1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:18,760 Hey there everybody and happy new year. 2 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:21,380 We are it's January 2023. 3 00:00:21,380 --> 00:00:22,380 My name is Scott Durfey. 4 00:00:22,380 --> 00:00:24,560 I'm here with Uncle David. 5 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,960 We're doing another season and podcast. 6 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:27,960 How are you today David? 7 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:29,200 I'm good. 8 00:00:29,200 --> 00:00:33,080 Happy Christmas and looking forward to a new year Scott. 9 00:00:33,080 --> 00:00:34,720 Always exciting to have a new year. 10 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:38,520 With a new year comes kind of a new lease on life for a lot of people David. 11 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:44,600 So we're going to you know maybe start to move in that direction as we go with the podcast 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:45,600 this year. 13 00:00:45,600 --> 00:00:47,280 So hey what do you want to start with? 14 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:53,000 Well I'm excited about that as we begin a new season and as we begin a new year. 15 00:00:53,000 --> 00:01:01,120 I thought it would be really helpful for all of us ourselves included if we talked about 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:06,200 what it means to live an intentional life. 17 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,280 That's been on my heart for some time. 18 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:16,760 I've noticed that President Nelson Scott this is one of his favorite words is the word intent 19 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,200 or intentional. 20 00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,040 And he keeps bringing it up. 21 00:01:21,040 --> 00:01:28,720 I even remember before he was the president of the church that he gave this amazing talk 22 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:36,160 and he really focused on what it means to pray with real intent from Moroni chapter 23 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:37,840 10 verse 4. 24 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:43,920 You know that if you receive these things verse 3 Moroni 10 and then you pray about 25 00:01:43,920 --> 00:01:47,320 it with a sincere heart with real intent. 26 00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:53,480 And I remember him really focusing on the word emphasizing the word intent and what 27 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:55,700 a prayer of real intent means. 28 00:01:55,700 --> 00:02:00,560 So even before he was president of the church but since he's been president there's a few 29 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:06,420 quotes that I'd like to begin with where he invites us to be more intentional in our living 30 00:02:06,420 --> 00:02:07,420 of the gospel. 31 00:02:07,420 --> 00:02:09,080 Do you want to read that first one? 32 00:02:09,080 --> 00:02:13,840 Yeah I've got the first one right here so this is from October 2018 in the sister session 33 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:14,840 of conference. 34 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:22,280 It says be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ and preaching of Christ 35 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,440 with your families and friends. 36 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:31,000 You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process and changes. 37 00:02:31,000 --> 00:02:33,520 Even miracles will begin to happen. 38 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:38,520 So just think about this quote for a minute Scott. 39 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:45,320 Being more intentional about talking of Christ, being more intentional in rejoicing in Christ. 40 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:50,560 I mean we can talk about this a little more later but what does that look like to be more 41 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:53,600 intentional in rejoicing in Christ? 42 00:02:53,600 --> 00:02:59,440 What does it look like when we're more intentional in preaching of Christ and the promises that 43 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:03,520 he gives, he gives really two promises that not only miracles will happen but that will 44 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:05,760 be, does he say drawn to him? 45 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:10,200 I'm just going to read it again, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ 46 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,680 and preaching of Christ with your families and friends. 47 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:18,280 Then here's the promise, you and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this 48 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,360 process and changes, even miracles will begin to happen. 49 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:25,800 I think it's interesting here how he says you will be drawn closer to the Savior. 50 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:32,820 That makes sense to me but there's a kind of a revelatory thing for me at least there 51 00:03:32,820 --> 00:03:38,760 that our families and our friends, they will also be drawn closer to Christ through my 52 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:39,760 efforts. 53 00:03:39,760 --> 00:03:41,360 Yeah, yeah, that's awesome. 54 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:48,000 Well what a promise to be drawn, to be drawn closer to Jesus Christ, to have the promise 55 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,880 of change and miracles in our life. 56 00:03:51,880 --> 00:03:59,400 I think that's one of the great promises that President Nelson has given us as our prophet. 57 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:07,840 And another one was in the April 2020 conference session when he gives this amazing talk which 58 00:04:07,840 --> 00:04:14,520 I think is a classic entitled Hear Him, and he says, as we seek to be disciples of Jesus 59 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:23,000 Christ, our efforts to hear him need to be ever more intentional. 60 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,880 And he goes on, skipping just a little bit down here. 61 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:30,120 He says, I renew my plea for you. 62 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:38,000 Whenever a prophet says that he renews his plea or I again plea, that gets my attention. 63 00:04:38,000 --> 00:04:45,960 I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity 64 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,320 to receive personal revelation. 65 00:04:49,320 --> 00:04:57,720 What will happen as you more intentionally, that word, as you more intentionally hear, 66 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:04,480 hearken and heed what the Savior has said and what he is saying now through his prophets? 67 00:05:04,480 --> 00:05:14,400 I promise you that you will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptations, 68 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:16,960 struggles and weakness. 69 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:25,440 I promise you miracles in your marriage, family relationships and your daily work. 70 00:05:25,440 --> 00:05:33,520 And I promise that your capacity to feel joy will increase even if turbulence increases 71 00:05:33,520 --> 00:05:36,280 in your life. 72 00:05:36,280 --> 00:05:39,600 I just think that's an amazing promise. 73 00:05:39,600 --> 00:05:46,920 Higher power, miracles in your relationships, even your work, and then the promise to have 74 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:52,480 increased capacity for joy even as turbulence increases. 75 00:05:52,480 --> 00:06:02,440 So we've been promised by a prophet that as we live a more intentional life, that we will 76 00:06:02,440 --> 00:06:03,960 be blessed. 77 00:06:03,960 --> 00:06:11,600 As we consider making this year, Scott, as we begin a new year, goals and resolutions, 78 00:06:11,600 --> 00:06:18,680 I've just pondered and want to discuss this with you and our listeners about, so as we 79 00:06:18,680 --> 00:06:28,560 do that, how can we set goals and just tweak them or kind of redirect them to be more intentional, 80 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:37,920 being more focused on Jesus Christ, rejoicing in him, hearing him, receiving him, strengthening 81 00:06:37,920 --> 00:06:40,520 our relationship with him? 82 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:45,800 How can we do that as we set goals and as we make resolutions? 83 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:50,960 I think, Dave, before we can do that, we really have to define what intent even means. 84 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:55,040 We have to discuss what does it mean to be intentional in these things, right? 85 00:06:55,040 --> 00:06:56,040 Yeah, yeah, yeah. 86 00:06:56,040 --> 00:06:58,160 So what does that look like, Scott? 87 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:02,320 What does it look like to live an intentional life? 88 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:08,520 What does it look like to pray with real intent or to study our scriptures with real intent 89 00:07:08,520 --> 00:07:11,360 as we start a new, come follow me this year? 90 00:07:11,360 --> 00:07:17,520 What would it look like to do that with real intent or ministering with real intent, serving 91 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:24,520 with real intent, attending the temple, participating in temple ordinances with real intent? 92 00:07:24,520 --> 00:07:26,320 How does that all look like and what's the difference? 93 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:29,440 Well, first off, real intent to what? 94 00:07:29,440 --> 00:07:30,880 I intend to what? 95 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,500 And so we need to talk about that too, right? 96 00:07:33,500 --> 00:07:38,040 So my intention, if we're going to talk about, and I think this is what President Nelson 97 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:41,400 was talking about, in fact, I know it is when he's talking about being intentional about 98 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:47,080 talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ and preaching of Christ, intentional means that 99 00:07:47,080 --> 00:07:51,360 we have a purpose behind what it is that we're doing, right? 100 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:52,520 And we're not just floating. 101 00:07:52,520 --> 00:07:58,680 And so, for example, if I go for a horse ride and I just get on my horse and I just go for 102 00:07:58,680 --> 00:08:00,880 a ride, I don't know where I'll go. 103 00:08:00,880 --> 00:08:06,180 But if I get on my horse and my intention is to go around the Tempe Nuki loop and come 104 00:08:06,180 --> 00:08:12,120 down horse flat and come back to Tempe Nuki through Salamander flat and all that other 105 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:15,240 stuff, then I have intent and I have a plan to do that intent. 106 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,920 And so that's what intentional means, intentional. 107 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:22,840 And so for me, when we talk about being intentional about talking of Christ, of rejoicing in Christ 108 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:27,280 and preaching in Christ, what we're intending is our relationship with Christ. 109 00:08:27,280 --> 00:08:32,480 And I think that's what President Nelson's inviting us to do, is to be more intentional 110 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,040 about our entire relationship with Jesus Christ. 111 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:40,040 And so as we think about and start setting and considering what goals or directions we 112 00:08:40,040 --> 00:08:45,800 want to take this year as a new year, and if we are going to do that intentionally, 113 00:08:45,800 --> 00:08:50,960 then we need to make sure, if that's our intent, is to be one with Christ, to be yoked with 114 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:59,520 Christ, to have our lives and His be the same, or have our will swallowed up in His will, 115 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:06,600 that intent or all of those things intentionally need to be taking us closer to Him. 116 00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:07,600 Yeah, for sure. 117 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:09,720 I think that's right, Scott. 118 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:17,920 It's the focus on Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him, and also with our Heavenly Father 119 00:09:17,920 --> 00:09:25,560 and with the Holy Ghost who speaks the words of Christ, as we really just focus and center 120 00:09:25,560 --> 00:09:38,960 our thoughts, our efforts, our goals on exercising greater faith and developing a stronger relationship 121 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:40,200 with divinity. 122 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:43,360 I think that's what it means to do it with real intent. 123 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:49,080 Instead of just going through the motions, instead of just doing it, that we do it with 124 00:09:49,080 --> 00:09:50,080 a purpose. 125 00:09:50,080 --> 00:10:00,640 And that purpose, I think, Scott, is the one needful thing that Jesus told Martha in that 126 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:10,080 amazing story that's been preserved by Luke in Luke chapter 10, where He, in Luke chapter 127 00:10:10,080 --> 00:10:11,560 10, if you have it there, Scott? 128 00:10:11,560 --> 00:10:12,560 Yeah, yeah. 129 00:10:12,560 --> 00:10:13,560 You want to begin with verse 40? 130 00:10:13,560 --> 00:10:17,720 You know, we have this story that Jesus is with Martha and Mary. 131 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:23,720 These are the sisters of Lazarus, and they're in Bethany, and Jesus is staying with them 132 00:10:23,720 --> 00:10:28,680 as He did, I think, frequently, even the last week of His life. 133 00:10:28,680 --> 00:10:32,320 He was staying there, and we have this experience. 134 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:34,800 And Martha is busy serving. 135 00:10:34,800 --> 00:10:40,520 I think it uses the word, cumbered, which literally in the Greek means distracted. 136 00:10:40,520 --> 00:10:46,640 And then Jesus teaches her a powerful lesson that I think is probably at the heart of what 137 00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:49,160 it means to live an intentional life. 138 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:56,040 Luke 10 verse 40, But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him and said, 139 00:10:56,040 --> 00:11:01,160 Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? 140 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:03,520 Bid her therefore that she help me. 141 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:08,840 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about 142 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:10,360 many things. 143 00:11:10,360 --> 00:11:16,400 But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away 144 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:18,560 from her. 145 00:11:18,560 --> 00:11:22,560 But one thing is needful. 146 00:11:22,560 --> 00:11:23,560 What's that one thing? 147 00:11:23,560 --> 00:11:30,000 I, you know, I've pondered that so much of my life, Scott, and I've come to the conclusion 148 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:40,240 that it just means to learn of Him, to hear Him, to be close to Him, to think of Him, 149 00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:47,600 have a relationship with Him, that it's all about all of our life, really. 150 00:11:47,600 --> 00:11:55,800 Our whole purpose in this life is to learn how to receive Jesus Christ in our life, to 151 00:11:55,800 --> 00:12:04,960 receive His redemption, His salvation, His teachings, His atoning sacrifice, His mercy, 152 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:12,160 His grace, all of these as gifts from our loving Heavenly Father, and to receive all 153 00:12:12,160 --> 00:12:14,800 of that in our life. 154 00:12:14,800 --> 00:12:21,600 And we can't do it, Scott, when we are distracted by so many good things. 155 00:12:21,600 --> 00:12:23,720 There are so many good things. 156 00:12:23,720 --> 00:12:32,240 You know, you've heard the saying, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. 157 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:37,480 There's so many good things that we can do, even in the church, Scott, there's so many 158 00:12:37,480 --> 00:12:38,800 good things. 159 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:44,360 But if it's not the right things, so I like to think when I hear the saying, the road 160 00:12:44,360 --> 00:12:50,160 to hell is paved with good intentions, I like to think the road to heaven is paved with 161 00:12:50,160 --> 00:13:00,280 the right intentions, or the expedient intentions, which I believe are the ones that are centered 162 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:09,340 in Jesus Christ, receiving and administering the atonement of the Jesus Christ in my life 163 00:13:09,340 --> 00:13:17,920 and in the life of my family and in the life of those that I love and serve my neighbors. 164 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:22,820 So I think that this is not a hard thing that we have to do. 165 00:13:22,820 --> 00:13:26,140 It's just a refocusing. 166 00:13:26,140 --> 00:13:29,680 It takes effort, but it's not hard. 167 00:13:29,680 --> 00:13:31,340 It's simple, really. 168 00:13:31,340 --> 00:13:38,560 It's not easy, but it's simple that we just have to look to Christ and live. 169 00:13:38,560 --> 00:13:42,120 Well, and that's what Mary's doing here. 170 00:13:42,120 --> 00:13:47,760 If we read verse 39, which we didn't do, which would have come before all that we read, and 171 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:52,760 this is what it says, and she had a sister, meaning Martha had a sister, called Mary, 172 00:13:52,760 --> 00:13:58,440 which also sat at the feet, at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. 173 00:13:58,440 --> 00:14:00,700 That's what Mary was doing. 174 00:14:00,700 --> 00:14:01,820 That's what was needful. 175 00:14:01,820 --> 00:14:03,600 And that's the one needful thing. 176 00:14:03,600 --> 00:14:09,400 As we set our intentions and as we begin to plan for the entire year, if we are able to 177 00:14:09,400 --> 00:14:15,720 keep this in the forefront of our mind, in doing so, then all of our intentions will 178 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:18,320 have a higher probability of being much more pure. 179 00:14:18,320 --> 00:14:19,320 That's for sure. 180 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:27,440 Yeah, I can envision that some of my goals and your resolutions, just like our listeners, 181 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:30,800 will be to do Come Follow Me weekly. 182 00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:31,800 Right? 183 00:14:31,800 --> 00:14:37,840 That's a great goal, to do it daily, to read Come Follow Me passages daily. 184 00:14:37,840 --> 00:14:39,000 And that's great. 185 00:14:39,000 --> 00:14:40,760 That's a really great goal, right? 186 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:41,760 It's a great goal. 187 00:14:41,760 --> 00:14:48,840 But if we just tweak it, if we just kind of change the focus a little bit, and it is to 188 00:14:48,840 --> 00:15:01,280 do Come Follow Me to strengthen our relationship with Jesus Christ or to receive the blessings 189 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:10,080 of grace and mercy, forgiveness in my life, or to do Come Follow Me so that I can be a 190 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:16,200 better parent in administering the atonement of Jesus Christ in the lives of my children 191 00:15:16,200 --> 00:15:18,000 or my grandchildren. 192 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:23,480 I mean, if we'll just really, when we set these goals, if we'll just think about why 193 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:32,280 am I doing this, or the who, who am I trying to get closer to by doing this? 194 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,640 Who cares if I do this? 195 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:41,440 How is this going to affect my relationships with my Heavenly Father, with Jesus Christ, 196 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:44,800 the Holy Ghost, and my family? 197 00:15:44,800 --> 00:15:50,680 That's what it means, Scott, to be more intentional and to live an intentional life. 198 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:56,160 So when we talk about living an intentional life, I mean, we can use that as a big blanket 199 00:15:56,160 --> 00:16:00,600 statement, but it might be helpful if we were to kind of break that down a little bit and 200 00:16:00,600 --> 00:16:05,840 kind of, you know, we have a category, maybe subcategorize that a little bit and talk about, 201 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:10,120 okay, in what parts of our life, you know, and obviously we can say that in every part 202 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,940 of our life, we should be living more intentional. 203 00:16:12,940 --> 00:16:18,800 We are likely to get more results and a draw closer on to Him if we focus on a few of those 204 00:16:18,800 --> 00:16:20,600 things with more intent. 205 00:16:20,600 --> 00:16:23,300 So for example, David, let's talk about praying. 206 00:16:23,300 --> 00:16:24,920 What about praying with intent? 207 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:30,800 Well, so an intentional life is a life that is centered in Jesus Christ. 208 00:16:30,800 --> 00:16:37,000 And if we are to do what President Nelson invited us to do, to be more intentional in 209 00:16:37,000 --> 00:16:46,860 hearing Him, a prayer of real intent would be instead of, as I often pray, and I still 210 00:16:46,860 --> 00:16:52,720 find myself praying like this, and it's a wonderful prayer and I feel the Spirit, but 211 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:56,160 it's maybe not as intentional as it could be. 212 00:16:56,160 --> 00:17:02,380 And I maybe don't receive, maybe I don't receive the blessings that I could have received if 213 00:17:02,380 --> 00:17:07,740 I would pray a little bit more with intent, with real intent. 214 00:17:07,740 --> 00:17:11,460 So I often pray, help me. 215 00:17:11,460 --> 00:17:15,280 Help me to be a better husband. 216 00:17:15,280 --> 00:17:16,960 Help me to be a better dad. 217 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:18,840 Help me to be a better granddad. 218 00:17:18,840 --> 00:17:22,020 Help me to be a better patriarch. 219 00:17:22,020 --> 00:17:31,980 If sometimes I would pray with real intent, I might pray, how can I be a better husband? 220 00:17:31,980 --> 00:17:35,540 And then listen to hear Him. 221 00:17:35,540 --> 00:17:43,120 Listen for revelation from Jesus Christ for direction, specifically in my life. 222 00:17:43,120 --> 00:17:47,680 Jesus Christ answering an inspired question through the Holy Ghost. 223 00:17:47,680 --> 00:17:53,280 So I guess it would be safe then to probably say that when we talk about intent, we're 224 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:57,240 really also not just, but also talking about focus, right? 225 00:17:57,240 --> 00:17:58,880 It's really taking time, Scott. 226 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:03,880 It takes, not hard, it just takes a little more time to maybe really think about what 227 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:12,280 do I need help with, and then crafting in our mind an inspired question. 228 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:18,520 Inspired questions to God in prayer lead to revelatory responses. 229 00:18:18,520 --> 00:18:22,140 And if we want to do what President Nelson has asked us to do to be more intentional 230 00:18:22,140 --> 00:18:29,200 to hear Him, we need to ask more inspired questions, which take some effort and some 231 00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:30,320 time. 232 00:18:30,320 --> 00:18:35,960 And I think what it really means to pray with real intent, Scott, is to pray more with the 233 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:42,000 Spirit instead of just kneeling down and going through the motions, to take really some time 234 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:48,360 – whatever that may be – in order to really think about what we're thankful for and to 235 00:18:48,360 --> 00:18:53,960 what we want to really ask for, to receive revelation and direction in our life, and 236 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:59,880 to really do it under the direction of the Holy Ghost, to pray by the Spirit. 237 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:04,480 I love that this scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 46, the revelation on the gifts 238 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:11,880 of the Spirit, and verse 30 says, He that asketh in the Spirit asketh according to the 239 00:19:11,880 --> 00:19:17,840 will of God, wherefore it is done even as he asketh. 