Isaiah 55:12 -- Going Out with Joy

"For ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."
Isaiah 55:12


I like the symbolism here... it has to be extreme happiness and peace if the mountains, hills, and trees are getting into it. I think it is another lesson in perspective for us perhaps... with God everything is possible, and everything leads to good. Even nature joins in the celebration and helps towards the goals of God. It's when we turn our back on God and refuse his invitations that things can seem hopeless or unsolvable. Today, let's turn to God as we are looking for help, and hope. Because Jesus Christ lives, he can help us even in the most difficult circumstances. We just need to pray and ask, and be open to listening to his advice.

D&C 109:21 -- On Transgression, Repentance, and Perspective

"And when thy people transgress, any of them, they may speedily repent and return unto thee, and find favor in thy sight, and be restored to the blessings which thou hast ordained to be poured out upon those who shall reverence thee in thy house."
Doctrine and Covenants 109:21


This was part of the prayer given at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. I like the idea of helping us repent speedily. :) That's kind of a hard thing to plan for on a personal level, because if you are doing some pre-meditated sin and planning to repent later... the sincerity required to be truly sorry for what you did is going to be extremely hard to come by. On the other hand, we know that we are going to sin in general, so asking that we'll be able to recognize our mistakes and faults and learn quickly and make changes in our lives to become better... that seems pretty wise. :)

Part of it I think is the ideas of being in the world but not of it... being able to separate ourselves from our lives a little bit and step back. Perhaps a blessing from God to be able to see things more objectively, or at least see a glimpse of God's perspective, and know that our current circumstances don't define us, and that we can change, and that God will help us with anything good.

Today, let's try to capture that eternal mindset... to "think Celestial" as the prophet would say. :) Let's try to take a step back and examine ourselves, and see places where we can improve... and then follow through with that.

Abraham 4:16-18 -- On Watching and Organizing

"And the Gods organized the two great lights, the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night; with the lesser light they set the stars also;
And the Gods set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to cause to divide the light from the darkness.
And the Gods watched those things which they had ordered until they obeyed."
Abraham 4:16-18


I think it is interesting that in this version of the creation story, the heavens were "organized and formed" (verse 1), and even though it says that some things were set, it's like they were set in a spiritual pattern ahead of the physical reality... like instructions were given out, and then God just followed through and made sure that everyone did their jobs, making sure the stars knew where to go, etc. :)

I obviously don't know the details, but it's cool to think about the idea of all things working together for good, and that same thing could have been happening here. God can command the elements, so why not the stars? ... Today, let's take some time to think about God's power and the reason that we exist, and maybe talk to God about it. We are all here for a reason, and we can make a difference wherever we are. And God will watch, and watch over, us until we learn, and do.

Alma 5:30-31 -- On Mockery and Repentance

"And again I say unto you, is there one among you that doth make a mock of his brother, or that heapeth upon him persecutions?
Wo unto such an one, for he is not prepared, and the time is at hand that he must repent or he cannot be saved!"
Alma 5:30-31


This is a good question that Alma poses for us to think about. It's pretty easy to fall into the mockery trap and make fun of people who like things that we think are silly, or who act, dress, behave, look, vote, worship, eat, speak, or sin differently than we do.

Today, let's do as God asks and sincerely work on loving everyone, and esteeming them as ourselves. Let's try to see things from other perspectives, and be careful to respect others, to avoid mocking, and to repent of the mistakes we have made previously.

Alma 5:16 -- On Imagining and Improving

"I say unto you, can you imagine to yourselves that ye hear the voice of the Lord, saying unto you, in that day: Come unto me ye blessed, for behold, your works have been the works of righteousness upon the face of the earth?"
Alma 5:16


This is an interesting question to think about. If we can imagine that, that's probably good, as long as we are combining that with humility and listening closely to the Lord. If not, maybe we need to take a step back and ask ourselves why. It could be of course that we aren't giving ourselves enough credit, but it could also be that we need to improve or increase our good works. :)

Today, let's think about what we are doing to promote goodness and to help people. Wherever we are with that, let's talk with the Lord about what improvements we can make, and how we can help him, and help others.

D&C 133:21-25 -- On Becoming Whole

"And he shall utter his voice out of Zion, and he shall speak from Jerusalem, and his voice shall be heard among all people;
And it shall be a voice as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder, which shall break down the mountains, and the valleys shall not be found.
He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land;
And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was in the days before it was divided.
And the Lord, even the Savior, shall stand in the midst of his people, and shall reign over all flesh."
Doctrine and Covenants 133:21-25


I like the image here of a voice breaking down mountains, filling in the valleys, commanding the oceans, and joining the land. It seems like kind of a reversal of the change after the tower of Babel... instead of dividing the lands and the people, everthing will come together again, united and whole under Christ.

God doesn't only do that for geography, but for us. We are often internally divided and torn, both because we feel distance from God, but also because gaining our bodies has presented us with some internal conflict and the need to make decisions about what is the most important to us, and as we learn through those choices, we either become more divided or more whole. God helps us to get all the parts of ourselves on the same page... the page with him on it as well. Sin can pull us away, so today let's work on repentance and wholeness, joining with God in his effort to help everyone heal.

D&C 133:56 -- On the Song of the Lamb

"And the graves of the saints shall be opened; and they shall come forth and stand on the right hand of the Lamb, when he shall stand upon Mount Zion, and upon the holy city, the New Jerusalem; and they shall sing the song of the Lamb, day and night forever and ever."
Doctrine and Covenants 133:56


I love the image here of singing forever. I was wondering if we would do it in shifts or just straight through. I suppose that if you are immortal you could probably sing as long as you wanted. :) I love singing, so maybe this doesn't seem as awesome to everyone as it does to me, but I feel like it could be fun to sing for a couple of weeks straight, especially with God right there to sing to. :) I can't really imagine forever because it starts to seem not fun anymore after a while, but that is because of exhaustion or getting hoarse or other things that an immortal body probably wouldn't even blink at... so who knows. :)

I imagine we'll also be doing other things with some of that forever, like taking classes about things we don't know. Maybe Walking on Water 101 or, for advanced students, maybe constructing a Liahona or something. But also maybe that kind of praise could be just a part of who we will be. Can you imagine a life where you just constantly feel so much joy that you want to break into song? I want to feel that. :) Today, let's stick with God, and learn to sing his song.

Enos 1:1-2 -- On Nurture and Admonition

"Behold, it came to pass that I, Enos, knowing my father that he was a just man—for he taught me in his language, and also in the nurture and admonition of the Lord—and blessed be the name of my God for it—
And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins."
Enos 1:1-2


I was reading this today, and I was impressed by this idea of nurture and admonition in how the Lord deals with us, which I think relates to the idea of "wrestling" with the Lord here as well. God is helping us every day, but also pointing out things that we need to change and improve. Our relationship with God is meant to be consistent, interactive, and engaging, not just drive-by prayers, or brilliant moments of insight (though of course those are awesome). God loves us and wants to help us even when no one else does, but at the same time, he wants us to grow and improve, and he will absolutely tell us when we are being mean, impatient, and hypocritical. Showing us our weaknesses doesn't mean that he doesn't care, but that he cares enough about our welfare that he encourages us to be better and to do the things in our lives that will bring us more happiness.

Today, let's keep a line open with God even when we are doing other things. Let's work on sharing our lives with him, and keeping up a constant dialogue of prayer. The more we interact with God, the more we can grow, and feel his love... and the better our lives can become.

Acts 3:17-19 -- On Ignorance and Repentance

"And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;"
Acts 3:17-19


Here Peter is talking about the death of Christ, and that the people they are talking to participated in his death, but through ignorance rather than malice. That's a huge thing to say to someone, and it made me wonder how it would feel to realize what a huge mistake you made... not only being a part of killing someone, but the worst possible person for anyone to kill.

I don't think any of us have a regret quite that extreme, but I think we can all imagine it, because we all have our own regrets, and horrible mistakes that we wish we could take back. We can't, and that's hard... but as Peter urges here, we *can* repent, and repentance can cleanse us from the pain and the regret of even the worst things, because Christ is willing to forgive us. In fact, to be able to grant us that kind of mercy is one of the reasons that he lived among us in the first place.

Today, let's listen to God's word, and repent of our ignorance and our mistakes and our intentional missteps (harder, but still possible), and let's turn towards God and live better than we have.

Jacob 7:19 -- On Lying to God

"And he said: I fear lest I have committed the unpardonable sin, for I have lied unto God; for I denied the Christ, and said that I believed the scriptures; and they truly testify of him. And because I have thus lied unto God I greatly fear lest my case shall be awful; but I confess unto God."
Jacob 7:19


It's interesting here that Sherem talks about lying to God as an unpardonable sin... first, how is it even possible to lie to God, and second, why is it so serious?

