In the Book of Mormon we read that Nephihah died after fulling the judgment seat with perfect uprightness before God and Nephihah's son Pahoran took his place. Pahoran took an oath to judge righteously and keep the peace. Alma 50:37-40 "And it came to pass that in the same year that the people of Nephi had peace restored unto them, that Nephihah, the second chief judge, died, having filled the judgment-seat with perfect uprightness before God. Nevertheless, he had refused Alma to take possession of those records and those things which were esteemed by Alma and his fathers to be most sacred; therefore Alma had conferred them upon his son, Helaman. Behold, it came to pass that the son of Nephihah was appointed to fill the judgment-seat, in the stead of his father; yea, he was appointed chief judge and governor over the people, with an oath and sacred ordinance to judge righteously, and to keep the peace and the freedom of the people, and to grant unto them their sacred privileges to worship the Lord their God, yea, to support and maintain the cause of God all his days, and to bring the wicked to justice according to their crime. Now behold, his name was Pahoran. And Pahoran did fill the seat of his father, and did commence his reign in the end of the twenty and fourth year, over the people of Nephi."
In the New Testament we read that even if we are experiencing all kinds of trouble we don't need to be crushed. We might be confused, but don't have to be depressed. We may be harassed but we aren't abandoned. We may be knocked down, but we aren't knocked out. Even if our bodies are breaking down on the outside, the person that we are on the inside is being renewed every day. Our temporary minor problems are producing an eternal stockpile of glory for us that is beyond all comparison. We shouldn't focus on the things that can be seen but on the things that can't be seen. The things that can be seen don't last, but the things that can't be seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18 "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 which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 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."
Some verses with a thought booklet tell the story of how Zachariah and his wife, Elizabeth, had struggled for years with the disappointment of not being able to have a child. Their prayers had seem to go unanswered, year after year after year. But then, when they were both elderly and all hope of ever having a child was long past, the Lord did answer their prayer and an angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that they would have a son named John. This John would later baptize Jesus. We need to trust in the Lord that our prayers will always be answered in the way that is best. Sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no, and something the answer is that we need to be patient and wait for the timing to be right--which may be decades later, or even in the next life. But whatever that answer is, we can trust that it is the right answer. Luke 1:5-13 "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."
In the New Testament we read that even if we are experiencing all kinds of trouble we don't need to be crushed. We might be confused, but don't have to be depressed. We may be harassed but we aren't abandoned. We may be knocked down, but we aren't knocked out. Even if our bodies are breaking down on the outside, the person that we are on the inside is being renewed every day. Our temporary minor problems are producing an eternal stockpile of glory for us that is beyond all comparison. We shouldn't focus on the things that can be seen but on the things that can't be seen. The things that can be seen don't last, but the things that can't be seen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:8-9, 16-18 "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 which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 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."
Some verses with a thought booklet tell the story of how Zachariah and his wife, Elizabeth, had struggled for years with the disappointment of not being able to have a child. Their prayers had seem to go unanswered, year after year after year. But then, when they were both elderly and all hope of ever having a child was long past, the Lord did answer their prayer and an angel appeared to Zacharias and told him that they would have a son named John. This John would later baptize Jesus. We need to trust in the Lord that our prayers will always be answered in the way that is best. Sometimes He answers yes, sometimes no, and something the answer is that we need to be patient and wait for the timing to be right--which may be decades later, or even in the next life. But whatever that answer is, we can trust that it is the right answer. Luke 1:5-13 "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth. And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years. And it came to pass, that while he executed the priest's office before God in the order of his course, According to the custom of the priest's office, his lot was to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people were praying without at the time of incense. And there appeared unto him an angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him. But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John."
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