1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,200 Hey there everybody, welcome out to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. This 2 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:23,240 is Scott Durfey, as always joined by David Durfey. 3 00:00:23,240 --> 00:00:25,080 So great to be with you, Scott. 4 00:00:25,080 --> 00:00:27,480 So good to be with you. How are you? 5 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:28,480 I'm good. 6 00:00:28,480 --> 00:00:31,480 Thank you for the subject we're talking about. 7 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:32,480 Yeah. Yeah. 8 00:00:32,480 --> 00:00:36,480 Do you want to talk about your mission call at all yet? 9 00:00:36,480 --> 00:00:37,480 I wish. 10 00:00:37,480 --> 00:00:38,480 I wish. 11 00:00:38,480 --> 00:00:43,160 So you're saying we're doing a couple more episodes at least. 12 00:00:43,160 --> 00:00:44,160 Oh man. 13 00:00:44,160 --> 00:00:46,040 I know I get that. 14 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:48,960 I get that question from friends all the time. 15 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:50,400 So when's Dave going? 16 00:00:50,400 --> 00:00:52,160 We don't want the podcast end. 17 00:00:52,160 --> 00:00:55,000 So maybe it's their fault. 18 00:00:55,000 --> 00:00:56,760 Maybe they're praying that you're not. 19 00:00:56,760 --> 00:01:01,680 Maybe that maybe it's holding this holding me back, but whatever. 20 00:01:01,680 --> 00:01:03,800 We want to go sooner the better. 21 00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:08,600 At least we think but the Lord's timing, you know, all the Lord's timing. 22 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:09,600 Of course. 23 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:10,600 Yeah. 24 00:01:10,600 --> 00:01:14,640 Grateful that we were able to take care of some things before we go and it seems like 25 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:16,200 we have more things to take care of. 26 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:17,840 Well, that's where we go. 27 00:01:17,840 --> 00:01:18,840 That's life. 28 00:01:18,840 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaking of life, this last week we finished up episode or yeah, version number three. 29 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:34,560 Of this, what has going to definitely be a for at least episode series of why do I choose 30 00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,760 to believe great concepts and so forth that we've been discussing over the last several 31 00:01:40,760 --> 00:01:46,720 weeks around that Dave's had some experiences to believe and stay. 32 00:01:46,720 --> 00:01:47,720 Yeah. 33 00:01:47,720 --> 00:01:48,720 I end stay and stay. 34 00:01:48,720 --> 00:01:52,160 A lot of people have believed in they don't stay. 35 00:01:52,160 --> 00:01:53,160 Yeah. 36 00:01:53,160 --> 00:01:54,680 That's a good point. 37 00:01:54,680 --> 00:02:01,280 So you know, really I've got three major points why I believe and stay Scott. 38 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:08,120 I mean, it's it's evidences and witnesses that I have several sub points under that. 39 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:09,440 And we've talked about some of those. 40 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,600 That's been the last podcast that we've done. 41 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:14,680 Then I have personal experience. 42 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:19,880 The reason I believe and stay several sub points under that. 43 00:02:19,880 --> 00:02:26,600 And then I've got the knowledge of and relationship with the Godhead as the third point, third 44 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:34,800 major reason, no Roman numeral number three, why I believe and stay. 45 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:42,160 And then I just have kind of a fourth point, which is true points of doctrine. 46 00:02:42,160 --> 00:02:49,360 So those are kind of the each one has lots of sub points, but that's kind of the basic 47 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:50,360 outline. 48 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:59,880 The four reasons why I stay is because of evidences and witnesses, personal experience, my relationship 49 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:03,920 with the Godhead and true points of doctrine. 50 00:03:03,920 --> 00:03:04,920 Yeah. 51 00:03:04,920 --> 00:03:06,920 Well, and those are all overlapped. 52 00:03:06,920 --> 00:03:07,920 Sorry. 53 00:03:07,920 --> 00:03:08,920 Yeah. 54 00:03:08,920 --> 00:03:14,360 They overlap and we've spent a substantial amount of time on that first new Roman numeral 55 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:15,360 one. 56 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:19,400 And then we've talked about evidences and witnesses last episode, we talked a lot about 57 00:03:19,400 --> 00:03:22,200 scripture and the words of prophets. 58 00:03:22,200 --> 00:03:27,040 Specifically, I think we got into a lot of the Book of Mormon scripture and doctrine 59 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,400 and covenants and Pearl of great price. 60 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:34,760 And even we even talked about some of the proclamations and how how those, either though 61 00:03:34,760 --> 00:03:38,840 maybe not canonized to scripture, how they choose to see those, they're still witnesses, 62 00:03:38,840 --> 00:03:39,840 right? 63 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:40,840 Yeah. 64 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:41,840 Evidence and witnesses. 65 00:03:41,840 --> 00:03:47,400 We, you know, we didn't even really talk about the doctrine, covenants being evidence 66 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:55,600 and witness of eternal marriage, which is a unique, unique, special belief of the, of 67 00:03:55,600 --> 00:04:00,800 the church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints and the restored gospel is nobody else. 68 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:06,300 No other church that I believe that I know about believes in eternal marriage. 69 00:04:06,300 --> 00:04:08,560 No other church that I know about. 70 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:13,760 No other religion believes that families can be together forever. 71 00:04:13,760 --> 00:04:20,640 Now I, I just think that's one of the, the great points of doctrine that's been restored 72 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,000 through the doctrine and covenants. 73 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:30,240 So you know, temples and eternal marriages, we didn't even talk about those last time. 74 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,280 We didn't even talk about the Book of Moses and the writings of Enoch. 75 00:04:34,280 --> 00:04:41,400 I mean, here we have 18, I think it's 180, sorry. 76 00:04:41,400 --> 00:04:47,720 It's like 180 verses on the words of Enoch, the prophet, something like that. 77 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:55,520 We have like one verse in the Old Testament on Enoch and the city of Enoch. 78 00:04:55,520 --> 00:05:01,340 And in the, in the Book of Moses of the Pearl and Gray price, which is part of the Joseph 79 00:05:01,340 --> 00:05:08,840 Smith translation, we have, we have chapter, a couple of chapters on Enoch in the city 80 00:05:08,840 --> 00:05:09,840 of Enoch. 81 00:05:09,840 --> 00:05:15,920 And oh man, Scott, that, that is so precious. 82 00:05:15,920 --> 00:05:23,200 And that's evidence and witnesses to me that again, only because the Holy Ghost bears witness 83 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,840 of them, that they're true. 84 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:31,040 They become additional witnesses and evidence of the truthfulness of the restoration. 85 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:40,160 So anyway, we, we didn't give a real comprehensive as comprehensive as we could have been on 86 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:46,000 some of the evidences and witnesses, but in kind of an outline form, we've, we've covered 87 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:47,000 that. 88 00:05:47,000 --> 00:05:50,520 So maybe we let's move into maybe some personal experience. 89 00:05:50,520 --> 00:05:58,160 One of the reasons I choose to believe and stay is because of personal experience, personal 90 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:05,440 experiences that I've had that are spiritual miracles that I've witnessed and the joy and 91 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:12,120 peace and love and all the fruits of the spirit, the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost that I have 92 00:06:12,120 --> 00:06:18,920 enjoyed throughout my life growing up in a home that believed and practiced the gospel 93 00:06:18,920 --> 00:06:20,920 of Jesus Christ. 94 00:06:20,920 --> 00:06:31,040 I mean, Scott, I've been so blessed to live up, to be raised up into a home where I saw 95 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:36,160 the gospel of Jesus Christ in action, you know, and I, I know there's other great people 96 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:42,120 and there's other righteous individuals of all churches and all religion, but, but I 97 00:06:42,120 --> 00:06:46,520 tasted the fruit of the gospel in my home. 98 00:06:46,520 --> 00:06:54,120 I saw the evidence of the witnesses of the Holy Spirit, the fruits of the Holy Spirit 99 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:55,520 in my home. 100 00:06:55,520 --> 00:07:03,920 I grew up immersed in it and it's sometimes harder to, I think, fully appreciate it until 101 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:05,840 you lose it. 102 00:07:05,840 --> 00:07:10,040 And it's kind of like a, taking a fish out of water when you lose it. 103 00:07:10,040 --> 00:07:12,600 All of a sudden you really can see it. 104 00:07:12,600 --> 00:07:19,800 And I, I never really had to, had to lose it or have it taken from me. 105 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:26,320 I never, I had a pretty ideal like a childhood and I'm really thankful for that. 106 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:32,800 And my heart really goes out to others whose members, whose families, parents, or maybe 107 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:38,800 members of the church who maybe didn't see all that, who didn't see all the fruits of 108 00:07:38,800 --> 00:07:49,240 the gospel or who, who had real abuse or challenges in their families who supposedly, you know, 109 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,000 were members of the church and believed in the gospel. 