Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that after the great battle at Cumorah, the Lamanites hunted down the few Nephites who had escaped, until they were all destroyed, including Mormon. Only Moroni, Mormon's son, was left, and he was trying to finish the record his father had been keeping. Imagine what it would be like to be left all alone with no family or friends, and have to hide from enemies who wanted to kill you.   Mormon 8:1-6 "Behold I, Moroni, do finish the record of my father, Mormon. Behold, I have but few things to write, which things I have been commanded by my father.  And now it came to pass that after the great and tremendous battle at Cumorah, behold, the Nephites who had escaped into the country southward were hunted by the Lamanites, until they were all destroyed.  And my father also was killed by them, and I even remain alone to write the sad tale of the destruction of my people. But behold, they are gone, and I fulfil the commandment of my father. And whether they will slay me, I know not.  Therefore I will write and hide up the records in the earth; and whither I go it mattereth not. Behold, my father hath made this record, and he hath written the intent thereof. And behold, I would write it also if I had room upon the plates, but I have not; and ore I have none, for I am alone. My father hath been slain in battle, and all my kinsfolk, and I have not friends nor whither to go; and how long the Lord will suffer that I may live I know not.  Behold, four hundred years have passed away since the coming of our Lord and Savior."

In the Old Testament we read that when the Israelites learned that the Philistines planned to attack them, they were afraid.  They asked Samuel to continue praying that God would save them from the Philistines.  So Samuel prayed and gave offerings to the Lord, and the Lord threw the Philistines into such a panic that Israel was able to defeat them.  Then there was peace.  1 Samuel 7:7-14 "And when the Philistines heard that the children of Israel were gathered together to Mizpeh, the lords of the Philistines went up against Israel. And when the children of Israel heard it, they were afraid of the Philistines.  And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the Lord our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines. And Samuel took a sucking lamb, and offered it for a burnt offering wholly unto the Lord: and Samuel cried unto the Lord for Israel; and the Lord heard him.  And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to battle against Israel: but the Lord thundered with a great thunder on that day upon the Philistines, and discomfited them; and they were smitten before Israel.  And the men of Israel went out of Mizpeh, and pursued the Philistines, and smote them, until they came under Beth-car.  Then Samuel took a stone, and set it between Mizpeh and Shen, and called the name of it Eben-ezer, saying, Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. So the Philistines were subdued, and they came no more into the coast of Israel: and the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel.  And the cities which the Philistines had taken from Israel were restored to Israel, from Ekron even unto Gath; and the coasts thereof did Israel deliver out of the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that we need to be humble of mind and think of the needs of others before our own.  We need to be unselfish. We can show our concern for others even in small acts, like letting cars in in traffic, opening the door for someone with their arms full, trying to be as quiet as possible when we know someone else is sleeping,  or taking time to listen to someone who is troubled.  If we live our everyday lives being sensitive to the needs of those around us, it can make a huge difference. And we'll be following Christ's example.  Philippians 2: 3-4 "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.  Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Mormon invited the Lamanites of the latter days to believe in Christ, repent, be baptized,  accept His gospel and be saved.  All who believe the Bible will also believe the Book of Mormon.   Mormon 7:1-10 "And now, behold, I would speak somewhat unto the remnant of this people who are spared, if it so be that God may give unto them my words, that they may know of the things of their fathers; yea, I speak unto you, ye remnant of the house of Israel; and these are the words which I speak:  Know ye that ye are of the house of Israel.  Know ye that ye must come unto repentance, or ye cannot be saved.  Know ye that ye must lay down your weapons of war, and delight no more in the shedding of blood, and take them not again, save it be that God shall command you. Know ye that ye must come to the knowledge of your fathers, and repent of all your sins and iniquities, and believe in Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, and that he was slain by the Jews, and by the power of the Father he hath risen again, whereby he hath gained the victory over the grave; and also in him is the sting of death swallowed up. And he bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead, whereby man must be raised to stand before his judgment-seat.  And he hath brought to pass the redemption of the world, whereby he that is found guiltless before him at the judgment day hath it given unto him to dwell in the presence of God in his kingdom, to sing ceaseless praises with the choirs above, unto the Father, and unto the Son, and unto the Holy Ghost, which are one God, in a state of happiness which hath no end. Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you. For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.  And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen."

In the Old Testament we read that the Philistines placed the ark of God that they had stolen in the house of Dagon, their gad.  The Philistines in Ashdod, then Gath, and then Ekron are all plagued and slain when the ark is lodged with them.  1 Samuel 5:1-12 "And the Philistines took the ark of God, and brought it from Eben-ezer unto Ashdod.  When the Philistines took the ark of God, they brought it into the house of Dagon, and set it by Dagon. And when they of Ashdod arose early on the morrow, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the earth before the ark of the Lord. And they took Dagon, and set him in his place again.  And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the Lord; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.  But the hand of the Lord was heavy upon them of Ashdod, and he destroyed them, and smote them with emerods, even Ashdod and the coasts thereof.  And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god.  They sent therefore and gathered all the lords of the Philistines unto them, and said, What shall we do with the ark of the God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried about unto Gath. And they carried the ark of the God of Israel about thither.  And it was so, that, after they had carried it about, the hand of the Lord was against the city with a very great destruction: and he smote the men of the city, both small and great, and they had emerods in their secret parts. Therefore they sent the ark of God to Ekron. And it came to pass, as the ark of God came to Ekron, that the Ekronites cried out, saying, They have brought about the ark of the God of Israel to us, to slay us and our people.  So they sent and gathered together all the lords of the Philistines, and said, Send away the ark of the God of Israel, and let it go again to his own place, that it slay us not, and our people: for there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city; the hand of God was very heavy there.  And the men that died not were smitten with the emerods: and the cry of the city went up to heaven."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that in times of trouble we should pray and the Lord will answer us. Sometimes we may feel like we're at the end of our rope and don't know what we can do.  There seems to be nothing we can do to help our situation.  But there is always something we can do--we can pray!  Psalms 86:6-7 "Give ear, O Lord, unto my prayer; and attend to the voice of my supplications.  In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that Mormon lamented the slaughter of his people. His soul was rent with anguish because this once fair people had departed from the ways of the Lord and rejected Jesus who stood with open arms to receive them. But they had refused to repent, and now they would have to stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  Mormon 6:16-22 "And my soul was rent with anguish, because of the slain of my people, and I cried:  O ye fair ones, how could ye have departed from the ways of the Lord! O ye fair ones, how could ye have rejected that Jesus, who stood with open arms to receive you!  Behold, if ye had not done this, ye would not have fallen. But behold, ye are fallen, and I mourn your loss.  O ye fair sons and daughters, ye fathers and mothers, ye husbands and wives, ye fair ones, how is it that ye could have fallen!  But behold, ye are gone, and my sorrows cannot bring your return.  And the day soon cometh that your mortal must put on immortality, and these bodies which are now moldering in corruption must soon become incorruptible bodies; and then ye must stand before the judgment-seat of Christ, to be judged according to your works; and if it so be that ye are righteous, then are ye blessed with your fathers who have gone before you.  O that ye had repented before this great destruction had come upon you. But behold, ye are gone, and the Father, yea, the Eternal Father of heaven, knoweth your state; and he doeth with you according to his justice and mercy."

In the Old Testament we read that the boy Samuel grew up in the Lord's service. His mother would visit him once a year and bring him robes that she had made for him.  Eli blessed her that the Lord would replace the son she had given to the service of the Lord.  She conceived and bore three more sons and two daughters. Often when we make sacrifices for the Lord, He and abundantly blesses us. When we pay our tithing, our money seems to stretch farther than it otherwise would have.  When we take time to pray and read our scriptures, our days go better and we are happier.  When we attend the temple, our lives are filled with more peace. When we sacrifice our time to give service, our lives are filled with more meaning. The Lord blesses those who are obedient.   1 Samuel 2:18-21 "But Samuel ministered before the Lord, being a child, girded with a linen ephod.  Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice. And Eli blessed Elkanah and his wife, and said, The Lord give thee seed of this woman for the loan which is lent to the Lord. And they went unto their own home.  And the Lord visited Hannah, so that she conceived, and bare three sons and two daughters. And the child Samuel grew before the Lord."


