Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read the words of Ruth as she told her mother in law that she would not leave her but would lodge where she would lodge and make her people to be her own. She would stay with her and nothing but death would part them. This is a wonderful example of love and loyalty. Ruth 1: 16-17 "And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how the people's wickedness was ripening them for destruction. In fact, if was only because of the prayers of the righteous among them that they were being spared. And they were warned by Amulek that if they should cast out the righteous from among them, the Lord would not stay His hand. This just made the people more angry with Amulek, who told them that they had allowed Satan to get great hold upon their hearts, to blind their eyes so they could not understand the truth when it was spoken to them. It is very sad indeed when people allow Satan to take hold of their hearts so that they have no understanding of the truth even when it is spoken plainly unto them. Alma 10: 22-25 "Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword. But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent. And now it came to pass that the people were more angry with Amulek, and they cried out, saying: This man doth revile against our laws which are just, and our wise lawyers whom we have selected. But Amulek stretched forth his hand, and cried the mightier unto them, saying: O ye wicked and perverse generation, why hath Satan got such great hold upon your hearts? Why will ye yield yourselves unto him that he may have power over you, to blind your eyes, that ye will not understand the words which are spoken, according to their truth?"

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that our faith is more precious than gold when tried with fire. We need to come through trials and challenges to make our faith strong and prove ourselves. Cashmere wool is very expensive. It's made from the down of goats who live in some of the most inhospitable places in the world. The worse the climate and the harsher the conditions they live in, the better their coats are. Many years ago some sweater makers tried relocating their goats to a more mild climate and the results were that their goats stopped growing their valuable wool. We need trials and tribulations to make us strong! 1 Pet. 1: 7 "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:"