Jesus Christ

The Bible often refers to the hand of the Lord. This is generally used metaphorically to represent God’s interactions with man. The interactions are sometimes described as being punishing due to sins, and other times, are comforting or

 rewarding, in response to valiant behavior.

Listen to the words of Mormon: ‘Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power?’” (Morm. 5:23).

Hands are one of the symbolically expressive parts of the body. In Hebrew, yad, the most common word for “hand,” is also used metaphorically to mean power, strength, might (see William Wilson, Old Testament Word Studies [1978], 205). Thus, hands signify power and strength.” (W. Craig Zwick, “The Lord Thy God Will Hold Thy Hand,” Liahona, Nov 2003, 34–36).

The scripture quoted here is from the Book of Mormon, which also uses the phrase often. The Bible shows this is applied to individuals as well: “And I was strengthened as the hand of the Lord my God was upon me,” (Ezra 7:28).

Elder Zwick continues to explain the analogy:

Consider John’s words describing the resurrected and glorified Savior: “And when I saw him, …he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; … I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore” (Rev. 1:17–18). When He lays His hand upon us, we, like John, can be alive in Him.

To be in the hands of God would suggest that we are not only under His watchful care but also that we are guarded and protected by His wondrous power.

Throughout the scriptures, reference is made to the hand of the Lord. His divine assistance is evidenced over and over again. His powerful hands created worlds, and yet they were gentle enough to bless the little children.

Mormons believe in a very hands-on, involved God. While some today think God withdrew from His children after the Savior’s time on earth, Mormons believe God continues to love us, to watch over us, and to be actively involved in the lives of His children as they prepare for the Second Coming.

This interaction in our lives began long before we were born. Prior to our births, we lived with God as spirits. He created our spirits and we lived with Him, developing a loving relationship. He was directly involved with our lives at that time, and He has never withdrawn. Because He is literally the Father of our spirits, He loves us as would any parent. Good fathers don’t abandon their children. Jesus Christ became our Savior and also promised to watch over us and to help us through the challenges of life. Elder Zwick assures us:

We must all remember that we are sons and daughters of God and that He loves us very much. If we truly understand who we are, we will have an unfailing source of hope and comfort.

We can never complete “the race that is set before us” (Heb. 12:1) without placing our hand in the Lord’s.

Several years ago, our only daughter decided to compete in a marathon. She trained and worked very hard, along with some of her friends. The race was difficult, and there were times when she wanted to quit. But she kept going, just concentrating on one step at a time. As she was approaching the middle part of the course, she heard someone behind her shout out, “Blind man on your left.”

She turned her head only to see a blind man overtake her, holding the hand of another man. They were both running the race. As they passed, she could see how tightly the blind man held the hand of his friend.

Overcome with her own physical pain, she was lifted as she watched these two men run hand in hand. He who could see was motivated by his blind friend, and the blind man depended upon the connection he had to his friend’s hand. Our daughter knew the blind man could never finish the race alone. She was inspired by the trust of the blind man and the devoted love of his friend.

In like manner, the Savior has stretched forth His hand to each of us so that we don’t have to run alone. “To those [of us] who [occasionally] stagger or stumble, He is there to steady and strengthen” (Trusting Jesus, 43). As we advance toward the finish line, He will be there to save us; and for all this He gave His life.

Imagine the wounds in His hands. His weathered hands, yes, even His hands of torn flesh and physical sacrifice, give our own hands greater power and direction.

It is the wounded Christ who leads us through our moments of difficulty. It is He who bears us up when we need more air to breathe or direction to follow or even more courage to continue.

If we will keep the commandments of God and walk hand in hand with Him in His paths, we will go forward with faith and never feel alone.

Trust in His promise of eternal life, and allow peace and hope to distill upon you.

When we connect with the Author of Peace and with His perfect and redeeming love, then we can come to know the reality of the Lord’s promise: “I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand, saying … , Fear not; I will help thee” (Isa. 41:13).

I testify of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer and living Savior.

I testify that He lives and extends His loving hand to each of us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

The hand of the Lord, then is always stretched out for us, prepared to help us, guide us, and reassure us when we’re working to stay on the path described by the Savior. It’s a hand we don’t ever need to fear as long as we’re trying to do the right thing and to make wise choices. By studying the scriptures, praying, and building our relationship with God, we can come to recognize our hand in the very details of our lives.

Tags: Bible, Book of Mormon, hand of the Lord, Jesus Christ, Mormons, Savior

This entry was posted on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at and is filed under Array. You can follow any responses to this entry through the /feed feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.