2.112 How Can We Possibly Face Such A Challenge?

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. As we kick off today, I want to acknowledge it's, what is it, 112 days or so since the beginning of this season, or the beginning of the year if you're listening to this in live, real time, right?

At this stage, it's worth pausing and reflecting about what this has been for you as you study the Doctrine and Covenants hand in hand with the Book of Mormon. This is a chance for us to pause and consider that when we use the term repentance, it really means a change of heart, a turning to the Lord. So hopefully as you've gone through this, you take some time regularly, although today's a reminder to just take a little bit of time.

Welcome to Doctrine and Covenants. In Doctrine and Covenants 37 we get this first commandment from the Lord to start to gather. And they're going to initially gather in Ohio as you find out in Doctrine and Covenants section 37.

And then shortly thereafter at a conference of the Church we get Doctrine and Covenants 38. And inside of it, I think there's some incredible gems inside of Doctrine and Covenants 38. It's tough to kind of pick and choose as always, but this one stuck out to me because of the time that we're facing right now.

And I don't know, maybe it's just me that's facing this, but I thought I'd share it just in case there's others facing it as well. Our verse for today comes in Doctrine and Covenants section 38, verse 12. It is the middle of a sentence as typically comes in a lot of times that we share.

So you're going to actually want to make sure that you read 11, 12, 13, 14. That's the full sentence. But 12 says this: "Which causeth silence to reign, and all eternity is pained.

And the angels are waiting the great command to reap down the earth, to gather the tares that they may be burned. And behold, the enemy is combined." Now that sounds like it's kind of the negative side, the drudgery side of what the Lord's talking about here. But he's talking about this parable from the New Testament with the wheat and the tares and the need for the wheat and the tares to grow together.

And that's what's happening in our world today. And I thought it was interesting. What stood out to me was this idea at the end here: "the enemy is combined." And I thought, "Wow, what does that look like, sound like, feel like?" And in simple terms for me, there are just days where it seems like everything, everywhere, is against my attempts to grow spiritually.

I feel like, "How can I possibly face this challenge?" Elder Maxwell, in his talk "Notwithstanding My Weakness," talks academically for sure. This one's a study one. But inside of this, he gets to a point in his talk that kind of answers this question, right?

And this is what I wanted to share with you today. He says, even during these difficult times—now he's spent a lot of his talk describing the difficult times that I feel like describing what I face sometimes—he says, "Even during these difficult times, members armed with righteousness can do so many things. We can have love at home even though the love of many waxes cold in the world.

We can have inner peace even though peace has been taken from the earth. We can keep the seventh commandment even though others break it and mock it. We can render individualized humanitarian service even though the mass of human suffering seems overwhelming.

We can use our tongues to speak the truth in love while refusing to use them to bear false witness. We can stand fast in holy places even though in the world all things shall be in commotion. We can reach for hands which hang down even if some refuse our proffered hands of friendship.

We can hold to the iron rod, even if others slip away and a few end up mocking us from the great and spacious building." My friends, in these moments when it feels like the enemy is combined against us, or in real times when the enemy is truly combined against us, there are so many things we can do to turn to the Lord and ask for his help, and the Lord will answer those prayers. In those difficult days, stand and know that the Lord is here to help us. Turn to Him, and you will find great strength as we have been counseled in Doctrine and Covenants 38, as well as by living apostles and prophets today.

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.fema.org.