2 Nephi 19

God has been even more savage with gentiles.

But here’s some sketches for another song to lift the mood:

People that have walked in the dark now see light ahead of them. Lord, you’ve ramped up the joy of many. You’re harvesting the old world to propel a new one. You’ve overcome the earth and let its people divvy up the spoil.

We’ve been like oxen—worse than slaves. But you’ve broken the yokes from our necks and unraveled the whips of our drivers.

No more war, no more bloody clothes on the backs of corpses. Just fuel, flames, and energy, please.

Because, beyond my symbol-kids, another boy will be born to shoulder the new government. Lots of names for this one, none symbolic or obtuse: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. His government will grow and grow, not in a bureaucratic, money-bagged way, just in peace and clearheadedness. Fairness to all.

Okay, enough rhapsodizing. But wait, there’s more: I’ll make sure everybody knows about what’s coming. Especially the proud Ephraimite idiots who put their thumbs in their belts and sputter a lot of slogans about how they’ll take fallen bricks and magically turn them into high-grade cedar.

God moves kings around on his chessboard as if they were his pawns. Right now he’s closing in on Judah. But he keeps dangling hope in front of that tribe.

He can turn the world upside down in a day. Dealing with prophets-for-hire is a little tougher. And generals? You may as well walk into a ditch as follow in their footsteps.

He takes no joy in your youth-obsessed society. Young men wear hypocrisy like a flashy jacket. Young women wear foolishness like make-up.

But God keeps dangling hope …

Justice is like fire, yes. So is wickedness. Metaphors have to flex and bend to suit the needs of the moment. And the needs right now are so skewered and flayed. So the metaphors will be too.

In any case, things will get so bad that no one who is hungry will feel full till he’s eaten meat off the bone of his own arm. Neo-zombism.

Repeat: Mannaseh and Ephraim—tribal brothers—will attack Judah without letting up.

But God keeps dangling hope …