Fire - Uses and Symbolism

Fire is a chemical reaction that converts chemical energy into light and heat, and is my favorite of the classic elements. I think that fire has an undeserved reputation as a wholly destructive force. Fire is best known for turning things into piles of ashes, but I think that people have forgotten about the good things that fire can do (mostly because we have electrical devices that can do most of those things much more effectively and safely).

Back in the days before electricity, fire was your electricity. It was the light that brightened your home and the heat that cooked your meals. Back then, fire was an element that made life more comfortable and enjoyable. It even kept people alive. Today, as well as in olden days, fire is used to purify and work metals, which we, then and now, find essential for nearly every aspect of life.

From a religious perspective, fire still has a bad reputation. It was with fire that the people of Ammonihah destroyed so many recently-converted Christians. It was with fire that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorra. And hell is traditionally described as a lake of unquenchable fire, signifying eternal torment. Fire's bad stuff, right?

But fire can also be good stuff. The Lord used fire to protect Lehi and Nephi while they were in prison (Helaman 5), and to hold the Egyptians at bay while the Children of Israel were escaping through the Red Sea. In addition, the Holy Ghost is often described as being similar to a fire, causing feelings of light and warmth, the process of building and maintaining a fire is often used as an analogy for growing and maintaining a testimony.

So, fire has a dual nature. It can have a positive influence on some people at some times or have a negative influence to other people or at other times. And to add to that duality, sometimes fire is both a good and a bad thing at the same time.

The scriptures frequently refer to the "furnace of affliction" and "purifying fire." With the furnace of affliction, we face hardships that are meant to strengthen us and refine us. In a similar manner, the purifying fire signifies a purging of our sins through the sometimes long and painful process of repentance. In both cases, the fire symbolizes short-term pain, which intends to yield long-term gains, similar to the purification of ore into metal and the working of metal into tools. The end result is far more favorable than our current state, making the process ultimately a good thing, but it also involves a certain amount of pain - and pain is usually bad.

Though it's reputation for pain and destruction isn't entirely undeserved, fire has its uses and can be used for good. I think that fire, with regards to references to it within the scriptures, usually symbolizes the power of God, both in destruction and in protection, both in enlightening and in refining. God works in mysterious ways, sometimes blessing us, sometimes cursing us, but the funny thing is that it all works out to be blessings in the end. Unlike many real fires, there's always a purpose to God's influence in our lives. It only destroys the parts of us that aren't really worth keeping, leaving the best parts of ourselves more pure and of greater value for having passed through the fire. Whether God seems to be hurting us or helping us by exposing us to the fire, He is always, with the proper perspective, helping us. Let's try not to lose sight of that when we pass through the furnace of affliction or are asked to put our dross on the alter. Remember, though it may be painful, it'll all work out for our good.