Tree of Life Mothering

Here’s something I discovered this past week that I am so excited to share with you all. It’s from Alma 26. (Last week’s reading for Come, Follow Me was Alma 23-29). Even though I’ve read the Book of Mormon from cover to cover at least two dozen times I am still discovering new truths and gems of wisdom. So here we go…

This is from Alma 26:22:

“Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing—unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God; yea, unto such it shall be given to reveal things which never have been revealed; yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance, even as it has been given unto us to bring these our brethren to repentance.”

This is a tremendous promise! Anyone who follows this procedure of the following outlined in the above verse:

1. Repent
2. Exercise faith
3. Bring forth good works
4. Pray continually without ceasing

Will have 1) things revealed to that person that “have never been revealed” before, thus 2) bringing “thousands of souls to repentance.”

Wow….could it be that maybe many of the inventions and truths discovered so far in the history of the earth have been from people who have followed this formula?

I think so. Numberless people have come to know Christ throughout our world’s history. Many people have been called by God so to speak, not to reveal gospel truths or act in God’s name, but to solve mysteries and reveal truths in their area of study that were never before revealed. People like Isaac Newton and Columbus. These men didn’t live when the priesthood power was on the earth, allowing them to get baptized. Could it be, however, that they did these things in the list above, and that’s why they were blessed with the knowledge they received? Most of us who went to public school don’t realize that these men were deeply religious, even devout Christians.

Newton said the following (see https://www.icr.org/article/newton/):

“No sciences are better attested than the religion of the Bible.”

He also said, “This most beautiful system of the sun, planets, and comets, could only proceed from the counsel and dominion of an intelligent and powerful Being….This Being governs all things, not as the soul of the world, but as Lord over all; and on account of his dominion he is wont to be called Lord God ‘pantokrator,’ or Universal Ruler…” (see Newton, I. General Scholium. Translated by Motte, A. 1825. Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. New York: Daniel Adee, 501. The Greek word pantokrator is most often translated as “Almighty” in the King James Version.)

Columbus said the following (see https://duoparadigms.com/2013/10/14/rare-collection-quotes-christopher-columbus-christian-statesman/):

“It was the Lord who put into my mind (I could feel His hand upon me) the fact that it would be possible to sail from here to the Indies. All who heard of my project rejected it with laughter, ridiculing me. There is no question that the inspiration was from the Holy Spirit, because he comforted me with rays of marvelous illumination from the Holy Scriptures, a strong and clear testimony from the 44 books of the Old Testament, from the four Gospels, and from the 23 Epistles of the blessed Apostles, encouraging me continually to press forward, and without ceasing for a moment they now encourage me to make haste.”

“No one should fear to undertake any task in the name of our Saviour, if it is just and if the intention is purely for His holy service.”

“I am a most noteworthy sinner, but I have cried out to the Lord for grace and mercy, and they have covered me completely. I have found the sweetest consolation since I made it my whole purpose to enjoy His marvellous Presence.”

This gives me so much hope! We have so many good people on the earth today who are doing this formula. They are bringing forth answers to the mysteries of today! On top of this, we will continue to see more answers to mysteries that we don’t even know are mysteries yet. Yes, as rich as this life is, more exciting times are to come! Keep reading the Book of Mormon and don’t give up hope for these hard times.

My friend Rebecca told me about this video. Some of her kiddos are in it. It’s by Glenn Beck. Here’s a message from him. I love that he works so hard to help us remember our nation’s Christian heritage.

Here’s a special message from Glenn:

“It’s been a tough year, America. Our news media is inundating us with images of destruction, violence, and division in attempts not only to desecrate our nation, but to make us turn our backs on it. That’s why now, more than ever, we need to take an up-close look at America’s history to remember what it is we’re fighting for and how to fight for it with practical action. Join Glenn Beck, broadcasting from Standing Rock Ranch, as he takes us to Plymouth, Gettysburg, and Federal Hall on an important journey through America’s remarkable history to inspire a brighter future. Glenn asks the hard questions of every American. Is this system worth saving? Is there a better way? Where do we go from here, and how do we answer those questions? Featuring performances from the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras, David Osmond, a very special children’s choir, and guests Bob Woodson, Tim Ballard, David Barton, Burgess Owens, Kathy Barnette, Anna Paulina Luna, and Tim Barton.”

Thanks to another Rebecca friend who created some timestamps for this video:

Starts after 5:50min.;

could skip to start @20min.;

Tim Ballard/David Osmond @ 31min.;

Tim Barton (Founding fathers turn to God) @46min.;

David Barton (George Washington/St.Paul’s Chapel-NY) @ 56min.;

Amazing Grace/slave trade @1:09min;

Burgess Owens (former NFL player & just elected to Utah Congress! -@ Gettysburg re: his slave ancestors) @1:23min.;

Kathy Barnett from Alabama (Love her!) @ 1:28min.;

Anna Luna (Fight human trafficking) @1:35min);

Bob Woodson (1776unites.com) @ 1:40min.;

David Osmond & kiddos (We Are One) 1:52min.;

then just hear it out to the end -last song was How great Though art – (in minor til the last verse)

My sister-in-law sent me this video. It’s hilarious and sad at the same time.

I started hosting a Constitution Alive class with content from patriotacademy.com through zoom. Now more than ever we need to know what our God-given rights are that are protected by the Constitution. The video above and below are the first two videos from the 6-week class.

The second video, below, is all about the Declaration of Independence and its connection to the Constitution. If you haven’t watched it already, I encourage you to watch it this weekend to help celebrate America’s Independence Day. Just for fun, I have a quiz to help you focus and feel rewarded by the knowledge you gain after watching the second video. Watch it as a family and give treats for correct answers.

Independence Day Quiz (answers are all in the video just above and spelled out at the bottom of this post)

Questions about our Seeds of Liberty

1. Who was the first delegate at the Continental Congress to propose separation from Great Britain?
2. Who were the 5 Founding Fathers on the committee assigned to write the Declaration of  Independence?
3. Who said the people were “not only ripe but rotting for independence”?
4. Which states initially voted no to the original vote for independence?
5. Who spent all night riding on horseback to break a tie vote for one of the colony’s no votes for independence, and what colony was he from?
6. Why did George Mason not sign the Constitution?
7. What did George Washington say were the two indispensable supports for government to function effectively?
8. What is the most important puzzle piece that Rick Green says in the video above that allow a person to understand rights?
9. What does the 3/5 compromise in the Constitution really mean?
10. Which Founding Father told the members of the Constitution Convention that they needed to pray as a group to ask for God’s help?
11. What is the percentage that Dr. Donald Lutz gave for the Bible shaping the Founding Fathers’ ideas to write the Constitution? (for more info see https://wallbuilders.com/chw/lessons/lesson-4-american-founding-federal-era-original/)
12. What are the six immutable principles that Rick Green and David Barton present at the end of the video above that the Declaration of Independence is based on?

Answers to the Questions Above

1. Richard Henry Lee
2. Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Roger Sherman, Robert Livingston
3. John Witherspoon
4. South Carolina, Delaware, Pennsylvania
5. Cesar Rodney, Delaware
6. No Bill of Rights
7. Religion and morality
8. That our rights don’t come from government, they come from God. “Liberty under God, not liberty without God.”
9. The message to the southern states was “If you keep slavery, you actually only get 3/5 representation of your entire population.”
10. Franklin
11. 34%
12. 1) There is a Creator 2) Inalienable rights come from God 3) Government exists to protect inalienable rights 4) There is a fixed moral law 5) Government functions at the consent of the government 6) The people have a right to change the gvt. if it becomes destructive of the ends of protecting life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness

Do you want to teach your children about what real independence is? Do you want them to value independence and liberty over peer pressure and government intervention? Do you want to help them to think critically for themselves? Then get them these books! You get all the Tuttle Twins books, with their companion audiobooks and PDF workbooks, plus a new ebook about 10 facts of the Declaration of Independence, all for only $58.88, 75% off! Go here to get the deal!

Happy upcoming Independence Day! This year the holiday is more important than ever, for us to think about how our independence is being threatened and what we can do about. Here are some great videos to help us do that.

The Tuttle Twins books are on sale for Independence Day. You can get the whole set that has been available before during the Lockdown Sale, plus a new ebook written by Connor Boyack about 10 facts of the Declaration of Independence. Click here to get the sale.

Happy Independence Day everyone! Speak up and speak out for your liberty!

I love this talk published in the July 2020 Ensign about the pioneers, by Elder Lawrence Corbridge. He gave it pre-pandemic to celebrate Pioneer Day (July 24) last year in Utah. It is, however, very timely for us to read now. This is especially true in the wake of having our religious freedom of assembly curtailed in the name of safety. The video above shows a recent digital conference originating from the BYU Law School exploring the topic of religious freedom.

The pioneers got through a major crisis involving religious freedom, and we can too. In the article I just referenced, Elder Corbridge speaks about how in times of crisis, the 10-80-10 principle applies. This involves the following, to quote him (I added the bold emphases and separated the concepts for easier understanding):

“10 percent of people will handle crisis and trauma with a relatively calm and rational state of mind. They pull themselves together quickly. They accept the situation, make decisions to improve it, and take action.

However, the vast majority of us, 80 percent, are immobilized, stunned, and bewildered and wait for help to come or someone to tell us what to do.

The group we try not to be in, however, is the last 10 percent. They freak out and make the situation worse.”

Wow! This is so interesting!

So which group do you want to be a part of as we handle this pandemic crisis?

I invite you to be part of the first 10 percent, the leaders.

How do we do that? As the scripture says, “If you are prepared you shall not fear.” (D&C 38:30) This pandemic has been a great practice drill wake-up call to help us see where our preparation gaps are. Now we can better prepare with vision, knowledge, and skills for future crises. We must take action! That involves knowledge.

It’s so important to have a knowledge of history and civics so we can know how people before us dealt with crises. Like what happened in the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic. Watch the video below to learn.

I’m hosting a Constitution Alive Class over Zoom Starting Thursday June 25, 6 to 8 PM MDT. It will go for 6 weeks. This class features prerecorded videos by Rick Green (the guy in the video above) and David Barton of the Wallbuilders podcast. Only if we know our rights protected by the Constitution, can we stand up for and defend them. If you want to take part, please send an email to info (at) treeoflifemothering (dot) com so I can sign you up.

Elder David A. Bednar, apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, recently spoke about the importance of religious rights as part of the video conference I posted at the top of this post. His remarks start at the 32:25 minute mark.

I’m pleased to see him take this stance. Does this mean that in the future, Church leaders will fight back government orders to stop assembling for Church meetings by proposing to comply with some kind of compromise so that we can meet and slow the spread of germs if there’s a pandemic ? I hope so. I suppose that is already happening right now as some congregations are starting to meet, with social distancing guidelines in place. I also hope that some non-compliance will happen, a little Church-led civil disobedience. Is this too much to hope for?

We do believe in “obeying and sustaining the law” (Article of Faith 8) but sometimes the law is not right.

Right? Examples of bad laws: laws that allow slavery, the Fugitive Slave Act, the Supreme Court decisions of Scott v. Sanford, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Roe v. Wade, among numerous others. These laws are not based on natural law. Such laws are examples of ones that needed or need to be change. So let’s learn our Constitution, hold our leaders accountable and ask for change when they aren’t following laws or the law isn’t right. Also let’s show outrage and some civil disobedience, like good old Gandhi did.

This video below shows an Illinois state legislator, Darren Bailey, who took the time to look up the Illinois law to see how it jived with the Illinois state governor giving an executive emergency proclamation. Watch below to see what he did.

Further reading on the role that Latter-day Saints can and must play in fighting for liberty and its twin, responsibility, can be found in these books: Latter-day Liberty and Latter-day Responsibility, both by Connor Boyack. The first is also in Audible format, and both have Kindle formats.

Wow, this is an amazing fireside. It’s a timely message for what’s going on now as we all find sense and healing in the midst of tragedy. Alex Boye shares a personal story of racial prejudice that is so powerful! This is not to be missed! He shows that the God he worships is a God of love who gives us all the grace we need to heal from hurt. I admires him so much. I love that he talks about having a “Jesus playlist” for these troubled times. I will do it Alex!

For our pure enjoyment I’ve posted a favorite Alex video of mine. As he sings, “You can be bitter, or you can be better!”

I absolutely loved, loved, loved this week’s Don’t Miss This video for Alma 8-12 of the Book of Mormon. Trust me, you’ve got to watch this! I love the story David tells of a friend who had a rough life. She left the covenant path as a youth and then came back as an adult. When David told the story of what happened when the woman had her patriarchal blessing after coming back to the path, I teared up a bit. It was so sweet!

Then Emily talked about how we can all be God’s favorite. Each one of us can be “highly favored of the Lord.” God’s love is that big, she says. I love it!