1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:20,440 Hey there everybody, here we are again and it's good to be with you. 2 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:21,440 Hello David. 3 00:00:21,440 --> 00:00:22,440 Life is good. 4 00:00:22,440 --> 00:00:23,440 Life is indeed good. 5 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:24,940 Great to be alive in this God. 6 00:00:24,940 --> 00:00:27,280 Yeah, beautiful day here on the Wasatch Front. 7 00:00:27,280 --> 00:00:31,720 Which makes it even greater to be alive. 8 00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:33,240 Grandpa's birthday today. 9 00:00:33,240 --> 00:00:34,240 I know. 10 00:00:34,240 --> 00:00:35,240 I miss that guy. 11 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:40,040 He would have been a hundred and nine years old today. 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:41,040 Yeah. 13 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:42,040 Yeah. 14 00:00:42,040 --> 00:00:43,560 I was the baby. 15 00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,680 Yeah, my dad was the oldest. 16 00:00:45,680 --> 00:00:47,360 You were the second oldest grandchild. 17 00:00:47,360 --> 00:00:49,160 Third actually, third oldest grandchild. 18 00:00:49,160 --> 00:00:50,160 Oh, Craig was older than you. 19 00:00:50,160 --> 00:00:52,560 Yeah, Craig's older than me just by a few months. 20 00:00:52,560 --> 00:00:56,360 I'm sweet that we're thinking about him. 21 00:00:56,360 --> 00:00:59,400 So awesome to remember him. 22 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,280 Yeah, he was a good guy. 23 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:06,840 He was a sealer in the temple. 24 00:01:06,840 --> 00:01:07,840 Dave, you've been? 25 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:11,040 Yeah, I've been feeling pretty close to him, Scott. 26 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:12,040 I bet you are. 27 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:20,600 I was recently called and set apart as a sealer in the New Saratoga Springs Temple and it's 28 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:29,120 really humbling and it's made me feel just a little closer to him. 29 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:34,800 Think about him and all the years that he served as a sealer in the Provo and then the 30 00:01:34,800 --> 00:01:36,800 Mount Tempanoga stemples. 31 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:37,800 Yeah, yeah. 32 00:01:37,800 --> 00:01:41,360 And you know, Mary did most of his grandchildren. 33 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:42,360 Yeah, he did. 34 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:44,320 Sealed most of his grandchildren. 35 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:45,320 Yeah. 36 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:46,320 Except my children. 37 00:01:46,320 --> 00:01:49,880 He died right before Rachel was married. 38 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:50,880 Yeah. 39 00:01:50,880 --> 00:01:56,720 And so it's kind of been, I've been thinking about that, you know, that he wasn't able 40 00:01:56,720 --> 00:02:02,520 to seal my children because he died right before my oldest got married. 41 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:05,800 But now I'll be able to seal their children. 42 00:02:05,800 --> 00:02:08,560 Yeah, your grandchildren and my grandchildren. 43 00:02:08,560 --> 00:02:09,560 Yeah. 44 00:02:09,560 --> 00:02:10,560 So it's... 45 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:11,560 That'll be amazing. 46 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,560 It's kind of sweet. 47 00:02:13,560 --> 00:02:18,680 Yeah, I tell people all the time, you know, Craig actually and I were talking and, you 48 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:22,800 know, other people in the family and I just tell people all the time because I get to 49 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:23,800 be with you so often. 50 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:29,520 How much you remind me of grandpa because either way you look, your mannerisms and now 51 00:02:29,520 --> 00:02:31,760 this is just like that. 52 00:02:31,760 --> 00:02:32,760 That makes sense. 53 00:02:32,760 --> 00:02:34,840 So how are you going to juggle that with being a patriarch? 54 00:02:34,840 --> 00:02:39,360 The nut doesn't fall far from the tree. 55 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:40,440 Well we'll see. 56 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:45,200 You know, we've had two patriarchs in our stake. 57 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,320 You know, anyway, I won't give the history of that. 58 00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:51,560 It's not important. 59 00:02:51,560 --> 00:02:52,680 But we'll see. 60 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:59,680 We'll try to balance that out and maybe they'll put me on non-functioning status again, you 61 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:02,160 know, as a patriarch. 62 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:03,160 But maybe not. 63 00:03:03,160 --> 00:03:12,680 I think it's not a problem to give a blessing once in a while to the youth and to be sealing 64 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:13,680 people in the temple. 65 00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:15,360 It'll be kind of a sweet service. 66 00:03:15,360 --> 00:03:18,160 We were going to go on a mission. 67 00:03:18,160 --> 00:03:25,880 I told the temple president that we were considering a mission and his response as well. 68 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,880 The first presidency called you to this. 69 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,560 So if you want to go on a mission, you'll have to take that up with them. 70 00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:35,400 You'll have to ask them about that. 71 00:03:35,400 --> 00:03:45,120 So anyway, it's delayed, I think, any decision right now to serve a mission. 72 00:03:45,120 --> 00:03:51,200 But I still hope that maybe after serving as a sealer for a year or so, maybe we'll still 73 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:52,200 go on a mission. 74 00:03:52,200 --> 00:03:53,200 I have that opportunity. 75 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:57,640 Well, I know that I speak for myself and probably most of our listeners because I don't know 76 00:03:57,640 --> 00:03:59,920 listeners if you realize it or not. 77 00:03:59,920 --> 00:04:04,880 But if Dave were to go on a mission, that kind of wraps up our podcast here. 78 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:06,880 Yeah, well, no, you could continue. 79 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:10,200 So it's a so it's a well, I don't know. 80 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:11,960 You're teaching Institute. 81 00:04:11,960 --> 00:04:13,560 You're having your own experiences. 82 00:04:13,560 --> 00:04:14,560 Yeah. 83 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:15,560 Yeah, we got it. 84 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:20,600 You could keep that going and it'd be really a blessing to so many if you did. 85 00:04:20,600 --> 00:04:21,960 Leave me that as it may. 86 00:04:21,960 --> 00:04:27,080 The blessing is that we'll get to keep doing this for a little while longer. 87 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:29,200 I'm grateful for that too. 88 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:34,360 Hey, gang, last week, we just couldn't pull our schedules together. 89 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:41,320 I know that we've got so many comments about so many of our really important interviews 90 00:04:41,320 --> 00:04:44,320 that we've done over the the year. 91 00:04:44,320 --> 00:04:48,800 And we played my sweetheart, Deborah Durfee's podcast last week. 92 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,000 We've got a lot of responses again from that. 93 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,320 And we want to say thank you. 94 00:04:53,320 --> 00:04:57,240 Just a reminder, everything we're doing now is being transcribed. 95 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:02,480 You can just go to the website, which is linked on your provider, whichever, whether you're 96 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:04,960 using Spotify or Apple or whatever. 97 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:10,880 There's a link to go to the main feed or the original feed. 98 00:05:10,880 --> 00:05:14,640 And there you'll find transcribed each one of these podcasts so you'll be able to get 99 00:05:14,640 --> 00:05:17,800 those in written form as well. 100 00:05:17,800 --> 00:05:23,720 And again, encourage you to send your questions, etc. to us at he redeemsus at gmail.com. 101 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:28,080 We have a couple of questions in the queue that we'll be answering this week. 102 00:05:28,080 --> 00:05:30,920 We'll get to those as quick as we can. 103 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:33,200 Go anticipate that if you send a question. 104 00:05:33,200 --> 00:05:34,960 So Dave, enough of that. 105 00:05:34,960 --> 00:05:37,160 Let's let's talk about what we're going to talk about. 106 00:05:37,160 --> 00:05:38,160 Thank you, Scott. 107 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:42,080 So we did the last time we were together. 108 00:05:42,080 --> 00:05:45,000 It's been a few weeks. 109 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:51,360 We were finishing up talking about the unconditional aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 110 00:05:51,360 --> 00:05:57,360 And there are more unconditional aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in my in my 111 00:05:57,360 --> 00:05:59,120 thinking. 