Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Nephi taught his people to build buildings and work with wood and metals. They built a temple. Nephi taught them to be industrious and work with their hands. They wanted Nephi to be their king, but he didn't think they should have a king.  However, he did what he could for them.  2 Nephi 5:15-18 "And I did teach my people to build buildings, and to work in all manner of wood, and of iron, and of copper, and of brass, and of steel, and of gold, and of silver, and of precious ores, which were in great abundance. And I, Nephi, did build a temple; and I did construct it after the manner of the temple of Solomon save it were not built of so many precious things; for they were not to be found upon the land, wherefore, it could not be built like unto Solomon's temple. But the manner of the construction was like unto the temple of Solomon; and the workmanship thereof was exceedingly fine.  And it came to pass that I, Nephi, did cause my people to be industrious, and to labor with their hands. And it came to pass that they would that I should be their king. But I, Nephi, was desirous that they should have no king; nevertheless, I did for them according to that which was in my power."

In the Old Testament we read about how the children of Israel would rebel against the Lord after the death of Moses and would turn to other gods, even after all the Lord had done for them in bringing them out of Egypt.  Because of their breaking the covenant with the Lord, He would be angry with them and turn away from them, allowing many evils and troubles to befall them.  Deuteronomy 31:16-29 "And the Lord said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.  Then my anger shall be kindled against them in that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide my face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them; so that they will say in that day, Are not these evils come upon us, because our God is not among us?  And I will surely hide my face in that day for all the evils which they shall have wrought, in that they are turned unto other gods.  Now therefore write ye this song for you, and teach it the children of Israel: put it in their mouths, that this song may be a witness for me against the children of Israel.  For when I shall have brought them into the land which I sware unto their fathers, that floweth with milk and honey; and they shall have eaten and filled themselves, and waxen fat; then will they turn unto other gods, and serve them, and provoke me, and break my covenant.  And it shall come to pass, when many evils and troubles are befallen them, that this song shall testify against them as a witness; for it shall not be forgotten out of the mouths of their seed: for I know their imagination which they go about, even now, before I have brought them into the land which I sware. Moses therefore wrote this song the same day, and taught it the children of Israel.  And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee. And it came to pass, when Moses had made an end of writing the words of this law in a book, until they were finished, That Moses commanded the Levites, which bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord, saying,  Take this book of the law, and put it in the side of the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, that it may be there for a witness against thee.  For I know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the Lord; and how much more after my death? Gather unto me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to record against them.  For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the Lord, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands."

In some verses with a thought booklet we read that God created men in His own image and gave him dominion over the birds, fish, animals, and everything that creeps upon the earth. We have been given stewardship over every living creature. Suppose you had a friend who was going on vacation and asked you to watch their lovely, expensive home while they were gone.  They told you to make yourself at home and help yourself to anything you found in the refrigerator.  But would it be okay for you to trash their house or have a big party with your friends and allow them to destroy the property that had been entrusted to you? We have been entrusted with the earth by our Heavenly Father.  He allows us to use the resources of it. But that does not give us the right to abuse or misuse it.  We need to be responsible in taking care of the stewardship that has been entrusted to us.  Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth."