1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,120 Hey there everybody welcome out to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood Scott 2 00:00:20,120 --> 00:00:23,240 Durfey here joined as always by David Durfey. 3 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:26,040 Good to be back, good to be home. 4 00:00:26,040 --> 00:00:27,640 Dave's been kind of gone. 5 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:32,720 The listeners don't know this Scott but we've been, I haven't done this for a week or two 6 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,000 because of a trip I went on. 7 00:00:36,000 --> 00:00:42,120 You know I've never, as an adult, I was a little kid when our parents, my parents took 8 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:49,880 us up through the redwoods and the coast and now we're up to Seattle and back. 9 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,960 But anyway that was a fun trip to start in Astoria. 10 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:59,680 I love Lewis and Clark and US history and got my masters in that. 11 00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:01,080 Yeah you're a history major. 12 00:01:01,080 --> 00:01:08,400 I did a whole thing on the exploration west and to go see where that fort was and where 13 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:19,280 Lewis and Clark wintered near Astoria in 1805 and 1806 and just start there and all the 14 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:25,800 history there at Astoria that's where so many explorers kind of started. 15 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,680 The exploration of the west coast. 16 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:35,720 Anyway to go all the way down the coast on Highway 101 and such beautiful beaches and 17 00:01:35,720 --> 00:01:41,800 places, scenery and Northern California and redwoods and sequoias. 18 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:51,200 Did you know I was visiting the redwood national forest and the Jedediah Smith National and 19 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:58,520 State Parks and have these giant redwoods in them and it came back to me that I had 20 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:06,600 read an article in the Smithsonian magazine probably 20 years ago about the redwood and 21 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,320 sequoia trees and their root system. 22 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:14,880 Now these trees Scott are gigantic. 23 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:18,320 You can't even comprehend it unless you see it. 24 00:02:18,320 --> 00:02:22,920 How high they are, how round they are, how straight they are. 25 00:02:22,920 --> 00:02:31,920 You can build an entire house including shingles, two by fours, paneling, siding, everything 26 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:33,560 else out of one tree. 27 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:40,040 An entire house out of one tree and probably have wood left over. 28 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:49,200 And anyway, just gigantic and their roots never go deeper than six feet. 29 00:02:49,200 --> 00:02:50,920 There are no deeper. 30 00:02:50,920 --> 00:02:52,760 No deeper than six feet deep. 31 00:02:52,760 --> 00:02:55,360 How could that be? 32 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,200 That was a fascinating article. 33 00:02:57,200 --> 00:02:58,200 My goodness. 34 00:02:58,200 --> 00:02:59,200 Yeah. 35 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:04,960 So their root systems are very shallow but very, very wide. 36 00:03:04,960 --> 00:03:05,960 Okay. 37 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:13,160 They are interlaced and they wrap around the roots of the other trees. 38 00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:17,920 Oh, so they kind of create a fortress, a community, huh? 39 00:03:17,920 --> 00:03:20,520 So what's the gospel lesson? 40 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:21,520 Right? 41 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:22,520 Yeah. 42 00:03:22,520 --> 00:03:25,640 It's, it's being connected. 43 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:26,960 Yeah. 44 00:03:26,960 --> 00:03:29,880 Being connected with the community of saints. 45 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:30,880 Strength. 46 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:31,880 They're strengthening that. 47 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:32,880 They're strengthening. 48 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:33,880 There should be. 49 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:34,880 Yeah. 50 00:03:34,880 --> 00:03:38,040 And you know, it's not enough. 51 00:03:38,040 --> 00:03:43,760 You just can't go off by yourself and think that you're going to live the gospel. 52 00:03:43,760 --> 00:03:49,360 And you, I mean, it's just really, I think important that we understand the power and 53 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:56,680 strength of a community and that they, that's, I mean, they never blow down because they're 54 00:03:56,680 --> 00:04:01,400 have such a wide base and they're interlaced with all the, all the, all the trees that 55 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:03,200 have to come down. 56 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,480 They're, they're all connected. 57 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:07,480 Yeah. 58 00:04:07,480 --> 00:04:08,480 I didn't know that. 59 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:09,480 That's just incredible. 60 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:11,440 Their roots never go deeper than six feet. 61 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:13,520 That is just incredible. 62 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,080 It's amazing. 63 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:19,600 Now I read that magazine 20 years ago, but I also read that in a pamphlet that I got 64 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,600 in one of the visitor centers. 65 00:04:22,600 --> 00:04:30,440 And I thought, wow, there's so many life and gospel church principles that could be taught 66 00:04:30,440 --> 00:04:32,000 from that. 67 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:37,240 But they're fantastic and it was great to be with some good friends and, and to enjoy 68 00:04:37,240 --> 00:04:44,000 that experience with my sweetheart and best, best part is of a trip like that. 69 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,000 It's always to come home. 70 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:46,000 Yeah. 71 00:04:46,000 --> 00:04:47,000 Yeah. 72 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,000 Yeah. 73 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,000 Really is. 74 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:50,000 Isn't it? 75 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:51,000 So it's good to be home. 76 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:52,000 Well, I'm glad you had a great trip. 77 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:56,000 I was saddened to hear that you didn't get to do any golfing while you were on this one. 78 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,000 Band and Dune. 79 00:04:57,000 --> 00:04:58,000 So Scott, I was there. 80 00:04:58,000 --> 00:04:59,000 I was on the property. 81 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:00,000 Band and Dune's right there. 82 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,000 I didn't even know what that was till this morning. 83 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:06,320 But no, but no, I feel bad for you. 84 00:05:06,320 --> 00:05:07,320 That's holy ground. 85 00:05:07,320 --> 00:05:08,680 That's sacred ground. 86 00:05:08,680 --> 00:05:15,640 Well, I was a little bit saddened and, you know, times come and go and things like this 87 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:17,680 happened, but Willie Mays died. 88 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:18,680 I know Scott. 89 00:05:18,680 --> 00:05:20,000 I was too. 90 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:26,800 I, I remember his old basket catch that he invented and tried that a few times in the 91 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:27,800 little league. 92 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:32,920 So Willie played for baseball for the, for the Giants, ended up retiring from the Mets 93 00:05:32,920 --> 00:05:35,000 actually in 1972. 94 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Yeah. 95 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:37,000 Played for the Giants. 96 00:05:37,000 --> 00:05:38,000 Played in Alabama. 97 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:40,000 I was a senior in high school. 98 00:05:40,000 --> 00:05:41,000 That's when I graduated. 99 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:42,000 Oh, is that right? 100 00:05:42,000 --> 00:05:43,000 Okay. 101 00:05:43,000 --> 00:05:47,160 So I was nine years old playing little league baseball in American Fork, Utah. 102 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,680 Dennis, your older brother, my uncle was our coach. 103 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:51,680 Good coach. 104 00:05:51,680 --> 00:05:53,600 And I played right field. 105 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:55,680 I could barely, I didn't know how to catch. 106 00:05:55,680 --> 00:05:56,920 I didn't even know how to throw. 107 00:05:56,920 --> 00:05:57,920 I was nine, you know. 108 00:05:57,920 --> 00:05:58,920 Your dad didn't play much baseball. 109 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,840 No, my dad was a football player and a fighter and a boxer, you know, and all this other 110 00:06:02,840 --> 00:06:08,360 stuff, but you know, I didn't, I didn't learn much baseball, but I did make my very first 111 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,160 catch and, and I remember feeling so cool about it. 112 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:16,200 It was a fly ball hit to me in right field and I ran up to it just like Willie Hayes' 113 00:06:16,200 --> 00:06:20,200 basket catch, which is totally the wrong way to do it. 114 00:06:20,200 --> 00:06:21,920 If you know, but, but I did it. 115 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:22,920 Did you do it? 116 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:23,920 Yeah. 117 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,800 Dennis made the biggest deal out of me. 118 00:06:27,800 --> 00:06:28,800 Good or bad? 119 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:29,800 Good. 120 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:30,800 He made good. 121 00:06:30,800 --> 00:06:32,800 He made me feel really important. 122 00:06:32,800 --> 00:06:37,720 In fact, I remember him telling my dad when I don't know the occasion, but my dad and 123 00:06:37,720 --> 00:06:41,560 Dennis and I was there and Dennis said, Oh, Evan, you should have seen Scott. 124 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,440 He looked just like Willie Mays at basket catch. 125 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,280 And I was kind of proud. 126 00:06:46,280 --> 00:06:49,480 So you were a fan of Willie Mays from that moment on. 127 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:50,480 From that moment on. 128 00:06:50,480 --> 00:06:52,440 Anyway, I never liked the Giants. 129 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,080 We are losing some legends. 130 00:06:55,080 --> 00:06:56,080 We are. 131 00:06:56,080 --> 00:06:57,080 He was such a legend. 132 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:59,960 I mean, 24 appearances in the All-Star game. 133 00:06:59,960 --> 00:07:00,960 Yeah. 134 00:07:00,960 --> 00:07:01,960 Amazing. 135 00:07:01,960 --> 00:07:02,960 Yeah. 136 00:07:02,960 --> 00:07:03,960 Pretty incredible. 137 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:04,960 So charismatic. 138 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:11,760 Well, Dave, we've been talking over the last several episodes about manifestations of 139 00:07:11,760 --> 00:07:12,760 repentance. 140 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:18,720 We spent the last couple about the specifically on the gift of the Holy Ghost and how that 141 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,720 works into this entire process. 142 00:07:21,720 --> 00:07:26,240 Last week we promised our listeners that we would spend a good portion of this week's 143 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:33,240 episode talking about how to obtain the Holy Ghost, how to have it in our lives. 144 00:07:33,240 --> 00:07:35,200 Critical discussion, Scott. 145 00:07:35,200 --> 00:07:41,160 I just, I remember being a branch president of the missionary training center for three 146 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:47,160 years and I think it was the number one question of missionaries. 147 00:07:47,160 --> 00:07:53,960 One or two, the two I think most popular questions of missionaries at the missionary 148 00:07:53,960 --> 00:07:59,400 training center is how can I know if I'm forgiven and how can I recognize the Holy 149 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,360 Ghost and both of those questions are related. 150 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:09,280 They're connected because you, you, you recognize that you're forgiven when you recognize that 151 00:08:09,280 --> 00:08:10,960 you have the Holy Ghost. 152 00:08:10,960 --> 00:08:13,520 So how can I recognize the Holy Ghost? 153 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:20,160 Well then that leads to the third most important question, which is, I spent so much time teaching 154 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:26,200 this in, in different meetings we would have as a branch at the missionary training center. 155 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:34,440 The real critical question is, so what do I need to do or how can I obtain the gift of 156 00:08:34,440 --> 00:08:36,400 the Holy Ghost? 157 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:39,160 How can I receive it? 158 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:46,680 It's as we all know in the ordinance of the laying out of hands and receiving the gift 159 00:08:46,680 --> 00:08:47,920 of the Holy Ghost. 160 00:08:47,920 --> 00:08:52,880 The Holy Ghost is not commanded to be with us. 161 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:57,640 We are commanded to receive it. 162 00:08:57,640 --> 00:08:59,600 Receive the Holy Ghost. 163 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:07,800 We always say in that ordinance that puts the responsibility upon us to qualify. 164 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:13,680 I hate the word earned when it comes to gospel principles and doctrine because I don't think 165 00:09:13,680 --> 00:09:14,960 you can ever earn it. 166 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:22,320 It's a gift and the gift of the Holy Ghost, gifts are free and the gift of the Holy Ghost 167 00:09:22,320 --> 00:09:24,200 is free. 168 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:29,560 But what can we do to qualify to receive the gift? 169 00:09:29,560 --> 00:09:32,320 That's how you, that's how we should see it, Scott. 170 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:36,520 It's not me earning it or I'm entitled to it. 171 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:48,200 It's how can I in humility place myself in a position or qualify to receive the gift, 172 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:54,520 which cannot be forced or manipulated or demanded by me. 173 00:09:54,520 --> 00:09:57,040 It comes as a gift. 174 00:09:57,040 --> 00:10:00,160 It flows into my life. 175 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:04,840 It cannot be pushed or pulled or forced. 176 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:12,400 So I just think that was such an important lesson that was taught at the missionary training 177 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:18,840 center and for my students over the years I taught in the Institute was an even return 178 00:10:18,840 --> 00:10:24,920 missionary, even return missionaries is how do I recognize the gift of the Holy Ghost 179 00:10:24,920 --> 00:10:28,980 in my life and how can I receive him? 180 00:10:28,980 --> 00:10:33,040 What does it really take for me to qualify to receive him? 181 00:10:33,040 --> 00:10:37,280 So I think that's what we want to talk about, Scott. 182 00:10:37,280 --> 00:10:42,760 I know it affects you, it affects me, all of our families and all of our listeners and 183 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:44,760 their families. 184 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,160 So let's jump into it. 185 00:10:47,160 --> 00:10:48,880 All right. 186 00:10:48,880 --> 00:10:54,320 Just as a thought, you know, last week and other weeks prior even we've referenced Elder 187 00:10:54,320 --> 00:11:00,880 Bednar's talk and he's often talked about receive, recognize and respond to the Holy 188 00:11:00,880 --> 00:11:01,880 Ghost. 189 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,240 Receive, recognize and respond. 190 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:08,800 And I think, you know, even though we're going to be talking about receiving and recognizing, 191 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:13,920 obviously, once we've received and once we have a full recognition or even a partial 192 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:19,440 recognition of the Holy Ghost in our lives, that's just a natural response for us to respond 193 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:21,360 to that in our lives. 194 00:11:21,360 --> 00:11:24,400 So all right, Dave, what do you want to take from here? 195 00:11:24,400 --> 00:11:29,920 Well, let's turn to the scriptures, I think, and discuss some of our favorite scriptures 196 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:38,520 on what it takes, Scott, to qualify for or how can we receive the Holy Ghost? 197 00:11:38,520 --> 00:11:46,480 And I think, I think one of my, one of my favorites is Dr. and Covenant section 76, Scott, 198 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:53,200 the vision on the celestial and terrestrial and celestial and right at the very end of 199 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,800 the revelation. 200 00:11:55,800 --> 00:11:58,600 We hear this from the Lord. 201 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:02,120 So this is verse, I'm turning to it, sorry. 