Welcome to the Come Follow Me podcast for teens and for parents of teens. A podcast to supplement your weekly study of the Come Follow Me curriculum. with thoughts, ideas, principles, stories and questions all geared towards helping teenagers better follow Christ through their teenage years.
Hey everybody, welcome back to another edition of the Come Follow Me for Teens podcast. As always, I'm your host Josh Downs. This week we're going to be taking a look at Doctrine and Covenants section 19 under the theme Learn of Me. There is, as always, a lot of great truths to get into, especially for you young people in Section 19. So I'm excited to get into this one today. We're going to jump right into the background of this week's study, which is as follows.
It took Martin and Lucy Harris years to acquire one of the finest farms in Palmyra, New York. But in 1829, it became clear that the Book of Mormon could be published only if Martin mortgaged his farm to pay the printer. Martin had a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but Lucy did not. If Martin went forward with the mortgage and the Book of Mormon did not sell well, he would lose his farm, put his marriage at risk, and damage his reputation in the community.
Although our circumstances are different from Martin's, At some time or another, we all face difficult questions like those he faced. What is the gospel of Jesus Christ worth to me? What am I willing to sacrifice to help build God's kingdom? Martin Harris ultimately decided that he would mortgage his farm so the first 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon could be printed. But even this sacrifice and any sacrifice we might make is small compared to the sacrifice of Jesus.
At kind of its core, one of the... The main components of this story is basically Martin Harris being willing to let go of something that was very hard for him to give to basically the Lord and to trust that everything would work out okay with no real personal guarantee. that it would. You're going to see as we go throughout this section some very similar ways that we are asked to do the same thing.
now we're going to jump right into section 19. in particular we're going to take a look at verses 2 through 4 and 15 through 20. again this is a revelation given to martin harris and is a revelation that contains as they all do wonderful truths about god and his plan for his children but one of the things i'd invite you to do is as you read this particular section
maybe more so than even others, is to put yourself in it as if God was speaking directly to you. Because doing this will help you to experience the power of these words for yourself. And this section can become very personal in that way.
So starting off in verse 2 is where we're going to begin. And one of the things I would invite you to look for, kind of as we go through these verses, is what is it that the Lord says from these verses and in these verses that every man must do? Every man, every woman, every person.
What is it that He is telling us that we must all do? Starting in verse 2, the Lord says, even the father concerning me having done this that i might subdue all things unto myself retaining all power even to the destroying of satan and his works at the end of the world and the last great day of judgment which shall pass upon the inhabitants thereof Judging every man according to his works and the deeds which he has done. And surely every man must repent or suffer. For I, God, am endless.
And then jumping to verse 15. And did you catch there, I guess, first of all, the thing that he said every one of us must do, every man must do? kind of emphasized it as we were reading it verse 4 and surely every man must repent or suffer
We're going to come back to that in just a moment. In fact, here's a little bit as to why, though, I think in the next verses. Starting in verse 15 through 20, the Lord continues by saying, Therefore I command you to repent. Repent lest I smite you by the rod of my mouth, and by my wrath, and by my... anger and your sufferings be sore how sore you know not how exquisite you know not yea how hard to bear you know not
For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all that they might not suffer if they would repent. But if they would not repent, They must suffer even as I, which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit, and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink.
Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men. Wherefore, he says again here, I command you again to repent. Lest I humble you with my almighty power that you confess your sins, lest you suffer these punishments of which I have spoken, of which in the smallest degree, yea, even in the least degree, you have tasted at the time I withdrew my spirit.
There is a lot there in those verses. The Lord is, I don't know if you can feel it, but He's almost pleading with every single one of us to, did you catch it? Just simply repent. And if we won't repent, guess what? He is telling us that because basically I love you so much and I don't want you to suffer, I'm going to do things.
to push you in that direction. I'm going to humble you. I'm going to smite you by my almighty power so that you confess your sins so that you can repent so that you don't have to suffer.
