God's Compassion Continues

There are two forces at work in our world. Those two forces can be seen in many venues. Light vs dark, health vs sickness, joy vs sorrow, and the list goes on. These contrary forces can be summed up with one word: opposition.

The Book of Mormon prophet Lehi spoke of the law of opposition and science is now discovering it in our world--beyond that of the early discovery of gravity. A few years back I remember reading of new findings by scientists of an unknown dark force encountered. They couldn't define it, but they noted it and had begun studies of it.

I'm not sure why these things fascinate me so (studies of physics and of our world), but they do. And so it is with interest that I notice scripture that buttresses these discoveries...such as the statement by the prophet Lehi about the law of opposition:

2 Ne. 2: 11, 15
11 For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility.
• • •
15 And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, and in fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

And during all this opposition, God's compassion continues. He understands the process we face as we work out our salvation with fear and trembling. We're not alone in this journey. No, not at all. His Son stands ever ready, hand outstretched.

This is why this morning, I was struck with Christ's compassion as He taught His disciples about the situation in the world prior to His coming. What love to give the warnings that He did. He knew full well of the vicious battle that would be fought (and continues even now) to destroy God's greatest love--His children. Christ's teachings are contained throughout the scriptures, but Matthew 24 is particularly instructive.

I took some time this morning to note some general "plot points" of the story that will unfold for earth's inhabitants in the generation that will greet the Christ. Here are some of them, but you might want to do your own research. You might find more in Matthew 24:5-7.

• false christs
• wars
• natural disasters

Then an interesting verse comes after that short list. In Matthew 24:8, these words:

All these are the beginning of sorrows.

Just the beginning! Tomorrow I'll continue my study of Matthew 24; there is so much more. But from even these short words, Christ's love is apparent. In other words, the infinitely kind Savior of the world is instructing all those who seek Him to know that the events prior to His coming will be intense.

Are we ready? Am I ready? I don't know. But I do know that I love the power of the scriptures to help my soul morph into more of a true disciple. I love the Savior. I'm grateful for His love and His grace, that He would extend it towards me, such an unworthy creature. My life be one small one, but even me He has redeemed and I will sing His praises forever.