I’m a big fan of Joseph Smith but I have to honestly ask myself if I would be disappointed upon meeting a poorly educated 19th Century man with a limited vocabulary when I encountered the prophet. Do I have any cause to believe I’m better than those who knew Joseph in life? Would I become disappointed or disillusioned with President Nelson if he had more physical limitations at his advanced age than are apparent publicly—especially if it were my job to care for him amidst such realities of advanced age?
When the Lord refines His servants He focuses on their spiritual refinement rather than their physical attributes or their intellectual capacities. I suspect because we need to learn to look beyond the most apparent characteristics and also perhaps because we need to be reminded that the Lord does his work through imperfect mortals. That reminder might challenge our expectations but it should also give us confidence that we are not too broken for Him.
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