2.46 No Middle Ground

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. Our message today is going to be either blasphemy and/or heresy, or it's going to be absolute truth.

Welcome back to our week with Doctrine and Covenants sections 10 and 11, as well as 2 Nephi chapters 1 through 4. And I know we've played a little bit of tennis back and forth as we've gone through this week. I hope it's been fulfilling for you as we've looked at both sides of the coin of the light of Jesus Christ and the darkness of Satan and the role that they both play in our lives.

We're going to stop the tennis matches and we're going to finish out this week, the next couple of days, today and tomorrow, inside of Doctrine and Covenants sections 10 and 11. And our verse for today, as I mentioned before, is going to either be absolutely the truth or absolute blasphemy and heresy. Let's take a look at what I mean with that.

It's Doctrine and Covenants section 10, verse 57. Verse 57 says: "Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not." Now this is recorded inside of Doctrine and Covenants.

This is a revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet. And at this stage, we either pause there. We know that several revelations were recorded by different writers, right?

Sometimes Joseph did his own, but typically there were others that were recording these things. And this one just flat out gets to the stage of absolutely absurd or absolutely true. Joseph is no longer saying, "I'm speaking for the Lord." He's just going to say, inside of verse 57, Jesus Christ is the one saying these things.

Jesus Christ is going to say that, right? And he's going to say an interesting warning for all of us: "I came unto mine own, and mine own received me not." Now, pause in that for just a second. Let's look back to the life of Christ for a second and think about this.

There were scholars and scribes and educated people in the scriptures looking for the coming of a Messiah, and they missed it. They didn't see it in Jesus Christ. They missed it.

The people that were even looking for him missed him. Right? What warning is that for us today in our lives?

I love the bold nature of Doctrine and Covenants. We have these verses that remind us that this isn't just Joseph Smith writing something down that he feels inspired to write down. This isn't just Joseph Smith dictating something and making it up, as several claims happen in today's world about Joseph Smith.

This is a claim that is flat out either 100% right or 100% wrong. Jesus Christ either gave these revelations or he did not. There's really no middle ground there.

I am so grateful for the bold nature of Doctrine and Covenants and the scriptures that we have. I'm also grateful that the heavens are open and that that revelation is available not just to Joseph Smith, but to our living prophets and apostles today. I am grateful for a living prophet, and I love the fact that they can stand and testify that Jesus Christ is real.

I'm so grateful that we've had the opportunity this week to look at both sides of the coin and understand that there is absolutely, without doubt, good and evil. There is light and darkness. There is Jesus Christ.

There is Satan. And both of them are playing a role in our lives. We'll see you next time.

What role and what level they play in our lives is absolutely up to us. I said it before, and I say it again: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." My friends, Jesus Christ is real. Please don't be one of those that has Him come unto His own, those that are looking for Him and they receive Him not.

I want to be on the side of those that choose Jesus Christ, and I know you do as well, because Thank you for joining us today. Thank you for your help, and I appreciate that from you as well. That's all for today, my friends.

Lift up your hearts and rejoice. Cleave unto the covenants you have made, and together we will be savory salt.