Day 198 All Things Denote There Is a God

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. My friends today, take a hike.

That's the advice that we have on Savory Salt. Welcome to day 198 on our 365-day journey through the Book of Mormon together. You're going to read Alma chapter 30, verses 33 to 53 today.

You're going to be right in the middle of the conversation with Korihor, this Antichrist. And he and Alma are going to have a back and forth a little bit. And today our 'take a hike' advice is actually coming from Alma a little bit.

Maybe he says it in a little different words. Let's take a look at it and see. It's interesting at this stage that Alma is going to start at the very base level of faith, and that is, 'Do you believe in God at all?' It's kind of interesting because I had a lesson from my mission president, one of my mission presidents, when I was on my mission, and he always told us—it was kind of interesting—he always said, 'If you're going to talk to someone about the gospel, start with Heavenly Father.' Because if you don't start off from the very existence of God, you're going to be off track the entire time.

And I think it's interesting to see that Alma does the same thing with Korihor. He's hearing what Korihor is teaching and he goes right down to the base and says, 'Wait a second, do you believe in God at all?' And then this begins their conversation back and forth and it gets to a point where Korihor says, 'If I had a sign, then maybe I'd believe if I had a sign.' And this is Alma's response. It's in Alma chapter 30, verse 44.

He says, 'But Alma said unto him, Thou hast had signs enough; will ye tempt your God? Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the testimony of all these thy brethren, and also all the holy prophets? The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness.' I love this verse because I love how Alma simplifies it down to an observance level.

He says, 'Look, you have people around here that are testifying of spiritual experiences. You have prophets that are testifying of spiritual experiences. You have the scriptures that testify that there is a God.' But then he goes even to the earth itself, all things upon the face of it.

And you know, it's interesting, I have friends that are different belief systems and different religious ideas, almost as if nature itself testifies and invites a belief in a supreme being. I love that Alma, rather than getting caught in the trap of feeling the pressure of having to provide some sort of proof that God exists, simply responds by saying, 'Look around you.' In other words, he says, 'Get into nature itself. Take a hike, Korihor.

Take a hike!' You know, through your own observations you can find a testimony that a Heavenly Father exists, that a Supreme Being, a Supreme Creator, exists. I encourage you to go and take some quiet time wherever you are and however you can get to it, to sit inside the quiet and see if you too can feel the love of our Heavenly Father. You'll feel it.

I believe that. That's all for today, my friends. Remember that by small and simple things great things are 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.