WEBVTT 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:04.660 Welcome to closer to Christ through general conference 00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:06.700 where two friends who love Jesus share our own 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:08.539 approach to studying the most recent general 00:00:08.539 --> 00:00:11.519 conference talks This is Abby and Amy. Let's 00:00:11.519 --> 00:00:33.079 jump into it Today's talk is Humble Souls at 00:00:33.079 --> 00:00:35.000 Altar's Kneel. This was done by Elder Jeremy 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:38.700 R. Yagy of the Seventy. The new sacrament hymn 00:00:38.700 --> 00:00:41.299 called Bread of Life, Living Water contains this 00:00:41.299 --> 00:00:44.340 line, Now I come before the altar offering him 00:00:44.340 --> 00:00:47.179 my broken heart. Elder Yagy tells us of when 00:00:47.179 --> 00:00:50.020 he served a mission as the leader in Utah. He 00:00:50.020 --> 00:00:54.500 was invited to chapel. Hill Air Force Base. He 00:00:54.500 --> 00:00:56.960 toured the place where they did their worship 00:00:56.960 --> 00:00:59.840 services and not just specific to one denomination, 00:01:00.060 --> 00:01:01.979 multiple faiths would gather in the same place. 00:01:02.219 --> 00:01:06.140 So he asks the chaplain how each member was made 00:01:06.140 --> 00:01:07.680 to fill at home, you know, in their different 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:10.040 denominations when they would come to worship, 00:01:10.260 --> 00:01:13.260 pray, meditate and ponder. So the Catholics and 00:01:13.260 --> 00:01:17.700 the Protestants had a cross and for the Jewish 00:01:17.700 --> 00:01:19.799 brothers and sisters, we had a star of David. 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:22.459 Then he says, what would you do for members of 00:01:22.459 --> 00:01:24.299 the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints? 00:01:24.620 --> 00:01:26.280 And he said, they prepare and bless the bread 00:01:26.280 --> 00:01:29.280 and water on the altar. Elder Yagi asked if the 00:01:29.280 --> 00:01:31.239 large, seemingly fixed altar was removed before 00:01:31.239 --> 00:01:33.159 the services of the Jewish, Muslim, Catholic, 00:01:33.260 --> 00:01:35.659 or Protestant brothers and sisters. And he was 00:01:35.659 --> 00:01:37.420 told that the altar stays in place for several 00:01:37.420 --> 00:01:39.480 of those faiths, which also utilize the altar 00:01:39.480 --> 00:01:42.019 in some way. In this talk, we're going to take 00:01:42.019 --> 00:01:45.040 a deeper look at the idea that we all have a 00:01:45.040 --> 00:01:47.640 need to come to the altar as we continue on the 00:01:47.640 --> 00:01:49.459 covenant path with our Savior Jesus Christ and 00:01:49.459 --> 00:01:51.719 with our Heavenly Father. I love that, how he 00:01:51.719 --> 00:01:53.739 started that and said, just, you know, it kind 00:01:53.739 --> 00:01:56.239 of brought us all together with the altar. That 00:01:56.239 --> 00:01:58.819 was the whole point of it. Yes, Muslim, Jewish. 00:01:58.819 --> 00:02:00.579 We can appreciate our brothers and sisters about 00:02:00.579 --> 00:02:03.000 other faiths, but that there's a unifying theme, 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.819 that altar can be a unifying theme. In the Old 00:02:05.819 --> 00:02:08.699 Testament, Father Abraham built an altar to sacrifice 00:02:08.699 --> 00:02:11.740 Isaac. In the New Testament, Jesus spoke of an 00:02:11.740 --> 00:02:14.659 altar at the Sermon on the Mount, when he was 00:02:14.659 --> 00:02:17.360 asking how we approach the altar with our gifts, 00:02:17.360 --> 00:02:20.449 and he reminded us to sanctify our heart. before 00:02:20.449 --> 00:02:22.969 we come to God. And then the Book of Mormon, 00:02:23.210 --> 00:02:28.189 Lehi built an altar. And going way back, our 00:02:28.189 --> 00:02:31.530 first parents, Adam and Eve built and worshiped 00:02:31.530 --> 00:02:33.909 at altars. After they were cast out of the Garden 00:02:33.909 --> 00:02:36.289 of Eden and they worshiped for many days, an 00:02:36.289 --> 00:02:38.449 angel visited and asked a very poignant question 00:02:38.449 --> 00:02:41.949 that could be asked to each of us. Why do you 00:02:41.949 --> 00:02:44.590 offer sacrifices unto the Lord? Adam answered, 00:02:44.650 --> 00:02:47.430 I know not. And here the angels response to Adam. 00:02:47.800 --> 00:02:51.219 to his humble admission is pretty stunning. This 00:02:51.219 --> 00:02:53.699 is a similitude, this meaning the altar, is a 00:02:53.699 --> 00:02:55.719 similitude to the sacrifice of the only begotten 00:02:55.719 --> 00:02:58.360 of the Father, wherefore thou shalt do all that 00:02:58.360 --> 00:03:00.780 thou doest in the name of the Son, and thou shalt 00:03:00.780 --> 00:03:03.340 repent and call upon God in the name of the Son 00:03:03.340 --> 00:03:06.419 forevermore. So the sacrament table and also 00:03:06.419 --> 00:03:09.080 the temple altar symbolize the sacrifice of Jesus 00:03:09.080 --> 00:03:12.319 Christ and his infinite atonement. I love the 00:03:12.319 --> 00:03:14.719 visual reminder that we have here, because when 00:03:14.719 --> 00:03:18.669 we see an altar, At the temple or at the church 00:03:18.669 --> 00:03:20.629 or the temple, it's an invitation to think of 00:03:20.629 --> 00:03:23.030 Jesus Christ. As we receive the ordinances of 00:03:23.030 --> 00:03:25.050 the sacrament at church and the endowment and 00:03:25.050 --> 00:03:27.550 the ceiling in the temple, at this point, we 00:03:27.550 --> 00:03:29.469 bind ourselves to the Savior gaining greater 00:03:29.469 --> 00:03:32.750 access to His mercy, protection, sanctification, 00:03:33.110 --> 00:03:35.750 healing and rest. Don't you think, I mean, is 00:03:35.750 --> 00:03:38.629 it just me or do you feel like all parents like 00:03:38.629 --> 00:03:40.469 raise their kids if you're in the church outside 00:03:40.469 --> 00:03:43.569 of like a Sunday? And for taking up the sacrament, 00:03:44.050 --> 00:03:45.889 you still treat that sacrament room with like 00:03:45.889 --> 00:03:48.330 a different level of respect. You don't just 00:03:48.330 --> 00:03:51.509 wander in there. Right. And it's not that the 00:03:51.509 --> 00:03:53.210 emolents of the sacrament are sitting on that 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:55.750 altar, but in reference of that room, because 00:03:55.750 --> 00:03:57.849 it is the most important thing that we're doing, 00:03:58.289 --> 00:04:00.090 that altar does stay in place. Absolutely. And 00:04:00.090 --> 00:04:03.449 it does, for me, has always granted like a different 00:04:03.449 --> 00:04:05.590 level of respect for that space. I love that. 00:04:05.750 --> 00:04:12.419 Yes. I was thinking if the Savior is the great 00:04:12.419 --> 00:04:16.420 connector, then what will we consider the Satan, 00:04:17.360 --> 00:04:19.480 the adversary? He could be considered the great 00:04:19.480 --> 00:04:22.259 separator of things. He tempts us to separate 00:04:22.259 --> 00:04:24.959 ourselves from these consecrated places of worship 00:04:24.959 --> 00:04:27.480 and from the protection of Jesus Christ. Now, 00:04:27.600 --> 00:04:30.379 sometimes he does that under the guise of thinking 00:04:30.379 --> 00:04:34.600 that you can find Jesus, you know, outside of 00:04:34.600 --> 00:04:37.160 his walls. Can you have those moments, that connection? 00:04:37.699 --> 00:04:40.339 Yes, but he has you do it frequently enough that 00:04:40.339 --> 00:04:42.750 you're like, He didn't even need that Church 00:04:42.750 --> 00:04:45.550 and the Connection. So that's pretty crafty because 00:04:45.550 --> 00:05:04.259 he's good at being crafty. podcasters that I 00:05:04.259 --> 00:05:07.240 love. It was Taylor and Tyler. He was on that's 00:05:07.240 --> 00:05:09.819 the ribs thing, doing a little snippet on the 00:05:09.819 --> 00:05:12.019 endowment and curiosity people have that surround 00:05:12.019 --> 00:05:14.399 it. But he's a big language guy and he talks 00:05:14.399 --> 00:05:17.300 about like shrouding yourself and Dow had some 00:05:17.300 --> 00:05:19.899 connotation. The root word was like to cover, 00:05:20.300 --> 00:05:23.160 not like the Atomic cover, but like in shroud 00:05:23.160 --> 00:05:26.240 you. like, envelop you, hold you. Love that. 00:05:26.459 --> 00:05:28.259 I'm like, that's exactly what the endowment was 00:05:28.259 --> 00:05:31.160 meant to do. Absolutely. How hard is it to forget 00:05:31.160 --> 00:05:32.819 that endowment if you're not feeling, I mean, 00:05:33.100 --> 00:05:35.300 how easy is it to remember the endowment if you're 00:05:35.300 --> 00:05:37.720 feeling surrounded by it? Yes. I like that visual. 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:41.079 Thank you for that. Also, building an understanding 00:05:41.079 --> 00:05:44.000 of the Savior's eternal atonement line upon line, 00:05:44.259 --> 00:05:47.000 precept upon precept, provides each of us with 00:05:47.000 --> 00:05:49.779 spiritual inoculation against the wiles of the 00:05:49.779 --> 00:05:52.199 adversary. Meaning, as we age in the gospel, 00:05:52.600 --> 00:05:55.850 we make and live covenants. equal to our understanding. 00:05:56.410 --> 00:05:58.310 Being at church, so that we can, oh, then he 00:05:58.310 --> 00:06:00.050 talks about different things. So one of them, 00:06:00.350 --> 00:06:02.029 there was a story about being at church so that 00:06:02.029 --> 00:06:03.850 we can take the sacrament and renew that covenant. 00:06:04.209 --> 00:06:06.769 He asked his dad, hey, can I, I want to see this. 00:06:08.050 --> 00:06:10.370 He said an important game. Important game in 00:06:10.370 --> 00:06:14.720 America. Yes. And his dad just said, If you know, 00:06:14.839 --> 00:06:17.459 when you decide to skip the sacrament, it becomes 00:06:17.459 --> 00:06:20.040 easier to do so, you know, later. And but he 00:06:20.040 --> 00:06:22.399 did also as a good father, he gave him the opportunity 00:06:22.399 --> 00:06:25.040 to like, think about it for himself and make 00:06:25.040 --> 00:06:28.100 that decision. Let him have his his agency. Elder 00:06:28.100 --> 00:06:30.500 David A Bednar taught that the ordinance of the 00:06:30.500 --> 00:06:32.779 sacrament is a holy and repeated invitation to 00:06:32.779 --> 00:06:35.480 repent sincerely. and to be renewed spiritually. 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:38.300 The act of partaking of the sacrament in and 00:06:38.300 --> 00:06:41.120 of itself does not remit the sins, but as we 00:06:41.120 --> 00:06:43.740 prepare conscientiously and then also participate 00:06:43.740 --> 00:06:45.939 in this holy ordinance with a broken heart and 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:48.740 a contrite spirit, then the promise is that we 00:06:48.740 --> 00:06:50.360 may always have the spirit of the Lord to be 00:06:50.360 --> 00:06:52.959 with us. And by the sanctifying power of the 00:06:52.959 --> 00:06:56.319 Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we can 00:06:56.319 --> 00:07:00.519 always retain our mission of our sins. He also 00:07:00.519 --> 00:07:02.819 talked about newly graduated from high school, 00:07:03.149 --> 00:07:05.769 If we receive our endowment, we're more likely 00:07:05.769 --> 00:07:07.930 to be sealed in the temple to our eternal companion, 00:07:07.949 --> 00:07:10.110 right? The point that he's making here is that 00:07:10.110 --> 00:07:12.670 we don't likely jump from one path to another. 00:07:12.970 --> 00:07:15.529 It's a gradual step -by -step process along the 00:07:15.529 --> 00:07:18.290 covenant path. Are we on the path to be sealed 00:07:18.290 --> 00:07:20.069 in the temple if we have no desire to receive 00:07:20.069 --> 00:07:23.139 our endowment or attend regularly? No, we aren't 00:07:23.139 --> 00:07:25.519 on that path. Can it happen still? Absolutely. 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:28.040 Repentance is real. A change of heart is real 00:07:28.040 --> 00:07:30.660 and mercy is real. In the endowment, members 00:07:30.660 --> 00:07:33.079 are invited to live, obey and keep five laws. 00:07:33.560 --> 00:07:35.680 which fill their lives with power and protection. 00:07:36.100 --> 00:07:39.680 So again, as we live them, right? As we make 00:07:39.680 --> 00:07:41.939 the covenant with the Lord, a reciprocal relationship 00:07:41.939 --> 00:07:44.120 forms. So again, this visual of this, right? 00:07:44.459 --> 00:07:47.180 We demonstrate our loyalty and love to him and 00:07:47.180 --> 00:07:51.019 then our strength and our power grow with each 00:07:51.019 --> 00:07:53.639 promise made and kept. So it's almost like he's, 00:07:53.779 --> 00:07:56.420 yes, like Abby's doing this, like putting a warm, 00:07:56.420 --> 00:08:00.120 you know, hug around us. It's almost like he's 00:08:00.120 --> 00:08:03.230 saying, You know, someone could have the question, 00:08:03.569 --> 00:08:05.310 am I on the covenant path if I don't have a, 00:08:05.310 --> 00:08:07.610 you know, desire to do this at this point? It's 00:08:07.610 --> 00:08:09.910 not really about that. He's saying that as we 00:08:09.910 --> 00:08:12.389 continue to act on invitations that were given 00:08:12.389 --> 00:08:15.490 to make covenants, to keep covenants, with that, 00:08:15.769 --> 00:08:18.009 our strength and power grow. So we're growing 00:08:18.009 --> 00:08:20.730 in these covenants. We're growing along the covenant 00:08:20.730 --> 00:08:24.329 path. And that's why it is a slow line up online 00:08:24.329 --> 00:08:28.819 growth. When we humbly and symbolically kneel 00:08:28.819 --> 00:08:31.040 at the altars of the Lord, it is an opportunity 00:08:31.040 --> 00:08:34.139 for reflection, checked as to the pride of our 00:08:34.139 --> 00:08:36.679 hearts, humbling ourselves before God, like we 00:08:36.679 --> 00:08:41.799 learned in Alma 1517. I love that periodic check 00:08:41.799 --> 00:08:43.759 -in. Where am I at on the covenant path? Do I 00:08:43.759 --> 00:08:45.360 have a desire to stay here? Am I looking for 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:50.139 a path off of it? And if it's not like your goal 00:08:50.139 --> 00:08:52.740 or desire to enter the temple, like what's the 00:08:52.740 --> 00:08:56.409 next step for you? what does, what does draw 00:08:56.409 --> 00:08:58.789 your attention? Where would you like to be? Yeah. 00:08:59.129 --> 00:09:00.850 Like I think that's what you were trying to say 00:09:00.850 --> 00:09:04.710 in your own way. It was like, not that it's bad 00:09:04.710 --> 00:09:06.990 that we're not making that next step, like that 00:09:06.990 --> 00:09:08.730 we're not just jumping into the temple, but is 00:09:08.730 --> 00:09:11.350 there the next move? Like they said, when we 00:09:11.350 --> 00:09:12.909 invite our friends and in the missionary effort, 00:09:13.009 --> 00:09:14.629 when we invite our friends, if they accept our 00:09:14.629 --> 00:09:17.309 invitation to come to church within a week of 00:09:17.309 --> 00:09:20.980 medium encountering them, their show, their He 00:09:20.980 --> 00:09:22.720 didn't say it in this way, but what he's what 00:09:22.720 --> 00:09:23.980 what I feel like he was saying what the spirit 00:09:23.980 --> 00:09:26.019 what told me he was saying is that That person 00:09:26.019 --> 00:09:28.259 is identifying they're using their agency to 00:09:28.259 --> 00:09:30.059 give it a world to test it out once they get 00:09:30.059 --> 00:09:32.179 there There's so many opportunities as other 00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:34.580 members and friends come into their path. Maybe 00:09:34.580 --> 00:09:36.299 they say something Maybe they get a glimpse of 00:09:36.299 --> 00:09:38.500 the spirit that they hadn't felt before whatever 00:09:38.500 --> 00:09:41.779 the reason but you know you if you Stop by this 00:09:41.779 --> 00:09:43.840 friend's house and you teach the series of lessons 00:09:43.840 --> 00:09:46.179 for multiple times for three years And they're 00:09:46.179 --> 00:09:49.419 kind of waiting for that you know spark or nudge 00:09:49.419 --> 00:09:53.100 to Attend church with you. That's a it's not 00:09:53.100 --> 00:09:57.379 not not doable. Yeah, but those stories of conversion 00:09:57.379 --> 00:10:00.840 happen When they finally decide to come to church, 00:10:01.019 --> 00:10:03.179 right? You know, the three -year thing can totally 00:10:03.179 --> 00:10:05.379 be a thing But that's why our missionaries are 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:08.039 inviting them to church quickly because all things 00:10:08.039 --> 00:10:10.480 aside all the things you don't understand if 00:10:10.480 --> 00:10:12.980 you have a personal experience with With the 00:10:12.980 --> 00:10:15.879 Lord with the spirit in in a church setting it'll 00:10:15.879 --> 00:10:17.659 cause a desire for you to attend more frequently. 00:10:17.720 --> 00:10:19.879 And then the scriptures open up to you and the 00:10:19.879 --> 00:10:22.639 desire opens up to you. And I guess that's my 00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:25.460 thing with my own children. I would love to see, 00:10:25.740 --> 00:10:28.240 we've got Adam and I teach that graduating seniors 00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:32.299 class, when they use their agency, it's not mandatory. 00:10:33.840 --> 00:10:36.740 It's temple prep, life skills, mission prep. 00:10:37.940 --> 00:10:40.279 Some aren't even thinking about a mission. Great. 00:10:40.460 --> 00:10:43.379 We don't care. We're hoping that their eyes are 00:10:43.379 --> 00:10:45.899 set on the temple. when they participate in the 00:10:45.899 --> 00:10:48.519 classes, they are highly likely to enter the 00:10:48.519 --> 00:10:53.320 temple really soon after graduation. A lot of 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:58.659 our young men age to do the mission paperwork 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:00.379 pretty immediately, so you start having them 00:11:00.379 --> 00:11:02.259 come back to you with the calls and stuff. We 00:11:02.259 --> 00:11:04.360 even have a handful of sisters that age to that. 00:11:04.940 --> 00:11:07.379 What's even cooler is when before five seconds 00:11:07.379 --> 00:11:09.240 ago, when they said 18 year olds could go, when 00:11:09.240 --> 00:11:11.600 they had that year to wait, they were still making 00:11:11.600 --> 00:11:14.279 the next step to they wanted to be in the temple. 