2.70 He Was Entagled Again
Show Notes
Allen Roberds reflects on Doctrine and Covenants 20:5, sharing a powerful message about Joseph Smith, the 'first elder,' who became entangled in worldly vanities even after receiving remission of sins. This episode explores how God works with imperfect people, offering profound reassurance that mistakes don't define us and forgiveness is always available for continuous spiritual growth.
Key Points
- Doctrine and Covenants 20:5 reveals that Joseph Smith, the first elder, experienced entanglement in worldly vanities even after receiving a remission of his sins.
- The Lord's example with Joseph Smith underscores His understanding that He works with imperfect individuals, emphasizing that making mistakes does not mean the end of one's spiritual journey.
- Listeners are encouraged not to allow their errors or moments of weakness to define their identity or hinder their progress.
- Just as a coach encourages a team member to 'keep getting better,' followers of Christ are invited to continually strive for improvement, seek repentance, and receive forgiveness.
- This reflection provides powerful reassurance that God utilizes imperfect people, including early and current Church leaders, to accomplish His divine purposes.
Don't allow your mistakes, don't allow your moments of weakness to define who you are.
Episode Resources
Full Transcript
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. A message today for you and for me and for anybody else that feels like they've just messed up. Welcome to our week of reading with Doctrine and Covenants sections 20 and 22 as well as 2 Nephi chapters 19 through 23.
We're going to continue inside of Doctrine and Covenants section 20. As I mentioned, this is a monster. It's the full organization of the initial Church.
It has so much to dive into and honestly I'm having a hard time trying to distill and pick these out. Yesterday in Doctrine and Covenants, here about this first elder of the Church. And remember, this is the Lord talking about him, okay.
And this is what he says in verse 5: "After it was truly manifested unto the first elder that he had received a remission of his sins, he was entangled again in the vanities of the world." Now, notice here, as we always do whenever this happens, this is not the end of the sentence. It keeps going for several more verses. So understand that this is only the beginning of what the Lord is saying about Joseph Smith here.
But did you catch what the Lord is saying? The Lord is telling us Joseph received a remission of his sins and became entangled in the vanities of the world again. And I love this example here because we find out in the rest of the sentence that Joseph continues to receive forgiveness from the Lord.
The reason I love that is because as we read it, if Joseph can make mistakes, Joseph Smith, the beginning of the restoration, right? The prophet of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth today. If he can receive a remission of his sins and mess up and become entangled in the vanities.
The Lord knows that he is not working with perfect people. And I love that because it tells me that when I make mistakes, it's not game over. We just had our ward conference here recently.
As of this recording, our bishop was speaking to us as a congregation and he shared something that was awesome. And it's something I want to share with you. He shared a quick story about someone that was trying to make a team and he kept failing.
He kept not making the team. And then eventually when he made the team, he felt like he had to prove himself and stand up and work super hard. And the coach just said, "Hey, you're on the team.
Chill out a little bit. Just keep getting better." My friends, as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we're on the team. Now it's just an opportunity for us to keep getting better.
And I love that. It means that in those moments that I become entangled in the world and the vanities of the world, in those moments when I lose my perspective, in those moments where I feel like I messed up and I'm not back on the team, this is the Lord saying: "Hey, remember Joseph Smith? You remember that guy?
Yeah, he messed up too. And guess what? He also translated the Book of Mormon, restored the Church of Jesus Christ on the earth today, helped bring the organization of the Church into play, right?" I mean, like, did these phenomenal things.
If Joseph Smith can receive forgiveness, Allen Roberds can receive forgiveness, and every one of you can do so as well. Don't allow your mistakes, don't allow your moments of weakness to define who you are. This is such an uplifting part as we get into the organization of the Church because it reminds me that the Lord is working with imperfect people.
And as I read and I see criticisms of early leaders of the Church, or if I read or I see criticisms of current leaders of the Church, it helps me remember that the Lord didn't want perfect people here. That's not who he's asking to come and serve. He's asking for us in all of our imperfection to come forward and do the best we can, seek repentance, receive forgiveness, and continue to serve the Lord.
That is extremely empowering for me. I hope it is for you as well. And 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. For more information, visit us at www.SavorySalt.org.
This transcript was generated using AI and may contain errors. I do my best to review and edit them when I can.