1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,560 Hey there everybody welcome back to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:22,760 Scott and David Durfey here as always. 3 00:00:22,760 --> 00:00:23,760 How's it going, Dave? 4 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:24,760 Good to see you, Scott. 5 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:25,760 Good to see you. 6 00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:27,880 As you can see everybody else out there. 7 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:29,120 I knew too. 8 00:00:29,120 --> 00:00:31,240 Remember Miss Julie Romper Room? 9 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:32,240 No. 10 00:00:32,240 --> 00:00:33,240 Miss Julie Romper Room. 11 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:38,480 It was a thing on TV when I was a kid and at the end it was like for kids and then at 12 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,320 the end she would look through this magic looking glass and she could see all the kids 13 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:45,120 out in TV land. 14 00:00:45,120 --> 00:00:46,120 Wow. 15 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:47,120 That's awesome. 16 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:48,120 I wish I had Miss Julie's glass. 17 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:49,120 We should do a zoom sometime. 18 00:00:49,120 --> 00:00:50,520 Yeah we could do that. 19 00:00:50,520 --> 00:00:52,400 We could maybe get a glimpse of it. 20 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:53,560 Yeah that would be fun. 21 00:00:53,560 --> 00:00:54,560 Anyway. 22 00:00:54,560 --> 00:00:55,560 Yeah. 23 00:00:55,560 --> 00:00:56,560 Hey gang. 24 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:57,560 Hope you're all doing well. 25 00:00:57,560 --> 00:00:59,260 Thanks for watching. 26 00:00:59,260 --> 00:01:04,780 We're going to be back next week and I'll mention it again for those of you. 27 00:01:04,780 --> 00:01:10,560 You've noticed that we're not in a course, we're in kind of a little course right now, 28 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:17,640 but we're not doing the Divine Gift of Forgiveness course as we're anticipating a mission call 29 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:18,800 at some point in the future. 30 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:23,760 Now it hasn't started yet so don't bombard us with emails about, hey where they going 31 00:01:23,760 --> 00:01:24,760 and stuff like that. 32 00:01:24,760 --> 00:01:25,760 But it'll be coming soon. 33 00:01:25,760 --> 00:01:31,000 They'll be going on a mission soon and when that happens we wanted to not be in the middle 34 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,400 of the Divine Gift of Forgiveness. 35 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,600 At least I didn't want to be in the middle of the Divine Gift of Forgiveness left with 36 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,480 a load of finishing out a season. 37 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:42,080 So we're just taking gospel topics. 38 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:46,840 They have a direct correlation to the book, the Divine Gift of Forgiveness. 39 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:50,920 I think that we'll actually make reference to that again today. 40 00:01:50,920 --> 00:01:54,040 But we invite you to send your questions and comments. 41 00:01:54,040 --> 00:01:58,640 If there's a topic that you would like for us to address or at least allude to, make 42 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:01,200 comment around, please let us know. 43 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,200 You can do that at heredeemsusatgmail.com. 44 00:02:04,200 --> 00:02:06,000 Dave, last week. 45 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:08,200 So what would you title this course that we're in? 46 00:02:08,200 --> 00:02:10,320 I think I would. 47 00:02:10,320 --> 00:02:12,200 Well, did we title it? 48 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:13,200 You did. 49 00:02:13,200 --> 00:02:20,440 Well I titled the, yeah I guess I did, but a course on personal revelation and the ten 50 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:21,440 keys. 51 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,040 Ten keys to personal revelation. 52 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:24,040 To receiving. 53 00:02:24,040 --> 00:02:25,040 There you go. 54 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:26,560 To receiving personal revelation. 55 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,080 You can't leave that part out. 56 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:29,560 Because it is a receiving thing. 57 00:02:29,560 --> 00:02:30,560 Yeah, it's a gift. 58 00:02:30,560 --> 00:02:33,720 Don't just, you don't just wake up and have it. 59 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,600 It requires receiving. 60 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:36,600 Can't control it. 61 00:02:36,600 --> 00:02:37,600 Can't be manipulated. 62 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:40,800 I said that last week, but you can't control it. 63 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:41,800 It's a gift. 64 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,560 You gotta receive the gift. 65 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,840 You can only qualify for the gift. 66 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:47,840 You don't give yourself the gift. 67 00:02:47,840 --> 00:02:49,720 You don't just wake up and it's there. 68 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:52,920 It comes from the Divine Source. 69 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:56,920 And it does need to be received, which requires effort on our part. 70 00:02:56,920 --> 00:02:57,920 We've talked about that. 71 00:02:57,920 --> 00:02:58,920 Yeah. 72 00:02:58,920 --> 00:03:01,840 Some of the effort we talked about from last week, you know, last week to just kind of 73 00:03:01,840 --> 00:03:03,680 recap what we talked about. 74 00:03:03,680 --> 00:03:09,440 We talked about identifying and replacing pavilions of selfish inappropriate motives, 75 00:03:09,440 --> 00:03:11,960 prideful desires, etc. 76 00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:16,640 We talked about increasing our personal purity and confidence in the presence of God by letting 77 00:03:16,640 --> 00:03:23,720 virtue govern our thoughts unceasingly, again, a reference to DNC 121.45. 78 00:03:23,720 --> 00:03:30,160 And I loved again, Dave, the little phrase, watch what you view because what you watch 79 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:31,840 will become your view. 80 00:03:31,840 --> 00:03:35,640 Or listen to or observe. 81 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,840 Whatever we were just have to be more intentional. 82 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:40,000 Scott about that. 83 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:41,000 Yeah. 84 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:42,000 Wherever we put our focus. 85 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:43,000 I love. 86 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:50,040 I think somebody once say, and this is not unique to whoever said it is just a principle 87 00:03:50,040 --> 00:03:53,040 that to whatever we focus on expands. 88 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,720 We focus on our personal purity, our personal relationship with God. 89 00:03:57,720 --> 00:03:59,800 We get to a greater experience with that. 90 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:03,560 If we focus on our lack, then we get more lack. 91 00:04:03,560 --> 00:04:04,760 And that's just where it goes. 92 00:04:04,760 --> 00:04:08,360 Well, I talked about the crack of the door. 93 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:14,840 Wherever we whatever we see that's inappropriate, Satan will try to expand. 94 00:04:14,840 --> 00:04:16,160 Yeah, true. 95 00:04:16,160 --> 00:04:19,480 It's not so much maybe that we expand it. 96 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,440 But Satan will surely expand it. 97 00:04:22,440 --> 00:04:25,520 And that's true probably in the reverse. 98 00:04:25,520 --> 00:04:33,360 If we would open ourselves up and seek to to see more spiritual things and more goodly 99 00:04:33,360 --> 00:04:39,920 things and things of light instead of things of darkness, the Lord will expand that as 100 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:41,320 well. 101 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:45,560 So anyway, undoubtedly, I you know what we look for is what we find. 102 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:48,600 There's you know, there's that too. 103 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:50,040 We just have to do better. 104 00:04:50,040 --> 00:04:58,400 Scott eliminating inappropriate thoughts, feelings, motives, and that is so influenced 105 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:04,040 by what we choose to see to watch to listen to. 106 00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:11,840 And I just hope people are experimenting with that, making some incremental again progress 107 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:13,480 with that. 108 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:18,640 And today, let's let's see when cover a couple more points of the 10 keys. 109 00:05:18,640 --> 00:05:23,760 Just before I do, let just a reminder, if you haven't already done it, one of our invitations 110 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,280 last week was to go back and ask Heavenly Father to help us identify our pavilions that 111 00:05:28,280 --> 00:05:30,320 keep us from filling his spirit. 