112 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:03,040 And there are conditional aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 113 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:10,000 And when I say unconditional, I mean everyone, all of God's family, all of the human family 114 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:14,080 are blessed unconditionally by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 115 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:18,640 And I've made the statement and I believe it and I believe it's it's it's taught by 116 00:06:18,640 --> 00:06:25,440 the prophets and the scriptures that all the negatives of life that we experienced that 117 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:34,840 we did not choose are unconditionally covered by the Atonement of Jesus Christ, either through 118 00:06:34,840 --> 00:06:42,240 the redemptive powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which are the cleansing powers 119 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:48,640 or the enabling powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which are the strengthening 120 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:58,720 powers, or I believe the compensatory powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which are 121 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:06,120 I call the reimbursing powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 122 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:10,000 And these have been clearly, clearly taught. 123 00:07:10,000 --> 00:07:12,920 And I'm really, really grateful. 124 00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:21,000 And it gratitude again, understanding those powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, that 125 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:27,800 are unconditionally ours gifts that he has offered us that he is unconditionally provided 126 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:29,360 for us. 127 00:07:29,360 --> 00:07:32,480 But we still have to understand them in order for them to have real power. 128 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:38,840 I think in our lives, God, the power to desire to keep the commandments and to do right and 129 00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:40,800 draw closer to him. 130 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:45,760 So I guess we still have to make a choice whether to acknowledge them, whether receive 131 00:07:45,760 --> 00:07:50,200 blessings ultimately from them or all the blessings from them. 132 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:59,040 So I am really grateful to have learned pretty early in my life in my 30s about that. 133 00:07:59,040 --> 00:08:02,800 And it was kind of serendipitous how I did. 134 00:08:02,800 --> 00:08:08,160 You know, I've been serving at the missionary training center, helping new missionaries as 135 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:14,760 a branch president, receiving confessions every week for new missionaries and helping 136 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:21,920 them to learn the principles of repentance, which we'll talk more about soon in our podcast. 137 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,360 And those are the conditional aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 138 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,440 How to repent and be forgiven. 139 00:08:29,440 --> 00:08:35,520 But I hadn't really quite tapped into the all the unconditional aspects and blessings 140 00:08:35,520 --> 00:08:40,920 of the Atonement of Jesus Christ until after I was released as a branch president at the 141 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:43,040 missionary training center. 142 00:08:43,040 --> 00:08:50,960 And that happened by way of a call that I had shortly received after we were really, 143 00:08:50,960 --> 00:08:58,760 after I was released from the, from the MTC, I got a call from a bishop at the prison. 144 00:08:58,760 --> 00:09:09,120 And he asked us if we would volunteer to our family, go up to the prison every first Monday 145 00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:14,240 of the month and to have family home evening with a prisoner that would be assigned to 146 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,360 us. 147 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,000 Well my family was pretty young. 148 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:20,520 My children were young. 149 00:09:20,520 --> 00:09:23,800 And I was a little nervous about that. 150 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:28,320 And but after discussing it as a family, I called him back and told him we'd love to 151 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:29,880 do that. 152 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:36,520 So we, and I apologize to our loyal listeners because I've shared this experience in our 153 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:41,680 first season and yet it had such a profound effect on my life and what I learned from 154 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:42,680 it. 155 00:09:42,680 --> 00:09:47,560 And I hope that maybe you'll learn some additional lessons from it this time if you've already 156 00:09:47,560 --> 00:09:51,040 heard me share it. 157 00:09:51,040 --> 00:09:56,760 So we went up to the prison that first Monday of the month when we began this assignment 158 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:03,720 and it was a little disconcerting to me when they started to, you know, shutting iron doors 159 00:10:03,720 --> 00:10:06,640 and bars behind us as a family. 160 00:10:06,640 --> 00:10:08,640 How old do you think Rachel, for example, would have been? 161 00:10:08,640 --> 00:10:15,760 I think Rachel was about, oh Scott, I think she was probably about nine years old. 162 00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:20,080 So Rachel's Dave's oldest daughter, you know, and I'll just throw this in quick. 163 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,840 Nine years old, maybe 10 or 11. 164 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:26,720 I mean, I think it was like, I think it was in 1989. 165 00:10:26,720 --> 00:10:28,960 So she would have been 10 years old. 166 00:10:28,960 --> 00:10:29,960 Okay. 167 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:30,960 10 years old. 168 00:10:30,960 --> 00:10:31,960 Yeah. 169 00:10:31,960 --> 00:10:42,680 And Aubrey nine and then Taylor would have been six and seven, maybe seven and Devin 170 00:10:42,680 --> 00:10:43,720 a little younger than that. 171 00:10:43,720 --> 00:10:52,440 So anyway, we go there the first Monday and we're introduced to prisoner assigned to us 172 00:10:52,440 --> 00:11:00,560 and just for his sake, I won't share his name except his first name was David. 173 00:11:00,560 --> 00:11:10,160 So anyway, we meet David and we're locked in the non denominational chapel. 174 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:11,160 Yeah. 175 00:11:11,160 --> 00:11:15,840 Church they have there at the old prison at the point of the mountain, which is now being 176 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:16,840 torn down. 177 00:11:16,840 --> 00:11:18,200 Yeah, obsolete. 178 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:23,240 But anyway, we were there and after we had a little opening exercise, we went into a 179 00:11:23,240 --> 00:11:26,560 room by ourselves with our prisoner. 180 00:11:26,560 --> 00:11:31,480 He just so happened to be a black man who was also a Muslim. 181 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:36,240 And this was his first time participating in the family home evening program. 182 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,440 He thought it would look good on his record. 183 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:44,040 And he thought, I think that the reason he chose to do it was that it would look good 184 00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:50,200 on maybe the parole board and give him some pardon as a result of being involved in the 185 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:51,200 program. 186 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:56,800 Anyway, we met him and he and I had kind of prepared that we would introduce ourselves 187 00:11:56,800 --> 00:11:57,800 as a family. 188 00:11:57,800 --> 00:12:02,920 So we went around the room and we all introduced ourselves in a short, sweet way. 189 00:12:02,920 --> 00:12:07,960 And and then I said, David, now we'd like to hear something about you. 190 00:12:07,960 --> 00:12:13,640 And he said, first thing out of his mouth was, well, I suppose you're wondering why 191 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:16,160 I'm here. 192 00:12:16,160 --> 00:12:21,520 And I had kind of prepared or anticipated he might say that. 193 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:27,080 And I said, well, actually, David, if it's OK for for my children's sake, they don't 194 00:12:27,080 --> 00:12:29,120 need to know why you're white. 195 00:12:29,120 --> 00:12:30,840 We don't need to know why you're here, David. 196 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:35,280 We don't want to we don't want to think about that or dwell in the past. 197 00:12:35,280 --> 00:12:40,800 So just tell us about the present, what you like to do, things that you enjoy. 198 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:45,960 And let's let's just talk about, you know, who you are and things that you do here. 199 00:12:45,960 --> 00:12:49,480 And and we don't need to go into the past. 200 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:53,000 I want to focus on the present and the future. 201 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:57,400 So he did that and he had a lot of fun and he took off his shirt. 202 00:12:57,400 --> 00:13:01,960 I don't know if that was against rules, but he took off his shirt and he started to flex 203 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:06,640 because he was a weightlifter and he could bench press over 400 pounds. 