110 00:07:52,000 --> 00:07:55,840 And my heart really goes out to those folks. 111 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:03,240 But I was from pretty early on, Scott, I, I was having spiritual experiences. 112 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:09,160 And I maybe didn't recognize them always that way, but in our family home evenings, both 113 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:13,240 in our, our immediate family, but I was the youngest in the family. 114 00:08:13,240 --> 00:08:19,440 So by the time it was really important to me, you came along when I was like eight years 115 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:27,200 old and all my nieces and nephews and we'd have those kind of extended family home evenings. 116 00:08:27,200 --> 00:08:34,400 And oftentimes those would go into testimony meetings and we would hear my dad, your grand 117 00:08:34,400 --> 00:08:43,040 dad, my mom, your grandma, and my brothers and sisters bear testimony to see my own, 118 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:47,320 my brothers and sisters before me get married in the temple. 119 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:55,400 And, and, you know, I, I was really blessed to be brought up in that kind of an environment. 120 00:08:55,400 --> 00:09:02,680 But it's not, it's really get me, get me on that, leave home, go out on your own. 121 00:09:02,680 --> 00:09:08,880 Scott, that, that won't necessarily be enough for anybody to be able to endure in the gospel 122 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:09,880 of Jesus Christ. 123 00:09:09,880 --> 00:09:12,440 And I had to get my own testimony. 124 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:18,720 I had to get my own witness of the truth and, and I did. 125 00:09:18,720 --> 00:09:27,360 And I think the first experience really personally was when I went to the mountain where we would 126 00:09:27,360 --> 00:09:32,200 hunt, you know, and had that experience, which I think I've maybe have shared on previous 127 00:09:32,200 --> 00:09:39,320 podcast about praying, crying out, but it's worth sharing, crying out to God down near 128 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:47,320 the Parker mountains and central Utah, southern central Utah and crying out and hearing a 129 00:09:47,320 --> 00:09:52,040 voice and having my prayers answered. 130 00:09:52,040 --> 00:09:54,080 And I knew God knew me. 131 00:09:54,080 --> 00:09:56,440 I knew he was aware of me. 132 00:09:56,440 --> 00:10:03,880 And I knew that he'd heard and answered my prayer after some fasting two or three days 133 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,680 and being on the mountain. 134 00:10:07,680 --> 00:10:14,280 And when I'm my mission, knowing that God was aware of me and that he was in control 135 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:18,600 and that, and that I was where I was supposed to be. 136 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:28,920 And then on my mission, having, uh, many personal experiences, Scott, uh, seeing miracles, uh, 137 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,120 priesthood miracles on my mission. 138 00:10:31,120 --> 00:10:36,040 First time, uh, in my lifetime where I ever using the priesthood. 139 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:37,320 In fact, this is interesting. 140 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:46,840 I have a golfing buddy, uh, from Fresno, California, and he went home to his sisters. 141 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:52,360 This past, uh, few months to visit her for the holidays. 142 00:10:52,360 --> 00:11:00,320 He went back to Fresno, his hometown, and he walks in and there's con and Karen bidders. 143 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:05,920 And, uh, he said, Oh, you know, you know, Dave Durfing, they said, yeah, oh yeah, elder 144 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:08,680 Durf, yeah, yeah, we know him. 145 00:11:08,680 --> 00:11:21,240 And this is a couple that, um, I had seen baptized and had helped to, to teach and he 146 00:11:21,240 --> 00:11:26,000 got another, they were, they were school teachers, both of them. 147 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:33,320 And he got another school teacher interested and we were teaching her 22, 23 year old young 148 00:11:33,320 --> 00:11:41,840 woman and, uh, Susan and we got, she committed to be baptized and con couldn't move his arm 149 00:11:41,840 --> 00:11:45,440 the night before he was the baptizer, his right arm. 150 00:11:45,440 --> 00:11:47,280 He couldn't, he couldn't raise it. 151 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:55,640 It was, he was in terrible pain and Karen calls me up this back in 1974, Scott. 152 00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:05,400 And so 51 years ago and he calls me up and, and says, you know, I can't move my arm. 153 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,200 Would you give me a blessing? 154 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:09,760 Actually Karen, Karen called me his wife. 155 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:11,920 Would you give con a blessing? 156 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:16,960 So they come over and I give them a nice blessing and they leave and it's about nine, 10 o'clock 157 00:12:16,960 --> 00:12:22,000 when they leave two AM, she calls me back and I hear, I can hear him actually groaning 158 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:23,000 in the background. 159 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:24,000 Oh no. 160 00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,800 And she says it's worse. 161 00:12:25,800 --> 00:12:28,040 His arm is, it's not better. 162 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:29,520 It's worse. 163 00:12:29,520 --> 00:12:35,760 That cannot, can, would you be willing to give him another blessing? 164 00:12:35,760 --> 00:12:38,160 And I said, yeah, sure, of course. 165 00:12:38,160 --> 00:12:43,200 And I didn't know what to, what else to say, but I knew I had about 20 minutes and I hurried 166 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:44,200 and got dressed. 167 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:49,840 I went into our little room where there was a sofa and I nailed down and I cried out to 168 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:56,560 God like I'd never prayed before and said, please, heavenly father, these are new, these 169 00:12:56,560 --> 00:13:00,120 are new converts in the church. 170 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,280 Please, they have such great faith. 171 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:08,960 Please help me to say what thou would say if thou weren't here. 172 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:10,960 That was my prayer. 173 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:19,120 Anyway, they, they came and we laid our hands upon their head and first time in my life, 174 00:13:19,120 --> 00:13:24,320 not the only time in my life, Scott, but the first time in my life where I said, I command 175 00:13:24,320 --> 00:13:32,040 in the name of Jesus Christ and by the power and authority of the holy priesthood, I command 176 00:13:32,040 --> 00:13:34,280 that your arm be healed. 177 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:38,200 A 20 year old missionary. 178 00:13:38,200 --> 00:13:45,680 And when the blessing ended, he said, so when you said, I command your arm to be healed. 179 00:13:45,680 --> 00:13:48,800 I felt something pop in my arm. 180 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:53,560 He was still somewhat in pain and they left and next morning, nine o'clock, we met him 181 00:13:53,560 --> 00:13:54,760 at church. 182 00:13:54,760 --> 00:13:56,600 He had no more pain in his arm. 183 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:58,080 His arm was completely numb. 184 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:05,920 He said, raised it to the square, his right arm to the square and baptized Susan Passey 185 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:12,800 and then Susan, that's her married name now. 186 00:14:12,800 --> 00:14:16,240 Anyway, Susan Eiffler. 187 00:14:16,240 --> 00:14:18,560 Then he went to the doctor. 188 00:14:18,560 --> 00:14:23,520 And because he was worried about it, because it was numb and they took an X-ray and they 189 00:14:23,520 --> 00:14:25,840 said, Oh, you've had bursitis. 190 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:31,200 You had an acute case of bursitis and usually we're just going to pop that sack of fluid, 191 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:36,960 but yours has popped and the fluid running in into your arm has pinched the nerve. 192 00:14:36,960 --> 00:14:43,600 And that's why your, your arms know that they'll go away in the next 24 hours, which it did. 193 00:14:43,600 --> 00:14:50,200 Scott, you know, that was not a psychological thing. 194 00:14:50,200 --> 00:14:52,360 That wasn't a psychological miracle. 195 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:59,880 That wasn't a, I knew by again, the Holy Ghost that I could say that and God would honor 196 00:14:59,880 --> 00:15:04,720 that and that was an immediate answer and miracle. 