Well hello everybody and welcome to Redeemed Through His Blood.
In this podcast we discuss hope healing and redemption through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
I'm Scott Durfey, let me introduce my partner in this project, our teacher, David Durfey
Hey good morning everybody, hope you're all having a great week.
Good to have you here Dave and be with you as always.
Gang we're really looking forward to the things that we're going to be talking about today.
But before I do I just want to take care of a couple of things real quickly.
First off I want to just say thank you so much for the correspondence.
We've been getting a lot of great emails and texts and from our friends and people that
we don't know yet but our friends because of the podcast we appreciate all of that.
And just encourage you to keep sending those.
We've had again just a lot of great response.
Our email address is heredeemsusatgmail.com.
He redeems us at gmail.com.
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When you're there if you don't mind liking the podcast maybe leaving even a review that's
helpful and we appreciate it.
So last week we had a great conversation around the crucifixion of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ.
We talked about the blood, the importance of the blood in the atonement of Jesus Christ
and in the crucifixion and through the entire process.
We talked a lot about that.
And today as we move into the next step or the next process of the atonement of Jesus
Christ we're going to do a couple of things.
We're going to spend some time today talking about the resurrection, why it's important,
the effects of it and how that all kind of plays in.
And then we're going to start moving as we begin our next part of the podcast here.
We're going to start moving into the effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
In other words we've spent a lot of time learning now what the events are, what the things
that took place, etc.
But now we're going to start learning the application.
What are the effects and because of the atonement of Jesus Christ how can my life be different?
So let's get started today as we do that.
We're going to get right into talking about the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus
Christ Dave.
So where do we go from here?
Well thank you Scott.
So last week we spent a lot of time on Gethsemane and as we've talked about last week and other
times as a church we understand Gethsemane because of the restoration of the gospel.
Better than anyone else.
Thank God for the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Christ.
We know that Jesus bled from every pore.
We know that everything after Gethsemane was intensified because of him bleeding from every
pore and the effects of Gethsemane.
We know there was an angel there to strengthen him.
And then everything else that happened between then and the cross would have been again worse.
I think it was your words on the podcast last week that said exponentially worse because
of what happened in Gethsemane.
Then he goes to the cross and all of Gethsemane reoccurs.
I don't think we read the quotes but there are several quotes from the brethren.
Elder Talmadge and Jesus the Christ.
Elder Mcconkey in his mortal Messiah series.
Even our dear President Nelson has taught that Gethsemane reoccurred and was intensified
on the cross.
And this time he was all alone from 12 noon until 3 p.m. and there's no angel there to
strengthen him and it's dark and Jesus suffers complete spiritual death and darkness without
dying suffering through it.
Surely would have killed anyone else but Jesus needed to suffer all of it.
A quote that I wanted to share last week which we didn't have time to.
I want to just refer to this morning.
It's one of my favorite quotes on the Atonement of Jesus Christ from the book called The Infinite
Atonement by Elder Ted Callister.
And in this quote he describes the effects of being a God that Jesus Christ, even though
he was a God, he didn't use his Godhood to take away from the pain, the suffering of
the Atonement.
In fact Elder Callister wrote, quote, the Savior submitted to the inhumanity of man
his body longed for sleep he hungered he felt the pains of sickness he was in all respects
subjected to every mortal failing experienced by the human family.
We've tried to talk about that tonight.
I think not only family but abuse and torment and persecution and all of that.
Not once did he raise the shield of Godhood in order to soften the blows.
Not once did he don the bulletproof vest of divinity that he also had godly powers did
not make his suffering any less excruciating any less poignant or any less real to the
contrary.
It is for this very reason that his suffering was more not less than his mortal counterparts
could experience.
He took upon him infinite suffering but chose to defend with only mortal faculties with
but one exception.
His Godhood was summoned to hold off unconsciousness and death the twin relief mechanisms of man
that would otherwise overpower a mere mortal when he reached his threshold of pain.
For the Savior however there would for the Savior however there would be no such relief.
His divinity would be called upon not to immunize him from pain but to enlarge the
receptacle that would hold it.
He simply brought a larger cup to hold the bitter drink.
End quote.
That's Elder Ted Callister in the infinite atonement page 119.
So I just I think about that often Scott I think when I think of the atonement of Jesus
Christ I think it's too easy for maybe all of us to think that well Jesus could do it
Jesus could handle it because he was a God because he was a son of God because the Father
was his only begotten son.
And we think about the powers that he had but he never he only used his his powers Scott
and his Godhood to be able to withstand the suffering to endure the suffering.
Never did he use it to lessen it or make it less painful or more easy.
So last night at very early in the morning I get a phone call and there's a young man
on the other end of the phone struggling and when I say struggling I mean really struggling
with some ideologies that just are not anything like our heavenly Father's ideologies at all.
And it's interesting how that you know when we talk about all that the Savior went through
all that Jesus went through as he went through the garden and it wasn't just the garden I
mean it was prior to that when we talked all about this the scourging the trial the exhaustion
from the loss of blood etc. that was happening even previous to all of that.
And we think about man my life is hard sometimes and that was the case and we all feel this
you know that was the case with this young man last night when he's calling me and telling
me man my life is just hard and you just don't understand and it's true.
There's so much of life that we don't understand for each other but and this is where the solace
and the comfort I think comes Dave when we talk about these types of things when we know
that he suffered all things to the depth to which we can't even comprehend.
In other words our suffering as brutal as it may be we still don't begin to comprehend
what he went through.
Why did he go through that he went through that so that I and you and all of us can have
a better experience as he suckers us.
In other words the reason he went through that is so that he can take what we're going
through and we can really have somebody to turn that to as we go through our lives.
And I think that as we do that and grain gain a deeper appreciation and a deeper love as
we come to know him there and you said this last week you know when Jesus says come to
me when he says come unto me he's inviting us to go to the garden to the cross to the
resurrection to all of those things that's where he's inviting us to come.
So as we go through this I hope that we have eyes to see and ears to hear and hearts to
feel wherein our Heavenly Father is inviting us to go or where Jesus is inviting us to
go to be with him as he suckers us there.
Yeah thank you Scott.
The brother and have taught us over and over again.
I read it again this morning that Jesus carried out this redemption and the atonement in order
to do the will of his father.
We know that when he prayed if there be any other way.
Nevertheless he told his father in prayer not my will but thine be done.
So we know that there were two motivating forces in his life.
One was his love for the father first and foremost to do the will of his father.
And this was all foredained he knew this was the center of the plan of redemption was
his atoning act or sacrifice to pay for our sins to suffer for all of the effects of the
fall and overcome the effects of the fall.
And second he did it because he loved us because he loves all of God's children regardless
of religion regardless of church regardless of choices or decisions or circumstances.
And he did it because of love I we've read this once before but again this is one of
my favorite scriptures in all the standard works second Nephi twenty six twenty four
speaking of Christ it's it Nephi wrote he doeth not anything save it be for the benefit
of the world for he loveth the world even that he layeth down his own life that he may
draw all men unto him wherefore he commanded none that they should not partake of his salvation
second Nephi twenty six twenty four.
So Jesus after suffering get some money and on again on the cross three hours in get some
money three hours on the cross and it's like time stopped in that suffering to be able
to take upon him all of the pains all of the sicknesses all of the sins all of the frail
tease all of the inequities of mankind he died he at three p.m. on Friday of that atoning
week he said it is finished and it I believe is all the pain all of the suffering for all
the pain all this suffering of mankind and then he it's recorded that he yielded up the
ghost and he died it was necessary that he die and they had to hurry and bury him before
the Sabbath began at sundown on Friday their their Sabbath was from sundown on Friday to
sundown on Saturday the seventh day being the day of rest for the Jews and so they hurried
and buried him in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Armitia and Jesus was protected there by
a stone that was rolled in place the Romans and the Jews wanted to make sure that nobody
stole his body and claim that he was living again so they put this huge stone and guards
to guard the tomb and he lay in that tomb for a day and a half really some not three
full days he's dead on Friday he's dead all day on Saturday in the spirit world we know
what he did there was organizing the spirits in the spirit world and ministers to go preach
to the gospel to the spirits in prison and you can read about that doctrine come to section
138 the vision of redemption of the dead by given to Joseph the prophet and present the
church Joseph F Smith and then early Sunday morning and I think it must have been very
early near sunrise that Jesus was resurrected so I he was probably only in that that tomb
for some 40 hours and Mary of course in the garden other women come to anoint and and
Mary goes to the garden early and and stays behind while the other women leave and there
in the garden weeping seeing the tomb is empty she weeps and the master comes and she believes
it's the gardener and she asked where they laid him or where they taken him and Jesus
just says Mary and when he says Mary not just the name but how he says it she recognizes
that it is the Christ and it's Jesus speaking and she looks up through her tears and it's
recorded in the scriptures in John that she it says that she went to touch him I want
to read this in John chapter 20 I always love reading John chapter 20 on Easter morning
it's the ultimate I think chapter on the resurrection and in John chapter 20 Jesus sayeth unto her
woman why weep us thou whom seek us thou she supposing him to be the gardener sayeth unto
him sir if thou have borne him hence tell me where thou has laid him and I will take
him away Jesus sayeth unto her Mary she turned herself and sayeth unto him Rabboni which is
to say master Jesus is verse 17 of John 20 Jesus sayeth unto her this is what's recorded
in the King James version touch me not for I am not yet ascended to my father I've heard
a lot of strange ideas about what that means and why she couldn't touch him I've in gospel
doctrine classes and talks that I've heard over the years in the church I've heard a
lot of strange ideas why she couldn't touch him or that it was maybe it would contaminate
him or something and she couldn't he couldn't go to the father after some human had touched
him or I've heard so many strange ideas about that yeah but in the Joseph Smith translation
Scott it reads Jesus sayeth unto her Mary hold me not I love that that she embraced him that
she's holding him and they're embracing and he says Mary I gotta go I got I haven't even
been to my father yet and he he then ascends to his father and she runs to tell the other
the other apostles we have lots of witnesses eyewitnesses those who touched him those who
felt him he invited he appeared to the to eat the 10 Thomas isn't there and Judas has committed
suicide so he appears to 10 later that evening and and then a week later he appears to the
11 Thomas is now present and we have lots of witnesses and he said come and come and
feel and and do you have anything to eat and they witnessed him eating they knew that this
was a physical resurrection that he was not a spirit he said a spirit hath not flesh and
bones as ye see me have that was his testimony to the apostles they saw they felt it he he
spent time with them he appeared to two on the road to Emmaus as a resurrected being he
appeared to 500 brother and at once Paul records he appears to Paul and we have a special account
of his appearance the 2500 souls in the Americas somewhere in the Americas a place called bountiful
near the temple and they and he invites them come and and feel and put thrust your hand
into my side and fill the prince of the nails in my hands in my feet third Nephi chapter 11
verse 15 and they one by one they go and they feel we have so many thousands of eyewitnesses
who is not only saw him but they felt him Scott physical resurrection so the thing that impresses
me Dave about this physical resurrection and and I just want to talk real quick about the
the one by one as he was among the what we call the Nephites there in you know the Americas
when he came here to wherever that was but as they came one by one to the resurrected
Lord that's what we do we go one by one to the resurrected to he who paid all for all
that we that all that we deal with now and that brings me to another point in terms of
this resurrection for example when we're resurrected when Christ was resurrected and when you know
surely and we'll talk about this but surely what as we all will be also resurrected because
of that one of the unconditional components to the atonement is unconditional everybody
will be resurrected and return to their father well as we are resurrected what that means
is that everything will be made perfect and so when in this life Dave we have so much
that it takes place inside of us because our bodies are imperfect we have chemical imbalances
we may have some sort of organic depression or anxiety or you know those types of things
that are because our bodies are not perfect and when I say our bodies there's so much
of our mental state that's attached to the physical body the physicality of the body
can have a huge and sometimes maybe even be the predominant driving force in some of our
things that are not right whether that's again depression whether that's some sort of other
mental illness that's maybe even more complex it can be the things like autism it can be
all of these things that anything that's not perfect in our brain or in our body and in
our body you know I can be talking about physical diseases physical handicaps things that we
and our friends have been born with that are no choice of our own that are just not right
well those things too because of discouragement because of a lack of separation a lack of not
feeling included in society those kinds of things can also feel like that there's a separation
between us and our heavenly Father or at least the spirit of our heavenly Father as we focus
and put the wrong type of or too much focus on those types of things well the resurrection
of Jesus Christ heals all that for us as well the suffering for all the pains and sicknesses
and we've and we've said frailties and tendencies and inequities and all of the imbalances of
life and the effects of those were covered in Gethsemane and on the cross and you're
right the resurrection now restores all the souls of mankind to this perfect balance of
spirit of mind of body and there all of the weaknesses that were given to us by the Lord
right right yeah because of the fall yeah ether 1227 I give him to men weakness because
of the fall all of those are overcome in the resurrection and we are restored to a perfect
body mind united with spirit so you think about that scott and the effect that that
will have on us and how all of the if we could all be born with the perfect body no chemical
imbalances no inappropriate tendencies frailties all of those things what a difference it would
make in our choices and decisions and in our ability really to worship the father and the
son and to fill the Holy Ghost and to fill the love of God that will be a great day it's
important that we understand that there is a that there's an order to the resurrection and all
of us will be resurrected this is testified of in the in the Bible even though none all
Christians believe in a universal resurrection as we do we believe it's taught clearly by Paul in
1st Corinthians 15 when he says as an atom all die even so in Christ shall all be made alive
we believe that's alluding to spiritual and physical well Dave even when he talks about
and you know and this is a doctrine that's unique to us as well as the doctrine of the
baptism for the dead but even in you know in the same chapter in 1st Corinthians 15 and 29 he
says else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead if the dead rise not at all and so
it's not that that that that is not necessarily it is but about baptism for the dead but it's also
and more importantly it's about the resurrection if the day in other words Paul saying guys if
if you don't believe in the resurrection then why are you already doing what you're doing right
he uses baptism for the dead which apparently the early Christians conducted they were doing
it there as evidence of a universal resurrection correct and it's clearly taught in the Book of
Mormon over and over again by by the prophets and writers of the Book of Mormon so we believe in
this universal resurrection but it not everyone will be resurrected at once there has already
been a resurrection we're still in the first resurrection Jesus Christ was the first to be
resurrected but it's such an interesting scripture and so many don't know quite what to do I've read
so many commentaries on this on Matthew chapter 27 verse 52 and 53 and the graves were open this
is talking about the resurrection of Matthew in the Bible 27 52 and 53 and the graves were
opened and many bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection
and went into the holy city and appeared unto many well so there have been lots of individuals
resurrected already that we don't know about but what we do know as taught by Latter-day prophets
is that there is an order to the resurrection and all those who lived a celestial life have been
resurrected already who lived before Christ all of those who lived a celestial life before Christ
were resurrected shortly after the resurrection of Jesus Christ we know for example in Dr.
and Covenants again section 132 that Adam is resurrected in Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and
and we assume all of the prophets and their families who lived a celestial life were resurrected at
the time shortly after the time that Jesus was resurrected and all those who live a celestial
life will be resurrected first either between now and the second coming of Jesus Christ or at the
second coming of Jesus Christ those who live a celestial life are resurrected before anyone who
lives a terrestrial life is resurrected you can read the qualifications for who qualifies for a
celestial glory and those who qualify for a terrestrial or t-less you'll in Dr. and Covenants
section 76 then at the second coming after all of those who have lived a celestial life are
resurrected those who have lived a terrestrial life honorable men and women and those who have
lived a good life who are honest will be resurrected during the second coming and after all of those
who are lived a terrestrial life are resurrected then the resurrection for the telestial those
who live the telestial law which is defined as those who have committed some pretty serious sins
those who are habitual liars deceivers adulterers robbers murders they'll be resurrected after
the second coming and after all of those who have lived a telestial life are resurrected then
the final or we could say almost fourth resurrection are those who have denied the Christ who
have committed the sin the unpardonable sin and those who are going to go to outer darkness and
not enjoy any glory those who have sinned against the light yeah you know I I think that as we talk
about that you know I think that there's been points in my life because I've known this I know
about the different resurrections the different you know the four different resurrections the
timing of those and I think there's probably a lot of our listeners that as they're as we're
listening to this we think oh my goodness the celestial I hear that word celestial and I think
I'm not alone when I think I am far from celestial because when we think of celestial we think of
perfection when I think of celestial and you know I appreciate it if you'll indulge me a
personal here but when I think of celestial I think of my dad referring to his mom your mom as
my celestial mother and I think there's nothing about me the celestial really but then I go back
to episodes two through nine that we've been talking about here on these podcasts what I want is
all to realize what I want our listeners to realize what I want my kids my family and us to
remember and realize is that when we talk about celestial the key to that is putting on the
atonement the key to putting on the atonement of Jesus Christ is to court the Spirit we've talked
about how the administration of the atonement happens at the atonement of Jesus Christ how
that happens through the administration of the Spirit in our lives if I'm working to have the
Spirit in my life if I'm repenting daily if I'm sitting at the sacrament as I'm sitting in
the sacrament meeting last Sunday and I'm contemplating and considering the things in my life
that separate me from him that keep the Spirit from being in full force in my life and I make
those adjustments and I turn from them and as I turn to the light even Jesus Christ himself
and as I turn there that's repentance if I'm doing that I'm living a celestial life striving
exactly as long as we are striving as long as we are repenting as long as we are faithfully
seeking to follow Jesus Christ as imperfect as we are as sinful as we may be we are celestial
material because we have put on Christ because through Christ and receiving the gift of the
Holy Ghost as he administers the atonement of Jesus Christ in our life that's what it takes to
be worthy enough to qualify for that first first resurrection. Well we we worry about so much I
think Dave you know the scripture that we're saved by grace after all we can do and I just think
sometimes we think well there's just not enough I can do in me to do that well if we if we go to
Alma 34 and I'm not going to do that here but if we were to go to Alma 34 and take that entire
chapter into consideration that is our answer of all we can do it's about daily repentance yeah
it's all about just repenting yeah all we can do is put on the atonement of Jesus Christ and we are
saved by grace so again if you want to look at the qualifications in order to know if we were to
die tomorrow where we might come forth in the morning of the resurrection in fact there are
there are really two resurrections Scott yeah there there is a first resurrection a morning and
an evening the morning is all of those who have lived a celestial life and the evening is all of
those who have lived a terrestrial life that's the first resurrection and that takes place from
now until the second coming and through the second coming that is the first resurrection and I think
so many patriarchal blessings I know several patriarchal blessings most patriarchal blessings
that I gave promised individuals that they would come forth in the morning of the first resurrection
which means they will be resurrected with celestial beings that's the celestial order of the resurrection
and those who come forth in the evening of the first resurrection will be terrestrial beings and
then the second resurrection is the resurrection for those who are wicked which include those who
go to the celestial kingdom of glory and those who go to outer darkness I think it's inspiring to me
that our God our Heavenly Father is not only a God of love it's how we all like to think of him but
he is also a God of laws and that even this resurrection it's not there's nothing about it
there will be chaotic there's nothing about it that will be messy there's nothing about it that will
be all at once it happens in a very organized order and we know also that it is a priesthood
ordinance taught by President Kimball quoting Brigham Young that it will be done in an orderly way
by priesthood through that order through the patriarchal order of the priesthood and so we
have we all have hope in the in the and faith in the resurrection of mankind and such an important
part of the atonement so maybe just in winding up the events of the atonement of Jesus Christ
Scott there had to be a sinless life he had experienced all the pains I think and sicknesses of
mortality which he did without ever sinning all of the temptations of mortality without every
yielding or giving heed he had to suffer Gethsemane where he bled every pore he had to suffer on
the cross Gethsemane intensified that suffer everything in between Gethsemane in the cross
and then then forth his death and resurrection those four things sinless life Gethsemane the
cross and resurrection are what we call the atonement of Jesus Christ and maybe just one
more thing on the resurrection it's inspiring to me Scott that we have living prophets since the
Prophet Joseph Smith who have been living eyewitnesses of the resurrection we know that there
are two major pillars in order to be be an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and one of those is to
be a witness a sure witness of the resurrection of Jesus Christ an experience to sacred for
apostles to speak I don't know how many have seen him or if they've all seen him or if they haven't
I don't know that that's that's that's not necessarily critical some have maybe some haven't
but they are sure witnesses they have a more sure witness of the physical resurrection of
Jesus Christ some of us have heard those over the years I never forget hearing President Kimball
bear his testimony of that in a priesthood session of general conference many years ago and
there there have been many others and second they need to be a sure witness of Jesus Christ in
his redemptive redeeming power those are according to a talk given by Elder Dennis Newenchwander
many years ago are the two pillars that qualify one for to be an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ
and I'm thankful to know that we have living apostles and prophets Elder Newenchwander was
of course referring to the quotes by Joseph Smith that taught that apostles were sure witnesses
love the atonement of Jesus Christ including including his resurrection so maybe we can
move on and begin to speak about some of the effects or or maybe Scott even before we do that why
did Jesus do it yeah why did he carry out the atonement Jesus Christ we talked about doing the
will of the father and his love but what gave him power to do this and President Nelson taught
that the power that he drew from was joy that joy is a principle of power and that he had this joy
that gave him power that he did it for the joy and he quotes Hebrews 12 verse 2 and just winding
up the atonement Jesus Christ I've been so grateful for President Nelson's teaching us this in Hebrews
12 verse 2 Scott you want to read that yeah I've got it right here it says looking unto Jesus the
author and finisher of our faith who for the joy and there it is right there Dave who for the joy
that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of
the throne of God so he's saying that it was for the joy that he was able to endure the cross
that the joy Christ had in his mind and heart in doing the will of the father and in saving the
father's children in in saving the world for the benefit of the world this joy was what gave
Christ the power and the purpose necessary in order to endure all of this I think a mother may
have pictures to go with these words a mother goes through pain like you and I should never even
pretend never comes closer to dying never than in giving birth and we can never pretend as men to
comprehend what that is and we might not even be able to Dave comprehend the joy that a mother has
I mean we can we can comprehend the joy dad has I'm not sure that it's exactly equal I think that
to the joy a mother has because of the pain that she felt is in is incomparable and I think it's
just it's a weak comparison sure yeah but it's a comparison nonetheless to what Jesus might have felt
that joy certainly doesn't lessen the pain but it gives them the endurance to be able to withstand
it to go through it to be able to have the have the strength necessary to finish it yeah and I think
that's an interesting insight president Nelson has given us the past few years is this the importance
of this scripture in in Hebrews so with that maybe we should begin to speak about the effects of
the atonement if we have time yeah we do we've got several minutes left here that we will move
into the effects of the atonement as we do I think that it's important that we emphasize and start
to begin to really feel gratitude in our hearts for the things that we've talked about so far
everything that we've talked about so far should really draw us to a state of gratitude for a
savior a loving brother a loving father who was perfect and went through the most unbearable
unfathomable suffering and pain so that he could have joy gosh you know that kind of that kind of
feeling just builds within me and I think it does and should within all of us a gratitude that is
maybe unexpressible by human voice because and I think it's that gratitude that summons and invites
the spirit that we've talked about and as it summons and invites the spirit we put that spirit
on we begin to put on the atonement of Jesus Christ we feel its effects and as we are aware of doing
that now we can intentionally start to place the effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ into
various points of our lives in various components and compartments and areas in our lives we can
direct and intend for those blessings to bless us and to heal us in those areas so as we move
into that day where should we start when we talk about the effects well thank you so much for your
insight on the feeling the gratitude for that because I believe gratitude for the atonement of
