1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,960 Hey there everybody welcome back another episode of Redeem Through His Blood Scott Durfee 2 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:25,040 here and as always joined by David Durfey. How are you Dave? 3 00:00:25,040 --> 00:00:27,200 Great. Fun to be with you Scott. 4 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:28,200 Another day and a 5 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:29,200 Great day. 6 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:34,160 Great day to talk about these really important things. I love that we're, I love the topic 7 00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:35,160 that we're talking about today. 8 00:00:35,160 --> 00:00:38,720 Yeah, we are kind of in the heart and center of our course here. 9 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:39,720 Yeah. 10 00:00:39,720 --> 00:00:47,280 Because I, not to repeat, but to repeat, you know, if people will really understand the 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:54,240 events of the Atonement, they'll be humbled. And if they can really understand the effects 12 00:00:54,240 --> 00:01:00,680 of the Atonement and all that the Atonement covers Scott, wow, they will be filled with 13 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:06,600 such gratitude and peace, which will give them the motivation and the love that they 14 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:16,680 need really to really use to allow the Atonement to flow into their, into their lives. 15 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:22,680 In a world where gratitude and peace aren't necessarily the predominant norm, it's a 16 00:01:22,680 --> 00:01:28,880 really kind of refreshing and inspiring activity to take a look at this. I know that, you know, 17 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:35,840 as I attend our Institute class at Deben Eye Teach, as I'm involved in the rooms of recovery 18 00:01:35,840 --> 00:01:41,400 through Alcoholics Anonymous and other AA programs, just to see this power that we're 19 00:01:41,400 --> 00:01:46,080 talking about at work into the lives of others actually helps me to see it at work in my 20 00:01:46,080 --> 00:01:51,760 own life sometimes better too, you know, and it's, so I love that. I love that we're talking 21 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:55,440 about these. I love our stories that we talked about last week. I know we've got a couple 22 00:01:55,440 --> 00:02:02,760 of more to come this week as we emphasize and bring, bring light to the important doctrine, 23 00:02:02,760 --> 00:02:07,880 the things that we're talking about. So anyway, Dave, wasn't it Wilson Smith that developed 24 00:02:07,880 --> 00:02:14,480 the, the Alcoholics Anonymous? Oh, that was Bill Wilson, Bill Wilson, Dr. Bill Wilson, 25 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:19,560 Bob Smith. Yeah, two guys. All right. And I know that they felt inspired to do that. 26 00:02:19,560 --> 00:02:24,960 Well, you know, by the spirit to do that, right? They, well, they, it's pretty directly 27 00:02:24,960 --> 00:02:29,320 actually, you know, if you, if I, and I heard this, in fact, I was laying on a beach about 28 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,400 eight or nine years ago when I heard Bill Wilson, it's a recording, he's been dead for 29 00:02:33,400 --> 00:02:42,320 many years. But talk about how he received a revelation on the 12 steps of Alcoholics 30 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:47,440 Anonymous and they came to him, a light came into his room. I mean, it's something that 31 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:53,040 is stuff that we're familiar with. Yeah. And, and if, right, the fruit, you're, how do you 32 00:02:53,040 --> 00:02:58,400 judge a by the fruit sheet by their fruit? The fruits, the fruits of that revelation 33 00:02:58,400 --> 00:03:02,120 have been amazing. Yeah, millions, literally millions. And you know, and I don't know how 34 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,160 many hundreds of thousands. And I, you know, I don't know. So hundreds of thousands may 35 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:12,240 be even low. How many hundreds of thousands of Alcoholics Anonymous meetings are or, or 36 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:16,440 meetings like that, you know, other recovery groups, most other recovery groups kind of 37 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:21,000 spawn from that as well. And you know, Dave, there's something really cool about those 38 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:26,360 meetings at the end of each meeting. And I've been to meetings all over the world, literally. 39 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:31,920 And at the end of each meeting, we say what's called a serenity prayer, or we say the Lord's 40 00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:36,240 Prayer, or, you know, there's a couple of others. But, you know, in that serenity prayer, 41 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:42,040 we do that with the intent, we always say for the alcoholic who still suffers both in 42 00:03:42,040 --> 00:03:46,680 and out of these rooms. And I think that that is that prayer. And I think that that prayer 43 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:53,440 actually invokes the spirit, the administrator of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into the 44 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:59,180 lives of those who need it to us to inspire us. And I literally believe that I was prayed 45 00:03:59,180 --> 00:04:03,400 there by hundreds of thousands about all like synonymous on it. I'm sure God hears those 46 00:04:03,400 --> 00:04:10,000 prayers. I know it is which step is the second or third that recognizing that there's a greater 47 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:13,280 power than ourselves and that without power. 48 00:04:13,280 --> 00:04:18,760 Yeah, they're all built around that. But it's introduced as the second step came to believe 49 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,840 that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity. 50 00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:27,400 Okay, so and you've told me before that you think that's maybe the most important step. 51 00:04:27,400 --> 00:04:31,720 That is the most important step. And it just everything else kind of centers around that. 52 00:04:31,720 --> 00:04:39,920 And my thoughts about that is it's a miracle and, you know, praise the Lord that Wilson, 53 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:44,400 Brother Wilson, I'll call him and Brother Smith, you know, that they came up with with 54 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:52,440 this that have blessed so many people. But Scott, wouldn't it have been awesome if they 55 00:04:52,440 --> 00:05:01,520 could have known the details of how that power is possible? Yeah, how that power is administered 56 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:08,640 and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes all those gifts of mercy and grace and power 57 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:16,320 and you know how that how that really just think how knowing the specifics, the events 58 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:21,680 and the effects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ could strengthen that that step. 59 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:27,160 Well, and it does it for those of us who embrace that and you know, there's there's a lot of 60 00:05:27,160 --> 00:05:32,520 reasons why it wasn't obviously and Father knew what he was doing all religions and all 61 00:05:32,520 --> 00:05:36,640 and there's an entire chapter churches but religions. There's an entire chapter in the 62 00:05:36,640 --> 00:05:41,120 big book of Alcoholics Anonymous to agnostics and that might be the most spiritual chapter 63 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:46,880 in the whole book by my estimation it is. But you know, so it had to be it had to be 64 00:05:46,880 --> 00:05:53,280 a big basket, a big wide net to and to to allow those of us. And you know, and the other 65 00:05:53,280 --> 00:05:58,080 thing is to Dave, a lot of folks that come into Alcoholics Anonymous and it's just also 66 00:05:58,080 --> 00:06:04,440 true in our culture, the LDS culture are coming in with a big time resentment against organized 67 00:06:04,440 --> 00:06:10,160 religions. So, you know, to be able to kind of work it the way that it's worked, you know, 68 00:06:10,160 --> 00:06:15,120 a power greater than me rather than then coming right out. And then what that does is that 69 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:21,120 allows us through our own discovery through the Spirit to find what that is. And inevitably 70 00:06:21,120 --> 00:06:24,240 it leads us to the truth. 