Today's Favorite Verse: Jacob 4:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Jacob 4:6
"Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."

This made me think of the various times prophets were commanded to control the elements. What they were not controlling was people, taking away their agency to choose. Even with Moses and Pharaoh, God didn't take away Pharaoh's agency to choose if he would release the children of Israel. It was Pharaoh that hardened his heart and would not let them go. It wasn't until that final plague where the first born died that Pharaoh said enough. Up until that very end everyone had the choice to do their will or God's will. We cannot control other people no matter how much at times we would want to.

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."
(Matthew 17:20)

"For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove—and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith."
(Ether 12:30)

"And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him."
(Moses 7:13)

"Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.
And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.
And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done."
(Helaman 10:4-5, 9)

"And now, whoso readeth, let him understand; he that hath the scriptures, let him search them, and see and behold if all these deaths and destructions by fire, and by smoke, and by tempests, and by whirlwinds, and by the opening of the earth to receive them, and all these things are not unto the fulfilling of the prophecies of many of the holy prophets."
(3 Nephi 10:14)

Day 3408

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:7

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Corinthians 5:7

"(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)"

Sometimes I think about faith as a mustard seed, and if I had that much faith I could move a mountain.

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

(Matthew 17:20)

My brain will go in circles. I do not think my faith very small, but I do not think I could move a mountain either. Then I reason, how could I really know? There is no need to move a mountain. To try and do so would be for vanity and not according to God's will. Such an attempt would be for sight and not by faith. Faith requires you to be in harmony with God's will in the matter. I think then that we underestimate how much faith we may have, that we are somehow lacking because we cannot move a mountain. The question really is, do you believe that God can move the mountains in your life, when obstacles are in your path? That I know is true and have witnessed such miracles in my life. I have seen a tiny bit of exercised faith grow into a mighty thing.

Day 3242

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 26:20-21

Today's Favorite Verse: Isaiah 26:20-21

"Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee: hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the indignation be overpast.

For, behold, the LORD cometh out of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity: the earth also shall disclose her blood, and shall no more cover her slain."

I read several quotes where Brigham Young, John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff were all referring to the saints in Utah being safely in the chambers of the mountain. I pondered on how it is no longer possible for saints worldwide to gather in the valley of these everlasting mountains.

"And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues."

(Revelation 18:4)

Our places of refuge are now the stakes of Zion, temples, and our homes. We really did shut our doors when the pandemic first began. These events may have been for "a little moment", but all of it has been for our profit and learning, to be guided by a prophet of God.

"And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth."

(Doctrine and Covenants 115:6)

Day 2864

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 114:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 114:6

"Ye mountains, that ye skipped like rams; and ye little hills, like lambs?"

This made me wonder how many times in the scriptures we have record of mountains being moved out of their place? I found two places, both mentioned in the Book of Mormon. One with the brother of Jared and the other with Enoch.

"For the brother of Jared said unto the mountain Zerin, Remove—and it was removed. And if he had not had faith it would not have moved; wherefore thou workest after men have faith."

(Ether 12:30)

"And so great was the faith of Enoch that he led the people of God, and their enemies came to battle against them; and he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the mountains fled, even according to his command; and the rivers of water were turned out of their course; and the roar of the lions was heard out of the wilderness; and all nations feared greatly, so powerful was the word of Enoch, and so great was the power of the language which God had given him."

(Moses 7:13)

I saw several places where it mentions faith can move mountains.

"And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you."

(Matthew 17:20)

"Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done."

(Matthew 21:21)

"For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith."

(Mark 11:23)

"For the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee."

(Isaiah 54:10 & 3 Nephi 22:10)

"Wherefore, we search the prophets, and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and our faith becometh unshaken, insomuch that we truly can command in the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us, or the mountains, or the waves of the sea."

(Jacob 4:6)

"And if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done."

(Helaman 10:9)

"Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done."

(Helaman 12:17)

I also read President Nelson's talk on moving mountains. This was about moving the mountains in our lives.

"Moving your mountains may require a miracle. Learn about miracles. Miracles come according to your faith in the Lord. Central to that faith is trusting His will and timetable—how and when He will bless you with the miraculous help you desire. Only your unbelief will keep God from blessing you with miracles to move the mountains in your life."

(Russell M. Nelson, "Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains", April 2021, General Conference)

Yet, I do wonder if mountains being moved are some of the "mightiest works" and "greatest manifestations of the Savior's power" we are suppose to see in the coming days.

(Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives", Apr 2018 General Conference; "Overcome the World and Find Rest", Oct 2022 General Conference)

Day 2751