Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Corinthians 1:3

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Corinthians 1:3
"Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ."

I thought about how other faiths do not always look upon me, as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as being Christian. They say I don't worship the same Jesus. One big difference is they believe in the trinity, that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are three co-equal, eternal persons in one God. Where as I believe them separate beings. As I read this verse I thought about how Paul saw God the Father and Jesus Christ as separate persons. Yes, their purpose is the same, but they still in separate bodies.

Day 4187

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 16:1-2

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 16:1-2
"I commend unto you Phebe our sister, which is a servant of the church which is at Cenchrea:
That ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you: for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also."

I had two thoughts as I read these verse. First, was what a wonderful memorial of Phebe. She sounds like a wonderful woman. Not only entrusted to carry Paul's letter but a noted woman of good standing, and succourer of many, including Paul. The members must have been pleased to receive her.

The second thought was Paul calling the members saints. It is no different than us today. As the saints in the area are counseled to receive her I thought of our welcoming new members into our wards, as their names are read from the pulpit on Sunday.

Day 4186

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 15:4

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 15:4
"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."

This verse made me reflect on all that it has taken me to read the scriptures. I have been writing "Today's Favorite Version" daily for 11 years, 5 months and 14 days, and the road to it was not easy. Five years prior in 2010 I committed to reading my scriptures every day. It took so much patience to begin because I had been very ill and lost my ability to read and comprehend. The doctor suggested that I read out loud to myself or listen to recordings and follow along. I needed the combination of visual and audio to make the connections in my brain. Listening to the scriptures and following along was the perfect combination. It took four years before I could read on my own without following a recording. That was such a great milestone. Once that was achieved writing my impressions are what came next. I have come so far and learned so much building daily on what I have read and the Spirit has taught me. Truly my weaknesses have become my strengthens. There is a price we pay to understand the scriptures and it takes patience with ourselves and a slow and steady pace. The reward is not only knowledge but a peace and comfort that comes into our lives that nothing else can bring.

During these 15-16 years I have read the Book of Mormon 21 times. The Doctrine and Covenants 8, Pearl of Great Price 8, Old Testament 3, New Testament 6, the Apocrypha once, and all the Topic Guide scriptures covering Jesus Christ once. In 2014 my daily scripture reading lead to inviting my family to read together. We've done it nightly ever since. Our home is a holy place because we speak of Christ together every day. It is burned into the walls of our home. Reading the scriptures is my place of refuge from the storms.

Day 4185

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 14:11-12

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 14:11-12
"For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God."

I often remind myself of this, not only for myself but also for those I would want to judge. It is best to not travel down the road of judgment and just leave things in God's hands. He understands the matter more completely than I ever could. No one will miss their personal accountability before him. All will have an account for themselves.

Day 4184

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 13:11

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 13:11
"And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed."

People of so many different faiths have the same impression, we are in end times. When I see people fall away from the church I am so sad. Do they realize what time it is? Do they understand how close we are? Can anyone afford to fall away at this point in time? In Paul's time you couldn't afford to fall way either. The second coming was many centuries off. The problem with taking a break from church or the commandment is you may never have the desire to come back.

Day 4183

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 12:19

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 12:19
"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."

Wanting vengeance has created so much suffering in the world. I want no part of vengeance. I am sure the Lord knows who they are and will make them account for their actions. Interesting words from the First Presidency during World War II about those that sit in their places of power, and those that hate and lust for unrighteous power and dominion.

"In this terrible war now waging, thousands of our righteous young men in all parts of the world and in many countries are subject to a call into the military service of their own countries. Some of these, so serving, have already been called back to their heavenly home; others will almost surely be called to follow. But 'behold,' as Moroni said, the righteous of them who serve and are slain 'do enter into the rest of the Lord their God'  and of them the Lord has said "those that die in me shall not taste of death, for it shall be sweet unto them". Their salvation and exaltation in the world to come will be secure. That in their work of destruction they will be striking at their brethren will not be held against them. That sin, as Moroni of old said, is to the condemnation of those who 'sit in their places of power in a state of thoughtless stupor' those rulers in the world who in a frenzy of hate and lust for unrighteous power and dominion over their fellow men, have put into motion eternal forces they do not comprehend and cannot control. God, in His own due time, will pass sentence upon them.
Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord."
(Heber J. Grant, "Message of the First Presidency", Apr 1942 General Conference)

Day 4182

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:17-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:17-19
"And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert grafted in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;
Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.
Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in."

As I'm reading this I'm thinking of Jacob 5, "The allegory of the tame and wild olive trees". Did Paul have the words of the prophet Zenos?

"And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and pluck the branches from a wild olive tree, and bring them hither unto me; and we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to wither away, and we will cast them into the fire that they may be burned.
And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away many of these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will; and it mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree will perish, I may preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will."
(Jacob 5:7-8)

Day 4181

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 10:9-10

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 10:9-10
"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

What must one do after confessing with the mouth the Lord Jesus? Just saying the words is not enough. It must be believed in the heart. Outwardly you could look like you're saved, but in the heart there must be a mighty change. If the heart of man really did believe then they would be righteous. They would repent and strive to follow Jesus Christ and obey his words. That is what leadeth to salvation.

Day 4180

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 9:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 9:6
"Not as though the word of God hath taken none effect. For they are not all Israel, which are of Israel:"

This made me reflect on how just because you are born into a righteous family or into the church it does not mean you are righteous. We don't inherit blessings unless we earn them. Salvation is an individual matter, all are tried and tested and must learn faith in Christ.

