Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that as Alma entered the city of Ammonihah he asked a man for something to eat. The man, Amulek,  had already been told by an angel that Alma was coming, and invited him to his house for something to eat. Often when we're on the Lord's errand, He'll send people to help us. When that happens, we need to do what Alma did, and give the Lord our thanks.  Alma 8:19-22 "And as he entered the city he was an hungered, and he said to a man: Will ye give to an humble servant of God something to eat? And the man said unto him: I am a Nephite, and I know that thou art a holy prophet of God, for thou art the man whom an angel said in a vision: Thou shalt receive. Therefore, go with me into my house and I will impart unto thee of my food; and I know that thou wilt be a blessing unto me and my house.  And it came to pass that the man received him into his house; and the man was called Amulek; and he brought forth bread and meat and set before Alma.  And it came to pass that Alma ate bread and was filled; and he blessed Amulek and his house, and he gave thanks unto God."

In the Old Testament we read that Jeremiah the prophet prophesied that Egypt would not sava Judah from Babylon.  Indeed, if we have the Lord on our side, we can trust that we'll be safe against any enemy, but if we  don't have the Lord on our side, it doesn't matter who else is for us, it won't do us any good. Jeremiah 37:6-10 "Then came the word of the Lord unto the prophet Jeremiah, saying,  Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to inquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh's army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land.  And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire.  Thus saith the Lord; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart.  For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet give us Paul's words that he has fought a good fight and finished his course, keeping the faith.  So there would be laid up for him a crown of righteousness.  And this was not only true of Paul, but likewise will be true for all of us who love the Lord.  If we endure to the end, we will receive our reward.  2 Timothy 4:7-8 " I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma was weighed down with much sorrow, due to the wickedness of the people of Ammonihah. Then an angel appeared to him and commanded him to return to Ammonihah and tell the people that if they didn't repent, the Lord would destroy them. Alma obeyed and speedily returned to the city.  Note that he didn't hesitate to do what he'd been commanded to do.  He did it quickly.  Alma 8:14-18 "And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying:  Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.  And behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea, preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them.  For behold, they do study at this time that they may destroy the liberty of thy people, (for thus saith the Lord) which is contrary to the statutes, and judgments, and commandments which he has given unto his people.  Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah."

In the Old Testament we read that if we break our covenants with the Lord, He will likewise break His part of His covenants with us.  If we disobey, we have no promise.  Jeremiah 33:19-21 "And the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, saying, Thus saith the Lord; If ye can break my covenant of the day, and my covenant of the night, and that there should not be day and night in their season; Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant, that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne; and with the Levites the priests, my ministers."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tells us that even though sparrows are sold five for two farthings, not one of them is forgotten before God.  So we have no reason to fear, for we are of more value than any sparrows, and the very hairs of our head are all numbered to Him.  The story is told of a teenage boy who felt completely worthless. He was overweight, wore thick glasses, had braces on his teeth, and was covered with freckles.  The kids made fun of him. One day he slammed his bedroom door and fell onto his bed in despair.  As he did so, he knocked his Bible on the floor.  As he picked it up, he noticed it had fallen open to the page with Luke 12 on it and he read these verse which changed his perspective and his life.  Suddenly he realized that he was of great worth to God.  And so are you!   Luke 12:6-7 "Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma preached in the land of Ammonihah, where Satan had gotten great hold on the people. Alma labored much and sought the Lord in mighty prayer. But the people hardened their hearts against him and said that his beliefs were foolish traditions. They heaped persecutions upon him and cast him out of their city.  Alma 8:7-13 "Now it was the custom of the people of Nephi to call their lands, and their cities, and their villages, yea, even all their small villages, after the name of him who first possessed them; and thus it was with the land of Ammonihah.  And it came to pass that when Alma had come to the city of Ammonihah he began to preach the word of God unto them.  Now Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the city of Ammonihah; therefore they would not hearken unto the words of Alma.  Nevertheless Alma labored much in the spirit, wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit upon the people who were in the city; that he would also grant that he might baptize them unto repentance.  Nevertheless, they hardened their hearts, saying unto him: Behold, we know that thou art Alma; and we know that thou art high priest over the church which thou hast established in many parts of the land, according to your tradition; and we are not of thy church, and we do not believe in such foolish traditions.  And now we know that because we are not of thy church we know that thou hast no power over us; and thou hast delivered up the judgment-seat unto Nephihah; therefore thou art not the chief judge over us.  Now when the people had said this, and withstood all his words, and reviled him, and spit upon him, and caused that he should be cast out of their city, he departed thence and took his journey towards the city which was called Aaron."

In the Old Testament we read that even though the Lord brought forth the children of Israel out of Egypt with signs and miracles and gave them the promised land, they refused to obey His voice and did not walk in His law or keep His commandments.  So their disobedience caused evil to come upon them.  There are always consequences to breaking the Lord's commandments.  Jeremiah 32:21-23 "And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;  And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;  And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:"

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that the Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are humble. When we're going through trials and tribulations in our lives, we can always turn to the Lord for help and comfort.  Psalms 34:18 "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma began to preach to the people of Melek, baptizing many.  He then went to the land of Ammonihah.  Alma 8:4-6 "And he began to teach the people in the land of Melek according to the holy order of God, by which he had been called; and he began to teach the people throughout all the land of Melek.  And it came to pass that the people came to him throughout all the borders of the land which was by the wilderness side. And they were baptized throughout all the land; So that when he had finished his work at Melek he departed thence, and traveled three days' journey on the north of the land of Melek; and he came to a city which was called Ammonihah."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord loves us with an everlasting love and draws us to Him with loving kindness.  Jeremiah 31:3 "The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee."

