Learn from others while overcoming our own faults

I just lost a note that I had compiled about the paragraph in Come, Follow Me because I made a mistake. Ever happen to you?

When people judge me, I hope that they will give as much attention to
the argument for the defence as they do to the argument for the prosecution!

Yesterday I met a young man who has moved to the Cape. He fixes or builds dams and there are more dams here than anywhere else in South Africa, so here he is. He is also involved in promoting aquaculture and hydroponics. I salute all those who try to use the talents that the Lord has given them to try and improve health and well-being. I believe that they will be blessed for every effort to 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.' (Gen 1:28) I sincerely believe that they - and I - will be given credit for the good that they or I do, and for the intent of our hearts when there is a question about any injuries or damages that arise through our imperfections.

I am saddened by those who find fault and contend with those who sincerely try to bless the lives of others because of very real injuries or challenges that a small proportion of the population may experience as a result of the good efforts of those who are trying to make a positive difference.

Those who offer alternative medicine or food often accuse those in normal agriculture or medicine of exploiting everyone, but they themselves charge high prices for their food or alternatives. Some even say that the prophet of God is wrong to use these products anywhere in the world.

I always encourage others to honestly consider that these people almost certainly do not intend to kill or maim or exploit, but honestly hope to improve the health and well-being of as many as they can, and the church leaders use those things all around the world to help Heavenly Father to improve the health and well-being of millions in all nations, kindreds, tongues and peoples. I wonder if the people challenging the farmers, manufacturers of pharmaceuticals and so forth by taking them to court, leading to very large penalties, that push up the prices of their research and development that causes their prices to be higher they would otherwise be.

Yes. Some will be negatively impacted. But I believe that Heavenly Father will bless and help those with good intent as they seek to improve. And He can bless and heal and reverse the negative impacts for those in the small minority who might be negatively impacted. Our support and efforts to help them to improve their efforts will be more in harmony with seeking to be one than any effort to destroy those who the Lord is helping to feed and heal the millions that are benefitted by their efforts.

We need to look inwards and try to do better in our own stewardships instead of looking for faults in others. We also need to help their efforts by bringing to their attention the concerns, but as constructive criticism and not in contention. We will be judged for our efforts and not the efforts of others.

I strongly encourage that we each 'Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven:' (Matt 5:44-45)

Every doctor, lawyer, engineer, farmer, scientist, or any human will make mistakes in their best efforts. I love the way that Thomas Edison described his journey "I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work." Let us look for and try to improve our own faults, learn from the imperfections of others, and lovingly help others to do better rather than always looking for their faults.

Brain or no brain... and agency, acting, or just sommer being acted upon

 

I was clearing aliens at Bothasig Fynbos Nature Reserve and found this black bag
with several items of litter lying around it.

I am sorry that I did not take a photo of what I saw at the time, but it clearly had been picked up outside the reserve, taken into the reserve, where things were then taken out of the bag and left lying around. There were some baby nappies (diapers), some popcorn, and other litter that had been in the bag, but now they were simply under the power of the the Cape Doctor - the wind.

Some person with a brain did this. 

Someone outside the reserve had placed his litter into this black bag. The person who picked up the bag then surrendered their control over the litter that they had taken out of the bag to the wind.

The wind has no brain. 

This human with a brain allowed the wind that has no brain to blow the litter wherever it listed to blow. This litter was then driven by the wind and tossed. The person evidently ate some of the things that had been in the bag, as unhygienic as that might have been since they had been together with the nappies that were in the bag!

I was in the reserve with three other volunteers. We were removing Port Jacksons (PJ), the common name for the species Acacia saligna. They are growing in the reserve and are highly invasive, although biological control is helping to reduce its invasive impact. We were removing seedlings of PJs that had been brought from Australia to the Cape in the mid 1800s for the purpose of stabilising sand dunes and for firewood. It has been somewhat useful for that, but has become an aggressive alien invasive species. 

A gall forming rust fungus (Uromycladium tepperianum) has been introduced as a biological control. This is a natural pest from the natural habitat of A. saligna that greatly reduces the densities of populations. This fungus has a negative impact on the PJWs, but it does not eliminate it. A biological control is very helpful in managing invasive species. It spreads naturally, attacks the target species, and has been very carefully tested to ensure that it will not impact negatively on any indigenous species. It then spreads and does its work, even when you and I are asleep. It does not kill the target species, but limits it and reduces its invasive potential.

