Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 66:9

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 66:9
"Lay your hands upon the sick, and they shall recover. Return not till I, the Lord, shall send you. Be patient in affliction. Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

The part "be patient in affliction" reminded me of the recent Facebook post by President Jeffrey R. Holland. He mentioned how there will be trouble and challenges ahead for all of us, before the millennium. But great will be the peace of our children. They will know no fear or terror, if they are taught of the Lord. How important it is for us to be righteous and teach our children the words of the Lord. Afflictions are coming, but the through the divine attribute of patience and relying on the Lord we will receive His protection and power.

"It's a prophecy about the last days. It's a prophecy about Zion and what will yet be established. And it talks about strong stakes, lengthen your cords, and the nice imagery of stakes and how you put up a tent - how you put up a tabernacle in their case. When we have trouble and we're in mortality - and this is not the celestial kingdom, if you thought it was, you took a wrong turn down there, but we're in mortality first - and there are going to be troubles. There's going to be difficulty. There's going to be personal challenges. There's going to be family challenges. There's going to be neighborhood and state and national challenges."
"In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer.
For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord that hath mercy on thee.
O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted! Behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.
And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones.
And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children.
In righteousness shalt thou be established; thou shalt be far from oppression for thou shalt not fear, and from terror for it shall not come near thee."
(3 Nephi 22:8, 10-14)
"What a terrific, quick series. That's only verse 8 through verse 14. What a marvelous series of reassurances: mercy and kindness, and a covenant of peace, and a strong Zion structure, and our children blessed. And in righteousness they'll be far from fear, and they'll be far from terror. And none of those shall come near us."
(Jeffrey R. Holland, Facebook and Instagram post 27 Mar 2025)

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Day 3655 

Today's Favorite Verse: Daniel 1:8, 12

Today's Favorite Verse: Daniel 1:8, 12

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself.

Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days; and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink."

Purposed = Commitment

What stood out to me is that Daniel committed in his heart to not defile himself by eating the king's meat. He wasn't stubborn about it. He first requested from the prince of the eunuchs in charge that he be allowed to not defile himself. Daniel was asking not demanding. Then he listened to the prince of eunuchs concern that they may become sickly looking, which in turn could threaten the eunuchs life, Daniel didn't belittle or demand, or challenge his beliefs. Instead he offered to conduct a test to prove which way was best. It was a short 10 day trial of them eating pulse and drinking water. This was a short enough time period that the eunuch could feel confident any health risk from the attempt could be undone. After-all it would be three more years before the king saw them again.

Of course Daniel has faith that in ten days it would show the prince of the eunuchs they were healthier than the others. I thought about how when you have faith you don't go about challenging or belittling the beliefs of others. You respectfully listen and know that God will show the way.

Day 3010

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 56:4-5

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 56:4-5

"For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;

Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off."

I pondered on how no matter what challenges you face in this life, as long as you keep God's commandments, honor your covenants, you will receive all His blessings.

Day 2894

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 89:19

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 89:19

"And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures;"

I have read and studied the word of wisdom many times. I challenged myself to ponder on something I had never pondered on before in this chapter. This time I looked at gaining wisdom. It also referenced the story of Daniel, Hananiah (Shadrach), Mishael (Meshach) and Azariah (Abed-nego). Where Daniel asked Melzar, the prince of the eunuchs to give them pulse to eat for ten days, to prove who faired better them or the children that ate of the king's meat.

"So he consented to them in this matter, and proved them ten days.

Thus Melzar took away the portion of their meat, and the wine that they should drink; and gave them pulse.

As for these four children, God gave them knowledge and skill in all learning and wisdom: and Daniel had understanding in all visions and dreams.

And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm."

(Daniel 1:14,16-17, 20)

Now I reasoned, that if the word of wisdom is to show "forth the order and will of God in the temporal salvation of all saints in the last days" that having the blessing of wisdom, knowledge (hidden treasures), skill in learning, visions and dreams, and understanding are vital if not even more so than the health of the body at this time. Of course I do want both. We are warned in the very beginning that the word of wisdom exists due to evil and conspiring men. I had always thought of these evils as in processed foods harming the body but I hadn't thought of them really dimming our ability to receive gifts of the spirit. Then that light bulb went off that it's called the word of Wisdom, with an emphasis on the wisdom. Maybe that is the key element in this whole chapter. I had only focused on the destroying angel passing me by because I wasn't inviting death with a poor diet. Now I really see this as a key motivation for this being given to the saints in the last days. We need wisdom and the gifts of the spirit to survive the evil designs of conspiring men.

