Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read a verse that tells us to be wise in the days of our probation and strip ourselves of any uncleanliness.  We need to pray with a firm, unshakable faith, and ask the Lord to help us resist any temptations that come our way and help us to serve the true and living God.  Mormon 9: 28 "Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselves of all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God."

In the Old Testament we read that Ahaz reigned in wickedness, practiced idolatry, and was punished by the Lord as a result, who delivered the people into the hands of their enemies.  If we expect the protection and guidance of the Lord, we need to keep His commandments. If we forsake the Lord, we will suffer the consequences.  2 Chronicles 28:1-6 "Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the Lord, like David his father: For he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, and made also molten images for Baalim. Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the Lord had cast out before the children of Israel. He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree. Wherefore the Lord his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter. For Pekah the son of Remaliah slew in Judah an hundred and twenty thousand in one day, which were all valiant men; because they had forsaken the Lord God of their fathers."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet recount the parable of the sower.  We can look at this and think that we need to be receptive to the word of God, providing a rich soul for the seed to sprout in, so that we can produce good fruit.  But another way to look at this parable is from the perspective of the sower.  The sower goes out and scatters seed, just like a missionary ot a person trying to spread the gospel spreads the Word of God.  Not all of it finds good ground, but the important news is that some of it will!  If we do our job and spread the seed, some of it will fall on good ground and come to fruition.  God will have His harvest!  Knowing that should help us not feel so discouraged, but rather help us want to continue our work of spreading seed. Mark 4:1-9 "And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land. And he taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow: And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth: But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away. And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up, and choked it, and it yielded no fruit. And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred. And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear."