Daily Thoughts Sunday

In the Book of Mormon I read about how an anbel appeared to Alma the
younger and the sons of Mosiah and told them to stop rebelling against God
and
stop trying to destroy His church. This angel appeared because of the
prayers
of Alma, his father, who had prayed with much faith regarding his son.
Sometimes it breaks our hearts when we see family members straying from the
gospel and we feel helpless to do anything about it. But a prayer of faith
avails much. They may not get angels sent to testify to them, but over time
hearts can be softened and lives can be changed. I remember many years ago
a
little 7 year old girl in my primary class told me she was very worried
about
her teenaged sister who was smoking. She said she'd tried talking to her
and
begging her to stop smoking but nothing she said did any good. I told the
little girl to continue to pray for her sister, that sometimes that was all
we could do. Several years later the older sister of this little girl got
up in Fast and Testimony Meeting and said she'd given up smoking and it was
all thanks to her little sister who had continued to pray for her all
through
the years and had never given up on her. Prayer might be all we have, but
it is powerful! Mosiah 27:11-18 "And as I said unto you, as they were
going about rebelling against God, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared
unto
them; and he descended as it were in a cloud; and he spake as it were with
a
voice of thunder, which caused the earth to shake upon which they stood;
And
so great was their astonishment, that they fell to the earth, and
understood not the words which he spake unto them. Nevertheless he cried
again,
saying: Alma, arise and stand forth, for why persecutest thou the church of
God?
For the Lord hath said: This is my church, and I will establish it; and
nothing shall overthrow it, save it is the transgression of my people. And
again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his
people, and
also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed
with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the
knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince
thee
of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might
be
answered according to their faith. And now behold, can ye dispute the power
of God? For behold, doth not my voice shake the earth? And can ye not also
behold me before you? And I am sent from God. Now I say unto thee: Go, and
remember the captivity of thy fathers in the land of Helam, and in the land
of
Nephi; and remember how great things he has done for them; for they were in
bondage, and he has delivered them. And now I say unto thee, Alma, go thy
way, and seek to destroy the church no more, that their prayers may be
answered, and this even if thou wilt of thyself be cast off. And now it
came to
pass that these were the last words which the angel spake unto Alma, and he
departed. And now Alma and those that were with him fell again to the
earth,
for great was their astonishment; for with their own eyes they had beheld
an
angel of the Lord; and his voice was as thunder, which shook the earth; and
they knew that there was nothing save the power of God that could shake the
earth and cause it to tremble as though it would part asunder."

In the Old Testament we read about how the Lord appeared to Moses and told
him that He had heard the cries of the children of Israel and that he would
deliver them out of the hands of the Egyptians and bring them up to a
promised land. Exocus 3:1-10 "Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his
father in
law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the
desert,
and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb. And the angel of the Lord
appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he
looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not
consumed.
And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the
bush
is not burnt. And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called
unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said,
Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off
thy
feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said,
I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God.
And
the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in
Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know
their sorrows; And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the
Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a
large,
unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites,
and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites,
and
the Jebusites. Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel is
come unto me: and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians
oppress them. Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that
thou
mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt."

Some verses with a thought booklet are ones I've often read and quoted, but
they bear an important message--that we should trust in the Lord with all
our heart instead of relying on our own understanding. He will direct our
paths and make them straight if we will ackowledge Him in all our ways.
The
thought that went with this, written by Renee Lannan from York,
Pennsylvania
says: When I turned into a neighborhood of huge poplar trees, my
two-year-old started squealing in his car seat. "We're going to Hayden's
church!" he
exclaimed. I was amazed that he knew where we were. From his vantage
below
the window, he could see only a strip of sky, power lines, and intermittent
treetops, yet he knew our destination because he remembers patterns. Oh,
that I could be so wise and trusting when I can see so little of where God
is
taking me! I need to remember the patterns of our past journeys together:
God's unfailing presence, encouragement, and faithfulness. Lord, help us
remember that we don't need to see the whole picture as we follow you. Our
partial view is enough if we remember to look skyward and focus on you and
how you've navigated our journeys many times before. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust
in
the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

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Daily Thoughts Monday

In the Book of Mormon we read that after the angel visited Alma the
Younger, he became a new creature, born again and redeemed by God. He
changed his
whole life, repenting of his sins and rejoicing in his salvation. He then
went about teaching other pepole and preaching the gospel to them. Mosiah
27: 23-32 "And it came to pass after they had fasted and prayed for the
space
of two days and two nights, the limbs of Alma received their strength, and
he stood up and began to speak unto them, bidding them to be of good
comfort:
For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the
Lord; behold I am born of the Spirit. And the Lord said unto me: Marvel not
that all mankind, yea, men and women, all nations, kindreds, tongues and
people, must be born again; yea, born of God, changed from their carnal and
fallen
state, to a state of righteousness, being redeemed of God, becoming his
sons and daughters; And thus they become new creatures; and unless they do
this, they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God. I say unto you, unless
this
be the case, they must be cast off; and this I know, because I was like to
be cast off. Nevertheless, after wading through much tribulation, repenting
nigh unto death, the Lord in mercy hath seen fit to snatch me out of an
everlasting burning, and I am born of God. My soul hath been redeemed from
the
gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but
now
I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal
torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more. I rejected my
Redeemer,
and denied that which had been spoken of by our fathers; but now that they
may foresee that he will come, and that he remembereth every creature of
his
creating, he will make himself manifest unto all. Yea, every knee shall
bow, and every tongue confess before him. Yea, even at the last day, when
all
men shall stand to be judged of him, then shall they confess that he is
God;
then shall they confess, who live without God in the world, that the
judgment of an everlasting punishment is just upon them; and they shall
quake, and
tremble, and shrink beneath the glance of his all-searching eye. And now it
came to pass that Alma began from this time forward to teach the people,
and
those who were with Alma at the time the angel appeared unto them,
traveling round about through all the land, publishing to all the people
the things
which they had heard and seen, and preaching the word of God in much
tribulation, being greatly persecuted by those who were unbelievers, being
smitten
by many of them."

In the Old Testament we read about how Moses told the Lord that perhaps the
people would not believe that he was sent by Him. So the Lord gave him
signs to show them--making a rod become a serpent, having his hand turn
leporous and then back normal again, and turning water to blood. Exodus
4:1-9
"And Moses answered and said, But, behold, they will not believe me, nor
hearken unto my voice: for they will say, The Lord hath not appeared unto
thee.
And the Lord said unto him, What is that in thine hand? And he said, A rod.
And he said, Cast it on the ground. And he cast it on the ground, and it
became a serpent; and Moses fled from before it. And the Lord said unto
Moses,
Put forth thine hand, and take it by the tail. And he put forth his hand,
and
caught it, and it became a rod in his hand: That they may believe that the
Lord God of their fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the
God
of Jacob, hath appeared unto thee. And the Lord said furthermore unto him,
Put now thine hand into thy bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom: and
when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow. And he said, Put
thine hand into thy bosom again. And he put his hand into his bosom again;
and
plucked it out of his bosom, and, behold, it was turned again as his other
flesh. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe thee, neither
hearken to the voice of the first sign, that they will believe the voice of
the
latter sign. And it shall come to pass, if they will not believe also these
two signs, neither hearken unto thy voice, that thou shalt take of the
water of the river, and pour it upon the dry land: and the water which thou
takest out of the river shall become blood upon the dry land."

