On that first morning the sun had been rising; now it was setting. He shook his head at the thought. Was his experience in Israel now setting too? What if Miri told him she had found her answer? When he had come out of the field hospital, Miri had taken one look at his face and begun to weep. Five minutes later, when the doctor had stepped out and shook his head, Miri had thrown herself into Brad’s arms and sobbed bitterly.
When she finally gained control of herself she had suddenly pushed away from him and cried out, “Why? Oh God, if you are God, why won’t you hear us?”
She had lapsed into a profound sorrow and had said little for the remainder of that day when they were finally sent back to Jerusalem with Ali’s body.
Brad stood up and thrust his hands deep into his pockets. Miri had commented on that first early morning about the irony of the name of this city—Jerusalem, the City of Peace. Now he fully understood the irony. Peace? Everytime he thought of Ali, he felt his insides knot up and twist with pain. Viet Nam should have made it easier, he thought bitterly. There he had learned to steel himself against the screams for the medics, against the still forms lying face down in the mud, against the empty bunks afterwards. But he hadn’t had any warning this time. There had been no time to throw up the old defenses again.
And now Miri. On the top of Sinai, his hopes had soared. Outside an army field hospital they had shattered. So what now? Could he set aside his convictions? Rationalize that all she needed was time? That after marriage she would accept the Church?
He shook his head with sudden intensity. No! How could he then face a man who had given his life for his convictions? How could he say, “But Ali, you don’t understand how much I loved her!”
The answer was simple and inescapable. He couldn’t. If Miri could not accept…He let the thought trail off in his mind, still finding too much pain at the end of that sentence. But he knew he would hold firm for his beliefs. He turned and walked slowly back to the car.
* * * * * *
The Shadmis were gone—perhaps at Miri’s request—and Brad and Miri sat in the living room alone, almost hesitant to talk.
Finally Miri spoke. “What will happen to Ali’s school now?”
“It will go on,” Brad answered. “Ahkmud said that Ali had gathered a very competent staff who will carry it on. The Khalidis will continue to fund it as a memorial to Ali.”
“I’m so glad,” Miri said, a tear in her eye.
“The gift your father and uncle gave will also help a great deal.”
“My father?”
Brad was suddenly hesitant. “Maybe that was to be a secret, although the Khalidis didn’t say anything about it. They gave—,” he paused, deciding to let the Shadmis reveal the details if they wished, “a substantial amount in gratitude for what Ali did for you and Nathan.”
“That makes me glad,” Miri said, “though nothing ever can fully repay what he did.”
Brad nodded.
Miri looked at him closely, took a deep breath, and sighed deeply. “So now it is time to talk about us.”
Brad nodded again, not trusting himself to look at her in return. “Yes, it is.”
“Have you given up on me?” she asked, so softly that he almost missed it.
Brad looked up in surprise. “No.” Had he? He was unquestionably discouraged, but had he given up? He shook his head firmly. “No, Miri. I haven’t given up yet.”
“You know that we have two major problems.”
“Two?”
“Yes. The first is whether I could ever join the Church.”
“You work that out,” Brad said fervently, “and there are no other obstacles.”
She smiled at him, eyes sparkling. “May I take that as a proposal, Mr. Kennison?” She lowered her eyes. “I understand the conditional part. But if I could ever be converted?”
Brad reached over, took her hand, and looked into her deep brown eyes, hardly able to say what he had to say. “If you were to feel right about being baptized—not just for me, but for yourself—then there are no other conditions. But—” He took a deep breath. “But if you can’t I…” He shook his head sadly. “I can’t, Miri. How could I face myself? How could I face Ali?”
She put her finger to his lips and stopped him from saying more. “I understand, Brad,” she said, her voice filled with emotion. “But when you say there are no other conditions, does that include not leaving Israel?”
Brad had known they had to face that one too, and he was ready. “There are no other conditions, Miri.”
Her eyes widened. “Do you mean…”
“I mean that I love you enough to stay in Israel with you. I will enroll at the Hebrew University.” He smiled. “But you would have to teach me Hebrew.”
Her eyes were suddenly brimming with tears, and she brushed them away impatiently. “You would do that for me?”
Brad nodded. “I understand what Israel means to you, Miri. I’ve asked you to give up enough already. However, I warn you that I will try to change your concept of Zion until you see that Zion—as we see it in the Church—is the only ultimate hope for Israel. I will try to convince you that the greatest thing you could ever do for your people is to raise sons and daughters who understand and love their Jewishness, but who understand Zion’s role in the future of Israel. It is a far greater challenge to raise Zion children than it is to raise Zionist children.”
“Could it be possible that you really love me enough to stay here?” she asked, her voice trembling with wonder.
“It is not only possible, but true,” Brad said gently, pulling her to him.
“Which brings us back to the first condition,” she said, turning away from him.
“Yes.”
“Are you still praying for me?” she asked after a long silence.
“Of course, night and morning and every time I think of you, which is constantly.”