I wasn't there of course, and can't know for sure, but I think there are some hints in the story that shed a little light. It talks about him having a "perfect knowledge" of the language and using much flattery, and he sought out Jacob specificially even though he knew he was the least susceptible to his arguments... so it seems like he was actively seeking drama and attention... he wanted to twist his words and gain points with the onlookers so that he would look good and have more sway with them perhaps.

Then, when he asks (very unwisely) for a sign, Jacob says "What am I that I should tempt God to show unto thee a sign in the thing which thou knowest to be true?" (verse 14). I think that is probably the core thing right there. Sherem knew that the gospel was true, and he was spreading lies anyway. For it to be unpardonable, it seems like he would have had to have a sure, certain testimony and then chose to go and lead people away from God anyway.

Today, let's make sure that we hold true to the knowledge and testimony of God that we have.

Abraham 2:3 -- On Leaving the Familiar and Finding God

"Now the Lord had said unto me: Abraham, get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will show thee."
Abraham 2:3


This is a theme that is repeated throughout the scriptures--God telling people to leave where they are and venture into something new, to find a new, promised land.

I feel like we all go through this at some point in our lives--perhaps not as literally as Abraham, or Moses, or Noah, or Lehi, but still... the very idea of losing ourselves to find ourselves, or of baptism as rebirth into the gospel, and growing up in God. It's all about leaving the familiar and the expected behind and forging something new in cooperation with God. And it is our end goal as well... to leave our country and kindred and find the promised land of heaven.

Today, wherever we are, let's make sure that we are leaving behing the things that are holding us back from joining God on the journey, and let's move forward towards the new land and new life and new home that God offers.

Amos 8:9-11 -- On Famine, Death, and Connection with God

"And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day:
And I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into lamentation; and I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head; and I will make it as the mourning of an only son, and the end thereof as a bitter day.
Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord:"
Amos 8:9-11


The idea here of darkness, mourning, bitterness, and a famine because we are missing the words of the Lord reminds me of the idea of spiritual death, which isn't a dead spirit, because that can't happen, but rather separation from God. ... Similarly dramatic, because God isn't around. And that's basically the same idea. If we don't have the word of the Lord and we don't have his word, then we are starving and dying.

In the beginning of the Book of Mormon, that is why Laban had to die as well... because without the word of the Lord, Lehi's descendants would suffer because of that loss.

Today, maybe we should ponder how much we truly need God and remember the times in our lives when we felt distance from him, and how much harder that is than living with his guidance and help. Let's turn to God, and read his word and reach out to him in prayer so that we don't have to starve or die without that essential core of hope and happiness in our lives. Let's rely on the Lord for help and advice and not waste or ignore our chance to connect with him... the source of life and truth and love, and everything good.

Numbers 2:34 -- On Doing As the Lord Commands

"And the children of Israel did according to all that the Lord commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers."
Numbers 2:34


The Old Testament is interesting in how specific the commandments get, and how exacting the children of Israel were in following God, through his prophet. I think maybe now that the laws are less specific about how to follow them, sometimes we forget that prophets are just as important and deserve the same respect as they did then. God still speaks through his prophets, and we should still listen, and do what the Lord commands. :)

Today, let's be willing to learn, and to do, what God instructs us to do through his prophets.

Isaiah 8:22 -- On Light and Darkness

"And they shall look unto the earth; and behold trouble and darkness, dimness of anguish; and they shall be driven to darkness."
Isaiah 8:22


A couple of verses before this it talks about people that have "no light in them," so they can't see the truth, and I think the culmination of that is here, when it talks about them being "driven to darkness." Perhaps driving themselves to darkness because they can't see the light, or perhaps being deceived into it... also because they can't see/feel/understand/know the light. I think the point here is that we need to cleave to the light of God with everything that we are.

Today, if we are feeling surrounded by darkness, within or without, let's remember that God is the truth, and that He is light, and then let's kneel and humbly pray for God's help in being able to see the light again... the light of Christ, of hope, of faith... of goodness, so that we can see God's path and walk in it. Darkness and dimness--despair, hopelessness--that is the deception, and if we turn to God he will show us the hope, help us to see with new eyes and a better perspective, and guide us all to our potential and to eternal happiness. :) Let's choose light.

Mark 4:18-19 -- On Cares of the World

"And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word, And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful."
Mark 4:18-19


A good reminder for today that it is very easy to let the cares of the world distract us from the things that truly matter... the word of God, and his gospel of hope and love. Today, let's avoid the choking distractions that can drive us away from God, and let's focus on the important things... learning about and loving God, and with his help, loving not just those close to us, but *everyone* else. Doing God's will is sometimes difficult, but overall the burden is lighter than the cares of the world, because God is there to help us and carry it with us. Let's trust him and turn to him rather than the world.

2 Corinthians 8:11-12 -- On Doing What We Can

"Now therefore perform the doing of it; that as there was a readiness to will, so there may be a performance also out of that which ye have. For if there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not."
2 Corinthians 8:11-12


I like the idea of God taking into account our capabilities. If we are willing to serve him... to make the world better, to help pthers, then we should act on it, knowing that God isn't going to expect us to be perfect at it, but that he accepts what we have to give, and doesn't expect us to be someone else, or grade on a curve. :) He only considers what we can do, and that is enough. ... And he will help us learn to be better. Today, let's jump in and do the good that is in our hearts, and work with God to help and serve and make things better. If we do that, God will magnify our efforts and help us improve.

3 Nephi 1:19-20 -- On Signs, Prophets, and Testimony

"And it came to pass that there was no darkness in all that night, but it was as light as though it was mid-day. And it came to pass that the sun did rise in the morning again, according to its proper order; and they knew that it was the day that the Lord should be born, because of the sign which had been given. And it had come to pass, yea, all things, every whit, according to the words of the prophets."
3 Nephi 1:19-20


I love this sign, showing the people that Christ was born, even though they were in a different land. It's cool to see the timelines of different scriptural accounts match up perfectly like this. Also cool that the sign was given with perfect timing to save the people and convince so many of the truth.

In just a few verses though, they begin to be decieved again by Satan, and in a couple of chapters back to full-scale wickedness... so, as with Laman and Lemuel, we see that these dramatic signs aren't the real conversion tools that we sometimes want them to be. A dramatic sign from the Lord can be amazing, but if we don't build on that and learn more of the gospel, learn to walk in the Spirit, and learn more about God, then we are in danger of falling away from the truth as quickly as we turned towards it in that important moment.

Today, let's listen to the prophets even when we don't see a dramatic sign, and let's build our testimonies by studying the words of Christ and by learning of him. Let's appreciate signs for what they are, and turn to God, but also remember that we grow up in God little by little with sustained effort rather than all in that one dramatic moment :)

Ether 12:4 -- On Belief and Hope and a Better World

"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God."
Ether 12:4


I love the idea here of belief in God leading directly to hope, and stability and good works. We don't always make those connections as we are learning our way in the gospel, but they are definitely there. Hoping in the better world that God promises us helps us to see what could be kind of superimposed over what is, and it opens us up to possibilities, not only for ourselves and our growth, but we can see the hope that there is for others as well... the chance that we all have to grow and change and unify under God's protection and leadership, as he teaches us to overcome the world and ourselves and become those "otherworldly," better people, ready to live the higher law of a better place and uplift everything and everyone around us. Today, let's catch the vision of this verse and be part of pitching in with good works and confidence as we build a better world after God's instructions and pattern. That's what life is for... to improve and ascend to a higher level of perfection and joy, little by little, with God helping us learn as we go.

Mosiah 27:29 -- On Being Snatched, and Saved, and Becoming New

"My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more."
Mosiah 27:29


I love the idea of being snatched here. Not as in kidnapped, but snatched "out of an everlasting burning" as it mentions in the previous verse. The idea of being saved... but not only saved, but born again, set on a new path--one full of hope and light rather than what and where we were before, becoming "new creatures" as it mentions in verse 26.

That is what God does for us. His kind of saving is complete, not just snatching us out of the fire, but teaching us to avoid it and go to a better place where we can be happy forever. ... Today, let's work on learning that lesson and traveling God's path, the path of hope, in our newness of life, letting go of the old self and reaching for what God offers--believing in that vision.

D&C 121:28 -- On Nothing Withheld

"A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, they shall be manifest."
Doctrine and Covenants 121:28


This is interesting. We have several versions of the creation story and whether the word God is plural or singular changes depending on what version you read... and I think it is kind of cool to say in this verse that we'll understand it all eventually. And also, it sort of implies that that isn't the most crucial question of eternity, which means maybe we spend too much time debating it here. We know that we pray to God, our heavenly father, and we know that Jesus Christ died for our sins and still lives to guide and help us, and that the Holy Ghost helps us every day to recognize truth... maybe we don't need to debate it further. We can just trust God and know that he will answer all of our questions in time.

Today, let's embrace the things that we know and that we have learned from God, and maybe step back and let go of some of our worry about the things that we don't know. Not that we shouldn't be curious and seek answers from the Lord, for sure, but perhaps we can be more patient and more faithful, knowing that God knows what he is doing, even when we don't understand exactly what that is all the time. Someday we will, and until then let's work on our patience and faith and developing our relationship with God.

Ephesians 4:11-15 -- On Perfecting and Growing Up

"And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:
That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"

Ephesians 4:11-15


I like the idea here of all of these resources that are all designed to help us through the perfecting process, or growing up into Godliness. ... I think we sometimes expect God to be mysterious and complex... he is God and knows everything after all, but he also knows that we are children, making silly, childish mistake, at least in a spiritual sense, and he has very plain things to say to us. Hold on to truth and love, stick with what God says and not what people say.

Today, let's do all we can to grow towards God--to put that goal first in our lives, and let other things take lower priorities or fall off the list if they aren't compatible with that first item. This is our life, and all of it was given to us so we could learn this spiritual stuff and figure out our lives and our desires and our true selves, with God. He can help us with the hard questions, with going from who we are to who we truly want to be. Let's stick with him, and partake of his hope, and move forward and upward, towards eventual, but thankfully not immediately expected, perfection.

D&C 80:3 -- On Going Forth

"Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss."
Doctrine and Covenants 80:3


David Bednar mentioned this scripture today in a meeting that I attended, and I really liked the idea that he pointed out here, that God is just asking people to move. The direction doesn't matter, because if they are going with the Spirit and communicating with God, he will lead them along, and there is likely plenty of God's work to be done everywhere. :)

I kind of love the idea of not being able to fail/go the wrong direction ("ye cannot go amiss"), as long as we are doing what the Lord asks. It makes all of it a little less scary, right? We can choose whatever direction we want to help, and God will help us get where we need to go. Today, let's go forth to do God's will, and trust God to teach us the way, and to guide us to where we can do good.

1 Timothy 6:4-8 -- On Contentment

"He is proud, knowing nothing, but doting about questions and strifes of words, whereof cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings,
Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself.
But godliness with contentment is great gain.
For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content."
1 Timothy 6:4-8


Reading this today got me thinking about contentment. Like happiness, and so many other things, we often expect those things to be externally granted... to find a place in our lives where we finally have what we need to be happy, or content, or at peace... and I think that what God is teaching us here, and elsewhere in the scriptures, is that those things aren't external. As long as we have what we need to sustain life (here, food and raiment), we can find contentment within.

I don't think that God is telling us that we can't think about interesting things, but like anything else that we let into our minds, we should be choosy about how it affects us and the people around us. Are we just arguing and making ourselves upset, or are we learning about other viewpoints and spreading goodness? Probably a big difference in how we approach things like conversing online, just as there is with what television and music we listen to... or the kinds of language we choose to use. Everything we choose can bring us closer to God and other people, or pull us farther away.

Today, let's make sure our surmisings aren't evil, and inasmuch as we know how, let's choose contentment, peace, happiness, and all good things, rather than inviting the opposite into our lives. If we aren't sure how, then let's go to God and open ourselves up to his lessons on learning that. He is always willing to help, through his scriptures and through direct life experience. :)

John 5:5-6 -- On Healing

"And a certain man was there, which had an infirmity thirty and eight years.
When Jesus saw him lie, and knew that he had been now a long time in that case, he saith unto him, Wilt thou be made whole?"
John 5:5-6


Thirty-eight years seems like a long time to deal with an infirmity, and it reminds me also of the woman that touched the hem of Christ's clothes and who had been dealing with a problem for quite a while as well. ... It makes me think that healing will come for everyone, and is available to everyone.

Our challenges aren't always visible, or physical, but we all have weaknesses and things that are hard for us to deal with. God gives us weaknesses so that we can learn to overcome them and find our inner strength. And God is there with us along the way, to help, and guide, and eventually, to heal, perfect, and make whole.

The trouble of course is not only our unbelief, but our impatience. We want things to be instantly perfect. But if they were, we wouldn't learn much. Perhaps today we can take a step back and focus on the learning opportunities that are all around us. Meanwhile, we can also believe in and hope for the healing to come.

1 Corinthians 6:7-8 -- On Our Brethren

"Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren."
1 Corinthians 6:7-8


I feel like it is so easy to see the wrong side on this one... accepting wrong just seems so hard to accept, and allowing someone to cheat you... wow. But then, stepping back, it is also easier to see God's perspective on this. What else is forgiveness about, if we can't let go of something that has been done to us... and what else is love and learning to be a Zion people if we don't give other people the same benefit of the doubt as we would wish for ourselves, or that we would grant to other members of our family.

