Promised Blessings for participating in Missionary Work

1. You shall receive strength such as is not known among men (D&C 24:12)
2. He Himself will go with you and be in your midst.  Nothing shall prevail against you (D&C 32:3)
3. The Lord will stand by you (D&C 68:6)
4. Your tongue shall be loosed, and you will have the power of God unto the convincing of me (D&C 11:21)
5. Your mouth shall be filled and you shall become as Nephi of old (D&C 33:8)
6. You shall stand blameless before God (D&C 4:2)
7. You shall be lifted up at the last day (D&C 17:8)
8. You will be given a testimony of the words of the prophets (D&C 21:9)
9. You shall have revelations (D&C 28:8)
10. Your sins will be forgiven (D&C 31:5, 36:1, 60:7, 62:3, 84:61)
11. You shall have great faith (D&C 39:12)
12. You shall have blessings greater than the treasures of the earth (D&C 19:37-38)
13. He will take care of your flocks (D&C 88:72), and your back shall be laden with sheaves (D&C 31:5, 33:9)
14. You shall not be weary in mind, body, limb, or joint, and you shall not go hungry or thirsty.  A hair from your head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed (D&C 84:80, 116)
15. Your joy shall be great (D&C 18:14-15)
16. He will send upon you the Comforter, which shall teach you the truth and the way whither you shall go (D7C 79:2)
17. He will go before your face.  He will be on your right hand and on your left; His Spirit shall be in your hearts, and His angels round about you, to bear you up (D&C 84:88)
18. He will make you holy (D&C 60:7)

Clayton M. Christensen, The Power of Everyday Missionaries, p. 7-9

Elder Neil L. Andersen has witnessed, "If you're not a full-time missionary with a missionary badge pinned on your coat, now is the time to paint one on your heart-painted, as Paul said, 'not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.'

...I promise you, as you pray to know with whom to speak, names and faces will come into your mind.  Words to speak will be given in the very moment you need them.  Opportunities will open to you.  Faith will overcome doubt, and the Lord will bless you with your very own miracles." (Ensign, May 2013, 77)

Missionary Work- 1 hour more (talk)

Commandment:

54 years ago, President David O McKay called on every member to be a missionary.  At baptism we covenant “to stand as [a witness] of God at all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9) Many of us have also covenanted to consecrate our time, talents, etc, to the building up of the kingdom.  Elder L. Tom Perry recently said, “The bishop holds the keys to preside over his ward mission.” (“Missionary Work in the Digital Age”)  With that said, our Bishop has asked us to give one more hour a month than we are currently doing to missionary work.  This is not in addition to our other covenants but will help us meet our covenants.  In Bishop’s talk, he emphasized some of the blessings that will come from missionary work, and I found it very moving.  How many of us don’t like being blessed?

So we have been commanded to be missionaries and help build the kingdom and stand as a witness of God.  This commandment is not easy and I have struggled with it in my own life because sometimes it just seems really hard.  But in 1 Nephi 3:7 we read, “And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.”  God will prepare a way for us too.

In Elder L. Tom Perry’s talk, “Missionary Work in the Digital Age” he tells us to become one with the missionaries in missionary work.  For this we need a common goal and purpose or role to play.  Our goal as a ward is to have every member do one hour a month of missionary work.

 

I would suggest that our purpose as member missionaries is the same as the full-time missionaries.  In Preach My Gospel we can learn our purpose is “to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.”  We can invite anyone and everyone, member or non-member to come closer to Jesus Christ.

 

We need Charity and Humility which will bring the Spirit:

In missionary work we need charity and humility which will bring the Spirit. 

To have charity we need to recognize what Christ and His Atonement has done for us.  What blessings have come into our lives because of the gospel?  Then we can have the desire for our friends to be equally blessed.  Don’t we want the best for our friends?  We need to remember that what we have is the most precious gift we can give to our friends.  So when we invite our friends we don’t have to be pushy- we just need to show we are inviting out of love.  We love this Church, it’s a part of our lives and we want to share it. 

President Benson gave a definition for humility in his talk, “Keys to Successful Member-Missionary Work”, “Humility is the recognition of our dependence upon a higher power, a constant need for the Lord’s support in His work.”  When we have humility, we depend on the Lord and have His Spirit with us more fully.  And the Spirit is the only thing that can convert a person. 

