Olivia Gets Baptized!

Here are some personal messages for you, Kat and J-Man. Greetings from the fam! First, the star of the day herself.

Ah, Halloween

Where else can you dress up and act weird, and eat candy AND have it all be okay? Maybe that's why it one of my favorite holidays. Rachel got me going on creating witch's brews, potions and weird stuff in jars with cool labels, and I went a bit crazy. But, now I have a great layout for years ahead. Enjoy with me! Above is the whole layout.

How about some Faerie Bogwort tea, or Hairless Rats preserved in troll urine for best flavor?

Here is a lovely poisoned apple... for those fairer than you. (Be sure and check with your Magic Mirror first.)

Dessicated Dead Men's toes, anyone?



Before putting in the jar- nice and fresh!



The hot glue jelly



Jelly in the jar

Perhaps some toadstools and the classic "Eye of Newt"





Anointed- Another Role of Christ

Anointed:

The Hebrew word for anointed is מָשִׁיחַ “mah-SHE-akh”, or Messiah in English.  In Greek the word for anointed is χρίω “KHREE-oh”, the root word of the name “Christ”.  The act of anointing, by one in authority, bestows divine influence or power. It was a rite used specifically in the choosing of kings and religious authorities. (See 1 Sam 16:13; Exodus 40:13, 15)

In the Old Testament, those who served in the temple, as well as the vessels, altar and cakes offered, were anointed. This showed their consecrated status in the service of God. In an article written by Keith Meservy in the April 1987 Ensign, we read, “The title mashiah (anointed one) applied to anyone—a priest, a king, or a prophet—who was anointed with oil to minister in God’s behalf. (See Ex. 29:29; 1 Sam. 10:1; 1 Kgs. 19:16.) Jesus was all of these—prophet, priest, and king. His anointment took place in heaven, where God anticipated the fall of Adam and the need for a redeemer. For this reason, John identified Jesus as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” (Rev. 13:8.)”

The very olive oil used for anointing, is symbolic of Christ. It was burned in lamps to provide light. When the olives are first crushed in the press, the oil is red in color, symbolic of blood. The place where Christ shed great drops of blood during the atonement was in an olive garden known as Gethsemane. This word means “an oil press,” a combination of the Aramaic 'gath' (wine press) and 'shemeni' (oil). Christ reminds us that He has trodden the wine press alone.

The role of a king is to physically lead, direct, and protect his people. The role of a high priest is to spiritually lead, direct and bless his people. Consider Christ’s roles as king and priest:

MORTAL KINGSHIP: Christ’s Davidic right to rule the Jewish nation is noted in Matthew, who declares [Matt 1:1] that his record is “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” The tenth article of faith reminds us that Christ will reign personally on the earth during the millennium.

HEAVENLY KINGSHIP: Jehovah is referred to as the heavenly King in all the standard works of the church. Psalms 24:10 declares, “Who is this King of glory? The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory.” When Isaiah receives his prophetic calling, he cries, “…Woe is me! for I am undone: because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” [Is. 6:5] King Benjamin, in his final great address to his people states, “…if I, whom ye call your king… do merit any thanks from you, O how you ought to thank your heavenly King!” (See also Luke 19:38, D&C 128:22-23, and Moses 7:53)

MORTAL HIGH PRIEST: The role of the priest in Biblical times was to be:

·         a spiritual leader

·         one who serves (the word “kohen” or priest in Hebrew connotes service)

·         a conduit between the people and Jehovah in offering sacrifice for sin

·         an example of kindness, joy, charity, and zeal

 [From the Temple Institute (www.templeinstitute.org) ]

In Heb. 5, Paul also lists the duties of a high priest - “to offer gifts and sacrifices for sin” [v 1], to “have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way” [v 2], “to be “called of God, as was Aaron” [v 4].

HEAVENLY HIGH PRIEST: Paul records in Heb 8:1: “Now of the things which we have spoken this is the sum: We have such an high priest, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” Christ is the High Priest who made the ultimate sacrifice; who came to restore modern temple worship in our dispensation.

Note also in Matt. 1:1 that Christ is the “son Abraham”. The willingness of Abraham to sacrifice Isaac, the only begotten son of his wife Sarah, was a foreshadowing of the Father’s willingness to give his only begotten Son. The term “son of Abraham” has meaning pertaining to kingship and priestly office. Abraham desired the blessings of the fathers (Abr 1:2). What were these blessings? They are the blessings that culminate in the temple, and many are listed in this verse, including “High Priest” and “prince of peace”.

When I studied these last verses, I was awestruck by the majesty and grace of Christ, and how much I was taking for granted. The same blessings Abraham sought are just twenty minutes away from me, in a beautiful, white building that overlooks Bountiful. I believe it was my wise neighbor Bette Hubrich, who stated that fish don’t notice the water they swim in.

