1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,960 Hey there everybody welcome out to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:20,960 --> 00:00:23,680 Scott Durfey here joined us always by David Durfey 3 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:24,680 What's up Dave? 4 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:26,400 Oh so good to be here Scott. 5 00:00:26,400 --> 00:00:27,400 It's good to have you. 6 00:00:27,400 --> 00:00:28,400 Good to have you. 7 00:00:28,400 --> 00:00:29,400 Everybody out there doing well. 8 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:30,400 Good to have you here. 9 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:31,960 Dave's been golfing already today. 10 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:33,600 I know that surprises nobody. 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,600 Yeah, yeah. 12 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:37,600 Had fun today. 13 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:39,600 Yeah, it's a beautiful day. 14 00:00:39,600 --> 00:00:46,040 It's beautiful, a little warm but always good to be out on the golf course. 15 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:50,920 This is probably a little sacrilegious but I golf course I like God's outdoor temples 16 00:00:50,920 --> 00:00:53,400 to me you know. 17 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:59,200 Nothing to do with ordnance and governments or any of that but I just always feel peace 18 00:00:59,200 --> 00:01:02,200 and joy and even when I play bad I love it. 19 00:01:02,200 --> 00:01:07,200 I hope people have stuff like that in their lives you know. 20 00:01:07,200 --> 00:01:16,040 A hobby or things that they love to do that's clean and uplifting and things that they can 21 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:17,640 look forward to. 22 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,720 I think Heavenly Father thinks that's important. 23 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:26,840 I think Jesus had his diversions. 24 00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:35,920 I think he was very balanced, grew in favor with man and God and he lived a really balanced 25 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:40,480 life Scott and golf kind of helps me with that. 26 00:01:40,480 --> 00:01:44,640 And it's kind of a place where I can just connect the mental. 27 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:50,720 The thing about golf for me is it's the mental challenge and trying to get the mental in 28 00:01:50,720 --> 00:01:53,240 alignment with the physical. 29 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:58,560 See the swing, see the flight of the ball, see the putt go in and then make that happen 30 00:01:58,560 --> 00:02:00,060 physically. 31 00:02:00,060 --> 00:02:03,320 It's kind of you know it's all of those things to me. 32 00:02:03,320 --> 00:02:06,600 And it's a challenge and I love the competition. 33 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:11,120 Love to compete with other guys that I play with. 34 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:16,000 But it's also the challenge of it to improve. 35 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:23,360 Being like watching a nice well hit drive with a little draw on it. 36 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:25,480 I don't know. 37 00:02:25,480 --> 00:02:26,480 Sorry. 38 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:30,400 Dave's face is just absolutely lighting up. 39 00:02:30,400 --> 00:02:32,160 I don't apologize. 40 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:33,160 I think that's fantastic. 41 00:02:33,160 --> 00:02:38,200 You know in the beginning of one of the episodes in the beginning of each of our seasons we 42 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:42,120 talk about the fall and we talk about how we should be thankful for the fall of Adam 43 00:02:42,120 --> 00:02:44,120 and Eve, right? 44 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:46,840 And celebrate it and actually give thanks. 45 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:47,840 Give prayer. 46 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,880 Give thanks and prayer for it. 47 00:02:49,880 --> 00:02:52,200 And so there's those things in my life too. 48 00:02:52,200 --> 00:02:58,600 You know that I'm that way with snow skiing and that way with a lot of other horse training 49 00:02:58,600 --> 00:03:00,960 and horses and a lot of other things as well. 50 00:03:00,960 --> 00:03:03,200 What do any of those have to do with the fall though? 51 00:03:03,200 --> 00:03:05,960 I'm not making the connection here because I think those things are all going to be 52 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:06,960 inevitable aren't they? 53 00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:11,760 Well, I kind of, I would be debatable whether it would be heaven or not without it. 54 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:13,240 That's what I always said to my guy. 55 00:03:13,240 --> 00:03:16,200 I always say, I would always say to my dad, dad, do you think we'll be able to ride horses 56 00:03:16,200 --> 00:03:17,200 in heaven? 57 00:03:17,200 --> 00:03:18,200 And he'll be like, I don't think so. 58 00:03:18,200 --> 00:03:22,400 I was like, well then it's not heaven. 59 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:28,760 And I say, I say that, you know, I don't mean to be like minded about that, but I do. 60 00:03:28,760 --> 00:03:30,760 To me that is heaven on earth. 61 00:03:30,760 --> 00:03:33,360 I think the gods have their diversions. 62 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:34,360 Yeah. 63 00:03:34,360 --> 00:03:40,240 Anyway, we'll be happy there and have a fullness of joy and sure. 64 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:42,520 Absolutely. 65 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:45,120 Can you create a golf course that you can't par? 66 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:48,680 That'll be my challenge, you know, in the heavens. 67 00:03:48,680 --> 00:03:51,520 Now you're bragging. 68 00:03:51,520 --> 00:03:52,520 One I can't par. 69 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:53,520 Yeah. 70 00:03:53,520 --> 00:03:57,240 Anyway, I haven't met a golf course that I, you know, I had a problem. 71 00:03:57,240 --> 00:03:59,880 Can you create a golf course that you can't par? 72 00:03:59,880 --> 00:04:00,880 Yeah. 73 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:02,520 I've never had that problem. 74 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:10,640 Well, Deb and I were in the temple yesterday morning at very early and I was mindful and 75 00:04:10,640 --> 00:04:15,720 thoughtful of the episode that we released this week, last week, actually, that we talked 76 00:04:15,720 --> 00:04:20,160 about last week, we talked about temple covenants and all that takes place there. 77 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:22,520 And then this morning, this morning I get up. 78 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:28,560 My sweetheart has a just a really righteous habit of every morning about five, 36 o'clock 79 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:30,640 she gets up and does a scripture study. 80 00:04:30,640 --> 00:04:35,040 And she's been extremely consistent on that for many years now. 81 00:04:35,040 --> 00:04:41,680 And this morning she was so excited to share with me the parts of the covenants that we 82 00:04:41,680 --> 00:04:46,320 make in the temple that are available for us to study and read on the on the gospel 83 00:04:46,320 --> 00:04:49,760 library and in the LDS dot org. 84 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:50,760 Awesome. 85 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:51,760 Yeah, it was amazing. 86 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:52,760 It was great. 87 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:56,960 And we talked a little bit about that this morning, the joy that comes and that's good 88 00:04:56,960 --> 00:04:57,960 Scott. 89 00:04:57,960 --> 00:04:58,960 Yeah. 90 00:04:58,960 --> 00:04:59,960 Yeah, that's wonderful. 91 00:04:59,960 --> 00:05:12,640 And the real God's real temples are definitely dedicated, consecrated holy places worship. 92 00:05:12,640 --> 00:05:20,680 And I hope people see temple tendons as being temple worship, temple work. 93 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:25,400 I think it was actually elder with so years and years ago. 94 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:30,840 We said we shouldn't talk about it as being temple work, nothing wrong with work, but 95 00:05:30,840 --> 00:05:38,800 that we should think of it as temple worship and go there to worship and not just do more 96 00:05:38,800 --> 00:05:39,800 work. 97 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:44,960 Although work is important and work can be sacred and consecrated to the Lord. 98 00:05:44,960 --> 00:05:52,960 But yeah, it's quite a quite a wonderful place and hope I hope individuals who can 99 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:59,320 go will go those who are going can maybe see if they can go more often than those who are 100 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:03,200 yet worthy that they'll become worthy to go. 101 00:06:03,200 --> 00:06:08,320 You know, one thing we've talked about the temple over the last couple of episodes. 102 00:06:08,320 --> 00:06:14,760 And you know, one thing that I've been mindful of, mindful of and thinking about is, you 103 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:19,560 know, Dave, I don't always when I go to the temple, leave the temple feeling like I'm 104 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:22,920 walking five feet off the ground, you know, like I'm walking on air. 105 00:06:22,920 --> 00:06:27,640 There are times I just leave the temple and I feel so edified and so blessed. 106 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:31,320 And there are other times when I don't necessarily feel that. 107 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:35,760 And I think that there's probably a lot of our listeners that experience the same thing. 108 00:06:35,760 --> 00:06:38,680 But I've been contemplative about that and I have been. 109 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:41,520 I've been thinking about that a lot over the last couple of weeks. 110 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:45,880 Well, I'm glad you're bringing it up because I feel kind of bad after one more episode 111 00:06:45,880 --> 00:06:52,400 because I kind of said that, you know, it changes how I walked in the car. 112 00:06:52,400 --> 00:06:54,560 And it's not always that way with me. 113 00:06:54,560 --> 00:06:57,680 There's got, you know, it's not always that way. 114 00:06:57,680 --> 00:06:58,800 No, for sure. 115 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:03,120 But but think, this is what, you know, and this is for me, this is again, I've been 116 00:07:03,120 --> 00:07:04,120 contemplating this. 117 00:07:04,120 --> 00:07:09,720 We spent some time where our ancestors grew up, Dave, down in, you know, Wayne County, 118 00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:11,200 Utah over the last couple of days. 119 00:07:11,200 --> 00:07:12,960 It's just a sacred place for me. 120 00:07:12,960 --> 00:07:17,280 And, you know, and I go off and think and contemplate and pray. 121 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:22,240 And this is one of the things that was on my mind is, you know, how do I know? 122 00:07:22,240 --> 00:07:27,520 I mean, because I can go to the temple one day, I can go to the temple one day and feel 123 00:07:27,520 --> 00:07:30,400 like I have all my prayers answered. 124 00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:32,240 And then I can leave another go another day. 125 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:36,960 And it's just like it just feels like another day and it's and it's even work sometimes. 126 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:41,960 But what I decided was is that, you know, those days where I'm blessed with the grace 127 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,480 of to have that, that's, that's a gift. 128 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:45,480 And I love that. 129 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:46,480 And I, and I appreciate that. 130 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,240 And I should give deep thanks for that when that happens. 131 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:54,280 The days when I don't feel that though, I'm still building, I'm building a foundation 132 00:07:54,280 --> 00:08:00,960 from which when the, the trials of life come and they do that I am better fortified to 133 00:08:00,960 --> 00:08:01,960 withstand. 134 00:08:01,960 --> 00:08:06,960 It helps you to appreciate the times when you do feel the Holy Spirit and great. 135 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,760 You know, I mean, that's just part of mortality, Scott. 136 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,720 And we should be grateful for those days too. 137 00:08:13,720 --> 00:08:14,720 Yeah. 138 00:08:14,720 --> 00:08:16,560 You know, even when we maybe don't feel it. 139 00:08:16,560 --> 00:08:23,080 And it causes us to examine ourselves, our situation, our conditions and see what we 140 00:08:23,080 --> 00:08:25,560 can to, to change those. 141 00:08:25,560 --> 00:08:32,200 And so I'm, we should be grateful for when we really do feel the Holy Ghost, fullness 142 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:37,920 of the Holy Ghost, as mentioned in doctrine comes section 109, when we don't feel a fullness 143 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:42,640 of the Holy Ghost, but we feel some of the Holy Ghost or when we don't feel any of the 144 00:08:42,640 --> 00:08:44,800 Holy Ghost. 145 00:08:44,800 --> 00:08:50,080 Even though I again believe pretty strongly that he's always with us, we don't necessarily 146 00:08:50,080 --> 00:08:51,520 always feel him. 147 00:08:51,520 --> 00:08:58,520 And when we don't, that can be a blessing too to cause us to really reflect. 148 00:08:58,520 --> 00:09:02,880 And I, I, it's just not as, it's just not a straight line to heaven. 149 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:08,840 It's not a straight word upward graph to heaven. 150 00:09:08,840 --> 00:09:15,080 You know, we have our ups and our downs and we continue to strive and to grow. 151 00:09:15,080 --> 00:09:20,360 And there's something, there's something divine about that, Scott. 152 00:09:20,360 --> 00:09:23,560 That's what mortality is really, really about. 153 00:09:23,560 --> 00:09:28,040 As Brigham Young said, to learn to be righteous in the dark. 154 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:34,240 And sometimes the Lord gives us an opportunity to be righteous in the dark. 155 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:39,120 And we don't feel really the presence of the Holy Ghost, what, what choices will you make 156 00:09:39,120 --> 00:09:40,760 then? 157 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:47,320 And so sometimes I think you can not feel the Holy Ghost and it not be your, your fault 158 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:48,320 at all. 159 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:53,200 Me, you know, I felt that I've felt kind of the absence sometimes of the Holy Ghost in 160 00:09:53,200 --> 00:09:55,200 my life and reflect on my life. 161 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,600 And there's nothing I've done wrong. 162 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,280 But there's an ebb and flow to that. 163 00:10:02,280 --> 00:10:07,920 There are some things that I maybe should have been doing that I wasn't doing. 164 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:15,600 But I think that it's just important that we have all kinds of mortal experiences and 165 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:24,400 even learn sometimes what, I mean, to the tiniest one millionth or one billionth of one 166 00:10:24,400 --> 00:10:31,880 degree, you know, what it's like when Jesus declared, why has thou forsaken me? 167 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,240 Yeah, it's okay. 168 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:35,240 Yeah. 169 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,760 Well, and maybe sometimes when we feel forsaken, it's not really a forsaking too. 170 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:41,360 And sometimes we have to be aware of that. 171 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,880 You know, last week you talked about your, your sweet granddaughter, who's serving a 172 00:10:45,880 --> 00:10:50,760 phenomenal mission, a great mission in the Northeast. 173 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:56,480 And she was talking about, you know, her struggle, which is common with perfectionism. 174 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:01,840 You know, I got a, I wrote her a long email and she wrote back a sweet email. 175 00:11:01,840 --> 00:11:07,680 To all of the family and talked about how, you know, her week's going a little better 176 00:11:07,680 --> 00:11:09,640 and what she's learning. 177 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:18,120 I mean, she's a great missionary, but I think, boy, the gospel of Jesus Christ, God, is not 178 00:11:18,120 --> 00:11:22,160 to stress us out or it was never meant to do that. 179 00:11:22,160 --> 00:11:23,560 It wasn't meant to be easy. 180 00:11:23,560 --> 00:11:28,560 It wasn't meant that we would just be comfortable or that we should be complacent or any of 181 00:11:28,560 --> 00:11:30,200 that. 182 00:11:30,200 --> 00:11:39,320 But it is not pleasing to the Lord when we are stressing out, wringing our hands, sweating 183 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,040 to death, trying to live the gospel. 184 00:11:43,040 --> 00:11:46,200 I know, I know we're engaged in a war. 185 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:48,920 I know there's a war between right and wrong. 186 00:11:48,920 --> 00:11:54,600 I know that we're here to prove ourselves, to pass a test, to keep the commandments. 187 00:11:54,600 --> 00:12:00,720 But ultimately, Scott, those who really read the Book of Mormon should understand this 188 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:08,880 and it's in the Bible and in all the scriptures that we believe in a gospel of redemption, 189 00:12:08,880 --> 00:12:13,920 that it's about being redeemed and that's what it comes down to. 190 00:12:13,920 --> 00:12:16,480 It comes down to redemption. 