2.64 That They Might Not Suffer

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. Have we talked about repentance on this podcast before?

No? Maybe we'll take a different look at it today. In Doctrine and Covenants Section 19, we certainly get our fair share of repentance.

Martin Harris is seeking the Lord's will when it comes to what he's supposed to do with his farm and the printing of the Book of Mormon. I think it's beautiful. I also think it's tragic.

It's difficult. The Bible is a cult and it shows the love that Christ has for every one of us as he describes the pain that he went through in fulfilling the Atonement. Our verse for today is going to be the front end of that description.

It is going to be found in Doctrine and Covenants Section 19, Verse 16. But you notice that 16, 17, 18, and 19 are actually all one sentence. So please, please take the time to continue reading this sentence although we are just going to focus on Verse 16.

It says, "Now," I love this because we get first a qualifier of who Jesus Christ is doing this for. It is for all of us. Jesus Christ suffered for everyone that they would not suffer if they would repent.

Now, repentance is such a cool concept. It is becoming such an interesting part of my life. What I'm really trying to hold the perspective of is the repentance through, as President Nelson describes it, a change in my heart.

A desire in my heart to change. And so I've taken some time to kind of reflect personally every day, what is changing? What's changing as I've done "Savory Salt" for me?

What's changing as I've tried to re-emphasize scripture study and daily prayer in my life? And I just wanted to share a few of these, not to cast a light on me and say, yay, yay, me, but rather to give you an opportunity to see what's changing for you as well. So as I talk about repentance and the idea of changing my heart to turn more towards Him, it has been a wonderful change for me.

I want to do all the things in the temple. My girls are all old enough now that we actually are doing family temple trips and I take personal time to go into the temple and I go with my wife to the temple. My desire to be in the temple and to serve there is changing, and I believe that that is directly from my daily desires to read from the scriptures, to pray, and to keep the Lord in my life.

My prayers for others are changing. My perspective is changing as I pray and I think into what I really am asking the Lord, but also what the Lord is asking of me. And I'm praying for others.

By the way, a huge thank you to all of you that have helped inside of this because a couple of weeks ago I asked you to join me in prayer. For those of you that joined us in fasting for my daughter, we got word just today that my daughter is going to be able to keep serving on her mission. They're going to do some corrective things for the injury that she's dealing with, but she's going to be able to continue to serve.

And that's part of that change in my prayers as I have sought to align my will with Heavenly Father's. That's becoming more in my life, and that's part of my own repentance. My desire to serve others is increasing.

I want to do it not just in spiritual ways, but I want to do it in my business better. I want to do it with my family better, and I am increasing my desire to serve. My personal scripture study is way better than it has been over the past years as I have focused.

And I think, I think, "Savory Salt" I talked about this, but "Savory Salt" has been one of those that I thought I was doing it for other people, and I have found that I do "Savory Salt" for me because it keeps me in context and studying the scriptures on a daily basis. I'm going to read a passage from the Bible and then I'll share it with others, those that want to listen and grow in their lives as well. Finally, my reliance on the Lord is increasing.

I know I can do a lot of things on my own, but the more I get closer to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, the more I say, "Why do I want to do anything alone?" I want the Lord in my life. I want his help, I want his Spirit, and I want the blessings that come as I seek to repent daily. So for this perspective and this lens as the Lord has encouraged Martin Harris to repent time and time again, he invites you and I to do so as well.

That's all for today, my friends. Lift up your heart and rejoice. Cleave into the covenants you have made and together we will be "Savory Salt". We'll see you next time.