Day 268 Conversion by the Spirit, Not Evidence

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. What evidence does it take to reach conversion?

Welcome to day 268 on our 365 day journey through the Book of Mormon together. Today, you're going to be reading Helaman chapter 8, verses 12 through 28. We will finish that chapter.

And our verse for the day is Helaman chapter 8, verse 24. It says: "And now, seeing ye know these things, and cannot deny them, except ye shall lie, therefore in this ye have sinned. For ye have rejected all these things, notwithstanding so many evidences which ye have received.

Yea, even ye have received all things, both things in heaven, and all things which are in the earth, as a witness that they are true." You know, this one was really interesting to me because as we use other prophets from the past as evidence that prophets exist, there seems to still be a group of people that reject those prophets in their own testimonies as well. And so then you kind of get into this loop of like, well, if you don't believe in prophets in the first place, how do you ever develop the ability to believe in a prophet? In other words, what evidence does it take to reach conversion?

I did a little bit of studying into this a little bit and came across a talk from 2008 from President Oaks. And inside of it, he says this in referencing this idea: "While there are some evidences for gospel truths, scientific methods will not yield spiritual knowledge. This is what Jesus taught in response to Simon Peter’s testimony that he was the Christ.

He said, 'Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.' The Apostle Paul explained this. In a letter to the Corinthian saints, he said, 'The things of God knoweth no man but by the Spirit of God.'" And I think it's an interesting point here as we look at this verse as Nephi is trying to reinforce the testimony of the prophets to those that are listening. Some, and really those that buy in or those that believe what Nephi is saying, only do so with one path.

And that's the path I wanted to point out today. It will only come by the Spirit. Those that are seeking the hard evidence, those that are seeking scientific paths, let me see the plates of gold, let me handle them, and then all of a sudden I'll believe.

We see time and again in the scriptures that believing through any means other than the Spirit will not create the conversion inside of you. It will only come through the Spirit of the Lord. It takes the assistance of the Spirit.

My friends, do everything you can to have and keep the Spirit of the Lord in your life so that you may be directed and you may hold to the evidence that the Spirit reveals of the hand of the Lord in your life. 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.