Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read that while Daniel was praying to God and confessing the sins of Israel, Gabriel came to him and showed him a vision of the Messiah who would make reconciliation for iniquity. Dan. 9: 20-27 "And whiles I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; Yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision. Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and to make an end of sins, and to make reconciliation for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up the vision and prophecy, and to anoint the most Holy. Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times. And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate."

In the D&C we're told some of the great calamities that will befall us in the latter days--earthquakes and thunderings and lightenings and tsunamis. The whole world will be in commotion and men's hearts will fail them. We need to prepare ourselves for the coming of Christ. D&C 88: 87-92 "For not many days hence and the earth shall tremble and reel to and fro as a drunken man; and the sun shall hide his face, and shall refuse to give light; and the moon shall be bathed in blood; and the stars shall become exceedingly angry, and shall cast themselves down as a fig that falleth from off a fig-tree.8 And after your testimony cometh wrath and indignation upon the people. For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand. And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds. And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people. And angels shall fly through the midst of heaven, crying with a loud voice, sounding the trump of God, saying: Prepare ye, prepare ye, O inhabitants of the earth; for the judgment of our God is come. Behold, and lo, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us to approach the throne of God with confidence, so we can find mercy and grace in our time of need. The story is told of an elderly woman whose next door neighbor was her Lifeline contact person. One day the neighbor came to visit her and the older woman told her that she'd fallen earlier that morning and it had taken her an hour of struggling to get up off the floor. The neighbor asked her why she didn't her her Lifeline to contact her. She said she didn't want to bother her and she wasn't sure if the neighbor knew where the key to her place was. The neighbor reassured her that it was no bother to help her and she knew where the key was! How silly to struggle on alone for an hour when the neighbor was ready and willing to help. Aren't we like this when we independently struggle with our problems by ourselves instead of turning to the Lord who is ready and willing to help us? We can be confident that He wants to help us and will be there for us if we'll only ask. Heb. 4: 16 "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need."
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