1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:16,200 Hi there everybody and welcome to Redeemed Through His Blood. 2 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:20,360 In this podcast we discuss hope, healing and redemption through the atonement of Jesus 3 00:00:20,360 --> 00:00:21,400 Christ. 4 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:22,400 My name is Scott Durfee. 5 00:00:22,400 --> 00:00:27,320 I want to be the first to welcome you out today and also introduce you to my partner 6 00:00:27,320 --> 00:00:31,440 in this project, our teacher, brother David Durfee. 7 00:00:31,440 --> 00:00:32,440 Thank you Scott. 8 00:00:32,440 --> 00:00:35,680 Good to be here and talk about these things this morning. 9 00:00:35,680 --> 00:00:41,240 It's good to be back together and bringing out another episode this week. 10 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:48,080 We have had a lot of fun in doing the last few episodes, actually all of the last episodes. 11 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:49,760 We're looking forward to this one as well. 12 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,160 Before we get into it though, let's take care of just a couple of real quick things. 13 00:00:53,160 --> 00:00:58,560 We'll be super brief on this, but for those of you who have been using our email address, 14 00:00:58,560 --> 00:01:00,720 he redeems us at gmail.com. 15 00:01:00,720 --> 00:01:06,480 We want to say thank you for your questions, for your comments, for your feedback, etc. 16 00:01:06,480 --> 00:01:10,640 If you do have questions that you would like for us to potentially address here on the 17 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:17,280 podcast, please mention that in your email and we'll be happy to do that if it's appropriate 18 00:01:17,280 --> 00:01:19,080 and if we can. 19 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:20,440 Once again, thanks for doing that. 20 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:27,200 Also if you are out there as you are at the various outlet distributions like Apple or 21 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:33,120 Spotify or the various ones, Audible, I mean we're on all of them except for YouTube. 22 00:01:33,120 --> 00:01:38,360 While you're there, if you wouldn't mind subscribing and leaving a review if you feel so inclined, 23 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,240 we appreciate that too. 24 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:45,680 So just real quick in recapping where we have been over the last little while, the last 25 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:51,720 two weeks actually, we took the time to talk about some of the unconditional effects of 26 00:01:51,720 --> 00:01:54,800 the atonement of Jesus Christ. 27 00:01:54,800 --> 00:02:01,200 Two episodes ago David was able to share with us a couple of really great experiences. 28 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:07,640 A guy by the name of, we used the name David who spent some time at the Utah State, well 29 00:02:07,640 --> 00:02:10,200 he's actually probably still at the Utah State. 30 00:02:10,200 --> 00:02:12,600 Yeah, unfortunately he'll die there. 31 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:13,600 That's right. 32 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:15,840 He can never go before the parole board. 33 00:02:15,840 --> 00:02:16,840 Yeah, you mentioned that. 34 00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:17,840 That's right. 35 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:18,840 I remember now. 36 00:02:18,840 --> 00:02:20,040 But you know we talked about that. 37 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:31,200 We talked about David's son Isaac, my cousin, who has a second cousin, my daughter, who 38 00:02:31,200 --> 00:02:37,560 was also adopted at about the same time but didn't nearly face any of the challenges that 39 00:02:37,560 --> 00:02:40,360 little Isaac has been facing throughout his life. 40 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:41,720 Little Isaac, I probably shouldn't say that. 41 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:42,720 He's not little Isaac. 42 00:02:42,720 --> 00:02:43,720 He is actually a little. 43 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:48,320 He is actually a little, but he's now 31 years old. 44 00:02:48,320 --> 00:02:49,320 Yeah, that's right. 45 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:55,440 So as we take care of that and as we have actually done that, we're super excited today 46 00:02:55,440 --> 00:03:00,640 to move into more of the atonement of Jesus Christ. 47 00:03:00,640 --> 00:03:05,960 And this is where we really start getting into the application part over the next several 48 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:07,880 episodes of this. 49 00:03:07,880 --> 00:03:12,560 And so with that, I'm going to let David take it for a few minutes here and kind of do 50 00:03:12,560 --> 00:03:17,320 some recap and let us know where we intend to go from here. 51 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:18,600 So take it away, Dave. 52 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:26,160 I think it's exciting, Scott, also that we're at that point, I think, in our podcast as 53 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:32,160 we begin to move from the we've talked about the events of the atonement, then we've talked 54 00:03:32,160 --> 00:03:35,880 about the effects of the atonement. 55 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:46,680 And now we will begin to speak about and discuss how we can access the power of Jesus Christ 56 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:48,880 through his atonement. 57 00:03:48,880 --> 00:03:50,760 I think that's the right way to say it. 58 00:03:50,760 --> 00:03:58,040 I know President Nelson has told us over and over again that there's no power in the atonement. 59 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,700 The atonement is not a singular thing. 60 00:04:00,700 --> 00:04:04,880 It's not not a entity that stands on its own. 61 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:14,160 The power, all of the power through the atonement comes to us through Christ, his mercy, his 62 00:04:14,160 --> 00:04:23,640 grace, the redeeming power, the enabling power, the compensating powers of the atonement of 63 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,740 Jesus Christ come through Christ. 64 00:04:27,740 --> 00:04:35,480 So how can we access the power of Christ through his atonement? 65 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:39,880 And that's, I think, where we'll begin to go next. 66 00:04:39,880 --> 00:04:48,440 And it will be fun to have people that we interview who have experienced that process 67 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:54,800 of being able to access the powers of Christ through his atonement in their life, how they've 68 00:04:54,800 --> 00:05:01,440 been able to experience the powers of Christ's redeeming blood. 69 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:09,640 I'm looking forward to some of those interviews of people that we know personally and others. 70 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:15,400 But I think just to summarize a little bit, Scott, before we move forward, it just strikes 71 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:24,280 me that the one thing that I think we've tried to say in the last few podcasts is that Jesus 72 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:26,560 gets us. 73 00:05:26,560 --> 00:05:29,520 He understands us. 74 00:05:29,520 --> 00:05:32,000 And he's got us. 75 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:33,800 He has redeemed us. 76 00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:35,720 He has paid. 77 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:45,120 He has paved the way through his merits, through his sacrifice, through his suffering. 78 00:05:45,120 --> 00:05:56,920 He not only covers unconditionally the pains and sicknesses of all the world, but he unconditionally 79 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:09,200 covers all of the injustice, all of the inequities and inequalities and the unfairness of life. 80 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:12,680 All of that is covered unconditionally. 81 00:06:12,680 --> 00:06:19,920 And I know, Scott, that if people will be more aware of it, and if they will make any 82 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:28,000 minimal effort they can through prayer, through exercising faith and increasing their faith 83 00:06:28,000 --> 00:06:34,360 in Jesus Christ, they will feel those powers flow into their life. 84 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:37,560 The powers are there unconditionally. 85 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:40,160 But I don't think everybody feels those powers. 86 00:06:40,160 --> 00:06:43,520 I don't think everybody just naturally feels it. 87 00:06:43,520 --> 00:06:47,760 Even though they're there, even though Christ has covered them, even though he's suffered 88 00:06:47,760 --> 00:06:54,760 for them, even though he understands them, even though he's got us, he's got us and he's 89 00:06:54,760 --> 00:07:04,560 covered us, I think in order to feel that, there are things that people need to do to 90 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,440 experience that love and power in their life. 91 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:12,440 And one thing I think, Dave, that we need to also be cognizant of, right, because it's 92 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:15,880 a reality, there is opposition. 93 00:07:15,880 --> 00:07:23,000 There's opposition to our, there's attempted opposition from the adversary to thwart our 94 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:25,520 efforts to put the atonement on. 95 00:07:25,520 --> 00:07:29,160 And that can come, that can look like a whole lot of different things. 96 00:07:29,160 --> 00:07:33,500 That can look like distraction, that can look like apathy, that can look like all kinds 97 00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:34,500 of different things. 98 00:07:34,500 --> 00:07:39,480 And so, you know, we need to also remember that, that, you know, just because it's not 99 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,960 in the forefront of our mind all the time doesn't mean that it's not important. 100 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:46,120 And we need to be working so that it is. 101 00:07:46,120 --> 00:07:50,800 Because you know, I think that all of us want to have the peace from the atonement of Jesus 102 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:51,800 Christ. 103 00:07:51,800 --> 00:07:53,400 All of us want to reap the benefits. 104 00:07:53,400 --> 00:07:55,720 Well, and a lot of it is unconditional. 105 00:07:55,720 --> 00:07:58,000 We talked about that over the last couple of episodes. 106 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,980 And some of what we'll be talking about today even still will fall under that unconditional 107 00:08:01,980 --> 00:08:02,980 part of it. 108 00:08:02,980 --> 00:08:06,360 But there is a part that does require our effort. 109 00:08:06,360 --> 00:08:10,200 And this is where our effort now starts to come into play. 110 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:22,280 Yeah, well, even those who have suffered at the hands of perpetrators or others, Satan 111 00:08:22,280 --> 00:08:33,560 can make them feel so much shame and put this layer, shame or anger or, you know, there 112 00:08:33,560 --> 00:08:42,400 are just so many emotions that come into play when one is abused, that these negative emotions, 113 00:08:42,400 --> 00:08:52,960 whatever they are, can put a total wall between themselves and between the power of Christ 114 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:57,640 and the love of Christ, even though it's there for them, even though it's there waiting for 115 00:08:57,640 --> 00:09:00,280 them unconditionally. 116 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:03,480 Satan tries to put up all of these walls. 117 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:10,800 And I think last time I think I mentioned to you after we'd finished the podcast about 118 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:18,600 Elder Patrick Karens great talk he gave in April 2022 general conference. 119 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:22,640 And maybe I can just read a few paragraphs here. 120 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:27,920 Perhaps some of you, however, consider the accounts of survivors and your soul cries 121 00:09:27,920 --> 00:09:36,920 out that you are living a survival story right now as a victim of abuse, neglect, bullying, 122 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:41,240 domestic violence, or any suffering of this kind. 123 00:09:41,240 --> 00:09:47,400 You are in the midst of your own desperate attempt to survive a situation that feels 124 00:09:47,400 --> 00:09:54,440 very much like a disastrous shipwreck or a promising mission suddenly aborted. 125 00:09:54,440 --> 00:09:57,000 Will you ever be rescued? 126 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:01,040 Will you make it through your own survival story? 127 00:10:01,040 --> 00:10:06,160 The answer is yes, you can survive. 128 00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:09,120 You have in fact already been rescued. 129 00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:17,160 You have already in fact already been saved by the one who has suffered the very torment 130 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:24,560 you are suffering and endured the very agony you are enduring. 131 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:32,920 Jesus has overcome the abuses of this world, all the abuses of this world to give you power 132 00:10:32,920 --> 00:10:41,520 to not only survive, but one day through him to overcome and even conquer, to completely 133 00:10:41,520 --> 00:10:50,960 rise above the pain, the misery, the anguish, and see them replaced by personal peace. 134 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:56,880 The Apostle Paul asks, who shall separate us from the love of Christ? 135 00:10:56,880 --> 00:11:04,240 While tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword, 136 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:12,520 nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. 137 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:17,320 Quoting Paul in Romans chapter 8. 138 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,240 And that's all true. 139 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:26,840 However, even though tribulation can't separate us from the love of God, even though abuse 140 00:11:26,840 --> 00:11:34,240 shouldn't separate us from the love of God, Satan often comes in in the wake of all of 141 00:11:34,240 --> 00:11:42,640 abuse, tribulation, distress, persecution, hardships, loss, and Satan will come in and 142 00:11:42,640 --> 00:11:49,760 cause us to feel shame and to feel all the negative emotions that he can heap upon us, 143 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:57,440 which create a real barrier for us to feel that love of Christ or that love of God. 144 00:11:57,440 --> 00:12:03,800 And so there are things that we need to do, and we'll begin to talk about them now, in 145 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:15,800 order to really feel the love of Christ and to feel his power through his atonement. 146 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:22,500 So also as part of this talk by Elder Kieran, he quotes President Nelson. 147 00:12:22,500 --> 00:12:27,160 He says that President Nelson issued the following invitation in general conference. 148 00:12:27,160 --> 00:12:30,640 He said, as you study the scriptures, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has 149 00:12:30,640 --> 00:12:34,960 promised he will do for covenant Israel, and I think he will be astonished. 150 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:38,640 And then he goes on to say Elder Kieran and his family said that these are some of the 151 00:12:38,640 --> 00:12:40,960 phrases or words that came through. 152 00:12:40,960 --> 00:12:48,520 And as I read these, I want us to be thinking which ones of these may be stumbling blocks 153 00:12:48,520 --> 00:12:54,880 or getting in our way of really accessing the atonement of Jesus Christ because of our 154 00:12:54,880 --> 00:13:01,280 own self-loathing, because of our inaccurate perception of ourself, because we don't really 155 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:04,080 know who we are yet or still trying to figure that out. 156 00:13:04,080 --> 00:13:05,840 But here are some of the phrases. 157 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:06,840 Fear not. 158 00:13:06,840 --> 00:13:10,120 I know your sorrows and I have come to deliver you. 159 00:13:10,120 --> 00:13:11,540 I will not leave you. 160 00:13:11,540 --> 00:13:14,720 My name is upon you and my angels have charge over you. 161 00:13:14,720 --> 00:13:17,480 I will do wonders among you. 162 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:18,600 I love this one. 163 00:13:18,600 --> 00:13:22,760 Walk with me, learn of me, and I will give you rest. 164 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:25,360 I am in your midst. 165 00:13:25,360 --> 00:13:26,360 You are mine. 166 00:13:26,360 --> 00:13:32,560 And so these are just a few of those phrases that Elder Kieran was able to find and I think 167 00:13:32,560 --> 00:13:35,840 that there would probably be more if we were to do our own personal search and they would 168 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:40,400 become certainly personal to us if we were to make that search a part of our scripture 169 00:13:40,400 --> 00:13:44,400 study, a part of our devotion to come unto him daily. 170 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:49,520 But remember that as we do this, he said, I encourage you to make a list of all that 171 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:53,800 the Lord has promised he will do for covenant Israel. 172 00:13:53,800 --> 00:13:55,160 I think you will be astonished. 173 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:58,160 All of this is accomplished through the atonement of Jesus Christ. 174 00:13:58,160 --> 00:13:59,160 Right. 175 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:00,880 Yeah, absolutely. 176 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:07,400 And so Elder Kieran talks about that personal peace through Christ and his atonement that 177 00:14:07,400 --> 00:14:13,160 we can experience and President Nelson has talked about this as well, including President 178 00:14:13,160 --> 00:14:19,360 Nelson has talked about joy and how we can fill joy in any circumstance. 179 00:14:19,360 --> 00:14:27,400 And just a short little paragraph here or to this quoting President Nelson, life is 180 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:33,320 filled with detours and dead ends, trials and challenges of every kind. 181 00:14:33,320 --> 00:14:41,800 Each of us has likely had times when distress, anguish and despair almost consumed us. 182 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:45,080 Yet we are here to have joy. 183 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:46,840 He asks. 184 00:14:46,840 --> 00:14:50,160 Yes, exclamation mark. 185 00:14:50,160 --> 00:14:54,080 The answer is a resounding yes. 186 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,240 But how is that possible? 187 00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:02,280 And what must we do to claim the joy that Heavenly Father has in store for us? 188 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:09,260 The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything 189 00:15:09,260 --> 00:15:12,980 to do with the focus of our lives. 190 00:15:12,980 --> 00:15:23,280 In the focus of our lives is on God's plan of redemption and Jesus Christ and his gospel. 191 00:15:23,280 --> 00:15:30,120 We can feel joy regardless of what is happening or not happening in our lives. 192 00:15:30,120 --> 00:15:36,160 Joy comes from and is possible because of him. 193 00:15:36,160 --> 00:15:42,880 He Jesus Christ is the source of all joy. 194 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:45,560 I love that. 195 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:53,560 And the prophet of God testifying and teaching us how that we can feel joy. 196 00:15:53,560 --> 00:15:56,440 Man is Adam failed that men might be. 197 00:15:56,440 --> 00:15:58,600 Man is that he might have joy. 198 00:15:58,600 --> 00:16:00,040 That's our purpose here. 199 00:16:00,040 --> 00:16:06,960 But there are so many people who have had abuse and trials heaped upon them that have 200 00:16:06,960 --> 00:16:14,040 a hard time, Scott, finding that joy and that personal peace. 201 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:20,680 And what we need to begin to talk about is so how can we begin to focus? 202 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:22,880 How can we change our focus? 203 00:16:22,880 --> 00:16:29,040 And instead of focusing on the perpetrator or instead of focusing upon the trials or 204 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:35,960 instead of focusing upon the sicknesses and sufferings of our people or ourselves, I have 205 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:39,960 found in my personal life, it's a lot harder to watch your children suffer than it is for 206 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:43,280 you or me to suffer. 207 00:16:43,280 --> 00:16:51,220 And so how do we instead of focusing on that, change that focus? 208 00:16:51,220 --> 00:16:54,280 And I think it's by small and simple things. 209 00:16:54,280 --> 00:17:02,800 But how can we change that focus to Christ and look unto him in every thought? 210 00:17:02,800 --> 00:17:05,760 Doubt not, fear not. 211 00:17:05,760 --> 00:17:13,080 We've quoted this before and we'll quote it again, Doctrine and Covenants, Section 6. 212 00:17:13,080 --> 00:17:18,760 And he says, behold the wounds that pierce my side and the prints of the nails in my 213 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:20,200 hands and feet. 214 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:29,200 How do we focus more daily or moment by moment upon the suffering of Christ instead of our 215 00:17:29,200 --> 00:17:30,200 own suffering? 216 00:17:30,200 --> 00:17:38,560 How do we look outward to help others and to serve others instead of being so consumed 217 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:42,880 by our own trials and troubles? 218 00:17:42,880 --> 00:17:50,360 So the focus is a really significant word and the word that goes, I think, along with 219 00:17:50,360 --> 00:17:55,480 that really well, which is connected to that, Scott, is faith. 220 00:17:55,480 --> 00:18:00,240 And faith is the beginning of what we call the doctrine of Christ. 221 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:07,440 And ultimately, now as we move from the events and the effects of the Atonement and we start 222 00:18:07,440 --> 00:18:13,480 talking about how to access the power of Christ through the Atonement, we need to talk about 223 00:18:13,480 --> 00:18:20,760 the doctrine of Christ, which is faith, which includes focus, which then repentance. 224 00:18:20,760 --> 00:18:25,520 And we'll do a couple of podcasts on repentance and forgiveness. 225 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:31,680 And then ordinances, baptism and the sacrament and temple ordinances. 226 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:35,600 And then receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. 227 00:18:35,600 --> 00:18:41,480 Those five points together make up what we call the doctrine of Christ. 228 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:51,160 And that is the key, understanding and utilizing, participating in and activating the power 229 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:57,720 of Christ in our lives is by living the doctrine of Christ. 230 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:03,400 You know, we talk about faith and that is the first principle that we're going to be 231 00:19:03,400 --> 00:19:06,160 talking about here as part of the doctrine of Christ. 232 00:19:06,160 --> 00:19:10,520 And there's a reason it's the first one, because that really does change our focus. 233 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:14,480 In order for us to really access the faith that we need. 234 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:22,320 And here's something that I've learned throughout my years in recovery through the various recovery 235 00:19:22,320 --> 00:19:23,680 programs, et cetera. 236 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:29,840 But it's also something that's taught in scripture and it's taught, it's just something that 237 00:19:29,840 --> 00:19:32,080 just makes sense and is important for us to know. 238 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:36,740 But fear and faith really can't exist in the same spot. 239 00:19:36,740 --> 00:19:39,640 A person who has faith will not have fear. 240 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:42,080 A person who has fear struggles to have faith. 241 00:19:42,080 --> 00:19:48,040 And so a lot of times, and I think most of us feel fear when it comes to approaching 242 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:51,160 Christ through the atonement because of a lot of things. 243 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:56,440 And there's, you know, as going back just real quick, Elder Kieran in his talk, there's 244 00:19:56,440 --> 00:19:58,200 a lot of things that we may feel. 245 00:19:58,200 --> 00:20:03,840 You know, we may feel shame and guilt and things that are our fault and things maybe 246 00:20:03,840 --> 00:20:09,080 that weren't our fault that can affect our ability to focus, which can affect our ability 247 00:20:09,080 --> 00:20:10,080 to access faith. 248 00:20:10,080 --> 00:20:14,120 And some of those things can be, and not just limited to this, but, you know, these are 249 00:20:14,120 --> 00:20:16,200 some of the things that we can sometimes say to ourselves. 250 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,120 I could have prevented this. 251 00:20:19,120 --> 00:20:21,300 God doesn't love me anymore. 252 00:20:21,300 --> 00:20:23,000 Nobody will ever love me. 253 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,000 I'm damaged beyond repair. 254 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:28,560 The Savior's atonement applies to others, but not to me. 255 00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:34,840 And this is one, you know, I think when I first came on October 28th, 1998, when I first 256 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:41,920 entered the rooms of recovery, I haven't drank or anything since that day, but by the grace 257 00:20:41,920 --> 00:20:43,360 of God. 258 00:20:43,360 --> 00:20:52,360 But since that day, I have learned that we really do need to put Christ first because 259 00:20:52,360 --> 00:20:55,720 His atonement applies to us as well as others. 260 00:20:55,720 --> 00:21:01,120 You know, in recovery rooms, we say all the time that I knew God could and would if He 261 00:21:01,120 --> 00:21:02,120 were sought. 262 00:21:02,120 --> 00:21:07,280 That's part of one of the things that we say as we begin meetings, etc., that God could 263 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:08,760 and would if He were sought. 264 00:21:08,760 --> 00:21:10,960 That's one of the principles that we learn through the steps. 265 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:14,880 Well, I always believed that God could and would if He were sought, but I just didn't 266 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:16,520 know if He could and would for me. 267 00:21:16,520 --> 00:21:18,680 I knew He could and would for you. 268 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:24,640 I knew He could and would for other people, but I felt like I had, I grew up in the church. 269 00:21:24,640 --> 00:21:25,880 I had a testimony. 270 00:21:25,880 --> 00:21:30,440 I knew the things that I should have been doing, and I made contrary decisions to all. 271 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:35,000 I made decisions contrary to my integrity, just like we had talked about two podcasts 272 00:21:35,000 --> 00:21:36,320 ago. 273 00:21:36,320 --> 00:21:42,200 And when I had done that, I wondered, am I damaged beyond repair? 274 00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:44,560 Can anybody ever really love me again? 275 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:48,240 Does God really love me to the depth that I would hope to be loved? 276 00:21:48,240 --> 00:21:53,480 And of course, you know, those whisperings that come to create that doubt in a mind are 277 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:54,880 certainly not of God. 278 00:21:54,880 --> 00:21:57,600 They are of the adversary, and they come. 279 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:02,960 So as we approach focus and faith, let's just remember this. 280 00:22:02,960 --> 00:22:10,000 Let's remember that as we focus on Him, not on the problem, not on what we have done, 281 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:15,680 but if we can focus on what He has done, if we can focus on His feelings for us, not our 282 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:22,360 feelings for ourselves, but His feelings for us, I think that we can then begin to move 283 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:30,360 into faith because of our focus, which will give us great impetus into really putting 284 00:22:30,360 --> 00:22:35,520 on the rest of the atonement of Jesus Christ through repentance and ordinances and enduring 285 00:22:35,520 --> 00:22:37,840 to the end and all of those other things, Dave. 286 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:39,680 Thank you, Scott, for sharing that. 287 00:22:39,680 --> 00:22:43,600 And faith and focus go together. 288 00:22:43,600 --> 00:22:52,120 It requires a willing heart and a firm mind to create the level of faith that is required 289 00:22:52,120 --> 00:23:00,800 for one to feel the redeeming power of Jesus Christ in their life. 290 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:09,360 And I think that when we speak of faith, that we can never speak of it in terms of just 291 00:23:09,360 --> 00:23:15,080 black and white, or you either have it or you don't. 292 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:16,880 You can't speak of faith like that. 293 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:19,400 It's not that simple. 294 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:23,720 And it comes in—there are many levels. 295 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:30,160 In fact, as many individuals as there are in this world, they're all probably a different 296 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:35,720 individual level of faith in whatever they believe. 297 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:44,880 I know that there is a weak faith, which can be powerful, but that you can reach a level 298 00:23:44,880 --> 00:23:52,400 of faith where you can access the power of Christ daily in your life and where you can 299 00:23:52,400 --> 00:23:56,080 experience miracles in your life. 300 00:23:56,080 --> 00:24:02,560 Faith is a principle of action and a principle of power. 301 00:24:02,560 --> 00:24:09,280 We learn in the lectures on faith in the School of the Prophets from Kirtland, Ohio. 302 00:24:09,280 --> 00:24:17,320 I love—if our listeners haven't read the lectures on faith, those seven lectures, I 303 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:19,200 would encourage them to do so. 304 00:24:19,200 --> 00:24:23,840 I think they can get it on the Deseret bookshelf. 305 00:24:23,840 --> 00:24:24,840 Anyway— 306 00:24:24,840 --> 00:24:27,120 It's very short, too. 307 00:24:27,120 --> 00:24:34,120 It's something that, even though it's short, it does require a lot of study, but it definitely 308 00:24:34,120 --> 00:24:35,120 shouldn't be intimidating. 309 00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:36,120 You should definitely— 310 00:24:36,120 --> 00:24:43,000 The lectures on faith used to be, really, until early in the 20th century, they were 311 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:47,280 part of the Doctrine and Covenants, and they were eventually taken out of the Doctrine 312 00:24:47,280 --> 00:24:51,560 and Covenants because the Prophet Joseph Smith never declared them to be a revelation. 313 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:56,460 There's some evidence that they were not written by the Prophet Joseph Smith, even though 314 00:24:56,460 --> 00:24:59,440 he was president and approved of them. 315 00:24:59,440 --> 00:25:03,660 But Sidney Rigdon and others would have helped to write those lectures. 316 00:25:03,660 --> 00:25:04,660 It was a class. 317 00:25:04,660 --> 00:25:06,960 It was a course on faith. 318 00:25:06,960 --> 00:25:11,920 It was never considered to be a revelation, so they were taken out. 319 00:25:11,920 --> 00:25:21,160 But I think there are many, many lessons that can be learned about not only what faith is, 320 00:25:21,160 --> 00:25:27,680 but how it is a principle of power and how we can access that power. 321 00:25:27,680 --> 00:25:35,880 And I think we should pause for just a moment and ask our listeners to ask themselves, what 322 00:25:35,880 --> 00:25:40,100 is the level of your faith? 323 00:25:40,100 --> 00:25:43,600 What is your focus? 324 00:25:43,600 --> 00:25:51,360 How often do you focus on Jesus Christ and His atonement? 325 00:25:51,360 --> 00:25:59,760 How often do you focus on redemption and the power of redemption in your life? 326 00:25:59,760 --> 00:26:04,840 I just think everyone should pause and think about that for a moment. 327 00:26:04,840 --> 00:26:10,840 Then we should also, the next question that should follow that is, how can I increase 328 00:26:10,840 --> 00:26:12,060 it? 329 00:26:12,060 --> 00:26:14,720 How can I, what can I do? 330 00:26:14,720 --> 00:26:20,000 And I hope everybody with a prayer of faith will ponder this for a moment, and I believe 331 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:23,000 the Spirit will teach you what you need to do. 332 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:31,280 But what can I do daily to increase or change my focus? 333 00:26:31,280 --> 00:26:39,560 What can I do daily to increase my faith in Jesus Christ? 334 00:26:39,560 --> 00:26:47,920 The first principle of the Gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 335 00:26:47,920 --> 00:26:54,040 And I think it's good, I don't think it's bad to talk about faith in the general, faith 336 00:26:54,040 --> 00:26:59,840 in God, faith in the Gospel, faith in redemption. 337 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:03,560 You know, oftentimes we speak of faith in the general, and I think that's good. 338 00:27:03,560 --> 00:27:07,360 I think that can be edifying. 339 00:27:07,360 --> 00:27:16,400 But really, Scott, there is no faith that becomes powerful, the faith of power, unless 340 00:27:16,400 --> 00:27:23,200 it is focused on Jesus Christ and His atonement. 341 00:27:23,200 --> 00:27:25,980 That's when it becomes powerful. 342 00:27:25,980 --> 00:27:29,440 That's when it becomes redeeming. 343 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:36,120 I think Alma gives us the clearest definition of faith in Alma chapter 32, verse 21, everybody 344 00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:45,520 probably knows that definition of faith when he says that faith is, I'll just turn to it 345 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:48,280 real quick and read it. 346 00:27:48,280 --> 00:27:57,000 Alma 32, 21, which reads, And now, as I said concerning faith, faith is not to have a perfect 347 00:27:57,000 --> 00:27:58,600 knowledge of things. 348 00:27:58,600 --> 00:28:06,200 Therefore, if ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. 349 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:13,720 I think it's important to, in all the scriptures, to consider the context of the scripture. 350 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:21,400 And let's remember here that Alma is speaking to a bunch of apostate Zoramites. 351 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:24,320 He's teaching those who have wanted to learn. 352 00:28:24,320 --> 00:28:27,560 They've come to the hill of Oneida to be taught. 353 00:28:27,560 --> 00:28:32,640 These are Zoramites, apostate Zoramites who have been rejected by the Zoramites. 354 00:28:32,640 --> 00:28:38,800 And so they come to learn, and they're just, they're at the very beginning point of their 355 00:28:38,800 --> 00:28:45,200 spiritual progression and conversion, and just beginning, or not even beginning, but 356 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:49,240 desiring to begin and understand what faith is. 357 00:28:49,240 --> 00:28:56,560 So Alma gives them the general, most simple definition of what faith is. 358 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:02,240 And I think that we could say that this is maybe a really beginning point of faith and 359 00:29:02,240 --> 00:29:04,200 definition of faith. 360 00:29:04,200 --> 00:29:06,920 Faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things. 361 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:12,360 Therefore, if ye have faith, ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true. 362 00:29:12,360 --> 00:29:17,280 Okay, so I hope for something that I don't see, but it's true. 363 00:29:17,280 --> 00:29:20,200 That's the beginning point of faith. 364 00:29:20,200 --> 00:29:23,280 But that's only the beginning point. 365 00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:30,720 And it doesn't become a faith of power until it's focused on Christ and until we can develop 366 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:39,440 that power through revelation, through receiving the Word, through living a righteous life, 367 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:45,640 and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, which they've not yet received here in Alma 368 00:29:45,640 --> 00:29:46,640 32. 369 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:54,440 So, as we start focusing on this faith, and Dave just mentioned it, it's extremely important 370 00:29:54,440 --> 00:29:56,920 that we remember where should our faith be. 371 00:29:56,920 --> 00:29:59,480 Our faith should be centered on Jesus Christ. 372 00:29:59,480 --> 00:30:06,200 And if we go to Mosiah 3.17, again, it says, Moreover I say unto you, that there shall 373 00:30:06,200 --> 00:30:11,300 be no other name given, nor any other way, nor means whereby salvation can come unto 374 00:30:11,300 --> 00:30:16,920 the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent. 375 00:30:16,920 --> 00:30:24,520 So that's that faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord Omnipotent, that allows us to have 376 00:30:24,520 --> 00:30:27,680 that salvation. 377 00:30:27,680 --> 00:30:28,680 Salvation from what? 378 00:30:28,680 --> 00:30:33,360 I mean, so when we talk about salvation, we think here, of course, we're thinking salvation 379 00:30:33,360 --> 00:30:38,680 eternally, salvation from the fall, being able to have eternal life. 380 00:30:38,680 --> 00:30:45,880 But also we can see salvation from, I get salvation on a daily basis, saved from myself 381 00:30:45,880 --> 00:30:51,280 in the things that take me away from my Heavenly Father or that would push the Spirit away. 382 00:30:51,280 --> 00:30:59,040 So it's remembering that there is no other name given, nor any other way, nor means whereby 383 00:30:59,040 --> 00:31:05,040 salvation can come unto the children of men, only through the name of Christ, the Lord. 384 00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:12,560 That's really important that we keep that in mind as we begin to explore faith and that 385 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:15,200 we focus it in Christ. 386 00:31:15,200 --> 00:31:20,640 And actually, Scott, maybe in the next podcast even, we should talk about the difference 387 00:31:20,640 --> 00:31:26,840 between faith in Christ and faith in the name of Christ. 388 00:31:26,840 --> 00:31:34,600 It's so interesting to me over the years as I've studied this topic of faith, how the 389 00:31:34,600 --> 00:31:42,760 prophets in the Scriptures, how often they focus on faith in the name of Christ. 390 00:31:42,760 --> 00:31:48,040 And I have studied that now for years, and I believe that there's a difference. 391 00:31:48,040 --> 00:31:53,640 And I believe there's a difference in the level of faith between faith in Christ and 392 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:56,920 faith in the name of Christ. 393 00:31:56,920 --> 00:31:59,480 But back to Alma 32 for just a moment. 394 00:31:59,480 --> 00:32:11,000 It seems that Alma, speaking to these Zoramites, that he says that there is a prerequisite 395 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:12,840 to receiving faith. 396 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:19,160 And in his own words, he calls it humility, that there must be humility. 397 00:32:19,160 --> 00:32:25,680 And he commands the Zoramites for being compelled to be humble. 398 00:32:25,680 --> 00:32:30,720 And he says, it's really great that you've been compelled to be humble, cast out of your 399 00:32:30,720 --> 00:32:39,400 homes or whatever, because of their conditions. 400 00:32:39,400 --> 00:32:46,200 And so I think that it's important that we realize that one of the prerequisites to faith 401 00:32:46,200 --> 00:32:49,440 is humility. 402 00:32:49,440 --> 00:32:55,520 And I think another prerequisite to faith is desire. 403 00:32:55,520 --> 00:33:04,800 And as we have talked about in a few podcasts ago, gratitude, in my mind, Scott, gratitude 404 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:08,640 is always the beginning of desire. 405 00:33:08,640 --> 00:33:15,660 So if you think about gratitude and humility, humility is the source of knowing that we 406 00:33:15,660 --> 00:33:18,200 cannot save ourselves. 407 00:33:18,200 --> 00:33:27,360 Humility is the beginning of understanding our dependence, how we are so reliant upon 408 00:33:27,360 --> 00:33:35,720 Jesus Christ for redemption, that we can never, in all of our works, in all of our efforts, 409 00:33:35,720 --> 00:33:43,520 in any degree of whatever we think we are or how good we think we can be, we will never 410 00:33:43,520 --> 00:33:50,120 be enough, we will never be good enough to save ourselves. 411 00:33:50,120 --> 00:33:53,440 Understanding that is the beginning of humility. 412 00:33:53,440 --> 00:33:58,600 So humility and gratitude, and gratitude for what? 413 00:33:58,600 --> 00:34:03,520 Gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ. 414 00:34:03,520 --> 00:34:14,240 Gratitude and humility are the prerequisites for faith, the desire of faith, and the desire 415 00:34:14,240 --> 00:34:19,160 to begin to grow and develop that faith. 416 00:34:19,160 --> 00:34:26,840 And Alma goes on to describe it, this progress or development of faith, he compares it to 417 00:34:26,840 --> 00:34:28,680 a seed, right? 418 00:34:28,680 --> 00:34:30,080 He compares it to a seed. 419 00:34:30,080 --> 00:34:38,120 And that if you plant this seed, so it's so interesting in Alma chapter 32 verse 28, 420 00:34:38,120 --> 00:34:44,280 I'll just read this and I think probably most people already know this, but verse 28 says, 421 00:34:44,280 --> 00:34:48,600 now we will compare the word unto a seed. 422 00:34:48,600 --> 00:34:53,480 So keep in mind that the seed is not faith itself. 423 00:34:53,480 --> 00:35:02,080 Faith will later be the seedling or what begins to grow, but the seed is the word. 424 00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:06,640 And the word, Scott, is Christ. 425 00:35:06,640 --> 00:35:10,800 It's Christ and His atoning sacrifice. 426 00:35:10,800 --> 00:35:11,800 That's the word. 427 00:35:11,800 --> 00:35:16,240 And he'll later describe that over in Alma chapter 33. 428 00:35:16,240 --> 00:35:18,080 He'll say, this is the word. 429 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:23,140 Well, and in John, and in John, in the beginning was the word, right? 430 00:35:23,140 --> 00:35:24,140 And that's Christ. 431 00:35:24,140 --> 00:35:25,560 And that's Jesus Christ. 432 00:35:25,560 --> 00:35:34,080 So we're going to plant the word of Christ or the word about Christ and His atonement 433 00:35:34,080 --> 00:35:35,720 into our hearts. 434 00:35:35,720 --> 00:35:41,760 And he goes on, and I'm quoting Alma again, Alma 32, 28. 435 00:35:41,760 --> 00:35:47,800 Now if you give place that a seed may be planted in your heart, behold, if it be a true seed 436 00:35:47,800 --> 00:35:54,260 or a good seed, if you do not cast it out by your unbelief, that ye will resist the 437 00:35:54,260 --> 00:36:01,080 spirit of the Lord, behold, it will begin to, number one, swell. 438 00:36:01,080 --> 00:36:04,500 Remember that swell within your breasts. 