The Show of Their Countenance

Today’s reading was 2 Nephi 13. Ah yes — the daughters of Zion. I suppose that includes me. Am I listening? I try.

The very first verse gave me something to ponder. The Lord removes the “stay and the staff” — bread and water. Is Isaiah describing famine? Possibly. But then my mind went another direction. Christ is the bread of life and the living water. What if the greater famine is the loss of His Spirit? That would certainly remove the stay and staff of my world.

I’ve learned to keep reading when Isaiah confuses me. Clarity usually comes later.

Verse 4 speaks of children ruling. At first that sounds alarming, but my thoughts immediately went to Joseph Smith — a 14-year-old boy whose life and testimony changed the world. Then I thought of the thousands of young missionaries carrying the gospel across nations today. The Lord has always worked through the young and seemingly weak.

Verse 5 struck even closer to home: “the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient.” We live in a world where many parents are afraid to parent. Afraid to correct. Afraid to require discipline, responsibility, or even healthy habits. Isaiah saw our day more clearly than we sometimes realize.

But it was verse 9 that settled deepest into my heart: “The show of their countenance doth witness against them.”

People tell us not to judge by appearances, and certainly we should be careful. But there is something unmistakable about countenance. I saw it in my own conversion. I saw it in my daughter when she fully embraced the Gospel, and I saw the change again when she cooled spiritually for a time. Light leaves traces. So does darkness.

This chapter feels like a checklist — warnings, consequences, invitations, and reminders. Isaiah does not leave us comfortless. It is a blessing to be warned.

For today, that is enough to chew on.