A verse with a thought booklet asks the question:  If God is for us, who can be against us?  Indeed, if we're on God's side, it doesn't really matter who is on the other side. The Lord will prevail.  Romans 8:31 "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma returned from the land of Gideon, having established the church there. He returned to his home in Zarahemla. He then traveled to the land of Melek. Alma 8:1-3 "And now it came to pass that Alma returned from the land of Gideon, after having taught the people of Gideon many things which cannot be written, having established the order of the church, according as he had before done in the land of Zarahemla, yea, he returned to his own house at Zarahemla to rest himself from the labors which he had performed.  And thus ended the ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.  And it came to pass in the commencement of the tenth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, that Alma departed from thence and took his journey over into the land of Melek, on the west of the river Sidon, on the west by the borders of the wilderness."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord would send famine, pestilence and the sword upon the people because they refused to hearken to His words, or the words of His servants the prophets that He had sent.  Jeremiah 29:17-19 "Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil. And I will persecute them with the sword, with the famine, and with the pestilence, and will deliver them to be removed to all the kingdoms of the earth, to be a curse, and an astonishment, and an hissing, and a reproach, among all the nations whither I have driven them:  Because they have not hearkened to my words, saith the Lord, which I sent unto them by my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them; but ye would not hear, saith the Lord."

In some scriptures with a thought booklet we're told that we were made in the image of God, and when God saw everything that He had made, He declared it t be "very good." What do you see wen you look in the mirror?  Wrinkles, gray hair, blemishes, a nose that's too big, a body that weighs too much? Sometimes we need to remind ourselves that we are created in the image of God and that He declared His creations very good!  Perhaps it's difficult to believe that we are a special and beloved child of God, but we are.  He values us.  And instead of grumbling about imperfections we see in our bodies, let's be grateful for them! Genesis 1:26, 31 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.  And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the Lord does not dwell in unholy temples. We need to walk blameless before God, being humble, patient, and keeping the commandments at all times. We need to always give thanks unto God, that we will feel of His peace.  Alma 7:21-27 "And he doth not dwell in unholy temples; neither can filthiness or anything which is unclean be received into the kingdom of God; therefore I say unto you the time shall come, yea, and it shall be at the last day, that he who is filthy shall remain in his filthiness.  And now my beloved brethren, I have said these things unto you that I might awaken you to a sense of your duty to God, that ye may walk blameless before him, that ye may walk after the holy order of God, after which ye have been received.  And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.  And see that ye have faith, hope, and charity, and then ye will always abound in good works. And may the Lord bless you, and keep your garments spotless, that ye may at last be brought to sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and the holy prophets who have been ever since the world began, having your garments spotless even as their garments are spotless, in the kingdom of heaven to go no more out.  And now my beloved brethren, I have spoken these words unto you according to the Spirit which testifieth in me; and my soul doth exceedingly rejoice, because of the exceeding diligence and heed which ye have given unto my word.  And now, may the peace of God rest upon you, and upon your houses and lands, and upon your flocks and herds, and all that you possess, your women and your children, according to your faith and good works, from this time forth and forever. And thus I have spoken. Amen."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord will hear us when we call upon Him in prayer.  And if we seek Him with all our hearts, we will find Him.  Jeremiah 29:12-13 "Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.  And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God and the earth shows His handiwork. How could anyone behold a beautiful sunset, or a majestic mountain, or a mighty waterfall and not marvel at what God has created?   Psalms 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that we need to lay aside every sin which so easily besets us, and enter into a covenant to keep the commandments of the Lord. Alma perceived  by the Spirit that the people believed hi words and that they were on the path which leads to the Kingdom of God.  Alma 7:15-20 " Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.  And whosoever doeth this, and keepeth the commandments of God from thenceforth, the same will remember that I say unto him, yea, he will remember that I have said unto him, he shall have eternal life, according to the testimony of the Holy Spirit, which testifieth in me. And now my beloved brethren, do you believe these things? Behold, I say unto you, yea, I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me. And now because your faith is strong concerning that, yea, concerning the things which I have spoken, great is my joy.  For as I said unto you from the beginning, that I had much desire that ye were not in the state of dilemma like your brethren, even so I have found that my desires have been gratified.  For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.  I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord sent told Jeremiah to cry repentance unto the people and warned that if they refused to listen and walk in His law,  He would bring evil upon them and make their city a curse. Jeremiah 26:1-7 "In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the Lord, saying, Thus saith the Lord; Stand in the court of the Lord's house, and speak unto all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in the Lord's house, all the words that I command thee to speak unto them; diminish not a word:  If so be they will hearken, and turn every man from his evil way, that I may repent me of the evil, which I purpose to do unto them because of the evil of their doings.  And thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the Lord; If ye will not hearken to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you, To hearken to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I sent unto you, both rising up early, and sending them, but ye have not hearkened; Then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.  So the priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of the Lord."

