Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 9:2, 6

Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 9:2, 6
"And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.
And they departed, and went through the towns, preaching the gospel, and healing every where."

What stood out to me is the Jesus sent the apostles out to not only preach the gospel, but to also heal the sick. I pondered on why healing the sick? Is it because it's hard to listen when you're sick, take care of temporal needs before the spirit can be feed. Was it to show service? As I thought of all these reasons the thought that came to mind was "by their fruits shall ye know them:" I think that must be it. They were doing good works in Jesus name. This is how the Spirit could testify that they had power and authority through Jesus Christ.

Day 4106

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants Official Declaration 1

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants Official Declaration 1
"President Lorenzo Snow offered the following:
“I move that, recognizing Wilford Woodruff as the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the only man on the earth at the present time who holds the keys of the sealing ordinances, we consider him fully authorized by virtue of his position to issue the Manifesto which has been read in our hearing, and which is dated September 24th, 1890, and that as a Church in General Conference assembled, we accept his declaration concerning plural marriages as authoritative and binding.”
The vote to sustain the foregoing motion was unanimous.
Salt Lake City, Utah, October 6, 1890."

This official declaration is the manifesto given by President Wilford Woodruff that ended the practice of plural marriage. The chapter header explains that "monogamy is God's standard for marriage unless He declares otherwise." Once the law of the land made this religious practice illegal the prophet sought the will of the Lord. He was shown in vision and by revelation what would happen to the saints if they did not end this practice. They had struggles with some that would not stop and continued to perform plural marriages in the endowment house. The prophet Wilford Woodruff had the endowment house taken down. What I pondered on is how some members think they know better than the prophet. That is such a sad thing. As President Lorenzo Snow very clearly spells out the prophet holds the keys to the sealing ordinances. He alone holds that authority on the earth.

Day 3728

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 113:7-8

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 113:7-8
"Questions by Elias Higbee: What is meant by the command in Isaiah, 52d chapter, 1st verse, which saith: Put on thy strength, O Zion—and what people had Isaiah reference to?
He had reference to those whom God should call in the last days, who should hold the power of priesthood to bring again Zion, and the redemption of Israel; and to put on her strength is to put on the authority of the priesthood, which she, Zion, has a right to by lineage; also to return to that power which she had lost."

There were some questions that Joseph Smith and others had on the writings of Isaiah. This chapter has questions they asked and the answers received. I love these question and answer sessions. I really do wish they had asked more. This is verse in Isaiah the question was about.

"Awake, awake; put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city: for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean."
(Isaiah 52:1)

This is talking about us. With the phrase "put on thy beautiful garments" it makes me wonder why, of all times, would an endowed member want to find excuses to stop wearing them? I don't really want to understand their reasoning. I truly feel they are on shaky ground and may not know it yet. That thought makes me really, really sad. It also makes me think of the five foolish virgins. Could you imagine them asking the five wise virgins to give them their garments because they don't have any with them? There is a reason we are told to be covenant keeping, temple going people.

"I am so grateful for the privilege of wearing the garment of the holy priesthood to remind me that the Savior and the blessings of His infinite Atonement constantly cover me throughout my mortal journey. It also reminds me that as I keep the covenants I have made with God in the house of the Lord, I have symbolically put on Christ, who Himself is an armor of light. He will protect me from evil, give me power and increased capacity, and be my light and guide through the darkness and difficulties of this world.
There is deep and beautiful symbolic meaning in the garment of the holy priesthood and its relationship to Christ. I believe that my willingness to wear the holy garment becomes my symbol to Him. It is my own personal sign to God, not a sign to others."
(Sister J. Anette Dennis, "Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ", April 2024 General Conference)

Day 3702

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 109:22

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 109:22
"And we ask thee, Holy Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with thy power, and that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them;"

When I leave the temple I do not feel alone. I can feel a mighty force behind me, strengthening me. I've seen how angels that are deceased loved ones, are given power to strengthen, protect and be there for us.

"Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares."
(Hebrew 13:2)

"We are instructed that all who worship in the temple will have the power of God and angels having “charge over them.” How much does it increase your confidence to know that, as an endowed woman or man armed with the power of God, you do not have to face life alone? What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?"
(Russell M. Nelson, "Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys", Apr 2024 General Conference)

Day 3698

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 95:8

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 95:8
"Yea, verily I say unto you, I gave unto you a commandment that you should build a house, in the which house I design to endow those whom I have chosen with power from on high;"

I pondered on how the saint probably didn't understand all that this verse meant. How they would receive power from on high. Then I thought of how some don't understand that today. Found this nice quote regarding what an endowment is.

"President Joseph Fielding Smith (1876–1972) taught the following: “The Kirtland Temple was necessary before the [Lord’s servants] could receive the endowment which the Lord had in store for them. The elders had been out preaching the Gospel and crying repentance ever since the Church was organized and many great men had heard and embraced the truth, nevertheless the elders could not go forth in the power and authority which the Lord intended them to possess until this Temple was built where he could restore keys and powers essential to the more complete preaching of the Gospel and the administering of its ordinances” (Church History and Modern Revelation [1953], 1:406).
In temples today, the Lord continues to endow His servants with power and prepare them to accomplish His sacred work of salvation. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the blessings of being endowed with power in the Lord’s temple:
“When men and women go to the temple, they are both endowed with the same power, which by definition is priesthood power. …
“Our Father in Heaven is generous with His power. All men and all women have access to this power for help in their lives. All who have made sacred covenants with the Lord and who honor those covenants are eligible to receive personal revelation, to be blessed by the ministering of angels, to commune with God, to receive the fulness of the gospel, and, ultimately, to become heirs alongside Jesus Christ of all our Father has” (“Men and Women and Priesthood Power,” Ensign, Sept. 2014, 32).
(Doctrine and Covenant Student Manual, Chapter 37: Doctrine and Covenants 95)

Day 3684

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 8:13-14

Today's Favorite Verse: Ether 8:13-14
"And it came to pass that Akish gathered in unto the house of Jared all his kinsfolk, and said unto them: Will ye swear unto me that ye will be faithful unto me in the thing which I shall desire of you?
And it came to pass that they all sware unto him, by the God of heaven, and also by the heavens, and also by the earth, and by their heads, that whoso should vary from the assistance which Akish desired should lose his head; and whoso should divulge whatsoever thing Akish made known unto them, the same should lose his life."

I feel like we have a place like this in our land right now. Anyone that seems to visit comes back in allegiance with this man. They seek for power and gain and sell their souls. They are built up by the devil, who is the father of all lies, by their lies we know them. At this point I will be surprised if they come to justice in this life, certainly they will face the justice of God, it cannot be avoided. It's one of those stories we will probably learn all the details about at the end.

"Wherefore, the Lord commandeth you, when ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you; or wo be unto it, because of the blood of them who have been slain; for they cry from the dust for vengeance upon it, and also upon those who built it up."
(Ether 8:24)

Day 3571

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 24:13-14

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Nephi 24:13-14
"For thou hast said in thy heart: I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north;
I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High."

Isaiah (14:13-14) is being quoted here. He is speaking of Satan and how he sought to set himself above God and have his glory. He was full of pride, and with it desired to destroy the agency of man to obtain all power. The same fight over pride, and power is among us today.

"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 surely I will do it; wherefore give me thine honor.
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;"
(Moses 4:1, 3

Pride is the only tool the adversary has against the righteous. It is with pride the armor of God can be cracked, even if to say how righteous you are. This is the greatest of sins and must constantly be watched for.

"For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch."
(Malachi 4:1)

Day 3395

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Thessalonians 2:11

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Thessalonians 2:11
"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:"

I think of this often as I see lies sold as truth and people believe it. This really is a season of strong delusions. The number of people under strong delusions seems to be growing at an unprecedented rate. You can speak truth, giving undeniable facts, and yet they will hold to a lie. Because they reject truth and the testimony of God's servants, strong delusion are sent to them, which causes them to believe a lie all the more. They harden their hearts and lose compassion and charity for others. Money, power and position increases their pride. They become arrogant in feeling they know better than the prophets which leads to spiritual blindness. They become driven and motivated by anger instead of establishing peace. They are embolden to mock and ridicule others. These are the ones that will embrace false doctrine and philosophies of men, establish idols and set men up to be their gods. They seek their will and not God's will. Then when they give the adversary power they will see signs and lying wonders in their life. They have strong delusions on what is real. God sending strong delusions happens because its what they asked for. They want to believe a lie and profit from it. The danger is if you refuse to accept truth long enough you lose the opportunity to receive it.

