Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read there was a great battle between the Gentiles in the promised land and their mother Gentiles, but God was with the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity and delivered them from other nations.  1 Nephi 13:17-19 "And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them. And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.  And I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles that had gone out of captivity were delivered by the power of God out of the hands of all other nations."

 

In the Old Testament we read that Aaron and his sons were to be washed, anointed, and consecrated to minister in the priest's office.  Exodus 29:1, 4-9 "And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish, And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water. And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod: And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre. Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.  And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.  And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons."

In some scriptures with a thought booklet we read the story of two different people who came to Jesus.  One was Simon a Pharisee who was spiritually interested and wanted to learn more about what Jesus taught. The other was a woman who had lived a life of sin and came to Jesus weeping and wiping his feet with her hair, kissing them and pouring perfume on them. Simon was shocked that Jesus would allow this sinful woman to approach Him, but Jesus was willing to forgive her of her sins and was accepting of her repentance.  Jesus asked Simon who would love a forgiving creditor more, someone who had owed him little or someone who had owed him much.  He then explained that this sinful woman had been forgiven for many sins so she loved Him very much. Meeting Jesus spiritually changed this woman, but we don't hear of any great spiritual change that took place in Simon. Which one of these two people can we most relate to? Do we tend to take greater notice of our own sins or those of other people?  Luke 7:36-50 "And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.  And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,  And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.  Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner. And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on. There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty. And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?  Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.  And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.  Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.  Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.  And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.  And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?  And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace."