WEBVTT 00:00:07.459 --> 00:00:09.660 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, 00:00:09.900 --> 00:00:12.060 where two friends who love Jesus share our own 00:00:12.060 --> 00:00:13.939 approach to studying the most recent General 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:16.879 Conference talks. This is Abbey and Amy. Let's 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:28.460 jump into it. Today we're discussing Heart and 00:00:28.460 --> 00:00:30.760 Not Your Heart by Elder Christopher H. Kim of 00:00:30.760 --> 00:00:33.359 the Seventy. Just want to say welcome to all 00:00:33.359 --> 00:00:35.700 of our listeners. We're so happy to be here with 00:00:35.700 --> 00:00:38.020 you today. Amy, it's good to be with you too. 00:00:38.520 --> 00:00:42.280 Thanks, Abby. It was so fun reviewing this talk 00:00:42.280 --> 00:00:44.899 by Elder Kim because in it he was able to teach 00:00:44.899 --> 00:00:46.700 us about the importance of remaining humble and 00:00:46.700 --> 00:00:49.159 soft -hearted. Right in the beginning, he says 00:00:49.159 --> 00:00:51.179 this, The restoration of the gospel of Jesus 00:00:51.179 --> 00:00:53.420 Christ began when God the Father and his beloved 00:00:53.420 --> 00:00:55.840 Son appeared to the young Joseph Smith, answering 00:00:55.840 --> 00:00:57.820 his humble prayer. As part of the restoration, 00:00:58.200 --> 00:01:00.359 Joseph Smith translated an ancient record by 00:01:00.359 --> 00:01:02.820 the gift and power of God. This record contains 00:01:02.820 --> 00:01:05.140 God's dealings with ancient inhabitants of the 00:01:05.140 --> 00:01:08.079 Americas and contains the fullness of the everlasting 00:01:08.079 --> 00:01:11.280 gospel. Then he goes on to talk about the examples 00:01:11.280 --> 00:01:13.930 that we have in the Book of Mormon. of those 00:01:13.930 --> 00:01:16.730 who have hard hearts themselves. And as a little 00:01:16.730 --> 00:01:19.409 boy, he wondered to himself, why Laman and Lemuel 00:01:19.409 --> 00:01:21.469 couldn't just listen to their father and Nephi 00:01:21.469 --> 00:01:24.049 and even an angel and just do good? Why couldn't 00:01:24.049 --> 00:01:26.969 they believe the gospel truths that were given 00:01:26.969 --> 00:01:29.480 to them? And in 1 Nephi, he comes across the 00:01:29.480 --> 00:01:32.959 answer to his question. It says, Nephi was grieved 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:35.299 because of the hardness of their hearts. Nephi 00:01:35.299 --> 00:01:37.340 asked his other brothers, how is it that ye are 00:01:37.340 --> 00:01:40.060 so hard in your hearts and so blind in your minds? 00:01:40.379 --> 00:01:42.519 And I've wondered the same things I read about 00:01:42.519 --> 00:01:44.879 Laman and Lemuel. And we've talked about this 00:01:44.879 --> 00:01:46.900 concept before. It's easy to see yourself as 00:01:46.900 --> 00:01:48.739 Nephi because that's the example we're striving 00:01:48.739 --> 00:01:51.620 for. But have you ever stopped to wonder if each 00:01:51.620 --> 00:01:53.739 of us at a season or moment in our life are actually 00:01:53.739 --> 00:01:55.980 more like Laman and Lemuel? Having that hard 00:01:55.980 --> 00:02:01.459 heart. And I can say yes to myself about it. 00:02:01.459 --> 00:02:03.340 I think that the better lesson is in there that 00:02:03.340 --> 00:02:05.519 it's like when you really take a look back at 00:02:05.519 --> 00:02:07.659 the story, you're like, we all have the tendency 00:02:07.659 --> 00:02:10.139 to be like that. And it seems so obvious when 00:02:10.139 --> 00:02:11.460 we're reading that script and we're like, why 00:02:11.460 --> 00:02:13.500 wouldn't you just be like Nephi and Sam? You 00:02:13.500 --> 00:02:16.219 all have the same parents. Why is it not resonating? 00:02:18.550 --> 00:02:22.009 I love this. I think it brings us to the question, 00:02:22.169 --> 00:02:24.789 you know, what is this hardness of heart or what 00:02:24.789 --> 00:02:26.389 does that look like? And the reason we want to 00:02:26.389 --> 00:02:29.009 know that is there are going to be times in our 00:02:29.009 --> 00:02:32.330 life that we're more hard -hearted and it's going 00:02:32.330 --> 00:02:33.990 to be harder for things to penetrate. So if we 00:02:33.990 --> 00:02:35.830 can kind of have that dialogue and kind of prepare 00:02:35.830 --> 00:02:38.370 for that in advance, maybe they don't come so 00:02:38.370 --> 00:02:41.229 frequently or maybe we can turn the heart back 00:02:41.229 --> 00:02:43.400 into the one that, you know. Father