In the Old Testament I read about how three men came to Abraham as he sat in his tent door in the heat of the day. He hasted to make them welcome and comfortable, bringing them water and food. Genesis 18:1-8 "And the Lord appeared unto him in the plains of Mamre: and he sat in the tent door in the heat of the day; And he lift up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed himself toward the ground, And said, My Lord, if now I have found favour in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant: Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. And Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetch a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. And he took butter, and milk, and the calf which he had dressed, and set it before them; and he stood by them under the tree, and they did eat."

A verse in the Book of Mormon tells us that the people rebelled and rejected the truth instead of laying up for themselves treasures in heaven. How shortsighted we can be at times, rejecting the very things that will bring us eternal joy and heaping the wrath of God upon ourselves against the day of judgment. Hel. 8: 25 "But behold, ye have rejected the truth, and rebelled against your holy God; and even at this time, instead of laying up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where nothing doth corrupt, and where nothing can come which is unclean, ye are heaping up for yourselves wrath against the day of judgment."

A verse from a thought booklet talks about how Peter inquired of Jesus about the fate of John and Jesus replied "What is that to thee? Follow thou me!" Sometimes we become very concerned about what other people are doing instead of concentrating on ourselves and making sure that we are following Jesus. We can't control other people, but we can control ourselves, and that is what we need to concern ourselves with, making sure that we're doing what the Lord would want us to do and following Him. John 21: 21-22 "Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me."

In the Old Testament we're told that Abraham went out the selfsame day and was circumsiced, and had every male circumsed also. He didn't waste any time in obeying the commandment of the Lord. He immediately went forth to do what he was asked to do. We need to be just as eager to obey what the Lord asks of us. Genesis 17: 23-27 "And Abraham took Ishmael his son, and all that were born in his house, and all that were bought with his money, every male among the men of Abraham’s house; and circumcised the flesh of their foreskin in the selfsame day, as God had said unto him. And Abraham was ninety years old and nine, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. And Ishmael his son was thirteen years old, when he was circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin. In the selfsame day was Abraham circumcised, and Ishmael his son. And all the men of his house, born in the house, and bought with money of the stranger, were circumcised with him."

In the Book of Mormon we see that the people allowed pride to enter into their hearts because of their great riches, and this opened the door for more wickedness and abominations. I've often heard the saying "pride cometh before the fall." Often pride is the first sign that our hearts are not right; and more evil follows. Hel. 7: 26-27 "Yea, wo shall come unto you because of that pride which ye have suffered to enter your hearts, which has lifted you up beyond that which is good because of your exceedingly great riches! Yea, wo be unto you because of your wickedness and abominations!"


Some verses with a thought booklet tell us the story of how Jesus asked Peter three times if he loved Him. We might wonder why Jesus kept repeating the same question over and over again. Perhaps it was because Peter had denied the Lord three times, and needed to reaffirm his love that many times to truly be forgiven. Notice that Jesus didn't bring up the past or chastise Peter for his previous denials. He merely looked to the present and asked Peter to reaffirm his present love, and show that love by his actions--feeding His sheep. This might be a good example for us to follow when someone has done something to offend us. Rather than dredging up the past and berating them for their past failures, perhaps we should just start from NOW and give them the opportunity to do better. John 21: 15-17 "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep."

In the Old Testament I read that Sarah would conceive a son, Isaac, and would be a mother of many nations, and that the convenant would be fulfilled through him. Abraham laughed at the thought of Sarah having a child at 90 years of age and thought that the covenants would be fulfilled through Ismael. But God said that even though Ishmael would make a great nation, the covenants would be fulfilled through Isaac. Genesis 17:15-22 "And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be. And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her. Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear? And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee! And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year. And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how Nephi cried unto the Lord, mourning because of the wickedness of the people. They saw him thus praying and stood in a crowd watching him and marvelling. He preached repentance to them, asking them how they could have allowed the devil to get such hold upon their hearts and allowing someone to entice them who only wanted to hurl away their souls to everlasting misery. He warned them that they needed to start harkening to the voice of the Good Shepherd. Hel. 7: 14-18 "Yea, because I have got upon my tower that I might pour out my soul unto my God, because of the exceeding sorrow of my heart, which is because of your iniquities! And because of my mourning and lamentation ye have gathered yourselves together, and do marvel; yea, and ye have great need to marvel; yea, ye ought to marvel because ye are given away that the devil has got so great hold upon your hearts. Yea, how could you have given way to the enticing of him who is seeking to hurl away your souls down to everlasting misery and endless wo? O repent ye, repent ye! Why will ye die? Turn ye, turn ye unto the Lord your God. Why has he forsaken you? It is because you have hardened your hearts; yea, ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd; yea, ye have provoked him to anger against you."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell the story of Doubting Thomas who would not believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ until he saw for himself. Jesus commended him for believing after he had seen Him, but said that those who believed without seeing were even more blessed. Do we sometimes doubt or do we have unshakable faith? Do we have to see before we can believe? John 20: 24-29 "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed."

In the Old Testament I read that God appeared to Abraham and covenanted with him, promising him that his seed will be multiplied and he'll be the father of many nations. And they would be given a land of promise. As a token of this covenant, Abraham was told the necessity of circumsism. Genesis 17:1-12 "And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, the Lord aappeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect. And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly. And Abram fell on his face: and God talked with him, saying, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations. Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee. And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee. And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their God. And God said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations. This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; Every man child among you shall be circumcised. And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the ccovenant betwixt me and you. And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed." In reading these verses I'm reminded of something I learned as a teenager. I'd visited the Kirtland Temple and had purchased a book from what was then called the Reorganized Church, which was a side by side comparison of the King James Version of the Bible with the Inspired Version of the Bible, which we now refer to as the Joseph Smith Translation. I read something in there which I have NOT found among the footnotes in our present Bibles, but which I've never forgotten. It tells us that the reason circumcism was to be performed when the baby was 8 days old was as a symbol for the fact that children should be baptized when they are 8 years old. Very interesting.


In the Book of Mormon I read about how the Spirit of the Lord withdrew from the Nephites because they were wicked and hardened their hearts against the Lord. However, the Lamanites were willing to believe in the Word of God so He poured out His Spirit upon them. Whether we have the Spirit of the Lord in our lives or not largely depends upon us and our willingness to soften our hearts and have faith. Hel. 6: 35-36 "And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts. And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that when we're sick we can call for the elders of the church to pray for us and annoint us with oil, such as is done is when priesthood blessings are given. And prayers of faith will heal the sick. And not only can we be healed from our physical afflictions, but we can be forgiven for our sins as well. What a wonderful privilege we have to be able to receive priesthood blessings. I've seen many miracles in my own life, and in the lives of others, take place through this. James 5: 14-15 "Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

In the Old Testament I read that an angel came to Hagar and told her that she should return and submit to her mistress and that she would bear a son and should name him Ismael. He would be a wild man, and would have seed that could not be numbered for the multitude. Genesis 16 : 7-16 "And the angel of the Lord found her by a fountain of water in the wilderness, by the fountain in the way to Shur. And he said, Hagar, Sarai’s maid, whence camest thou? and whither wilt thou go? And she said, I flee from the face of my mistress Sarai. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Return to thy mistress, and submit thyself under her hands. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, I will multiply thy seed exceedingly, that it shall not be numbered for multitude. And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child, and shalt bear a son, and shalt call his name Ishmael; because the Lord hath heard thy affliction. And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man’s hand against him; and he shall dwell in the presence of all his brethren. And she called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me: for she said, Have I also here looked after him that seeth me? Wherefore the well was called Beer-lahai-roi; behold, it is between Kadesh and Bered. And Hagar bare Abram a son: and Abram called his son’s name, which Hagar bare, Ishmael. And Abram was fourscore and six years old, when Hagar bare Ishmael to Abram."

In the Book of Mormon I read some verses that tell us how the people began to grow wicked again. Indeed this seemed to be a pattern with them. They would be righteous for awhile and the Lord would prosper and bless them and then their hearts would be lifted up in pride and they'd set their hearts on their riches. Then they'd become wicked and become involved in all kinds of sins. Hel. 6: 16-17 "And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again. For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain."


A verse from a thought booklet assures us that we have no need to fear for God is with us. This is something we need to remember every day or our lives. Isa. 43: 5 "Fear not: for I am with thee: I will bring thy seed from the east, and gather thee from the west;"

In the Old Testament I read that Sarah, Abraham's wife didn't give him any children so she gave him her handmaid and he had a child with her. However, after the maid, Hagar, conceived, she hated her mistress. Abrham told Sarah she could deal with Hagar anyway she choose, and she choose to deal harshly with her. This caused Hagar to leave. Genesis 16: 1-6 "Now Sarai Abram’s wife bare him no children: and she had an handmaid, an Egyptian, whose name was Hagar. And Sarai said unto Abram, Behold now, the Lord hath restrained me from bearing: I pray thee, go in unto my maid; it may be that I may obtain children by her. And Abram hearkened to the voice of Sarai. And Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar her maid the Egyptian, after Abram had dwelt ten years in the land of Canaan, and gave her to her husband Abram to be his wife. And he went in unto Hagar, and she conceived: and when she saw that she had conceived, her mistress was despised in her eyes. And Sarai said unto Abram, My wrong be upon thee: I have given my maid into thy bosom; and when she saw that she had conceived, I was despised in her eyes: the Lord judge between me and thee. But Abram said unto Sarai, Behold, thy maid is in thy hand; do to her as it pleaseth thee. And when Sarai dealt hardly with her, she fled from her face."

In the Book of Mormon I read a verse that tells how the Nephites became hardened and wicked to the point that they rejected the Word of God when it was preached to them. Hel. 6: 2 "For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which did come among them."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. We don't have to be perfect for the Lord to love us. Even while we were still sinners, Christ willingly suffered and died for us. Sometimes after we've sinned, we feel so unworthy and unloveable that we can't imagine God caring for us. But this is not true. He loves us unconditionally and opens His arms wide to receive us if we'll but repent and turn to Him. Rom. 5: 8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. The thought that went with this, written by Petra Lyall from Ulysses, Pennsylvania says: One day I disciplined my son for disobeying. He started to cry and left the room. Later, after we both had calmed down, I went to talk to him. I sat down on his bed and went to hug him, but he struggled out of my arms. I asked him, "Why did you do that?" He replied, "I don't deserve a hug." I told him, "You don't have to deserve it. I hug you because I love you. Nothing you do could take away from my love." I put my arms around him again, and this time he let me give him a big hug. Even more than I love my son, God loves each of us. God showed his love when Christ died for us "while we were still sinners." We are precious in God's sight, and nothing we do, say or think will ever change that fact.

In the Old Testament I read that the Lord made a covenant with Abraham to give the land to his seed. Genesis 15: 18 "In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates:"

Some verses in the Book of Mormon remind us that there is no other way we can be saved than by the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who came to redeem the world. He did not come to redeem us IN our sins, but to redeem us FROM our sins after we repent of them. We need to build our lives upon the firm foundaton of Jesus Christ, so that Satan will have no power over us to destroy us. Hel. 5: 9-12 "O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world. And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins. And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls. And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

A verse from a thought booklet tell us that the Lord can heal us and save us. We need to seek Him and praise Him. Jer. 17: 14 "Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved: for thou art my praise."

In the Old Testament I read that Abraham had no seed to be his heir, but the Lord promised him that he would have see an numerous as the stars in the sky. Abraham believed the Lord and it was counted to him for righteousness. Sometimes the Lord makes wonderful promises to us and it's difficult for us to believe. We keep doubting and worrying. But if we are to follow the example of Abraham we'll trust in the Lord and have faith that He'll keep his promises. Genesis 15: 3-6 "And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir. And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir. And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be. And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness."


In the Book of Mormon I read how how pride and riches caused the people to turn away from the Lord, boast in their own strength, and turn away the hungry and needy. The committed gross sins and denied the spirit of revelation and prophesy. Because of their boasting of their own strength, the Lord left them to their own strength and the Lamanites were able to smite them. When in this situation, where they had lost their lands and were no longer prospering, they were willing to listen to Moronihah and others who preached to them and told them to repent. They began to remember the prophesies they'd received from Alma and Mosiah and saw that they had become stiffnecked and wicked, which had caused them to become weak like unto the Lamanites. The Spirit of the Lord had withdrawn from them and had ceased to preserve them by His miraculous and matchless power. They saw that they needed to repent or they must unavoidably perish. Their transgressions had made them weak. Hel. 4: 12-15, 21-26 "And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites— And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands. But behold, Moronihah did preach many things unto the people because of their iniquity, and also Nephi and Lehi, who were the sons of Helaman, did preach many things unto the people, yea, and did prophesy many things unto them concerning their iniquities, and what should come unto them if they did not repent of their sins. And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper. Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God; And that they had altered and trampled under their feet the laws of Mosiah, or that which the Lord commanded him to give unto the people; and they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people, insomuch that they were wicked even like unto the Lamanites. And because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle; and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation; and the judgments of God did stare them in the face. And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples— Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness; and they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly more numerous than they, and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish. For behold, they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as great as their strength, even man for man. And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak, because of their transgression, in the space of not many years."

A verse in a thought booklet reminds us to see and taste the Lord, for He is good. We need to trust in Him. It's easy to see that the Lord is good when things are going well in our lives. But it's important to remember that God is good, ALL the time and we need to trust in Him even when our circumstances are difficult. No matter what happens in our lives, God is aware of us, and we need to trust that things will be for our best good. Even if it doesn't look like it at the time, in the eternal perspective of things, God answers our prayers in the way that's best for us. We need to trust that. Ps. 34: 8 "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him."

In the Old Testament I read that Lot and his goods were captured and that his uncle Abraham rescued him. Genesis 14: 12-16 "And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people."

In the Book of Mormon we read about how Helaman filled the judgment seat with justice and equity. He was righteousness, keeping the commandments and doing what was right in the sight of God, even as his father did. Hel. 3: 20 "Nevertheless Helaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land."

Some verses in a thought booklet are like a prayer unto the Lord, asking Him to teach us His ways and lead us to truth and salvation. We can all pray for guidance and direction in our lives, and help in knowing the path the Lord would have us take in our lives. Ps. 25: 4-5 "Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

In the Old Testament I read that Lot and his goods were captured and that his uncle Abraham rescued him. Genesis 14: 12-16 "And they took Lot, Abram’s brother’s son, who dwelt in Sodom, and his goods, and departed. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew; for he dwelt in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner: and these were confederate with Abram. And when Abram heard that his brother was taken captive, he armed his trained servants, born in his own house, three hundred and eighteen, and pursued them unto Dan. And he divided himself against them, he and his servants, by night, and smote them, and pursued them unto Hobah, which is on the left hand of Damascus. And he brought back all the goods, and also brought again his brother Lot, and his goods, and the women also, and the people."

In the Book of Mormon we read about how Helaman filled the judgment seat with justice and equity. He was righteousness, keeping the commandments and doing what was right in the sight of God, even as his father did. Hel. 3: 20 "Nevertheless Helaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land."

Some verses in a thought booklet are like a prayer unto the Lord, asking Him to teach us His ways and lead us to truth and salvation. We can all pray for guidance and direction in our lives, and help in knowing the path the Lord would have us take in our lives. Ps. 25: 4-5 "Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths. Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."

