Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read Lehi's words to his son Jacob  He recounted how Jacob  had been born during their days of tribulation traveling through the wilderness, and he had suffered great affliction and sorrow. But Jacob had seen firsthand the greatness of God and how He can consecrate our afflictions for our gain.  Lehi exhorted Jacob to spend his days in the service of God.  2 Nephi 2:1-3 "And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my firstborn in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren. Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain. Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men."

In the Old Testament Moses exhorted Israel to keep the commandments of the Lord, and not to either add to them or subtract from them.  Sometimes we like to pick and choose which commandments we want to obey, taking out those that seem too difficult for us.  Or we make up commandments of our own and then look down on people who don't obey them.  It's not up to us to decide what are commandments and what are not.  We need to obey what God has given us.  Deuteronomy 4:1-2 "Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you.  Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that if we love God we'll also love our brother.  Anyone who claims to love God but hate his brother is a liar.  How can we say we love God whom we have not seen but hate our brother whom we have seen?  1 John 4:20-21 "If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."