163 - Kathleen Clements - D&C 89-92 - 8/17/2025

[SPEAKER_03]: Welcome to the Come Follow Him Podcast. [SPEAKER_03]: This podcast is created by the Boise Nampa Institute of Religion for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. [SPEAKER_03]: Here, we hope to help young adults find relevant principles each week as they study the Assign Come Follow Me in Scripture Block as outlined by the Church. [SPEAKER_03]: This episode is simply two institutors talking about what they see in the Scriptures that might be relevant to your life.

[SPEAKER_03]: It is not intended to speak for the church or to definitively define doctrines or policies. [SPEAKER_03]: Any opinion shared here are just that. [SPEAKER_03]: Our opinions as we have learned to come follow him. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm your host Matt Swanson. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's jump in. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, welcome back everybody. [SPEAKER_03]: It's good to be with you again this week. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm excited to be with my friends. [SPEAKER_03]: Sister Kathleen Climitz again.

[SPEAKER_03]: Sister Climitz, welcome back. [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you, it's going to be back. [SPEAKER_03]: Good to have you back. [SPEAKER_03]: We're going to be in section eighty nine to ninety two today. [SPEAKER_03]: The bulk of our conversation will probably happen in section eighty nine.

[SPEAKER_03]: But we will we will for bear that and come and start maybe a ninety to ninety two when we get going here and and just by way of time I want to make sure we cover a few things in here and then spend the book of our time in section eighty nine, which is the word of wisdom. [SPEAKER_03]: So we'll get into that. [SPEAKER_03]: And maybe by way of introduction today, I know Sister Clement, you were on just not too long ago, maybe ten sections ago.

[SPEAKER_03]: And so we're kind of caught up in your life a little bit. [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe what would be kind of interesting is to have a conversation just briefly at the beginning here, since we're going to cover the word of wisdom. [SPEAKER_03]: about how the Word of Wisdom has influenced your life, my life, the ways that we see the council being given in the Word of Wisdom effect those that we love.

[SPEAKER_03]: I know before we hit record I was talking about how I've got two children in my family, my own personal family who are celiac [SPEAKER_03]: Children can't eat gluten because of the ways that we have modified our food and some things that way I've seen the word of wisdom bless my own life.

[SPEAKER_03]: And so just by way of maybe introduction just tell us how the word of wisdom has influenced you and then we'll jump in a ninety ninety one ninety two and then come back and book in the word of wisdom on there. [SPEAKER_03]: Is that fair? [SPEAKER_00]: That's perfect. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, mine instead of [SPEAKER_00]: The food is more of substances. [SPEAKER_00]: So I come from a family line, both sides of my, my parents' sides of the family, a lot of addiction.

[SPEAKER_00]: It's altered lots of lives, lots of families. [SPEAKER_00]: And I remember being really young. [SPEAKER_00]: And my dad was not a member of the church, but he still, my, you'd love my dad. [SPEAKER_00]: He's just so content, just so sweet. [SPEAKER_00]: And he really was strong about, you know, if you take some of these things into your body, just know, you know, it's hard to not take them in again and it doesn't control you.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it has been a huge blessing in my life to have the safety to be able to have more of control of what I want to do or put into my body.

[SPEAKER_00]: I've had lots of cousins and uncles and aunts and different other family members that [SPEAKER_00]: have either lost their lives from substances and the control there or accidents, being under those influences and things and it's altered families, some of the lost their families because of choices that these substances have led them to.

[SPEAKER_00]: So that has been such a wonderful blessing that has just blessed my life, my family, and just to know that [SPEAKER_00]: I have more of that control. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I love that. [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's what's interesting to me about this section. [SPEAKER_03]: Section eighty-nine is that there's more in there about what we should do than there is about what we shouldn't do.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that said, we often point only to the things we shouldn't do. [SPEAKER_03]: And we kind of ignore the whole like, here's the actual health law in the way to live life. [SPEAKER_03]: So I'm excited about getting into that. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, one of the things that ultimately is wonderful about all of the doctrine of covenants is that it's establishing order and establishing structure for us in our lives.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm amazed at how many of my Christian friends [SPEAKER_03]: There is no real structure in those organizations. [SPEAKER_03]: I have had a recent conversation with one of my friends who, when I said, well, where is this church structure? [SPEAKER_03]: Like, when somebody says something at the top of the Christian church, where is that? [SPEAKER_03]: Does it come out from somewhere? [SPEAKER_03]: Is there some body counsel or something like that?

[SPEAKER_03]: And ultimately the answer was given to me that there really isn't that structure. [SPEAKER_03]: There isn't any Peter or Paul that is speaking and helping everybody kind of align, but that it comes out of the body of the church kind of collectively agreeing on something.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I'm grateful for the structure that we have, whether it's like this for direct counsel about what I should and shouldn't put into my body, or it's just about the structure of the church in general and how that gets put together. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's kind of where we start.

[SPEAKER_03]: If we start in section ninety today, that's kind of where we're going to start in looking at a structure that the church needed to have in place, at least some more council and direction about that. [SPEAKER_03]: So I'll let you kind of just take us into section ninety and give us some thoughts and where do we start? [SPEAKER_00]: Well, if you remember, again, he's really establishing the structure. [SPEAKER_00]: And I love that you mentioned as things change.

[SPEAKER_00]: even in other Christian and other religions, they kind of come together as a big voice. [SPEAKER_00]: But this is a powerful example how God really does direct and change for the needs, the growth, the differences as the church moves forward. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is one of those examples. [SPEAKER_00]: As they were moving forward, they needed to know how, what about a first presidency? [SPEAKER_00]: You know, I need helpers.

[SPEAKER_00]: We see that even with Moses, remember how Moses [SPEAKER_00]: was trying to do everything himself and his father-in-law came in and said, you're going to burn yourself out. [SPEAKER_00]: Dude, you've got to ask for help and others help you. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's God's structure. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is one of those he reestablishes that. [SPEAKER_00]: It's another example of restoration.

[SPEAKER_00]: He was restoring the structure of the first presidency and not just for the first presidency, but what their characters [SPEAKER_00]: would be like and what they would do for the kingdom and the keys. [SPEAKER_00]: So really powerful, important part of the organization, again, like we talked about in the past, of how the Lord can do what He needs to do with order. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I appreciate that.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think it's also interesting the reason why verse one, that sins are forgiven, according to thy petition, for thy prayers and the prayers of thy brethren have come up into my ears. [SPEAKER_03]: The reason for the revelation is because they're asking God, how do we do this? [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's an interesting conversation to say to my Christian friend, how do you do it?

[SPEAKER_03]: And they say, we gather together and we come up with a collective agreement that this is how we're going to move forward. [SPEAKER_03]: I think we could go back to the beginning days of early Christianity outside of Christ's life. [SPEAKER_03]: and see the councils of NYC and those councils where they're trying to assess and evaluate and identify the even nature of the Godhead and it being a collective discussion about what they should say what they want to believe.

[SPEAKER_03]: rather than like the Lord says, petitioning me, going to prayer and asking me, I'm hearing all of you ask this. [SPEAKER_03]: You're the chosen prophet that I'm going to speak through. [SPEAKER_03]: So here's the answer. [SPEAKER_03]: Now go disseminate that to the to the others. [SPEAKER_03]: That's the order of the Lord. [SPEAKER_03]: It has been always that way. [SPEAKER_03]: In the Old Testament it was Moses and Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets.

[SPEAKER_03]: In the New Testament it was done the same way with Christ being the order and then after Christ being the apostles that lived on the earth and wrote letters to the saints correcting and directing and it isn't any different in our day with a restored church on the earth.

[SPEAKER_03]: and yet the vast majority of the Christian world believes that for some reason God has changed the way that we are to receive revelation and that now is to be a group effort and discussion and we're supposed to come up with it on our own without his I think they would say with the spirit guiding and directing that conversation but without prophets without any oracle and I think that is maybe a sad loss for many.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well in fact that [SPEAKER_00]: kind of a warning or this is how to avoid some of the difficulties moving forward. [SPEAKER_00]: You look in verse five in ninety and all they who receive the oracles like you mentioned prophets of God let them beware how they hold them less they are counted as a light thing and they are broader condemnation thereby and stumble and fall when the storms descend the winds blow and rains descend and be upon their house.

[SPEAKER_00]: So once again it [SPEAKER_00]: We have been given this great direction from our Heavenly Father through his prophet so that it is more clear so that we can see what the the stumbling may be or we stumble. [SPEAKER_00]: We will allow ourselves to experience some of those things that we don't need to. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, yeah, I think that's great. [SPEAKER_03]: And like you said before, that we're really the issue was just so couldn't do it all alone, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: He was trying to find help. [SPEAKER_03]: He'd understood that he'd been given the keys and necessary keys versus first four and nevertheless through you, shall the oracles be given to another, yeah, even unto the church. [SPEAKER_03]: And then in verse six, again, of our last hand to the thy brethren, Sidney Rigden and Frederickry Williams, their sins are forgiven them. [SPEAKER_03]: And they are accounted as equal with the and holding the keys of this last kingdom.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think the word they is a significant word that together they would have the authority to act as Joseph acts on his own that we see that magnified and exemplified now in our day with the form of the twelve collectively have all the keys that the prophet individually has. [SPEAKER_03]: And at this time the form of the twelve hadn't been organized yet.

[SPEAKER_03]: And so the Lord is giving Cindy Rigdon and Fredricy Williams the authority to act in full when Joseph isn't present and until the quorum of the twelve, then takes that same administration. [SPEAKER_03]: But I love the word oracle. [SPEAKER_03]: There's something, I don't know that it actually is connected to this, but the concept of a monical, you know, the old like single lens glass menus to wear in their eye.

[SPEAKER_03]: that idea that there's someone that can see clearer something. [SPEAKER_03]: And maybe even with one eye with a single eye that is given some clarity that I otherwise don't have. [SPEAKER_03]: I love that that Oracle monocle kind of concept and I'm sure they're not connected and so everybody listening is gonna be like, man, you're kind of an idiot because that's not at all what that means. [SPEAKER_03]: But I love that.

[SPEAKER_03]: But that's what the image that it brings up to me anyway. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, if we use this one of my favorite tools, I know I've mentioned this probably every time I've been alone because I just love this tool, but the Webster's eighteen, twenty-eight dictionary to really go in when this was received, what, how he would have been using these words to describe what the Lord is saying and or what He's hearing from the Lord. [SPEAKER_00]: And this, here are some of the definitions.

[SPEAKER_00]: It says to utter is the noun, but it's [SPEAKER_00]: The answer of a God or some person, repeated to be a God to an inquiry made respecting some affair or of importance, usually respecting some future event as the success of an enterprise or battle. [SPEAKER_00]: So that's just really interesting already, the first one of an answer, but also something that's of importance, right? [SPEAKER_00]: That's important to the success of it and their purpose in outcome.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then a deal you gave or was supposed to give answers to inquiries, [SPEAKER_00]: the place where the answers were given. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, how powerful are these? [SPEAKER_00]: You know, that we don't, I think Oracle have something on a TV show anymore. [SPEAKER_00]: Not something, you know, so far away. [SPEAKER_00]: Among Christians, Oracle's in the plural, denotes the communications, revelations, or messages delivered by God to his prophets.

[SPEAKER_00]: So it's a special delivery. [SPEAKER_00]: Like, do we really think about that? [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, we do, do we miss out on that? [SPEAKER_00]: In this sense that it's really used in singular, we say the Oracle's of God. [SPEAKER_00]: Notice how, I don't know if you've noticed this, but in the last several years, they reference the apostles as well as prophets, years and revelators. [SPEAKER_00]: They all. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: We sustain them on that track.

[SPEAKER_00]: Yes. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: The province only one that can author, it has authority to use all of the keys, but they all hold the keys. [SPEAKER_00]: But also, they all get that direction. [SPEAKER_00]: It's just the profit has that direct communication, and it makes those final decisions because God has said that way. [SPEAKER_03]: Interesting. [SPEAKER_00]: Let's see, the sanctuary are most holy place in the temple.

[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, do we see that in our world, you know, and how much symbolism the temple is, where God dwells? [SPEAKER_00]: Do we go to the oracles that He's given us? [SPEAKER_00]: Any person uncaut humbly wise whose determinations are not disputed or whose opinions are of great authority? [SPEAKER_00]: and a wise sentence or decision of greater authority. [SPEAKER_00]: So once again, this power that though, it's the God's power, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: And are we going to look to that for that guy? [SPEAKER_00]: So that's really great. [SPEAKER_03]: I really love that I love using the etymology dictionary online and looking at words and where they came from in their origins. [SPEAKER_03]: When I searched the word Oracle on the etymology.com dictionary, [SPEAKER_03]: It talks much about what you've just shared about receiving messages from God and through priests or church leaders.

[SPEAKER_03]: And then it says, [SPEAKER_03]: from the old French oracle, which means the temple or house of prayer, and directly from Latin oroculum or oroculum, divine announcement oracle place where oracles are given. [SPEAKER_03]: So it's interesting that it ties temples into that where revelation and answers from God to humanity are received in an oroculum which would be a temple. [SPEAKER_03]: Kind of interesting. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, good.

[SPEAKER_03]: So section ninety really just establishes and organizes those brethren as what does he say equals with the and holding the keys. [SPEAKER_03]: So the first presidency has organized there. [SPEAKER_03]: And ultimately because they're trying to establish the school of the prophets, this is still really early in the church where March of eighteen thirty three. [SPEAKER_03]: So, you know, two years worth of church existence.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm trying to figure out how to train everybody. [SPEAKER_03]: up into the ways of the Lord. [SPEAKER_03]: I think it's ultimately at their, on the front of their mind. [SPEAKER_03]: Verse nine may be suggest that though that through your administration they may receive the word and through their administration the word may go forth into the ends of the earth and into the Gentiles first and then on behold and low they shall turn unto the Jews.

[SPEAKER_03]: So you know the ultimate objective is to teach and prepare those that are going out to, to administer the rest of the world. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, and that even in fifteen, well, I've fourteen and fifteen, it talks about the comforter for sea revelations to unfold the mysteries of the kingdom and set in order the churches and study and learn and become acquainted with all good books and with languages, tongues, people.

[SPEAKER_00]: Once again, to just open it up to enriching our minds and reaching the world about the Savior and what he has to offer really cool. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, there's some direction instruction, maybe given to the first presidency about the way they should be. [SPEAKER_03]: Verse seventeen, be not ashamed, matter confounded, but admonished in all your high-mindedness and pride for it, bring it this narrow upon your assault.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think about the challenge it would be to be an apostle or a member of the first presidency. [SPEAKER_03]: Just you walk into a room and everybody stands up. [SPEAKER_03]: Everybody wants to shake your hand and come and greet you at the end of the event. [SPEAKER_03]: And every word you say is scripture in their mind. [SPEAKER_03]: And just a challenge of pride that could come into those humble humble men. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't believe that to be true of any of them.

[SPEAKER_03]: I've had opportunity to sit at the feet of many of them in my career and life with S&I. [SPEAKER_03]: Most recently, well, recently an opportunity to sit with Elder Gong. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't know if you were with us at that time, but Elder Gong came and I think I've shared this before we had an opportunity to sit with him in a little bit of a Q&A before dinner that we were going to have with him when he was here to speak to the young adults.

[SPEAKER_03]: And right at the end of the Q&A, he said, would you be willing to excuse me? [SPEAKER_03]: I need to use the restroom. [SPEAKER_03]: And if you would close with a prayer and then pray over our food, I'll just be chained to have dinner with you after I'm done. [SPEAKER_03]: So we said sure. [SPEAKER_03]: And so he left and probably is the restroom. [SPEAKER_03]: did so so quickly that by the time we got into the room that was right next door to eat.

[SPEAKER_03]: Elder Gong was already in there with an apron on, standing behind the table ready to serve a soup and it was like, oh, this just felt so wrong. [SPEAKER_03]: It was just not a okay thing and I remember other anecdotal stories of apostles coming to town and someone walked into the restroom and

[SPEAKER_03]: as they were kind of coming out and they were standing in their restroom and they had paper towels in their hand and they were wiping the entire counter down as if they had somehow gotten everything just a total mess and it just struck that person that that apostle didn't want anybody else to have to clean up after him and he was in a bathroom completely by himself doing it something no one would ever see [SPEAKER_03]: But didn't want anybody to ever have to clean up after him.

[SPEAKER_03]: So I say that the challenge of pride and and it totally I have some experience with them that that is not true, but for sure this this section section ninety would be counsel of them helping them learn and understand their role in responsibility. [SPEAKER_03]: Interesting.

[SPEAKER_03]: maybe just one more verse in there and then unless there's something else you want to do but maybe verse twenty four search diligently pray always and be believing and all things shall work together for your good if you walk uprightly and remember the covenant where with you have covenant one with another

[SPEAKER_03]: That idea that they have to search diligently with their level of learning and their understanding that the council is still going search, go and seek, and through that experience that opportunity I can give you more spiritual understanding and help your eyes open even more. [SPEAKER_03]: not that you're going to find something new in the scriptures that you didn't find last time.

[SPEAKER_03]: Or maybe, but more likely you're opening yourself up to a spiritual revelation that you haven't had before by doing the things I've invited you to do. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's ultimately how they've become who they are. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, this verse you just brought up. [SPEAKER_00]: I also think of our commitment. [SPEAKER_00]: When it says our covenant, the of covenant one with another. [SPEAKER_00]: And if you look down on the footnote, it's commitment as well.

[SPEAKER_00]: Commitment and covenants, you know, leave go hand at hand of that commitment. [SPEAKER_00]: But what about to remember when we've sustained, we've sustained these leaders. [SPEAKER_00]: And when they have made a commitment to do all they can to be that leader for Christ, and that we've committed to each other, you know, and how we're not perfect.

[SPEAKER_00]: And if we'll remember that, that's part of that commitment and covenant to be patient with one another as we're trying [SPEAKER_00]: to do with the large work that we're going to be in perfect. [SPEAKER_00]: So I really like that too. [SPEAKER_00]: and then also even the beginning of the verse helps us see how do we get through that? [SPEAKER_00]: If we struggle in Peter or we struggle with those that we lead.

[SPEAKER_00]: Search diligently, pray always in be believing in all things shall work together for your good. [SPEAKER_00]: It's gonna, it's gonna strengthen you, it goes strengthen them. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you know, it's, I love that. [SPEAKER_03]: It's interesting because maybe that takes us comfortably into section ninety one two. [SPEAKER_03]: It, it speaks so eloquently of who these people were, who these early members of the church leaders of the church were.

[SPEAKER_03]: that the Lord through the prophet was counseling them to continually study seek out of the best books learned to understand me that when Joseph sometime shortly after this section section ninety was given let's see was given on March eight and literally the next day on March ninth section ninety one is received because he's asking the question hey the the apocrypha has been found I should read that probably because it's supposedly scripture and words of prophets from old

[SPEAKER_03]: And so does he just go do that because it's some new, faint, new, fangled fun thing? [SPEAKER_03]: No, he goes to the Lord and he says, okay, should I spend any of my time reading and researching this, this new book that's been found? [SPEAKER_03]: And the Lord gives a very clear answer in this section. [SPEAKER_03]: But again, I think it speaks to their willingness to search diligently to pray always to ask for everything they're doing.

[SPEAKER_03]: Is it appropriate for me to do this thing? [SPEAKER_03]: We've shared, I think, many of us have shared on the podcast when Elder Cook came to town recently, and it was asked to share a testimony. [SPEAKER_03]: He, forbeared that experience, said, no, I'm gonna wait on that. [SPEAKER_03]: Because he hadn't quite received revelation as to what it should be that night.

[SPEAKER_03]: And the idea that we don't just pick up the newest, fangled thing, and we start in on that, I think, is proven out in their lives in the way they live. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, and interesting that he was at the time translating the Bible, right? [SPEAKER_00]: And here is the Apocalypse. [SPEAKER_00]: So it appears that, oh, [SPEAKER_00]: Perfect timing. [SPEAKER_00]: That's what I'm doing. [SPEAKER_00]: Is this what you want me to do?

[SPEAKER_00]: Just like with you mentioned Elder Cook. [SPEAKER_00]: It was like an obvious, well, yeah, we want you to hear, we want you to share your testimony. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: But that wasn't the right time. [SPEAKER_00]: It hadn't, you know. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I think, yeah, you think about what natural man maybe would have done. [SPEAKER_03]: The natural man who is translating the Bible again and all of a sudden the apocryphor comes out.

[SPEAKER_03]: The natural man was that, oh yes, this book of ecclesiastic is that should be in here too. [SPEAKER_03]: And this God is telling me this should be there and this should be there. [SPEAKER_03]: But ultimately, section ninety one says, yeah, you don't need to use that, right? [SPEAKER_03]: It ultimately just puts the whole thing sideways and says, nope, there's there's some value in there for those that have the spirit.

[SPEAKER_03]: But ultimately, there's not enough value in there for us to spend time on it. [SPEAKER_03]: Go continue on in the Bible and just keep that. [SPEAKER_03]: Keep my work as clean as you can there. [SPEAKER_03]: But I think any natural man who's doing this made up thing would have definitely claimed some of the apocryphers as scriptural, you know, at least I would have. [SPEAKER_03]: The reason God didn't use Matt, but it's interesting as we prepared for this.

[SPEAKER_03]: We looked a little bit up about the apocryphan, what has been said about it by all the S-profits and apostles. [SPEAKER_03]: Most of what we could find is just that they have used it occasionally to help with some contextual historical information. [SPEAKER_03]: very rarely as any of it used as doctrinal or to support any doctrine even, which is kind of interesting because you think that at least some of it would have been doctrinely supportive.

[SPEAKER_03]: But most of the time when it's used, it's used as a just a historical evidence for geographical locations or events and much less used for prophetic counsel and instruction about principle living. [SPEAKER_03]: So kind of interesting. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, and to emphasize the Lord to emphasize as we read it, to make sure that the Spirit is present, right? [SPEAKER_00]: It will help you know what's truth.

[SPEAKER_00]: And there's so many great tools out there, Joseph Smith received revelation and truth from God that the Bible has not [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, it's kind of been, you know, twisted and I'll look few things taken out and we'll have that. [SPEAKER_00]: And for him to translate what he did to correct some of the things or put things back or just to clarify that those things the Lord needed at the time for us, there are so many different bibles.

[SPEAKER_00]: And Joseph Smith received the answer that the King James version is the most accurate, but it's still not accurate. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: And so it's important to know [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, lots of the apostles and prophets have encouraged us to use other versions to clarify contextual historical words, meanings, because it's not all correct. [SPEAKER_00]: And so it really does broaden it, but the key here is to use the spirit.

[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: And you'll, I'm truth everywhere. [SPEAKER_00]: Right, that helped strengthen your connection with God and what that truth is. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I appreciate everything you've just said. [SPEAKER_03]: I think just not too long ago, Elder Ballard taught us to seek out of the best books and that that means that there are more resources available to us than just the scriptures that we so frequently turn to.

[SPEAKER_03]: Now, all that said, let me carefully consider that there have been times in my life where I thought, I'm going to go get the pocket phone and read through it. [SPEAKER_03]: And then almost immediately the thought comes, have you read through the Bible enough to really understand that yet or like are you just trying to add more to your

[SPEAKER_03]: Now, I don't think you have to fully understand everything before you can move on to an article like that, but phrases like verse two, there are many things contained there in that are not true, which are interpreted interpolations by the hands of man, and it's not needful that the apocalypse should be translated. [SPEAKER_03]: Those kinds of phrases make me kind of think, well, maybe until I'm feeling really confident in everything else.

[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, the last time I read the New Testament was when we read the New Testament and come follow me. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm not in it all the time. [SPEAKER_03]: And so maybe I need to be a little better about. [SPEAKER_03]: my own studies there before I add more that the floor is clearly said, it's not scripture to my study bank resources. [SPEAKER_03]: So anyway, just kind of interesting. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I remember the last time I was here, we talked about the warning.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes in the scriptures, we want, you know, if we dive into things that are, you know, not necessarily what we have or we could go places that we lose the most important messages. [SPEAKER_00]: So I appreciate that you mentioned the ProcFA in that way that you recognize for you, just you and your study, have I got all of the most important, have I used all the resources I have already, you know, before instead of using it for an item to clarify.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and again, that's for me, my own personal place right now is that maybe not yet. [SPEAKER_03]: And maybe someday I'll get there. [SPEAKER_03]: And I do think it would be an interesting read. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, there would be something interesting about it. [SPEAKER_03]: I just don't have enough time in my days to spend time reading much that it isn't helping me draw closer to the same thing.

[SPEAKER_00]: But there might be some right there in that phase of life or whatever in their life that it might be. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: So let's quickly do this. [SPEAKER_03]: Let's look just quickly at the two verses in section ninety two has to do with the united order and just some more instruction again that we're just having to do with

[SPEAKER_03]: There's a question the profits like how am I supposed to do this it goes on his knees to the Lord and says I've got this question how do we do this thing and they get a little bit of an answer in section ninety two about the United Order and what they should do there and it was called the United firm at some points

[SPEAKER_03]: but Revelation effectively just instructs Fredrick G. Williams in how to oversee his duties and responsibilities in the United Order and organizing some things. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, and it's almost like this. [SPEAKER_00]: It is one of the first places that the Lord kind of creates a business to also help the church, not to get gain, but to organize and [SPEAKER_00]: Maybe set up even in the far future, seminaries and institutes, because it was an actual corporation.

[SPEAKER_00]: This united firm that was set up as a corporation to run and better use the funds and land and everything that had been given through consecration. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you know, I think there's something to just discuss there too that I think is important. [SPEAKER_03]: And it's that, you know, if the Lord has a church on the earth, he would have it be financially viable and sound and have it be something that it didn't need to worry about maintaining itself.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that that's what he's done. [SPEAKER_03]: He's given the church some fantastic assets and things that insights into the brethren in the church insights into where to invest and where to hold land and those types of things that have made the church tremendously wealthy.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think that on the surface, and to those outside of the church, that looks like a really big negative, like, oh man, the church is just a billion dollar church, and it's, you know, billions every year. [SPEAKER_03]: But to what end? [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, what's the purpose?

[SPEAKER_03]: If the church, if all the leaders of the church were exceptionally wealthy because of cleanings from the church funds, then yeah, then I think we could all say, well, maybe that's not what we should be doing. [SPEAKER_03]: But ultimately, none of them are paid anything more than the living wage, which is pretty much less than I'm making.

[SPEAKER_03]: And yet, I have a sustained life in living you and I both, because of the successes of the church, the tides of the people, the investments of the church, they can bless the lives of me and you to teach the youth and young adults. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, the Lord has means, and ultimately has access to all of the riches on the earth. [SPEAKER_03]: And if he wanted to direct the prophet to go find the largest cash of gold on earth, he could do it.

[SPEAKER_03]: But he doesn't do it that way. [SPEAKER_03]: He says, well, let's be wise stewards. [SPEAKER_03]: That's what he's doing here, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Be wise stewards of that, what you've been given. [SPEAKER_03]: And be at what does he call Frederick G. Williams. [SPEAKER_03]: He says, I say unto you, my servant Frederick, you shall be a lively member in this order. [SPEAKER_03]: As much as you're faithful in keeping all former commandments, you should be blessed forever.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think the idea that that we should be lively in our own success, that we shouldn't be idle and think that God's going to just take care of it. [SPEAKER_03]: It's just not the way it does it, but that His Church would have funds and means I think makes total sense. [SPEAKER_00]: Support the work. [SPEAKER_00]: And everything God does sets up, organizes, it's so that His children can be successful.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so it's really awesome right here to see that He [SPEAKER_00]: This is another example it's little by little line of online on preset to to grow into more and so we see that even starting some of these things that like you were talking about today all of the. [SPEAKER_00]: resources and things that we have, the temple committees and all of the organization there of the corporate part of that, right?

[SPEAKER_00]: That they were paid to build and organize and look over the temples. [SPEAKER_00]: And it was line up online, preceptive on preceptive on preceptive to do it right. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, well said, you know, failure beginning. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, and I think that, you know, maybe takes us, well, let me, let me take it a one more thing really quickly before we jump out of this.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think there's some significance in the idea that the United firm [SPEAKER_03]: and the love consecration, the Bishop's storehouse, all these things that the Lord's been establishing and putting together really is ultimately for the welfare and benefit of the saints, right? [SPEAKER_03]: That we had a safety net that there was a place where we could turn when we were in less financial security.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think is as a proof that the Lord in multiple ways sees ways to solve our problems. [SPEAKER_03]: and helps us if we're willing to listen to set up those solutions, those safety nets, well in advance of the problems that might exist or come into our lives. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think if we look holistically at what he's doing, and then we look at our own lives, we back away from our life and we say, okay, what figurative Bishop's storehouse does he put together in my life?

[SPEAKER_03]: Well, maybe it's your family that has a lot of financial means and wealth and [SPEAKER_03]: success that you maybe don't have, but you have a safety net there. [SPEAKER_03]: The Lord's put together for you. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, the school of the prophets will wear my supposed to learn. [SPEAKER_03]: I don't, I don't learn easily when I read the scripture as well.

[SPEAKER_03]: Maybe you've got the best gospel doctrine teacher in the stake teaching in your ward or whatever it is, right? [SPEAKER_03]: That the Lord is aware of our needs and he puts together and organizes and facilitates the structures and the organizations that are needed in order for us to be. [SPEAKER_03]: be given what we need in order to be successful in our own growth and development.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I think if we look structurally at what he's doing, we can see that in our own individual lives as well as in the church as well. [SPEAKER_00]: It's kind of cool. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, I'll talk to even what we do. [SPEAKER_00]: The seminary and institutes, God has established this program of seminary for teenage students and [SPEAKER_00]: Institute for young adults with all the chaos with all the questions.

[SPEAKER_00]: We have our young adults asking all of these questions right now. [SPEAKER_00]: Why isn't this working? [SPEAKER_00]: Where do I go? [SPEAKER_00]: How do I navigate through this world right now? [SPEAKER_00]: And still find the success, the righteous desires that I have. [SPEAKER_00]: And the Lord has even right now. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure all of our listeners know, but there's innovate Institute.

[SPEAKER_00]: The Lord is wanting us to adapt [SPEAKER_00]: This program, so we meet all of you are listeners needs so come to institute use those those blessings those organizations that Lord is put together so that we can easily more easily navigate. [SPEAKER_00]: Our lives, especially young adults right now. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: In fact, I mean, can I share a story? [SPEAKER_00]: Please of something that I had really really a need to experience yesterday.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I asked if I could share this so profound. [SPEAKER_00]: But I had a student yesterday. [SPEAKER_00]: I got the great blessing to substitute for another amazing colleague. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's always an intimidating thing for me because all of my colleagues are amazing. [SPEAKER_00]: And I just want them. [SPEAKER_00]: these young adults have a great experience. [SPEAKER_00]: And so I was so blessed to be able to come together with these young adults.

[SPEAKER_00]: And one of these young adults is a dear friend as well. [SPEAKER_00]: I just look up to this student so much. [SPEAKER_00]: But to mention, she has this opportunity right now to work for a camp here at the Boise State that young adults can come that are blind. [SPEAKER_00]: And they teach them all different skills, give them opportunities, and that's a five week camp. [SPEAKER_00]: So really, it really needs experience.

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, in order for her to be ready to be a coordinator and helping with this program, they had to have this training and she had to go. [SPEAKER_00]: They blindfolded the her and they gave her a walking stick and she had to figure out how to get around the whole block and make it back. [SPEAKER_00]: And she started to express some of her experiences that, first of all, she could not see.

[SPEAKER_00]: She could not rely on what she had in her past or the obvious way to know where everything was.

[SPEAKER_00]: and how to navigate to get to her destination safely and you mentioned that one of the things that they mentioned before she started off on this trial error experience is if you get really lost stop stop where we are even if you're in the middle of the street stop and reorient yourself so you know where to move next don't keep going [SPEAKER_00]: The direction would that your lost stop and figure out, okay, where are my resources? [SPEAKER_00]: What do I know?

[SPEAKER_00]: What can I rely on? [SPEAKER_00]: She mentioned that they'd already put four people wanted each corner of this big block, but also there were a few others in between and you had the [SPEAKER_00]: the messages on the crosswalks, you know, that they could rely on. [SPEAKER_00]: At one point, she had one of the people that were trying to help, say, okay, turn left. [SPEAKER_00]: No, no, no, no, go, go straight, go straight, go straight, go straight, go straight.

[SPEAKER_00]: What do you say? [SPEAKER_00]: I don't understand what you're saying. [SPEAKER_00]: And it just, it struck me, especially when she got to there, that we are blindfolded. [SPEAKER_00]: We're in a world right now where we have to veil. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's hard. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: We are in the journey that sometimes we think we were here before and we know how to walk this way and safely, but we don't.

[SPEAKER_00]: And this student mentioned she realized she could use the grass line. [SPEAKER_00]: And she was able to use her walking stick to follow the grass line. [SPEAKER_00]: She said, I will never look at the grass line the same again. [SPEAKER_00]: It's such a great thing to be able to find your way. [SPEAKER_00]: And as you are mentioning, the Lord has put these things in place. [SPEAKER_00]: so that we can navigate easier.

[SPEAKER_00]: That doesn't mean that we won't have trial and that things won't be difficult and we'll lose our way. [SPEAKER_00]: But he has the profits on all the corners to help us see things we cannot see, to hear him through them. [SPEAKER_00]: He gives us family, like you said. [SPEAKER_00]: friends, neighbors, the gospel, the scriptures, the temple to re-evaluate.

[SPEAKER_00]: And when you ask about my experience recently with my husband, sometimes God gives us things to stop, to stop us and make us hold still to be able to see things that we weren't seeing before, to hear the voices that he's put in our way. [SPEAKER_00]: So this is another example of that. [SPEAKER_00]: We're blindfolded in our journey, trying to make it back home. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, your story reminds me of something else you taught me a couple of years ago.

[SPEAKER_03]: It was a summer, I don't remember exactly what it was. [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe it was just last year. [SPEAKER_03]: We were down here and you were giving a thought, spiritual thought for a meeting, we were in or something like that. [SPEAKER_03]: And you invite us to all go outside. [SPEAKER_03]: And we'll get up and went outside. [SPEAKER_03]: We stood in the street. [SPEAKER_03]: There's like six of us stand out there and suits in the middle of the summer looking at the sun.

[SPEAKER_03]: And it was interesting because as we went out there, you said, would you just feel how warm it is? [SPEAKER_03]: And it was, like I said, mid-summer date was very hot. [SPEAKER_03]: And we're like, yeah, it's hot. [SPEAKER_03]: That's his fun. [SPEAKER_03]: Kathleen, thanks for doing this. [SPEAKER_03]: And he said, now I want you to close your eyes.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I want you to just orient yourself to the sun and see if it gets hotter when you've identified where the sun is and kind of move your face in your body towards the sun. [SPEAKER_03]: And we did that. [SPEAKER_03]: And ultimately, we all got warmer, like physically warmer. [SPEAKER_03]: And though nothing had changed, but our focus, right? [SPEAKER_03]: We were still outside. [SPEAKER_03]: My body hadn't moved closer to the sun or anything.

[SPEAKER_03]: I literally just focused my direction towards the sun. [SPEAKER_03]: And it's interesting when you said that their first counseling instruction is to just stop. [SPEAKER_03]: and reorient themselves. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's what the prophets are doing here. [SPEAKER_03]: They're they're they're stopping. [SPEAKER_03]: They're kneeling down saying, hey, I don't know where I'm supposed to go. [SPEAKER_03]: What direction should I go?

[SPEAKER_03]: And they literally look for the sun to guide them. [SPEAKER_03]: S-S-O-N sun, right? [SPEAKER_03]: I think in a very similar fashion. [SPEAKER_03]: Man, for those of you out there that haven't ever done that, will you try it? [SPEAKER_03]: We just go outside and pay attention to how warm it is. [SPEAKER_03]: And then just reorient yourself to the sun and see how much warmer you feel. [SPEAKER_03]: It really is strikingly different.

[SPEAKER_03]: Anyway, so I love that story, I love that. [SPEAKER_03]: visual, I love that student, the student that I know you're speaking of, man, what a fantastic young woman. [SPEAKER_03]: I can't wait to see what the Lord does with her in her life. [SPEAKER_03]: She's overcomes some massive things and she's pretty great.

[SPEAKER_03]: Thank you for sharing that with that why don't we jump back to section eighty nine and let's talk about the word of wisdom Contextually maybe there's more you want to add to this I'll give just a brief synopsis and then you can take it from there Emma was kind of tired of cleaning up the

[SPEAKER_03]: tobacco spit that had been spat out at the end of their meetings upstairs where they were staying and she would go up and clean up after them and they would spit in their spoutoons and not hit very often and the floor was a mess and and so she asked Joseph to to address that and Joseph being the prophet that he was [SPEAKER_03]: went to the Lord and said, how am I supposed to address this? [SPEAKER_03]: And this came from that. [SPEAKER_03]: That was the whole story.

[SPEAKER_03]: And maybe there's more detail there we need. [SPEAKER_03]: But I think it's interesting that the Lord was giving gives us something we weren't even asking for at the time. [SPEAKER_03]: We were trying to solve one problem, a whole, another problem gets addressed. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think that's his way, isn't it? [SPEAKER_03]: It addresses of what's actually important, not the thing we ask for sometimes. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, absolutely.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's some of the things that causes confusion, too, right? [SPEAKER_00]: Right. [SPEAKER_00]: And we don't expect the answer, but it's even better. [UNKNOWN]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: And broader. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: So take us in. [SPEAKER_03]: Where do you want to start us here? [SPEAKER_03]: What other context things should we know? [SPEAKER_03]: What should we understand about how the word a wisdom was rolled out? [SPEAKER_03]: Just take us in there.

[SPEAKER_00]: OK. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, what's interesting? [SPEAKER_00]: And I know all of our listeners have already studied this before, but it's still every time I go back in here is I'm in awe that if you start right in verse two, [SPEAKER_00]: to be sent greeting, not by commandment or constraint, but by revelation and the word of wisdom. [SPEAKER_00]: And this wasn't given as a commandment initially. [SPEAKER_00]: This wasn't given as like this hit as an order.

[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: It was given as a greeting, a great guidance of here as the grass line. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is something that can help you in your life navigate through this existence. [SPEAKER_00]: And we were talking earlier about the first strength of youth. [SPEAKER_00]: And there is a truth in there. [SPEAKER_00]: I love how the first strength of youth is now set up that it's set up with absolute truth.

[SPEAKER_00]: That we can understand truth about who we are, our Heavenly Father, our bodies, our plan. [SPEAKER_00]: And then it goes to invitations of what to do with those truths and what to consider with our Heavenly Father and our journey. [SPEAKER_00]: You know, try and to navigate the streets and the crosswalks and the bumps and the holes in the road. [SPEAKER_00]: When we're blindfolded, we can't see completely the whole view. [SPEAKER_00]: But then also it ends with the promises.

[SPEAKER_00]: The promises that we can have if we remember those truths take those instructions or the invitations with our Savior and know [SPEAKER_00]: what that looks like for us of what we can do. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, one of the really powerful, if you have a chance, let's go back and review this. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is for all of us. [SPEAKER_00]: I know it was initially written for the strength of youth, but I had a student at one point say it's for the strength of you.

[SPEAKER_00]: I love that. [SPEAKER_00]: That's good. [SPEAKER_00]: If you go into your body is sacred, is one of the sections. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's interesting to think about our bodies. [SPEAKER_00]: that what really they are. [SPEAKER_00]: And this is a truth that is just so powerful I just love. [SPEAKER_00]: So first he says, your body is an amazing gift. [SPEAKER_00]: I love the description there. [SPEAKER_00]: It's an amazing gift from your Heavenly Father.

[SPEAKER_00]: He gave it to you to help you become more like him. [SPEAKER_00]: Having a body gives you increased power to exercise your freedom to choose. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, if you go down into that first eternal truth, [SPEAKER_00]: This is what just stood out several years ago when it first came out. [SPEAKER_00]: And I just every time I think about this powerful truth here, it's at the very end.

[SPEAKER_00]: So the last sentence in this first eternal truth of your body is the image of body. [SPEAKER_00]: The experiences you're having with your body can help you prepare to receive one day a perfect resurrected glorify body. [SPEAKER_00]: Right now, this body we have is on loan. [SPEAKER_00]: We're not ready for a perfect body, a resurrected eternal body. [SPEAKER_00]: for us to talk about even line up online, precept upon precept.

[SPEAKER_00]: He sets things up for us, his children, for success. [SPEAKER_00]: And here is an example of this greeting, not by force, not by you better do this. [SPEAKER_00]: But here is a really great invitation, like he sets up those truths. [SPEAKER_00]: He teaches us all these truths in here and gives us this invitation and promise. [SPEAKER_00]: All through, this is exactly how this strength of youth today is set up, is just the same as the word wisdom.

[SPEAKER_00]: That if you'll do this, you can be prepared one day for a resurrected perfect model. [SPEAKER_00]: You can be like me. [SPEAKER_00]: That's cool. [SPEAKER_00]: You'll be like your savior. [SPEAKER_00]: So I really love how it was for setup. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that's really great. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, there's a whole bunch. [SPEAKER_03]: Contextually that I think is important here.

[SPEAKER_03]: One of the questions that comes up well for me at least because I want to teach about the plan of salvation and commandments. [SPEAKER_03]: I always ask the question how many commandments do you think God lives by? [SPEAKER_03]: Is he lived by more or less than you and I? [SPEAKER_03]: And inevitably, somebody thinks that he lives by last. [SPEAKER_03]: And when I ask the question, why? [SPEAKER_03]: It's usually something like, well, he's got a perfected body.

[SPEAKER_03]: He doesn't need to stay away from tobacco or, you know, caffeine and going to kill him. [SPEAKER_03]: And ultimately, the message of the word of wisdom is lost when that's the reason that we give, right? [SPEAKER_03]: That the commandment has less to do probably with the individual substance being so harmful that it will kill my body. [SPEAKER_03]: And maybe more to do with just being obedient to instructions and commandments.

[SPEAKER_03]: And I mean, we know that there has been a health law multiple times throughout the history of the earth, right, that we've got the most prominent being a lot of Moses. [SPEAKER_03]: And you know, they're very clear, don't eat this, do eat this kinds of instructions. [SPEAKER_03]: And that it exists in our day today, I think is not unique to the earth, right? [SPEAKER_03]: That the Lord would want us to be as well as knowledgeable about being healthy as those that live before.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think something else that's interesting that ties in with what you've just said is, [SPEAKER_03]: The Lord also knew what these people were capable of. [SPEAKER_03]: And so this doesn't come by way of commandment first. [SPEAKER_03]: It comes by way of counsel and instruction and maybe a loving direction that says, hey, you probably ought to think about this a little bit.

[SPEAKER_03]: Makes me wonder, Joseph receiving their revelation was probably pretty grateful that it came this way, knowing that he was going to have to go and address that tobacco thing and spit all over the floor with his friends and the brethren and the church. [SPEAKER_03]: that it didn't come by way of a rebuke that they were doing some unwholesome and heinous thing, but that came in a way that Joseph could probably just remove most of the spatons from the room.

[SPEAKER_03]: And for those that still needed it, it's back in the corner, but for rest of us we're gonna try to work past that, you know, allow it to be a little bit softer. [SPEAKER_03]: A couple of statements were made in particular by Joseph F. Smith. [SPEAKER_03]: He said, if it had been given as a commandment, [SPEAKER_03]: It would have brought every man addicted to the use of these noxious things under condemnation.

[SPEAKER_03]: The Lord in His mercy gave them a chance to overcome before He brought them under the law. [SPEAKER_03]: And it's also interesting if you look at when this became actual command. [SPEAKER_03]: It probably wasn't until most of this generation, this early generation, had passed away. [SPEAKER_03]: You know, it was some many years later that it became the command and instruction for us to be able to enter into the temple at a bare minimum.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think it's interesting that the Lord sees our needs and recognizes that we need to take a little bit of time to get there sometimes. [SPEAKER_03]: And maybe there's truth in that and a lot of other aspects of my life, right? [SPEAKER_03]: That he knows I need to overcome this sin and that sin. [SPEAKER_03]: But he doesn't ask me to do it all one time. [SPEAKER_03]: He wants me to do it progressively and it's overcome steps along the way.

[SPEAKER_03]: Because I got there over the lot of years and maybe I can get away from it over a lot of years as well. [SPEAKER_03]: making small steps. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, you had mentioned right when we started that you have family several family members that have some some conditions of they can't eat just everything. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: And this, I mean, really, as we go through this, your family can't really eat this way. [SPEAKER_02]: Right.

[SPEAKER_00]: You know, how it's set off. [SPEAKER_00]: But what's interesting, I had a, I can't remember which, if I was in a Sunday school class or a training for my job, I don't remember what it was. [SPEAKER_00]: It could be just to even a conversation with a colleague, I can't remember. [SPEAKER_00]: But somebody invited me to read through the word of wisdom with anything like you just said anything that I need to adapt or change.

[SPEAKER_00]: And in the tie language, I want to mention the tie land. [SPEAKER_00]: And it's a very descriptive, especially when it comes to how you feel. [SPEAKER_00]: So if you're tired, you'd have, it's a yawning heart. [SPEAKER_00]: Everything's wrapped around your heart. [SPEAKER_00]: If I'm excited, it would be, you know, maybe a bouncing heart. [SPEAKER_00]: You just really have to think about how you're feeling before you express it will repent [SPEAKER_00]: is to return your heart.

[SPEAKER_00]: And that's really interesting. [SPEAKER_00]: If we could give it go back to the analogy as well with where blindfolded, just stop and return back. [SPEAKER_00]: Where is your heart? [SPEAKER_00]: Do you really want to make it back around the block safely? [SPEAKER_00]: And are you willing to take the steps that he's guiding you and helping you with?

[SPEAKER_00]: And if we go back into this promise and this invitation and [SPEAKER_00]: and the truth's here in this in verse three, he says, I have given this for a principle with promise adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints who are or can be called saints. [SPEAKER_00]: It's as for anybody that says, I don't know what to do. [SPEAKER_00]: It's not just about what I eat, it's about, you know, this isn't working out in my relationship.

[SPEAKER_00]: How can this guiding guidance of the weakest [SPEAKER_00]: be helped with our Savior to be strong because that's what the promise is, right? [SPEAKER_00]: That we're going to be able to adapt and be stronger. [SPEAKER_00]: And I mean, we'll go to some of the other promises in here. [SPEAKER_00]: We go to the end and all saints who remember to keep and do these things walking in obedience to the commandments.

[SPEAKER_00]: shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know about you, but I would love even in my marriage to have strengthened my marriage navel and marrow with my married bones. [SPEAKER_00]: You know, just the whole structure of my marriage, I want it to be better. [SPEAKER_00]: This can help guide us with all things. [SPEAKER_00]: And so, and then it mentions, and you shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures.

[SPEAKER_00]: And she'll run and not be weary and she'll walk and not faint. [SPEAKER_00]: And I, the Lord, give into them a promise that did the destroying angel, she'll pass by them as the children of Israel and not slay them. [SPEAKER_00]: And I, I still, just especially be in a mom. [SPEAKER_00]: I think, I want to protect my family. [SPEAKER_00]: I think of those Israel lights and they wanted to protect their family. [SPEAKER_00]: That's why they marked their doors.

[SPEAKER_00]: It wasn't just them. [SPEAKER_00]: They wanted to protect their family and what a powerful promise here. [SPEAKER_00]: that if we will use the Savior's invitation here, his greeting and look through it in different ways of our life with him this way and kind of evaluate, return our heart, oh wow, the destroying angel will pass over us and our family. [SPEAKER_00]: So just one more thing, and then I want you to, I want to know what you think about some of these two.

[SPEAKER_00]: In the first strength of youth, when we were talking earlier about your family's, you know, [SPEAKER_00]: all these different things of a food. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: There is another one's is sick. [SPEAKER_00]: It's to entitle do things that will strengthen your body. [SPEAKER_00]: Nothing that will hurt or damage it. [SPEAKER_00]: Enjoy with gratitude. [SPEAKER_00]: The many good things got us provided.

[SPEAKER_00]: But remember that alcohol tobacco, coffee, tea, and other harmful drugs and substances are not for your body or your spirit. [SPEAKER_00]: Even helpful substances like prescription drugs can be destructive if not used correctly. [SPEAKER_00]: And I think about how your family have used some of the other amazing technologies and gifts that God's given a medical knowledge. [SPEAKER_00]: And they know what is correctly for them.

[SPEAKER_00]: It looks different for them because their bodies are a little different and how they digest foods or can't with all the things we have in it today, right? [SPEAKER_00]: And in fact, would you mind sharing what you had even pointed out about even [SPEAKER_00]: One of the warnings of why maybe we should be aware of what we put in our bodies. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I'm sure.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think there's a couple of interesting things just at the beginning of this that maybe we don't catch very often. [SPEAKER_03]: And I like the Wellverse Four, let me just read verse four. [SPEAKER_03]: Behold, barely let's say the Lord unto you in consequence of evils and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of conspiring men in the last days. [SPEAKER_03]: I have warned you and forewarned you by giving unto you this word of wisdom by revelation.

[SPEAKER_03]: You know, back when it was instituted, there were probably evil and designing men. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I, but we could, we could gas in the tobacco companies, for example, that that were about trying to get people addicted and then their purpose was trying to get them, you know, addicted to their products, so they'd buy more. [SPEAKER_03]: that design that is the corporate world trying to take over financially.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think when we look at today's world we can see that maybe even more prominent or at least more blatant where our food has been modified genetically because of the knowledge that we've gained in the science that we have. [SPEAKER_03]: to produce more and faster and bigger without pesticides and we've dumped all these chemicals into our food that's changed the literal structure of our food so that when we pertake it, it doesn't do what it used to do for us.

[SPEAKER_03]: It doesn't have the same nutrient benefit. [SPEAKER_03]: I have, like you mentioned, I have two children who are celiac. [SPEAKER_03]: And which means they just can have no gluten. [SPEAKER_03]: Their gut just gets torn up if gluten gets into their system. [SPEAKER_03]: And significantly, influenced by it, like they can't have toasted in a post or that had regular bread in it, they have to have their own toaster.

[SPEAKER_03]: The kitchen has to be fairly clean of all gluten product in order for them to stay healthy.

[SPEAKER_03]: And what's interesting to me about that is when we meet with our celiac doctors, [SPEAKER_03]: They will say, if you ever go to Europe, you can try eating the bread and the gluten over there because they don't hammer the nutrients out of their wheat, out of their flour and they don't bleach it all so that it's pure white and they don't do all the same things that we do to it and probably your body would do fine with the gluten that exists in the European countries.

[SPEAKER_03]: And not to say that every design in creating our food the way that it is now was done in an evil way. [SPEAKER_03]: I think there's a lot of good and a lot of reasons, good reasons that people have tried to produce larger crops that are more that provide more and those types of things. [SPEAKER_03]: But ultimately, when they've learned that these things are harmful to us, it doesn't stop them.

[SPEAKER_03]: They're in it for a completely different reason than the good that they might benefit mankind. [SPEAKER_03]: And so I think that verse verse four, as we look maybe with hindsight at the tobacco industry, at the alcohol industry, at even the whole foods industry, we can see where evil and conspiring designs of men [SPEAKER_03]: have been and he says that he even says that evil and designs which do and will exist in the hearts of or of conspiring men in the last days.

[SPEAKER_03]: He's looking forward and saying this is going to become a problem and so I'm going to hone this down. [SPEAKER_03]: Now what's interesting to me is [SPEAKER_03]: Maybe the word of wisdom needs to be a little updated because we can't eat of half the stuff that's in here, some of us.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I do think that he was aware and knowing what we would need, gave us as much direction as he could, as early as he could, not just about the tobacco issue that Joseph was having at his house. [SPEAKER_03]: But really all the things that we should and shouldn't partake of. [SPEAKER_03]: But like I said before, I think it's interesting that there's so much more in here that we should do than there is that we shouldn't. [SPEAKER_03]: And yet we tend to focus on the negative.

[SPEAKER_03]: We tend to focus on, we can't do that. [SPEAKER_03]: Church says I can't do this and I can't do that. [SPEAKER_03]: You had mentioned maybe one more thing here and then I'll let you continue. [SPEAKER_03]: You had mentioned that in the word of wisdom. [SPEAKER_03]: Sorry, the word of wisdom the way that it's articulated in the first strength of youth and the old first strength of youth versus a new first strength of youth.

[SPEAKER_03]: And one of the things that stands out to me is fairly soon after this first strength of the youth was [SPEAKER_03]: was modified the general young men's presidency were on a podcast and I remember listening to that podcast where they talked about the changes that came to the for strength of youth and what they were hoping would be a change in the youth. [SPEAKER_03]: And I think the way that they articulated it is just a really cool way of saying it.

[SPEAKER_03]: They said Elder Euktorf, the quoted Elder Euktorf who, during the general conference session where they were announcing this change, Elder Euktorf said, I long for the day when our youth are not defined or recognized by what they can and cannot do, but rather they are recognized because of their love of Jesus Christ. [SPEAKER_03]: Elder Brother Wilcox, Brad Wilcox says, we don't want our youth to be able to say, well, I'm a Saturday saint.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm a member of the Church Jesus Christ and that means I can't do that. [SPEAKER_03]: We don't want that. [SPEAKER_03]: We want young people to say, because I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ, then I know that I love God and I love my neighbor, my body is sacred. [SPEAKER_03]: I seek light. [SPEAKER_03]: The truth makes me free if we can have young people start to explain the way they live by sharing principles rather than I can't do this and I can't do that.

[SPEAKER_03]: Then I think we're a one-step closer to the vision that Elder Euchdorf has, of being defined by our love for in our discipleship of Jesus Christ. [SPEAKER_03]: That a youth's response to the question, why don't you drink coffee by saying, my church says, I can't, or even God says I can't, misses the principle. [SPEAKER_03]: It misses that I understand that my body, I can control what I put in and out of my body.

[SPEAKER_03]: I can control how influenced I am by chemicals that don't naturally exist in my body and if I'm aware of what I'm putting into my body and I recognize that something that I'm putting in could harm me or could make me not be in full control.

[SPEAKER_03]: I'm going to choose to be in full control because God's given me my body that I have a stewardship over by understanding the principle and articulating the reasons for obedience to the principle rather than reading reasons to be obedient to a law given. [SPEAKER_03]: We learn to live a higher and higher way and become much more like our Savior in [SPEAKER_03]: understanding why we live the way we live as opposed to understanding the rule and just being blindly obedient to it.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think there's there's some significance in there in that verse four. [SPEAKER_00]: There's a whole lot in there that's tied in that I think is is worth our time to study and understand before we get into the actual lot so well I mean also our soul is our body and our spirit right it's the the combination that we're trying to master that right we're trying to master our body [SPEAKER_00]: and our spirit together to become like our Heavenly Father and our Savior.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it's interesting, many of the phrases and the invitations throughout here are, we have over on verse eight, and we're gonna hit them all, but in verse eight, to be used with judgment and skill, what a powerful invitation to use judgment and skill with what you're doing with your body, how you're mastering your spirit and your body, what you're putting into it, what you're allowing [SPEAKER_00]: your body to control or not control, you know, use judgment and skill.

[SPEAKER_00]: Even when it comes to your, you know, your family and their health, the huge judgment and skill. [SPEAKER_00]: And I don't continue to put gluten in your body when it's ripping up, you know, your body and hurting both your spirit and your body. [SPEAKER_00]: Because that's, you just can't sort, you know, you can't survive like that. [SPEAKER_00]: Where have good experiences of any kinds. [SPEAKER_00]: And then look at verse eleven.

[SPEAKER_00]: to be used with prudence and things giving, to use that lens, to help you navigate when it comes to not just what we put in our bodies, but how we treat other people and their bodies. [SPEAKER_00]: How we treat all of the things that we have in our care being stewards. [SPEAKER_00]: And then in verse twelve, I mean it's talking about the beast and the fouls and it says, to be used with things giving, nevertheless there to be used sparingly.

