Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Nephi mourned for the wickedness and unbelief of men who refuse to search for knowledge and refuse to pray. The Spirit teaches us to pray, but Satan teaches us that we should not pray.  So we need to pray always and not faint. 2 Nephi 32:7-9"And now I, Nephi, cannot say more; the Spirit stoppeth mine utterance, and I am left to mourn because of the unbelief, and the wickedness, and the ignorance, and the stiffneckedness of men; for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be. And now, my beloved brethren, I perceive that ye ponder still in your hearts; and it grieveth me that I must speak concerning this thing. For if ye would hearken unto the Spirit which teacheth a man to pray, ye would know that ye must pray; for the evil spirit teacheth not a man to pray, but teacheth him that he must not pray. But behold, I say unto you that ye must pray always, and not faint; that ye must not perform any thing unto the Lord save in the first place ye shall pray unto the Father in the name of Christ, that he will consecrate thy performance unto thee, that thy performance may be for the welfare of thy soul."

In the Old Testament we read that Hezekiah reigns in righteousness and destroys idolatry, including the brasen serpent made by Moses because the children of Israel were burning incense to it. Hezekiah trusted in the Lord.  2 Kings 18:1-6 "Now it came to pass in the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, that Hezekiah the son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.  Twenty and five years old was he when he began to reign; and he reigned twenty and nine years in Jerusalem. His mother's name also was Abi, the daughter of Zachariah.  And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that David his father did. He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. He trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.  For he clave to the Lord, and departed not from following him, but kept his commandments, which the Lord commanded Moses."

In some scriptures with a thought booklet we read about how vineyard workers who each agreed to a day's wage, later grumble because those who worked fewer hours got the same wage.  It wasn't fair!  But life is often unfair.  Sometimes the lazy guy who doesn't work very hard manages to charm the boss and get the promotion that you deserve. Maybe our sister will inherit that set of china we really wnted. Or maybe somebody else will get a better grade on that test even though w studied hard and they didn't.  But what we need to guard ourselves against is envy.  Instead of thinking that somebody else got a better deal, we need to keep doing our best and appreciate what we hve.  Grumbling and complaining will not make our situation any better, and will just make us unhappy.  Matthew 20:1-16 "For the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is an householder, which went out early in the morning to hire labourers into his vineyard. And when he had agreed with the labourers for a penny a day, he sent them into his vineyard.  And he went out about the third hour, and saw others standing idle in the marketplace,  And said unto them; Go ye also into the vineyard, and whatsoever is right I will give you. And they went their way. Again he went out about the sixth and ninth hour, and did likewise.  And about the eleventh hour he went out, and found others standing idle, and saith unto them, Why stand ye here all the day idle?  They say unto him, Because no man hath hired us. He saith unto them, Go ye also into the vineyard; and whatsoever is right, that shall ye receive.  So when even was come, the lord of the vineyard saith unto his steward, Call the labourers, and give them their hire, beginning from the last unto the first.  And when they came that were hired about the eleventh hour, they received every man a penny.  But when the first came, they supposed that they should have received more; and they likewise received every man a penny. And when they had received it, they murmured against the goodman of the house,  Saying, These last have wrought but one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, which have borne the burden and heat of the day.  But he answered one of them, and said, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a penny? Take that thine is, and go thy way: I will give unto this last, even as unto thee. Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? Is thine eye evil, because I am good? So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."