Room for Christ: Alma 32 for Non-Gardeners

I volunteered to write a few articles based on the Come Follow scriptures for the Church of Jesus Christ.org Canada. 

As often happens to me, my initial draft was way over my word count and there was a lot of editing before the article was posted  here:

https://ca.churchofjesuschrist.org/look-to-and-make-room-for-jesus-christ-alma-32-for-nongardeners?lang=eng-ca

I decided to share the "unabridged" version as well.

In grade three, each student in my class was given a little styrofoam cup of dirt. 

The assignment was to plant and grow a little bean seed.

I put my cup in our kitchen window, where it could get plenty of sun and I could water it daily, determined to fulfill the assignment. Finally, after what, for a third grader seemed like forever, a little sprout of green appeared.

Turned out it was a weed.

And it was the only thing that grew.

That early failure has perhaps contributed to my life long belief that when it comes to growing things, not only do I lack the “green thumb” I seemed to have a black one.

But there is one seed I have loved nourishing in my life.

 “Now, we will compare the word unto a seed. Now, if ye give place, that a seed may be planted in your heart…behold, it will begin to swell within your breasts; and when you feel these swelling motions, ye will begin to say within yourselves—It must needs be that this is a good seed, or that the word is good, for it beginneth to enlarge my soul; yea, it beginneth to enlighten my understanding, yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. (Alma 32:28).

Experiencing the thrill of spiritual growth--the enlarging of my soul, the enlightening of my understanding, the partaking of the fruits of faith --truly is the most delicious and satisfying aspect of my entire life.

But maybe you feel like your spiritual garden, like my little styrafoam cup, is only capable of producing weeds.

In the church, we love this chapter. The analogy is tactile enough to share with primary children, but expansive enough to hold the spiritual interest of even the most seasoned gospel gardeners. It reads like a to do list: Plant the seed. Nourish it.

It is easy to ask in our Sunday School lessons: What are we doing to grow our testimonies?

Like those Alma is teaching, we seem to always want to know but what do we do? (Alma 32:9)

Elaine Shaw Sorensen writes: “Latter-day Saints seem naturally inclined to focus upon their works. This propensity to rely so heavily on works that document obedience seems to be an outgrowth of our present technological, behavioristic society, which places so much emphasis on observable achievement…Illusionary time and goal management techniques, if not grounded in a basic Christian nature, can further contribute to task-based rituals and repetitions in life. By extending ourselves laterally outward in noisy worldly ways, we risk becoming swallowed up in the proud illusion of progress (Alma 31:27), when what we need is to extend quietly inward toward humility and upward toward God.  (Seeds of Faith: A Follower’s View of Alma 32)

Alma reminds us in chapter 33 that even the Israelites, who received a specific “action item”: which was to “look and live”, failed to do so, despite it seeming to be such a simple solution to their dire situation.

Alma reveals in 33:20 that “the reason they did not look [was] because they did not believe that it would heal them.”

A few verses earlier, we are reminded of a time the Lord was angry with his people.

Why?

Because “they will not understand thy mercies.”  (Alma 33:16)

Not that they can’t understand but that they wouldn’t.

Now remember the initial question the people were asking Alma and Amulek was “What shall we do?” (vs 5)

They can’t worship in their synagogues, they’ve been cast out. They can’t show devotion to God the way they have in the past.

We can relate to that can’t we? Covid-19 has disrupted the way we usually show our faith. We can’t sit in our usual pew, or stand up and teach our weekly lessons, or attend the normal meetings and councils, activities we are so used to being the outward indications and signs of our devotion.

Many of us have really had to re-examine what our devotion to God looks like on a more private, personal, inner plane, which can be challenging when we are used to the comfort of our outer actions assuring us of our faith.

Sister Sorenson again elaborates: “As with the apostate Zoramites ...the achievements and prosperity that embellish our lives become meaningless trappings of mortality with no eternal significance without faith. Doing home teaching, earning a scout merit badge, or doing other assigned acts of service can become little more than offerings on the Rameumptom (Alma 31:21), if our hearts are not earnest and our daily nature not Christian.” (Sorenson)

Interestingly enough, many of the “trappings” she refers to have been part of recent changes within the church which favor more heartfelt endeavors over systematic participation, inviting members to simplify and internalize their gospel efforts.