In the Old Testament I read that after Abraham and Lot separated from one another, the Lord told Abraham to look in every direction and told him that all the land that he saw would be given to him and his seed after him. He told him that He would multiple his seed as the dust of the earth. Abraham again built an altar unto the Lord. When we're given blessings by the Lord, we should likewise lift up our hearts in thanksgiving and praise. Genesis 13: 14-18 "And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward: For all the aland which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for I will give it unto thee. Then Abram removed his tent, and came and dwelt in the plain of Mamre, which is in Hebron, and built there an altar unto the Lord."

In the Book of Mormon I read about Gadianton, a very wicked man who was an expert at speaking flattering, persuasive words and was good at carrying out secret works of murder and evil. He had a plot to murder Helaman and sent Kishkumen to do it, but he as twarted by a servant of Helaman who stabbed him before he could carry out the task. However, Gadianton was able to escape into the wilderness before he could be caught, and we'll later read about how the wicked band that he began would someday prove the overthrow and almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi. How much wickedness one man can cause! Hel. 2: 4-14 "For there was one Gadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen. Therefore he did flatter them, and also Kishkumen, that if they would place him in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people; therefore Kishkumen sought to destroy Helaman. And it came to pass as he went forth towards the judgment-seat to destroy Helaman, behold one of the servants of Helaman, having been out by night, and having obtained, through disguise, a knowledge of those plans which had been laid by this band to destroy Helaman— And it came to pass that he met Kishkumen, and he gave unto him a sign; therefore Kishkumen made known unto him the object of his desire, desiring that he would conduct him to the judgment-seat that he might murder Helaman. And when the servant of Helaman had known all the heart of Kishkumen, and how that it was his object to murder, and also that it was the object of all those who belonged to his band to murder, and to rob, and to gain power, (and this was their secret plan, and their combination) the servant of Helaman said unto Kishkumen: Let us go forth unto the judgment-seat. Now this did please Kishkumen exceedingly, for he did suppose that he should accomplish his design; but behold, the servant of Helaman, as they were going forth unto the judgment-seat, did stab Kishkumen even to the heart, that he fell dead without a groan. And he ran and told Helaman all the things which he had seen, and heard, and done. And it came to pass that Helaman did send forth to take this band of robbers and secret murderers, that they might be executed according to the law. But behold, when Gadianton had found that Kishkumen did not return he feared lest that he should be destroyed; therefore he caused that his band should follow him. And they took their flight out of the land, by a secret way, into the wilderness; and thus when Helaman sent forth to take them they could nowhere be found. And more of this Gadianton shall be spoken hereafter. And thus ended the forty and second year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi. Behold I do not mean the end of the book of Helaman, but I mean the end of the book of Nephi, from which I have taken all the account which I have written."

Some verses with a thought booklet speak prophetic words about Christ's crucifixion and atonement--how He would sacrifice Himself for us and suffer and die for our sins. Isaiah spoke these words hundreds of years before Jesus was born. Isa. 53: 3-7 "He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth." The thought that went with this, written by Norma C. Mezoe from Sandborn, Indiana says in part: A story is told about Albrecht Durer and Franz Knigstein, two struggling artists in the late fifteenth century. They made an agreement that one would work to support both of them while the other studied art. Then the arrangment would be reversed. Albrecht was first to pursue his education. When he attained success, he returned to keep the agreement with Franz. But the years of doing manual labor had caused Franz's sensitive hands to become twisted. Now he was unable to grasp a brush; his dream of becoming an artist was ended. One day Albrecht discovered Franz in prayer, his twisted fingers folded together. Albrecht Durer sketched the gnarled hands and later created his masterpiece, "The Praying Hands." Franz Knigstein's sacrifice had not been in vain. Franz's sacrifice enabled Albrecht to become a renowned artist; Christ's sacrifice opened heaven's gates to all who accept Him.

In the Old Testament I read that Abraham and Lot both had many flocks and herds and tents and there wasn't room for both of them to dwell together so Abraham gave Lot a choice of which land he wanted to settle in and he went elsewhere. They separated one from another. Genesis 13: 5-13 "And Lot also, which went with Abram, had flocks, and herds, and tents. And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together: for their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together. And there was a strife between the herdmen of Abram’s cattle and the herdmen of Lot’s cattle: and the Canaanite and the Perizzite dwelled then in the land. And Abram said unto Lot, Let there be no strife, I pray thee, between me and thee, and between my herdmen and thy herdmen; for we be brethren. Is not the whole land before thee? separate thyself, I pray thee, from me: if thou wilt take the left hand, then I will go to the right; or if thou depart to the right hand, then I will go to the left. And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where, before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, even as the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as thou comest unto Zoar. Then Lot chose him all the plain of Jordan; and Lot journeyed east: and they separated themselves the one from the other. Abram dwelled in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his tent toward Sodom. But the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners before the Lord exceedingly."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the Lamanites were able to take the great city of Zarahemla because the Nephites had allowed contention among themselves to get in the way of their being properly prepared against attack. When we allow contention to enter into our lives, we're driving out the Spirit of the Lord and not leaving ourselves open to His guidance and direction. This makes us vulnerable to attack, not just from other people as in this case, but also makes us vulnerable to attacks by Satan to tempt and overcome us. If we want guidance and help from the Lord, we need to rid our lives of contention. Hel. 1: 18-20 "And it came to pass that because of so much contention and so much difficulty in the government, that they had not kept sufficient guards in the land of Zarahemla; for they had supposed that the Lamanites durst not come into the heart of their lands to attack that great city Zarahemla. But it came to pass that Coriantumr did march forth at the head of his numerous host, and came upon the inhabitants of the city, and their march was with such exceedingly great speed that there was no time for the Nephites to gather together their armies. Therefore Coriantumr did cut down the watch by the entrance of the city, and did march forth with his whole army into the city, and they did slay every one who did oppose them, insomuch that they did take possession of the whole city."

A verse with a thought booklet says the Lord will restore health to us and heal us. I think this can mean more than must physical healing from bodily illness or disease, but can also mean healing our hearts and minds, if we'll turn our problems over to the Lord. Jer. 30: 17 "For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD; because they called thee an Outcast, saying, This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after."

In the Old Testament I read that Abraham left Egypt with his wife and also his nephew Lot. He was very rich. Genesis 13: 1-2 "And Abram went up out of Egypt, he, and his wife, and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the south. And Abram was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold."

In the Book of Mormon I read a verse that tells how the length of the war between the Nephites and Lamanites caused the hearts of some people to become hardened, but that it had the opposite effect upon other people--it humbled them and softened their hearts, causing them to turn to God. I think this is true of all trials and afflictions. Some people allow the difficulties in their lives to harden them and turn them away from God. But other people humble themselves and turn to God for help and strength to get through their troubles. The exact same circumstances can harden one person and soften another. How are we going to let our trials effect us--for good or ill? Alma 62: 41 "But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell the story of how Peter denies Jesus three times, and then went out and wept bitterly. Luke 22: 54-62 "Then took they him, and led him, and brought him into the high priest’s house. And Peter followed afar off. And when they had kindled a fire in the midst of the hall, and were set down together, Peter sat down among them. But a certain maid beheld him as he sat by the fire, and earnestly looked upon him, and said, This man was also with him. And he denied him, saying, Woman, I know him not. And after a little while another saw him, and said, Thou art also of them. And Peter said, Man, I am not. And about the space of one hour after another confidently affirmed, saying, Of a truth this fellow also was with him: for he is a Galilaean. And Peter said, Man, I know not what thou sayest. And immediately, while he yet spake, the cock crew. And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly." The thought that went with this, written by Rev. Jerry Hoytema from Grimsby, Ontario says: Jesus had warned Peter that before the rooster crowed he would deny Jesus three times. And that's exactly what happened on the night Jesus was arrested. Isn't it often the case that once we've fallen we go from bad to worse? One sin piles on top of another. For Peter, one denial led to another, and another. As soon as Peter had made his third denial, he heard the rooster crow. And soon afterward, probably while being taken from the high priest's house after questioning, Jesus locked eyes with Peter. Then Peter remembered the Lord's warning, and bitter tears filled his eyes. Oftentimes our tears of remorse reveal a glimmer of hope. I picture a mother who looks into the eyes of a child who has done wrong. The child turns away, but the mother says, "Look at me!" The child sees the hurt and love in the mother's eyes and begins to cry. The look of pained love softens the child's heart. Jesus' look of love broke through to Peter's heart. Failures need not be final. Have you ever wept bitterly when you faced the consequences of your sin? Maybe this devotional reading today is like the crowing of a rooster, reminding you that Jesus has his loving eyes fixed on you.
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In the Old Testament I read that Abraham was afraid that as he went into Egypt they would kill him so they could have his wife, since she was very beautiful. So he told them that she was his sister. Pharaoh took her into his house but was cursed and plagued because of Sarah. When Pharaoh found out the truth he chastised Abraham and sent him on his way. Genesis 12: 11-20 "And it came to pass, when he was come near to enter into Egypt, that he said unto Sarai his wife, Behold now, I know that thou art a fair woman to look upon: Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive. Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee. And it came to pass, that, when Abram was come into Egypt, the Egyptians beheld the woman that she was very fair. The princes also of Pharaoh saw her, and commended her before Pharaoh: and the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house. And he entreated Abram well for her sake: and he had sheep, and oxen, and he asses, and menservants, and maidservants, and she asses, and camels. And the Lord plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai Abram’s wife. And Pharaoh called Abram, and said, What is this that thou hast done unto me? why didst thou not tell me that she was thy wife? Why saidst thou, She is my sister? so I might have taken her to me to wife: now therefore behold thy wife, take her, and go thy way. And Pharaoh commanded his men concerning him: and they sent him away, and his wife, and all that he had."

In the Book of Mormon I read some verses that tell how Moroni and Pahoran, working together, were able to obtain possession of the city of Nephihah without losing one soul of the Nephites, even though many Lamanites were slain. And the Lamantites that they took as prisioners decided to join with them and helped them in their labors, relieving them of a great burden. Alma 62: 26-29 "Thus had Moroni and Pahoran obtained the possession of the city of Nephihah without the loss of one soul; and there were many of the Lamanites who were slain. Now it came to pass that many of the Lamanites that were prisoners were desirous to join the people of Ammon and become a free people. And it came to pass that as many as were desirous, unto them it was granted according to their desires. Therefore, all the prisoners of the Lamanites did join the people of Ammon, and did begin to labor exceedingly, tilling the ground, raising all manner of grain, and flocks and herds of every kind; and thus were the Nephites relieved from a great burden; yea, insomuch that they were relieved from all the prisoners of the Lamanites."


Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that if we're heavy laden, the Lord will give us rest. We need to learn of Him and we'll find rest to our souls. His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Matt. 11: 28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." The thought that went with this, written by Brad Nelson from Plansboro, New Jersey says: "As a high school basketball player, I would occasionally have to wear a fifty-pound weighted vest during various running and jumping drills. After only a few minutes, my legs would start to wobble, I would be gasping for breath, and I could feel myself starting to droop beneath the weight of the vest. But what I recall most vividly is the moment I got to take the vest off. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. Suddenly, I could run faster and jump higher. I was a new person. I could play to my full potential without the hindrance of a weighty burden. Are you weighed down by the burdens of life? Jesus beckons you to come to Him and find rest. As we journey through life, it's easy to get beaten down. It seems contradictory to think that rest and relief come from putting on another "yoke" or burden, but Jesus invites us to take his yoke and learn from him. As a result, we will find rest for our weary souls. When we begin a relationship with Jesus Christ, our problems don't automatically vanish. But it is a blessing to know that Jesus cares for us and we can cast our cares upon Him. Jesus wants to give you a better life--one filled with rest. Come to Him today and cast your burdens upon Him. He will give you rest for your soul."

In the Old Testament I read that there was a famine in the land and Abrham went down into Egypt. Genesis 12: 10 "And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was grievous in the land."

In the Book of Mormon I read more of Pahoran's epistle to Moroni. He asked for his help marching against the dissenters and taking possession of the city of Zarahemla. He was actually grateful for receiving Moroni's scathing epistle because he said it helped him decide what should be done. And he ended by calling Moroni his "beloved brother." What can we learn from all this? When people unjustly accuse us, how should we react? Should we become angry and lash out at them? Or should we react with love and kindness and perhaps see if there's anything we can learn from the situation? In this case, the results of Pahoran's reaction were much different than if he had gotten angry with Moroni. Instead of adding fuel to what could have turned into a nasty contentious argument and turning Moroni into an enemy, he gained Moroni as an alley and had a beloved brother to help him in his cause. Alma 61: 17-21 "Gather together whatsoever force ye can upon your march hither, and we will go speedily against those dissenters, in the strength of our God according to the faith which is in us. And we will take possession of the city of Zarahemla, that we may obtain more food to send forth unto Lehi and Teancum; yea, we will go forth against them in the strength of the Lord, and we will put an end to this great iniquity. And now, Moroni, I do joy in receiving your epistle, for I was somewhat worried concerning what we should do, whether it should be just in us to go against our brethren. But ye have said, except they repent the Lord hath commanded you that ye should go against them. See that ye astrengthen Lehi and Teancum in the Lord; tell them to fear not, for God will deliver them, yea, and also all those who stand fast in that liberty wherewith God hath made them free. And now I close mine epistle to my beloved brother, Moroni."

A verse from a thought booklet tells us to do all things without complaining and arguing. If we ask a child to do a chore, how much better do we feel if he does it cheerfully without complaing or arguing about it? Likewise, how do you think the Lord feels when we do what we're asked to do grudingly, complaining as we do it or arguing about why we shouldn't be asked to do it. Some things to think about. Philippians 12:14 "Do all things without murmurings and disputings:"

In the Old Testament I read that Abraham built an altar to the Lord and called upon His name. Genesis 12: 7-8 "And the Lord appeared unto Abram, and said, Unto thy seed will I give this land: and there builded he an altar unto the Lord, who appeared unto him. And he removed from thence unto a mountain on the east of Beth-el, and pitched his tent, having Beth-el on the west, and Hai on the east: and there he builded an altar unto the Lord, and called upon the name of the Lord."

Yesterday we read about the epistle that Moroni sent Pahoran falsely accusing him of all sorts of evil things. Today we read Pahoran's reply. He simply explained why he had been unable to provide provisions for Moroni and then he said matter of factly that Moroni had censured him but that it didn't matter and he was not angry. And then he told Moroni that he rejoiced in the greatness of his heart. What a kind and loving way to respond! Alma 61: 1-5, 9 "Behold, now it came to pass that soon after Moroni had sent his epistle unto the chief governor, he received an epistle from Pahoran, the chief governor. And these are the words which he received: I, Pahoran, who am the chief governor of this land, do send these words unto Moroni, the chief captain over the army. Behold, I say unto you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves my soul. But behold, there are those who do joy in your afflictions, yea, insomuch that they have risen up in rebellion against me, and also those of my people who are freemen, yea, and those who have risen up are exceedingly numerous. And it is those who have sought to take away the judgment-seat from me that have been the cause of this great iniquity; for they have used great flattery, and they have led away the hearts of many people, which will be the cause of sore affliction among us; they have withheld our provisions, and have daunted our freemen that they have not come unto you. And behold, they have driven me out before them, and I have fled to the land of Gideon, with as many men as it were possible that I could get. And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I, Pahoran, do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that we should love one another. Indeed, this is how we show that we are true disciples of Christ, in the love we show for one another. Pahoran was a great example of this in the verses above. John 13: 34-35 "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

In the Old Testament I read that the Lord told Abraham to get out of the land of his father's house and go to a new land that He would show him. There He would make of him a great nation and bless him. So Abraham left Haran and went into the land of Canaan. Genesis 12: 1-5 "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came."

In the Book of Mormon I read an epistle that Moroni wrote to Pahoran, accusing him of purposely being neglectful in withholding provisions and men from them, resulting in suffering and loss of life. He accused him of seeking for authority and sitting on his throne in idleness, being a traitor to his country. As you read some of these accusations, realize that Moroni is FALSELY accusing Pahoran, as we'll find out in tomorrow's reading. Think about how you'd feel if someone was making these accusations against you falsely. Alma 60: 6-9, 18-22 "And now behold, we desire to know the cause of this exceedingly great neglect; yea, we desire to know the cause of your thoughtless state. Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren— Yea, even they who have looked up to you for protection, yea, have placed you in a situation that ye might have succored them, yea, ye might have sent armies unto them, to have strengthened them, and have saved thousands of them from falling by the sword. But behold, this is not all—ye have withheld your provisions from them, insomuch that many have fought and bled out their lives because of their great desires which they had for the welfare of this people; yea, and this they have done when they were about to perish with hunger, because of your exceedingly great neglect towards them. But why should I say much concerning this matter? For we know not but what ye yourselves are seeking for authority. We know not but what ye are also traitors to your country. Or is it that ye have neglected us because ye are in the heart of our country and ye are surrounded by security, that ye do not cause food to be sent unto us, and also men to strengthen our armies? Have ye forgotten the commandments of the Lord your God? Yea, have ye forgotten the captivity of our fathers? Have ye forgotten the many times we have been delivered out of the hands of our enemies? Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us? Yea, will ye sit in idleness while ye are surrounded with thousands of those, yea, and tens of thousands, who do also sit in idleness, while there are thousands round about in the borders of the land who are falling by the sword, yea, wounded and bleeding?"

A scripture with a thought booklet tells us that Jesus Christ loves us and gives us hope, consolation and comfort. 2 Thes. 2: 16-17 "Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God, even our Father, which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, Comfort your hearts, and stablish you in every good word and work."

In the Old Testament I read the story of how the people were starting to build a city and the Towel of Babel and the Lord confounded their language so that they could no longer communicate with one another. After this, they became scattered. Gen. 11: 1-9 "And the whole earth was of one language, and of one speech. And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar; and they dwelt there. And they said one to another, Go to, let us make brick, and burn them throughly. And they had brick for stone, and slime had they for morter. And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make us a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth. And the LORD came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of men builded. nd the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. o to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the Nephites used strategy to take the city Manti without the shedding of blood. Indeed, they did not delight in the shedding of blood and wanted to avoid it whenever possible. Alma 58: 26-29 "Now it came to pass that when it was night, I caused that my men should not sleep, but that they should march forward by another way towards the land of Manti. And because of this our march in the night-time, behold, on the morrow we were beyond the Lamanites, insomuch that we did arrive before them at the city of Manti. And thus it came to pass, that by this stratagem we did take possession of the city of Manti without the shedding of blood. And it came to pass that when the armies of the Lamanites did arrive near the city, and saw that we were prepared to meet them, they were astonished exceedingly and struck with great fear, insomuch that they did aflee into the wilderness."

A verse from a thought booklet has Jesus asking Peter who He is and Peter answering that He is Christ of God. Luke 9:20 "He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God." The thought that went with this, written by Petra Lyall from Ulysses, Pennsylvania mentions what various people in Jesus' day must have thought of Him and who He was. She says: Mary would say, "He is my son, whom I love." Someone from Nazareth would say, "He is Jesus. He was a carpenter in my village." Lazarus would say, "He is the man who brought me back to life." The Scribes and Phraisees would say, "He is a law breaker. He works on the Sabbath and associates with sinners." Peter would say, "He is the son of God, the Messiah." Each person would have identifiedJesus based on his or her own relationship with Him. Who is Jesus to you? How does your relationship with Jesus lead you to respond?

In the Old Testament I read a promise from the Lord that never again would He destroy the earth by flood. And as a token of His convenant, He would set a rainbow in the sky. Genesis 9: 11-17 "I will establish my covenant with you; neither shall all flesh be cut off any more by the waters of a flood; neither shall there any more be a flood to destroy the earth. And God said, This is the token of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations: I do set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, This is the token of the covenant, which I have established between me and all flesh that is upon the earth."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the Nephites were again delivered out of the hands of the Lamanites because the Lord blessed them. Alma 57: 35 "And behold, we are again delivered out of the hands of our enemies. And blessed is the name of our God; for behold, it is he that has delivered us; yea, that has done this great thing for us."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that we need to lay aside every sin and look to Jesus in faith. We need to keep our minds and hearts on Jesus and how he endured on the cross for our sins. Heb. 12: 1-2 "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."

In the Old Testament I read a verse condoning capitol punishment. If a man sheds innocent blood, by man should his blood also be shed. Genesis 9: 6 "Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the stripling warriors were able to fight the Lamanites in a very valient manner and that they obeyed and performed every command with exactness. Their mothers had taught them well! And they were a big help in gaining victory over the Lamanites. Alma 57: 20-22 "And as the remainder of our army were about to give way before the Lamanites, behold, those two thousand and sixty were firm and undaunted. Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them; and I did remember the words which they said unto me that their mothers had taught them. And now behold, it was these my sons, and those men who had been selected to convey the prisoners, to whom we owe this great victory; for it was they who did beat the Lamanites; therefore they were driven back to the city of Manti."

Some verses from a thought booklet remind us of how important our words are. What we say can lift another person up or cut them down. The tongue is sometimes difficult to control and master, but if we cannot control what we say and avoid offending with our words, we cannot become perfect. And if we can learn to bridle our tongue, we can bridle our whole body. It is not right that both blessings and cursings should come out of the same mouth. Our unkind words can be like deadly poisen. James 3: 2-12 "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in cword, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh." The thought that went with this, written by Wilma Musser from Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania says: One of my favorite childhood stories is about Chicken Little. When a nut fell on her head, without investigating first she ran wildly about, telling her friends that the sky was falling. Goosey Loosey, Turkey Lurkey, and Foxy Loxy kept the rumor alive by spreading the word. Much damage has been done, not only to individuals but also to communities and to nations, because a rumor--unsubstantiated information--was believed and spread. One of the worst things about spreading a rumor is illustrated by the game of gossip often played at parties. The first person in a line whispers a statement to the next person, who whispers it to the next, until it reaches the end of the line. That person repeats the statement aloud and everyone laughs because it is far different from the original statement. Timothy speaks of tattlers and busybodies, and Peter classsifies busybodies along with murderers and thieves. Spreading gossip and unsubstantiated information is a serious sin indeed!

In the Old Testament I read about how the Lord commanded Noah and his sons to be fruitful and multiply and gave them dominion over all the animals, fowls, fish, and green herbs. Genesis 9: 1-3 "And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. And the fear of you and the dread of you shall be upon every beast of the earth, and upon every fowl of the air, upon all that moveth upon the earth, and upon all the fishes of the sea; into your hand are they delivered. Every moving thing that liveth shall be meat for you; even as the green herb have I given you all things."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the Lord blessed the stripling warriors and that not one of them was killed in battle. What a miracle! They indeed had fought with the strength of God. Alma 56:55-56 "And now it came to pass that when they had surrendered themselves up unto us, behold, I numbered those young men who had fought with me, fearing lest there were many of them slain. But behold, to my great joy, there had not one soul of them fallen to the earth; yea, and they had fought as if with the strength of God; yea, never were men known to have fought with such miraculous strength; and with such mighty power did they fall upon the Lamanites, that they did frighten them; and for this cause did the Lamanites deliver themselves up as prisoners of war."