202 00:12:02,120 --> 00:12:03,120 116. 203 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:11,720 116 talking about commandments and other things that can, some of them cannot be uttered. 204 00:12:11,720 --> 00:12:19,760 Verse 16, 116, neither is man capable to make them known, for they are only to be seen and 205 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:28,400 understood by the power of the Holy Spirit, which God bestows on those who love him and 206 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:32,440 purify themselves before him. 207 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:38,560 So I, I've always loved that sky that I really believe that's really one of the keys of how 208 00:12:38,560 --> 00:12:44,680 to receive the Holy Ghost is that we know that we love God, that our hearts are full 209 00:12:44,680 --> 00:12:52,880 of love for God, for his son and for the Holy Ghost, and that we seek to purify ourselves, 210 00:12:52,880 --> 00:13:00,440 our minds, our hearts, and that we approach him with impurity. 211 00:13:00,440 --> 00:13:02,800 So I think that's one of my favorites. 212 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:11,560 I remember my mother, your grandmother, when I would go stay with her on Friday nights, 213 00:13:11,560 --> 00:13:17,480 when she was, you know, not wanting to be alone in her home last year or two of her life. 214 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:24,560 And every Friday night was my, my night and then Saturdays, I'd be with her on Saturdays, 215 00:13:24,560 --> 00:13:29,000 but because I was working and teaching full time. 216 00:13:29,000 --> 00:13:34,080 But I remember her praying at night and she, you know, she'd pray out loud, which I loved 217 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:40,160 and I would oftentimes stand at her door and listen to the crack of the door. 218 00:13:40,160 --> 00:13:44,640 And I always felt this Scott, when she would say in her prayers, and I say it, my prayers 219 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:54,520 now too, pretty regularly, and she would always say, Heavenly Father, I love thee and I love 220 00:13:54,520 --> 00:14:01,200 Jesus Christ and I love the Holy Ghost. 221 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:10,960 I remember her, you know, distinctly can hear her voice trying to express her love for all 222 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:14,680 three members of the Godhead. 223 00:14:14,680 --> 00:14:20,960 I love thee Father and I love thy son and I love the Holy Ghost. 224 00:14:20,960 --> 00:14:22,960 And she would say it with real feeling. 225 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:26,880 I love the Holy Ghost. 226 00:14:26,880 --> 00:14:31,160 I remember probably the first time I heard that it really affected me. 227 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:39,440 And so I think that it's really important for us to not just not just feel it, but to 228 00:14:39,440 --> 00:14:47,440 be aware of it and to acknowledge it in our prayers throughout the day, to just really 229 00:14:47,440 --> 00:14:54,480 be more conscious of the love that we have for God and try and really sincerely try to 230 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:56,120 communicate it to him. 231 00:14:56,120 --> 00:15:01,840 Because I know that when I do, when I really feel it and I communicate it, I am filled 232 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:04,040 with the spirit. 233 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:09,520 So I know it's, you know, we show him our love by keeping the commandments, you know, 234 00:15:09,520 --> 00:15:12,520 if you love me, keep my commandments. 235 00:15:12,520 --> 00:15:19,960 We show our love in so many ways to the Father by loving His children and loving others. 236 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:29,840 But I think it's really powerful when we try to communicate it to him in a, in not a trite 237 00:15:29,840 --> 00:15:37,720 way, not, not to make it a vain repetition, but to really express it in humility and with 238 00:15:37,720 --> 00:15:39,600 some feeling. 239 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:41,920 So I, that's one of my favorite scriptures. 240 00:15:41,920 --> 00:15:47,040 Well, I love him and those who purify themselves before him will have the Holy Ghost. 241 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:48,040 That's the Holy Spirit. 242 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:52,720 Let's talk about purify themselves before him for a second, because that's a big one. 243 00:15:52,720 --> 00:15:57,440 When it comes to how do I receive the Holy Ghost or how do I recognize and respond to 244 00:15:57,440 --> 00:16:02,880 the Holy Ghost in my life, that's a really important one is not just those who love him, 245 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,640 but those who purify themselves before him. 246 00:16:05,640 --> 00:16:11,600 You know, we, we, we've spent 30 something episodes talking about how do we receive that 247 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:16,880 purification process in our lives, which is obviously through repentance, through aligning 248 00:16:16,880 --> 00:16:21,080 our will in our life with the care of our, our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ, 249 00:16:21,080 --> 00:16:22,960 atonement, et cetera. 250 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:30,320 But loving him comes to us even as a deeper, at a deeper level as we participate in that 251 00:16:30,320 --> 00:16:31,320 purification process. 252 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:36,960 Dave, you know, when we, when we're going through this, the process, I almost said steps, but 253 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:42,920 when we're going through the process of repentance, which means I'm turning my life to him, which 254 00:16:42,920 --> 00:16:48,840 means I'm shedding the things that distract the spirit or distract me from filling the 255 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:49,840 spirit in my life. 256 00:16:49,840 --> 00:16:50,840 You become more holy. 257 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:51,840 Yeah, exactly. 258 00:16:51,840 --> 00:16:56,120 And, and I think, you know, just probably everything else that we're going to talk about 259 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:03,040 will, when it comes to how do I have the Holy Ghost in my life will probably be maybe under 260 00:17:03,040 --> 00:17:06,040 the pavilion of those two things, right? 261 00:17:06,040 --> 00:17:09,320 Loving him and being purified before him. 262 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:10,320 Yeah. 263 00:17:10,320 --> 00:17:14,120 And the, and the scripture that I think of that goes right along with this, another one 264 00:17:14,120 --> 00:17:18,080 of my favorites is in Doctrine and Covenants 121. 265 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:27,520 So in 121 45 and 46 members of the church will recognize this, the famous passage of 266 00:17:27,520 --> 00:17:33,480 revelation to through the Prophet Joseph Smith to the church. 267 00:17:33,480 --> 00:17:43,160 As he's sitting in Liberty gel as he's suffering the winter of 1838 and 39 and he's in Liberty 268 00:17:43,160 --> 00:17:50,240 gel and as this revelation ends, which was really a letter that he had written to the 269 00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:51,880 church. 270 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:55,920 Listen to what the Lord says through him in 45 and 46. 271 00:17:55,920 --> 00:18:00,880 If you want to read it, let thy bowels also be full of charity towards all men and to 272 00:18:00,880 --> 00:18:05,200 the household of faith and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly. 273 00:18:05,200 --> 00:18:10,200 Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God and the doctrine of the priesthood 274 00:18:10,200 --> 00:18:14,560 shall distill upon thy soul as it is from heaven. 275 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:20,600 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion and thy scepter and unchanging scepter of 276 00:18:20,600 --> 00:18:27,400 righteousness and truth and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion and without compulsory 277 00:18:27,400 --> 00:18:31,360 means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever. 278 00:18:31,360 --> 00:18:33,480 So Scott constant companion. 279 00:18:33,480 --> 00:18:34,480 Yeah. 280 00:18:34,480 --> 00:18:40,560 It's one of the few places where it actually uses that phrase constant companion in the 281 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:50,080 scriptures and he the Holy Ghost, a personage of spirit, he may be with us as a constant 282 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:56,320 companion if we let virtue garnish our thoughts unceasingly. 283 00:18:56,320 --> 00:19:00,280 That'll help our confidence wax strong in the presence of God and the doctrine of the 284 00:19:00,280 --> 00:19:03,480 priesthood shall distill upon thy soul as it is from heaven. 285 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,080 And the Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion. 286 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:11,400 So virtue virtue is usually described. 287 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:18,280 I mean, when we think of it now nowadays, it's it has some sexual context or meaning. 288 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:19,280 Yeah. 289 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:20,280 Yeah. 290 00:19:20,280 --> 00:19:27,240 If you're virtuous, you're not acting out sexually or something that but but virtue 291 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:30,280 has a much broader meaning than that. 292 00:19:30,280 --> 00:19:36,160 And let virtue or goodness or purity or a tee. 293 00:19:36,160 --> 00:19:37,160 Yeah. 294 00:19:37,160 --> 00:19:39,120 Let that be in our minds. 295 00:19:39,120 --> 00:19:45,640 Let virtue garnish garnish garnish is makes your life more beautiful. 296 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:55,840 Makes your you know, it's it's anyway, virtue is goodness, purity, not just sexual purity, 297 00:19:55,840 --> 00:20:01,280 but all we just need to be more pure and hard. 298 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,440 Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly. 299 00:20:04,440 --> 00:20:07,960 Then the Holy Ghost will be our constant companion. 300 00:20:07,960 --> 00:20:14,360 So there's this again idea, Scott, and we talked a lot about this last week of the choices 301 00:20:14,360 --> 00:20:18,800 that we have to control our thoughts and feelings really. 302 00:20:18,800 --> 00:20:23,600 And and we have more control over that than we think we do. 303 00:20:23,600 --> 00:20:32,120 And I I'm I probably talked too much about it and but I'm just I know that I have more 304 00:20:32,120 --> 00:20:42,160 took me 50 something years of my life to learn that that we can repent of impure thoughts 305 00:20:42,160 --> 00:20:48,240 and inappropriate emotions and that we need to learn how to how to do that. 306 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:55,760 But virtue garnish thy thoughts and purity, we could say, garnish your heart continually. 307 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:57,400 And then we'll have the constant companion. 308 00:20:57,400 --> 00:21:00,680 So I think those two passages are connected. 309 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:06,920 Then I think there's a there's power in prayer and asking for the Holy Ghost, Scott. 310 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:15,720 And write an old old time missionary favorite scripture is doctrine comes section 42. 311 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,600 This revelation is known as the law. 312 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:22,680 I know that we're we're using right now a lot of scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants. 313 00:21:22,680 --> 00:21:27,920 But I've always seen the pattern in the Doctrine and Covenants of the Lord in the restoration 314 00:21:27,920 --> 00:21:34,120 through his prophets early on in the history of the church was trying to teach us how to 315 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:40,000 receive continual revelation and how to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 316 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:46,840 You know, the Prophet Joseph Smith, when he went back to Washington, told the president 317 00:21:46,840 --> 00:21:52,120 of the United States when he was asked, How is your church different from other churches? 318 00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:56,040 His answer was we have the gift of the Holy Ghost. 319 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:58,120 I mean, that's such that's so interesting. 320 00:21:58,120 --> 00:22:03,000 I think that experience that of all the things he could have said about how we're different 321 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:05,400 and he said other things too. 322 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,880 But that was his that was his answer. 323 00:22:08,880 --> 00:22:11,880 We have the gift of the Holy Ghost. 324 00:22:11,880 --> 00:22:17,600 And it was obvious to him as the Doctrine and Covenants makes it obvious to me that 325 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:23,680 the Lord was trying really hard in the early days of the restoration in these latter days 326 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:31,040 to to teach us how to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, how to recognize him, how 327 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:36,640 to receive personal revelation and what it means. 328 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:43,000 The difference between personal revelation and general church revelation and how to understand 329 00:22:43,000 --> 00:22:45,160 the difference between those two. 330 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:48,800 So anyway, there's a lot of scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants on the Holy Ghost 331 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:55,040 and Revelation, but 42 14, maybe maybe 13 and 14, Scott, let's start with 13. 332 00:22:55,040 --> 00:22:59,140 And they shall observe the Covenants and the church articles to do them. 333 00:22:59,140 --> 00:23:01,680 And these shall be their teachings. 334 00:23:01,680 --> 00:23:04,760 And they shall be directed by the Spirit. 335 00:23:04,760 --> 00:23:09,240 The Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith. 336 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:13,800 And if you receive not the Spirit, you you shall not teach. 337 00:23:13,800 --> 00:23:19,800 So I know that usually that's a great teaching scripture that if you don't have the Spirit, 338 00:23:19,800 --> 00:23:21,400 you shall. 339 00:23:21,400 --> 00:23:24,440 And I know Elder Holland makes a big deal out of that word. 340 00:23:24,440 --> 00:23:27,520 You shall not teach. 341 00:23:27,520 --> 00:23:29,320 And I love that. 342 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:34,520 But to me, this has always been a really important scripture about how we can qualify for the 343 00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:36,840 Holy Ghost that it comes. 344 00:23:36,840 --> 00:23:41,320 How the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith. 345 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:44,080 And if you receive not the Spirit, you shall not teach. 346 00:23:44,080 --> 00:23:46,280 So what's a prayer of faith, Scott? 347 00:23:46,280 --> 00:23:52,840 Yeah, so, you know, we've talked about faith in so many different contexts over the course 348 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:53,840 of the podcast. 349 00:23:53,840 --> 00:23:54,840 We talked about faith. 350 00:23:54,840 --> 00:23:56,320 We talked about power of faith. 351 00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,440 We talked about faith in his name. 352 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:03,960 And here we're talking about it, maybe a little bit different approach to faith, the prayer 353 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:05,720 of faith. 354 00:24:05,720 --> 00:24:10,400 And so to me, when I think about the prayer of faith, that's much different than just 355 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:11,400 a prayer. 356 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:12,960 Prayer of faith has power. 357 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,240 You know, when we talk about the power of faith, this is when we talk about the power 358 00:24:16,240 --> 00:24:19,880 of unto repentance as a power of faith unto repentance. 359 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:22,320 This is the power of faith unto prayer. 360 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:27,680 And so it's a different it's a different communication level with our Heavenly Father. 361 00:24:27,680 --> 00:24:34,320 You know, this prayer is much more intimate, the prayer of faith, not only has an intimate 362 00:24:34,320 --> 00:24:39,720 component to it where, you know, it's really just me and Heavenly Father or me and deity 363 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:40,720 in this communication. 364 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:45,400 But a prayer of faith also means that when I'm praying, I know I'm praying to him. 365 00:24:45,400 --> 00:24:47,240 You know, I know he's there. 366 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:49,200 Yeah, you're not just praying with faith. 367 00:24:49,200 --> 00:24:50,200 I'm not. 368 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:51,200 And I'm not in faith. 369 00:24:51,200 --> 00:24:52,200 And I'm not hoping he's there. 370 00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:53,200 I know he's there. 371 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:54,200 Through it. 372 00:24:54,200 --> 00:24:55,200 I have faith. 373 00:24:55,200 --> 00:24:56,200 I know he's there. 374 00:24:56,200 --> 00:24:59,320 There's different levels of faith, Scott. 375 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:06,680 And there's a faith of knowledge, the faith of knowledge is where you can almost with 376 00:25:06,680 --> 00:25:11,520 an eye of faith see him as you communicate with him. 377 00:25:11,520 --> 00:25:16,320 Prayer, you know, prayer is just such an important part of our spiritual life, Scott. 378 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:20,120 And I know it's kind of the primary answer. 379 00:25:20,120 --> 00:25:22,520 How can we receive the spirit? 