And they *are* family, which I think is the core of God's message here, right? Why are we harming and cheating each other, when we are brothers and sisters? And maybe today that is what we need to remember most of all... all of those people out there that we are complaining about and that we might not like... they are our family. Let's do all we can to learn to love them and forgive them, as we would anyone we think of as our own. God can help us learn, because he truly loves us all, and knows the goodness within each of us.

Words of Mormon 1:7 -- On Whispers and Trust

"And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will."
Words of Mormon 1:7


I love the perfect knowledge of God, and that through his Spirit he prepares us for things to come, even though we have no idea how it will work, he guides our paths. With the advantage of hindsight we can sometimes look back and see how important certain events and choices were, but in the moment we're often dismayed or worried about them becuase we don't know why things aren't working out the way we wanted them to. Luckily, God's way is always better, and so, if we can step back and God grants us a little of his perspective, we can learn to trust that, whatever comes, God knows what he is doing. If we can do that, then we can always learn to adjust to our circumstances, knowing that there is a reason.

Today, let's remember that there is a wise purpose. That doesn't mean we should walk through life as Zombies, believing that what we do doesn't matter. That isn't true. But when things work out differently than we expect, let's trust that God knows the path, and that if we stick with him, we are always going to get to someplace better than before. :)

Enos 1:12 -- Prayer and Labor

"And it came to pass that after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith."
Enos 1:12


I like the idea of prayer being a labor... not because prayer is a hard thing to learn, but because building a relationship with God is hard work, but also noble effort that gets us closer to everything good in life, and even after life is over. It teaches us to love, and to be better than we are.

Today, let's try the virtue of the word of God and pput some effort into prayer. As we do, and as we get better at it, and learn more about God, we'll start being on the same page with God more often, and we'll know how to ask for the right things that God longs to assist us with. :)

Jacob 4:10 -- On Taking Counsel

"Wherefore, brethren, seek not to counsel the Lord, but to take counsel from his hand. For behold, ye yourselves know that he counseleth in wisdom, and in justice, and in great mercy, over all his works."
Jacob 4:10


Another good reminder to listen to the Lord. It's easy to think that we know the proper way to go, or that the ideal that we have in our minds of the way our lives and the course of the world should go is the right one, but we can't see what God sees, and compared to him, we really know very little about how things fit together... but he is willing to teach us, if we will listen and learn and take his advice.

Today, let's remember that we are not the source of all wisdom, and that God *is* exactly that. :)

Jacob 4:7 -- On Weakness

"Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things."
Jacob 4:7


It isn't often very fun to realize our weaknesses, but it's likely essential knowledge so that we can learn humility, and remember how much we need God. If we could just handle everything by ourselves, we'd never (in most circumstances) make big changes in our lives, and take the leap to change and grow in new and different ways. It helps ground us so that we can't kid ourselves that we are better than anyone else, but that we are all alike in our deep need for God, and his atonement and mercy.

Today, let's recognize our weaknesses as God shows them to us, and work on them... but also recognize that God can make up for them, and help us with them, and that we're not failures just because we fail... the point is to get up and keep trying, and let God teach us how to do better. It's part of growing up, and we are still children, spiritually. We don't have to control everything. We can let God do that, and focus on trying to love God and the people around us better.

Alma 7:15 -- On Committing to God

"Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth abeset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism."
Alma 7:15


What strikes me today as I read this is that our relationship with God is a committment. It isn't just a one way thing where God helps us and get a perfect life... he does help, but our lives are supposed to have trials, and dedication to God also requires a committment from us to work at keeping the commandments, at living a good life. We don't have to be instantly perfect, of course, but we're committing to do our best, and prioritize God in our lives.

Today, let's remember to work on our committment to God, and put in some effort in doing as he asks, even if it is just a small thing as we start out. Read a few verses of scripture (as above), say a prayer. ... The little things accumulate, and, with God's help, assist us in becoming better, and learning more--little by little, leading to a better future with God.

Romans 10:13 -- On Prayer

"For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."
Romans 10:13


I like the simplicity here. As it goes on it talks about the chain of things that have to be true if you are calling on God, and I don't think that it is a one-time only, get-out-of-jail-free type thing that you do and then you are golden, but the overall principle is truly simple. Prayer works. It matters.

Today, let's call on the name of the Lord, and continue to do so, so that we can learn how our lives can change and improve over time as we learn to communicate with the Lord and trust his will over our own.