1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,520 Hey there everybody welcome out to another episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:22,480 Scott and David Durfey here as always. 3 00:00:22,480 --> 00:00:23,480 Hey Scott. 4 00:00:23,480 --> 00:00:24,480 How are you Dave? 5 00:00:24,480 --> 00:00:25,480 All good. 6 00:00:25,480 --> 00:00:26,880 I got a granddaughter coming home today. 7 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:29,480 I can't even believe how excited you must be. 8 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:30,480 Yeah. 9 00:00:30,480 --> 00:00:31,480 Isn't that sweet? 10 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:37,600 Yeah, you know it's easy to say this because I'm not her parent, I'm not Kyle, I'm not 11 00:00:37,600 --> 00:00:41,240 Aubrey so it's easy for me to say this but man that went fast. 12 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:42,240 Yeah. 13 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:45,000 It went fast for them for me. 14 00:00:45,000 --> 00:00:47,840 When I had a missionary out those days didn't go fast. 15 00:00:47,840 --> 00:00:50,960 Yeah, I probably didn't go fast for Aubrey. 16 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:52,280 Yeah, yeah. 17 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,280 But it went fast for me and it sure did for her. 18 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:01,560 She sure, wow she wrote such an amazing email. 19 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:02,560 Did she? 20 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:03,560 Yeah, Monday. 21 00:01:03,560 --> 00:01:05,560 Tell me about it. 22 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:06,560 Wow. 23 00:01:06,560 --> 00:01:08,560 Just bearing testimony and on fire. 24 00:01:08,560 --> 00:01:13,160 No bearing testimony, sharing her heart, bearing her soul. 25 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:14,160 Yeah. 26 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:21,480 And saying I'm so thankful the Lord allowed me to come out here to help change people 27 00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:25,880 but mostly I'm thankful I came out here so he could change me. 28 00:01:25,880 --> 00:01:33,400 Yeah, I love that and that's how it works you know for those missionaries who really 29 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:37,920 apply themselves and get in and do the work. 30 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:49,440 But I gotta tell you that I thought this morning I wonder if Heavenly Father puts on his best 31 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:57,320 pair of white pants because his children or grandchildren are coming home. 32 00:01:57,320 --> 00:02:01,680 As I dressed this morning I thought you know it's kind of like when you have a new baby 33 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,280 and you're going to the hospital to bring the baby home. 34 00:02:05,280 --> 00:02:07,160 I remember that with my first baby. 35 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:08,320 Did you really? 36 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:13,320 I shaved twice as hard. 37 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:18,920 I wanted to be totally clean shaven so I could kiss that baby and I wanted that baby 38 00:02:18,920 --> 00:02:20,800 to be proud of me. 39 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:26,560 That baby probably didn't even see or recognize me but I remember combing my hair and wanted 40 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:28,360 to look so good for that baby. 41 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:31,960 That's what you call being intentional right there because that never even occurred to 42 00:02:31,960 --> 00:02:32,960 me. 43 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:33,960 Really? 44 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:34,960 No, I just wanted to get there. 45 00:02:34,960 --> 00:02:37,440 If I'm wearing sweats and a New York Yankees hat. 46 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:40,640 I was that way with every one of my kids when they were babies. 47 00:02:40,640 --> 00:02:41,640 That's cool. 48 00:02:41,640 --> 00:02:45,760 And I was that way this morning with a granddaughter coming home from a mission. 49 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,880 I was thinking oh I got to look good today and brush my teeth especially good and shave 50 00:02:50,880 --> 00:02:53,080 extra hard. 51 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:54,320 You look extra handsome. 52 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:55,320 Yeah, that's why. 53 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:56,320 That's why. 54 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:57,320 Yeah, it's working. 55 00:02:57,320 --> 00:02:59,480 That's why but you're not wearing white pants. 56 00:02:59,480 --> 00:03:02,360 No, no, but I thought these are nice pants. 57 00:03:02,360 --> 00:03:04,040 Yeah, you look great. 58 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,480 So anyway, that's exciting. 59 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:08,400 But this is not uncommon for you. 60 00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:09,400 You always look great. 61 00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:10,400 No. 62 00:03:10,400 --> 00:03:13,280 Well Deb and I just got back from San Diego and we were at the airport last night, cute 63 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:18,360 missionary girl coming home and it was somewhat apparent to me that she was returning from 64 00:03:18,360 --> 00:03:19,360 Hawaii. 65 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:24,280 You know she had the flowery day on and she had a really pretty Hawaiian type style dress. 66 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:29,440 And so I asked her if she was just coming home from Hawaii and she said yes. 67 00:03:29,440 --> 00:03:30,880 And I asked her what mission. 68 00:03:30,880 --> 00:03:32,840 She said the LIE mission. 69 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,520 I asked her if she knew our sweet niece. 70 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:41,120 I got a cousin for me, niece for you. 71 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:44,440 Sadie and she's she stopped her. 72 00:03:44,440 --> 00:03:49,120 She says, oh, sister, ma'am, she was one of my favorites. 73 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:55,640 It just they just come home and they have after having given themselves to the Lord for a 74 00:03:55,640 --> 00:04:00,640 year and a half in her in her case, they just come home different. 75 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:02,840 Yeah, oh, for sure. 76 00:04:02,840 --> 00:04:05,560 And that's what right in line with what we're talking about changed. 77 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,080 Yeah, changed, changed to God. 78 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:14,200 And so yeah, let's let's jump into what we want to talk about today because this has 79 00:04:14,200 --> 00:04:16,840 kind of been a lifetime thing for me. 80 00:04:16,840 --> 00:04:23,720 I remember even as a teenager thinking about this topic and and throughout my life off 81 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:30,120 and on, I've revisited this and continue to think a lot about it. 82 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:36,960 And Sunday I had a experience with someone who's really struggling in the church and 83 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:42,400 doesn't matter if it's boy or girl or who it is. 84 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:57,000 But anyway, this person has had high church positions and but messed up again and reverted 85 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:07,280 back to old habits and addictions that they had even a little bit after their mission 86 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:15,480 and a little bit before their mission and they just keep slipping back into the same 87 00:05:15,480 --> 00:05:18,520 hole and sin. 88 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:28,560 And but this time, I think this person is especially discouraged because they think 89 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:32,120 that there's I just can't do it. 90 00:05:32,120 --> 00:05:38,160 I mean, if you can't do it when you're in in that calling and have that responsibility 91 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:46,480 and putting in that much effort to serve the Lord as as they were doing in a calling. 92 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:52,160 You think if I can't change doing that, then I can't change. 93 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,560 This must be who I am. 94 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:58,520 And 95 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:04,960 gratefully they reached out to me and we're willing to come over and talk to me for a 96 00:06:04,960 --> 00:06:07,520 couple of hours. 97 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:13,200 And it's just so it's just I know Scott's on everyone's mind from time to time on mine 98 00:06:13,200 --> 00:06:21,920 and yours, right about how how can we change and so right off the bat because to set this 99 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:23,560 up. 100 00:06:23,560 --> 00:06:25,440 That's the problem. 101 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:31,120 How can we change the problem isn't about us changing. 102 00:06:31,120 --> 00:06:36,520 It's not about how can I change the focus should be. 103 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:40,440 How can I be changed? 104 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:48,960 This is a this is a common dilemma that I run into in a in all recovery circles, actually. 105 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:54,840 You know, I've had people on multiple occasions tell me, Scott, I just can't do it after they've 106 00:06:54,840 --> 00:07:00,160 tried and after there's been unsuccessful attempts or or some success and then later 107 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:04,240 down the line, they fall or a relapse or or whatever. 108 00:07:04,240 --> 00:07:11,320 And they'll say, I just can't do it to which I almost always reply. 109 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:13,560 Well, of course, you can't. 110 00:07:13,560 --> 00:07:16,680 It was never intended for you to be able to. 111 00:07:16,680 --> 00:07:20,400 Yeah, that's why we focus on an AA higher power. 112 00:07:20,400 --> 00:07:25,480 That's why it's so important that we understand in the church and we spent, you know, five 113 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:30,160 episodes I think on talking about why I choose to believe and stay. 114 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:33,680 Well, that has to be part of that. 115 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:41,720 There's just no there's just no possible human way that any of us left to our own devices 116 00:07:41,720 --> 00:07:46,840 will be able to stay in alignment with Heavenly Father's will for that for us, whatever that 117 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:49,120 looks like for us as individuals. 118 00:07:49,120 --> 00:07:50,120 Yeah. 119 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,960 Yeah, we get people get stuck on it. 120 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:58,000 And again, it's just it's just a matter of perspective and focus. 121 00:07:58,000 --> 00:07:59,000 Correct. 122 00:07:59,000 --> 00:08:06,360 It's not about me changing atheists and agnostics can change. 123 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,000 It's about being changed through Christ. 124 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:17,360 That should be the perspective, the emphasis, the focus, all of our intentions should be 125 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:20,520 on being changed. 126 00:08:20,520 --> 00:08:22,120 Right. 127 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:31,240 That's so important and there's just so many in the church who grit their teeth and bear 128 00:08:31,240 --> 00:08:36,240 it and quite knuckle it and think that they have to change. 129 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:37,760 They're trying to conform. 130 00:08:37,760 --> 00:08:42,120 They're trying to perform, but they're not being transformed. 131 00:08:42,120 --> 00:08:46,640 Well, Dave, this is an area to where false gods enter the picture. 132 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:48,640 Let me explain. 133 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:49,640 Yeah. 134 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,640 You know, what I mean by that is, for example, you know, somebody who's got a little bit of 135 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:54,440 a sense of, you know, somebody come and I'm going to use my reference. 136 00:08:54,440 --> 00:09:00,600 I obviously have the same reference that you Dave have, you know, when it comes to our 137 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:03,640 application through the church and stuff like that. 138 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:11,240 But I want to share, you know, when we're when we're talking about change and we come 139 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:17,680 and we want to be different and there's a lot of things, though, that are really kind 140 00:09:17,680 --> 00:09:19,000 of play into it. 141 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:21,880 You know, first off, why do I want to change? 142 00:09:21,880 --> 00:09:23,360 Am I being compelled? 143 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:25,400 This is something that's burning within me. 144 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:30,720 You know, there's just a lot of these things, but false gods begin to enter because, for 145 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:36,640 example, you know, there are certain drugs that will make you sick if you drink alcohol. 146 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:41,720 There are certain drugs that block opiates from entering your system. 147 00:09:41,720 --> 00:09:46,560 And these drugs can become a false God. 148 00:09:46,560 --> 00:09:51,000 Because we think that that change can happen to me through that. 149 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:53,840 And what we find is it's just that never works. 150 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:57,920 You know, I should I can't say never works because as soon as I do, somebody's going 151 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:00,400 to send an email saying, well, it worked for me. 152 00:10:00,400 --> 00:10:02,800 Well, and there's a place for those drugs. 153 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:03,800 There are. 154 00:10:03,800 --> 00:10:08,160 And I might also reply, yeah, but the story is not over for you. 155 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:09,520 Because it will reenter. 156 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:10,520 It will reenter. 157 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,200 Taking the drug doesn't mean you're. 158 00:10:12,200 --> 00:10:19,040 Until we are safely dead using the words of Elder Maxwell, until we are safely dead to 159 00:10:19,040 --> 00:10:24,120 all of the things of this world, then we are never fully out of the out of the woods on 160 00:10:24,120 --> 00:10:25,120 stuff like that. 161 00:10:25,120 --> 00:10:26,120 Yeah. 162 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:27,960 Because these things come. 163 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:28,960 It was never really intended. 164 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:31,520 And I say this in all honesty. 165 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:37,920 There's it's never really intended for us to make the changes ourselves that will allow 166 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,800 us to have the things in our lives that we say that we want. 167 00:10:41,800 --> 00:10:45,720 Just peace and serenity and a relationship with the. 168 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:55,920 Well, and they're just I I'm I don't mean to be critical and I'm not being critical, 169 00:10:55,920 --> 00:11:02,840 but you know, this this person who came to me Sunday, you know, was was regurgitating 170 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:11,760 some of the thoughts that he had had or previous counsel he had received or previous therapy 171 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:20,400 purpose had told him certain things, you know, and that it was about this habit or that habit 172 00:11:20,400 --> 00:11:24,080 or doing this or that. 173 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:30,360 And I said, you know, I all of those things have their place and they're not bad things 174 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:39,000 that you're being told, but it all comes down to one thing, one needful thing. 175 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:43,000 And that's your relationship with Jesus Christ. 176 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:44,480 What is your Scott? 177 00:11:44,480 --> 00:11:51,840 I guess that sounds too simple to some people, but it all comes down to your relationship 178 00:11:51,840 --> 00:11:53,240 with Jesus Christ. 179 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:59,640 He is the only true change agent or agent of change. 180 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:02,600 Yeah, I love the way you put that change agent. 181 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:08,960 It's been a big that's kind of a big catchphrase in corporate America right now. 182 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:13,200 Change agents of agents of change, a lot of a lot of books being read. 183 00:12:13,200 --> 00:12:18,360 Jesus Christ is the only true change agent. 184 00:12:18,360 --> 00:12:19,360 Yeah. 185 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:20,360 Amen. 186 00:12:20,360 --> 00:12:21,360 Amen. 187 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:28,240 Honestly, I've seen I've seen and you know what and I'm guilty of this. 188 00:12:28,240 --> 00:12:29,640 We probably all are. 189 00:12:29,640 --> 00:12:30,640 We probably all are. 190 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:31,640 I'm all are. 191 00:12:31,640 --> 00:12:32,880 I'm extremely guilty of this. 192 00:12:32,880 --> 00:12:33,880 Yeah, we forget. 193 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:34,880 We just forget. 194 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:39,160 I mean, we're raised in a grit your teeth and bear down kind of world. 195 00:12:39,160 --> 00:12:40,160 Yes. 196 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:42,360 And that's how, you know, and I love that I was raised that way. 197 00:12:42,360 --> 00:12:43,960 I think that that's commendable. 198 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:44,960 I can do it. 199 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:45,960 I can absolutely. 200 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:46,960 Self-reliance. 201 00:12:46,960 --> 00:12:49,120 If it is to be, it is up to me. 202 00:12:49,120 --> 00:12:52,200 A culture of self-reliance, Scott, is what we're taught. 203 00:12:52,200 --> 00:12:53,200 Yeah, exactly. 204 00:12:53,200 --> 00:13:00,200 And that, unfortunately, goes through some sort of filter where it goes from physical 205 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:07,480 self-reliance to spiritual self-reliance and pretty soon we don't even realize it that 206 00:13:07,480 --> 00:13:11,800 we're we're trying to save ourselves and change ourselves. 207 00:13:11,800 --> 00:13:15,880 There's a, it gets, I don't want to use the word tricky because it's not tricky, but there's 208 00:13:15,880 --> 00:13:16,880 it. 209 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:22,280 But we get tricked into thinking it can be tricky if I can say it that way because sometimes 210 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:29,880 when we are working on this change of ourselves and then we decide, okay, I need to let go 211 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:34,160 and just let Heavenly Father, you know, that's one of the big things in Alcoholics Anonymous 212 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:35,880 that we talk about. 213 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:43,400 This what we're talking about today falls so much in line with becoming sober or overcoming 214 00:13:43,400 --> 00:13:47,080 an addiction through these types of programs. 215 00:13:47,080 --> 00:13:54,280 And when we do this, we have to know that I can't, you know, if I could have, I would 216 00:13:54,280 --> 00:13:55,720 have a long time ago. 217 00:13:55,720 --> 00:14:01,720 For example, for me, you know, if drinking was my, became a big problem for me and I'm 218 00:14:01,720 --> 00:14:06,520 an alcoholic, I'm a recovering alcoholic to this day, I identify that way and I need to 219 00:14:06,520 --> 00:14:13,760 identify that way so that I can remember that I've got to stay in my program, which means 220 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:19,000 I can't, he can and I'm going to let him. 221 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:20,520 And those are the first three steps. 222 00:14:20,520 --> 00:14:24,120 Step one is my life has become unmanageable. 223 00:14:24,120 --> 00:14:25,120 I can't. 224 00:14:25,120 --> 00:14:26,120 I can't. 225 00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:32,440 Step two, came to believe that in a power greater than myself could restore me to sanity. 226 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:33,440 He can. 227 00:14:33,440 --> 00:14:38,200 There's some presumption there that I was saying in the beginning, which one might argue 228 00:14:38,200 --> 00:14:39,960 with, but it's there nonetheless. 229 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:40,960 I can't. 230 00:14:40,960 --> 00:14:41,960 He can. 231 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:42,960 He can. 232 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:46,480 And number three is we made a decision to turn our will in our life over the care of 233 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:48,480 God as we understand him. 234 00:14:48,480 --> 00:14:49,480 Let him. 235 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:50,480 Let him. 236 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:51,480 Let him. 237 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:54,320 And then that leads to steps four. 238 00:14:54,320 --> 00:15:00,360 Four through 12, which are the process of letting him. 239 00:15:00,360 --> 00:15:03,760 Clean house and help others. 240 00:15:03,760 --> 00:15:05,640 Which aren't necessarily easy steps. 241 00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:07,560 They're difficult steps. 242 00:15:07,560 --> 00:15:11,760 They're difficult steps, but and they're they're impossible steps. 243 00:15:11,760 --> 00:15:16,680 If we do them ourselves, if we do them all by myself, they're impossible. 244 00:15:16,680 --> 00:15:17,680 Yeah. 245 00:15:17,680 --> 00:15:20,160 Just doing them by yourself defeats the whole purpose. 246 00:15:20,160 --> 00:15:27,080 Yeah, but if I do it as I'm trying to establish and maintain a relationship with God as I 247 00:15:27,080 --> 00:15:31,720 understand him and that understanding increases, obviously. 248 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:36,480 And the reason that's put in there, you know, made a decision to turn our will in our life 249 00:15:36,480 --> 00:15:42,200 over to the care of God as we understand him is because in the beginning, we may not think 250 00:15:42,200 --> 00:15:45,760 we understand him enough to turn our will in our life over to him. 251 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,560 If we understand him at all, if we just want to feel him and one of the greatest ways to 252 00:15:50,560 --> 00:15:53,000 understand him is to do this very thing. 253 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:57,480 And then like you said, steps four through seven were really through nine rather were 254 00:15:57,480 --> 00:16:00,160 really cleaning house. 255 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:05,480 You know, we take an inventory, we make amends, we make a list of all persons we had harmed 256 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:06,480 throughout our lives. 257 00:16:06,480 --> 00:16:08,520 And we try to make it as exhaustive as we can. 258 00:16:08,520 --> 00:16:11,880 And we make amends to such people wherever possible. 259 00:16:11,880 --> 00:16:16,160 And then we move into the relationship with him. 260 00:16:16,160 --> 00:16:19,880 We continue to take personal inventory when we're wrong promptly admit it. 261 00:16:19,880 --> 00:16:25,640 Number 11, we seek through prayer meditation to maintain conscious contact with God. 262 00:16:25,640 --> 00:16:30,160 Praying only for knowledge of his will for us and the power to carry it out. 263 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:37,400 And then 12, having as the result of these steps, as the result of the steps, we have 264 00:16:37,400 --> 00:16:39,520 a spiritual awakening. 265 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,480 And that makes us want to carry this message to others. 266 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:48,520 And a spiritual awakening is defined as spiritual awakening is just defined as me having the 267 00:16:48,520 --> 00:16:54,360 ability to see somebody more powerful than me and being and having the trust and the 268 00:16:54,360 --> 00:16:55,960 faith to turn that will over to him. 269 00:16:55,960 --> 00:16:58,360 It comes in steps one, two and three. 270 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:02,960 It initiates, but it really develops in four through 12 and recognizing your dependence 271 00:17:02,960 --> 00:17:06,080 100% 100% dependence. 272 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:11,600 Yeah, and and and and you know, many, many of us. 273 00:17:11,600 --> 00:17:15,200 Most I would their venture. 274 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:20,520 Most of us, not just when it comes to matters alcohol related. 275 00:17:20,520 --> 00:17:21,520 Our whole life. 276 00:17:21,520 --> 00:17:22,520 Yeah. 277 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:24,200 Because our life had become unmanageable. 278 00:17:24,200 --> 00:17:27,360 Well, that's the idea. 279 00:17:27,360 --> 00:17:32,680 Stop repenting of a sin and start to repent of sinning. 280 00:17:32,680 --> 00:17:33,680 Right. 281 00:17:33,680 --> 00:17:34,680 Straight from the book. 282 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:36,240 And that's your life. 283 00:17:36,240 --> 00:17:38,680 Yeah, and that's that's another key to this, I think, Scott. 284 00:17:38,680 --> 00:17:46,760 So maybe if we're identifying keys, you know, a key one is stop trying to change and start 285 00:17:46,760 --> 00:17:49,000 being changed. 286 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,040 Let God change you. 287 00:17:51,040 --> 00:17:52,760 Open yourself up. 288 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,080 We'll talk maybe more about that in some detail in a minute. 289 00:17:56,080 --> 00:18:01,160 But let's open up what what can we do? 290 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:02,800 What actions can we take? 291 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:08,480 What small and simple things, even though they may not be necessarily easy, but but 292 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:15,280 what small and simple things can we do to open ourselves up to being changed? 293 00:18:15,280 --> 00:18:22,680 That's that's what we should focus on is being changed by Jesus Christ instead of me gritting 294 00:18:22,680 --> 00:18:26,520 my teeth, white knuckling it and changing. 295 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,160 That's number one. 296 00:18:28,160 --> 00:18:34,560 The second one, Scott, is that instead of trying to just change a habit, a bad habit, 297 00:18:34,560 --> 00:18:41,440 or even just trying to create a new habit, that's that's a wrong way to go about it. 298 00:18:41,440 --> 00:18:51,640 We need to have Jesus Christ through the Spirit of the Lord change our lives. 299 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:53,160 Hold cell change. 300 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,240 A new heart. 301 00:18:55,240 --> 00:19:00,480 You know, I think this is really one of the key elements in the scripture, Scott, is is 302 00:19:00,480 --> 00:19:03,440 about getting a new heart. 303 00:19:03,440 --> 00:19:10,080 It's not about it's not about changing your heart or having your heart fixed or having 304 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,160 it's about getting a new heart, right? 305 00:19:12,160 --> 00:19:15,880 A new view about being born again. 306 00:19:15,880 --> 00:19:23,320 The whole idea of being converted to the Lord, you know, I had someone recently tell me, 307 00:19:23,320 --> 00:19:30,840 you know, I somebody else who someone who who went through church membership council 308 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:36,480 and and they were told, you know, we know you have a testimony, but you don't have a 309 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:40,280 testimony of chastity. 310 00:19:40,280 --> 00:19:46,400 Well, I have a little bit of a problem with that. 311 00:19:46,400 --> 00:19:53,040 I don't think I need a testimony of chastity if I am truly converted to the Lord. 312 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:57,000 If I am truly converted to the Lord, that covers that. 313 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:06,240 And to try to focus on changing my my habits of immorality without focusing upon my real 314 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,800 conversion and faith in Jesus Christ. 315 00:20:10,800 --> 00:20:13,480 I just don't think you can make a wholesale change. 316 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,080 No, you can't. 317 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:18,620 And that's that's kind of what I'm talking about when we're talking about the first three 318 00:20:18,620 --> 00:20:20,520 steps in alcoholics anonymous. 319 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:24,560 You know, if it was wholesale change, if it wasn't wholesale change, if it was just, 320 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:29,320 I'm just going to change something, it would be my life has become unmanageable. 321 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:30,800 My drinking has become unmanageable. 322 00:20:30,800 --> 00:20:31,800 Yeah, there you go. 323 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:34,360 Instead of my life has become unmanageable. 324 00:20:34,360 --> 00:20:37,480 My drinking has become unmanageable, right? 325 00:20:37,480 --> 00:20:38,840 And that's it. 326 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:43,960 And a power greater than myself can relieve my drinking problem instead of restoring me 327 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,520 to sanity, you know, or whatever. 328 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:51,280 And I'll turn my will and my life as far as drinking goes over to power. 329 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,000 That's not it's our life. 330 00:20:53,000 --> 00:20:55,560 It's our whole being our heart. 