Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read more of Lehi's words to his son Joseph. He told him that they are descendants of Joseph who was sold into Egypt, and that the Lord had made great covenants with him. Joseph had received great revelations from the Lord, seeing their day and seeing that the Lord would raise up a righteous branch of the house of Israel from his posterity.  However, the Messiah would not be from his loins, but would be made manifest to his seed in the latter-days.  2 Nephi 3:4-5 "For behold, thou art the fruit of my loins; and I am a descendant of Joseph who was carried captive into Egypt. And great were the covenants of the Lord which he made unto Joseph. Wherefore, Joseph truly saw our day. And he obtained a promise of the Lord, that out of the fruit of his loins the Lord God would raise up a righteous branch unto the house of Israel; not the Messiah, but a branch which was to be broken off, nevertheless, to be remembered in the covenants of the Lord that the Messiah should be made manifest unto them in the latter days, in the spirit of power, unto the bringing of them out of darkness unto light—yea, out of hidden darkness and out of captivity unto freedom."

In the Old Testament we're told that all that God requires of us is to love and serve Him and keep His commandments.  Deuteronomy 10:12-13 "And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,  To keep the commandments of the Lord, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good?"

In some verses with a thought booklet we are reminded not to lean unto our own understanding, but to trust the Lord with all our heart and acknowledge Him in all things, allowing Him to direct our paths. We might think we know what is best for us, but our perspective is very limited.  Only God can clearly see what is for our best good.  Sometimes we need to go through difficult times in order to gain the experience we need to make us the people we can become. If God doesn't answer our prayers the way we want, we need to still trust Him to do what is best for us.  Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths."