me at sunset All the banners of your father, Mighty Sky-Chief. all his colors Flung across the great lodge doorway. I will whisper and assure you Of the love we bear each other. By the Sky-Chief's rain you thirst not; From my harvests I will feed you; From the fields and from the forests Medicine to heal your illness. For your spirit all the glory, The security of knowing You are safely with your parents. Rest, my child. The day is over."

Welcome!

My mother came from Alberta...a tiny place called Athabaska Landing near Edmonton. Welcome to the forum and I'm glad you liked my post as well.

I'm somewhat familiar with the Narragansett. We share much of the same history, so that makes us kin after a fashion. Very nice to meet you, Cousin. :)

Thank you, Classylady. From where do you hail?

Hi Vort, I suspect that must've put you in Metaline Falls or thereabouts. I work as a volunteer firefighter and have been up that way on a wildland fire this past summer.

Hi all, I suppose that it goes without saying that I'm new to this group. Actually, I'm a relative newcomer to the LDS Church given that I was baptised in 2009 at an advanced age. In reality though, I can't honestly say that I was converted on that day. To me, the term conversion refers to a change in which one adopts a new religion, faith, or belief in exchange for a belief that was not quite true or not quite as spiritually fulfilling. While April 17, 2010, does stand out as an important date in my mortal and spiritual life, I don't believe I can claim that on that day I threw off the shackles of a former, less fulfilling faith to adopt a new and more enlightened belief. To me, it was the culmination of an evolutionary process that began long before I was even born. To help you better understand what I'm talking about, I believe that I need to give you some sense of my background. I am a member of the Munsee Band of the Delaware Nation of which my father was the last hereditary chief. From the time he was five years old he was taken from his mother to be taught by the elders who would prepare him for the day when he would bear responsibility for the physical and spiritual well being of his people. It was during this time, as had been done for hundreds of generations previously, that our religion, our history, and our cultural traditions were entrusted to him. When the time finally came for him to step into the role for which they had prepared him, it was incumbent upon him to confront issues that posed the greatest physical and spiritual threat to his people. At the time, most of us were content to live a very sheltered existence on our tiny reserve in Ontario, Canada, and not venture very far from home. There were those who were more adventurous, however, who would leave and we would never see them again or if they did return, it was as if their souls had been consumed and all that remained was an empty shell. My father decided that he had to find out what this demon was that devoured the spirits of our people. So, toward that end, he took my mother and all his children and left the reserve. We settled in the small town of Jacksontown, Ohio, about 45 miles east of Columbus. I was very young at the time and all I can remember was how lonely and frightening a time it was for us. All we had known of the non-Indian world was the horrific memories of hatred and persecution that drove us into Canada just a hundred years or so before. It was here, far removed from our tiny reserve, that I and my brothers and sisters were taught as much as my father could think to teach us. He had come to believe that if he could teach us all the good things of his culture and if we could learn all the good things that your culture had to offer, perhaps we then would be better prepared to confront the demon who would consume our souls. One of the most valuable lessons that we were given was this: If you lose all you have--your wealth, your country, your hopes--and still may keep a secure knowledge of yourself and your worth as a link in the chain of life, you have a rock to build upon. If all things be added unto you--wealth, position, fame, and power--but you have not the anchor of his heritage, you are as an empty canoe upon the waters of life. And so we were taught the story of our ancient past when the memory and joy of things we hold most sacred was freshly engraved upon the hearts of our people. My father would exclaim that in those days, "the Great Chief of Heaven spoke to us and called us His children. He sent His beloved, the Morning Star, the Healer, to teach us to live in love together. And he told of our downfall in those ancient days in a land where the bounties of the Supreme Being were spread for all people. Jealousy, greed, and suspicion possessed the people until each man's hand was lifted against his neighbor and the land became one vast battlefield. And he said that the Great Father-of-all looked upon His children with sadness and the prophecy was given: "This is my fair land. With my hands and my heart have I made it and it is dearer to me than all the lands of earth. If you cannot live by my laws, sharing in the gifts that I have given, then I will cause such enemies as you have never seen to come upon you, and they will put their feet upon your necks and grind your faces in the dust." But, he said, a promise was also given. "Some far day you will begin to lift your heads, and you will climb to the mountain and lift your arms saying as one voice, 'Father, we are here!' And I will remember." I remember that he spoke to us of the memory of sacred plates that had been lost long ago, which had been found by a young boy and that these plates told part of our story. He said that when it was learned that these most sacred stories were found, there was great anger among our people until they learned that this child had been shown these things in a dream. So you see, the wonderful stories that you find in the Book of Mormon were not unknown to us. Before he passed away in 1959, my father made an impassioned plea for his people to awaken...to come to a remembrance of our fathers and the true glory of our past. It's been more than Fifty years since my father passed away. Although the memories that my father taught to us were always in the dim reaches of my mind, I didn't speak of them often. I had a very successful career much of which was in service to Indian people throughout this nation. Following my retirement, my wife, Astrid, and I came into south Pend Oreille County and landed in what seemed to be the very heart of Mormon country. I kid you not, we had Mormons on the right of us and Mormons on the left of us. While I have had encounters with Mormon missionaries over the years, it occurred to me that in my entire life I had never once set foot in a Mormon church. The question was how to do it. Does one barge into it without an invitation? I thought not. Unbeknownst to me, my wife approached our good neighbor and asked him if he would be so kind to invite me in. In the months that followed, in the quiet hours of the evening my father's words came back to me...beckoning me to awaken and renew my covenant. And so began a rekindling of the fire and that had been lit so many years ago. So now you have heard my story and have become part of it and I have now become part of yours. Thus are we joined as a covenant people who share the same history and the same destiny. I have often heard it exclaimed that this is the one true church insofar as God, our creator, has bestowed a more complete understanding of the truth of his gospel. I can testify to you that it is true that God has bestowed upon us a great gift -- The Book of Mormon. To lay claim to be the true church, however, must also mean also that we recognize and accept the joyful burden that He has placed upon us. I testify to you that by God's power and grace, we are come into the promise. The voice of my fathers speak to us from the dust. Let us together lift our heads and our voices. It is my fervent prayer that the long winter of our spiritual slumber may finally be at an end. We should not falter, but stride fourth with vigor to perform our happy duty. These things I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Welcome to the site, Annie.

Welcome to the site, Flower. I'm fairly new to the church as well and live in Washington State.

Welcome to the site, jmmanley. I think that you'll like it here.

Welcome to the site, JMS.

Welcome to LDS.net, Adam. Look forward to any question you may have. I'm fairly new to the church as well, but there are many here who are well versed in church doctrine and scriptures.

Hello and welcome, Richard. My wife suffers from PTSD and uses a service dog. After checking with our bishop, we found that she is able to take her service dog to church. She isn't a church member, but goes with me on occasion to attend the sacrament service. Have you looked into service dogs for people suffering from epilepsy?

Welcome aboard, Andy.

I was just wondering whether anyone has ever done a count of the number of times the Book of Mormon makes mention of the restoration of the House of Israel in the latter days.