Today's Favorite Verse: Jarom 1:3

Today's Favorite Verse: Jarom 1:3
"Behold, it is expedient that much should be done among this people, because of the hardness of their hearts, and the deafness of their ears, and the blindness of their minds, and the stiffness of their necks; nevertheless, God is exceedingly merciful unto them, and has not as yet swept them off from the face of the land."

I had this note added to this verse, "Parents & family picking up returning missionaries during COVID-19". It reminded me of how the church gave guidelines for returning missionaries during the pandemic, which included a 14-day self isolation. After the first arrivals we watched horrific news broadcasts that showed families swarming the airport to welcome them home. It was so embarrassing for all of us, especially the church. The families had been told the returning missionaries needed to self isolate for 14-days upon arrival. It was crazy how families ignored it and brought huge groups to welcome them home. The Church and governor had to both reprimand them and set up even stricter guidelines. When we think rules don't apply to us and that we can ignore them, then we are showing a hardened heart, deafness, blindness and stiff necks, which is absolute pride and arrogance. It showed me how you may think you are doing a "good thing" but in reality you are showing behavior totally unbecoming a saint.

Church: ‘Substantial numbers’ of missionaries may return to home nations; mission lengths may be reduced; all MTCs will stop accepting new missionaries Utah Area presidency asks families to not congregate at airports as unprecedented numbers of missionaries return home Pickup for missionaries in Salt Lake will be limited to one car, drivers to stay in car

Day 3413

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 15:17-18, 20

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 15:17-18, 20
"That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
And now, because of stiffneckedness and unbelief they understood not my word; therefore I was commanded to say no more of the Father concerning this thing unto them.
And verily, I say unto you again that the other tribes hath the Father separated from them; and it is because of their iniquity that they know not of them."

Jesus is telling the Nephites the the Jews is Jerusalem did not know who he spoke of as his other sheep. This was due to their stiffneckedness and unbelief. That the Nephites are who he spoke of, and not only that there are other tribes that have been separated. As I was pondering on this I thought of how today it would also be because of stiffneckedness and unbelief that people do not accept this. It will be the same in the future as the records of those other tribes come forth. How I cannot wait for those days.

Mikhail Nesterov "Holy Rus." (1905)

Day 1952

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 22:20-22

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 22:20-22
"And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him."

Balak, king of the Moabites sees what Israel does to the Amorites and he desires Balaam to curse them. He sends the elders of Moab and Midian with a message to Balaam. Balaam refused to go with them, instead he has them stay the night so he can inquire of the Lord. He is told not to curse the people, for they are blessed. He then tells this to the elders. They return to Balak with this message and his response is to send more princes and honors to Balaam to have him come to him and curse this people. When Balaam receives this reply he has the princes wait so he can inquire again of the Lord. This time he is told in verse 22 he can go, but only if they call for him, and he is to say and do what the Lord tells him.

I was stuck for the longest time on these verses. God tells Balaam he could go, but then he's angry when he does go. God even sends an angel to kill Balaam if he proceeds any further. Balaam ass first sees the angel with a sword in his hand blocking the way and would not pass. Later Balaam eyes are opened to see the angel also. What was Balaam doing wrong?  I reread what the angel said that blocked his way.

"And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times?  behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:" (Numbers 22:32)

The footnote for perverse is Stiffnecked.

I think of being stiffnecked as being prideful. Were the honors Balak offered Balaam putting his heart in the wrong place? Did Balaam think he could go, but in his heart he was open to the influence of being seduced by Balak?  It all made me think of Joseph Smith when he tried to take the Golden Plates after being told by the angel Moroni where they were and to go find them. He uncovers them and while reaching in to take them out Moroni forbids him. This is part of what Moroni had earlier warned him about obtaining the plates..

"...Satan would try to tempt me,... to get the plates for the purpose of getting rich. This he forbade me, saying that I must have no other object in view in getting the plates but to glorify God, and must not be influenced by any other motive than that of building his kingdom; otherwise I could not get them."
(Doctrine & Covenants 1:46)

So after much pondering I think the problem for Balaam is where his heart was. The Lord wanted to make absolutely sure he would follow his directions to the letter. If not he would be destroyed. The experience of the angel with the sword blocking his way, reinforced the urgency of doing only God's will and not his own.


Day 714