I grew up very shy.  I wanted to serve a mission but I really didn’t know how I was going to talk to people.  When I turned 21, I left to serve in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana mission and I was terrified of speaking to people.  I prayed every day.  I knew I wanted to be a missionary, but I knew I could not do it alone.  To the end of my mission, I said silent prayers before knocking on every door.  But the Lord helped me and I saw success.  Elder Neil L. Andersen said, “Our desire to share the gospel takes all of us to our knees, and it should, because we need the Lord’s help.” (Elder Neil L. Andersen “It’s a Miracle)

 

Importance of You:

The Lord needs every one of us.  There are people that only you can touch.  Elder Neil L. Andersen said, and I quote “Brothers and sisters, as surely as the Lord has inspired more missionaries to serve, He is also awakening the minds and opening the hearts of more good and honest people to receive His missionaries. You already know them or will know them. They are in your family and live in your neighborhood. They walk past you on the street, sit by you in school, and connect with you online. You too are an important part of this unfolding miracle.  If you’re not a full-time missionary with a missionary badge pinned on your coat, now is the time to paint one on your heart—painted, as Paul said, ‘not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God.’” End quote.  (It’s a Miracle, Ensign May 2013)

 

People are Ready:

People are being prepared for us to find.  President Benson said, “People are hungry for an anchor, for something that will give them inner peace and a feeling of security.  They can’t find it in the churches of the world today.  They cannot find it in our uncertain economic system.” (President Benson “Keys to Successful Member-Missionary Work”)

 He also said, “Don’t worry about being successful.  We are going to be successful- there is no doubt about it.  The Lord has sent us to earth at the time of harvest.  He does not expect us to fail.  He has called no one to this work to fail.  He expects us to succeed.”  And in D&C 4:4 it reads, “For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;”

On my mission I met a man who found us.  He had started his journey for truth and a friend at work was willing to open his mouth and share what he believed.  Then he met an inactive girl that he wanted to marry.  He came to the Church with her for his first time and found us and set up an appointment with us.  He had been prepared.  He started his search on his own.  Then a member was willing to share and it led to us teaching him and him getting baptized.  People are being prepared all around us.  Sometimes they don’t even realize it because they aren’t always looking for a new church, sometimes they are just looking for peace or answers and if they find out that we have them it can open doors.

Ideas:

Elder Neil L Andersen said, quote, “The Savior taught us how to share the gospel.  I like the story of Andrew, who asked, “Master, where dwellest thou?”  Jesus could have responded with the location of where He lived.  But instead He said to Andrew, “Come and see.”  I like to think that the Savior was saying, “Come and see not only where I live but how I live.  Come and see who I am.  Come and feel the Spirit.”  We don’t know everything about that day, but we do know that when Andrew found his brother Simon, he declared, “We have found… the Christ.”  To those who show an interest in our conversations, we can follow the Savior’s example by inviting them to “come and see.”  Some will accept our invitation, and others will not.  We all know someone who has been invited several times before accepting an invitation to “come and see.”  Let’s also think about those who once were with us but who now we rarely see, inviting them to come back and see once more.” End quote.  (“It’s a Miracle” Neil L. Andersen)

I have a close friend who is Catholic and after years of trying, she is still not a member, but in high school she came to seminary with me one morning.  I invited her so she could see what I do so early in the morning.  I invited her to a stake dance so she could see the fun I had there.  She may not be a member yet, but because of my invitations she grew to respect our Church.  She went to a Catholic University and because she had learned to trust what I learned in Church, she turned to me for help on her religion papers.  She got A’s on all the ones I helped her with. J 

We can also invite people to Mutual activities, Church, the Family History center, Ward activities, Primary activities, Scouting programs, Relief Society activities- including book club or play group, or invite people into our homes for Family Home Evening.  Invite people to come and see.  Invite people to come closer to our Savior by attending these uplifting activities with you.

Even with members, we can invite them to attend Church more regularly or prepare to go to the temple.  If we are not currently doing home or visiting teaching, then setting aside an hour to visit the people assigned to us, especially those less-active, I think counts if we invite them to come back.  If we are doing visiting teaching already, then our hour “more” should be going to the next level.

