Hey there, everybody. Welcome out season four
of Redeemed Through His Blood. Scott Durfey here
joined by the beautiful Debra Durfey. Say hi,
Deb. Hello, friends. It's good to have you here,
babe. Here we are, season four. This is episode
one of season four. Deb and I are super excited
about the transition happening here and being
able to do this together. We wish Dave and Chris
the best of luck on their mission as they depart
soon for Sydney, Australia. Deb, I'm actually
super excited. I've loved doing this with David,
but I'm super excited. You and I have done a
lot of wonderful things, not completely unlike
what we're going to do here as part of this podcast,
but this is a totally different medium for us
to do what we do. So I'm going to have you, Deb,
if you don't mind, just take a few minutes, introduce
yourself, but and tell us a little bit about
you, why it is that you want to do a podcast
like this. I know you don't, but why you are
doing a podcast like this and stuff like that.
But before you do, I just want everybody to know
that Deb's my best friend. We have been very
close ever since we met and have been best friends
for Most of that time, I'm happy and super excited
to call her. I would hope all of that time, not
most of the time. Well, I just met, you know,
it grew, we grew into it more and more, but Deb's
my counselor, she's my cheerleader, she's my
best friend, eternal companion, and everything
else that I could think of that would be a positive
descriptor, babe. Take it away, just tell us
a little bit about you and whatever you want.
That's very nice of you. So I grew up in Mapleton,
Utah, little farm town. I was the sixth of nine
children. I have six brothers, so I didn't do
a lot of girl things growing up. I did a lot
of boy things. But Scott and I met in 1998. I
was a facilitator for the LDS substance abuse
mission. It had just come to Utah County. They
had asked me to facilitate. in that meeting because
I was there to fix somebody else and save them
from their addiction. And I remember meeting,
I started in 1996, but I met Scott in, I believe,
November. It was, yeah, it was November of 1998.
Of 1998. And I remember when he introduced himself,
and I was like, Scott Turvey, Scott Turvey, I
know him. And it just sounded so familiar. Now
I know why, but then I just kept thinking, I
know him, I've met him somewhere. Anyways, as
time goes on, and of course, I... instantly became
friends with Scott and he became friends with
everybody else. But four years into that, going
to those meetings, we decided to blend a family
in August of 2002. And it was so awesome because
I first off when Scott mentioned that he was
even interested in dating me at all because I
was I was literally his cheerleader for dating
all these awesome women and you're going to find
somebody that's going to be the best wife and
I remember I mean, almost thumping on his chest
saying. Not almost, you were thumping me on the
chest. And I was like, you're gonna find a woman
that appreciates you. Anyway, that is a true
story. Yeah, that was at the church in Lehigh.
Anyway, and I had no clue at that time, not even
a guess, that that would be me. But we got married
in August 2002. My parents were on a mission
in Nauvoo serving, and I remember living in my
parents' basement at the time. while I was single
and Calling my parents and saying I'm dating
this guy and he is Like a knight in shining armor.
He is like so it's I almost feel like I am Watching
a Disney movie mom. I really I cannot believe
I'm dating this guy. I can't believe he's so
perfect He's so wonderful. He loves the church.
He loves the gospel. He has four kids and I I
just I was so smitten absolutely smitten. And
my mom just kept saying, I know it's because
we're serving a mission. I know it's because
we're serving a mission that you found him. Still
to this day, she says that 23 years later. I
question this story every time I hear it because
I can't imagine a mother being super excited
about a daughter meeting her what would be unbeknownst
to her at the time but what would be her future
son -in -law in an addiction recovery program.
You have no idea what my mother had seen previous
to this. Holy moly. But thank goodness, you know,
I'm grateful that Shirley was like that, and
she still is. She still likes me, I think, a
little bit. And for our honeymoon, we went out
to Nauvoo. We did. No, no, no, no. Oh, no, we
went to Education Week. Education Week. Oh, my
land. What a couple of geeks. What a derpy bunch.
And we had our kids go with their other parents
and we had just gotten our place put together.
And so we went to education week and then we
hopped a plane. Yes. And then the next month
we hopped on a plane and I introduced my night
and show you in armor to my parents in Navu.
And it was such a tender, sweet. memory for me
because I remember hearing stories that my dad
was telling you, Scott, in their living room,
telling them, um, telling him stories I had never
heard before. So obviously it was an instant
connection and instant love and appreciation.
And they, evidently they trusted my taste. I
think they had learned, uh, through sad experience
that they didn't have a choice in that. Well,
they still and have always loved you, but that
was a pretty magical. Anyway, we were able to
go to the Nauvoo temple there and do some ceilings
with my mom and dad, and that was a tender moment
too. Anyway, we have, when we blended in 2002,
our oldest two were 15 years old. They were actually
born on the same day, same year, and they were
in the same kindergarten class, which is so wild,
but At 15 they weren't really big fans of each
other Yeah back then we thought oh my gosh. These
two are so polar opposite And as they get older,
they're very much alike. They're twins. Much
alike. And then the youngest two, Kirby and Bowen
were seven and eight and they were best of friends.
They loved getting in mud and playing and running
and jumping. And it was absolutely, I was in
heaven. All I ever wanted to be when I grew up
was a mom. And to have four bonus kids, man,
I was in heaven. So grateful. So, so, so grateful.
And the family just keeps growing because since
2002, we've had in -laws added and we've had
17 grandkids. We just got our new, our newest
grandchild last month, little Molly in March.
Our oldest grandkid is Xander who will turn 13
in June. So we have lots of littles. Our house
is noisy, crazy, messy, chaotic, and I love every
second of it. Perfect in every way, right? It's
a perfect chaos. Yeah. Yeah, I do too. Well as
you can see our our little love story is everything
anything but Traditional I guess but but to us
Deb. I think it's perfect. It is perfect One
of the signs in our bedroom says it's never too
late to have a happily ever after and I love
that sign What does the sign in our kitchen say
as far as anyone knows our family is a nice normal
family? Yeah, we we have a lot of fun. This is
a big family a great family We all you know kind
of take different paths in this family We're
not all perfectly aligned in our spiritual journey
or a religious journey and We'll probably be
talking a lot about that as we you know travel
through this Podcast this season, but you know,
I think but I think that that's okay I think
that you know, Deb There's probably a lot of
people in the church or not in the church people
that are listening to this podcast of many different
face We know that there are the that are kind
of like They my family's not just normal. It's
just not like everybody else's family. It doesn't
fit the mold and we certainly don't Well, I think
normal is just a setting on a washing machine
I don't know what normalism the more I get to
know other people I I just think you know what
we're all in a perfect Yeah, a glorious mess.
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and that's right, you know,
and it's cool that we acknowledge it I think
I mean is you know, whatever well, you know,
thanks We'll get to know you more as we go through
a couple of things that I might add Debs and
I have just been having an absolute wonderful
time teaching Institute for the last about five
years now at BYU in a BYU stake. It's a calling.
It's not a paid position or anything, but we've
been doing it nonetheless. And for those of you
who have been following the podcast for the last
three seasons know that the course that we teach
is actually a divine gift of forgiveness. It's
taken after the book written by Elder Neil L.
Anderson helped to do that by our former co -host
here, David Durfey . But Deb has just absolutely
won the hearts of college students from all over
the country that come here to BYU and UVU. Tell
us a little bit about that. Well, when we first
got that calling, it was during COVID. And so
we started on Zoom. And I remember being upstairs
in my office, and you were downstairs in your
office. And we would turn on the Zoom and be
prepared to teach this lesson. And we'd get maybe
one, maybe two kids on there. And I just thought.
And when we first started, it was repentance
using the atonement of Jesus Christ. Yeah, that's
right. remember getting completely discouraged
thinking first off it intimidated me because
I'm like I didn't go to college I mean I'm not
I am NOT gonna teach college kids but of course
then I read my patriarchal blessing and I said
my prayers and Heavenly Father said yes you're
gonna do this and so I said I will go and I will
do. You've got a few of those inconvenient truths
in that patriarchal blessing. I know, I know.
And my patriarchal blessing keeps reminding me
I'm not in charge over and over and over again.
I am a little bit of a control freak, but I'm
learning to get out of the driver's seat and
not be in charge. As soon as we went live in
Institute, In person, meaning in person. Yes,
sorry, not life. But in person, we started going
over to the church or whatever and started teaching.
I was terrified. And I even told them one of
my first classes, I said, I won't be afraid of
you if you won't be afraid of me, because I'm
terrified. Because I was so intimidated. And
it has been such a gift. And I think more than
anything is reading. Call, I get emotional quick.
um, reading the book, the divine gift of forgiveness.
And it changed me. It literally, the stories
in there, the things that they talk about, um,
people's stories, the way people forgive, the
way that people use the atonement in their own
lives. I literally have read and listened to
that book at least 12, a dozen times minimum.
And mine is marked up the The book is white and
mine is very handled dirty. If I could wash it,
I would. But it's marked up and it's tattered.
