Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read how when Ammon and his brethren had told those in Zarahemla that they were going to preach to the Lamanites, they had laughed them to scorn. They had pointed out how stiffnecked the people were and about the gross iniquities they were guilty of. They suggested it would be better to destroy them.  But Ammon did not want to destroy them, he wanted to try to save their souls.   Alma 26: 23-26 "Now do ye remember, my brethren, that we said unto our brethren in the land of Zarahemla, we go up to the land of Nephi, to preach unto our brethren, the Lamanites, and they laughed us to scorn?  For they said unto us: Do ye suppose that ye can bring the Lamanites to the knowledge of the truth? Do ye suppose that ye can convince the Lamanites of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers, as stiffnecked a people as they are; whose hearts delight in the shedding of blood; whose days have been spent in the grossest iniquity; whose ways have been the ways of a transgressor from the beginning? Now my brethren, ye remember that this was their language. And moreover they did say: Let us take up arms against them, that we destroy them and their iniquity out of the land, lest they overrun us and destroy us. But behold, my beloved brethren, we came into the wilderness not with the intent to destroy our brethren, but with the intent that perhaps we might save some few of their souls."

In the New Testament we read that it's not enough to merely not be guilty of murder.  We also need to avoid becoming angry with others, or calling them names.  Matthew 5:21-22 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:  But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire." 

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us to lay not up for ourselves the treasures of the earth which do not last, but rather lay up treasures in heaven which thieves cannot steal and which will not rust or deteriorate. The story is told of a little boy who saw hail for the first time. Since he had no experience with hail, he didn't know what it was.  He thought it was diamonds falling from the sky.  So he gathered a lot of it up into a pile and then went running to his brothers and sisters to tell they they were rich!  But when he went back to the pile of "diamonds" he had gathered they found only a melted puddle.  He was very disappointed.  So will we be disappointed if we place our trust in the wealth of this world which will fade away just like that little boy's "diamonds" did.  Matthew 6:19-21 "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."