Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 109:43, 50

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 109:43, 50

"O Lord, we delight not in the destruction of our fellow men; their souls are precious before thee;

Have mercy, O Lord, upon the wicked mob, who have driven thy people, that they may cease to spoil, that they may repent of their sins if repentance is to be found;"

With all that has recently taken place in our nation, I keep hearing this phrase that quite frankly troubles me. "I wish the Second Coming would just hurry up and get here." The reference is that those whom they consider wicked deserve to feel God's wrath upon them. That thought just breaks my heart. Maybe even more so because I wonder if they themselves might be horribly shocked to find, they could be counted among the wicked.

How can we want the destruction of our fellow man? That is not right, our hearts are not right. This grieves me, for our hearts have no mercy for their souls. The wounds are so deep inside our nation, I do not think any man or political party can redeem it. To think that is the case is to worship something other than God. What is required is humility, repentance, forgiveness and mercy. The only thing that will save us and our nation is turning back to God.

I was listening to Sister Sharon Eubank's recent General Conference talk this morning and this quote of Joseph Smith stood out to me.

"When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what pow'r it has over my mind..

...The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more are we dispos'd to look with compassion on perishing souls-[we feel that we want] to take them upon our shoulders and cast their sins behind out back [My talk is intended for] all this Society - if you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another."

(Sharon Eubank, "By Union of Feeling We Obtain Power with God", Oct 2020 General Conference; quoting Joseph Smith, "Minutes and Discourse, 9 June 1842" 62, Joseph Smith Papers)

I am of the opinion, that we have not even begun to be ready for the Lord's Second Coming if our hearts will not have mercy towards those that would be destroyed at his coming. We would do everything in our power to help redeem them and pray for them.

Day 2112