WEBVTT 00:00:02.320 --> 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 --> 00:00:32.460 jump into it. Today we get to discuss, and now 00:00:32.460 --> 00:00:34.799 I see, and this is by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland 00:00:34.799 --> 00:00:37.719 of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, how we 00:00:37.719 --> 00:00:39.840 miss him and how we did not know this would be 00:00:39.840 --> 00:00:42.359 his last one, but we kind of felt like, yeah, 00:00:42.679 --> 00:00:46.179 for sure, when Jesus and his disciples passed 00:00:46.179 --> 00:00:48.850 near a beggar blind from birth. Thus led the 00:00:48.850 --> 00:00:51.250 disciples to ask Jesus several complex religious 00:00:51.250 --> 00:00:54.350 questions like, for example, Master who did sin, 00:00:54.390 --> 00:00:56.770 this man or his parents, that he was born blind. 00:00:57.109 --> 00:00:59.229 Jesus answered, neither hath this man sinned 00:00:59.229 --> 00:01:02.450 nor his parents, but that the works of God should 00:01:02.450 --> 00:01:06.170 be made manifest in him. He spit into the dirt 00:01:06.170 --> 00:01:08.109 and stirred a small mixture of clay and then 00:01:08.109 --> 00:01:09.989 applied this to the eyes of the man, instructing 00:01:09.989 --> 00:01:12.849 him to wash in the pool of Siloam. All of this 00:01:12.849 --> 00:01:15.670 the sightless man obediently did and he came 00:01:15.670 --> 00:01:18.909 forth seeing, the scripture says. Jesus already 00:01:18.909 --> 00:01:21.010 posed a threat at this time to the authority 00:01:21.010 --> 00:01:23.109 of the Pharisees and these enemies of the Savior 00:01:23.109 --> 00:01:27.829 confronted this newly cited man and said in anger, 00:01:28.629 --> 00:01:31.530 we know Jesus is a sinner. I love this response, 00:01:31.790 --> 00:01:34.109 maybe my favorite response. The man listens for 00:01:34.109 --> 00:01:36.769 a moment and says, whether he be a sinner, I 00:01:36.769 --> 00:01:39.569 know not, but one thing I do know, whereas I 00:01:39.569 --> 00:01:43.230 was blind, now I see. I love that so much, Abby. 00:01:43.950 --> 00:01:45.689 When I was listening to this, I just cried at 00:01:45.689 --> 00:01:47.969 that part. I was like, man, that's a great, like 00:01:47.969 --> 00:01:52.329 you said, that is a great response. You can have 00:01:52.329 --> 00:01:54.250 all these arguments against him that you want, 00:01:54.310 --> 00:01:56.709 but I know that I was blind. I know that I see 00:01:56.709 --> 00:01:58.489 that. So say what you want to say. Yeah. And 00:01:58.489 --> 00:02:01.049 then when he says that, the spirit just testify 00:02:01.049 --> 00:02:03.030 so strongly of that truth that it, you know, 00:02:03.030 --> 00:02:04.650 the other thing just falls away. You can't take 00:02:04.650 --> 00:02:06.609 somebody's personal witness away. You can have 00:02:06.609 --> 00:02:09.430 as many strong arguments as you want, but they're 00:02:09.430 --> 00:02:11.419 not going to supersede a person. experience. 00:02:11.780 --> 00:02:14.240 Born by the Holy Ghost is true. Exactly. The 00:02:14.240 --> 00:02:16.340 limitations of the blind man would be the means 00:02:16.340 --> 00:02:18.900 of a miracle for all to witness in another possible 00:02:18.900 --> 00:02:22.659 lesson in the importance of washing and anointing 00:02:22.659 --> 00:02:26.240 as this man was instructed to do to witness the 00:02:26.240 --> 00:02:30.099 power of God. I myself had never made that connection 00:02:30.099 --> 00:02:32.419 between temple and covenants in this particular 00:02:32.419 --> 00:02:34.120 chapter of scripture before. Of course, it's 00:02:34.120 --> 00:02:36.500 Elder Holland that points me to that as a possible 00:02:36.500 --> 00:02:39.159 option. It