Mormon 2
As I read Mormon 2 this morning
I couldn’t help but compare it to parenting.
Mormon’s forbearance with his people emulates our Heavenly Father’s
patience with each of us. We are
constantly being encouraged to return to Him - to keep His commandments so that
we can. Some still shake their fists and
wish to die (v14). I actually see it in
my own family. They’re mad at God for
not giving them the things they thought they deserved and prayed for, when they
give no thought to the things God has asked of them so He can bless them with
the things that will bring lasting happiness.
It is a head scratcher to me.
Surely verse 15 rings a bell:
“open rebellion against their God”.
You can keep reading that verse and get quite uncomfortable with what is
in store for those who are in open rebellion.
Almost as if by design, the
conference talk we listened to this morning was W. Christopher Waddell’s talk,
“Turn to the Lord”. There will always be
hard things we are required to go through - some harder than others. That is why we have put put on this earth –
to learn from our experiences and trials.
My daughter’s trials were extreme.
Her eternal companion was mentally ill, inflicting on her terrible
things and leading her into a dark abyss.
She was not allowed to have friends who could support her in her trials
because of his insecurities and jealousies.
It was a horrible existence. But
rather than turning to the Lord and trusting that he could help her bear her
afflictions and knowing that some day she would be “free”, she turned on the
Lord – basically shaking her fist at Him.
How could he allow one of his daughters to suffer such afflictions? How could he not inspire the Priesthood
brethren to see the atrocities of their lives?
She threw the entire package out because of the sickness of one person
whom she had put her trust in.
The patience of our Heavenly
Father in this Mormon Chapter 2 is an example for us as parents. We should never give up on our children who
have strayed or are angry with God for whatever injustice they feel they have
suffered. God is good. He does not give up on us. He loves His children. It is evidenced all round us. We too should never give up on our
children. I have a firm testimony that
the Lord has a plan in place for each of his children. I will never forget my own rescue. It was just time to change. In my heart I knew it and I was drawn toward
it. I wanted to feel the goodness of the
Spirit in my life. There was no clear
understanding of how to do it, but one piece at a time the way was
provided. All it took was the
desire. I’m so grateful for this
blessing in my life. It gives me the
strength to hold onto the faith that my own children will have similar
experiences. They are covenant children;
I have no reason to believe otherwise.
It may not happen in this life.
But I know they will return.
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