We can invite people to come over for dinner when we feed the missionaries, or to meet with the missionaries or to read the Book of Mormon.  Another way we can help fulfill our hour a month is to host a missionary lesson.  The Mission President here wants to emphasize getting investigators into the members’ homes.  Offer to host a lesson with someone the missionaries already know.  This can be very valuable in missionary work, even if you don’t know the person ahead of time.  When an investigator has a lesson in your home, the Spirit is magnified because they feel both the spirit brought from the lesson the missionaries teach and the Spirit we create as families in our home.  It also helps investigators see how the Church has blessed your life.  One of the most powerful lessons I had on my mission was in a member’s home.  The Spirit was so strong that it made 2 full-grown men cry- one of whom I never would have expected to cry ever- he was a tough motorcycle guy- the kind that can come across as kinda scary when with the rest of their crew.  The Spirit was so strong that our investigator went from constantly pushing against our messages to committing to baptism.  He has now been married and sealed in the temple and is still active today.

Another way to do missionary work is through service.  Service softens the hearts of people and allows them to witness, first-hand, Christ-like behavior.  If you want to do service as a means of missionary work, I would suggest wearing a Church shirt- like an EFY shirt or a BYU one.  It identifies us as representatives of our Church and of Jesus Christ and can open doors for people wanting to know more.

Even full-time missionary work is in the process of changing.  Missionaries will soon be on facebook and we are invited to become “Facebook friends with the missionaries in [our] area on [our] own computers and [share] their gospel messages online and [become] involved in missionary work [ourselves].” (“Missionary Work in the Digital Age”)  We can also use other websites or blogs to invite others to come closer to Christ or to “come and see”.

 

Elder L Tom Perry tells us, “While the full-time missionaries are responsible for teaching investigators, they can and should be accompanied by ward council members, ward missionaries, or members who have a personal connection with the investigators.  Members who accompany the missionaries should bear their testimony of the principles taught in the missionary lessons and reinforce these principles between missionary appointments.”  Everyone needs a friend.  If you go out with the missionaries, make friends with the people you go see.  Try to keep in touch with them on your own, without the missionaries.  And if an appointment falls through, be willing to go with them on their backup plans.  The other day I was asked to go to an appointment with the missionaries.  Unfortunately he was sick and cancelled on us.  So I went with them as they went to a few back-up options and got to meet some great people, and even were able to share a brief gospel message with one of them. 

Elder Neil Andersen says,". . .I promise you, as you pray to know with whom to speak, names and faces will come into your mind. Words to speak will be given in the very moment you need them. Opportunities will open to you. Faith will overcome doubt, and the Lord will bless you with your very own miracles.”  If we choose to fulfill our hour on our own, the Lord will help us know who to invite into our homes or to Church or have over with the missionaries. 

 Elder Neil L Andersen also said, “Pray to your Heavenly Father.  This is His sacred work.  He will guide you in what to do.  He will open doors, remove roadblocks, and help you overcome obstacles.  The Lord declared, “The voice of warning shall be unto all people, by the mouths of my disciples, … and none shall stay them.” (Neil L Andersen “It’s a Miracle”)  Missionary work does not come naturally to us all, but as this quote promises, God will open doors, remove roadblocks and help you overcome obstacles.  I mentioned that I was very shy before going on my mission.  As I relied on the Lord, He helped me overcome that obstacle.  It still doesn’t come naturally to me, but I am now no longer the same shy girl I was before.  Towards the end of my mission I got to know a family.  I told them how I used to be very shy and the father said, “What?!  Now we can’t get you to shut up!”  Of course he said it with a big smile on his face.  For those of us who aren’t as outgoing I would recommend contacting the missionaries to help you fulfill your hour.  Host a lesson where the missionaries are responsible for teaching, or go with them and just bear a simple testimony of what they teach.  On my mission we had a member who wanted to be a better missionary but felt anxiety in opening her mouth.  So she started offering to give us rides to our appointments and as time went on she started opening her mouth more to bear simple testimony at our meetings and by the time we left that area, she was starting to talk to her friends on her own.

