(November 2001 TG Entry: Melt)
Overview
- The Mountains and element will melt
- Men’s hearts will melt
- But the Lord will prepare his people.
I Mountains and Elements
At the Savior’s appearance, the scriptures make it very clear that the elements will melt. There will be fervent heat.
23 And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken off, and all flesh shall see me together.
24 And every corruptible thing, both of man, or of the beasts of the field, or of the fowls of the heavens, or of the fish of the sea, that dwells upon all the face of the earth, shall be consumed;
25 And also that of element shall melt with fervent heat; and all things shall become new, that my knowledge and glory may dwell upon all the earth.
The melting includes the hills and mountains.
5 The hills melted like wax at the presence of the LORD, at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
- Judg. 5:5 mountains m. from before the Lord
- Ps. 97:5 (Amos 9:13) hills m. like wax at the presence of the Lord
- Amos 9:5 God … toucheth the land, and it shall m.
- Nahum 1:5 mountains quake at him, and the hills m.
- 2 Pet. 3:10 (3 Ne. 26:3; D&C 101:25) elements shall m. with fervent heat
- Morm. 9:2 when the Lord shall come … the elements shall m.
- D&C 133:41 presence of the Lord shall be as the m. fire.
But elements and hills are not the only things that will melt.
II Men’s Hearts
The greater melting will be of men’s hearts.
6 ¶ Howl ye; for the day of the LORD is at hand; it shall come as a destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore shall all hands be faint, and every man’s heart shall melt:
8 And they shall be afraid: pangs and sorrows shall take hold of them; they shall be in pain as a woman that travaileth: they shall be amazed one at another; their faces shall be as flames.
9 Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, cruel both with wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate: and he shall destroy the sinners thereof out of it.
It did not say some hearts. It said every heart. As I have examined this same thought in other verses, I believe that all people will experience fear prior to the Savior’s coming.
91 And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.
- Ex. 15:15 inhabitants of Canaan shall m. away
- Josh. 14:8 made the heart of the people m.
- Jer. 9:7 I will m. them, and try them
- D&C 121:11 their prospects shall m. away
III Why Do We Care
Why would the Savior have communicated to his disciples about these events? Why did he explain it to the Nephites? Obviously they are all dead now, prior to that day, so it wasn’t important for them to get physically prepared for that day. So then why?
I believe His purpose was to focus us on those things that are ever lasting. He wants us to keep those things before our eyes, to know, to have no doubt, that those things we build with our own hands will have an end, and come to naught.
So what do we do to prepare? The greatest preparation we can make is to be worthy of entering the temple. Prior to the Isaiah verse quoted above, the Lord prepares his people.
2 Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles.
3 I have commanded my sanctified ones, I have also called my mighty ones for mine anger, even them that rejoice in my highness.
4 The noise of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people; a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of nations gathered together: the LORD of hosts mustereth the host of the battle.
5 They come from a far country, from the end of heaven, even the LORD, and the weapons of his indignation, to destroy the whole land.
As I thought about this verse one day, I realized that it is a beautiful description of a particular day. It was a day when the saints, those sanctified ones, stood in the mountains. They had lifted up a banner or at least an image of an angel with a trumpet proclaiming the message, exalting his voice if you will. They shook their hands, holding white handkerchiefs. The worthy noble ones, those with the proper credentials, went into the solid formidable doors and gates of the building.
There was a shouting sound in that building in the mountains. They had gathered from a far country, from the nations of the earth, from all over the world. They had been prepared by the Lord for the day.
The day envisioned might have been the dedication of the Salt Lake Temple. The Lord prepares his people prior to the day when He comes again, and all elements melt.
Kip on Character 