Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read how Nephi was in vision his seed and the seed of his brothers, and also the lad of promise.  He saw multitudes of people as numerous as the sands of the sea. He saw great battles taking place among them, wars and contention. 1 Nephi 12:1-3 "And it came to pass that the angel said unto me: Look, and behold thy seed, and also the seed of thy brethren. And I looked and beheld the land of promise; and I beheld multitudes of people, yea, even as it were in number as many as the sand of the sea. And it came to pass that I beheld multitudes gathered together to battle, one against the other; and I beheld wars, and rumors of wars, and great slaughters with the sword among my people.  And it came to pass that I beheld many generations pass away, after the manner of wars and contentions in the land; and I beheld many cities, yea, even that I did not number them."

In the Old Testament we read that Moses was sitting from morning until night with people lined up to get his counsel.  When his father in law saw this, he told him it was not good to try to bear this heavy burden alone and that if he kept it up, he would wear himself away. He instructed Moses to delegate some of this responsibility to others--assigning good and wise men to handle some of the easier matters and only bringing the more difficult cases to him. We, too, need to learn to delegate instead of trying to do everything alone.  Otherwise, we're liable to burn ourselves out. We all need to work together.  Exodus 18:13-26 "And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses sat to judge the people: and the people stood by Moses from the morning unto the evening. And when Moses' father in law saw all that he did to the people, he said, What is this thing that thou doest to the people? why sittest thou thyself alone, and all the people stand by thee from morning unto even? And Moses said unto his father in law, Because the people come unto me to inquire of God:  When they have a matter, they come unto me; and I judge between one and another, and I do make them know the statutes of God, and his laws.  And Moses' father in law said unto him, The thing that thou doest is not good. Thou wilt surely wear away, both thou, and this people that is with thee: for this thing is too heavy for thee; thou art not able to perform it thyself alone.  Hearken now unto my voice, I will give thee counsel, and God shall be with thee: Be thou for the people to God-ward, that thou mayest bring the causes unto God: And thou shalt teach them ordinances and laws, and shalt shew them the way wherein they must walk, and the work that they must do.  Moreover thou shalt provide out of all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them, to be rulers of thousands, and rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens: And let them judge the people at all seasons: and it shall be, that every great matter they shall bring unto thee, but every small matter they shall judge: so shall it be easier for thyself, and they shall bear the burden with thee.  If thou shalt do this thing, and God command thee so, then thou shalt be able to endure, and all this people shall also go to their place in peace.  So Moses hearkened to the voice of his father in law, and did all that he had said.  And Moses chose able men out of all Israel, and made them heads over the people, rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.  And they judged the people at all seasons: the hard causes they brought unto Moses, but every small matter they judged themselves."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that Jesus is the vine and we are the branches.  Just as branches not connected to the vine will shrivel and die, so we to need the nourishment of the Savior.  If we're cut off from him or disconnected, we won't be able to do anything.  The story is told of a girl who was fixing a grilled cheese sandwich for her new boyfriend and was so preoccupied that she grilled the bread but forgot to put the cheese inside!  If we don't have Christ as the center of our lives, we'll be just as empty as that sandwich.  Just as the cheese gives substance to the sandwich, Christ gives substance to our lives.  We need to put Him at the center of our day, every day.  Taking time to pray and study our scriptures every day gives us the spiritual nourishment we need to survive.  A day without God is an empty as a sandwich with nothing in it!  John 15:4-5 " Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."