God loves us, so he will chasten us. “Chasten” connotes disciplining to make one “chaste,” or pure. It is not the same as “chastise,” though God will do that, too. Both are needed—chastening usually for our transgressions, and trials because we learn and grow from being tried and tested. “They [the Saints] must needs be chastened and tried… . For all those who will not endure chastening, but deny me, cannot be sanctified” (D&C 101:4–5). Read and ponder Proverbs 3:12; Hebrews 12:5–11; Revelation 3:19; Doctrine and Covenants 95:1.
“The people of Nephi hath he loved… . The Lamanites hath he hated.” There are other scriptural uses of the strong word hate. Genesis 29:30–31 says that Jacob loved Rachel and hated Leah. Luke 14:26 records Jesus saying, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren … he cannot be my disciple.” In none of these cases is the word hate to be taken literally, of course; nowhere in all of scripture is there evidence that the Lord hates any of Heavenly Father’s children, and nowhere is found a command that disciples of Christ are to hate any of their fellow human beings. Rather, this is an example of the ancient literary device we call hyperbole, which intentionally exaggerates and strongly contrasts emotions for emphasis. The intent of the Genesis passage is to show that Rachel was favored and loved and Leah was cared for less, and likely neglected, in comparison with her sister. The passage from Luke features an intentional exaggeration for effect. We cannot love someone else more than we love God; we must place our greatest affection on him. “Hate” is merely an idiomatic way of saying “love less.” Here in Helaman we are told that in times past God had loved Nephites because they were obedient, and he had loved Lamanites less because their deeds had been evil continually. Compare commentary at 1 Nephi 17:35, 40.