Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Samuel 1:11-12

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Samuel 1:11-12
"Then David took hold on his clothes, and rent them; and likewise all the men that were with him:
And they mourned, and wept, and fasted until even, for Saul, and for Jonathan his son, and for the people of the LORD, and for the house of Israel; because they were fallen by the sword."

I have always been impressed by David's respect for Saul as king. Calling him the Lord's anointed. Saul had wanted to kill David, yet David would not slay Saul when he had a chance. Now that the matter was over and Saul was dead, he weeps and mourns for him. That is a great man, and a great heart.

"Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—"
(Mosiah 18:9)

Day 3834

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 28:7-8

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 28:7-8
"And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech’s son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.
And David inquired at the Lord, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all."

The ephod was fastened to the Breastplate of Judgment. It had 12 precious stones and the Urim and Thummin. David asks the high priest to inquire of the Lord through it, and he immediately receives an answer. Saul had tried earlier and the Lord would not answer him through it.

"And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord answered him not, neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets."
(1 Samuel 28:6)

Being denied Saul seeks out a women with a familiar spirit. She pretends to see Samuel and tells Saul what he says. That doesn't mean Samuel was summoned by the witch of Endor. It means Satan can tell you things that are true but its the one percent that isn't that will lead to spiritual death. In this case for Saul it also lead to physical death.

Day 3833

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 25:1

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 25:1
"And Samuel died; and all the Israelites were gathered together, and lamented him, and buried him in his house at Ramah. And David arose, and went down to the wilderness of Paran."

I read that and this was all I could think of while I read three chapters in the Old Testament. Samuel the prophet dies, and the day I read it I learn President Russell M. Nelson, prophet, seer and revelator for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has passed away. I wait to know when his funeral is. Will it be before General Conference this Saturday and Sunday or after? It was shocking, but not shocking, President Nelson was 101 years old. I wish my heart was allowed to just mourn the passing of such a wonderful prophet. Instead it is marred by the horrific events in Michigan, at a shooting and fire at one of our chapels. People died. It hurts my heart. Of course we don't know all the details, not sure if I really want to know all the details. All I can feel is a prophet that taught me so much about being a peacemaker is gone. I feel like the world rejected his message and God has sent us a judge in President Oaks. There has been a shift and change, though I expect the message on what I need to do during these latter-days will remain the same. I am so grateful that General Conference is this coming weekend. I need to sit at the feet of the prophets and hear their messages of peace.

Day 3832

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 23:20-21

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 23:20-21
"Now therefore, O king, come down according to all the desire of thy soul to come down; and our part shall be to deliver him into the king’s hand.
And Saul said, Blessed be ye of the LORD; for ye have compassion on me."

Saul had 85 priests slaughtered, and then killed men, women, children, babies, and animals of the city of Nob, because they helped David escape. It made me ill that Saul dares to say to the person he sent to kill these people, "Blessed be ye of the Lord". It makes me sick when wicked people say words giving the impression their evil acts are righteous. Then Saul says "ye have compassion on me." Again it's all about Saul and no feeling for any of the innocent people they just slaughtered. None of these actions are of the Lord. I pondered on how we have to be so discerning about who we follow and support, even when they give an impression they are doing God's work.

Day 3831

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 19:1, 6

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 19:1, 6
"And Saul spake to Jonathan his son, and to all his servants, that they should kill David.
And Saul hearkened unto the voice of Jonathan: and Saul sware, As the LORD liveth, he shall not be slain."

I just don't understand Saul's hatred of David to the point he wants to kill him. Jonathan, seems to talk sense into him and then he turns around and is after David again. I don't think its so much a matter of revenge for anything David has done personally to him. I think it's Saul's pride, and he doesn't want anyone around that would appear better than him. David is victorious in battle and that is enough for Saul to throw a javlein at him. It is a terrible thing to have a wicked king with a very big ego, can't keep his word, and lives by revenge because he easily offended. The Lord has already rent the kingdom from Saul, but Saul is still king. Why is that? It is hard to get rid of an iniquitous king.

"And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood."
(Mosiah 29:21)

Day 3830

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 18:14-15

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 18:14-15
"And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.
Wherefore when Saul saw that he behaved himself very wisely, he was afraid of him."

These verses reminded me of these.

"And it shall be called the New Jerusalem, a land of peace, a city of refuge, a place of safety for the saints of the Most High God;
And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.
And it shall be said among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.
And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy."
(Doctrine and Covenants 45:66-71)

Because David behaved wisely, having a deep love and trust in God, keeping all the laws and commandments, not of a contentious nature, and people love him, the wicked (Saul) were afraid of him. Saul sought to have David die in battle, which didn't happen. It made me ponder on how Zion will look terrible to the wicked. Zion will not be at war with one another. I used to think it was physically battles all around. Now I think it more a battle of words and opinions. The only ones that are not contending will be a Zion people. We will be at peace while the world is growing ever darker. The wicked can not stand up against goodness. The wicked dig pits against others and then fall into it. They cannot stop truth and are afraid of it.
"The standard of truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the great Jehovah shall say the work is done."
—Joseph Smith, 1842

Day 3829

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 15:24

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 15:24
"And Saul said unto Samuel, I have sinned: for I have transgressed the commandment of the LORD, and thy words: because I feared the people, and obeyed their voice."

This is the driving force that caused Saul to disobey the word of the Lord and do what he thought was right in his own eyes. It was a fear of the people and not God. He loved the adoration of the people and wanted to look big in their eyes. It was pride. It was pride that made him offer burnt offerings when he had no authority to do so. It was pride that made him keep the spoils of war against the Lord's command, and then try to justify it by giving them as offerings. It is because of pride and disobedience that the Lord rent the kingdom from him.

"Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall."
(Proverbs 16:18)

"Perhaps the greatest obstacle to our ability to hearken courageously to the word of the Lord involves our egos, vain ambitions, and pride. It seems that the proud find it burdensome to hear and accept the instruction of God. We are told in Proverbs that “pride goeth before destruction”. The proud are more anxious about man’s judgment than they are of God’s judgment."
(H. David Burton, "Courage to Hearken", Apr 1994 General Conference)

"And behold, how oft you have transgressed the commandments and the laws of God, and have gone on in the persuasions of men.
For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words—"
(Doctrine and Covenants 3:6-7)

Day 3828

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 12:16-18

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 12:16-18
"Now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the Lord will do before your eyes.
Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the Lord, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the Lord, in asking you a king.
So Samuel called unto the Lord; and the Lord sent thunder and rain that day: and all the people greatly feared the Lord and Samuel."

After Samuel made Saul king he emphasized the fact that this was not the Lord's plan. It was because they desired a king when the Lord their God was their king. The great thing to happen was thunder and rain in the middle of wheat harvest. That is not what you want to happen when harvesting wheat. They needed a visual reminder of how powerful the Lord was. Samuel reminds them they can repent and turn and follow the Lord.

"And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the Lord, but serve the Lord with all your heart;"
(1 Samuel 12:20)

Day 3827

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 8:5-7

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 8:5-7
"And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.
But the thing displeased Samuel, when they said, Give us a king to judge us. And Samuel prayed unto the Lord.
And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them."

Samuel's son were not righteous, but that isn't the only reason the people rejected them. They wanted to be like other nations, that had kings. They wanted to reject the theocracy, and being given direction from God. Samuel warns them about the dangers of kings, but they didn't care. The Lord counsels Samuel to give them what they want, a king, because they have rejected Him. I pondered on how rejecting the government that the Lord setup is a sign of their complete apostasy.

"Now I say unto you, that because all men are not just it is not expedient that ye should have a king or kings to rule over you.
For behold, how much iniquity doth one wicked king cause to be committed, yea, and what great destruction!
And behold, now I say unto you, ye cannot dethrone an iniquitous king save it be through much contention, and the shedding of much blood.
For behold, he has his friends in iniquity, and he keepeth his guards about him; and he teareth up the laws of those who have reigned in righteousness before him; and he trampleth under his feet the commandments of God;
And he enacteth laws, and sendeth them forth among his people, yea, laws after the manner of his own wickedness; and whosoever doth not obey his laws he causeth to be destroyed; and whosoever doth rebel against him he will send his armies against them to war, and if he can he will destroy them; and thus an unrighteous king doth pervert the ways of all righteousness. "
(Mosiah 29:16-17, 21-23)

Day 3826

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 4:3-4

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 4:3-4
"And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.
So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth between the cherubims: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God."

What I find interesting is that after Israel is defeated by the Philistines in battle, they decide to bring the ark of the covenant. Along with it come Eli's sons that the Lord was already displeased with. The outcome is disastrous not only are they defeated again, but the ark of the covenant is captured. I pondered on how instead of turning to prayer and repentance they thought to use something sacred to protect them. We cannot trifle with holy things. Holy things will not protect us when used to protect us in our sins.

Day 3825

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 3:1, 19-20

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 3:1, 19-20
"And the child Samuel ministered unto the LORD before Eli. And the word of the LORD was precious in those days; there was no open vision.
And Samuel grew, and the LORD was with him, and did let none of his words fall to the ground.
And all Israel from Dan even to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet of the LORD."

The word of the Lord was precious, meaning it was scarce. The Lord could not speak to Eli because he did not clean his own house, and allowed his sons to do vile things. They caused the people to transgress and abhor the offering of the Lord. Samuel was young and ready to hear the word of the Lord.He grew and became a prophet and the people recognized him as such.

“You need have no fear that when one of the apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ delivers a prophecy in the name of Jesus Christ, because he is inspired to do that, that it will fall by the wayside. I know of more than one prophecy, which, looking at it naturally, seemed as though it would fall to the ground as year after year passed. But lo and behold, in the providences of the Lord, that prophecy was fulfilled.” (Grant, Gospel Standards, p. 68.)
(Old Testament Student Manual, "1 Samuel 1-15: The Prophet Samuel and Saul, King of Israel")

How grateful I am for living prophets today. There has been much counsel given by President Russell M. Nelson that I see today as inspired. Even just the get your rest and eat your vitamins before the whole pandemic hit. Being told to be a peacemaker has changed my life and for the better. It helps me stand apart from the contention in this world. I so look forward to general conference and being able to again sit at the feet of a prophet. Those words will be precious to me, by holding them dear to my heart.

Day 3824

Today's Favorite Verse: Ruth 4:3

Today's Favorite Verse: Ruth 4:3
"And he said unto the kinsman, Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, selleth a parcel of land, which was our brother Elimelech’s:"

Elimelech was Noami's husband. If Boaz was his brother then he was an older man. That was the first I realized Ruth and Boaz were not of the same age. Boaz would have been Ruth's husband's uncle. That makes it more understandable why Boaz mentions she hasn't gone after young men.

"And he said, Blessed be thou of the LORD, my daughter: for thou hast shewed more kindness in the latter end than at the beginning, inasmuch as thou followedst not young men, whether poor or rich.
And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman.
(Ruth 3:10-11)

So if Boaz was closer to Naomi's age why didn't he marry her? It had to do with the Levirate marriage law. It was a question of raising up children. Naomi was a widow but already mentioned she could not have more children. Ruth however as a childless widow could have children and preserve the deceased's family line.

Day 3823

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 21:25

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 21:25
"In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes."

I finished the book of Judges and I'm not impressed with the stories. Are these really God's people? Then that last verse tells it all. They are shining examples of when people do what is right in their own eyes. These are people that did not follow the commands and laws of God. This is what happens when you are not being guided by a prophet, much less a common ruler over you.

Day 3822

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:17, 22, 28

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 16:17, 22, 28
"That he told her all his heart, and said unto her, There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazarite unto God from my mother’s womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man.
Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow again after he was shaven.
And Samson called unto the Lord, and said, O Lord God, remember me, I pray thee, and strengthen me, I pray thee, only this once, O God, that I may be at once avenged of the Philistines for my two eyes."

Was the hair growing back really the source of Samson being able to receive his strength? It's so easy to overlook the fact that after it started to grow back he called upon the Lord.

Was Samson's Hair Really the Source of His Strength?
"The biblical account of Samson reveals him as a man of extreme confidence and tremendous courage, qualities based on his recognition that his power was from God and that God would sustain him in the mission to which he had been called. But Samson did not realize that there is a rule that governs power in the Lord, which is, “let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God” (D&C 121:45). Samson’s misfortunes began when his confidence in God turned into conceit and pride. Over a period of time he broke the vows of a Nazarite and violated other commandments, including the law of chastity.
Samson’s superhuman strength did not reside in his hair but in his confidence in God and in the Nazarite oath, of which the hair was the outward symbol. Delilah’s treachery and the shaving of Samson’s hair signified the final betrayal of his vows. Thus, he became a miserable, broken man with no power left."
(Old Testament Student Manual, "Judges 13–21; Ruth 1–4: The Reign of the Judges, Part 2")

Day 3821

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 14:6
"And the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon him, and he rent him as he would have rent a kid, and he had nothing in his hand: but he told not his father or his mother what he had done."

