1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:13,420 Here we are, David, one more podcast episode in front of us. 2 00:00:13,420 --> 00:00:14,800 Oh, so great. 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:22,000 Thank you by the way, for our list to our listeners for all the great 4 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:26,840 suggestions we got on how to spend the winter, how I can spend the winter 5 00:00:26,840 --> 00:00:29,880 and how I can replace my golf addiction. 6 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,360 Uh, I really appreciate it. 7 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:39,560 Um, I don't know if any of it's going to be possible, but, but I'm grateful 8 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:42,960 for those that are, are trying to, to help me out. 9 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:43,440 Yeah. 10 00:00:43,440 --> 00:00:47,240 We got a email the other day, uh, Dave, from somebody encouraging 11 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,160 us to work out a little more too. 12 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:51,140 Did you get, I don't understand. 13 00:00:51,480 --> 00:00:53,040 Well, this is a podcast. 14 00:00:53,040 --> 00:00:53,960 We're not like on TV. 15 00:00:53,960 --> 00:00:55,040 They can't see our bodies. 16 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:57,280 Well, they can't see us on our treadmills right here. 17 00:00:57,280 --> 00:01:01,800 They don't see, they don't see how, uh, how fit and trim I am. 18 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:07,400 And I can tell you, ladies and gentlemen, this is a wonder to 19 00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,280 behold to see how fit Dave is. 20 00:01:10,280 --> 00:01:10,900 He really is. 21 00:01:10,900 --> 00:01:13,560 I'm not just, I can do better. 22 00:01:13,600 --> 00:01:14,680 I can do better. 23 00:01:14,680 --> 00:01:19,280 I appreciate it, John, but I can do better and I will. 24 00:01:20,000 --> 00:01:20,720 I'll do a little better. 25 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:21,680 I have my routine. 26 00:01:21,740 --> 00:01:22,740 I have my routine. 27 00:01:22,740 --> 00:01:26,320 I kind of go through my, my little exercise in the morning, try 28 00:01:26,320 --> 00:01:31,920 to strengthen my core and do my little stretches and do some of that 29 00:01:31,960 --> 00:01:34,200 because of some back problems that I had. 30 00:01:34,740 --> 00:01:38,000 I still, uh, many years ago, I still go to the gym every morning. 31 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:42,880 Uh, David knows I was into power lifting and bodybuilding many years ago. 32 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:47,240 And that's still something that, uh, I do to keep my head right. 33 00:01:47,280 --> 00:01:52,140 Uh, I was at the gym this morning at, uh, 6 30 AM, like I am most every morning. 34 00:01:52,140 --> 00:01:55,200 I did legs and abdomen cordon. 35 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:56,100 Yeah. 36 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:57,760 So ski season's coming. 37 00:01:57,800 --> 00:01:58,520 Need to do that. 38 00:01:58,960 --> 00:02:01,880 My core work is, is just on the carpet. 39 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:02,640 Yeah. 40 00:02:02,640 --> 00:02:03,240 And planks. 41 00:02:03,280 --> 00:02:03,600 Yeah. 42 00:02:03,660 --> 00:02:06,240 Well that's, Hey, that's probably more effective, right? 43 00:02:06,320 --> 00:02:07,080 I don't know. 44 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:10,520 My other core work has to do with hostess donuts, but we won't go there. 45 00:02:11,680 --> 00:02:12,060 All right. 46 00:02:12,060 --> 00:02:17,180 So, uh, you know, we had a great, uh, time last week talking about some 47 00:02:17,180 --> 00:02:21,360 keys, some principles that were really important components of the, uh, 48 00:02:21,360 --> 00:02:28,400 repentance and forgiveness, um, class that Dave authored and has become part 49 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:33,480 of the curriculum for seminaries and institutes also was kind of the foundation 50 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:35,720 for the book, uh, the divine gift of forgiveness. 51 00:02:35,720 --> 00:02:36,000 Yeah. 52 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:37,800 The elder Anderson. 53 00:02:37,800 --> 00:02:41,880 And I was just kind of a consultant there and helped in some of the 54 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:47,720 organization and some of the ideas in there, but, uh, yeah, that was sweet. 55 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:51,040 And, uh, last week, Scott, we reviewed, we started to 56 00:02:51,040 --> 00:02:52,520 review what I consider. 57 00:02:52,520 --> 00:02:57,720 I remember when elder Anderson, uh, first kind of was interested in, uh, 58 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:05,080 in, in me working with him on that, that book, he sent me an email and he asked 59 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:11,000 me to kind of summarize maybe the key points of the course, and I replied in a 60 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:17,960 kind of a long email about what I considered to be the four key points to 61 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:24,680 the entire course that I had designed and Todd at Utah Valley Institute called 62 00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:27,720 entitled repentance and forgiveness. 63 00:03:28,960 --> 00:03:34,680 And the key points were, which we talked about two of them last week was to 64 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:36,400 really understand the fall. 65 00:03:37,720 --> 00:03:42,560 I mean, really understand it and to be thankful for it, to rejoice in it 66 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:52,160 because redeemed humanity is greater than unfallen humanity could have ever been. 67 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:56,040 I love that quote by CS Lewis. 68 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:02,960 Redeemed humanity is greater than unfallen humanity could have ever been 69 00:04:03,200 --> 00:04:06,560 because we have a savior without the fall. 70 00:04:06,640 --> 00:04:08,120 There would be no savior. 71 00:04:08,120 --> 00:04:09,880 We wouldn't need a redeemer. 72 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:13,160 It was all part of God's plan from the very beginning. 73 00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:18,120 The fall is a doctrine that we just don't embrace. 74 00:04:18,120 --> 00:04:19,600 We don't sing about it. 75 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,160 We don't, we don't talk about it. 76 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:28,320 We don't, we just, we just seem like we want to, I mean, the temple spends. 77 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:30,280 A good amount of time. 78 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:32,240 How much time on the fall? 79 00:04:32,280 --> 00:04:34,120 A good amount of time. 80 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:35,640 And I think that's the pattern. 81 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:36,400 Right. 82 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:43,240 We need to really embrace and understand the fall, Scott, to really see the need 83 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:49,800 for and to fully embrace the atonement and redemption of Jesus Christ. 84 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:55,120 You know, when we talk about the fall, the fall of Adam and Eve, which creates 85 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:59,800 the fall of all of us, there's, there's a certain amount, you know, we talked, 86 00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,720 you use that quote from CS Lewis, that how redeemed man is much better than 87 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:09,160 they could have ever been without the, without the fall or the redemption. 88 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,040 And without the fall, there is no need for redemption. 