Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that a great storm arose, with terrible thunder which shook the earth and lightening which exceeded anything previously experienced. The city of Zerahemla burned with fire, the city of Moroni sank into the ocean, and a mountain arose where the city of Moronihah had stood. Highways were broken up, and many great cities were destroyed by fire, earthquake, or flood. The face of the whole land was changed.  3 Nephi 8:5-18 "And it came to pass in the thirty and fourth year, in the first month, on the fourth day of the month, there arose a great storm, such an one as never had been known in all the land. And there was also a great and terrible tempest; and there was terrible thunder, insomuch that it did shake the whole earth as if it was about to divide asunder.  And there were exceedingly sharp lightnings, such as never had been known in all the land. And the city of Zarahemla did take fire.  And the city of Moroni did sink into the depths of the sea, and the inhabitants thereof were drowned. And the earth was carried up upon the city of Moronihah, that in the place of the city there became a great mountain.  And there was a great and terrible destruction in the land southward.  But behold, there was a more great and terrible destruction in the land northward; for behold, the whole face of the land was changed, because of the tempest and the whirlwinds, and the thunderings and the lightnings, and the exceedingly great quaking of the whole earth;  And the highways were broken up, and the level roads were spoiled, and many smooth places became rough.  And many great and notable cities were sunk, and many were burned, and many were shaken till the buildings thereof had fallen to the earth, and the inhabitants thereof were slain, and the places were left desolate.  And there were some cities which remained; but the damage thereof was exceedingly great, and there were many in them who were slain.  And there were some who were carried away in the whirlwind; and whither they went no man knoweth, save they know that they were carried away.  And thus the face of the whole earth became deformed, because of the tempests, and the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the quaking of the earth.  And behold, the rocks were rent in twain; they were broken up upon the face of the whole earth, insomuch that they were found in broken fragments, and in seams and in cracks, upon all the face of the land."

In the Old Testament we read that because all the oldest males in the land of Egypt had been killed, but the oldest males of the Israelites had been spared, both men and animals, the Lord claimed their oldest males as His own.  But the Lord told Moses that he would claim the Levites from the Israelites in place of the oldest males.  They were His.  Numbers 3:11-13 "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying,  And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the Lord."

A verse with a thought booklet is one we need to memorize.  It can help us in times when we feel we need to do the impossible, when we feel our best efforts are not enough.  We can do all things through Christ, who strengthens us.  If we feel we're not up to the task at hand, we need to turn to the Lord for help.  With Him giving us strength, we can do anything!  Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."