Brass Serpents in Our Day

God exists and loves His children. He has offered a path of healing to each of them. This reality does not change just because people decide not to trust Him or believe in Him.

Over 3,000 years ago, the Children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, led by Moses. Poisonous snakes came into the camp. The snakes bit many people and many people died. The Lord directed Moses to make a brass serpent and place it on a pole where everyone in the looked to the brass serpent lived. Those who refused to do so, perished.

I do not think that those who refused to look at the brass serpent were evil. The Book of Mormon teaches that they refused to look upon the brass serpent “because they did not believe that it would heal them.” (Alma 33:20.)

Why did they not believe it would heal them? I suppose they had various reasons. And I suppose that each reason was, in their eyes, reasonable.

I suppose some were emotionally and physically tired, even broken, by their hardships. They lost trust in God. Some, I suppose, had been hurt by some great personal loss. They decided not to trust God. I suppose some had some offense and were angry.

I suppose some disagreed with Moses´s policies. Some, perhaps, saw weakness in their leaders (perhaps for good reason). I suppose some were just being logical—refusing to look upon the brass serpent without some scientific proof of its healing properties. And some, I suppose, were simply too focused on trying to solve their problem themselves to understand that God was trying to help them.

Let´s admit it, there was little logical connection between the problems the people were facing (poisonous snake bites, for example) and the proposed solution (simply looking at a brass serpent on pole). From a worldly perspective, the proposed solution was foolishness.

But none of those reasons changed the reality that God actually existed, actually loved them, and actually provided a way to heal them. These “logical” views did not change the reality that people who trusted God actually were healed, and that same healing was actually available to all of them.

What is the brass serpent that God has provided to us today? President Nelson implores us to focus on the temple ordinances and the covenants they represent. He invites us to focus (really focus) on gathering Israel (on both sides of the veil). He invites us to drink deeply from the scriptures and participate in Come Follow Me as individuals and families.

Are these acts “logically” related—from the world´s point of view—to the modern problems we face? Not really. Many of us have suffered real trauma. Many fear scary world events and climate change. Many no longer trust God. Many do not believe in Him. And many are too focused on solving their problems to even consider “illogical” divine solutions.

But such views, even if rationally held, do not change the reality that God actually exists, actually loves His children, and actually has provided a path to healing, real healing, His healing. It does not change the reality that people who trust him and focus on temple ordinances, gathering Israel, searching the holy scriptures, and engaging in simple acts like Come Follow Me actually receive power, guidance, peace, and healing from a real, actual, God.

So what shall we do? Look to the brass serpent that God has placed before us? Or refuse to believe that it can heal us?