Today's Favorite Verse: D&C 41:1, 5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 41:1, 5-6

"Hearken and hear, O ye my people, saith the Lord and your God, ye whom I delight to bless with the greatest of all blessings, ye that hear me; and ye that hear me not will I curse, that have professed my name, with the heaviest of all cursings.

He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple; and he that saith he receiveth it and doeth it not, the same is not my disciple, and shall be cast out from among you;

For it is not meet that the things which belong to the children of the kingdom should be given to them that are not worthy, or to dogs, or pearls to be cast before swine."

The saints have now come to gather at Kirtland, Ohio. The Lord is preparing them to receive power from on high. This is where the first temple of this dispensation will be built. Covenant blessings will be restored. I noticed these two warnings in this chapter that are very similar. Warning them that if they reject Him after receiving his word, that they will be cursed with the heaviest of cursings, and cast out. It sounds so harsh.

Then I saw how loving this is. To give a warning and speak the consequences. It's like a parent telling a child "Don't touch the hot stove, you will get burned." Why does God warn me? It's because he doesn't want me to be hurt. He's loves me, enough to warn me of everything that could possibly harm me. It's like the hot stove. He wants me to use it to make delicious food that nourishes me, not to be a vehicle to harm or to hurt me. He wants me to be his covenant daughter with all the blessings he can give, not to see me cast out. 

If I obtain His blessing and then cast it aside I will become in Satan's power. The cursing and the casting out is not the Lord doing it to me, I did it to myself. Satan cannot bless he only curses. The cast out is what I did the moment I left the Lord's side. The Lord cannot save me in my sins. I am no longer His. I've only done it all to myself. 

What is my hope? To hear Him, to obey His law, to ever stay his disciple. To take hold of the atonement and repent so I can become clean. If I do this the greatest of all blessings are mine, eternal life.

Day 460