wants for 00:02:43.400 --> 00:02:46.979 us that soft, pliable heart. For your question, 00:02:47.060 --> 00:02:49.419 the way the Elder Kim explained it, he said the 00:02:49.419 --> 00:02:51.379 Korean translation of hardness in the Book of 00:02:51.379 --> 00:02:53.539 Mormon uses the Chinese character wan, which 00:02:53.539 --> 00:02:56.669 means stubborn, and ak meaning wicked. I thought 00:02:56.669 --> 00:02:58.530 that was pretty interesting. So when we harden 00:02:58.530 --> 00:03:00.509 our hearts, we're blinded and good things cannot 00:03:00.509 --> 00:03:04.370 come into our hearts or in our minds. Also, we 00:03:04.370 --> 00:03:06.469 become stubborn and begin to place more focus 00:03:06.469 --> 00:03:08.669 on worldly desires, closing our hearts to the 00:03:08.669 --> 00:03:11.710 things of God. Another thing, we choose to focus 00:03:11.710 --> 00:03:13.810 solely on our own thoughts while not accepting 00:03:13.810 --> 00:03:16.930 the opinions and guidance of others. As I'm reading 00:03:16.930 --> 00:03:18.370 these, I'm just thinking, you know, like that 00:03:18.370 --> 00:03:21.819 there are... Like you were saying, seasons. There 00:03:21.819 --> 00:03:23.360 are times and seasons when each one of these, 00:03:23.460 --> 00:03:25.139 you know, I'm like, yeah, I definitely have done 00:03:25.139 --> 00:03:27.419 that. You know what I mean? And you have a tendency 00:03:27.419 --> 00:03:29.300 to do these at different times in your life. 00:03:29.620 --> 00:03:31.460 We choose not to open our hearts to things of 00:03:31.460 --> 00:03:33.539 God, but instead to the influence of things of 00:03:33.539 --> 00:03:35.460 the world and the adversary. And that's the thing, 00:03:35.479 --> 00:03:40.780 too, is it comes in so subtly. You know what 00:03:40.780 --> 00:03:42.259 I mean? Things of the adversary, you might not 00:03:42.259 --> 00:03:45.330 even realize it is. And then you... take a little 00:03:45.330 --> 00:03:48.349 bit of an accountant or account, and it becomes 00:03:48.349 --> 00:03:50.729 more obvious. When our hearts are hardened, we 00:03:50.729 --> 00:03:53.430 resist the influence of the Holy Ghost, and we 00:03:53.430 --> 00:03:55.830 are slow to remember the Lord over time. We become 00:03:55.830 --> 00:04:00.460 past feeling. That's quite a laundry list of 00:04:00.460 --> 00:04:02.080 things, like I was saying, that put us on the 00:04:02.080 --> 00:04:04.639 fast track of a less than life. I was just thinking, 00:04:04.659 --> 00:04:06.819 you know, less than happy, less than obedient 00:04:06.819 --> 00:04:09.419 to God, less than fulfilled, less than our best, 00:04:09.500 --> 00:04:12.219 less than our fullest potential. I'd love to 00:04:12.219 --> 00:04:14.460 focus on the opposite of the state of a hardened 00:04:14.460 --> 00:04:21.320 heart because it feels kind of bleak. Yeah. Before 00:04:21.320 --> 00:04:23.319 let's do that, let's do jump into the opposite. 00:04:23.459 --> 00:04:25.939 I do want to cover this one point, though. Alma 00:04:25.939 --> 00:04:28.779 taught the people in Ammonihah that some would 00:04:28.779 --> 00:04:30.939 reject the spirit of God on account of the hardness 00:04:30.939 --> 00:04:33.139 of their heart. They'll harden their hearts to 00:04:33.139 --> 00:04:35.759 them, given the lesser portion of the word until 00:04:35.759 --> 00:04:38.339 they know nothing concerning his mysteries. And 00:04:38.339 --> 00:04:39.959 then eventually the spirit withdraws and the 00:04:39.959 --> 00:04:41.959 Lord will take away his word from those that 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:43.519 have hardened their heart, just like Laman and 00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:45.100 Lemuel. That's what I was thinking. I'm like, 00:04:45.100 --> 00:04:47.839 oh, we've seen that with them, right? It's interesting 00:04:47.839 --> 00:04:49.360 to note because Laman and Lemuel continually 00:04:49.360 --> 00:04:51.279 hardened their hearts and resisted the feelings 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:53.019 of the Holy Ghost, and they choose not to accept 00:04:53.019 --> 00:04:54.819 the words and teaching of their father in Nephi. 00:04:54.980 --> 00:04:57.500 Then they ultimately reject eternal truths from 00:04:57.500 --> 00:04:59.639 God. And we have the perfect example of where 00:04:59.639 --> 00:05:03.220 this seeming small sin practically continues 00:05:03.220 --> 00:05:05.480 over long periods of time, even to the point 00:05:05.480 --> 00:05:09.480 where it was bred for future generations to carry 00:05:09.480 --> 00:05:12.560 that hardness of heart. You can say they're a 00:05:12.560 --> 00:05:15.529 perfect example of what not to do. of a life 00:05:15.529 --> 00:05:19.250 lived in discipleship is your goal. So let's 00:05:19.250 --> 00:05:21.949 do go back to your idea, get out of the bleak 00:05:21.949 --> 00:05:23.889 situation and see like, how is this possible 00:05:23.889 --> 00:05:27.310 to keep ourselves from having that hard heart? 00:05:27.470 --> 00:05:29.810 I love that. Okay, so it's true. We get a lesson 00:05:29.810 --> 00:05:31.209 right from the beginning of the Book of Mormon 00:05:31.209 --> 00:05:33.550 with the example and the downfall of Laman and 00:05:33.550 --> 00:05:35.029 Lemuel. I've been thinking about that a lot this 00:05:35.029 --> 00:05:37.410 week. I think it's easy to see, even as a young 00:05:37.410 --> 00:05:39.209 kid, like he was saying, you know, as we're listening 00:05:39.209 --> 00:05:40.769 to their stories, that there is something or 00:05:40.769 --> 00:05:43.550 maybe a lot of some things that were that they 00:05:43.550 --> 00:05:45.910 were headed away from God. It's a great lesson 00:05:45.910 --> 00:05:48.470 because it's so drastic. And also it unfolds 00:05:48.470 --> 00:05:50.470 pretty quickly for us, right? We're able to see 00:05:50.470 --> 00:05:52.829 it really within a few chapters. So in contrast 00:05:52.829 --> 00:05:55.009 to Laman and Lemuel, we see pages and pages where 00:05:55.009 --> 00:05:58.350 Nephi continually humbled himself, sought guidance 00:05:58.350 --> 00:06:01.269 from the spirit of the Lord. And in return, the 00:06:01.269 --> 00:06:03.709 Lord softens Nephi's heart. I love this part 00:06:03.709 --> 00:06:07.129 where Nephi tells us that he did cry unto the 00:06:07.129 --> 00:06:09.509 Lord and behold, he did visit me and did soften 00:06:09.509 --> 00:06:12.220 my heart that I did believe. all the words which 00:06:12.220 --> 00:06:16.980 he had been spoken by my father. So even Nephi 00:06:16.980 --> 00:06:21.129 had questions. Questions are good. It means we 00:06:21.129 --> 00:06:24.350 are thinking for ourselves and using our brains. 00:06:24.569 --> 00:06:27.310 And what we do with those questions is everything 00:06:27.310 --> 00:06:29.829 or where we take the question, right? Because 00:06:29.829 --> 00:06:31.810 Nephi turned to his heavenly father in a time 00:06:31.810 --> 00:06:34.029 when he sought clarity and truth. The Lord helped 00:06:34.029 --> 00:06:36.670 Nephi to accept, to understand, and then also 00:06:36.670 --> 00:06:38.569 to believe the mysteries of God and his words. 00:06:38.750 --> 00:06:41.129 I also was re -listening to this part of the 00:06:41.129 --> 00:06:43.170 Book of Mormon, and I loved it because when he 00:06:43.170 --> 00:06:45.829 did ask, you know, as far as the Tree of Life 00:06:45.829 --> 00:06:49.040 vision, when he asked, the angel to show it to 00:06:49.040 --> 00:06:51.319 him. I think the spirit of the Lord said, do 00:06:51.319 --> 00:06:52.939 you believe? And he said, yeah, you know that 00:06:52.939 --> 00:06:55.160 I believe these things. And so it wasn't coming 00:06:55.160 --> 00:06:57.720 from a place of like, my dad said this story. 00:06:57.800 --> 00:06:59.939 I don't want to believe my dad. He just wanted 00:06:59.939 --> 00:07:01.560 to believe it for himself. Yeah. He wanted to 00:07:01.560 --> 00:07:03.660 see it for himself. And I also loved Abby that 00:07:03.660 --> 00:07:06.579 through that vision, if you'll look at what. 00:07:07.160 --> 00:07:09.579 what Lehi said about it and what Nephi said about 00:07:09.579 --> 00:07:11.800 it, there was a little more clarification for 00:07:11.800 --> 00:07:14.720 Nephi. And I feel like the Spirit taught me that 00:07:14.720 --> 00:07:18.259 they both saw the exact same thing. But think 00:07:18.259 --> 00:07:21.620 of it this way, for Lehi, that was probably just 00:07:21.620 --> 00:07:23.759 blew him over. He was not expecting that. He 00:07:23.759 --> 00:07:25.079 didn't know what he was going into and it just 00:07:25.079 --> 00:07:26.360 came and it was probably a little bit overwhelming 00:07:26.360 --> 00:07:29.500 for his senses. But then he told Nephi everything. 