Hey there everybody welcome out to another episode of Redeem Through His Blood.
Scott and David Durfey here as always.
How are you Dave?
I'm so good Scott.
How you doing?
I'm doing well.
Are you?
Yeah.
You look so good.
Well you know that's what happens when you work at home.
I guess it is.
You know you show up in shorts and a t-shirt.
Well until it's time to.
No socks and yeah.
Well that's you know.
What's up with that?
Well don't go out in public my dad would say.
Yeah he would say that.
My dad would say the same thing.
He would definitely say the same thing.
You know when the pandemic hit we all started wearing shorts to work you know in our homes
and stuff.
I think the last class I taught maybe was a zoom class and I had my white shirt and tie
on.
And shorts.
I was just going to say that.
Yeah.
Yeah so I'm on I'm actually on television two or three times a week and it's I'm never
on television if I'm not wearing you know I'm usually wearing shorts and a white shirt
and a jacket but it's you know you can't see that it's from the white stuff so I'm not
the only one I can promise you that.
Hey listen great great episode last week as we talked a little bit and wound up the series
on receiving revelation.
Horse on revelation.
This week I'm going to break a little news to you.
We are we are wrapping up the podcast.
This will be maybe the fourth to the last or third to the last episode and and so David
and I have chosen a topic that we will be wrapping up our series or our three years together
with a very important topic and it's the I think the topic Dave that really really inspires
all of what we have done.
You know we we we talk a lot about the scripture in where is it's in Luke right Luke chapter
10.
Very needful thing.
Yeah so Martha Martha that aren't encumbered about by many things.
So talk to us a little bit about Dave what what are we talking about Martha because she's
she's me she's you she's all of us you know seeking to do good things seeking to serve
and and she wasn't doing anything wrong she was just busy busy and Mary sitting at the
feet of Jesus trying to learn and Martha notices well how come I'm doing all the work how come
I'm working so hard outcome and goes over and brings all that up to Jesus and he he he
doesn't chastiser but I just think this is such a critical message for all of us who
just love to do checklist and love to be busy and love to think that busy is some sort of
a a mark or sign of success or productivity and and it's not you know there was a great
talk on that in general conference I I love Bishop Budge I I worked one afternoon with
Bishop Budge and I was in the stake presidency visiting families and and his talk that he
did the Japanese calligraphy and talked about you know you can you can work really hard
and be still you can work really hard and and not be doing anything and you know the
the meditation and mental exertion and everything that it takes I think to be a to be a real
disciple and to be someone who really worships it's about stillness waiting upon the Lord
we talked a little bit about that which which can mean serving which definitely means ministering
which definitely means taking care of the poor and needy and others but anyway back to Luke
10 so Jesus says what verses it's got it starts in it starts in 40 yeah where does he where
does he tell Martha well I'm just gonna read I'll just read the whole thing so this is
in 40 but Martha was comfort about much serving and came to him and said Lord does that thou
not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone bid her therefore that she should help
me and Jesus answered and said under her Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about
many things but careful and troubled but one thing is needful but one thing is yeah so
it's that one needful thing you know we we started our podcast three years ago Scott
can you believe that yeah it's gonna fast and we we after some discussion decided to
call it and title it redeemed through his blood and and really I think what was primarily
in my heart and mind was the idea that we this is a gospel of redemption not a gospel
of assimilation not a gospel of accumulation and this is a gospel of redemption which
at the heart and center of that there has to be a redeemer and we have to be redeemed
this is not a gospel about assimilating good habits or accumulating good deeds this is
a gospel of redemption and that was kind of at the center of my thoughts and my feelings
in the title of our podcast redeemed through his blood if if we were to do another podcast
maybe we will after my surgery and mission and all of that that is going to be taking
