Out of Ashes

In the General Relief Society broadcast last week, Sister Reaves’ description of the Provo Tabernacle stood out to me. She spoke of how it was nearly gutted three years ago by a fire. “Why didn’t God stop this from happening?” she said some might ask. He could have. That is for sure. But, he didn’t. Now, what is left of the structure is being renovated and rebuilt into a temple of God. It will no longer be a pile of ashes inside. It will be a place of beauty, a place where holy covenants are made, and a house of God. This is so fantastic! Isn’t it interesting how we don’t have all the answers, or even part of the vision the Lord has? In our own lives we might wonder why he allows things to happen. Why let suffering occur?? Although Father doesn’t necessarily send all the hard things our way, he can use them for our good and growth. Like the Provo Tabernacle’s change into a holy temple, we too can change. We can become a place of holiness. Even out of our ashes, we can be made beautiful, renovated, and rebuilt. When we experience life’s flames, we can trust that through the power of Christ’s atonement, we will become what and who he knows we can become. Her talk can be found at www.broadcast .lds.org.