Now, there's two great principles, really, young people, I want you to see in this one. And first is that much of the plan of salvation can be boiled down to one choice. And that is simply... to repent or suffer i remember my classes when i was teaching and introducing this lesson i would put a a little kind of a pop quiz i would say a little piece of paper on each of my students desk face down and just say something like hey guys we got a pop quiz today
But don't worry, it's only one question and it's really not going to affect a whole lot other than just, well, all of eternity. You know, the kids would be like, oh, whoa, wait, what's that? And then I'd say, okay. Go ahead and turn it over. And just simply on the piece of paper on the other side were two options with a checkbox next to each one. And it just was simply repent, suffer.
And I just invited them to choose which one they wanted to mark. And it was just kind of a fun way to introduce this concept. But yet at the same time, it was a springboard to talk about the simplicity.
of the gospel and of god's plan and how much of it can really be boiled down to at its core this choice and this decision which is to repent or suffer the choice is really ours and while that sounds pretty simple the truth is really that simple Each of us, really every day, is making that choice for ourselves, whether we will repent and accept the Savior's suffering for our sins or not to repent and have to suffer for our sins ourselves.
So you guys, repentance is not something to be afraid of or to try to avoid for that matter. It is a gift. It's a blessing. But having been in your shoes, it's easy to feel like. It's hard. It's hard to talk to your parents about mistakes that you've made. It's hard to talk to and confess to priesthood leaders of sins that you've committed and things you've done wrong.
Thinking on that and wanting to kind of help with that so that you understand maybe a little bit why it's so hard. And also encourage you to repent in spite of how hard it might seem. There was an experience I had years ago that helped me to better understand really all of it. In the temple, you see, you'll learn a lot about Adam and Eve and their experience basically in the Garden of Eden. It's basically the same presentation, the same thing is taught just about every time that you go.
And of course, we're counseled to go to the temple often. Well, on one occasion, I was sitting there listening and watching the same presentation about Adam and Eve, which I've watched hundreds of times. And in that moment, I remember thinking to myself,
It kind of let my mind wander a little bit. Why do we talk so much about Adam and Eve? Why do we have to do the same presentation over and over? Why do we need to be reminded of this so much in the church and especially in the temple? Well... i think in asking the question it allowed the lord to teach me because right after that question it hit me which was oh my gosh and it was like a light came on i am adam
We are Adam and Eve, and we're basically having the same experience that they did. He was tempted, she was tempted to partake of something forbidden, and they did. Well, guess what? I've been given commandments and have a clear understanding between what's right and wrong, good and evil. And there have been times where I've been tempted as well to partake of something forbidden, something that was wrong.
and guess what i have as well i've given into that temptation well guess what happens as soon as adam and eve partook of the forbidden fruit satan convinced them to hide from God because of their sin. He caused them to feel shame for what they had done. That they are now not worthy of God's love. That they have done too much. They can't be forgiven. They've ruined everything. They're not good enough. That they are bad and that they are a mistake.
Well, I know that you have felt those same words from him whispered in your own mind, because I have as well, especially when I was your age. And I've done the same thing that they did, which many of you have done. which we all do, which is try to hide our sins, try to hide our mistakes. I've hidden mine. You've hidden yours. I've hidden that part of me that I was ashamed of. You've hidden that part of you that you're ashamed of. Well,
Again, if we're following the story, what happens next is here comes God and he simply asks, Adam, where art thou? Where are you? Now think about that for a moment, you guys. He's God. Does he really not know where Adam is? Did he lose track of his son? No, of course he knows where Adam is.
and Eve are. He knows the exact bush that they're hiding behind. In fact, honestly, he can probably see their little head sticking up behind it. But instead of calling them out, he just keeps asking, Adam, Eve, where are you? until finally they come out on their own. Now the second question is, does God not know what they've done?
Well, again, he's God. Of course he does. But again, instead of calling them out on it, he just simply asks, What is it that thou hast done? And then Adam, of his own free will, confesses. See, God knew that in order to help Adam and Eve to change, that they had to be vulnerable. They had to accept that they had made a mistake and trust Him with that mistake. They had to open themselves up to trusting that God would still love them and accept them.
