Comfort Through Revelation

While I was reading this morning in Romans (see previous post), nephew Aaron (also being sued by Dal) was reading in Doctrine and Covenants, section 121.  This section contains a prayer and prophecies written by Joseph Smith when he was a prisoner in the jail at Liberty.  He and several companions had been in prison for months, and their petitions and appeals to the judiciary had failed to bring them relief.  When I spoke to Kent this afternoon, he shared with me several verses that Aaron had felt applied to their current situation, and which all members of Wellstone Chemical saw as direct revelation to them.

The opening verses are the words of Joseph to the Lord.  He pleads to know where the Lord has been as he and those that are with him have suffered in jail.  Joseph is clearly angry and frustrated and feels unjustly wronged, which he was.  I can certainly relate to his feelings in verse five when he says, "Let thine anger be kindled against our enemies; and, in the fury of thine heart, with thy sword avenge us of our wrongs."  I have wanted our "enemies" to experience my fury as well as God's.  I've imagined all sorts of scenarios where I've encountered Dal and let him know exactly how I feel about him.  In those scenarios, my righteous indignation has made Dal look pretty bad.  But my imaginings have also involved God serving up what I see as well deserved punishment for his treachery and the sufferings he's put us through.  I get Joseph.

Beginning in verse seven, the Lord reassures Joseph that he knows what is happening.  He knows where Joseph is.  "My son," the Lord says, "peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; 8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes."  It is the several verses further on that really resonated with Aaron, Lee, and Kent.

11 And they who do charge thee with transgression, their hope shall be blasted, and their prospects shall melt away as the hoar frost melteth before the burning rays of the rising sun;

12 And also that God hath set his hand and seal to change the times and seasons, and to blind their minds, that they may not understand his marvelous workings; that he may prove them also and take them in their own craftiness;

13 Also because their hearts are corrupted, and the things which they are willing to bring upon others, and love to have others suffer, may come upon themselves to the very uttermost;

14 That they may be disappointed also, and their hopes may be cut off;

 As we have considered Dal and Kason's actions, we have been unable to understand how they could turn so completely upon Kent and Lee.  We have come to believe that their minds have been blinded by greed, they believe all the good and growth that has happened at Convergent has been their doing, not the Lord's, and that their hearts have been corrupted.  Kent believes they will taken in their own craftiness and they will suffer as a result of their treatment towards us.

I am so grateful that the Lord speaks comfort to our souls during times of trial.  He doesn't always remove the challenge, even when we ask in sincere faith, but he does bear us up and give us strength to endure.  May the words of these scriptural verses apply to us.  But if they don't, may we continue to put our faith and trust in our Heavenly Father who knows and loves us.