Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that a great multitude gathered to see the king and queen and servants prostate on the ground.  They also saw Ammon, a Nephite, and began to murmur that a great evil had befallen the people because the king had allowed a Nephite to come among them. A man whose brother had been slain by Ammon at the waters of Sebus was angry with him and drew his sword to slay him, but was struck down dead himself. Ammon could not be slain because the Lord had promised his father Mosiah that he would not be, and Mosiah trusted in the Lord. When the people saw that the man who had tried to kill Ammon was struck down, they began to marvel, and they did not dare touch him.  Alma 19: 18-24 "And they began to assemble themselves together unto the house of the king. And there came a multitude, and to their astonishment, they beheld the king, and the queen, and their servants prostrate upon the earth, and they all lay there as though they were dead; and they also saw Ammon, and behold, he was a Nephite.  And now the people began to murmur among themselves; some saying that it was a great evil that had come upon them, or upon the king and his house, because he had suffered that the Nephite should remain in the land.  But others rebuked them, saying: The king hath brought this evil upon his house, because he slew his servants who had had their flocks scattered at the waters of Sebus.  And they were also rebuked by those men who had stood at the waters of Sebus and scattered the flocks which belonged to the king, for they were angry with Ammon because of the number which he had slain of their brethren at the waters of Sebus, while defending the flocks of the king.  Now, one of them, whose brother had been slain with the sword of Ammon, being exceedingly angry with Ammon, drew his sword and went forth that he might let it fall upon Ammon, to slay him; and as he lifted the sword to smite him, behold, he fell dead.  Now we see that Ammon could not be slain, for the Lord had said unto Mosiah, his father: I will spare him, and it shall be unto him according to thy faith—therefore, Mosiah trusted him unto the Lord.  And it came to pass that when the multitude beheld that the man had fallen dead, who lifted the sword to slay Ammon, fear came upon them all, and they durst not put forth their hands to touch him or any of those who had fallen; and they began to marvel again among themselves what could be the cause of this great power, or what all these things could mean."

In the Old Testament we read that Daniel was able to see successive kings and their wars and conflicts.  Prophets are able to see what the future will bring.  Daniel 11:1-6 "Also I in the first year of Darius the Mede, even I, stood to confirm and to strengthen him.  And now will I shew thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia; and the fourth shall be far richer than they all: and by his strength through his riches he shall stir up all against the realm of Grecia.  And a mighty king shall stand up, that shall rule with great dominion, and do according to his will.  And when he shall stand up, his kingdom shall be broken, and shall be divided toward the four winds of heaven; and not to his posterity, nor according to his dominion which he ruled: for his kingdom shall be plucked up, even for others beside those. And the king of the south shall be strong, and one of his princes; and he shall be strong above him, and have dominion; his dominion shall be a great dominion.  And in the end of years they shall join themselves together; for the king's daughter of the south shall come to the king of the north to make an agreement: but she shall not retain the power of the arm; neither shall he stand, nor his arm: but she shall be given up, and they that brought her, and he that begat her, and he that strengthened her in these times."

Some verses with a thought booklet help us put wealth and worldly goods into perspective.  A man came to Jesus wanting Him to get his brother to share their inheritance.  Jesus explained that a man's life does not consist of what he possesses.  Then he told the story of a wealthy man who had so much that he felt the need to build bigger barns to contain it all.  But that very night, he died.  And then what good did his worldly wealth do him?  If we are rich in money but not rich toward God, we have nothing of lasting value.  Luke 12:13-21 "And one of the company said unto him, Master, speak to my brother, that he divide the inheritance with me.  And he said unto him, Man, who made me a judge or a divider over you?  And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.  And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:   And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?  And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.  And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.  But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God."