1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:21,200 Hey there everybody welcome out to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:21,200 --> 00:00:25,520 Scott Durfey here and is always joined by Uncle David Durfey. 3 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:26,520 Thankfully Dave. 4 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:27,520 Thankfully. 5 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:28,920 Thankfully is right. 6 00:00:28,920 --> 00:00:29,920 Great topic. 7 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,960 We're going to be together and life is grand. 8 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,640 I never tell you that story. 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:40,960 We were doing a family home evening you know and they're not always successful when you 10 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:46,480 have little children and it was a Monday night and I don't know where I got this idea. 11 00:00:46,480 --> 00:00:53,720 I'm sure it wasn't original with me but we we gave the kids a quarter and we got in the 12 00:00:53,720 --> 00:01:00,760 van and we took turns flipping the quarter heads or tails. 13 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,080 If it was heads we turned right. 14 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:09,160 If it was tails we turned left and we just wanted to see where living a life you know 15 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:15,760 the lesson was really about choices and decisions and consequences all of that. 16 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:22,520 That's what we were trying to teach and so they would take turns flipping a quarter. 17 00:01:22,520 --> 00:01:23,520 He's right. 18 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:28,440 Tails left and we ended up down the Utah Lake. 19 00:01:28,440 --> 00:01:30,640 No place to go. 20 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,200 You know dead end. 21 00:01:32,200 --> 00:01:33,280 Okay. 22 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:34,280 It was fun. 23 00:01:34,280 --> 00:01:35,720 They had fun. 24 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:43,600 It was you know lesson lesson taught even though I'm sure they don't remember it and 25 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:51,640 then we went to probably hearts or some little gas station and bought everybody a candy bar 26 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:59,320 and a drink and we're driving home and I look back in the rearview mirror and Devon's looking 27 00:01:59,320 --> 00:02:03,320 out the window and just out of his mouth. 28 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,560 I think he was like five years old. 29 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:12,560 He was like five years old and he just says ain't life grand. 30 00:02:12,560 --> 00:02:15,080 I love that. 31 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:17,160 I saw Devon the other day. 32 00:02:17,160 --> 00:02:18,160 That was really cool. 33 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:21,560 I've been seeing him for a little bit. 34 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:22,560 Ain't life grand. 35 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:24,280 Ain't life grand Devon. 36 00:02:24,280 --> 00:02:31,560 So that's something that's kind of a little philosophy you're saying that I think of often. 37 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:32,560 Ain't life grand. 38 00:02:32,560 --> 00:02:33,560 Yeah. 39 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:36,080 And after just a simple experience right. 40 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:40,720 I mean the perspective of a young person is just so pure. 41 00:02:40,720 --> 00:02:42,400 It was just so pure you know. 42 00:02:42,400 --> 00:02:48,120 So innocent and sincere and just impromptu and excellent. 43 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:55,560 And temperanious and anyway life life is grand Scott you know we we talked about recently 44 00:02:55,560 --> 00:03:02,000 together with a group you and me about something that I hadn't really known much about. 45 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:07,960 It was kind of new to me about the baseline of happiness that every individual has their 46 00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:14,240 own baseline and there's there's this thing called hedonic treadmill. 47 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:21,080 Hedonic meaning pleasure happiness that everybody is on this treadmill of trying to be happy 48 00:03:21,080 --> 00:03:28,240 and you may have a little spike and you may have a little depression. 49 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:34,080 In other words you may go up and down a little bit in your level of happiness daily weekly 50 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,880 monthly I mean we all go through our cycles right. 51 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:42,240 But you all always return to the same baseline. 52 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:48,640 And I've just been thinking so much about that is how can we if we could just raise 53 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:56,040 if I could just raise my baseline of happiness a few points what difference would that make 54 00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:01,160 in my life and even more importantly what difference would it make in the lives of others 55 00:04:01,160 --> 00:04:02,160 around me. 56 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:09,080 I've just been thinking about that this baseline of happiness the hedonic treadmill or hedonic 57 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:11,640 adaptation they call it. 58 00:04:11,640 --> 00:04:16,080 So let me kind of just draw this for our listeners if you if you think about your baseline and 59 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:20,240 this was new to me too by the way David I thought this was a very enlightening the way 60 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,840 you presented it especially the other night. 61 00:04:23,840 --> 00:04:29,840 But if you just think of your happiness baseline and you just run a horizontal line just a straight 62 00:04:29,840 --> 00:04:32,040 horizontal level line. 63 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:35,680 Yeah on a graph on a graph it just runs from left to right. 64 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,080 Okay and that's that's your that's your happiness baseline right Dave. 65 00:04:39,080 --> 00:04:40,080 Yeah. 66 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:44,360 And we have events throughout our life that intersect that line they'll go above it and 67 00:04:44,360 --> 00:04:49,920 below it and above it and below it in the financial world we call those convergence and divergences 68 00:04:49,920 --> 00:04:54,920 you know converges and then it diverges against it and just kind of flows up and down and 69 00:04:54,920 --> 00:04:55,920 up and down. 70 00:04:55,920 --> 00:05:01,520 And you know and on the upside or our elation you know our super happy days and when we 71 00:05:01,520 --> 00:05:05,400 are having that and you know and those can be for various reasons the birth of a child 72 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:10,560 the baptism of grandson a marriage whatever the case may be that we tie our happiness 73 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,360 to and it will raise it far above our baseline. 74 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:18,640 Then we have times in our lives that create sadness you know the death of a loved one 75 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:23,480 or the challenges of our children or whatnot and they will come below our baseline but 76 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:28,600 as you said that you know the principle is that that happiness baseline will maintain 77 00:05:28,600 --> 00:05:32,680 equilibrium throughout the course of our life. 78 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:37,400 And that baseline that the way you challenge us to raise that baseline is something that 79 00:05:37,400 --> 00:05:42,360 if we I think if we all took serious that it would it would not just change as you said 80 00:05:42,360 --> 00:05:44,360 our lives but those around us. 81 00:05:44,360 --> 00:05:47,640 You know they've actually done several studies on this course. 