Up until now I always believed that the persecution which the early saints suffered was brought upon them unjustly and unfairly. This year somehow as I have studied Doctrine and Covenants yet again, I took notice of something rather significant which I missed before. More than once, the Lord warned the saints that if they were not obedient to His commandments they would be visited 'with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire' (D&C 97:26; 101:1,2,6; 103:1-4). The saints, however, did not fully heed this warning and the promised devastation ensued starting in early November of 1833.
This reminded me of ancient Israel who didn't heed God's warnings either and suffered greatly through persecution at the hands of the heathen nations around them until they lost their inheritance and were scattered throughout the world. They say history repeats itself......mostly because we don't learn from it.
Nephi, the great visionary, saw us in the last days and the persecution that is facing us also (1 Nephi 14:12-17) but with a great difference. He says in verse 14 that even though our numbers were small on the face of the earth, we were armed with 'righteousness and with the power of God in great glory'. This to me accentuates the responsibility placed on us to be the people who will prepare the way for the Lord to fulfil all God's covenants which He has made with His people Israel (vs 17). Now is the time to up our obedience so we can increase our power. We don't know what is waiting for us but we do know that we will have the power to endure it and ensure the glorious destiny of the House of Israel.
We are modern day Israel. We have to do better and be better than we were in the past....so to Him who has chosen us from 'the hole of the pit whence we are digged' and 'the rock whence we are hewn'....from Abraham our father and Sarah our mother (Isaiah 51:1,2) we say this:
We are Israel, Thy chosen seed
Who in times past disregarded Thee
But now Thine angels rejoice over us
And Thou art as promised dew unto us
To bring us to life and nurture our growth
To make us mighty in this earthly abode;
In Thine mercy Thou has sought to gather us
In Thine heart Thou hast chosen to cherish us
In Thee is deliverance from our barren years
In Thee is mercy for our penitent tears
Fear not Israel, you are free; you are special, you are loved, you are in the bosom of your God.....there to remain forever.
· Cathryne Allen
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