A verse from a thought booklet warns us not to answer someone before we've at least heard what they have to say. To do otherwise is folly and a shame. Makes sense. Have you ever tried to talk to someone who won't hear you out but just keeps talking over you? Very frustrating! Or who rushes in with advice when all you wanted was a listening ear? How important that we truly listen to other people when they talk to us, not just with our ears but with our hearts. Prov. 18: 13 "He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him." The thought that went with this, written by Elaine Parsons from Midland, Michigan says: "My friend's daughter called from college. She was just beginning her freshman year, was away from home for the first time, and was frustrated with trying to get a math class to fit into her schedule. My friend switched into Advice-Giving-Mom Mode. Finally, the daughter interupted. 'Mom, I didn't call for advice; I called for you to make me feel better.' My friend quickly switched to Shoulder-to-Cry-On Mom. Although she missed the point at first, she came through in the end. Sometimes people don't need us to fix their problems; they just need us to listen and to show that we care." I think this thought makes a very good point. I remember an Education Week class I attended several years ago in which the instructor made this point. He said that often people come to us with problems and we try to come up with advice to "fix" their problems when what they really need is just a listening ear. We should never offer advice unless asked. And even if we are asked, we should hear the person out completely before we rush in with answers.

In the Old Testament I read about how Noah built an altar and offered burnt offerings to the Lord. The Lord promised Noah that he would never again destroy every living thing from off the earth, and as long as the earth remains there will be seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night. Genesis 8: 20-22 "And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."

In the Book of Mormon I read about the great courage and faith of the young stripling warriors and about how their mothers had instilled this faith in them from a young age. They knew that God was with them and they did not fear. Alma 56: 45-48 "And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites. For as I had ever called them my sons (for they were all of them very young) even so they said unto me: Father, behold our God is with us, and he will not suffer that we should fall; then let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone; therefore let us go, lest they should overpower the army of Antipus. Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

A verse from a thought booklet tells us to pray always. Luke 18: 1 "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;" When I've heard admonitions to pray always I've wondered how we can do this. We can't be on our knees praying 24 hours a day 7 days a week and never do anything else. I think it means to have a prayer in our hearts. Sometimes we might feel like we're too busy to pray. But actually the time we spend in prayer is very well spent. It prepares us for the day and helps us accomplish the many things we need to do. Abraham Lincoln once said, "If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I would spend the first six hours sharpening my ax." He explained that most people would rather spend the entire eight hours hacking away with a dull ax but that he would rather have a sharp one. When we take time to pray, it's like sharpening our ax. We'll accomplish more with a sharp ax than we will spending more time hacking away with a dull one. Something to think about.

In the Old Testament I read about how the Lord commanded Noah and his family to leave the ark, and allow the animals to leave also. They were all commanded to be fruitful and multiply. Genesis 8: 15-19 "And God spake unto Noah, saying, Go forth of the ark, thou, and thy wife, and thy sons, and thy sons’ wives with thee. Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him: Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how Moroni was about to regain the city without shedding blood. He administered wine to the Lamanites and when they were drunken he was able to sneak into the city where they were holding many prisoners and arm them. When the Lamanites woke up the next day they were surrounded by Nephites from without the city and the prisoners within were armed. So they gave up without a fight. This was according to Moroni's plan, who did not delight in the shedding of blood. Alma 55: 13-24 "And it came to pass that they did take of the wine freely; and it was pleasant to their taste, therefore they took of it more freely; and it was strong, having been prepared in its astrength. And it came to pass they did drink and were merry, and by and by they were all drunken. And now when Laman and his men saw that they were all drunken, and were in a deep sleep, they returned to Moroni and told him all the things that had happened. And now this was according to the design of Moroni. And Moroni had prepared his men with weapons of war; and he went to the city Gid, while the Lamanites were in a deep sleep and drunken, and cast in weapons of war unto the prisoners, insomuch that they were all armed; Yea, even to their women, and all those of their children, as many as were able to use a weapon of war, when Moroni had armed all those prisoners; and all those things were done in a profound silence. But had they awakened the Lamanites, behold they were drunken and the Nephites could have slain them. But behold, this was not the desire of Moroni; he did not delight in murder or bloodshed, but he delighted in the saving of his people from destruction; and for this cause he might not bring upon him injustice, he would not fall upon the Lamanites and destroy them in their drunkenness. But he had obtained his desires; for he had armed those prisoners of the Nephites who were within the wall of the city, and had given them power to gain possession of those parts which were within the walls. And then he caused the men who were with him to withdraw a pace from them, and surround the armies of the Lamanites. Now behold this was done in the night-time, so that when the Lamanites awoke in the morning they beheld that they were surrounded by the Nephites without, and that their prisoners were armed within. And thus they saw that the Nephites had power over them; and in these circumstances they found that it was not expedient that they should fight with the Nephites; therefore their chief captains demanded their weapons of war, and they brought them forth and cast them at the feet of the Nephites, pleading for mercy. Now behold, this was the desire of Moroni. He took them prisoners of war, and took possession of the city, and caused that all the prisoners should be liberated, who were Nephites; and they did join the army of Moroni, and were a great strength to his army."

I read some verses in two different thought booklets today which both seemed to be talking along the same lines--about the sin of fornication and sexual impurity, which is a sin against our own bodies and needs to be avoided or it will entrap us and destroy us. 1 Cor. 6: 18-20 "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s." Prov. 7: 4-27 "Say unto wisdom, Thou art my sister; and call understanding thy kinswoman: That they may keep thee from the strange woman, from the stranger which flattereth with her words. For at the window of my house I looked through my casement, And beheld among the simple ones, I discerned among the youths, a young man void of understanding, Passing through the street near her corner; and he went the way to her house, In the twilight, in the evening, in the black and dark night: And, behold, there met him a woman with the attire of an harlot, and subtil of heart. (She is loud and stubborn; her feet abide not in her house: Now is she without, now in the streets, and lieth in wait at every corner.) So she caught him, and kissed him, and with an impudent face said unto him, I have peace offerings with me; this day have I payed my vows. Therefore came I forth to meet thee, diligently to seek thy face, and I have found thee. I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry, with carved works, with fine linen of Egypt. I have perfumed my bed with myrrh, aloes, and cinnamon. Come, let us take our fill of love until the morning: let us solace ourselves with loves. For the goodman is not at home, he is gone a long journey: He hath taken a bag of money with him, and will come home at the day appointed. With her much fair speech she caused him to yield, with the flattering of her lips she forced him. He goeth after her straightway, as an ox goeth to the slaughter, or as a fool to the correction of the stocks; Till a dart strike through his liver; as a bird hasteth to the snare, and knoweth not that it is for his life. Hearken unto me now therefore, O ye children, and attend to the words of my mouth. Let not thine aheart decline to her ways, go not astray in her paths. For she hath cast down many wounded: yea, many strong men have been slain by her. Her house is the way to hell, going down to the chambers of death." The thought that went with these last verses, written by Joanna Ronalds from Warragul, Victoria, Australia says: I love chocolate. If there is chocolate in the cupboard, I find it hard to resist, so it's best just not to keep chocolate in the house. If I don't put it in my shopping cart, it won't be in the cupboard, and if it's not in the cupboard, I can't eat it. If it is in the cupboard...well, it takes just twenty-five minutes to bake those yummy triple-chocolate brownies I love. The young man in Proverbs didn't have access to the Internet, but he made his first mistake when he went near the corner that he knew was his weakness. It's easier not to end up with a prostitute if you stay clear of the brothel. It's easier not to eat chocolate if it's not in the house. So whatever your weakness is, be aware of it. Then put some steps in place to make sure you stay away from whatever it is, so you don't have the opportunity to do something you'll regret. This is the first step to victory. Dear Lord God, please give me the strength to avoid situations where I might be tempted by things that I know are my weakness.