204 00:13:06,640 --> 00:13:11,480 I think it was 450 pounds, he told us and leg lift, you know, hundreds and hundreds 205 00:13:11,480 --> 00:13:16,880 of pounds and and he I think he even said he was kind of working out to try out for 206 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:19,720 the Mr. Utah pageant or whatever. 207 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:21,880 Anyway, he looked like an upside down pyramid. 208 00:13:21,880 --> 00:13:25,760 He was about five nine, five nine, a couple hundred pounds. 209 00:13:25,760 --> 00:13:27,840 But man, he was just solid. 210 00:13:27,840 --> 00:13:33,320 And when he took off his shirt and he started to flex for us to go through some of the moves. 211 00:13:33,320 --> 00:13:38,880 I remember my my girls and probably even my wife, they were they were pretty impressed 212 00:13:38,880 --> 00:13:42,840 and and yet it made me really nervous. 213 00:13:42,840 --> 00:13:48,520 Yeah, he could have crushed me. 214 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:57,040 Anyway, it was impressive and we immediately he was so charismatic and so fun and we loved 215 00:13:57,040 --> 00:13:58,040 him. 216 00:13:58,040 --> 00:13:59,040 Yeah. 217 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:04,080 And we really loved him and when we left to left him there in prison, it was hard as we 218 00:14:04,080 --> 00:14:05,720 were driving home. 219 00:14:05,720 --> 00:14:07,560 I looked in my rearview mirror. 220 00:14:07,560 --> 00:14:15,120 We were driving to our home in Highland and he was I noticed Taylor was had tears. 221 00:14:15,120 --> 00:14:19,240 And I said, Taylor, what's wrong? 222 00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:24,880 And he and he said, I really hate leaving David there. 223 00:14:24,880 --> 00:14:29,360 And we all just kind of sadly shook our heads. 224 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,440 It was it was quite a thing. 225 00:14:31,440 --> 00:14:38,920 We just instantly from that day on we really loved him. 226 00:14:38,920 --> 00:14:43,480 Well I had a volunteer card in order to do it to be involved in this program and I could 227 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:45,360 go up and go to church with him. 228 00:14:45,360 --> 00:14:49,640 And I invited him to start going to the LDS church once in a while. 229 00:14:49,640 --> 00:14:54,840 They would have a little meeting every Sunday and and about once a month, I tried to go 230 00:14:54,840 --> 00:14:59,040 to church and sit with David. 231 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:03,920 After doing this for a few months, I went up to the prison and the bishop met me at 232 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:11,120 the door and he said, I heard you were coming today and David came in to see me this week 233 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:19,400 and he is really scared that when you find out why he's in prison that you'll stop bringing 234 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:22,680 your family and he really loves your family. 235 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:31,720 And I think it would be good if after our meeting today if I let you use a room and 236 00:15:31,720 --> 00:15:35,000 let David tell you his story. 237 00:15:35,000 --> 00:15:36,240 And I said that would be fine. 238 00:15:36,240 --> 00:15:42,840 I just didn't want my kids to think of of some of the things he had been involved in. 239 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:43,920 Bishop said I understand. 240 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:53,600 So after our little sacrament meeting, you know, some of them passed the sacrament to 241 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,440 visitors and other things there. 242 00:15:56,440 --> 00:16:03,440 And we met in a room and David began telling me his story. 243 00:16:03,440 --> 00:16:10,080 And Scott, I, you know, I was 30, I think I was 36 years old at the time and I was pretty 244 00:16:10,080 --> 00:16:12,080 naive. 245 00:16:12,080 --> 00:16:16,840 I hadn't really even imagined things like this. 246 00:16:16,840 --> 00:16:20,480 He told me that he was born in Kansas City to a prostitute. 247 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:29,760 And of course they didn't know who the dad was and that his mother was really abusive. 248 00:16:29,760 --> 00:16:37,200 And from the time that he was six years old that she had forced him into child abuse or 249 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:40,880 I'm sorry, child prostitution. 250 00:16:40,880 --> 00:16:44,680 And that from six on he was a child prostitute. 251 00:16:44,680 --> 00:16:50,200 And I remember him saying to me, so sad, I'll never forget the look on his face. 252 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:52,040 The age of six years old. 253 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:53,040 Yeah. 254 00:16:53,040 --> 00:16:59,960 And he said to me as he kind of looked up at the ceiling, my mom made a lot of money off 255 00:16:59,960 --> 00:17:04,880 of me. 256 00:17:04,880 --> 00:17:14,760 And then he told me that when he was eight that he started to object to being involved 257 00:17:14,760 --> 00:17:17,440 in child prostitution, which I thought was interesting. 258 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:18,800 The age of accountability. 259 00:17:18,800 --> 00:17:22,200 This is what we call sex trafficking today. 260 00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,440 So sad. 261 00:17:24,440 --> 00:17:28,280 And he said, so I began to object when I was eight years old. 262 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:33,600 And that's when she gave me my first dose of heroin. 263 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:37,880 And from eight years on he was a drug addict. 264 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:39,920 Eight years old. 265 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:44,360 He got his first shot of heroin. 266 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:49,520 And then he pointed to a big dent in his forehead. 267 00:17:49,520 --> 00:17:52,160 You know that he had right in the middle of his forehead. 268 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:54,600 He said, you know how I got this? 269 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:55,680 And I said, no. 270 00:17:55,680 --> 00:18:02,040 And he said one morning I was asleep in bed 10 years old and my mother hit me in the head 271 00:18:02,040 --> 00:18:09,240 with a tire iron, crushed my forehead because I had forgotten to take out the garbage that 272 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:11,800 day. 273 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:18,480 So he said I decided that my mother would eventually kill me if I didn't run away. 274 00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:21,320 And so he did at the age of 12. 275 00:18:21,320 --> 00:18:28,320 The age of 12 he had he finally ran away and kind of lived on the streets or others who 276 00:18:28,320 --> 00:18:31,280 might take him in. 277 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:38,960 And I was I was just amazed and heartbroken to hear his hear his story. 278 00:18:38,960 --> 00:18:43,880 Eventually at the age of 14 he said he had a gun. 279 00:18:43,880 --> 00:18:46,520 And this is what he said. 280 00:18:46,520 --> 00:18:50,200 I hated my mother. 281 00:18:50,200 --> 00:18:53,320 But in some strange way I loved her. 282 00:18:53,320 --> 00:18:57,080 And I thought that maybe I could help protect her. 283 00:18:57,080 --> 00:18:59,000 So I went back home. 284 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:02,240 Now that he had a gun, yeah. 285 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:07,440 And shortly after he went back home, his mother did something that just I guess triggered 286 00:19:07,440 --> 00:19:15,920 him and out of rage, he shot his mother and murdered his mother, killed his mother. 287 00:19:15,920 --> 00:19:26,420 So he got put into the Missouri State of Missouri juvenile detention program and and at 18 after 288 00:19:26,420 --> 00:19:32,280 being in that for four years and going around to different detention centers or foster homes, 289 00:19:32,280 --> 00:19:36,480 then he got involved in another program. 290 00:19:36,480 --> 00:19:41,600 I think it was the Peace Corps or something and he ends up in Ogden, Utah. 291 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:47,160 And in Ogden, Utah, a man does something that enrages him. 292 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:52,680 He's just got this uncontrollable temper and he kills the man. 293 00:19:52,680 --> 00:19:55,720 He murders a man at the age of 18. 294 00:19:55,720 --> 00:20:01,280 This guy had never been never had an opportunity to learn how to control his emotions. 295 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:04,040 And he runs away at the age of 12. 296 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:10,520 He's on the streets essentially for at least two years before he comes home. 297 00:20:10,520 --> 00:20:20,840 So his second second murder is committed when he's 18 and he gets 10 years to life. 298 00:20:20,840 --> 00:20:21,840 Okay. 299 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:22,840 18. 300 00:20:22,840 --> 00:20:27,400 When I met him, he was 32 years old, he was four years younger than me. 301 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:32,640 And so he's been in prison for 14 years when I met him. 302 00:20:32,640 --> 00:20:39,680 So he surpassed the minimum 10 years and who knows how long and I'll tell the rest of the 303 00:20:39,680 --> 00:20:41,000 story when I finish. 304 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:50,280 But anyway, so he's telling me all this and Scott, I just kind of never quite imagined, 305 00:20:50,280 --> 00:21:01,640 you know, how hard and unfair really life life can be until I met David and we continued 306 00:21:01,640 --> 00:21:09,480 to go there and our family continued to love him and he gave us Christmas presents, drawn 307 00:21:09,480 --> 00:21:14,480 art that he had paid somebody in prison to draw on a white hanky to each of my children 308 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:20,640 and had given them a little money which he had earned making just, you know, nothing 309 00:21:20,640 --> 00:21:28,200 in the prison and and we had given him a set of scriptures and anyway, we had this bond 310 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:34,680 and and we were enjoying loving that relationship. 311 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:36,800 And then we got ready to move. 312 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:41,800 Well before I tell that, I guess I need to say because of our relationship with him after 313 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:48,480 a year, we decided that because Chris had had three stillborns that we were going to 314 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:50,160 adopt a baby. 315 00:21:50,160 --> 00:21:55,120 And because of our love and relationship with David, we decided to adopt a black baby. 316 00:21:55,120 --> 00:22:00,160 And so we had put in all these applications, the Houston and Denver and Philadelphia and 317 00:22:00,160 --> 00:22:05,160 we were going to adopt a black baby and and felt that that was right. 318 00:22:05,160 --> 00:22:10,160 And several families had been doing that that lived around us in Utah County and and 319 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:11,680 we were excited about that. 320 00:22:11,680 --> 00:22:19,320 And we got we adopted Isaac from Philadelphia, two months old and he had been in an abusive 321 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:24,240 situation and we we adopted him. 322 00:22:24,240 --> 00:22:29,320 And we were so excited to, by the way, I wouldn't have done that. 323 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:34,720 I wouldn't even have considered it if David, our new brother and friend at the prison had 324 00:22:34,720 --> 00:22:36,720 not supported it. 325 00:22:36,720 --> 00:22:40,320 Yeah, well, let me let me just kind of pause you for just a second. 326 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:44,720 So I adopted a little girl about that same time. 327 00:22:44,720 --> 00:22:46,240 And I don't know. 328 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:49,040 And she's also African American descent. 329 00:22:49,040 --> 00:22:54,440 She's black and I don't know that we would have adopted her if you wouldn't have initiated 330 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:56,160 that with Isaac. 331 00:22:56,160 --> 00:23:01,640 And so this so this this David's impact had some ripple effect. 332 00:23:01,640 --> 00:23:02,640 Yeah, family. 333 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:04,440 Yeah, good point. 334 00:23:04,440 --> 00:23:05,440 Absolutely. 335 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:08,560 Anyway, David was so supportive and excited about that. 336 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:14,240 And we were so excited to take Isaac to the prison the first Monday of the month after 337 00:23:14,240 --> 00:23:16,360 we had adopted him. 338 00:23:16,360 --> 00:23:20,400 And he again was was just a few months old. 339 00:23:20,400 --> 00:23:24,840 And we were going to the prison and all of our kids were kind of arguing about who was 340 00:23:24,840 --> 00:23:29,480 going to carry him in and show him off to David. 341 00:23:29,480 --> 00:23:30,800 And I said, stop it. 342 00:23:30,800 --> 00:23:32,080 None of you are carrying him in. 343 00:23:32,080 --> 00:23:34,200 I'm carrying him in. 344 00:23:34,200 --> 00:23:40,320 And we went into the prison and I'm holding Isaac and we were we were there a little early. 345 00:23:40,320 --> 00:23:42,880 I thought we would kind of be the first there. 346 00:23:42,880 --> 00:23:45,960 But David was in the chapel waiting for us. 347 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:49,240 Did he know that you yes, yes, he knew that we were coming. 348 00:23:49,240 --> 00:23:50,720 So it wasn't a complete surprise. 349 00:23:50,720 --> 00:23:57,160 No, in fact, he had he had somehow I don't know how he pulled this off, but he had somehow 350 00:23:57,160 --> 00:24:02,960 starts his shirt so that it was like stiff as a board and he had his top button buttoned 351 00:24:02,960 --> 00:24:09,640 like he was going to church and he had creased his Levi's starched and had a hard crease 352 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:12,960 in his Levi's like they look like soup pants. 353 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,520 Yeah, his denims and he had polished his black Nikes. 354 00:24:17,520 --> 00:24:22,320 And I thought, wow, all of this to meet this new baby. 355 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:23,680 What a what a sweet it was really sweet. 356 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:24,680 It was impressive. 357 00:24:24,680 --> 00:24:29,440 Yeah, I told him I said and he'd slicked his hair back oiled and he slicked his hair back 358 00:24:29,440 --> 00:24:35,400 and I said, wow, David, you look like a million bucks and he said, well, I'm a I'm a godfather 359 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:36,400 now. 360 00:24:36,400 --> 00:24:37,400 I mean, he thought he was the godfather. 361 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:38,400 Yeah, sure. 362 00:24:38,400 --> 00:24:41,880 This baby and it was it was sweet. 363 00:24:41,880 --> 00:24:48,440 I you know, I was holding Isaac and I said, David, do you want to you want to hold him? 364 00:24:48,440 --> 00:24:55,160 So he puts out his big massive arms and and I lay Isaac in his hands and he's kind of 365 00:24:55,160 --> 00:25:00,280 shaking and I said, hey, David, David, and I tell Isaac was nervous. 366 00:25:00,280 --> 00:25:04,320 And I said, David, he likes to be held close and he kind of rolled him in his arms and 367 00:25:04,320 --> 00:25:06,920 I thought, no, you're going to crush your man. 368 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:09,820 And I said, let me show you how to hold a baby. 369 00:25:09,820 --> 00:25:11,200 So I took the baby back. 370 00:25:11,200 --> 00:25:14,660 I took Isaac and I said, you got to hold him like this and I might have been the first 371 00:25:14,660 --> 00:25:16,240 baby he ever held. 372 00:25:16,240 --> 00:25:22,160 Well, he told me that and so I'm showing him the how to hold the baby and then so I give 373 00:25:22,160 --> 00:25:26,600 him back to David, David's kind of rocking him and looking at him. 374 00:25:26,600 --> 00:25:33,080 And then there, David looked into his eyes and Isaac looked into David's eyes and I don't 375 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:39,200 know, Scott, something happened and it was like you could just see David's count. 376 00:25:39,200 --> 00:25:45,920 It's just fall and he became he became really depressed. 377 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:53,720 He became there was something just really dark and he handed the baby back to me and 378 00:25:53,720 --> 00:25:54,720 he shook his head. 379 00:25:54,720 --> 00:25:56,240 He started shaking his head. 380 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:57,740 No. 381 00:25:57,740 --> 00:26:05,480 And moving around nervous, anxious, and he wouldn't speak to us the rest of the night. 382 00:26:05,480 --> 00:26:10,280 We went into a room and after the opening exercise and I said, David, can you tell us 383 00:26:10,280 --> 00:26:11,520 what you're feeling? 384 00:26:11,520 --> 00:26:13,120 And he just shake his head. 385 00:26:13,120 --> 00:26:14,120 No. 386 00:26:14,120 --> 00:26:18,600 And he didn't he didn't say a word the rest of the night and it was terrible. 387 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:25,960 It was awful and this great event that my family had looked so looked forward to was 388 00:26:25,960 --> 00:26:28,240 just awful. 389 00:26:28,240 --> 00:26:29,280 It was depressing. 390 00:26:29,280 --> 00:26:34,840 It was it was a tragedy and my children were sad and we all didn't know what was going 391 00:26:34,840 --> 00:26:42,120 on and I got angry about it after leaving the prison and not sleeping very well that 392 00:26:42,120 --> 00:26:46,720 night and as soon as I got through teaching seminary that day, I went right back up to 393 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:52,480 the prison using my volunteer card and went in to see David and went right in. 394 00:26:52,480 --> 00:27:00,560 Let me go into his what he called his house or you know, his his complex and we sat at 395 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:08,440 a table together across from each other and I said to him, Scott, David, if every time 396 00:27:08,440 --> 00:27:14,240 we come up here with that baby, if it's just going to depress you, then maybe we shouldn't 397 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:17,320 come up here anymore. 398 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,480 That was mad. 399 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:28,440 And he looked at me and he took his hand and he raised it above his head and he slammed 400 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:33,000 it on the table between us. 401 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:36,920 And I kind of jumped. 402 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:37,920 I'm sure. 403 00:27:37,920 --> 00:27:38,920 Yeah. 404 00:27:38,920 --> 00:27:47,080 And he said, I just have one question for you. 405 00:27:47,080 --> 00:27:53,280 Why didn't God give me a mother like that? 406 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:54,800 Right. 