Helaman 15:3 -- On Chastening and Love

"Yea, wo unto this people who are called the people of Nephi except they shall repent, when they shall see all these signs and wonders which shall be showed unto them; for behold, they have been a chosen people of the Lord; yea, the people of Nephi hath he loved, and also hath he chastened them; yea, in the days of their iniquities hath he chastened them because he loveth them."
Helaman 15:3


The idea of chastening out of love, when used by corrupt or misled mortals, can be a twisted thing of manipulation, guilt, and even abuse--hurting someone because you love them isn't an eternal truth that I am trying to pass on to all of you, I promise, and of course abuse is never what God is about.

As a perfect being, God can chastise without manipulating or harming us.  We don't have to doubt his intentions, and it is easier to understand that he means establishing boundaries, reminding us of our promises, and holding us responsible for our actions.  He is always encouraging us to become better.

Sometimes those things hurt, especially when we realize how badly we've messed up our lives or affected other people negatively.  One thing that God offers at the same time as chastisement though is repentance ... the opportunity and ability to change, to wash away the bad and to start to fill ourselves with good.  Like a good coach, teacher, or parent, he corrects us so that we can do better on our next attempt, but unlike mortals, he never risks going too far or pushing too much.  He knows us perfectly, and loves us enough to encourage without toppling us over into despair or hopelessness.

Today, let's also remember that love doesn't mean permissiveness and over-indulgence, but that true love involves helping us to be our best selves.  God doesn't abandon us to our own choices, but keeps offering us better ones. :)  Let's turn to him and make some changes.