Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read about the necessity to repent, believe in the gospel, and be baptized.  If we believe, signs will follow and we will be lifted up to dwell in the Kingdom prepared for us.  Great blessings come to those who believe.  Ether 4:18-19 "Therefore, repent all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me, and believe in my gospel, and be baptized in my name; for he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned; and signs shall follow them that believe in my name. And blessed is he that is found faithful unto my name at the last day, for he shall be lifted up to dwell in the kingdom prepared for him from the foundation of the world. And behold it is I that hath spoken it. Amen."

In the Old Testament we see the power effect reading the word of the Lord can have on people and how it can cause them to want to repent and change their lives.  When the book of the law was found in the house of the Lord and delivered to the king, he discovered how wicked his people had become in not obeying the word of the Lord.  He rent his clothes in anguish over the wickedness of his people.  He then made a covenant with the Lord to keep His commandments and perform the words of the covenant which were written in the book of the law.  He then took away all the abominations out of the land, read the words of the book to others and caused all Israel to serve the Lord their God, and departed not from following the Lord all His days.  All these changes took place after he read the words in the book.  Likewise we need to feast upon the word of God.  It will change our lives.  2 Chronicles 34:14-19, 29-33 "And when they brought out the money that was brought into the house of the Lord, Hilkiah the priest found a book of the law of the Lord given by Moses. And Hilkiah answered and said to Shaphan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah delivered the book to Shaphan. And Shaphan carried the book to the king, and brought the king word back again, saying, All that was committed to thy servants, they do it. And they have gathered together the money that was found in the house of the Lord, and have delivered it into the hand of the overseers, and to the hand of the workmen. Then Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king. And it came to pass, when the king had heard the words of the law, that he rent his clothes. Then the king sent and gathered together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem. And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord. And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book. And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers. And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers."

Some verses with a thought booklet talk about the power of our words--for good or ill.  Just as a bit in a horse's mouth is a small thing, but all vital in controling the animal and a helm of a ship is a small thing but wields great power in turning the ship in the direction it needs to go, so is the tongue a powerful tool in causing our lives to go in one direction or another.  We can speak words that will lift and build others and cause much good to occur; or we can use our words to curse or tear others down and discourage them.  It's difficult to tame the tongue.  But we need to be ever vigilant to avoid having deadly poison come forth out of our mouths that will harm others. Even a small thing like our tongues can cause great damage--just like a small bird caught in a plane engine can bring it crashing down or a small spark can start a fire that will burn a forest. We need to think before we speak and make sure our words are a blessing to those who hear us. We should never underestimate the power of our words.  James 3:2-10 "For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be."