I know that this Church is true and I am grateful for the blessings it has brought into my life.  I want to share it, and sometimes I’m better at it than at other times.  The easiest way to get involved is by contacting the missionaries.  Be willing to go out with them, or host a lesson for them, or invite friends over when you have the missionaries over for dinner.  I know that we can and will see miracles when we devote time to missionary work.  Miracles are real, they happen today, they happen here and they can happen to each of us.  I have a personal testimony of how the Lord helps us when we rely on Him, no matter how impossible the task at hand may seem.  He will strengthen us and help us become better missionaries.  Talking to our friends is NOT always easy, but He will help us.  The more we have to rely on Him, the more we pray earnestly for His Spirit and the more miracles we will see.  I know Jesus Christ lives and He loves me and He loves my friends and wants us all to know the blessings of this gospel.  I know this Church is true.  I know that there is a special Spirit that comes with the Book of Mormon and that it is true.  I am thankful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and for translating the Book of Mormon and restoring Christ’s Church.  I am thankful for the prophets and apostles who lead and guide this Church today and for the guidance they give.  I know we can rely on the promises they give and that following what they ask will bring great blessings into our lives.  I know that as we strive to become better missionaries and follow the Lord’s commandments given through his prophets, apostles and our Bishop, that the Lord will help us.  I know God loves me and all of us.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Faith is a Decision

So, recently, someone close to me is doubting their faith.  They found "proofs" that certain things are not true and it got me to thinking. 

The thing is, there isn't a lot of proof.  God doesn't come down and physically show Himself and His power to prove He is there.  There also isn't proof that He isn't there.  Just enough proof to create doubt in those who do not have faith.

In my life, I was raised religious.  I was entering High School and talked to a religious (seminary) teacher and asked what I could do to prepare for my seminary class.  She told me to read the Book of Mormon.  So I did.  It was my first time.  And I got to the end and it tells you to pray about if these things are not true.  All my life I leaned on my parents' testimony and did things simply because that was what we did in my family- not because of a real personal belief.  So I started reflecting on things- more than just the Book of Mormon.  What if the things I had been taught were not true?  Well, if Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet, then the scriptural comforts found in the Book of Mormon are not true.  What if God doesn't exist and life ends after we leave this mortal existence?  What if there is no one greater than us who cares?  And I realized- if there is nothing after this life, then what purpose is there in living?  What really defines good behavior?  Sure we can leave a legacy, and do something that will write our names in history...  But what will we care once we're gone if we're truly gone?  And how many, of the millions of us on earth, do enough to truly be remembered well enough to make it worth it if there isn't something more?  So I made a decision and I felt right about it.

I decided to have faith.  I decided to have hope.  And most importantly- I decided I wanted to be happy.  Believing in an afterlife brings happiness to my life.  And if I'm wrong?  Well, then I still lived a good life and at least my friends will remember me and I don't see any harm done.  IF I lived a life not knowing the truth (assuming for a moment that there is no God) what does it really matter when I'm gone?  I suppose God cares that I didn't believe in Him... oh wait, nope, no God, just a big vast nothingness.  So, now back to my real beliefs- God does exist.

From that day when I decided to have faith and seek happiness, my faith has grown.  I continued reading the scriptures and finished the whole Bible as well.  And my faith has continued to grow.  It makes so much sense to me.  And no, I don't have any physical proof that God exists, but my life is full of miracles that are attributed to God.

And as for the Spirit- the Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit.  It's the way God talks to us.  So, when we pray about a choice, or reflect upon a choice- if we pay attention to our feelings we can listen to the Spirit.  And if you don't believe in the Spirit, stop and think about what you're doing.  Seek lasting happiness instead of temporary happiness and won't your life be blessed whether it's the Spirit or your own logic?  If something brings peace into your life- seek after it- whether you believe it's the Spirit or not.

The thing is: do you want to be happy?  Do you want to have hope?  Is it worth believing in something that you can't find physical proof for, if it brings you the hope and happiness you desire?  Why else do you think people seek religion?  

Going on a Mission and the Sabbath Day

I realize these two topics aren't exactly tied together but I went to an Enrichment night this week for Relief Society and we watched a clip about a rugby player- destined for great things. At a major point in his career he decided to serve a mission. He shocked rugby fans with his decision. The clip draws attention to the fact that every missionary leaves something behind, but those who choose to serve see it as a way to give back to the Lord and a worthwhile choice. The prophets and apostles have counseled that EVERY WORTHY young man should serve a mission. Not every bored young man with nothing better to do. Not every young man who finds it convenient. As one who has served a mission- it is NOT convenient. Ever. And I didn't have anything "major" in my life.
 

