Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read about how Laman and Lemuel refused to partake of the fruit in Lehi's dream, which caused Lehi to be very concerned about them. He did everything he could to ty to get through to them, preaching and prophesying to them, and exhorting them with all the feeling of a tender parent, but they refused to hearken unto him. After doing all this, he then ceased speaking to them.  Sometimes after we've done all we can do to try to get through to someone who has fallen away, we just need to back off for a time and quit trying to preach to them. We never need to stop loving them or praying for them, but sometimes continuing to try to talk sense into them just drives them further away.  1 Nephi 8:35-38 "And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father. And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord. And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them. And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them."

In the Old Testament we read that Jacob, at the end of his life, blessed and instructed his sons and asked them to bury him with his fathers in a cave in the land of Canaan.  When Jacob made an end of commanding his sons, he gave up the ghost and as gathered unto his people.  Genesis 49:28-33 "All these are the twelve tribes of Israel: and this is it that their father spake unto them, and blessed them; every one according to his blessing he blessed them. And he charged them, and said unto them, I am to be gathered unto my people: bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the Hittite, In the cave that is in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field of Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah. The purchase of the field and of the cave that is therein was from the children of Heth.  And when Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people."

A verse with a thought booklet reminds us that there are many things to be thankful for.  A woman had car trouble and was stuck at the side of a highway.  She called her roadside assistance service and impatiently waiting for them to come and help her.  She was upset that this had happened and it seemed to take forever for them to arrive.  But while she waited she started thinking of things to be grateful for. Her cell phone worked so she could call for help.  It had happened right next to a mile marker so she could tell them exactly where to find her. She was in a safe area.  It was not at night.  There was a pretty flower growing next to her so she had something lovely to look at while she waited.  Forty-five minutes later help arrived and they quickly had her car running smoothly again.  But her attitude had changed from one of annoyance to one of gratitude, and that had made all the difference!  Every day we can find things to be thankful for if we'll but look.  Psalms 40:5 "Many, O Lord my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered."