Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 16:17-18

Today's Favorite Verse: Romans 16:17-18

"Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them.

For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple."

I like the advise to avoid those that cause division and offences. I can't tell you how many YouTube channels I have purged from my list over the years. They started out good and then just go off on some tangent and lose their way. If you stick with the scriptures, church resources, and the words of the prophet and apostles, in particular the living prophet, you can't go amiss. In Paul's day he knew there would be an apostasy. In our day we know the restored church will stand when Christ comes again. The church as a whole will not apostatize, but some members will. I work hard to not be among the apostate ranks. There is safety if you know where to look for it.

"In many other places Paul also warned us against the deceivers who would come even before his departing (Rom. 16:17-18) And they have continued to come, and they are among us today. The authorities which the Lord has placed in his Church constitute for the people of the Church a harbor, a place of refuge, a hitching post, as it were. No one in this Church will ever go far astray who ties himself securely to the Church Authorities whom the Lord has placed in his Church. This Church will never go astray; the Quorum of the Twelve will never lead you into bypaths: it never has and never will. There could be individuals who would falter; there will never be a majority of the Council of the Twelve on the wrong side at any time. The Lord has chosen them; he has given them specific responsibilities. And those people who stand close to them will be safe. And conversely, whenever one begins to go his own way in opposition to authority, he is in grave danger. I would not say that those leaders whom the Lord chooses are necessarily the most brilliant, nor the most highly trained, but they are the chosen, and when chosen of the Lord they are his recognized authority, and the people who stay close to them have safety."

(Spencer W. Kimball, "Be Valiant", Apr 1951 General Conference, pg. 104)

Day 3221