A couple days ago, as I was reading in 2 Nephi 21 (Isaiah 11) , I came across the beautiful chapter that describes the millenial reign of Jesus Christ, with the lamb and the lion lying down together and not hurting each other. My kids were playing in the room at the time and I couldn't help but share the beautiful images with them, imagining playing with all sorts of animals without any fear or hurt.
Hava my six year old was especially thrilled and excited asked me when it was going to happen. "We don't know," I answered, "no one but Heavenly Father knows, but by the signs of the times we know we are getting closer." She happily ran through the house, announcing the nearness of the Second Coming.
A little while later, Hava came back dejected and hesitant. My little Hava is easily scared and some of her siblings told her some of the events that are foretold to accompany the Second Coming: earthquakes, wars, and bloodshed. As I looked into those big, beautiful brown and fearful eyes, I started to assure her that the message from Isaiah for the righteous is one of peace, despite the horrific surroundings. When she still wasn't consoled, I changed tactics.
"Remember when you first watched 'Frozen' and how nervous and afraid you were for Anna when her heart was frozen and it looked like she was dying?" She nodded.
"Now that you have watched it many times, are you still afraid for her?" Hava thought, and then shook her head.
"It's because you know everything will turn out alright, right? Even though it looks bad and terrible, you know Anna will be okay, right?" When Hava agreed, I continued.
"It is like that with the Second Coming. Yes, it will be a horrible, scary time. Even the righteous will be taken prisoner, tortured and killed. Even the faithful will suffer and fear. However, we know how it ends, and in the end, there will be no more sorrow, no more pain and God will wipe away our tears and we will know joy."
That is one point that has stood out to me as I have listened to and read the Isaiah portion recently. There are horrible, terrible things that will happen to us all, but through it all the consolation of the spirit and the Lord are promised to the faithful, to those who believe in God. That's it. We will not be saved by our own merits, by our own goodness. But as we seek to follow God even when it is hard, even when "all the lands of the earth will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations," even when "all hands be faint" and "every man's heart shall melt," we know the ending. We know that "it shall come to pass in taht day that the Lord shall give [us] rest, from [our] sorrow, and from [our] fear, and from the hard bondage wherein [we were] made to serve."
We know how it will all turn out, and like the assurance that resides in Hava from having watched "Frozen" so many times, we can have that same assurance as we repeatedly not only read of God's goodness, power and glory but as we see and acknowledge His hand, power, and miracles in our lives even today.
And we need not fear.
Hava my six year old was especially thrilled and excited asked me when it was going to happen. "We don't know," I answered, "no one but Heavenly Father knows, but by the signs of the times we know we are getting closer." She happily ran through the house, announcing the nearness of the Second Coming.
A little while later, Hava came back dejected and hesitant. My little Hava is easily scared and some of her siblings told her some of the events that are foretold to accompany the Second Coming: earthquakes, wars, and bloodshed. As I looked into those big, beautiful brown and fearful eyes, I started to assure her that the message from Isaiah for the righteous is one of peace, despite the horrific surroundings. When she still wasn't consoled, I changed tactics.
"Remember when you first watched 'Frozen' and how nervous and afraid you were for Anna when her heart was frozen and it looked like she was dying?" She nodded.
"Now that you have watched it many times, are you still afraid for her?" Hava thought, and then shook her head.
"It's because you know everything will turn out alright, right? Even though it looks bad and terrible, you know Anna will be okay, right?" When Hava agreed, I continued.
"It is like that with the Second Coming. Yes, it will be a horrible, scary time. Even the righteous will be taken prisoner, tortured and killed. Even the faithful will suffer and fear. However, we know how it ends, and in the end, there will be no more sorrow, no more pain and God will wipe away our tears and we will know joy."
That is one point that has stood out to me as I have listened to and read the Isaiah portion recently. There are horrible, terrible things that will happen to us all, but through it all the consolation of the spirit and the Lord are promised to the faithful, to those who believe in God. That's it. We will not be saved by our own merits, by our own goodness. But as we seek to follow God even when it is hard, even when "all the lands of the earth will be drunken with iniquity and all manner of abominations," even when "all hands be faint" and "every man's heart shall melt," we know the ending. We know that "it shall come to pass in taht day that the Lord shall give [us] rest, from [our] sorrow, and from [our] fear, and from the hard bondage wherein [we were] made to serve."
We know how it will all turn out, and like the assurance that resides in Hava from having watched "Frozen" so many times, we can have that same assurance as we repeatedly not only read of God's goodness, power and glory but as we see and acknowledge His hand, power, and miracles in our lives even today.
And we need not fear.
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