82 00:05:47,640 --> 00:05:56,440 This is kind of a scientific thing and they studied those who won the lottery and how 83 00:05:56,440 --> 00:06:02,440 that of course increased their level of happiness for a while but how it all settled back down 84 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:08,640 and they came back to the same baseline before they ever won the lottery. 85 00:06:08,640 --> 00:06:14,840 And then they studied those who had become through accidents paralyzed or paraplegic 86 00:06:14,840 --> 00:06:21,440 and how of course that put them into kind of a bottom and they went below their baseline 87 00:06:21,440 --> 00:06:25,760 and eventually over time they rise back up to their baseline. 88 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:32,760 And it's just it's so interesting to me that it seems as though and they say it's about 89 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:37,720 50 50 50 percent genetic and about 50 percent choice. 90 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:38,720 Nurture in nature. 91 00:06:38,720 --> 00:06:39,720 You're right. 92 00:06:39,720 --> 00:06:40,720 Nurture in nature. 93 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:41,720 Yeah. 94 00:06:41,720 --> 00:06:42,720 About half and half. 95 00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:43,720 Right. 96 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:47,600 You you you have some say over it but you don't have complete control over it but that you 97 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:54,400 can raise the level of your happiness baseline. 98 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:55,760 I've just been thinking about that. 99 00:06:55,760 --> 00:06:57,360 I think it's really true for me. 100 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:01,960 I think it's true for my my sweetheart for my children of as I've observed over the 101 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:02,960 years. 102 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:10,000 I've just been thinking it would be so powerful to be more aware of what our baseline is and 103 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:19,520 then to identify things that we can actually do to increase or to raise just a few points 104 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,120 the level of that baseline. 105 00:07:21,120 --> 00:07:26,280 If we can embody the principles that we talk about in this podcast and actually just not 106 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:30,840 give lip service to them and not just listen to them and be spiritually edified by them 107 00:07:30,840 --> 00:07:35,160 but through them be motivated faith unto repentance for example. 108 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:36,160 Yeah. 109 00:07:36,160 --> 00:07:42,040 And if we are motivated by these things through our gratitude for these things then then it's 110 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:48,440 not just possible but it's but it's we should expect our baseline happiness to rise. 111 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:55,680 Really Scott if we really understood the gospel of Jesus Christ and we were more effective 112 00:07:55,680 --> 00:08:03,200 in living it daily and establishing holy habits we would raise the level of our baseline 113 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:09,280 and it wouldn't be up and down so much as it sometimes is when we don't live the gospel. 114 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:10,280 That's right. 115 00:08:10,280 --> 00:08:13,560 And it would and it would remain permanent so long as we did. 116 00:08:13,560 --> 00:08:14,720 Yeah. 117 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:20,960 And eventually if we can if we could continue to increase it a few points and each year 118 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:27,160 and a few points each year as we come closer to our heavenly Father and we live and walk 119 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:35,240 eat and sleep with the spirit of the Lord with us if we could just slowly gradually but consistently 120 00:08:35,240 --> 00:08:40,200 you raise that level baseline level of happiness. 121 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,720 Eventually Scott we come to what the scriptures call a fullness of joy. 122 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:44,720 Right. 123 00:08:44,720 --> 00:08:52,120 And and they're still they're still heavenly Father still has some sorrow when he sees 124 00:08:52,120 --> 00:08:59,280 his children but but that baseline his baseline of happiness that he has a baseline of happiness 125 00:08:59,280 --> 00:09:05,560 Scott it's called the fullness of joy and I'm sure there's a few little swiggles up 126 00:09:05,560 --> 00:09:12,360 and down but he always returns to the baseline of a fullness of joy and that's what we should 127 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:19,800 all seek and today we're so excited to talk about to really get into the kind of the heart 128 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:28,720 of this podcast which is on repentance and we've talked about what repentance is not 129 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:34,000 and everybody I hope you can just review that in your mind without me stating it. 130 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:42,480 What repentance is not is really critical before you can understand what it is and so 131 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:49,160 today we should really start start talking about what repentance is and the blessings 132 00:09:49,160 --> 00:09:55,920 of repentance and the process of repentance the essential elements of repentance and we'll 133 00:09:55,920 --> 00:10:01,640 be talking about this probably for the next three or four the podcast but this kind of 134 00:10:01,640 --> 00:10:06,600 the the heart of the course everything I'm not saying it's the most important thing in 135 00:10:06,600 --> 00:10:11,920 the course the most important thing in the course is is when we spent I don't know maybe 136 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:18,360 three podcasts on the atonement of Jesus Christ the plan of redemption what all that means 137 00:10:18,360 --> 00:10:27,280 however this is about how to access that repentance is really the blessing the gift that God has 138 00:10:27,280 --> 00:10:37,000 given us to access the atonement of Jesus Christ access his power in our life so let's 139 00:10:37,000 --> 00:10:43,240 let's talk about Scott we haven't really discussed what what God has said and how God feels about 140 00:10:43,240 --> 00:10:49,360 repentance the prophets have taught us the scriptures are clear about this so let's let's 141 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:58,320 talk about that Scott and you you reminded me that the first thing Jesus taught when 142 00:10:58,320 --> 00:11:05,760 he began his mortal ministry the first word out of his mouth actually was this is in Matthew 143 00:11:05,760 --> 00:11:12,080 chapter 4 right yeah Matthew chapter 4 verse 17 so Jesus is just finished his 40 day fast 144 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:17,400 right and it talks the people which sat in the darkness with great light unto them which 145 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:22,000 sat in the regions in the shadow of death light is sprung up so Jesus has just come off of 146 00:11:22,000 --> 00:11:28,000 his 40 day fast now in 17 now from that time Jesus began to preach and to say this is really 147 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:33,840 cool repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand the first word that's what that's what 148 00:11:33,840 --> 00:11:40,960 he said repent for the kingdom of heaven is the first word out of his mouth recorded by 149 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:49,320 Matthew beginning his mortal ministry is repent that was his focus Scott that is really we 150 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:57,400 we use the word gospel I think kind of lightly sometimes and when I think of the gospel I 151 00:11:57,400 --> 00:12:02,480 think of the good news that's really what it means and when I think of the good news I 152 00:12:02,480 --> 00:12:09,840 think of the word repent that's the good news that's the good word it's it's it's the gospel 153 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:16,160 of Jesus Christ but but ultimately it's a gospel of action and the action the real action 154 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:25,480 of the gospel Scott is repentance it's the it's a gospel of repentance so this is this 155 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:31,960 is the heart of the gospel of Jesus Christ is repentance and the Lord really emphasizes 156 00:12:31,960 --> 00:12:38,640 that early on in the in the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ he he over and 157 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:45,120 over again to Oliver Cowdery this is before even the church is organized Scott to Oliver 158 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:52,680 Cowdery to to Hiram Smith to several of the early leaders of the church to Joseph Smith 159 00:12:52,680 --> 00:13:03,360 over and over again he says the same thing say nothing but repentance unto this generation 160 00:13:03,360 --> 00:13:09,000 that's repeated in several of the early sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that's Doctrine 161 00:13:09,000 --> 00:13:16,200 and Covenants 6 verse 9 and it's again 11 9 it's in 14 it's in oh I think it's so interesting 162 00:13:16,200 --> 00:13:24,920 how how the Lord defines the church Scott in Doctrine and Covenants section 10 if you 163 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:30,840 think you belong to the church of Jesus Christ that's another way of saying that you are 164 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:37,640 repenting and if you're not repenting maybe you're really not a member of his church let's 165 00:13:37,640 --> 00:13:48,800 listen to this behold this is my doctrine doctrine singular not plural this is my doctrine 166 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:56,280 this is the doctrine of Christ who so ever repenteth and cometh unto me and those two 167 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:00,800 always go together Scott we're going to point that out probably again and again as we define 168 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:05,960 repentance there's that repentance and coming unto Christ or the same thing whenever he says 169 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:11,360 come unto me you should think repentance and whenever you read repentance you should think 170 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:16,920 about well that's just an invitation to come unto me so this is doctrine Covenants section 171 00:14:16,920 --> 00:14:25,520 10 verse 67 for behold this is my doctrine and whosoever repenteth and cometh unto me 172 00:14:25,520 --> 00:14:35,600 the same is my church that's the church I know we love to institutionalize the church but 173 00:14:35,600 --> 00:14:41,600 the essence of the church is that all we're doing is repenting we're just sinners helping 174 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:48,000 sinners Scott we're just sinners who are repenting that is the church that's the essence of the 175 00:14:48,000 --> 00:14:54,840 church and it's the essence of the gospel and then he in verse 68 he says and whosoever 176 00:14:54,840 --> 00:15:01,760 declareeth more or less than this the same is not of me but is against me therefore he 177 00:15:01,760 --> 00:15:09,360 is not of my church and now behold whosoever is of my church and who's of his church those 178 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:16,160 who are repenting whosoever is of my church and in Doroth of my church in other words 179 00:15:16,160 --> 00:15:23,200 who repent daily who repent over and over and over again him will I establish upon my 180 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:31,320 rock and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them so it's we we think about right 181 00:15:31,320 --> 00:15:38,400 Helaman 512 when we read that establishing upon the rock well what does that mean repentance 182 00:15:38,400 --> 00:15:45,320 establishing upon the rock of Christ is nothing really more nothing less than repenting its 183 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:52,240 faith unto repentance it's repenting with faith in Jesus Christ this is his church that's 184 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:58,600 what we've been asked to declare and again early on in the restoration repeated in two 185 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:08,320 sections back to back section 15 and section 16 Scott the last verse in both of these sections 186 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:15,120 to the Whitmer brothers to John and Peter the Lord says exactly the same thing so do 187 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:21,960 you want to do you have that Scott yeah sure do Dr. and Covenant section 15 verse 6 which 188 00:16:21,960 --> 00:16:28,160 is the same thing as section 16 verse 6 and I just think it's a critical that here we 189 00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:35,040 have the witness two or more witnesses and the Lord in repetition teaching us with repetition 190 00:16:35,040 --> 00:16:42,800 to emphasize the importance of this so I verse 6 and now behold I say unto you that the thing 191 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:48,960 which will be of most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people that 192 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:57,440 you may bring souls unto me that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my father wow the 193 00:16:57,440 --> 00:17:06,920 thing the one thing that will be of most worth unto you will be to declare repentance well 194 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:14,000 if that's the one thing that is of greatest importance to the Lord how much more important 195 00:17:14,000 --> 00:17:19,880 is it for us to be engaged in the process because I don't think you can declare it if 196 00:17:19,880 --> 00:17:29,680 you're not doing it so I I hope that all of our listeners and you and me our families 197 00:17:29,680 --> 00:17:37,040 will remember how the Lord feels about this principle of repentance it's the essence God 198 00:17:37,040 --> 00:17:44,960 of really the the gospel it's the essence of God's plan I mean he knew he knew that we 199 00:17:44,960 --> 00:17:55,040 would have to repent because he knew we would sin right repentance is not as Elder Robbins 200 00:17:55,040 --> 00:18:01,160 and President Nelson and Elder Anderson in his book have all taught repentance is not 201 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:10,600 the backup plan it's it's the plan is is the plan of redemption that we would sin and 202 00:18:10,600 --> 00:18:18,560 that the gift of repentance would be available to us through Jesus Christ then his atonement 203 00:18:18,560 --> 00:18:25,200 you know what we're really talking about here we've spent several weeks 20 something to 204 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:31,080 be exact weeks something's not exactly get that but we've spent 20 something weeks talking 205 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:36,520 about the effect the fall of Adam and Eve and our own fall and the effects of the fall 206 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:40,560 and the events of the atonement of Jesus Christ and the effects and now we're getting into 207 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:44,640 the effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ and one of the biggest questions I'm asked 208 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:48,280 not just in our institute class but I'm asked by people I had a great conversation with 209 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:55,000 the gentleman yesterday who's trying to put on the atonement of Jesus Christ and and and 210 00:18:55,000 --> 00:19:00,240 that's a question often comes up okay this is great so I can heal so I can be forgiven 211 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:07,160 so I can return and live to my with my heavenly father because of the atonement because of 212 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:11,320 the atonement of Jesus Christ and all of these things but how do I access that and that's 213 00:19:11,320 --> 00:19:17,480 really what we're talking about this is the key that turns the lock on the door to entering 214 00:19:17,480 --> 00:19:24,800 into his rest yes yes yes yes and of course there's some preparations and maybe some prerequisites 215 00:19:24,800 --> 00:19:31,160 to this yeah but but Scott how would our how would the approach to life your approach my 216 00:19:31,160 --> 00:19:40,360 approach to life change if instead of worrying about living a perfect sinless life what if 217 00:19:40,360 --> 00:19:48,280 my focus was how can I perfect my repentance how would that