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:31.540 So Nephi kind of had like a, let's say a preview 00:07:31.540 --> 00:07:33.879 to the movie. So when he got there, he was able 00:07:33.879 --> 00:07:35.500 to see like a few more things because he had 00:07:35.500 --> 00:07:38.189 more capacity. So I thought that was interesting 00:07:38.189 --> 00:07:40.029 because he's like, to his brothers, he's like, 00:07:40.110 --> 00:07:42.149 dad didn't talk about this part, but there was 00:07:42.149 --> 00:07:44.310 this too. I think it was, I forget what it was, 00:07:44.310 --> 00:07:45.889 if it was the filthy water or what it was, but 00:07:45.889 --> 00:07:49.129 he explained it with further clarification. I 00:07:49.129 --> 00:07:51.250 thought that was wonderful. And to me, someone 00:07:51.250 --> 00:07:52.829 might look at that and say, well, there were 00:07:52.829 --> 00:07:54.430 two different things. To me, I'm like, no, he 00:07:54.430 --> 00:07:56.949 had more capacity because his father shared with 00:07:56.949 --> 00:07:59.370 him in advance and he had a foundation of learning. 00:07:59.470 --> 00:08:05.540 So I love that part. Also, Okay, we're able to, 00:08:05.560 --> 00:08:08.000 I'm going to jump into some questions. Here are 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:10.720 some great questions to ask ourselves. Where 00:08:10.720 --> 00:08:13.319 do I turn when I have questions? Do I believe 00:08:13.319 --> 00:08:17.060 that faith questions are good or bad? That's 00:08:17.060 --> 00:08:21.279 kind of a fun one because we probably have grown 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:23.079 up thinking one thing. Maybe we think something 00:08:23.079 --> 00:08:25.040 different or we see it differently. We tend to 00:08:25.040 --> 00:08:26.360 be a lot more black and white when we're little 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:29.399 and maybe we have more experiences and a more 00:08:29.399 --> 00:08:32.220 round. complete way of looking at things. And 00:08:32.220 --> 00:08:33.539 maybe we look at things a little bit different. 00:08:33.580 --> 00:08:35.740 I know that's happened with me. Like for me, 00:08:35.799 --> 00:08:38.600 I don't think there are bad questions, especially 00:08:38.600 --> 00:08:41.320 if I take them to the Lord and I'm looking like, 00:08:41.360 --> 00:08:43.399 just like Nephi did like, yay, Lord, you know 00:08:43.399 --> 00:08:46.299 that I believe, help me to see further. Like 00:08:46.299 --> 00:08:50.320 I want my own sure understanding of this. I'm 00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:52.320 thinking social media world. I think when people, 00:08:52.360 --> 00:08:55.120 when people have faith questions, faith doubts, 00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:59.220 and then they, you know, And this isn't to generalize, 00:08:59.259 --> 00:09:00.679 but let's say that you have a hard heart and 00:09:00.679 --> 00:09:02.399 you go into that process. What's the likelihood 00:09:02.399 --> 00:09:03.840 that you're going to receive an answer that's 00:09:03.840 --> 00:09:06.500 faith promoting? Not very good, right? So then 00:09:06.500 --> 00:09:07.940 you're like, and I didn't get the answer that 00:09:07.940 --> 00:09:10.259 I wanted to. Maybe they vacate their beliefs 00:09:10.259 --> 00:09:11.639 and they leave the church and then they're really 00:09:11.639 --> 00:09:16.259 vocal about it. Or I would say a lot of the time 00:09:16.259 --> 00:09:18.519 people have these faith questions. They wrestle 00:09:18.519 --> 00:09:24.240 with the Lord. They find a reason to soften their 00:09:24.240 --> 00:09:26.399 heart, listen to the inspiration of the Spirit 00:09:26.399 --> 00:09:28.340 and make some changes. changes and they come 00:09:28.340 --> 00:09:30.139 on the other side of that with a stronger testimony 00:09:30.139 --> 00:09:31.639 they're glad that they asked the question that 00:09:31.639 --> 00:09:34.039 they did and a lot of times those are more like 00:09:34.039 --> 00:09:38.559 spiritual and um like near to your heart so you're 00:09:38.559 --> 00:09:41.320 not usually like broadcasting that to the world 00:09:41.320 --> 00:09:43.379 right like i struggle with this thing and like 00:09:43.379 --> 00:09:45.519 i've come out knowing my savior better that's 00:09:45.519 --> 00:09:47.720 true but i would say i was as those thoughts 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:50.860 were coming to my mind though that is changing 00:09:50.860 --> 00:09:55.320 slightly i do think that there is a there's a 00:09:55.320 --> 00:09:57.899 surgent, like a, I don't say resurgence because 00:09:57.899 --> 00:09:59.600 it hadn't happened before, but there is, there 00:09:59.600 --> 00:10:03.200 are a ton of content creators that are happy 00:10:03.200 --> 00:10:07.460 to share these broken moments