0:00:00 - 0:00:26 Ok. I wanted to do a follow up from the live stream we did on December 31st. As always happens when you're sort of in the moment of your brain will go back to that in echoes and then you'll get more thoughts that the things you wish you had said. And so I, I don't think we did an adequate job addressing 0:00:25 - 0:00:51 this idea of. It's hard. I'm exhausted when I try to do the right thing all the time. I am exhausted and it's hard. Um, so because I'm looking at myself on this and I had this ridiculous mustache. I, I, this is a serious topic but I'm going to just pause for a second and it's maybe I can tie this in 0:00:51 - 0:01:10 and make it relevant. But my daughter has been on me for a while about her. Her favorite movie is Nacho Libre and she's, she keeps asking me, dad, dad, can you shave your mustache, um, when you, when you trim your beard next time. And I'm like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But, um, you know, it's the 0:01:10 - 0:01:37 little things that, uh, it's important to express our love to people. We love in whatever way they're willing to receive. And uh I have far fewer opportunities to do that with my daughter than, than I would like. So it's a good reminder that, you know, if we're willing to do goofy things like this. Um 0:01:36 - 0:02:02 And she, her face lit up when she saw that, um that I had done this. So anyway, if we're willing to do things like this, just imagine what the Lord is willing to do for us. And it really is that simple that when we ask him for something, the one of the baseline considerations are, does it impede great 0:02:01 - 0:02:28 or good? If the answer is no, there aren't many other checks that has to go through for him to grant what we request. And um this is good to remember because when, when things don't seem uh to come as we're asking or in the time that we're asking uh a safe assumption is because he has something better 0:02:27 - 0:03:03 on the way. Anyway. So back to this, um it's hard, I'm exhausted. So um when the Lord talks about taking his yoke upon ourselves, um one good question to ask. So the, the line says um take my yoke upon you cause my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And as it is with, with many scriptures who are trying 0:03:03 - 0:03:28 to understand them, usually the missing key is a question. And so the the path to better understanding scripture is learning how to formulate the question. And actually, if you had to choose one of those two gifts, either receiving the gift of God explaining things to you or receiving the gift of knowing 0:03:28 - 0:03:54 how to formulate a question so that He answers it, I would say the second one is a much, much greater gift because it's generative. So if you have any old question, you can package it in a way so that you get an answer, it turns out it's possible to do that. But anyway, so the question in this case is 0:03:54 - 0:04:22 compared to what my burden is easy. So I'm sorry, my yoke is easy. My burden is light easy compared to what light compared to what the answer is the world. The answer is any alternative. So God's way is the best way and how do you define best, well, greatest net benefit and subject to all things? So 0:04:22 - 0:04:50 the way of the world only ever looks better because we're wrong in the way we're looking at it, our perceptions are wrong, our valuations are wrong. Our idea of what's going on. I mean, it's all just bunkers wrong, right? So when uh it feels like the Lord's yoke is heavy or difficult, then we're seeing 0:04:50 - 0:05:30 something incorrectly. Now saying that uh it's important to tell you that I am not minimizing what I know you're going through in saying that um there is a myth that those who, those who I, I don't know how else to say this, but who perform better, have an easier time at it. And it's, it's a myth that 0:05:30 - 0:05:55 has infected our entire culture. So when a person, especially a younger person, so let's pick on Gen Z uh because they don't watch this channel to defend themselves. So when they, when they see it is exact, the youtube cut off on the, on the demographics is 25 and that I looked it up. Gen Z ends at 25 0:05:54 - 0:06:14 and there's 125 year old dude who, who identified himself in the comments. So thank you. And he's representing for all of them. So, and, but he's an old enough Gen Z that he's an honorary millennial if there is such a thing. Uh Anyway, if there's honor among thieves, maybe there's honor among millennials 0:06:13 - 0:06:39 . Um So there's this myth when, when a generation Z person sees someone who's wealthy, their first assumption is they don't deserve it. They got that from oppressing someone or they got that out of luck or, you know, their parents were, were wealthy or whatever. And that's really sad because if your 0:06:39 - 0:07:04 assumption is to, to go right to the idea that there's no such thing as cause and effect or that uh good things only happen due to chance. That's a really bad way to live life. Uh You're not gonna get very far with that mentality and um you know, some people have a problem with that, but most people 0:07:04 - 0:07:23 will hear what I just said and said. Yeah. And they'll just jump into the dog pile. Yeah. Um, but what about in spiritual things? Because the attitude is just as pervasive. It's this myth that if someone knows the scriptures, it's because it's easier for them to learn them than it is for someone who 0:07:23 - 0:07:47 doesn't. Or if someone, uh, gets more revelation, it's because God's answering them more and, um, this just isn't true and I could guessimate some reasons for why people feel that it is true. But uh rather than take the time, you know, waste your time and just sort of speculating as to why this is, I'll 0:07:46 - 0:08:12 just tell you it's not true. Um Actually quite the opposite. So one of the reasons and there are many that people are ashamed, a, a large proportion of people are ashamed upon reaching the tree of life and they turn away. One of these reasons is because it's so different than what they expected. And 0:08:12 - 0:08:37 one big chunk of that is that it doesn't get easier, it gets harder. The, the higher you ascend, the more you suffer is not the less you suffer. Now, there are enormous differences. One of them is meaning your meaning just explodes the, the in a good way. Uh It, it expands at a rapid rate and that's 0:08:36 - 0:09:00 what makes it possible to bear greater burdens, but they don't hurt any less, you know, Jesus, uh the, the script it's Mosiah 37. I have it written down here, Jesus suffered more, not less says in lo he shall suffer temptations and pain of body, hunger, thirst and fatigue even more than man can suffer 0:08:59 - 0:09:21 . Except it be unto death. For behold blood cometh from every poor, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and abominations of his people. So it says here that he literally suffered more than anyone else because it would have killed anyone else and they didn't have or don't have the capacity 0:09:20 - 0:09:47 to endure that pain and remain alive. And so unfortunately, people say, but that was Jesus and they'll say uh something like well because he suffered. I don't have to, he's our example in all things. And so we're meant to follow him. So that doesn't work out. So the greatest among you will be the least 0:09:47 - 0:10:12 , the greatest among you will be the one who suffers the most for what the benefit of all people just like Jesus. So and as in not for your own stupid mistakes, but for the benefit of all people. So um and and it's not just about this is true all the way down. So if you look at Isaiah, for example, you 0:10:12 - 0:10:36 can't tell me that when he was sawn in half, it didn't hurt as bad as if you or I would get sawn in half. That's not the way it works. He did it even though it hurt as much as it always does. And he had a higher purpose than most people who had that happen to them. Like Jesus, you know, when, when he 0:10:36 - 0:11:03 was crucified, there were a lot of people who were crucified. So that itself wasn't the difference, there was something else. Uh It hurt just as much. In fact, it hurt more and understanding why that is, is super important. So um another scripture I'd like to read is Alma 13, 4 and five. So it's talking 0:11:03 - 0:11:25 about people who are called after the Holy Order. And it makes a case that we were all on equal standing. And the differentiation happened solely because of choice, not because it was easier, but because some people made harder choices than others, and some people made them again and again and again 0:11:25 - 0:11:43 . So uh it says, and thus, they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith. While others would reject the spirit of God, on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds. While if it had not been for this, they might have had as great privilege as their brethren 0:11:42 - 0:12:04 . What privilege comes from choice, what or in fine in the first place, they were on the same standing with their brethren. Thus, this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the only begotten son who 0:12:04 - 0:12:29 was prepared that's the end of the verse, but not the thought. So, an interesting point here is that, um and this came up in the discussion, uh This is not about what you do is about what you receive. So it's prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts being in 0:12:29 - 0:12:48 and through the atonement of the only begotten sun. So you have to choose to do what is right. And in doing that, you're not doing anything fancy, you're still an unprofitable servant, you're just getting out of God's way in order to receive the good that he offers you. He's the one that paid for it 0:12:48 - 0:13:17 , your, your price that you're paying is just to receive it. So, OK, so um so when it comes to this, uh this idea of obedience being hard uh compared to what? So the only reason the world's way seems easier is because you're still under the illusion that the world's way actually gives you anything. And 0:13:16 - 0:13:47 ironically, the only reason that you're under that illusion is because of the grace of God because you're still in the bubble of this world where um you can participate in the benefits provided by someone else without actually um submitting to the law required to make that permanent. So we're in free 0:13:46 - 0:14:12 sample world, in other words, and everyone's walking around taking free samples acting like they have a source of food forever and there will come a time where that food is taken away the free samples. And uh this is this weird version of the parable of the 10 virgins and the lamps and the oil and you're 0:14:12 - 0:14:30 , you're thriving off the oil of other people and it's not gonna be around forever because the clock's going to run out. Whether it's the end of the world or the end of your life or just a sudden change in, in world circumstances or local circumstances, you're gonna find that you don't have what you 0:14:30 - 0:14:57 thought you had in the revelation of what you do have will be terrible because you're going to see all at once. That actually God's way was way better, but now it's too late because the way is closed. So um this is my reflection of first John 215 through 17, do not desire the world or the things within 0:14:57 - 0:15:17 it. You cannot receive God's desire for you while you desire anything but Him, for the desire for the things of this world can only deliver the things of this world. What looks good to the eyes of what feels good in the flesh seems better than it actually is. And it is not from the Father, but of the 0:15:17 - 0:15:43 world. And what is of the world will end. But what is of God? And what is obtained when one's desire is in God will continue and grow forever. I love that passage. So I leave it to you to rewind and listen to it again if you'd like to. But um I wanna, I wanna uh switch gears slightly and talk about this 0:15:43 - 0:16:05 idea of, of sanctification and coming to the point where you hate sin because this is also a misunderstanding where people assume that it's something that, that God does to them, but it's not something that God does to you. It's something you come up to him. And in that process this, this happens to 0:16:05 - 0:16:30 you, but it happens internally. It's just your choice. It's not, it's a choice based on information. It's not a magical transformation of your desire against your will. Nothing happens in the Gospel against your will. So uh Alma 13, again, this is 11 and 12. Therefore, they were called after this holy 0:16:29 - 0:16:48 order and were sanctified and their garments were washed white through the blood of the lamb. Now they after being sanctified by the holy ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God could not look upon sin, save it were with abhorrence. And there were many exceedingly 0:16:48 - 0:17:12 great, many who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord, their God. And so you read these things and you see these little phrases like who were made pure, uh having their garments made white and their garments were washed so uh called after this holy order and sanctified. And it's very easy 0:17:11 - 0:17:37 to impose upon that this idea of forced external change or magical external change. There is no magic in the gospel. There's no magic and there's no external force. Everything in the gospel happens through information and choice. Everything. That's why we're here. It's people pay the price to provide 0:17:36 - 0:18:03 the information. Jesus pays the price to, to initiate all that information. They're all getting it from him. And he also pays the price to give you a blank slate, forgiveness of your past sins. But none of that changes the requirement to be like he is or the law that says you will be blessed to the extent 0:18:02 - 0:18:26 that you are like Jesus. If you're a little like Him, you'll be blessed a little. If you're a lot like him, you'll be blessed a lot. So rereading this passage, it presents a much different idea. The funny thing is, is that like most scriptures, if you can read them with beginners eyes, not with the blindness 0:18:25 - 0:18:53 that comes from the church you go to and what they told you, it says. But if you just read it like a child, would it makes total sense for exactly what it says? So yes, their garments were washed through the blood of the lamb. But how did they stay without staying? They stopped singing. Ok. Well, did 0:18:53 - 0:19:18 they stop sinning? Because they were forced to, no, they were sanctified by the holy ghost. What does that mean? It means the Holy Ghost taught them line upon line. Why believing God was a good idea. It is a good idea. So, what is this process of sanctification if you jump over to Heli in 335? Nevertheless 0:19:18 - 0:19:42 , they did fast and pray oft and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ. Unto the, filling their souls with joy and consolation paused. Was this an all at once? Change? No, God didn't come down and wave a magic wand and magically, they were sanctified 0:19:41 - 0:20:10 . The holy ghost didn't bust into their heart like the kool aid man and tear out everything that didn't belong there. Little by little. They learned, they submit it, they learned some more. They submit it even to the purifying and sanctification of their hearts all at once. No line upon line, stronger 0:20:09 - 0:20:36 and stronger, firmer and firmer filling. You don't feel something all at once, which sanctification cometh because get ready. Why? Because God forced it on them? No, because of their yielding their hearts unto God. This is the same thing that happens to King Benjamin's people. People quote that and they 0:20:36 - 0:21:02 say, oh, well, their hearts were changed and they didn't want to do evil. Yeah, they were the ones that changed them because they listened to what an angel told Benjamin and they said, yeah, that's what we wanna do. So let's forsake our sins. So did the holy Ghost coordinate all of that was the Holy 0:21:02 - 0:21:23 ghost, the responsible entity for that. Absolutely. But did it come through, you know, the holy ghost roundhouse kicking these people in the gut until they submitted to them? No or did it was a magic wand. And just they all of a sudden said, oh against our will. We no longer want to do evil things. No 0:21:22 - 0:21:48 , they yielded to God. They didn't yield to. Oh God, please come and change me. No, they listened to his reasoning and they said, yes, we decide that we're gonna do that, right? So what people will say when they read all this is they'll say, well, I want God to change me. Therefore, I'm yielding my heart 0:21:47 - 0:22:14 to him, but I still want to sin those two things do not go together, boss. They don't touch each other. You either want to do what God wants you to do or you don't. And that's the way it is. So if you're in the position where you don't want to do what God wants you to do, that's, that's not the end of 0:22:14 - 0:22:33 the world. So, so just be honest before him don't be like Adam and Eve actually, you know, that's on the cover of that book, you know, and, and get some fig leaves and start covering up as if that's gonna protect you from God. Always tell God the truth. He knows it anyway. The only thing you're doing 0:22:33 - 0:22:55 is putting yourself in a better place by doing. So, so be honest with him and say, hey, I really don't want to obey you on this, even though I know it's right. Please help me by showing me the reasons I should obey you and then get ready, get ready because it's gonna come at you. You're giving him permission 0:22:54 - 0:23:17 to pop the bubble and that is uh uh an exercise of faith. It would be more faithful to just believe him and obey him. But if you need a little help, he is glad to provide it and ask him to pop the bubble so that you can see why whatever it is you're struggling with why it's a good idea to believe God 0:23:16 - 0:23:43 in that thing and he'll show you. So uh I'm gonna wrap this up here, but there's a few more important things I need to say. Um I just wanna touch on this idea that there are two ways that you can obtain rest in God. One is through Him, taking you out of a temptation. The other is through overcoming the 0:23:42 - 0:24:07 temptation. So it should be obvious which of those two is better, but it's not because uh well, I won't get into it, but you can see from people's behavior. They very much prefer to be taken out of a trial or affliction or temptation. But it's much better to allow the Lord to use that to make a weakness 0:00:00 - 0:00:26 Ok. I wanted to do a follow up from the live stream we did on December 31st. As always happens when you're sort of in the moment of your brain will go back to that in