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1 Nephi 22:10-11

"And I would, my brethren, that ye should know that all the kindreds of the earth cannot be blessed unless he shall make bare his arm in the eyes of the nations.  Wherefore, the Lord God will proceed to make bare his arm in the eyes of all the nations, in bringing about his covenants and his gospel unto those who are of the house of Israel."

The Lord will make bare His holy arm in the eyes of the nations...to me this phrase speaks of the visibility of His power.  It will be clear that the Lord is leading his people.  It will be clear that His protecting, guiding, all-powerful arm is in control and that He is in the midst of the people - invested in the daily moments as well as the eternal plan.  To those who believe in Him and call on His name, His arm being made bare will be glorious and joyful.  To those who fight against Zion, it will be an awesome and terrible thing - one that fills with fear, dread, and trembling.  

There is only truth and everything else.  Pride leads to everything else.  I see His arm being made bare all around me.  As Isaiah tells us, the Lord will make war against His people.  He will lay siege against them and distress them until they are humbled and brought down to the dust.  The they will see the tenderness and the mercy of it all.  As I see the trials and troubles around me, I cannot help but rejoice that I am watching God make bare His holy arm in the eyes of all the nations.  The distressing of Ariel is glorious and beautiful when viewed through an eternal eye.

I don't know why, but these two verses really make me think of Isaiah 29 and the symbolism found there about how we heal and come to really have God in our hearts and not just on our outward parts.  Ariel is all a part of it.  Ariel (another name for Jerusalem which is symbolic of Zion which is symbolic of every person who takes upon them the name of Christ) is everything.  To Him, we are everything.  And He will distress us until we are brought down to the dust so that we can finally find that eternal voice within each of us that gives knowledge and understanding that is beyond human comprehension.  He distresses us until we find our Knowing. 

We go through these things that we may find Him.  That His arm may be revealed...or in other words, that we can see and understand things as they truly are - understanding truth from error and understanding doctrine.
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