A verse with a thought booklet reminds us that we need to be vigilant
because the devil is like a roaring lion prowling around, seeking to devour
us!
Satan is committed to derailing God's work. Boy, we need to be constantly
on
our guard, and ask the Lord to help us, to keep that raging lion from
eating us alive! 1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary
the
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:"</HTML>

Daily Thoughts Saturday

In the Book of Mormon I read about how one of the sons of Alma, Alma the
Younger, and four of the sons of King Mosiah, were very wicked and sought
to
influence other people to do evil as well. They went about seeking to
destroy the church of God and became a great hinderance to the work of the
Lord.
Can you imagine how their parents must have felt to see their sons so
rebellious and leading lives so contrary to the gospel? Mosiah 27:8-10 "Now
the
sons of Mosiah were numbered among the unbelievers; and also one of the
sons
of Alma was numbered among them, he being called Alma, after his father;
nevertheless, he became a very wicked and an idolatrous man. And he was a
man of
many words, and did speak much flattery to the people; therefore he led
many of the people to do after the manner of his iniquities. And he became
a
great hinderment to the prosperity of the church of God; stealing away the
hearts of the people; causing much dissension among the people; giving a
chance
for the enemy of God to exercise his power over them. And now it came to
pass that while he was going about to destroy the church of God, for he did
go
about secretly with the sons of Mosiah seeking to destroy the church, and
to lead astray the people of the Lord, contrary to the commandments of God,
or even the king— "

In the Old Testament we read that the children of Israel suffered under
bondage and cried to the Lord. He heard their groanings and remembered the
covenants He had made with their fathers. Exodus 2: 23-25 "And it came to
pass
in process of time, that the king of Egypt died: and the children of Israel
sighed by reason of the bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto
God by reason of the bondage. And God heard their groaning, and God
remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. And God
looked
upon the children of Israel, and God had respect unto them."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us to humble ourselves before God.
If we do this, He will exalt us in due time And we can cast all our cares
upon Him, for He cares for us. 1 Peter 5:6-7 "Humble yourselves therefore
under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting
all
your care upon him; for he careth for you."</HTML>

Daily Thoughts Thursday

My computer is fixed but they're still working to recover data so it may be
a few more days before I can go pick it up. I thought I'd better send off
some more Daily Thoughts while this old computer is up and running.

In the Book of Mormon I read that the rising generation did not believe in
Christ or the resurrection of the dead. Because of their unbelief, their
hearts were hardened and they could not understand the Word of God. This
is
also true today. Those who harden their hearts and refuse to believe do
not
really understand the things of the Spirit. Mosiah 26:1-3 "Now it came to
pass that there were many of the rising generation that could not
understand
the words of king Benjamin, being little children at the time he spake unto
his people; and they did not believe the tradition of their fathers. They
did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead,
neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ. And now because
of
their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts
were hardened."

In the Old Testament we read that after many years the children of Israel
multiplied greatly and a new king rose up in Egypt who did not know Joseph.

He didn't like how mighty the children of Israel had become and set burdens
upon them to afflict them. Exodus 1:6-13 "And Joseph died, and all his
brethren, and all that generation. And the children of Israel were
fruitful, and
increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding mighty; and the
land was filled with them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which
knew not Joseph. And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the
children of Israel are more and mightier than we: Come on, let us deal
wisely with
them; lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out
any war, they join also unto our enemies, and fight against us, and so get
them up out of the land. Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to
afflict them with their burdens. And they built for Pharaoh treasure
cities,
Pithom and Raamses. But the more they afflicted them, the more they
multiplied
and grew. And they were grieved because of the children of Israel. And the
Egyptians made the children of Israel to serve with rigour:"

A verse from a thought booklet says that above all else we should have
charity for each other, which can cover a multitude of sins. The most
important
thing we can do is love one another! 1 Peter 4:8 "And above all things
have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the
multitude of
sins."</HTML>

Daily Thoughts Friday

In the Book of Mormon I read that as often as we'll repent, the Lord will
forgive us. But if we want Him to forgive us, we likewise need to forgive
those who tresspass against us. Mosiah 26:30-31 "Yea, and as often as my
people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me. And ye shall
also
forgive one another your trespasses; for verily I say unto you, he that
forgiveth not his neighbor's trespasses when he says that he repents, the
same
hath brought himself under condemnation."

In the Old Testament we read that Pharoah charged that all the sons born to
the Hebrews should be thrown into the river. When Moses was born his
mother tried to hide him, fearing for his life. She put him in an ark and
hid
him among the flags by the river's banks. Pharoah's daughter found him and
had compassion on him, adopting him as her son. Exodus 1:22; 2:1-10; "And
Pharaoh charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born ye shall
cast
into the river, and every daughter ye shall save alive. And there went a
man
of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi. And the woman
conceived, and bare a son: and when she saw him that he was a goodly child,
she
hid him three months. And when she could not longer hide him, she took for
him an ark of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put
the child therein; and she laid it in the flags by the river's brink. And
his
sister stood afar off, to wit what would be done to him. And the daughter
of
Pharaoh came down to wash herself at the river; and her maidens walked
along by the river's side; and when she saw the ark among the flags, she
sent
her maid to fetch it. And when she had opened it, she saw the child: and,
behold, the babe wept. And she had compassion on him, and said, This is one
of
the Hebrews' children. Then said his sister to Pharaoh's daughter, Shall I
go and call to thee a nurse of the Hebrew women, that she may nurse the
child
for thee? And Pharaoh's daughter said to her, Go. And the maid went and
called the child's mother. And Pharaoh's daughter said unto her, Take this
child away, and nurse it for me, and I will give thee thy wages. And the
woman
took the child, and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought him unto
Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses:
and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that if we expect the Lord
to be merciful and forgiving to us, we need to likewise be merciful and
forgiving of other people. If we don't want to be judged harshly and be
condemned by the Lord, we need to refrain from condemning others. Luke
6:36-37 "Be
ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful. Judge not, and ye
shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive,
and
ye shall be forgiven:"

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Daily Thoughts Wednesday

In the Book of Mormon I read that many churches were established in the
land because there were so many people that they could not all meet
together
in one congregation. However, all the many churches were united in that
they
all taught the same thing--repentance and faith in God. They were all
willing to take upon them the name of Christ and the Spirit was poured out
upon
all of them. This is true even today with the many wards and branches of
the church. They are all united and all teach the same doctrine. Whenever
I've been on vacation and have attended church in a different location,
they've all taught lessons out of the same manuals, had the same sacrament
prayers, and I felt the same Spirit there that would be present in my home
ward.
Mosiah 25:19-24 "And it came to pass that king Mosiah granted unto Alma
that
he might establish churches throughout all the land of Zarahemla; and gave
him power to ordain priests and teachers over every church. Now this was
done
because there were so many people that they could not all be governed by
one teacher; neither could they all hear the word of God in one assembly;
Therefore they did assemble themselves together in different bodies, being
called churches; every church having their priests and their teachers, and
every
priest preaching the word according as it was delivered to him by the mouth
of Alma. And thus, notwithstanding there being many churches they were all
one church, yea, even the church of God; for there was nothing preached in
all the churches except it were repentance and faith in God. And now there
were seven churches in the land of Zarahemla. And it came to pass that
whosoever were desirous to take upon them the name of Christ, or of God,
they did
join the churches of God; And they were called the people of God. And the
Lord
did pour out his Spirit upon them, and they were blessed, and prospered in
the land."

In the Old Testament we read that after Israel died, Joseph's brothers were
fearful that Joseph would take vengeance against them for selling him into
Egypt. But he reassured them that he would be kind to them and nourish
them
and their children. He told them that good came out of him being sold into
Egypt and they should not fear him. Joseph is a wonderful example of how
we need to be forgiving to those who tresspass against us. Genesis 50:15-21
"And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said,
Joseph
will peradventure hate us, and will certainly requite us all the evil which
we did unto him. And they sent a messenger unto Joseph, saying, Thy father
did command before he died, saying, So shall ye say unto Joseph, Forgive, I
pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren, and their sin; for they did
unto thee evil: and now, we pray thee, forgive the trespass of the servants
of
the God of thy father. And Joseph wept when they spake unto him. And his
brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said, Behold, we
be
thy servants. And Joseph said unto them, Fear not: for am I in the place
of
God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto
good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now
therefore fear ye not: I will nourish you, and your little ones. And he
comforted
them, and spake kindly unto them."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us not to despise the chastening of
the Lord or get tired of Him correcting us. We need to realize that the
Lord chastens those He loves, just as a loving father chastens his
children.
A wise parent doesn't give a child everything they want and does not allow
their child to have their own way when it's not in their best interest.
Can
we doubt that a loving Heavenly Father would do anything less? Proverbs
3:11-12 "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary
of
his correction:
For whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom
he delighteth."

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Daily Thoughts Tuesday

In the Book of Mormon I read about how had reasons to be both happy and sad
and sometimes didn't know what to feel. They were filled with joy at being
delivered from bondage and thinking about the goodness of God and His
power. But they were filled with sorrow and shed many tears over their
brethren
who had been slain by the Lamanites. And they were filled with pain and
anguish thinking of the welfare of the souls of the Lamanites who were in a
sinful and polluted state. I think it's true of all of us that we have
areas in
our lives to be full of gratitude for, and other areas that bring us sorrow
and pain. Mosiah 25:7-11 "And now, when Mosiah had made an end of reading
the records, his people who tarried in the land were struck with wonder and
amazement. For they knew not what to think; for when they beheld those that
had been delivered out of bondage they were filled with exceedingly great
joy. And again, when they thought of their brethren who had been slain by
the
Lamanites they were filled with sorrow, and even shed many tears of sorrow.
And again, when they thought of the immediate goodness of God, and his
power
in delivering Alma and his brethren out of the hands of the Lamanites and
of bondage, they did raise their voices and give thanks to God. And again,
when they thought upon the Lamanites, who were their brethren, of their
sinful
and polluted state, they were filled with pain and anguish for the welfare
of their souls."

In the Old Testament we read that after Israel finished blessing all his
twelve sons and told them he wanted to be buried in the cave in the field
of
Ephron the Hittite where Abraham, Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah were buried, he
gave up the ghost and died. Genesis 49:28-33 "All these are the twelve
tribes
of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed
them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. And he charged
them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with
my
fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, In the cave
that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of
Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a
possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife;
there
they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. The
purchase
of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.
And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his
feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his
people."

Some verses with a thought booklet remind us that if we suffer or are
unjustly accused for being followers of Christ, we need to remember how
much
Christ suffered for our sins even though He was innocent. If evildoers
speak
evil of us, that is nothing compared to what Christ went through for us. We
need to forgive as He forgave, and be constantly prepared to give every man
who asks us a reason for our hope. 1 Peter 3:13-18 "And who is he that
will
harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer
for
righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror,
neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready
always
to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is
in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they
speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse
your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be
so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. For Christ also
hath
once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to
God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:"

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Daily Thoughts Monday

In the Book of Mormon I read some verses that tell how the Lord eased the
burdens ofo the people so they could not feel them upon their backs. He
strenghtened the people so they could bear their burdens with ease.
Sometimes
when we pray for relief from our problems the Lord does not immediately
make
our problems go away, but instead He strenghtens us so we can bear our
burdens with ease. We need to be willing to cheerfuly and with patience
submit
ourselves to the will of the Lord. Mosiah 24:14-15 "And I will also ease
the
burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them
upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye
may
stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that
I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. And now it came
to
pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made
light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their
burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all
the
will of the Lord."

In the Old Testament I read aout how Jacob recounted his experience of when
the Lord appeared to him in Luz and told him that he would make a multitude
of people and the land would belong to his seed for an everlastig
possession. Genesis 48:1-4 "And it came to pass after these things, that
one told
Joseph, Behold, thy father is sick: and he took with him his two sons,
Manasseh and Ephraim. And one told Jacob, and said, Behold, thy son Joseph
cometh
unto thee: and Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed. And Jacob
said unto Joseph, God Almighty appeared unto me at Luz in the land of
Canaan,
and blessed me, And said unto me, Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and
multiply thee, and I will make of thee a multitude of people; and will give
this land to thy seed after thee for an everlasting possession."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us to have compassion for each
other, showing forth love. We need to be courteous, sympathetic, and kind
and
we need to refrain from rendering evil for evil, but rather blessing those
who are unkind to us. If we want to enjoy life and see good days, we need
to
refrain our tongues from speaking evil. Notice that these scriptures don't
tell us to be kind to those who are kind to us--they tell us not to insult
those who insult us and return blessing for cursing. Other people are
consistently imperfect! They have flaws and shortcomings. But we are to
be loving
and compassinate with them anyway. Not an easy thing to do, but if we will
trust in the Lord, He will help us. 1 Peter 3:8-10 "Finally, be ye all of
one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful,
be
courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but
contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should
inherit
a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain
his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile:"
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Daily Thoughts Sunday

In the Book of Mormon we're told that the Lord chastens His people and
tries their faith, but if we'll put our trust in Him, we'll be lifted up at
the
last day. Mosiah 23:21-22 "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his
people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless—
whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last
day. Yea,
and thus it was with this people."

A verse in the Old Testament tells about the wonderful, joyous reunion
between Joseph and his father. It says

he fell on his neck and wept a good while. Can you just picture this
father and son seeing each other for the

first time in many years and how happy they were to be together again? The
father thought the son was dead

and had mourned him terribly. But he was alive! And they were together
again! This is the same kind of

reunion we'll each have someday when we pass beyond the veil and are able
to see our loved ones who have

gone on before us. Genesis 46:29 "And Joseph made ready his chariot, and
went up to meet Israel his father, to Goshen, and presented himself unto
him;
and he fell on his neck, and wept on his neck a good while."

In some verses with a thought booklet we read an example of a letter
written by Paul. He wrote many letters,

or epistles, to various people. He opens each with his name, gives
personal greetings, and ends with a

blessing. He wrote to individuals and churches and he wrote personal, warm
and encouraging words. His

letters were full of instruction and wisdom and sometimes reproof, but
always showed forth his love. Letters

can mean a lot to the receiver, and sometimes are saved for decades. In the
case of Paul's letters, they've

been saved for centuries! Why not write a letter to someone today and
brighten somebody's day? Philippians 1:1-7 "Paul and Timotheus, the
servants
of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi,
with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our
Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every
remembrance of
you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,
For
your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident
of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will
perform
it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this
of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds,
and
in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my
grace."</HTML>

Daily Thoughts Saturday

In the Book of Mormon I read that Alma taught the people that they should
not trust anyone to be their teacher or minister unless he is a man of God
who keeps the commandments. He also taught them that they should love
their
neighbors as themselves and have no contention among them. These are
things
we all need to abide by. Mosiah 23:14-15 "And also trust no one to be
your
teacher nor your minister, except he be a man of God, walking in his ways
and keeping his commandments. Thus did Alma teach his people, that every
man
should love his neighbor as himself, that there should be no contention
among them."

In the Old Testament I read about how Jacob and his family went to Egypt to
be with Joseph so he could take care of them during the remainder of the
famine. Genesis 46:5-7 "And Jacob rose up from Beer-sheba: and the sons of
Israel carried Jacob their father, and their little ones, and their wives,
in
the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him. And they took their cattle,
and their goods, which they had gotten in the land of Canaan, and came into
Egypt, Jacob, and all his seed with him: His sons, and his sons' sons with
him, his daughters, and his sons' daughters, and all his seed brought he
with
him into Egypt."

Some verses with a thought booklet admonish us to bear our suffering
patiently, even when it seems unfair and undeserved. We need to remember
the
example of Jesus Christ who was totally innocent in yet He bore our sins
with
His stripes. When we're called upon to bear the pain of unjust suffering,
we
need to remember Him and His perfect example. 1 Peter 2:19-25 "For this is
thankworthy, if a man for conscience toward God endure grief, suffering
wrongfully. For what glory is it, if, when ye be buffeted for your faults,
ye
shall take it patiently? but if, when ye do well, and suffer for it, ye
take it
patiently, this is acceptable with God. For even hereunto were ye called:
because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should
follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Who,
when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened
not;
but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self
bare
our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should
live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as
sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of
your
souls."

