0:00:00 - 0:00:22 So well, not making videos. And then I make one and I get these echoes that um of information that I think I can package into a video uh or you know, the Holy Ghost is an aggregator. You probably haven't heard that before, but uh it is. And as you focus on something to the extent that you live your life 0:00:22 - 0:00:48 in a way not to impede the Holy Ghost. It will God will use whatever you pay attention to and whatever you're experiencing in your life to shove as much value, light truth understanding in as he can. You give him a window through what you pay attention to and what you're interested in. So, the more of 0:00:48 - 0:01:15 the Holy Ghost you have in your life, the more revelation flows through and about anything you pay attention to. It's an amazing thing. Um I will say that ah in the gospel, people covet things that they don't understand in the world. People do that but happens in the Gospel too. It's human nature. And 0:01:15 - 0:01:35 I hear people all the time saying, oh, I wish this would happen to me. I wish I had this relationship with God. I wish this experience, whatever. And one of these things that comes up is this idea of having a greater increment of revelation up to and including a fullness of the spirit, which I'm not 0:01:34 - 0:02:01 gonna talk about right now, but that's the max. And I'm not so sure that I've ever met anyone who actually wants that and I could be wrong but having experienced it, it's one of many, many things in my life where I look at it and I think I want this, I value this, but I'm not sure I've ever met anyone 0:02:00 - 0:02:22 who would. So that's uh related to I made a video a couple videos ago where I was reflecting on some communication with other folks. And in one of these emails, someone sent me about the repentance book. Basically, what they said is why would anyone want to do this? And I'm so like, don't that person 0:02:21 - 0:02:38 is gonna watch this video and, and don't, you don't need to write an email. That's not what I said. And you're not that kind of person anyway. But I'm just saying, I'm, I'm broad brushing here and I'm generalizing intentionally. But, but I think the more people that come to understand what repentance 0:02:37 - 0:02:59 really is, the more people will say, well, who would want that, who would want to do that? And this is interesting because it's a conversation I've had with God many times in the past. I don't have this conversation anymore for various reasons, but whenever he dumped this big thing on me, that was terrible 0:02:58 - 0:03:42 to parse. Um, my first reaction wasn't pushing back and saying like, well, um, how could it be this hard or this is terrible or, you know, never, never, how could you do this to me? But, uh, because it's too evident to me how much he loves us. But, and even though that's been uh a substantial progression 0:03:42 - 0:04:15 over time and my understanding of that, the deepening, an exponential, deepening over time, he has always been so merciful in restricting my perception of reality. Such that my understanding of his love has always vastly exceeded my perception of just how terrible life is. Um Not that his creation is 0:04:15 - 0:04:44 terrible, but what humans choose to do with it. Yes. So, um and the reason I share that I'm off topic, but it's important because it's just as true for you. It's heartbreaking to see people question God. Not in a, I'm confused, please enlighten me kind of way, but in a an accusatory way as if, as if 0:04:44 - 0:05:13 he's ever given anyone any reason to doubt how much he loves them. One of the strongest foundations in my life through every wave that's hit me his pen, uh sufficient evidence to know that in spite of that he loves me more than that. And so this is, it becomes a puzzle. You need to figure out, you need 0:05:13 - 0:05:37 to go find the meaning that justifies the suffering. But you have all the reasons in the world to believe that there is a solution to that equation because he's already shown you enough of his love that the the logical common sense assumption would be that this too is for your benefit. And now you just 0:05:37 - 0:06:10 need to figure out how that is and why that is and what you should do about it. There are scriptures, conveying the idea of the word of God supporting us through every trial and affliction. Um This isn't what this video is meant to be about, but now it's going to be about this. Uh I'll, I'll make another 0:06:10 - 0:06:31 one yet another echo with what I intended to talk about. Uh There are many scriptures that convey this idea that as you obtain and live the word of God, you'll be protected from and given strength to overcome and, and then substitute whatever phrase you'd like the fiery arrows of the adversary or the 0:06:31 - 0:06:58 , the uh the filthiness of the world or whatever it might be. But I read and I believed, and I lived those things, I've had experiences that have uh articulated it differently or, or just another facet to me. One of these was uh I don't remember if it was a dream or a waking vision, but I don't really 0:06:58 - 0:07:20 make a distinction between those things and the value I attach to them. But I was, I was in the surf on the seashore. Uh and there were huge waves coming in and just pounding on me. And I don't know if you've been an experience like that, but the waves can be incredible and they'll just knock you over 0:07:20 - 0:07:43 no matter how strong you are and how much you think you're prepared. And as I got deeper and deeper into the water and the waves got bigger and bigger and they were just crashing on me and I had a copy of the scriptures in my hand and I was holding them above the water and uh the Lord spoke to me and 0:07:43 - 0:08:20 he told me to treasure those words because they would protect me and give me strength to endure the waves and the words do that. But it's not that the words have power. It's the ideas that the words illustrate and it's the word, it's Jesus that those words describe and their power is uh commensurate 0:08:19 - 0:08:48 with how adequately they describe him. It would take quite some work for me to communicate to you. The things that the Lord has led me through in terms of trials and afflictions. And I don't know how to say anything about that without saying everything about that. And I don't know what I can say about 0:08:48 - 0:09:12 that without saying everything about that. I think that would make a compelling case, but without saying everything about that, I don't know what I could say. That wouldn't seem completely absurd to you. Uh in terms of being an overstatement of confidence. But Alma said something like in all my trials 0:09:12 - 0:09:55 and afflictions, the Lord has supported me. And uh not only can I say the same, but I have utmost confidence that I know from my personal experience with God in life, that whatever it is you're facing, no matter how hard it is, that you can absolutely put your full trust in Him, considering his goodness 0:09:54 - 0:10:13 and his knowledge and his glory. It is love for you specifically and in that confidence, find strength to endure and also to overcome whatever it is that you're going through.