As Jeremiah prophesies the destruction of Jerusalem, he reminds the people of the promises God had made to them, which they rejected:
Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.
Jeremiah 6:16
That’s the only place in the Bible where the phrase “rest for your souls” appears, although Jesus made the same promise using a different preposition:
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28-29
Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
What does it mean for a soul to rest? The Book of Mormon provides three answers.
After God promised Enos that the descendants of his enemies would benefit from his words, he wrote, “I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; wherefore my soul did rest” (Enos 1:17). Alma counseled his son Helaman to teach the people “to never be weary of good works, but to be meek and lowly in heart; for such shall find rest to their souls” (Alma 37:34). And Mormon reminded his son Moroni to labor diligently and do the work God had appointed to him, “that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God” (Moroni 9:6).
Today I will remember that a restful soul is a blessing we receive as we follow God. I can let go of so many anxieties and troubles when I trust in Him and follow His instructions.
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