and this faith 00:10:07.460 --> 00:10:10.600 crisis and coming back to the Lord and softening 00:10:10.600 --> 00:10:12.259 their hearts and coming back to and testifying 00:10:12.259 --> 00:10:14.659 of that. So I would say where it's maybe been 00:10:14.659 --> 00:10:16.480 more of a private thing when we've struggled 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:19.590 to ask questions and kept it to ourselves. that's 00:10:19.590 --> 00:10:21.789 not that's not the case anymore there's a ton 00:10:21.789 --> 00:10:23.970 of content out there a lot of podcasts comeback 00:10:23.970 --> 00:10:26.730 podcast or there there's a multitude of them 00:10:26.730 --> 00:10:28.809 that people will open up and they'll share their 00:10:28.809 --> 00:10:30.669 story where they had the faith crisis and we 00:10:30.669 --> 00:10:34.570 see what that like what what that led to. I think 00:10:34.570 --> 00:10:36.470 if you're listening to it with the ears of like, 00:10:36.529 --> 00:10:38.250 where was their heart in that? And how close 00:10:38.250 --> 00:10:40.070 were they to the Spirit? And what little micro 00:10:40.070 --> 00:10:41.909 changes in their life kind of led them to that? 00:10:41.970 --> 00:10:43.769 Because they're looking back on the experience 00:10:43.769 --> 00:10:46.830 from the perspective of being back in connection 00:10:46.830 --> 00:10:49.429 with the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit, a connection 00:10:49.429 --> 00:10:52.470 with God, being closer to their Savior. So, you 00:10:52.470 --> 00:10:56.450 know, you know that you're going to be built 00:10:56.450 --> 00:10:58.049 up by these stories. You're going to say, okay, 00:10:58.110 --> 00:11:01.950 what life experience had? And in not a judgmental 00:11:01.950 --> 00:11:04.009 way, it's like, oh, that was such a small thing. 00:11:04.929 --> 00:11:07.929 Stop going to church. Stop attending the temple 00:11:07.929 --> 00:11:10.610 or whatever. You know, sometimes they're teenagers. 00:11:10.750 --> 00:11:12.690 Maybe they haven't made those covenants. But 00:11:12.690 --> 00:11:14.350 do you know what I'm saying? Yeah, for sure. 00:11:14.870 --> 00:11:16.429 That's a really good point, Abby. Thank you. 00:11:17.470 --> 00:11:20.470 So if we're looking at Elder Kim's outline, we 00:11:20.470 --> 00:11:24.490 can... we can follow the suggestions that he 00:11:24.490 --> 00:11:26.990 gave us. If we want to have this soft, pliable 00:11:26.990 --> 00:11:28.970 heart, first we need to practice daily repentance. 00:11:29.450 --> 00:11:31.570 Our Savior taught, Whoso repenteth and cometh 00:11:31.570 --> 00:11:33.350 unto me as a little child, him will I receive. 00:11:33.649 --> 00:11:35.830 And our prophet, our beloved prophet, President 00:11:35.830 --> 00:11:38.009 Russell M. Nelson taught, Repenting is the key 00:11:38.009 --> 00:11:40.289 to progress. Pure faith keeps us moving forward 00:11:40.289 --> 00:11:42.450 on the covenant path. Please don't fear or delay 00:11:42.450 --> 00:11:45.029 repenting. Satan delights in your misery. Start 00:11:45.029 --> 00:11:46.970 today to experience the joy of putting off the 00:11:46.970 --> 00:11:49.230 natural man. The Savior loves us always, but 00:11:49.230 --> 00:11:51.450 especially when we repent. As we experience, 00:11:51.529 --> 00:11:53.330 the joy of softening our hearts and coming to 00:11:53.330 --> 00:11:55.809 the Lord, we become as a child, submissive, meek, 00:11:55.809 --> 00:11:57.909 humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit 00:11:57.909 --> 00:12:00.450 to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict 00:12:00.450 --> 00:12:02.889 upon him, even as a child does submit to his 00:12:02.889 --> 00:12:04.870 father. And I'm reading that and it just nods 00:12:04.870 --> 00:12:06.730 back to a couple of talks ago as we talked about 00:12:06.730 --> 00:12:09.889 the second temptation. Don't let Satan get in 00:12:09.889 --> 00:12:12.169 the way of you getting closer to God by making 00:12:12.169 --> 00:12:13.909 you think that you don't have the right to turn 00:12:13.909 --> 00:12:16.889 to him. He joys. Was that the word that I read? 00:12:16.929 --> 00:12:21.259 Yes. He joys in our repentance. It is key. When 00:12:21.259 --> 00:12:23.980 we repent regularly, even daily, we see ourselves 00:12:23.980 --> 00:12:27.259 as dependent on God and we make mistakes and 00:12:27.259 --> 00:12:30.159 we follow the natural man. cannot return to him 00:12:30.159 --> 00:12:31.700 without the intercession of his son. It's going 00:12:31.700 --> 00:12:34.539 to require a savior. And he wants nothing more 00:12:34.539 --> 00:12:36.580 than for us to turn to him and return to him 00:12:36.580 --> 00:12:39.679 again and again. Absolutely, Abby. The second 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:42.340 one is that we can practice humility. Daily repentance, 00:12:42.559 --> 00:12:43.899 like you were saying, will bring humility to 00:12:43.899 --> 00:12:45.539 our hearts. So that's why it's the first one. 00:12:45.820 --> 00:12:48.000 We want to become humble before the Lord, like 00:12:48.000 --> 00:12:51.429 a little child who obeys their father. we will 00:12:51.429 --> 00:12:53.509 then always have the Holy Spirit with us and 00:12:53.509 --> 00:12:57.029 our hearts will be softened. So he talked about 00:12:57.029 --> 00:12:59.649 that he and his wife, Sue, have known a wonderful 00:12:59.649 --> 00:13:02.250 couple for the past four years. The husband had 00:13:02.250 --> 00:13:05.429 converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter 00:13:05.429 --> 00:13:07.509 -day Saints, and his wife was a little more hesitant. 00:13:08.230 --> 00:13:10.330 Although she was meeting with the missionaries 00:13:10.330 --> 00:13:12.669 and she was reading the Book of Mormon, she found 00:13:12.669 --> 00:13:14.509 it difficult to commit herself to enter the waters 00:13:14.509 --> 00:13:16.899 of baptism. And then one day, She was reading 00:13:16.899 --> 00:13:18.559 the Book of Mormon. It was actually in Moroni 00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:22.259 743, which reads, And again, behold, I say unto 00:13:22.259 --> 00:13:25.539 you that ye cannot have faith and hope, save 00:13:25.539 --> 00:13:28.600 ye shall be meek and lowly of heart. If so, faith 00:13:28.600 --> 00:13:31.120 and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:33.799 God, save the meek and lowly in heart. So after 00:13:33.799 --> 00:13:35.940 she read this, she realized what she needed to 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:38.080 do. The Spirit clearly spoke to her heart. She 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:39.559 thought she'd understood the meaning of being 00:13:39.559 --> 00:13:41.679 meek and humble. However, her understanding was 00:13:41.679 --> 00:13:43.700 not sufficient enough to have faith and hope 00:13:43.700 --> 00:13:46.960 and obey the commandments of God. So she let 00:13:46.960 --> 00:13:49.519 go of her stubbornness and her own wisdom. She 00:13:49.519 --> 00:13:51.779 started to humble herself through sincere repentance. 00:13:51.980 --> 00:13:55.120 She began to understand humility in the perspective 00:13:55.120 --> 00:13:58.000 of God's eyes. And then she relied on Heavenly 00:13:58.000 --> 00:13:59.940 Father and she prayed to soften her own heart. 00:14:00.000 --> 00:14:02.179 Sounds like that's quite a process, right? Through 00:14:02.179 --> 00:14:04.320 these prayers, she felt the Spirit witness to 00:14:04.320 --> 00:14:06.820 her. that Heavenly Father wanted her to be baptized. 00:14:07.139 --> 00:14:10.600 So both husband and wife shared that the more 00:14:10.600 --> 00:14:13.279 they became humble, the more they could understand 00:14:13.279 --> 00:14:15.340 the words of God and their hearts were softened 00:14:15.340 --> 00:14:17.120 to follow the teachings of Lord Jesus Christ. 00:14:17.379 --> 00:14:19.000 I feel like this is a beautiful illustration 00:14:19.000 --> 00:14:22.870 of how humility helps. us to be teachable. I 00:14:22.870 --> 00:14:25.129 appreciate the process that he shared here. It's 00:14:25.129 --> 00:14:27.309 not like a flip the switch type of thing most 00:14:27.309 --> 00:14:30.009 of the time. And notice they both noted with 00:14:30.009 --> 00:14:33.129 that increased humility came increased understanding 00:14:33.129 --> 00:14:35.590 of God's word. I really love that. I love that. 00:14:35.669 --> 00:14:37.870 And I also love this story because it notes like 00:14:37.870 --> 00:14:40.769 in the husband's case, it came a little faster 00:14:40.769 --> 00:14:44.860 for him. He was ready to commit to the watershed 00:14:44.860 --> 00:14:47.259 baptism, knew this to be the truth. But again, 00:14:47.340 --> 00:14:48.960 there's nothing wrong with it taking a little 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:50.899 bit more time. And what I think we see from this 00:14:50.899 --> 00:14:54.519 story is that maybe a deeper testimony of the 00:14:54.519 --> 00:14:57.279 beauty of having a humble, softened heart. Because, 00:14:57.340 --> 