Man oh man- I loved my study today! I'm catching up on the conference talks I missed- and good gravy, I am learning heaps and heaps- and I've only just started! I can't wait for the rest.
Today I read Sister Wixom's talk, titled, "Discovering the Divinity Within". She tells us that our Divine Nature- the capacity to become like God- comes straight from our Heavenly Father Himself. It is not dependent on the clothes we wear, our social status, our education, our popularity, or any other aspect of our mortal definition of self worth. Our Divine Nature never changes. We will always be children of God, no matter what mistakes we make, experiences we go through, and change that occurs in this life. Our Divine Nature is constant.
I love that part of our Divine Nature is the capacity to change. Sometimes we change for the better, while other times we regress or change for the worse. No matter what though- we will always have the opportunity to progress through the changes we decide to make while here in mortality. Our journey here is all about progression, and more importantly, learning how to live in a way that will prepare us to continue progressing eternally.
Something that really stuck out to me as I read Sister Wixcom's thoughts on this subject was the example she used of the process of birth. Honestly, that's something that has terrified me for a long time, and I still am not 100% sure how I feel about it- but as I read over her words, I was impressed by the way it can relate to other relationships in life. Before a baby is born, the only way for it to survive and continue growing is by borrowing from the mother's life force. The mother and baby are connected in a way that absolutely no other relationship can replicate- they are literally part of each other for nine months. One connection, the umbilical cord, allows the baby to receive the proper nourishment it needs to continue to function and grow, preparing it to one day leave the mother's womb.
Once the baby is born, this connection is severed. Why is it necessary to cut this life source off as soon as the baby is out and breathing? In order for the baby to grow into an adult one day and "live to fulfill the measure of its creation," (President Uchtdorf), it cannot survive off the umbilical cord anymore. That connection was appropriate for the baby's time spent in the womb, but if the mother or the baby attempt to keep this connection going now, both will end up in an unhealthy situation.
The baby will still need the mother to aid with giving life through breastfeeding and other forms of caretaking, but now the baby is preparing to one day sustain itself and become independent from the mother's care.
That doesn't mean they won't be a part of each other's lives anymore. It just means that they are growing together. In order for both of them to progress, there will be painful, yet necessary changes each must go through in order to reach their full potential.
Towards the end of her talk, Sister Wixcom tells of a drought in Ethiopia during the 1980s, in which people had to walk miles and miles to get to the nearest relief station with food, water, and other aid. An old man, on his way to one of the relief stations, heard a baby crying and found it alone with it's mother who had recently passed away due to the drought. The old man scooped the baby up, and after walking for 25 miles, arrived at a station where both he and the baby could be cared for. Instead of seeking relief for himself, the first question he asked was, "What can be done for the baby?"
He recognized that he had the capacity to wait a little longer for his nourishment, but this baby needed immediate attention in order for it to grow in the long run.
We will all be different aspects of these people throughout our lives. At one point, we have all been a baby, struggling to survive on our own without the help of countless others. We relied on the kindness and sacrifices of family, friends, and sometimes, even strangers to help us survive. As we grow, we have the opportunity to be mothers (in the metaphorical or physical sense)- capable of caring, nurturing, and helping others grow who are unable to on their own. And we will all one day be the old man, who recognized he too was once that little baby, and be willing to carry those who are unable to carry themselves for the time being.
The thing I love about each of these instances is that none of us is left alone. Sure we will go through different phases and grow in different ways throughout our lives, but there will always be someone to help us through it- or we will be doing the helping. When the mother passed away and wasn't able to carry her child to the relief station, the old man was there to carry the baby the rest of the way. When the baby is old enough, it will one day play a role in helping others around it when the time comes.
God knows each of his children. We are all born with the potential to become like him. As we grow and progress here in mortality, we will need help from others, we will need to give help to others, and we will become more like our Father in Heaven and recognize the Divine Nature in others around us as we strive to see it within ourselves.
Loved the study and hope you have a great day!
Emily
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