Genesis 13:14-15 -- On Promised Lands

"And the Lord said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art northward, and southward, and eastward, and westward:
For all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever."
Genesis 13:14-15


I like the Lord giving Abraham a place to be, after he had to leave his homeland. God got him out of there, and gave him hope.

I think he does the same thing for all of us. It isn't always a physical place, but he gives all of us space and room to grow. Today, let's take advantage of God's gift and commune with God, and if he doesn't want to send us somewhere, let's thrive where we are, and continue to look forward with hope.

Mosiah 5:6 -- On Being a Part of God's Work

"And now, these are the words which king Benjamin desired of them; and therefore he said unto them: Ye have spoken the words that I desired; and the covenant which ye have made is a righteous covenant."
Mosiah 5:6


King Benjamin is amazing, and reading this today I was thinking about how he must have felt, actually seeing the people swayed by his words and the Spirit testifying to the truth of them. Seeing his people that he had spent the majority of his life ruling want to change and grow closer to the Lord through covenant. He was just a person, as we all are, but he was an instrument in the hands of God to be part of something amazing like this. I imagine that he was overjoyed at seeing his people progress and change for the better like this.

Today, let's consider what God would have us do in our lives. There is a plan and a work for everyone, if we are willing to take it up and be part of his work. Let's counsel with God about our work, and then jump in and strive for a taste of what King Benjamin was feeling here.

Genesis 50:20 -- On God's Meaning

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive."
Genesis 50:20 I love God and his twists of meaning. People are chaotic and bizarre, making crazy decisions and intentionally and unintentionally harming others. Even when we mean to do good sometimes we screw it up. :) But God, who controls all, takes everything that we give out and he turns it to good. He knows the end from the beginning, as we do not, and he makes the evil into a mere footnote to a magnificent and powerful purpose, as he did in this case with Joseph and his brothers. With his help, we can change our own hearts and then the world. :) Without his help, we can do very little. Today, let's learn and understand God and his glorious plan more clearly, and work with him towards hope and joy and goodness.

Jarom 1:11 -- On Faith in the Future

"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."
Jarom 1:11


I like the idea here of thinking of the things that God has promised as though they already are... that's a very faithful form of certainty in the word of God. For us, the event that they were looking forward to has already come, but we can look forward to Christ's Second Coming in the same way. Believing in it as though it was already here. Living the way that we would live in his presence, loving others and helping to care for all those around us. Today, let's live as though God were here with us, trusting that he will solve the big problems and learning to live with and love our fellow beings in a better society. He will come and make all things right. Let's be ready for that, and learn from that feeling of having him close.

Alma 9:26-28 -- On the Second Coming

"And not many days hence the Son of God shall come in his glory; and his glory shall be the glory of the Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace, equity, and truth, full of patience, mercy, and long-suffering, quick to hear the cries of his people and to answer their prayers.
And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name.
Therefore, prepare ye the way of the Lord, for the time is at hand that all men shall reap a reward of their works, according to that which they have been—if they have been righteous they shall reap the salvation of their souls, according to the power and deliverance of Jesus Christ; and if they have been evil they shall reap the damnation of their souls, according to the power and captivation of the devil."
Alma 9:26-28


I like the list of some of the attributes of Christ, which helps us to understand him more and to know how willing he is to help us. It's also good to remember that he is coming, and that we shouldn't delay our repentance and preparation for that day. Today, let's remember that our choices make the difference between salvation and damnation, and that Christ will help us to change, if we are willing. Let's think about who we want to be, and make some changes that will help us towards salvation.

Alma 5:14 -- On Being Changed By God

"And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts?"
Alma 5:14


A good thing to think about today. Are we all-in with God? Is his gospel in all parts of our lives, or is it just a Sunday thing? Let's take our committment a little deeper today. As we do, God's hand will be clearer in our lives, and we will gain spiritual confidence.

D&C 86:5-7 -- On Gathering

"Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth to reap down the fields;
But the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy the wheat also.
Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares, and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned"
Doctrine and Covenants 86:5-7


This is obviously about people rather than fields, but less uncomfortable to talk about if we think of it through an analogy. That's one of the things that parables, and fiction in general, is good for. What struck me today though is the "ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares" part, which seems to me to be associated with "the gathering of Israel" as discussed in the scriptures and by the prophets, but which I had never really glued together in my mind before. We need to gather so we don't get caught up in destruction that isn't meant for us.

