Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that we should not seek for riches and the vain things of the world, which cannot be carried with us into the next life. Jesus Christ came to take away the sins of the world, both the people who were born before His ministry on earth and those who would be born afterwards. Every soul is precious in the sight of God and these glad tidings are for all people of all time periods.  Alma 39:14-19 "Seek not after riches nor the vain things of this world; for behold, you cannot carry them with you. And now, my son, I would say somewhat unto you concerning the coming of Christ. Behold, I say unto you, that it is he that surely shall come to take away the sins of the world; yea, he cometh to declare glad tidings of salvation unto his people.  And now, my son, this was the ministry unto which ye were called, to declare these glad tidings unto this people, to prepare their minds; or rather that salvation might come unto them, that they may prepare the minds of their children to hear the word at the time of his coming.  And now I will ease your mind somewhat on this subject. Behold, you marvel why these things should be known so long beforehand. Behold, I say unto you, is not a soul at this time as precious unto God as a soul will be at the time of his coming?  Is it not as necessary that the plan of redemption should be made known unto this people as well as unto their children? Is it not as easy at this time for the Lord to send his angel to declare these glad tidings unto us as unto our children, or as after the time of his coming?"

In the New Testament we read that Jesus told the people that if they truly believed Moses, they would also believe Him because Moses wrote about Him and prophesied about Him.  If they don't believe the writings of Moses, how could they believe in the words of Christ?  John 5:45-47 "Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father: there is one that accuseth you, even Moses, in whom ye trust.  For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed me: for he wrote of me.  But if ye believe not his writings, how shall ye believe my words?"

Some verses with a thought booklet command us not to judge others.  God will judge us by the same measure that we use to judge other people.  Sometimes we criticize some small fault in someone else when we ourselves are guilty of a much greater fault.  The story is told of a man who took great delight in sitting at a mall and engaging in people watching. He noted that some people were thin and others obese.  Some were better looking or better dressed than others.  He loved to find things in his people watching that made him feel superior. However, one day his heart convicted him in his judgmental watching of others.  So instead he began sitting in te mall and saying silent prayers in behalf of the people that he saw.  He began to see them all as beloved children of God, each unique in their own way. How d we see others?  It is God's job to judge others.  It is our job to love them.  Matthew 7:1-5 "Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.  And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?  Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye."