1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,400 Hey there everybody welcome out to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:20,400 --> 00:00:23,960 This is Scott Durfey joined as always by David Durfey 3 00:00:23,960 --> 00:00:24,960 What's up Dave? 4 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:25,960 Good to see you Scott. 5 00:00:25,960 --> 00:00:27,280 Yeah it's good to be with you this morning. 6 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:28,280 How you doing? 7 00:00:28,280 --> 00:00:36,840 I'm good thank you thank you thank you it's been a fun last four days for me. 8 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:41,760 Our family went up to Bear Lake and we were camping we were roughing it. 9 00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:47,320 Well I wasn't roughing it too much but some of my other kids were intense and roughing 10 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:57,440 it and you know no showers and no running well we had water but anyway there's no plumbing. 11 00:00:57,440 --> 00:00:59,240 There's a big lake. 12 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,880 There's a big lake and lots of rivers and streams that fill that lake. 13 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:06,880 There's some outhouses I don't know what they call those in other countries but there's 14 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:11,920 some outhouses that I just told them they couldn't use my trailer. 15 00:01:11,920 --> 00:01:16,480 They didn't want to have to go dump it once or twice. 16 00:01:16,480 --> 00:01:18,280 That's always the rule. 17 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:27,400 Anyway all of our kids were there except those we had one son who wasn't able to come. 18 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:35,920 You know our Isaac he had to kind of stay home and work and get the time off but all 19 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:42,520 of our grandchildren except well we had our oldest grandson couldn't come either darn 20 00:01:42,520 --> 00:01:50,200 it because he had to work but the other two are on missions so I guess we had 13 grandchildren 21 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:56,760 there and five of our children and their spouses there so that's wonderful. 22 00:01:56,760 --> 00:02:03,360 But we just for those of you who are not in the United States you know I'm sure you're 23 00:02:03,360 --> 00:02:09,520 aware we have this fourth of July holiday Independence Day we celebrate and love it so much and 24 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:10,960 it's a great opportunity. 25 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:15,920 We had a on that day we had a little barbecue at the house and Deb's birthday is right 26 00:02:15,920 --> 00:02:19,200 around there too and we had all 16 of our grandchildren here. 27 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:20,280 Awesome. 28 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:21,280 Actually that's not true. 29 00:02:21,280 --> 00:02:25,600 Two of them weren't here unfortunately so we had 14 of our grandchildren and that was 30 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:28,160 amazing that was a lot of fun. 31 00:02:28,160 --> 00:02:32,440 We did have a you know this is a great time of year we love this time of year but sometimes 32 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,920 you know things happen and the guy that I'm really close to in our ward here he'd been 33 00:02:36,920 --> 00:02:42,920 our executive secretary I think for 11 years two bishops and I had an opportunity to work 34 00:02:42,920 --> 00:02:48,000 with him very closely in our ward council and in the elders quorum and we were good 35 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:49,000 friends. 36 00:02:49,000 --> 00:02:53,320 His wife passed away a couple of decades ago from cancer. 37 00:02:53,320 --> 00:03:00,200 Not a whole guy either in his mid 70s maybe and then he contracted a form of cancer over 38 00:03:00,200 --> 00:03:05,320 the last couple of years and it ended up finally taking his life on the fourth of July. 39 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:06,320 Wow really. 40 00:03:06,320 --> 00:03:09,280 Yeah his kids thought that he has two sons who I love. 41 00:03:09,280 --> 00:03:14,200 I know one of them quite well Johnny and and I don't know the other one as well but he 42 00:03:14,200 --> 00:03:20,200 said that it was probably his dad's way of going out with a bang because that was kind 43 00:03:20,200 --> 00:03:21,200 of works. 44 00:03:21,200 --> 00:03:25,640 You know his personality but we missed on loved on condolences and love to his family 45 00:03:25,640 --> 00:03:29,200 this week because they'll be doing a funeral this weekend. 46 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:30,200 Okay. 47 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:31,200 Yeah. 48 00:03:31,200 --> 00:03:32,200 Yeah. 49 00:03:32,200 --> 00:03:40,240 I you know my favorite thing I know this will sound weird. 50 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,880 Camping's you know it's a lot of work. 51 00:03:43,880 --> 00:03:44,880 Yeah. 52 00:03:44,880 --> 00:03:53,400 And it's not something that I would necessarily call fun but it is so memorable. 53 00:03:53,400 --> 00:03:54,720 It's so special. 54 00:03:54,720 --> 00:04:01,640 It's just so good to have those experiences I think with your families when you can. 55 00:04:01,640 --> 00:04:02,640 Yeah. 56 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:11,240 And we went to church together in a little town up there Lake town and they had fast and 57 00:04:11,240 --> 00:04:15,720 testimony meeting of course and that was kind of fun to hear the old timer's bear their 58 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:23,240 testimony up there and and that night we had just a short little family meeting and family 59 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:30,160 prayer and those kinds of things are so memorable and I told my my grandchildren and children 60 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:38,040 the same thing I shared with our listeners on the podcast last week which still continues 61 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:46,640 to affect me Scott which still continues to affect me and I think about it and that is 62 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:51,000 I told them you can be unworthy. 63 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,000 We're all unworthy. 64 00:04:53,000 --> 00:05:07,080 King Benjamin tells us not to forget our unworthiness but we cannot be ungrateful as a family please 65 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:15,480 individually please be grateful please be grateful for Jesus please remember Jesus that 66 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:22,200 he died for you individually that he died that we could all be together together as 67 00:05:22,200 --> 00:05:30,160 a family that through his atoning sacrifice anyway Scott I just that's just so important 68 00:05:30,160 --> 00:05:35,920 that when families get together I think that they make the atonement of Jesus Christ kind 69 00:05:35,920 --> 00:05:44,240 of the center of the message I bet we didn't our little meeting and prayer probably wasn't 70 00:05:44,240 --> 00:05:53,120 more than 15 or 20 minutes but I think they'll remember it I mean the setting and everything 71 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:59,680 and the feeling that we had I think they'll remember it and there's just there's no reason 72 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:05,900 to give a lecture there's no reason to give a talk they're just it's just a time to just 73 00:06:05,900 --> 00:06:12,160 kind of share and grateful for my family and for the gospel Jesus Christ and all the all 74 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:19,680 the knowledge blessings powers gifts of the spirit that we enjoy as members of the church 75 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:25,480 my granddaughter Scott wrote me an email while we were up there our granddaughter in 76 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:32,400 Philadelphia Pennsylvania Mission sister Walker and such a good missionary such a good girl 77 00:06:32,400 --> 00:06:41,680 and that's such a perfectionist and just so you know this is a girl with 4.0 and does 78 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:48,400 all the hard classes and starts leaves high school having finished two years of college 79 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:55,800 and all that stuff you know anyway she she texts or she writes me an email and she just 80 00:06:55,800 --> 00:07:02,640 says grandpa just seems like I can't be good enough and can't be kind enough I can't love 81 00:07:02,640 --> 00:07:12,360 enough I can't I just can't do enough how do you how can I she asked me grandpa how can 82 00:07:12,360 --> 00:07:21,680 I overcome that and how can I strengthen my relationship with Jesus Christ and how do you 83 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:28,440 how do you rely on them I thought that was just such an inspired question and affects 84 00:07:28,440 --> 00:07:35,320 so many of us and I can remember dealing with that I can remember struggling with that and 85 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:41,480 I'll respond to her email and greater length but I'm sure that some of our listeners struggle 86 00:07:41,480 --> 00:07:50,280 with that same thing and Scott I just it just depends on your focus it it's a choice it's 87 00:07:50,280 --> 00:07:55,520 it depends on what you choose to focus on you choose to focus on your inadequacies and 88 00:07:55,520 --> 00:08:03,640 your sins or do you choose to focus on Jesus Christ and his atonement what do you choose 89 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:12,440 to focus on I just think it's so critical that in fact that night after I had read the 90 00:08:12,440 --> 00:08:20,760 email that she sent me I actually wrote that I actually wrote this down that night laying 91 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:31,200 in my trailer listening to the waves hit the beach and you know it's so beautiful up there 92 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:38,720 I wrote focus more on his gifts I'll probably put this in my email to her focus more on 93 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:49,240 the Savior's gifts and less on your offering then focus more on receiving them and less 94 00:08:49,240 --> 00:09:07,240 on earning them be an instrument not the doctor a vessel not the water a window not the light 95 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:21,280 the gospel is not about performing or conforming but about Jesus transforming us man can merit 96 00:09:21,280 --> 00:09:33,040 nothing of himself then I just finished this thought by saying praise God Adam and Eve 97 00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:42,680 fell Jesus redeemed us both were part of the plan and necessary to our eternal progression 98 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:53,280 I may be unworthy but I will not be ungrateful this life is about being faithful in him not 99 00:09:53,280 --> 00:10:04,800 perfect in me I I just really believe I read years ago it still affects me I read Mother 100 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:11,520 Teresa you know all the good that she did Scott all the charities and all the she did 101 00:10:11,520 --> 00:10:19,120 and I think she's now become a saint in the Catholic Church but I read a book about Mother 102 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:26,400 Teresa and she was quoted as saying you know the purpose of life is not to be good the 103 00:10:26,400 --> 00:10:32,360 purpose of life is to be faithful she talked about her depression and how life was so hard 104 00:10:32,360 --> 00:10:37,760 for her it was so hard for her to be good and she she couldn't she knew she she wasn't 105 00:10:37,760 --> 00:10:45,320 good and she knew that she was so imperfect and anyway the purpose of life is not to be 106 00:10:45,320 --> 00:10:54,320 good or perfect the purpose of life is to be faithful and I would add grateful that's 107 00:10:54,320 --> 00:11:00,960 the purpose of life and if we would just focus on being faithful in Jesus Christ and grateful 108 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:08,520 to our Heavenly Father for the gift of his son and for Jesus and his sacrifice all of 109 00:11:08,520 --> 00:11:17,800 the stress and distress all of the anxiety and all of the so much so much of the worry 110 00:11:17,800 --> 00:11:31,000 would just kind of melt away if we would choose who and what we focus on so I offer 111 00:11:31,000 --> 00:11:36,440 that to all of our listeners as well as to my granddaughter and all my grandchildren 112 00:11:36,440 --> 00:11:43,920 and children I may have an additional comment on that Dave you know in October of 2016 I 113 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:49,640 think it was elder President Nelson gave a talk about this is I think this is a one 114 00:11:49,640 --> 00:11:53,240 and I'm trying to find it exactly can't find it as I'm going here but I think this is one 115 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:59,440 where we talked about that our the way our lives are and I'm paraphrasing have really 116 00:11:59,440 --> 00:12:03,560 little to do with the circumstances in our lives but more to do with our focus yeah our 117 00:12:03,560 --> 00:12:09,520 lives right now as a prophet right and joy and that's that that's what determines our 118 00:12:09,520 --> 00:12:16,480 joy and I think that's the answer you know if I focus on me you know there's only to 119 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:23,560 focus on imperfection as it was designed to be I am not designed to be perfect not in 120 00:12:23,560 --> 00:12:29,800 this realm not in this life etc. I'm I'm designed to be converted to be changed into perfection 121 00:12:29,800 --> 00:12:36,000 eventually through Jesus Christ and His Atonement so if I focus on me I'm going to get a whole 122 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:42,560 bunch of more imperfection in front of me but if I focus on Him and if I focus on living 123 00:12:42,560 --> 00:12:51,680 my life and and of and through Him then the imperfections in my life are really insignificant 124 00:12:51,680 --> 00:12:57,680 the only significance is the perfection in His life as long as as long as I am making 125 00:12:57,680 --> 00:13:04,360 an attempt to align a line with Him so that I can be receiving the blessings of the of 126 00:13:04,360 --> 00:13:15,600 the Atonement in my life yeah like my wife like my sweetheart he says it Scott I am able 127 00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:22,000 to be good enough because he was good enough yeah you know that's that's the important 128 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:26,320 thing is to know that he was good enough and that's all this important that he was sinless 129 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:33,080 that he was perfect and then then he suffered for all of the demands of justice and met 130 00:13:33,080 --> 00:13:39,520 them met the demands of the law of justice right and because of that we're we're redeemed 131 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:49,040 we we just have to learn how to receive it and to quit stop trying to earn it yeah by 132 00:13:49,040 --> 00:13:56,840 being perfect that scripture we're saved by grace after all we can do and for so many 133 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:03,480 and for so many years people have tried to earn it by doing all they can do before they 134 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:11,240 call upon the grace of God through Jesus Christ and that's