Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how when Elijan came down to talk to the king, he told him the same thing that he'd told the messangers to tell him--asking why he'd wanted to inquire of Baal-zebub when Israel had a God to inquire of, and telling him that he would never arise from his sickbed, but would die. This indeed happen as he foretold. and Jehoram reigned in his stead. 2 Kgs. 1: 16-17 "And he said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Forasmuch as thou hast sent messengers to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron, is it not because there is no God in Israel to enquire of his word? therefore thou shalt not come down off that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. So he died according to the word of the Lord which Elijah had spoken. And Jehoram reigned in his stead in the second year of Jehoram the son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah; because he had no son."

In the Book of Mormon I read about the continued wickedness of the people and how they were ripening for destruction. When Mormon saw the people mourn and lament, he hoped they they were beginning to repent. However, he soon realized that their sorrowing was the sorrowing of the damned and that they in open rebellion against God as they battled with each other and were hewn down. Morm. 2: 11-15 "Thus there began to be a mourning and a lamentation in all the land because of these things, and more especially among the people of Nephi. And it came to pass that when I, Mormon, saw their lamentation and their mourning and their sorrow before the Lord, my heart did begin to rejoice within me, knowing the mercies and the long-suffering of the Lord, therefore supposing that he would be merciful unto them that they would bagain become a righteous people. But behold this my joy was vain, for their sorrowing was not unto repentance, because of the goodness of God; but it was rather the sorrowing of the damned, because the Lord would not always suffer them to take happiness in sin. And they did not come unto Jesus with broken hearts and contrite spirits, but they did curse God, and wish to die. Nevertheless they would struggle with the sword for their lives. And it came to pass that my sorrow did return unto me again, and I saw that the day of grace was passed with them, both temporally and spiritually; for I saw thousands of them hewn down in open rebellion against their God, and heaped up as dung upon the face of the land. And thus three hundred and forty and four years had passed away."

Some verses with a thought booklet raise the question of "Do we practice what we preach?" When we're trying to teach others the gospel, are we living it? Do we tell our children "Do as I say, not as I do?" We need to live our lives in such a way that we're actually doing what we tell others they should do. Rom. 2: 21-24 "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written."


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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how the king sent fifty men to ask Elijan to come down from the top of a hill. Elijah told them that if he was a man of God, the Lord would send fire down to consume all fifty of them, which indeed did happen. The same thing happened to another group of fifty. The captain of a third group of fifty came to Elijah pleading for his life and Elijah agreed to go down with him, after an angel from the Lord told him to go and there was nothing to fear. 2 Kgs. 1: 9-15 "Then the king sent unto him a captain of fifty with his fifty. And he went up to him: and, behold, he sat on the top of an hill. And he spake unto him, Thou man of God, the king hath said, Come down. And Elijah answered and said to the captain of fifty, If I be a man of God, then let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And there came down fire from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. Again also he sent unto him another captain of fifty with his fifty. And he answered and said unto him, O man of God, thus hath the king said, Come down quickly. And Elijah answered and said unto them, If I be a man of God, let fire come down from heaven, and consume thee and thy fifty. And the fire of God came down from heaven, and consumed him and his fifty. And he sent again a captain of the third fifty with his fifty. And the third captain of fifty went up, and came and fell on his knees before Elijah, and besought him, and said unto him, O man of God, I pray thee, let my life, and the life of these fifty thy servants, be precious in thy sight. Behold, there came fire down from heaven, and burnt up the two captains of the former fifties with their fifties: therefore let my life now be precious in thy sight. And the aangel of the Lord said unto Elijah, Go down with him: be not afraid of him. And he arose, and went down with him unto the king."

In the Book of Mormon I read that wickedness continued to spread throughout the land to the point that the Lord took His disciples away, miracles and healings did cease, and the Holy Ghost was withdrawn--all because of the wickedness of the people. Morm. 1: 13-14 "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."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet tell the story of the parable of the Good Samaritan. The thought that went with this, written by Dan Nicksich from Somerset, Pennsylvania says: One of our elderly church members told me of a time when he fell on the sidewalk in front of his apartment building. He hit his head on some brickwork while falling and knocked himself out. He doesn't know how long he was unconscious but when he came to, he was aware of the sound of cars passing by in the street. Nobody stopped to even check on an elderly man lying on the sidewalk. It's the parable of the Good Samaritan all over again except for the absence of any Samaritan to help a fallen traveler. I wonder who passed by. Teachers? Real estate agents? Bankers? Mail carriers on their appointed rounds? Possibly some Christians? May we never be so busy, so preoccupied with self or even with acts of service, that we fail to notice or take the time to help someone in need. Is it I, Lord? Am I one who would simply pass by those who are in need? Give me the heart of the Samaritan, filled with your compassion. Luke 10: 25-37 "And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour? And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was: and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, And went to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence, and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him; and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour unto him that fell among the thieves? And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament we read that Ahaziah became sick and sent servants to inquire of Baal-zebub whether he would be healed or not. But an angel of the Lord appeared to Elijah and told him to go meet the messangers of the king and ask them why they were going to inquire of Baal-zebub when they had a God in Israel. They were to tell Ahaziah that he would not arise from his sickbed, but would surely die. The messangers went back to the king and told him these things. 2 Kgs. 1: 2-6 "And Ahaziah fell down through a lattice in his upper chamber that was in Samaria, and was sick: and he sent messengers, and said unto them, Go, enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron whether I shall recover of this disease. But the angel of the Lord said to Elijah the Tishbite, Arise, go up to meet the messengers of the king of Samaria, and say unto them, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that ye go to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? Now therefore thus saith the Lord, Thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die. And Elijah departed. And when the messengers turned back unto him, he said unto them, Why are ye now turned back? And they said unto him, There came a man up to meet us, and said unto us, Go, turn again unto the king that sent you, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Is it not because there is not a God in Israel, that thou sendest to enquire of Baal-zebub the god of Ekron? therefore thou shalt not come down from that bed on which thou art gone up, but shalt surely die."


Yesterday we read how the people began to allow pride and wickedness to enter into their hearts. Today we read how this wickedness spread so that none were righteous save for the disciples of Jesus who sorrowed for the sins of the world. How sad that such a happy and righteous people could change so much. 4 Ne. 1: 42-46 "And it came to pass that the wicked part of the people began again to build up the secret oaths and combinations of Gadianton. And also the people who were called the people of Nephi began to be proud in their hearts, because of their exceeding riches, and become vain like unto their brethren, the Lamanites. And from this time the disciples began to sorrow for the sins of the world. And it came to pass that when three hundred years had passed away, both the people of Nephi and the Lamanites had become exceedingly wicked one like unto another. And it came to pass that the robbers of Gadianton did spread over all the face of the land; and there were none that were righteous save it were the disciples of Jesus. And gold and silver did they lay up in store in abundance, and did traffic in all manner of traffic."

A verse with a thought booklet talks about how God will provide refuge for us, and we can trust in Him like a baby bird finds protection under the protective wings of its parent. The thought that went with this, written by Mary L. Scramlin from Rockford, Michigan says: When I'm weary, overwhelmed, or stressed, I'm often reminded of the time we saw an elegant swan backing up to the edge of the riverbank. My husband, three little daughters, and I watched in wonder as five cygnets darted out from under a bush and scurried onto her back. Folding her wings over them, she silently glided down the river again, the cygnets totally hidden from view. I was amazed and tried to imagine how it must feel for the cygnets. Tired, tiny, and vulnerable, they got to sink down into the soft, downy white feathers and nestle peacefully under the shelter of mother's protective, powerful wings. Likewise I can turn to my God and sink into the soft, downy feathers of His wings. Once safe and secure, I can let go of all that is too big for me. I can rest and be comforted. I can look at the world around me with fresh eyes, from a new perspective. My spirit once again restored, I too, can float in peace. God, thank you for the comfort, peace, and joy we find while resting in the shelter of your wings. Your presence carries us, encourages us, and delights us. Ps. 91: 4 "He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler."

Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read that Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign. He was wicked like his parents and served Baal. He provoked the Lord to anger. 1 Kings 22: 51-53 "Ahaziah the son of Ahab began to reign over Israel in Samaria the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and reigned two years over Israel. And he did evil in the sight of the Lord , and walked in the way of his father, and in the way of his mother, and in the way of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin: For he served Baal, and worshipped him, and provoked to anger the Lord God of Israel, according to all that his father had done."

Yesterday we read in the Book of Mormon about the great peace and happiness that existed among the people because of their righteousness and love of God. Today we read that they began allowing pride to enter into their hearts, and began to be divided up into classes, which was the beginning of their falling into wickedness. We need to be very careful to never allow pride to come into our lives. 4 Ne. 1: 24-26 "And now, in this two hundred and first year there began to be among them those who were lifted up in pride, such as the wearing of costly apparel, and all manner of fine pearls, and of the fine things of the world. And from that time forth they did have their goods and their substance no more common among them. And they began to be divided into classes; and they began to build up churches unto themselves to get bgain, and began to deny the true church of Christ."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us that when one sinner repents, there is rejoicing in heaven. How precious each soul is. Luke 15: 10 "Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Ahab is slain and dogs lick his blood. His son Ahaziah reigned in his stead. 1 Kings 22:35-40 "And the battle increased that day: and the king was stayed up in his chariot against the Syrians, and died at even: and the blood ran out of the wound into the midst of the chariot. And there went a proclamation throughout the host about the going down of the sun, saying, Every man to his city, and every man to his own country. So the king died, and was brought to Samaria; and they buried the king in Samaria. And one washed the chariot in the pool of Samaria; and the dogs licked up his blood; and they washed his armour; according unto the word of the Lord which he spake. Now the rest of the acts of Ahab, and all that he did, and the ivory house which he made, and all the cities that he built, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? So Ahab slept with his fathers; and Ahaziah his son reigned in his stead."

In the Book of Mormon we read about the wonderful and happy state of the people who kept the commandments of God and had no contention in the land because of the love of God that dwelt in the hearts of the people. There were no murderers or robbers, envy or strife. Miracles were wrought. There had never been a happier people. What a wonderful and blessed time in which to live! 4 Ne. 1: 13, 15-18 "And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land; but there were mighty miracles wrought among the disciples of Jesus. And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God. And how blessed were they! For the Lord did bless them in all their doings; yea, even they were blessed and prospered until an hundred and ten years had passed away; and the first generation from Christ had passed away, and there was no contention in all the land."


Some verses with a thought booklet give us Joseph's words to his brothers who had sold him into Egypt. Instead of being angry with them and berating them, he told them that great good had come from him being there and lives would be saved. He was put into a position where he could be prepared for the 7 years of famine. Even though Joseph went through many trials and much suffering, he remained true to God and had been richly blessed. He was very forgiving of his brothers, rather than being bitter and upset. He wanted to bless their lives rather than "get even" with them. Because of the atonement of Christ we can be forgiven of our sins. We should be equally as willing to forgive others. Gen. 45: 4-7 "And Joseph said unto his brethren, Come near to me, I pray you. And they came near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life. For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance."



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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Elijan went to Ahab and testified against him for his wickedness, telling him the horrible things that would befall him and his wife Jezebel. There was none that was so wicked as Ahab. 1 Kings 21: 17-25 "And the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite, saying, Arise, go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, which is in Samaria: behold, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, whither he is gone down to possess it. And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, Hast thou killed, and also taken possession? And thou shalt speak unto him, saying, Thus saith the Lord, In the place where dogs licked the blood of Naboth shall dogs lick thy blood, even thine. And Ahab said to Elijah, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy? And he answered, I have found thee: because thou hast sold thyself to work evil in the sight of the Lord. Behold, I will bring evil upon thee, and will take away thy posterity, and will cut off from Ahab him that pisseth against the wall, and him that is shut up and left in Israel, And will make thine house like the house of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and like the house of Baasha the son of Ahijah, for the provocation wherewith thou hast provoked me to anger, and made Israel to sin. And of Jezebel also spake the Lord, saying, The dogs shall eat Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel. Him that dieth of Ahab in the city the dogs shall eat; and him that dieth in the field shall the fowls of the air eat. But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up."

In the Book of Mormon I read that wo shall come to those who spurn at the doings of the Lord, who deny Christ or His works, or who say that the Lord no longer works through revelations or prophecy or through the power of the Holy Ghost. 3 Ne. 29: 5-6 "Wo unto him that spurneth at the doings of the Lord; yea, wo unto him that shall deny the Christ and his works! Yea, awo unto him that shall deny the revelations of the Lord, and that shall say the Lord no longer worketh by revelation, or by prophecy, or by gifts, or by tongues, or by healings, or by the power of the Holy Ghost!"

Some scriptures with a thought booklet talk about how if we believe in Jesus Christ, we'll have the Spirit of the Holy Ghost given to us, which shall be like rivers of living water flowing. The thought that went with this, written by Marion Turnbull from Manchester, England said: We lived near a river in Buckingham, United Kingdom, called the Great Ouse. Sadly, some people throw rubbish into the river. Thick, entangling weeds gather around old bicylcles and car tires, choking the flow, and all kinds of debris build up, killing fish and wildlife. So now and then, local people meet to clear out the rubbish. Then the river can flow again, as it flushes out the dirt and debris. Jesus promised to give us living water and Christians know the flow of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. I also know times when that river seems to slow to a trickle, and realize again that I have allowed other things to fill up my heart and thoughts. It takes a little effort to remove the junk from my life, but then the River of God flows again, cleansing and healing. O Living Water, show me what is obstructing my soul that I may clean it out and enjoy the flow of your Spirit again. John 7: 38-39 "He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)"

Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Ahab wanted a vineyard that belonged to Naboth. He offered him money or another vineyard, but Naboth refused to sell it to him. This made Ahab very unhappy. When his wife asked him what was wrong and he told her, she arranged for false witnesses to testify against Naboth so that he was stoned to death. Then Ahab was able to take over the vineyard. 1 Kings 21:1-16 "And it came to pass after these things, that Naboth the Jezreelite had a vineyard, which was in Jezreel, hard by the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. And Ahab spake unto Naboth, saying, Give me thy vineyard, that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near unto my house: and I will give thee for it a better vineyard than it; or, if it seem good to thee, I will give thee the worth of it in money. And Naboth said to Ahab, The Lord forbid it me, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers unto thee. And Ahab came into his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him: for he had said, I will not give thee the inheritance of my fathers. And he laid him down upon his bed, and turned away his face, and would eat no bread. But Jezebel his wife came to him, and said unto him, Why is thy spirit so sad, that thou eatest no bread? And he said unto her, Because I spake unto Naboth the Jezreelite, and said unto him, Give me thy vineyard for money; or else, if it please thee, I will give thee another vineyard for it: and he answered, I will not give thee my vineyard. And Jezebel his wife said unto him, Dost thou now govern the kingdom of Israel? arise, and eat bread, and let thine heart be merry: I will give thee the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters unto the elders and to the nobles that were in his city, dwelling with Naboth. And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people: And set two men, sons of Belial, before him, to bear witness aagainst him, saying, Thou didst blaspheme God and the king. And then carry him out, and stone him, that he may die. And the men of his city, even the elders and the nobles who were the inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had sent unto them, and as it was written in the letters which she had sent unto them. They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people. And there came in two men, children of Belial, and sat before him: and the men of Belial witnessed against him, even against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God and the king. Then they carried him forth out of the city, and stoned him with stones, that he died. Then they sent to Jezebel, saying, Naboth is stoned, and is dead. And it came to pass, when Jezebel heard that Naboth was stoned, and was dead, that Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take apossession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee for money: for Naboth is not alive, but dead. And it came to pass, when Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, that Ahab rose up to go down to the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite, to take possession of it."


In the Book of Mormon I read that those who refuse to hearken to the words of the Lord, not to those whom He has chosen and sent among them, will not be received at the last day. In fact, if they think they can get rid of the justice of God and trample Him under their feet, it would be better for them never to have been born. 3 Ne. 28: 34-35 "And wo be unto him that will anot hearken unto the words of Jesus, and also to them whom he hath chosen and sent among them; for whoso receiveth not the words of Jesus and the words of those whom he hath sent receiveth not him; and therefore he will not receive them at the last day; And it would be better for them if they had not been born. For do ye suppose that ye can get rid of the justice of an offended God, who hath been trampled under feet of men, that thereby salvation might come?"

Some verses with a thought booklet talk about how just like there are different parts of the body that all have their own unique purposes and are all important and needed, so are we all important parts of the church when we're baptized members of it. We all have our own callings and things we function in, which are important to keeping things running smoothly. Just because we're a nursery leader instead of a bishop or a stake president, doesn't mean we're not important to the whole! We need to care for one another. If one members suffers, we all suffer and if one is honored, we can all rejoice together. 1 Cor. 12: 12-26 "For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the ahead to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it."


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