“Do you believe the Lord will answer your prayers?”
Brad hesitated. “I don’t know. He won’t force you against your will, no matter how much I want it. And he surely knows how much I want it.”
Miri took his hand in hers and interlocked their fingers. “Brad, what would you say if I told you that he has answered them?”
Brad stared at her, unable to speak.
“He has answered your prayers, Brad. And mine.”
“Miri, what are you saying?”
The tears spilled over and ran down her cheeks. “I am saying that I know, Brad! I know! I understand! I believe!”
He took her by the shoulders, then gathered her into his arms. “Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
She smiled through the tears at his excitement and nodded.
“But how?” he asked. “How?” He was still unable to believe his ears.
“Ali,” she said, her voice breaking again. “It was Ali.”
Brad held her close to him as she struggled to get her emotions in hand. Finally she looked up. “On Mount Sinai you said that Jesus had to be a God and a man because he needed to be like us, have the same problems, but he had to be free from that situation so he could help us.”
Brad suddenly understood. He spoke again the words he’d said that morning on the mount. “How can a man locked in chains help others escape captivity?”
Yes,” she replied. “Ali was one of us in that Egyptian camp. But he was free. Yet he loved us so much—even Nathan, who treated him so shamefully—that he was willing to die to help us.” She fought for control again, then went on. “If a man, a good man, could love that much and that unselfishly, suddenly I can conceive how a perfect man could love enough to give his life for all men. When you told me about Ali’s last words in the hospital, I couldn’t get over it. Even then, his thoughts were only of others—for his family and their possible bitterness, for the Arab people, and—” Miri stopped. “And for me,” she whispered.
Brad nodded, still not daring to believe what he was hearing.
“Because of Ali, I could finall
y understand. And for the first time I wanted to know if Jesus was really the Messiah. Not just for you, Brad, but for me! So I could accept him and believe in someone who could love that perfectly.”
She stared down at her hands. “I didn’t sleep much the night we got home. I spent half the night reading and praying. Then I fasted all day yesterday. After I finished work at my unit, I remembered what you said about the special feelings you had in the Garden Tomb. It was what I wanted to feel too, so I went there.”
Her shoulders rose and fell as she took a deep breath and let it out in a long sigh. “For a while I almost gave up. Nothing happened. It was as though whatever I was seeking was just beyond my reach. If I could touch it, it would dissolve away. Finally, as I sat there, I decided to read the New Testament, the accounts of the crucifixion and resurrection.”
The tears brimmed over and ran slowly down her cheeks, but through them her face was radiant. “And suddenly it came. As I read, the most wonderful feeling of peacefulness came over me. And I found myself weeping—for joy! I knew that he was real and that he had heard my cries for him.”
Brad tenderly brushed a tear from the corner of her eye with his thumb. “You knew last night, and you didn’t call me?” he scolded gently.
“Yes, but once I had solved the first problem, I came face to face with our second problem. Could I leave Israel for you?”
“You don’t have to,” he said. “I’ll stay here.”
“I have a better idea,” she said, her eyes sparkling. “A compromise.”
“What?”
“I’ll go to the Galilee, and you go back to America.”
Brad jerked back and stared at her. “What are you saying? I just got you back. I’m not going to leave you. I told you, I’ll stay here.”
“And be happy?” she asked him gently.
“If I’m with you,” he said, not quite as firmly as he should have, “I’ll be happy.”
“You big, wonderful liar,” she said, kissing him firmly. “Okay, if you don’t like that idea, here’s another compromise.”
Knowing he was being teased, but not sure why, Brad narrowed his eyebrows with suspicion. “All right. Let’s hear it.”
Her eyes were literally dancing with pleasure. “I’ll go to the Galilee tomorrow with my unit, and you come up with President Marks and the rest of the branch on Friday afternoon.”
“President Marks?”
“Yes. And you’ll have to bring white clothes for both of us. I understand that is the appropriate dress for a baptism.”
Again she had him reeling, and she was loving every minute of it. “I met with President Marks this afternoon,” she said happily. “It’s all set. Except—” she smiled shyly, “I wasn’t sure who to get to do the baptizing.”
Brad grabbed her and pulled her to him, holding her tight. “Listen, you! There’d better not be any question about that.”
Finally she pulled away. “Wait,” she commanded, “I haven’t told you the rest of my second compromise yet.”
“All right,” Brad said, completely caught up in the joy of her mood. “Go ahead.”
“On Friday we’ll have the baptism. On Saturday, we’ll go to church. Then I’ll return to my unit, and you return to America.” She put her hand over his mouth to cut off his protest. “The moment I’m released from active duty, I’ll fly to Salt Lake City. And we’ll start planning our wedding. Remember, we have to wait a year from this Friday. That will be October 12, 1974. You’ll need to get into school as soon as possible, and I’ll have to find a job.”
Brad stared at her.