has, however, struck me in the past 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:41.539 how the creator of heaven and earth could spit 00:02:41.539 --> 00:02:44.360 into something as simple as a handful of dirt 00:02:44.360 --> 00:02:46.939 and cause the blind to see. President Holland 00:02:46.939 --> 00:02:49.599 said, how often God has sent his majestic messages 00:02:49.599 --> 00:02:52.520 through a newly called very anxious Relief Society 00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:55.020 president, which we got in our word today, an 00:02:55.020 --> 00:02:57.400 unlearned boy in New York farm. or brand new 00:02:57.400 --> 00:03:00.819 missionary, or maybe lying in a manger. So sweet, 00:03:00.960 --> 00:03:03.740 wasn't it? Sometimes the instructions on how 00:03:03.740 --> 00:03:06.219 to bring God's power into our lives is too easy, 00:03:06.400 --> 00:03:09.639 and so we reject it as being impossible to bring 00:03:09.639 --> 00:03:11.680 about the thing we're asking for. The children 00:03:11.680 --> 00:03:14.580 of Israel, and just to name some examples of 00:03:14.580 --> 00:03:16.830 the scriptures, have you ever seen this? dismiss 00:03:16.830 --> 00:03:19.250 blessing from the Lord because His instructions 00:03:19.250 --> 00:03:22.169 to you were just too simple. He talked about 00:03:22.169 --> 00:03:24.229 like the serpent, right, the brass serpent, things 00:03:24.229 --> 00:03:26.710 like that. So what if the answers to our prayers 00:03:26.710 --> 00:03:29.530 come in plain or convoluted ways? Are we willing 00:03:29.530 --> 00:03:32.550 to persevere to keep trying to live Christ's 00:03:32.550 --> 00:03:35.189 gospel no matter how much spit and clay it takes? 00:03:35.789 --> 00:03:37.990 Abby, this reminds me, when I was going through 00:03:37.990 --> 00:03:41.449 cancer, some of the things that I felt directed 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:45.710 to do seemed odd, you know, and I just remember 00:03:45.710 --> 00:03:47.590 I received a lot of blessings during that time 00:03:47.590 --> 00:03:50.909 and one of them was, um, counseled me to look 00:03:50.909 --> 00:03:53.090 through the scriptures at the time we were reading 00:03:53.090 --> 00:03:54.949 the New Testament, look through the scriptures 00:03:54.949 --> 00:03:57.789 and look for all of the different ways that Christ 00:03:57.789 --> 00:04:00.650 healed people. And I was thinking I would find 00:04:00.650 --> 00:04:02.189 the common thread, you know, like that there 00:04:02.189 --> 00:04:03.949 would all be the same thing. The common thread 00:04:03.949 --> 00:04:05.830 that I found is that they were not the same thing. 00:04:05.889 --> 00:04:09.409 It was individual to each person. And also in 00:04:09.409 --> 00:04:12.490 one of my blessings, it just reminded me not 00:04:12.490 --> 00:04:16.629 to focus on the means or the method of healing, 00:04:16.970 --> 00:04:19.370 but the source of healing. That's what it was. 00:04:19.430 --> 00:04:22.129 And so that's how I always look at healing now 00:04:22.129 --> 00:04:23.670 is like, it doesn't matter how it comes about. 00:04:23.930 --> 00:04:27.069 If I feel like I should do a thing, it's to make 00:04:27.069 --> 00:04:33.949 the power of God manifest. Excellent. Mortal 00:04:33.949 --> 00:04:36.410 eyes have a hard time seeing things unfold in 00:04:36.410 --> 00:04:38.810 a heavenly timetable. It's not always to be clear 00:04:38.810 --> 00:04:41.649 to us what is being done or why. And from time 00:04:41.649 --> 00:04:43.750 to time, we feel a little like the senior sister 00:04:43.750 --> 00:04:46.199 who said, Lord, how about a blessing that isn't 00:04:46.199 --> 00:04:50.120 in disguise? I love that! As long as someone 00:04:50.120 --> 00:04:52.300 comes