Then I think of the Archuleta boy (forgive me I can't remember his name... David, Jared?) who at one point said he was too famous to serve a mission. That he was afraid that if he served a mission and people joined the Church it might be for the wrong reason. The world is a large place. I served in a country where a Mormon (Romney) was running for President and there were still doors I knocked on where people said they had no idea what a Mormon was or what our Church was. Once again the mandate is EVERY WORTHY young man should serve a mission. Not every obscure young man who won't be recognized. Not just unknown young men who haven't received awards or acclaim for things they've done. Now, I will say that even though I served and had wanted to serve a mission since Primary, I went through a phase where I doubted and tried to rationalize a mission away. I believe the Archuleta boy was going through a similar phase because he did decide to go and I know he is being blessed for it.
 

As far as careers go, or life paths and a mission getting in the way. I know a person who was amazing in football. He decided to stay home and play and did amazing things in football. He no longer can play, but he also decided to go late for a mission- and I know he doesn't regret choosing to serve. I know another man who was amazing in music and thought he would miss out on chances if he served a mission. He didn't serve and he can't play professionally anymore. I know a man who pursued hockey and was good. He wasn't active from age 16 til after the age of 21. But when he became active he decided he did want to serve and loved his mission. I know a man who was pursuing a career in a sport. He has decided not to serve. He still gets awards in college sports events but he's not good enough to make a career of it. I don't know if these people would've been able to continue had they served a mission at 19, because sometimes the Lord just has different plans for us than we have for ourselves, but I know they would've been blessed for serving.
 

If the Lord wants what's best for us, and that best thing is to be great in a certain area, do you think he would punish you for your efforts to be obedient in serving a mission? If you are meant to be a star athlete the Lord will help you more if you put your trust in Him instead of yourself, some college or program or agency. And if you choose not to do what the Lord has asked of you, well then, you're on your own. If you achieve greatness, then imagine how much greater you could've been with the Lord's help.
 

And now to address those who are or feel unworthy.  We are supposed to always do our best to live worthy.  When we slip or fail, the Atonement is there to help us become worthy once again.  Our Bishops are also there when extra help is needed.  If we are not living worthy, we cannot make it into the Celestial Kingdom with our families, so if we want Exaltation, then feeling unworthy isn't really an excuse- the answer is GET WORTHY!  Sometimes it is really hard, but I promise, if you have faith in Jesus Christ, He can help you through.  If you doubt the Atonement applying to you, I would recommend seeing your Bishop, even if it's not for anything serious.  The Atonement is infinite and complete.  Jesus Christ is perfect- that includes loving everyone unconditionally, to say He doesn't care about you, diminishes His perfection, so if you feel that way, know that it is Satan and that Jesus Christ DOES care and is always there for you and you can find COMPLETE repentance for anything you may have done.  Some things can be repented of completely but still hold you back from serving a mission- if that's the case, then just do your best to live worthily and you will receive every blessing you want and deserve.
 

Now, for how the Sabbath Day fits in: the rugby player who left to serve a mission came back and made it into the professionals.  But he refused to play on Sunday and most of the games were on Sunday.  Here's the thing: God wants what's best for us and He wants us to be happy.  All of His commandments are to help us achieve the most happiness.  He told us to keep the Sabbath Day Holy for OUR benefit.  He gives us promises of what happens when we keep the Sabbath Day Holy.  First off, the Sacrament is an essential ordinance for us.  It is part of the repentance process and we cannot become whole without partaking of the Sacrament- it is the final step to repentance.  Also, we are blessed when we keep the Sabbath Day Holy. 