What I took away from pondering this was a personal challenge to only eat wholesome foods for ten days and see how I fair. Of course, I want to do this all my life but ten days seem like where I need to start. I did laugh at myself, as Christmas treats are all around me. I will begin this challenge after the holidays. For what I eat the rest of the family eats. I think I would be hit with a rebellion on Christmas Day if I only gave them pulse. After the riches of the "kings table" a modest diet will be a very welcome change.

Day 2092

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 14:7

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 14:7
"For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the Lord will answer him by myself:"

So why would someone that separated themselves from the Lord, and was putting up stumblingblocks inquire of the prophet? Then I realize it was not to know the Lord, it was to challenge the prophet about the Lord. In particular to challenge the prophet about something he said came from the Lord.

Do I see that in my day?  Absolutely! and interestingly enough we talked about this very thing tonight in family scripture reading. About how they are blinded even to the fact they have become exactly what the scriptures have warned about. They cannot even see themselves in the story any more. No wonder I am to liken the scriptures to myself. For to not do that, you run the risk of being blinded to what you have become.

The sad part is "the Lord will answer him by myself". That is not a good thing. The next verse says how the Lord will handle them. I would not want to be in their shoes.

"And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the Lord."
(Ezekiel 14:8)

Day 1391

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 43:3, 11, 15, 25

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 43:3, 11, 15, 25
"For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.
I, even I, am the Lord; and beside me there is no Saviour.
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the creator of Israel, your King.
I, even I, am he that blotteth out they transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.

I was really struck how in this chapter how many times it says "I am the Lord". The Lord is saying I want you to know me. It reminded me of what has been happening ever since I started President Nelson's challenge of a 10 day social media fast, along with reading the Book of Mormon. I have been immersing myself in listening to the Book of Mormon every moment that I can. I was already in Helaman in my personal reading and on track to finish by the end of the year when the challenge was given. The family is in 2 Nephi. I thought I was good to check that challenge off. Then I realized President Nelson wanted us to read the whole Book of Mormon within the 85 day time frame it took Joseph Smith to translate it.

I decided then to listen to it, since I was already reading and studying it twice in the day. It has been really amazing to hear the narrative story as I go about doing things at home. Saturday I listened to 40 chapters in Alma while scanning papers. Like I said I was immersing myself in it. What I have found is every day since starting this, the first moment I am consciously awake for the day, I have been hearing the hymn "This is the Christ".  I have even start to hear it as I transition back to resume listening. It is following me. I think I get what is happening. President Nelson wanted us to take up this challenge so we could come to know Christ. Really know Him, and that he is the Savior and son of God.


This is the Christ
They heard His voice, a voice so mild.
It pierced them through and made their souls to quake.
They saw Him come, a man in white,
The Savior, who had suffered for their sake.
They felt the wounds in hands and side,
And each could testify:

This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.

I read His words, the words He prayed
While bearing sorrow in Gethsemane.
I feel His love, the price He paid.
How many drops of blood were spilled for me?
With Saints of old in joyful cry
I too can testify:

This is the Christ.
This is the Christ, the holy Son of God,
Our Savior, Lord, Redeemer of mankind.
This is the Christ, the Healer of our souls,
Who ransomed us with love divine.

Day 1297

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 11:30-31, 34-35

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 11:30-31, 34-35
"And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands,
Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering.
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son or daughter.
And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes, and said, Alas, my daughter! thou hast brought me very low, and thou art one of them that trouble me: for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I cannot go back."

So I sat a little horrified that Jephthah vow meant that he now offered his daughter up as a burnt offering. His daughter because she knew this was her father's vow to the Lord agreed that it needed to be done. I didn't get it, the Lord doesn't require human sacrifices. What about what happened with Abraham and Isaac?  At least there an angel of the Lord stopped Abraham, and a ram appeared to be sacrificed in Isaac's place.

So what is the difference between these two stories? With the test of Abraham the Lord asked him to sacrifice Isaac. Then after being tested in his obedience the Lord required it no more. With Jephthah he made the vow on his own in the exchange for his safe return. I think the problem was Jephthah challenged the Lord, where Abraham didn't. It makes me wonder if the spirit even inspired Jephthah to make that vow? He may have just done it on his own, not thinking of its possible implications. That makes me really think about how serious it is to make deals with the Lord. I know when I was younger I used to do that. I haven't done that in many years. I certainly don't think its a good idea now. That's not how God works. I do things simply because I love him, and have faith that he will bless me if I am seeking to do his will.


Day 797