240 00:19:17,840 --> 00:19:23,600 I love that, Scott, and I love what it says under the topic of prayer in the Bible Dictionary, 241 00:19:23,600 --> 00:19:28,720 that Heavenly Father knows what we need, and it's our responsibility – and I think this 242 00:19:28,720 --> 00:19:34,520 is what a prayer of real intent is – it's our responsibility to be inspired by the Holy 243 00:19:34,520 --> 00:19:41,440 Ghost to ask for what Heavenly Father knows that we need according to His will. 244 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:47,680 This even goes on to say, and ye must give thanks unto God in the Spirit for whatsoever 245 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,000 blessings ye are blessed with. 246 00:19:51,000 --> 00:19:59,060 There's a certain power of a prayer of real intent, different than just a prayer, because 247 00:19:59,060 --> 00:20:06,720 we do it under the direction of the Spirit, and we do it in order to receive revelation 248 00:20:06,720 --> 00:20:10,500 and direction and to hear the voice of the Lord. 249 00:20:10,500 --> 00:20:15,080 So when we've talked to a lot of our guests that we've had, that we've done interviews 250 00:20:15,080 --> 00:20:22,560 with and as we've focused on it a great deal in Alma, so apparently then a real intentional 251 00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:26,000 prayer might be more of a crying out sometimes, too. 252 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:29,960 Yeah, kind of a surrender. 253 00:20:29,960 --> 00:20:34,880 Last week we interviewed somebody, our listeners will have the pleasure to hear this interview 254 00:20:34,880 --> 00:20:44,040 maybe in another week or two with Mandy and Jorie Norton, but I remember it was powerful, 255 00:20:44,040 --> 00:20:52,240 it was a powerful moment for me in that interview when he was describing his going through an 256 00:20:52,240 --> 00:21:00,280 addiction and feeling like he was just digging himself out of a hole, in fact making tunnels, 257 00:21:00,280 --> 00:21:06,160 going from tunnel to tunnel, and every day feeling like he was getting deeper and deeper 258 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:12,760 in this hole, and he finally reached this point where he was willing to surrender and 259 00:21:12,760 --> 00:21:22,080 in desperation he cries out to God and he hears like a voice, put down your shovel and 260 00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:24,080 look up. 261 00:21:24,080 --> 00:21:33,320 Well it's really, that's not hard, but it takes some effort and spirit and revelation 262 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:36,560 and he looked up. 263 00:21:36,560 --> 00:21:39,680 That was the key to his recovery. 264 00:21:39,680 --> 00:21:46,080 It reminds me really, Scott, living a life of real intent is to just be so centered and 265 00:21:46,080 --> 00:21:53,040 so focused on Jesus Christ that when we are bit by the serpents, like Moses in the wilderness, 266 00:21:53,040 --> 00:21:59,520 he has this brass serpent, right, and when the people are bit by these fiery, flying, 267 00:21:59,520 --> 00:22:06,280 poisonous serpents, all they have to do, then we are all bitten every day, right? 268 00:22:06,280 --> 00:22:09,000 Every day we are bit by snakes of sin. 269 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,000 Every day we sin. 270 00:22:10,000 --> 00:22:16,280 The fall is a part of our everyday life and always will be, and a life of real intent 271 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:21,720 is to go through life knowing that as soon as we do that we can look up, we can look 272 00:22:21,720 --> 00:22:27,880 up to Christ, we can look at the Savior on the cross. 273 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:34,960 You know it struck me this Christmas in our sacrament meeting a message was shared and 274 00:22:34,960 --> 00:22:42,680 I've thought about it ever since, that we have to reach a point where we take baby Jesus 275 00:22:42,680 --> 00:22:50,400 out of the manger and now as we begin a new year we put him on the cross. 276 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:58,480 And living a life of intention is to be able to look up, not just look down at baby Jesus 277 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:05,400 in a manger, which is so sweet and tender, but to look up at the suffering Christ and 278 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:10,520 to, you know, maybe we can talk about how we do this. 279 00:23:10,520 --> 00:23:19,400 He has commanded us, look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not, behold the wound 280 00:23:19,400 --> 00:23:26,020 in my side and the prints of the nails in my hands and feet. 281 00:23:26,020 --> 00:23:28,920 This is what it means, Scott, to live an intentional life. 282 00:23:28,920 --> 00:23:34,720 I've asked this question before on this podcast, is it even possible to look unto Christ in 283 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:36,820 every thought? 284 00:23:36,820 --> 00:23:39,440 Is that even possible? 285 00:23:39,440 --> 00:23:45,400 I've tried to experiment with this, Scott, and I think I have not succeeded. 286 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:52,160 One day where in every thought, in every possible thought I think, I'm looking to Christ and 287 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:54,600 He's the center of it. 288 00:23:54,600 --> 00:24:00,880 But it's the process, it's the effort, it's the conscious thinking about that and trying 289 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:05,840 to look unto Him in every thought that really matters and that's what it means to live an 290 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:09,840 intentional life and that's how we do it, is by looking to Christ. 291 00:24:09,840 --> 00:24:14,080 Let's be clear, we're talking about living an intentional life in Jesus Christ. 292 00:24:14,080 --> 00:24:18,800 We're talking about living intentionally to have the effects of the atonement of Jesus 293 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:24,400 Christ always at work in our lives as He's been demonstrated to us through the Spirit 294 00:24:24,400 --> 00:24:25,400 of the Holy Ghost. 295 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:30,600 David, at some point, not you know people, I know people, in some areas, some people 296 00:24:30,600 --> 00:24:35,120 have the, I don't know what else other word to use, but muscle memory. 297 00:24:35,120 --> 00:24:40,160 They have just conditioned themselves because of their relationship with Jesus Christ and 298 00:24:40,160 --> 00:24:47,480 when we are around them we feel that and it can intentionally become who we are. 299 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:49,660 But it doesn't happen by accident. 300 00:24:49,660 --> 00:24:51,040 It doesn't just happen. 301 00:24:51,040 --> 00:24:53,580 It doesn't just happen by what we do either. 302 00:24:53,580 --> 00:24:59,480 We have to have intention to live our lives in alignment with Heavenly Father and with 303 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:02,920 Jesus Christ and that intention has to be there. 304 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:10,080 Once it's there and becomes a part of us, then that look unto me in every thought becomes 305 00:25:10,080 --> 00:25:12,000 more of who we are. 306 00:25:12,000 --> 00:25:14,680 Well here's the grand secret Scott. 307 00:25:14,680 --> 00:25:19,520 The people who are like that are the people who are repenting the most. 308 00:25:19,520 --> 00:25:20,520 Daily. 309 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:25,920 They are the ones who are repenting daily throughout their life. 310 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:31,340 They are the ones, the grand secret of those who appear to be pure or more consecrated 311 00:25:31,340 --> 00:25:33,960 or holy or sanctified. 312 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:39,360 Those are the people who are repenting the most because they feel the greatest need. 313 00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:41,480 They know that they are fallen. 314 00:25:41,480 --> 00:25:42,780 They know they are wretched. 315 00:25:42,780 --> 00:25:44,080 They know they are lost. 316 00:25:44,080 --> 00:25:49,920 They know their need that without Christ they are nothing. 317 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:56,880 They know that they can merit nothing of themselves that only through Christ can they be saved 318 00:25:56,880 --> 00:25:59,240 or redeemed. 