Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 19:9, 11

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 19:9, 11
"And the LORD said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the LORD.
And be ready against the third day: for the third day the LORD will come down in the sight of all the people upon mount Sinai."

The Lord promised the children of Israel if they sanctified themselves and washed their clothes they would hear and see him. Yet, when the time came they could not stand near and moved away. They were afraid to come in the presence of the Lord. They wanted Moses to speak to Him.

"And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die."
(Exodus 20:18-19)

I wondered if I would be afraid? This reminded me of President Nelson's recent general conference talk. I took the time to read it over again. I know that by listening and following a prophet of God I will be prepared to stand before the Lord with confidence.

"When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit.
When I speak of having confidence before God, I am referring to having confidence in approaching God right now! I am referring to praying with confidence that Heavenly Father hears us, that He understands our needs better than we do. I am referring to having confidence that He loves us more than we can comprehend, that He sends angels to be with us and with those we love. I am referring to having confidence that He yearns to help each of us reach our highest potential.
Now, how do we gain such confidence? The Lord answers this question with these words: “Let thy bowels … be full of charity towards all men, … and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.”
Brothers and sisters, as the world grows more wicked, we need to grow increasingly pure. Our thoughts, words, and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men. The great opportunity before us is to become the people God needs us to be."
(President Russell M. Nelson, "Confidence in the Presence of God", Apr 2025 General Conference)

Day 3769

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 121:45

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 121:45
"Let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven."

This verse reminds of President Nelson's recent general conference talk. It has always stood out to me that at the end of the Nephite civilization some of the greatest talks on charity were given. We cannot understand charity until we have endured the lack of it, or loss of it, in our lives. I could not settle on one quote from President Nelson's talk so here are some of my favorites.

"When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that our confidence can “wax strong in the presence of God.” Imagine the comfort of having confidence in the presence of God!"
“Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions.”
"True charity towards all men is the hallmark of peacemakers! It is imperative that we have charity in our discourse, both public and private. I thank those of you who took my previous counsel to heart. But we can still do better."
"Charity is the foundation of a godly character".
"Brothers and sisters, as the world grows more wicked, we need to grow increasingly pure. Our thoughts, words, and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men. The great opportunity before us is to become the people God needs us to be."
"...time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ. We do not know the day or the hour of His coming. But I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that “great and dreadful day.”
"As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase."
(Russell M. Nelson, "Confidence in the Presence of God", Apr 2025 General Conference)

Day 3710