112 00:05:30,320 --> 00:05:31,800 Wondering how you did on that. 113 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:36,360 Would love to hear some expressions or experiences around that. 114 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:37,760 Send those to the email again. 115 00:05:37,760 --> 00:05:40,240 He redeems us at gmail.com. 116 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:41,920 But we'd love to hear that. 117 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:48,080 And you know, these little invitations that we give these little action items, so to speak, 118 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,000 are the things that really help us to align, Dave, with the things that we're going to 119 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,920 be talking about this week. 120 00:05:54,920 --> 00:06:00,520 You know, we're going to move first off right into number five, right? 121 00:06:00,520 --> 00:06:02,080 So I'll just read it. 122 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,360 Repent of the sins of omission. 123 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:11,640 Be intentional and diligent in using the instruments of grace such as scriptures, prayer, sacred 124 00:06:11,640 --> 00:06:17,560 art music, ordinances, fasting, magnifying callings, ministering and rendering service, 125 00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:18,640 etc. 126 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:24,720 My small and simple things develop a daily plan of priorities. 127 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:28,520 And you know, I think that pretty well lines up with, you know, kind of where we left it 128 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:29,520 last week, Dave. 129 00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:38,800 Well, so many people, so many of us, so many people in the church seem to be more focused 130 00:06:38,800 --> 00:06:44,120 on sins of commission than sins of omission. 131 00:06:44,120 --> 00:06:50,880 And I really think it's the sins of omission that maybe deserve greater attention in our 132 00:06:50,880 --> 00:06:58,680 lives, Scott, because if we could, if we could overcome the sins of omission in our lives 133 00:06:58,680 --> 00:07:06,920 and repent of those, I just don't think people have a really clear idea what or how, what 134 00:07:06,920 --> 00:07:12,760 it means or how we go about repenting of sins of omission. 135 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:16,960 And I know the brethren really think that's important. 136 00:07:16,960 --> 00:07:24,760 In fact, one of my favorite talks on this topic was given by Elder Nellie Maxwell. 137 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:32,120 I mean, this was a topic, this was one of his key topics in several of his talks, actually. 138 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:41,360 But he talks about the sins of omission and how they can really affect us spiritually. 139 00:07:41,360 --> 00:07:45,920 And he talks about certain deficiencies in our lives. 140 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:54,920 And he says, these deficiencies, these deficiencies just illustrated are those of omission. 141 00:07:54,920 --> 00:08:02,200 Once the telestial sins are left behind and henceforth avoided, those are sins of commission, 142 00:08:02,200 --> 00:08:05,960 the focus falls ever more on the sins of omission. 143 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:12,280 These omissions signify a lack of qualifying fully for the celestial kingdom. 144 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:18,600 Only greater consecration can correct these omissions, which have consequences, this 145 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:27,480 is, this is the really good part here, which have consequences just as real as do the sins 146 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,120 of commission. 147 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:37,440 Many of us thus have sufficient faith to avoid the major sins of commission, but not enough 148 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:42,880 faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions. 149 00:08:42,880 --> 00:08:45,000 Isn't that awesome? 150 00:08:45,000 --> 00:08:46,000 Yeah. 151 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:55,000 We don't have enough faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions or to focus on our 152 00:08:55,000 --> 00:08:56,000 omissions. 153 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,000 When was that written? 154 00:08:57,000 --> 00:08:58,000 When was that? 155 00:08:58,000 --> 00:08:59,000 October 1995. 156 00:08:59,000 --> 00:09:00,000 1995. 157 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:07,440 You think that problem has kind of exponentially increased today? 158 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:10,520 It really has with media, social media. 159 00:09:10,520 --> 00:09:16,580 Most omissions, he writes, occur because we fail to get outside ourselves. 160 00:09:16,580 --> 00:09:20,040 So we talked about the pavilions of selfishness. 161 00:09:20,040 --> 00:09:26,560 And so many of those pavilions are connected to sins of omission. 162 00:09:26,560 --> 00:09:35,160 We do things because they tickle our ears or, you know, sounding brass and tinkling 163 00:09:35,160 --> 00:09:36,160 synths. 164 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,920 Satan entices us with anything that makes us feel comfortable. 165 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:45,640 And if it's not comfortable, then we don't, we don't want to do it. 166 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:55,120 So things like studying the scriptures, Scott, sometimes that's not always easy or comfortable. 167 00:09:55,120 --> 00:10:00,440 Like saying, increasing the effectiveness of our prayers. 168 00:10:00,440 --> 00:10:05,960 Maybe not just the effectiveness of our prayers, but praying at all or, or praying morning, 169 00:10:05,960 --> 00:10:11,400 noon and night or more often talking, communicating with our heavenly Father. 170 00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:18,680 These are all the sins of omission that if we would use what we've called on this podcast 171 00:10:18,680 --> 00:10:26,280 before, the instruments of grace that God has given us, if we, if we would do these 172 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:34,680 things, use these gifts that God has given us, scriptures, prayer, inspired music and 173 00:10:34,680 --> 00:10:39,400 art, the things that will help us focus on Jesus Christ. 174 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,840 If we'll do, if we'll use those things as well as magnifying our callings and serving 175 00:10:43,840 --> 00:10:50,640 others and fasting and doing all the things that God has given us to increase our spirituality, 176 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:56,920 if that would become our focus, we wouldn't have to focus so much upon repenting of the 177 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:03,280 sins of commission or the biggies, as we might call them, if we would take care of the little 178 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:04,400 sins of omission. 179 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:10,960 But believe me, Scott, and I know this is true personally in my own life, that the sins 180 00:11:10,960 --> 00:11:18,080 of omission can be just as damning or more damning than sins of commission. 181 00:11:18,080 --> 00:11:30,240 I have found, you have to, that in little ways, if we do not do what we need to do to 182 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:37,760 keep the spirit of the Lord in our life, it's just as damning as doing something that keeps 183 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:39,840 him from coming into our life. 184 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,520 I mean, there's really no difference in that. 185 00:11:43,520 --> 00:11:49,360 And I think that when President Nelson invites us to repent daily, he's not just talking 186 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:54,000 about sins of commission, repenting of the sins of commission. 187 00:11:54,000 --> 00:12:02,880 He's telling us that daily we need to make small, simple ways we can progress by overcoming 188 00:12:02,880 --> 00:12:05,200 the sins of omission. 189 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:07,800 We can do a better job with Come Follow Me. 190 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:09,800 Just a little better. 191 00:12:09,800 --> 00:12:17,520 We can just strive to do a little better and to have some sort of a plan to prioritize 192 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:25,640 our life, our time, and not just go with the flow so that we are overcoming the little 193 00:12:25,640 --> 00:12:29,600 things in our life that keep us from fully filling the spirit of the Lord and receiving 194 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:31,840 revelation in our life. 195 00:12:31,840 --> 00:12:42,360 This is really about, and let me rephrase that, there's an element of this, this really 196 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:44,000 about self-deception too. 197 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,600 Well, all sin is self-deception. 198 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,200 That's Brother Warner. 199 00:12:49,200 --> 00:12:53,200 Okay, and that's what I'm talking about. 200 00:12:53,200 --> 00:12:56,040 All sin is just self-deception. 201 00:12:56,040 --> 00:12:59,600 We're just lying under ourselves because we all have a conscience. 202 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:01,240 We all have the light of Christ. 203 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,720 And when we're not true to that, we're sinning. 204 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:04,720 Exactly. 205 00:13:04,720 --> 00:13:08,840 And I just pulled his book off the shelf as you were talking about all this, you know, 206 00:13:08,840 --> 00:13:11,400 bonds that make us free by Terry Warner. 207 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,400 Yep, C. Terry Warner, I think, actually. 208 00:13:14,400 --> 00:13:20,760 You know, when he started developing this, I got to be part of a little, I was part of 209 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:26,400 a group that kind of got to experiment with some of the rolling out of leadership and 210 00:13:26,400 --> 00:13:28,040 self-deception. 211 00:13:28,040 --> 00:13:33,000 And those concepts about self-deception and about how we deceive ourselves so that we 212 00:13:33,000 --> 00:13:37,280 can be justified in our behaviors and in our actions. 213 00:13:37,280 --> 00:13:41,480 But more importantly, in our lack of behaviors, in our lack of actions. 214 00:13:41,480 --> 00:13:42,480 So think about it. 215 00:13:42,480 --> 00:13:49,880 You know, I deceive myself when I have a prompting to do something and I choose not to act on 216 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,320 that prompting or to ignore that prompting. 217 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:57,880 And the way that I do that, the way I justify my way through that is to horrible eyes or 218 00:13:57,880 --> 00:14:03,120 to make things bigger or about somebody or something else so that I can be justified 219 00:14:03,120 --> 00:14:10,040 in my self-deception and not participate in that poll that I am feeling that if I am not 220 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:13,200 responding to, I'm committing a sin of omission. 221 00:14:13,200 --> 00:14:19,520 And you're right, Dave, those sins of omission, they can, they are so sneaky, cunning, baffling 222 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:20,640 and powerful. 223 00:14:20,640 --> 00:14:22,120 They can sneak up on us. 224 00:14:22,120 --> 00:14:28,160 And before we know it, we can be so deceived in our own self-involvement that we are totally 225 00:14:28,160 --> 00:14:31,920 unaware of Heavenly Father's children around us. 226 00:14:31,920 --> 00:14:33,960 That's really good, Scott. 227 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:39,840 Well, again, I just want to reiterate what Melder Maxwell said. 228 00:14:39,840 --> 00:14:48,080 The consequences of the sins of omission are just as real and can be just as damaging as 229 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:55,200 the sins of omission can be just as real and damaging as the sins of commission. 230 00:14:55,200 --> 00:15:03,120 I mean, if Satan can get us to just not do certain things, then he's got us. 231 00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:08,080 And the next step is to get us to do certain things. 232 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:16,960 So if all of us would really, maybe this is an invitation early on, if we would focus 233 00:15:16,960 --> 00:15:26,640 more on the sins of omission and start repenting of those daily, we would engage less in the 234 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,280 sins of commission. 235 00:15:29,280 --> 00:15:34,400 And this is quite a statement by Elder Maxwell, really. 236 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:41,440 Most of us have sufficient faith to avoid the major sins of commission, but not enough 237 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:48,680 faith to sacrifice our distracting obsessions or to focus on our omissions. 238 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:51,360 What do you think he meant by that? 239 00:15:51,360 --> 00:15:52,360 Wow. 240 00:15:52,360 --> 00:15:54,160 That is powerful. 241 00:15:54,160 --> 00:16:02,000 That we don't have enough faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement to overcome these 242 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,400 obsessions of distraction. 243 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:11,800 And you know, really, Scott, when you put it that way, those distractions are something 244 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:13,240 that we choose. 245 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:20,240 The obsessions of distraction are, again, is a choice that we spend time doing things 246 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:23,080 that can distract us. 247 00:16:23,080 --> 00:16:30,360 I think there are so many great things about iPhones and Internet and all the tools that 248 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:35,240 we have available to us, Scott, to bless our lives. 249 00:16:35,240 --> 00:16:43,920 But wow, it's amazing how a little game on my iPhone can be a major distraction to me. 250 00:16:43,920 --> 00:16:49,280 There's a couple of games I play on my phone, and there's been more than once. 251 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:52,280 I'm confessing now to all of you. 252 00:16:52,280 --> 00:16:57,960 There have been more than once where I thought, you know, I really should just go to the LDS 253 00:16:57,960 --> 00:17:04,520 library app and spend a little more time on that than playing this stupid game. 254 00:17:04,520 --> 00:17:11,160 And when I avoid that prompting, I'm committing a sin of omission. 255 00:17:11,160 --> 00:17:12,160 I'm omitting it. 256 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:13,440 I'm ignoring it. 257 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:15,400 I'm putting off. 258 00:17:15,400 --> 00:17:21,520 Procrastination, I think, is a major part of the sins of omission. 259 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:27,200 But rather than to focus on the sins of omission, I just think it's really critical. 260 00:17:27,200 --> 00:17:34,720 In this step, in step five, to focus more upon the instruments of grace. 261 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:41,400 So again, let's just review that list of the instruments of grace, and let's talk about 262 00:17:41,400 --> 00:17:42,400 each of those. 263 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:45,720 Okay, before we do that, I have a scripture that I just want to make reference to. 264 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:49,120 This is from 2 Nephi 2821. 265 00:17:49,120 --> 00:17:52,520 And this is a situation, well, I'm just going to read it. 266 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:57,680 And others, he will pacify and lull them away into carnal security that they will say, all 267 00:17:57,680 --> 00:18:02,840 is well in Zion, yea, Zion prospereth all is well, and thus the devil cheateth their 268 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:09,400 souls and leadeth them away to car, carefully, carefully, and leadeth them away carefully 269 00:18:09,400 --> 00:18:11,280 down to hell. 270 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:12,600 And that's what happens, David. 271 00:18:12,600 --> 00:18:17,880 You know, there's there's sense of commission that come about because of self deception. 272 00:18:17,880 --> 00:18:20,360 There's such sense of commission that come about. 273 00:18:20,360 --> 00:18:25,520 Well, it's all self deception, but come about because of our own sin, or I don't even know 274 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:27,520 how to articulate this best. 275 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:34,120 But but this is a situation where we get lulled away into carnal security. 276 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:40,040 Carefully, causing us to say all is well in Zion, yea, Zion prospereth. 277 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:43,320 If it ain't broke, I don't need to read the scriptures today. 278 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:45,280 If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 279 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:46,840 You know, I'm fine. 280 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:47,840 I'm doing fine. 281 00:18:47,840 --> 00:18:48,840 I'm doing all right. 282 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:50,480 And we continue to drift. 283 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:51,480 Yeah. 284 00:18:51,480 --> 00:18:58,680 I down the river of self self concede or self security or whatever. 285 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:04,040 And on that and on a day in the future as we drift down that river, one day we wake up 286 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,760 and we say, how did I get in these rapids? 287 00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:08,920 Did I get here and where am I? 288 00:19:08,920 --> 00:19:11,080 Yeah, we just don't even recognize it. 289 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:12,080 So we out of here. 290 00:19:12,080 --> 00:19:13,080 So let's be careful of that. 291 00:19:13,080 --> 00:19:17,840 Let's be careful that we are not lulled away into carnal security, that when we start thinking 292 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:20,640 everything in my life is great, everything's perfect. 293 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:21,640 Everything's good. 294 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:22,640 I don't need to make changes. 295 00:19:22,640 --> 00:19:24,560 I don't need to seek out direction. 296 00:19:24,560 --> 00:19:28,200 I don't need to seek out to help to find my pavilions. 297 00:19:28,200 --> 00:19:33,120 It's when those kinds of things creep into our lives that this sense of omission, one 298 00:19:33,120 --> 00:19:36,120 of the ways that the sense of omission can really derail us. 299 00:19:36,120 --> 00:19:37,120 Okay. 300 00:19:37,120 --> 00:19:40,440 So these instruments of grace, the first one in the scriptures. 