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Well hello there everybody and welcome to another podcast of Redeemed Through His Blood.

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My name is Scott Durfey, I want to be the first to welcome you out today, but I have

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David Durfey here with me as well as always and he'd also like to welcome you all here.

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To be back Scott, I was in Orlando, man that was so fun, so fun to go to Orlando in this

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time of year and see some things, a few things I hadn't seen before.

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I'll touch on that today a little bit with our subject continuing our discussion of who

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are we?

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It's been a good week, great podcast last week, we've already had a few people reach

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out in response to that and as we sort of wrapped up, and I know we never wrap up the

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discussion about who we really are, that's probably a theme that just kind of looms throughout

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the entirety of the podcast, right, is just a remembrance of who we are.

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I know we'll talk a little bit about that today too as we begin to move into the fall

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of Adam and Eve and the fall of us all and all of those things, Dave, but I've been reflecting

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a lot and I've actually had an opportunity twice this week to share with a couple in

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one situation that we were really kind of struggling with their own spiritual identity

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and I think that through our Heavenly Father's Spirit, we've been able to maybe grasp a remembrance

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of who we are there and a couple other places.

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There's just great blessings that come from that, right?

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Yeah, no doubt about it.

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I've always loved the truth, the thought that has been shared by lots of different people

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in lots of different ways is that we are what we think.

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I think there was Alan many years ago, over a hundred years ago, wrote a book about that,

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that you're the sum of your thoughts.

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Some people say that you are the sum of your habits and all of that I think is to some

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degree true, but you know, quite a while ago, early in the morning, I was thinking about

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that and I actually wrote this down, Scott.

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More than your thoughts and actions determine who you are, knowing who you are determines

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your thoughts and actions and that just rings true to me that I know that none of us are

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perfect in our thoughts or in our actions, but if we were perfect in our knowledge and

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understanding or if we could, I don't know whether we'll ever be perfect in our understanding

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in this life of that either, but if we can truly know who we are, it definitely influences

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our thoughts and our actions.

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I think even more than our thoughts and actions determining who we are.

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So I think this is such an important topic, you know, we ended the last podcast saying

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of all the questions of life, so many questions that begin with where or what or how, I think

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the most important is the question that starts with who.

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You know, who are we and who is God?

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So maybe just following up on that just a little bit, Scott, we can talk other than

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being sons and daughters of God, who else are we?

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And not just who are we, but whose are we?

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I know we talked about that about a year ago in our first season.

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And that's always resonated with me is not just knowing who, but whose we are.

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Yeah.

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Knowing whose we are, I believe really makes a big, very significant difference in our

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lives, right?

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When members of Recovery start coming into rooms and they've been through their various

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demoralizing and desperation type of battles and so forth, and finally make a decision.

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And that's really the first three steps.

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First step is we came to believe that we were powerless over our lives, you know, and specifically

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alcohol or drugs or sexual addictions or whatever the addictions are that our lives have become

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unmanageable because we're powerless over that stuff.

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And then as we move into the second step, which is really, really speaks to what you're

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talking about here, as we move into that second step is we came to believe that a power greater

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than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

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From our lens, we see that higher power that can restore us to sanity is Jesus Christ and

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His power through His atonement.

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But we need to know that.

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And as we know Him and as we know that He can do that, then it moves us into that third

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step.

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And the third step is we make a decision to turn our will and our life over to Him, which

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is repentance, right?

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And so as we begin to do those things, move from step one to two to three where we actually

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have the ability to make that decision, that can't be made.

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That decision cannot be made without that knowing, David.

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Yeah.

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And those three steps are all supported by doctrine taught in the Book of Mormon, Scott.

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You know, that man is nothing.

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That's actually in Moses.

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Man is nothing.

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It's also in King Benjamin's address.

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Man is nothing.

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Remember your nothingness.

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It's also taught by Aaron and Moroni and others throughout the Book of Mormon that man can

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merit nothing of himself.

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Right?

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We're powerless.

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Yeah.

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Even if we could keep all the commandments, Scott, we would still go to hell because we

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are fallen.

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We're going to talk about the fall today, and we'll get into that.

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But we are, when it comes to our progression and our eternal life, we are meritless.

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And that is only through the merits and power and redemption of Jesus Christ that we are

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saved and can return to our heavenly homes.

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So and what was the third step, Scott?

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We make a decision to turn our will and our life over.

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Yeah.

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So when we know that Christ has purchased us, that we're purchased by his blood taught

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by, you know, Paul and others in the New Testament, that when we are, when we know that we are

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purchased or ransomed, then we have a desire that gives us the motivation and the desire

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to turn our will over to God.

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So knowing who we are and whose we are, again, I believe gives us all the motivation we need

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to do those things that we should do, need to do to return to our heavenly home.

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Not just motivation, but I believe there's power in that knowing.

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Definitely.

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I believe there's a great deal of power in knowing who I am, just in and of itself.

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But then I believe that power is compounded exponentially beyond our comprehension when

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we really have a understanding of whose we are.

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And if we really understand, and you said, you know, some of the most important questions

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we have to ask is who are we and who is he?

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Who is God?

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And if we know that, if we know who God is, man, that, the empowerment that comes from

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understanding that, and it's important that once we experience that empowerment, which

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we will, and we can, and we do if we ask for it and work for it and qualify for it, study

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for it, work to have the spirit in our lives, et cetera, but as we do that, then it's important

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that we remember that experience.

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Because so often times, and we see this, and I've seen it in my own life and we've seen

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it in others' lives as well, of those we love and many, many others, that sometimes we don't

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hang on to that memory, that remembrance, I should say.

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We need a little spiritual deja vu, you know, and get a little glimpse of who we were in

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the premoral existence, valiant, faithful, exceedingly faithful.

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We talked all about that last week.

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We need to get a, we just need to get a glimpse of that, Scott.

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And when we say whose we are, it kind of denotes that we belong to someone.

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And when we talk about belonging, we all want to belong.

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We have a need to belong.

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That is the essence, I think, of the human spirit, is we want to belong, and knowing

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whose we are, instead of just saying that we are sons and daughters of God, knowing

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that we belong to Him, that He feels that we belong to Him, it just becomes a little

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more intimate.

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And knowing that we are the spiritual, I didn't say spirit, we are the spirit sons and daughters

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of God, but we are also the spiritual sons and daughters of Jesus Christ.

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You know, that through making covenants, really through repentance and being redeemed and

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becoming born again and becoming clean, you know, the best scripture on that, I'll just

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turn to it real quick, is in Mosiah chapter 5, as King Benjamin has completed his amazing

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address at the temple, and as he's giving them a name in chapter 1, he talks about,

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I'm going to give you a new name, and they come to the temple, and he teaches them about

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the atonement of Jesus Christ, the coming of Christ, that Jesus is going to bleed from

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every poor, all of that.

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And then he says in verse 7, And now because of the covenant which ye have made, ye shall

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be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters.

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For behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you.

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For ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name.

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Therefore, ye are born of him, and have become his sons and his daughters.

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Well, so we are the sons and daughters of Jesus Christ.

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You know, we can have a relationship with brothers and sisters, Scott, that's always

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a sweet relationship, I know you have a sweet relationship with brothers and sisters, I

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do too.

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But it's a more intimate relationship to have a relationship with a child or parent relationship,

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that's just more intimate.

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And I know Jesus is our elder brother, but I know that, but I like to think of him more

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as being my spiritual father, the father of my spiritual, born again covenant life.

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When I think of him that way, and I think of how he purchased me, how I belong to him,

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whose I am, meaning a son of Christ, not just a son of Heavenly Father, it strengthens my

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relationship with Jesus Christ.

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So whose we are is an important question to also answer.

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And I think that another important, it's not really a question, but an important experience

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to go through that helps us to understand whose we are, and who we are for that matter,

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is to really know him, to really have that experience of coming to know him.