In a verse with a thought booklet we learn that we can cast our cares upon the Lord for He cares for us.  1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma taught that the Redeemer would come and live among men. They needed to repent and prepare for His coming.He would be born of Mary, a virgin. He would suffer pains, afflictions, and temptations of every kind, and would take upon Himself the pains and sicknesses of His people. He would take upon Himself the sins of the world and overcome death. We need to have faith, repent, and be baptized.  Alma 7:7-14 "For behold, I say unto you there be many things to come; and behold, there is one thing which is of more importance than they all—for behold, the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people.  Behold, I do not say that he will come among us at the time of his dwelling in his mortal tabernacle; for behold, the Spirit hath not said unto me that this should be the case. Now as to this thing I do not know; but this much I do know, that the Lord God hath power to do all things which are according to his word.  But behold, the Spirit hath said this much unto me, saying: Cry unto this people, saying—Repent ye, and prepare the way of the Lord, and walk in his paths, which are straight; for behold, the kingdom of heaven is at hand, and the Son of God cometh upon the face of the earth.  And behold, he shall be born of Mary, at Jerusalem which is the land of our forefathers, she being a virgin, a precious and chosen vessel, who shall be overshadowed and conceive by the power of the Holy Ghost, and bring forth a son, yea, even the Son of God.  And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.  Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me.  Now I say unto you that ye must repent, and be born again; for the Spirit saith if ye are not born again ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye may be washed from your sins, that ye may have faith on the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of the world, who is mighty to save and to cleanse from all unrighteousness."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord sent prophets to warn the people to repent and turn from their evil ways--to stop serving other gods and provoking the Lord to anger.  But the people refused to listen.  Jeremiah 25:4-7 "And the Lord hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets, rising early and sending them; but ye have not hearkened, nor inclined your ear to hear. They said, Turn ye again now every one from his evil way, and from the evil of your doings, and dwell in the land that the Lord hath given unto you and to your fathers for ever and ever: And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.  Yet ye have not hearkened unto me, saith the Lord; that ye might provoke me to anger with the works of your hands to your own hurt."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that the Lord comforts us in all our tribulations, and we likewise should comfort others.  2 Corinthians 1:3-4 "Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;  Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read read the words which Alma spoke to the people, after he gave up the judgment seat so that he could devote himself to preaching the word of God He was pleased that he found a people ho were not in so much a state of rebellion as were their brethren.  They were more humble and had not set their hearts so much upon the things of the world.  Alma 7:1-6 "Behold my beloved brethren, seeing that I have been permitted to come unto you, therefore I attempt to address you in my language; yea, by my own mouth, seeing that it is the first time that I have spoken unto you by the words of my mouth, I having been wholly confined to the judgment-seat, having had much business that I could not come unto you.  And even I could not have come now at this time were it not that the judgment-seat hath been given to another, to reign in my stead; and the Lord in much mercy hath granted that I should come unto you.  And behold, I have come having great hopes and much desire that I should find that ye had humbled yourselves before God, and that ye had continued in the supplicating of his grace, that I should find that ye were blameless before him, that I should find that ye were not in the awful dilemma that our brethren were in at Zarahemla. But blessed be the name of God, that he hath given me to know, yea, hath given unto me the exceedingly great joy of knowing that they are established again in the way of his righteousness.  And I trust, according to the Spirit of God which is in me, that I shall also have joy over you; nevertheless I do not desire that my joy over you should come by the cause of so much afflictions and sorrow which I have had for the brethren at Zarahemla, for behold, my joy cometh over them after wading through much affliction and sorrow.  But behold, I trust that ye are not in a state of so much unbelief as were your brethren; I trust that ye are not lifted up in the pride of your hearts; yea, I trust that ye have not set your hearts upon riches and the vain things of the world; yea, I trust that you do not worship idols, but that ye do worship the true and the living God, and that ye look forward for the remission of your sins, with an everlasting faith, which is to come."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord is a God that is near at hand and knows what we do--not a faraway God that we can hide from.  Jeremiah 23:23-24 "Am I a God at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off?  Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the Lord. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the Lord."

Some verses with a thought booklet remind us that if we are obedient to the Lord and turn to Him, He will not forget us or forsake us when we are n tribulation. He is merciful and will remember the covenants H has made with us. Deuteronomy 4:30-31 "When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;  (For the Lord thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that after Alma had set in order the church in Zarahelma he went to Gidion to preach.  Alma 6:7-8 "And now it came to pass that when Alma had made these regulations he departed from them, yea, from the church which was in the city of Zarahemla, and went over upon the east of the river Sidon, into the valley of Gideon, there having been a city built, which was called the city of Gideon, which was in the valley that was called Gideon, being called after the man who was slain by the hand of Nehor with the sword. And Alma went and began to declare the word of God unto the church which was established in the valley of Gideon, according to the revelation of the truth of the word which had been spoken by his fathers, and according to the spirit of prophecy which was in him, according to the testimony of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who should come to redeem his people from their sins, and the holy order by which he was called. And thus it is written. Amen."

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord said that those who would not hear His words would become a desolation. Those who worship other gods and forsake their covenants will be punished.  Jeremiah 22:5-9 "But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.  For thus saith the Lord unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.  And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city? Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that the Spirit itself ears witness to us that we are the children of God.  Knowing who we are, knowing our true identity as sons and daughters of God, can make all the difference in our lives. We can understand our great worth and know that our Heavenly Father loves us.  Romans 8:16 "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:"

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the church in Zarahemla is cleansed and set in order.  Alma 6:1-6 "And now it came to pass that after Alma had made an end of speaking unto the people of the church, which was established in the city of Zarahemla, he ordained priests and elders, by laying on his hands according to the order of God, to preside and watch over the church.  And it came to pass that whosoever did not belong to the church who repented of their sins were baptized unto repentance, and were received into the church.  And it also came to pass that whosoever did belong to the church that did not repent of their wickedness and humble themselves before God—I mean those who were lifted up in the pride of their hearts—the same were rejected, and their names were blotted out, that their names were not numbered among those of the righteous.  And thus they began to establish the order of the church in the city of Zarahemla.  Now I would that ye should understand that the word of God was liberal unto all, that none were deprived of the privilege of assembling themselves together to hear the word of God.  Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God."

In the Old Testament we read that because of the people had hardened their hearts against the Word of the Lord and would not hear His words, the Lord would bring evil upon them.  Jeremiah 19:15 "Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon this city and upon all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have hardened their necks, that they might not hear my words."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us to rejoice evermore, to pray without ceasing, and to give thanks in every thing.  Indeed, if we constantly have a prayer in our hearts and find things to be thankful for and rejoice in, we will be doing the will of God and He will bless us abundantly.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice evermore.  Pray without ceasing.  In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read how Alma admonished all to come out from among the wicked, repent of their sins, and follow the Good Shepherd who calls after them.  Alma 5:57-62 "And now I say unto you, all you that are desirous to follow the voice of the good shepherd, come ye out from the wicked, and be ye separate, and touch not their unclean things; and behold, their names shall be blotted out, that the names of the wicked shall not be numbered among the names of the righteous, that the word of God may be fulfilled, which saith: The names of the wicked shall not be mingled with the names of my people;  For the names of the righteous shall be written in the book of life, and unto them will I grant an inheritance at my right hand. And now, my brethren, what have ye to say against this? I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must be fulfilled. For what shepherd is there among you having many sheep doth not watch over them, that the wolves enter not and devour his flock? And behold, if a wolf enter his flock doth he not drive him out? Yea, and at the last, if he can, he will destroy him.  And now I say unto you that the good shepherd doth call after you; and if you will hearken unto his voice he will bring you into his fold, and ye are his sheep; and he commandeth you that ye suffer no ravenous wolf to enter among you, that ye may not be destroyed.  And now I, Alma, do command you in the language of him who hath commanded me, that ye observe to do the words which I have spoken unto you.  I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life."

In the Old Testament we read about how the Lord commanded the people to keep the Sabbath Day holy but they would not listen or obey.  When we keep the commandments we are blessed and when we don't, we are punished.  Jeremiah 17:19-27 "Thus said the Lord unto me; Go and stand in the gate of the children of the people, whereby the kings of Judah come in, and by the which they go out, and in all the gates of Jerusalem;  And say unto them, Hear ye the word of the Lord, ye kings of Judah, and all Judah, and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, that enter in by these gates:  Thus saith the Lord; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem; Neither carry forth a burden out of your houses on the sabbath day, neither do ye any work, but hallow ye the sabbath day, as I commanded your fathers.  But they obeyed not, neither inclined their ear, but made their neck stiff, that they might not hear, nor receive instruction.  And it shall come to pass, if ye diligently hearken unto me, saith the Lord, to bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the sabbath day, but hallow the sabbath day, to do no work therein;  Then shall there enter into the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their princes, the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem: and this city shall remain for ever. And they shall come from the cities of Judah, and from the places about Jerusalem, and from the land of Benjamin, and from the plain, and from the mountains, and from the south, bringing burnt offerings, and sacrifices, and meat offerings, and incense, and bringing sacrifices of praise, unto the house of the Lord.  But if ye will not hearken unto me to hallow the sabbath day, and not to bear a burden, even entering in at the gates of Jerusalem on the sabbath day; then will I kindle a fire in the gates thereof, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and it shall not be quenched."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us to do our good deeds in secret rather than announcing to everybody what we'd doing so we can get credit and praise from other people.  God sees our secret acts of kindness and will reward us openly.  Matthew 6:1-4 "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.  But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:  That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that every tree that does not bring forth food fruit will be hewn down. Those who are puffed up with pride and who set their hearts upon the riches of the world, persecuting the humble followers of Christ and turning their backs on the poor and needy, will be hewn down and cast into the fire unless they speedily repent.  Alma 5:52-56 "And again I say unto you, the Spirit saith: Behold, the ax is laid at the root of the tree; therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be hewn down and cast into the fire, yea, a fire which cannot be consumed, even an unquenchable fire. Behold, and remember, the Holy One hath spoken it.  And now my beloved brethren, I say unto you, can ye withstand these sayings; yea, can ye lay aside these things, and trample the Holy One under your feet; yea, can ye be puffed up in the pride of your hearts; yea, will ye still persist in the wearing of costly apparel and setting your hearts upon the vain things of the world, upon your riches?  Yea, will ye persist in supposing that ye are better one than another; yea, will ye persist in the persecution of your brethren, who humble themselves and do walk after the holy order of God, wherewith they have been brought into this church, having been sanctified by the Holy Spirit, and they do bring forth works which are meet for repentance—  Yea, and will you persist in turning your backs upon the poor, and the needy, and in withholding your substance from them?  And finally, all ye that will persist in your wickedness, I say unto you that these are they who shall be hewn down and cast into the fire except they speedily repent."

In the Old Testament we read that those who trust in the Lord and put their hope in Him will be blessed.  Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is."

And similarly, a verse with a thought booklet tells us that those who trust in the Lord will keep their minds in perfect peace.  Isaiah 26: 3"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma was able to testify of these things through the power of the Holy Spirit of God.  He had fasted and prayed many days to know these things for himself and he had received the spirit of revelation. He was able come to a knowledge of Jesus Christ. And now he was called to preach about Jesus Christ to all, that they likewise might come to a knowledge of the truth and be willing to repent of their sins.   Alma 5:43-51 "And now, my brethren, I would that ye should hear me, for I speak in the energy of my soul; for behold, I have spoken unto you plainly that ye cannot err, or have spoken according to the commandments of God.  For I am called to speak after this manner, according to the holy order of God, which is in Christ Jesus; yea, I am commanded to stand and testify unto this people the things which have been spoken by our fathers concerning the things which are to come.  And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?  Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me.  And moreover, I say unto you that it has thus been revealed unto me, that the words which have been spoken by our fathers are true, even so according to the spirit of prophecy which is in me, which is also by the manifestation of the Spirit of God.  I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.  And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.  Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men. And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven."

