The Winds, Rains, and Floods Prepared, Ether 2:24-25

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These are the words the Lord speaks to the brother of Jared about the obstacles the Jaredites will face on the sea.

24 For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.

25 And behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea? (Ether 2:24-25)

Something about these words appeals to me right now. I like that in v24 the Lord tells the brother of Jared that the winds, rains, and floods were sent by Him [the Lord]. It reminds me that the Lord created the conditions and set things in the earth so as to create wind with the rotation of the planet and the temperature differentials, and how evaporation draws the water up to the clouds and the tides flood then leave dry the land about the sea. It also reminds me that the Lord can influence nature when miracles are called for.

I also like in v25 that the Lord then speaks of these things as facts that must be taken into account and prepared for. In a way it reminds me of the journey through mortal life with its waves and storms and floods. I think that just as the Jaredites would not get to the promised land without being prepared to survive the ride over the sea, we won’t return to our Heavenly Father and make it through the storms of life without being prepared.

I suppose in a way we can make other comparisons: