Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 122:9 "Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."
I love this verse. "Hold on thy way", its saying stay the course, hold onto the iron rod. The priesthood will never be taken from the earth again. Joseph Smith and us will live until God calls us home and not a day shorter. Don't worry or think about what man can do to you. Nothing they can do can truly harm your soul. For God will be with you forever. So much promise and protection in this one verse.
Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Nephi 15:23-24
"And they said unto me: What meaneth the rod of iron which our father saw, that led to the tree?
And I said unto them that it was the word of God; and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations and the fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."
I pondered on what an amazing promise this is. If I just hold onto the word of God and in faith do as it says I will never perish. Satan will have no power over me to lead me astray. Being deceived is my greatest concern. I know plagues, earthquakes, floods, famines, and fires can only kill the body, but deception can kill the soul. That is what I guard more than anything. I love the scriptures, they are the rock that keeps me planted on solid ground. I love my Savior and want to follow him.
Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 57:1
"The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come."
Honestly when I hear of the death of a good person I grieve for those left behind, but not for them. They are being spared from that which is to come. I know we are in the middle of preparing for the Savior's second coming. Though almost daily I think "Am I really seeing what I am seeing? Are people really this blind and dumb?" It grieves my heart and I know that men's hearts are failing them. We are ripe to face the consequences of iniquity long foretold in the scriptures. All I can hope is that I hang onto the iron rod. Pressing forward towards Christ. For that is the only peace that will be afforded the righteous. Though there is much to be sad about I have to look forward with a brightness of hope. Zion will be redeemed, His people will be gathered. There will be peace even in the midst of chaos. Miracles will take place. For God is a God of miracles and he will not forget his covenant people. I absolutely cherish the counsel given by President Russell M. Nelson in April 2018 General Conference talk "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives".
"Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.
To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.
Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost."
Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 58:1-2
"Do ye indeed speak righteousness, O congregation? do ye judge uprightly, O ye sons of men?
Yea, in heart ye work wickedness; ye weigh the violence of your hands in the earth."
This made me ponder on the violence on the earth today. How wickedness is the root cause of it. Have we judged uprightly those that commit crimes? I thought of recent articles I have read. Teachers being frustrated and unable to teach, because of the unruliness of the children. How the parents turn around and support their children in bad behaviors. We are actually encouraging violence and wickedness when we judge unrighteously, and let those off that should face judgment.
This made me think of Proverbs 12:24
"He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes."
The rod does not need to be a weapon of discipline, though I know the switch to my bottom taught me to listen and obey my parents. I am the better raised with it. The rod in this verse makes me think of the iron rod, the word of God. When parents do not teach the word of God to their children then how can they feel accountable for anything.
I just had to find the hymn "The Iron Rod". This one has all the verses and was so powerful. It made me think of how desperately homes today need the influence or good and honorable men in them. That will teach their children right from wrong, and the word of God.
The Iron Rod
To Nephi, seer of olden time,
A vision came from God,
Wherein the holy word sublime
Was shown an iron rod.
Hold to the rod, the iron rod;
'Tis strong, and bright, and true.
The iron rod is the word of God;
'Twill safely guide us through.
While on our journey here below,
Beneath temptation's pow'r,
Through mists of darkness we must go,
In peril ev'ry hour.
And when temptation's pow'r is nigh,
Our pathway clouded o'er,
Upon the rod we can rely,
And heaven's aid implore.
Hold to the rod, the iron rod;
'Tis strong, and bright, and true.
The iron rod is the word of God;
'Twill safely guide us through.
And, hand o'er hand, the rod along,
Through each succeeding day,
With earnest prayer and hopeful song,
We'll still pursue our way.
Afar we see the golden rest
To which the rod will guide,
Where, with the angels bright and blest,
Forever we'll abide.
Hold to the rod, the iron rod;
'Tis strong, and bright, and true.
The iron rod is the word of God;
'Twill safely guide us through.
Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 25:4-5
"Shew me thy ways, O Lord; teach me thy paths.
Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day."
I pondered on how being instructed of the Lord is a journey of discovery. Line upon line I am taught. How at first it was tiny beams of light coming through a mist of darkness. If I wasn't careful I would miss it. Slowly the frequency increased. I'm talking years of studying and pondering the scriptures every day. At first I couldn't even read and comprehend. I had to listen to a recording as I read along, because my illness had robbed me of my comprehension. I just listened and kept at it. It healed me. Now I read and can feel power coming from the words. My soul if filled with joy and happiness. I attend the temple and see new things every time. I am excited about what I will learn new each day, as I wait on the Lord. Consistency and saying this is important to me, and I want to learn, has brought me to this beautiful place. For I know the Lord will teach me as I am ready and able to comprehend. The path he takes me on, if I let him, is perfectly designed for me. I wouldn't have it any other way.
"And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree." (1 Nephi 8:24)
"And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit." (1 Nephi 8:10-12)