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Daily Thoughts Friday

NOTE: I'm having major computer problems. My computer has completely
crashed and at this point I don't know if it's fixable or if the data in it is
retrievable. I've got it in the shop but they haven't had time to look at it
yet. I have a really old computer that sometimes works a little bit and
sometimes won't boot up at all. While I've got it up and running at the
moment, I'm going to send out several days' worth of Daily Thoughts in advance
because I can't guarantee I'll have a working computer to do it later. I
write my Daily Thoughts two months in advance and email them to myself so thank
goodness they were saved on my email program. Here are the Daily Thoughts
for tomorrow:

In the Book of Mormon I read about how Gideon formed a plan of how to
deliver the people out of bondage and went before the king to tell him of
his
plan. The kind listened to him and the people were able to depart by night
into the wilderness, taking their precious things with them. Mosiah
22:3-12
"Now it came to pass that Gideon went forth and stood before the king, and
said unto him: Now O king, thou hast hitherto hearkened unto my words many
times when we have been contending with our brethren, the Lamanites. And
now O
king, if thou hast not found me to be an unprofitable servant, or if thou
hast hitherto listened to my words in any degree, and they have been of
service
to thee, even so I desire that thou wouldst listen to my words at this
time, and I will be thy servant and deliver this people out of bondage. And
the
king granted unto him that he might speak. And Gideon said unto him: Behold
the back pass, through the back wall, on the back side of the city. The
Lamanites, or the guards of the Lamanites, by night are drunken; therefore
let
us send a proclamation among all this people that they gather together
their
flocks and herds, that they may drive them into the wilderness by night.
And
I will go according to thy command and pay the last tribute of wine to the
Lamanites, and they will be drunken; and we will pass through the secret
pass on the left of their camp when they are drunken and asleep. Thus we
will
depart with our women and our children, our flocks, and our herds into the
wilderness; and we will travel around the land of Shilom. And it came to
pass
that the king hearkened unto the words of Gideon. And king Limhi caused
that
his people should gather their flocks together; and he sent the tribute of
wine to the Lamanites; and he also sent more wine, as a present unto them;
and they did drink freely of the wine which king Limhi did send unto them.
And it came to pass that the people of king Limhi did depart by night into
the
wilderness with their flocks and their herds, and they went round about the
land of Shilom in the wilderness, and bent their course towards the land of
Zarahemla, being led by Ammon and his brethren. And they had taken all
their gold, and silver, and their precious things, which they could carry,
and
also their provisions with them, into the wilderness; and they pursued
their
journey."

In the Old Testament I read about how Joseph finally made himself known to
his brothers and told them not to be troubled for selling him into Egypt,
because God had used this situation to a wonderful purpose in preserving
life
during the famine. The brothers rejoice together and Joseph invites his
family to come to Egypt and dwell with him. Genesis 45:1-15 "Then Joseph
could
not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause
every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph
made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud: and the Egyptians
and the house of Pharaoh heard. And Joseph said unto his brethren, I am
Joseph; doth my father yet live? And his brethren could not answer him; for
they
were troubled at his presence. And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near
to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your
brother,
whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with
yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to
preserve
life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there
are
five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God
sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save
your lives by a great deliverance. So now it was not you that sent me
hither,
but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his
house,
and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. Haste ye, and go up to my
father, and say unto him, Thus saith thy son Joseph, God hath made me lord
of
all Egypt: come down unto me, tarry not: And thou shalt dwell in the land
of
Goshen, and thou shalt be near unto me, thou, and thy children, and thy
children's children, and thy flocks, and thy herds, and all that thou hast:
And
there will I nourish thee; for yet there are five years of famine; lest
thou,
and thy household, and all that thou hast, come to poverty. And, behold,
your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that it is my mouth
that
speaketh unto you. And ye shall tell my father of all my glory in Egypt,
and
of all that ye have seen: and ye shall haste and bring down my father
hither. And he fell upon his brother Benjamin's neck, and wept; and
Benjamin wept
upon his neck. Moreover he kissed all his brethren, and wept upon them: and
after that his brethren talked with him."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that the Lord will bring our
hidden, darkest secrets to light and reveal what's in our hearts. In the
day of
judgment, nothing will be hidden. Darkness hides nothing from God. The
thought that went with this, written by Andrea Osmun from Elyria, Ohio
says: My
family had two cats, Shadow and Jack. Both cats were allowed to roam the
house, but we did have a few rules. One night, after the lights were
turned
out, I woke up and felt my way to the kitchen in the dark to get a glass of
water. I flipped on the light in the dining room and found Shadow sitting
on the table, staring at me with wide eyes. "No!" I said, and Shadow
quickly
jumped off the table. The next night, I awoke again and headed to the
kitchen. Just before I flipped on the light, I heard a thud. The lighyt
shone
on Jack, who was right underneath the fish bowl, with a
deer-in-the-headlights look on his face. He hadn't eaten the fish, but he
had, apparently,
lapped some water. How do we act when no one is looking? Are we like my
cats,
who wait until the lights go out and then do what is wrong? Lord, we know
that you are always watching us. You know our secret actions and the
motives
of our hearts. Please help us to act the same way in the dark that we do
in the light. 1 Corinthians 4:5 "Therefore judge nothing before the time,
until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of
darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall
every
man have praise of God."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that the people finally began to humble themselves before God and cry unto Him for deliverance. However, because of their sins, He was slow to hear their cries. But He did eventually hear their petitions and began to soften the hearts of their enemies and ease their burdens. However, He did not at that time to see fit to deliver them out of bondage. When we're slow to turn to the Lord, He can be slow to help us. But if we remain humble and continually cry unto Him, He will hear us and give us answers to our prayers. However, He doesn't always immediately lift our burdens. Sometimes He just eases our burdens and makes them easier to bear. Mosiah 21:14-15 "And they did humble themselves even in the depths of humility; and they did cry mightily to God; yea, even all the day long did they cry unto their God that he would deliver them out of their afflictions. And now the Lord was slow to hear their cry because of their iniquities; nevertheless the Lord did hear their cries, and began to soften the hearts of the Lamanites that they began to ease their burdens; yet the Lord did not see fit to deliver them out of bondage."

In the Old Testament I read the fulfillment of Joseph's interpretation of Pharoh's dream. Indeed, there were seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine throughout the land. Because they had stored food during the years of plenty, there was lots of food to be sold to people in need, and people came from all over to buy food--including Joseph's own brothers who did not recognize him. Genesis 41:54-57; 42:1-8 "And the seven years of dearth began to come, according as Joseph had said: and the dearth was in all lands; but in all the land of Egypt there was bread. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread: and Pharaoh said unto all the Egyptians, Go unto Joseph; what he saith to you, do. And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Joseph opened all the storehouses, and sold unto the Egyptians; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Egypt. And all countries came into Egypt to Joseph for to buy corn; because that the famine was so sore in all lands.Now when Jacob saw that there was corn in Egypt, Jacob said unto his sons, Why do ye look one upon another? And he said, Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt: get you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die. And Joseph's ten brethren went down to buy corn in Egypt. But Benjamin, Joseph's brother, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him. And the sons of Israel came to buy corn among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Canaan. And Joseph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Joseph's brethren came, and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. And Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spake roughly unto them; and he said unto them, Whence come ye? And they said, From the land of Canaan to buy food. And Joseph knew his brethren, but they knew not him."

A verse with a thought booklet telk about the eternal God as a dwelling place and underneath are His everlasting arms. The thought that went with this, written by Harriet Michael from Louisville, Kentucky, says: My father taught me to swim by having me jump from the side of the pool into his open arms while he waited in the water to catch me. He never dropped me, and never did I hesitate to jump to him. I felt secure in my father's arms. When I was an adult, I still knew that I could call on my father for help. For instance, I recall the time that my car brakes failed. At that time in my life, my husband and I had no means by which to buy new brakes. I finally called my father. I apologized for having to ask to borrow money, telling him that we had considered all other options and had exhausted all of our resources. My sweet father replied, "Honey, until you have called me, you have never exhausted all of your resources." My father is a wonderful earthly father. His arms have dcaught me many times in my life. Our Heavenly Father is even more wonderful. He rides on the heavens to help you and his arms afre the everlasting arms. Thank you, Lord, for your everlasting arms that support us when we need it and catch us when we fall. Deuteronomy 33:27 "The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them."


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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that the people finally realized that the words of Abinidi were being fulfilled which he prophesied against them becaue they refused to hearken unto the words of the Lord and turn from their iniquities. Indeed, all the wicked who refuse to listen to the prophets and repent of their sins will someday have to suffer the consequences of their decisions. Mosiah 20:21 "For are not the words of Abinadi fulfilled, which he prophesied against us—and all this because we would not hearken unto the words of the Lord, and turn from our iniquities?"