Some verses with a thought booklet tell the story of how Jesus healed ten lepers but only one of them came back to thank Him. A worried and weary daughter was praying for her mother who had just had cancer surgery and was now undergoing chemotherapy, and who was staying with her while going through this so the daughter could care for her. The daughter pleaded with the Lord to spare her mother's life and heal her from her cancer.  But then she felt a prompting from the Spirit that she should thank the Lord, and pray a prayer of gratitude.  This was difficult for her, but she tried to think of ten things to be grateful for.  It took a while to come up with them, but she thought of how she'd been able to drive safely to and from the hospital on snowy roads, how her mother had gotten an encouraging call from a friend, how she herself had gotten a cheery email from another friend, how she'd had the energy to go shopping for groceries, the money to buy the groceries, a pot roast dinner that had tasted so delicious, her husband's offer to help with the dishes, the sunshine, her mother's optimistic attitude about her cancer treatments, and a warm house.  Amazingly, she had come up with ten things to be thankful for and it felt good, really good!  She started making this a daily practice. Some days it was easy to come up with the ten things; other days it was not.  She started looking throughout the day for things to be thankful for, and when she finds something positive, she immediately gives a silent prayer of thanks.  What ten blessings from yesterday can you thank the Lord for right now?   Luke 17:11-19 "And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:  And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.  And when he saw them, he said unto them, Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And it came to pass, that, as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,  And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.  And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?  There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.  And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the people watched the Lamanites marching toward them and they were filled with great fear. Every soul was filled with terror.  The wicked are afraid of death. Hundreds of thousands were slain until only 24 were left. Mormon 6:7-15 "And it came to pass that my people, with their wives and their children, did now behold the armies of the Lamanites marching towards them; and with that awful fear of death which fills the breasts of all the wicked, did they await to receive them.  And it came to pass that they came to battle against us, and every soul was filled with terror because of the greatness of their numbers.  And it came to pass that they did fall upon my people with the sword, and with the bow, and with the arrow, and with the ax, and with all manner of weapons of war.  And it came to pass that my men were hewn down, yea, even my ten thousand who were with me, and I fell wounded in the midst; and they passed by me that they did not put an end to my life.  And when they had gone through and hewn down all my people save it were twenty and four of us, (among whom was my son Moroni) and we having survived the dead of our people, did behold on the morrow, when the Lamanites had returned unto their camps, from the top of the hill Cumorah, the ten thousand of my people who were hewn down, being led in the front by me.  And we also beheld the ten thousand of my people who were led by my son Moroni.  And behold, the ten thousand of Gidgiddonah had fallen, and he also in the midst.  And Lamah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Gilgal had fallen with his ten thousand; and Limhah had fallen with his ten thousand; and Jeneum had fallen with his ten thousand; and Cumenihah, and Moronihah, and Antionum, and Shiblom, and Shem, and Josh, had fallen with their ten thousand each.  And it came to pass that there were ten more who did fall by the sword, with their ten thousand each; yea, even all my people, save it were those twenty and four who were with me, and also a few who had escaped into the south countries, and a few who had deserted over unto the Lamanites, had fallen; and their flesh, and bones, and blood lay upon the face of the earth, being left by the hands of those who slew them to molder upon the land, and to crumble and to return to their mother earth."

In the Old Testament we read about how Hannah, who had no children tearfully prayed to the Lord for a child, promising that if God granted her her wish for a son, she would dedicate him to the Lord for his entire life. Indeed, her prayers were answered and a son was born, named Samuel.  Hannah kept her word and as soon as he was weaned, she presented him to Eli, where she left him in the Lord's service.  1 Samuel 1:2, 10-28 "And he had two wives; the name of the one was Hannah, and the name of the other Peninnah: and Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children. And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the Lord, and wept sore.  And she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.  And it came to pass, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli marked her mouth.  Now Hannah, she spake in her heart; only her lips moved, but her voice was not heard: therefore Eli thought she had been drunken. And Eli said unto her, How long wilt thou be drunken? put away thy wine from thee.  And Hannah answered and said, No, my lord, I am a woman of a sorrowful spirit: I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but have poured out my soul before the Lord.  Count not thine handmaid for a daughter of Belial: for out of the abundance of my complaint and grief have I spoken hitherto.  Then Eli answered and said, Go in peace: and the God of Israel grant thee thy petition that thou hast asked of him.  And she said, Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight. So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her.  Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked him of the Lord. And the man Elkanah, and all his house, went up to offer unto the Lord the yearly sacrifice, and his vow.  But Hannah went not up; for she said unto her husband, I will not go up until the child be weaned, and then I will bring him, that he may appear before the Lord, and there abide for ever.  And Elkanah her husband said unto her, Do what seemeth thee good; tarry until thou have weaned him; only the Lord establish his word. So the woman abode, and gave her son suck until she weaned him. And when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with three bullocks, and one ephah of flour, and a bottle of wine, and brought him unto the house of the Lord in Shiloh: and the child was young.  And they slew a bullock, and brought the child to Eli.  And she said, Oh my lord, as thy soul liveth, my lord, I am the woman that stood by thee here, praying unto the Lord.  For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him: Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there."

Some verses with a thought booklet warn us not to grow impatient with the speed with which God acts.  Sometimes we demand to know God's plans right now, or insist that our prayers all be answered immediately in the way that we want them answered.  But according to these verses, this type of attitude, insisting that the Lord hasten His work, is sinful.  We need to trust in the Lord, and His timing.  Isaiah 5:18-19 "Woe unto them that draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as it were with a cart rope: That say, Let him make speed, and hasten his work, that we may see it: and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw nigh and come, that we may know it!"

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Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the Nephites gathered to the land of Cummorah for the final battles. Mormon, knowing he was growing old and knowing this was the last struggle of his people, hid up the plates in the hill Comorah, except the few plates which he gave to his son Moroni.  Mormon 6:1-6 "And now I finish my record concerning the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And it came to pass that we did march forth before the Lamanites.  And I, Mormon, wrote an epistle unto the king of the Lamanites, and desired of him that he would grant unto us that we might gather together our people unto the land of Cumorah, by a hill which was called Cumorah, and there we could give them battle.  And it came to pass that the king of the Lamanites did grant unto me the thing which I desired.  And it came to pass that we did march forth to the land of Cumorah, and we did pitch our tents around about the hill Cumorah; and it was in a land of many waters, rivers, and fountains; and here we had hope to gain advantage over the Lamanites.  And when three hundred and eighty and four years had passed away, we had gathered in all the remainder of our people unto the land of Cumorah.  And it came to pass that when we had gathered in all our people in one to the land of Cumorah, behold I, Mormon, began to be old; and knowing it to be the last struggle of my people, and having been commanded of the Lord that I should not suffer the records which had been handed down by our fathers, which were sacred, to fall into the hands of the Lamanites, (for the Lamanites would destroy them) therefore I made this record out of the plates of Nephi, and hid up in the hill Cumorah all the records which had been entrusted to me by the hand of the Lord, save it were these few plates which I gave unto my son Moroni."