407 00:27:54,800 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaking of my little family and and Isis adopted mother, my wife, your sweetheart, Chris, my 408 00:28:01,040 --> 00:28:07,120 sweetheart, Chris, why didn't God give me a mother like that? 409 00:28:07,120 --> 00:28:18,560 He said, that is the first time I have ever held a baby and I have never felt such love. 410 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:20,480 Wow. 411 00:28:20,480 --> 00:28:25,040 I've never known such love. 412 00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:31,720 And I said, David, David, what? 413 00:28:31,720 --> 00:28:34,440 What can we what can we do to? 414 00:28:34,440 --> 00:28:42,880 And he said, well, I just want to know why didn't God give me a mother like that? 415 00:28:42,880 --> 00:28:47,600 When he asked that question against God, I it's like I had the Holy Ghost go through 416 00:28:47,600 --> 00:28:56,000 me and because I was I went there upset and angry and all of a sudden I understood and 417 00:28:56,000 --> 00:29:01,560 I felt peace and the spirit came back into my life and I knew what to say to him and 418 00:29:01,560 --> 00:29:03,280 I had never considered this. 419 00:29:03,280 --> 00:29:08,120 I never even thought about this and I don't know if at the time it had ever been taught, 420 00:29:08,120 --> 00:29:12,960 you know, in in 1990, probably when this happened. 421 00:29:12,960 --> 00:29:23,360 And I said, I said to him, David, I don't know why you never had a mother like that. 422 00:29:23,360 --> 00:29:28,760 But I do know this and I knew it was true. 423 00:29:28,760 --> 00:29:38,640 If it is your desire to someday have a mother like that because of Jesus Christ, you will 424 00:29:38,640 --> 00:29:42,400 have a mother like that. 425 00:29:42,400 --> 00:29:44,760 I knew that was true, Scott. 426 00:29:44,760 --> 00:29:51,920 I just knew that he was covered by the atonement of Jesus Christ and if it was really truly 427 00:29:51,920 --> 00:29:58,960 his desire and and he would have to do some things and he would have to be faithful and 428 00:29:58,960 --> 00:30:05,000 but I knew that was that was a definite possibility and it it was amazing to me. 429 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:11,000 It kind of just opened up my mind and I began to think about the power of the atonement 430 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:14,840 of Jesus Christ because of the atonement of Jesus Christ. 431 00:30:14,840 --> 00:30:22,600 Someday he would have a mother like that and I pondered that and I began to study that 432 00:30:22,600 --> 00:30:30,720 and I found all of those wonderful statements of compensatory blessings that made by the 433 00:30:30,720 --> 00:30:35,880 first presidency in the Quorum of the Twelve and how that the atonement of Jesus Christ 434 00:30:35,880 --> 00:30:43,120 doesn't just cover our iniquities, but it covers all of the inequalities of life. 435 00:30:43,120 --> 00:30:48,320 I love the teaching of from preach my gospel. 436 00:30:48,320 --> 00:30:55,720 All that is unfair in life is covered by the atonement of Jesus Christ. 437 00:30:55,720 --> 00:31:00,880 That's taught throughout the scriptures, Scott, that because of Jesus Christ and his suffering, 438 00:31:00,880 --> 00:31:06,960 King Benjamin taught all of that was done that there would be a righteous judgment, 439 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:10,840 a fair judgment, a loving, a merciful judgment. 440 00:31:10,840 --> 00:31:15,120 So I began to think about that and all of the people who have lived on the earth who's 441 00:31:15,120 --> 00:31:21,640 never really had the opportunity and maybe David falls in that category so messed up 442 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:26,280 as a child, you know, so affected negatively. 443 00:31:26,280 --> 00:31:32,800 His mindset, his perspective is all of that and who knows about his mother? 444 00:31:32,800 --> 00:31:38,000 Who knows about how she was raised and where does the cycle stop? 445 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:46,360 The atonement of Jesus Christ covers all of the unfairness and inequalities of life. 446 00:31:46,360 --> 00:31:52,760 That's the compensatory unconditional aspects of the atonement of Jesus Christ, Scott, that 447 00:31:52,760 --> 00:31:58,560 I had just never considered until I was 36, 37 years old. 448 00:31:58,560 --> 00:32:02,160 And I am so, so grateful to have a deeper understanding of that. 449 00:32:02,160 --> 00:32:10,040 And this story with David doesn't end well, unfortunately, I was trying to do everything 450 00:32:10,040 --> 00:32:17,880 I could with a close friend of mine to get him into a program, a sex offenders program, 451 00:32:17,880 --> 00:32:24,200 and not a sex offenders program, I'm sorry, but a program where he would have to be with 452 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:29,520 sex offenders, which to him was something that he had never been able to be around for some 453 00:32:29,520 --> 00:32:30,520 reason. 454 00:32:30,520 --> 00:32:38,280 And that would set him off because of his childhood, but he could not be around sex offenders. 455 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:45,080 And I finally got him to try a program where he would be in a room with sex offenders. 456 00:32:45,080 --> 00:32:48,440 And but that didn't last very long. 457 00:32:48,440 --> 00:32:54,840 He was in the weight room with one of those sex offenders who was had been known that he 458 00:32:54,840 --> 00:33:03,360 had raped a LDS girl and kind of known and he I don't know if he bragged about it or 459 00:33:03,360 --> 00:33:08,800 what, but David had made arrangements to get him alone in the weight room and and nearly 460 00:33:08,800 --> 00:33:09,800 killed him. 461 00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:11,120 I know they they took him to the hospital. 462 00:33:11,120 --> 00:33:12,120 He's critical of the condition. 463 00:33:12,120 --> 00:33:16,160 I don't know if he ever survived really. 464 00:33:16,160 --> 00:33:22,040 But because of that, David was put back in maximum security and we lost the privilege 465 00:33:22,040 --> 00:33:25,080 of continuing that relationship. 466 00:33:25,080 --> 00:33:28,480 The last time I saw him was in an orange jumpsuit. 467 00:33:28,480 --> 00:33:35,400 We'd gone to the the parole board, the hearing in which they were considering his situation. 468 00:33:35,400 --> 00:33:38,960 It was his time to have a parole hearing. 469 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:50,600 And I saw him and he, you know, his feet were shackled and you know, had handcuffs on. 470 00:33:50,600 --> 00:33:57,160 I remember him telling the judge or the parole board that he turned around and looked at 471 00:33:57,160 --> 00:33:59,840 Chris and me who were there to support him. 472 00:33:59,840 --> 00:34:06,200 I have a family now and I've never felt such love. 473 00:34:06,200 --> 00:34:11,960 But going to Max security and not being able to maintain that relationship and him not 474 00:34:11,960 --> 00:34:14,480 really being able to receive us. 475 00:34:14,480 --> 00:34:18,240 And then we moved to Minnesota and and I lost contact. 476 00:34:18,240 --> 00:34:23,760 And after I came back from Minnesota, I did some research and wondered where David was 477 00:34:23,760 --> 00:34:30,240 and thought I'd try to renew that relationship a little bit after 13, 14 years. 478 00:34:30,240 --> 00:34:37,440 And then I found out that he had been institutionalized basically that the parole board had told 479 00:34:37,440 --> 00:34:40,520 him not to come back. 480 00:34:40,520 --> 00:34:43,400 That he was this is where you're going to be the rest of your life. 481 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:49,640 You're never going to get out of prison because of his rage, his anger, his violence, even 482 00:34:49,640 --> 00:34:52,280 in prison. 483 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:55,800 But Scott, I hold out great hope for him. 484 00:34:55,800 --> 00:34:56,800 I do. 485 00:34:56,800 --> 00:35:09,400 I just don't think we understand the the depth and the mercy of Jesus Christ that all of 486 00:35:09,400 --> 00:35:14,480 the unfairness of life is covered by the atonement of Jesus Christ. 487 00:35:14,480 --> 00:35:19,800 I'm not making any excuses for anybody and I'm not saying he's not accountable to some 488 00:35:19,800 --> 00:35:21,280 degree. 489 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:23,040 Everybody has some accountability. 490 00:35:23,040 --> 00:35:24,720 We certainly have our agency. 491 00:35:24,720 --> 00:35:27,080 I get all of that. 492 00:35:27,080 --> 00:35:29,000 But I can't judge him. 493 00:35:29,000 --> 00:35:30,000 I know that. 494 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:31,040 I don't know. 495 00:35:31,040 --> 00:35:32,560 I don't know how people are wired. 496 00:35:32,560 --> 00:35:36,640 I don't know how child events like that affect people. 497 00:35:36,640 --> 00:35:41,880 I know that negatives can come out of negatives and I'm not sure that they are fully accountable 498 00:35:41,880 --> 00:35:42,960 individual. 499 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:44,200 I just can't judge. 500 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:47,480 I hope all of our listeners know we can't judge. 501 00:35:47,480 --> 00:35:52,280 And I'm telling you when I see some of this terrible things that I that you see every day 502 00:35:52,280 --> 00:35:59,960 in the news, some of the terrible things going on instead of being so quick to be condemned. 503 00:35:59,960 --> 00:36:09,400 I think, wow, I wonder, I wonder how the atonement of Jesus Christ maybe is there for even them. 504 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:10,400 Right. 505 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,880 Well, and, you know, David is an extreme story. 506 00:36:13,880 --> 00:36:14,880 Right. 507 00:36:14,880 --> 00:36:20,920 I mean, I mean, it's unfathomable for many of us who are listening to to even be able 508 00:36:20,920 --> 00:36:24,720 to comprehend or to we just don't get it. 509 00:36:24,720 --> 00:36:27,840 And there's no possible way we ever will get it. 510 00:36:27,840 --> 00:36:28,840 No. 511 00:36:28,840 --> 00:36:32,520 But, you know, that that's not where these blessings end, though. 