In the Old Testament we read about how the Lord watched over Joseph, even in prison and continued to bless him. Pharoh had a dream which no one seemed able to interpret. But he heard that Joseph was able to interpret dreams so called him out of prison and told him the dream. Joseph told him that the dream was foretelling of things to come. There would be 7 years of plenty and then 7 years of a terrible famine. Knowing this, they would be able to prepare for the years of famine by laying food in store during the years of plenty. Pharoh appointed Joseph to oversee this and gave him great responsibility and honor in the kingdom. Genesis 41:14-41 "Then Pharaoh sent and called Joseph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Pharaoh. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fatfleshed and well favoured; and they fed in a meadow: And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favoured and leanfleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Egypt for badness: And the lean and the ill favoured kine did eat up the first seven fat kine: And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favoured, as at the beginning. So I awoke. And I saw in my dream, and, behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: And the thin ears devoured the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me. And Joseph said unto Pharaoh, The dream of Pharaoh is one: God hath shewed Pharaoh what he is about to do. The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. And the seven thin and ill favoured kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. This is the thing which I have spoken unto Pharaoh: What God is about to do he sheweth unto Pharaoh. Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Egypt: And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Egypt; and the famine shall consume the land; And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. And for that the dream was doubled unto Pharaoh twice; it is because the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass. Now therefore let Pharaoh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt in the seven plenteous years. And let them gather all the food of those good years that come, and lay up corn under the hand of Pharaoh, and let them keep food in the cities. 6And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Egypt; that the land perish not through the famine. And the thing was good in the eyes of Pharaoh, and in the eyes of all his servants. And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Spirit of God is? And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, Forasmuch as God hath shewed thee all this, there is none so discreet and wise as thou art: Thou shalt be over my house, and according unto thy word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than thou. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, See, I have set thee over all the land of Egypt."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that we can be vessels through which God's work is done. When we believe in Him, we'll be able to do the works that He does. If we're motivated by love, we can use our talents and gifts to bless the lives of others in wonderful ways. We need to be in tune with the still, small voice to guide us in knowing what we can do and how to do it. We just need to be willing to allow the Lord to use us in whatever way He sees fit. John 14:12 "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father."
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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that the people became angry with King Noah and caused that he should suffer death by fire, just as King Noah had caused Abinidi to suffer death by fire, and just as Abinidi had prophesied would happen to him. Mosiah 19:20 "And the king commanded them that they should not return; and they were angry with the king, and caused that he should suffer, even unto death by fire."

In the Old Testament we read about how Joseph, as a servant in Egypt, was pursued by Potiphar's wife who wanted him to lie with her. He refused her repeatedly. Finally when he was alone in the house with her, she grabbed him by the garment, but he left his garment and ran away. She then accused him of trying to force himself on her and he was thrown into prison. However, the Lord was still with him, even in prison, and prospered everything he did. We can learn several things from this story. When we're faced with temptation, we need to flee! We don't stand around and think about it, or feel we need to explain or argue with the people trying to tempt us. Just run away, get out now! Another thing we learn is that even if things seem to go against us unfairly, as long as we remain faithful, the Lord will still be with us. Genesis 39:7-23 "And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me. But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what is with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, or to be with her. And it came to pass about this time, that Joseph went into the house to do his business; and there was none of the men of the house there within. And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out. And it came to pass, when she saw that he had left his garment in her hand, and was fled forth, That she called unto the men of her house, and spake unto them, saying, See, he hath brought in an Hebrew unto us to mock us; he came in unto me to lie with me, and I cried with a loud voice: And it came to pass, when he heard that I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled, and got him out. And she laid up his garment by her, until his lord came home. And she spake unto him according to these words, saying, The Hebrew servant, which thou hast brought unto us, came in unto me to mock me: And it came to pass, as I lifted up my voice and cried, that he left his garment with me, and fled out. And it came to pass, when his master heard the words of his wife, which she spake unto him, saying, After this manner did thy servant to me; that his wrath was kindled. And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound: and he was there in the prison. But the Lord was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison. And the keeper of the prison committed to Joseph's hand all the prisoners that were in the prison; and whatsoever they did there, he was the doer of it. The keeper of the prison looked not to any thing that was under his hand; because the Lord was with him, and that which he did, the Lord made it to prosper."


Some verses with a thought booklet are very familiar, but something we need to constantly remind ourselves of. We need to trust in the Lord with all our hearts instead of leaning on our own understanding. If we'll acknowledge Him in all things, He'll direct our paths. We often have our own ideas about how we want our lives to go, but somethings the Lord has better ideas, even though we don't understand at the time. Maybe we pray for a sicked loved one to be healed, but they remain sick or die. We don't understand, but we can trust that the Lord in His wisdom knew that His answer to our prayers (even though different from what we wanted) was actually best for all involved. If we put our trust in God, He'll direct our lives in the way they should go, even though it may be a different way than the way we thought we wanted it to go. He knows best. We can trust in Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read about how Alma commanded the people to have no contentions among them and that they should be united in their faith and knit together in unity and in love towards one another. A single stick can be easily broken, but if you bind together many sticks them become strong and much more difficult to break. The same goes for people when they are knit together in unity and love--they become strong and more difficult to break as they work together as a team. Mosiah 18: 21 "And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another."

In the Old Testament I read about how after Joseph's brothers sold him as a slave, they dipped his coat of many colors in goat's blood and took it to their father so he'd think Joseph had been killed by a wild beast. Of course Jacob was heartbroken at the loss of his favorite son and mourned greatly, even though his other children tried to comfort him. Can you imagine the guilt Joseph's brothers must have felt at this point--seeing their father so distraught when they knew they were the cause of it? Genesis 37:31-36 "And they took Joseph's coat, and killed a kid of the goats, and dipped the coat in the blood; And they sent the coat of many colours, and they brought it to their father; and said, This have we found: know now whether it be thy son's coat or no. And he knew it, and said, It is my son's coat; an evil beast hath devoured him; Joseph is without doubt rent in pieces. And Jacob rent his clothes, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and mourned for his son many days. And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him; but he refused to be comforted; and he said, For I will go down into the grave unto my son mourning. Thus his father wept for him. And the Midianites sold him into Egypt unto Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh's, and captain of the guard."


A verse with a thought booklet tells us to be wise about what is good, but simple-minded or innocent about what is evil. Romans 16:19 "For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read about how Alma baptized the people in the waters of Mormon and taught them that they were making a covenant with God that they were willing to bear one another's burdens, mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort, and stand as witnesses before God in all places. Indeed, these are the things we covenant to when we are baptized, and we renew these covenants each week as we partake of the sacrament. Mosiah 18: 8-16 "And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light; Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life— Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts. And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart. And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him, and he said: Helam, I baptize thee, having authority from the Almighty God, as a testimony that ye have entered into a covenant to serve him until you are dead as to the mortal body; and may the Spirit of the Lord be poured out upon you; and may he grant unto you eternal life, through the redemption of Christ, whom he has prepared from the foundation of the world. And after Alma had said these words, both Alma and Helam were buried in the water; and they arose and came forth out of the water rejoicing, being filled with the Spirit. And again, Alma took another, and went forth a second time into the water, and baptized him according to the first, only he did not bury himself again in the water. And after this manner he did baptize every one that went forth to the place of Mormon; and they were in number about two hundred and four souls; yea, and they were baptized in the waters of Mormon, and were filled with the grace of God."

Yesterday we read about how Joseph's brothers were jealous of him and hated him. Today we read the results of their envy. First they plotted to kill him, but then Reuben suggested they just put him in a pit and Judah suggested they sell him into slavery. They did that, and he was taken into Egypt. Genesis 37:18-28 "And when they saw him afar off, even before he came near unto them, they aconspired against him to slay him. And they said one to another, Behold, this dreamer cometh. Come now therefore, and let us slay him, and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see what will become of his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him. And Reuben said unto them, Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him; that he might rid him out of their hands, to deliver him to his father again. And it came to pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that they stript Joseph out of his coat, his coat of many colours that was on him; And they took him, and cast him into a pit: and the pit was empty, there was no water in it. And they sat down to eat bread: and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a company of Ishmeelites came from Gilead with their camels bearing spicery and balm and myrrh, going to carry it down to Egypt. And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us sell him to the Ishmeelites, and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother and our flesh. And his brethren were content. Then there passed by Midianites merchantmen; and they drew and lifted up Joseph out of the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for twenty pieces of silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt."


Some verses with a thought booklet give hope to all of us who have sinned (which is all of us!). God sent His Son, not to condemn the world, but that though Him we might be saved. God loved us so much that He sent His son so that instead of perishing, we might have everlasting life. What joyous news this is! John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."


