Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 45:15

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 45:15
"Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour."

I pondered if God really hides himself from us. It seems a yes and no answer. We were intended to have a veil of forgetfulness over us. That we cannot remember our pre-earth existence. We are to live by faith. Then I though about faith strong enough that the Lord cannot keep himself within the veil.

"And because of the knowledge of this man he could not be kept from beholding within the veil; and he saw the finger of Jesus, which, when he saw, he fell with fear; for he knew that it was the finger of the Lord; and he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting.
Wherefore, having this perfect knowledge of God, he could not be kept from within the veil; therefore he saw Jesus; and he did minister unto him."
(Ether 3:19-20)

Day 3984

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 6:5-6, 8, 46-47

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 6:5-6, 8, 46-47
"And a book of remembrance was kept, in the which was recorded, in the language of Adam, for it was given unto as many as called upon God to write by the spirit of inspiration;
And by them their children were taught to read and write, having a language which was pure and undefiled. 
Now this prophecy Adam spake, as he was moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and a genealogy was kept of the children of God. And this was the book of the generations of Adam, saying: In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him.
For a book of remembrance we have written among us, according to the pattern given by the finger of God; and it is given in our own language.
And as Enoch spake forth the words of God, the people trembled, and could not stand in his presence."

A book of remembrance was created in the beginning in the Adamic language. The pure language of God that was confounded at the Tower of Babel. It was preserved with Jared and his brother and those that came with them to their new land of inheritance. It was this land. They had the Adamic language, and their records would have been written in them. This is what Moroni said about the record left by Ether that would have been in this same language.

"And thou hast made us that we could write but little, because of the awkwardness of our hands. Behold, thou hast not made us mighty in writing like unto the brother of Jared, for thou madest him that the things which he wrote were mighty even as thou art, unto the overpowering of man to read them."
(Ether 12:24)

What must it be like to hear the words of God as Enoch spoke them, or read what Ether recorded?

Day 3735

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 15:2-3

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 15:2-3
"He saw that there had been slain by the sword already nearly two millions of his people, and he began to sorrow in his heart; yea, there had been slain two millions of mighty men, and also their wives and their children.
He began to repent of the evil which he had done; he began to remember the words which had been spoken by the mouth of all the prophets, and he saw them that they were fulfilled thus far, every whit; and his soul mourned and refused to be comforted."

Sadly, it may take massive destruction for people to "awaken to a sense of your awful situation". (Ether 8:24) Coriantumr had such a moment and grieved over what they had done. He writes an epistle to Shiz offering to give up his kingdom for the sake of the lives of the people. Shiz in turn wants Coriantumr to give himself up so he can slay him. Something Coriantumr was unable to do, either mentally, or because his people and the people of Shiz in their anger wanted the war to continue. With the knowledge of Ether's prophesy Coriantumr would be the last Jaredite standing, living to witness others inherit this promised land. This is such an incredibly sad story. It is a message for us in our day.

There is hope for there will be people waiting to receive our Lord and Savior when He comes again. Now is the great time of gathering and embracing those that have suffered and are wounded, and through this have turned their hearts back to God. The Lord is always waiting with his arms stretched out still, and so should we.

"The Savior is calling us to leave behind the wickedness of the world and gather to Him. He wants His sheep to be a light that shines brightly, setting a standard for the rest of the world by reflecting how true disciples live, including how they experience true joy as they focus their lives on the Savior.
May we be ever grateful for the privilege and trust the Lord has bestowed upon us as we gather to the Savior, gather with the Saints, and gather in His service."
(President Russell M. Nelson, "Grateful to Gather", Liahona magazine, Jan 2025)

Day 3578

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 14:24

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 14:24
"Nevertheless, Shiz did not cease to pursue Coriantumr; for he had sworn to avenge himself upon Coriantumr of the blood of his brother, who had been slain, and the word of the Lord which came to Ether that Coriantumr should not fall by the sword."

Vengeance and seeking to prove the Lord wrong is what lead to the entire destruction of the Jaredite nation. They had lost all reasoning and are going from bloodshed to bloodshed, even unable to stop to bury their dead. It is a horrible scene and such an important reminder that we have to step back and look at ourselves and where anger will lead us. The Nephites that had the record of the Jaredites repeated this history themselves. I wish I could say man will learn from this and not repeat history again.

"And now, because of this great thing which my people, the Nephites, had done, they began to boast in their own strength, and began to swear before the heavens that they would avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren who had been slain by their enemies.
And when they had sworn by all that had been forbidden them by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, that they would go up unto their enemies to battle, and avenge themselves of the blood of their brethren, behold the voice of the Lord came unto me, saying:
Vengeance is mine, and I will repay; and because this people repented not after I had delivered them, behold, they shall be cut off from the face of the earth."
(Mormon 3:9,14-15)

Day 3577

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 13:3, 6

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 13:3, 6
"And that it was the place of the New Jerusalem, which should come down out of heaven, and the holy sanctuary of the Lord.
And that a New Jerusalem should be built up upon this land, unto the remnant of the seed of Joseph, for which things there has been a type."

I'm confused is the New Jerusalem something that comes down from heaven, or are we suppose to build it? I found this by Joseph Fielding Smith.

“In the day of regeneration, when all things are made new, there will be three great cities that will be holy. One will be the Jerusalem of old which shall be rebuilt according to the prophecy of Ezekiel. One will be the city of Zion, or of Enoch, which was taken from the earth when Enoch was translated and which will be restored; and the city Zion, or New Jerusalem, which is to be built by the seed of Joseph on this the American continent” (Answers to Gospel Questions, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith Jr., 5 vols. [1957–66], 2:103–4).
(Book of Mormon Student Manual, Chapter 52: Ether 11-15, "New Jerusalem")

Is it referring to three separate places?

"The place where the Saints will gather and Christ will personally reign with them during the Millennium. Zion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent, and the earth will be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory (A of F 1:10). It also refers to a holy city that will come down out of heaven at the beginning of the Millennium."
(Guide to the Scriptures, New Jerusalem)

Then I found this.

"Verily this is the word of the Lord, that the city New Jerusalem shall be built by the gathering of the saints, beginning at this place, even the place of the temple, which temple shall be reared in this generation."
(Doctrine and Covenants 45:4)

I looked at the words "built by the gathering of the saints" a little differently. Maybe its not something we are building with our hands, but instead by unity as a Zion people. One thing is sure this is a very deep subject and I am to tired tonight to figure it out. What I do know is preparing myself for the Second Coming is more important that knowing every detail.

"Jesus Christ will govern from both old Jerusalem and the New Jerusalem “built upon the American continent.” From these two centers, He will direct the affairs of His Church.
In that day the Lord will be known as “King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.” Those who are with Him will be “called, and chosen, and faithful.
”Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority."
(Russell M. Nelson, "The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again", Oct 2024 General Conference)

Day 3576

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 12:26

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 12:26
"And when I had said this, the Lord spake unto me, saying: Fools mock, but they shall mourn; and my grace is sufficient for the meek, that they shall take no advantage of your weakness;"

Reading "fools mock, but they shall mourn" made me immediately recalled the experience I had during the early days of the pandemic. This is what I recorded in my journal.

"Last night I had such an unusual experience. I was reading all these memes about the virus and saving them and passing them on to my siblings. I was laughing the whole time. Everything was hitting me so funny. I had not felt so much laughter over this whole thing. Then in an instant I had this great soberness come over me and the spirit warned me not to laugh at this. That what I was doing was "loud laughter", and those that laugh will mourn. What an absolute wake-up call. 
I then read my scriptures and there it talked about destruction before the second coming. My frame of mind on this virus and its meaning completely changed. The Lord's hand is in all this and obedience is important. I have a feeling of much sorrow for those that are effected by this. When we did our family scripture reading I told them my experience and the other impressions that I had. We laid some ground rules for ourselves."

That experience was a life changing moment for me. I am so careful about what I choose to laugh at. As I was watching the reports on the devastating fires in California, I felt like I was seeing the fulfillment of the times of the Gentiles. When we go from a warning voice to destruction. I turned to Doctrine and Covenants 45 for I knew it spoke of this, and also fire, and moon turning to blood. This stood out to me.

"And in that generation shall the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled.
And there shall be men standing in that generation, that shall not pass until they shall see an overflowing scourge; for a desolating sickness shall cover the land.
But my disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved; but among the wicked, men shall lift up their voices and curse God and die."
(Doctrine and Covenants 45:30-32)

I feel like the early pandemic was just a dress rehearsal of what is to come. Sadly, some learned to mock it and put their trust in the arm of flesh, and ignore the counsel of a living prophet. They have set themselves up to feel justified in mocking any news of a desolating sickness. When the next one comes they may not take it serious soon enough. I believe in prophesies and all of them will be fulfilled. I am just very, very cautious on what I laugh and mock at, especially the suffering of others. It is no wonder that Moroni also speaks on the need for charity in this chapter.

“Real charity is not something you give away; it is something that you acquire and make a part of yourself. And when the virtue of charity becomes implanted in your heart, you are never the same again. It makes the thought of [putting others down] repulsive.
“Perhaps the greatest charity comes when we are kind to each other, when we don’t judge or categorize someone else, when we simply give each other the benefit of the doubt or remain quiet. Charity is accepting someone’s differences, weaknesses, and shortcomings; having patience with someone who has let us down; or resisting the impulse to become offended when someone doesn’t handle something the way we might have hoped. Charity is refusing to take advantage of another’s weakness and being willing to forgive someone who has hurt us. Charity is expecting the best of each other” (Elder Marvin J. Ashton, "The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword", Apr 1992 General Conference).

Day 3575

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: Ether 10:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 10:2
"And it came to pass that Shez did remember the destruction of his fathers, and he did build up a righteous kingdom; for he remembered what the Lord had done in bringing Jared and his brother across the deep; and he did walk in the ways of the Lord; and he begat sons and daughters."

I pondered on the importance of history, especially our forbearers. There is much to learn from the past otherwise it will repeat itself. We would learn that being righteous, and not a wicked people would bring prosperity and happiness.

Day 3573

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 9:4-5

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 9:4-5
"And it came to pass that Jared was anointed king over the people, by the hand of wickedness; and he gave unto Akish his daughter to wife.
And it came to pass that Akish sought the life of his father-in-law; and he applied unto those whom he had sworn by the oath of the ancients, and they obtained the head of his father-in-law, as he sat upon his throne, giving audience to his people."

This story always make me think of this verse.

"But, behold, the judgments of God will overtake the wicked; and it is by the wicked that the wicked are punished; for it is the wicked that stir up the hearts of the children of men unto bloodshed."
(Mormon 4:5)

Jared sought the head of his father the king and he sent Akish to do it. Once Jared is king his now son-in-law Akish in turn kills him. The wicked will destroy the wicked. Sometimes I feel like an outsider looking in, as I watch this very thing happening in our world.

Day 3572

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 8:13-14

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 8:13-14
"And it came to pass that Akish gathered in unto the house of Jared all his kinsfolk, and said unto them: Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful unto me in the thing which I shall desire of you?
And it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his life."

I feel like we have a place like this in our land right now. Anyone that seems to visit comes back in allegiance with this man. They seek for power and gain and sell their souls. They are built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies, by their lies we know them. At this point I will be surprised if they come to justice in this life, certainly they will face the justice of God, it cannot be avoided. It's one of those stories we will probably learn all the details about at the end.

"Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up."
(Ether 8:24)

Day 3571

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 7:8, 11, 24, 27

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 7:8, 11, 24, 27
"And it came to pass that Shule was angry with his brother; and Shule waxed strong, and became mighty as to the strength of a man; and he was also mighty in judgment.
And it came to pass that he did execute judgment in righteousness; and he did spread his kingdom upon all the face of the land, for the people had become exceedingly numerous.
And it came to pass that the people did revile against the prophets, and did mock them. And it came to pass that king Shule did execute judgment against all those who did revile against the prophets.
And there were no more wars in the days of Shule; and he remembered the great things that the Lord had done for his fathers in bringing them across the great deep into the promised land; wherefore he did execute judgment in righteousness all his days."

The repeated characteristic of Shule is "judgment". He could execute judgment and in righteousness. That is a good characteristic of a leader. He did not command them in what to believe but executed a law giving power to the prophets to go whithersoever they will. Because of this the people were brought into repentance. You cannot enact a law to make people repent or believe, but must give them religious freedom to practice their religion. Agency to believe what they will.

Day 3570

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 6:5

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 6:5
"And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a furious wind blow upon the face of the waters, towards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind."

I pondered on how we must often walk through fire to get where the Lord needs us to be. For the Jaredites it was being sealed up in a barge for 344 days. They didn't know where they were going, other than a promised land. They commended themselves unto the Lord their God. They sang praised to Him as they journeyed. This made me think of all the pioneers had to pass through to come to our promised land. Persecution was needed in order to drive them away from it and into a place of peace. I have seen the hand of the Lord in many things I have passed through. The lessons I learned, the place that it brings me, were all necessary. We must commend ourselves to the Lord, to be entrusted in His care. Having faith that we will be delivered.

Day 3569

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 5:1

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 5:1
"And now I, Moroni, have written the words which were commanded me, according to my memory; and I have told you the things which I have sealed up; therefore touch them not in order that ye may translate; for that thing is forbidden you, except by and by it shall be wisdom in God."

I wondered what was according to Moroni's memory? It must be what he was commanded to write. Was it everything in the Book of Ether? The parts he could include and what not to?

In Ether 4:4 he says he has written the very things which the brother of Jared saw.

"Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord."
(Ether 4:5)

It sounds like Moroni wrote on the plates what the brother of Jared saw, then sealed them. The book of Ether itself must be from his memory. That is a lot of generations and names to remember. That is how oral histories have been handed down for generations.

As I was trying to research this idea I found that Hugh Nibley pointed out the book of Ether has many similarities with epic poetry from all over the world. "Epics are long poems that stem from oral tradition that are about heroic figures or the history of a nation, and Nibley argued that the book of Ether was originally an epic." "Modern archaeological evidence suggests that writings spread across Mesoamerica between 900 and 500 BC, meaning that there may not have been a written history of the Jaredite kings until late Jaredite times. If this is correct, that would mean that Ether was originally composed orally, and was only written down later. This would explained why, as Nibley has argued, the book of Ether is similar to other orally-composed epic poetry—because the author was using the kinds of conventions common in many oral cultures. These conventions would have been preserved in the text when Ether finally wrote the work down, but Moroni’s abridgement left the modern reader with only glimpses of this oral style."
(Scripture Central, "Why Is The Book of Ether an Epic?", Aug 20, 2020)

Day 3568

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 4:4-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 4:4-6
"Behold, I have written upon these plates the very things which the brother of Jared saw; and there never were greater things made manifest than those which were made manifest unto the brother of Jared.
Wherefore the Lord hath commanded me to write them; and I have written them. And he commanded me that I should seal them up; and he also hath commanded that I should seal up the interpretation thereof; wherefore I have sealed up the interpreters, according to the commandment of the Lord.
For the Lord said unto me: They shall not go forth unto the Gentiles until the day that they shall repent of their iniquity, and become clean before the Lord."

I cannot wait for the Lord's own due time when this record is given to us. I say it to my family all the time. I want to live to see that day. I want to read the sealed portion. The Nephites had them since the time Jesus Christ appeared to them after His resurrection, until all had dwindled in unbelief and Moroni was commanded to sealed them up. I really hope we don't have to wait for the millennium as a people to repent, exercise faith in the Lord and become sanctified and clean.

In Doctrine and Covenants we are told a little more on the conditions of being able to receive the sealed portion of the Book of Mormon.

“And your minds in times past have been darkened because of unbelief, and because you have treated lightly the things you have received—
Which vanity and unbelief have brought the whole church under condemnation.
And this condemnation resteth upon the children of Zion, even all.
And they shall remain under this condemnation until they repent and remember the new covenant, even the Book of Mormon and the former commandments which I have given them, not only to say, but to do according to that which I have written.”
(Doctrine and Covenants 84:54–57)

President Benson was good about telling the church that we are under condemnation for treating the Book of Mormon lightly and not reading and living it. His words encouraged me to read, ponder and study the Book of Mormon. For now I live by faith, and that one day we will receive more.

"And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken.
And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them.
And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation.
Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people."
(3 Nephi 26:8-11)

Day 3567

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 3:26

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 3:26
"For he had said unto him in times before, that if he would believe in him that he could show unto him all things—it should be shown unto him; therefore the Lord could not withhold anything from him, for he knew that the Lord could show him all things."

When did the Lord tell the brother of Jared that he would show him all things, if he believed in Him? I went back in the two earlier chapters and didn't see this mentioned. Maybe it was during those 3 hours the Lord stood in a cloud and spoke to him. I pondered on how the Lord telling you something like that would certainly make me strive to be worthy. It was a promise the Lord knew the brother of Jared could obtain. The brother of Jared must have been pondering on this while he was preparing those 16 stones out of molten rock. That pondering on what he believed the Lord capable of increased the brother of Jared's faith. That is why he could say to the Lord, "Behold, O Lord, thou canst do this." (vs 5) When asked by the Lord, "Believest thou the words which I shall speak? (vs 11)

"And he answered: Yea, Lord, I know that thou speakest the truth, for thou art a God of truth, and canst not lie.

This is why the Lord could minister unto the brother of Jared for "he had faith no longer, for he knew, nothing doubting." (vs 19)

The Lord will not appear to man if they doubt or want to consume it on their lusts. You need faith where it matters not if you see Him, for you already believe.

Day 3566

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 2:24

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 2:24
"For behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth."

It was the part about the rains and the flood being sent forth that made me stop and ponder. The Lord uses natural laws to fulfill his words and purposes. I thought of the weather patterns around the world. The Lord had already prepared this great storm needed to drive the Jaredite barges to the promised land. The timing was His, he prepared the storms and the way to preserve them from them.

Even though I didn't pick the verses in this chapter about the holes placed in the top and bottom of the barges for air, I did want to note an interesting theory on how they worked. Once again its founded on natural laws.

Day 3565

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 1:43

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 1:43
"And there will I bless thee and thy seed, and raise up unto me of thy seed, and of the seed of thy brother, and they who shall go with thee, a great nation. And there shall be none greater than the nation which I will raise up unto me of thy seed, upon all the face of the earth. And thus I will do unto thee because this long time ye have cried unto me."

I love this verse, for it shows the power of prayers, and receiving answers even if what we pray for is over a very long time. I looked at how his prayers fit the needs at the time. Jared asked his brother to cry unto the Lord that their language would not be confounded. Then it was that their friends language was not confounded. Next it was to inquire if they were to be driven out of the land, and if so maybe to a choice land as their inheritance. Then he is given where they were to go and in what manner. The conversation the brother of Jared had with the Lord was an intimately one. He listened and obeyed. This made me think about my prayers and how much better I could be in talking to the Lord.

