WEBVTT 00:00:02.359 --> 00:00:04.639 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, 00:00:04.860 --> 00:00:06.719 where two friends who love Jesus share our own 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:08.539 approach to studying the most recent General 00:00:08.539 --> 00:00:11.480 Conference talks. This is Abby and Amy. Let's 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:32.560 jump into it. Today we get to speak about Forsake 00:00:32.560 --> 00:00:35.079 Not Your Own Mercy. This is done by Elder Matthew 00:00:35.079 --> 00:00:38.159 S. Holland of the Seventy. Hello listeners. We're 00:00:38.159 --> 00:00:41.079 so happy you joined us today. We are so glad 00:00:41.079 --> 00:00:43.640 that Matthew Holland was able to speak because 00:00:43.640 --> 00:00:48.240 the Holland legacy continues. This son of his 00:00:48.240 --> 00:00:52.979 has his skill of oratory, beautiful imagery, 00:00:53.600 --> 00:00:56.060 retelling scriptural accounts. and the ability 00:00:56.060 --> 00:00:58.380 to just take a simple phrase and expound on it. 00:00:58.500 --> 00:01:00.640 I don't know that I've read, for sake not your 00:01:00.640 --> 00:01:03.740 own mercy, like that so powerfully, but just 00:01:03.740 --> 00:01:06.540 like his dad, he makes you pause on one phrase. 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:11.260 And this talk speaks to the power Jonah's story 00:01:11.260 --> 00:01:13.879 offers every humble seeker of happiness, especially 00:01:13.879 --> 00:01:16.439 those who are struggling. We know God commanded 00:01:16.439 --> 00:01:18.700 Jonah to go to Nineveh to declare repentance. 00:01:19.000 --> 00:01:21.409 Nineveh was ancient Israel's brutal enemy. So 00:01:21.409 --> 00:01:23.849 of course Jonah decides to go completely opposite 00:01:23.849 --> 00:01:27.010 of that plan, heads in the opposite direction 00:01:27.010 --> 00:01:30.010 by boat to Tarshish, and as he sails away from 00:01:30.010 --> 00:01:33.030 his calling, a shipwrecking storm develops. Certain, 00:01:33.189 --> 00:01:35.750 his disobedience is the cause. Jonah volunteers 00:01:35.750 --> 00:01:38.430 to be thrown overboard. This does calm the raging 00:01:38.430 --> 00:01:41.230 sea, which saves his shipmates. Miraculously, 00:01:41.450 --> 00:01:43.609 Jonah escapes death when a great fish the Lord 00:01:43.609 --> 00:01:45.790 prepared swallows him, but he languishes in that 00:01:45.790 --> 00:01:48.170 unbelievably dark and putrid place for three 00:01:48.170 --> 00:01:51.090 days until he finally is spit out on dry ground, 00:01:51.450 --> 00:01:53.969 and then he accepts his call to Nineveh. Yet 00:01:53.969 --> 00:01:55.930 when the city repents and is spared destruction, 00:01:56.109 --> 00:01:59.769 Jonah resents the mercy shown his enemies. God 00:01:59.769 --> 00:02:02.709 patiently teaches Jonah again that he loves and 00:02:02.709 --> 00:02:06.409 seeks to rescue all his children. relentless 00:02:06.409 --> 00:02:09.389 pursuit. Right, another lesson for him. I always 00:02:09.389 --> 00:02:11.310 remember this story by Jonah and the whale, you 00:02:11.310 --> 00:02:13.490 know, since I was a kid. I don't remember the 00:02:13.490 --> 00:02:15.610 part about the inhabitants of the city repenting 00:02:15.610 --> 00:02:18.430 and then Jonah resenting the Lord over it. I 00:02:18.430 --> 00:02:21.050 forgot that part and I am just again reminded 00:02:21.050 --> 00:02:24.770 of that. This is another layer of humanity and 00:02:24.770 --> 00:02:29.990 the natural man and that all are fallen. Elder 00:02:29.990 --> 00:02:32.009 Holland talks about a testimony of the fall, 00:02:32.069 --> 00:02:35.379 which is not often discussed. He points out that 00:02:35.379 --> 00:02:37.699 having a doctoral understanding and a spiritual 00:02:37.699 --> 00:02:40.560 witness of why every single one of us struggles 00:02:40.560 --> 00:02:43.819 with moral, physical, and situational challenges 00:02:43.819 --> 00:02:48.919 is a great blessing. It's super fascinating that 00:02:48.919 --> 00:02:50.939 the experience just happened to Jonah. He was 00:02:50.939 --> 00:02:52.800 commanded by the Lord to do something. He chose 00:02:52.800 --> 00:02:55.400 not to. He turned away from it, and the Lord 00:02:55.400 --> 00:02:59.180 gave him his agency to turn away and go. some 00:02:59.180 --> 00:03:00.759 circumstances were put in his way that he had 00:03:00.759 --> 00:03:02.919 to, you know, be called to repentance support. 00:03:03.840 --> 00:03:05.919 But moments later when he actually does go to 00:03:05.919 --> 00:03:08.379 Nineveh and he's been called there as a prophet 00:03:08.379 --> 00:03:10.020 to go preach the word because they've turned 00:03:10.020 --> 00:03:12.939 away and given an opportunity to turn to. I'm 00:03:12.939 --> 00:03:16.620 like, you know, my one personality would be like, 00:03:17.080 --> 00:03:22.990 you know, wow, that's ... That's crazy, but how 00:03:22.990 --> 00:03:25.330 am I going to like Jonah? Right? Where you forget 00:03:25.330 --> 00:03:27.590 that? Yeah. I didn't follow through that thought. 00:03:27.830 --> 00:03:30.330 Like how crazy is it that Jonah didn't see, you 00:03:30.330 --> 00:03:33.789 know, the beauty and just that God wants this 00:03:33.789 --> 00:03:37.259 for his children too. But I'm like, yes. When 00:03:37.259 --> 00:03:39.520 I stories are so great, when I really take a 00:03:39.520 --> 00:03:42.979 look at it, I'm like, Oh, yeah, I'm Jonah. My 00:03:42.979 --> 00:03:45.780 sins are fine, but your sins are a problem for 00:03:45.780 --> 00:03:50.439 me. I love it. So he says here on earth, ugly 00:03:50.439 --> 00:03:54.189 weeds grow. even strong bones break and all come 00:03:54.189 --> 00:03:57.150 short of the glory of God." Love that. Such a 00:03:57.150 --> 00:04:00.310 great reminder to each of us, right? He really, 00:04:00.310 --> 00:04:02.810 he really like hits home. It's a great reminder 00:04:02.810 --> 00:04:05.409 to each of us that we are all fallen, not just 00:04:05.409 --> 00:04:07.710 those we esteem our enemies or that have different 00:04:07.710 --> 00:04:10.050 views or beliefs. He goes on to say that this 00:04:10.050 --> 00:04:12.530 mortal condition, a result of choices made by 00:04:12.530 --> 00:04:15.370 Adam and Eve, is essential to the very reason 00:04:15.370 --> 00:04:19.180 that we exist. That we might have joy as our 00:04:19.180 --> 00:04:22.000 first parents learned only by fast tasting the 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:24.360 bitterness and feeling the pain of a fallen world 00:04:24.360 --> 00:04:27.959 Could we even conceive of let alone enjoy true 00:04:27.959 --> 00:04:30.600 happiness? That's a lot to take in the fall our 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:32.420 own foibles and struggles within this mortal 00:04:32.420 --> 00:04:34.920 existence And that it's all essential that we 00:04:34.920 --> 00:04:38.579 might have joy just a lot right there kind of 00:04:38.579 --> 00:04:41.730 an elementary Discussion of this but it came 00:04:41.730 --> 00:04:43.490 it came from my teenager and I and I thought 00:04:43.490 --> 00:04:45.509 a lot about it So I'm like, you know how kids 00:04:45.509 --> 00:04:47.269 are good at teaching you but we were having this 00:04:47.269 --> 00:04:49.670 conversation about vacations When people ask 00:04:49.670 --> 00:04:51.670 what my husband and I do for fun if they say 00:04:51.670 --> 00:04:53.149 Adam, what do you guys do for fun? He's like 00:04:53.149 --> 00:04:55.449 we like to work I don't know that we like to 00:04:55.449 --> 00:04:58.149 work, but we do find joy in projects right right 00:04:58.149 --> 00:05:01.180 for sure, but because we do the work When we 00:05:01.180 --> 00:05:03.800 have a vacation, we really love the vacation. 