Day 127 Alma Believes: The Power of Testimony

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. How do we choose what verses to use?

There are so many things happening inside of this tail end of Abinadi preaching, and it goes warp speed from Abinadi into what's happening in the next couple of chapters. Chapters and verses. Today was so difficult, but welcome to day 127 on our 365 day journey through the Book of Mormon.

You're going to read Mosiah chapter 16 verses 7 through 15. Finish that chapter. Finish Abinadi's incredible instruction there.

And then you're going to read Mosiah chapter 17 verses 1 through 11. I can't believe that somehow in all of this, Mosiah chapter 16 is not going to have a verse in Savory Salt. And yet at the same time, I couldn't help but pick a verse out of chapter 17 here.

Yesterday was so good with the mediator, and today is so good. And 16 is so good because Abinadi kind of apex in his testimony of Christ. I hope that you will take the time to dive into that and feel the Spirit as it teaches you the role that Christ plays.

Today's verse is Mosiah 17, verse 2. And before we get there, I just want to kind of set up what's going to happen with Abinadi here. He's going to finish up, and in 17, he's going to be killed.

He's going to be burned at the stake for his testimony. It's going to get really close. Noah almost got enough to prevent his death from happening, and yet the priests of Noah, through some serious peer pressure, absolutely kind of tipped it over.

Abinadi is going to pass away, and initially you might look at Abinadi and say, that was a lot of preaching, and that was a lot of him teaching about Jesus Christ, to kind of at the end die at the stake for his testimony. And yet verse 2 is, in my opinion, an incredible light that comes out of this very difficult and dark time for a prophet missionary such as Abinadi. Let's read verse 2 together.

But there was one among them whose name was Alma, he also being a descendant of Nephi. And he was a young man, and he believed the words which Abinadi had spoken, for he knew concerning the iniquity which Abinadi had testified against them. Therefore, he began to plead with the king that he would not be angry with Abinadi, but suffer that he might depart in peace.

Introduction to Alma here. Alma is going to play a massive role in the rest of the Book of Mormon. He's going to play a massive role in developing the Church of God amongst the Nephites.

And really, when it comes down to it, Alma is really the only one whose Abinadi's words settled with. Abinadi did all of the preaching, all of the teaching. So many people rejected him, and Alma did not.

He heard the words. He saw the repentance he needed to go through in his life. And Alma begins this process of changing his life.

And so, while through the lens of Abinadi, dying at the stake and being burned to death, seeing through his lens, I can only imagine the failure and yet at the same time the power that he had in his testimony of Christ and the trust he had in Christ. And then here, Alma hears it and begins to change his life. And not just his life, but hundreds of lives will be changed from this single testimony of Abinadi.

My friends, you have no idea the power of your testimony of Jesus Christ. Share it. It is a light that the world needs.

Use it for good. You never know who may hear and act on that testimony. And that is all I have for today, my friends.

Remember 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. I hope you are too.