WEBVTT 00:00:15.820 --> 00:00:18.859 Hey there, everybody. Welcome out to another 00:00:18.859 --> 00:00:21.399 episode of Redeemed Through His Blood. Scott 00:00:21.399 --> 00:00:25.339 Durfey here, as always joined by my sweetheart, 00:00:25.679 --> 00:00:29.300 Debra. What's up, babe? Hi, everyone. How about 00:00:29.300 --> 00:00:33.640 my friends? How are you? I'm good. I'm actually 00:00:33.640 --> 00:00:36.729 kind of comfortable and. Calm right now, I might 00:00:36.729 --> 00:00:39.310 be able to shut my eyes and nap. Please don't 00:00:39.310 --> 00:00:44.009 do that. Yeah, you do look comfortable in my 00:00:44.009 --> 00:00:46.030 leather chair. I have this beautiful leather 00:00:46.030 --> 00:00:48.890 chair that Deb bought me for Father's Day sitting 00:00:48.890 --> 00:00:51.289 here in my office. And, you know, in the entire 00:00:51.289 --> 00:00:54.009 time we've been doing this podcast, I'm sitting 00:00:54.009 --> 00:00:56.490 in my office chair and David was sitting there 00:00:56.490 --> 00:00:58.549 for the first three years and now you're sitting 00:00:58.549 --> 00:01:02.149 there, which I'm fine with. I love that. I love 00:01:02.149 --> 00:01:04.250 this chair. It is comfortable. I know. Yeah. 00:01:04.920 --> 00:01:08.659 I'm a little sad. Yeah, why are you sad? Well, 00:01:08.780 --> 00:01:12.659 I got news. We got news recently that one of 00:01:12.659 --> 00:01:16.180 our friends and alcoholic synonymous died from 00:01:16.180 --> 00:01:20.540 an overdose. That is so sad. It's not uncommon. 00:01:21.239 --> 00:01:25.420 No. Unfortunately, but so sad, you know, just 00:01:25.420 --> 00:01:30.120 we just don't know. Right. You just don't know 00:01:30.120 --> 00:01:33.900 what drives a person, what what what battles, 00:01:34.180 --> 00:01:41.079 what demons we carry. It's just so hard sometimes, 00:01:41.239 --> 00:01:44.680 Deb, to be involved. You know this, you're involved 00:01:44.680 --> 00:01:48.219 too, but it's just so hard and so heavy sometimes 00:01:48.219 --> 00:01:54.079 to be involved and just see the wickedness and 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:57.280 the throws of addiction. Oh, insidious. I think 00:01:57.280 --> 00:01:58.859 that was the thing you said the other day when 00:01:58.859 --> 00:02:01.280 I told you about that. Insidious disease. Yeah. 00:02:01.480 --> 00:02:04.680 So sad. I know, right? It's heartbreaking because 00:02:04.680 --> 00:02:07.040 these are people we love, love, love and care 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:10.800 about. Yeah. Yeah. So heartbreaking. Another 00:02:10.800 --> 00:02:14.539 one that we're close to and know quite well is 00:02:14.539 --> 00:02:18.580 battling addiction in the deepest, darkest, even 00:02:18.580 --> 00:02:22.030 today. You know, going through detox and rehab 00:02:22.030 --> 00:02:24.770 and a bunch of other things and, and so many 00:02:24.770 --> 00:02:28.689 others. I mean, just countless. And, you know, 00:02:28.849 --> 00:02:32.210 oftentimes, Deb, I think, I think you and I, 00:02:32.389 --> 00:02:35.270 we come across as this happy -go -lucky, you 00:02:35.270 --> 00:02:38.090 know, we got it made and, you know, from the 00:02:38.090 --> 00:02:42.530 outside looking in, maybe it's not always as 00:02:42.530 --> 00:02:45.990 though it seems. It's an illusion. It's an illusion. 00:02:46.009 --> 00:02:48.250 It's not always what it seems, right? If you 00:02:48.250 --> 00:02:53.520 really knew. You had the glass wall into the 00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:56.860 lives. You know, as I listened to the last week's 00:02:56.860 --> 00:03:01.340 podcast and I don't typically like, I'm not a 00:03:01.340 --> 00:03:03.620 big fan of listening to myself, but I just, I 00:03:03.620 --> 00:03:05.479 had had a few people reach out to me and say, 00:03:05.520 --> 00:03:08.500 gosh, Deb, that was so amazing. Of course. lot 00:03:08.500 --> 00:03:10.879 of them's family and friends but they were just 00:03:10.879 --> 00:03:13.740 cheering me on but I thought I hope I did not 00:03:13.740 --> 00:03:18.400 come across as knowing everything or this facade 00:03:18.400 --> 00:03:21.000 of we have this perfect little life we sure make 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:24.800 the best of our life. And we definitely have 00:03:24.800 --> 00:03:28.099 our challenges and messes and yeah, well, we 00:03:28.099 --> 00:03:30.699 make the best of our life today. Absolutely. 00:03:30.900 --> 00:03:32.759 That doesn't mean tomorrow we will. And it doesn't 00:03:32.759 --> 00:03:35.240 mean that sometimes, even since we've got our 00:03:35.240 --> 00:03:38.759 stuff together, that we still have those those 00:03:38.759 --> 00:03:43.219 dark feelings and days and troubles and and we 00:03:43.219 --> 00:03:45.879 respond to the accusations of the accuser. I 00:03:45.879 --> 00:03:50.879 do. Yeah, I think we all do. And we we have this. 00:03:51.819 --> 00:03:56.020 belief that, you know, my, my mom was the queen 00:03:56.020 --> 00:03:59.979 of keeping positive affirmations all over the 00:03:59.979 --> 00:04:03.120 house. And she was always think positive, think 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:07.139 positive and it's a great, you know, thing to 00:04:07.139 --> 00:04:09.539 think. Definitely better to think positive than 00:04:09.539 --> 00:04:14.000 not, right? It's true. It's true. But anyway, 00:04:14.039 --> 00:04:17.019 I just, I think one of the things that made me 00:04:17.019 --> 00:04:21.379 reflect this past week was just thinking about 00:04:22.550 --> 00:04:28.050 how much we put on the emphasis of we have to 00:04:28.050 --> 00:04:30.350 put on our best and look our best and and be 00:04:30.350 --> 00:04:33.410 our best and yeah that's that's all good but 00:04:33.410 --> 00:04:36.769 we're not always our best and I think we need 00:04:36.769 --> 00:04:40.490 I need to remember that we can bring our mess 00:04:40.490 --> 00:04:46.370 and our brokenness among the you know the saints 00:04:46.370 --> 00:04:50.149 we can bring them among each other and it's interesting 00:04:50.149 --> 00:04:55.329 today I had an experience. I was talking to a 00:04:55.329 --> 00:04:57.649 lady that she was telling me about someone in 00:04:57.649 --> 00:05:02.670 her life who's battling alcoholism, and she is 00:05:02.670 --> 00:05:06.629 completely foreign to the idea of the disease 00:05:06.629 --> 00:05:11.129 or anything. And I all of a sudden became the 00:05:11.129 --> 00:05:13.029 expert for some reason. And I kept saying, hey, 00:05:13.089 --> 00:05:16.430 this is an insidious disease. And I just thought, 00:05:16.470 --> 00:05:19.569 I am not the expert. I am not the expert at this. 00:05:19.879 --> 00:05:24.879 But the one thing I did tell her is there is 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:28.379 hope. There is hope. And you know, she was telling 00:05:28.379 --> 00:05:33.139 me about how much this gentleman was just trying 00:05:33.139 --> 00:05:35.660 to keep it from the family and how the family 00:05:35.660 --> 00:05:39.160 is finding out now and his kids are finding out 00:05:39.160 --> 00:05:42.139 and active members of the church. And that was 00:05:42.139 --> 00:05:44.800 me. you know, the active member of the church 00:05:44.800 --> 00:05:47.519 that's trying to, you know, live my secret somewhere 00:05:47.519 --> 00:05:51.399 else and not let anybody know. You know, we had 00:05:51.399 --> 00:05:55.980 actually originally planned tonight a topic for 00:05:55.980 --> 00:06:00.040 the podcast. And before we get too far into our 00:06:00.040 --> 00:06:01.600 topic today, there's a couple of other things 00:06:01.600 --> 00:06:03.800 I want to say. But Deb, this is exactly what 00:06:03.800 --> 00:06:06.939 we need to talk about right now, because we're 00:06:06.939 --> 00:06:10.040 all kind of there. We're all just at spots where 00:06:10.329 --> 00:06:12.750 There's just things we just don't want others 00:06:12.750 --> 00:06:17.230 to know. And it's okay. We should put our best 00:06:17.230 --> 00:06:22.089 foot forward. I get that. But sometimes do we 00:06:22.089 --> 00:06:25.290 put our best foot forward at the expense of being 00:06:25.290 --> 00:06:31.009 real and being able to be in that powerful relationship 00:06:31.009 --> 00:06:33.410 with our Heavenly Father? Well, and I think even 00:06:33.410 --> 00:06:39.040 being authentic. I love that on the medallionship 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:42.720 in AA, it says, to thine own self be true. And 00:06:42.720 --> 00:06:46.040 I think that is such a critical even piece of 00:06:46.040 --> 00:06:48.620 doctrine that we all can kind of put in front 00:06:48.620 --> 00:06:52.800 of us is just be true to you. You know, honesty 00:06:52.800 --> 00:06:57.620 is literally where we get free. The truth will 00:06:57.620 --> 00:07:00.699 set us free. And it has definitely set me free. 00:07:00.860 --> 00:07:03.959 I mean, I remember knowing I was taking certain 00:07:03.959 --> 00:07:07.240 stories and certain things to the grave. I was 00:07:07.240 --> 00:07:10.000 not about to expose any of that. What would people 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:17.399 think? I mean, I was raised in this facade of 00:07:17.399 --> 00:07:20.980 perfection. I hate to put a label on it, but 00:07:20.980 --> 00:07:24.439 I remember we were on a river rafting trip one 00:07:24.439 --> 00:07:27.399 time. As a family, we always did, and we went 00:07:27.399 --> 00:07:31.420 with a whole bunch of people from... our hometown 00:07:31.420 --> 00:07:33.720 and there was a lady that had been divorced and 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:35.699 had a lot of kids and she says, what was it like 00:07:35.699 --> 00:07:38.759 being raised in such a perfect home? And I giggled. 