The
Savior is still talking with the Nephites.
He tells them about the last days – our days; my days. What do I take from this?
V3
– “He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; and he shall purify the
sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the
Lord an offering in righteousness.” How
are gold and silver refined? By fire -
heat! Heat is often referred to as
trouble. What can we relate that to as
individuals? Life is not meant to be a
piece of cake – a party. We are here to
have trials and tribulations so that we might go through them and still love
the God who gave us life and this amazing world where we live. That means that we must love our life
regardless of whether it is an easy one or difficult one. We will all be tested. The tests are custom made for us. However, we can take great delight in the
fact that the Lord is unchanging – the same today as yesterday, and will be the
same tomorrow (v6). That is why reading
the Old and New Testament as well as the Book of Mormon will help us to see
that tough times are not only for us alone.
The prophets of old had plenty of trials and troubles to navigate. But the Lord helped them.
V7-12
– Tithing. This is not the easiest
commandment for many people to keep. We
have been accused of robbing the Lord, yet we claim to love Him? Not so if tithing is a difficult commandment
to keep. What are the blessings he tells
the Nephites they will be blessed with?
He tells them to put Him to the test on this one and see “. . . if I
will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing that there
shall not be room enough to receive it.”
Also, v11 says he will rebuke the devourer (aka Satan) for your sakes,
and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine
cast her fruit before the time in the fields, saith the Lord of Hosts.” I love this when I look at it in a geological
sort of way. What are the fruits of my
vine? My children. This is huge to me. If I am a full tithe payer, the blessings not
only abound, but my family will somehow be saved as well. I’ve said it before, but it bears
repeating. I don’t know how the Lord
will do this. I only know He will.
I
need to mention the quote I gave from v10 “. . . pour you out a blessing that
there shall not be room enough to receive it.”
These are the exact words my dad used in the first Father’s blessing he
had ever given me. I went to him for
guidance and counsel on my decision to divorce my ex-husband. This was a difficult thing for me because I
felt like I was supposed to bring him to the gospel. Instead, he nearly destroyed me. In this blessing my father gave me he said
the Lord was pleased with my decision and if I stayed the course He would pour
out a blessing that there would not be room enough to receive it. I testify that this has definitely been the
case in my life. I sit in awe much of the
time at how much the Lord has blessed me.
Do I have troubles? Of course! My life has not been smooth, but I have felt
the Lord’s hand in my life all the way.
As I grieve over lost children, I trust the Lord that He has a plan for
them, just as He did for me. In a very
small way, I have gratitude for the problems I created for myself as I learned
the Lord does love me and wants me to return to Him. And if me, then of course my children are
given that same love. It’s a logic
thing.
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