Passover at the MTC

We had a Passover celebration here in the RC, complete with lamb’s blood over the door frames. Well, not really, but they have been painting a little here.  We didn’t know they would be painting, so it was a little bit of a surprise to see how they left the wall for a few days after starting.  The good news is they did later come back and finish the painting.  In the scriptures, the Passover was a time to remember some of the many blessings which God had given to Israel.  The lamb’s blood over the door was used at the time (Exodus 12) to safeguard the house so the destroying angel would pass by.  There is probably more symbolism than what I am able to glean, but I do know that it was a representation of Jesus Christ and the sacrifice which He would make.  While we don’t have a destroying Angel coming through our city, it is always important for us to remember Jesus Christ and what He has done for us.

I tried searching for how many times the word “remember” is mentioned in the scriptures.  But, I was not able to see how many times it was individually mentioned.  However, I was able to find that it is mentioned in 275 chapters, many of the chapters multiple times. Remembering Jesus Christ is a part of the promise we make with the sacrament.  As we remember Him, and what He has done for us, it is easy to choose to follow His commandments.  We remember him, we take His name upon us, and we follow His commandments.

Blessings and a Broken Head (Literally)

Please note the "I bleed true blue" shirt he is wearing :)

Last weekend I had an unexpected surprise.  On Friday evening while we were in the middle of a lesson, my companion Elder Fallentine mentioned that my Mom was messaging him on facebook.  I was a little confused at why she was messaging him until I heard the message, that my brother was currently in the emergency room here in Provo and my Mom was asking if I would be allowed to go and give him a blessing.  I was informed he had fractured his frontal lobe, but was ok.  With that little information my imagination did begin to wander very much.  What exactly does ok mean?  And how is it ok with a broken head?  Is ok simply that he isn’t dead, or he is conscious?  Or does ok also include significant brain damage?  And at the front of my mind, I needed to find out if I would be able to go and see him and give him the priesthood blessing, which I was.

In an effort to keep ourselves focused on serving the Lord, correspondence with our family is usually limited.  Although this is not the first time I have seen my brother, (as you can read here, Teaching Experiences with Cassia) I was blessed to go and see him in the hospital and I was able to give him a priesthood blessing.   He is recovering well, and many of the worries I had have been alleviated.  While the real purpose of going to see my brother was to bless and help him, I feel I was the one who was blessed the most.