That although they made a mistake, they are not a mistake. And so God waited until Adam and Eve of their own free will came out from hiding and confessed their sin to him. That, young people, do you see it? Please tell me you see it. That is why confession.
is necessary i used to hate the idea of confession like why do we have to do that it's it's so stupid it's so hard but now i get it i get why it's so important i get why it's a part of the repentance process and maybe the most important part because confession is an act of faith it's an act of trust and it contains one of the most vital steps required to be forgiven which is to be vulnerable and humble before god
And it's the act that brings us out from hiding from our sins. Does that make sense? Now another truth that goes along with this, it's important to understand.
It has to do with something that I was reminded of in my classroom every time I would turn out the lights and show a video of any kind. Because without fail, if the lights stayed off for just a little while, that when I turned them back on, suddenly after the video I would always hear my students say things like ah my eyes it's too bright you know and if you've ever been in a dark room and then had that happen when the lights came on too quickly you felt that
See, after a while our eyes begin to adjust to the dark and it gets harder for us to come into the light. Boy, do you see the lesson in that? The longer that you hide your sins in the dark, the longer you keep them in the dark, the more painful and difficult it will be to bring them into the light. That's what Satan wants. That's why He counsels us to hide. That's why He will shame us to keep them hidden. But that's why I would counsel you to develop the ability to repent quickly.
Don't let your sins stay hidden where they can fester and get worse. Bring them to the master healer and trust him. that He can and will help you with them, that He will still love you and accept you and be able to heal you from them. Repent or suffer. Please choose to repent. Choose to come out from hiding. Choose to be vulnerable with God by confessing when needed to your parents and or your priesthood leaders. You will find when you do the same reaction from them that Adam received from God.
God did not shame Adam and Eve for what they had done. He didn't get after them saying things like, oh, you blew it. Way to go. You ruined it for the entire human race. You're a terrible person, terrible people. There was none of that.
He simply explained to Adam and Eve that there would be consequences, but that he would be there every step of the way to help them through them. And then, in a deeply symbolic gesture, he commanded, that coats of skins be made to cover their nakedness and he gave that commandment to the savior to fulfill
Now think about the symbolism in that. I'm almost positive, although it doesn't mention in scriptures, that these coats of skins were most likely made from, can you guess what animal? Probably a lamb. Probably lamb skin. Why? Well, again, see the symbolism? The word atonement in Hebrew literally means to cover. That's what the Savior offers us through His atonement.
cover you. Let me cover your sins. Let me cover your nakedness that is exposed to the demands of justice so you don't have to suffer. Let me suffer for you. Without the atonement, we are naked in terms of being exposed to the demands of justice. And he is offering to cover us from them, to pay the price through his own suffering so that we don't have to repent or suffer. The choice is ours. The most important choice you or I will ever make.
I remember President Packer saying on one occasion that if the adversary should take you prisoner due to misconduct, he said, through the atoning sacrifice of the Savior Jesus Christ. You may, in time of trouble, think that you're not worth saving because you've made mistakes, big or little, and you think you are now lost. Well, that is never true. Only repentance can heal what hurts. But repentance can heal what hurts, no matter what it is. And Elder Bednar taught on one occasion that
Some of you who receive this message need to repent of sexual or other sins. And I just pause there because having worked with young people, I know how often these kinds of sins get hidden. whether it's pornography or immorality of any kind, those are the ones that are hidden the most, that Satan will shame us the most for.
Listen to what Elder Bednar says, really about all sin, but especially those which are so common to hide. You're not alone in hiding those. The Savior is often referred to, he says, as the Great Physician, and this title has both symbolic and literal. significance all of us have experienced the pain associated with a physical injury or wound
When we are in pain, we typically seek relief and are grateful for the medication and treatments that help to alleviate our suffering. Well, he says, consider sin as a spiritual wound that causes guilt. or as described by alma to his son corianton remorse of conscious guilt is to our spirit what pain is to our body a warning of danger and a protection from additional damage. From the atonement of the Savior flows the soothing salve that can heal our spiritual wounds and remove guilt. However,
This salve can only be applied through the principles of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and consistent obedience. The results of sincere repentance are peace of conscience, comfort, and spiritual healing and renewal you see how important it is that we choose to repent. And you see, I hope, the blessing that it is. That it isn't something to be feared and afraid of, but something to be embraced and rejoiced over. I want you to know that...
You can listen to a podcast like this and think, boy, that guy's never made any mistakes. That is not true. I have... made all kinds of mistakes in my life and committed all kinds of sins, many of which I could very easily be ashamed of. But you know what? I have chosen to instead give myself space and grace in being human.
We live in a fallen world where temptation surrounds us every single day. Do you think for a moment that we're meant to go through this without making mistakes? The fact that God provided His Son. is an acknowledgement that He knew that you would make mistakes, that I would make mistakes. It was expected that we would fail, which is why He sent the Savior.
So give yourself permission to fall short once in a while. Give yourself permission to commit sin. Now strive not to, and don't use it as an excuse to, but... When you're trying to be the best you can be and to do good and sometimes you fall short of that, that's okay. That was a part of God's plan from the beginning. And he even provided the solution, which is just simply to repent and to repent quickly so that we can get back up, get these wounds cleaned and on the way to being healed.
so that we can return to the full physical or spiritual, in this case, functionality. There have been times where I needed to speak to priesthood leaders, to confess to priesthood leaders. Even one time when I was your age, when my priest and leader was my father. And that was not easy.
But I can tell you from personal experience that those moments, as hard as they were, were some of the most freeing and liberating moments. I could feel the Spirit come into my life and begin the cleaning out process and the healing process. Those sins that had become so heavy were made light. Almost instantly through the beautiful process of confession and coming out from hiding that the Lord invites us to do over and over and over.
And it can happen for you too as well as you choose to repent. Now some questions for you to consider on this principle, you guys, might be one, how have these truths and verses helped you to look differently at repentance? why should it be considered a gift instead of a punishment why does it seem to be so hard though in spite of that what are some of the things that can keep us from repenting
What lies does Satan like to whisper in our minds to keep us in the dark? How have you felt him do that with you and with your own sins? And how can you develop the ability to be? more quick to repent and to make repentance a daily experience and what will you choose in the end repent or suffer I'd invite you to write down how repentance has been a gift in your life already. How have you experienced the blessings of repentance and the atonement in your own life?
Now for this next principle, I love this one. This one teaches us a lot about God. In these verses that we'll take a look at, well, really throughout all this section, the Savior reveals a major mystery of the gospel. One that many, I really believe, many... the church have failed to recognize and to understand. I want you to look at what the Lord teaches in these verses about the concepts of eternal damnation and eternal torment or endless torment.
which we hear often, kind of referring to hell. In Doctrine and Covenants section 19, verses 5 through 12, listen to what the Lord teaches about eternal punishment. In verse 5 he says, Wherefore I revoke not the judgments which I shall pass, but woe shall go forth, weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth, yea, to those who are found on my left hand. Those who basically choose to suffer.
Nevertheless, he says, it is not written that there shall be an end to this torment, but it is written endless torment. Now one can argue with that. It's the same thing, isn't it? I remember reading that like, oh man, I don't ever want to do it. Endless torment. But listen to what he says here in verse 7. Again, it is written, eternal damnation.
Wherefore, it is more expressed than other scriptures that it might work upon the hearts of the children of men altogether for my name's glory. Wherefore, I will explain unto you this mystery. For it is meet unto you to know, even as mine apostles. I speak unto you that are chosen in this thing, even as one, that you may enter into my rest. For behold the mystery of godliness, how great it is.
For behold, I am endless, and the punishment which is given from my hand is endless punishment. For endless is my name, wherefore... Eternal punishment is God's punishment. Endless punishment is God's punishment. Boy, do you guys see the wonderful truth that God teaches here about really Himself and His plan?
Again, it was always hard for me to wrap my head around the idea of hell and eternal suffering and damnation, which much of the scriptures teach is what the wicked will experience. And I often thought, man, that... That really sucks for them. I don't ever want to be there. But then I would commit sin and make mistakes, and I think, well, I'm going to suffer forever.