197 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:09,560 And I knew the priesthood power was real. 198 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:12,560 The betters knew the priesthood power was real. 199 00:15:12,560 --> 00:15:17,880 And now here 51 years later today, I think they were in their late twenties when we taught 200 00:15:17,880 --> 00:15:20,280 them and baptized them. 201 00:15:20,280 --> 00:15:27,680 And now here they are in their late seventies and they're still so faithful, so active and 202 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:32,600 been such great members of the church after all these years. 203 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:37,320 But we, but we, we experienced that miracle together and there's been other priesthood 204 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:45,400 miracles and, and miracles in my life that I, and I know, I know we don't have a monopoly 205 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:47,160 on miracles. 206 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:52,560 You know, other religions, other churches, certain, certainly through faith and Jesus 207 00:15:52,560 --> 00:16:00,640 Christ, certainly through the power of the spirit, God can heal and bless whoever he 208 00:16:00,640 --> 00:16:06,400 wants Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, whoever he wants. 209 00:16:06,400 --> 00:16:12,920 I know that he answers their prayers and I know that he can heal and bless others, not 210 00:16:12,920 --> 00:16:13,920 of our faith. 211 00:16:13,920 --> 00:16:14,920 Yeah. 212 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:21,480 But I've experienced it in my personal life and I know the priesthood has been restored 213 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:22,480 in these last days. 214 00:16:22,480 --> 00:16:26,520 I know the priesthood is real, the authority and power of it. 215 00:16:26,520 --> 00:16:36,640 And it's, it's one of again, one of the real cornerstones, foundation stones of my, of 216 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:39,360 my testimony, Scott. 217 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:44,040 I know you've had some experience, personal experiences. 218 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:48,840 I'm listening to you and I'm reminiscing, you know, I'm going back and I'm, I'm remembering 219 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:54,600 those football games in the backyard that were followed by family night. 220 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:55,600 Yeah. 221 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:56,600 Right. 222 00:16:56,600 --> 00:16:59,200 You and Mark beating up on each other. 223 00:16:59,200 --> 00:17:00,200 Yeah. 224 00:17:00,200 --> 00:17:04,480 Carl and Craig and Stephen and John and Paul and so fun and everybody else. 225 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:05,480 Yeah. 226 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:07,280 You used to instigate a lot of that. 227 00:17:07,280 --> 00:17:08,480 It got me in a lot of trouble. 228 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:10,200 I was trying to toughen you up. 229 00:17:10,200 --> 00:17:12,600 Well, you, you didn't do a very good job. 230 00:17:12,600 --> 00:17:13,600 Yeah, I did. 231 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:20,120 But, you know, so I'm, I'm listening to you share all that and, and my experience was 232 00:17:20,120 --> 00:17:21,120 the same. 233 00:17:21,120 --> 00:17:26,480 Yeah, my response to the experience was a lot different though than yours was and that's 234 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:27,480 interesting. 235 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:34,720 You know, I'm, I'm, I haven't tried to and I, and I don't see a lot of fruit and really 236 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:39,800 analyzing why I chose not to see things the way others saw them. 237 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:45,680 I did see them and I did feel them and those, those, those testimony building experiences 238 00:17:45,680 --> 00:17:49,640 still a foundation to the most important things in my life for sure. 239 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:50,640 There's no question. 240 00:17:50,640 --> 00:17:52,520 I remember those. 241 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:56,560 I also remember experiences on Parker mountain that would not alone. 242 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:57,560 Well, that's not true. 243 00:17:57,560 --> 00:18:01,640 I had a couple of alone where I would wander away from the deer camp, et cetera. 244 00:18:01,640 --> 00:18:08,360 But, but I remember learning from what I idolized for whatever reason growing up. 245 00:18:08,360 --> 00:18:14,360 I, I, I look at men, mostly men and think I want to be like that. 246 00:18:14,360 --> 00:18:15,360 I want to be like that. 247 00:18:15,360 --> 00:18:16,360 I want to be like that. 248 00:18:16,360 --> 00:18:19,440 There's some characteristics and attributes that most of these men had. 249 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:20,800 Most of these men were tough. 250 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:21,800 Yeah. 251 00:18:21,800 --> 00:18:22,800 They were men's men. 252 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:26,600 They were tough guys, you know, they, they were, they were, uh, and, you know, and when 253 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:30,680 I'm, and when I'm referring to this, I'm also referring to men in my mom's side of the family, 254 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:37,360 my grandpa Fagan specifically, just an absolute hard cowboy kind of guy. 255 00:18:37,360 --> 00:18:38,360 Yeah. 256 00:18:38,360 --> 00:18:43,520 And, and, and I, and I looked to that and I saw that as I want to be like that one day. 257 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,120 I wasn't like that inside. 258 00:18:45,120 --> 00:18:49,560 You know, I was a wimpy little kid inside most of the time during those times, but as 259 00:18:49,560 --> 00:18:54,840 I was growing, I didn't respond to those same experience, the experiences that we had, David 260 00:18:54,840 --> 00:18:56,560 shared together and individual. 261 00:18:56,560 --> 00:18:59,040 I didn't respond to them the same way you did. 262 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:06,120 Um, and, and, and I've wondered why again, it doesn't matter at this point, but I wandered, 263 00:19:06,120 --> 00:19:10,120 you know, I, I, and in my wandering, I didn't wonder. 264 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:14,080 It was wandering, not wondering, you know, it was an outright rebellion. 265 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:19,840 Uh, and, and for whatever reason, I, I can relate to maybe layman and Lemuel a little 266 00:19:19,840 --> 00:19:24,240 bit on that, uh, level and I, and I'm, I'm not trying to be funny. 267 00:19:24,240 --> 00:19:28,920 There's just a rebellious streak that I, I, for whatever reason experienced, but that 268 00:19:28,920 --> 00:19:36,880 rebellious streak, Dave, for me ended up being the impetus to my sure knowledge or as 269 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:42,440 sure knowledge as I can come to at this point in my life, because what that did for me was 270 00:19:42,440 --> 00:19:48,360 that ripped out all of the comforts that were, would be afforded a young man by the spirit. 271 00:19:48,360 --> 00:19:54,560 They ripped away a lot of the direction that would have come, um, and so forth. 272 00:19:54,560 --> 00:20:00,400 I still made decisions and I still made choices to act appropriately and do certain things 273 00:20:00,400 --> 00:20:01,920 right, like go on a mission. 274 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:05,160 And I, I didn't go on my mission to make everybody else happy. 275 00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:08,840 I went on my mission because I had a testimony and at that point in my life, I was ready 276 00:20:08,840 --> 00:20:12,280 to be done with everything in my life that had been rebellion up until that point in 277 00:20:12,280 --> 00:20:13,280 my life. 278 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,000 And I really was, I really, really was. 279 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:19,960 I went on my mission, had a great mission, had some of the same experiences that you 280 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:26,480 just shared in healings and teachings and, uh, and all of that and, and, and had witness 281 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,680 to myself, came home off my mission. 282 00:20:29,680 --> 00:20:34,520 And what I had not realized that there was a part of the fall of Adam and Eve that was 283 00:20:34,520 --> 00:20:41,080 affecting me and that my body had become addicted to chemical and, and, and other things that, 284 00:20:41,080 --> 00:20:43,920 um, would pull me away from the spirit, which it did. 285 00:20:43,920 --> 00:20:49,640 And so I went home very long and I started drinking again and, and I didn't realize until 286 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:54,240 much later I was drinking again to numb some of the inadequacies and bad feelings and so 287 00:20:54,240 --> 00:20:59,240 forth that I was listening to the voice of the accuser, Satan in my life, who wanted me 288 00:20:59,240 --> 00:21:01,960 to believe that I wasn't worth much. 289 00:21:01,960 --> 00:21:04,040 And so what did it matter anyway? 290 00:21:04,040 --> 00:21:07,640 Well, then there comes a point in your life, you know, I have four children. 291 00:21:07,640 --> 00:21:13,160 I've gone through a divorce or two and, and a lot of other things, you know, that it was 292 00:21:13,160 --> 00:21:18,200 just like, okay, I can't, I no longer can. 293 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:22,560 And there, and you know, we read about, um, for example, we read about in the Book of 294 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:28,920 Mormon specifically, Alma the younger and others who, who have these experiences where 295 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:34,760 there's an absolute crying out where, where there's a, um, I've done everything I can 296 00:21:34,760 --> 00:21:37,840 and I just can't get my life right again. 297 00:21:37,840 --> 00:21:43,200 Um, maybe it never was at that point, but I just can't get my life right again. 298 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:48,440 So it was in acknowledging and recognizing that I had zero power. 299 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:55,360 My life had become absolutely unmanageable because I had given up my ability to make 300 00:21:55,360 --> 00:21:59,680 decisions and choices around free agency types of things. 301 00:21:59,680 --> 00:22:01,680 Um, I was subject to the devil. 302 00:22:01,680 --> 00:22:03,680 I was subject to my addiction. 303 00:22:03,680 --> 00:22:13,040 I was subject to my alcoholism until, and this is this, I, my testimony and my relationship 304 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,400 of the Godhead was foundation. 305 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:21,440 The foundation of that was built in those experiences that you shared, but, but it was 306 00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:26,640 fortified and made whole by my experiences that I later got. 307 00:22:26,640 --> 00:22:27,640 And you're right. 308 00:22:27,640 --> 00:22:32,120 You know, the church of Jesus Christ, water, they say it does not have a corner. 309 00:22:32,120 --> 00:22:36,440 They're not the only way to get the spirit in our lives and to have those kinds of healings. 310 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:42,160 We're the only way for it to be completed, but we aren't the only way for them to begin. 311 00:22:42,160 --> 00:22:47,920 And, and they began to happen as I began to turn my will in my life over to a God that 312 00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:50,920 maybe I just changed the way I viewed him a little bit. 313 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:59,440 Say prior to that, I had for whatever reason decided that God was mad at me. 314 00:22:59,440 --> 00:23:01,600 Why wouldn't he be when I made a mistake? 315 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:05,160 When I love my dad and I get mad at my kids too and they make mistakes, but when I got 316 00:23:05,160 --> 00:23:10,520 in trouble, my dad got mad at me and punishment often ensued as it should. 317 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:13,960 It's not a criticism on my dad punishment often ensued. 318 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,320 And so I saw God as being like my dad and being that way. 319 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:20,120 You know, he was mad at me and there was sure going to be punishment. 320 00:23:20,120 --> 00:23:24,320 Well, if there's going to be punishment, then maybe it's more convenient if I can deny it. 321 00:23:24,320 --> 00:23:27,320 Maybe it's more convenient if I can run from it and all that other stuff. 322 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:33,080 And the running and denying runs out, all you're left with is you and your raw reality. 323 00:23:33,080 --> 00:23:37,720 And in that raw reality, there was a lot of scar tissue, an awful lot of scar tissue, 324 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:44,120 but that scar tissue could only be healed by God, by Heavenly Father. 325 00:23:44,120 --> 00:23:48,120 And I came to realize that it was through his Son, Jesus Christ, administered to me by 326 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:54,540 the administration of his Atonement and the blessings from it by the Holy Ghost. 327 00:23:54,540 --> 00:23:56,920 But that's my experience, you know. 328 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:02,360 And my experience is today still point back to that experience. 329 00:24:02,360 --> 00:24:07,880 My experience, the reason I, and I have a intimate deep relationship with my Heavenly 330 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:11,160 Father and it's becoming deeper every day. 331 00:24:11,160 --> 00:24:14,480 And while I'm constantly working on it, I'm not there. 332 00:24:14,480 --> 00:24:21,480 But the reason I believe that it's that way is because I needed it so badly. 333 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:23,480 And I recognize we all do. 334 00:24:23,480 --> 00:24:31,320 But I would, for whatever reason, I was afforded the gift to know that, I call it the gift 335 00:24:31,320 --> 00:24:38,080 of desperation, the gift of desperation to know that without God, I have myself and literally 336 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:41,200 less than nothing, less than zero. 337 00:24:41,200 --> 00:24:50,240 And so, you know, my experience was, was spawned out of necessity, I believe, you know. 338 00:24:50,240 --> 00:24:53,520 I think it is for all of us, but that's the way I see it. 339 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:55,200 It doesn't make me special, doesn't make me better. 340 00:24:55,200 --> 00:25:00,640 In fact, there's a lot of challenges that I'm still working through that I still face 341 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:04,560 because of wreckage of my past, right? 342 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:10,560 But by the grace of a loving God, my experience has been that by the merits of Christ, all 343 00:25:10,560 --> 00:25:13,320 of that is made okay. 344 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:18,960 And so, you know, when we talk about spiritual experiences, that's a ton of different little 345 00:25:18,960 --> 00:25:21,560 spiritual experiences all wrapped into that experience. 346 00:25:21,560 --> 00:25:27,080 Well, whether you're a fish in the water, whether you're a fish out of the water, both 347 00:25:27,080 --> 00:25:35,200 fish have to come to a, not just a testimony, but I think we talked about this a few times 348 00:25:35,200 --> 00:25:40,000 ago, a few podcasts ago, difference between testimony and conversion. 349 00:25:40,000 --> 00:25:42,400 Both fish have to be converted. 350 00:25:42,400 --> 00:25:47,080 Both have to know that they're fallen, that they're lost, that they're, they can merit 351 00:25:47,080 --> 00:25:52,680 nothing of themselves as the Book of Mormon teaches, and they have to receive a forgiveness 352 00:25:52,680 --> 00:25:56,120 of sin and be born again. 353 00:25:56,120 --> 00:25:59,000 That's more than just knowing that it's true. 354 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:01,240 They have to be transformed. 355 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:03,400 They have to be changed. 356 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:04,400 They have to know. 357 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:11,920 I had to know as much as you had to know and learn for yourself that it's not about conforming. 358 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:14,040 It's not about performing. 359 00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:17,480 It's about Christ transforming us. 360 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:19,000 I love the way you put that. 361 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:21,320 And that's what we both had to come to know. 362 00:26:21,320 --> 00:26:25,880 So whether you're a fish in the water and you never rebelled and you grow up in the 363 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:31,360 Gospel of Jesus Christ and you're basically, you never really leave the path or you're 364 00:26:31,360 --> 00:26:35,680 a fish out of the water and you feel like you may or may never really got your feet 365 00:26:35,680 --> 00:26:41,320 planted on the path and you were off and you were running across back and forth the path 366 00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:43,640 throughout your life. 367 00:26:43,640 --> 00:26:45,480 That doesn't matter. 368 00:26:45,480 --> 00:26:49,120 What matters is that you got to the tree. 369 00:26:49,120 --> 00:26:53,000 You got to the tree of life and you partook. 370 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:59,520 And you partook of the love of God and the Atonement of Jesus Christ and you were transformed. 371 00:26:59,520 --> 00:27:01,200 And you fell down. 372 00:27:01,200 --> 00:27:04,920 You weren't those who were the clingers who partook of the fruit. 373 00:27:04,920 --> 00:27:07,360 Then you saw the Great and Spacious Building. 374 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:15,200 But rather you partook of the fruit of love and forgiveness and grace of God and you 375 00:27:15,200 --> 00:27:18,200 fell down on your knees in gratitude. 376 00:27:18,200 --> 00:27:25,200 Scott, that's being converted to the Lord and that's much deeper and more important 377 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,960 really than having a testimony of the church. 378 00:27:28,960 --> 00:27:33,240 And there's lots of people, I think, that only get to the testimony of the church and 379 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:37,080 they're the ones who see the Great and Spacious Building and they leave. 380 00:27:37,080 --> 00:27:43,720 They may be taste of the fruit just a little bit, but they see the Great and Spacious Building 381 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:48,560 and then they're jumping over the water to get there. 382 00:27:48,560 --> 00:27:56,760 But if you have been converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to the Lord, you will 383 00:27:56,760 --> 00:27:59,920 fall down and you will stay. 384 00:27:59,920 --> 00:28:04,320 You will choose to not just believe, but you will choose to stay. 385 00:28:04,320 --> 00:28:12,360 And we led very different lives, but we got to the same point. 386 00:28:12,360 --> 00:28:13,360 That's what's important. 387 00:28:13,360 --> 00:28:14,360 That's right. 388 00:28:14,360 --> 00:28:15,360 That's right. 389 00:28:15,360 --> 00:28:22,040 It's about the conversion and the transformation of your life that matters. 390 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,160 And so I'm just going to say this because there's probably those who listen. 