In the Old Testament we read that because the people committed sin and served other gods, the Lord pronounced evil against them and they would be cast out of the land.  Jeremiah 16:10-13 "And it shall come to pass, when thou shalt shew this people all these words, and they shall say unto thee, Wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?  Then shalt thou say unto them, Because your fathers have forsaken me, saith the Lord, and have walked after other gods, and have served them, and have worshipped them, and have forsaken me, and have not kept my law;  And ye have done worse than your fathers; for, behold, ye walk every one after the imagination of his evil heart, that they may not hearken unto me:  Therefore will I cast you out of this land into a land that ye know not, neither ye nor your fathers; and there shall ye serve other gods day and night; where I will not shew you favour."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that even things which are impossible with men are possible with God.  Luke 18:27 "And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read how to tell the difference between good and evil. Whatever is good comes from God and whatever is evil comes from the devil. We will receive the wages that we deserve, whether good or evil.  Alma 5:40-42 "For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil.  Therefore, if a man bringeth forth good works he hearkeneth unto the voice of the good shepherd, and he doth follow him; but whosoever bringeth forth evil works, the same becometh a child of the devil, for he hearkeneth unto his voice, and doth follow him.  And whosoever doeth this must receive his wages of him; therefore, for his wages he receiveth death, as to things pertaining unto righteousness, being dead unto all good works."

In the Old Testament we read that we need to be humble and get rid of pride.  We need to give glory to God, lest He cause darkness to come upon us and we stumble.  Jeremiah 13:15-16 "Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken. Give glory to the Lord your God, before he cause darkness, and before your feet stumble upon the dark mountains, and, while ye look for light, he turn it into the shadow of death, and make it gross darkness."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that the Lord doesn't differentiate between the Jew and the Greek, but is Lord over all and will save whoever calls upon Him. People of all nations are sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father and He loves us all.   Romans 10:10-11 " For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that those who refuse to hearken to the words of the Lord are like sheep without a shepherd who have gone astray. But the Good Shepherd is calling after them, they just refuse to listen. They are followers of the devil.  Alma 5:37-39 "O ye workers of iniquity; ye that are puffed up in the vain things of the world, ye that have professed to have known the ways of righteousness nevertheless have gone astray, as sheep having no shepherd, notwithstanding a shepherd hath called after you and is still calling after you, but ye will not hearken unto his voice! Behold, I say unto you, that the good shepherd doth call you; yea, and in his own name he doth call you, which is the name of Christ; and if ye will not hearken unto the voice of the good shepherd, to the name by which ye are called, behold, ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd.  And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil."

In the Old Testament we read that because the people had turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers and refused to hear the words of the Lord, but had instead served other Gods and broken their covenants, the Lord would bring evil upon them that they could not escape from and would not hear them when they cried unto Him. They could cry unto their false gods, but they would not save them in the time of their trouble.   Jeremiah 11:10-12 "They are turned back to the iniquities of their forefathers, which refused to hear my words; and they went after other gods to serve them: the house of Israel and the house of Judah have broken my covenant which I made with their fathers. Therefore thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will bring evil upon them, which they shall not be able to escape; and though they shall cry unto me, I will not hearken unto them.  Then shall the cities of Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem go, and cry unto the gods unto whom they offer incense: but they shall not save them at all in the time of their trouble."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that even sinners love those who love them, do good for those who do good for them, and loan money to those they expect repayment from. But as disciples of Christ, more is expected of us.  We are to love our enemies and lend hoping for nothing in return.  We are to be kind even to those who are unthankful and evil and be merciful to others as our Father is merciful to us.  We are not to judge nor condemn, but to forgive. This is certainly a higher law to live by.  Luke 6:32-38 "For if ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them.  And if ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.  But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.  Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.  Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the Lord invites all men to repent. He extends His mercy to all and will receive all who come unto Him and bring forth works of righteousness. Those who work iniquity will have cause to wail and mourn.  Alma 5:33-36 "Behold, he sendeth an invitation unto all men, for the arms of mercy are extended towards them, and he saith: Repent, and I will receive you.  Yea, he saith: Come unto me and ye shall partake of the fruit of the tree of life; yea, ye shall eat and drink of the bread and the waters of life freely;  Yea, come unto me and bring forth works of righteousness, and ye shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire—  For behold, the time is at hand that whosoever bringeth forth not good fruit, or whosoever doeth not the works of righteousness, the same have cause to wail and mourn."

In the Old Testament we read that the people of Judah are cursed for breaking their covenants with the Lord.  Jeremiah 11:1-8 "The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,  Hear ye the words of this covenant, and speak unto the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem;  And say thou unto them, Thus saith the Lord God of Israel; Cursed be the man that obeyeth not the words of this covenant,  Which I commanded your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, from the iron furnace, saying, Obey my voice, and do them, according to all which I command you: so shall ye be my people, and I will be your God:  That I may perform the oath which I have sworn unto your fathers, to give them a land flowing with milk and honey, as it is this day. Then answered I, and said, So be it, O Lord.  Then the Lord said unto me, Proclaim all these words in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, saying, Hear ye the words of this covenant, and do them.  For I earnestly protested unto your fathers in the day that I brought them up out of the land of Egypt, even unto this day, rising early and protesting, saying, Obey my voice. Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded them to do; but they did them not."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that every good and perfect gift comes from our Heavenly Father.  We have Him to be thankful to for everything good we have in our lives.  James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Daily Thoughts Saturday

In the Book of Mormon we read some questions to ponder on:  Have we walked blamelessly before God?  If we died at this time, how would we stand before God?  Have we been sufficiently humble? Are we prepared to meet God? If not, we need to prepare quickly because we don't know what that hour will come. If we're guilty of any kind of evil, we need to repent now.  Alma 5:27-32 "Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?  Behold, are ye stripped of pride? I say unto you, if ye are not ye are not prepared to meet God. Behold ye must prepare quickly; for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand, and such an one hath not eternal life.  Behold, I say, is there one among you who is not stripped of envy? I say unto you that such an one is not prepared; and I would that he should prepare quickly, for the hour is close at hand, and he knoweth not when the time shall come; for such an one is not found guiltless.  And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?  Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved! Yea, even wo unto all ye workers of iniquity; repent, repent, for the Lord God hath spoken it!"