So now, let's say you get an opportunity to do something big.  But some of the people involved tell you, you won't be able to compete with others if you don't do stuff on Sundays.  You pray about it and you feel that this opportunity is right for you.  Does that mean that it is right to do stuff on Sundays?  Here's the thing, you weren't told you couldn't keep the Sabbath Day Holy, but some worldly person told you HE didn't think you'd be able to compete unless you broke the Sabbath Day and did stuff.  But, God obviously wants this for you, otherwise when you prayed you wouldn't have felt right about it.  So, who do you trust more?  God or some guy who doesn't really know what he's talking about or know the blessings of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy?  If you are meant to do this, won't the Lord continue helping you and even magnify your talents when you listen to Him and keep His commandments?  When we do what He asks, we have His help and His blessings.  Now, I know someone who decided the opportunity was worth more than attending Church (forget about the rest of the Sabbath Day).  She did well, but I guarantee that the Lord would've helped her go farther had she put the Lord first.  If we want His blessings, we do what He asks- knowing that He wants what is best for us and our happiness. 

If you or your child is destined for greatness, I promise that you or your child will go farther with the Lord's help than they can do by themselves.  Seek the Lord's help and His blessings by trusting Him first.  The extra sports game on Sunday is not going to make a world of difference if the Lord withdraws his help from it.  And if  your child decides not to play on Sundays and keep the Sabbath Day Holy and he doesn't end up being an all-star, know that the new route is his best chance for happiness- more than pursuing the sport would've ever brought.  It takes a lot of faith- but who do you trust?  God- or some worldly sports coach who has no vision beyond that season, or maybe just to getting your sons into the major leagues.  What about the rest of his life?  I promise that if you trust in God, He will never fail you.  If you sacrifice the sports or activities on Sundays to fulfill your part of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy- I promise your life will be blessed more than it can ever be by pursuing worldly goals without the Lord's help.  Part of D&C 82:10, "...when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."  Do what he says and keep the Sabbath Day Holy and you will have the Lord on your side.

 

Polygamy and the Last Days

So, here's my thing.  I believe polygamy is a celestial law.  For those not members, or recent members of the LDS Church that means I believe it will exist in heaven.  But just because it exists there and is approved there does not mean that everyone will practice it.  But how else will Jacob be with Rachel and Leah?  Some may say, but he loved Rachel... but does Leah deserve to be left out?  Or will God separate that famous family- with the 12 tribes of Israel directly coming from the multiple wives of Jacob?

I always thought that IF I was asked, by God, to practice polygamy, that my husband would have more than one wife, that I would be ok with it.  Now, with being married- I'm not sure I could deal with it.  I want to feel like I'm the only one that matters to my husband and like I am enough for him.  That I, alone, can fulfill his needs.  I don't want to feel in competition for my husband's love like Rachel and Leah- trying to have more sons, so maybe my husband will love me more, or come to me more.  My husband has quoted a scripture a few times when polygamy has come up in public and it bothered me.  So we discussed it, and he stays silent now and tries to be as attentive as possible to me and my needs.  I want to clarify here that my husband is AWESOME!  He doesn't hope for more wives than just me, it just made me feel weird BEFORE we discussed things.  I think we have similar views on polygamy even if he doesn't completely agree with this post. :)  So back on track: the scripture he used is found in both Isaiah 4 and 2 Nephi 14- quoting Isaiah.

So I'm going to quote Isaiah 4:1, "And in that day seven women shall take hold on one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach."  First off, the first verse of the chapter is "And"...  so most people assume it is continuing the thoughts of the previous chapter.  Before this chapter it is talking about wars that will happen in the last days, so they assume that 7 women are going after one man because there will be a scarcity of men due to wars in the last days.  Then the second part of that verse says that they will eat their own bread and wear their own apparel...  I looked up a few things and apparently that is contrary to the Lord's order of marriage (D&C 132:61 says the first wife gives her consent and Exodus 21:10-11, says that the man is responsible for those things if he marries more than one wife.)  With the last part- 'to take away our reproach' there are 2 verses that talk about how it was considered a disgrace in Ancient Israel to be unmarried and/or childless.  (Genesis 30:23 and Luke 1:25) (see Institute Student Manual for the Old Testament, Kings-Malachi)

