Day 331 Lay Hold Upon the Gospel of Christ to Change

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. Today, it's time to think, ponder, meditate, pray, and decide what changes.

Welcome to day 331 on our 365-day journey through the Book of Mormon together. Today, you're going to be reading Mormon chapter 7 and Mormon chapter 8 verses 1 through 3. We find out in Mormon chapter 8 verse 3 that Mormon himself actually was killed by the Lamanites in this final struggle.

And from Mormon chapter 8 on, we're going to have the writings of Moroni, which takes us to Mormon chapter 7, the final words of Mormon. And he actually finishes this record by writing directly to those ancestors of those that were left from his time. There's a lot inside of this.

He encourages them to remember they're of the House of Israel. He encourages them to put down their weapons of war. He encourages them to find Jesus Christ.

He encourages them to be baptized. Our verse for today is going to come in Mormon chapter 7 verse 8. It says: "Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus; and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record, but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you." Now we understand that this record is the Book of Mormon he's referencing, and that that record is perhaps the Bible that he's referencing there, right?

And so he's got these two records here. But the phrase that I want you to think into today deals directly with savory salt. This is about us changing for the better.

This is about deciding what happens in our lives to get a little more savory for the Lord so that we can be that savory salt of the earth. Perhaps you caught the phrase in verse eight, but it says lay hold upon the gospel of Christ. And gospel's footnoted there, and it takes you to the topical guide.

And inside of that, it says: see also Education, Enzyme, New and Everlasting Covenant, Restoration of the Gospel, Salvation, Plan of Salvation, Truth, Word. My friends, I want you to think into what it means for you to lay hold upon the gospel of Christ at whatever level you're currently at. The thing I love about the gospel is that it is a continuous process of becoming more and more like our Savior Jesus Christ.

It's a chance for us to always seek increase, not to see ourselves as constantly falling short or constantly failing, rather seeing ourselves as constantly becoming more like our Savior Jesus Christ. I was talking recently to our missionary who's in Argentina, and she just said, "Dad, it's really interesting, but when we're out seeking for people, I'm really trying to feel the Spirit and find those that want to change." Come on over. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Come talk to us. And they want to hear the message, but they don't want to change. And I'm looking for those that want to change.

And she said, "Those that have committed to baptism and those that have taken the steps and become baptized, they are truly changing their lives." And I love that. We shared the message just yesterday about President Nelson's message of how repentance is actually change. My friends, I hope you and I can lay hold upon the gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that we've never done before.

Especially at this time as we've been working so hard to get through the Book of Mormon together this year. May it change us for the better. That is my prayer.

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.