191 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:24,800 It is not a gospel of assimilation where we try, the goal is not to be like Jesus in 192 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:26,880 this life. 193 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:28,920 It's not about assimilation. 194 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:31,760 It's not about accumulation. 195 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:37,040 It's not about accumulating good deeds. 196 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:46,560 It's not about the act of trying to manipulate our behaviors or behavior modification. 197 00:12:46,560 --> 00:12:51,600 The gospel of Jesus Christ is a system of redemption. 198 00:12:51,600 --> 00:12:58,240 And I use the word system intentionally because I think there are several parts to it. 199 00:12:58,240 --> 00:13:01,480 And I believe in the importance of systems. 200 00:13:01,480 --> 00:13:08,840 Taking the gospel as a system of redemption, Scott, there's been a lot written about the 201 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:18,960 importance of systems in business organizational behavior books, atomic habits book, and all 202 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,360 of those other... 203 00:13:21,360 --> 00:13:24,240 You have to understand the system. 204 00:13:24,240 --> 00:13:31,840 And the gospel is a system, but it is not a system of assimilation or accumulation or 205 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,680 behavioral modification. 206 00:13:34,680 --> 00:13:44,480 It is a system of redemption and to rely, learn to rely upon Jesus Christ as our Savior 207 00:13:44,480 --> 00:13:46,520 and Redeemer. 208 00:13:46,520 --> 00:13:49,800 Learn to rely upon His righteousness. 209 00:13:49,800 --> 00:14:00,960 Learn to know Him, understand Him, trust in His grace, in His mercy, in His power. 210 00:14:00,960 --> 00:14:03,440 That's what the gospel of Jesus Christ is all about. 211 00:14:03,440 --> 00:14:06,800 Last time we talked about taking upon ourselves His name. 212 00:14:06,800 --> 00:14:08,840 And that's part of the system. 213 00:14:08,840 --> 00:14:10,840 Is that it's not about me. 214 00:14:10,840 --> 00:14:13,560 It's about Him and about His name. 215 00:14:13,560 --> 00:14:21,400 It's about me taking upon myself His name, having faith in His name, not just faith in 216 00:14:21,400 --> 00:14:23,240 Him. 217 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:26,560 But that's part of the system, Scott, that I'm talking about. 218 00:14:26,560 --> 00:14:38,040 And I just think it's really critical, helpful, not relaxing, but what's the word? 219 00:14:38,040 --> 00:14:39,040 Comforting. 220 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:40,800 Comforting, yes. 221 00:14:40,800 --> 00:14:41,800 Comforting. 222 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:42,800 Liberating. 223 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:43,800 There you go. 224 00:14:43,800 --> 00:14:44,800 Yeah. 225 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:53,840 It's just liberating, Scott, to really understand the system of the gospel of redemption or 226 00:14:53,840 --> 00:14:58,520 the gospel of Jesus Christ. 227 00:14:58,520 --> 00:15:02,240 It's just about being anchored to Him. 228 00:15:02,240 --> 00:15:04,360 That's Elder Renland. 229 00:15:04,360 --> 00:15:09,160 We just need to be anchored to Him, a conference like he gave in 2019. 230 00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:15,800 If we were just anchored to Jesus Christ, oh man, Scott, our life would go just so much 231 00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:16,800 better. 232 00:15:16,800 --> 00:15:26,800 I used to give the analogy of the gospel of redemption and relying upon Jesus Christ 233 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:34,600 and the act of repenting and the grace of being forgiven. 234 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:44,420 By talking about a man who lives in a harbor town and there's these undercurrents in this 235 00:15:44,420 --> 00:15:47,280 one place where people like to swim. 236 00:15:47,280 --> 00:15:54,720 And by the way, I read in the news not long ago some real tragedy of a family that was 237 00:15:54,720 --> 00:16:00,280 lost in an undertow recently on a vacation somewhere just a few weeks ago. 238 00:16:00,280 --> 00:16:05,440 Right away, there was this undertow in this place in this harbor town and there's signs 239 00:16:05,440 --> 00:16:11,280 up, no swimming at certain times of the tide. 240 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:21,240 But this foolish man thinks that he's a great swimmer and he can do it by himself and that 241 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:26,080 he's beyond the sign or the warning. 242 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:34,680 So he jumps in and sure enough, the undertow begins to pull him out to sea and he's fighting 243 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:44,380 his guts out trying to fight against the current and to swim back. 244 00:16:44,380 --> 00:16:48,040 But he's going out further and further and further. 245 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:59,600 But someone comes, someone comes God and throws him a life support and pulls him in and not 246 00:16:59,600 --> 00:17:08,600 only pulls him in but dries him off, not only dries him off and cleans him off, but gives 247 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:11,160 him a change of clothes. 248 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:19,120 And there's a sign that if you're caught breaking this rule, the city ordinance that you have 249 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:21,920 to pay a $200 fine. 250 00:17:21,920 --> 00:17:31,480 And this man who saved the other man takes him to the courthouse and pays the $200 fine. 251 00:17:31,480 --> 00:17:34,520 I mean, what did the man do? 252 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:37,560 What did the man do to be saved? 253 00:17:37,560 --> 00:17:40,360 What did the man do to pay the fine? 254 00:17:40,360 --> 00:17:49,800 What did the man do to continue his life? 255 00:17:49,800 --> 00:17:57,200 All we can do, Scott, really is to take hold, to just receive it, to accept it, to take 256 00:17:57,200 --> 00:18:03,680 hold of the life preserver, Jesus Christ and his atonement, and to allow him to clean us 257 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:09,320 off, to give us new clothes, to put on those clothes. 258 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:14,480 I think I'm thinking of the temple right now, to put on those clothes and to allow him to 259 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:16,120 pay the fine. 260 00:18:16,120 --> 00:18:20,400 Now we have to go, we have to do, there's things we have to do. 261 00:18:20,400 --> 00:18:22,000 There's definitely things we have to do. 262 00:18:22,000 --> 00:18:25,720 There's work that has to be done. 263 00:18:25,720 --> 00:18:28,520 But really, how much of it can we do? 264 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:36,240 It reminds me of Lehi, old father Lehi, in, you know, really the last little bit of his 265 00:18:36,240 --> 00:18:41,400 life when he's talking to Jacob, his firstborn in the wilderness. 266 00:18:41,400 --> 00:18:47,440 This is in 2 Nephi chapter 2, that great chapter on the atonement of Jesus Christ. 267 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:53,080 And he tells, he tells Nephi, Scott, let me just turn to it real quick, 2 Nephi chapter 268 00:18:53,080 --> 00:18:55,560 2. 269 00:18:55,560 --> 00:19:02,240 And he's telling Jacob, you know, encouraging Jacob and telling Jacob what a good man he 270 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:10,440 is and trying to comfort him because of the affliction that he has been persecuted by and 271 00:19:10,440 --> 00:19:15,320 persevered in because of his brother's lame and lameal. 272 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:20,200 And he says in verse 2, Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, Thou knowest 273 00:19:20,200 --> 00:19:25,840 the greatness of God, and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain. 274 00:19:25,840 --> 00:19:31,920 Then in verse 3, Wherefore thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shall dwells, dwells 275 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:38,600 safely with thy brother Nephi, and thy day shall be spent in the service of thy God. 276 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:44,120 Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, why? 277 00:19:44,120 --> 00:19:51,680 Because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer, for thou hast beheld that in the fullness 278 00:19:51,680 --> 00:19:55,960 of time he cometh to bring a salvation unto men. 279 00:19:55,960 --> 00:20:03,600 I just really love that, and that's the gospel system, that we are redeemed because the righteousness 280 00:20:03,600 --> 00:20:05,240 of our Redeemer. 281 00:20:05,240 --> 00:20:08,320 Not because of me or my righteousness. 282 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:18,000 If I have any righteousness right, it's because of all the blessings and all the sacred gifts 283 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:20,640 that I have received from God. 284 00:20:20,640 --> 00:20:26,640 But it's only through Jesus Christ and His righteousness that we are saved. 