380 00:25:22,520 --> 00:25:27,120 Well, we pray and we read the scriptures and, you know, as the primary Sunday School 381 00:25:27,120 --> 00:25:28,880 answer. 382 00:25:28,880 --> 00:25:36,240 But I just there are so many different levels of prayer in our life. 383 00:25:36,240 --> 00:25:44,000 I remember a good friend of mine when he was interviewed by a general authority to they 384 00:25:44,000 --> 00:25:49,080 were calling a new stake president in his stake after he was called. 385 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,360 I said, so what did the general authority ask you? 386 00:25:52,360 --> 00:25:58,520 And he said, he only asked me one question, which I thought was interesting because I 387 00:25:58,520 --> 00:26:00,680 said he didn't ask about your family or other things. 388 00:26:00,680 --> 00:26:03,080 He said, no, I think he already knew that. 389 00:26:03,080 --> 00:26:06,240 But he said he only asked me one question. 390 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:11,680 How is your prayer life described to me your prayer life? 391 00:26:11,680 --> 00:26:13,280 I've never forgot that. 392 00:26:13,280 --> 00:26:19,040 And I remember thinking that, wow, I probably need to improve my prayer life. 393 00:26:19,040 --> 00:26:22,280 What is your prayer life? 394 00:26:22,280 --> 00:26:29,160 God, a prayer of faith is a prayer of not praying for what you want. 395 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,320 It's praying to know the will of God. 396 00:26:31,320 --> 00:26:38,680 It's praying that it's praying like the Savior prayed in Gethsemane and not my will. 397 00:26:38,680 --> 00:26:46,560 Not my will, but dying dying be done and not just not just saying it, but wanting it, believing 398 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:54,960 it, having your will swallowed up in the will of the son and the will of the father and 399 00:26:54,960 --> 00:27:02,520 saying, well, you know, I just I want thy will to be done and then not stopping there. 400 00:27:02,520 --> 00:27:09,840 But to to ask questions, inspired questions about what is thy will? 401 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:11,800 What is thy will concerning me? 402 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:15,080 What is it I will concerning my children? 403 00:27:15,080 --> 00:27:17,880 What is thy will reveal to me? 404 00:27:17,880 --> 00:27:21,360 Thy will and I will do it. 405 00:27:21,360 --> 00:27:22,640 That's a prayer of faith. 406 00:27:22,640 --> 00:27:30,440 A prayer of faith is not just I hope I hope I hope and we pray for the same things time 407 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:36,640 after time after time and there's no such thing as a bad prayer, a sincere prayer. 408 00:27:36,640 --> 00:27:42,800 And I pray for the same things because I how can I not pray for the protection and peace 409 00:27:42,800 --> 00:27:47,600 and blessings for my family every time I pray? 410 00:27:47,600 --> 00:27:54,840 But really a prayer of faith is I think really seeking to know the will of God for me today 411 00:27:54,840 --> 00:28:02,480 and for maybe my children today and how can I be an instrument in his hands and receiving 412 00:28:02,480 --> 00:28:05,240 revelation maybe at the time that I pray? 413 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:06,640 Yeah, and I think that's it. 414 00:28:06,640 --> 00:28:10,560 I think that, you know, when I have a prayer of faith, there's there's oftentimes when 415 00:28:10,560 --> 00:28:16,000 I when I have a prayer of hope, right, I'm praying and I'm hoping that I'll get at the 416 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:19,280 response and you know, there may be even a little bit of faith at that. 417 00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:22,680 And I know there's some semantics involved here. 418 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:28,440 But when I think of a prayer of faith, I really think of the the desperate, you know, in alcohol 419 00:28:28,440 --> 00:28:29,440 ics anonymous. 420 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:38,280 This is one of the things Dave were in in any recovery really part of the process of 421 00:28:38,280 --> 00:28:44,120 becoming clean and sober, all of the entire process includes a relationship with God. 422 00:28:44,120 --> 00:28:48,720 And it's that that praying, you know, we talk about crying out in earlier episodes, you 423 00:28:48,720 --> 00:28:55,480 know, and the importance of the crying out in terms of how along the repentance process, 424 00:28:55,480 --> 00:28:57,600 how that's the essence so important. 425 00:28:57,600 --> 00:28:59,200 That's the essence is that crying out. 426 00:28:59,200 --> 00:29:04,640 Well, the reason that's so important and the reason that's the essence is because the administrator 427 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:10,760 of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost is then summons or summoned by our prayer 428 00:29:10,760 --> 00:29:12,680 to come to our aid. 429 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,120 And it is it is by that and other things. 430 00:29:15,120 --> 00:29:20,360 I don't want to oversimplify it that makes that power available to us. 431 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:25,400 Well, it's also true that prayer of faith is also true when it comes to our ability to 432 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:27,880 feel and have the Holy Ghost in our life. 433 00:29:27,880 --> 00:29:33,720 If I'm praying and I know based on my testimony, based on my past experience, based on maybe 434 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:41,320 the observation I've had of other people or maybe just based on my absolute, I am so desperate 435 00:29:41,320 --> 00:29:47,600 that I have no other choice but to engage in a level of faith or it'll continue to just 436 00:29:47,600 --> 00:29:52,200 spiral out of control for me that through that faith, then I do feel the Holy Ghost. 437 00:29:52,200 --> 00:29:56,040 I mean, this may be the the kind of the pinnacle. 438 00:29:56,040 --> 00:30:01,000 The I don't know if there's one more important than others, but definitely prayer, Dave seems 439 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:07,280 to me like this is the one that if we participate in it, all other things will fall into place. 440 00:30:07,280 --> 00:30:13,000 But this one without participating in prayer of the faithful or a prayer of faith, how could 441 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:16,720 we have the Holy Ghost with us the way we're seeking it at least? 442 00:30:16,720 --> 00:30:19,000 You get you gave me a little book. 443 00:30:19,000 --> 00:30:23,360 The yeah, it's the big book, but it's a small copy. 444 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:24,360 Yeah. 445 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,000 Is that how you say pocket copy of this? 446 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:31,280 You gave me you gave me a tiny pocket copy of the big book. 447 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:33,200 I gave it to you because my eyes can't see it. 448 00:30:33,200 --> 00:30:34,400 I was hoping maybe yours could. 449 00:30:34,400 --> 00:30:42,000 I put it by my bed and I've been reading it and and I read I read this and it just kind 450 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:48,360 of, you know, got me thinking, you know, when it talks about faith in one of the chapters, 451 00:30:48,360 --> 00:30:54,160 it's about in the middle of the book and it's talking about faith and it says it takes real 452 00:30:54,160 --> 00:30:55,160 courage. 453 00:30:55,160 --> 00:31:01,320 It takes real courage to have faith in God. 454 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:06,720 And you know, I got thinking about that and I said, wow, that's that's really insightful 455 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:11,000 and powerful that it really does. 456 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:18,920 You have to summons great courage to be able to seek the will of God. 457 00:31:18,920 --> 00:31:23,280 I mean, prayer of faith to me is not just praying for what I want. 458 00:31:23,280 --> 00:31:27,600 Our faith to me is seeking to know what God wants for me and my family. 459 00:31:27,600 --> 00:31:28,600 I agree. 460 00:31:28,600 --> 00:31:32,320 And it takes great courage to ask that question, Scott. 461 00:31:32,320 --> 00:31:37,160 I got thinking, you know, sometimes I don't have probably the courage to ask that question 462 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:40,240 because I might be afraid of the answer. 463 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:47,800 It takes great courage to say not my will, but I'd be done and to really place your will 464 00:31:47,800 --> 00:31:48,800 on the altar. 465 00:31:48,800 --> 00:31:51,080 Well, let's talk about why that takes so much faith. 466 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:57,760 You know, if I and I do, I think it's part of the human condition, part of the fall that 467 00:31:57,760 --> 00:32:01,720 we see ourselves is I know how my life ought to go. 468 00:32:01,720 --> 00:32:04,640 You know, in my mind, I think I know how it should go. 469 00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:09,080 I know that this should happen and we know what blessings we need or exactly and we know 470 00:32:09,080 --> 00:32:11,440 that we should get them now. 471 00:32:11,440 --> 00:32:15,840 And I say that somewhat tongue in tongue, but it's reality. 472 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:22,480 It's true because if I turn it over to God, then I have to know a couple of things in 473 00:32:22,480 --> 00:32:23,880 order for that to work. 474 00:32:23,880 --> 00:32:27,080 You know, one of those things is, is I got to know he loves me. 475 00:32:27,080 --> 00:32:29,040 I got to know he's benevolent towards me. 476 00:32:29,040 --> 00:32:36,680 I got to know that everything that he wants for me in the perfections of God is discussed 477 00:32:36,680 --> 00:32:41,560 in the article in the lectures on faith rather. 478 00:32:41,560 --> 00:32:47,440 But to understand and to have that kind of faith to allow me to have the spirit really 479 00:32:47,440 --> 00:32:52,400 then allows me to enter into that relationship that we've been talking about. 480 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:53,400 Courage. 481 00:32:53,400 --> 00:32:54,400 Yeah. 482 00:32:54,400 --> 00:32:56,880 Well, yeah, because how do I know what God wants for me? 483 00:32:56,880 --> 00:33:01,400 I know, you know, and it may not always be easy. 484 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:03,800 It may not be comfortable. 485 00:33:03,800 --> 00:33:07,200 And yeah, there will be times in fact, when it's not. 486 00:33:07,200 --> 00:33:08,200 Yeah. 487 00:33:08,200 --> 00:33:11,640 There are some lessons we learn from the hardships we suffer. 488 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:12,640 Yeah. 489 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:18,800 But to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost through those hardships or through anything 490 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:21,840 in our life makes it doable. 491 00:33:21,840 --> 00:33:22,840 Yeah. 492 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:25,640 Well, that's that's awesome. 493 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:30,000 Anyway, I've enjoyed reading the book, the tiny big book. 494 00:33:30,000 --> 00:33:32,400 I'll get you a bigger copy if it's a strain on your eyes. 495 00:33:32,400 --> 00:33:33,400 No, it's perfect. 496 00:33:33,400 --> 00:33:37,560 It takes up no space by my bed. 497 00:33:37,560 --> 00:33:42,040 But to really offer that prayer of faith as described in forty two fourteen, I think you 498 00:33:42,040 --> 00:33:47,440 have to go just a little further into the revelations in the doctrine comments and the revelation 499 00:33:47,440 --> 00:33:50,560 on the gifts of the spirit in forty six. 500 00:33:50,560 --> 00:33:57,920 And I've always thought this was the key to prayer of faith and to receive revelation 501 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,040 in our lives connected with receiving. 502 00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:09,600 How can I receive the Holy Ghost and answers to my prayers? 503 00:34:09,600 --> 00:34:16,720 Verse twenty eight and it shall come to pass that he that asketh in the spirit shall receive 504 00:34:16,720 --> 00:34:19,040 in spirit. 505 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,040 First thirty I'm skipping a verse. 506 00:34:22,040 --> 00:34:29,920 He that asketh in the spirit asketh according to the will of God asking in the spirit you 507 00:34:29,920 --> 00:34:33,360 ask according to the will of God. 508 00:34:33,360 --> 00:34:38,480 Wherefore it is done even as he asketh. 509 00:34:38,480 --> 00:34:41,640 That's that's that's the faith of power, Scott. 510 00:34:41,640 --> 00:34:50,360 The faith of power is not getting what we want or think we need the prayer of faith and 511 00:34:50,360 --> 00:34:58,200 the faith of power is to know the will of God and seek to carry it out. 512 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:04,320 In verse thirty one again I say unto you all things must be done in the name of Christ 513 00:35:04,320 --> 00:35:10,400 whatsoever you do in the spirit and we need to talk about that sometimes Scott again. 514 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:16,840 I know we did last season we have a little bit probably this season but I I just think 515 00:35:16,840 --> 00:35:22,720 that's so important to really know the power in the name and what what that really means 516 00:35:22,720 --> 00:35:28,720 to pray in the name and to use the name and the difference between faith in Christ and 517 00:35:28,720 --> 00:35:32,120 faith in the name of Christ. 518 00:35:32,120 --> 00:35:36,040 I I mentioned that before and I hope our listeners have picked up on that in their scripture 519 00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:41,360 study is that there is a difference between having faith in Christ and having faith in 520 00:35:41,360 --> 00:35:43,440 the name of Christ. 521 00:35:43,440 --> 00:35:52,440 So again prayer of faith is not just faith in Christ or in the father it's faith in 522 00:35:52,440 --> 00:35:59,080 the name in which you pray anyway verse thirty two and you must give thanks unto God in the 523 00:35:59,080 --> 00:36:05,040 spirit for whatsoever blessing you are blessed with and you must practice virtue there's 524 00:36:05,040 --> 00:36:12,200 that word again and holiness before me continually even so amen. 525 00:36:12,200 --> 00:36:17,760 So this is a revelation forty six on how to receive the gifts of the spirit. 526 00:36:17,760 --> 00:36:26,040 So if we're to receive the spirit which administers all of the gifts of the spirit in our life 527 00:36:26,040 --> 00:36:33,840 this is the key is to know how to pray and to pray in the spirit in the name of Christ 528 00:36:33,840 --> 00:36:47,120 with faith in his will not ours to to pray according to the will of God and to he mentions 529 00:36:47,120 --> 00:36:53,840 gratitude in here Scott I probably have said that too many times but gratitude is the beginning 530 00:36:53,840 --> 00:36:59,480 of desire and gratitude is absolutely essential to receiving the spirit and the gifts of the 531 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:05,840 spirit is to give thanks to acknowledge the hand of God in all of the good things in our 532 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:13,760 life and then to practice virtue and holiness that's how we receive the Holy Ghost Scott 533 00:37:13,760 --> 00:37:20,720 I I I know there's a lot of other things we can do and specific things that we need to 534 00:37:20,720 --> 00:37:28,840 do and there's routines that help us to be able to live a life of virtue and holiness 535 00:37:28,840 --> 00:37:36,640 but I think we just need to somehow organize our our time and organize our life to be able 536 00:37:36,640 --> 00:37:47,000 to do better at living a virtuous wholesome life of holiness so what any any other scriptures 537 00:37:47,000 --> 00:37:51,920 we well before I have a thought you know before we move on I'm sure there's some other scriptures 538 00:37:51,920 --> 00:37:56,400 that we can talk about but I have a thought that I want to talk about real quick first 539 00:37:56,400 --> 00:38:00,920 this is this is this part about having the Holy Ghost and what do we need to do in order 540 00:38:00,920 --> 00:38:07,720 to have the Holy Ghost with me and and and all of that this is so important such an important 541 00:38:07,720 --> 00:38:14,440 part of the entire season this entire season of the podcast to have the Holy Ghost with 542 00:38:14,440 --> 00:38:20,880 us and I think it's something that it's we've talked a little bit about it as we talked 543 00:38:20,880 --> 00:38:24,840 about receiving the Holy Ghost of baptism how the gift of the Holy Ghost was given to 544 00:38:24,840 --> 00:38:30,000 us and and I think that it can be something that we just take for granted and when I say 545 00:38:30,000 --> 00:38:36,000 we I'm guess I mean me I take for granted I can take this for granted and and sometimes 546 00:38:36,000 --> 00:38:41,280 they've I can find myself and I think that this is true perhaps with maybe all of us 547 00:38:41,280 --> 00:38:45,920 but I can find myself just a little bit off and when I do a self-assessment or when I 548 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:49,360 get back into my personal inventory and when I'm just a little bit off we all feel that 549 00:38:49,360 --> 00:38:53,640 I can tell that I'm not feeling the spirit like I should be feeling the spirit now you 550 00:38:53,640 --> 00:38:58,120 notice I didn't say the spirits left me I just said I'm not feeling the spirit the 551 00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:02,920 way I think I should feel the spirit and so I mean we can go through and and so much of 552 00:39:02,920 --> 00:39:08,480 this so much of these answers do feel perhaps like the Sunday school and the primary answers 553 00:39:08,480 --> 00:39:12,240 but you know what the Sunday school and the primary answers are the most important ones 554 00:39:12,240 --> 00:39:17,880 when it comes to this the stuff that I have to do or the stuff that I'm invited to do 555 00:39:17,880 --> 00:39:25,240 by the spirit so that I can fill his companionship it's just so important but it but because 556 00:39:25,240 --> 00:39:31,000 of its simplicity sometimes I think that we just brush past it oh yeah I'd say my prayers 557 00:39:31,000 --> 00:39:35,240 okay I say my prayers yeah but did you pray you know there's a difference did I say my 558 00:39:35,240 --> 00:39:39,640 prayers or did I pray you know did I did I go to the temple or did I worship in the temple 559 00:39:39,640 --> 00:39:44,120 