In the Old Testament We read about how Jeremiah greatly sorrowed because of the sins of the people, and how they would be punished because of their iniquity.  Jeremiah 9:1-16 "Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people!  Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.  And they bend their tongues like their bow for lies: but they are not valiant for the truth upon the earth; for they proceed from evil to evil, and they know not me, saith the Lord. Take ye heed every one of his neighbour, and trust ye not in any brother: for every brother will utterly supplant, and every neighbour will walk with slanders. And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity.  Thine habitation is in the midst of deceit; through deceit they refuse to know me, saith the Lord.  Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, I will melt them, and try them; for how shall I do for the daughter of my people?  Their tongue is as an arrow shot out; it speaketh deceit: one speaketh peaceably to his neighbour with his mouth, but in heart he layeth his wait. Shall I not visit them for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?  For the mountains will I take up a weeping and wailing, and for the habitations of the wilderness a lamentation, because they are burned up, so that none can pass through them; neither can men hear the voice of the cattle; both the fowl of the heavens and the beast are fled; they are gone. And I will make Jerusalem heaps, and a den of dragons; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant. Who is the wise man, that may understand this? and who is he to whom the mouth of the Lord hath spoken, that he may declare it, for what the land perisheth and is burned up like a wilderness, that none passeth through? And the Lord saith, Because they have forsaken my law which I set before them, and have not obeyed my voice, neither walked therein; But have walked after the imagination of their own heart, and after Baalim, which their fathers taught them:  Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will feed them, even this people, with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink.  I will scatter them also among the heathen, whom neither they nor their fathers have known: and I will send a sword after them, till I have consumed them."

A verse in a thought booklet tells us hat if we live by the Spirit, let us also be guided by the Spirit.  Galatians 5:25 " If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit."

Daily Thoughts Friday

In the Book of Mormon we read that in order to be saved, we must be washed clean through the blood of Jesus Christ. Those guilty of wickedness will have no place in the Kingdom of God unless they repent. If we have once experienced a change of heart and felt God's redeeming love, can we feel so now?  Alma 5:21-26 "I say unto you, ye will know at that day that ye cannot be saved; for there can no man be saved except his garments are washed white; yea, his garments must be purified until they are cleansed from all stain, through the blood of him of whom it has been spoken by our fathers, who should come to redeem his people from their sins.  And now I ask of you, my brethren, how will any of you feel, if ye shall stand before the bar of God, having your garments stained with blood and all manner of filthiness? Behold, what will these things testify against you?  Behold will they not testify that ye are murderers, yea, and also that ye are guilty of all manner of wickedness?  Behold, my brethren, do ye suppose that such an one can have a place to sit down in the kingdom of God, with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob, and also all the holy prophets, whose garments are cleansed and are spotless, pure and white?  I say unto you, Nay; except ye make our Creator a liar from the beginning, or suppose that he is a liar from the beginning, ye cannot suppose that such can have place in the kingdom of heaven; but they shall be cast out for they are the children of the kingdom of the devil.  And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?"

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord commanded the Israelites to obey His commandments and all would be well with them.  But even though He had brought them out of Egypt, they refused to Hearken to Him or His prophets that He had sent.  They committed much wickedness and did evil in the sight of the Lord.  So they reaped great punishments from God.  When we obey, we are blessed, but when we disobey, we will suffer the consequences.  Jeremiah 7:23-34 "But this thing commanded I them, saying, Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you.  But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear, but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward. Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them:  Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.  Therefore thou shalt speak all these words unto them; but they will not hearken to thee: thou shalt also call unto them; but they will not answer thee.  But thou shalt say unto them, This is a nation that obeyeth not the voice of the Lord their God, nor receiveth correction: truth is perished, and is cut off from their mouth. Cut off thine hair, O Jerusalem, and cast it away, and take up a lamentation on high places; for the Lord hath rejected and forsaken the generation of his wrath.  For the children of Judah have done evil in my sight, saith the Lord: they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to pollute it. And they have built the high places of Tophet, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my heart. Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be called Tophet, nor the valley of the son of Hinnom, but the valley of slaughter: for they shall bury in Tophet, till there be no place. And the carcases of this people shall be meat for the fowls of the heaven, and for the beasts of the earth; and none shall fray them away.  Then will I cause to cease from the cities of Judah, and from the streets of Jerusalem, the voice of mirth, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride: for the land shall be desolate."

Some scripture with a thought booklet tell us that the Lord will make a covenant of peace with us.  He will be our God and we will be His flock.  He will watch over us and protect us and we will dwell safely and have no reason to fear.  Ezekiel 34:25-31 "And I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil beasts to cease out of the land: and they shall dwell safely in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods.  And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.  And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the Lord, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.  And they shall no more be a prey to the heathen, neither shall the beast of the land devour them; but they shall dwell safely, and none shall make them afraid. And I will raise up for them a plant of renown, and they shall be no more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more.  Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God.  And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God."

