1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:19,560 Hey there everybody, welcome back another podcast. 2 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:24,320 My name's Scott Durfey joined by my good friend Uncle Dave. 3 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:33,920 It's good to have you here too. 4 00:00:33,920 --> 00:00:35,200 It's going to be great. 5 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:41,160 We are here along the Wasatch Front in Utah are finally getting a chance to experience 6 00:00:41,160 --> 00:00:42,160 some warm weather. 7 00:00:42,160 --> 00:00:44,800 Yeah, I've been golfing the last two days, Scott. 8 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:45,800 Grateful for that. 9 00:00:45,800 --> 00:00:46,800 I was just going to ask you. 10 00:00:46,800 --> 00:00:47,800 Monday, Tuesday. 11 00:00:47,800 --> 00:00:48,800 Okay, yeah. 12 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:49,800 Well, good. 13 00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:50,800 That's good. 14 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:51,800 That's a sign of spring. 15 00:00:51,800 --> 00:00:53,200 Probably should be out there right now. 16 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:54,840 No, you should be right here right now. 17 00:00:54,840 --> 00:00:56,560 This is more fun and more important. 18 00:00:56,560 --> 00:01:00,560 You are in the right place right now and we'll get you turned loose here in about an hour 19 00:01:00,560 --> 00:01:03,080 and you can go back and golf then. 20 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:07,040 So gang, we'll get started here in just a brief second. 21 00:01:07,040 --> 00:01:10,200 Before we do though, just first of all, I want to tell you thank you for those who have 22 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:16,120 been responding to our request for emails and maybe even plead one more time for another 23 00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:17,120 response. 24 00:01:17,120 --> 00:01:26,040 Again, if you are having experiences that are helping you in your life through the Atonement 25 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:30,240 of Jesus Christ through the things that we're talking about, whether they were propagated 26 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,880 here or on your own or what have you, if you wouldn't mind just dropping us a line in an 27 00:01:34,880 --> 00:01:36,760 email, we'd appreciate it. 28 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,280 You can send those to he redeems us at gmail.com. 29 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:45,440 Also while you're doing that, you know, we've been at this now for just a little over a 30 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:52,120 year and we hope that we're providing everything that it is that you would like us to. 31 00:01:52,120 --> 00:01:58,000 But we'd also invite, provide an invitation here for you to provide any feedback. 32 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,120 You can do that also through that email. 33 00:02:00,120 --> 00:02:01,840 And so please take advantage of that. 34 00:02:01,840 --> 00:02:04,000 Let us know how we're doing, what we're doing. 35 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,600 David, you know, one of the things as a professional public speaker every night when I speak, I 36 00:02:07,600 --> 00:02:09,240 get a survey the next day. 37 00:02:09,240 --> 00:02:13,560 And the survey the next day from the hundreds. 38 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:18,120 Well, you know, that's what you would think, but you really want that because, you know, 39 00:02:18,120 --> 00:02:20,960 like here, we can't see our audience. 40 00:02:20,960 --> 00:02:24,000 We don't get to see look in the eyes of those that we're talking to. 41 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:26,960 We don't get to see body languages, you know, and those types of things. 42 00:02:26,960 --> 00:02:30,360 And so the connection is a little challenging. 43 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:34,840 And and that's what I love so much about those surveys is they can write in comments. 44 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:38,560 And you know, and oftentimes, even though I've been doing this for 20 years as a professional 45 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:45,240 public speaker, there are still times when I need some redirection and oftentimes I get 46 00:02:45,240 --> 00:02:47,120 that from my students and so forth. 47 00:02:47,120 --> 00:02:50,240 You know, as I'm doing that, they'll put and I'm so grateful for that. 48 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,040 And we're just kind of asking for the same thing here, gang, if you wouldn't mind just 49 00:02:54,040 --> 00:02:58,040 letting us know how we're doing, what we could do to make this experience better for you, 50 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,880 what it would be, how it would could be better enough for you to invite your friends and family 51 00:03:02,880 --> 00:03:04,440 to listen, etc. 52 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:05,440 So that's there. 53 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,080 And then another thing, and then we'll get right into it, Dave, but one other thing I 54 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:13,200 do want to announce, I've meant to make this announcement the last couple of times, but 55 00:03:13,200 --> 00:03:21,240 we just get rocking and rolling and I forget all of our current and most of our past podcasts 56 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,440 now have transcription services. 57 00:03:24,440 --> 00:03:32,120 You be able to if you go to the website for the podcast, in other words, the hosting website 58 00:03:32,120 --> 00:03:38,320 for the podcast, you'll find that in the notes and you can also find that at any of the outlets 59 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,280 that you're listening to, whether that be Apple or Audible or whatever, there should 60 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:49,600 be a link to go to the host site, it's rss.com forward slash he redeemed through his blood. 61 00:03:49,600 --> 00:03:54,400 And there you can find and print if you like transcripts. 62 00:03:54,400 --> 00:04:00,000 That was a request that was sent out to us quite a while ago by actually an audiologist 63 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:02,360 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, Dave. 64 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:07,240 And you know, so I think that's kind of cool that we got that request and we've finally 65 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:08,560 been able to pull it off. 66 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,040 So just want to let you know that's there too. 67 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:13,560 And we're excited now to get talking. 68 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:15,200 Well, let's, let's thank you, Scott. 69 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:16,200 Let's jump in. 70 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:17,200 Let's do it. 71 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:25,120 I know we've been talking a lot about the effects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in 72 00:04:25,120 --> 00:04:33,920 our life and we have tried hard to talk about the, the, the truth that we are redeemed. 73 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:35,680 Jesus has redeemed us. 74 00:04:35,680 --> 00:04:39,920 He has saved us from death and hell. 75 00:04:39,920 --> 00:04:48,280 That's the way Jacob in 2nd Nephi 9 puts it, Scott, that he redeemed us from death and 76 00:04:48,280 --> 00:04:49,560 hell. 77 00:04:49,560 --> 00:04:57,720 And then he describes that death is the grave and then later in a few more verses, he describes 78 00:04:57,720 --> 00:05:03,000 that hell is spiritual death, right? 79 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:08,920 The separation from God or the separation from righteousness and, and spiritual death 80 00:05:08,920 --> 00:05:13,120 comes upon us because of, of sin. 81 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:21,640 So it's really clear if you carefully read 2nd Nephi chapter 9, we are redeemed. 82 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:23,760 We are saved. 83 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:28,440 I just wish more Latter-day Saints could really, could really feel that. 84 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,040 Now, I didn't say that we're exalted. 85 00:05:31,040 --> 00:05:36,720 I didn't say that we're all going to return back to the presence of God and become like 86 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:38,240 him. 87 00:05:38,240 --> 00:05:40,440 That's, that's, that's different. 88 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:42,440 That's exaltation. 89 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:52,640 But Jesus has redeemed all of Father's children because all will be resurrected and all will 90 00:05:52,640 --> 00:05:56,840 go back into the presence of God. 91 00:05:56,840 --> 00:06:05,080 We left the presence of God and all will return to the presence of God to be judged. 