As I was preparing these scriptures, I thought I would add commentary as to what I was thinking as I selected each one. – Doug Daggett
July 5th Gen 7:50-54 From the beginning of time, the plan of salvation and the ability to be blessed with eternal life with God, has been made known.
Genesis 7
50 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark, and the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked came the floods and swallowed them up. 51 And as Enoch saw thus, he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens, I will refuse to be comforted. 52 But the Lord said unto Enoch, Lift up your heart and be glad, and look. And it came to pass, that Enoch looked, and from Noah he beheld all the families of the earth, and he cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the day of the Lord come? When shall the blood of the righteous be shed, that all they that mourn may be sanctified, and have eternal life? 53 And the Lord said, It shall be in the meridian of time; in the days of wickedness and vengeance. 54 And, behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, even in the flesh; and his soul rejoiced, saying, The righteous is lifted up; and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world; and through faith I am in the bosom of the Father; and behold, Zion is with me!
July 6th D&C 142:5a&b It is yet day and we all can still work. But the question is what work is the most important for us to perform while we have the ability to do so? A lot of the following scriptures, I think will shed some light on this.
DC 142
5a The hopes of my people and the goals of my church, while not yet fully realized, and at times and to many seemingly distant, are closer to realization than many recognize. 5b It is yet day when all can work. The night will come when for many of my people opportunity to assist will have passed.
July 7th Alma 11:22-29 In light of yesterdays scripture and thoughts. Having equality within the regions around us and striving to make sure the things listed in vs 29 are not a part of who we are. Repenting is a work that we can do, and it brings Christ and our relationship closer to us.
Alma 11
22 And Alma and Amulek went forth preaching repentance to the people in their temples, and in their sanctuaries, and also in their synagogues, which were built after the manner of the Jews. 23 And as many as would hear their words, unto them they did impart the word of God, without any respect of persons, continually. 24 And thus did Alma and Amulek go forth, and also many more who had been chosen for the work, to preach the word throughout all the land. 25 And the establishment of the church became general throughout the land, in all the region round about, among all the people of the Nephites. 26 And there was no inequality among them, for the Lord did pour out his Spirit on all the face of the land, to prepare the minds of the children of men, or to prepare their hearts to receive the word which should be taught among them at the time of his coming, 27 That they might not be hardened against the word, that they might not be unbelieving, and go on to destruction, 28 But that they might receive the word with joy, and as a branch be grafted into the true vine, that they might enter into the rest of the Lord their God. 29 Now those priests who did go forth among the people, did preach against all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and malice, and revilings, and stealing, robbing, plundering, murdering, committing adultery, and all manner of lasciviousness, crying that these things ought not so to be;
July 8th Alma 12:1-7 As time has gone on, we have moved away from prayer and fasting. This is also a work that we can consider adding to our lives. We have been taught that great things can be accomplished when we humble ourselves, pray and fast over things we know are important.
Alma 12
1 And now it came to pass that as Alma was journeying from the land of Gideon, southward, away to the land of Manti, behold, to his astonishment, he met the sons of Mosiah, journeying towards the land of Zarahemla. 2 Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly, to see his brethren; 3 And what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; 4 For they were men of a sound understanding, and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God. 5 But this is not all: they had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting, therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority, even as with the power and authority of God. 6 And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years, among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth; 7 Yea, by the power of their words, many were brought before the altar of God, to call on his name, and confess their sins before him.
July 9th Gen 7:61-69 We have the knowledge to know that the Book of Mormon did come out of the earth and that it does testify of Jesus Christ, His great sacrifice and His resurrection. And also the resurrection of those that have gone on before us.
Genesis 7
61 And it came to pass, that Enoch cried unto the Lord, saying, When the Son of Man cometh in the flesh shall the earth rest? I pray thee show me these things. 62 And the Lord said unto Enoch, Look; and he looked, and beheld the Son of Man lifted up on the cross, after the manner of men. 63 And he heard a loud voice, and the heavens were veiled; and all the creations of God mourned, and the earth groaned; and the rocks were rent; and the saints arose, and were crowned at the right hand of the Son of Man, with crowns of glory. 64 And as many of the spirits as were in prison came forth and stood on the right hand of God. And the remainder were reserved in chains of darkness until the judgment of the great day. 65 And again Enoch wept, and cried unto the Lord, saying, When shall the earth rest? 66 And Enoch beheld the Son of Man ascend up unto the Father; and he called unto the Lord, saying, Wilt thou not come again upon the earth? for inasmuch as thou art God, and I know thee, and thou hast sworn unto me, and commanded me that I should ask in the name of thine Only Begotten; thou hast made me, and given unto me a right to thy throne, and not of myself, but through thine own grace; and wherefore I ask thee if thou wilt not come again on the earth? 67 And the Lord said unto Enoch, As I live, even so will I come in the last days, in the days of wickedness and vengeance, to fulfill the oath which I made unto you concerning the children of Noah. 68 And the day shall come that the earth shall rest. But before that day the heavens shall be darkened, and a veil of darkness shall cover the earth; and the heavens shall shake, and also the earth. 69 And great tribulations shall be among the children of men, but my people will I preserve; and righteousness will I send down out of heaven, and truth will I send forth out of the earth, to bear testimony of mine Only Begotten; his resurrection from the dead; yea, and also the resurrection of all men.
July 10th Isaiah 29:11&12 One of satan’s greatest accomplishments is how blinded the world has been and continues to be, when it comes to the Book of Mormon and what it contains. Another work for us to do is to continue to share it when given the opportunity.
Isaiah 29
11 And it shall come to pass, that the Lord God shall bring forth unto you the words of a book; and they shall be the words of them which have slumbered. 12 And behold, the book shall be sealed; and in the book shall be a revelation from God, from the beginning of the world to the ending thereof.
July 11th Proverbs 14:17, 29:22 and Ecclesiastes 7:9 It is more evident today than I can ever remember that we are all surrounded by anger, hatred, offense, envy & resentment (I know the list could go on and on). All works of the adversary. These attacks are happening even in the homes and families of the saints. The thoughts of the importance of prayer and fasting once again enter my mind!
Proverbs 14
17 He that is soon angry dealeth foolishly; and a man of wicked devices is hated.
Proverbs 29
22 An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious man aboundeth in transgression.
Ecclesiastes 7
9 Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry; for anger resteth in the bosom of fools.
July 12th Colossians 3:12-14 Really this short chapter should be read in its entirety. Giving insight on maybe best practices/ways to live our lives.
Colossians 3
12 Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; 13 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. 14 And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
July 13th Gen 7:73-75 So easy to see that the sea truly is troubled. Many in this world strive for power, fortune & fame. Not caring how they get it or who they hurt to get it. This world has turned its focus on worldly things and in so doing have completely fallen away from our Savior.
Genesis 7
73 And it came to pass, that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of Man, in the last days, to dwell on the earth, in righteousness, for the space of a thousand years. 74 But before that day, he saw great tribulation among the wicked; and he also saw the sea, that it was troubled, and men’s hearts failing them, looking forth with fear for the judgment of the Almighty God, which should come upon the wicked. 75 And the Lord showed Enoch all things, even unto the end of the world. And he saw the day of the righteous, the hour of their redemption, and received a fullness of joy.
July 14th John 14:1 & 14:23-27 So many are caught in unknown territory. Things look shaky and unpredictable. With this comes fear of this unknown. Our challenge is this, we know things have been made known unto us, things that are unchangeable, things that are spiritual. If we find ourselves being fearful, then maybe we have taken our eyes off of these things we know to be true and the fear comes from looking to the earthly side of the fence?
John 14
1 Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in me.
John 14
23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words; and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. 24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings; and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me. 25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. 26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
July 15th Job 21:6-17 Pray for our enemies, fear for their souls. Enemies would be anyone that opposes righteousness. There are many. Again, bringing to mind the importance of prayer and fasting.
Job 21
6 Even when I remember I am afraid, and trembling taketh hold on my flesh. 7 Wherefore do the wicked live, become old, yea, are mighty in power? 8 Their seed is established in their sight with them, and their offspring before their eyes. 9 Their houses are safe from fear, neither is the rod of God upon them. 10 Their bull gendereth, and faileth not; their cow calveth, and casteth not her calf. 11 They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance. 12 They take the timbrel and harp, and rejoice at the sound of the organ. 13 They spend their days in wealth, and in a moment go down to the grave. 14 Therefore they say unto God, Depart from us; for we desire not the knowledge of thy ways.15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him; and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him? 16 Lo, their good is not in their hand; the counsel of the wicked is far from me. 17 How oft is the candle of the wicked put out! and how oft cometh their destruction upon them! God distributeth sorrows in his anger.
