Baby Girl!

Why Jade Elizabeth?

I knew from my time in China that Jade is important to the Chinese as a symbol of strength, beauty, and dignity, and the more we researched this symbolism, as well as the meanings of similar words in other languages we're learning in our family, the more it seemed like the perfect name for our new Baby.  "Elizabeth" is of Hebrew origin, and refers to how keeping covenants with God leads to eternal life.  Add to that the character of individuals on both sides of Baby's family who carry the same name, and it seemed a good choice.  We asked her opinion, said a final prayer, and felt like we'd chosen the right name at last.  As David likes to say, "So let it be written, so let it be done."

God Hears and Answers Prayers

The e-mails say it best:

May 19

Hello Family and Friends,

Getting close now!  Mommy and Baby are healthy and growing (yes - both
growing! :) in every good and expected way.  When people ask me how I
am doing, I say I am tired but doing well.  If they ask if I'm anxious
to not be pregnant anymore, I tell them no, but I might be if I didn't
know what I was in for.  And so it is.

There is one complication.  This past week, we discovered that Baby,
who by now should be head-down and ready to go, is actually laying
sideways.  I am grateful Heavenly Father led us to this discovery,
which is often not looked for this late in pregnancy (especially since
a few weeks ago she was head down!), rather than after many hard hours
of confusingly unproductive labor.  The challenge now is to get her to
turn, which is more difficult than it may sound.  I have been given
some excercises and other things to try, but time isn't on my side
anymore.  The good news is that we live in a day when a C-section
delivery is safe and very likely to be successful, but that is not the
kind of delivery I have been preparing for and looking forward to.

So, again, I am asking for prayers.  Pray for whatever you feel is
right.  I asked David for a blessing and in it I was instructed to not
fear and to trust Christ and the power of His atonement, among other
things, but never mentioned whether Baby will turn or not.  I am
praying that Baby will turn, but also the strength to willingly
receive whatever lessons the Lord has planned for me and my family.

I am determined to be happy about this no matter how it goes - and do
my best to do my part to make sure it goes the way God intends.  Thank
you for your love and prayers!

Hugs and Smiles from all of us!

Ashley

May 20

Hi!

Went to the doctor today and Baby is head-down!  Thank you all for
your support and love and thoughts and prayers and words of
encouragement.  But it's not over until she's out and safe, so please
keep praying for us - could be any day now!

Love you all and thank you!!

What Sneakers are Called

This scene played the morning after David picked out the sneakers he got for his birthday.  He picked her up and put her feet in the new shoes, and she started walking with them.

Charlotte: Shoo.
David: Yeah, shoe! Zapato.
Charlotte: Shoo
David: Za-pa-to.
Charlotte: Issa shoo.
David: Well I guess you told me!

We love our little Princess. We may need to take a different language-learning strategy with this one :D

Reduced-Guilt Ramen Noodles

I craved ramen incessantly during my first trimester of pregnancy, but I couldn’t shake the guilt that came from knowing how nutritionally useless ramen was for me and my growing child.  So, I read the ingredients list and tried a few things until I got something that came out right most of the time.

At first I would just add my own seasonings (onion powder, garlic powder, oregano, salt & pepper) to the packaged ramen noodles as they boiled and just not use the flavor packet (which is the really unhealthy part of the whole experience).  Later, I would add an egg or frozen broccoli to the mix so it looked and felt a little more like food.  Now, since I’ve gotten better at feeding my hunger before I’m ready to eat my own fingers, I can put a little bit more time into it and make something with some actual nutritional value.

So, this is how I did it yesterday (it’s a little different every time):

Boil water in a medium-sized pot – about half full.

Add about a pound of pasta noodles.  I used half white elbows and half wheat elbows.  Set timer for “al dente” time on the box.

·         Short kinds (rigatoni, elbows, bows, etc.) work the best.  Spaghetti broken up could be good too.

Add two generous tablespoons full of “Better Than Bouillon” brand chicken base.

·         Forgive the plug for this brand, it really is the best.

·         Chicken, or beef, or whatever kind of bouillon you like the best is the most important ingredient in this recipe, so don’t be stingy when deciding how much to put in.

Add the other spices quickly-ish, stirring them in occasionally, so there’s time for all the flavors to blend.  I don’t measure, and you’re tastes will be different anyway:

·         Seasoning salt (mine has chili powder in it, so I don’t add chili powder when I use this).

·         Oregano (for Italian flavor.  Don’t add too much; it’s a strong flavor and hard to reverse.)

·         Pepper (mine is coarse ground)

·         Garlic powder

·         Parsley – just a dash

Let it all boil together until the pasta is done.

It would probably be a good idea to taste the broth to see if it needs to be adjusted before it’s done, but I’m a wimp when it comes to hot stuff so I usually don’t.  

When the timer goes off, lunch is ready.  Don’t drain it – just spoon out into bowls and enjoy!

I ended up adding a little water to my first bowl of it so it wasn’t as strong, but my daughter liked it as-is.  If you want to hit another food group, you can add frozen veggies when you add the spices or (especially if carrots are involved) when you first turn on the burner to boil the water, and adjust the amount of water and spices accordingly.  Or you can just steam some to serve on the side.  Experiment and have fun!  Good luck!

