Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read that the Phillistines smote Israel with a great slaughter, including the wicked sons of Eli. And the ark of God was taken. If the people had been righteous, this would not have happened. 1 Sam. 4: 10-11 "And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter; for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain."

In the Book of Mormon I read that the priests went forth preaching to the people and teaching them to avoid committing sins and telling them of the coming of the Son of God who would suffer and die and then be resurrected from the dead. Alma 16:18-19 "Now those priests who did go forth among the people did preach against all lyings, and deceivings, and denvyings, and strifes , and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be— Holding forth things which must shortly come; yea, holding forth the coming of the Son of God, his sufferings and death, and also the resurrection of the dead."

A verse from a thought booklet tells us that we are as clay and the Lord is the potter, and we are the work of His hand. The story is told of a man who restored a Stradivarius violin made in the 1600's and a huge crowd gathered to hear him play--not because of how well he played but because they were in awe to hear a violin made by a master. When dealing with other people we need to remember that they, too, were created by a Master. He made us all and we should deal with other people with a sense of awe, knowing that they have been lovingly created by God. If we are ever mindful of this, it should help us show love and patience for those we come in contact with. Isa. 64: 8 "But now, O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand."