Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament it says that where there is no vision the people perish--a good reason why we need continual revelation today. Those who keep the commandments are happy. Prov. 29: 18 "Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he."

In the Book of Mormon I read about how some people believed the preaching of Alma and Amulek and repented of their sins, but most of the people reviled against them and sought to destroy them. They bound them with strong cords and took them before the chief judge. Zeezrom had repented of his sins and was greatly sorrowed by the evil his lying words had caused. But when he tried to tell the people that he was guilty and that Alma and Amulek were innocent and spoke the truth, they reviled against him also. Then they brought the women and children together, and the scriptures, and burned them with fire, making Alma and Amulke witness this awful scene. Can you imagine how horrible this would be to watch? Amulek wanted to exercise the power of God to stop this bloodshed, but Alma said he felt constrained by the Spirit from doing so. He said that the innocent people who were being martyred were being received by the Lord in glory and that the people who were killing them would have innocent blood witness against them at the last day. Alma 14: 1-4, 6-11 "And it came to pass after he had made an end of speaking unto the people many of them did believe on his words, and began to repent, and to search the scriptures. But the more part of them were desirous that they might destroy Alma and Amulek; for they were angry with Alma, because of the plainness of his words unto Zeezrom; and they also said that Amulek had lied unto them, and had reviled against their law and also against their lawyers and judges. And they were also angry with Alma and Amulek; and because they had testified so plainly against their wickedness, they sought to put them away privily. But it came to pass that they did not; but they took them and bound them with strong cords, and took them before the chief judge of the land. And it came to pass that Zeezrom was astonished at the words which had been spoken; and he also knew concerning the blindness of the minds, which he had caused among the people by his lying words; and his soul began to be harrowed up under a consciousness of his own guilt; yea, he began to be encircled about by the pains of hell. And it came to pass that he began to cry unto the people, saying: Behold, I am guilty, and these men are spotless before God. And he began to plead for them from that time forth; but they reviled him, saying: Art thou also possessed with the devil? And they spit upon him, and cast him out from among them, and also all those who believed in the words which had been spoken by Alma and Amulek; and they cast them out, and sent men to cast stones at them. And they brought their wives and children together, and whosoever believed or had been taught to believe in the word of God they caused that they should be cast into the fire; and they also brought forth their records which contained the holy scriptures, and cast them into the fire also, that they might be burned and destroyed by fire. And it came to pass that they took Alma and Amulek, and carried them forth to the place of martyrdom, that they might witness the destruction of those who were consumed by fire. And when Amulek saw the pains of the women and children who were consuming in the fire, he also was pained; and he said unto Alma: How can we witness this awful scene? Therefore let us stretch forth our hands, and exercise the power of God which is in us, and save them from the flames. But Alma said unto him: The Spirit constraineth me that I must not stretch forth mine hand; for behold the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory; and he doth suffer that they may do this thing, or that the people may do this thing unto them, according to the hardness of their hearts, that the judgments which he shall exercise upon them in his wrath may be just; and the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day."

A verse with a thought booklet admonishes us to seek out the book of the Lord and read. Isa. 34: 16 "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his spirit it hath gathered them."