Sorry Ju, I waited and waited and waited but then I had to post. I STILL want to hear what YOU have to say though, so no copping out on me. Congrats to Brooklyn though--that's awesome!!
I had numerous thoughts as I read through the Refined Home article, but when I got to the end all I could think was, "Wow! How timely, how needed, how important, and how inspirational." I also thought that a whole lot of people were going to be offended--but that seems to be happening with increased frequency when the brethren lay it on the line. Or maybe my hopeless naivete is rearing its ugly head again and people have always been offended when the brethren laid things on the line.
First, I have to agree with Elder Maxwell as quoted in the talk, "We . . . live in a world that is too prone to the tasteless" (57). Amen and amen. My students used to try and convince me that the Simpsons was humorous because I had a "no talking about the Simpsons in my classroom" rule. They didn't manage it. Mary Tyler Moore was asked once why she had stopped acting and she replied that she would love to be involved but had chosen not to because the shows were no longer tasteful and that "television no longer knows how to be funny." Turning off the television in our home (we don't have access to any sort of television, although we watch movies) was a no-brainer for us. Although some shows like Frazier had elements of true humor (word play and irony), most current shows rely on non-humor (bodily functions, crude situational humor, slapstick violence) to get ratings. If these shows are getting ratings as can only be assumed by their continued existence, then Elder Maxwell's stinging rebuke about tastelessness is proved without additional evidence.
Of course, if we examined many popular music styles and hit songs, the tasteless argument would be underscored and solidified. It was with some regret that I stopped listening to current country music, but the genre that had always emphasized lyrics and story-telling had become reliant on blasting instruments and loud-volume singing--not to mention that frivolous increase in swearing and songs like "I'm just talking about tonight" and pimp songs like "whose your daddy?" (Yes, I think Toby Keith killed country music.) There are still some great songs, but far more that hinder the Spirit and make me feel attacked. (Kami is going to mock me here because I've always been an old lady about loud music--I just have no tolerance.)
In short--tastelessness abounds. Elder Callister offered some valuable remedies and counter-actions we can take to prevent our own homes from harboring and fostering tastelessness. I thought it especially appropriate that he starts off by discussing how we speak. And yes, I'm opening myself up to mocking again because I don't care how accepted it has become, the words "suck" and "crap" still make me shudder. I love that in my home, the worst word my children say is "stinkin'" and I've already tried to repent and stop saying it. Truly, what the parents say the children imitate and the cleaner we keep our language the more pleasant our home environment.
Granted, Elder Callister was talking about more than just clean language, he was also talking about expressing ourselves clearly and eloquently. Language has always affected me deeply and I often thrill when I read words put together beautifully. For that reason I love collecting quotes that express great ideas in beautiful language. Truly, a person's language greatly reflects their level of refinement.
Literature (you all know I would love this part) was my favorite section in his talk because this is something that has mattered to me all my life. I buy books so my children will be surrounded by the highest quality of reading material. I won't for a second lay claim to knowing what entails a "classic" other than my own definition, but we all know which books have affected us in positive ways. I know libraries are around and that's great, but I feel passionate about having many (hundreds) of quality books in the home so when a child has a hankering for a book and the library isn't an option, that child has access to the best books. Even the beauty of the book sometimes has an effect. For Mother's Day, Timothy started my collection of beautiful hard-back Austen novels (the cheap Barnes and Noble versions) by getting four of them. There is something about picking up a beautiful copy of an Austen novel that does something for my soul. The same with the exquisite hard-back copy of Leaves of Grass Timothy gave me early in our marriage. Beautiful books promote a bit of reverence in handling them.
Music is one area where I haven't always had very refined tastes. I thought most classical music was boring and only old country worth listening to. I have greatly revised my opinion in the past two years. Two years ago the cd player in my van broke. Rather than singing children's songs together, we listened to mom's (my) country station. That lasted for a day before I got tired of flipping the channel due to inappropriate language. The Imagination Station that played children's music when I was little and lived in Provo no longer existed. Irritated, and a little bitter, I turned to a classical station. The kids and I have fallen in love with classical. We've practiced identifying instruments (and improved greatly--at first all we could pick out were violins and trumpets . . . although we could easily be mixing up violins with violas), Miriam can pick out a lot of the Nutcracker music, we seat dance, we lead the music. Most important, and surprising, is that my children make up stories to match the music. We identify mad music versus happy versus sad. One day we were driving and all the music played that day had an animal theme so we happily guessed which animal was being represented by the music. Slowly, over the last two years, I've lost my ability to listen to any other kind of music for an extended period of time (except Willie). It's just too . . . frenetic, or something. It makes me feel agitated. My children and I have exprienced tremendous benefits from listening to classical music.
I had Timothy read the article with me tonight and we talked about sloppiness. He said the article made him want to replace our front door even more (it's falling apart and cracking and just looks awful). President Kimball used to talk frequently about beautifying our homes. It really does make a difference in how we feel when we maintain ourselves and our property. Timothy and I also talked about how long it takes to really make your home nice--time and money are not always immediately available. We talked about setting a good example for our children in our own deportment--making sure we cultivate refinement in our own home so it becomes second nature to our children.
Most interesting was our discussion of refined conversation--how we can teach our children to converse about a variety of topics in an intelligent and interesting manner. In Austen's day, "conversation" was one of the critical skills a young lady developed in order to be accomplished. We've lost that art. I'm not sure if we're afraid of offending or we're just boring that so many conversations tend to end up at movies. Is that really all we can talk about? We came up with a few ideas for ways we want to increase the refinement in our own home (Timothy thought the article was great, by the by).
To sum up, amen Elder Callister and thank you for the fabulous article.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Temple Fireside
So my old bishop is a bit of a temple scholar...published and what not. Anyway, he is having a series of firesides about temples and since Andrea and I were just discussing our lack of understanding of temples, I decided to post the notes I took here. As all the information he gives is from books anyway, I figure that's okay. Oh and this is completely unorganized and disconnected. Sorry, that is how my brain works.
First, Bishop Thomas is a psychiatrist who works running a research center on family studies (something along that line) and teaches occasionally at Northwestern a grad level brain physiology class. Basically these are his ideas or what he's studied, and you can take them or leave them as you will.
So he began be stating that when he went through the temple, he had no foreknowledge of anything and he was more than a little surprised. Hence his extensive search for information since then and his desire to help people understand and be prepared for the temple.
"We should give more attention to preparing our young people and some older people, for the work they are to do in the temple..It is not quite fair to let the young girl or young man enter the temple unprepared, unwarned, if you choose, with no explanation of the glorious possibilities of the first fine day in the temple." --John A. Widtsoe
He also quoted David O. McKay, who described his first temple attendance as focusing solely on the mechanisms and not the ritual or symbolism, hence learning nothing. (paraphrased from me).
Also, since most of our worship is didactic and we don't us icons or a lot a symbolism in our services (except the sacrament) we're not really used to symbolism in our religious culture so the temple comes as a bit of a shock. So in light of that, here's a list of symbolism that is common in our LDS culture:
"We live in a world of symbols. No man or woman can come out of the temple endowed as he should be, unless he has seen, beyond the symbol, the mighty realities for which the symbols stand. " John A Widtsoe
(Bishop Thomas addressed the whole topic rather academically by the way). He stated that temples EVERYWHERE in the world and every culture have the common theme of having the purpose to ascend to God. And usually set up in a three part structure: underworld (ie we do baptisms for the dead underground symbolic of this), earth or the preparatory part, and Heaven, which is to be in the presence of God.
Etymology of "Temple:" Latin (Templum):
The Garden of Eden--Mountains---tabernacle--- Temple (Soloman)---Temple(2nd)---Kirtland--Nauvoo---modern temples
He had a framed papyrus of Egyptian hieroglyphics of a dead Pharaoh passing through different sentinels making signs with his hands and holding cups of knowledge and receiving a new name, and finally joining the God Osiris (I think that was the one, I didn't write it down) in heaven and becoming a god himself. Hmmm.....