Elder David A. Bednar beautifully summarizes the vision behind such adjustments:

“We should not expect the Church as an organization to teach or tell us everything we need to know and do to become devoted disciples and endure valiantly to the end.² Rather, our personal responsibility is to learn what we should learn, to live as we know we should live, and to become who the Master would have us become.”

(Prepared to Obtain Every Needful Thing, April 2019)

Still we resist this idea and want to be told the particulars. Yes, yes, we seem to say, of course faith, sure, sure Christ, Hear Him, right- but still we circle back to “but what do we do?” How do we Hear Him? We want programs and reading charts and things we can check off to ensure we are still on the gospel track.

“…Sometimes, as the Zoramites, we also desire to offer the set of rules in our spiritual lives, with the documented trail of our good actions coupled with prosperity, as evidence of our place on the path to exaltation. Such emphasis upon works tends to give a sense of control... Such behaviorism works for things that are concrete, visible, and rule-driven. Behaviorism alone does not work, however, for those elements that are spiritual in nature: discernment; finding meaning; longing after goodness; having ethical awareness and moral courage; loving learning; having concern for excellence; having love, charity, or humility; becoming godly.” (Sorenson)

God is always more concerned with who we are becoming as a result of what we are doing. And what we learn from the analogy of the seed is He is there, with us for the entire process, from the moment we plant the seed.

As Elder Uchtdorf has explained: “There is no threshold of perfection you must attain in order to qualify for God’s grace.”( Come and Belong April 2020_

In her book “Grace Where You Are” Emily Belle Freeman describes a conversation she had discussing grace. “I just don’t understand it” the woman she was talking to confessed, “I feel like you have to do something, in order to experience grace…I’ve spent my entire adult life, trying to figure out what I am supposed to do.”

These sisters together then thought of the many accounts in the scriptures of people who receive grace without doing anything [which could include Alma!]. After making that list, they came to the conclusion that

“ these ..people didn’t have to do anything. Grace was extended exactly where they were and exactly as they were…the Lord will meet you where you are, as you are but …He doesn’t intend to leave you there. “Come as you are,” a loving Father says to each of us” but he adds “don’t’ plan to stay as you are.” We find comfort in knowing that we can come as we are, with the understanding that His grace, continually offered no matter the condition we are in, has the power to lift us, heal us and enable us to grow and change from exactly where we are in our stories to a fullness of life through Him.”

The grace begins the moment we plant the seed. It’s not one of the fruits we are waiting to harvest once our tree has grown -- grace is the growing!

In this way, the symbol of the seed also emphasizes the things we can not do- -- the grace of Christ. 

So what do we do?

How do we tend to the internal, to our individual processes of growing and becoming?

We “begin to believe in the Son of God… “(Alma 33:22) that “mercy can satisfy justice” and encircle us “in arms of safety. “(Alma 34:15-16)

We “plant this word in [our heart]” (Alma 33:23)

Not just any seed. The seed has to be Christ.

So when we as “believers” aren’t sure what to DO…

What we are to do, is to believe Christ. We believe He can do what He says He will do and we trust Him to do it. We look and live. We believe that being “clasped in the arms of Jesus”  (Mormon 5:11) will satisfy the demand of justice and leave us free to grow in  godliness, from the security and support of His nourishing, merciful embrace. We exercise “faith unto repentance” (Alma 34:16); in short, we believe in the atonement enough to use it.

The “work” is getting Christ (the word) in our hearts- so that power and love can swell and grow and enlarge us in the process.

“Work out your own salvation” (Alma 34:37) then, is making room for Him to do His work IN us.

I may not have planted many (okay any!) successful gardens in my life, but I have another set of experiences with planted “seeds”. I have grown seven children in my now rather worn out womb. As a pregnant woman, I could ask “what should I do?” And as any woman who has lost pregnancies will tell you, there is little you can force or control in regard to that little embryo thriving or failing to thrive. The body responds to the seed. It makes room for it, pushing aside organs previously thought rather vital, but in lieu of the baby, squish and recede, giving way to the preeminent task of providing space for this little one to grow.  

Once planted, the body nourishes. My hair and nails become brittle as my body takes whatever is needed, prioritizing once again the seed- doing whatever is necessary to ensure that umbilical cord blood is rich with all the nutrients needed for development to occur. But that all happened because of my body responding to the seed. The seed itself is powerful. Their growth --miraculous. The swelling and enlarging felt like something I witnessed more than I made happen.

