Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Jerusalem needs to awake and stand up. The fury and rebuke of the Lord would come upon them and they would be afflicted. But the Lord would plead the cause of His people. Jerusalem should shake itself from the dust and arise, and loose itself from the bands around its neck.  2 Nephi 8:17-25 "Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hast drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury—thou hast drunken the dregs of the cup of trembling wrung out— And none to guide her among all the sons she hath brought forth; neither that taketh her by the hand, of all the sons she hath brought up.  These two sons are come unto thee, who shall be sorry for thee—thy desolation and destruction, and the famine and the sword—and by whom shall I comfort thee? Thy sons have fainted, save these two; they lie at the head of all the streets; as a wild bull in a net, they are full of the fury of the Lord, the rebuke of thy God. Therefore hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken, and not with wine: Thus saith thy Lord, the Lord and thy God pleadeth the cause of his people; behold, I have taken out of thine hand the cup of trembling, the dregs of the cup of my fury; thou shalt no more drink it again. But I will put it into the hand of them that afflict thee; who have said to thy soul: Bow down, that we may go over—and thou hast laid thy body as the ground and as the street to them that went over.  Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit down, O Jerusalem; loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord told Joshua not to be afraid because He would deliver his enemies up to him.  When we have the Lord on our side, it doesn't matter who is against us, and we have no need to fear.  Joshua 11:6-8 "And the Lord said unto Joshua, Be not afraid because of them: for to morrow about this time will I deliver them up all slain before Israel: thou shalt hough their horses, and burn their chariots with fire.  So Joshua came, and all the people of war with him, against them by the waters of Merom suddenly; and they fell upon them.  And the Lord delivered them into the hand of Israel, who smote them, and chased them unto great Zidon, and unto Misrephoth-maim, and unto the valley of Mizpeh eastward; and they smote them, until they left them none remaining."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that in the last days we'll see great signs that the Second Coming of Christ is near.  We'll see signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and in the earth being in distress and the sea roaring, and the powers of heaven being shaken.  Men's hearts will fail them with all these scary things going on.  But we don't need to fear.  Just like we can tell the seasons by looking at the fig tree and knowing when summer will come, we can look at these signs and know that the coming of the Lord is near at hand.  Luke 21:25-31 "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;  Men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken.  And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.  And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.  And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees; When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.  So likewise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the kingdom of God is nigh at hand."