[SPEAKER_00]: And when those are two opposite things, [SPEAKER_00]: But yet again, he's inviting us to use your judgment scale. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes you're going to be eating this more. [SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes you won't be. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: This might be a phase of their existence right now that your family won't be able to eat that because of what's been altered in the food.

[SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: It's just really a powerful use of our agency to be able to choose and be familiar. [SPEAKER_00]: It's like, again, just stop and reorient. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: Are you in charge of what you're doing or are you allowing your circumstances or the outside to influence us? [SPEAKER_00]: But then I love the truth that it talks about and these have God made for the use of man. [SPEAKER_00]: And it says only in times of famine and excessive hunger.

[SPEAKER_00]: But then there's other things that it talks about that no they are that's what part of their uses. [SPEAKER_00]: Just like we have a purpose they have a purpose. [SPEAKER_00]: And I love that with that that it [SPEAKER_00]: You know, what is the purpose of things in our lives? [SPEAKER_00]: Are there some bumps in the road? [SPEAKER_00]: Is one of my comes to food? [SPEAKER_00]: I'll go back to your family again.

[SPEAKER_00]: But is that part of the use to help them navigate and trust in in the Savior? [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: So just a thought they're just kind of [SPEAKER_00]: just to think of it a little differently at times. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: I just love again the promises. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: If we'll just lose our agency. [SPEAKER_03]: I appreciate that. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's great.

[SPEAKER_03]: I remember a couple things as you were talking one was a talk that that was given some years back by President Packer. [SPEAKER_03]: He said, I remember a blessing I received when I was serving in the military. [SPEAKER_03]: It included the council that's good for every young person. [SPEAKER_03]: And then he's quoting this blessing. [SPEAKER_03]: It must have been some blessing that was written down and recorded.

[SPEAKER_03]: He says, you have been given a body of such physical proportions and fitness as to enable your spirit to function through it. [SPEAKER_03]: You should cherish this as a great heritage. [SPEAKER_03]: Guard it and protect it. [SPEAKER_03]: Take nothing into it that shall harm the organs thereof because it is sacred. [SPEAKER_03]: It is the instrument of your mind. [SPEAKER_03]: That's such an interesting concept, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: The instrument of your mind and the foundation of your character. [SPEAKER_03]: He said that great counsel has had great influence on me. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that when I understand that my body is the instrument of my spirit and that if I hinder it in any way, my spirit is then hindered to act and become more like my Savior, I also can recognize that my [SPEAKER_03]: Body is the way that it is is a blessing.

[SPEAKER_03]: I can look around me and see people that don't have the body. [SPEAKER_03]: I have the physical capacities that I have. [SPEAKER_03]: Those with adaptive needs, for example, that don't have the ability to use their body as a tool of their spirit or their mind, right? [SPEAKER_03]: And I'm just great. [SPEAKER_03]: I think we should be more grateful for that.

[SPEAKER_03]: As I thought about this, I've thought, you know, there's so much in here that is good for us, that is council against certain things. [SPEAKER_03]: It's not all in here. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, remember, we get the council in section fifty-eight about the Lord, it's not meet that the Lord commands in all things. [SPEAKER_03]: Sometimes we need to use some reason and that we don't need to be compelled that otherwise we're a slothful servants and whatnot.

[SPEAKER_03]: But I think as I think about the word of wisdom and this hadn't really occurred to me until I was listening to what you shared and all for those that don't know me, I've lost a significant amount of weight in the last six months and nine months. [SPEAKER_03]: And it's interesting to me how my own perception of what I want to eat is different. [SPEAKER_03]: Just the other day I was walking into the grocery store. [SPEAKER_03]: I was there at about lunchtime.

[SPEAKER_03]: I hadn't had time to grab anything yet. [SPEAKER_03]: So I was going to just buy whatever I wanted. [SPEAKER_03]: And I just buy default, walk over to the Delhi area. [SPEAKER_03]: And I'm standing in front of the fried chicken. [SPEAKER_03]: And I'm thinking about ordering fried chicken. [SPEAKER_03]: And then the thought occurred to me, you won't feel good if you eat that. [SPEAKER_03]: And I remember thinking, what? [SPEAKER_03]: I eat so much fried chicken in my life.

[SPEAKER_03]: And then I start thinking about it. [SPEAKER_03]: I'm realizing now that I don't feel very good after I eat fried chicken. [SPEAKER_03]: The fried bread and thing just doesn't sound really good right now. [SPEAKER_03]: Now that I'm thinking about what I want, I had defaulted to the chicken fried chicken aisle. [SPEAKER_03]: Because that's where I'd gone for so many years before.

[SPEAKER_03]: What I'm learning is my body naturally knows what it wants and what's healthy for it if I am willing to step away a little bit from what I just default and go to what I actually want. [SPEAKER_03]: When I let my spirits speak to my body a little bit, I actually, okay, this is going to sound weird, but I actually wanted a sound. [SPEAKER_03]: I could about anything in the whole grocery store.

[SPEAKER_03]: But when I turned around from the fried chicken out and looking at the salad in the cold area, I think, yeah, that sounds better than the fried chicken does. [SPEAKER_03]: And it wasn't until I was checking out that I thought, oh, this would be good for my health, too. [SPEAKER_03]: Like it didn't even cross my mind that this is going to be good for my health.

[SPEAKER_03]: It was just literally, I changed some defaults in me so that now, certain things sound better than other things. [SPEAKER_03]: And I'm allowing my body to tell my spirit. [SPEAKER_03]: and allowing my spirit to influence and interact with my body differently. [SPEAKER_03]: So I just think there's something there and it's worth giving the defaults in your life a break. [SPEAKER_03]: Enough that you can let your spirit kind of start interacting and it becomes easier.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's not something I've ever would have done nine months ago, walk away from the fried chicken aisle. [SPEAKER_03]: But now it's maybe a little more natural for me to do that. [SPEAKER_03]: Kind of cool. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, I'll share that person. [SPEAKER_00]: Now once again, I want to tell all of our listeners and you, this is my personal experience. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm not saying anyone else will end up this way, but this is what I ended up as well with something.

[SPEAKER_00]: So, energy drinks. [SPEAKER_00]: I, you know, they're popular and I had somebody that I really looked up to that was telling, because I was tired all the time. [SPEAKER_00]: I have so much on my play and they said, oh, you know, if you tried this, this particular brand, it tastes like this.

[SPEAKER_00]: I was really excited to try this and so I went with my son to a wedding of a really special family member and we just happened to go to the grocery store after explaining to get him groceries because I was going to leave him back at school and these particular energy drinks were on sale and [SPEAKER_00]: They worked the ones we have here in Boise. [SPEAKER_00]: So I got like two of every flavor. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm so excited.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I had to go home that night because I didn't. [SPEAKER_00]: We were really tight with many, sometimes. [SPEAKER_00]: And so I was like, I'm not going to spend my night on a hotel. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to go home tonight. [SPEAKER_00]: So what can I do? [SPEAKER_00]: I can drink this energy drink. [SPEAKER_00]: And so I had one and I thought, well, maybe I'll try another flavor. [SPEAKER_00]: You don't just stay awake.

[SPEAKER_00]: So by the time I got home, I had already drank two. [SPEAKER_00]: And over the next couple of weeks, I drank a lot of these. [SPEAKER_00]: And I felt disgusting. [SPEAKER_00]: Now once again, this is for me and I now know for me, but even all of these interesting invitations and almost messages to consider, to stop and just re-evaluate, how are you feeling? [SPEAKER_00]: What is this doing with your body? [SPEAKER_00]: Is this something I need to do or want to do with my body?

[SPEAKER_00]: And I have to admit over the last, from man till even a couple months ago, [SPEAKER_00]: I was still drinking some of those and some other things that I know I probably, it's not the healthiest, but it's not necessarily God for me. [SPEAKER_00]: I just one day realized, I don't, I think that's hurting my stomach.

[SPEAKER_00]: I think that's hurting my mind, like you're saying, the tool of our mind, the, the power there for our mind, and I just decided to stop and try what's going to stop. [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, OK, I'm just going to experiment here. [SPEAKER_00]: My stomach issues have stopped. [SPEAKER_00]: I have more energy. [SPEAKER_00]: I have more clarity. [SPEAKER_00]: It's just interesting in our lives when we get wrapped up. [SPEAKER_00]: Not anything that's certainly bad.

[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes not even anything necessarily that will hurt us, but there are times that we get enveloped in something. [SPEAKER_00]: And if we'll just stop and include the Lord, he can give us some insights of what to use sparingly, what to do different.

[SPEAKER_00]: And Matt, I went in to target, and I don't know if we're in this supposed to say brands in here, but when it's target the other day, and they were on sale at this end cap, and it almost made my stomach hurt, and my head hurt, just to sing that. [SPEAKER_00]: And so it's interesting how we gain. [SPEAKER_00]: I mean, and you shall find wisdom, great treasures, and a knowledge even hidden treasures.

[SPEAKER_00]: There was that hidden within me that I didn't even know for me, for my body, can't handle those. [SPEAKER_00]: And so I think that's with anything. [SPEAKER_00]: Once again, not just food, [SPEAKER_00]: But lots of things in our lives that we can find this prudence, Thanksgiving, judgment. [SPEAKER_02]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: I'm sparingly temperance. [SPEAKER_00]: I love that at all through here. [SPEAKER_00]: Right. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: It's temperance in our lives.

[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you know, we haven't spent much time talking about the actual work of wisdom itself and the specifics of it. [SPEAKER_03]: And I think the listener can do that. [SPEAKER_03]: There's there's really only three things articulated as a not strong drinks to back on hot drinks back then hot drink would have been coffee probably alone. [SPEAKER_03]: There were probably wasn't much other than that. [SPEAKER_03]: But then there's just a whole list.

[SPEAKER_03]: It's versus, well, a little bit in verse six, but also first ten through seventeen is just straight. [SPEAKER_03]: Here's what you should eat. [SPEAKER_03]: This is the way you should eat it. [SPEAKER_03]: And I think what's cool is [SPEAKER_03]: Every one of those councils gives us an emotion that we should have while eating that thing, right? [SPEAKER_03]: Let me give you an example.

[SPEAKER_03]: Verse eleven, every herb in the season era, every fruit in the season era, all these to be used with prudence and Thanksgiving. [SPEAKER_03]: Same thing with flesh when we eat of the beasts that should be done with Thanksgiving. [SPEAKER_03]: and you sparely, right?

[SPEAKER_03]: It's interesting that the emotion tied in would have me thinking about my father and heaven and help me understand where this came from and recognizing the gift that it is in my life to have not only the body that I have, but the substance that I have and the taste and the goodness of the substance that we're given.

[SPEAKER_03]: I just think there's so much in here and you know President Uptorf gave a talk where he questioned why the others in the military were able to run around faster than he was and then go home and smoke and do all the things that they were doing afterwards. [SPEAKER_03]: But realizing over the course of their lives that he's in a much better state now than many of his friends then that we're doing those things and it put him on a path to obtain more even temporarily.

[SPEAKER_03]: because he was more controlled and able to manage his own affairs better. [SPEAKER_03]: So I think there's a lot that comes from this. [SPEAKER_03]: I love that it's given by way of maybe by way of friendship. [SPEAKER_03]: Just as counsel to help before it came as a commandment. [SPEAKER_03]: I am grateful that it is also a command now, not by way of force.

[SPEAKER_03]: I think you had shared something before here, record that was counseled to understand it, not as a forceful thing. [SPEAKER_03]: I love that it is something that we're asked prior to going into the temple that we would be able to go into the house of the Lord that is as clean and as pure as it is. [SPEAKER_03]: And yet not be asked if my own temple, my own body is clean and as pure as I can make it, it would seem funny to me.

[SPEAKER_03]: And so that it's tied there, one more thing that I'd love for you to share that if you have it. [SPEAKER_03]: You had shared earlier, verse eighteen, all saints who remember to keep and do these things, walk in obedience to commandments. [SPEAKER_03]: Shall receive health in their naval and marrow to their bones.

[SPEAKER_03]: There's a very specific place in the temple where we hear that exact phrase and it's interesting to me where that is and what it is that we're doing in the temple when we hear that phrase and tie it to the word of wisdom I invite those of you that are

[SPEAKER_03]: and doubt to consider that phrase, where it is, what it is, what you're doing when you're receiving that and or hearing that phrase for the first time, that maybe there's something bigger about the word of wisdom that ties those two phrases together, because I don't think we hear that phrase maybe in any other

[SPEAKER_03]: place in the scriptures and maybe I'm wrong there but I but I don't know of it being somewhere that is other than right here so anyway just I love the connections to the temple there they're found there. [SPEAKER_00]: Well I again I love the greatest promise at the very end in verse twenty and I the Lord given to them a promise that the destroying angels shall pass by then.

[SPEAKER_00]: We are saved from the destroying angel because of Jesus Christ, because of his atonement, because of that relationship we can have with him with that sacrifice that was given for us. [SPEAKER_00]: And I've loved, like I even began today, I'm so grateful for the Word of Wisdom and the relationship that it strengthened with my Heavenly Father and my Savior.

[SPEAKER_00]: by trying to navigate what this looks like for me and how to use some of these invitations and guidelines and even some warnings to help me strengthen that relationship. [SPEAKER_00]: Again, I go back to this student that talked about this being blindfolded and in our, the student recently mentioned as well. [SPEAKER_00]: She's so grateful for certain times when we are trying so hard to be close to him. [SPEAKER_00]: He makes the veil little thinner at times.

[SPEAKER_00]: To maybe remember who we are, where we're going, that we can do this. [SPEAKER_00]: And she mentioned that often times it's, it's, we hear that that veil gets thinner because of who he puts around us. [SPEAKER_00]: Like other co-workers, like our family members, like somebody else that is there for you. [SPEAKER_00]: Like I said, all the love that people have shared [SPEAKER_00]: for our family, that the veil has gotten a little thinner.

[SPEAKER_00]: And so I'm really grateful that really this, it's not like you said, it's not a command that they're taking away our agency or forcing us to do it. [SPEAKER_00]: It's an opportunity to use your agents. [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know how you set it, but it's something like, this is almost like from a good friend. [SPEAKER_00]: And the greatest friend is he who lays down his life for his friend. [SPEAKER_00]: That's the greatest love.

[SPEAKER_00]: And then in the next breath in that scripture, he testifies, if you are my friend, you know, you'll do what I've asked. [SPEAKER_00]: And that's what strengthens this friendship. [SPEAKER_00]: And this connection back to our Heavenly Home is by wanting to walk with them and listen and be guided. [SPEAKER_00]: I love it. [SPEAKER_03]: Isn't that an interesting concept that friendship can be based on how we react and interact with each other?

[SPEAKER_03]: If a friend asks me to do something, I'm like, yeah, I'm not going to do that. [SPEAKER_03]: How much of a friend am I? [SPEAKER_03]: Especially if the thing he's asked me to do is only going to benefit me. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, right? [SPEAKER_03]: What kind of friend am I? [SPEAKER_03]: If that's the way I receive friendship in counsel. [SPEAKER_03]: I think that's an interesting, interesting way to look at this. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, Sister Clement, thank you.

[SPEAKER_03]: This has been a great conversation in the word of wisdom and really this whole block. [SPEAKER_03]: I think we covered some of the great things in all of it. [SPEAKER_03]: By way of closing today, would you do me a favor? [SPEAKER_03]: Would you share [SPEAKER_03]: Something you have learned about the young adults since you've been working with as at the Institute. [SPEAKER_03]: It's been almost a full year now, is that right? [SPEAKER_03]: Full year.

[SPEAKER_03]: And you are beloved by the young adults. [SPEAKER_03]: It's so fun to see them ramp up for your classes and vote with their feet that they love such requirements. [SPEAKER_03]: But I would love to know what, I mean, there's a lot of things I think we infer and we know about young adults. [SPEAKER_03]: But being around them and being in their space [SPEAKER_03]: What have you learned about them in the last year?

[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I want every young adult that can hear us that's going to listen to us. [SPEAKER_00]: I get to meet that we get to be so blessed to be with. [SPEAKER_00]: You're amazing. [SPEAKER_00]: And I know that for a long time, the prophet has testified directly from God that they are chosen. [SPEAKER_00]: They have been saved for now to be able to take the journey. [SPEAKER_00]: when the block has gotten a lot trickier to navigate.

[SPEAKER_00]: And I have been in such awe of their strength, but more than that, they're longing for their eternal home. [SPEAKER_00]: They get more disappointment in relationships not going well. [SPEAKER_00]: They're more affected by some of those decisions other people make that they want to help and alter. [SPEAKER_00]: They're just so much more sensitive to some of those things. [SPEAKER_00]: And I really, truly have recognized for me.

[SPEAKER_00]: They remember their heavenly home, even though they don't, they do because of their strength before and what they're trying to have that strength here now. [SPEAKER_00]: So I would invite all of the young adults to take a moment every day to allow your Heavenly Father and your Savior to remind you who you are.

[SPEAKER_00]: to make the veil a little thinner like our amazing one of our friends or students have said, just allow the savior and your family father to help you know that they're there. [SPEAKER_00]: You may not be able to see and it may be frustrating because you haven't found the grass line or you've lost the grass line or you're at the grass line and you're ready for something else. [SPEAKER_00]: If you will take those moments, you can do anything with him because you remember who you are.

[SPEAKER_00]: And it can give you that confidence in that courage. [SPEAKER_00]: And if you're doing it comes to what we eat and how we treat one another, it can make our journey easier and smoother. [SPEAKER_00]: And we can learn what we need to. [SPEAKER_00]: Just return our hearts. [SPEAKER_00]: Just turn back to him. [SPEAKER_03]: I love that. [SPEAKER_03]: And he's never the friend out in the middle of the street. [SPEAKER_03]: Oh, we wait.

[SPEAKER_03]: No, no. [SPEAKER_03]: I mean, go that way. [SPEAKER_03]: He's always telling us the right way. [SPEAKER_03]: There's never a plan to be for him. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, again, if we could just grab one more thing. [SPEAKER_00]: If we could take that blindfold off, I love in the scriptures how many times it testifies he's ready with open arms. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_00]: He's right there.

[SPEAKER_00]: We don't sometimes feel that he's there or see that he's there, but he is right. [SPEAKER_00]: If we could take that off, we would be in the greatest of, then we could even probably canting comprehend of how ready he is right there. [SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, that's so true. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, I love it. [SPEAKER_03]: So sir, Clements, thank you. [SPEAKER_03]: I think the next time we have you back, we're going to be covering some Old Testament stuff.

[SPEAKER_03]: We're going to be back in the Old Testament. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: It'll be kind of fun. [SPEAKER_00]: Well, that's exciting. [SPEAKER_03]: Kind of fun. [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah. [SPEAKER_03]: Well, we will have you back in and I appreciate your time today. [SPEAKER_00]: Thank you.