3.172 Even Unto the End

In Matthew 5, Jesus calls us the salt of the earth and the light of the world, reminding us that our lives are meant to preserve, illuminate, and point others to Him. This season on Savory Salt, we'll walk through the Old Testament, one verse and one thought each day. Perhaps these moments will add greater savor and brighter light to our lives as we seek to truly live as Savory Salt.

Hello my friends. It's a new day with new opportunities. Choose ye this day whom you will serve.

You know sometimes it just takes a good solid road trip to clear the mind and give you some space to think as the miles run past. That's what's happened for me as I've reflected inside of the end of this week's readings with 1st Samuel 17 and 18, 24 to 26, and 2nd Samuel 5 through 7. As we get David, or I guess I should formally now say King David, as he's anointed and becomes king of the children of Israel.

In my reflections as we're driving, I took a road trip down to see my parents' gravesite and my grandparents' gravesite and wanted to go spend some time there. We're coming up on Father's Day here in the United States. Difficulty that sometimes it's been for me this year with the Old Testament to read through these stories and try to continue to find Savory Salt episodes and think into them.

And one of the recurring reasons for that is so much of what we've read in the Old Testament is this story of like, yes, we're going to be good. And then, no, we're not good. And then, yes, we're going to be good.

And no, we're not good. And we've gone through like Judges and we've had these hero figures and then we've had this rejection and then we have Saul and he's like selected and his heart's awesome. And then he's rejected and we have David and then we know what's coming up with David as well.

And, and I just was reflecting over this over the miles and I realized something that I want to say, I'm sorry to you as the listener. I intended, and I did start out this season, having a regular heartbeat through the Book of Mormon as we continued to read the Old Testament. And one of the reasons for that, as I reflected here and kind of realized that I hadn't kept up on my Book of Mormon study with the Old Testament times, one of the reasons is this exact reason.

I see them carry that light to others. And in the Old Testament the story so often is we receive the light and then we like, yeah, but that light wasn't really very bright. And then we get more light and we like, yeah, but we don't really like that light.

And so it just kind of had me in the dreary dumps a little bit. So today I would like to share our verse for today out of the Book of Alma inside of the Book of Mormon, Alma chapter 27 verse 27. As we look at a people here that didn't just accept Jesus Christ, but accepted him even unto the end.

This is a people that got their witness from the Lord and kept that witness and amplified that light. Verse 27, in speaking about they, these people of Ammon as they become known, and they were among the people of Nephi and also numbered among the people who were of the church of God. And they were also distinguished for their zeal towards God, and also towards men.

For they were perfectly honest and upright in all things, and they were firm in the faith of Christ even unto the end. Now my friends, I don't want you to confuse my message here. I am certainly not saying that once you accept Jesus Christ in your life, you live a perfect life all the time.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is for all of us to learn to make mistakes, to be forgiven of our sins, and to become new creatures in Christ. But it does seem like the Old Testament story very, very quickly forgets the Lord often as the people choose other worldly pursuits rather than our Heavenly Father. I love the examples that in the Book of Mormon are rife with them, but I love that the Book of Mormon provides examples of people and individuals who come to Jesus Christ.

They are converted in him and then they take that conversion and amplify it to others. What an amazing example for all of us as we find our own lives connecting and accepting Jesus Christ in them. May we continue in that acceptance of Jesus Christ.

May we continue in keeping our covenants and may we amplify his light going forward is my hope as we go forward today. That is all for today my friends. You and I have come here for such a time as this.

Step forward in faith and let's be savory salt. We will be here tomorrow and we hope you are too.