Daily Thoughts

In the D&C we read about the sons of perdition and the horrible fate they will suffer, having known the power of God and been made partakers thereof, but allowing themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome and deny the truth and defy the power of God.  D&C 76:31-38 "Thus saith the Lord concerning all those who know my power, and have been made partakers thereof, and suffered themselves through the power of the devil to be overcome, and to deny the truth and defy my power— They are they who are the sons of perdition, of whom I say that it had been better for them never to have been born; For they are vessels of wrath, doomed to suffer the wrath of God, with the devil and his angels in eternity; Concerning whom I have said there is no forgiveness in this world nor in the world to come— Having denied the Holy Spirit after having received it, and having denied the Only Begotten Son of the Father, having crucified him unto themselves and put him to an open shame. These are they who shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels—  And the only ones on whom the second death shall have any power; Yea, verily, the only ones who shall not be redeemed in the due time of the Lord, after the sufferings of his wrath."

In the Old Testament we read that the proud will stumble and fall and nobody will lift him up.  The Lord will kindle and fire and devour all around him.  The fate of the proud is not good!  Jeremiah 50:32 "And the most proud shall stumble and fall, and none shall raise him up: and I will kindle a fire in his cities, and it shall devour all round about him."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love others.  In other words, the most important thing we can do is to love, and all other commandments hang on this.  Think of other commandments.  How many of them would be break if we truly loved God and others?  Would we steal from someone we really loved?  Would we take the Lord's name in vain if we truly moved Him?  Would we murder if we had love for our fellowman? If we truly loved the Lord, wouldn't we delight in praying to Him and studying the scriptures?  Would we hesitate to pay our tithes and offerings?  Indeed, if we love God and love others, we'll automatically keep the other commandments.  And by this can all men know if we are Jesus' disciple, if we have one for one another.  Matthew 22:36-40 "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."