Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 11:41-42

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 11:41-42
"Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that all shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.
Now, there is a death which is called a temporal death; and the death of Christ shall loose the bands of this temporal death, that all shall be raised from this temporal death."

I pondered on how the gift of resurrection is given to everyone that lived upon this earth. That is something we did not earn, but is a gift from our Savior, including to the unrighteous. Our body and spirit will be reunited and restored to its proper frame. That could be a blessing and a curse, for we will have a bright recollection of all our guilt. I pondered on the importance of daily repentance, and not leaving any sin unrepented. For we are promised that Christ will remember them no more.

"Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more"
(Doctrine and Covenants 58:42)

"And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more."
(Jeremiah 31:34)

Day 3455

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 10:22-23

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 10:22-23
"Yea, and I say unto you that if it were not for the prayers of the righteous, who are now in the land, that ye would even now be visited with utter destruction; yet it would not be by flood, as were the people in the days of Noah, but it would be by famine, and by pestilence, and the sword.
But it is by the prayers of the righteous that ye are spared; now therefore, if ye will cast out the righteous from among you then will not the Lord stay his hand; but in his fierce anger he will come out against you; then ye shall be smitten by famine, and by pestilence, and by the sword; and the time is soon at hand except ye repent."

The prayers of the righteous are the cause of great protection upon the land. It made me think of the role of temples dotting the earth, and how the prayers of the righteous go continually upon from it. They are a great blessing to the people of those lands.

"President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) said the following about prayers offered in our day: “There are many many upright and faithful who live all the commandments and whose lives and prayers keep the world from destruction” ("Voices of the Past, of the Present, or the Future", April 1971 General Conference). Once the righteous were destroyed or removed from Ammonihah, the prayers of the righteous ceased to protect the city and “every living soul of the Ammonihahites was destroyed”
(Book of Mormon Student Manual, Chapter 25: Alma 8-12, Alma 10:22-23 "Prayers of the Righteous")

Day 3454

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 9:23-24

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 9:23-24
"And now behold I say unto you, that if this people, who have received so many blessings from the hand of the Lord, should transgress contrary to the light and knowledge which they do have, I say unto you that if this be the case, that if they should fall into transgression, it would be far more tolerable for the Lamanites than for them.
For behold, the promises of the Lord are extended to the Lamanites, but they are not unto you if ye transgress; for has not the Lord expressly promised and firmly decreed, that if ye will rebel against him that ye shall utterly be destroyed from off the face of the earth?"

As I was coming out of the temple yesterday morning I took time to reflect on how blessed I was. I marveled at how fortunate I was to born at a time that the gospel was on the earth, and I was baptized into His church. How blessed I was to have a temple less than 10 minutes from my home. There are more temples in Utah alone then there was in the whole world when my parents joined the church. Now, that I reflect on these verses I think of how I can never take what I have for granted and toss it away. It made me think about how the Lord will cleanse his house first.

"Behold, vengeance cometh speedily upon the inhabitants of the earth, a day of wrath, a day of burning, a day of desolation, of weeping, of mourning, and of lamentation; and as a whirlwind it shall come upon all the face of the earth, saith the Lord.
And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord;
First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me, and have blasphemed against me in the midst of my house, saith the Lord."
(Doctrine and Covenants 112:24-26)

I found this talk of Ezra Taft Benson, given in 1969. I can't even imagine what he thinks of our world today.

"Sometimes we hear someone refer to a division in the Church. In reality, the Church is not divided. It simply means that there are some who, for the time being at least, are members of the Church but not in harmony with it. These people have a temporary membership and influence in the Church; but unless they repent, they will be missing when the final membership records are recorded.
It is well that our people understand this principle, so they will not be misled by those apostates within the Church who have not yet repented or been cut off. But there is a cleansing coming. The Lord says that his vengeance shall be poured out "upon the inhabitants of the earth . . . And upon my house shall it begin, and from my house shall it go forth, saith the Lord; First among those among you, saith the Lord, who have professed to know my name and have not known me".  I look forward to that cleansing; its need within the Church is becoming increasingly apparent."
(Ezra Taft Benson, "To the Humble Followers of Christ", Apr 1969)

Day 3453

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 8:27, 29

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 8:27, 29
"And Alma tarried many days with Amulek before he began to preach unto the people.
And the word came to Alma, saying: Go; and also say unto my servant Amulek, go forth and prophesy unto this people, saying—Repent ye, for thus saith the Lord, except ye repent I will visit this people in mine anger; yea, and I will not turn my fierce anger away"

I was struck with the part that Alma tarried many days with Amulek. He was in Amulek's home. It would be so interesting to know what they talked about. Obviously he was preparing Amulek to testify of Jesus Christ. It made me think of how new missionaries do part of their MTC experience from their homes. A home is a beautiful place to hear and learn the gospel.

"But God was preparing Amulek, and when Amulek met Alma, he welcomed the Lord’s servant into his home, where Alma stayed for many days. During that time, Amulek opened his heart to Alma’s message, and a marvelous change came over him. From then on, Amulek not only believed, but he also became a champion of truth.
When Alma went out again to teach among the people of Ammonihah, he had a second witness at his side—Amulek, one of their own."
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Learn from Alma and Amulek", Oct 2016 General Conference)

Day 3452