331 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:57,120 I love that you bring that up. 332 00:20:57,120 --> 00:21:01,560 And I know that that's the way it's talked about in scripture is a whole change of heart 333 00:21:01,560 --> 00:21:05,280 and giving our whole heart to him. 334 00:21:05,280 --> 00:21:11,000 We don't just we don't just when we have, well, the book puts it that way, you know, 335 00:21:11,000 --> 00:21:15,360 in the when we read in the Divine Gift of forgiveness, it talks about we already we 336 00:21:15,360 --> 00:21:20,960 already mentioned it here in the podcast today, that it's important that we don't just repent 337 00:21:20,960 --> 00:21:23,360 of sinning or a sin. 338 00:21:23,360 --> 00:21:28,800 Yeah, you don't focus too many people's got over and over and over again. 339 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:29,800 I've experienced this. 340 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:35,000 They get so hung up on repenting of a sin, right? 341 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:41,560 Instead of repenting, instead of focusing on repenting of sinning. 342 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:49,200 And so in other words, going back to this, let's say they really focus on they want to 343 00:21:49,200 --> 00:21:51,880 be they want to be chased. 344 00:21:51,880 --> 00:21:53,120 They want to be clean. 345 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:56,800 They want to live the law of chastity, but they don't read their scriptures. 346 00:21:56,800 --> 00:21:58,640 They don't pay their tithing. 347 00:21:58,640 --> 00:21:59,720 They don't minister. 348 00:21:59,720 --> 00:22:01,320 They don't serve others. 349 00:22:01,320 --> 00:22:02,720 They don't pray. 350 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,840 They don't go to the house of the Lord. 351 00:22:04,840 --> 00:22:11,200 They don't do all the and they wonder why can't why can't I change? 352 00:22:11,200 --> 00:22:12,200 You can't. 353 00:22:12,200 --> 00:22:16,280 It's just wrong to see it that way. 354 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:22,640 It's about again being born again, and you cannot born yourself. 355 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:30,880 I know I can bore myself, but I can't born with an N myself. 356 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:32,520 You can't do that. 357 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:37,680 That only comes through your relationship with the the your relationship with the father 358 00:22:37,680 --> 00:22:45,040 as you cry out to him in prayer and your relationship with Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice 359 00:22:45,040 --> 00:22:52,880 and through the gift of the Holy Ghost administering grace and mercy and compensatory powers in 360 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:53,880 my life. 361 00:22:53,880 --> 00:22:56,000 That's how you have to see it. 362 00:22:56,000 --> 00:23:01,760 So when we speak of change, we have to speak of it as not. 363 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:03,840 I'm going to do a little here and a little there. 364 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:08,640 Now I'm not saying that we have to do it all at once. 365 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,680 I'm not saying that Scott. 366 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:19,040 It's a process and it doesn't rarely does it happen all at once like Paul or like Alma 367 00:23:19,040 --> 00:23:21,320 in the Book of Mormon. 368 00:23:21,320 --> 00:23:27,400 It's usually a process and we start by small and simple things, but we're consistent in 369 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:30,120 those small and simple things. 370 00:23:30,120 --> 00:23:37,920 For example, just again when I was I've shared this before, but when I was first called to 371 00:23:37,920 --> 00:23:44,840 be patriarch, Scott, I knew I had to change. 372 00:23:44,840 --> 00:23:46,880 I wasn't a bad person. 373 00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:56,680 I, you know, there were great things in my life, but I knew I had to change and I had 374 00:23:56,680 --> 00:24:03,840 to give my heart and my will and a whole, this had to be a wholesale change. 375 00:24:03,840 --> 00:24:09,600 I remember that it changed how I listened to the radio. 376 00:24:09,600 --> 00:24:12,400 It changed how I watched the television. 377 00:24:12,400 --> 00:24:19,680 I started to change how I remember thinking one day I even brushed my teeth different. 378 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:24,240 I remember that it changed everything. 379 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:28,880 And as a result, I was changed. 380 00:24:28,880 --> 00:24:29,880 Yeah. 381 00:24:29,880 --> 00:24:32,240 Let me ask you a question about those changes though. 382 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:37,960 Were those changes, changes that came from you or were those changes that came through 383 00:24:37,960 --> 00:24:42,520 you because of a new spirit that had entered you? 384 00:24:42,520 --> 00:24:50,160 So because I have the desire, okay, and so a little bit abstract here and we need to maybe 385 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:56,240 be more concrete sequential a little later in this podcast, but here's the abstract 386 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,400 because I desired it. 387 00:24:59,400 --> 00:25:01,400 That's number one. 388 00:25:01,400 --> 00:25:03,240 And gratitude is the beginning of desire. 389 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:10,480 So I always have to attach gratitude to desires because I know gratitude is the key to desire 390 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:12,800 in my life. 391 00:25:12,800 --> 00:25:24,960 Because of my desires and because of my faith and trust in God, my belief in Him, it takes 392 00:25:24,960 --> 00:25:28,560 really at the core, Scott, of being changed. 393 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:35,000 It takes belief that you can be changed, that you will be changed. 394 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:37,200 You have to believe that. 395 00:25:37,200 --> 00:25:38,400 And I believed that. 396 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:45,160 I believed that I didn't not only need it to, but I believed I would be, I could be, 397 00:25:45,160 --> 00:25:47,240 not just I should be. 398 00:25:47,240 --> 00:25:50,400 And believing that, you're right. 399 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:57,280 Great point that it wasn't just me, but I felt the spirit of the Lord in my life. 400 00:25:57,280 --> 00:26:04,400 I think what I did do in small and simple ways was I opened myself up to that. 401 00:26:04,400 --> 00:26:07,920 For example, the other day I was thinking about this person I had talked to this last 402 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:12,160 Sunday thinking, and I almost texted them this. 403 00:26:12,160 --> 00:26:16,240 I said, start changing what you listen to. 404 00:26:16,240 --> 00:26:18,960 Start changing the music you listen to. 405 00:26:18,960 --> 00:26:23,480 Start changing the programs that you watch on television. 406 00:26:23,480 --> 00:26:26,200 Our environment is a big key here. 407 00:26:26,200 --> 00:26:35,080 Start changing small, simple ways will open you up to being changed. 408 00:26:35,080 --> 00:26:38,520 And that's the goal is not me changing. 409 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:42,640 It's opening up myself to being changed. 410 00:26:42,640 --> 00:26:44,960 To become a new creature. 411 00:26:44,960 --> 00:26:45,960 Right. 412 00:26:45,960 --> 00:26:54,360 So there's, I think there's some key, some of my favorite verses on this topic, Scott, 413 00:26:54,360 --> 00:27:00,600 in Alma chapter five is, I think so, wow, I love this chapter. 414 00:27:00,600 --> 00:27:05,360 This is a chapter I think I've said this before, but my daughter Rachel, when she was eight 415 00:27:05,360 --> 00:27:09,920 years old, I told her she had to read the Book of Mormon before she got baptized. 416 00:27:09,920 --> 00:27:13,280 And so she was really trying hard to read the Book of Mormon. 417 00:27:13,280 --> 00:27:19,120 And I could see her bed and through my, where I was laying in my bed, I could look into her 418 00:27:19,120 --> 00:27:24,160 bedroom and see her bed in our little home in Highland. 419 00:27:24,160 --> 00:27:28,120 And I saw her reading one day and all of a sudden she wasn't laying down. 420 00:27:28,120 --> 00:27:34,360 She was setting up and all of a sudden I could just, there was just an energy about her and 421 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:38,800 then pretty soon she said, daddy, daddy, come here. 422 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:42,960 And I went into her bedroom and I sat on the edge of the bed and I said, what, Rachel, 423 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:43,960 what happened? 424 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:50,280 And she said, daddy, have you ever read Alma chapter five? 425 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,920 And I thought, no, no, wait a minute. 426 00:27:52,920 --> 00:27:55,480 I know what Alma chapter five says. 427 00:27:55,480 --> 00:27:59,480 And there is no storyline in Alma chapter five. 428 00:27:59,480 --> 00:28:08,200 There are 42 spiritual questions, introspection questions, like an interview, you know, there's 429 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:10,600 no arms being cut off. 430 00:28:10,600 --> 00:28:12,160 There's no blood. 431 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:13,320 There's no war. 432 00:28:13,320 --> 00:28:17,680 There's no nothing that would be apparently, I thought there, wow. 433 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:20,640 And all that went through my mind like a flash. 434 00:28:20,640 --> 00:28:24,400 And I said, yeah, I've read, I've read Alma chapter five. 435 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:29,000 And she said, and I said, I said to her, Rachel, is that what you're reading? 436 00:28:29,000 --> 00:28:35,360 And she said, yes, daddy, yes, I love it. 437 00:28:35,360 --> 00:28:41,600 And I said, Rachel, what you're feeling right now is the spirit of the Lord. 438 00:28:41,600 --> 00:28:42,600 Yeah. 439 00:28:42,600 --> 00:28:45,440 Testifying to you that the Book of Mormon is true. 440 00:28:45,440 --> 00:28:48,200 And I hope that you'll never forget it. 441 00:28:48,200 --> 00:28:50,120 She said, I just love it, daddy. 442 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:52,320 I just love it. 443 00:28:52,320 --> 00:28:54,360 That's sweet. 444 00:28:54,360 --> 00:28:56,480 That just before her eighth birthday. 445 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:57,800 I love that. 446 00:28:57,800 --> 00:28:59,080 That's sweet. 