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:41.620 I was like, perfect. What are you talking about? 00:07:41.759 --> 00:07:43.879 And I just think, you know, sometimes we put 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:47.100 that perfect label on so many other people because 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:49.740 it looks so perfect from where we're sitting. 00:07:49.980 --> 00:07:53.139 But I think if we had that gift to be able to 00:07:53.139 --> 00:07:55.560 see into the hearts and I think there's been 00:07:55.560 --> 00:07:58.220 a few conference talks on this. If we really 00:07:58.220 --> 00:08:00.240 knew the challenges and struggles people we're 00:08:00.240 --> 00:08:03.819 going through, we would feel and act so different. 00:08:04.279 --> 00:08:06.740 Which we go back to the, you know, first and 00:08:06.740 --> 00:08:08.800 great commandment, love the Lord thy God and 00:08:08.800 --> 00:08:11.420 second is like unto it, love your neighbor as 00:08:11.420 --> 00:08:15.319 thyself. And I think, you know, there's a lot 00:08:15.319 --> 00:08:20.339 of wisdom in those two commandments in and of 00:08:20.339 --> 00:08:25.790 themselves is just love. It's what the world 00:08:25.790 --> 00:08:29.670 needs more of. Love, sweet love. Exactly, like 00:08:29.670 --> 00:08:34.309 the song says. Yeah. Well, I don't know. I know 00:08:34.309 --> 00:08:36.950 I felt that way. I know you have felt that way. 00:08:37.110 --> 00:08:40.409 We had a discussion tonight, Deb and I, and Deb's 00:08:40.409 --> 00:08:42.470 brought up a valid concern. She's like, Scott, 00:08:42.649 --> 00:08:44.330 we don't want people to think that we've got 00:08:44.330 --> 00:08:47.519 this whole thing figured out. You know all we 00:08:47.519 --> 00:08:51.679 have figured out is that I'm not I'm not the 00:08:51.679 --> 00:08:55.200 issue Jesus Christ is the issue His atonement 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:58.320 is the power by which I gain any kind of relief 00:08:58.320 --> 00:09:02.600 from the bondage of self And it's okay. It's 00:09:02.600 --> 00:09:06.200 actually in divine order that it is indeed that 00:09:06.200 --> 00:09:10.120 way you know you're talking about a river trip 00:09:10.120 --> 00:09:15.230 and You know, just the way people sometimes see 00:09:15.230 --> 00:09:19.470 us and stuff like that. Deb, I had one recently. 00:09:20.730 --> 00:09:23.970 And I'm just going to admit it. This is me being 00:09:23.970 --> 00:09:26.029 extremely vulnerable. I had a meeting yesterday 00:09:26.029 --> 00:09:30.110 with three really, actually five pretty important 00:09:30.110 --> 00:09:33.970 men in my life. Three members of a state presidency 00:09:33.970 --> 00:09:38.039 and two other. Institute teachers for the stake 00:09:38.039 --> 00:09:41.600 and I'm looking at these men, you know, they 00:09:41.600 --> 00:09:45.279 Once a stake president just such an amazing man 00:09:45.279 --> 00:09:47.659 that the the first counselor the second counselor 00:09:47.659 --> 00:09:49.860 I think rather I don't know which counselor but 00:09:50.299 --> 00:09:52.340 We actually went to high school together and 00:09:52.340 --> 00:09:54.799 I see him and I just think, oh my gosh, that 00:09:54.799 --> 00:09:56.940 guy has just got it all figured out and he's 00:09:56.940 --> 00:09:59.139 in the right spot, doing the right thing at the 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:01.500 right time. And then the other two Institute 00:10:01.500 --> 00:10:04.320 teachers too, Mark and Benoit, just wonderful, 00:10:04.340 --> 00:10:09.200 wonderful men. And Deb, by comparison, I don't 00:10:09.200 --> 00:10:11.759 hold a candle to any of those guys in my own 00:10:11.759 --> 00:10:13.740 mind. And this is the thoughts that's going through 00:10:13.740 --> 00:10:16.820 my head yesterday as I'm in this meeting because, 00:10:16.820 --> 00:10:21.620 you know, and I know why. Right? I know that 00:10:21.620 --> 00:10:23.679 first off, the things that I'm thinking are lies. 00:10:23.799 --> 00:10:26.220 Second off, I know that these lies come from 00:10:26.220 --> 00:10:29.659 the accuser. I know that I'm listening to the 00:10:29.659 --> 00:10:34.139 accuser. I know I'm being accused. And I'm listening 00:10:34.139 --> 00:10:37.039 to that. But I feel unworthy. I feel like I don't 00:10:37.039 --> 00:10:40.080 measure up. You know, sometimes we ask, am I 00:10:40.080 --> 00:10:43.399 too broken for Jesus? You know, have I gone? 00:10:43.659 --> 00:10:46.039 And it's not necessarily, have I gone too far? 00:10:46.419 --> 00:10:50.460 But sometimes it is, have I gone too far? Boy, 00:10:50.460 --> 00:10:52.379 I have pictures to go with those words. I felt 00:10:52.379 --> 00:10:54.899 like I had gotten too far and there's still times 00:10:54.899 --> 00:10:57.399 when the accuser will get my head and I'd be 00:10:57.399 --> 00:10:59.220 questioning myself and thinking Scott You're 00:10:59.220 --> 00:11:01.720 a fake. You're a facade. You have gone too far 00:11:01.720 --> 00:11:03.639 You know the stuff that you teach and the stuff 00:11:03.639 --> 00:11:08.600 that you testify of is just for them Not you, 00:11:08.679 --> 00:11:12.559 you know, you know in that same sense of Having 00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:15.480 that fear that you know, do I have to fix myself 00:11:15.480 --> 00:11:17.480 before I can go to church? Do I have to make 00:11:17.480 --> 00:11:20.429 myself right? Do I have to you know? The other 00:11:20.429 --> 00:11:24.049 thing we have to remember is that we are all 00:11:24.049 --> 00:11:28.250 broken. Well, there seems to be very little sometimes 00:11:28.250 --> 00:11:31.190 comfort in numbers. There's comfort numbers when 00:11:31.190 --> 00:11:33.870 we're putting on the happy side of ourselves, 00:11:33.870 --> 00:11:37.389 you know, but when I'm feeling that way, when 00:11:37.389 --> 00:11:40.330 I'm feeling like down on myself, when I'm feeling 00:11:40.330 --> 00:11:43.710 like I am too far gone, like I am, and I still 00:11:43.710 --> 00:11:47.470 feel that way sometimes, babe. When I'm listening 00:11:47.470 --> 00:11:51.389 to the accuser and when I do I don't feel like 00:11:51.389 --> 00:11:54.590 there's strength in numbers for me there, right? 00:11:54.649 --> 00:11:58.490 I feel like that I'm alone that I'm Isolated, 00:11:58.509 --> 00:12:00.570 you know and all that other stuff now I know 00:12:00.570 --> 00:12:02.789 that there's a way out of it and I know how and 00:12:02.789 --> 00:12:06.009 that's the whole point In fact, I think that's 00:12:06.009 --> 00:12:08.850 the point to our podcast Isn't that to help all 00:12:08.850 --> 00:12:11.950 of us you and me and and those of us and and 00:12:11.950 --> 00:12:14.419 here's the thing When I say, and those of us, 00:12:14.580 --> 00:12:16.639 and so when I say those of us who understand 00:12:16.639 --> 00:12:19.019 this, I'm literally talking about all of us, 00:12:19.340 --> 00:12:23.279 because by design, and we're going to talk about 00:12:23.279 --> 00:12:25.360 the fall of Adam and Eve and how that all plays 00:12:25.360 --> 00:12:28.700 into our growth and our opportunity to put on 00:12:28.700 --> 00:12:30.639 the atonement of Jesus Christ in its fullness 00:12:30.639 --> 00:12:35.460 in a few weeks. But, you know, in our fallen 00:12:35.460 --> 00:12:40.220 -ness, that's where we find that we have that 00:12:40.220 --> 00:12:44.690 need for Him. And that's where we find that he 00:12:44.690 --> 00:12:47.350 will meet us, kind of even meet us in our mess, 00:12:47.509 --> 00:12:50.049 right? And that's all he's asking is to come 00:12:50.049 --> 00:12:54.309 to him. Yeah, you're right. Come to him. That's 00:12:54.309 --> 00:12:56.149 all he's asking is to come to him. That reminds 00:12:56.149 --> 00:12:58.990 always of the scripture, right? This is Dave's, 00:12:58.990 --> 00:13:00.889 I think this is Dave's favorite scripture. This 00:13:00.889 --> 00:13:03.990 is Matthew 11 28. I'm just going to read it. 00:13:05.470 --> 00:13:08.350 Come unto me, all you that labor and are heavy 00:13:08.350 --> 00:13:12.919 laden, and I will give you rest. I think that's 00:13:12.919 --> 00:13:16.059 great and important for us to understand, but 00:13:16.059 --> 00:13:18.440 how does that happen? And he goes on, I said 00:13:18.440 --> 00:13:21.000 28, but I'm going to go all the way through 30. 