I've always been disappointed reading the story of Samson. As I child I thought the story of his long hair giving him strength was so impressive. When I got older and read the story in the bible I saw his flaws, lack of moral integrity and control. The story is so impressive where an angel of the Lord first comes to his mother and then both parents to tell of his birth. He is to be a Nazarite. He could have been such a great spiritual and physical leader for Israel, but to me he failed. Then I couldn't understand how in scriptures it would say "the Spirit of the Lord" came upon him. How? In my quest for understand I found this.

"(23-5) Judges 14:6. If Samson’s Life Was So out of Harmony with God’s Will, How Did He Have the “Spirit of the Lord”?
In the Church today when one speaks of a person having the Spirit of the Lord, he means that he is a spiritual person, that is, he is close to God, has a testimony, demonstrates spiritual power, and so on. And such spiritual power comes only through obedience and righteousness. So, could Samson have had “the Spirit of the Lord come mightily upon him”? That or a similar phrase is used three times in the account of Samson, but in every case it has reference to Samson’s demonstration of great courage and physical strength. Samson’s remarkable strength was a gift of God derived from and sustained by the Nazarite vow he was under. Perhaps when the author of Judges used the phrase “the Spirit of God” he did not use it as one does today, but used it more in the way that one would now use the phrase “spiritual gifts.” One may say of another, “The way he taught the lesson demonstrated that he has a spiritual gift.” Samson’s gift was strength, and each time he used that gift in a remarkable manner, the writer of the scripture gave credit to the Lord, the true source of the gift, by saying “the Spirit of the Lord” came mightily upon him."
(Old Testament Student Manual, "Judges 13-21; Ruth 1-4: The Reign of the Judges, Part 2)

Day 3820

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 10:13-14

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 10:13-14
"Yet ye have forsaken me, and served other gods: wherefore I will deliver you no more.
Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation."

This verse made me think of this.

"I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
(Doctrine and Covenants 82:10)

I can remember clearly the day I realized I was only turning to the Lord to deliver me from my latest trial. Once rescued I went back to my old ways. The cycle repeated over and over again, and I was sick of it. I finally realized I was doing it all backwards. I needed to be seeking the Lord always, not just when I thought I needed Him. Our relationship changed and there is more peace in the midst of trials because I know He's right there for me.

"That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:"
(Acts 17:27)

Our pains, afflictions and trials are there for us to learn to turn to and rely on the Lord always. The key is to walk with the Lord, then when darkness tries to over take us He's already there.

"They were slow to hearken unto the voice of the Lord their God; therefore, the Lord their God is slow to hearken unto their prayers, to answer them in the day of their trouble.
In the day of their peace they esteemed lightly my counsel; but, in the day of their trouble, of necessity they feel after me."
(Doctrine and Covenants 101:7-8)

"And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him."
(Helaman 12:3)

"Verily I say unto you, notwithstanding their sins, my bowels are filled with compassion towards them. I will not utterly cast them off; and in the day of wrath I will remember mercy."
(Doctrine and Covenants 101:9)

Day 3819

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 7:4-7

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 7:4-7
"And the LORD said unto Gideon, The people are yet too many; bring them down unto the water, and I will try them for thee there: and it shall be, that of whom I say unto thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and of whomsoever I say unto thee, This shall not go with thee, the same shall not go.
So he brought down the people unto the water: and the LORD said unto Gideon, Every one that lappeth of the water with his tongue, as a dog lappeth, him shalt thou set by himself; likewise every one that boweth down upon his knees to drink.
And the number of them that lapped, putting their hand to their mouth, were three hundred men: but all the rest of the people bowed down upon their knees to drink water.
And the LORD said unto Gideon, By the three hundred men that lapped will I save you, and deliver the Midianites into thine hand: and let all the other people go every man unto his place."

Such a curiously interesting test on who amongst 32,000 men would be called to fight the Midianites. The Lord didn't want too many, because the concern was Israel would vaunt themselves and say they were saved by their own hands. First, anyone fearful or afraid was asked to leave and that was 22,000 men. There was 10,000 remaining and out of them it came down to how they drank water, lapping like a dog from a stream. There was only 300 men that fit that description. I pondered on how humbling a choice that would have been. How different God sees man than we do.

Day 3818

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 4:1, 4, 8

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 4:1, 4, 8
"And the children of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, when Ehud was dead.
And Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth, she judged Israel at that time.
And Barak said unto her, If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go with me, then I will not go."

Israel was lacking in leadership and worthy men. That is why the Lord raised up a prophetess. The gift of prophesy and revelation can be given to any follower of Christ.

Judges 4:1–10. How Was It That a Woman, Deborah, Led Israel?
"Israel was sorely lacking in leadership at this time. The regular priesthood leadership was not in effect because the covenant had been broken. Deborah did not direct Israel in any official sense; she was a prophetess who possessed the spirit of prophecy, one of the gifts of the Spirit. She was blessed with spiritual insight and leadership qualities that were not being put to use by any man. Barak would not lead an army against Jabin until Deborah promised to be present.
“No special ordination in the Priesthood is essential to man’s receiving the gift of prophecy; bearers of the Melchizedek Priesthood, Adam, Noah, Moses, and a multitude of others were prophets, but not more truly so than others who were specifically called to the Aaronic order, as exemplified in the instance of John the Baptist. The ministrations of Miriam and Deborah show that this gift may be possessed by women also.” (Talmage, Articles of Faith, pp. 228–29; see also Smith, Answers to Gospel Questions, 3:66.)
(Old Testament Student Manual, "Judges 1-12: The Reign of the Judges, Part 1")

Day 3817

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 2:3. 22

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 2:3. 22
"Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall be as thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you.
That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the LORD to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not."

The children of Israel did not inhabit their lands alone. Not everyone was driven out. They had to live amongst people of other faiths, traditions and gods. They were left there by the Lord in order to prove Israel, and if they would serve Him. This made me think of opposition in all things. There is purpose in our trials and our temptations. Just because we are tempted does not mean we are made to be overcome. If we truly love the Lord we can walk in His ways.

"For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility."
(2 Nephi 2:11)

Day 3816

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 23:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 23:6
"Be ye therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that ye turn not aside therefrom to the right hand or to the left;"

I had several favorite verses that I pondered on, but when I asked myself which has the most meaning to share today, it is this one. It is something that has been reinforced to me these last two days. Don't turn to the right or to the left, stay in the middle. Stay the course. It is the only way to remain a peacemaker. Now with the laws of God you stay true, and that includes following the prophet. The message the prophet and the apostles are giving is to be a peacemaker. Elder Christofferson offered some inspired counsel yesterday morning that have played out to be so meaningful and true as the news later developed.

"The Lord expects us to be peacemakers.
There is much in today’s culture that focuses on retribution or revenge, but the Lord says, “Vengeance is mine” (Romans 12:19). We need to learn to leave judgment to Him.
Difficult as it may seem to be, we have the responsibility to pray for those who may persecute us, as Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount.
The Lord isn’t saying to us that we have to tolerate abuse or remain in circumstances or situations that are harmful; the Lord says to us that we can—even at times should—seek redress. But whether it comes or not, we forgive and move on.
God will care for those who turn to Him. He does not abandon us."
(Elder D. Todd Christofferson, Facebook post 10 Sep 2025)

Day 3815

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 21:43-44

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 21:43-44
"And the LORD gave unto Israel all the land which he sware to give unto their fathers; and they possessed it, and dwelt therein.
And the LORD gave them rest round about, according to all that he sware unto their fathers: and there stood not a man of all their enemies before them; the LORD delivered all their enemies into their hand."

As I pondered on how much land was promised to Abraham, all the cities and villages the children of Israel claimed and divided, I thought about timing. How you needed a very large number of people to fulfill all that was promised. It took many, many generations for Abraham's posterity to become large enough to come in and be given it. If they hadn't been captive in Egypt and allowed to grow, their small numbers would have been decimated over time if they had to tried to claim this land. You have to trust in the Lord's timing and what He has prepared before us.

Day 3814

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 17:12

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 17:12
"Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities; but the Canaanites would dwell in that land."

As I'm reading these chapters I opened up to the bible maps. At first I was thinking why does Manasseh seem to have so much more land than the other tribes? It wasn't until I read this verse that I understood they weren't alone. The Canaanites remained with them.

Day 3813

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 13:1

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 13:1
"Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed."

I can't even imagine how Joshua must have felt. You're old, stricken in years and told there is much land to be possessed. Which isn't a simple matter of walking in, they have to fight for it. Basically there is no rest. It made me think of my birthday tomorrow, and how I feel like I've slowed down so much this past year. I can't even imagine turning 101 years old like President Nelson tomorrow. As I pondered on all this I thought of purpose. Even though I am older its the purpose and the need to get things done that keeps me going. You really can never stop. The difference is you focus on what's important and devote the energy you have to that. It reminded me of a story Elder Bednar related about Elder Robert D. Hales.

"Several years ago I spent a Sunday afternoon with Elder Hales in his home as he was recovering from a serious illness. We discussed our families, our quorum responsibilities, and important experiences.
At one point I asked Elder Hales, “You have been a successful husband, father, athlete, pilot, business executive, and Church leader. What lessons have you learned as you have grown older and been constrained by decreased physical capacity?”
Elder Hales paused for a moment and responded, “When you cannot do what you have always done, then you only do what matters most.”
I was struck by the simplicity and comprehensiveness of his answer. My beloved apostolic associate shared with me a lesson of a lifetime—a lesson learned through the crucible of physical suffering and spiritual searching."
(Elder David A. Bednar, "Chosen to Bear Testimony of My Name", Oct 2015 General Conference)

Day 3812

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 10:1

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 10:1
"Now it came to pass, when Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem had heard how Joshua had taken Ai, and had utterly destroyed it; as he had done to Jericho and her king, so he had done to Ai and her king; and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel, and were among them;"

I was actually fascinated at the thought of Joshua and the children of Israel taking Jerusalem. I had always thought of Jerusalem belonging to the Jews. I read up on the history of Jerusalem. It appears to be founded by the Jebusites, a Canaanite people. Before it was known as Jerusalem one of its names was Salem, which was ruled by Melchizedek, the great high priest and king of Salem. He is the one Abraham paid tithes to. Adoni-zedek was the king of Jerusalem and the footnote on his name says "Lord of righteousness". They must have carried on that title after Melchizedek, even if it was in name only.

"For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;"
(Hebrews 7:1-2)

"Now this Melchizedek was a king over the land of Salem; and his people had waxed strong in iniquity and abomination; yea, they had all gone astray; they were full of all manner of wickedness;
But Melchizedek having exercised mighty faith, and received the office of the high priesthood according to the holy order of God, did preach repentance unto his people. And behold, they did repent; and Melchizedek did establish peace in the land in his days; therefore he was called the prince of peace, for he was the king of Salem; and he did reign under his father."
(Alma 13:17-18)

Day 3811

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 7:11-13

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 7:11-13
"Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff.
Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you.
Up, sanctify the people, and say, Sanctify yourselves against to morrow: for thus saith the LORD God of Israel, There is an accursed thing in the midst of thee, O Israel: thou canst not stand before thine enemies, until ye take away the accursed thing from among you."

Israel was defeated in battle against Ai and Joshua is grieved. He doesn't understand why they were defeated. Then the Lord tells him that they had taken of the accursed thing and stolen. Joshua questions them and finds Achan had taken a Babylonish garment and silver and gold and hid it. For that Achan and his family, oxen, asses, sheep and tent are all taken to the valley and stoned and burned. That just seems so horrific. We don't see those things today. We are to live a higher law and I pondered on that. I pondered on the apostates and the damage they have done to the church. How the work of the Lord is at times frustrated because of them. What comes upon them instead of physical death is spiritual death. It made me think about how people can lie that they are temple worthy to go in, and how that really effects all of us. Can you imagine what we would see there if all that came into the House of the Lord was truly worthy?

"And inasmuch as my people build a house unto me in the name of the Lord, and do not suffer any unclean thing to come into it, that it be not defiled, my glory shall rest upon it;
Yea, and my presence shall be there, for I will come into it, and all the pure in heart that shall come into it shall see God.
But if it be defiled I will not come into it, and my glory shall not be there; for I will not come into unholy temples."
(Doctrine and Covenants 97:15-17)

Day 3810

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 4:10

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 4:10
"For the priests which bare the ark stood in the midst of Jordan, until every thing was finished that the LORD commanded Joshua to speak unto the people, according to all that Moses commanded Joshua: and the people hasted and passed over."

It was the word "hasted" that stood out to me. I pondered how even with miracles being performed we need to hasten. The passover meal was eaten in haste, and the shepherds came with haste to worship the new born king.

"And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover."
(Exodus 12:11)

"And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger."
(Luke 2:16)

"Behold, I will hasten my work in its time."
(Doctrine and Covenants 88:73)

"My dear brothers and sisters, do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.
Why are we building temples at such an unprecedented pace? Why? Because the Lord has instructed us to do so. The blessings of the temple help to gather Israel on both sides of the veil. These blessings also help to prepare a people who will help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord!
The best is yet to come, my dear brothers and sisters, because the Savior is coming again! The best is yet to come because the Lord is hastening His work. The best is yet to come as we fully turn our hearts and our lives to Jesus Christ."
(Russell M. Nelson, "The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again", Oct 2024 General Conference)

"President Russell M. Nelson said at our last conference: “Do you see what is happening right before our eyes? I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment! The Lord is indeed hastening His work.”
Hastening His work. “Hastening” is a word that matters. It suggests moving quickly, accelerating, and even urgency. In the growth of the Church and the plan of Christ, hastening is happening. And we are all a part of it."
(Ronald A. Rasband, "Right Before Our Eyes", Apr 2025 General Conference)

Day 3809

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 1:5, 7

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 1:5, 7
"There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.
Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest."

I pondered on how the Lord is with His prophets. He was with Moses and is now with Joshua, as long as they follow Him. Don't veer to the right or to the left. I learned the importance of this as I read the Book of Mormon. I can apply it to so many areas in my life. Stay true, and stay the course, remain on the covenant path.

Day 3808

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 32:29

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 32:29
"O that they were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end!"

This is called not being able to see beyond the end of your nose. Being short sighted. One that is not wise does not consider the end from the beginning. Granted we cannot always see the end but there are conditions we know that will not end well for us. Primarily, its when we sin and break God's laws. The end will not be pretty in this life and the next.

Day 3807

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 30:15-16

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 30:15-16
"See, I have set before thee this day life and good, and death and evil;
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it."

So much cursing is described in these three chapters. It is a warning of what will happen if they choose to leave God and follow the strange gods of the land. I pondered on how we are all given our agency to choose. With that choice comes consequences. The Lord totally spelled it out to them the blessing or curse. It's no different than with us today.

"Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself."
(2 Nephi 2:27)

"Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life."
(2 Nephi 10:23)

Day 3806

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 27:16

Today's Favorite Verse: Deuteronomy 27:16
"Cursed be he that setteth light by his father or his mother. And all the people shall say, Amen."

Setteth light = HEB esteems lightly, disgraces
father = Honoring Father and Mother

As I was reading the footnotes to understand the meanings I thought about how this was more than just our behaviors and actions, it includes temple and family history work too. We esteem lightly our ancestors when we ignore or forget them. It is a disgrace to not search for and perform vicious work for our kindred dead. Malachi speaks of a curse if our hearts are not turned to them. The words of Malachi are so important they are found in all the standard works.

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD:
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
(Malachi 4:5-6)

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;
And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse."
(3 Nephi 25:5-6)

"And again, he quoted the fifth verse thus: Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."
(Joseph Smith-History 1:38-39)

"Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.
And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.
If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming."
(Doctrine and Covenants 2:1-3)

"And also Elijah, unto whom I have committed the keys of the power of turning the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to the fathers, that the whole earth may not be smitten with a curse;"
(Doctrine and Covenants 27:9)

"After this vision had closed, another great and glorious vision burst upon us; for Elijah the prophet, who was taken to heaven without tasting death, stood before us, and said:
Behold, the time has fully come, which was spoken of by the mouth of Malachi—testifying that he [Elijah] should be sent, before the great and dreadful day of the Lord come—
To turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse—
Therefore, the keys of this dispensation are committed into your hands; and by this ye may know that the great and dreadful day of the Lord is near, even at the doors."
(Doctrine and Covenants 110:13-16)

"I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the earth will be smitten with a curse unless there is a welding link of some kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the dead. For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times."
(Doctrine and Covenants 128:18)

Day 3805