Book of Mormon [2 NEPHI 6-10] Insights with Maria Eckersley

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Welcome back, you guys.

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This is week eight of Our Mothers Knew It, and our first

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big jump into Jacob's writing.

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We've had just a taste of Jacob so far, but I think you're going

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to love this week just because you get to see Jacob really close.

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You get to hear his testimony, see how he writes and how he interprets

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scripture, how he gets revelation on the fly and shares it with people.

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I mean, he's just A really unique voice in the Book of Mormon, and

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you get a lot of him this week.

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So we're going to go from chapter 6 through 10 of 2 Nephi, and

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this is Jacob's seminal sermon.

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Like he will first teach us the words of Isaiah.

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So almost like a come follow me commentary, you know, he's going to take

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scripture that is already written and he will help his people understand what

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it means and how it applies to them.

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And then you're going to hear him.

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kind of build on the themes that he got from Isaiah.

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He's going to teach them new revelation that he's receiving that I'm sure

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he also has learned from Nephi and from Lehi about the nature of Jesus

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Christ, about this infinite atonement and their invitation to Come close.

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I don't know exactly why he's given this assignment.

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We know that Nephi calls him to this work.

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Remember last week, he called him to be a high priest and a teacher, and now he's

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kind of into that calling, and his first big assignment is to offer this sermon.

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And I don't know what's happening in the hearts of the people.

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You get some different feel as you read through these guidance from Jacob, like,

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he seems to be concerned about them.

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They're holiness level.

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He seems to be concerned about them focusing on the wrong things.

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I think he also was a little concerned about Their feelings of isolation.

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You can almost hear it.

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His whole focus is you are a child of the Covenant It's that same message We

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heard from President Nelson about being a child of God, a disciple of Jesus

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Christ, and a child of the Covenant.

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That seems to be Jacob's message as well.

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He's trying to get into their hearts.

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This is so much bigger than you think it is.

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And so he Reminds them of who they are and whose they are and why it's worth it

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to stay and I just think it's powerful.

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To me the biggest thing about all three of those Labels, you know,

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to be a child of God and a child of the covenant, a disciple of Christ.

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To me, what that means is you have an open invitation to come home.

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And that's Jacob's message this week, you guys.

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It's all about reconciling yourself to God through the

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gift and grace of Jesus Christ.

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In fact, it helped me to go to the very end of this week's study.

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and read the last little bit of 10 first.

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This is some of what you're going to find there.

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So from 23 to 24 of chapter 10, he says this, Therefore, cheer up your hearts.

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Remember, this is at the end of his sermon, after he's taught them

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all these things, he says, cheer up your hearts, and remember that

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you are free to act for yourselves, to choose the way of everlasting

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death or the way of eternal life.

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Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God and not

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to the will of the devil in the flesh.

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And remember, after ye are reconciled unto God.

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That is, in and through the grace of Jesus Christ, ye are saved.

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That's his invitation.

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Come and be reconciled.

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So if at this point in your life you are feeling distant in any way, which

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all of us are just because we're in this mortal condition, Jacob's

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words will help you come closer.

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They'll help you inch closer to the goals and the plans

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that God has in store for you.

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I just think there's so much to learn.

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So grab your scriptures, grab your notes.

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It's time to get started.

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Just like the last several weeks, we're going to do our seven,

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five, three teaching approach.

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I'm going to give you seven key insights, not even necessarily the most

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important things I read in this week's verses, but things that felt fresh

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to my eyes, something I hadn't seen before, something I delighted to study.

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I'm going to share a few of those.

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And then after that, I'll share five good questions with the hopes that you

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will have really good conversations with people around you and get.

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Curious to get into your own scriptures and we'll do a second video of the object

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lessons I'll give you three of those just to help you find ways to delight

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in the scriptures more for me There's almost nothing more fun than finding some

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way to help someone else understand the scriptures and I think when you do it in a

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creative cool way, it just brightens your countenance and makes people Enjoy it.

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And that's my hope.

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So we're going to do our seven, five, three approach.

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So I'm going to kick things off with spark number one.

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So this came to me right out of the gate in the very beginning of chapter six.

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And this is about Jacob's motivation.

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So we know he was assigned by Nephi.

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You see that in the verses.

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And then he talks about Why he's taking his time.

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Remember this is a sermon that spans at least two days And I don't know

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how much of the day this spans But it's a lengthy sermon and you have to

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wonder where that's coming from But I think Jacob tries to answer that

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for us in his own words in verses 2 3 of chapter 6 This is what he says.

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Behold my beloved brethren, I, Jacob, having been called of God and

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ordained after the manner of his holy order, and having been consecrated

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by my brother, Nephi unto whom ye look as a king or a protector,

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and on whom you depend for safety.

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Behold, you know that I have spoken unto you exceedingly many things.

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Nevertheless, I speak unto you again, for I am desirous

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for the welfare of your souls.

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Yea, mine anxiety is great for you, and ye yourselves know that it has ever been.

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For I have exhorted you with all diligence, and I have taught you the

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words of my Father, and I have spoken unto you concerning all things which are

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written from the creation of the world.

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I just found myself softened by Jacob's approach.

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I just think he's so vulnerable.

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You know, he's saying the whole reason he's doing this.

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He has no ulterior motive.

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There's nothing he's going to get out of it.

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He's just concerned for their souls.

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He wants them to succeed and he wants them to come closer to God and so he's going

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to do Everything in his power that he can and I think what you see in two actually

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links to what you read in one Because I think this is one of the beautiful

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gifts of accepting a calling You know in verse one that he's been called of God.

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He wasn't called by Nephi He was called of God and Nephi issued the calling

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and then Nephi set him apart for this work He's been ordained after this

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manner because remember he's gonna be the high priest at the temple.

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These are big Weighty responsibilities on Jacob's shoulders.

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And I don't think he's very old, you guys.

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I mean, we know it's roughly 40 years since they left Jerusalem.

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Which means, I think Jacob is probably in his 30s?

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Maybe 40s?

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He's pretty young.

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I picture him really similar to the way I picture Joseph Smith, actually.

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Like he's, he's young to lead this people in this really holy work.

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But he's been ordained, and he has the Melchizedek Priesthood, and

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he's been consecrated for this work.

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And so, he'll be able to do it.

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And I think one of the natural extensions of being called and

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ordained and consecrated for a work is that your heart expands.

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You know, Jacob, who already had a tender heart, and who knows what it's like to

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be bullied and to be messed with and to feel a little bit isolated and lost, he,

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he can, Heavenly Father can take those Gifts and talents of Jacob his gift

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for compassion and he just expands it.

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That's why I think He gives this sermon.

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I think it's the same reason most of us show up for our callings today

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because somehow God has Stretched the walls of your heart and you

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will have all More people in it than you probably ever had before.

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I only say that for my own personal experience.

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You know, my calling right now, like I've talked about, is

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I'm the YSA Institute teacher.

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So I just teach this one class, one time a week.

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And, you guys, it doesn't matter who walks in that door.

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Because I never know who's going to come and who's not going to come.

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No matter who walks in that door, my heart expands.

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I don't want to just know their name.

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I want to know their background.

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I want to know what their struggles are.

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I want to know where their testimony is at and what I can do to help.

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Like there is an expansion of my heart that happens every

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time someone walks in the room.

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What I think is kind of hard about that for all of us is that

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means you also feel more aches and pains when you see choices happen.

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And that's Jacob.

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It's not so much that I think the people are wicked.

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Remember, these are the Nephites, so they've already

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split off from the Lamanites.

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They're already building a thriving city and living after the manner of happiness,

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but his heart now is Increasingly sensitive to their deviations from God's

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plan for them and that I think comes with callings to that you are you have an

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expanded ability to love and an expanded sensitivity to what could go wrong.

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And so you have anxiety and you worry and I just think it's sweet to see

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that play out in Jacob's calling.

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I think he he handles it with such heart and I love it.

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I think one of the things that really helped me the most is I was thinking

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about Jacob's words this week.

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I went to the temple this week to do initiatories.

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I'm trying to go every other week, so I'm switching between different

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ordinances, but it was interesting to me as I sat and I listened to those

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beautiful promises of the initiatory, because I, I realized at the time that

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Jacob must have had this moment too.

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You know, we read about in the Old Testament where Aaron and his sons are

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Taken to the door of the tabernacle and then they're washed and they're anointed

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like it's that you read all about it in the Old Testament Jacob must have had one

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of those experiences probably with Nephi where he was set apart for this holy work

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and Those promises that he received in those sacred ordinances helped him Do

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this they helped him expand his heart so he could teach truth it probably helped

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open his eyes so he could understand the words of Isaiah and then find a

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way to teach it and Make connections to the people he's trying to teach.

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I just there was something sweet about Thinking about Jacob, receiving

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those promises, and then using those as a foundation to teach

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this beautiful Sermon of Truth.

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When I had an initiatory lens on my eyes as I read his

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words, new things jumped out.

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But to me, probably the most powerful of this first spark is just the

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abundant gifts that God gives to those who are willing to accept callings.

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If you will choose to serve in whatever capacity, whether it be an official

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capacity or just you see a need and you serve, your heart will expand.