Perhaps we could take a little more time just being amazed at what the Lord can grow in our hearts. To be amazed at the goodness of the seed. And how if we give place for it, (even if that means rearranging some of the desires of hearts and priorities of our lives) it will miraculously grow within us, and the seed itself will tell us what it needs to grow.

Perhaps we could pull off the gardening gloves, wipe our sweaty brows, and take a bite of the fruit. It is so good. It is miraculous. It is precious and sweet, and has the power to fill us, every crevasse of hunger, every thirsty cell.

I may not be much of a gardener, but I can testify of the goodness of the seed. The way every time I make room within my heart for the words and love of Christ- flowing from prophets, ancient and modern, as well as directly pressed upon my soul as I develop a relationship where I’m listening, and trusting His grace to speak to my heart, I experience what Alma and Amulek are describing:

“plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen.  (Alma 33:23)

We can do this. We can make room for the Savior, His light and His joy. And be amazed at what He helps our hearts become. That we can do. If we will.

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Scripture Study- How even our lamest efforts can help us connect to the Lord

I only had a few days to prepare this Sacrament talk on the Power of Scriptures. 

However, the message came pretty strongly- that the Lord wanted me to share that He loves us for any effort we make to draw His power in to our lives. I know regardless of our limitations and situations He will reach back  in so much mercy and with so much encouragement, to connect with us. I had a few people ask if I had my talk to share, so even though I haven't touched this blog in a while, I decide to put it up here. I hope it can help encourage someone to just try. I know if we do, the Lord will surprise us with His merciful responses. 

Power of the Scriptures Sacrament Talk                             

Chelsea Bowen Bretzke

Do you know where you were Saturday Morning April 5^th, 2014?

I do. I was 10 days away from having my 4^th child. Hadley Pearl, our first girl, that I never thought we’d have after 3 boys (it’s still so strange that we’ll be almost even after this third girl arrives in December). I was probably wearing my red zip up house coat, that I tend to wear way too often when I’m pregnant (I wore it while I typed this talk!)

Ben’s work still required a lot of travel at that time. Aaron was almost 8, and I was busy balancing home and school therapies for him, McKye was in kindergarten (with those awesome half day pickups) and Levi was a crazy little 3 year old.

And I was stressed.

It was conference weekend.  We most likely had lego out, sometimes I’d have conference coloring sheets, but they usually only lasted a few minutes with my active boys.

I often tell people 3 kids was my hardest. Ironically, I now have twice that many, 3 littles at home and 3 in school, and it’s still crazy, but I’ve grown more into it, but at that stage I was completely overwhelmed.

I was trying to listen to the talks, sitting as comfortably as any 9-month pregnant woman can.  Sister Linda K. Reeves was speaking, and she started a story that got my attention.

“Some of you have heard me tell how overwhelmed my husband, Mel, and I felt as the parents of four young children.”

Four kids? Overwhelmed? She might as well of been sitting beside me on the couch talking only to me.

“As we faced the challenges of parenting” she said “nd keeping up with the demands of life, we were desperate for help.”

I was desperate for help!

“We prayed and pleaded to know what to do.”

I had approached this very conference hoping for answers.

“The answer“she said, “that came was clear:”

I grabbed my notebook, ready:

“It is OK if the house is a mess and the children are still in their pajamas and some responsibilities are left undone. The only things that really need to be accomplished in the home are daily scripture study and prayer and weekly family home evening.”

I was bawling as the Spirit confirmed this was our answer too.

She continued: “We were trying to do these things, but they were not always the priority and, amidst the chaos, were sometimes neglected. We changed our focus and tried not to worry about the less-important things. Our focus became to talk, rejoice, preach, and testify of Christ by striving to daily pray and study the scriptures and have weekly family home evening.”  ( https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2014/04/protection-from-pornography-a-christ-focused-home?lang=eng )

This became my mantra for years. The thing I held to when I was tempted to get after myself for the many things I felt were getting left undone. It’s okay, I’m doing the only things that really matter.

Today I’ve been asked to speak on the power we gain from scripture study.

I love the scriptures. I have had times in my life, as perhaps you have, when I devoted a lot of  time to study. Before and during my mission for sure. I sat at a desk. I had reference books, and scripture markers, and wrote quotes on sticky notes and filled the margins with ideas, and cross references. 

And I learned a lot.

I have also had times when it seemed all I could do, is lay in my bed and press play, and let the words of the scriptures wash over me, hoping their light could dispel a bit of the darkness that seemed to envelope me.