that's not what Nephi meant in 135 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:17,640 that scripture all we can do is receive him all we can do is come unto him all we can 136 00:14:17,640 --> 00:14:28,040 do is repent and anyway so well you know Dave look before we move on I just want to I just 137 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:32,200 want to address this for just another second because I think that you know the church gets 138 00:14:32,200 --> 00:14:37,120 a bad rap sometimes you know I have conversations with my friends and people who are not in 139 00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:41,720 the church and these this perfection thing can come up and sometimes the church deserves 140 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:48,040 it well okay however however because I'm talking about the people I understand church but the 141 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:54,560 individuals yeah who who struggle with this but and I understand all that but the thing 142 00:14:54,560 --> 00:15:01,520 about it is is it's not just the church no right any organization institution group of 143 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:10,000 people that has an ideology that lifts us beyond where we currently sit is subject to the same 144 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:15,600 kind of judgment yeah true and so I think first of all we need to divorce ourselves from that 145 00:15:15,600 --> 00:15:19,640 judgment you know the church expects too much from me the church and then as soon as we 146 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:24,640 start doing that then we jump into the blame game or we have the ability and it has happened 147 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,680 to jump in the blame game and then the victim game and then pretty soon everybody's at fault 148 00:15:28,680 --> 00:15:34,160 but not me and and if you understood then you wouldn't have to hold yourself to the 149 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:41,320 same ideologies the same expectations etc if you understood it the way I understood and 150 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:45,920 that's and that's kind of the thought process that develops well that's untrue anything that 151 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:53,240 requires us to grow or encourages us to grow will have the ability because we we compare 152 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:58,400 ourselves to an eye to a bellwether to a to a set of standards that we will never be 153 00:15:58,400 --> 00:16:03,920 able to to live up to and if that's our worship is the standards if that's our worship and 154 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:09,800 our focus is the doings in this life and they you know they by default become that there's 155 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:14,880 no doubt no question but our focus shouldn't be that our focus should be his perfection 156 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:21,160 our focus should be his sinless life our focus should be his sacrifice taking upon him all 157 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:26,760 the sins inequities inequalities unfairness everything injustices of this world when he 158 00:16:26,760 --> 00:16:33,760 took that upon him there's the perfection yeah it's got a people understood the character 159 00:16:33,760 --> 00:16:40,200 of God I know the character attributes and perfections of God which is the one of the 160 00:16:40,200 --> 00:16:46,880 one of the first elementary steps of obtaining faith is is seeking to understand that they 161 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:53,720 would they would see a father who is so kind so loving so patient takes so much joy and 162 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:59,280 is willing to to go to the ends of the earth to save their save his children I mean it 163 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:09,640 just it just is a little you know your grandpa my dad was was could be kind of harsh sometimes 164 00:17:09,640 --> 00:17:21,520 and sometimes I mean he was disciplinarian he was some what of an authoritarian loving 165 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:28,800 tender hearted for sure righteous no doubt but you know sometimes you judge God based 166 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:37,720 upon the character of important male figures or role models in your life right exactly 167 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:45,320 and man that can mess you up it really can anyway hi I know that I have a sweet Japanese 168 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:52,560 friend Ted Sorrell who well sometimes well for many years when we were living in the 169 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:58,760 same war together in Minnesota you know often seemed like for a while maybe even months 170 00:17:58,760 --> 00:18:06,920 like he had grown up shinto well they're very talk about discipline yeah they're very disciplined 171 00:18:06,920 --> 00:18:18,840 and very tough and harsh and good people though and anyway he would call me up and say nothing 172 00:18:18,840 --> 00:18:23,960 tell me tell me again David tell me again about the love of God tell me about God's 173 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:29,200 love tell me about how many of his children are gonna be saved tell me about his mercy 174 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:34,280 tell me about his grace you know can we really repent the spirit world can we really you 175 00:18:34,280 --> 00:18:40,920 know can we really do things progress after this anyway he he he was he was amazing he'd 176 00:18:40,920 --> 00:18:47,920 been a bishop in Japan before I ever moved to Minnesota was an amazing gentle loving 177 00:18:47,920 --> 00:18:55,880 wonderful man who was really nothing like his father but had grown up under that that 178 00:18:55,880 --> 00:19:08,000 discipline and that authoritarian style and anyway he he just really struggled to know 179 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:16,240 to believe and to feel the love of God in his life and I'm sure there's a lot of other 180 00:19:16,240 --> 00:19:24,160 young men young women hold her men you know older women and maybe especially women who 181 00:19:24,160 --> 00:19:33,520 have been perhaps abused or suffered at the hands of of evil men to really struggle with 182 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:38,920 that I've known of others who really sighted president who said she never really felt the 183 00:19:38,920 --> 00:19:47,600 love of God mother Teresa struggled with that herself and many others I just think if we 184 00:19:47,600 --> 00:19:53,920 just could get a glimpse of his love for his children and I guess what's helped me more 185 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:59,800 than anything else is to just be a patriarch and to give blessings to heavenly father's 186 00:19:59,800 --> 00:20:08,080 children and to feel his love and to try to communicate that to them and I guess that's 187 00:20:08,080 --> 00:20:16,000 taught me more about the character of God than maybe anything else I could have done 188 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:25,520 but it's in the scriptures it's the prophets have taught us well testify often and our 189 00:20:25,520 --> 00:20:33,080 examples of the love of God and I hope that our listeners can feel that because it does 190 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:40,040 make all the difference are are knowing our connection with him and and then to be able 191 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:46,640 to enter into covenants with him as we've been talking about and that his desire is 192 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:56,800 to betroth us right Hosea in the Old Testament he wants he wants to betroth Israel in this 193 00:20:56,800 --> 00:21:04,440 new this everlasting covenant which we said last week we would talk more about that it's 194 00:21:04,440 --> 00:21:13,800 really humbling to think that a God wants to marry us that a God wants to protect us 195 00:21:13,800 --> 00:21:19,760 he wants to be our provider he wants to be our protector he wants to preside over us 196 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:31,440 in perfect love and kindness anyway to kind of really know the everlasting covenant and 197 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:38,800 all the covenants that are contained in the everlasting or Abrahamic covenant can really 198 00:21:38,800 --> 00:21:46,560 change how we see our heavenly father and can really be an aid a strength to us to help 199 00:21:46,560 --> 00:21:52,400 us to feel his love so maybe let's just jump into that Scott just a little bit about what 200 00:21:52,400 --> 00:21:58,760 the everlasting covenant is the we call it now the new because it's the restoration and 201 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:05,120 it's the latter days and it's the last time that that covenant would be renewed before 202 00:22:05,120 --> 00:22:12,520 the coming of Jesus Christ and the end of the world that we call it the new and everlasting 203 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:17,640 covenant I'm sure in Abraham's day it was called maybe the new and everlasting covenant 204 00:22:17,640 --> 00:22:22,920 then to because it was new to Abraham it was given to Adam it was given to Noah it was 205 00:22:22,920 --> 00:22:30,240 given to Enic and then it was restored again with Abraham later Moses would receive it 206 00:22:30,240 --> 00:22:37,240 but the rest of the children of Israel didn't fully completely receive all of it they they 207 00:22:37,240 --> 00:22:44,360 had a little bit of a lower law the law of Moses and didn't receive all of the ordinance 208 00:22:44,360 --> 00:22:50,400 and covenants and have all the priesthood power or authority that they might have had 209 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:57,600 but Moses had it Aaron had it their leaders had it Joshua would have had all the prophets 210 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:05,880 had it and knew of it and and tried to get the people to receive it but it is the center 211 00:23:05,880 --> 00:23:16,360 I mean the word covenant is like 550 times got in the scriptures and we we really to 212 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:24,960 know God to know his character to know and feel his love is to learn about his his desire 213 00:23:24,960 --> 00:23:32,920 to make covenants with us and his desire to help us to keep those covenants so what's 214 00:23:32,920 --> 00:23:38,120 your what's your understanding or questions that you might have or you think others might 215 00:23:38,120 --> 00:23:41,400 have about the new and everlasting covenant? 216 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:48,000 I think that when most of us think of the new and everlasting covenant we tend to let 217 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:52,880 our minds go directly to a lot about what we talked about last week which was our temple 218 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:57,520 covenants the covenants that we make in the temple culminating of course in the ceiling 219 00:23:57,520 --> 00:24:04,640 covenant but but that's that's what comes to my mind Dave but when we talk about the 220 00:24:04,640 --> 00:24:09,760 Abrahamic covenant and the new and everlasting covenant that's really what it is right is 221 00:24:09,760 --> 00:24:15,760 talking about primarily about the temple covenants that we make it's all of them so even 222 00:24:15,760 --> 00:24:21,320 go into the baptism it's all the ordinances and it's all of the covenants it's all the 223 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:28,400 saving covenants and ordinances the saving and exalting covenants and ordinances that 224 00:24:28,400 --> 00:24:35,120 we receive including baptism which is the first one that we receive it's kind of the 225 00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:43,600 five yeah for the five you know saving ordinances of the gospel so it's it's all of that Scott 226 00:24:43,600 --> 00:24:50,200 it's all into one you president Nelson if our listeners really want to study this in 227 00:24:50,200 --> 00:24:56,640 more depth I would recommend them I'd refer them to an article in the Leona magazine and 228 00:24:56,640 --> 00:25:05,880 this this article in the Leona magazine is so the context will make you want to read 229 00:25:05,880 --> 00:25:12,880 it as soon as possible and not just read it but to really study it so president Nelson 230 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:19,360 two years ago right before I think it was the April General Conference you know the 231 00:25:19,360 --> 00:25:25,480 general authorities come back for training and in the training president Nelson our 232 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:32,520 prophet gave a whole hours training on what the new and everlasting covenant is to all 233 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:39,720 the general authorities of the church and then six months later so this is in October 234 00:25:39,720 --> 00:25:49,640 2022 he wanted that printed in the Leona church magazine all the church all the adult church 235 00:25:49,640 --> 00:25:57,600 magazines so it's it's available to all of the members of the church in the church magazine 236 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:04,920 on the it's just called the everlasting covenant it's in the Leona for those in the in North 237 00:26:04,920 --> 00:26:15,320 America well United States of Canada at least it's in the Leona in October of 2022 it might 238 00:26:15,320 --> 00:26:21,640 be another of the church's magazines maybe another time I don't know but I just think 239 00:26:21,640 --> 00:26:26,960 it really deserves a study and and I'm just going to quote a little bit from it so he 240 00:26:26,960 --> 00:26:35,080 says the new and everlasting covenant and the Abrahamic covenant are essentially the 241 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:41,680 same two ways of phrasing the covenant God made with mortal men and women at different 242 00:26:41,680 --> 00:26:48,280 times throughout the history of the world and then he goes in and defines it but one 243 00:26:48,280 --> 00:26:57,400 of my favorite parts of this whole talk or training article is when he says all those 244 00:26:57,400 --> 00:27:04,760 who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy that's 245 00:27:04,760 --> 00:27:10,320 really what it's about Scott the new and everlasting covenant these these covenants 246 00:27:10,320 --> 00:27:17,760 that we are asked to make is not to give us more things to do or a checklist or put more 247 00:27:17,760 --> 00:27:28,160 more pressure on us it is it is to give us access to a special quote special kind of 248 00:27:28,160 --> 00:27:40,600 love and mercy from God and if people don't feel that man I it just seems like the gospel 249 00:27:40,600 --> 00:27:46,160 would be a lot of work and could wear you down in a hurry if you if you think again the 250 00:27:46,160 --> 00:27:55,720 focus is on you to keep all of these ordinances and covenants these ordinances and covenants 251 00:27:55,720 --> 00:28:08,000 allow us to receive not earned to receive a special kind of love and mercy and other 252 00:28:08,000 --> 00:28:15,800 gifts from our loving heavenly father I just it's just really important that I think people 253 00:28:15,800 --> 00:28:22,120 see that and this is this is where the training that he gives on the word hessed you know that 254 00:28:22,120 --> 00:28:30,880 hessed is a unique term in the Old Testament Hebrew term that describes a covenant relationship 255 00:28:30,880 --> 00:28:38,400 a loving kind it's it's really loving kindness it's translated in the Old Testament loving 256 00:28:38,400 --> 00:28:47,680 kindness all one word I love that it's all one word loving kindness a special kind of 257 00:28:47,680 --> 00:28:57,760 love and I use that word a lot my prayers I think God a lot for his loving kindness towards 258 00:28:57,760 --> 00:29:05,400 me and and my family and anyway he talks about that he talks about this celestial marriage 259 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:12,720 and what all that what all that means so I really recommend that our listeners go to 260 00:29:12,720 --> 00:29:19,920 that and and president Nelson of course makes a big deal out of Jesus Christ being the center 261 00:29:19,920 --> 00:29:29,320 of that covenant and quote the Savior's atoning sacrifice enabled the father to fulfill all 262 00:29:29,320 --> 00:29:38,080 his promises to his children the atonement of Jesus Christ is at the center of the any 263 00:29:38,080 --> 00:29:46,560 covenant relationship any ordinance that we make Jesus Christ is the center of it everything 264 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:53,080 points us in the temple all the ordinances think about baptism the burial in the water 265 00:29:53,080 --> 00:30:00,520 right we're being buried liken to Jesus Christ the water I think of it as living water we 266 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:08,760 come forth out of this living water as a resurrected new creature born again spiritually speaking 267 00:30:08,760 --> 00:30:15,160 I mean every ordinance that's baptism we could go through all of the ordinances all of them 268 00:30:15,160 --> 00:30:27,960 point to the to our Savior Jesus Christ and to his atonement I when I do a live ceiling 269 00:30:27,960 --> 00:30:37,640 I love to talk about in more detail the ordinances of the temple the initiatory right and how 270 00:30:37,640 --> 00:30:44,080 that points us to Jesus Christ the initial the initiatory ordinances of the temple I 271 00:30:44,080 --> 00:30:51,640 love to talk about the endowment and how the endowment and the reenactment of the creation 272 00:30:51,640 --> 00:31:03,280 the fall and how the atonement is is throughout that entire ordinance we call the endowment 273 00:31:03,280 --> 00:31:11,120 and then the celestial room and the celestial everything that takes place at that holy altar 274 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:20,400 in a celestial room and and the bride in the groom and kneeling and and all of the tokens 275 00:31:20,400 --> 00:31:27,960 and all of the names and all of the signs that are given in the temple should point 276 00:31:27,960 --> 00:31:34,680 our minds our hearts our spirits to Jesus Christ and his atonement everything's got 277 00:31:34,680 --> 00:31:41,960 Jesus Christ is the center so having a relationship with him being connected to him and bound 278 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:50,840 to him is the key to us entering into the presence of the father and that's all enacted 279 00:31:50,840 --> 00:31:56,840 right in the temple that's all reenacted that we go through the Savior Jesus Christ 280 00:31:56,840 --> 00:32:06,160 to enter back into the presence of the father and the son because of the Savior's atonement 281 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:09,620 you used a word and it's used throughout this talk so this talks called the everlasting 282 00:32:09,620 --> 00:32:15,800 covenant you can find it October 2022 by halfway through President Nelson says Adam 283 00:32:15,800 --> 00:32:20,760 and Eve accepted the ordinance of baptism and began the process of being one with God 284 00:32:20,760 --> 00:32:26,960 they had entered the covenant path when you and I also enter the covenant path we have 285 00:32:26,960 --> 00:32:34,360 a new way of life we thereby create a relationship keyword we thereby create a relationship with 286 00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:42,880 God that allows him that allows him to bless and change us the covenant path form us you 287 00:32:42,880 --> 00:32:45,880 know and I think that's an interesting let me just pause right there for a second I think 288 00:32:45,880 --> 00:32:51,400 that's interesting you know going back to you know sweet little sister Walker's question 289 00:32:51,400 --> 00:32:55,800 you know why am I lacking white and you know when I'm summarizing she didn't say these 290 00:32:55,800 --> 00:33:00,280 things exactly why but why do I just feel like I can't measure up I never do enough 291 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,880 I think we've all felt that way right I think that you know I've got to earn heavenly father's 292 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:10,400 love we've talked about that right but this we thereby create a relationship with God that 293 00:33:10,400 --> 00:33:18,760 allows him that allows him to bless us and change us you know to my to learn to rely 294 00:33:18,760 --> 00:33:24,800 on him that's what she asked me how do you how have you learned to rely on them well 295 00:33:24,800 --> 00:33:29,920 and any kind of answers it the covenant path leads us back to him if we let God prevail 296 00:33:29,920 --> 00:33:37,400 in our lives that covenant will lead us closer and closer to him all covenants are intended 297 00:33:37,400 --> 00:33:45,720 to be binding they create a relationship with everlasting ties a relationship is that word 298 00:33:45,720 --> 00:33:53,000 right yeah you're quoting from the article I'm reading the article so all covenants are 299 00:33:53,000 --> 00:34:02,120 intended to be binding they create a relationship with everlasting ties so Scott when you are 300 00:34:02,120 --> 00:34:15,440 in essence a yoke yoke when you are joined together in a covenant with a God how can 301 00:34:15,440 --> 00:34:24,080 you fail that covenant creates a relationship that allows him to bless us and changes it 302 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:31,200 allows him to how could we have to rely on him because if you if you're in that covenant 303 00:34:31,200 --> 00:34:38,440 you can't fail the only way you can fail is say I'm out to hell with this exactly and 304 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:42,880 some do and I don't want anything to do with this I don't want anything to do with God 305 00:34:42,880 --> 00:34:50,920 or to be like him or to live that life I don't want a relationship with him I don't understand 306 00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:58,200 that but I know that that is out there yeah anyway I it's just if you really understand 307 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:04,640 these sacred holy and the and Scott it's not new to the restoration I know we call it new 308 00:35:04,640 --> 00:35:12,400 because it's been restored the new and everlasting covenant but anybody can see this in the scriptures 309 00:35:12,400 --> 00:35:19,280 this covenant relationship was which was renewed over and over and over again again the word 310 00:35:19,280 --> 00:35:31,720 covenant is hundreds of times in the scriptures God God's relationship with us is by covenant 311 00:35:31,720 --> 00:35:36,920 through ordinances and covenants it's not just though God loves us and he's going to 312 00:35:36,920 --> 00:35:41,200 save all of his children yeah well he does love all of his children and he definitely 313 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:48,240 wants to save all of his children but it can't it's it's not like you just go live with somebody 314 00:35:48,240 --> 00:35:54,280 if you if you love them you have to be married to them you know I mean it's it's kind of 315 00:35:54,280 --> 00:36:02,360 the difference right of common law and God's law or God's law right so which which do you 316 00:36:02,360 --> 00:36:08,760 choose common law you just live together without any commitment then you think that's that's 317 00:36:08,760 --> 00:36:21,200 God's way well or you do it his way which is by covenant commitment sacrifice love obedience 318 00:36:21,200 --> 00:36:30,600 and to receive learn to receive all that he has yeah you know we God's law or man's law 319 00:36:30,600 --> 00:36:36,360 you know law and I've had this kind of I've been doing a bit of a study for the last several 320 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:42,200 weeks months on that word law and how it relates to love and you know I think I even shared 321 00:36:42,200 --> 00:36:49,200 with you a talk that Steve Young actually gave at faith matters or something right yeah 322 00:36:49,200 --> 00:36:56,600 and how God's law is God's love yeah that's how we feel that's yeah and so you know if 323 00:36:56,600 --> 00:37:02,880 we if we transpose it that way you know are we do we want to be subject to God's love 324 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:11,080 or and God's law or man's love and man's law and we know there's vast difference also 325 00:37:11,080 --> 00:37:15,520 in this talking I or not yeah in this article and I'm just going to read one one little 326 00:37:15,520 --> 00:37:21,680 bit more it says once we make a covenant with God we leave neutral ground ground forever 327 00:37:21,680 --> 00:37:27,440 okay now there's not David says once we make a covenant God we leave neutral ground forever 328 00:37:27,440 --> 00:37:33,560 I don't hear anything qualifying us in other words it's not saying as long as you keep 329 00:37:33,560 --> 00:37:40,320 your end of the bargain which is important I get it right but he says God will not abandon 330 00:37:40,320 --> 00:37:48,600 his relationship with those who have forged a bond with him period even if those individuals 331 00:37:48,600 --> 00:37:57,920 for have moments of amnesia spiritual amnesia and they forget maybe who they are or who 332 00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:01,800 they're bound to hundred percent and that's my point remember last week we talked about 333 00:38:01,800 --> 00:38:05,920 this and a matter of friend who had made covenants who was no longer living in that covenant 334 00:38:05,920 --> 00:38:12,200 who told me but Scott I feel the covenant pole I feel God's love still I feel but that 335 00:38:12,200 --> 00:38:20,400 extra mercy I feel that extra love and I feel God's keep God keeping his end of the covenant 336 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:25,960 and I don't think about I think oftentimes we think of this covenant is us entering into 337 00:38:25,960 --> 00:38:31,080 a blood oath which you know we can talk about that entering into a blood oath which binds 338 00:38:31,080 --> 00:38:38,360 me to live my life a certain way and if I don't execution is on its way well that's 339 00:38:38,360 --> 00:38:46,680 not it no no not at all any any blood is not gonna be from you or for me it's already been 340 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:52,680 shed it's all points us to Jesus Christ right you know towards the end of this this this 341 00:38:52,680 --> 00:39:01,560 talk he repeats it Scott the covenant path is all about our relationship with God right 342 00:39:01,560 --> 00:39:14,400 our hesed relationship with him loving kindness when we enter a covenant I'm quoting president 343 00:39:14,400 --> 00:39:22,640 Elton when we enter a covenant with God we have made a covenant with him who will always 344 00:39:22,640 --> 00:39:33,840 keep his word he will do everything he can without infringing on our agency to help us 345 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:41,360 keep ours it's pretty sweet so Dave you know so we're talking about relationship we talk 346 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:46,800 about you you use the word betrothal from hosé earlier you know and all this what we're 347 00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:52,920 really talking about is a family relationship of familial relationship entering into and 348 00:39:52,920 --> 00:40:00,200 covenant covenant team to become part of God's family forever and how we become joint heirs 349 00:40:00,200 --> 00:40:08,400 and air think about I use that word in the temple ordinances to seal children to parents 350 00:40:08,400 --> 00:40:17,520 right air Wow inherit I will inherit by way of my family relationship with God all that 351 00:40:17,520 --> 00:40:24,720 he has to offer me airship yeah that's amazing with a God yeah so that's what the that's 352 00:40:24,720 --> 00:40:31,280 what the everlasting covenant really to me kind of comes down to is that you become in 353 00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:39,160 the air right all that he has in most cultures on planet earth when a betrothal takes place 354 00:40:39,160 --> 00:40:45,040 somebody takes their name upon yeah right when Deb and I got married she changed her 355 00:40:45,040 --> 00:40:50,120 last name to share the same last name I have I could have changed it culturally to share 356 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:54,040 the same last name she has and it would have had the same impact I know that you know a 357 00:40:54,040 --> 00:40:58,480 lot of Native American cultures and others like that there's not one way better than 358 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:03,800 the other the point is is that it's a taking upon us a name yeah and we talked a little 359 00:41:03,800 --> 00:41:09,480 bit about that last week so maybe we move so so what does that do for an individual if 360 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:19,240 I take upon myself someone else's name who is in the authority power or standing of a 361 00:41:19,240 --> 00:41:26,440 God what would that do for me Scott I mean it's not just taking a name upon us it's taking 362 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:35,160 the name of a God upon us it's taking the name of Jesus Christ upon us God and taking 363 00:41:35,160 --> 00:41:42,680 anybody's name upon me changes probably my privileges my rights my responsibilities right 364 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:50,560 just kind of legally lawfully talking right now yeah but when you when you transfer a 365 00:41:50,560 --> 00:42:00,080 name of a God upon you and you take the name of Jesus Christ upon you Scott what does that 366 00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:06,200 change that changes everything that changes your eternity it changes your identity to 367 00:42:06,200 --> 00:42:16,400 begin with humans your eternity exactly and that name is everything and and you know over 368 00:42:16,400 --> 00:42:21,520 and over again and Scott in the scriptures I know we I've made this point several times 369 00:42:21,520 --> 00:42:31,000 we've talked about this we're not we're not exalted by faith in Jesus we are exalted by 370 00:42:31,000 --> 00:42:39,800 faith in the name of Jesus and what that means as we have taken upon ourselves his name to 371 00:42:39,800 --> 00:42:50,020 call upon the name is more than just praying to call upon the name means that we have bound 372 00:42:50,020 --> 00:42:58,120 ourselves to him through the name that we have have entered into ordinances and covenants 373 00:42:58,120 --> 00:43:04,840 that those are active and important in our lives that's what it means when we call upon 374 00:43:04,840 --> 00:43:14,120 the name we have rights that we call upon it gives us certain powers it gives us strength 375 00:43:14,120 --> 00:43:22,760 and privilege and place and standing all of that to take upon ourselves the names God 376 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:30,960 means everything and I we've done other podcasts on this so I don't want to just reiterate it 377 00:43:30,960 --> 00:43:35,360 repeat myself but I think it's okay if we repeat ourselves a little bit because I don't 378 00:43:35,360 --> 00:43:40,680 think everybody goes back and listens to every single one of them well it seems like I bring 379 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:46,700 it up almost in every podcast well and if that's the case it must be important you know 380 00:43:46,700 --> 00:43:54,240 moseya he wanted to give his people a name the whole reason he