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There's a song, I Walk Today Where Jesus Walked, Along the Shores of Galilee, and all of that.

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And I love that song because it reminds me to ask myself the question, Scott, are you

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walking where Jesus walks?

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And I need to know him in order to know the answers to those questions, and we've talked

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about this.

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But we have, and I got this experience the other night as I was in a home of a family,

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and they're struggling with who they are and whose they are.

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And the struggle is in remembering those experiences, remembering I really do know him, and he really

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does know me, and going back and having those memories of those experiences that can help

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put our feet back on the ground in terms of all of that are so important.

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It's just so important that we really work, for Scott, for me, it's just important that

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I work daily to constantly come to know him even better.

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Right?

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Yeah, for sure, Scott.

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And Satan is constantly whispering and lying to us.

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And accusing us.

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And accusing us about who we are, and he is the master when it comes to identity theft.

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By the way, I read a while back ago, I think it was 22,000 people a day have their identity

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stolen.

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Really?

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22,000 a day.

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In the world?

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In the United States?

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In the world.

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Oh my goodness, yeah.

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Hundreds a minute, millions a year have their identities stolen.

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Wait, you said 22,000 a day.

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Right.

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Oh my gosh.

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A day.

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That's crazy.

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But I know where you're going with this.

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Satan is more successful than that.

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Millions.

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Every day he's deceiving and accusing and lying about who we are.

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And if we don't take control of answering that question for ourselves using the word

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of the Lord, then he's going to answer it for us.

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The world's going to answer it for us, really.

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I mean, he convinces us who we are because of the world.

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And you know, on that note, Scott, I just think it's so critical that we are just galvanized

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in our hearts and minds on knowing that we are sons and daughters of God and not allowing

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our tendencies to determine our identities, not allowing our culture to determine our

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identities.

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Our experiences even, especially those that we had no control of as little ones.

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There's so much.

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There's so much.

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You know, my heart, Scott, really goes out to the LGBTQ community.

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And you know, as a father of a son who identifies with the gay community and knowing something

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about that and the struggles, my heart just really sincerely goes out to them.

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And I love those people and I'm troubled about how the world misunderstands them, really.

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But sometimes they make that identity greater or even give it more priority, their sexual

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identity, than they do giving their spiritual identity the priority.

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Right.

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Yeah.

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That's not true with just that community.

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That's true with folks in addiction.

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That's true with folks who need to, and I really tread lightly around this, but folks

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who need to, and I say that very carefully, but folks who need to remain in their victimization.

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There's so much of our identity that is really distorted, really clouded by our experiences

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that we sometimes have in life.

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Remaining, I want you to follow up on that.

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Remaining in their victimization.

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What does that mean?

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Well, and like I said, Dave's-

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You and I have briefly talked about this and I really love what you taught me about this.

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And I know that it's true because I've seen it in my own life, the life of my family.

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What does that mean, Scott?

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Well, okay, so I can explain it best if first I qualify myself by saying I am about to describe

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who I once was.

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And I struggle still to stay out of this.

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I think we all do, Scott.

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I agree.

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I just don't want to come across as somebody who-

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At times in our life, we all see ourselves as victims and somehow we take, in some twisted,

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distorted way, we take pride in that.

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We sometimes wear it as a badge of honor.

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And that's wrong.

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It's a mistake to do that.

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So I only say that because I don't want to come across as an expert in any way on anything

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when it comes to this.

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I just know my own experience and my experience has been expanded as I have through the last

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25 almost years now been sponsoring men in recovery because this is a common theme, I

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think, among humans.

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We really find it to be pretty prevalent in the rooms of recovery or any place where people

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are struggling with their mental and emotional and other things, identity.

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And so what I mean by that is oftentimes, and we've talked about it, if you go back

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in season one, we really spend a lot of time, and we'll do it again here in the next few

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weeks, but we really spend a lot of time on the enabling powers and the compensating powers

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along with the redeeming powers that come from the atonement of Jesus Christ.

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Well, those enabling, which also can be, you can also use the word strengthening.

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So enabling, strengthening, if I can be enabled, I can be strengthened through the atonement

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of Jesus Christ.

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And I can also be compensated.

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And we've talked about that not only am I a victim, but I have victims, right?

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And so they can be-

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We sin and people sin against us.

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And they can be compensated.

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Oftentimes though, we'll have a situation where, honestly, David, for me, sometimes

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it was just easier to be a victim.

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It was just easier for me to be able to point my finger at a lot of different things.

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You know, Joe Walsh, one of the Eagles, they have a song, you get over it.

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And one of the stanzas in the song is you point your crooked little finger at everybody

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else, never willing to take responsibility.

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Three fingers pointing back at you.

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Yeah, exactly, at least, right?

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And so oftentimes, and I had this conversation again just recently with another person, but

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oftentimes because of our experiences, we let those experiences identify us.

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Rather than letting those experiences identify our relationship with him, with the Savior,

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we let them identify us because it's easier.

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It's easier for us to stay stuck than to make progress and move on.

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It takes less work.

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It takes way less work.

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Not only does it take less work, but now we're justified in our ridiculous, and maybe not

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ridiculous isn't the right word, but then we're justified in our behaviors that keep

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us stuck, that keep me from growing, that keep me from being what he would want me to

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be.

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And that staying stuck really serves us sometimes.

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You know, I wonder, and I hesitate to say this, but I've said it before, and I've heard

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it said that, you know, really in Heavenly Father's world, there's probably really no

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victims.

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The price has been paid, the compensation's being made, or will be.

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The enabling process is in process.

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All we have to do is embrace it and qualify for it.

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But yeah, I think that, I hope I did that justice, but I think that's what I mean.

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I don't want to sound accusatory.

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This is not an indictment on anybody, but maybe myself.

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But I think it's important that we understand that.

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Those are thoughts to think, Scott.

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Those are thoughts to think.

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And you and I have talked about that before in the past, off the air, so to speak.

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It's really run true with me personally.

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There's many times when I feel like I'm a victim, and we all do.

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And we are, we are, okay?

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We are.

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But if that becomes our identity, then that's a problem.

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If being straight becomes our identity, or being gay becomes our identity, that's a problem.

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Yeah.

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You know, that, because we are, I mean, that can be part of our identity.

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No doubt, no doubt.

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But if that becomes, if that takes precedence.

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Yes.

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If that takes precedence over whose we are.

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And really even who we are to the core.

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And who we are.

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Right.

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And who we really truly belong to.

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Right.

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You know, and we take deity out of it.

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Wow.

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It's kind of, it kind of goes to the C.S. Lewis discussion of putting first things first.

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If you don't put first things first, and you put second things first, then you not only

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lose the first things, but you're going to lose the second things.

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And everything else behind that.

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And everything behind that.

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I mean, it's really a fascinating philosophical discussion that C.S. Lewis presents in one

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of his books.

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But anyway, you've got to put first things first.

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And the first, primary, most important, sacred identity that we have to be focused on every

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day throughout the day, constantly, is that we are sons and daughters, spirit, sons and

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daughters of God, and spiritual, redeemed sons and daughters of Jesus Christ that He

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has purchased us.

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Right.

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And then there's Adam and Eve, and there's Abraham and Sarah, and we'll talk more about

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those.

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We have some great examples of both sides of this, right?

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I don't want to use any examples of people who want to stay stuck.

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We all know who we are in that case, and we're all that person to a degree.

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But we have some really good examples of those who have been through really difficult things,

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who could hang on to the victimization of what they've gone through, but they have come

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through the other side singing the song of redeeming love because they know they have

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been redeemed, and they know that the enabling and compensatory powers of the atonement have

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also been alive and well in their life.

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And we've had that example just recently with Jorie and Mandy Norton, right?

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Here's a couple, David, that have been through just all kinds of challenges that are beyond

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me.