447 00:28:59,080 --> 00:29:01,080 That was amazing experience. 448 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:06,440 And so I've always, I've always, Alma chapter five has always been one of my favorites. 449 00:29:06,440 --> 00:29:11,200 And I think a couple, just a couple of verses, I think it's, it's awesome. 450 00:29:11,200 --> 00:29:12,800 Look at verse seven. 451 00:29:12,800 --> 00:29:16,280 First of all, Scott, look at, look at just verse seven. 452 00:29:16,280 --> 00:29:21,480 Behold, he changed their hearts. 453 00:29:21,480 --> 00:29:24,760 And he awakened them. 454 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:28,960 Scott, that's a spiritual awakening. 455 00:29:28,960 --> 00:29:31,520 You don't do that on your own. 456 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:33,020 You don't. 457 00:29:33,020 --> 00:29:35,120 In the gospel of Jesus Christ. 458 00:29:35,120 --> 00:29:36,400 Yeah. 459 00:29:36,400 --> 00:29:40,920 He changed their hearts and he awakened them. 460 00:29:40,920 --> 00:29:41,920 Yeah. 461 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:44,680 I'm going to back you up just a little bit if it's okay. 462 00:29:44,680 --> 00:29:47,440 Let's look at six to why. 463 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:53,320 And now, behold, I say to you, my brother that you that belong to this church, have you sufficiently 464 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:57,560 retained in remembrance the captivity of your fathers? 465 00:29:57,560 --> 00:29:59,720 It's important that we know where we came from. 466 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:00,720 Dave, why? 467 00:30:00,720 --> 00:30:03,680 It's important that we understand the relationship that we have with the fall of Adam and Eve 468 00:30:03,680 --> 00:30:04,680 too. 469 00:30:04,680 --> 00:30:05,680 Right? 470 00:30:05,680 --> 00:30:07,560 So I mean, and it's not about the captivity. 471 00:30:07,560 --> 00:30:08,840 You read the next slide. 472 00:30:08,840 --> 00:30:16,480 And ye ye and have you sufficiently retained in remembrance his mercy and long suffering 473 00:30:16,480 --> 00:30:17,480 towards them. 474 00:30:17,480 --> 00:30:19,720 See, it's not the captivity. 475 00:30:19,720 --> 00:30:23,040 It's the mercy and long suffering towards them. 476 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,000 But the captivity, I need to know that I can't. 477 00:30:26,000 --> 00:30:27,000 Right? 478 00:30:27,000 --> 00:30:28,000 Right. 479 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,000 My life has become unmanageable. 480 00:30:29,000 --> 00:30:30,000 Right. 481 00:30:30,000 --> 00:30:31,000 I can't. 482 00:30:31,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Right. 483 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:33,600 He can because of his love and mercy. 484 00:30:33,600 --> 00:30:34,600 Right. 485 00:30:34,600 --> 00:30:35,600 Yeah. 486 00:30:35,600 --> 00:30:36,600 Long suffering. 487 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:37,600 Long suffering. 488 00:30:37,600 --> 00:30:38,600 That he delivered them from hell. 489 00:30:38,600 --> 00:30:39,600 Yeah. 490 00:30:39,600 --> 00:30:42,320 And he changed their hearts. 491 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:44,960 And he awakened them. 492 00:30:44,960 --> 00:30:50,000 And it's so important and we're going to come back to where we're here, but I need to throw 493 00:30:50,000 --> 00:30:52,040 this in here too. 494 00:30:52,040 --> 00:30:53,640 John 17.3. 495 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:55,760 It's life eternal to know him. 496 00:30:55,760 --> 00:31:00,200 And before any of this can even happen, we must know him. 497 00:31:00,200 --> 00:31:01,320 You talked about trust. 498 00:31:01,320 --> 00:31:02,880 You talked about faith. 499 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:08,360 We must have a knowledge or a relationship, the beginning of a relationship. 500 00:31:08,360 --> 00:31:10,000 And it'll increase, obviously. 501 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,120 This is how it does, in fact. 502 00:31:12,120 --> 00:31:13,120 Anyway. 503 00:31:13,120 --> 00:31:16,120 President Nelson has tried so hard to teach us. 504 00:31:16,120 --> 00:31:22,400 You know, read every scripture on Jesus Christ where he's mentioned in the scriptures and 505 00:31:22,400 --> 00:31:25,160 take notes and hear him. 506 00:31:25,160 --> 00:31:31,360 Be more intentional and overcome your casual approach to knowing Jesus Christ. 507 00:31:31,360 --> 00:31:32,960 Have a relationship with him. 508 00:31:32,960 --> 00:31:36,000 I mean, President Nelson has tried so hard to teach us that. 509 00:31:36,000 --> 00:31:39,960 Even had a talk that said the answer is Jesus Christ. 510 00:31:39,960 --> 00:31:43,640 All of the solutions to our problems and all the answers to our questions. 511 00:31:43,640 --> 00:31:52,560 Well, over in verse 12, it says, according to his faith, there was a mighty change wrought 512 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:55,000 in his heart. 513 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:59,400 Talking about really Alma after he had heard of Benadie. 514 00:31:59,400 --> 00:32:00,400 Okay. 515 00:32:00,400 --> 00:32:04,760 But this word, so there was a change wrought in his heart. 516 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:05,760 W-R-O-U-G-H-T. 517 00:32:05,760 --> 00:32:06,760 Yeah. 518 00:32:06,760 --> 00:32:11,680 That means that it wasn't just because of him. 519 00:32:11,680 --> 00:32:13,400 There was an external power. 520 00:32:13,400 --> 00:32:15,440 That's what we're talking about here. 521 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:17,520 He couldn't do it in and of himself. 522 00:32:17,520 --> 00:32:20,680 Otherwise there would be a different word used there. 523 00:32:20,680 --> 00:32:27,000 But it was wrought in him because it was through the power of the Spirit, Jesus Christ's atonement, 524 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:28,720 that allowed this to happen. 525 00:32:28,720 --> 00:32:30,360 And that's key. 526 00:32:30,360 --> 00:32:37,760 Faith, according to his faith or belief, there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. 527 00:32:37,760 --> 00:32:46,440 Verse 14, now, behold, I ask you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born 528 00:32:46,440 --> 00:32:47,560 of God? 529 00:32:47,560 --> 00:32:50,740 Have ye received his image in your countenance? 530 00:32:50,740 --> 00:32:56,560 Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? 531 00:32:56,560 --> 00:32:58,200 Wow. 532 00:32:58,200 --> 00:33:01,560 A mighty change. 533 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:03,280 That's a big deal. 534 00:33:03,280 --> 00:33:12,080 But the small, simple things that we do opens up our hearts to allow the Lord to make that 535 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:15,040 mighty change in our hearts. 536 00:33:15,040 --> 00:33:23,480 And again, not just a change of heart, but to give us a new heart, which I love in Ezekiel 537 00:33:23,480 --> 00:33:24,560 36. 538 00:33:24,560 --> 00:33:28,680 And over in verse 26, this is still Alma 5. 539 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:34,760 In still in Alma 5 it says, and now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced 540 00:33:34,760 --> 00:33:40,400 a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, 541 00:33:40,400 --> 00:33:41,720 can ye feel so now? 542 00:33:41,720 --> 00:33:43,640 A change of heart, Scott. 543 00:33:43,640 --> 00:33:46,520 We can't change our own heart. 544 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:50,920 There's a couple things in here that I want to kind of talk about. 545 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:51,920 Going back to 14. 546 00:33:51,920 --> 00:33:57,360 Now behold, I ask you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? 547 00:33:57,360 --> 00:33:58,360 What does that mean? 548 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:00,240 Let's talk about that for a second. 549 00:34:00,240 --> 00:34:03,040 What does it mean to be spiritually born of God? 550 00:34:03,040 --> 00:34:05,080 I mean, we know what it is to be born. 551 00:34:05,080 --> 00:34:06,080 Here we are. 552 00:34:06,080 --> 00:34:08,080 But what does it mean to be spiritually born of God? 553 00:34:08,080 --> 00:34:09,440 I've got some thoughts on that, Dave. 554 00:34:09,440 --> 00:34:10,440 But what do you say? 555 00:34:10,440 --> 00:34:15,240 Well, it means, number one, that you have repented of your sins. 556 00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:16,840 Come unto him. 557 00:34:16,840 --> 00:34:26,960 Repented your sins behind you. Come unto Christ, and that through ordinances that you have been 558 00:34:26,960 --> 00:34:33,680 baptized by the gift of the Holy Ghost, and are filled with the Holy Ghost, which is also 559 00:34:33,680 --> 00:34:40,560 a change agent, and that he has filled you with grace and mercy and the pure love of 560 00:34:40,560 --> 00:34:41,560 Christ. 561 00:34:41,560 --> 00:34:46,440 We have spiritually been born of God because we're born of the world, and every day that 562 00:34:46,440 --> 00:34:52,280 we don't maintain conscious contact with God, we are becoming again born of the world. 563 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:56,040 So we will do one by default. 564 00:34:56,040 --> 00:34:59,560 We'll be born of God if we put a little effort into it. 565 00:34:59,560 --> 00:35:01,800 And then it goes on. 566 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:03,680 Have you received his image in your countenance? 567 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:10,680 I think that we think about what does it mean to receive Jesus' image in my countenance? 568 00:35:10,680 --> 00:35:15,360 Like, does it just mean that I groom myself better? 569 00:35:15,360 --> 00:35:16,360 Does it mean all these things? 570 00:35:16,360 --> 00:35:20,280 Or does it really mean that I carry myself the way Jesus would? 571 00:35:20,280 --> 00:35:24,800 Do I act and react the way Jesus would in any given situation? 572 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:27,560 Do I go back to the Sermon on the Mount? 573 00:35:27,560 --> 00:35:31,360 And is that applicable in all parts of my life? 574 00:35:31,360 --> 00:35:34,040 That's receiving the image in his countenance. 575 00:35:34,040 --> 00:35:38,800 And we can work on those things a little bit at a time, but unless we really become spiritually 576 00:35:38,800 --> 00:35:44,160 be born of God, we're never going to put ourselves in a position to have that image 577 00:35:44,160 --> 00:35:47,120 manifest itself in our countenance. 578 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:54,600 And connected to all of that, Scott, is what it means to take upon yourself the name of 579 00:35:54,600 --> 00:36:03,040 Christ, you know, to become his sons and his daughters is to be spiritually. 580 00:36:03,040 --> 00:36:06,160 Look at verse 7 again in Mosiah 5. 581 00:36:06,160 --> 00:36:09,920 So we got Mosiah 5 and Alma 5, two of my favorite chapters. 582 00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,080 This is Mosiah 5 verse 7. 583 00:36:13,080 --> 00:36:18,120 And now because of the covenant which he have made, he shall be called the children of Christ, 584 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:19,400 his sons and his daughters. 585 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:26,440 For behold, get this, this day he has spiritually begotten you. 586 00:36:26,440 --> 00:36:32,720 What does it mean for Christ to have spiritually begotten us? 587 00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:39,400 For ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name. 588 00:36:39,400 --> 00:36:45,680 On his name, not just faith in him, but faith on his name. 589 00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:49,040 Therefore ye are born of him. 590 00:36:49,040 --> 00:36:50,760 You have his name upon you. 591 00:36:50,760 --> 00:36:56,440 His name is upon you and have become his sons and his daughters. 592 00:36:56,440 --> 00:37:01,880 And under this head, you're made free and there's no other head whereby you can be made 593 00:37:01,880 --> 00:37:02,880 free. 594 00:37:02,880 --> 00:37:10,160 Out of bondage, out of bondage, addictions, habits, you've been changed. 595 00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:14,640 You've been changed, you've been freed. 596 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:20,320 My missionary granddaughter coming home today and for two years she's had the name of Jesus 597 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:22,880 on her. 598 00:37:22,880 --> 00:37:24,520 Everybody has seen it. 599 00:37:24,520 --> 00:37:27,480 She has worn it. 600 00:37:27,480 --> 00:37:30,240 Maybe we all need to start wearing missionary tags. 601 00:37:30,240 --> 00:37:32,840 I don't know, Scott. 602 00:37:32,840 --> 00:37:39,560 We shouldn't have to do that to every day think that we represent Jesus Christ that 603 00:37:39,560 --> 00:37:46,000 were his sons and his daughters, that we have spiritually been born again of him by the 604 00:37:46,000 --> 00:37:54,800 Holy Spirit and to begin to act like we are his sons and his daughters. 605 00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:56,800 Begin to act like him. 606 00:37:56,800 --> 00:38:04,800 I mean to have faith on his name means that we believe not just in him, but we believe 607 00:38:04,800 --> 00:38:12,480 in his works, his examples, his atonement, his power, his priesthood, his church, everything 608 00:38:12,480 --> 00:38:14,280 about him. 609 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:22,480 And to do that opens us up again to have a mighty change of heart. 610 00:38:22,480 --> 00:38:27,520 And now we come to the part then, it's like, okay, so how does this happen in my life? 611 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:31,920 What steps or what, and I really hesitate to use that word, but I think out of reference 612 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:38,280 when we all understand what it means, what do I now need to do to invite the Spirit into 613 00:38:38,280 --> 00:38:44,080 my life so that this change of heart, so that I can be born again, so that I can be reborn, 614 00:38:44,080 --> 00:38:50,880 so that I can have all of the things in my life that so do easily be sent me, taken away, 615 00:38:50,880 --> 00:38:55,240 or healed, or made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ. 616 00:38:55,240 --> 00:39:00,520 And there's a few things, Dave, I think that we can do to precipitate that in our lives. 617 00:39:00,520 --> 00:39:02,240 Yeah, for sure, Scott. 618 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:04,440 And a small, simple thing. 619 00:39:04,440 --> 00:39:08,280 Again, by small, simple things, great things come to pass. 620 00:39:08,280 --> 00:39:12,720 And that's true for allowing ourselves to be changed. 621 00:39:12,720 --> 00:39:20,800 For example, again, just seeking to hear the word of the Lord every day, and we can do 622 00:39:20,800 --> 00:39:28,560 that by just spending a few moments every day in the Word of God, in the Holy Scriptures. 623 00:39:28,560 --> 00:39:39,680 Honestly, Scott, that one choice, that one act, or just maybe a 1% improvement each day 624 00:39:39,680 --> 00:39:47,000 on trying to hear the voice of the Lord in the Holy Scriptures, or by studying the words 625 00:39:47,000 --> 00:39:54,400 of His prophets, opens us up to be changed. 626 00:39:54,400 --> 00:40:00,880 Or how about maybe just one more prayer a day? 627 00:40:00,880 --> 00:40:02,640 Just one more prayer a day. 628 00:40:02,640 --> 00:40:06,000 If you're praying once a day, pray twice a day. 629 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:09,480 If you're praying twice a day, pray three times a day. 630 00:40:09,480 --> 00:40:12,760 I'm not saying that you do that every day and you increase that every day. 631 00:40:12,760 --> 00:40:18,040 I'm just saying, what small and simple things can we do? 632 00:40:18,040 --> 00:40:22,200 One of my favorites, and it goes right along with what you just said, is step 11 in AA, 633 00:40:22,200 --> 00:40:27,760 sought through merit prayer and meditation to maintain conscious contact. 634 00:40:27,760 --> 00:40:30,600 Not just occasional contact. 635 00:40:30,600 --> 00:40:35,600 Conscious and it doesn't use word constant, but I do, conscious and constant contact. 636 00:40:35,600 --> 00:40:40,480 We go to one of the Scriptures that are both of our favorites and we talk about it quite 637 00:40:40,480 --> 00:40:42,440 a bit in the podcast here. 638 00:40:42,440 --> 00:40:44,400 It's in Doctrine and Covenants, section 6. 639 00:40:44,400 --> 00:40:46,440 Look unto me in every thought. 640 00:40:46,440 --> 00:40:49,320 And I've heard you say you've actually made an attempt to do that. 641 00:40:49,320 --> 00:40:50,320 I haven't. 642 00:40:50,320 --> 00:40:54,200 I think everybody, in fact, the person who came to visit me Sunday said, I think this 643 00:40:54,200 --> 00:41:03,400 is one of the keys to you being changed is that you really try to experiment with this. 644 00:41:03,400 --> 00:41:09,120 No one can do that perfectly, and I'm sure he didn't expect us to do it perfectly, but 645 00:41:09,120 --> 00:41:17,520 just experimenting with it and attempting to can be life changing. 646 00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:21,820 And just the fact that we're aware of it, and we put that concept into our minds and 647 00:41:21,820 --> 00:41:23,320 continually focus on it. 648 00:41:23,320 --> 00:41:24,560 You know what we focus on expands. 649 00:41:24,560 --> 00:41:29,120 If I'm going to focus on overcoming an addiction, what do you think is going to expand? 650 00:41:29,120 --> 00:41:31,000 My addiction, right? 651 00:41:31,000 --> 00:41:36,000 What's going to expand if I focus on a relationship with Jesus Christ, my relationship with Jesus 652 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,000 Christ? 653 00:41:37,000 --> 00:41:41,480 And when that expands, what's going to diminish all things, not just my addiction, but all 654 00:41:41,480 --> 00:41:47,440 things in my life that come as a result of the fall of Adam and Eve and my rebellion? 655 00:41:47,440 --> 00:41:50,240 So look unto me in every thought. 656 00:41:50,240 --> 00:41:52,960 And I think about this. 657 00:41:52,960 --> 00:41:56,760 Deb and I were actually talking about this on our vacation in San Diego the other day. 658 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:00,880 She was like, you know, it's really hard for me to look unto him in every thought. 659 00:42:00,880 --> 00:42:02,440 I says, yeah, me too. 660 00:42:02,440 --> 00:42:06,480 And then I think we came to the conclusion that, you know, just the fact that we are 661 00:42:06,480 --> 00:42:13,640 aware and conscious of this idea, I'm thinking of him in more thoughts than I were before. 662 00:42:13,640 --> 00:42:18,960 And that alone gives me the balm of Gilead I need, so to speak, to kind of heal through 663 00:42:18,960 --> 00:42:22,600 some of these barriers. 664 00:42:22,600 --> 00:42:28,960 We should learn from driving that the direction you look is the direction you move. 665 00:42:28,960 --> 00:42:29,960 That's right. 666 00:42:29,960 --> 00:42:35,280 That's, is that a, it's kind of some sort of natural law phenomenon. 667 00:42:35,280 --> 00:42:36,280 Yeah, it must be. 668 00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:37,280 Have you ever noticed that? 669 00:42:37,280 --> 00:42:38,280 Well, yeah, not only. 670 00:42:38,280 --> 00:42:41,440 If you look at a truck passing you. 671 00:42:41,440 --> 00:42:42,440 Yeah. 672 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:45,080 And I look at that truck. 673 00:42:45,080 --> 00:42:46,080 Have you caught yourself doing this? 674 00:42:46,080 --> 00:42:47,080 This isn't just me, right? 675 00:42:47,080 --> 00:42:48,080 No, no, no. 676 00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:49,920 You draw yourself closer to that truck. 677 00:42:49,920 --> 00:42:56,720 This is a concept that was actually taught, made known to me by somebody, a famous speaker, 678 00:42:56,720 --> 00:43:00,920 you go and you get to drive these supercharged fast race cars on a racetrack and you go 679 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:01,920 through a training. 680 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:05,640 And one of the trainings that they, one of the things that they teach you to do before 681 00:43:05,640 --> 00:43:09,680 you go out and drive this race car is they give you a course on how to drive the race 682 00:43:09,680 --> 00:43:10,680 car. 683 00:43:10,680 --> 00:43:13,120 And one of the things that they teach you is that when you're nearing the wall, it feels 684 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:16,360 natural to look at the wall so that you can avoid it. 685 00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:18,360 But what that does is it draws you into it. 686 00:43:18,360 --> 00:43:23,840 So he said that he was driving and as, and just naturally he couldn't help himself just 687 00:43:23,840 --> 00:43:28,360 out of habit, looked to the wall and it started drifting, the instructor grabbed his head and 688 00:43:28,360 --> 00:43:30,360 pointed it back to where it should be. 689 00:43:30,360 --> 00:43:31,360 Wow. 690 00:43:31,360 --> 00:43:32,360 And the car came with it. 691 00:43:32,360 --> 00:43:38,200 So yeah, you know, when I'm riding horses, you know, my grandpa's, your dad, my other 692 00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:43,840 grandpa taught me and my dad taught me that you don't look at the down off the cliff. 