And I learned a lot then too.

In both cases, I learned that the scriptures have power. And that it is a power the Lord WANTS us to access. They are the words of Christ and His Power makes His words powerful.

Pres Benson described this power, specifically speaking of the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon “There is a power in the book,” he said” which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called 'the words of life' (see D&C 84:85),… When you begin to hunger and thirst after those words, you will find life in greater and greater abundance." (Ezra Taft Benson, Ensign, Nov. 1986, p. 7)

Those years when we decided the most important thing was those spiritual priorities, the other areas of our lives were so blessed.

And times when we have let those priorities slip I can feel myself becoming frustrated, desperate again, seeking but never finding satisfactory answers or guidance. 

And so I have come to think as Peter “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” (John 6:68)

Who else are we going to turn to, google? Netflix? others many and contradictory opinions? Once we have experiences gaining guidance and strength from True Messengers-- from the scriptures and words of living prophets-- none of the other counterfeits will ever be even close to satisfactory- because they lack the power of Christ, the power of the Holy Ghost, the very powers of Heaven.

As Nephi taught: ”Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” (2 Nephi 32:3)

Sister Reeves was nothing less than an angel to me that day, she delivered a message from God to me, and I know angels are ready to help you find the messages and answers you seek as well.

But it won’t happen if we do nothing.

Ben’s mission president and his wife changed the old adage “anything worth doing is worth doing well” into

“Anything worth doing is worth doing poorly”

Don’t wait to read your scriptures in only ideal circumstances.

We need the power now and any amount of effort is better than nothing.

I bare witness of the blessings of sometimes the bare minimum.

 I know a woman who at the height of her crazy years with lots of children, would just sit and hold her scriptures. I have another friend who after her busy toddlers and ripped one too many pages out of her physical scriptures began reading from her phone, but worried that her kids would think she was just playing games or something. One day her little boy picked up her phone and said “Look! I’m mommy. I’m reading my scriptures”

I have had times when our family scriptures was in the van while we did the morning drop offs (which is actually awesome because they are strapped in) somedays we would have great discussions, others, I would  put in those illustrated scripture book, they turned into the little slide show movies. Do you know how many times, there were little phrases that answered my prayers from those simple, simple scripture stories, and my rather merger efforts?

One night I laid down with Hadley, and she pulled out her little New Testament stories book. I was exhausted, and I coped out, saying, how about you just look at the pictures and tell me the story. Then to my surprise, she went through almost the whole book, and with each page, said, “Oh this one! This is the one where Jesus does this…” Trust that our small and simple efforts are being magnified by the Lord and that He and his Spirit are working with us to help us teach our families.

The best rule I’ve ever heard comes from my favourite sister Julie B Beck. She simply says that her rule it to spend “Sometime in the scriptures each day”

Isn’t that so doable?!?

I love the mercy of our leaders, who knowing how powerful the scriptures are, are basically begging us to spend even the smallest amounts of the time reading the Words of Christ.

I was just down at BYU education week in August and Elder Stevenson was the devotional speaker. He encouraged us to take some of our  “precious screen time” and give  it to time in the Book of Mormon. “It really is simple.” He said and then pulled out his own phone and hit play. He then asked if we would be willing to spend 10 minutes in the Book of Mormon.  (https://news.byu.edu/faith/byu-devotional-the-ongoing-restoration )

10 minutes. Many of you can look at your phones right now and pull up a little chart that shows you your daily and weekly screen time usage.

I’m guessing we all have a lot more than 10 minutes a day.

The brethren are willing to give us these bare minimum invitations, because I believe they know if we will start to just do something, feeling the power of the word will make us want more.

And so today, as I invite anyone who needs to just start somewhere, to just begin, I also bear witness, of the blessings of striving to increase our efforts. 

Back to Sister Reeves talk.

“A friend recently cautioned, she said, “When you ask the sisters to read the scriptures and pray more, it stresses them out. They already feel like they have too much to do.”

Brothers and sisters, because I know from my own experiences, and those of my husband, I must testify of the blessings of daily scripture study and prayer and weekly family home evening. These are the very practices that help take away stress, give direction to our lives, and add protection to our homes. Then, [when] challenges do strike our families, we can petition the Lord for help and expect great guidance from the Spirit, knowing that we have done what our Father has asked us to do.

Brothers and sisters, if these have not been practices in our homes, we can all begin now. If our children are older and refuse to join us, we can start with ourselves. As we do, the influence of the Spirit will begin to fill our homes and our lives…” End quote.

Elder Richard G Scott has warned:

“Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it!” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference/2014/10/make-the-exercise-of-faith-your-first-priority?lang=eng

And finally, from our Prophet:

“My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Let this [Sunday morning] be a defining moment in your life. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng

Let me share with you two stories of people who made the choice, to put in the spiritual work required. (sorry to my Book of Moron class sisters, who’ve heard me shar these before)

First is Sister Beck- who when she was the General Relief Society, she was a spiritual giant in my eyes, and I assumed she had always been an amazing scriptorian. Then I read this story she told in a general Young Women’s meeting:

“When I was a new bride, I asked my mother-in-law, who is a very good cook, if she would teach me how to make her delicious dinner rolls. With a sparkle in her eye, she replied that it took 25 years to learn to make a good roll! Then she added, “You had better start making some.” I followed her advice, and we have enjoyed many good dinner rolls at our house. At about that same time, I was invited to a lunch for all of the Relief Society sisters in my ward who had read either the Book of Mormon or a short Church history book. I had become casual in my scripture reading, so I qualified to attend the luncheon by reading the short book because it was easier and took less time. As I was eating my lunch, I had a powerful feeling that though the history book was a good one, I should have read the Book of Mormon. The Holy Ghost was prompting me to change my scripture reading habits. That very day I began to read the Book of Mormon, and I have never stopped reading it.” (“My Soul Delighteth in the Scriptures,” April 2004 General Conference)

I LOVE THAT… her talk goes on to compare learning to make rolls with learning to read the scriptures, it took lots of attempts, some failings, and lots of learning, but what I love is how she decided, I am going to be a woman who reads her scriptures . Because she wasn’t just magically Sister Beck, any more than Nephi or Pres. Nelson became Nephi and Pres. Nelson….they CHOOSE to do the spiritual work required.

My second example, is even closer to my heart

My sister Krista- called me up one day. She said, I think I should read my scriptures. I never have and I want to. Will you help me?

She said her mornings were crazy but around 10 o clock she could settle her toddler in front of a show and have a moment, she asked if I would text her around 11 each day and ask if she’d read and then we’d reward ourselves if we were consistent for 100 days by going to Calgary, attend the temple, shop at Ikea and go out for dinner . Now, my sister doesn’t really read- anything, let alone scriptures. Some learning struggles factor into that, but reading in general is quite difficult for her. She would not have considered herself, a scriptorian by any means. Then I watched my sister change. I saw her spirituality increase. On that trip to Calgary  (technically I didn’t earn, cuz I for sure missed a couple days) we’d be talking about life, like you do and she’d say, well that’s like so and so in the Book of Mormon! Me and my sister had never talked about spiritual things before. I saw the power of daily scripture study transform my sister into a woman of faith, with the confidence that only the Spirit can bring.

In closing, Pres. Nelson has asked:

“Does God really want to speak to you?  

And his answer was “Yes!”

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives.p22?lang=eng

I really struggle with sleep. For years, I’ve had babies and toddlers waking frequently though the night. I was at a camp a few summers ago sharing a tent with my sister and my sweet little niece sleepily asked in the morning, “Auntie Chelsea, why do you your kids scream all night?” Add in Aaron’s bizarre rhythms, and the fact that he may always have random nights he stays awake wandering the house all night long and my own bouts with insomnia, I can’t even blame on my kids, but sleep is a real issue in my life.

But a few months ago, as summer began, Eliza was sleeping a bit better, and we were swimming so much Aaron was having good nights too and I was actually enjoying some summer time sleep ins.

And then I started waking up at 6:30- on the dot. Morning after morning. I’d fall back asleep, until one morning, I felt a small voice say,

“Wouldn’t you rather spend some time with me?”

I began pulling out my scriptures instead of going back to sleep.

I know the Lord loves us so much and He wants to spend time with us, he wants us to feel His encouragement, His love, His power, His peace.  

He wants us to know what it feels like to live WITH HIM, not just eventually in the next life, He wants to walk with us right now, today, and I know His scriptures and the words of Prophets are a powerful way for us to access that power and feel Him with us day by day.

Please, if you are someone who hasn’t really read scriptures regularly before, just start. If you are someone who knows you could be sacrificing more, let’s all “choose to do the spiritual work required.”

I know we can all do this. And I know It is beyond worth it.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.