Day 3277

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:5

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Thessalonians 1:5
"For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake."

That power comes from priesthood authority. Paul was an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Those same keys were given to this dispensation.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie (1915–85) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:“The true gospel consists of two things: The Word, and The Power. Anyone can have the word; the books in which it is written are universally available. But the power must come from God; it is and must be dispensed according to his mind and his will to those who abide the law entitling them to receive it. The word of the gospel is the spoken or written account of what men must do to be saved. …“But actual salvation comes only when the power of God is received and used; and this power is the power of the priesthood and the power of the Holy Ghost. These must operate in the lives of men; otherwise their souls cannot be cleansed; they cannot be born again; they cannot become new creatures of the Holy Ghost; they cannot put off the natural man and become saints; they cannot be sanctified by the Spirit”
(Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 3:42–43).
(New Testament Student Manual, "Chapter 46: 1 Thessalonians and 2 Thessalonians")

Those priesthood keys were restored by heavenly messengers to the prophet Joseph Smith. First, came John the Baptist and the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood. Then came Peter, James and Johns to restore the Melchizedek priesthood. Followed by Moses committing the keys of the gathering of Israel, Elias the dispensation of the gospel of Abraham, and Elijah with the sealing power. All I know is belonging to a church that holds these priesthood keys. I am so grateful for the blessing it has brought into my life.

Day 3271

Today's Favorite Verse: John 10:17-18

Today's Favorite Verse: John 10:17-18

"Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again.

No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father."

The power to lay down His life and take it up again was given to Jesus by his Father. Resurrection is a priesthood ordinances. A fact I did not discover until recently. Somewhere, I read a quote where it said man would be given keys to this ordinance in the next life. These keys will be given by Christ to assist in resurrecting the saints. Now I just had to find that main quote, and I did! It was in a general conference talk by President Kimball, quoting Brigham Young.

"President Brigham Young, the second president of this dispensation, said: “It is supposed by this people that we have all the ordinances in our possession for life and salvation, and exaltation, and that we are administering in those ordinances. This is not the case. We are in possession of all the ordinances that can be administered in the flesh; but there are other ordinances and administrations that must be administered beyond this world. I know you would like to ask what they are. I will mention one. We have not, neither can we receive here, the ordinance and the keys of resurrection.” (Journal of Discourses, 15:137.)

Do we have the keys of resurrection? Could you return to the earth as ones who would never again die—your own parents, your grandparents, your ancestors? I buried my mother when I was eleven, my father when I was in my early twenties. I have missed my parents much. If I had the power of resurrection as did the Savior of the world, I would have been tempted to try to have kept them longer. I have been called to speak in numerous funerals for people whom I have known, people whom I have loved, and people whom I have saved and held on to in a limited way. We do not know of anyone who can resurrect the dead as did Jesus the Christ when he came back to mortality.“

[The keys] will be given to those who have passed off this stage of action and have received their bodies again. … They will be ordained, by those who hold the keys of the resurrection, to go forth and resurrect the Saints, just as we receive the ordinance of baptism then receive the keys of authority to baptize others for the remission of their sins. This is one of the ordinances we can not receive here [on the earth], and there are many more.” (JD, 15:137.)"

(Spencer W. Kimball, "Our Great Potential", April 1977 General Conference)

Day 3166

Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 24:49, 53

Today's Favorite Verse: Luke 24:49, 53

"And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

And were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God. Amen."

I hadn't noticed this before. Where did the apostles go til they received power from on high? It was the temple. They were continually there, praising and blessing God. It's interesting that this is also where we are told to be right now.

"Spending more time in the temple builds faith. And your service and worship in the temple will help you to think celestial. The temple is a place of revelation. There you are shown how to progress toward a celestial life. There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life, even your most perplexing problems."

(Russell M. Nelson, "Think Celestial!", Oct 2023 General Conference)

Day 3156

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 29:1, 11

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 29:1, 11

"Give unto the LORD, O ye mighty, give unto the LORD glory and strength.

The LORD will give strength unto his people; the LORD will bless his people with peace."

I noticed that this psalm starts with us giving glory and strength to the Lord, and in return He gives us strength and peace. I wondered how I could give glory or strength to the Lord? I don't see Him getting anything from me, he already has it.

Then I thought maybe the difference is in what the word "give" means. Here are some usages that helped me ponder.

To give someone or something a particular power or right means to allow them to have it.

To turn over the possession or control of to someone without cost or exchange; make a gift of

To hand or pass over into the trust or keeping of someone

To hand or pass over in exchange for something else; sell (goods, services, etc.) for a price or pay (a price) for goods, services, etc.

I think it then means. If I give or acknowledge that the Lord has a particular power or right, like strength and glory, and give him possession to control it in my life, in return he will strengthen me and give me peace.

Day 2666

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Samuel 22:33

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Samuel 22:33

"God is my strength and power: and he maketh my way perfect."

The words that stood out to me were strength, power and perfect. Though I know I am hopelessly flawed and of myself will never be perfect, I can be made perfect through Christ. The Savior's atonement allows me to lean on Him as I repent and grow. I want to be like Him. He is my strength. He helps me to be strong in doing what is right, even though others might mock and try to tear me down for my faith, and trying to be obedient. He gives me strength to say what he wants me to say. His power is a protective shield He gives me. It is the power to overcome the fiery darts of the adversary, and stay the course ahead towards Him.

Day 2448

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 4:3, 11

Today's Favorite Verse: 1 Samuel 4:3, 11

"And when the people were come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Wherefore hath the LORD smitten us to day before the Philistines? Let us fetch the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh unto us, that, when it cometh among us, it may save us out of the hand of our enemies.

And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain."

Israel goes to battle against the Philistines and it went badly for them. When four thousand Israelites are slain they called for the ark of the covenant to go back into battle with. They were beaten and slain, the sons of Eli killed, and the ark of the covenant is captured. The problem, it does not say they turned to the Lord to help them in battle. God did not tell them to use the ark of the covenant. They called for the ark it appears because they thought it would save them. They abused its power and turned it into almost an idol. You can't take religious items and treat them as if they have more power than God. It made me ponder on how important it has been to be corrected in how I refer to the "atonement". The reference is Christ's atonement or the atonement of Jesus Christ, the power is in Jesus Christ. The atonement has no power in of itself. Referring to the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ incorrectly would be no different then taking the ark of the covenant and using it without acknowledge the power in it came from God.

"It is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as “the Atonement” or “the enabling power of the Atonement” or “applying the Atonement” or “being strengthened by the Atonement.” These expressions present a real risk of misdirecting faith by treating the event as if it had living existence and capabilities independent of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

There is no amorphous entity called “the Atonement” upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ is the source. Sacred terms such as Atonement and Resurrection described what the Savior did, according to the Father’s plan, so that we may live with hope in this life and gain eternal life in the world to come. The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him."

(Russell M. Nelson, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives", Apr 2017 General Conference)

Day 2399

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 50:7-8, 13

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 50:7-8, 13

"Behold, verily I say unto you, there are hypocrites among you, who have deceived some, which has given the adversary power; but behold such shall be reclaimed;

But the hypocrites shall be detected and shall be cut off, either in life or in death, even as I will; and wo unto them who are cut off from my church, for the same are overcome of the world.

Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question - unto what were ye ordained?"

This is such an important chapter to understand. It grieves my heart for those that are being deceived, and have fallen into priestcrafts and occult practices giving the adversary power, like law of attraction and energy healings. There is hope for those once deceived, repented and get out, for they will be reclaimed. But, those that continue to preach false doctrine and deceive will one day have to answer to the wrath of God. The important thing to ask when anyone tries to offer you "greater light and knowledge", and secrets only for the "chosen", is to ask "unto what were ye ordained?" If what they teach or preach is not a known doctrine from one of proper authority, then it is the doctrine of devils. All the more reason to continually search the scriptures so you will know when the hypocrite is there to deceive.

