Day 326 Do Not Compromise Your Testimony

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. Don't be divided.

Welcome to day 326 on our 365-day journey through the Book of Mormon together. Today, you're going to be reading Mormon chapter 2, verses 23 to 29. You will finish that.

And Mormon chapter 3, verses 23 to 29. Verses 1 through 12. And I'm not going to sit inside of this one at the risk of just the message that Mormon gives about repenting and the people missing their chance to repent.

I'm not going to give a message today about repenting. I hope you see inside of these verses the plea that Mormon is giving to each one of us as readers of the Book of Mormon today to find the Lord in our lives. To repent of all that we're doing.

I hear President Nelson today: Repent daily! That is absolutely a message I want you to hear and read inside of your reading today. And I also want to give you one that I snuck inside of here because I read this and I thought, that has never stuck out to me before, so I'm going to share it on Savory Salt.

Our verse for today is Mormon chapter 2, verse 28. Let's read it and see what we get out of this. And the 349th year had passed away.

And in the 350th year, we made a treaty with the Lamanites and the robbers of Gadianton in which we did get the lands of our inheritance divided. Now, this seems kind of inconsequential here, and yet when you think about the purpose of a treaty, most of the time treaties are sitting down and agreeing that we will cease our fighting as long as we each follow this set of conditions. The only conditions that we seem to see inside of this is land separation.

But remember that purpose of the treaty. Most treaties are to stop fighting. And I see inside of this an interesting piece here: The Nephites, although they were rejecting the Lord, sat down with the Lamanites.

And I'm sure I can hear the Lamanites saying, "Oh, yeah, we only want these lands over here. We'll take the southward, and then we'll leave you alone." And I see the Nephites, in their own consciousness, not in that of under the Spirit, not in a sense of repentance, in their own decision, they thought, "Ah, this will stop the Lamanites from repeatedly attacking us." Did it? No.

In chapter 3, 10 years later, the Lamanites come back, the Gadianton robbers come back, and the Nephites are facing destruction again. My friends, there's an interesting message in this that I thought about and it goes in line with one of my favorite characters of all time. Forgive me if I sneak Captain Steve Rogers into the message today, but this is what Captain America had to say about compromising.

He says, "Compromise where you can. Where you can't, don't." Even if everyone is telling you that something wrong is something right, even if the whole world is telling you to move, it is your duty to plant yourself like a tree, look them in the eye, and say, "No, you move." Now, why did I share a Captain Steve Rogers moment here? My friends, as we continue to go down our latter days, it will become more and more important for us to pick the areas in our lives where we do not compromise.

For me, that is my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. That is my testimony of a living God, a Heavenly Father who loves us. I will not compromise there.

I will not be asked to move. I will not sign some treaty that delays the oncoming of my enemies into my life. I see the Nephites here, in their own wisdom, not in the wisdom of God, signing a treaty, signing away their lands of inheritance in the promise that they will no longer be sought destruction.

And then I see destruction knock on their door 10 years later. My friends, where will you not compromise in your lives? Where will you stand?

Where will you make sure that there is no treaty to be signed? I'm not trying to be militant here. I'm not trying to be stubborn here.

There are plenty of places in our lives where compromise is required. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. I hope that you can find your testimony as a place and a ground where you refuse to compromise as well.

Let's take one from the Nephites here and learn that signing away our lands of inheritance only delays the enemy coming into our lives. Instead, make a stand, do it with the Lord, do it with repentance, and you will be magnified with the strength of the Lord in the days to come. 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.