00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:24.960 Take my yoke upon you. So he's asking us to take 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:28.220 his yoke upon us. What does that mean? So when 00:13:28.220 --> 00:13:30.360 we take his yoke upon us, think that through 00:13:30.360 --> 00:13:34.480 for just a second and learn of me. For I am meek 00:13:34.480 --> 00:13:38.019 and lowly in heart, and you shall find rest unto 00:13:38.019 --> 00:13:41.649 your souls for my yoke is easy. and my burden 00:13:41.649 --> 00:13:48.850 is light. Deb, you were raised on a little farm 00:13:48.850 --> 00:13:51.710 and you had cattle or whatever, cows, I should 00:13:51.710 --> 00:13:54.570 say. We did have cows. And you'll understand 00:13:54.570 --> 00:13:57.509 this. You know, I was raised on a little farm 00:13:57.509 --> 00:14:01.990 and we had horses. And, you know, maybe this 00:14:01.990 --> 00:14:04.250 kind of applies to both. But when they use when 00:14:04.250 --> 00:14:08.580 when the term yoke is used in there. A yoke is 00:14:08.580 --> 00:14:13.740 something that is used to bind two animals in 00:14:13.740 --> 00:14:17.360 that case together. And if that's the case, you 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:19.899 know, if we're using this yoke, and if Christ 00:14:19.899 --> 00:14:22.799 is asking us, inviting us, take my yoke upon 00:14:22.799 --> 00:14:25.960 you, He's not asking us to pick up a heavy yoke 00:14:25.960 --> 00:14:29.440 and carry His yoke, He's asking us to yoke with 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:33.129 Him. And as we yoke with him, then that power 00:14:33.129 --> 00:14:36.450 or that strength is more evenly distributed where 00:14:36.450 --> 00:14:40.090 we are actually able to take on his attributes 00:14:40.090 --> 00:14:43.110 and strengths through yoking to him. And how 00:14:43.110 --> 00:14:47.129 do we do that? He gives us a key to that in verse 00:14:47.129 --> 00:14:51.830 19. First off, he gives us the, well, he says, 00:14:51.950 --> 00:14:55.029 learn of me, for I am meek and lonely of heart, 00:14:55.070 --> 00:14:57.769 and you shall find rest in your souls, for my 00:14:57.769 --> 00:15:00.669 yoke is easy and my... Burden is light so you 00:15:00.669 --> 00:15:03.809 shall find rest in your souls you know one of 00:15:03.809 --> 00:15:08.250 the things I think of and this is well is I think 00:15:08.250 --> 00:15:11.330 about when my burden feels heavy and I feel exhausted 00:15:11.330 --> 00:15:13.409 because I'm one of those that keeps going and 00:15:13.409 --> 00:15:15.649 going and going until I hit pure exhaustion and 00:15:15.649 --> 00:15:17.330 there's some days I want to take my yoke and 00:15:17.330 --> 00:15:20.789 just throw it I Literally, I literally just want 00:15:20.789 --> 00:15:23.070 to go just carry this I want to lay down and 00:15:23.070 --> 00:15:27.570 cry yeah, I don't I mean and I think I think 00:15:27.639 --> 00:15:31.179 It's because sometimes I feel like I'm the one 00:15:31.179 --> 00:15:33.879 that needs to go, go, go, you know, do exactly 00:15:33.879 --> 00:15:37.279 what I, you know, do all that I can do and then 00:15:37.279 --> 00:15:40.799 and then ask for help. But it's it's past that 00:15:40.799 --> 00:15:44.519 point. But, you know, the one thing that I do 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:47.440 love and that I know and that I can testify of 00:15:47.440 --> 00:15:52.279 is that in our mess and in our chaos and in our 00:15:52.279 --> 00:15:59.210 points of chaos. that when we literally seek 00:15:59.210 --> 00:16:03.490 Him, He meets us in our mess. He literally will 00:16:03.490 --> 00:16:09.450 come to us. You know, and it's, I have, I've 00:16:09.450 --> 00:16:11.870 got numerous pictures to go with those words 00:16:11.870 --> 00:16:18.169 that, man, when I get to that fallen place of, 00:16:18.730 --> 00:16:22.730 I just can't do this anymore. I feel Him. I know 00:16:22.730 --> 00:16:26.899 He is there. And He lives. Have you ever noticed 00:16:26.899 --> 00:16:30.019 this I have and I think you probably will be 00:16:30.019 --> 00:16:32.080 able to relate to this But have you ever noticed 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:35.379 that for example when I when I first got sober 00:16:35.379 --> 00:16:39.639 I had tried to get sober a million times Probably 00:16:39.639 --> 00:16:43.340 not much of an exaggeration, right? I tell people 00:16:43.340 --> 00:16:46.240 Quitting was not a problem for me. It was staying 00:16:46.240 --> 00:16:49.419 quit that was hard for me. But but I but but 00:16:49.419 --> 00:16:53.700 when I was going through that process I I felt 00:16:53.700 --> 00:16:57.009 broken And there is part of me that is in that 00:16:57.009 --> 00:16:59.090 process. There's part of me that is broken in 00:16:59.090 --> 00:17:02.929 that process. Broken to not be able to, I'm just 00:17:02.929 --> 00:17:06.329 not able to put the connected pieces to be able 00:17:06.329 --> 00:17:08.690 to make the connection to be able to align my 00:17:08.690 --> 00:17:13.029 will with Heavenly Father's. And when I realized, 00:17:13.349 --> 00:17:18.769 what I realized was that as I began, well, let 00:17:18.769 --> 00:17:24.740 me just step back a second. I thought, For example 00:17:24.740 --> 00:17:28.220 that I had been left alone that he wasn't there 00:17:28.220 --> 00:17:31.059 for me that I needed to go a certain distance 00:17:31.059 --> 00:17:35.460 before I would be able to earn his Help and assistance 00:17:35.460 --> 00:17:38.319 in my life now. I grew up with a testimony You 00:17:38.319 --> 00:17:40.819 know that you know conversion came for me much 00:17:40.819 --> 00:17:43.700 later than my testimony did but I grew up with 00:17:43.700 --> 00:17:46.000 a testimony I knew that Jesus was Christ. I knew 00:17:46.000 --> 00:17:47.819 that he lived I believed in my Heavenly Father 00:17:47.819 --> 00:17:50.180 and all of this through all of the deep dark 00:17:50.180 --> 00:17:53.710 days of my addiction But because I felt like 00:17:53.710 --> 00:17:56.930 I needed to achieve a certain amount in order 00:17:56.930 --> 00:18:00.990 to be worthy for even his help. What I realized, 00:18:01.170 --> 00:18:05.289 Deb, is after I had achieved a little bit of 00:18:05.289 --> 00:18:08.250 sobriety and I had come more to myself, what 00:18:08.250 --> 00:18:11.809 I realized is that Jesus had entered my story 00:18:11.809 --> 00:18:15.750 long before I ever realized it. Long before. 00:18:16.490 --> 00:18:20.410 And I and I think that that's probably the case 00:18:20.410 --> 00:18:23.890 for each of us that he's somewhere already in 00:18:23.890 --> 00:18:26.930 that darkness He's somewhere already in that 00:18:26.930 --> 00:18:30.069 despair. He's somewhere already in that I'm not 00:18:30.069 --> 00:18:32.190 good enough or I don't measure up well enough 00:18:32.190 --> 00:18:36.109 or I or I or I whatever he's already somewhere 00:18:36.109 --> 00:18:40.210 in that story and it's It doesn't take much to 00:18:40.210 --> 00:18:43.630 find him there. Yeah, we got to do is look. Yeah, 00:18:43.630 --> 00:18:47.890 or you know turn our direction of, you know, 00:18:47.990 --> 00:18:50.589 look up. Yeah. I mean, we hear that in conference 00:18:50.589 --> 00:18:53.289 talks to turn on the light. Look up. Just look 00:18:53.289 --> 00:18:57.410 to me. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, want to nail. Yeah. 00:18:57.569 --> 00:19:02.690 Yes. Turn to me. I remember a time I was going 00:19:02.690 --> 00:19:06.150 through some really, really difficult things. 00:19:07.789 --> 00:19:16.140 And I had it was before I had met you. And I 00:19:16.140 --> 00:19:19.759 remember thinking, my life is so destroyed and 00:19:19.759 --> 00:19:23.640 so distraught. And there is no way. I mean, I 00:19:23.640 --> 00:19:26.140 had just received some news that had absolutely 00:19:26.140 --> 00:19:30.440 devastated me. And I just thought my life was 00:19:30.440 --> 00:19:33.599 crumbling. And I remember at that time going, 00:19:34.059 --> 00:19:36.339 the American Fork Temple, the Timpanogos Temple 00:19:36.339 --> 00:19:40.099 had just been opened. And I remember walking 00:19:40.099 --> 00:19:43.559 in there so heavy, my shoulders were like... 00:19:43.900 --> 00:19:48.420 just so burdened with the news and the information 00:19:48.420 --> 00:19:51.200 that I received and I just thought I don't know 00:19:51.200 --> 00:19:56.359 how this is ever gonna be fixed and I went through 00:19:56.359 --> 00:20:02.240 and and pleaded and prayed and I did an endowment 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:04.539 and I went into the celestial room after and 00:20:04.539 --> 00:20:08.960 I just again just poured out my heart and Pleaded 00:20:08.960 --> 00:20:14.009 with the Lord to just please somehow And you 00:20:14.009 --> 00:20:18.069 know, I'll never forget that day that I walked 00:20:18.069 --> 00:20:22.390 out of that temple. Absolutely nothing had changed. 