Advocate as a Name for Christ

I wanted to do some in-depth scripture study, and turned to researching the various names of Christ. I turned to http://www.lds.org/ for the great online scriptures- so much faster and easier than flipping pages, and http://www.eliyah.com/lexicon.html to access Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the bible for word meanings in Hebrew and Greek.

The words that describe the Man we call Jesus Christ are beautiful and rich in meaning. What a bonus package! As I have studied these names one by one, I have been humbled, awed, and have drawn closer to his loving presence. I want to share what I found, and hope any who read may have similar feelings. Here, presented one at a time, is my research for each name:

Advocate:

In the New Testament, the Greek word for advocate is παράκλητος (par-OCK-lee-toss), and is translated also as “comforter”. The word “advocate” does not appear in the Old Testament, but the word “comforter” is used. The Hebrew word is נָחַם, pronounced “nah-KHAM. It means to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, comfort or be comforted. How interesting that these definitions can mean almost the opposite thing. I am reminded of the sharp and two-edged sword which will discern the “thoughts and intents of the heart.”(Heb 4:12)

The Greek "advocate/comforter" means someone who is summoned to one’s side for aide. 1 John 2:1-2 states: My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation (appeasement) for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

The Doctrine and Covenants uses the word more frequently. D&C 29:5 joyfully declares, “Lift up your hearts and be glad, for I am in your midst, and am your advocate with the Father; and it is his good will to give you the kingdom.”

Section 110:4 records the first words of the Savior when He appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey in the Kirtland Temple: “I am the first and the last; I am he who liveth, I am he who was slain; I am your advocate with the Father.” In this statement Christ reminds us of his four major roles- [1] the first and last (Alpha and Omega); [2] the God who is the great I AM and lives eternally; [3] the suffering Savior; [4] and the Advocate who stands with us.

The Savior’s role of Advocate was earned through his great sacrifice. Mosiah tells us (15:7-8) that Christ would become “subject even unto death,” his will being “swallowed up in the will of the Father.” This allowed God to “break the bands of death”, gain “victory over death”, and give power to the Son to “make intercession for the children of men…” Christ himself explains in D&C 45:3-4: “Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him- saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified.”

This is why He can truly be our Advocate in this life. I used to wonder how Christ, in his short life in a different place and time from mine, could really understand my problems. One only has to read the words of Alma (Alma 7:12) to understand that Christ does know, for He took upon himself all the weaknesses of mortality, “that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

He understands it all, because he experienced it during the Atonement. In D&C 62:1 Christ states, “Behold, and hearken, O ye elders of my church, saith the Lord your God, even Jesus Christ, your advocate, who knoweth the weakness of man and how to succor them who are tempted.”

Another role of the Advocate is to stand by us at the hour of judgment, when He will plead the cause of men with the Father, for no person can enter the Father’s presence without that gift of grace. As 2 Nephi 2:8 says, “No flesh…can dwell in the presence of God, save it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah.”

Even the righteous inhabitants of Enoch’s city, despite such perfection that they were taken to heaven, had to be saved by the intercession of Christ. D&C 38:4 says: I am the same which have taken the Zion of Enoch into mine own bosom; and verily, I say, even as many as have believed in my name, for I am Christ, and in mine own name, by the virtue of the blood which I have spilt, have I pleaded before the Father for them.” The next verse reminds us that Christ will not plead the cause of the unrepentant. “But behold, the residue of the wicked have I kept in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day…” 1 John 2:1-4 clarifies: "My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." King Lamoni’s father clearly understood that the combination of works and faith- forsaking sin and accepting Christ- was the only way to achieve the greatest gift man can obtain. In Alma 22:18 he declares, “…I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day…”

Can we, who have the fullness of the gospel, deceive ourselves which any doctrines less that these? Let us find the joy that come to those who put their hand in the hand of the Advocate, and walk in his footsteps.

In the beginning...

I have given up on Facebook. I'm tired of receiving pokes, llamas from Farm Friends, and requests to join groups like The Groups Who Want to Make More Groups. Okay, just a bit of tongue in cheek. Actually, Facebook locks up my computer, and won't let me properly ramble on about cerebral cognitions in depth, breadth and length. So a blog is born...


The first one is for my wicked pissah, Mizzou-loving, far-from-home kids. Here's to you, Kat and J-Man! Aren't you glad you weren't on the last camping trip? No rain, but 31 degrees Monday morning! Wish you were here.

View from a nearby peak where I hiked.

Glenn came along too.

Caught Bob on the blink... or is it the effect of that "Rocky Mountain Spring Water"?

The REALLY white women.

Our camp up the road to nowhere.