Article 1: Reflections on the International Women's Day (by Gessiane Piffero)
Article 2: The Hope of the Ages (by Melva Cackler)
Article 3: Knowledge is Power! The miracle of faith at your fingertips. (by Simone S. Rodrigues)
Article 4: Return to Israel (by Lisa Pratt)
Volume 12, Article 1-March 2022: by Sister Gessiane Piffero
Reflections on the International Women's Day
March 8th is celebrated as the international women's day almost everywhere in the world. It was officially instituted by the UN in the 1970s, but it has been celebrated on different days since the beginning of the 20th century.
But what is celebrated on International Women's Day?
Unlike other commemorative dates, March 8th has a historical origin, and regardless of the fact that led to the celebration of this day - a fire in a factory in the US, where several women were burned to death, or a strike of Russian workers - the date has its origins in the labor movement, in the fight for better working conditions, for better wages, for equality. It is not a day to celebrate beauty, tenderness, maternity, and other attributes linked to the female figure. It is a day of struggle. It is a day to remember all the struggles of all women, in all times, for equality, for dignity, for justice, for recognition. It is a day to honor brave women, who fought, suffered, and often died so that I could be writing this article today. So that I could vote. So that I could work outside. So that I could be respected as a professional, as a citizen, and often, sadly, as a person.
Me and you... sister who is reading this. Me and your wife, your daughter, your mother brother who is reading this.
So, I want to provoke a reflection, as a way to honor the memory of all the women who came before me:
How much of this have we conquered? How much remains to be conquered? What is the responsibility of each one of us in this respect?
Some time ago I saw from my window a woman carrying a cart absurdly full of recyclable material, and sitting in the cart, along with the papers, a child of about two years old. The woman could barely push the weight of the cart with her frail little body, and from time to time she stopped to kiss the child. After that, whenever I think of the women's cause, I think of that woman. She doesn't need a March 8th with roses and chocolates. She needs sorority and empathy. She needs us, women, and you, men, not to give up fighting for the dignity of women, so pushed by life, by social conditions, by violence, by the abandonment of their partners and the State itself. Pushed by life with that garbage cart and their children, without a future, without hope, without tomorrow.
It is no use talking about God, about Jesus, about love, if we don't look at what surrounds us, if we don't see society as a whole and actively participate in what needs to be improved. Maybe some people think that there is nothing they can do, that the problem is structural. Can nothing be done? So think: How are you seeing the women in your life? Your wife, your mother, your daughters, your grandmother, your aunt, the sisters at church, your teacher, your neighbor, your doctor, the vet for your pet, the scientist who developed the vaccine you used to prevent disease?
We are everywhere... How do you see us? In your heart of hearts, do you think that we are different from you as a human being only because we are women? And you, woman, how do you see other women? This is not a reflection only for men. It is a reflection for us women too. How do we see ourselves? How do we see others? To what extent are we offering sorority?
Yes, we should reflect on this. About our responsibility and contribution to make society more just, less oppressive, and so that all human beings, regardless of gender, can express their personality and be free to pursue their happiness.
Unfortunately, we do not follow Divine guidance in this respect either. All this fight against gender discrimination, whether at work, in family life, in social life, so important for us women to have some achievements, would not be necessary, if we had followed our "Manual of instructions for humans" which already carried, 2,000 years ago in Galatians, the following statement, and which is not only valid for the women's cause, but for any and all human causes:
"There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female; for all are one in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 3:28
Volume 12, Article 2-March 2022: by Melva Cackler, Fountain of Living Waters Society, International President
The Hope of the Ages
During the month of March, many countries honor women who have made a difference in the lives of others throughout the world. These women are most often well known. At the same time, there are multitudes of other women who quietly go about their lives, making a difference in their families, their churches, their neighborhoods, their cities. This can, in turn, affect the entire world.
This is similar to the vision for the Fountain of Living Waters—each woman experiencing spiritual growth through the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, and then transforming the children into an elected generation. Through compassion and charity, families and churches and neighborhoods will eventually be transformed into the city of Zion.