You wouldn't want to wash that. It would lose
its charm. Seriously, it's beautiful. It is one
of the most cherished books I own. You say it
changed you. How did it change you? I think more
than anything helped me understand the atonement.
I read The Miracle of Forgiveness when I was
younger, and that book scared me, honestly. I
just thought... you know, because of my path,
because of things that I had done, I, I felt
like I was too far gone. And even though I had
gone through the repentance process with so many
things, I just kept thinking, but, but you, if
you just knew this part and it's almost like
I had to dig up more dirt to just prove that
I wasn't worthy of, of that. And it was, I think
when I read the divine gift of forgiveness and
it, it helped me realize I'm not that special.
Just like the rest of us. I'm not that you are
subject to the effects of the fall of Adam and
Eve, just like the rest of us. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Well, again, we get to know you more and more
as we go through. For those of us who know you,
we love you. And for those of you who don't quite
yet, you'll love her, too. You probably already
do just sitting here listening to this. Deb's
got quite a story encourage you to go back. We'll
be talking about it throughout the podcast But
but I'm gonna I'll tell you what I will actually
Provide a link to an interview that David and
did with David and I did with Deb a couple of
years ago And it goes through her complete story.
Oh, it is not complete. Okay her story I know
I know as soon as I said that I knew I was I
was speaking in error, but But it goes through
a lot of what she just referred to about, I just
didn't feel like I could do it. I didn't feel
like I was enough and all of those things. So
I'll put that link in the podcast show notes.
So thanks, Deb, for doing that. As we transition
here, we just came through the most holy week
on the Christian calendar, that being the week
of Easter. We had a complete episode, our last
episode of season three. David and Deb and I
all went through the week, the days and the events
of Holy Week one by one. Pretty exhaustive. I
mean, we left a lot out, you know, it's just
impossible to cover that all in a one hour podcast.
And that was actually a one and a half hour podcast.
We broke an all time record. We promised not
to do that again. I'm not that talkative. But
we extended a little extra grace being that it
was David's last episode with us, at least for
a year and a half. But so now we move into the
week after. Easter dub we've talked about this
a couple of times even as recently as today is
it's just like man We just need to make an effort
to put Easter in our life all the time Yeah,
and I think even the last episode in the recording
when they said that some some traditions You
know do the 40 days before and then 40 days after
then we say he is risen and then you say Indeed,
he is risen, that's right. And I said, we're
gonna do that, so we're gonna keep practicing
that. I don't know if we're gonna do it perfect,
but it's such a celebration. But as we, the Easter
season, I so looked forward to the, to coming
upon the Easter season and then to have general
conference and then to be able to have so many,
I like, when Easter is later in April because
it makes it feel like the Easter season is longer.
And as it as Holy Week was was ending, I just
thought, oh, I don't want this to be over. But
we had a tender little couple of tender experiences
with the Sunday Palm Sunday. Our kids come over
every Sunday, not all of them, but a lot of them
come over and I was going to make more waffles.
forum and I said hey before we before they all
come let's let's go for well a motorcycle ride
and you know let's just buzz around it was a
beautiful sunny day and so Scott tried to start
his motorcycle and the battery was dead and which
is interesting because I had just ridden it the
day before and it was not dead yeah well you'll
find out why it was dead so he said let's just
get on the e -bikes Well, we live really close
to a trail that is amazing. And one of our favorite
rides, and it had to be really short because
I had kids coming soon, was over to the Linden
Utah Temple. So you get on this little paved
trail, and we ride these electric bikes, and
it's literally a Sunday cruise. And we started
riding over to the Linden Temple. And on the
drive, um, or on the ride, I noticed on the path
there, somebody had taken time and artfully had
drawn, he is risen, there is hope, Jesus loves
you, Gethsemane, all along this path, just so
such beautiful messages as we were on that trail.
And I even said, let's, let's go to the temple.
And I was like, man, this is like they're preparing
us to go to the temple. It was overwhelming.
Especially yeah, I you know, I tell him you're
overwhelmed. Yeah. Well, yeah, Debs kind of I'm
pretty sensitive. I'm emotional. I I cry. I don't
necessarily like them, but I'm glad you do. But
it's who I am. I when I get when I feel the spirit,
that's just what happens to me. And. I guess
I'm kind of like my grandpa Fagan that way, you
know when he'd bless the food he would cry You
do that, you know sometimes but So we I cross
the road and then as I get on to that part of
the path That's what I saw in big beautiful pastel
color Sidewalk chalk he is risen, you know Happy
Easter and all the things that you said and at
the first the first one I saw I I was you know,
we had We had been to church already. We had
had some tender experiences. Testimony. Taken.
Yeah, it was fast Sunday, right? We had we had
we had done that. We had taken the sacrament.
And just like we challenge our kids in Institute
each week, I try to make the sacrament extremely
meaningful. I know you do, too. And so, you know,
it was a day of worship. It was just a day of
worship. We had kept the Sabbath day holy and
holy. Indeed, it was. And so we hop on that trail
and it became even holier to me because I see
this and And I know where I'm going, you know,
the representation of Jesus Christ on earth,
the temple. And here I am seeing these messages
and I become kind of overcome. By the spirit,
you know, I'm wiping tears from my eyes people
are looking at me like who's this weird guy on
this bike riding on this But I don't really care,
you know, that's just I don't care But anyway
continue on anyway as we there's the it's a it's
a wet windy Trail. Yeah, and as we were going
around corners and reading these sweet messages
We came around that final corner and there is
this big beautiful white temple and it's still
under construction so we like to go over there
often and see the progress of the temple And
as we went over, as we were getting closer, it's
almost like majestic. Literally, it was a majestic
feeling to just have that overwhelm and just,
and I have such a love for the temple. It's such
a sacred, sacred place for me. And when it's
finished and dedicated, it will be our temple.
So I, I definitely have even a tender, more tender.
place for that. I'm just so anxious for it to
be done. Anyways, as we were getting closer,
I noticed there's a lot of people on the trail.
And as we got almost right in front of the temple,
like I said, the trail is windy. see a big group
of people walking towards the temple from the
other direction. And they all have palms, palm
leaves. And I can hear singing and hymns. And
the first one we heard was, I Feel My Savior's
Love, wasn't it? Yeah. Yeah. And I stopped, we
both stopped, pulled our bikes over like dead
in our tracks almost. We just stood there with
our jaws dropped like, what is happening? And
as we watch this group of people more and more
and more people came singing and waving these
palms, young and old, like little kids, strollers
and older couples, people that, uh, and I remember
seeing wheelchairs and people just singing and
praising. And I just, I kept thinking, wow, is
this what it was like when the savior came in?
And that triumphal entry and I get to eyewitness
this on Palm Sunday. What a sacred, sacred, tender
mercy that your motorcycle didn't start. I mean,
what a gift. What a gift. So I had a couple of
experiences while that was happening too. There
was a young man. I don't have any idea how old
he would be. Probably my guess would be in his
late teens, early 20s, who had some sort of handicap
and was in a wheelchair. My guess would be cerebral
palsy, but I don't know for sure. But obviously
had a handicap and and singing. I feel my Savior's
love at the top of his lungs. He was grinning.
Oh, he was so excited. So excited, so excited
to be going to the house of the Lord, right?
So excited to be in the procession to welcome
the King of Kings. And then I saw this old couple.
I mean, old couple. I mean, we're kind of old,
but I mean, older than us. Even older than our
parents, I think. Walking with Cain's very very
deliberately and it was painful for them, you
know But I white hair and and kind of hunched
over and and just making the best Yeah with what
the kind of hope they had and and it occurred
to me, you know is and it not in the moment it
didn't but it has since and occurred to me that
you know, maybe the faiths of those people on
that day were Pretty similar to the faith of
those that were literally there when they saw
Jesus himself. Yeah, it was overwhelming to see.
There ended up being around 1 ,300 people gathered
that day. And the reason why we knew that is
because right there at the temple, there's a
path that goes into the lawn just south of that
temple. And they all gathered there, had a microphone,
and they had Andrew Skinner there talking about
um, holy week and talking about his experience
in Jerusalem. And we stood there and on, I was
like, Oh gosh, I gotta go home and make waffles.
