Today's Favorite Verse: Daniel 12:8-12

Today's Favorite Verse: Daniel 12:8-12
"And I heard, but I understood not: then said I, O my Lord, what shall be the end of these things?
And he said, Go thy way, Daniel: for the words are closed up and sealed till the time of the end.
Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
And from the time that the daily sacrifice shall be taken away, and the abomination that maketh desolate set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days.
Blessed is he that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and five and thirty days."

I added this note to these verses in my scriptures.
Is this timing a major coincidence or has prophecy just been fulfilled? 

At the end of day on March 25, 2020 the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints closed due to Covid. Israel was attacked on Oct 7, 2023 at 6:30 a.m. Which would be the end of the day Oct 6 for the United States, making it 1,290 days later. 
If you read Daniel 12:10 it tells you who will understand.

When I realized the timing I didn't feel fear but awe and wonder of it all. It makes me wonder what else we are seeing but not knowing what we see. When the resurrected Christ appeared to his apostles he expounded all the scriptures that testified of him. We will more than likely experience the same thing when He comes again. Then go, "Awe, I didn't realize that was a sign". Things just happen so natural and organic.

The next question is when are we to start counting the 1,335 days? For blessed is he that waiteth. Was it from the date the temple closed I wondered? That would have made is 20 Nov 2023. I didn't note anything special on that day. If the count begins after the 1290 days then it would be 2 June 2027.

I'm not marking that date as something wondrous, like the second coming, is happening. I have my eye on that date but am fine to wait and see. For it is through the waiting we are blessed. For me waiting means to stay in place and be ever ready. It echoes the parable of the ten virgins to me, and being blessed for keeping their lamps filled. Now is not the time to take a break from living the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Day 4030

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 27:14

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 27:14
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

I pondered on how we are waiting on the Lord right now. We are waiting for His Second Coming. While we wait we do not sit and do nothing. The time is hastening, and the gathering is the most pressing and urgent it has ever been. As we gather people on both sides of the veil we are strengthen to the task. I marveled again tonight as I worked on my family history. The ability to find and record complete families has been hastened to an amazing speed. What a glorious time to live in.

Day 3911

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 43:17-19

Today's Favorite Verse: Doctrine & Covenants 43:17-19
"Hearken ye, for, behold, the great day of the Lord is nigh at hand.
For the day cometh that the Lord shall utter his voice out of heaven; the heavens shall shake and the earth shall tremble, and the trump of God shall sound both long and loud, and shall say to the sleeping nations: Ye saints arise and live; ye sinners stay and sleep until I shall call again.
Wherefore gird up your loins lest ye be found among the wicked."

As I read this I thought how devastatingly horrible it would be to be found among the wicked. Especially if you thought you were righteous. The Lord comes and the saints are resurrected and you find you are to wait. I wouldn't want to wait. I love change, anything new and different. To be held back would be so hard. Then of course the realization that you failed to recognize you were off the path, and found unworthy and not ready and now made to wait. That would be even harder to face. Man, I just don't want to go through that.

“The Prophet Joseph Smith said that 'nothing is a greater injury to the children of men than to be under the influence of a false spirit when they think they have the Spirit of God' [Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 205]
(Doctrine and Covenants Student Manual, "Chapter 19: Doctrine and Covenants 50")

Day 3632

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 14:24-25

Today's Favorite Verse: Matthew 14:24-25

"But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.

And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea."

Jesus is trying to find time alone after the death of John the Baptist. When he sees the multiple coming he has compassion on them. He performs the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes. After this he sends the apostles by ship and the multiples away. Now he goes up into a high mountain to pray. Evening comes and he is all alone. All this time the apostles are being tossed by the winds and the waves in a ship. Jesus doesn't come to them until the fourth watch, which is between three and six in the morning. It could have been twelve hours or more that the apostles fought the sea. This is a long tiring day for them all.

I pondered on the miracle of the walking on water by both Jesus and Peter afterwards. Sometimes we need to be left alone to gain strength from the Father. Sometimes God waits before he rescues us. But what comes from all these experiences is a spiritual strength that is born from faith and for our good.

Day 3102

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 130:6

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 130:6

"My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning."

The phrase "watch for the morning" made me think of the morning of the first resurrection, when Christ appears. Many focus on the Lord's Second Coming, yet what is needed more are those that "waiteth for the Lord". Those that wait to hear His words and follow Him. I could know every minutia regarding the second coming, and it would serve me no purpose, if my soul is not right with God when he comes.

Day 2767

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 123:2

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 123:2

"Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us."

I pondered on what it means to "wait upon the Lord". To me it means to have patience for His timing. To move when the spirit says its the right time to do so. To stand near by waiting for that call. It's always waiting to #HearHim.

While we are waiting we are not twiddling our thumbs. As a good servant we are always watching and doing that which needs to be done without being told. We continue to learn and growth, ponder and prepare so we are ready to proceed when mercy comes and we seek to do according to His will.

While I pondered and reasoned what I thought it meant, I decided to follow up and see what others have said about it. I liked this talk given by Elder Hales.

"What, then, does it mean to wait upon the Lord? In the scriptures, the word wait means to hope, to anticipate, and to trust. To hope and trust in the Lord requires faith, patience, humility, meekness, long-suffering, keeping the commandments, and enduring to the end.

To wait upon the Lord means planting the seed of faith and nourishing it “with great diligence, and … patience.”

It means praying as the Savior did—to God, our Heavenly Father—saying: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done.” It is a prayer we offer with our whole souls in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Waiting upon the Lord means pondering in our hearts and “receiv[ing] the Holy Ghost” so that we can know “all things what [we] should do.” As we follow the promptings of the Spirit, we discover that “tribulation worketh patience” and we learn to “continue in patience until [we] are perfected.”

Waiting upon the Lord means to “stand fast” and “press forward” in faith, “having a perfect brightness of hope.”

It means “relying alone upon the merits of Christ” and “with [His] grace assisting [us, saying]: Thy will be done, O Lord, and not ours.”

As we wait upon the Lord, we are “immovable in keeping the commandments,” knowing that we will “one day rest from all [our] afflictions.”

And we “cast not away … [our] confidence” that “all things wherewith [we] have been afflicted shall work together for [our] good.”

(Robert D. Hales, "Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done", Oct 1971 General Conference)

Day 2760

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 27:14

Today's Favorite Verse: Psalms 27:14

"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

Lot of good verses that brought up good thoughts and memories. It was hard to pick a favorite. Maybe because this was the last verse and thought, it stood out for me to record. I remembered the years of being a prodigal child's mother. I didn't know where my child was exactly but I knew others did. Every time I prayed about reaching out to them I was told "No. I had to wait. That they wouldn't want to hear from me." All I could do was leave them in His hands. It was really hard to be obedient to those instructions but I was glad I did. When the time was right and my child reached out to me, I was ready. All the time I was waiting the Lord was preparing my heart to be the mother my child needed right then. When I told them of my impression, having prayed about reaching out to them all those years, they told me I was right. That they wouldn't have wanted to hear from me. What a powerful lesson on learning to #HearHim and obey. If you wait as He asks, you will be ready when the time is right.

Day 2664

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 30:1-3, 20

Today's Favorite Verse: 2 Chronicles 30:1-3, 20

"And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel.

For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month.

For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.

And the LORD hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people."

I hadn't realized until now that passover was held a month late. It wasn't at the set time the Lord had commanded them. It was when they were clean and sanctified and ready as a people to hold it. This was acceptable to the Lord. It totally makes sense, it's not the ordinance, it's our cleanliness when we partake in the ordinance that matters. If you are not worthy to go to the temple now wait. If you are not worthy to partake of the sacrament then wait. Become clean and then partake, you will be blessed for it.

Day 2556

7th Anniversary of My Favorite Verse.

Today's Favorite Verse: John 11:6

Today's Favorite Verse: John 11:6
"When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was."

This is the story of Lazarus that fell sick and word was sent to Jesus to come, yet he waited two days before heading out to where he laid, already knowing that Lazarus was dead. When I suffer and my prayers are not quickly answered I think upon this story of Lazarus. I know that the Lord is aware of my pain, but has a better plan in store. In this case it was to show the glory of God, and raise Lazarus from the dead. The Lord's plan is always a better plan. He knows how to make my faith stretch and to grow and become all that I can because of what I pass through. It is in the waiting that I learn, that part of the blessing was the wait.



Day 1581

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 9:8

Today's Favorite Verse: Numbers 9:8

"And Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you."

The phrase "Stand still" made me pause to ponder on it. I also read the footnotes for this verse.

"In case of difficulty respecting doctrine or principle, if there is not a sufficiency written to make the case clear to the minds of the council, the president may inquire and obtain the mind of the Lord by revelation."

(Doctrine & Covenants 102:23)

I tried to define standing still. It makes me think of waiting. I would be waiting to know the mind of the Lord. It made me think of how I get answers to personal gospel questions. I know the answer will come when I am ready to understand. I just wait, or stand still. I find it best to never force having an answer right now. Then in the normal course of reading the scriptures or other church related materials I stumble upon the answer. I think having the question first prepared me to see something I would have totally overlooked otherwise. I find the answer usually comes within a couple days of when the question first came into my mind. I really, really love these moments of finding hidden treasures of knowledge. I receive when I'm ready to understand. I am given the question to make me ready to receive. It is a marvelous cycle of spiritual growth. 

Day 701