285 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:32,160 In fact, one of His titles in the Pearl of Great Price, which I love, in the Pearl of 286 00:20:32,160 --> 00:20:40,120 Great Price, one of His titles is Righteous, capital R. It's only through His righteousness 287 00:20:40,120 --> 00:20:42,400 that we are redeemed. 288 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:49,840 I mean, Lehi tells Jacob, I know you need to be in service of your God, definitely. 289 00:20:49,840 --> 00:20:53,640 But that's not to save yourself. 290 00:20:53,640 --> 00:21:01,920 That is for us to try to show our gratitude for the redemption and salvation that we have 291 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,680 received from them. 292 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:11,160 I've always loved this, even though it's kind of nonsensical really in a way, because it 293 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:13,480 would be impossible. 294 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:19,360 That Brother Matthews, you still we say, Brother Matthews who wrote the Bible dictionary for 295 00:21:19,360 --> 00:21:22,560 those who might be listening for the first time. 296 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:29,640 He used to say, you know, David, even if you kept all the commandments, even if you kept 297 00:21:29,640 --> 00:21:35,440 all the commandments and never sinned, you'd still go to hell. 298 00:21:35,440 --> 00:21:43,640 I mean, that's just an extreme way of understanding the system of the gospel of Jesus Christ and 299 00:21:43,640 --> 00:21:50,560 the system of redemption is that commandments don't save us. 300 00:21:50,560 --> 00:21:53,920 Ordinances and covenants don't save us. 301 00:21:53,920 --> 00:21:57,480 Only repentance doesn't save us. 302 00:21:57,480 --> 00:22:06,760 Only Jesus Christ, our faith, our trust, our reliance, dependence in Him, on Him, is what 303 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:08,840 saves us, God. 304 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:13,960 And any work that we do should be focused on one thing. 305 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:19,560 One thing is needful, Jesus tells Martha, focus on me. 306 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:23,280 Don't go about being encumbered about by all of this stuff. 307 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,680 All these things that you're supposed to do. 308 00:22:25,680 --> 00:22:32,480 If you're doing those and you're not focused on me, then there's no redemption or salvation 309 00:22:32,480 --> 00:22:33,480 in it. 310 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:38,560 I mean, there's so many great people in the world, some agnostics and atheists, but if 311 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:45,600 they're not focused on Jesus Christ and they're just into behavioral modification or self-mastery, 312 00:22:45,600 --> 00:22:54,480 wow, they can become great individuals and have no redemption to show for it. 313 00:22:54,480 --> 00:23:03,440 So I just, I love that idea that even if we never committed a sin, we'd go to hell. 314 00:23:03,440 --> 00:23:12,160 Because only through Jesus Christ, a God who lived a sinless life, who died and suffered 315 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:19,480 for all the, not just sins of the world, but the consequences of all the sins of all the 316 00:23:19,480 --> 00:23:27,560 world and through the power of His resurrection, we are redeemed. 317 00:23:27,560 --> 00:23:33,480 If we were not resurrected, and this is why Brother Matthew would always say, if you don't 318 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:38,480 give commandments or if you keep all the commandments, you'll still go to hell, because if we were 319 00:23:38,480 --> 00:23:45,560 not resurrected, then we would become the sons and daughters of the devil, right? 320 00:23:45,560 --> 00:23:55,360 That's Jacob's teaching in 2 Nephi chapter 9, that without the power of the resurrection, 321 00:23:55,360 --> 00:24:02,000 without Jesus Christ, we would have all become sons and daughters of Satan, even if we did 322 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:03,900 keep all the commandments. 323 00:24:03,900 --> 00:24:10,000 So I just think that to really live the gospel system, and this is what I tried to tell my 324 00:24:10,000 --> 00:24:17,920 sweet granddaughter, you have to focus more on Jesus Christ, less on your efforts and 325 00:24:17,920 --> 00:24:26,480 more on how you can tap in to His strength and His power, His grace, His mercy. 326 00:24:26,480 --> 00:24:27,760 That's what you have to focus on. 327 00:24:27,760 --> 00:24:33,680 In fact, as a missionary, Scott, he, one of the, this is another one of his titles, he 328 00:24:33,680 --> 00:24:38,400 is the Lord of the harvest. 329 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:44,600 We may sow some seeds, but we don't harvest anything or anybody. 330 00:24:44,600 --> 00:24:49,280 Jesus Christ is the harvester. 331 00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:56,000 I know President Kimball said that Jesus Christ will bless many people through us. 332 00:24:56,000 --> 00:24:57,440 No doubt about that. 333 00:24:57,440 --> 00:24:59,720 And we are His instruments. 334 00:24:59,720 --> 00:25:06,940 We are His, we can be little ass saviors on Mount Zion, right? 335 00:25:06,940 --> 00:25:14,080 We can do all these things to try to help do God's work and help God bless His people. 336 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:21,560 But anything that we do should be focused upon our relationship with Jesus Christ, and 337 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:29,960 we should understand that any power or strength that we have comes through Jesus Christ and 338 00:25:29,960 --> 00:25:33,160 His atonement, His grace. 339 00:25:33,160 --> 00:25:40,520 Grace is the enabling strength of the atonement of Jesus Christ and mercy is the forgiveness 340 00:25:40,520 --> 00:25:42,280 of sin. 341 00:25:42,280 --> 00:25:49,160 So I just, I just think that there's too many people in the church who just wring their 342 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:53,840 hands and sweat bullets and. 343 00:25:53,840 --> 00:25:55,520 It's easy to see why though. 344 00:25:55,520 --> 00:26:00,840 I mean, we have a, you know, kind of a standard and we focus on the standard because it's 345 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:06,040 difficult sometimes to focus on what we can't see, you know, what we must develop faith 346 00:26:06,040 --> 00:26:12,000 in, you know, we can, we can measure how well I'm doing at keeping the commandments just 347 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:15,680 by, you know, keeping a checklist or whatever. 348 00:26:15,680 --> 00:26:21,960 But what I can't measure Dave, not quantitatively, you know, qualitatively I can measure my relationship 349 00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:22,960 with him. 350 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:28,720 Now you use a word and you've used it frequently, you know, not just today either, but throughout 351 00:26:28,720 --> 00:26:35,120 the podcast, but this, but you say the gospel of Jesus Christ is not a gospel of assimilation. 352 00:26:35,120 --> 00:26:36,120 Yeah. 353 00:26:36,120 --> 00:26:38,880 Can you explain what you mean by that? 354 00:26:38,880 --> 00:26:44,800 Well, it's, it's not assimilating good deeds, good habits. 355 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:53,280 It's not a system of trying to improve and be something else. 356 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:54,280 That's not this. 357 00:26:54,280 --> 00:26:55,560 So it's not a self-help programs. 358 00:26:55,560 --> 00:27:01,520 It's not a self-help self-development program or system. 359 00:27:01,520 --> 00:27:11,480 It is how can I tap in to the atonement of Jesus Christ and receive as a gift redemption? 360 00:27:11,480 --> 00:27:14,240 It's not something that I earn, Scott. 361 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:22,120 It's not something that I am entitled to by jumping through all of these hoops or checking 362 00:27:22,120 --> 00:27:27,240 off all the boxes or taking all the different steps. 363 00:27:27,240 --> 00:27:29,800 It's not that. 364 00:27:29,800 --> 00:27:35,440 It's a system of redemption, not assimilation or accumulation. 365 00:27:35,440 --> 00:27:40,880 So when we say a system of redemption, we are literally saying that we, you know, so 366 00:27:40,880 --> 00:27:42,400 let's break down the word redemption. 367 00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:43,400 We've been purchased. 368 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:44,400 Yes. 369 00:27:44,400 --> 00:27:45,400 We have been purchased. 370 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:46,400 Ransomed. 371 00:27:46,400 --> 00:27:51,400 The currency by which we have been purchased is the blood of Jesus Christ. 372 00:27:51,400 --> 00:27:52,400 Yes. 373 00:27:52,400 --> 00:27:53,400 Yes. 374 00:27:53,400 --> 00:27:55,680 In fact, I was just, you know, that's an ax. 375 00:27:55,680 --> 00:27:56,680 Yeah. 376 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,280 That's an ax I think is it 20 verse 28. 377 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:04,040 But if you'll go there, I'll go to another place in Corinthian 6. 378 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:07,400 And I found mine first here. 379 00:28:07,400 --> 00:28:08,400 Listen to this. 380 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:13,480 What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost, which is in you, which ye 381 00:28:13,480 --> 00:28:17,000 have of God, and ye are not your own? 382 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:20,400 For ye are bought with a price. 383 00:28:20,400 --> 00:28:22,440 Ye are bought with a price. 384 00:28:22,440 --> 00:28:28,600 Therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are gods. 385 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:32,440 So we're, we're bought with a price, Paul says in Corinthians. 386 00:28:32,440 --> 00:28:39,320 And in the ax 2028, it says that we are purchased by his blood, I think. 387 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:44,680 Take heed therefore unto yourselves and to all the flock over the witch, the Holy Ghost, 388 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:51,120 hath made you overseers to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own 389 00:28:51,120 --> 00:28:56,600 blood, which he hath purchased with his own blood. 390 00:28:56,600 --> 00:29:04,480 And there you know, Scott, really, there is a certain humility that I think that truth 391 00:29:04,480 --> 00:29:10,120 when it really settles in our heart that we are not our own. 392 00:29:10,120 --> 00:29:13,440 We have been purchased by his blood. 393 00:29:13,440 --> 00:29:20,360 We have been purchased by a price, which is the atonement of Jesus Christ. 394 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:26,520 There there's just a certain humility and gratitude that washes over you when you really 395 00:29:26,520 --> 00:29:30,760 have understanding and faith in that. 396 00:29:30,760 --> 00:29:37,000 So I, if that's what people need to come to, you know, we've done this whole course on 397 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:44,320 repentance and forgiveness, starting with identity, knowing who we are and whose we 398 00:29:44,320 --> 00:29:46,320 are. 399 00:29:46,320 --> 00:29:56,600 And this all of it, the whole, the whole course comes down to this larger perspective or the 400 00:29:56,600 --> 00:30:01,920 bigger picture to understand really what redemption is. 401 00:30:01,920 --> 00:30:08,960 And if people could understand, see it that way, understand it that way, it changes your 402 00:30:08,960 --> 00:30:11,640 approach to living the gospel for sure. 403 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,600 It changes your approach to repentance. 404 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,360 It changes your whole approach to how you worship. 405 00:30:18,360 --> 00:30:23,000 Well, and it can change your approach to just the everyday comings and goings in life, you 406 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:25,320 know, when life gets hard. 407 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:30,960 Sometimes it's hard for us to find joy in the gospel when life gets hard. 408 00:30:30,960 --> 00:30:35,640 But if we have that focus and if we have that understanding, Dave, where we understand that 409 00:30:35,640 --> 00:30:41,240 it was through his blood that we've been purchased, that we've been redeemed, not assimilated, 410 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:48,080 not accumulated, but redeemed, that can help us if we can maintain and really develop a 411 00:30:48,080 --> 00:30:54,440 solid relationship with the idea that finding the gospel or finding joy in the gospel, even 412 00:30:54,440 --> 00:31:03,120 when life gets difficult, really may center on our ability to understand our redemption. 413 00:31:03,120 --> 00:31:05,760 Yeah, for sure, Scott. 414 00:31:05,760 --> 00:31:11,080 And you said something about, or just a few moments ago, about it's sometimes hard to 415 00:31:11,080 --> 00:31:12,080 see it. 416 00:31:12,080 --> 00:31:15,080 What do you mean by that? 417 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:18,000 It's understandable because people don't see it. 418 00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:20,760 See and joy in the gospel even when life's hard. 419 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:28,520 Yeah, so I think that it is difficult for some of us, and maybe for all of us from time 420 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:32,720 to time, to find joy in the gospel even when life gets difficult, when life gets hard, 421 00:31:32,720 --> 00:31:35,080 you know, it's super easy. 422 00:31:35,080 --> 00:31:38,480 I gotta be careful because somebody will always have an exception. 423 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:42,240 They'll, you know, get an email and say, yeah, Scott, maybe super easy for you, but not for 424 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:43,240 us. 425 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:45,280 So I'm, and so strike that. 426 00:31:45,280 --> 00:31:53,000 But it sometimes is acceptably more easy for some people to find joy in the gospel when 427 00:31:53,000 --> 00:31:55,040 life is just going great. 428 00:31:55,040 --> 00:31:57,960 You know, I'm saying my prayers and I don't have any challenges. 429 00:31:57,960 --> 00:31:59,760 I'm going to church and I don't have any challenges. 430 00:31:59,760 --> 00:32:02,080 I'm serving in my callings and I don't have any challenges. 431 00:32:02,080 --> 00:32:04,720 I'm going to the temple and I don't have any challenges. 432 00:32:04,720 --> 00:32:08,600 But when life breaks loose and it will, I mean, it just will. 433 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:15,260 We all have to have the experience to carry our cross and to find a way to yoke with him. 434 00:32:15,260 --> 00:32:17,040 So that that cross can be lighter. 435 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:22,960 I mean, I get all that, but it's difficult sometimes when we are facing challenges, you 436 00:32:22,960 --> 00:32:28,320 know, when we have the things that come along, say a car accident, we've talked about that, 437 00:32:28,320 --> 00:32:34,720 you know, say the infertility problems and the death of children and, you know, those 438 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:35,720 kinds of things. 439 00:32:35,720 --> 00:32:41,440 So we, the choices that some children make to not be part of the gospel that can create 440 00:32:41,440 --> 00:32:42,440 some. 441 00:32:42,440 --> 00:32:47,080 And I think that beautiful couple that that we interviewed a few seasons ago, you know, 442 00:32:47,080 --> 00:32:52,440 who they're in the temple and they lose their daughter, lose their baby daughter. 443 00:32:52,440 --> 00:32:53,440 Yeah. 444 00:32:53,440 --> 00:32:54,440 Jorian. 445 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:55,440 What's up with that? 446 00:32:55,440 --> 00:32:56,440 Yeah. 447 00:32:56,440 --> 00:33:00,160 I mean, in doing good things in worshiping. 448 00:33:00,160 --> 00:33:01,160 Wow. 449 00:33:01,160 --> 00:33:07,160 I remember of another instance where that happened when we lived in in Highland and they still 450 00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:14,640 had all these opened irrigation ditches and a couple in the temple and their their little 451 00:33:14,640 --> 00:33:22,400 two year old, you know, breaks away or goes outside and the babysitters unaware and drowns 452 00:33:22,400 --> 00:33:24,040 in it in a ditch. 453 00:33:24,040 --> 00:33:26,120 And you know, what's up with that? 454 00:33:26,120 --> 00:33:36,240 And Scott, I just we have to stop seeing the gospel as a vending machine. 455 00:33:36,240 --> 00:33:41,080 So many people think that if I do this, then I get that. 456 00:33:41,080 --> 00:33:45,320 And if I do that, then I'll get this. 457 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:51,080 And they see it as as as though I mean, and I I know the scripture. 458 00:33:51,080 --> 00:33:53,240 It was your grandpa's and my dad's. 459 00:33:53,240 --> 00:33:54,520 It's going through my head right now. 460 00:33:54,520 --> 00:33:56,120 You know, yeah. 461 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:57,920 Any blessing you obtain. 462 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:01,480 There is a lie rather completely decreed before the foundations of the earth. 463 00:34:01,480 --> 00:34:02,480 I have a memory. 464 00:34:02,480 --> 00:34:03,480 Yeah. 465 00:34:03,480 --> 00:34:05,280 I mean, he's caught that so many times, right? 466 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:06,280 Yeah. 467 00:34:06,280 --> 00:34:07,280 And that's kind of the system. 468 00:34:07,280 --> 00:34:13,520 That's kind of the gospel system that he was most aware of and and operated in. 469 00:34:13,520 --> 00:34:15,040 That was his operating system. 470 00:34:15,040 --> 00:34:20,000 And he really worked hard in the gospel of the righteous life. 471 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:23,400 And I know in all of that that he's redeemed. 472 00:34:23,400 --> 00:34:31,320 But Scott, that can create so much pressure and stress for other people, even other people 473 00:34:31,320 --> 00:34:33,000 that those people live with. 474 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:34,000 Yeah. 475 00:34:34,000 --> 00:34:35,000 Right. 476 00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:38,720 I totally know you mean I have pictures to go with those words. 477 00:34:38,720 --> 00:34:46,500 And and I just we have to not see the gospel as a vending machine put in a coin and out 478 00:34:46,500 --> 00:34:48,000 comes the blessing. 479 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:51,040 It it's not it's it doesn't work that way. 480 00:34:51,040 --> 00:34:53,840 It's a it's about being redeemed. 481 00:34:53,840 --> 00:35:01,240 It's not about receiving an easy life or that our life is somehow so much better than than 482 00:35:01,240 --> 00:35:08,560 the life of a Buddhist or a Muslim or anyone else, you know, that's not how one should 483 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:11,440 see the gospel of Jesus Christ. 484 00:35:11,440 --> 00:35:18,880 I think that there's a great scripture story that kind of illustrates this, Scott. 485 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:20,120 And it's in Luke. 486 00:35:20,120 --> 00:35:24,880 It's one of my favorite scripture stories in Luke in Luke chapter 19. 487 00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:28,640 And I just want to maybe we should just read it. 488 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,480 Chapter 19 verse one. 489 00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:35,520 When Jesus entered and passed through Jericho, did you go to Jericho when you went to Israel? 490 00:35:35,520 --> 00:35:37,120 We didn't get down there. 491 00:35:37,120 --> 00:35:38,200 It's down there. 492 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:39,200 It's down there. 493 00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:41,200 We were like 600 feet below zero. 494 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:42,200 Right. 495 00:35:42,200 --> 00:35:48,200 We did get down to the Dead Sea and we got above Jericho, but we definitely down there. 496 00:35:48,200 --> 00:35:49,600 Anyway, and it's hot. 497 00:35:49,600 --> 00:35:53,400 And anyway, Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 498 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:58,720 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus, which was the chief among the publicans. 499 00:35:58,720 --> 00:36:00,000 And he was rich. 500 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:01,920 So you know, he's rich. 501 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:02,920 He's a publican. 502 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:07,120 He's a little bit of an outcast being a publican, you know, a tax collector. 503 00:36:07,120 --> 00:36:16,120 And he probably doesn't have the greatest social relations with some of the Jews in Jericho. 504 00:36:16,120 --> 00:36:17,120 Verse three. 505 00:36:17,120 --> 00:36:19,800 And he sought to see Jesus who he was. 506 00:36:19,800 --> 00:36:22,680 So he wanted to see Jesus, Scott. 507 00:36:22,680 --> 00:36:29,600 He wanted to see it and could not for the press, the press. 508 00:36:29,600 --> 00:36:34,600 That's a that's an interesting word because, you know, and then the footnotes, it's Greek 509 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:38,000 for crowd or multitude. 510 00:36:38,000 --> 00:36:44,520 All of these people who were trying to see Jesus and he couldn't because he was short 511 00:36:44,520 --> 00:36:46,600 of stature, he couldn't seem. 512 00:36:46,600 --> 00:36:52,960 And he ran before and he climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him for he was to pass 513 00:36:52,960 --> 00:36:55,720 that way. 514 00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:58,400 And I think so what's his motive really? 515 00:36:58,400 --> 00:37:00,360 But what's what? 516 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:02,760 Why is he climbing up into the sycamore tree? 517 00:37:02,760 --> 00:37:04,120 Why is he doing this? 518 00:37:04,120 --> 00:37:05,120 And I don't know. 519 00:37:05,120 --> 00:37:09,720 I don't know socially what that looks like when the publican and who's rich climbs up 520 00:37:09,720 --> 00:37:11,800 into a sycamore tree. 521 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:17,520 Maybe that would take a little humility or an extra special desire. 522 00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,240 It would in today's culture wouldn't it? 523 00:37:20,240 --> 00:37:21,240 Yeah. 524 00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:22,720 Anyway, he climbs up into this tree. 525 00:37:22,720 --> 00:37:27,000 There's a lot more commentary that we could give on this, but let's get to the main part 526 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:28,000 here. 527 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:33,960 When Jesus came to the place he looked up and he saw him and he said unto him, Zacchaeus, 528 00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:37,320 make haste and come down for today. 529 00:37:37,320 --> 00:37:39,920 I must abide at thy house. 530 00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:41,400 Wow. 531 00:37:41,400 --> 00:37:52,680 So Zacchaeus, because of his desire to see Jesus, Jesus seeing him invites him to receive 532 00:37:52,680 --> 00:37:54,040 him in his house. 533 00:37:54,040 --> 00:37:59,280 So I must abide at thy house in those great words. 534 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:00,280 And he made it. 535 00:38:00,280 --> 00:38:07,080 And this is this what I really love verse six and Zacchaeus made haste and came down 536 00:38:07,080 --> 00:38:11,720 and received him joyfully. 537 00:38:11,720 --> 00:38:14,320 That is the essence of the gospel. 538 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:18,160 Scott, come down out of the tree. 539 00:38:18,160 --> 00:38:20,960 Could just trying to get a glimpse out of me. 540 00:38:20,960 --> 00:38:25,800 Give the invitation that he's given to all of us, not just Zacchaeus, but to you, to 541 00:38:25,800 --> 00:38:30,920 me and all of us that I stand at the door and knock. 542 00:38:30,920 --> 00:38:37,360 And he, you know, Revelation three and he who will open all sup with him. 543 00:38:37,360 --> 00:38:42,480 All we got to do, Scott, is come down out of the tree or open the door and learn how 544 00:38:42,480 --> 00:38:48,240 to how to receive him and and to do it joyfully. 545 00:38:48,240 --> 00:38:50,760 And if we receive him, it will be joyful. 546 00:38:50,760 --> 00:38:57,560 I know, I know something of the joy of receiving him. 547 00:38:57,560 --> 00:38:59,040 That's the essence of the gospel. 548 00:38:59,040 --> 00:39:04,240 And then, and then after he in verse seven, it says, and when they saw it, they all murmured 549 00:39:04,240 --> 00:39:11,360 saying, wow, that he was gone to be a guest with a man that is a sinner. 550 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:14,640 All these self-righteous Pharisees and Sadducees. 551 00:39:14,640 --> 00:39:15,640 Yeah. 552 00:39:15,640 --> 00:39:16,640 Well, so time out. 553 00:39:16,640 --> 00:39:18,640 How often have we been that person? 554 00:39:18,640 --> 00:39:19,640 Right? 555 00:39:19,640 --> 00:39:20,640 No, really. 556 00:39:20,640 --> 00:39:26,320 How many times do we self-righteously misjudge others? 557 00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:29,320 Verse eight, then Zacchaeus stood and said unto the Lord. 558 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:33,960 So this is when he's getting ready to leave after having spent some time with him in his 559 00:39:33,960 --> 00:39:34,960 house. 560 00:39:34,960 --> 00:39:37,840 Look at the effect it has on Zacchaeus. 561 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:42,960 Zacchaeus says unto the Lord, Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. 562 00:39:42,960 --> 00:39:50,280 And if I have taken anything from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. 563 00:39:50,280 --> 00:39:57,960 And Jesus said unto him, This day is salvation or redemption. 564 00:39:57,960 --> 00:40:05,560 Come to this house for as much as he also is a son of Abraham, for the son of man is 565 00:40:05,560 --> 00:40:11,600 come to seek and to save that which was lost. 566 00:40:11,600 --> 00:40:13,520 We're all lost, Scott. 567 00:40:13,520 --> 00:40:14,520 We're all lost. 568 00:40:14,520 --> 00:40:24,280 And the whole gospel system is to allow Jesus to find us, to not keep running away from him, 569 00:40:24,280 --> 00:40:30,560 but to come down out of the sycamore tree, to open the door, to hear the knock, and to 570 00:40:30,560 --> 00:40:31,560 receive him. 571 00:40:31,560 --> 00:40:36,480 That's the system of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the system of redemption. 572 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,680 Well, I wonder what our own sycamore trees are. 573 00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:43,720 I mean, we have a pattern here. 574 00:40:43,720 --> 00:40:49,480 Jesus provides for us a pattern of what we should also do if we want to abide with and 575 00:40:49,480 --> 00:40:53,680 have the Savior in our lives on a permanent basis. 576 00:40:53,680 --> 00:40:56,640 First thing he does is he seeks him. 577 00:40:56,640 --> 00:41:02,000 And you mentioned out of humility, here's a guy with some stature climbing a tree. 578 00:41:02,000 --> 00:41:05,600 I don't know what culturally that would have looked like then, but culturally now that 579 00:41:05,600 --> 00:41:06,600 would be a little out of place. 580 00:41:06,600 --> 00:41:08,160 It was somewhat shunned already. 581 00:41:08,160 --> 00:41:12,280 Yeah, sure, because he's a publican, right, a tax collector. 582 00:41:12,280 --> 00:41:14,400 And, you know, and that's just determined. 583 00:41:14,400 --> 00:41:19,480 Yeah, he is no matter the circumstances and no matter the cost, he's willing to seek Jesus, 584 00:41:19,480 --> 00:41:21,600 climbs the tree, the press. 585 00:41:21,600 --> 00:41:22,600 So that's that. 586 00:41:22,600 --> 00:41:26,320 The second one is, is he's willing to welcome him into his life. 587 00:41:26,320 --> 00:41:30,800 He allowed Jesus, now Jesus, you know, said, Hey, let me into your life. 588 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:36,880 And he makes that invitation or that plea to each of us to allow us into allow him rather 589 00:41:36,880 --> 00:41:37,880 into our lives. 590 00:41:37,880 --> 00:41:40,920 So, you know, he welcomed Jesus into his life. 591 00:41:40,920 --> 00:41:42,720 He did it with joy, with openness. 592 00:41:42,720 --> 00:41:47,400 We need to probably follow that same pattern if we want same benefits. 593 00:41:47,400 --> 00:41:52,760 Yeah, I'm not, I'm not trying to be critical, but sometimes even the church can be a second 594 00:41:52,760 --> 00:41:54,720 mortuary. 595 00:41:54,720 --> 00:42:00,360 You know, we go to church to try to see Jesus, but we never receive him. 596 00:42:00,360 --> 00:42:07,200 We try, we do all kinds of things, trying to see Jesus out of curiosity or out of hope 597 00:42:07,200 --> 00:42:11,240 or out of some expectation or something. 598 00:42:11,240 --> 00:42:22,200 And yet we, we, it's just a system of receiving Jesus into our hearts and the Holy Ghost allowing 599 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:29,440 the gift of the Holy Ghost to receive the Holy Ghost, to administer his grace and mercy 600 00:42:29,440 --> 00:42:30,840 into our lives. 601 00:42:30,840 --> 00:42:34,160 And honestly, Scott, that's, that's what it comes down to. 602 00:42:34,160 --> 00:42:42,960 I think another verse of scripture that really describes the gospel of Jesus Christ is Mosiah 603 00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:45,720 chapter 3 verse 19. 604 00:42:45,720 --> 00:42:52,800 King Benjamin, I think this, this one verse, I think describes the system of redemption 605 00:42:52,800 --> 00:42:54,480 in the gospel. 606 00:42:54,480 --> 00:42:59,280 It starts out talking about that because of the fall, we're all enemies. 607 00:42:59,280 --> 00:43:01,440 Yeah, let me just read it. 608 00:43:01,440 --> 00:43:04,240 This is a Mosiah chapter 3 verse 19. 609 00:43:04,240 --> 00:43:08,960 For the natural man is an enemy of God and has been from the fall of Adam and will be 610 00:43:08,960 --> 00:43:13,320 forever and ever unless he yields to the enticings of the Holy Spirit. 611 00:43:13,320 --> 00:43:14,400 There we go. 612 00:43:14,400 --> 00:43:15,400 And less. 613 00:43:15,400 --> 00:43:16,400 See, that's the condition. 614 00:43:16,400 --> 00:43:17,400 Yeah. 615 00:43:17,400 --> 00:43:19,720 You know, is just to yield to the enticings. 616 00:43:19,720 --> 00:43:22,600 Just open the door, open your heart. 617 00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:26,320 Just, just receive the Holy Ghost. 618 00:43:26,320 --> 00:43:28,520 But Dave, here's part of the problem. 619 00:43:28,520 --> 00:43:31,120 How do we define enticings? 620 00:43:31,120 --> 00:43:37,240 Really, I mean, literally, you know, if we have this checklisted out, it makes it easy 621 00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:38,240 for us. 622 00:43:38,240 --> 00:43:39,640 Well, and it becomes. 623 00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:41,480 And so, what do you think enticings? 624 00:43:41,480 --> 00:43:43,040 Well, enticing means promptings. 625 00:43:43,040 --> 00:43:48,520 Anytime I feel a prompting or an enticing or an invitation from the Holy Spirit to do 626 00:43:48,520 --> 00:43:51,480 something, and that could look like a whole bunch of different things, right? 627 00:43:51,480 --> 00:43:54,360 I mean, that's a whole podcast in and of itself. 628 00:43:54,360 --> 00:44:00,960 But you know, when I respond to those enticings and allow the enticings of the Holy Spirit, 629 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:05,360 response to the enticings of the Holy Spirit, that it, that's the first step in me putting 630 00:44:05,360 --> 00:44:07,640 off the natural man. 631 00:44:07,640 --> 00:44:13,360 But let me, let me just say something about that because I know God entices us every day. 632 00:44:13,360 --> 00:44:14,360 Yeah. 633 00:44:14,360 --> 00:44:15,360 I do, Scott. 634 00:44:15,360 --> 00:44:16,360 Yes. 635 00:44:16,360 --> 00:44:20,040 Through the light of Christ, at the very least, and through the Holy Ghost, even, even more 636 00:44:20,040 --> 00:44:21,040 so. 637 00:44:21,040 --> 00:44:22,440 Oh, we're, we're enticed. 638 00:44:22,440 --> 00:44:26,200 Now we may, we may be past feeling. 639 00:44:26,200 --> 00:44:30,520 If we're not keeping the commandments or we have addictions or all these other problems, 640 00:44:30,520 --> 00:44:32,360 we may be past feeling. 641 00:44:32,360 --> 00:44:33,840 We may not be able to see it. 642 00:44:33,840 --> 00:44:35,320 We may be able not hear it. 643 00:44:35,320 --> 00:44:38,720 We may, may be not able to feel it. 644 00:44:38,720 --> 00:44:50,000 But I know God loves his children and he is enticing them every day to come unto him and 645 00:44:50,000 --> 00:44:53,720 be saved every day. 646 00:44:53,720 --> 00:44:58,240 And people may not see it or feel it, understand it like lame and lame. 647 00:44:58,240 --> 00:45:05,200 Daniel sure didn't and it's all around them with the prophet, father and brother that 648 00:45:05,200 --> 00:45:13,520 they have and all the angels that appear to them and all the, oh my goodness, Scott, we 649 00:45:13,520 --> 00:45:17,560 all are enticed every day by the Holy Spirit. 650 00:45:17,560 --> 00:45:21,520 I wouldn't want it to look like if we paid attention to those enticings. 651 00:45:21,520 --> 00:45:23,960 I, you know, I, I, the gratitude journal you would have. 652 00:45:23,960 --> 00:45:24,960 Right. 653 00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:27,880 You know, I, we've talked about this before as part of my recovery process. 654 00:45:27,880 --> 00:45:29,640 I do what's called a step 10, right? 655 00:45:29,640 --> 00:45:31,600 And then that's part of the things I do. 656 00:45:31,600 --> 00:45:37,480 What if I included the enticings from the spirit that I felt that there you go. 657 00:45:37,480 --> 00:45:39,480 And how was I able to respond to that? 658 00:45:39,480 --> 00:45:41,560 That's the goal we should be keeping. 659 00:45:41,560 --> 00:45:44,560 And that's a great invitation for our listeners. 660 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:46,560 We should be keeping an enticings. 661 00:45:46,560 --> 00:45:47,560 Yeah. 662 00:45:47,560 --> 00:45:48,800 The enticings of the Holy Spirit. 663 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:49,800 Yes. 664 00:45:49,800 --> 00:45:52,280 How was God enticing me today through the Holy Spirit? 665 00:45:52,280 --> 00:45:53,760 You know what that will do for us? 666 00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:59,200 That will make us aware of it, but it will also, it will seem like we have a greater 667 00:45:59,200 --> 00:46:04,400 abundance of those enticings from the Holy Spirit available to us because we focus on 668 00:46:04,400 --> 00:46:05,400 that. 669 00:46:05,400 --> 00:46:10,560 Whether they become more abundant because of our focus or maybe our focus makes us aware 670 00:46:10,560 --> 00:46:12,440 of the abundance that was already there. 671 00:46:12,440 --> 00:46:13,440 I don't know. 672 00:46:13,440 --> 00:46:14,760 And it doesn't matter. 673 00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:21,720 But the point is, is that it will make us aware and it will allow those enticings to, 674 00:46:21,720 --> 00:46:23,640 to forge our lives to give us a direction. 675 00:46:23,640 --> 00:46:31,200 So this scripture goes on and says, if we learn to, to become a the saint through the 676 00:46:31,200 --> 00:46:36,200 Atonement of Jesus Christ and become an, become a, as a child. 677 00:46:36,200 --> 00:46:37,200 Okay. 678 00:46:37,200 --> 00:46:40,120 So here's some of the characteristics and attributes that it would require. 679 00:46:40,120 --> 00:46:42,040 This is the gospel system. 680 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:43,040 Exactly. 681 00:46:43,040 --> 00:46:50,320 Become a, as a child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to 682 00:46:50,320 --> 00:46:56,120 all things which the Lord seeeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child does submit to his 683 00:46:56,120 --> 00:46:57,120 father. 684 00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:04,240 See, so sometimes we're inflicted or afflicted and sometimes it's of God and sometimes it's 685 00:47:04,240 --> 00:47:05,240 not. 686 00:47:05,240 --> 00:47:06,800 Sometimes, sometimes it's just the result. 687 00:47:06,800 --> 00:47:11,320 You know, bad things happen to good people and that's just part of mortality. 688 00:47:11,320 --> 00:47:17,440 It's just part of being, you know, in a hellish, commercial world as a mortal, bad things are 689 00:47:17,440 --> 00:47:18,640 going to happen. 690 00:47:18,640 --> 00:47:23,200 And some of these things are perhaps an infliction. 