391 00:28:25,160 --> 00:28:30,280 In fact, I know there is those who listen that have been down a similar path that maybe 392 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:31,720 I've been down. 393 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:36,680 Today, Dave, the challenge that there's still challenges and one of the main challenges 394 00:28:36,680 --> 00:28:39,560 today is I've even felt this. 395 00:28:39,560 --> 00:28:43,360 I've even had this experience just sitting here in the last couple of minutes as I was 396 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:44,800 listening to you. 397 00:28:44,800 --> 00:28:48,240 You know, there's a little tinge of guilt inside of me saying, man, Scott, you should 398 00:28:48,240 --> 00:28:49,240 have screwed up. 399 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:51,080 You know, you should have. 400 00:28:51,080 --> 00:28:53,200 You should have cut a wood. 401 00:28:53,200 --> 00:28:56,760 And again, whispering of the adversary, right? 402 00:28:56,760 --> 00:28:58,240 The accuser accusing me. 403 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:03,080 Yeah, and our own insecurities and fears and all that Scott, but the bottom line is, 404 00:29:03,080 --> 00:29:08,320 but the bottom line is this, you're ever bit as dependent on the mercies, graces and love 405 00:29:08,320 --> 00:29:13,920 of Jesus Christ as I am and no less and no less. 406 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:19,320 And that's that's the important thing that we all when we start drawing comparisons and 407 00:29:19,320 --> 00:29:20,320 we do that. 408 00:29:20,320 --> 00:29:26,320 I mean, I think it's just a natural thing that humans and maybe some of us are more 409 00:29:26,320 --> 00:29:30,240 susceptible to this and others, but we do start comparing ourselves and by comparison, 410 00:29:30,240 --> 00:29:32,800 I see, oh man, I should have done better. 411 00:29:32,800 --> 00:29:35,800 But then I realize, don't compare me. 412 00:29:35,800 --> 00:29:40,000 I need to compare him, compare him to what compare him to my problems. 413 00:29:40,000 --> 00:29:42,760 My problems are swallowed up. 414 00:29:42,760 --> 00:29:43,760 Yeah. 415 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:44,760 Yeah. 416 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:47,480 So anyway, yeah, that's my experience and that's and date. 417 00:29:47,480 --> 00:29:54,520 That is exactly that is exactly why I stay because there's no, there's no human or other 418 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:59,480 power that could have relieved my alcoholism. 419 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:00,480 There was only one. 420 00:30:00,480 --> 00:30:01,480 Yeah. 421 00:30:01,480 --> 00:30:02,480 Now one is God. 422 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:03,480 Yeah, absolutely. 423 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:12,360 And the Glacians 522, I think it's such a sweet description of the fruits of the spirit 424 00:30:12,360 --> 00:30:20,960 Scott, which I think so many people in this world do not understand or or they're not 425 00:30:20,960 --> 00:30:33,520 able to quite capture in their life, you know, the gifts of joy and peace and love that we 426 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:40,160 feel because of the conversion and our redemption in Jesus Christ and our relationship with 427 00:30:40,160 --> 00:30:41,160 him. 428 00:30:41,160 --> 00:30:46,120 Again, I know we don't have a corner on the market or an monopoly in that either, but 429 00:30:46,120 --> 00:30:53,800 wow, Scott, we are so blessed to be able to have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, 430 00:30:53,800 --> 00:31:02,320 which gives us a little deeper joy, I believe, a little firmer peace and a little more love 431 00:31:02,320 --> 00:31:11,760 and charity in our lives because of the confidence and the assurance and the level of hope that 432 00:31:11,760 --> 00:31:19,400 is in our life because of ordinances and covenants and our relationship and our understanding 433 00:31:19,400 --> 00:31:29,200 of who God is and who we are in relationship to him and who God is and who Jesus Christ 434 00:31:29,200 --> 00:31:31,840 is and their relationship to each other. 435 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:38,720 I mean, just just our beliefs in the Holy Trinity, Scott makes makes things just so much 436 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:47,120 more clear in my mind about their relationship with each other and how I'm a joint air through 437 00:31:47,120 --> 00:31:53,040 ordinances and covenants with Jesus Christ to the Father and how with the help of the 438 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:58,680 Holy Ghost and through Jesus Christ and his Atonement, I can enter into the presence of 439 00:31:58,680 --> 00:31:59,680 the Father. 440 00:31:59,680 --> 00:32:07,000 That's just all so clear in the Holy Temple and the ordinances that we participate in, 441 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:14,480 right, and all of that strengthens our relationship with him, which really leads us into the—and 442 00:32:14,480 --> 00:32:18,520 you know, Scott, I just want to say something about the commandments, too. 443 00:32:18,520 --> 00:32:26,720 I think the commandments themselves are evidence and witnesses as well as personal reasons why 444 00:32:26,720 --> 00:32:30,080 I stay active in the church. 445 00:32:30,080 --> 00:32:34,160 The protection and blessings of keeping the commandments, right? 446 00:32:34,160 --> 00:32:41,960 Lord of wisdom, the law of chastity, commandments, tithing, the blessings, blessings and promises 447 00:32:41,960 --> 00:32:48,160 and miracles of paying tithing, man, keeping the Sabbath day holy. 448 00:32:48,160 --> 00:32:55,320 These commandments that God has given us, which we are encouraged to obey for those who 449 00:32:55,320 --> 00:33:04,120 stay active in the gospel of Jesus Christ, are God's way of not only protecting us, 450 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:13,680 but of elevating us and blessing us and helping us to qualify for his presence in the presence 451 00:33:13,680 --> 00:33:17,120 of the Holy Ghost in our life. 452 00:33:17,120 --> 00:33:23,800 I'm really grateful for them, and I see the commandments, some of them the restored commandments 453 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:32,360 of the restored church, of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as some of the evidences of 454 00:33:32,360 --> 00:33:34,360 the truthfulness of the restoration. 455 00:33:34,360 --> 00:33:39,560 Well, and definitely, I see the commandments and all of the law of God as an expression 456 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:40,560 of God's love for us. 457 00:33:40,560 --> 00:33:43,600 He said it, it's safe, you know, and all of that. 458 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:44,600 Evidence of his love. 459 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:49,720 But it's definitely an evidence, outright evidence of his love for us. 460 00:33:49,720 --> 00:33:50,720 Yeah. 461 00:33:50,720 --> 00:33:57,960 Well, that's all of that personal experience, personal life is all part of the reason why 462 00:33:57,960 --> 00:34:01,680 I choose to believe, why I choose to stay. 463 00:34:01,680 --> 00:34:06,960 And I hope people are trying to have personal experiences daily, weekly, monthly. 464 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:11,280 There's ways to do that, you know, and remember them, journal them, right? 465 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:12,760 Be grateful for them. 466 00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:13,760 See God's hand in their life. 467 00:34:13,760 --> 00:34:17,760 Sure, and when it's appropriate with those that you love, that love you, that may be 468 00:34:17,760 --> 00:34:23,240 struggling to understand these principles themselves, given the right circumstances, 469 00:34:23,240 --> 00:34:24,240 etc. 470 00:34:24,240 --> 00:34:29,480 One of those to David, and we touched on this as prayer, but that, but that's one that 471 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:37,200 if daily, you know, and even more, I mean, you know, we're commanded to pray always in 472 00:34:37,200 --> 00:34:43,040 our fields and our closets in our, in public by ourselves and private and all of that, 473 00:34:43,040 --> 00:34:49,800 you know, that, that relationship that that that it's a really a miraculous relationship 474 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:53,680 that we're given as we engage in that prayer. 475 00:34:53,680 --> 00:34:59,840 I mentioned earlier, I had a contorted view of my relationship with God or rather God's 476 00:34:59,840 --> 00:35:02,040 relationship with me. 477 00:35:02,040 --> 00:35:06,560 That didn't change until I started talking to God again. 478 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:07,560 Right. 479 00:35:07,560 --> 00:35:08,560 Right. 480 00:35:08,560 --> 00:35:15,840 And I needed to know not what I was left with my thoughts and the silent whisperings 481 00:35:15,840 --> 00:35:18,240 of the adversary that that didn't help me. 482 00:35:18,240 --> 00:35:23,440 What helped me was having those conversations and those pouring out my hearts and even those 483 00:35:23,440 --> 00:35:27,160 expressions of frustration and I don't understand it. 484 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:33,640 And maybe you can help me or, you know, those kinds of things and that, but we can do that 485 00:35:33,640 --> 00:35:34,640 daily. 486 00:35:34,640 --> 00:35:37,280 Well, it's, it is not just talking to him. 487 00:35:37,280 --> 00:35:42,840 It was the fact that you knew he was listening and it's the connecting to him. 488 00:35:42,840 --> 00:35:43,840 Yeah. 489 00:35:43,840 --> 00:35:51,640 It's the connecting with him that, that has such power in our lives. 490 00:35:51,640 --> 00:35:57,560 So yeah, that's, that's good Scott, the power of prayer, such an important part of the reason 491 00:35:57,560 --> 00:36:01,280 why I choose to believe and stay. 492 00:36:01,280 --> 00:36:07,040 Roman numeral number three, Scott is about our relationship with God and we've already 493 00:36:07,040 --> 00:36:17,640 touched on some of these things, but it seemed to me to be kind of a separate third point. 