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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that Alma preached to the people in private so they would not be discovered by the king, and taught the people about repentance and faith on the Lord. Mosiah 18:1-7 "And now, it came to pass that Alma, who had fled from the servants of king Noah, repented of his sins and iniquities, and went about privately among the people, and began to teach the words of Abinadi—Yea, concerning that which was to come, and also concerning the resurrection of the dead, and the redemption of the people, which was to be brought to pass through the power, and sufferings, and death of Christ, and his resurrection and ascension into heaven.And as many as would hear his word he did teach. And he taught them privately, that it might not come to the knowledge of the king. And many did believe his words.And it came to pass that as many as did believe him did go forth to a place which was called Mormon, having received its name from the king, being in the borders of the land having been infested, by times or at seasons, by wild beasts.Now, there was in Mormon a fountain of pure water, and Alma resorted thither, there being near the water a thicket of small trees, where he did hide himself in the daytime from the searches of the king.And it came to pass that as many as believed him went thither to hear his words.And it came to pass after many days there were a goodly number gathered together at the place of Mormon, to hear the words of Alma. Yea, all were gathered together that believed on his word, to hear him. And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord."

In the Old Testament we read about how Abraham favored Joseph out of all his sons and gave him a coat of many colors. This made Joseph's brother jealous and they hated him. And then to top this off, Joseph had dreams where his parents and brothers made obeisance to him, which made them hate him all the more. Genesis 37:3-11 "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed: For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to abow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us to become new men in Christ and then tell us what we need to do to achieve this. It's quite a list of do's and don'ts. Some things we need to get rid of are anger, lying, stealing, corrupt communication, bitterness, clamour, evil speaking and malice. Instead, we need to be kind, tenderhearted, truthful, and forgiving. What a contrast, and so many things to work on in our lives. Ephesians 4:24-32 "And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

Pictures from BYU Education Week

Well, Education Week is over for the year, and I've sent you all my notes.  Thought you might enjoy a few pictures I took during Education Week.  I was up before dawn to drive down there (took a couple of pictures of the sunrise), fought traffic both ways during the one hour + commute.  I took various random pictures of the campus and the crowds.  I tried to take a panoramic shot of one of the lines to one of the classes but I couldn't get the whole line in even using the panorma feature! 

BYU Education Week -- Friday Part 2

FINDING JOY IN YOUR LIFE'S JOURNEY (RANDAL A WRIGHT): His boys were basketball players, legends in their own minds.  They had a couch who was a grouch and they didn't win one game until one night when their couch wasn't there.  That night a young single adult coached them and they won.  The next year the same thing happened. They lost all the time with the grouchy coach.  His 10 year old son cried and said, "Dad, I can't play when somebody is yelling at me all the time." When you're around somebody with a sense of humor who lifts you, you feel good.  Joseph Smith said we should cheerfully do all things that lie in our power.  He said this while he was in Liberty Jail.  How could anybody be unhappy who has the gospel of Jesus Christ or who knows where they're going? As we interact with other people, we have an influence on them and they have an influence on us.  One person with a negative attitude can make it spread to others.  Or a person with a positive attitude can lift others.  If you're afraid to try because you're afraid you won't make it, you've already not made it!  A mission president's wife was very discouraged.  She had just had a baby and had another baby still in diapers.  The mission home had lots of bugs and rats.  She didn't have a dryer and the diapers were mildewing.  She started crying.  Her husband came in and saw her crying.  He told her they were going to fix the rat and bug problems and get the dryer fixed and it would get better.  He told her one day she'd go home and laugh about all this.  He said, "Why not enjoy it now?"  That changed her attitude. We can be happy if we want to, regardless of our circumstances. Neil A. Maxwell said, "We can learn that at the center of our agency is our freedom to form a healthy attitude toward whatever circumstances we are placed in!  Those, for instance, who stretch themselves in service though laced with limiting diseases, are often the healthiest among us.  The Spirit can drive the flesh beyond where the body first agrees to go." A group of saints traveled to the Aba, Nigeria Temple two weeks after it was dedicated.  The roads were unpaved and very muddy.  Their bus got stuck on a muddy road.  They had to wade through the mud part of the way.  They got their nice white shirts all muddy.  They finally arrived at the temple.  They showed pictures of them.  They were always smiling, even when they were covered in mud.  How do we find joy in our journey?  Don't compare yourself to other people.  He asked students what the most important job was.  Somebody said a brain surgeon.  He asked them what would happen if you needed brain surgery but the surgical knife people had gone on strike and he had nothing to perform the surgery with.  What if the truck drivers went on strike and all the grocery stores emptied out.  Every job is important.  PMS is Perfect Mormon Syndrome.  He read a funny story about the Perfect Mormon family who jogged every morning wearing their perfectly matching jogging suits made from an old shower curtain.  Everybody has their strong points and weak points.  We need to quit comparing ourselves.  There is not one of us who is insignificant in the eyes of God.  He gave His angels charge concerning us to watch over us.  Life is a roller coaster.  You're up one minute and down the next.  It's better to be a roller coaster than a flat line.  His dad got Alzheimer's and his mother took care of him.  He got so he didn't recognize anybody.  He'd say rude things to his wife, "You're not my wife, she's pretty."  Every once in a while he would come back a little.  He got so he wouldn't eat.  One day his mother got so mad at him she said, "Oh go to hell."  He roused a little bit and said, "I'll see you there."  He kept his sense of humor.  He showed a video clip of a dog running around a little toddler who was laughing his head off.  That dog knew how to entertain the baby!  We need to be like that.  One time he went to get gas and as he was filling his tank, he noticed another man also filling his tank.  This other man had a straggly beard, dirty clothes, and had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.  He found himself looking down at that man and thinking he was better than he was.  Then he went in to pay for his gas and realized he'd left his wallet at home and didn't have any money to pay for it.  He went out to his car to see if he had any money, but he did not.  He went in to talk to the clerk about it but she told him that the straggly man with the cigarette had seen his predicament and had paid his bill for him.  He could picture this man on Judgment Day with the Savior asking him, Did you smoke while on the earth?  Yes.  Minus 5 points.  Did you love your fellow men?  Yes.  Plus 100 points!  And he could see himself on Judgment Day with the Savior questioning him.  Did you smoke on earth?  No, I treated my body like a temple.  Five points.  Did you judge your fellowmen?  Well, yes.  Minus 100 points.  Sometimes a few acts of kindness will change things.  We need to build our testimony on Jesus Christ and try to become like Him.  What does the Savior want from us?  A broken heart and a contrite spirit.  Our gift to Jesus is a broken heart and Jesus' gift to us is to whisper to us what we are to do with our life.  He wants us to be better people.  Once you see who you really are, you can just take off and reach your potential. 

LDS WOMEN OF FAITH IN OUR TIME (JAY A PARRY): We've heard a lot about prominent women like Ardeth Capp and Marjorie Hinckley, but he wanted to talk about some everyday women in our day.  This is a great time to be alive.  President Kimball said that women often are selfless and are charity personified.  To be a righteous woman is a glorious thing in any age.  To be a righteous woman during the winding up scene on this earth, before the second coming of our Savior, is an especially noble calling.  They have influence and strength.  Righteous Latter-day Saint women have experienced such great blessings from God as: Testimony of the truth, divine help with temporal needs, comfort and strength in times of struggle, revelation to guide us.  Testimony of truth.  If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed.  Shu-Chih Ho is from Taiwan.  When missionaries told her to pray about if the Book of Mormon was true, she felt awkward doing that.  It wasn't part of her tradition.  But she got an answer that what she was praying for was not just good, but was true.  She wanted to get baptized, but in her culture she was not considered independent of her parents until she was married or was financially independent.  Her parents told her not to get baptized, but finally she went ahead and got baptized without their permission.  Her parents were very unhappy with her.  On Sundays her mother would lock her in her room so she couldn't go to church, but she snuck out the window to go.  She would read the Book of Mormon in Chinese and English at the same time, checking back and forth.  Then she tried reading it just in English and felt a power spirit.  Carolyn Rasmus was going to school at BYU in the early 1970's.  She liked the lifestyle and the examples of her friends, but she didn't feel like she could join the church.  She fasted and prayed and asked to know once and for all if the LDS Church was true or false.  Nothing happened!  She was determined to forget about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  But she couldn't.  Several months later she felt impressed to start paying tithing but didn't know who to pay it to.  So she took 10% and hid it in her room.  She stopped drinking coffee and helped a friend who was going on a mission memorize her mission discussions.  One day she was sitting in a sacrament meeting and felt God telling her the LDS Church was true and that she should be baptized.  How much longer can you pass by the bread of life?  She was baptized and has offered a great contribution.  Julia Klebingat was from Latvia.  She had been raised as an Atheist but was engaged to an LDS man.  She began taking missionary discussions but stopped.  They got married and went to school in Idaho.  He lined up missionaries again, this time sister missionaries.  She rehearsed how to say no when they asked her to be baptized.  The sisters read the story of Christ's baptism in the Bible.  She had heard this story before, but this time it moved her to tears.  She had to leave the room because she was crying.  When they asked her if she wanted to be baptized, the Spirit took over and instead of saying her rehearsed words, she said, "Yes, of course I want to be baptized." But once the missionaries left, the Spirit left too and she decided she didn't want to be baptized. Her husband told her she'd have to tell the missionaries herself.  She went to tell them but found herself telling them she wanted her baptismal date moved up.  Her husband baptized her two months after they got married. Now she's in Eastern Europe with her husband where he's serving as a mission president.  Carma Cutler and her husband had six children.  They were struggling.  Another family in the ward had a father who broke his back and he was not able to provide for his family.  So Sister Cutler offered to buy milk for the family.  This went on for weeks while the father was in the hospital.  They were so grateful for the help of the milk.  After the family no longer needed this help, Sister Cutler realized she didn't have money for her own family's milk.  But then a neighbor came over with milk and said their cow had started giving more milk all of a sudden and they hated it to go to waste.  Could they give her the extra milk?  The cow kept giving extra milk until she got back far more than what she'd given the other family.  Marjorie McCormick ran out of coal for their coal burning furnace. She used the last little bit which was enough to last that night only.  The next morning she went downstairs, knowing the coat bin would be empty like the night before, but it again had just enough for that day.  The same thing happened day after day.  Every day she'd empty the coal bin but the next morning there was just enough for one more day. This lasted until they were able to get enough money to buy more coal.  Elaine Cannon's husband became ill and she felt like God had forsaken her.  She felt overwhelmed trying to take care of her 6'6" husband.  Then a man called her early one morning who said he'd been prompted by the Spirit to see how he could help. She lied and said everything was fine, but he said he wasn't going to hang up until she told him what was wrong.  She told him of her struggles and he gave her a handicapped van that she greatly needed, which helped her transport her husband.  Sometimes the Lord won't remove our afflictions, but He'll help us bear our afflictions with patience.  Christine had a temple marriage and several children.  Then suddenly her husband told her he was leaving her for another woman.  Her broken heart could not be comforted.  But she decided to go to the Temple.  She wished her mother could be there.  Her mother had passed away when she was young.  Christine prayed if she could have just one hug from her mother.  A woman in the temple tapped her on the shoulder and said, "You look like you could use a hug.  Can I hug you?"  Of course this wasn't her mother, but the Lord had sent someone to give her the needed hug.  Marnie Spencer had many children.  Then she became ill.  Doctors didn't know what was wrong.  She got a priesthood blessing in which she was blessed that she'd know which doctor to go to.  She felt impressed to go to Dr. Wood who found a tumor and removed it.  She lost her vision, her hearing, her breast, and her hair to cancer.  But she has not lost her faith and is grateful for what she has. When she prays, she can feel her Father there.  She felt Him telling her that she will always look like a princess to Him.  A woman married a man who had a pornography problem.  Emotionally she could feel something different about him.  Finally he confessed his problem to her.  He had been introduced to pornography when he was 6 years old.  He quit to serve a mission and to marry her in the temple, but then got started on it again.  She considered leaving him, but tried to work with him. He got involved in the church's addiction recovery program.  As her husband was going through his struggles, she was going through struggles of her own.  She felt alone many times, but prayed and felt like somebody was embracing her.  She began to understand the Atonement.  It's not just for the sinner, but also for the person who has been hurt by the sinner.  She remembered that Jesus Christ carries everyone's burden.  He is just waiting for us to let go of our pride and say, "I can't do this anymore."  He is the only One who knows what path will bring us happiness.  She knows the Lord will carry her.  She had gotten so low that she had nowhere to look but up to Him.  There was a loving Relief Society President.  Things ran smoothly in her Relief Society.  Then she got a call from a man who was taking care of his aged mother at home by himself.  She had gone into a coma like state and doctors said there was nothing that could be done for her.  He said his mother was a very modest woman and he couldn't bring herself to remove her clothing to clean her.  He needed help.  So the Relief Society went over there and as she was about to wash her, the words came into her mind, "Inasmuch as Ye have done it unto the least of these, Ye have done it unto me."  All the while she felt the privilege of doing this.  This sister died the next day in a clean bed with the dignity that she deserved.  This Relief Society President had been changed forever.  If thou shalt ask, thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that with bringeth life eternal. The Lord will guide us in or relationships, in every needful way.  There are many things that are right that we need to be asking about.  Melodie Child was concerned about her son Paul.  He was withdrawing from the family, stopped going to church with them.  He stopped coming to family meals.  Sister Child pleaded with the Lord for an answer.  The answer she got was "keep cutting his toenails."  He was a teenager but she had kept cutting his toenails since he was a baby.  She realized this was the one contact she still had with him.  So once a week she cut his toenails, even more often than he needed it, very slowly, with much love.  After months of this, she felt prompted that she should offer Paul a small hug every Sunday.  The softening of his heart took years, but it came.  When she became elderly and helpless, Paul combed her hair in a very loving way.  The Lord gives us answers.  Barbara Smith Amussen was the mother of President Ezra Taft Bensen's wife.  She was a faithful woman.  One night her deceased husband appeared to her in a vision.  He came to her on a Friday to tell her that on the following Thursday she would be leaving mortal life.  On Sunday she attended Fast Meeting and bore her testimony, bidding everyone good-bye.  The next week she paid all her bills, had the water and power turned off at her house, and then went to spend her last night with her daughter.  She peacefully passed away on Thursday.  Myrna Behunin got a call from her son's teacher saying he's been bad in class.  She was ready to give it to him when he got home from school.  She saw him walking down the street, fighting with another boy.  She shouted at him to come into the house.  At first he ignored her, but then came in.  Before she talked to him, she sent him to his room, and then she prayed.  After her prayer she went to talk to him.  She asked him to forgive her for being so cross with him.  Then she asked him how he was doing and what he was feeling.  The Spirit caused them to talk in whisper.  She lost all inclination to yell at him. The Spirit guided her through that experience because she'd prayed.  Lili Taylor was pregnant with her fifth baby. She felt very fatigued and the doctor didn't know why.  She didn't have the energy to do the things she wanted to do.  She prayed and prayed for help with this burden.  She didn't know what to do.  The answer came that she should ask the Lord to guide her to set her priorities.  Sometimes she had things she wanted to do but the Lord told her not to do them that day.  Other days He told her to do things she didn't want to do. She obeyed.  Some days He would bless her with energy to do things she needed to do.  Other days He'd bless her to endure her dirty house.  The more she turned her life over to the Lord, the more He sustained her. She still can't do everything everyone wants her to do, but she can do the things that God wants her to do each day. She knows her priorities are in the right place.  These are stories of how the Lord helped a variety of sisters in different ways.  Heavenly Father is mindful of us and is willing to send His help to every one of us. 

