2 Nephi 14, 15 & 16

1 AND in that day, seven women shall take hold of one man, saying: We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel; only let us be called by thy name to take away our reproach.
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 14:1)

The world would have to change quite a bit to get women to feel like they "need" to be married. It seems to have gone by the wayside. Which is sad...not just from the lonely individual's point of view either. A good working marriage, where the couple delineates their roles, cooperates constantly, and looks out for the other members of the family moreso than self, can create a productive, peaceful society. This doesn't mean that mom (or dad) is wiped out in caring for everyone in the family...because while she (or he) is giving her all, the other members are helping just as worried about her as she is about them.

Now, this is off topic from the scripture itself, but...
I spent today washing the curtains & rehanging them. It'd been awhile. Now, the house smells clean, because the curtains aren't dusty. Nice. These are things that didn't happen while I was working (pre baby even!), so, I can't imagine how someone can do these simple, yet important things if they are working & have children. Maybe they don't sleep, or eat, or have any down time. This would be hard for me. Plus, I would have missed a moment today that is now golden...tucked away in my mind for years to come. My son read the Christmas story (biblical version, not the one on HBO) to his sisters and I today, and when he ended he said, "C, how did that make you feel inside? Do you feel that good feeling when I read about Jesus?"
"Yes, I do, " says C.
"Heavenly Father & Jesus love us, C. Yay for that! You know what? I think I love them, too."
"Yup," says C.

Now, on to the scriptures I was reading...
5 And the Lord will create upon every dwelling–place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for upon all the glory of Zion shall be a defence.
6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 14:5 - 6)

A defense from what? Maybe I'm missing something here, but I thought this was after Christ came, and judgement was passed...so what do we need defense from?

8 Wo unto them that join house to house, till there can be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 15:8)

Ha, off topic, but this made me think--get a house, even a small one where your family can be alone...no more apartments! No offense to apartment dwellers, I may even have to again someday, but that's what it made me think of.

That say: Let him make speed, hasten his work, that we may see it;
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 15:19)
Ahem. So, I truly sin in my wishes that the end would just come, that I can finally understand all things.

that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 15:20)
Don't mess with the baked goods! Kidding.

26 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth; and behold, they shall come with speed swiftly; none shall be weary nor stumble among them.
27 None shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken;
28 Whose arrows shall be sharp, and all their bows bent, and their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind, their roaring like a lion.
29 They shall roar like young lions; yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry away safe, and none shall deliver.
30 And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea; and if they look unto the land, behold, darkness and sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
(Book of Mormon | 2 Nephi 15:26 - 30)

These verses seem very important to me, like I'm missing something, but I don't know what.

In 16, Isaiah sees God, and the seraphims that surround his throne. I decided to get to know what a seraphim was a little better. So, I googled "seraphim" and found first, some beautiful artwork of other's perception of what this 6-winged angel must look like. I also found an explanation that if you go through the bible, there are multiple types of angels mentioned, and it would seem that the seraphim are at the top of the hierarchy.

Oddly, however, if you look up the Hebrew translation of this verse, you would see the word saraph (saw-rawf'), which translates to: burning, i.e. (figuratively) poisonous (serpent); specifically, a saraph or symbolical creature (from their copper color) -- fiery (serpent), seraph.

So, had I read this without seeing the illustrations, I would have imagined a six-winged serpent of copper coloring. Which then led me to wonder about Satan being called the serpent (fiery serpent, no less) in the bible...