I was saddened to see the number of items of litter, as well as seedlings of the PJWs. People who are employed by the City of Cape Town to maintain the reserve have not removed the litter or seedlings, even those seedlings and litter that are right next to indigenous plants that they have planted for restoration purposes, and that they water and care for. These employees have not removed these other problems right within reach. Volunteers do alien hacking with no financial reward - but we do get to enjoy nature, our wonderful natural environment, and we certainly get a lot of good exercise!

The failure of the employees to clear the litter and invasives makes me think of something that my mother often repeated to me - 'The world needs street sweepers. But, more importantly, the world needs excellent street sweepers.' 

I have reflected at length on this and other gems that she shared. One day I realised something of importance about streetsweepers. I find it very saddening that many people deliberately litter in order to make sure that there is work for the street sweepers to do. 

People with brains litter! 

But - what if everyone in our dear land were to be responsible and never litter? The Spirit reassured me that there would always be work for street sweepers because the trees would continue to drop their leaves. 

We, as human beings, have brains. We have the charge to 'Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth' (Genesis 1:28). Well, this black bag or litter may not be a 'living thing', but we are charged to replenish and subdue and have dominion over God's creation.

Well - let me consider two questions that I pondered as I cleared the aliens. Let me pose a question to every reader. 

Do you consider Evolution, natural selection, survival of the fittest, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life to be what led to the existence of all that we have in our amazing and beautiful and diverse and successful natural heritage that surrounds us? Then - when you die, what legacy do you want to leave? Do you want your friends and loved ones, when they formulate your epitaph or obituary, to commend you for contributing well to being part of the solution to the problems of society, or do you hope that they will express retribution for being part of the problems in society? You have a brain. Now is the time to lay the foundation for your obituary or epitaph.

Or - do you consider the God of Abraham, Heavenly Father, or some other 'force or power or influence' to be our God and the Creator of all that is wonderful in our natural heritage that surrounds us? If so, then the time will come that He will ask me - and you - what we did with the wonderful natural resources that He gave to us. 

He will not ask me what you did, but He will ask me what I did. 

I want to be able to say that I tried to be fruitful, to multiply what He has given to me and within the circle of my influence, that I tried to replenish, to subdued it, and tried to have righteous dominion over it. I hope that He will say 'Well, done, thou good and faithful servant'. I am far from perfect, but I do try to use my time, talents and resources to build up my family, community, and those with whom I come into contact.

I think back to what I heard as a little boy when Boyd K Packer spoke to civic leaders in Carletonville that we, as disciples of Jesus Christ, would be 'part of the solution and not part of the problem'. I am far from perfect, but I do hope that when I die my epitaph will mention more solutions than problems as my legacy. I hope that I may have an epitaph somewhat like that of Sir Christopher Wren (1632 - 1723) 'Reader, if you seek his memorial - look around you.' A similar epitaph '‘If ye seek his monument, look around you’ is a fitting one for the man whose vision and energy led to the establishment of Kirstenbosch' appears on the gravestone of HHW Pearson, the first director of Kirstenbosch. He died in the third year after the garden was established and beside a magnificent Atlas cedar overlooking the Cycad Amphitheatre and the Dell.

Unity is Strength. Unity in Diversity will give greater Strength.

I shared some thoughts with various people on 19 March 2023, the day before a national shutdown planned by a small group of people who love to dress in red and wear red berets: 

Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ has never been needed more than it is today. Contention violates everything the Savior stood for and taught. I love the Lord Jesus Christ and testify that His gospel is the only enduring solution for peace. His gospel is a gospel of peace. Preaching the Gospel of Peace, Russell M Nelson, 2022

This is so relevant to the threats made by the EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) in South Africa who are staging a national shutdown on 20 March 2023. What we need is the opposite of this kind of behaviour, not what seems to be immature bullying that can not be based on love, but seems to be based on selfishness. Let us strive to live up to our national motto.