00:14:59.679 you know, just because you join the church and 00:14:59.679 --> 00:15:01.279 you enter the watershed baptism doesn't mean 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:03.159 it's going to be smooth sailing. So I think this 00:15:03.159 --> 00:15:06.750 more patient, practiced approach. has probably 00:15:06.750 --> 00:15:09.009 served her well, like as she's continued to be 00:15:09.009 --> 00:15:11.269 a disciple of Jesus Christ. And anytime we follow 00:15:11.269 --> 00:15:13.590 our own process and do what we need to do to 00:15:13.590 --> 00:15:15.730 be fully converted, that's the right way, I feel 00:15:15.730 --> 00:15:17.389 like. Not just like, oh, my husband's ready to 00:15:17.389 --> 00:15:19.509 do it. I'll just do it with some hesitation and 00:15:19.509 --> 00:15:22.110 maybe it will come to me. She actually did it 00:15:22.110 --> 00:15:24.970 the right way. The timing worked out between 00:15:24.970 --> 00:15:27.789 her and the Lord, I would say. Let's go to the 00:15:27.789 --> 00:15:30.409 third step. Third, we must trust and rely on 00:15:30.409 --> 00:15:32.710 our Savior. Nephi was a great example of allowing 00:15:32.710 --> 00:15:34.509 his heart to be softened by trusting the Lord. 00:15:34.649 --> 00:15:36.730 This is what he taught. He said, I have trusted 00:15:36.730 --> 00:15:39.009 in thee and I will trust in thee forever. I will 00:15:39.009 --> 00:15:41.289 not put my trust in the arm of flesh. Similarly, 00:15:41.450 --> 00:15:43.149 in a revelation given to the prophet Joseph, 00:15:43.389 --> 00:15:45.389 the Lord said, put your trust in that spirit 00:15:45.389 --> 00:15:47.750 which leadeth to do good, yea, to do justly, 00:15:47.750 --> 00:15:49.929 to walk humbly. When we put our trust in the 00:15:49.929 --> 00:15:52.429 Lord and rely on him, he will soften our heart 00:15:52.429 --> 00:15:54.870 and we will be supported in our trials, troubles, 00:15:55.049 --> 00:15:57.269 and afflictions. Again, that doesn't say that 00:15:57.269 --> 00:15:59.950 they go away. They don't disappear. We're supported. 00:16:00.570 --> 00:16:04.029 Yeah. Our Savior Jesus Christ was the ultimate 00:16:04.029 --> 00:16:08.009 example of meekness. Let's turn in 2 Nephi 31 00:16:08.009 --> 00:16:10.950 .7. It says, But notwithstanding he being holy, 00:16:11.129 --> 00:16:13.049 he showeth unto the children of men that according 00:16:13.049 --> 00:16:15.250 to the flesh he humbled himself before the Father, 00:16:15.389 --> 00:16:17.309 and witnessed unto the Father that he would be 00:16:17.309 --> 00:16:19.289 obedient unto him in keeping his commandments. 00:16:20.139 --> 00:16:22.120 So even though he was holy and perfect, he humbled 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:24.019 himself before the Father and he was obedient 00:16:24.019 --> 00:16:27.279 to him by being baptized. That's a great example 00:16:27.279 --> 00:16:29.639 we have. This is just one of the greatest things 00:16:29.639 --> 00:16:32.419 to remember. Even though Jesus was the only perfect 00:16:32.419 --> 00:16:34.919 person to walk this earth, he submitted to his 00:16:34.919 --> 00:16:37.240 Father. He had every right, definitely more than 00:16:37.240 --> 00:16:39.539 I, to say, I'm going to sit this one out. I don't 00:16:39.539 --> 00:16:41.960 really need it. But that wasn't his character. 00:16:42.460 --> 00:16:44.799 His whole desire was to do the will of the Father 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:47.220 and to save each of us through His ultimate sacrifice, 00:16:47.419 --> 00:16:50.279 giving of His life and then also taking it up 00:16:50.279 --> 00:16:52.340 again. If we would have a soft heart and turn 00:16:52.340 --> 00:16:55.279 to Him for that forgiveness. At the end of His 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.159 mortal life, our Savior Jesus Christ submitted 00:16:57.159 --> 00:16:59.440 His own will to His fathers by partaking of the 00:16:59.440 --> 00:17:02.759 bitter cup. The suffering caused Him to tremble 00:17:02.759 --> 00:17:04.759 because of pain and to bleed at every pore and 00:17:04.759 --> 00:17:07.220 to suffer both body and spirit. The Savior asked 00:17:07.220 --> 00:17:09.500 that... He might not drink the bitter cup and 00:17:09.500 --> 00:17:12.420 shrink. Nevertheless, he said, glory be to the 00:17:12.420 --> 00:17:14.880 Father. And he partook and finished his preparations 00:17:14.880 --> 00:17:21.579 unto the children of men. The only time that 00:17:21.579 --> 00:17:24.460 we really see the Savior asking