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I mean, you can relate to a lot of the challenges that they had because they were just struggling

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to bring children into their family.

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Well, they finally get one eight months later while they're in the temple, dies when a babysitter's

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with it.

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And if anybody could be better, if anybody could be a victim.

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And so I guess the question is what makes the difference?

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And I think the answer is our relationship.

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Our relationship, and we're going to, as you say, get into this later in this podcast weeks

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from now, is really truly understanding.

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Understanding, that means with our hearts, not just our minds.

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Understanding the atonement of Jesus Christ and the plan of redemption and what He actually

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did for us and the powers that are available to us.

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So we'll get into that.

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But maybe for the rest of today, I want to read this scripture from 3rd Nephi chapter

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20.

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We read this, and this is Christ speaking.

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Behold, ye are the children of the prophets, children of the prophets, and ye are of the

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house of Israel.

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And ye are of the covenant which the Father made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham,

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and in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.

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And then it goes on, verse 26, ye are the children of the covenant.

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Well I think that's an essential part of our identity in knowing whose we are, that we

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are sons and daughters of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Rebekah, Jacob, and whichever tribe

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that we may be from.

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You know, as a functioning patriarch, it's such an important part of a patriarchal blessing

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that is underappreciated, I think, by most people in their patriarchal blessings that

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by revelation, by revelation, we can know that we are sons and daughters of Israel.

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And I believe in most cases, that's literal, there may be a few cases where it may be by

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adoption, which doesn't matter, it's as though they were born into the covenant.

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But I think that's really important if we understood the Abrahamic covenant, Scott,

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and so many don't, they don't understand the promises and the responsibilities that

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are associated with the Abrahamic covenant.

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I know Elder Bednar many years ago said that if he was a missionary preparing to go on

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a mission, that the most important missionary prep that he feels that anyone could make

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would be to understand two things.

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The Abrahamic covenant and the atonement of Jesus Christ.

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And I've thought a lot about that over the years and have concluded that he's right.

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I would just add that in connection with the atonement of Jesus Christ, they need to understand

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the fall of Adam and Eve as well in order to appreciate the atonement of Jesus Christ,

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so I would just say those three things.

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But three events.

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I think that knowing that we are Abrahams, that knowing who Father Abraham, that's what

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he's called in the Scriptures, Father Abraham, there's even one place in the Scriptures,

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Scott, where the reference is made the Gospel of Abraham.

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You know, we always thank God for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but there's been a few times

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in my prayers where I've thanked God for the Gospel of Abraham, which I believe is about

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families.

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The Gospel of Abraham to me, as I've concluded, is that families can be together forever.

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That they're in a covenant.

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And that no matter what happens, no matter how bad things may be, no matter how bad things

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may go, that if parents keep their covenants, that they will have an eternal family.

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Now, children can choose, all of that I understand, children cannot want that, can go away from

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that, but they'll still be sealed if that's the desire of the parents and if the parents

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are worthy.

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I asked Brother Matthews once about some of the promises given by the prophets.

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Joseph Smith, I won't take time to read all these, these are all probably well-known and

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have been repeated in general conference talks about Orson F. Whitney quoting what Joseph

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Smith said about being sealed and about wayward children and, you know, Brigham Young made

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this Lorenzo Snow, that's I think one of my favorites is Lorenzo Snow where he says,

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As sure as the sun comes over yonder mountains, parents will be sealed to their children for

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time and eternity if parents keep their covenants.

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I just had a sweet couple in my home a few nights ago, Scott.

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Wow, it was tender, it was just really pulled at my heartstrings, it's kind of a yours-mine-and-ours,

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they had both been previously married and divorced, then they have been married and

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sealed and they have these children from previous partners, they've been sealed and some of

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those children have been sealed to them and things are unraveling a bit in their family

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and the mother was weeping about the fact that she's losing her children and we had

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a discussion about the importance of the covenant, which I think is again the Gospel of Abraham,

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the covenant of Abraham, families being sealed for time and all eternity, and gave her a

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blessing and just told her, you're an eternal mother, you're going to be an eternal mother

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to your children if that's the desire of your heart and you walk the covenant path.

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So I just know that that's a really important part of what we're talking about is knowing

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that we are the children of prophets and patriarchs and that we participate fully in the Gospel

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or covenant of Abraham, that we can have seed forever and ever and ever.

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I think it's about having the priesthood forever and ever and ever, we have a responsibility

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to bless the world with the Gospel forever and ever and ever.

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Anyway, there's so many great promises that have been given to us as a result of knowing

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whose we are as sons and daughters of prophets and patriarchs.

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You know, Deb and I are one of those families, we are a blended family and we have hers and

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00:32:02,500 --> 00:32:08,080
mine and ours, but the ours came by way of grandchildren, right?

404
00:32:08,080 --> 00:32:13,040
And so we relate to that and I also relate to that, you know, I knew that covenant when

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I was on my wayward path.

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And even though, and I've said this before and you know, many of you are like, how could

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00:32:19,860 --> 00:32:22,040
you with a testimony be so wayward?

408
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And well, I was and I did have a testimony the whole time, I knew.

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But because I had that testimony, I kept praying, not praying really, but you know, of sorts

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thinking, man, I hope my mom and dad are keeping their covenants.

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That's sweet.

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You know?

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And they were.

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And they were and they are and they have been faithful from the beginning that way.

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And I know that that has not just provided me power in the eternities, but that it helped

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me here too, Dave.

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Not just my covenants, but their covenants have helped me too.

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But then, you know, we struggle with that.

419
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You know, we have, I have four children from a previous marriage and Deb has three children

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from a previous marriage.

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And we, we have battled, not really because we have an understanding, but there are times

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when it gets a little struggle.

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And some of our children have made choices to walk a different path.

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And that's OK for them.

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That's OK.

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But I love it when I go to the temple and they're towards the very end.

427
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I get reminded of that promise.

428
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I sometimes just weep as that promise comes to me because not just the, not just the words,

429
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not just falling in my ears, but the spirit falling on me and, and just absolutely bearing

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00:33:36,180 --> 00:33:38,720
witness in my soul that that's true.

431
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And man, I love that promise.

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It's so beautiful.

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That story of Abraham and Sarah is just to me one of the greatest stories that's been

434
00:33:46,440 --> 00:33:51,600
preserved in the Holy Scriptures about all they wanted, Scott, all they wanted was an

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eternal family.

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You know, Abraham cries out, you know, in Abraham, chapter one, the Pearl of Great Price,

437
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that all he wants is happiness, the desires and the anyway.

438
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And you can just hear that he just they want to have a family.

439
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He wants to be a dad.

440
00:34:09,960 --> 00:34:11,720
He wants to be a father.

441
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She wants to be a mom and a mother.

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And they don't have kids until she's like 90 years old.

443
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I mean, think how long they waited.

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And I love the description that Paul gives them in Hebrews where he says, you know, that

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00:34:27,320 --> 00:34:31,760
they they could see things afar off.

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But there must have been some days where they wondered, are we ever going to have an eternal

447
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family?

448
00:34:37,240 --> 00:34:45,520
But that that promise was fulfilled in every word, in every wit of the promise.

449
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And it will be for us.

450
00:34:46,520 --> 00:34:49,600
And it's continuously being fulfilled continually.

451
00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:51,280
Yeah, continually.

452
00:34:51,280 --> 00:34:59,520
So anyway, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, another great love story.

453
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And Jacob and all of the tribes of Israel.

454
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And another day we'll talk about the importance of the tribes.

455
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And I think I've shared a story about that before.

456
00:35:08,680 --> 00:35:10,600
But let's talk.

457
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Let's talk now about what it means to be that we belong to Adam and Eve and knowing that

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who we are and whose we are as fallen sons and daughters of Adam and Eve and that we

459
00:35:26,160 --> 00:35:33,920
have experienced the this the fallen nature that they brought into the world.