The RSA motto post 1994 is: !ke e: /xarra //ke, written in the Khoisan language of the /Xam people, literally meaning diverse people unite. It addresses each individual effort to harness the unity between thought and action. On a collective scale it calls for the nation to unite in a common sense of belonging and national pride - unity in diversity.

The Coat of Arms of the Republic of South Africa

Between 1961 and 1994 the RSA motto was Unity is Strength.

Let us strive for unity in our diversity.

Someone responded to my message: 

Before 1994 it was apartheid and segregation. 

I replied: 

Yes, it was. 

I love the way that I understood it to be - allowing the 'Bantu' to be themselves without having to compete with the very different ways of the 'European' people, so that they could progress in the way that was least competitive to themselves. As I understand it, that policy, created by believers in Calvinism, was based on love and compassion rather than on hatred. I do not deny that the implementation of the policy was not without fault or imperfection.

During the time of separate development, referred to by many as Apartheid, the 'Bantu' people had what Thabo Mdange KaTshiwo apparently claims to have been among the highest quality health care, hospitals, schools, literacy, standard of living, and so many things as compared to many countries in Africa and of 'Third World Countries'. These advantages were paid for by the taxpayers who were a small percentage of the population of South Africa (as is almost certainly the case in just about every nation in the world) and most of those taxpayers would have been the despised and hated 'Europeans' that were running that system that was referred to as apartheid and segregation. 🤔 

There were injustices then. Is it fair to say that there are no injustices in South Africa now? Are there not injustices in just about every country, in 2023? 

Would the Saviour remind us in South Africa in 2023 'He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at [the Apartheid government]''? 

As I recall, the present governing ANC (African National Congress) party had the slogan on their election posters 'A better country for all'. Is it a better country for all in 2023? If so, then that would be progress. Have we really progressed? Yes, we are better in some ways. But can we honestly say that even the least of us now has a better state of well-being in 2023 than the 'disadvantaged black people' had just before 1994?

I pray earnestly that our diverse people will unite, that the government will stress that every citizen has equal rights as stated in the Bill of Rights in our constitution, but more importantly, the Founding Provisions state that every citizen is 'equally subject to the duties and responsibilities of citizenship' for ensuring those equal rights. That means that the lowest and the highest should be working together for the rights of every citizen rather than just demanding that 'the government' provide them with the rights that they deserve or demand. Each citizen should work to the extent that she or he is able to earn enough to be contributing meaningfully to the taxes that will fund those equal rights. Each citizen should be wise in exercising their democratic right - and responsibility - to vote for a party that will actually deliver on meaningful promises.

I look forward to us really having a better country for all. In my understanding, there are injustices in our present government. I was told to not look equally at job applications when preparing to interview applicants for jobs at SANBI (South African National Biodiversity Institute). I was instructed to not treat all races and genders as equal, but to deliberately exclude certain applicants, even if they were most appropriately qualified for the position being advertised. Is that really better than pre 1994, 30 years after declaring that every citizen has equal rights? 🤔

I love South Africa. I don't think that all is perfect now. I know that all was not perfect then. I am trying earnestly to love every other child of God, striving for the best strength possible that is all the better for our diversity if we will be one.

Unity is Strength. Unity in Diversity will give greater Strength.

May we have that greater strength, I pray in the name of our gracious Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, amen.

Note: It is difficult to fact check Thabo Mdange KaTshiwo on the 'EVIL APARTHEID OF THE BOERS', but you can look at this Facebook post and this Wordpress article and decide for yourself what is fact and what is fiction. 

I hope that my thoughts are the fruits of a disciple of Jesus Christ and not of a follower of Satan. I honestly try to be part of the solution and not part of the problem. I hope that each reader of this blog post will strive to be part of the solution and not part of the problem!

Tolerating the devil in our midst

I was walking along Farmersfield Road right outside Farmersfield Village and I saw an alarming number of devils. No kidding!

There are an alarming number of devils visible in this picture.

Well, actually, what I saw was duiweltjiedorings, devil thorns, Tribulus terrestrial. 

I pulled out some 30 individuals, but that is but a small fraction of the number of individuals about. If each person that sees this, or any other aggressively invasive species, pulls out and destroys 30 individuals, preventing them from seeding, we would make a significant impact on reducing its spread. For any individual that we tolerate, we will enable 'one year seeding, seven years weeding'.

The green dots show some of the localities where duiweltjiedoring has been observed in Southern Africa between 1830 and 2012

The duiweltjiedoring is native to warm temperate and tropical regions in southern Eurasia and Africa. This is a species that survives in dry conditions and is very abundant in our Fairest Cape. It is evidently not an alien to South Africa, but it certainly can be a noxious weed.

The survival of any plant species depends on various factors that include;

• the dispersal of the seed;
• then the germination of the seed;
• then its survival beyond seedling stage;
• then reaching flowering stage;
• then being pollinated;
• then developing a viable seed;
• and the dispersal of the next generation of seed. 

Along the way from germination to seeding, there are impacts such as;

• grazing/eradication/harvesting;
• trampling;
• insufficient subsequent rainfall to enable the roots to penetrate deep enough to survive through future dry periods to reach flowering and fruiting stages;
• fire;
• unsuitable (e.g. rocky or hard) substrate;
• inadequate pollination;
• and various other adverse effects.

In addition to these impacts, success is determined by:

• the numbers of seeds produced;
• the proportion of those seeds that develop fully;
• the rate of dispersal;
• the distance of dispersal;
• the germination rate (the percentage of seeds that germinate);
• and other statistical factors affect the successful seeding, germination, and survival of the seed.

Now, for the readers with critical minds, I had a quick look at some of these variables in this group of plants. I looked at 23 plants within and area of maybe 0.5 square metre (about 40 cm x 40 cm, about 2 square feet). There were about 6 that looked like small seedlings of which 3 had no flowers or seeds, but others had up to 14 flowers or seeds. The one plant with the most seeds had 43 flowers/fruits, with 5 fruits per flower, giving about 215 seeds on that one plant since one flower produces 5 fruits. The average was 66.5 seeds per plant, a standard deviation of 54.6 (meaning that 90% of plants in a population would have between 12 and 121 seeds), and a median of 50. There were about 50 to 200 seeds left on the ground under where I removed these plants. This brings to mind the parable of the sower with some seeds that fell on good ground brought forth hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold while others did not even germinate, and some germinated but then dried up in the sun.

A large individual

One individual can stretch over a long distance.

The flower produces a fruit with five separate seeds. 

A seedling with no visible fruit.

The devil thorn/duiweltjiedoring evidently has several uses in traditional medicinal. It can also be used in cooking and the roots and shoots can be eaten. But I suggest that the plant be grown under controlled conditions rather than it spreading out-of-control on our sidewalks where it hurts us if we step on or touch the bur, or where it can so easily puncture a bicycle tyre, or any of the other unpleasant effects of it growing in our neighbourhoods.

As it is said, the easiest way for evil to succeed is for good people to do nothing. 

Let us be one of those who does something. Let us not tolerate the devil [thorn], anything devilish, including undesirable invasive species, or any evils in our environment when we are able to do something to remove them. 

As the milkman Reb Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof often said, 'On the other hand', just as undesirable seeds are - well, undesirable - so we can sow good seeds and reap good - desirable - harvests. Let us sow seeds of charity, love, inclusiveness, kindness, and other desirable fruits. It is good to bear in mind that even undesirable things about us can have good - the duiweltjiedoring has medicinal values, the invasive gumtrees support bees that are essential for most of our agricultural crops. It is by experiencing the bitter that we can appreciate the sweet, the dark helps us to appreciate the light, and so forth. But let us be sweet and light rather than being bitter or dark - there are more than enough others around us that will provide the bitter and dark.

Let us be part of the solution and not part of the problem in any situations where we can make a big difference by doing small and simple things. I am far from perfect, but I am working on it...

Students throwing tantrums about the weaknesses of their seniors rather than working to change the world themselves

South African institutions of higher learning, the students attending them, and others have been seriously impacted over the past few weeks by students demanding that fees must fall. Somehow they feel that it is not reasonable that fees increase although inflation erodes the value of the currency, and government have been reducing their financial support for universities. I guess they are as yet ignorant of the realities of life, and that life simply does become more expensive and that they have the choice of being proactive and preparing for tough times, or just moaning that there are tough times.