693 00:43:43,840 --> 00:43:47,560 You look towards the center of the trail and that's where you drift. 694 00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:48,560 And you're right. 695 00:43:48,560 --> 00:43:53,520 This phenomenon doesn't just take place in our, it doesn't. 696 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:57,160 This law does just doesn't take place in our physical lives. 697 00:43:57,160 --> 00:43:59,400 It takes place in all parts of our lives. 698 00:43:59,400 --> 00:44:02,680 So just trying, just trying, just experiment. 699 00:44:02,680 --> 00:44:05,560 Just being aware and being intentional about our awareness. 700 00:44:05,560 --> 00:44:09,880 To look unto him in every thought is life changing. 701 00:44:09,880 --> 00:44:10,880 Yeah. 702 00:44:10,880 --> 00:44:12,560 Doubt not, fear not. 703 00:44:12,560 --> 00:44:17,880 And I actually think that the way that scripture is worded, look unto me in every thought. 704 00:44:17,880 --> 00:44:18,880 Doubt not, fear not. 705 00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:24,160 And I think that means look unto me in every thought and you won't doubt or fear. 706 00:44:24,160 --> 00:44:25,160 And you won't fear. 707 00:44:25,160 --> 00:44:26,800 That's what I teach my kids at Institute. 708 00:44:26,800 --> 00:44:28,160 We talked about it last week. 709 00:44:28,160 --> 00:44:30,680 So what's the antidote to fear and doubt? 710 00:44:30,680 --> 00:44:31,680 Look to me. 711 00:44:31,680 --> 00:44:32,680 Yeah. 712 00:44:32,680 --> 00:44:35,880 How often in every stinking thought look to me. 713 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:36,880 Yeah. 714 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:37,880 Yeah. 715 00:44:37,880 --> 00:44:44,320 I think the same with the scripture in Luke 22, when Christ says to Peter, be thou converted 716 00:44:44,320 --> 00:44:46,440 and then strengthen thy brother. 717 00:44:46,440 --> 00:44:50,120 If you're converted, you will strengthen your brother. 718 00:44:50,120 --> 00:44:53,080 You know, it's kind of follows. 719 00:44:53,080 --> 00:45:02,040 So anyway, Scott, I think that the small, simple ways that we can just look to Christ 720 00:45:02,040 --> 00:45:11,080 and follow him, open ourselves up to him by listening to the holy music. 721 00:45:11,080 --> 00:45:19,280 I like I like America and the Eagles and Horse with No Name and and you like bread too. 722 00:45:19,280 --> 00:45:20,280 We have a lot. 723 00:45:20,280 --> 00:45:21,280 Yeah. 724 00:45:21,280 --> 00:45:22,280 I like all of those. 725 00:45:22,280 --> 00:45:26,640 And and there's there's maybe a time and place to listen to those. 726 00:45:26,640 --> 00:45:34,960 But but really, it's so interesting to me, Scott, that just what choice of music you 727 00:45:34,960 --> 00:45:42,040 choose to listen to can make a difference between changing or being changed. 728 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:44,680 And we should focus on being changed. 729 00:45:44,680 --> 00:45:50,160 That changes what you listen to and how you use your time. 730 00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:54,240 So changing not just what we listen to, but all parts of our environment, what we listen 731 00:45:54,240 --> 00:46:00,840 to, what we allow into our homes on TV, all of this, these kinds of how you observe the 732 00:46:00,840 --> 00:46:01,840 Sabbath. 733 00:46:01,840 --> 00:46:02,840 Yeah. 734 00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:03,840 How you observe the Sabbath. 735 00:46:03,840 --> 00:46:08,200 How you open you up to be changed versus trying to change yourself. 736 00:46:08,200 --> 00:46:11,200 I know all of us can make improvements in that. 737 00:46:11,200 --> 00:46:14,960 All of us can make improvements in all of these areas of our life. 738 00:46:14,960 --> 00:46:17,560 We can make our prayers a little more meaningful. 739 00:46:17,560 --> 00:46:20,840 We could pray maybe just a little more often. 740 00:46:20,840 --> 00:46:30,080 You know, I am so always touched by the by the Muslim prayer life that they that they 741 00:46:30,080 --> 00:46:37,000 display if you're ever in their country, being in Egypt and being a awaken at four or five 742 00:46:37,000 --> 00:46:40,880 in the morning, their call to prayer. 743 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:46,240 And I'm not necessarily envious of that or don't think that's the way it should be done. 744 00:46:46,240 --> 00:46:52,360 But it causes me to think what's how can I improve my prayer life? 745 00:46:52,360 --> 00:46:53,860 What we focus on expands. 746 00:46:53,860 --> 00:46:59,400 And so if we're focusing on having this relationship with Jesus Christ, then all of those things, 747 00:46:59,400 --> 00:47:05,440 prayer, the way we treat other people, the Beatitudes, because we have invested in our 748 00:47:05,440 --> 00:47:11,600 relationship with Jesus, now our focus just naturally becomes becoming like him. 749 00:47:11,600 --> 00:47:17,280 So getting to know him and then being like him, Matthew 548. 750 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:19,400 Now we become becoming like him. 751 00:47:19,400 --> 00:47:24,840 And as we are becoming like him, then we recognize and realize the things in this life that 752 00:47:24,840 --> 00:47:30,560 trouble us and discourage us and make life seem so difficult for us at times are being 753 00:47:30,560 --> 00:47:34,960 healed because we're turning our will and our life over to care of God as we understand 754 00:47:34,960 --> 00:47:35,960 him. 755 00:47:35,960 --> 00:47:43,040 And we have a deep understanding of him as we continually strive for that relationship. 756 00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:44,040 That's awesome, Scott. 757 00:47:44,040 --> 00:47:51,840 I again, I want I want to this is kind of unique to the Old Testament, actually, Scott, 758 00:47:51,840 --> 00:48:00,120 but this idea that God doesn't just fix our heart, doesn't just heal our heart, doesn't 759 00:48:00,120 --> 00:48:02,200 mend a broken heart. 760 00:48:02,200 --> 00:48:07,480 He gives you a new heart in the in the Hebrews. 761 00:48:07,480 --> 00:48:12,740 According to the Hebrew culture, it was like the thoughts of the thoughts in the intense 762 00:48:12,740 --> 00:48:13,740 of our hearts. 763 00:48:13,740 --> 00:48:19,960 God is a the according to the Hebrew culture, the the heart actually thinks the heart has 764 00:48:19,960 --> 00:48:27,480 thoughts, the thought the heart is the key center to our focus. 765 00:48:27,480 --> 00:48:34,920 And if he gives us a new heart, it changes our focus and it changes our thoughts. 766 00:48:34,920 --> 00:48:42,040 And that's what it really means, I think, to be born again and to be to be changed. 767 00:48:42,040 --> 00:48:51,720 The first one is in first Samuel, Chapter 10, where in verse nine, and it was so that when 768 00:48:51,720 --> 00:48:58,960 he had turned his back to go from Samuel, this is about Saul, God gave him another 769 00:48:58,960 --> 00:49:08,240 heart and skipping and the spirit of God came upon him. 770 00:49:08,240 --> 00:49:10,840 God gave him another heart. 771 00:49:10,840 --> 00:49:23,200 It's also in Ezekiel, Chapter 18, cast away from from you all, all your transgressions 772 00:49:23,200 --> 00:49:30,040 were by you have transgressed and make you a new heart and a new spirit, a new heart 773 00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:31,040 by repenting. 774 00:49:31,040 --> 00:49:34,320 It talks about repenting in verse 30. 775 00:49:34,320 --> 00:49:43,680 And then in Ezekiel, Chapter 36, which is my favorite in Ezekiel 36, it says, a new 776 00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:57,120 heart also will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you and I will take away 777 00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:07,040 the stony heart out of your flesh and I will give you a heart of flesh and I will put my 778 00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:15,760 spirit within you and cause I will cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my 779 00:50:15,760 --> 00:50:17,640 judgments and do them. 780 00:50:17,640 --> 00:50:28,080 Verse 29, I Jehovah will also save you from all your uncleannesses. 781 00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:40,640 Anyway, I be changed, allow the Lord Jesus Christ our savior and redeemer to change us. 782 00:50:40,640 --> 00:50:44,520 Yeah, so now we begin to focus again, not on the what but the who. 783 00:50:44,520 --> 00:50:45,520 Yeah. 784 00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:46,520 Who? 785 00:50:46,520 --> 00:50:47,520 Who changes us? 786 00:50:47,520 --> 00:50:48,520 It's the who. 787 00:50:48,520 --> 00:50:54,400 Yeah, we do have some control of our environment and we should put into place the things that 788 00:50:54,400 --> 00:50:59,880 we can to invite and to enhance, etc. 789 00:50:59,880 --> 00:51:05,080 Like you mentioned, listen into music, deepening our prayers, deepening our kindness and the 790 00:51:05,080 --> 00:51:07,520 way that we treat other people, etc. 791 00:51:07,520 --> 00:51:13,640 But yeah, it's I love the why, I love the how, I love all of those, but it does come 792 00:51:13,640 --> 00:51:20,760 down to really the who and having a relationship with our savior. 793 00:51:20,760 --> 00:51:27,000 You know, one of the one of my favorite scriptures again on being changed is in Mosiah chapter 794 00:51:27,000 --> 00:51:28,000 seven. 795 00:51:28,000 --> 00:51:31,480 I think it was Mosiah, right? 796 00:51:31,480 --> 00:51:38,360 It sent out 16 men to find what happened to the people that had Xenoph in his group and 797 00:51:38,360 --> 00:51:46,040 lo and behold, they come upon Limhi, who is now in bondage to the Lamanites. 798 00:51:46,040 --> 00:51:49,200 And Limhi is grateful. 799 00:51:49,200 --> 00:51:52,120 Limhi gives us this is really quite a discourse. 800 00:51:52,120 --> 00:51:57,600 This is one of my favorite discourses in the in the Book of Mormon is Mosiah chapter seven. 801 00:51:57,600 --> 00:52:05,200 And Limhi says to his people, but if he will turn to the Lord, so hang on, this is Mosiah 802 00:52:05,200 --> 00:52:08,560 seven thirty three thirty three, right? 803 00:52:08,560 --> 00:52:14,640 If he will turn to the Lord, how do we turn to the Lord? 804 00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:17,720 You know, through repentance, repentance, that's what it means. 805 00:52:17,720 --> 00:52:19,280 That's what it means. 806 00:52:19,280 --> 00:52:21,320 That's literally what it means. 