for a pass on 00:17:24.460 --> 00:17:26.660 doing one of these hard things is like in that 00:17:26.660 --> 00:17:28.980 moment. Like if I don't have to do it, I'd prefer 00:17:28.980 --> 00:17:31.980 not to do this hard thing. But with the soft 00:17:31.980 --> 00:17:33.839 heart that he had that he said, but if this is 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:35.779 the way that you see is that this is the whole 00:17:35.779 --> 00:17:38.410 thing. then then we'll go through it and i think 00:17:38.410 --> 00:17:41.289 it's fascinating that even he i mean he knows 00:17:41.289 --> 00:17:43.130 the plan he's here to fulfill his part of the 00:17:43.130 --> 00:17:45.589 plan but in those words in that moment it does 00:17:45.589 --> 00:17:48.250 sound like he had to have that own like leap 00:17:48.250 --> 00:17:51.390 of faith that we have to have absolutely and 00:17:51.390 --> 00:17:55.089 that at the end of that question asking so i 00:17:55.089 --> 00:17:57.269 again you pose the question is it okay to have 00:17:57.269 --> 00:18:00.630 um a faith question can we say that that's the 00:18:00.630 --> 00:18:04.369 savior having his faith question we don't see 00:18:04.369 --> 00:18:07.559 it much because he was always just so willing 00:18:07.559 --> 00:18:09.839 to do as the Father had of, you know, the accounts 00:18:09.839 --> 00:18:12.559 of what we have record of. But this moment that's 00:18:12.559 --> 00:18:16.839 marked in scripture lets us know it's okay to 00:18:16.839 --> 00:18:19.240 ask Heavenly Father, is this the plan that you 00:18:19.240 --> 00:18:21.559 have for me? Is this the only way that you can 00:18:21.559 --> 00:18:24.240 see me doing the things that I need to in this 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:26.880 life? It's a really good point. And obviously 00:18:26.880 --> 00:18:29.940 his heart was soft and pliable and he knew immediately 00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:32.579 that it was the way. And what does he do next? 00:18:32.680 --> 00:18:38.990 He goes on to fulfill. difficult things for all 00:18:38.990 --> 00:18:42.609 of us. Yeah, I love that. So even there, he modeled 00:18:42.609 --> 00:18:45.089 what it looks like when you're asking, you know, 00:18:45.109 --> 00:18:47.769 is there any other way? And then... Continue. 00:18:47.869 --> 00:18:49.829 And that question is so great when it's like, 00:18:49.869 --> 00:18:53.089 if I'm asking that question to him and some direction 00:18:53.089 --> 00:18:55.569 comes through the spirit of what that next step 00:18:55.569 --> 00:18:58.309 is going to look like, that I acknowledge that 00:18:58.309 --> 00:18:59.990 it came from him and that I do the thing that 00:18:59.990 --> 00:19:02.049 he said. Like, yes, proceed with this. It's going 00:19:02.049 --> 00:19:04.450 to be hard. You're going to have a hard time 00:19:04.450 --> 00:19:07.450 doing this next thing, but I'll support you in 00:19:07.450 --> 00:19:11.220 that. Absolutely. We grow, we grow in that way. 00:19:11.259 --> 00:19:13.839 Even when we're asked to do hard things, if we've 00:19:13.839 --> 00:19:15.720 involved him in some of that decision making 00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:17.900 and allowing the spirit to say, that's the direction 00:19:17.900 --> 00:19:21.039 we're going. I would say I've been able to do 00:19:21.039 --> 00:19:23.859 hard things. I'm prepared to do hard things in 00:19:23.859 --> 00:19:25.799 my life because I'm not planning on doing it 00:19:25.799 --> 00:19:31.019 alone. I love that, Abby. So in closing. He says, 00:19:31.059 --> 00:19:32.799 brothers and sisters, we've been given moral 00:19:32.799 --> 00:19:35.400 agency. We can choose to harden our hearts or 00:19:35.400 --> 00:19:37.119 we can choose to soften our hearts. In our daily 00:19:37.119 --> 00:19:39.539 lives, we can choose to do the things that invite 00:19:39.539 --> 00:19:42.160 the Lord's Spirit to come into and dwell in our 00:19:42.160 --> 00:19:44.740 hearts. I know that in these choices, there is 00:19:44.740 --> 00:19:48.380 peace and joy. Let us follow the example of our 00:19:48.380 --> 00:19:50.519 Savior, Jesus Christ, who followed the will of 00:19:50.519 --> 00:19:52.920 the Father. You guys, thanks for being here with 00:19:52.920 --> 00:19:56.460 us. We wish you the best week ahead and hope 00:19:56.460 --> 00:19:58.240 that you can do it with a soft and humble heart. 00:19:58.339 --> 00:19:59.839 We'll catch you next time. We'll see you next 00:19:59.839 --> 00:20:00.079 time.