Pearl of Great Price Friday

Scripture of the Day:

Joseph Smith - Matthew 1:5-11

5 And Jesus answered, and said unto them: Take heed that no man deceive you;

  6 For many shall come in my name, saying—I am ^aChrist—and shall deceive many;

  7 Then shall they deliver you up to be ^aafflicted, and shall kill you, and ye shall be ^bhated of all nations, for my name’s sake;

  8 And then shall many be ^aoffended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another;

  9 And many ^afalse prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many;

  10 And because iniquity shall abound, the ^alove of many shall wax cold;

  11 But he that remaineth ^asteadfast and is not overcome, the same shall be saved.

Historical Background:

This book is an except of the translations of the Bible that were performed by Joseph Smith (Chapter heading "

An extract from the translation of the Bible as revealed to Joseph Smith the Prophet in 1831: Matthew 23: 39 and chapter 24."

).  For more information on the Gospels in the New Testament as a comparison to what is written here see 

GS Gospels.

Gospel Principles Outlined:

1) There will be much wickedness in the last days.

2) Many will try to deceive others regarding the truth.

3) The followers of Christ will suffer much adversity.

4) The saint will need to be steadfast and overcome.

5) Because of the wickedness, there will be less love in the world.

What I Learned Today:

It is interesting to compare what is described in these verses to the current situation of the world.  There are many people that struggle with finding true happiness and there are many "sources" that tell people where to find it.  The world truly is full of the wickedness that is described by the Savior.  Especially sad is to see how "the love of many [has waxed] cold" and people's ability to care for one another has diminished.  What will distinguish the saints from the rest of the world is their ability to remain steadfast in love.  I think that is an important point give the fact that verse 11 is the completion of the idea started in verse 10.  We need to love and care for others.  That is what gives our lives meaning.

Additional Resource-

"Do Not Despair" by President Ezra Taft Benson

Things I Will Implement:

I have been working a great deal to be more loving in my life and I feel strongly that this is an important part of my stewardship here on earth.  I will continue to focus on building others up through love.