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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. Warning, warning, another warning episode.

Warning, ladies and gentlemen, friends, family, brothers and sisters, Allen Roberds doesn't always have the answers. Warning, warning, I don't have this perfectly figured out. Savory Salt is just about sharing a verse of scripture and some of my thoughts.

Today, you're going to read Alma chapter 3, verses 1 through 22. And it's almost like a specific chunk of instruction here. I know that this is a commonly misunderstood section of the Book of Mormon.

Many people read this and say that anybody who has any sort of dark skin, according to these verses, has been cursed of the Lord, and I don't believe that that's what these verses are saying at all. I think this is a very specific set of instruction about the Nephites and the Lamanites and the things that have happened in their specific circumstances, not across all rule of thumb for the Lord and his people. That being said, let's take a look at our verse for the day and see what we can learn about it.

Today's verse comes from Alma 3, verse 18. It's talking about these Amlicites that have marked themselves. And these verses are talking about the darker skin of the Lamanites because of their choices and the curses, again, specific, that came to the Lamanites and their choices to turn against God.

Verse 18 says this: Now the Amlicites knew not that they were fulfilling the words of God when they began to mark themselves in their foreheads. Nevertheless, they had come out in open rebellion against God. Therefore, it was expedient that the curse should fall upon them.

I find this so interesting, concerning people that want to openly rebel against the Lord and yet do exactly what the Lord says is going to happen, because it lets me know the omnipotence and the omniscience—I guess the all-knowing part, the omniscience—of the Lord. He knows what those that are going to rebel are going to do, and yet he still allows their agency to come into play. This is a group of people that deliberately chose to disobey and turn away from the Lord.

And then, in their rebellion, they thought that they were doing their actions to speak loud to the Lord that they had come out in open rebellion. And yet, their actions were exactly what the Lord prophesied would happen. I'm not sure exactly what that means for me in my life, but I do find it interesting that those that openly rebel against the Lord tend to kind of find a way to mark themselves.

Thank you for watching. And that's kind of interesting to me. Perhaps a little bit of private self on your part could help you draw some different conclusions or similar conclusions than what I've drawn here.

But it's worth considering what the Lord knows and what we can learn from his prophets and from our own inspiration and revelation as we seek to understand what the Lord knows as well. I hope that one made sense today. In my mind, it's been very difficult to try and explain, but it does help me know that when I stay with the Lord, I will have his countenance upon me.

That matters to me. And 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, and I hope you are too.