Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 97:25-26

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 97:25-26
"Nevertheless, Zion shall escape if she observe to do all things whatsoever I have commanded her.
But if she observe not to do whatsoever I have commanded her, I will visit her according to all her works, with sore affliction, with pestilence, with plague, with sword, with vengeance, with devouring fire."

These made me ponder on the importance of listening to a prophet. Something so simple as looking at a brass serpent on a pole meant life or death to the children of Israel. The Lord didn't take away the fiery flying serpents, He prepared the way for them to be healed. That meant that good people got bit and ill. But, those that would look at the serpent were healed, as those that will look to Christ will live. With all that is coming its now more important than ever to listen to the counsel of a prophet. To take to heart the words he speaks at general conference and be obedient. To prepare ourselves to be the Zion people, the pure in heart.

"We do not say that all of the Saints will be spared and saved from the coming day of desolation. But we do say there is no promise of safety and no promise of security except for those who love the Lord and who are seeking to do all that he commands.
It may be, for instance, that nothing except the power of faith and the authority of the priesthood can save individuals and congregations from the atomic holocausts that surely shall be.And so we raise the warning voice and say: Take heed; prepare; watch and be ready. There is no security in any course except the course of obedience and conformity and righteousness."
(Bruce R. McConkie, "Stand Independent above All Other Creatures", Apr 1979 General Conference)

“… Zion can be built up only among those who are the pure in heart, not a people torn by covetousness or greed, but a pure and selfless people. Not a people who are pure in appearance, rather a people who are pure in heart. Zion is to be in the world and not of the world, not dulled by a sense of carnal security, nor paralyzed by materialism. No, Zion is not things of the lower, but of the higher order, things that exalt the mind and sanctify the heart”
(President Spencer W. Kimball, "Becoming the Pure in Heart", Apr 1978 General Conference)

Day 3686

Today's Favorite Verse: John 5:14

Today's Favorite Verse: John 5:14

"Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee."

Sin did not make the man which Jesus healed an invalid. Neither was Jesus telling him to sin no more because a worse physical aliment would come upon him. What he was saying is the worst that can come is the death of the spirit, that does come by sin.

Jesus was asked the question about sinning and physical disabilities later.

"And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth.

And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind?

Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him."

(John 9:1-3)

Day 3161

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 30:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 30:2

" O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me."

During family scriptures tonight I just related a time I was healed. As I ponder on this further I reflected on the first time I remember ever being healed. I was either in 5th or 6th grade. I had so many warts all over my hands, elbows and knees. They would crack and bleed and become really sore. It was embarrassing, and only made worse when kids refused to touch the drinking fountain after I used it. I was afraid someday of getting a wart on my face. I went to my parents to see if they could be removed. My father took me to the doctor and we were told they were rooted and I would need an operation to remove them and I would be left with scars. We moved ahead and planned for surgery to remove them. The night before surgery I was so worried about having scars I could not sleep. I finally went downstairs and asked my father for a blessing. I remember in the blessing I was told my warts would go away and I would have no scars. I was so happy and had such peace that I could finally go to bed. When I woke in the morning I discovered all the warts were gone except for two major ones. Within days those were gone too. I never had to have surgery. I had been healed.

Day 2667

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 20:1, 6

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Kings 20:1, 6

"In those days was Hezekiah sick unto death. And the prophet Isaiah the son of Amoz came to him, and said unto him, Thus saith the LORD, Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

And I will add unto thy days fifteen years; and I will deliver thee and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria; and I will defend this city for mine own sake, and for my servant David’s sake."

Hezekiah is sick and the prophet Isaiah comes to tell him to set his house in order for he's not going to die. Hezekiah pleads with the Lord and weeps. Isaiah is sent back and tells him he will live another 15 years. That is such a blessing to be given an extension to put your house in order. But, I thought about what would come in those 15 years. One would be the son that rules after him, that does evil. Was it a blessing for Hezekiah not to see that son as an adult? Or would it have been more blessed that the son was never born? I don't know, but one thing is sure God is in command.

Day 2492

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 23:1, 5

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 23:1, 5
"And now, behold, I say unto you, that ye ought to search these things. Yea, a commandment I give unto you that ye search these things diligently; for great are the words of Isaiah.
And whosoever will hearken unto my words and repenteth and is baptized, the same shall be saved. Search the prophets, for many there be that testify of these things."

The Lord, Jesus Christ is speaking of the scriptures. He tells the Nephites that great are the words of Isaiah. That Isaiah speaks concerning the house of Israel and the Gentiles. That all things he spake have been and will be fulfilled. He says multiple times we are to search the scriptures. Then He had the Nephite records brought before him and he "cast his eyes upon them" and then asks them about the words of Samuel, the Lamanite, and the prophecy that many saints would arise from the dead. It had not been included, and they corrected this error. It does point out that if there are errors in the scriptures they are the errors of men. Then he expounds all the scriptures in one.

How amazing that would have been to have the Savior, Jesus Christ expound the scriptures to me. Then I thought about how over come I would have been and would have probably missed a lot of what he said. Again, I see the importance of having the scriptures so I could go back and ponder on the words that he said. And, not just to read them but to search them. That takes a lot more effort but is so worth it.

I noticed the phrase "search these things diligently" and it made me reflect on Elder Bednar's apostolic blessing yesterday.

"I invoke a blessing upon you that according to your desire and your diligence, that you may be blessed to have eyes to see and ears to hear, the remarkable lessons that can be learned through the constraints that we would not want to experience, but we are now experiencing. I express my love to you. I declare my witness and I invoke these blessings upon you in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen."
(David A. Bednar, "Apostolic Blessing", Utah American Fork (South) - Member Devotional, Sunday, August 9, 2020)

I had felt the part of the condition of receiving this blessing was not only the desire but my diligence, and to me that included reading the scriptures. Now I see a correlation to this by the words of the Savior himself.

I reflected on the progress I have made since Christmas 2010 when I received a new set of scriptures. I committed to reading my scriptures every day and I have never missed. I had been so ill that I struggled to read and comprehend so the doctor told me to read out loud to myself. I needed to hear and see the words to make the connections. Instead I listened to the scriptures recordings and followed along in my new set. It took years to comprehend again and be able to read by myself. My brain healed and has expanded in strength, all from reading the scriptures. I love them and it is the best part of my day.

President Gordon B. Hinckley was so right when he said "I am grateful for the emphasis on reading the scriptures. I hope that for you this will become something far more enjoyable than a duty; that, rather, it will become a love affair with the word of God. I promise you that as you read, your minds will be enlightened and your spirits will be lifted. At first it may seem tedious, but that will change into a wondrous experience with thoughts and words of things divine."
(Gordon B. Hinckly, "The Light within You", April 1995, General Conference)

Day 1960

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 9:5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 9:5-6
"For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house."

I guess I never pieced these two things together. The reason Jesus went about performing miracles and healing people was not just to show compassion and mercy on them. It was to demonstrate that he had the power to forgive their sins. He was showing them he had an even greater ability to heal them. Not just physically and mentally, but spiritually too.


Day 1513

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 8:8, 10, 13

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 8:8, 10, 13
"The centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.
When Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.
And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And his servant was healed in the selfsame hour."

Last night as I was sleeping I was dreaming of stories of Jesus. The thought came to me, "What do all these people that were healed have in common?" The answer was, they all had a personal relationship or interaction with the Savior. He had to touch them to heal or speak, commanding an evil spirit to leave them. Then the story of the centurion's servant being healed came to me. I marvel this morning, having altered the time I am reading the New Testament, that I find this very story here. It is something I needed to pondered on.

I woke with this question, "Why was the Centurion's servant healed when he had no personal interaction with the Savior?" As I pondered these verses the answer came as I read the words of the centurion, on how he knew his servant could be healed.

"For I am a man under authority, having soldiers under me: and I say to this man, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it." 

Then I saw the application, that if the one with authority has a personal relationship with the Savior he can heal those under his stewardship as directed. Is there such a thing on the earth today?  Yes there is. It is the restored priesthood of God on the earth today. Peter, James and John came to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery and restored those priesthood keys. The line of authority continues to this day. I have had such blessings and been healed. How miraculous it is to think that is showing the faith of a centurion. 