Jesus Christ is what gives us if if if joy gave Jesus the power to endure the cross what gives us
power to live the gospel is gratitude for his suffering on the cross yeah I gratitude is is
not only a power but it is also a power of salvation and redemption and I heard someone years ago
Scott I tell the story without using any names but I was serving at the missionary training
center as a branch president we had a rash of disobedience and lots of unfortunately well
lots is all relative there were some missionaries who who were having to be sent home and it was
it was kind of a hard time and I remember us talking about that as a branch president's
in a meeting and and the MTC president is having some concerns about that and wanting to to know
what's the difference and he came to this impression that the difference between those who
stayed and were really faithful great missionaries and those who went home was obedience amen right
amen that's exactly right but what allowed missionaries what gave them the power to be obedient
what was the difference between those who were obedient and not obedient and he came to the
conclusion that it was desire desire the desire to be obedient the desire to follow the keep the
commandments and even the rules of the of the missions and then he began to pray and to think
how can I change one's desire how does one get desire and that became his prayer for months
and one night in fact fire remember it was on Christmas Eve and in the middle of the night
he was awakened in from his sleep and he heard like a voice say in his mind gratitude is the
beginning of desire gratitude is the beginning of desire and he got out and he wrote this down
and is he sat on the edge of his bed he thought oh gratitude so how do I give them gratitude
and as he's sitting there asking now a new question instead of asking how do I give them
desire now he finds out it's gratitude how do I give them gratitude he was filled with a vision
of the redemption and the atonement the suffering of Jesus Christ and I remember that after that
we all begin to change our teaching and to begin to focus more on the atonement of Jesus Christ
and in giving our missionaries gratitude trying to fill their minds and hearts with an understanding
and a gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ and and I witnessed there at the missionary training
center and I have witnessed this throughout my life Scott my personal life and my life is apparent
that if if children individuals those we love will feel gratitude if they can come to an
understanding of and feel gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ they will have the desire
to be obedient which is the bottom line to be an obedient follower and here's just a few quotes
to back that up this is from preach my gospel page two one of my favorite quotes from preach my gospel
as your understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ grows your desire to share
and we might in place of the word share put live live so let me read it with with that change sure
as your understanding of the atonement Jesus Christ grows your desire to live the gospel will
increase listen to this quote by elder Richard G Scott years ago in conference in 2006 pondering
pondering the grandeur of the atonement provokes the most profound feeling of awe immense gratitude
and deep humility those impressions can provide you with powerful motivation to keep his commandments
and consistently repent of errors for greater peace and happiness and what I have found Scott
is that if individuals myself included when we feel like I just don't have the desire
I just don't have the desire to keep the commitments I've just not feeling the desire to go to church
yeah I'm just not feeling desire I'm not into it yeah my experience is my gratitude is low
my gratitude or my understanding and appreciation for the atonement of Jesus Christ is waning
and if I can make that shift and begin to focus on the atonement of Jesus Christ increase my
understanding my gratitude begins to grow and as my gratitude grows my desires change and are increased
how do we get gratitude where does that gratitude come from right in the very beginning of our
endeavor here I think two three four and probably in every single episode that we've talked about
we have talked about how important it is to get to know him this is life eternal to know the
the only true god in Jesus Christ who now has sent that's that's life eternal and if that's life
eternal and we come to know him our gratitude will follow it won't be effort on our part to have
gratitude we will not at some point be able to contain the gratitude within our hearts as they
burst with love because of what he did now how do we get that we got to go there when he said come
to me he's inviting us to come to the garden with him to see the press to experience what
Jesus the Christ went through for us as he partake took of the bitter cup he invites us to go to the
cross to understand the five nails that were driven in his hands and in his feet to understand the
loss of blood and that it was only because of him through his own will that he gave up the ghost
to understand that he went through a spiritual death on the cross that none of us will ever be
able to comprehend as his own father had to withdraw and and move away and we talked about
how the rocks broke you know we talked about how the earthquakes shook and the rocks broke
but the hearts of men still struggled to break because we choose sometimes not to understand
so how do i build gratitude how do i build gratitude for what happened for him for all of this
is and you said it a couple of weeks ago dave you said the way we do this is we study it we
learn it we spend that time with him remember those that have gone before us that we knew my
grandpa's your whoever that have gone on before we know them because we spent time with them
