Day 128 Alma Teaches Repentance, Redemption, and Faith

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. And thank you for bearing with me yesterday.

You know how many times I recorded that? It didn't matter how many times I tried. I could not get through that episode without crying.

And I appreciate your patience in that. Welcome to day 128 on our 365 day journey through the Book of Mormon together. I absolutely love Abinadi's testimony and I love the power and the precedent that it sets for our lives in what one testimony can do to the future.

Today we're going to be reading Mosiah 17 verses 12 through 20. We're going to finish that chapter and we're going to begin Mosiah chapter 18 verses 1 through 10. And as I mentioned even yesterday, these verses, things move very quickly.

I can't even sum up all the things that are happening. So instead, we're just going to jump straight to what's happening with Alma. And you're saying, "Whoa, where did everything go?" Well, Abinadi was burned at the stake, and Alma comes into play here.

He has escaped from the priests of Noah and King Noah and has begun preaching himself. He has gone through the repentance process and is trying to help those around him to better understand Jesus Christ in that role as well. And that takes us to our verse for the day.

Now, this one you might notice, you might recognize some of you. Mosiah chapter 18, verses 8, 9, and 10 are inside of today's readings. I would absolutely encourage you to spend time in there because those are very much a common scripture when referring and having people come into baptism.

They read those verses very often when showing people the covenants that they're making when they're joining in the church records with baptism. However, our verse is going to come right before that. Today we're going to be reading from Mosiah 18, verse 7.

It says: "And it came to pass after many days there were a goodly number gathered together at the place of Mormon to hear the words of Alma. Yea, all were gathered together that believed on his word to hear him. And he did teach them, and did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord." What we see here is a second domino knocking over from Alma's personal conversion.

We see him not only embracing repentance in his life, but doing all that he can to help bring further repentance into the lives of others. I love Alma's story because it shows that he heard the word, it touched him, it brought him to repentance, but he didn't just end his experience there. He took his repentance and he began teaching others as well.

And I love this part in the verse where it says, "all were gathered together that believed on his word to hear him." He did teach them. He did preach unto them repentance and redemption and faith on the Lord. Alma takes his repentance further than personal repentance.

He also says, "I can do more with my testimony." Now that I have it, I can share it with others. I can instruct. I think of so many times, not just on my mission, but in my life.

And as you go through the repentance process, when you feel the joy and the love that comes through repenting, share it with others. Be willing to teach and preach unto the people repentance and redemption and faith on the Lord. That's all 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.