Many of the difficulties that we face in our lives in the gospel come down to assumptions we make about God. We expect a consistency according to our conception of things. In short, we expect a vending machine, instead of God. So the answer to the question about what could be too hard for the Lord is as much about timing and our expectations as it is about His capabilities. Perhaps if we relax our expectations, and have faith, we can see miracles.

Instead of focusing on what we expect from God, I think we might be better off on focusing on what we do, on the choices we make. In this lesson that includes fleeing from wickedness, avoiding the choice of Lot’s Wife, and being willing to make sacrifices.

 

The Lord fulfills His promises in His own time.

Timing is everything. But in this case “everything” is the Lord’s everything, not ours. In the following poem, English poet William G. Mills prays for health for then-English mission president Orson Spencer. In this case, Spencer did recover, but anyone who has gone through the illness of a friend or family member knows the anxiety of waiting and wondering, and praying for healing. As hard as that anxiety is, if healing comes, it comes in the Lord’s time.

 

A Prayer

By William G. Mills

Eternal Father! by whose skill

Our mortal frames from dust were made;

Who speak st, and at thy sovereign will,

We in the dust again are laid!

 

Who dare arrest thy mighty hand

That rules among the hosts above?

And on the earth at thy command

We have our being, live, and move!

 

We own thy power with humble hearts,

And bow submissive to thy throne,

Yet claim the gift thy grace imparts,

We can approach thee through thy Son.

 

In Jesus’ name our prayers ascend

To Thee, who do’st our sorrows know;

For brother Spencer’s health contend—

Beloved by Saints and Angels too.

 

A noble champion in thy cause,

Preserve him for the sons of men;

A lover of thy holy laws,

Restore him to our midst again.

 

Send down thy spirit’s cleansing aid

To guide the motions of his heart;

Let it his system now pervade,

To heal in each diseased part.

 

Oh! seal on his devoted head

The gift of health, we do implore;

And raise him from his weary bed,

To tread again his native shore.

 

Far us the east is from the west

Bid the afflicting power remove:

Oh! let our fervent, pure request

In his behalf effectual prove.

 

As when of old the prophet pray’d,

The vapoury clouds withheld their rain;

So when he sought thy promis’d aid

They pour’d their cheering draughts again.

 

As when the sick and feeble felt

Thy Son his healing spirit pour;

So we believe, that if thou wilt,

Thou canst our brother now restore.

 

Thy promises are gracious, Lord,

“Whate’er ye ask, I will supply,”

And we believe the unerring word—

Thou art a God that canst not lie.

 

We leave him in thy care, with faith,

That thou wilt heal his suff’ring frame;

Preserve him yet awhile from death,

We humbly ask, in Jesus’ name.

1848

 

The Lord commands me to flee wickedness and not look back.

For much of LDS Church history fleeing wickedness also meant coming to Zion, gathering to Utah. Charles W. Penrose, later an Apostle, wrote the following plea to non-members to flee the wickedness of the world and come to Zion.

 

A Song to the Gentiles

by Charles W. Penrose

Ye Gentiles list! To you I sing,

My simple song is true.

Then let my voice like thunder ring,

That it may sound to you.

Though now with scorn ye turn away,

And careless seem to be,

You’ll quake with fear on God’s great day,

And you’ll remember me!

 

When troubled seas their bounds o’erflow,

And spread dismay and fear,

When fearful signs, above, below,

In heaven and earth appear,

When plagues the sons of men devour,

And troubles great you see,

Your mirth will cease in that dread hour,

And you’ll remember me!

 

When maddened nations, like a flood,

To sanguine war rush on,

And peace has left the scene of blood,

To dwell where Saints have gone,

When lamentations rend the air,

And all is misery,

Your hearts will sink in sad despair,

And you’ll remember me!

 

For oft I’ve called you to repent,

And warned you quick to flee,

But Oh! your hearts would not relent,

The truth you would not see;

So when the Lord, in anger fierce

Descends, and Saints are free,

These words with pain your souls will pierce,

And you’ll remember me!

1857

 

What did Lot’s wife do wrong?

Looking back to the sin you are fleeing maybe what Lot’s wife did wrong—I’m not sure. But looking back can, at least, distract from what we should be focusing on, what we need to learn. The following poem, another of the many poems written about the gathering, is one of the few that talks about looking back.

 

Ye fearful saints, march on

[Author unknown]

Ye fearful saints, march on,

It is the Lord’s command;

Never let trifles stop your way,

To Zion’s promis’d land.

 

Though numerous foes arise,

And hell your course withstand;

Still force your passage thro’ them all

To Zion’s promis’d land.

 

Keep on a forward pace,

And never, never stand,

Till you behold your Savior’s face,

In Zion’s promis’d land.

 

Cast not a wishful eye,

Towards your native strand,

Like Lot’s frail wife, but onward press

To Zion’s promis’d land.

 

Mind not th’ alluring wiles,

Prepar’d by Satan’s band,

To draw you from the narrow path,

Which leads to Zion’s land.

1843

 

Abraham’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac is a similitude of God and His Son.

The sacrifice, or attempted sacrifice, of anyone is difficult to understand, and the similarities between the attempted sacrifice of Isaac and the sacrifice of our Lord don’t make either an exception. Regardless of the difficulties in understanding these sacrifices, they can be inspiring, and the sacrifice of Christ was necessary, and, I have to say, horrifying.

In the following poem, William W. Phelps looks at sacrifices, trying to put everything in context.

 

I saw a Lamb that had been slain

by William W. Phelps

I saw a Lamb that had been slain,

(When mercy’s flag was furl’d)

And yet he lives with seven horns.

The wonder of the world.

 

Our father Adam, as the first,

Possess’d the power of lives;

And rose arch-angel Michael, then,

To reign when earth revives.

 

And Noah, as the second, walk’d

A perfect man, with God ;

And, Gabriel-like, prepar’d an ark.

For living through the flood.

 

And righteous Abra’m rose as third.

Through him the promise run;

And when the sacrifice was ask’d,

He took his only son.

 

And Moses meekly stood, as fourth,

To show the power of God,

And mighty miracles pertorm’d

With the eternal rod.

 

Elijah, fifth, that holy man,

Destroy’d the priests of Baal,

And soar’d to God in flaming flame,

To dwell within the veil.

 

And Peter, sixth, was blest by Christ,

To hold the kingdom’s keys,

And bind or loose on earth for heaven,

As did the spirit please.

 

And Joseph, seventh, ministers

(Till all things written come)

To show the world her destin’d end,

And gather Israel home.

 

Eternal truth, this Lamb was Christ

Who wore the crown of thorns ;

In seven dispensations, too.

Those prophets stand as horns.

 

For Joseph’s horns, like unicorns,

Must push the eleventh hour;

In Jesus’s elders always was

The hiding of his power.

1841