Day 4179

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 8:35, 38-39

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 8:35, 38-39
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I pondered on being fully converted to Jesus Christ. This would be the only way, relying on Him, that you could endure all these things and not be separated from him. We can separate ourselves from God by sin. His love for us is always there, but we may have hid it. Enduring to the end is my favorite part of the gospel. It is how we come to know Jesus Christ.

"But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear."
(Isaiah 59:2)

Day 4178

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 7:2, 4

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 7:2, 4
"For the woman which hath an husband is bound by the law to her husband so long as he liveth; but if the husband be dead, she is loosed from the law of her husband.
Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."

Paul is speaking on the law of Moses being fulfilled in Christ. The Mosaic law was a dead law and now they must marry themselves to Jesus Christ, his church and law. It does make me wonder what new laws we will live during the millennium?

“[In Romans 7:1–4, Paul] compares Israel’s allegiance to the law of Moses with that of a wife to her husband. As long as her husband lives, a wife is bound to him, must obey his laws, and if she be with another, she is an adulteress. But when the husband dies, he can no longer direct her actions, and she is free to marry another; she can no longer be subject to him that is dead.
“So with Israel and the law. As long as the law lived, and was therefore in force, Israel was married to it and required to obey its provisions. … But now the law is fulfilled; it no longer lives; it has become dead in Christ; and Israel is married to another, even to Christ, whose gospel law must now be obeyed” (Bruce R. McConkie, "Doctrinal New Testament Commentary", 2:253–54).
(New Testament Student Manual, "Chapter 36: Romans 4-8")

Day 4177

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 6:4-5

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 6:4-5
"Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:"

Reading these verses I wondered how any other baptism than through immersion could be accepted? We are buried under the water in likeness of Jesus' death. Then raise from the water in the likeness of his resurrection. Baptism is a rebirth, we are born again and become alive in Christ, taking upon us His name and follow Him.

Day 4176

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 5:17

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 5:17
"For if by one man’s offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)"

From Adam's fall all men would suffer death. It took one man to give the gift of resurrection to all mankind. That was Jesus Christ. He covered spiritual and physical death through his atonement, sacrifice and resurrection. I had never thought of it starting with one and ending with one.

Day 4175

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 4:13

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 4:13
" For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith."

Abraham's seed did not receive promised blessings because they were his descendants. It was through righteousness and obedience to the law that they are. It reminded me of this.

"There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—
And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
(Doctrine and Covenants 130:20-21)

Day 4174

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 3:23-24

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 3:23-24
"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:"

How grateful I am for the plan of redemption. That through the grace of Christ I can be redeemed from my sins.

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."
(Isaiah 1:18)

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified of the absolute necessity of divine grace in order to be justified:
“Just as death would doom us and render our agency meaningless but for the redemption of Christ, even so, without His grace, our sins and bad choices would leave us forever lost. There would be no way of fully recovering from our mistakes, and being unclean, we could never live again in the presence of the ‘Man of Holiness’
“We cannot look to the law to save us when we have broken the law.. We need a Savior, a Mediator who can overcome the effects of our sins and errors so that they are not necessarily fatal. It is because of the Atonement of Christ that we can recover from bad choices and be justified under the law as if we had not sinned” (“Moral Agency,” Ensign, June 2009, 50).
(New Testament Student Manual, Chapter 35: Romans 1-3)

Day 4173

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 2:3

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 2:3
"And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?"

Such a good question I need to ask myself when I wish to judge another. How do I know so well their sins? Because more than likely I have the same weakness. When you point one finger at another there are three pointing back at you.

Day 4172

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 1:11

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 1:11
"For I long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end ye may be established;"

I pondered on the times I have seen and listened to a prophet and apostle of God in person. How the spirit would testify of the truthfulness of their words. It would strengthen my faith and anchor it. I imagine for the saints being able to hear Paul would be the same. How blessed I am for the day I live in. With the internet I can hear their words right in my home. I don't have to wait for an apostle to come to my area. I know the great apostasy happened with the early saints, and now with the restoration of the gospel the church as a whole will never fall into apostasy again. I think being able to hear the words of the prophet and apostles so frequently is one of the ways that is possible. We are continually being nourished. It's up to us to feast on it.

Day 4171

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 28:27

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 28:27
"For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them."

Why would anyone want to not see, hear and known and be converted? Do you intentionally do this? As I pondered on this and thought of people I knew that have done this. I thought yes, it is intentional for them. They don't want to see truth because that would mean they need to change. Pride is another reason they do not want to see, especially when they have openly persecuted the church. Thinking about this made me read 4 Nephi and how they did not dwindle in unbelief, but willfully rebel against the gospel of Christ. Yes, their hearts had waxed gross. It is my constant prayer that this never happens to me. I know how precious it is to have eyes that see and ears that hear, and know and understand.

Day 4170

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 27:10, 22-23, 31, 34

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 27:10, 22-23, 31, 34
"And said unto them, Sirs, I perceive that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives.
And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.
For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,
Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved.
Wherefore I pray you to take some meat: for this is for your health: for there shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you.

Paul first warned them of the voyage they were to undertake. They didn't listen. Then he is visited by an angel to encourage and direct him. They then start to listen and finally everyone on the ship is saved. It made me ponder on listening to prophets and apostles. Not listening and following the counsel they are inspired with can put us in peril. We are also entitled to personal revelation for what we have stewardship over. .

Day 4169

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 26:15-16

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 26:15-16
"And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.
But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;"

I pondered on how the Lord does not appear to man unless there is a purpose. The purpose for Paul was to be a minister and witness of Him. What a powerful testimony it was because Paul as Saul was the complete opposite of who you would have thought to do so. It makes his conversion and testimony all the more powerful.

Day 4168