"The Lord explained to the brother of Jared that blessings had come to his people as a result of prayers offered over a long time. Enduring obedience coupled with frequent and persistent prayers is powerful. In an 1839 discourse in Commerce, Illinois, the Prophet Joseph Smith taught: “God is not a respecter of persons, we all have the same privilege. Come to God weary him until he blesses you &c we are entitled to the same blessings” ([recorded in Willard Richards Pocket Companion, 78–79] cited in The Words of Joseph Smith: The Contemporary Accounts of the Nauvoo Discourses of the Prophet Joseph, comp. Andrew F. Ehat and Lyndon W. Cook [1980], 15).
President Spencer W. Kimball (1895–1985) similarly taught that we must put great effort into our prayers and that we must pray frequently:
“Do you get answers to your prayers? If not, perhaps you did not pay the price. Do you offer a few trite words and worn-out phrases, or do you talk intimately to the Lord? Do you pray occasionally when you should be praying regularly, often, constantly? Do you offer pennies to pay heavy debts when you should give dollars to erase that obligation?
“When you pray, do you just speak, or do you also listen? Your Savior said, ‘Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.’ (Rev. 3:20.)
“… Should we ever fail to get an answer to our prayers, we must look into our lives for a reason” (“Prayer,” New Era, Mar. 1978, 17).
(Book of Mormon Student Manuel, Chapter 50: Ether 1-5, "This Long Time Ye Have Cried unto Me")

Day 3564

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 3:1, 4, 9, 12

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 3:1, 4, 9, 12

"Now these are the nations which the LORD left, to prove Israel by them, even as many of Israel as had not known all the wars of Canaan;

And they were to prove Israel by them, to know whether they would hearken unto the commandments of the LORD, which he commanded their fathers by the hand of Moses.

And when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised up a deliverer to the children of Israel, who delivered them, even Othniel the son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother.

 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD."

As I'm reading this I am seeing a parallel between the Book of Mormon. First impressions are why Nephi's brothers Laman and Lemuel had to remain with them. The Lord allowed them to stay so the others could be tested and proved. That is why the Lord allowed the other nations around Israel to remain. That is more than likely how we are proved and tested today.

Then as I was reading the rest of the chapter I thought of the Jaredites and how it is recorded in the book of Ether. It records when kings and the people were righteous or wicked, and how they prospered or fell because of it. I am going to continue to look for these parallels as I read the book of Judges. It really will be a story about us.

Day 2373

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 15:33-34

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 15:33-34
"And the Lord spake unto Ether, and said unto him: Go forth. And he went forth, and beheld that the words of the Lord had all been fulfilled; and he finished his record; (and the hundredth part I have not written) and he hid them in a manner that the people of Limhi did find them.
Now the last words which are written by Ether are these: Whether the Lord will that I be translated, or that I suffer the will of the Lord in the flesh, it mattereth not, if it so be that I am saved in the kingdom of God. Amen."

The Jaredite nation is gone. All that remained was Coriantumr, who would later be found by the Mulekites before he dies, and Ether, whom we don't know what happened to him. Just like we really don't know what happened to Moroni after he finished the record of the Nephites and hide it up unto the Lord. I would think Moroni being the last of his people had a particular interest in Ether's parting words. I just sat and felt sad for the loss of so many millions of people. It just breaks my heart that they could be so blinded and full of anger towards their brothers and sisters that they would fight until their utter distinction. What a lesson that is for us. When people lose charity and the pure love of Christ they become no better than the animals.

Day 1992

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 14:25

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 14:25
"And thus we see that the Lord did visit them in the fulness of his wrath, and their wickedness and abominations had prepared a way for their everlasting destruction."

The way the Lord prepared for the wicked to be destroyed is by their own hands. They do it to themselves. I guess I could say it was prepared by giving man their own free agency. That is one thing the Lord will not interfere with. When you abuse it and no longer worship Him then you begin to destroy yourself. What is worse than a physical destruction is a spiritual one, which is everlasting. The fulness of God's wrath is to leave you to yourself. There is no arm of protection over you. The Jaredites at the end of their civilization must have had a never ending fear and terror around them. I would not want to be left like that.

Day 1991