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Friday, September 18, 2015

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that when Mormon was 11 years old his father took him to Zarahemla, which was covered with buildings and people as numerous as the sands of the sea. There began to be a war between the Nephites and the Lamanites. After the Nephites beat the Lamanites in battle, there was peace for a time, but wickedness prevailed upon the face of the whole land.  It got so bad that the Lord took away the three disciples from among them and miracles and healings ceased because of the iniquity of the people. The Holy Ghost did not come upon any because of their wickedness and unbelief.  Mormon 1:6-14 "And it came to pass that I, being eleven years old, was carried by my father into the land southward, even to the land of Zarahemla.  The whole face of the land had become covered with buildings, and the people were as numerous almost, as it were the sand of the sea.  And it came to pass in this year there began to be a war between the Nephites, who consisted of the Nephites and the Jacobites and the Josephites and the Zoramites; and this war was between the Nephites, and the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites.  Now the Lamanites and the Lemuelites and the Ishmaelites were called Lamanites, and the two parties were Nephites and Lamanites.  And it came to pass that the war began to be among them in the borders of Zarahemla, by the waters of Sidon.  And it came to pass that the Nephites had gathered together a great number of men, even to exceed the number of thirty thousand. And it came to pass that they did have in this same year a number of battles, in which the Nephites did beat the Lamanites and did slay many of them.  And it came to pass that the Lamanites withdrew their design, and there was peace settled in the land; and peace did remain for the space of about four years, that there was no bloodshed.  But wickedness did prevail upon the face of the whole land, insomuch that the Lord did take away his beloved disciples, and the work of miracles and of healing did cease because of the iniquity of the people.  And there were no gifts from the Lord, and the Holy Ghost did not come upon any, because of their wickedness and unbelief."

In the Old Testament we read that the children of Israel did not obey the Lord to drive the other people out of the promised land and destroy their idols and altars.  As a result, they eventually became evil, and followed the idol worship of the people surrounding them.  The Lord's power was no longer with them.  Judges 2:1-3, 11-15 "And an angel of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim, and said, I made you to go up out of Egypt, and have brought you unto the land which I sware unto your fathers; and I said, I will never break my covenant with you.  And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this?  Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:  And they forsook the Lord God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the Lord to anger.  And they forsook the Lord, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers that spoiled them, and he sold them into the hands of their enemies round about, so that they could not any longer stand before their enemies. Whithersoever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn unto them: and they were greatly distressed."

Some verses with a thought booklet recount how a messenger from the Lord told Abraham that his wife would bear a son.  She was elderly and the thought made her laugh.  But truly, is anything too hard for the Lord? God's power really is greater than any impossibleness! Miracles can and do occur when we trust in the Lord.   Genesis 18:10-14 "And he said, I will certainly return unto thee according to the time of life; and, lo, Sarah thy wife shall have a son. And Sarah heard it in the tent door, which was behind him.  Now Abraham and Sarah were old and well stricken in age; and it ceased to be with Sarah after the manner of women. Therefore Sarah laughed within herself, saying, After I am waxed old shall I have pleasure, my lord being old also?  And the Lord said unto Abraham, Wherefore did Sarah laugh, saying, Shall I of a surety bear a child, which am old?  Is any thing too hard for the Lord? At the time appointed I will return unto thee, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son."

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