The Power of Deliverance

     This morning, I read a really awesome scripture in the Book of Mormon. I wanted to share it with ya'll. "...But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." (1 Nephi 1:20). I had to read this over a few times to get the full meaning of what this was saying. Here are a few important notes in understanding this scripture:
 
    First, the tender mercies of the Lord are over all whom He hath chosen.
    Second, the way we become "chosen" is by exercising our faith in Him.
    Third, it is not their faith that makes them mighty unto deliverance, but it is the Lord that makes them mighty unto deliverance, because of their faith.
    
     As I studied this scripture, I learned that there is a very personal application in all of this. Though for Lehi and his family it was being delivered from the imminent destruction of Jerusalem, it can be applied more generally to all of us in each of our lives. We don't necessarily need to be delivered from a city that is about to be destroyed, but for us, it can be applied to the storms of life that we all must face from time to time, and from whence we seek deliverance. Thankfully, Christ performed the Atonement and is capable of delivering us from anything that may come our way, so long as we put our faith in Him. That is why He is called our Savior.
      
    If we will but put our faith in Him, He will, just as He did for Lehi and His family, make us mighty even unto the power of deliverance. I have seen this in my own life and I know firsthand that He will make good His promises. 

Poison

     There are lots of different kinds of poison in this world. In my case, it's poison ivy. Don't ask me how I got it, although my guess is I got it when we were pulling some weeds the other day. It was a lot of fun, although I must admit, having poison ivy is a lot less fun. The worst thing about poison ivy is that it is difficult to contain once you get it, thus making it difficult to get rid of. The best way to not have to deal with it is to avoid it all together.

     There are also lots of other poisons in the world today, like jealousy, grudges, and hate, that can poison the soul, and cause a lot of problems. And, just like poison ivy, once we have it, it is hard to get rid of. The best way to keep from living with these kinds of poison, like all poisons, is to just avoid it. We do this by filling our minds and our hearts with the good things in life.




    At one point or another, we are all going to have to deal with poisons in our lives. The best antidotes for the internal kind all come from the Savior. We must learn to trust Him and have faith in Him, and as we do, He will heal us. I know this is true. I have seen it many times in my own life. If we do have poison, let us work now to get rid of it, before it spreads even further. The Savior can heal any wound, whether it be great, or small, whether it be on the surface, or buried deep beneath years of pain and hurt. There is nothing better than having that taken from us, and the Savior will do it if we come unto Him.