2.293 O God, Where Art Thou?

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. Are you having a hard time?

Are you facing challenges you've maybe never faced before? Are things more difficult than they've been before for you? If so, this week is for you.

You're not alone. Joseph Smith and the early saints experienced a very difficult time that we're going to look at inside of our readings this week, Doctrine and Covenants. Sections 121 through 123.

And yet inside these sections are some incredibly powerful words from our Heavenly Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We're also reading this week 3rd Nephi, chapters 15 through 19. And while there are many words of Jesus Christ inside of there, we'll get to them as best we can.

This week I really want to dive into Doctrine and Covenants 121 through 123 through the context of the challenges that many people face. Individual challenges difficulties the scriptures would call them maybe affirmities or afflictions or adversity whatever it may be I also encourage you as we dive in this week to perhaps consider some of these thoughts that you could either share with friends or family that have never listened to Savory Salt Maybe we share a verse inside of here that just the verse that you could share with somebody else So be mindful of your readings as you go through this week Now let's dive into our verse for today. See what we can learn from it.

Our verse for today is Doctrine and Covenants section 121 verse 1. Joseph Smith experiencing perhaps one of the darkest times in his life, if not the darkest time in his life, as he faces the challenges inside of Liberty Jail. I've never been to Liberty, Missouri to see the actual jail.

I've only seen the replicas. But I can imagine the conditions and the difficulties that he and those that were with him were facing. And Joseph gets to this point, a point that I think many of us have experienced at different times in our lives.

And maybe some of you are experiencing right now in your lives in verse 1. He says, O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

Have you ever had a moment where you just wonder where the Lord's gone? You ever had a challenge that just seemed so great that you wondered if the Lord was mindful? We're going to see some beautiful verses inside of our study this week with the Lord's responses To that very question O God where art thou To start the week I wanted to just share there been a couple of times in my life more than a couple I guess of times where I have faced very similar situations internally that Joseph Smith faced in terms of wondering where God had gone in my life I asked questions very similar to Joseph Smith question here Where are you Lord I trying to do what I trying to do here I trying to follow Where did you go And our purpose for afflictions and challenges is part of mortal life Yes I understand that But in those difficult moments it can be so hard to keep perspective eternally This week I hope to provide some verses inside of 121 through 123 that help us remember that perspective I also wanted to offer a thought from Tad Callister, who also has recently passed away as of this recording.

He was in the Sunday School Presidency in the church. In April of 2019, I'll put a link into this talk here that he gave about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In April of 2019, he talks about the purposes of the Atonement and what it helps us overcome.

And in his third point, Afflictions and Infirmities, he says this piece, Alma prophesied that Christ shall go forth suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. Why? That his bowels may be filled with mercy, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

How does he accomplish this? Sometimes he removes the affliction. Sometimes, He strengthens us to endure.

And sometimes, He gives us an eternal perspective to better understand their temporary nature. My friends this week and going forward of the challenges that Joseph Smith faced My friends, the Lord is with us through good times and bad. Our testimonies can grow in good times and bad.

We have an opportunity to see both sides of the coin throughout our mortal lives. And I hope that whatever challenges you face right now, you may be strengthened by the Lord. You may have those affirmities or challenges removed by the Lord, or you may increase your own eternal perspective of the temporary nature that you face in those challenges right now.

I'm excited for this week and I pray that those of you facing challenges may be strengthened by the Lord as you go through and seek to have him in your life, good times or bad. 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.