2.230 Thus Saith The Lord Unto You

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.

It's great to have you with me. Today, let's be anxiously engaged in a good cause and bring to pass much righteousness. Hot topic alert, hot topic alert.

We dive into our readings this week in Doctrine and Covenants Section 89 through 92, as well as Alma chapters 53–56. And I'm just going to let you know upfront this week. No, I am not going to "Welcome to the Word of Wisdom: The Principle and the Promises." And you're absolutely welcome to dive into that this week and see if that's a reference for you.

Well, but I want to get to our verse for today. It's Doctrine and Covenants Section 89, verse 4. And I believe inside of here, it's something that we tend to skip over.

We tend to focus on the do's and don'ts and the should we or should we nots. And what about, you know, the term sparingly here? And what does this mean over there?

And all those types of ideas. We tend to kind of get into the weeds of the Word of Wisdom. But I noticed in verse 4, the reasoning behind it.

Why the Lord revealed this principle with promise. And that's what I wanted to emphasize as we get kicked off this week. So verse 4 says, "Behold, verily, thus saith the Lord unto you: In consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days, I have warned you, and forewarn you, by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation." Now, did you catch the reasoning before the Lord even gives any of the requirements inside of the Word of Wisdom?

There are evil designs. There were back in Joseph Smith's day because he says, "the evil designs which do." And then there are, and could be in our day, because he says, "and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men." And then he says, "I have warned you," talking in their day, with Joseph Smith's day, and "forewarn you," going back in the future, with us again. My friends, I think it's interesting that the Lord is going to give us this principle with promises attached to it.

And I think sometimes we get stuck on each one of the items as a checklist. The Lord is trying to let us know here that there are absolutely those who have conspiring hearts and their goal is not your best health. And as such, what the Lord is trying to give us here is some direction and some guidance.

And you absolutely are going to have to wrestle with the Spirit for that direction and guidance. And by doing so, you too can receive the promises associated inside of Doctrine and Covenants Section 89, which we'll get to inside of that later on this week. So, my friends, I think it's interesting: The Lord, having ultimate awareness of what's going on in the world, is trying to say, there are those with evil intent, and I want to give you some principles that can absolutely help you along the way.

I hope that's a perhaps a slightly different lens with which to see the Word of Wisdom as we dive into it this week. That's all for today, my friends. Lift up your hearts and rejoice. Cleave into the covenants you have made and together we will be savory salt.