did I partake of the sacrament or did I partake and so so much of this you know we can have 560 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:48,440 this intellectual exercise which is extremely important for us to do in going through these 561 00:39:48,440 --> 00:39:54,520 scriptures but where's our heart you know that's to me that's really where this needs 562 00:39:54,520 --> 00:40:01,320 to be taken places where in my heart have I made space for the spirit to dwell so Scott 563 00:40:01,320 --> 00:40:06,600 so Scott this is important so I'm glad you're bringing it up but you said sometimes you feel 564 00:40:06,600 --> 00:40:13,320 off yeah so I know you're old enough I'm old enough we've we've experienced that umpteen 565 00:40:13,320 --> 00:40:21,720 times in our lives yeah where we feel off what have you learned about why usually you may be 566 00:40:21,720 --> 00:40:28,040 off so and and this is important this is kind of what I'm getting to when I feel off it's one of 567 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:34,360 a couple of things and it's usually the first the first is is that somehow I become casual in my 568 00:40:34,360 --> 00:40:40,760 approach to deity you know somehow something has slipped you know and and I'm not talking about 569 00:40:40,760 --> 00:40:46,200 big sins I'm just talking about my casual approach yeah and that can look different for everybody 570 00:40:46,200 --> 00:40:52,520 so that's a big one you know that sometimes helps me or makes me feel off makes me feel like I'm not 571 00:40:52,520 --> 00:40:57,960 in in touch or I'm not feeling the effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ because in my life 572 00:40:57,960 --> 00:41:03,640 because I don't necessarily feel the spirit with me all the time so that's a big one is my casual 573 00:41:03,640 --> 00:41:11,000 approach obviously the other one sin you know anytime that we allow sin to enter into our 574 00:41:11,000 --> 00:41:17,720 lives that creates a difficult situation for us to fill the spirit you know so there's that one 575 00:41:17,720 --> 00:41:24,120 but um you know Dave I think that that first one just being casual in my approach really could pretty 576 00:41:24,120 --> 00:41:33,480 much uh encompass everything else reminds me of a a quote by president Kimball when he said quote 577 00:41:33,480 --> 00:41:41,080 I find that when I get casual so even he did in my relationships with divinity 578 00:41:41,720 --> 00:41:47,240 how all the prophets do sure they fight this too it's it's again we're just all fallen we're all 579 00:41:47,240 --> 00:41:53,480 mortal we're all sinners we're all natural man so you know there's there's nothing shocking about this 580 00:41:54,280 --> 00:42:02,040 um he says when I get when I find that when I get casual in my relationship with divinity 581 00:42:02,040 --> 00:42:08,280 and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking 582 00:42:10,280 --> 00:42:20,360 that I am far far away this is the answer if I immerse yeah myself in the scriptures 583 00:42:21,800 --> 00:42:31,400 the distance narrows and spirituality returns I I just always thought that was so simple and so 584 00:42:31,400 --> 00:42:37,560 profound yeah and it's been really true in my life I noticed that when I'm off it's because I 585 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:44,520 think oh yeah it's been been been uh a while since maybe I really immersed myself in the scriptures 586 00:42:44,520 --> 00:42:50,680 not necessarily that I didn't read the scriptures or whatever but I haven't immersed I haven't 587 00:42:50,680 --> 00:42:57,720 cherished I haven't treasured the word of God and for me that seems to be a big part of my 588 00:42:57,720 --> 00:43:08,440 spirituality for sure Scott so this idea of the word and the the role of the word of Christ and 589 00:43:08,440 --> 00:43:15,240 us having how can I have the Holy Ghost in my life I need to immerse myself in the scriptures and 590 00:43:15,240 --> 00:43:21,400 the reason I do Scott is because it changes my relationship with God it's not just because I'm 591 00:43:21,400 --> 00:43:26,440 reading that that I mean a lot of people read the scriptures right and they don't feel the Holy Ghost 592 00:43:26,440 --> 00:43:32,600 maybe maybe they're reading the scriptures to disprove that they're true or maybe they're reading 593 00:43:32,600 --> 00:43:41,400 the scriptures for a hundred thousand other reasons but but one who is sincere as Moroni tells us 594 00:43:41,400 --> 00:43:50,280 in his promise one who does so in faith and with real intent they will know by the power of the 595 00:43:50,280 --> 00:43:55,960 Holy Ghost this Moroni 10 verses three and four right they will know by the Holy Ghost that it's 596 00:43:55,960 --> 00:44:03,080 true and I think for me the real power in reading the scriptures I've at least I think the pattern 597 00:44:03,080 --> 00:44:11,240 that I've noticed in my life and in the lives of of family and loved ones and other members 598 00:44:12,680 --> 00:44:19,240 it's Alma chapter 32 you know we've talked about a prayer of faith and then Alma's amazing discourse 599 00:44:19,240 --> 00:44:24,840 on faith in Alma chapter 32 when he's talking to a bunch of Zoramites who are really off 600 00:44:24,840 --> 00:44:32,840 and these apostate Zoramites who are cast out of their their synagogues and end up on a hill of 601 00:44:32,840 --> 00:44:38,360 Oneida with Alma and Amulet and Alma tells them well it's a good thing you're humble it's a good 602 00:44:38,360 --> 00:44:45,640 thing you've been forced to be humble right this is Alma 32 like 13 14 15 Scott now I'm glad you're 603 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:56,520 forced to be humble but it would have been better if you would have been humbled by the word can you 604 00:44:56,520 --> 00:45:01,400 is that are you looking at yeah and now as I said unto you that because you were compelled to be 605 00:45:01,400 --> 00:45:08,760 humble you were blessed you did not suppose that you are more blessed who truly humble themselves 606 00:45:08,760 --> 00:45:18,520 because of the word so it's the word that humbles us and I think the real key to spirituality 607 00:45:18,520 --> 00:45:28,360 my spirituality is this attribute of humility that when I'm not humble when I get when I get full 608 00:45:28,360 --> 00:45:37,080 of pride and I I'm full of vain ambition and my ego is kind of ruling and reigning in my life 609 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:43,160 as it does in all of our lives it's hard for me to fill the spirit Scott even though again you 610 00:45:43,160 --> 00:45:48,840 may you made a great point it's not necessary that he left me it's just that I just don't feel 611 00:45:48,840 --> 00:45:55,000 him because of the the conditions of my heart my mind and because of the lack of my humility 612 00:45:55,640 --> 00:46:00,680 so and there's just a couple verses on that on on the connection of humility in the spirit 613 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:08,760 one is to Thomas be marsh in doctrine comes section 112 verse 10 I mean and Thomas you know 614 00:46:08,760 --> 00:46:14,360 he's he struggled we we all know the story and there's there's some controversy now about about 615 00:46:14,360 --> 00:46:21,800 the story or the accuracy of the story told years ago about his wife and a you know a little milk 616 00:46:21,800 --> 00:46:28,600 and cream that was skimmed off the top and and him leaving the church over that anyway but Thomas 617 00:46:28,600 --> 00:46:33,720 be marsh confessed that he had a real problem with pride and he and he left the church for a while 618 00:46:33,720 --> 00:46:37,320 he would have been the president the quorum of the 12 he he possibly could have been the next 619 00:46:37,320 --> 00:46:42,120 president of the church now I know that wasn't for ordained or whatever and God knew that he wouldn't 620 00:46:42,120 --> 00:46:49,160 but nevertheless he was the senior senior member of the 12 apostles and he struggled with pride 621 00:46:49,160 --> 00:46:55,560 and the Lord seems to kind of warn him of this God in verse 10 be thou humble 622 00:46:55,560 --> 00:47:06,120 just repeat be thou humble and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand and give the answer 623 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:13,000 to thy prayers the connection of prayer in the spirit and the connection of humility to prayer 624 00:47:13,560 --> 00:47:19,480 I mean the reason we fill off sometimes in our prayers Scott is because we're not we're not 625 00:47:19,480 --> 00:47:26,120 humble and to me humility comes how not by being forced I hope I hope it doesn't sometimes it has 626 00:47:26,120 --> 00:47:34,520 in my life it's better not to be compelled to be humble but to become humble because of the word 627 00:47:34,520 --> 00:47:44,120 and then there's that scripture in section 136 Scott is it 136 verse 33 do you have okay so this 628 00:47:44,120 --> 00:47:50,280 is dnc 136 33 for my spirit is sent forth into the world to enlighten the humble and 629 00:47:50,280 --> 00:47:58,760 contrite and to the condemnation of the ungodly so the spirit is sent to enlighten the humble 630 00:47:58,760 --> 00:48:06,280 and contrite those who are repenting those who have a contrite heart spirit contrite spirit 631 00:48:06,280 --> 00:48:11,960 broken heart those who are humble and how do they become humble well I hope that they didn't have to 632 00:48:11,960 --> 00:48:17,960 be compelled I hope it was by the power of the word so what's the connection