1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:21,360 Hey there everybody welcome back to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:21,360 --> 00:00:24,160 Scott and David Durfey here as always. 3 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:25,160 How are you Dave? 4 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:26,160 I am great. 5 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:27,160 Thank you Scott. 6 00:00:27,160 --> 00:00:28,640 Beautiful day here. 7 00:00:28,640 --> 00:00:34,960 Yeah, we are getting some good weather here on the Wasatch Front in Orem, Utah where we 8 00:00:34,960 --> 00:00:35,960 record. 9 00:00:35,960 --> 00:00:37,360 Probably be snowing when people listen. 10 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:41,800 Probably be snowing here when people actually listen to this because it is always the week 11 00:00:41,800 --> 00:00:42,800 or two delayed. 12 00:00:42,800 --> 00:00:43,800 Yeah, this is spring. 13 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:44,800 Right. 14 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,200 Well that is true and it is spring and you know they say in Utah if you don't like the 15 00:00:48,200 --> 00:00:50,720 weather just wait 20 minutes. 16 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,000 It is going to change especially this time of year. 17 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:55,080 It has been wonderful this week hasn't it? 18 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:57,640 Yeah, it has been a great week. 19 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:04,640 Well Dave, I think last week we spent most of the episode talking about the crying out 20 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:10,200 process, the importance of that in terms of our repentance, in terms of our turning to 21 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:17,480 Jesus and trying to make ourselves available to Him and Him available to us in our lives. 22 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:22,320 This week we move into the manifestations of repentance. 23 00:01:22,320 --> 00:01:32,440 Yeah, so again, Scott I think as I see it and as I have taught it and outlined it, it 24 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:40,960 seems to me that there are four essential elements in the process of repentance. 25 00:01:40,960 --> 00:01:46,680 Repentance is a process, it is not an event, there aren't steps. 26 00:01:46,680 --> 00:01:52,080 Some people work better when they have steps and that is fine and Elder Anderson has taught 27 00:01:52,080 --> 00:01:57,560 us how to do that in his book The Divine Gift of Forgiveness. 28 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:07,360 But there is these essential elements as I call them and they are the foundations of 29 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:11,320 repentance. 30 00:02:11,320 --> 00:02:15,480 The doctrinal understanding, these are the foundations. 31 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:23,720 Spiritual understanding, faith in Christ, true faith in Jesus Christ, in His Atonement, 32 00:02:23,720 --> 00:02:30,600 the understanding of what repentance is and what it is not, the complete and uncompromising 33 00:02:30,600 --> 00:02:32,520 honesty that is required. 34 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:34,800 Those are all foundations of repentance. 35 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:40,320 Then you have the conditions of repentance which is a broken heart and contrite spirit 36 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:49,280 so critical to fulfill those conditions of repentance that one experiences godly sorrow. 37 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:54,880 The actions of repentance is what we have spent time on recently which is crying out 38 00:02:54,880 --> 00:03:05,880 to God in faith and offering our whole souls and our sins to him as our sacrifice. 39 00:03:05,880 --> 00:03:09,080 So those are the actions of repentance. 40 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:14,240 That is kind of the heart of repentance, Scott, is the crying out and recently in Come Follow 41 00:03:14,240 --> 00:03:19,440 Me, you know, we didn't really talk about this, I don't think last week, but I guess 42 00:03:19,440 --> 00:03:25,400 we did a little bit, but we talked about Enos and Alma last week and in Come Follow Me, 43 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:27,920 that is where we have been recently. 44 00:03:27,920 --> 00:03:35,560 And it just kind of struck me thinking about it this past Sunday as we studied that as 45 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:42,920 a family and that was taught in Sunday school and all the classes in church. 46 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:48,840 This experience of Enos is just a profound example of that where the word cried I think 47 00:03:48,840 --> 00:03:54,600 is used three or four times in that small chapter. 48 00:03:54,600 --> 00:04:03,720 He's crying out and I know, Scott, that we can cry out anywhere at any time to God and 49 00:04:03,720 --> 00:04:05,720 He'll hear our prayers. 50 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:12,560 We can, you know, I think we quoted, we amulet in Alma 34, cry out in the morning, cry out 51 00:04:12,560 --> 00:04:17,760 at noon, cry out at night, anytime, cry out. 52 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:23,640 We talked about, Amulet talks about crying out in your fields and your closet and he 53 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:31,060 talked about what you cry for and Amulet Alma 34 is such a great example of what it means 54 00:04:31,060 --> 00:04:36,640 to cry out anytime, anywhere for anything. 55 00:04:36,640 --> 00:04:44,800 However, it's it, it, real crying out is not very casual. 56 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,960 It's not easy, breezy. 57 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:54,560 It's not just, it's not really informal. 58 00:04:54,560 --> 00:05:04,160 It is deep and it is reverent and it is worshipful and it, it acknowledge, we acknowledge our 59 00:05:04,160 --> 00:05:11,880 need and complete total dependence upon God. 60 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:22,680 Crying out is the really, any prayer is great, any prayer at any time, anywhere is great. 61 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:27,640 But crying out is a different level, a deeper level of prayer. 62 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:33,000 When I think of crying out, Dave, you know, this is more than just, like you said, just 63 00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:34,000 a prayer. 64 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:39,240 This, and it's more than just an event, right? 65 00:05:39,240 --> 00:05:40,640 It's more of an experience. 66 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:41,640 It's a yearning. 67 00:05:41,640 --> 00:05:44,240 Yeah, and it requires a lot of energy. 68 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:52,280 It does work a lot of work and a lot of introspection, a lot of feeling around that. 69 00:05:52,280 --> 00:05:55,280 We are introspective around and so on. 70 00:05:55,280 --> 00:05:56,800 So yeah. 71 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:00,000 And it's, it's the level of prayer. 72 00:06:00,000 --> 00:06:03,960 I mean, Joseph Smith's first prayer, we call it his first prayer, where it really wasn't 73 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:11,040 his first prayer, but Joseph Smith's vocal prayer in the sacred grove was a, was a form 74 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:17,160 of crying out when Moroni appears to him three years later because of him crying out. 75 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:19,600 And I'm not even sure that was out loud. 76 00:06:19,600 --> 00:06:22,960 You know, he's got, he's sleeping in a bedroom with a bunch of brothers and sisters and he's 77 00:06:22,960 --> 00:06:24,320 probably laying in bed. 78 00:06:24,320 --> 00:06:26,280 That's how we at least picture it. 79 00:06:26,280 --> 00:06:27,280 That's how it's been painted. 80 00:06:27,280 --> 00:06:29,520 I don't know really where he was. 81 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:31,160 Maybe he snuck out of bed and knelt down. 82 00:06:31,160 --> 00:06:32,320 I don't know. 83 00:06:32,320 --> 00:06:37,440 So I don't know where he's at, but he may be laying in bed crying out when Moroni appears 84 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:40,400 to him, but it's, it's the yearning. 85 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:48,680 It's the stretching, the soul stretching yearning that we experience that leads to this crying 86 00:06:48,680 --> 00:06:49,680 out. 87 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:54,120 And, and I want to read something from the Bible dictionary that we didn't read last 88 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:55,120 time. 89 00:06:55,120 --> 00:07:00,360 And that's one of my favorite parts of the Bible dictionary. 90 00:07:00,360 --> 00:07:03,840 It's in page 707, the Bible dictionary. 91 00:07:03,840 --> 00:07:05,360 It's under prayer. 92 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:06,720 All right. 93 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:13,120 So Brother Matthews writes this in the Bible dictionary under, under the topic of prayer. 94 00:07:13,120 --> 00:07:19,200 As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand towards God, namely that 95 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:26,080 God is our Father and we are His children, then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive 96 00:07:26,080 --> 00:07:28,120 on our part. 97 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:36,680 Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship. 98 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:42,680 Prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought 99 00:07:42,680 --> 00:07:45,520 into correspondence with each other. 100 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:53,480 The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and 101 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,680 for others blessings. 102 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:04,200 And I'll add forgiveness that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional 103 00:08:04,200 --> 00:08:06,960 on our asking for them. 104 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:08,960 Get this. 105 00:08:08,960 --> 00:08:11,080 Two last sentences. 106 00:08:11,080 --> 00:08:20,040 This requires some work or effort on our part before we can obtain them. 107 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:29,560 Prayer is a form of work and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings. 108 00:08:29,560 --> 00:08:35,520 And I think the highest of all blessings, God, is forgiveness and to receive from our 109 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:39,280 Heavenly Father knowledge of our standing before Him. 110 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:45,920 A couple of weeks ago when we did that interview with Nick, one of the things that, maybe even 111 00:08:45,920 --> 00:08:51,960 the thing that really changed Nick's life and the direction of his life was when he 112 00:08:51,960 --> 00:08:58,280 was reading in the book The Divine Gift of Forgiveness where he read that Elder Anderson 113 00:08:58,280 --> 00:09:04,480 said something along the lines of, and at some point our soul begins to cry out for 114 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:05,960 Christ. 115 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:08,960 And we asked Nick, we said, Nick, what was that like for you? 116 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:10,160 What was the crying out? 117 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:12,240 What did that look like to you? 118 00:09:12,240 --> 00:09:20,000 And for Nick, Dave, if you'll remember, it wasn't just a single event, but it was a period 119 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:26,000 of his life where he felt like his crying out to Christ. 120 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:30,200 And then finally, when he was able to understand that that's exactly what that was, was a crying 121 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:31,600 out for Christ. 122 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,160 That's when he was able to make it efficacious in his own life. 123 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:40,520 Yeah, crying out is not just one single event. 124 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:41,520 It can be. 125 00:09:41,520 --> 00:09:43,480 It was in Enos's case. 126 00:09:43,480 --> 00:09:44,720 Seemed to be in Alma's case. 127 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:49,680 I mean, for probably three days and three nights he was crying out, but after three days and 128 00:09:49,680 --> 00:09:52,280 three nights and not being able to speak. 129 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:57,680 And Alma's crying out would have been in his heart and mind because he couldn't speak. 130 00:09:57,680 --> 00:10:01,800 I know Elder Holland's recently encouraged us to pray vocally and we've talked about 131 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:09,520 that, but the power that can that praying out, crying out vocally can be a blessing. 132 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:23,320 But I just think that we are sometimes just too casual, too trite, too insipid in our 133 00:10:23,320 --> 00:10:24,320 prayers. 134 00:10:24,320 --> 00:10:25,320 Yeah. 135 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:28,760 I know for me, you know, a couple of weeks. 136 00:10:28,760 --> 00:10:30,720 Well, last week, I guess it was. 137 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,800 You asked me if you ever had that crying out experience and I've been thinking about that 138 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:37,280 all week and I've had more than one. 139 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:42,960 We don't have to prepare and then make this a once in a lifetime event for sure. 140 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:44,640 Crying out could be. 141 00:10:44,640 --> 00:10:46,640 Maybe it doesn't have to be, but it can be. 142 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:52,680 We don't, we really can't be prescriptive on this, but it can be something that happens 143 00:10:52,680 --> 00:10:54,280 more than once in a person's life. 144 00:10:54,280 --> 00:10:56,440 And I think that that's been the case for me. 145 00:10:56,440 --> 00:10:59,080 Well, if it truly, if we're repenting daily. 146 00:10:59,080 --> 00:11:00,080 Yeah. 147 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,320 If we, as we've been asked, I guess you're right. 148 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:10,360 Asked to do if we're, if we're repenting daily and of crying out is the, the action of repentance. 149 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:16,920 Our prayers just didn't need to be more, more reverent, maybe, maybe more preparation. 150 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:24,400 More intentional, more intentional, more, more sincere in more faith and not just kind 151 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:26,920 of going through the motions. 152 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:34,040 Anyway, I just to review on what does it really mean, you know, to cry out and what does it 153 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:40,000 really mean to offer our whole souls and our sins to God? 154 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,680 Well, that's, those are the actions of repentance. 155 00:11:43,680 --> 00:11:48,040 Those two, I think it's kind of the heart of the process. 156 00:11:48,040 --> 00:11:52,080 Again, Scott, somebody could start with that process. 157 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:59,120 This is a process and a person starts in this process at every possible point there. 158 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:00,840 I mean, it's so individual. 159 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:06,920 It's so personal that someone could start there before the foundations of repentance have 160 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:08,920 even been met. 161 00:12:08,920 --> 00:12:09,920 Yeah. 162 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:13,320 Well, and I think Nick was a great example of that. 163 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:14,320 Yeah. 164 00:12:14,320 --> 00:12:15,320 I think he is. 165 00:12:15,320 --> 00:12:16,320 Yeah. 166 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:17,320 Yeah. 167 00:12:17,320 --> 00:12:22,060 And now, and now after doing all that, now he's really learning the foundations of repentance 168 00:12:22,060 --> 00:12:24,080 and what makes it work for him. 169 00:12:24,080 --> 00:12:29,200 And he spends, I think he said he had spent two and a half hours that morning studying 170 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:34,640 the scriptures and, you know, his preparation to do the podcast or whatever. 171 00:12:34,640 --> 00:12:37,480 And that seemed to be a kind of a daily routine for him. 172 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:38,480 Yeah, it is. 173 00:12:38,480 --> 00:12:47,080 Anyway, I just hope our listeners understand that wherever you're at, you know, you can 174 00:12:47,080 --> 00:12:55,800 begin to experience almost immediately the miracle of forgiveness and the divine intervention 175 00:12:55,800 --> 00:12:59,680 of God in the process of repentance. 176 00:12:59,680 --> 00:13:05,000 But you can't be too casual about it. 177 00:13:05,000 --> 00:13:10,480 Eventually you have to come to a point in the process where there's this crying out, 178 00:13:10,480 --> 00:13:13,160 this yearning, this real connection. 179 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:18,680 And it really does help as the Bible dictionary and Brother Matthews says to remember our 180 00:13:18,680 --> 00:13:27,120 relationship with him, that it's a child and a father relationship and that he wants to 181 00:13:27,120 --> 00:13:29,160 help us and bless us. 182 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:32,280 And he already knows what we've done wrong. 183 00:13:32,280 --> 00:13:34,320 So why would we not cry out to him? 184 00:13:34,320 --> 00:13:35,320 Right. 185 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:36,760 Why would we try to hide that? 186 00:13:36,760 --> 00:13:41,280 And that kind of leads us into maybe what we want to talk about today, Scott. 187 00:13:41,280 --> 00:13:44,240 Well, let me just make one more quick comment on that. 188 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,840 You know, you say it's a father and a child relationship and for a lot of us, that's really 189 00:13:48,840 --> 00:13:51,520 a great thing. 190 00:13:51,520 --> 00:13:55,680 But for some people, Dave, that's not, you know, because the relationship that they've 191 00:13:55,680 --> 00:13:58,240 had with their father has been difficult. 192 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:01,040 You know, the earthly father, their earthly father. 193 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:06,160 And you know, and that's what that's how sometimes we relate our relationship to our heavenly 194 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:09,440 father is through the experience that we've had with our earthly father. 195 00:14:09,440 --> 00:14:10,440 True. 196 00:14:10,440 --> 00:14:13,800 And I guess we shouldn't do that, but we do nonetheless, because that's nature. 197 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:14,800 That's human nature. 198 00:14:14,800 --> 00:14:17,760 That's that way that just to us, that just makes sense. 199 00:14:17,760 --> 00:14:22,760 I've said it before, you know, I heard somebody one time say, well, if I have a father on 200 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:28,760 this earth that loves me, but I have a father in heaven that loves me a thousand times more 201 00:14:28,760 --> 00:14:31,360 and infinity cannot be measured. 202 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:36,080 I mean, I know I'm flippant about that a little bit in saying that because there's no way 203 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,160 to measure heavenly father's love for us. 204 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:41,560 Because so that we can relate as humans, sometimes we do that. 205 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:47,800 So then if I have a dad that's mad at me or a dad that pushes me aside or a dictator dad 206 00:14:47,800 --> 00:14:51,720 or that yeah, any of the any of the negative things that you can think about. 207 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:57,200 Well, if that's how we see our dad here, that may be improperly or inappropriately. 208 00:14:57,200 --> 00:14:58,200 We project it. 209 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:02,280 It's called project that on to our heavenly father. 210 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,840 And overcoming that can sometimes be difficult for us. 211 00:15:05,840 --> 00:15:06,840 Right. 212 00:15:06,840 --> 00:15:13,320 And the experience that I've seen and maybe even had a little bit myself is even that 213 00:15:13,320 --> 00:15:20,280 crying out for him to reveal his true identity, his true love, his true self to me. 214 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:21,680 And sometimes that can be helpful. 215 00:15:21,680 --> 00:15:25,560 So for those of us and I know that there are those who are listening who are like, yeah, 216 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,120 Scott, that's exactly right for me. 217 00:15:28,120 --> 00:15:33,240 It's difficult for me to approach that fatherly relationship because of the father relationship 218 00:15:33,240 --> 00:15:34,400 that I've had here. 219 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:39,880 Well, it's really difficult for all of us, even if you have a really good father, right? 220 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:48,720 At some point, you have to acknowledge their weakness and you can't base your ideas of 221 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:57,440 heavenly father, right, based on the qualities, weakness and in in adequacies, fallen nature 222 00:15:57,440 --> 00:15:59,840 of of your earthly father. 223 00:15:59,840 --> 00:16:00,840 Correct. 224 00:16:00,840 --> 00:16:02,560 It's you just can't do that. 225 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:10,240 Again, that's why the foundations of faith is to understand the character attributes 226 00:16:10,240 --> 00:16:14,120 and for affections of our heavenly father, right? 227 00:16:14,120 --> 00:16:23,400 And to at some point believe that we have inherited some of that in our spirits of his nature. 228 00:16:23,400 --> 00:16:30,320 And when we understand the relationship between us and our heavenly parents when we really 229 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:36,600 can get a glimpse, I mean, I so sweet given patriarchal blessings, Scott, because I I see 230 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:38,720 that and I feel that weekly. 231 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:46,320 Yeah, if if people who come to me and get patriarchal blessings, if if they would just 232 00:16:46,320 --> 00:16:53,320 in a couple of paragraphs, I tried to describe to them in most blessings, it may be one paragraph, 233 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,000 maybe two or three on it anyway, it's always different. 234 00:16:56,000 --> 00:17:02,280 But heavenly father wants them to know his relationship with them and how he sees them. 235 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:08,600 And if we could kind of see ourselves the way he sees us, this whole process of repentance 236 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:17,240 and crying out and all that we all that we try to do when we worship worship would come 237 00:17:17,240 --> 00:17:23,280 just so naturally, not easily, because we're falling into the actual world, but it would 238 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:29,880 just come so naturally. And that's true for the process of repentance and prayer. 239 00:17:29,880 --> 00:17:35,360 Well, and all of this really underscores all of the things that we've talked about up 240 00:17:35,360 --> 00:17:40,320 until this point about developing a relationship about knowing who he is about going to the 241 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:45,600 garden with him about look unto me and every thought all of those things. 242 00:17:45,600 --> 00:17:50,480 That relationship is becomes an invitation and it breaks down those walls. We've talked 243 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:56,160 about this. It breaks down those walls. Sometimes we need in order to have that effective crying 244 00:17:56,160 --> 00:17:57,160 out experience. 245 00:17:57,160 --> 00:18:04,600 Yeah. Well, so today, again, we've talked about foundations, conditions and actions 246 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:13,280 of repentance. And today we get into what I call the manifestations of repentance. 247 00:18:13,280 --> 00:18:20,720 And that leads us to the Scripture and Doctrine and Covenants section 58, verses 42 and 43, 248 00:18:20,720 --> 00:18:23,920 Scott, you want to read that, please? 249 00:18:23,920 --> 00:18:28,400 Behold, he who is repented of his sins, the same as forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember 250 00:18:28,400 --> 00:18:36,040 them no more. By this, you may know if a man repenteth of his sins. Behold, he will confess 251 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,760 them and forsake them. 252 00:18:38,760 --> 00:18:50,800 By this, by this, you may know if a man repenteth of his sins, he will do this. And the Lord 253 00:18:50,800 --> 00:18:55,120 says that he will confess and forsake them. 254 00:18:55,120 --> 00:19:04,760 So as the Lord, as the Lord speaks about repentance, Scott, talking to the prophet and the people 255 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:12,240 and early in the restoration, he's trying to teach them that the manifestations of repentance, 256 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:18,680 you'll know if they're repenting because they will do this. 257 00:19:18,680 --> 00:19:23,120 They'll confess them and they'll forsake them. 258 00:19:23,120 --> 00:19:30,880 So I see confession and forsaking more as a manifestation that one is truly already in 259 00:19:30,880 --> 00:19:40,240 the process of repentance. It's the manifestations of repentance. Confessing, again, an individual, 260 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:45,760 I think many individuals, especially maybe youth, this is where they start in the process 261 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:47,480 of repentance. 262 00:19:47,480 --> 00:19:54,920 They start by confessing, right? They think of repentance as confession. They think of 263 00:19:54,920 --> 00:20:01,680 repentance as being through the church and that they have to go to see their bishop in 264 00:20:01,680 --> 00:20:08,560 order to repent and that's where they jump into the process. And that's okay. That's 265 00:20:08,560 --> 00:20:18,320 alright. It can be perhaps a lack of understanding about the process, but whatever it takes and 266 00:20:18,320 --> 00:20:21,720 wherever they're at, God will take them. 267 00:20:21,720 --> 00:20:29,080 So confessing, I think, is a really critical part. The Lord mentions it in several other 268 00:20:29,080 --> 00:20:36,880 places. Let's look at Mosiah 26 verses 29 and 30. Therefore, I say unto you, this is 269 00:20:36,880 --> 00:20:42,480 the Lord speaking to Alma. Alma's become the new high priest and he's trying to figure 270 00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:50,240 out how to fulfill and magnify that calling and what to do with people coming to him, 271 00:20:50,240 --> 00:20:56,800 seeking their sins and what to do about it. And so he's seeking to know how to magnify 272 00:20:56,800 --> 00:20:57,800 his calling. 273 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:06,240 Therefore, I say unto you, go and whosoever transgresseth against me, him shall ye judge 274 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:12,400 according to the sins which he has committed. And if he confesses his sins before thee and 275 00:21:12,400 --> 00:21:20,120 me, and repenteth in the sincerity of his heart, him shall ye forgive, and I will forgive 276 00:21:20,120 --> 00:21:27,200 him also. Ye and as often as my people repent, will I forgive them that trespasses against 277 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:28,200 me. 278 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:35,800 So the Lord verifies here and in many other places in the Bible as well that confession 279 00:21:35,800 --> 00:21:41,640 is an important part of the repentance process. And when we talk of confession, Scott, it's 280 00:21:41,640 --> 00:21:46,560 really not just a priesthood leader. I mean, when people hear you got to confess your sins, 281 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:52,640 they immediately think of a bishop or a stake president. And these men, these wonderful 282 00:21:52,640 --> 00:22:00,440 priesthood leaders who have the keys of the priesthood, keys of repentance, keys of the 283 00:22:00,440 --> 00:22:06,560 bishops as a president of the Euronics Priesthood and the responsibilities of the Euronics Priesthood 284 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:11,920 are well described by John the Baptist when he restores the priesthood in Doctrine and 285 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:17,720 Covenants section 13, you can read that the Euronics Priesthood has the keys of repentance. 286 00:22:17,720 --> 00:22:23,520 And the bishop as the president of the Euronics Priesthood, he has the keys of the gospel 287 00:22:23,520 --> 00:22:33,920 of repentance. That's why we confess to the bishop. He has keys and those keys, anybody 288 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:39,800 who's committed serious sins should want to have those keys turned for them and go to 289 00:22:39,800 --> 00:22:45,480 work for them and helping them to repent. And he's a judge in Israel. You know, it's 290 00:22:45,480 --> 00:22:51,240 important that we point out in Doctrine and Covenants section 107, the bishops are referred 291 00:22:51,240 --> 00:22:58,240 to as judges in Israel. So we have these wonderful judges of Israel who have keys. And we go 292 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:07,680 to them not to be forgiven of sin, but to help us to help to turn the keys that will 293 00:23:07,680 --> 00:23:14,960 heal us to help us to become more connected to Jesus Christ and our heavenly Father through 294 00:23:14,960 --> 00:23:25,320 ordinances and covenants and counsel and inspired teachings. You know, everything that a judge 295 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:33,080 in Israel should do is not to focus on punishing the sinner, but on what they can do to help 296 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:39,960 us engage in the process of repentance, because ultimately forgiveness is not through the 297 00:23:39,960 --> 00:23:47,600 church. It's through Jesus Christ and the gift of the Holy Ghost. And those who have 298 00:23:47,600 --> 00:23:55,520 the keys of repentance can help us to receive that. But we don't have to, I just think too 299 00:23:55,520 --> 00:24:05,840 many people depend upon perhaps a priest and leader for their forgiveness and to, to sometimes 300 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:11,160 they see that as the beginning and end of repentance, like the little girl and I'm 301 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:15,560 grateful I don't even know who she was because I found the note on the floor, right? We've 302 00:24:15,560 --> 00:24:20,280 talked about this before. I found the note on the floor after teaching all day in a 303 00:24:20,280 --> 00:24:26,680 seminary classroom in American Fork High School. And I go back and I find this paper 304 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:31,720 on the floor and I pick it up and I can see it's a, it's a note passing, you know, these 305 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:37,040 two girls and I'm sure again who it was because there was no name on it, thankfully. These 306 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:42,680 two girls are passing notes back and forth in my class talking about their sins. And 307 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:47,600 this one little, you know, little girl says, Oh, are you gonna go see your bishop? You 308 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:55,440 know, and, and yes. And then, and then finally, as they've been doing this, I think for days. 309 00:24:55,440 --> 00:24:59,720 And finally the note says, Hey, I went and saw my bishop yesterday and I confessed my 310 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:05,360 sins and I feel so much better. And anyway, and I'm glad that's behind me. 311 00:25:05,360 --> 00:25:10,680 Something like that. I'm glad that I'm glad that's over. Yeah. I'm, you know, I'm, I'm, 312 00:25:10,680 --> 00:25:16,800 I'm finished. I'm through. Yeah. Well, you can't blame her. No, no. And I, I was probably 313 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:21,200 partly my fault. I mean, I, I remember thinking when I picked up that note and read it, I 314 00:25:21,200 --> 00:25:25,960 thought, Well, I am really a lousy teacher. I have not really done a very good job of 315 00:25:25,960 --> 00:25:31,120 teaching repentance in my classes. Well, we grow up, David, being taught. We grow up, 316 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:36,320 we grow up with a, with a sometimes a false understanding, but an understanding nonetheless 317 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:40,640 of the, of what these things look like. I thought that, you know, I, I've had that feeling and 318 00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:47,320 thought people, you know, so absolutely so have I. And, and it wasn't until I was months 319 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:53,240 into my mission, after trying to confess over and over and over again, before I went on 320 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:58,720 my mission, confessing to the mission president at the missionary home in Salt Lake City before 321 00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:04,920 there was even an MTC. I was confessing to him standing in the line for until 12 o'clock 322 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:09,600 at midnight. I mean, it was midnight and I was still in line to confess my sins one more 323 00:26:09,600 --> 00:26:14,920 time before I went on my mission. Cause I knew I still didn't feel forgiven and I couldn't 324 00:26:14,920 --> 00:26:19,040 figure out why don't I feel forgiven? I keep confessing my sins to the, to the church and 325 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:23,520 I still don't feel forgiven. And they all said I was worthy enough to go on a mission, 326 00:26:23,520 --> 00:26:30,920 but I couldn't feel why I didn't feel forgiven. I thought, I thought repentance was confession. 327 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:36,400 And it wasn't until months into my mission that I figured out through the Book of Mormon, 328 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:42,480 which is really, I think the handbook on repentance and forgiveness, ultimately. Repentance is 329 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:49,480 mentioned in the Book of Mormon over 300 times. And in the New Testament, I think it's, it's 330 00:26:49,480 --> 00:26:57,960 not not even 30 times. So we're, we're so blessed to have the Book of Mormon is as a guide for 331 00:26:57,960 --> 00:27:03,760 what repentance really is and how it works and how it's through, through Jesus Christ 332 00:27:03,760 --> 00:27:10,920 and because of his atonement and, and that the Holy Ghost administers his mercy and grace. 333 00:27:10,920 --> 00:27:22,720 So I was the same way, but I know that confession does include sometimes when certain serious 334 00:27:22,720 --> 00:27:36,520 sins are committed, it does involve the Bishop. And, and yet that's only a small part of what 335 00:27:36,520 --> 00:27:43,400 confession means. Right. And not all, not all sins should be confessed to the Bishop. 336 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:52,680 No. Not all sins are at not even most. Right. Right. Not even most sins. Whenever there 337 00:27:52,680 --> 00:28:00,200 are certain serious sins where our membership would be in question or where our worthiness 338 00:28:00,200 --> 00:28:05,680 to participate in the ordinances of the gospel may be in question. The Bishop has keys to 339 00:28:05,680 --> 00:28:11,320 protect those ordinances and to protect us. And really, that's, that's the other reason 340 00:28:11,320 --> 00:28:16,560 why we go to see a Bishop, not just so he can help help us through the process, but to protect 341 00:28:16,560 --> 00:28:23,240 us. Right. To protect us and to protect other individuals and to protect the church. Really, 342 00:28:23,240 --> 00:28:28,360 a lot of repentance and confession to the, through the church is to protect ourselves, 343 00:28:28,360 --> 00:28:33,720 others and the church. And that those are the ultimately the three questions that a 344 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:38,600 priest and leader must ask themselves to determine whether there should be a membership counselor 345 00:28:38,600 --> 00:28:46,160 or not is, are there innocent victims involved here? And how can I protect this individual 346 00:28:46,160 --> 00:28:51,680 through the atonement of Jesus Christ and by receiving ordinances and covenants? And 347 00:28:51,680 --> 00:28:57,880 third, how can I protect the integrity of the church? Those are ultimately the three 348 00:28:57,880 --> 00:29:02,940 questions that a priest and leader has to ask themselves when they, when they receive 349 00:29:02,940 --> 00:29:10,440 a confession from a member to determine whether there needs to be further action taken in 350 00:29:10,440 --> 00:29:17,040 a membership council by the church to again help speed up the repentance process and to 351 00:29:17,040 --> 00:29:22,840 make sure that innocent victims are protected and the church is protected and ultimately 352 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:25,760 that the individual is protected. 353 00:29:25,760 --> 00:29:31,080 And we get back to there are certain sins that we really do need that turning of the 354 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:36,760 key from a priesthood authority in order for us to access the enabling blessings of the 355 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:43,240 atonement of Jesus Christ to the degree that we need them to overcome. So often, David, 356 00:29:43,240 --> 00:29:49,240 there are those sins that need to be confessed are really difficult to forsake unless that 357 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:50,740 key has been turned. 358 00:29:50,740 --> 00:29:51,740 Absolutely. 359 00:29:51,740 --> 00:29:57,800 You know, and that is one of my observation. In fact, my experience has been and I teach 360 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:02,520 this to the kids in our Institute class that struggle with this. Why do I need to confess? 361 00:30:02,520 --> 00:30:08,400 Well, if you're if you if we're having difficulty overcoming a particular sin, the turning of 362 00:30:08,400 --> 00:30:13,000 that key blesses us so that we can overcome. 363 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,040 There's there's power in those keys, Scott. 364 00:30:16,040 --> 00:30:23,040 I'll say I know there's a mantle. Yeah, there's a mantle and there's power involved in the 365 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:29,400 keys of the priesthood. I know that I assure witness and testimony of that as experienced 366 00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:33,520 that on on both ends of that. Right. 367 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:41,640 So I in no way do I want to minimize the role of the the priesthood and the church in the 368 00:30:41,640 --> 00:30:48,080 repentance process. But I know there's a lot of confessing going on because we we live 369 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:57,840 in such a filthy sin filled world. You almost can't live in this world that we live in today 370 00:30:57,840 --> 00:31:01,920 without the end of the day feeling a little dirty. Right. 371 00:31:01,920 --> 00:31:08,480 And people see things, they think things, they feel things. Sometimes they do things. 372 00:31:08,480 --> 00:31:15,880 And I just think there's a lot of going to a bishop. I know that some bishops have members 373 00:31:15,880 --> 00:31:23,640 on on some sort of a speed dial or there's actually a lot of confessing going on by texting 374 00:31:23,640 --> 00:31:31,000 these days. I know that for a fact that some bishops have shared with me their members 375 00:31:31,000 --> 00:31:39,320 texting them when they have another poor not pornography issue. And they've they felt 376 00:31:39,320 --> 00:31:46,520 the bishop and I'm not I'm I'm not questioning this. I'm not criticizing this. I'm just this 377 00:31:46,520 --> 00:31:55,720 is the observation. Some individuals have been felt help and probably been well I know 378 00:31:55,720 --> 00:32:02,840 in some cases instructed by their bishop to confess when it when they have poor pornography 379 00:32:02,840 --> 00:32:07,880 problems. And sometimes that's daily. Yeah. And that's the point. You know, it's not because 380 00:32:07,880 --> 00:32:13,760 I because a person has a pornography problem. It's they're wanting that confession on every 381 00:32:13,760 --> 00:32:20,880 instance. Yeah. Of I just don't know how healthy that is myself. But anyway, I'm not going 382 00:32:20,880 --> 00:32:25,880 to make a judgment about that because I don't know. That's probably that can be a very individual 383 00:32:25,880 --> 00:32:31,200 personal thing. And I'm not going to question bishops revelation or promptings on that. 384 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:42,080 But my only point is, there's a lot of confessing taking place in the church and not enough 385 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:48,800 confessing to God. That's that's the point I really want to make Scott. Well, and so 386 00:32:48,800 --> 00:32:54,680 much of the confessing that's going on is being seen as repentance in and of itself. 387 00:32:54,680 --> 00:33:00,960 If we see if we see confession is just a component to the repentance process, then it makes it 388 00:33:00,960 --> 00:33:07,600 different. But if we see confession as repentance, repentance, that's a problem. That's a problem. 389 00:33:07,600 --> 00:33:14,640 It's a major and some of us do. Oh, there's a lot of people in the church that do and 390 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:21,680 I I and that's they get less than understand it's a process and not an event. And then 391 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:28,680 it's a entails a lot of other things besides confessing to the church. I I know I've said 392 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:35,920 this probably too many times, but repentance is not an institutional activity. It's not 393 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:45,000 through the church. The church has a critical role that it plays when certain serious sins 394 00:33:45,000 --> 00:33:51,640 are committed. And we brought that up now what four times certain serious sins are outlined 395 00:33:51,640 --> 00:33:58,040 in the handbook of instructions. And one can go to the handbook of instructions on the 396 00:33:58,040 --> 00:34:08,240 chapter on repentance and look at those. But these are criminal activity or serious sexual 397 00:34:08,240 --> 00:34:20,880 immorality that takes place or any any abuse of any kind or illegal activity. Those those 398 00:34:20,880 --> 00:34:30,200 sins it's absolutely not not important critical that they be confessed to the church and and 399 00:34:30,200 --> 00:34:36,880 the Lord will not forgive unless a person is working with the church to overcome those 400 00:34:36,880 --> 00:34:48,880 and and I know I know that confession is is important. And yet sometimes people never 401 00:34:48,880 --> 00:34:58,680 get around to really confessing to their heavenly Father. And so I I think it's important that 402 00:34:58,680 --> 00:35:04,360 they understand us. And by the spirit by the spirit one needs to know whether they need 403 00:35:04,360 --> 00:35:08,600 to confess to the bishop or not. I think it's important that we point out to that because 404 00:35:08,600 --> 00:35:14,200 I've I've thought this before. I've thought well he already knows why do I need to confess 405 00:35:14,200 --> 00:35:20,080 to him. He knows you know. So let's just make it clear our confession to Heavenly Father 406 00:35:20,080 --> 00:35:26,720 is not to inform him. Right. Because he does already know. Yeah he knows all about us. 407 00:35:26,720 --> 00:35:33,960 What this does is demonstrates an attitude of humility and alignment with the Atonement 408 00:35:33,960 --> 00:35:39,480 of Jesus. Well that's that's the Adam and Eve you know thing that we we learn in the 409 00:35:39,480 --> 00:35:46,080 scriptures and in the temple is is you know Adam and Eve you know and and their whole 410 00:35:46,080 --> 00:35:53,040 experience in the Garden of Eden you know where they hide and the Lord calls them out 411 00:35:53,040 --> 00:35:58,200 you know where are thou. Well that that's probably a pretty good place to start when 412 00:35:58,200 --> 00:36:06,720 we confess to our heavenly Father is right is maybe pretending like we're hearing him 413 00:36:06,720 --> 00:36:13,360 ask us that question right where are thou and telling him where we are spiritually 414 00:36:13,360 --> 00:36:20,640 telling him where we are in our relationship with him confessing that first you know and 415 00:36:20,640 --> 00:36:28,360 then later the Lord ask them what is it that thou has done then we can once we have described 416 00:36:28,360 --> 00:36:34,640 to him our general spiritual conditions and asking him for help with that it would be 417 00:36:34,640 --> 00:36:41,840 good then to to I think it's important to confess specifically as specifically as we 418 00:36:41,840 --> 00:36:50,960 can to acknowledge what we have done even though he knows it Adam and Eve trying to hide 419 00:36:50,960 --> 00:36:57,000 from God is almost laughable right and yet we do it all the time he knows where we're 420 00:36:57,000 --> 00:37:01,960 at and he knows what we have done and we should we should acknowledge that there's something 421 00:37:01,960 --> 00:37:09,440 about the accountability of that us being accountable us hearing ourselves say it the 422 00:37:09,440 --> 00:37:16,360 humility the meekness that it takes that's required to do that to confess that to it 423 00:37:16,360 --> 00:37:25,120 it's it's such a it's more than just a confession Scott it's such a statement of faith to believe 424 00:37:25,120 --> 00:37:31,000 in God and believe he's hearing us and believe in our relationship with him as a child to 425 00:37:31,000 --> 00:37:38,320 a father it's just so critical that we be honest with him and that we hear ourselves 426 00:37:38,320 --> 00:37:45,600 say it and confess it to him I you've you know and sometimes as a father some things 427 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:50,760 that your children have done and you didn't want to force them into a corner or or force 428 00:37:50,760 --> 00:37:57,800 them to repent because that wouldn't be repentance that wouldn't even be repentance but when 429 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:07,240 my children enforced by me even though I may know of what they've done if if they will 430 00:38:07,240 --> 00:38:15,980 volunteer it and willingly confess it without me acknowledging it before they confess it 431 00:38:15,980 --> 00:38:24,520 that is so much more cleansing so much more redeeming so much more healing right to to 432 00:38:24,520 --> 00:38:30,840 their state is that they did it I didn't force them into it I didn't say I know what you've 433 00:38:30,840 --> 00:38:38,080 done and all of a sudden begin to chastise them before they had the opportunity to confess 434 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:47,360 it I mean that's that's the process of confessing to our Heavenly Father so let me let me just 435 00:38:47,360 --> 00:38:54,080 let me just comment on that real quick you know you as a parent and as a father in heaven 436 00:38:54,080 --> 00:39:00,440 there are things you know that we could force our kids to repent of or to confess to us 437 00:39:00,440 --> 00:39:05,520 stuff even that we already know but where's the hope and change in that yeah there's very 438 00:39:05,520 --> 00:39:10,120 little hope in change and so you know in change and repentance we've talked about are very 439 00:39:10,120 --> 00:39:19,040 similar almost synonyms right and so if if I'm forced to confess or if I feel even yeah 440 00:39:19,040 --> 00:39:24,960 I'm just gonna leave it at that if I feel forced to confess then where's the hope and 441 00:39:24,960 --> 00:39:29,920 change you know there's there's there's very little hope in that I will be able to change 442 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:37,000 if I am if I'm forced to confess well sometimes Heavenly Father will not wait for a confession 443 00:39:37,000 --> 00:39:45,040 right before he takes action I mean sometimes Heavenly Father will wipe out an army or he'll 444 00:39:45,040 --> 00:39:52,520 wipe out you know there's lots of examples that in the Old Testament and other places 445 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:59,000 where individuals even Alma himself being struck down I mean Alma was not not any state 446 00:39:59,000 --> 00:40:04,880 to confess his sins until he was struck down and that was not because of Alma but because 447 00:40:04,880 --> 00:40:11,360 of Alma's father there's lots of examples in the scriptures of Heavenly Father trying 448 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:17,680 to help his children or the or because of the faith of others who love that individual 449 00:40:17,680 --> 00:40:24,560 who Heavenly Father will will prompt them in different ways I've heard lots of modern 450 00:40:24,560 --> 00:40:31,360 Alma the younger experiences where an individual has gotten in an accident or where things have 451 00:40:31,360 --> 00:40:38,680 happened in their life which some parents would acknowledge as being an act of God to help 452 00:40:38,680 --> 00:40:45,840 their their child to repent we're all examples of that in some ways right yeah certain events 453 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:55,160 are by divine design take place that kind of help us to hit a spot where we're more 454 00:40:55,160 --> 00:41:01,520 willing to cry out and confess our sins so Heavenly Father doesn't always wait but I 455 00:41:01,520 --> 00:41:07,920 think most the time it is better when he can wait and he knows he knows all things when 456 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:14,560 he can wait where we don't have to hit rock bottom where we because of our humility and 457 00:41:14,560 --> 00:41:20,280 meekness we're willing to go to him run to him fall down at his feet and confess our 458 00:41:20,280 --> 00:41:28,720 sins that's always a better outcome it it repentance isn't as long or as hard without 459 00:41:28,720 --> 00:41:34,000 that individuals you know who are swallowed up by the earth thinking about the thousands 460 00:41:34,000 --> 00:41:39,640 of the time of Moses you know when they do the golden calf and and worshiping idolatry 461 00:41:39,640 --> 00:41:44,880 after all of the miracles and deliverance from Egypt and a thousands are swallowed up 462 00:41:44,880 --> 00:41:48,640 by the earth well Heavenly Father just saying well you can work out your repentance in the 463 00:41:48,640 --> 00:41:54,080 spirit world I mean I we know that there's repentance in the spirit world but we also 464 00:41:54,080 --> 00:42:01,240 know it may be more difficult there without a willingness in this life in our physical 465 00:42:01,240 --> 00:42:07,480 bodies of being able to go to God and say I need I need help and I acknowledge my my 466 00:42:07,480 --> 00:42:13,760 sins before thee that always speeds up the process of repentance there's lots of ways 467 00:42:13,760 --> 00:42:22,560 we can get to the process of confessing but it's always better when it's voluntary and 468 00:42:22,560 --> 00:42:30,400 when it's done out of humility and it's done out of a broken heart contrite spirit and 469 00:42:30,400 --> 00:42:36,800 I actually think Scott it's better when it's after we know that we're forgiven right of 470 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:44,400 our sins because we've cried out yeah and we've offered our whole soul to God but oftentimes 471 00:42:44,400 --> 00:42:49,880 and probably maybe even most of the time in the church confession is the beginning point 472 00:42:49,880 --> 00:42:54,360 for some individuals they go to the church and and maybe through a church membership 473 00:42:54,360 --> 00:43:01,240 or through some some counsel counsel of love maybe even in chastisement a bishop helps 474 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:08,200 a youth or an adult or whoever to to understand the seriousness of their sins and understand 475 00:43:08,200 --> 00:43:14,400 the mostly the pain and suffering of Jesus Christ on that individuals behalf I mean that's 476 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:21,320 ultimately what leads to a broken heart contrite spirit is is not me getting caught that's 477 00:43:21,320 --> 00:43:26,440 not broken heart contrite spirit but it's what have I what's the pain and suffering 478 00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:35,600 I caused my savior and my redeemer so a bishop can help with that for sure confession to 479 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:42,360 the church is critical confession to God is even more critical and then there's a third 480 00:43:42,360 --> 00:43:51,160 part that's confessing to others confessing to others who we have heard there's a step 481 00:43:51,160 --> 00:43:53,640 of re of addiction recovery in there. 