Why didn't Noah's family play cards?

Because he was always standing on the deck.

This week we talked a lot about the Old Testament, setting the scene for Christ's life and ministry. We talked about the sacrifices they were commanded to make and how the Lord works in our lives.

One of the things we discussed is how when we get commandments from the Lord, we're often missing either the what, how, or why. And that forces us to act in faith until the Lord reveals the rest to us. Recently, I've been waiting to learn the why behind my mission being a bit postponed, and as I've had faith that this is what I'm supposed to be doing, I've been learning the reasons why a little bit every day.

Another thing that Brother Griffin mentioned that I had never noticed before was the large number of parallels between the story of Cain and Abel and the war in heaven. Abel was a shepherd, who sacrificed when he gave his offering, and said offering was acceptable. Cain didn't have to give up something personal when he gave his offering (he didn't name his vegetables, at least I assume he didn't), and tried to get gain, and when his offering was rejected, he got angry instead of repenting. And then Abel was killed while he was watching his flocks. The scriptures really are full of types of Christ, which help us to better know the Savior and understand His sacrifice.

"Whether by mine own voice or by the mouth of my serpents, it is the same."

I had a hard time choosing a title this time. There were a number of good ones.  But I felt like this one was the best.

So this week, we talked about the Creation and the Fall. And we read Moses 4:27, which says:

     "Unto Adam, and also unto his wife, did I, the Lord God, make coats of skins, and clothed them."
And who knew a verse this short and seemingly insignificant could hold so much meaning! 

First, they'd tried to cover themselves, using fig leaves. But apparently fig leaves dry out really quickly, since their surface area is so large, and then they curl in on themselves, so they wouldn't provide a lasting covering. Plus, "fig leaves are like sandpaper. But hey, they were the latest in Fall fashion." 

So to make more lasting coverings, some animals needed to be killed. Adam and Eve had named all the animals. They probably were rather attached to them. And then they watched those animals be sacrificed to cover them. From the very beginning, God is teaching them about Christ's Atonement. We can try to cover ourselves, but it doesn't work. To cover us, we needed an infinite atonement, and Christ volunteered. Christ was our brother. We loved Him. And then He was sacrificed to cover our sins and weaknesses and afflictions. I can't imagine being in heaven and watching it, knowing that He was going through that for me. I can't help but feel loved, knowing He did that for me. I can't wait to head out on a mission and get to spread that knowledge, wherever I'm sent! 

"Cross-referencing is a pain with scrolls."

So this semester, I am taking a religion class called Christ and the Everlasting Gospel. For this class, I will be writing a post every week sharing something that I've learned. So without further ado...

Oh, the title this week comes from something that Brother Griffin said in class, which I liked. I think the title each week will be something funny that he said during the past week.

On Thursday, Brother Griffin said, at some point in the lecture, "If you're on the same boat as the Savior, it's not going down." This week, I've been reading about Alma and Amulek (Alma 14), and at the end, when they come out of the prison rubble unscathed, it reinforced this truth to me that if we're on the Lord's side, we will be okay. This doesn't mean that life will be easy, as if it ever is. I mean, the prison didn't fall apart the very first day Alma and Amulek were put in. They had to wait and suffer in there for a little while first. But in the end, it will be worth it.

This week, we've seen Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose, as well as the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, as well as lots of fires and the earthquakes in Idaho and other disasters. I can't imagine being in a boat in a hurricane, but our world today can very much feel like we're in a hurricane or like the world is falling down around us. And I don't doubt that Alma and Amulek were probably a little concerned when the walls and the roof were falling down around them, but they trusted in the Savior, and none of the falling debris hurt them. If we're in the Savior's ship, we can take courage that it's not going down, and that it'll be okay in the end.