With all of this in mind, I have felt led to write about a woman who has affected the lives of every person who has ever lived on our planet. That person is Eve!
Some may think of Eve as the woman who ruined everything! But let us remember that she was able to make the necessary changes and move on from seemingly the very worst possible situation. Even though Eve disobeyed the Lord, she recognized the positive aspects of the wrong she had done and then became an excellent example for all of us!
The very first woman on our earth fell into temptation and sin while living in the beautiful and perfect Garden of Eden. And if that had not been bad enough, she influenced Adam to also disobey the Lord’s command. But what would have happened if she had not offered the fruit to Adam? Both of them needed to fall into the same state of disobedience and sin. Adam and Eve fell—in order for them to have children, and for all of us to live and to know joy!
As it is stated in the Book of Mormon, if they had not sinned, they would have remained in the Garden of Eden. But they would never have had children. They never would have had “joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin” (2 Nephi 2:22-23 LDS / 2 Nephi 1:113 RLDS). Eve, and Adam, failed in the Garden of Eden in order for us to live a physical existence here on this earth, and for us to experience joy!
We do not know how long they had lived in Eden prior to falling into temptation and sin. It is possible that it could have been an extremely long time—because a thousand years is as one day with the Lord. But eventually, they did fall and were sent away from the Garden. To survive, Adam now had to work! But it is important to note that “Eve also, his wife, did labor with him” (Gen 4:1 JST/IV). Eve accepted forgiveness, and worked right alongside Adam as they learned how to live and provide for themselves, after being banished from the beautiful and perfect Garden of Eden.
The Lord, in His infinite mercy and love, gave them commandments. Also, an angel appeared to Adam and taught him. “And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying, Were it not for our transgression, we never should have had seed, and never should have known good and evil, and the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient. And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God; and they made all things known unto their sons and their daughters” (Genesis 4:11,12 JST/IV). The Lord’s great love and forgiveness were paramount. But Eve, and Adam, had to also forgive themselves and each other. They also understood the vital importance of teaching their children all that they, themselves, had learned.
All of us suffer the consequences of sin, even if it is committed seemingly in secret. But the Lord knows our most secret acts, and those secret acts can do so much damage to those we love the most—in marriages, families, and friendships. Unrighteous acts not only affect the individual, and others who are closest to that person—those acts can affect our church, a whole nation, and even the entire world.
As president of the Fountain of Living Waters, in all earnestness, I call upon—and encourage—women, men, families, to stand strong in the face of temptation and adversity. We are not perfect. We have made mistakes. And we will make more mistakes. But let us seek forgiveness of those we have wronged. Let us forgive ourselves. Let us learn from our mistakes. Let us humbly and earnestly seek forgiveness from the Lord, not only for wrong actions, but also for those things we should have done but did not do.
Mothers have the unique opportunity to influence their children from before the time of conception; even fathers, and others, can communicate with the unborn. Through the early years of our children’s lives, we can mold their characters. Our children can learn negative habits and attitudes simply by watching us in our day to day lives. But in the same way, they can also learn positive habits and attitudes.
As children get older, parents need to continue guiding their children so that they can take on greater responsibilities and learn how to make good decisions. However, as they get closer to adulthood, we need to trust that they will make good decisions and learn from any bad decisions—just like a mother bird encourages her fledglings to fly from the nest, without interfering with their faltering attempts. We need to allow our adult children to live their own lives. As parents, we need to trust that we have done the very best that we could do, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Raising children in preparation for Zion is a monumental responsibility and a privilege, but the years we have available to accomplish that are limited.
We need to allow our children to gradually make more age-appropriate decisions, so that when they reach adulthood, we are not still trying to direct their lives. We pray for them; we listen to and encourage them; at times, we may be able to give loving counsel. But we must accept that we have completed our responsibility for raising our children. As parents, this can be one of the hardest things to do. But this is why the scriptures, especially The Sealed Book, admonish us to teach our children while they are still young. This is our opportunity to help them witness and experience purity and goodness—to witness and experience the fruits of the Holy Spirit.
