Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the Nephites were industrious and worked hard to provide food for themselves.  Enos 1:21 "And it came to pass that the people of Nephi did till the land, and raise all manner of grain, and of fruit, and flocks of herds, and flocks of all manner of cattle of every kind, and goats, and wild goats, and also many horses."

In the Old Testament we read about how Manasseh was wicked and made Judah sin.  The Lord tried to speak to Manasseh and his people, but they would not listen.  So then the Lord sent the Assyrians to come and bind him with fetters and carry him away to Babylon.  Faced with all this affliction, Manasseh finally humbled himself and repented of his sins.  He turned to the Lord in prayer and changed his ways.  He took away the idols and strange gods, casting them out of the city.  He repaired the altars of the Lord and sacrificed to Him.  He commanded Judah to serve the Lord. It's interesting to note that when the Lord tried to speak to Manasseh, he would not listen.  But when the Lord sent affliction upon him, suddenly he became humble enough to repent and seek the Lord. Do we need to wait until trials and tribulations come to us before we're willing to seek the Lord and keep His commandments?  How much better it would be if we'd hearken to the words of the Lord without having to be forced into humility by the things we suffer.  2 Chronicles 33:9-16 "So Manasseh made Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the Lord had destroyed before the children of Israel.  And the Lord spake to Manasseh, and to his people: but they would not hearken. Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the thorns, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. And when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers, And prayed unto him: and he was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord he was God.  Now after this he built a wall without the city of David, on the west side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish gate, and compassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.  And he took away the strange gods, and the idol out of the house of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount of the house of the Lord, and in Jerusalem, and cast them out of the city.  And he repaired the altar of the Lord, and sacrificed thereon peace offerings and thank offerings, and commanded Judah to serve the Lord God of Israel."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that we should bear the infirmities of the weak and try to please and edify others instead of thinking only of ourselves. We need to be less selfish and try to serve others.   Romans 15:1-2 "We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification."