Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that after Abinidi had spoken all these words to the wicked King Noah, Noah was angry with him and ordered him to be put to death. Alma, one of Noah's priests, believed Abinidi's words and tried to convince the king to let him depart in peace. However, then Noah became angry with Alma and Alma had to flee for his life. Mosiah 17:1-4 "And now it came to pass that when Abinadi had finished these sayings, that the king commanded that the priests should take him and cause that he should be put to death. But there was one among them whose name was Alma, he also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken, for he knew concerning the iniquity which Abinadi had testified against them; therefore he began to plead with the king that he would not be angry with Abinadi, but suffer that he might depart in peace. But the king was more wroth, and caused that Alma should be cast out from among them, and sent his servants after him that they might slay him. But he fled from before them and hid himself that they found him not. And he being concealed for many days did write all the words which Abinadi had spoken."

In the Old Testament we read that God sent Jacob to Beth-el and commanded him to build an altar unto Him. Jacob obeyed, and told all his household to put away their strange gods and be clean. Genesis 35:1-3 "And God said unto Jacob, Arise, go up to Beth-el, and dwell there: and make there an altar unto God, that appeared unto thee when thou fleddest from the face of Esau thy brother. Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments: And let us arise, and go up to Beth-el; and I will make there an altar unto God, who answered me in the day of my distress, and was with me in the way which I went."

In some scriptures with a thought booklet we are told to rid ourselves of the hyporcrisy of judging others much more harshly than we do ourselves. Often we magnify the small shortcomings of our neighbors while overlooking much worse faults of our own. This should not be! The Lord will judge us with the same judgment we give to others. If we want mercy and understanding from the Lord, we need to give the same to our fellowmen. Matthew 7:1-5 "Judge not, that ye be not judged.
For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be cmeasured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."