Before this morning I told my husband that it doesn't say that every 7 women will take hold of every individual man.  That even though I believe that scripture will come true (as all scriptures must), it doesn't mean HE will be the one man to fulfill it.  In the LDS Church, when polygamy was practiced, not every man had multiple wives.  They had to be righteous enough and wealthy enough to support the extra wives.  And they weren't allowed to personally decide whether they were qualified.  I believe strongly in the scripture in Jacob 2:27-28 and 30, "Wherefore, my brethren, hear me, and hearken to the word of the Lord: For there shall not any man among you have save it be one wife; and concubines he shall have none; For I, the Lord God, delight in the chastity of women.... For if I will, saith the Lord of Hosts, raise up seed unto me, I will command my people; otherwise they shall hearken unto these things."  First off, I feel like the Lord is on MY side in verse 27 and 28.  Verse 30 designates the exception, when polygamy is ok.  In the Old Testament with Abraham and Jacob taking more than one wife and others- they were trying to raise up a seed unto the Lord.  All nations would be blessed through Abraham, and then through Jacob/Israel, why not expand the family and multiply?  In the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons- when there were no other break-offs that also went by that same nickname) they also practiced polygamy.  In the first days, the people in the Church were persecuted and men were killed for their beliefs.  Then war came and more men were killed.  This left many righteous women and few righteous men.  And women at that time, did not yet have rights to own land, to work, to sustain themselves.  Some practiced polygamy I think to raise up seed, and others I think was more to take care of the women and children's temporal needs, who otherwise would've been destitute.  But the important thing is, men were selected and the first wife got to give consent.  Polygamy was stopped in the LDS Church because there was no more need to raise up seed unto the Lord.  The LDS Church has MANY members and is thriving.  Widows or divorced parents are at least allowed these days to own a house, to work to provide for their families and they do not need a husband to let them survive.

Before today I have recently started thinking about the verse in Isaiah....  Isaiah isn't very clear to most of us.  And sometimes he jumps back and forth between Christ's time, the Last Days and the Millenium.  I have thought a few times- maybe this scripture has already been fulfilled when the Church first started in these Last Days.  There was a shortage of men, and I'm sure some of the women said, "please let us have your name".  But then today, reading the verse again where it says they will provide their own bread and apparel, if only they can take their name....  well, back then, they couldn't provide their own bread.  They did depend on the men they married.  I've also thought, that in this verse it says 7 women will come to one man begging to be married to him so their reproach is taken away...  But this doesn't mean that it is right for the man to take on the 7 women, or that he will, just says that the women will beg for it.  Kinda like the 10 virgins, the 5 foolish ones didn't bring enough oil, and when they finally get to the wedding, they beg to come in, but they aren't allowed.

But this morning my husband and I were reading in 3 Nephi 22 which parallels Isaiah 54, and I started to think more on this and I have another possible interpretation for the verse in Isaiah.  I'll quote what I read this morning and then try to explain it, as best as possible.  I'm going to explain as I go but the quotes will be from 3 Nephi 22:1-                     , "And then shall that which is written come to pass:  Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear; break forth into singing, and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with child; for more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, saith the Lord."  So here we have a married woman who has no or few children and then women that are not married with children.  Let's say 7 desolate women with children and 1 married woman.  "Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; spare not, lengthen thy cords and strengthen thy stakes;"  Let the desolate come in.  If we are paralleling it with Isaiah 4, then this would be the 7 women taking on the man's name.  This would be one married man taking on 7 more wives.  "...Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame; for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of they widowhood any more."  Here, now married, the 7 desolate/widowed women's reproach is taken away.  "For thy maker, thy husband, the Lord of Hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel--the God of the whole earth shall he be called."  This reminded me of a parable of Christ being the Bridegroom.  Are all these scriptures tied together?  Salvation only comes in and through Christ.  When we are baptized, we take upon us the name of Christ.  It is the only name under heaven, whereby we can be saved.  Are these 7 women, desolate, unmarried, widowed, are they all not members of Christ's Church?  In the Last Days, they come to realize the truth of His Church and desire to be called by his name?  The scripture in Isaiah 4 says, "We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel", and suggests- we will take care of ourselves, "only let us be called by thy name".  Are these women aware of the truth and willing to do anything to just be baptized in Christ's name, the metaphorical Bridegroom?  To abide the Day of His Coming, isn't it Christ's name that will save us and take away our reproach? 

In Isaiah 4:2 it continues, "In that day shall the branch of the Lord be beautiful and glorious..."  The day when the 7 women grab hold of the one man, is a day where righteous seed does not need to be raised up unto the Lord.  I don't know exactly what to make of this verse- because it does seem to be tied to the chapter before and I haven't looked at that in detail.  But I do now wonder if it is all some poetic metaphor for taking on Christ's name and becoming as He is.

