Today's Favorite Verse: Joel 3:11-12

Today's Favorite Verse: Joel 3:11-12

"Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.

Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about."

What stood out to me in these verses is the word heathen. I decided to look at its definition.

"a person who does not belong to a widely held religion (especially one who is not a Christian, Jew, or Muslim) as regarded by those who do."

"a person who does not know about and worship the God of the Bible : pagan. 2. : an uncivilized person."

"A person who has no religion and does not believe in anything spiritual. An atheist doesn't believe in God, but a heathen doesn't believe in anything. We are all rational and rebellious heathens here. (by extension) A wild or immoral person."

I cannot imagine being a heathen, and not only having no faith in God, but not believe in anything. That would be very empty. It made me think about the character of such a person. It seems every day I learn of more people leaving their churches and faiths behind them. I do not know if that also means they don't believe in anything? Are they an atheist or a heathen? It made me wonder how many children are being raised heathens now. That is really sad. No wonder so many kids are depressed. Then I remembered this and had hope for children that were never taught about God.

"And then shall the heathen nations be redeemed, and they that knew no law shall have part in the first resurrection; and it shall be tolerable for them."

(Doctrine and Covenants 45:54)

"And it shall be more tolerable for the heathen in the day of judgment, than for that house; therefore, gird up your loins and be faithful, and ye shall overcome all things, and be lifted up at the last day. Even so. Amen."

(Doctrine and Covenants 75:22)

Day 3038