319 00:25:59,240 --> 00:26:07,040 That's the grand secret and an intentional life is to know that and to live like that. 320 00:26:07,040 --> 00:26:19,400 And Scott, there are so many great kind of do it yourself gurus or positive mental thinking 321 00:26:19,400 --> 00:26:28,800 and self improvement kits and books and speakers that are really popular this time of year 322 00:26:28,800 --> 00:26:34,320 as we look forward to a new year and a new beginning. 323 00:26:34,320 --> 00:26:43,080 Even in our own church I recently heard another podcast and even a devotional that this individual 324 00:26:43,080 --> 00:26:51,960 had given about positive self talk and the power of the mind and being more mindful and 325 00:26:51,960 --> 00:26:53,200 the power in that. 326 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:54,960 And I know there is power in that. 327 00:26:54,960 --> 00:26:56,000 Absolutely. 328 00:26:56,000 --> 00:27:03,080 But there is no redemptive power in that Scott if it is not focused in Jesus Christ. 329 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:09,160 And there is the real intent that we are talking about to live an intentional life means to 330 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:15,600 live a life that is seeking redemption, that is seeking salvation. 331 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:16,600 That's right. 332 00:27:16,600 --> 00:27:23,880 That's what it means to live an intentional life means that we are living a life where 333 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:31,760 we are seeking or depending upon, relying alone upon the author and the finisher of 334 00:27:31,760 --> 00:27:35,680 our salvation and our faith which is Jesus Christ. 335 00:27:35,680 --> 00:27:41,160 We need to really do that before we sit down and determine, here is where I need to be 336 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:42,160 better. 337 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:48,640 We need to sit down and focus on that relationship with him so that when we approach for example 338 00:27:48,640 --> 00:27:54,840 if I set a goal this year that I want to be more intentional in my scripture study. 339 00:27:54,840 --> 00:27:59,000 Ok well then now that I have used the word intentional in my scripture study what exactly 340 00:27:59,000 --> 00:28:00,000 does that mean? 341 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:03,840 Well for me what that means is I am looking for him. 342 00:28:03,840 --> 00:28:05,960 I am looking for him. 343 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:10,520 We talk about the how as we go through here but for example in Doctrine and Covenants 344 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:18,840 section 19 verse 23 he says learn of me and listen to my words. 345 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:24,540 Walk in the meekness of my spirit and you shall have peace in me. 346 00:28:24,540 --> 00:28:29,840 And so you know as we do this as we learn of him as we listen to his words as we learn 347 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:35,840 to walk in the meekness of his spirit then we can as we approach for example scripture 348 00:28:35,840 --> 00:28:40,920 study well if that is what my intent is to learn of him, to learn how to walk in the 349 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:47,240 meekness of his spirit then my relationship with the scriptures is completely different 350 00:28:47,240 --> 00:28:52,280 that way than it would have been if my intent and my goal was to you know what Scott you 351 00:28:52,280 --> 00:28:54,680 need to go have a better scripture study. 352 00:28:54,680 --> 00:28:55,960 Ok what does that mean? 353 00:28:55,960 --> 00:29:00,960 You know but if I do it with intent to have the redemption of Jesus Christ alive in my 354 00:29:00,960 --> 00:29:03,440 life then I have a different approach. 355 00:29:03,440 --> 00:29:08,040 Well you are an elders quorum president and you do lots of ministering interviews Scott 356 00:29:08,040 --> 00:29:15,480 and here is the difference instead of asking how is your scripture study if you ask somebody 357 00:29:15,480 --> 00:29:22,840 how are you strengthening your relationship with Jesus Christ in your scripture study 358 00:29:22,840 --> 00:29:25,080 that's a totally different question. 359 00:29:25,080 --> 00:29:31,440 And one is you are doing a task and the other one is you are doing something with real intent. 360 00:29:31,440 --> 00:29:37,800 So that's what we should be asking ourselves and I love the scripture that you read in 361 00:29:37,800 --> 00:29:46,640 Doctrine and Covenants 19 23 it says you shall have peace in me. 362 00:29:46,640 --> 00:29:51,640 There are so many people in the world that love peace, live for peace and enjoy peace 363 00:29:51,640 --> 00:29:54,520 who aren't even Christian. 364 00:29:54,520 --> 00:29:59,960 That is not the same level of having peace in Christ. 365 00:29:59,960 --> 00:30:06,480 So everything that we are talking about today living a life of real intent is living a life 366 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:07,480 in Christ. 367 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:14,000 In fact I think it is described a life of intention or living a life with real intent 368 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:21,000 is described in 1 Corinthians chapter 2 by Paul when he writes, 369 00:30:21,000 --> 00:30:26,360 For who hath known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct him? 370 00:30:26,360 --> 00:30:29,600 But we have the mind of Christ. 371 00:30:29,600 --> 00:30:35,280 I just really love that Scott that it is not enough to be mindful. 372 00:30:35,280 --> 00:30:42,120 What's really needed, what should really be our intent is to have the mind of Christ. 373 00:30:42,120 --> 00:30:50,160 It's not just enough for us to be mindful and be present, present of all my surroundings. 374 00:30:50,160 --> 00:30:58,760 What's really awesome is if I can be present with Christ thinking of His atoning sacrifice, 375 00:30:58,760 --> 00:31:06,560 grace, mercy, merits, blessings in my life presently in the past, in the future, looking 376 00:31:06,560 --> 00:31:11,800 forward with an eye of faith to His coming. 377 00:31:11,800 --> 00:31:18,840 You know that's what I think it means to live with real intent is that we have the mind 378 00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:23,400 of Christ not just being mindful in the present. 379 00:31:23,400 --> 00:31:27,320 And because of that all things that we approach, so let's talk about a couple more. 380 00:31:27,320 --> 00:31:32,260 What about for example what would being more intentional in taking of the sacrament every 381 00:31:32,260 --> 00:31:33,260 Sunday look like? 382 00:31:33,260 --> 00:31:35,320 Oh yeah, good one. 383 00:31:35,320 --> 00:31:38,720 So many times right we just go through the motions of that. 384 00:31:38,720 --> 00:31:40,000 We do. 385 00:31:40,000 --> 00:31:46,560 But if we did that with the mind of Christ our thoughts would be centered in Him for 386 00:31:46,560 --> 00:31:53,360 sure and in fact I think that I don't do this enough and I know that when I do it really 387 00:31:53,360 --> 00:32:00,480 makes a difference is that when I go to the sacrament table or sacrament meeting repenting, 388 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:06,320 that when I start repenting Saturday night, that when I go to church on Sunday to partake 389 00:32:06,320 --> 00:32:14,040 of the sacrament it seems like that's when I really take it with real intent is that 390 00:32:14,040 --> 00:32:20,160 I'm doing it to be forgiven and I believe according to my faith in Christ and my understanding 391 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:25,700 that if I have repented and I partake of that sacrament and receive the promises of having 392 00:32:25,700 --> 00:32:30,800 His Spirit to always be with me that I am forgiven of my sins. 393 00:32:30,800 --> 00:32:34,720 Approaching the sacrament too with having intent to have a closer relationship with Christ 394 00:32:34,720 --> 00:32:37,400 the symbols become more meaningful too. 395 00:32:37,400 --> 00:32:38,400 Definitely. 396 00:32:38,400 --> 00:32:43,600 The bread, the water, even the covering of the sacrament, even the sacrament table, the 397 00:32:43,600 --> 00:32:48,480 altar, the sacrament table itself, even the way it's administered. 398 00:32:48,480 --> 00:32:54,840 You know and I also think of the Aaronic Priesthood young men in our wards if they're preparing 399 00:32:54,840 --> 00:33:01,760 the sacrament having more intent to be closer to Jesus Christ or intentionally to help us 400 00:33:01,760 --> 00:33:06,720 all to have the experience that we should be having I wonder what their experience might 401 00:33:06,720 --> 00:33:09,440 be different, how their experience might be different. 