Much have I learned

Yesterday I went to a woman's conference with my Stake. It was so good! The speaker was Sister Olsen. She has a master's in Middle Eastern Studies that she got mostly while attending the BYU extension in Jerusalem. Also, she knows Hebrew. She taught us many things, but today I want to talk about Sariah from the Book of Mormon, mostly mentioned in 1st Nephi. This mention of Sariah crosses the time when Lehi was commanded to leave Jerusalem and head for the Promised Land. So to start, a little history:

2nd Chronicles, Chapter 35. In about 620 BC King Josiah took found a scroll in a temple they were tearing down. Between him and his ancestry, they had been turning from the old religion and tearing down temples for at least 100 years. When King Josiah found the scroll, he wanted to know if it was from God. This chapter covers about 7 years in history as close as we can tell. It was between verse 18 and 19 that the scroll that changes King Josiah happens and he wants to keep the commandments. And just as that his happening the king of Egypt, Necho, invades Jerusalem and we see the destruction and the reason Lehi was told to leave. So it was in 613 BC that King Josiah was killed.

Now, in the first part of 1st Nephi, it says, "...being born of goodly parents..." I've read it a million times. I always thought it meant his parents were good and kind. In reality, when that type of phrase was said back in Jerusalem (she explained the Hebrew but I didn't catch it) it isn't talking about being nice and good, it is explaining how much wealth or comfort they were able to attain. From the ruins in the supposed area where Lehi lived, these homes had irrigation into the homes with running water and plumbed toilets or toileting areas. There were family areas with separated sleeping areas, several rooms in the house.

Also in that age, and mostly in history changing only recently, the women were responsible for the children, livestock, cooking, cleaning, clothing, set-up and take-down of camps when away from home. The men were responsible for finding a safe place to settle, fresh/drinkable water, and food.

Now most LDS women know Sariah as a complainer. Practically the only information we have out her is that she murmured and then later she bears a small testimony. Many LDS women lament that one of the only women well known in the scriptures is known for murmuring. But if you think about what she endured and what her purpose was, you start to wonder... why didn't she murmur more or earlier?

Think about this: Sariah had a large estate; running water and plumbed bathrooms. Her husband comes home and states he's had a dream and that she should get the tents, pack the house, ready the kids/animals and they're leaving. Also, as Lehi would be come the new and natural leader, thereby the patriarch of the family and church. Naturally, the family would need a strong Matriarch as both a standard family and church family. We all know, without women, so many things would go undone and one woman does need to be in charge. So Sariah had to leave all she had, ready everything and be in charge of everything. With no help from other women, that we know of, except many current historians think Nephi had to have at least 2 sisters who would help Sariah and provide wives for the son's of Ishmael (but that comes later)and may have been born in the wilderness.

Sariah followed her husband. Packing all, being responsible for all, and leaving all behind (1 Nephi 2:4) without murmuring. She was able to rely on her husband's testimony of what he had seen. But to have a strong matriarch, she needed to have a testimony of her own. So the Lord pushed and pushed until she finally had to have her own. It was when the Lord instructed Lehi to send the boys back to Jerusalem to get the plates from Laban. As a mom, you know how long things take.... (it should take this long to get there, that long to get the plates, this long to get back) and sat expecting them. It was when they didn't come back when she thought they should that there was a problem. In 1 Nephi 5 Sariah complains against her husband. And also that she obtains her testimony. Another thing I've learned, is in the scriptures when it states, "And after this manner of language did she speak." it means that person says it over and over and over again, repeating it frequently.

Sariah really left a lot behind. And she endured a lot, all at the testimony of her husband, but when she came to possibly loosing her children, that was the line. She had to seek the Lord herself. How many times do we need to be pushed to get where the Lord wants us to be? What's it going to take to turn you into the Matriarch or strong woman? It was good that Sariah was faithful unto her husband as he led her in righteousness. But she had to have her own legs to stand on. A woman is almost never quoted in the scriptures, but Nephi, so impressed by the strength and power of his Mother's testimony, published it in Verse 8 of Chapter 5.

Also, in Hebrew there is a tense they have that we do not. We only have past, present and future, they have the 'prophetic past' tense. There is an interesting verse in this part of 1st Nephi that demonstrates it. 1 Nephi 5:5 "..I have obtained a land of promise.." See, he's talking in past tense about something in the future. This obtaining of land in the future has not happened, but he is talking like it has already occurred because he knows it will. Kinda cool!