Thanks for coming by and commenting. I thought the same thing as you about the Lord punishing those who sin. I’m not sure I understand this subject 100%. There may be more than one thing going on with how the Lord deals with his children depending on the circumstances.

One thing I do know is that the Lord wants to bless those who have made covenants with him. When we fall short of our covenants then I think what Elder Burton wrote is true. Those who are sincerely seeking Him but struggling with the natural man are those He died for (Mosiah 15:11-12). As you read from my testimony I learned this for myself. Based on my experience, I see the Lord has my Friend, and my advocate. He wants us to change (repent) so that He can bless us.

Regarding those who sin ignorantly, and those who rebel see Mosiah 3:11-12.

Thanks again for your thoughtful comment.

Oh well, once again, I thought it was great.

2 Kings 1:
10 And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
• • •
12 And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty.
• • •
14 Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight.

The third captain and his fifty were spared, but as for the first two captains and their fifties, if this isn’t punishment then what is? (102 men burned to death.)

Lev10:
“1 And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he commanded them not.
2 And there went out fire from the Lord, and devoured them, and they died before the Lord.”

Nadab and Abihu didn’t punish themselves. The fire came from the Lord. The Lord punished them.

2 Kings 2:
“23 ¶ And he went up from thence unto Beth-el: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head.
24 And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the Lord. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.”

If the bears had come out as a consequence of the children, then the bears would have killed Elisha also. God made the bears come out.

I don’t know why Brother Burton doesn’t address this but I think he should.

D&C 19:
“10 For, behold, the mystery of godliness, how great is it! For, behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment, for Endless is my name. Wherefore—
11 Eternal punishment is God’s punishment.
12 Endless punishment is God’s punishment.
20 Wherefore, I command you again to repent, lest I humble you with my almighty power; and that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken…”

Number 16:
“31 ¶ 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:
32 And the aearth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.
33 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.
34 And all Israel that were round about them fled at the cry of them: for they said, Lest the earth swallow us up also.
35 And there came out a fire from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men that offered incense.”

The list goes on and on.

Jared? The Lord punishes!

Two great additions.

Thanks

“Repentance means more than simply a reformation of behavior. Many men and women in the world demonstrate great willpower and self-discipline in overcoming bad habits and the weaknesses of the flesh. Yet at the same time they give no thought to the Master, sometimes even openly rejecting Him. Such changes of behavior, even if in a positive direction, do not constitute true repentance. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the foundation upon which sincere and meaningful repentance must be built. If we truly seek to put away sin, we must first look to Him who is the Author of our salvation” (Ezra Taft Benson, “A Mighty Change of Heart,” Ensign, Oct 1989, 2).