92 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:10,600 You can, you can read that in the Bible dictionary under the, the title death. 93 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:16,400 If you look up the little caption death, it describes that as well in the Bible dictionary. 94 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:20,440 And speaking of the Bible dictionary, the author of the Bible dictionary, at least he 95 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:26,520 wrote almost all of it, Robert J. Matthews, I have a quote here to read. 96 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:34,800 He said, salvation comes by redemption, not by assimilation. 97 00:06:34,800 --> 00:06:38,060 Jesus did more than set an example. 98 00:06:38,060 --> 00:06:45,200 He did more than teach ethics or a standard and system of living with his suffering and 99 00:06:45,200 --> 00:06:48,880 his blood with his suffering and his blood. 100 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:53,800 He paid a debt to fulfill the demands of a broken law. 101 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:59,400 He redeemed all living things. 102 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:01,440 Period. 103 00:07:01,440 --> 00:07:09,320 Not just us plants, animals, every living thing has been redeemed. 104 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,520 Death has been overcome. 105 00:07:12,520 --> 00:07:20,520 Sin and spiritual death has been overcome through Jesus Christ, our savior and redeemer. 106 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:26,880 The gospel is a law of redemption from sin and death. 107 00:07:26,880 --> 00:07:31,000 It is not just the assimilation of good habits. 108 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:38,080 I just think so many times we focus too often as members of the church, and I think most 109 00:07:38,080 --> 00:07:45,200 of us are guilty of it, that we focus too much upon the fact that we have to earn heaven. 110 00:07:45,200 --> 00:07:54,920 We have to earn instead of tapping into utilizing the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 111 00:07:54,920 --> 00:08:01,480 Instead of relying upon our merits, we should be relying upon his merits. 112 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:13,800 So, let me just say again, the gospel is a system of redemption, not a system of assimilation. 113 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:17,120 It is not just about assimilating good habits. 114 00:08:17,120 --> 00:08:21,280 It's not just about keeping the commandments, and I didn't say that wasn't important. 115 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,320 I just said there's so much more to it than that. 116 00:08:24,320 --> 00:08:35,760 The gospel is redemption of the soul made possible by Jesus Christ and his atoning sacrifice. 117 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:38,440 So do you think, have we said that clear enough, Scott? 118 00:08:38,440 --> 00:08:40,320 I don't know. 119 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,520 I hope we have. 120 00:08:43,520 --> 00:08:47,680 And I say that almost tongue in cheek because we can say it and keep saying it and keep 121 00:08:47,680 --> 00:08:50,440 saying it, but we still have this problem. 122 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:57,880 And this problem is that, you know, and it's not in our church and it's not in other churches, 123 00:08:57,880 --> 00:08:58,880 it's within us. 124 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:04,680 It's we just have this thought that I have to do, I have to do, I have to do. 125 00:09:04,680 --> 00:09:08,880 And you know, and again, you said it, that the doings, we're not disqualifying the importance 126 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:10,160 of keeping the commandments. 127 00:09:10,160 --> 00:09:17,760 We're not disqualifying or discounting the importance of the things that we are motivated 128 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:23,680 to do when we realize the redemption is for us and has been completed for us already. 129 00:09:23,680 --> 00:09:28,760 But yeah, I hope we've said it enough, but here's one more quote. 130 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:29,760 Okay. 131 00:09:29,760 --> 00:09:36,000 This is Elder Chris Tofferson in the General Conference years ago. 132 00:09:36,000 --> 00:09:46,480 Without his redemption from death and from sin, we have only a gospel of social justice. 133 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:47,840 Let that soak in for a minute. 134 00:09:47,840 --> 00:09:48,840 Yeah. 135 00:09:48,840 --> 00:09:55,120 Why don't you read it again actually without his redemption from death and from sin. 136 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:59,080 Scott that's unconditional. 137 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:02,400 We're all going to die and be resurrected and we're all going to be sin and yet we're 138 00:10:02,400 --> 00:10:05,000 still going to return back to the presence of God. 139 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:10,560 Whether you repent or not, every needle bound, every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ. 140 00:10:10,560 --> 00:10:14,680 Now whether you stay there, whether you dwell there, whether you're with your family forever 141 00:10:14,680 --> 00:10:18,040 there, that's a different deal. 142 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:22,760 That requires so much faith, repentance and good works. 143 00:10:22,760 --> 00:10:23,760 Right. 144 00:10:23,760 --> 00:10:24,760 Yeah. 145 00:10:24,760 --> 00:10:29,280 Well, Elder Chris Tofferson goes on. 146 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:35,920 That may provide some help and reconciliation in the present, but it has no power. 147 00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:42,920 This gospel of social justice has no power to draw down from heaven, perfect justice 148 00:10:42,920 --> 00:10:45,280 and infinite mercy. 149 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:50,320 Ultimate redemption is in Jesus Christ and in him alone. 150 00:10:50,320 --> 00:10:51,640 Yeah. 151 00:10:51,640 --> 00:10:55,640 There is a Senate's there you just read that ended in mercy. 152 00:10:55,640 --> 00:10:57,640 Read that one again. 153 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:04,760 The gospel of social justice may provide some help and reconciliation in the present, but 154 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:11,080 it has no power to draw down from heaven, perfect justice and infinite mercy. 155 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,080 That's right. 156 00:11:13,080 --> 00:11:14,720 Infinite mercy. 157 00:11:14,720 --> 00:11:15,720 Infinite. 158 00:11:15,720 --> 00:11:19,600 We were just talking about a scripture before we started that Brother Matthews used to love 159 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:24,200 to quote, which is Alma 3316 Scott. 160 00:11:24,200 --> 00:11:29,920 And I didn't even know this scripture was there the first time I heard Brother Matthews 161 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:34,440 quote it and it really has affected me for many, many years now. 162 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:35,800 Will you read that to us? 163 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:43,720 This is, yeah, this is really amulet and Alma teaching the Zoramites on the hill. 164 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:44,720 Oh, night. 165 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:46,320 And they're talking about Almas. 166 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:49,120 You're giving the great discourse on faith. 167 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:56,240 Then the amulet follows up and bears witness of what the seed is and answers their question 168 00:11:56,240 --> 00:12:00,080 is, which really is, is the word in Christ. 169 00:12:00,080 --> 00:12:02,600 And then they quote, is it Zenas? 170 00:12:02,600 --> 00:12:04,200 Well, they're quoting two prophets here. 171 00:12:04,200 --> 00:12:09,920 They're quote, first of all, yeah, they first of all quote Zenas, you know, and that talks 172 00:12:09,920 --> 00:12:10,920 about these things. 173 00:12:10,920 --> 00:12:15,880 And then they quote Zenek here, who also speak of these things and said, for behold, he said, 174 00:12:15,880 --> 00:12:18,080 thou art angry, oh, oh, Lord. 175 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:19,080 Okay. 176 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:20,080 Now I want us to hear this. 177 00:12:20,080 --> 00:12:22,280 I don't want us to just kind of breeze through this scripture. 178 00:12:22,280 --> 00:12:23,280 Okay. 179 00:12:23,280 --> 00:12:26,920 That was a great scripture because these words have weight. 180 00:12:26,920 --> 00:12:31,440 And we don't want to anybody feel terrible and those who are already those who are already 181 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:35,080 self-deprecating themselves up and and feel shame. 182 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:36,800 We don't feel worse about this. 183 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:42,720 No, but it's just, it is, it's a strong, it's strong language. 184 00:12:42,720 --> 00:12:48,240 And it should be for behold, he said, thou art angry, oh Lord, with this people because 185 00:12:48,240 --> 00:12:55,080 they will not understand thy mercies, which thou has bestowed upon them because of thy 186 00:12:55,080 --> 00:12:56,280 son. 187 00:12:56,280 --> 00:13:01,760 They don't understand how infinite his mercies really are. 188 00:13:01,760 --> 00:13:11,000 They don't understand that they're redeemed in Jesus Christ through Jesus Christ. 189 00:13:11,000 --> 00:13:17,840 I believe Scott again, going back to it seems like the central theme of all of our podcast 190 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:25,680 is if people could understand that they are redeemed because of Jesus Christ and his atoning 191 00:13:25,680 --> 00:13:32,000 suffering sacrifice, we would be filled with more gratitude and that gratitude would help 192 00:13:32,000 --> 00:13:38,400 us to keep the commandments, to be true and faithful to our covenants, to do the things, 193 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:40,640 to want to do the things. 194 00:13:40,640 --> 00:13:45,320 Gratitude is the beginning of desires and he uses the word understand that verse, right? 195 00:13:45,320 --> 00:13:51,920 The Lord is angry because they will not understand the mercies of the Lord. 196 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:55,640 Which he has bestowed upon them because of his son. 197 00:13:55,640 --> 00:13:56,640 Love that verse. 198 00:13:56,640 --> 00:13:59,560 One of Brother Matthew's favorites. 199 00:13:59,560 --> 00:14:06,240 And if understand, understanding fills us, understanding of the atonement of Jesus Christ 200 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:12,640 and his infinite mercies should fill all of us with greater gratitude and desire to keep 201 00:14:12,640 --> 00:14:14,680 the commandments. 202 00:14:14,680 --> 00:14:21,760 You know I've said this before too Scott, that so many people, well I'll just tell you 203 00:14:21,760 --> 00:14:26,720 how I used to tell my students in Institute, I used to tell my students, hey when I was 204 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:36,680 young, your age, Institute age, I worked really hard to keep the commandments so that I wouldn't 205 00:14:36,680 --> 00:14:43,120 need the atonement or so I wouldn't need Jesus. 206 00:14:43,120 --> 00:14:46,760 But now that I'm old and they would kind of shake their head like yeah, yeah, yeah we 207 00:14:46,760 --> 00:14:47,760 get that. 208 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:48,760 How'd that work out for you? 209 00:14:48,760 --> 00:14:53,160 I went on a mission, half of them are returned missionaries or more than half. 210 00:14:53,160 --> 00:14:54,160 Right. 211 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:55,160 Yeah. 212 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:56,720 They're going yeah, yeah, we worked our guts out on our mission so we wouldn't need the 213 00:14:56,720 --> 00:14:57,720 atonement. 214 00:14:57,720 --> 00:14:58,720 Yeah. 215 00:14:58,720 --> 00:14:59,720 Thrust in our circle with all our might. 216 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:03,440 And then I say, oh I was so foolish. 217 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,160 I was so foolish. 218 00:15:05,160 --> 00:15:08,480 Now that I'm old, it's a different perspective. 219 00:15:08,480 --> 00:15:15,880 Now that I'm old, I keep the commandments to put on the atonement. 220 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:22,080 And to qualify for the blessings that we've talked about, those blessings of joint air, 221 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:29,160 those blessings of being with him, being like him, you know, those come as motivating, I 222 00:15:29,160 --> 00:15:34,400 don't, you know, kind of as a motivation because here's the thing, David, I think this is, 223 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:38,320 I don't know if it's universally true, I bet it is though, that you know, as we come to 224 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:44,560 know him, as we come to love him, as we see his hand at work and hands at work pierced, 225 00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:45,560 right? 226 00:15:45,560 --> 00:15:53,080 At work in our lives, as we see those pierced hands at work in our lives in so many ways, 227 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:55,280 then we have a desire. 228 00:15:55,280 --> 00:15:57,400 It just, I've noticed and I've seen it in others. 229 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:02,640 I mean, I'm seeing it in some people right now who in recovery I'm working with, you 230 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:04,680 know, around various things. 231 00:16:04,680 --> 00:16:12,960 But I just see desires increase to start living more aligned with our Heavenly Father's will 232 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:15,080 and that alignment includes the commandments. 233 00:16:15,080 --> 00:16:20,440 That alignment includes love our neighbor as ourself and everything like unto ministering, 234 00:16:20,440 --> 00:16:23,440 serving all of that. 235 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:25,320 So you know, it's just, right? 236 00:16:25,320 --> 00:16:31,760 I just think that there's so many in the church who are just dripping their teeth and working 237 00:16:31,760 --> 00:16:39,500 so hard so they don't need Jesus or in other words, so they don't need to repent. 238 00:16:39,500 --> 00:16:50,840 So we are talking today about continuing to talk about the unconditional, Scott, aspects 239 00:16:50,840 --> 00:16:56,080 of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our lives. 240 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:03,280 And that means all of God's children, but there are also some special groups of people 241 00:17:03,280 --> 00:17:10,240 where the Atonement of Jesus Christ has even further unconditional aspects or effects in 242 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:11,240 their lives. 243 00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,800 And we mentioned little children last time, right? 244 00:17:13,800 --> 00:17:16,440 I think I told a story about that. 245 00:17:16,440 --> 00:17:26,320 And today I wanted to talk about the group of people who because of certain, certain 246 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:34,600 fallen natures that they were born into, conditions, various conditions, circumstances, but also 247 00:17:34,600 --> 00:17:36,000 natures. 248 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:45,640 The way they're wired, the way certain deficiencies, maybe mental, emotional deficiencies that 249 00:17:45,640 --> 00:17:53,440 they may have, how the Atonement of Jesus Christ unconditionally covers all of that as 250 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:54,640 well. 251 00:17:54,640 --> 00:18:02,800 But I had an experience on an Indian Reservation in Hardin, Montana, the Crow Indian Reservation 252 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:05,280 many years ago. 253 00:18:05,280 --> 00:18:11,440 Elder Hugh Pinnick, who was of the presidency of the 70 and the area president of the North 254 00:18:11,440 --> 00:18:19,760 America Central Area, which took in all the Midwest up through Canada, had called this 255 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:25,600 special meeting and I was the area director of seminaries and institutes and so I received 256 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:28,800 this invitation to attend. 257 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:36,600 And there were about 40 stake presidents there, the upper Midwest and all the stake presidents 258 00:18:36,600 --> 00:18:39,400 from the upper Midwest. 259 00:18:39,400 --> 00:18:42,040 And he wanted them to come to an Indian Reservation. 260 00:18:42,040 --> 00:18:43,640 We met in a little chapel. 261 00:18:43,640 --> 00:18:50,840 It was a little branch in Hardin, Montana, and there were some Indian chiefs who were 262 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:52,440 invited there as well. 263 00:18:52,440 --> 00:18:59,520 And Hugh Pinnick had kind of been adopted, as I remember him explaining by the Native 264 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:04,320 Americans and he had his own feathers and all of that. 265 00:19:04,320 --> 00:19:10,600 And you know, he had a really special love, much like Spencer W. Kimball for the Native 266 00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,720 American people. 267 00:19:12,720 --> 00:19:16,040 And he was expressing all of that to us. 268 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:25,480 And then early on in this two-day meeting, training, he kind of let all of us have it. 269 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:32,800 And I remember him saying, Scott, this was right before lunch on the first day. 270 00:19:32,800 --> 00:19:40,600 He said, talked about the inactivity of the Native Americans in the church. 271 00:19:40,600 --> 00:19:49,240 Very low, very low activity rate among so many of the Indian nations and reservations 272 00:19:49,240 --> 00:19:51,040 throughout really America. 273 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:55,880 But here we are here in Hardin, Montana on Indian Reservation. 274 00:19:55,880 --> 00:19:58,320 I had come from Minnesota. 275 00:19:58,320 --> 00:20:00,480 I had come from the Twin Cities. 276 00:20:00,480 --> 00:20:08,760 And I knew we had been working hard to try to get older couples to serve on Indian Reservations, 277 00:20:08,760 --> 00:20:13,040 try to help our Native American brothers and sisters to come back into activity. 278 00:20:13,040 --> 00:20:15,040 And it was a real challenge. 279 00:20:15,040 --> 00:20:18,760 So Elder Pinnick was responding to a real need. 280 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:26,480 And he said to us, I know what the worst sin is, and I know what the second worst sin is. 281 00:20:26,480 --> 00:20:29,560 I know the worst sin is to deny the Holy Ghost. 282 00:20:29,560 --> 00:20:33,840 All is according to Alma 39. 283 00:20:33,840 --> 00:20:38,360 And I know the second worst sin is to commit murder. 284 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:44,560 And I know Alma says that the third worst sin is to commit adultery. 285 00:20:44,560 --> 00:20:49,520 But I think there's a sin that's even worse than that. 286 00:20:49,520 --> 00:20:54,880 And that's when you write off somebody. 287 00:20:54,880 --> 00:21:01,200 Whenever you write off somebody, you give up on them, you stop trying to minister to 288 00:21:01,200 --> 00:21:03,680 them. 289 00:21:03,680 --> 00:21:09,600 You are committing a sin worse than adultery. 290 00:21:09,600 --> 00:21:15,760 He had all of the stake presidents and mine attention. 291 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:27,440 And then he said, Brother, if you would have been born in these people's moccasins, if 292 00:21:27,440 --> 00:21:33,280 you had to walk in their moccasins, been born in their conditions, and he's pointing his 293 00:21:33,280 --> 00:21:39,960 finger at us, some of you would not have done as well as they are doing. 294 00:21:39,960 --> 00:21:51,280 And if you misjudge them, and you write them off, you are committing a sin worse than adultery. 295 00:21:51,280 --> 00:21:53,000 He read some other scriptures about that. 296 00:21:53,000 --> 00:21:57,920 I remember 3rd Nephi about, you never know when someone's going to come back, 3rd Nephi 297 00:21:57,920 --> 00:21:58,920 18. 298 00:21:58,920 --> 00:22:04,400 And there were other scriptures, but this one scripture, Scott, was life changing to 299 00:22:04,400 --> 00:22:05,400 me. 300 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:08,320 He read a verse that has changed my life. 301 00:22:08,320 --> 00:22:12,840 When he read it, it was like a thousand lights went on for me. 302 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:14,920 You know, we had an adopted child. 303 00:22:14,920 --> 00:22:18,280 We were struggling with our son, Isaac. 304 00:22:18,280 --> 00:22:22,600 And this scripture just opened up my mind. 305 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:29,920 And I just had all kinds of thoughts and feelings I had not had or understood before of the 306 00:22:29,920 --> 00:22:37,280 possibilities and the power of the atonement of Jesus Christ. 307 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:44,440 So he read from Dr. and Covenants section 46, which is the revelation on the gifts of 308 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:46,160 the spirit. 309 00:22:46,160 --> 00:22:51,120 And he was describing some of the gifts of the spirit as he spoke to us. 310 00:22:51,120 --> 00:22:58,680 And he said, the real gift of the spirit that priesthood leaders need, that parents 311 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:07,120 need, that anyone in leadership needs, the real scripture or gift that you need is Dr. 312 00:23:07,120 --> 00:23:10,240 and Covenants 46 verse 15. 313 00:23:10,240 --> 00:23:11,240 Will you read it, Scott? 314 00:23:11,240 --> 00:23:12,760 And then we can discuss it. 315 00:23:12,760 --> 00:23:15,880 Yeah, I love this scripture. 316 00:23:15,880 --> 00:23:21,600 And again, to some, it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of administration. 317 00:23:21,600 --> 00:23:26,960 Now, now just don't get hung up on administration. 318 00:23:26,960 --> 00:23:30,360 Let's just kind of tweak that a little bit. 319 00:23:30,360 --> 00:23:34,080 Let's talk about ministration, ministering. 320 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:35,320 So will you just read that again? 321 00:23:35,320 --> 00:23:37,240 I'll change that to ministering. 322 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:43,000 And again, to some, it is given by the Holy Ghost to know the differences of ministration 323 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:44,480 or ministering. 324 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:52,240 As it will be pleasing unto the same Lord, according as the Lord will, suiting His mercies 325 00:23:52,240 --> 00:23:57,080 according to the conditions of the children of men. 326 00:23:57,080 --> 00:24:03,920 So as Elder Hugh Pinnock explained it to all of these priesthood leaders and myself, 40 327 00:24:03,920 --> 00:24:10,360 of us in this little chapel, he said, the gift of the spirit you need more than any 328 00:24:10,360 --> 00:24:18,680 other is the gift to know how to minister the atonement of Jesus Christ into the lives 329 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:26,880 of others based on their conditions. 330 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:31,720 You can't minister to all of them the same. 331 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:36,280 You need to know how to minister to your children differently. 332 00:24:36,280 --> 00:24:39,040 You can't treat your children just the same. 333 00:24:39,040 --> 00:24:40,720 They don't have the same gifts. 334 00:24:40,720 --> 00:24:42,720 They don't have the same talents. 335 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:45,440 They don't have the same challenges. 336 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:46,600 Some have embollied. 337 00:24:46,600 --> 00:24:48,440 Some have not. 338 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:56,760 Some are higher in intelligence than others, which can be a handicap or a blessing. 339 00:24:56,760 --> 00:24:58,640 Everybody's different, Scott. 340 00:24:58,640 --> 00:25:04,080 And the gift of the spirit, which we all need as parents, priesthood leaders, as neighbors, 341 00:25:04,080 --> 00:25:12,280 is to know how to minister mercy of the Lord according to individuals' conditions. 342 00:25:12,280 --> 00:25:19,240 Now, so I'm just filled with the spirit and the light of the Lord when he reads that scripture 343 00:25:19,240 --> 00:25:28,960 and as he describes it and how that applies to ministering and having mercy and administering 344 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:31,120 mercy to others. 345 00:25:31,120 --> 00:25:41,840 But I was a little bit troubled as I sat there because the churchy me, the institutional 346 00:25:41,840 --> 00:25:50,160 David Durfee setting their thinking, well, how does that apply to the scripture in 1 Corinthians 347 00:25:50,160 --> 00:25:51,160 10-13? 348 00:25:51,160 --> 00:26:01,080 Because 1 Corinthians 10-13 says that nobody is tempted above what they're able and that 349 00:26:01,080 --> 00:26:07,760 no temptation, you know, all temptations are common to men. 350 00:26:07,760 --> 00:26:09,360 Let's read that scripture, Scott. 351 00:26:09,360 --> 00:26:10,360 1 Corinthians 10-13. 352 00:26:10,360 --> 00:26:11,800 Yeah, you bet. 353 00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:16,760 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man. 354 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:22,200 But God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that which he are able. 355 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,200 So, you know, that's what I'm wrestling with. 356 00:26:25,200 --> 00:26:32,320 I'm wrestling with the scripture that, you know, God suits his mercies according to conditions 357 00:26:32,320 --> 00:26:34,000 and then I'm struggling with this. 358 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:40,520 It says that God who is faithful won't be allowed to be tempted above what you're able. 359 00:26:40,520 --> 00:26:46,920 I hope our listeners are kind of understanding the struggle or the conflict I was having. 360 00:26:46,920 --> 00:26:49,280 Bit of a wrestle. 361 00:26:49,280 --> 00:26:58,920 So I tried to set across the table from Elder Pinnock at lunch and express to him my gratitude 362 00:26:58,920 --> 00:27:05,280 for what he had taught us that morning, especially about ministering mercy. 363 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:12,920 And I'm trying to express my gratitude to him as we're eating and I said, but Elder Pinnock, 364 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:23,080 how do I reconcile, how do I reconciliate Dr. Cummins 46-15 with 1 Corinthians 10-13 365 00:27:23,080 --> 00:27:30,480 which states that none of us will be tempted above what we are allowed to bear and that 366 00:27:30,480 --> 00:27:35,400 all temptations are common to man. 367 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:42,160 And he looks at me kind of winces a little bit and he says this is all and this is all 368 00:27:42,160 --> 00:27:50,920 he had to say and he looked at me and he said, well, Brother Durfee, there's a difference 369 00:27:50,920 --> 00:27:56,400 between temptations and conditions. 370 00:27:56,400 --> 00:28:00,160 Wow. 371 00:28:00,160 --> 00:28:02,320 I got it. 372 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:08,040 And not just not just based on what he said, Scott, I was I was filled with the spirit 373 00:28:08,040 --> 00:28:11,040 and I totally got it. 374 00:28:11,040 --> 00:28:16,440 Really, there is a difference between temptations which are common to man and conditions which 375 00:28:16,440 --> 00:28:20,440 are not all common to man. 376 00:28:20,440 --> 00:28:25,640 There are things that I know individuals suffer with that I will never understand in this 377 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:26,640 life. 378 00:28:26,640 --> 00:28:33,240 There are things that people go through that I that I can never quite understand or get. 379 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:42,480 But I can minister mercy to those individuals, I can forgive them based upon the mercies of 380 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:48,920 Jesus Christ through and because of his atoning sacrifice. 381 00:28:48,920 --> 00:28:57,280 And Scott, that is the gift that we all need as parents, as leaders in the church, as human 382 00:28:57,280 --> 00:28:59,960 beings for other human beings. 383 00:28:59,960 --> 00:29:02,520 How can I minister mercy? 384 00:29:02,520 --> 00:29:05,120 How can I suit mercy? 385 00:29:05,120 --> 00:29:07,720 Suit, suit, how can I suit, suit them up? 386 00:29:07,720 --> 00:29:17,840 How can I how can I bestow mercy upon individuals based upon their conditions? 387 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:20,280 We that that's a gift to the spirit. 388 00:29:20,280 --> 00:29:29,360 You have to know by the spirit how to do that and it's different for each individual. 389 00:29:29,360 --> 00:29:38,600 So that, honestly, that scripture has taken, I think, it has, it has just opened my mind 390 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:45,600 and heart to mercy and grace and it's helped me to forgive other Scott. 391 00:29:45,600 --> 00:29:52,320 It's helped me not to be the judge and jury and critic of other individuals. 392 00:29:52,320 --> 00:29:53,600 Or even yourself sometimes. 393 00:29:53,600 --> 00:29:54,600 Or myself. 394 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:55,600 Right. 395 00:29:55,600 --> 00:29:56,600 Really? 396 00:29:56,600 --> 00:29:57,600 Yeah. 397 00:29:57,600 --> 00:30:08,200 So, I just hope our listeners can grasp this unconditional part, this unconditional effect 398 00:30:08,200 --> 00:30:16,000 of the atonement of Jesus Christ on others is that Jesus, even if we don't, even if we 399 00:30:16,000 --> 00:30:24,280 don't, Jesus will suit his mercies according to the conditions of men, Scott, and that's 400 00:30:24,280 --> 00:30:25,280 unconditional. 401 00:30:25,280 --> 00:30:26,280 Yeah. 402 00:30:26,280 --> 00:30:32,280 I even think I've taken that so far and I hope I haven't taken it too far, but I've 403 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:37,760 even stated many times it was in my PowerPoint that I sent to Elder Anderson. 404 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:50,680 I know that every negative of the fall, which we did not choose is unconditionally covered 405 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,240 by the atonement of Jesus Christ. 406 00:30:53,240 --> 00:30:59,680 And I would even say now, not only every negative of the fall, but every consequence of the 407 00:30:59,680 --> 00:31:02,520 negatives that we didn't choose. 408 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:10,640 In other words, someone who is sexually abused, all the negatives that come out of that, you 409 00:31:10,640 --> 00:31:17,840 know, I know, I know, I don't want to get too personal, but I know somebody who is a 410 00:31:17,840 --> 00:31:31,560 sexual deviant, but you cannot judge that individual based on the level of behavior or ability 411 00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:37,160 to keep the commandments as someone who has never been sexually abused. 412 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:47,040 The sexual deviant had been so sexually abused over her lifetime that the consequences that 413 00:31:47,040 --> 00:31:53,920 came out of that, Scott, she is not totally accountable for. 414 00:31:53,920 --> 00:31:55,600 Yeah. 415 00:31:55,600 --> 00:31:58,560 There's every individual's like that. 416 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:03,720 There's things I'm not totally accountable for, even though I've been really, really blessed 417 00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:06,720 and I know where much is given, much is required. 418 00:32:06,720 --> 00:32:08,560 I know that. 419 00:32:08,560 --> 00:32:11,960 But I can't judge others. 420 00:32:11,960 --> 00:32:13,560 I don't know what they've been through. 421 00:32:13,560 --> 00:32:15,480 I don't know how capable they are. 422 00:32:15,480 --> 00:32:17,120 I don't know how they're wired. 423 00:32:17,120 --> 00:32:26,160 I don't know what depressions they may have or deficiencies in chemicals in their mind 424 00:32:26,160 --> 00:32:30,440 or tendencies that they were born with. 425 00:32:30,440 --> 00:32:35,840 Scott, I mean, this includes the gay community and others. 426 00:32:35,840 --> 00:32:39,080 I can't judge their tendencies. 427 00:32:39,080 --> 00:32:42,280 Now I'm not saying that justifies them. 428 00:32:42,280 --> 00:32:48,040 I'm not saying that they're not going to have to, you know, repander, do keep the command. 429 00:32:48,040 --> 00:32:49,040 I'm not saying any of that. 430 00:32:49,040 --> 00:32:52,400 I'm not giving anybody a ticket here to sin. 431 00:32:52,400 --> 00:32:53,600 A license to sin. 432 00:32:53,600 --> 00:32:55,400 I'm not saying that. 433 00:32:55,400 --> 00:33:04,840 I'm just saying that I need the gift of the Spirit to know how to suit the Lord's mercies 434 00:33:04,840 --> 00:33:11,640 according to their conditions because I know that he will. 435 00:33:11,640 --> 00:33:14,360 There can be a problem with this. 436 00:33:14,360 --> 00:33:15,360 It's easy, I think. 437 00:33:15,360 --> 00:33:19,480 It's easier for some of us, and I can probably be safe in saying it that way. 438 00:33:19,480 --> 00:33:25,560 It's probably easier for some of us to see how this works outside of the picket fence 439 00:33:25,560 --> 00:33:32,880 of our own houses, you know, how this would work for so and so down the street in my ward 440 00:33:32,880 --> 00:33:36,160 that's struggling with this or struggling with that. 441 00:33:36,160 --> 00:33:37,840 Yeah, sometimes we're too close to it, aren't we? 442 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:38,840 Yeah. 443 00:33:38,840 --> 00:33:45,880 We're too close to it, and we think we know how to, we think we have the gift of administration 444 00:33:45,880 --> 00:33:52,840 within our own families when it comes to the suiting of the Lord's mercies towards our 445 00:33:52,840 --> 00:33:57,480 children or our brothers and sisters, literal brothers, blood brothers and sisters, our 446 00:33:57,480 --> 00:34:00,000 parents, you know, and things of that nature. 447 00:34:00,000 --> 00:34:05,840 But I don't think we have as clear a view even on that as sometimes we think we do. 448 00:34:05,840 --> 00:34:11,520 And so, you know, for example, in my own family, you know, I've got Deb and I have seven children, 449 00:34:11,520 --> 00:34:17,040 and we know our kids, and we know them better than anybody else on this planet knows our 450 00:34:17,040 --> 00:34:18,040 kids, right? 451 00:34:18,040 --> 00:34:20,480 Yeah, we think we do. 452 00:34:20,480 --> 00:34:25,760 But what we don't know as well as sometimes we think we do is what are their real conditions? 453 00:34:25,760 --> 00:34:27,840 Because we're not with them 100% of the time. 454 00:34:27,840 --> 00:34:30,920 We don't know what's going on inside their hearts and their minds. 455 00:34:30,920 --> 00:34:36,400 We don't know what, because of the fall, the second effect of the fall, what kind of death 456 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:41,760 experiences are happening to them in terms of organic depression, you know, and many, 457 00:34:41,760 --> 00:34:42,760 many, many, many, many other things. 458 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:44,400 You don't see what goes on at school? 459 00:34:44,400 --> 00:34:45,400 No, we do not. 460 00:34:45,400 --> 00:34:47,320 You don't see the social pressures. 461 00:34:47,320 --> 00:34:49,760 You don't see the social media they see. 462 00:34:49,760 --> 00:34:52,960 You don't see the, really, you think you know them. 463 00:34:52,960 --> 00:34:53,960 But we don't. 464 00:34:53,960 --> 00:34:54,960 Yeah. 465 00:34:54,960 --> 00:34:59,280 And that's the thing, you know, and that's, I think that's my point here is that I hope 466 00:34:59,280 --> 00:35:06,440 we as parents, I hope we as brothers and sisters, I hope that we as, you know, even spouses, 467 00:35:06,440 --> 00:35:12,720 husbands and wives, can be, you know, a little more tender, maybe a little more merciful 468 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:18,880 in extending that mercy and let Jesus, let Jesus help us understand what mercy should 469 00:35:18,880 --> 00:35:21,960 be suited for them and leave it to him. 470 00:35:21,960 --> 00:35:26,840 You know, we can be advocates in, you know, for him, like he's an advocate for us. 471 00:35:26,840 --> 00:35:32,920 We can sometimes advocate for him to others in our lives to help them see the mercies, 472 00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:38,720 to help them embrace the mercies, but it should never be our job to throw a hurdle or a roadblock 473 00:35:38,720 --> 00:35:44,520 in front of those based on our expectations that we may have about one of our children, 474 00:35:44,520 --> 00:35:49,080 about one of our friends, about our spouse, about one of our siblings, etc. 475 00:35:49,080 --> 00:35:54,360 Well, we just read from Elma 3316. 