301 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:47,760 I wish, man, I, it has been amazing for me to watch Scott, but my sweetheart and I kind 302 00:19:47,760 --> 00:19:57,000 of planning going on a mission and my sweetheart's humility and insecurity in thinking of herself 303 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:02,800 as a full-time missionary and teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. 304 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:06,800 You know, I told her I made the mistake. 305 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:11,800 I made the mistake of telling her we better start maybe increasing our scripture study 306 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:13,600 just a little bit. 307 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:19,080 And let's do, you know, not just come follow me, but let's do preach my gospel. 308 00:20:19,080 --> 00:20:21,600 Let's start to, let's start studying preach my gospel. 309 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:23,640 Start doing missionary stuff. 310 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:28,400 Let's memorize my purpose, you know, the missionary purpose. 311 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:33,960 You know, my purpose is to invite all to come unto Christ by helping them to receive the 312 00:20:33,960 --> 00:20:34,960 restored God. 313 00:20:34,960 --> 00:20:42,800 Anyway, so I made the mistake of a, I mean, boy, has she caught fire and it's just so 314 00:20:42,800 --> 00:20:43,800 sweet. 315 00:20:43,800 --> 00:20:55,400 Oh, it's really so sweet to go home and to see her just immersed in the, in the come 316 00:20:55,400 --> 00:21:02,120 follow me or preach my gospel or she's reading all the conference talks and devouring them. 317 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:07,360 And she's spending two or three hours a day in gospel study. 318 00:21:07,360 --> 00:21:16,720 And Scott, this is, this, I won't speak for, for, for me in, I'll just speak for her. 319 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:24,480 Her words, not, not mind describing it, but her words is what an amazing difference that 320 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:25,480 has made in her life. 321 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:32,720 Now I've observed it and you know, she was great before, but it is such a miracle, the 322 00:21:32,720 --> 00:21:39,160 power of the word and it's really blessed our home. 323 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:45,880 I remember a little story by S. Dilworth young, S. Dilworth young. 324 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:47,040 He was such a character. 325 00:21:47,040 --> 00:21:52,640 He was the presidency of the 70 when I was a missionary, Scott, and he was a powerful 326 00:21:52,640 --> 00:21:53,640 general authority. 327 00:21:53,640 --> 00:22:01,280 There are so many stories, funny stories about S. Dilworth young and he came to our mission 328 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:03,520 and he got us all in a circle. 329 00:22:03,520 --> 00:22:04,520 Have I told you this story? 330 00:22:04,520 --> 00:22:05,520 No, I haven't heard this story. 331 00:22:05,520 --> 00:22:13,440 So he got us all in a circle and this, this zone of missionaries and I remember sitting 332 00:22:13,440 --> 00:22:21,240 kind of halfway across the room from him so I could see him and had a good seat and he 333 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:25,920 tells us that he wants to talk to us about the word of the Lord. 334 00:22:25,920 --> 00:22:33,120 And he says, you know, my first wife, she was an amazing wife and I really loved her 335 00:22:33,120 --> 00:22:41,320 and we had all of our children together and she was so sweet and so often I would come 336 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:49,920 home from work and I would smell homemade bread or I would smell cookies and I would 337 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,120 be so happy. 338 00:22:52,120 --> 00:22:54,080 It would make me so happy. 339 00:22:54,080 --> 00:23:02,160 She was such a great cook and he said then she passed away sadly and I remarried and I 340 00:23:02,160 --> 00:23:12,680 have another wife and when I come home now, he said, I opened the door. 341 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:17,080 I smell nothing. 342 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:22,320 But he said, I hear the word of the Lord. 343 00:23:22,320 --> 00:23:30,160 He said my wife, my new wife loves to listen to conference talks and she loves to listen 344 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:35,000 to the scriptures on cassette tapes, which were brand new at the time by the way. 345 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:40,000 Yeah, that was right after 8 tracks. 346 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:48,920 And he said, I come home and I open the door and I hear the word of the Lord in my home. 347 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:55,400 And he said, I have to tell you, I'd rather hear the word of the Lord. 348 00:23:55,400 --> 00:23:56,640 Then smell good bread. 349 00:23:56,640 --> 00:23:59,120 Then smell cookies. 350 00:23:59,120 --> 00:24:05,040 I've never forgotten that house and the way he told it. 351 00:24:05,040 --> 00:24:11,400 And then he said, I want to teach you how to read the word of the Lord. 352 00:24:11,400 --> 00:24:12,640 So he turned to a missionary. 353 00:24:12,640 --> 00:24:17,440 I think we were reading something from Third Nephi as I remember and he said, I want you 354 00:24:17,440 --> 00:24:23,600 to read that verse and the missionary started to read and he got about four or five words 355 00:24:23,600 --> 00:24:31,240 out of his mouth as he's reading and Elder Young, President S. Dilworth Young cuts him 356 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:32,240 off. 357 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:35,720 No, Elder, that's not how you read the word of the Lord. 358 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:37,220 You don't come on. 359 00:24:37,220 --> 00:24:38,220 We can do better than that. 360 00:24:38,220 --> 00:24:39,720 And he turned to the next missionary. 361 00:24:39,720 --> 00:24:45,440 You try it and he cut him off and and he tried another and I remember thinking, wow, I'm 362 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,880 glad I'm about halfway across from him. 363 00:24:47,880 --> 00:24:50,240 Glad I didn't try to sit next to him. 364 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,160 This went on for maybe four or five missionaries. 365 00:24:53,160 --> 00:25:00,040 And then he said, let me read you the word of the Lord. 366 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:01,360 It was different, Scott. 367 00:25:01,360 --> 00:25:09,920 I'll never forget the voice and the reverence, the attention and focus and the sacred nature 368 00:25:09,920 --> 00:25:13,760 that he read the word of the Lord. 369 00:25:13,760 --> 00:25:15,960 It had a powerful effect on me. 370 00:25:15,960 --> 00:25:17,280 I've never forgotten it. 371 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:22,040 I tried to change how I read the scripture from then on. 372 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:27,680 And it's it's it was just one of those things that had a profound effect on the rest of 373 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:32,200 my life as a seminary and institute teacher. 374 00:25:32,200 --> 00:25:38,240 Whenever I would read the scriptures to my students, you know, I tried to model that 375 00:25:38,240 --> 00:25:42,320 and I think that I still try to do that in my own personal study. 376 00:25:42,320 --> 00:25:48,320 I reading the scriptures is an instrument of grace that God has given us to bless us 377 00:25:48,320 --> 00:25:50,360 with his spirit. 378 00:25:50,360 --> 00:25:53,800 It heals the wounded soul we learn in Jacob. 379 00:25:53,800 --> 00:25:58,300 It is the iron rod that leads us through the midst of darkness. 380 00:25:58,300 --> 00:26:03,360 We were given a promise by Nephi that if we would hold to the iron rod, we would never 381 00:26:03,360 --> 00:26:05,160 perish. 382 00:26:05,160 --> 00:26:12,800 We've been given so many promises connected with reading the word of the Lord. 383 00:26:12,800 --> 00:26:17,400 Alma said it had a more powerful effect, the word of the Lord upon the mind of the people 384 00:26:17,400 --> 00:26:21,000 than the sword or anything else. 385 00:26:21,000 --> 00:26:26,600 Therefore we decided to try the virtue of the word of God. 386 00:26:26,600 --> 00:26:32,960 The word of God is the seed that one plants in their heart, which grows and becomes this 387 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:39,680 great mighty faith or tree of righteousness from which one can pluck fruit. 388 00:26:39,680 --> 00:26:40,680 That's the seed. 389 00:26:40,680 --> 00:26:42,480 The seed is the word of God. 390 00:26:42,480 --> 00:26:46,680 Faith cometh by hearing the word of God, Paul says. 391 00:26:46,680 --> 00:26:54,800 We cannot overstate how important it is for us to daily read the word of the Lord in scriptures, 392 00:26:54,800 --> 00:26:59,360 conference talks, preach my gospel, whatever it may be, Scott. 393 00:26:59,360 --> 00:27:03,840 And maybe we don't have time to always study it. 394 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:06,680 Maybe we just have time to read a few verses. 395 00:27:06,680 --> 00:27:14,320 Maybe I heard one apostle say, I read a verse of scripture before my feet hits the floor 396 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:16,600 every morning I wake up. 397 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:22,480 I read a verse of scripture before my feet hits the floor. 398 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:28,600 If that's our habit and if that's how we get the word of the Lord in our lives, then we 399 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:30,360 should try to do that. 400 00:27:30,360 --> 00:27:32,440 Or maybe we listen to it. 401 00:27:32,440 --> 00:27:36,600 So many people have the things that they put in their ears. 402 00:27:36,600 --> 00:27:37,600 What do you call those? 