00:11:14.659 --> 00:11:16.419 So then they're going off to college or their 00:11:16.419 --> 00:11:19.779 next adventure, endowed with temple power. It's 00:11:19.779 --> 00:11:23.240 amazing. It's such an amazing change. And I love 00:11:23.240 --> 00:11:26.159 the way that he articulates it in here. We know 00:11:26.159 --> 00:11:29.980 statistics, we're not numbers, but you can make 00:11:29.980 --> 00:11:32.179 a lot of inferences with the numbers that we're 00:11:32.179 --> 00:11:35.159 seeing. And clearly it's showing You've been 00:11:35.159 --> 00:11:37.919 baptized, you've been attending church, you're 00:11:37.919 --> 00:11:39.899 working in that direction. The next obvious step 00:11:39.899 --> 00:11:43.519 is the temple. What's the benefit to having that 00:11:43.519 --> 00:11:46.000 gap of time and waiting? If the mission's not 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:48.320 on your mind, what was the benefit there? And 00:11:48.320 --> 00:11:51.379 they just didn't see one. Why would the Lord 00:11:51.379 --> 00:11:53.539 want to withhold those blessings from any individual 00:11:53.539 --> 00:11:55.799 that wanted to take that next step and make covenants 00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:58.259 with Him and live by those five laws and have 00:11:58.259 --> 00:12:01.559 that as an integral part of their day? For us, 00:12:01.759 --> 00:12:04.440 they said there was absolutely no benefit, but 00:12:04.440 --> 00:12:07.779 instead a really positive benefit to letting 00:12:07.779 --> 00:12:10.100 you and the spirit decide when is the right time 00:12:10.100 --> 00:12:14.039 and making that next step. It's going to have 00:12:14.039 --> 00:12:16.960 an impact. I don't even think we can see what 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:21.059 the impact is just yet, but it's going to change 00:12:21.059 --> 00:12:23.480 the world. Well, it kind of already is because 00:12:23.480 --> 00:12:26.899 - You mean the age of 18? No. becoming endowed 00:12:26.899 --> 00:12:29.559 when the time's right, when it feels right post 00:12:29.559 --> 00:12:31.860 -graduation here. I think that's probably just 00:12:31.860 --> 00:12:33.960 a general rule around the world. I don't think 00:12:33.960 --> 00:12:35.679 we want 16 year olds in the temple. I'm not sure 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:38.159 where he found that, but if it's a worldwide 00:12:38.159 --> 00:12:40.960 statistic or what it is, you know, there wasn't 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:43.700 a little footnote by that, but I'm sure that 00:12:43.700 --> 00:12:46.080 that's what the finding is if he's sharing that 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:49.519 at, you know, at conference. But I do. That's 00:12:49.519 --> 00:12:52.179 really good to have just different outlooks on 00:12:52.179 --> 00:12:54.759 that. How can we overcome stairs of judgment, 00:12:55.100 --> 00:12:58.019 anxiety, depression, cancer, diabetes, online 00:12:58.019 --> 00:13:00.519 bullying, stolen identity? You know, really quick, 00:13:00.600 --> 00:13:02.419 as he was saying this, I can tell that each one 00:13:02.419 --> 00:13:04.779 of these things he's sharing is personal from 00:13:04.779 --> 00:13:07.580 his own family. So lost pregnancy is a loss of 00:13:07.580 --> 00:13:10.580 a child, a brother and a father because Jesus 00:13:11.009 --> 00:13:13.610 took of the bitter cup of trembling, the cup 00:13:13.610 --> 00:13:16.210 of fury for me, for my family, for all of us. 00:13:16.429 --> 00:13:18.090 And then he says, the bitter cup he drank in 00:13:18.090 --> 00:13:20.809 the garden of Gethsemane and his suffering intensified 00:13:20.809 --> 00:13:24.110 on the cross at Calvary, allow us to lay the 00:13:24.110 --> 00:13:26.429 hard, the insolent, the violent, the furious 00:13:26.429 --> 00:13:29.070 and the trembling upon the altars of the Lord 00:13:29.070 --> 00:13:31.649 and to be sanctified by the reception of the 00:13:31.649 --> 00:13:34.269 Holy Ghost always. So I just had a question. 00:13:34.809 --> 00:13:37.649 What can we lay upon the altar this week? What 00:13:37.649 --> 00:13:40.789 are each one of us ready to give? to God so that 00:13:40.789 --> 00:13:43.830 we have room for something better. Disease for 00:13:43.830 --> 00:13:47.990 gratitude or joy, anger for healing, sin for 00:13:47.990 --> 00:13:50.169 reconciliation. Those sound like good trade -offs. 00:13:50.629 --> 00:13:52.809 I love that because it was in this part that 00:13:52.809 --> 00:13:55.049 he was talking about. You could be focused on 00:13:55.049 --> 00:14:00.149 anger, infertility or loss of a child that could 00:14:00.149 --> 00:14:02.509 make you angry your whole life. But he said that 00:14:02.509 --> 00:14:05.450 we get the choice to say, this is a terrible 00:14:05.450 --> 00:14:09.129 thing. But because I'm enshrouded by the promises 00:14:09.129 --> 00:14:12.629 that I've been given, I'm going to lay that grief 00:14:12.629 --> 00:14:15.529 at the altar. And when you lay that grief at 00:14:15.529 --> 00:14:19.129 the altar, he has the chance to fill it with 00:14:19.129 --> 00:14:22.470 gifts of the spirit. The way that I'm saying 00:14:22.470 --> 00:14:23.950 that makes it sound like I think it's an easy 00:14:23.950 --> 00:14:26.970 thing. I would just be so angry. I pick the one 00:14:26.970 --> 00:14:29.850 that I'm like, oof. Right. No, this is a real 00:14:29.850 --> 00:14:31.590 thing. It's the one you're struggling with, the 00:14:31.590 --> 00:14:35.460 thorn in your side, right? These aren't... light 00:14:35.460 --> 00:14:38.960 things They're very heavy, but I have watched 00:14:38.960 --> 00:14:41.580 people go through pretty much every one of those 00:14:41.580 --> 00:14:46.299 things Probably have a case of both sides people 00:14:46.299 --> 00:14:48.220 that want to hang on to that and make that what 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:51.419 their world revolves around Or turn it into something 00:14:51.419 --> 00:14:54.179 positive and good and you can see huge growth 00:14:54.179 --> 00:14:58.820 from the people that that put that on the altar. 00:14:59.320 --> 00:15:01.960 That's a good way to say that. He said, when 00:15:01.960 --> 00:15:04.019 we come to the altar, we aren't earning a reward. 00:15:04.240 --> 00:15:07.690 We are learning about the gift giver. I love 00:15:07.690 --> 00:15:09.370 that because it's not like you know what gift 00:15:09.370 --> 00:15:11.210 he's going to give you to make right the thing 00:15:11.210 --> 00:15:13.850 that your heart is burdened with. In that learning 00:15:13.850 --> 00:15:16.250 and covenant binding comes healing. Nephi said 00:15:16.250 --> 00:15:18.490 he has filled me with love even unto the consuming 00:15:18.490 --> 00:15:21.570 of my flesh. I mean, we know example after example 00:15:21.570 --> 00:15:23.970 of Nephi being persecuted by his brothers for 00:15:23.970 --> 00:15:26.490 doing nothing but following the Lord. And it's 00:15:26.490 --> 00:15:28.929 not like in every instance, the Lord gives him 00:15:28.929 --> 00:15:32.429 the ability to like brush off Laman and Lemuel. 00:15:32.720 --> 00:15:35.639 He usually had to endure the persecution for 00:15:35.639 --> 00:15:39.000 at least a time, right? Yeah, for a season. And 00:15:39.000 --> 00:15:42.340 he's filled with love. Yeah. Our loving Savior 00:15:42.340 --> 00:15:47.340 invited, will ye now return unto me and repent 00:15:47.340 --> 00:15:49.279 of your sins and be converted that I may heal 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:51.960 you? I find it interesting that Jesus Christ 00:15:51.960 --> 00:15:55.279 asks many times, are you willing or not to return, 00:15:55.700 --> 00:15:58.960 repent, be converted, and allow him to heal? 00:15:59.919 --> 00:16:02.299 He reminds us that we have our agency and I think 00:16:02.299 --> 00:16:04.860 that's the biggest part. It's like at what point, 00:16:06.080 --> 00:16:07.740 you know, sometimes we just want to hold on to 00:16:07.740 --> 00:16:10.279 that. We want to sit in the sadness and the anger 00:16:10.279 --> 00:16:13.940 and we can do that for a time. But when we're 00:16:13.940 --> 00:16:19.120 ready to give it to the gift giver, the healer, 00:16:19.259 --> 00:16:22.860 the master healer, see what he can do with it. 00:16:23.179 --> 00:16:29.240 Things change. We can hand over a disbelief or 00:16:29.240 --> 00:16:31.940 a hard heart be reconciled to him. It may not 00:16:31.940 --> 00:16:34.059 be the full physical healing we desire in this 00:16:34.059 --> 00:16:38.220 life, but spiritual healing is equally important. 00:16:38.379 --> 00:16:40.279 And we've talked a lot of times, it's amazing 00:16:40.279 --> 00:16:43.259 when that spiritual healing can come a bit faster, 00:16:43.519 --> 00:16:45.600 like especially for hoping and praying for a 00:16:45.600 --> 00:16:47.299 physical blessing. And it just seems like it 00:16:47.299 --> 00:16:52.450 can take years, decades. It's a really good point 00:16:52.450 --> 00:16:55.210 that spiritual healing can happen. It can happen 00:16:55.210 --> 00:16:59.789 more immediately. I have a loved one that was 00:16:59.789 --> 00:17:01.509 dealing with some conflict and she just kind 00:17:01.509 --> 00:17:03.490 of confronted it head on. It's been kind of brewing 00:17:03.490 --> 00:17:05.390 for a decade, but she just kind of hit it head 00:17:05.390 --> 00:17:07.769 on and she just talked about the peace that she's 00:17:07.769 --> 00:17:10.490 feeling. The situation, the relationship is no 00:17:10.490 --> 00:17:12.849 different, but the way that she's approaching 00:17:12.849 --> 00:17:15.670 the relationship, trying to create peace and 00:17:15.670 --> 00:17:18.859 to not let that drag her down. means that she 00:17:18.859 --> 00:17:22.460 brought it to the altar. And he's made her feel 00:17:22.460 --> 00:17:24.880 content and peaceful with things, even though 00:17:24.880 --> 00:17:27.740 they haven't changed on the other end. You and 00:17:27.740 --> 00:17:30.180 I have both had our own, you know, issues with 00:17:30.180 --> 00:17:33.000 that. And I can testify like that. I know that 00:17:33.000 --> 00:17:35.059 that blessing is true. When you're asked to make 00:17:35.059 --> 00:17:37.119 peace, it does not mean that the relationship 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:39.660 is reconciled. It means that you can find peace 00:17:39.660 --> 00:17:43.529 by forgiving. And that you have that in your 00:17:43.529 --> 00:17:45.529 heart. If you look at the situation, you think, 00:17:45.609 --> 00:17:47.529 Oh, this is me. I had something to do about this. 00:17:47.569 --> 00:17:49.549 You know, you have some apologies to make, but 00:17:49.549 --> 00:17:51.150 if you're like, I've done everything that I can 00:17:51.150 --> 00:17:53.049 in this side of the relationship and it's not 00:17:53.049 --> 00:17:55.450 reciprocated, it doesn't matter that it's reciprocated. 00:17:55.609 --> 00:17:57.430 You can still move on with your life. Absolutely. 00:17:57.509 --> 00:18:00.450 So I'd like the way that he's saying this. It 00:18:00.450 --> 00:18:02.470 reminded me like that's what it looks like. Visually 00:18:02.470 --> 00:18:04.130 can think about laying those things at the altar. 00:18:04.309 --> 00:18:10.920 Yeah. I do too, Abby. The main thing I'm trying 00:18:10.920 --> 00:18:14.220 to say is our focus and efforts to get that healing 00:18:14.220 --> 00:18:17.559 can be attained in this life. Now, if we were 00:18:17.559 --> 00:18:19.400 looking for physical healing and it doesn't seem 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:21.720 like physical healing came, but we sit and reflect 00:18:21.720 --> 00:18:23.940 upon it and we show our gratitude, I think we'll 00:18:23.940 --> 00:18:26.259 be able to see where he spiritually healed us 00:18:26.259 --> 00:18:28.519 and helped us. When he said, I can't go on another 00:18:28.519 --> 00:18:30.559 day like this, but you go on the next day and 00:18:30.559 --> 00:18:33.109 you can look back and say, gave me the strength 00:18:33.109 --> 00:18:35.569 to go on. I agree. It's much easier to see it 00:18:35.569 --> 00:18:37.369 in this spiritual realm rather than physically. 00:18:37.630 --> 00:18:39.609 I'm saying it to you, but I'm like, really just 00:18:39.609 --> 00:18:42.309 witnessed this with you going through your things. 00:18:42.750 --> 00:18:45.130 Not really something that I've had to deal with 00:18:45.130 --> 00:18:49.430 myself physically. I've watched my own children, 00:18:49.470 --> 00:18:52.430 they have their own health issues and we work 00:18:52.430 --> 00:18:54.750 tirelessly to make sure that they can have the 00:18:54.750 --> 00:18:57.339 best quality of life. And it's something I've 00:18:57.339 --> 00:18:58.720 said, like, I wish that I could take that. I 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:00.119 wish that I could have the burdens that they 00:19:00.119 --> 00:19:02.980 have on the physical realm of things. But even 00:19:02.980 --> 00:19:05.440 though I can't, he's, he's given me, he definitely 00:19:05.440 --> 00:19:07.940 has given me peace about that, or else I wouldn't 00:19:07.940 --> 00:19:10.400 have had baby number two, three, four and five. 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:13.420 Right. Right. That's how I know to be grateful 00:19:13.420 --> 00:19:15.720 for the blessings he's given me in relation to 00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:17.920 that, you know, physical piece that we can't 00:19:17.920 --> 00:19:21.259 heal in this life. Yes. Jesus Christ does heal. 00:19:21.980 --> 00:19:24.680 We choose to be healed through his merits. Just 00:19:24.680 --> 00:19:27.359 another component of the atonement. It's just 00:19:27.359 --> 00:19:30.079 so amazing and fascinating. Agreed. And the resurrection, 00:19:30.339 --> 00:19:32.180 which is the culminating of all of it, right? 00:19:32.619 --> 00:19:34.460 I love this quote from the talk as well. He says, 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:37.480 Jesus Christ heals all wounds. Jesus Christ makes 00:19:37.480 --> 00:19:40.880 it possible to live again. Is there anything 00:19:40.880 --> 00:19:43.859 else you want to add, Abby? No, I can't tell 00:19:43.859 --> 00:19:45.960 you the number of times that I've loved that 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:49.549 phrase. We mostly quoted it, but when... when 00:19:49.549 --> 00:19:51.369 Adam is asked, you know, why do you do these 00:19:51.369 --> 00:19:53.970 things? I know not save the Lord commanded me. 00:19:54.390 --> 00:19:56.230 Yes. And he was waiting for further light and 00:19:56.230 --> 00:19:58.029 knowledge for the Lord, but he was doing the 00:19:58.029 --> 00:20:00.390 thing, the piece of the pie, the piece of the 00:20:00.390 --> 00:20:02.250 equation that he was given and just doing that 00:20:02.250 --> 00:20:03.869 faithfully without knowing all of the reasons 00:20:03.869 --> 00:20:07.130 why. I think I relate to that because we, you 00:20:07.130 --> 00:20:10.299 know, I've been given challenges to do things 00:20:10.299 --> 00:20:12.660 and I'm like, why did he ask me to do that? You 00:20:12.660 --> 00:20:15.140 don't really know. And you can proceed one step 00:20:15.140 --> 00:20:17.859 at a time, one day at a time in that thing. And 00:20:17.859 --> 00:20:19.940 then, you know, enough time goes on and you're 00:20:19.940 --> 00:20:21.819 like, did he really ask me to do that thing? 00:20:22.019 --> 00:20:24.759 And you have to hold on to the fact that he asked 00:20:24.759 --> 00:20:26.859 you, even though he didn't give you the why. 00:20:27.740 --> 00:20:32.019 And you proceed and it's great acknowledge that 00:20:32.019 --> 00:20:34.299 you say you've given me an impossible task and 00:20:34.299 --> 00:20:37.490 I don't see the beginning from the end. I trust 00:20:37.490 --> 00:20:42.369 you. You've earned my trust. I'm going to go 00:20:42.369 --> 00:20:47.130 with that. My instinct is to crawl in a hole 00:20:47.130 --> 00:20:48.910 and not do this thing. It seems overwhelming 00:20:48.910 --> 00:20:51.230 and hard. But I think when we acknowledge that 00:20:51.230 --> 00:20:53.809 it's above our abilities and we do it anyway, 00:20:55.210 --> 00:20:58.970 that's the miracle is what we're going, we're 00:20:58.970 --> 00:21:01.210 headed towards miracle. Because we can look back 00:21:01.210 --> 00:21:02.990 and say, wow, I thought we were never going to 00:21:02.990 --> 00:21:05.789 get through that and look where I am today. I 00:21:05.789 --> 00:21:07.869 love that Abby. I think I want to remember that 00:21:07.869 --> 00:21:10.490 part of what Adam said when the angel asked him, 00:21:10.509 --> 00:21:12.839 why are you doing this? I know not safe. I think 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:15.720 like, cause it also, it frees up a lot of energy 00:21:15.720 --> 00:21:17.640 for us trying to figure out the, why do I do 00:21:17.640 --> 00:21:20.519 this? President Nelson told her the story where 00:21:20.519 --> 00:21:23.140 he was in an open house and there was a boy, 00:21:23.200 --> 00:21:24.539 you know, they went through the whole, it was 00:21:24.539 --> 00:21:26.039 for the temple. So they went through the whole 00:21:26.039 --> 00:21:28.180 thing. And at the end, a little boy said, Oh, 00:21:28.220 --> 00:21:30.200 that's so nice. There's a place to rest while 00:21:30.200 --> 00:21:32.339 you're in the temple. And president Nelson said 00:21:32.339 --> 00:21:35.079 he likely had that little boy likely had no idea 00:21:35.079 --> 00:21:37.519 about the direct connection between making a 00:21:37.519 --> 00:21:40.630 covenant with God. in the temple and the Savior's 00:21:40.630 --> 00:21:43.750 stunning promise, which is in scripture, come 00:21:43.750 --> 00:21:45.710 unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden 00:21:45.710 --> 00:21:48.609 and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you 00:21:48.609 --> 00:21:50.789 and learn of me and you shall find rest unto 00:21:50.789 --> 00:21:53.730 your souls for my yoke is easy and my burden 00:21:53.730 --> 00:21:58.690 is light. We encourage you to look and also ourselves 00:21:58.690 --> 00:22:01.309 at what we are putting on the altar this week. 00:22:01.509 --> 00:22:03.269 I hope you have a great week. Have a great one.