Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read that Josiah overturned the worship of false gods and got rid of idolatry and those who practiced it, as well as sodomites. 2 Kings 23:4-7,14-15 "And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the Lord all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Beth-el. And he put down the idolatrous priests , whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense in the high places in the cities of Judah, and in the places round about Jerusalem; them also that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, and to the moon, and to the planets, and to all the host of heaven. And he brought out the grove from the house of the Lord, without Jerusalem, unto the brook Kidron, and burned it at the brook Kidron, and stamped it small to powder, and cast the powder thereof upon the graves of the children of the people. And he brake down the houses of the sodomites, that were by the house of the Lord, where the women wove hangings for the grove. And he brake in pieces the images, and cut down the groves, and filled their places with the bones of men. Moreover the altar that was at Beth-el, and the high place which Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, had made, both that altar and the high place he brake down, and burned the high place, and stamped it small to powder, and burned the grove."

The the D&C I read that this life is the day of our probation, the time in which we prove ourselves. If we believe, we'll be raised in immortality unto eternal life, but if we love darkness rather than light and our deeds are evil, we'll receive our wages of whom we list to obey. D&C 29: 43-45 "And thus did I, the Lord God, appoint unto man the days of his probation—that by his natural death he might be raised in immortality unto eternal life, even as many as would believe; And they that believe not unto eternal damnation; for they cannot be redeemed from their spiritual fall, because they repent not; For they love darkness rather than light, and their deeds are evil, and they receive their wages of whom they list to obey."

Some verses with a thought booklet talk about the parable of the sower and how different seeds react when planted in different types of soil--just like the how the gospel is able to thrive and bear fruit when heard by receptive people but is not able to grow when heard by people with hard hearts or who allow the cares of the world to choke out the Word of God. The thought that went with this, written by F. Linn Reed from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania says: "Read please, Momma," my young daughter asked, her brown eyes peeking out from behind an armful of stuffed animals. As I tried to open the book, her menagerie hindered my efforts. First, a big brown bear blocked the words on the page, then a fallen rag doll had to be retrieved from the floor. "read, Momma," Emily said, her small brows furrowed with impatience. Finally, we put a few toys on the floor to "listen." She settled in and we enjoyed the book together. In the parable of the sower, Jesus compares the seed thrown in among weeds with those who hear the word and then are overcome by worries. Just as Emily's bears and dolls got in the way of my reading the book, my own worries often get in the way of me hearing God's Word. Just as Emily was able to hear her story when she set aside her animals, I need to set aside my jmany cares and worries when I open God's Word. By doing so, I can help the seed that is planted to not be chocked but to grow and become fruitful. Heavenly Sower, I set aside my worries for this moment, that I might truly hear your Word. Mark 4: 13-20 "And he said unto them, Know ye not this parable? and how then will ye know all parables? The sower soweth the word. And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness; And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended. And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful. And these are they which are sown on good ground; such as hear the word, and receive it, and bring forth fruit, some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some an hundred."

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