Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 32:11-12

Today's Favorite Verse: Ezekiel 32:11-12

"For thus saith the Lord GOD; The sword of the king of Babylon shall come upon thee.

By the swords of the mighty will I cause thy multitude to fall, the terrible of the nations, all of them: and they shall spoil the pomp of Egypt, and all the multitude thereof shall be destroyed."

An example of the Lord allowing the wicked to destroy the wicked.

"Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate."

(Psalms 34:21)

"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)

"And this testimony shall come to the knowledge of the Lamanites, and the Lemuelites, and the Ishmaelites, who dwindled in unbelief because of the iniquity of their fathers, whom the Lord has suffered to destroy their brethren the Nephites, because of their iniquities and their abominations."

(Doctrine and Covenants 3:18)

I reflected on the innocent that will suffer and are destroyed while the wicked rage, for there will be collateral damage. The innocent will go to the paradise of God. Their suffering will find solace and be healed at the hands of the Lord. While the wicked will face a greater condemnation for their actions, and face the judgment of God.

"Can you think to sit upon your thrones in a state of thoughtless stupor, while your enemies are spreading the work of death around you? Yea, while they are murdering thousands of your brethren—

Do ye suppose that, because so many of your brethren have been killed it is because of their wickedness? I say unto you, if ye have supposed this ye have supposed in vain; for I say unto you, there are many who have fallen by the sword; and behold it is to your condemnation;

For the Lord suffereth the righteous to be slain that his justice and judgment may come upon the wicked; therefore ye need not suppose that the righteous are lost because they are slain; but behold, they do enter into the rest of the Lord their God."

(Alma 60:7, 12-13)

Day 2993

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 28:1, 3, 5

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 28:1, 3, 5

"Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned sixteen years in Jerusalem: but he did not that which was right in the sight of the LORD, like David his father:

Moreover he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and burnt his children in the fire, after the abominations of the heathen whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.

Wherefore the LORD his God delivered him into the hand of the king of Syria; and they smote him, and carried away a great multitude of them captives, and brought them to Damascus. And he was also delivered into the hand of the king of Israel, who smote him with a great slaughter."

Ahaz only reigned for 16 years. What put an end to his reign was crossing the line where innocent children were abused and killed. The wrath of God in kindled when the innocent have no one to protect them. I pray I never live to see the day when pedophilia and bestiality are sanctioned by the laws of the land. To me that will signal the wrath of God will soon be unleased.

Day 2554

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 20:9

Today's Favorite Verse: Joshua 20:9

"These were the cities appointed for all the children of Israel, and for the stranger that sojourneth among them, that whosoever killeth any person at unawares might flee thither, and not die by the hand of the avenger of blood, until he stood before the congregation."

If your unintentional actions caused the death of another there was a place of refuge that you could flee. You were given protection until you stood before the congregation and were judged. As I am watching the news and seeing the story that is unfolding, I realize what a better plan the Lord has in handing these situations. The one that has caused the death of another can flee, but to a safe place. Justice can then be served, or protection given to the innocent. I really dislike how judgment is made in the courts of public opinion, through social media, before all the facts are known.

Day 2366

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 16:17-18

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 16:17-18
"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned, and avoid them.
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

I turned to the footnotes to learn more.
Mark = watch, beware of.
Division = Acts 20:20
"Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
Offenses = stumbling blocks, scandals
Doctrine = 3 Nephi 11:40
"And whoso shall declare more or less than this, and establish it for my doctrine, the same cometh of evil, and is not built upon my rock; but he buildeth upon a sandy foundation, and the gates of hell stand open to receive such when the floods come and the winds beat upon them.
Avoid = 1 Corinthians 5:11
"But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat."
Fair = 2 Peter 2:3
"And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now of a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not."
Simple = innocent, guileless

It made me think of RUN, whenever I see someone that confesses the Lord on one hand with the other stretched opened for money. They so convincingly sell to the gullible and innocent a wrested version of the scriptures with their personal doctrine added to it. It's priestcraft and it troubles my soul. I've noticed a pattern recently of how a lack of self-esteem appears within its midst. As I pondered on why it was and now to prevent it, I realized the answer was to do as the prophets have told us. Read your scriptures, study and ponder them in your heart daily. It will prevent deception. Why is that? The prophet Joseph Smith, Jr. said it best. 

“If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves.”
(History of the Church, 6:303)

Day 1635

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 9:56-57

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 9:56-57
"Thus God rendered the wickedness of Abimelech, which he did unto his father, in slaying his seventy brethren:
And all the evil of the men of Shechem did God render upon their heads: and upon them came the curse of Jotham the son of Jerubbaal."

This chapter was little to much after having a broken heart over the senseless murders and attacks upon the innocent going on throughout the world. Israel was living in trying times, and so do I. What is the root of the problem? It is abandoning God and worshiping evil.

"And thus we see that except the Lord doth chasten his people with many afflictions, yea, except he doth visit them with death and with terror, and with famine and with all manner of pestilence, they will not remember him."  (Helaman 12:3)

The wicked will pry upon the innocent, until they pry upon themselves. All I can do is leave justice in the hands of the Lord. I have no doubt he will revenge the innocent. His hand will protect his people if we only remember him.


Day 795