1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:10,520 Welcome to Closer to Christ through Conference, where two friends share our own approach to 2 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:11,520 General Conference. 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:12,520 Hey, Abby, how are you? 4 00:00:12,520 --> 00:00:13,520 I'm good. 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:14,520 Hey, Amy. 6 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:15,520 Hi, guys. 7 00:00:15,520 --> 00:00:17,160 We're so glad you're here today with us. 8 00:00:17,160 --> 00:00:23,040 We are talking about covenants and responsibilities, and this is by President Dallin H. Oaks. 9 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:31,120 If you remember from his last talk, it was sort of the same way that he started out. 10 00:00:31,120 --> 00:00:36,040 One of the first things he says is, how does your church differ from others? 11 00:00:36,040 --> 00:00:39,920 This is the same way he talked about this one as well. 12 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:43,640 Probably in his study, he delved into the one and it was enough to more than fill that 13 00:00:43,640 --> 00:00:44,640 conference talk. 14 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:45,640 He's like, there's still more here. 15 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:46,640 Yeah, like a theory. 16 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,920 I won't be surprised if the next conference we get like part three. 17 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:54,640 Kind of like when Elder Holland did that, remember with his testimony of the Book of 18 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:55,640 Mormon. 19 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:57,640 This was like, I don't know, 10 years ago, maybe more. 20 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:02,360 Anyways, it felt like it was a series of his absolute testimony. 21 00:01:02,360 --> 00:01:04,720 It was just like, I couldn't wait for the next one. 22 00:01:04,720 --> 00:01:06,040 So I sort of felt the same way. 23 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:07,920 I was like, good, he's giving us more on law. 24 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:11,400 I thought he was so straightforward on that conference that you're talking about. 25 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:14,760 I was just like, man, if I could just articulate that, that's the feelings of my heart, but 26 00:01:14,760 --> 00:01:15,880 he did it so well. 27 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:17,720 And then this one, no different. 28 00:01:17,720 --> 00:01:19,080 It was just as good. 29 00:01:19,080 --> 00:01:23,360 I don't know if the talk, I don't know if starting out with a question of how does our 30 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:28,120 church differ from others, if he's helping us make a case to when we get confronted with 31 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:32,560 that question out in public, trying to think of the circumstances where he's using that 32 00:01:32,560 --> 00:01:37,640 in or if we're just really, this could even just be a question that's super serious for 33 00:01:37,640 --> 00:01:42,040 any member of this church to reflect upon like, why am I in this church? 34 00:01:42,040 --> 00:01:45,280 Why this church above any other church or instead of any other church? 35 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:46,640 What makes it unique? 36 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:51,440 And I thought that was an interesting question because I might feel more success in missionary 37 00:01:51,440 --> 00:01:55,440 work when somebody asks a question, like, don't you feel like we were encouraged to 38 00:01:55,440 --> 00:01:56,760 try to find common ground? 39 00:01:56,760 --> 00:01:57,760 I totally do. 40 00:01:57,760 --> 00:01:58,760 It is good to have common ground. 41 00:01:58,760 --> 00:01:59,760 There's so much common ground. 42 00:01:59,760 --> 00:02:00,760 What do we have in common? 43 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:01,760 We believe in Jesus Christ. 44 00:02:01,760 --> 00:02:03,120 Like that's a hard sell for some people. 45 00:02:03,120 --> 00:02:04,680 They don't believe that we believe in Jesus Christ. 46 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,120 And I'm like, pretty sure we do. 47 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:08,120 It's just funny. 48 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:09,120 I know him. 49 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:10,120 I do know him. 50 00:02:10,120 --> 00:02:13,680 And I'm like, I'm hoping that as a friend, we have this friendship that you're seeing 51 00:02:13,680 --> 00:02:17,760 that I'm reflecting him in my life and the things that I'm doing, like, it should come 52 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,480 as a shock to you if you're a pastor or a preacher is trying to tell you that we like 53 00:02:21,480 --> 00:02:25,400 worship Satan and that we don't, you know, we're not here for Jesus Christ. 54 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:29,860 So we're working the narrative on like helping people understand that even just simply the 55 00:02:29,860 --> 00:02:33,320 name of the church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint being more prevalent in 56 00:02:33,320 --> 00:02:37,440 the name of the church so that we can understand that we have the common ground. 57 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,160 And then we can say, you know, we believe in baptism. 58 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:40,360 We believe in baptism. 59 00:02:40,360 --> 00:02:42,320 Now what's different then? 60 00:02:42,320 --> 00:02:45,600 You could sit and have a conversation on, well, our baptism is by immersion. 61 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:51,520 We, you know, like at age eight or older and rather than the baby or whatever, all of those 62 00:02:51,520 --> 00:02:57,400 nuances aren't as important as like, I can agree with a friend, like they believe in 63 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:58,400 baptism. 64 00:02:58,400 --> 00:02:59,400 What does that baptism mean to you? 65 00:02:59,400 --> 00:03:01,860 It means that I'm in a covenant relationship with Jesus Christ. 66 00:03:01,860 --> 00:03:04,120 And I think that's beautiful and we can agree on that. 67 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:09,360 I guess what I loved is that Elder Oaks explained for us, that's the same truth. 68 00:03:09,360 --> 00:03:15,160 When we talk about what is unique to our church, it's about the role of covenants in our worship 69 00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:24,840 and how it can or should dictate the way that we practice, the way that we act in our lives, 70 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:26,840 the decisions that we're going to make daily. 71 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,160 Like I guess the prophets words are the easiest to say, how we're thinking celestial because 72 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,440 of those covenants that we're going to make. 73 00:03:34,440 --> 00:03:40,040 I mean, if we really want to, I don't know how well this would come up, but the point 74 00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:43,840 is the covenants that we're making, we do know and believe that we are doing that with 75 00:03:43,840 --> 00:03:46,720 the proper priesthood authority. 76 00:03:46,720 --> 00:03:50,560 So I can totally, when I have friends of other faiths and they're entering the waters of 77 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,960 baptism in whatever form that looks like, I think it's a beautiful thing because I can 78 00:03:54,960 --> 00:04:01,000 definitely see they've accepted Jesus as their savior and it does make them choose to live 79 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:02,000 their lives a little bit differently. 80 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,280 They're usually giving up something hard and they're on a different path, they're doing 81 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:06,280 something. 82 00:04:06,280 --> 00:04:15,200 So I can clearly see that there's something special there, but I do know that it is important 83 00:04:15,200 --> 00:04:19,000 to have priesthood authority in those things that we're doing. 84 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:22,320 So I mean, it's just the same as seeing a civil wedding. 85 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:25,000 It's beautiful when two people want a covenant together. 86 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:26,000 And I still cry. 87 00:04:26,000 --> 00:04:27,000 I still think it's a beautiful thing. 88 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:28,000 Absolutely. 89 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,400 They're making a promise to each other and they have symbols of that covenant that they're 90 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:32,920 making with each other. 91 00:04:32,920 --> 00:04:34,060 That's a beautiful thing. 92 00:04:34,060 --> 00:04:40,480 It's like a great acknowledgement to the heavens, but also can contrast this with what I know 93 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,800 about temple marriages and ceilings. 94 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:47,760 And it's just another additional layer of blessings that can be added to it. 95 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:48,760 So I totally agree on that. 96 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:53,360 I don't think we have to be like super controversial or like be trying to stir the pot or make 97 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:55,800 it awkward when I say what's different about our church. 98 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:59,640 We would just absolutely be able to stand on that, that we are people that believe in 99 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:00,960 covenants in our worship. 100 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:02,400 I totally agree. 101 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:03,400 Okay. 102 00:05:03,400 --> 00:05:07,280 So when I'm looking at this talk, Abby, what would, he said a lot of things about what 103 00:05:07,280 --> 00:05:08,280 is a covenant. 104 00:05:08,280 --> 00:05:09,640 What's something that really stood out to you? 105 00:05:09,640 --> 00:05:13,760 Like what were some of your favorite things? 106 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:18,520 In his very calm way, I loved how he's pointing out the fact that like a small minority of 107 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:22,480 people, they get really angry and they insist that people should be free to do whatever 108 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,620 they want with no restrictions that should limit them from being able to do anything 109 00:05:25,620 --> 00:05:26,760 else that they want. 110 00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:31,320 They don't want to give up any, what they're saying, freedom. 111 00:05:31,320 --> 00:05:36,040 If they don't want to give up any freedoms to engage in this covenant relationship. 112 00:05:36,040 --> 00:05:42,900 And he put it very clearly and simply by saying that's the way modern societies work. 113 00:05:42,900 --> 00:05:50,100 There's a lot of people that enter into covenants, relationships, having to give up something 114 00:05:50,100 --> 00:05:51,400 for the greater good. 115 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:52,400 Right. 116 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:53,400 If you live in community. 117 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:56,800 Yeah, if you're going to live in a structured functioning community. 118 00:05:56,800 --> 00:06:02,240 So like a judge, a military personnel, medical personnel, firefighters, like can I go throw 119 00:06:02,240 --> 00:06:08,080 on like a fireproof suit and like just run into a burning house? 120 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,660 I love the fact that anybody that's doing that profession, they've had some training 121 00:06:11,660 --> 00:06:15,840 that if I have a fire and I'm calling that number that the people that are going to be 122 00:06:15,840 --> 00:06:20,360 coming, they have the skills and expertise. 123 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:23,720 And what did it take to get that equipment to be that person that's on the other end 124 00:06:23,720 --> 00:06:25,120 of that phone call? 125 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,360 You, you know, they have to give up something. 126 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:30,600 They have to give up their ability to just be anywhere. 127 00:06:30,600 --> 00:06:33,460 If you have to, if you're working, you have to be on call, you have to be at the firehouse. 128 00:06:33,460 --> 00:06:36,480 You don't just get to be out and about and then, you know, partying or whatever. 129 00:06:36,480 --> 00:06:39,640 And then all of a sudden a fire comes up and you're hopping in a fire truck driving, you 130 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:40,640 know. 131 00:06:40,640 --> 00:06:43,080 Or you say, I'll be there tomorrow because I hung over or whatever it is. 132 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:44,080 Right. 133 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:45,080 Exactly. 134 00:06:45,080 --> 00:06:48,640 Medical professionals, you can certainly have whatever side things you want in your life. 135 00:06:48,640 --> 00:06:53,120 But if you're on call or you're on duty, like, yes, you're not, you, you have to give up 136 00:06:53,120 --> 00:06:54,120 some family time. 137 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:58,720 You have to give up some of the activities that you would choose to want to do. 138 00:06:58,720 --> 00:06:59,720 Right. 139 00:06:59,720 --> 00:07:05,280 So that just made perfect sense to me because I know that as he's thinking of it, he's thinking 140 00:07:05,280 --> 00:07:09,240 people that are just saying, why aren't your temples open to everybody? 141 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:14,600 Why can't I just walk in there, just present myself and just be in the temple and do anything 142 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:19,200 that I want to do and still get to get to participate in the temple stuff. 143 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:21,200 It's because that's not the normal order of things. 144 00:07:21,200 --> 00:07:28,000 Like really any, any covenant relationship is going to require something from both, both 145 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:29,000 parties. 146 00:07:29,000 --> 00:07:30,000 Right. 147 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:31,000 Some agreement and understanding, right. 148 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:32,500 A set of standards. 149 00:07:32,500 --> 00:07:34,000 And so I loved it. 150 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:38,280 He talked about those particular professions, making a commitment, often formalizing by 151 00:07:38,280 --> 00:07:40,000 oath or covenant. 152 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:42,440 Usually it comes with distinctive clothing, sometimes a name tag. 153 00:07:42,440 --> 00:07:47,720 And that signifies that there's a covenant in that relationship. 154 00:07:47,720 --> 00:07:48,880 The wearer is under covenant. 155 00:07:48,880 --> 00:07:49,880 It's true. 156 00:07:49,880 --> 00:07:54,120 Like when I was little, this was back in the eighties, but it was like, if you're lost 157 00:07:54,120 --> 00:07:57,120 in a group, look for a police officer's badge and uniform. 158 00:07:57,120 --> 00:07:58,120 Do you know what I mean? 159 00:07:58,120 --> 00:07:59,120 Absolutely. 160 00:07:59,120 --> 00:08:02,320 So for us that told us that they were a trustworthy person. 161 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:07,560 He or she worked for, warrant them with just a general level of trust from us. 162 00:08:07,560 --> 00:08:08,560 That's so good. 163 00:08:08,560 --> 00:08:12,480 And that's why we have clothing, the name tags and that it signifies the wearer is under 164 00:08:12,480 --> 00:08:13,480 covenant. 165 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:17,080 So great in a wedding covenant, the rings help give notice to the observer reminding 166 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:19,440 them of their covenant responsibilities. 167 00:08:19,440 --> 00:08:22,680 When you don't wear your ring, it's doesn't stand as a reminder. 168 00:08:22,680 --> 00:08:25,520 Amy and I are both looking at our ring fingers. 169 00:08:25,520 --> 00:08:27,000 Mine's off for a few different reasons. 170 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:29,000 I took mine off when I started making dinner. 171 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:30,000 Oh, that's good. 172 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:31,960 Years ago back on, I lost a diamond in mine. 173 00:08:31,960 --> 00:08:35,920 And so I put my bigger ring away until I figure out what I'm doing with that. 174 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:41,160 And then I had an injury on my arm and I was losing like a function of my left arm and 175 00:08:41,160 --> 00:08:43,300 swelling and having nervous function, whatever. 176 00:08:43,300 --> 00:08:45,240 So I safely handed mine to my husband. 177 00:08:45,240 --> 00:08:49,200 But I look at my empty hand all the time and think, man, I need that ring on. 178 00:08:49,200 --> 00:08:55,220 So either way wearing or not, it does help remind me that, well, I mean, that defeats 179 00:08:55,220 --> 00:08:56,220 the purpose of this talk. 180 00:08:56,220 --> 00:08:58,120 We should be wearing it because it should stand as a reminder. 181 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:03,440 But the absence of it when I'm so used to having it on also does tend to remind me of 182 00:09:03,440 --> 00:09:04,960 that wedding ring. 183 00:09:04,960 --> 00:09:11,400 So I love that he builds us up with this. 184 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:13,520 This is like more of a secular thinking of covenants. 185 00:09:13,520 --> 00:09:16,320 And for us, we're just like, yes, that's totally logical. 186 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,480 And then he pops into the idea that religious covenants have particular application in being 187 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:23,760 foundational in the way an individual lives their lives. 188 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,760 So why should it be different as we're thinking the responsibilities that we have in our just 189 00:09:27,760 --> 00:09:32,720 kind of everyday lives versus the religious aspect of our lives? 190 00:09:32,720 --> 00:09:35,280 And I think there should be no difference. 191 00:09:35,280 --> 00:09:38,840 I love that because it makes me think of the Abrahamic covenant. 192 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,920 I was listening to something this morning, I think it was in our reading for Come Follow 193 00:09:43,920 --> 00:09:48,920 Me this week, talking about how maybe it was a different talk, I'm not sure, but the Abrahamic 194 00:09:48,920 --> 00:09:54,280 covenant, how it was fundamental and also that it was very, yeah, I guess fundamental 195 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:55,480 is the best word to say it. 196 00:09:55,480 --> 00:09:56,660 It wasn't the end of it. 197 00:09:56,660 --> 00:09:57,720 It was to prepare. 198 00:09:57,720 --> 00:10:04,560 It was to help lead them to the people in the Old Testament to what was next. 199 00:10:04,560 --> 00:10:09,040 And the word Old Testament means Old Covenant. 200 00:10:09,040 --> 00:10:10,040 That's what they say. 201 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:11,040 I love that. 202 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:13,600 Like the word search, the New Testament meaning the New Covenant. 203 00:10:13,600 --> 00:10:14,600 And it doesn't... 204 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:15,600 How did I ever miss that, Abby? 205 00:10:15,600 --> 00:10:16,600 No, you haven't. 206 00:10:16,600 --> 00:10:17,600 You just heard that. 207 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:18,600 That's so great. 208 00:10:18,600 --> 00:10:19,600 Maybe I'm remembering it again, but it's awesome. 209 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:21,200 Yeah, you'll remember it because I'm like, you've definitely heard it. 210 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:26,120 The point is that in each dispensation, which is a period of time, the little covenant is 211 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:30,040 laid out, and so the earliest scripture we have, we consider that the old form of the 212 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:37,080 covenant, it doesn't really change, but as people are ready for more, they get more. 213 00:10:37,080 --> 00:10:38,880 That's why the New Covenant comes about. 214 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:42,800 And then in our day and age, we have the New and Everlasting Covenant, which was more like 215 00:10:42,800 --> 00:10:46,240 what the Doctrine and Covenants was named, like something to allude to that. 216 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:52,460 But what you'll see in each book of scripture is a reaffirmation of this covenant relationship 217 00:10:52,460 --> 00:10:58,480 that he wants to establish with us, and people live it fully or to degrees, and then something 218 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:04,080 happens over time, and we take the pieces and parts that we want, and then we slip away 219 00:11:04,080 --> 00:11:12,080 from that closeness to him, and we apostatize, and then we're in full apostasy, and we would 220 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:14,780 say that the priesthood keys go away with that. 221 00:11:14,780 --> 00:11:19,520 And so then we have to have a renewal, we have to have a restoration, so we have a new 222 00:11:19,520 --> 00:11:22,800 dispensation of time, and that's happened from one... 223 00:11:22,800 --> 00:11:25,480 You can track this in the book of scriptures. 224 00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:26,480 Yeah. 225 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:28,280 With how many prophets there are. 226 00:11:28,280 --> 00:11:33,160 So some of the Book of Mormon pairs with some of the Old Testament scripture and the way 227 00:11:33,160 --> 00:11:38,700 that the covenant was taught then, and as Joseph Smith was translating it, he gets to 228 00:11:38,700 --> 00:11:47,840 see that process of the Lord laying out the development of making a covenant people and 229 00:11:47,840 --> 00:11:51,560 having proper priesthood authority and being fully restored. 230 00:11:51,560 --> 00:11:58,960 And so what I think is cool is we kind of look at the Joseph Smith story like this crazy, 231 00:11:58,960 --> 00:12:01,740 this is the first time that it's ever happened, which is totally untrue. 232 00:12:01,740 --> 00:12:03,120 It's happened multiple dispensations. 233 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:04,960 In our dispensation in the books. 234 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:08,560 He doesn't just say, here's this case, and here's the gospel, and this is how it looks 235 00:12:08,560 --> 00:12:10,640 like definitely. 236 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:15,040 We can learn from the way that the church was restored through him. 237 00:12:15,040 --> 00:12:20,720 We can definitely tell that Adam and Eve, it's not like partaking of the fruit, open 238 00:12:20,720 --> 00:12:22,720 their minds to all truths all at once. 239 00:12:22,720 --> 00:12:27,600 I think that they still had some opportunity to be tutored and then Noah was a dispensation. 240 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:28,600 Abraham's a dispensation. 241 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:34,240 I'd be lying if I knew all of the dispensations, but what we know about this one is that it's 242 00:12:34,240 --> 00:12:37,760 the dispensation of the fullness of time. 243 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,300 And so I asked the question, how did he know how to bring forth this final dispensation? 244 00:12:42,300 --> 00:12:44,880 And I answered the question, he didn't. 245 00:12:44,880 --> 00:12:46,160 He definitely didn't know how to do it. 246 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:51,000 It came line upon line for him just as it must have for every previous dispensation. 247 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:52,680 Isn't that actually the best too? 248 00:12:52,680 --> 00:12:55,400 Because what if the Lord really laid out everything that it took and how many years? 249 00:12:55,400 --> 00:12:56,400 Overwhelming. 250 00:12:56,400 --> 00:13:00,280 Because we know too that this is continuing restoration. 251 00:13:00,280 --> 00:13:01,280 I mean, that's generations. 252 00:13:01,280 --> 00:13:02,280 You know what I mean? 253 00:13:02,280 --> 00:13:03,280 Absolutely. 254 00:13:03,280 --> 00:13:04,280 So I do love that. 255 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:10,280 He did so much in his short time from asking the question to being presented with the church 256 00:13:10,280 --> 00:13:13,160 is going to be restored. 257 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:17,680 The church as it functioned when Jesus Christ was on the earth will come back into play. 258 00:13:17,680 --> 00:13:24,480 But if this 15-year-old boy had been told about temples, that would seem overwhelming. 259 00:13:24,480 --> 00:13:28,440 And even the temple endowment, it came line upon line. 260 00:13:28,440 --> 00:13:29,960 There was pieces to it. 261 00:13:29,960 --> 00:13:30,960 We had questions. 262 00:13:30,960 --> 00:13:31,960 Yeah. 263 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:36,440 Because he was working through that translation process, doing the Book of Mormon, that's 264 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:37,560 when you see the best questions. 265 00:13:37,560 --> 00:13:42,140 When you pair where he was translating the Book of Mormon to what the revelations that 266 00:13:42,140 --> 00:13:44,880 we're getting in the Doctrine and Covenants, that's when the magic happens. 267 00:13:44,880 --> 00:13:49,880 You can see he was learning something at the same time, learning something immediately, 268 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,280 and then knowing he was such a good question asker. 269 00:13:52,280 --> 00:13:55,520 And so he would ask a question and then what piece of that was able to be unfolded would 270 00:13:55,520 --> 00:13:56,520 be unfolded. 271 00:13:56,520 --> 00:13:57,960 And so then we'll have that section in the Doctrine and Covenants. 272 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:03,000 I was just going to say that I always appreciate reading the DNC and realizing, oh, this came 273 00:14:03,000 --> 00:14:04,920 from a question. 274 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,460 He was working with the Book of Mormon. 275 00:14:07,460 --> 00:14:11,320 He had a working knowledge of the Bible, and then he had a question that came from it, 276 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:19,080 and then boom, we have a new doctrine or something revealed and we're able to grow and learn 277 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:20,080 from that. 278 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:22,400 Articulate a question and then take the answers as they're... 279 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:26,160 Because we're showing that we're ready for the answer to that question. 280 00:14:26,160 --> 00:14:31,880 There's a church video that's out there and he'd lost... 281 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:36,640 Something he was translating in the Book of Mormon and it gave him the understanding of 282 00:14:36,640 --> 00:14:38,400 eternal families and... 283 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:39,400 With Alvin, right? 284 00:14:39,400 --> 00:14:41,800 With Alvin and he just lost a baby. 285 00:14:41,800 --> 00:14:49,880 He and Emma had just lost a baby and so to stop the work and to explain to her that this 286 00:14:49,880 --> 00:14:52,120 is definitely unique in the Restoration. 287 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:53,880 It's definitely a piece that had been lost. 288 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:58,660 All the preachers and pastors that are trying to give answers, trying to answer the questions 289 00:14:58,660 --> 00:15:01,880 of life didn't have this piece that had been lost. 290 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:05,080 And so that's such a special one to bring back. 291 00:15:05,080 --> 00:15:09,960 And I think that those moments give him enough energy, William, up to be like, oh, this is 292 00:15:09,960 --> 00:15:12,160 such an amazing thing that we need this back on the earth. 293 00:15:12,160 --> 00:15:19,960 And so just kept him plugging forward until we got to where he left his work off. 294 00:15:19,960 --> 00:15:21,600 And then, I mean, it certainly has... 295 00:15:21,600 --> 00:15:24,640 We're continuing Revelation to this moment. 296 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:28,920 So right from the talk, it talked about the New Testament being a virtual synonym for 297 00:15:28,920 --> 00:15:29,920 the New Covenant. 298 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:30,920 There you go. 299 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:32,280 So that's why that was on my mind. 300 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,440 It's just lined out. 301 00:15:34,440 --> 00:15:37,760 That's what the whole point of the Scripture is, that it's like people are recording their 302 00:15:37,760 --> 00:15:41,440 bit of time and the lessons that they're learning in it and what God had revealed to 303 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:43,720 them, which is these covenants that he wanted to make with them. 304 00:15:43,720 --> 00:15:47,720 They were lost and they have to be renewed in a Restoration process. 305 00:15:47,720 --> 00:15:50,300 And then we do that cycle again and again. 306 00:15:50,300 --> 00:15:54,840 So they're foundational to the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 307 00:15:54,840 --> 00:15:57,920 Oh, let's see. 308 00:15:57,920 --> 00:16:01,760 Oh, I love this. 309 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:06,760 We know that when we partake of the sacrament, we are renewing covenants. 310 00:16:06,760 --> 00:16:11,600 And I love because he used this word, he said, the importance of the ordinance of the sacrament 311 00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:14,040 is evident in the words of the covenant. 312 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:20,680 So I always think of the sacrament as a prayer, but it's the words of a covenant. 313 00:16:20,680 --> 00:16:25,240 I think I'll just kind of hold that and think on that as I'm partaking in the sacrament 314 00:16:25,240 --> 00:16:29,040 going forward, because I know for myself, I haven't really stopped and thought about 315 00:16:29,040 --> 00:16:30,040 it in that way. 316 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:31,040 That is awesome. 317 00:16:31,040 --> 00:16:35,720 I will just share the words of the emblems of the bread, to the souls of all those who 318 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:39,520 partake of it, that they witness unto thee, O God, the eternal Father, that they are willing 319 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,360 to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments 320 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:44,800 which he has given them. 321 00:16:44,800 --> 00:16:47,840 So rather than a prayer that we're asking for these things, we're restating. 322 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,960 And then I always repeat in my mind when the prayer is happening, I'm restating covenant 323 00:16:51,960 --> 00:16:53,840 words, not just a prayer. 324 00:16:53,840 --> 00:16:54,840 Yes, that's wonderful. 325 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:55,840 I just liked it. 326 00:16:55,840 --> 00:16:57,120 That is very good. 327 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:04,480 So what about temples, Abby? 328 00:17:04,480 --> 00:17:05,480 He does talk. 329 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:12,240 Yeah, I loved it because it was like the baptismal piece is like such an important part to put 330 00:17:12,240 --> 00:17:16,000 us on what we understand to be the covenant path, something that's going to bring us 331 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:22,400 closer to Jesus Christ and lead us back to God, heaven, parents, and shows that we have 332 00:17:22,400 --> 00:17:24,840 a desire to be in a covenant relationship with him. 333 00:17:24,840 --> 00:17:26,360 And that's great. 334 00:17:26,360 --> 00:17:34,520 It said something about the ordinance of baptism and its associated covenants are the requirements 335 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,740 for entrance into the celestial kingdom. 336 00:17:36,740 --> 00:17:37,740 So that's good. 337 00:17:37,740 --> 00:17:44,000 You will inherit the celestial kingdom with that level of ordinance making. 338 00:17:44,000 --> 00:17:47,760 But the next sentence is, the ordinances and associated covenants of the temple are required 339 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:51,880 for exaltation in the celestial kingdom, which is eternal life, the greatest of all, the 340 00:17:51,880 --> 00:17:53,080 gifts of God. 341 00:17:53,080 --> 00:17:55,480 That is the focus of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 342 00:17:55,480 --> 00:17:59,720 So with our last few minutes, let's do talk about the roles of temple when we're considering 343 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:05,440 the restoration of the fullness of the gospel and the suspension. 344 00:18:05,440 --> 00:18:09,480 I like how we talked about how the restoration through Joseph Smith, it just happened line 345 00:18:09,480 --> 00:18:10,480 upon line. 346 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,600 And if this 15-year-old boy had been like, not just, hey, get these plates, you're going 347 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,280 to translate these plates, it's going to have the fullness of the gospel. 348 00:18:16,280 --> 00:18:17,280 That's a big deal. 349 00:18:17,280 --> 00:18:21,000 Also, you're going to build this temple, but that would be overwhelming. 350 00:18:21,000 --> 00:18:25,680 So the Lord and his goodness, we get just the piece that we need at the time that we 351 00:18:25,680 --> 00:18:26,800 need it. 352 00:18:26,800 --> 00:18:34,440 But I loved how he brought to remembrance as we're talking about the trek west. 353 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,200 These saints were working their hearts out to get that Nauvoo temple built. 354 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:40,640 And then when they were exterminated, they were told to leave. 355 00:18:40,640 --> 00:18:45,880 They had to keep that temple open around the clock so that anybody that desired it, they 356 00:18:45,880 --> 00:18:47,760 could receive their endowment. 357 00:18:47,760 --> 00:18:53,760 And a lot of them attributed those temple covenants to be the thing to help them get 358 00:18:53,760 --> 00:18:54,760 across the plains. 359 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:57,400 The strength that they would draw on through all those months. 360 00:18:57,400 --> 00:19:02,800 They received power by being bound to Christ in their endowments in the Nauvoo temple, 361 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:07,160 gave them strength to make their epic journey and establish themselves in the west. 362 00:19:07,160 --> 00:19:09,600 And I felt that. 363 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:14,240 I've done that walk from the Nauvoo temple looking back and knowing it was a beautiful 364 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:21,080 building, but the importance to them of the covenants they were making there, you know, 365 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:22,080 those didn't ever have to leave. 366 00:19:22,080 --> 00:19:25,460 Even had to leave their precious building behind in their beautiful city. 367 00:19:25,460 --> 00:19:30,960 They really got all the important things they carried with them in the form of covenants. 368 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:35,440 So I think we should refresh on in this talk, you talked about the role of the temple garment. 369 00:19:35,440 --> 00:19:36,440 Yep. 370 00:19:36,440 --> 00:19:37,440 Hit on it again, right? 371 00:19:37,440 --> 00:19:38,440 Do you want to hit that? 372 00:19:38,440 --> 00:19:41,560 Yeah, I like that he said, persons who have been endowed in a temple are responsible to 373 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:45,400 wear a temple garment, which is an article of clothing not visible because it's worn 374 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:47,100 beneath your clothes. 375 00:19:47,100 --> 00:19:49,920 And then I do appreciate the way that he says things. 376 00:19:49,920 --> 00:19:54,160 He says it reminds endowed members of the sacred covenants they've made and the blessings 377 00:19:54,160 --> 00:19:57,980 they've been promised in a holy temple. 378 00:19:57,980 --> 00:20:02,320 It was interesting when he said these words, because covenants do not take a day off to 379 00:20:02,320 --> 00:20:06,260 remove one's garment can be understood as a disclaimer of the covenant responsibilities. 380 00:20:06,260 --> 00:20:10,920 So I, that was a different way of me thinking of it too, is thinking, you know, do I want 381 00:20:10,920 --> 00:20:12,480 to take a day off of my covenant? 382 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:13,480 I don't want to do that. 383 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:16,640 So I'm going to wear it the way that I understand I'm supposed to. 384 00:20:16,640 --> 00:20:20,440 And then he says, in contrast, persons who wear their garments fully, faithfully and 385 00:20:20,440 --> 00:20:24,640 keep their temple covenants continually, affirm their role as a disciple of the Lord Jesus 386 00:20:24,640 --> 00:20:25,640 Christ. 387 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:31,520 I just like the way that he talked about it because he really did say, since the garment 388 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:36,540 does reflect the way or the fact that we've made covenants with God and the fact that 389 00:20:36,540 --> 00:20:41,800 it covers us with this protection and with a portion of Christ spirit and serves as a 390 00:20:41,800 --> 00:20:44,160 reminder and serves a reminder. 391 00:20:44,160 --> 00:20:48,080 Why would I want to take it off when I could definitely be doing some of the things, you 392 00:20:48,080 --> 00:20:51,240 know, he said, I think he said, except for obvious reasons, which of course you can't 393 00:20:51,240 --> 00:20:53,600 wear when you're swimming and you know what I mean, stuff like that. 394 00:20:53,600 --> 00:20:54,880 So he didn't even go into it. 395 00:20:54,880 --> 00:20:59,640 It was just the obvious reasons and more put the focus on a list maker. 396 00:20:59,640 --> 00:21:03,800 Like you're going to make those decisions on whether are you leaving your garment behind 397 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:05,840 because you definitely intend to. 398 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:06,840 Yeah. 399 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:11,400 Break a covenant or like you, you intentionally are going to leave them behind because for 400 00:21:11,400 --> 00:21:13,600 good reasons, you aren't going to have them. 401 00:21:13,600 --> 00:21:18,080 And I definitely sat and thought about sister and that Dennis's talk put you on the Holy 402 00:21:18,080 --> 00:21:19,080 garment. 403 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:20,080 I don't even know. 404 00:21:20,080 --> 00:21:21,080 I'm going to the Lord. 405 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:26,520 It was such a good talk, but clear back some like episode three and the feelings that I 406 00:21:26,520 --> 00:21:27,520 had on that. 407 00:21:27,520 --> 00:21:31,600 What I do love, he emphasizes it's, it's not, it's not the scrubs you wear to doctor. 408 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:32,600 It's not the police uniform. 409 00:21:32,600 --> 00:21:34,560 It's not the firefighter uniform. 410 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:36,160 It's not the wedding ring that you're wearing. 411 00:21:36,160 --> 00:21:43,560 It's a personal covering that you wear or don't, but ideally you're wearing and just 412 00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:47,120 made me think back to the thoughts that I had on hers. 413 00:21:47,120 --> 00:21:50,680 As I studied hers and I've definitely thought on it every day since then, as I'm wearing 414 00:21:50,680 --> 00:21:54,240 my garment that for me, it's the reminder of those covenants. 415 00:21:54,240 --> 00:21:57,080 I'm stopping and spending a little bit more time thinking about the covenants that I've 416 00:21:57,080 --> 00:21:58,280 made. 417 00:21:58,280 --> 00:22:01,180 And it's for myself personally, like I could go to church. 418 00:22:01,180 --> 00:22:02,840 I wouldn't know. 419 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:04,480 I wouldn't know at all. 420 00:22:04,480 --> 00:22:05,480 It's not like the job. 421 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:09,000 It's like, you know, everybody knows like you're coming to making with the, with the 422 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:10,200 garment it's personal. 423 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:11,400 Like you could go to award. 424 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:13,320 You could assume everybody has them on or doesn't have money. 425 00:22:13,320 --> 00:22:19,320 You don't even know because it's not to display to the world that your covenant maker are 426 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,600 not in some for you personally. 427 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:25,320 And it serves a whatever reminder that you're wanting, wanting it to be. 428 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:26,320 Absolutely. 429 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:27,320 Abby. 430 00:22:27,320 --> 00:22:34,640 So, um, I thought his talk was, uh, it was just so clean cut. 431 00:22:34,640 --> 00:22:35,640 He is clean cut. 432 00:22:35,640 --> 00:22:36,640 Isn't it? 433 00:22:36,640 --> 00:22:38,320 So I'm like, yeah, you, you sold me. 434 00:22:38,320 --> 00:22:39,320 Yes. 435 00:22:39,320 --> 00:22:40,320 That's what makes us different. 436 00:22:40,320 --> 00:22:43,040 We're covenant makers and it was with proper, proper priesthood authority. 437 00:22:43,040 --> 00:22:45,240 And so it definitely deserves another listen. 438 00:22:45,240 --> 00:22:50,240 If you haven't had the chance, we would love you to go back to it, but it made me think 439 00:22:50,240 --> 00:22:57,280 of, um, you know how we were talking about the, um, 440 00:22:57,280 --> 00:23:02,040 You know how we talked about on elder Karen's talk, like his intent is to bring us home. 441 00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:12,440 And we, we talked about like knowing the nature of God, uh, this, this line, the church of 442 00:23:12,440 --> 00:23:15,520 Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is constructing temples all over the world. 443 00:23:15,520 --> 00:23:18,880 Their purpose is to bless the covenant children of God with temple worship and with the sacred 444 00:23:18,880 --> 00:23:22,640 responsibilities and power and unique blessings of being bound to Christ. 445 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:24,040 They received by covenant. 446 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:28,800 I haven't made it to the temple like last week as they rolled out some, some further 447 00:23:28,800 --> 00:23:34,920 revelation on, um, rest, you know, like what their, their intent is to get people to the 448 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:40,360 temple and make it, um, make it Christ centered and allow you to have your time there, but 449 00:23:40,360 --> 00:23:44,720 also be able to, you know, maximize what they're doing there. 450 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:48,840 Like if you can't get an appointment in the court in the, where, where there's only like 451 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,840 five temples that you were driving, we were down in Salt Lake area. 452 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:54,200 Like you can see like five temples in any direction. 453 00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:55,760 You can't get appointments in these temples. 454 00:23:55,760 --> 00:23:57,760 People are flooding to the temples and they're busy and they're working. 455 00:23:57,760 --> 00:24:03,480 So some people might be like angry that they've shortened the temple, you know, endowment. 456 00:24:03,480 --> 00:24:04,480 I haven't heard anybody yet. 457 00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:06,120 I am not in those circles. 458 00:24:06,120 --> 00:24:10,440 My people are pretty excited about it, but, um, but they might be like, well, look, the 459 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:12,560 things change. 460 00:24:12,560 --> 00:24:16,960 I haven't been to say, but I'm confident that the message is the same and clear and it's 461 00:24:16,960 --> 00:24:20,880 beautiful, but it's done in a shorter amount of time so that we can put more sessions into 462 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:24,320 the temples that are already built so that we can get more people that are desiring to 463 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:29,160 go and make, uh, make that time in the temple part of their day. 464 00:24:29,160 --> 00:24:34,520 And that is, that for me is just evidence that the Lord loves us and he wants to make 465 00:24:34,520 --> 00:24:39,640 temple worship enjoyable and doable and achievable. 466 00:24:39,640 --> 00:24:43,920 And the fact that they're being built all around the world, giving more of his children 467 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:52,080 access to those temples with as little financial difficulty as possible does something to teach 468 00:24:52,080 --> 00:24:59,560 me about the nature of God and what he wants for us and that he just using president Nelson 469 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:04,800 who just can run a million miles an hour to just explode these temples that are around 470 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:05,800 us. 471 00:25:05,800 --> 00:25:12,320 And so, um, maybe the same plea that I've made before, um, if you are enjoying the, 472 00:25:12,320 --> 00:25:19,440 um, baptismal covenants that you've made and you still haven't, um, considered making 473 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:26,480 further covenants with the Lord in his temple, that, that you would consider, again, you 474 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:28,560 know, what, what would it take? 475 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:30,840 What would it take for you to feel comfortable doing that? 476 00:25:30,840 --> 00:25:33,640 Is there a little change that you need to make in your life? 477 00:25:33,640 --> 00:25:38,560 Um, do you really consider covenants to be something that sets us apart in our church? 478 00:25:38,560 --> 00:25:44,880 And is, is there more that you could be enjoying as far as a covenant relationship with God 479 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:46,920 in your process of making it back to him? 480 00:25:46,920 --> 00:25:48,040 Yeah, I like that. 481 00:25:48,040 --> 00:25:49,440 Self-reflection is always a good thing. 482 00:25:49,440 --> 00:25:50,440 Yeah. 483 00:25:50,440 --> 00:25:51,760 Um, when it comes to covenants as well. 484 00:25:51,760 --> 00:25:54,280 Um, yeah, those were, those were great points. 485 00:25:54,280 --> 00:25:57,680 I told Garrett before that, um, president Oaks does not mince words. 486 00:25:57,680 --> 00:25:58,680 He doesn't. 487 00:25:58,680 --> 00:25:59,960 There was not a wasted word in that thing. 488 00:25:59,960 --> 00:26:01,560 And you don't wonder what he means by anything. 489 00:26:01,560 --> 00:26:02,560 It's very clear. 490 00:26:02,560 --> 00:26:04,000 It's very instructive. 491 00:26:04,000 --> 00:26:05,920 And I appreciated the talk a lot. 492 00:26:05,920 --> 00:26:07,560 I did too. 493 00:26:07,560 --> 00:26:08,640 Any last words, Abby? 494 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:09,640 Nope. 495 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:14,760 Just add my testimony to his that Jesus Christ is the head of this church and his blessings 496 00:26:14,760 --> 00:26:20,920 are available to any that are ready to keep, make and keep sacred covenants with him. 497 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:21,920 Amen to that. 498 00:26:21,920 --> 00:26:22,920 Amen. 499 00:26:22,920 --> 00:26:23,920 Thanks for joining us. 500 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:24,920 We'll catch you next time. 501 00:26:24,920 --> 00:26:40,920 Have a good one.