with a willing heart to be a disciple, 00:04:52.379 --> 00:04:54.220 they can be given the power and authority needed 00:04:54.220 --> 00:04:56.920 to perform any task they are asked to do. Because 00:04:56.920 --> 00:04:59.300 of the Restoration, the same priesthood conferred 00:04:59.300 --> 00:05:02.040 in our day can be traced back to the source, 00:05:02.339 --> 00:05:05.110 our Savior, Jesus Christ. What about our deceased 00:05:05.110 --> 00:05:07.129 family who have passed on without those blessings 00:05:07.129 --> 00:05:09.430 and covenant in their mortal lives? The gift 00:05:09.430 --> 00:05:11.490 of mercy bestowed on them comes from the authority 00:05:11.490 --> 00:05:13.449 and the work that we are able to do vicariously 00:05:13.449 --> 00:05:15.930 in the temple. I've been personally blessed on 00:05:15.930 --> 00:05:19.029 this side of the veil, doing work for my ancestors. 00:05:19.709 --> 00:05:21.389 It's helped me grow my relationship with Father 00:05:21.389 --> 00:05:23.310 and Son, and I've worshipped there, made my own 00:05:23.310 --> 00:05:27.689 covenants, and I've returned often to be reminded 00:05:27.689 --> 00:05:30.050 about that power that I've linked myself with. 00:05:31.029 --> 00:05:35.579 We had a He's now 12, but he was 11 on January 00:05:35.579 --> 00:05:39.459 3rd and got to enter the temple with our newly 00:05:39.459 --> 00:05:43.660 recommended son and the experience. It's so fun, 00:05:43.740 --> 00:05:46.100 like these experiences with our children kind 00:05:46.100 --> 00:05:48.939 of remind us of our earlier experiences in the 00:05:48.939 --> 00:05:52.459 temple and can't make them feel anything in particular, 00:05:52.519 --> 00:05:56.819 but when you can get a rowdy 12 -year -old to 00:05:56.819 --> 00:05:59.660 be in awe of their experience in the temple and 00:05:59.660 --> 00:06:05.410 come out. a little bit sweeter and awestruck. 00:06:05.529 --> 00:06:06.910 We asked him to explain his feelings about his 00:06:06.910 --> 00:06:09.149 temple experience. And he's like, he was the 00:06:09.149 --> 00:06:11.069 best day of my life. I don't even have words 00:06:11.069 --> 00:06:13.430 for it. And I really felt that like, I couldn't 00:06:13.430 --> 00:06:15.069 put words into his mouth, but I just watched 00:06:15.069 --> 00:06:16.990 him. His whole demeanor kind of changed from 00:06:16.990 --> 00:06:20.689 this experience. So, that's so sweet, Abby. I 00:06:20.689 --> 00:06:22.529 love it too, because you know, you're talking 00:06:22.529 --> 00:06:27.569 about or sharing when Elder Holland was talking 00:06:27.569 --> 00:06:30.519 about the vicarious works in the temple, right? 00:06:30.939 --> 00:06:33.339 And this thing I'm about to share, it's like, 00:06:33.379 --> 00:06:35.720 when I think of Elder Holland or President Holland, 00:06:35.839 --> 00:06:39.620 I think of him as being a master teacher, but 00:06:39.620 --> 00:06:42.339 also a gentle teacher. I feel like he leads us 00:06:42.339 --> 00:06:45.379 so gently through. So he says this, what you 00:06:45.379 --> 00:06:48.000 just shared, and then I loved, I love this next 00:06:48.000 --> 00:06:50.899 phrase, he says this, to my knowledge, this particular 00:06:50.899 --> 00:06:53.779 evidence of God's truth, meaning vicarious works, 00:06:54.649 --> 00:06:56.990 His universal love for the living and the dead 00:06:56.990 --> 00:06:59.509 is not seen elsewhere in the world, except in 00:06:59.509 --> 00:07:01.730 one church that demonstrates truth in this particular 00:07:01.730 --> 00:07:04.250 regard, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter 00:07:04.250 --> 00:07:06.730 -day Saints. Just such a beautiful, simple truth, 00:07:06.750 --> 00:07:08.790 and I love how he led us to that. Many of us 00:07:08.790 --> 00:07:10.790 have used our time in the temple to bring things 00:07:10.790 --> 00:07:13.670 into clearer focus or see things in a new way. 00:07:14.290 --> 00:07:16.509 Challenges we're facing, answers to questions. 