71 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:29,840 Well I think I said last in our last podcast last time that you know, it's this is really 72 00:06:29,840 --> 00:06:36,000 about church. This understanding of the events and the effects of the Atom of Jesus Christ 73 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,360 is just pure gospel, the fullness of the gospel. 74 00:06:40,360 --> 00:06:45,720 Well, and what it does is it invites us into a relationship and eventually for those of 75 00:06:45,720 --> 00:06:51,200 us in the church, a covenant relationship, but what it does is it invites us into a relationship 76 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:56,160 wherein healing and processing and all that needs to take place so that our lives can 77 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,480 be what they were intended to be can be. 78 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:07,480 Yeah, so I hope all our listeners can just not just listen but to seek to study, to ponder, 79 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:16,160 to pray, to really come to a deeper understanding and appreciation for all that the Atonement 80 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:24,200 of Jesus Christ covers. You know, Scott, I've in all the classes I've attended and all the 81 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:31,520 talks I've heard and then all the things that goes on in the church, it's still somewhat 82 00:07:31,520 --> 00:07:41,480 surprising to me how little, and I'm not being critical, this is just an observation, not 83 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:48,600 trying to be critical and I'm not thinking any one individual, but just kind of how limited 84 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:56,800 so many people see the Atonement of Jesus Christ. They just, if we can just understand 85 00:07:56,800 --> 00:08:03,560 the effects, the universal, unconditional effects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, 86 00:08:03,560 --> 00:08:09,400 how it could inspire us, guide us, fill us with the Spirit, fill us with love, fill us 87 00:08:09,400 --> 00:08:16,360 with peace, fill us with joy, answer so many, so many hard questions. You know, when I taught 88 00:08:16,360 --> 00:08:21,800 young adults for so many years and they came in with all these questions about whether it's 89 00:08:21,800 --> 00:08:28,560 about sexual identity or whether it's about all of the injustice and all of the unfairness 90 00:08:28,560 --> 00:08:38,520 of life, all of that, Scott, can be answered. And I know it doesn't make it necessarily 91 00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:44,480 sometimes any easier, but all of that can be answered and you can find joy and you can 92 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:54,720 find peace in some of the most difficult challenges and adversities and trials of life if we just 93 00:08:54,720 --> 00:09:01,480 understood the universal, unconditional and conditional effects of the Atonement of Jesus 94 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:02,480 Christ. 95 00:09:02,480 --> 00:09:06,040 You know what the Atonement of Jesus Christ does for us is it gives us answers to those 96 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:11,520 questions and those questions that we struggle with, the answers that we so often think, 97 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:17,360 okay, what is the answer to this question? What is the answer to this problem? What is 98 00:09:17,360 --> 00:09:23,000 the anecdote to the things that I'm facing? What are the steps that I need to take in 99 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:28,760 order to overcome? Where the Atonement of Jesus Christ helps us to recapitulate that 100 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,800 to instead of what, to who? 101 00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:39,520 Amen. And again, when you're filled with that understanding, our hearts, our hearts, our 102 00:09:39,520 --> 00:09:46,480 feelings, our emotions, our minds all turn to, turn to Jesus Christ and it's through 103 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:53,040 Him that we can receive the joy and purpose really that we seek in this life. 104 00:09:53,040 --> 00:10:01,120 I'll never forget listening to Elder Razzband who was on the Utah State Commission suicide 105 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:08,640 prevention and he was on the statewide commission as an apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ, 106 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:16,080 Lord of the Saints. And anyway, he was speaking about that and I think it was three times 107 00:10:16,080 --> 00:10:25,480 in his talk he said all of our problems, all of our solutions, all of our answers are 108 00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:34,840 found in the Lord Jesus Christ and I would say understanding His mission, His purpose 109 00:10:34,840 --> 00:10:41,800 and His Atonement. If we understood His purpose, His mission, His Atonement, the gift of the 110 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:48,560 Father in the form of His Son, if we understood all that and we understood the Father's plan, 111 00:10:48,560 --> 00:10:55,400 wow, it is so filled with grace and mercy. Last time we talked, Scott, about how most 112 00:10:55,400 --> 00:10:58,720 of the Heavenly Father's children are going to be saved in the celestial kingdom. I strongly 113 00:10:58,720 --> 00:11:04,080 believe that. I heard Elder McConkie say that years and years ago just based upon that one 114 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:11,560 fact of all the little children who have died before the age of eight, which was 50% 200 115 00:11:11,560 --> 00:11:17,240 years ago. I actually looked at statistic up once. I wanted to see if that was, if that 116 00:11:17,240 --> 00:11:25,880 was just hearsay and I think it was actually like 48%. 48% 200 years ago, 200 and a few 117 00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:32,400 years ago now, it's probably been 230 or 40 years ago now. 48% of children didn't make 118 00:11:32,400 --> 00:11:37,760 it to the age of eight. Yeah, statistically that's half. Yeah. It's within the. So, you 119 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:43,040 know, again, and think of the times before that in the dark ages and even worse times 120 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:49,600 before that and times when we weren't keeping records and for cultures who haven't, etc. 121 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:54,040 And I know it doesn't make it sometimes any easier when people lose children or when we 122 00:11:54,040 --> 00:12:01,800 see children suffer. We still suffer, but there at least is an answer to that. There's 123 00:12:01,800 --> 00:12:08,640 a purpose to that. There is a happy ending to that even though it's awful. I think of 124 00:12:08,640 --> 00:12:16,680 all these headlines and all this suffering in Gaza right now, right? And in Ukraine 125 00:12:16,680 --> 00:12:26,720 and all, you know, whenever you see the children suffering, man, it's hard. It's hard to watch. 126 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:36,360 It's hard to think about. But then our thoughts should go to thank God. Please bless the children. 127 00:12:36,360 --> 00:12:42,280 I mean, it goes to a prayer really, right? We turn to a prayer and then we pray for the 128 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:49,000 suffering, those who are suffering. And we then thank God that he suffered for them and 129 00:12:49,000 --> 00:12:57,400 that he redeemed them and saved them and that he that through through his atoning sacrifice 130 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:02,360 that that they're going to be fine and they're going to have everything they could have had 131 00:13:02,360 --> 00:13:09,800 should have had would have had. So, Scott, I just, oh man, this the atonement Jesus Christ, 132 00:13:09,800 --> 00:13:17,280 I know it's impossible to comprehend how he did it. And I know it's impossible to fully 133 00:13:17,280 --> 00:13:24,600 comprehend what it covers, but I hope our listeners will have a desire to learn more 134 00:13:24,600 --> 00:13:30,800 about what it covers because the more you understand about the grace and mercy, the 135 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:35,920 redemptive enabling and compensatory blessings that can flow into our life through the atonement 136 00:13:35,920 --> 00:13:43,480 Jesus Christ, it really does answer life's hardest, most difficult problems and questions. 137 00:13:43,480 --> 00:13:50,040 So let's continue on. We're talking about the unconditional effects of the atonement 138 00:13:50,040 --> 00:13:58,440 of Jesus Christ overcoming the spiritual death created in this world universally through 139 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:08,360 the fall of Adam and Eve. So the atonement unconditionally covers all of us in some ways 140 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:15,840 or another, Scott. I mean, you've you've you've had your problems. You've had things forced 141 00:14:15,840 --> 00:14:23,880 upon you. I've had things forced upon me. We've all all of us are victims. And I don't 142 00:14:23,880 --> 00:14:30,840 mean that in a negative entitlement sort of way. We're all victims of the fall of Adam 143 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:40,160 and Eve and the sins and the blood of this generation. I mean, really, and me to extreme 144 00:14:40,160 --> 00:14:47,680 lesser degree than so many others in this world. I we're so blessed. But Scott, we've 145 00:14:47,680 --> 00:14:56,880 all been sinned against. And all of that is unconditionally covered through the atonement 146 00:14:56,880 --> 00:15:05,160 of Jesus Christ. In fact, I think I think I can say all of the negatives in my life, 147 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:11,840 your life in the world, all of the negatives in the world that came about because of living 148 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:24,280 in a fallen hellish, celestial world are unconditionally covered by the atonement of Jesus Christ. 149 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:33,320 And just just think about that and how universal it's it's just so much deeper, broader than 150 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:41,880 we than we can comprehend really. But last time we talked about salvation of children, 151 00:15:41,880 --> 00:15:48,600 we talked about those who are covered who ignorantly sin who die without the law. This 152 00:15:48,600 --> 00:15:53,080 today I want to talk about a couple of other aspects of how the atonement unconditionally 153 00:15:53,080 --> 00:16:00,360 covers the spiritual death of Adam and Eve. And one of those I'll share by telling this 154 00:16:00,360 --> 00:16:07,760 story. I was the area director out in the Midwest for seminaries and institutes. And 155 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:13,760 I was invited to go to a North America Central Area meeting where our area president Hugh 156 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:21,040 Pinnock, a powerful general authority president in the 70, where he would be training stake 157 00:16:21,040 --> 00:16:25,880 presidents who had Indian reservations within their stake. And man, there's there's a lot 158 00:16:25,880 --> 00:16:33,160 of those out there in the Midwest, Scott. You know, in Utah, we we you think of a Native 159 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:37,760 American reservation, then we know there are a few and you think of the Four Corners area 160 00:16:37,760 --> 00:16:43,200 and others, but there's a lot of them out there in the Midwest. You know, the the the 161 00:16:43,200 --> 00:16:52,360 Mandan and the Sue and all the the Red Lake and the the winter Indian wet reservations 162 00:16:52,360 --> 00:16:57,640 that are in Nebraska and the Dakotas and Minnesota. And he invited all the stake presidents 163 00:16:57,640 --> 00:17:03,640 that covered those areas to there were 40 of them. So we went to a meeting in Hardin, 164 00:17:03,640 --> 00:17:12,480 Montana, which he had arranged to be on the Crow Indian reservation in Hardin, Montana 165 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:21,680 and little branch building there. And he is really kind of and the reason I was there, 166 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:28,680 of course, was I was there because I covered the entire Midwest and had dozens of Indian 167 00:17:28,680 --> 00:17:35,760 reservations and seminary and institute programs that that covered those Indian reservations. 168 00:17:35,760 --> 00:17:42,760 So we get we go and he's he's at a point speaking to us where he's just really calling us to 169 00:17:42,760 --> 00:17:48,640 repentance, and he's really letting us have it. And he makes this statement. If any of 170 00:17:48,640 --> 00:17:59,960 you were born in their moccasins, some of you would not be as doing as well as you think 171 00:17:59,960 --> 00:18:07,960 you would do. You wouldn't be doing any better than they were doing. And he was just telling 172 00:18:07,960 --> 00:18:15,200 us we you can't judge these people. You have no idea what they've been through. For generations, 173 00:18:15,200 --> 00:18:21,520 you cannot judge these people. And and he he went on to to quote from Alma. And he says, 174 00:18:21,520 --> 00:18:27,560 I know, I know what the three worst sins are. I know what Alma says about that. I know the 175 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:33,880 worst sin is the sin of denying the Holy Ghost, the unpardonable sin. I know that and I believe 176 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:40,360 it. And I believe the second worst sin is Alma says is to commit murder. That's the second 177 00:18:40,360 --> 00:18:46,240 worst sin. But he says Alma says the third worst sin is adultery. He says I actually 178 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:54,040 believe there's a sin worse than adultery. And that's when you write off somebody. Whenever 179 00:18:54,040 --> 00:19:04,120 you write off somebody, that's a form of murder. You write them off. He said you're committing 180 00:19:04,120 --> 00:19:12,320 a sin worse than adultery. I could tell he really felt strongly about that and what what 181 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:21,520 I heard and felt I didn't disagree. And then he then he quoted the scripture that he believed 182 00:19:21,520 --> 00:19:29,640 that the greatest gift that we needed as leaders and as priesthood leaders was and he turned 183 00:19:29,640 --> 00:19:35,480 to a doctrine comes section 46, which is a revelation on on the gifts of the spirit, 184 00:19:35,480 --> 00:19:42,960 the Holy Spirit. And I, you know, I knew this section and I knew this gift, but I had heard 185 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:49,760 it interpreted in different ways. I never heard it heard it interpreted this way. But 186 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:55,160 he's reading about the gift of administration. And let's read the verse and then I'll tell 187 00:19:55,160 --> 00:20:00,960 you what he said about it. So there's doctrine and covenant section 46 verse 15. And again, 188 00:20:00,960 --> 00:20:05,560 to some it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration as it will 189 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:11,680 be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will suiting his mercies, according 190 00:20:11,680 --> 00:20:18,920 to the conditions of the children of men. So the gift of administration is to know how 191 00:20:18,920 --> 00:20:27,840 to suit God's mercy to the children of men, or in other words, according to Elder Pinnock 192 00:20:27,840 --> 00:20:35,240 Hugh Pinnock, the gift of administration is know how to administer the atonement of Jesus 193 00:20:35,240 --> 00:20:43,120 Christ into the lives of others. What a powerful gift. All parents need that gift. All children 194 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:48,440 need that gift. How to administer the atonement lives of their parents now parents can minister 195 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:53,960 the atonement lives of their children and how I can administer the atonement lives of strangers 196 00:20:53,960 --> 00:21:00,120 or friends or enemies or whoever we all need that gift we all know we all need the gift 197 00:21:00,120 --> 00:21:06,600 to know how to how to administer mercy how to suit mercy according to the conditions 198 00:21:06,600 --> 00:21:12,480 of the children of men. And I remember him saying you cannot judge these people. You 199 00:21:12,480 --> 00:21:22,800 cannot write them off. You cannot write them off. Well, this my my I was just personally 200 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:29,680 filled with spirit in that meeting. I sat across the table from him at lunch. It was 201 00:21:29,680 --> 00:21:33,480 in the morning that he had talked about that and at lunch I was sitting across the table 202 00:21:33,480 --> 00:21:39,640 from him. And I was just kind of wrestling with this idea a little bit. And I just said 203 00:21:39,640 --> 00:21:45,840 to him, Elder Pinnock, I loved what you taught us this morning about suiting suiting the 204 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:53,120 Lord's mercy according to the conditions of the children of men. But how do I how do 205 00:21:53,120 --> 00:22:00,880 I reconciliation that with the scripture in first Corinthians chapter 10 verse 13 that 206 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:08,320 says, see Scott, I think I've got it right here. First Corinthians 10 13 says, there 207 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:15,320 hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. But God is faithful who will 208 00:22:15,320 --> 00:22:22,240 not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able. I just asked him, I said, how do 209 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:29,400 I reconcile ciliate suiting mercies according to the conditions of men with there's no 210 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:34,880 temptation that is not common to man and that God will deliver us. And he kind of kind of 211 00:22:34,880 --> 00:22:42,640 winces at me a little bit and and he says to me, well, Brother Durfee, there's a difference 212 00:22:42,640 --> 00:22:52,760 between temptations and conditions. As all he said to me, and it was like 1000 lights 213 00:22:52,760 --> 00:23:02,080 for me, Scott, really, I mean, it was so enlightening to me. I knew I knew I got it. In other words, 214 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:06,960 we all do have temptations. But that's different than being born into conditions that we didn't 215 00:23:06,960 --> 00:23:13,840 choose. That's that's different than conditions that you have no control over at all. You 216 00:23:13,840 --> 00:23:19,280 have control over temptations. Sure, you have agency. And you can control temptations. 217 00:23:19,280 --> 00:23:25,240 You can choose whether to give into a temptation or not. But you absolutely cannot control 218 00:23:25,240 --> 00:23:32,240 sometimes the conditions that you are born into or that are heaped upon you upon you 219 00:23:32,240 --> 00:23:39,560 without your choice. There's a there's a difference between conditions and temptations. And the 220 00:23:39,560 --> 00:23:48,000 atonement of Jesus Christ covers all the negative conditions. That was one of the most profound 221 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:57,040 moments of my life and answered so many and has ever since then answered so many difficult 222 00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:05,640 situations and problems that I've faced in my life with my with my own children without 223 00:24:05,640 --> 00:24:11,880 my adopted son who went to prison, who I spoke about last time and and just so many of those 224 00:24:11,880 --> 00:24:16,440 things that you see in the world that you go, well, that's not right. That's not fair. 225 00:24:16,440 --> 00:24:29,360 That's not that's not just Jesus Christ atonement unconditionally unconditionally covers all the 226 00:24:29,360 --> 00:24:40,080 negative conditions. Suiting his mercies suiting I think of a tailor, the tailor making a suit, 227 00:24:40,080 --> 00:24:50,280 right, suiting, covering, suiting us, covering us, tailor made tailor made suit of mercy. 228 00:24:50,280 --> 00:25:00,400 This cloak covering an atonement means kafar covering a covering of his mercy unconditionally 229 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:09,960 to cover all of the negative sometimes awful terrible conditions of the children of men. 230 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:17,040 Well, I've loved that and I have seen it all over in conference talks and scriptures since 231 00:25:17,040 --> 00:25:23,600 then, which I would have which I think I may have missed if I hadn't learned that from 232 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:30,080 Elder Pinnock on a Crow Indian reservation. Dave, that has application to all of us, 233 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:35,360 not just those in the Crow Indian reservation, not just those that have been raised in depravity 234 00:25:35,360 --> 00:25:41,400 and all of those other things. I think that that scripture has application even to those 235 00:25:41,400 --> 00:25:48,120 of us probably who have been active in the church and have literally tried, when I say 236 00:25:48,120 --> 00:25:52,480 all of us, I should say all of them that have literally tried all their lives to live the 237 00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:58,120 gospel of Jesus Christ because of the fall, because of the veil, because of all of the 238 00:25:58,120 --> 00:26:02,840 things that we face here in mortality. There are conditions and there's conditions that's 239 00:26:02,840 --> 00:26:08,040 heaped upon each one of us and there's also conditions that we inadvertently, probably 240 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:14,080 potentially heap upon others as we're raising them as well. And it's comforting to know 241 00:26:14,080 --> 00:26:19,520 that all parents, I think, what parent hasn't thought, oh, my kid has made a mistake, where 242 00:26:19,520 --> 00:26:25,520 did I go wrong? And sometimes, yeah, we do need to be accountable. Sometimes we do need 243 00:26:25,520 --> 00:26:30,960 to take inventory and take a look at our own lives. But other times we need to extend our 244 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:36,720 self's mercy. And other times we need to extend ourselves some grace and just understand 245 00:26:36,720 --> 00:26:40,440 that there are conditions and I didn't mean to and I'm doing the best that I can and they're 246 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:46,560 doing the best that they can. And because of this scripture, those who know that God's 247 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:51,600 judgments will be suited according to the conditions of men, that's an individual thing. 248 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:57,200 That's not a blanket proposition. That's individual. That's part of the individuality of the Atonement 249 00:26:57,200 --> 00:27:03,920 of Jesus Christ. Amen. But just if we all receive that gift of the Spirit, Scott, think 250 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:09,760 about this for a minute. If we could all receive that gift of the Spirit, pray for that gift, 251 00:27:09,760 --> 00:27:17,280 use that gift towards myself to know how to suit mercy and to use the Atonement of Jesus 252 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:21,760 Christ in my own life according to my own conditions. And then you as an Elder's Corn 253 00:27:21,760 --> 00:27:28,440 President to administer the Atonement of Jesus Christ into the lives of others to know how 254 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:37,760 to suit his mercies according to others' conditions. Right. A bishop, a mother, a father, a friend. 255 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:44,680 I mean, think about the effects if we could all understand and receive that gift of the 256 00:27:44,680 --> 00:27:49,520 Spirit in our life, how it can make a difference in not only our life, but the lives of so 257 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:56,040 many others. So in essence, what we're talking about, Scott, is Jesus Christ and his Atonement. 258 00:27:56,040 --> 00:28:09,760 Not only did he suffer for all of the iniquities of life, but he suffered for all the inequalities 259 00:28:09,760 --> 00:28:19,120 of life. I mean, just think how universal that is. Elder Bednar said it this way in 260 00:28:19,120 --> 00:28:25,360 an amazing talk called The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality. It's back in April 2012. 261 00:28:25,360 --> 00:28:31,800 The Savior has suffered not just for our iniquities, but also for the inequality, the unfairness, 262 00:28:31,800 --> 00:28:38,960 the pain, the anguish, and the emotional distresses that so frequently beset us. There is no 263 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:46,520 physical pain, no anguish of soul, no suffering of spirit, no infirmity or weakness that you 264 00:28:46,520 --> 00:28:55,880 or I ever experienced during our mortal journey that the Savior did not experience first. 265 00:28:55,880 --> 00:29:02,000 And it's not just that he experienced it and can offer us divine empathy, but in some of 266 00:29:02,000 --> 00:29:11,920 this, he unconditionally covered it and compensates us for things that we had no choice over. 267 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:16,720 This is Elder Richard G. Scott. The Atonement will not only help us overcome our transgressions 268 00:29:16,720 --> 00:29:25,400 and mistakes, but in his time, it will resolve. So not just he not only feels it, understands 269 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:33,880 it, but the Atonement of Jesus Christ will resolve all the inequities of life. Those things 270 00:29:33,880 --> 00:29:42,040 that are unfair, which are the consequences of circumstance or others acts, not of our 271 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:51,240 own decisions. Elder Quintenelle Cook. Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer, whose Atonement 272 00:29:51,240 --> 00:30:01,520 not only provides for salvation and exaltation, but also will compensate for all the unfairness 273 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:07,920 of life. The first time I read that about the compensatory power of the Atonement of 274 00:30:07,920 --> 00:30:14,120 Jesus Christ, Scott, that I don't have the quote with me right here, but it was the first 275 00:30:14,120 --> 00:30:21,440 presidency statement on the disease of AIDS. When that was really controversial, when Magic 276 00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:27,480 Johnson had AIDS and nobody, Carl Malone and others weren't going to play basketball 277 00:30:27,480 --> 00:30:31,920 and everybody was kind of freaking out because they believed you could get it if you touched 278 00:30:31,920 --> 00:30:40,840 somebody else's blood. There were a lot of babies and there were innocent spouse or others 279 00:30:40,840 --> 00:30:48,040 who were getting this awful disease of AIDS. The first presidency, and I remember there 280 00:30:48,040 --> 00:30:54,960 were a lot of Christian churches. There were several evangelical churches. This became 281 00:30:54,960 --> 00:31:02,680 quite controversial, who believed that this disease was God's way of punishing homosexuals. 282 00:31:02,680 --> 00:31:11,320 I remember thinking, that's not the God I believe in. I was so grateful when it became 283 00:31:11,320 --> 00:31:19,200 so controversial that the church produced an official statement on the churches, on 284 00:31:19,200 --> 00:31:26,560 the Church of Christ position on AIDS and they came out and said, you know, that this 285 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:33,200 was not God punishing his children because there were too many innocent people who were 286 00:31:33,200 --> 00:31:43,400 dying from it. This was not coming from God. Then in the very last part of that first presidency 287 00:31:43,400 --> 00:31:52,480 statement, which I think was like 1981, they had essence said, because of the Atonement 288 00:31:52,480 --> 00:32:03,120 of Jesus Christ, all of those who suffer innocently will receive compensatory blessings through 289 00:32:03,120 --> 00:32:08,720 Jesus Christ and His Atonement. That was the first time really in my life, Scott, where 290 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:13,960 I go, wow, compensatory powers. That's one of the major powers out of the Atonement of 291 00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:21,800 Jesus Christ, is that it covers all of those who suffer innocently. The brethren have been 292 00:32:21,800 --> 00:32:26,640 talking about it ever since, but I think 1881 was the first time that phrase was maybe 293 00:32:26,640 --> 00:32:33,040 really used. It's one of my favorites to describe. Listen to this one line here from elder Todd 294 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:38,880 Christopherson in a conference not long ago. He said, the Atonement also satisfies the 295 00:32:38,880 --> 00:32:48,640 debt of justice, which justice owes to us by healing and compensating us for any suffering 296 00:32:48,640 --> 00:32:56,360 we innocently endure. So justice, not just mercy, but even in the law of justice, Scott, 297 00:32:56,360 --> 00:33:02,040 the law of justice demands that there be a certain fairness and the Atonement of Jesus 298 00:33:02,040 --> 00:33:11,240 Christ not only merciful, but it's just because justice owes us who suffer innocently something 299 00:33:11,240 --> 00:33:19,280 and the Atonement covers that. Again, meeting the demands of justice. I love this by Elder 300 00:33:19,280 --> 00:33:27,280 Werthlin. The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss that which is taken away from 301 00:33:27,280 --> 00:33:31,800 those who love the Lord will be added unto them in his own way. While it may not come 302 00:33:31,800 --> 00:33:38,640 at the time we desire, the faithful will know that every tear today will eventually be returned 303 00:33:38,640 --> 00:33:50,560 a hundred fold with tears of joicing and gratitude. And sweet Elder Anderson, this is in, I was 304 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:54,960 kind of interesting that I pointed this out to him. We should put this in your books and 305 00:33:54,960 --> 00:34:00,400 she wrote it. This is one of my favorite quotes from Elder Anderson, which he actually gave 306 00:34:00,400 --> 00:34:09,320 it a BYU devotional. He said, As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual 307 00:34:09,320 --> 00:34:17,520 power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares 308 00:34:17,520 --> 00:34:22,800 the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and 309 00:34:22,800 --> 00:34:28,800 greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost 310 00:34:28,800 --> 00:34:36,000 becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight. I know that's true. And I think about the 311 00:34:36,000 --> 00:34:45,000 youth, today's youth, Scott. I mean, it wasn't easy to be, you know, a good Christian or 312 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:51,560 a good Latter-day Saint in my day, and it wasn't in your day. But I don't know if I 313 00:34:51,560 --> 00:34:58,760 could do it in today's day. I wouldn't want to be a youth today. You know, I mean, really, 314 00:34:58,760 --> 00:35:04,400 the world is becoming increasingly wicked, evil. I remember President Packer saying, 315 00:35:04,400 --> 00:35:09,600 We have now crossed the point. He told the missionary, there's this in a devotional at 316 00:35:09,600 --> 00:35:15,200 the MTC where I was present. And he said, The world is now more wicked than it is righteous. 317 00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:22,520 I remember thinking, Wow, I'm glad I'm not a youth or, and I know as a patriarch giving 318 00:35:22,520 --> 00:35:30,120 blessings to, you know, the youth that they were prepared for this. They knew this. This 319 00:35:30,120 --> 00:35:38,240 is this. They were well prepared. And I'm not making excuses for them. I'm just saying 320 00:35:38,240 --> 00:35:49,880 that there is more difficult, sinful conditions today than there were even when we were born. 321 00:35:49,880 --> 00:35:56,760 And I know that there are compensatory powers in the lives of the youth and others that 322 00:35:56,760 --> 00:36:01,320 they enjoy because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. 323 00:36:01,320 --> 00:36:06,320 Yeah. And I think I get to see that. You know, I know that, you know, you've been retired 324 00:36:06,320 --> 00:36:11,200 a minute and been away from the classroom. But, you know, Deb and I have that opportunity 325 00:36:11,200 --> 00:36:14,800 on a weekly basis. In fact, we'll be there tonight. And, you know, we were there last 326 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:21,040 week and it was amazing as we did our opening social last week for Institute, how many young 327 00:36:21,040 --> 00:36:27,720 adults were there and how they sing, you know, the hymns, the hymns of the restoration was 328 00:36:27,720 --> 00:36:33,280 so much testimony and so much spirit. And yeah, there's there's difficulty. They face 329 00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:37,920 difficulty. But David, you know, when you and I were younger, there was a big, wide 330 00:36:37,920 --> 00:36:43,640 gray area, you know, and I pretty much lived it. I know you didn't, but I pretty much lived 331 00:36:43,640 --> 00:36:47,560 in that big, wide gray area. I don't know. I think I do. I just never wait too much 332 00:36:47,560 --> 00:36:51,040 at the time myself. That gray area is way narrower today. And I'm 333 00:36:51,040 --> 00:36:54,960 this is just anecdotal. This is just based on my observation, but it's pretty accurate 334 00:36:54,960 --> 00:37:00,040 observation. I'm pretty in touch with it, you know, because of my experiences, etc. 335 00:37:00,040 --> 00:37:05,560 The youth today are feeling and enjoying those who are aligning, those who are accepting 336 00:37:05,560 --> 00:37:12,040 and those who are taking to heed. Who will receive the gift? Exactly. Dr. McCombs and 337 00:37:12,040 --> 00:37:16,880 Sadie, the gift and the giver of the gift. Exactly. They receive the gift and the giver 338 00:37:16,880 --> 00:37:23,040 because of their obedience and strict adherence to the stuff that they're hearing from our 339 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:29,200 prophets and apostles today. And so, you know, as part of that compensatory blessing to them 340 00:37:29,200 --> 00:37:36,400 is the love that they feel from the apostles and prophets today, which inspired them because 341 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:42,880 of their gratitude to align probably more closely than I don't know other generations 342 00:37:42,880 --> 00:37:48,240 in the past have with our Heavenly Father, Dave. Yeah. All because of the compensatory 343 00:37:48,240 --> 00:37:55,640 blessings. Right, Scott. Right. I, you know, I'm thinking of someone right now who I know 344 00:37:55,640 --> 00:38:04,360 who was, you know, sexually abused over and over again. And I, I know the effects that 345 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:13,440 had on that child when that child grew up and became an adult and no doubt in my mind and 346 00:38:13,440 --> 00:38:21,720 by the spirit, I know that some of the choices that they made were the result of conditions 347 00:38:21,720 --> 00:38:29,120 forced on them, sins committed against them, not of their own choice or choosing. And honestly, 348 00:38:29,120 --> 00:38:38,160 I, it's, it, it doesn't make it less sad knowing that, but it can bring some peace in sorrow. 349 00:38:38,160 --> 00:38:45,040 That's so true. Because I know that the atonement has that individual. Yeah. That the atonement 350 00:38:45,040 --> 00:38:54,040 covers that individual. That if sins are, that if wrongs are committed because of sins committed 351 00:38:54,040 --> 00:39:03,560 against you, that the atonement of Jesus Christ covers that. That's, that is the power of 352 00:39:03,560 --> 00:39:11,480 the atonement of Jesus Christ, the compensatory and redeeming and enabling powers of the atonement 353 00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:19,200 of Jesus Christ in our life. I know a Bishop who shared with me a Bishop of a young adult 354 00:39:19,200 --> 00:39:27,680 ward who would have individuals come in who had committed sins of immorality and how because 355 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:35,080 of maybe having been a missionary or, or having, you know, lived in a something of an ideal 356 00:39:35,080 --> 00:39:40,160 Latter-day St. Home or family that they were, they were definitely more accountable and 357 00:39:40,160 --> 00:39:48,000 that maybe one or two acts of immorality or fornication would justify him by the spirit 358 00:39:48,000 --> 00:39:53,280 really as a judge in Israel where he felt like it would be helpful to them out of love 359 00:39:53,280 --> 00:39:59,520 that they have a, what they used to call disciplinary counsel or a membership counsel now. It's 360 00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:07,800 what we use the, what we call it. And so he had a lot of those, but he said I was shocked 361 00:40:07,800 --> 00:40:15,280 one Sunday when a girl came in and she had written down that she had committed fornication 362 00:40:15,280 --> 00:40:27,040 thirty-nine times. And as he said, I began to, to talk to her and question her and get 363 00:40:27,040 --> 00:40:35,560 to know her, how she had experienced rape as a child and had been so sexually violated 364 00:40:35,560 --> 00:40:43,320 as a child that she had completely in essence had the, her conscience, which I believe is 365 00:40:43,320 --> 00:40:50,400 a light to be able to discern light. The conscience is like a pair of eyes that allows us to be 366 00:40:50,400 --> 00:40:59,720 able to discern light. And she, she was just so her thinking and spiritually she became 367 00:40:59,720 --> 00:41:07,480 so distorted that he said, I remember thinking, wow, thirty-nine times and I can't have a 368 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:13,440 disciplinary counselor, membership counsel for her. The atonement covers her and he knew 369 00:41:13,440 --> 00:41:19,080 that there were just some basic things that he had to do to help her to receive it. I 370 00:41:19,080 --> 00:41:29,480 mean, Scott, I'm not the judge and I'm not, I'm not saying I, I only God can judge. Only 371 00:41:29,480 --> 00:41:41,880 He really knows perfectly what mercies we can, how to suit His mercies according to the conditions 372 00:41:41,880 --> 00:41:51,280 of men. And that is a gift that all of us should covet, all of us should seek to receive 373 00:41:51,280 --> 00:41:58,760 is to know how to offer mercy, how to offer grace, and how to receive it right grace for 374 00:41:58,760 --> 00:42:05,520 grace, how to receive grace and mercy by offering the atonement. And, and even again, as you 375 00:42:05,520 --> 00:42:09,480 point out so, so well, so important to ourselves. 376 00:42:09,480 --> 00:42:10,480 Right. 377 00:42:10,480 --> 00:42:15,160 I don't, I'm not even sure we can judge ourselves in some way, Scott. 378 00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:16,160 Right. 379 00:42:16,160 --> 00:42:21,920 I think the Lord in some ways may be more merciful in His judgment of us than we are of us. But 380 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:31,240 the point is, the power and comprehension of the atonement of Jesus Christ is just unimaginable. 381 00:42:31,240 --> 00:42:36,920 You know, Dave, I think it was Eleanor Roosevelt said that we are our own worst critics and 382 00:42:36,920 --> 00:42:43,120 we believe others see us that same way. And we really do. You know, I know that I do. 383 00:42:43,120 --> 00:42:47,560 I know that I still battle with this and I've had a recent wrestle with this, you know, 384 00:42:47,560 --> 00:42:56,160 just because of my my fall because of my personal fall, etc. But to really believe that, you 385 00:42:56,160 --> 00:43:00,800 know, it's so easy, you know, in alcoholics, not a mess. We talk about, you know, we have 386 00:43:00,800 --> 00:43:04,760 these sayings that we say and one of them is that we believe that God could and would 387 00:43:04,760 --> 00:43:11,840 if he were sought. If we seek God that he that not only not only can he but he will. 388 00:43:11,840 --> 00:43:17,800 And for many of us, I've said this fact I say this when I speak quite frequently, I 389 00:43:17,800 --> 00:43:22,680 believed that God could and would if he were sought for you. But I had a difficult time 390 00:43:22,680 --> 00:43:30,080 believing that for me, because of the way that I chose to receive the programming in 391 00:43:30,080 --> 00:43:36,680 my life, and believed that perfection because I was raised a certain way that I was responsible 392 00:43:36,680 --> 00:43:42,480 a certain way. What I didn't realize is that the way I was raised may not have been necessarily 393 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:48,080 the way that I thought I was raised. There was there is there is fall and mortality in 394 00:43:48,080 --> 00:43:53,800 every experience that we have in this life and suiting that judgment according to the 395 00:43:53,800 --> 00:43:58,360 conditions of man is not just important that we extend that to others. But maybe we need 396 00:43:58,360 --> 00:44:04,840 to look first to ourselves. And then and then by then and thereby we become equipped also 397 00:44:04,840 --> 00:44:12,440 to extend it to others. Dave, I agree. Everybody's story is different. Totally different. No two 398 00:44:12,440 --> 00:44:18,920 stories are the same. And not only that, but our individual stories also change. True. 399 00:44:18,920 --> 00:44:23,280 They change with our perspective. They change with our experience. They change with the 400 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:29,240 energy that we give it or take from it. And all of that is also conditioned or can be 401 00:44:29,240 --> 00:44:34,120 conditioned upon the way that we receive the blessing that we just talked about from the 402 00:44:34,120 --> 00:44:43,120 Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love this talk that our newest apostle, the newest apostle 403 00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:49,240 Elder Patrick Kiran, who I had the pleasure of meeting when he came and did a devotional 404 00:44:49,240 --> 00:44:57,480 for us at the Utah Valley University Institute of Religion. It was a you know, it was really 405 00:44:57,480 --> 00:45:01,760 a sweet experience for him to speak to our faculty and to meet him personally and then 406 00:45:01,760 --> 00:45:09,800 to have him speak to our students. He is he is so I mean, he is he is so kind. He is 407 00:45:09,800 --> 00:45:18,000 so loving. He is so just down to earth, Scott. And recently he gave a talk. This is just 408 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:25,080 not even two years ago. This is April 2022. And I just have loved using this quote over 409 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:32,880 and over again. But let me just read a couple paragraphs. He's he's talking about to those 410 00:45:32,880 --> 00:45:38,720 who have been abused, those who suffered, which he is, you know, he was born in England 411 00:45:38,720 --> 00:45:44,120 and has been around the world is I think he parents, if I remember, was in the Middle 412 00:45:44,120 --> 00:45:49,360 East and he lived there for a while. And, you know, he's he he's very experienced with 413 00:45:49,360 --> 00:45:56,560 this. Anyway, Elder Kiran says, perhaps some of you, however, consider the accounts of 414 00:45:56,560 --> 00:46:02,760 survivors and your soul cries out that you are living that you are living a survival 415 00:46:02,760 --> 00:46:13,080 story right now as a victim of abuse, neglect, bullying, domestic violence, or any suffering 416 00:46:13,080 --> 00:46:20,320 of this kind. You are in the midst of your own desperate attempt to survive a situation 417 00:46:20,320 --> 00:46:28,120 that feels very much like a disastrous shipwreck or a promising mission suddenly aborted, which 418 00:46:28,120 --> 00:46:35,040 you didn't choose. Will you ever be rescued? Will you make it through your own survival 419 00:46:35,040 --> 00:46:46,360 story? And then he says, the answer is yes, you can survive. You have in fact already 420 00:46:46,360 --> 00:46:54,400 been rescued. You have already been saved by the one who has suffered the very torment 421 00:46:54,400 --> 00:47:03,760 you are suffering and endured the very agony you are enduring. Jesus has overcome the abuses 422 00:47:03,760 --> 00:47:12,240 of this world to give you power to not only survive, but one day through him to overcome 423 00:47:12,240 --> 00:47:19,760 and even conquer, to completely rise above the pain, the misery, the anguish, and see 424 00:47:19,760 --> 00:47:26,960 them replaced by peace. And then he quotes that great scripture in in Romans, who shall 425 00:47:26,960 --> 00:47:34,320 separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation, distress, persecution, or famine, 426 00:47:34,320 --> 00:47:43,400 or nakedness, or peril, or sword, nay, nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors 427 00:47:43,400 --> 00:47:52,920 through him that loved us. That's the power, unconditional blessings, compensatory blessings, 428 00:47:52,920 --> 00:48:01,160 Scott of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Understanding that and feeling that causes us to be so 429 00:48:01,160 --> 00:48:08,920 filled with gratitude and love for our Heavenly Father's plan and our Savior's willingness 430 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:10,360 to carry it out. 431 00:48:10,360 --> 00:48:15,040 Sometimes I think it might be more important for it, well, sometimes I think it might be 432 00:48:15,040 --> 00:48:21,840 really important for us to begin our approach of the Atonement at the compensatory blessings, 433 00:48:21,840 --> 00:48:25,320 because Dave, once I feel the compensatory blessings that work in my life, then I've 434 00:48:25,320 --> 00:48:31,000 removed the distraction from my life, at least for now, and I'll have to come back to that 435 00:48:31,000 --> 00:48:34,880 and do it again and again, at least that's been my experience. But then I've removed 436 00:48:34,880 --> 00:48:41,520 the distraction from my life in order for me, and I feel more able to put on the other 437 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:46,640 components of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I feel more worthy to approach him in my repentance. 438 00:48:46,640 --> 00:48:53,600 I feel more able to receive the enabling and strengthening blessings that can come to me, 439 00:48:53,600 --> 00:48:59,440 because I feel better aligned. Because there's just, you know, the accuser again, right? 440 00:48:59,440 --> 00:49:06,480 We'll get us to believe that our conditions are who we are, not our conditions. 441 00:49:06,480 --> 00:49:11,440 So important, Scott, what you just said. You know, when you have a child who's making 442 00:49:11,440 --> 00:49:17,760 bad decisions and choices, don't talk about their behaviors. Talk about this doctrine. 443 00:49:17,760 --> 00:49:23,640 Talk about the compensatory powers. Talk about the mercy. Talk about the grace. Talk about 444 00:49:23,640 --> 00:49:32,120 the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the depth, the breadth, you know, how much of the Atonement 445 00:49:32,120 --> 00:49:39,040 of Jesus Christ is there for them, because that's what will frankly enable them, strengthen 446 00:49:39,040 --> 00:49:46,720 them, to be able to keep the commandments. It's the most motivating power on this earth, 447 00:49:46,720 --> 00:49:55,040 is to understand the love of God in offering his son and the love of Jesus Christ in the 448 00:49:55,040 --> 00:50:03,200 giving of his blood, his life, his everything, to save his brothers and sisters and our heavenly 449 00:50:03,200 --> 00:50:11,800 father's children. I mean, understanding that, Scott, is what leads people to find their 450 00:50:11,800 --> 00:50:21,480 purpose and to find peace and to find the, not just the ability or the will, but even 451 00:50:21,480 --> 00:50:24,800 the beginning desires to change and to repent. 452 00:50:24,800 --> 00:50:29,360 I've heard people in the past talk about how the Atonement of Jesus Christ was an invitation 453 00:50:29,360 --> 00:50:33,600 and it felt inviting to them. You know, when Jesus says, come unto me, well, that's, you 454 00:50:33,600 --> 00:50:38,640 know, how we come unto him is through his Atonement. In the past for much, for part 455 00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:43,760 of my life, David, didn't feel inviting. It filled in dining. It filled, it felt like 456 00:50:43,760 --> 00:50:50,200 the Atonement of Jesus Christ was an indictment to me, not an invitation to heal, but an indictment 457 00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:57,760 for me to expose where I was such a loser, so to speak. This compensatory blessings that's 458 00:50:57,760 --> 00:51:05,080 offered to us will negate all of that because it's through the compensatory blessings that 459 00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:11,120 I'm most able, I feel heavenly fathers love through all of it, but it's where I personally 460 00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:17,840 feel a greater degree with more intensity, with more purpose that goes straight to the 461 00:51:17,840 --> 00:51:22,560 heart of my soul through the compensatory blessings. I think that, and again, getting 462 00:51:22,560 --> 00:51:27,960 back to which is, which enables me and it further invites me to put on the rest of the 463 00:51:27,960 --> 00:51:28,960 Atonement. 464 00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:36,400 Well, that's a profound question we should all ask ourselves where we're really at in 465 00:51:36,400 --> 00:51:46,400 our relationship with Jesus Christ is do we see the Atonement as inditing or inviting? 466 00:51:46,400 --> 00:51:52,440 And however you answer that question, we'll tell you where you're at in your relationship. 467 00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:53,440 Right, and if the... 468 00:51:53,440 --> 00:51:55,840 And probably in your understanding as well. 469 00:51:55,840 --> 00:51:56,840 It probably more important... 470 00:51:56,840 --> 00:51:57,840 Your understanding, importantly. 471 00:51:57,840 --> 00:51:58,840 And your relationship. 472 00:51:58,840 --> 00:52:04,480 And if it fills in inditing, if it fills in inditing, then we are not going to accept 473 00:52:04,480 --> 00:52:09,480 an invitation. But once we've removed that and we fill the love of the compensatory blessings, 474 00:52:09,480 --> 00:52:13,440 that invitation becomes so real to us. 475 00:52:13,440 --> 00:52:20,600 That's really profound, thank you, Scott. We need to all remember that. The Atonement 476 00:52:20,600 --> 00:52:28,320 of Jesus Christ should be inviting, not inditing. And it is. If we really understand it... 477 00:52:28,320 --> 00:52:30,960 If we understand it, if we don't listen to the words of the accuser... 