1 Peter 3:3-4 -- On Outward and Inward Adornments

"Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price."
1 Peter 3:3-4


I like the idea here that we should adorn ourselves with the way we behave rather than by how we dress or groom ourselves. It is another flesh versus spirit idea... not that we shouldn't be clean and well-groomed of course, but that the important thing, the thing that we should prioritize, is the internal / spiritual beauty of being meek and quiet ... under control, calm, happy, joyful. We can show people that God helps us to be happy, and to control our anxiety and cope with the things around us, as we have confidence and faith in him, and his ability to teach us and help us. Which is better overall than just showing off our cool clothing or our wealth. :)

Today, let's focus on displaying our hearts and spirits--our gifts from God rather than our cool stuff. :) Let's set a better example, and work on being welcoming and inclusive rather than using clothing or wealth to separate ourselves from others.

Alma 5:48-51 -- On Atonement and Repentance

"I say unto you, that I know of myself that whatsoever I shall say unto you, concerning that which is to come, is true; and I say unto you, that I know that Jesus Christ shall come, yea, the Son, the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, and mercy, and truth. And behold, it is he that cometh to take away the sins of the world, yea, the sins of every man who steadfastly believeth on his name.
And now I say unto you that this is the order after which I am called, yea, to preach unto my beloved brethren, yea, and every one that dwelleth in the land; yea, to preach unto all, both old and young, both bond and free; yea, I say unto you the aged, and also the middle aged, and the rising generation; yea, to cry unto them that they must repent and be born again.
Yea, thus saith the Spirit: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, for the kingdom of heaven is soon at hand; yea, the Son of God cometh in his glory, in his might, majesty, power, and dominion. Yea, my beloved brethren, I say unto you, that the Spirit saith: Behold the glory of the King of all the earth; and also the King of heaven shall very soon shine forth among all the children of men.
And also the Spirit saith unto me, yea, crieth unto me with a mighty voice, saying: Go forth and say unto this people—Repent, for except ye repent ye can in nowise inherit the kingdom of heaven."
Alma 5:48-51


Lots of cool things here. I love the atonement of course. Jesus Christ taking away our sins is the single most impactful event in the history of the world, and repentance is the way that we access that gift... belief in it, of course, but also action, because to be cleansed from sin we need to change ourselves, step by step over time, to people who aren't wishing every moment to repeat that same sin. We have to let go of those desires and be willing to give them up to be free of them, and God's plan not only gives us the time and space to get there, but Christ's atonement enables us to be free of our past mistakes. As we are able to change (with support and strength and assistance from God), we are also cleansed, because Christ is willing to take on the burden of our past sins to allow us to walk free as better people now. If we believe in that gift and accept it into our lives by acting on it and being willing to change and let go of the old and start anew through God, he frees us from the pain of the past and leads us to a better place of joy.

I also really love the idea of Christ as King of all the earth. No mere mortal could be trusted with that power, but Christ, the only perfect being to live on the earth, who suffered and died for us, and who understands us better than we understand ourselves... a man and God of infinite love and compassion and strength and beauty and power and pure goodness? Yeah, I'll take it. :) He only is worthy, and he can bring justice, mercy, and perfect joy and peace to this crazy place. I would wish for it to happen today, only I know that I, and we, need some more time to work on ourselves and find our way to his path. His timing will be perfect, and I look forward to it.

Today, let's pray and be grateful for the gift of Jesus Christ, for the chance we have to live and learn and love, and let's repent and do better, walking the Lord's path of joy.

Alma 5:39-40 -- On Choices and Folds

"And now if ye are not the sheep of the good shepherd, of what fold are ye? Behold, I say unto you, that the devil is your shepherd, and ye are of his fold; and now, who can deny this? Behold, I say unto you, whosoever denieth this is a liar and a child of the devil.
For I say unto you that whatsoever is good cometh from God, and whatsoever is evil cometh from the devil."
Alma 5:39-40


I like the simplicity of this... and it *is* simple in many cases, although we often complicate it in our minds thinking that we have other choices, like sitting on the fence or going off on our own. The truth though is that if we are walking away from God, we are always walking towards the devil.

Of course sometimes the choices are between good and good, and we still have to make choices, with God's help to choose what is the correct choice between good choices, like choosing a job or a house, etc. Even then, though, staying close to God and feeling his Spirit in our lives is the best way to be sure that we are choosing wisely.

Today, let's be part of God's fold, remembering that he is the source of all good, and remembering to seek his help in all that we do. As we pray and study and learn of him, and choose to put him first, we will learn more about ourselves and the choices that will lead us closer to God and closer to our best selves.

Alma 5:27 -- On Humility and Redemption

"Have ye walked, keeping yourselves blameless before God? Could ye say, if ye were called to die at this time, within yourselves, that ye have been sufficiently humble? That your garments have been cleansed and made white through the blood of Christ, who will come to redeem his people from their sins?"
Alma 5:27


This is a sort of scary question to ask yourself, but maybe a good one, as long as it motivates rather than overwhelms. God doesn't want us to give up hope, for sure, but I think he does want us to feel that desire to be better, to do better, and to want to be the type of person that isn't ashamed to come before God. And as we pray and work with God to improve, we can learn that desire and have confidence that we're on the same page with God. Not that we're perfect, but that we are working with God to improve and do better, which is the point... and working with God means at least that we are humble enough to listen to him, and to follow him, which I think is the point of the verse.

Today, let's work on walking God's path in humility and cleanliness, and trust in Christ to help us to have the hope and faith to improve. :)

1 Peter 2:11 -- On War Against the Soul

"Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;"
1 Peter 2:11


The idea of warring againt the soul is kind of scary, along with the idea that we could allow the flesh to win over the spirit by making unwise choices. That seems so opposite of God's hopes for us in this life, where our spirits were granted the opportunity to acquire a body. Allowing ourselves to slip the other way is almost like one of those werewolf stories where the person forgets themselves and goes all wolf... all instinct, no rationality.

Bodies are such amazing gifts from God, and the potential source of much joy, but our Spirits are the core of who we are. Let's not lose ourselves by letting our flesh rule us, losing God and ourselves in the process.

1 Peter 1:22 -- On Purified Souls and Fervent Love

"Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:"
1 Peter 1:22


I like the idea that we purify our souls with truth, by following it. That was dishonesty, or untruth, equals corruption, and harming our souls, and that seems about right, not only in our personal efforts to be honest, but in this world where the truth is so often twisted into deceptive shapes to push some corrupt agenda rather than being plain and precious, encouraging us to do good and rejoice in truth.

To be able to love one another in truth and goodness, we need some extra dedication and fervency so that we can overcome the twisty deceptions and half-truths all around us, and see each other as brothers and sisters and worthy of love and filled with the potential for good.

God is light, love, and truth, and through him we can banish darkness, hatred, and deception. Today, let us love each other fervently, and pray that God's light will help us see through the darkness and show the truth, and when we see it, let us cling to it and to God, through all the mists of darkness, as we gather in God's love.

1 Corinthians 13:4-5 -- On Doing Good and Not Being Easily Provoked

"Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;"
1 Corinthians 13:4-5


What struck me today is the "not easily provoked" part of love. That's hard sometimes, especially with people who know exactly how to push your buttons, but God can help us to perhaps have fewer buttons, or to be able to take a step back and make sure we are seeing things from the other person's perspective and not misinterpreting a sincere message.

I also kind of like that it says "easily" provoked. God isn't asking us to never stand up for ourselves or ignore it when wrongs need to be righted and we can legitimately do something about it, but he is asking us to chill a little and stop allowing little things to get in the way of doing good. Today, let's work on not being easily provoked, and with God's help, keeping our cool, and moving forward, loving and doing good to everyone.

James 5:7-8 -- On Patience and Stablishing Our Hearts

"Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Be ye also patient; stablish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth nigh."
James 5:7-8


I like the comparison here for waiting for a harvest or through a growing season. It helps me understand a little why waiting is necessary sometimes, and perhaps we also have growing seasons in our lives where we learn a lot, and then take some time to recover nutrients before growing something new. We definitely need a lot of time to learn the lessons that God is trying to teach us as gently and lovingly as possible, and the more patience we have to study and learn perhaps the softer those lessons can be, whereas if we harden our hearts and resist, it takes something a little more harsh to break through the soil.

Today, let's remember patience in our lives as we learn and grow, and also as we wait for blessings, and for the coming of the Lord. Let's remember that everything won't be right or perfect now, but as we trust God and have confidence in his happy ending, and "stablish" our hearts to live as though God were present in our lives, he will be, and that time will come, where all things will be made right and we will be welcomed in to more joy than we can imagine... if we can just be patient and have faith for a little longer, until the season and the end. :)

James 4:8 -- On Double-Mindedness and Drawing Nigh

"Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded."
James 4:8


This sounds like a rebuke, and so it is, but I think also some great advice. It can be hard to cleanse our hands and purify our hearts, and part of that is thinking that God should come close to us without us having to do anything... without asking, without seeking, and without any actual effort on our parts. The scary thing is that it is never God that has moved. It is always ourselves that have drifted away from him, forgetting to pray, or study, or make the effort to know Him.

Today, let's cleanse our hands and work on purifying our hearts. Let's seek God, and put forth the effort to draw near to God, and as we do, He will be there when we seek him sincerely. Let's stay focused on him and not let other things cloud our way.

James 3:2 -- On Bridling Ourselves

"For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body."
James 3:2


This is kind of cool, telling us that if we are able to control what we say that we should be able to control the rest of ourselves too... and that, at least in that thing, we're perfect. So, it sounds like a super good and important thing to work on. :)

Avoiding offense in the things that we say doesn't mean that we can't express opinions or correct errors... we still need to do what we can at work/school and at home to improve things, but maybe "bridling" means that we can improve the way that we express our opinions and correct situations so that it is clear that we aren't angry and are only working in the service of all... and if we aren't, then maybe we need to wait a bit and calm down until we *can* be in that mindset.

We can watch our language to make sure it is positive and uplifting, and be gentler to others and listen to the Spirit more, which can help us know what to say and how to say it. God is always willing to teach us to love. Today, let's do our best to only allow good things out of our mouths, and to show love and kindness and goodness to all around us. As we do that, we'll increase our sin resistance overall. :)

James 2:12-13 -- On The Law of Liberty

"So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment."
James 2:12-13


I wonder here if the law of liberty and the idea of restitution in the scriptures are the same thing. It seems so here, because it is talking about us being judged based on how we treat others. If we show mercy, we will be shown mercy, and if we have not shown mercy, we shall not be shown mercy... so how we use our liberty/free agency affects our own judgement.

I love this idea, because it is perfect, individualized justice... we all get exactly what we deserve. It is also super scary, thinking back on the petty cruelty and emotional outbursts of life. It makes me very thankful for the atonement of Christ, which is the only thing that can save us from our own stupidity, by allowing us to repent of the harm that we have caused and to live and love better.

Today, let's work on using our liberty to show mercy and love for others, and live in hope and faith that Christ will not only offer all of us justice, but mercy through his atonement and because of his great love for us.

James 1:23-25 -- On Forgetting Ourselves

"For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed."
James 1:23-25


This is an interesting analogy, comparing doing the will of God with knowing ourselves. I feel the truth of it when I remember the difference between sincere and fervent prayer and rote or hurried prayers. Perhaps part of it is sincerity and true, heartfelt belief, but those things are also part of who we are, of knowing ourselves.

When we take God less seriously and are just going through the motions we can justify it to ourselves because we are busy or tired or whatever else, but while those things might be true, isn't it also true that we are too busy or tired or whatever else to truly live as we believe... to match our souls with our physical selves and do what we believe we should do? That doing is what makes us into our ideal selves... that work, that etching of the truth slowly into our hearts and minds with practice and committment. If we take a day off from God, we take a day off from our selves, settling for less than we could and should be.

That isn't to say that we can become perfect all at once or that we should beat ourselves up when we fall short. Trying to make small, incremental improvements is important so we don't lose heart. But God can and will strengthen us as we try, and perfection, while not yet attainable is always something to keep in mind, so that we remember who we are working to be, and that God isn't asking us to do any of this frivolously or pointlessly. He is helping us learn salvation and joy and become everything we have ever wanted to be.

Today, let's remember who we are, and that we are children of God, with infinite potential. Let's work to do as God asks and walk his path, not just because it's a theoretically good path, but because it leads to everything we want, and because it is where we truly want to go. Let's connect our love of God and our desire for joy and peace together, and apply all of that to the little decisions we make each day. Let's try to do small things for God, and as we do, we'll slowly become stronger and more faithful and able to do greater things and to feel more of the Spirit, and to feel and see God's hand in our lives more strongly.

Ether 12:11 -- On Gifts and Faith and a Better Way

"Wherefore, by faith was the law of Moses given. But in the gift of his Son hath God prepared a more excellent way; and it is by faith that it hath been fulfilled."
Ether 12:11


In verse 8, before this, the propher Ether refers to "the heavenly gift" which Christ prepares a way for us to partake, and here we're told that Christ *is* a gift, given to us by the father, also to prepare a "more excellent" way. As always, the father and the son working hand in hand to prepare the way for us, and Christ's atonement is the gift that leads us to, and is, our salvation.

It's the same thing that we consider during the sacrament each week at church, but I'm not sure if we always realize or "retain in remembrance" (Mosiah 4:11) just how amazing God's gifts are, and the possibilities that we have because God loves us enough to give us such incomparable gifts.

Today, let's seek the more excellent way that God has prepared for us, and be thankful to and open with God as we pray, study, and learn to follow his path to eternal joy.

Mark 3:35 -- On Being God's Family

"For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother."
Mark 3:35


This is an interesting passage, with this verse being the point I think ... that being united in the gospel is becoming God's family. I think that is a huge, joyful, blessing especially for people who might have strained family relationships in this life.

I don't think that it means that family isn't important outside the gospel, or that we have to choose between the two. There are cases where breaking ties might be necessary, but typically our families can be huge blessings and often are a source of great joy, and of great learning as we work on those relationships that are less ephemeral than other types seem to be.

Still, the idea of being children of God, of being part of Christ's family, that's something far more valuable than any other relationship, and (as we learn from Lehi's dream), God's love is the goal, and surpasses everything else. Today, let's learn more of God and what it means to be his family. As we do, we will tap into the deepest type of joy and love that it is possible to experience.

Romans 8:35-37 -- On the Love of Christ

"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us."
Romans 8:35-37


I like this explanation that we can never be separated from God's love. Jesus Christ suffered and died for us, and no one can know us better, or love us better, than he can. His love is central to everything, and the core of worship as well. Today, let's pray and reach out to God, to learn from him and to feel his love for us, which is a true source of joy. :)

Jarom 1:11-12 -- On Reaching Our Hearts

"Wherefore, the prophets, and the priests, and the teachers, did labor diligently, exhorting with all long-suffering the people to diligence; teaching the law of Moses, and the intent for which it was given; persuading them to look forward unto the Messiah, and believe in him to come as though he already was. And after this manner did they teach them.
And it came to pass that by so doing they kept them from being destroyed upon the face of the land; for they did prick their hearts with the word, continually stirring them up unto repentance."
Jarom 1:11-12


The idea of pricking the heart... which sounds painful, but which is of course symbolic, is an important one here I think because it is so easy to remove our hearts from the equation and distance ourselves from the gospel, thinking about it as a great plan, but not feeling it. The prophets, priests, and teachers were intentionally trying for that emotional reaction, because that is where they were connecting with the Spirit and not only teaching the mind, but awakening the heart.

Today, let's not only read of the love of God, but apply it to our lives and feel it. Let's let the truth of the gospel into our innermost selves, living and breathing and feeling the gospel, not just thinking it. God is here, asking to be let in. Let's open our hearts and allow him to reach us, and reach out to him in turn, not just intellectually but spiritually and emotionally as well, taking action in our lives and feeling his love as we reach out in prayer.

D&C 14:9 -- On Light that Cannot be Hidden

"Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, who created the heavens and the earth, a light which cannot be hid in darkness;"
Doctrine and Covenants 14:9


This is kind of like the idea that the good will overcome the evil in time, because if the light can't be hidden, the dark can never smother it, and there will always be that light to help us and guide us. We can never lose our way if we look to Christ and his light.

Today, let's remember that, even when we are afraid of the darkness or wondering where the good is. Let's turn to God and make Christ our light as we go forth. Let's focus on that good, and spread that light as far and as wide as we can, driving back the darkness and doing good with his help and in his strength.

Doctrine and Covenants 8:10 -- On Faith and Good

"Remember that without faith you can do nothing; therefore ask in faith. Trifle not with these things; do not ask for that which you ought not."
Doctrine and Covenants 8:10


Faith is interesting... it's sort of like living the principles that you believe gives you power, except that of course the actual power comes from God, so it doesn't work unless your belief matches the truth of God. Which is actually cool, because any kind of power can be super scary when it is being used for something besides good.

Today, let's throw ourselves into goodness and faith in God. Let's trust that he will help us as we strive to make the world better and to be better people. As we believe that and trust God, acting on those beliefs and living as though we were already those better people, we will start becoming them, and a better world will grow up around us, more and more as we gather and work together with God on bringing joy and doing good.

Alma 12:26-27 -- On a Preparatory State

"And now behold, if it were possible that our first parents could have gone forth and partaken of the tree of life they would have been forever miserable, having no preparatory state; and thus the plan of redemption would have been frustrated, and the word of God would have been void, taking none effect.
But behold, it was not so; but it was appointed unto men that they must die; and after death, they must come to judgment, even that same judgment of which we have spoken, which is the end."
Alma 12:26-27


I like the explanation here, letting us know that a preparatory state was important and necessary to our happiness. We needed (and still need) a chance to come to earth to learn, and grow, and improve ourselves before facing immortality. God grants us the chance to achieve eternal happiness rather than eternal misery, and that is what life is for... to learn happiness and to find a better state of being through Christ, and with his help.

Today, let's take advantage of this opportunity to learn happiness. Let's improve ourselves, focus on the good, and learn to do more good and expand the good around us, lifting and helping others and doing God's will. As we do, we will become happier as a byproduct because God's plan is the plan of happiness, and that is what all of this is meant to teach, as in Mormon 9:14 "he that is happy shall be happy still; and he that is unhappy shall be unhappy still" ... let's open ourselves up to God so that he can teach us to find the happiness. :)

Jacob 5:66 -- On Clearing Room For Good

"For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad, and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my vineyard."
Jacob 5:66


I like this idea of balance and keeping the trees alive from the allegory of the tame and wild olive trees, especially the idea that the Lord will make room for the good. He clears space for us as we learn to plant seeds of Good and He always gives us as much room as we need to expand those things and develop more and more Good.

God is out there... closer than we think, ready for us to take action, and ready to help us succeed and thrive. That doesn't mean that there won't be setbacks or hardships or that we won't have to work for it, because that's part of the normal trials of life, but I think part of the message here is what we can read in the parable of the talents. God is giving us the space to at least double whatever effort we are putting in. The only way we can lose is by doing nothing, and trying nothing to make the world better. As soom as we try, he is ready to help. Today, let's try. Let's work with God and make the effort. It might not work at first, and it might take effort and patience and persistence, but as we trust God, He will multiply and magnify our efforts, and in the end if we don't give up, we will see great success from our labors.

Alma 10:2 -- On Stories of Faith and Hope

"I am Amulek; I am the son of Giddonah, who was the son of Ishmael, who was a descendant of Aminadi; and it was that same Aminadi who interpreted the writing which was upon the wall of the temple, which was written by the finger of God."
Alma 10:2


There are so many missing stories in the scriptures, hinted at but not complete. I would love to hear more about the writing that was written by the finger of God, or the remarkable vision of Abish the Lamanitish maidservant's father, or what happened to Hagoth's ships... and so many other things. And the cool thing is that it never ends. There are stories in everyone's lives, and so much more to know.

Of course, we need to learn to appreciate what we have and to understand it before demanding more from God, which is understandable. Focusing on obtaining the word and learning more of God and his plan should come first. ... But it is also good to know that miracles are happening all around us, in our own lives too, and that we have inspiring stories to share just as others do. God asks us to be ready when someone asks why we hope, and that right there is a story that God is asking us to be ready to tell.

Stories matter, and help us not only hope, but build faith and learn from the past as well as applying to the present or helping us to understand what we can of the shape of the future. Let's inhale the scripture stories we have and learn all that they have to teach us, and prepare ourselves for more. :)

3 Nephi 26:1-4 -- On Learning From God

"And now it came to pass that when Jesus had told these things he expounded them unto the multitude; and he did expound all things unto them, both great and small.
And he saith: These scriptures, which ye had not with you, the Father commanded that I should give unto you; for it was wisdom in him that they should be given unto future generations.
And he did expound all things, even from the beginning until the time that he should come in his glory—yea, even all things which should come upon the face of the earth, even until the elements should melt with fervent heat, and the earth should be wrapt together as a scroll, and the heavens and the earth should pass away;
And even unto the great and last day, when all people, and all kindreds, and all nations and tongues shall stand before God, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil--"
3 Nephi 26:1-4


Reading this today, I was imagining what it woudl be like to have Christ himself reading the scriptures ande expounding all things, which would be utterly amazing. And then I thought... while it isn't exactly the same, we all have the opportunity to have that, because we have prayer and the opportunity to have God's Spirit in our lives, teaching us of all things.

Today, let's take some time to talk to God and to feel his spirit, and to ask him about the things that we read and study. It might not be exactly like being there in that moment, but it's still an opportunity that we all have that we should incorporate into our lives more often, rather than relying on our own wisdom alone. God has so much to teach us, and there are so many things for us to learn. I think we're probably missing out on a lot of it by not asking and studying.

John 10:6 -- On Understanding and Explanations

"This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them."
John 10:6


I think this (not understanding what God has to say to us) happens a lot, perhaps to us all. If we stick with God, he'll explain things and we'll learn more and more, but we perhaps too often give up after one parable, deciding that we can't understand, without even giving God a chance to explain (as he did in this case almost immediately afterward).

Today, let's think about what God says and study it out in our minds, and ask God to help us with the things that we don't get. He will. Maybe not instantly, but over time, he will teach us anything that we want to know, little by little sometimes, but always helping us learn more and more as we grow.

John 4:13-15 -- On Living Water

"Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again:
But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.
The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw."
John 4:13-15


I really like the banter between Christ and the Samatitan woman at the well. It starts out normal, but develops into the most important conversation of her life. I really don't know if she was starting to believe yet here, but she was at least engaged enough to follow his lead and to admit desire for what he promised, and then when she realizes that he is a prophet, and then guesses, and has confirmed, that he is the Christ, she likely understands even more of the symbolism of the earlier conversation.

Today, let's also follow Christ's lead and desire the living water that he promises us. Let's work on drawing so close to God that we don't have to keep refilling our empty spiritual reservoirs, but instead we have a constant source of spiritual strength and power.

Romans 12:20-21 -- On Overcoming Evil

"Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."
Romans 12:20-21


The verse before this asks us to not avenge ourselves, but allow God to repay. The "coals of fire" seems like vengeance, but I think that Paul is telling us here that if we want vengeance, that we need to be super nice. In practive, that won't necessarily get us vengeance... thankfully, we all have a chance to repent and hopefully avoid those coals of fire, but if not, God will make things right, whether it is exactly what we wanted or not... that's part of the deal. He died for us, and we accept his grace *and* his judgement.

I really, really love the overall idea of not letting ourselve be overcome by evil (or recompensing evil for evil as it says in verse 17, prior to this), but that the way to beat evil is by doing good. That is what will work. Not because of some crazy math where we measure the good and the bad and more people are doing good. I don't what that actual ratio is, but it doesn't matter, because God is doing the balancing and pruning his vineyard. He will prune away the bad as the good grows (Jacob 5:66)... so today, let's do good and grow that good as much as we can. That's the way to help God and the world to be filled with good rather than contributing to the evil. :)

1 Peter 3:13-17 -- On Suffering for Well Doing

"And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing."
1 Peter 3:13-17


I don't know if I have learned this lesson, but I like the idea of, if we have to suffer, suffering for doing good rather than evil. It can be hard to trust God when we're suffering, but even then he knows what we need to learn and how we need to change, and hard as it is, we often have to learn through the things that we suffer in this life. I don't think there is any question about it being worth it, but it's a challenge for us mentally to trust God and be able to see the joy of his light and truth even in the midst of trials.

Conscience-wise though, when we're suffering for things that we did well rather than for sins, at least we can know that we're still okay spiritually, and be guilt-free. That's the part I like. Maybe today we can trust God a little more even in the midst of injustice, and learn and pray just as hard as we can, so that perhaps our trials can be shortened through our patience and faith. :)

Alma 19:16-17 -- On Being Ready

"And it came to pass that they did call on the name of the Lord, in their might, even until they had all fallen to the earth, save it were one of the Lamanitish women, whose name was Abish, she having been converted unto the Lord for many years, on account of a remarkable vision of her father—
Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth, and also her mistress, the queen, and the king, and Ammon lay prostrate upon the earth, she knew that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people."
Alma 19:16-17


I love Abish. I think she is a perfect example of 1 Peter 3:15, maybe not in speaking up herself, but for seizing an opportunity to show others how cool God is. So many people were converted that day, and it could have been a small incident except that Abish expended every effort to draw attention to it, to gather people together, and thus they were there when the miracle continued. It didn't go exactly the way she wanted it to, but it never does. :) It worked out the way that God designed it to, but Abish was part of it. :)