89 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:19,360 And think about this and it's a bit of a paradox, but think about this. 90 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:22,360 If there hadn't have been the fall, then we would have been damned from the beginning. 91 00:05:22,720 --> 00:05:24,280 There would be no progress for us. 92 00:05:24,280 --> 00:05:29,960 So, and we're, we're really, I think the only organized religion that believes that 93 00:05:29,960 --> 00:05:37,880 everybody else, Christian churches, especially, I'm not real sure how the 94 00:05:37,880 --> 00:05:45,200 Jews and other biblical churches see the fall, but, but most other churches 95 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,000 are still mad at Adam and Eve. 96 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:48,440 Yeah. 97 00:05:48,920 --> 00:05:56,280 Believe Adam and Eve caused all of this pain and all of this sin and, and as 98 00:05:56,280 --> 00:06:00,120 really as a result of that, I have done some research on this is that that's one 99 00:06:00,120 --> 00:06:04,400 reason why women were so frowned upon. 100 00:06:05,440 --> 00:06:11,960 Really, if you go all the way back in history, Catholicism was that Eve is the 101 00:06:11,960 --> 00:06:13,000 one who really caused the fall. 102 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:14,400 She's the one that talked Adam into it. 103 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:19,800 And therefore women were somehow less valuable than men. 104 00:06:19,840 --> 00:06:25,040 And it's really awful that Satan used the fall to cause the fall. 105 00:06:25,040 --> 00:06:35,960 And it's really awful that Satan uses the fall to, to damn women because of Eve's 106 00:06:38,480 --> 00:06:41,880 progress that she made in the, in the Garden of Eden. 107 00:06:42,280 --> 00:06:46,640 And when she finally realized, Hey, we've got to keep that first commandment. 108 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:47,240 Yeah. 109 00:06:47,480 --> 00:06:51,600 We've got to multiply and replenish the earth and we, we want to become like God 110 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:55,320 and we can't do it here. 111 00:06:56,320 --> 00:06:58,840 And I know, I know she was beguiled. 112 00:06:58,840 --> 00:07:01,200 It says that in the temple and in the Bible. 113 00:07:01,200 --> 00:07:12,000 I know that, but she was so spiritually further ahead and more insightful. 114 00:07:12,480 --> 00:07:18,600 And I love her, the words that she speaks, which is quoted now in the endowment about 115 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:26,120 how she rejoices after they have fallen, how she rejoices that they have a Savior 116 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:30,360 and how they can experience mortality. 117 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:33,360 And anyway, so we, we talked about that. 118 00:07:33,360 --> 00:07:40,760 It's really such a key and such a key for, I think our overall general spiritual 119 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,360 health, Scott, is that we know that we're human. 120 00:07:44,960 --> 00:07:46,560 We know that we're sinners. 121 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:52,160 We know that we're, we're sons and daughters of Adam and Eve, not just sons 122 00:07:52,160 --> 00:07:58,360 and daughters of heavenly parents, but that we are spiritual beings having a human 123 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:05,760 experience and we are human beings having a spiritual experience and spiritual 124 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,560 beings having a human experience. 125 00:08:08,760 --> 00:08:13,880 We, we know that we understand what that means and we should embrace both sides of that. 126 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:20,480 So, we talked also last week, once you know that, then you have to, and you 127 00:08:20,480 --> 00:08:24,800 feel this need for the atonement of Jesus Christ, that to really meet the 128 00:08:24,800 --> 00:08:30,680 conditions of repentance, a broken heart and a contrite spirit, we need to be 129 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:36,640 filled with understanding and gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ. 130 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:43,440 And if we, if we really study it, ponder it, and get a good understanding of 131 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:48,920 it, get a glimpse of it, and we go to Gethsemane and He beckons us to come unto 132 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:54,960 Him and to behold the wounds in His side and the prints of the nails in His hands 133 00:08:54,960 --> 00:09:01,960 and feet, and if we go to Gethsemane and we go to the cross and we, we have that 134 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:07,960 experience, similar somewhat to the experience that I think the, the righteous 135 00:09:07,960 --> 00:09:14,000 in 3 Nephi chapter 11 where He invites them not only to behold them and not only 136 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:20,560 to see them, but to thrust their hands into His side and to feel the prints of 137 00:09:20,560 --> 00:09:26,960 the nails in His hands and feet. Why? So that they, I mean, I, we've talked about 138 00:09:26,960 --> 00:09:33,520 this, but can you imagine touching those, those wounds and thrusting your hand 139 00:09:33,520 --> 00:09:39,000 into His side and, and you're going, ah, you know, I don't, you know, is that gonna 140 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:44,880 hurt? Is that what the pain, the suffering, that I, that we caused Him, that He was 141 00:09:44,880 --> 00:09:51,440 willing to suffer for us? And when we really get a glimpse of that, Scott, and 142 00:09:51,440 --> 00:10:04,640 we see it, we get a, we feel it, we are so humble, we're so grateful, our hearts 143 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:10,240 are broken, our spirits come trite, then repentance just kind of, really the 144 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:17,960 process flows, the process just flows within us when we understand and feel 145 00:10:17,960 --> 00:10:21,960 sufficient gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ. These things, when we 146 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:28,340 embrace them, when they come into our soul, creates a desire within us to be 147 00:10:28,340 --> 00:10:33,200 closer to Him, which requires us to do things that will enable us to do that. 148 00:10:33,200 --> 00:10:40,880 In, back in episodes 5 and 6, Dave, we spend two full episodes on the fall of 149 00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:44,960 Adam and Eve and embracing and celebrating our own humanists. And then, 150 00:10:44,960 --> 00:10:50,680 and then, you know, subsequent from that, we go into 7 and 8, and specifically in 151 00:10:50,680 --> 00:10:55,680 8, we talk about He will take upon Him the pains and sicknesses of His people. 152 00:10:55,680 --> 00:11:00,800 And, you know, that's really, you know, you're talking about repentance and in 153 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:04,600 these keys, and that's really one of those, is really gratitude for Christ's 154 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:11,120 suffering for us, right? Well, then we move into the next... Yeah, so that's, that's 155 00:11:11,120 --> 00:11:17,880 the first two keys. Yep. And then the second keys, which I wrote about, 156 00:11:17,880 --> 00:11:25,000 summarized in a long email to Elder Anderson, was understanding the power of 157 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:31,160 faith in Jesus Christ and that faith in Jesus Christ is the power behind 158 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:37,160 repentance. And so that'll be episode 15. We spend an entire episode, go back to 159 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:42,040 episode 15 for a deep dive into that, but go ahead, Dave. And we'll summarize 160 00:11:42,040 --> 00:11:48,400 some of that today. And then the fourth key is to understand that the 161 00:11:48,400 --> 00:11:53,160 Holy Ghost, the role of the Holy Ghost in the redemption process and in the 162 00:11:53,160 --> 00:12:00,040 repentance process, is really key that whenever we feel the Holy Ghost, 163 00:12:00,040 --> 00:12:04,680 that we should understand that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is working in 