Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the reason Nephi was writing on the plates was to persuade men to come unto Christ.  And he was planning to tell his children who came after him and who would likewise write on the plates that would be of worth to those who would read them. 1 Nephi 6:4-6 "For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved.  Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world.  Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men." 

In the Old Testament we read that Joseph was Jacob's favorite son, and he gave him a coat of many colors which made his brothers envious.  To further fan the flames of jealousy, Joseph had dreams in which he ruled over his brothers and they bowed down to him.  This made them hate him all the more.  Genesis 37:3-11 "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colours. And when his brethren saw that their father loved him more than all his brethren, they hated him, and could not speak peaceably unto him. And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his brethren: and they hated him yet the more. And he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream which I have dreamed:  For, behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood round about, and made obeisance to my sheaf.  And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou indeed reign over us? or shalt thou indeed have dominion over us? And they hated him yet the more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a dream more; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.  And he told it to his father, and to his brethren: and his father rebuked him, and said unto him, What is this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his brethren envied him; but his father observed the saying."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that a king can't trust his safety to a large number of soldiers, a mighty man can't count on being delivered by his great strength, and if you place your faith in a horse, you'll trust in vain.  Only by keeping our eye on the Lord and placing our hopes on Him will our souls be delivered from death.  The Lord is our help and our shield and we can rejoice because we have trusted in Him.  As we place our hope on Him, His mercy will be upon us.  Psalms 33:16-22 "There is no king saved by the multitude of an host: a mighty man is not delivered by much strength.  An horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength.  Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;  To deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine.  Our soul waiteth for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.  For our heart shall rejoice in him, because we have trusted in his holy name.  Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, according as we hope in thee."