In the Book of Mormon we read that God showed things unto the people ahead of time so they wouldn't claim that their idols had done them. He declared hidden things to them that they did not know. But they refused to listen. Nevertheless, the Lord deferred His anger. He chose them in the furnace of affliction, to refined them. 1 Nephi 20:5- 10 "And I have even from the beginning declared to thee; before it came to pass I showed them thee; and I showed them for fear lest thou shouldst say—Mine idol hath done them, and my graven image, and my molten image hath commanded them. Thou hast seen and heard all this; and will ye not declare them? And that I have showed thee new things from this time, even hidden things, and thou didst not know them. They are created now, and not from the beginning, even before the day when thou heardest them not they were declared unto thee, lest thou shouldst say—Behold I knew them. Yea, and thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time thine ear was not opened; for I knew that thou wouldst deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb. Nevertheless, for my name's sake will I defer mine anger, and for my praise will I refrain from thee, that I cut thee not off. For, behold, I have refined thee, I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction."
In the Old Testament we read that Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and 250 leaders rebelled and sought priestly offices. The earth swallowed up the three rebels and their families and fire rom the Lord consumed the 250 rebels. Numbers 16:1-4, 31-35 "Now Korah, the son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, and Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, and On, the son of Peleth, sons of Reuben, took men: And they rose up before Moses, with certain of the children of Israel, two hundred and fifty princes of the assembly, famous in the congregation, men of renown: And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the Lord? And when Moses heard it, he fell upon his face: And it came to pass, as he had made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground clave asunder that was under them: And the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. They, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit, and the earth closed upon them: and they perished from among the congregation. And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also. And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense."
A verse with a thought booklet tells us to give ear to the low of the Lord and incline our ears to the words of His mouth. In order to hear the words of the Lord, we need to stay close to Him through prayer and scripture study, and then we need to obey what we hear. Psalms 78:1 "Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth."
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