I am concerned that the students who are effectively throwing tantrums (an immature thing to do) should rather be working really hard to get themselves well qualified and able to go out and lead South Africa in the way that they are frustrated that the older generation are failing to do.

When they are the older generation they will probably realise that things in 2015 were not as bad as they were led to believe. I have no doubt that the a very big problem is a small group of trouble-makers who are telling the masses that the masses are unhappy. Certainly they are not as happy as they would be in the perfect world, but the world is not perfect – and that comment is not limited to the University of Cape Town, Cape Town, Western Cape, or even South Africa. They will in due course notice that the entire world has problems and is not perfect. I suggest that they should get over it, and become people who will help to make a better world by building on, rather than causing more problems by destroying, the tremendous good that there is.

Anyone who destroys is undermining the very thing that they say they are trying to achieve. Burning or damaging buses or property is, in my view, not defensible. Showing disrespect towards others is not acceptable. We have seen a lot of this in these riots and demonstrations. Of course, now that they have caused damage, some of the money that could go to supporting students has to go into repairing the damage. 

We need a nation of builders and agents of change, not tantrum-throwers who just complain because others are not building the nation and being agents of change, that everyone else is not perfect. Let them work to become more perfect themselves and make the difference that they want to see. Let them be part of the solution and not part of the problem.

Shosholoza Meyl train rides

During July Sally and I travelled on the train to Johannesburg and back. We went for the wedding celebration between our daughter Cindy and Dom Wentzel.

Here is the feedback that we gave to the railway operator on our experience with travelling on ShosholozaMeyl. travelled Tourist Class from Cape Town – Johannesburg and back.

We enjoyed the two trips very much. We found the trips comfortable and relaxing.

We appreciated being in a 4 sleeper compartment going to Johannesburg so that neither of us had to climb onto the top bunk. We were comfortable enough in the two-sleeper coupe for the return trip. It was ironic, however, that we as a senior couple and a US senior couple were in the two coupes of carriage 10 (we in 10C and they in 10D) although a young unmarried couple who had not booked managed to get moved from the sitter section to 10B, ironic because they were not related and of opposite sex. It appears, from what I heard in the wee hours of the morning, that a man embarking in Kimberley was dissatisfied with being put into a compartment with three women.

The food and service were good and friendly. I think better on the trip up than the return trip. The waitress going up was far more flexible and accommodating when I asked for toast to replace bacon for breakfast, whereas on the return trip it was cheese and nothing besides cheese could replace bacon! But she did relent later and brought a second egg to replace the bacon, but did charge for a second slice of toast.

The service is not as good as we remember from the 1970s and 1980s, so hopefully they are working towards getting at least that level of service again. That said, I was impressed that a man who I heard introducing himself to a foreign passenger as the manager, was very much involved with the passengers and staff on the trip back. He interacted with the passengers and gave some information regarding the reasons for being delayed by rail maintenance.

Bedding should be easy enough to have in sufficient quantities. It should be easy enough to predict how much is needed, especially after making one or two mistakes. Rather have more than is needed than insufficient.

The kitchen ran out of milk, fruit juice and other supplies. Again, it should be fairly easy to predict with a little experience, and surely you have enough experience? Perhaps if passengers from the sitter section take bedding and dine in the dining car then that would make prediction more challenging?

It was frustrating that the heater was not working in our compartment. I did not ask if other heaters were working, but with-2 degree weather outside, the heater was missed. I was impressed that on the return trip a young staff member mentioned when I asked if the heater would be working, that it would not because it only worked with the steam locomotives. I was impressed on two counts, because he was probably too young to remember either working heaters or steam locomotives and I thought that maybe his telling me that indicated that he has some personal care and interest in his work, and that perhaps Spoornet is giving some background training to their staff.

The train ran almost 4 hours late without really clear explanation, or any explanation at all, on the trip up, but with better explanation on the return trip. It was explained that there was maintenance being undertaken on the rails tracks.

Something in the undercarriage of sleeper unit 8 on the trip up was making a really loud flapping noise such that it sounded a lot of the time as though we were traveling in a steam or diesel locomotive. I could not make out if it was a compressed air noise our something like a spring or pipe flapping with a resonance. Carriage 10 on the return trip was impressively quiet.

I was surprised that 220V power for cellphones or laptop computers is not available in this day and age. Wi-Fi connection might also be easy enough to supply, and the increased clientele will surely make these more than pay for themselves.

The door of 10C for the return trip was extremely heavy to open and close. I found that some of the fabric from the mat had ripped off and was sticking out from under the door. I suspect that there may be more fabric causing the door to stick. I suggest that compressed air may help to remove some material from the bottom slider, but it would probably be well to remove the door and service the top and bottom runner parts.

It might be an idea to give staff name badges. This will enable passengers to interact better with them by name, as well as enabling communicating compliments and complaints such as I am doing. Some staff were apparently far more enthusiastic and interested in their work than others.

It might also be worth drawing up a simple feedback slip to be placed in each compartment so that passengers can evaluate the trip and facilities.

We felt that the general care and maintenance were lacking. The walls and facilities are grubby and not in as good working order as they could be. As also mentioned, perhaps in this day and age power sockets and Wi-Fi could be supplied?

You may consider a simple play and/or entertainment area for children.

We wish you great success in providing increasingly good and favourable service. I am recommending train travel to others, so I trust that they will not regret following my recommendation. I love South Africa and am proud of my beloved country. I believe that we can give quality rail experience for passengers, and constantly improve as we learn from past experience.

Kind regards

Leslie W. Powrie

Harvest, the devourer, dangers, and blessings in disguise

I shared an analogy with the youth today. I ended up teaching them with no warning and no preparation, and shared an analogy that has been developing in my mind. The theme is Marriage and Family and I chose to teach about learning and teaching in the home. 

It is as though we each have a farm, and each of us has the same size farm, with the same potential. It has 168 hectares of good soil, and we are allowed to do with it as we see fit. Each hectare represents an hour in the week. The harvest that we will eventually reap will depend on the amount, kind and quality of seed that we sow, or do not sow. If we sow maize and tend it well, then we have the potential of harvesting an abundant maize harvest. If we do not plant all 168 hectares then we will not reap the maximal harvest. It is also feasible that we can sow the entire area and do all that we possibly can to ensure the harvest, but then at the last moment before a very promising and exciting harvest we can lose everything due to lightning striking and causing all to be burned up, or there could be locusts or hail that destroy the crop, and we might harvest little or nothing. That is not a measure of failure on our part, but the harvest will not be what we hoped. 

The harvest is a result of our effort, but far more significantly and important is the sunlight, fresh air, rainwater and soil nutrients and quality that are provided free by a loving and provident Father. All that we reap is a free gift to us, and nothing is fully guaranteed or deserved. True, we will not have any promise if we do not sow, but even with our most faithful effort we still are dependent on the providence from above. Our input costs remain the same if we plant for the maximum harvest whether we have no harvest or the most capacious harvest. So everything is entirely due to the goodness of God. He invites us to give back 10% of our harvest, thereby showing our gratitude for the harvest. In return, He promises us in Malachi 3:11 that ‘I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the Lord of hosts.’ We can then hope for the maximum harvest in accordance with our greatest efforts. We cannot hope for more, and can hope that there will not be less. But if we do not bring our tithes into the storehouse, so that there will be meat in His house, then we cannot hope for any such blessing of protection from the devourer or the variableness of nature. We cannot complain if the devourer destroys the fruits of our ground. 

But, by the same token, even if we seem to have mishaps, we cannot always know what protection we may have enjoyed. We may have been spared far greater mishap that would have happened, and the small mishap that we do experience may be simply to try our faith. My son Richard pointed out that sometimes the mishaps might be because Heavenly Father knows our potential and is preparing us for a greater harvest. He cited the example of a field that needs to be burned in order to have a better harvest the following year. After thinking about this, I thought more and realised that it might be for us to learn a lesson, or for someone else to learn a lesson from the way that we handle our loss. We need to be trusting enough to accept the loss and not ask 'why?' but 'how?'. How do we move forward, rather than why did we experience the loss?