Today, let's be ready when opportunities come, and do God's will. Even when things don't go the way we want them to, if we are listening to the Spirit, God will be able to work through us, and we can be part of amazing things. :)

D&C 42:27 -- On Speaking of Neighbors and Avoiding Harm

"Thou shalt not speak evil of thy neighbor, nor do him any harm."
Doctrine and Covenants 42:27


This is a really good commandment, although I think hard to keep, because as the parable of the Good Samaritan teaches us, neighbor is a big word. No one is outside that circle, so speaking evil of anyone is something we need to learn to avoid. A tough one, perhaps especially when talkinga bout traffic, or politics. :) But whatever our circumstances, a hopeful thing is that God will always make a way for us to obey his commandments, so if we stretch ourselves and ask God to help us learn to love better and find ways to heal rather than harm others, we can grow into being this type of person, even if it seems beyond us now.

Today, let's think about this one, and as we go throughout the day be aware when we start to speak evil of anyone, and examine our own actions and then work with God to see what steps we can take to improve.

Mosiah 7:10-12 -- On Being Positive and Polite and Trusting in God

"And now, I desire to know the cause whereby ye were so bold as to come near the walls of the city, when I, myself, was with my guards without the gate?
And now, for this cause have I suffered that ye should be preserved, that I might inquire of you, or else I should have caused that my guards should have put you to death. Ye are permitted to speak.
And now, when Ammon saw that he was permitted to speak, he went forth and bowed himself before the king; and rising again he said: O king, I am very thankful before God this day that I am yet alive, and am permitted to speak; and I will endeavor to speak with boldness."
Mosiah 7:10-12


I like Ammon's attitude here. He's been held in jail for two days, and the rest of his party went through a lot and are still outside the city where he can't help them, and they are here to help. Resentment or bitterness wouldn't be surprising, especially since from a general political perspective they are both Nephites, supposedly on the same team. Instead though, he rejoices that it wasn't worse, and trusts that they just didn't recognize who they were (even though they had no knowledge of the priest of Noah).

I wonder how often we react badly to things when it could go well if we just had a different attitude. I'm not suggesting that we need to be pleased that someone threw us into jail without even asking who we are, but with God's help, we can follow Ammon's advice and have hope and faith, even when things seem to be going poorly. Today, let's work on reacting better and keeping a positive attitude. Let's trust in God and seek his help to stay in a good mental space so we can treat others with respect and kindness, even if they haven't treated us that way.

Jarom 1:14 -- On Writings

"And I, Jarom, do not write more, for the plates are small. But behold, my brethren, ye can go to the other plates of Nephi; for behold, upon them the records of our wars are engraven, according to the writings of the kings, or those which they caused to be written."
Jarom 1:14


It's interesting to think about all of the writings that we don't have... not just the continued adventures mentioned here with additional information about the Nephites, or the lost pages that were translated by Joseph Smith, or even the sealed portion. All of those would be super cool, but I mean even bigger... all the books by all the people and maybe even the books in heaven the we are judged from, if that is not just symbolic.

Consider eternity... maybe we will have the time to read ALL of it, to get to know not just every historical figure, but everyone, everywhere. I love that idea. No idea if it will really happen... God might have much faster ways for us to learn about things than reading. But let's look forward to eternity and to the revelation of all things. Should be some exciting and interesting times. :)

Jacob 3:6-7 -- On Obedience, Blessings, and Hypocrisy

"And now, this commandment they observe to keep; wherefore, because of this observance, in keeping this commandment, the Lord God will not destroy them, but will be merciful unto them; and one day they shall become a blessed people.
Behold, their husbands love their wives, and their wives love their husbands; and their husbands and their wives love their children; and their unbelief and their hatred towards you is because of the iniquity of their fathers; wherefore, how much better are you than they, in the sight of your great Creator?"
Jacob 3:6-7


It's interesting here how Jacob talks about the Lamanites. They had been a separate people for less than his lifetime at this point, and I am sure there was still a lot of individual resentment because the principal people at odds knew each other personally, but he was able to step back with God's help and see the goodness among them and the hypocrisy among his own people. I like that the truth is more nuanced here than it sometimes seems in the whole abstract "good versus evil" struggle, and I wonder if we can see as well, through our own time and biases, to be able to recognize the good in others and our own hypocrisy.

Today, let's try to see and understand the truth, and ask God to teach us to see more and to be better, more caring, and less judgemental people.