Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that Mormon again lead the Nephite armies in battles of blood and carnage, but he was without hope because he knew that the judgments of the Lord would come upon them because they refused to repent of their wickedness and would not call upon God for help.  Mormon 5: 1-2 "And it came to pass that I did go forth among the Nephites, and did repent of the oath which I had made that I would no more assist them; and they gave me command again of their armies, for they looked upon me as though I could deliver them from their afflictions. But behold, I was without hope, for I knew the judgments of the Lord which should come upon them; for they repented not of their iniquities, but did struggle for their lives without calling upon that Being who created them."

In the Old Testament we read Solomon's prayers that if his people sin and go astray to the point that the Lord turns from them and they are held captive by their enemies, that if they return to the Lord with all their hearts and repent of their sins, He will forgive them.  Indeed, all of us sin and are in need of repentance.  But the Lord will forgive us if we do repent with all our hearts.  2 Chronicles 6:35-40 "Then hear thou from the heavens their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.  If they sin against thee, (for there is no man which sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them over before their enemies, and they carry them away captives unto a land far off or near;  Yet if they bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn and pray unto thee in the land of their captivity, saying, We have sinned, we have done amiss, and have dealt wickedly;  If they return to thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their captivity, whither they have carried them captives, and pray toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, and toward the city which thou hast chosen, and toward the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou from the heavens, even from thy dwelling place, their prayer and their supplications, and maintain their cause, and forgive thy people which have sinned against thee. Now, my God, let, I beseech thee, thine eyes be open, and let thine ears be attent unto the prayer that is made in this place."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us the way to recognize a true follower of Jesus Christ--it's by the love that they show one another.  I have to think of this when I hear people arguing about who is or who isn't a Christian. The scriptures define what a true Christian is--it is someone who shows love for others.  John 13:35   "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."