00:20:22.910 --> 00:20:25.109 The news wasn't different, the information wasn't 00:20:25.109 --> 00:20:29.490 different, how I felt was completely changed. 00:20:30.710 --> 00:20:32.910 And I remember walking out of that temple thinking, 00:20:32.910 --> 00:20:36.890 I just witnessed a miracle. There is nothing 00:20:36.890 --> 00:20:40.859 in my story that had changed at all. I still 00:20:40.859 --> 00:20:42.700 had the terrible news. I still had the mess. 00:20:42.779 --> 00:20:46.200 I still had all of that. But I remember walking 00:20:46.200 --> 00:20:49.160 out of that temple thinking, I just witnessed 00:20:49.160 --> 00:20:52.500 a miracle. I am a totally different person walking 00:20:52.500 --> 00:20:55.380 out of this temple than I was walking into that 00:20:55.380 --> 00:21:00.140 temple. That's how He changes us. I mean, I brought 00:21:00.140 --> 00:21:04.500 my mess, as terrible as that sounds, but I brought 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:10.740 that into His house and He healed me. He yoked 00:21:10.740 --> 00:21:16.339 with me. I will never forget that. It was shortly 00:21:16.339 --> 00:21:19.039 after my grandmother had passed away, and I remember 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.059 thinking, I don't think I'd be more surprised 00:21:21.059 --> 00:21:24.079 if my grandma was resurrected right now because 00:21:24.079 --> 00:21:27.440 of that miracle that I had just witnessed in 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:32.500 that change of heart. Such a huge blessing, gift. 00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:37.019 Such a gift. No doubt. Well, and I think though 00:21:37.019 --> 00:21:40.710 that, Deb, that's a... Prime example of how he 00:21:40.710 --> 00:21:43.250 meets this inner mess. In fact, that's kind of 00:21:43.250 --> 00:21:46.049 not kind of that's that's what he was born to 00:21:46.049 --> 00:21:49.470 do. That's why That's one of the reasons that 00:21:49.470 --> 00:21:54.069 he actually came here in Isaiah 61 this this 00:21:54.069 --> 00:21:56.269 reminds me This is a scripture that we hear often 00:21:56.269 --> 00:21:59.250 for those of you who are chosen listen to the 00:21:59.250 --> 00:22:01.430 chosen This is a scripture that they often pray 00:22:01.430 --> 00:22:07.269 together, but but it really I I think speaks 00:22:07.269 --> 00:22:09.529 to Deb Exactly what you're talking about. So 00:22:09.529 --> 00:22:14.849 this is an Isaiah chapter 61 verse 1 and it says 00:22:14.849 --> 00:22:17.750 the spirit of the Lord God is upon me because 00:22:17.750 --> 00:22:20.849 the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings 00:22:20.849 --> 00:22:27.390 unto the meek He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted 00:22:27.390 --> 00:22:33.269 to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening 00:22:33.269 --> 00:22:37.799 of the prison to them that are bound That's why 00:22:37.799 --> 00:22:42.319 The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because 00:22:42.319 --> 00:22:46.019 the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:49.480 This is him. This is the spirit of the Lord. 00:22:49.480 --> 00:22:54.099 This is my father's Mission for me to carry out 00:22:54.099 --> 00:22:58.180 is to breathe hope into the hopeless Fix that 00:22:58.180 --> 00:23:02.000 which seems unfixable. Yeah, which goes to The 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:05.339 next scripture that we always quote at Institute. 00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:09.819 One of our favorites, I should say. In Alma 7, 00:23:10.160 --> 00:23:13.180 11 and 12, and he shall go forth suffering pains 00:23:13.180 --> 00:23:16.720 and afflictions and temptations of every kind. 00:23:17.460 --> 00:23:20.519 And you always pause and say. of how many kinds. 00:23:21.359 --> 00:23:23.460 And I will continue to do that. Yes. Because 00:23:23.460 --> 00:23:25.400 it's important for us to know, you know, because 00:23:25.400 --> 00:23:28.000 we think we're exempt somehow. And we think that, 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:30.079 you know, this is I want you to finish reading 00:23:30.079 --> 00:23:33.009 this, but we also think that the scripture. Well, 00:23:33.130 --> 00:23:35.970 it is the scripture is actually about Jesus Christ's 00:23:35.970 --> 00:23:38.750 atonement his atonement and oftentimes what we 00:23:38.750 --> 00:23:40.690 think Well, yeah, that's talking about sin. Well, 00:23:40.730 --> 00:23:42.869 of course, it's talking about sin, but it's talking 00:23:42.869 --> 00:23:47.309 about so much more than just sin This is where 00:23:47.309 --> 00:23:51.730 our broken pain and afflictions and pains What 00:23:51.730 --> 00:23:54.710 how many pains every kind how many afflictions? 00:23:55.340 --> 00:24:00.000 Every kind. Yeah. Abuses. Yeah. All kinds. Any 00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:02.759 and all. And it's such a good reminder for me 00:24:02.759 --> 00:24:05.880 to hear every. How many kinds? Every. But I'll 00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:08.339 start again. And he shall go forth suffering 00:24:08.339 --> 00:24:11.099 pains and afflictions and temptations of every 00:24:11.099 --> 00:24:14.880 kind. And he will take upon him death, that he 00:24:14.880 --> 00:24:18.339 may loose the bands of death which bind his people. 00:24:18.740 --> 00:24:21.980 And he will take upon him their infirmities. 00:24:22.220 --> 00:24:25.180 You know, one of the things that always brings 00:24:25.180 --> 00:24:29.380 peace is to lose those bands of death because 00:24:29.380 --> 00:24:33.200 if any, which I'm sure all of us have had someone 00:24:33.200 --> 00:24:36.920 dear to us pass away, there is nothing that brings 00:24:36.920 --> 00:24:41.579 more hope than knowing that one day we will be 00:24:41.579 --> 00:24:46.099 with our loved ones again. That is the only reason 00:24:46.099 --> 00:24:51.059 why there is not so much despair and grief and 00:24:51.059 --> 00:24:54.529 pain. And I went to funerals where there has 00:24:54.529 --> 00:24:58.349 been not that belief. I remember watching a mom 00:24:58.349 --> 00:25:01.369 almost crawl into a casket with her 12 -year 00:25:01.369 --> 00:25:06.349 -old daughter. And I just thought, there's hope. 00:25:07.130 --> 00:25:12.990 There's hope. Don't give up. There's hope. Sometimes 00:25:12.990 --> 00:25:15.859 it feels easy to give up though. I know sometimes 00:25:15.859 --> 00:25:19.019 we all get there I mean and throw the yoke and 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:21.839 there's so much to you know and as again when 00:25:21.839 --> 00:25:25.000 we get I'm really anxious and excited to talk 00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:26.920 about the effects of the fall of Adam and Eve 00:25:26.920 --> 00:25:29.880 and how this all plays into this and how it's 00:25:29.880 --> 00:25:32.500 all part of Heavenly Father's plan which is really 00:25:32.500 --> 00:25:34.960 sometimes a little bit difficult for us to understand 00:25:34.960 --> 00:25:37.500 how can this pain how can this confusion how 00:25:37.500 --> 00:25:41.019 can this feeling of brokenness and despair and 00:25:41.019 --> 00:25:43.180 and and bondage and all of this how can this 00:25:43.180 --> 00:25:46.819 all be part of Heavenly others plan well it is 00:25:46.819 --> 00:25:50.640 and you know the invitation is is to come unto 00:25:50.640 --> 00:25:54.539 me so that I can heal you so that I can help 00:25:54.539 --> 00:26:00.019 you be right so that I can fix the un the brokenness 00:26:00.019 --> 00:26:02.240 with that you feel within you or that you think 00:26:02.240 --> 00:26:04.400 you see within you know really none of us are 00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:07.660 broken yeah there's nothing broken about any 00:26:07.660 --> 00:26:13.109 of us we see it that way because we have discomfort 00:26:13.109 --> 00:26:15.410 in this life because we have pain because we 00:26:15.410 --> 00:26:18.269 have trial because we have opposition But none 00:26:18.269 --> 00:26:20.609 of us are really broken. But when we feel that 00:26:20.609 --> 00:26:23.789 way dub Then we feel like we're not worthy. We 00:26:23.789 --> 00:26:26.809 feel like we need to qualify ourselves in some 00:26:26.809 --> 00:26:30.390 way Often and I'm not speaking for everybody. 