Day 2053

Today's Favorite Verse: Helaman 2:4-5, 13

Today's Favorite Verse: Helaman 2:4-5, 13

"For there was one Gadianton, who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery; therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen.

Therefore he did flatter them, and also Kishumen, that if they would place him in the judgment-seat he would grant unto those who belonged to his band that they should be placed in power and authority among the people; therefore Kishkumen sought to destroy Helaman.

And behold, in the end of this book ye shall see that this Gadianton did prove the overthrow, yea, almost the entire destruction of the people of Nephi."

The object of the followers of Gadianton is to murder, rob, and gain power. It doesn't take much imagination to feel we have Gadianton robbers inside our government. Helaman as chief-judge did try to root them out, and execute them according to law, but they escaped into the wilderness. This was just the beginning of their secret band. First, it was the very wicked that joined them. Eventually, they were able to overthrow the government because those that were once righteous were seduced into going along with them. As I participated in my annual 4th of July tradition of watching "A More Perfect Union" today, I thought about how much we have strayed. I think the righteous have been seduced by "what's in it for me".

Day 1923

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 22:15

Today's Favorite Verse: Alma 22:15
"And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may not be cast off at the last days? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy."

I am reminded of the earlier words of king Lamoni's father as he feared Ammon had the power to kill him.

"Now the king, fearing he should lose his life, said: If thou wilt spare me I will grant unto thee whatsoever thou wilt ask, even to half of the kingdom."
(Alma 20:23)

At that time his life over physical death was worth half of his kingdom. Yet when he is converted and desires eternal life it is worth all that he posses, including his kingdom. It is amazing the value things have considering which direction and master you are facing. We truly cannot be born again until we are willing to give up all our sins and that was the next step in king Lamoni's father conversion. 

"O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day. And now when the king had said these words, he was struck as if he were dead."
(Alma 22:18)

The king was then dead to the natural man within him and he was born again. When Aaron takes his hand and raises him the king begins to minister to them and his whole household is converted to the Lord. More than all the material possessions or status we may gain in this life, the giving up or all our sins, even our favorite sins, is what brings eternal life.

Day 1880

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 4:7

Today's Favorite Verse: Acts 4:7
"And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?"

This question was asked by the high priests after learning Peter and John healed the man crippled from birth. The answer was "by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified."

I find it interesting that Christ asked something similar, as a test we can give to the hypocrites that give the adversary power to deceived.

"Wherefore, I the Lord ask you this question - unto what were ye ordained?"
(Doctrine and Covenants 50:13)

I guess the difference in what the correct answer is determines who are you following. What authority are you acting under and have you been called to do so? Knowing what the correct answer should be makes all the difference to me.

Day 1595

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 9:5-6

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 9:5-6
"For whether is easier, to say, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and walk?
But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins, (then saith he to the sick of the palsy,) Arise, take up thy bed, and go unto thine house."

I guess I never pieced these two things together. The reason Jesus went about performing miracles and healing people was not just to show compassion and mercy on them. It was to demonstrate that he had the power to forgive their sins. He was showing them he had an even greater ability to heal them. Not just physically and mentally, but spiritually too.


Day 1513

Today's Favorite Verse: Zechariah 8:9, 13

Today's Favorite Verse: Zechariah 8:9, 13
"Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Let your hands be strong, ye that hear in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, which were in the day that the foundation of the house of the Lord of hosts was laid, that the temple might be built.
And it shall come to pass, that as ye were a curse among the heathen, O house of Judah, and house of Israel; so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing: fear not, but let your hands be strong."

What stood out to me was the reference to "let your hands be strong". What did that mean? As I pondered on it I realized it was speaking of the power of the priesthood. It would be restored when the gathering and temples are built upon the earth. Priesthood power would be given to those that do the Lord's work.

Day 1494