In the history of the Americas a series of the most magnificent events occurred within a very short span of time that significantly affected the people of this continent. Around the time of the Savior's crucifixion in Jerusalem, the people of the Americas experienced such a terrible destruction of tempests, earthquakes, fires and floods of such magnitude that "the whole face of the land was changed" (3 Nephi 8:12).
After the Savior appeared to them, restored His doctrine, ministered to them, and established His church among them, the people had some work to do. With so much destruction having occurred, many cities had entirely burned to the ground, others had been obliterated by the earthquakes, and still others had been sunken and covered completely in water. 4 Nephi in the Book of Mormon tells us that the people once again began to rebuild. Note how verses 7-10 teach us briefly about the process of this rebuilding:
"And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly in the land; yea, insomuch that they did build cities again where there had been cities burned.
"Yea, even that great city Zarahemla did they cause to be built again.
"But there were many cities which had been sunk, and waters came up in the stead thereof; therefore these cities could not be renewed.
"And now, behold, it came to pass that the people of Nephi did wax strong, and did multiply exceedingly fast, and became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people."
Now that's a great little story about the people rebuilding their cities, but let's go a little deeper. As I read these verses today I recognized something I had not seen before and how they compare sometimes to our lives. At certain times or seasons we all go through some very painful and devastating events; sometimes even life-changing or destructive. So much so that the "whole face of [our lives] was changed" by these events. It can feel as if parts of our lives were completely burned. Others were obliterated by the total shake-up of what occurred. And still other parts of our lives are sunken, drowned and completely covered over with very cold waters of our trials.
These trials can be almost more destructive and overwhelming than we believe we can handle and, like the Nephites during the immediate days after the destruction, we often lament and mourn in total darkness. Divorce, death, long-term illness, financial reversals or job losses/changes, children turning from the truthfulness of the gospel - just to name a very few - are examples of these kinds of challenges.
I want to refer to the process of rebuilding. First of all, the people were healed, reassured, and comforted as the Savior of the world came to them in their adversities and touched every single one of them one by one.
Secondly, however, after He had left, these people were empowered to begin the process of rebuilding. I believe it is significant to note that, although some cities could be entirely reconstructed once again - the burned and irrecognizable buildings and terrain being razed and then subsequently rebuilt in their places - other places were impossible to rebuild due to the nature of the destruction.
Our lives can be like that. We can rebuild some aspects of our lives almost entirely after significantly destructive events take place. Like the city of Zarahemla, the rubble can be cleared out and a new city can be rebuilt in its place, likely more beautiful than the first.
But other aspects of our lives will be forever impossible to rebuild in the way that they once were...and that is totally okay. Because we can build new things in new ways and in new places. The key to the rebuilding is not actually in putting things back the way they were. In fact, it is not in the things or the circumstances at all. The key to the rebuilding is found partly, but succinctly, in 4 Nephi verse 7 and then in verse 10: "And the Lord did prosper them exceedingly...." Followed by, "...the people of Nephi...became an exceedingly fair and delightsome people."
Said differently, although bad things do happen, when we turn to the Lord to assist us in the rebuilding, our once unrecognizable landscape of life becomes something vastly more beautiful albeit very different, from what we lost. And in the process, if we let Him, He will make each one of us more beautiful than we once were before the tragedy happened.
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