In the Old Testament I read about how Noah sent various birds outside the ark to see if the ground had dried out enough to leave the ark. First he sent out a raven and then a dove, who just flew back because they couldn't find anyplace other than the ark to rest. But then a dove came back with an olive leaf and then later flew away and didn't come back. After waiting another week, Noah removed the covering of the ark and saw that the earth had dried. Genesis 8: 6-14 "And it came to pass at the end of forty days, that Noah opened the window of the ark which he had made: And he sent forth a raven, which went forth to and fro, until the waters were dried up from off the earth. Also he sent forth a dove from him, to see if the waters were abated from off the face of the ground; But the dove found no rest for the sole of her foot, and she returned unto him into the ark, for the waters were on the face of the whole earth: then he put forth his hand, and took her, and pulled her in unto him into the ark. And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark; And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf pluckt off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. And he stayed yet other seven days; and sent forth the dove; which returned not again unto him any more. And it came to pass in the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dry. And in the second month, on the seven and twentieth day of the month, was the earth dried."

In the Book of Mormon I read some verses that describe how the people of Ammon had made a covenant with the Lord not to take up arms or shed blood again, after they repented of the many murders they'd committed before coming unto Christ. The Nephites had protected them, but now that the Nephites were faced with battles against the Lamanites, the people of Ammon were thinking about breaking the oaths they had made and taking up arms to help defend them. However, Helamen convinced them they should not break their oath, lest perhaps they would lose their souls. However, they had 2,000 young sons who had been too young to make the oath not to fight in battle, and these valient young men joined with Helamen as their leader to fight in defence of their freedom and their country. Alma 53: 10-21 "And now behold, I have somewhat to say concerning the people of Ammon, who, in the beginning, were Lamanites; but by Ammon and his brethren, or rather by the power and word of God, they had been converted unto the Lord; and they had been brought down into the land of Zarahemla, and had ever since been protected by the Nephites. And because of their oath they had been kept from taking up arms against their brethren; for they had taken an oath that they never would shed blood more; and according to their oath they would have perished; yea, they would have suffered themselves to have fallen into the hands of their brethren, had it not been for the pity and the exceeding love which Ammon and his brethren had had for them. And for this cause they were brought down into the land of Zarahemla; and they ever had been protected by the Nephites. But it came to pass that when they saw the danger, and the many afflictions and tribulations which the Nephites bore for them, they were moved with compassion and were desirous to take up arms in the defence of their country. But behold, as they were about to take their weapons of war, they were overpowered by the persuasions of Helaman and his brethren, for they were about to break the oath which they had made. And Helaman feared lest by so doing they should lose their souls; therefore all those who had entered into this covenant were compelled to behold their brethren wade through their afflictions, in their dangerous circumstances at this time. But behold, it came to pass they had many sons, who had not entered into a covenant that they would not take their weapons of war to defend themselves against their enemies; therefore they did assemble themselves together at this time, as many as were able to take up arms, and they called themselves Nephites. And they entered into a covenant to fight for the liberty of the Nephites, yea, to protect the land unto the laying down of their lives; yea, even they covenanted that they never would give up their liberty, but they would fight in all cases to protect the Nephites and themselves from bondage. Now behold, there were two thousand of those young men, who entered into this covenant and took their weapons of war to defend their country. And now behold, as they never had hitherto been a disadvantage to the Nephites, they became now at this period of time also a great support; for they took their weapons of war, and they would that Helaman should be their leader. And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted. Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him."

A verse from a thought booklet tells us how mercificul and gracious and slow to anger the Lord is. If we're willing to repent, He will be merciful and willing to forgive us. Ps. 103: 8 "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy." The thought that went with this, written by Leah West from Jacksonville, Florida says: I sat on my bedroom floor and sobbed for what seemed like hours. My face was red and blotchy, and my eyes were a swollen mess. I cried out to God for what seemed like the umpteenth time to forgive me for the sins of my past. As I sat with my face to the ground, drowning in my tears, God spoke to my heart and said, "I have already forgiven you. Now forgive yourself. Guilt and shame are not from me; your sins have been forgotten." It took awhile to finally forgive myself for the things I had done before returning to God. Eventually the guilt and shame left when I realized that God was not sitting in heaven with a huge tally list of all the things I had done wrong. None of us is worthy of God's forgivenss, but God gives it to us willingly and freely because of the sacrifice of Jesus. Let go of your past sins and understand that you have truly been forgiven. Lord, help me to receive your forgiveness and truly understand the depth of your grace. Help me to let go of my past shame and guilt and move forward in my walk with you.

In the Old Testament I read about how the Lord remembered Noah and those who were with him in the ark, and the rain finally ceased. The waters were abated and the ark rested on Mount Ararat and the tops of the mountains began to be seen. Genesis 8:1-5 "And God remembered Noah, and every living thing, and all the cattle that was with him in the ark: and God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters asswaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated. And the ark rested in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, upon the mountains of Ararat. And the waters decreased continually until the tenth month: in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, were the tops of the mountains seen."

In the Book of Mormon I read about the fierce battle between the Nephites and the Lamanites. Many were slain on both sides, but the Nephites were able to press about the Lamanites with such fury that many Lamanites gave up their weapons of war and others were so confused they didn't know what to do. Moroni told them that if they would give up their weapons, they would stop shedding their blood. Many did so, but others refused and had their weapons were taken from them by force and they were taking prisioner. There ended up being more prisioners than those who had been slain. Alma 52: 35-40 "And it came to pass that they fought on both hands with exceeding fury; and there were many slain on both sides; yea, and Moroni was wounded and Jacob was killed. And Lehi pressed upon their rear with such fury with his strong men, that the Lamanites in the rear delivered up their weapons of war; and the remainder of them, being much confused, knew not whither to go or to strike. Now Moroni seeing their confusion, he said unto them: If ye will bring forth your weapons of war and deliver them up, behold we will forbear shedding your blood. And it came to pass that when the Lamanites had heard these words, their chief captains, all those who were not slain, came forth and threw down their weapons of war at the feet of Moroni, and also commanded their men that they should do the same. But behold, there were many that would not; and those who would not deliver up their swords were taken and bound, and their weapons of war were taken from them, and they were compelled to march with their brethren forth into the land Bountiful. And now the number of prisoners who were taken exceeded more than the number of those who had been slain, yea, more than those who had been slain on both sides."


A verse from a thought booklet tell us that the Lord will guide and direct us and bing like a spring of living water to us. Isa. 58: 11 "And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." The thought that went with this, written by Janet Teitsort from Westport, Indiana says: The garden hose was kinked again. I had encountered this problem many times over the summer. I would pull and tug, stretching the hose around the house to water my flowers, only to have the water pressure suddenly cut off. Aggravated, I traced the hose back until I found the kink. As I gently untwisted it, the water started flowing again, and I continued my watering. Many times that is what happens to the Living Water in our lives. We go along being filled with the Lord for a while, but then we start tugging and pulling to go our own way. The Living Water within us, which is Jesus, cannot flow because sin has put a kink in our lives. We must pause and trace back to see where we first balked, and confess that sin to our Lord. Then, and only then, is the flow of Living Water restored. We become again like a spring whose water bursts forth, bubbling up in merriment, proclaiming the goodness of the Lord. Lord, help me to recognize and confess my sins, so that your Living Water can keep flowing through me.