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It'll make you a little more vulnerable, but it's worth it because you can

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guide people towards a place where they will find safety and peace.

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And Jacob seems to get that, and I love the way he shares it.

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This second spark I call the ache of misunderstanding because we have this rare

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glimpse, it's Isaiah's words taught by Jacob, but he's teaching us about the mind

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of God and how he feels when the children of Israel speak about being cut off.

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The children of Israel are complaining about their God forgetting them and

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leaving them to wander and suffer and You hear the words of God taught

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what he might be thinking or saying, and it's funneled through Isaiah

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and taught with clarity by Jacob.

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So it begins around, well, let's start with one and two.

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This is of chapter seven.

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It says, Yea, for thus saith the Lord, have I put thee away, or

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have I cast thee off forever?

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For thus saith the Lord, where is the bill of your mother's divorcement?

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To whom have I put thee away?

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Or to which of my creditors have I sold you?

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Yea, to whom have I sold you?

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For behold, your iniquities ye have sold yourselves, and for your

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transgressions is your mother put away.

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Wherefore, when I came, there was no man.

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When I called, yea, there was none to answer.

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O house of Israel, is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem?

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Or have I, have I no power to deliver?

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What I like about this is If Jacob's people are struggling by feeling

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isolated, like they feel almost trapped.

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In fact, later you're going to hear Jacob talk about their settings, almost

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like being on the isles of the sea.

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So you almost wonder if they feel a bit landlocked and frozen and struggling.

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And he's trying to help them understand that the scriptures

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are actually there to teach them.

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Like the children of Israel felt the same way.

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Let me show you what the Lord said to them.

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We are not forgotten.

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What I like about this is Well, I think it's easy to read these verses and think

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this is God kind of angry or frustrated.

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How dare you accuse me of this?

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How dare you think this of me?

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But I just don't read it that way.

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I think because of my parenting experience, I've had

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a few situations like this.

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You probably have too.

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Your kids forget your kindness.

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You know, they, they think you're going to be so angry.

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They make a dumb choice of some kind and then by the time you

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are aware of it, you're like, why didn't you come to me sooner?

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You know, if you ever had your kids like have a toothache that they didn't

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bring to you for months and months and you're like, Why didn't you talk to me?

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We could have fixed this or, you know, like any kind of little

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mistake or problem that now has spiraled into something much bigger.

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And for me, when I've had those moments, and I've had a few recently with some

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of my kids where I just found myself sad that they didn't understand me

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better, you know, that they thought I would be angry or that they thought

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my love for them would somehow be.

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adjusted based on their obedience to my rules.

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Like I, my love for them surrounds them.

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It doesn't have anything to do with how well they obey me.

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Like the blessings I can give them, the, the way I can make

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their life easier and happier.

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Yes.

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Those are contingent on their obedience, but my love for them is.

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Boundless and it doesn't matter what their choices are and it was with

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that lens that I found myself reading these words and thinking This must

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be so hard It must be there must be an ache in these words because he's

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saying like don't you know me at all?

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Remember I've been with you all this time.

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I am the God who helped you through the wilderness I am the God that created

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this world for you and that need water gush from a rock and manifold from

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heaven Don't you remember who I am?

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I just think there's this Sweet ache, but what I think is so powerful is it

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doesn't seem to shift into resentment.

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It never turns into, I gave you a chance and you didn't take it and I'm out.

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Because he loves us as a father loves his children.

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And so he will never be out.

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He just rallies with them and please with them.

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In fact, one of the things I loved about these verses, the

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spark that hit me was in two.

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Because despite the fact that they rejected him and turned away from his

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laws and blatantly rebelled against what he asked them to do, he still comes.

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You know, he says, Wherefore, when I came, there was no man.

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When I called, there was none to answer.

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To me, this is reassuring because it means no matter how far off

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the path I am, He will continue to come and he will continue to call.

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The fact that there was no one to answer doesn't make, doesn't mean

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he's not going to come the next day.

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In fact, we see that with the children of Israel.

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He comes the next day and the next day he wanders with them for 40 years.

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He helps them in the promised land.

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He never abandons his people.

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They've just.

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Stepped back.

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And for me, I just loved that spark.

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It just as a reminder for myself There's peace in knowing I can never go too

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far off the path He will come and he will call and my job is to answer.

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I love the way it's phrased in 8 This is Isaiah's call for them to rally.

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He says And the Lord is near, and he justifies me, who will contend with me?

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Let us stand together.

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Who is mine adversary?

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Let him come near, and I will smite him with the strength of my mouth.

