Today's Favorite Verse: Ecclesiastes 6:3

Today's Favorite Verse: Ecclesiastes 6:3

"If a man beget an hundred children, and live many years, so that the days of his years be many, and his soul be not filled with good, and also that he have no burial; I say, that an untimely birth is better than he."

If a man have everything, a long life and many children, but he be evil it profits him nothing. It is better that he was stillborn, for at least he would be at rest with God. Does that answer the question of what happens to stillborn children?

Day 2824

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 150:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 150:6

"Let every thing that hath breath praise the LORD. Praise ye the LORD."

I pondered on every creature praising the Lord. This made me think of the dust of the earth, and how it is even more obedient than we.

"O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.

For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God."

(Helaman 12:7-8)

Then I realized the dust is not a living thing, or is it? Man was formed from the dust of the earth, and then God breathed life into it.

"And I, the LORD God, formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul, the first flesh upon the earth, the first man also."

(Genesis 2:8)

Brigham Young said, “There is life in all matter, throughout the vast extent of all the eternities; it is in the rock, the sand, the dust, in water, air, the gases, and, in short, in every description and organization of matter, whether it be solid, liquid, or gaseous.” When God formed man from the dust of the ground, before he breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, man’s body was alive with light and spirit which had come from mother earth’s living matter (see Moses 3:7). He then breathed into man’s nostrils the breath of life, which was the unique intelligence we also call spirit (see Moses 3:7 and Abraham 3:22). When a man dies, his spirit intelligence separates from his body, but there is still life in his body, which returns to the dust of the earth (see Genesis 3:19).

(J. Michael Hunter, "The Living Earth: A Nineteenth-Century Latter-Day Saint Perspective", page 2, Brigham Young University, Our Stewardship: Perspectives on Nature Symposium, 28 Feb 2004)

Day 2787

Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 20:22

Today's Favorite Verse: Mosiah 20:22
"And now let us pacify the king, and we fulfil the oath which we have made unto him; for it is better that we should be in bondage than that we should lose our lives; therefore, let us put a stop to the shedding of so much blood."

I had made a note on this verse about the removal of my dangerous old trees and having to go into debt to do so. I had read this verse shortly after the event and this left an impression on me. For those trees were rotted and limbs were coming down, one having fallen in the only perfect spot where it could do no damage. That was my final warning. My insurance would not have covered me if it had landed on the house because they were rotted and I had not maintained the trees. It was better to be in bondage financially then to have someone lose their life.

Now I think of the pandemic around us and how it is better to be in bondage, remaining safely in our homes, until the danger is lifted. In fact as I am reading these words in the Book of Mormon I see them as a clear direction on when to fight for liberty and when we need to stand still and preserve life.

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put out a letter "Administrative Principle in Challenging Times", April 16, 2020 and reaffirmed us upholding the laws of the land, especially when rights are restricted to protect others. 

Global Citizen Responsibility
"Members of the Church are grateful for the laws of many nations around the world that protect religious freedom and respect the sacred freedom of conscience.

The Church teaches that its members should sustain and uphold the laws where they reside. These governments enact such laws as in their own judgment are best calculated to secure the public interest. We acknowledge that in exceptional circumstances all individual rights may be reasonably restricted, for a time to protect the safety of the general public.

In times of pandemic or natural disaster the Church will respond to official orders to take needed actions such as cancelling or postponing meetings or other gatherings. The Church and its members are committed to being good citizens and good neighbors. The Church has a long history of reaching out and providing assistance to those in need.

Along with our commitment to be good global citizens, we respectfully assert that reasonable accommodations be extended to all people of faith as they strive to participate in rites, that are foundational to their faith."
(Tad Walch, "Church releases guidelines for weddings, funerals, ordinances during COVID-19 pandemic", Deseret News, Apr 17, 2020)

I feel that not only will we be temporarily blessed in being obedient, we will have spiritual blessings poured out to us for doing so. Those that are disobedient and press for their rights at the wrong time will suffer spiritually if not temporarily for their actions. 

Day 1849

Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 6:46

Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 6:46
"And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"

I pondered on how the gospel is not passive, but requires action. You cannot confess the Lord and then sit back thinking you are saved. That is just a small part that just barely opened the gate on the path to eternal life. I have to do as the Lord did. I must be baptized by one with authority. Yet, there is still more. I must shake off the natural man and temper myself to do as Jesus would do. That is a lifetime of actions. It is so worth every effort put into it. Because that's how I come to know the Lord, and he will call me his.

Day 1554

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 45:5

Today's Favorite Verse: Jeremiah 45:5
"And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not:for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places  whither thou goest."

Not sure what this phrase means "thy life will I give unto thee for a prey". There were other references.

"For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.
(Jeremiah 39:18)

"He that abideth in this city shall die by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth out, and falleth to the Chaldeans that besiege you, he shall live, and his life shall be unto him for a prey."
(Jeremiah 21:9)

Still wasn't seeing it. For I think of prey as something that is hunted. Then I found this Dictionary definition "archaic Plunder or (in biblical use) a prize."

Prey = prize. Now it makes sense that the chapter header says "Jeremiah promises Baruch that his life will be preserved."  His life is given him as a prize.

Day 1365

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 45:17

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 45:17
"I will make thy name to be remembered in all generations: therefore shall the people praise thee for ever and ever."

I may leave this earth and be forgotten here. But, I know in the next life generations before me will praise me for the work I did in their behalf in the temples of our God. I've already seen them, I know they are there. I will never forget seeing untold numbers streaming out of paths before me during my near-death experience. My life's work had an influence on them. Every name on a card that I carry in the temple represents one of them. There is so much work to be done, one name, one person at a time.

Day 1098

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 21:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 21:2
"Thou hast given him his heart's desire, and hast not withholden the request of his lips. Selah."

This made me this of Matthew 6:21
"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

I pondered on the beautiful gift of free agency, the freedom to choose eternal life or not. Where my heart's desire lay, is what I will be given. It doesn't mean God is a genie that will grant my every wish for material items. He lets me choose which direction I want to take, and the consequences that go with it.

"I ought not to harrow up in my desires the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men, yea, decreeth unto them decrees which are unalterable, according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction."
(Alma 29:4)

Day 1074

Today's Favorite Verse: Job 14:7-9

Today's Favorite Verse: Job 14:7-9
"For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease.
Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground;
Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant."

I know Job is speaking on the resurrection but I pondered on something else. I thought of our tree out back and how even though it was cut down little trees grew from those roots. It was water that brought it to life. This made me ponder on how Christ is the living waters. I thought of my trials and how things have been taken away. Yet the Lord has compensated me, by either something to replace it, or the pain from missing it to be removed. There is always hope for a brighter day, when I depend on the living waters to sustain me. He can breath new life and blossom that which I thought was lost.


Day 1025