Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read that the Lord would withhold rain and send famine and pestilence as judgments upon His people for their wickedness, but they still would not return unto Him. I used to wonder what "cleanness of teeth" meant when it was mentioned in the scriptures. But then I heard in a class that it meant famine. If we have no food to eat, our teeth remain clean. From these verses we hear about all of the punishments that the people received because of the evil that they did. In yet they still refused to repent. Very sad. Amos 4: 6-11 "And I also have given you cleanness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered. So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. I have smitten you with blasting and mildew: when your gardens and your vineyards and your fig trees and your olive trees increased, the palmerworm devoured them: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. I have sent among you the pestilence after the manner of Egypt: your young men have I slain with the sword, and have taken away your horses; and I have made the stink of your camps to come up unto your nostrils: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord. I have overthrown some of you, as God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah, and ye were as a firebrand plucked out of the burning: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the Lord."

In the D&C we're told that the earth has sufficient for all its inhabitants. If a person who has abundance refuses to share what he has with the poor and needy, he'll lift up his eyes in hell. Pretty strong words! If the Lord has blessed us with enough and to spare, we need to be generous in giving to others. D&C 104: 17-18 "For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves. Therefore, if any man shall take of the abundance which I have made, and impart not his portion, according to the law of my gospel, unto the poor and the needy, he shall, with the wicked, lift up his eyes in hell, being in torment."

As I was reading through thought booklets today looking for some verses to comment on, one of them quoted 1 Corinthians 13. These are very familiar verses, talking about the qualities of charity, the pure love of Christ. Very beautiful scripture reminding us of what charity is and is not. But I thought this was so often quoted so I'd see what another thought booklet had to say and maybe use those verses instead. Wow! They quoted 1 Corinthians 13 as well! Strange coincidence? Maybe. Or maybe this is something I really needed reminding of today. Maybe this is something we all need reminding of. To show others the pure love of Christ is the most important thing we can do in our lives. 1 Cor. 13: 1-13 "Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away. For we know in part, and we prophesy in part. But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things. For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity."



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