Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Ammon was able to perceive through the spirit what the king was thinking. This amazed the king even more, who asked him if he was the Great Spirit.  Ammon told him that he was not and began to teach him by what power he had been able to accomplish the things that he had.  Alma 18: 16-23 "And it came to pass that Ammon, being filled with the Spirit of God, therefore he perceived the thoughts of the king. And he said unto him: Is it because thou hast heard that I defended thy servants and thy flocks, and slew seven of their brethren with the sling and with the sword, and smote off the arms of others, in order to defend thy flocks and thy servants; behold, is it this that causeth thy marvelings? I say unto you, what is it, that thy marvelings are so great? Behold, I am a man, and am thy servant; therefore, whatsoever thou desirest which is right, that will I do. Now when the king had heard these words, he marveled again, for he beheld that Ammon could discern his thoughts; but notwithstanding this, king Lamoni did open his mouth, and said unto him: Who art thou? Art thou that Great Spirit, who knows all things? Ammon answered and said unto him: I am not.  And the king said: How knowest thou the thoughts of my heart? Thou mayest speak boldly, and tell me concerning these things; and also tell me by what power ye slew and smote off the arms of my brethren that scattered my flocks—  And now, if thou wilt tell me concerning these things, whatsoever thou desirest I will give unto thee; and if it were needed, I would guard thee with my armies; but I know that thou art more powerful than all they; nevertheless, whatsoever thou desirest of me I will grant it unto thee.  Now Ammon being wise, yet harmless, he said unto Lamoni: Wilt thou hearken unto my words, if I tell thee by what power I do these things? And this is the thing that I desire of thee.  And the king answered him, and said: Yea, I will believe all thy words. And thus he was caught with guile."

In the Old Testament we read that Daniel admonished the king to be righteous and break off his sins and iniquities.  He told him to show mercy to the poor.  By doing these things, he would find tranquility.  Indeed, all of us could have more tranquil and peaceful lives by keeping the commandments and doing what is right.  Daniel 4:27 "Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity." 

A verse with a thought booklet talks about people who draw near to the Lord with their mouths but their hearts are far from Him.  I think sometimes we read this and automatically think this refers to other people, certainly not us!  But think about it.  Have you ever said a prayer, similar to other prayers you say day after day, but you're not even really paying attention to what you're praying?  Have you ever sat in church and instead of listening to what is being said, your mind is on something else?  Have you taken the sacrament and not really thought much about your Savior or the covenants you're making? Do you sometimes merely go through the motions at church, while keeping God at arm's length?  We may all, at times, be guilty of this.   Isaiah 29:13 "Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by the precept of men:"

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the king inquired about Ammon who was feeding his horses. He was amazed about how Ammon do everything he asked. When Ammon came to the king he asked him what he wanted, but the king was silent for an hour, not knowing what to say.  Alma 18: 8-15 "And it came to pass that king Lamoni inquired of his servants, saying: Where is this man that has such great power?  And they said unto him: Behold, he is feeding thy horses. Now the king had commanded his servants, previous to the time of the watering of their flocks, that they should prepare his horses and chariots, and conduct him forth to the land of Nephi; for there had been a great feast appointed at the land of Nephi, by the father of Lamoni, who was king over all the land.  Now when king Lamoni heard that Ammon was preparing his horses and his chariots he was more astonished, because of the faithfulness of Ammon, saying: Surely there has not been any servant among all my servants that has been so faithful as this man; for even he doth remember all my commandments to execute them.  Now I surely know that this is the Great Spirit, and I would desire him that he come in unto me, but I durst not.  And it came to pass that when Ammon had made ready the horses and the chariots for the king and his servants, he went in unto the king, and he saw that the countenance of the king was changed; therefore he was about to return out of his presence.  And one of the king's servants said unto him, Rabbanah, which is, being interpreted, powerful or great king, considering their kings to be powerful; and thus he said unto him: Rabbanah, the king desireth thee to stay. Therefore Ammon turned himself unto the king, and said unto him: What wilt thou that I should do for thee, O king? And the king answered him not for the space of an hour, according to their time, for he knew not what he should say unto him.  And it came to pass that Ammon said unto him again: What desirest thou of me? But the king answered him not."

In the Old Testament we read the story of how Nebuchadnezzar created a golden image and commanded all men to worship it.  But Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego refuse so they are cast into a fiery furnace.  But they are miraculously preserved and come out unharmed.  Daniel 3:1, 4-9, 12-30 "Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was threescore cubits, and the breadth thereof six cubits: he set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon.  Then an herald cried aloud, To you it is commanded, O people, nations, and languages,  That at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king hath set up:  And whoso falleth not down and worshippeth shall the same hour be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.  Therefore at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and all kinds of musick, all the people, the nations, and the languages, fell down and worshipped the golden image that Nebuchadnezzar the king had set up. Wherefore at that time certain Chaldeans came near, and accused the Jews. They spake and said to the king Nebuchadnezzar, O king, live for ever.  There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego. Then they brought these men before the king.  Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?  Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of musick, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands? Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.  If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was wont to be heated.  And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.  Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace. Therefore because the king's commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego.  And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.  Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king. He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, came forth of the midst of the fire.  And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king's counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.  Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. 9 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.  Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, in the province of Babylon."

A verse with a thought booklet advises us to avoid even the appearance of evil.  1 Thessalonians 5:22 "Abstain from all appearance of evil."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the servants testified to the king about what had taken place, with Ammon cutting off the arms of those who wanted to scatter the flocks. The king was astonished and wondered if Ammon was the Great Spirit. He feared that he had done wrong in slaying his other servants.  Alma 18: 1-7 "And it came to pass that king Lamoni caused that his servants should stand forth and testify to all the things which they had seen concerning the matter. And when they had all testified to the things which they had seen, and he had learned of the faithfulness of Ammon in preserving his flocks, and also of his great power in contending against those who sought to slay him, he was astonished exceedingly, and said: Surely, this is more than a man. Behold, is not this the Great Spirit who doth send such great punishments upon this people, because of their murders?  And they answered the king, and said: Whether he be the Great Spirit or a man, we know not; but this much we do know, that he cannot be slain by the enemies of the king; neither can they scatter the king's flocks when he is with us, because of his expertness and great strength; therefore, we know that he is a friend to the king. And now, O king, we do not believe that a man has such great power, for we know he cannot be slain. And now, when the king heard these words, he said unto them: Now I know that it is the Great Spirit; and he has come down at this time to preserve your lives, that I might not slay you as I did your brethren. Now this is the Great Spirit of whom our fathers have spoken. Now this was the tradition of Lamoni, which he had received from his father, that there was a Great Spirit. Notwithstanding they believed in a Great Spirit, they supposed that whatsoever they did was right; nevertheless, Lamoni began to fear exceedingly, with fear lest he had done wrong in slaying his servants;  For he had slain many of them because their brethren had scattered their flocks at the place of water; and thus, because they had had their flocks scattered they were slain. Now it was the practice of these Lamanites to stand by the waters of Sebus to scatter the flocks of the people, that thereby they might drive away many that were scattered unto their own land, it being a practice of plunder among them."

In the Old Testament we read that even though all the king's astrologers,  magicians, and soothsayers were unable to interpret his dream, Daniel was able to do so because God revealed it unto him.  Daniel admitted that he could not do so by having any more wisdom than any other human being, but it was through the power of God.  When we seek to know something, we need to go to the source of all knowledge--the Lord.  Daniel 2:25-30 "Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste, and said thus unto him, I have found a man of the captives of Judah, that will make known unto the king the interpretation.  The king answered and said to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, Art thou able to make known unto me the dream which I have seen, and the interpretation thereof?  Daniel answered in the presence of the king, and said, The secret which the king hath demanded cannot the wise men, the astrologers, the magicians, the soothsayers, shew unto the king; But there is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar what shall be in the latter days. Thy dream, and the visions of thy head upon thy bed, are these;  As for thee, O king, thy thoughts came into thy mind upon thy bed, what should come to pass hereafter: and he that revealeth secrets maketh known to thee what shall come to pass.  But as for me, this secret is not revealed to me for any wisdom that I have more than any living, but for their sakes that shall make known the interpretation to the king, and that thou mightest know the thoughts of thy heart."

A verse with  thought booklet tells us that the Lord is our strength and our shield.  If we will trust in Him, He will help us.  We can rejoice in this knowledge and praise the Lord.  Psalms 28:7 "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped: therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; and with my song will I praise him."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the wicked men again came to scatter the flocks. Ammon told the other servants o encircle the flocks to keep them together and he would contend with the men. The men were not afraid of him because he was only one person, but they did not know that the Lord was with him.  He was able to slaw some of them by slinging stones at them.  This made the others angry and them came after him with clubs.  He cut off the arms of everyone who came against him with their clubs. The servants carried the arms in unto the king as a testimony of what had taken place.  Alma 17:33-39 " And those men again stood to scatter their flocks; but Ammon said unto his brethren: Encircle the flocks round about that they flee not; and I go and contend with these men who do scatter our flocks.  Therefore, they did as Ammon commanded them, and he went forth and stood to contend with those who stood by the waters of Sebus; and they were in number not a few.  Therefore they did not fear Ammon, for they supposed that one of their men could slay him according to their pleasure, for they knew not that the Lord had promised Mosiah that he would deliver his sons out of their hands; neither did they know anything concerning the Lord; therefore they delighted in the destruction of their brethren; and for this cause they stood to scatter the flocks of the king.  But Ammon stood forth and began to cast stones at them with his sling; yea, with mighty power he did sling stones amongst them; and thus he slew a certain number of them insomuch that they began to be astonished at his power; nevertheless they were angry because of the slain of their brethren, and they were determined that he should fall; therefore, seeing that they could not hit him with their stones, they came forth with clubs to slay him.  But behold, every man that lifted his club to smite Ammon, he smote off their arms with his sword; for he did withstand their blows by smiting their arms with the edge of his sword, insomuch that they began to be astonished, and began to flee before him; yea, and they were not few in number; and he caused them to flee by the strength of his arm. Now six of them had fallen by the sling, but he slew none save it were their leader with his sword; and he smote off as many of their arms as were lifted against him, and they were not a few.  And when he had driven them afar off, he returned and they watered their flocks and returned them to the pasture of the king, and then went in unto the king, bearing the arms which had been smitten off by the sword of Ammon, of those who sought to slay him; and they were carried in unto the king for a testimony of the things which they had done."

In the Old Testament we read the story about how the king wanted to feed the young men rich foods and wine, but Daniel and his friends did not want to defile themselves by partaking.  Instead, Daniel asked to be fed water and grains.  The prince of the eunuchs was afraid to grant him this request because he thought their health would suffer and then he'd get in trouble. But Daniel convinced him to let them try out this diet for ten days just to see what would happen.  At the end of this time, Daniel and his friends were healthier than those who were fed the king's food.  And not only were they healthier physically, but they had more wisdom and understanding as well.  When we take care of our bodies by eating the right things, we're also blessed mentally and spiritually too.  Daniel 1:3-20 "And the king spake unto Ashpenaz the master of his eunuchs, that he should bring certain of the children of Israel, and of the king's seed, and of the princes;  Children in whom was no blemish, but well favoured, and skilful in all wisdom, and cunning in knowledge, and understanding science, and such as had ability in them to stand in the king's palace, and whom they might teach the learning and the tongue of the Chaldeans.  And the king appointed them a daily provision of the king's meat, and of the wine which he drank: so nourishing them three years, that at the end thereof they might stand before the king.  Now among these were of the children of Judah, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah:  Unto whom the prince of the eunuchs gave names: for he gave unto Daniel the name of Belteshazzar; and to Hananiah, of Shadrach; and to Mishael, of Meshach; and to Azariah, of Abed-nego. But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. Now God had brought Daniel into favour and tender love with the prince of the eunuchs.  And the prince of the eunuchs said unto Daniel, I fear my lord the king, who hath appointed your meat and your drink: for why should he see your faces worse liking than the children which are of your sort? then shall ye make me endanger my head to the king. Then said Daniel to Melzar, whom the prince of the eunuchs had set over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah,  Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink.  Then let our countenances be looked upon before thee, and the countenance of the children that eat of the portion of the king's meat: and as thou seest, deal with thy servants.  So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.  And at the end of ten days their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.  Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse. As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams. Now at the end of the days that the king had said he should bring them in, then the prince of the eunuchs brought them in before Nebuchadnezzar.  And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.  And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet recount how Jesus taught in the temple and the Jews marveled at how much He knew, having never been educated in such things.  Jesus explained that His doctrine was not His, but His that sent Him.  In other words, He had learned what He knew directly from Heavenly Father--the best source of knowledge anyone can have!  Have there been times in your life when your worldly knowledge failed you, but when you humbly sought help from the Lord, He taught you what you needed to know?  That has happened to me, sometimes in such simple things as trying to figure out how to set up some new gadget, or find something I've misplaced.  But also in more important things like how to care for a sick loved one.  The Lord knows everything, and He can teach us what we need to know if we'll humbly seek Him.  John 7:14-16 "Now about the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and taught.  And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?  Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Ammon and the other servants drove the flocks to water.  Some Lamanites scattered the flocks, sending them in all directions. The other servants began to weep, fearing that the king would slay them for allowing his flocks to be scattered. Ammon tried to cheer the servants up, suggesting that they go gather up the flocks. They were able to gather them up again to the place of water.  Alma 17: 26- 32 "And after he had been in the service of the king three days, as he was with the Lamanitish servants going forth with their flocks to the place of water, which was called the water of Sebus, and all the Lamanites drive their flocks hither, that they may have water—  Therefore, as Ammon and the servants of the king were driving forth their flocks to this place of water, behold, a certain number of the Lamanites, who had been with their flocks to water, stood and scattered the flocks of Ammon and the servants of the king, and they scattered them insomuch that they fled many ways.  Now the servants of the king began to murmur, saying: Now the king will slay us, as he has our brethren because their flocks were scattered by the wickedness of these men. And they began to weep exceedingly, saying: Behold, our flocks are scattered already.  Now they wept because of the fear of being slain. Now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for, said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow-servants, or the power which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow-servants, that I may lead them to believe in my words.  And now, these were the thoughts of Ammon, when he saw the afflictions of those whom he termed to be his brethren.  And it came to pass that he flattered them by his words, saying: My brethren, be of good cheer and let us go in search of the flocks, and we will gather them together and bring them back unto the place of water; and thus we will preserve the flocks unto the king and he will not slay us.  And it came to pass that they went in search of the flocks, and they did follow Ammon, and they rushed forth with much swiftness and did head the flocks of the king, and did gather them together again to the place of water."