460
00:35:33,920 --> 00:35:42,160
And I think these two individuals are Adam, we know to be Michael, the great archangel

461
00:35:42,160 --> 00:35:49,280
who helped Jesus Christ create the world, who was chosen to come down and Eve, who would

462
00:35:49,280 --> 00:35:55,740
have been foredained one of the greatest women ever, pre mortally, mortally, right there

463
00:35:55,740 --> 00:36:04,400
with Mary, the mother of Jesus and other great women like that, Soraya, Sarah and so many

464
00:36:04,400 --> 00:36:08,120
others, so many living today like them.

465
00:36:08,120 --> 00:36:15,080
But these two individuals come down, having learned the plan of redemption in the pre

466
00:36:15,080 --> 00:36:21,000
mortal existence, and they come down and there is a veil of forgetfulness.

467
00:36:21,000 --> 00:36:26,680
They've been told that they need to multiply and replenish the earth.

468
00:36:26,680 --> 00:36:29,280
That's the commandment they've been given.

469
00:36:29,280 --> 00:36:34,160
And then they've also been commanded that if you partake of that fruit, nevertheless

470
00:36:34,160 --> 00:36:39,080
it says in the scriptures, nevertheless you may choose for yourself.

471
00:36:39,080 --> 00:36:45,000
But God has to give it as a commandment because if he doesn't there won't be consequences.

472
00:36:45,000 --> 00:36:51,000
So it has to be a commandment that if you partake of that fruit, the fruit, the knowledge

473
00:36:51,000 --> 00:36:56,280
of the tree of good and evil, you will die.

474
00:36:56,280 --> 00:36:58,260
You will die.

475
00:36:58,260 --> 00:37:07,280
So you can choose for yourself, but I'm telling you not to partake of it or you will die.

476
00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:11,040
So this gives Adam and Eve agency.

477
00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:13,800
All commandments do give us agency.

478
00:37:13,800 --> 00:37:16,000
We can make a choice.

479
00:37:16,000 --> 00:37:18,200
God honors that.

480
00:37:18,200 --> 00:37:23,160
And yet they have this first commandment given to them to multiply and replenish the earth.

481
00:37:23,160 --> 00:37:28,600
And Eve understands that in their innocent state, and we don't know if it's that they

482
00:37:28,600 --> 00:37:33,480
couldn't or that they wouldn't have children, you know, the difference, and we don't know

483
00:37:33,480 --> 00:37:43,680
which it was, but that she finally decided that after being beguiled, deceived by Satan,

484
00:37:43,680 --> 00:37:50,600
maybe because the timing wasn't right or because of other factors that were beguiled as used

485
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:58,480
in the scriptures and in the Holy Temple, that Satan tells her the great lie.

486
00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:03,720
He tells her about six truths and then hits her with the great lie.

487
00:38:03,720 --> 00:38:10,160
You shall not surely die, but shall become as the gods, knowing good and evil.

488
00:38:10,160 --> 00:38:13,540
Well, so there's a lie mixed with the truth.

489
00:38:13,540 --> 00:38:15,040
In the same sentence.

490
00:38:15,040 --> 00:38:19,000
And that's the way he usually deceives us.

491
00:38:19,000 --> 00:38:24,460
So she partakes and then she gets Adam to partake and we know that story.

492
00:38:24,460 --> 00:38:30,960
But I love, just really love, and so grateful they've included this in the endowment the

493
00:38:30,960 --> 00:38:36,320
last few years of Eve and what she says.

494
00:38:36,320 --> 00:38:40,840
This is, keep in mind, this is after they have fallen.

495
00:38:40,840 --> 00:38:47,000
And Eve, his wife, heard all these things and was glad, saying, were it not for our

496
00:38:47,000 --> 00:38:54,720
transgression, we, number one, never should have had seed.

497
00:38:54,720 --> 00:38:59,280
And number two, never should have known good and evil.

498
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:05,000
And number three, and never should have known the joy of our redemption.

499
00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:11,480
And four, the eternal life which God giveth unto the obedient.

500
00:39:11,480 --> 00:39:18,000
And Adam and Eve blessed the name of God and they made all these things known unto their

501
00:39:18,000 --> 00:39:19,520
sons and their daughters.

502
00:39:19,520 --> 00:39:21,800
What's the reference on that?

503
00:39:21,800 --> 00:39:26,320
That's Moses 5, 11 and 12.

504
00:39:26,320 --> 00:39:32,840
Even Moses in verse 10, or I'm sorry, Adam, Adam in verse 10, blesses God and was filled

505
00:39:32,840 --> 00:39:37,720
and began to prophesy concerning all the families of the earth, saying, blessed be the name

506
00:39:37,720 --> 00:39:48,680
of God, for because of my transgression, Adam, thanking God for the fall, because of my transgression

507
00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:54,480
my eyes are opened and in this life I shall have joy and again in the flesh I shall see

508
00:39:54,480 --> 00:39:55,480
God.

509
00:39:55,480 --> 00:40:04,400
Well, it just really strikes me, Scott, that we should all be so grateful and rejoicing

510
00:40:04,400 --> 00:40:11,880
that we are fallen sons and daughters of Adam and Eve and that because of their transgression

511
00:40:11,880 --> 00:40:21,440
we have come to a mortal earth with flesh and blood and that we are corruptible and

512
00:40:21,440 --> 00:40:31,280
that we are powerless, back to your three steps, and that we are completely dependent

513
00:40:31,280 --> 00:40:40,680
upon a savior and a redeemer and understanding the fall ultimately and knowing who we are

514
00:40:40,680 --> 00:40:50,440
as fallen beings, as sinners or sinners who keep on trying the definition of a saint,

515
00:40:50,440 --> 00:40:58,360
that we are all lost sheep, as Isaiah, all we like sheep have gone astray, it's Isaiah

516
00:40:58,360 --> 00:41:08,280
quoted by Amulek, and that we are all prodigals and knowing that we are all of that, we're

517
00:41:08,280 --> 00:41:17,520
lost sheep, we're lost coins, we are prodigals, the three parables in Luke 15, that then we

518
00:41:17,520 --> 00:41:29,360
can come to know of our complete, total, absolute dependence upon Jesus Christ and His atonement.

519
00:41:29,360 --> 00:41:33,660
So if it hadn't have been for that transgression then we wouldn't, are you saying, be able

520
00:41:33,660 --> 00:41:37,400
to have that experience of being so close to Him?

521
00:41:37,400 --> 00:41:42,280
We would not appreciate our dependence upon Him.

522
00:41:42,280 --> 00:41:49,120
We would not have the opportunity to have a savior and a redeemer, which was absolutely

523
00:41:49,120 --> 00:41:58,920
necessary for us to progress and become like God by overcoming the world and overcoming

524
00:41:58,920 --> 00:42:07,160
the flesh through a savior and redeemer, through the blood, through the blood of Christ.

525
00:42:07,160 --> 00:42:15,160
So knowing who we are and whose we are includes knowing that we're sons and daughters of Adam

526
00:42:15,160 --> 00:42:21,240
and Eve, that we're all carnal, that we're all sensual, that we're all devilish.

527
00:42:21,240 --> 00:42:29,240
And to, I don't know, I talked about this a year ago, but when's the last time you thanked

528
00:42:29,240 --> 00:42:31,440
God for the fall?

529
00:42:31,440 --> 00:42:38,200
When's the last time we heard that in a prayer in church, that we're thankful for the fall?

530
00:42:38,200 --> 00:42:39,640
Adam and Eve felt thankful for it.

531
00:42:39,640 --> 00:42:44,120
I think we should feel thankful for it.

532
00:42:44,120 --> 00:42:45,560
I've tried to thank Him for it.

533
00:42:45,560 --> 00:42:48,080
I tried to thank Him for it this morning.

534
00:42:48,080 --> 00:42:50,520
And I'm thankful that I'm immortal.

535
00:42:50,520 --> 00:42:52,680
I'm thankful that I've fallen.

536
00:42:52,680 --> 00:43:02,920
And I'm sorry that I've sinned, but so, so, so grateful for a savior and redeemer who can

537
00:43:02,920 --> 00:43:08,760
heal and lift and forgive.

538
00:43:08,760 --> 00:43:15,040
So knowing that we're fallen and that we'll always be fallen, Scott, we talk about, you

539
00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:21,540
know, we keep seeking, we keep seeking, I think, in the church.

540
00:43:21,540 --> 00:43:29,560
We have this problem of perfectionism, and I think we have a problem that's called meritocracy,

541
00:43:29,560 --> 00:43:39,920
where we seek to have merits, to rise above, to get into the leadership positions and rise

542
00:43:39,920 --> 00:43:42,080
above and be more righteous.

543
00:43:42,080 --> 00:43:49,920
And I don't know, it can be kind of a ferris ache, really, like the Jews, where we think

544
00:43:49,920 --> 00:43:54,240
that positions somehow make us more righteous.

545
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:59,800
I mean, really, even in our righteousness, Scott, we still have no merits.

546
00:43:59,800 --> 00:44:04,720
Our righteousness or keeping the commandments or being obedient doesn't earn us more merits.

547
00:44:04,720 --> 00:44:08,160
No, but it does begin to qualify us for His merits.

548
00:44:08,160 --> 00:44:09,160
Yes, absolutely.

549
00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:10,160
And that's-

550
00:44:10,160 --> 00:44:13,800
Having church position or leadership doesn't give us more merits.

551
00:44:13,800 --> 00:44:15,400
No, no.

552
00:44:15,400 --> 00:44:16,840
But you're right.

553
00:44:16,840 --> 00:44:22,080
Yeah, and that's important for us to understand.

554
00:44:22,080 --> 00:44:26,720
It's important for us to do our best, but for the right reason too, right?

555
00:44:26,720 --> 00:44:31,320
Because I think that's where sometimes it can get a little cloudy.

556
00:44:31,320 --> 00:44:35,520
I think so often times, we think, oh, what a great guy.

557
00:44:35,520 --> 00:44:36,840
Yeah, he's been a bishop.

558
00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:38,120
Oh, what a great guy.

559
00:44:38,120 --> 00:44:40,040
Yeah, he was such a great missionary.

560
00:44:40,040 --> 00:44:43,280
Oh, what a great sister she is.

561
00:44:43,280 --> 00:44:47,760
Oh my gosh, she was the most wonderful, stake young women's president.

562
00:44:47,760 --> 00:44:52,640
And we begin to pin these little honorary badges.

563
00:44:52,640 --> 00:45:00,640
But where in reality, much of who we are and much of that stuff that gets us close to Him,

564
00:45:00,640 --> 00:45:04,680
it can be seen by others, but it can't really be seen sometimes by others.

565
00:45:04,680 --> 00:45:07,800
In other words, people can see it because of the way we live our lives, because of the

566
00:45:07,800 --> 00:45:10,520
way we react or don't react in certain situations.

567
00:45:10,520 --> 00:45:18,320
But it really has nothing to do with our, should we call it, religiosity resume, for

568
00:45:18,320 --> 00:45:19,320
example.

569
00:45:19,320 --> 00:45:20,320
Yeah.

570
00:45:20,320 --> 00:45:21,320
Yeah.

571
00:45:21,320 --> 00:45:26,160
It's important too, Scott, that we understand the universal nature of this fall.

572
00:45:26,160 --> 00:45:32,680
I mean, I used to ask my students, are babies falling?

573
00:45:32,680 --> 00:45:37,680
And honestly, 90% of the class would say no.

574
00:45:37,680 --> 00:45:41,920
Only about 10% of my students would say babies are falling.

575
00:45:41,920 --> 00:45:45,140
Now babies are falling.

576
00:45:45,140 --> 00:45:47,120
They come into a fallen world.

577
00:45:47,120 --> 00:45:54,520
They feel they are absolutely fallen sons and daughters of God.

578
00:45:54,520 --> 00:46:01,040
However, the atonement of Jesus Christ covers them unconditionally.

579
00:46:01,040 --> 00:46:06,200
And when we talk about the atonement of Jesus Christ, we'll get into the conditional and

580
00:46:06,200 --> 00:46:11,240
the unconditional effects of the atonement of Jesus Christ.

581
00:46:11,240 --> 00:46:16,760
But look at Mosiah chapter 3, verse 16.

582
00:46:16,760 --> 00:46:24,120
It says, this is King Benjamin again, his amazing address, and talking about the atonement,

583
00:46:24,120 --> 00:46:28,520
the need we have for the atonement of Jesus Christ.

584
00:46:28,520 --> 00:46:35,160
Verse 16, and even if it were possible that little children could sin, they could not

585
00:46:35,160 --> 00:46:36,480
be saved.

586
00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:41,840
So he's saying, okay, we don't believe little children can sin because we learn in Doctrine

587
00:46:41,840 --> 00:46:46,960
and Covenants, actually, section 29, that Satan doesn't have power to tempt them.

588
00:46:46,960 --> 00:46:51,160
Well the reason Satan doesn't have power to tempt them is because the atonement of Jesus

589
00:46:51,160 --> 00:46:54,180
Christ has covered them.

590
00:46:54,180 --> 00:47:01,080
This is one of the laws, or one of the boundaries, that is put on Satan that he cannot tempt

591
00:47:01,080 --> 00:47:03,280
little children before they're accountable.

592
00:47:03,280 --> 00:47:04,280
Okay?

593
00:47:04,280 --> 00:47:06,280
And then it goes on, so let me start over.

594
00:47:06,280 --> 00:47:12,840
Even if it were possible that little children could sin, they could not be saved.

595
00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:15,680
But I say unto you, they are blessed.

596
00:47:15,680 --> 00:47:22,880
For behold, as in Adam, or by nature they fall, we're speaking children here, as in

597
00:47:22,880 --> 00:47:32,480
Adam, or by nature they fall, even so the blood of Christ atoneth for their sins.

598
00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:38,440
For their sins, it talks about, I don't know, it's a difference really, it's all semantics

599
00:47:38,440 --> 00:47:45,720
to me, difference between sins and transgressions, but here he says that Christ covers little

600
00:47:45,720 --> 00:47:47,880
children's sins.

601
00:47:47,880 --> 00:47:51,720
Well maybe they have the light of Christ too, then maybe they're not tempted, but maybe

602
00:47:51,720 --> 00:47:56,240
they do sin because they go against the light of Christ, or whatever.

603
00:47:56,240 --> 00:48:00,160
I don't know, that's a philosophical discussion for another time.

604
00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:07,640
But little children are fallen, and Christ's atonement unconditionally covers them.

605
00:48:07,640 --> 00:48:09,680
Prophets are fallen.

606
00:48:09,680 --> 00:48:12,040
We're all natural men.

607
00:48:12,040 --> 00:48:16,080
We're all at times enemies to God.

608
00:48:16,080 --> 00:48:24,080
That's also in King Benjamin's address, verse 19 says, for the natural man is an enemy to

609
00:48:24,080 --> 00:48:32,240
God and has been from the fall of Adam and will be forever and ever, unless he yields

610
00:48:32,240 --> 00:48:39,880
to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and puts off the natural man and becomeeth a saint

611
00:48:39,880 --> 00:48:44,720
through the atonement of Christ the Lord and becomeeth as a child, submissive, meek, humble,

612
00:48:44,720 --> 00:48:50,320
patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict

613
00:48:50,320 --> 00:48:54,640
upon him even as a child does submit to his Father.

614
00:48:54,640 --> 00:49:04,880
Well the truth is, none of us are perfect in yielding to the enticings of the Holy Spirit.

615
00:49:04,880 --> 00:49:09,120
And as a result, we all sin every day.