00:07:16.649 --> 00:07:18.790 I know that I can testify that many times in 00:07:18.790 --> 00:07:22.639 the temple, that time has allowed me to see something 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:24.860 that I was once blind to, or maybe I didn't have 00:07:24.860 --> 00:07:26.819 the capacity to even look at it and it's like 00:07:26.819 --> 00:07:29.579 it filled up the capacity and I was ready to 00:07:29.579 --> 00:07:35.339 see that thing. And kind of the shedding off 00:07:35.339 --> 00:07:38.779 the world as you enter there, you get the clarity, 00:07:39.139 --> 00:07:42.720 the blinders come off. And we've said time and 00:07:42.720 --> 00:07:44.720 time again, the power of the temple is that you 00:07:44.720 --> 00:07:47.519 can take the power of the temple out of the temple 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:52.579 with you. But I would say, I've personally felt 00:07:52.579 --> 00:07:55.079 like leaving the burdens of the world behind 00:07:55.079 --> 00:07:57.060 and entering the temple. Things didn't resolve 00:07:57.060 --> 00:07:58.819 themselves, and I'm knowing I'm coming back to 00:07:58.819 --> 00:08:01.699 them when I come out of it, but I do get infused 00:08:01.699 --> 00:08:03.720 with like a certain power that I don't feel elsewhere. 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:05.920 And probably it is because the things that have 00:08:05.920 --> 00:08:08.060 been heavy on my mind, I use my agency, get in 00:08:08.060 --> 00:08:09.839 the car, go to the temple with time I don't have, 00:08:10.180 --> 00:08:12.240 get answers that I never deserved, you wanted 00:08:12.240 --> 00:08:14.879 to give me anyway, and it just changes the perspective. 00:08:15.019 --> 00:08:21.899 I was blind and now I see. Love that, Abby. Elder 00:08:21.899 --> 00:08:24.379 Holland talked about the instrument of truth 00:08:24.379 --> 00:08:26.199 that brought healing from the Lord coming through 00:08:26.199 --> 00:08:28.379 the pages of the Book of Mormon, another testament 00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:31.329 of Jesus Christ. The claims about this book have 00:08:31.329 --> 00:08:33.450 been attacked and dismissed by some unbelievers, 00:08:33.690 --> 00:08:35.649 angrily telling one who has seen the truthfulness 00:08:35.649 --> 00:08:38.289 manifest in their own life that they can't believe 00:08:38.289 --> 00:08:40.370 what this book teaches, often the same level 00:08:40.370 --> 00:08:43.090 of angers as the Pharisees of Jesus' time. The 00:08:43.090 --> 00:08:47.070 means by which this book came to be were impractical, 00:08:47.409 --> 00:08:49.649 unbelievable, embarrassing, and even unholy. 00:08:49.889 --> 00:08:52.879 We know that it was translated by the power and 00:08:52.879 --> 00:08:55.159 gift of God. The impact of the Book of Mormon 00:08:55.159 --> 00:08:57.960 in my life is no less miraculous than was the 00:08:57.960 --> 00:09:00.200 application of spit and dirt placed on the blind 00:09:00.200 --> 00:09:03.179 man's eyes." That is his direct quote. So good. 00:09:03.820 --> 00:09:06.259 I add my testimony of this book to Elder Holland's 00:09:06.259 --> 00:09:09.379 testimony. This, I just finished it again, you 00:09:09.379 --> 00:09:10.740 know, at the end of the year, it actually ended 00:09:10.740 --> 00:09:13.139 up being January 3rd. But this book has allowed 00:09:13.139 --> 00:09:16.139 us to view the Savior's universal love and redeeming 00:09:16.139 --> 00:09:18.799 grace. And it just brings a softness and the 00:09:18.799 --> 00:09:21.840 spirit into our lives daily as we take some time 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:25.360 to read from it. And, you know, I think we all 00:09:25.360 --> 00:09:28.549 remember. when he was doing his when he defended 00:09:28.549 --> 00:09:30.669 the Book of Mormon. I mean, we all stood there 00:09:30.669 --> 00:09:33.529 and just listened to the power of his testimony 00:09:33.529 --> 00:09:36.769 and him saying like, essentially, when I get 00:09:36.769 --> 00:09:41.490 to the other side, I want to be someone who proclaimed 00:09:41.490 --> 00:09:44.690 with all of my heart, the truthfulness of the 00:09:44.690 --> 00:09:48.230 Book of Mormon. I love that he has defended his 00:09:48.230 --> 00:09:50.570 testimony of this book his entire life. And even 00:09:50.570 --> 00:09:54.039 though he has since passed on after the incredible 00:09:54.039 --> 00:09:56.139 years of service offered as a disciple of Jesus 00:09:56.139 --> 00:09:58.960 Christ, his testimony and his teachings will 00:09:58.960 --> 00:10:01.460 live on and continue to bless those who are metaphorically 00:10:01.460 --> 00:10:06.240 blind that desire to see. And I did notice in 00:10:06.240 --> 00:10:08.440 the lineup we do have coming up Matthew Holland, 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:12.620 so I'm like, it's so wonderful. We'll have these 00:10:12.620 --> 00:10:16.679 words to feast on time and time again, but I 00:10:16.679 --> 00:10:19.179 love, did you get to listen to the remarks for 00:10:19.179 --> 00:10:23.049 his No, I started them, I can't do it again. 00:10:23.049 --> 00:10:25.309 It's recorded and I just think all three of his 00:10:25.309 --> 00:10:27.350 children are such a testament to the life that 00:10:27.350 --> 00:10:30.970 he lived. And like, I do recognize they had to 00:10:30.970 --> 00:10:34.710 share their dad most of their lives, but I think 00:10:34.710 --> 00:10:36.850 they did so happily because they know that that 00:10:36.850 --> 00:10:39.190 was what his life purpose was meant to be. And, 00:10:39.190 --> 00:10:41.649 you know, he took some heat for some of the things 00:10:41.649 --> 00:10:43.669 they said, but I think you described him perfectly. 00:10:43.769 --> 00:10:47.399 I think he was a powerful... powerful at testifying 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:50.379 of truth, not backing down from it. But if given 00:10:50.379 --> 00:10:52.200 the opportunity, if it hurts somebody's feeling 00:10:52.200 --> 00:10:56.000 something that he said, I got the opportunity 00:10:56.000 --> 00:10:59.600 to give a talk about Elder Holland today in sacrament 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:01.360 meetings. So I kind of deep dived in the last 00:11:01.360 --> 00:11:02.799 year of his life and some things that he said 00:11:02.799 --> 00:11:04.480 and, you know, find some stories. People want 00:11:04.480 --> 00:11:06.620 to be offended by something he says, but he took 00:11:06.620 --> 00:11:09.139 these people that, you know, people are having 00:11:09.139 --> 00:11:12.750 this, you know. Anger about him saying things 00:11:12.750 --> 00:11:15.190 to if he had he has had one -on -one opportunities 00:11:15.190 --> 00:11:17.269 to speak with him and they felt nothing but love 00:11:17.269 --> 00:11:19.710 from him Sometimes it's not the thing you want 00:11:19.710 --> 00:11:21.909 to hear if you're making a choice That's contrary 00:11:21.909 --> 00:11:24.529 to the word of God and you hear somebody invite 00:11:24.529 --> 00:11:27.250 you back and call you to repentance You know 00:11:27.250 --> 00:11:29.870 in the way that he does it. It's it's so soft 00:11:29.870 --> 00:11:31.769 It pierces you a little bit differently then 00:11:31.769 --> 00:11:33.529 to be yelled at you, but somebody yelled at you 00:11:33.529 --> 00:11:35.519 kind of like but they know they don't really 00:11:35.519 --> 00:11:38.059 love me. The way that he does it is with so much 00:11:38.059 --> 00:11:39.940 love, it tends to prick a little bit differently 00:11:39.940 --> 00:11:41.700 and so makes you uncomfortable because you're 00:11:41.700 --> 00:11:43.259 like, yeah, I really do need to do that thing. 