00:26:30.390 --> 00:26:33.630 I don't I'm not qualified to do that But but 00:26:33.630 --> 00:26:36.849 but oftentimes we feel like that there must be 00:26:36.849 --> 00:26:40.720 something that I need to do before he will enter 00:26:40.720 --> 00:26:43.279 my story. But that's just not the case. He's 00:26:43.279 --> 00:26:46.220 in our story, even when we don't know it. And 00:26:46.220 --> 00:26:48.660 Elder Holland kind of reminded us of that. Remember 00:26:48.660 --> 00:26:51.140 that talk, Broken Things to Mend? Oh, yeah, I 00:26:51.140 --> 00:26:53.299 love that talk. What was the last one? Love that 00:26:53.299 --> 00:26:55.059 talk. Have you listened to it recently? No, but 00:26:55.059 --> 00:26:57.940 I'm going to. OK, I'd listen to. This is one 00:26:57.940 --> 00:27:00.259 of those that's kind of one of the if I'm sitting 00:27:00.259 --> 00:27:02.539 on an airplane, which I do frequently flying 00:27:02.539 --> 00:27:04.339 somewhere, this is one of the ones that if I 00:27:04.339 --> 00:27:06.980 can't think of anything else, man, this is this 00:27:06.980 --> 00:27:09.390 is one of my go tos. This is one of. Several 00:27:09.390 --> 00:27:13.089 but definitely one of my go -tos in that he says 00:27:13.089 --> 00:27:16.970 invites us to he says and I quote come as you 00:27:16.970 --> 00:27:20.769 are a loving father says Acknowledge your mistakes, 00:27:20.769 --> 00:27:25.589 but don't be immobilized by them And we could 00:27:25.589 --> 00:27:27.289 also say, you know, and I'm paraphrasing when 00:27:27.289 --> 00:27:30.710 I do but acknowledge your and then you plug it 00:27:30.710 --> 00:27:34.750 in is it mistakes is it feelings of inadequacy 00:27:34.750 --> 00:27:39.359 acknowledge it but Don't be immobilized by it 00:27:39.359 --> 00:27:44.079 because we have the means to make you better. 00:27:44.900 --> 00:27:49.779 And the means to make you better is the Atonement 00:27:49.779 --> 00:27:51.960 of Jesus Christ. Yeah, the power available to 00:27:51.960 --> 00:27:53.839 us through Atonement. You know, I think, you 00:27:53.839 --> 00:27:56.500 know, as you were talking about that, I just 00:27:56.500 --> 00:27:58.779 thought about some of the things that we put 00:27:58.779 --> 00:28:01.640 upon ourselves. And then as a parent or even 00:28:01.640 --> 00:28:06.319 a grandparent that I that I'm like, Oh man, that 00:28:06.319 --> 00:28:07.880 didn't turn out the way I thought it was going 00:28:07.880 --> 00:28:09.880 to turn out. I thought that I was going to be 00:28:09.880 --> 00:28:14.240 a mother of 21 and have 400 grandkids and just 00:28:14.240 --> 00:28:17.079 sit in a meadow and just play with children all 00:28:17.079 --> 00:28:20.180 the time and things would just be lovely. I'm 00:28:20.180 --> 00:28:24.000 stuck on mother of 21. Well, it's all I ever 00:28:24.000 --> 00:28:27.240 wanted to be when I grew up. And I mean, it's 00:28:27.240 --> 00:28:32.059 so interesting because now I am definitely, I'm 00:28:32.059 --> 00:28:35.720 not a mother of 21. But sitting in a meadow with 00:28:35.720 --> 00:28:40.099 children was basically all I ever wanted to be. 00:28:41.099 --> 00:28:44.099 Then I also had this expectation of where I wanted 00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:48.500 my children to be as they grew up and went on 00:28:48.500 --> 00:28:51.160 their marial way. And sometimes I have to take 00:28:51.160 --> 00:28:54.559 that to the Lord and say, Heavenly Father, I 00:28:54.559 --> 00:28:59.460 am illusioned. thought that this kid would end 00:28:59.460 --> 00:29:01.740 up like this and I thought this grand kid would 00:29:01.740 --> 00:29:04.599 do this and I thought you know these expectations 00:29:04.599 --> 00:29:09.200 that I place on them and you know it's not just 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:12.420 that well being a mom and a grandma is painful 00:29:12.420 --> 00:29:15.099 sometimes and a dad and grandpa and a friend 00:29:15.099 --> 00:29:18.259 and a All of that, I get it. Sure. Yeah. Yeah. 00:29:18.380 --> 00:29:21.680 You know, we've had this conversation multiple 00:29:21.680 --> 00:29:24.839 times before because, you know, there's a problem 00:29:24.839 --> 00:29:28.559 sometimes when we go down those roads of listening 00:29:28.559 --> 00:29:31.859 to the accuser, you know, my kids aren't doing 00:29:31.859 --> 00:29:35.680 this and so that must mean that about me or my 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:39.200 kids aren't. aligning or you know what I mean 00:29:39.200 --> 00:29:42.720 and it's so many times we take that as a personal 00:29:42.720 --> 00:29:46.059 indictment on our parenting skills on the way 00:29:46.059 --> 00:29:49.440 we lived our lives and so on and so forth and 00:29:49.440 --> 00:29:52.519 maybe rightfully so you know maybe there's some 00:29:52.519 --> 00:29:57.180 reason maybe there is some of some of the maybe 00:29:57.180 --> 00:29:59.859 some of the challenges that my kids faced are 00:29:59.859 --> 00:30:03.720 a direct result of the the life that they lived 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:08.940 growing up Maybe. And maybe not. Well, and maybe 00:30:08.940 --> 00:30:12.819 not. But the point behind all that is, is then 00:30:12.819 --> 00:30:16.200 the accuser really gets his grips on me because 00:30:16.200 --> 00:30:19.480 I believe that sometimes. Yeah. You know, we've 00:30:19.480 --> 00:30:21.200 talked about that and you've had to talk me off 00:30:21.200 --> 00:30:24.140 the emotional ledge sometimes because I really 00:30:24.140 --> 00:30:27.619 do have in the past and sometimes I still do. 00:30:27.839 --> 00:30:29.640 This is not something that I've been able to 00:30:29.640 --> 00:30:34.069 overcome completely. But I'll remind myself of 00:30:34.069 --> 00:30:36.029 you know what Scott you didn't do family home 00:30:36.029 --> 00:30:38.109 evening when you were when your kids were little 00:30:38.109 --> 00:30:40.789 But your parents did you know what yeah, I know 00:30:40.789 --> 00:30:44.289 I know and and that's that's that's that's the 00:30:44.289 --> 00:30:47.089 point right? But the the the accuser doesn't 00:30:47.089 --> 00:30:49.690 tell me but your parents did the accused were 00:30:49.690 --> 00:30:53.630 tells me you screwed up Scotty You made a big 00:30:53.630 --> 00:30:56.230 mistake here, which is true. I did screw up, 00:30:56.230 --> 00:30:58.390 and I made a lot of mistakes, but that's not 00:30:58.390 --> 00:31:02.579 the point The point is, is it's not me to save 00:31:02.579 --> 00:31:06.299 them anyway. It's Jesus. It's His power. It's 00:31:06.299 --> 00:31:09.720 the atonement of Jesus Christ. It's a relationship 00:31:09.720 --> 00:31:12.279 with Heavenly Father. Now, there's challenges. 00:31:12.359 --> 00:31:16.000 There's no question. But He meets them and meets 00:31:16.000 --> 00:31:18.619 us. No matter where we are in our story, He's 00:31:18.619 --> 00:31:23.720 there. Yeah. That mercy and that grace is such 00:31:23.720 --> 00:31:27.400 a gift. Do you remember the story of the prodigal, 00:31:27.400 --> 00:31:30.980 the prodigal son? Right? Sure do. Two sons, actually. 00:31:31.839 --> 00:31:34.099 So the one asked for his inheritance early and 00:31:34.099 --> 00:31:39.220 goes off and lives riotous living and probably 00:31:39.220 --> 00:31:45.039 looked a lot like my life at one point. And then 00:31:45.039 --> 00:31:47.980 he ended up, again, probably metaphorically, 00:31:48.180 --> 00:31:51.480 like at one point in my life, eating with pigs. 00:31:51.839 --> 00:31:55.200 He was eating, you know, with the animals. and 00:31:55.200 --> 00:31:57.500 finally decided, I'm gonna go back to my dad 00:31:57.500 --> 00:31:59.859 and just ask him if I can just be his servant. 00:32:00.980 --> 00:32:05.099 But the father, his father met him before he 00:32:05.099 --> 00:32:07.539 even got home. His father saw him a ways off 00:32:07.539 --> 00:32:09.859 and ran out to meet him and fell upon him and 00:32:09.859 --> 00:32:13.019 kissed him on his neck and brought him back in 00:32:13.019 --> 00:32:16.019 and told everybody, kill the fatted calf. And 00:32:16.019 --> 00:32:17.880 I'm paraphrasing, I'm not reading this. So if 00:32:17.880 --> 00:32:19.759 I'm leaving things out or getting things a little 00:32:19.759 --> 00:32:23.420 bit inaccurate. However, the point's still the 00:32:23.420 --> 00:32:26.160 same. The father brings him in, but the father 00:32:26.160 --> 00:32:28.740 ran out to meet him. He didn't wait for his son 00:32:28.740 --> 00:32:32.119 to get in. He ran out there to meet him. And 00:32:32.119 --> 00:32:35.220 when the son came in, he just says, I just want 00:32:35.220 --> 00:32:37.880 to be a servant, Dad. And he's like, no, you're 00:32:37.880 --> 00:32:43.599 my son. You inherit what I have. And I think 00:32:43.599 --> 00:32:48.309 that that's, I know that that's what... Heavenly 00:32:48.309 --> 00:32:50.750 Father's waiting for us to do, too, is to just 00:32:50.750 --> 00:32:54.670 turn and make movement towards Him. But even 00:32:54.670 --> 00:32:58.130 before we do that, His love is drawing us forward. 00:32:58.750 --> 00:33:06.849 Yeah. I also love the idea of being literal direct 00:33:06.849 --> 00:33:11.440 descendants of the divine. I love that. I don't 00:33:11.440 --> 00:33:13.839 know why that's so impactful to me. Because you 00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:16.099 think about the generations of ancestors that 00:33:16.099 --> 00:33:23.480 we came from and all the lines of people, grandparents 00:33:23.480 --> 00:33:27.940 and their parents and their parents and how we 00:33:27.940 --> 00:33:32.599 came through a lot of disease, a lot of carnal. 00:33:32.599 --> 00:33:36.339 Oh my gosh, yeah. All of the things that we experience 00:33:36.339 --> 00:33:40.170 on this earth. And our bodies fill it. I mean, 00:33:40.230 --> 00:33:43.589 our bodies do things while we're in this mortal 00:33:43.589 --> 00:33:48.529 state. But this is our temporary home. This is 00:33:48.529 --> 00:33:52.049 not our eternal dwelling. And I love when I can 00:33:52.049 --> 00:33:54.289 think celestial, like President Nelson has said, 00:33:54.829 --> 00:33:57.970 and go, that's not our ultimate destination. 00:33:58.109 --> 00:34:03.650 Our ultimate destination is to return home to 00:34:03.650 --> 00:34:09.090 our Father. Who will welcome us when we're halfway 00:34:09.090 --> 00:34:13.570 running down the the path with open arms that 00:34:13.570 --> 00:34:17.710 the the exact quote from Luke 15 20 is but when 00:34:17.710 --> 00:34:22.610 he saw him a great way off a Great way off is 00:34:22.610 --> 00:34:26.389 the adjective His father saw him and had compassion 00:34:26.389 --> 00:34:31.309 on him and ran Didn't walk but ran I can I would 00:34:31.309 --> 00:34:35.239 do that for my son I think your father would 00:34:35.239 --> 00:34:37.920 do that for you too. I know my dad would. And 00:34:37.920 --> 00:34:43.179 my dad did, in fact. And fell on his neck and 00:34:43.179 --> 00:34:45.760 kissed him. And I know a loving father in heaven 00:34:45.760 --> 00:34:48.840 who loves us perfect and sees us for not who 00:34:48.840 --> 00:34:53.320 we are today, but who we are in eternity. I know 00:34:53.320 --> 00:34:55.639 he does that too. I know he does that too. And 00:34:55.639 --> 00:34:58.880 I know that we don't have to wait. We don't have 00:34:58.880 --> 00:35:02.880 to get perfect. We don't have to be living a 00:35:02.880 --> 00:35:06.639 life that we think fits a mold in order for him 00:35:06.639 --> 00:35:09.420 to be available to us. He's waiting. He's wanting. 00:35:09.920 --> 00:35:13.179 I love this again from, now this is another one 00:35:13.179 --> 00:35:16.719 of my great, another one of Elder Holland's great 00:35:16.719 --> 00:35:24.070 talks that I love. This is from the talk. the 00:35:24.070 --> 00:35:27.590 laborers in the vineyard from April of 2012 conference. 00:35:28.510 --> 00:35:31.590 And this is what he says, however late you think 00:35:31.590 --> 00:35:34.869 you are, however many chances that you think 00:35:34.869 --> 00:35:38.469 you have missed, however many mistakes you feel 00:35:38.469 --> 00:35:42.909 you have made, I testify that you have not traveled 00:35:42.909 --> 00:35:47.449 beyond the reach of divine love. Divine, you 00:35:47.449 --> 00:35:50.920 are divine beings, direct descendants. That's 00:35:50.920 --> 00:35:53.260 who we really are and when we are a great way 00:35:53.260 --> 00:35:57.139 off he will run to us Yeah, and fall on our neck 00:35:57.139 --> 00:36:03.639 and kiss us and bite us home. Yeah Yeah Yeah, 00:36:04.199 --> 00:36:06.639 we're not earning a place there. Yeah, we already 00:36:06.639 --> 00:36:12.159 belong we just need to align with it Well, you 00:36:12.159 --> 00:36:14.480 know and then the other thing that I think that 00:36:14.480 --> 00:36:16.619 we learned from the prodigal son to us that he 00:36:16.619 --> 00:36:19.750 doesn't delay his embrace He doesn't withhold 00:36:19.750 --> 00:36:22.969 his love until we get to the property boundaries. 00:36:23.409 --> 00:36:25.550 His embrace is not delayed until we're worthy 00:36:25.550 --> 00:36:28.929 even. It's extended because we're His, simply 00:36:28.929 --> 00:36:32.690 because we're His, Deb. I know, back to the divinity. 00:36:33.849 --> 00:36:37.409 We're His. Simply because we're His. So, I don't 00:36:37.409 --> 00:36:40.909 know. What does it look like then to come to 00:36:40.909 --> 00:36:43.929 Him? How do we do that? So we've talked about 00:36:44.750 --> 00:36:47.590 That it's important that we do we've talked about 00:36:47.590 --> 00:36:51.690 that he'll meet us in our mess So but but but 00:36:51.690 --> 00:36:54.449 what is coming to him actually look like then? 00:36:54.769 --> 00:36:56.909 Well, we often ask that question in our Institute 00:36:56.909 --> 00:37:00.809 class that says when he says come to me where 00:37:00.809 --> 00:37:04.769 Does he want us to come to him? So he's well, 00:37:04.769 --> 00:37:07.090 let's talk about let's read it. Actually. Let's 00:37:07.090 --> 00:37:09.750 let's go right to the scripture Let's go to this 00:37:09.750 --> 00:37:14.679 is Doctrine and Covenants section 6 Verse 36. 00:37:16.039 --> 00:37:18.739 Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear 00:37:18.739 --> 00:37:23.500 not. So the more we strive to look unto Him in 00:37:23.500 --> 00:37:26.019 every thought, have you ever done that? I've 00:37:26.019 --> 00:37:29.059 tried. Have you? I really have tried. Yeah, I 00:37:29.059 --> 00:37:31.699 tried it too. Before, I'd never tried, but I 00:37:31.699 --> 00:37:36.260 tried it too. I tried it all during Holy Week 00:37:36.260 --> 00:37:40.010 this year. And I wasn't good at it. Me either. 00:37:40.110 --> 00:37:42.110 But it made a difference in my life to even make 00:37:42.110 --> 00:37:44.889 the attempt. Effort. Yeah, right. So look unto 00:37:44.889 --> 00:37:47.610 me in every thought, doubt not, fear not. So 00:37:47.610 --> 00:37:50.590 it seems, though, you know, we're talking about 00:37:50.590 --> 00:37:52.829 doubts and fears. Everything that we've talked 00:37:52.829 --> 00:37:55.210 about could probably be categorized in one of 00:37:55.210 --> 00:37:58.329 those two categories, doubt and fear. I'm not 00:37:58.329 --> 00:38:01.469 good enough. Fear and doubt, actually, right? 00:38:01.809 --> 00:38:04.460 What would others think of me? Fear. And doubt, 00:38:04.719 --> 00:38:08.599 I guess. You know, anytime I'm listening to the 00:38:08.599 --> 00:38:10.920 accuser, I'm afraid and I have doubts. So how 00:38:10.920 --> 00:38:13.719 do I overcome that doubt and that fear as I look 00:38:13.719 --> 00:38:16.199 unto him? How do I look unto him? He tells us 00:38:16.199 --> 00:38:19.480 in the very next verse. Behold the wounds which 00:38:19.480 --> 00:38:21.920 pierced my side and also the prints of the nails 00:38:21.920 --> 00:38:28.260 in my hands and my feet. That's it. Be faithful. 00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:31.199 Keep my commandments and you shall inherit the 00:38:31.199 --> 00:38:35.619 kingdom of. Heaven. So how is it, Deb, that we 00:38:35.619 --> 00:38:38.659 look unto him in every thought? Where do we look? 00:38:38.760 --> 00:38:41.880 Where do we see him? The wounded Christ. The 00:38:41.880 --> 00:38:44.860 wounded Christ. Yeah. Was it Elder Holland? Yeah. 00:38:44.980 --> 00:38:47.400 That said, we worship the wounded Christ, right? 00:38:48.420 --> 00:38:50.619 Elder Holland's getting a lot of airtime on our 00:38:50.619 --> 00:38:53.239 podcast tonight. And I think that I love that 00:38:53.239 --> 00:38:58.440 because. Well, we love him. Oh, man. Yeah. Coming 00:38:58.440 --> 00:39:01.039 unto Christ is not something that's a one and 00:39:01.039 --> 00:39:04.559 done. It's not something we achieve, right? It's 00:39:04.559 --> 00:39:08.019 an ongoing effort. I think it's daily and for 00:39:08.019 --> 00:39:11.820 me, by the second. Sometimes, right? Yeah. That's 00:39:11.820 --> 00:39:15.320 how I find more Jesus. Yeah, like we talked about 00:39:15.320 --> 00:39:18.519 last week. Yes. It's like one of those things 00:39:18.519 --> 00:39:22.000 that it's like today at work. I think that's 00:39:22.000 --> 00:39:25.920 my biggest place of offense because I get frustrated 00:39:25.920 --> 00:39:29.380 with certain situations and then my thoughts 00:39:29.380 --> 00:39:31.840 go. Oh, that's not very Christlike. That's not 00:39:31.840 --> 00:39:35.219 very kind. Those aren't very kind thoughts. So 00:39:35.219 --> 00:39:39.000 it's it's literally minute by minute. And I have 00:39:39.000 --> 00:39:42.980 to go. Whoops. I messed that up. Thank you. I'm 00:39:42.980 --> 00:39:46.860 going to try again. Yeah. But he changes us along 00:39:46.860 --> 00:39:50.440 the way. Yeah. He you know, if we seek him. Yeah. 00:39:51.119 --> 00:39:54.360 Yeah, it's ongoing. It's an ongoing. It's an 00:39:54.360 --> 00:39:56.659 ongoing turning of the heart, I guess, so to 00:39:56.659 --> 00:39:59.119 speak, right? You know, I think there's a couple 00:39:59.119 --> 00:40:01.500 of things that we probably should point out that 00:40:01.500 --> 00:40:03.179 can be extremely helpful. And we're going to 00:40:03.179 --> 00:40:05.019 talk about these things as we go through the 00:40:05.019 --> 00:40:08.900 podcast, as we really talk about, OK, how does 00:40:08.900 --> 00:40:11.519 then the atonement of Jesus Christ make all of 00:40:11.519 --> 00:40:14.619 this available to us? And how do I access these 00:40:14.619 --> 00:40:17.300 blessings? And how do I qualify for these blessings? 