I think gathering is more than just physical shifting though... the spiritual aspect is that we need to gather to God in heart and mind as well, which is what sets up apart more than any physical movement. Today, let's think about this analogy and be the wheat... the good part of the field / world. Let's gather as many as we can and all come before God, determined to do his will and follow his commandments in order to make a difference in this world and find joy in the world to come.

Psalms 9:18-20 -- On Waiting

"For the needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever.
Arise, O Lord; let not man prevail: let the heathen be judged in thy sight.
Put them in fear, O Lord: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah."
Psalms 9:18-20


Waiting on the Lord can be hard sometimes. We see injustice and evil around us, and we want it to stop. We can have faith that God will stop it, but let's also remember that we are often full of injustice and sometimes even evil. Our hearts and minds are still a long way from God's. This delay of justice, which is an extremely short time on God's eternal timeline, is the time that he has given us to prepare for him. Let's give other people the same grace, and work to focus on the good in others, and help them where we can.

God's justice will come in his time, which is exactly the right time, and it will be swift and powerful, bringing perfect justice and perfect mercy to us all. Let's make sure that we use the preparation time that he has given us, so that we can be ready when he calls.

D&C 84:96-98 -- On the Knowledge of the Lord

"For I, the Almighty, have laid my hands upon the nations, to scourge them for their wickedness.
And plagues shall go forth, and they shall not be taken from the earth until I have completed my work, which shall be cut short in righteousness—
Until all shall know me, who remain, even from the least unto the greatest, and shall be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, and shall see eye to eye, and shall lift up their voice, and with the voice together sing this new song, saying:"
Doctrine and Covenants 84:96-98


I like the idea of being full of the knowledge of the Lord. And, really, I think that God is the only thing that can fill our emptiness sometimes. We try to fill it with other things, but it's a God-sized hole, and nothing else will work.

I don't really understand the "cut short in righteousness" part, but it sounds promising, as though at some point we all finally get it right, and are rightous together, and God doesn't have to continue the harsher adversities that it sometimes takes to get us to consider Him.

I also love the singing. I didn't include the lyrics to the song in this selection, but they are cool, and just the idea of everything finally being all good, cleansed, and whole... that's amazing. It makes you want to lift your voice in praise, to know that time is coming.

Today, let's learn of God, and fill our lamps with the oil of knowledge and testimony. Let's rejoice in his gospel and his word, and work together under his guidance towards this day of joy and song. :)

Proverbs 10:12 -- On Love, Forgiveness, Repentance, and Happiness

"Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins."
Proverbs 10:12


This makes me think of perspective. If we really love someone then we have a tendency to forgive them, not because we want them to stew in sin and become worse people, or ruin their lives, but because we believe in their ability to overcome their challenges and to improve. We want to support them in finding happiness and joy. People outside that circle of love, we don't necessarily believe in that. We assume they are bad, set in their bad ways.

I think one cool thing here is that God encloses us all in that inner circle... in the arms of his love. He believes in us and knows that we can change for the better and find happiness. Maybe not in the way we are looking for it right now, but he can help us find the way. Today, let's forgive others, working on thinking about everyone with love, and let's also turn to God for help and guidance in repenting and finding our way to righteousness and happiness... because they are indeed the same thing in the end.

Proverbs 5:21-22 -- On The Cords Of Sin

"For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, and he pondereth all his goings.
His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins."
Proverbs 5:21-22


God watching us can seem like a very good thing, when we need his help and protection (always), but it seems different when we are wanting to hide our actions from the Lord (impossible). Today, let's work on realizing that God sees every part of us, but that it's okay, because he loves us anyway, and only wants to help us imrprove. Let's try to avoid doing anything that we wouldn't want answered upon our own heads. God loves us, and he can help... with anything. We only need to ask in faith, believing that he will help us, and he will. :)

Psalms 7:14-15 -- On Pits

"Behold, he travaileth with iniquity, and hath conceived mischief, and brought forth falsehood.
He made a pit, and digged it, and is fallen into the ditch which he made."
Psalms 7:14-15


These verses are about God's anger with the wicked (verse 11), showing that wicked intentions will turn back upon the wicked. ... It doesn't always happen immediately, but is a good thing to remember, especially when we are the ones that are being wicked.

