0:00:00 - 0:00:25 About a day ago, a viewer wrote a question on this video a little on becoming comfortable in God's presence. Um She, I think that she wrote, I would love to talk about the angel of the Lord. I've been studying that a bit and would love your insights. So, oh, a few thoughts on this. Um So first off, I 0:00:25 - 0:00:47 took some time yesterday and I tried to make up a presentation on why I can't address that question now, which is funny. So we're already one layer deep, one layer away from the question and that presentation itself spiraled out so large that um there's no way that, that, well, I ran out of time to finish 0:00:47 - 0:01:15 it first off. Um Even though I'm on vacation right now. So spending even uh a few extra hours over what I do normally each day um doing this, this uh whatever you wanna call it, ministry, uh My own interactions with the Lord, explicit scriptural stuff, spiritual stuff. Um But another thought that I've 0:01:15 - 0:01:36 been meaning to share for quite some time is an observation I've made about my dogs. I have huskies and they are varying ages and it's it's been such a uh a rich source of learning for me to look at them and have the spirit teach me things. Uh All things testify of Christ and all things are rich, fountain 0:01:36 - 0:02:04 of knowledge from God and wisdom. He, he uses those things like a canvas and paint to, to draw things for us and explain things to us if we will give him our attention. So anyway, uh one of the things, one of the many things I've learned through my dogs is I've watched how we have two dogs in particular 0:02:03 - 0:02:25 that are very maternal. They're, they're great mothers and, uh, watching them with younger puppies. It's very interesting because they're extremely tolerant for dogs in general, probably, but definitely for Huskies. Um, Huskies aren't very tolerant dogs and so they're exceptionally tolerant, but they 0:02:25 - 0:02:43 have a line and it's funny because I've observed them enough that I know where their line is. But obviously these puppies are clueless. And so the puppies just do puppy things and they're always just crazy and running around and biting people and not people, but the dogs, they're biting each other and 0:02:43 - 0:00:00 fighting and growling and taking food away and the mothers will tolerate this up to a point and then they'll snap at them and they'll bite them or they'll growl at them or they'll, they'll show their teeth and those are all, uh, clear signs that this is too far. And it's interesting because they're, 0:00:00 - 0:03:27 they're they're, um, amazingly consistent in where this line is. They're not just being temperamental or moody. Um, and I just, I find that very interesting. Now, these are exemplary mothers. Um, we have another female who's not so exemplary and, uh, she's a lot more wolfli in her behavior with, with 0:03:27 - 0:03:55 other dogs with, with humans. She's actually extremely sweet, uh, which is also another lesson, but we'll try to keep this constrained. So, um, a lot of times when uh when I respond to a question, uh people are gonna feel like uh like I'm being kind of harsh. But um if that's the case, it's, it's only 0:03:55 - 0:04:20 because you don't see the landscape um as, as much as I do. And if that all sounds a little too arrogant for you, we can shift and say this more comfortably by, by using uh Moses or Jesus or whoever is an example. And we can look at all these times in the scriptures where servants of God or the Son of 0:04:20 - 0:04:47 God, um where or, or the father, even when, when responses from beings uh were seemed very extreme. And the truth is that they're not extreme. That's this, this space of people, they never react through what we would call anger. Um Those words can be used by God or describe to describe the actions of 0:04:46 - 0:05:07 servants of God. There's always a reason and that reason is always because it's for the benefit of the person involved. And that's really important to remember. Um Anyway, so, so with that preamble, that's, that's a very valuable separate lesson, but since we're here, there you go. And I'll probably 0:05:07 - 0:05:31 bring this up again at some point. Um So I don't have a way to say what I need to say about the angel of the Lord without saying a lot of other things it is, I consider the chain of topics that need to be covered before that one can be adequately covered. Um I have in mind a timeline that I don't think 0:05:30 - 0:05:58 you're gonna like. And that's just the way it is. Um There are ways to accelerate that timeline, but I don't see a line of people who are ready or willing to engage in that. So um the, the first and foremost of, of those would be to apply what is already available to you. Uh not just through the things 0:05:57 - 0:06:15 that I've written, but of course, the whole body of scripture and everything God has told you personally in your life, there's, there's just a um I'm not speaking specifically to this person who I don't know at all. This is just general to everybody. Take it as much as it applies. But, but there's a 0:06:15 - 0:06:36 Grand Canyon Worth of space between where you are right now and what you could be doing ought to be doing if you just applied what you already know. And so odds are the first thing I'm going to be talking about in books to be published. The order will probably begin with that, which sounds an awful like 0:06:36 - 0:06:56 lot like the topic of repentance and of course, preach nothing but repentance. It's all repentance, but it sounds pretty explicit. And I assure you that when those, when that volume comes out, however it ends up being composed, but this set of ideas comes out, it's going to shock you just how deeply 0:06:56 - 0:07:13 it reaches into your guts, um, and applies to all things through your life. Um, and then when you read it, you're going to be saying things like that. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. Or if you're dishonest, you'll think that you already did think that before. But, uh, you know, those 0:07:13 - 0:07:33 people thankfully are rare, not dishonest people that's common, but the people who are dishonest enough to publicly state that they knew these things before when they absolutely didn't and we could help them if, uh, if we had face to face contact. Um, I would, I would have a conversation with them and 0:07:33 - 0:07:57 spell out exactly what they know by asking them questions. And then when I get enough, I don't know that I think they get the point, then I would share these things. So we have, um, a strong tendency as humans to the natural man has a strong tendency to minimize the impact of new information by tricking 0:07:57 - 0:08:19 themselves into believing that they already knew it and of course they didn't. So that's the best way to prepare for these things and then the other can straight that up against it. I just don't have any more time and there are ways that that could be alleviated. But again, I don't, I don't see a line 0:08:18 - 0:08:41 of people um, willing to help with that. So, um, and the reason is because it's not going to happen in the ways you would like it to, I've had, you know, four or five people, not just volunteer but hound me. And how can I help? Can I proofread this? Can I proofread that? Whatever, um, proof reading is 0:08:41 - 0:09:00 great. But, but that's not what's taking the time. It's the spiritual process, it's getting, it's standing in this stream and writing as fast as I can for eight hours at a time, 12 hours at a time, whatever it is, it's not getting any sleep. So that I, I I'm using all the time I possibly can toward this 0:09:00 - 0:09:32 end because the time is short and these things are so valuable and that this is the price to pay. So I, I have to work full time. Um I have a family, I have a small homestead and none of those things um can be squeezed any more than, than they are already squeezed. So anyway, um, so as I consider the 0:09:32 - 0:09:56 topics that are required to talk about the angel of the Lord, now, I might trickle things out between here and there. But I cannot imagine a path where it's going to take me less than a year to get to that in the books. Uh The reason is that there's, there's this idea of a, of language. Uh we understand 0:09:56 - 0:10:21 things through other things that we understand and it has to be built up to the point. Now, if we had shared experiences and, and we were speaking the same language, um It'd be very easy for me to tell you all about this. But um then again, you probably would need me to. Um, but even then, so suppose 0:10:20 - 0:10:47 a year from now all the necessary books connected to this and that's a plural word. Books are published. Um And odds are I will be dumping more than one out at the same exact time. Um How many, I'm not quite sure we'll see. Um It's going to be at least a year before you've processed what's there, at 0:10:47 - 0:11:09 least a year. Uh Because you're gonna have to read thousands of pages and reread thousands of pages. And most of you just aren't taking enough time each day in scripture, study, spiritual study, whatever you wanna call it. Uh your time with God one on one each day, you're just not taking enough time 0:11:09 - 0:00:00 to make that happen. There's still all these other things happening in your life. And I know this because the few people who um contact me, which, you know, I'm not saying I want more people to contact me by any means. But I'm just saying I have a lens on a few people who are zealous enough to push, 0:00:00 - 0:11:50 push, push as I push, push, push them away. And, um, they don't, I mean, they're still living regular lives. Um, the only reason I know that they're into this, uh, into the gospel is because they've told me, but you wouldn't, you wouldn't recognize it from looking at their schedule, right? And that's 0:11:50 - 0:12:13 sad. Uh We're called to be a holy people. Holy means different. So what differences do you have in your life? And if you think that those differences are just how you feel, I assure you, you don't feel the way you think you feel because uh what you do is what proves how you feel, even even when you're 0:12:13 - 0:12:47 doing the same things for different reasons, your actual, your actual position will push through and punch out of the paradigm often enough that it will be obvious to those with eyes to see which I certainly have been given. Sorry, that wasn't applause. That wasn't that. Um All right. So, um I want to 0:12:47 - 0:13:06 read this passage from third Nephi seven. This is verses 15 through 17. And it came to pass that Nephi having been visited by angels and also the voice of the Lord. Therefore, having seen angels and being eyewitness and having had power given unto him that he might know concerning the ministry of Christ 0:13:05 - 0:13:24 and also being eyewitness to their quick return from righteousness unto their wickedness and abominations. Therefore, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts and the blindness of their minds went forth among them in the same year and began to testify boldly repentance and remission of sins through 0:13:24 - 0:13:46 faith on the Lord Jesus Christ. And he'd administer many things unto them that cannot be written and a part of them would not suffice. Therefore, they are not written in this book. And Nephite did minister with power and with great authority. Ok. Um I want to zoom in on this phrase, all of them cannot 0:13:46 - 0:14:07 be written and a part of them would not suffice. So I find myself grappling constantly with this where I see all these situations that I can and should talk about. I see questions. I would like to answer that I know the answers to. Um but a part of it would not suffice. I say what I can I say more than 0:14:07 - 0:14:36 I probably should. Um But most of it has to be explained in long form in books and I'll probably come back and give briefer versions and then people go aha, now I get it. But um yeah, that's that it is what it is. Um when we have many, many, many, many, many, many, many things to say. There's only so 0:14:36 - 0:00:00 much time in a day and we have to prioritize how we say it. And what we say. So this is, this might seem like a very long response to your question, but this is the shortest one I can manage and to, to just sum all this up, it's gonna be a while. So, um sorry, I forgot one key point this uh quoting. 