164 00:12:04,680 --> 00:12:10,160 our life and that we're being forgiven. I just think that is so important to 165 00:12:10,160 --> 00:12:15,360 members of the Church, understand that that truth, which was been taught by 166 00:12:15,360 --> 00:12:20,840 President Eyring and others. So if they feel the Spirit, they should know that 167 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:26,320 they're being forgiven, or that they've been forgiven. So I, let's talk about 168 00:12:26,320 --> 00:12:31,760 those keys, those last two keys. Faith is the power behind repentance, faith 169 00:12:31,760 --> 00:12:38,760 in Jesus Christ, faith in His Atonement. I know that we talked about when we did a 170 00:12:38,760 --> 00:12:43,080 whole episode on faith, Scott, that we talked about kind of faith in the 171 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:50,800 general, faith in kind of the general religious principle that it is, that of 172 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:58,760 course it means that we believe things to be true that we can't see. That's the 173 00:12:58,760 --> 00:13:05,240 definition given by Naaman, Naaman 32, 21. But the faith of, that's just 174 00:13:05,240 --> 00:13:11,760 general faith, but the faith of power, Scott, described in Jacob chapter 4 verse 175 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:19,280 6 and other verses, the faith of power is that we see things happening and that 176 00:13:19,280 --> 00:13:26,940 they happen. That our will is swallowed up in the will of God. That we have the 177 00:13:26,940 --> 00:13:34,640 faith to be healed, or that we have the faith to not be healed. Faith is seeking, 178 00:13:34,640 --> 00:13:41,160 knowing, seeing, and seeking the will of God in our lives. And when it comes to 179 00:13:41,160 --> 00:13:48,080 repentance, it's seeing Jesus Christ suffering for our sins. This is the power 180 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:55,020 of faith. It's to have an eye of faith, to look, to look backward and see, but to 181 00:13:55,020 --> 00:14:01,800 also, as Elder Holland speaks about faith, is looking to the future and seeing that 182 00:14:01,800 --> 00:14:08,020 we're being forgiven of our sins, and seeing who we can become through Jesus 183 00:14:08,020 --> 00:14:17,400 Christ as we exercise faith in Him and His atonement, and in His name. Faith in 184 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:24,280 His name is a different level of faith than even faith in Jesus Christ. So, 185 00:14:24,280 --> 00:14:29,840 faith in His name and crying upon the name of Christ means that we participate 186 00:14:29,840 --> 00:14:35,640 in the ordinances, and we know with an eye of faith that we are bound to Him, 187 00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:45,040 that we have made covenants with Him, that we are recipients of the blessings 188 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:51,520 of the atonement. We see it. We know it. You know, faith and knowledge, Scott, are 189 00:14:51,520 --> 00:15:01,880 not, they're not antonyms. I believe faith of power is knowledge. The faith of 190 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:08,800 power is that when you see things, you know them, and the cognitive knowledge 191 00:15:08,800 --> 00:15:15,480 becomes even greater because of our faith. You can't have faith without 192 00:15:15,480 --> 00:15:22,800 knowledge, and you can't have perfect knowledge without faith. So, it's a deep 193 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:28,720 subject, faith. It's lectures on faith. I recommended, I think when we did the 194 00:15:28,720 --> 00:15:35,160 episode on it, it's an incredible work and treatise on that subject. I know the 195 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:42,400 brethren still use quotes from it, and it's powerful. I want to just reference 196 00:15:42,400 --> 00:15:50,920 it briefly today by saying that the lectures on faith, Scott, talk about three 197 00:15:50,920 --> 00:15:58,000 things about how to obtain faith. That we need to know that God exists. Then, if you 198 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:03,200 want to increase your faith, you need to know the character, attributes, and 199 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:09,480 perfections of God and Jesus Christ and the Holy Ghost. We talked about, you know, 200 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:15,520 we're in the Temple Recommend question, Scott, we're asked, do you have faith in 201 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:20,680 God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost? We don't talk 202 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:24,880 enough about faith in the Spirit and in the Holy Ghost, but we need faith in all 203 00:16:24,880 --> 00:16:29,000 three. And in order to have faith in all three, we need to understand their 204 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:37,160 character, attributes, and perfections. And then fourth, or third, we need to know 205 00:16:37,160 --> 00:16:46,560 that the course that we are pursuing is pleasing to God. Now this is 206 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:53,960 where it gets difficult, because so many times we don't have adequate faith in 207 00:16:53,960 --> 00:17:00,800 Jesus Christ and His Atonement. We don't have adequate power that we can be 208 00:17:00,800 --> 00:17:06,360 forgiven. We don't have, we just, because we lack faith in Jesus Christ, not 209 00:17:06,360 --> 00:17:10,880 knowing whether or not the course that we are pursuing is pleasing to Him, we 210 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:19,120 doubt ourselves, we doubt our abilities, we feel as though maybe we are 211 00:17:19,120 --> 00:17:24,280 victims and that we are powerless, and as a result we never have the faith to 212 00:17:24,280 --> 00:17:28,960 really call upon Jesus Christ and His Atonement and really believe that 213 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:34,720 we're worthy of forgiveness, and that really holds us back. So that, and in the 214 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:40,800 lectures on faith, Scott, it talks about, to get to that point where you know that 215 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:46,920 the course that you are pursuing is pleasing to God, you have to be willing 216 00:17:46,920 --> 00:17:55,960 to make sacrifice. The key to have the faith of power, and especially the power 217 00:17:55,960 --> 00:18:02,320 of repentance, to be forgiven, which I believe is the highest level of faith, to 218 00:18:02,320 --> 00:18:07,080 know that we're forgiven and that we are redeemed. This is the highest level of 219 00:18:07,080 --> 00:18:13,240 faith in Christ and His Atonement. We need to be willing to sacrifice to obtain 220 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:20,520 that faith, and I'm not talking just about a sacrifice of time and effort and 221 00:18:20,520 --> 00:18:28,240 a sacrifice of our will. I'm talking about sacrificing our sins, like King 222 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:36,720 Lamoni's father, taught by Aaron in Alma 18 through 22, and King Lamoni's father 223 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:45,440 crying out in prayer, I will give away, I will sacrifice all my sins to know Thee. 224 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:53,360 This is the sacrifice of placing the animal in all of us on the altar of the 225 00:18:53,360 --> 00:18:59,840 Lord's house and offering our sins as a sacrifice to Him. When we're 226 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:07,600 willing to sacrifice, we can obtain the power and level of faith necessary in 227 00:19:07,600 --> 00:19:16,760 Jesus Christ and His Atonement to know, receive the knowledge that not only did 228 00:19:16,760 --> 00:19:25,120 He die for me and suffer for me, but He has forgiven me. Yeah. I think sometimes 229 00:19:25,120 --> 00:19:29,480 it's through those sacrifices that we make that we come to know and have a 230 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:35,320 deeper understanding of the sacrifice that was made for us. That tunes us 231 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:42,560 into the Spirit. It gives us a body learning, a feeling of, you know, what 232 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:47,240 that could have been like. I mean, just a tiny, tiny glimpse of what that could 233 00:19:47,240 --> 00:19:53,320 have been like for Him. But then it also, by so doing, puts us on the 234 00:19:53,320 --> 00:19:59,080 same path that He was on towards His Father. And that alone can help us in 235 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:04,400 this whole plan, this whole walk with Jesus towards our Heavenly Father, David. 236 00:20:04,400 --> 00:20:10,200 Well, maybe I can just read one verse from the lectures on faith. You know, 237 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:17,520 these lectures were, at one time, part of the Doctrine and Covenants. And then 238 00:20:17,520 --> 00:20:23,120 after some long discussions, and not until about the 1880s were they taken 239 00:20:23,120 --> 00:20:30,160 out, because it was decided that they were never taught as being revelations. It 240 00:20:30,160 --> 00:20:35,120 was a treatise, but they weren't revelations given through the Prophet 241 00:20:35,120 --> 00:20:40,080 Joseph Smith, but more writings. Sidney Rigdon, Parley Pratt, and others, I'm sure, 242 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:46,520 had a huge influence on these. But here's this from lecture on faith number 243 00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:54,920 6, verse 11. And I remember Elder Christopherson reading this in a Mission 244 00:20:54,920 --> 00:21:01,280 Presidents seminar, telling mission presidents their responsibility was to 245 00:21:01,280 --> 00:21:07,760 help convert their missionaries, and help their missionaries to obtain the power 246 00:21:07,760 --> 00:21:17,480 of faith, or the faith of power. Not just the lowest level of faith that they 247 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:25,920 believe, but the faith where they could say they know. And he read this verse as 248 00:21:25,920 --> 00:21:32,080 an example to mission presidents of how to obtain that level of faith. So, lecture 249 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:39,360 6, verse 11 reads, all of the saints of whom we have account in all the 250 00:21:39,360 --> 00:21:44,920 revelations of God which are extant, meaning we still have a record of, 251 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:50,920 obtained the knowledge which they had of their acceptance in His sight through 252 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:57,680 the sacrifice which they offered unto Him. There it is, right? They obtained 253 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:03,920 the knowledge which they had of their acceptance in His sight through the 254 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:10,880 sacrifice which they offered unto Him. And through the knowledge thus obtained, 255 00:22:10,880 --> 00:22:19,080 their faith became sufficiently strong to lay hold upon the promise of eternal 256 00:22:19,080 --> 00:22:27,560 life, ultimate redemption, and to endure as seeing Him who is invisible. And we're 257 00:22:27,560 --> 00:22:34,600 enabled through faith to combat the powers of darkness, contend against the 258 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:40,080 wiles of the adversary, and overcome the world. Wow, we just had a great talk on 259 00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:46,720 that by President Nelson. And obtain the end of their faith, even the salvation or 260 00:22:46,720 --> 00:22:55,760 redemption of their souls. And that sacrifice which this lecture is 261 00:22:55,760 --> 00:23:03,080 referencing goes back to verse 5, which says, for a man to lay down his all, his 262 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:08,320 character and reputation, his honor and applause, his good name among men, his 263 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:13,180 houses, his lands, his brothers and sisters, his wife and children, and even 264 00:23:13,180 --> 00:23:19,240 his own life, counting all things but filth and dross for the excellency of 265 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:27,880 the knowledge of Jesus Christ requires more than mere belief or supposition 266 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:35,680 that He is doing the will of God, but the actual knowledge realizing that when 267 00:23:35,680 --> 00:23:42,200 these sufferings are ended, He will enter into eternal rest. Just had a great talk 268 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:50,120 about that by President Nelson. And be a partaker of the glory of God. So when it 269 00:23:50,120 --> 00:23:57,440 comes to this power of faith or faith of power in Jesus Christ to obtain 270 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:03,020 redemption and forgiveness and eventually God's rest and eternal life, 271 00:24:03,020 --> 00:24:10,120 Scott, it requires great sacrifice. And you know we kind of live in a culture 272 00:24:10,120 --> 00:24:15,680 right now. I just had an interesting conversation with a sweet family member 273 00:24:15,680 --> 00:24:24,600 who is losing some of her children and her husband's children are struggling. 274 00:24:24,600 --> 00:24:32,160 This is kind of a second marriage in a yours, mine and ours situation, 275 00:24:32,160 --> 00:24:40,000 and they're kind of struggling. And you know I've just kind of felt impressed to 276 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:47,240 talk about this with her, that we live in a culture that doesn't believe too much 277 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:55,080 anymore in the principle of sacrifice or the law of sacrifice, and that a lot of 278 00:24:55,080 --> 00:25:02,840 members of the church don't see sacrifice as a serious law or covenant 279 00:25:02,840 --> 00:25:07,600 that we make in the house of the Lord. And even some of our youth are growing 280 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:17,200 up in a culture where the goal is to be comfortable and to go or do 281 00:25:17,200 --> 00:25:23,960 those things that are easy and just you know we're entitled to this and we're 282 00:25:23,960 --> 00:25:30,000 entitled to that. And it's not about making sacrifice, it's about 283 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:36,640 receiving more and more pleasure and ease and comforts in life. And it 284 00:25:36,640 --> 00:25:43,400 makes it harder for us, I think, in this type of a culture of 285 00:25:43,400 --> 00:25:48,220 prosperity to be willing to really understand what sacrifice is and make 286 00:25:48,220 --> 00:25:53,720 those sacrifices. I agree. As a matter of fact, you know, even in, within the 287 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:59,520 church sometimes, I know and I've got to be careful because I don't want to expose 288 00:25:59,520 --> 00:26:05,840 anything personal to anybody, but you know we sometimes get a little 289 00:26:05,840 --> 00:26:10,220 over worried, in my opinion, we get a little over worried in making things too 290 00:26:10,220 --> 00:26:15,120 comfortable for people in the church. And I'm specifically talking about the youth. 291 00:26:15,120 --> 00:26:20,760 You know, for our own kids and grandkids. Yeah, and that's 292 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:24,040 enough right there. We'll just say our own kids and grandkids, but sometimes 293 00:26:24,040 --> 00:26:30,200 when the goal is, for example, to create an experience for a youth group, and this 294 00:26:30,200 --> 00:26:36,400 is the kind of the overarching idea is to just create a situation where they 295 00:26:36,400 --> 00:26:40,580 feel pampered, where they feel taken care of, where they feel spoiled, where they 296 00:26:40,580 --> 00:26:44,040 feel... and that's great. I mean, it's a good that we help each other feel 297 00:26:44,040 --> 00:26:48,640 important and comfortable and things like that. But I often think that, you 298 00:26:48,640 --> 00:26:52,400 know, sometimes we need to learn how to work for those things that are important 299 00:26:52,400 --> 00:26:57,280 too. We need to understand sacrifice. We can't understand sacrifice if we're just 300 00:26:57,280 --> 00:27:02,640 focusing on all of the good life. The good life, you know, I'm going to 301 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:06,360 just put this out there, but the good life isn't what we think the good life 302 00:27:06,360 --> 00:27:10,420 is, or what the world thinks the good life is. The good life isn't comfort. The 