Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 7:25-26

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 7:25-26
"Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.
Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients."

This reminded me of President Nelson, how he taught us to seek peace, be peacemakers, to seek the Holy Ghost and have it as our guide. I could not comprehend then what I do now what peace would come into my life, as I listened and applied what he counseled.

"In the coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
"Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives", Apr 2018 General Conference)

Seven years later President Oaks built upon that those words, the preparation period given by President Nelson is now accomplished. We are in the season he spoke of, where if we do not have the Holy Ghost as our guide we will be deceived. Without it there is no peace.

"One of the many reasons you will need the constant influence of the Holy Ghost is that you live in a season in which the adversary has become so effective at disguising truth that if you don't have the Holy Ghost, you will be deceived. Many obstacles lie ahead. The distractions will be many."
(Dallin H. Oaks, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered this BYU devotional address on February 10, 2026.")

I thought about how people that didn't prepare then, to learn how to have peace in the midst of trials and the spirit as their guide, will be looking for it now.

Day 4013

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 6:7, 10, 13-14

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 6:7, 10, 13-14
"And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.
Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.
So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD."

What stood out to me was how many times it says, "ye shall know that I am the Lord". Why does it have to take losing everything, suffering war and famine, before they wake up? One thing I do know, is that He warned them before any of this happened. They had time to repent and turn back to him. It reminded me of having my bottom spanked when I did something wrong as a child. My parents always warned me before any punishments. I guess children are no different. Eventually we learn to listen and obey.

Day 4012

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 3:18-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 3:18-19
"When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.
Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul."

As I read these verses it made me reflect on a spreadsheet I started at the beginning of the year. My plan was to note every talk and post made by the prophet and apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I didn't last very long keeping up with that list. I try to post what I find on Facebook, and am having a hard time keeping up with that. Watching the exponential growth of just these posts there is no doubt in my mind the Lord is hastening His work. His prophet and apostles are traveling and speaking to the whole world. They take serious the charge that if they do not sound the warning voice the blood of the wicked will be required at their hand. They are working at a profound pace to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus Christ. In less than 10 days is General Conference. I cannot wait to sit at the feet of the prophet and apostles and listen to what I should know for the days ahead.

Day 4011

Today's Favorite Verse: Lamentations 5:21

Today's Favorite Verse: Lamentations 5:21
"Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old."

This is Jeremiah's prayer. The desire is for Israel to turn again to the Lord. I pondered on how I pray for this too. I pray for those I love, that their hearts will be softened, that they will turn to the Lord. That they will awaken to their awful situation before it is to late.

"Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up."
(Ether 8:24)

"O, all ye old men, and also ye young men, and you little children who can understand my words, for I have spoken plainly unto you that ye might understand, I pray that ye should awake to a remembrance of the awful situation of those that have fallen into transgression.
And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."
(Mosiah 2:40-41)

Day 4010