Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 30:2

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 30:2
"Turn, all ye Gentiles, from your wicked ways; and repent of your evil doings, of your lyings and deceivings, and of your whoredoms, and of your secret abominations, and your idolatries, and of your murders, and your priestcrafts, and your envyings, and your strifes, and from all your wickedness and abominations, and come unto me, and be baptized in my name, that ye may receive a remission of your sins, and be filled with the Holy Ghost, that ye may be numbered with my people who are of the house of Israel."

I pondered on how this list of don'ts could be possible for someone to obtain, yet they have not done what the Lord asked. For once turning from your evil doing you must come unto Christ, repent, be baptized and given the Holy Ghost. This is what keeps you on the covenant path.

Day 3553

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 29:2

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 29:2
"And ye may know that the words of the Lord, which have been spoken by the holy prophets, shall all be fulfilled; and ye need not say that the Lord delays his coming unto the children of Israel."

I was drawn to "delays his coming". I had always only thought of that delay as the second coming. In this chapter it is speaking of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon and restoration of the gospel. When I think about how long the apostasy was, those that were waiting for a restoration would have thought the Lord delayed his coming. In my generation I don't feel like the Lord's has delayed his coming. All the words of the Lord will be fulfilled, maybe one day I will feel that way.

"And in that day shall be heard of wars and rumors of wars, and the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them, and they shall say that Christ delayeth his coming until the end of the earth."
(Doctrine and Covenants 45:26)

Day 3552

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 28:7-8

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 28:7-8
"Therefore, more blessed are ye, for ye shall never taste of death; but ye shall live to behold all the doings of the Father unto the children of men, even until all things shall be fulfilled according to the will of the Father, when I shall come in my glory with the powers of heaven.
And ye shall never endure the pains of death; but when I shall come in my glory ye shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye from mortality to immortality; and then shall ye be blessed in the kingdom of my Father."

The Lord is speaking to the three Nephites that requested, like John the Beloved, to remain on this earth until the Lord's coming.

I attended a funeral today. The person that passed did so in their sleep. Several of us were remarking on how that is a wonderful way to go. Then we had a discussion on how its possible we could be here when the Savior returns and be twinkled, which sounds even better. Though some of our patriarchal blessings say we will rise in the morning of the first resurrection. Thinking we will probably be gone before that happens. I then recalled that the morning of the first resurrection began when Christ was resurrected and will continue into and through the Millennium. I now wonder if you can be twinkled and thereby receive your resurrection at the same time? For all men will die, and every man resurrected in his proper order.

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming."
(1 Corinthians 15:22-23)

President Joseph Fielding Smith also taught: “Men on the earth will still be mortal, but a change shall come over them so that they will have power over sickness, disease and death. Death shall all but be banished from the earth, for men shall live until they are the age of a tree or one hundred years old, and then shall die at the age of man, but this death shall come in the twinkling of an eye and mortality shall give way to immortality suddenly. There shall be no graves, and the righteous shall be caught up to a glorious resurrection” (Church History and Modern Revelation, 2 vols. [1953], 1:461).

"And he that liveth when the Lord shall come, and hath kept the faith, blessed is he; nevertheless, it is appointed to him to die at the age of man.
Wherefore, children shall grow up until they become old; old men shall die; but they shall not sleep in the dust, but they shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye."
(Doctrine and Covenants 63:50-51)

I have decided to no longer assume rising on the morning of the first resurrection necessarily means you have died before the Lord's second coming.

Day 3551

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 27:30-31

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 27:30-31
" And now, behold, my joy is great, even unto fulness, because of you, and also this generation; yea, and even the Father rejoiceth, and also all the holy angels, because of you and this generation; for none of them are lost.
Behold, I would that ye should understand; for I mean them who are now alive of this generation; and none of them are lost; and in them I have fulness of joy."

After ascending up to heaven Jesus continues to appear to the Nephite apostles as needed. In this chapter the apostles were united in mighty prayer and fasting. After being rejected by the Jews, what joy Christ must have felt to be received by the Nephites. His apostles were teaching and converting with great success. What a contrast this period of time is to all other times in history. I pondered on how Christ will be received in his second coming. How much missionary work will be required to convert the good and righteous people remaining on this earth, that had never heard of Christ. None will be lost because they will come to a knowledge of the truth.

Day 3550