"Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem?
I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
I know why I was drawn to these verses. In the last two days there have been big earthquakes in California. Last night I could not sleep. I kept waking and then would try to listen to Dutchsinse talk about the earthquakes or read articles about it. I was really drawn to the comments being made by others.
The consensus is that California is so wicked God will punish it, and they will fall into the ocean. Now, I've been to California and attended church there. There are good people there that I know love the Lord. If anything because of them the land is not being destroyed for their sake. (Alma 10:22; Helaman 13:14) Also the wickedness in pockets of California are just an example of what is had among all men. They are no more wicked then the rest of us.
So what I see instead is a voice of warning (Doctrine & Covenants 42:23-25), but not only to California. It is to all inhabitants of this nation and land, in fact the entire world. Repent for we know not the hour of His coming. Neither do we know the hour when the door is shut on our ability to repent.
In this chapter it continues..
"When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are:
Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets.
But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity."
(Luke 13:25-27)
The key is "I know you not whence ye are". What does that mean? I believe it is when we are far from the Lord in our thoughts, deeds and actions He cannot count us His. No one is perfect, but through daily repentance we can become clean. When we repentant and humble ourselves, we are standing inside the door before it is ever shut. With the world in commotion this is just another voice saying now is the time to repent. These were also the words of the prophet of the Lord in this past April General Conference.
"Thus, when Jesus asks you and me to “repent,” He is inviting us to change our mind, our knowledge, our spirit—even the way we breathe. He is asking us to change the way we love, think, serve, spend our time, treat our wives, teach our children, and even care for our bodies.
Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Whether you are diligently moving along the covenant path, have slipped or stepped from the covenant path, or can’t even see the path from where you are now, I plead with you to repent. Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little better each day.
When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy—the joy of redemption in Him. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ!"
(Russell M. Nelson, "We Can Do Better and Be Better", General Conference, Apr 2019)
Day 1561
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