476 00:35:54,360 --> 00:36:00,040 The Lord is angry because we do not understand his mercies. 477 00:36:00,040 --> 00:36:06,200 And this is one of the greatest effects, Scott, that comes out of the atonement of Jesus Christ 478 00:36:06,200 --> 00:36:18,120 is his infinite mercy, which he suits to individuals one by one according to their conditions. 479 00:36:18,120 --> 00:36:25,120 And if there's any gift of the Spirit which we should pray for, even covet and seek, it 480 00:36:25,120 --> 00:36:33,080 should be this gift of administration to know how to minister mercy to others. 481 00:36:33,080 --> 00:36:38,280 Well, let's take it one step further to let's learn to do that in our own lives to ourselves 482 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:39,280 as well. 483 00:36:39,280 --> 00:36:43,080 Well, that's, you know, I think, and we've said it before, you know, comparison is the 484 00:36:43,080 --> 00:36:48,600 thief of joy, but we compare ourselves and, you know, and think of our family situations, 485 00:36:48,600 --> 00:36:53,880 you know, there are times when as a parent, you know, I may compare one of my kids to 486 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:59,160 another inadvertently, you know, to have, I would not want to have any damage or effect. 487 00:36:59,160 --> 00:37:04,360 But sometimes when we feel compared or when our kids have felt compared one to another, 488 00:37:04,360 --> 00:37:08,680 they start seeing each other as different and these types of things too. 489 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:14,640 And you know, I think that if we can start seeing the admin the proper administration 490 00:37:14,640 --> 00:37:21,240 of mercy in our own lives, first of all, then it helps us to extend that to others as well. 491 00:37:21,240 --> 00:37:22,600 Absolutely. 492 00:37:22,600 --> 00:37:26,920 And you know, the sky, there's a fine line, perhaps here too, if you don't have the really 493 00:37:26,920 --> 00:37:35,560 true gift of the Spirit of administration, it's really easy, I think, to make excuses 494 00:37:35,560 --> 00:37:37,840 for yourself and other people. 495 00:37:37,840 --> 00:37:40,960 But I don't think the Lord's pleased about that either. 496 00:37:40,960 --> 00:37:44,480 We shouldn't we shouldn't excuse our behaviors. 497 00:37:44,480 --> 00:37:51,160 We shouldn't think that we're entitled to or have this sense of entitlement or or or 498 00:37:51,160 --> 00:37:56,440 be looking for ways to excuse our behaviors. 499 00:37:56,440 --> 00:38:04,360 I'm just saying we have to have the Holy Ghost, the gift of the Spirit of administration. 500 00:38:04,360 --> 00:38:08,600 Well and when we have the Holy Ghost, we're looking for ways not to excuse our behaviors, 501 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:14,680 but we're looking for ways to change or to modify our behaviors through the Atonement 502 00:38:14,680 --> 00:38:19,840 of Jesus Christ, which includes offering mercy to ourselves and others. 503 00:38:19,840 --> 00:38:20,840 Correct. 504 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:29,240 And also receiving grace and grace is the enabling power, the receiving of strength in our life 505 00:38:29,240 --> 00:38:36,240 to overcome our weaknesses, deficiencies, tendencies, etc, etc, which great to which 506 00:38:36,240 --> 00:38:43,880 takes great faith in Jesus Christ to be saved by grace or the enabling powers of the Atonement 507 00:38:43,880 --> 00:38:45,560 in our life. 508 00:38:45,560 --> 00:38:52,040 So continuing to talk about all of the unconditional aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which 509 00:38:52,040 --> 00:38:59,720 covers all of us unconditionally, we often hear the term which I think they're using 510 00:38:59,720 --> 00:39:06,280 more and more and I really start picking up on this back in the 1990s Scott thinks about 511 00:39:06,280 --> 00:39:08,960 the first time I saw this phrase. 512 00:39:08,960 --> 00:39:13,520 It was actually a, well, I'm going to let me just find it here. 513 00:39:13,520 --> 00:39:15,280 I think I can find it. 514 00:39:15,280 --> 00:39:21,080 It was a phrase that was used by the first presidency as they were talking about AIDS. 515 00:39:21,080 --> 00:39:28,760 So this is back, you know, Magic Johnson and AIDS was rampant back in the 1980s. 516 00:39:28,760 --> 00:39:33,320 And just the first time I heard this phrase was 1988. 517 00:39:33,320 --> 00:39:36,920 And then it started to pop up more and more in the 1990s. 518 00:39:36,920 --> 00:39:42,880 And now we continue to the brother and profits continue to use this phrase to describe what 519 00:39:42,880 --> 00:39:49,720 I think is is in a besides the redemptive powers of the Atonement and the enabling powers of 520 00:39:49,720 --> 00:39:51,200 the Atonement. 521 00:39:51,200 --> 00:39:57,160 There are these compenet compensatory blessings and powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ 522 00:39:57,160 --> 00:40:03,480 in our life, which I believe these compensatory powers and blessings are for the most part, 523 00:40:03,480 --> 00:40:05,840 largely unconditional. 524 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:13,960 So there was a lot of when when AIDS was first diagnosed in this this pandemic of AIDS, 525 00:40:13,960 --> 00:40:19,040 I don't know if that's the right way to use that word was going across the world and a 526 00:40:19,040 --> 00:40:28,040 lot of a lot of religious people were were talking about this is God's way of punishing 527 00:40:28,040 --> 00:40:34,080 the gay community and I hated that and and the brother and hated that. 528 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:46,040 And they finally issued a a letter a statement from the first presidency in 1988 about their 529 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:50,120 position on on the disease of AIDS. 530 00:40:50,120 --> 00:40:53,160 And I'm just going to read a paragraph from that. 531 00:40:53,160 --> 00:41:01,120 Members of the church should extend great compassion to all those who are ill with AIDS. 532 00:41:01,120 --> 00:41:08,440 We express great love and sympathy for all victims, but particularly those who received 533 00:41:08,440 --> 00:41:15,320 the virus through blood transfusions, babies afflicted from infected mothers and innocent 534 00:41:15,320 --> 00:41:21,480 marriage partners who have been infected by a spouse in the Lord's eternal plan. 535 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:28,120 This is the great statement of doctrine on this in the Lord's eternal plan. 536 00:41:28,120 --> 00:41:37,240 Those who endure such suffering, pain and injustice, not of their own doing will receive 537 00:41:37,240 --> 00:41:44,560 compensatory blessings through the Lord's infinite mercy. 538 00:41:44,560 --> 00:41:50,640 There it is again through his infinite mercy. 539 00:41:50,640 --> 00:41:57,880 Individuals who are innocent will receive compensatory blessings. 540 00:41:57,880 --> 00:42:05,800 Think how many millions and millions and millions billions of people are affected by that power 541 00:42:05,800 --> 00:42:11,000 of the atonement of Jesus Christ and his infinite mercy. 542 00:42:11,000 --> 00:42:14,680 Well, we can all think of of individuals like that. 543 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:17,200 I want to read just a few more quotes on this. 544 00:42:17,200 --> 00:42:24,040 This what I think is a third power of the atonement of Jesus first redemptive second 545 00:42:24,040 --> 00:42:28,000 enabling and third compensatory. 546 00:42:28,000 --> 00:42:34,320 Listen to this greatest quote in the preach my gospel manual. 547 00:42:34,320 --> 00:42:36,160 This is on page 52. 548 00:42:36,160 --> 00:42:45,360 All that is unfair about life can be made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ. 549 00:42:45,360 --> 00:42:52,560 All that is unfair about life can be made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ. 550 00:42:52,560 --> 00:42:53,560 I know that's true. 551 00:42:53,560 --> 00:42:59,840 I have spear is born witness to me that that's true. 552 00:42:59,840 --> 00:43:05,600 We have several quotes from the brother and on that Scott and I'm really, I'm really thankful 553 00:43:05,600 --> 00:43:10,640 for the all of those who are using and here's just one line from elder Todd Christopherson 554 00:43:10,640 --> 00:43:13,120 2013. 555 00:43:13,120 --> 00:43:22,080 The atonement satisfies the debt justice owes to us by healing and compensating us for any 556 00:43:22,080 --> 00:43:28,440 suffering we innocently endure. 557 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:31,480 Elder Worthland I hope you all remember Elder Worthland. 558 00:43:31,480 --> 00:43:32,480 I miss him. 559 00:43:32,480 --> 00:43:34,520 I loved him. 560 00:43:34,520 --> 00:43:40,680 The Lord compensates the faithful for every loss. 561 00:43:40,680 --> 00:43:44,800 This is a this that reminds me of a statement made by the Prophet Joseph Smith that everything 562 00:43:44,800 --> 00:43:52,820 that we lose which wasn't our fault will be restored to us in the resurrection. 563 00:43:52,820 --> 00:43:57,040 But going on with Elder Worthland's quote that which is taken away from those who love 564 00:43:57,040 --> 00:44:00,960 the Lord will be added under them in his own way. 565 00:44:00,960 --> 00:44:07,200 While it may not come at the time we desire the faithful will know that every tear today 566 00:44:07,200 --> 00:44:15,200 will eventually be returned a hundred fold with tears of rejoicing and gratitude. 567 00:44:15,200 --> 00:44:20,720 Scott that's all according to the compensatory powers of the atonement of Jesus Christ and 568 00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:29,600 the one that is in Elder Anderson's book which he actually stated originally in a BYU 569 00:44:29,600 --> 00:44:35,880 devotional and when we were when we were working on the book I had to kind of help him to remember 570 00:44:35,880 --> 00:44:36,880 this quote. 571 00:44:36,880 --> 00:44:42,000 I said hey Elder Anderson let's use let's use the quote you know let's use that quote 572 00:44:42,000 --> 00:44:47,320 that you gave in and anyway this one my favorites and it's been quoted a few times in general 573 00:44:47,320 --> 00:44:55,360 conference since Elder Anderson said wrote as evil increases in the world there is a 574 00:44:55,360 --> 00:45:02,440 compensatory spiritual power for the righteous think about that I mean that's because of 575 00:45:02,440 --> 00:45:10,360 the atonement of Jesus Christ and that's unconditional you know the Lord is not going to let Satan 576 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:18,120 increase wickedness without the Lord helping us to increase and balance out the wickedness 577 00:45:18,120 --> 00:45:25,320 with some righteousness as the world slides from its spiritual moorings the Lord prepared 578 00:45:25,320 --> 00:45:31,920 the way for those who seek him offering them greater assurance greater confirmation think 579 00:45:31,920 --> 00:45:37,600 of these this is all part of the compensatory powers greater assurance greater confirmation 580 00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:44,400 and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling the gift of the Holy Ghost 581 00:45:44,400 --> 00:45:53,800 becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight that's compensatory power yeah President 582 00:45:53,800 --> 00:46:02,400 Faust used the term when he said through faith and righteousness all of the inequities injuries 583 00:46:02,400 --> 00:46:11,240 and pains of this life can be fully compensated for and made right blessings denied in this 584 00:46:11,240 --> 00:46:22,560 life will be fully recompensed in the eternities well Elder Holland has taught it Elder Bednar 585 00:46:22,560 --> 00:46:29,680 has taught it and I think I'm one of my favorite scriptures on it Scott is King Benjamin so 586 00:46:29,680 --> 00:46:36,480 let's turn to Mosiah chapter three in Mosiah chapter three King Benjamin as you all know 587 00:46:36,480 --> 00:46:42,360 is giving us amazing discourse on the atonement of Jesus Christ and he talks in verse seven 588 00:46:42,360 --> 00:46:48,520 about Jesus bleeding from every poor so great was the anguish for his people for the sins 589 00:46:48,520 --> 00:46:55,520 of his people and right after that Scott verse eight let's read verses eight through let's 590 00:46:55,520 --> 00:47:01,440 read verses eight through eleven and he shall be called Jesus Christ the Son of God the 591 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:07,080 Father of heaven and earth the Creator of all things from the beginning and his mother 592 00:47:07,080 --> 00:47:13,120 shall be called Mary and lo he cometh unto his own that salvation might come unto the 593 00:47:13,120 --> 00:47:20,920 children of men even through faith on his name and even after all this they shall consider 594 00:47:20,920 --> 00:47:29,960 him a man and say that he hath a devil and shall scourge him and shall crucify him and 595 00:47:29,960 --> 00:47:36,320 he shall rise the third day from the dead and behold he standeth to judge the world 596 00:47:36,320 --> 00:47:43,600 and behold all these things are done get this get this all these things are done that are 597 00:47:43,600 --> 00:47:51,800 right that that a righteous judgment might come upon the children of man that a righteous 598 00:47:51,800 --> 00:47:56,440 judgment what's a righteous judgment I used to ask my students when we would read the 599 00:47:56,440 --> 00:48:00,280 scripture together I would say what's a righteous judgment give me another word for righteous 600 00:48:00,280 --> 00:48:12,800 judgment and they would say fair yeah merciful kind loving you fill in the blank I would 601 00:48:12,800 --> 00:48:19,120 rather it be I'd rather be kind merciful and loving than fair for me all of that it's 602 00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:26,480 all that I know a right what's a righteous judgment yeah what is a right I Jesus did 603 00:48:26,480 --> 00:48:31,920 all these things the atonement of Jesus Christ blood from every poor did all these things 604 00:48:31,920 --> 00:48:41,040 yeah suffered every temptation yeah and never gave heed all these things why one reason 605 00:48:41,040 --> 00:48:47,920 so he could have a righteous judgment might come upon the children of men and then 11 606 00:48:47,920 --> 00:48:53,560 for behold and also his blood atoneth for the sins of those who have fallen by the transgression 607 00:48:53,560 --> 00:48:59,720 of Adam who have died not knowing the will of God concerning them or who have ignorantly 608 00:48:59,720 --> 00:49:05,920 sinned now how many people does that cover I think that pretty much covers everybody 609 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:14,920 think it's all right to some degree or another let me the next story that will will relate 610 00:49:14,920 --> 00:49:25,640 to our listeners is is my sweet brother that I brother in quotes that I adopted in prison 611 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:35,680 many many years ago and who committed who's a double murderer but well I know the Lord 612 00:49:35,680 --> 00:49:41,520 I know the Lord will take all of his conditions and suit mercies to him according to those 613 00:49:41,520 --> 00:49:48,600 conditions and I'm not one who can judge or condemn him right you know in in the rooms 614 00:49:48,600 --> 00:49:53,000 of recovery you know go back to that again here for a second this is one of the things 615 00:49:53,000 --> 00:50:00,480 that really is a blessing to those who make a effort to develop a relationship the second 616 00:50:00,480 --> 00:50:05,160 step to develop a relationship with higher their higher power and you know we know that 617 00:50:05,160 --> 00:50:11,200 to be Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior but at because Dave as this happens you know as 618 00:50:11,200 --> 00:50:16,360 somebody comes into recovery there's nobody that comes there myself included that comes 619 00:50:16,360 --> 00:50:22,360 to these rooms totally unscathed right I mean there's a lot of wreckage a ton of wreckage 620 00:50:22,360 --> 00:50:29,000 no doubt and that wreck a lot of that wreckage is collateral yeah right it goes out but to 621 00:50:29,000 --> 00:50:33,640 the sides of this goes out in front all around us you know we have collateral damage like 622 00:50:33,640 --> 00:50:41,400 a big rock thrown in a big lake or worse yeah it's just it can be terrible and sometimes 623 00:50:41,400 --> 00:50:48,040 sometimes the grief that comes to us and I'll say us because I have experienced this too 624 00:50:48,040 --> 00:50:54,680 the grief that comes to us because of what we see as a consequence to other people right 625 00:50:54,680 --> 00:51:00,320 there's just pain that we create pain in other people and and some of it can be physical 626 00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:06,480 you know some of it certainly emotionally emotional pain those that love us the most 627 00:51:06,480 --> 00:51:11,480 fill it the deepest to and those can be our parents those can be our siblings those can 628 00:51:11,480 --> 00:51:17,680 be spouses those can be close friends but you know I think sometimes and this is my observation 629 00:51:17,680 --> 00:51:22,680 and maybe even my experience but even but I think sometimes those that suffer the worst 630 00:51:22,680 --> 00:51:27,640 because of the decisions that alcoholics and drug addicts and anybody else affected to 631 00:51:27,640 --> 00:51:32,080 the fault by the fault to this point I think that sometimes those that are affected worse 632 00:51:32,080 --> 00:51:37,480 can be our kids can be our children there can be a lot of confusion there can even be 633 00:51:37,480 --> 00:51:43,880 sometimes abuse there can be a lot of neglect there can definitely come upon can you imagine 634 00:51:43,880 --> 00:51:49,280 growing up with a dad or a mom who was an alcoholic or a drug addict and the things 635 00:51:49,280 --> 00:51:53,680 that that might do to your own self-esteem you know wondering how are the other kids 636 00:51:53,680 --> 00:52:01,480 looking at me your whole psyche yeah it's just it's just permeates every single part 637 00:52:01,480 --> 00:52:10,640 of a person's life and because of that that guilt that shame can be so big coming in and 638 00:52:10,640 --> 00:52:15,360 you know we can sometimes feel bad for because of what's happened in our own lives but when 639 00:52:15,360 --> 00:52:21,600 we start getting eyes to see an empathy to feel the pain that may have been caused in 640 00:52:21,600 --> 00:52:27,760 others around us that sometimes can be so overwhelming that it did it and I almost want 641 00:52:27,760 --> 00:52:32,320 to say more often than not I'm not sure that that's accurate but very frequently at least 642 00:52:32,320 --> 00:52:39,280 mm-hmm when we get to that point we see alcoholics addicts and others go back we call it relapse 643 00:52:39,280 --> 00:52:46,120 go back to those old vices to numb out the feelings again that we are not able to handle 644 00:52:46,120 --> 00:52:50,880 because we don't have a clear understanding of this principle right this principle of 645 00:52:50,880 --> 00:52:55,000 the compensatory blessings that come to us because of the atonement of Jesus Christ 646 00:52:55,000 --> 00:53:04,720 and his power covers all of it right and because of what we read in D&C 646 15 we know that 647 00:53:04,720 --> 00:53:11,400 they will be judged according to the conditions that they were in even if some of those conditions 648 00:53:11,400 --> 00:53:16,160 we put them there right we can't pay for it but he already has exactly they're already 649 00:53:16,160 --> 00:53:24,080 redeemed and our job now is to help them to understand that redemption that's the way 650 00:53:24,080 --> 00:53:30,680 that we who have maybe perpetuated or perpetrated some of those things in others in our lives 651 00:53:30,680 --> 00:53:36,240 the best way we can help them to overcome that which will help us to is to help them 652 00:53:36,240 --> 00:53:42,520 see themselves for who they are to help them understand that they have been redeemed purchased 653 00:53:42,520 --> 00:53:49,320 through his blood and that these blessings are available to them if they will receive 654 00:53:49,320 --> 00:53:54,080 the gifts going back to you know our scripture and doctrine and covenants that we love but 655 00:53:54,080 --> 00:53:59,600 they must be the receivers of the gift and that's that's for all of us you know I might 656 00:53:59,600 --> 00:54:04,200 my I'm wondering right now and maybe this can be our invitation but it would be a good 657 00:54:04,200 --> 00:54:09,760 inventory experience for all of us to go through and just say okay where do I see the compensatory 658 00:54:09,760 --> 00:54:16,440 blessings taking place in my life in my life in my own life right and where and where should 659 00:54:16,440 --> 00:54:21,240 I be able to expect them in the lives of those around me which should be in everything so 660 00:54:21,240 --> 00:54:29,040 and how can I offer them that's right an opportunity mercy and the way we do that is to provide 661 00:54:29,040 --> 00:54:34,920 this spiritual experiences an opportunity for them to fill the spirit of the Holy Ghost 662 00:54:34,920 --> 00:54:40,400 in their life however that may be right you know for Deb and I we just try to keep our 663 00:54:40,400 --> 00:54:45,040 home a spiritual place people say that when they walk into our home it feels different 664 00:54:45,040 --> 00:54:50,240 in here it feels different here well we we intend that and we when we do that in mostly 665 00:54:50,240 --> 00:54:54,360 for ourselves but we do that also so that the administration of the Holy Ghost can be 666 00:54:54,360 --> 00:54:59,600 here for those that enter and remind them of who they are specifically number one our 667 00:54:59,600 --> 00:55:06,400 children and our grandchildren yeah so I think we're running out of time Scott and and we'll 668 00:55:06,400 --> 00:55:15,120 continue this discussion next next week about the infinite mercies of Jesus Christ that 669 00:55:15,120 --> 00:55:25,480 flow into our lives all of our lives unconditionally unconditionally Scott it's just so important 670 00:55:25,480 --> 00:55:32,000 I think that we realize that the atonement of Jesus Christ is not just that we were all 671 00:55:32,000 --> 00:55:37,560 going to be resurrected and it's not just for our ability and the gift of repentance 672 00:55:37,560 --> 00:55:43,840 that that wonderful blessing that to that all of us conditionally can participate in 673 00:55:43,840 --> 00:55:54,040 as we choose to do so but the atonement of Jesus Christ has has brought so many unconditional 674 00:55:54,040 --> 00:56:01,840 blessings to us individually to each member of our family and to each member of the human 675 00:56:01,840 --> 00:56:09,000 family people who don't even know anything about Jesus Christ have been blessed by the 676 00:56:09,000 --> 00:56:16,760 atonement of Jesus Christ that's what the infinite tome it means it's infinite there's 677 00:56:16,760 --> 00:56:27,240 infinite mercy and all of us are blessed by it in our lives so I just hope that that maybe 678 00:56:27,240 --> 00:56:35,180 our our listeners can can again come to a greater understanding and with that greater 679 00:56:35,180 --> 00:56:45,080 understanding an increased sense of gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ that not 680 00:56:45,080 --> 00:56:52,240 only the atonement of Jesus Christ not only did he suffer for all the iniquities of the 681 00:56:52,240 --> 00:57:02,480 world but he that he suffered for all of the inequalities of the world just to know that 682 00:57:02,480 --> 00:57:14,040 true Scott answers so many difficult questions issues and problems in our life when people 683 00:57:14,040 --> 00:57:21,440 really have an understanding and a testimony of that truth that the atonement covers all 684 00:57:21,440 --> 00:57:32,080 iniquities that are repentant of and all inequalities whether repentant of or not right 685 00:57:32,080 --> 00:57:42,720 unconditionally I I I know that's true I know that's the the love of God that's all according 686 00:57:42,720 --> 00:57:48,640 to the love of God I love the scripture I'll just close with this scripture it's one of 687 00:57:48,640 --> 00:57:59,200 my favorites God in in John chapter 3 verses 16 17 for God so loved the world this is heavenly 688 00:57:59,200 --> 00:58:08,280 father so loves his children he so loved the world all of the world that he gave his only 689 00:58:08,280 --> 00:58:18,760 begotten son that whosoever believed in him should not perish but have everlasting life 690 00:58:18,760 --> 00:58:27,360 but verse 17 yeah that's so important get to give her 17 for God sent his son into the 691 00:58:27,360 --> 00:58:45,040 world not to condemn the world but to save the world through his son God does not want 692 00:58:45,040 --> 00:58:53,120 to condemn any of his children and has saved probably so many more who have lived on this 693 00:58:53,120 --> 00:59:00,680 earth when the gospel of Jesus Christ wasn't even here let alone in the fullness and I 694 00:59:00,680 --> 00:59:08,640 know that heavenly father and Jesus Christ have redeemed us has saved us and that they 695 00:59:08,640 --> 00:59:16,360 desire with all their heart to whatever degree they can offer it to us exaltation to return 696 00:59:16,360 --> 00:59:22,880 home to live with them in their presence and to have eternal families and through the atonement 697 00:59:22,880 --> 00:59:29,840 of Jesus Christ that is possible it all comes down to that that we can be together forever 698 00:59:29,840 --> 00:59:36,880 as families through Jesus Christ in his atonement last week we spent a lot of time talking about 699 00:59:36,880 --> 00:59:41,800 gratitude and how that was the beginning of desire and this all this builds our gratitude 700 00:59:41,800 --> 00:59:46,160 you just mentioned that another thing that this builds and I hope that we can see this 701 00:59:46,160 --> 00:59:51,920 is that it builds our awareness of these principles in our own lives it's easy for me and maybe 702 00:59:51,920 --> 00:59:57,440 I'm speaking for many of us with this but it's easy for me to see these blessings at work in 703 00:59:57,440 --> 01:00:04,560 other people's lives but because of the accuser and because sometimes I listen to the accuser I can 704 01:00:04,560 --> 01:00:12,440 see sometimes in my own life's were maybe my my my my shortcomings the things that I've done or the 705 01:00:12,440 --> 01:00:17,760 things that I haven't done that I should have sometimes seem bigger than maybe they are but 706 01:00:17,760 --> 01:00:23,560 I think that if we if we can understand this principle and through gratitude not just increase 707 01:00:23,560 --> 01:00:30,320 our desire to follow him but also increase our awareness of his of his presence in our life of 708 01:00:30,320 --> 01:00:39,720 his absolute infinite atonement in our lives and into the lives of those we love even maybe some 709 01:00:39,720 --> 01:00:46,920 of those that we have effective maybe not necessarily in the most positive ways his atonement his 710 01:00:46,920 --> 01:00:53,560 blessings his merit compensates for all of that and that you know and it's our invitation for us 711 01:00:53,560 --> 01:01:00,040 to feel that to look for that and see it and see it with an eye of faith and with an eye of 712 01:01:00,040 --> 01:01:04,760 revelation and inspiration personally in our own lives that may only come through sometimes 713 01:01:04,760 --> 01:01:10,600 fasting and prayer so if that's what it takes I invite us to do that too but let us have the 714 01:01:10,600 --> 01:01:18,440 awareness of the infinite nature of the atonement especially these unconditional components of 715 01:01:18,440 --> 01:01:23,240 the atonement of Jesus Christ as we have spoken about them today and last week in our lives and 716 01:01:23,240 --> 01:01:28,960 that's our prayer thanks for being with us today remember you have been redeemed through his blood 717 01:01:28,960 --> 01:01:35,000 may we look for blessings that come to us through that in our lives and that's our prayer for this 718 01:01:35,000 --> 01:01:40,840 week and always thanks again for being with us