807 00:52:21,320 --> 00:52:28,800 But if he will turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart and put your trust in him, 808 00:52:28,800 --> 00:52:32,320 you got to have faith in him or repentance doesn't work. 809 00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:38,200 You got to trust him and serve him with all diligence of mind. 810 00:52:38,200 --> 00:52:41,320 It's got listen to that phrase. 811 00:52:41,320 --> 00:52:44,480 How do you serve him with all diligence of mind? 812 00:52:44,480 --> 00:52:50,440 He's not talking about making bread, nothing against making bread and cookies and ministering 813 00:52:50,440 --> 00:52:52,280 with bread and cookies. 814 00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:56,920 But how do you serve him with all diligence of mind? 815 00:52:56,920 --> 00:53:01,240 That's looking unto him in every thought in every thought. 816 00:53:01,240 --> 00:53:02,240 That's what that I. 817 00:53:02,240 --> 00:53:05,240 I think that's how I see it. 818 00:53:05,240 --> 00:53:10,600 So serve him with all diligence of mind or if you do that, and by the way, if you do 819 00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:15,400 that, you'll probably make cookies and bread and deliver it to those that you minister to. 820 00:53:15,400 --> 00:53:18,960 But you'll do it for a more holy purpose than just trying to be a friend. 821 00:53:18,960 --> 00:53:23,720 You'll do it because you want them to be closer to Jesus Christ and you want to administer 822 00:53:23,720 --> 00:53:26,240 the Atonement of Jesus Christ in their life. 823 00:53:26,240 --> 00:53:30,400 And that's why you're making bread and making cookies take to your ministering families 824 00:53:30,400 --> 00:53:33,680 or whatever service you rendered to others. 825 00:53:33,680 --> 00:53:41,600 It's to help them not to be closer to you or feel attached to you, but to come to know 826 00:53:41,600 --> 00:53:42,600 Jesus Christ. 827 00:53:42,600 --> 00:53:45,720 You just described my ministering brothers. 828 00:53:45,720 --> 00:53:46,720 That's cool. 829 00:53:46,720 --> 00:53:48,320 Yeah, they're that way. 830 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:50,360 And actually so's Deb's ministering sister. 831 00:53:50,360 --> 00:53:51,360 Well, that's awesome. 832 00:53:51,360 --> 00:53:52,360 It's just amazing. 833 00:53:52,360 --> 00:53:53,360 Well, you're blessed. 834 00:53:53,360 --> 00:53:54,720 Yes, we are. 835 00:53:54,720 --> 00:53:59,280 So if you turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, put your trust in him and serve 836 00:53:59,280 --> 00:54:01,560 him with all diligence of mind. 837 00:54:01,560 --> 00:54:07,200 If you do this, he will, according to his own will and pleasure, deliver you out of 838 00:54:07,200 --> 00:54:10,320 bondage. 839 00:54:10,320 --> 00:54:19,080 That's to be changed, to be freed from bondage, to overcome an addiction, to overcome sins 840 00:54:19,080 --> 00:54:23,840 that you're, you know, that's the key to it. 841 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:28,720 Is that you with full purpose of heart, it's got to be with full purpose of heart. 842 00:54:28,720 --> 00:54:29,720 Right. 843 00:54:29,720 --> 00:54:41,880 In order to receive the new heart and the new mind and the new life to be born again that 844 00:54:41,880 --> 00:54:45,040 he has promised. 845 00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:56,240 I know it's not easy, but I know it's not complicated to change one's life by being 846 00:54:56,240 --> 00:55:01,280 changed is not complicated. 847 00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:09,320 It's living the gospel with full purpose of heart and giving your whole soul to God. 848 00:55:09,320 --> 00:55:16,880 And allowing him, our heavenly Father, to be changed through his son, Jesus Christ, by 849 00:55:16,880 --> 00:55:22,520 the administration of the Holy Ghost in our lives. 850 00:55:22,520 --> 00:55:25,720 Who administers the Atonement in our lives. 851 00:55:25,720 --> 00:55:35,320 That's the process and small and simple ways open us up to be able to participate in that 852 00:55:35,320 --> 00:55:36,320 process. 853 00:55:36,320 --> 00:55:42,280 And I just, I really encourage people not to try to make any whole cell change, but by 854 00:55:42,280 --> 00:55:51,160 small and simple things, open themselves up to be changed and then to recognize it, to 855 00:55:51,160 --> 00:56:01,080 be aware of it, to journal it, to hold on to it, to remember it and to try to be consistent 856 00:56:01,080 --> 00:56:05,200 in that process throughout the rest of their lives. 857 00:56:05,200 --> 00:56:12,320 And when we stumble, which we surely will, and when we stub our toe, which we surely 858 00:56:12,320 --> 00:56:16,320 will remember that he's not surprised by that either. 859 00:56:16,320 --> 00:56:20,480 And to just and just to always remember this. 860 00:56:20,480 --> 00:56:25,880 You know, in, in Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery groups, we come up with these 861 00:56:25,880 --> 00:56:28,240 cliches that kind of help us. 862 00:56:28,240 --> 00:56:32,280 And one of those is let go, let God. 863 00:56:32,280 --> 00:56:38,200 I'm going to let go of all the things that I, Scott Durfee, feel like I need to change. 864 00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:45,680 I'm going to let God through his son, through the administration of his spirit, change me 865 00:56:45,680 --> 00:56:47,680 as I let go of those things. 866 00:56:47,680 --> 00:56:51,400 Yeah, that and, and you know, and it sounds simple and it is simple. 867 00:56:51,400 --> 00:56:56,680 It's a simple process, but we find it difficult to do because of our humanness, because of 868 00:56:56,680 --> 00:56:58,280 the effects of the fall. 869 00:56:58,280 --> 00:57:03,680 The fall of Adam and Eve manifests itself in our lives in that way as well. 870 00:57:03,680 --> 00:57:06,320 So you have to be intentional about it. 871 00:57:06,320 --> 00:57:07,400 And that's to let go. 872 00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:09,080 You can't just drift into that. 873 00:57:09,080 --> 00:57:10,080 You, that's exactly right. 874 00:57:10,080 --> 00:57:17,800 You can't just by chance or by mistake or hitting rock bottom doesn't guarantee that 875 00:57:17,800 --> 00:57:27,440 nothing, nothing will bring that about unless you consciously intentionally make that choice. 876 00:57:27,440 --> 00:57:28,440 Yep. 877 00:57:28,440 --> 00:57:35,800 And last thing I want to say is going back to this person who came to me who has, you 878 00:57:35,800 --> 00:57:43,400 know, felt ready to throw in the towel who's, who's had the important church positions and 879 00:57:43,400 --> 00:57:51,600 has, has fallen and has practically wanted to give up. 880 00:57:51,600 --> 00:58:03,120 It all came down to Scott just becoming too casual, too trite, too unintentional in the 881 00:58:03,120 --> 00:58:08,640 way this person lived their life. 882 00:58:08,640 --> 00:58:09,960 It takes intention. 883 00:58:09,960 --> 00:58:18,600 It takes daily repentance and daily choosing in the small and simple things that we do 884 00:58:18,600 --> 00:58:27,600 in order to be changed daily, not just once, but over and over and over again. 885 00:58:27,600 --> 00:58:39,680 So last word I, I know that only through Jesus Christ can most important, only true 886 00:58:39,680 --> 00:58:42,240 change agent. 887 00:58:42,240 --> 00:58:44,200 Can we be changed? 888 00:58:44,200 --> 00:58:49,000 I think just the focus of I can't, why can't I change? 889 00:58:49,000 --> 00:58:51,120 Why can't I, I need to change. 890 00:58:51,120 --> 00:59:01,960 I need to, if we would just tweak that and focus on how can I put myself in a position, 891 00:59:01,960 --> 00:59:11,760 place myself in a, in a place where I can be changed would be a powerful thing for all 892 00:59:11,760 --> 00:59:13,240 of us to do. 893 00:59:13,240 --> 00:59:16,960 And by invitation, I mean, he invites us to do that. 894 00:59:16,960 --> 00:59:17,960 Come on to me. 895 00:59:17,960 --> 00:59:19,600 That's your favorite scripture, right? 896 00:59:19,600 --> 00:59:24,000 Come on to me, I'll you the laborer and her heavy laden and I will give you rest. 897 00:59:24,000 --> 00:59:29,080 Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I'm meek and lowly of heart and you shall 898 00:59:29,080 --> 00:59:30,640 find rest unto yourselves. 899 00:59:30,640 --> 00:59:36,080 So it's, it's really, I was going to say that earlier and I, I forgot. 900 00:59:36,080 --> 00:59:45,040 It all comes down to as far as being changed is yoking ourselves to Christ. 901 00:59:45,040 --> 00:59:46,040 Being yoked. 902 00:59:46,040 --> 00:59:53,400 How can we yoke ourselves to Jesus Christ and allow him to carry our burdens and allow 903 00:59:53,400 --> 01:00:02,180 him to free us from bondage and just depend upon him and not upon the arm of the flesh? 904 01:00:02,180 --> 01:00:08,000 How can we through Christ discussion maybe for another time, maybe next week, how can 905 01:00:08,000 --> 01:00:17,760 we allow Christ to help me overcome the, the pole and the weakness of the flesh? 906 01:00:17,760 --> 01:00:23,960 You know, that's, I, I think we all struggle with that is the, the weakness of the flesh. 907 01:00:23,960 --> 01:00:32,880 How can, how can I live a more spirit directed life instead of depending so much upon the 908 01:00:32,880 --> 01:00:38,200 pole and the temptations we all feel through the flesh? 909 01:00:38,200 --> 01:00:42,960 This has been a really important topic for me today, one that I always spend a little 910 01:00:42,960 --> 01:00:44,400 bit of time on. 911 01:00:44,400 --> 01:00:49,680 I'm just going through the first few steps with a new sponze and AA. 912 01:00:49,680 --> 01:00:53,640 So this has been upfront in my mind in that regard as well. 913 01:00:53,640 --> 01:00:54,640 I love this. 914 01:00:54,640 --> 01:00:59,800 I'm so grateful that we get to focus on him instead of ourselves. 915 01:00:59,800 --> 01:01:04,320 If I focus on me and I'm in big trouble, but if I focus on him, I have all kinds of hope. 916 01:01:04,320 --> 01:01:09,080 David gave us a, an invitation, whether he knows it or not, he says, maybe that's what 917 01:01:09,080 --> 01:01:12,840 we should think about is how do we take his yoke upon us? 918 01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:17,040 Let that be our invitation this week as we particular the sacrament this week. 919 01:01:17,040 --> 01:01:22,040 Those of us who get that opportunity or find that opportunity, let us can, let us consider 920 01:01:22,040 --> 01:01:23,040 that. 921 01:01:23,040 --> 01:01:27,760 How am I taking his yoke upon me and how can I better do so? 922 01:01:27,760 --> 01:01:30,440 He'll shortly lead us in that direction. 923 01:01:30,440 --> 01:01:31,440 I know that. 924 01:01:31,440 --> 01:01:32,440 Thanks for being with us. 925 01:01:32,440 --> 01:01:34,320 We look forward to being with you again next week. 926 01:01:34,320 --> 01:02:00,680 And until then, be well.