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Friday, July 24, 2015

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that there was silence in the land for many hours and the people were so astonished that they quit howling for their loved one who had been slain. Then a voice came, which all the people heard, and it told them that He would have gathered them as a hen gathered her chicken, but they had refused.  But now those who had been spared, He would gather as a hen gathers her chickens, if they would repent and come unto Him.  3 Nephi 10:1-7 "And now behold, it came to pass that all the people of the land did hear these sayings, and did witness of it. And after these sayings there was silence in the land for the space of many hours; For so great was the astonishment of the people that they did cease lamenting and howling for the loss of their kindred which had been slain; therefore there was silence in all the land for the space of many hours.  And it came to pass that there came a voice again unto the people, and all the people did hear, and did witness of it, saying: O ye people of these great cities which have fallen, who are descendants of Jacob, yea, who are of the house of Israel, how oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and have nourished you.  And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not.  O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart. But if not, O house of Israel, the places of your dwellings shall become desolate until the time of the fulfilling of the covenant to your fathers."

In the Old Testament we read about how the people complained about not having meat to eat.  Instead of being grateful for the manna the Lord had sent them, they longed for the foods they used to have when they were slaves in Egypt.  This angered the Lord so he sent them meat--quail that fell by the camp three feet deep on the ground.  While the quail was still between their teeth, the Lord struck the people with a great plague and the people who had lusted after meat died and were buried.  The Lord doesn't look lightly on people who don't appreciate the blessings He gives them but instead are always wanting something more.  Numbers 11:1-9, 31-34 " And when the people complained, it displeased the Lord: and the Lord heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the Lord burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the Lord, the fire was quenched. And he called the name of the place Taberah: because the fire of the Lord burnt among them. And the mixed multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.  And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium.  And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil.  And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it. And there went forth a wind from the Lord, and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, as it were a day's journey on this side, and as it were a day's journey on the other side, round about the camp, and as it were two cubits high upon the face of the earth. And the people stood up all that day, and all that night, and all the next day, and they gathered the quails: he that gathered least gathered ten homers: and they spread them all abroad for themselves round about the camp.  And while the flesh was yet between their teeth, ere it was chewed, the wrath of the Lord was kindled against the people, and the Lord smote the people with a very great plague.  And he called the name of that place Kibroth-hattaavah: because there they buried the people that lusted."

Some verses with a thought booklet remind us that we will not receive any temptation except the Lord will provide a way that we can resist it.  We can't be prideful though, thinking we're so strong that we can stand on our own.  If we don't take heed we will fall, and we need to depend on the Lord to help us.  When faced with temptation, we should pray and ask the Lord to help us resist, then do everything in our power to get away from whatever is tempting us.  1 Corinthians 10:12-13 "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."

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