303 00:27:10,420 --> 00:27:14,400 good life isn't pampering. The good life isn't all things are coming to me with 304 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:20,640 ease, you know, and all of that. The good life is sacrificing so that we can have 305 00:27:20,640 --> 00:27:26,240 His Spirit with us, so that we can feel His peace even in the times of 306 00:27:26,240 --> 00:27:30,320 turmoil, because here's the thing. So those of us that are taught how to be 307 00:27:30,320 --> 00:27:35,480 pampered, how to be coddled, and again, nurtured, all those things are 308 00:27:35,480 --> 00:27:40,360 important, but when that's the focus and then life comes, which it will and it 309 00:27:40,360 --> 00:27:45,280 always does, but when life comes and presents its varying and sundry 310 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:51,140 challenges to us, we find ourselves ill-equipped to deal with those because 311 00:27:51,140 --> 00:27:55,520 we haven't had the opportunity to participate in sacrifice so that our 312 00:27:55,520 --> 00:28:00,720 faith can be made whole. Yeah, I remember Heber C. Kimball, President Heber C. 313 00:28:00,720 --> 00:28:05,040 Kimball, counselor to Brigham Young, said many years ago, this is recorded in the 314 00:28:05,040 --> 00:28:12,280 Journal of Discourses, a test, a test, a test is coming. And he talks about this 315 00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:19,000 great test that's going to come to the Saints, and you know, you think about all 316 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:23,560 the hardships the Saints went through, all the trials, all the hard things 317 00:28:23,560 --> 00:28:32,200 that they went through, going from going from state to state to all the suffering 318 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:39,800 that they experienced, and then he says that a greater test is coming, and he 319 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:45,880 identifies that test as being the test of prosperity, that the greatest test the 320 00:28:45,880 --> 00:28:55,760 Saints will face is the test or state of prosperity. And I know these are hard 321 00:28:55,760 --> 00:29:01,560 times, and I know you're not, and I know I'm not being critical. It just 322 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:07,720 happens to be the culture that we live in, that we have so much prosperity, we 323 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:16,000 have so many great things in life, and it's really hard, I think, for us to find 324 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:23,600 ways to really sacrifice in service, to really sacrifice to the Lord, to really 325 00:29:23,600 --> 00:29:30,120 be willed to know what it means, to be willing to give our all, and I, you know, 326 00:29:30,120 --> 00:29:35,080 I don't know this, the current statistics in the church, but I know one priesthood 327 00:29:35,080 --> 00:29:39,960 leader, stake president, who expressed to me his real concern about his stake and 328 00:29:39,960 --> 00:29:47,800 the the fewer number of young men going on missions, and I think that's probably 329 00:29:47,800 --> 00:29:52,680 a real concern. I know that we had a few talks on that in general conference, the 330 00:29:52,680 --> 00:29:56,480 last few conferences. I think it must be a real concern, and I think it's just 331 00:29:56,480 --> 00:30:02,440 really hard. It's always been hard. It's always been hard, but I think it's a 332 00:30:02,440 --> 00:30:09,160 little harder now for the youth, the rising generation, to understand what it 333 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:14,640 means to make the sacrifice, and those who go on missions, wow, they understand 334 00:30:14,640 --> 00:30:20,240 what sacrifice is, and it's not easy. Those who do it right, it's 335 00:30:20,240 --> 00:30:25,800 not easy, and there is real sacrifice involved in that, and anything that we 336 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:31,280 can do, I think, in the church and in our families personally, in our own personal 337 00:30:31,280 --> 00:30:39,920 lives, to make sacrifice, to live our life with real intention, Scott, that takes a 338 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:46,240 lot of thought and a lot of work, and we need to, if we want the level of faith of 339 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:52,400 the ancients, if we want the level of faith or the faith of power to repent 340 00:30:52,400 --> 00:31:01,840 and be forgiven and be redeemed, we need to learn and embrace the law of sacrifice. 341 00:31:01,840 --> 00:31:06,320 I think a lot of us look at the law of sacrifice in the wrong way. I think 342 00:31:06,320 --> 00:31:11,520 when we look at the law of sacrifice, we see it as a removal of something. 343 00:31:11,520 --> 00:31:17,560 Yeah, giving up. Yeah, giving up something, something gets taken away from me, but what if, what if 344 00:31:17,560 --> 00:31:22,040 we saw sacrifice, and I believe this is what really what sacrifice is, what if 345 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:27,400 sacrifice was an investment? What if through sacrifice we are now, because of 346 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:32,280 that sacrifice, because of the investment of that sacrifice, we are now qualified 347 00:31:32,280 --> 00:31:38,000 for greater blessings, blessings that are so big that, you know, Malachi tells us so 348 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:43,240 big that we can't even receive them, right? Right, the key word, the key word, 349 00:31:43,240 --> 00:31:50,600 it's sacred. Sacrifice comes from the key word in Latin, sacrum, or to make 350 00:31:50,600 --> 00:31:56,320 sacred. Same root as sacred. And President Nelson taught that years ago, that to make 351 00:31:56,320 --> 00:32:02,400 sacrifice or to live the law of sacrifice is to make something sacred in 352 00:32:02,400 --> 00:32:08,320 our life. I think it's really closely related to consecration. The law of 353 00:32:08,320 --> 00:32:13,560 sacrifice and the law of consecration are very similar and they're, they're tied 354 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:20,240 together. So I just, I guess we need to move on to the fourth and final 355 00:32:20,240 --> 00:32:28,200 principle, but to have the faith in Jesus Christ that we need, which is the power 356 00:32:28,200 --> 00:32:34,200 behind repentance and forgiveness. Faith in Christ is the power. Christ is the 357 00:32:34,200 --> 00:32:40,920 power, and our faith in Him is what makes that power in Christ come 358 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:46,720 forth. For the atonement, for the power of Christ and His atonement to become 359 00:32:46,720 --> 00:32:57,320 efficacious, operative, and available to us in our life, we need to learn the law 360 00:32:57,320 --> 00:33:03,920 of sacrifice and the principle of sacrifice to obtain the faith to be 361 00:33:03,920 --> 00:33:16,640 forgiven. Faith without works and faith without sacrifice is dead. There is 362 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:25,680 no faith without sacrifice and works. And I, I know that just recently, Scott, I've 363 00:33:25,680 --> 00:33:30,080 been thinking about this in my own life, about what do I need to sacrifice? 364 00:33:30,080 --> 00:33:36,360 What do I need to start doing? That's also sacrifice, right? What do I need to 365 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:42,760 make holy in my life? How can I make my time, my life more holy? And sacrifice my 366 00:33:42,760 --> 00:33:51,480 life to God, sacrifice my time to God, and what do I need to give up? You know, 367 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:59,080 what do I need to let go of in my life to be able to really live a life of 368 00:33:59,080 --> 00:34:05,680 intention and purpose and to obtain the faith and increase my testimony and 369 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:10,240 knowledge and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. And to fill the 370 00:34:10,240 --> 00:34:14,320 forgiveness that comes because of His power. And when we do that, forgiveness 371 00:34:14,320 --> 00:34:19,400 always comes. Yeah. And that leads us to the fourth key, which is it always comes 372 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:25,240 through the gift of the Holy Ghost or the power of the Holy Ghost. I believe 373 00:34:25,240 --> 00:34:29,560 there are lots of people who aren't members of the church who have felt some 374 00:34:29,560 --> 00:34:34,240 degree of the atonement of Jesus Christ in their life and have felt forgiven in 375 00:34:34,240 --> 00:34:38,720 their life, have felt some level of redemption and salvation in their life. 376 00:34:38,720 --> 00:34:44,840 There's no doubt about that. I know people who have told me, I know a 377 00:34:44,840 --> 00:34:49,240 minister, a Presbyterian minister who joined the church, he and his wife, and they 378 00:34:49,240 --> 00:34:56,920 they expressed, we knew we were forgiven of our sins before we were baptized. 