Monday 14 October 2024

THE PURPOSES OF OUR GOD

 




“The works, and the designs and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught” (D&C 3:1). Throughout history, when the forces of evil raged the worst, God has preserved the way for His purposes to be accomplished. And He has done it through humans.

Consider Mormon who was raised in the most evil society of ancient America. Consider a 10 year old boy before whom ‘a continual scene of wickedness and abominations was before his eyes since he was sufficient to behold the ways of man’ being the only person to be called upon to preserve the ancient record of his people (Mormon 2:2,3,18).

Until 321 A.D., the history of ancient people of America was preserved on golden plates from father to son or brother to brother, as in the case of Ammaron who inherited the plates from his brother Amos (4 Nephi 47). This suggests that Amos had nobody worthy in his immediate family to pass the records onto and neither did Ammaron.

The Book of Mormon does not mention any relation between Ammaron and Mormon. It means only one thing, the society was so evil that a 10 year old boy with no family relation was the only choice to inherit the responsibility of the plates.

It would seem that God puts His most valuable and righteous children in the midst of the most wicked, to create a balance and to preserve His purposes. Think of Noah who preached repentance for 120 years (Genesis 6:3; Moses 8:17).

How could not even one person repent in that time? And how amazing is it that his family remained righteous in the midst of such evil people who had to be destroyed? Imagine if there was no Noah or if his children became ripe for destruction too….but God knew Noah and He knew what period of earth’s history to put him into.

The world is in a bad shape. We are witnessing the spread of evil at such an alarming rate that we are becoming ripe for destruction. Besides the good people of the earth who create a balance, the Lord has preserved His covenant people who will stand at the forefront to establish His purposes.

We, members of the Church with the covenant upon us, need to be ready to take on the mantle of Zion when He comes. According to His foreknowledge, the Lord knew who He could trust to prepare the way, to establish and perpetuate the kingdom. Without Him we are nothing, but with Him we are everything. He accomplishes His work through us, His covenant people.

May we look forward to the day when ‘the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy’ (D&C 45:71). Then we shall sing “the new song of Zion”:

“The Lord hath brought again Zion; The Lord hath redeemed his people, Israel….Glory, and honour, and power, and might, be ascribed to our God; for He is full of mercy, justice, grace, and truth, and peace, forever and ever…..”  (D&C 84:98-102).


- CATHRYNE ALLEN 

(Art: Second Coming by Jechoon Choi)


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