Bathroom scale reminders

 November, and I have been considering so very many things for which I am grateful.  Today, as I stepped on our bathroom scale, I realized that I was happy to have that relatively small item in my home.  The numbers go up and down, and, for me over the years, seem to revolve in an 8 pound circle.  When they are on the upper side that awareness causes some changes in my daily snacking, when they get too low for my wishes a different type of change takes place.  

The scale keeps me aware of where I want to be in the weight department, but it also serves as a reminder of where I want to be in other areas, of who I want to be.  Reminders are good in both of those areas.   It helps me to work on bad habits, to cut back on the less desirable points of my life. 

When we are out and about where we go can put us in both safe and dangerous places, physically and spiritually. Sometimes the where we are also plays a part of who we are being at the time.  Our mode of behavior and thinking is influenced by our surroundings and the other people who are present at that time.

I have observed people who are kind, considerate people turn into someone else when they are in a situation where they want to leave an impression of "how cool" they are with someone they feel is of a higher ranking of social importance.   It can even happen with a phone call, the everyday individual can become cocky, loud-mouthed, even profane according to the other conversationalist. The idea of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is always present in our mortal lives.   It is good to be reminded, really , who am I?

We Have Done This Before

 We keep thinking that the situation we are now facing is a first.  It may be a first in our lifetime, but that doesn't mean others have not had to deal with similar things.  I work as a journalist and part of what I do requires me to do historical research.  Recently I was given an old folder that contained pictures of soldiers and sailors who had been a part of World War II, with no names attached.  My project now is to identify these 23 men that we assume lived in this part of the country.

This  effort took me to the book Saints At War. I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The book is about men who fought in that war and also has a bit about how the church organization adjusted to the needs of that time--1941- 1945.  I hadn't given this much thought earlier, but I have a grandson, now serving a mission.  He was serving in El Salvador and when the shut down came with COVID-19 things changed for him. He came home to the states, quarantined, and then made the decision to resume his mission services in the states wherever he was assigned. 

I quote from the book. "On the home front, World War II had a dramatic impact on full-time missionary work. At the outset of the war, the Church evacuated the missionaries from most of Europe. The stories of the missionaries' evacuations are filled with miracles. Remarkably, all escaped without harm. By the end of the war, full-time missionary service had declined dramatically and those  called were sent almost exclusively to missions within the United States." Of course this made for a difficult time for those small congregations of members in Europe to be without the guidance of the missionaries.  In spite of it the members persevered and in doing so, grew in spiritual strength to meet the trials that came their way.

"As the events at Pearl Harbor thrust America into the war, the impact of the war on the Church intensified as many of its programs and procedures had to be adjusted. . . The Church issued several policy directives aimed at curtailing the meetings and activities of various auxiliaries.  Such moves came in response to travel restrictions imposed by the federal government during the war years. In early 1942, the Tabernacle (on Temple Square) was closed and as a result celebrations scheduled in the Tabernacle for the Relief Society's centennial anniversary were canceled. "  General Conference was convened in the Assembly Hall adjacent to the Salt Lake Temple, with only invited authorities in attendance. The tradition of Christmas lights on Temple Square was suspended until after the war, and  church pageants were canceled.  Work on any other temple then in existence were hindered by the war.

Church organizations, not just the LDS, are currently curtailed from their normal meeting schedules. Religious leaders are finding ways to reach their congregations:  emails, YouTube, ZOOM, social media. It is important that mankind know we are not alone and this need is recognized.  

With the war there were fewer young men attending Church-sponsored institutions of learning.  At BYU population decreased from 2,375 full-time students in 1939 to 884 in 1943. Ricks College experienced similar drops in enrollment. Due to lack of male students many events were dropped, sports, homecoming --canceled.  I feel certain this was the case in universities across the land. 

However creativity helped in the adjusting, as it does now.  Mail took the place of one-on-one interaction. Families gathered around their radios.  Other areas of their lives, other than church, also met peoples needs.  I put this in the blog to show that the despair that some are feeling now, with the changes due to the virus do not have to be crippling.  During the Spanish Influenza at the end of World War I, people wore masks. Some were willing to do this, others fought it during the whole 3 years it took for that to be overcome. There were quarantines and neighbors helped neighbors, keeping a safe distance while they were about it. This sounds familiar, doesn't it? We can do this, it is not a first, and we are not alone.