Hey there everybody and welcome back for another podcast this is Scott Durfey I'm joined as
always by my good friend and uncle David Durfey.
What's up Dave?
So good to be here Scott.
So nice to be with you and talk about important things.
Life changing things really.
Yeah they really are and important things for sure.
We uh great podcast last week we've had some good comments from the story again of the
story of your friend David in the Utah State Prison and the experience there of him feeling
some of the compensatory blessings that come you know as one of the many unconditional
blessings that come through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and I think today Dave as we
continue down this path we'll be talking about something a little bit different won't we?
Yes Scott so we're in a little bit of a transition now.
We've spent a lot of time the last several weeks speaking about the Atonement of Jesus
Christ.
We spent a few weeks talking about the events and then we spent a few weeks talking about
the different aspects unconditional aspects of the Atonement of Jesus Christ how we're
covered unconditionally by the atonement of Jesus Christ.
He unconditionally through his infinite atonement overcame death through the resurrection.
He overcame sin he suffered for all sin repented of or not and because of his sacrifice that
we will all return to the presence of God to be judged if it wasn't for the resurrection
that wouldn't be possible if it weren't for his atonement and suffering for our sin that
wouldn't be possible but those two things are unconditional all will return to the presence
of God to be judged and all will be resurrected and then we've talked about the compensatory
blessings of the atonement of Jesus Christ and all of us receive that unconditionally
as a result of the world we live in and the the fall and the negatives that are a result
of that that we didn't choose all of those things are covered unconditionally by the
atonement of Jesus Christ sickness pain and not just physical I'm talking emotional spiritual
all of that is covered unconditionally by the atonement of Jesus Christ it's not just
Scott that he has divine empathy because he felt the pains of our sicknesses and our sins
and our suffering but he also gives us compensatory blessings that flow into our life because of
his atoning sacrifice so it goes way beyond his divine empathy for what we feel and it
is comforting to know that he felt it but more than that we receive blessings from it
and that's only possible through the atonement of Jesus Christ and those blessings are unconditional
I love one of the quotes that we used last week and we touch on this quote semi frequently
I think throughout the podcast but it comes from preach my gospel page 52 where it says
all that is unfair about life can be made right through the atonement of Jesus Christ
all that is unfair and you know and that can be that can cover so many different things
in it if you if there's so to our listeners if there's anything in your life that's unfair
that came by no choice of your own or by no choice of our own those things can be made
right through the atonement of Jesus Christ preach my gospel that's right page 52 so
anyway I just think every day we should be more aware of the unconditional aspects of
the atonement of Jesus Christ we've talked about the redemptive powers of the atonement
of Jesus Christ we've talked about the enabling or the strengthening powers of the atonement
of Jesus Christ we have talked about the compensatory powers and blessings of the atonement of Jesus
Christ and now Scott I would like to move into the conditional blessings and powers
that we may receive in our life through the atonement of Jesus Christ and basically that
that gets into the doctrine of Christ the doctrine of Christ is really the the conditional
aspects of the atonement of Jesus Christ and I know we spend probably 80% of our time in
general conference and in Sunday school and in talks and in home family home evenings
and in our teaching and preaching we spend so much time on the doctrine of Christ and
I love it and and that's right we we should but I hope our listeners will be more filled
with gratitude for the atonement of Jesus Christ because they now understand the unconditional
aspects as we begin to speak about the doctrine of Christ and the conditional aspects if we
go back several weeks ago and maybe even last week we talked about or over the last couple
weeks we talked about that that gratitude is the root or the beginning the seed of all
desire and so once we do fill that gratitude because of the unconditional effects of the
atonement of Jesus Christ then we have a desire that and that move us into that exactly and
that as that desire builds and grows and it moves us into qualifying for the conditional
aspects of the atonement of Jesus Christ to enjoy all the blessings of the doctrine of
Christ the doctrine of Christ Scott it's so interesting to me that that in the scriptures
doctrine is always positive and the word doctrines plural or is always negative in the scriptures
I think there's only one maybe exception to that but doctrine there's only one and in
the scriptures it is the doctrine of Christ I love how that's introduced by Nephi in 2nd
Nephi chapter 31 and the the doctrine of Christ as it says it's taught throughout the Book
of Mormon includes faith in Jesus Christ second repentance third baptism by immersion for
the remission of sins or in other words ordinances and fourth to receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost by the language right this is basically the fourth article of faith and fifth there
is a fifth which is endurance and enduring to the end we should do a special podcast
on just endurance sometime I think people think of enduring to the end as a as something
of a journey I actually think endurance is more of a quality or a quality of character
and not just a journey or not just a long process I think endurance is actually a quality
of our character anyway those are the the five points that make up the doctrine of Christ
and we'll begin to speak about those now in some depth of course all of this again is
based upon a course that was designed and taught at the Utah Valley Institute of Religion
which become a course taught throughout the world and institutes of religion and and Scott
it's about really repentance I mean that was the really the focus of that course was to
help young adults to repent and so we'll spend probably more time on that particular point
in the doctrine of Christ but all of these go together you can't you cannot see these
as as individual silos five different silos these all five points go together they are
inextricably linked together again they're kind of like the cycle or the helix and and
their stages and their cycles not only for for the five of them working together but
within each one of them there is like a cycle or a stage and that leads us to faith we can
never speak about any principle of the gospel as if you have it or you don't we all have
it to some degree everyone on this earth's got some degree has faith even if it's in
even if it's true faith or false faith faith is a principle of action according to the
lectures on faith at the very basic level Scott we don't do anything without believing
that something will happen we what you know why do people get out of bed I used to ask
my students why why did you get out of bed this morning and they would give me all these
reasons and I said well what what you're really saying what really comes down to is right
that you believed that you needed to do something or that you could do something or that something
good was going to happen today or you wouldn't have gotten out of bed right yeah faith is
is the power of action behind all all things in the lecture of faith I don't have the exact
quote here in front of me but it is the moving cause faith is the moving cause of all action
well that I think even before that Scott faith is a belief it's a it's a hope it's a I hope
that something happens I believe something will happen you know the very lowest level
of faith Scott is probably described in probably the most quoted scripture in the Book of Mormon
on faith and yet I believe it describes the lowest level of faith and that's because Alma
is teaching the Zormites who are apostates and he's starting at the very the very basic
lowest level of faith with them as we do with all of our friends and nonmembers who are
who are maybe coming back into activity or who are members at all and that's a Alma chapter
32 verse 21 Alma chapter 32 verse 21 quoted I think by all missionaries trying to teach
faith and then then you know Alma 32 goes on and talks about the seed planting the seed
which is the word actually the word of God or the word of Christ into our hearts and
how it grows up to become this mighty tree of faith even in even as Alma teaches this
he starts at the lowest level where it becomes a very small thing and then it becomes this
great tree that produces fruit even in Alma's great discourse on faith and Alma 32 he describes
it in in stages it grows it's not that you either have faith or you don't it's where
are you at on the spectrum of faith so you want to read Alma 32 21 Scott yep you got
it so this is Alma 32 21 and now as I said concerning faith faith is not to have a perfect
knowledge of things therefore if you have faith you hope for things which are not saying
which are true okay so you know I used to sometimes follow that scripture up in class
with this question so based on that level of faith or that definition of faith does
God have faith they would think about it they would read scripture and think about it and
then they would most of them say no God knows all thing he has perfect knowledge so no God
doesn't have faith but say well we know that's not true Hebrews in in Hebrews we learned
that God created the worlds by faith the faith is the power of God God has perfect faith
this is the lowest level of faith that you don't you may not have the perfect knowledge
of things but you must have faith to be able to obtain the perfect knowledge of things
and even after that you will need faith to be able to act and to be able to create and
to be able to do the things that God does by the power of faith and maybe let's go to
another scripture right now Scott in the Book of Mormon which is in Jacob in Jacob chapter
4 verse 6 he describes another level of faith and so let's kind of here's kind of one end
of the spectrum to the other end of the spectrum or continuum as we think of faith and this
is this is what I would call the the faith of power or the faith of miracles so we to
believe in things that we can't see definitely that is faith but not the same level as the
faith described by Jacob in Jacob chapter 4 verse 6 and here it is where maybe read
7 to you got it and here it is where for we search the prophets and we have many revelations
in the spirit of prophecy and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope and our faith become
as unshaken in so much that we truly can command the name of Jesus and the very trees obey us
or the mountains or the waves of the sea and verse 7 nevertheless the Lord God show us
show with us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace and his great condescension
unto the children of men that we have power to do these things. What's your thoughts on
that Scott? You know Dave and this maybe this is a question but I notice he didn't use the
word weaknesses. Yeah. He identifies our weakness is that so that's what I was going to say
is so is that what that's referring to when we talk about our weakness that's when we
go back to the beginning of the podcast and when we talk about the two great effects of
the fall of Adam and Eve right the spiritual death and physical death and so you know I
and so for me and nevertheless the Lord God show with us our weakness in other words our
fallen state which isn't a bad thing. No it's not it's part of the plan and it's big part
of the divine plan because it's the beginning of our understanding of our redemption. Yeah
absolutely and our need it should give us desire and it is the gives us the need for
a savior and redeemer and but there's another thing is grace. There's another thing that
really sticks out to me here as well says wherefore we search the prophets and we have
many revelations and so it's telling us what we're doing and what we do to receive something
that comes next. Okay so that that leads us into talking about how we can obtain faith.
Yep. Scott and really the different levels or stages of our faith is definitely dependent
upon what we do to obtain faith. You cannot obtain the power of faith or the faith of
power by being passive. Paul said faith cometh by hearing. Yeah by hearing the word of God.
Now so let's just talk about that for a minute. I really believe in that whole Alma 32 discourse
that the seed is the word that we plant in our heart. Alma makes that really clear. You
got to plant the word. Well if you haven't read the word if you don't know the word
if the word hasn't been preached to you you haven't studied or paid the price to obtain
the word then there's nothing to plant in your heart. The faith that will save us redeem
us exalt us eventually help us to become like like our heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus
Christ. That that level of faith begins with a seed. I love you know the Savior's little
parable that the faith of a mustard seed you can move a mountain and then Elder Anderson's
whole talk on that. You know that the faith of a mustard seed. Well I think about that
when I read Alma 32 28. So let's let's let's read Alma chapter 32 verse 28. It's got about
planting the seed. And now we will compare the word unto a seed. Now if you give place
that the seed may be planted in your heart. So what's the seed Scott. So the seed is the
word David. Now if we will compare the word what's the word. So the word is what's the
word. Yeah and that's a great question. And he did. He actually gives us the answer to
that. Okay. In 33. Well then we'll get there. Okay so so we'll get there. Yeah. But I just
I need everybody to understand that seed that is planted and I'm going to I'm going to say
that that seed may be that little mustard seed that Jesus described it may be the little
mustard seed that President Elton talked about. That seed is the word of God and without the
word of God there is no righteous faith that can ever grow. It begins with the seed. It
grows up into fruit which bears more seeds and and it goes on and on. So yeah. I continued
to describe faith in that verse 28. I'm just going to start at the beginning again and
there's a couple of things as we go through here that are really kind of fun to help us
remember but now we will compare the word unto a seed. Now if you give place that a seed
may be planted in your heart. Behold if it be true a true seed or a good seed. If you
did not cast it out by your unbelief that ye will resist the spirit of the Lord. Behold
it will begin to swell. There's an S swell. It will begin to swell within your breasts
and when you fill these swelling motions you will begin to say within yourself it must
needs be that this is a good seed or that the word is good for it begin to enlarge it
enlarge my soul enlarge that there's an E. So we have an S with swell now we have an
enlarge with or excuse me we have an E with enlarge my soul. Yay it began to enlighten
another E. My understanding. Yay it began to be delicious. There's the D unto me. So
if you go back swell enlarge enlighten and delicious. A special seed Dave. You're talking
to me. I know in that awesome. I can't remember where I learned that but I learned that many
years ago from somebody else. And I just think there's no coincidence about that that Alma
Alma use that I know it was written in Reformed Egyptian and I don't know how it looks in
Reformed Egyptian originally but it's definitely inspired by God. So seed the swelling of the
soul enlarging of the soul the enlightening of the mind and it is delicious. The seed
is the word of God and it's all of that the seed the word of God enlarges our soul it
enlightens our mind it is delicious and we should feast upon it and then as he goes through
and describes this this seed and how it grows and how how our knowledge can replace that
the beginning of our faith and it grows up to be greater faith. I mean faith is ongoing
against God it's not whether you have it or whether you don't it's that it goes on and
on and on and our faith in one thing may be replaced by a faith in another thing. I mean
I may believe that there's God but when when Joseph Smith sees God he knows there's God
and he still needs faith to be able to worship him and to become like him. So the we always
need faith but it's always moving on it's always going from one place or one stage to
another and and that's how we have to think of it and not just the principle again of
faith but this is true of the principle of hope this is true of the principle of charity
or any other spiritual principle or quality. So Scott in this amazing discourse in Alma
chapter 32 as Alma begins to finish it then he he gives them some direction on how to
obtain the word and he perceives that they're wondering how can I receive how can they receive
the word of God and so let's let's just read Alma chapter 33 verse 2 and Alma said unto
them behold you have said that you could not worship your God because you are cast out
of your synagogues but behold I say unto you if you suppose that you cannot worship your
God do you you greatly err and you ought to search the scriptures if you suppose that
they have taught you this you do not understand them. So he is saying one way to obtain the
word is to read or search the scriptures that the word of God is found in the scriptures.
I think all of us understand that but I don't know how literally or what price what level
of priority we put on that Scott. I always think of a Heldabruce Harmakonkey who would
always say the best kept secret in the church is that personal revelation comes by reading
your scriptures. I can hear his voice. I didn't probably do that very well or do him justice
but if you if you think back to what we just read in Jacob chapter 4 verse 6 remember what
he said we searched the prophets and we received many revelations. Well Scott those those aren't
two separate things those are those are it's kind of one in the same they searched the
scriptures or the prophets and as they did so they received revelation that's that's
that's how we receive revelation if we if we know how to search and study the scriptures
how to treasure them and feast upon them we receive the word of God it's one thing to
read the scriptures and receive the word of God in the scriptures but Scott even greater
than that and the real feasting comes when as we read the scriptures we hear him and
we receive personal revelation. There's a big blessing that comes and I'm going to go
back to Jacob chapter 4 verse 6 as well and it says in our faith be cometh on shaking.
See so when they hear the voice when they receive revelation as a result of searching
the prophets right the scriptures their faith becomes unshaken and shaken. I know there's
so many so many of us who worry about loved ones friends family and others you know who
are having a quote unquote faith crisis. Well there's no faith crisis in that verse. No
there's faith unshaken. Their faith became unshaken but but there's a price to pay to
get that. Yeah we search the private prophets and we have many revelations in the spirit
of prophecy and having all these witnesses we obtain hope and our faith then becomes
unshaken. Yeah anyway I hope that's the level of faith we can all get to and and we're talking
about faith today Scott kind of in the general. We will narrow this down in the specific in
the next podcast and we'll talk about what it means to have faith in Jesus Christ because
ultimately the doctrine of Christ begins by saying we believe that the first four principles
in the gospel are faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and I would add in his atonement. So
really the faith to be forgiven the faith to obtain exaltation that that really the
power of faith to obtain that gift of eternal life that must be specifically focused in
and on Jesus Christ in his atonement and we'll talk more about that in the specific in the
next podcast today we're kind of talking about faith in the general. So the differences in
the levels and stages of faith and in order to obtain any faith I believe or at least
the faith of power is to search the prophets read the scriptures and then Alma goes on
in Alma 33 Scott and he begins to talk about worship personal worship you know let's remember
that these ormites that they they had this great ritual of public worship and get on
the Rammy umpt them and they would pray and they'd thank God that they were special and
that they were elect and they were saved and all of that and and Alma says you don't you
don't understand how to worship. So as part of his lecture on faith he's trying to teach
them how to worship. So let's just read a few more verses there in the in 33 verse starting
with verse three. Do you remember to have read what Zenas the prophet of old has said
concerning prayer and prayer or worship. So do you note that he synonymously connects
worship with prayer with prayer. Ultimately Scott personal worship must include personal
prayer. I know the brethren are trying so hard to help us to understand what it means
to be in our worship to be family centered right church supported and I would add Christ
centered and Christ focused Christ focused family centered church supported right and
and that's what Alma is doing here that's what Alma goes into so continue there that
that prayer or worship there they're synonymous for he said now now this is Zenas again you're
quoting what Zenas said for he said thou art merciful or oh God for thou hast heard my
prayer even as I was in the wilderness. Yay thou was merciful when I prayed concerning
those who were mine enemies and thou just turned them to me. Yay oh God and thou was
merciful unto me when I did cry unto thee in my field and when I did cry unto thee in
my prayer and thou just heard me and it goes on and on for several verses now talking about
the power of prayer and again that and how he receives mercy and revelation this makes
our faith unshaken eventually Scott in the last part of chapter thirty three which I
think is I don't know it may be my favorite chapter I think I don't know maybe my favorite
verse when we get down to to verse twenty seven twenty eight the last few verses of
chapter thirty three he really hones in on what is the word I'm sorry verses twenty one
through twenty three the last three verses Scott maybe we can begin there he's he's compared
the the power of faith and and redemption and salvation with the children of Israel
looking at the brass serpent if they would just look up just look up to God and live
if they would just look up at the brass serpent and he he talks about that and then he says
well because of the hardness of their hearts they wouldn't even look and therefore they
perished in the wilderness so he says how the brass serpent can heal them because they
wouldn't look and you can't be healed unless you unless you worship Jesus Christ and so
he let's let's begin with verse twenty two Scott if so woe shall come unto you but if
not so then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God just begin begin
to believe begin to desire to believe again this is all going back to the seed right level
stages just begin to believe and begin to believe in the Son of God that he will come
and redeem his people and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins and that he
shall rise again from the dead which shall bring to pass the resurrection that all men
shall stand before him to be judged at the last and judgment day according to their works
and then in verse twenty three he says and now my brother and I desire that ye shall
plant this word this word this is the seed this is the ultimate seed that you should
plant in your hearts and as it begineth to swell even so nourish it by your faith so
even in the stages as we go through the stages and levels of faith Scott we nourish the seed
by our faith we nourish the word by our faith and our faith grows stronger and stronger
and we nourish it by our faith and it becomes stronger and stronger and tell the perfect
day when we have when we obtain the faith of God when we can speak and we can command
like Jacob described in the the waves of the sea in the mountains obey us or God can speak
and create the the power of the word you know that's all described in Moses how God created
the worlds was that through the power of the word so I I hope that our listeners just in
speaking of faith in the general will begin to kind of ponder meditate study upon the
different levels of faith Dave there's there's something else I just kind of want to point
out here in verse twenty three so I'm going to read this if it's okay and then there's
a there's a an emphasis I want to make so this is verse twenty three in that same chapter
of Alma thirty three and now my brethren I desire that you shall plant this word in
your hearts and as it begin to swell even so nourish it by your faith we read that and
behold it will become a tree springing up into everlasting life and then may God and
then may God grant you that your burdens may be light through the joy of his son so if
we're looking for our burdens to become lighter which who isn't right through the atonement
of Jesus Christ there's that that seems to kind of give us the recipe on how to make
that happen and there's nothing passive or easy about that's correct it's not you can
never can have heard on our part it takes it takes you begin you begin by believing
that's where you begin by believing or as Alma says in twenty eight even if you only
have it is or twenty seven even if you only have a desire to believe right just begin
somewhere and and then as you begin and you plant the word and you read the scriptures
and then you begin to have personal revelation and you begin to feel the holy ghost and your
soul swells and is enlarged and your mind is enlightened and all of this revelation
and hearing the word of the Lord is delicious then your faith begins to grow and Scott I'm
not sure you can do that in in a couple of minutes or reading a reading one verse on
on your app on your phone Alma seems to kind of know that as he's telling us this and then
may God grant and to you again kind of the end of twenty three unto you that your burdens
may be light through the joy of his son the joy of his son again and we go back to Hebrews
for this to that he he did his atonement Jesus Christ did the atonement for his joy or the
joy and the joy of the father and and then Alma seems to know that it's going to be difficult
because he gives us a little a little encouragement here right and even this and even all this
can you do if you will there is a price there is a price Scott now now I know I know all
of our listeners are in a different place and stage in their own life not only does
faith have different stages and levels but we're all as individuals right different
stages in our life and on different levels of our faith and I understand that and so
I don't want to make anybody feel bad about about anything that I say because you got
to begin somewhere and and by small and simple things great things can come to pass and begin
small but but to to really develop the great the the higher levels of faith and the faith
of power man that takes that takes great efforts God and and eventually people it's not like
it's laborious or like it's a burden to do it you know I I love and I'm in a place where
I can do that and I've done that I've been able to do it through much of my life because
of teaching seminaries and institutes and so how lucky and blessed am I in and you you
work you work every day and you don't have the time to prepare lessons like I had time
to prepare lessons and none of us can compare ourselves that anybody else as far as the
stages that we're at or the levels of understanding that we're at but I just want to say that
there's this wonderful app and I love it that I have discovered my son shared it with me
and I can look at that app every day and I can read two verses usually two verses from
come follow me for the week and every day they have two more verses and every day I can read
that and I do and I think I feel good about myself I feel like I'm I'm doing come follow
me and and and it makes me happy and and I feel like I'm you know and I like to just
ponder those I don't just read them and and check the box right I I ponder them I try to
have an experience with those verses but Scott that's different than than what my sweetheart
does when she goes in she's got her manual she's got her journal she's got her scriptures
and she goes through the the manual on come follow me she reads the scriptures and really
ponders them and then she I love her for this she answers all of the questions in the manual
in writing in her journal she takes the time to ponder those questions which I I love the
manual and I love their inspired questions and she takes time to answer those inspired
questions and to write down the answers and she be she has revelation she's told me so
many times the feelings and the promptings and and the revelations that she's received
Scott that's that's a different level of faith yeah she comes out of her experience with
a totally different level higher level of faith than I receive by reading two verses
on my phone every day I mean I just we need to know that these levels and stages of faith
are not just a lifelong thing but they're a daily thing right what are we doing daily
to grow our faith that's right and I know we can't all do 30 minutes a day but it may
take more than a few seconds and a few verses yeah devs very much the same way you and I
are kind of similar along that I do it throughout the day when I get a break and in my work
and and and so forth but six o'clock every morning Deb walks into her office and I know
and everybody knows this do not disturb Deb during that period of time because she's not
maybe a different to approach than Chris but very very much a devotion on her part as well
and in that you know David that's what it's talking about when it says if we plant the
seed and they are planting not just planting but they are cultivating my dad plant seeds
every spring this time of year if we were to go to his house he has this huge garden
and and I I don't know that I've seen a more beautiful more manicured garden but he's putting
the effort to take care of the seeds there that was planted and that's what we see there
you know and and that's what Alma's encouraging us and even all this you can do if you will
right right if you plant and then you he says in 32 right you can't just plant you got a
nourish and by your diligence and by your patience you got a nourishment take care of that seed
before it will grow up to be a tree I want to recommend our listeners to consider
reading and talk on this subject it was given a byu Idaho devotional so you can just look up byu
Idaho speeches and google that and it's in March of 2015 and it's a devotional talk by elder
Wilford Anderson the 70 but it is an amazing talk on what we are trying to describe in
in regards to the levels of faith and he talks about the levels of faith to sow seeds and the
level of faith to harvest or to reap seeds Scott and there is definitely a difference
and he he talks about how you know layman and Lemuel layman and Lemuel they even they had the
level of faith to go to Jerusalem so they they had the level of faith to sow and to plant the seed
but they didn't have the level of faith to reap or to harvest to finish the job to endure to the end
they didn't have that level of faith that took revelation by Nephi Nephi had a different level
of faith he had the level of faith to reap to harvest to complete to endure to finish that's
that's a different level of faith and that's what Alma is ultimately describing from going from a
seed to a seedling to a little plant to this great tree that produces its own fruit for others to
enjoy. We'll include the link to that devotional talk in our show notes for this podcast so you'll
be able to find those there. David also you mentioned an app and we're going to get a bunch of emails
asking what app was that that you were referring to can you can you tell I don't even know what it's
called could you okay I don't even know what it's called. I'll find out even if I have to contact
Taylor on that. Yeah it's I love Taylor for sharing it with me and I've enjoyed it. It's
and it's free it's called scripture plus okay scripture plus you can probably probably get that
and you can go into greater depth on it but okay so today the scripture of the day is Luke 1240
there's only one verse be therefore ready also for the Son of Man coming to an hour when you think
not I love that verse I can ponder that verse yeah I can feel good about myself yeah but I'm not
sure how much faith that really or how much that increases my faith yeah if I don't go
in a little more depth into that it makes some effort yeah to reap yeah yeah so uh again I think
that's awesome to read one verse a day but I'm hoping that most days or some days maybe a few days
that we we learned a feast on the word because feasting on the word seems to create that tree
and that fruit that we can continue to feast on over and over and over again yeah so uh when
when we're talking about faith going back to lectures on faith for a moment from the school
of the prophets in Kirtland Ohio 1831 to 33 Scott and these I really recommend our listeners read
the lectures on faith if they haven't done so and they can obtain that on the Deseret bookshelf
it's available there to read and I I just really love these lectures on faith particularly
the one and then particularly six which tells us kind of how to obtain it and the lectures on faith
answer really try to answer three questions what faith is how we can obtain it and the blessings
of it and as I've studied that throughout my life several times I mean marked up the book and
I really just love devoured tried to devour feast on the on the lectures on faith which used to be
part of the doctrine in covenants most people probably know that but they took it out in the
late 1800s because they decided that it was never really declared a revelation even though the
prophet Joseph Smith probably helped in the development of those lectures it seems as though
Sidney Rigdon had a had a big part in the authoring them and others but Joseph Smith certainly
attended and certainly helped I think in the lectures on faith and accepted them
but in the lectures on faith Scott besides faith is the moving cause of all action
right and and think about that for just a minute in fact in that talk by elder elder Anderson
Wilford Anderson BYU Idaho talk he talks about the little girl who prays and prays and prays
that God will save these birds from not going into this trap their father or someone I can't
remember the details had set a trap to catch these birds which kept eating the fruit or something
and she prayed and then after she got through praying then she went out and smashed the trap
that's faith in action there you go right that's faith yeah faith is not just asking faith is acting
yeah faith is action so I love that and the faith is also power so we go from this this level of
believing to acting I mean she prayed because she believed and then she acted and power is to be able
to ask for things and they happen and I think maybe the greatest miracle of all and the greatest
level of faith that we can all obtain is Scott and this is sacred to ask to be forgiven to ask
God to forgive us and to have the the level of faith and the faith of power to know that he died
for me that he suffered for me and that he has forgiven me right that takes great faith and to
participate in the ordinances of the gospel sacrament ordinances of the holy temple and to
know that we have become joint heirs with him through and because of our faith there's an
amazing series and you can find it on YouTube I've just looked it up here and if I maybe I can
include this link in the show notes as well but it's on YouTube it's called and it's actually
produced by four really great men one of them one of David's friends Robert Matthews it's called
the lectures of faith and introduction to the lectures and there's a series you can find that
these four men discuss 30 minutes at a time on there the lectures of faith the lectures on faith
rather and just I'd recommend that if you have a desire to dive into a deeper study on the
lectures of faith that's a great place to begin yeah thank you Scott that's awesome so this idea
of faith being the other thing that we must do when we think of faith Scott is and this is in the
Bible dictionary so I want to just just read this from the Bible dictionary which was written by
Robert J. Matthews bless his heart and I love him I miss him he's been gone now from us for
several years but he this is what he wrote this is in the Bible dictionary under faith this is the
fourth paragraph faith is a gift I just that is so important that we know faith is again not something
that we earn it comes to us as a gift from God through the Holy Spirit faith is a gift of the
Spirit it comes with a price for sure but it's not something that we can just determine that we can
do on our own faith comes through the gift of the Holy Ghost faith itself is a gift and then he writes
it must be cultivated different levels and sought after until it grows from a tiny seed to a great
tree the effects of true faith in Jesus Christ include one these are the effects of faith in
actual knowledge that the course of life one is pursuing is acceptable to God two a reception
of the blessings of the Lord that are available to man in this life and three an assurance of
personal salvation in the world to come that's powerful those are the three effects of faith
that are all described in the lectures on faith in actual knowledge that the course of life one
is pursuing is acceptable wouldn't we all be blessed to know that two a reception of the
blessings of the Lord that are available to us in this life that we may not otherwise receive if
it were not for our faith in other words and three an actual assurance or knowledge the
knowledge of hope and the assurance of hope that we have received salvation and will receive
exaltation in the world to come these things he continues to write one a few more sentences here
these things involve individual and personal testimony guidance revelation and spiritual
knowledge i'm telling you scott knowledge and faith are the same thing where the elder mcconkey
taught that where there is true faith there are miracles visions dreams healings and all the gifts
of god that he gives to his saints so i i just hope and pray that all of our listeners will begin
to receive the conditional blessings of the atonement of jesus christ by beginning now
to grow our faith you know president hinkley when he was president of the church scott i think it
was in actually the year 2000 we be as we began a new millennium and he was reviewing all of the
challenges and problems of of the past and the future and he said there is one thing that we need
more than anything else that will solve all of our problems and its increased faith and i i think of
the you know the the scripture of the centurion who who prays i think it's the centurion who prays
when jesus says do you believe and he says increase my faith yeah i hope that we'll make it all of us
should have that prayer we should be thinking that yeah striving for that asking for that seeking it
that we increase our faith and as we do so i know that that our personal worship will also increase
and that we will be able to obtain the level of faith that we need to be able to have a connection
and continual revelation with our loving heavenly father and next week i'm excited to talk about
what specifically faith in christ means that specific faith and as we hone in on that
that will lead us into repentance i i want all of our listeners i'll say this again next week
but i've come to this conclusion scott and i know it's true that if we keep repeating and repenting
of the same sins over and over and over and over again and i don't know sky can't speak to this
like you can but that may be true of addictions i believe it's because our faith in jesus christ
is not at the level that it should be or needs to be to overcome that that if we feel like we're
stuck spiritually and we feel like we're spinning our wheels spiritually we should go back to one
thing and that is how can i increase my faith in god and in jesus christ and his atonement
and as we do so we will have the power to move on to put things behind us that are negative
and to move forth in confidence and trust in god so thanks thank you scott for again helping us to
have this discussion and help our listeners i think come to a better understanding of what faith is
and we'll begin to talk also next week about how to obtain it how to strengthen it besides what we've
done today yeah i'm just going to comment on what you did say about those of us who keep
going back to the old behaviors or or or habits or what have you and repenting and repenting and
wondering why are we stuck there jacob answered that question for us in the beginning of our
conversation today you know and and we'll miss it if we're not careful if we're not reading with
the spirit of of of the holy ghost if we're not reading it with the spirit of of trying to increase
our own faith but again i'm going to just read it again in chapter four verse six of jacob and seven
and seven because it really talks about change i think yeah but the very little changes but the
answer the question is a very first sentence wherefore we search the prophets you know you know and we
can and we can make that about searching the prophets and searching the scriptures we can make that about
searching the truth in in 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous we can make that in searching and becoming
and increasing our faith now i say searching the steps of you know in alcoholics anonymous but we
in searching those steps the second step is that we increase our relationship with in in my case with
Jesus Christ yeah and through his atonement so it's accurate and the reason that we often do
find ourselves in that constant chasing of our own tales around and around and around is because
we're not willing to let go let god run our lives and the way that we do that is we do search the
prophets we do search the scriptures we do everything in our power to increase our relationship
with our heavenly father through our lord and savior Jesus christ in his atonement yeah amen
scott uh i i think one of my favorite talk by president elson is the talk that he gave in
april 2020 called hear him and it kind of goes with what jacob says in jacob four six and he talks
about this uh intentional we need to be more intentional in hearing the lord and uh he says
it takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily life with his words his teachings his
truths and then he goes on and says what will happen as you more intentionally hear harken and
heed what the savior has said and what he is saying now through his prophets that's a question
i promise that you will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptation struggles and
weakness i promise miracles in your marriage miracles in your family relationships and
miracles in your daily work and i promise that your capacity to fill joy will increase even
if turbulence increases in your life that's the power of faith and i just hope and pray that we
can all be more intentional to receive the gift it's a requirement it really is required for us
to have some intent and and even that davie even our intent will increase you know we can if we
can begin with just a desire to have intention and even if we can in it and i have this discussion
with a recovering alcoholic or what will hopefully soon be a recovering alcoholic just yesterday you
know if if we can just pray for the desire for that seed to grow within us and that and heavenly
father will bless us with that desire and then as that desire comes and we see it grow then we begin
again to have the desire to search the prophets that our hope may return into faith and that all
of these things through the atonement of jesus christ will heal us from all things from all things
and again going back to that uh the weakness he'll all things that come to us because of our
weakness what's our weakness again our weakness is our sub being subject to the fall in two ways
mortality mortality spiritual death physical death can become a great strength and be turned
into immortality so i just really hope and pray scott again one more time that all of us will be
more intentional in increasing our faith by hearing the word of the lord by searching the prophets
the scriptures receiving the word planting the word in our hearts and scott i i think a question
we should all ask ourselves every day is what am i going to do today right to increase my faith
that that should be something that we all ponder and that we all take uh seriously and that we
all do something about gang thanks for being with us today these things are important to us i hope
you can feel the spirit that we have felt here today as we've discussed these most sacred and
important things in our lives and in yours too remember you have been redeemed through his blood
we're excited to be with you again next week thanks for being with us and until then take care