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."
-------------------------------------
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."
-------------------------------------
No comments:
Post a Comment