0:00:00 - 0:15:20 Now I've been studying that a bit. There are many topics in the gospel. We're studying that a bit isn't going to do Jack Diddley's squat and the angel of the Lord is one of them. Now, I'm not saying you shouldn't try to study that. You should try to study everything. What I'm saying is there are many 0:15:20 - 0:15:45 things that we seek for or we think we're seeking for and many things that we desire or we think that we desire that requires so much more than we imagined it would. So in order to perceive receive value and live these things, these could be solutions to problems, these could be answers to questions 0:15:45 - 0:16:06 . And so if you don't know, you need your first question should be why it shouldn't actually go back to what you're seeking. It should be this meta level. Why have I not found it in? Which is a question you can apply to anything. The answer is always going to be more indifferent, right, more intensity 0:16:05 - 0:16:24 and change something. So be willing to consider something you haven't considered, be willing to do something you haven't been willing to do, be willing to not do something you haven't been willing to not do. Um, and so on, be willing to look in places you haven't looked. If your keys are missing, you 0:16:24 - 0:16:42 keep expanding the search until you find them. Right. And you might say like, well, I don't need my keys. It's not worth it to me to spend more time than I've already spent great then abandon your search and go do what you want more than that. But if you really need your keys, you won't stop until you 0:16:41 - 0:16:59 find them. And you're not just going to keep looking in the same places again and again. Right. And you might not just keep searching yourself. You're probably going to ask somebody to help you look and they're going to be willing to look in places you didn't think to look or that you refused to look 0:16:59 - 0:17:14 . And if you're married, this is um, a very apt, it's not even a metaphor. It's just an example of this because, uh, there have been so many times where you couldn't find something and you asked your wife or your husband, hey, where is this? And then they went and they grabbed it and it took them two 0:17:14 - 0:17:34 seconds. And if you hadn't been so stubborn and you asked him for help earlier, maybe you wouldn't have had to wait so long. And so all of these things are important to understand when we're seeking for what we want, what we say we want. And and by the way, here's another nugget that I'm just tossing 0:17:33 - 0:17:57 a bunch of these at you. Um One of the reasons so many people are so unhappy is that they have not reconciled what they want to, what they're willing to do to get it. Everything has a set price and if you don't have what you want, the only reason is that you have not paid the price. Now, there's no such 0:17:57 - 0:00:00 thing as God's timing. We need to stop saying that phrase, I'm guilty of it myself. Um It's just, it's just like a tumbler on a combination lock. Um Now you can say I'm working on this thing and I know this thing takes time like me in the books, right? Me in these books, I'm writing, they take time. 0:00:00 - 0:18:36 I'm at it. I am at it every single day for hours and hours and hours and hours. There's, there's nothing more I'm aware of that I can do to accelerate that process, but I don't feel any anxiety about it. This is right now. It's my life's work at the moment and I have an idea of the tremendous difference 0:18:36 - 0:18:56 it's going to make in the lives of people. And I am learning an awful lot as I go through this and life is good, right? So I'm not pestering God all the time asking him to hurry this up because I understand that it's a process and I see the process unfolding and the way, the reasons it has to be, the 0:18:56 - 0:19:17 way it is. Um But I, I have what I want because I'm on the path to completing this and I know that there is no other way. I'm not sitting around on my hands. Uh You know, just wondering when this thing is going to drop out of heaven for me, I've accelerated this as far as I can. And if some other opportunity 0:19:17 - 0:19:38 arises to accelerate it more, I'm gonna be all over it. So that's very different than saying, oh, I have this question and I ask God and I'm just waiting for him to answer. No, get off your butt and ask him what you can do more than you have or different than you have to find the answer and understand 0:19:37 - 0:20:03 that so often what we ask for has like 50 preconditions and 49 of them are things you never would have imagined are related to it in any way. So you have to open your mind to things that uh that you, you, you, that are outside of your familiarity or comfort zone or strongly contradict your sacred cows 0:20:02 - 0:20:28 . That is an enormous one. I it's so man, it just, it breaks my heart to see so many people who are otherwise faithful and they say they want XYZ and I promise you, they will never get it because they, they don't understand that their preconditions of ABC don't connect to XYZ or their belief about this 0:20:27 - 0:20:48 one thing or this other thing, it will permanently prevent them from finding what they're looking for. There is no path that doesn't go right through this wall that they put up. And so you gotta bust down walls. And again, what's one of the best ways to do that is to go find somebody that you think already 0:20:48 - 0:00:00 has what you're looking for. That's, you know, you go to your spouse to help find your keys because you think they know where they are. You have reason to believe that why maybe they were the last person to drive the car if that's, if we're talking about car keys. Right. All right. Long enough. But, 0:00:00 - 0:21:21 um, these are very important things. So I didn't want to just relegate this to a youtube comment. Although very frequently I do that. It is more, uh, I need a little bit more space to say this. So I hope that helps.