In the Old Testament we read that the nearest relative declined and Boaz took Ruth to be his wife.  Ruth 4:1-13 "Then went Boaz up to the gate, and sat him down there: and, behold, the kinsman of whom Boaz spake came by; unto whom he said, Ho, such a one! turn aside, sit down here. And he turned aside, and sat down.  And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, Sit ye down here. And they sat down.  And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech's:  And I thought to advertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the elders of my people. If thou wilt redeem it, redeem it: but if thou wilt not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know: for there is none to redeem it beside thee; and I am after thee. And he said, I will redeem it. Then said Boaz, What day thou buyest the field of the hand of Naomi, thou must buy it also of Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance. And the kinsman said, I cannot redeem it for myself, lest I mar mine own inheritance: redeem thou my right to thyself; for I cannot redeem it. Now this was the manner in former time in Israel concerning redeeming and concerning changing, for to confirm all things; a man plucked off his shoe, and gave it to his neighbour: and this was a testimony in Israel.  Therefore the kinsman said unto Boaz, Buy it for thee. So he drew off his shoe. And Boaz said unto the elders, and unto all the people, Ye are witnesses this day, that I have bought all that was Elimelech's, and all that was Chilion's and Mahlon's, of the hand of Naomi.  Moreover Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of Mahlon, have I purchased to be my wife, to raise up the name of the dead upon his inheritance, that the name of the dead be not cut off from among his brethren, and from the gate of his place: ye are witnesses this day.  And all the people that were in the gate, and the elders, said, We are witnesses. The Lord make the woman that is come into thine house like Rachel and like Leah, which two did build the house of Israel: and do thou worthily in Ephratah, and be famous in Beth-lehem:  And let thy house be like the house of Pharez, whom Tamar bare unto Judah, of the seed which the Lord shall give thee of this young woman. So Boaz took Ruth, and she was his wife: and when he went in unto her, the Lord gave her conception, and she bare a son."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell us that if we love the Lord, we will keep His commandments.  And if we obey Him, He will bless us and perform miracles in our behalf. But if we break His commandments and disobey Him, His wrath will be upon us.  Deuteronomy 11:1-21 "Therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway.  And know ye this day: for I speak not with your children which have not known, and which have not seen the chastisement of the Lord your God, his greatness, his mighty hand, and his stretched out arm,  And his miracles, and his acts, which he did in the midst of Egypt unto Pharaoh the king of Egypt, and unto all his land;  And what he did unto the army of Egypt, unto their horses, and to their chariots; how he made the water of the Red sea to overflow them as they pursued after you, and how the Lord hath destroyed them unto this day;  And what he did unto you in the wilderness, until ye came into this place; And what he did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben: how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and all the substance that was in their possession, in the midst of all Israel:  But your eyes have seen all the great acts of the Lord which he did.  Therefore shall ye keep all the commandments which I command you this day, that ye may be strong, and go in and possess the land, whither ye go to possess it;  And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey. For the land, whither thou goest in to possess it, is not as the land of Egypt, from whence ye came out, where thou sowedst thy seed, and wateredst it with thy foot, as a garden of herbs:  But the land, whither ye go to possess it, is a land of hills and valleys, and drinketh water of the rain of heaven:  A land which the Lord thy God careth for: the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,  That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil.  And I will send grass in thy fields for thy cattle, that thou mayest eat and be full.  Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them; And then the Lord's wrath be kindled against you, and he shut up the heaven, that there be no rain, and that the land yield not her fruit; and lest ye perish quickly from off the good land which the Lord giveth you. Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.  And ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: That your days may be multiplied, and the days of your children, in the land which the Lord sware unto your fathers to give them, as the days of heaven upon the earth."

Daily Thoughts

In the Book of Mormon we read that the Spirit of the Lord had ceased to strive with the people because of their wickedness.  They had once been a delightsome people who had Christ as their shepherd and were led by God.  But now they were led by Satan, as a vessel tossed about upon the waves without anchor or anything to steer with. They need to repent and humble themselves before God or His justice will come against them.   Mormon 5:16-24 " For behold, the Spirit of the Lord hath already ceased to strive with their fathers; and they are without Christ and God in the world; and they are driven about as chaff before the wind. They were once a delightsome people, and they had Christ for their shepherd; yea, they were led even by God the Father.  But now, behold, they are led about by Satan, even as chaff is driven before the wind, or as a vessel is tossed about upon the waves, without sail or anchor, or without anything wherewith to steer her; and even as she is, so are they. And behold, the Lord hath reserved their blessings, which they might have received in the land, for the Gentiles who shall possess the land. But behold, it shall come to pass that they shall be driven and scattered by the Gentiles; and after they have been driven and scattered by the Gentiles, behold, then will the Lord remember the covenant which he made unto Abraham and unto all the house of Israel.  And also the Lord will remember the prayers of the righteous, which have been put up unto him for them.  And then, O ye Gentiles, how can ye stand before the power of God, except ye shall repent and turn from your evil ways?  Know ye not that ye are in the hands of God? Know ye not that he hath all power, and at his great command the earth shall be rolled together as a scroll? Therefore, repent ye, and humble yourselves before him, lest he shall come out in justice against you—lest a remnant of the seed of Jacob shall go forth among you as a lion, and tear you in pieces, and there is none to deliver."