In the Old Testament we read that the gates of the city will bear the names of the twelve tribes of Israel and the name of the city will be "The Lord is There." What a great name for a city!   Ezekiel 48: 30-35 "And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures.  And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi.  And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan.  And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun.  At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali.  It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there."

A verse with a thought booklet reminds us that all things will work together for our good if we love God.  When we're going through trials and tribulations, we need to remember that God has a plan for our lives.  It may not be all smooth sailing, but may require is to go through some difficult circumstances so we can learn and grow.  It will all be for our good in the end.  Maybe instead of praying for things to turn out a certain way that we want for ourselves or for this or that trial to not come our way, we should trust God enough to pray that our lives will go in the direction that He wants for us. It will all be for our good.  Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Ammon was carried before the king, Lamoni, who asked him if he wanted to live among his people.  He said he did, and offered to become the king's servant. He was assigned, along with other servants, to watch Lamoni's flocks.  Alma 17:21-25 "And thus Ammon was carried before the king who was over the land of Ishmael; and his name was Lamoni; and he was a descendant of Ishmael. And the king inquired of Ammon if it were his desire to dwell in the land among the Lamanites, or among his people. And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die.  And it came to pass that king Lamoni was much pleased with Ammon, and caused that his bands should be loosed; and he would that Ammon should take one of his daughters to wife.  But Ammon said unto him: Nay, but I will be thy servant. Therefore Ammon became a servant to king Lamoni. And it came to pass that he was set among other servants to watch the flocks of Lamoni, according to the custom of the Lamanites." 

In the Old Testament we read that the Lord showed the borders of the land to be inherited by the twelve tribes of Israel.  Ezekiel 47:13-14 "Thus saith the Lord God; This shall be the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph shall have two portions.  And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: concerning the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us the wonderful news that God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, not to condemn the world, but to save it. God loves us so much that He was willing to sacrifice his Son for us!  John 3:16-17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.  For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved."  

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Ammon blessed his brethren before they departed from each other. Ammon then went to the land of Ishmael where he was bound and taken captive before the king.  Alma 17:18-20  "Now Ammon being the chief among them, or rather he did administer unto them, and he departed from them, after having blessed them according to their several stations, having imparted the word of God unto them, or administered unto them before his departure; and thus they took their several journeys throughout the land.  And Ammon went to the land of Ishmael, the land being called after the sons of Ishmael, who also became Lamanites.  And as Ammon entered the land of Ishmael, the Lamanites took him and bound him, as was their custom to bind all the Nephites who fell into their hands, and carry them before the king; and thus it was left to the pleasure of the king to slay them, or to retain them in captivity, or to cast them into prison, or to cast them out of his land, according to his will and pleasure."

In the Old Testament we read that the priests were to people the difference between holy and profane, clean and unclean, and they were to stand in judgment over controversies.  They were to obey the commandments and keep the Sabbath Day holy.  Ezekiel 44:23-24 "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths."

Some verses with a thought booklet say that all things praise the Lord--men and angels, the heavenly bodies, the elements and the earth and all things thereon.  When we look at the beauties of nature, how can we not be in awe of all the beauty God has created?  Psalms 148:1-14 "Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.  Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.  Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.  Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.  He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.  Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:  Fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his word:  Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:  Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:  Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:  Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:  Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.  He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord."