Elephant in the Front Yard (revised)

Oh, it smelled good. Tyler opened the grill hatch, the smoke wisping around his heavily-tattooed arm. Pork, beef, chicken, shrimp--a regular petting zoo getting cooked right in front of me. As a missionary I had gained a strong appetite, something I had lacked for much of my adolescence. Just 2 months earlier in fact, aided by a prescribed regular dosage of corticosteroids, I could down more food than my formerly 300-pound missionary companion. Considering my 150 pound frame, this was an accomplishment. 

Watching that searing cooked meat that day? I knew I wouldn't have any. I wasn't hungry. I hadn't been hungry. I began to wonder if I'd ever be hungry again.

Our mission president arrives with his wife, both dressed in black. They hug, shake hands, comment on the cooking food. They smile and show genuine enthusiasm for being able to see me and my two companions, Elder Clark and Elder Blair, and to finally meet the family (the Moores) that had kept us sane the last five days. Our mission president's wife, perhaps a little less likely to stay composed in situations like this than her husband, shows signs of losing said composure at the sight of Elder Clark. I look away, afraid to fall down that hole with her. 

Conversation remains light. Jokes are made, laughs are had, everyone doing their best to avoid the house-sized elephant in the room (or the front yard, in this case). And why wouldn't they avoid it? Elder Clark needed every opportunity to get things off his mind, and this BBQ was the perfect chance to do that. It's funny, then, that he was the first to address it.

"How was it?" he asked.

"It was really great." my mission president said, volunteering to take on the difficult task of describing the funeral. "The gym held 600 people and it was packed full. Just a wonderful celebration of his life."

You don't hear many funerals described as "great" but I was beyond relieved to hear that this one was. 

"Good, good." Elder Clark said. "Who's ready to eat?"

I'm reminded again of my lack of appetite. Was I taking things too hard? Elder Clark was grabbing a plate, piling it with meats. Why couldn't I stomach the thought of doing the same?

Our mission president takes Elder Clark into the house for an interview, plate full of food. I could only imagine what they would talk about. Things had improved since last Tuesday, but only as time tried to push the event further and further from our memories. But the uncertainty surrounding us was far too great for us to move on, and the memory of the event was mercilessly vivid in Elder Clark's mind. I could hear him at night. I could hear him waking up, gasping for air. I sit still, paralyzed by my perceived inability to comfort him.

"Elder Parker, wanna go for a walk?" my mission president said, emerging from the house with Elder Clark. Neither one had touched their food, it appeared. Elder Clark seemed well, content, maybe even happy. 

My mission president and I walk around the farm, along the recently harvested wheat. He asks me how I'm doing, how the counseling's been going. I tell him I've been better but I'm happy Elder Clark's been doing so well. He agrees. 

"How do I help him?" I ask. "I'm never sure what to say or whether or not we should even talk about it. I just don't feel helpful at all."

"I don't think he would agree with that."

A feeling of relief washes over me. I don't realize it right away, but this is exactly what I need to hear.

All this time I figured things were just out of my control and I couldn't do anything right and all the choices I had made up to that point were in vain. In some ways I felt like Nephi, as his family sailed the ship he had asked them to make across the ocean to the promised land. As things looked dire and hope seemed lost, he had reason to think the whole weight of the situation rested on his shoulders. But it wasn't, and he knew that. Even as his brothers had him bound and restrained and eventually released, he praised his God and didn't wallow in his misfortune.

Perhaps I should simply release myself from the bondage I was creating.

We walked back to the BBQ.  Elder Blair, oblivious as ever, was explaining to Tyler the proper way to grill a chicken breast. The mission president's wife talks with the mother of the Moore family about the two kids they have back home. Elder Clark was joking with the father of the Moore family about something crazy he did in high school. 

I take a bite out of a tender piece of grilled chicken. My body welcomes it.

No more elephants in the front yard. 

Nephi: Simpler Than You Would Assume

Example #1: Note this example is paying attention to the Character:

·      In 2^nd Nephi 21:7 the main character Nephi shows his empathetic side for his people by crying and having anguish in his soul over the future of his people.

Example #2: Note this example is paying attention to the Description/Imagery:

·      In 2^nd Nephi 26:4-6 the main character Nephi describes the future using the imagery of being burned to stubble, earthquakes, lightnings, building falling and crushing people to pieces, and whirlwinds carrying people away.

Example #3: Note this example is paying attention to the Setting:

·      In 2^nd Nephi 23:19-22 Babylon is described as being desolate, uninhabitable, being a place where only creatures would like to live and not people.

Reviewing Other’s Blog Posts

·      In Tori’s post she can be compared with Nephi of having that empathetic side for her Mom as she was going through the trials and hardships that she was experiencing.

·      In Eliza’s post about the celestial lawn, she uses imagery and vivid description to have those images pop into our minds, which is like what Nephi did, but in a more positive and happy way.

·      In Romney’s post he describes the setting of Guatemala not in the negative way as in 2^nd Nephi but describes it in such a way that it vividly describes the setting where the experience is taking place.

Laman and Lemuel

Instances of the spoken word

1 Nephi 16:1 Laman and Lemuel respond to Nephi (dialogue)

1 Nephi 16: 2-3 Nephi responds to brethren (dialogue/sermon)

1 Nephi 16: 23 Nephi asks father where to go to find food (dialogue)

vs. 26 Voice of the Lord to Lehi (instruction/dialogue)

vs. 35 Daughters of Ishmael murmur to Nephi and Lehi(dialogue)

vs. 37-38 Laman talks to Lemuel and sons of Ishmael to slay Nephi and Lehi (dialogue)

vs. 39 Voice of Lord chastens Laman, Lemuel, sons of Ishmael (dialogue)

1 Nephi 17:1-9 Lord and Nephi (dialogue)

vs. 17-22 Brethren murmur against Nephi (dialogue)

vs. 23-47 Nephi responds with doctrine (sermon)

vs 48-51 Nephi commands brothers (dialogue)

vs. 53 Lord speaks to Nephi to shock brothers (dialogue)

vs. 55 Laman and Lemuel  say they feel the power of Lord (dialogue)

vs. 56 Nephi asks brothers not to worship him but God (sermon/dialogue)

1 Nephi 19 vs 11-17 Words of Zenos (sermon)

vs 24 Nephi introduces Isaiah to Laman and Lemuel (dialogue)

1 Nephi 22 vs 1-31 Nephi teaches brethren (sermon)                                                           

I chose to analyze 1 Nephi 17: 17-22 as Laman and Lemuel murmur against Nephi. In this section Laman and Lemuel show their true character. They see Nephi struggling to follow the commands that the Lord has given him and they take advantage of the situation. I think it is interesting that Laman and Lemuel make themselves out to be the good guys who are thinking about their families and the hardship they have had to go through compared to Nephi who does not care who suffers. If we just read Laman and Lemuel’s part of the story we would probably sympathized with them, giving them pathos. They do not understand the will of the Lord so from their perspective Nephi is in the wrong. This passage is not a conversation but in the next couple of verses after this Nephi responds with intense doctrine. From this passage we can clearly see the emotional appeal and the brothers trying to convince Nephi to give up. Fortunately they underestimated the character of Nephi.

17 And when my brethren saw that I was about to build a ship, they began to murmur against me, saying: Our brother is a fool, for he thinketh that he can build a ship; yea, and he also thinketh that he can cross these great waters.

 18 And thus my brethren did complain against me, and were desirous that they might not labor, for they did not believe that I could build a ship; neither would they believe that I was instructed of the Lord.

 19 And now it came to pass that I, Nephi, was exceedingly sorrowful because of the hardness of their hearts; and now when they saw that I began to be sorrowful they were glad in their hearts, insomuch that they did rejoice over me, saying: We knew that ye could not construct a ship, for we knew that ye were lacking in judgment; wherefore, thou canst not accomplish so great a work.

 20 And thou art like unto our father, led away by the foolish imaginations of his heart; yea, he hath led us out of the land of Jerusalem, and we have wandered in the wilderness for these many years; and our women have toiled, being big with child; and they have borne children in the wilderness and suffered all things, save it were death; and it would have been better that they had died before they came out of Jerusalem than to have suffered these afflictions.

 21 Behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy.

22 And we know that the people who were in the land of Jerusalem were a righteous people; for they kept the statutes and judgments of the Lord, and all his commandments, according to the law of Moses; wherefore, we know that they are a righteous people; and our father hath judged them, and hath led us away because we would hearken unto his words; yea, and our brother is like unto him