Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that great iniquity had come upon the Nephites in the space of just a few years and it greatly grieved Nephi to see it. He wished he had lived in the days when people were righteous and easy to be intreated. Nephi was mourning and pouring out his hear to God when people saw him and gathered together watching him and wondering why he was so sad.  Helaman 7:6-11 "Now this great iniquity had come upon the Nephites, in the space of not many years; and when Nephi saw it, his heart was swollen with sorrow within his breast; and he did exclaim in the agony of his soul: Oh, that I could have had my days in the days when my father Nephi first came out of the land of Jerusalem, that I could have joyed with him in the promised land; then were his people easy to be entreated, firm to keep the commandments of God, and slow to be led to do iniquity; and they were quick to hearken unto the words of the Lord—  Yea, if my days could have been in those days, then would my soul have had joy in the righteousness of my brethren.  But behold, I am consigned that these are my days, and that my soul shall be filled with sorrow because of this the wickedness of my brethren.  And behold, now it came to pass that it was upon a tower, which was in the garden of Nephi, which was by the highway which led to the chief market, which was in the city of Zarahemla; therefore, Nephi had bowed himself upon the tower which was in his garden, which tower was also near unto the garden gate by which led the highway.  And it came to pass that there were certain men passing by and saw Nephi as he was pouring out his soul unto God upon the tower; and they ran and told the people what they had seen, and the people came together in multitudes that they might know the cause of so great mourning for the wickedness of the people."

In the Old Testament we read that Jacob and Esau both had so many animals and property that they couldn't live together.  The land could not support all of their livestock.  So Esau took his family and animals and all his possessions and moved away from the land of Canaan and from his brother Jacob, and went to live in the mountains of Seir.  Genesis 36:6-8 "And Esau took his wives, and his sons, and his daughters, and all the persons of his house, and his cattle, and all his beasts, and all his substance, which he had got in the land of Canaan; and went into the country from the face of his brother Jacob. For their riches were more than that they might dwell together; and the land wherein they were strangers could not bear them because of their cattle.  Thus dwelt Esau in mount Seir: Esau is Edom."


Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the story of Tabitha being raised from the dead by Peter. It says that Tabitha was full of good works and alms deeds.  At her death, many were weeping and mourning her, and many widows showed Peter the clothing that Tabitha had made for them.  I think a point we can take from this story is that we can each serve others in our own unique way.  Tabitha had a talent for making clothing which she gave to widows.  Maybe we have a talent for music which we can share with those around us.  Or perhaps we have a talent for teaching.  Or maybe we're good at cooking and can take meals or desserts to others to bring them comfort and joy.  Whatever special talent the Lord has blessed us with, we can use it to serve those around us.  Acts 9:36-42 "Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.  And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber.  And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.  Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.  But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.  And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.  And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Nephi had tried to preach the Word of God in the land northward, but had been rejected, so he returned to the land of Zarahemla. The Gadianton robbers had usurped power and authority, filling judgment seats and laying aside the commandments of God. The people were in a state of awful wickedness.  Helaman 7:1-5 "Behold, now it came to pass in the sixty and ninth year of the reign of the judges over the people of the Nephites, that Nephi, the son of Helaman, returned to the land of Zarahemla from the land northward.  For he had been forth among the people who were in the land northward, and did preach the word of God unto them, and did prophesy many things unto them; And they did reject all his words, insomuch that he could not stay among them, but returned again unto the land of his nativity.  And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment-seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men;  Condemning the righteous because of their righteousness; letting the guilty and the wicked go unpunished because of their money; and moreover to be held in office at the head of government, to rule and do according to their wills, that they might get gain and glory of the world, and, moreover, that they might the more easily commit adultery, and steal, and kill, and do according to their own wills—"

Yesterday we read about the apprehension with with Jacob was going to meet his brother Esau who had threatened to kill him.  Today we read in the Old Testament about their meeting.  What a wonderful story of forgiveness and love! And what a great example of how we truly can trust in the Lord to keep His promises to us, even when it seems unlikely to happen the way He has said.   Genesis 33:1-17 "And Jacob lifted up his eyes, and looked, and, behold, Esau came, and with him four hundred men. And he divided the children unto Leah, and unto Rachel, and unto the two handmaids.  And he put the handmaids and their children foremost, and Leah and her children after, and Rachel and Joseph hindermost. And he passed over before them, and bowed himself to the ground seven times, until he came near to his brother. And Esau ran to meet him, and embraced him, and fell on his neck, and kissed him: and they wept.  And he lifted up his eyes, and saw the women and the children; and said, Who are those with thee? And he said, The children which God hath graciously given thy servant.  Then the handmaidens came near, they and their children, and they bowed themselves.  And Leah also with her children came near, and bowed themselves: and after came Joseph near and Rachel, and they bowed themselves. And he said, What meanest thou by all this drove which I met? And he said, These are to find grace in the sight of my lord. And Esau said, I have enough, my brother; keep that thou hast unto thyself. And Jacob said, Nay, I pray thee, if now I have found grace in thy sight, then receive my present at my hand: for therefore I have seen thy face, as though I had seen the face of God, and thou wast pleased with me. Take, I pray thee, my blessing that is brought to thee; because God hath dealt graciously with me, and because I have enough. And he urged him, and he took it.  And he said, Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go before thee. And he said unto him, My lord knoweth that the children are tender, and the flocks and herds with young are with me: and if men should overdrive them one day, all the flock will die.  Let my lord, I pray thee, pass over before his servant: and I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure, until I come unto my lord unto Seir.  And Esau said, Let me now leave with thee some of the folk that are with me. And he said, What needeth it? let me find grace in the sight of my lord. So Esau returned that day on his way unto Seir.  And Jacob journeyed to Succoth, and built him an house, and made booths for his cattle: therefore the name of the place is called Succoth."

A scripture with a thought booklet tells us that even if the mountains depart and the hills disappear, the kindness of the Lord will not leave us, neither will the covenant of peace be removed.  The Lord will have mercy on us.  We can count on that.  Isaiah 54:10 "For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites and they became very wicked. This all came about in just a matter of a few years, and they grew in their iniquities. However, the Lamanites grew in their knowledge of God and in keeping the commandments. The Spirit of the Lord withdrew from the Nephites because of their wickedness and the hardness of their hearts. But He poured out His Spirit upon the Lamanites because of their righteousness. They did their best to drive the robbers out of their land.  However, the Nephites supported the robbers so that they overspread the land and they were ripening for an everlasting destruction.  Helaman 6:31-41 "And now behold, he had got great hold upon the hearts of the Nephites; yea, insomuch that they had become exceedingly wicked; yea, the more part of them had turned out of the way of righteousness, and did trample under their feet the commandments of God, and did turn unto their own ways, and did build up unto themselves idols of their gold and their silver.  And it came to pass that all these iniquities did come unto them in the space of not many years, insomuch that a more part of it had come unto them in the sixty and seventh year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi.  And they did grow in their iniquities in the sixty and eighth year also, to the great sorrow and lamentation of the righteous.  And thus we see that the Nephites did begin to dwindle in unbelief, and grow in wickedness and abominations, while the Lamanites began to grow exceedingly in the knowledge of their God; yea, they did begin to keep his statutes and commandments, and to walk in truth and uprightness before him.  And thus we see that the Spirit of the Lord began to withdraw from the Nephites, because of the wickedness and the hardness of their hearts.  And thus we see that the Lord began to pour out his Spirit upon the Lamanites, because of their easiness and willingness to believe in his words.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites did hunt the band of robbers of Gadianton; and they did preach the word of God among the more wicked part of them, insomuch that this band of robbers was utterly destroyed from among the Lamanites.  And it came to pass on the other hand, that the Nephites did build them up and support them, beginning at the more wicked part of them, until they had overspread all the land of the Nephites, and had seduced the more part of the righteous until they had come down to believe in their works and partake of their spoils, and to join with them in their secret murders and combinations. And thus they did obtain the sole management of the government, insomuch that they did trample under their feet and smite and rend and turn their backs upon the poor and the meek, and the humble followers of God.  And thus we see that they were in an awful state, and ripening for an everlasting destruction.  And it came to pass that thus ended the sixty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi."

In the Old Testament we read about Jacob preparing to meet his brother Esau. As you'll recall, Esau had threatened to kill Jacob, so Jacob had been away for 20 years, but the Lord had told him to go back home and that all would be well.  So Jacob tried to trust in the Lord and go.  But he was nervous.  It would be hard not to be with a brother who hated you and wanted you dead.  Jacob sent messengers ahead of him to tell his brother he was coming.  They returned with the news that Esau was coming to meet him--with 400 men!  This terrified Jacob.  He made plans to send messengers ahead of him with flocks, cattle and camels, telling Esau they were gifts for him, trying to pacify him.  And he prayed to the Lord, reminding Him of His promises that things would go well for him and that he would have descendants as numerous as the sand of the see.  Genesis 32:1-21 "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him.  And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host: and he called the name of that place Mahanaim.  And Jacob sent messengers before him to Esau his brother unto the land of Seir, the country of Edom.  And he commanded them, saying, Thus shall ye speak unto my lord Esau; Thy servant Jacob saith thus, I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed there until now:  And I have oxen, and asses, flocks, and menservants, and womenservants: and I have sent to tell my lord, that I may find grace in thy sight. And the messengers returned to Jacob, saying, We came to thy brother Esau, and also he cometh to meet thee, and four hundred men with him. Then Jacob was greatly afraid and distressed: and he divided the people that was with him, and the flocks, and herds, and the camels, into two bands;  And said, If Esau come to the one company, and smite it, then the other company which is left shall escape. And Jacob said, O God of my father Abraham, and God of my father Isaac, the Lord which saidst unto me, Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred, and I will deal well with thee:  I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast shewed unto thy servant; for with my staff I passed over this Jordan; and now I am become two bands.  Deliver me, I pray thee, from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau: for I fear him, lest he will come and smite me, and the mother with the children. And thou saidst, I will surely do thee good, and make thy seed as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude. And he lodged there that same night; and took of that which came to his hand a present for Esau his brother; Two hundred she goats, and twenty he goats, two hundred ewes, and twenty rams,  Thirty milch camels with their colts, forty kine, and ten bulls, twenty she asses, and ten foals.  And he delivered them into the hand of his servants, every drove by themselves; and said unto his servants, Pass over before me, and put a space betwixt drove and drove. And he commanded the foremost, saying, When Esau my brother meeteth thee, and asketh thee, saying, Whose art thou? and whither goest thou? and whose are these before thee? Then thou shalt say, They be thy servant Jacob's; it is a present sent unto my lord Esau: and, behold, also he is behind us.  And so commanded he the second, and the third, and all that followed the droves, saying, On this manner shall ye speak unto Esau, when ye find him.  And say ye moreover, Behold, thy servant Jacob is behind us. For he said, I will appease him with the present that goeth before me, and afterward I will see his face; peradventure he will accept of me. So went the present over before him: and himself lodged that night in the company."

Going right along with this, some verses with a thought booklet tell us that hope for something that we can already see is not really hope.  But hope is for something we can't see but are willing to wait patiently for.  Are we willing to trust in the Lord and have hope for the things H has promised us, even if they seem impossible to fulfill?  Even if they seem as impossible as things going well for us when our brother who has threatened to kill us is marching toward us with 400 men? Romans 8:24-25 "For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Cezoram was murdered as he sat upon the judgment seat and his son who took his place was also murdered. The people began to grow wicked once again. They began to set their hearts upon the riches of the world and they committed murders and thefts to obtain wealth. Some f them formed a wicked band called the Gadianton robbers. Satan stirred up the hearts of the people to unite with the robbers and they entered into secret oaths, inspired by Satan who has inspired people to wickedness since the days of Cain. He wants to drag people down to an everlasting hell and to their entire destruction. He is the author of sin and works of darkness. Helaman 6:15-30 "And it came to pass that in the sixty and sixth year of the reign of the judges, behold, Cezoram was murdered by an unknown hand as he sat upon the judgment-seat. And it came to pass that in the same year, that his son, who had been appointed by the people in his stead, was also murdered. And thus ended the sixty and sixth year.  And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again.  For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain.  And now behold, those murderers and plunderers were a band who had been formed by Kishkumen and Gadianton. And now it had come to pass that there were many, even among the Nephites, of Gadianton's band. But behold, they were more numerous among the more wicked part of the Lamanites. And they were called Gadianton's robbers and murderers.  And it was they who did murder the chief judge Cezoram, and his son, while in the judgment-seat; and behold, they were not found.  And now it came to pass that when the Lamanites found that there were robbers among them they were exceedingly sorrowful; and they did use every means in their power to destroy them off the face of the earth.  But behold, Satan did stir up the hearts of the more part of the Nephites, insomuch that they did unite with those bands of robbers, and did enter into their covenants and their oaths, that they would protect and preserve one another in whatsoever difficult circumstances they should be placed, that they should not suffer for their murders, and their plunderings, and their stealings.  And it came to pass that they did have their signs, yea, their secret signs, and their secret words; and this that they might distinguish a brother who had entered into the covenant, that whatsoever wickedness his brother should do he should not be injured by his brother, nor by those who did belong to his band, who had taken this covenant.  And thus they might murder, and plunder, and steal, and commit whoredoms and all manner of wickedness, contrary to the laws of their country and also the laws of their God.  And whosoever of those who belonged to their band should reveal unto the world of their wickedness and their abominations, should be tried, not according to the laws of their country, but according to the laws of their wickedness, which had been given by Gadianton and Kishkumen. Now behold, it is these secret oaths and covenants which Alma commanded his son should not go forth unto the world, lest they should be a means of bringing down the people unto destruction.  Now behold, those secret oaths and covenants did not come forth unto Gadianton from the records which were delivered unto Helaman; but behold, they were put into the heart of Gadianton by that same being who did entice our first parents to partake of the forbidden fruit— Yea, that same being who did plot with Cain, that if he would murder his brother Abel it should not be known unto the world. And he did plot with Cain and his followers from that time forth.  And also it is that same being who put it into the hearts of the people to build a tower sufficiently high that they might get to heaven. And it was that same being who led on the people who came from that tower into this land; who spread the works of darkness and abominations over all the face of the land, until he dragged the people down to an entire destruction, and to an everlasting hell. Yea, it is that same being who put it into the heart of Gadianton to still carry on the work of darkness, and of secret murder; and he has brought it forth from the beginning of man even down to this time.  And behold, it is he who is the author of all sin. And behold, he doth carry on his works of darkness and secret murder, and doth hand down their plots, and their oaths, and their covenants, and their plans of awful wickedness, from generation to generation according as he can get hold upon the hearts of the children of men."

In the Old Testament Jacob had left his home to flee from his angry brother Esau who threatened to kill him, and had lived with his uncle Laban for 20 years, marrying two of his daughters.  But today we read that the Lord told Jacob to go back home to his relatives and the Lord would be with him.  It would be scary to go back to his brother who hated him and wanted to kill him.  But with the Lord's promise that He would be with him, we can know that he would be protected.  Genesis 31:3 "And the Lord said unto Jacob, Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred; and I will be with thee."

A verse with a thought booklet admonishes the wicked to turn from their evil ways and change their unrighteous thoughts and return to the Lord.  God will have mercy on them and abundantly pardon them. Isaiah 55:7 "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the Lamanites became firm in their faith so that they were more righteous than the Nephites. In fact, many of the Nephites became hardened and wicked and they rejected the word of God which was preached among them. The righteous Lamanites came down to the land of Zarahemla and into the lnd northward to exhort the Nephites to repentance. They were able to bring many of them down to humility so they became followers of God and the Lamb. There was peace and prosperity throughout the land, and the people were full of joy.  Helaman 6:1-14 "And it came to pass that when the sixty and second year of the reign of the judges had ended, all these things had happened and the Lamanites had become, the more part of them, a righteous people, insomuch that their righteousness did exceed that of the Nephites, because of their firmness and their steadiness in the faith.  For behold, there were many of the Nephites who had become hardened and impenitent and grossly wicked, insomuch that they did reject the word of God and all the preaching and prophesying which did come among them.  Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy.  And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did come down into the land of Zarahemla, and did declare unto the people of the Nephites the manner of their conversion, and did exhort them to faith and repentance. Yea, and many did preach with exceedingly great power and authority, unto the bringing down many of them into the depths of humility, to be the humble followers of God and the Lamb.  And it came to pass that many of the Lamanites did go into the land northward; and also Nephi and Lehi went into the land northward, to preach unto the people. And thus ended the sixty and third year.  And behold, there was peace in all the land, insomuch that the Nephites did go into whatsoever part of the land they would, whether among the Nephites or the Lamanites.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites did also go whithersoever they would, whether it were among the Lamanites or among the Nephites; and thus they did have free intercourse one with another, to buy and to sell, and to get gain, according to their desire.  And it came to pass that they became exceedingly rich, both the Lamanites and the Nephites; and they did have an exceeding plenty of gold, and of silver, and of all manner of precious metals, both in the land south and in the land north.  Now the land south was called Lehi, and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south.  And behold, there was all manner of gold in both these lands, and of silver, and of precious ore of every kind; and there were also curious workmen, who did work all kinds of ore and did refine it; and thus they did become rich. They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they did flourish exceedingly, both in the north and in the south. And they did multiply and wax exceedingly strong in the land. And they did raise many flocks and herds, yea, many fatlings.  Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine-twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace. And in the sixty and fifth year they did also have great joy and peace, yea, much preaching and many prophecies concerning that which was to come. And thus passed away the sixty and fifth year."

In the New Testament we read about how Jacob was able to trick his father into thinking he was Esau and get him to bless him with the blessing his father meant for Esau.  When Esau found out what Jacob had done he hated him and was very angry.  He threatened to kill him after their father died.  Genesis 27:1-41 "And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his eldest son, and said unto him, My son: and he said unto him, Behold, here am I. And he said, Behold now, I am old, I know not the day of my death: Now therefore take, I pray thee, thy weapons, thy quiver and thy bow, and go out to the field, and take me some venison; And make me savoury meat, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat; that my soul may bless thee before I die. And Rebekah heard when Isaac spake to Esau his son. And Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it. And Rebekah spake unto Jacob her son, saying, Behold, I heard thy father speak unto Esau thy brother, saying, Bring me venison, and make me savoury meat, that I may eat, and bless thee before the Lord before my death.  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command thee. Go now to the flock, and fetch me from thence two good kids of the goats; and I will make them savoury meat for thy father, such as he loveth: And thou shalt bring it to thy father, that he may eat, and that he may bless thee before his death.  And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man: My father peradventure will feel me, and I shall seem to him as a deceiver; and I shall bring a curse upon me, and not a blessing.  And his mother said unto him, Upon me be thy curse, my son: only obey my voice, and go fetch me them.  And he went, and fetched, and brought them to his mother: and his mother made savoury meat, such as his father loved.  And Rebekah took goodly raiment of her eldest son Esau, which were with her in the house, and put them upon Jacob her younger son: And she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands, and upon the smooth of his neck:  And she gave the savoury meat and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob. And he came unto his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I; who art thou, my son?  And Jacob said unto his father, I am Esau thy firstborn; I have done according as thou badest me: arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison, that thy soul may bless me.  And Isaac said unto his son, How is it that thou hast found it so quickly, my son? And he said, Because the Lord thy God brought it to me. And Isaac said unto Jacob, Come near, I pray thee, that I may feel thee, my son, whether thou be my very son Esau or not.  And Jacob went near unto Isaac his father; and he felt him, and said, The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau.  And he discerned him not, because his hands were hairy, as his brother Esau's hands: so he blessed him.  And he said, Art thou my very son Esau? And he said, I am.  And he said, Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless thee. And he brought it near to him, and he did eat: and he brought him wine, and he drank. And his father Isaac said unto him, Come near now, and kiss me, my son. And he came near, and kissed him: and he smelled the smell of his raiment, and blessed him, and said, See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed: Therefore God give thee of the dew of heaven, and the fatness of the earth, and plenty of corn and wine:  Let people serve thee, and nations bow down to thee: be lord over thy brethren, and let thy mother's sons bow down to thee: cursed be every one that curseth thee, and blessed be he that blesseth thee. And it came to pass, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.  And he also had made savoury meat, and brought it unto his father, and said unto his father, Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that thy soul may bless me.  And Isaac his father said unto him, Who art thou? And he said, I am thy son, thy firstborn Esau.  And Isaac trembled very exceedingly, and said, Who? where is he that hath taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before thou camest, and have blessed him? yea, and he shall be blessed.  And when Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with a great and exceeding bitter cry, and said unto his father, Bless me, even me also, O my father.  And he said, Thy brother came with subtilty, and hath taken away thy blessing. And he said, Is not he rightly named Jacob? for he hath supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing. And he said, Hast thou not reserved a blessing for me?  And Isaac answered and said unto Esau, Behold, I have made him thy lord, and all his brethren have I given to him for servants; and with corn and wine have I sustained him: and what shall I do now unto thee, my son?  And Esau said unto his father, Hast thou but one blessing, my father? bless me, even me also, O my father. And Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.  And Isaac his father answered and said unto him, Behold, thy dwelling shall be the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above;  And by thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass when thou shalt have the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck. And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him: and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that those who seek the Lord will rejoice and be glad.  Knowing and loving the Lord makes us happy!  Psalms 40:16 "Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the faces of Nephi and Lehi shone greatly. Aminidab saw them and asked the others to look also.  He explained to them that Nephi and Lehi were conversing with the angels of God. He explained to them that they needed to pray to have the cloud of darkness removed from them, which they did. They received the Spirit of God and were filled with joy. They heavens were opened and the angels of God ministered unto them. They layed down their weapons of war and yielded up to the Nephites the lands of their possession.  Helaman 5:35-52"Now there was one among them who was a Nephite by birth, who had once belonged to the church of God but had dissented from them.  And it came to pass that he turned him about, and behold, he saw through the cloud of darkness the faces of Nephi and Lehi; and behold, they did shine exceedingly, even as the faces of angels. And he beheld that they did lift their eyes to heaven; and they were in the attitude as if talking or lifting their voices to some being whom they beheld.  And it came to pass that this man did cry unto the multitude, that they might turn and look. And behold, there was power given unto them that they did turn and look; and they did behold the faces of Nephi and  And they said unto the man: Behold, what do all these things mean, and who is it with whom these men do converse?  Now the man's name was Aminadab. And Aminadab said unto them: They do converse with the angels of God.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?  And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.  And it came to pass that they all did begin to cry unto the voice of him who had shaken the earth; yea, they did cry even until the cloud of darkness was dispersed.  And it came to pass that when they cast their eyes about, and saw that the cloud of darkness was dispersed from overshadowing them, behold, they saw that they were encircled about, yea every soul, by a pillar of fire. And Nephi and Lehi were in the midst of them; yea, they were encircled about; yea, they were as if in the midst of a flaming fire, yet it did harm them not, neither did it take hold upon the walls of the prison; and they were filled with that joy which is unspeakable and full of glory.  And behold, the Holy Spirit of God did come down from heaven, and did enter into their hearts, and they were filled as if with fire, and they could speak forth marvelous words.  And it came to pass that there came a voice unto them, yea, a pleasant voice, as if it were a whisper, saying:  Peace, peace be unto you, because of your faith in my Well Beloved, who was from the foundation of the world.  And now, when they heard this they cast up their eyes as if to behold from whence the voice came; and behold, they saw the heavens open; and angels came down out of heaven and ministered unto them. And there were about three hundred souls who saw and heard these things; and they were bidden to go forth and marvel not, neither should they doubt.  And it came to pass that they did go forth, and did minister unto the people, declaring throughout all the regions round about all the things which they had heard and seen, insomuch that the more part of the Lamanites were convinced of them, because of the greatness of the evidences which they had received. And as many as were convinced did lay down their weapons of war, and also their hatred and the tradition of their fathers.  And it came to pass that they did yield up unto the Nephites the lands of their possession."

In the Old Testament we read about the birth of Jacob and Esau, twins born to Isaac and Rebekah.  They were two very different people who struggled with each other in the womb.  When they grew up, Esau was an outdoorsman who knew how to hung.  Jacob was a quiet man who stayed at home.  One day Jacob was boiling stew and Esau came in and asked for some if it.  Jacob said he would give it to him if Esau would give him his birthright.  Esau readily agreed, devouring the food.  This shows how little he thought of his birthright.  Genesis 25:20-34 "And Isaac was forty years old when he took Rebekah to wife, the daughter of Bethuel the Syrian of Padan-aram, the sister to Laban the Syrian. And Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren: and the Lord was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived.  And the children struggled together within her; and she said, If it be so, why am I thus? And she went to inquire of the Lord. And the Lord said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And when her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb.  And the first came out red, all over like an hairy garment; and they called his name Esau.  And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau's heel; and his name was called Jacob: and Isaac was threescore years old when she bare them.  And the boys grew: and Esau was a cunning hunter, a man of the field; and Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents.  And Isaac loved Esau, because he did eat of his venison: but Rebekah loved Jacob. And Jacob sod pottage: and Esau came from the field, and he was faint: And Esau said to Jacob, Feed me, I pray thee, with that same red pottage; for I am faint: therefore was his name called Edom.  And Jacob said, Sell me this day thy birthright.  And Esau said, Behold, I am at the point to die: and what profit shall this birthright do to me?  And Jacob said, Swear to me this day; and he sware unto him: and he sold his birthright unto Jacob.  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and pottage of lentiles; and he did eat and drink, and rose up, and went his way: thus Esau despised his birthright."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that f we have worldly goods but refuse to share them with a brother in need, shutting off compassion for him, we do not have the love of God dwelling in us.  We not only need to love in word, but also in need.  It's not enough to say we love God and others, we need to demonstrate our love by what we do. And even if we don't have money to give, we can still be sensitive to the needs of others and offer them our time.  We can look for ways to serve others.  Sometimes all they need is a kind word or a comforting hug.  How can we brighten someone's life today?  1 John 3:17-18 "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?  My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that a cloud of darkness overshadowed them and fear came upon them. Then a voice spoke calling them to repentance and telling them to seek no more to destroy the Lord's servants. It was a voice of perfect mildness that pierced them to their very souls. The earth continued to tremble and the Lamanites were greatly afraid. Helaman 5:28-34 " And it came to pass that they were overshadowed with a cloud of darkness, and an awful solemn fear came upon them.  And it came to pass that there came a voice as if it were above the cloud of darkness, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, and seek no more to destroy my servants whom I have sent unto you to declare good tidings.  And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—  And notwithstanding the mildness of the voice, behold the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison trembled again, as if it were about to tumble to the earth; and behold the cloud of darkness, which had overshadowed them, did not disperse—  And behold the voice came again, saying: Repent ye, repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand; and seek no more to destroy my servants. And it came to pass that the earth shook again, and the walls trembled.  And also again the third time the voice came, and did speak unto them marvelous words which cannot be uttered by man; and the walls did tremble again, and the earth shook as if it were about to divide asunder.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites could not flee because of the cloud of darkness which did overshadow them; yea, and also they were immovable because of the fear which did come upon them."

In the Old Testament we read the story of how Abraham's servant was able to find a wife for Isaac, Abraham's son.  Obviously, the Lord lead him to the right woman.  Genesis 24:34-51, 57-67 "And he said, I am Abraham's servant. And the Lord hath blessed my master greatly; and he is become great: and he hath given him flocks, and herds, and silver, and gold, and menservants, and maidservants, and camels, and asses.  And Sarah my master's wife bare a son to my master when she was old: and unto him hath he given all that he hath. And my master made me swear, saying, Thou shalt not take a wife to my son of the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell:  But thou shalt go unto my father's house, and to my kindred, and take a wife unto my son.  And I said unto my master, Peradventure the woman will not follow me.  And he said unto me, The Lord, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father's house: Then shalt thou be clear from this my oath, when thou comest to my kindred; and if they give not thee one, thou shalt be clear from my oath.  And I came this day unto the well, and said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, if now thou do prosper my way which I go:  Behold, I stand by the well of water; and it shall come to pass, that when the virgin cometh forth to draw water, and I say to her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water of thy pitcher to drink;  And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the Lord hath appointed out for my master's son.  And before I had done speaking in mine heart, behold, Rebekah came forth with her pitcher on her shoulder; and she went down unto the well, and drew water: and I said unto her, Let me drink, I pray thee.  And she made haste, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: so I drank, and she made the camels drink also.  And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter art thou? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bare unto him: and I put the earring upon her face, and the bracelets upon her hands. And I bowed down my head, and worshipped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, which had led me in the right way to take my master's brother's daughter unto his son.  And now if ye will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me: and if not, tell me; that I may turn to the right hand, or to the left.  Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing proceedeth from the Lord: we cannot speak unto thee bad or good. Behold, Rebekah is before thee, take her, and go, and let her be thy master's son's wife, as the Lord hath spoken.  And they said, We will call the damsel, and inquire at her mouth.  And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go. And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men.  And they blessed Rebekah, and said unto her, Thou art our sister, be thou the mother of thousands of millions, and let thy seed possess the gate of those which hate them. And Rebekah arose, and her damsels, and they rode upon the camels, and followed the man: and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way.  And Isaac came from the way of the well Lahai-roi; for he dwelt in the south country. And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide: and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, the camels were coming.  And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lighted off the camel.  For she had said unto the servant, What man is this that walketh in the field to meet us? And the servant had said, It is my master: therefore she took a veil, and covered herself.  And the servant told Isaac all things that he had done.  And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife; and he loved her: and Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that perfect love casts out fear.  And if we love God we will also love our fellowmen.  We are commanded to love others. We would all do well spending more time basking in the love of Jesus rather than fearing the unknown, and devoting ourselves to loving and serving others, rather than wasting our energy on unkind thoughts and actions.  1 John 4:18-21 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.  We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?  And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also."
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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Nephi and Lehi were cast into prison. However, they were encircled about as if by fire but were not burned. This caused the Lamanites to be struck with amazement and they were afraid to lay hands on them. The earth shook and the walls of the prison seemed like they were going to tumble to the earth, but they didn't.  Helaman 5:20-27 "And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did proceed from thence to go to the land of Nephi.  And it came to pass that they were taken by an army of the Lamanites and cast into prison; yea, even in that same prison in which Ammon and his brethren were cast by the servants of Limhi.  And after they had been cast into prison many days without food, behold, they went forth into the prison to take them that they might slay them.  And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi were encircled about as if by fire, even insomuch that they durst not lay their hands upon them for fear lest they should be burned. Nevertheless, Nephi and Lehi were not burned; and they were as standing in the midst of fire and were not burned.  And when they saw that they were encircled about with a pillar of fire, and that it burned them not, their hearts did take courage.  For they saw that the Lamanites durst not lay their hands upon them; neither durst they come near unto them, but stood as if they were struck dumb with amazement.  And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did stand forth and began to speak unto them, saying: Fear not, for behold, it is God that has shown unto you this marvelous thing, in the which is shown unto you that ye cannot lay your hands on us to slay us.  And behold, when they had said these words, the earth shook exceedingly, and the walls of the prison did shake as if they were about to tumble to the earth; but behold, they did not fall. And behold, they that were in the prison were Lamanites and Nephites who were dissenters."

