Salvation

I was thinking a bit about Salvation today.  I had three subjects on my mind and became interested in the relationship they each have on Salvation.  Wheat sifting and gathering, silver refining and purifying, and chastening.  I recently visited the Joseph Smith farm in Palmyra, NY and learned some things about how the family collected, sifted, and stored wheat.  The wheat was beaten on the floor of the barn to remove the wheat kernels from the rest of the material, the unwanted pieces would blow away while the valuable wheat would remain on the floor for gathering.  The other day we received an email about Malachi 3:3 in which the Lord describes himself as a refiner and purifier of silver.  A silver smith refines raw silver by holding it in the center of the flame where the heat is most intense, he must watch the silver carefully as it heats up and impurities are burned away or it could be destroyed in the flame.  He knows the silver is refined when he can see his image in the product.  Chastening seems to be an essential part of salvation because through it, our impurities and unwanted elements are removed and we may eventually become refined and receive the Lord's image in our countenances.  He gathers us that we may be saved in and through His name.  The result of the gathering is salvation.