2.26 There Are Effects After Dwindling in Unbelief

In Matthew 5:13, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth, a bold reminder that our lives are meant to carry his flavor, his truth, and his love to the world. Join me each day to explore one verse of scripture and one thought, striving to stay full of savor and truly live as savory salt. Hello, my friends.

Great to have you with me. Today, let's be anxiously engaged in a good cause and bring to pass much righteousness. Welcome to the final chapter of our reading for this week.

We have successfully covered Doctrine and Covenants, Section 2. We've covered Joseph Smith—History, Chapter 1, Verses 27 to 65. And we have read together 1 Nephi Chapters 9 through 12.

Congratulations! Today we're going to be looking out of 1 Nephi chapter 12. As Nephi's vision continues from chapter 11 and into chapter 12, he actually sees his own people be able to witness the coming of Jesus Christ.

That's pretty cool. And then he also, in a sad note, sees the destruction of his people as well. So high emotional roller coaster for Nephi inside of this one and yet some great insights for us to take a look at today.

Our verse for today comes inside of 1 Nephi chapter 12 right at the tail end of the verse. As we look at verse 23, it says, "'And it came to pass that I beheld after they had dwindled in unbelief they became a dark, and loathsome, and a filthy people, full of idleness and all manner of abominations.'" Now, occasionally on Savory Salt, I do pick the other side of the coin to read. And that's one of them today is this is an other side of the coin reading today.

Now last year, and maybe I'll try and sneak a link to this if I can, but last year I talked about verse 22 and some of the things that we do when we dwindle in unbelief. This year what I wanted to focus on in verse 23 is I wanted to show the effects that come from the cause of dwindling in unbelief. If we allow ourselves to dwindle in unbelief, here's the wake of that decision, so to speak.

Here are effects of it. Notice he beholds this after they had dwindled in unbelief. So if you want to know what it looks like on the backside of faith challenges, or if you don't focus on things of the Spirit and things of our Lord and Savior, these are some of the effects.

What are they? Well, these people become dark. I don't think that has anything to do with outward appearance.

I think it has everything to do with the inside. They are darkened. They are loathsome.

Loathsome is an interesting term. As I played around trying to figure out loathsome, it's this intense disgust, right? These abhorrent and vile circumstances.

I mean, it's pretty strong wording there. And a filthy people. Cleanliness, then, becomes out the window.

Full of idleness. That's an interesting term to look at. What are we doing with our time?

Where are we spending it? And all manner of abominations. Now, as we have this list in front of us, I love to then say, "All right, if that's the other side of the coin, what does it mean for us?" Well, it means that we should be seeking to have light in our lives.

We should be seeking that which uplifts. We should be seeking that which is cleanliness. I think about loathsome and filthy and I think about sometimes seeing maybe movie previews or something on television and it's getting to a point in some cases where I can't even watch the preview for the movie.

I just can't stand it. It's dark and loathsome and filthy, and I have no desire to have it in my life. This idleness piece is quite fascinating in our world today.

This year as I picked our introduction and our outro, I wanted to focus on being anxiously engaged in a good cause. Not so much for you, the listener, but for me to say it out loud every day I record a Savory Salt podcast episode: I want to be anxiously engaged in good causes. So as we look at our verse for today, we see that side of the coin and you can look at it and say, "Is that the direction I desire my life to go?" Because that's the direction that comes for those that dwindle in unbelief.

If not, you turn it around and say, "How can I better express my faith and love with Jesus Christ?" I can seek it through light, through cleanliness, through anxious engagement in good causes. I can seek to purify my life as President Nelson has called for us to do through daily repentance. These actions drive us to avoid the consequences of those that dwindle in unbelief.

That's all for today, my friends. Lift up your hearts and rejoice. You're not dwindling in unbelief as you continue on this path. Cleave unto the covenants you have made and together we will be savory salt.