Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever and the gifts of the Spirit will never be done away with as long as men have faith.  Only unbelief will prevent the Spirit from manifesting itself.  Moroni 10: 19,  24 "And I would exhort you, my beloved brethren, that ye remember that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that all these gifts of which I have spoken, which are spiritual, never will be done away, even as long as the world shall stand, only according to the unbelief of the children of men. And now I speak unto all the ends of the earth—that if the day cometh that the power and gifts of God shall be done away among you, it shall be because of unbelief."


In the Old Testament we read Job's recounting how short life is and how certain death is, but that even though we die, we shall live again.  Job 14:1-15 "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble.  He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down: he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not. And dost thou open thine eyes upon such an one, and bringest me into judgment with thee? Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass; Turn from him, that he may rest, till he shall accomplish, as an hireling, his day. For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.  But man dieth, and wasteth away: yea, man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? As the waters fail from the sea, and the flood decayeth and drieth up: So man lieth down, and riseth not: till the heavens be no more, they shall not awake, nor be raised out of their sleep. O that thou wouldest hide me in the grave, that thou wouldest keep me secret, until thy wrath be past, that thou wouldest appoint me a set time, and remember me! If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come. Thou shalt call, and I will answer thee: thou wilt have a desire to the work of thine hands."

Going along with what we've been reading in Job, some verses with a thought booklet tell us to rejoice in our tribulations and sufferings, for they produce in us perseverance,  character, and hope.  And hope doesn't disappoint us.  We can be overjoyed when the Lord's glory is revealed.  All the difficult circumstances that we suffer through have a purpose.  They help make us into the people that the Lord wants us to be.  And remember what we learned yesterday--He has not forgotten us nor forsaken us!  He know what we're going through and is with us, even if we're not always aware of it.  Romans 5:2-5 "By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us."