Today, let's avoid digging pits for others to fall into, so that we don't end up in them, but also let's work on loving others enough that we don't want them ending up there either.

D&C 83:6 -- On Caring For Others

"And the storehouse shall be kept by the consecrations of the church; and widows and orphans shall be provided for, as also the poor. Amen."
Doctrine and Covenants 83:6


This is a good reminder that we are required (and it is our privilege) to care for others. Today, let's reach out and lift whoever we can, and also accept help graciously when we are in need. God wants us to be united in love and service, generous, and kind. It isn't always easy to put others first, and the Lord first, over our personal desires, but it's good practice that will help us reach heaven, as we learn to change our hearts. :)

D&C 82:14-16 -- On Building Zion

"For Zion must increase in beauty, and in holiness; her borders must be enlarged; her stakes must be strengthened; yea, verily I say unto you, Zion must arise and put on her beautiful garments.
Therefore, I give unto you this commandment, that ye bind yourselves by this covenant, and it shall be done according to the laws of the Lord.
Behold, here is wisdom also in me for your good."
Doctrine and Covenants 82:14-16


I love the idea of building Zion, and also that it goes hand in hand with what will be good for us. Earlier in the section God says that if we forgive each other, he will also forgive us, which is awesome, but also right in line with this... building Zion is about unity, and strength together... the same thing that forgiveness does, and the same thing that God wants for all of us. We are to learn to love and serve God and one another, and learn to live together in a perfected society, which is what heaven is about, and how we can prepare for it.

Today, let's think about the things that are holding us back from being Zion people, and let's forgive, and repent, and sow goodness everywhere we go. Let's love each other and do good, and hope with all of our hearts as we focus on the good and build up our fellow beings. :)

Helaman 6:17 -- On Setting Our Hearts

"For behold, the Lord had blessed them so long with the riches of the world that they had not been stirred up to anger, to wars, nor to bloodshed; therefore they began to set their hearts upon their riches; yea, they began to seek to get gain that they might be lifted up one above another; therefore they began to commit secret murders, and to rob and to plunder, that they might get gain."
Helaman 6:17


This is one of the sad patterns we see in the Book of Mormon, and it's a pattern that we should be careful of in ourselves as well. During this period the Nephites were doing really well, and actually so were the Lamanites. They weren't at war, but could visit one another freely, so there doesn't even seem to be resentment or underlying hatred. They really were finally one society. And yet the peace and prosperity seemingly brought them to ruin because they invented their own evils and forgot God who had helped them get to this point in the first place.

It's easier for us to see the pattern in a book where we can watch history from a wider perspective, but these are problems that are close to us as well. Today, let's be careful not to set our own hearts upon our riches or seek to be lifted up above others. Let's not take advantage of each other to get gain, but remember the Lord and turn to him for help in staying on his path. Let's set our hearts on the Lord.

Helaman 5:4 -- On Retirement Plans

"And it came to pass that Nephi had become weary because of their iniquity; and he yielded up the judgment-seat, and took it upon him to preach the word of God all the remainder of his days, and his brother Lehi also, all the remainder of his days;"
Helaman 5:4


This struck me today because the idea of retiring to go on a mission sounds like a lot of work. And yet Nephi was weary of being a judge and seeing iniquity and corruption, and preaching the word was better to him than that. I think it is sometimes hard to see why something like that would be an improvement for someone, trading one kind of difficult work for another, but I think it is because God's rewards are better than anything that we get through normal employment, and also just the idea of helping people and being able to be a part of bringing them joy... there isn't anything better than that, as proven by God, who makes us his work. :)

Today, let's step back and think about what we want to spend our effort on, remembering well that the Lord's yoke is easy and his burden light. Let's learn to think of the gospel as a source of joy and remember that the Lord will help us with everything good that we choose to work on. Let's be like Nephi and find ways to improve things and reduce the iniquity that we see in the world, by furthering the Lord's work.

Helaman 4:19 -- On Loss and Refocusing

"Therefore they did abandon their design to obtain the remainder of their lands, for so numerous were the Lamanites that it became impossible for the Nephites to obtain more power over them; therefore Moronihah did employ all his armies in maintaining those parts which he had taken."
Helaman 4:19


Reading this today, I am thinking that sometimes we need to accept loss. Long-term, God will restore anything that really matters to us in eternity, but short-term, sometimes like Moronihah here, we need to focus on maintaining what we have rather than trying to get back something lost. Even in a case like this... cities. Homes for lots of displaced people, enemies in their places.