In the Old Testament I read about how, just as the Lord said would happen, all flesh on the earth that was not safely inside the ark was destroyed. All the mountains were covered with water and the waters prevailed upon the earth for 150 days. Genesis 7: 13-24 "In the selfsame day entered Noah, and Shem, and Ham, and Japheth, the sons of Noah, and Noah’s wife, and the three wives of his sons with them, into the ark; They, and every beast after his kind, and all the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind, and every fowl after his kind, every bird of every sort. And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two and two of all flesh, wherein is the breath of life. And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God had commanded him: and the LORD shut him in. And the flood was forty days upon the earth; and the waters increased, and bare up the ark, and it was lift up above the earth. And the waters prevailed, and were increased greatly upon the earth; and the ark went upon the face of the waters. And the waters prevailed exceedingly upon the earth; and all the high hills, that were under the whole heaven, were covered. Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail; and the mountains were covered. And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of beast, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man: All in whose nostrils was the breath of life, of all that was in the dry land, died. And every living substance was destroyed which was upon the face of the ground, both man, and cattle, and the creeping things, and the fowl of the heaven; and they were destroyed from the earth: and Noah only remained alive, and they that were with him in the ark. And the waters prevailed upon the earth an hundred and fifty days."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how contentions started in the land, which was a disturber of the peace they had enjoyed. When we start allowing even a little contention into our lives, it opens the door for more to come. Alma 51: 2 "Nevertheless, they did not long maintain an entire peace in the land, for there began to be a contention among the people concerning the chief judge Pahoran; for behold, there were a part of the people who desired that a few particular points of the alaw should be altered."

Some verses with a thought booket tell us that Jesus wept over the city of Jerusalem because of their unbelief. Imagine how much Jesus loved the people to actually grieve and weep over them. Luke 19: 41-42 "And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes." The thought that went with this, written by Rev. Jerry Hoytema from Grimsby, Ontario, Canada says: While the people shouted their hosannas, Jesus began to weep. This was not just a quiet brushing away of a tear. The original biblical text suggests that Jesus uttered loud cries, suggestive of a soul in deep agony. It was the kind of weeping that accompanies deep grief, as in hearing news of a tragic death of a loved one. But Jesus does not weep for himself. The Bible tells us, "As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, 'If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace--but now it is hidden from your eyes.'" In this lament Jesus reflected the grief of his divine Father. Already in Genesis we read that "the Lord was grieved that he had made man on the earth, and his heart was filled with pain: (Genesis 6:6). The heart of Jesus was also filled with pain because his people didn't understand that he had come to bring them peace with God and with each other. Today there are still many people who don't understand who can ultimately bring them peace. Our reading says that the people in Jesus' day "did not recognize the time of God's coming to them. Do you recognize that God approaches you today in Jesus Christ? Do you shout "hosanna," knowing that Jesus is the one and only Savior? Thank you, Jesus, for revealing the way our unbelief grieves your heart of love. May we praise and thank you for your great salvation, and live each day for you. Amen.

In the Old Testament I read about how Noah and his family and two of each kind of animal went into the ark and the waters of the flood came upon the earth, raining for forty days and forty nights. Genesis 7: 7-12 "And Noah went in, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons’ wives with him, into the ark, because of the waters of the flood. Of clean beasts, and of beasts that are not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth, There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah. And it came to pass after seven days, that the waters of the flood were upon the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened. And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights."

In the Book of Mormon I read some verses that reassure us that the Lord will always be both merciful and just and He will fulfill His promises to us. He told the Nephites that if they kept the commandments, they would be blessed and prospered. And if they were wicked, they would suffer punishments. Alma 50: 19-22 "And thus we see how merciful and just are all the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of all his words unto the children of men; yea, we can behold that his words are verified, even at this time, which he spake unto Lehi, saying: Blessed art thou and thy children; and they shall be blessed, inasmuch as they shall keep my commandments they shall prosper in the land. But remember, inasmuch as they will not keep my commandments they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And we see that these promises have been verified to the people of Nephi; for it has been their quarrelings and their contentions, yea, their murderings, and their plunderings, their idolatry, their whoredoms, and their abominations, which were among themselves, which brought upon them their wars and their destructions. And those who were faithful in keeping the commandments of the Lord were delivered at all times, whilst thousands of their wicked brethren have been consigned to bondage, or to perish by the sword, or to dwindle in unbelief, and mingle with the Lamanites."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that if we want to be Jesus' sheep, we'll follow Him and hear His voice. And if we do this, He will give us eternal life and no one will be able to pluck us out of His hand. John 10: 27-28 "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."

In the Old Testament I read about how the Lord commanded Noah to take his family and some animals into the ark so they would be protected from the flood that was to come. He told him that He was going to cause it to rain for forty days and forty nights and every living substance on the earth would be destroyed. Noah obeyed in everything the Lord commanded him to do. Genesis 7: 1-5 "And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation. Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that are not clean by two, the male and his female. Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth. For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth. And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him."

In the Book of Mormon we're shown the constrast between the wicked leader Amalickiah and the righteous Moroni. Amalickiah incited the people against the Nephites and wanted to stir them up to war against them so that he could gain power. On the other hand, Moroni was not a bloodthirsty man and only wanted to keep his people from bondage so that they could maintain their freedoms to worship God as they saw fit and live their lives in peace and happiness. He only wanted to defend his people against unjust attacks and relied on the Lord to help him do it. He tried to prepare for war as best he could, knowing that the Lord would help and preserve the people if they obeyed the commandments. Moroni encouraged the people to be faithful to the Lord. He gave thanks unto God for all the blessings his people enjoyed. As you read these verses, see the contrast between these two leaders, their motivations and their actions. Indeed, if all men were like Moroni, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men. Alma 48: 1-2, 7, 11-17 "And now it came to pass that, as soon as Amalickiah had obtained the kingdom he began to inspire the hearts of the Lamanites against the people of Nephi; yea, he did appoint men to speak unto the Lamanites from their towers, against the Nephites. And thus he did inspire their hearts against the Nephites, insomuch that in the latter end of the nineteenth year of the reign of the judges, he having accomplished his designs thus far, yea, having been made king over the Lamanites, he sought also to reign over all the land, yea, and all the people who were in the land, the Nephites as well as the Lamanites. Now it came to pass that while Amalickiah had thus been obtaining power by fraud and deceit, Moroni, on the other hand, had been preparing the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord their God. And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery; Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people. Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood. Now the Nephites were taught to defend themselves against their enemies, even to the shedding of blood if it were necessary; yea, and they were also taught never to give an offense, yea, and never to raise the sword except it were against an enemy, except it were to preserve their lives. And this was their faith, that by so doing God would prosper them in the land, or in other words, if they were faithful in keeping the commandments of God that he would prosper them in the land; yea, warn them to flee, or to prepare for war, according to their danger; And also, that God would make it known unto them whither they should go to defend themselves against their enemies, and by so doing, the Lord would deliver them; and this was the faith of Moroni, and his heart did glory in it; not in the shedding of blood but in doing good, in preserving his people, yea, in keeping the commandments of God, yea, and resisting iniquity. Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us to deny ourselves of all ungodliness and wordly lusts and to live righteously, having hope in Jesus Chrrist who gave Himself for us, to redeem us from our iniquity so that we could be pure. We need to be zealous in performing good works, and become a peculiar people unto the Lord. Especally in today's wicked world, if we truly strive to keep the commandments, we'll seem mighty peculiar to the people of the world! But that's okay. That's exactly the way the Lord wants us to be. Titus 2: 11-15 "For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee."