Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read the words of the Lord to Zechariah, telling him to call the people to repentance and admonishing them not to be like their fathers who would not listen to prophets who told them to turn from their evil ways. Zech. 1: 1-4 "In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the Lord unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, The Lord hath been sore displeased with your fathers. Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the Lord of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the Lord of hosts. Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the Lord."

In the D&C I read about the wonderful doctrine of redemption of the dead. All those who pass away without learning about the gospel or being baptized will receive the opportunity to learn about the gospel in the next life, and baptisms in their behalf can be performed by those still living. Also, children who die before the age of accountability will be saved in the Celestial Kingdom as well. People are not just judged by what they do, but by the intent of their hearts and by what they would have done had they been given the opportunity. What a just and loving God! D&C 137: 5-10 "I saw Father Adam and Abraham; and my father and my mother; my brother Alvin, that has long since slept; And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for the remission of sins. Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have died without a knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted to tarry, shall be heirs of the celestial kingdom of God; Also all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of it, who would have received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom; For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts. And I also beheld that all children who die before they arrive at the years of accountability are saved in the celestial kingdom of heaven."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that if we walk uprightly, the Lord will not withhold any good thing from us. Does this mean that if we do what's right, we'll get everything we pray for? Not necessarily. The Lord knows far better than we do what really is good for us. Sometimes going through trials and tribulations is just what we need to make us strong and teach us lessons we could not learn in any other way. We need to trust in Him. Ps. 84: 11 "For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly."


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