Good Morning, Charlotte!

We don't usually do this, but this morning David was up very early and had come back to bed, so he wanted to sleep for just a little longer after the children woke up.  I asked M and C to play a little while and we would get up soon.  They ran in and out several times - I knew closing the door wouldn't help them stay out or be quiet.  One of these times, C told me in her way that she needed to - or had - gone potty.  Then I heard her take her diaper off.  I had just sat her on the potty, so I wasn't super concerned.  I did want to get up and help her before she went on the floor, but met some resistance because David was holding me and was still asleep.  Then she threw the diaper at our heads.  I grabbed it and was grateful to find it was perfectly dry.  That woke David up.

"Did she just throw a diaper at us?"
"Yes," I said, and got up to help her sit on the potty.
"A dirty diaper?"
"I don't think so."

Then he moved, and found what he described as a "jolly little hand grenade" (when retelling this story to his parents moments later) on the bed where our heads had just been.

Yes, friends, we're potty training.  Not because she's reached a magical age, or because at nine months pregnant I feel up to it, but because we have no choice ;)  Have a wonderful day!

The Grieving Process

I might try to apologize to my Squish for not being prepared enough to protect him from what we had to go through on his Birth Day - or wear that awful bruise on his head for months afterward - but I know he forgave me a long time ago, if he was ever upset with me about it to start with. Now it's my turn to forgive myself.

Curse versus Skin of Blackness

Several references, with the pieces highlighted that I feel are most directly applicable to the conversation I took part in recently at Book Group, followed by my personal commentary at the end.  It's a lot, but I didn't want to take anything unduly out of context.  Hope this helps bring things together. Happy studying!

Jacob had some choice words for Nephites who thought they were better than the Lamanites based on the fact that they had not been curse initially and had white skin:

The Book of Jacob the Brother of Nephi

Chapter 3

About 544–421 B.C.

 3 But, wo, wo, unto you that are not pure in heart, that are filthy this day before God; for except ye repent the land is ^acursed for your sakes; and the Lamanites, which are not ^bfilthy like unto you, nevertheless they are ^ccursed with a sore cursing, shall scourge you even unto destruction.

 4 And the time speedily cometh, that except ye repent they shall possess the land of your inheritance, and the Lord God will ^alead away the righteous out from among you.

 5 Behold, the Lamanites your brethren, whom ye hate because of their filthiness and the cursing which hath come upon their skins, are more righteous than you; for they have not ^aforgotten the commandment of the Lord, which was given unto our father—that they should have save it were ^bone wife, and ^cconcubines they should have none, and there should not be ^dwhoredoms committed among them.

 6 And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be ^amerciful unto them; and one day they shall ^bbecome a blessed people.

 7 Behold, their ^ahusbands ^blove their ^cwives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their ^dunbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?

 8 O my brethren, I fear that unless ye shall repent of your sins that their skins will be ^awhiter than yours, when ye shall be brought with them before the throne of God.

 9 Wherefore, a commandment I give unto you, which is the word of God, that ye ^arevile no more against them because of the darkness of their skins; neither shall ye revile against them because of their filthiness; but ye shall remember your own filthiness, and remember that their filthiness came because of their fathers.

 10 Wherefore, ye shall remember your ^achildren, how that ye have grieved their hearts because of the ^bexample that ye have set before them; and also, remember that ye may, because of your filthiness, bring your children unto destruction, and their sins be heaped upon your heads at the last day.

Pretty clear how we shouldn't talk to our children about people of other races!

 

2 Nephi 5:20–25. The Lamanites Were Cursed

Verses 20–25 in 2 Nephi 5 answer at least four questions about the curse that came to the Lamanites:

1. What was the curse?

The curse is clearly defined in verse 20 as being “cut off from the presence of the Lord.”

2. What caused the curse?

According to verse 21, the cause of the curse came “because of their iniquity” and “hardened … hearts.” Since the days of Adam’s Fall, wickedness has resulted in being cut off from the presence of the Lord (see 1 Nephi 2:21; 2 Nephi 4:4; 9:6; Alma 9:13; Ether 10:11).

3. What was the mark or sign set upon the Lamanites?

It is also explained in verse 21 that so “they might not be enticing unto my people [the Nephites] the Lord did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them [the Lamanites].” It would appear that this was done to limit the spreading of more wickedness. Later Alma suggested this same motive when he explained that “the skins of the Lamanites were dark … that thereby the Lord God might preserve his people, that they might not mix and believe in incorrect traditions” (Alma 3:6, 8). Throughout scripture we find warnings of the Lord not to marry unbelievers (see Deuteronomy 7:2–3; 2 Corinthians 6:14); the result of doing so was often that the righteous were turned away from the Lord (see Deuteronomy 7:4; 1 Kings 11:4; D&C 74:5).