“And you promised me I could have a canopy at the reception.” She smiled in delight at his expression. “I love you, Brad Kennison,” she said softly, and kissed him before he could protest.
“But Miri!” he said finally, pulling away from their embrace. “What about Israel?”
“You must promise to make lots of money to bring me back here often.”
“I probably won’t make lots of money, but I promise I’ll bring you back.”
“And the children, too? All eight of them?”
“Absolutely. But what changed your mind?”
Her expression was soft and full of love. “You. And President Marks.”
“President Marks?”
“Yes. At my baptismal interview this afternoon, I told him everything. How I felt about you. How I felt about Israel. In his usual, kind way, he was very blunt.” She laughed at a sudden thought. “He would make a good Israeli.”
“What did he say?”
“He said if I loved anything, other than the Lord, more than you, I wasn’t worthy of you.”
“Bless his heart,” Brad said, still half in a daze with it all. “And you’ve been stringing me along all night? You knew it all along.”
Miri quickly sobered. “I’m glad now I did, Brad. I expected that you would tell me that I had to leave Israel. I was going to act hurt for a moment, and then tell you I would.” Her eyes were misty again. “But instead you said you would stay here with me. I’ll never forget that. Never! I want you to know I love you that much too. More than Israel.”
Brad kissed her then, putting all the joy and delight that was surging through his soul into it. She gave herself to him without reservation. This time there were no barriers waiting to drop between them.
Then gently he pulled away. “Miri, what are your parents going to think of all this?”
She touched his arm. “They think you are going to be one fine son-in-law.”
“Better than David?”
She gave him a long, speculative look. “Except for the Porsche.”
Miri yelped as he pinched her ribs.
“And what about your becoming a Mormon?” he asked.
“That is more difficult,” she admitted. “But I told them just before you came tonight. I think they knew it was coming.”
“And?”
“My father surprised me the most. He listened to it all without a word. Then finally he said, ‘If it makes you like Brad and Ali, I suppose there could be worse things happen to you.’ They won’t come to the baptism, but it could be much, much worse.”
“That’s wonderful!” Brad said. He took her face in his hands, gently and with great tenderness. “I can’t believe it. I just can’t believe it.”
She snuggled up under his arm. “You had better believe it, Mr. Kennison. You made me a conditional proposal, and I’ve met your conditions. You’re stuck with me now.”
“Forever?” he asked, holding her close.
“Forever!” she murmured.
Thirty
The officiator looked around the room at the smiling, eager faces. He had finished his counsel and advice to the couple who sat on his right, and now he stood up. An expectant hush filled the sealing room of the Salt Lake Temple.
Miri was radiant in her wedding gown, her dark eyes glowing with happiness, the white veil in sharp contrast to her black hair. Brad held her hand, his eyes as full of joy as hers. They sat with their backs to the one great mirror on the wall, and facing the other one across the room so that they could see their reflection going on and on into eternity.
The officiator held a white leather Bible in his hands. He let his gaze travel around the room and finally stop at Brad and Miri.
“This is a very special privilege for me,” he began. “It is always an honor to seal a worthy young couple for time and eternity. But this has added significance today, for we are witnessing the fulfillment of prophecy.”
Brad’s mother, who was sitting next to Miri, reached over and squeezed her hand happily.
“May I read with you the words of Ezekiel,” the officiator said, opening the Bible to a premarked place. “From Ezekiel, chapter thirty-seven, verses sixteen and seventeen, we read: ‘Take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah,…then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim.’ ”
He paused and smiled at Miri and Brad, then continued. “ ‘A
nd join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.’ ”
Brad took Miri’s hand and slipped it through his arm.
“Now, we know that this scripture has reference to the Bible and the Book of Mormon becoming a combined witness of Jesus Christ. But I firmly believe it has a wider meaning as well. Let me read verse twenty-two. ‘And I will make them’…,” the officiator paused, “meaning Ephraim and Judah—’I will make them one nation in the land,…and one king shall be king to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all.’ ”
He closed the book and motioned to Brad and Miri to stand. “And so, Bradley Scott Kennison, if you will kneel here at the altar as a representative of the tribe of Ephraim—and you, Miriam Esther Shadmi, if you will kneel across the altar from Brad as a representative of the tribe of Judah—we shall proceed to make you one in the hands of the Lord.”
The Alliance
The Alliance
© 1983 Gerald N. Lund
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher, Deseret Book Company, P. O. Box 30178, Salt Lake City, Utah 84130. This work is not an official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of the Church or of Bookcraft.
BOOKCRAFT is a registered trademark of Deseret Book Company.
First printing in hardbound 1983
First printing in paperbound, August 1988
First printing in redesigned paperbound edition, January 2000
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Lund, Gerald N.
The alliance
1. Title.
PS3562.U485A79 1983 813’.54 83-14359
ISBN 0-87747-982-8 (hardbound)
ISBN 978-0-87579-160-9 (paperbound)
Gerald N. Lund 4-In-1 Fiction eBook Bundle Page 24
