Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that those who repent will be rewarded unto righteousness.  They are redeemed by the Lord through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Everyone will be judged for their works, whether good or bad. We will not be restored from sin to happiness unless we repent because wickedness never was happiness. Restoration condemns the sinner and does not justify him at all.  Alma 41:7-15 "These are they that are redeemed of the Lord; yea, these are they that are taken out, that are delivered from that endless night of darkness; and thus they stand or fall; for behold, they are their own judges, whether to do good or do evil.  Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore, the way is prepared that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved.  And now behold, my son, do not risk one more offense against your God upon those points of doctrine, which ye have hitherto risked to commit sin.  Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness. Behold, I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness.  And now, my son, all men that are in a state of nature, or I would say, in a carnal state, are in the gall of bitterness and in the bonds of iniquity; they are without God in the world, and they have gone contrary to the nature of God; therefore, they are in a state contrary to the nature of happiness.  And now behold, is the meaning of the word restoration to take a thing of a natural state and place it in an unnatural state, or to place it in a state opposite to its nature? O, my son, this is not the case; but the meaning of the word restoration is to bring back again evil for evil, or carnal for carnal, or devilish for devilish—good for that which is good; righteous for that which is righteous; just for that which is just; merciful for that which is merciful.  Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall have a righteous judgment restored unto you again; and ye shall have good rewarded unto you again.  For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all."

In the New Testament we read about how the chief priests and Pharisees wanted to kill Jesus because of the many miracles that He was performing.  They were afraid that if they let Him go on like that, everyone would believe in Him.  They also plotted to kill Lazarus who Jesus had raised from the dead because he was a walking miracle and seeing him caused many people to desert them and believe in Jesus.  How very sad that instead of rejoicing in these miracles and becoming believers themselves, these people wanted to murder in order to try to prevent other people from believing. John 11:47-48; 12:10-11 "Then gathered the chief priests and the Pharisees a council, and said, What do we? for this man doeth many miracles.  If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him: and the Romans shall come and take away both our place and nation. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death;  Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus."

In some scriptures with a thought booklet we read that even if troubles surround us on every side and perplex us, we do not need to be distressed or in despair. We can be persecuted without being forsaken, and cast down without being destroyed. Our afflictions are but for a moment and work for us a far more eternal weight of glory.  Instead of looking at things that are visible to the eye, which are temporal, we need to look for the things which are not seen, but which are eternal.    2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 17-18 "We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal."