1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,880 Hey there everybody, welcome back to another podcast of Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:20,880 --> 00:00:25,600 This is Scott Durfey, joined as always by my uncle David Durfey, our teacher. 3 00:00:25,600 --> 00:00:26,600 What's up Dave? 4 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:29,200 Oh, sweet to be with you Scott. 5 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:32,880 We had a good podcast that just came out this week. 6 00:00:32,880 --> 00:00:39,560 Our last one that was just, I should say last week, our last one that was released, we responded 7 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:46,480 to a wonderful question from a wonderful parent, a wonderful father, wanted to talk about some 8 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:47,480 really important things. 9 00:00:47,480 --> 00:00:51,200 So, if you haven't listened to that, we encourage you to go back and do so. 10 00:00:51,200 --> 00:00:57,080 Also encourage you to continue to send us your questions, send us your comments, your 11 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:58,080 insights. 12 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,320 We would love to include those and try to do so as we go along here. 13 00:01:02,320 --> 00:01:08,600 You can do that at He Redeems Us, He Redeems Us at gmail.com. 14 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:10,640 So Dave, here we are. 15 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,120 We've been talking about repentance. 16 00:01:13,120 --> 00:01:18,560 We've been kind of taking it apart and putting it back together and some of the important 17 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:20,400 components of it. 18 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:22,240 Where do we go today with it, Dave? 19 00:01:22,240 --> 00:01:25,240 Well, Scott, it's a process. 20 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:32,280 This is a process and it's a choice and it's almost more of an attitude than it is a series 21 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:33,280 of steps. 22 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:37,920 It's more a condition of the heart than it is maybe actions to be taken. 23 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:43,520 But actions are important that come out of the heart that are sincere. 24 00:01:43,520 --> 00:01:55,320 And I again want to tell everyone that there are kind of four parts as I see repentance. 25 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:56,320 These aren't steps. 26 00:01:56,320 --> 00:02:02,920 So there's kind of four parts which are the foundations of repentance. 27 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:08,560 That's number one, which consists of really understanding the Atonement of Jesus Christ 28 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:16,440 and what desiring to be completely honest and having adequate faith. 29 00:02:16,440 --> 00:02:22,200 There are conditions of repentance and that's the broken heart, contrite spirit, true godly 30 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:23,400 sorrow. 31 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:28,320 I think those conditions must be met before a person will go through the actual process 32 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,360 or see it to the end. 33 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:37,880 And then we're in, we've done the actions of repentance recently, which is crying out. 34 00:02:37,880 --> 00:02:44,960 It's just almost, that's almost so simple that people won't look at the brazen serpent 35 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,600 on a pole and be saved. 36 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:54,200 That just seems too simple to cry out, but it must again come from a broken heart and 37 00:02:54,200 --> 00:03:00,200 it must come from a sincere contrite heart and it must be done with real intent. 38 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:08,480 And then we have to offer our souls and our sins to Him. 39 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:12,480 Those reactions of repentance and right now we're in the manifestations of repentance. 40 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,040 Then the first two manifestations of repentance, Scott, are described again in Doctrine and 41 00:03:17,040 --> 00:03:23,880 Covenants 58, 42, 43, which reads, Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same 42 00:03:23,880 --> 00:03:27,600 is forgiven, and I the Lord remember them no more. 43 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:30,120 What a great promise. 44 00:03:30,120 --> 00:03:40,120 43, by this, or in other words, this is how you'll know, by this ye may know if a man 45 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:47,840 repented of his sins, he will confess them and forsake them. 46 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:55,680 Those are the first two really clear manifestations of repentance, Scott, is that an individual 47 00:03:55,680 --> 00:04:04,720 will confess them mostly to God, serious sins should be, must be, confess to the proper 48 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:11,240 church authority who will turn his keys to help an individual participate in the ordinances 49 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:18,160 of the gospel, to receive all the full blessings and power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ 50 00:04:18,160 --> 00:04:20,040 in their life. 51 00:04:20,040 --> 00:04:28,160 So confession is important, and also, Scott, to confess to the individuals that maybe we've 52 00:04:28,160 --> 00:04:30,160 heard. 53 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:36,600 And then the one that we will talk about today, we'll get into this one, is they must forsake 54 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:39,080 it. 55 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:45,440 That is an obvious manifestation of repentance is if an individual will change, will make 56 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:46,720 appropriate changes. 57 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:52,840 They'll stop doing what they were doing wrong or start doing what they weren't doing right. 58 00:04:52,840 --> 00:04:59,520 I mean, there's their sins of commission and their sins of omission, and one must either 59 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:06,640 stop doing something, or they must start doing something or usually both, actually. 60 00:05:06,640 --> 00:05:09,400 This was this is what it means to forsake our sins. 61 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:15,320 I remember when I was a missionary, Scott, and we had the rainbow discussions, that's 62 00:05:15,320 --> 00:05:19,920 because they were in a booklet of all different colors, and they kind of were affectionately 63 00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:22,960 called the rainbow discussions. 64 00:05:22,960 --> 00:05:28,760 And we would memorize them word for word, and we would discuss, you know, teach these 65 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:33,760 and try to do so sincerely, even though they were memorized word for word. 66 00:05:33,760 --> 00:05:38,320 I was back in the 70s and so grateful for the new Preach My Gospel. 67 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:44,560 It just came out with some adaptations from the other Preach My Gospel that replaced the 68 00:05:44,560 --> 00:05:46,920 other missionaries that were memorized. 69 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:57,320 Anyway, there was this one line as we taught individuals on my mission how to repent, and 70 00:05:57,320 --> 00:06:04,960 we would tell them that they must forsake their sins, which meant they must not repeat 71 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:12,600 them, not even in their mind. 72 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:16,320 That had a more powerful effect upon me than it ever did my investigators, I'm sure of 73 00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:17,960 that line. 74 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:21,280 You must not repeat it, not even in your mind. 75 00:06:21,280 --> 00:06:31,000 Scott, there's too many of us who are too complacent about repeating sins in our minds. 76 00:06:31,000 --> 00:06:42,480 And when we confess our sins and we forsake them, it means we stop telling them to everybody, 77 00:06:42,480 --> 00:06:51,280 and we stop repeating them, milling them over, even in our minds. 78 00:06:51,280 --> 00:06:53,480 I think that is so critical. 79 00:06:53,480 --> 00:06:59,640 We all know that Satan has power to put thoughts in our mind, and the one thought he wants 80 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:05,600 to put in our mind is to remind us over and over and over again, daily or hourly, if he 81 00:07:05,600 --> 00:07:10,760 could, of our sins. 82 00:07:10,760 --> 00:07:16,040 We must choose not to let that happen, and I know that's a choice. 83 00:07:16,040 --> 00:07:22,440 So forsaking the sin is not just stopping or starting behaviors, but it's controlling 84 00:07:22,440 --> 00:07:24,040 our thoughts. 85 00:07:24,040 --> 00:07:32,000 And further, it's controlling who we share our sins with. 86 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:36,720 I know that Elder Anderson and I, when we discussed this chapter in his book, The Divide 87 00:07:36,720 --> 00:07:42,520 Gift of Forgiveness, we had quite a long discussion about this, Scott, because I told 88 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:46,160 him that I thought this was a huge problem for young adults. 89 00:07:46,160 --> 00:07:53,080 In fact, I know, because young adults have told me, several dozens of young adults have 90 00:07:53,080 --> 00:07:59,480 told me, when I was at the Institute, of engagements that were broken. 91 00:07:59,480 --> 00:08:08,800 I even know of a divorce of an Institute student because of a spouse or a fiance, or even 92 00:08:08,800 --> 00:08:15,400 a boyfriend or girlfriend, who because they confessed their old sins, it destroyed that 93 00:08:15,400 --> 00:08:26,840 relationship because those individuals either were not willing to forgive or could not control 94 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:33,320 their thoughts, the couple that I know that were divorced over this, because the young 95 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:42,640 man had lost his virtue before his mission, before his mission, but eventually went on 96 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:48,080 a successful mission, had repented and came home and married this young woman and made 97 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:55,720 the mistake of telling all about his whole life, and told her about his fornication before 98 00:08:55,720 --> 00:09:01,400 his mission, and she couldn't get it out of her mind. 99 00:09:01,400 --> 00:09:09,960 So every time they ever had any intimacy or, you know, that's where her mind would go. 100 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:14,800 Well it became so troubling to her, and Satan used that so much against her, and it became 101 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:20,120 such a wedge in their marriage that it led to divorce. 102 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:28,200 I know of a beautiful young woman who was a leader, a real leader and powerful return 103 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:33,920 missionary who had done some things before her mission, and who was engaged to a wonderful 104 00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:40,280 young man, and they would have been a really powerful couple, but she came in brokenhearted 105 00:09:40,280 --> 00:09:46,840 in my office one day and told me how the engagement was broken because he had asked her questions 106 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:54,800 about her past, and she felt like she had to be honest, and when she was, he broke the 107 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:55,800 engagement. 108 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,880 Scott, that's not who she was. 109 00:09:59,880 --> 00:10:04,160 It was over, it was gone, it was, why would he even ask that question? 110 00:10:04,160 --> 00:10:11,840 I mean, I mean, he sinned by even asking that question, and this is my final point on this 111 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:22,840 before your response, I know there are some young men, and it could be young women too, 112 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:37,760 who manipulate their date or individuals by asking them about their past, and their desire 113 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:46,080 is to know how far will this person go, or is this person weak enough? 114 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:57,080 They look for a weak spot or a chink in the armor or whatever, and so they intentionally 115 00:10:57,080 --> 00:11:07,280 bring up and want to talk about the sins of the past to use or manipulate those individuals. 116 00:11:07,280 --> 00:11:13,680 I'm telling you, Scott, that's evil, that's really, really evil, and I shared that with 117 00:11:13,680 --> 00:11:18,640 Elder Anderson, he was really brokenhearted about it, and so in his book there's a few 118 00:11:18,640 --> 00:11:23,680 paragraphs that we can look at in just a minute that reflect his view of that. 119 00:11:23,680 --> 00:11:31,280 Our whole aim here is to talk about how we can gain a connection with deity, with the 120 00:11:31,280 --> 00:11:35,800 Savior, with Heavenly Father, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and put that power 121 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:41,640 at work in our lives so that we, Jesus' power at work in our life, so that we can have the 122 00:11:41,640 --> 00:11:46,280 things in our life that we've been promised, and we can do that, we do do that when we 123 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:51,120 receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and then when we have the presence of the Holy Ghost 124 00:11:51,120 --> 00:11:57,720 with us, and so we know, we know that the administration of the Atonement in our lives 125 00:11:57,720 --> 00:12:01,360 comes by and large through the Spirit of the Holy Ghost. 126 00:12:01,360 --> 00:12:06,560 We also know the sin, including the thoughts, the inappropriate thoughts that you've just 127 00:12:06,560 --> 00:12:12,800 talked about, and we also know that manipulation through some of the evil acts that you've 128 00:12:12,800 --> 00:12:20,400 just brought to light, we also know that those things will push the Spirit away, and when 129 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:24,960 the Spirit's pushed away from us, the Atonement of Jesus Christ has little efficacy in our 130 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:25,960 lives. 131 00:12:25,960 --> 00:12:30,240 We know that it still has the efficacy that comes from the non-conditional components of 132 00:12:30,240 --> 00:12:35,760 the Atonement of Jesus Christ and His power there, but the conditional components that 133 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:42,440 come to us, those conditional components, again, if we'll just remember what they are, 134 00:12:42,440 --> 00:12:49,760 we take His name upon us, we have that covenant relationship, we produce joy in our lives, 135 00:12:49,760 --> 00:12:56,420 and experience peace in our lives as a byproduct or as a production of, or as a manifestation 136 00:12:56,420 --> 00:13:03,360 of our repentance here, but when we have thoughts, when we have things in our head, you know, 137 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:09,040 even after we have, you know, you began this kind of with the whole inappropriate versus 138 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:15,440 appropriate thoughts, you know, and how that can also pull us away, and we know that the 139 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:22,040 forsaking of our sin is incomplete as long as those things still are alive and well in 140 00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:23,600 our heads or in our souls. 141 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:26,640 Well, they may be there to help us, right? 142 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:27,640 We're never going to forget them. 143 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:30,120 But it's what we do with them that matters. 144 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:31,120 Exactly. 145 00:13:31,120 --> 00:13:32,960 And we all will have that choice. 146 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:35,520 We will all come to the point this week. 147 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,520 I mean, this isn't a rare occasion. 148 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:43,360 This is a very common thing that happens, I believe, to each one of us, where we will 149 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,920 have that opportunity to make the choice, and we make the choice. 150 00:13:46,920 --> 00:13:47,920 Do I let it stay? 151 00:13:47,920 --> 00:13:49,000 Do I give it? 152 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:50,920 Do I water that dirty flower? 153 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:53,240 Do I make it grow even more? 154 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:58,400 Or do I push it aside and with and through the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, through the 155 00:13:58,400 --> 00:14:04,240 Spirit of our Heavenly Father, do I use that to actually put on the Atonement of Jesus 156 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:05,240 Christ in my life? 157 00:14:05,240 --> 00:14:09,920 And when I put on the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my life, the production of joy and the 158 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,800 experience of peace begin to be with me again. 159 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:15,840 Yeah, virtue, love, true love. 160 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:16,840 All of that. 161 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:22,360 You know, Scott, it really is a gift that the Lord has given us not to forget our sins, 162 00:14:22,360 --> 00:14:24,720 so that we don't repeat them. 163 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:31,920 However, when you remember them, it should be with, ah, yeah, I mean, that's the difference, 164 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:34,440 is how you think of them. 165 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:36,140 You won't forget them. 166 00:14:36,140 --> 00:14:46,800 But if you somehow, I mean, if they cause you any passion or lust, or it becomes those 167 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:51,480 thoughts of the past and sins of the past, become in and of themselves a temptation, 168 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:56,920 which I believe Satan totally uses past sins against us as temptations. 169 00:14:56,920 --> 00:15:02,960 I mean, he can turn the thoughts of past sins as temptations into our life. 170 00:15:02,960 --> 00:15:04,360 I know he does. 171 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:05,360 He has me. 172 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:07,640 He has you, all of us. 173 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:14,560 But I really try when I think of my past sins to think, now, what am I feeling? 174 00:15:14,560 --> 00:15:20,800 Because if I'm feeling, oh, darn, oh, man, oh, if I'm feeling gratitude for the Atonement 175 00:15:20,800 --> 00:15:28,360 of Jesus Christ, and I know that I'm forgiven, I can have thoughts of peace concerning past 176 00:15:28,360 --> 00:15:36,200 sins, as yours, I know that's what you're saying, versus having thoughts or feelings 177 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:39,680 of lust, passion, jealousy, whatever. 178 00:15:39,680 --> 00:15:42,520 Well, and then there's another part of that, too. 179 00:15:42,520 --> 00:15:48,000 You know, we're leaning heavily on kind of the virtuous sins, right, sins of virtue, 180 00:15:48,000 --> 00:15:49,880 lust, and those kinds of things. 181 00:15:49,880 --> 00:15:55,200 But this is also true, David, with, like, say, for example, anger, or for example, mistreatment 182 00:15:55,200 --> 00:15:56,800 of others, you know? 183 00:15:56,800 --> 00:15:59,160 Because that's something that I've had to deal with. 184 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:00,160 You know this. 185 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:04,920 You know that this is something that I have through, and I've even talked about it, you 186 00:16:04,920 --> 00:16:10,200 know, I've had to deal with some deep fear inventory to learn how to put my anger at 187 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:14,200 bay or to, and all of that. 188 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:20,640 But if I give thoughts to that, too, if I give thought to retribution, if I give thought 189 00:16:20,640 --> 00:16:27,800 to any kind of getting back at or any kind of posturing that puts me in a position above 190 00:16:27,800 --> 00:16:32,000 somebody else, that's inappropriate, and that is inappropriate. 191 00:16:32,000 --> 00:16:38,600 And so to have those feelings come back, too, this doesn't just relate to sins of virtue. 192 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:40,200 This relates to every sin. 193 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:44,080 This relates to everything that we possibly do and do wrong. 194 00:16:44,080 --> 00:16:49,320 And you know, the scripture maybe, maybe again fits here, Scott, in Doctrine and Covenants 195 00:16:49,320 --> 00:16:50,640 section 6. 196 00:16:50,640 --> 00:16:53,040 Look unto me in every thought. 197 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:58,720 So when we have a thought about our sins in the past, really our thought should turn immediately 198 00:16:58,720 --> 00:17:01,200 to Jesus Christ and his atonement. 199 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:07,400 It shouldn't turn to the sordid, ugly circumstance. 200 00:17:07,400 --> 00:17:15,000 It shouldn't turn to blaming others, making excuses, or relishing the past. 201 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:16,720 Or even blaming ourselves. 202 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:19,200 Or yeah, it should turn to the Savior. 203 00:17:19,200 --> 00:17:28,120 So when we do remember the sins, I hope that you, me, and all of our listeners can really 204 00:17:28,120 --> 00:17:35,400 think about that, and that that will focus more on the Savior than we do upon our sins. 205 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:39,760 I want to read just a couple of lines from Elder Anderson's book, the way he chose to 206 00:17:39,760 --> 00:17:40,760 word it here. 207 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:42,480 He tell us where you're at in the book. 208 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:46,160 I'm on page 210. 209 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:52,600 Discussions of very private experiences in our lives are not appropriate as we are beginning 210 00:17:52,600 --> 00:18:00,040 to know someone retelling past sins that have been repented of and forgiven by the Lord 211 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:07,200 may unnecessarily negatively affect a growing relationship. 212 00:18:07,200 --> 00:18:11,120 That sentence is directly out of our discussion about this. 213 00:18:11,120 --> 00:18:18,400 And the many individuals who have been hurt and burned by sharing experiences of their 214 00:18:18,400 --> 00:18:20,120 past. 215 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:27,600 Then Satan again totally uses that to hurt us and to hurt others. 216 00:18:27,600 --> 00:18:36,120 Elder Anderson goes on, quote, when sins are far in the past, forsaken, forgiven, and not 217 00:18:36,120 --> 00:18:43,040 repeated, it is not productive as you begin a relationship to ask questions or desire 218 00:18:43,040 --> 00:18:47,960 answers to specific and vivid detail. 219 00:18:47,960 --> 00:18:54,560 At the same time, we should be honest in realizing when sins are not fully in the past. 220 00:18:54,560 --> 00:18:55,840 Absolutely. 221 00:18:55,840 --> 00:19:06,000 So when discussions come up about our past, I think it's so much more edifying and it 222 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:14,760 is so much more enlightening if individuals would say, is there anything about your past, 223 00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:20,160 these are maybe people who are dating young adults, or adults who are dating or entering 224 00:19:20,160 --> 00:19:26,640 a relationship seriously, should maybe ask, is there anything in your past that I should 225 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:33,360 know about that would affect our relationship, or even better to ask, has the atonement, 226 00:19:33,360 --> 00:19:37,160 are you alive and well in the atonement of Jesus Christ? 227 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:41,520 Are you lively in using the atonement of Jesus Christ in your life? 228 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:44,040 Have you been, have you been, have you repented? 229 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,000 Have you been forgiven? 230 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:53,200 That would be a much more enlightening discussion than to ask about specific events or past. 231 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:59,240 Again, Scott, there are things in the past when it comes to certain serious sins that 232 00:19:59,240 --> 00:20:05,800 should be discussed, or if one's membership in the church has been in question, maybe 233 00:20:05,800 --> 00:20:09,440 that's something that should be discussed. 234 00:20:09,440 --> 00:20:16,280 But we have to be, I think, so careful, and here's the key, prompted by the Spirit to 235 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:26,200 share it, and not do it out of, because some tintillating, sensationalizing curiosity of 236 00:20:26,200 --> 00:20:29,080 others. 237 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:34,560 We need to make sure what our motive is when we share it, and if the Spirit prompts us, 238 00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:35,560 maybe we should. 239 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:42,040 If the Spirit prompts us to, we should, and if the Spirit doesn't, we shouldn't, and we 240 00:20:42,040 --> 00:20:44,680 really need to just be in tune about that. 241 00:20:44,680 --> 00:20:47,440 Here's just one more short paragraph. 242 00:20:47,440 --> 00:20:57,440 Focus on the healing power of Jesus Christ and his atonement, not a person's past sins. 243 00:20:57,440 --> 00:21:03,560 If you can come to know his or her parents, family and friends from the past, if you have 244 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:10,520 questions or concerns, wait and be patient, time will tell you what you need to know. 245 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:15,560 So if you have questions or concerns, well, just don't rush things. 246 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:24,080 I think it's just important that we use wisdom, and not, we just live in a world where everybody's 247 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:30,400 just regurgitating everything negative about themselves or about others, and we need to 248 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,480 be more circumspect and careful about that, Scott. 249 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:42,680 So when somebody, anybody, comes to the rooms of recovery for the first time, it's not uncommon, 250 00:21:42,680 --> 00:21:45,000 Dave, that this phenomenon takes place. 251 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:50,840 As a matter of fact, I have a couple of people that I'm quite close to that have spent some 252 00:21:50,840 --> 00:21:57,520 time in addiction recovery treatment center recently, two different ones, and both of 253 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,440 them had the same experience that they shared with me. 254 00:22:01,440 --> 00:22:07,040 And it was this, you know, and I want to be careful here because I'm not being critical 255 00:22:07,040 --> 00:22:10,920 of a program or of an approach or anything like that. 256 00:22:10,920 --> 00:22:15,360 I think anything that we can do that provides movement in the right direction to recover 257 00:22:15,360 --> 00:22:19,880 or to become closer to living our lives the way Heavenly Father wants us to, I believe 258 00:22:19,880 --> 00:22:22,680 that's all in general positive. 259 00:22:22,680 --> 00:22:30,040 For example, you know, when folks come into the Alcoholics Anonymous in the very beginning, 260 00:22:30,040 --> 00:22:36,080 sometimes the only thing, you know, we strive so hard to be relatable and related to. 261 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:41,040 And when we go into an area or to a place when we know people have been in a situation, 262 00:22:41,040 --> 00:22:45,400 probably similar to the one that we've been in, it's often comforting, even though it's 263 00:22:45,400 --> 00:22:49,720 wrong, it's often comforting to share war stories. 264 00:22:49,720 --> 00:22:54,640 And the next thing you know is, you know, these war stories turn into fish stories, 265 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:55,640 if you know what I mean. 266 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:56,640 Yeah, exactly. 267 00:22:56,640 --> 00:22:59,640 Whatever you've done, I've done worse. 268 00:22:59,640 --> 00:23:00,640 Exactly. 269 00:23:00,640 --> 00:23:04,080 And so both of these gentlemen that I was talking about that have been to rehab now, 270 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:09,040 I believe all rehabs have good stuff, but both said that once the treatment was out and 271 00:23:09,040 --> 00:23:14,400 they would be out around a campfire, for example, at night or sitting around just talking that 272 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:16,280 that's where it would always go. 273 00:23:16,280 --> 00:23:21,920 It would go to who's done what worse and it becomes almost a bit of a contest. 274 00:23:21,920 --> 00:23:22,920 And I see that. 275 00:23:22,920 --> 00:23:25,800 You know, we caution against that. 276 00:23:25,800 --> 00:23:28,840 I see it as God, even in my classes at Insta. 277 00:23:28,840 --> 00:23:30,160 Right, exactly. 278 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:31,320 And we caution against that. 279 00:23:31,320 --> 00:23:36,240 You know, war stories do just the opposite of what Elder Anderson just invited us to 280 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:37,560 do that you just read. 281 00:23:37,560 --> 00:23:42,200 He said, focus on the healing power of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. 282 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:46,160 When our focus is there, our direction is true. 283 00:23:46,160 --> 00:23:48,440 And our focus is anywhere else. 284 00:23:48,440 --> 00:23:50,200 I mean, literally anywhere else. 285 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:51,560 Our focus is untrue. 286 00:23:51,560 --> 00:23:56,640 When our focus is untrue, we can expect to live a life, a hellish life. 287 00:23:56,640 --> 00:24:04,280 And that focus not only untrue, but when we intentionally move it to sensationalize and 288 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:11,680 make bigger and and and and for whatever reason, you know, I've been tempted by this. 289 00:24:11,680 --> 00:24:14,880 I think we all have from time to time, you know. 290 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:17,400 You think that was bad. 291 00:24:17,400 --> 00:24:22,440 Listen to this and and all that does all that does all that does is all that does is feed 292 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:23,560 the negativity. 293 00:24:23,560 --> 00:24:28,040 It shifts the focus from where it should be, puts the focus on the enemy. 294 00:24:28,040 --> 00:24:31,480 And when we put the focus on the enemy, we get more of the enemy. 295 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:32,480 Yeah. 296 00:24:32,480 --> 00:24:35,000 Yeah, that's thank you, Scott. 297 00:24:35,000 --> 00:24:40,760 Elder Holland years ago touched on this in a in a wonderful talk. 298 00:24:40,760 --> 00:24:44,800 But anyway, he he said in essence, quote a few lines. 299 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:51,720 The past is to be learned from, but not lived in. 300 00:24:51,720 --> 00:25:00,200 And some of those lessons are frankly too sacred and too personal to share. 301 00:25:00,200 --> 00:25:06,800 He says, Elder Holland, there's something in us, at least too many of us that particularly 302 00:25:06,800 --> 00:25:11,480 fails to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life. 303 00:25:11,480 --> 00:25:16,160 Earlier mistakes we ourselves have made or the mistakes of others. 304 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,400 That is not good. 305 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:26,800 It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the atonement of Jesus Christ 306 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:30,280 to be tried to be tied. 307 00:25:30,280 --> 00:25:35,640 Sorry, to be tied to earlier mistakes. 308 00:25:35,640 --> 00:25:43,840 Our own or others is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease 309 00:25:43,840 --> 00:25:45,720 and desist. 310 00:25:45,720 --> 00:25:51,880 So Scott, this is a really important manifestation of repentance is that we will forsake the 311 00:25:51,880 --> 00:25:53,080 sin. 312 00:25:53,080 --> 00:25:58,560 That's how you know if a person is repented and probably even evidence of whether a person 313 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:00,720 is forgiven. 314 00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:06,000 This came to my attention early as a seminary teacher, as a seminary teacher. 315 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:12,720 I used to like to enjoy having fun with kids on in my seminary classes on a Friday once 316 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,520 in a while after a pep assembly or something like that. 317 00:26:16,520 --> 00:26:22,760 And they kind of have fun with them and relate to them and to let them know that I knew what 318 00:26:22,760 --> 00:26:30,240 they were going through or whatever in my youth and immaturity as a young seminary teacher. 319 00:26:30,240 --> 00:26:36,920 And I was sharing one day about something that I had done wrong in high school. 320 00:26:36,920 --> 00:26:39,720 And Scott, I totally lost the spirit. 321 00:26:39,720 --> 00:26:46,760 I wrestled and I thought about that and it really affected me for a few days and I tried 322 00:26:46,760 --> 00:26:51,280 to apologize to God, to my students, but it was too late. 323 00:26:51,280 --> 00:26:59,280 I knew I had put negative thoughts in somebody else's mind and that that was going to have 324 00:26:59,280 --> 00:27:01,880 a negative effect on them. 325 00:27:01,880 --> 00:27:11,440 And I don't know if I was perfect in that, but I really consciously tried from then on 326 00:27:11,440 --> 00:27:24,520 to never allow somebody to use me for an excuse or to be the reason why somebody else would 327 00:27:24,520 --> 00:27:30,760 do something stupid and committicine or be honest, dishonest or whatever it may have 328 00:27:30,760 --> 00:27:31,760 been. 329 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:38,800 But we lose the spirit when we choose to talk about sins of our past. 330 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:46,560 The Lord is not pleased if they have been forgiven, then they should not be repeated, 331 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:55,760 not in word, not in word, not in deed, not even in our mind. 332 00:27:55,760 --> 00:27:58,400 That's a tough one. 333 00:27:58,400 --> 00:28:04,320 I mean, let's just be honest, you know, I think that, you know, the word and the deed 334 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:08,200 may be a little easier for us to accomplish. 335 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:14,520 But even that, you know, even that comes with some challenge for some of us and some things, 336 00:28:14,520 --> 00:28:15,520 right? 337 00:28:15,520 --> 00:28:21,840 And that's just that thought, you know, and I think, speaking of thoughts, I think that 338 00:28:21,840 --> 00:28:29,000 that's just kind of a constant, a constant rewriting of the ship for me, you know, I 339 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:31,520 just need to constantly, but if I... 340 00:28:31,520 --> 00:28:32,520 Tighten it up. 341 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:33,520 We got to tighten it up. 342 00:28:33,520 --> 00:28:39,320 But if I do what Elder Anderson invited us to do, and that's focus on the healing power 343 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:44,360 of Jesus Christ and His Atonement, then that allows, again, and that gets back to, you 344 00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:48,840 know, if we just keep everything as foundational as we possibly can and as simple as we possibly 345 00:28:48,840 --> 00:28:50,840 can, it makes a lot of sense. 346 00:28:50,840 --> 00:28:55,600 If we can just have the Spirit with us, if we always strive, and that begins on Sunday, 347 00:28:55,600 --> 00:29:01,600 which I partake of the sacrament, and I commit, you know, take His name upon me and always 348 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:03,880 strive to have His Spirit be with me. 349 00:29:03,880 --> 00:29:08,160 Once that Spirit's with me, then those other things kind of work out, David. 350 00:29:08,160 --> 00:29:10,320 But that is a constant battle. 351 00:29:10,320 --> 00:29:15,400 Maybe that's one of the reasons why it's important that we participate in constant, an attitude 352 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,720 of constant daily repentance, and maybe that's why we take partake of the sacrament on a 353 00:29:19,720 --> 00:29:20,720 weekly basis. 354 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:21,720 Absolutely. 355 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:22,920 Absolutely. 356 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:29,320 So again, to kind of summarize and repeat, when we think of past sins, our mind should 357 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:35,160 be turned to the Savior, and we should be filled with gratitude for the Atonement of 358 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:40,160 Jesus Christ, His mercy and His grace. 359 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:47,640 If we choose to think of that and to feel those feelings, it will strengthen us. 360 00:29:47,640 --> 00:30:01,880 If we don't, if we allow Satan to use our sins of the past to make us feel dirty, bad, 361 00:30:01,880 --> 00:30:06,840 whatever, then he breaks us down. 362 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:13,240 And he further breaks us down when we continue to share it over and over again with others, 363 00:30:13,240 --> 00:30:16,600 and then he breaks down those who hear it. 364 00:30:16,600 --> 00:30:25,800 So we have to be forsaking sin is not just not repeating it again, not just stopping 365 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:29,160 it or starting to do something that we should. 366 00:30:29,160 --> 00:30:34,480 Forsaking sin means we don't even, we don't even really discuss it. 367 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:40,880 I mean, maybe in generality, maybe in some generality, Scott, we bring it up, we talk 368 00:30:40,880 --> 00:30:46,360 about it, we express our gratitude for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that I've been forgiven. 369 00:30:46,360 --> 00:30:52,680 If somebody, if I were dating or newly married even, and somebody asks me, what about my 370 00:30:52,680 --> 00:30:53,840 past? 371 00:30:53,840 --> 00:30:59,000 I think the inspired answer is, is that I know the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ 372 00:30:59,000 --> 00:31:03,160 is real, and I've repented of myself and I don't want to talk about it. 373 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:08,400 I choose to focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and not my sins. 374 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:13,600 If we have some addictions that we're really still maybe struggling with, if addiction is 375 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:18,920 real in our life, well then we should be open about that with those that we love and who 376 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:22,560 may be affected by those addictions. 377 00:31:22,560 --> 00:31:27,560 If we've done something so bad that it's been in the law or in the media or whatever, well 378 00:31:27,560 --> 00:31:32,160 then we should share that because they're going to find out about it and it's out there. 379 00:31:32,160 --> 00:31:37,360 But we should probably just say, I'm so sorry and I know the Atonement of Jesus Christ is 380 00:31:37,360 --> 00:31:43,560 real and I really made a terrible mistake once and I mean there's, we can talk about 381 00:31:43,560 --> 00:31:47,800 some things we've done in the past if they're really serious in generalities. 382 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:51,640 And it should be as they relate to a restitution process. 383 00:31:51,640 --> 00:31:54,120 Yes, and the Atonement itself. 384 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:57,440 For example, I'll just give you an example, a personal example. 385 00:31:57,440 --> 00:32:01,440 I lived a life that has a lot of things in it that are probably just better not talked 386 00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:02,800 about. 387 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:08,480 But in a general sense, if my children, my kids, if my youngest daughter who's 30 something 388 00:32:08,480 --> 00:32:15,640 now knows some of the general effects and so forth, then she can begin to make more 389 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:22,360 sense of her messed up childhood, so to speak, and things of that nature. 390 00:32:22,360 --> 00:32:28,120 And so when we forsake something, really when we use the word forsake, the word is 391 00:32:28,120 --> 00:32:29,360 abandoned. 392 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,440 If we were to forsake our sins, that means we abandon it. 393 00:32:32,440 --> 00:32:35,080 We abandon everything about it. 394 00:32:35,080 --> 00:32:41,840 But if we abandon it without helping others who have been affected by it heal, then that's 395 00:32:41,840 --> 00:32:43,640 not right either. 396 00:32:43,640 --> 00:32:50,240 And so we do have the, to forsake, it does mean to totally abandon it, but to your point, 397 00:32:50,240 --> 00:32:55,280 to be general in some of the things that have happened or that we need to talk about or 398 00:32:55,280 --> 00:33:00,040 that we need to deal with that may require professional counseling, that may require, 399 00:33:00,040 --> 00:33:03,080 I don't know, all kinds of different scenarios, you know. 400 00:33:03,080 --> 00:33:09,600 But if we do that, then we're able to again fulfill this part of the process in forsaking 401 00:33:09,600 --> 00:33:15,160 our sins and at the same time help the Atonement of Jesus Christ or help the Spirit of the Holy 402 00:33:15,160 --> 00:33:21,380 Ghost be in other people's lives, be in my life as I'm attempting to make those restitution. 403 00:33:21,380 --> 00:33:26,960 Even if those amends, another name for restitution, even if those amends are a living amends, if 404 00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:31,760 that's something that I have to do the rest, which it is, I'm blessed actually, to be able 405 00:33:31,760 --> 00:33:37,280 to do that the rest of my life in living and amends to those that were around me that were 406 00:33:37,280 --> 00:33:41,840 affected in negative ways because of the decisions of my past. 407 00:33:41,840 --> 00:33:47,280 Restitution is defined in the 1828 Noel Webster Dictionary. 408 00:33:47,280 --> 00:33:53,760 And by the way, for many of our listeners, I'm sure some know this, but whenever I'm 409 00:33:53,760 --> 00:34:01,400 studying a certain gospel principle, I love to look up the meaning in the 1828 Noel Webster 410 00:34:01,400 --> 00:34:09,120 Dictionary because that was the dictionary of the language that Joseph Smith, the prophets 411 00:34:09,120 --> 00:34:14,520 used in the establishment of the restoration of the fullness of the gospel. 412 00:34:14,520 --> 00:34:18,680 So I like to look up words in the 1828 dictionary. 413 00:34:18,680 --> 00:34:28,080 And I'm telling you, Scott, there can be small, but very significant change in how we use 414 00:34:28,080 --> 00:34:31,920 words today versus how they use them in 1828. 415 00:34:31,920 --> 00:34:40,360 But in the 1828 dictionary, it reads that restitution is made by restoring a specific 416 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:43,720 thing taken away or lost. 417 00:34:43,720 --> 00:34:51,440 It is the act of recovering a former state or posture. 418 00:34:51,440 --> 00:34:55,840 So think about that in terms of what restitution really means. 419 00:34:55,840 --> 00:35:05,120 It's not just trying to restore what was lost from our sins, but it's actually recovering, 420 00:35:05,120 --> 00:35:07,640 recovering more than restoring. 421 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:11,200 It's recovering what was lost. 422 00:35:11,200 --> 00:35:19,880 A former state, a spiritual life, the spirit, recovering the spirit and the state and posture 423 00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:21,800 of our life. 424 00:35:21,800 --> 00:35:23,760 That's what restitution means. 425 00:35:23,760 --> 00:35:26,280 And that takes great work, Scott. 426 00:35:26,280 --> 00:35:32,200 There always has to be restitution in repentance because it's not just trying to make up for 427 00:35:32,200 --> 00:35:33,760 what was lost. 428 00:35:33,760 --> 00:35:41,280 It's trying to regain and to have restored our former spiritual state. 429 00:35:41,280 --> 00:35:46,440 Anyway, I think that's a really important part of restitution. 430 00:35:46,440 --> 00:35:53,240 And President Harold B. Lee said about restitution that one in sin must show forth the fruits 431 00:35:53,240 --> 00:35:54,600 of his repentance. 432 00:35:54,600 --> 00:36:01,000 So it's interesting that again, President Lee refers to restitution as a manifestation 433 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:02,560 of repentance. 434 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:05,960 Not necessarily just the act of it, but a manifestation of it. 435 00:36:05,960 --> 00:36:11,920 He calls restitution as one of the fruits of our repentance. 436 00:36:11,920 --> 00:36:19,000 And then he says, he must make proper restitution to the limit of his power to restore that 437 00:36:19,000 --> 00:36:24,400 which he has taken away or to repair the damage he has done. 438 00:36:24,400 --> 00:36:32,760 Now, Scott, I don't know about you, but it can be really easy when it comes to small 439 00:36:32,760 --> 00:36:36,440 sins to try to restore what was lost. 440 00:36:36,440 --> 00:36:43,640 But when it comes to some of our larger, more serious, greater sins, how much can we really 441 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:45,760 restore? 442 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:49,960 And there's the reliance on the Atonement of the Savior. 443 00:36:49,960 --> 00:36:50,960 Because we can't. 444 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:57,280 There are just things, as I look back, and I don't want to do this too frequently or 445 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:02,800 too often or with a wrong attitude, because this can turn into morbid reflection for any 446 00:37:02,800 --> 00:37:03,880 of us. 447 00:37:03,880 --> 00:37:05,520 If we just go back and we consider... 448 00:37:05,520 --> 00:37:07,320 Yeah, we don't want to go down that road. 449 00:37:07,320 --> 00:37:09,080 No, because that's negative. 450 00:37:09,080 --> 00:37:11,200 And that's again a focus on... 451 00:37:11,200 --> 00:37:12,280 It causes us sin. 452 00:37:12,280 --> 00:37:14,080 It causes temptation and sin. 453 00:37:14,080 --> 00:37:15,680 That's right. 454 00:37:15,680 --> 00:37:21,440 And again, so if we just focus rather than all that... 455 00:37:21,440 --> 00:37:22,440 We've all heard it. 456 00:37:22,440 --> 00:37:26,720 You take a feather pillow, you cut it, and you throw the feathers out, try to gather 457 00:37:26,720 --> 00:37:28,640 them all back, it's just an impossibility. 458 00:37:28,640 --> 00:37:30,240 Well, that's how our sin is. 459 00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:31,240 It really is. 460 00:37:31,240 --> 00:37:35,560 I mean, there's just no possible way that Scott Durfee or David Durfee or any of the 461 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:45,800 rest of us will ever be able to fully create compensation or restitution or restoration 462 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:48,880 for any of the sins that we've committed. 463 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,880 Maybe for a few of them, but for some of them, and they don't even have to be that big, there's 464 00:37:52,880 --> 00:37:57,560 just effects on people that we can't undo. 465 00:37:57,560 --> 00:37:59,400 We just can't undo it. 466 00:37:59,400 --> 00:38:05,160 And so that's again why the reliance on the one who could, Jesus Christ, that's why it's 467 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:06,160 so important for us. 468 00:38:06,160 --> 00:38:07,160 Yeah. 469 00:38:07,160 --> 00:38:10,520 So a couple of the brother and him spoke about this. 470 00:38:10,520 --> 00:38:11,520 I love... 471 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:19,200 This is in a worldwide church education system, fireside many years ago. 472 00:38:19,200 --> 00:38:25,240 Elder Merrill J. Bateman, former presiding bishop of the church, made this statement. 473 00:38:25,240 --> 00:38:26,920 I think it's really powerful. 474 00:38:26,920 --> 00:38:35,880 I'll never forget the many times I shared this quote in class, how the power that this 475 00:38:35,880 --> 00:38:41,160 quote had on some of the young people that I taught in my classes. 476 00:38:41,160 --> 00:38:44,120 So here's what he said. 477 00:38:44,120 --> 00:38:49,440 This is from March 5th, 2006, fireside. 478 00:38:49,440 --> 00:38:59,120 Suppose through fornication, a young man and a young woman rob each other of their virtue. 479 00:38:59,120 --> 00:39:03,200 Can these young people return to the celestial path? 480 00:39:03,200 --> 00:39:05,200 Yes. 481 00:39:05,200 --> 00:39:08,440 Of course it is possible. 482 00:39:08,440 --> 00:39:10,320 But how is it done? 483 00:39:10,320 --> 00:39:13,360 How do they become clean again? 484 00:39:13,360 --> 00:39:21,000 The young man cannot return virtue to the young woman and nor can the woman return virtue 485 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,320 to the young man. 486 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:26,400 They can't return virtue to themselves. 487 00:39:26,400 --> 00:39:28,680 They've lost their virtue. 488 00:39:28,680 --> 00:39:38,440 Quote, the only person who can renew their virtue is the Lord Jesus Christ. 489 00:39:38,440 --> 00:39:47,200 He is the only one with a capacity to restore virtue and completely cleanse the young man 490 00:39:47,200 --> 00:39:49,040 and woman. 491 00:39:49,040 --> 00:40:00,000 Scott, I know that God through the atonement of his Son, Jesus Christ, can restore everything, 492 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:03,120 even virtue. 493 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:10,520 I think I've told our listeners and you about my experience going to the prison with Elder 494 00:40:10,520 --> 00:40:12,040 Anderson. 495 00:40:12,040 --> 00:40:18,480 Elder Anderson wanted to meet our son, Isaac, and he wanted to go to prison to do it. 496 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:22,760 And he contacted the bishop there and the bishop asked him if he would be willing to 497 00:40:22,760 --> 00:40:28,040 meet with some of the other inmates and to answer maybe questions and to talk to them. 498 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:30,840 And Elder Anderson graciously said he would. 499 00:40:30,840 --> 00:40:38,520 So we went to the prison early Sunday morning, 7 and 7, 7, 30. 500 00:40:38,520 --> 00:40:47,360 And there were a bunch of inmates dressed in white, their prison clothing in a room and 501 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:55,840 Elder Anderson goes in and happy, happy Elder Anderson positive attitude, you know, says, 502 00:40:55,840 --> 00:40:57,480 wow, you're all dressed in white. 503 00:40:57,480 --> 00:41:04,120 I thought maybe for a minute I was in the temple and they laugh and things loosen up 504 00:41:04,120 --> 00:41:08,080 and he goes around individually meeting each of them. 505 00:41:08,080 --> 00:41:12,360 I think I've told that story about the one prisoner that didn't want to shake his hand 506 00:41:12,360 --> 00:41:17,800 or want to see him and how kind and sweet Elder Anderson was with him. 507 00:41:17,800 --> 00:41:22,880 Anyway, he talks to them and then he asked them if they have any questions. 508 00:41:22,880 --> 00:41:26,760 We've been there for probably an hour or more. 509 00:41:26,760 --> 00:41:31,880 Men sitting on the aisle in the room, there were about 80 men present. 510 00:41:31,880 --> 00:41:37,760 Man says, really Elder Anderson, what hope is there for some of us? 511 00:41:37,760 --> 00:41:43,000 Some of us have lost everything. 512 00:41:43,000 --> 00:41:44,400 We've lost everything. 513 00:41:44,400 --> 00:41:46,280 We've lost our wives. 514 00:41:46,280 --> 00:41:47,360 We've lost our children. 515 00:41:47,360 --> 00:41:48,600 We've lost our families. 516 00:41:48,600 --> 00:41:51,680 We've lost our membership in the church. 517 00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:54,120 We've lost everything. 518 00:41:54,120 --> 00:41:57,600 What hope is there for us? 519 00:41:57,600 --> 00:42:05,720 I never, Elder Anderson is one not to be too animated, never sensationalize, kind of came 520 00:42:05,720 --> 00:42:14,320 up on his toes and raised his voice and used his hand gestures and said, you have everything 521 00:42:14,320 --> 00:42:17,960 to hope for everything. 522 00:42:17,960 --> 00:42:26,400 There is nothing that cannot be restored through the atonement of Jesus Christ. 523 00:42:26,400 --> 00:42:32,400 And he went off and just ran a list. 524 00:42:32,400 --> 00:42:34,600 I just I will never forget that Scott. 525 00:42:34,600 --> 00:42:37,160 I felt the spirit of that. 526 00:42:37,160 --> 00:42:45,280 It was it was an amazing to hear an apostle and a prophet to to exclaim in prison who 527 00:42:45,280 --> 00:42:49,640 not only some of these inmates felt they had lost everything but think of everything they 528 00:42:49,640 --> 00:42:53,480 had stolen or taken away from others. 529 00:42:53,480 --> 00:43:01,520 And for Elder Anderson to exclaim, there is nothing that cannot be restored through the 530 00:43:01,520 --> 00:43:09,480 atonement of Jesus Christ was just an amazing thought for me. 531 00:43:09,480 --> 00:43:10,480 It still is. 532 00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:15,800 I'm still processing it after several years now. 533 00:43:15,800 --> 00:43:21,480 And I just think that that's again, according to our faith and understanding of the atonement 534 00:43:21,480 --> 00:43:27,320 of Jesus Christ, which is such an important foundation piece of this whole process, we 535 00:43:27,320 --> 00:43:29,400 call repentance. 536 00:43:29,400 --> 00:43:38,440 Elder James of the 70 Razz band Elder James ran band gave a wonderful talk on this and 537 00:43:38,440 --> 00:43:43,200 he describes Alma's joy in Alma 36. 538 00:43:43,200 --> 00:43:49,320 That amazing joy Alma has when he, you know, after he's had the thought of Jesus Christ 539 00:43:49,320 --> 00:43:53,960 and he's filled with joy and exceeding as was his pain. 540 00:43:53,960 --> 00:43:56,320 And he's describing all of that. 541 00:43:56,320 --> 00:44:01,920 Well I love Elder Razz bands. 