439 00:36:04,500 --> 00:36:09,720 And when you begin these swelling motions, you will begin to say within yourselves, it 440 00:36:09,720 --> 00:36:15,800 must needs be that this is a good seed or that the word is good, for it beginneth to 441 00:36:15,800 --> 00:36:22,880 enlarge, swell, enlarge my soul. 442 00:36:22,880 --> 00:36:34,280 Yea, it beginneth to enlighten, swell, enlarge, enlighten my understanding. 443 00:36:34,280 --> 00:36:39,800 Yea, it beginneth to be delicious to me. 444 00:36:39,800 --> 00:36:49,880 Swell, enlarge, enlighten, delicious, what did we just spell? 445 00:36:49,880 --> 00:36:52,440 Seed. 446 00:36:52,440 --> 00:37:05,440 Seed can be an acronym for swell, enlarge, enlighten, and delicious to me. 447 00:37:05,440 --> 00:37:08,320 The seed or the word. 448 00:37:08,320 --> 00:37:15,800 The word enlightens us, the word enlarges our souls. 449 00:37:15,800 --> 00:37:20,000 And again, the word being Jesus Christ himself. 450 00:37:20,000 --> 00:37:21,200 Right. 451 00:37:21,200 --> 00:37:29,720 Paul taught that faith cometh, yea, he said in Romans, yea, it cometh by hearing the word 452 00:37:29,720 --> 00:37:33,400 of God, the word. 453 00:37:33,400 --> 00:37:41,480 This is the beginning of faith, is the word of Jesus Christ and him crucified and resurrected. 454 00:37:41,480 --> 00:37:46,440 So that's how we begin to grow our faith. 455 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:54,120 That is the beginning of what should be our daily focus, is how can we begin to plant 456 00:37:54,120 --> 00:37:58,560 that seed or the word in our hearts. 457 00:37:58,560 --> 00:38:05,440 And as we do so, it will become delicious to us, it will begin to grow, we will feel 458 00:38:05,440 --> 00:38:11,840 it grow, we will begin to feel it to swell and enlarge and enlighten us. 459 00:38:11,840 --> 00:38:22,560 And our faith begins to grow from a level of just belief and hope to a level of knowledge 460 00:38:22,560 --> 00:38:29,520 which he describes in Alma chapter 32, that your faith has become dormant because you 461 00:38:29,520 --> 00:38:32,320 know these things. 462 00:38:32,320 --> 00:38:34,840 That's a higher level of faith. 463 00:38:34,840 --> 00:38:42,400 To a level of faith described in Jacob, this is the level that we should all be encouraged 464 00:38:42,400 --> 00:38:43,980 to have. 465 00:38:43,980 --> 00:38:53,920 And to this level of faith that Jacob describes in Jacob chapter 4, and he talks about Jesus 466 00:38:53,920 --> 00:38:59,920 Christ and he says, behold, they believed in Christ and they worshiped the Father in 467 00:38:59,920 --> 00:39:01,520 his name. 468 00:39:01,520 --> 00:39:03,240 This is verse 5. 469 00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:12,860 That's verse 5, but I want to skip to verse 6 which reads, wherefore we search the prophets 470 00:39:12,860 --> 00:39:14,960 and we have many revelations. 471 00:39:14,960 --> 00:39:18,300 Now just think about the process here. 472 00:39:18,300 --> 00:39:23,800 We search the prophets and we have many revelations. 473 00:39:23,800 --> 00:39:30,560 And the spirit of prophecy, and we learn in, of course, Revelation, John the Revelator, 474 00:39:30,560 --> 00:39:38,680 John the Apostle teaches us that the spirit of prophecy is a testimony of Jesus. 475 00:39:38,680 --> 00:39:46,240 So whenever we speak of prophecy, we need to focus on Jesus Christ, the Spirit. 476 00:39:46,240 --> 00:39:47,520 So let me start over. 477 00:39:47,520 --> 00:39:53,380 Wherefore we search the prophets and we have many revelations and the spirit of prophecy. 478 00:39:53,380 --> 00:40:03,600 And having all these witnesses, we obtain a hope and our faith become unshaken in so 479 00:40:03,600 --> 00:40:16,640 much that we truly command in the name of Jesus that and the very trees obey us or the 480 00:40:16,640 --> 00:40:21,120 mountains or the waves of the sea. 481 00:40:21,120 --> 00:40:31,320 Nevertheless, verse 7, the Lord God, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know 482 00:40:31,320 --> 00:40:40,240 that it is by His grace and His great condescensions under the children of men that we have power 483 00:40:40,240 --> 00:40:43,960 to do these things. 484 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:50,080 That is a level of faith that we should all seek to obtain. 485 00:40:50,080 --> 00:40:52,980 The faith, the power. 486 00:40:52,980 --> 00:41:01,200 And I think the essence of that faith, Scott, comes to us again by searching the prophets, 487 00:41:01,200 --> 00:41:07,120 which includes the ancient prophets and the living prophets, the scriptures and conference 488 00:41:07,120 --> 00:41:12,000 reports and what our prophets are telling us today and seeking to live and apply their 489 00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:19,020 teachings and that we have many revelations that we are seeking the spirit and influence 490 00:41:19,020 --> 00:41:24,860 of the Holy Ghost in our life, that we're having personal revelations as the prophets 491 00:41:24,860 --> 00:41:27,360 have encouraged us to do. 492 00:41:27,360 --> 00:41:33,600 And that we have the spirit of prophecy or the testimony of Jesus, which fills our hearts 493 00:41:33,600 --> 00:41:37,640 and increases our souls. 494 00:41:37,640 --> 00:41:46,840 As we do that, Scott, we reach this point where faith in Jesus Christ becomes a real 495 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:54,320 power, not just a power of redemption, but a power to command and a power to command 496 00:41:54,320 --> 00:41:58,000 knowing that that's the will of God. 497 00:41:58,000 --> 00:42:02,180 And if God Himself were here, that's what He would do. 498 00:42:02,180 --> 00:42:07,520 We can never think of faith as doing something that we want. 499 00:42:07,520 --> 00:42:12,520 Faith is ultimately to have our will swallowed up in the will of God. 500 00:42:12,520 --> 00:42:18,840 And faith is to, as Elder Bednar asked in an amazing talk that he gave many years ago 501 00:42:18,840 --> 00:42:25,640 when he asked the young man who was diagnosed and suffering with cancer and had a, I think 502 00:42:25,640 --> 00:42:33,960 it was a 70% chance of not surviving cancer, and had requested a blessing from Elder Bednar. 503 00:42:33,960 --> 00:42:40,520 And Elder Bednar felt impressed to ask him before he laid his hands on his head and exercised 504 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:43,520 the power of the priesthood. 505 00:42:43,520 --> 00:42:53,040 Elder Bednar asked him, and he uses the anonymous name of John, he asked this young man, John, 506 00:42:53,040 --> 00:42:59,680 do you have the faith to not be healed? 507 00:42:59,680 --> 00:43:10,200 Sometimes the power of faith is to accept the will of God, whatever that will or outcome 508 00:43:10,200 --> 00:43:18,880 may be, and not seeking our own outcomes. 509 00:43:18,880 --> 00:43:24,880 When we reach that point in our minds and hearts where we're willing to accept the will 510 00:43:24,880 --> 00:43:30,120 of God, no matter what that is, and we know the will of God, the power of faith is to 511 00:43:30,120 --> 00:43:37,120 know the will of God by revelation, and then do everything that we can to activate that 512 00:43:37,120 --> 00:43:40,480 will and to carry out his will. 513 00:43:40,480 --> 00:43:45,960 And I think sometimes, Dave, that's where we get challenged to a deeper degree, right? 514 00:43:45,960 --> 00:43:51,520 I mean, because there are things in each of our lives, perhaps, and certainly to a greater 515 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:56,380 degree and some than others that we would really like to have healed, that we would 516 00:43:56,380 --> 00:44:01,280 really like to have changed in our lives, that for whatever reason our Heavenly Father 517 00:44:01,280 --> 00:44:08,440 sees fit to let us learn what we need to learn, experience what we need to learn, have our 518 00:44:08,440 --> 00:44:13,200 weaknesses exposed to us, whatever the case may be. 519 00:44:13,200 --> 00:44:18,160 I think that sometimes, often, actually, I think that this can be the case. 520 00:44:18,160 --> 00:44:24,700 And I hadn't heard, I don't remember that story about do you have faith to not be healed? 521 00:44:24,700 --> 00:44:30,240 But that's a question I think that's probably really well-served if we all ask ourselves 522 00:44:30,240 --> 00:44:34,400 that question, and whatever part of our life it is, because we all have it, but whatever 523 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:39,500 part of our life it is that we would like that healing, that we would like to exercise 524 00:44:39,500 --> 00:44:41,280 that faith to healing. 525 00:44:41,280 --> 00:44:43,380 Do we have the faith not to be healed? 526 00:44:43,380 --> 00:44:48,340 And do we really, through a broken heart and a contrite spirit, really aligning our will 527 00:44:48,340 --> 00:44:53,700 with our Heavenly Father's, seek to look for the sweetheart message even sometimes in the 528 00:44:53,700 --> 00:44:58,380 things in our lives that are not really that comfortable that maybe he's allowing us or 529 00:44:58,380 --> 00:45:01,680 asking us sometimes even to walk through or go through. 530 00:45:01,680 --> 00:45:03,840 Yeah, right. 