Down through the ages, beginning with Eve, women have been called—and have fulfilled, or assisted in fulfilling—from small but significant tasks, to tasks that have changed the course of history. We are now in this end time when the Lord has an important and special calling to women, especially through the work of the Fountain of Living Waters.
Let us remember that even though Eve disobeyed and sinned, she repented and the Lord forgave her; she also forgave herself. She became the first mother and made it possible for children to be born and populate the earth. She made it possible for you and me to be given physical bodies in which to house our spirits. And those spirits, together with our bodies, became living souls (DC 88:15 LDS/ DC 85:4a RLDS).
Eve and Adam were cast out of the presence of God. And now here we are, in this End Time, striving to learn how to bring about Zion—so that we can enter back into the Presence of our God. The Sealed Book is one of the Lord’s gifts to us in order to help us achieve that mission. We are counselled:
“May purity and goodness be in the mode of speaking between the spouses and practiced in relation to the children, so that their behavior reflects in the outside world, beyond the walls that shelter their homes, developing a society whose language is pure and unblemished to ennoble the magnificence of Zion among the sons of men.
“If the guidelines of our home are the teachings of Jesus Christ, then we will live in homes where joy reigns, whose branches of our posterity will be firmly rooted in the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance; these being the feelings that must fill our earthly abode, as being a heavenly refuge. And, behold, joy is one of its fruits and will overflow through the walls in the homes of Zion.
“The unity that is required of us as disciples of Christ has no structure if its foundations are not firmly established among the families of Zion. The more united we are to the members of our families, the greater will be the strength of the structures of our unity as God's people.
“Yea, truly, I tell you, our commitment to make our homes the symbols of Zion, not only prepares us to respond to a higher purpose before the world, but also enables us to live the true unification among brothers, such so that our actions may be perceived out there among the peoples of the Gentile nations, so that we may draw to Christ, all those who have the desire to join us, for the purpose of living Zion in their hearts, in perfect peace and harmony” (Acts of the Three Nephites 10:6-9).
In our families, and individually, let us become immovable in our testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ—so that the work of this Second Invitation will fulfill its purpose: the establishment of the hope of the ages—Zion.
Volume 12, Article 3-March 2022: by Simone S. Rodrigues, Fountain of Living Waters Society, Regional President, Brazil
Knowledge is Power! The miracle of faith at your fingertips.
“And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”.1 [Mark 16:17-18]
At the beginning of the pandemic I went through a surreal experience, when I gave a blessing of healing to my dear husband Leonardo Santos.
I felt I had to act, my husband was very badly in need of hospitalization. I asked Brother João Vendemiatti how I could proceed.
- “Lay your hands on his head (or wherever the disease is) and say a prayer to the Father in the name of Christ, requesting healing”.
So I did. I put my hands on his head, at that moment when I was searching for the holy spirit, I felt a connection with heaven, it was as if a door had opened. I began the prayer by imagining a power of God descending on the head, chest concentrating on the lungs (75% of involvement) and then legs. I felt an energy flowing from my body into his body through my hands. At the end in the name of Jesus Christ, I felt totally weak, I didn't have the strength to stand and I fell to the ground.
I remembered when Jesus healed the woman with blood flow: “And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me”.2 [ Luke 8:46 ]
Some translations use the word 'virtue' instead of 'power'. The Lord had power over life and death, power to give his life and power to take it again.3 [John 10:17–18.] He had this power in himself, which was transmitted to Him by the Father; it was his inheritance and He had the power to give His life and take it again. He had in himself the source and the source of life, and when he said "Long live" to people, they lived.
My husband was healed in record time, even though he needed a physiologically orotracheal intubation to spare his lungs, he refused because he believed he could, because he had received a blessing and could feel God's touch saying he would be fine.