00:40:17.940 --> 00:40:21.260 And what does it cover? And all of that other 00:40:21.260 --> 00:40:23.099 stuff. But there's a there's a few things that 00:40:23.099 --> 00:40:27.159 we can begin today with. One, for example, is 00:40:27.159 --> 00:40:30.619 we can pray. We can cry out. We can cry unto 00:40:30.619 --> 00:40:35.320 Him. And our prayers don't necessarily have to 00:40:35.320 --> 00:40:37.900 be the conventional kind of prayers, sweetie, 00:40:38.199 --> 00:40:43.159 right? I often have conversation, mostly when 00:40:43.159 --> 00:40:48.840 I'm driving. I drive south to work every day, 00:40:48.900 --> 00:40:51.679 and usually it's on the left -hand side of me 00:40:51.679 --> 00:40:54.340 that The sun is usually just coming up over the 00:40:54.340 --> 00:41:01.079 mountain. And I often talk to Him, Oh Heavenly 00:41:01.079 --> 00:41:03.099 Father, thank You for this beautiful mountain. 00:41:03.539 --> 00:41:05.780 Thank You for this beautiful sky and this beautiful 00:41:05.780 --> 00:41:12.960 morning. I love having conversation. And please 00:41:12.960 --> 00:41:16.380 help me to remember who I am and whose I am. 00:41:16.940 --> 00:41:20.679 I think that's beautiful. And to me, sometimes 00:41:20.679 --> 00:41:24.000 I think, My most beautiful communions are when 00:41:24.000 --> 00:41:27.400 I'm in the deepest, darkest trouble. Right? I 00:41:27.400 --> 00:41:30.219 mean, and today the deepest, darkest trouble 00:41:30.219 --> 00:41:32.719 looks a lot different than the deepest, darkest 00:41:32.719 --> 00:41:35.300 trouble looked 26 years ago before I got sober. 00:41:36.059 --> 00:41:39.440 So I'll say that. But when I'm feeling down, 00:41:39.579 --> 00:41:41.519 you know, and I still deal with depression, I 00:41:41.519 --> 00:41:44.380 still deal with, I hate to say it, but there 00:41:44.380 --> 00:41:47.559 are times when I still deal with suicidal ideology. 00:41:48.329 --> 00:41:52.250 And those kinds of things. I'm a recovering drunk. 00:41:52.469 --> 00:41:55.329 I'm a recovering alcoholic. And there's just 00:41:55.329 --> 00:41:59.730 something that's physically not right, I guess. 00:41:59.889 --> 00:42:02.190 I don't know, spiritually too, right? We know 00:42:02.190 --> 00:42:05.750 it's a spiritual malady. But I also know that 00:42:05.750 --> 00:42:08.750 when I'm in those deep, dark times, sometimes 00:42:08.750 --> 00:42:12.150 my prayer is just, Father in heaven, help. please 00:42:12.150 --> 00:42:15.050 just help me please just reach down please just 00:42:15.050 --> 00:42:18.650 give me relief please you know and it's and it's 00:42:18.650 --> 00:42:21.690 just a crying more of a crying out more of a 00:42:21.690 --> 00:42:25.909 just a my heart it sometimes those prayers are 00:42:25.909 --> 00:42:28.769 not words sometimes those in fact you remember 00:42:28.769 --> 00:42:34.130 the story of a friend of ours cowboy mike in 00:42:34.130 --> 00:42:37.309 a and the story's been told and recorded i'm 00:42:37.309 --> 00:42:40.409 not blowing anonymity has been all over the place. 00:42:40.869 --> 00:42:45.409 But I heard him tell it. He's a cattleman and 00:42:45.409 --> 00:42:48.630 was just really struggling one winter. I won't 00:42:48.630 --> 00:42:50.550 get into all the details for the sake of time, 00:42:51.110 --> 00:42:53.110 but really needed to call upon his Heavenly Father 00:42:53.110 --> 00:42:55.789 and hadn't yet established a relationship, didn't 00:42:55.789 --> 00:42:59.150 know him all that well. Well, and so he says, 00:42:59.650 --> 00:43:04.690 all I could do is say, Father in heaven, whatever. 00:43:05.490 --> 00:43:08.730 But that was him pouring out his heart and he 00:43:08.730 --> 00:43:12.050 says, and in that moment, I knew God knew me 00:43:12.050 --> 00:43:19.349 and I knew God loved me. And I think that. God's 00:43:19.349 --> 00:43:21.710 no respecter of person, he'll meet us in our 00:43:21.710 --> 00:43:26.530 mess and he and we don't have to be worthy to 00:43:26.530 --> 00:43:30.170 have his love displayed to us. There's there's 00:43:30.170 --> 00:43:34.449 there's no no nothing that we need to do in order 00:43:34.449 --> 00:43:41.309 to be entitled to feeling His love. Yeah, that 00:43:41.309 --> 00:43:45.349 made me remember during Holy Week when I was 00:43:45.349 --> 00:43:49.110 reading through the intercessory prayer of literally 00:43:49.110 --> 00:43:54.809 who we are and whose we are. I just love how 00:43:54.809 --> 00:43:59.630 the Savior was telling, well basically gave this 00:43:59.630 --> 00:44:03.940 prayer and how this is this is life eternal. 00:44:04.139 --> 00:44:06.400 He's on this earth telling him before he goes 00:44:06.400 --> 00:44:10.019 to do his ministry that they may know thee the 00:44:10.019 --> 00:44:14.579 true, the only true God and Jesus Christ whom 00:44:14.579 --> 00:44:19.420 thou has sent. That entire prayer, John 17, is 00:44:19.420 --> 00:44:22.980 such a powerful thing to remember because that 00:44:22.980 --> 00:44:28.099 right there reminds me of that again divinity 00:44:28.099 --> 00:44:31.480 of who I am. And what coming to Christ looks 00:44:31.480 --> 00:44:35.599 like. Yes. Yes, you know, there's really there's 00:44:35.599 --> 00:44:37.340 kind of there's a whole bunch of ways You know, 00:44:37.360 --> 00:44:40.739 we've kind of identified three ways that coming 00:44:40.739 --> 00:44:43.559 to Christ can look like I mentioned the first 00:44:43.559 --> 00:44:48.820 one Pray, Deb read mentioned the second one Even 00:44:48.820 --> 00:44:51.599 a verse of Scripture even just something that 00:44:51.599 --> 00:44:54.679 becomes our favorite. It gives us hope. Yeah 00:44:54.780 --> 00:44:58.139 Yeah. I know sometimes when I'm struggling, I 00:44:58.139 --> 00:45:01.380 quote in my mind, look unto me. Look unto me 00:45:01.380 --> 00:45:03.780 in every thought. Look unto me. I see that as 00:45:03.780 --> 00:45:06.840 an invitation. And it tends to draw my thoughts 00:45:06.840 --> 00:45:08.900 and attention away from the things that seem 00:45:08.900 --> 00:45:11.219 to be consuming me and really put them where 00:45:11.219 --> 00:45:14.619 they matter. So there's that. And I love that 00:45:14.619 --> 00:45:16.539 you bring up the intercessory prayer. And then 00:45:16.539 --> 00:45:20.300 there's the third one, which is what? Try again. 00:45:21.599 --> 00:45:25.420 Yeah, try again. Yeah, when you fall down. Yep, 00:45:25.699 --> 00:45:29.639 you get back up again, right? Yeah, exactly Don't 00:45:29.639 --> 00:45:33.280 give up Yeah, the accuser definitely wants us 00:45:33.280 --> 00:45:36.179 to be stuck and he wants us to hide even when 00:45:36.179 --> 00:45:39.619 yesterday was a mess Especially when today's 00:45:39.619 --> 00:45:47.599 a mess You know this my One of my sponsors in 00:45:47.599 --> 00:45:50.079 Alcoholics Anonymous, he's passed away, and his 00:45:50.079 --> 00:45:52.780 name's Big Al. He was not a member of our church. 00:45:53.219 --> 00:45:56.699 One of my most important spiritual guides that 00:45:56.699 --> 00:46:00.340 I've ever had. Great man, too. Helped me find 00:46:00.340 --> 00:46:06.099 a relationship with Heavenly Father that I hadn't 00:46:06.099 --> 00:46:08.960 had prior to that. But one of the things that 00:46:08.960 --> 00:46:13.460 he taught me among so, so, so many others was 00:46:13.460 --> 00:46:17.369 that Scott, When you're having a bad day, it's 00:46:17.369 --> 00:46:19.989 okay to start it over at any time. You don't 00:46:19.989 --> 00:46:22.190 have to wait till tomorrow to start your day 00:46:22.190 --> 00:46:26.230 over. You can start it over at any time. And, 00:46:26.230 --> 00:46:30.030 you know, easier said than done. I get it. Easier 00:46:30.030 --> 00:46:33.170 said than done for me. You know, at first when 00:46:33.170 --> 00:46:35.170 he said that to me, I thought that's really a 00:46:35.170 --> 00:46:38.170 Pollyanna cute little statement. But I began 00:46:38.170 --> 00:46:42.320 to practice it a little bit. And and as I practiced 00:46:42.320 --> 00:46:44.519 it, and I still think a big owl when I start 00:46:44.519 --> 00:46:46.820 my day over, I had to start my day over just 00:46:46.820 --> 00:46:48.860 the other day at work. I was having a rotten, 00:46:48.860 --> 00:46:53.219 no good day. I was in another city. Things weren't 00:46:53.219 --> 00:46:56.599 necessarily going great. And I had to step away 00:46:56.599 --> 00:47:01.119 and and I didn't get on my knees because it didn't 00:47:01.119 --> 00:47:03.880 seem appropriate in a crowded place like that. 00:47:03.880 --> 00:47:06.500 But I bowed my head and I started my day over 00:47:06.500 --> 00:47:08.559 and invited Heavenly Father in at this time. 00:47:09.019 --> 00:47:12.960 And it went a little better. And so I think that's 00:47:12.960 --> 00:47:14.699 it. Let me interrupt you just for a second, because 00:47:14.699 --> 00:47:18.159 I remember when I was taught the concept of you 00:47:18.159 --> 00:47:20.800 can start your day over at any time. And I think 00:47:20.800 --> 00:47:23.960 of the big red button that you can push and go, 00:47:24.519 --> 00:47:29.019 start again, like literally. It's just like. 00:47:29.489 --> 00:47:32.769 Stop, delete, rewind, delete. Like the gong show. 00:47:32.949 --> 00:47:35.389 I'm going to gong that part of my day off the 00:47:35.389 --> 00:47:37.670 stage. Something, something. But I remember thinking, 00:47:37.730 --> 00:47:40.550 and I still do that. I'm like, yep, I'm starting 00:47:40.550 --> 00:47:43.289 my day over. I know it's 930 at night, but I 00:47:43.289 --> 00:47:46.469 am starting my day over. And I've done that numerous 00:47:46.469 --> 00:47:49.750 times. That was a gift to remember. Yeah, I agree. 