Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read about how the Jews would no longer be scattered, but they would be restored in the latter days.  1 Nephi 15: 19-20 "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, spake much unto them concerning these things; yea, I spake unto them concerning the restoration of the Jews in the latter days. And I did rehearse unto them the words of Isaiah, who spake concerning the restoration of the Jews, or of the house of Israel; and after they were restored they should no more be confounded, neither should they be scattered again. And it came to pass that I did speak many words unto my brethren, that they were pacified and did humble themselves before the Lord."

In the Old Testament we read that the people were first to make restitution for sin, then offer a trespass offering, and thereby gain forgiveness. Making restitution for our sins, inasmuch as possible, is still part of the repentance process today.  Leviticus 6:1-7 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the Lord, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;  Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:  Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,  Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.  And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the Lord, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:  And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the Lord: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein."

In some verses with a thought booklet we read that we need to try to convert those who err from the truth, saving a soul from death.  The story is told of a little girl who was playing pin the tail on the donkey at a birthday party.  She was blindfolded and spun around. Dizzy and disoriented she wandered out of the yard and into the street.  She sensed something was wrong and removed the blindfold.  Then she chastised her friends for not turning her around or stopping her--not correcting her course when they saw her wandering off.  Likewise, when we see a friend straying from the correct path in life, perhaps blinded by the world, we need to stop them and turn them around, getting them going in the right direction again. Perhaps in doing so we will save a soul.  James 5:19-20 "Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him;  Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."