change your approach to life 218 00:19:48,280 --> 00:19:55,840 that I just want to be a perfect repenter is that a new word yeah repenter perfect repent 219 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:00,920 I just want to be a perfect repenter because it's not possible for me to be sinless here 220 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:06,920 and so maybe maybe maybe my approach should be not to live a sinless life or a perfect 221 00:20:06,920 --> 00:20:15,480 life but to be a perfect repenter in the past and I think this has been true for me in the 222 00:20:15,480 --> 00:20:20,520 past and I'll emphasize in the past and I know that many of our listeners probably are 223 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:25,520 still seeing or having at least in the recent past seen it this way to where we have thought 224 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:31,520 of repentance as a penalty now we went all through that last week of what it is not but 225 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:37,400 but I think sometimes it's difficult for us to release that ingrained feeling and in our 226 00:20:37,400 --> 00:20:43,120 hearts and in our minds that repentance is me going to the court to pay the penalty to 227 00:20:43,120 --> 00:20:49,920 pay the fine yeah but what if we saw instead of that as a this is a way for me to go to 228 00:20:49,920 --> 00:20:56,720 him right to be healed from all of that that created the consequences that required in 229 00:20:56,720 --> 00:21:02,960 my mind for me to go pay the fine well the the essence again the essence of the definition 230 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:10,720 of repentance in my mind and I I'm not talking about the the the Greek or the Hebrew equivalent 231 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:19,880 for the word which we'll get into but but the essence of repentance is defined as come 232 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:26,960 unto me and it's interesting if if in fact I invite all our listeners to really research 233 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:34,160 this I think it's the invitation to come unto me is I think six times in the New Testament 234 00:21:34,160 --> 00:21:40,200 it's over 20 times in the Book of Mormon and the doctrine of covenants in the Restoration 235 00:21:40,200 --> 00:21:47,960 Scriptures he invites us over 20 times to come unto him and really close almost every 236 00:21:47,960 --> 00:21:55,800 time when that invitation is given Scott within a verse or two and and most the time it's 237 00:21:55,800 --> 00:22:04,640 right in the same verse you'll read the word repent repent and come unto me that's the 238 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:11,880 essence of repentance repentance is to turn your back on sin and to move towards Jesus 239 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:16,680 Christ and we should do that daily there's not one of us who is not affected by sin we 240 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:25,480 see it we see it every day we are tainted by it every day in this corrupt corrosive sinful 241 00:22:25,480 --> 00:22:32,680 selfish world we are all affected by it every day and we all sin every day we're all sinners 242 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:37,440 all taught that we're no one can deny that they're that I'm sure there are some who 243 00:22:37,440 --> 00:22:41,200 maybe think they're not or there are some who maybe think they want to live a perfect 244 00:22:41,200 --> 00:22:46,120 day and they probably come close but there's not one person on the earth who's lived a 245 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:53,000 perfect sinless day so the essence of it is that when you see it when you participate 246 00:22:53,000 --> 00:23:00,680 in it when you feel Lord Lord or tempted by it that you turn your back on it and you move 247 00:23:00,680 --> 00:23:08,440 towards the Savior that is the essence of repentance and that's what it looks like when 248 00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:15,280 it comes into the definitions of it right yeah metanaeo and all of the that's the Greek 249 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:20,120 you know for repentance which means well I'm so I've just looked these up again and in 250 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:23,640 the reason I've looked him up I have the essence of what they mean but I don't want to miss 251 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:30,360 quotes so this is the Greek in the Greek that to repent is my metanaeo which means and I'm 252 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:36,960 reading to change one's mind to change one's mind for better heartily I love that to amend 253 00:23:36,960 --> 00:23:42,720 with the abhorrence of one's past sins to choose to turn away from sin and allow God 254 00:23:42,720 --> 00:23:47,280 to wash your heart from the stains of the past so that's from the Greek well and and 255 00:23:47,280 --> 00:23:52,320 president Nelson has taught that and he right and he points out which is really awesome 256 00:23:52,320 --> 00:23:58,360 that it's the same word as metamorphosis right you know the same idea is metamorphosis that 257 00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:04,040 you're changing you're being changed transformed right that's that's the whole idea of the 258 00:24:04,040 --> 00:24:08,400 word and repentance from the New Testament the Greek yep and then the Hebrew from the 259 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:14,160 Old Testament from the Hebrew the word is to shoeva typically to shoeva is translated 260 00:24:14,160 --> 00:24:19,600 from the Hebrew as repentance but it literally means return as if turning back to something 261 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:26,600 you've strayed or looked away from there you go yes the prodigal yeah that's the prodigal 262 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:33,240 son to turn and to go back to the father and I think that you know the simplicity of that 263 00:24:33,240 --> 00:24:39,280 end of that sentence may make it difficult for us to give it much credibility as if turning 264 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:45,160 back to something you've strayed or looked away from how often is our sin how often 265 00:24:45,160 --> 00:24:52,160 is my sin just a product of my choice to look away from him it has so much to do with the 266 00:24:52,160 --> 00:24:59,280 word look so it's repentance is look unto God and live that's one of my favorite phrases 267 00:24:59,280 --> 00:25:07,080 from the Book of Mormon look unto God and live that's repentance repentance is looking 268 00:25:07,080 --> 00:25:14,240 to God looking away from sin and looking to him it the essence of repentance which we 269 00:25:14,240 --> 00:25:21,200 quote this I think verse every week right look unto me in every thought that's that's 270 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:27,160 just repentance God right doctor that is repentance that's what the the word means in the Hebrew 271 00:25:27,160 --> 00:25:33,800 right is to turn and to look unto him look unto me and and then the rest of that verse 272 00:25:33,800 --> 00:25:43,480 the second part of that verse is behold the wounds that pierce my side and the the the 273 00:25:43,480 --> 00:25:48,960 Prince of the nails Prince of the nails in my hands and feet so that's repentance is 274 00:25:48,960 --> 00:25:54,480 looking unto Christ to coming unto Christ we talked about this earlier when we talked 275 00:25:54,480 --> 00:26:00,800 about the atonement of Jesus Christ that when he invites us to come unto him where is he 276 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:07,040 and we've talked about he's in Gethsemane he's at the cross we should think about what he 277 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:15,160 did to pay for our sins that's what we should see that's what we should look at so I I just 278 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:23,160 hope you me our families listeners can can remember that repentance now I I know it's 279 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:33,240 not easy but it's as simple as turning our back just making the choice to turn around 280 00:26:33,240 --> 00:26:41,520 Scott I'm just thinking of this physically just to turn around face the Savior and start 281 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:50,480 moving towards him as we leave sin to our back last week we talked about what repentance 282 00:26:50,480 --> 00:26:54,800 is not and you know a lot of that has to do with roadblocks to repentance those can be 283 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:59,760 roadblocks but there's other roadblocks and not seeing repentance for really what it is 284 00:26:59,760 --> 00:27:05,600 you know can also be a roadblock for sure that we encounter as we try to put on the 285 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:11,480 atonement of Jesus Christ and that roadblock it comes to us for many different reasons 286 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:18,120 our own beliefs we listen to the accuser some of it can be cultural in our families or in 287 00:27:18,120 --> 00:27:24,680 our even in from the church but but the point is is that repentance is really about a change 288 00:27:24,680 --> 00:27:32,600 of heart and a coming to him yeah right yeah loving him yeah loving him and trusting him 289 00:27:32,600 --> 00:27:43,360 yeah being grateful to him and really understanding what he did yeah yeah that's that's why I this 290 00:27:43,360 --> 00:27:52,360 this is the heart of the course but but if one tries to repent and they don't have the 291 00:27:52,360 --> 00:27:57,680 the understanding and gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ and they don't have adequate 292 00:27:57,680 --> 00:28:05,520 faith in the Lord Jesus Christ faith in him faith in his character faith in what he did 293 00:28:05,520 --> 00:28:12,840 in carrying out the atonement it's impossible Scott to have the the endurance or the power 294 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:19,480 really to repent because it's it's the atonement of Jesus Christ and our gratitude our understanding 295 00:28:19,480 --> 00:28:27,360 and gratitude of it and for it that really becomes the motivating power that gives us 296 00:28:27,360 --> 00:28:36,640 the the desire even the desire to turn around to turn our back on sin I mean sin sin is 297 00:28:36,640 --> 00:28:47,320 saints a master at making it seem so appealing and temptation I know is real and you succumb 298 00:28:47,320 --> 00:28:58,160 to it and I've succumbed to it and everybody does and for a moment one finds some fleeting 299 00:28:58,160 --> 00:29:08,720 pleasure I'm sure but it is such a lie and it is such a shortcut to try to find happiness 300 00:29:08,720 --> 00:29:19,080 and it's it's really just the result of not feeling enough love for faith in trust in 301 00:29:19,080 --> 00:29:24,960 the Lord Jesus Christ and and and what he has done for us and what he has offered us 302 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:32,440 right repentance is not just a turning away from something though no no no no we need 303 00:29:32,440 --> 00:29:36,120 to be and we need atheists can do that we need to be very clear about that we need to 304 00:29:36,120 --> 00:29:40,120 know we need to be very clear that you know it's when we when we use the word repentance 305 00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:44,640 and we have said it is to turn away from but there but that's not the completion of that 306 00:29:44,640 --> 00:29:50,080 sentence no it's who you turn to there you go yeah as if turning back to something you've 307 00:29:50,080 --> 00:29:55,000 strayed or look away from and in this case the ultimate which is the Lord and Savior 308 00:29:55,000 --> 00:29:59,840 Jesus Christ that's why it's faith in the Lord Jesus Christ right that is the first 309 00:29:59,840 --> 00:30:07,880 principle of the gospel of repentance not just faith not just belief it's faith in 310 00:30:07,880 --> 00:30:14,480 the Lord Jesus Christ which is really another way of saying more than belief it's trust 311 00:30:14,480 --> 00:30:21,520 that we that we trust that he did suffer for us and that he will forgive us as he has promised 312 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:33,440 that he would do as oft as we repent right as oft as we repent in mosa that's the promise 313 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:42,720 as oft as we repent he will forgive us if he commanded Peter to forgive seventy times seven 314 00:30:42,720 --> 00:30:51,680 how many times will he the Savior forgive us and I just hope that our listeners can find 315 00:30:51,680 --> 00:30:57,040 the joy that president Nelson and and the Lord himself has talked about when it comes 316 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:07,140 to repentance it is it shouldn't be seen as a dour sour heavy doctrine it should be Elder 317 00:31:07,140 --> 00:31:16,760 Christopherson said we should we should talk about it as if it's a sunlit the sunlit gospel 318 00:31:16,760 --> 00:31:22,080 of Jesus Christ it's a it's a happy gospel the Elder Maxwell said we should speak of 319 00:31:22,080 --> 00:31:30,200 repentance with a smile on our face it's the essence it's the heart of the plan of redemption 320 00:31:30,200 --> 00:31:38,960 Scott this is the the the thing the center of everything that we've been prepared to 321 00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:42,960 do in the premortal existence was to come down here and repent and by the way I think 322 00:31:42,960 --> 00:31:47,760 we repented I know we repented in the premortal existence I think that's how we progress there 323 00:31:47,760 --> 00:31:54,880 as spirits we progress to spirit as spirits in the premortal existence through repentance 324 00:31:54,880 --> 00:32:04,320 really the essence of revelations revelation 12 11 9 through 11 that we overcame Satan 325 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:11,480 through the blood of the lamb brother Robert J. Matthews told me that of course we repented 326 00:32:11,480 --> 00:32:17,760 if there were different degrees of righteousness there in the premortal existence there were 327 00:32:17,760 --> 00:32:23,000 probably different degrees of wickedness that if the if everyone was not just perfectly 328 00:32:23,000 --> 00:32:28,440 righteous or the perfect in the same level in the premortal existence then we had choices 329 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:34,120 there as well we weren't completely perfect or sinless there and it was through the blood 330 00:32:34,120 --> 00:32:39,600 of Jesus Christ that we progressed in the premortal existence and we understood and we were 331 00:32:39,600 --> 00:32:44,840 taught in the Grand Council of Heaven that it would be through the repentance through 332 00:32:44,840 --> 00:32:50,320 the principle of repentance in the Lord Jesus Christ in our faith in him that we would be 333 00:32:50,320 --> 00:32:58,360 able to progress in this life overcome the world and return to his presence and to become 334 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:07,440 like him but one more time how would your life change if your focus was not on being 335 00:33:07,440 --> 00:33:16,280 sinless but being perfect in repenting if we could get if we could get really good at 336 00:33:16,280 --> 00:33:22,520 repenting Scott and you don't get really good at repenting by committing really serious 337 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:30,240 sins you get really good at repenting by understanding what it is and by going through the process 338 00:33:30,240 --> 00:33:38,360 and making it a daily part of your your life a daily part of who you are becomes part of 339 00:33:38,360 --> 00:33:45,600 your identity I'm a you know it's kind of like a jay golden Kimball said you know once 340 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:52,280 people wonder why I don't get excommunicated in this church right jay golden Kimball well 341 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:58,360 I'll tell you why it's because I repent too damn fast well we need to be repenting not 342 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:08,960 daily we need to be repenting continually continually always repenting that is the key 343 00:34:08,960 --> 00:34:18,320 to us living a joyful life and raising the level the baseline level of our happiness 344 00:34:18,320 --> 00:34:27,200 is by seeing our purpose and the gospel of Jesus Christ as a gospel of repentance and 345 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:35,800 our purpose to learn to really learn how to be good repenters and to to draw closer to 346 00:34:35,800 --> 00:34:42,800 the Savior to look to him in every thought and behold him and and I again we're not going 347 00:34:42,800 --> 00:34:46,360 to be we're not going to be perfect to that either I'm not I don't want to create more 348 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:51,440 guilt for people we're not going to be perfect repenters either but but what if we what if 349 00:34:51,440 --> 00:35:01,320 we just sought to be better repenters instead of sinless saints I think we do that by changing 350 00:35:01,320 --> 00:35:07,200 the way we see repentance yeah I would so last it was either last season maybe the season 351 00:35:07,200 --> 00:35:12,080 before we're in our third season of this podcast and we repeat because it's a course that we're 352 00:35:12,080 --> 00:35:18,360 doing here but when we had this either last time or the time before somebody a woman that 353 00:35:18,360 --> 00:35:24,600 I loved dearly who's very important to me said to me I'm so glad I heard that she said 354 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:29,360 and this is true and I believe this about her she says because God I just I look at my life 355 00:35:29,360 --> 00:35:35,000 and I'm not trying to be flippant or arrogant or self-righteous or anything I know I sin 356 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:41,720 but it's like I make the same I repent for the same sins little things that I do or don't 357 00:35:41,720 --> 00:35:47,400 do every single day what's the point and and and then you know what she said she said and 358 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:53,600 then it came to me that it's really not about it's important the activities are important 359 00:35:53,600 --> 00:35:58,440 the doers are important there's no question but the essence of repentance is come unto 360 00:35:58,440 --> 00:36:03,640 me or the and the essence of repentance then is a state of being a way to be that's who 361 00:36:03,640 --> 00:36:10,280 we are it's an attitude it's a it's a it's something that we become a part of or becomes 362 00:36:10,280 --> 00:36:16,640 a part of us right and so it's a constant attitude of repentance now when we see repentance 363 00:36:16,640 --> 00:36:22,200 the way that we've just described it as a way to turn to him or to return to him or 364 00:36:22,200 --> 00:36:30,080 to look back to him or I may say to look at him with deeper and more intentional intent 365 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:35,160 or right yeah when we when we can do it that way that to me that's real repentance and 366 00:36:35,160 --> 00:36:39,840 then we don't have to worry about okay did I not did I do something wrong or did I do 367 00:36:39,840 --> 00:36:45,480 an omission do I have a sin of omission today that I left out we don't need to dial in and 368 00:36:45,480 --> 00:36:51,120 focus on the little things we just focus on him the little things will come to light as 369 00:36:51,120 --> 00:36:56,720 we can work on them and it makes a possible force to do it yeah absolutely I love that 370 00:36:56,720 --> 00:37:03,160 yeah it just needs to be a part of who we are we just need to be better repenters this 371 00:37:03,160 --> 00:37:10,080 is mosaia twenty six therefore I say unto you go and whosoever transgresses against 372 00:37:10,080 --> 00:37:15,200 me him shall ye judge according to the sins which he has committed this is the Lord the 373 00:37:15,200 --> 00:37:22,680 Alma who's become the high priest of the church this is a mosaia twenty six verse twenty nine 374 00:37:22,680 --> 00:37:28,680 and if he confesses sins before thee and me and repentance in the sincerity of his heart 375 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:36,800 him shall ye forgive and I will forgive him also yeah and as often as often as my people 376 00:37:36,800 --> 00:37:50,400 repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me I we all have been guilty and guilty 377 00:37:50,400 --> 00:37:56,960 is not a negative word shame shame I think is a negative word we shouldn't shame ourselves 378 00:37:56,960 --> 00:38:03,400 but I think guilty is a guilt is a gift we'll talk more about that but guilt is a gift from 379 00:38:03,400 --> 00:38:12,800 God shame is a accusation of Satan and we've all been guilty Scott of committing the same 380 00:38:12,800 --> 00:38:20,840 sin over and over and over again and repentance is sometimes a a process for maybe the same 381 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:31,680 sin over and over and over again and and maybe we make very small improvement but eventually 382 00:38:31,680 --> 00:38:38,560 if we will not throw in the towel give up or listen to the accuser who will tell us so 383 00:38:38,560 --> 00:38:43,640 it's not doing you any good who do you think you are you're just going to do the same thing 384 00:38:43,640 --> 00:38:49,600 all over again all those lies right yeah yeah all those lies if we just won't buy into that 385 00:38:49,600 --> 00:38:57,840 and if we'll just be be faithful and endure continually repenting even if it is for the 386 00:38:57,840 --> 00:39:08,920 same sin over and over again that I know that the Lord will in his time and by his power 387 00:39:08,920 --> 00:39:16,200 that we will overcome those sins it may be a little at a time it may be all at once it's 388 00:39:16,200 --> 00:39:21,160 never the same for any one person and by the way the scripture in doctrine and covenants 389 00:39:21,160 --> 00:39:26,360 we should talk about this the scripture in doctrine and covenants section 82 has always 390 00:39:26,360 --> 00:39:34,720 been something of a I think a stumbling block for individuals who repent Scott and I used 391 00:39:34,720 --> 00:39:40,240 to use this as a branch when I was a branch president the missionary training center I 392 00:39:40,240 --> 00:39:45,560 used to use this a lot for missionaries and and I I did it to help them repent I didn't 393 00:39:45,560 --> 00:39:52,080 want to shame them but they needed to understand this and I and it's true it's in the scripture 394 00:39:52,080 --> 00:39:57,760 so it's true but in verse one it says let's just look at section 82 in the doctrine comments 395 00:39:57,760 --> 00:40:03,280 first one barely barely I say unto you my servants that in as much you've forgiven one another 396 00:40:03,280 --> 00:40:10,560 your trespasses even so I the Lord forgive you okay so good awesome we we get forgiven 397 00:40:10,560 --> 00:40:17,080 as we forgive verse two nevertheless there are those among you who have sin exceedingly 398 00:40:17,080 --> 00:40:26,440 yea even all of you have sinned that's that's to the whole this revelation is given to Jackson 399 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:34,880 County to the church and it's true we have all all of you have sinned period exclamation 400 00:40:34,880 --> 00:40:40,520 mark but barely I say unto you beware from henceforth and refrain from sin these less 401 00:40:40,520 --> 00:40:45,600 sword judgments fall upon your head and then he says where much is given much is required 402 00:40:45,600 --> 00:40:51,560 but look at verse seven verse seven is often the problems got so let's discuss this you 403 00:40:51,560 --> 00:40:58,240 want to read it verse seven you got it and now barely I say unto you I the Lord will 404 00:40:58,240 --> 00:41:05,560 not lay any sins to your charge go your ways and sin no more but unto that soul who's sinneth 405 00:41:05,560 --> 00:41:11,560 shall the former sins return saith Lord your God that's pretty discouraging to a lot of 406 00:41:11,560 --> 00:41:16,720 people can be it has been for me in the past I heard that a couple of times in my past 407 00:41:16,720 --> 00:41:21,840 reponse process and I you know seriously the classical leaders use it all the time and 408 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:27,880 you know and and even if the ecclesiastical leader isn't using we some of us know that 409 00:41:27,880 --> 00:41:32,800 and some of us find it yeah and we've heard it in the past and now we use it as an indictment 410 00:41:32,800 --> 00:41:38,240 and we do you know you use the word guilt and that's great but what if we if we view 411 00:41:38,240 --> 00:41:46,760 this wrongly then we sometimes can feel shame around that too so so what that's my exactly 412 00:41:46,760 --> 00:41:52,640 that's my that's the thing we don't get but so what I understand this yeah so what if 413 00:41:52,640 --> 00:41:57,440 the former sins return okay I right I committed the same sin again yep it's not like they 414 00:41:57,440 --> 00:42:03,240 stack up now that's I know that there's no compounding there's no compounding or the 415 00:42:03,240 --> 00:42:09,360 sin stacking up and it gets worse and worse and worse yeah until Jesus says I can't carry 416 00:42:09,360 --> 00:42:15,680 this anymore now let's be clear maybe the consequences of our sin can compound and maybe the degrees 417 00:42:15,680 --> 00:42:24,920 of the sin may increase maybe but the Lord will always forgive and if it's the same sin 418 00:42:24,920 --> 00:42:33,000 we're repenting of daily then so be it and he's happy that we have absolutely absolutely 419 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:38,600 Scott on honestly I just see this so much differently now yeah and I used to see it 420 00:42:38,600 --> 00:42:43,600 when I was in my in my youth or even as a branch president of the missionary training center 421 00:42:43,600 --> 00:42:49,320 or even as a bishop or even in the state presidency I just see repentance is wow what 422 00:42:49,320 --> 00:42:58,360 what a gift I get to repent what a gift and my focus is more on the process of repentance 423 00:42:58,360 --> 00:43:06,760 than it is upon my sins and how sinful I am I I just think people just need to see themselves 424 00:43:06,760 --> 00:43:13,040 as being really good repenters as much or more than they see themselves as really good 425 00:43:13,040 --> 00:43:20,800 sinners it's true we're all sinners but I I want my perspective to be I'm a really good 426 00:43:20,800 --> 00:43:28,480 repenter and I I say it with a smile on my face not because I'm not sorry for my sins 427 00:43:28,480 --> 00:43:32,480 I mean we're going to talk about what it means to have a broken heart and contrite spirit 428 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:37,600 and how essential that is to to meeting the conditions of repentance we're going to talk 429 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:48,760 about that but I'm not going to continually turn my back on the Savior move towards the 430 00:43:48,760 --> 00:43:55,040 same sin and just repeat it over and over again at the at the end of the night beginning 431 00:43:55,040 --> 00:44:02,280 of the morning middle of noon day whatever I want to turn around and face the Savior 432 00:44:02,280 --> 00:44:09,080 and move in His direction and if I have to say sorry to Him a hundred times one day 433 00:44:09,080 --> 00:44:15,160 it's I'm okay I I know if I did that I'd be spinning so so fast I'd become dizzy and 434 00:44:15,160 --> 00:44:21,360 I'd probably you know become sick and and I don't want to be flippant in how how I talk 435 00:44:21,360 --> 00:44:26,320 about it or and the Prophet Joseph Smith said by the way this is in the teaching the Prophet 436 00:44:26,320 --> 00:44:33,480 Joseph Smith we should not trifle we should not trifle with daily repentance but the truth 437 00:44:33,480 --> 00:44:46,760 is we all sin and usually multiple times a day and as long as I catch myself and I turn 438 00:44:46,760 --> 00:44:54,520 and I see the Savior and I seek to move in His direction then I know that the power of 439 00:44:54,520 --> 00:45:03,640 mercy and grace and the love of God is always will always has always been you know there 440 00:45:03,640 --> 00:45:06,720 for me that's what we need to focus on. 441 00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:11,360 I just had a thought come to me while you were talking about you know what if we commit 442 00:45:11,360 --> 00:45:17,480 the same sin and we do so so often the same sin over and over again in the same day you 443 00:45:17,480 --> 00:45:25,120 know I I've talked about my old original sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous he was not a member 444 00:45:25,120 --> 00:45:31,160 of the church but he helped me in my returning to the church maybe more than anybody outside 445 00:45:31,160 --> 00:45:36,440 of the church did well even maybe more than people in the church he helped me because 446 00:45:36,440 --> 00:45:40,880 he helped me stay true to principles that were important to me he really helped me to 447 00:45:40,880 --> 00:45:45,400 understand this principle you know well if we're sinning throughout the day if we're 448 00:45:45,400 --> 00:45:49,680 making mistakes throughout the day if we're creating distance between us and our heavenly 449 00:45:49,680 --> 00:45:55,240 Father or the spirit of our heavenly Father throughout the day it's often our tendency 450 00:45:55,240 --> 00:46:00,980 to just wait and let them stack up and then at the end of the day as we kneel down to 451 00:46:00,980 --> 00:46:06,520 say our prayers we plead for forgiveness and we attempt what we have thought to be a repentance 452 00:46:06,520 --> 00:46:13,000 process well big Al taught me he says Scott you should start your day over as often as 453 00:46:13,000 --> 00:46:20,720 you need to and that would include turning to him heavenly Father and saying I'm sorry 454 00:46:20,720 --> 00:46:26,440 thank you for the atonement of your son and thank and thank you for the cleansing process 455 00:46:26,440 --> 00:46:31,600 that this process of repentance is allowing me to fill we don't need to be caught up 456 00:46:31,600 --> 00:46:36,600 in our sins throughout the day we can repent as often as throughout the day to we don't 457 00:46:36,600 --> 00:46:43,360 need to let them stack up tell the end of the day yeah absolutely I love that you know 458 00:46:43,360 --> 00:46:48,960 my my sweetheart kind of has a trigger that when she's feeling bad about herself or she 459 00:46:48,960 --> 00:46:57,680 has made a mistake or lost her patience or or whatever the little yeah I mean yeah she's 460 00:46:57,680 --> 00:47:03,440 she's a saint who is a sinner who just keeps on trying like all of us love that definition 461 00:47:03,440 --> 00:47:14,120 by quoted by elder Rennlin quoting Nelson Mandela we're all a saint is just a sinner 462 00:47:14,120 --> 00:47:20,600 who keeps on trying well my sweetheart just every time she's maybe not feeling great about 463 00:47:20,600 --> 00:47:27,320 herself for whatever reason feeling tainted by sin she'll just bow her head and say thank 464 00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:38,880 you yeah now for her immediately her mind her thoughts are turned to God thank you God 465 00:47:38,880 --> 00:47:50,320 for your son yeah and thank you Jesus thank you Jesus for your suffering just looking 466 00:47:50,320 --> 00:47:59,520 to God and looking to the Savior will fill us with the Holy Ghost and the Holy Ghost 467 00:47:59,520 --> 00:48:06,600 ultimately is the messenger and the administrator of the atonement of Jesus Christ in our life 468 00:48:06,600 --> 00:48:12,440 he is the refiners fire and she will always when she does that with the sincere heart 469 00:48:12,440 --> 00:48:20,360 a broken heart contrite spirit and and she bows her head and says thank you she she 470 00:48:20,360 --> 00:48:26,600 feels the spirit of the Lord and the love of God come over well I I love this scripture 471 00:48:26,600 --> 00:48:32,880 in Isaiah right Scott describing repentance come down let us reason together say at the 472 00:48:32,880 --> 00:48:43,120 Lord this is Isaiah 1 1 18 Scott all of us should have you no doubt memorize that in 473 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:50,720 seminary come down let us reason together say at the Lord they shall be white as though 474 00:48:50,720 --> 00:49:02,280 your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow though they be red like crimson they 475 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:12,000 shall be as wool if you be willing and obedient ye shall eat of the good of the land but if 476 00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:22,920 you refuse and rebel ye shall be devoured with the sword I I know we all sin but I know 477 00:49:22,920 --> 00:49:35,440 and I know that sin is rebellion sin is living a lie sin is awful it takes us away from God 478 00:49:35,440 --> 00:49:47,800 sin is the source of all sin is Satan and all sin is evil but Scott again heavenly 479 00:49:47,800 --> 00:49:56,680 father knew we would it was part of mortality we would live in a hellish celestial world 480 00:49:56,680 --> 00:50:03,600 and that through the atonement of Jesus Christ repentance would be as as available to us 481 00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:12,280 as we needed it as often as we needed it and that through repentance and the power grace 482 00:50:12,280 --> 00:50:19,560 mercy of the atonement of Jesus Christ that we can not only be redeemed but we would be 483 00:50:19,560 --> 00:50:30,280 enabled strengthened and we would be compensated for all of the weakness all of the inadequacies 484 00:50:30,280 --> 00:50:38,640 it so much so much of I think our sins I know it's always it can't be a sin unless you can 485 00:50:38,640 --> 00:50:48,960 choose it and so sin is ultimately a choice and sin is always a breach of our agency 486 00:50:48,960 --> 00:50:59,640 in a sense because the more you sin the more agency or freedom you lose however the way 487 00:50:59,640 --> 00:51:08,560 some people are wired the the the struggles the mortal challenges and influences of the 488 00:51:08,560 --> 00:51:18,520 world and things of the people do not always have a choice in how they how they process 489 