The Lord Knew Jeremiah Before His Birth

Today I read Jeremiah chapter 1, which is a famous scripture that everyone uses to point towards a pre-mortal existence.  In verse 5 the Lord tells Jeremiah that He knew Jeremiah before he was formed in his mother's womb.  I have always loved this scripture as it is the most clear cut verse, and is in the Bible, that shows we lived before this life.  And if we lived before this life, we will continue to live after this life.  Because why would there be a life before this one, but not afterwards?  It wouldn't make sense.  At least not to me.  I have to admit, that I have never read this far into the Bible before.  I have read the book of Ezekiel before and Jonah and Malachi, but never the other books after Isaiah so this is new territory for me.  I am excited to see what the Lord will teach me from the words of His ancient prophets, and of course I will share it with all of you as well.  Until tomorrow.

Will We Eat Meat in the Millennium?

Today I read Isaiah 66 which has to do with the Millennium.  I have been taught in the past that when Christ comes again we will all be vegetarians, but until today have never found any scriptural evidence of this.  I still don't know if it is true that we will never eat meat, but based on what I read today, I do believe that we will not eat meat with the same frequency that we are now.  In verse 3 it says that "he that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man;"  That's pretty open and shut to me.  We have also always been taught that the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and will not hurt nor destroy in all His holy mountain.  I don't think we will be eating a lot of meat, if at all, during this period of time.  However, as with most everything else that has to do with the millennium, it is useless to speculate as we may be entirely incorrect.  The best thing to do is prepare ourselves so that if Christ's second coming happens in our lifetime, we are ready for it!  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Redeem Israel

Today I read Isaiah 65 where the Lord tells Israel that they will not be cut off entirely, but that a remnant will be saved.  This must have given the Israelites good hope and comfort.  I know that if our Prophet, President Monson, cam out tomorrow on General Conference and told us that the Latter-day Saints would be wiped out, but a remnant would be spared to be redeemed, I would find comfort in that knowledge.  Hopefully the House of Israel did too in regards to their scattering and being taken captive by the Babylonians.  What the Lord states will happen, will happen.  We can always count on that.  Until tomorrow.

Israel Longs for the Second Coming

Today I read Isaiah 64 which appears to me to be a plea for happier times.  Israel is asking for the Second Coming of Christ and anxiously looking forward to it.  I too look forward to Jesus returning and ushering in an era of peace and happiness.  The world disgusts me at times and all the horrors that occur here make me wonder how God can suffer us to remain here and continue on as we are.  There are so many atrocities committed each and every day, so many children abused and not cared for.  It's a wonder God can stay His mighty hand at all.  But there will come a reckoning one day and the natural, vengeful man in me longs for such a day.  The spiritual man in me longs for the world to repent and forsake its evil ways, but I know that won't happen for most of the world.  It's a sad but true fact.  Until tomorrow.

Why God Allows Us to Stray

Today I read Isaiah 63 and I was struck by a phrase that Joseph Smith corrected.  Isaiah asks the question to God why He allowed His people to stray.  This goes back to the question of why do bad things happen to good people.  Or free will.  Heavenly Father allows us all to make our own choices.  In fact we are all here to decide what it is we want for eternity.  Are we willing to sacrifice momentary pleasures for an eternity of happiness?  Heavenly Father will never step in and force us to do what is right.  Even if He does intervene in our life somehow, we still have the option to ignore that it happened and go on as we did before.  Such a person would be quite foolish in my opinion, but we do have that option.  We are never required to do the right thing or to believe in Heavenly Father.  We will always have our own choice.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Promises the Redemption of Israel

Today I read Isaiah 62 where the Lord tells the House of Israel that in the last days they shall be redeemed.  I've already spoken on the question of do modern day Jews even want this to happen?  However, there are those core members of the House of Judah that live in Israel still that, from what I understand, hold to the old ways and want this to happen.  So to them this is probably a breath of fresh air.  I know that if President Monson came out this Saturday during General Conference and told us that it was time to build the temple in Zion, Independence, Missouri, I would be one of the ones who wept for joy!  So I'm sure there are those that even today read this chapter with happiness and a sense of longing for it to happen sooner rather than later.  I am glad the Lord gave them that sense of hope and light at the end of the tunnel.  Until tomorrow.

