Arise and Shine - 2 Nephi 14

Reading 2 Nephi 14 left me pondering the daughters of Zion. Isaiah’s words can feel both sobering and hopeful at the same time. Verse 4 especially caught my attention. What does it mean that the daughters of Zion will be purged and cleansed “by the spirit of burning”? Is Isaiah speaking of destruction, or repentance? 

I believe the answer lies in choice.

Sometimes the fire we experience is the burning realization that the Lord is our only true defense. Pride, self-reliance, and worldly distractions eventually fail us. In those moments, guilt can either harden the heart or soften it. The miracle of the Savior is that at any point a daughter of Zion can cry out to Him, and He will answer. He heals. He cleanses. He helps us turn around and come back to the fold.

But Isaiah’s warning still matters. We cannot endlessly drift without consequence. After enough compromise, a daughter of Zion slowly becomes something other than Zion. The invitation is to return before the light within us grows dim.

Then Isaiah shifts from warning to promise.

“Arise, shine; for thy light is come.” I love this! It is the Relief Society theme for Women’s Conference this spring. Those words from Isaiah 60 echo beautifully beside 2 Nephi 14. Who is Isaiah speaking to? All of Israel. Me. You.

And what is the light? 

It is the Light of Christ and the power of His restored gospel. As we come unto Him, His glory begins to show in our countenance. His light changes the way we see, speak, serve, and endure.

Isaiah says even the Gentiles—the world—will be drawn to that light. Kings will come to its brightness.

I think we are seeing that happen now.

I see faithful young women traveling the earth sharing messages of hope and joy. I see Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women leaders doing the same — lifting hearts and turning people toward Christ. There is something recognizable about genuine light. People are hungry for it.

The hymn “The Lord Is My Light” crosses my  mind.

And then comes Isaiah’s beautiful promise: this light will become a protection. A refuge. A covering from the storms of life.

Not freedom from storms—but shelter in the middle of them.

The daughters of Zion were never meant to glow with borrowed light. We were meant to arise and shine with His.