478 00:52:30,960 --> 00:52:35,800 If we understand it, it really is inviting. I mean, if you understand all the conditional 479 00:52:35,800 --> 00:52:41,560 aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, then you are... you have a greater desire, 480 00:52:41,560 --> 00:52:47,440 motivation, and strength to participate in the conditional aspects of the Atonement of 481 00:52:47,440 --> 00:52:54,120 Jesus Christ, which includes faith and baptism and receiving ordinances and keeping covenants 482 00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:59,120 and all of that. Those are all the conditional aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, 483 00:52:59,120 --> 00:53:03,760 which we'll talk more about in the next podcast or two after this. 484 00:53:03,760 --> 00:53:10,200 But we're still focused right now on my favorite part of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which 485 00:53:10,200 --> 00:53:15,440 are the unconditional aspects and effects of the Atonement in our lives. 486 00:53:15,440 --> 00:53:19,880 There's one last one, Scott, and we'll just touch on this briefly. When it comes to overcoming 487 00:53:19,880 --> 00:53:29,440 spiritual death, which is the first negative consequence of the fall of Adam and Eve, is 488 00:53:29,440 --> 00:53:33,120 how the Atonement of Jesus Christ... because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will 489 00:53:33,120 --> 00:53:39,160 all... all return to the presence of God. 490 00:53:39,160 --> 00:53:45,400 Word all is complete. That's inclusive of every one of us, Dave. So are you mean... you 491 00:53:45,400 --> 00:53:46,880 mean sons of perdition? You... 492 00:53:46,880 --> 00:53:47,880 I mean all... 493 00:53:47,880 --> 00:53:48,880 Those who don't... 494 00:53:48,880 --> 00:53:50,280 All of all... 495 00:53:50,280 --> 00:53:55,840 Those who don't eventually accept that to degree... the highest degree of glory? 496 00:53:55,840 --> 00:54:01,520 This is taught a dozen times in the Book of Mormon, Scott. Brother Matthews really taught 497 00:54:01,520 --> 00:54:07,840 this to me, and he taught it to so many others. But this is where I... it's where I first 498 00:54:07,840 --> 00:54:13,640 learned it was setting its feet of Brother Robert Matthews. And his... his favorite scripture 499 00:54:13,640 --> 00:54:19,600 on it, I think, was Heloman 14. And again, it's over and over again in the Book of Mormon. 500 00:54:19,600 --> 00:54:26,120 But I just think, again, this... this motivates me because I know I'm gonna... I can't just 501 00:54:26,120 --> 00:54:31,680 go commit all the sins I want to commit and then just go be cast out to outer darkness 502 00:54:31,680 --> 00:54:36,760 or... or even the terrestrial kingdom or even the terrestrial kingdom and not face God. 503 00:54:36,760 --> 00:54:42,080 There is going to be a face to face. We are all going to return to the presence of God. 504 00:54:42,080 --> 00:54:49,600 And that... that's... that's motivating to me. That affects me, Scott. So in Heloman 14, 505 00:54:49,600 --> 00:54:54,520 this is doctrine taught powerfully by Samuel Lamanite. Verse 15, 506 00:54:54,520 --> 00:55:03,000 For behold, he, speaking of Christ, surely must die, that salvation may come. Ye it behoove 507 00:55:03,000 --> 00:55:09,360 with him, and becomeeth expedient, that he dyeth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, 508 00:55:09,360 --> 00:55:19,040 that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord. Now get this. Verse 16, 509 00:55:19,040 --> 00:55:27,600 Ye behold, this death bringeth to pass the resurrection, and redeemeth all mankind. All... 510 00:55:27,600 --> 00:55:35,160 did you get that, Scott? All mankind from the first death. That spiritual death. For all mankind, 511 00:55:35,160 --> 00:55:40,640 by the fall of Adam, being cut off from the presence of the Lord, are considered as dead, 512 00:55:40,640 --> 00:55:49,120 both as to things temporal or physical, and to things spiritual. But behold, verse 17, 513 00:55:49,120 --> 00:55:57,760 But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth 514 00:55:57,760 --> 00:56:05,880 them back into the presence of the Lord. Now, Scott, I know the Scripture says no unclean 515 00:56:05,880 --> 00:56:14,080 thing can dwell in the presence of God. I know we can't dwell there, but we will return there. 516 00:56:14,080 --> 00:56:22,480 We will all go back to God to be judged, and it will be face to face. And I love to think that, 517 00:56:22,480 --> 00:56:30,160 like President Benson said, we'll all be surprised how familiar, we'll all be surprised how familiar 518 00:56:30,160 --> 00:56:37,640 the Father seems to us, and we'll all be overcome by the love that he has for us. And then based 519 00:56:37,640 --> 00:56:46,040 upon our choices, our decision, accountability, the righteous judgment, we'll go where we can thrive, 520 00:56:46,040 --> 00:56:54,080 according to our desires, and our will, and what we want. I mean, that's right, that's the way it 521 00:56:54,080 --> 00:57:01,840 is. But we will not escape. Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we left God's presence, and 522 00:57:01,840 --> 00:57:07,520 because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is also taught powerfully in Jacob's discourse in 2nd 523 00:57:07,520 --> 00:57:18,800 Ephi 9, and in other places. Because we left God's presence, came to a fallen world, we will return 524 00:57:18,800 --> 00:57:25,440 to His presence because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the resurrection. And then there will 525 00:57:25,440 --> 00:57:33,400 be a judgment. But I think that doctrine is important for us to understand. And I think most 526 00:57:33,400 --> 00:57:41,880 people don't necessarily see it that way. And I just think about that. I know the Prophet 527 00:57:41,880 --> 00:57:46,440 Joseph Smith said we should think more about that. We should think more about, President 528 00:57:46,440 --> 00:57:52,360 Elton just, I think, taught that we all need to be thinking a little more celestial, meaning 529 00:57:52,360 --> 00:58:01,240 having an eternal perspective. And look to the end from the beginning, see the end, see the end 530 00:58:01,240 --> 00:58:08,720 from the beginning. I know that because of Christ, that we will return to the presence of God. And 531 00:58:08,720 --> 00:58:11,080 I hope that we can all look forward to that. 532 00:58:11,080 --> 00:58:18,880 In this episode, and the one before it, is actually where we start to fill the personal 533 00:58:18,880 --> 00:58:27,600 application or how the application of Jesus' Atonement is at work in our life. If that's not 534 00:58:27,600 --> 00:58:32,920 our experience, then I'm going to invite us to open our hearts and our minds and allow that to be 535 00:58:32,920 --> 00:58:37,880 the experience. Because if we just have an intellectual relationship with the things that 536 00:58:37,880 --> 00:58:41,800 we've been talking about, and it's easy to do, especially with the things that we've been talking 537 00:58:41,800 --> 00:58:47,320 about up until now, even with those, I invite us to have a more than just an intellectual 538 00:58:47,320 --> 00:58:53,880 relationship. We're inviting us to come unto Him, to have that relationship with Him, for that is 539 00:58:53,880 --> 00:59:00,120 really what it's all about. But you know, as we talk about the effects of the Atonement of Jesus 540 00:59:00,120 --> 00:59:05,840 Christ, and this is going to be true last week, true this week, and true in the weeks to come, 541 00:59:05,840 --> 00:59:13,640 I invite us all to start seeing where we can do a better job in accepting the effects of the 542 00:59:13,640 --> 00:59:17,280 Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. Because that's really all it is. It's just a 543 00:59:17,280 --> 00:59:22,240 lot about us aligning with it so that we can accept it, especially when it comes to these, 544 00:59:22,240 --> 00:59:28,320 the unconditional components, the unconditional blessings, the unconditional effects of the 545 00:59:28,320 --> 00:59:33,200 Atonement of Jesus Christ. I love today that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is indeed an 546 00:59:33,200 --> 00:59:39,480 invitation for me to come unto Him rather than an indictment of my own fallenness. That has made 547 00:59:39,480 --> 00:59:44,440 all the difference for me. May that do the same for you and in all that we do. That's our prayer. 548 00:59:44,440 --> 00:59:48,040 We look forward to being with you again next week. Thanks so much for being with us today, 549 00:59:48,040 --> 01:00:14,400 and always be well.