00:47:50.769 --> 00:47:54.659 So pray. Invite the Spirit into our lives through 00:47:54.659 --> 00:47:57.619 Scripture and then just remember to just start 00:47:57.619 --> 00:48:00.980 over. Keep trying. Start again, start again, 00:48:01.019 --> 00:48:06.260 start again. I love Moroni chapter 10 verse 32. 00:48:07.239 --> 00:48:09.599 And we can kind of end on this Scripture tonight, 00:48:09.820 --> 00:48:13.940 sweetie. But, yay, come unto Christ and be perfected 00:48:13.940 --> 00:48:17.820 in Him. And deny yourselves of all ungodliness. 00:48:18.349 --> 00:48:22.849 And I think that that's another way that we really 00:48:22.849 --> 00:48:26.829 can come unto Him, is by denying ourselves of 00:48:26.829 --> 00:48:29.329 ungodliness. How do we do that? We go back to 00:48:29.329 --> 00:48:31.090 those three things that we just talked about. 00:48:31.130 --> 00:48:34.010 We pray, we invite the Spirit into our lives 00:48:34.010 --> 00:48:37.329 through scripture study, and we just keep getting 00:48:37.329 --> 00:48:40.070 back up. Yeah. And you know, we don't always 00:48:40.070 --> 00:48:45.989 have to be in pain to seek Him. We don't always 00:48:45.989 --> 00:48:49.809 have to... I mean, I love the word broken in 00:48:49.809 --> 00:48:54.250 the way that a broken heart is an open heart. 00:48:54.769 --> 00:49:01.329 And I love when the analogy of just being willing 00:49:01.329 --> 00:49:05.269 and every Sunday when we listen to those sacrament 00:49:05.269 --> 00:49:09.050 prayers, that they are willing to take upon them 00:49:09.050 --> 00:49:13.670 the name of thy son. Just that willingness is 00:49:13.670 --> 00:49:17.989 part of that open heart. that broken, open heart. 00:49:18.789 --> 00:49:25.130 I love being able to commune every Sunday in 00:49:25.130 --> 00:49:28.809 that ordinance room and take that brokenness 00:49:28.809 --> 00:49:33.869 and just be willing. I think that's part of the 00:49:33.869 --> 00:49:39.909 try. I try again, just be willing. It's so critical. 00:49:41.409 --> 00:49:44.369 Well, you know, he's not surprised by our weakness. 00:49:45.160 --> 00:49:48.880 He's absolutely committed gave his life in fact 00:49:48.880 --> 00:49:51.960 as a demonstration of it to lift us and heal 00:49:51.960 --> 00:49:56.679 us and walk with us as we go I reminded of the 00:49:56.679 --> 00:49:59.800 quote from President Nelson from the power of 00:49:59.800 --> 00:50:02.599 spiritual momentum one of your favorite talks 00:50:02.599 --> 00:50:07.480 I knew you would Jesus specializes in saving 00:50:07.480 --> 00:50:11.820 the lost lifting the fallen healing the broken 00:50:11.820 --> 00:50:15.489 -hearted and strengthening those who are weak. 00:50:16.389 --> 00:50:18.329 There's hope in Christ because He's always there, 00:50:18.630 --> 00:50:22.070 Deb. Yeah, and I know that. I have lived my life 00:50:22.070 --> 00:50:25.889 long enough to testify of that, and I am so grateful 00:50:25.889 --> 00:50:30.849 I know that today. I am so grateful because there 00:50:30.849 --> 00:50:33.969 have been those moments where I have literally 00:50:33.969 --> 00:50:37.690 felt Him lift. I remember a time in my life where 00:50:37.690 --> 00:50:40.789 I felt Him put me down. You know, you hear about 00:50:40.789 --> 00:50:46.000 the footprints in the sand. And I remember that 00:50:46.000 --> 00:50:48.920 physical feeling of, okay, you got this now, 00:50:49.059 --> 00:50:54.400 Deb. And I knew he was there. I knew he was there. 00:50:55.260 --> 00:50:58.980 Carrying me. Because there's times it was just 00:50:58.980 --> 00:51:03.400 too burdensome and too heavy and too hard. Yeah. 00:51:04.380 --> 00:51:06.099 I think it's important we remember, too, that 00:51:06.099 --> 00:51:08.820 we don't have to be worthy to come. Come unto 00:51:08.820 --> 00:51:10.840 me, all ye that labor. There's no worthiness 00:51:10.840 --> 00:51:13.320 there. Thank heavens. We don't have to be worthy 00:51:13.320 --> 00:51:17.019 to come. We come to Him to be made worthy, to 00:51:17.019 --> 00:51:20.440 be made whole. And I think that's really important 00:51:20.440 --> 00:51:23.179 for us to remember. So, you know, this week, 00:51:23.300 --> 00:51:26.000 as we kind of wrap up the podcast tonight, just 00:51:26.000 --> 00:51:28.239 as an invitation this week to come unto Christ 00:51:28.239 --> 00:51:31.739 as you are. Let Him meet you in your prayers, 00:51:31.880 --> 00:51:34.699 your thoughts, your struggles. Even broken faith, 00:51:34.860 --> 00:51:37.809 Deb, is still faith. Even faith with questions 00:51:37.809 --> 00:51:42.409 is still faith. We should have questions. Questions 00:51:42.409 --> 00:51:45.750 are good. I think the thing that has been the 00:51:45.750 --> 00:51:49.909 heaviest on me, and I wouldn't call it heavy, 00:51:49.989 --> 00:51:52.670 but I feel like the thing that I have been reflecting 00:51:52.670 --> 00:51:57.809 most on is there's hope for everyone. There's 00:51:57.809 --> 00:52:04.369 hope. I mean, there were so many years that I 00:52:04.369 --> 00:52:11.000 felt Like there was just no hope For me and to 00:52:11.000 --> 00:52:13.280 the point that I had gone through that the steps 00:52:13.280 --> 00:52:15.539 of repentance I had gone through all of that, 00:52:15.880 --> 00:52:18.199 but I felt like even some of my challenges that 00:52:18.199 --> 00:52:22.679 were coming at me were Because of choices I had 00:52:22.679 --> 00:52:25.639 made I felt like this is the consequence I did 00:52:25.639 --> 00:52:28.099 this so I deserve this I did this so I deserve 00:52:28.099 --> 00:52:31.920 that it's such an interesting mindset and I think 00:52:31.920 --> 00:52:38.949 my plea is If I could say anything to anyone 00:52:38.949 --> 00:52:43.750 that's going through that same heavy burden is, 00:52:44.269 --> 00:52:50.210 there is hope. And He hears and answers us. He 00:52:50.210 --> 00:52:54.010 knows us. He knows my name. He knows everyone's 00:52:54.010 --> 00:53:02.010 name. We are literally His. Well, as we kind 00:53:02.010 --> 00:53:04.090 of wrap things up today, we just want to say 00:53:04.090 --> 00:53:06.409 that wherever you are, however you're feeling, 00:53:07.150 --> 00:53:09.269 you're welcome here. Jesus isn't just waiting 00:53:09.269 --> 00:53:11.409 for us to clean everything up before we come 00:53:11.409 --> 00:53:14.670 to Him. He meets us right in the middle of our 00:53:14.670 --> 00:53:17.849 mess. That's where His grace shines the brightest. 00:53:18.590 --> 00:53:21.769 So come as you are, broken, hopeful, hopeless, 00:53:22.150 --> 00:53:25.349 questioning, searching. You're not alone. Deb 00:53:25.349 --> 00:53:28.730 was right earlier. She mentioned that we'd received 00:53:28.730 --> 00:53:33.010 some comments and feedback around welcoming Debra 00:53:33.010 --> 00:53:36.349 to the podcast. You've done such a great job 00:53:36.349 --> 00:53:40.190 already, Deb. We just want to encourage you to 00:53:40.190 --> 00:53:43.050 stay in touch with us, share your stories, ask 00:53:43.050 --> 00:53:46.190 your questions, and let us know your thoughts. 00:53:46.349 --> 00:53:52.170 He redeems us. He redeems. us at gmail .com we 00:53:52.170 --> 00:53:55.050 read every email we respond to as many as we 00:53:55.050 --> 00:53:57.570 possibly can I had a great conversation with 00:53:57.570 --> 00:54:01.650 the gentleman from Canada actually via email 00:54:01.650 --> 00:54:04.329 this past week and then just encourage you to 00:54:04.329 --> 00:54:08.150 keep doing that and if this episode or any other 00:54:08.150 --> 00:54:10.530 episode has touched your heart in any way we 00:54:10.530 --> 00:54:12.369 hope that you'll share it with someone you love 00:54:12.369 --> 00:54:15.559 and care about Maybe a friend or a family member, 00:54:15.719 --> 00:54:17.519 anyone who could use a little more hope right 00:54:17.519 --> 00:54:20.179 now. And who couldn't in these tumultuous times, 00:54:20.380 --> 00:54:23.179 as President Nielsen says? No doubt. So next 00:54:23.179 --> 00:54:25.000 week, we're going to talk about how the Savior 00:54:25.000 --> 00:54:28.280 doesn't just redeem us. He heals us. He lifts 00:54:28.280 --> 00:54:32.119 us. He transforms us in our everyday lives. He 00:54:32.119 --> 00:54:35.099 meets us where we are. We hope that you'll join 00:54:35.099 --> 00:54:38.860 us. Thanks again for being with us. And remember, 00:54:39.019 --> 00:54:42.139 there's always hope through him, because you 00:54:42.139 --> 00:54:45.400 have. and I have been redeemed through his blood. 00:54:46.420 --> 00:54:48.380 Thanks for being with us. We'll see you next 00:54:48.380 --> 00:54:48.780 time.