July 16th James 4:10-12 Speaks to yesterdays scripture and thoughts. We really need to let God fight the battles between us and our enemies. We pray for them and their souls, they deal directly with our Savior. I know sounds easy, but is it easy? Can we let go and let God handle the darker side of things for us?
James 4
10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
11 Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law; but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.
12 There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy; who art thou that judgest another?
July 17th John 5:22-24 Brothers and Sisters, praise God, allow His peace, His comfort and His love to lead you where you need to go, act the way you need to act and be the person you need to be.
John 5
22 For the Father judgeth no man; but hath committed all judgment unto the Son;
23 That all should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father who hath sent him.
24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He who heareth my word, and believeth on him who sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death into life.
July 18th 1 Corinthians 10:13 We all face temptations; we all have fallen short of meeting God’s expectations for our lives. Our work is to repent and move on in life. Turning from the things in our lives that we know to be offensive to God.
1 Corinthians 10
13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
July 19th Psalms 46:1-11 Yes, let us put all our trust and our faith in the Lord and not in the arm of flesh. Want less fear in our lives? It can not come when trusting in the arm of flesh.
Psalms 46
1 God is our refuge and strength, a present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth shall be removed, and though the mountains shall be carried into the midst of the sea;
3 And the waters thereof roar, being troubled, and the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.
4 Yet there shall be a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5 For Zion shall come, and God shall be in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God shall help her right early.
6 The heathen shall be enraged, and their kingdoms shall be moved, and the Lord shall utter his voice, and the earth shall be melted.
7 The Lord of hosts who shall be with us, the God of Jacob our refuge. Selah.
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he shall make in the earth in the latter days.
9 He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire, and saith unto the nations,
10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
11 The Lord of hosts shall be with us, the God of Jacob our refuge. Selah.
July 20th Job 19:25&26 We have so much to live for. So let us stay focused and stay on the path that leads to eternal life with our Savior.
Job 19
25 For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth;
26 And though after my skin worms destroy this body; yet in my flesh shall I see God;
July 21st Alma 16:215-228 Final thoughts- It is yet day and we all can work. So Don’t stop working until you reach the end!
Alma 16
215 And behold, this is the whole meaning of the law; every whit pointing to that great and last sacrifice; and that great and last sacrifice will be the Son of God; yea, infinite and eternal; and thus he shall bring salvation to all those who shall believe on his name;
216 This being the intent of this last sacrifice, to bring about the bowels of mercy, which overpowereth justice and bringeth about means unto men that they may have faith unto repentance.
217 And thus mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and encircles them in the arms of safety, while he that exercises no faith unto repentance, is exposed to the whole law of the demands of justice; therefore, only unto him that has faith unto repentance, is brought about the great and eternal plan of redemption.
218 Therefore may God grant unto you, my brethren, that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance, that ye begin to call upon his holy name, that he would have mercy upon you; yea, cry unto him for mercy; for he is mighty to save;
219 Yea, humble yourselves, and continue in prayer unto him; cry unto him when ye are in your fields; yea, over all your flocks; cry unto him in your houses, yea, over all your household, both morning, mid-day, and evening; yea, cry unto him against the power of your enemies; yea, cry unto him against the devil, who is an enemy to all righteousness.
220 Cry unto him over the crops of your fields, that ye may prosper in them: cry over the flocks of your fields, that they may increase.
221 But this is not all: ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness;
222 Yea, and when you do not cry unto the Lord, let your hearts be full, drawn out in prayer unto him continually for your welfare, and also for the welfare of those who are around you.
223 And now behold, my brethren, I say unto you, Do not suppose that this is all; for after ye have done all these things, if ye turn away the needy, and the naked, and visit not the sick and afflicted, and impart of your substance if ye have, to those who stand in need;
224 I say unto you, If ye do not any of these things, behold, your prayer is vain, and availeth you nothing, and ye are as hypocrites who do deny the faith;
225 Therefore if ye do not remember to be charitable, ye are as dross, which the refiners do cast out, (it being of no worth,) and is trodden under foot of men.
226 And now, my brethren, I would that after ye have received so many witnesses, seeing that the holy scriptures testify of these things, come forth and bring fruit unto repentance;
227 Yea, I would that ye would come forth and harden not your hearts any longer; for behold, now is the time, and the day of your salvation; and therefore, if ye will repent and harden not your hearts, immediately shall the great plan of redemption be brought about unto you.
228 For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God: yea, behold, the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.