Page 120 of The Confidant
Maybe I had entered an alternate universe. Or had fallen asleep during the High Priest’s sermon and this was just a nightmare…
I pinched myself to see if this was real. But sadly, it felt like I was actually awake.
Was this how those girls I’d read about in that essay had felt when Samuel Williams approached them?
Because if so, it was no wonder a few of them had refused him at first—no wonder why the Lord had to send his angels to threaten Samuel into following the commandment.
Because right now, I was feeling like I didn’t have nearly enough proof of divine revelation to convince me that this was actually part of the Lord’s plan for me and my life.
It just…it just couldn’t be…
My dad must have seen my thoughts written on my face because he held his hands out at his sides. In a somber voice, he said, “I know this is shocking and not something you expected. It’s not what I expected, either. But I’ve prayed and fasted about it for months, and the spirit witnessed to me again this morning during the High Priest’s sermon that it was true. And when I looked down at you and Xander, both of your countenances were so bright.” He shrugged. “Iknowthis is God’s will for both of you.”
“But there are only two weeks, Dad!” I said, sudden hysteria coming over me at witnessing my dad’s acceptance of this whole thing. “I don’t even know what this ceremony is like! I don’t have any of the details. Like, can you just walk me through the ceremony step by step so I know what I’m agreeing to? Maybe that will help me feel better about this.”
But instead of softening and explaining what I needed to know, my dad shook his head and got a stern look on his face.
“The ceremony is sacred, Scarlett,” he said, like I should know better than to ask such a question. “You know that the sacred ceremonies and rituals can’t be discussed outside the Holy Room. They must be protected from outsiders who might use them for dark purposes. But the ceremony is straight from God, and you will be blessed for your obedience to his command. Our whole family will be blessed. Our eternal salvation will be secured if you do this. Even your mother, who has waffled in her acceptance of Jehovah, will be saved because of your faithfulness. The High Priest promised it.”
His words made me catch my breath.My mom would be saved?
My mom, who was a good person but had never been strong in the faith, could still live with me in heaven if I did this?
“The High Priest actually said that our salvation and Mom’s salvation will be secured if I do this?” I asked, needing to have this confirmed. “You’re not just saying that?”
“That’s what he told me,” my dad said. “He promised that all of your family will be blessed and their exaltation would be ensured if you obeyed.”
And suddenly, a new feeling started to fill me.
A lightness I hadn’t felt ever since learning that non-believers couldn’t make it into the highest kingdom of heaven and I had worried over my mom’s soul.
For the first time, I felt lightness and hope.
Hope that after all of these years of praying for my mom to accept Jehovah and return to The Fold, it was actually promised that there was a way for me to save her.
If I could just do this one special ceremony.
But could I sacrifice my own will to ensure the everlasting happiness of those around me? Could I give up the future I’d dreamed of, for the greater good of my family?
I didn’t know if I was strong or selfless enough to do that.
“The High Priest has commanded me to do what I can to make sure this happens,” Dad said. “He’s counting on me. Counting on you and Xander to make sure that this special baby can come during this promised time.” He took a few steps closer. “Even if this revelation seems odd to our modern eyes, the Lord wouldn’t allow a fallen man to lead the church wrongly. He would be taken from the earth if he tried to lead us astray.”
I nodded, though there was still a war going on inside my mind.
“I know you’re probably confused and shocked right now. But I know that if you pray and fast about it, with an open heart, the truthfulness of this will be revealed to you as well.” He took my shoulders in his hands, and with his brown eyes boring into mine, he spoke in his intense pastor’s voice, saying, “It’s God’s will, Scarlett. And you need to follow it. Just think of how much you will be blessed for this and what an honor it will be to raise the chosen High Priest of the last days.”
38
SCARLETT
I leftmy dad’s office feeling numb and in shock as I walked across the courtyard to the parsonage. When I got upstairs to my room, I changed out of my new dress and into my comfiest pajamas. Then I lay in my bed, crying on and off for the next hour as I thought about what was being asked of me.
If this revelation was truly from God, did that mean I’d be tied to Xander forever?
Or would it be like the spiritual partners thing where some of the women had other husbands but were just part-time wives?
Could I still be with Hunter like ninety-five percent of the time and just have Xander be more like a co-parent to the son we were supposed to raise? We would get married in two weeks, perform the spiritual ceremony that I still didn’t know any details about, and then once I was pregnant, we could get divorced and raise this Chosen One together?
