Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 66:9

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 66:9
"Lay your hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. Return not till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

The part "be patient in affliction" reminded me of the recent Facebook post by President Jeffrey R. Holland. He mentioned how there will be trouble and challenges ahead for all of us, before the millennium. But great will be the peace of our children. They will know no fear or terror, if they are taught of the Lord. How important it is for us to be righteous and teach our children the words of the Lord. Afflictions are coming, but the through the divine attribute of patience and relying on the Lord we will receive His protection and power.

"It's a prophecy about the last days. It's a prophecy about Zion and what will yet be established. And it talks about strong stakes, lengthen your cords, and the nice imagery of stakes and how you put up a tent - how you put up a tabernacle in their case. When we have trouble and we're in mortality - and this is not the celestial kingdom, if you thought it was, you took a wrong turn down there, but we're in mortality first - and there are going to be troubles. There's going to be difficulty. There's going to be personal challenges. There's going to be family challenges. There's going to be neighborhood and state and national challenges."
"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee."
(3 Nephi 22:8, 10-14)
"What a terrific, quick series. That's only verse 8 through verse 14. What a marvelous series of reassurances: mercy and kindness, and a covenant of peace, and a strong Zion structure, and our children blessed. And in righteousness they'll be far from fear, and they'll be far from terror. And none of those shall come near us."
(Jeffrey R. Holland, Facebook and Instagram post 27 Mar 2025)

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Day 3655 

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 65:3

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 65:3
"Yea, a voice crying—Prepare ye the way of the Lord, prepare ye the supper of the Lamb, make ready for the Bridegroom."

As I read this chapter the four times it says to prepare stood out to me. "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight." and "be prepared for the days to come.." I feel like general conference will emphases this again. We are preparing a people, ready for the second coming of the Lord. The bar continues to be raised. "The Son of Man shall come down in heaven, clothed in the brightness of his glory, to meet the kingdom of God which is set up on the earth." This is our quest, we must be prepared.

Day 3654

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 64:34

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 64:34
"Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days."

The "willing mind" stood out to me. I pondered on how I can do the Lord's will but if my heart and mind is not in it, then its not enough. At that point doing what's right is only for show. The Lord wants us fully committed. I may not be perfect at what is asked, but I can be willing.

"But remember, the Lord has never required expert, flawless missionary efforts. Instead, “the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind.”
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Missionary Work: Sharing What is in Your Heart", Apr 2019 General Conference)

"But the Lord requires not only outward acts but also your inner thoughts and feelings to be close to the spirit of the law. God “require[s] the heart and a willing mind.” 
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "A Matter of a Few Degrees", Apr 2008 General Conference)

Day 3653

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 63:54

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 63:54
" And until that hour there will be foolish virgins among the wise; and at that hour cometh an entire separation of the righteous and the wicked; and in that day will I send mine angels to pluck out the wicked and cast them into unquenchable fire."

I had an interesting experience yesterday. I was talking to someone that withdrew their membership from the church. Their rules are that I do not speak of the second coming or Jesus Christ. They want nothing to do with the church or religion. So, I can't say anything. They were telling me how scared and almost in a state of panic they were over what was happening in the world. Their fears in most cases are legitimate, in others they border on paranoia. As they talked I thought about the peace I had because of my faith in Jesus Christ. Words I could not say to them. Instead I said, "I wish I could give you what I have." They replied that they wished I could too. We both knew it was something they had to obtain on their own, which they rejected the process.

Since then I have reflected on the parable of the ten virgins. How I have seen it first hand. Those that wanted oil in their lamps need to obtain it on their own. I cannot give you my oil for it was obtained one drop at a time through the precious blood of my Savior. That is how I know Him, and have peace through him come what may.

"Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."
(John 14:27)

Day 3652