Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that as the people gained riches, they began to be lifted up in pride. This greatly grieved Alma and the leaders of the church, as they saw the people's wickedness. As the people began to set their hearts on the riches of the world, they began to persecute and be scornful towards others. Contention and strife resulted. The wickedness of the church members became a stumbling block to those not belonging to the church, and the church began to fail in its progress.  Alma 4:6-11 "And it came to pass in the eighth year of the reign of the judges, that the people of the church began to wax proud, because of their exceeding riches, and their fine silks, and their fine-twined linen, and because of their many flocks and herds, and their gold and their silver, and all manner of precious things, which they had obtained by their industry; and in all these things were they lifted up in the pride of their eyes, for they began to wear very costly apparel.  Now this was the cause of much affliction to Alma, yea, and to many of the people whom Alma had consecrated to be teachers, and priests, and elders over the church; yea, many of them were sorely grieved for the wickedness which they saw had begun to be among their people.  For they saw and beheld with great sorrow that the people of the church began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon the vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure.  And thus, in this eighth year of the reign of the judges, there began to be great contentions among the people of the church; yea, there were envyings, and strife, and malice, and persecutions, and pride, even to exceed the pride of those who did not belong to the church of God.  And thus ended the eighth year of the reign of the judges; and the wickedness of the church was a great stumbling-block to those who did not belong to the church; and thus the church began to fail in its progress.  And it came to pass in the commencement of the ninth year, Alma saw the wickedness of the church, and he saw also that the example of the church began to lead those who were unbelievers on from one piece of iniquity to another, thus bringing on the destruction of the people."

In the Old Testament we read that in the love and pity of the Lord, He redeemed His people and carried them.  But they rebelled against Him and turned Him into their enemy.  The Lord has done so much for each of us.  In yet sometimes we rebel against Him the way those of old did.  Isaiah 63:9-10 "In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them."

Some verses with a thought booklet talk bout the foolishness of trusting in idols that are made by men's hands.  Idols made from wood, gold, or silver are useless.  They cannot teach us anything.  Habakkuk 2:18-20 "What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols?  Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it. But the Lord is in his holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before him."