When I lay hands on a sick man, I hope to be an instrument by which the healing power and influence of God manifest themselves in favor of the sick and sickness gives way.
When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord, a flow of power can emanate from the Almighty, pass through the administrator's tabernacle to the organism of the sick, and then the sick are healed; headache, fever or other illness tends to give way.
We put our hands on the sick, we want them to be healed, and we pray to the Lord that he will make them sane, but He will not always do so. Before giving a blessing of healing it is important to understand that the power of God will act through the gifts of the Holy Spirit or through the Priesthood and that it will be necessary to obtain the resources of faith ( ‘sum of all the feelings of trust that are in your hearts’)4 [ Moses 3:70] creating the substance of the expected things, producing evidence of things never seen before, and not least the search to know the Lord's will.
All of God's providences are a miracle to the human family until they understand them. There are no miracles, but for those who do not have knowledge. It is assumed that a miracle is an effect without a cause, but there is no such thing. There's a cause for every outcome we see. If we see a result without understanding the cause, we call it a miracle.
At the wedding in Cana de Galilee 5 [ John 2:1–11], when the guests had drunk all the wine, they went to the Savior and asked Him what they should do. He ordered them to fill the waterpots with water, and after they did so, they took some of the liquid from inside the vessel and realized it was wine.
The Savior turned water into wine. He knew how to gather the necessary elements so that the water would have the properties of wine. The elements are all around us; we eat them, drink them, and breathe, and Jesus, knowing the process by which they can be gathered, did not perform any miracle, except for those who are ignorant of this process.
Women and blessings through the laying on of hands
The prophet Joseph Smith taught that the Relief Society had been organized not only to rescue the poor, the destitute, the widows, but to 'save lives'.
In April 1842, when the Relief Society was organized, Joseph Smith recorded the following:
'At two o'clock, I met with members of the Women's Relief Society, and after presiding over the admission of many new members, I gave a talk on the Priesthood, showing how the sisters would possess the privileges, blessings, and gifts of the Priesthood 6’. [History of the Church 4:602]
At the third meeting of the new organization, he also stated that:
'make this Society a kingdom of priests as in the days of Enoque7.' [http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book]
The practice of women laying hands on the sick persisted throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Much more than a society dedicated to charity, relief society minutes show us that it was created to be a priestly organization that would prepare women to exercise spiritual gifts and divine authority.
Unfortunately, the perceptions we inherit, or "traditions of men," block our understanding, or even make us see the Mormon past from the doctrines and practices of the LDS Church in the present.
However the Lord does not forsake us, we are privileged to live in a century where we have a prophet/seer/revelator Mauricio A. Berger, an anointed one of the Lord in difficult times, the seals have been opened and we have again among us the power of God to be used by those who have the necessary faith and understand its fruits.
Our challenge is not only to become the holy vessels of God, living stones of his temple, sources of living water, but also to make up the body of Christ.
The Lord has chosen us to do His work in the late part of the last days, it is important that we understand his commandments and statutes, and everything else that is instructed to us, so that we may be graced with power from on high.
Women of Zion, we have great work to do with the priesthood in the establishment of Zion. It's time to test our own skills.
Society of The Fountain of Living Waters and work with the Priesthood
"May every man, woman, and child recognize the importance of the work and act as if success depended solely on himself; may everyone be interested in it and pay attention to the fact that they are living in a time whose expectation has been in the chests of kings, prophets, and righteous men for thousands of years—whose coming inspired their sweetest notes and their most exalted hymns, causing it to erupt into enritised verses like those recorded in the scriptures”.8 [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 151].
Recently at the November 2021 conference, we had an amazing experience, I will not go into detail, but I intend to lecture exclusively on this experience in the future.
One of our sisters was ill and had seizures, even though she was medicated, it was a moment of great tension for me-
For the first time I could glimpse the Priesthood and the Living Waters working together for someone who needed intervention. Every positive feeling and energy emanating from those who were present added up so that our dear sister would recover inexplicably from the human vision.