place here soon maybe maybe we should just call it you know one needful thing because
everything that we've talked about Scott repentance the revelation all the things that we've said
and done all the guests that we've had it it really in my mind comes down to connecting
with deity connecting with God being being bound to him having a relationship with him
feeling his spirit in our lives knowing that the Savior is my personal Savior knowing that
we are who we are as sons and daughters of God and who's we are having had our lives
purchased by his blood as Paul taught and others anyway it really comes down to that
comes down to relationships connections and being bound to heaven deity so even thinking
about that this week Scott in terms of the course on revelation that we just taught
and I'm grateful for those who have come up to me personally friends and told me how grateful
they were and how it was going to kind of change how they pray or whatever I I've been
grateful for what it's done in my life the effect it's had in my life not just the course
on revelation I guess but the podcast itself but this week just this week my prayers have
been it my prayers have been trying to connect with Heavenly Father in that's been the whole
sole purpose of my prayers is to to feel like I'm connecting to him that there's a relationship
there it hasn't been to get what I want it hasn't been to ask him for this or that or
even thank him for this or that I've done that of course I've done that but the whole
purpose objective of my prayers have been to connect connect to heaven and it's changed
my approach it's changed my my emotional mental state and my attitude about it my my feelings
about it and it's kind of it's not that my not what I what I've said hasn't been that
different but what I have felt has been different and I just think there are so many things
that we do in the gospel in the church in life that if we would just make our objective
today this hour in this moment to feel a connection with heaven and to be connected to deity while
we would walk more circumspectly we would walk more humbly we would be more more meek
we would definitely be more loving and be filled with faith and hope and charity so
I don't know Scott those are just some thoughts and the other way I would like to conclude
our podcast at least is to kind of maybe summarize how can we use the gospel to restore
the gospel of Jesus Christ in strengthening our relationship and connection with heaven
some you said so much there one of the things that you said is that the way that you have
approached your prayer your connection with heavenly father has changed not only the things
that you've said but the things that you have felt right during yeah so expand on that
well you know I've said I prayed for the same things I've thanked him for my family and
I pray for their their peace and their protection their deliverance I've used the same words
right but my attitude and my feeling has been different and it wasn't to get what I wanted
it was to feel his power his strength his love his influence his spirit in my life yeah
I wanted to be connected to him and I wanted him to know that I wanted to be connected
him it wasn't about him being connected to me so much it was I want him to know you know
I had an epiphany years ago Scott that has affected me in all my relationships and I
was really struggling with a one particular Institute class at the Utah Valley Institute
this and this is when I was the director of the Institute and I was teaching I was still
teaching a couple classes and this one class I was just really struggling because I felt
like they didn't like me you know I felt like I wasn't connecting to them and that they
didn't feel connected to me and I was a little it was always a little fearful for me to go
into that class and this pretty early on in the semester this like the third or fourth
week and so before this class I was feeling a little a little discouragement I guess about
teaching it and I thought I can't go in there like this way I closed all my doors and knelt
in the corner where nobody could see me and through the door the glass the glass window
in the door I got in a little corner over by the safe or would keep her all the money
of the Institute and the illness corner and I prayed and the epiphany that came to me
was David not not necessarily that voice this how it felt but I'm sure it was a mild
me little softer loving voice but a little a little correction in chastisement which
none of us should should run from David it doesn't matter what they think about you it
only matters what they know you think about them.
