The Power of Thoughts
Recently I've pondered upon the power of our thoughts in influencing our surroundings. I started to study through the Bible and then moved to the Book of Mormon. I've once again realized the power behind studying using the topical guide. As we study out those questions we have deep within ourselves and formulate it into a specific direct question I know the Lord can manifest the truth through the spirit. The pre-requisite is to pray, read - study, and write down the impressions you feel and then pray for confirmation. This is what I learned.
In Isaiah 55:6-7 it says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, "and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." These verses bring up thoughts twice! The Lord at this point was calling the people to repentance by commanding to forsake their unrighteous thoughts. This is interesting because it relates to everyday life. The Lord was seeing fit to stop the wickedness from happening by stopping the sinful actions through addressing the route of the problem. Our negative and sinful thoughts always proceed an outward negative action. Hence this scripture teaches us that if we do not forsake our sinful thoughts then our "thoughts are not" the Lord's "thoughts". This scripture brought me to the next question. So, if all of our mistakes come from a root negative thought, what can we do to change our thought patterns? I know in my life that this is the greatest battle to filter out the millions of thoughts that come to us through out the day. Lets go to the next scripture I read.
In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 4:29-30 it says "And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and mean, even so many that I cannot number them." This first verse, verse 29 is stating that there are numberless ways of sinning and there is no need to argue and justify. In Moroni 7:16 it says " For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God." This scripture teaches us we can discern any thought by asking ourselves does this persuade us to do good and to believe in Christ? Then, going back to Mosiah 4:30 it says, "But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." This taught me that if I continually keep a mind to plan and do those things which has been asked of us by the Lord, we will be able to conquer the negative temptations and negative, sinful thoughts will have no place. One other scripture I read today reiterated this also. In Genesis 6:5 it says, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." God condemned these people because He knew they only thought evil continually. I realized at this point that we must do the exact opposite. We must cultivate, CONTINUALLY, positive virtuous thoughts. I've tried to simply push bad thoughts out by forsing myself to try and think of other things or sing a song. This attempt does not always work best. I've found throughout my life that the best way to control our thoughts and in turn bare good fruit through our produced actions, we must continually be planning and seeking ways to serve God and our fellow man. We must continually be seeking ways to further our personal progression and seek also to help further the progression of those we love. By have this focus in our lives we will not be tossed upon the waves of the sea. Satan will have no power to control us by prompting us to do evil. We will already be engaged and be too focused on the work at hand. Amen?
Elder Nathanael N. Tuft
In Isaiah 55:6-7 it says, "Seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way, "and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD." These verses bring up thoughts twice! The Lord at this point was calling the people to repentance by commanding to forsake their unrighteous thoughts. This is interesting because it relates to everyday life. The Lord was seeing fit to stop the wickedness from happening by stopping the sinful actions through addressing the route of the problem. Our negative and sinful thoughts always proceed an outward negative action. Hence this scripture teaches us that if we do not forsake our sinful thoughts then our "thoughts are not" the Lord's "thoughts". This scripture brought me to the next question. So, if all of our mistakes come from a root negative thought, what can we do to change our thought patterns? I know in my life that this is the greatest battle to filter out the millions of thoughts that come to us through out the day. Lets go to the next scripture I read.
In the Book of Mormon in Mosiah 4:29-30 it says "And finally, I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and mean, even so many that I cannot number them." This first verse, verse 29 is stating that there are numberless ways of sinning and there is no need to argue and justify. In Moroni 7:16 it says " For behold, the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil; wherefore, I show unto you the way to judge; for every thing which inviteth to do good, and to persuade to believe in Christ, is sent forth by the power and gift of Christ; wherefore ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of God." This scripture teaches us we can discern any thought by asking ourselves does this persuade us to do good and to believe in Christ? Then, going back to Mosiah 4:30 it says, "But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." This taught me that if I continually keep a mind to plan and do those things which has been asked of us by the Lord, we will be able to conquer the negative temptations and negative, sinful thoughts will have no place. One other scripture I read today reiterated this also. In Genesis 6:5 it says, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." God condemned these people because He knew they only thought evil continually. I realized at this point that we must do the exact opposite. We must cultivate, CONTINUALLY, positive virtuous thoughts. I've tried to simply push bad thoughts out by forsing myself to try and think of other things or sing a song. This attempt does not always work best. I've found throughout my life that the best way to control our thoughts and in turn bare good fruit through our produced actions, we must continually be planning and seeking ways to serve God and our fellow man. We must continually be seeking ways to further our personal progression and seek also to help further the progression of those we love. By have this focus in our lives we will not be tossed upon the waves of the sea. Satan will have no power to control us by prompting us to do evil. We will already be engaged and be too focused on the work at hand. Amen?
Elder Nathanael N. Tuft
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