In the Old Testament yesterday we read about Abraham being willing to sacrifice his son Isaac, even though he was stopped from doing so at the last minute.  Today we read about how the Lord blessed Abraham for his obedience.  When we sacrifice for the Lord and obey what He asks us to do, we are repaid many times over in blessings.  Genesis 22:15-18 "And the angel of the Lord called unto Abraham out of heaven the second  And said, By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, for because thou hast done this thing, and hast not withheld thy son, thine only son: That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies; And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed; because thou hast obeyed my voice."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that we should not allow sin and lust to reign in our bodies, nor allow ourselves to yield to  unrighteousness.  Instead we should yield ourselves to God and be instruments of righteousness unto Him.  Romans 6:12-13 "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.  Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we red that is upon the rock of our Redeemer that we must build our foundation, that the devil will have no power over us when storms and winds assail us. Nephi and Lehi were taught these things by their father and they tried to teach the word of God among the people of Nephi, as they went from city to city. They taught with great power, causing many to repent of their sins, be baptized, and return to the Nephites to try to repair the wrongs they had done. Also, 8,000 Lamanaites were also convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers and they also repented and were baptized.  Helaman 5:12-19 "And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.  And it came to pass that these were the words which Helaman taught to his sons; yea, he did teach them many things which are not written, and also many things which are written.  And they did remember his words; and therefore they went forth, keeping the commandments of God, to teach the word of God among all the people of Nephi, beginning at the city Bountiful;  And from thenceforth to the city of Gid; and from the city of Gid to the city of Mulek;  And even from one city to another, until they had gone forth among all the people of Nephi who were in the land southward; and from thence into the land of Zarahemla, among the Lamanites.  And it came to pass that they did preach with great power, insomuch that they did confound many of those dissenters who had gone over from the Nephites, insomuch that they came forth and did confess their sins and were baptized unto repentance, and immediately returned to the Nephites to endeavor to repair unto them the wrongs which they had done.  And it came to pass that Nephi and Lehi did preach unto the Lamanites with such great power and authority, for they had power and authority given unto them that they might speak, and they also had what they should speak given unto them—  Therefore they did speak unto the great astonishment of the Lamanites, to the convincing them, insomuch that there were eight thousand of the Lamanites who were in the land of Zarahemla and round about baptized unto repentance, and were convinced of the wickedness of the traditions of their fathers."

In the Old Testament we read the story of how Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac, the son he had waited until his old age to have and ho he loved so much.  But he got up early to obey the Lord! Of course at the last minute, Abraham was spared from having to make this sacrifice, but the fact remained that he had been willing.  How much are we willing to sacrifice?  We may not be asked to sacrifice beloved family members, but perhaps we need to sacrifice time watching TV so we have time for prayer and scripture study.  Or maybe we need to sacrifice a lazy Saturday so tat we can provide service to someone in need.  What is the Lord asking us to do?  Whatever it is, we need to be willing to obey.  Genesis 22:1-13 "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham: and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of. And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him. Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.  And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together. And Isaac spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is the lamb for a burnt offering? And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.  And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood.  And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son. 1 And the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham, Abraham: and he said, Here am I.  And he said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that after Jesus had spent time ministering to multitudes of people, He sent them away and went up into a mountain alone to pray.  Even Jesus needed time alone to commune with His Father, recharge His batteries, and be refreshed so He could continue to serve and meet the needs of others. This prevented Him from burning out.  If He needed that, how much more so do we?  Sometimes we so overextend ourselves with our busy schedules that we neglect our own needs to rest and recuperate. Often this leads to illness and burn out, and then we're no good to anyone. If even Jesus needed downtime!  We need to take time from our busy lives to pause and rest, to rejuvenate ourselves. Just like running a marathon, we need to pace ourselves so we can finish the race without collapsing part way through. Don't feel guilty if you need to take a break.  Follow the example of the Savior and get some much needed quiet time alone.  Matthew 14:23 "And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the people were very wicked, ripening for destruction.  Nephi and Lehi devoted themselves to preaching, trying to teach the people about the atoning blood of Jesus Christ.  Their names invite them to pattern their lives after their forebears.   Helaman 5:1-11 "And it came to pass that in this same year, behold, Nephi delivered up the judgment-seat to a man whose name was Cezoram. For as their laws and their governments were established by the voice of the people, and they who chose evil were more numerous than they who chose good, therefore they were ripening for destruction, for the laws had become corrupted.  Yea, and this was not all; they were a stiffnecked people, insomuch that they could not be governed by the law nor justice, save it were to their destruction.  And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;  For they remembered the words which their father Helaman spake unto them. And these are the words which he spake: Behold, my sons, I desire that ye should remember to keep the commandments of God; and I would that ye should declare unto the people these words. Behold, I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good.  Therefore, my sons, I would that ye should do that which is good, that it may be said of you, and also written, even as it has been said and written of them.  And now my sons, behold I have somewhat more to desire of you, which desire is, that ye may not do these things that ye may boast, but that ye may do these things to lay up for yourselves a treasure in heaven, yea, which is eternal, and which fadeth not away; yea, that ye may have that precious gift of eternal life, which we have reason to suppose hath been given to our fathers.  O remember, remember, my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world.  And remember also the words which Amulek spake unto Zeezrom, in the city of Ammonihah; for he said unto him that the Lord surely should come to redeem his people, but that he should not come to redeem them in their sins, but to redeem them from their sins.  And he hath power given unto him from the Father to redeem them from their sins because of repentance; therefore he hath sent his angels to declare the tidings of the conditions of repentance, which bringeth unto the power of the Redeemer, unto the salvation of their souls."