echoes and then you'll get more thoughts that the things you wish you had said. And so I, I don't think we did an adequate job addressing 0:00:25 - 0:00:51 this idea of. It's hard. I'm exhausted when I try to do the right thing all the time. I am exhausted and it's hard. Um, so because I'm looking at myself on this and I had this ridiculous mustache. I, I, this is a serious topic but I'm going to just pause for a second and it's maybe I can tie this in 0:00:51 - 0:01:10 and make it relevant. But my daughter has been on me for a while about her. Her favorite movie is Nacho Libre and she's, she keeps asking me, dad, dad, can you shave your mustache, um, when you, when you trim your beard next time. And I'm like, yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. But, um, you know, it's the 0:01:10 - 0:01:37 little things that, uh, it's important to express our love to people. We love in whatever way they're willing to receive. And uh I have far fewer opportunities to do that with my daughter than, than I would like. So it's a good reminder that, you know, if we're willing to do goofy things like this. Um 0:01:36 - 0:02:02 And she, her face lit up when she saw that, um that I had done this. So anyway, if we're willing to do things like this, just imagine what the Lord is willing to do for us. And it really is that simple that when we ask him for something, the one of the baseline considerations are, does it impede great 0:02:01 - 0:02:28 or good? If the answer is no, there aren't many other checks that has to go through for him to grant what we request. And um this is good to remember because when, when things don't seem uh to come as we're asking or in the time that we're asking uh a safe assumption is because he has something better 0:02:27 - 0:03:03 on the way. Anyway. So back to this, um it's hard, I'm exhausted. So um when the Lord talks about taking his yoke upon ourselves, um one good question to ask. So the, the line says um take my yoke upon you cause my yoke is easy and my burden is light. And as it is with, with many scriptures who are trying 0:03:03 - 0:03:28 to understand them, usually the missing key is a question. And so the the path to better understanding scripture is learning how to formulate the question. And actually, if you had to choose one of those two gifts, either receiving the gift of God explaining things to you or receiving the gift of knowing 0:03:28 - 0:03:54 how to formulate a question so that He answers it, I would say the second one is a much, much greater gift because it's generative. So if you have any old question, you can package it in a way so that you get an answer, it turns out it's possible to do that. But anyway, so the question in this case is 0:03:54 - 0:04:22 compared to what my burden is easy. So I'm sorry, my yoke is easy. My burden is light easy compared to what light compared to what the answer is the world. The answer is any alternative. So God's way is the best way and how do you define best, well, greatest net benefit and subject to all things? So 0:04:22 - 0:04:50 the way of the world only ever looks better because we're wrong in the way we're looking at it, our perceptions are wrong, our valuations are wrong. Our idea of what's going on. I mean, it's all just bunkers wrong, right? So when uh it feels like the Lord's yoke is heavy or difficult, then we're seeing 0:04:50 - 0:05:30 something incorrectly. Now saying that uh it's important to tell you that I am not minimizing what I know you're going through in saying that um there is a myth that those who, those who I, I don't know how else to say this, but who perform better, have an easier time at it. And it's, it's a myth that 0:05:30 - 0:05:55 has infected our entire culture. So when a person, especially a younger person, so let's pick on Gen Z uh because they don't watch this channel to defend themselves. So when they, when they see it is exact, the youtube cut off on the, on the demographics is 25 and that I looked it up. Gen Z ends at 25 0:05:54 - 0:06:14 and there's 125 year old dude who, who identified himself in the comments. So thank you. And he's representing for all of them. So, and, but he's an old enough Gen Z that he's an honorary millennial if there is such a thing. Uh Anyway, if there's honor among thieves, maybe there's honor among millennials 0:06:13 - 0:06:39 . Um So there's this myth when, when a generation Z person sees someone who's wealthy, their first assumption is they don't deserve it. They got that from oppressing someone or they got that out of luck or, you know, their parents were, were wealthy or whatever. And that's really sad because if your 0:06:39 - 0:07:04 assumption is to, to go right to the idea that there's no such thing as cause and effect or that uh good things only happen due to chance. That's a really bad way to live life. Uh You're not gonna get very far with that mentality and um you know, some people have a problem with that, but most people 0:07:04 - 0:07:23 will hear what I just said and said. Yeah. And they'll just jump into the dog pile. Yeah. Um, but what about in spiritual things? Because the attitude is just as pervasive. It's this myth that if someone knows the scriptures, it's because it's easier for them to learn them than it is for someone who 0:07:23 - 0:07:47 doesn't. Or if someone, uh, gets more revelation, it's because God's answering them more and, um, this just isn't true and I could guessimate some reasons for why people feel that it is true. But uh rather than take the time, you know, waste your time and just sort of speculating as to why this is, I'll 0:07:46 - 0:08:12 just tell you it's not true. Um Actually quite the opposite. So one of the reasons and there are many that people are ashamed, a, a large proportion of people are ashamed upon reaching the tree of life and they turn away. One of these reasons is because it's so different than what they expected. And 0:08:12 - 0:08:37 one big chunk of that is that it doesn't get easier, it gets harder. The, the higher you ascend, the more you suffer is not the less you suffer. Now, there are enormous differences. One of them is meaning your meaning just explodes the, the in a good way. Uh It, it expands at a rapid rate and that's 0:08:36 - 0:09:00 what makes it possible to bear greater burdens, but they don't hurt any less, you know, Jesus, uh the, the script it's Mosiah 37. I have it written down here, Jesus suffered more, not less says in lo he shall suffer temptations and pain of body, hunger, thirst and fatigue even more than man can suffer 0:08:59 - 0:09:21 . Except it be unto death. For behold blood cometh from every poor, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and abominations of his people. So it says here that he literally suffered more than anyone else because it would have killed anyone else and they didn't have or don't have the capacity 0:09:20 - 0:09:47 to endure that pain and remain alive. And so unfortunately, people say, but that was Jesus and they'll say uh something like well because he suffered. I don't have to, he's our example in all things. And so we're meant to follow him. So that doesn't work out. So the greatest among you will be the least 0:09:47 - 0:10:12 , the greatest among you will be the one who suffers the most for what the benefit of all people just like Jesus. So and as in not for your own stupid mistakes, but for the benefit of all people. So um and and it's not just about this is true all the way down. So if you look at Isaiah, for example, you 0:10:12 - 0:10:36 can't tell me that when he was sawn in half, it didn't hurt as bad as if you or I would get sawn in half. That's not the way it works. He did it even though it hurt as much as it always does. And he had a higher purpose than most people who had that happen to them. Like Jesus, you know, when, when he 0:10:36 - 0:11:03 was crucified, there were a lot of people who were crucified. So that itself wasn't the difference, there was something else. Uh It hurt just as much. In fact, it hurt more and understanding why that is, is super important. So um another scripture I'd like to read is Alma 13, 4 and five. So it's talking 0:11:03 - 0:11:25 about people who are called after the Holy Order. And it makes a case that we were all on equal standing. And the differentiation happened solely because of choice, not because it was easier, but because some people made harder choices than others, and some people made them again and again and again 0:11:25 - 0:11:43 . So uh it says, and thus, they have been called to this holy calling on account of their faith. While others would reject the spirit of God, on account of the hardness of their hearts and blindness of their minds. While if it had not been for this, they might have had as great privilege as their brethren 0:11:42 - 0:12:04 . What privilege comes from choice, what or in fine in the first place, they were on the same standing with their brethren. Thus, this holy calling being prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts, being in and through the atonement of the only begotten son who 0:12:04 - 0:12:29 was prepared that's the end of the verse, but not the thought. So, an interesting point here is that, um and this came up in the discussion, uh This is not about what you do is about what you receive. So it's prepared from the foundation of the world for such as would not harden their hearts being in 0:12:29 - 0:12:48 and through the atonement of the only begotten sun. So you have to choose to do what is right. And in doing that, you're not doing anything fancy, you're still an unprofitable servant, you're just getting out of God's way in order to receive the good that he offers you. He's the one that paid for it 0:12:48 - 0:13:17 , your, your price that you're paying is just to receive it. So, OK, so um so when it comes to this, uh this idea of obedience being hard uh compared to what? So the only reason the world's way seems easier is because you're still under the illusion that the world's way actually gives you anything. And 0:13:16 - 0:13:47 ironically, the only reason that you're under that illusion is because of the grace of God because you're still in the bubble of this world where um you can participate in the benefits provided by someone else without actually um submitting to the law required to make that permanent. So we're in free 0:13:46 - 0:14:12 sample world, in other words, and everyone's walking around taking free samples acting like they have a source of food forever and there will come a time where that food is taken away the free samples. And uh this is this weird version of the parable of the 10 virgins and the lamps and the oil and you're 0:14:12 - 0:14:30 , you're thriving off the oil of other people and it's not gonna be around forever because the clock's going to run out. Whether it's the end of the world or the end of your life or just a sudden change in, in world circumstances or local circumstances, you're gonna find that you don't have what you 0:14:30 - 0:14:57 thought you had in the revelation of what you do have will be terrible because you're going to see all at once. That actually God's way was way better, but now it's too late because the way is closed. So um this is my reflection of first John 215 through 17, do not desire the world or the things within 0:14:57 - 0:15:17 it. You cannot receive God's desire for you while you desire anything but Him, for the desire for the things of this world can only deliver the things of this world. What looks good to the eyes of what feels good in the flesh seems better than it actually is. And it is not from the Father, but of the 0:15:17 - 0:15:43 world. And what is of the world will end. But what is of God? And what is obtained when one's desire is in God will continue and grow forever. I love that passage. So I leave it to you to rewind and listen to it again if you'd like to. But um I wanna, I wanna uh switch gears slightly and talk about this 0:15:43 - 0:16:05 idea of, of sanctification and coming to the point where you hate sin because this is also a misunderstanding where people assume that it's something that, that God does to them, but it's not something that God does to you. It's something you come up to him. And in that process this, this happens to 0:16:05 - 0:16:30 you, but it happens internally. It's just your choice. It's not, it's a choice based on information. It's not a magical transformation of your desire against your will. Nothing happens in the Gospel against your will. So uh Alma 13, again, this is 11 and 12. Therefore, they were called after this holy 0:16:29 - 0:16:48 order and were sanctified and their garments were washed white through the blood of the lamb. Now they after being sanctified by the holy ghost, having their garments made white, being pure and spotless before God could not look upon sin, save it were with abhorrence. And there were many exceedingly 0:16:48 - 0:17:12 great, many who were made pure and entered into the rest of the Lord, their God. And so you read these things and you see these little phrases like who were made pure, uh having their garments made white and their garments were washed so uh called after this holy order and sanctified. And it's very easy 0:17:11 - 0:17:37 to impose upon that this idea of forced external change or magical external change. There is no magic in the gospel. There's no magic and there's no external force. Everything in the gospel happens through information and choice. Everything. That's why we're here. It's people pay the price to provide 0:17:36 - 0:18:03 the information. Jesus pays the price to, to initiate all that information. They're all getting it from him. And he also pays the price to give you a blank slate, forgiveness of your past sins. But none of that changes the requirement to be like he is or the law that says you will be blessed to the extent 0:18:02 - 0:18:26 that you are like Jesus. If you're a little like Him, you'll be blessed a little. If you're a lot like him, you'll be blessed a lot. So rereading this passage, it presents a much different idea. The funny thing is, is that like most scriptures, if you can read them with beginners eyes, not with the blindness 0:18:25 - 0:18:53 that comes from the church you go to and what they told you, it says. But if you just read it like a child, would it makes total sense for exactly what it says? So yes, their garments were washed through the blood of the lamb. But how did they stay without staying? They stopped singing. Ok. Well, did 0:18:53 - 0:19:18 they stop sinning? Because they were forced to, no, they were sanctified by the holy ghost. What does that mean? It means the Holy Ghost taught them line upon line. Why believing God was a good idea. It is a good idea. So, what is this process of sanctification if you jump over to Heli in 335? Nevertheless 0:19:18 - 0:19:42 , they did fast and pray oft and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ. Unto the, filling their souls with joy and consolation paused. Was this an all at once? Change? No, God didn't come down and wave a magic wand and magically, they were sanctified 0:19:41 - 0:20:10 . The holy ghost didn't bust into their heart like the kool aid man and tear out everything that didn't belong there. Little by little. They learned, they submit it, they learned some more. They submit it even to the purifying and sanctification of their hearts all at once. No line upon line, stronger 0:20:09 - 0:20:36 and stronger, firmer and firmer filling. You don't feel something all at once, which sanctification cometh because get ready. Why? Because God forced it on them? No, because of their yielding their hearts unto God. This is the same thing that happens to King Benjamin's people. People quote that and they 0:20:36 - 0:21:02 say, oh, well, their hearts were changed and they didn't want to do evil. Yeah, they were the ones that changed them because they listened to what an angel told Benjamin and they said, yeah, that's what we wanna do. So let's forsake our sins. So did the holy Ghost coordinate all of that was the Holy 0:21:02 - 0:21:23 ghost, the responsible entity for that. Absolutely. But did it come through, you know, the holy ghost roundhouse kicking these people in the gut until they submitted to them? No or did it was a magic wand. And just they all of a sudden said, oh against our will. We no longer want to do evil things. No 0:21:22 - 0:21:48 , they yielded to God. They didn't yield to. Oh God, please come and change me. No, they listened to his reasoning and they said, yes, we decide that we're gonna do that, right? So what people will say when they read all this is they'll say, well, I want God to change me. Therefore, I'm yielding my heart 0:21:47 - 0:22:14 to him, but I still want to sin those two things do not go together, boss. They don't touch each other. You either want to do what God wants you to do or you don't. And that's the way it is. So if you're in the position where you don't want to do what God wants you to do, that's, that's not the end of 0:22:14 - 0:22:33 the world. So, so just be honest before him don't be like Adam and Eve actually, you know, that's on the cover of that book, you know, and, and get some fig leaves and start covering up as if that's gonna protect you from God. Always tell God the truth. He knows it anyway. The only thing you're doing 0:22:33 - 0:22:55 is putting yourself in a better place by doing. So, so be honest with him and say, hey, I really don't want to obey you on this, even though I know it's right. Please help me by showing me the reasons I should obey you and then get ready, get ready because it's gonna come at you. You're giving him permission 0:22:54 - 0:23:17 to pop the bubble and that is uh uh an exercise of faith. It would be more faithful to just believe him and obey him. But if you need a little help, he is glad to provide it and ask him to pop the bubble so that you can see why whatever it is you're struggling with why it's a good idea to believe God 0:23:16 - 0:23:43 in that thing and he'll show you. So uh I'm gonna wrap this up here, but there's a few more important things I need to say. Um I just wanna touch on this idea that there are two ways that you can obtain rest in God. One is through Him, taking you out of a temptation. The other is through overcoming the 0:23:42 - 0:24:07 temptation. So it should be obvious which of those two is better, but it's not because uh well, I won't get into it, but you can see from people's behavior. They very much prefer to be taken out of a trial or affliction or temptation. But it's much better to allow the Lord to use that to make a weakness 0:24:06 - 0:24:25 of strength and to teach you the information that you lack that shows positively that it's a better idea to believe him and submit to him in this and all other things. So hopefully that's valuable. Uh I need to go play with my kids.