Day 211 Scriptures: Converting and Strengthening Testimonies

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. Welcome to day 211 on our 365-day journey through the Book of Mormon together.

Today, you're going to be reading Alma chapter 37, verses 10 through 27. We are in the middle of Alma's conversation with his son Helaman. And inside of this, Alma is now passing on the records to Helaman.

And we don't get a lot of times where the passing on comes with like advice. And this is kind of interesting because Alma's passing on advice to Helaman. We've seen it a little bit in the past where fathers and sons have passed them or whatnot.

And yet, interestingly enough, is what we're going to see with Alma here. He's also going to kind of pontificate upon what the records might be used for. Like, why are they saving them in the first place?

And Alma kind of has his own ideas around them. And that takes us to our verse for today. It's going to be found in Alma chapter 37, verse 10.

And this is kind of that middle of Alma. Now, this is attached a little bit to verse 9, so you'll want to read back on that. But you'll notice that in verse 9, he talks about Ammon having great success because of this.

This is the power of the scriptures and the power of the word. And this is the scriptures that they had. So they had the plates of brass, and then they got all of this history that they've been in genealogy and records that they've been keeping.

And Alma encourages Helaman to continue keeping records. And yet there's this pause here that I think is really interesting in verse 10. He sees that they've been successful in helping the Lamanites, but then he also sees that they may be helping the Nephites.

This is so cool because historically, the Nephites—if we just oversimplify the Book of Mormon—the Nephites are those that are the people of God that keep the commandments of God. And here Alma has witnessed very many times throughout the Book of Alma, as we've read his history, challenges with people that are of the Nephites. And yet they struggle and are challenged with their own testimonies.

They fall to false doctrine. They follow false leaders and believe that there is no Christ. And they have all sorts of different things that teach them things that are against the principles and doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love this because what it shows me is: the scriptures that we have today—these records, the Book of Mormon specifically—that has been kept for our day can be a reference for us to draw closer to Jesus Christ. Yes, it can absolutely be a tool of conversion, but it can also be a tool of continuing conversion in our lives. It can help those that have never heard of Jesus Christ, but it can also help those that perhaps have had a testimony of Christ and are maybe losing it a little bit or struggling with it a little bit.

I think this is interesting because the Book of Mormon, and specifically the testimonies that we get inside of the Book of Mormon... I love that Alma has wondered what's going to happen to these records. And today, I hope that he's sitting there seeing the power of the Book of Mormon.

And I hope you are gaining that testimony as well, as you dive into the Book of Mormon and its words. 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.