Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that there were many prophets among the people, but they were hard hearted and refused to understand.  Nothing but very harsh preaching and continually reminding them of the judgments of God would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. Enos spent the days of his life doing his best to spread the truth of the gospel, and as his life was drawing to an end, he was full of faith and knew that when he met his Redeemer he would see His face with pleasure and that there would be a place prepared for him in the mansions of the Father. Are we living our lives so that we will be able to face our deaths with faith and confidence?  Enos 1:22-27 "And there were exceedingly many prophets among us. And the people were a stiffnecked people, hard to understand.  And there was nothing save it was exceeding harshness, preaching and prophesying of wars, and contentions, and destructions, and continually reminding them of death, and the duration of eternity, and the judgments and the power of God, and all these things—stirring them up continually to keep them in the fear of the Lord. I say there was nothing short of these things, and exceedingly great plainness of speech, would keep them from going down speedily to destruction. And after this manner do I write concerning them. And I saw wars between the Nephites and Lamanites in the course of my days.  And it came to pass that I began to be old, and an hundred and seventy and nine years had passed away from the time that our father Lehi left Jerusalem.  And I saw that I must soon go down to my grave, having been wrought upon by the power of God that I must preach and prophesy unto this people, and declare the word according to the truth which is in Christ. And I have declared it in all my days, and have rejoiced in it above that of the world. And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father. Amen."

In the Old Testament we read that the King went up to the House of the Lord and caused all the people to be gathered together to hear the words of the book of covenant read to them.  Then the King covenanted to keep the commandments and walk after the Lord. He promised to perform the words of the covenant which were written in the book. Josiah took away all the abominations out of the country and did not depart from following the Lord the rest of his days.  2 Chronicles 34:30-33 "And the king went up into the house of the Lord, and all the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people, great and small: and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant that was found in the house of the Lord.  And the king stood in his place, and made a covenant before the Lord, to walk after the Lord, and to keep his commandments, and his testimonies, and his statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.  And he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.  And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the Lord their God. And all his days they departed not from following the Lord, the God of their fathers."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that the Lord's hand isn't shortened that it cannot save and the Lord's ear is not heavy that it cannot hear.  But it is our sins and our iniquities that separate us from God.  If He isn't hearing our prayers, we need to examine ourselves to see if we haven't done something wrong to put distance between us and the Lord.  Isaiah 59:1-2 "Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."