And for a few random tidbits:
He showed the first Angel Moroni weathervane that was a top the Nauvoo temple and pointed out several things. He's actually flying (as in flying in the midst of heaven) holding the BOM, wearing priestly robes, and having the symbols of a compass, and cross, and crown on it. Who knew? Not me.....
Stakes are actually symbolic of the stakes holding up the tabernacle (hence the temple) hence the stakes of the church are holding up the temple as there main priority.
Umm, and one funny story, he said Hugh Nibley (who I adore) wrote letters upon letters trying to get the presidency of the church to recognize their "mistake" in not having the entrance of the Provo temple face east. The whole thing of all the temples facing east is only a Mormon myth, and obviously, was not needed, since the Nauvoo temple faced west. (Hugh Nibley missed that, shame on him!)
Anyway, I hope that was enlightening, or at least, interesting. Next month I'll give you my notes from the next one. Oh, he also gave everyone a list of books related to temples and I can post that if anyone is interested. Just be forewarned that it's 5 pages long.
First, Bishop Thomas is a psychiatrist who works running a research center on family studies (something along that line) and teaches occasionally at Northwestern a grad level brain physiology class. Basically these are his ideas or what he's studied, and you can take them or leave them as you will.
So he began be stating that when he went through the temple, he had no foreknowledge of anything and he was more than a little surprised. Hence his extensive search for information since then and his desire to help people understand and be prepared for the temple.
"We should give more attention to preparing our young people and some older people, for the work they are to do in the temple..It is not quite fair to let the young girl or young man enter the temple unprepared, unwarned, if you choose, with no explanation of the glorious possibilities of the first fine day in the temple." --John A. Widtsoe
He also quoted David O. McKay, who described his first temple attendance as focusing solely on the mechanisms and not the ritual or symbolism, hence learning nothing. (paraphrased from me).
Also, since most of our worship is didactic and we don't us icons or a lot a symbolism in our services (except the sacrament) we're not really used to symbolism in our religious culture so the temple comes as a bit of a shock. So in light of that, here's a list of symbolism that is common in our LDS culture:
- the sacrament
- baptism
- laying on of hands
- olive oil
- beehive
- sun, moon, stars
- 6 temple spires
- Angel Moroni
- LDS
- cloud stones/Ursa Major
- uplifted hand
- dark suit, white shirt -(I'll have to ask about this one)
- all-seeing eye
- 12 oxen
- temple
- temple recommend
- New Jerusalem
- White
- keystone
- cornerstone
- CTR
- stake
- ward
- Sacred Grove
"We live in a world of symbols. No man or woman can come out of the temple endowed as he should be, unless he has seen, beyond the symbol, the mighty realities for which the symbols stand. " John A Widtsoe
(Bishop Thomas addressed the whole topic rather academically by the way). He stated that temples EVERYWHERE in the world and every culture have the common theme of having the purpose to ascend to God. And usually set up in a three part structure: underworld (ie we do baptisms for the dead underground symbolic of this), earth or the preparatory part, and Heaven, which is to be in the presence of God.
Etymology of "Temple:" Latin (Templum):
- a space that has been marked (cut) out for observing heaven
- sacred space partitioned off from profane space
- navel of the earth (we're there to receive nourishment)
- designated space for communing with God
- Place where heaven and earth meet
- the primal hillock (Sumarian)--(this would be similar to Mt. Sinai idea)
- earthly representation of a heavenly pattern
The Garden of Eden--Mountains---tabernacle--- Temple (Soloman)---Temple(2nd)---Kirtland--Nauvoo---modern temples
He had a framed papyrus of Egyptian hieroglyphics of a dead Pharaoh passing through different sentinels making signs with his hands and holding cups of knowledge and receiving a new name, and finally joining the God Osiris (I think that was the one, I didn't write it down) in heaven and becoming a god himself. Hmmm.....
And for a few random tidbits:
He showed the first Angel Moroni weathervane that was a top the Nauvoo temple and pointed out several things. He's actually flying (as in flying in the midst of heaven) holding the BOM, wearing priestly robes, and having the symbols of a compass, and cross, and crown on it. Who knew? Not me.....
Stakes are actually symbolic of the stakes holding up the tabernacle (hence the temple) hence the stakes of the church are holding up the temple as there main priority.
Umm, and one funny story, he said Hugh Nibley (who I adore) wrote letters upon letters trying to get the presidency of the church to recognize their "mistake" in not having the entrance of the Provo temple face east. The whole thing of all the temples facing east is only a Mormon myth, and obviously, was not needed, since the Nauvoo temple faced west. (Hugh Nibley missed that, shame on him!)
Anyway, I hope that was enlightening, or at least, interesting. Next month I'll give you my notes from the next one. Oh, he also gave everyone a list of books related to temples and I can post that if anyone is interested. Just be forewarned that it's 5 pages long.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
BYU devotional
I didn't know it came from a devotional. Thanks for the heads up and the link--I'll be reading it too. No fair waiting for my commentary--I am curious what you all think! My commentary will be coming though, never fear. :)
Friday, May 29, 2009
Potty Training is FAR more important than Hamlet, I will agree to that . . . and far more grueling as well! :-) Good luck with that! :-)
Andrea - - I am hesitant to write anything about the Ensign article until I hear your viewpoints first. :-) Usually I don't read the new Ensign until the exact month (i.e. wasn't planning on touching this issue until Monday . . . I'm quirky like that!) . . . plus, still engrossed in the Conference issue. Anyhoo . . . due to your encouragement I read the Refined Home article. Wow! I actually have just printed off the full version, the original BYU devotional. So, I will be reading that, and then I will respond. :-)
JULIA
Andrea - - I am hesitant to write anything about the Ensign article until I hear your viewpoints first. :-) Usually I don't read the new Ensign until the exact month (i.e. wasn't planning on touching this issue until Monday . . . I'm quirky like that!) . . . plus, still engrossed in the Conference issue. Anyhoo . . . due to your encouragement I read the Refined Home article. Wow! I actually have just printed off the full version, the original BYU devotional. So, I will be reading that, and then I will respond. :-)
JULIA
Ummm....
I tried to get A Passion for the Impossible at the library today. Yeah, they said it wasn't in their system. Not even interlibrary loan. I don't know what's up with that, but I won't be reading it. Also I made it through two chapters of Dividing Lines. Then it was due back through interlibrary loan. So umm... that may be as far as I get too. I'm still working on Hamlet. I DID read a book on potty training though. First things first, what can I say?
Ensign
I know this isn't an Ensign blog--but seriously the June Ensign is PACKED with articles worth discussing. I've read most of it now (don't think I'm all that great--I usually read all of it in two days while promising to go back and really ponder the best articles, which I never do).
Have you read the talk about a Refined Home yet?? Read it, tell me what you think, I am oh, so curious.
Have you read the talk about a Refined Home yet?? Read it, tell me what you think, I am oh, so curious.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Reading List
List looks great!
I LOVE Elizabeth Gaskill.
Anxious to read House of Sixty Fathers
Just finished Dr. Laura's book . . . pretty good, not my favorite of hers, but we'll have lots to say I'm sure. :-)
I have to tell you our library doesn't have the Churchill book. And if they don't order it for me, I'm not going to pay $3.00 for interloan library (I don't even buy books to keep at that price most of the time). So, I'm really sorry if I don't read it. I want to . . . I just might have to buy it for keeps if I'm going to pay anything at all. :-) I paid $3.00 for the Dividing Lines book and never even touched it. SO . . .
Also, right now I'm currently reading The Hero and the Crown for the first time and loving it! :-)
JULIA
I LOVE Elizabeth Gaskill.
Anxious to read House of Sixty Fathers
Just finished Dr. Laura's book . . . pretty good, not my favorite of hers, but we'll have lots to say I'm sure. :-)
I have to tell you our library doesn't have the Churchill book. And if they don't order it for me, I'm not going to pay $3.00 for interloan library (I don't even buy books to keep at that price most of the time). So, I'm really sorry if I don't read it. I want to . . . I just might have to buy it for keeps if I'm going to pay anything at all. :-) I paid $3.00 for the Dividing Lines book and never even touched it. SO . . .
Also, right now I'm currently reading The Hero and the Crown for the first time and loving it! :-)
JULIA
Reading List for the Next Six Months
As you might have realized, next month we are reading WINSTON!! YAHOO!! Everyone must participate (even you Kami, I don't care how far behind you are). After that we'll be starting on our next six months list:
July: The House of Sixty Fathers
August: The Making of Modern Columbia
September: I am the Clay (Potok)
October: In Praise of Stay-At-Home Moms (Dr. Laura)
November: The Post-American World
December: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
I'm sure Kami will update our list for us.
Happy reading!
July: The House of Sixty Fathers
August: The Making of Modern Columbia
September: I am the Clay (Potok)
October: In Praise of Stay-At-Home Moms (Dr. Laura)
November: The Post-American World
December: Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
I'm sure Kami will update our list for us.
Happy reading!
Lilias Trotter
I'm giving this book mixed reviews. First, the author's writing style was highly annoying. The only thing to recommend the author is that her name is Miriam. Aside from that--nothing. I take it all back--I will give her kudos for including a longer segment of Lilias's writing at the end of the book.
The problems I had with Rockness were more a communication issue than anything else. I expected an academic biography, complete with superfluous endnoting and all opinions backed up by said endnotes. Instead, the book read in part like an amateur biography, in part like a thriller (what will happen next), and in part like a high school editorial about the homecoming queen--replete with annoying !! usage. Where was this woman's editor? Exclamation points don't belong in serious writing.
A few examples of poor writing include the aggravating way Rockness switched between two spellings of Michel/Michael Olives. Another example is on page 165: "For Lilias, at last, after the darkest and longest siege, faith would begin to be rewarded with sight. Heavenly suprises were just around the bend." That was only two sentances but there was a whole paragraph just like it. And similar paragraphs beginning and ending each chapter and sometimes each segment. You don't need to foreshadow in a biography. You definitely don't need to do so repeatedly. As a biographer you don't need to "sell" your subject. Either the person was worthy of a biography or not. The glowing and opinionated descriptions of Lilias's parents were overkill.
The most irritating habit of Rockness was her disparaging of the native Algerians. For example pg. 173 where Rockness describes Lilias meeting with some native desert dwellers: "Their joy in making contact with the child-like people . . .." People who can eke out an existence in the Sahara deserve a better description than "child-like." The poor writing and awful !! were almost enough to make me quit reading.
However, I continued reading to the end because of the quotes from Lilias herself. She was a phenomenal woman with incredible faith and an inspiring way of taking simple things and finding gospel lessons in them. Had I known more about her, I would have skipped the biography and tried to get one of her books instead. I found I could not read the book quickly because I had to slow down and really ponder Lilias's words. Right now, when I have such high-falutin' goals for my family it is no wonder that much of what Lilias wrote about resonated with me on a motherhood level. The rest of this post is about those little insights of Lilias.
Pg 139: "You can never tell to what untold glories any little humble path may lead, if you follow far enough." All of us are on humble roads. None of us are rich/famous/important in the worldly sense. And yet, our humble roads of wifehood, motherhood, sisterhood, sainthood (in the sense of being Latter-Day Saints), is the surest way to glory if we try our hardest and stay on the path to its end.
Pg 144: "Oh so endlessly beautiful the days are & they go so quickly. God has many things to say and one can sit by the hour on the heather with one's Bible and listen." Lilias always talked about hearing the voice of God in the scriptures. She had a very real belief that when she was reading the scriptures God was talking to her, and each new insight was from Him. Her understanding of the scriptures by the end of her life was incredible.
Pg 152: "Despising not the day of small things." This is one of her most important lessons. Much of her 40 years in Algeria was spent in small things that created no discernible progress. However, she still felt great joy in being able to serve God. I need to cultivate that attitude in myself towards motherhood. Every day is a day of small things, but that doesn't mean I am excused for ill temper, impatience, or exhaustion. In small things are great things brought to pass. The humble road is often the one that leads to glory. Besides that, I've already taken on the responsibility of small children--I might as well learn to love the path that I am on and the small things that could make my life joyful if I fully embraced them.
Pg 152: "Obedience is the atmosphere of God's revealing."
Pg 154: "When God delays in fulfilling our little thoughts, it is to have Himself room to work out His great ones."
Pg 157: "It is never long before God begins to speak when one gets away in His unspoilt world." I have never been much of a nature lover, but I am impressed by Lilias's ability to learn such incredibly important and simple lessons about God from her study and love of the natural world.
Pg 166: "A bee comforted me very much this morning concerning the desultoriness that troubles me in our work. He was hovering among some blackberry sprays, just touching the flowers here and there in a very tentative way, yet all unconsciously, life-life-life was left behind at every touch, as the miracle-working pollengrains were transferred to the place where they could set the unseen spring working." I think mothers are like bees. We hover and teach and touch our children here and there, but the full effect of our ministry to them isn't known for years and years.
Pg 167: ". . . every room has been hallowed by prayer and praise and love . . .." Lilias was referring to a new home that the mission had purchased, but I think it is a lovely concept for our own homes. At our house we talk a lot about having a "temple house." Prayer and praise and love would not be a poor definition of that ideal.
Pg 173: "Though it was something she neither sought nor resisted, the mantle of leadership inevitably fell upon Lilias's shoulders, she having both the vision for the ministry and the ability to inspire and mobilize others in the work" (Rockness). Isn't that what mothers have to do to be effective? Inspire and mobilize.
Pg 178: "Is the aim of our ministry to them measured by the pattern laid down in St. Paul's Epistles--in caring; in sacrifice; in intercession?" Again, motherhood came immediately to mind.
Pg 180: Lilias described the martens (birds) that lived all around her. They have no spring in their legs so they can't take flight unless they can fall a ways. "So we need not wonder if we are not allowed to stay long in level sheltered places--our faith wings are like the martens' and mostly need the gulf of some emergency to give them their start on a new flight. We will not fear when we feel empty air under them."
Pg 182: "Inwardly it is all aglow, as I never knew a place to be in all my life--on fire with a spirit of sacrifice that does not even know itself to be sacrifice, it is so the natural expression of love." If only I could reach that point in serving/sacrificing for my children.
Pg 202: "And yet let us evermore write over all our miseries, big, and for the most part very little, these transforming words 'With Jesus.' And then the very breath of Heaven will breathe upon our whole being and we shall be glad." When we forget that motherhood is a partnering with the Savior to bring souls to Him, it becomes so overwhelming. I don't think we call on the Savior often enough or fervently enough to gain the heavenly help He is willing and able to give us. I think we try to do too much on our own.
Pg 217: ". . . and each generation must find out its own best ways of doing things unhampered by trying to keep to the conditions of the generation that went before." Often our parents (and friends) are helpful in the process of raising our children. Other times . . . not so much.
Pg 246: ". . . fifty years or more in the past, it was a joy to think that God needed me: Now it is a far deeper joy to feel & see that He does not need me--that He has it all in hand!" I thought about this concept for quite some time as I have always been so buoyed up by the knowledge that I am a partner with Christ is building His kingdom. I think Lilias is right though--it is much better to know that everything is perfectly under Heavenly Father's control. However, that doesn't diminish the joy I feel in knowing that I can help and that I can become an effective instrument in His hands. Our will, after all, is free to give or withhold as we choose.
Most important to me was Lilias's favorite concept--that of the impossible never being truly impossible with God. One of her favorite quotes was stated by a man named William Booth: "God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible." This resonated with me because the goals that I have for my family sometimes seem impossible--due to my own laziness and/or the wickedness of the world.
Lilias's words are fabulous reminders that it really doesn't matter if something is impossible: "But oh! He [Satan] overreaches himself when he gets to the word [impossible]. He means it to sound like a knell, and instead of that it breaks into a ringing chime of hope: for The things that are impossible with men are possible with God. Yes: face it out to the end: cast away every shadow of hope on the human side as a positive hindrance to the Divine; heap the difficulties together recklessly, and pile on as many more as you can find: you cannot get beyond that blessed climax of impossibility. Let faith swing out on Him. He is the God of the impossible."
Since my goals have already reached the impossible it doesn't really matter what others I add to them. You either walk and talk with God and reach impossible goals, or you try it on your own and you fail. I'd rather join with Lilias and trust the God of the impossible.
In all, this book wasn't the best read around. However, that was in no way due to the subject matter. I'm glad I found Lilias Trotter and learned about her. She was an amazing woman. I'll remember "the unquenchable, mystical, fighting love of Miss Trotter of North Africa" (Basil Matthews, pg 246).
The problems I had with Rockness were more a communication issue than anything else. I expected an academic biography, complete with superfluous endnoting and all opinions backed up by said endnotes. Instead, the book read in part like an amateur biography, in part like a thriller (what will happen next), and in part like a high school editorial about the homecoming queen--replete with annoying !! usage. Where was this woman's editor? Exclamation points don't belong in serious writing.
A few examples of poor writing include the aggravating way Rockness switched between two spellings of Michel/Michael Olives. Another example is on page 165: "For Lilias, at last, after the darkest and longest siege, faith would begin to be rewarded with sight. Heavenly suprises were just around the bend." That was only two sentances but there was a whole paragraph just like it. And similar paragraphs beginning and ending each chapter and sometimes each segment. You don't need to foreshadow in a biography. You definitely don't need to do so repeatedly. As a biographer you don't need to "sell" your subject. Either the person was worthy of a biography or not. The glowing and opinionated descriptions of Lilias's parents were overkill.
The most irritating habit of Rockness was her disparaging of the native Algerians. For example pg. 173 where Rockness describes Lilias meeting with some native desert dwellers: "Their joy in making contact with the child-like people . . .." People who can eke out an existence in the Sahara deserve a better description than "child-like." The poor writing and awful !! were almost enough to make me quit reading.
However, I continued reading to the end because of the quotes from Lilias herself. She was a phenomenal woman with incredible faith and an inspiring way of taking simple things and finding gospel lessons in them. Had I known more about her, I would have skipped the biography and tried to get one of her books instead. I found I could not read the book quickly because I had to slow down and really ponder Lilias's words. Right now, when I have such high-falutin' goals for my family it is no wonder that much of what Lilias wrote about resonated with me on a motherhood level. The rest of this post is about those little insights of Lilias.
Pg 139: "You can never tell to what untold glories any little humble path may lead, if you follow far enough." All of us are on humble roads. None of us are rich/famous/important in the worldly sense. And yet, our humble roads of wifehood, motherhood, sisterhood, sainthood (in the sense of being Latter-Day Saints), is the surest way to glory if we try our hardest and stay on the path to its end.
Pg 144: "Oh so endlessly beautiful the days are & they go so quickly. God has many things to say and one can sit by the hour on the heather with one's Bible and listen." Lilias always talked about hearing the voice of God in the scriptures. She had a very real belief that when she was reading the scriptures God was talking to her, and each new insight was from Him. Her understanding of the scriptures by the end of her life was incredible.
Pg 152: "Despising not the day of small things." This is one of her most important lessons. Much of her 40 years in Algeria was spent in small things that created no discernible progress. However, she still felt great joy in being able to serve God. I need to cultivate that attitude in myself towards motherhood. Every day is a day of small things, but that doesn't mean I am excused for ill temper, impatience, or exhaustion. In small things are great things brought to pass. The humble road is often the one that leads to glory. Besides that, I've already taken on the responsibility of small children--I might as well learn to love the path that I am on and the small things that could make my life joyful if I fully embraced them.
Pg 152: "Obedience is the atmosphere of God's revealing."
Pg 154: "When God delays in fulfilling our little thoughts, it is to have Himself room to work out His great ones."
Pg 157: "It is never long before God begins to speak when one gets away in His unspoilt world." I have never been much of a nature lover, but I am impressed by Lilias's ability to learn such incredibly important and simple lessons about God from her study and love of the natural world.
Pg 166: "A bee comforted me very much this morning concerning the desultoriness that troubles me in our work. He was hovering among some blackberry sprays, just touching the flowers here and there in a very tentative way, yet all unconsciously, life-life-life was left behind at every touch, as the miracle-working pollengrains were transferred to the place where they could set the unseen spring working." I think mothers are like bees. We hover and teach and touch our children here and there, but the full effect of our ministry to them isn't known for years and years.
Pg 167: ". . . every room has been hallowed by prayer and praise and love . . .." Lilias was referring to a new home that the mission had purchased, but I think it is a lovely concept for our own homes. At our house we talk a lot about having a "temple house." Prayer and praise and love would not be a poor definition of that ideal.
Pg 173: "Though it was something she neither sought nor resisted, the mantle of leadership inevitably fell upon Lilias's shoulders, she having both the vision for the ministry and the ability to inspire and mobilize others in the work" (Rockness). Isn't that what mothers have to do to be effective? Inspire and mobilize.
Pg 178: "Is the aim of our ministry to them measured by the pattern laid down in St. Paul's Epistles--in caring; in sacrifice; in intercession?" Again, motherhood came immediately to mind.
Pg 180: Lilias described the martens (birds) that lived all around her. They have no spring in their legs so they can't take flight unless they can fall a ways. "So we need not wonder if we are not allowed to stay long in level sheltered places--our faith wings are like the martens' and mostly need the gulf of some emergency to give them their start on a new flight. We will not fear when we feel empty air under them."
Pg 182: "Inwardly it is all aglow, as I never knew a place to be in all my life--on fire with a spirit of sacrifice that does not even know itself to be sacrifice, it is so the natural expression of love." If only I could reach that point in serving/sacrificing for my children.
Pg 202: "And yet let us evermore write over all our miseries, big, and for the most part very little, these transforming words 'With Jesus.' And then the very breath of Heaven will breathe upon our whole being and we shall be glad." When we forget that motherhood is a partnering with the Savior to bring souls to Him, it becomes so overwhelming. I don't think we call on the Savior often enough or fervently enough to gain the heavenly help He is willing and able to give us. I think we try to do too much on our own.
Pg 217: ". . . and each generation must find out its own best ways of doing things unhampered by trying to keep to the conditions of the generation that went before." Often our parents (and friends) are helpful in the process of raising our children. Other times . . . not so much.
Pg 246: ". . . fifty years or more in the past, it was a joy to think that God needed me: Now it is a far deeper joy to feel & see that He does not need me--that He has it all in hand!" I thought about this concept for quite some time as I have always been so buoyed up by the knowledge that I am a partner with Christ is building His kingdom. I think Lilias is right though--it is much better to know that everything is perfectly under Heavenly Father's control. However, that doesn't diminish the joy I feel in knowing that I can help and that I can become an effective instrument in His hands. Our will, after all, is free to give or withhold as we choose.
Most important to me was Lilias's favorite concept--that of the impossible never being truly impossible with God. One of her favorite quotes was stated by a man named William Booth: "God loves with a great love the man whose heart is bursting with a passion for the impossible." This resonated with me because the goals that I have for my family sometimes seem impossible--due to my own laziness and/or the wickedness of the world.
Lilias's words are fabulous reminders that it really doesn't matter if something is impossible: "But oh! He [Satan] overreaches himself when he gets to the word [impossible]. He means it to sound like a knell, and instead of that it breaks into a ringing chime of hope: for The things that are impossible with men are possible with God. Yes: face it out to the end: cast away every shadow of hope on the human side as a positive hindrance to the Divine; heap the difficulties together recklessly, and pile on as many more as you can find: you cannot get beyond that blessed climax of impossibility. Let faith swing out on Him. He is the God of the impossible."
Since my goals have already reached the impossible it doesn't really matter what others I add to them. You either walk and talk with God and reach impossible goals, or you try it on your own and you fail. I'd rather join with Lilias and trust the God of the impossible.
In all, this book wasn't the best read around. However, that was in no way due to the subject matter. I'm glad I found Lilias Trotter and learned about her. She was an amazing woman. I'll remember "the unquenchable, mystical, fighting love of Miss Trotter of North Africa" (Basil Matthews, pg 246).
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