482 00:43:53,640 --> 00:43:59,320 Yes step number nine made direct men's to such people whenever possible except when 483 00:43:59,320 --> 00:44:04,320 to do so would injure them or others which comes after step eight which is when we make 484 00:44:04,320 --> 00:44:09,640 the list of all persons we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all 485 00:44:09,640 --> 00:44:15,000 Nick talked about that in our in the podcast that we did a couple of weeks ago with him 486 00:44:15,000 --> 00:44:20,760 you know where he that's when he said he really felt and I'm paraphrasing that's where he really 487 00:44:20,760 --> 00:44:25,680 felt that the understood and understood the atonement of Jesus Christ working in his 488 00:44:25,680 --> 00:44:31,600 life because of the suffering that he goes through. 489 00:44:31,600 --> 00:44:38,720 Anyway that sounds like step nine is something of a confession and restitution maybe something 490 00:44:38,720 --> 00:44:43,600 of a step that combines those two manifestations of repentance. 491 00:44:43,600 --> 00:44:49,600 Yeah well and then there's a step four which is the confession actually step five is the 492 00:44:49,600 --> 00:44:59,960 confession step four is when we take a personal inventory to seek a moral and fearless inventory 493 00:44:59,960 --> 00:45:04,200 of our lives and we do that in every aspect of our lives. 494 00:45:04,200 --> 00:45:09,600 And what's step five and then step five is when we share that when we share it okay well 495 00:45:09,600 --> 00:45:14,480 so that's more the confession that's the step nine maybe a little more restitution but but 496 00:45:14,480 --> 00:45:19,640 confession to others is really important to those that we have hurt right and and I think 497 00:45:19,640 --> 00:45:29,080 sometimes Scott it's it's easy for all of us natural man to downplay that our sins only 498 00:45:29,080 --> 00:45:34,480 hurt us we say that's that's the lie yeah they are right that's the great lie of Satan 499 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:41,880 that my sins are only hurting me I can sin in a closet or I can sin in the dark and I'm 500 00:45:41,880 --> 00:45:48,560 the only one that being that's being hurt by this wow what a great lie that is we all 501 00:45:48,560 --> 00:45:55,540 know that personally I think I hope that we've all learned that personally because you cannot 502 00:45:55,540 --> 00:46:05,360 you cannot ever sin in a bubble all of our sins whatever they are done in private wherever 503 00:46:05,360 --> 00:46:12,200 in the middle of nowhere all by yourself hurts the whole world the whole world becomes a 504 00:46:12,200 --> 00:46:24,640 little less righteous the and the family the spouse every the church is weakened you cannot 505 00:46:24,640 --> 00:46:35,640 sin in a bubble our sins if we become sinful we hurt all of our relationships all that 506 00:46:35,640 --> 00:46:44,560 we know everyone that we know is affected by that when we become less of a a man or 507 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:52,160 woman of God than we should be and I just think it's it's really easy to underplay this 508 00:46:52,160 --> 00:46:58,320 part of confession so we need to confess to others others that we have heard or damaged 509 00:46:58,320 --> 00:47:02,960 we also have to be really careful about that and this is discussed in the elder Anderson's 510 00:47:02,960 --> 00:47:10,080 book because confession to others may actually cause more harm or damage than good so one 511 00:47:10,080 --> 00:47:15,080 has to be so wise and led by the spirit in this process because I don't think you want 512 00:47:15,080 --> 00:47:22,320 to confess everything to others if it may be more hurtful to them than it is healing to 513 00:47:22,320 --> 00:47:31,040 them and I'm not saying that this is a really sensitive subject yeah very and one has to 514 00:47:31,040 --> 00:47:37,240 be really spirit directed by it and I don't think there's I don't think that we can prescribe 515 00:47:37,240 --> 00:47:45,920 or describe any specifics of this or rules that is absolutely an individual process is 516 00:47:45,920 --> 00:47:52,320 you know we talk about that even in a you know because so often alcoholics and addicts 517 00:47:52,320 --> 00:47:56,840 who are in the process of working through the steps and they get to step nine love the 518 00:47:56,840 --> 00:48:02,800 loophole except when to do so would injure them or others you know yeah so you know that 519 00:48:02,800 --> 00:48:08,680 has to be done with you know why is that a loophole well because they'll say well you 520 00:48:08,680 --> 00:48:13,000 know what does it mean to hurt somebody first of all you know does it you know am I going 521 00:48:13,000 --> 00:48:16,160 to hurt my mom and dad's feelings if I tell them that I've been stealing drugs out of 522 00:48:16,160 --> 00:48:21,160 their medicine cabinet you know and you know and so they'll use that as an excuse to not 523 00:48:21,160 --> 00:48:27,440 confess not confess okay you know and so you know it's really important that if we're gonna 524 00:48:27,440 --> 00:48:35,280 err that we err on the side that we over rotate towards the side of precaution there but but 525 00:48:35,280 --> 00:48:43,120 we we can see that as a opportunity for us to deepen our relationship with Heavenly Father 526 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:47,760 to deepen our communion with him and even if it is through a priest and leader to do 527 00:48:47,760 --> 00:48:53,080 that because sometimes sometimes that that can be an issue that people are like well 528 00:48:53,080 --> 00:48:58,280 I'd not hurt anybody and if I tell them it's just gonna hurt them worse and but but but 529 00:48:58,280 --> 00:49:04,840 these are the types of things that also the accuser can can work his way into any of these 530 00:49:04,840 --> 00:49:10,640 processes and taint our view if we are not constantly as we have talked about in the 531 00:49:10,640 --> 00:49:15,920 past if we are not constantly going back to the garden going back to the cross going back 532 00:49:15,920 --> 00:49:21,160 to the tomb and being there with him it's through that relationship with him that we 533 00:49:21,160 --> 00:49:25,880 will receive those answers and being led by this by the Holy Ghost through that and and 534 00:49:25,880 --> 00:49:30,120 that's another reason maybe sometimes to go to a priest and leader is to receive some 535 00:49:30,120 --> 00:49:35,240 counsel on that I remember as a bishop it was so personal and individual and I would 536 00:49:35,240 --> 00:49:39,800 sometimes have youth come in and confess their sins and I would encourage them to go see 537 00:49:39,800 --> 00:49:45,560 their to discuss it with their parents you know that that and I could and I knew that 538 00:49:45,560 --> 00:49:50,520 I could trust those parents and that that would be a positive experience for those parents 539 00:49:50,520 --> 00:49:55,160 and there were other times when individuals would come in this would be more rare where 540 00:49:55,160 --> 00:50:02,040 individuals would come in and confess their sins and I would say don't tell your parents 541 00:50:02,040 --> 00:50:07,800 or sometimes even in between where I would say we need to tell your parents and I think 542 00:50:07,800 --> 00:50:14,520 it would be better if we told them in my office so that I'm with you when you tell your parents 543 00:50:14,520 --> 00:50:21,160 this was based somewhat on the experience I had as a seminary teacher when one night 544 00:50:21,160 --> 00:50:31,240 very late at night I was awakened by someone knocking hard at my door ringing my doorbell 545 00:50:31,240 --> 00:50:36,760 then and me getting up getting dressed and there's there stands a seminary student of 546 00:50:36,760 --> 00:50:47,000 mine on my porch and she's weeping and I invite her in and my wife comes down and she tells 547 00:50:47,000 --> 00:50:53,880 us about how she had just confessed to her bishop that night her sins and her bishop 548 00:50:53,880 --> 00:51:00,120 at counselor to go home and tell her parents and her dad being a former bishop he thought he could 549 00:51:00,120 --> 00:51:08,840 trust him and how that