As I read 2 Nephi 23 this morning, I began to make a list of the Lord's weapons of destruction. The chapter certainly contains plenty of them. The land becomes desolate. The stars, moon, and sun are darkened. Earthquakes shake the earth. Men become scarce.
That last thought caught my attention. Isaiah says that a man will become "more precious than fine gold." In a world where righteousness is increasingly uncommon, real men and women of faith can seem rare indeed—people who are determined in mind, united in heart, and committed to God.
Some of Isaiah's descriptions are troubling. Families suffer. Children suffer. Society becomes cruel. Human dignity disappears. Wickedness always leaves casualties behind.
As I read, I kept asking myself: What are the Lord's weapons of destruction?
By the end of the chapter, I had changed the question.
Perhaps the real weapons destroying the world like earthquakes or darkened skies designed by the Lord but maybe they're weapons of self destruction. Perhaps they are the evil designs of men. Satan inspires pride, selfishness, lust, greed, and rebellion, and those influences tear apart individuals, families, and nations. Much of the destruction Isaiah describes may be the natural result of people turning away from God.
At times it almost seems as though Satan reigns upon the earth. The news can feel overwhelming. The decline of morality can be discouraging. Watching loved ones make choices that distance them from the gospel can break a parent's heart.
But Isaiah does not end with despair.
The chapter closes with a reminder that the Lord knows His people. Judgment will come, but so will mercy. The wicked may perish, but God has not abandoned those who seek Him.
That is the message I want to remember.
Satan's influence may be widespread, but it is temporary. God will prevail. He always has, and He always will.
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