20250706 Cycle 2

 

Cycle 2 (Continued)

 

With no treatment events scheduled this week, the only medically based activity we had was an appointment for genetic counseling. Wednesday was Doris’ appointment for genetic counseling, so we were not able to fit a walk in before our designated arrival time of 7:45 AM in St. Luke’s Boise. Doris gathered as much information as she could in preparation for this appointment relative to direct blood relatives who had suffered from cancer. It is a significant effort, for which she reached out to family members to obtain more information. In addition to cancer instances, Doris was also asked about auto-immune based diseases.

We walked on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings this week. I track our walks on my Apple Watch as workouts and select “Outdoor Walk”. This creates some statistics, but what is more fun about them, is the map which produced some interesting graphics. We post those graphics in our family discord exchange and invite our family members to enhance them in some way to depict what the shapes bring to mind for them. I have likened it to cloud shapes, but perhaps ink blots would be a similar concept. We really enjoy seeing what our family members develop with these maps as a prompt. You may have notices that we post some of these images in the map interpretations. 

 Tuesday morning, I went to the Meridian, Idaho Temple. While I was pondering on things and prayerfully considering our situation, I had some words from a scripture come to my mind: “7 My [child], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.” (Doctrine & Covenants 121:7-8)

In context, this revelation was give to Joseph Smith in answer to his prayer in the Liberty Jail, where the guards were unruly, and reports of mistreatment of the saints (members of our church) were very unsettling. We have visited the Liberty Jail where this revelation was received. It was a moving and spiritual experience to contemplate this revelation where it was received. In the context in which these words came to my mind, I had lingered in the temple, hoping for some peace and comfort with respect to Doris’ condition. When these thoughts came to my mind, I recognized them as the comfort for which I had been seeking. I immediately considered “foes” to include Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), and I continue to hope for Doris’ triumph over this foe.

The afflictions which Doris has, when considered as an adversity, will become a blessing. There is an interesting word in the Dutch language which is representative of the word “adversity”. That word is “tegenspoed”. When I served as a missionary as a young man in Flemish-speaking Belgium, I met members of our church who spoke of learning a new word after they joined our church. In Dutch there are two potential translations for the word “adversity”. One of them is “tegenslag”. The two compound words have similarities. The part of the words that is common to both is “tegen”. It means against.  “Slag” means hit or strike. “Spoed” connotes prosperity. As such, a “tegenslag” can actually be translated as a “blow” in English from which there would be no recovery, Whereas “tegenspoed” is more like a “setback” from which something is to be learned. 

This scripture and the interpretation of the meaning of adversity prompt a question:

What does it mean to endure adversity and afflictions well?

Elder Richard G. Scott gave some meaningful counsel:

“When you face adversity, you can be led to ask many questions. Some serve a useful purpose; others do not. To ask, Why does this have to happen to me? Why do I have to suffer this now? What have I done to cause this? will lead you into blind alleys. It really does no good to ask questions that reflect opposition to the will of God. Rather ask, What am I to do? What am I to learn from this experience? What am I to change? Whom am I to help? How can I remember my many blessings in times of trial? Willing sacrifice of deeply held personal desires in favor of the will of God is very hard to do. Yet when you pray with real conviction, “Please let me know Thy will” and “May Thy will be done,” you are in the strongest position to receive the maximum help from your loving Father.” (Trust in the Lord, Richard G. Scott; October 1995)

Humility sufficient to ask these questions, and to recognize the inspired answers to them is the essence of enduring adversity and afflictions well. These types of questions are those that Doris and I have discussed frequently. I look forward to learning these answers as we face this adversity together. Given that it may be but a “small moment”, we may need to learn quickly. But a small moment in the bigger scheme of things is probably longer than we would have signed up for if we were given that option.

Onward and upward we go in the midst of uncertainty, discomfort and challenges.

From Doris:

Endure in Faith

I remember a conversation I had with my father after he was diagnosed with mantle cell lymphoma.  He was in his mid eighties when this happened.  He told me that he was one of the lucky ones because he knew how he was going to die.  He was very matter of fact.  I was surprised by his response.  After reflecting upon his answer, I realized that he was not afraid of death.  His faith and trust in God and his obedience promised him glorious blessings after he died. 

I thought of him and my mother when I read the following quote given by Elder Hans T. Boom in the April 2025 General Conference.

“Why is it that some of us take for granted the faith and testimonies of our parents who through all their hardships have remained faithful? Do we think that they do not have a clear understanding of things? They were not and are not deceived! They just have had too many experiences with the Spirit and can say with the Prophet Joseph, “I knew it, … and I could not deny it.”

My parents were faithful to God and to their covenants to the end of their lives.  I cannot deny the truths I know. I am determined to endure in faith as well.