2.285 Don't Let the Devil Laugh at Your Expense

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. My friends, if Jesus Christ spoke to the world today, what might he say? Now I know that's a difficult question because some of you are sitting there processing and saying, wait, he does speak to us through prophets and I'm not trying to throw a curveball here.

You are right. He does speak to us through prophets. But I really am interested at what he might say directly to the people.

And I guess the reason that peaks for me is inside of our readings this week. We've been reading Doctrine and Covenants, sections 111 through 114, as well as 3rd Nephi, chapters 6 through 10. And while that is really the front chapter chapter 10 6 through 10 is really these chapters leading up to the coming of Jesus Christ to the Nephites It this pinnacle moment in 3rd Nephi 11 that we going to get to next week But it actually not 3rd Nephi 11 that we hear the voice of the Lord first We get that inside of 3rd Nephi chapter 9 And that's what's piqued my interest here.

We have incredible destruction. The entire face of the land changes in 3rd Nephi chapter 8 The Bible says that the people of the world were not saved by the wickedness of the cities and the people. And then in 3 Nephi 9, after this darkness, no light at all, this weeping and wailing and grieving, we get a voice, the voice of the Lord.

And this is the very first thing that he has to say to the Nephites. Our verse for today is 3 Nephi 9, verse 2. Woe, woe, woe unto this people!

Woe unto the inhabitants of the whole earth, except they shall repent! For the devil laugheth, and his angels rejoice, because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people. And it is because of their iniquity and abominations that they are fallen.

My friends it so sad to me that the first thing that Jesus Christ says to the people after this incredible destruction is whoa whoa whoa But did you catch what else he said inside of here He said, except they shall repent. Now we live in a world where evil is run amuck. We've talked about this openly often, right?

We've got chaos everywhere. We have evil, we have sin. And we have an opportunity to live in a world that has joy and happiness and repentance and the love of our Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ.

Do we take that opportunity? I think the phrase in here that stuck with me is that the devil laugheth and his angels rejoice. And did you catch the reason why?

Because of the slain of the fair sons and daughters of my people. We know through Scripture that in the last day Satan will not stand with anyone. His entire plan is our misery and our destruction.

And he encourages us to do it through our own sinful choices. Here Jesus Christ, in preparation for his coming, sends his voice out to the world and gives them an opportunity to repent. I love 3rd Nephi chapter 9 because he tells them inside of there you have a chance Will you turn to me My friends he asking us today will you turn to the Lord Jesus Christ with all your heart might mind and strength I love that Christ even these Nephites and Lamanites that had become so evil the Nephites and the Lamanites say inside of here we wish we hadn been the ones to cast stones at the prophets So some of the people that are still surviving here, while they're the more righteous, they still have repentance to go through.

But I love that Jesus Christ starts out saying, I hope you can understand now that the devil is only doing this to laugh at your own destruction. And I hope you will understand and take opportunity to repent and see the blessings that come. My friends, don't let the devil laugh at your expense.

Stand up, hear the Lord's call, be savory salt. We can do this. 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.