In the Old Testament we read about the birth of Isaac, who was born to Abraham and Sarah in their old age, just as the Lord has promised.  We can trust that the Lord will keep all His promises to us, even those that may seem impossible to come to pass.  We can trust that the Lord will keep His word no matter what! Genesis 21:1-7 "And the Lord visited Sarah as he had said, and the Lord did unto Sarah as he had spoken.  For Sarah conceived, and bare Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him.  And Abraham called the name of his son that was born unto him, whom Sarah bare to him, Isaac.  And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac being eight days old, as God had commanded him.  And Abraham was an hundred years old, when his son Isaac was born unto him. And Sarah said, God hath made me to laugh, so that all that hear will laugh with me. And she said, Who would have said unto Abraham, that Sarah should have given children suck? for I have born him a son in his old age."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us to follow the example of the industrious ant who, without having a supervisor to tell them what to do, provides food in the summer and gathers food at harvest time. The ant is an example of wisdom in action.  They know what to do and work hard to accomplish their tasks. Their diligence is admirable. They don't give up.  We need to stop being lazy and rise up out of our sleep. We'd do well to take a lesson from the ants. Proverbs 6:6-10 "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler,  Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest.  How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?  Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep:"

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the people remembered the prophecies of Alma and realized that they had become wicked like the Lamanites and weak like them. The Lord had ceased to preserve them due to their unbelief and wickedness.  Helaman 4:21-26 "Yea, they began to remember the prophecies of Alma, and also the words of Mosiah; and they saw that they had been a stiffnecked people, and that they had set at naught the commandments of God;  And that they had altered and trampled under their feet the laws of Mosiah, or that which the Lord commanded him to give unto the people; and they saw that their laws had become corrupted, and that they had become a wicked people, insomuch that they were wicked even like unto the Lamanites. And because of their iniquity the church had begun to dwindle; and they began to disbelieve in the spirit of prophecy and in the spirit of revelation; and the judgments of God did stare them in the face.  And they saw that they had become weak, like unto their brethren, the Lamanites, and that the Spirit of the Lord did no more preserve them; yea, it had withdrawn from them because the Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples— Therefore the Lord did cease to preserve them by his miraculous and matchless power, for they had fallen into a state of unbelief and awful wickedness; and they saw that the Lamanites were exceedingly more numerous than they, and except they should cleave unto the Lord their God they must unavoidably perish.  For behold, they saw that the strength of the Lamanites was as great as their strength, even man for man. And thus had they fallen into this great transgression; yea, thus had they become weak, because of their transgression, in the space of not many years."

In the Old Testament we read the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, due to the great wickedness of the people there.  The Lord sent messengers to warn Lot to escape before the destruction, and to take his family with him.  Lot tried to warn his married daughters and their husbands, but his sons-in-law would not take him seriously and refused to lee.  So he went with his wife and two unmarried daughters.  The messengers warned them to leave and not to look back, but Lot's wife looked back and turned to a pillar of salt.  That may seem like a harsh punishment merely for looking back, but perhaps it wasn't just looking back out of curiosity to see the destruction.  Perhaps it was looking back towards the wickedness they were fleeing from, not really wanting to get away from it.  Whatever the case may be, we need to make sure we leave evil behind in our lives, and not look back on it longingly once we've departed from it.  Genesis 19:12-28 "And the men said unto Lot, Hast thou here any besides? son in law, and thy sons, and thy daughters, and whatsoever thou hast in the city, bring them out of this place: For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the Lord; and the Lord hath sent us to destroy it.  And Lot went out, and spake unto his sons in law, which married his daughters, and said, Up, get you out of this place; for the Lord will destroy this city. But he seemed as one that mocked unto his sons in law. And when the morning arose, then the angels hastened Lot, saying, Arise, take thy wife, and thy two daughters, which are here; lest thou be consumed in the iniquity of the city.  And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought him forth, and set him without the city. And it came to pass, when they had brought them forth abroad, that he said, Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed. And Lot said unto them, Oh, not so, my Lord:  Behold now, thy servant hath found grace in thy sight, and thou hast magnified thy mercy, which thou hast shewed unto me in saving my life; and I cannot escape to the mountain, lest some evil take me, and I die: Behold now, this city is near to flee unto, and it is a little one: Oh, let me escape thither, (is it not a little one?) and my soul shall live.  And he said unto him, See, I have accepted thee concerning this thing also, that I will not overthrow this city, for the which thou hast spoken. Haste thee, escape thither; for I cannot do any thing till thou be come thither. Therefore the name of the city was called Zoar. The sun was risen upon the earth when Lot entered into Zoar.  Then the Lord rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the Lord out of heaven;  And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground. But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt. And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the Lord: And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace."

Going along with this, some verses with a thought booklet tell us to forget former things and not dwell on the past. We can forget our sinful past and press on as new people in Jesus Christ.   Isaiah 43:18-19 "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Moronihah, Nephi, and Lehi preached many things to the people because of their iniquity, calling upon them to repent and telling them the consequences that would befall them if they didn't. As a result, they did repent. And then they began to prosper and regain half their property.   Helaman 4:14-20 "But behold, Moronihah did preach many things unto the people because of their iniquity, and also Nephi and Lehi, who were the sons of Helaman, did preach many things unto the people, yea, and did prophesy many things unto them concerning their iniquities, and what should come unto them if they did not repent of their sins.  And it came to pass that they did repent, and inasmuch as they did repent they did begin to prosper.  For when Moronihah saw that they did repent he did venture to lead them forth from place to place, and from city to city, even until they had regained the one-half of their property and the one-half of all their lands.  And thus ended the sixty and first year of the reign of the judges.  And it came to pass in the sixty and second year of the reign of the judges, that Moronihah could obtain no more possessions over the Lamanites.  Therefore they did abandon their design to obtain the remainder of their lands, for so numerous were the Lamanites that it became impossible for the Nephites to obtain more power over them; therefore Moronihah did employ all his armies in maintaining those parts which he had taken. And it came to pass, because of the greatness of the number of the Lamanites the Nephites were in great fear, lest they should be overpowered, and trodden down, and slain, and destroyed."

In the Old Testament we read that God told Abraham that his wife Sarah would conceive and give him a son.  This made Abraham fall on his face and laugh at the thought of a 100 year old man and a 90 year old woman having a child!  But God told him that this indeed was true and that this time next year Sarah would give birth to a baby named Isaac who God would set up His covenant with.  With God, nothing is impossible!  Genesis 17:15-22 "And God said unto Abraham, As for Sarai thy wife, thou shalt not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be.  And I will bless her, and give thee a son also of her: yea, I will bless her, and she shall be a mother of nations; kings of people shall be of her.  Then Abraham fell upon his face, and laughed, and said in his heart, Shall a child be born unto him that is an hundred years old? and shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?  And Abraham said unto God, O that Ishmael might live before thee!  And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant, and with his seed after him.  And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee: Behold, I have blessed him, and will make him fruitful, and will multiply him exceedingly; twelve princes shall he beget, and I will make him a great nation. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac, which Sarah shall bear unto thee at this set time in the next year.  And he left off talking with him, and God went up from Abraham."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that at times when we are afraid, we can trust in God.  We had no need to fear what men can do to us.  Psalms 56:3-4 "What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read there were many dissensions in the church and much contention. The rebellious ones were slain and driven out of the land, where they joined the Lamanites. They eventually succeeded in stirring up the Lamanites to anger against the Nephites to the point that they went to battle against them. They were able to obtain possession of the land southward. However, later Moronihah was able to regain many cities which had fallen ino the hands of the Lamanites. All this loss would not have occurred in the first place if it had not been for the wickedness of the Nephites, among those who professed to belong to the church of God. It was their pride and their breaking the commandments of God, and boasting of their own strength that allowed the Lamanites to gain the advantage over them.   Helaman 4:1- 13 "And it came to pass in the fifty and fourth year there were many dissensions in the church, and there was also a contention among the people, insomuch that there was much bloodshed.  And the rebellious part were slain and driven out of the land, and they did go unto the king of the Lamanites.  And it came to pass that they did endeavor to stir up the Lamanites to war against the Nephites; but behold, the Lamanites were exceedingly afraid, insomuch that they would not hearken to the words of those dissenters.  But it came to pass in the fifty and sixth year of the reign of the judges, there were dissenters who went up from the Nephites unto the Lamanites; and they succeeded with those others in stirring them up to anger against the Nephites; and they were all that year preparing for war.  And in the fifty and seventh year they did come down against the Nephites to battle, and they did commence the work of death; yea, insomuch that in the fifty and eighth year of the reign of the judges they succeeded in obtaining possession of the land of Zarahemla; yea, and also all the lands, even unto the land which was near the land Bountiful.  And the Nephites and the armies of Moronihah were driven even into the land of Bountiful;  And there they did fortify against the Lamanites, from the west sea, even unto the east; it being a day's journey for a Nephite, on the line which they had fortified and stationed their armies to defend their north country.  And thus those dissenters of the Nephites, with the help of a numerous army of the Lamanites, had obtained all the possession of the Nephites which was in the land southward. And all this was done in the fifty and eighth and ninth years of the reign of the judges.  And it came to pass in the sixtieth year of the reign of the judges, Moronihah did succeed with his armies in obtaining many parts of the land; yea, they regained many cities which had fallen into the hands of the Lamanites.  And it came to pass in the sixty and first year of the reign of the judges they succeeded in regaining even the half of all their possessions.  Now this great loss of the Nephites, and the great slaughter which was among them, would not have happened had it not been for their wickedness and their abomination which was among them; yea, and it was among those also who professed to belong to the church of God.  And it was because of the pride of their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, yea, it was because of their oppression to the poor, withholding their food from the hungry, withholding their clothing from the naked, and smiting their humble brethren upon the cheek, making a mock of that which was sacred, denying the spirit of prophecy and of revelation, murdering, plundering, lying, stealing, committing adultery, rising up in great contentions, and deserting away into the land of Nephi, among the Lamanites—  And because of this their great wickedness, and their boastings in their own strength, they were left in their own strength; therefore they did not prosper, but were afflicted and smitten, and driven before the Lamanites, until they had lost possession of almost all their lands."
 