It is like that sometimes in our lives too. We lose things that are important to us, and that we mourn or miss. Lost homes and jobs and physical health. Lives and even people that we wish we could get back. Accepting the loss doesn't mean that we abandon hope, but it means that we see what is still in front of us, and focus on the good that we can do and the positive things and abundant blessings that we still have.

It's hard... not saying it isn't. Sometimes though, loss can blind us to other good things around us. Things and people that deserve to be noticed and valued. Blessings that we should be thankful for. Today, let's accept and work through loss so that it doesn't blind us to the good around us. Let's work with God to see clearly and to appreciate and love the goodness in our lives.

D&C 81:4-5 -- On the Greatest Good

"And in doing these things thou wilt do the greatest good unto thy fellow beings, and wilt promote the glory of him who is your Lord. Wherefore, be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees."
Doctrine and Covenants 81:4-5


I like that God helped this person to understand how he could do the greatest good. A lot of responsibility, but also cool to have it spelled out like that so you never wonder whther this is the answer, but could fully commit. I think that we can all have that kind of assurance, but it takes time, and patience, and faith, and it often comes slowly as we struggle to learn. :)

Today, let's work on doing great good, and counseling with the Lord about what the possibilities are in that regard. :) Let's lift and strengthen and learn how to be better people as we go.

Corinthians 12:13-15 -- On Oneness

"For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
For the body is not one member, but many.
If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body?"
1 Corinthians 12:13-15


I like the idea of everyone having a place and a reason. The context is talking about spiritual gifts, but I think it goes farther than that and hooks into the whole idea of oneness and unity. Like a boty had parts, but is one whole, so is the church, and so is a family, and perhaps with God, so is all of creation. We're not interchangable parts, but unique and valuable, and we all have a place with God as part of his family, and he knows us and loves us individually. I think it is hard to visualize that idea sometimes because as weak humans we don't have many good examples of that kind of Love... but it is the best part of all of the gospel and the plan and eternity... that love that God has for us which makes us belong to him, and each other, and a greater whole.

Today, let's remember that we are all part of God's family, and in this life together, to help each other and to accomplish a lot of good. Let's jump in as the Lord wills, and help each other do great things. :)

D&C 78:6 -- On Earthly and Heavenly Equality

"For if ye are not equal in earthly things ye cannot be equal in obtaining heavenly things;"
Doctrine and Covenants 78:6


This is a really interesting statement, and I think one that merits some serious consideration. If heavenly equality is dependent on earthly equality, that seems to mean that equality is a general principle that we all need to learn, just like love or faith. Today, perhaps we can think about that, and figure out ways to practice equality in our lives... ways to lift others up and ways to be more generous in general, giving to others whenever we can, and not feeling like we are better than anyone else. Let's pray and ask God to help us learn equality, and then put in the work to put it into action and cement it into our souls. :)

Galatians 5:22-23 -- On Lists and Improvement

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."
Galatians 5:22-23


A good list of some of the fruits of the Spirit, which can help us in several ways. For instance, we can specifically work on some of these things, to help us get closer to the Spirit and commect with God. Also, they are good reminders when we wonder what is going wrong. These can be things that can help us steer back to the correct path, and even help us to identify the Spirit when we are feeling uncertain.

Today, let's think of a good way to use the list on our lives... something that will help us stay on track and grow closer to God. Let's pray about an improvement plan in some of these areas, and God will help us find our way to a better self, and better relationships with others, including God. :)

Jacob 6:11 -- On Repentance

"O then, my beloved brethren, repent ye, and enter in at the strait gate, and continue in the way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life."
Jacob 6:11


The scriptures emphasize repentance, coming back to it over and over again, reminding us that we need to be sorry for our past actions, do what we can to make up for them, and change into people who wouldn't do it again. It's hard to repent when we just have an intellectual knowledge that we shouldn't do something, but still have that desire. Even then, though, God can help us change our hearts if we are willing, and eventually we can become people who have no more disposition to do evil, but sincerely desire to do good continually.

Today, let's sincerely examine our choices and go farther than just apologizing for our mistakes. Let's take steps to change, and let God in to help us become new people, with broken hearts and contrite spirits, desiring only to be better than we are, rather than to get around the rules or indulge in something that harms our spiritual health.

