Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how the Jews proceeded with their work of rebuilding in spite of opposition by their enemeis. Half of them worked on the rebuilding project while half of them stood guard with weapons to keep the enemies from hindering the work. The work went forward in spite of their enemies because God was fighting for them. Neh. 4: 15-21 "And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work. And it came to pass from that time forth, that the half of my servants wrought in the work, and the other half of them held both the spears, the shields, and the bows, and the habergeons; and the rulers were behind all the house of Judah. They which builded on the wall, and they that bare burdens, with those that laded, every one with one of his hands wrought in the work, and with the other hand held a weapon. For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded. And he that sounded the trumpet was by me. And I said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the people, The work is great and large, and we are separated upon the wall, one far from another. In what place therefore ye hear the sound of the trumpet, resort ye thither unto us: our God shall fight for us. So we laboured in the work: and half of them held the spears from the rising of the morning till the stars appeared."

In the D&C, baptism for the dead is discussed, with quotes from the Bible helping us understand that our dead ancestors who did not have an opportunity to be baptized during their lifetimes, need us to perform this necessary ordinance for them. And likewise we cannot be made perfect without being willing to provide this service for our progenitors. The people from the different generations need each other. D&C 128: 16-18 "And now, in relation to the baptism for the dead, I will give you another quotation of Paul, 1 Corinthians 15:29: Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? Why are they then baptized for the dead? And again, in connection with this quotation I will give you a quotation from one of the prophets, who had his eye fixed on the restoration of the priesthood, the glories to be revealed in the last days, and in an especial manner this most glorious of all subjects belonging to the everlasting gospel, namely, the baptism for the dead; for Malachi says, last chapter, verses 5th and 6th: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse. I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times."

A verse from a thought booklet tells us that he who is faithful in little things will also be faithful in larger things; and likewise he who cannot be trusted in small things also cannot be trusted in larger things. Let's remember this when we're tempted with "little sins" that don't seem to matter very much. Do we tell "little white" lies? If the clerk gives us a small amount of too much change, do we figure it's not worth the trouble to give it back? When we feel the spirit prompting us to give some small act of service, do we ignore it because it's not much anyway? When we're called to be a nursery helper instead of the primary president, do we turn down the calling because it's not important enough? Do we cheat "just a little" on our income taxes? Do we put "just a couple of nickels" in the slot machine? Do we just "occasionally" watch movies that are not appropriate? Let's be faithful in the small things and the larger things will take care of themselves. Luke 16: 10 "He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much."
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