Choose to be Happy

Today I read Isaiah 61 and there wasn't a lot I was intrigued by in this chapter.  As a matter of fact I really only liked verse 10.  "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God;".  There are a lot of things in this world that can bring us down, but there is a lot that can bring us true, everlasting joy also.  We need to make sure that we don't become weighed down by the troubles of the world and forget to look on all that is good out there.  Lehi declared that men are that they might have joy.  This world was created for us, that we might get bodies and have a fulness of joy.  We are not fulfilling the measure of our creation if we choose to be sad or upset all the time.  It is most definitely a choice, don't let anyone fool you either.  I used to say a phrase all the time, I'm not sure why I don't anymore, but the phrase is, have a good day, and if it's not a good day, make it a good day.  We have the power to change our attitude and despite what a lot of people think, our attitude is entirely up to us.  It is all internal and our choice.  So choose to be happy and full of joy.  The Gospel is the good news, we have every reason to be happy, so be happy!  Until tomorrow.

The House of Judah Restored to Their Homeland

Today I read Isaiah 60 where Israel is promised that it will be a strong nation again one day.  I've never really thought about it before now, but as I sit here pondering it, I have to wonder, what percentage of the Jews actually want the land of Israel restored to them?  The Jews have been scattered for well over a thousand years.  They are dispersed among all different cultures and peoples.  Do they really want to be gathered in again to the land of Israel?  If I had to venture a guess, I would say probably not.  They are people just like the rest of us just trying to live their lives and be good people.  I'm sure there are a small percentage of the people that desire and hunger for their homeland, but most of the people of the house of Judah have not lived there for generations.  I'm sure this prophecy was more comforting to the people in the time of Isaiah than it is to the modern day Israelite.  A very interesting thought.  Until tomorrow.

We Are the Sum of Our Experiences

Today I read Isaiah 59 which kind of reminds me of the story Alma the Younger told his sons about his 3 day coma.  He was horrified at the prospect of standing before God and having God see all His sins.  Isaiah tells us here in this chapter that all of our sins will testify against us.  It is not a pleasant prospect!  There are plenty of things that I wish I had not done and would take them away if I could do it again.  I'm sure everyone has those moments/incidents in their lives.  I will say though that if by not doing those sins I would not meet my wife or have my daughter then I would still do them over again.  My family is too precious to me and I don't know if I could live without them.  Our experiences shape us, mold us, help us become who we are.  I would not be the man I am today if I had not served a mission.  I would not be as patient as I am today without serving a mission or babysitting my nieces and nephews all those years.  Everything we experience affects us.  For good or for ill, we are the sum of our experiences.

Now, this holds true for our personality when we arrive on this earth too.  We experience things in the pre-earth life too and they shape and mold our character.  Now all infants are created equal.  Some have more patience than others.  Some are just naturally happy.  Some seem to be predestined to get into trouble!  It's all because of our experiences before we were born on this planet.  We use them to better ourselves in this life.  Similarly, we need to use our experiences in this life to help mold us for the next one.  It's the only chance we have!  Until tomorrow.

Observing the Sabbath Day

Today I read Isaiah 58 where the Lord urges us to call the Sabbath a delight.  I have found in my life that when I rest from my physical labors on the Sabbath and use the time to do the Lord's work, my home teaching, attending Church for all of my meetings, visiting family, sick or afflicted, I am rejuvenated.  It can be a challenge for some to keep the Sabbath holy that is for sure.  Currently I am unable to keep the Sabbath day holy as I would like to be able to.  My work requires that I work, however even this I find is not as arduous as other work days.  The work place seems to have a calmness to it not present on any other day.  However, my preferred choice of course is to not have to work and to rest from my labors and spend the day with my family and my church friends.  If only the rest of the world could understand what a blessing the Sabbath is and would collectively observe it!  Until tomorrow.

Avoid Contention

Today I read Isaiah 57.  I liked the phrase I will not contend for ever.  Contention seems like a way of life in this mortal existence.  We argue with our siblings, with our friends, with random strangers, and about anything and everything under the sun.  You name it and people argue about it.  And the sad part is, most of the time, the arguments don't even matter.  People argue about things that don't even actually exist, such as TV shows or characters in a fiction book.  We even argue about the important things, such as religion.  But the Book of Mormon tells us that the spirit of contention is not of God, but rather of the devil.  When we argue and emotions get involved, it is not pleasing to Heavenly Father.  We can debate and we can discuss but we need to do our best to not become contentious.  It can be very challenging but it is the best way of things.  Until tomorrow.

Strangers are Welcomed Into the House of Israel

Today I read Isaiah 56 which talks about the stranger joining the House of Israel.  In other words, those that are baptized into the house of Israel become members of the House of Israel, joint heirs with the covenant people.  I've always been fascinated with the lost tribes of Israel that disappeared from history, however, they are not really lost but rather were dispersed among the rest of the world as they traveled.  I cannot imagine any thing else happened to them.  I always wonder if when someone hears the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they feel that spark within them that resonates if they are a direct descendant of one of the lost tribes.  Some people have described hearing the Gospel for the first time as a feeling of home coming.  Of course this could also just be a feeling of being welcomed back by Heavenly Father.  Either way, the Gospel of Jesus Christ touches us in a way that nothing else in this world does.  And that's a good thing.  Until tomorrow.

God's Word Will Be Fulfilled

Today I read Isaiah 55, chapters 53 and 54 are both covered in the Book of Mormon.  The part of the chapter that I enjoyed was when the Savior said that His word would not return to Him void.  Heavenly Father has made it abundantly clear that His word cannot pass away unfulfilled.  If He or one of His authorized servants when speaking for Him have said it, it WILL happen.  We cannot hope it won't as such hope is unfounded and vain.  Now, the exception to this rule is if Heavenly Father has made His statement conditional upon ones faith or recants His statement.  Heavenly Father told Joseph Smith that the command to gather in Zion and build a temple was no longer in effect.  Like wise Patriarchal Blessings are prophecy for the individual but they are based upon the faith of the person and so if they do not come to pass it should not be looked upon as God being wrong.  Such thinking is entirely incorrect.  We can trust in God that He will not allow His people to be led astray with incorrect thinking.  We can always trust in Him.  Until tomorrow.

How Beautiful are the Feet

Today I read Isaiah 52 which always reminds me of Abinadi.  This is the chapter that the wicked priests of Noah question him about when they are trying to trap him in his words.  They particularly ask him what does it mean "how beautiful upon the mountain are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings".  Of course Abinadi knows they do not really want to know and are just trying to trap him.  I personally believe that the phrase in question is referring to missionary work.  Those that bring good tidings are missionaries.  Missionary work is essential for the Plan of Salvation.  Every person has to have the opportunity to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We typically think of Justice when it comes to God as a bad thing.  If He were to rely on Justice, none of us would have a chance to return to live with Him.  However, God is also Just in that everyone will have an opportunity to hear the Gospel.  Anything less than that would not be Just.  In this case, Justice is a good thing and I for one am glad that God is a Just God and will not rest, nor allow His servants to rest, while there are still those who have not heard the good news of the Gospel.  Once that happens, then the work will be complete, but not until then and everyone who ever has lived, or ever will live, has an opportunity to accept or reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Until tomorrow.

Is Anything Too Difficult for the Lord?

Today I read Isaiah 51 and I did really notice any particular verses so much as I did concepts.  As I was reading the idea came to me, "Is anything too difficult for the Lord?".  All my life I come across situations that are challenging and that seem impossible at times.  I find myself questioning how to get past it.  And when I do that, I have to remind myself that Heavenly Father is able to do anything.  Nothing is too hard for the Lord. 

I once gave a blessing to a young woman who was having trouble staying pregnant where the Lord told me exactly what was wrong with her that she couldn't stay pregnant.  I did not know the medical term so He described it to me.  When she went to the doctor, that was exactly what was wrong.  I once gave a blessing to a man while on my mission , a blessing of comfort.  Later, after I returned from my mission, a former companion of mine who assisted me in giving the blessing told me that he went with the man to get his Patriarchal Blessing and it directly quoted some of the things I had said.  I once gave a blessing to my father who told me afterwards that I was directly quoting from his Patriarchal Blessing, I have never read before or since, for part of the blessing. 

Heavenly Father can do amazing things if we will let Him.  And He works through us.  We are His tools and His instruments here on the earth.  If we will work with Him we will be privileged to see some of the greatest miracles He can perform.  I could go on and on and I felt prompted to only talk about blessings today.  Hopefully this will help someone who reads this and will be the miracle they need in their life.  I have faith that Heavenly Father will make it so.  Until tomorrow.