00:05:04.439 --> 00:05:05.959 And so Maddie and I were having this conversation, 00:05:06.360 --> 00:05:08.199 you know, there are some people, they get to 00:05:08.199 --> 00:05:09.899 vacation quite a bit. You would look at it and 00:05:09.899 --> 00:05:11.680 be like, man, there's a lot of vacations there. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:14.300 That's so great. But if it doesn't pair with 00:05:14.300 --> 00:05:17.399 hard work also, yeah, which she was explaining 00:05:17.399 --> 00:05:19.319 to me, that's what she was looking at. That's 00:05:19.319 --> 00:05:20.759 what she was learning from the lesson. She's 00:05:20.759 --> 00:05:23.899 like, I think the fun of vacations kind of leaves 00:05:23.899 --> 00:05:26.540 if you don't. have to work. Absolutely. Like, 00:05:26.800 --> 00:05:28.759 I think that's true. By the sweat of your brow? 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:32.459 Oh, yeah. There was another great reminder in 00:05:32.459 --> 00:05:34.600 this talk, a testimony of the fault does not 00:05:34.600 --> 00:05:36.920 excuse sin or lacks approach in life's duties, 00:05:37.000 --> 00:05:39.199 which always call for diligence, virtue, and 00:05:39.199 --> 00:05:41.339 accountability, but it should temper our frustrations 00:05:41.339 --> 00:05:44.279 when things don't always go right. When things 00:05:44.279 --> 00:05:46.759 go wrong, when we see our mortal failings in 00:05:46.759 --> 00:05:49.279 a family member, a friend, a leader, ourselves, 00:05:50.259 --> 00:05:53.720 it was all. destined to happen, was going to 00:05:53.720 --> 00:05:56.160 happen by virtue of the fall. Right. Cause all 00:05:56.160 --> 00:05:57.879 of us fall short. Right. Some people will try 00:05:57.879 --> 00:06:00.300 to be like, well, he made me do that. He gave 00:06:00.300 --> 00:06:02.899 you the option to choose how that was going to 00:06:02.899 --> 00:06:05.980 go. But, but because undoubtedly you have some 00:06:05.980 --> 00:06:08.459 of the time you were going to pick and me too, 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:10.879 I'm included in this one, pick the wrong path. 00:06:10.939 --> 00:06:13.639 There was always a way to get back. Yes. Yes. 00:06:13.779 --> 00:06:16.019 And, and I think we've all experienced one of, 00:06:16.120 --> 00:06:17.939 one of these frustrations in our life too often 00:06:17.939 --> 00:06:21.509 things like this causes to just wallow in criticism 00:06:21.509 --> 00:06:24.790 or resentment, and that will rob us of our faith. 00:06:25.389 --> 00:06:27.889 A firm testimony of the fall can help us be more 00:06:27.889 --> 00:06:31.250 like God, as described by Jonah, that is merciful, 00:06:31.509 --> 00:06:33.730 slow to anger, and of great kindness to all, 00:06:33.790 --> 00:06:36.089 including ourselves, in our unavoidably imperfect 00:06:36.089 --> 00:06:39.550 state. I like that he always reminds us ourselves 00:06:39.550 --> 00:06:42.470 are included. As we learn to forgive others for 00:06:42.470 --> 00:06:44.209 their foibles, the things that they do wrong, 00:06:44.649 --> 00:06:45.829 we become more forgiving of ourselves, because 00:06:45.829 --> 00:06:51.029 I think we're our own worst critic. enemy. So 00:06:51.029 --> 00:06:53.490 interesting, a firm testimony of the fall. Have 00:06:53.490 --> 00:06:56.209 you heard anybody ever say that? I don't recall 00:06:56.209 --> 00:06:57.689 it being like that. I've never thought of it 00:06:57.689 --> 00:07:00.629 as a testimony of the fall before, but I'm starting 00:07:00.629 --> 00:07:03.370 to get it now. Like, yes, having strong testimonies 00:07:03.370 --> 00:07:06.029 of work. When that sits on you, that phrase about 00:07:06.029 --> 00:07:08.009 they have to know sorrow so that they can know 00:07:08.009 --> 00:07:11.470 joy, that bit in the temple, it strikes me pretty 00:07:11.470 --> 00:07:13.550 heavily. That they bore their testimony on it. 00:07:13.810 --> 00:07:17.930 It's so great. Yeah, it's really cool. So even 00:07:17.930 --> 00:07:20.149 greater than manifesting the effects of the fall, 00:07:20.930 --> 00:07:23.769 Jonah's story powerfully directs us to Him who 00:07:23.769 --> 00:07:26.889 can deliver us from the effects. So here are 00:07:26.889 --> 00:07:29.170 a few pieces of symbolism in this story that 00:07:29.170 --> 00:07:31.970 point to Christ himself. So Jonah's self -sacrifice 00:07:31.970 --> 00:07:35.069 to save his shipmates is Christ -like. When questioned 00:07:35.069 --> 00:07:37.189 about his own divinity, Jesus answered, There 00:07:37.189 --> 00:07:39.389 shall no sign be given but the sign of Jonah. 00:07:39.790 --> 00:07:41.629 Three days and three nights in the whale's belly, 00:07:42.029 --> 00:07:44.209 so shall the Son of Man be three days and three 00:07:44.209 --> 00:07:47.779 nights in the heart of the earth. He points out 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:50.850 that. Elder Holland points out that as a symbol 00:07:50.850 --> 00:07:53.350 of the Savior's sacrificial death and glorious 00:07:53.350 --> 00:07:55.850 resurrection, Jonah may be flawed, right? That 00:07:55.850 --> 00:07:58.389 might be a flawed thing, but this is also what 00:07:58.389 --> 00:08:00.949 makes his personal witness of and commitment 00:08:00.949 --> 00:08:03.029 to Jesus Christ offered in the belly of the whale 00:08:03.029 --> 00:08:05.509 so poignant and so inspiring. I think what he's 00:08:05.509 --> 00:08:08.290 saying is, just like you said, Abby, we're all 00:08:08.290 --> 00:08:10.850 Jonah at some point. So we can see, yeah, it 00:08:10.850 --> 00:08:12.829 might be flawed, but it's a great, you know, 00:08:12.990 --> 00:08:15.490 even Christ himself pointed to this story as 00:08:15.490 --> 00:08:18.839 being part of that. Jonah's cry is that of a 00:08:18.839 --> 00:08:21.040 good man in crisis, one largely of his own making. 00:08:21.180 --> 00:08:22.759 I was just going to say, there are other talks. 00:08:23.399 --> 00:08:25.579 Sometimes the lessons that we learn in life that 00:08:25.579 --> 00:08:27.319 draw us closer to Jesus Christ, the pains, the 00:08:27.319 --> 00:08:29.079 sorrows, the things that we go through, are not 00:08:29.079 --> 00:08:32.259 at the hand of our own, causing. Or the wife 00:08:32.259 --> 00:08:35.279 of a cheating spouse, or, you know, bereaved 00:08:35.279 --> 00:08:38.779 parent, or cancer, or something. You're not like, 00:08:38.779 --> 00:08:41.460 oh, Amy deserves cancer, or give that to her. 00:08:41.500 --> 00:08:43.840 She did this, that's why she got cancer. But 00:08:43.840 --> 00:08:45.659 when we started talking about the story, I'm 00:08:45.659 --> 00:08:48.600 like, Jonah is the perfect example of when we 00:08:48.600 --> 00:08:50.559 know what we should be choosing and we choose 00:08:50.559 --> 00:08:54.200 the opposite direction 180 We can we totally 00:08:54.200 --> 00:08:55.960 have the right to make that choice. Yeah, but 00:08:55.960 --> 00:09:01.200 it does have consequences. Yes, so Whatever the 00:09:01.200 --> 00:09:03.539 