379 00:34:56,920 --> 00:35:02,280 Baptism is an ordinance which they, when they went through it and were baptized 380 00:35:02,280 --> 00:35:08,120 by a general authority, that they knew that that ordinance had been recognized 381 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:14,560 and that it was binding and that it had a sacred role in their life. And when 382 00:35:14,560 --> 00:35:19,440 they received the Holy Ghost, they knew that, or the gift of the Holy Ghost, when 383 00:35:19,440 --> 00:35:23,560 they received the gift of the Holy Ghost, they knew they had felt that spirit 384 00:35:23,560 --> 00:35:28,400 before, when He had forgiven them of their sins before they were ever 385 00:35:28,400 --> 00:35:35,760 baptized. I believe that. I'm not a convert, but I believe their 386 00:35:35,760 --> 00:35:41,560 experience, and I believe I have another friend or friends that have experienced 387 00:35:41,560 --> 00:35:52,240 that. The Holy Ghost, the power and the gift of the Holy Ghost, is to administer 388 00:35:52,240 --> 00:36:00,720 the atonement of Jesus Christ in our life according to our conditions. We have had 389 00:36:00,720 --> 00:36:05,240 several, and when we have several yet to come, interviews where we've talked about 390 00:36:05,240 --> 00:36:09,720 people, and this has happened in both yours and mine life too, David, and in 391 00:36:09,720 --> 00:36:14,360 the lives of probably many of our listeners. But you know, as we go 392 00:36:14,360 --> 00:36:19,240 through life and as things get difficult for me, as I was kind of at my rock 393 00:36:19,240 --> 00:36:24,680 bottom prior to my getting sober in 1998, there was just a lot of really yucky 394 00:36:24,680 --> 00:36:29,520 things in my life. You know, it was just not comfortable. I was just 395 00:36:29,520 --> 00:36:36,240 never content. I was never really happy. I definitely had forefooted the feeling 396 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:42,880 of joy long, long in advance of any of this. But then when the process begins, 397 00:36:42,880 --> 00:36:47,080 you know, and even though the administration of the Holy Ghost is the 398 00:36:47,080 --> 00:36:51,200 fourth principle that we're talking about, it doesn't have to wait till 399 00:36:51,200 --> 00:36:55,280 number four. I mean, we, you know, these things, these first few 400 00:36:55,280 --> 00:37:01,040 things do definitely help expand it and amplify it. But we are not 401 00:37:01,040 --> 00:37:06,480 eliminated the ability or the blessing of having the Holy Ghost administer the 402 00:37:06,480 --> 00:37:10,600 Atonement in our lives, even prior sometimes to our deepest repentance. And 403 00:37:10,600 --> 00:37:16,000 when we feel that, when we feel that, we talked to a lady today, David, that 404 00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:21,640 when she felt that, she said she... When she was in prison. Yeah, she felt rest. When 405 00:37:21,640 --> 00:37:27,360 she was in prison. Yeah. Before she was excommunicated from the church. A great, 406 00:37:27,360 --> 00:37:31,440 great podcast interview that will be coming out with a great lady named 407 00:37:31,440 --> 00:37:38,000 Daphne in a couple of weeks from now. But that's it. That's the blessing that 408 00:37:38,000 --> 00:37:43,800 comes, and that's why when we talk about sacrifice, man, if I could... I think, and I 409 00:37:43,800 --> 00:37:49,800 don't speak just for me, I know that when people get in the depths of despair, when 410 00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:54,320 we've lost hope, when things feel dark and foreboding, when we feel like the 411 00:37:54,320 --> 00:37:58,520 whole world's against us and coming down around us, that when we get that glimpse 412 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:03,720 of light, when we get that glimpse of the Holy Ghost in our lives, that feeling of 413 00:38:03,720 --> 00:38:08,760 happiness and joy, once we taste that, once we feel that, those sacrifices may 414 00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:15,840 not feel like such sacrifices. They may feel like just a small investment, a 415 00:38:15,840 --> 00:38:20,840 change in my life. And that's what happens when the atonement, when the 416 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:24,960 power of the atonement takes over our lives. That's what happens is we feel 417 00:38:24,960 --> 00:38:32,800 changed. We no longer have desire to be separated from our Heavenly Father. We 418 00:38:32,800 --> 00:38:37,640 think to sing the song of redeeming love, you know. We know all those things that 419 00:38:37,640 --> 00:38:42,520 are going on inside of us that have been just terrible, that as they dissipate and 420 00:38:42,520 --> 00:38:46,480 as they go away, man, those sacrifices that we talked about a few minutes ago 421 00:38:46,480 --> 00:38:51,880 begin to really be those investments into having the sweetest of all gifts 422 00:38:51,880 --> 00:38:55,040 that we could potentially have in this life. And that sweetest of all gifts that 423 00:38:55,040 --> 00:38:59,480 we could potentially have in this life is a promise that's given to us as we 424 00:38:59,480 --> 00:39:03,920 partake of the sacrament and renew covenants. That is the promise that we 425 00:39:03,920 --> 00:39:08,560 may always have His Spirit to be with us. That's what it is. 426 00:39:08,560 --> 00:39:15,880 Yes, absolutely, Scott. And you know, I think it's just really helpful when we 427 00:39:15,880 --> 00:39:23,920 understand the role of the Holy Ghost as a member of the Godhead. Here we have, can 428 00:39:23,920 --> 00:39:30,280 you imagine, Scott? I mean, Heavenly Father has sacrificed for us. He sacrificed His 429 00:39:30,280 --> 00:39:39,800 Son for us. The Son, Jesus Christ, has sacrificed His all, given His life, 430 00:39:39,800 --> 00:39:47,480 suffered spiritual death, bled from every poor, you know, we can't speak enough or 431 00:39:47,480 --> 00:39:53,520 even begin to comprehend the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. And then we have 432 00:39:53,520 --> 00:39:58,640 this third member of the Godhead. We only have a title, we don't even 433 00:39:58,640 --> 00:40:06,360 have a name, the title, the Holy Ghost. An individual, a spirit being, who has 434 00:40:06,360 --> 00:40:13,000 sacrificed not taking upon Himself a body for now. I know Joseph Smith said 435 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:19,840 that he inquired where the Holy Ghost would ever have a body. He inquired to 436 00:40:19,840 --> 00:40:26,440 God to know the answer to that question, which I think such a great question, but 437 00:40:26,440 --> 00:40:33,240 more of a question of curiosity than an inspired question. And he said that 438 00:40:33,240 --> 00:40:39,040 God did not give him an answer, told him He didn't need to know that, if the Holy 439 00:40:39,040 --> 00:40:43,640 Ghost would ever have a body or not. But you know, Scott, I think about this 440 00:40:43,640 --> 00:40:47,360 sometimes when I pray and I try to thank Heavenly Father for the Holy Ghost. I 441 00:40:47,360 --> 00:40:55,640 thank Him for the sacrifice that the Holy Ghost was willing to make so that 442 00:40:55,640 --> 00:41:01,840 He could be my constant companion and your constant companion, that He could 443 00:41:01,840 --> 00:41:09,480 have the power and could be everywhere at once, administering the love of 444 00:41:09,480 --> 00:41:17,600 God in our life, the mercy of God in our life, the grace of God in our life. 445 00:41:17,600 --> 00:41:24,320 All that the Holy Ghost does, Scott, giving us our testimonies and 446 00:41:24,320 --> 00:41:28,880 everything that He does for us, the knowledge bearing witness of the Father 447 00:41:28,880 --> 00:41:37,360 and the Son and of all truth. Oh my goodness. Yeah, I mean, comforting us in 448 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:43,520 our times of trial, giving us direction when we seek it, giving us protection as 449 00:41:43,520 --> 00:41:51,200 we sleep. Yeah, comforter and protector, sanctifier. It really puts an 450 00:41:51,200 --> 00:41:58,400 emphasis in bold italic neon lights, constant companionship. But that 451 00:41:58,400 --> 00:42:05,200 constant companionship does come, does require sacrifice, does require on our 452 00:42:05,200 --> 00:42:11,880 parts effort, on our parts... Desire....intention, desire and all those things. It 453 00:42:11,880 --> 00:42:17,240 does. I remember Bruce R. McConkie many years ago, you know, saying, you know, if 454 00:42:17,240 --> 00:42:20,520 you're ever gonna err in a relationship, I mean, he was kind of talking about 455 00:42:20,520 --> 00:42:26,800 people had gone too far, having, seeking a close or too close of a personal 456 00:42:26,800 --> 00:42:31,640 relationship with Jesus. And Elder McConkie found that to be somewhat 457 00:42:31,640 --> 00:42:36,480 offensive and talked about how we needed a relationship with the Father and not 458 00:42:36,480 --> 00:42:42,440 just Jesus, and that we didn't pray to Jesus, we prayed, we didn't even pray 459 00:42:42,440 --> 00:42:48,400 through Jesus. We prayed to the Father directly to the Father in the name of 460 00:42:48,400 --> 00:42:52,560 Jesus. And then after kind of talking about this, he said, you know, if you're 461 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:57,120 if you're gonna err in having a too close of a relationship with a member of the 462 00:42:57,120 --> 00:43:01,240 Godhead, and I don't even know if that's possible, but if you're gonna err in the 463 00:43:01,240 --> 00:43:06,640 relationship with the Godhead, then you should err in your relationship with the 464 00:43:06,640 --> 00:43:13,520 Holy Ghost, because the Holy Ghost reveals to us the Father. The Holy Ghost 465 00:43:13,520 --> 00:43:20,600 can reveal to us the Son. The Holy Ghost is the administrator of all of 466 00:43:20,600 --> 00:43:26,160 their, all of the gifts of the Spirit, all of their love, all of their forgiveness. 467 00:43:26,160 --> 00:43:34,720 Anyway, I just, we need to be really intentional about living by the 468 00:43:34,720 --> 00:43:42,480 Spirit, walking in the Spirit, Paul says. We need to do all that we can and avoid 469 00:43:42,480 --> 00:43:55,360 as many distractions as possible, Scott, to really identify and feel, receive the 470 00:43:55,360 --> 00:44:02,320 gift and power of the Holy Ghost in our life. Because ultimately, this is the 471 00:44:02,320 --> 00:44:10,000 final key to identifying, receiving, and identifying forgiveness in our life, is 472 00:44:10,000 --> 00:44:17,040 that when we feel the Holy Ghost, and when He is our companion, and we know 473 00:44:17,040 --> 00:44:22,480 that He's with us, and I'm so glad that you tied the sacrament with that 474 00:44:22,480 --> 00:44:29,440 promise, and when we keep those covenants, and the Spirit, I believe, can always be 475 00:44:29,440 --> 00:44:36,840 with us, we are redeemed through the blood of Christ, and it's the Holy Ghost 476 00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:47,160 who administers it into our life. So, the keys of repentance and forgiveness, the 477 00:44:47,160 --> 00:44:54,720 keys of accessing the power and blessings, and all the promises of the 478 00:44:54,720 --> 00:45:02,760 Atonement of Jesus Christ, Scott, are understand and be grateful for the Fall. 479 00:45:02,760 --> 00:45:09,960 Understand and be grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Understand 480 00:45:09,960 --> 00:45:20,120 what it takes to develop the power of faith in Christ needed, which is also the 481 00:45:20,120 --> 00:45:27,480 power behind repentance, to be forgiven of our sins and redeemed. And fourth and 482 00:45:27,480 --> 00:45:37,080 finally, to receive the Holy Ghost and allow the Holy Ghost into our lives by 483 00:45:37,080 --> 00:45:46,720 the intentional, simple choices that we make daily. Those are the 484 00:45:46,720 --> 00:45:52,240 keys, I think, of repentance and forgiveness. When we put these keys in 485 00:45:52,240 --> 00:45:57,080 action in our lives, and we're focusing on these keys, what that really does to 486 00:45:57,080 --> 00:46:01,040 us, it does the most important thing that it does, is it does enable 487 00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:05,480 the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of that Atonement to be in our 488 00:46:05,480 --> 00:46:13,480 lives, but it also ennobles us in that it helps us to understand who we are, right? 489 00:46:13,480 --> 00:46:18,840 And it helps us to understand who He is, who they are. Identity is 490 00:46:18,840 --> 00:46:24,520 everything. Identity is our eternity. And when we understand who we are, when we 491 00:46:24,520 --> 00:46:30,600 understand who they are, and whose we are, then we understand whose we are. And it's 492 00:46:30,600 --> 00:46:36,360 through that whose we are, where the redemption of Jesus Christ for us, where 493 00:46:36,360 --> 00:46:41,120 our redemption, where the redemptive powers come to life in our lives. And we 494 00:46:41,120 --> 00:46:44,560 don't have to wait till we die to feel redeemed, David. We can have 495 00:46:44,560 --> 00:46:50,520 redemption in our lives now. Covenant relationship. And as we're doing that, 496 00:46:50,520 --> 00:46:57,520 it changes who we are. It changes how we act. It changes how we react. In fact, in 497 00:46:57,520 --> 00:47:04,120 fact, if we're really dialed into this, and if we're really yoked up with the 498 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:11,400 Spirit and with the Savior on this, then those challenges that we have become 499 00:47:11,400 --> 00:47:18,160 more opportunities for us to grow and become close to Him. And we start seeing 500 00:47:18,160 --> 00:47:27,320 it that way. What a gift. What a gift. Yes. So thanks be to God, Scott, for the 501 00:47:27,320 --> 00:47:35,840 restoration of the fullness of the gospel. I don't have the words. I'm so 502 00:47:35,840 --> 00:47:42,040 inadequate to express my gratitude for all of that. The doctrine, the 503 00:47:42,040 --> 00:47:49,160 principles, the ordinances, covenants, powers, blessings that have all been 504 00:47:49,160 --> 00:47:57,680 restored to the earth, and for priesthood and prophets. Oh Scott, we're so 505 00:47:57,680 --> 00:48:07,640 we're so blessed, and we're hoping that all of you, our listeners, can take 506 00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:14,040 something from what we've said and draw closer to your Heavenly Father in prayer, 507 00:48:14,040 --> 00:48:21,440 that you can draw closer to your Savior Jesus Christ through repentance, and that 508 00:48:21,440 --> 00:48:27,800 you can draw closer to the Holy Ghost and influence of the Spirit of the Lord 509 00:48:27,800 --> 00:48:35,960 in your life through the daily choices and decisions that we make. I'm grateful 510 00:48:35,960 --> 00:48:40,480 when we talk about these things. You know, I can't help but, and I think this is 511 00:48:40,480 --> 00:48:45,040 one of the gifts of memory in this mortal world that comes to us, but I look 512 00:48:45,040 --> 00:48:48,800 back and you know there's a lot of things in my life in the past, and there's 513 00:48:48,800 --> 00:48:53,400 still things today too that I'm not extremely proud of, you know, that I just 514 00:48:53,400 --> 00:48:58,280 try. I just try and I fail, and I try and I do my best, but because of my human 515 00:48:58,280 --> 00:49:03,960 condition today, though they are not always, usually not even intentional, but 516 00:49:03,960 --> 00:49:07,560 back in the day when they were definitely intentional, you know, there 517 00:49:07,560 --> 00:49:13,480 was such a chasm between me and the Spirit. I would get visitations from 518 00:49:13,480 --> 00:49:18,440 the Spirit. I would get feelings of comfort and hope and encouragement, but 519 00:49:18,440 --> 00:49:24,800 once I understood, and I think that this is a pattern for all of us, but once I 520 00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:30,560 understood these keys, David, the fall, the understanding the fall, gratitude for 521 00:49:30,560 --> 00:49:35,040 Christ's suffering, faith in Christ is the power of repentance, the Holy Ghost 522 00:49:35,040 --> 00:49:39,920 administering the repentance, and the power of the atonement, which is the 523 00:49:39,920 --> 00:49:43,680 repentance in our lives, that we get that glimpse. We understand 524 00:49:43,680 --> 00:49:47,920 who we are. We understand who they are. We understand whose we are, and with that 525 00:49:47,920 --> 00:49:52,600 knowledge and with that feeling within us, there's just very few things in this 526 00:49:52,600 --> 00:49:57,440 life, I think, that can overcome us to the point that will really separate us from 527 00:49:57,440 --> 00:50:03,860 His Spirit. Elder Holland, several years ago, I think it's been more than ten 528 00:50:03,860 --> 00:50:13,480 years ago now, back in 2009, gave this amazing BYU devotional address 529 00:50:13,480 --> 00:50:22,120 calling, or called, titled, Remembering Lot's Wife, and I just wanted to share 530 00:50:22,120 --> 00:50:28,000 some thoughts about that in terms of looking back to the past. We're kind of 531 00:50:28,000 --> 00:50:32,320 coming near to the end of another year, and going to be beginning a new year 532 00:50:32,320 --> 00:50:41,080 soon, and this also applies to faith. He says, as a new year begins, this was in 533 00:50:41,080 --> 00:50:47,080 January 2009, as a new year begins, and we try to benefit from proper view of 534 00:50:47,080 --> 00:50:53,920 what has gone on before. Elder Holland says, I plead with you not to dwell on 535 00:50:53,920 --> 00:50:59,800 days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those 536 00:50:59,800 --> 00:51:08,200 yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from, but not lived in. We 537 00:51:08,200 --> 00:51:15,560 look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences, but not the ashes. 538 00:51:15,560 --> 00:51:23,000 And when we have learned what we need to learn, and have brought with us the best 539 00:51:23,000 --> 00:51:31,280 that we have experienced, then we look ahead and we remember that faith is 540 00:51:31,280 --> 00:51:40,320 always pointed toward the future. Faith always has to do with blessings and 541 00:51:40,320 --> 00:51:49,000 truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives. So, a more 542 00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:55,680 theological way to talk about Lot's wife, remember she was told not to look back 543 00:51:55,680 --> 00:52:01,040 at Sodom and Gomorrah, and she did as they were fleeing the city, probably with 544 00:52:01,040 --> 00:52:05,640 a little longing in her heart, wanting to go back to the comforts of her life, not 545 00:52:05,640 --> 00:52:11,240 wanting to sacrifice her all, her city, and her home, and everything she was 546 00:52:11,240 --> 00:52:15,200 leaving behind. She looks back and she turns to a pillar of salt, that's all 547 00:52:15,200 --> 00:52:21,400 recorded in Genesis 19. So, a more theological way to talk about Lot's 548 00:52:21,400 --> 00:52:28,680 wife, Elder Holland says, is to say that she did not have faith, or she wasn't 549 00:52:28,680 --> 00:52:34,080 willing to make the sacrifice. She doubted the Lord's ability to give her 550 00:52:34,080 --> 00:52:43,040 something better than she already had received. Apparently, she thought that 551 00:52:43,040 --> 00:52:50,640 nothing that lay ahead could possibly be as good as what she was leaving behind. 552 00:52:50,640 --> 00:52:58,160 To yearn to go back to a world that cannot be lived in now, to be perennial 553 00:52:58,160 --> 00:53:04,920 dissatisfied, perennially dissatisfied with present circumstances, and have 554 00:53:04,920 --> 00:53:10,840 only dismal views of the future, and to miss the here and now and tomorrow, 555 00:53:10,840 --> 00:53:18,880 because we are so trapped in the there and then, and yesterday's are some of the 556 00:53:18,880 --> 00:53:28,600 sins of Lot's wife. I think that's so good for us. Yeah, that's pretty 557 00:53:28,600 --> 00:53:34,160 indicting on, I can't say everybody because I don't know everybody, but you 558 00:53:34,160 --> 00:53:39,040 know, that's pretty, I feel like that's probably pretty universal. Oh, we 559 00:53:39,040 --> 00:53:44,600 need to look forward with faith. Faith looks forward. We have so much to look 560 00:53:44,600 --> 00:53:50,640 forward to. For those who are struggling in the midst of great trials, and I 561 00:53:50,640 --> 00:53:58,040 understand some of those, I look forward to such great faith, with, to be with my 562 00:53:58,040 --> 00:54:04,880 family forever, to even be forgiven of my sins. I know that I've been forgiven 563 00:54:04,880 --> 00:54:12,000 in the past, and I want to remember that, and I look forward to the future 564 00:54:12,000 --> 00:54:18,440 when I can be forgiven again. I've been redeemed. I know I will be redeemed. 565 00:54:18,440 --> 00:54:24,640 We need to look forward with hope, and faith, and the spirit of 566 00:54:24,640 --> 00:54:31,960 optimism to receive all that the Lord has, all the promises He's given us, and 567 00:54:31,960 --> 00:54:39,320 all the blessings that He's promised us in the future. Amen. Well, you 568 00:54:39,320 --> 00:54:44,760 know, here we are. We are in a time of year. The holidays are near nigh upon us. 569 00:54:44,760 --> 00:54:49,960 They're close, and we know that during this time of year, there 570 00:54:49,960 --> 00:54:58,760 are many among us who this time of year may feel like a amplifier to the 571 00:54:58,760 --> 00:55:03,320 trials that we have in our lives. If we're lonely, we feel extra lonely. If 572 00:55:03,320 --> 00:55:08,280 we're struggling financially, or physically, or health-wise, because of the 573 00:55:08,280 --> 00:55:12,960 holidays and all the activities around us, sometimes that can amplify that pain, 574 00:55:12,960 --> 00:55:17,760 that loneliness, and all those other things. We see this a great deal. In 575 00:55:17,760 --> 00:55:25,040 January, the rooms of recovery will be bursting at the doors, just like a gym 576 00:55:25,040 --> 00:55:29,360 membership in January almost. Because of the pain and all the trials 577 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:33,840 that comes through this time of life, we just expect that. So I'm going to start 578 00:55:33,840 --> 00:55:38,840 an early invitation. Here we are. We're still a bit out, maybe a couple of, well 579 00:55:38,840 --> 00:55:42,720 actually, I think Thanksgiving's next week. So this will probably be released 580 00:55:42,720 --> 00:55:47,280 the week of Thanksgiving. So as these things are coming upon us, it's 581 00:55:47,280 --> 00:55:52,120 important, and I would invite, in fact, I would probably go even a little further 582 00:55:52,120 --> 00:55:58,120 and actually exhort us all during this period of time to just step up our game 583 00:55:58,120 --> 00:56:03,280 when it comes to our relationship, and the things that we do to enhance, to 584 00:56:03,280 --> 00:56:10,040 maintain, and keep that relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ 585 00:56:10,040 --> 00:56:14,360 through the administration of the Holy Ghost, as we draw nigh unto the Father 586 00:56:14,360 --> 00:56:20,020 through Him, because no man cometh to the Father but by me, says He. And as we 587 00:56:20,020 --> 00:56:26,080 do these things, I know that we will have that peace. We will have the ability to 588 00:56:26,080 --> 00:56:31,400 know who we are, to know who they are, and by so doing know whose we are. And that 589 00:56:31,400 --> 00:56:35,320 changes everything. Once we see that, it can have the ability to change 590 00:56:35,320 --> 00:56:38,480 everything. So I'm going to invite us to do that throughout this holiday season. 591 00:56:38,480 --> 00:56:45,280 Thank you, Scott. Happy Thanksgiving to you and all of our good listeners. 592 00:56:45,280 --> 00:56:49,280 Yep. Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for you. We're grateful for your 593 00:56:49,280 --> 00:56:56,000 communication. Invite you to keep that up. We just love so much the opportunity 594 00:56:56,000 --> 00:57:01,880 that we have to talk about these things that are so, so vitally, eternally important 595 00:57:01,880 --> 00:57:08,120 to David, to myself, and to actually the entire human race, and whether we know it 596 00:57:08,120 --> 00:57:12,400 or not. May God bless you. May you know that you have been redeemed through His 597 00:57:12,400 --> 00:57:17,960 blood. May this be one of the many, many wonderful things that you have 598 00:57:17,960 --> 00:57:22,040 to be thankful for during this Thanksgiving season. Thanks, everybody. 599 00:57:22,040 --> 00:57:26,520 Look forward to being with you next week. Until then, take care.