403 00:27:37,600 --> 00:27:40,280 Ear pods or whatever. 404 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:41,840 You can listen to the word of the Lord. 405 00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:45,240 We have so many tools available to us now. 406 00:27:45,240 --> 00:27:51,000 The library, the app, wherever we are in the doctor's office or wherever we're waiting 407 00:27:51,000 --> 00:27:54,880 and we have time, we can read the word of the Lord. 408 00:27:54,880 --> 00:28:02,160 We just have to be more intentional and focused on this instead of just ignoring this. 409 00:28:02,160 --> 00:28:07,640 Because if we don't, if we're not reading the scriptures daily, Scott, we are committing 410 00:28:07,640 --> 00:28:10,240 a sin of omission. 411 00:28:10,240 --> 00:28:12,760 That's how I feel about it at least. 412 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:13,760 Right. 413 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:19,080 Well, you know, we talk about read the scriptures and all of that. 414 00:28:19,080 --> 00:28:20,960 And that's important. 415 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:24,600 Some people are going to be hearing this though and say, you know, when I read the scriptures, 416 00:28:24,600 --> 00:28:25,600 it's different than that though. 417 00:28:25,600 --> 00:28:29,360 I don't, you know, if I just open the book and start reading the scriptures. 418 00:28:29,360 --> 00:28:34,360 So there's a difference between reading the scriptures and prayerfully approaching and 419 00:28:34,360 --> 00:28:38,880 reading the scriptures, which actually takes us to the second instrument of grace, prayer, 420 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:39,880 right? 421 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:44,040 Well, maybe someday we ought to teach a course on how to read the scriptures, how to study 422 00:28:44,040 --> 00:28:45,040 the scriptures. 423 00:28:45,040 --> 00:28:46,040 Exactly. 424 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:52,000 You know, how to pay attention to certain ways in which we can more effectively study 425 00:28:52,000 --> 00:28:53,000 them. 426 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,760 That's where you're right, reading the scriptures. 427 00:28:56,760 --> 00:29:01,640 And I found that if I have always something in my life, you know, and this gives back 428 00:29:01,640 --> 00:29:05,640 to all of the things that we've talked about in the past, last episode, episode before, 429 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,920 even the one before that, I think we talked about taking these inventories, these little 430 00:29:09,920 --> 00:29:12,960 spot check inventories in our lives. 431 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:17,600 You know, that's one of the things that Alcoholics Anonymous has taught me and that I am a big 432 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:21,440 proponent of, especially with those that I sponsor in Alcoholics Anonymous and in other 433 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:22,480 things. 434 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:27,760 But to take those personal inventories and find, okay, where am I just not quite 100% 435 00:29:27,760 --> 00:29:28,760 on track? 436 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:31,080 Where is my will just a little bit out of alignment? 437 00:29:31,080 --> 00:29:36,760 Or where are my actions out of alignment with what I say my will is with Heavenly Father's 438 00:29:36,760 --> 00:29:38,240 will, etc. 439 00:29:38,240 --> 00:29:42,800 And then if I pray before I enter into that experience of reading the scriptures and 440 00:29:42,800 --> 00:29:48,720 I just ask Heavenly Father to direct my thoughts and my minds and maybe even where in the scriptures 441 00:29:48,720 --> 00:29:50,160 I should be studying. 442 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:55,400 I will find myself, you know, sometimes I'll just read and it'll be starred in verse one 443 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:59,280 and go through that entire chapter or whatever, you know, maybe a couple of verses, whatever 444 00:29:59,280 --> 00:30:00,280 the case may be. 445 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,720 But then there's other times, Dave, when I, you know, it's important for me to go to 446 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:09,200 the topical guide or to the Bible dictionary and to, okay, Scott, I'm struggling a little 447 00:30:09,200 --> 00:30:16,120 bit today with maybe loving my brethren, loving others, you know, and if I do a scripture 448 00:30:16,120 --> 00:30:21,600 search and start searching for experiences around those kinds of things, just a different 449 00:30:21,600 --> 00:30:26,040 level, just a different approach that, you know, the Holy Spirit will actually be. 450 00:30:26,040 --> 00:30:28,520 That's my favorite way to study the scriptures. 451 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:32,920 Is thematic by themes, subjects. 452 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:38,760 That's my favorite way to study the scriptures, Scott, is I need to increase my faith. 453 00:30:38,760 --> 00:30:45,080 So I'm going to look up the index or in the topical guide, the word faith, and I'm going 454 00:30:45,080 --> 00:30:51,480 to read through the entire list of scriptures that have the word faith in it, in the index 455 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:57,200 or topical guide, and I'm going to mark with a red pencil all of those that stand out to 456 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:58,320 me. 457 00:30:58,320 --> 00:31:02,480 And the question I might be asking, seeking an answer for from the scriptures, might 458 00:31:02,480 --> 00:31:04,920 be how can I increase my faith? 459 00:31:04,920 --> 00:31:09,680 So any scripture I read that's going to teach me about how to increase my faith, I might 460 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:15,800 mark with a certain color or, you know, I'll mark it. 461 00:31:15,800 --> 00:31:20,600 Then I'll make a list of them on a in a notebook. 462 00:31:20,600 --> 00:31:23,320 Then I'll look up each one of them. 463 00:31:23,320 --> 00:31:29,440 And then I'll write down what I learned from each scripture about how I can increase my 464 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:30,440 faith. 465 00:31:30,440 --> 00:31:36,320 That's just one way to study the scriptures, instead of just reading them, studying them, 466 00:31:36,320 --> 00:31:44,680 searching them, using them to solve answers and problems and answering problems and solving 467 00:31:44,680 --> 00:31:49,080 answering questions and solving your problems. 468 00:31:49,080 --> 00:31:50,080 Yeah. 469 00:31:50,080 --> 00:31:51,080 Yeah. 470 00:31:51,080 --> 00:31:59,880 So I recommend to our listeners that if sometimes just reading them doesn't bring you this the 471 00:31:59,880 --> 00:32:06,520 level of spirituality that you're seeking, maybe immersing yourself just a little deeper 472 00:32:06,520 --> 00:32:13,560 in them by studying them by topic, ask a question, an inspired question, by the way, we'll talk 473 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:18,960 about that soon and these 10 steps to receive revelation, ask an inspired question and then 474 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:24,440 use the scriptures to find the answers to your inspired questions. 475 00:32:24,440 --> 00:32:32,040 I heard Elder McConkey say this, Scott, and I have read where he said this. 476 00:32:32,040 --> 00:32:39,280 He has said the best kept secret in the church. 477 00:32:39,280 --> 00:32:41,000 That got my attention. 478 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:46,720 What is the best kept secret in the church with his voice of thunder? 479 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:54,280 The best kept secret in the church is that reading the 480 00:32:54,280 --> 00:32:58,440 best scriptures is the key to personal revelation. 481 00:32:58,440 --> 00:33:02,000 And he talked about how ridiculous that was, that that was the best kept secret in the 482 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:07,320 church, but based on his experience, that was the best kept secret in the church. 483 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:10,760 And what do you mean by that's ridiculous is that should be no secret. 484 00:33:10,760 --> 00:33:11,760 That should be no secret. 485 00:33:11,760 --> 00:33:12,760 That should be common. 486 00:33:12,760 --> 00:33:13,760 Everyone should know that. 487 00:33:13,760 --> 00:33:16,040 Not just common knowledge, but common practice. 488 00:33:16,040 --> 00:33:20,640 What I want, you know, President Kimball said, when I feel the distance between me and God 489 00:33:20,640 --> 00:33:22,720 is getting further and further apart. 490 00:33:22,720 --> 00:33:25,240 Just a prophet speaking, Scott. 491 00:33:25,240 --> 00:33:30,080 You know, they don't walk in a cloud of spirituality. 492 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:32,000 They have to do this, too. 493 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:36,120 And he said, when I feel that the distance between me and God is getting further and 494 00:33:36,120 --> 00:33:37,520 further apart. 495 00:33:37,520 --> 00:33:42,800 He says I immerse myself in the scriptures and quickly we are back together again. 496 00:33:42,800 --> 00:33:44,560 I'm paraphrasing. 497 00:33:44,560 --> 00:33:51,720 But he said, when I turn to the scriptures, I know that's true in my own personal life. 498 00:33:51,720 --> 00:33:53,720 When I feel as though maybe I'm not. 499 00:33:53,720 --> 00:33:56,560 I don't feel the spirit as much as I should, Scott. 500 00:33:56,560 --> 00:34:02,000 Man, I go to the scriptures and especially the Book of Mormon and I read and better yet, 501 00:34:02,000 --> 00:34:10,480 if I have time to make a study or a search with a question, I just testify that the scriptures 502 00:34:10,480 --> 00:34:16,680 are more than an instrument of grace, which allows grace into our lives. 503 00:34:16,680 --> 00:34:22,920 And it's a powerful instrument of receiving the Holy Ghost and spirit of revelation in 504 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:24,420 our lives. 505 00:34:24,420 --> 00:34:29,360 Somebody said, I think this was President Faust who said, if you want to talk to God, 506 00:34:29,360 --> 00:34:30,360 pray. 507 00:34:30,360 --> 00:34:34,160 If you want God to talk to you, read the scriptures, read the scriptures. 508 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:37,680 Yeah, I was just going to say that. 509 00:34:37,680 --> 00:34:39,320 So we want God to talk to us. 510 00:34:39,320 --> 00:34:40,320 We read the scriptures. 511 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:41,680 Let's talk about talking to God. 512 00:34:41,680 --> 00:34:46,400 Let's talk about prayer as an instrument of grace and how that kind of works into this 513 00:34:46,400 --> 00:34:49,360 repenting of the sense of omission. 514 00:34:49,360 --> 00:34:54,320 How does prayer help us in repenting of the sense of omission, Dave? 515 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,920 Well, you know, we did a whole course on repentance. 516 00:34:57,920 --> 00:35:02,080 So obviously my mind goes to cry out. 517 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:07,520 You can do a lot of things to repent, but if you don't cry out to God and ask for his 518 00:35:07,520 --> 00:35:14,640 help and ask for his forgiveness and confess your sins to him in personal, really personal 519 00:35:14,640 --> 00:35:22,440 heartfelt prayer, there is no repentance, basically, because repentance is not something 520 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:25,080 of just about changing your behavior. 521 00:35:25,080 --> 00:35:27,440 It's about crying out to God. 522 00:35:27,440 --> 00:35:30,380 So that's my first thought. 523 00:35:30,380 --> 00:35:37,600 But Scott, I think there's so many things that one can do to improve the effectiveness 524 00:35:37,600 --> 00:35:38,600 of their prayers. 525 00:35:38,600 --> 00:35:43,560 I bet most of our listeners probably pray, maybe not as regularly as they should, but 526 00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:44,840 they pray. 527 00:35:44,840 --> 00:35:48,680 And sometimes I think they feel like they're going through the motions. 528 00:35:48,680 --> 00:35:54,480 And there was probably a foolish book written years ago called When Your Prayers Bounce 529 00:35:54,480 --> 00:35:56,240 Off the Ceiling. 530 00:35:56,240 --> 00:35:59,800 That was foolish because no prayer bounces off the ceiling. 531 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:07,800 I just testify that no prayer bounces off any ceiling, that all prayers are heard by 532 00:36:07,800 --> 00:36:11,080 God, even if you are going through the motions. 533 00:36:11,080 --> 00:36:18,440 He knows your thoughts, he knows you're doing, and he knows what you're thinking and saying, 534 00:36:18,440 --> 00:36:21,440 speaking loud or silently. 535 00:36:21,440 --> 00:36:24,320 No prayer doesn't reach him. 536 00:36:24,320 --> 00:36:29,800 But when we feel that we're just going through the motions, then maybe we need to be more 537 00:36:29,800 --> 00:36:33,000 proactive about changing things up a bit. 538 00:36:33,000 --> 00:36:38,600 And President Holland encouraged us just recently, right? 539 00:36:38,600 --> 00:36:40,760 Pray vocally. 540 00:36:40,760 --> 00:36:41,920 We need to pray. 541 00:36:41,920 --> 00:36:45,600 There's more power in praying vocally. 542 00:36:45,600 --> 00:36:51,520 I think too many people pray silently, and there's not as much power. 543 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,080 Sometimes that's appropriate. 544 00:36:53,080 --> 00:36:56,760 Sometimes that's the only prayer we can offer, and God answers it. 545 00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:01,680 But there is great power in praying vocally to Heavenly Father. 546 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:02,680 That's just one thing. 547 00:37:02,680 --> 00:37:06,400 Maybe the time of day or place that we pray. 548 00:37:06,400 --> 00:37:11,600 We really do need to go into our closets so that we can pray vocally. 549 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:20,120 Wherever we pray and however we pray really affects the effectiveness of our ability to 550 00:37:20,120 --> 00:37:22,120 receive the Spirit. 551 00:37:22,120 --> 00:37:23,120 It really does. 552 00:37:23,120 --> 00:37:27,680 There's a, I don't want to get too personal, and I'm not going to, but there's a place 553 00:37:27,680 --> 00:37:31,120 near me that I like to pray. 554 00:37:31,120 --> 00:37:35,280 And it requires me, and I don't go there all that frequently. 555 00:37:35,280 --> 00:37:37,440 But semi-frequently I do. 556 00:37:37,440 --> 00:37:40,960 And it requires some effort on my part to get to this place. 557 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:45,600 You know, I can drive my car and then I have to get out of my car, and it's a ways. 558 00:37:45,600 --> 00:37:50,440 And you know, could I have that same experience by just doing it right here in my office, 559 00:37:50,440 --> 00:37:51,440 maybe? 560 00:37:51,440 --> 00:37:56,480 But what I have decided that is this, that as, you know, as I'm walking to this place 561 00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:03,080 or hiking to this place, seclusion, beautiful, quiet, mountainous, you know, a place of peace 562 00:38:03,080 --> 00:38:06,680 and beauty and temple-like and all of that. 563 00:38:06,680 --> 00:38:13,000 But what has occurred to me is that it's in my effort to get there that my mind is beginning 564 00:38:13,000 --> 00:38:18,400 to be aligned with the attitude of prayer. 565 00:38:18,400 --> 00:38:20,800 And Dave, I've taught the... 566 00:38:20,800 --> 00:38:21,800 Preparation. 567 00:38:21,800 --> 00:38:22,800 Right. 568 00:38:22,800 --> 00:38:23,800 From the world, right? 569 00:38:23,800 --> 00:38:24,800 Yeah, preparation to pray. 570 00:38:24,800 --> 00:38:26,400 We can do more of that. 571 00:38:26,400 --> 00:38:30,280 And just to get the Spirit of prayer. 572 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:34,160 And the other thing that I've noticed is that prayer can come in so many forms. 573 00:38:34,160 --> 00:38:35,160 I agree. 574 00:38:35,160 --> 00:38:40,600 And I believe that prayer audibly offered a great deal of power. 575 00:38:40,600 --> 00:38:45,800 And that's something that has been my experience as well, pretty regularly. 576 00:38:45,800 --> 00:38:50,840 But I've also noticed, and this has been my experience through Alcoholics Anonymous, 577 00:38:50,840 --> 00:38:56,160 you know, that we don't all pray the same way and Heavenly Father hears all of our prayers. 578 00:38:56,160 --> 00:38:57,400 I do know that. 579 00:38:57,400 --> 00:39:02,560 I know that the person that doesn't know how to pray and that his plea to Heavenly Father 580 00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:05,400 is, Dear God, just help me. 581 00:39:05,400 --> 00:39:06,520 Please help me. 582 00:39:06,520 --> 00:39:08,080 That's a prayer. 583 00:39:08,080 --> 00:39:15,200 And that prayer is a prayer that will be as readily answered as something that sounds 584 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:16,880 so much more flowery. 585 00:39:16,880 --> 00:39:21,000 But it's all based on, again, the attitude of the heart. 586 00:39:21,000 --> 00:39:23,080 You know, what's my deepest desire? 587 00:39:23,080 --> 00:39:24,840 Why am I approaching the Lord in prayer? 588 00:39:24,840 --> 00:39:29,720 If I'm approaching the Lord in prayer to receive personal revelation, the key to this 589 00:39:29,720 --> 00:39:35,600 course, right, or the steps to this course, if I'm approaching the Lord in prayer to receive 590 00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:41,320 personal revelation, then my heart will have a certain demeanor to it. 591 00:39:41,320 --> 00:39:44,680 It'll have a certain attitude attached to it. 592 00:39:44,680 --> 00:39:53,840 And that's more important than the words we say or the ritual by which we engage ourselves 593 00:39:53,840 --> 00:39:54,840 in prayer. 594 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:55,840 It's important. 595 00:39:55,840 --> 00:39:59,920 And I don't want, I don't ever want to be misquoted and have somebody think, well, Scott 596 00:39:59,920 --> 00:40:05,280 said that it's not important that we have respect, that it's not important that we kneel, 597 00:40:05,280 --> 00:40:07,760 that it's not important that we, all of those things. 598 00:40:07,760 --> 00:40:08,760 Use the right language. 599 00:40:08,760 --> 00:40:09,760 It is important. 600 00:40:09,760 --> 00:40:10,760 It's important. 601 00:40:10,760 --> 00:40:12,260 It's important. 602 00:40:12,260 --> 00:40:16,240 But if we're just starting, it's not a game changer if we don't. 603 00:40:16,240 --> 00:40:19,120 Thoughts in the intents of our hearts, right? 604 00:40:19,120 --> 00:40:20,120 That's it. 605 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:21,120 Thoughts in the intents of our hearts. 606 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:22,120 That's it. 607 00:40:22,120 --> 00:40:28,880 One of the greatest prayers I ever heard offered, so memorable, I'll never forget it, was by 608 00:40:28,880 --> 00:40:36,840 an investigator, we call them friends now that I was teaching on my mission in Stockton, 609 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:38,240 California. 610 00:40:38,240 --> 00:40:41,160 And this man was 50 years old. 611 00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:44,160 And he said he'd never prayed. 612 00:40:44,160 --> 00:40:45,840 And so we were teaching him how to pray. 613 00:40:45,840 --> 00:40:49,600 And he was, he was a pretty sharp fellow. 614 00:40:49,600 --> 00:40:52,120 And we were teaching him how to pray. 615 00:40:52,120 --> 00:40:56,520 And we had a flip chart back in those days, you know. 616 00:40:56,520 --> 00:41:00,240 So I turned to that flip chart and I said, well, and there were four steps. 617 00:41:00,240 --> 00:41:05,720 You address your heavenly Father, by saying our heavenly Father. 618 00:41:05,720 --> 00:41:08,200 And that was on the page. 619 00:41:08,200 --> 00:41:11,040 And you thank him for your blessings. 620 00:41:11,040 --> 00:41:14,280 We thank thee, was on the flip chart. 621 00:41:14,280 --> 00:41:19,520 And we thank, we ask him for blessings that we may desire. 622 00:41:19,520 --> 00:41:22,640 We ask thee that was on the flip chart. 623 00:41:22,640 --> 00:41:28,480 And then we end always in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 624 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:33,200 So we've been trying hard to get him to pray and he hadn't prayed and this took a great 625 00:41:33,200 --> 00:41:35,360 act of faith on our part. 626 00:41:35,360 --> 00:41:41,520 But we had talked about this as missionaries, companions, and we were committed to review 627 00:41:41,520 --> 00:41:48,160 those steps with him, those four steps again and and to invite him to pray and to kneel 628 00:41:48,160 --> 00:41:50,920 down when we invited him. 629 00:41:50,920 --> 00:41:55,600 So we knelt down and we said, I'm going to, I said to him, I'm going to put this, put 630 00:41:55,600 --> 00:41:59,200 this flip chart right here so you can see it. 631 00:41:59,200 --> 00:42:02,880 And would you say the prayer for us? 632 00:42:02,880 --> 00:42:10,600 We bowed our heads, closed our eyes, folded our arms, knelt down, waited. 633 00:42:10,600 --> 00:42:14,560 Finally he knelt down, Scott. 634 00:42:14,560 --> 00:42:19,120 We were hoping he would say something. 635 00:42:19,120 --> 00:42:21,920 And then we heard this. 636 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:30,160 Our heavenly Father, we thank thee. 637 00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:41,840 We ask thee in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 638 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:47,520 My companion I were bowing tears, really. 639 00:42:47,520 --> 00:42:55,120 It was so heartfelt and sincere and an act of faith on this man's part. 640 00:42:55,120 --> 00:42:58,760 I think maybe he did have tears in his eyes. 641 00:42:58,760 --> 00:43:06,720 And I stood up and was very honest when I said, oh, that's one of the best prayers I've 642 00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:09,640 ever heard. 643 00:43:09,640 --> 00:43:16,840 Anyway, needless to say, he felt a connection at that moment. 644 00:43:16,840 --> 00:43:22,760 And he kept that connection and built on that foundation and connection and was baptized, 645 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:24,720 became a great member of the church. 646 00:43:24,720 --> 00:43:28,280 And I love that you use that word connection because that's really what we're doing when 647 00:43:28,280 --> 00:43:32,560 we're praying is we're establishing, making that connection, right? 648 00:43:32,560 --> 00:43:37,240 And you know, some of us will have a way of doing it and others will have a way of doing 649 00:43:37,240 --> 00:43:43,320 it and there's a pattern, a preferred way, you know, according to the word of the Lord. 650 00:43:43,320 --> 00:43:45,920 But our heavenly Father hears our prayers. 651 00:43:45,920 --> 00:43:49,240 And the sincerity of our prayers is what's important. 652 00:43:49,240 --> 00:43:51,840 The faith by which we approach our prayers. 653 00:43:51,840 --> 00:43:56,520 You know, even if our faith is, yeah, I have faith, Heavenly Father, I believe but strength 654 00:43:56,520 --> 00:44:01,800 in my own belief, even that kind of faith, you know, is the type of faith that will make 655 00:44:01,800 --> 00:44:02,800 those prayers. 656 00:44:02,800 --> 00:44:06,880 I have a friend, several friends in Alcoholics Anonymous who have prayers. 657 00:44:06,880 --> 00:44:08,040 You know, I'm lucky. 658 00:44:08,040 --> 00:44:10,800 I was taught to pray at a young age like you. 659 00:44:10,800 --> 00:44:16,080 And I've had a lot of wonderful, wonderful experiences with prayer, even as a young 660 00:44:16,080 --> 00:44:22,520 man, even in the depths of my addiction, David, there was prayer and it was important to me. 661 00:44:22,520 --> 00:44:27,680 You know, I honestly believe if it hadn't been for prayer that maybe I wouldn't have 662 00:44:27,680 --> 00:44:31,040 made it through those dark nights of that soul, you know. 663 00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:35,240 And I'm trying not to be dramatic there, but I really believe that that's probably true. 664 00:44:35,240 --> 00:44:41,560 The point of that I'm trying to make here is our prayer is just that communication where 665 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:44,280 we are open to Heavenly Father. 666 00:44:44,280 --> 00:44:46,360 This is where our confessions are even made. 667 00:44:46,360 --> 00:44:48,640 This is where our desires are poured out. 668 00:44:48,640 --> 00:44:51,720 This is where our inadequacies are acknowledged. 669 00:44:51,720 --> 00:44:53,800 This is where I can't. 670 00:44:53,800 --> 00:44:55,200 I know you can. 671 00:44:55,200 --> 00:44:58,000 Will you please in our lives? 672 00:44:58,000 --> 00:45:00,160 That's the first three steps in Alcoholics Anonymous. 673 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:03,560 And that's the first three steps of overcoming the fall of Adam and Eve, right? 674 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:05,680 This is just that approach. 675 00:45:05,680 --> 00:45:10,600 And so when we're trying to receive or making an attempt to receive personal revelation in 676 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:16,000 our lives, which is so important to us, there's just no possible way without prayer that that 677 00:45:16,000 --> 00:45:17,000 could be done. 678 00:45:17,000 --> 00:45:18,000 Yeah. 679 00:45:18,000 --> 00:45:23,200 There's probably lots of different methods of prayer, Scott. 680 00:45:23,200 --> 00:45:24,200 Yeah. 681 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:26,520 And Heavenly Father hears them all. 682 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:32,040 I think the one thing, you know, when I was a branch president of the missionary training 683 00:45:32,040 --> 00:45:36,920 center, Scott, I was asking missionaries all the time about their spirituality and the 684 00:45:36,920 --> 00:45:39,280 effectiveness of their prayers. 685 00:45:39,280 --> 00:45:42,640 And this is at the missionary training center. 686 00:45:42,640 --> 00:45:48,120 So I was hearing from so many missionaries that their prayers were ineffective. 687 00:45:48,120 --> 00:45:52,040 And then they just didn't feel that they were connecting with God. 688 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:54,480 And it was a great concern to me. 689 00:45:54,480 --> 00:45:57,440 And I thought about it and I prayed about it. 690 00:45:57,440 --> 00:46:03,120 I think so fundamental, so important to the to the preparation of these missionaries at 691 00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:05,120 the MTC. 692 00:46:05,120 --> 00:46:13,160 And I received this prompting that these individuals were they were praying silently. 693 00:46:13,160 --> 00:46:17,920 They weren't really focused on their prayers the way they needed to be. 694 00:46:17,920 --> 00:46:24,280 And the situation was, was the way that they were arranged in their rooms at the MTC at 695 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:25,800 the time. 696 00:46:25,800 --> 00:46:33,040 They had four missionaries sleeping in a dorm room and they would all four, at least this 697 00:46:33,040 --> 00:46:39,000 was the case in my branch, they were all praying at the same time. 698 00:46:39,000 --> 00:46:41,680 They were all saying silent prayers. 699 00:46:41,680 --> 00:46:46,040 They were all thinking about how long should I pray or how short should I pray or I don't 700 00:46:46,040 --> 00:46:47,040 want to be awkward here. 701 00:46:47,040 --> 00:46:48,200 I don't want to pray too short. 702 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:49,200 I don't want to pray too long. 703 00:46:49,200 --> 00:46:50,200 I don't want to be the first one. 704 00:46:50,200 --> 00:46:52,200 I don't want to be the last one. 705 00:46:52,200 --> 00:46:53,200 Exactly. 706 00:46:53,200 --> 00:46:54,200 Yeah. 707 00:46:54,200 --> 00:46:59,320 And all these thoughts and concerns going through their mind when they were when they 708 00:46:59,320 --> 00:47:01,520 were praying. 709 00:47:01,520 --> 00:47:08,960 And so I I told them, okay, listen from now on, we're going to have a prayer time set 710 00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:10,400 apart. 711 00:47:10,400 --> 00:47:17,720 And I want three of you outside the room studying, preparing to say your prayers, take turns 712 00:47:17,720 --> 00:47:24,440 being the first, but three of you outside reading praying in preparation to say your 713 00:47:24,440 --> 00:47:30,320 prayers and one in the room at the time and I want you to pray out loud. 714 00:47:30,320 --> 00:47:35,640 And I'm telling you, it immediately changed the effectiveness of their prayers and their 715 00:47:35,640 --> 00:47:37,640 spirituality. 716 00:47:37,640 --> 00:47:43,720 Scott and I saw I I don't know what there's many things, many suggestions could be made 717 00:47:43,720 --> 00:47:49,720 about language and reverence, I think it's for so important that we pray with reverence 718 00:47:49,720 --> 00:47:52,840 with a sincere heart with real intent, right? 719 00:47:52,840 --> 00:47:55,960 Or Muroni 10, three and four. 720 00:47:55,960 --> 00:47:58,440 There's so many things that we could say about prayer. 