In the Old Testament we read that one of Naomi's relatives, Boaz, took notice of Ruth and showed her kindness because he'd heard what she'd done for her mother-in-law.  Ruth 2:8-16 "Then said Boaz unto Ruth, Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens:  Let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them: have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? and when thou art athirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn. Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, Why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a stranger?  And Boaz answered and said unto her, It hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband: and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust.  Then she said, Let me find favour in thy sight, my lord; for that thou hast comforted me, and for that thou hast spoken friendly unto thine handmaid, though I be not like unto one of thine handmaidens.  And Boaz said unto her, At mealtime come thou hither, and eat of the bread, and dip thy morsel in the vinegar. And she sat beside the reapers: and he reached her parched corn, and she did eat, and was sufficed, and left.  And when she was risen up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, Let her glean even among the sheaves, and reproach her not:  And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that all things work together for the good of those who love God. God loves us enough to work out the details of our lives each day in the way that is best for us.  May we ever appreciate the amazing work He is doing. Even when we're going through trials and tribulations, we can trust that the Lord is giving us the experiences that we need to grow into the people we need to become.  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 Mormon hated to describe the awful scenes of blood and carnage, but knew that these things must be recounted for future generations, so he wrote a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account. He knew that future people who would read his writings would sorrow for the wickedness of his people who refused to repent.  He hoped that these future people would be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ and come to believe His gospel.   Mormon 5:8-15 "And now behold, I, Mormon, do not desire to harrow up the souls of men in casting before them such an awful scene of blood and carnage as was laid before mine eyes; but I, knowing that these things must surely be made known, and that all things which are hid must be revealed upon the house-tops—  And also that a knowledge of these things must come unto the remnant of these people, and also unto the Gentiles, who the Lord hath said should scatter this people, and this people should be counted as naught among them—therefore I write a small abridgment, daring not to give a full account of the things which I have seen, because of the commandment which I have received, and also that ye might not have too great sorrow because of the wickedness of this people. And now behold, this I speak unto their seed, and also to the Gentiles who have care for the house of Israel, that realize and know from whence their blessings come.  For I know that such will sorrow for the calamity of the house of Israel; yea, they will sorrow for the destruction of this people; they will sorrow that this people had not repented that they might have been clasped in the arms of Jesus.  Now these things are written unto the remnant of the house of Jacob; and they are written after this manner, because it is known of God that wickedness will not bring them forth unto them; and they are to be hid up unto the Lord that they may come forth in his own due time.  And this is the commandment which I have received; and behold, they shall come forth according to the commandment of the Lord, when he shall see fit, in his wisdom.  And behold, they shall go unto the unbelieving of the Jews; and for this intent shall they go—that they may be persuaded that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God; that the Father may bring about, through his most Beloved, his great and eternal purpose, in restoring the Jews, or all the house of Israel, to the land of their inheritance, which the Lord their God hath given them, unto the fulfilling of his covenant;  And also that the seed of this people may more fully believe his gospel, which shall go forth unto them from the Gentiles; for this people shall be scattered, and shall become a dark, a filthy, and a loathsome people, beyond the description of that which ever hath been amongst us, yea, even that which hath been among the Lamanites, and this because of their unbelief and idolatry."

In the Old Testament we read a story of great devotion of Ruth to her mother in law, Naomi. Naomi's husband and sons had died, leaving her with no family in the land of Moab where they had traveled.  All she had left were her two daughters-in-law.  She told them to go back to their families and she was going to go back home to Bethlehem by herself.  Her one daughter-in-law returned to her parents, but the other one, Ruth, adamantly refused to leave her.   Ruth 1:1-17 "Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.  And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there. And Elimelech Naomi's husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.  And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.  And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband. Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the Lord had visited his people in giving them bread. Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.  And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother's house: the Lord deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.  The Lord grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.  And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people. And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?  Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons; Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord is gone out against me.  And they lifted up their voice, and wept again: and Orpah kissed her mother in law; but Ruth clave unto her. 5 And she said, Behold, thy sister in law is gone back unto her people, and unto her gods: return thou after thy sister in law. And Ruth said, Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:  Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me."

Some verses with a thought booklet remind us that life is like a vapor, that appears for a little period of time and they vanishes away.  We can't really say that today or tomorrow we'll go to such and such a place and stay there a year and buy this or sell that or make such and such amount of money.  We can only fulfill our future plans if God wills it.  We don't really know how much time we have left before we die. Each day is a gift from God. And we need to realize that God can interrupt our plans at any time. We need to be willing to yield ourselves to the will of God. It's good to have righteous goals and to make plans for good things, but we need to be open and willing if interruptions occur. Maybe we have our day all planned out but then the elderly widow next door needs us to help her with something or maybe a friend needs a ride to the doctor. Sometimes the best laid plans need to be set aside to render aid to someone in need.  Whatever God's plans for us are, we need to be willing to place ourselves in His hands. We not only need to pray and ask for God's guidance in making our plans, but we need to express our willingness to allow Him to interrupt at any time and use us to do whatever He has in mind for us.  James 4:13-15 " Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:  Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.  For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that."