Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that King Benjamin recorded the names of the people and appointed priests to teach them.  Mosiah reigned as a righteous king, working so that he might not be a burden to the people. There was no contention among the people for three years.   Mosiah 6:1-7 "And now, king Benjamin thought it was expedient, after having finished speaking to the people, that he should take the names of all those who had entered into a covenant with God to keep his commandments.  And it came to pass that there was not one soul, except it were little children, but who had entered into the covenant and had taken upon them the name of Christ. And again, it came to pass that when king Benjamin had made an end of all these things, and had consecrated his son Mosiah to be a ruler and a king over his people, and had given him all the charges concerning the kingdom, and also had appointed priests to teach the people, that thereby they might hear and know the commandments of God, and to stir them up in remembrance of the oath which they had made, he dismissed the multitude, and they returned, every one, according to their families, to their own houses.  And Mosiah began to reign in his father's stead. And he began to reign in the thirtieth year of his age, making in the whole, about four hundred and seventy-six years from the time that Lehi left Jerusalem. And king Benjamin lived three years and he died. And it came to pass that king Mosiah did walk in the ways of the Lord, and did observe his judgments and his statutes, and did keep his commandments in all things whatsoever he commanded him.  And king Mosiah did cause his people that they should till the earth. And he also, himself, did till the earth, that thereby he might not become burdensome to his people, that he might do according to that which his father had done in all things. And there was no contention among all his people for the space of three years."

In the Old Testament we read that Job invites the judgments of God so that God may know his integrity.  If he has done ill, he welcomes the penalties for so doing.  Job 31:6-40 "Let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity.  If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to mine hands;  Then let me sow, and let another eat; yea, let my offspring be rooted out.  If mine heart have been deceived by a woman, or if I have laid wait at my neighbour's door;  Then let my wife grind unto another, and let others bow down upon her.  For this is an heinous crime; yea, it is an iniquity to be punished by the judges.  For it is a fire that consumeth to destruction, and would root out all mine increase.  If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;  What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?  Did not he that made me in the womb make him? and did not one fashion us in the womb?  If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;  Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath not eaten thereof;  (For from my youth he was brought up with me, as with a father, and I have guided her from my mother's womb;)  If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;  If his loins have not blessed me, and if he were not warmed with the fleece of my sheep;  If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw my help in the gate: Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder blade, and mine arm be broken from the bone. For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.  If I have made gold my hope, or have said to the fine gold, Thou art my confidence;  If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because mine hand had gotten much;  If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness;  And my heart hath been secretly enticed, or my mouth hath kissed my hand:  This also were an iniquity to be punished by the judge: for I should have denied the God that is above.  If I rejoiced at the destruction of him that hated me, or lifted up myself when evil found him:  Neither have I suffered my mouth to sin by wishing a curse to his soul.  If the men of my tabernacle said not, Oh that we had of his flesh! we cannot be satisfied.  The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.  If I covered my transgressions as Adam, by hiding mine iniquity in my bosom:  Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, that I kept silence, and went not out of the door?  Oh that one would hear me! behold, my desire is, that the Almighty would answer me, and that mine adversary had written a book.  Surely I would take it upon my shoulder, and bind it as a crown to me.  I would declare unto him the number of my steps; as a prince would I go near unto him.  If my land cry against me, or that the furrows likewise thereof complain;  If I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life:  Let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley. The words of Job are ended."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the story of how David and his men returned to their camp to find that it had been burned and their wives and children kidnapped.  You can imagine how distraught they were about losing their families.  They wept until they could weep no more.  And on top of this, the men blamed David and wanted to stone him.  Now David could have become discouraged and given up, succumbing to despair.  But instead he looked to God for strength and encouragement.  When we are going through difficult trials, do we become bitter and turn against God, or do we turn to Him for strength?  The choice is ours. 1 Samuel 30:1-6 "And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;  And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way. So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives. Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.  And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.  And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God."