Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 6:16-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 6:16-19
"These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

I have to say this does remind me of someone. If I'm reading this correctly the Lord hates the first six but the seventh is an abomination to him. That would be sowing discord among brethren. It reminded me of when I looked at the difference between wickedness and evil.

To be wicked you are morally wrong in a principle. To be evil you have a plan or passion to hurt someone. With sowing discord among brethren it sounds like you have a plan and are working it. Its incredible how much discord one evil person can sow. We were warned about supporting and giving them power.

"Members should also study candidates carefully and vote for those who have demonstrated integrity, compassion, and service to others, regardless of party affiliation. Merely voting a straight ticket or voting based on “tradition” without careful study of candidates and their positions on important issues is a threat to democracy and inconsistent with revealed standards (see Doctrine and Covenants 98:10)."
(First Presidency Letter, "Political Participation, Voting, and the Political Neutrality of the Church", 1 Jun 2023)

"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)

Day 3954

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 31:13

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 31:13
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, I know that if ye shall follow the Son, with full purpose of heart, acting no hypocrisy and no deception before God, but with real intent, repenting of your sins, witnessing unto the Father that ye are willing to take upon you the name of Christ, by baptism—yea, by following your Lord and your Savior down into the water, according to his word, behold, then shall ye receive the Holy Ghost; yea, then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost; and then can ye speak with the tongue of angels, and shout praises unto the Holy One of Israel."

We may follow the Lord with full purpose of heart, have real intent that we will always do so, but it is part of the plan that we will still slip and fall. The difference is we know it, and won't hide it. We will repent and try again. This is how we learn and grow, it truly shows our real intent to follow Him.

I learned this week that you can lose patience and get angry, mess things up and watch things go out of control. Yet, there was still a purpose for all that happened. Things moved quickly in a direction for my family's greater good than I could have ever realized. Yes, I needed to repent of my part, because I could have done better, even though the ultimate outcome wouldn't have changed. There is a reason why my slower plan wouldn't work, because it wasn't His. The Lord is letting me stumble and grow, and watching out for me at the same time. I marvel at how as I sincerely repented and grieved how he revealed things regarding the situation I had no insight on before hand. He brought confirmation and peace to my soul. As the greater picture has taken shape I stand so amazed on how protected we have been all this time.

Day 3402

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 11:4

Today's Favorite Verse: Genesis 11:4

"And they said, Go to, let us build us a city and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven; and let us make a name, lest we be scattered abroad upon the face of the whole earth."

I realized something for the first time about the tower of Babel and why it was against God's plan for them. It was because the people didn't want to be scattered across the whole earth, they wanted to remain together. They were working the wrong plan, and it was opposite of what God told them to do.

"And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, "Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth."

(Genesis 9:1)

The confounding of their language caused the people to separate and go into other lands and begin to replenish the earth.

Day 2170

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 51:16-17

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 51:16-17

"And I consecrate unto them this land for a little season, until I, the Lord, shall provide for them otherwise, and command them to go hence;

And the hour and the day is not given unto them, wherefore let them act upon this land as for years, and this shall turn unto them for their good."

I guess I missed the fact that the saints were told even before gathering to Ohio that they wouldn't be there long. Even with that they settled, and eventually built a temple. I remember when a church leader was asked about the timing of the second coming. They said "we still plant cherry trees". Wish I could find that quote. I think it was either President Kimball or President Hinckley that said it. Those words stuck with me. We don't just give up, thinking the end is coming so why plan for anything in the future. Nope, we are still to act as if we will be here for years. That is the attitude of faith and hope, and being good stewards over all that we have. 

I did find this interesting quote from Brigham Young.

"How many times have I asked the Latter-day Saints what they could do with regard to building the New Jerusalem? Suppose the word were to come to us that Jesus had appointed a certain time in which he would again visit this earth, and that he wanted a place prepared for him; or the command, “Go forth, ye Latter-day Saints, and begin to build the New Jerusalem, and prepare to receive the city of Enoch that will come down out of the heaven;” where is the man competent to go and collect stone fit to lay in the first tier of the foundation of the walls of that city? To judge from their improvements, there is hardly a man capable of judiciously directing the labor of even two men—hardly a man that can properly erect a gristmill or a building for carding machines. Where are your useful machinery, your beautiful habitations your fertile gardens, your lovely walks, and magnificent palaces? You may reply, “We are not going to stop here, but are going to the Center Stake of Zion,” and so you pass on in comparative inactivity, and attempt only to build log houses or mud shanties. If you had the spirit of your calling, you would be anxious to build the best houses you could, and make the best gardens, fields, and vineyards, though you knew that you would not enjoy them one day after they were completed."

(JD 8:293, Remarks by President Brigham Young, made at Willow Creek, June 12, 1860)

Day 2054

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:34-36

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 11:34-36
"For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath been his counsellor?
For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."

This made me think of all the times I hear people trying to be God's counsellor. I can see how I have tried to do this at times too. I have a good plan and have learned over time the Lord's plan is better.

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."
(Isaiah 55:8)

One day I hope my thoughts and ways are exactly like His. For now I stumble along trying, and trust that all will come to my good in the end if I stay on His path.

Day 1630

Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 16:9

Today's Favorite Verse: Proverbs 16:9
"A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directed his steps."

It was only from the events of the last few days, that I have come to see the plan the Lord had been directing all along taking shape. I have been moved by the spirit to do specific things, and  I didn't having the understand of why. It was not what my heart or head thought I needed to do. I would ask the Lord if it was right and was told "You don't know how beautiful it will be." I just had to walk in faith and trust him. I am seeing beauty in his plan now. He has been coordinating something wonderful all this time, and I haven't even seen all of it yet. I am humbled and in awe of how powerful God is in our lives, if I will but let him direct my steps. His plan is a far better plan than what I could devised. I know it will be beautiful.

Day 1219

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 130:5

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 130:5
"I wait for the Lord, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope."

I can wait, I never used to be able to do that. Hurry up, it had to be right now. Now I see waiting for the Lord a beautiful thing. He will make it right. His plan is always a better plan. Waiting is hoping and there is joy in that. Waiting and his word go hand in hand. I must read and ponder the scriptures. Then when he's ready to teach me so much understanding opens up. Even my trials will make sense. I see his timing is exactly the way it was needful for me.

Day 1183

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 8:3-4

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 8:3-4
"When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?"

When I am alone outside at night and look into the heavens I feel how insignificant I am compared to all that God had created. It is then that the thought will come into my mind what if there was no God. That thought turns my blood to ice for the horror of it. It is in comprehensible to me that this is all an accident without a great design. The very heavens testify of it. Once again my heart is comforted because I know without a doubt there is a loving Father in Heaven that has a plan for me. 

Day 1061

Today's Favorite Verse: Esther 3:5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Esther 3:5-6
"And when Haman saw that Mordecai bowed not, nor did him reverence, then was Haman full of wrath.
And he thought scorn to lay hands on Mordecai alone; for they had shewed him the people of Mordecai: wherefore Haman sought to destroy all the Jews that were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus, even the people of Mordecai."

Haman plan for killing all Jews was a cover to simply kill Mordecai, who did not reverence him. I can see how pride is the downfall of man in this. I've been laid up with a bad back and because of this have been watching more movies than normal. I happened to watch last night one movie where a person was warned of their actions. They said they have witnessed how scandal has an unpleasant way of sticking to the wrong people. I found that a really curious statement and pondered on that most of the night. Then I read this and see that same pattern. What Haman thought to achieve with his plan turned around and stuck to him in the end. There is a warning in this to anyone that seeks a plan to destroy another. What a slippery slide that path is when we take offense because of our pride.


Day 1004

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 2:10

Today's Favorite Verse: Exodus 2:10

"And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water."

As I read this story of Moses and how he came to be raised in the courts of Pharaoh, I see God's hand in it. There was a purpose and plan to have Moses in the right place, and gain the right experiences. I will never be a Moses, but I know there has been and will continue to be doors that will open up to me, as the time is right in my life for them.

