2.250 Who We Listen to Matters

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. Who do you listen to?

Whose voices do you like? That is a powerful question indeed, one that is worth each one of us spending some time. We are finishing out our week reading Doctrine and Covenants sections 94 to 97, as well as finishing the Book of Alma and starting in Helaman.

Helaman chapters 1 and 2. Yesterday we shared from the Book of Alma, the wrapped up chapter there in 63. We're going to dive into the Book of Helaman here.

And oh my goodness, hold on to your horses! This happens every time we get to the Book of Helaman. But it goes straight from these powerhouses of Moroni and Helaman and goes straight into political chaos as Pahoran dies and the wheels fall off the wagon, right?

But more importantly, I think from this wheels falling off, as we are introduced to a character that we are told here in this, in chapter two of Helaman, is ultimately the source of the entire destruction of the civilization of the Nephites. That is certainly someone we should pay attention to, and the attributes of that person we certainly should understand so that we can see those warnings in our own day as well. Let's take a look at our verse for today in Helaman chapter 2, verse 4.

It's very close to a verse last season that I shared in verse 5. So perhaps these ideas coincide a little bit, but since it's been a year, I think it's okay to take a look at verse 4. It's certainly not repeating the verse of last year.

It says this in verse 4, talking about this Gadianton. It says, "For there was one Gadianton who was exceedingly expert in many words, and also in his craft, to carry on the secret work of murder and of robbery." Therefore he became the leader of the band of Kishkumen. Now, my friends, did you catch the two descriptive pieces?

Yesterday we talked about this old idea of being just and upright and good and obedient. Today we see some characteristics that I'm not saying are characteristics of every bad person, or you can't be a good person with these characteristics. I'm saying that Helaman's trying to give us some descriptions to be aware of and perhaps raise a yellow flag, or maybe even a red flag, when it comes to our own lives.

He was exceedingly expert in many words. Who we listen to matters, especially those who find great ability to persuade and move entire groups of people. My friends, I know there are times in our world today where leaders develop an incredible ability to move large masses of people.

It is perhaps worth our time and attention to turn to the Lord when considering whether to follow those voices and seek His will in who it is we should line up with and in whose words and voices we should follow. Who we listen to matters. As we see in Helaman chapter 2, Gadianton is not going to just start a movement of chaos that comes and goes in the Nephite peoples.

The Bible is going to ultimately begin a demise that's going to take several hundred years and yet lead to a full destruction of an entire civilization. That is worth your attention and mine as we go forward deciding whose voice we ultimately decide to listen to on a daily basis. 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.