Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how we should love and call upon the Lord; He will hear us. Ps. 116: 1-2 "I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my supplications. Because he hath inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live."

In the Book of Mormon I read that it is good to be learned if we're willing to listen to counsel from God; but it is foolish to suppose that we know all the answers ourselves and set aside counsel from the Lord. When we do this, we're falling into the cunning trap of the evil one. 2 Ne. 9: 28-29 "O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish. But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the parable of the barren fig tree and how the vinedresser decided to nourish it for another season to see if it would bear fruit rather than cut it down right away. Shouldn't we treat the people in our lives with as much mercy as this vinedresser treated his fig tree? We all have people in our lives we'd just as soon do without. And our tendency is to simply want them gone. But we need to treat them with as much love and patience and extra care as this gardener gave to his fig tree. Luke 13: 6-9 "He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down."