called them together was 381 00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:59,080 because he wanted to give them a name well he didn't want to give him his name he wanted 382 00:43:59,080 --> 00:44:07,800 to give him the name of God by by covenant through ordinances and then he after all that 383 00:44:07,800 --> 00:44:14,680 he says about in the doctrine of the atonement of Jesus Christ and and all that he says about 384 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:21,320 the sharing and giving and serving God and how know what the master whom you have not 385 00:44:21,320 --> 00:44:29,280 served and and giving to the beggar and anyway that Jesus bled from every poor the first 386 00:44:29,280 --> 00:44:37,520 place Joseph Smith learned that was from King Benjamin's address anyway moseya is amazing 387 00:44:37,520 --> 00:44:43,880 the book of moseya the King Benjamin this King Benjamin who who just understood the gospel 388 00:44:43,880 --> 00:44:51,800 of Jesus Christ and what ordinances and covenants really really meant and then in chapter five 389 00:44:51,800 --> 00:44:58,840 you know after they have all repented and been forgiven and received a remission of 390 00:44:58,840 --> 00:45:06,880 sin and peace of conscience in moseya chapter five Scott we're starting with verse seven 391 00:45:06,880 --> 00:45:15,000 and now because of the covenant because of what because of the covenant and I then I believe 392 00:45:15,000 --> 00:45:19,120 he's talking about the new and everlasting covenant here because of the covenant which 393 00:45:19,120 --> 00:45:27,600 he have made ye shall be called the children of Christ a new name his sons and his daughters 394 00:45:27,600 --> 00:45:34,320 for behold this day he has spiritually begotten you for you say that your hearts are changed 395 00:45:34,320 --> 00:45:43,000 through faith on his name okay now just think about that for your change not through faith 396 00:45:43,000 --> 00:45:54,640 not through faith in him you are changed through faith on his name how does a name change you 397 00:45:54,640 --> 00:46:04,800 I I hope all our listeners are pondering that and answering that for themselves how can 398 00:46:04,800 --> 00:46:13,720 a name change you because these people their hearts are changed through faith on his name 399 00:46:13,720 --> 00:46:20,640 therefore you are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters then listen how 400 00:46:20,640 --> 00:46:26,560 many times he used the word name here and under this head you're made free how does 401 00:46:26,560 --> 00:46:34,720 how does a name free you what what privilege power freedom liberty does that there is no 402 00:46:34,720 --> 00:46:42,840 other head whereby ye can be made free there is no other name given whereby salvation and 403 00:46:42,840 --> 00:46:50,240 I would say exaltation cometh therefore I would the he should take upon you the name 404 00:46:50,240 --> 00:46:58,800 of Christ all you that have entered into the covenant with God that ye should be obedient 405 00:46:58,800 --> 00:47:05,600 unto the end of your lives in verse nine and it shall come to pass it whosoever doeth 406 00:47:05,600 --> 00:47:12,360 this shall be found at the right hand of God and he shall know the name knowing that name 407 00:47:12,360 --> 00:47:18,320 so important Scott he shall know the name by which he is called for he shall be called 408 00:47:18,320 --> 00:47:27,960 by the name of Christ and now and by way verses 10 11 and 12 this kind of a little chiasmus 409 00:47:27,960 --> 00:47:34,680 there's a little chiasmus here and now it shall come to pass that whosoever shall not 410 00:47:34,680 --> 00:47:42,800 take upon him the name of Christ must be called by some other name therefore he findeth himself 411 00:47:42,800 --> 00:47:49,800 on the left hand of God and I would the he should remember also that this is the name 412 00:47:49,800 --> 00:47:58,120 that I said should be given unto you that never should be blotted out except it be through 413 00:47:58,120 --> 00:48:08,080 transgression therefore take heed that ye do not transgress that the name be not blotted 414 00:48:08,080 --> 00:48:13,960 out of your hearts that's kind of the center of the chiasmus don't let that name be blotted 415 00:48:13,960 --> 00:48:24,360 out of your hearts I think about how do we blot the name out how do we blot a name out 416 00:48:24,360 --> 00:48:31,680 of our hearts that's that's kind of the center of this chiasmus here I say unto you I would 417 00:48:31,680 --> 00:48:36,560 that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts that you're 418 00:48:36,560 --> 00:48:43,120 not found on the left hand of God that but that ye hear and know the voice by which he 419 00:48:43,120 --> 00:48:52,880 shall be called and also the name by which he shall call you wow it's amazing in my mind 420 00:48:52,880 --> 00:49:00,720 that passage those verses in and of themselves to me strengthen my testimony of the Book 421 00:49:00,720 --> 00:49:07,040 of Mormon in the Prophet Joseph Smith and certainly help me understand my relationship 422 00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:16,040 with my Heavenly Father my Savior Jesus Christ and and where I stand as a son a spiritual 423 00:49:16,040 --> 00:49:29,960 spiritual son of Jesus Christ and a spirit son of God and how I can return to his presence 424 00:49:29,960 --> 00:49:41,760 through the name by the name anyway I that's ordinances and covenants are such a huge part 425 00:49:41,760 --> 00:49:49,120 of that going through the temple we learn how important a name is in the temple through 426 00:49:49,120 --> 00:49:55,320 the tokens and the signs and the names that are given there we also learn from the sacrament 427 00:49:55,320 --> 00:50:01,840 prayer on the bread how important taking his name upon us is right this is so let me just 428 00:50:01,840 --> 00:50:08,880 by way of preface say this this whole podcast has been about developing a relationship through 429 00:50:08,880 --> 00:50:14,440 the atonement of Jesus Christ that allows us to become clean that allows us to become 430 00:50:14,440 --> 00:50:19,920 worthy to enter into the kingdom or enter into the presence of God and be welcomed there 431 00:50:19,920 --> 00:50:25,080 as one of his joint heirs right that family relationship so everything that we've talked 432 00:50:25,080 --> 00:50:29,880 about has led in culmination you know we're kind of culminating today and over the last 433 00:50:29,880 --> 00:50:34,040 several weeks and in weeks coming to will be culminating on everything that we talked 434 00:50:34,040 --> 00:50:39,160 to last few weeks prior to last week we talked about this so the several weeks prior to last 435 00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:44,720 week we talked about the Holy Ghost and the role of the Holy Ghost in the atonement for 436 00:50:44,720 --> 00:50:48,440 actually throughout the entirety of the podcast we talked about the role of the Holy Ghost 437 00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:52,960 in Christ's atonement as being the administrator of the Holy Ghost so we know that when we're 438 00:50:52,960 --> 00:50:58,360 filling the Holy Ghost that we are being forgiven of our sins we know that the effects of the 439 00:50:58,360 --> 00:51:03,360 fall are being negated through the atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives and so we think 440 00:51:03,360 --> 00:51:08,920 about you know we've and we talk about in its rare that we don't talk about how important 441 00:51:08,920 --> 00:51:13,960 the sacrament is in the renewal of all of those covenants even prior to today when we 442 00:51:13,960 --> 00:51:18,360 are now talking about those covenants we've talked about how important that is and we 443 00:51:18,360 --> 00:51:26,200 know that the role of the Holy Ghost in the administration of the atonement in our lives 444 00:51:26,200 --> 00:51:31,320 is critical there's nothing more critical than the administration of the atonement in 445 00:51:31,320 --> 00:51:38,360 our in our lives there's nothing in mortality or