00:51:18,520 --> 00:51:27,080 things how they see things the the mental torment anguish depression illness mental 490 00:51:27,080 --> 00:51:35,800 illness that people suffer Scott is sin is different for different people there's there's 491 00:51:35,800 --> 00:51:44,600 every degree of it you doing one thing same thing as me may not be the same degree or 492 00:51:44,600 --> 00:51:52,520 level of sin as it would be for me and no one knows that except the Lord Jesus Christ 493 00:51:52,520 --> 00:52:01,400 who is our ultimate judge the one choice we always have Scott is we can turn and we can 494 00:52:01,400 --> 00:52:09,240 look to him look to God we'll talk more about this when we talk about it's as simple as 495 00:52:09,240 --> 00:52:17,560 looking to the brazen serpent on the pole raised up by Moses that healed them from serpents 496 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:26,280 and the poison and we can be healed just as I don't want to say easily just as simply it's 497 00:52:26,280 --> 00:52:33,840 not it's not easy Scott it takes work it takes effort it takes it takes a broken heart 498 00:52:33,840 --> 00:52:42,480 contrite spirit it takes a level of of sincerity and humility and meekness to do that but it 499 00:52:42,480 --> 00:52:50,640 is a simple process in order to look to the Savior to move in his direction and there's 500 00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:56,240 ways that we can do that and we'll discuss all those all those ways as we as we go through 501 00:52:56,240 --> 00:53:04,040 the essential elements of repentance the effects of sin are really an exacerbation of the effects 502 00:53:04,040 --> 00:53:08,480 of the fall of Adam and Eve yeah and when we repent you said a few minutes ago that 503 00:53:08,480 --> 00:53:15,280 when we repent that we have invited in the Comforter the Holy Ghost back into our life 504 00:53:15,280 --> 00:53:20,560 as the administrator of the Atonement of Jesus Christ let me just talk about that for just 505 00:53:20,560 --> 00:53:25,880 a second what does that mean that the Holy Ghost is the administrator well what that 506 00:53:25,880 --> 00:53:31,960 means is you know oftentimes when I think or in the past when I have thought I'm going 507 00:53:31,960 --> 00:53:37,560 to repent and what do I expect to get from that repentance I expect to feel better about 508 00:53:37,560 --> 00:53:45,000 myself I expect to have shame and guilt dissipate I expect to have feeling of peace and that's 509 00:53:45,000 --> 00:53:50,560 maybe where it kind of just ended until I had a deeper understanding of the administration 510 00:53:50,560 --> 00:53:54,520 of the Atonement of Jesus Christ through the Holy Ghost which you talked about those three 511 00:53:54,520 --> 00:53:59,840 main blessings the compensatory blessings the enabling blessings and the redeeming blessings 512 00:53:59,840 --> 00:54:05,320 so as we go through this repentance process on a daily and sometimes multi daily multi 513 00:54:05,320 --> 00:54:10,400 time several times a day and we fill the spirit that's not just so that we can feel peace 514 00:54:10,400 --> 00:54:15,000 that's great and it's important that we do feel peace and and that by that feeling peace 515 00:54:15,000 --> 00:54:19,520 is a manifestation that these things are happening in my in our lives but what it really means 516 00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:23,360 is that we're being strengthened now to keep the commandments better that's the enabling 517 00:54:23,360 --> 00:54:30,840 right and what it also means is that we are no longer a subject to being overcome by the 518 00:54:30,840 --> 00:54:40,000 the inadequacies deficiencies well yeah all of that weakness of the flesh all that and 519 00:54:40,000 --> 00:54:45,040 even this stuff that's perpetuated against us from other people you know we are all victims 520 00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:48,800 we're all right and we're all victimizers as well right the sins of you know and so 521 00:54:48,800 --> 00:54:53,640 that compensatory blessing so you know if my sin yes that I've repenting for and this 522 00:54:53,640 --> 00:54:58,040 has happened to me in the last couple of days is that I snapped at somebody I love you know 523 00:54:58,040 --> 00:55:02,200 and alcoholics anonymous we have this thing and when we're wrong we promptly admitted it 524 00:55:02,200 --> 00:55:06,720 I call I pick up the phone a few minutes later I call and I say you know what I'm so sorry 525 00:55:06,720 --> 00:55:11,840 my heart wasn't right and so then I feel better but now what that has done is it's compensated 526 00:55:11,840 --> 00:55:16,640 not just me but that person yeah and if we understand that you know and then of course 527 00:55:16,640 --> 00:55:20,720 they're redeeming we're redeemed and of course that redemption will come in its fullness at 528 00:55:20,720 --> 00:55:26,920 resurrection we'll get to that but all of those blessings if we can if I can understand 529 00:55:26,920 --> 00:55:31,880 that when I feel the spirit of the Holy Ghost what that actually means what the administration 530 00:55:31,880 --> 00:55:36,520 means if it means that I'm being compensated or those that I've heard of being compensated 531 00:55:36,520 --> 00:55:41,320 and sometimes that's more important to me than the compensation to myself for sure and 532 00:55:41,320 --> 00:55:45,000 that I'm being strengthened and enabled and that I'm being redeemed and that redemption 533 00:55:45,000 --> 00:55:50,960 is already in place and I have already been redeemed in fact that it's much more that 534 00:55:50,960 --> 00:55:56,880 experience is much more to me than just having a good calm peaceful feeling yeah absolutely 535 00:55:56,880 --> 00:56:05,760 all these things that we've talked about Scott today can definitely raise the level of the 536 00:56:05,760 --> 00:56:15,240 baseline of our happiness but that's not why we do it the reason we should do it the pure 537 00:56:15,240 --> 00:56:26,400 motive should be that I can have a stronger closer more intimate loving relationship with 538 00:56:26,400 --> 00:56:35,080 my Heavenly Father it all comes down Scott to relationships repentance and all the principles 539 00:56:35,080 --> 00:56:42,440 of the gospel of Jesus Christ always comes down to a relationship that's why we should 540 00:56:42,440 --> 00:56:50,560 do it having that relationship using the principle of repentance in order to draw closer to our 541 00:56:50,560 --> 00:56:57,200 Savior strengthening our relationship with him with the Father with the Holy Spirit all 542 00:56:57,200 --> 00:57:05,520 of that is why we should do it which will definitely raise the level of our happiness 543 00:57:05,520 --> 00:57:13,400 and definitely raise the level of our peace and rest that we can have even in a wicked 544 00:57:13,400 --> 00:57:25,600 world so the invite to our listeners would be to try to change something of your perspective 545 00:57:25,600 --> 00:57:32,920 change your perspective of repentance repentance is not just for big sins repentance and not 546 00:57:32,920 --> 00:57:40,080 a principle it's just for major sins it's it's it's a way of life repentance should be a 547 00:57:40,080 --> 00:57:48,480 way of life a daily way and choice of life it's why we're here to be to learn how to 548 00:57:48,480 --> 00:57:55,000 be really good repenters you know you nibbly said we're here for two reasons to learn how 549 00:57:55,000 --> 00:58:00,560 to be good repenters and to learn how to forgive others and both of those two of course go 550 00:58:00,560 --> 00:58:07,800 together and learn separable so I that's why we're here and that's what will determine 551 00:58:07,800 --> 00:58:15,760 ultimately our relationship with with heaven so I hope that we can all of us see it that 552 00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:21,080 way and change our perspective if we need to as we go throughout this week I think it 553 00:58:21,080 --> 00:58:26,240 would be a good invitation for each of us to really take a good hard look at the way we 554 00:58:26,240 --> 00:58:33,560 view repentance actually maybe even go a little bit further and and assess our relationship 555 00:58:33,560 --> 00:58:39,240 with repentance what is our relationship with repentance really like as we begin the next 556 00:58:39,240 --> 00:58:45,280 great as we actually move into the next couple of podcasts and talk about this I it's our 557 00:58:45,280 --> 00:58:51,160 hope and prayer that we will see repentance what it really is an invitation to come fully 558 00:58:51,160 --> 00:58:55,600 unto him thanks for being with us we look forward to being with you again next week until then 559 00:58:55,600 --> 00:59:10,200 be well