Gethsemane

I am student-teaching seminary at Lehi High this semester. It is a great opportunity to interact with the youth of the church and discuss gospel principles. This week we reading from Luke chapter 22. It contains the account of the Savior's suffering in the garden of Gethsemane. It was there that he began his atonement for the sins and sorrows of the world--for us.

We discussed the meaning of "Gethsemane". It's a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew words Gath (meaning vat or press) and Shemen (meaning oil)--Gethsemane means "oil press". We took a look at the ancient process of olive oil production.

When the olives are first gathered the are crushed by this large stone wheel which is usually pushed by an animal. This first crushing can be used to produce "virgin" olive oil which would have been used in ancient times for temple ordinances and other use.

The pulp is then gathered into bags as shown.


The bags can then be placed in the beam press, or Gethsemene.

When the press is lowered the initial color of the oil that oozes from the bags is a dark reddish-brown, much like the color of blood. This oil would have been used for more of the day to day temporal activities such as lighting lamps.

I know the Jesus Christ went to Gethsemane that night and that he underwent a similar process. As he prayed to the Father, the weight of all the world came down upon him until even he bled from every pore. His atonement was for our benefit-both for our spiritual and our temporal concerns. I believe he went through an initial "pressing" to atone for our sins, but that he stayed the course and underwent a second "pressing" so that he could lift all of our other burdens. The Book of Mormon prophet Alma put it this way,
"And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities."

He did it because he loves us, and as John said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. "

A Christmas Carol

Before it gets too late into the new year I wanted to share my thoughts on something new we did this year for Christmas. We decided to read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens together as a family. While doing this we caught three different versions of this story on television, Mickey's Christmas Carol, the 1984 version with George C. Scott and the most recent one that I know of, the one that came out in 1999 with Patrick Stewart.


I think this is a wonderful story and me and Jack have often talked about how Charles Dickens came up with this amazing concept and how it is now so well accepted in our language. There are so many lessons that can be learned from the story, but there were two things that stuck out to me, and we were surprised to see them only portrayed in the latest movie, so I wanted to share them with you.

First, Scrooge, a greedy business man is visited by his old partner that died seven years earlier. He comes to warn him of what will happen if he doesn't change and tells him that three ghosts will come to visit him. As Marley is leaving he goes out the window and as Scrooge watches he sees the following:

"The air was filled with phantoms, wandering hither and thither in restless haste, and moaning as they went. ... He had been quite familiar with one old ghost in a white wasitcoat, with a monstrous iron safe attached to its ankle, who cried piteously at being unable to assist a wretched woman with an infant, whom it saw below, upon a door-step. The misery with them all was, clearly, that they sought to interfere, for good, in human matters, and had lost the power for ever."

I like this idea and find it so interesting that these people who were greedy in life want nothing more than to help people now, but can't. It shows what is really important in life, and that now is the time to change. Our time on earth is so limited but plays a crucial role in where we will be in the afterlife.

A second idea, which is along the same lines, comes when the ghost of Christmas present is leaving.

"From the foldings of its robe brought two children; wretched, abject, frightful, hideous, miserable. They knelt down at its feet, and clung upon the outside of its garment. ... 'Spirit! Are they yours?' Scrooge could say no more. 'They are Man's,' said the Spirit, looking down upon them. 'And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!' cried the Spirit, stretching out its hand towards the city. 'Slanter those who tell it ye! Amit for your factious purposes, and make it worse! And bide the end!"


Scrooge is appalled by these children and is told to beware Ignorance and Want. Scrooge, when asked earlier to give to the poor gives an explanation of how we need poor, to fill prisons, and give people jobs. He displays ignorance in the way he lives and want in having money be all he desires, which lead him to let the love of his life leave. He believes his wealth and status qualifies him to sit in judgment on the poor rather than to assist them. If he lets these two traits continue to sit with him, Doom will come.

How that applies to all of us today. Though many of us don't have a lot of wealth, I think we often live in ignorance and judge others we see. We often want for ourselves rather than giving to others. But as we learn it is never too late to start anew. We should be more aware of those around us and try to serve others.


Though Christmas is past we can look to this story on how to live. Let us be more charitable and more Christlike all year long.