My Mormon Third Eye: I See... a Very Special Easter

Sunday, April 20, 2014

I See... a Very Special Easter

This year I started looking forward to Easter right after the Christmas holidays. For some unknown reason, this was going to be a very special Easter, and I was prepared to blog about it this weekend. I wasn’t sure why, but somewhat deep feelings about my Savior and what he has done for me on an extremely personal level began to constantly occupy my thoughts and time. My analytical mind inevitably took over and made different mental lists seeking to explain the unexplainable. There were several new media offerings being released over the next few months that highlighted Christ’s role as our Savior and Redeemer. Was that it? I was also getting excited about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, for the first time in the history of the world, producing a complete version of Handel’s Messiah on Easter weekend. Could that be what was keeping me awake nights? In March, the Young men and women of the church were focusing on learning more about the Atonement, and through my preparations to teach them about this most momentous event, I was gaining a greater appreciation for His noble sacrifice for us. Perhaps it was just me merely growing more mature and closer to my own eternal destiny, and instinctively preparing to meet my maker?

Then the weekend before Easter Mom passed away. Dad had left this world almost 30 years earlier; they were hopelessly in love with each other, sealed with bonds that would eventually break the bands of death, and Mom patiently waited her turn to rejoin him. In 80 years of an action-packed life of raising seven children, caring for a husband with recurring health problems, and loving over thirty years of newborn babies in maternity wards, her only recorded complaint was ironically one of her last uttered phrases- “can’t I just be with Don again?”

I volunteered to write the eulogy, and in the process of finding the right words to say, I also found the reality of the Atonement and Resurrection. My heart and soul yearned for confirmation that just as Jesus called the expired Lazarus from the tomb to rejoin his family, and He Himself rose three days from the tomb as a resurrected being to rejoin his disciples, Mom and Dad would rise again to join us. The spirit whispered to me in undeniable terms, transforming my hope into a quiet comfortable knowledge of the reality of the plan of salvation.

Now I have to patiently wait my turn, but I have something to look forward to besides another very special Easter.

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The Mormon Third Eye Quote of the Week

"As men of the priesthood, we have an essential role to play in society, at home, and in the Church. But we must be men that women can trust, that children can trust, and that God can trust. In the Church and kingdom of God in these latter days, we cannot afford to have boys and men who are drifting. We cannot afford young men who lack self-discipline and live only to be entertained. We cannot afford young adult men who are going nowhere in life, who are not serious about forming families and making a real contribution in this world. We cannot afford husbands and fathers who fail to provide spiritual leadership in the home."

Elder D. Todd Christofferson
Priesthood Session Conference, October 2012

Why My Mormon Third Eye?

When I politely excused myself in the middle of dinner to make a bathroom stop, how did Mom know that I had uneaten peas in my pocket to flush down the toilet? When I came home late from a youth dance and slid quietly into bed to avoid waking parental units, how did Dad know, without looking at the car, that I smashed in the front bumper? When I watch my daughter play a video game, how do I know that she's not ready for her Geometry final?

Its the Third Eye. The notorious eye in the back of the head, the extra view of life that God blesses parents striving to do the right thing so they can see more of life than the children they chase after.

Our third eye also permits us to see things and feel emotions that are too refined, too far on the edge of our standard two-eyed peripheral vision to enjoy in its fullness. I've learned that I have a Mormon Third Eye; that is, as a life-long, fully-dedicated member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I have unique perspective on how the doctrines of the gospel and the demands of my faith in them intersect every other part of my mortal existence to create the entertaining, self-deprecating kaleidoscope of my life.

So... for those of you bold and bored enough to read this far, every so often I'll be sharing here what my Mormon third eye sees. Third eyes are relatively huge; they see the humorous, the entertaining, the embarrassing, the beautiful, the inspirational, and even the moral and political; however, they tend to ignore the evil, depressing and destructive: there is enough of that in world already!

The Four Secrets to Successful Living

Always Go Where There is Free Food - This includes ward and work parties, wedding receptions and missionary open houses; the money you spend to buy the ingredients for the world-famous triple chocolate cake you bring doesn’t count.
Never Pay Full Price for Anything – See my posts on Black Friday escapades for more information on this.
Never, Ever Press the Red Button - Usually, if you are faced with a red button somewhere, don’t press it – it usually means trouble. For example, the red button launches the missiles. Do yourself a favor and don’t press it.
Any Problem You Face Can Be Solved With Bungee Cords and Duct Tape - Bungee cord and duct tape technology has saved many marriages and ward parties. I’m not just talking about problems with plumbing or keeping groceries from bouncing around the trunk; I know of relationship and family issues that have been solved with creative applications of these two substances.