Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon I read that we're commanded not to murder or lie or steal or take the Lord's name in vain. We should not envy or have malice, and we should not contend with one another. Whoever does these things will perish. Christ invites all to come unto Him and partake of His goodness, and He denies none.  All are alike unto God, no matter what their race, nationality, or gender is.  2 Nephi 26:32-33 "And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish.  For none of these iniquities come of the Lord; for he doeth that which is good among the children of men; and he doeth nothing save it be plain unto the children of men; and he inviteth them all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; and he remembereth the heathen; and all are alike unto God, both Jew and Gentile."

In the Old Testament we read about various evil kings who reigned in wickedness. They provoked the Lord to anger with their sins. The house of  Baasha was destroyed. 1 Kings 16:1-2, 6-13 "Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu the son of Hanani against Baasha, saying,  Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; So Baasha slept with his fathers, and was buried in Tirzah: and Elah his son reigned in his stead.  And also by the hand of the prophet Jehu the son of Hanani came the word of the Lord against Baasha, and against his house, even for all the evil that he did in the sight of the Lord, in provoking him to anger with the work of his hands, in being like the house of Jeroboam; and because he killed him. In the twenty and sixth year of Asa king of Judah began Elah the son of Baasha to reign over Israel in Tirzah, two years.  And his servant Zimri, captain of half his chariots, conspired against him, as he was in Tirzah, drinking himself drunk in the house of Arza steward of his house in Tirzah.  And Zimri went in and smote him, and killed him, in the twenty and seventh year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his stead. And it came to pass, when he began to reign, as soon as he sat on his throne, that he slew all the house of Baasha: he left him not one that pisseth against a wall, neither of his kinsfolks, nor of his friends. Thus did Zimri destroy all the house of Baasha, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake against Baasha by Jehu the prophet,  For all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, by which they sinned, and by which they made Israel to sin, in provoking the Lord God of Israel to anger with their vanities."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that faith without works is dead.  It's great to believe, but we need to back that up with hat we do.  If we meet a hungry person and tell them to depart in peace and be full, what good is that going to do them if we don't give them food? We need to give evidence of our faith through the deeds that we do.  Faith without works is dead.  James 2:14-18 "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,  And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works."