eternity more critical to us than that 446 00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:44,800 and so everything else Joseph Smith said is an appendage appendage it just grows out 447 00:51:44,800 --> 00:51:49,320 of it that's what an appendage is it just grows out of the body an appendage is just 448 00:51:49,320 --> 00:51:52,880 something that grows out of it and that's and they're important and they can they can 449 00:51:52,880 --> 00:51:58,000 be enhancing spiritually enhancing and they can lighten us they can create light in our 450 00:51:58,000 --> 00:52:03,440 lives through the again the Holy Ghost etc but it all comes down to the atonement of Jesus 451 00:52:03,440 --> 00:52:10,320 Christ and when we take the sacrament and we hear the words that they may eat in remembrance 452 00:52:10,320 --> 00:52:15,840 of the body of thy son okay and then witness unto the oh God the eternal Father that they 453 00:52:15,840 --> 00:52:23,160 are willing to take upon them the name of thy son and always remember him and keep his 454 00:52:23,160 --> 00:52:29,560 commandments okay and so it tells us and so there's our part you know there's our reminder 455 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:36,000 here's what we need to be focusing on this week today and always it are those things 456 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:41,280 and and then it gives us so I love it in Scripture when it gives us that they will do this and 457 00:52:41,280 --> 00:52:48,160 this and this and then there's a semicolon that they may in other words that's the promise 458 00:52:48,160 --> 00:52:53,080 that comes from the condition the condition is we take his name upon us we remember him 459 00:52:53,080 --> 00:52:58,440 and we strive to keep his commandments okay so those are the conditions now now what we 460 00:52:58,440 --> 00:53:07,080 get in return for that they may always have his spirit I take that literally always be 461 00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:15,600 with them always yeah and so we really as we align and think about how do we want to 462 00:53:15,600 --> 00:53:21,040 live our lives do we want to have it with the spirit always with us do we want to have 463 00:53:21,040 --> 00:53:28,000 God's love and mercy available to us at all times then you know taking his name upon us 464 00:53:28,000 --> 00:53:35,200 is real it's not just important it's critical it is the key well it's just the power associated 465 00:53:35,200 --> 00:53:42,920 with it Scott yeah right you know if you're a member of the kingdom yeah and the king 466 00:53:42,920 --> 00:53:48,760 the king has said you could take upon yourself his name and wherever you go you can use his 467 00:53:48,760 --> 00:53:56,080 name and wherever you go that you're a joint heir that you have the the royal ring that 468 00:53:56,080 --> 00:54:03,920 you have the ordinances the covenants that you've been bound to him that you're a joint 469 00:54:03,920 --> 00:54:13,040 heir of his Scott that that changes everything right not just your heart as King Benjamin 470 00:54:13,040 --> 00:54:20,600 says that our hearts are changed through faith on his name everything changes when we take 471 00:54:20,600 --> 00:54:29,760 upon ourselves the name the holy sacred name so sacred that the Hebrews wouldn't even say 472 00:54:29,760 --> 00:54:40,600 it you know they wouldn't even pronounce it just so sacred and I invite all of our listeners 473 00:54:40,600 --> 00:54:49,400 in the next week the coming weeks as you study the gospel to notice the word name and how 474 00:54:49,400 --> 00:54:55,000 it's used in the scriptures you know elder Oaks wrote a whole book on that after a ten 475 00:54:55,000 --> 00:55:04,080 year study ten year study of an apostle to understand what his responsibility was to be a special 476 00:55:04,080 --> 00:55:13,240 witness of the name of Jesus Christ all the world you know apostles are not their their 477 00:55:13,240 --> 00:55:19,600 charge given to them in doctrine comes section 107 verse 23 is not to be a special witness 478 00:55:19,600 --> 00:55:27,920 of Jesus the charge given to apostles is to be a special witness of the name of Jesus 479 00:55:27,920 --> 00:55:32,880 Christ in all the world well just think about that for a minute and elder Oaks spent ten 480 00:55:32,880 --> 00:55:42,240 years studying that tries this little 99 page book called in his holy name well I've tried 481 00:55:42,240 --> 00:55:47,880 I haven't studied in depth that he has I've studied his book I've studied lots of scriptures 482 00:55:47,880 --> 00:55:54,800 been an important part of my gospel study for many years now and I notice it and every 483 00:55:54,800 --> 00:55:59,760 time I read the scriptures I notice it how many times I mean I think the word name is 484 00:55:59,760 --> 00:56:08,280 in the scriptures like 1500 times and to look those up and to study those and then to notice 485 00:56:08,280 --> 00:56:15,200 how many times in the scriptures it talks about faith in the name faith on the name 486 00:56:15,200 --> 00:56:21,680 faith through the name it it really there's something really significant about that and 487 00:56:21,680 --> 00:56:28,720 when it's one of the three things that we covenant to do in the sacramental prayers 488 00:56:28,720 --> 00:56:34,600 in this every Sunday when we partake of the holiest ordinance of the restored gospel to 489 00:56:34,600 --> 00:56:43,600 renew all our covenants with God by promising just three things that we will witness that 490 00:56:43,600 --> 00:56:50,360 we have taken upon ourself his name to remember him and to strive to keep his commandments 491 00:56:50,360 --> 00:57:01,000 to be with us Scott Wow how important and critical is that and I just we should act 492 00:57:01,000 --> 00:57:06,560 different we should be different when you when you feel tempted you should call upon 493 00:57:06,560 --> 00:57:14,840 the name you should thank God that you are that you have his name upon you it will give 494 00:57:14,840 --> 00:57:24,720 you power when you feel not tempted but when you feel that you are not good enough that 495 00:57:24,720 --> 00:57:31,720 you just don't measure up that you're being accused if you're not being tempted by saying 496 00:57:31,720 --> 00:57:37,800 that seems like you're being accused by Satan if he can't get you to sin then he'll make 497 00:57:37,800 --> 00:57:42,720 all kinds of accusations against you that you're not good enough if he can't get you 498 00:57:42,720 --> 00:57:47,040 to go long he'll get you to go short if he can't go short he'll try to get you to go 499 00:57:47,040 --> 00:57:57,320 long it's the name and calling upon the name that I have found can be a great source of 500 00:57:57,320 --> 00:58:07,760 power and strength to overcome evil in this life and to help us to to not just be good 501 00:58:07,760 --> 00:58:15,760 but to be faithful and even though we may not be worthy because of the name we should 502 00:58:15,760 --> 00:58:19,200 be really really grateful. 503 00:58:19,200 --> 00:58:20,200 Yep. 504 00:58:20,200 --> 00:58:25,920 Well just to kind of wrap things up here I just want to close with just another quote 505 00:58:25,920 --> 00:58:32,520 from President Nelson from this talk October 20, 2022 the everlasting covenant because 506 00:58:32,520 --> 00:58:37,760 of our covenant with God he will never tire in his efforts to help us and we will never 507 00:58:37,760 --> 00:58:44,720 exhaust his merciful patience with us each of us has a special place in God's heart. 508 00:58:44,720 --> 00:58:49,600 May God bless us to fill that this week that's our prayer please please as we partake of 509 00:58:49,600 --> 00:58:54,920 this sacrament consider what it means and how can I what can I do better to take his 510 00:58:54,920 --> 00:58:59,440 name upon me and what can I stop doing or do I need to stop doing so that I might be 511 00:58:59,440 --> 00:59:05,360 able to do that that's our that's our invitation to you among others this week thanks for being 512 00:59:05,360 --> 00:59:22,920 with us we look forward to being with you again.