Prepare the Way

Matthew wrote this of John the Baptist: “For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight” (Matthew 3:3). One of the messages of John was that the people needed to prepare the way of the Lord. Nephi similarly wrote, describing the words of his father, “And he spake also concerning a prophet who should come before the Messiah, to prepare the way of the Lord—Yea, even he should go forth and cry in the wilderness: Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight” (1 Nephi 10:7-8). John was of course referring the preparation that needed to take place among the people for the mortal ministry of the Savior who would soon preach among them. Alma similarly sought to help his people prepare for the coming of the Messiah: “But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth” (Alma 7:9). Several decades later the prophet Samuel similarly invited the Nephites: “And behold, thus hath the Lord commanded me, by his angel, that I should come and tell this thing unto you; yea, he hath commanded that I should prophesy these things unto you; yea, he hath said unto me: Cry unto this people, repent and prepare the way of the Lord” (Helaman 14:9). But the Lord doesn’t have to be on the verge of arrival in order for us to prepare for him; at all times and in all ages, we should be preparing the way of the Lord and helping His people become worthy of His presence. At a wicked time among the Jaredites Moroni recorded, “And there came prophets in the land again, crying repentance unto them—that they must prepare the way of the Lord or there should come a curse upon the face of the land; yea, even there should be a great famine, in which they should be destroyed if they did not repent” (Ether 9:28). They could “prepare the way of the Lord” by returning to Him through repentance. As we repent and turn to the Lord, no matter when we live, we are preparing the way for Him.

                As we seek to prepare the way of the Lord by repenting and coming unto Him, we have His promise that He is preparing the way for us. Nephi testified, “I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them” (1 Nephi 3:7). He also wrote, “But the Lord knoweth all things from the beginning; wherefore, he prepareth a way to accomplish all his works among the children of men; for behold, he hath all power unto the fulfilling of all his words” (1 Nephi 9:6). The Lord told the young prophet, “And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land” (1 Nephi 17:13). The Lord prepares the way for us to keep His commandments and accomplish all that He needs us to accomplish. Nephi’s witness was that “the Lord will surely prepare a way for his people” (1 Nephi 22:20). Alma testified to his son Helaman, “O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever” (Alma 37:46). The way is indeed prepared by the Lord for all of us to repent and obtain eternal life through Him. In our dispensation He said this: “Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you whom I love, and whom I love I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven, for with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance in all things out of temptation, and I have loved you” (Doctrine and Covenants 95:1). He prepares a way for all of us to escape temptation and obtain all the blessings that He has in store. Indeed, surely what He promised to Nephi was meant for all those who love Him: “And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper, and shall be led to a land of promise; yea, even a land which I have prepared for you; yea, a land which is choice above all other lands” (1 Nephi 2:20). He has prepared a figurative promised land for each of us. As we seek to prepare the way for Him through repentance, He prepares the way for us to triumph over all our struggles in mortality and obtain our own promised land.