between reading our 633 00:48:17,960 --> 00:48:29,560 scriptures saying our prayers and receiving the Holy Ghost seems pretty obvious yeah yeah and it's 634 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:37,080 not primary answers and primary I'm not talking about the organization I'm talking it is primary 635 00:48:37,080 --> 00:48:43,080 it's absolutely primary because it's the fundamentals it's absolutely fundamental 636 00:48:43,960 --> 00:48:52,360 that we learn how the connection between immersing ourselves in the scriptures and learning how to 637 00:48:53,080 --> 00:49:01,800 really pray with a prayer of faith by and under the direction of the Holy Ghost in order to be led 638 00:49:01,800 --> 00:49:13,720 and receive the gift receive and respond and recognize the Holy Ghost in our life so 639 00:49:14,760 --> 00:49:20,680 that's that's I think what the scriptures teaches and I love what Paul teaches in Galatians about 640 00:49:20,680 --> 00:49:25,960 walking in the spirit and what the spirit feels like and what the fruits of the spirit are 641 00:49:25,960 --> 00:49:33,480 which I think is Galatians chapter 5 is one of the one of the great chapters I think on this topic 642 00:49:34,280 --> 00:49:39,320 but I think there's some practical things too Scott that we can just quickly mention 643 00:49:39,880 --> 00:49:45,880 in regards to how to receive the Holy Ghost and the spirit in our lives how to receive 644 00:49:45,880 --> 00:49:51,960 personal revelation really that's what we're talking about is how to receive him recognize him 645 00:49:51,960 --> 00:50:01,000 and respond to him and I years ago made a kind of as I was seeking to receive personal revelation by 646 00:50:02,280 --> 00:50:08,680 magnifying my calling as a patriarch in the church and we talked so much about this last week that I 647 00:50:08,680 --> 00:50:16,840 won't repeat it but I had written down seven keys to receiving personal revelation and the first one 648 00:50:16,840 --> 00:50:24,920 was identify fears and other negative emotions and replace them with faith and love that was 649 00:50:24,920 --> 00:50:31,560 number one number two and I got this from president I rinks talk talk on pavilions 650 00:50:33,320 --> 00:50:42,120 remove the pavilions of selfish inappropriate motives and prideful desires by replacing them 651 00:50:42,120 --> 00:50:47,720 with not my will but dying be done that's number two what's our motives 652 00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:54,040 number three increased purity and confidence in the presence of God 653 00:50:55,080 --> 00:51:02,280 letting virtue govern your thoughts watch what you view this is this from an old sign I I 654 00:51:03,160 --> 00:51:08,760 I read in northern Minnesota I was going down this little two-lane road in the middle of this 655 00:51:08,760 --> 00:51:15,320 windy road in all these farms surrounding me and this one farmer had made a homemade sign 656 00:51:15,320 --> 00:51:22,360 and had put this up in his lawn and it said what and I had to stop back up and write it down 657 00:51:23,240 --> 00:51:28,200 watch what you view because what you watch will become your view 658 00:51:31,080 --> 00:51:37,320 you know sure pure we just I couldn't watch commercials when I'm a patriarch given blessings 659 00:51:37,320 --> 00:51:44,040 I can't watch commercials there's just too many things that are just raunchy that we that we 660 00:51:44,040 --> 00:51:50,520 let into our homes and we need to take control of those things so increase that our purity 661 00:51:50,520 --> 00:51:59,000 in the presence of God so here's number four use instruments of grace such as scriptures prayer 662 00:51:59,000 --> 00:52:04,040 sacred art music well that they've sacred music fills me with the spirit 663 00:52:04,040 --> 00:52:09,320 it's got ordinances we haven't talked about the temple we need we need to do that maybe next time 664 00:52:09,880 --> 00:52:15,480 how how the temple can can bring us the gift of the fullness of the holy ghost 665 00:52:17,160 --> 00:52:22,280 fasting magnifying callings and rendering service are all instruments of grace that we need to 666 00:52:22,280 --> 00:52:27,880 use these are instruments that God has given us that that'll help us bring the spirit into our 667 00:52:27,880 --> 00:52:34,760 lives number five ask learn to ask the right questions learn to ask inspired questions 668 00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:40,120 ask for those things that are expedient not that just the things that I want but what is 669 00:52:40,120 --> 00:52:49,560 expedient that's the word Nephi uses in third Nephi and six eliminate distractions and distortions 670 00:52:49,560 --> 00:52:53,720 in our life do not become over programmed by technology 671 00:52:53,720 --> 00:53:02,360 wow I think that's so important do not be over programmed by technology and seventh 672 00:53:03,640 --> 00:53:11,000 meditate and listen and then record impressions elder scott said that if we don't record 673 00:53:11,960 --> 00:53:17,640 the impressions that we receive from the holy ghost he may not trust us with more 674 00:53:17,640 --> 00:53:24,920 impressions and revelation so it's important that we try to capture not just sometimes in our mind 675 00:53:24,920 --> 00:53:32,680 but also on paper or not on paper but in computer whatever we're using to record our impressions 676 00:53:33,560 --> 00:53:40,920 so those are I think seven important keys that I've used throughout my life and in in regards 677 00:53:40,920 --> 00:53:47,640 to that last one when I would pray about the individuals I was trying to receive revelations for 678 00:53:47,640 --> 00:53:53,080 in giving patriarchal blessings and it's really just got not so much unlike praying for some of my 679 00:53:53,080 --> 00:53:58,040 children who are challenged and troubled and praying for them and trying to get revelation for them 680 00:53:58,600 --> 00:54:04,280 I mean I mean if we have stewardship over our children it's no different for a parent to be 681 00:54:04,280 --> 00:54:10,200 praying for revelation for children than for me as a patriarch to be praying to know the will of God 682 00:54:10,200 --> 00:54:17,160 for that for his child that maybe I've never met before and one thing I had to learn was that when 683 00:54:17,160 --> 00:54:25,080 I had an impression about that child that child of God or whether I receive an impression for my own 684 00:54:25,080 --> 00:54:35,720 child that I should record those impressions and and and act on them right try to do all I can to 685 00:54:35,720 --> 00:54:43,080 remember them and teach and treat them as though they are sacred and are coming to me from a sacred 686 00:54:43,080 --> 00:54:49,480 source I think those things are really important to do and will help us to be able to receive 687 00:54:50,200 --> 00:54:56,280 the Holy Ghost and personal revelation more in our life the whole purpose behind what we're 688 00:54:56,280 --> 00:55:03,240 doing here in this podcast is to help us develop a relationship with with deity help us to return 689 00:55:03,240 --> 00:55:08,600 and live with our Heavenly Father and know where we stand and with them right yeah yeah good point 690 00:55:08,600 --> 00:55:13,080 you know and that's just so important and we can know that and we can and we can have that 691 00:55:14,040 --> 00:55:21,320 that opportunity revealed to us or that experience live in our lives as we recognize 692 00:55:21,320 --> 00:55:28,600 the Holy Ghost in our lives really you know when we talk about receive recognize and respond to the 693 00:55:28,600 --> 00:55:34,360 gift of the Holy Ghost we receive it that's a process we've talked about it we recognize it we 694 00:55:34,360 --> 00:55:40,920 talk about that today and now our now our our goal I guess or our quest our objective going 695 00:55:40,920 --> 00:55:46,200 forward now is how do I respond how do I respond to that relationship how do I respond to the 696 00:55:46,200 --> 00:55:51,960 promptings how do I respond to the revelations that come to me through the Holy Ghost in my life 697 00:55:51,960 --> 00:55:56,840 and I think that that you know will be an extension of our invitation this week is if we could just 698 00:55:56,840 --> 00:56:03,400 recognize and realize and and respond when we fill the gift of the Holy Ghost or the 699 00:56:03,400 --> 00:56:09,800 promptings of the Holy Ghost in our lives I would be remiss if I didn't mention this we have a 700 00:56:09,800 --> 00:56:16,920 weekly opportunity as we partake of the sacrament to have his spirit with us in great abundance 701 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:23,160 and I just challenge invite brother I just invite each of us that as we also partake of the sacrament 702 00:56:23,160 --> 00:56:30,920 this week and every week that his spirit may always we strive to have that always being with us 703 00:56:32,120 --> 00:56:36,600 that's all I got today Dave how about you yeah we should talk more about that and the 704 00:56:37,400 --> 00:56:46,520 ordinances of the temple and okay and how that helps us to be connected to deity divinity and 705 00:56:46,520 --> 00:56:53,480 the Holy Spirit next time as well we'll do it all right well hey thanks Dave thanks everybody 706 00:56:53,480 --> 00:56:57,880 for being with us of course we look forward being with you again next week we pray that you'll 707 00:56:57,880 --> 00:57:03,640 always strive to have his spirit with you that'll be our our goal in our invitation this week we 708 00:57:03,640 --> 00:57:19,560 look forward to being with you again next week until then be well