So I'm texting them saying, Hey, we got, we got
stuck. on purpose. Yeah, they all ended up coming
up with this. Anyway, it was it was just such
a wonderful, wonderful experience. You know,
some of the things that I reflected on, Deb,
while that was taking place is, you know, Jesus,
when he entered into Jerusalem, he was fully
aware of what was ahead of him. Yeah. Can you
imagine? He was fully aware. And and you know
his gentleness his courage his commitment To
save even knowing the cost you know like we mentioned
in the podcast last last episode You know even
considering the cost of what he was going to
do He did it willingly and then you know and
then I thought of the contrast You know and we
heard them waving the palms and singing hymns
and and shouting hosanna hosanna What is that
the whole saying hosanna hosanna? Yeah, it means
save us Save us now. Yeah, it seemed like there
was something more to it But anyway, they're
waving the palms and shouting hosanna and you
know, which means save us now hosanna to the
most high God which means save us now like you
just said but But I wondered I wonder how many
of the original crowd as we've talked about in
there Episode last time I wonder how many of
that original crowd not only yelled hosanna as
he came into the city But then through the confusion
and because it wasn't exactly the way they thought
it should be You know They thought that this
Messiah was going to come and save him from their
political oppression and all of that other stuff
And they're saying hosanna hosanna here He comes
he's you know and many of them are thinking that
the government is now going to be overthrown
But then when they find that it was not going
to be that way. I wonder how many of those it
was that we're yelling Hosanna on Sunday, we're
yelling crucify him Friday morning. Yeah, yeah.
It's a lot to think about. Yeah. You know, and
as we as we as I reflected on the Easter that
that holy week, we had a really awesome opportunity
to spend Good Friday in the temple. It's one
thing that we've been doing for the last few
years is. taking Good Friday off and spending
the sacred day in the Lord's house and filling
His Spirit. That was so, so, so sweet. We kind
of make it a point to try and be there. I know
that the timelines don't align between here and
the Holy Land, but we do it nonetheless out of
our own, just the way we do it. But we try to
be there between noon and three. That would have
been during the time that Jesus hung even without
the father's support. That's when the father
had turned and Jesus, one of his seven statements
while he was on the cross, why hast thou forsaken
me? Anyway, you know, so that kind of a poignant
point for sure. Yeah, and then that evening we
went to the Tulip Festival with my brother Evan
and his sweet wife back. And as we walked through
the Book of Mormon part and then the New Testament
part at the Thanksgiving point. So this is at
Thanksgiving Point there in Lehigh, Utah. But
they have figurines of all these different...
They're probably more like statues than figurines.
They are statues. You said figurines. I did say
figurines. They are statues. They're not figurines,
babe. They're human -sized figurines. No, they're
larger than that. Anyway, they have a lot of
the story, and as we were walking through there,
my sweet, sweet sister Bec says to me, I call
her my sister in love, she said to me, my New
Year's resolution this year is more Jesus. That
really touched my heart, and I just thought,
yeah, me too. I'm not going to do it on January
1st, but I'm going to do it on April 20th or
April 19th. And I just thought, what a sweet
way to keep the Holy week very much alive in
our lives. And I love, um, in October of 2024,
when president Nelson talked about having a relationship
with the savior. He gave a promise in that talk
that says, here is, here is my promise to you.
every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find
him in the temple. You will feel his mercy. You
will find answers to your most vexing questions.
You will better comprehend the joy of the gospel."
And I just thought, man, that is quite a promise.
And you know, I remember a time in my life when
I couldn't go in the temple but being among those
holy grounds just like on those bikes. feeling
that power and that connection, just being on
the grounds or near a temple. What do you think
it means to have more Jesus in my life? Definitely.
I caught you off guard because you didn't know
I was going to ask you that question, but it
just, it just, it just occurs to me. That's probably
something that we should all contemplate. Right?
What does that even mean? What does that look
like? How would I behave differently? So, I don't
know. What are your thoughts babe? Let's phone
a friend To me I have really been reflecting
on that since she's told me that and You know,
I I thought you know, I can definitely up my
attendance in the temple. I can definitely up
my My personal scripture study. There's nothing
I get up quite early to read and and study the
scriptures that come follow me the And I love
to be in the Book of Mormon, and I am loving
the more that I study them. But it's, I feel
like, well, I will tell you this. This last year,
I have got a highlighter. And in my Book of Mormon
and in my Doctrine and Covenants, I have highlighted
Holy Ghost, Comforter. Savior, Him in capital
letters, anywhere that I see the Savior, I have
highlighted that to find more Jesus. I think
I was doing that sort of, I just didn't realize
it, that I really needed to intentionally say,
you know, find Jesus, find more Jesus. I think
that's so key. to everything in our lives. I
mean, literally everything is to put him at the
center of our lives. Right. I mean, you remember
a year or so ago, we did a little kind of a series
for our ward on how to heal mental illness and
those types of things through the atonement of
Jesus Christ. Well, and I don't remember the
exact year, but we use the talk a lot from President
Nelson. And I don't remember the name of the
talk, but in it he said that Jesus is literally
the answer to everything. To say it to I want
to have more Jesus in my life I think you know
a more reverent way to say that would be I want
to align myself More with his will for me, you
know I because I think about how this is so important
in every aspect of our life and automatically
immediately because maybe the biggest impetus
for me to understanding the necessity of Jesus's
atonement in my in his power through his atonement
in my life was through my alcoholism because
of that experience and then knowing now what
I know because of the cleansing experience, there
was just nothing. There was just no way that
that I could ever have any semblance of peace,
let alone happiness, but any semblance of peace
in my life. When I was on the collision course
with disaster, like I was for so many years with
my with my alcoholism and addiction. Well, when
I found Alcoholics Anonymous and when I was directed
there by a good, loving stake president one day,
and and I and I and I really found out You know,
step one is pretty obvious. My life's unmanageable.
I'm powerless over alcohol. My life's unmanageable.
But step two has come to believe that a power
greater than myself could restore me to sanity.
And then three is to make a decision to turn
my will and my life over to the care of God as
I understand him. It took alcoholics anonymous,
Deb. It took alcoholics anonymous to help me
know. what it looks like to have a deeper relationship
with Jesus, where I feel like He's more present
in my life through the Spirit of the Holy Ghost,
the Comforter, like you just said. Yeah, can
I share a quick story about that? I remember
being in those same rooms and I remember a gentleman
walking in, tatted up, something that I would
have... considered in the past extremely scary.
He was large. He was bald. He was intimidating,
to be honest with you. He came in and sat down
in those meetings and they opened the meetings
to share your experience, strength and hope.
And this gentleman changed me, literally changed
me. I will never forget this. He had just gotten
out of prison and he talked about how he had
read the Book of Mormon and how it had changed
him and how grateful he was to his Savior Jesus
Christ. And I literally, that was the first time
I had tangible experience with the Atonement.
He just wept and there was not a dry eye in that
room talking about how much he needed and how
scared he was to be on the outside of those prison
doors and how much he still relied on. Him, I
will never, and that was probably 20 plus years
ago, I will never forget that day because it
was such a tangible experience for me. And I
thought, wow, I need to know Jesus better. So
powerful, so tender. And, you know, we see a
lot of that, don't we? There and just in life.
Yeah. You know, we go to church. And it's great
and it's this is how it should be, you know We
go to church and everybody's there in their white
shirt and ties and they're nice pretty clothes
and Dresses and everything else and we just tend
to bring our best selves there and we should
you know We should do that because we're there
to worship the Lord We should be respectful and
we should come as we do there's no question to
me But but I think sometimes that that gets that
gets we get confused with that's us approaching
the Lord and we have to be in a certain demeanor
in order for us to approach him or to have his
blessings affect our lives. And that's just wrong.
I love that you shared that about the guy with
the tattoos. He scared me by appearance, but
man, by the time that man left that meeting,
I hugged him and thanked him like I have never
hugged and thanked somebody before for testifying
of the Savior Jesus Christ like he did. Because
only true and lasting change comes through Jesus
Christ. There is no other source. that true and
lasting change can come from, especially the
true and lasting change that will draw us peace,
that will draw us closer to our Heavenly Father,
that will put us on a covenant path that will
allow Him, you got that right, allow Him to bless
us. He just wants to bless us. We just have to
align with those blessings. And the greatest
blessing of all that He's given us is His Son,
that we could be redeemed from the fallen world.
Yeah. I was just reminded when you said that
about the talk from Sister Roonya at this last
conference, the invitation to repent is an expression
of God's love. And saying yes to that invitation
is an expression of ours. That's all he wants.
He just wants us to come to him. The only thing
we have that he doesn't is our agency. And when
we come to him with an open, broken heart and
a contrite spirit, what a gift. Do you think
we sometimes get confused on what it looks like
to come to him though? Absolutely, and we get
distracted life's busy. I am number one offender
for me is Busyness and it it takes conscious
effort for me to pause and be still And it's
it's sometimes hard. It's harder than being busy
Being still being still is harder to me than
than being busy Yeah, it's it's definitely such
a distraction definitely definitely absolutely
definitely absolutely definitely that way for
me as well, you know dub I think that a little
more of Jesus Christ in our Heavenly Father and
and they Holy Ghost in our lives would definitely
create that peace for us, right? That I think
so many of us feel like we're missing those of
us who have have just feel like we've gone too
far. I know that I have felt that way multiple
times, like I have just gone too far. You know,
this time, I mean, I mean I have just felt like
I have gone too far beyond the reach and I and
I remember back to a story that David used to
tell about when Elder Anderson would come to
the prison and and he would talk to him about
the atonement of Jesus Christ and how Heavenly
Father loves him and one time there's this person
man that was sitting there with his arms folded
and just looking down and Elder Anderson approach
team and and the guy and I'm paraphrasing he
would have to go back and find the episode where
David told the story but he says I've gone too
far there's nothing that can save me and David
said that Elder Anderson every time David tells
a story says Elder Anderson almost come out of
his shoes there has nothing there is nothing
that you have done or no you have not gone so
far as to be beyond the reach of the atonement
of Jesus Christ and I don't think we understand
that I really don't feel like, I mean, because
I feel like we all have this unique story and
we have this. If you only knew. Yes. If what
I, I remember working through some, some truths
and my sponsor said to me, what I don't want
you to know about me is, and I just thought,
Whoa, that is overwhelming with how honest am
I willing to get? Because you know what? We don't
surprise him. There's, I mean, that's that. But
numerous times I would say, I'm taking that to
the grave. I'm taking that to the grave. And
I remember feeling like I'm too far gone. And
I think that's where this book and the scriptures
has helped me find that hope and help me understand
no matter how deep and dark and ugly and horrible
our messes are, We have a God bigger than us
that, I mean, we're not gonna fix it, but he
can. You felt that way. I have felt that way.
Like we're just beyond the reach, right? Like
we've just gone too far. And I know that we're
not alone. You and I have had an opportunity
now to meet with and be with hundreds of Institute,
young, single adult age men and women. home off
of their missions sometimes, sometimes not going
on missions. And I have to say, they are so valiant
and so good. They are so good. They don't have
to be there on a Wednesday night to seek for
the Spirit, but they come thirsting. And they
too battle with this. Maybe I'm just not good
enough for that. Maybe it just doesn't... include
me. Maybe my mental illness is too big. Maybe
my abuses and the PTSDs that I have to go through
now are just too big for me to overcome. Maybe
and on and on and on and on it goes. You know
I've had numerous times where some of the kids
mostly women because I tell them I'm gonna puke
truth on you. I'm gonna tell you things that
Have happened or things that I have learned in
my life because I don't want anyone To feel the
way I felt when I was going through some of my
challenges in in my life because I was raised
a active member of the church and I remember
certain things that happened to me and certain
things that I had done to other people and Things
that I were that I was participating in that
I just thought there is no hope for me. And I
don't belong in this church. I don't belong in
this if they only knew. And I, I, I told them,
I said, I don't want anyone to feel like they
don't deserve a seat in that chapel, in that
ordinance room to re to connect and to renew
sacred covenants with Heavenly Father in the
name of Jesus Christ. If I could stand on a mountain
and just say, please don't let the accuser tell
you these lies, because it's not true. We are
literally divine sons and daughters of divinity.
I mean, we are direct descendants of the divine.
So when you say that quit listening to the accuser,
that takes me to Revelations, right? Of course
you have a scripture for that. Revelations chapter
12. And in here, this is one of the... few places
that satan is actually refute referred to as
the accuser and this is something that we're
going to talk about more as the season as the
season goes along what is the accuser how does
that actually i mean what how does that accuser
of what what is how does that apply to us we'll
find out but a lot of it is is just exactly what
you've been talking about i'm not good enough
that's an accusation where's that accusation
come from doesn't come from god right um i'm
I've gone too far, where does that accusation
come from? That's from the accuser, the enemy,
the accuser. So this is in Revelation chapter
12 verse 10, and I heard a loud voice saying
in heaven, now has come the day of salvation,
now has come salvation and the strength and the
kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ,
for the accuser of our brethren is cast down,
which accused them before God day and night.
So, you know when and obviously this is talking
about us when we're in the pre -existence and
and how did we? Overcome the accuser. What was
it by what power were we able to overcome the
accuser there? Well, obviously the same power
that we're able to overcome the accuser here
And here's what it says and they overcame him
by the blood of the lamb the blood of the lamb
we are redeemed through his blood. There's a
reason we call this podcast, Redeemed Through
His Blood. They overcame him by the blood of
the lamb, by the word of their testimony, and
they loved not their lives unto the death. So
the testimony, you know, the burning within,
that was important. And the blood of the lamb,
the testimony of the blood of the lamb. Well.
We're accused every day. You know, when you say,
I don't feel like I belong here, when I feel
like I don't belong here, when I feel like I've
gone too far, when I feel like when I look at
some of the trials that some of my kids are going
through and I blame myself, when I accuse myself,
I overcome that through the blood of the lamb.
through the blood of the lamb. And so that's
gonna be our invitation through the entirety
of this podcast season. Season four is to invite
you to come out of the accusations. You do belong.
You are here. You are his. Already you are his.
You don't have to qualify to be his. You have
to qualify for the blessings that are available
to us. But sometimes that qualification looks
much different, Deb, than we think. than we think,
so. And I think, you know, just remembering that
the accuser is the thief of hope. And if there's
anything I could testify of, is there is hope
no matter where and what you've been in. I've
been in those holes where I feel like I've gone
too far and I cannot get out. I have pictures
to go with those words. And you know, it's not
earned. I don't earn it. it's offered through
the blood of the lamb. Exactly, we qualify it
for it by aligning with his will. We're gonna
talk about that throughout the season. Oh, thank
heavens for our covenants, yeah. I know, right?
I just kinda wanna maybe draw it all to a close
as we kind of wrap this first episode of season
four with a scripture from Alma. This is one
of my very favorites. Our students at Institute
hear it. frequently and they love it too, you
know, they don't get tired of it. They love it
too because of the hope that it breathes within
each one of us. So this is in Alma 7, we're going
to start in verse 11, probably go through 13.
now he being Jesus, right? He shall go forth
suffering pains and afflictions and temptations
of every kind. And I always stop, you know, when
we read this in class, I stop every time almost
and say how many kinds? And they repeat back
every kind. This is all inclusive. This leaves
nothing out, sweetie. Nothing is left out of
here. He suffered the pains, the afflictions
and temptations. of every single stinkin' kind,
right? That's not what it says in there. I know,
but it does. And this, that the word might be
fulfilled which saith that he will take upon
him the pains and sicknesses of his people. So
he's taken upon him our pains and sicknesses.
I'm not sure exactly how that works, just based
on what we've read here so far, but as we go
through the podcast season, we will. And he will
take upon him death, that he may loose the bands
of death, which bind his people. There's two
types of death that bands are loosed because
of this. Physical death. and spiritual death
spiritual death and physical death exactly right
we're going to talk about the ramifications and
and how all of those the effects of all of that
as well and he will take upon him death that
he may loose the bands of death which bind his
people and he will take upon him their infirmities
that his bowels may be filled with mercy there
it is mercy that's what we are that's all that's
all we want it's just a little mercy according
to the flesh that he may know according to the
flesh how to succor his people." So that was,
again, Alma 7, and it was only verses 11 and
12. But, you know, I think as we just kind of
wrap up tonight, our hope is there. Our hope
is that he's done it. We don't have to do it.
He did it. He suffered all the pain and all the
punishment and penalty for sin. Pain, penalty,
and punishment for sin was answered by Jesus
Christ. We don't do that. So how do we then tap
into and access the blessings of the atonement
of Jesus Christ in our lives? And those are blessings,
just to kind of summarize those. You know, we
think of the atonement of Jesus Christ as being
important to us for the forgiveness of sin. And
it is. Definitely is there are other there are
other blessings that come to us though by way
of Jesus's Atonement and and the two main category
three main categories are redemptive and that's
where the sin falls in Enabling and strengthening
that's one category strengthening blessings and
enabling blessings. We'll talk about those throughout
the podcast and then finally the Compensatory
blessings were compensated and so our invitation
is going to be as we go through this is just
to keep coming back, keep coming back and enjoy
and joining us in what we're doing here. So as
we close today, we just wanna say wherever you
are, however you're feeling, you're welcome here.
Jesus isn't just waiting for you to clean everything
up before you come to him. He meets us right
where, right in the middle of our mess. That's
where his grace shines brightest. So come as
you are, broken. hopeful, questioning, searching.
You're not alone. And we'd love to stay connected
with you. So if you have thoughts or questions,
if you have stories you want to share, and if
you want to send some words of encouragement
to Deb for just kicking this thing off with us,
that'd be great, too. You can do that. He redeems
us at gmail .com. We read every email. We'll
try and respond to all that we can, either in
person or on the podcast itself. And if this
episode or any other episode touched your heart,
we hope you'll share it with someone you love.
A friend, a family member, anyone who could use
a little more hope right now. So next week we're
going to talk about who we are. and whose we
are, why that's important in the grand scheme
of things. And we're going to build on how to
access and the importance of the atonement of
Jesus Christ in our lives one step at a time.
Thank you so much for being with us, friends.
And remember, there's always hope through Him,
because you have been, and I have been, redeemed
through His blood. Thanks for being with us,
everybody. We look forward to being with you
again, and until then... See you next time. Be
well