Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 11:7-8

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 11:7-8
"And they hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord, because of their wicked combinations; wherefore, there began to be wars and contentions in all the land, and also many famines and pestilences, insomuch that there was a great destruction, such an one as never had been known upon the face of the earth; and all this came to pass in the days of Shiblom.
And the people began to repent of their iniquity; and inasmuch as they did the Lord did have mercy on them."

I wondered what the great destruction was? They already had wars, contentions, famines and pestilences going on. Was it an earthquake or consuming fire? Regardless, there was absolute chaos happening around them. This was the voice of the Lord to wake up to their awful situation. The Lord follows natural laws to awaken us, after that they are left to themselves, which doesn't end well unless they repent.

"We read that as a result of the wars, famines, pestilences, and destructions, the people began to repent of their iniquity. President Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) helped us understand that sometimes the Lord uses natural disasters to bring about repentance in the lives of His children:
“The Latter-day Saints, though they themselves tremble because of their own wickedness and sins, believe that great judgments are coming upon the world because of iniquity; they firmly believe in the statements of the Holy Scriptures, that calamities will befall the nations as signs of the coming of Christ to judgment. They believe that God rules in the fire, the earthquake, the tidal wave, the volcanic eruption, and the storm. Him they recognize as the Master and Ruler of nature and her laws, and freely acknowledge his hand in all things. We believe that his judgments are poured out to bring mankind to a sense of his power and his purposes, that they may repent of their sins and prepare themselves for the second coming of Christ to reign in righteousness upon the earth. …
“We believe that these severe, natural calamities are visited upon men by the Lord for the good of his children, to quicken their devotion to others, and to bring out their better natures, that they may love and serve him” (Gospel Doctrine, 5th ed. [1939], 55; for additional references to the Lord using the elements of nature to speak to people who refuse to repent, see Helaman 12:3; D&C 43:21–25; 88:88–91).
(Book of Mormon Student Manual, Chapter 52: Ether 11-15, "Natural Disasters Can Lead to Repentance")

Day 3574

Today's Favorite Verse: Zechariah 14:4

Today's Favorite Verse: Zechariah 14:4

"And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south."

I can actually picture the mount of Olives being cleaved in two. We had an example of that happening in February this year, during that devastating earthquake in Turkey and Syria. The shaking was so violent that a canyon was created in the middle of an olive grove in Tepehan. It was 130 feet deep, 900 feet wide and more than a mile long. Another of God's warning voice to us.

Day 3084

Today's Favorite Verse: Amos 4:7

Today's Favorite Verse: Amos 4:7

"And also I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest: and I caused it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city: one piece was rained upon, and the piece whereupon it rained not withered.

So two or three cities wandered unto one city, to drink water; but they were not satisfied: yet have ye not returned unto me, saith the LORD."

The Lord used a warning voice by pouring out famine, pestilence, swords, and burning upon Israel. Even with all that "yet have ye not returned unto me". The Lord use calamities and disasters as a voice of warnings, as a opportunity for us wake up and turn back to him. It is a stiff-necked people when they don't listen. It reminded of a television interview I saw once after a shooting, and the people were saying "Don't pray for me. I don't want your prayers. Prayers do nothing." I felt so sorry for them because prayers help so much. What I noticed in these verses is that God would cause rain to fall on one city, and not on others. People turn to others in times of disasters. We are only made satisfied when our hearts are turned to Him.

"How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!"

(Doctrine and Covenants 43:25)

Day 3042

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 38:2, 16

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 38:2, 16

"Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him,

And thou shalt come up against my people of Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes."

The chapter speaks of the great latter day battle of Gog of Magog, or as many now say the battle of Gog and Magog. It speaks of war, a devastating earthquake never known before, overflowing rain, great hailstones, fire and brimstone, pestilence, blood and men's hearts failing them. It all sounds very terrifying, yet I don't feel worried and afraid. Maybe I won't even be alive when that day happens. Or maybe its because I heard of a Stake Conference last week where Elder Treadway of the Seventy spoke. He said "President Nelson told him there are only two things left that need to happen before the Second Coming. 1. The Gathering of Israel, and 2. Jesus comes."

If your focus is on preparing for the Savior's second coming by helping to gather Israel, there is nothing that can overshadow that. Every part of the gathering of Israel, listening and following a prophet of God, will prepare us for whatever is to come. You can be in the midst of a great storm and still have peace. This made me reflect again on the Anti-Nephi-Lehies and how faith strengthened them. If we are gathering Israel up until the very end then maybe we will see some Anti-Nephi-Lehies.

"And they were among the people of Nephi, and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men; for they were perfectly honest and upright in all things; and they were firm in the faith of Christ, even unto the end.

And they did look upon shedding the blood of their brethren with the greatest abhorrence; and they never could be prevailed upon to take up arms against their brethren; and they never did look upon death with any degree of terror, for their hope and views of Christ and the resurrection; therefore, death was swallowed up to them by the victory of Christ over it.

Therefore, they would suffer death in the most aggravating and distressing manner which could be inflicted by their brethren, before they would take the sword or cimeter to smite them.

And thus they were a zealous and beloved people, a highly favored people of the Lord."

(Alma 27:27-30)

Day 2999

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 99:1

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 99:1

"The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved."

This made me think of all the earthquakes happening lately. They have been very strong and in divers places. Though this verse probably has nothing to do with what I pondered on. It just made me think of the voice of warning that is His.

"For after your testimony cometh the testimony of earthquakes, that shall cause groanings in the midst of her, and men shall fall upon the ground and shall not be able to stand.

And also cometh the testimony of the voice of thunderings, and the voice of lightnings, and the voice of tempests, and the voice of the waves of the sea heaving themselves beyond their bounds.

And all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men's hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people."

(Doctrine and Covenants 88:89-91)

"How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!"

(Doctrine and Covenants 43:25)

Day 2736

Today's Favorite Verse: Revelation 6:12, 14

Today's Favorite Verse: Revelation 6:12, 14
"And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood;
And the heaven departed as a scroll when it is rolled together; and every mountain and island were moved out of their places."

At the end of the sixth seal and before moving into the seventh seal there will be a great earthquake. An earthquake so violent that every mountain and island is moved out of its place. This is a world-wide event that no one can deny has happened. All will know that this prophesy is fulfilled. No wonder as the chapter continues men will want the very mountains and rocks that are moving to fall on them. Why is that?, because they will know the judgment of God is coming.

It made me think of the past week. Two days in a row in the Adirondacks, close to where I was born and raised there was an earthquake. One is very rare, but rarer still is to have two of them. Even in little obscure places God is giving us the voice of warning.

"How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!"
(Doctrine and Covenants 43:25)

As I continued to ponder on this event to come I recognize there is no need to fear. If I am listening to the warning now and heeding them, death of the body is not what I would fear. It is the death of the soul, that which can lead me away from God that is what I will fear. Now is not the time to wander.

Day 1746