Amazingly enough, we have read the entire Sunday School assignment for week, and have time to explore the scripture chain at the end of the lesson. This chain is entitled “Preparing for the Second Coming,” and starts off with D&C 38:29-30. The end of the verses is perhaps the best known – “if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.”
This line is one of those that you hear about during lessons or talks on family preparedness – food storage, finances, and so forth. But the verses actually refer to the persecutions the Saints were receiving, which persecutions are one of the signs of the Second Coming. The Lord spoke of the wickedness of men in the world, and then reassured the Saints that preparation would dispel fear.
Looking at this scripture from the perspective of Christ’s return, it can clearly be viewed in a spiritual light. If we follow the example of the five wise virgins and fill our lamps with the drops of spiritual oil so needed to get through the days, then we will be prepared when the Savior comes again. At that point, we need not fear anything that men can do, because we maintain an eternal perspective.
As I studied this, another verse of scripture sprang to mind. I turned to 1 John 4:18, which states: “There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear…” If we have a perfect love of our Father in Heaven, and of His Son, Jesus Christ, we will not fear.
Why is this? As I pondered the subject, the answer hit me in an obvious, ‘duh’ sort of way. If we truly love the Savior, then we seek to do the things He has commanded. Those things are the same things that qualify as oil in our lamps – prayer, scripture study, service, and so forth. It is possible to do those things from a sense of duty, and most likely doing so will not dispel our fears. But when we are motivated from a true and genuine love, when we literally feel our testimony growing, we are better able to trust in His promises.
Sometimes we can get overwhelmed in the many ‘rules’ of the gospel and forget the basic principles – that God loves us, that Jesus loves us. But when we keep this love in the forefront of our lives, and we keep our love for them similarly placed, we can find greater peace and comfort. Then we, too, shall not fear.
For other blogs on this week’s Sunday School lesson, click on the Gospel Doctrine link at right.
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