721 00:47:58,440 --> 00:48:05,240 I think the most important thing is that there be a place where you can really concentrate 722 00:48:05,240 --> 00:48:15,480 and focus on who you're speaking to and with that it not be a monologue, that it be a dialogue 723 00:48:15,480 --> 00:48:21,960 and that you take time to not just tell him what's on your mind, which is so important 724 00:48:21,960 --> 00:48:29,480 and in your heart, but that you also take time to listen, right? 725 00:48:29,480 --> 00:48:31,160 That will increase the effect. 726 00:48:31,160 --> 00:48:36,720 Any more will increase the effectiveness of your prayers than that and sometimes it's 727 00:48:36,720 --> 00:48:40,840 helpful to change things up and saying the same things every time. 728 00:48:40,840 --> 00:48:42,800 You just say a thank you prayer. 729 00:48:42,800 --> 00:48:45,560 Sometimes you say short prayers, sometimes you say long prayers. 730 00:48:45,560 --> 00:48:50,360 Truman Madsen gave a great talk on Joseph Smith and prayer years ago and he talked about 731 00:48:50,360 --> 00:48:55,200 how Joe Smith would sometimes say really, really short prayers like the time the little 732 00:48:55,200 --> 00:49:01,320 girl recorded that she was in the home and he was saying the prayer on the food and he 733 00:49:01,320 --> 00:49:06,760 said, and we father were thankful for this food, but we wish we had more in the name 734 00:49:06,760 --> 00:49:08,200 of Jesus Christ, amen. 735 00:49:08,200 --> 00:49:13,000 Then it not came at the door and somebody's offering him a ham. 736 00:49:13,000 --> 00:49:16,160 Sometimes his prayers were really, really long. 737 00:49:16,160 --> 00:49:25,160 I just think we need to mix things up and not get in the habit of making our prayer 738 00:49:25,160 --> 00:49:30,240 as the vain repetitions that we can easily fall into. 739 00:49:30,240 --> 00:49:35,040 So well, prayer before, before we move past prayer, you just mentioned something about 740 00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:40,280 prayer of gratitude and this is something in Alcoholics Anonymous that I learned and 741 00:49:40,280 --> 00:49:45,800 that I have kind of taught, you know, those that I work with and, and this is something 742 00:49:45,800 --> 00:49:53,160 that can have extreme power and that is a prayer of gratitude where we just say and 743 00:49:53,160 --> 00:49:54,880 thank him for what we have. 744 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:59,280 Just telling him what we're thankful for, but tell him, hey, we know that this is from 745 00:49:59,280 --> 00:50:03,600 thee and we thank thee for all of these things. 746 00:50:03,600 --> 00:50:08,480 But just that prayer of gratitude Dave, if that's, as one of the first things, if I call 747 00:50:08,480 --> 00:50:13,080 my sponsor and I'm having a terrible rotten, no good day, you know, there's several things 748 00:50:13,080 --> 00:50:17,480 that will default to and it's no different than it is in our spiritual quest. 749 00:50:17,480 --> 00:50:21,720 And one of those things is how's your prayer, you know, and have you prayed and have you 750 00:50:21,720 --> 00:50:27,680 prayed a prayer of thanksgiving because if we focus on the things that we are thankful 751 00:50:27,680 --> 00:50:33,960 for, sometimes we forget about the things that are troubling us because by a ratio, 752 00:50:33,960 --> 00:50:40,520 you know, we have so I, I have so much in my life to be thankful for that the things 753 00:50:40,520 --> 00:50:44,760 that seem challenging to me, if I can just change that focus and I can do that through 754 00:50:44,760 --> 00:50:49,840 that gratitude prayer, those other things just kind of take less, have less importance 755 00:50:49,840 --> 00:50:50,840 for sure. 756 00:50:50,840 --> 00:50:54,240 And so we talked last week about the pavilions. 757 00:50:54,240 --> 00:50:59,680 We need to make sure our prayers are not selfishly motivated, right? 758 00:50:59,680 --> 00:51:05,000 That we're not just there to get things, but that we're there to worship. 759 00:51:05,000 --> 00:51:06,200 Prayer is worship. 760 00:51:06,200 --> 00:51:13,080 That's the synonymous definition of it is that prayer is worship. 761 00:51:13,080 --> 00:51:20,800 And that that should be the over-girding reason and purpose that we pray is to worship God 762 00:51:20,800 --> 00:51:28,840 in the name of Jesus Christ through the spirit and that if we will see it that way instead 763 00:51:28,840 --> 00:51:36,240 of just a wish list, some sort of a wish list or shopping list, then prayer will immediately 764 00:51:36,240 --> 00:51:37,960 become more meaningful. 765 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:39,720 And I love everyone should read. 766 00:51:39,720 --> 00:51:45,960 We won't take time to do it today, but you should all read what the in the Bible dictionary, 767 00:51:45,960 --> 00:51:51,920 Brother Robert J. Matthews wrote about prayer and he says that one of the keys in prayer, 768 00:51:51,920 --> 00:51:57,360 besides prayer being work, I think sometimes we're way too casual about it. 769 00:51:57,360 --> 00:51:59,040 The prayer can be work. 770 00:51:59,040 --> 00:52:01,920 It can be effort. 771 00:52:01,920 --> 00:52:07,600 And maybe that's why some people don't pray enough is because of the focus and the concentration 772 00:52:07,600 --> 00:52:12,760 in the effort that it sometimes takes, even though sometimes casual prayers can be great 773 00:52:12,760 --> 00:52:13,760 too. 774 00:52:13,760 --> 00:52:19,200 But he says prayer is work and he says the key to it is understanding our relationship 775 00:52:19,200 --> 00:52:28,120 as a child to a heavenly parent to a heavenly father that if we understand this relationship 776 00:52:28,120 --> 00:52:33,240 that we're kneeling down as a child speaking to our heavenly father and we're there to 777 00:52:33,240 --> 00:52:40,960 express our love and to worship him, not to just ask for more things. 778 00:52:40,960 --> 00:52:44,480 Yeah, place of order. 779 00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:50,480 So all of those things I hope will help us to read the prayers more effective. 780 00:52:50,480 --> 00:52:51,480 There's many more. 781 00:52:51,480 --> 00:52:53,480 We're going to have to probably revisit these. 782 00:52:53,480 --> 00:52:58,480 We're out of time today, but there's other instruments of grace and we probably should 783 00:52:58,480 --> 00:53:01,240 spend some time on those days next time. 784 00:53:01,240 --> 00:53:07,560 But before we do, just as we prayer, we could spend an entire obviously we have done episode 785 00:53:07,560 --> 00:53:15,040 on just the importance of scripture study and prayer in the approach or in the effort 786 00:53:15,040 --> 00:53:19,760 to receive personal revelation in our life and overcome the sins of omission and overcome 787 00:53:19,760 --> 00:53:24,720 the sins of omission, which is this repented of our sins of omission is this fifth key. 788 00:53:24,720 --> 00:53:30,880 This is a step 11 from again, Alcoholics Anonymous couple weeks ago. 789 00:53:30,880 --> 00:53:31,880 I read this. 790 00:53:31,880 --> 00:53:35,400 I want to read it again because this is specifically about prayer. 791 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:37,840 We sought through prayer and meditation. 792 00:53:37,840 --> 00:53:40,040 So that's our listening part, right? 793 00:53:40,040 --> 00:53:44,480 That's the prayer that we've talked about where we pray and then we listen for the answers 794 00:53:44,480 --> 00:53:45,880 and we record those. 795 00:53:45,880 --> 00:53:50,320 So we thought through sought through prayer, meditation to improve our conscious contact 796 00:53:50,320 --> 00:53:54,520 with God and or in other words, our relationship with him, right? 797 00:53:54,520 --> 00:53:59,560 To be aware of our contact with him is about our relationship with him. 798 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:04,360 So to improve that conscious contact with God, as we understood him, which also means 799 00:54:04,360 --> 00:54:08,000 that we have to come to know him deeper, right? 800 00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:15,080 Praying only, praying only for the knowledge of his will for me and the power to carry 801 00:54:15,080 --> 00:54:16,880 it out. 802 00:54:16,880 --> 00:54:18,880 So I need to know what his will is for me. 803 00:54:18,880 --> 00:54:24,120 You know, if I can go to my heavenly father with a wish list and there are things I want 804 00:54:24,120 --> 00:54:27,560 to pray for, there are righteous desires, knocking it shall be open. 805 00:54:27,560 --> 00:54:32,880 You know, we're told to ask and we're told to ask for the things that we need. 806 00:54:32,880 --> 00:54:36,040 But if I approach heavenly father and say, Heavenly Father, you know my life better and 807 00:54:36,040 --> 00:54:40,640 you know me, you know what will bring me ultimate happiness and joy. 808 00:54:40,640 --> 00:54:44,840 And if I will align my will with your will, that will bring it to me. 809 00:54:44,840 --> 00:54:46,040 So help me to do that. 810 00:54:46,040 --> 00:54:47,960 How can I do that better? 811 00:54:47,960 --> 00:54:54,000 And then be prepared to take action to write down a few notes and to take action. 812 00:54:54,000 --> 00:54:55,000 Yeah. 813 00:54:55,000 --> 00:54:56,160 Well, that's awesome. 814 00:54:56,160 --> 00:55:04,160 I'm excited to talk about the value and the power of inspired music and art next time. 815 00:55:04,160 --> 00:55:05,160 Yeah, me too. 816 00:55:05,160 --> 00:55:07,320 Well, another great episode. 817 00:55:07,320 --> 00:55:10,600 Thanks David for coming and being with me today and doing this. 818 00:55:10,600 --> 00:55:12,800 And thanks to all of you for listening in. 819 00:55:12,800 --> 00:55:20,440 And again, we really appreciate your participation and we hope and pray that you're feeling our 820 00:55:20,440 --> 00:55:25,400 heavenly father's love for you like we're feeling heavenly father's love for us and 821 00:55:25,400 --> 00:55:29,080 that we're feeling heavenly father's love for you as well. 822 00:55:29,080 --> 00:55:31,320 Be well until we can join up again. 823 00:55:31,320 --> 00:55:33,640 We look forward to being with you next week. 824 00:55:33,640 --> 00:55:49,040 And until then, take care.