Day 229 The Danger of Forgetting the Lord

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 229 on our 365 day journey through the Book of Mormon together. Today you're going to be reading Alma chapter 47 verses 28 through 36.

You're going to finish that chapter and you'll begin Alma chapter 48 verses 1 through 7. And also by way of note yesterday in our All of our celebrations, I forgot to mention, it's been now a couple of days, but we're beyond 60% complete with the Book of Mormon now. We are making incredible strides, lots of wins these last couple of days, exciting to be part of it.

So well done reaching the 60% mark of the Book of Mormon. It seems like just a couple of days ago we were hitting 50% and then back to 25%. Well done on your pacing here as we get through it.

Today an interesting story and a cautionary tale for all of us I think the story of Amalickiah is quite interesting because there are many things we can learn on both sides of his story both the Amalickiah side and the Captain Moroni side Let's take a look at our verse for today and see what we can learn from it here. It's the end of Alma chapter 47 verse 36 here is the verse. Now these dissenters, and by reference these are the ones that left the Nephites and came over to the Lamanites, they're the ones that seem to repeatedly be the ones that stir things up with the Lamanites and the Nephites.

Now these dissenters, having the same instruction and the same information of the Nephites, yea, having been instructed in the same knowledge of the Lord, Nevertheless, it is strange to relate, not long after their dissensions, they became more hardened and impenitent, and more wild, wicked, and ferocious than the Lamanites, drinking in with the traditions of the Lamanites, giving way to indolence and all manner of lasciviousness, yea, entirely, forgetting the Lord their God. There is absolutely a cautionary tale for all of us in this verse Some of the greatest antagonists in the Book of Mormon are those that were taught in the light were taught the knowledge of the Lord chose to leave it behind and became these great antagonists became even worse off than their enemies In fact even Laman and Lemuel experienced this as they got to the point where after seeing angels and having visions like that became so engrossed in their anger that they wanted to kill their brothers murder them and take over their families We see it again and again. We see it here with Amalickiah.

And I have a note here inside of my scripture app that I wanted to share with you. I'm glad I wrote those notes. I hope you write notes inside your scriptures.

If you don't, maybe it's something you could play around with a little bit. But there's something here at play that seems to tell us that if we begin to lose our testimonies and we begin to dabble in the things of sin and the things of the world, it seems like you don't just sort of go all in. You go all in and it takes you down a path of self-destruction, destroys families, destroys relationships, a lot of times destroys employment opportunities.

And my friends I hope that on this message that as down as it is that it also uplifting for us to remember that the Lord is there for us always That we have the opportunity anytime we make mistakes to repent to seek that light again in our lives and He will bring that light in our lives It's an opportunity for us not to live perfectly by any means, but to live in the light and to take steps that lead us towards the light rather than the steps that these dissenters took that ultimately led them down to one of indolence, lasciviousness, all of these things that drive a hardened and ferocious people. Absolutely worth considering. And then just so that there's a light at the end of the tunnel, tomorrow we get a look at some of my favorite scriptures around Captain Moroni and describing him and who he is as a leader of the Nephites.

But 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.