Day 627

Today's Favorite Verse: Abraham 3:24-25

Today's Favorite Verse: Abraham 3:24-25

"And there stood one among them that was like unto God, and he said unto those who were with him: We will go down, for there is space there, and we will take of these materials, and we will make an earth whereon these may dwell;

And we will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them;"

Abraham was shown the order of the heavens and their times and seasons. As I read I could see how small of a creation I am. Yet as I read these verses I see how my eternal progression is important to God. My life has a purpose in the eternal plan. Every minute of my life I am given agency to decide if I will do as the Lord commands. That is the essence of my life experience. To be tried and tested and proven worthy or not. God's commandments were never meant to be put on a shelf, so I could follow my own will. In every breath I take, every decision I face, the question is do I follow Him?

Day 570

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 4:1-3

Today's Favorite Verse: Moses 4:1-3

"And I, the Lord God, spake unto Moses, saying: That Satan, whom thou hast commanded in the name of mine Only Begotten, is the same which was from the beginning, and he came before me, saying - Behold, here am I, send me, I will be thy son, and I will redeem all mankind, that one soul shall not be lost, and surly I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.

But, behold, my Beloved Son, which was my Beloved and Chosen from the beginning, said unto me - Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever.

Wherefore, because that Satan rebelled against me, and sought to destroy the agency of man, which I, the Lord God, had given him, and also, that I should give unto him mine own power; by the power of mine Only Begotten, I caused that he should be cast down."

God is telling Moses how Satan became the devil. I found it interesting that Moses experienced prior to this the reality of Satan and his demands to be worshiped. It was only through calling on the name of Christ that Satan could be commanded to depart. Moses knew from his own experience exactly who God was talking about.

Satan is still trying to destroy the agency of man. This is the most precious gift I have been given by the Father. The ability to chose. Though those choices do have consequences. My heart is so full of gratitude for my Savior and his willingness to atone for my sins. It is the only way possible for me to make it back to the Father's presence. I just had to sit and reflect on that for a while. What a marvelous plan this is.

Day 563

Today's Favorite Verse: D&C 3:1, 3, 7-8

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 3:1, 3, 7-8

"The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.

Remember, remember that it is not the work of God that is frustrated, but the work of men;

For, behold, you should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words - 

Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble."

The chapter contains revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith after losing the 116 pages of manuscript from the first part of the Book of Mormon. Joseph lost the power to translate and the gold plates and the Urim and Thummim were taken from him. He needed a season to repent, before the gift to translate and plates were restored to him.

The important lesson was to have Joseph and us, learn to put our trust in the Lord. God's ways cannot be frustrated, only mans. He will be with us in every trouble. The Lord had prepared away to recover from those lost 116 pages. Over 1400 years earlier he had Mormon add the small plates of Nephi, that told the most precious parts of those stories, to the gold plates. Those records could replace what was lost.

As I pondered on this I reviewed so many times I have seen the hand of God in my life. When I have been blessed by following the counsel he has given me, and when I have suffered because I have not. I have learned how important it is to trust God's plan, even when I don't know what that plan is. He has prepared a way if I will just follow him. I have been amazed at the miracles the Lord can perform if I let him.

When I had my Social Security Disability Review last year I knew the issues I had when I first received disability were not what my issues were today. As I filled out my paperwork the spirit was so strong that I needed to be completely honest, even if it meant I would lose my disability. I didn't know how I would survive financially, or physically having to try and work full time. But, the spirit told me "Be honest, and He will bless you." I was honest, and Ioss my disability. Yet I look back now six months from that event, and can tell you the Lord blessed me beyond measure. There are so many areas of my life that have improved because of being honest, and trusting the Lord. Yes, it's hard when you don't know how you will survive. But, if you trust the Lord you will not only survive the time of trouble, but will blossom. All the Lord ever wants to do is bless us, if we let him.

Day 422