494 00:36:17,640 --> 00:36:24,560 And it's, you know, it's based on really the scripture in John 17 three, then this is 495 00:36:24,560 --> 00:36:30,080 life eternal that they might know the, the only true God in Jesus Christ and that was 496 00:36:30,080 --> 00:36:31,080 sin. 497 00:36:31,080 --> 00:36:36,680 You know, at the very heart of this God, it's the Prophet Joseph Smith said, man cannot 498 00:36:36,680 --> 00:36:41,240 begin to comprehend themselves until they comprehend God. 499 00:36:41,240 --> 00:36:49,440 I have found that to really be true throughout my life that, that my personal identity and 500 00:36:49,440 --> 00:37:00,840 who I am is very much tied to bound to my understanding of who God is. 501 00:37:00,840 --> 00:37:08,680 And because I know who God is as my loving heavenly father, the father of my spirit and 502 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:18,080 that I'm his son, man, Scott, that, that has makes such a difference in my worship and 503 00:37:18,080 --> 00:37:26,280 in my, uh, where I'm at in relationship to him and to everyone else because I know of 504 00:37:26,280 --> 00:37:28,920 where I stand with him. 505 00:37:28,920 --> 00:37:34,600 I don't know if other people have this experience when they pray, but of course when I pray, 506 00:37:34,600 --> 00:37:41,600 all of the things I try with all my heart to express my gratitude for, thank him for 507 00:37:41,600 --> 00:37:50,360 is, is his only begotten in the flesh, Jesus Christ, his only begotten son in the flesh, 508 00:37:50,360 --> 00:37:55,000 his firstborn son in the spirit in the pre moral existence. 509 00:37:55,000 --> 00:37:57,800 And I try to thank him for that. 510 00:37:57,800 --> 00:38:03,440 And then I thank him that I'm his son too. 511 00:38:03,440 --> 00:38:10,200 I, I, you know, without taking anything away from Jesus Christ and who the same, my savior 512 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:20,160 redeemer is often to my prayer, I say in father, I'm grateful that I'm your son too. 513 00:38:20,160 --> 00:38:23,560 And help me to be a better son. 514 00:38:23,560 --> 00:38:31,760 Help me to be a more faithful, loyal, serviceable son. 515 00:38:31,760 --> 00:38:38,800 You know, I say that often in my prayers because I think about that relationship. 516 00:38:38,800 --> 00:38:46,960 So because I through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, I can begin to comprehend God. 517 00:38:46,960 --> 00:38:53,840 I begin to comprehend myself and it makes all the difference in, in my identity and 518 00:38:53,840 --> 00:38:54,840 identity. 519 00:38:54,840 --> 00:38:55,840 Right. 520 00:38:55,840 --> 00:39:01,200 We started this whole podcast three years ago based on identity is everything identity 521 00:39:01,200 --> 00:39:04,960 determines your eternity identity. 522 00:39:04,960 --> 00:39:11,560 Honestly, Scott, we wouldn't even know who we are or not believe who we are if it wasn't 523 00:39:11,560 --> 00:39:14,240 for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 524 00:39:14,240 --> 00:39:20,760 And I think there's a lot of people who leave, who, who believe that and they leave. 525 00:39:20,760 --> 00:39:25,240 And I think, wow, their whole identity is at stake. 526 00:39:25,240 --> 00:39:30,240 And not, not just, not just their membership in the church, forget that, but their whole 527 00:39:30,240 --> 00:39:35,440 identity is at stake and in danger. 528 00:39:35,440 --> 00:39:41,360 If they don't, if they don't believe in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, think of 529 00:39:41,360 --> 00:39:49,760 the truths and understanding and wisdom that they're leaving behind in terms of, of who 530 00:39:49,760 --> 00:39:52,440 they are and who God is. 531 00:39:52,440 --> 00:39:54,000 So that, that's a big one. 532 00:39:54,000 --> 00:40:02,240 And not only who I am, but who's I am and the fact of our relationship with Jesus Christ 533 00:40:02,240 --> 00:40:12,280 and that we, his blood purchased us and that he, he, uh, oh, he, the died for us, uh, that 534 00:40:12,280 --> 00:40:14,480 he, I owe him. 535 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:26,200 I, my reconciliation, my, my debt is, is to him because of his, uh, atoning sacrifice 536 00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:31,760 and suffering and, uh, that I can be a joyed heir with him. 537 00:40:31,760 --> 00:40:37,240 Scott Paul teaches that in the Bible, but no, nobody else seems to really understand 538 00:40:37,240 --> 00:40:41,000 what that means that we are sons of God. 539 00:40:41,000 --> 00:40:46,760 I mean, this is in Romans eight, the Holy spirit bears witness to, to our spirit that 540 00:40:46,760 --> 00:40:52,960 we are children of God and or sons of God, children of God, heirs. 541 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:59,760 And if heirs, joint heirs with Jesus Christ, I know, I know what that means because of 542 00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:05,800 the restored gospel of Jesus Christ when so many others don't have a complete understanding 543 00:41:05,800 --> 00:41:06,800 of that. 544 00:41:06,800 --> 00:41:14,760 So that's just one of the points under knowledge in our relationship with the Godhead. 545 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:20,120 Another one is understanding, really understanding the plan of redemption and the atonement and 546 00:41:20,120 --> 00:41:22,480 the, what went into the atonement? 547 00:41:22,480 --> 00:41:24,240 Why did I need an atonement? 548 00:41:24,240 --> 00:41:28,360 Uh, why did I need a redeemer, the doctrine of the fall, Scott? 549 00:41:28,360 --> 00:41:32,240 I mean, most religions, most churches believe the fall was evil. 550 00:41:32,240 --> 00:41:33,240 It was bad. 551 00:41:33,240 --> 00:41:34,240 It was a big mistake. 552 00:41:34,240 --> 00:41:37,960 Adam and Eve really blew it for us. 553 00:41:37,960 --> 00:41:43,160 Well, we have a complete different understanding of the fall and the need for a redeemer and 554 00:41:43,160 --> 00:41:49,560 the plan of redemption because we understand the fall because of the book of Mormon and 555 00:41:49,560 --> 00:41:52,640 the truths restored in the book of Mormon. 556 00:41:52,640 --> 00:42:01,280 So that has such a profound effect in my relationship with, uh, my heavenly father and understanding 557 00:42:01,280 --> 00:42:04,480 who I am as a, as a human as a fallen being. 558 00:42:04,480 --> 00:42:07,840 And that that's, that was all part of God's plan. 559 00:42:07,840 --> 00:42:10,920 And when I sin, he knew I would sin. 560 00:42:10,920 --> 00:42:17,640 That's why we have a redeemer justice, mercy, and how those two laws interact with each 561 00:42:17,640 --> 00:42:19,040 other. 562 00:42:19,040 --> 00:42:20,920 Everything about the plan of redemption. 563 00:42:20,920 --> 00:42:21,920 Yeah. 564 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:25,680 It just really affects our relationship. 565 00:42:25,680 --> 00:42:30,600 That was the, that was the part of my experience that I think that I was trying to, to say, 566 00:42:30,600 --> 00:42:33,160 I think you just pointed that out. 567 00:42:33,160 --> 00:42:34,480 It really is. 568 00:42:34,480 --> 00:42:36,560 It's about that relationship with deity. 569 00:42:36,560 --> 00:42:37,560 Yeah. 570 00:42:37,560 --> 00:42:40,240 Uh, it's God wasn't mad at Adam and Eve. 571 00:42:40,240 --> 00:42:41,240 It was part of the plan. 572 00:42:41,240 --> 00:42:42,240 Right. 573 00:42:42,240 --> 00:42:46,560 If that's part of the plan, then my fallenness must also be, now I'm not excusing it and 574 00:42:46,560 --> 00:42:47,960 then there were definite mistakes. 575 00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:52,920 It shouldn't happen, but, but my fallenness may also, maybe then also be part of the plan 576 00:42:52,920 --> 00:42:59,040 if at least the redemption from my fallenness is part of the plan. 577 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:04,600 Seeing because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ can be permanently lost. 578 00:43:04,600 --> 00:43:05,920 Right. 579 00:43:05,920 --> 00:43:15,200 As bad as mortality can be and as bad as man can be and as bad as our choices and decisions 580 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:24,240 and sins may be Scott doesn't go beyond the love of God and the power and mercy and grace 581 00:43:24,240 --> 00:43:27,760 of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 582 00:43:27,760 --> 00:43:32,920 And what, what does that teach us about the character attributes and perfections of God 583 00:43:32,920 --> 00:43:35,600 and his plan anyway? 584 00:43:35,600 --> 00:43:42,400 Uh, so knowing who we are, the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, we talk a lot about our 585 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:47,440 relationship with the father and the son, but there's only one place in all the scriptures 586 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:51,640 where it says you can have a constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, Scott, and that's in the 587 00:43:51,640 --> 00:43:54,720 Doctrine and Covenants, section 121. 588 00:43:54,720 --> 00:43:56,320 Verse 46, I'm going to read it. 589 00:43:56,320 --> 00:44:01,560 The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion and thy sceptre and unchanging sceptre of 590 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:07,920 righteousness and truth and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion and without 591 00:44:07,920 --> 00:44:11,160 compulsory means that shall flow into thee forever and ever. 592 00:44:11,160 --> 00:44:14,800 Okay, that is so full of doctor. 593 00:44:14,800 --> 00:44:23,280 That verse is so loaded in credible and and that's in the Doctrine and Covenants that 594 00:44:23,280 --> 00:44:26,840 there was a revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail. 595 00:44:26,840 --> 00:44:33,000 One verse, one verse, the only place where you can be worried where the doctrine is taught 596 00:44:33,000 --> 00:44:36,480 that the Holy Ghost is our constant companion. 597 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:39,000 I take that pretty literally, Scott. 598 00:44:39,000 --> 00:44:44,160 I believe that the everyone is entitled to the power of the Holy Ghost and from time 599 00:44:44,160 --> 00:44:48,000 to time, the Holy Ghost can teach individuals truth. 600 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:49,000 He can warn them. 601 00:44:49,000 --> 00:44:55,720 He can give anyone in this world revelation that the Father wants to wants to communicate 602 00:44:55,720 --> 00:45:04,240 with or use the Holy Ghost as a agent of change and love, whatever. 603 00:45:04,240 --> 00:45:12,120 But we believe that we are able to have the Holy Ghost as a constant, constant companion. 604 00:45:12,120 --> 00:45:24,000 Scott, there is no besides our agency there and besides the gift of Jesus Christ and his 605 00:45:24,000 --> 00:45:32,360 Atonement, there is no other gift that God has given us in this life greater than the 606 00:45:32,360 --> 00:45:38,320 gift of the Holy Ghost as our constant companion. 607 00:45:38,320 --> 00:45:42,040 Now I know that I'm a sinner. 608 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:53,580 I know I'm never perfect or sinless or ever completely, fully worthy of that gift. 609 00:45:53,580 --> 00:45:59,480 But Scott, I really believe he's with me almost all the time, unless I just don't even want 610 00:45:59,480 --> 00:46:00,680 him with me. 611 00:46:00,680 --> 00:46:05,000 And I know there's people like that and I've been like that in my life. 612 00:46:05,000 --> 00:46:07,440 He hasn't been with me for all the time. 613 00:46:07,440 --> 00:46:15,600 I know that I rebelled to and that I sin and what I do, I, I, I know that the Holy Spirit 614 00:46:15,600 --> 00:46:22,280 cannot man cannot keep God and the spirit in his life when they sin. 615 00:46:22,280 --> 00:46:29,560 But when I repent, I know that he can be my constant companion. 616 00:46:29,560 --> 00:46:35,000 And then because of him in that verse, it says that because of the gift of the Holy 617 00:46:35,000 --> 00:46:39,680 Ghost working upon us, I think the Holy Ghost can change us. 618 00:46:39,680 --> 00:46:46,560 He is the power and agent of change and that it is through him that we can eternally progress. 619 00:46:46,560 --> 00:46:50,680 What do you see in that verse in terms of the doctrine of eternal progression? 620 00:46:50,680 --> 00:46:54,560 It says, and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion. 621 00:46:54,560 --> 00:47:00,400 Dominions, we have dominions kingdoms, thrones, principalities, powers. 622 00:47:00,400 --> 00:47:04,680 And without compulsory means, it shall flow into the forever. 623 00:47:04,680 --> 00:47:08,600 I think that's as big a miracle as any of it. 624 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:09,920 Yeah, just flows. 625 00:47:09,920 --> 00:47:15,320 Just without compulsion as long as right. 626 00:47:15,320 --> 00:47:19,560 We have that unchanging righteous, a sceptre of righteousness and truth. 627 00:47:19,560 --> 00:47:23,840 Thy dominion shall be an everlasting, never ending dominion. 628 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:30,080 And without compulsory means without compulsion, it will flow into the forever and ever. 629 00:47:30,080 --> 00:47:31,720 It's amazing. 630 00:47:31,720 --> 00:47:38,840 The eternity, the eternity of man and the eternal relationship with a member of the 631 00:47:38,840 --> 00:47:39,840 Godhead. 632 00:47:39,840 --> 00:47:48,640 I mean, he's a, he's a member of the Godhead and we can have him as a constant companion. 633 00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:50,640 That's why I believe in stay. 634 00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:51,640 Yeah. 635 00:47:51,640 --> 00:47:55,600 Why would I go and leave that? 636 00:47:55,600 --> 00:47:56,600 Yeah. 637 00:47:56,600 --> 00:47:58,600 Oh man. 638 00:47:58,600 --> 00:48:01,000 Anyway. 639 00:48:01,000 --> 00:48:08,920 So the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, so many, so many blessings, so many gifts. 640 00:48:08,920 --> 00:48:16,440 It deepens, it strengthens, it expands my reverence for God and how I worship him in 641 00:48:16,440 --> 00:48:18,560 the name of Jesus Christ. 642 00:48:18,560 --> 00:48:20,560 Kind of understanding that relationship. 643 00:48:20,560 --> 00:48:24,200 I worship the Father in the name of Jesus Christ. 644 00:48:24,200 --> 00:48:27,240 Jacob actually says that in Jacob chapter two. 645 00:48:27,240 --> 00:48:30,000 Of course, I worship Jesus Christ. 646 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:35,840 Of course, I worship in the name of Jesus Christ and I worship the Godhead, the Father, 647 00:48:35,840 --> 00:48:41,520 the Son, the Holy Ghost, but I also understand that there's a hierarchy there. 648 00:48:41,520 --> 00:48:48,840 I understand that and I know Jesus taught that that we pray to the Father in the name 649 00:48:48,840 --> 00:48:51,800 of the Son and I understand that relationship. 650 00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:53,120 I don't pray to Jesus. 651 00:48:53,120 --> 00:48:55,160 I don't pray to the Holy Ghost. 652 00:48:55,160 --> 00:49:01,720 I pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ as prompted and directed by the Holy 653 00:49:01,720 --> 00:49:03,480 Spirit. 654 00:49:03,480 --> 00:49:07,240 Words are given to me by the Spirit what I should pray for. 655 00:49:07,240 --> 00:49:13,320 I understand that relationship, Scott, and it makes my prayers more effective. 656 00:49:13,320 --> 00:49:20,800 It makes my relationship more, more clear in my, more, more clear in my mind. 657 00:49:20,800 --> 00:49:25,720 All of that's part of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. 658 00:49:25,720 --> 00:49:34,720 And then to enjoy the confidence because of that relationship we have with our Heavenly 659 00:49:34,720 --> 00:49:40,320 Father and His Son, Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost because of knowing that we've entered 660 00:49:40,320 --> 00:49:49,680 into covenants with Him, with them, to know my standing before God as a joint heir with 661 00:49:49,680 --> 00:49:51,680 Christ. 662 00:49:51,680 --> 00:50:01,880 Honestly, that brings just so much peace and purpose and joy in my life, Scott, that that's 663 00:50:01,880 --> 00:50:05,040 why I choose to believe and stay. 664 00:50:05,040 --> 00:50:11,880 And finally, the last point I have under my relationship is that we understand a lot about 665 00:50:11,880 --> 00:50:14,360 the second coming of Jesus Christ. 666 00:50:14,360 --> 00:50:20,800 We understand not just the plan of redemption, the plan of mercy, but we understand something 667 00:50:20,800 --> 00:50:27,560 about the plan and the timing, the overall picture of God and the salvation of this earth 668 00:50:27,560 --> 00:50:36,440 and all the people that live on this earth, which leads me to look forward to with eager 669 00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:44,600 anticipation to watch for the second coming of Jesus Christ and the winding up of these 670 00:50:44,600 --> 00:50:45,600 events. 671 00:50:45,600 --> 00:50:49,440 I just, I really look forward to the second coming of Jesus Christ. 672 00:50:49,440 --> 00:50:50,720 I don't dread it. 673 00:50:50,720 --> 00:50:53,000 I'm not afraid of it. 674 00:50:53,000 --> 00:50:55,240 I pray for it. 675 00:50:55,240 --> 00:51:02,800 Like John says, it's so, I think it's so awesome, kind of cute how John ends his gospel, you 676 00:51:02,800 --> 00:51:07,040 know, praying for the second coming praying for Jesus to come again. 677 00:51:07,040 --> 00:51:11,120 And he says, and come quickly. 678 00:51:11,120 --> 00:51:12,440 I love that. 679 00:51:12,440 --> 00:51:13,440 That's how I feel. 680 00:51:13,440 --> 00:51:17,200 Oh, please, Jesus, come quickly. 681 00:51:17,200 --> 00:51:20,960 And we've been commanded and to watch for the second coming. 682 00:51:20,960 --> 00:51:24,080 And we've been given the signs to watch for now. 683 00:51:24,080 --> 00:51:25,800 I know they're in the Bible. 684 00:51:25,800 --> 00:51:27,480 They're also in the Book of Mormon. 685 00:51:27,480 --> 00:51:32,360 And there's even additional signs that the Bible and the Book of Mormon don't contain 686 00:51:32,360 --> 00:51:37,960 in the doctorate and confidence and the Pearl of Great Price in the in the Book of Moses. 687 00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:44,520 Anyways, it's got and we have a whole chapter in the Pearl of Great Price on Matthew 24, 688 00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:49,600 which is all about the events preceding the second coming of Jesus Christ. 689 00:51:49,600 --> 00:51:55,080 And we have section 45, which talks about the second coming of Jesus Christ. 690 00:51:55,080 --> 00:52:02,360 And we know that because of the revelations and the restoration that we are the children 691 00:52:02,360 --> 00:52:07,840 of light and that he should not come to us as a thief in the night. 692 00:52:07,840 --> 00:52:11,120 But we will know when he's coming. 693 00:52:11,120 --> 00:52:14,680 We'll participate in those events at Adam on the almond. 694 00:52:14,680 --> 00:52:22,320 I I just really that's a big part of why I choose to believe and stay is because of the 695 00:52:22,320 --> 00:52:30,160 events preceding and the events of and the events following the second coming of Jesus 696 00:52:30,160 --> 00:52:31,160 Christ. 697 00:52:31,160 --> 00:52:33,200 That's that's a big deal, Scott. 698 00:52:33,200 --> 00:52:38,440 Yeah, it's gonna make Christmas look pretty insignificant when we start celebrating the 699 00:52:38,440 --> 00:52:45,000 second coming of Jesus Christ and when he comes, whatever day that might be. 700 00:52:45,000 --> 00:52:51,120 But I know it's through the restoration and that we can be prepared for that. 701 00:52:51,120 --> 00:52:57,240 So those are all reasons why I believe and stay. 702 00:52:57,240 --> 00:53:06,160 The I love that you have these in kind of an order, you know, evidences and witnesses, 703 00:53:06,160 --> 00:53:07,960 personal experiences. 704 00:53:07,960 --> 00:53:14,000 And then I love that how you've kind of held this one back for the knowledge of and relationship 705 00:53:14,000 --> 00:53:15,960 with the Godhead. 706 00:53:15,960 --> 00:53:21,080 I don't I don't know if you could probably the most precious one. 707 00:53:21,080 --> 00:53:26,440 Well, I think the other two make it so that that one can happen. 708 00:53:26,440 --> 00:53:31,760 Yeah, you know, and I see this also, we talk about faith being a helix. 709 00:53:31,760 --> 00:53:33,960 I see this also as being a helix, Dave. 710 00:53:33,960 --> 00:53:40,120 Yeah, I see I see that as my knowledge and my relationship, my relationship with my relationship 711 00:53:40,120 --> 00:53:47,080 with Godhead is the most important, the absolute most important activity endeavor. 712 00:53:47,080 --> 00:53:52,800 I shouldn't even call it an activity, but endeavor that I can be involved in period. 713 00:53:52,800 --> 00:53:56,360 Personal experiences, evidences and witnesses lent to that. 714 00:53:56,360 --> 00:54:01,360 Yeah, but but those personal experiences and evidences and witnesses become even more 715 00:54:01,360 --> 00:54:08,000 pronounced even more even more obvious to me, depending on the depth of my relationship 716 00:54:08,000 --> 00:54:09,680 and knowledge with Godhead. 717 00:54:09,680 --> 00:54:15,040 So without a relationship, all those personal experience evidences and witnesses would be 718 00:54:15,040 --> 00:54:17,280 really worth a really matter. 719 00:54:17,280 --> 00:54:18,640 That's right. 720 00:54:18,640 --> 00:54:20,480 So you know, one needful thing. 721 00:54:20,480 --> 00:54:21,480 Exactly. 722 00:54:21,480 --> 00:54:22,480 That's it. 723 00:54:22,480 --> 00:54:26,200 There's one needful thing. 724 00:54:26,200 --> 00:54:32,400 And that third point encapsulates that one needful thing from chapter two knowing their 725 00:54:32,400 --> 00:54:39,240 characters, their attributes, their perfections, being able to have faith in them and a relationship 726 00:54:39,240 --> 00:54:40,240 with them. 727 00:54:40,240 --> 00:54:45,360 Oh, Scott, that's really that's that's everything. 728 00:54:45,360 --> 00:54:50,040 That's that's the I guess that's the bottom line. 729 00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:55,320 You know, and when everybody starts to leave Jesus, you know, in John chapter six, because 730 00:54:55,320 --> 00:55:00,480 he's taught some hard doctrine and they can't quite understand it and wrap their mind around 731 00:55:00,480 --> 00:55:03,120 it or believe in him. 732 00:55:03,120 --> 00:55:06,440 And he asked his disciples, are you also going to leave? 733 00:55:06,440 --> 00:55:07,600 Yeah. 734 00:55:07,600 --> 00:55:09,480 And they said, Peter says. 735 00:55:09,480 --> 00:55:11,880 Hey, where else would we go, Lord? 736 00:55:11,880 --> 00:55:12,880 Right. 737 00:55:12,880 --> 00:55:17,240 Nobody else has the words of eternal life or life with God. 738 00:55:17,240 --> 00:55:21,360 So nobody else can teach us about life with God. 739 00:55:21,360 --> 00:55:22,360 Peter makes that observation. 740 00:55:22,360 --> 00:55:24,200 And that's an important observation. 741 00:55:24,200 --> 00:55:30,120 This is the same Peter that when Jesus said to him, whom say, whom say, man that I am? 742 00:55:30,120 --> 00:55:31,120 Yeah. 743 00:55:31,120 --> 00:55:36,800 And Peter said, will they say you're this guy or that guy or this and then Jesus says, 744 00:55:36,800 --> 00:55:38,880 yeah, but Peter, who do you say that I am? 745 00:55:38,880 --> 00:55:39,880 Right. 746 00:55:39,880 --> 00:55:45,480 And he says, thou art the living Christ, the Christ, the son of the living God. 747 00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:46,480 Right. 748 00:55:46,480 --> 00:55:50,600 And Jesus said, blessed art thou, Simon, bar Jonah, for flesh and blood hath not revealed 749 00:55:50,600 --> 00:55:55,840 it to thee, but my father, which is in heaven, my father, which is in heaven revealed that 750 00:55:55,840 --> 00:56:01,000 to Peter and he will to us again through the third member of the Godhead, the power and 751 00:56:01,000 --> 00:56:05,040 gifted in our constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. 752 00:56:05,040 --> 00:56:06,040 Yep. 753 00:56:06,040 --> 00:56:07,040 Amen. 754 00:56:07,040 --> 00:56:08,040 And that's what it's all about. 755 00:56:08,040 --> 00:56:10,720 That's why I choose to believe. 756 00:56:10,720 --> 00:56:12,920 And that's why I choose to stay. 757 00:56:12,920 --> 00:56:18,720 And I really feel like I can't afford not to choose to believe at this point in my life. 758 00:56:18,720 --> 00:56:20,720 The cost has been too great. 759 00:56:20,720 --> 00:56:21,720 Yeah. 760 00:56:21,720 --> 00:56:22,720 The cost. 761 00:56:22,720 --> 00:56:27,920 The eternal relationship, Scott, that we can have the eternal progression that we believe 762 00:56:27,920 --> 00:56:28,920 in. 763 00:56:28,920 --> 00:56:29,920 Yeah. 764 00:56:29,920 --> 00:56:35,080 The idea we haven't even talked about this, which I think so sacred, but I know evangelicals 765 00:56:35,080 --> 00:56:41,960 and anti's love to criticize us for the idea, which I believe was taught by early Christian 766 00:56:41,960 --> 00:56:44,960 fathers that we can become like God. 767 00:56:44,960 --> 00:56:45,960 Yeah. 768 00:56:45,960 --> 00:56:51,400 That we, we, I know only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that possible. 769 00:56:51,400 --> 00:56:57,800 I know only through his gifts and only through his power that's possible, but that any father, 770 00:56:57,800 --> 00:57:01,240 really loving father, again, that comes back to knowing God. 771 00:57:01,240 --> 00:57:04,120 And it comes back to a relationship with that loving God. 772 00:57:04,120 --> 00:57:10,760 Knowing, knowing him and having a relationship with him that he wants us to become like him 773 00:57:10,760 --> 00:57:12,760 errors. 774 00:57:12,760 --> 00:57:16,440 Nobody else believes that Scott joined errors with Christ. 775 00:57:16,440 --> 00:57:17,440 Nobody else believes that. 776 00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:32,360 And I find that to be so humbling, so motivating, so hopeful, so graceful, merciful words can 777 00:57:32,360 --> 00:57:34,520 describe it. 778 00:57:34,520 --> 00:57:38,960 I choose to believe and I choose to stay and I know I have a lot of work to do. 779 00:57:38,960 --> 00:57:39,960 Yeah, me too. 780 00:57:39,960 --> 00:57:41,960 I have a lot of work to do. 781 00:57:41,960 --> 00:57:44,120 And one last, one last thing. 782 00:57:44,120 --> 00:57:49,480 I know we got to wind this up, but there are the fourth Roman emerald pointers, true points 783 00:57:49,480 --> 00:57:50,480 of doctrine. 784 00:57:50,480 --> 00:57:57,000 Scott and we've touched on almost all of these, eternal progression, salvation of children. 785 00:57:57,000 --> 00:58:01,600 I think that's one of the most precious points of doctrine of the restoration is that we 786 00:58:01,600 --> 00:58:04,800 know where babies go when they die. 787 00:58:04,800 --> 00:58:11,240 When I'm stealing children to families in the two couples to parents in the temple and 788 00:58:11,240 --> 00:58:17,760 I see on a ordinance card that this child does not need to be baptized, didn't need an 789 00:58:17,760 --> 00:58:21,040 ischeterie endowment or any temple work. 790 00:58:21,040 --> 00:58:24,160 All they need to do is be sealed to their parents. 791 00:58:24,160 --> 00:58:30,240 I always think about this point of doctrine that we know where babies go. 792 00:58:30,240 --> 00:58:38,560 And because of my again, personal experience in baring some babies that my wife had in 793 00:58:38,560 --> 00:58:40,880 stillborn that we're stillborn. 794 00:58:40,880 --> 00:58:45,600 And I know there's no official doctrine on stillborns, but I know that I'm going to raise 795 00:58:45,600 --> 00:58:48,200 three sons in the millennium. 796 00:58:48,200 --> 00:58:53,720 And I know that babies who die before the age of eight are unaccountable and I know they 797 00:58:53,720 --> 00:58:59,880 go to heaven and I know they are go to the celestial kingdom unconditionally. 798 00:58:59,880 --> 00:59:03,080 No one else teaches that Scott. 799 00:59:03,080 --> 00:59:07,320 No one else understands what happens to babies. 800 00:59:07,320 --> 00:59:16,480 That point of doctrine alone helps me to believe in the God I believe in, the loving merciful 801 00:59:16,480 --> 00:59:19,120 God I believe in. 802 00:59:19,120 --> 00:59:25,880 Nobody believes that in a God of more mercy and grace than we do Scott, who has saved about 803 00:59:25,880 --> 00:59:33,600 50% of their children in the celestial kingdom because 200 years ago 50% of children never 804 00:59:33,600 --> 00:59:35,760 made it to the age of eight. 805 00:59:35,760 --> 00:59:38,080 200 years ago and prior. 806 00:59:38,080 --> 00:59:39,080 I'm right. 807 00:59:39,080 --> 00:59:40,600 All the way back to Adam. 808 00:59:40,600 --> 00:59:41,600 Exactly. 809 00:59:41,600 --> 00:59:43,680 They never made it to eight years old. 810 00:59:43,680 --> 00:59:47,720 How many of God's children are in the celestial kingdom? 811 00:59:47,720 --> 00:59:55,760 This point of doctrine and alone helps me in my relationship with God to know who he is 812 00:59:55,760 --> 01:00:05,640 and to know how fair life will be because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes 813 01:00:05,640 --> 01:00:14,480 all of these blessings possible that we can actually be with our children and our families 814 01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:15,960 together forever. 815 01:00:15,960 --> 01:00:26,400 Well, Scott, all of these points of doctrine, which are only the result of the restoration 816 01:00:26,400 --> 01:00:32,600 of the fullness of the gospel in these latter days through the Prophet Joseph Smith and 817 01:00:32,600 --> 01:00:43,320 the revelations given through him and living prophets is why I choose to believe and why 818 01:00:43,320 --> 01:00:46,240 I choose to stay. 819 01:00:46,240 --> 01:00:53,360 You know, who else where else might I go and receive the words of eternal life or life 820 01:00:53,360 --> 01:00:54,360 with God? 821 01:00:54,360 --> 01:01:01,040 Well, and I pray that each of us will seek as Peter did to receive that spiritual witness 822 01:01:01,040 --> 01:01:07,240 that he is the son of the living God that because of his sacrifice because of God's 823 01:01:07,240 --> 01:01:11,880 great love for us and the gift of his son and the gift of the Holy Ghost that God has 824 01:01:11,880 --> 01:01:18,840 given us that that demonstration of love binds me to him, not just through the sealing 825 01:01:18,840 --> 01:01:24,560 covenant, but through my love and commitment because he loved me first. 826 01:01:24,560 --> 01:01:26,560 I'm grateful to know that today. 827 01:01:26,560 --> 01:01:27,560 Amen. 828 01:01:27,560 --> 01:01:28,560 Thank you. 829 01:01:28,560 --> 01:01:30,060 Thanks for being with us, everybody. 830 01:01:30,060 --> 01:01:32,360 We look forward to being with you again next week. 831 01:01:32,360 --> 01:01:48,840 And until then, be well.