2.287 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

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. We're reading this week Doctrine and Covenants sections 115 through 120 as well as 3rd Nephi chapters 11 through 14. If you missed yesterday's podcast episode you might want to dive into yesterday's before you look into today's as we talked about the literal coming of Jesus Christ to the Nephites.

The reason that one was important to start with is because it's a The reason we start the week off is because of where we're going to land today in our verse in Doctrine and Covenants section 115 verse 4. We have inside of section 115 a revelation given through Joseph Smith the prophet in far west Missouri. It's at this stage that the church has been bounced from area to area, driven forth.

Everywhere they seem to build they seem to face destruction and anger and frustration. Let take a look at it and see what it says in verse 4 For thus shall my church be called in the last days even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints Now my friends, it's no surprise if you've been a listener of President Russell M. Nelson through his time as prophet, seer, and revelator, his re-emphasis that the name of the church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And if you've been any part of the social media buzz or anywhere online, you may see that so-called Mormons are not Christians according to much of the Christian community. Or that we have a different Jesus or that we do different things outside of regular Christianity or that we don't follow creedal Christianity or blah, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da, ta-da. There's all these different reasons.

But you know, with this verse, something interesting stood out to me that I have not seen in all of the social media, nor have I heard inside of an argument. I have certainly heard people say Mormons aren't Christians. I've certainly seen people argue that Mormons aren't Christians because of XYZ.

I've also seen people say the Church of the Latter-day Saints are not Christians. But you know what I haven seen I haven seen anyone who uses the full name of the church try to say that members of the full name of the church are not Christian And I was like wait is that true And so I thought I go back and look at some of the posts and some of the things that I seen My friends it interesting to me but nobody who uses the full name of the church at least according to what I can see right I don want to say no one ever but I think it interesting how easy it seems to be for Satan to remove the name of Jesus Christ from our name Names as members of his church and then claim that we are not Christians. What I mean by this is in social media you might see Mormons aren't Christians or the Church of the Latter-day Saints who aren't Christian.

But I haven't seen anyone say, you know, I know members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and those people are not Christian. Because the very name of the church emphasizes that it is the Church of Jesus Christ. My friends, I think it's important for you and for me to take the counsel and the direction from President Nelson to take the name of the church seriously.

It's not a marketing move. It's not a rebrand. It's the original brand given to us by Jesus Christ himself.

Yesterday we talked about his literal coming to the earth and talking and teaching the Nephites We believe his literal coming is upon us He guides us and directs us and as such one of the guidance he has given us is the name of his church in the last days will be the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints I am grateful to use the full name of the church in every opportunity I'm given. I've even tried to use the phrase changes that President Nelson gave in his conference talk. When someone says, oh, are you a Mormon?

I've tried to remember to say, oh, you mean, am I a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Yes, I am. My friends, when we use the full name of the church, we include Jesus Christ in it.

And we remove the doubts and the arguments that we don't belong amongst the so-called Christian community. His name is written in our church. His name is written in our covenants that we make.

Hopefully his name is written on our hearts and in our minds and in our daily actions as well. 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. For more information, visit us at www.fema.org.