Yeah, the only thing that matters is what they know you think about them so I it just
flipped me Scott I didn't care what they thought about me I just may needed to make sure that
they knew I loved them it completely changed that lesson and the rest of the semester and
my relationship with that class well the same is true in my relationship with my heavenly
father it's not so important to me what he thinks about me I want him to know what I
think about him that's what I tried to do this week was I really earnestly tried in
my prayers to help him to know how I feel and think about him that changed everything
yeah and I think so many of us are just too worried about what he thinks about us now
I I know what he thinks about us thoughts of kindness by the way I love that somebody
quoted one of my favorite scriptures in general conference in Jeremiah 29 yeah we can we read
that Scott yeah it's kind of fundamental to this discussion in the next few weeks of final
weeks of our podcast it's in Jeremiah Jeremiah 29 you know this is Israel has been awful
they've been they've been worshiping other gods they've they've actually actually been
involved in human sacrifice and and they become so so wicked and evil and it's amazing how
God how he talks to them through the prophet and how he feels about them and so I guess
I guess fundamentally we should all know how God feels about us if you know God you know
how he feels about you but that's not what really matters what really matters is not
what he thinks about me but what he knows that I think about him that's what matters
and that completely changes your approach to your prayers to the going to church it's
not about I'm going to church so I can get blessings or so that he'll yeah so they he'll
be I'll be acceptable yeah so that so that God will be happy with me sure I'm not going
to church so God will be happy with me right I'm going to church because I want him to
know I love him I'm going to church to worship him I'm saying my prayers because I don't want
him to be mad at me you know I I mean you know we think I'm I gotta say my prayers because
I don't want to be mad at me or I don't want to disqualify myself from a specific blessing
right but instead instead what if we prayed yeah I'm I've got to pray so he knows where
I'm at so he knows where my heart is now I know he knows our hearts I know he knows his
thoughts but it's so important in our relationship that we know that he knows how we feel about
him so I love I love this verse and I was really grateful I think it was one of the
sisters actually in general conference who quoted it Scott it's Jeremiah 29 and again
I can't I can't even it doesn't seem appropriate describe how wicked Israel had become and Jeremiah
speaking on behalf of the Lord listen to especially the first a few words here verse 10 Scott
10 through we'll just read for a minute starting with first 10 Jeremiah 29 for thus say a
the Lord I'll say it the Lord not Jeremiah okay for thus say it the Lord that after 70
years being accomplished at Babylon I will visit you and perform my good word toward
you in causing you to return to this place okay so after you wander after you've been
captured after you've been taken captive into Babylon and removed and and lost lost your
inheritance and blessings and promised land okay keep going so 11 for I know the thoughts
that I think toward you say if the Lord thoughts of peace and not of evil to give you an expected
end then shall you call upon me and you shall go and pray unto me and I will harken unto
you and you shall seek me and find me when you shall search for me with all your heart
and I will be found of you say if the Lord and I will turn away your captivity and I
will gather you from all nations and from all the places whether I have driven you say
if the Lord and I will bring you again into the place when I caused you to be carried
away captive isn't that awesome yeah I love the verse 11 this is one of my favorite scriptures
in the Old Testament for I know the thoughts I think toward you remember this is the word
of the Lord I know the thoughts that I think towards you say at the Lord thoughts of peace
and not of evil even though they were really really evil and he says I I have peace I'm
not wringing my hands over you I'm not mad at you I have peace that's a good lesson you
know I thoughts of peace not of evil right to give you an expected and I know how this
can end I know how this is gonna go is it's gonna be fine you know repent of course repent
but anyway I I don't I just wish I wish I guess we knew we knew God and we knew how
much he loved us because I I think I know that and I know that I'm not I'm not perfect
and I'm not sinless and I have lots of reasons for and I do lots of things for God to not
be pleased or happy with me but I know he loves me even when I do those things that
don't know necessarily please him I know his thoughts towards me thoughts of peace loving
kindness and and so I it doesn't when I pray when I go to church when I try to live strive
to live the gospel it's it's not because I'm worried about what he thinks about me or what
he's going to think about me I know what he thinks about me what's really important which
completely changes how you pray how you keep the commandments all the commandments why
we make and keep covenants why we go to church you know all those things why we minister
everything why I repent is because I want him to know what I think and how I feel about
him that's I just think really really important and in the few weeks that we have left you
know I hope that will kind of be the the foundation upon which we can build discussion on how
can we strengthen our our relationship and connection with him you know if you really
think about kind of the objective and the purpose behind our entire podcast you know
it it has been to do this for us to understand and know the one needful thing to make that
connection to do as it instructs us in Alcoholics Anonymous in step 11 to strive to maintain
conscious contact through prayer meditation with our Heavenly Father striving only to
know his will for us in the power to carry that out right and that's all great the problem
is is that if we're just tuning in today and this is our first podcast and our and our
life has been a little bit out of tune we're going to hear this and we're going to be
a little overwhelmed because it's going to feel untouchable to a degree to us yeah and
so what we need to remember is this that this whole podcast really works together has worked
together as a whole right you know we begin in the beginning of the each season identity
we talk about identity who we are whose we are how our identity is our eternity and and
really part of that Scott is not just knowing who we are but when you talk about who we
are as sons and daughters of God you have to know who God is right because if you don't
know who God is man you know we've quoted this many times Prophet Joseph Smith that
man cannot be again to comprehend himself until he comprehends God you can't I mean
to say I'm a son of God doesn't mean really anything if God's not really special to me
that's right if I don't really know God if I don't know his sovereignty his power his
omnipotence his on my presence his his omni omniscience thank you yeah if I if I don't
know the three O's of God and I don't know about his love and I don't know about his
divinity and his power then to say I'm a son of God big deal but so identity you know includes
his identity exactly his identity my identity how those work together what it means in combination
as opposed to what it means in separation and all of that yeah and then we talk about
you know what you just alluded to or actually what we talked about last week I just listened
to that podcast so it seemed like it just happened today but what we talked about last
week when when when we talk about the fall of Adam and Eve and you know and how that
was all part of Heavenly Father that not part of that was you know a main component to Heavenly
Father's plan and there were sons and daughters of Adam and Eve and then the human the effects
of the fall and how the effects of the fall all part of our progress and Heavenly Father's
not surprised by it or mad by it or any of that and then and then how do we answer the
effects of the fall well that's the effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ right and
that and that's where the one needful thing actually that's where we gain entrance to the
one needful thing is by learning how to put on the atonement of Jesus Christ now what you
just described David is literally the putting on of the atonement of Jesus Christ yeah yeah
no it really you're right about that Scott because that that really does affect everything
and you know that was so awesome I think that was quoted two or three times in general conference
was that everything's an appendage yeah everything and everything Joe quoting Joseph Smith that
everything in the gospel is an appendage to Jesus Christ and him crucified that he lived
and he died and that he you know Joseph Smith didn't say he suffered but I'll say suffered
for our sins and was resurrected the third day so you know everything's an appendage
to that yeah everything is around that that's the center of the entire plan of redemption
that is the plan and the more that we can feel that in our lives tap into that express
our gratitude for that I mean this this is another central theme of our podcast Scott
and I thought I hope the center of of our lives yours and mine and everyone else is
gratitude is a principle of salvation and gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ
changes everything about our desires and as brother sweet brother Ed Penninger once said
quote gratitude is the beginning of desire and gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ
is what changes our desires and based upon what you believe feel and know about the atonement
of Jesus Christ will change your gratitude you know I talked to someone recently just
grieving and was having such a hard time in in rising above their grief and their mourning
and I understand and that that takes time and it's different for everybody so I'm not
being critical at all here but my counsel was you need to focus more on Christ and
his suffering and be filled with gratitude because gratitude will change your desire
yeah well and focus on Christ and his suffering you know I think back to a talk I don't I can't
recall it but I know that was elder or president Nelson when and I think this was actually the
name name of the talk that that Jesus Christ is the answer to everything yeah he's he has
said that lots of times hasn't yeah yeah the not only answer to all our questions but the
solution to all our problems so he's the answer and the solution right and and that has been
I think and you know and and according to all of the responses and you know would love to
continue to get more at he redeems us at gmail.com but according to a lot of the responses that
we've received over the last few years from our listeners this has been the journey that
we have needed to embark on so that we could begin to fill all these things in our lives
that we're talking about that connection that love and you know and as we have as we've
been instructed by you and and through the Doctrine and Covenants section six you know
to think and think of me in in every thought doubt not fear not you know it's kind of the
one needful thing yeah right right that's my point how I see it yeah you connect Luke
10 with Dr. and Covenants section six the one needful thing is to look unto me and every
thought doubt not fear not behold the wounds that pierce my side in the Prince of the Nails
of my hands and feet if that were our focus changes everything everything and so you know
if we're talking about what we're talking about today what we're really at is kind of
a maintenance step you know to maintain that conscious contact to maintain that relationship
to maintain that connection with deity is really how we maintain all of the stuff that
we've been putting into place getting to know him learning to love him becoming more like
him understanding the effects of the fall and how they're offset by the effects of Christ's
Atonement and his power not by the Atonement but by his power through made available to
us through his Atonement right that's better yeah and so to really understand and begin
to in a small way comprehend that power that's made available to us through his Atonement
what power redemptive power enabling power compensatory power enabling and strengthening
can be you know synonymous work one together as we as we examine our lives and as we see
the things in our lives and each of us will if we examine truthfully and honestly and
courageously etc as we look and examine our lives there will be things that need better
alignment with our heavenly fathers will yeah yeah absolutely and and we have talked about
and we have a pattern now that that will afford us a way to make that alignment which increases
our faith which increases our repentance which increases our participation in ordinances
and covenants which increases our ability to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which
will help us to endure to the end and that is the doctrine of Christ amen you know Scott
I have a question for you so because I want to I want to just go back to this for a minute
we we did a whole course on repentance and I'm not sure I ever really said this or we
discussed this but if if when we repented if our concern was more I need to know what
he thinks about me if our concern was more I need him to know how I think and feel about
him how would that change your repentance that is all of the difference right I mean
so we think about it you know so I think about it and we've done this a lot in the podcast
too I think about earthly experiences you know where if I'm going to be in trouble at
home when I'm a kid and I'm going to be trouble at home is it more important for me what my
dad and mom think of me or what I'm thinking of them and that's that's an interesting concept
to consider but as a kid obviously I think naturally we we move into the self-preservation
fight or flight modes right right and we become more focused and when I say we I should say
me I become more focused in those cases on what they're thinking of me because because
the outcome is dependent on what they think of me yeah right it's different though with
our with our heavenly relationship the outcome is not dependent on what he thinks of me the
outcome is is how hard I'm striving to let him know how much I think of him how much
I love him and if and if my and if my life is in accordance to that aligned with that
you know make makes that come true in all parts of my life if my life is living like
that if I'm living my life like that then the maintenance of that is simply through my daily
worship well I know I know some people you know I've seen students several students in
my office they kind of express sometimes how they're burning out how they're giving up
how they're falling out yeah their crisis in with faith and their their whole thing
is that they're not sure how God feels about them I mean it's different for different people
and individually they got different different circumstance but but that's kind of what I
hear is they're not sure how God feels about them they they they've done everything and
they still don't know if he's forgiven them and and and of course I know that's not true
because so many times people say I don't feel forgiven and I said well okay are you paying
your tithing are you ministering are you serving are you using instruments of grace are you
you know I mean they're they're so focused on their sins of commission and they neglect
the way to your matters of the law which may be their sins of omission anyway but the the
whole thing is is that they're and I know it's important to know what God thinks of
us and are standing before him I know that's important but even more important in regards
to my motivation and how I live the gospel is am I more worried about what he thinks
about me or am I more concerned I don't I don't want to use the word worried but am
I more concerned or am I more diligent in striving to express how I feel about him and
it just just for example the the commandment to attend church and participate in the ordinances
of the gospel do I do I go to saccharim meeting do I go to the temple because because I'm
worried about what he thinks about me and I'm I'm trying to to to prove myself to him
or am I going because I want him to know how I feel I'm I want him to know what I think
about him I it just changes how you worship and it kind of comes down to that Scott the
real relationship connection and the the our whole of being bound to God is tied up in
how we choose to worship not work it shouldn't be called temple work elder with so said this
almost a hundred years ago I think it was in the 1930s elder elder with so the great
scientist you know apostle elder with so we shouldn't call it temple work we should call
it temple worship man I remember reading that when I was I think I was a missionary and
thinking wow that that's a whole different approach.
Well so I have a question for you what's the difference then or and I know that there's
differences but help us differentiate the difference between work and worship in that
regard because because let me preface because I think a lot of times our doings can be the
same right I mean we can do we can do one thing and it can be worship and we can do
that same thing right and it not necessarily be worship so how do we differentiate what's
the difference yeah well it's it comes down right to your attitudes your feelings and
your belief in your faith and and really your motivation for why you're doing it again I
think it's work it becomes and what I there I'm not I'm not I don't want to put a negative
connotation on work works important that works a commandment that was one of the first commandment
given to Adam works great works important in the gospel without faith without works there
is no faith and right and faith without works is dead so but but work as we humans kind
of usually see it is you know it's so hard it's so I gotta do this I have to do it and
it becomes like work I have to do this instead of I I want to do this I I love to do this
I is kind of our motivation the difference in our motivation the difference between work
and worship I want to go worship I want him to know how I feel this is a this is a joy
and an opportunity a pleasure for me to do to do this instead of grip my teeth and grind
it out and and you know anyway I kind of see work as being about me and worship yeah being
about him there you go I love that yeah yeah I love that that's that's the difference in
the motivation I think it is for me it is so you know what am I trying to earn here that's
it instead of right am I yeah trying to express because if I'm focused on the work then I want
to make sure I get proper credit yeah I want to make sure I get proper compensation as
it were right you know there's that there's a set of expectations that set there and those
expectations are managed by me yeah not the spirit in those situations and and yeah so
I see that that a big difference is being work is about me and what I'm doing and worship
is about him I used to do a fireside well what I would do firesides years ago and you
know it seemed to me what seemed to resonate most with young adults and with youth in the
church and and really with their parents is this question I was I would usually start
with this question are you working for the gospel or is the gospel working for you how
do you see it that's what I would ask and I'd say well I I want to talk about that do
you feel like you're working for the gospel or do you feel like the gospel is working
for you now I think in their mind they would maybe go to church and they would they would
equate gospel with church and of course that was kind of my at the essence was that the
gospel is working its it's redemptive it's it does everything for us Christ did everything
for us the gospel of Jesus Christ is always working in our lives it is never not working
for us the gospel the church can sometimes feel sometimes like you know but but again
it depends on your motivation your your why you're doing it anyway I I just think there's
too many in the church who feel like they're working for the gospel and they don't understand
how the gospel Jesus Christ is always working for them that just opened my eyes a lot I
have felt like I've been working for the gospel sometimes recently of course right I mean
I think about now I'm no longer in a leadership position in our ward but when I was in that
elders corn presidency and I had that and I had a institute and I had all of these other
things that we were doing sometimes it just the podcast sometimes it just felt like I
was working for the gospel now I know I know and I know that the accusers the one that
made me feel that way as I was feeling that way and even sometimes recently I had told
Deb the other day I just feel like I'm between one big event to the next and I'm so picked
on poor me you know feeling sorry for myself that's when I feel like I'm working for the
gospel yeah exactly yeah but if I had the gospel working for me it energizes me in a
different way to that approach if you had the one needful thing and if your focus was
what it should be if your focus was on the Savior and his suffering yeah and and you
saw that all the effects yeah just of it you know I if you saw the effects of his suffering
and all the blessings the compensatory powers and enabling redemptive powers if you if you
saw that felt that as we should when we look under him in every thought Scott it well it
changes your daily life moment by moment it changes us you know you know so Dave I think
as we kind of wind down here we should probably come up with some invitations a couple of
ideas a couple of things that we could we could really work on this week that wouldn't
be too difficult but maybe stretch us enough a little bit to we'd be able to fill our heavenly
Father Spirit and doing that so do you have any thoughts around that well honestly I invite
our listeners to just be a little more concerned I don't want to sensationalize this or grand
eyes this or anything but just be a little more concerned about how does how does God
how how do I express my gratitude to God how how can I help him know how I feel about him
how can I help him know the feelings and intense of my heart and how grateful I am I I guess
I guess that would be an invitation and worry less about what's he thinking about me what's
he you know I why are we so as humans Scott we're that way with each other we're that
way oh man I hate this social media stuff and what is it about our human tendencies our
fallen nature to be so worried about what others think about us and then it transfers
to what God thinks about us when if we really knew God we would know how he feels towards
us I have thoughts of kindness of peace towards you not of evil but why is it that we are
so insecure about that I think I know obviously it's because of the fall right because of
the fall of Adam and Eve we feel that way and because of the separation that's there
but I but I think that this is also part of the plan you know if we go back again and
we look in revelations and we read about the accuser accusing us both night and day I think
that I know I think it's also part of the heavenly father's plan that we struggle or
that we strive or that we wrestle to have these experiences in our lives because if
it was easy for us to fill that if it was if we could of ourselves command that spirit
command that feeling to reside within us indefinitely then we would have less need or dependency
on the relationship with deity with specifically we would be less dependent or we would fill
potentially less dependent on Jesus's merits yeah instead of our own yeah good good
point I like that and I think another invitation for our another thought for our listeners
to consider is what does it really mean to you to pray always yeah what does that really
mean what does that look like and if again we have changed our approach to prayer where
instead of us always asking for things or wanting things if prayer if the heart of prayer
had to do with our relationship with him and remembering that relationship and if prayer
at the very really center and heart of it was to express and help him to know how we
feel about him and worrying less about how he feels about us you know how how would
you see praying always and maybe experiment with that you know to pray always to just
always have a prayer in our heart and mind to experiment with that and to experiment
with looking under him in every thought I think are kind of you know synonymous activities
yeah but I just wish our listeners would really maybe take one day or a week and just just
see if that's possible to do that and to see if they can make any small improvements in
praying always and I lot you know it's in the scriptures about ten times that commandment
to pray always that you may come off conquer yeah that you may conquer Satan so you know
I seen doctor in covenant section 10 Scott I think verses 4 through 6 that says pray always
that you may come off conquer yeah that you may conquer Satan you know I love that's one
of my favorite scriptures in doctrine comes really and and then in other places is pray
always that you may overcome temptations pray always that you may overcome Satan pray always
yeah you know if we would just experiment with that and I think that's not possible how
can I do that if we if we would stop discounting commandments like that including the commandment
to look under me in every thought why just discount that say well that's ridiculous
again do that why not just why not just experiment with it and we won't be perfect at it but
what if we if what if we could strive to do that I'm telling you Scott it would make such
a difference in our relationship in our connection and feeling bound to have it yeah yeah I love
that and I mean I'm gonna kind of wrap that up with just one sentence again this is I've
already quoted this and I've done it many times over the last several podcasts but this
is a step 11 in alcohol the program of alcoholics anonymous sought through prayer and meditation
to improve our conscious contact with God as we understood him our conscious contact
so you know there's contact but to be aware of that contact right sought through prayer
and meditation and that's what you're talking about prayer and meditation is that conscious
contact with God and again this is a praying only a knowledge for knowledge of his will
for us in the power to carry that out I think that that's how I plan to demonstrate and
to show my deep devotion and my my love to heavenly Father over the next several days
is I'll accept this invitation to is to maintain and try and maintain a posture of prayer and
meditation so that my conscious contact with him can be improved so that I can feel it so
that I can feel him receiving the love that I'm trying to demonstrate straight to him
by putting on the atonement of Jesus Christ by enduring to the end by by demonstrating
charitable acts and having a by by by strengthening my brother and after I've been converted and
all of those other things that are so important that are not possible to do without that conscious
contact all of that would be all of that is true worship yes and I love it I'm sorry to
our listeners if I've said this too much but I love President McKay's statement I'm quoting
quoting him President David O. McKay spirituality our true aim I think about that for a minute
that's our aim that's our aim that's it that's our purpose if we could increase our spirituality
Scott spirituality our true aim is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with
the infinite man if we could have constant communion and what was the first part control
consciousness of victory over self consciousness of victory over self so and communion so that's
saying that we have victory over self we now become aware of that the way that we have
that victory over self is we become aware of that through the communion through Christ
exactly you know through through him yeah and administered through the Holy Ghost but
anyway I I have loved that for 50 years I've loved that quote and and then he I you don't
hear this the rest of this very often spirituality our true aim impels one to conquer difficulties
and acquire more strength and to feel one's faculties unfolding and truth expanding in
the soul is one of life's sublimest experiences anyway I let's just try to increase our spirituality
and our communion with the infinite and through Christ victory over self anyway I I think that
would be something all of our listeners could benefit from if we if we could make an effort
to focus on it this week that gift is waiting for each of us to receive it there's no question
you know I I think that if we make an effort in that direction that we will receive line
up online at least line up online and precept upon precept the blessings that come from
that exercise for sure repenting continually thanks for being with us Dave today it's been
a great day do you have any final thoughts no good good to be with you yeah it's good
to be with you too so so gang we we have a couple of takeaways today let's try to implement
those into our lives this week we look forward to being with you again next week and until
then be well