OPINION: Atonement and the Blood Atonement

So, I happened to say something to my husband recently about the Atonement and he asked if I believed in the "Blood Atonement".  I told him I didn't know what that was.  But I looked it up and essentially, it says that some sins are too great that they can only be forgiven by the shedding of the sinner's blood.  Meaning, if I committed some awful sin, that I can be forgiven if I am killed in a type of sacrifice.  I realized that I do not agree with this, but I understand now how my husband thought that I might.

My views of the Atonement are in line with scriptural phrases of  an "infinite atonement" (one reference for infinite atonement is in 2 Nephi 9:7).  Here is my thing: the Savior was perfect.  Everything He did was perfect.  His Atonement was infinite.  And when I think of the word infinite I think of "no end".  So I believe I shouldn't put any limits on what the Atonement CAN or CANNOT cover.  I believe there is nothing we can do that cannot be covered by the Atonement.  With that said, we have to turn to Him in order for the Atonement to work. 

To me, the Sons of Perdition are those who fully know what the Atonement can do for them, yet refuse to let it work in them.  To me, this fits.  The Sons of Perdition are the most evil people you could imagine, so I imagine Satan, with no veil, willfully choosing that he wanted no part in this life, or chance at salvation.  He knows He will never gain heaven, but only seeks to make others miserable, he is not misguided in his evil designs, just evil.  So, a Son of Perdition is someone who fully knowing, refuses the Atonement.  To put it another way, the Sons of Perdition are those who receive a full light and knowledge and deny the Holy Ghost.  From things I have read, the Holy Ghost is the member of the Godhead that allows us to be cleansed from sins through the Atonement- we call it the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost, and to deny the Holy Ghost the ability to sanctify and cleanse you, to me is to deny the Atonement.

Then there are the sins of murder and chastity sins which the scriptures say are VERY serious.  They both concern the giving and taking of life- which is a power of God.  To take that into our hands without God's permission is a mockery of His power and very serious.  Now here is where my husband thought I might believe in the Blood Atonement.  I was taught that there are "ABC's" of repentance.  In order to repent and be cleansed through the Atonement we have to first Admit we have done something wrong.  Let's take murder as an example, because this will lead to the matter at hand.  I have to admit that murdering someone was wrong.  B- Be Sorry.  I'd have to be sorry for what I did and feel remorse.  C- Confess AND Correct.  We also say to make amends where possible.  If I murdered someone, I can confess easily and go to jail (or at least I assume the person would go to jail) but correct it?  How can I make any attempts to correct it?  Now to compare it with chastity sins- it's hard to correct those too, but at least you can go to the person with whom you sinned with and apologize.  Maybe help them feel better about themselves, even if you can't give them back their virginity if you stole it.  But you can make amends with the person you wronged.  With murder, sure, you could go to the family and try to be supportive, but what about the actual person?  You stole their life.  And you can't even ask their forgiveness because they are no longer here.  I don't believe that by being killed, a murderer's blood helps them atone from their sin, but once they are dead, I believe it is then possible to go to the spirit of the person you harmed and ask their forgiveness.  But the actual shedding of blood part of the Blood Atonement, I don't agree with at all.  I simply believe that cold-blooded murder cannot be forgiven in this life.  I don't think I believe that the person should kill themselves just to go talk to the person either.  I believe they should do everything in their power to serve out a just sentence in prison and make the most of their life in doing good.  Then when they do die, however they die, then they can work on asking the person's forgiveness on the other side.  Maybe some will be forgiven, I do not know.  Here is where I come back to- I am not going to put a limit on the Atonement.

Christ's love is perfect.  His life was perfect.  His Atonement was perfect.  And with that perfect love I can't see Him not being able to love someone, no matter what their sin.  The difference to me is, does the sinner love Jesus?  Does the sinner turn to Jesus?  Do we turn to Jesus and allow the infinite Atonement to work in our lives?  Do we put limits on Jesus' perfect love and perfect and infinite Atonement?  Everyone sins, great or small- let us turn to Christ and be perfected in Him.