every bit as wonderful~Joshua 3-4

When the Israelites needed to cross the Jordan River, its banks were overflowing. The Lord showed the children of Israel that He was with Joshua just as he had been with Moses by letting them pass over Jordan on dry ground.

"And the Lord said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee. And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan...And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people; And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,) That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho. And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan." Joshua 3:7–8, 14–17

The priests who carried the ark had to had to step into the overflowing river while carrying the ark before the waters of the Jordan River stopped. The Lord sometimes ask us to have faith and step into the river also.

“Shortly after I was called as a General Authority, I went to Elder Harold B. Lee for counsel. He listened very carefully to my problem and suggested that I see President David O. McKay. President McKay counseled me as to the direction I should go. I was very willing to be obedient but saw no way possible for me to do as he counseled me to do. I returned to Elder Lee and told him that I saw no way to move in the direction I was counseled to go. He said, ‘The trouble with you is you want to see the end from the beginning.’ I replied that I would like to see at least a step or two ahead. Then came the lesson of a lifetime: ‘You must learn to walk to the edge of the light, and then a few steps into the darkness; then the light will appear and show the way before you’ ” (Boyd K. Packer, “The Edge of the Light,” BYU Today, Mar. 1991, 22–23).

Israel set up a memorial of 12 stones after crossing the Jordan River, as a testimony of the Lord’s power to future generations. It was to remind them that the Lord would bless them just as he had their fathers.

"And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the Lord spake unto Joshua, saying, Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man, And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests’ feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night. Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man: And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel: That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones? Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever. And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the midst of Jordan, as the Lord spake unto Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests which bare the ark of the covenant stood: and they are there unto this day." Joshua 4:1–9.

"And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. For the Lord your God dried up the waters of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us, until we were gone over: That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever." Joshua 4:21–24

We can have personal memorials to remind us of God’s power in our lives. Each Sunday, we can partake of the sacrament. Even in the sacramental prayer we promise to always remember Him. We can have pictures of Christ, temples, and our families in our homes. We can make the study of the scriptures more than just a rote duty but a real integral part of our family's life. We can keep a journal to record spiritual experiences, answers to prayers, and blessings. These "memorials" can bless the lives of others by keeping God in the foreground instead of something we take out of the closet on Sundays or only a couple times a year.

The Lord does absolutely answer prayers, give blessings, give revelation, and perform wonderful miracles for each generation. Lately, I've experienced God’s power and love in these ways. Many know that I was very ill for over two years; my body was shutting down. Near the end of the two years, I began to pray to God that He would end my suffering. In my mind this meant that I would be released from this life and move on in my eternal progression. God had a different plan but still blessed me with a glorious answer to this prayer, revelation for healing, and a grand miracle. He guided my path into wellness, at least for this time, so that I might share how to truly live the Word of Wisdom and heal oneself with faith and the bounties of His earth. This may not be as showy as the miracle of the parting of the Jordan, but to me it was every bit as wonderful.