cause or degree of the disaster we face there 00:09:03.539 --> 00:09:06.779 is always dry ground for hope healing and happiness 00:09:06.779 --> 00:09:09.340 This is what Jonah says I cried by reason of 00:09:09.340 --> 00:09:11.519 mine affliction unto the Lord out of the belly 00:09:11.519 --> 00:09:14.600 of hell cried I, for thou hast cast me into the 00:09:14.600 --> 00:09:17.519 deep in the midst of the seas, and I said, I 00:09:17.519 --> 00:09:19.899 am cast out of thy sight, yet I will look again 00:09:19.899 --> 00:09:22.399 towards thy holy temple. The waters compassed 00:09:22.399 --> 00:09:25.000 me, and even to the soul the depths closed round 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:26.960 about me, the weeds were wrapped around my head. 00:09:27.379 --> 00:09:29.440 I went down to the bottoms of the mountains, 00:09:29.799 --> 00:09:32.379 meaning away from his temple covenants, right? 00:09:33.039 --> 00:09:36.120 Yet hast thou brought up unto my life from corruption. 00:09:36.279 --> 00:09:38.340 When my soul fainted, I remembered the Lord, 00:09:38.360 --> 00:09:41.960 and my prayer came into thine holy temple." They 00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:44.240 that observe lying vanities forsake their own 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.440 mercy, but I will sacrifice unto thee with a 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:50.080 voice of thanksgiving I will pay that That I 00:09:50.080 --> 00:09:53.340 have vowed salvation is of the Lord that mean 00:09:53.340 --> 00:09:56.720 powerful Yeah, I mean his testimony is powerful 00:09:56.720 --> 00:09:59.679 after coming from the depths of despair and hell 00:09:59.679 --> 00:10:03.259 as he called it and back again It is the testimony 00:10:03.259 --> 00:10:05.490 that I feel when people have turned away from 00:10:05.490 --> 00:10:07.309 the church and come back and they testify of 00:10:07.309 --> 00:10:09.490 that. I appreciate those testimonies. I've said 00:10:09.490 --> 00:10:12.309 that a million times. I'll keep saying it. It's 00:10:12.309 --> 00:10:14.230 powerful when you've been away and then you come 00:10:14.230 --> 00:10:18.649 back just. Absolutely. Because then you are even 00:10:18.649 --> 00:10:22.750 more convicted, meaning you want to be tied to 00:10:22.750 --> 00:10:24.870 Christ even more. Like He has saved you. Like, 00:10:25.250 --> 00:10:27.850 hey, guys, I've been away from it. It's not cool. 00:10:27.970 --> 00:10:30.409 I'm coming back. I'm staying. Yeah. And even 00:10:30.409 --> 00:10:33.240 in my own heart, like when I've really scene 00:10:33.240 --> 00:10:35.600 doesn't matter what I've done if I've turned 00:10:35.600 --> 00:10:40.120 from Christ in any way or if I've had I Need 00:10:40.120 --> 00:10:41.940 to reconcile myself with my brother, whatever 00:10:41.940 --> 00:10:45.440 it is when I view myself rightly I feel this 00:10:45.440 --> 00:10:48.539 exact same way I'm just in awe that a Savior 00:10:48.539 --> 00:10:51.720 was already provided for me a sinner and that 00:10:51.720 --> 00:10:54.159 I can come back and take full advantage of my 00:10:54.159 --> 00:10:56.559 covenants and just everything like I can do that 00:10:56.559 --> 00:10:58.500 every day I can do that every week that I need 00:10:58.500 --> 00:11:02.899 to that is a blessing I love this part because 00:11:02.899 --> 00:11:07.279 Elder Matthew Holland shared this very personal 00:11:07.279 --> 00:11:09.059 information. He says, though it was many years 00:11:09.059 --> 00:11:11.759 ago, I can tell you exactly where I was sitting 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:15.100 and exactly what I was feeling when deep in the 00:11:15.100 --> 00:11:18.559 belly of a person. Right? I discovered this scripture. 00:11:18.940 --> 00:11:20.860 He shows his personal testimony of this particular 00:11:20.860 --> 00:11:23.480 scripture and then he offers this. for all of 00:11:23.480 --> 00:11:25.659 us, right? He says, for anyone today, feeling 00:11:25.659 --> 00:11:28.919 like I did then, that you are cast off, sinking 00:11:28.919 --> 00:11:31.379 in deepest waters with seaweed wrapped around 00:11:31.379 --> 00:11:33.360 your head and oceanic mountains crashing all 00:11:33.360 --> 00:11:36.899 around you. My plea inspired by Jonah is forsake 00:11:36.899 --> 00:11:39.779 not your own mercy. Here we are at the title 00:11:39.779 --> 00:11:41.679 of the talk itself, forsake not your own mercy. 00:11:41.860 --> 00:11:44.279 What a powerful phrase. Like we talked about, 00:11:44.279 --> 00:11:46.000 this is the one thing that he took out of scripture 00:11:46.000 --> 00:11:49.440 that is just so strong. Even when we feel like 00:11:49.440 --> 00:11:53.029 we're fallen, He reminds us of our moral agency. 00:11:53.230 --> 00:11:55.529 So even when we feel like we're fallen, maybe 00:11:55.529 --> 00:11:57.909 at our own doing, that we still have a choice. 00:11:57.929 --> 00:12:00.669 We can always return to our Savior. Now is always 00:12:00.669 --> 00:12:02.529 a good time to repent, regardless of what Satan 00:12:02.529 --> 00:12:04.710 would have us believe. Here's the central point 00:12:04.710 --> 00:12:07.789 of his entire talk. If we walk away with nothing 00:12:07.789 --> 00:12:10.049 more than these two sentences deep within our 00:12:10.049 --> 00:12:11.889 hearts, then Elder Holland has done his job. 00:12:12.250 --> 00:12:15.809 He says this, you have immediate access to divine 00:12:15.809 --> 00:12:19.149 help and healing despite your human flaws. This 00:12:19.149 --> 00:12:21.789 awe -inspiring mercy comes in and through Jesus 00:12:21.789 --> 00:12:25.769 Christ. It's powerful. The way he speaks, he 00:12:25.769 --> 00:12:29.309 evokes so much of the Spirit that his father, 00:12:29.570 --> 00:12:36.169 Jeffrey R. Holland, had to share. I mean, I loved 00:12:36.169 --> 00:12:38.750 whenever he was in the lineup. I always looked 00:12:38.750 --> 00:12:41.519 forward to him. you know it's so great we can 00:12:41.519 --> 00:12:43.500 go back and reference old talks and hear that 00:12:43.500 --> 00:12:46.080 sweet voice but it is so awesome to know like 00:12:46.080 --> 00:12:49.580 the next generation is also trained up to speak 00:12:49.580 --> 00:12:53.519 so powerfully and to continue that legacy. And 00:12:53.519 --> 00:12:55.899 did you watch his, were you able to watch his 00:12:55.899 --> 00:12:59.279 funeral? Yes. All three of his children are just 00:12:59.279 --> 00:13:01.600 powerhouses and carry that same thing and you 00:13:01.600 --> 00:13:04.279 know rather than like mourning their father's 00:13:04.279 --> 00:13:06.620 death, reflected on, yeah, they gave up their 00:13:06.620 --> 00:13:08.519 father for a big portion of their lives, but 00:13:08.519 --> 00:13:10.360 I think they were proud to do it, and they know 00:13:10.360 --> 00:13:12.980 that the testimony that he stood on was, he just, 00:13:13.100 --> 00:13:14.659 he didn't give up time with his children for 00:13:14.659 --> 00:13:18.240 nothing, he gave it up for something that he 00:13:18.240 --> 00:13:20.600 felt was of such huge and great worth. Anyway, 00:13:20.820 --> 00:13:24.179 we see, we both see that in his sons, particularly, 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:27.179 but we consider this a spiritual gift, it's a 00:13:27.179 --> 00:13:30.399 spiritual gift of being an orator, and it was 