512 00:36:32,520 --> 00:36:35,080 And that's not where these examples end, though. 513 00:36:35,080 --> 00:36:40,320 You know, we really shouldn't judge even those of us who are among us who were raised in 514 00:36:40,320 --> 00:36:41,880 good families, exactly. 515 00:36:41,880 --> 00:36:48,640 Who had what are seemingly great upbringings who had those family home evening experiences 516 00:36:48,640 --> 00:36:54,360 on a regular basis, who had those family prayers, because oftentimes I don't know if oftentimes 517 00:36:54,360 --> 00:37:00,640 is really that, but it's not unusual or it's not unheard of, rather, to to even see its 518 00:37:00,640 --> 00:37:05,840 trials and struggles in families, in individuals who come from those types of families. 519 00:37:05,840 --> 00:37:06,840 Absolutely. 520 00:37:06,840 --> 00:37:11,600 And we need to withhold our judgment there, too, because even then, right, we don't know 521 00:37:11,600 --> 00:37:18,640 what what conditions or what things have happened to or have been propagated against 522 00:37:18,640 --> 00:37:20,280 even those people. 523 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:23,000 You know, parents think they know their children, Scott. 524 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,000 Yeah. 525 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:25,000 They don't know their children. 526 00:37:25,000 --> 00:37:26,000 No. 527 00:37:26,000 --> 00:37:27,000 They don't. 528 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:28,000 They don't know how they're wired. 529 00:37:28,000 --> 00:37:29,000 No. 530 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:31,800 They don't know what, how chemically they're made up. 531 00:37:31,800 --> 00:37:35,720 They don't know about all the events in their life when they were children. 532 00:37:35,720 --> 00:37:36,720 They don't. 533 00:37:36,720 --> 00:37:41,440 There are things that happen that they may never find out about in this life. 534 00:37:41,440 --> 00:37:42,440 That's right. 535 00:37:42,440 --> 00:37:45,800 And they don't know what happens when that child goes to school. 536 00:37:45,800 --> 00:37:49,840 I know families who had no idea that their child was being bullied. 537 00:37:49,840 --> 00:37:50,840 Yeah. 538 00:37:50,840 --> 00:37:51,840 Being abused. 539 00:37:51,840 --> 00:37:52,840 Yeah. 540 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:59,040 And I never found that out until that individual had done so many bad negative things that 541 00:37:59,040 --> 00:38:03,520 they had ended up in so many bad places. 542 00:38:03,520 --> 00:38:05,000 And some people never know what it is. 543 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:08,760 Yeah, I was going to say, and they sometimes still won't ever find that out. 544 00:38:08,760 --> 00:38:14,320 You know, I don't, I see this so much, you know, in the rooms of addiction recovery. 545 00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:15,320 Right. 546 00:38:15,320 --> 00:38:20,520 I had, I had a guy that I sponsored here last night and, you know, he struggles. 547 00:38:20,520 --> 00:38:23,040 He struggles with some major, major issues. 548 00:38:23,040 --> 00:38:27,600 I'm not going to get into too many details because I know a lot of our friends from that 549 00:38:27,600 --> 00:38:28,880 community listen. 550 00:38:28,880 --> 00:38:33,880 And for the sake of anonymity, I want to be careful about how much I divulge here. 551 00:38:33,880 --> 00:38:41,480 But this young man struggles beyond belief with things that even I and who have come 552 00:38:41,480 --> 00:38:44,320 from there, I just can't comprehend them. 553 00:38:44,320 --> 00:38:45,320 Right. 554 00:38:45,320 --> 00:38:53,320 But because of things that happen to him in his life, there's just challenges that we 555 00:38:53,320 --> 00:38:56,240 will never be able to comprehend. 556 00:38:56,240 --> 00:38:58,880 And if I can't comprehend it, I can't judge it. 557 00:38:58,880 --> 00:39:02,240 And even if I can comprehend it, I can't judge it. 558 00:39:02,240 --> 00:39:03,240 Amen. 559 00:39:03,240 --> 00:39:10,360 Well, the irony or the contradiction of this whole story today is I took a two month old 560 00:39:10,360 --> 00:39:20,520 baby, African American adopted baby who we loved and love even more now to the prison 561 00:39:20,520 --> 00:39:24,560 and then he ends up in prison, the baby. 562 00:39:24,560 --> 00:39:33,840 And Isaac, our Isaac is an example of someone who me as a as a dad loves infinitely unconditionally, 563 00:39:33,840 --> 00:39:35,800 but I can't judge him. 564 00:39:35,800 --> 00:39:44,720 And you know, because of fetal alcoholism, because of being born kind of the autistic 565 00:39:44,720 --> 00:39:54,400 scale higher end, because of bipolar, because of bullying that he went through as a child 566 00:39:54,400 --> 00:39:59,280 in elementary school in junior high. 567 00:39:59,280 --> 00:40:06,000 And Scott, things that I maybe know about, but I can't begin to get my mind around or 568 00:40:06,000 --> 00:40:13,000 comprehend about the negative effects and really how he's wired and how he thinks and 569 00:40:13,000 --> 00:40:26,400 how he functions and then he ends up committing crimes and has victims and ends up in prison. 570 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:33,520 And yet, Scott, I cannot condemn him as his dad and I certainly cannot judge him. 571 00:40:33,520 --> 00:40:41,640 I I see in some ways, I know that my son Isaac, and I'm so thankful that he's out of prison 572 00:40:41,640 --> 00:40:45,120 now and he's working and recently found a little apartment. 573 00:40:45,120 --> 00:40:50,000 I'm so happy for him and we're trying to help him be self reliant and independent, but his 574 00:40:50,000 --> 00:40:53,760 life is going to be is going to be is going to be rough. 575 00:40:53,760 --> 00:41:00,400 And and yet I believe as his dad, I've had the witness. 576 00:41:00,400 --> 00:41:01,680 I've heard the voice. 577 00:41:01,680 --> 00:41:03,040 God, I've shared that experience. 578 00:41:03,040 --> 00:41:13,360 I know you have that the Savior has him that I have taken him unto myself that the grace 579 00:41:13,360 --> 00:41:20,800 the mercy that is available to him through the Atonement of Jesus Christ is immense. 580 00:41:20,800 --> 00:41:28,480 And in some ways, I worry less about him than I do my own children because he isn't. 581 00:41:28,480 --> 00:41:31,520 He just is not as accountable. 582 00:41:31,520 --> 00:41:35,000 And again, I can't judge my other children because I don't know about all the negatives 583 00:41:35,000 --> 00:41:36,000 in their life. 584 00:41:36,000 --> 00:41:37,800 I, you know, we've had our problems. 585 00:41:37,800 --> 00:41:38,800 Every family does. 586 00:41:38,800 --> 00:41:39,800 That's right. 587 00:41:39,800 --> 00:41:42,080 And I can't judge them. 588 00:41:42,080 --> 00:41:46,840 You know, I have other members of my family who struggle and I know some of the negatives 589 00:41:46,840 --> 00:41:52,400 that happened that occurred in their life and I cannot determine as it as another human 590 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:59,360 or as their dad, as well as I know them, I can't judge them because I don't know what 591 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:06,520 ultimately the consequences in the negative effects that come out of abuse. 592 00:42:06,520 --> 00:42:10,960 So I'm just so grateful. 593 00:42:10,960 --> 00:42:19,000 So, so thankful for this aspect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which I have come to understand 594 00:42:19,000 --> 00:42:25,240 through trials and tribulations and experiences in my life, Scott, that there are so many 595 00:42:25,240 --> 00:42:36,280 things in our all of our lives that are covered unconditionally to really be able to be blessed 596 00:42:36,280 --> 00:42:37,600 by that in this life. 597 00:42:37,600 --> 00:42:41,520 I think we need to try to understand it, receive it. 598 00:42:41,520 --> 00:42:46,800 And I know that one thing it does for me, besides the gratitude and the desire that 599 00:42:46,800 --> 00:42:51,560 it brings gratitude, being the beginning of desire, the gratitude and desire it brings 600 00:42:51,560 --> 00:42:54,880 the humility that it brings into my life. 601 00:42:54,880 --> 00:43:01,320 It also helps me to forgive others and forgiving others is such an important part and part 602 00:43:01,320 --> 00:43:03,760 of the process of repentance. 603 00:43:03,760 --> 00:43:13,720 So I just praise God and thank my Heavenly Father for the understanding that we should 604 00:43:13,720 --> 00:43:22,000 have as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, the understanding we have of the infinite, 605 00:43:22,000 --> 00:43:25,160 the infinite Atonement of Jesus Christ. 606 00:43:25,160 --> 00:43:35,440 We are all covered unconditionally in multiple ways by the suffering of our Savior and Redeemer. 607 00:43:35,440 --> 00:43:43,560 So I hope our listeners will be mindful of that aspect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ 608 00:43:43,560 --> 00:43:47,280 and that we will all be less critical, less to condemn. 609 00:43:47,280 --> 00:43:55,960 I often think about Christ and the woman in John chapter 8 woman caught in the very act 610 00:43:55,960 --> 00:43:59,680 of adultery and we don't know the context. 611 00:43:59,680 --> 00:44:01,040 We don't know the background. 612 00:44:01,040 --> 00:44:03,520 We don't know anything about that woman. 613 00:44:03,520 --> 00:44:05,200 But Jesus did. 614 00:44:05,200 --> 00:44:07,600 Jesus did. 615 00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:14,120 And that's why he could say, Woman, where are thine accusers? 616 00:44:14,120 --> 00:44:18,760 Neither do I condemn me. 617 00:44:18,760 --> 00:44:19,760 Neither do I condemn me. 618 00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:21,840 Go thy way and sin no more. 619 00:44:21,840 --> 00:44:28,760 If Jesus can't condemn a woman caught in the very act of adultery and he's sinless and 620 00:44:28,760 --> 00:44:36,480 going to pay the price and suffer for her sins, who am I as a sinner to condemn anybody 621 00:44:36,480 --> 00:44:40,920 else except for the grace. 622 00:44:40,920 --> 00:44:41,920 Go I, Scott. 623 00:44:41,920 --> 00:44:43,440 Yeah, exactly. 624 00:44:43,440 --> 00:44:48,000 We say that so often, so often in recovery. 625 00:44:48,000 --> 00:44:51,360 But for the grace of God, there go I. 626 00:44:51,360 --> 00:44:53,680 And that's so true with any of us, really. 627 00:44:53,680 --> 00:45:01,000 I mean, your friend David, and we can distill this right to the confines of our own homes, 628 00:45:01,000 --> 00:45:02,000 guys. 629 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:03,000 There are just things. 630 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,000 David has just mentioned this. 631 00:45:05,000 --> 00:45:10,360 There are things that have happened potentially to our own children or the experiences that 632 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:12,320 they have gone through. 633 00:45:12,320 --> 00:45:19,200 And I think sometimes, David, this is the area within our own homes where this can become 634 00:45:19,200 --> 00:45:20,200 a big problem. 635 00:45:20,200 --> 00:45:23,080 Because we do think we know our kids. 636 00:45:23,080 --> 00:45:25,080 We do have expectations. 637 00:45:25,080 --> 00:45:29,040 And it's easy for us to say, Hey, you were raised better than that. 638 00:45:29,040 --> 00:45:31,360 You know better. 639 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:34,440 And knowing has just never been enough. 640 00:45:34,440 --> 00:45:37,240 Our experiences as well that we go through. 641 00:45:37,240 --> 00:45:42,200 And you know, I think, and this has been an important thing for me to learn, you know, 642 00:45:42,200 --> 00:45:48,160 most of you know, and if you don't, you will now, Deb and I were married 20 years ago and 643 00:45:48,160 --> 00:45:49,160 blended a family. 644 00:45:49,160 --> 00:45:52,520 Well, when you blend a family, that means that there were divorces. 645 00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:56,680 And when there are divorces, and I'm not going to get into any of the nitty gritty and the 646 00:45:56,680 --> 00:46:00,600 blame game because that's totally unproductive. 647 00:46:00,600 --> 00:46:08,360 But there are, there are effects that, you know, are brought against your children. 648 00:46:08,360 --> 00:46:10,000 And they are dealing with things. 649 00:46:10,000 --> 00:46:12,000 I didn't come from a divorced family. 650 00:46:12,000 --> 00:46:13,360 And I'm so grateful for that. 651 00:46:13,360 --> 00:46:17,240 You know, I'm grateful for the parents that I have. 652 00:46:17,240 --> 00:46:18,360 But my kids did. 653 00:46:18,360 --> 00:46:25,080 And I don't have any clue what it would be like to come from a to be in a divorced family 654 00:46:25,080 --> 00:46:30,800 and then have to be blended with step siblings and step parents and all those things. 655 00:46:30,800 --> 00:46:32,520 I just have no clue. 656 00:46:32,520 --> 00:46:36,000 And so I think that sometimes it's been easy for me. 657 00:46:36,000 --> 00:46:37,920 I'll just own it. 658 00:46:37,920 --> 00:46:43,440 It's been easy for me to see some of my kids who make choices, perhaps choices that I wouldn't 659 00:46:43,440 --> 00:46:50,160 make for them choices, probably that I made, but choices that I wouldn't make for them. 660 00:46:50,160 --> 00:46:55,160 And it's been, it's been really tempting at times out of frustration. 661 00:46:55,160 --> 00:47:02,720 And you know, when I feel the accuser pulling me into his influence to say, guys, you were 662 00:47:02,720 --> 00:47:07,600 raised different, you know better, you know, I took you to church every other Sunday, blah, 663 00:47:07,600 --> 00:47:08,600 blah, blah. 664 00:47:08,600 --> 00:47:11,640 And but, but I have no idea. 665 00:47:11,640 --> 00:47:12,840 No, you don't. 666 00:47:12,840 --> 00:47:14,560 I have no idea. 667 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:17,000 And Scott, none of us are perfect parents. 668 00:47:17,000 --> 00:47:21,720 All of us, all of us to some degree have been abusive as parents. 669 00:47:21,720 --> 00:47:26,720 And we don't, we really don't understand the negative effects that has on our children 670 00:47:26,720 --> 00:47:31,840 and how it continues the cycle, how the cycle continues. 671 00:47:31,840 --> 00:47:35,240 Oh, it's so, it's so tragic. 672 00:47:35,240 --> 00:47:41,600 And, and I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers much of that. 673 00:47:41,600 --> 00:47:45,600 But we have to understand it in order to let it go. 674 00:47:45,600 --> 00:47:53,280 Anyway, I, I just am so, so, so thankful how the Atonement of Jesus Christ brings us all 675 00:47:53,280 --> 00:47:55,320 back to equilibrium. 676 00:47:55,320 --> 00:47:56,820 At least it should. 677 00:47:56,820 --> 00:48:00,720 If we really understood it, we would be able to let things go. 678 00:48:00,720 --> 00:48:03,640 We would be more merciful to ourselves, Scott. 679 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:08,800 I mean, I mean, I, I wasn't raised by perfect parents either. 680 00:48:08,800 --> 00:48:10,080 I had my challenges. 681 00:48:10,080 --> 00:48:11,600 I had my problems. 682 00:48:11,600 --> 00:48:15,560 I, and some of that wasn't all my fault. 683 00:48:15,560 --> 00:48:16,920 That's true for all of us. 684 00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:17,920 Yeah. 685 00:48:17,920 --> 00:48:22,760 My son, Isaac, again, we adopted him two months old because he was, the court had taken him 686 00:48:22,760 --> 00:48:29,080 out of the home that he had been previously adopted by because they were abusive. 687 00:48:29,080 --> 00:48:30,080 Oh boy. 688 00:48:30,080 --> 00:48:35,640 We'll never know how a baby that was abused for two months so severely, and it's such 689 00:48:35,640 --> 00:48:41,880 a critical time to bond how that affects the rest of his mortal life. 690 00:48:41,880 --> 00:48:42,960 Right. 691 00:48:42,960 --> 00:48:44,520 I can't judge that. 692 00:48:44,520 --> 00:48:45,520 No. 693 00:48:45,520 --> 00:48:47,160 But I can show mercy. 694 00:48:47,160 --> 00:48:48,160 Yeah. 695 00:48:48,160 --> 00:48:51,360 And I, I can choose not to condemn. 696 00:48:51,360 --> 00:48:57,320 We can't judge it and we can't, and again, we can't comprehend it, but Jesus can. 697 00:48:57,320 --> 00:48:59,480 Jesus Christ can totally comprehend it. 698 00:48:59,480 --> 00:49:06,600 He knows with full empathy, not sympathy, full empathy, everything that, that everybody, 699 00:49:06,600 --> 00:49:11,280 I was going to say these kids, and when I say these kids, I'm referring to this 59-year-old 700 00:49:11,280 --> 00:49:13,800 kid sitting behind this microphone too, right? 701 00:49:13,800 --> 00:49:14,800 Right. 702 00:49:14,800 --> 00:49:15,800 Yeah. 703 00:49:15,800 --> 00:49:20,720 So, well, not only, not only feel it, not only does he feel it, perfect divine empathy 704 00:49:20,720 --> 00:49:27,120 for it, not only did he suffer for it, but Scott, he offers compensatory blessings. 705 00:49:27,120 --> 00:49:28,120 Yeah. 706 00:49:28,120 --> 00:49:34,400 I believe that we are compensated and this, this whole idea of the compensatory powers 707 00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:41,200 of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, I think was taught by the by Elder Richard G. Scott 708 00:49:41,200 --> 00:49:43,600 many years ago. 709 00:49:43,600 --> 00:49:50,320 So this is from a general conference, Elder Richard G. Scott, April 1996, when he, he 710 00:49:50,320 --> 00:49:57,600 taught, find compensatory blessings in your life when in the wisdom of the Lord, he deprives 711 00:49:57,600 --> 00:50:05,320 you of something you very much want or very negatively has happened to you. 712 00:50:05,320 --> 00:50:06,600 Yeah. 713 00:50:06,600 --> 00:50:11,760 To the sightless or the hearing impaired, he sharpens the other senses. 714 00:50:11,760 --> 00:50:17,000 To the ill and the sick, he gives patience, understanding and increased appreciation for 715 00:50:17,000 --> 00:50:21,280 others kindness with the loss of a dear one. 716 00:50:21,280 --> 00:50:27,160 He blesses you with and deepens the bonds of love in riches memory and Kindle's hope 717 00:50:27,160 --> 00:50:29,720 in future reunion. 718 00:50:29,720 --> 00:50:37,080 You will discover, he writes, compensatory blessings when you willingly accept the will 719 00:50:37,080 --> 00:50:41,520 of the Lord and exercise faith in him. 720 00:50:41,520 --> 00:50:49,640 So all of these compensatory blessings, I, I think of, which is in the book, the divine 721 00:50:49,640 --> 00:50:57,680 gift of forgiveness, the, the, the quote by elders, Elder Anderson about that all of us 722 00:50:57,680 --> 00:51:06,320 receive compensatory blessings because living in a world that is becoming increasingly wicked, 723 00:51:06,320 --> 00:51:13,840 God is sending compensatory blessings and an increase of the Holy Ghost for those who 724 00:51:13,840 --> 00:51:16,160 will receive him. 725 00:51:16,160 --> 00:51:21,360 As the world becomes increasingly wicked through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the world receives 726 00:51:21,360 --> 00:51:23,920 compensatory blessings, God. 727 00:51:23,920 --> 00:51:29,800 As an individual goes through things they didn't choose, didn't create in their life 728 00:51:29,800 --> 00:51:36,840 that are negative, God, I, I know, I testify, sends compensatory blessings. 729 00:51:36,840 --> 00:51:41,400 This is one way that strengths can come out of weaknesses. 730 00:51:41,400 --> 00:51:47,680 Those even who are abused and neglected at least will have greater empathy for others 731 00:51:47,680 --> 00:51:51,600 who they know, right, who are abused and neglected. 732 00:51:51,600 --> 00:51:59,800 And there are compensatory blessings that are, that cover us, the, the great term of, 733 00:51:59,800 --> 00:52:08,520 of, I love the, Kaffar, the Hebrew word or the idea of Atonement, covers us. 734 00:52:08,520 --> 00:52:14,640 I love that imagery that we're covered through the Atonement of Jesus Christ unconditionally 735 00:52:14,640 --> 00:52:20,560 and so many different aspects and events, experiences in our life. 736 00:52:20,560 --> 00:52:26,400 Well, it's through these compensatory blessings that things, for example, like alcoholics, 737 00:52:26,400 --> 00:52:32,120 anonymous works, it's two alcoholics working with each other and the only way that another 738 00:52:32,120 --> 00:52:38,240 alcoholic, you know, that we found, and I don't want to raise a debate, so don't send 739 00:52:38,240 --> 00:52:42,920 emails about that, you know, this is just according to the experience of Bill Wilts and 740 00:52:42,920 --> 00:52:45,720 the founder of Alcoholics Anonymous himself. 741 00:52:45,720 --> 00:52:49,800 But it was through the, through one alcoholic working with another. 742 00:52:49,800 --> 00:52:53,120 That's the only way that that was able to come. 743 00:52:53,120 --> 00:52:54,120 Why? 744 00:52:54,120 --> 00:52:59,680 Because of the compensatory blessings that began even in this regard back in the 1930s 745 00:52:59,680 --> 00:53:06,560 and has expanded to a worldwide organization, not organization, but a worldwide program 746 00:53:06,560 --> 00:53:12,160 that has millions and millions of people participating in it with success because of the compensatory 747 00:53:12,160 --> 00:53:16,640 blessings that come through each other from Jesus Christ himself. 748 00:53:16,640 --> 00:53:20,280 Yeah, that's so true, Scott. 749 00:53:20,280 --> 00:53:25,720 You know, when I was interviewed by Elder Anderson to help him write his book and he 750 00:53:25,720 --> 00:53:31,440 interviewed me and he went through each member of my family and when I got to Isaac and I 751 00:53:31,440 --> 00:53:37,240 said, Elder Anderson, we adopted a son and he's in prison. 752 00:53:37,240 --> 00:53:42,960 He kind of leaned back in his chair and he said, did you know that Elder Scott had this 753 00:53:42,960 --> 00:53:46,160 adopted son who was in and out of prison? 754 00:53:46,160 --> 00:53:48,600 I said, no, I didn't. 755 00:53:48,600 --> 00:53:51,320 Then he said, well, we all did. 756 00:53:51,320 --> 00:53:55,920 And we all knew that's why he gave the best talks on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 757 00:53:55,920 --> 00:54:05,760 And then he said to me, I think Isaac has blessed you and helped you understand the Atonement 758 00:54:05,760 --> 00:54:11,000 of Jesus Christ in other ways that people cannot understand it. 759 00:54:11,000 --> 00:54:12,960 Which is really incredible. 760 00:54:12,960 --> 00:54:13,960 And think about this. 761 00:54:13,960 --> 00:54:15,560 So think about that compensatory blessing. 762 00:54:15,560 --> 00:54:22,360 And the trials, I mean, it's been a great trial in our life, in our marriage, in our 763 00:54:22,360 --> 00:54:24,120 family. 764 00:54:24,120 --> 00:54:30,440 But the compensatory blessing is of being able to, and it is a blessing, Scott, to be 765 00:54:30,440 --> 00:54:35,360 able to understand this aspect of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 766 00:54:35,360 --> 00:54:36,360 Yeah. 767 00:54:36,360 --> 00:54:41,320 And it's been a blessing to you, but in turn, it's also been a blessing to Isaac because 768 00:54:41,320 --> 00:54:48,720 he has parents who understand that and through that understanding are able to provide for 769 00:54:48,720 --> 00:54:53,480 him and greater outpouring of love because of that understanding, David, that has come 770 00:54:53,480 --> 00:54:54,480 to you. 771 00:54:54,480 --> 00:54:55,480 Is that not true? 772 00:54:55,480 --> 00:54:56,480 Yes. 773 00:54:56,480 --> 00:55:00,960 And all of the classes that I've taught and the students who have heard this story that 774 00:55:00,960 --> 00:55:07,120 I've shared today and the book that was ultimately written in the course that has been designed 775 00:55:07,120 --> 00:55:15,280 and is now worldwide is all is all a part of this experience I had as a 36 year old 776 00:55:15,280 --> 00:55:17,520 young man with a prisoner. 777 00:55:17,520 --> 00:55:18,520 Yeah. 778 00:55:18,520 --> 00:55:29,400 And learning by the Holy Ghost in that prison that if he desired it, he could someday have 779 00:55:29,400 --> 00:55:30,600 a mother like that. 780 00:55:30,600 --> 00:55:31,600 Yeah. 781 00:55:31,600 --> 00:55:35,440 That was an unbelievable revelatory experience for me, Scott. 782 00:55:35,440 --> 00:55:42,920 And then I learned it was because of the compensatory blessings available to us through the Atonement 783 00:55:42,920 --> 00:55:43,920 of Jesus Christ. 784 00:55:43,920 --> 00:55:51,480 And the same is true for my son, Isaac, who is has gay tendencies, lived a gay lifestyle, 785 00:55:51,480 --> 00:55:54,240 has done some terrible things. 786 00:55:54,240 --> 00:55:59,360 Scott, I gave him a patriarchal blessing and I knew by the power and gift of the Holy 787 00:55:59,360 --> 00:56:10,600 Ghost in that blessing that I could at least say, Isaac, when you desire it, you shall 788 00:56:10,600 --> 00:56:16,400 have your own family. 789 00:56:16,400 --> 00:56:23,560 And I could see it and I knew it was possible and I knew if he desired it, he could receive 790 00:56:23,560 --> 00:56:25,040 that blessing. 791 00:56:25,040 --> 00:56:33,480 If not in this life in the next and so many compensatory blessings may not be always understood 792 00:56:33,480 --> 00:56:39,880 or received in this life, but they will surely be received in the next life for all of those 793 00:56:39,880 --> 00:56:47,600 who because of choices, not of their own will receive all of those blessings in the next 794 00:56:47,600 --> 00:56:48,600 life. 795 00:56:48,600 --> 00:56:53,480 When you think about all of those who haven't married or who haven't had children, because 796 00:56:53,480 --> 00:57:01,680 of choices, not of their own choosing, not negatives that they didn't choose, all of 797 00:57:01,680 --> 00:57:08,320 those things that happened to us in this life, we will be able to receive in the next life. 798 00:57:08,320 --> 00:57:13,360 The Prophet Joseph Smith thought all that we lost in this life that was not our choice 799 00:57:13,360 --> 00:57:18,720 or because of our doing will be restored to us in the next life. 800 00:57:18,720 --> 00:57:22,360 All the blessings, we didn't have the opportunity to receive in this life. 801 00:57:22,360 --> 00:57:28,920 We will receive in the next life, Scott, and that's only possible because of the plan of 802 00:57:28,920 --> 00:57:37,080 redemption and a redeemer and the gift of his atoning sacrifice. 803 00:57:37,080 --> 00:57:39,080 So I just I know that's true. 804 00:57:39,080 --> 00:57:43,520 I really pray that our listeners will come to an understanding and fill the spirit of 805 00:57:43,520 --> 00:57:46,880 that and incorporate that into their lives. 806 00:57:46,880 --> 00:57:51,760 I know and testify it will bring you greatest greater peace. 807 00:57:51,760 --> 00:57:58,400 Your understanding, more rest, more joy, even in all of your negatives that you experience 808 00:57:58,400 --> 00:57:59,400 in your life. 809 00:57:59,400 --> 00:58:05,000 When you understand the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the compensatory blessings 810 00:58:05,000 --> 00:58:10,200 of it, it can really bring you peace. 811 00:58:10,200 --> 00:58:14,320 So I hope our listeners will come to that understanding. 812 00:58:14,320 --> 00:58:19,560 Just in closing, what a great story and it's been just a great spirit here in this room 813 00:58:19,560 --> 00:58:20,560 today. 814 00:58:20,560 --> 00:58:25,520 It's through out each of us as we listen to this podcast. 815 00:58:25,520 --> 00:58:29,960 But you know, you just said, blessings may not be understood in this life, the compensatory 816 00:58:29,960 --> 00:58:37,120 blessings that are available for each one of us for various and many, many ways that 817 00:58:37,120 --> 00:58:41,480 we may not even quite yet understand or receive or receive in this life. 818 00:58:41,480 --> 00:58:44,040 But they may not be understood or received in this life. 819 00:58:44,040 --> 00:58:48,520 But you know what we can understand and what we can receive in this life, we can come to 820 00:58:48,520 --> 00:58:51,800 understand and know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 821 00:58:51,800 --> 00:58:56,720 And as we come to know Him and as we fill the blessings that are brought to us through 822 00:58:56,720 --> 00:59:02,720 the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, as we come to know Him, we know that that's the administration 823 00:59:02,720 --> 00:59:08,120 of the Atonement in our lives because of the Spirit that we're feeling, that Spirit of 824 00:59:08,120 --> 00:59:09,640 the Holy Ghost. 825 00:59:09,640 --> 00:59:17,120 And we will be able to come to know Him and receive blessings of comfort and peace that 826 00:59:17,120 --> 00:59:19,400 are not available to us in any other way. 827 00:59:19,400 --> 00:59:20,400 And that's my promise. 828 00:59:20,400 --> 00:59:25,400 I've seen that in so many ways in so many Institute students that we've had been able 829 00:59:25,400 --> 00:59:27,120 to have experiences with. 830 00:59:27,120 --> 00:59:32,120 With so many sponsors and alcoholics anonymous and other addiction recovery programs, I've 831 00:59:32,120 --> 00:59:39,320 seen firsthand and in my own life, those compensatory blessings, even if those compensatory blessings 832 00:59:39,320 --> 00:59:46,920 don't fully restore in this life, they can provide comfort and understanding and a sense 833 00:59:46,920 --> 00:59:49,200 of relief through that in this life. 834 00:59:49,200 --> 00:59:52,480 Hey, gang, thanks so much for being with us this week. 835 00:59:52,480 --> 00:59:56,880 We look forward to being with you again next week and then tell them, remember, you have 836 00:59:56,880 --> 00:59:58,480 been redeemed through His blood. 837 00:59:58,480 --> 01:00:03,720 We challenge you this week to look for those compensatory blessings in your own lives, 838 01:00:03,720 --> 01:00:09,240 identify where you would wish to see them and begin to seek Him so that you can fill 839 01:00:09,240 --> 01:00:13,480 them and or at least fill His peace and His love through them. 840 01:00:13,480 --> 01:00:14,480 Thanks for being with us. 841 01:00:14,480 --> 01:00:21,480 See you next week.