531 00:45:03,840 --> 00:45:16,600 You can't believe how many times my sweetheart and I have prayed for a miracle in faith to 532 00:45:16,600 --> 00:45:30,020 bless our son Isaac to overcome the adversities of fetal alcoholism, child abuse, bipolar, 533 00:45:30,020 --> 00:45:35,320 and autism, Asperger's in his life. 534 00:45:35,320 --> 00:45:42,960 We have prayed that God would fix his mind and change his mind and help his mind to be 535 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:50,640 developed and we prayed for a miracle and we have expressed to God, we know you can 536 00:45:50,640 --> 00:45:51,640 do this. 537 00:45:51,640 --> 00:46:00,280 We know that Thou can't change him, that Thou can't, what we're really saying, I guess, 538 00:46:00,280 --> 00:46:04,120 is rewire him. 539 00:46:04,120 --> 00:46:06,360 We haven't received that miracle. 540 00:46:06,360 --> 00:46:09,420 We haven't seen any signs of that miracle. 541 00:46:09,420 --> 00:46:17,280 And yet, you know, Scott, again, it's because of my sweet son Isaac that I have learned 542 00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:22,960 some of the most powerful lessons and it's given me, it's blessed me with so many great 543 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:28,920 blessings in my life, the blessings of empathy, the blessings of understanding, and the most 544 00:46:28,920 --> 00:46:35,760 important blessing is because of him, I have really come to a deeper understanding and 545 00:46:35,760 --> 00:46:40,920 gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ and I don't think I shared this part of the 546 00:46:40,920 --> 00:46:51,200 story but the, and I may have, but the night that he was arrested, three times in the middle 547 00:46:51,200 --> 00:47:02,840 of the night as I was laying in bed, I heard this voice, I have taken him unto myself. 548 00:47:02,840 --> 00:47:07,280 I have taken him unto myself. 549 00:47:07,280 --> 00:47:11,520 And I knew that the Lord had him. 550 00:47:11,520 --> 00:47:19,920 Again, I just think it's, I began today by saying this but I just think it's so important 551 00:47:19,920 --> 00:47:26,680 that we understand the Savior not only gets us, but He's got us. 552 00:47:26,680 --> 00:47:28,160 But He's got us. 553 00:47:28,160 --> 00:47:31,680 You know what I think, Dave, you know, we pray for those miracles and we all do. 554 00:47:31,680 --> 00:47:36,960 We pray for those miracles in your situation, you know, for Isaac to be healed, rewired, 555 00:47:36,960 --> 00:47:39,000 whatever the case may be. 556 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:43,040 But because that, just because that miracle doesn't take place doesn't mean there is not 557 00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:44,760 other miracles involved. 558 00:47:44,760 --> 00:47:47,000 Because what you just described is miraculous. 559 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:52,280 There is nothing short of miraculous from what you just described about how you have 560 00:47:52,280 --> 00:47:59,040 been able to reconcile, how you heard in your mind a voice tell you, I have taken him unto 561 00:47:59,040 --> 00:48:00,040 myself. 562 00:48:00,040 --> 00:48:05,160 And it's a miracle because from that message, when things, and I know they can, when things 563 00:48:05,160 --> 00:48:12,800 get difficult to handle, when things get discouraging, when progress seems slow to come, to look 564 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:18,160 back and to have that remembrance, I have taken him unto myself and to have faith and 565 00:48:18,160 --> 00:48:24,280 know that our Heavenly Father knows the beginning from the end, loves Isaac and all of us perfectly, 566 00:48:24,280 --> 00:48:31,920 and intends to reclaim all of us through the redemption of Jesus Christ, that that in and 567 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:36,800 of itself may be even a greater miracle than the healing itself, David. 568 00:48:36,800 --> 00:48:39,000 Yeah, yeah, absolutely, Scott. 569 00:48:39,000 --> 00:48:47,720 I just read this morning again these precious words in Doctrine and Covenants, section 88, 570 00:48:47,720 --> 00:48:55,800 he, meaning Jesus Christ, the firstborn of God, our Savior, he that ascended up on high 571 00:48:55,800 --> 00:49:06,240 has also, has also he descended below all things, in that he comprehendeth all things, 572 00:49:06,240 --> 00:49:13,880 that he might be in all and through all things the light of truth. 573 00:49:13,880 --> 00:49:19,720 And then later in that same section, I read this this morning, I just love this, in verse 574 00:49:19,720 --> 00:49:30,200 41, he comprehendeth all things, and all things are before him, and all things are round about 575 00:49:30,200 --> 00:49:39,120 him, and he is above all things, and in all things, and is through all things, and is 576 00:49:39,120 --> 00:49:48,480 round about all things, and all things are by him, and of him, even God, forever and 577 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:50,920 ever. 578 00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:58,160 That is not just a comforting scripture, but it increases my faith. 579 00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:04,480 I know that's, I know that's true, and the thought I had that night when Isaac was arrested 580 00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:12,800 was, you know, the general thought was, you've done a fine job, you've done a fine job trying 581 00:50:12,800 --> 00:50:14,600 to raise him. 582 00:50:14,600 --> 00:50:23,360 Now I've got him, I have taken him unto myself, everything's going to be fine, it's going 583 00:50:23,360 --> 00:50:24,880 to work out. 584 00:50:24,880 --> 00:50:34,680 I just felt this total peace about it, and continue to, and thankful for that miracle. 585 00:50:34,680 --> 00:50:42,840 It wasn't the miracle that I asked for, that my sweetheart asked for, but the miracle that 586 00:50:42,840 --> 00:50:50,880 as bad as things may be here, or as much injustice or inequities or terrible things that can 587 00:50:50,880 --> 00:50:57,440 happen to us here, the great miracle, Scott, is to remember that Christ comprehends all 588 00:50:57,440 --> 00:51:04,800 of that, that he descended below all of that, that he gets us, and that he's got us, and 589 00:51:04,800 --> 00:51:11,920 that really, if we'll allow him to, he'll take all of us unto himself, based on his 590 00:51:11,920 --> 00:51:20,820 merits, not our own, based on his sacrifice, and that as we increase our faith in that, 591 00:51:20,820 --> 00:51:30,120 we can experience by revelation that knowledge, and that makes all the difference in providing 592 00:51:30,120 --> 00:51:39,920 us the personal peace and the individual joy that we are commanded, really, to feel in 593 00:51:39,920 --> 00:51:40,920 this life. 594 00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:49,360 I was listening to a talk again by Elder Nilly Maxwell just the other night called The Inexhaustible 595 00:51:49,360 --> 00:51:56,120 Gospel, and in it he talks about, he quotes the Prophet Joseph Smith, where the prophet 596 00:51:56,120 --> 00:52:02,680 said, the past, present, and future are and were with Jehovah one eternal now. 597 00:52:02,680 --> 00:52:08,000 And so, you know, he's there, he knows it, you know, and we heard Elder Kieran, if you'll 598 00:52:08,000 --> 00:52:14,040 listen to that, but he talks about, we made reference to that talk earlier, but he talks 599 00:52:14,040 --> 00:52:18,560 about how Jesus, and we've made reference to this throughout all of the podcasts, how 600 00:52:18,560 --> 00:52:24,880 Jesus suffered and dealt with every single thing that we suffer and deal with. 601 00:52:24,880 --> 00:52:30,360 Elder Maxwell makes an important observation, because this is great, it's great to know 602 00:52:30,360 --> 00:52:35,560 that the past, present, and future are and were with Jehovah one eternal now, which gives 603 00:52:35,560 --> 00:52:39,720 him great empathy, which helps him succor us, which all of the other things we talked about. 604 00:52:39,720 --> 00:52:45,560 But then, Elder Maxwell makes the observation, and I think this is quite important, he says, 605 00:52:45,560 --> 00:52:51,960 even so, how different the God's now is from ours. 606 00:52:51,960 --> 00:52:57,520 And so, you know, it's important for us that as we move with faith and we move with focus 607 00:52:57,520 --> 00:53:04,400 to start getting this in our lives, even so, how different the Lord's now is from ours 608 00:53:04,400 --> 00:53:05,840 can change, right? 609 00:53:05,840 --> 00:53:12,360 We can through study, through focus, through prayer, through fasting, through all of the 610 00:53:12,360 --> 00:53:18,120 things that we're going to begin to start implementing as we start putting on the effects 611 00:53:18,120 --> 00:53:20,080 of the atonement of Jesus Christ. 612 00:53:20,080 --> 00:53:26,080 We can change the way our now looks, too, to be more aligned with his now as that faith 613 00:53:26,080 --> 00:53:27,080 increases. 614 00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:30,040 And as I think, Dave, we do that, we have more hope. 615 00:53:30,040 --> 00:53:34,860 I think we have a, and more hope, not just more hope, but we have more momentum building, 616 00:53:34,860 --> 00:53:39,560 we have more impetus in the direction of increasing our faith even still. 617 00:53:39,560 --> 00:53:48,320 Yeah, well, I think it's really critical to grow our faith to a level of power. 618 00:53:48,320 --> 00:53:56,640 We have to come to an understanding to some degree of God's power, that God is all-powerful 619 00:53:56,640 --> 00:53:59,120 and that we have faith in that. 620 00:53:59,120 --> 00:54:02,640 And I love you referencing Elder Maxwell. 621 00:54:02,640 --> 00:54:10,480 He used to always say that he would read the Scripture in Moses and other Scriptures. 622 00:54:10,480 --> 00:54:15,920 It's in Doctrine and Covenants, Section 38 as well, in Moses 1, Verse 6. 623 00:54:15,920 --> 00:54:24,360 And then he would say, you know, there is no past or future to God. 624 00:54:24,360 --> 00:54:25,360 Just comprehend that. 625 00:54:25,360 --> 00:54:26,360 Yeah. 626 00:54:26,360 --> 00:54:27,360 I mean, that's incomprehensible for me. 627 00:54:27,360 --> 00:54:28,360 That's right, me too. 628 00:54:28,360 --> 00:54:31,940 Try to comprehend that because I think it's impossible. 629 00:54:31,940 --> 00:54:34,520 God lives in an eternal now. 630 00:54:34,520 --> 00:54:39,460 He sees all things at once from beginning to end. 631 00:54:39,460 --> 00:54:41,320 There is no past. 632 00:54:41,320 --> 00:54:42,960 There is no future to God. 633 00:54:42,960 --> 00:54:45,160 He sees us all at once. 634 00:54:45,160 --> 00:54:54,200 I just think to have the faith of power, we have to know the power of God. 635 00:54:54,200 --> 00:55:03,360 We have to know that he is not only omnipotent, all-powerful, but he's omniscient, all-knowing, 636 00:55:03,360 --> 00:55:07,120 and that he is even omnipresent. 637 00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:14,320 Those three characteristics are critical for us to understand, begin to understand who 638 00:55:14,320 --> 00:55:21,200 God is, who Jesus Christ is, and to be able to exercise faith in them. 639 00:55:21,200 --> 00:55:26,360 So maybe I can just begin to conclude here, Scott, and then turn it back over to you, 640 00:55:26,360 --> 00:55:39,040 is that the doctrine of Christ is the critical piece to help us to know, begin to know how 641 00:55:39,040 --> 00:55:44,920 to access the power of Christ through his atonement. 642 00:55:44,920 --> 00:55:55,400 The doctrine of Christ focuses on the how can we get the power of Christ in our life. 643 00:55:55,400 --> 00:56:02,100 It's so interesting that in the Scriptures there is only one doctrine. 644 00:56:02,100 --> 00:56:08,700 In fact, every time the word doctrines, plural, is used, it's negative. 645 00:56:08,700 --> 00:56:12,760 The doctrines of men, the doctrines of devils. 646 00:56:12,760 --> 00:56:20,280 There's only really, I'm just talking in the standard works, it refers to one doctrine, 647 00:56:20,280 --> 00:56:23,080 which is the doctrine of Christ. 648 00:56:23,080 --> 00:56:31,300 And the doctrine of Christ is how can we apply the atonement of Jesus Christ and get the 649 00:56:31,300 --> 00:56:34,680 power of Christ in our lives. 650 00:56:34,680 --> 00:56:38,120 And faith is the beginning of that. 651 00:56:38,120 --> 00:56:45,800 Faith with its prerequisites of humility, gratitude, desire. 652 00:56:45,800 --> 00:56:53,040 Then we can begin to plant, really focus, this takes great focus, effort. 653 00:56:53,040 --> 00:57:00,220 We can begin to plant the seed or the word of Christ into our hearts. 654 00:57:00,220 --> 00:57:07,800 And as we do so, we'll begin to feel it swell, enlarge, enlighten, and it will become delicious 655 00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:09,120 to us. 656 00:57:09,120 --> 00:57:18,360 As we do that, our desires begin to grow, our gratitude even increases, our humility 657 00:57:18,360 --> 00:57:20,880 becomes even deeper. 658 00:57:20,880 --> 00:57:24,800 And then we want to repent. 659 00:57:24,800 --> 00:57:26,100 We want to repent. 660 00:57:26,100 --> 00:57:31,200 We want to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ. 661 00:57:31,200 --> 00:57:38,080 We want to be able to receive the redemptive power of Christ in our lives. 662 00:57:38,080 --> 00:57:46,460 That leads us to the principle or the doctrine of repentance, which is part of the larger 663 00:57:46,460 --> 00:57:48,880 doctrine of Christ. 664 00:57:48,880 --> 00:57:54,400 So maybe next time we can talk a little bit more about faith, answer any questions our 665 00:57:54,400 --> 00:58:00,360 listeners may have about how to increase their faith, or I hope some of them will share how 666 00:58:00,360 --> 00:58:06,440 they've been able to increase their faith and insights that they have about how to obtain 667 00:58:06,440 --> 00:58:10,640 the faith of power in their lives to do the will of God. 668 00:58:10,640 --> 00:58:15,120 It'd be fantastic if some of them would share that with us. 669 00:58:15,120 --> 00:58:20,160 And then we'll begin to move into repentance, and then the ordinances and the Holy Ghost 670 00:58:20,160 --> 00:58:23,680 and enduring to the end. 671 00:58:23,680 --> 00:58:29,700 It's really important that we don't try to jump over any of these concepts or principles. 672 00:58:29,700 --> 00:58:32,480 We shouldn't just immediately jump to ordinances. 673 00:58:32,480 --> 00:58:36,440 We shouldn't just immediately jump to enduring to the end. 674 00:58:36,440 --> 00:58:41,120 These principles are laid out in order for a very important reason. 675 00:58:41,120 --> 00:58:42,120 And they're like a cycle. 676 00:58:42,120 --> 00:58:44,080 We'll talk more about this. 677 00:58:44,080 --> 00:58:45,080 But they're like a cycle. 678 00:58:45,080 --> 00:58:47,560 As your faith increases, you want to repent. 679 00:58:47,560 --> 00:58:50,400 And as you repent, you want to participate in ordinances. 680 00:58:50,400 --> 00:58:53,120 And then as you participate in ordinances, you receive the Holy Ghost. 681 00:58:53,120 --> 00:58:55,920 And as you receive the Holy Ghost, it helps you endure the end. 682 00:58:55,920 --> 00:58:57,600 And then your faith increases. 683 00:58:57,600 --> 00:58:59,040 And then you want to repent more. 684 00:58:59,040 --> 00:59:03,960 And then it's like a helix or a cycle. 685 00:59:03,960 --> 00:59:09,880 And that's what I think that I wanted to point out is that let's start with faith. 686 00:59:09,880 --> 00:59:14,240 And if faith is something that we sometimes struggle with, let's go back to the principles 687 00:59:14,240 --> 00:59:15,920 that we talked about here. 688 00:59:15,920 --> 00:59:17,520 Let's see it as a seed. 689 00:59:17,520 --> 00:59:20,080 Let's give it a place to grow within our hearts. 690 00:59:20,080 --> 00:59:24,280 Let's ask our Heavenly Father to help that to grow. 691 00:59:24,280 --> 00:59:30,360 And let's go back to some of our early podcast episodes when we talk about getting to know 692 00:59:30,360 --> 00:59:31,360 Him. 693 00:59:31,360 --> 00:59:36,560 As I learn more about Him, I have a deeper desire to have my faith increase. 694 00:59:36,560 --> 00:59:39,720 And as that faith increases, I even have a deeper desire. 695 00:59:39,720 --> 00:59:42,000 And so that also becomes part of that helix. 696 00:59:42,000 --> 00:59:47,280 And there are several helixes within that overall overarching helix that you talked 697 00:59:47,280 --> 00:59:50,220 about or that cycle that you talked about. 698 00:59:50,220 --> 00:59:57,720 And as we do that, as we exercise that desire, as we plant that seed of faith in our hearts 699 00:59:57,720 --> 01:00:04,380 to allow the Holy Spirit to help it grow, I think that it's been my experience. 700 01:00:04,380 --> 01:00:08,560 And I actually testify that this will be all of our experience if we do it with a heart 701 01:00:08,560 --> 01:00:13,520 and with a mind and with an eye single to the glory of God and with real intent and 702 01:00:13,520 --> 01:00:14,520 all of that stuff. 703 01:00:14,520 --> 01:00:19,400 I testify that our faith will increase as we come to know Him more. 704 01:00:19,400 --> 01:00:21,400 Our love for Him certainly deepens. 705 01:00:21,400 --> 01:00:24,440 And as our love deepens, we want to become more like Him. 706 01:00:24,440 --> 01:00:32,520 And all of these things work kind of synergistically to help us come more fully unto Him. 707 01:00:32,520 --> 01:00:35,760 It's been a great podcast to be here again with you. 708 01:00:35,760 --> 01:00:39,880 Today, we hope and pray earnestly. 709 01:00:39,880 --> 01:00:46,400 Each night as my sweetheart and I kneel beside our bed and offer up our prayers each night, 710 01:00:46,400 --> 01:00:52,000 we pray for our listeners of this podcast for whatever it is that you may be seeking. 711 01:00:52,000 --> 01:00:55,320 Our prayers are conjoined with yours in that behalf. 712 01:00:55,320 --> 01:01:00,200 May our Heavenly Father's healing and hope through the atonement of Jesus Christ our 713 01:01:00,200 --> 01:01:06,240 Savior be alive and well in all of our lives this week and forever as we strive to become 714 01:01:06,240 --> 01:01:10,040 closer to Him and align our wills more completely with Him. 715 01:01:10,040 --> 01:01:11,520 That's our deepest desire. 716 01:01:11,520 --> 01:01:13,640 May that come to pass this weekend. 717 01:01:13,640 --> 01:01:16,560 Always for each of us is our prayer. 718 01:01:16,560 --> 01:01:43,560 And always for each of us is our prayer.