616
00:49:09,120 --> 00:49:12,120
We're all sinners.

617
00:49:12,120 --> 00:49:17,240
I was listening to a golf thing the other day, Scott, and the commentator was describing

618
00:49:17,240 --> 00:49:22,080
this great golfer who's really made a lot of progress and they were talking about the

619
00:49:22,080 --> 00:49:32,560
progress that he's made and they said, you know, he no longer is chasing perfection.

620
00:49:32,560 --> 00:49:34,520
And that just kind of struck me.

621
00:49:34,520 --> 00:49:36,440
And now I know what they meant.

622
00:49:36,440 --> 00:49:44,280
This golfer had become so obsessed with his swing that instead of just going with the

623
00:49:44,280 --> 00:49:52,680
flow and playing by feel and, you know, working hard at improving his game, but he was no

624
00:49:52,680 --> 00:50:01,440
longer chasing perfection or so hung up or obsessed with every little single detail of

625
00:50:01,440 --> 00:50:05,480
his swing that it freed him up.

626
00:50:05,480 --> 00:50:09,040
It had just totally freed up his swing.

627
00:50:09,040 --> 00:50:15,960
And it had become more intuitive and more smooth, more powerful.

628
00:50:15,960 --> 00:50:18,440
I think our lives are a little bit like that.

629
00:50:18,440 --> 00:50:19,440
What a great analogy.

630
00:50:19,440 --> 00:50:21,840
I agree.

631
00:50:21,840 --> 00:50:26,420
We don't need to stress out about our imperfections.

632
00:50:26,420 --> 00:50:29,200
We should celebrate that we're human.

633
00:50:29,200 --> 00:50:32,000
And we should remember to have fun while we're doing it.

634
00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:37,580
That's one of those things that sometimes professional athletes, I've heard it complained

635
00:50:37,580 --> 00:50:39,960
about a lot, professional.

636
00:50:39,960 --> 00:50:45,520
I heard a skier from the US ski team talking about that.

637
00:50:45,520 --> 00:50:46,920
It just wasn't fun anymore.

638
00:50:46,920 --> 00:50:52,240
And until I learned to have fun again and just ski, then I began to love it.

639
00:50:52,240 --> 00:50:54,480
But our lives are like that too, right?

640
00:50:54,480 --> 00:50:57,120
I think I have a great example of that.

641
00:50:57,120 --> 00:51:03,440
My own family with my sweetheart, how life had become so miserable for her because she

642
00:51:03,440 --> 00:51:12,080
just was trying so hard to chase perfection and could never come close to reaching it.

643
00:51:12,080 --> 00:51:17,280
And I came home one day from work and the children are running around and things are

644
00:51:17,280 --> 00:51:23,360
all chaotic, which was a little unusual and no sight of their mother.

645
00:51:23,360 --> 00:51:26,360
And I said, hey guys, where's mom?

646
00:51:26,360 --> 00:51:29,760
And I think it was Taylor who said, oh, she's upstairs crying.

647
00:51:29,760 --> 00:51:31,840
He was kind of proud to tell me that.

648
00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:34,160
Oh, she's upstairs crying.

649
00:51:34,160 --> 00:51:36,240
I said, okay.

650
00:51:36,240 --> 00:51:42,800
I walk carefully walk upstairs and quietly open the door to our bedroom and she's face

651
00:51:42,800 --> 00:51:45,680
down in a pillow weeping.

652
00:51:45,680 --> 00:51:50,680
And I, sweetheart, sweetheart, what's wrong?

653
00:51:50,680 --> 00:52:00,600
And I remember her sad, defeated face turning around and looking at me and saying, David,

654
00:52:00,600 --> 00:52:04,480
I will never be good enough.

655
00:52:04,480 --> 00:52:08,840
I sat there and thought about what she was saying for a minute and I wasn't trying to

656
00:52:08,840 --> 00:52:11,600
be cavalier or casual about it.

657
00:52:11,600 --> 00:52:18,520
And I just, I just put out my arms and I said, well, sweetheart, welcome to the club.

658
00:52:18,520 --> 00:52:20,280
Welcome to the club.

659
00:52:20,280 --> 00:52:25,920
None of us will ever be good enough in this life.

660
00:52:25,920 --> 00:52:28,440
That's why we needed a savior.

661
00:52:28,440 --> 00:52:35,720
We, we should sometimes have her share hers, her side of this story.

662
00:52:35,720 --> 00:52:43,400
She, she told me later that it was like when she heard that welcome to the club.

663
00:52:43,400 --> 00:52:46,240
I don't think that that part impressed her too much.

664
00:52:46,240 --> 00:52:47,240
Yeah.

665
00:52:47,240 --> 00:52:52,280
But when she heard we will never be good enough in this life.

666
00:52:52,280 --> 00:52:53,280
Right.

667
00:52:53,280 --> 00:52:55,520
And that's why we needed a savior.

668
00:52:55,520 --> 00:52:57,720
It can, it completely flipped her.

669
00:52:57,720 --> 00:53:01,000
I mean, she said it was like a thousand lights came on Scott.

670
00:53:01,000 --> 00:53:04,680
And all of a sudden she said, Oh, Oh, and the thought came into her mind.

671
00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:15,240
You never will be good enough, but because I was good enough, you are good enough.

672
00:53:15,240 --> 00:53:19,360
And it totally changed her perspective on life.

673
00:53:19,360 --> 00:53:29,760
It totally Scott freed her up and she began to find more joy in life.

674
00:53:29,760 --> 00:53:36,880
Not, not, not in, not in her imperfection, not in her sins, but that she knew that that

675
00:53:36,880 --> 00:53:41,640
was all just part of life that that God's not surprised that we sin.

676
00:53:41,640 --> 00:53:46,800
It was part of the plan that we would transgress that we would be fallen, that we would sin

677
00:53:46,800 --> 00:53:48,400
and be sinners.

678
00:53:48,400 --> 00:53:51,920
That was all part of life than the plan.

679
00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:53,960
So get over it.

680
00:53:53,960 --> 00:53:58,760
But, but you know what Chris was feeling, that's pretty prominent.

681
00:53:58,760 --> 00:54:04,720
And I don't know if it's anecdotally, I will say it may be more even prominent in our culture

682
00:54:04,720 --> 00:54:11,280
within the church because of our standards and sometimes because of our misunderstanding

683
00:54:11,280 --> 00:54:14,960
of where our emphasis emphasis should be laid.

684
00:54:14,960 --> 00:54:15,960
Right.

685
00:54:15,960 --> 00:54:21,120
And so often we, I know we've been taught it and it's important and you know, but we

686
00:54:21,120 --> 00:54:27,880
have focused so much on doing, doing, doing, doing, and not so much on being, you know,

687
00:54:27,880 --> 00:54:34,400
I loved it when president Hinckley many years ago came out with the book.

688
00:54:34,400 --> 00:54:39,500
I don't know if he called it the B attitudes, but it was talking about who to be, how we

689
00:54:39,500 --> 00:54:45,680
should be, you know, and really I can't do enough.

690
00:54:45,680 --> 00:54:47,000
But I can be enough.

691
00:54:47,000 --> 00:54:50,380
We had a great, we had a great example of this in our stake.

692
00:54:50,380 --> 00:54:55,520
We had word conference just a couple of weeks ago and it was such a wonderful state president.

693
00:54:55,520 --> 00:55:00,200
We have a fairly new state presidency and president abuse in our state presidency stood

694
00:55:00,200 --> 00:55:04,820
up and you know what his overriding message was to the entire ward.

695
00:55:04,820 --> 00:55:06,560
You're good enough.

696
00:55:06,560 --> 00:55:09,540
You are good enough.

697
00:55:09,540 --> 00:55:14,400
We beat ourselves up so bad because I think that we mistakenly have these bellwethers

698
00:55:14,400 --> 00:55:18,680
that we measure ourselves against that they're not accurate.

