His Precious Jewels

I am intrigued by the scripture found in the Old Testament (Malachi 3:17) as well as the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord says, “ And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels, and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him.” I love that the Lord refers to His people as jewels. Love that! For me, it adds even more interest when I take note that the breastplate worn by the high priest in Old Testament times was beset with 12 jewels each representing 1 of the 12 tribes of Israel. I’ve looked at some Jewish web sites and although there is some controversy as to which jewels were associated with which tribes, some of the sites do assign certain precious stones to each tribe along with certain attributes assigned to each stone. Nephi says that the Lord esteems all flesh, but that He favors the righteous. Those who make and keep His commandments would be His precious jewels. I love knowing that!