2.81 We Labor Diligently ... to Persuade Our Children ... to Believe in Christ

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. I love 2 Nephi chapters 25 and 26. We are still reading from Doctrine and Covenants sections 23 to 26 as well as 2 Nephi chapters 24 to 27.

Today I'm going to be looking at 2 Nephi chapter 25 specifically, although as you're pacing yourself out, we've just got a couple of days left here to do chapters 25, 26, and 27. I love 2 Nephi chapters 25 and 26 because Nephi basically says, I know Isaiah is hard to read. And at some point in the future, everybody's going to understand Isaiah.

But because Isaiah is hard to read, let me make some things clear. And then Nephi just testifies plainly of Jesus Christ. And that's what I love about chapters 25 and 26.

Inside these chapters, we can reference and see so many aspects of the testimony that Nephi had of Jesus Christ, and one that we can rely on as well. The verse for today comes from 2 Nephi chapter 25, and it's verse 23. It's one that's quite common for Latter-day Saints that get into the question of whether we are, you know, a grace-based organization or a works-based organization?

And I know that's a hot topic inside the Christian world. Verse 23 says it like this: "For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children and also our brethren to believe in Christ and to be reconciled to God. For we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." Now, rather than going down the deep doctrinal path of grace versus works and, you know, Christ's Atonement is grace-based and our works are works-based, and rather than going down all that doctrinal line, that's not actually what I wanted to focus on inside of this verse here.

What I wanted to focus on was the front end of the verse. I love that Nephi tells us he and his family work diligently. Now, they're writing, okay?

That's how they keep their records. So, however we would keep our records—we could do writing in journals, we could do, I'm keeping a record here in my podcast, right? But like, whatever.

We labor diligently to persuade our children. There's the first part that we're laboring. This is what we're working on.

And also our brethren. And I read that as, yes, it could be neighbors, but I actually like to read it a little bit closer: our brethren like our family members to believe in Christ. I can read inside of chapters 25 and 26, Nephi's plea to persuade his family and his children to believe in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.

And I hope that as I do things as a father, I hope that as my wife and I try to plan activities, I hope that as I meet with my family members that I too can fit in this mold. I hope that I can be seen as diligently working, laboring to persuade my children and my brethren to believe in Jesus Christ. And I hope that my actions show that.

Now, why am I so concerned about that? Well, I have an opportunity to share the joy that is in me that comes from following Jesus Christ. It's an obligation of sorts to be able to say, "Hey, Jesus Christ has made my life better, and I want to share it with you so that your life can be better too!" I can remember an interview with President Gordon B.

Hinckley years ago. I think it was actually even the national interview. I think it was like "60 Minutes" or something.

Is this where he said it? Sorry, I'm thinking about this on the fly here. He says, inside of that interview, "Bring all of your beliefs.

Bring everything that you believe in in the Bible. Bring all the things that you believe in Jesus Christ, and let's see if we can add to it." And I love that perspective. I am grateful for my opportunity to, one, have a testimony of Jesus Christ myself, but to, two, persuade my children and my brethren to believe in Christ.

You have that opportunity as well. As you develop in your testimony, share it with others, and it will continue to grow inside of you as well as grow inside of those that you love. That's the power and the magic that comes inside of bearing testimony of Jesus Christ as our Savior.

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. We'll see you next time.