The Lord Will Never Abandon Us

Today's reading was Isaiah 50 since chapters 48 and 49 are in the Book of Mormon, specifically 1 Nephi.  Isaiah speaks as the Savior in this chapter.  It always strikes me as odd that people would think the Lord has abandoned them.  The chapter starts by asking where is the bill of thy mother's divorcement, a phrase which the Savior uses to let people know that He has not abandoned them.  I can certainly understand that times can be rough and it can feel like we are all alone carrying the burden we face, but the fact is, He is right there beside us.

One of my favorite poems is "Footprints in the Sand" which illustrates this point beautifully.  The times that the man in the poem had the hardest time with are when the Savior carried him, He took all the burden onto Himself.  The Savior is always right there holding out His hand waiting to help us.  It is us who abandons Him, not the other way around.  He is always there waiting to help us, we just need to swallow our pride and ask Him for help.  He will NEVER abandon us.  Until tomorrow.

Heavenly Father Destroys Babylon

Today I read Isaiah 47 where the destruction of Babylon is predicted.  When I was younger and Heavenly Father used to destroy entire civilizations I used to feel very sorry for the people.  I was too young to understand what those people where doing.  Typically they were evil and totally without the Spirit of the Lord.  They were full of iniquity and ripe for destruction to use the words of Nephi.  In the case of the American Indians, or Lamanites as we know they were, some of them were engaging in human sacrifice!  Should we really feel sorry for such people being destroyed by the Spaniards who arrived after Columbus discovered America?  The people of Sodom and Gomorrah wanted to rape three men who came into the city for no other reason than they wanted to have sex with them.  Should such a people have any pity from others at their destruction?  I personally don't.  I trust that Heavenly Father, who does not delight in the shedding of blood, would not wantonly kill anyone, let alone an entire civilization.  Always trust Heavenly Father, that's my motto.  Until tomorrow.

My Counsel Shall Stand

Today I read Isaiah 46 and I liked the phrase, "my counsel shall stand".  God is telling the people of Israel in this chapter to avoid idol worship and that He is the only God.  Then He tells them that His counsel shall stand.  I take this to mean that what Heavenly Father says will stand the test of time, and it has.  This reminds me of John 7:17 where Jesus tells the Israelites that if any man will do His will he will know of the doctrine.  All we have to do is put it to the test.  Heavenly Father will help us know that what we are doing is His will, or if it is not.  What other religion promises that?  To not just follow blindly, but to ask our Creator if what we are being told is truly His will.  That is truly a blessing and we should not squander it.  If you are ever in doubt, just ask and He will tell you if it is truly His will or not.  Until tomorrow.

Draw Strength from the Lord

Today I read Isaiah 45 and I liked the second to last verse that tells us we have righteousness and strength in the Lord.  It is easy to see how we can draw strength from the Lord, when we rely on Him and do as He asks of us, we are stronger for it.  We become a light unto the world.  We are better able to withstand temptation.  All of the evils of the world are more able to slide off of us, like water off the back of a duck.  Just like the hymn, that actually quotes Isaiah, says, He will strengthen us and uplift us by His omnipotent hand.  It can be hard at first to trust in Him so completely, but it is worth taking the time to understand how to do it.  We will be so much better off and better able to overcome the adversary.  It is something each of us should learn to do.  Until tomorrow.

There is a Proper Way to Receive Revelation

Today I read Isaiah 44 and I laughed out loud at one point.  Towards the end of the chapter the Lord calls Himself the Lord that maketh all things, He goes on to say He frustrates the tokens of liars and maketh diviners mad.  It tickled my funny bone for some reason.  I can just picture a diviner getting angry at his/her craft not working the way it should.  But I must admit, I had never considered that the Lord might actively stop those workers of dark magic from working their craft.  Now that I have read the verse it makes sense to me, I just had not considered it before.  Heavenly Father would not want those people going through other sources to find out such things and so it would make sense that such people are frustrated in their craft.  Heavenly Father has a plan for us, and He has laid out the right way for us to receive revelation. If we want to make sure that we are doing as we ought to be, the easiest way is to follow that pattern that He has set forth.  Once we do this, we will never have to worry if we are doing as He wants us to.  We will have the peace of mind that our life is being lived in accordance with His will.  Until tomorrow.