I am reminded of Thomas, that would not believe the resurrected Lord appeared to the other apostles until he saw Him with his own eyes. When the Lord appeared to him he believed and said "My Lord and my God." Then " Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." (John 20:28-29)

The Lord is asking us to be centurions and not doubting Thomas' until he once again returns to this earth. He has not left us comfortless. I am injured and have had blessings and not been healed. Why is that?  So the works of God can be made manifest. So I can learn and apply scripture verses to me while I wait in faith. So, I can show I still believe even when I have not seen.

Restoration of the Melchizedek Priesthood, by Walter Rane

Day 1512

Today's Favorite Verse: Lamentations 3:26

Today's Favorite Verse: Lamentations 3:26
"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."

I was just talking to my family about this. This past year I have gone through much physical and emotional pain. One of the hardest to endure has been my knee. First came the blessings, and being told in time I would be healed. I knew I had faith to be healed, but in my mind I thought we were talking weeks. I would improve a little then I would hurt it again starting the clock over. This third time my body was done with the pain and it brought on stress seizures. I had to accept the fact that healing doesn't always mean in this life. The Lord isn't telling me no, he's just telling me to wait. 

Now I sit in a wheelchair. My wonderful little computer room simply doesn't work any more. How I have loved this beautiful sacred place. Last Saturday the spirit whispered "you have to move". You have to give up the room that you love and move your office out into the living room. Then you can sit in the wheelchair with the leg elevated to control the pain. At first I fought the impression, but it would not leave me. It brought a new emotional anguish of its own. Then I knew to disobey means something else could make it so it's not a choice. Out in the living room is where the Lord wanted my office to be. I tearfully told my husband. He would now get my sacred holy place. I mourned and grieved as if I was the young ruler told by Jesus to give up all his treasure.

"Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions."
(Matthew 19:21-22)

Since the acceptance of the Lord's will and making plans to move, my heart has had great peace. There is excitement and joy and tender mercies from the Lord. Do you know we lifted part of the ugly old carpet and see a pretty oak floor waiting for me. The Lord always has a better plan. With faith and hope he knows how to rescue me. This coming year has so much promise, even if miraculously viewed from a wheelchair.

Day 1375

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 6:2-3

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 6:2-3
"Have mercy upon me, O Lord; for I am weak: O Lord, heal me; for my bones are vexed.
My soul is also sore vexed: but thou, O Lord, how long?"

I could not help but think of me. I have been in pain for months now with my rotator cuff. I can barely move my arm. I can't even run my fingers through my hair. I can hardly sleep for the pain of it. I've had a blessing and have not been healed, even though I was told I would be. I know I have the faith to be healed, for I have been healed many times in the past. All I know is that not being healed is the Father's will right now for me. What I am going through is what I must go through. I truly wish the Lord would have mercy on my poor arm. I don't know how long this must last. I don't know what the answer is yet for it either. I ask every day for help in finding out what I should do to heal this. Mostly I'm told it takes time.

The one thing I cannot say is that my soul is vexed. I feel no sorrow of being deprived, no anger for not having my prayers answered. I know that not being healed has a purpose. Someday I will understand all the whys. Time just takes patience and this experience will make me stronger in it. In the mean time I have plead for assistance in doing what I cannot do, that must get done, and have felt my arm supported just enough to get it done. I am grateful for those tender mercies while I am passing through what I must endure. Even though my prayers have not been answered it doesn't mean He has left me alone. That might be the greatest lesson I have learned out of it yet. I'm sure many more will come.

Update: Sometimes I am able to write my favorite verse several days in advance. Such is the case with this one. The day I wrote this I afterwards went over to friends for dinner. My friend told me about her frozen shoulder and how taking Glucosamine & Chondroitin helped her. I remembered taking this supplement years ago at the advice of a doctor with much success. I knew I needed to try this. I also received the impression to take my turmeric in the same dosage as I would Tylenol. With this combination within a day and a half I had relief. Each day has seen improvement, and I am filled with joy over it. I know it is healing.

I wondered for a moment if I should change what I wrote for today. Seeing it didn't apply to me now. Then realized no, I need to keep a record of this event, and the rest of the story with it. For I am sure that my feelings on the matter of being healed lead to me learning about what was needful to be healed. For faith without works is dead, and sometimes a little patience is needed too. Maybe this record will also help someone else.

Day 1059