Some people have mistakenly thought that the dark skin placed upon the Lamanites was the curse. President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) explained that the dark skin was not the curse:

“The dark skin was placed upon the Lamanites so that they could be distinguished from the Nephites and to keep the two peoples from mixing. The dark skin was the sign of the curse [not the curse itself]. The curse was the withdrawal of the Spirit of the Lord. …

“The dark skin of those who have come into the Church is no longer to be considered a sign of the curse. … These converts are delightsome and have the Spirit of the Lord” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 3:122–23).

4. What was the result of the curse?

Finally in verse 24 we learn that the result of the curse—being cut off from the presence of the Lord—is that they “become an idle people, full of mischief and subtlety.”

One great blessing is that the curse is only valid as long as people are wicked. If they repent, the “curse of God [will] no more follow them” (Alma 23:18). There are many examples of righteous Lamanites who repented and enjoyed the Spirit of the Lord; one of them even became a prophet (see Helaman 13:5).\

https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-8-2-nephi-4-8?lang=eng&query=skin+blackness

Alma 3:5. The Amlicites Changed Their Appearance to Follow the Lamanites

The Amlicites changed their appearance to look like the Lamanites. Many Latter-day Saints today feel pressured to follow the dress trends of the world. Extremes in clothing and appearance serve to distinguish the disobedient from the disciples of Jesus Christ. Those who follow these worldly trends “disobey the prophet and, instead, follow the fads of the world” (see “Questions and Answers,” New Era, Mar. 2006, 14; For the Strength of Youth, 14–16).

Elder M. Russell Ballard taught young men who hold the priesthood that worldly trends in dress and appearance will chase away the Spirit of the Lord:

“There is an entire subculture that celebrates contemporary gangs and their criminal conduct with music, clothing styles, language, attitudes, and behaviors. Many of you have watched as trendy friends have embraced the style as something that was ‘fashionable’ and ‘cool,’ only to be dragged into the subculture. …

“… I do not believe that you can stand for truth and right while wearing anything that is unbecoming one who holds the priesthood of God” (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 51–53; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 38–39).

Alma 3:6–15. The Mark and the Curse

There is a difference between the mark and the curse. The mark placed upon the Lamanites was a dark skin (see Alma 3:6). The curse was not the dark skin but being “cut off from the presence of the Lord” (2 Nephi 5:20). Notice that in both Alma 3:7 and Alma 3:14 the conjunction and is used between the curse and the mark. This implies that they are not the same thing. The people brought the curse upon themselves: “And even so doth every man that is cursed bring upon himself his own condemnation” (Alma 3:19). Through righteousness the curse may be removed, but the mark may remain as it has with the Lamanites (see commentary for 2 Nephi 5:20–25 on page 62).

https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-student-manual/chapter-23-alma-1-4?lang=eng

Alma 3:14  Thus the word of God is fulfilled, for these are the words which he said to Nephi: Behold, the Lamanites have I cursed, and I will set a mark on them that they and their seed may be ^aseparated from thee and thy seed, from this time henceforth and forever, except they repent of their wickedness and ^bturn to me that I may have mercy upon them.

What I learn from my own study, the Spirit, and these study helps, helps me see how to teach my children about “skins of blackness.”  In Lamanite times, this curse and marking was important to distinguish the wicked from the righteous.  Over the course of the centuries since then, these people have decided what to do about it.  Today whether we are talking about tan-skinned Lamanites, the dark-skinned Africans, or the olive-skinned Asians, NO ONE is distinguished as being righteous or wicked by virtue of their color.  The Priesthood is now given, and gladly, to every worthy baptized male of age in the Church.  No one is excluded on any other grounds.  Many people of all colors creeds and nationalities choose to carry on the curse of idol and wicked living, but this is the trouble of individuals, not groups.

Importantly, the Lord makes it clear in Alma 3:14 that every person and people who fully repented would have the curse removed from them.  He didn't want the curse to be permanent.

As an unimportant aside, imagine the level of unhappiness that would result of telling all of the righteous people across the world that they had passed the test and now would now have their skin changed miraculously, like they were in 3 Naphi, so they could be white like the rest of the righteous people.  I cannot imagine any way this would go over well!

Years ago, a dear friend, who was white was dating a man seriously, who happened to be black, and she confided in me that she got a lot of resistance from her prejudiced family members, who cited the Book of Mormon example as a reason why she should not marry him.  That attitude seemed inherently wrong to me, so I encouraged her and sad I would keep my eyes out for any doctrine I could find on the subject.  Months later, I was delighted to find this little gem from President Kimball in the materials for a Relief Society lesso0n that was being taught, and was eager to share it with her:

“…it is certain that almost any good man and any good woman can have happiness and a successful marriage if both are willing to pay the price.”

(Full-text here: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1977/03/oneness-in-marriage?lang=eng, the whole talk of course is excellent.)

President Kimball conspicuously did not use any qualifiers.  I was happy to report this to her at my first opportunity, and was very pleased to learn that she had already married the man :)  They have both been willing to “pay the price,” and just recently welcomed their second child into the world.  The Gospel is truly a living, beautiful thing – and absolutely true!

So, my mind is satisfied, and I hope these sources and thoughts have helped remove some fear about reading 2 Nephi with our children for someone, and maybe even resolve concerns about the LDS Church’s perspective on race for someone too.