Day 276 "O That I Had Repented" and Truth's Triumph

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. Oh, that I had repented.

I hope none of us reach that time in our lives. Welcome to day 276 on our 365-day journey through the Book of Mormon together. Today, you're going to be reading Helaman chapter 13, verses 24 to 30.

It's not very long, but oh, is it powerful as Samuel the Lamanite preaches to the Nephites repentance. He's going to give us a perspective of looking forward at the day that we see the coming of the Lord and we look back on our lives and say, Oh, that I had repented. Let's look at Helaman chapter 13, verse 33 today. "O that I had repented and had not killed the prophets, and stoned them, and cast them out.

Yea, in that day ye shall say: O that we had remembered the Lord our God in the day that he gave us our riches, and then they would not have become slippery that we should lose them; for behold, our riches are gone from us." This took me down an interesting line of study and research as I was kind of looking at different ways that prophets and apostles have testified. I think in verse 33 it's interesting because today we don't necessarily see directly people killing the prophets or stoning them. And I'll see you next time.

I have found incredibly powerful in my life. President Ezra Taft Benson is the earliest prophet that I can remember as a child. And so maybe he has a special place in my heart or something because he's, you know, he's that earliest one for me.

But President Benson gave a talk. I don't remember this by any means, but it was in October of 1988. And it is a phenomenal talk.

I'll put the link in here for you. But it is simply called "I Testify". And it literally is a talk of President Benson starting almost every paragraph with I testify.

It is his prophetic testimony to the world. And I wanted to read just a couple of paragraphs from that for our thought today. He says, "I testify that wickedness is rapidly expanding in every segment of our society.

It is more highly organized, more cleverly disguised, and more powerfully promoted than ever before. Secret combinations lusting for power, gain, and glory are flourishing. A secret combination that seeks to overthrow the freedom of all lands, nations, and countries is increasing its evil influence and control over America and the entire world." Now that seems pretty doom and gloom, but he continues here. "I testify that the Church and kingdom of God is increasing in strength.

Its numbers are growing, as is the faithfulness of its faithful members. It has never been better organized or equipped to perform its divine mission." So there's an incredible light coming into play. And remember, this is from 1988.

These two thoughts that that time period, we're almost 40 years away from that. And then he finishes—well, he doesn't finish, but the one I'm going to finish with here—says this. "I testify that as the forces of evil increase under Lucifer's leadership and as the forces of good increase under the leadership of Jesus Christ, there will be growing battles between the two until the final confrontation. As the issues become clearer and more obvious, all mankind will eventually be required to align themselves either for the kingdom of God or for the kingdom of the Earth and will be poured out on the wicked without measure.

But God will provide strength for the righteous and the means of escape. And eventually and finally, truth will triumph." My friends, I would encourage you to spend time inside of this talk "I Testify" by President Benson and I hope that you find yourself ever increasing on choosing the kingdom of God over the kingdom of the Devil. As we follow Jesus Christ, we will be uplifted, strengthened, and light will not only enter I hope the light of Jesus Christ shines in each of us and that we don't find ourselves on that day saying, Oh, that I had repented.

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.