that when she went home and confessed her sins or dad beat her up well 550 00:51:10,120 --> 00:51:17,320 that's that's I know that's probably so rare but that happens and sometimes confessing a sin 551 00:51:17,960 --> 00:51:26,920 to a parent can backfire confess confessing a sin to others may backfire if if it damages or 552 00:51:26,920 --> 00:51:35,880 or could ruin perhaps that relationship so one has to be I again there's no I'm not prescribing 553 00:51:35,880 --> 00:51:44,840 or describing any rules on this but one has to really be led by the spirit on this so the confessing 554 00:51:44,840 --> 00:51:51,160 to others is important but how it's done the timing the timing of its really critical scots 555 00:51:51,160 --> 00:51:57,640 it all has to be spirit led but that's an important part and especially you know when we have when 556 00:51:57,640 --> 00:52:03,000 we have heard others when we have directly heard others that's that's just so important 557 00:52:03,640 --> 00:52:10,280 there's there were sometimes when as a MTC president individuals would come in and confess 558 00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:17,560 sins to me and where they had stolen things from certain individuals and and in order to help them 559 00:52:17,560 --> 00:52:23,960 I would I would either direct them to write a letter and sometimes there were even a few phone 560 00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:31,240 calls made where individuals there at the missionary training center could confess their sins by back 561 00:52:31,240 --> 00:52:37,800 then it was snail mail now it'd be by email or maybe even a conversation with someone trying to 562 00:52:37,800 --> 00:52:45,240 confess their sins to the individuals who they had stolen from or who they had heard or or to try 563 00:52:45,240 --> 00:52:55,160 to repair certain relationships because of the of the sins that had been committed I think that's 564 00:52:55,160 --> 00:53:02,520 just really an important part of what confession can mean in certain sins one of the things that 565 00:53:02,520 --> 00:53:09,240 I've run into especially in the rooms of recovery is there are so many sins there are so many things 566 00:53:09,240 --> 00:53:14,280 that should be confessed there are so many things that one has done and they don't even know where 567 00:53:14,280 --> 00:53:21,560 to begin that they see this big huge stack in front of them and it seems absolutely insurmountable 568 00:53:21,560 --> 00:53:27,480 yeah and that can be a real deterrent to progress you know people can see that and just see see that 569 00:53:27,480 --> 00:53:34,040 as a I just can't confess it all there's just yeah what's the use I'll never be able to work 570 00:53:34,040 --> 00:53:39,240 through it and you know what would you say to somebody like that Dave well I had that happen 571 00:53:39,240 --> 00:53:46,040 you know the MTC individuals coming in I've had it happen as a bishop I've seen it as a 572 00:53:46,040 --> 00:53:53,240 member of a stake presidency in church disciplinary councils and I would just say by small and simple 573 00:53:53,240 --> 00:53:59,080 things great things come to pass and one's one starts with with where you can work you just 574 00:53:59,080 --> 00:54:06,280 have to start and and actually what's really interesting Scott with with with individuals 575 00:54:06,280 --> 00:54:13,320 who have who have been in a long pattern of sin is it can start really small which is great 576 00:54:14,120 --> 00:54:21,320 and then the they start out and the more the further they go into the repentance process and 577 00:54:21,320 --> 00:54:27,640 this is awesome this is not something that should be feared or discourage anyone from sinning 578 00:54:28,280 --> 00:54:35,640 because the closer you get from God from confessing the closer you get to him the more 579 00:54:35,640 --> 00:54:42,440 aware of sins that you've committed that you've even forgotten about the closer you get to Jesus 580 00:54:42,440 --> 00:54:50,840 Christ the bigger sins can appear and even ones that have disappeared from your life because of 581 00:54:50,840 --> 00:54:58,760 the progression of your sins and it takes it sometimes takes a long time for it's not just 582 00:54:58,760 --> 00:55:06,360 a one-time confession as a bishop or a priest leader works with individuals the more that may 583 00:55:06,360 --> 00:55:16,760 come out but that's part of the healing confession can also be used negatively confession can be 584 00:55:16,760 --> 00:55:26,360 used to manipulate others confession can sometimes in and of itself be evil because we are told to 585 00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:37,080 confess the only two the church if it's serious enough certain serious sins and confess to the 586 00:55:37,080 --> 00:55:44,680 Lord and confess to those who we have directly hurt that's it we are not to confess our sins 587 00:55:44,680 --> 00:55:51,560 to everybody and their dog we are not to stand up over the pulpit as I've heard done and too 588 00:55:51,560 --> 00:55:58,680 shocking to to even state this on this podcast but people standing up confessing their sins over 589 00:55:58,680 --> 00:56:04,840 the pulpit because that's what they thought they should do or they were looking for sympathy or 590 00:56:04,840 --> 00:56:12,920 they were looking for I don't know what they were looking for but false sense of relief by 591 00:56:13,640 --> 00:56:21,080 confessing to everyone and there are so many young adults who do that when they when they go on dates 592 00:56:21,080 --> 00:56:27,240 the first thing they do is they ask have you ever done this or have you ever done that and they 593 00:56:27,240 --> 00:56:38,200 find some sort of weird strange relief or connection by confessing their sins to each other which just 594 00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:47,560 leads to Satan coming into that relationship and destroying it in a hurry because people will now 595 00:56:47,560 --> 00:56:52,440 see that individual because Satan won't let them forget it and Satan will 596 00:56:54,200 --> 00:56:59,240 every time they think of that individual bring up those sins and and what was confessed and 597 00:57:00,200 --> 00:57:05,240 I'm telling you Scott I've known of engagements that have been broken 598 00:57:05,240 --> 00:57:11,960 tweet relationships that have been destroyed because of people confessing their sins that 599 00:57:11,960 --> 00:57:20,600 they did not need to confess to others if one is not currently sinning not in a current addiction 600 00:57:21,160 --> 00:57:29,080 not or has not been in prison or jail or convicted or been in a situation that's going to affect 601 00:57:29,080 --> 00:57:35,320 another individual that individual they're with or that individual they have a relationship with 602 00:57:35,320 --> 00:57:42,920 if there's not any sort of history that's going to affect that individual negatively they have no 603 00:57:42,920 --> 00:57:48,760 business confessing their sins to that individual because if I know of divorces that have taken 604 00:57:48,760 --> 00:58:00,920 place because couples begin to just want to know everything about the person's past and when somebody 605 00:58:00,920 --> 00:58:10,360 has been forgiven by God then who am I to demand that they be forgiven by me if I know nothing 606 00:58:10,360 --> 00:58:20,840 about it I we just have to be really wise prudent about who we confess our sins to and 607 00:58:20,840 --> 00:58:30,520 especially young adults should not waste their time on asking about what's an individual has 608 00:58:30,520 --> 00:58:36,440 done in the back in the past or confessing what they themselves have done in the past 609 00:58:37,640 --> 00:58:47,800 to build relationships of trust because that that will really either lead to more sin 610 00:58:48,920 --> 00:58:56,920 or it will lead to a broken relationship I just we need to be really careful 611 00:58:56,920 --> 00:59:03,400 about who we confess to and it needs to be to God and it needs to be the individuals 612 00:59:03,960 --> 00:59:11,320 who we have hurt and it needs to be to the bishop or the the judges of Israel who have 613 00:59:11,320 --> 00:59:18,280 priesthood keys and the gospel of repentance who can help us through the process and beyond that 614 00:59:18,280 --> 00:59:25,800 when in doubt go without next time we'll talk about we didn't get to forsaking which 615 00:59:25,800 --> 00:59:32,440 dnc 58 42 and 43 kind of includes by this you may know if man has repented of his sins 616 00:59:32,440 --> 00:59:36,680 he will confess them and forsake them we've talked about confessing them next time we'll 617 00:59:36,680 --> 00:59:42,280 talk about what it means to forsake them as we invite our heavenly father spirit into our lives 618 00:59:42,280 --> 00:59:47,880 and we see these things as they're intended to be seen by him that the invitation come unto me 619 00:59:47,880 --> 00:59:53,080 will ring true to all of us because it really is through repentance that we come onto him 620 00:59:53,080 --> 01:00:09,000 thanks for being with us we look forward to being with you again next week until then be well