542 00:44:01,920 --> 00:44:04,040 Insight on that experience. 543 00:44:04,040 --> 00:44:11,480 He writes this is in the April 2020 General Conference, but what was Alma's joy focus, 544 00:44:11,480 --> 00:44:18,600 but was Alma's joy focus solely on himself on his avoiding punishment and his being able 545 00:44:18,600 --> 00:44:21,160 to return to the father. 546 00:44:21,160 --> 00:44:27,880 We know that Alma also agonized about those whom he had led away from the truth. 547 00:44:27,880 --> 00:44:28,880 Right. 548 00:44:28,880 --> 00:44:30,680 That's part of the story. 549 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:37,120 Alma himself could not heal and restore all those he had led away. 550 00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:42,960 He could not himself ensure that they would be given a fair opportunity to learn the doctrine 551 00:44:42,960 --> 00:44:49,240 of Christ or would ever receive it and be blessed by living its joyful principles. 552 00:44:49,240 --> 00:44:58,880 He could not bring back those who may have died still blinded by his false teaching. 553 00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:04,320 As President Boyd K. Packer once taught, I'm still quoting Elder Razz men, the thought 554 00:45:04,320 --> 00:45:13,560 that rescued Alma is this, restoring what you cannot restore, healing the wound you cannot 555 00:45:13,560 --> 00:45:23,080 heal, fixing that which you broke and you cannot fix is the very purpose of the Atonement 556 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:25,320 of Jesus Christ. 557 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:32,280 The joyous truth on which Alma's mind caught hold was not just that he himself could be 558 00:45:32,280 --> 00:45:41,080 made clean, but also that those whom he had harmed could be healed and made whole. 559 00:45:41,080 --> 00:45:43,240 That's beautiful. 560 00:45:43,240 --> 00:45:45,240 Isn't that awesome? 561 00:45:45,240 --> 00:45:46,640 Yeah, I love that. 562 00:45:46,640 --> 00:45:49,640 In General Conference. 563 00:45:49,640 --> 00:45:55,880 There's another part of this talk if you go down under the section called the Savior 564 00:45:55,880 --> 00:45:58,960 will mend all that we have broken. 565 00:45:58,960 --> 00:46:01,600 And this kind of gets back to a little bit about what I was talking about. 566 00:46:01,600 --> 00:46:03,280 Is it okay if I read that paragraph? 567 00:46:03,280 --> 00:46:04,280 Yeah, please. 568 00:46:04,280 --> 00:46:05,280 I love that paragraph. 569 00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:08,720 It is these truths that would have brought Alma peace. 570 00:46:08,720 --> 00:46:12,440 And it is these truths that should bring us great peace as well. 571 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:16,160 As natural men and women, we all bump or sometimes crash. 572 00:46:16,160 --> 00:46:18,160 I love the imagery of that. 573 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:22,200 We all bump or sometimes crash into each other and cause harm. 574 00:46:22,200 --> 00:46:30,600 That almost makes it feel accidental in that I don't feel quite as in trouble, right? 575 00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:33,120 Because some of it was not an accidental bump. 576 00:46:33,120 --> 00:46:34,120 Some of it wasn't. 577 00:46:34,120 --> 00:46:36,040 No, some of it was quite intentional. 578 00:46:36,040 --> 00:46:41,240 As any parent can testify, the pain associated with our mistakes is not simply the fear of 579 00:46:41,240 --> 00:46:42,720 our own punishment. 580 00:46:42,720 --> 00:46:49,440 But the fear that we may have limited our children's joy or in some way hindered them 581 00:46:49,440 --> 00:46:51,960 from seeing and understanding the truth. 582 00:46:51,960 --> 00:46:57,520 The glorious promise of the Savior's atoning sacrifice is that as far as our mistakes as 583 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:03,560 parents are concerned, he holds our children blameless and promises healing for them. 584 00:47:03,560 --> 00:47:06,360 This kind of gets back to our episode from last week. 585 00:47:06,360 --> 00:47:12,560 And even when they have sinned against the light, as we all do, his arm of mercy is outstretched. 586 00:47:12,560 --> 00:47:19,520 And he will redeem them if they will but look to him and live. 587 00:47:19,520 --> 00:47:24,080 Another definition of repentance, to look to him and live. 588 00:47:24,080 --> 00:47:29,280 To me, Dave, that paragraph right there, I remember when this came and Deb and I were, 589 00:47:29,280 --> 00:47:33,240 you know, when this talk happened, Deb and I were sitting in our living room and we were 590 00:47:33,240 --> 00:47:39,160 listening and, you know, we both struggle a little bit because of things like this. 591 00:47:39,160 --> 00:47:42,080 But that just, that was a balm of gillian. 592 00:47:42,080 --> 00:47:43,080 Kind of, you know. 593 00:47:43,080 --> 00:47:46,240 It was really a marvelous talk. 594 00:47:46,240 --> 00:47:50,720 And he gave a, before he was ever called to be a general authority, he gave a similar 595 00:47:50,720 --> 00:47:52,240 talk, a little bit more detail. 596 00:47:52,240 --> 00:47:56,840 I don't know, I can't remember the exact year in a BYU devotional that our readers may 597 00:47:56,840 --> 00:48:01,080 want to, or our listeners may want to look up and read. 598 00:48:01,080 --> 00:48:07,120 So Scott, this is fundamental really to the doctrine of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 599 00:48:07,120 --> 00:48:14,520 That Jesus Christ, right there, we taught this at least, there are three powers that 600 00:48:14,520 --> 00:48:18,800 flow into our lives and lives of others through his atoning sacrifice. 601 00:48:18,800 --> 00:48:21,480 One, redemptive power. 602 00:48:21,480 --> 00:48:24,520 We are redeemed through his blood. 603 00:48:24,520 --> 00:48:27,440 Second, the enabling power. 604 00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:29,640 We can be strengthened. 605 00:48:29,640 --> 00:48:31,800 We can be strengthened through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 606 00:48:31,800 --> 00:48:40,680 Not only forgiven, not only redeemed, not only cleansed, but we can be strengthened. 607 00:48:40,680 --> 00:48:48,920 And third, there is the compensatory powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that make 608 00:48:48,920 --> 00:48:56,480 up and cover for all of the sins of our past. 609 00:48:56,480 --> 00:49:04,480 For all those we have heard, for all of that has been left in the wake of our sins, the 610 00:49:04,480 --> 00:49:12,720 compensatory powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ either compensate us as victims or 611 00:49:12,720 --> 00:49:17,240 compensate our victims. 612 00:49:17,240 --> 00:49:20,280 That is the good news. 613 00:49:20,280 --> 00:49:26,640 That is the glorious, beautiful truth of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that out of the 614 00:49:26,640 --> 00:49:31,720 Atonement of Jesus Christ, Scott, it's really, it's really Isaiah. 615 00:49:31,720 --> 00:49:39,080 You want to turn to Isaiah 61 verse 3, Scott, and read Isaiah 61.3. 616 00:49:39,080 --> 00:49:42,160 I love this passage. 617 00:49:42,160 --> 00:49:48,080 This is a passage that Jesus himself made reference to. 618 00:49:48,080 --> 00:49:54,800 All three verses, one through three are beautiful, but the compensatory powers, I think, are 619 00:49:54,800 --> 00:49:59,400 expressly referred to in verse 3. 620 00:49:59,400 --> 00:50:04,000 So Isaiah 61 verse 3, Scott. 621 00:50:04,000 --> 00:50:06,360 Yeah, you've made reference to this. 622 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:12,120 Even as recently as last podcast, this is a great scripture, to a point unto them that 623 00:50:12,120 --> 00:50:18,680 morning Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment 624 00:50:18,680 --> 00:50:24,880 of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called trees of righteousness, 625 00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:30,440 the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified. 626 00:50:30,440 --> 00:50:33,440 Think about that verse in terms of restitution. 627 00:50:33,440 --> 00:50:36,680 Why would we ever want to bring up the ashes? 628 00:50:36,680 --> 00:50:41,360 Why do we, why do, again, I'm kind of going back to forsaking the sin. 629 00:50:41,360 --> 00:50:45,280 Not repeating it in word, not indeed, not even in thought. 630 00:50:45,280 --> 00:50:52,880 Why do we love to play in the ashes when, when if, if we would have faith in Jesus Christ 631 00:50:52,880 --> 00:50:57,480 and faith in his name, we could receive beauty. 632 00:50:57,480 --> 00:51:01,480 Now, why would we want to ever go back to the ashes? 633 00:51:01,480 --> 00:51:09,720 Scott, that's the power of Jesus Christ through his atoning sacrifice, which can be administered 634 00:51:09,720 --> 00:51:16,120 into our lives through again, power and the gift of the Holy Ghost and administered into 635 00:51:16,120 --> 00:51:17,960 the lives of others. 636 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:20,080 Members are not members. 637 00:51:20,080 --> 00:51:23,320 I believe that's Scott members are not members. 638 00:51:23,320 --> 00:51:30,240 And, and in many, in many instances, that power of that compensatory power of the atonement 639 00:51:30,240 --> 00:51:37,920 Jesus Christ is administered in the lives of the others unconditionally. 640 00:51:37,920 --> 00:51:44,000 We've talked about that, whether they know anything about Jesus Christ or not. 641 00:51:44,000 --> 00:51:49,920 The atonement of Jesus Christ administered in the lives of, of children and others who 642 00:51:49,920 --> 00:51:53,600 have suffered innocently. 643 00:51:53,600 --> 00:52:00,160 And all of this was not King Benjamin says, and all of this, that there would be a righteous 644 00:52:00,160 --> 00:52:01,160 judgment. 645 00:52:01,160 --> 00:52:06,920 I did all of this, that there may be a righteous judgment so that all of us can consider ourselves 646 00:52:06,920 --> 00:52:14,400 in our situation as being blameless and we become blameless through the atonement of 647 00:52:14,400 --> 00:52:15,400 Jesus Christ. 648 00:52:15,400 --> 00:52:23,880 So, Scott, we've talked today about a little bit about forsaking the sin and what that 649 00:52:23,880 --> 00:52:26,400 really means. 650 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:33,960 I pray that our listeners will accept the invitation to really kind of be more mindful 651 00:52:33,960 --> 00:52:39,840 of what they're thinking, of what the, it may be even the Satan is trying to cause us 652 00:52:39,840 --> 00:52:45,960 to think and to think less about the sins of the past. 653 00:52:45,960 --> 00:52:53,400 Again, not ever forgetting them, but when we remember them, they should be with gratitude 654 00:52:53,400 --> 00:52:58,840 for the atonement of Jesus Christ and our thoughts should be turned to him. 655 00:52:58,840 --> 00:53:05,960 And then not, not sharing them maybe is, oh, I don't even want to share some of the stories 656 00:53:05,960 --> 00:53:12,880 where I know individuals have broken that commandment, who really have thought they 657 00:53:12,880 --> 00:53:21,360 had repented, but because they continue to confess the sin over and over and over again 658 00:53:21,360 --> 00:53:28,120 to priesthood leaders and testimony meetings and class settings with individuals. 659 00:53:28,120 --> 00:53:37,400 They continue to openly share their sin and show their scars and it never quite ever has 660 00:53:37,400 --> 00:53:40,320 really healed over. 661 00:53:40,320 --> 00:53:45,440 It's obvious that they haven't really repented and fell forgiven. 662 00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:51,960 I just think we have to really be careful about that because it causes ourselves and 663 00:53:51,960 --> 00:53:55,920 worse causes others to continue to sin. 664 00:53:55,920 --> 00:54:04,440 So forsaking the sin, I hope we can be mindful of what's in our mind and more discreet in 665 00:54:04,440 --> 00:54:08,880 what we say and what we choose to speak about. 666 00:54:08,880 --> 00:54:11,760 And then making restitution. 667 00:54:11,760 --> 00:54:18,960 Scott is really based on our faith in Jesus Christ and his compensatory powers and experiencing 668 00:54:18,960 --> 00:54:26,160 the joy and not continually being haunted for the rest of the life for maybe since our 669 00:54:26,160 --> 00:54:28,920 sins caused others. 670 00:54:28,920 --> 00:54:34,880 That's the power and blessings I know and testify that as Elder Anderson said, there 671 00:54:34,880 --> 00:54:39,360 is nothing that the Atonement of Jesus Christ cannot restore. 672 00:54:39,360 --> 00:54:50,360 I know for a fact for me that when I focus on or when I revisit sins and it creates inappropriate 673 00:54:50,360 --> 00:54:55,960 emotions or thoughts within me, I know my focus is inappropriately placed. 674 00:54:55,960 --> 00:55:03,800 I know that at that point my focus is on me, my focus is on my lack, my focus is on my 675 00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:08,360 mistake, my focus is on my distancing. 676 00:55:08,360 --> 00:55:14,800 Dating myself from the Spirit, my Heavenly Father and even looking for sympathy or even 677 00:55:14,800 --> 00:55:18,520 wearing it sometimes unfortunately like a badge of honor. 678 00:55:18,520 --> 00:55:19,840 Yeah, worse. 679 00:55:19,840 --> 00:55:24,560 Look at me, you know, Purple Heart, Scott, you know, or whatever. 680 00:55:24,560 --> 00:55:25,560 I've been through this. 681 00:55:25,560 --> 00:55:28,600 If you had only been bad dude, I was really bad dude. 682 00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:29,760 Yeah, look at me now. 683 00:55:29,760 --> 00:55:33,760 Yeah, yeah, look how cool I am now, you know, that kind of thing. 684 00:55:33,760 --> 00:55:39,080 But when my focus is there, then I get the benefits of that focus and those benefits 685 00:55:39,080 --> 00:55:40,880 aren't beneficial. 686 00:55:40,880 --> 00:55:44,560 Those benefits are what comes from that. 687 00:55:44,560 --> 00:55:50,760 The production that comes from that is nothing but negative and it draws me further away. 688 00:55:50,760 --> 00:55:52,960 It draws me much further away from the Spirit. 689 00:55:52,960 --> 00:55:58,000 But when I have thoughts and I have them, you know, I get the reminders and sometimes 690 00:55:58,000 --> 00:56:03,640 they're just loud and clear, you know, well, hello, that's because of this or this is how 691 00:56:03,640 --> 00:56:04,640 it's happening. 692 00:56:04,640 --> 00:56:10,600 But when those things come up, if I focus rather on the mistake, if I focus rather on 693 00:56:10,600 --> 00:56:17,680 me, if I focus rather on even the individuals that may or may not have been affected, I 694 00:56:17,680 --> 00:56:18,680 need to be aware. 695 00:56:18,680 --> 00:56:25,800 But if my focus is not there and my focus is on Jesus Christ and Him crucified, if my 696 00:56:25,800 --> 00:56:30,320 focus is come unto me, where is He inviting me to come? 697 00:56:30,320 --> 00:56:32,360 If I go with Him to the garden. 698 00:56:32,360 --> 00:56:34,360 If I go with Him to the cross. 699 00:56:34,360 --> 00:56:42,880 If I'm in the garden tomb on resurrection morning, if His life is central to my life 700 00:56:42,880 --> 00:56:49,240 and that's my focus, when I have thoughts of those things that I've perpetuated in the 701 00:56:49,240 --> 00:56:55,240 past or when others have, when I have those thoughts, it's much more easy for me to fill 702 00:56:55,240 --> 00:56:57,560 the depth of gratitude. 703 00:56:57,560 --> 00:57:02,760 When I fill a deeper gratitude, maybe even commensurate to the depth of hell that I've 704 00:57:02,760 --> 00:57:03,760 been through. 705 00:57:03,760 --> 00:57:09,760 I fill that depth of gratitude, commensurate to the depth of sorrow as I change and make 706 00:57:09,760 --> 00:57:16,360 sure that my focus is clear and that focus needs again to be on Jesus Christ and Him 707 00:57:16,360 --> 00:57:17,360 crucified. 708 00:57:17,360 --> 00:57:20,520 Well, since you brought that up, and we're going to talk about this next week, but since 709 00:57:20,520 --> 00:57:23,840 you brought that up, I think that's one of the signs, Scott. 710 00:57:23,840 --> 00:57:29,800 Again, one of the manifestations that we have repented is that when we do think of the past 711 00:57:29,800 --> 00:57:35,080 sins, our gratitude is greater than our sorrow. 712 00:57:35,080 --> 00:57:40,620 That's how you know you've been forgiven is that your gratitude for the Atom and Jesus 713 00:57:40,620 --> 00:57:42,840 Christ is greater than your sorrow. 714 00:57:42,840 --> 00:57:51,680 And I'm not saying that the sorrow is kneel or has gone away, but the gratitude is greater. 715 00:57:51,680 --> 00:57:54,000 So we'll talk next week. 716 00:57:54,000 --> 00:57:56,040 I'm really looking forward next week. 717 00:57:56,040 --> 00:58:03,440 The final manifestation of repentance is to be able to recognize that we've been forgiven 718 00:58:03,440 --> 00:58:07,840 and that we forgive others. 719 00:58:07,840 --> 00:58:15,280 So forgiving others and ourselves will be our discussion next week, which I look forward 720 00:58:15,280 --> 00:58:21,440 to and actually will probably take two weeks on that one because I know it's such a relevant 721 00:58:21,440 --> 00:58:24,520 topic and there's so much to discuss. 722 00:58:24,520 --> 00:58:27,720 So many great examples to share. 723 00:58:27,720 --> 00:58:28,720 Great day. 724 00:58:28,720 --> 00:58:31,320 Thanks again, David, for coming over and doing this with me. 725 00:58:31,320 --> 00:58:34,320 I love the opportunity to be with you, to learn from you. 726 00:58:34,320 --> 00:58:42,480 I know our listeners, slash students love learning from you as well and from the Spirit, 727 00:58:42,480 --> 00:58:43,480 most importantly. 728 00:58:43,480 --> 00:58:44,720 I know you've felt the Spirit. 729 00:58:44,720 --> 00:58:50,480 If you've given a cause and an opportunity to do that today, let that be a reminder that 730 00:58:50,480 --> 00:58:53,080 you've been redeemed through His blood. 731 00:58:53,080 --> 00:58:58,520 Let it also be a reminder that there's no sin too big for the Atonement of Jesus Christ, 732 00:58:58,520 --> 00:59:02,160 that through Him all things can be made right. 733 00:59:02,160 --> 00:59:08,880 And as these manifestations start to manifest themselves in our own lives, it's our promise 734 00:59:08,880 --> 00:59:14,760 and our hope, but it's also our promise that the peace and understanding of the Atonement 735 00:59:14,760 --> 00:59:19,240 of Jesus Christ will bring us love and joy like we have never felt before. 736 00:59:19,240 --> 00:59:20,480 Thanks for being with us today. 737 00:59:20,480 --> 00:59:22,920 We look forward to being with you again next week. 738 00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:39,760 Until then, have a great week, everybody.