"Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!
Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."
Habakkuk 2:12-14
These verses seem to be reminding us that, at least for us mortals, the ends don't justify the means (perhaps because we can't truly see the real ends, only the temporary ones). I don't pretend to know God's exact philosophy, but in this particular lesson, he tells us that no matter how great a town or city is that we build, when it is based upon sin, then it is labor in vain, and doesn't help us move closer to God, but instead further away.
This on one hand can seem hypocritical, for God seems to have accomplished many things by blood in the history of the scriptures. On the other hand, God has explained what he is accomplishing in pruning his vineyard... giving the good room to grow, as in the parable / allegory of the Olive Trees (Jacob 5). Perhaps even when God had Nephi kill Laban, it was after encouraging Laban to do the right thing, and giving him many, many chances to do so. In the end though, the details matter little because it is up to God to judge and make those kinds of decisions, and is not (and should not) be left to us. God can see the bigger picture, and we can only see a small sliver of light. Trusting God includes trusting his judgment, because only he is perfect and can see all aspects of a situation to know the best way to help the most people.
Today, let's remember that our vision is limited, and trust God about the right things to do, rather than endangering our futures and our souls by assuming that we can do good in working iniquity. Let's follow the Lord's commandments and do as he asks, making our way towards him, trusting in his knowledge and eternal love for all of us. Eventually all things will come to light, and all will know the Lord. Let's not endanger our personal happy ending by bartering our souls for corrupted real estate.
Behold, is it not of the Lord of hosts that the people shall labour in the very fire, and the people shall weary themselves for very vanity?
For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea."
Habakkuk 2:12-14
These verses seem to be reminding us that, at least for us mortals, the ends don't justify the means (perhaps because we can't truly see the real ends, only the temporary ones). I don't pretend to know God's exact philosophy, but in this particular lesson, he tells us that no matter how great a town or city is that we build, when it is based upon sin, then it is labor in vain, and doesn't help us move closer to God, but instead further away.
This on one hand can seem hypocritical, for God seems to have accomplished many things by blood in the history of the scriptures. On the other hand, God has explained what he is accomplishing in pruning his vineyard... giving the good room to grow, as in the parable / allegory of the Olive Trees (Jacob 5). Perhaps even when God had Nephi kill Laban, it was after encouraging Laban to do the right thing, and giving him many, many chances to do so. In the end though, the details matter little because it is up to God to judge and make those kinds of decisions, and is not (and should not) be left to us. God can see the bigger picture, and we can only see a small sliver of light. Trusting God includes trusting his judgment, because only he is perfect and can see all aspects of a situation to know the best way to help the most people.
Today, let's remember that our vision is limited, and trust God about the right things to do, rather than endangering our futures and our souls by assuming that we can do good in working iniquity. Let's follow the Lord's commandments and do as he asks, making our way towards him, trusting in his knowledge and eternal love for all of us. Eventually all things will come to light, and all will know the Lord. Let's not endanger our personal happy ending by bartering our souls for corrupted real estate.
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