i love you bringing up the how here how can we feel gratitude it's one thing to know that
gratitude is the beginning of desire but maybe the more important understanding and discussion
is how can we get that gratitude and you've made some great points is getting to know him to study
him learn of me he's invited us over and over again but but scott there's only really one way
to really come to this level of gratitude for the atonement of jesus christ that leads to desire
which then leads to obedience and that is through deep repentance we can't fully know him we cannot
fully appreciate or have sufficient gratitude for his atoning sacrifice unless we apply it in our
life and access its power and unless we understand our role the role that each of us have played
that caused his suffering when we begin to understand that we caused it and what he was
willing to suffer for us because of his love for us and as gratitude then begins to fill our hearts
we will repent and as we repent and we receive maybe this sweetest greatest gift of all forgiveness
and redemption we will be filled with gratitude and we will not be able to contain within our
mortal beings the love and joy that comes and we will be caught up and we will be brought to him
in that morning of the first resurrection free from the pains of our mortal bodies free from the
confusion of our mixed up chemical minds free from the the distractions of the world that has been
put before us by the enemy and all other things and for that i'm definitely grateful and and as i sat
again at the sacrament table this week this past sunday and contemplated these things that we're
talking about today and that we talk about each week in this podcast is i contemplated those
things my heart was drawn more fully and and with a deeper gratitude to the point of tears
that i am just so grateful that he who was perfect who didn't need to do what he did
in order for his own life to be great he did it anyway he did it for me he did it for you he did
it for every single one of our brothers and sisters so that healing is within our grasp
that we can have his spirit in our life and thereby joy and happiness thank you scott i'm not a special
witness but i'm a witness and i know that the tomb is empty i know that i know that jesus lives
it's an amazing thought if you really think about this that a man died and he came forth
from the grave the stone was rolled away he took time i don't know if it was him or the angels
took time to fold the burial clothing but i think that's such a sweet thing that's recorded in
john chapter 20 that it's folded where the savior had laid this burial clothing that they buried him
in and that he walked out that he lives he is a living physical flesh and bone immortal being
a god that we because of his resurrection will come forth out of the grave that some already have
many it says many went forth into the city that there has been a resurrection the resurrection
continues we know of some individuals who have been resurrected since that first resurrection began
when jesus and many in jewsland were resurrected we know that peter has been resurrected we know
that james has been resurrected they appeared at joseph smith and laid their physical hands on his
head we know that maronai has been resurrected there the resurrection is ongoing and i know it
will continue until every person who no matter of how they choose to live their life every person
born in this world will be resurrection and the resurrection and the work of christ will not be
finished and until that happens i i know that's true jesus lives and we will live again i know i
will see my mother my celestial mother and my celestial father i know that i will see children
will talk about this sometimes god the effects of the atonement of jesus christ and how my sweet
heart and i look forward to raising children in the millennium i know that all those who have died
will come forth in the resurrection and that we will become immortal beings and go to the place
that we have chosen to go based upon our level of gratitude our level of desire and our level
of obedience will determine where we spend the rest of our our eternity as immortals
and in a war torn and filthy world there's no greater news no greater hope than what you have
just expressed thank you so much for doing that ladies and gentlemen it's just been an absolute
joy for both of us to be here and talk about things that meet there's just nothing more
that there's just nothing out there that means more to brother david durfee and myself than the
atonement of jesus christ the effects that it has on our lives and in the lives of those we love
our invitation to you and i hope you take this seriously our invitation to you this week is as
you come as you go through this week and as you prepare for those of you who do to partake of the
sacrament the lord supper on sunday and for those of you who don't this exercise is still important
and can still be very impactful but as you do prepare for that be thinking about how has the
atonement of jesus christ and how will the resurrection and of jesus christ how will that and does that
affect me and how can that bring joy and gratitude into my life another great podcast so thank you
so much for all of you for being with us as always we want to ensure that once again you
hear our invitation to come unto him to go to the garden to go to the cross to go to the tomb
and all other ways come to know him so that our gratitude can be adequate for him our email is
he redeems us at gmail.com please share with us any experiences any thoughts any questions and
certainly any suggestions that you may have we want to say thanks to all of you for joining us
encourage you to share this with your friends once again like us on the various outlets and
maybe even leave a review for that we would be indeed grateful until we meet again god bless you
and we will see you all next week until then have a great week and remember that he loves you