That seemed to make sense. I'll never forget the creepy feeling as I pulled away while she watered her grass. In the end it didn't matter because the fire never made it to our town; thanks to CAL FIRE.
Many months later I was awakened early in the morning by a phone call that my daughter's school had been canceled for the day because the Bank of the West building next door had burned down. No other structures burned but they closed my daughter's school next door because it lost power.
As I stood looking at the hollowed remains and charred brick walls, I remembered my neighbor saying that this is where she was going to go for safety, if the fire made it to Paradise. Her plan didn't sound so good anymore. It turns out that the building was built mostly of wood like any other building but it had a cosmetic brick overlay; giving it a superficial impression of safety. Ignoring the warning from CAL FIRE officials to evacuate would not have ended well for her, if the fire had come to town.
How often do we hear the warnings of the prophets and decide whether or not we will take the warnings seriously; like not watching R rated movies, dating too young as teenagers, having our emergency supply of food, or paying tithing?
Ezra Taft Bensen, in the October 1980 General Conference said, "The revelation to produce and store food may be as essential to our temporal welfare today as boarding the ark was to the people in the days of Noah."
I wonder if those of us who choose to ignore those warnings from the prophets will one day lament, as did the Nephites, "O that we had repented before this great and terrible day..." They had been warned many times, just as we have been.
The Lord’s promises of protection are only valid if we heed the warning.
Malachi 4:1
For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble...
Jeremiah 17:5
...cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm...
