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Monday, June 22, 2015

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Samuel the Lamanite prophesied of signs that would be given at the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Whoever refuses to repent will suffer spiritual death and be cut off from all things pertaining to righteousness. At the time of Christ's death there would be three days of darkness. There would be thunderings and lightnings and earthquakes and upheavals. Cities would become desolate.  Helaman 14:14-24 "And behold, again, another sign I give unto you, yea, a sign of his death.  For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. 6 Yea, behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind from the first death—that spiritual death; for all mankind, by the fall of Adam being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, both as to things temporal and to things spiritual.  But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord. Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.  Therefore repent ye, repent ye, lest by knowing these things and not doing them ye shall suffer yourselves to come under condemnation, and ye are brought down unto this second death.  But behold, as I said unto you concerning another sign, a sign of his death, behold, in that day that he shall suffer death the sun shall be darkened and refuse to give his light unto you; and also the moon and the stars; and there shall be no light upon the face of this land, even from the time that he shall suffer death, for the space of three days, to the time that he shall rise again from the dead.  Yea, at the time that he shall yield up the ghost there shall be thunderings and lightnings for the space of many hours, and the earth shall shake and tremble; and the rocks which are upon the face of this earth, which are both above the earth and beneath, which ye know at this time are solid, or the more part of it is one solid mass, shall be broken up;  Yea, they shall be rent in twain, and shall ever after be found in seams and in cracks, and in broken fragments upon the face of the whole earth, yea, both above the earth and beneath.  And behold, there shall be great tempests, and there shall be many mountains laid low, like unto a valley, and there shall be many places which are now called valleys which shall become mountains, whose height is great.  And many highways shall be broken up, and many cities shall become desolate."

In the Old Testament we're told not to spread false rumors and not to plot with evil people to act as a lying witness. We need to be honest and always speak the truth.   Exodus 23:1 "Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that Jesus is the true vine and we are the branches.  If we abide in Him, we'll have life and bear fruit.  But if we're cut off from Him, we'll wither.  Have you ever noticed that sometimes storms will bring down tree limbs?  If they're left on the ground for several days, the leaves on those fallen branches fade from green to brown.  Separated from the tree, they die and they cannot bear fruit. Likewise when we are connected to Jesus Christ we are provided with sustenance and can bear the fruit of Christlike living.   John 15:4-6 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.  If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

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