In the Old Testament we read that the Lord came to Abraham in a vision and told him that He would be his protector and that his reward would be very great.  But Abraham complained that he had no children.  The Lord told him not to fear, that his heir would be his own biological child and that his descendants would be as numerous as the stars in the sky.  Abraham trusted in the Lord. How willing are we to trust in the Lord when promised blessings take a long time coming and seem like they may never come at all?  Genesis 15:1-6 "After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.  And Abram said, Lord God, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?  And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.  And, behold, the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.  And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.  And he believed in the Lord; and he counted it to him for righteousness."

Going along with this, a verse with a thought booklet reminds us that with God, nothing is impossible.  Luke 1:37 "For with God nothing shall be impossible."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that a little pride began to enter into the hearts of those who belonged to the church. When they became lifted up in pride, they began to persecute their brethren. The humble people who were being persecuted fasted and prayed often, waxing stronger and stronger in their humility and in their faith. Their souls were filled with joy as they yielded their hearts to God. Helaman died and his son Nephi reigned in his stead.  He, like his father, kept the commandments of God.  Helaman 3:33-37 "And in the fifty and first year of the reign of the judges there was peace also, save it were the pride which began to enter into the church—not into the church of God, but into the hearts of the people who professed to belong to the church of God— And they were lifted up in pride, even to the persecution of many of their brethren. Now this was a great evil, which did cause the more humble part of the people to suffer great persecutions, and to wade through much affliction. Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God. 6 And it came to pass that the fifty and second year ended in peace also, save it were the exceedingly great pride which had gotten into the hearts of the people; and it was because of their exceedingly great riches and their prosperity in the land; and it did grow upon them from day to day.  And it came to pass in the fifty and third year of the reign of the judges, Helaman died, and his eldest son Nephi began to reign in his stead. And it came to pass that he did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did keep the commandments of God, and did walk in the ways of his father."

In the Old Testament we read about the obedience of Abraham.  The Lord told him to leave his land, his family, and his father's household for a land that the Lord would show him. And he was asked to make all these drastic changes to his life at the age of 75! The Lord told Abraham that He would bless him and make his name respected.  He would bless those who blessed him and curse those who cursed him.  And all the families of the earth would be blessed because of him.  Abraham did all that the Lord commanded him.  Sometimes the Lord asks us to do difficult things, make sacrifices, or leave all that is familiar to us and tread on unfamiliar ground.  But if we're obedient and do as we've been commanded to do, our blessings will be more than we can imagine.  We need to trust in the Lord and do whatever He asks.  Genesis 12:1-5 "Now the Lord had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:  And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:  And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran. And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that if Christ had not risen from the dead, there would be no hope of anyone raising from the dead.  Our faith would be in vain and we would remain in our sins. If we could only hope of Christ in this life, we would be most miserable.  But Christ did rise from the dead, and so will all men because of Him!  Those who have perished are not lost.  1 Corinthians 15:12-20 "Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:  And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:  And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.  But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Helaman filled the judgment seat with justice and equity and did his best to do what was right and to keep the commandments of God. The wars an contentions began to cease and peace began to be established in the land, except for the Gadianton robbers. Thousands joined the church and it began to prosper. The Lord is merciful unto all who will call upon His name. There was great rejoicing in the land. Helaman 3:18-32 "The forty and sixth year of the reign of the judges ended;  And it came to pass that there was still great contention in the land, yea, even in the forty and seventh year, and also in the forty and eighth year. Nevertheless Helaman did fill the judgment-seat with justice and equity; yea, he did observe to keep the statutes, and the judgments, and the commandments of God; and he did do that which was right in the sight of God continually; and he did walk after the ways of his father, insomuch that he did prosper in the land.  And it came to pass that he had two sons. He gave unto the eldest the name of Nephi, and unto the youngest, the name of Lehi. And they began to grow up unto the Lord.  And it came to pass that the wars and contentions began to cease, in a small degree, among the people of the Nephites, in the latter end of the forty and eighth year of the reign of the judges over the people of Nephi. And it came to pass in the forty and ninth year of the reign of the judges, there was continual peace established in the land, all save it were the secret combinations which Gadianton the robber had established in the more settled parts of the land, which at that time were not known unto those who were at the head of government; therefore they were not destroyed out of the land.  And it came to pass that in this same year there was exceedingly great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance.  And so great was the prosperity of the church, and so many the blessings which were poured out upon the people, that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure.  And it came to pass that the work of the Lord did prosper unto the baptizing and uniting to the church of God, many souls, yea, even tens of thousands.  Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.  Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.  Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—  And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out. And in this year there was continual rejoicing in the land of Zarahemla, and in all the regions round about, even in all the land which was possessed by the Nephites. And it came to pass that there was peace and exceedingly great joy in the remainder of the forty and ninth year; yea, and also there was continual peace and great joy in the fiftieth year of the reign of the judges."

