Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that all down through the ages, the prophets had a knowledge of Christ and a hope in His glory, even hundreds of years before His coming. They kept the law of Moses which pointed the way to Christ. When Abraham was willing to offer up his son Isaac as a sacrifice, it was in similitude of God offering up His Only Begotten Son. With the witnesses of all these prophets, our faith becomes unshaken and we obtain hope.  Jacob 4:4-7 "For, for this intent have we written these things, that they may know that we knew of Christ, and we had a hope of his glory many hundred years before his coming; and not only we ourselves had a hope of his glory, but also all the holy prophets which were before us.  Behold, they believed in Christ and worshiped the Father in his name, and also we worship the Father in his name. And for this intent we keep the law of Moses, it pointing our souls to him; and for this cause it is sanctified unto us for righteousness, even as it was accounted unto Abraham in the wilderness to be obedient unto the commands of God in offering up his son Isaac, which is a similitude of God and his Only Begotten Son. Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea.  Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."

In the Old Testament we read about how David sinned in having Israel numbered and the Lord was so displeased that he gave David a choice of three punishments that would come upon him.  David chose a pestilence which killed 70,000 men.  The reason it was a sin to have the people numbered is because it showed a lack of faith on David's part that the Lord would be able to deliver them from their enemies.  David wanted to reassure himself that he would win battles because he had enough men to do so.  But in reality, it really didn't matter how many or how few men he had to do battle.  If the Lord is on our side, we can prevail against any number of enemy forces.  1 Chronicles 21:1-14 "And Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to number Israel.  And David said to Joab and to the rulers of the people, Go, number Israel from Beer-sheba even to Dan; and bring the number of them to me, that I may know it. And Joab answered, The Lord make his people an hundred times so many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of trespass to Israel?  Nevertheless the king's word prevailed against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel, and came to Jerusalem. And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people unto David. And all they of Israel were a thousand thousand and an hundred thousand men that drew sword: and Judah was four hundred threescore and ten thousand men that drew sword. But Levi and Benjamin counted he not among them: for the king's word was abominable to Joab. And God was displeased with this thing; therefore he smote Israel. And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. And the Lord spake unto Gad, David's seer, saying,  Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.  So Gad came to David, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Choose thee  Either three years' famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.  And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man. So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that the Lord will draw near to all who call upon Him in truth.  Psalms 145:18 "The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."