Comments on: Merry and Martha http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/ A Mormon Blog Thu, 16 Feb 2012 12:20:30 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Essays http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75439 Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:52:58 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75439 Essay2review.com has only one principal purpose: That is to help students like you with all your writing problems. Essay

]]> By: Jim http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75438 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 06:38:10 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75438 Ann,
I notice a typo in my previous post- it should read, “…true saints do many things…” So I acknowledge that becoming Christlike requires that we do many things. But in my opinion, it is not just what we do that matters- it is our motive, desire, and intent.

Perhaps this quote, from another of Elder Oak’s talks, will better convey this idea:

From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.

]]> By: Ann http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75437 Sat, 22 Dec 2007 02:13:49 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75437 How else do we become Saints, except by doing things?

]]> By: John David Payne http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75436 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:37:18 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75436 Beautiful! Thanks, Kristine!

]]> By: Jim http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75435 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:44:49 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75435 Kathryn,
When I said “better part” I wasn’t quoting the scripture and perhaps should not have used quotes at all. To me, the fact that Elder Oaks references this story in the opening remarks of his talk titled Good, Better, Best suggests that Mary’s choice to listen to the Savior was better than Martha’s choice to be careful and troubled in what she was doing. At that time and place, Mary chose that which was more “needful.”

Semantics aside, for me, the point is that whether it is the busyness that accompanies the Christmas season or any other aspect of our lives, we can easily get caught up in doing things and can miss opportunities to become saints. Obviously true saints do any things, but I think we also do many things, good things, with the wrong intent or maybe even with no thought at all, and in those cases, the doing probably does little to help us become what we can and need to be.

]]> By: Kathryn Soper http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75430 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:08:01 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75430 Kristine, amen, and amen!

Jim (#22), “better part” is a misquote.

42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath achosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Jesus never said sitting and listening was better than standing and serving. He did point out that sitting and listening was not a waste of time (since we get to keep what we gain, even though it’s intangible).

My favorite discourse on Mary and Martha is Catherine Corman Parry’s BYU devotional address from 1991, found here:

http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=7072

]]> By: Adam Greenwood http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75434 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:07:08 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75434 Very good.

]]> By: Coffinberry http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75433 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 15:19:36 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75433 Thank you for this. The problem I’m having today is that, having had to play Zeezrom until yesterday (last final ended at 4:30 pm), I haven’t yet done anything either Mary or Martha about the season at all. Here it is the 21st, and so much to do because it’s Christmas that I don’t even know where to begin. Not to mention trying to sort out emotions (a classmate died this week, and though I did not know her well, friends of mine did, and there was much comforting to do). So, like Deb, my missionary got his box, but I still have 0% of buying for other still-at-home children and baking, and I know that I’m not allowed to say Can I skip Christmas this year? and not be either Mary or Martha?

]]> By: Kaimi http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75432 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 02:44:32 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75432 It’s that time of year, again, isn’t it? Christmas carols and gingerbread, hot apple cider to warm the belly, posts from Kristine to warm the soul.

It’s a pretty simple semantic rule, isn’t it? In the bloggernacle, it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Kris.

]]> By: Naomi Sloan http://bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/18/merry-and-martha/#comment-75431 Fri, 21 Dec 2007 01:19:58 +0000 http://www.bycommonconsent.com/2007/12/merry-and-martha/#comment-75431 Oh my goodness, deb! I hope you’re okay, and I hope all those people in your ward are okay too. Christmas can make everything much weightier, somehow.

Thanks for this post, Kristine–the link to it got forwarded around all the women of my extended family, so you’ve struck a familiar chord here. As I read your essay, I remembered peeking into the cultural hall a couple of weeks ago and seeing this beautiful scene laid out for the other ward’s Christmas party–long tables all put together, decorated, plates laid out, games and crafts for the children in the scout room across the hall, a live nativity scene prepared on the stage, and even the xeroxed music for the musical number already on the music stand, which was set out just where it needed to be by the stage. I was truly awe-struck at the amount of work this represented–and it was accomplished by two women, primarily. I have to admit that it made me wonder if me and my generation will be up to those standards when it’s our turn… But if we’re not, like you said, Christ will accept all of the gifts we give him.

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