Refiner's Fire

In seminary yesterday, we learned about the refiners fire. They told this story that I really liked.

This lady was in a scripture study group when they came across how the days before Christ's second coming will be like a refiner's fire. She wanted to find out exactly what a silver smith does to "refine" the silver, so she went and talked to one.

When asked how he purifies silver, the smith said (oh my goodness! Coincidence that Joseph SMITH was the prophet that restored the church? ;) the smith said that he heats the metal up to temperatures extremely high, and he has to hold the metal over the center of the fire where it is the highest. This will soften the hard metal, causing impurities to rise to the top to be taken out.

She asked him if he sits and watches. The smith said he had to watch extremely carefully, because if the metal was left in the heat even a little bit overtime, then it would be damaged. Then she asked him when he knew it was done being purified. This man didn't know that she was doing this in a spiritual study, but check out what he said:

"Oh that's easy! The silver is done being purified when I can see my image in it!"

Wow!

God gives us the heat turned up way way high, to the point we are melting. But those trials soften our hard hearts and purify us. And when are we done? When his image is reflected in us.

It kinda reminds me of "have you received his image in your countenance?"  idea. (Alma 5)

Well, I just thought that was super cool. Gives us a new way to look at our trying and fiery times.


Love ya guys!

<3 Eliza