Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the Lord will stand to judge the people. The daughters of Zion will be cursed and tormented for their worldliness.  2 Nephi 13:16-26 "Moreover, the Lord saith: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and walk with stretched-forth necks and wanton eyes, walking and mincing as they go, and making a tinkling with their feet— Therefore the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will discover their secret parts.  In that day the Lord will take away the bravery of their tinkling ornaments, and cauls, and round tires like the moon; The chains and the bracelets, and the mufflers; The bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, and the headbands, and the tablets, and the ear-rings; The rings, and nose jewels; The changeable suits of apparel, and the mantles, and the wimples, and the crisping-pins;  The glasses, and the fine linen, and hoods, and the veils.  And it shall come to pass, instead of sweet smell there shall be stink; and instead of a girdle, a rent; and instead of well set hair, baldness; and instead of a stomacher, a girding of sackcloth; burning instead of beauty. Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy mighty in the war. And her gates shall lament and mourn; and she shall be desolate, and shall sit upon the ground."

In the Old Testament we read about how wicked the sons of Eli were, and how they refused to listen to their father when he attempted to call them to repentance. As a result, the Lord rejected the house of Eli, saying the two sons would would both die the same day and He would raise up a faithful priest instead.  1 Samuel 2:22-25, 34-35 "Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people. Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the Lord's people to transgress.  If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the Lord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever.

In some scriptures with a thought booklet w read about a man who had many devils which Jesus cast out of him. The people in the town were very afraid when they found out what Jesus had done and told him to leave.  Jesus did depart from them.  The man who had been healed from the devils told Jesus that he wanted to go with Him.  But Jesus told him to instead return to his home and tell the people in his town about the great things God had done to him. In other words, the Lord wanted him to preach to the people who were so afraid of Him they had sent Him away.  The Lord doesn't always call us to far away ministries, but sometimes gives us hometown assignments and work to do right where we are. There was a woman who had always lived her life in the same town, raised a righteous family and served in her church and community to the best of her ability.  In yet she felt like her life was a failure because she'd never been a missionary in a foreign land.  We need to do our best in whatever calling the Lord has for us, which may be entirely different than the calling He has for someone else.  We need to serve the Lord and others to the best of our ability in whatever situation the Lord has placed us in.  Luke 8:26-39 "And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.  And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? I beseech thee, torment me not.  (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)  And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.  And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.  And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.  Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.  When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.  Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.  They also which saw it told them by what means he that was possessed of the devils was healed. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again. Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,  Return to thine own house, and shew how great things God hath done unto thee. And he went his way, and published throughout the whole city how great things Jesus had done unto him."