I am fully confident that very often we are spared a lot of problems and have blessings in disguise. I say this because of thoughts that have come to me as I have pondered the promise given in my patriarchal blessing that many physical dangers and difficulties shall continue to pass by me, giving unto me blessings in disguise. One such blessing was that I was not bitten by a puff adder that was right next to me. I wonder how many times I have been spared from dangers, but on this one occasion it happened while I was pondering on the promises given in Mark 16:18, Luke 10:19 and Doctrine and Covenants 84:72 and whether I as a young LDS missionary was worthy enough to be given this blessing should I be bitten by a snake on this occasion when I was alone for a very brief time in Kloof Gorge. I wonder how many times I have been blissfully unaware of such protection, and even complained that I do not see the blessings in my life, but that was because they were ‘blessings in disguise’.

The process of praying and receiving answers

Let me share some things from my mission or from other bookshelves of the library of my life that may just help someone in your mission. I recently thought a bit about an analogy given by one of my fellow missionaries in Port Elizabeth (during 1973), with some additional thoughts of my own that I shared with someone that I home teach. I can’t actually find the analogy that I think was written by Michael McLean, but it is about answers to prayer.

Suppose that I was in a maths class and the teacher gave me a problem to solve for homework. I would be expected to go home and work on the problem and come up with a solution.

It would not be appropriate for me to go back the next day and say that as I am entitled to an education and that we are all entitled to equal rights, that I ought to be given full marks even although I did not try. Examine this thought for a moment – if everyone received full marks regardless of their efforts and capabilities, how would one ever know for whom to vote to be president of the country? Or who to appoint as managing director of a company. Or - when you need that heart surgery, who to choose to do open heart surgery? There would be no way to measure individual capability for anything. So let us accept that each must put in personal effort to demonstrate his or her capability.

So then I do work on the problem and go the next day to show the teacher my solution. If I have the correct solution he can mark it correct and that can be the end of it. I am probably ready to write the exams later. He may give me other similar problems to enable me to sharpen my skill in solving that specific kind of problem.

If I do not have the correct answer, he would suggest that I work on it again. I try and return once or twice until I get the right answer. If, after a second or third attempt, I do not have the correct solution, he may show me how to solve the problem. I could be given another chance to work on the same problem under his tutelage.

He would then no doubt give me one or more similar problems to go and try to solve using the principles that he has repeated in his instructions to me. This would continue until I have developed the skill in solving that kind of problem.

Once I have mastered the application of the principles to solving that kind of problem, I would be ready to be examined and assessed in that kind of problem. The same procedure would be used to help me to develop skills in solving each kind of problem in its turn in the maths course.

Similarly, Heavenly Father is like the teacher. He gives us problems to study out and solve. He would allow us to work out the solutions ourselves, and return time after time for confirmation that we have the correct solution, or to be sent away with the same or similar problem to solve until we master the skills in that kind of problem. He would then give us different but related problems until we develop that skill, and then proceed with the next skill.

We are working to become Gods, so we cannot expect to not have to develop each skill that would be required of a God. We will not be ready to sit as peers with Adam, Abraham, Noah, Jacob or other great leaders if we have not developed the same kind of problem solving skills that they had to develop under their real and specific set of challenges. We are learning to become like deity and cannot hope to have an easy course, or to be simply given a passing grade because we think that we all deserve equal rights and privileges.

I remember several times that I went to the Master Teacher asking for confirmation that I had come to the right solution to a question or problem, only to be left with a stupor of thought indicating that I had not yet solved the problem. On at least one occasion I continued to have the stupor of thought until I changed the question to one that was pretty well opposite to my first question! I was working on the wrong premise and could not receive a confirming answer until I change my thinking, and then, immediately after I changed course, the stupor of thought went away and I felt right. I have had many such experiences when something just felt right, or whole, or complete. I am not sure that I have ever had a ‘burning in my bosom’. But then, maybe I have generally been in a warm spiritual ‘climate’ and so a warm feeling in a ward climate is really difficult to discern! But a clarity and the feeling of wholeness or completeness as opposed to an uneasy or unsettled feeling is a real experience that I have had often enough to know that each is real – stupor of thought versus peace being spoken to my soul.