Well, I had a hard time understanding how a loving father could condemn his children to an eternity of endless punishment and endless suffering. But in these verses, we learn... That eternal and endless are some of the names that he goes by. And therefore, eternal punishment and endless punishment both actually mean that they are just God's punishments. Not that there will never be an end to them.
Do you see the difference? This means that there, really if you break this down then, what's the reason then for the punishment? If it isn't just, hey, you either live forever in happiness or you live forever in hell. What it means. is that there is purpose behind the punishment. And once that purpose has been fulfilled, it will end. And so what might that purpose be? Well, the purpose is change.
It's always been change. It's learning. It's growth. It's gaining experience. You know how by just living life how much we learn. from experience, how much we learn sometimes from pain or from suffering. Anytime you've touched something that was hot, you learned through your suffering to not do that again. That's the purpose of eternal punishment, of eternal suffering.
Now saying that, don't get me wrong, this is not a growing experience that any of us want to have. The Lord is very clear in those earlier verses how painful that suffering is. The suffering for our own sins will be, which is why he pleads with us to repent so that we won't have to experience eternal or endless punishment. So we won't have to experience God's punishment.
And another way that we can look at this is what does this teach you about God and his love for his children? That he will not send them away or leave them in hell forever. that his punishment serves a purpose, that hell serves a purpose, which is to help his children to change and to learn from what we suffer.
Sometimes God's greatest gift to us is not to rescue us from our pain and suffering, even in this life, to allow them to work in us so that we can change here and now. It doesn't mean that He doesn't care. But maybe in some ways, it actually shows how much he cares. Joseph taught, as we'll see later on, that the glory of even the lowest kingdom surpasses all.
all understanding even the lowest kingdom of god is a kingdom of love and glory which he basically said will blow your mind for even those of his children who have made the the absolute worst decisions that they could possibly make in living life. Please tell me that you can see just how much God loves His children. How much He loves you. He knows your name.
He knows your hopes. He knows your dreams. He knows your sorrows, your pain, your disappointments. He knows you. He knows all that you're going through, all that you'll experience. And everything that you'll experience is temporary. And that in the end, it will all be worth it. And it will be amazing. It really is the great plan of salvation for all of God's children. elder kevin s hamilton said while it is indeed good to be authentic
We should be authentic to our real true selves as sons and daughters of God with a divine nature and destiny to become like Him. If our goal is to be authentic to this divine nature and destiny, then we all need to change. And the scriptural word for change is repentance. Too many people, President Russell M. Nielsen teaches, consider repentance as punishment, something to be avoided except in the most serious circumstances.
When Jesus asks you and me to repent, He is inviting us to change. I would just bear my testimony to you. I have experienced... The power of change through the process of repentance. It's not always easy. Sometimes it's very painful and it can be scary. But I have felt... the workings of the spirit in me as high as i've taken those steps necessary to repent it has led me
to change to be better to have a greater resolve to not repeat the mistakes of the past now i haven't always not repeated the mistakes of the past but every time i repent It's felt like taking a step forward and continuing to move in the direction that I know God wants me to go. Some questions I would invite you to consider might be, how does this knowledge of eternal and endless punishment change or affect your understanding of God? How can the process of repentance be a process to change?
How can consequence and sometimes suffering promote change? And how do these truths help us to better understand why God allows suffering and pain sometimes in life? To apply this, I would maybe just invite you to write down how suffering and pain and consequence in some way or shape or form that you've experienced in life has helped you to learn certain lessons.
I think you'll see that sometimes pain, consequence, and suffering are some of life's greatest teachers. The last principle, we'll just end quickly with this one. is a verse that I've just come to love in section 19. We're going to take a look at one verse that the Savior gives that can really help us. find peace in our lives i know every single one of us every single one of you wants to have greater peace we all do that verse is verse 23 listen to what the savior teaches here as a process
for obtaining peace in our lives. Verse 23 reads, Learn of me and listen to my words. Walk in the meekness of my spirit and you shall have peace in me. Again, for this last principle, I just want to focus on that one verse that can lead us to experience the best parts of mortality along the way. did about repentance and punishment and choosing him and choosing to repent the lord simply invites us to apply all that by learning of him to listen to his words to walk in the meekness of his spirit
And then he promises that you shall have peace in me if you do that. In other words, learn of Christ. Listen to Christ. Walk in and with Christ. And you and I will have peace in Christ. It's such a beautiful truth, isn't it? We really don't need to overthink the truths of the gospel that much. It really is simple. Where do we start?
Just begin by learning about Him. Listen to His words. Read them. Study them. Just like you're doing here with this. And they will help you to better walk the path that He has walked. And in so doing, we can find peace, even in the most turbulent of times and storms and situations. Why? Well, because we know that by choosing Him,
and being vulnerable with him and repenting of our sins, that we are covered from our sins. That there is purpose in our pain and suffering that we experience in life, that in the end it will all be worth it. So young people, please. Please, please, please listen to this and learn this truth while you're young. If these truths can become foundational to you while you're young,
then they will sustain you through any and every storm that you will experience in your life. You will experience, without question, something that will be unexpected. An unexpected illness. or disease, or a death, or a divorce, or a disability, or disappointment, or discouragement. Whatever it is, it will come in your life. But you can hold on to these truths and know
that the most important things you can do, in spite of those things that you experience and go through, is just to repent. Continue to repent each and every day. And trust in the Lord and trust in His plan.
That everything and anything that you suffer will be but for a small moment. And then... as the scriptures say if you endure it well god shall exalt thee on high and thou shalt triumph over all thy foes all your disappointments all your discouragements all the people that have hurt you or all the situations that have been painful all of your challenges, all your struggles, and that you cannot see the design of your God and the glory that shall come after much tribulation.
As much as we would love to have every situation, painful situation, circumstance, or struggle that we experience fixed or healed or solved, the truth is that they won't all be. that sometimes we will just have to endure them and endure them well. But I can testify this to you guys. Though the Savior may not always calm the storms that we are in, He will always and can always calm the storms that are in us.
Elder Joseph B. Worthland taught that the dial on the will of sorrow eventually points to each of us. At one time or another, everyone must experience sorrow. No one is exempt. The Lord in His wisdom does not shield anyone from grief. or sadness. However, as Elder W. Christopher Waddle taught, peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability to avoid trials, sorrow, or heartache.
Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course. Not every infirmity will be healed. And we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, or practice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators. Nevertheless, we have been promised peace. with a condition attached. And in the scripture that we just have studied, the Lord gave us three conditions and then a promise that will lead to peace. Learn of me. Listen to my words.
Walk in the meekness of my spirit. The promise? You will have peace in me. And I know that that is true. Some journal discussion questions on this last principle might be, one, what does it mean to you to learn of Christ? What does that look like to you in your life? What does it mean to you to listen to his words? And what ways can you do that or have you been doing that? What does it mean?
you to walk in the meekness of his spirit? What does that look like in a person's life, in your life? How are each of these things related to one another and maybe even act as steps to one another? and lastly how do you feel about the promise of peace made by the savior as you do them To apply this, I'd invite you to maybe just write of an experience you've had where you were able to find peace in Christ in spite of the storm that you were in.
I hope that that has been helpful. Boy, there's a lot there. There's a lot of really great truths, some very deep ones. But I hope that that has been helpful. And if nothing else, I hope that it has inspired you to learn of Christ, to listen to his words, to walk in the meekness of his spirit, to choose to repent, to trust him with your sins, to come out from hiding.
regardless of what you've done, and to believe that he can and will forgive you and heal you and help you to change and become better through the process. As always, please remember that person is greatest and most blessed and joyful whose life most closely approaches the pattern of the Christ. This has nothing to do with earthly wealth, power, or prestige.
The only true test of greatness, blessedness, joyfulness is how close a life can come to being like the Master, Jesus Christ. He is the right way, the full truth, and the abundant life, and he invites us all to come follow me. so my invitation to you is the same as it's always been let's follow him better this week and become a little better as we follow him until next week everyone have a great week thank you for joining me I'm Josh Downs, and this has been Come Follow Me for Teens.