1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over 2 00:00:07,000 --> 00:00:11,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over 3 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:18,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, where two friends who love Jesus share our own approach to studying the most recent General Conference talks. 4 00:00:18,000 --> 00:00:22,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over This is Abby. And Amy. Let's jump into it. 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:29,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over Today we're talking about the man who communed with Jehovah by Elder Kyle Esmike of the Seventy, who was also the church historian. 6 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over So I love the way he starts his talk. 7 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:42,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over He says, My purpose this day and always is to testify of Jesus Christ, that he is the Son of God, the Creator and Savior of the world, our Deliverer and Redeemer. 8 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:57,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over How powerful would a meeting or our class discussion or even discussions in our home would be if we remember that taking opportunities to testify of Christ will have the best ability to teach whatever lesson we have that we want to be heard. 9 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:05,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over Good point. And definitely a goal of mine, a goal of yours. Definitely something we can keep working on. 10 00:01:05,000 --> 00:01:06,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over So good. 11 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:19,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over I love that he talks about, well he reminds us, regardless of what you think the job of apostles and prophets are, to tick people off or to tell them the hard things, whatever you think their job is, 12 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:36,000 he reminds us that apostles and prophets dedicate their lives to testifying of Jesus Christ and promised us that he would spend this talk witnessing of his own knowledge and testimony of the Savior as it has been strengthened and deepened by the man who communed with Jehovah, even Joseph Smith. 13 00:01:36,000 --> 00:01:53,000 So, Abby, we've mentioned in a previous podcast, but it's also, it's incredible to think that the young 14-year-old boy, he entered a grove of trees to pray about his sins and also to ask which church to join, not to ask about the nature of the Godhead or maybe how to organize a church 101. 14 00:01:53,000 --> 00:02:04,000 His sincere prayer offered with unwavering faith received the attention of the most powerful forces in the universe, including the Father and the Son and the Devil. 15 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:09,000 Each of these had an intense interest in that prayer and in that boy. 16 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:16,000 So, how does Joseph Smith's first vision encourage us today to approach God in times of need? 17 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:24,000 This talk for me highlighted the fact that age is not a limiting factor to who has the right to prayer and whose prayers will be heard. 18 00:02:24,000 --> 00:02:36,000 God communed with Joseph. The God who did commune with Joseph is a God who answers teenagers in times of trouble. 19 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:37,000 Love that part. 20 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:50,000 When I read that line, I was like, I'm hoping parents who are raising teens or teachers who are teaching them or teens themselves may be tuning in and they hear that line and they allow the Spirit to testify that that's true. 21 00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:56,000 We know young children, they'll pray for anything and they usually feel like very justified. 22 00:02:56,000 --> 00:03:00,000 They get answered and they're just, where's my remote? Where's my teddy bear? 23 00:03:00,000 --> 00:03:03,000 There it is. And God answers prayers. This is great. 24 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:19,000 And it's those teen years that seem to bring a little bit of a change and we start doubting that process and we start thinking that we're being heard and maybe take things to him less often because we don't see that the answers that we're seeking are coming to us. 25 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:27,000 But this is a perfect example that that's just not the case. God is no respecter of persons or age. 26 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:35,000 I love that he was putting to test something that he had studied and studied and the words were found in James. 27 00:03:35,000 --> 00:03:43,000 They became true to him. He found out for himself that when a man lacks wisdom, he can go and ask God and God will provide, he'll obtain. 28 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,000 Absolutely. 