402 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:15,320 How would it change us as parents to prepare our children to partake of the sacrament with 403 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:16,320 real intent? 404 00:33:16,320 --> 00:33:22,360 How would it be different as a family setting their partaking of the sacrament? 405 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:28,760 Are our children, have they been taught what it means the symbols and emblems of the sacrament 406 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:30,560 and are they thinking of Christ? 407 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:35,400 Maybe we would share different story books or coloring books or whatever that are just 408 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,220 a little more focused on Jesus Christ. 409 00:33:38,220 --> 00:33:43,240 So you know there's so many things that we can just tweak aren't hard. 410 00:33:43,240 --> 00:33:44,240 Right. 411 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:46,180 Just with small adjustments. 412 00:33:46,180 --> 00:33:47,180 That aren't easy. 413 00:33:47,180 --> 00:33:48,180 They're just simple. 414 00:33:48,180 --> 00:33:49,180 That's true too. 415 00:33:49,180 --> 00:33:50,800 Just simple little changes that we make. 416 00:33:50,800 --> 00:33:53,600 For example how would ministering change? 417 00:33:53,600 --> 00:33:58,720 You know you're an elders quorum president and ministering would right instead of just 418 00:33:58,720 --> 00:34:07,200 overseeing people's needs or looking out for people or taking over cookies or do and those 419 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:09,160 are there's so many good things those are all good. 420 00:34:09,160 --> 00:34:10,160 All good. 421 00:34:10,160 --> 00:34:11,160 All good stuff. 422 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,560 All right all good things but they may not be the right things or they may not be the 423 00:34:14,560 --> 00:34:17,880 best things or it may not be complete. 424 00:34:17,880 --> 00:34:19,720 So there you go. 425 00:34:19,720 --> 00:34:28,560 Ministering to be more a higher and holier form of ministering would be to seek to administer 426 00:34:28,560 --> 00:34:34,520 the atonement of Jesus Christ into the lives of people. 427 00:34:34,520 --> 00:34:41,920 To seek to help them feel the love of God and the sacrifice and gift of His Son in their 428 00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:43,200 life. 429 00:34:43,200 --> 00:34:50,440 That would be what I would think would make ministering with real intent more powerful 430 00:34:50,440 --> 00:34:51,940 in the church. 431 00:34:51,940 --> 00:34:53,140 And how do we do that? 432 00:34:53,140 --> 00:34:57,280 We go to Doctrine and Covenants section 19 verse 23 again. 433 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:58,880 We learn of Him. 434 00:34:58,880 --> 00:35:05,720 We learn of me and listen to my words and walk in the meekness of my way. 435 00:35:05,720 --> 00:35:07,840 We read that it's really beautiful the way that's written. 436 00:35:07,840 --> 00:35:09,320 In fact songs have been written about it. 437 00:35:09,320 --> 00:35:15,240 Deb sings the most beautiful song that's taken this verse as kind of a thesis or a theme. 438 00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:19,580 But you know when we read these beautiful words sometimes we don't necessarily catch 439 00:35:19,580 --> 00:35:23,080 the full meaning but he says learn of me. 440 00:35:23,080 --> 00:35:26,840 Listen to my words and walk in the meekness of my way. 441 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:34,700 When we walk in His meek way our intent is no longer has to be manufactured by us. 442 00:35:34,700 --> 00:35:38,120 It comes up because that's who we were born to be. 443 00:35:38,120 --> 00:35:47,400 Yeah I'm thinking of an experience I had with Elder Anderson when we rededicated the Institute 444 00:35:47,400 --> 00:35:55,600 of Religion as the director there at UVU Institute of Religion after a multi-million dollar complete 445 00:35:55,600 --> 00:35:57,520 renovation of the building. 446 00:35:57,520 --> 00:36:02,840 Because of my relationship with Elder Anderson at the time I just asked him in one of our 447 00:36:02,840 --> 00:36:09,120 conversations if he would be willing to consider rededicating our building and he said well 448 00:36:09,120 --> 00:36:14,280 I'll have to ask President Ballard and see if he'll give me that assignment. 449 00:36:14,280 --> 00:36:19,680 I thought that was kind of a little learning lesson that how the Quorum of the Twelve operate 450 00:36:19,680 --> 00:36:26,280 and how they have to be assigned to do things like that from the president of the Quorum 451 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:30,680 and he made that request to President Ballard and President Ballard gave him that assignment. 452 00:36:30,680 --> 00:36:38,200 I had invited all 27 stake presidents to bring their wives to the Institute and have a moment 453 00:36:38,200 --> 00:36:45,720 with an apostle Elder Anderson and to be able to hear his testimony and feel the spirit 454 00:36:45,720 --> 00:36:51,960 and ask maybe some questions and Elder Anderson was more than willing to do that and all 27 455 00:36:51,960 --> 00:36:53,240 stakes were represented. 456 00:36:53,240 --> 00:36:56,320 Now these are 27 young adult stakes. 457 00:36:56,320 --> 00:36:57,960 Yeah thank you Scott. 458 00:36:57,960 --> 00:36:58,960 That's important to note. 459 00:36:58,960 --> 00:36:59,960 Can you? 460 00:36:59,960 --> 00:37:02,200 Can you believe it Matt 27 of them? 461 00:37:02,200 --> 00:37:04,240 27 just young adults. 462 00:37:04,240 --> 00:37:05,240 Just in this area. 463 00:37:05,240 --> 00:37:06,240 Yeah just in Utah County. 464 00:37:06,240 --> 00:37:07,240 Yeah. 465 00:37:07,240 --> 00:37:08,240 Yeah. 466 00:37:08,240 --> 00:37:09,240 Just in Utah County. 467 00:37:09,240 --> 00:37:10,240 Not the state of Utah. 468 00:37:10,240 --> 00:37:16,800 I know those in other countries right now are shaking their head and anyway there were 469 00:37:16,800 --> 00:37:24,560 27 young adult stake presidents or a counselor in the case of two stakes and their wives 470 00:37:24,560 --> 00:37:32,680 and he bore a powerful apostolic testimony and blessing and then he asked them if they 471 00:37:32,680 --> 00:37:33,920 had any questions. 472 00:37:33,920 --> 00:37:42,120 This one stake president asked Elder Anderson he said Elder Anderson can you help us? 473 00:37:42,120 --> 00:37:48,300 We have so many young adults in our stake who are struggling with sin who are going 474 00:37:48,300 --> 00:37:57,520 through a faith crisis some of them leaving the church he said even my own son how can 475 00:37:57,520 --> 00:37:58,520 you help us? 476 00:37:58,520 --> 00:38:04,480 What counsel would you give us to help them to not leave the church? 477 00:38:04,480 --> 00:38:09,720 And Elder Anderson's answer was so simple and so powerful. 478 00:38:09,720 --> 00:38:16,020 He said will you just get them to focus on Jesus Christ? 479 00:38:16,020 --> 00:38:21,160 Just help them to feel close to Jesus Christ. 480 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:26,800 Help them in their relationship with Jesus Christ. 481 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:33,160 Don't worry so much about their activity or their relationship in the church. 482 00:38:33,160 --> 00:38:38,600 Focus on Jesus Christ and their relationship with him. 483 00:38:38,600 --> 00:38:40,520 Wow. 484 00:38:40,520 --> 00:38:47,320 I remember I was up front sitting with Elder and Sister Anderson as I looked into the faces 485 00:38:47,320 --> 00:38:54,540 of these powerful stake president leaders. 486 00:38:54,540 --> 00:38:58,520 They could feel the spirit and the power of that Scott. 487 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:06,300 They knew that what he was saying was coming to them from the spirit and that they needed 488 00:39:06,300 --> 00:39:12,460 to be more powerful in not just trying to keep people in the church. 489 00:39:12,460 --> 00:39:19,340 Their emphasis and their priority had to really be their intent. 490 00:39:19,340 --> 00:39:26,820 They had to be more intentional in helping their young members, young adult members to 491 00:39:26,820 --> 00:39:29,920 stay focused on Jesus Christ. 492 00:39:29,920 --> 00:39:31,460 That's ultimately right. 