#-047: Sorcerers, Adulterers, False Swearers, Oppressers

Reflection: How many of these do we see in political and business leadership?

5 And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger, and fear not me, saith the Lord of Hosts.

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Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 24:5

#046: “From ... Out of the Heart of Men”

Self-Reflection: How much of my entertainment choices contain these things?

20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man.
21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:
23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.

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New Testament | Mark 7:20-23

#045: Lyings, Deceivings, Strifes, Priestscrafts, Whoredoms

World and Self-Reflection: How much of this do we see in the world today? Am I ignoring the evidence so that it can continue? Am I participating?

19 And it shall come to pass that all lyings, and deceivings, and envyings, and strifes, and priestcrafts, and whoredoms, shall be done away.

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Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 21:19

#044: Covenants to Destroy?

Reflection: How are the powers in our day promoting iniquity and seeking to overthrow liberty and sovereign nations?

15 Now the cause of this iniquity of the people was this—Satan had great power, unto the stirring up of the people to do all manner of iniquity, and to the puffing them up with pride, tempting them to seek for power, and authority, and riches, and the vain things of the world.
16 And thus Satan did lead away the hearts of the people to do all manner of iniquity;
...
30 And they did set at defiance the law and the rights of their country; and they did covenant one with another to destroy the governor, and to establish a king over the land, that the land should no more be at liberty but should be subject unto kings.

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Book of Mormon | 3 Nephi 6:15-16, 30 (Bold emphasis added.)

#043: Will We Choose to Be Gathered?

Self-Reflection: Could my name be substituted for “Jerusalem”?

36 Then Jesus began to weep over Jerusalem, saying,
37 O Jerusalem! Jerusalem! Ye who will kill the prophets, and will stone them who are sent unto you; how often would I have gathered your children together, even as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings, and ye would not.

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JST New Testament | Matthew 23:36-37 (Bold are Joseph Smith corrections.)

#042: Déjà Vu Daniel's Day?

Reflection: Do Daniel's words ring true for our day?

5 We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments:
6 Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.

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Old Testament | Daniel 9:5-6

#041: How Oft Have I Called You?

Reflection: Are any of these various voices calling us today?

24 O, ye nations of the earth, how often would I have gathered you together as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not!
25 How oft have I called upon you by the mouth of my servants, and by the ministering of angels, and by mine own voice, and by the voice of thunderings, and by the voice of lightnings, and by the voice of tempests, and by the voice of earthquakes, and great hailstorms, and by the voice of famines and pestilences of every kind, and by the great sound of a trump, and by the voice of judgment, and by the voice of mercy all the day long, and by the voice of glory and honor and the riches of eternal life, and would have saved you with an everlasting salvation, but ye would not!

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Doctrine and Covenants | Section 43:24-25

#040: Spreading Rumors and Contentions

Reflection: Does this describe our present media? How much do I participate?

22 And many more things did the people imagine up in their hearts, which were foolish and vain; and they were much disturbed, for Satan did stir them up to do iniquity continually; yea, he did go about spreading rumors and contentions upon all the face of the land, that he might harden the hearts of the people against that which was good and against that which should come.

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Book of Mormon | Helaman 16:22

#39: What is a Man Profited?

[From Lutes edition of Joseph Smith Translation showing deletions (strikethroughs) and corrections (bold) by Joseph Smith.]

Self-Reflection: What is my personal cross?

25 24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
26 And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.
27 25 Break not my commandments for to save your lives; for whosoever will save his life in this world, shall lose it in the world to come.
28 25 And whosoever will lose his life in this world, for my sake, shall find it in the world to come.
29 26 Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?*

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*Lutes, Kenneth and Lyndell. Joseph Smith Translation (p. 2152). Lutes Publishing. Kindle Edition. (JST Matthew 16:25-29)

#038: “Vain Things of the World”?

Self-Reflection: Do these words offend me?

4 O how foolish, and how vain, and how evil, and devilish, and how quick to do iniquity, and how slow to do good, are the children of men; yea, how quick to hearken unto the words of the evil one, and to set their hearts upon the vain things of the world!
5 Yea, how quick to be lifted up in pride; yea, how quick to boast, and do all manner of that which is iniquity; and how slow are they to remember the Lord their God, and to give ear unto his counsels, yea, how slow to walk in wisdom's paths!

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Book of Mormon | Helaman 12: 5

#037: “Their Eyes THey Have Closed"?

Self-Reflection: What am I refusing to see, hear, or understand about the world and my human condition?

14 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their hearts, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

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JST New Testament | Matthew 13:14

#036: Doing No Justice?

National Reflection: How much of this prevails today?

4 And seeing the people in a state of such awful wickedness, and those Gadianton robbers filling the judgment–seats—having usurped the power and authority of the land; laying aside the commandments of God, and not in the least aright before him; doing no justice unto the children of men; ...
21 But behold, it is to get gain, to be praised of men, yea, and that ye might get gold and silver. And ye have set your hearts upon the riches and the vain things of this world, for the which ye do murder, and plunder, and steal, and bear false witness against your neighbor, and do all manner of iniquity.

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Book of Mormon | Helaman 7:4, 21