Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 31:9, 12-13
“Be patient in affliction, revile not against those that revile. Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast.
Pray always, lest you enter into temptation and lose your reward.
Be faithful unto the end, and lo, I am with you. These words are not of man nor of men, but of me, even Jesus Christ, your Redeemer, by the will of the Father. Amen."
This chapter is a revelation given through Joseph Smith to Thomas B. Marsh. I recalled his name in a story of his apostasy over a “cream strippings incident” between his wife Elizabeth and the wife of George W. Harris. I will put the link to the story below.
I don’t often search out other materials while reading and pondering the scriptures but this time I did. I wanted to read his story again. The saint suffered much due to his apostasy and false statements he made against the Church. After he apostatized he spent two decades away from the church. He later humbly came to Utah seeking repentance and Brigham Young allowed him to address the Saints. He explained his apostasy and asked for forgiveness and did receive it. This is a very interesting quote from Thomas B. Marsh's address.
“I have frequently wanted to know how my apostasy began, and I have come to the conclusion that I must have lost the Spirit of the Lord out of my heart.
The next question is, ‘How and when did you lose the Spirit?’ I became jealous of the Prophet, and then I saw double, and overlooked everything that was right, and spent all my time in looking for the evil; and then, when the Devil began to lead me, it was easy for the carnal mind to rise up, which is anger, jealousy, and wrath. I could feel it within me; I felt angry and wrathful; and the Spirit of the Lord being gone, as the Scriptures say, I was blinded,… I got mad, and I wanted everybody else to be mad."
Oh, how careful we must be not to anger. When there is anger it is a sign of the loss of the spirit. Today I had a bout with anger that I had not seen in a very long time. In fact I said a swear word I don’t think I’ve ever said. I was just that mad at something my son had done. Which looking back makes as much sense as “cream strippings". All day I’ve wondered what overcame me to do that. I think in some way it helped prepare me for reading this chapter. To have fresh in my mind the dangers of anger. In fact I think I was neglectful in my morning prayers asking for the spirit to be with me. My whole morning prayer was rather a mess. I had even remarked to myself afterwards that I needed to say them again later because they were so bad, which I neglected to do. Yes, I need to be much more careful in prayer so I do not lose the spirit and enter into temptation. It’s just so easy to slip up when I neglect needful things that keep me on the right path.
https://history.lds.org/article/revelations-in-context-doctrine-and-covenants-thomas-marsh?lang=eng
Day 450
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