In the Old Testament we read that after the flood waters receded and Noah came out from the ark, one of the first things he did was build an altar and offer sacrifice to the Lord. When we receive blessings from the Lord, do we remember to give Him thanks?  Is that a high priority for us?  Genesis 8:18-20 "And Noah went forth, and his sons, and his wife, and his sons' wives with him:  Every beast, every creeping thing, and every fowl, and whatsoever creepeth upon the earth, after their kinds, went forth out of the ark. And Noah builded an altar unto the Lord; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us the story of Gideon.  An angel came to him and told him that the Lord was with him.  Gideon questioned that, asking why they were in bondage to the Midianites if the Lord was with them, and where were the miracles that their fathers told them o, such as bringing them up from Egypt?  The Lord told Gideon to go to with his might and he would save Israel from the Midianites.  He could accomplish this because the Lord had sent him.  Gideon again questioned this, emphasizing his unimportance, but the Lord assured him that He would be with him.  But Gideon wasn't satisfied.  He wanted a sign. First Gideon asked that some fleece that he put out would collect dew while all the ground around it would remain dry.  So the Lord did that.  Then Gideon asked that the fleece remain dry would the ground around it become wet with dew.  So the Lord did that too. Are we like this when we receive direction from the Lord?  Instead of simply believing what He tells us, do we need a sign?  And then when we receive that sign, do we ask for still another sign? Sometimes we're very much like Gideon instead of exercising our faith in the Lord.  Judges 6:12-17, 36-40 "And the angel of the Lord appeared unto him, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour.  And Gideon said unto him, Oh my Lord, if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us? and where be all his miracles which our fathers told us of, saying, Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt? but now the Lord hath forsaken us, and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.  And the Lord looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?  And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.  And the Lord said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man.  And he said unto him, If now I have found grace in thy sight, then shew me a sign that thou talkest with me.  Depart not hence, I pray thee, until I come unto thee, a And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,  Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.  And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.  And Gideon said unto God, Let not thine anger be hot against me, and I will speak but this once: let me prove, I pray thee, but this once with the fleece; let it now be dry only upon the fleece, and upon all the ground let there be dew.  And God did so that night: for it was dry upon the fleece only, and there was dew on all the ground."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the people kept large records concerning their proceedings, but not even a hundredth part could be contained in in this work. But there were many books and many records which were kept, chiefly by the Nephites, and they were handed down one generation to the other, until the Nephites became so hardened and wicked that they were scattered and mixed with the Lamanites. All this took place after there had been great wars and dissensions among the people of Nephi.  Helaman 3: 13- 17 "And now there are many records kept of the proceedings of this people, by many of this people, which are particular and very large, concerning them.  But behold, a hundredth part of the proceedings of this people, yea, the account of the Lamanites and of the Nephites, and their wars, and contentions, and dissensions, and their preaching, and their prophecies, and their shipping and their building of ships, and their building of temples, and of synagogues and their sanctuaries, and their righteousness, and their wickedness, and their murders, and their robbings, and their plundering, and all manner of abominations and whoredoms, cannot be contained in this work.  But behold, there are many books and many records of every kind, and they have been kept chiefly by the Nephites.  And they have been handed down from one generation to another by the Nephites, even until they have fallen into transgression and have been murdered, plundered, and hunted, and driven forth, and slain, and scattered upon the face of the earth, and mixed with the Lamanites until they are no more called the Nephites, becoming wicked, and wild, and ferocious, yea, even becoming Lamanites.  And now I return again to mine account; therefore, what I have spoken had passed after there had been great contentions, and disturbances, and wars, and dissensions, among the people of Nephi."

In the Old Testament we read about Noah and the Ark.  The world had become very wicked and was full of violence.  But Noah was righteous.  The Lord warned Noah that He was going to destroy all the people and animals on the earth by flood and told him to build an ark so that he and his family would not die.  The Lord instructed Noah how to build the ark and told him to take two of each kind of animal on the ark with him and his family, plus food.  Noah did everything the Lord told him to do.  Are we willing to do everything the Lord tells us to do?  Our obedience may save us the same way Noah's obedience saved him.  Genesis 6:1-22 "And it came to pass, when men began to multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born unto them,  That the sons of God saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took them wives of all which they chose.  And the Lord said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.  There were giants in the earth in those days; and also after that, when the sons of God came in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them, the same became mighty men which were of old, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.  And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.  But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked with God.  And Noah begat three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth.  And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.  And this is the fashion which thou shalt make it of: The length of the ark shall be three hundred cubits, the breadth of it fifty cubits, and the height of it thirty cubits. A window shalt thou make to the ark, and in a cubit shalt thou finish it above; and the door of the ark shalt thou set in the side thereof; with lower, second, and third stories shalt thou make it.  And, behold, I, even I, do bring a flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh, wherein is the breath of life, from under heaven; and every thing that is in the earth shall die.  But with thee will I establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife, and thy sons' wives with thee.  And of every living thing of all flesh, two of every sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep them alive with thee; they shall be male and female.  Of fowls after their kind, and of cattle after their kind, of every creeping thing of the earth after his kind, two of every sort shall come unto thee, to keep them alive. And take thou unto thee of all food that is eaten, and thou shalt gather it to thee; and it shall be for food for thee, and for them.  Thus did Noah; according to all that God commanded him, so did he."

Some verses with a thought booklet tell us that should behave ourselves wisely, and have a perfect heart in our homes. We should not set any wicked thing before our eyes, and avoid wicked people. We need to be careful about everything we look at, think about, and about the people we associate with. We should fill our eyes, minds, and hearts with things that are righteous and pure, and walk with integrity of heart.  Psalms 101:2-4 "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.  I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me. A froward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that there was no contention among the people at first, but then a little crept in and then a lot. Many departed into the land northward.  They went into some areas that were desolate of timber so they built their houses of cement or they dwelt in tents.  They spread out in all directions.  Helaman 3: 1-12 "And now it came to pass in the forty and third year of the reign of the judges, there was no contention among the people of Nephi save it were a little pride which was in the church, which did cause some little dissensions among the people, which affairs were settled in the ending of the forty and third year.  And there was no contention among the people in the forty and fourth year; neither was there much contention in the forty and fifth year.  And it came to pass in the forty and sixth, yea, there was much contention and many dissensions; in the which there were an exceedingly great many who departed out of the land of Zarahemla, and went forth unto the land northward to inherit the land. And they did travel to an exceedingly great distance, insomuch that they came to large bodies of water and many rivers. Yea, and even they did spread forth into all parts of the land, into whatever parts it had not been rendered desolate and without timber, because of the many inhabitants who had before inherited the land.  And now no part of the land was desolate, save it were for timber; but because of the greatness of the destruction of the people who had before inhabited the land it was called desolate. And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the people who went forth became exceedingly expert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement, in the which they did dwell.  And it came to pass that they did multiply and spread, and did go forth from the land southward to the land northward, and did spread insomuch that they began to cover the face of the whole earth, from the sea south to the sea north, from the sea west to the sea east.  And the people who were in the land northward did dwell in tents, and in houses of cement, and they did suffer whatsoever tree should spring up upon the face of the land that it should grow up, that in time they might have timber to build their houses, yea, their cities, and their temples, and their synagogues, and their sanctuaries, and all manner of their buildings.  And it came to pass as timber was exceedingly scarce in the land northward, they did send forth much by the way of shipping. And thus they did enable the people in the land northward that they might build many cities, both of wood and of cement. And it came to pass that there were many of the people of Ammon, who were Lamanites by birth, did also go forth into this land."

In the Old Testament we read the story of Cain and Abel.  Cain became jealous of his brother because the Lord accepted of Abel's offering, but not his own.  So he attacked and killed him.  He then tried to deny what he'd done to the Lord, but the Lord knew and punished him.  Before Cain committed the sin of murder, he allowed his thoughts to become impure.  He was jealous, angry and resentful of Abel.  Then he allowed this unrighteous thoughts to take root and his actions followed.  If we can stop thinking evil thoughts, they won't get to the point where they turn into evil actions.  We need to nip this kind of thing in the bud!  Genesis 4:1-13 "And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the Lord.  And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the Lord.  And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell. And the Lord said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?  If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.  And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the Lord said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;  When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.  And Cain said unto the Lord, My punishment is greater than I can bear."

A scripture with a thought booklet tells us to rejoice with those that rejoice and weep with those who mourn. We need to be compassionate and caring with other people and truly be there for them, in their good times and their bad times.  Romans 12:15 "Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep."
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