29 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:53,000 I love that through the First Vision, we come to understand the nature of God. 30 00:03:53,000 --> 00:04:01,000 We understand that he wants his children to come and talk to him. He wants to provide us with answers, but it does require an ask on our part. 31 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:09,000 He could certainly unload things on us, like by virtue of agency, he has to know that we want to know an answer to a question. 32 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,000 For sure. 33 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:19,000 I have had that thought a couple times and I'm like, man, I'm so overwhelmed and he's like, you asked. That's what I felt, you know? 34 00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:27,000 And it's like, you're right, I did. You know, it's just, I love that. I've had that thought quite a few times and I actually did want to know. 35 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:31,000 It's just a lot more than, it's more weight than I thought I'd be carrying. You know what I mean? 36 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:39,000 There is the truth. It's weightier and it's going to take some time to ruminate and process that piece of the answer he's given you. 37 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:44,000 But because he's too good to us, I know he hasn't given you more than he knows you're capable of handling. 38 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:45,000 Absolutely. 39 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:47,000 You may have not thought that it was, but he knew, like that was the limit. 40 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,000 He totally did. 41 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:56,000 Because if you look at the process where you get to the end, you're like, man, if he had unloaded actually the beginning from the end all at once right then, that would have been impossible. 42 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:57,000 Yes, sure. 43 00:04:57,000 --> 00:05:08,000 But he kind of knows, like, the limit. For me, this is personal and it's a preparatory. All he wanted was forgiveness and direction. 44 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:09,000 That's true. 45 00:05:09,000 --> 00:05:14,000 But the Lord gives him both the instruction to join none of the churches was the directive and the words, 46 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,000 thy sins are forgiven thee, were the redemptive part of that. 47 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:19,000 Oh, I love that, Abby. Very well said. 48 00:05:19,000 --> 00:05:26,000 I spent some time reflecting on how prayers, my prayers have evolved since I was young. 49 00:05:26,000 --> 00:05:35,000 And I think that they're the perfect person. The prayers that my little three year old, I'm like, I'll have him pray for the things that I really want because I think those prayers are heard above anybody else. 50 00:05:35,000 --> 00:05:38,000 They're eloquent, but they're just pure. 51 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:48,000 Yeah, not only that, but I had a friend that I used to be in young ones with and she had a little daughter that was literally, I want to say she was like a year and a half to two, but I was her gum friend. 52 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:51,000 Anytime she saw me, she knew I was going to give her gum. 53 00:05:51,000 --> 00:05:57,000 And she would just smile at me and hold her hands out. And like, she knew I was giving her that gum every time I saw her. 54 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:02,000 And I was just like, if only we could all be like that with God. And that's how a three year old prays. 55 00:06:02,000 --> 00:06:10,000 They are, yeah, that's a perfect visualization of what I'm saying. They're like, I'm asked this thing. I asked the guy and he's totally going to provide. 56 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:11,000 For sure. 57 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:19,000 Something happens like probably eight to, you know, till we understand. There's like a piece of time in there. It's just a little bit different. 58 00:06:19,000 --> 00:06:24,000 We become a little more skeptical, cynical because we've grown and God knows that we're ready for more. 59 00:06:24,000 --> 00:06:33,000 He is going to make us learn a bit of patience in the prayer or asking the question, tweaking the question a little bit different way, or you want the answer to that. 60 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,000 It's not going to be that easy. So we can only give you a piece of that, you know, this to start with. 61 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:40,000 When I see that you're doing that piece in part, then you'll get more for me. 62 00:06:40,000 --> 00:06:42,000 So true. 63 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:51,000 I know from the First Vision account that even though an answer is given once, it doesn't prevent me from asking again, 64 00:06:51,000 --> 00:06:56,000 because Joseph didn't stop there for asking for forgiveness and direction the rest of his life. 65 00:06:56,000 --> 00:07:01,000 He received that repeated blessing through a series, you know, a few different times. 66 00:07:01,000 --> 00:07:02,000 True. 67 00:07:02,000 --> 00:07:06,000 And there's nothing wrong with asking the same question time and time again. 68 00:07:06,000 --> 00:07:15,000 That's a good lead into the next question of how does Joseph Smith's example of regular repentance provide a model for our lives? 69 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:21,000 Let's see, to answer that, I'd probably go to what this historian shared on September 21st, 1823. 70 00:07:21,000 --> 00:07:30,000 It said Joseph earnestly prayed for forgiveness and the Lord sent the angel Moroni to instruct Joseph and inform him of an ancient record he would later translate by the gift and power of God, the Book of Mormon. 71 00:07:30,000 --> 00:07:34,000 So again, we see the forgiveness that was the root of his question was answered. 72 00:07:34,000 --> 00:07:39,000 And then it was like, okay, this is the next piece. You're going to receive the book. You're going to translate it. 73 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:41,000 That was the direction he needed. 74 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:50,000 And then another example that he pulled was 13 years after that, Joseph and Oliver knelt in prayer at the Kirtland Temple. 75 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:58,000 And so we're speculating here a little bit because we don't know exactly what they prayed for as they're coming out of their prayer. 76 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:03,000 We're assuming that there was a plea for forgiveness in there because as they arise, the Savior appears. 77 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:05,000 This is the Kirtland Temple experience. 78 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:08,000 And what he says is, behold, your sins are forgiven you. 79 00:08:08,000 --> 00:08:13,000 Doesn't that certainly seem like an answer to, are we worthy, are sins forgiven? 80 00:08:13,000 --> 00:08:14,000 Absolutely. 81 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,000 And you are clean before me. 82 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:18,000 And so forgiveness was granted. 83 00:08:18,000 --> 00:08:21,000 And what did we get from that Kirtland Temple experience? 84 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:23,000 We got the restoration of the priesthood keys. 85 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,000 So direction of what we're going to do with those keys is the next thing, right? 86 00:08:27,000 --> 00:08:32,000 Yes. You know, it's interesting, Abby, because the Lord loves us every day all the time, no matter what. 87 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:41,000 I do feel like He doesn't delight more in us than when we are asking for forgiveness and when we are giving gratitude. 88 00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:46,000 I feel like those two things open the doors of heaven, unlike other things. 89 00:08:46,000 --> 00:08:51,000 I feel like a few talks have kind of led to that epiphany, and it's absolutely true. 90 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:56,000 Yeah. So we can add to our list of truths we know of the nature of God here. 91 00:08:56,000 --> 00:09:00,000 Jesus Christ truly is of a forgiving disposition. 92 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:03,000 It is neither His mission nor His nature to condemn. 93 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:07,000 He came to save us, the whole reason He was here. 94 00:09:07,000 --> 00:09:14,000 It is not the backup plan. It's not that just in case something goes wrong, it was completely anticipated that we would need a Savior, 95 00:09:14,000 --> 00:09:16,000 otherwise He wouldn't have been sent for us. 96 00:09:16,000 --> 00:09:21,000 So that's definitely truth that I heard. 97 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:28,000 Another thing I was considering was how do restored truths enhance our understanding of the gospel? 98 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:32,000 What impact do they have on our spiritual practices? 99 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:35,000 So let's consider how the restitution of all things came about. 100 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,000 I loved, by the way, I loved this part of the talk. 101 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:40,000 It brought me so much happiness. 102 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:44,000 It was through a combination of translating the Book of Mormon and asking for further clarity 103 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:50,000 that brought some of the sweetest truths back to the earth in this dispensation. 104 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:57,000 As Joseph matures and expanded his questions, asking abilities, love this, and also his capacity grew, 105 00:09:57,000 --> 00:10:02,000 truths were restored to the earth. It was line upon line, experienced by experience. 106 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:08,000 Some truths were here, but lacked key details, and his inquiries brought clarity and completeness. 107 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:15,000 The one that comes to mind is when he's translating the Book of Mormon, it talks about something and he has a question about Elvin, right? 108 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:19,000 Just the fact that his heart was so pure and he was like, heavenly Father, how can this be so? 109 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:26,000 He doubted nothing. He had a great skill of formulating a question. 110 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:28,000 I've always loved that about him. 111 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:34,000 He'd lost his brother, Elvin, and his own son, Elvin, had passed. 112 00:10:34,000 --> 00:10:38,000 That's what's so special about this. It's certainly going to be on his mind. 113 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,000 How can I get about doing this work? 114 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:43,000 And then this piece of truth comes to the Book of Mormon. 115 00:10:43,000 --> 00:10:45,000 He stops to think, to find out more. 116 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:48,000 What does this mean to me, heavenly Father? I love that. I love it. 117 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:52,000 And it wasn't done in a quick moment, but over months and over years, 118 00:10:52,000 --> 00:10:56,000 what pattern do I see here that I can emulate in my own spiritual practice? 119 00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:58,000 Again, it's asking these questions. 120 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:02,000 What pattern do I see here that I can emulate in my own spiritual practice? 121 00:11:02,000 --> 00:11:07,000 Again, I'm going to go back to Joseph Smith knowing how to formulate a question, 122 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:12,000 coming upon something in the Scriptures or in his own life, and then turning straight to God, 123 00:11:12,000 --> 00:11:18,000 not questioning, is that really a thing, but saying, heavenly Father, show me how this works in my life. 124 00:11:18,000 --> 00:11:23,000 Show me the next step. That's what I have learned from him over and over again, 125 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:25,000 and it just brings me so much happiness. 126 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:28,000 Like a give and take. I'm acknowledging that I understand it to this point, 127 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,000 and I'm understanding there could be a gap here. 128 00:11:30,000 --> 00:11:33,000 And if there's more to know, then I'm ready for it. 129 00:11:33,000 --> 00:11:34,000 Love it. 130 00:11:34,000 --> 00:11:39,000 And then it might feel weighty, what comes your way, but he knew the right amounts to give you. 131 00:11:39,000 --> 00:11:40,000 It's true. 132 00:11:40,000 --> 00:11:43,000 You or me, and then we stew on that for a minute, and then we can grow from there. 133 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:45,000 I love that, yes. 134 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:51,000 And sometimes we're asking a question. We know A, and we want to get to Z. 135 00:11:51,000 --> 00:11:55,000 He's like, I've got to give you the in-between steps, and you aren't ready for the end of that alphabet. 136 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:59,000 For sure. So, Abby, I feel like now, remember, I just say a prayer, 137 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,000 and then I write down what I believe I'm hearing through the Spirit. 138 00:12:02,000 --> 00:12:06,000 And I have heard on more than one occasion where Heavenly Father says, 139 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,000 you're not going to understand even if I tell you. 140 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:10,000 That makes sense. 141 00:12:10,000 --> 00:12:13,000 And I'm like, okay, I can handle that, because it goes back to, you know, 142 00:12:13,000 --> 00:12:16,000 there have been multiple scriptures, you're a little children, you can't understand yet. 143 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:17,000 I'm like, that's fine. 144 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,000 And then maybe I'll ask it in a different way, or I'll say, 145 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,000 could I just have like just the tiniest next little glimpse, 146 00:12:22,000 --> 00:12:25,000 and maybe within a month or three months or four months or whatever it is, 147 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:27,000 I might get a tiny little glimpse. 148 00:12:27,000 --> 00:12:30,000 But I am appreciative when he says that to me. 149 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:36,000 Joseph set this example for us, and what you're articulating is reformulating the question. 150 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:39,000 When he says you're not ready for it, then you ask him for a follow-up. 151 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:44,000 You say, please make me aware when I hear things that will prepare me to be ready for it. 152 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,000 Love that. 153 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:47,000 And then sometimes it's... 154 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:48,000 It could be years later. 155 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:51,000 Right? Sometimes it's give me the experiences where I will learn it through that. 156 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,000 That's usually what happens. 157 00:12:53,000 --> 00:12:55,000 It's not him telling me something. 158 00:12:55,000 --> 00:12:59,000 It's I learn it for myself in the flesh, and it takes years. 159 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:01,000 Fun, huh? 160 00:13:01,000 --> 00:13:02,000 Mm-hmm. 161 00:13:02,000 --> 00:13:07,000 Let's run through some of the beautiful list of restoration principles Elder McKay listed, 162 00:13:07,000 --> 00:13:15,000 so that as we're spelling them out, that we ourselves and the audience can reflect on how these truths enhance our understanding of the gospel 163 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,000 and maybe the impact that they're having on our own lives. 164 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:21,000 Again, I love this part of the talk. It's just so clear. 165 00:13:21,000 --> 00:13:25,000 The Father and Son have bodies as tangible as man's. 166 00:13:25,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Jesus took upon Himself not only our sins, but also our sicknesses, afflictions, and infirmities. 167 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:34,000 Abby, to us, we say this so often, we hear it so often. 168 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,000 It's common knowledge. What if it was the first time you were hearing that? 169 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:39,000 What if you had just heard it was just sins? 170 00:13:39,000 --> 00:13:41,000 You thought you were the only person that had ever suffered an assertion, right? 171 00:13:41,000 --> 00:13:42,000 Yes! 172 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:45,000 And then you come to find out that your Savior understands it more perfectly than anybody. 173 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,000 Yes, that changes my life. 174 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:48,000 It would matter. 175 00:13:48,000 --> 00:13:53,000 Absolutely. His atonement was so excruciating, it caused him to bleed from every pore. 176 00:13:53,000 --> 00:13:57,000 We are saved by His grace after all we can do. 177 00:13:57,000 --> 00:14:00,000 There are conditions to Christ's mercy. 178 00:14:00,000 --> 00:14:07,000 As we come unto Christ, He will not only forgive our sins, but He will also change our very nature 179 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:10,000 so that we have no more disposition to do evil. 180 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:15,000 Christ always commands His people to build temples where He manifests Himself unto them 181 00:14:15,000 --> 00:14:18,000 and endows them with power from on high. 182 00:14:18,000 --> 00:14:21,000 This is a short list. There are so many more we can add. 183 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:26,000 And also, each one of those you could really jump into and have a conversation just in that one alone. 184 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:28,000 This is an extensive list. 185 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:32,000 We see the pattern again and again when we commune with Jehovah. 186 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:36,000 We receive answers and direction on what we should busy ourselves with. 187 00:14:36,000 --> 00:14:42,000 The final portion of this talk focuses on revelations from the Prophet Joseph about the work in our day. 188 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:44,000 And I love this so much. 189 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:45,000 Here's the question. 190 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:51,000 How has Joseph Smith's effort to roll forth the kingdom of God inspired you to engage in this work? 191 00:14:51,000 --> 00:14:54,000 So here's the question. 192 00:14:54,000 --> 00:14:59,000 How has Joseph Smith's efforts to roll forth the kingdom of God inspired you to engage in this work? 193 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:01,000 I bet you loved this next part of the talk. 194 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:04,000 I was giddy over it, Abby. 195 00:15:04,000 --> 00:15:10,000 The Prophet Joseph Smith's writing in 1842 records of amazing things that would come to pass in the last dispensation. 196 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:18,000 He declared that during our day, the heavenly priesthood will unite with the earthly to bring about those great purposes 197 00:15:18,000 --> 00:15:27,000 and will be thus united in one common cause to roll forth the kingdom of God, the heavenly priesthood are not idle spectators. 198 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,000 Love it! 199 00:15:29,000 --> 00:15:34,000 Joseph Smith is now part of that heavenly priesthood of which he spoke as he promised his friend. 200 00:15:34,000 --> 00:15:38,000 He is not far away from us and on the other side of the veil he is still working with us 201 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:41,000 and with the power greatly increased to roll on this kingdom. 202 00:15:41,000 --> 00:15:45,000 And since this talk was about Joseph, that is awesome to make that nod to him. 203 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:50,000 But anybody who is engaged in family history work or continues to engage in family history work 204 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:55,000 will find their ancestors as equally invested in that work as they are. 205 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,000 They are a busy people. 206 00:15:57,000 --> 00:15:59,000 Well, and they want that. 207 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:06,000 If you show a desire that you want to be doing that work, they will make, they will open doors that like on this early side, 208 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:10,000 we can't make things happen and all of a sudden somebody feels like, oh, I should do some indexing. 209 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:12,000 And that indexing record is the answer to your thing. 210 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:16,000 It's like a big rabbit hole, a dark void, and it's a beautiful thing. 211 00:16:16,000 --> 00:16:18,000 It's totally fine to get lost in. 212 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:23,000 So, Abby, when I read this, I absolutely love, like when I read it, I was like, did I just read what I think I just read? 213 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:28,000 I love that he talks about how the heavenly priesthood and the one on the earth are working together. 214 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:36,000 What I love about this quote, Abby, is that Joseph Smith very clearly said that those on that side of the veil 215 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:43,000 and on this side of the veil through priesthood power are going to be working together to roll forth the kingdom of God. 216 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:46,000 So right now, like I'm 100% invested. 217 00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:50,000 I love all things that have to do with this on this side of the veil. 218 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:58,000 If for some reason I pass away and I'm on the other side, I am still going to be 100% invested, just like all of my ancestors were or are. 219 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:02,000 Because Joseph Smith says it also in a beautiful way. 220 00:17:02,000 --> 00:17:08,000 He talks about how those of an in this, if you look in the footnote, it will take you there. 221 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:15,000 It says that those of previous generations will be or sorry, future generations will be totally enthralled. 222 00:17:15,000 --> 00:17:17,000 And the things that we're doing now is what he said. 223 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:21,000 And then it talked about how they'll be standing on our shoulders. 224 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:29,000 And he also talks about how the ones that came before, they died before they ever got to actually see it come to fruition, but they're still working on it. 225 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:38,000 So I just feel like whatever side I find myself on, I'm 100% in and I'll be 100% invested and working with whoever else is around me. 226 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:45,000 And if he sees us busy about that type of work on this side, it's like our assignments are going to be made quickly and we're going to be boom. 227 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:53,000 We're going to be right on that mission area for this part of the talk made me think back to President Nelson sharing this story in RootsTech forever ago. 228 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,000 It was like 2017. Yep. 229 00:17:54,000 --> 00:18:00,000 And the story that they've titled is called A Visit From Father. And I think I'll just include that in the show notes. 230 00:18:00,000 --> 00:18:16,000 But the gist of it is that his ancestor, let me give you like the spoiler alert, his great-great grandfather, 27 years before Joseph F. Smith receives the revelation that is documented in the Doctrine and Covenants about the work for our deceased ancestors, 231 00:18:16,000 --> 00:18:25,000 his relative was paired up with Erastus Snow, who was huge in the missionary efforts in the early church. 232 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:30,000 And they end, you know, like, are you watching over us all the time? Like, yes, I'm here to see what you're doing. 233 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:38,000 You're doing great things. But I just have a minute to pop in right now because we are just so busy with the missionary work and doing important jobs on the other side. 234 00:18:38,000 --> 00:18:49,000 And so I would encourage a cute look at that if you're questioning like, you know, what do you do on the other side? What are we doing? A lot more of what we're doing now. 235 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:54,000 It's just a little different look, a little different. It's the other side of the veil, but kind of already here. 236 00:18:54,000 --> 00:19:02,000 Kind of confusing. To his friend, Benjamin Johnson, Joseph said, Benjamin, if I die, I would not be far away from you. 237 00:19:02,000 --> 00:19:06,000 Well, there you go. That's what I was trying to explain. This is where the spirit world is. 238 00:19:06,000 --> 00:19:14,000 I will not be far away from you. And if on the other side of the veil, I would still be working with you and with the power greatly increased to roll on the kingdom. 239 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:16,000 Love that. That's helpful. 240 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:23,000 Our beloved prophet was martyred on June 27th, 1844, but his testimony lives on. 241 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:27,000 I had seen a vision. I knew it and I knew God knew it and I could not deny it. 242 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:33,000 I never told you I was perfect, but there is no error in the revelations which I have taught. 243 00:19:33,000 --> 00:19:42,000 I would say as we're finishing up the Book of Mormon that was translated by the prophet Joseph Smith, 244 00:19:42,000 --> 00:19:49,000 it's been a special year. I've been so grateful for the things that the further testimony that I've gained of the Book of Mormon, 245 00:19:49,000 --> 00:19:53,000 but I am in eager anticipation of the Doctrine and Covenants. 246 00:19:53,000 --> 00:20:00,000 I'm already getting some bits of revelation on, you know, where my time can be best spent, some church history work. 247 00:20:00,000 --> 00:20:05,000 And I've really found a lot of joy as I was studying the Doctrine and Covenants. 248 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:07,000 I kind of wanted to know that process, like where did this come from? 249 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:16,000 And the churches provided the Gospel Library app, Revelations in Context, and it just kind of takes the words from just, you know, 250 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,000 yes, I want to know, they might mention a specific name in the Doctrine and Covenants. 251 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:24,000 I can reinsert my name there and say this revelation could be just as much for me. 252 00:20:24,000 --> 00:20:34,000 It did expand my testimony of that process of how it works to have a question presented to you 253 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:38,000 and to stew on it and take it to the Lord and then what He's going to bring to me from it. 254 00:20:38,000 --> 00:20:41,000 So I think all of that, you know, we're not going to have time for all of them. 255 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:45,000 I certainly wouldn't say that I made that happen for every section of the Doctrine and Covenants, 256 00:20:45,000 --> 00:20:52,000 but it doesn't matter this time if I did it on the last iteration of it four years ago. 257 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:56,000 Great, I'll kind of remember that as I'm going, but if I didn't have a chance to, 258 00:20:56,000 --> 00:21:01,000 then this is my opportunity to get a few more in me and kind of get that history laid out 259 00:21:01,000 --> 00:21:05,000 just to appreciate the restoration of the Gospel even that much more. 260 00:21:05,000 --> 00:21:07,000 Any other thoughts? 261 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:12,000 No, just that I love this talk so much and there was so much in there that you really could stop. 262 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:17,000 Because he's a historian, I mean, it's just like tons of facts and just information, 263 00:21:17,000 --> 00:21:20,000 and he's really brought a lot of sources together. 264 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:22,000 And so I just, I love studying it. 265 00:21:22,000 --> 00:21:26,000 Valid sources and it's just an interesting thing to think, 266 00:21:26,000 --> 00:21:29,000 like sometimes Joseph Smith is a stumbling block for people. 267 00:21:29,000 --> 00:21:36,000 I believe in the church, but I can't get behind Joseph Smith and what he did in this case or that case. 268 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:43,000 And I would say line after line in this talk, a man that's immersed himself into the history 269 00:21:43,000 --> 00:21:51,000 and multiple sources and looking for the best information and knowing what truth is. 270 00:21:51,000 --> 00:21:59,000 As he's testifying, point after point in this talk, I was able to say that is the testimony that I have of this man too. 271 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:00,000 Absolutely. 272 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,000 And I'll end with his testimony because it was beautiful. 273 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:09,000 He said, I testify that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God, a witness and a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. 274 00:22:09,000 --> 00:22:13,000 He was blessed to open the last dispensation and we are blessed that he did. 275 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:17,000 With joy and thanksgiving, I raise my voice in praise to the man who communed with Jehovah 276 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:23,000 and above all, praise to Jehovah who did commune with that man in his name, Jesus Christ. Amen. 277 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:39,000 Amen.