Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the king commanded the people that they should flee before the Lamanites, so they went into the wilderness. But the Lamanites went after them and began to slay them. So the king commanded them to leave their women and children behind, who apparently ran more slowly, and make a run for it themselves. Many refused to leave their families, perfering to die with them than run away, but many did go with the king. Those who stayed behind with their wives and children had their fair women plead with the Lamanites to spare them. The Lamanites were charmed by the beauty of the women and had compassion on them. They spared their lives and took them captive back to the land of Nephi. They allowed them to possess the land on condition that they deliver up King Noah to them, and pay one half of their property as tribute to the king of the Lamanites.  Mosiah 19:9-15 "And the king commanded the people that they should flee before the Lamanites, and he himself did go before them, and they did flee into the wilderness, with their women and their children.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites did pursue them, and did overtake them, and began to slay them.  Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites. Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them. And the rest left their wives and their children and fled. And it came to pass that those who tarried with their wives and their children caused that their fair daughters should stand forth and plead with the Lamanites that they would not slay them.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites had compassion on them, for they were charmed with the beauty of their women. Therefore the Lamanites did spare their lives, and took them captives and carried them back to the land of Nephi, and granted unto them that they might possess the land, under the conditions that they would deliver up king Noah into the hands of the Lamanites, and deliver up their property, even one half of all they possessed, one half of their gold, and their silver, and all their precious things, and thus they should pay tribute to the king of the Lamanites from year to year."

In the Old Testament we're told that the Lord takes pleasure in those who reverence Him and hope in His mercy.  Psalms 147:11 "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy." 

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that as long as earth remains, there will be seed time and harvest, summer and winter, day and night.  No matter how long winter seems to last, spring will come.  No matter how dark the night, dawn will arrive. I remember one time ears ago I was going through a particularly difficult time in my life and wondered if things would ever get better.  It was early in the morning and I looked out to see that it was still pitch black outside.  The thought came to me, "Just as surely as the sun will rise this morning and light will come, just that surely will the darkness of your problems cease and things will improve."  An hour later I could see the sun starting to come up and the day brighten.  And indeed, my troubles got better and my life improved in the coming weeks as well. Sometimes we just need to be patient and hang in there.  No matter how dark the night, the dawn will come.   Genesis 8:22 "While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease."