Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 21:20-21

Today's Favorite Verse: Judges 21:20-21

"Therefore they commanded the children of Benjamin, saying, Go and lie in wait in the vineyards;

And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin."

This story of giving wives to the remnant of the tribe of Benjamin reminded me of the story of the wicked priests of king Noah in the Book of Mormon. I wonder if the story in Judges emboldened the wicked priest to think they were justified in what they did?

"And having tarried in the wilderness, and having discovered the daughters of the Lamanites, they laid and watched them;

And when there were but few of them gathered together to dance, they came forth out of their secret places and took them and carried them into the wilderness; yea, twenty and four of the daughters of the Lamanites they carried into the wilderness."

(Mosiah 20:4-5)

Day 2391

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 7:11-12

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 7:11-12

"And the Lord said unto Moses, They shall offer their offering, each prince on his day, for the dedicating of the altar.

And he that offered his offering the first day was Nahshon the son of Amminadab, of the tribe of Judah."

I knew the order each tribe made their offering for the dedication of the altar had to be following some pattern. It wasn't the birth order of the tribes of Israel. After some pondering I finally figured out the order for each prince on his day. It's the same order given in chapter 2 where each tribe was to camp. The order went from east, south, west, and north. The tribe of Levi was in the middle and they were the ones that served. The order was given by the Lord in how they would setup camp, after each of the tribes were numbered. This reminded me of temple dedications and how different stakes have a set day and session they are to attend.

Day 2283

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: 3 Nephi 7:2

Today's Favorite Verse: 3 Nephi 7:2
"And the people were divided one against another; and they did separate one from another into tribes, every man according to his family and his kindred and friends; and thus they did destroy the government of the land."

This is where I am afraid our nation is headed, if not already starting to happen. This was just four years before the resurrected Christ would appear to them in the Americas and the wicked would be destroyed. This also happened again before the Nephite civilization was destroyed. It is a precursor to rough times ahead for the wicked.

Yet, on the other hand when there is great wickedness those that remain righteous see the hand of God in their lives.

"...And Nephi did minister with power and with great authority...
..for so great was his faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily.
And in the name of Jesus did he cast out devils and unclean spirits; and even his brother did he raise from the dead, after he had been stoned and suffered death by the people.
And the people saw it, and did witness of it, and were angry with him because of his power; and he did also do many more miracles, in the sight of the people, in the name of Jesus.
...as many as were converted did truly signify unto the people that they had been visited by the power and Spirit of God, which was in Jesus Christ, in whom they believed.
And as many as had devils cast out from them, and were healed of their sicknesses and their infirmities, did truly manifest unto the people that they had been wrought upon by the Spirit of God, and had been healed; and they did show forth signs also and did do some miracles among the people."
(3 Nephi 7:17-22)

and it reminds of this...

"And the glory of the Lord shall be there, and the terror of the Lord also shall be there, insomuch that the wicked will not come unto it, and it shall be called Zion.
And it shall come to pass among the wicked, that every man that will not take his sword against his neighbor must needs flee unto Zion for safety.
And there shall be gathered unto it out of every nation under heaven; and it shall be the only people that shall not be at war one with another.
And it shall be among the wicked: Let us not go up to battle against Zion, for the inhabitants of Zion are terrible; wherefore we cannot stand.
And it shall come to pass that the righteous shall be gathered out from among all nations, and shall come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy."
(Doctrine and Covenants 45:67-71)

Day 1944