Day 11 Nephi's Purpose and the Power of Intentional Journaling

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus tells his followers that they are the salt of the earth, and in the same sentence offers a warning that savorless salt is good for nothing. Join me in an attempt to be savory salt as I share each day one verse of scripture and one small thought. Perhaps this small daily emphasis can lead to greater savor in your life and ultimately you and I can be savory salt.

Hello, my friends and family, wherever you're listening from. Thank you for joining me and know that I'm cheering for your every success. We move on to day 11 today.

We've got another full chapter, but it's really small, as well as moving into chapter 7. So today, according to your 365-day journey, you are reading 1 Nephi 6 and 1 Nephi 7. 1 Nephi 7, verses 1-8. Those will be the reading assignments for day 11.

Today a fun one because chapter 6 is really just kind of this not storytelling, just this intermediate between Nephi letting us know a little bit that he'd written a couple of different styles of plates and the ones that we're getting, well, they the ones that he thinks are specific for us to get. Let's look at the verse here and then let's talk about it for just a second. I picked today in chapter 6, verse 4, and this is Nephi telling us a little bit about why he's writing and why he's giving us the plates that he's chosen to give us.

He says, For the fullness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob and be saved. Now, remember, one of the primary purposes of the Book of Mormon is to help both Jew and Gentile know that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world. And here we have Nephi sharing that intent as well.

But it's interesting that he shares his purpose here because the thought that I have around this actually attaches to journals a little bit and journaling. Let me share what I'm trying to convey there. You see, Nephi is picking and choosing what he wants to include inside of these plates and he's doing it through the lens specifically of what might persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

And I have a note inside my scriptures from all the way back to 2013. A note from one of my Sunday school classes that a gentleman in the Sunday school class shared that, you know, we're supposed to be journaling and record-keeping. But he had a hard time just doing a daily journal where he was just writing every day about the daily stuff.

And he used this verse here to actually kind of help himself journal a little differently. What he decided to do was do exactly what Nephi was doing and journal the things in his life that he felt were kind of momentous events, both good and bad, that helped to draw his testimony out for others if they ever read the journal later. And I like that idea.

It gives a purpose behind journaling. I love the daily record of journaling. I don't do it well.

I don't do it well at all. I know one of my daughters is a journaler for sure. She journals every day.

And I love how Nephi knows his intent here and it changes the way that he records his daily thoughts. And so just a thought for you if you're a journaler or if you never tried journaling before, perhaps consider what the intent of your journaling. Thank you for joining us.

Don't just keep it totally positive, give it some reality to it as well. Nephi certainly gives us the ups and downs of his adventures too. That is all I have for today.

Remember, my friends, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass. Keep it small, keep it simple, and always seek to be savory salt. I'll be here tomorrow, and I hope you are too.