An Instrument in His Hands

Part 2 Chapter 3

Part 2

90-85 BC

Chapter 3

‘Andrew,’ I stated, ‘Get this into your head. I am never going to marry a non-believer. I don’t care if I am eighteen years old or sixty years old. I will not do it.’

‘Then who will you marry?’

I placed both my hands on my hips. ‘I will only marry a fine Christian man. Since there are none here, I have no plans to marry. I repeat, none!’

Andrew narrowed his eyes. ‘We shall see.’

‘You are becoming like our Mother!’ I accused him.

He threw his hands up in the air. ‘I am? Listen to how stubborn you are becoming!’

‘At least I’m not trying to marry you off!’

He snorted. Like he would let me.

I took a deep breath and calmly explained, ‘If I had a mind to marry, I would have consented to marry Aaron three years ago.’

‘And exactly why didn’t you marry Aaron?’

I sat down. ‘I was scared to,’ I whispered. ‘I was afraid he would relapse like you did.’

Andrew sat down too. ‘I’m sorry, Abigail. I’m trying to make up to you what you lost because of me.’

I looked up at him and smiled. ‘You don’t need to, Andrew. God told me to let Aaron go do the work he had for him. I believe that God meant him to go to the Lamanites. Perhaps… who knows? Perhaps someday he will return and find me.’

‘You’re waiting for him, aren’t you?’

I cocked my head to the side. Was I? ‘Sort of…’ I admitted, ‘I’d like it to work out that way, but, no. Not really. It’s more like…’ I hesitated. ‘It’s more like I am trying to follow God’s plan for me as it is revealed. If Aaron is still in that plan, so be it. If the Lord brings me somebody else, and I am to marry him, I will with joy. But, only Christians, please.’

‘Hmmm…’ was all he said.

Some nights Andrew did not return. Those were the times that I wished I could find a good wife for him!

‘I will not marry until you do,’ he threatened when I brought up the subject.

But life went on. I began my work as a teacher of young girls and found that I enjoyed it far more than I thought I would. I was able to teach deportment and kindness. I taught them to be gracious hostesses, to speak well of other people and to conduct themselves with dignity. I also taught them rudimentary reading and mathematics so that they could be good shoppers. On the side, I taught them basic cooking skills and how to start a cook fire. I was quite satisfied with my efforts.

I was living two lives. By day I was a teacher and a member of the upper classes and was known as Andrew’s sister Abigail. By evening I was known as Christian Lady, and was welcome in all the homes of the poor, sick, and needy. They knew me as the seller of corn cakes and I was one of them.

I employed Chariott and two other ladies to sell my corn cakes. Each day after teaching, I came to the corn cake stall to distribute the leftovers and organize my charitable efforts. Because I now had two incomes, I was able to do so much more for others.

Sometimes I instructed the young ladies of the poor classes also. That was the most satisfying. They were so anxious to learn! I taught them to go about serving one another. We organized ourselves much like the Zarahemla missionaries, at least in a temporal sense. I often supplied money for materials, such as corn meal and soup fixings. Some girls would cook and some would deliver food to the needy. Other girls preferred to visit the sick. Some actively sought out those who were in trouble or suffering. A few girls I sponsored to become healers. Thus, I was able to reach out to a great many of the poor who were struggling.

But none of them were Christians. I just taught them to behave like Christ.

Five few years after Andrew came to Antionum, a Christian man from Zarahemla, named Daniel, came into town. As he was not married, Andrew brought him home to dinner.

I knew what Andrew was planning!

When Daniel bowed over my hand at our greeting, I decided that perhaps Andrew’s plan was not totally objectionable. Daniel was quite a personable man!

‘How is it that we have never met?’ I asked him, for he was a high official in the Zarahemla government, sent to Antionum to oversee the next election now that the there was a change of government to elected judges, instead of governors appointed by a king.

‘There’s a new set of people in the government now. It’s not all by inheritance and tradition. I was appointed by those who were elected by popular vote.’

I approved and nodded. ‘But, I understand that Alma the Younger was elected to be the Chief Judge.’ Perhaps against my better judgement!

‘True, that was a bit traditional. But the judges under him are not necessarily descendants of Nephi.’

‘And you are not?’ I asked as we sat down to our meal and I passed him wrapped corn cakes.

He took them. ‘Mostly I am Mulekite.’

I smiled. I liked the equality of that.

‘Are you a Christian?’ I asked as I took a sip of my grape juice.

Daniel nodded. ‘I confess to be, yes.’

I dared to ask, ‘Have you always been a Christian?’

‘If you are asking if I followed the popular youth movement away from the church of Christ, I will tell you that I did not.’ He gave an apologetic smile to Andrew.

Better and better! I lifted my eyebrows and then smiled. I liked this Daniel!

Andrew just sat back and enjoyed our interchange.

I told Daniel, ‘I’ve been quite an active Christian here, in spite of the fact that I am the lone servant of Christ in this country. We have no active Priesthood. Everyone that moves here, like Andrew, has a reason to reject the Church of Christ.’

‘How do you worship?’ Daniel asked after he swallowed a large bite.

I gestured towards my set of sacred scrolls lying on a nearby shelf. ‘Privately. I read from the word of God daily, and of course, I say my prayers. But mostly, I seek to live as the Messiah will live when he soon comes to minister among men.’

‘And how is that?’ he asked curiously.

I lowered my eyes modestly. ‘By serving others unselfishly.’

Andrew jumped in to explain. ‘Abigail heads up an organization of girls from the poorer classes who cook and sew and care for the poor and needy. I don’t know what the lower classes of Antionum would do without her.’

‘Why, Andrew, I never knew you thought so highly of my activities!’ I protested. He would make me out to be a paragon.

‘Abigail is quite famous as “Christian Lady,”’ he explained.

‘He exaggerates,’ I added as I passed more cakes to Daniel.

‘I would like to see your work,’ Daniel asked. ‘I really would.’

‘Will you join me tomorrow night?’ I suggested. How audacious I was! But how fun it would be to show my work to a fellow Christian!

‘It will be my greatest pleasure to do so,’ he said with an eager look.

Andrew gloated.

Oh dear! I was going to walk out with a man. How many years had it been since I’d done that? Five? Oh my! Could I come to like him as well as I came to like Aaron?

Then I remembered Aaron’s kisses…hmmm… It would take a lot of liking!

But this man just might be somebody whom I could totally trust.