Seminary Ebenezer :)

Today was like the best day to have right before Spring break. Since i am on the Seminary council I helped to put together a special day to really explain what Ebenezer is and what it stands for. We had Brother Lindhardt from the Institute come and talk to us. he did such a great job.
He started by explaining how Isreal is the Lords people, there are some that are born in and some that are baptized in but we are all Isreal now. then he went into how Samuel was born and his life was dedicated to the lord. Then in 1 Sam 3:20-21 it said that Samuel was a prophet and everyone was following him and the LORD was appearing to him. they were following him and he was teaching them. then ch 4:1 sSamuel had recieved revalation and was going to teach the people how to have the LORD with them when the Philistines came and attacked them so they went out to a place called Ebenezer and fought the Philistines and they lost. so Isreal knew that they needed the LORD to be with them to defeat the Philistines. However they didn't understand how they could get the LORD to be with them so they sent for the Ark of the Covenant because they were so used to tangeble gods and didn't understand how to keep the lord with them. so they thought the Lord was the Ark and they took it to battel and lost the battle and the Ark. and since Isreal thought the Ark was god they were so distraught that Eli the high priest fell over backwards and broke his neck and his daughter-in-law was having a baby and when she heard the news she said name my child Ichabod (the glory of gid is departed from Isreal) then she died.
Meanwhile the Philistines were thinking that they now had Two gods. So they put them together and went to sleep them in the morning their god was tipped over toward the Ark so they set it back up and the next day it was tipped over towards the Ark and its' head and arms were broken off, then they got Emrods or tumors or boils all over so they sent the Ark on their neighbors and and they got the emrods and then they sent it on and then the Emrods just followed so one of the wisest Philistines said lets send it back to Isreal so everyone agreed to do that. but then another philistine said wait waht if the emrods were just a coincidence so they decided to test the LORD by having two Milk cows that just had calves and had never pulled a cart pull it and put the calves in a corral behind the cows then if the cows pulled it to Isreal it was really a miracle. And do you know what they pulled it straight back to Isreal.
then after they got the ark from the philistines Samuel was able to teach the people how to have the LORD with them. then the people learned and applied the teachings and right after they understood there was another battle with the Philistines. and the people said Samuel please pray for us and sacrifice for us then in ch 7:10 the LORD fought the Isrealits battles. and Isreal was able to defeat the Philistines.
then Samuel took a rock something with a very sturdy fondation, and put it in a place that they won and named it after the place where they had lost so that they would remember.it was soooooooooo cool!!!
then we got some little pebbles with Ebenezer written on it to remind us. then out big Ebenezer in front of the sminary building everyone that was commited signed it so they would remember. Now Our Ebenezer is full of signatures of people who have commited who are in with both feet. it looks so good it makes me soooooooo happy taht I am a member of the church who has modern day Ebenezers all around me. like the Temple the Seminary scriptures hymns tabernacles and my family to help keep me commited. The church is true i love to be able to be commited to work for a goal of Zion. I hope you all raise your own Ebenezers and stand with a recommitment.

-Ben Bishop :)

Miracles :)

After a fantastic spring break with my wonderful family and beautiful weather in Manti Ut, this morning I woke up to snow! What?!? Snow?!? It was completely unexpected.
The sky showed no signs of clearing up, and there was snow everywhere! And I had to go back to Cedar today so I could be there for classes tomorrow. If I had known it would snow I would have left the day before when the weather was still really nice.
I thought about praying for the snow to stop so I could make it home, but the problem is we NEED snow. We haven't got near enough of it.
I ended up praying not that the snow would stop, but just that I would be able to return to Cedar safely regardless of what the weather did.
By the time church started the snow was still coming down steadily. Doubts started setting in. Did I really dare go home in the snow, or was that just asking for trouble? I ended up talking to my mom and a few other sweet ladies in our ward. :) (They were very concerned about me driving in the snow through the mountains alone.) They expressed their concerns, and basically I just broke down. I didn't know what to do. I decided to ponder and pray about it and just see how I ended up feeling.

Finally the meeting started. The opening hymn was "You can make the Pathway Bright." Very few songs are more applicable to a terrified girl who needs to drive home in questionable weather. I started feeling a little better. But the best part of the meeting was when the choir sang "I know that my Redeemer Lives." This song has become very special to me this past year.

"I know that my Redeemer Lives."
1. I know that my Redeemer lives;
When comfort this sweet sentence gives!
He lives, He lives, who once was dead;
He lives, my ever living head.
He lives to bless me with His love,
He lives to plead for me above,
He lives my hungry soul to feed,
He lives to bless in time of need.

2. He lives to grant me rich supply,
He lives to guide me with His eye,
He lives to comfort me when faint,
He lives to hear my soul’s complaint.
He lives to silence all my fears,
He lives to wipe away my tears,
He lives to calm my troubled heart,
He lives, all blessings to impart.

3. He lives, my kind, wise, heav’nly friend,
He lives, and loves me to the end,
He lives, and while He lives I’ll sing,
He lives, my Prophet, Priest and King.
He lives, and grants me daily breath,
He lives, and I shall conquer death,
He lives, my mansion to prepare,
He lives, to bring me safely there.


This was just the answer I needed. I knew that he could "bring me safely there".

By the end of the meeting, I was feeling much better. I felt good about leaving for home. I knew that I would be watched over and protected.

I packed up all my stuff super fast and on the road shortly thereafter.
Starting out the roads were a little wet, but that didn't last long. The roads were clear and the snow seemed to be put on pause. :)

Leaving Manti:


Most of the Drive:


Back in Cedar:


I got just so I was one mile away from my final destination and it started snowing lightly. By the time I pulled up to my apartment the snow was in full force again.

I am so thankful for a Heavenly Father who will watch over me in my time of need. What a miracle! :)I love being a part of his restored gospel on the earth! :)