HOW TO HANDLE CRITICISM AND NEGATIVITY (KIRK WILKINSON): When he first submitted the title to this class he called it "Dealing with Jerks" but they wanted him to change it.  He's an expert in FDP--Finding Difficult People.  The flip side.  He also has his moment where he is a difficult person. He was checking into a hotel and the person in front of him in line was giving the clerk a terrible time.  Then it was his turn to check in and he said his name and the clerk said, "Oh, Jerk.  Ooops I mean Kirk."  Sometimes he is Kirk the Jerk.  We live with other people and there are some of them that can make our lives miserable.  How do we handle that in a way that we don't let it effect us?  Sometimes we start to believe what they say.  Sometimes people feel stupid and have low self worth.  Often it came from someone in their life that told them this in words or body language.  Then they had no energy to combat it so they started to believe it.  It is time to learn to deal with criticism in such a way that you can remain emotionally whole.  You can be in that situation but know that you are worth dignity no matter what someone says.  There are skills to allow you to do that.  You cannot only deal with the criticism but the critic as well.  Love your enemies, bless them that curse you.  Do good to them and pray for them who despitefully use you and persecute you.  To the degree that we can love our enemies, we become Christlike.  It is hard to love these people, especially when they are the people who are supposed to be those who love us the most.  Criticism takes many forms and is complex.  Say you promised to cook a pot roast for dinner on Sunday but you end up making macaroni and cheese.  Someone says, "Oh, macaroni and cheese again?"  Some of you in this audience wouldn't even care about this comment.  But to others of you that would be a criticism.  You spend a lot of time making a hand made gift for a good friend, and they don't say thank you.  Is that a criticism?  To some it would be, to others they'd just think the person was rude.  self criticism in the form of put-downs and self indictment.  "I can't believe I am so stupid.  I did it again.  No one will love me now.  This always happens to me."  If we can't say something nice about ourselves, we should not say anything at all.  Demeaning comments and actions that are intentionally demeaning.  "You are so lazy.  You will never amount to anything.  You will never lose that weight."  Unintended criticism -- no intention to hurt or well intended but hurtful.  "Here, let me do it.  I can see you'll never get it done."  Regardless of the form it is still criticism.  You can still be humble and think you're all that.  He has his days.  There are things he hasn't mastered yet.  He's trying to get better at not being critical and at not letting criticism bother him.  Criticism always has three elements.  If you don't understand these elements, you can never get past the criticism.  They are: Facts, Feelings, and Needs.  Facts: Who, what, when, where, how, and frequency.  You can get caught up in the facts.  Feelings: How you (and your critic) felt before, during and after being criticized.  Needs: Your needs and the needs of your critic. Often the feelings are hidden so the facts are what we wrap yourself around.  As long as you stay at the fact level. you'll never get to anything but compromise.  There will never be a win-win situation.  Typically, criticism will state facts in ways that cause feelings and we get offended.  If you start at the facts and only hear the facts, it's from the outside in.  If you start at the feelings, it's from the inside out.  The most successful way to handle criticism and critics is from the inside out.  The way to handle the criticism is to prepare before the criticism begins.  You need to feel from the inside out that you are worthy of greatness, respect, and dignity.  You need to feel that you are worthy of that respect.  Build your self worth.  Learn the I am Strong formula.  The self worth pyramid has self worth on the bottom, then self esteem, and at the top is self confidence.  You need to separate what you do from what you are.  Separate what you do from who you are.  Be brutally honest with yourself without judgment.  You are Okay no matter what someone says about you.  Let God make up the difference.  His mother abandoned him when he was young.  His father was great in raising him.  He loves his father.  But if his father told him he was disappointed in him, he'd still feel okay.  You need to learn you're okay regardless of what someone else says.  We're all inadequate.  A critic is attuned to point out our inadequacies.  It is difficult when someone points them out to us repeatedly.  That is a jerk.  You can be okay even with your inadequacies.  Christ will make up for your inadequacies.  When they had only five loaves of bread and a few fish, that was considered inadequate.  However, the Lord was able to make up the difference and there was plenty for all with twelve baskets left over. When he reads this story he pictures himself as the lad with the five loaves and fishes. There are times in his life when he's asked to feed 5,000.  He sees that what he has is not nearly enough and he feels like he can't do it.  But in this story, Christ says give them to me and I will make up the difference.  And he does, and Christ gives to him more than he gave.  We should just admit that we are inadequate.  Nobody should make us feel more inadequate than that.  There are six D's in dealing with criticism.  Dissect your feeling, deflect or defuse the critics, deal with the criticism, deal with the critic, distance yourself if needed.  To dissect your feelings, learn your defensiveness triggers and own them.  Why does this make me feel so inadequate?  Why did this bother me?  Why did it hurt me?  Is it the person?  Would you accept the same words in the same situation from another person?  Is it the subject?  Are you particularly sensitive to this subject?  Is it what they said?  What is the emotional behind the hurt?  Are you always hurt by this type of comment?  Own your reaction -- not theirs.  This helps you abandon blame and victimization.  As long as you're in blame, you'll always be reacting and defensive.  Deflect of diffuse.  Argue with yourself:  "That's not true!"  Let us recognize and make use of our talents, abilities, skills, and capacity instead of allowing these traits to be buried through self criticism, forgetfulness and disuse.  Elder Maxwell counseled "Some of us stand before no more harsh a judge than ourselves, a judge who stubbornly refuses to admit much happy evidence and who cares nothing for due process."  If you did ten great things and one stupid thing, what are you going to remember?  Stop that!  Be willing to consider that there is more than one version of the truth.  Consider that they too may be right.  I am willing to consider that you may be right.  Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.  And as they did eat, he said Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me. And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say unto him, Lord is it I?  Suppose a husband and wife were driving home from the in-laws and the wife says, "You called me fat in front of your parents!"  If he denies it, a big fight will ensure.  I didn't say that.  Yes, you did.  No, I didn't!  Yes, you did.  Instead, he could say, Did I do that?  Yes!  What did I say?  You said I shouldn't have a second dessert.  Did you feel like that was saying you were fat? Yes!  I didn't mean it that way.  I'm sorry if I made you feel bad. Create a criticism filter.  Whose problem is it and is this something I can or should resolve?  Without emotion, self judgment or self indictment ask yourself.  Is this even something I should worry about or pay attention to?  Is this a mistake I need to correct?  Is this an issue with the critic or is this an issue of situation, circumstance or facts?  Filer all but about 10% of the criticism.  Pick the ONE thing you will focus on.  Cut it all up into little chunks and throw it away except for 10%. Don't even pay attention to the rest.  Consider that 10% in what you might do to become a better person.  He did this with his step mother.  She'd call him a lazy, stupid teenager, good for nothing.  He tuned that all out, but did hear her saying he should pick up his clothes.  So he picked up his clothes and felt better.  President Hinckley said "Wise is the man who can acknowledge mistakes pointed out by others and change his course."  If we come unto the Lord, He can show us our weaknesses.  There are plenty of people to tell us our weaknesses but we need to be humble enough to take them to the Lord so He can tell us what to work on.  Deal with the critic.  Who is the jerk in your life that you cower away from?  Do not respond in kid.  Resist the urge to respond to criticism with criticism.  Set boundaries.  Own your feelings.  Stand up for them.  Say "That was mean and hurtful.  I am not available to your disrespect and abuse."  Move from knowing to learning.  Become curious.  Seek first to understand.  Tell me all about it.  Stop arguing about who is right.  Learn their story.  Learn all you can.  Move from certainty to curiosity.  Can you share a little about how you see things?  What information do you have that I don't?  What impact have my actions had on you?  Can you say a bit more about why you think this is my fault?  Were you reacting to something I did or something I said?  How are you feeling about all this?  Say more about why this is important to you.  Before you feel hurt, try to understand what they said.  Forgive them and change your mind about them.  Be willing to see them differently.  A cry for love.  See them as someone whose need is masked by the criticism.  Uncover their needs (safety, validation, attention, recognition).  Start from the third story.  Not your story, not their story, but the story from the perspective of a keen third party.  Think like a mediator.  Get outside your story and get outside their story.  Invite them to join you in figuring out how to solve the issue or problem.  An invitation can be turned down.  Ask them to be your partner in figuring it out.  If someone says something mean to you, don't be available to that kind of talk.  However, consider that there might be something to it.  Try to understand.  I don't understand why you don't like my cooking.  Then say, Wow!  Can you help me?  When you make them your partner, often the criticism will go away.  It all starts with you feeling worthy of not being criticized.  If they're not willing to talk about it, then you should be done with it and not even give it consideration.  You can't change a critic.  You can only own your response.  You need to be emotionally whole even through criticism.  Distance yourself.  If it's not working, step away, withdraw emotionally, hang up in you're on the phone, step back physically.  Be patient, be kind, be understanding, be positive.  He has stopped short of talking about anything permanent.  He believes in working it out first.  If it comes to the point that it just isn't working, you may need to walk away.  You may need to put up a wall emotionally because the hurt is too great.  Be kind, be understanding, and be positive ESPECIALLY TO YOURSELF.  It might also be something within yourself that is causing you to react negatively to what they are saying.  Sometimes the people we want and expect to love are the critics.  But this starts from the inside out.  Discover their needs.  Many times when someone criticizes us, it is because they have low self worth.  They put us down because they want to feel better about themselves.  There might be something bigger and deeper behind the criticism.  Maybe they are crying for love.  See them in their innocence instead of their guilt.  You might be able to help them love themselves enough so that they don't take their lack of self love out on you.  This may require professional help.  But we need to try to see our critics the way the Lord sees them.  You can love your enemies.  You can get there.  It starts with you feeling you're worthy of respect.  You can feel emotionally whole!