I believe this is God's model for his sons and daughters, and I am grateful to be part of this work and have the privilege of witnessing such Divine power acting through His servants.
Although we are living at a different time, God's plan is the same.
We work in the manner of the priesthood that is, we seek and receive revelation, and act under inspiration; we make decisions in councils; and we care about the care of people, individually.
The miracle of faith is at our fingertips, as long as we understand the principles that will empower us, and then this knowledge will allow us to act for truth and justice in Christ's name, like his disciples. Developing, shaping the Lord's way, moving ever further away from Babylon, from knowledge into knowledge, revelation into revelation, 'a little here and a little there', diligently and constantly.9 [Moroni 15:13]
There are many accounts of past experiences, but now it is our turn to write continuity, and experiences will come, let us be prepared to act when it is required by the Lord. Amen.
Referências:
- Mark 16:17-18
- Luke 8:46
- John 10:17–18
- Moses 3:70
- John 2:1–11
- History of the Church 4:602
- http://josephsmithpapers.org/paperSummary/nauvoo-relief-society-minute-book
- Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), p. 151
- Moroni 15:13
Volume 12, Article 4-March: by Lisa Pratt, Fountain of Living Waters Society, Regional Leader, Southwest USA & Florida
Return to Israel
I still feel like such a novice when it comes to the scriptures. Though I have been raised with the restoration gospel, I have taken this knowledge for granted and not taken the scriptures seriously. Yes, I have read The Book of Mormon many times. But, the Old and New Testaments… not so much. Yes, I know the general stories, yet I have never taken a serious study of them. I never thought it was important. I know that other restoration churches have been more diligent in their Bible studies, but I, personally, never had a good example or, quite frankly, a desire. This is terrible, but true.
When The Sealed Book came into my life, I began to come alive. No longer bound by traditions or “accepted scripture”, I was free to learn and study as prompted through the Holy Ghost. I love The Sealed Book and learning more about Moses. I became engrossed in the allegory of The Olive Tree spoken of in The Sealed Book and in The Book of Mormon! I studied that allegory for months!
Now, I feel drawn to the Old Testament in particular. I feel a calling to learn more about Israel. The Jews. The covenants. The promises. What does it all mean? What does it mean for me? I started attending Brother Fred Pement’s monthly Torah Skype class and began learning about the Jewish calendar and the holidays and what it means to be an Israelite. Am I an Israelite? How does one BE an Israelite? What is The Law? How am I to live The Law if I do not know The Law?
From what I know so far, The Law (Torah) is contained in the first five books of the Old Testament. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Through modern revelation, we have been asked to take one week each month to study this Torah. When Jesus lived on the earth He lived these laws. If these laws were important to Jesus, then should they not be important to us? I’m learning that we have a lot of false Protestant traditions that have been carried down through our restoration churches. Did Jesus’ coming to the earth end the law? Does fulfill mean to “end” the law? I am learning that the answer to this question is…no. We have it all wrong! Jesus Christ came to fulfill the law. I have learned that “fulfill” means to fully reveal, magnify, confirm and establish.
In Matthew 5:17 Jesus says, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” (KJV) Jesus Christ wanted to establish the law, clarify it, confirm it. Maybe help us understand it better. He says, specifically in this verse, that he does NOT want to destroy or end the law. I think we Christians have a lot to learn here.
The other HUGE puzzle piece that I have been given, and am still working on understanding, is that there is often a big difference between Israelites and Jews. When Moses brought the Israelites out of Egypt, he took all 13 tribes with him (along with some people who weren’t Israelites.) These tribes, named after the sons of Jacob/Israel, are Rueben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin. And Joseph’s tribe was split into two, Ephraim and Manassah–It’s a long story, that I won’t get into here, but that makes thirteen.