00:11:43.860 --> 00:11:47.240 I should take that invitation and I don't know, 00:11:47.299 --> 00:11:50.740 he doesn't need me to sit and defend him. I think 00:11:50.740 --> 00:11:53.399 his record stands for itself. I think his testimony 00:11:53.399 --> 00:11:57.519 stands for itself. Everything that I read about 00:11:57.519 --> 00:11:59.820 Him, I just want to add my testimony to the things 00:11:59.820 --> 00:12:02.559 that He said. I want to be as powerful in the 00:12:02.559 --> 00:12:04.940 way that it's articulated, but a big message, 00:12:05.019 --> 00:12:07.000 like we were talking about, the big message that 00:12:07.000 --> 00:12:08.460 He had when He was in that four weeks between 00:12:08.460 --> 00:12:10.799 life and death, when He came back, He felt like 00:12:10.799 --> 00:12:12.899 He had a charge to speak to the church and say 00:12:12.899 --> 00:12:16.019 a couple of things. If you think you pray enough, 00:12:16.299 --> 00:12:19.100 pray more. Pray always. And He's like, I'm somebody 00:12:19.100 --> 00:12:21.179 that thinks that I always pray. He's like, and 00:12:21.179 --> 00:12:25.120 I'm even being told, pray more. test, if you 00:12:25.120 --> 00:12:28.360 think, you know, testify more. What else? Did 00:12:28.360 --> 00:12:29.779 I miss something? I was just thinking those two 00:12:29.779 --> 00:12:31.740 things, testify of Christ more and pray more. 00:12:31.740 --> 00:12:33.220 And you know, like that was his whole life, like 00:12:33.220 --> 00:12:35.100 for the last 65 years, he's been testifying of 00:12:35.100 --> 00:12:37.240 Christ, but if he's hearing that message, you 00:12:37.240 --> 00:12:41.100 think you testify, testify more. I'll add my 00:12:41.100 --> 00:12:43.039 testimony to that, that the more that you do 00:12:43.039 --> 00:12:45.500 that, it's probably going to become more dangerous 00:12:45.500 --> 00:12:48.240 to do so, but there will be more power bestowed 00:12:48.240 --> 00:12:50.360 on those that take that challenge, even amidst 00:12:50.360 --> 00:12:52.799 the dangers of doing it. Live for the church. 00:12:53.710 --> 00:12:55.889 He was asked, would you be willing to die for 00:12:55.889 --> 00:12:58.009 the church? Would you give your life for it? 00:12:58.110 --> 00:13:01.250 He's like, I give my life every day. Dying would 00:13:01.250 --> 00:13:04.870 be an easy part, but I'm doing that. Such a good 00:13:04.870 --> 00:13:07.629 point. We're asked to do such a small portion 00:13:07.629 --> 00:13:13.009 of that, but we get innumerable blessings, you 00:13:13.009 --> 00:13:14.750 know, in the portion that we're able to provide 00:13:14.750 --> 00:13:18.429 there. So, did you finish any last thoughts that 00:13:18.429 --> 00:13:20.659 you had? definitely shared them. I just loved 00:13:20.659 --> 00:13:22.899 him and I'm so grateful for his life and for 00:13:22.899 --> 00:13:25.460 his testimony and for the fact that he gets to 00:13:25.460 --> 00:13:27.840 leave behind so much. Just in conference talks 00:13:27.840 --> 00:13:31.120 alone, you can go back and he built a case for 00:13:31.120 --> 00:13:33.679 Jesus Christ. He built a case for the truthfulness 00:13:33.679 --> 00:13:35.940 of the Book of Mormon and I just love it. I didn't 00:13:35.940 --> 00:13:37.820 get to articulate this well in my talk, so here's 00:13:37.820 --> 