Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that we should give freely to those in need--feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the sick. If we only have enough money for our own needs from day to day and don't have any to give to the poor, but we know we would give if we had it to give, we are held guiltless. But if this is not what is in our hearts, we are condemned. Mosiah 4: 24-26 "And again, I say unto the poor, ye who have not and yet have sufficient, that ye remain from day to day; I mean all you who deny the beggar, because ye have not; I would that ye say in your hearts that: I give not because I have not, but if I had I would give. And now, if ye say this in your hearts ye remain guiltless, otherwise ye are condemned; and your condemnation is just for ye covet that which ye have not received. And now, for the sake of these things which I have spoken unto you—that is, for the sake of retaining a remission of your sins from day to day, that ye may walk guiltless before God—I would that ye should impart of your substance to the poor, every man according to that which he hath, such as feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting the sick and administering to their relief, both spiritually and temporally, according to their wants."

In the Old Testament I read that the world was filled with violence and wickedness so the Lord decided to destroy it. However, He commanded Noah to build an ark so that he and his family, and two of each kind of animal, would be saved from the floods that would come. Noah obeyed all that God commanded him to do. There is safety in obeying what the Lord tells us to do. Genesis 6:12-14, 17-22 "And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch. And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee. And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female. Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them. Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."

In a verse with a thought booklet we're reminded that the Lord doesn't judge by outward appearances, but rather sees our heart. Do we often judge people by what they look like? Do we hesitate to say hello to someone merely because of their appearance? Do we neglect to try to be a missionary to someone because they "look" like they'd never accept the gospel? Do we look down on someone simply because they're overweight or of a different race or culture than we are? Some of the most unlikely looking people might have hearts of gold, which we could see if we tried to keep an open mind about them and see them the way the Lord does. 1 Samuel 16:7 "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."