An Unseen Hand

50,064 and  50,147 and More and More

Early in December I discovered a gold mine/two gold mines.  Well not exactly, but in the eternal scheme of things, it is without a doubt more valuable than any gold mine could ever be. Not only that, I discovered a way to help others get their own personal gold mines with practically no cost to them. 

A short time later, I was looking through some of my books in search of  something good to read or reread.  I came across a book, that had been given to me by a dear Sister (Viginia Sneddon) in Montpelier whom I home taught for many years.  She gave it to me as a token of appreciation of  in her words "many years of faithful home teaching."  I must admit that I was always more uplifted by our visits than any thing I could have ever done to help her.  At the time I received this book, I was busy with other things, and though I do remember glancing at it and reading a few pages her and there, I certainly had not let it seep deeply into my soul.  After locating the book, I brought it upstairs and laid it on my reading table in our bedroom, where I often sit and read and ponder things of importance to me.  I would get on to read it soon.

That night I had a dream.  It was a vivid dream and occurred off and on several times during the night.

In this dream I was walking down a path elevated a few feet above my surroundings.  There were people on either side of the path.  The people seemed to be rather stressed for some reason or another. They were looking up to me and pleadingly asking me to give them something.  At first it didn't make sense as all that I had in my hand was a rather large book.  The book was neither famous, nor in my view particularly valuable.  It was not the works of a well know author, nor was it elaborately bound or in any way a  valuable show piece.  It did not contain a single picture.  Most of you know how much I love pictures and visual materials.  In fact, all it was basically was a list of names, 50 064, to be exact. Finally, I began  by giving the book to the people on the side of the path.  As I did so the book was magically replaced in my hands each time I would give it away. What was I to make of this dream?  Was I just having some sort of weird dream or a nightmare of some sort?  To be honest, I kind of thought I was losing my mind. and most concerning of all to me was that the dream just wouldn't go a way.  The dream just kept recurring for most of the night. I thought of the Prophet Joseph on the night he was visited by the Angel Moroni.  I'm sure my experience was not nearly as far reaching as was his, but in a small way, for some, it may be equally important.

Finally. because I couldn't sleep, I got up to get a cold drink, in hopes that I would be able to relax and settle in for some much needed rest.  As I started to leave the bedroom for the kitchen, I caught a glimpse of the book Virginia had given to me three years before lying on the small reading table by my recliner.  It seemed as though a beam of light from outside was lightly shining on the book.  I assumed it was the moon light.  I'm not really even sure now that it was even a moonlight night, nonetheless, the dim light attracted my view.  I picked up the book and took it into the living room and sat down on the couch.  I began to read.  The very first paragraph caught my attention in a way that few lines of writing have ever done.  I read them again and again and again.  Eventually they started to gel in my mind and the Spirit gave me a view of the future, at least some of it, and of my role in shaping this future.  I was shown how I can help the world to become a better place here and now and more especially in the world to come.

The first paragraph of the book, Your Divine Purpose, by Richard Paul Anderson is quoted below.

"It is a matter of trust.  It is a matter of letting go and acknowledging that a perfect plan for your life exists.  Because when all is said and done, the value of your life will not be  determined by your accomplishments, but by what Heavenly Father has been able to accomplish through you. So it is a matter of trusting who is really in control, who your life belongs to,  and who has purchased it."

It's all about forgetting self and allowing our will to be  "swallowed up in the will of the Father."

I wondered at first if I should share this with anyone, but as I have contemplated it more, I  have come to realize how much meaning are in the words "through you" in the above noted paragraph.  It is my desire to share and help, not manipulate or force, others to see how critically important, perhaps in different ways, our lives are in helping others to discover for themselves what their "perfect plan" is.

And so, though I am now "retired", I think, I have found a great purpose to keep on keeping on.

The Lord willing, I will do so until I draw my last mortal breath and beyond.  I know I will falter, but I will not fall nor fail as I keep on striving.  An Unseen Hand guides us all, if we will.

Boredom?  What is that?

Don't tell me there's nothing to do.