Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Elisha was able to make an axe head float so it could be retrieved fromt he water it had fallen into. 2 Kgs. 6: 5-7 "But as one was felling a beam, the axe head fell into the water: and he cried, and said, Alas, master! for it was borrowed. And the man of God said, Where fell it? And he shewed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and cast it in thither; and the iron did swim. Therefore said he, Take it up to thee. And he put out his hand, and took it.


In the Book of Mormon I read that if God has stopped doing miracles for some people, it is because of their lack of faith, their unwillingness to trust in God, and their departing from doing what is right. So if God isn't performing miracles in our lives, we need to look to ourselves and seeing what we're doing that's not allowing the miracles to come into our lives. Morm. 9: 20 "And the reason why he ceaseth to do miracles among the children of men is because that they dwindle in unbelief, and depart from the right way, and know not the God in whom they should trust."

A verse with a thought booklet assures is that any temptation we might face is common with man, but that we are given no temptation except that God prepares a way that we'll be able to overcome it. If we'll turn to God, He'll help us resist any temptation that might come to us. This pretty much leaves us without excuse! 1 Cor. 10: 13 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."




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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Naaman, a leper, came to Elisha to be healed. Instead of Elisha coming out to him and praying to God to heal him, as Naaman had expected, Elisha told him to go wash in the Jordan River seven times. At first Naaman was very angry and was going away in a huff, but he was reminded by his servants that if he'd been asked by Elisha to do some great thing he would do it, so why not this small thing. He then humbled himself enough to wash in the Jordan River and was healed. Do we sometimes act like this? If we're asked to do some simple thing that we think is beneath us, are we humble enough to respond? Are we as willing to teach in the nursary or help clean the church building as we would be to serve is some high profile leadership position? 2 Kgs. 5: 9-14 "So Naaman came with his horses and with his chariot, and stood at the door of the house of Elisha. And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? may I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some agreat thing, wouldest thou not have done it? how much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean? Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean."

In the Book of Mormon I read that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and He is still a God of miracles just as He was in ancient days, as described in the scriptures. Anyone who denies and He is a God of miracles has either not read the scriptures or doesn't understand what he's read. Morm. 9: 7-11 "And again I speak unto you who deny the revelations of God, and say that they are done away, that there are no revelations, nor prophecies, nor gifts, nor healing, nor speaking with tongues, and the interpretation of tongues; Behold I say unto you, he that denieth these things knoweth not the gospel of Christ; yea, he has not read the scriptures; if so, he does not understand them. For do we not read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and in him there is no variableness neither shadow of changing? And now, if ye have imagined up unto yourselves a god who doth vary, and in whom there is shadow of changing, then have ye imagined up unto yourselves a god who is not a God of miracles. But behold, I will show unto you a God of miracles, even the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and it is that same God who created the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are."

Some scriptures with a thought booklet talk about how the prophet Zechariah told the people to show mercy and be compassionate to others, not oppressing the poor or the needy and not imagining evil against their brothers in their hearts. All pretty good advice! But rather than obeying this counsel, the people turned their backs on the prophet and stopped up their ears so they wouldn't have to listen to what he had to say. They hardened their hearts as stone. Because they refused to listen to the Lord's prophet, the Lord would not listen to them, and scattered them, making the land desolate. When people listen to the words of a prophet and obey them, they're blessed. When they don't, they suffer the consequences. Zech. 7: 8-14 "And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother: And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart. But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. Yea, they made their hearts as an adamant stone, lest they should hear the law, and the words which the Lord of hosts hath sent in his spirit by the former prophets: therefore came a great wrath from the Lord of hosts. Therefore it is come to pass, that as he cried, and they would not hear; so they bcried, and I would not hear, saith the Lord of hosts: But I scattered them with a whirlwind among all the nations whom they knew not. Thus the land was desolate after them, that no man passed through nor returned: for they laid the pleasant land desolate."

Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Elisha promised a son to a Shunammanite woman and she conceives and bears a son. However, her son later dies. Elisha comes and raises the child from the dead. 2 Kings 4: 14-20, 32-37; "And he said, What then is to be done for her? And Gehazi answered, Verily she hath no child, and her husband is old. And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood in the door. And he said, About this season, according to the time of life, thou shalt mbrace a son. And she said, Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid. And the woman conceived, and bare a son at that season that Elisha had said unto her, according to the time of life. And when the child was grown, it fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers. And he said unto his father, My head, my head. And he said to a lad, Carry him to his mother. And when he had taken him, and brought him to his mother, he sat on her knees till noon, and then died. And when Elisha was come into the house, behold, the child was dead, and laid upon his bed. He went in therefore, and shut the door upon them twain, and prayed unto the Lord. And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands: and he stretched himself upon the child; and the flesh of the child waxed warm. Then he returned, and walked in the house to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him: and the child sneezed seven times, and the child opened his eyes. And he called Gehazi, and said, Call this Shunammite. So he called her. And when she was come in unto him, he said, Take up thy son. Then she went in, and fell at his feet, and bowed herself to the ground, and took up her son, and went out."

In the Book of Mormon I read a verse that tells us that the eternal purposes of God will roll on until all His promises have been fulfilled. When God promises something, we can absolutely trust that He will keep His word! Morm. 8: 22 "For the eternal purposes of the Lord shall roll on, until all his promises shall be fulfilled."

Some verses with a thought booklet ask a question: If some people don't believe, does that make the faith of God of no effect? Absolutely not! God is always true, even if every man is a liar. There will always be doubters and people who have no faith, but that doesn't need to effect our faith in God. Rom. 3: 3-4 "For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect? God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."

Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how a poor widow was going to have to have her sons sold as bondsmen to pay her debt, but Elisha performed a miracle by telling her to borrow as many vessels as she could and she was able to fill them all from one pot of oil. She was able to sell all this oil to pay her debt. 2 Kings 4:1-7 "Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen. And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil. Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few. And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full. So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out. And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed. Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest."

In the Book of Mormon I read that 400 years after the coming of Christ, all the Nephites have been destroyed and only Moroni is left. There are now only wicked Lamanites and robbers left, who are at war with one another. Morm. 8: 1-9 "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. And behold, the Lamanites have hunted my people, the Nephites, down from city to city and from place to place, even until they are no more; and great has been their fall; yea, great and marvelous is the destruction of my people, the Nephites. And behold, it is the hand of the Lord which hath done it. And behold also, the Lamanites are at war one with another; and the whole face of this land is one continual round of murder and bloodshed; and no one knoweth the end of the war. And now, behold, I say no more concerning them, for there are none save it be the Lamanites and robbers that do exist upon the face of the land."

A verse with a thought booklet tells us to be gentle and meek and to speak evil of no man. Titus 3: 2 "To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, but gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men."


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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Elisha promised water for their stock and that they would be able to defeat the Moabites. This did indeed come to pass. 2 Kings 3:9-10, 14-20,24-25 "So the king of Israel went, and the king of Judah, and the king of Edom: and they fetched a compass of seven days' journey: and there was no water for the host, and for the cattle that followed them. And the king of Israel said, Alas! that the Lord hath called these three kings together, to deliver them into the hand of Moab! And Elisha said, As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, surely, were it not that I regard the presence of Jehoshaphat the king of Judah, I would not look toward thee, nor see thee. But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played, that the hand of the Lord came upon him. And he said, Thus saith the Lord, Make this valley full of ditches. For thus saith the Lord , Ye shall not see wind, neither shall ye see rain; yet that valley shall be filled with water, that ye may drink, both ye, and your cattle, and your beasts. And this is but a light thing in the sight of the Lord: he will deliver the Moabites also into your hand. And ye shall smite every fenced city, and every choice city, and shall fell every good tree, and stop all wells of water, and mar every good piece of land with stones. And it came to pass in the morning, when the meat offering was offered, that, behold, there came water by the way of Edom, and the country was filled with water. And when they came to the camp of Israel, the Israelites rose up and smote the Moabites, so that they fled before them: but they went forward smiting the Moabites, even in their country. And they beat down the cities, and on every good piece of land cast every man his stone, and filled it; and they stopped all the wells of water, and felled all the good trees: only in Kir-haraseth left they the stones thereof; howbeit the slingers went about it, and smote it."

In the Book of Mormon I read about the great destruction among the people because of their wickedness, tens of thousands of people slain. Mormon greatly mourned their loss and lamented that they had not repented before this great destruction came upon them. Morm. 6: 7-22 "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. 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 amourn 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."


A verse with a thought booklet tells us to set our affections on things above, not on worldly things. What do we place more importance on--things of the Lord or on money and possessions? Where does our heart really lie? Col. 3: 2 "Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth."

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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how Elisha was able to heal the waters of Jerico. 2 Kgs. 2: 19-22 "And the men of the city said unto Elisha, Behold, I pray thee, the situation of this city is pleasant, as my lord seeth: but the water is naught, and the ground barren. And he said, Bring me a new cruse, and put salt therein. And they brought it to him. And he went forth unto the spring of the waters, and cast the salt in there, and said, Thus saith the Lord, I have healed these waters; there shall not be from thence any more death or barren land. So the waters were healed unto this day, according to the saying of Elisha which he spake."

In the Book of Mormon I read about the continued wickedness of the people and about how it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished. Mormon said that it was impossible to describe the horrible scene of blood and carnage that resulted from the shedding of so much blood. The people's hearts were so hardened that they delighted in the shedding of blood and there had never been so great wickedness prevailing as among this people. Morm. 4: 5, 11-12 "But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed. And it is impossible for the tongue to describe, or for man to write a perfect description of the horrible scene of the blood and carnage which was among the people, both of the Nephites and of the Lamanites; and every heart was hardened, so that they delighted in the shedding of blood continually. And there never had been so great wickedness among all the children of Lehi, nor even among all the house of Israel, according to the words of the Lord, as was among this people."

A verse with a thought booklet gives us the key to handle temptation--it's not fight, but flight. Instead of sticking around to fight temptation, we need to get out of there! Also, it's not enough just to avoid bad things. That will just leave an empty void i our lives. We need to fill our lives with good things--righteousness, faith, love, peace and prayer. 2 Tim. 2: 22 "Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart."



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Daily Thoughts

In the Old Testament I read about how the mantle of the prophet Elijah was passed to the next prophet, Elisha, who watched ELijah being taken up into heaven by a whirlwind. Fifty sons of prophets witnessed this and testified that the spirit of Elijah rested on Elisha. 2 Kgs. 2: 7-15 "And fifty men of the sons of the prophets went, and stood to view afar off: and they two stood by Jordan. And Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters, and they were divided hither and thither, so that they two went over on dry ground. And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so. And it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it, and he cried, My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the horsemen thereof. And he saw him no more: and he took hold of his own clothes, and rent them in two pieces. He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the Lord God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over. And when the sons of the prophets which were to view at Jericho saw him, they said, The spirit of Elijah doth rest on Elisha. And they came to meet him, and bowed themselves to the ground before him."

In the Book of Mormon I read how Mormon cried repentance unto the people but they refused to listen to him because their hearts were too hard. After they defeated the Lamanites in battle, they boasted of their own strength and swore to avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren. At that point Mormon refused to lead them into battle anymore and his prayers for them were without faith that they would change and repent, because of the hardness of their hearts. Morm. 3: 2-3, 9-12 "And it came to pass that the Lord did say unto me: Cry unto this people—Repent ye, and come unto me, and be ye baptized, and build up again my church, and ye shall be spared. And I did cry unto this people, but it was in vain; and they did not realize that it was the Lord that had spared them, and granted unto them a chance for repentance. And behold they did harden their hearts against the Lord their God. And now, because of this great thing which my people, the Nephites, had done, they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies. And they did swear by the heavens, and also by the throne of God, that they would go up to battle against their enemies, and would cut them off from the face of the land. And it came to pass that I, Mormon, did utterly refuse from this time forth to be a commander and a leader of this people, because of their wickedness and abomination. Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts."

A verse from a thought booklet tells us that the Lord doesn't look upon the outward appearance of a man the way people do, but He looks upon the heart. He sees us for what we really are, on the inside. We need to do more of that--stop judging people because they might not be physically beautful or handsome, or maybe they're overweight, or maybe they're very short, or they're handicapped in some way. Those things really don't matter in the eternal scheme of things. Let's look past the physical and see into the hearts of people, and love them for what they really are. 1 Sam. 16: 7 "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

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