493 00:39:31,460 --> 00:39:33,380 That's ultimately what we all need. 494 00:39:33,380 --> 00:39:40,700 That's ultimately if everything would just be focused on him, centered in him, redemption 495 00:39:40,700 --> 00:39:45,380 through him, that would solve all of our problems. 496 00:39:45,380 --> 00:39:48,180 Well and Dave, we've talked about so far prayer. 497 00:39:48,180 --> 00:39:53,740 We've talked about the sacrament and scripture study. 498 00:39:53,740 --> 00:39:56,540 Ministering, serving. 499 00:39:56,540 --> 00:39:59,540 And those all have to do with spiritual things. 500 00:39:59,540 --> 00:40:04,860 We can also talk about temporal things and still focus on being centered in Christ. 501 00:40:04,860 --> 00:40:10,180 For example, this time of year a lot of financial goals are going to be made, especially this 502 00:40:10,180 --> 00:40:11,180 year. 503 00:40:11,180 --> 00:40:14,980 A lot of finance is going to be really taken care of and put. 504 00:40:14,980 --> 00:40:17,060 Heavenly Father cares about that. 505 00:40:17,060 --> 00:40:22,280 He absolutely cares about that and we can focus on Jesus Christ when we do that. 506 00:40:22,280 --> 00:40:24,100 Heavenly Father cares about our health. 507 00:40:24,100 --> 00:40:25,540 Physical needs, financial needs, social needs. 508 00:40:25,540 --> 00:40:29,380 We have a whole section in the Doctrine and Covenants that have to do with our health. 509 00:40:29,380 --> 00:40:30,540 He cares about that. 510 00:40:30,540 --> 00:40:37,020 So if we need to lose weight, we can lose weight and we are better suited to do so if 511 00:40:37,020 --> 00:40:40,140 we do it with a focus in Jesus Christ. 512 00:40:40,140 --> 00:40:43,340 Yeah, the intent makes a powerful difference. 513 00:40:43,340 --> 00:40:44,340 Right, right. 514 00:40:44,340 --> 00:40:50,880 One of the things that I'm focusing on this year, you know, just being nicer. 515 00:40:50,880 --> 00:40:54,740 And that's easier for me to do if I'm focused on Jesus Christ. 516 00:40:54,740 --> 00:41:00,600 If I learn of Him and I learn to walk in the meekness of His way, being nicer to other 517 00:41:00,600 --> 00:41:06,140 people is going to be, I'll be able to achieve that a lot more readily if I have that focus 518 00:41:06,140 --> 00:41:07,140 on Jesus Christ. 519 00:41:07,140 --> 00:41:08,140 For example. 520 00:41:08,140 --> 00:41:12,700 Yeah, our motives, if our motives, they really matter. 521 00:41:12,700 --> 00:41:15,700 There's more power in some motives than others. 522 00:41:15,700 --> 00:41:21,080 Even in our, lots of people, all of us, right, are going to be setting goals and resolutions 523 00:41:21,080 --> 00:41:23,860 on exercise and diet. 524 00:41:23,860 --> 00:41:32,660 Well, how much more powerful would it be if our goal to do daily exercise, daily activities, 525 00:41:32,660 --> 00:41:42,540 would be so that I might be able to more appropriately or powerfully feel the Spirit in my life so 526 00:41:42,540 --> 00:41:48,180 that I'll have the health and strength that I can be a more effective instrument in the 527 00:41:48,180 --> 00:41:53,940 life of my Heavenly Father in administering the atonement of Jesus Christ into the lives 528 00:41:53,940 --> 00:42:01,340 of others so that I'll be healthier, live a longer, more productive life so that I can 529 00:42:01,340 --> 00:42:08,060 be a better parent, so that I can become a grandparent, so that I can help others. 530 00:42:08,060 --> 00:42:14,860 When we kind of see life through that lens, it changes, Scott, it changes how we eat, 531 00:42:14,860 --> 00:42:21,100 it changes how we sleep, it changes how we take care of ourselves, it changes how we 532 00:42:21,100 --> 00:42:22,660 treat others. 533 00:42:22,660 --> 00:42:24,900 You know, that's kind of the essence of it. 534 00:42:24,900 --> 00:42:31,420 Again, I think I said this when I was ordained to be a patriarch, and I felt just this incredible 535 00:42:31,420 --> 00:42:36,540 need to walk and to live by the Spirit. 536 00:42:36,540 --> 00:42:39,720 It changed everything in my life. 537 00:42:39,720 --> 00:42:47,900 If we would just really focus and center on Jesus Christ this year in all of our goals, 538 00:42:47,900 --> 00:42:53,900 in all of our resolutions, so that we can help ourselves and others to draw closer to 539 00:42:53,900 --> 00:43:02,340 Him, to learn of Him, to center our lives in Him, to receive Him and the effects and 540 00:43:02,340 --> 00:43:09,260 blessings and powers of the atonement of Jesus Christ in our life, it changes our life, Scott. 541 00:43:09,260 --> 00:43:10,700 And what a beautiful thing that is. 542 00:43:10,700 --> 00:43:15,340 You know, I think that so many of us believe, whether it's through conditioning, whether 543 00:43:15,340 --> 00:43:20,860 we were taught this, whether we just observe it maybe, or think we observe it and interpret 544 00:43:20,860 --> 00:43:26,100 it in others, but I think that there's a belief that we partition our lives, and that on one 545 00:43:26,100 --> 00:43:31,420 side of our life we have our relationship with Heavenly Father, and all things spiritual, 546 00:43:31,420 --> 00:43:36,580 and then on the other side of our life we have all things temporal, or secular, or natural 547 00:43:36,580 --> 00:43:38,820 matter, however we decide to say that. 548 00:43:38,820 --> 00:43:40,780 Well, there is no partition. 549 00:43:40,780 --> 00:43:41,860 Partition. 550 00:43:41,860 --> 00:43:43,820 That partition does not exist. 551 00:43:43,820 --> 00:43:47,180 All of our life is spiritual. 552 00:43:47,180 --> 00:43:54,780 And in having that intentional focus on all things that we do better in Christ, then all 553 00:43:54,780 --> 00:43:57,180 of our life becomes better. 554 00:43:57,180 --> 00:44:06,260 I heard Elder Nelson say that he does not compartmentalize his life. 555 00:44:06,260 --> 00:44:10,100 Our life is not like individual silos. 556 00:44:10,100 --> 00:44:18,100 You know, this silo type of mindset or life, where we go from silo to silo. 557 00:44:18,100 --> 00:44:22,060 That's not a life of intention. 558 00:44:22,060 --> 00:44:24,660 That's not an intentional life. 559 00:44:24,660 --> 00:44:28,820 There's one needful thing. 560 00:44:28,820 --> 00:44:38,340 And that thing is needful in every part, every phase, every process of our life. 561 00:44:38,340 --> 00:44:45,020 And if we would live life like that, we would find so much more purpose, so much more peace, 562 00:44:45,020 --> 00:44:53,420 so much more joy, and it would all be in Jesus Christ and our relationship with Him. 563 00:44:53,420 --> 00:44:56,460 And through Him all things are made perfect. 564 00:44:56,460 --> 00:45:01,580 New year, new focus, I think it would be great if we could all take this that we've talked 565 00:45:01,580 --> 00:45:08,620 about today and focus on having an intentional life, intentional in Jesus Christ, and finding 566 00:45:08,620 --> 00:45:13,100 joy and happiness that can only come through the administration of the Atonement in our 567 00:45:13,100 --> 00:45:16,100 lives because of it. 568 00:45:16,100 --> 00:45:21,700 And the last thing I want to say, Scott, is that we spent much of the first season, almost 569 00:45:21,700 --> 00:45:28,100 all of the first season, besides some interviews that we did, and we spent most of the first 570 00:45:28,100 --> 00:45:34,340 season talking about really how to repent, how to feel redemption and forgiveness in 571 00:45:34,340 --> 00:45:38,900 our life, and that was pretty much our whole first season. 572 00:45:38,900 --> 00:45:45,180 Well, as we begin this new season and we talk about a life, living a life, an intentional 573 00:45:45,180 --> 00:45:51,940 life, I think an intentional life is a life filled with repentance. 574 00:45:51,940 --> 00:45:53,980 It is a repenting life. 575 00:45:53,980 --> 00:45:57,380 An intentional life is a repenting life. 576 00:45:57,380 --> 00:46:01,660 None of us are going to be perfect in any of our goals or resolutions. 577 00:46:01,660 --> 00:46:04,660 None of us are going to…we're all fallen. 578 00:46:04,660 --> 00:46:12,420 We need to rely more upon Jesus Christ and focus in Him. 579 00:46:12,420 --> 00:46:18,300 Our focus should not be on our sins more than they're focused upon His sacrifice for our 580 00:46:18,300 --> 00:46:19,460 sins. 581 00:46:19,460 --> 00:46:25,220 Our focus should not be more upon our life or the lives of others than it is upon the 582 00:46:25,220 --> 00:46:28,140 life of Jesus Christ. 583 00:46:28,140 --> 00:46:34,380 That's what it means to live an intentional life, is that we are daily repenting, daily 584 00:46:34,380 --> 00:46:42,100 seeking to enjoy the blessings and powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives, 585 00:46:42,100 --> 00:46:47,900 and we can do that in every aspect of our life, no matter where we work, no matter where 586 00:46:47,900 --> 00:46:53,660 we spend our time, no matter what we spend our time doing, if in our scheduling and in 587 00:46:53,660 --> 00:46:56,760 our planning, which I think is really important, right? 