So, after Moses helps the Israelites, with the power of God, cross the red sea and after the 40 years in the wilderness, Joshua helps the Israelites finally obtain the land of Canaan. Their promised land. For a while, these thirteen tribes were mostly congenial. But, as most families are, and human nature in general, there becomes a division. This also has to do with the covenants and promises of the Lord. What you need to know is that the Israelites eventually break up into TWO groups. The tribes of Levi and Benjamin join with Judah and are known as the Kingdom of Judah–or, the Jews. They are the ones that live in Jerusalem. The other 10 tribes became known as the Kingdom of Israel. And let me tell you, those Israelites are a mess! They forget who they are. They ignore their covenants and become paganistic. They become lost. They are scattered.
The Kingdom of Judah are not entirely saints either. Remember that even though they remember their heritage, they totally go beyond what is required, establish unnecessary laws, and eventually crucify Jesus Christ, the Messiah, the one they’ve been waiting for, and the one they continue to wait for.
So, who are these Israelites? Where did they go? Well, I’m learning that they are all around us. They could BE us! We might be Israelites! And, in fact, through baptism, we are adopted into this amazing family with all the promises and blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. So, whether we are actually blood descendants or adopted, we need to know what it means to be part of the chosen people. Part of the Israelites. And, we need to start acting like God’s chosen people. As Brother Mauricio said in a talk recently, we are in bondage! We are slaves. We are stuck in Babylon, in the world. We have forgotten our God. We have forgotten the Law. The Torah! The Torah was given to ALL of the Israelites, not just the Jews. This Torah will help us follow the commandments, which will help us draw nearer to God.
So, I’m starting fresh. I just finished Genesis and have started reading Exodus. I have started reading The Book of Mormon and The Sealed Book, with this new knowledge. I am underlining in red everywhere Nephi talks about Israelites and tribes and covenants. (Hint: he talks of these things constantly!! It’s quite amazing.) And, I always assumed that Nephi was Jewish because he came from Jerusalem. Not so!
And it came to pass that my father, Lehi, also found upon the plates of brass a genealogy of his fathers; wherefore he knew that he was a descendant of Joseph; yea, even that Joseph who was the son of Jacob, who was sold into Egypt… (1 Nephi 5:14 LDS/ 1 Ne 1:165 RLDS)
So, that puts Lehi and Nephi from the tribe of Joseph. This means that they weren’t Jews, or even of the tribe of Judah! Did you know this? What were they doing in Jerusalem if they weren’t of the tribe of Judah, Benjamin or Levi? So many questions!
Learning about the two separate Kingdoms, Israel and Judah, and learning about the kings and wars and history is really making me want to study more and solve these puzzles. I find myself pondering over the stories and the words, trying to solve the mysteries I’m coming across. This pondering and reading and studying is keeping me close to God. And, it all started with The Sealed Book!
But, behold, many shall believe the words of this book, and rejoice to know that it proceedeth out of the hand of God, and from their eyes will fall the scales of the darkness that prevents them from seeing in their fullness the truth sent from the heavens to the children of men, and before many generations pass, they will begin to coalesce in true knowledge, and they will become a pure and pleasing people in the sight of the Lord upon all the inhabited earth. (Words of Moroni vs. 2, emphasis added.)
The scales are falling from my eyes and my heart. The scriptures are coming alive. I don’t have answers to the questions I pose. How to return to Israel is the question that is on my heart. Are there dietary changes I must make? What are the feast days and how can I use them to draw nearer to God? How can I be grafted into the true tree again? I would like to invite anyone who is seeking, to start on this journey with me. Begin these conversations with your families and your friends, with our brothers and our sisters. Search the scriptures. All of them! And seek for inspiration through the Holy Spirit to guide you to know what scriptures to read next. It is so exciting!
I know that God lives and that He is calling me and many more to return to Israel. I am so grateful for my Savior who has given His life for me and you. May God bless you with knowledge and peace this day and always. In the name of Yeshua, even Jesus Christ, Amen.
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