00:13:30.399 --> 00:13:35.879 a strong familial gift. He goes on to say this, 00:13:36.019 --> 00:13:38.179 because He knows and loves you perfectly, He 00:13:38.179 --> 00:13:41.059 offers it to you as your own, meaning it's perfectly 00:13:41.059 --> 00:13:43.899 situated to you, designed to relieve your individual 00:13:43.899 --> 00:13:46.399 agonies and heal your particular pains. So for 00:13:46.399 --> 00:13:49.299 heaven's sake and yours, do not turn your back 00:13:49.299 --> 00:13:51.620 on that. Accept it. Start by refusing to listen 00:13:51.620 --> 00:13:54.139 to the lying vanities of the adversary who would 00:13:54.139 --> 00:13:55.980 tempt you into thinking that relief is found 00:13:55.980 --> 00:13:58.179 in sailing away from your spiritual responsibilities. 00:13:58.740 --> 00:14:00.820 Instead, follow the lead of the repentant Jonah 00:14:00.820 --> 00:14:03.309 crying to God, turned to the temple, cleaned 00:14:03.309 --> 00:14:05.490 your covenants, served the Lord, His Church, 00:14:05.590 --> 00:14:08.129 and others with sacrifice and thanksgiving." 00:14:08.129 --> 00:14:10.370 He says that as we do this, He says, doing these 00:14:10.370 --> 00:14:13.250 things brings a vision of God's special covenant 00:14:13.250 --> 00:14:15.929 love for you, what the Hebrew Bible calls hesed. 00:14:16.269 --> 00:14:18.929 You will see and feel the power of God's loyal, 00:14:19.330 --> 00:14:21.990 untiring, inexhaustible, and tender mercies that 00:14:21.990 --> 00:14:25.669 can make you mighty unto deliverance, unto deliverance 00:14:25.669 --> 00:14:29.620 from any sin or any setback. I feel like He could 00:14:29.620 --> 00:14:31.519 have done a mic drop like a few times during 00:14:31.519 --> 00:14:34.200 this talk. I want to cheer and just it was just 00:14:34.200 --> 00:14:37.320 so exciting for me. Yes, the promise that he 00:14:37.320 --> 00:14:40.080 made early and intense anguish may cloud your 00:14:40.080 --> 00:14:42.279 vision at first, but as you continue to pay that. 00:14:43.380 --> 00:14:46.240 what you've vowed, such a vision will shine brighter 00:14:46.240 --> 00:14:48.080 and brighter in your soul. And with that vision, 00:14:48.100 --> 00:14:49.940 you will not only find hope and healing, but 00:14:49.940 --> 00:14:53.000 astonishingly, you will find joy even in the 00:14:53.000 --> 00:14:55.299 midst of your crucible. Again, a very personal 00:14:55.299 --> 00:14:58.600 invitation to do these things for yourself. I'll 00:14:58.600 --> 00:15:00.700 say just some thoughts that have been going on 00:15:00.700 --> 00:15:03.899 in my head, because I, like you, kind of missed 00:15:03.899 --> 00:15:06.639 that the story is so centered around Joan and 00:15:06.639 --> 00:15:08.440 the whale, the three days in the belly and coming. 00:15:08.740 --> 00:15:11.120 It's a very type and shout of Jesus Christ and 00:15:11.120 --> 00:15:14.679 His resurrection. death and resurrection, missed 00:15:14.679 --> 00:15:18.860 the part where he goes to the city and he preaches 00:15:18.860 --> 00:15:20.240 repentance and they actually listen and he's 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:25.419 like, wait a minute. The thoughts have been opposite 00:15:25.419 --> 00:15:27.879 of that for me. I was thinking, oh, like sometimes, 00:15:28.019 --> 00:15:29.299 I'm not going to say a lot of times, but I would 00:15:29.299 --> 00:15:32.940 say sometimes we go about and we fulfill these 00:15:32.940 --> 00:15:36.240 roles, we serve these missions, we speak, we 00:15:36.240 --> 00:15:39.860 prophesy, we testify of Christ that that there 00:15:39.860 --> 00:15:43.240 was a fall, that a Savior was put into play, 00:15:43.460 --> 00:15:45.480 that we can rely on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, 00:15:45.480 --> 00:15:49.259 that we can make it back to Him, right? We do 00:15:49.259 --> 00:15:51.379 seem to think that it's easier to tell that to 00:15:51.379 --> 00:15:54.360 other people, and sometimes we do block ourselves. 00:15:54.980 --> 00:15:57.360 Meaning, forsake not your own mercy. Exactly. 00:15:57.360 --> 00:15:59.480 Don't stand in the way of it. Right. Yeah. It 00:15:59.480 --> 00:16:01.320 doesn't really pair well with the follow -up 00:16:01.320 --> 00:16:02.899 to the Jonah story, but the thoughts that have 00:16:02.899 --> 00:16:05.559 been going through my mind are … That message 00:16:05.559 --> 00:16:07.779 is true for all of the children of the world, 00:16:07.899 --> 00:16:09.759 regardless of what they've been doing in their 00:16:09.759 --> 00:16:12.720 lives. And it seems like a lot of times we can 00:16:12.720 --> 00:16:15.259 share that message, but the most important thing 00:16:15.259 --> 00:16:17.019 is to understand it for ourselves. We're more 00:16:17.019 --> 00:16:18.659 effective at sharing that message with others 00:16:18.659 --> 00:16:21.840 when we know it for ourselves. But too often, 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:25.440 we think these great and awesome things are for 00:16:25.440 --> 00:16:28.480 everybody else. And we know ourselves so intimately 00:16:28.480 --> 00:16:37.799 that that's there. We put, we put, we we put 00:16:37.799 --> 00:16:42.960 a Bond like a bond on the power that is to say 00:16:42.960 --> 00:16:45.860 like a restriction. Yeah. Well, he can do that 00:16:45.860 --> 00:16:47.600 for other people I can see the changes made in 00:16:47.600 --> 00:16:49.919 their lives, but like he can't he can't fix this 00:16:49.919 --> 00:16:51.940 thing for me That's just too bad. There's always 00:16:51.940 --> 00:16:54.320 like something. Mm -hmm. And it's just the plea. 00:16:54.379 --> 00:16:58.139 I think it's the plea of Brother Holland, Elder 00:16:58.139 --> 00:17:01.570 Holland, what is he? Don't forsake your own mercy 00:17:01.570 --> 00:17:03.629 that it's right in front of your face. It's been 00:17:03.629 --> 00:17:06.789 already given to everybody, especially you Do 00:17:06.789 --> 00:17:09.569 it. I love it. Take it. And he's such a ready 00:17:09.569 --> 00:17:12.230 any closing thoughts from you No, I'm just gonna 00:17:12.230 --> 00:17:15.750 if if you're okay, then I'm just gonna finish 00:17:15.750 --> 00:17:19.710 his words I love the end to Abby because if we 00:17:19.710 --> 00:17:21.809 haven't heard the message yet elder Holland leaves 00:17:21.809 --> 00:17:24.809 his final invitation and testimony and I absolutely 00:17:24.809 --> 00:17:27.250 echo his words with all my heart. He says, whether 00:17:27.250 --> 00:17:29.789 we are facing a deep Jonah -like catastrophe 00:17:29.789 --> 00:17:32.390 or the everyday challenges of our imperfect world, 00:17:32.490 --> 00:17:35.329 the invitation is the same. Forsake not your 00:17:35.329 --> 00:17:37.990 own mercy. Look to the sign of Jonah, the living 00:17:37.990 --> 00:17:40.670 Christ. He who rose from his three -day grave, 00:17:40.829 --> 00:17:44.529 having conquered all, for you. Turn to him, believe 00:17:44.529 --> 00:17:47.589 in him, serve him, smile. For in him and him 00:17:47.589 --> 00:17:49.869 alone is found the full and happy healing from 00:17:49.869 --> 00:17:53.640 the fall. healing that we all so urgently need 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:56.400 and humbly seek. I testify this is true in the 00:17:56.400 --> 00:17:59.160 sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. We'll 00:17:59.160 --> 00:17:59.880 catch you next time.