Chapter 5 How dark is evil?

Dark enough to shut out even the light of the moon.

As a mother, I felt so strongly that I needed to warn my children of the evil that is out there in the world. I'd heard of it, seen it and felt it. I knew it was real. I wanted them to understand just what we were "fighting." But I don't think children ever really understand until they too have seen it, or felt it for themselves.

How would I describe this evil? -- Chapter 5 is a start--absolutely merciless! Can anyone stand to fight it? Some may think they can, but--No one is strong enough to face it head on alone and win! (No one but the Savior!) Sometimes we just have to run! Run with every bit of strength you have and more. Hold on tight to your family and whatever will carry you to safety and never look back.

But, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Obedience-Living under the protection of the Lord

In D&C 82:10 The Lord promises, "I the Lord am bound when ye do what I say, but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."

This does not mean that if we keep the Lord's commandments He will protect us from any and all difficulty. The whole purpose of life includes the necessity of opposition in all things.

It does mean, however, that while you are traveling through your mortal journey, difficult as it may be, if you follow the Lord's counsel, and keep His commandments, He does protect you from everything that is not necessary for your life's experience on earth--literally pouring out every blessing that He can give you, till you have no more room for more.

I have experienced first hand, how when you disobey God's commandments, he has no alternative, but to withdraw his hand and let you experience the destruction of the world full force. UGH! The most horrific thing I have ever experienced is to stand alone, facing the merciless Arregaithel's of the world without the protection of the Lord!

Keeping the commandments, and knowing that I am in the hands of the Lord, allows me great peace when I do get hit with another trial--It helps me know that for some reason, for any reason, I need to go through this one. It also helps me to turn to the gifts my Father has given us to help us through this life. (represented by the box that was given to Rachel and Samuel).

I have far to go in my journey, and much to learn, and although weak and vulnerable to pride and selfishness, I struggle to be obedient; for the Lord's hands is the only place I ever want to be.

So, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Chapter 3 About courage

I'm chicken when it comes to many things. I would rather play a game with my kids around the table than fly off to New York to see a Broadway show. I don't like the dark, snakes, or spiders, and I really freak out about the thought of uncontrolled fire, but the scariest thing in my life is to "fess up" when I do something wrong. So I'd rather just not do anything wrong, thank you. lol. Yah, that doesn't happen.

So I've learned a lot about courage over the years.

True courage doesn't come from being brave, or strong. It doesn't come from gritting your teeth and just getting through it. It doesn't come from practice, or wearing a super-hero cape.

It comes, instead, from the soft side of your soul. Surprisingly enough, Courage comes from humility. It comes from the love that you feel from your Heavenly Father, from the Savior, or even from your parents or your friend-whoever you need to "fess up" to, and it grows with the love that you share for them in return.

When you feel this love, humility melts the ice that was "protecting your heart" and you become free - you become strong enough to get through anything!

So, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Authors notes for Chapter 2 - Waking up to reality

Have you ever done something you know you shouldn't, but then pretended that you didn't-- thinking or even hoping that it would all just go away.

You can actually feel fine for awhile. You can eat, laugh, smile, joke, work, . . . but there comes a time when reality hits. Truth will not stay buried. And when it hits you with something you were trying to hide, it sucker punches you in the stomach rendering you so sick that you wish you could just vomit and make it better, but it never works that way.

Honesty is the only thing that will bring peace to your stomach.

So, these are just my thoughts. What are yours? . . . 

Authors Notes - Rachel

Rachel represents another group of us who, unlike Samuel, not only love the life they have, but that very life feeds them with energy and pure joy. They feel a deep gratitude for all that is good each day, and show that gratitude by serving others and taking advantage of every good gift.

The irony appears when it happens, as it often does in life, that those who push the limits in order to find their dreams affect- sometimes destroy- the lives that are soo enjoyed by others.

Although, it looks like this is the tragedy, it later becomes evident that it was necessary for the greater good. Which actually is one of the points of this whole story. We each have our agency. and maybe one choses something that hurts another, but the consequences of these choices are significant, and made to be an important, even a necessary part of life in order to bring about our greatest joy. The greater tragedy would have been if Samuel had stayed in the valley and never reached out to answer the call of his soul, and Rachel had been allowed to live her "perfect" life, never to feel or experience anything greater than what was imagined in her "dream life."

Although Rachel thinks that Samuel has ruined her life by his "stupid" choices, he has in effect opened a path that will lead to a joy that is greater than she can even imagine.

It doesn't matter what life we have, whether we are the Samuel or the Rachel, it's all a journey!

Authors Notes - Samuel

Have you ever felt unsatisfied with normalcy? --stuck in the day to day, looking at what you have ahead of you, feeling like you were meant to do more? become more than what you could imagine? It's an itch that cant be scratched, a yearning that cant be identified let alone satisfied.

That's what Samuel is feeling when he turns 14. He feels trapped by their little valley, trapped by superstition, and trapped by too many rules. Although he cant define it, he feels the greatness lying dormant within his soul and aches to identify it and answer its call.

Not really planning to go over the edge, he is simply given a taste of freedom, and lets it take him beyond the limits of safety, one small line at a time until it is too late.


 His life, and the lives of his family members, as well as everyone around him for miles around, will never be the same again.

Feb 16, 2020 - Today in Sunday School we were studying the Fall and the Atonement.

They shared the  following quote: The definition of transgression is to go beyond the limits - the formally prohibited boundries that have been established!

Samuel's choice to go beyond the establish boundaries could represent Adam and Eve's choice to step beyond the boundaries that were set for them. Each situation set in motion a turn of events that were filled with both pain and joy beyond what they could ever have comprehend before.