I came away this morning having a few more questions than answers. Of course, I always read my scriptures through the lens of my children. I don’t believe I wring my hands and stew, but I am concerned about those who have wandered off the path of righteousness. What mother wouldn’t be?
In verse 2, for a brief moment, I was quite comforted. “For behold, the promises which we have obtained are promises unto us according to the flesh; wherefore, as it has been shown unto me that many of our children shall perish in the flesh because of unbelief, nevertheless, God will be merciful unto many; and our children shall be restored, that they may come to that which will give them the true knowledge of their Redeemer.”
Clyde walked into the room just as I wrote the last paragraph and we had one of the best conversations. You see, after I read verse 2 and felt relative comfort, then I read verse 16: Wherefore, he that fighteth against Zion, both Jew and Gentile, both bond and free, both male and female, shall perish; for they are they who are the whore of all the earth; for they who are not for me are against me, saith our God.”
What does it mean when you say, “they who are not for me are against me, saith our God”? What does “being for God” mean? We talked about “being for a team”. When you are being for a sports team, you cheer for them. You go to their games, you wear their logo proudly. If you are against that team, it is quite the opposite. You find reasons to “dis” them and let others know you are not for that team by wearing the exact opposite. Say if you were for BYU, you’d be wearing blue, you’d bleed blue, it would be all about blue. If you were against them and for U of U instead, it would be all about the red. You’d wear red to a blue game. You’d be in your face about the team you’re supporting.
So everything I read always boils down to my own family; my children who have wandered and don’t wear the team colors anymore. You could say they fight against Zion. So what does “restored” mean in verse 2 then? I think I understand what perish means – “complete ruin or destruction” according to Webster Dictionary. I think I understand what “whore of all the earth” means – “debase oneself for unworthy motives, typically for money”. To be the whore of all the earth - would that be you’d sell anything of Godly or worldly worth for perceived wealth of the earth? Maybe I’m digging too deep here, but in observing those who have turned against God, I notice they don’t value the simple beauties of the earth over their own gluttonous pleasures.
So what is the “restored” talking about in verse 2? What are our children restored to who have lost their way? In our discussion, we talked about those things we knew before we came to earth. We knew about God’s Plan of Salvation and we shouted for joy at the opportunity to come to this earth and prove ourselves worthy of returning to Heavenly Father and progressing on our path to be as he is. We are restored to that knowledge. And the perish part will be the knowledge that we blew it. We have one shot at this amazing life and the choices it gives us. If we waste that opportunity, it will never return. Have you ever met someone who reached the end of his/her life and thought to yourself, “There goes a life that was a total waste; He accomplished nothing but create trouble for others”? I’ve met a few. I think the word “perish” will be very pertinent when they wake up on the other side of mortality and realize they could have had so much more at this one shot at earth life.
I’m not certain that this rumination leaves me any smarter, but I still believe God loves each of His children and although I have children who have wandered and at least one of them is angry with God and shakes her fist at him, I have hope that my covenants and determination to keep them will somehow be of value to them in the next life. I have hope that they will see God as He really is, they will remember the promises they made before they came to earth as well as the ones they made on earth and failed to keep, and they will be sad for their choices. I believe they will desire to change, and for that reason, I’m grateful that the Millennium is indeed a very long time for that change to occur.
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