Daily Thoughts Thursday

In the Book of Mormon we read that in the day of judgment, we will not be able to lie and say we have been righteous if we have not. We will come before God with a perfect remembrance of all our wickedness.  We cannot think of being saved if we have yielded ourselves to become subjects to the devil.  Alma 5:16-20 "I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth? Or do ye imagine to yourselves that ye can lie unto the Lord in that day, and say—Lord, our works have been righteous works upon the face of the earth—and that he will save you?  Or otherwise, can ye imagine yourselves brought before the tribunal of God with your souls filled with guilt and remorse, having a remembrance of all your guilt, yea, a perfect remembrance of all your wickedness, yea, a remembrance that ye have set at defiance the commandments of God?  I say unto you, can ye look up to God at that day with a pure heart and clean hands? I say unto you, can you look up, having the image of God engraven upon your countenances? I say unto you, can ye think of being saved when you have yielded yourselves to become subjects to the devil?"

In the Old Testament we read that those who are not ashamed of their sins will fall and  be cast down.  Those who walk in the paths that are good will find rest to their souls, but those who refuse to listen to the watchmen set over them will bring evil upon themselves.  Those who reject the law and will not hearken to the words of the Lord will reap the fruit of their thoughts. Jeremiah 6:15-19 "Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.  Thus saith the Lord, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.  Also I set watchmen over you, saying, Hearken to the sound of the trumpet. But they said, We will not hearken. Therefore hear, ye nations, and know, O congregation, what is among them. Hear, O earth: behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet ell us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. Instead of conforming to this world, we need to submit to the perfect will of God,transforming ourselves and renewing our minds so that we are acceptable to Him.  Some people may feel that by giving up their worldly sins and keeping the commandments of God, they are restricting themselves and limiting what they can do.  But actually, keeping the commandments protects us from harm.  It's like if you have water that is impure and would cause illness if you drank it.  It needs to be filtered so that it is good to drink.  Living the gospel filters out impurities from our minds and our lives--impurities that would cause us harm. The Lord gave us commandments to bless us and keep us safe.  Romans 12:1-2 "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God."

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Daily Thoughts Wednesday

In the Book of Mormon we read that to gain salvation we must repent and keep the commandments.  We must cleanse our garments through the blood of Christ, be humble, and do the works of righteousness.  Alma 5:10-15 "And now I ask of you on what conditions are they saved? Yea, what grounds had they to hope for salvation? What is the cause of their being loosed from the bands of death, yea, and also the chains of hell?  Behold, I can tell you—did not my father Alma believe in the words which were delivered by the mouth of Abinadi? And was he not a holy prophet? Did he not speak the words of God, and my father Alma believe them?  And according to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true.  And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved.  And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?  Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you? Do you look forward with an eye of faith, and view this mortal body raised in immortality, and this corruption raised in incorruption, to stand before God to be judged according to the deeds which have been done in the mortal body?"

In the Old Testament we read that Israel was promised that they would not be removed if they would return to the Lord and put away their abominations.  Likewise all of us can repent of our sins and the Lord will forgive us.  Jeremiah 4:1 "If thou wilt return, O Israel, saith the Lord, return unto me: and if thou wilt put away thine abominations out of my sight, then shalt thou not remove."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that we may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.  We need to be attuned to His promptings in all we do and act accordingly.  He may have plans for our life that we haven't even imagined.  Proverbs 16:33 "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord."

Daily Thoughts Tuesday

In the Book of Mormon we read Alma's questions, if we have sufficiently retained in our remembrance the mercy and blessings the Lord had shown us. He has delivered our souls from hell and illuminated our souls with the everlasting word of God. The bands of death have been broken.  Alma 5:6-9 "And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? Yea, and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long-suffering towards them? And moreover, have ye sufficiently retained in remembrance that he has delivered their souls from hell?  Behold, he changed their hearts; yea, he awakened them out of a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God. Behold, they were in the midst of darkness; nevertheless, their souls were illuminated by the light of the everlasting word; yea, they were encircled about by the bands of death, and the chains of hell, and an everlasting destruction did await them.  And now I ask of you, my brethren, were they destroyed? Behold, I say unto you, Nay, they were not.  And again I ask, were the bands of death broken, and the chains of hell which encircled them about, were they loosed? I say unto you, Yea, they were loosed, and their souls did expand, and they did sing redeeming love. And I say unto you that they are saved."

In the Old Testament we read that Israel and Judah committed much wickedness.  The Lord called them to repentance and said that if they would return to Him, He would be merciful to them and not remain angry with them. They just needed to acknowledge their iniquity and obey His voice.  Jeremiah 3:6-13 "The Lord said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.  And I said after she had done all these things, Turn thou unto me. But she returned not. And her treacherous sister Judah saw it. And I saw, when for all the causes whereby backsliding Israel committed adultery I had put her away, and given her a bill of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.  And it came to pass through the lightness of her whoredom, that she defiled the land, and committed adultery with stones and with stocks. And yet for all this her treacherous sister Judah hath not turned unto me with her whole heart, but feignedly, saith the Lord.  And the Lord said unto me, The backsliding Israel hath justified herself more than treacherous Judah. Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord."

A verse with a thought booklet reminds us that the Lord is mighty to save us and He rejoices over us.  In face, He loves us so much that He joys over us with singing!  Zephaniah 3:17 "The Lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing."

Daily Thoughts Monday

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma went forth preaching the word of God to the people. He reminded them that his father had established the church and baptized people who had been delivered out of the hands of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God. And after that they were delivered out of bondage to the Lamanites. Alma 5:1-5 "Now it came to pass that Alma began to deliver the word of God unto the people, first in the land of Zarahemla, and from thence throughout all the land. And these are the words which he spake to the people in the church which was established in the city of Zarahemla, according to his own record, saying:  I, Alma, having been consecrated by my father, Alma, to be a high priest over the church of God, he having power and authority from God to do these things, behold, I say unto you that he began to establish a church in the land which was in the borders of Nephi; yea, the land which was called the land of Mormon; yea, and he did baptize his brethren in the waters of Mormon.  And behold, I say unto you, they were delivered out of the hands of the people of king Noah, by the mercy and power of God.  And behold, after that, they were brought into bondage by the hands of the Lamanites in the wilderness; yea, I say unto you, they were in captivity, and again the Lord did deliver them out of bondage by the power of his word; and we were brought into this land, and here we began to establish the church of God throughout this land also."

In the Old Testament we read the Lord's words to Jeremiah.  He told Jeremiah that even before he was conceived, He knew him and foreordained him to be a prophet.  We all lived before we were born on this earth, and the Lord knew every one of us and knew what callings we were to have.  He knew what each of us was to accomplish in our lives and what He wanted us to do.  Not only that, but He will help us achieve what we are to do.  In the case of Jeremiah, Jeremiah felt inadequate to speak, but the Lord told him that there was nothing to fear for He would put the words in his mouth that he was to say.  He will likewise help every one of us fulfill the callings we've been called to do.  Jeremiah 1:4-8 "Then the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak.  Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet remind us that when we are heavy laden, we need to come to the Lord who will give us rest.  In Him we can find rest to our souls.  Matthew 11:28-30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Alma appointed Nephihah to be the chief judge to govern the people. Alma continued being the high priest over the church and went forth among the people preaching the word o God to them, and trying to get rid of the pride and contention that existed among them.  Alma 4:16-20 "And he selected a wise man who was among the elders of the church, and gave him power according to the voice of the people, that he might have power to enact laws according to the laws which had been given, and to put them in force according to the wickedness and the crimes of the people.  Now this man's name was Nephihah, and he was appointed chief judge; and he sat in the judgment-seat to judge and to govern the people.  Now Alma did not grant unto him the office of being high priest over the church, but he retained the office of high priest unto himself; but he delivered the judgment-seat unto Nephihah.  And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.  And thus in the commencement of the ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi, Alma delivered up the judgment-seat to Nephihah, and confined himself wholly to the high priesthood of the holy order of God, to the testimony of the word, according to the spirit of revelation and prophecy."

In the Old Testament we read that those who fail to answer when the Lord calls and did evil before the Lord's eyes will have their fears brought upon them because they chose that which did not delight the Lord. They will be ashamed.  However, those who trembled at His word and suffered for His name's sake will find joy.  Isaiah 66:4-5 "I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I delighted not. Hear the word of the Lord, ye that tremble at his word; Your brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let the Lord be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall be ashamed."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell the story of how the Israelites needed water.  They came to a place that had water, but it was bitter and unfit to drink.  This was only three days after the Lord had parted the Red Sea for them, so you'd think they would trust in the Lord and know that He would provide for them.  But they murmured and complained.  But Moses turned to the Lord and cried unto Him, and He performed a miracle to make the water sweet.  He admonished the people and told them that if they would diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord and keep His commandments, He would heal them. We have all seen many miracles in our lives, and times when the Lord has helped us through great difficulties.  How soon do we forget these things when more trials come upon us?  Are we quick to murmur or do we trust in the Lord that He will help us get through whatever comes our way?  Indeed, He can make the bitter sweet for us if we'll just turn to Him and keep His commandments.  Exodus 15:22-26 "So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water. And when they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah.  And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink?  And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,  And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that there was a great inequality among the people, with some lifting themselves up in the pride of their hearts and turning their backs on the needy. Others were humbly trying to help those in need and trying to follow Christ. Seeing all this greatly distressed Alma.  Alma 4:12-15 "Yea, he saw great inequality among the people, some lifting themselves up with their pride, despising others, turning their backs upon the needy and the naked and those who were hungry, and those who were athirst, and those who were sick and afflicted.  Now this was a great cause for lamentations among the people, while others were abasing themselves, succoring those who stood in need of their succor, such as imparting their substance to the poor and the needy, feeding the hungry, and suffering all manner of afflictions, for Christ's sake, who should come according to the spirit of prophecy; Looking forward to that day, thus retaining a remission of their sins; being filled with great joy because of the resurrection of the dead, according to the will and power and deliverance of Jesus Christ from the bands of death.  And now it came to pass that Alma, having seen the afflictions of the humble followers of God, and the persecutions which were heaped upon them by the remainder of his people, and seeing all their inequality, began to be very sorrowful; nevertheless the Spirit of the Lord did not fail him."

In the Old Testament we read that we cannot even perceive or imagine what God has prepared for those who wait for Him. It is beyond anything we could see or hear.  Isaiah 64:4 "For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him."

In some verses with a thought booklet we read the story of Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac.  Not only was Abraham willing to give up the son he loves so much, but he rose up early in the morning to make the sacrifice.  He wasn't hesitating or trying to procrastinate.  What would we be willing to give up for the Lord?  He's not going to ask us to kill our children, but He may ocasionally ask us to give up a Saturday of recreation to go do service for someone in need.  Or He may ask us to sacrifice some of our free time to serve in a challenging calling in the church.  Or may ask us to sacrifice financially to build up the Kingdom of God on the earth.  Whatever He may ask of us, are we willing?  Genesis 22:1-13 "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am.  And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.  And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood. And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.  And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."