3 Ne 22 - Isaiah Speaks to Parents

The words of Isaiah have always been difficult to me but as I studied them this morning a few things did stand out to me.

In 3 Nephi 22:4 "Fear not, for thou shalt not be ashamed; neither be thou confounded, for thou shalt not be put to shame;" made me think of the vision of the Tree of Life that Lehi saw. The first THREE out of four groups of people did not make it to the tree and/or did not endure to the end because of shame at being mocked by the great and spacious building, or the cares of the world.

And in 3 Ne 22:7-8 "For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer." This is a good lesson in the midst of our trials. We sometimes feel alone, which is really to give us opportunities to grow. But the promise is there - "with great mercies will I gather thee" and "with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee." Those promises are real, and they are the reason why we must turn to the Lord in times of crisis and need, even if we feel alone.

In 3 Ne 22:13-14 some incredible promises are given for us. Isaiah is speaking to the "afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted" - which could be any one of us who is trying to be in the world but not of the world. He basically says it won't be easy but it will be worth it as he explains the result: "And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established..." What greater blessing could we ask for than this?

Then to give us further confidence against the adversary and his forces, we are promised in verses 15-17: "whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake...no weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper;...This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord."Make sure you are on the Lord's side!