699
00:55:18,680 --> 00:55:19,680
Right.

700
00:55:19,680 --> 00:55:25,720
We, none of us will ever do enough or do good enough, but we can be the right person as

701
00:55:25,720 --> 00:55:30,320
we begin to qualify for the atonement and the power of it in our lives.

702
00:55:30,320 --> 00:55:31,520
Yes.

703
00:55:31,520 --> 00:55:33,320
Through the spirit of the Holy Ghost.

704
00:55:33,320 --> 00:55:34,320
Yes.

705
00:55:34,320 --> 00:55:41,040
Yeah, it's really sad Scott, how some people in the church have become so obsessed with

706
00:55:41,040 --> 00:55:50,040
meritocracy and perfectionism that they have really lost sight of who and whose they are.

707
00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:58,000
I mean they become like Pharisees and Sadducees who believe that there are 613 commandments

708
00:55:58,000 --> 00:56:04,000
that they have to keep and if they break any one of them, they have to be flogged and so

709
00:56:04,000 --> 00:56:12,040
they flog or shame themselves, beat themselves up and thus goes their miserable life day

710
00:56:12,040 --> 00:56:14,640
after day after day.

711
00:56:14,640 --> 00:56:24,880
Well I love the title of the book, you know, by President Nelson, Perfection is Pending.

712
00:56:24,880 --> 00:56:28,740
We have to stop chasing perfection in this life.

713
00:56:28,740 --> 00:56:30,200
It's not possible.

714
00:56:30,200 --> 00:56:35,880
Brigham Young came out and said, we will never be free from the fall in this life.

715
00:56:35,880 --> 00:56:39,320
We will never be free from sin in this life.

716
00:56:39,320 --> 00:56:43,520
Sin taints our life every day.

717
00:56:43,520 --> 00:56:50,240
If we're not sinning, people are sinning around us and it affects us every day.

718
00:56:50,240 --> 00:56:57,800
And I just, that's mortality and we should rejoice in a Savior and Redeemer who covers

719
00:56:57,800 --> 00:57:07,960
us who God has provided for us as Adam and Eve, you know, as they rejoiced because they

720
00:57:07,960 --> 00:57:17,440
knew that the redemption was only possible because of God providing a Savior.

721
00:57:17,440 --> 00:57:22,720
So I think that Scott, we should celebrate our humanness.

722
00:57:22,720 --> 00:57:27,780
We should celebrate our fall, even our fall in nature.

723
00:57:27,780 --> 00:57:33,740
We should continually daily be repenting through the atonement of Jesus Christ of our sins.

724
00:57:33,740 --> 00:57:40,180
We should have great godly sorrow and remorse when we sin and there's every kind of degree

725
00:57:40,180 --> 00:57:49,180
of sin possible from our thoughts in our hearts to actions and terrible things that are done

726
00:57:49,180 --> 00:57:51,220
in this world.

727
00:57:51,220 --> 00:57:58,540
But if we'll just understand again that we are sons and daughters of Adam and Eve and

728
00:57:58,540 --> 00:58:07,040
that through the flesh that we are carnal, that we are sensual and that we are devilish.

729
00:58:07,040 --> 00:58:14,800
Anyway, knowing and celebrating our fall in nature, Scott, is critical to our identity

730
00:58:14,800 --> 00:58:22,480
because I think people who don't understand and think every day and appreciate their fall

731
00:58:22,480 --> 00:58:32,980
in nature, that they make this critical mistake that they believe that even their tendencies

732
00:58:32,980 --> 00:58:41,060
and their temptations are who they are.

733
00:58:41,060 --> 00:58:53,200
They mistranslate, make this mistake of believing that if they have inappropriate thoughts,

734
00:58:53,200 --> 00:59:02,000
if they feel inappropriate emotions, if they look at somebody and have bad thoughts or

735
00:59:02,000 --> 00:59:10,120
they mean thoughts or whatever, if they don't understand that's the result of living in

736
00:59:10,120 --> 00:59:18,920
a fallen world and being a fallen natural man or woman, all of a sudden Satan will come

737
00:59:18,920 --> 00:59:25,060
in and accuse them and say, see, you're not celestial material.

738
00:59:25,060 --> 00:59:30,580
You're not good enough and you never will be good enough and that's who you are.

739
00:59:30,580 --> 00:59:38,480
You're just a mean, out of control, dirty, filthy human being.

740
00:59:38,480 --> 00:59:41,760
And that's just all a lie.

741
00:59:41,760 --> 00:59:43,660
We all have bad thoughts.

742
00:59:43,660 --> 00:59:46,340
We all feel inappropriate emotions.

743
00:59:46,340 --> 00:59:53,100
We all feel fear and we all experience anger and we experience lust and we experience pride

744
00:59:53,100 --> 01:00:00,980
and we experience all these inappropriate things as a result of the carnal state that

745
01:00:00,980 --> 01:00:01,980
we live in.

746
01:00:01,980 --> 01:00:06,100
And I think there's a difference between state and traits.

747
01:00:06,100 --> 01:00:12,380
I believe, like Elder Holland taught, it is critical that we understand the difference

748
01:00:12,380 --> 01:00:24,420
between the natural man and our fallen natures and state that we live in and knowing that

749
01:00:24,420 --> 01:00:34,700
we are inherently, inherently sons and daughters of God with traits and talents and gifts that

750
01:00:34,700 --> 01:00:39,900
we came down to this earth with, bringing them from the presence of God with us.

751
01:00:39,900 --> 01:00:45,020
I mean, we have to understand that we are this kind of dual being because we live in

752
01:00:45,020 --> 01:00:46,900
now a fallen world.

753
01:00:46,900 --> 01:00:49,300
We have all of these things, okay?

754
01:00:49,300 --> 01:00:54,540
When we feel temptation, we have bad thoughts and inappropriate emotions, we should understand,

755
01:00:54,540 --> 01:00:57,460
okay, that's the result of the fall.

756
01:00:57,460 --> 01:01:01,980
But we should also understand that we are inherently sons and daughters of God and that

757
01:01:01,980 --> 01:01:08,500
we have power over those things, especially because we are the children of Jesus Christ

758
01:01:08,500 --> 01:01:14,820
who died for us, purchased us, and gives us the strength and enabling powers and compensatory

759
01:01:14,820 --> 01:01:17,300
powers to overcome all of that.

760
01:01:17,300 --> 01:01:23,680
So it's really critical we understand and appreciate the fall so we don't mistake our

761
01:01:23,680 --> 01:01:28,420
identity for who we are.

762
01:01:28,420 --> 01:01:35,220
I think this is one of the biggest problems I had as a teacher, as an MTC branch president,

763
01:01:35,220 --> 01:01:44,580
as a bishop, as a priesthood leader, in stake presidency, Scott, was just people who can't

764
01:01:44,580 --> 01:01:49,060
get over their mistakes or their sins.

765
01:01:49,060 --> 01:01:56,980
And then they think once they've repented of them, the temptation, or in some cases

766
01:01:56,980 --> 01:02:03,580
addictions and the pull, the pull of the flesh, addictions and temptations and tendencies

767
01:02:03,580 --> 01:02:08,700
come back to them again and they think to themselves, because Satan is whispering to

768
01:02:08,700 --> 01:02:16,020
them, they buy into it and they think, see, that's just who I am.

769
01:02:16,020 --> 01:02:17,340
That's just who I am.

770
01:02:17,340 --> 01:02:18,540
I'm no better than that.

771
01:02:18,540 --> 01:02:20,860
I deserve nothing better than that.

772
01:02:20,860 --> 01:02:24,100
We believe the accusation of the accuser.

773
01:02:24,100 --> 01:02:29,700
And they give up because they don't know their identity.

774
01:02:29,700 --> 01:02:35,700
So I hope that we can all do better.