588 00:46:56,760 --> 00:46:57,760 We need to plan. 589 00:46:57,760 --> 00:46:59,460 Yeah, absolutely. 590 00:46:59,460 --> 00:47:00,980 If God needed a plan… 591 00:47:00,980 --> 00:47:01,980 We do too. 592 00:47:01,980 --> 00:47:06,940 …how much more important that we need a plan, but that our plan should be based upon 593 00:47:06,940 --> 00:47:17,020 the intent of drawing closer to Jesus Christ and receiving redemption through His blood. 594 00:47:17,020 --> 00:47:18,180 That's an intentional life. 595 00:47:18,180 --> 00:47:22,540 Yeah, and you know, when we talk about, you know, just as we kind of wrap up here, but 596 00:47:22,540 --> 00:47:27,820 you know, we talk about all of our activities and the things that lead towards those things 597 00:47:27,820 --> 00:47:32,700 that we're going to be intending in our lives, and we need to prioritize, right? 598 00:47:32,700 --> 00:47:34,020 It's important for us to… 599 00:47:34,020 --> 00:47:35,020 Absolutely. 600 00:47:35,020 --> 00:47:37,820 Because we focus too much on the things that don't matter. 601 00:47:37,820 --> 00:47:38,820 Yeah. 602 00:47:38,820 --> 00:47:43,020 You know, and so it's important for us to keep those priorities and keep that all in 603 00:47:43,020 --> 00:47:44,020 the forefront of our mind. 604 00:47:44,020 --> 00:47:49,500 And you know, Stephen Covey once said, he said, it's not about prioritizing our schedule, 605 00:47:49,500 --> 00:47:51,220 but it's about scheduling your priorities. 606 00:47:51,220 --> 00:47:52,220 Yeah. 607 00:47:52,220 --> 00:47:58,420 Now, it's really important that we get those in order and maybe even stack ranked to a 608 00:47:58,420 --> 00:47:59,420 degree. 609 00:47:59,420 --> 00:48:06,060 And one highest priority, that one needful thing should be our relationship with our 610 00:48:06,060 --> 00:48:08,600 Savior and Redeemer. 611 00:48:08,600 --> 00:48:16,860 And I think to do that, Scott, we need to somehow declutter and simplify our lives, 612 00:48:16,860 --> 00:48:25,840 not be like Martha where she was so cumbered about with serving that she couldn't prioritize 613 00:48:25,840 --> 00:48:29,500 the one needful thing. 614 00:48:29,500 --> 00:48:36,020 So I think that we have to kind of, really, as we begin this new year and examine and 615 00:48:36,020 --> 00:48:42,740 review our lives, we need to say, what can I cut out? 616 00:48:42,740 --> 00:48:43,740 What can I… 617 00:48:43,740 --> 00:48:45,580 How can I simplify it? 618 00:48:45,580 --> 00:48:50,940 It's really hard to think of Christ in every thought when we're always on our phones. 619 00:48:50,940 --> 00:48:55,940 Or always chasing the next deal or always whatever it is for any of us. 620 00:48:55,940 --> 00:48:59,620 I mean, because all of us have the ability to be distracted. 621 00:48:59,620 --> 00:49:02,940 And one of those distractions for a lot of us is being busy. 622 00:49:02,940 --> 00:49:06,100 We shouldn't mistake being busy with being productive. 623 00:49:06,100 --> 00:49:07,540 Yeah, exactly. 624 00:49:07,540 --> 00:49:08,540 For sure. 625 00:49:08,540 --> 00:49:14,060 Or being efficient when we can be more effective. 626 00:49:14,060 --> 00:49:20,780 I also think, Scott, that in all of this, it's important that we… 627 00:49:20,780 --> 00:49:28,420 I love the Muslim practice of when they pray five times a day, usually facing Mecca if 628 00:49:28,420 --> 00:49:30,420 they can. 629 00:49:30,420 --> 00:49:36,300 And you know, when I was in Egypt and I was awakened at four o'clock in the morning by 630 00:49:36,300 --> 00:49:43,420 the call to pray, I even got up and looked out my window and saw individuals in the street 631 00:49:43,420 --> 00:49:46,220 praying at that hour. 632 00:49:46,220 --> 00:49:58,100 And there was a man in the cathedral in Cairo who, as I sat and watched them pray at a certain 633 00:49:58,100 --> 00:50:02,380 hour, and he had a big white spot in his forehead. 634 00:50:02,380 --> 00:50:06,500 And I asked our guide, I said, what's that white spot? 635 00:50:06,500 --> 00:50:08,260 I thought it was paint or something. 636 00:50:08,260 --> 00:50:13,820 He had a round white spot on his forehead, on his dark-colored skin forehead. 637 00:50:13,820 --> 00:50:18,980 I said, what's the white paint spot, the round circle on his forehead? 638 00:50:18,980 --> 00:50:21,060 And she said, that's not paint. 639 00:50:21,060 --> 00:50:22,620 She said, look closer. 640 00:50:22,620 --> 00:50:26,340 And I got closer to him and it was a callus. 641 00:50:26,340 --> 00:50:34,380 It was a white skin callus, perfectly round from him touching the carpet there in the 642 00:50:34,380 --> 00:50:38,580 mosque praying five times a day. 643 00:50:38,580 --> 00:50:42,660 And you know, Scott, I think how do we live an intentional life? 644 00:50:42,660 --> 00:50:48,620 I think part of it is that we take time. 645 00:50:48,620 --> 00:50:56,420 We don't have a call, you know, from their mosques to pray five times a day. 646 00:50:56,420 --> 00:50:58,420 But we could do that ourselves. 647 00:50:58,420 --> 00:51:04,100 And I think to live an intentional life, partly at least, means to keep the injunction or 648 00:51:04,100 --> 00:51:12,220 the commandment that we've been given to pray always, to watch and pray always. 649 00:51:12,220 --> 00:51:14,940 It takes some time and effort to do that. 650 00:51:14,940 --> 00:51:16,140 Yeah, it does. 651 00:51:16,140 --> 00:51:24,180 To live that kind of a life where we pause and we meditate and we reflect on our blessings 652 00:51:24,180 --> 00:51:32,100 and the source of those blessings and our life and our day and our activities. 653 00:51:32,100 --> 00:51:36,580 And that takes some, again, it's not hard. 654 00:51:36,580 --> 00:51:37,580 But it does take effort. 655 00:51:37,580 --> 00:51:38,580 And it's not easy. 656 00:51:38,580 --> 00:51:39,580 No. 657 00:51:39,580 --> 00:51:41,420 But it is simple. 658 00:51:41,420 --> 00:51:48,460 And I hope that we can simplify our lives and live a life of intention or an intentional 659 00:51:48,460 --> 00:51:53,460 life by focusing more on Jesus Christ in our daily life this year. 660 00:51:53,460 --> 00:51:58,900 I think that's the key is just having that constant companionship with the Spirit because 661 00:51:58,900 --> 00:52:04,540 we have constant communication with our Heavenly Father. 662 00:52:04,540 --> 00:52:10,940 You know, in the 11th step of Alcoholics Anonymous states, we sought through prayer and meditation 663 00:52:10,940 --> 00:52:15,540 to maintain our conscious contact with God. 664 00:52:15,540 --> 00:52:19,260 And you know, if we're able to maintain that conscious contact with our Heavenly Father, 665 00:52:19,260 --> 00:52:21,180 and conscious, that's an action word. 666 00:52:21,180 --> 00:52:24,100 That means it requires effort from us. 667 00:52:24,100 --> 00:52:28,140 But if we maintain that conscious contact, if we are constantly in prayer, if we are 668 00:52:28,140 --> 00:52:35,340 responding to the sirens or the bells or the reminder bells in our own mind for our own 669 00:52:35,340 --> 00:52:42,620 prayers, for our own communion with Him, then all these things kind of work together synergistically 670 00:52:42,620 --> 00:52:45,440 to bring us closer to Him. 671 00:52:45,440 --> 00:52:52,420 And the promises that we've been given by a prophet when we could be more intentional 672 00:52:52,420 --> 00:52:55,500 is so worth the effort, Scott. 673 00:52:55,500 --> 00:53:00,340 And the main promise that we get through our intent of partaking of the sacrament that 674 00:53:00,340 --> 00:53:03,420 we may always have His Spirit to be with us. 675 00:53:03,420 --> 00:53:04,420 That's the answer. 676 00:53:04,420 --> 00:53:06,420 Well, thank you, Scott. 677 00:53:06,420 --> 00:53:09,300 Yeah, thanks for being with us, everybody. 678 00:53:09,300 --> 00:53:10,300 Happy New Year. 679 00:53:10,300 --> 00:53:13,180 We look forward to being with you during this season two. 680 00:53:13,180 --> 00:53:14,660 We got a few calls last week. 681 00:53:14,660 --> 00:53:19,460 Dave, people thought we were ending because of something I guess we said, but we are excited 682 00:53:19,460 --> 00:53:21,020 to start season two here. 683 00:53:21,020 --> 00:53:24,340 We hope that you'll continue to join us and be with us. 684 00:53:24,340 --> 00:53:27,580 Remember that He loves you and that you have been redeemed through His blood. 685 00:53:27,580 --> 00:53:28,580 Thanks for being with us. 686 00:53:28,580 --> 00:53:29,580 We'll see you next week.