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The Magnifying Glass – Exodus 18:19 

Remember when you first played with a magnifying glass. You held it and marveled how it made everything bigger. Then you flipped it over and it made everything smaller. Perhaps some of you may have used that magnifying glass to focus the sun’s light and burn something. It may have seemed at the time just an amusing toy, unless you were the ant down below. I would imagine that most of us played with that magnifying glass from only one perspective—from above, but what if you were the ant—so to speak? Consider this story. 

It must been an awesome sight when Jethro came to visit Moses and found him surrounded by his people waiting for him to help them with their individual problems. Every waking hour Moses had a line of people wanting his attention. It concerned Jethro so much that he said “The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee.” (Exodus 18:17-18)

Jethro then counseled Moses to appoint lesser judges to handle all the small matters while Moses would judge only the weightier matters. It is in that counsel, in verse 19, that Jethro says, “Be thou for the people to Godward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God.” Or in other words, ‘You represent the people before God and bring their causes before him.’ What a remarkable perspective. It is as though the living Prophet is a magnifying glass praying and pleading for us, magnifying us, our challenges, and needs before the Almighty. He focuses the light and attention of heaven on us. Thank the Almighty for a Prophet. 

But wait, if the Prophet is like a magnifying glass he can turn the other way. And, indeed, he does. Not only does the Prophet speak for us to God, but he speaks to us for God. He magnifies God to us, drawing Him nearer and flooding our lives with his light and His love. If we have a Prophet we have everything! 

In the April 2022 General Conference President Nelson said, “My dear brothers and sisters, I love you. I cherish this opportunity to speak with you today. I pray daily that you will be protected from the fierce attacks of the adversary and have the strength to push forward through whatever challenges you face.”