00:13:40.440 my second chance at doing it. What I loved about 00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:42.720 President Holland, what I will always love about 00:13:42.720 --> 00:13:47.399 him, is that he could take a single scripture 00:13:47.399 --> 00:13:50.049 reference. and a phrase in a scripture reference, 00:13:50.490 --> 00:13:55.509 like, now I see, or as a child, or we can go 00:13:55.509 --> 00:13:56.789 back and back and back. And I'm like, all of 00:13:56.789 --> 00:13:58.629 them were, they were bangers. They were so good. 00:13:58.710 --> 00:14:03.350 I will go to them again and again. And he helped 00:14:03.350 --> 00:14:05.570 me who kind of feels like, I don't feel scared 00:14:05.570 --> 00:14:07.210 about the scriptures. I love the Book of Mormon. 00:14:07.889 --> 00:14:10.009 It speaks to my heart, like the other books I 00:14:10.009 --> 00:14:12.730 have to like, like pump myself up for. And I 00:14:12.730 --> 00:14:14.309 really get something out of them when I get into 00:14:14.309 --> 00:14:17.350 them. But he more than any other speaker in my 00:14:17.350 --> 00:14:21.909 lifetime, helped me to see, like, there's such 00:14:21.909 --> 00:14:24.190 a depth to the scriptures, depending on what 00:14:24.190 --> 00:14:25.769 you need and what you're ready for. I know that 00:14:25.769 --> 00:14:28.009 the answers are in there, but he helped me see, 00:14:28.149 --> 00:14:29.970 like, so many times I'd be like, oh, I've heard 00:14:29.970 --> 00:14:31.710 that story before and I've never saw it that 00:14:31.710 --> 00:14:35.529 way. It makes me excited to, you know, continue 00:14:35.529 --> 00:14:37.769 to devote more time and know that the person 00:14:37.769 --> 00:14:41.730 I am 20 years from now will be, in part, thanks 00:14:41.730 --> 00:14:46.289 to how he impressed me to look for that next 00:14:46.289 --> 00:14:49.279 layer, for that next ... a little bit. So just 00:14:49.279 --> 00:14:52.460 with gratitude, we acknowledge his passing and 00:14:52.460 --> 00:14:54.620 we're just so grateful for the life that he had. 00:14:55.120 --> 00:14:58.639 And to close this, we'll end with his final words 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.230 at the pulpit. He said, I have been at the edge 00:15:01.230 --> 00:15:03.330 of death and back. I have walked with kings and 00:15:03.330 --> 00:15:05.690 prophets with presidents and apostles. Best of 00:15:05.690 --> 00:15:07.970 all, I have had times been overwhelmed by the 00:15:07.970 --> 00:15:11.070 Spirit of God. I trust that my witness should 00:15:11.070 --> 00:15:13.690 be given at least some consideration here. I 00:15:13.690 --> 00:15:16.210 came to my whole -souled conviction that the 00:15:16.210 --> 00:15:17.809 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day Saints 00:15:17.809 --> 00:15:20.070 is a true restoration of the New Testament Church 00:15:20.070 --> 00:15:23.009 and more because I could not deny the evidence 00:15:23.009 --> 00:15:25.990 of that restoration. Since those first experiences, 00:15:26.070 --> 00:15:29.309 I suppose that I have had a thousand, ten thousand. 00:15:30.979 --> 00:15:34.779 And I noted this great orator rather than speaking 00:15:34.779 --> 00:15:37.899 his final words of the pulpit. He's saying, amazing 00:15:37.899 --> 00:15:40.379 grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch 00:15:40.379 --> 00:15:42.779 like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:46.320 was blind, but now I see. And he ended this in 00:15:46.320 --> 00:15:49.980 the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen, Abby. Thank 00:15:49.980 --> 00:15:51.720 you so much for being with us this week. We'll 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:52.460 catch you next time.