Mosiah 26:2-3 -- On Unbelief

"They did not believe what had been said concerning the resurrection of the dead, neither did they believe concerning the coming of Christ. And now because of their unbelief they could not understand the word of God; and their hearts were hardened."
Mosiah 26:2-3


I've written about these verses many times, but the idea that unbelief gets in the way of understanding hits me every time. It's like the Dunning-Krueger effect, or imposter syndrome. Our own minds are betraying us, and in a sense our whole lives we are living in a fantasy world. The gospel itself tells us that we are both of infinite worth and that we are less than the dust of the earth... and both are true, in different ways, becuase of our dual nature in trying to reconcile our bodies and spirits into one, whole soul.

If we get stuck along the way and we only believe the body... the flesh, the earthly part... then we will lose the ability to understand the spiritual. A similar thing happens on the other hand. If we get too focused on belief only and we never take action, then we never learn the faith necessary to stand up for that belief and fully commit ourselves.

Today, let's work on rending the veil of unbelief. Let's have the imagination and the faith to see beyond the flesh that is part of us, and remember, even a touch, our spiritual selves. We have that pure goodness inside of us, if we can connect to it, and connect to God who can help make us whole. Let's trust him over even the sometimes-darkness of our own minds, and reach for better selves, and a better world.

D&C 76:10 -- On Unimagined Blessings

"For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man."
Doctrine and Covenants 76:10


I love God telling us some of what he will give us if we are faithful to him. The part about "nor yet entered into the heart of man" clarifies that he isn't just planning on giving us things we haven't seen or heard of, but that what he has in mind, no one on Earth has ever even *imagined* ... that's awesome stuff right there, and why it is so important to work on breaking down the walls that we have built up between ourselves and God. We have to learn to let him in, to listen to him, and to follow his instructions, so we can get to the places he is showing us... the promised lands, the better selves, the glorified, amazing future that is better than we could ever imagine in this life.

Today, let's try to grasp the concept that nothing on this earth matters as much as what God has in store, and that the most important thing in this life is to do all we can to prepare for that... to get there, and to help others get there too. Once we grasp that, perhaps that will help us to have a better perspective on everything else. The temporary problems and setbacks, and even death, which is also temporary. It helps with temptation and sin as well... giving up that promised future for anything temporary seems ludicrous when we are seeing with the Spirit. Let's work with and for God and lift ourselves and the whole world around us closer to Him.

Mosiah 25:12 -- On Choosing a Name

"And it came to pass that those who were the children of Amulon and his brethren, who had taken to wife the daughters of the Lamanites, were displeased with the conduct of their fathers, and they would no longer be called by the names of their fathers, therefore they took upon themselves the name of Nephi, that they might be called the children of Nephi and be numbered among those who were called Nephites."
Mosiah 25:12


I like this mention, because it resolves the storyline of their fathers in a good way. Their fathers had been Nephites who were wicked priests of King Noah, who fled and left their wives and children behind, and decided to kidnap some Lamanite women instead. Later, when they are discovered by the Lamanites, their wives plead for their lives, so we know that they at least liked them enough to not want them killed, but I mean, obviously still very wrong. It's good to see that their children didn't follow in the ways of their fathers, but instead decided to take a stand together and choose a better name.

Today, perhaps we can take this example to heart, and let go of the past and forge a new and better future for ourselves and our children. Let's choose the family of God, and be his children, and work for the brighter future he has in store for us.

Mosiah 12:26-30 -- On Teaching the Wicked Priests

"I say unto you, wo be unto you for perverting the ways of the Lord! For if ye understand these things ye have not taught them; therefore, ye have perverted the ways of the Lord.
Ye have not applied your hearts to understanding; therefore, ye have not been wise. Therefore, what teach ye this people?
And they said: We teach the law of Moses.
And again he said unto them: If ye teach the law of Moses why do ye not keep it? Why do ye set your hearts upon riches? Why do ye commit whoredoms and spend your strength with harlots, yea, and cause this people to commit sin, that the Lord has cause to send me to prophesy against this people, yea, even a great evil against this people?
Know ye not that I speak the truth? Yea, ye know that I speak the truth; and you ought to tremble before God."
Mosiah 12:26-30


This is the prophet Abinadi, speaking to the wicked priests of king Noah, pointing out here the hypocrisy of the priests teaching a law which they did not obey. Later in the chapter he starts teaching them the ten commandments, the most basic part of that which they claimed to teach.

One of the cool things here is that Alma is one of these priests, and he, alone among all the rest, believes what is being said, and later tries to defend Abinadi and becomes converted to the Lord in truth, making a huge impact on the church at the time, and on Nephite history. God was working his miracles even here, urging his prophet to teach the gospel even in the midst of those who were actively mocking him, and who should already have known these things. But this sermon before he was put to death ends up making a vast difference.

Today, let's remember that we can't always see the wisdom and intentions of God, but he always has a plan, and a reason for what he asks of us. Let's be brave enough to do as God asks, even when it might seem like there is no point. God is working in the background, weaving our contributions into the whole in exactly the right way.

D&C 76:1-4 -- On The Greatness of God

"1 Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no Savior.
Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out.
His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand.
From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail."
Doctrine and Covenants 76:1-4


This is an amazing section, and having this at the start strikes me as sort of a preparation. God talks about things that he will reveal and the different things that we might attain, but the beginning of all of it is this... we have to understand the nature of God, at least as far as we can with our limited mortal understanding, in order to recognize, honor, and love God, and to understand his works. We have to see his motivations and his power to understand his love and gentleness, and to see the great things that he has in store for us.

Today, let's read, study, and learn of God. Let's get to know him so that we can love and understand him and be able to see and know his works, both now all around us, and his plans for us in the future.

Alma 61:9 -- On Liberty

"And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart. I, Pahoran, do not seek for power, save only to retain my judgment-seat that I may preserve the rights and the liberty of my people. My soul standeth fast in that liberty in the which God hath made us free."
Alma 61:9


I like the idea here that God is the one that grants us freedom and liberty. In context, Pahoran is telling Moroni of a rebellion where a part of the people are trying to set up a king to rule them, and joining in an agreement with the Lamanites to overthrow their whole society. Pahoran is asking Moroni to help him try to stop it. Even though Pahoran is the elected governor of the land, he doesn't get angry at Moroni's complaints, but just tells him what is going on and asks for help.

Today, let's remember humility and the source of our goodness and freedom. Let's be willing to ask for help and to work to bring to pass God's will rather than trying to defend our own pride. :) Let's work with God to support liberty for everyone.

Proverbs 11:24-27 -- On Scattering and Increasing

"There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself.
He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it.
He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour: but he that seeketh mischief, it shall come unto him."
Proverbs 11:24-27


I like the idea of scattering, yet increasing here... like scattering seeds, and being generous with others. I also like the contrast between good and mischief, which brings to mind things like scamming others or writing ransomware and things like that. God tells us that mischief will come to mischief, just like good will come to good. Now of course that doesn't mean that we can't repent of mischief, or that if we do good that we won't have trials... but overall, as we see throughout the scriptures, when we do good, things go well, and when we tip over into pride and treating others as enemies, or trying to play king of the hill, then things don't go well.

Today, let's work on being generous and good, so that God can bless us, and we will have the Spirit with us to support us in our trials.

D&C 74:7 -- On Little Children

"But little children are holy, being sanctified through the atonement of Jesus Christ; and this is what the scriptures mean."
Doctrine and Covenants 74:7


I love that this is stated, and elsewhere that infant baptism is explained as being unneeded. The idea that small children could be condemned without any chance to make informed choices is a scary one. Today, let's work on becoming as pure and holy as little children are, through our own informed choices. :)

D&C 71:3-6 -- On the Path to Power

"Verily this is a mission for a season, which I give unto you. Wherefore, labor ye in my vineyard. Call upon the inhabitants of the earth, and bear record, and prepare the way for the commandments and revelations which are to come. Now, behold this is wisdom; whoso readeth, let him understand and receive also; For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power."
Doctrine and Covenants 71:3-6


It's interesting how different this instruction is compared to ways that we seek worldly power. Gos is there, offering us power, and wisdom, and knowledge. And what he asks is that we listen, learn, and grow... that what he offers us we will actually use, as we develop and become better, and as we have a positive influence on the world around us.

Today, rather than worldly power, let's seek the power that God offers us, working to recieve and use all that he gives us, and preparing the way for more, both in the world and in our own hearts.