775
01:02:35,700 --> 01:02:40,740
What's an invitation we can give our listeners, Scott, that we can all do better.

776
01:02:40,740 --> 01:02:48,780
Every day we should thank God for the fallen state and nature of man, that this is all

777
01:02:48,780 --> 01:02:55,580
part of God's plan and that He has provided us a Savior and Redeemer and that through

778
01:02:55,580 --> 01:03:08,900
Him and knowing that we belong to Him, that we can experience all of the sins and frustrations

779
01:03:08,900 --> 01:03:16,820
and failures and mistakes and all the stuff that goes on in this life, Scott, that we

780
01:03:16,820 --> 01:03:25,860
can experience it and grow from it because of the atonement of Jesus Christ instead of

781
01:03:25,860 --> 01:03:30,940
giving up, thinking that's just who I am and it's never going to get better than that.

782
01:03:30,940 --> 01:03:38,460
Well, for those of our listeners who are feeling a little extra ambitious perhaps this week,

783
01:03:38,460 --> 01:03:42,180
I might just provide an invitation because I've done this.

784
01:03:42,180 --> 01:03:49,220
I have men that I sponsor do this and my sponsor had me do this again fairly recently.

785
01:03:49,220 --> 01:03:53,700
I have a sponsor too and he had me do this again fairly recently.

786
01:03:53,700 --> 01:03:57,940
So I would just take an 8.5 by 11 sheet of paper and I would just draw a line right down

787
01:03:57,940 --> 01:04:02,620
the middle of it, a vertical line right from top to bottom right down the middle of it.

788
01:04:02,620 --> 01:04:11,980
And then on one side I would write down all of the things that I identify myself as.

789
01:04:11,980 --> 01:04:20,740
I'm a dad, I'm a husband, I'm a priesthood holder, I would identify with my work there,

790
01:04:20,740 --> 01:04:24,380
I would identify with my relationships there.

791
01:04:24,380 --> 01:04:30,100
But then those all come a little bit, well maybe not for everybody, a little bit easier

792
01:04:30,100 --> 01:04:35,700
but then when we get into the other things, the lies that we tell about ourselves, some

793
01:04:35,700 --> 01:04:37,540
of those could be for me.

794
01:04:37,540 --> 01:04:42,540
I'm an alcoholic, recovering alcoholic who still struggles with whatever.

795
01:04:42,540 --> 01:04:51,620
Or I am a, someone might say, not me but someone might say, I am a victim of abuse, I am a

796
01:04:51,620 --> 01:05:00,180
victim of neglect, I am a victim of being taken, my family's been taken away from me

797
01:05:00,180 --> 01:05:02,860
through various different reasons.

798
01:05:02,860 --> 01:05:09,020
And so I could list all these things of who I am but then I would set that down and then

799
01:05:09,020 --> 01:05:14,060
I would have time with my Heavenly Father whether that means I go to the temple or I

800
01:05:14,060 --> 01:05:18,740
just have a prayer or I get on my horse and go on the mountain and commune there or whatever

801
01:05:18,740 --> 01:05:22,340
or go skiing, whatever the case may be and it would be different for all of us.

802
01:05:22,340 --> 01:05:27,540
Then I would come back and revisit that list and I would cross all of the lies off.

803
01:05:27,540 --> 01:05:33,180
And the lies would be those things that the accuser is wanting me to believe about myself.

804
01:05:33,180 --> 01:05:34,740
I'm not that person.

805
01:05:34,740 --> 01:05:35,740
Who am I?

806
01:05:35,740 --> 01:05:42,540
I'm a child of Heavenly Parents who love me and who show that love to me daily through

807
01:05:42,540 --> 01:05:47,700
the tender mercies that I get to witness if I focus on seeing those tender mercies.

808
01:05:47,700 --> 01:05:53,020
If I focus on the victimhood or the victimization then I can be a victim but if I focus on the

809
01:05:53,020 --> 01:05:59,020
tender mercies, if I focus on all of the blessings which are so abundantly in all of our lives

810
01:05:59,020 --> 01:06:05,420
and that's another exercise that we often go through is to create that gratitude list.

811
01:06:05,420 --> 01:06:10,700
But if our listeners and if we will accept that invitation and do that prayerfully that

812
01:06:10,700 --> 01:06:15,820
can be a powerful, powerful experience because if we do it prayerfully and some have even

813
01:06:15,820 --> 01:06:19,020
fasted in approaching this because it's that important.

814
01:06:19,020 --> 01:06:24,500
This is not just an exercise that could be that I'm just throwing out there flippantly.

815
01:06:24,500 --> 01:06:29,140
This is a really important experience for us to go through whether we go through it

816
01:06:29,140 --> 01:06:33,740
the way I just suggested it or whether we go through it in another means which we can,

817
01:06:33,740 --> 01:06:34,740
it's possible.

818
01:06:34,740 --> 01:06:38,500
It's so important that we do know who we are.

819
01:06:38,500 --> 01:06:43,580
If we don't really have that grasp and understanding of who we are and whose we are which would

820
01:06:43,580 --> 01:06:49,180
also mean that we need to know Him so we know ourselves, we know Him, that relationship's

821
01:06:49,180 --> 01:06:56,300
intact then everything else David as we begin to, then everything else while we're moving

822
01:06:56,300 --> 01:07:01,780
through the podcast, while we're moving through a continual study of Christ's atonement and

823
01:07:01,780 --> 01:07:05,320
the power that can come into our lives but while we're doing that then we're setting

824
01:07:05,320 --> 01:07:09,300
ourselves up, we're qualifying ourselves I should say to have a sweeter experience with

825
01:07:09,300 --> 01:07:10,300
Him.

826
01:07:10,300 --> 01:07:17,900
So, back to how I kind of started, if we think that what we think and what we do determines

827
01:07:17,900 --> 01:07:26,940
who we are instead of knowing who we are and allowing that to determine what we think and

828
01:07:26,940 --> 01:07:32,660
what we do, it makes, it just makes a huge difference.

829
01:07:32,660 --> 01:07:36,140
It's so important that we have a grasp on this understanding.

830
01:07:36,140 --> 01:07:42,660
Yeah, and I hope that I can do better helping my children and my grandchildren understand

831
01:07:42,660 --> 01:07:43,660
the difference.

832
01:07:43,660 --> 01:07:49,620
I hope that we'll all rejoice in the fall and that instead of seeing ourselves as victims

833
01:07:49,620 --> 01:07:56,540
of a fallen world or living in a wicked world which is all true, that we'll see it as part

834
01:07:56,540 --> 01:08:05,740
of God's plan, that we'll rejoice in it as Adam and Eve did and as we should and especially

835
01:08:05,740 --> 01:08:15,300
rely more upon and be more grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and redemption and

836
01:08:15,300 --> 01:08:20,060
salvation and the great plan of happiness that He made available to us.

837
01:08:20,060 --> 01:08:25,220
And it's our promise and it's been the promise of men and others way more important and with

838
01:08:25,220 --> 01:08:31,460
more authority than us but it's our promise that as we do so, His Spirit will be in our

839
01:08:31,460 --> 01:08:37,140
lives and as we take His Spirit upon us, as we qualify for that and as we participate

840
01:08:37,140 --> 01:08:43,820
in that remembrance each week as we partake of the sacrament, our lives just become sweeter,

841
01:08:43,820 --> 01:08:45,380
we become closer to Him.

842
01:08:45,380 --> 01:08:49,100
As we become closer to Him, all things change.

843
01:08:49,100 --> 01:08:50,260
Thanks for being with us.

844
01:08:50,260 --> 01:08:52,340
We're so grateful for your listening.

845
01:08:52,340 --> 01:08:55,820
We also appreciate your feedback and your responses.

846
01:08:55,820 --> 01:09:02,820
You can always send those at heredeemsus.gmail.com.