691 00:47:23,200 --> 00:47:24,200 Is that the word? 692 00:47:24,200 --> 00:47:25,200 Inflicted. 693 00:47:25,200 --> 00:47:29,240 Yeah, but inflicted and afflicted are not necessarily the same thing. 694 00:47:29,240 --> 00:47:30,240 No, they're not. 695 00:47:30,240 --> 00:47:31,240 Okay. 696 00:47:31,240 --> 00:47:32,240 That's, that's my point. 697 00:47:32,240 --> 00:47:33,240 Right? 698 00:47:33,240 --> 00:47:34,240 Yeah. 699 00:47:34,240 --> 00:47:40,080 We may be inflicted and we may be afflicted, but if we have learned to receive the enticings 700 00:47:40,080 --> 00:47:46,880 of the Holy Ghost and to become a saint through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and to become 701 00:47:46,880 --> 00:47:52,040 a, as a child, submissive, me, humble, patient, full of love. 702 00:47:52,040 --> 00:47:58,440 Scott, how we experience inflection and affliction, totally different. 703 00:47:58,440 --> 00:47:59,440 Totally different. 704 00:47:59,440 --> 00:48:03,960 Yeah, we see it different because it means something different to us at that point. 705 00:48:03,960 --> 00:48:08,400 And our long game vision that has come now because we know who we are, we know who's 706 00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:13,720 we are, we understand the fall of Adam and Eve and our own effects and on and on, you 707 00:48:13,720 --> 00:48:14,720 know, on and on. 708 00:48:14,720 --> 00:48:19,880 And our inflection will understand to be part of our redemption. 709 00:48:19,880 --> 00:48:20,880 Correct. 710 00:48:20,880 --> 00:48:29,160 And in our affliction, if we understand redemption, we can even endure those as well. 711 00:48:29,160 --> 00:48:37,560 And know that because of our redemption, those will be consecrated for our gain, the compensatory 712 00:48:37,560 --> 00:48:45,560 powers of the Atonement to kick in when we are afflicted and grace or the enabling power 713 00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:50,320 of Christ kick in when we are inflicted. 714 00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:58,680 You know, that the system, the gospel system, Scott, is just, wow, you know, come unto me, 715 00:48:58,680 --> 00:49:05,520 I'll eat the labor and our heavy laden and I will give you rest. 716 00:49:05,520 --> 00:49:13,280 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly of heart and ye shall find 717 00:49:13,280 --> 00:49:14,280 rest. 718 00:49:14,280 --> 00:49:20,400 I just don't know how many people are finding rest these days, Scott, in living the gospel 719 00:49:20,400 --> 00:49:22,240 of Jesus Christ. 720 00:49:22,240 --> 00:49:28,360 And so take my yoke upon you and learn of me. 721 00:49:28,360 --> 00:49:32,000 You know, climb the tree, learn of me. 722 00:49:32,000 --> 00:49:39,760 Take my yoke upon you and I will, he's inviting us to come unto him and ye shall find rest. 723 00:49:39,760 --> 00:49:42,600 I think it's interesting in actually those two verses. 724 00:49:42,600 --> 00:49:46,720 This is Matthew 11, 28, 29, verse 30. 725 00:49:46,720 --> 00:49:50,640 In the first verse, he says, come unto me, all ye the labor and our heavy laden and 726 00:49:50,640 --> 00:49:53,240 I, I will give you rest. 727 00:49:53,240 --> 00:49:54,240 Okay. 728 00:49:54,240 --> 00:49:56,600 That's one level of redemption. 729 00:49:56,600 --> 00:50:05,040 And the second verse is, if you will take my yoke upon you and learn of me, that takes 730 00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:10,520 effort, Scott, that takes effort, that takes work and learn of me who am meek and lowly 731 00:50:10,520 --> 00:50:13,920 of heart, you shall find rest to your souls. 732 00:50:13,920 --> 00:50:18,400 So he gives us his rest and we find rest. 733 00:50:18,400 --> 00:50:22,320 And then it says, for my yoke is easy. 734 00:50:22,320 --> 00:50:25,920 Well, it's always that has always bothered me. 735 00:50:25,920 --> 00:50:28,320 I think you know what I'm going to say. 736 00:50:28,320 --> 00:50:31,880 That's always because I don't think it's easy. 737 00:50:31,880 --> 00:50:40,000 So I looked up the Greek for that and I love the meaning of that word, which is fitted, 738 00:50:40,000 --> 00:50:47,080 that the yoke is fitted just for you in your conditions, in your circumstances. 739 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:51,400 The yoke is fitted. 740 00:50:51,400 --> 00:50:54,000 It may not be really comfortable, but it fits you. 741 00:50:54,000 --> 00:50:55,240 You feel good. 742 00:50:55,240 --> 00:50:56,560 You feel good in this yoke. 743 00:50:56,560 --> 00:50:58,960 You know, you should feel good in this yoke. 744 00:50:58,960 --> 00:51:06,200 It shouldn't be too loose that it causes blisters or too tight that it cuts off the blood flow, 745 00:51:06,200 --> 00:51:09,840 you know, the yoke has to fit you. 746 00:51:09,840 --> 00:51:16,360 And your yoke may be different than my yoke, Scott, but the Lord has invited us to be yoked 747 00:51:16,360 --> 00:51:17,680 with him. 748 00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:27,520 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light and light to me isn't just weight. 749 00:51:27,520 --> 00:51:32,320 It's light as in the opposite of darkness. 750 00:51:32,320 --> 00:51:36,160 You know, we can see. 751 00:51:36,160 --> 00:51:38,000 We can finally see. 752 00:51:38,000 --> 00:51:42,880 Anyway, that's the gospel system. 753 00:51:42,880 --> 00:51:52,720 So again, I hope that our listeners can find great joy in living the gospel of Jesus Christ 754 00:51:52,720 --> 00:52:01,440 and understanding the Father's plan of redemption and to which is another name in the Book of 755 00:52:01,440 --> 00:52:07,160 Mormon, the plan of happiness or the great plan of happiness or the plan of mercy or 756 00:52:07,160 --> 00:52:08,680 the plan of salvation. 757 00:52:08,680 --> 00:52:17,280 I mean, all of that's the same thing, and it's it really just comes down to receiving 758 00:52:17,280 --> 00:52:24,560 him, accepting him, accepting his invitation, you know, to make haste, make haste, come down, 759 00:52:24,560 --> 00:52:25,640 make haste. 760 00:52:25,640 --> 00:52:27,280 I'm going to abide with you. 761 00:52:27,280 --> 00:52:28,280 Right. 762 00:52:28,280 --> 00:52:33,480 And then to do that and to do it joyfully. 763 00:52:33,480 --> 00:52:34,880 Right. 764 00:52:34,880 --> 00:52:37,440 I love Zacchaeus's sycamortory. 765 00:52:37,440 --> 00:52:40,400 And I hope that we all have it within us if we haven't already. 766 00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:45,680 And even if we have, there's it's appropriate for us to seek again and still those sycamore 767 00:52:45,680 --> 00:52:46,880 trees in our own life. 768 00:52:46,880 --> 00:52:51,800 So that animals trees so that we can see him so that we can abide with him so that we 769 00:52:51,800 --> 00:52:56,560 can accept and and fill the invitation comes up with me. 770 00:52:56,560 --> 00:52:57,560 Yeah. 771 00:52:57,560 --> 00:52:59,720 You know, I just love that so much. 772 00:52:59,720 --> 00:53:05,040 I'm so grateful that we have the restoration of the gospel. 773 00:53:05,040 --> 00:53:09,560 I'm so grateful that we have this spirit of the Holy Ghost in its fullness available to 774 00:53:09,560 --> 00:53:14,960 us through the covenants that we make as we've talked about over the last several episodes. 775 00:53:14,960 --> 00:53:22,160 But above all of that, I'm grateful for the invitation, you know, comes up with me. 776 00:53:22,160 --> 00:53:28,800 All the commandments, all the covenants, all the ordinances, all of the principles, all 777 00:53:28,800 --> 00:53:37,320 of the policies, all of the doctrine, everything of everything in the restored gospel of Jesus 778 00:53:37,320 --> 00:53:38,480 Christ. 779 00:53:38,480 --> 00:53:46,160 Scott just comes down to one point and that's having a relationship with deity, the Father, 780 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:53,000 the Son and the Holy Ghost and to be anchored and to be anchored to them. 781 00:53:53,000 --> 00:54:03,880 I love that scripture in ether 12 verse four about the through our faith in Jesus Christ, 782 00:54:03,880 --> 00:54:06,000 we can be be anchored. 783 00:54:06,000 --> 00:54:11,600 Maybe maybe we should just end on this verse, Scott, because I think again, this is another 784 00:54:11,600 --> 00:54:18,560 verse describing the system of the gospel of Jesus Christ is everything in the gospel, 785 00:54:18,560 --> 00:54:25,440 everything in the church is to help us to be anchored, bound, anchored, bound, connected 786 00:54:25,440 --> 00:54:30,760 and have a relationship with Jesus Christ ether 12 for. 787 00:54:30,760 --> 00:54:36,840 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even 788 00:54:36,840 --> 00:54:42,880 a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls 789 00:54:42,880 --> 00:54:50,240 of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led 790 00:54:50,240 --> 00:54:53,200 to glorify God. 791 00:54:53,200 --> 00:54:57,720 It's our prayer that this will be the case for each one of us as we focus on him and 792 00:54:57,720 --> 00:55:01,680 as we seek our own sycamore trees in our own lives. 793 00:55:01,680 --> 00:55:06,880 Please, please answer the plea that he gives to each one of us. 794 00:55:06,880 --> 00:55:07,880 Come follow me. 795 00:55:07,880 --> 00:55:08,880 Thanks for being with us today. 796 00:55:08,880 --> 00:55:26,480 We look forward to being with you again next week, and until then, be well.