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This is Isaiah saying, like, once you're back on the Lord's team, you

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know, once you're back having him in your corner and appreciate the

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fact that he's been with you the whole time, then we can go forward.

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We don't have to be reactionary to our hard circumstances anymore.

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We can be proactive, and we can choose to go forward.

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Like, almost, you almost get this, like, Linking arms kind of

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visual as you read these verses.

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I just thought there was power in it.

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There's this great quote from President Eyring.

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This is what he said.

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This is from a 1991 talk, but I loved it.

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It's in the notes if you want the full link.

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But it says, If you want to stay close to someone who has been

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dear to you, but from whom you are separated, you know how to do it.

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You would find a way to speak to them.

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You would listen to them, and you would discover ways to do things for each other.

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The more often that happened, the longer it went on, the deeper

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would be the bond of affection.

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If time passed without the speaking, the listening, and the

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doing, the bond would weaken.

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God is perfect and omnipotent, and you and I are mortal, but He is our

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Father, and He loves us, and He offers us the same opportunity to draw closer

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to Him as would a loving friend.

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And if you will do it in much the same way, and you will do it in much the same

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way, speaking, listening, and doing.

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I feel like this is President Eyring saying, it's just not that hard.

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You know, if you need to close the gap between you and God, then speak

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to him, listen to his counsel, and do whatever he asks you to do.

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Do it over and over again to prove your love, your affection, your trust in him,

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and that let that relationship flourish.

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That closes the gap.

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Isaiah's pep talk rolls right into chapter 8.

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This is when he's trying to say like, okay now once you realize who God really

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is, who we really have on our side, and how constantly he has been here helping

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us, then we can just surge forward.

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In those first few verses you're going to see Jacob teach, well he's teaching

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Isaiah's words, but he talks about looking to that rock from whence you are hewn.

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You know those great verses where it's like he's trying to say Look how far

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you've come and look who you belong to.

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No matter how far on the Isles of the Sea they feel, they are still tethered

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to that covenant promise of Abraham, no matter what the distance is.

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That's what applies to us in the latter days as well.

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It doesn't matter where we live or who we are.

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We are tethered to those lines of Abraham and those covenant

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promises can be claimed.

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So you see him just pulling on them.

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In fact, you're going to hear a lot of the same kind of phrasing in Isaiah's

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words that we heard in Lehi's words.

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It's this invitation to, like, shake off the dust and awake.

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So if you look in 2 Nephi 8, this is 12 and 13, and then also 15, it says, I am

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he, yea, I am he that comforteth you.

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Behold, who art thou that thou shouldest be afraid of men who

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shall die, and the son of men who shall be made unto like grass.

Maria: 00:17:31

Meaning, like, why are you afraid of the people around you?

Maria: 00:17:33

All of those people are limited in their abilities.

Maria: 00:17:37

Infinite God is not limited, but everyone else is.

Maria: 00:17:40

So he's saying, like, remember who's on your team.

Maria: 00:17:41

And then he says, And forget us, the Lord thy Maker, that has

Maria: 00:17:44

stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth.

Maria: 00:17:48

That's who's on your team.

Maria: 00:17:49

That's who you are the team you are playing for so shed all of those fears

Maria: 00:17:54

And then I love 15, but I am the Lord thy God whose waves roared the Lord of hosts

Maria: 00:18:00

is my name There's two things I love and that sparked for me in that verse first.

Maria: 00:18:05

I love the idea whose waves roared I just think we talked a little bit

Maria: 00:18:09

about this back in Isaiah when we were in the Old Testament together

Maria: 00:18:12

but this idea of Thinking about the sound of the sea when it was parted.

Maria: 00:18:17

You can go in the footnotes and see this kind of ties into that Red Sea

Maria: 00:18:20

imagery, but I just had never thought of what that must have sounded like.

Maria: 00:18:24

You know, I've always thought about what it must have felt like to walk

Maria: 00:18:26

on dry ground, but the sounds as you hear the waves parting around you and

Maria: 00:18:32

chaos being held back at bay, like, I can't imagine what that sounded like.

Maria: 00:18:37

Or if they could feel it in their feet, you know, as they walked across the the

Maria: 00:18:41

dry ground could they feel the rumbling of this sea trying to crash back down

Maria: 00:18:46

but being held back i just love it i also love that he uses the phrase the

Maria: 00:18:50

lord of hosts because oftentimes i think when i hear that phrase now thanks to

Maria: 00:18:55

isaiah when we studied isaiah deeply i i saw that phrase repeatedly and i think

Maria: 00:19:00

he's trying to say this is not just me There are a host of angels on your side.

Maria: 00:19:05

He is the Lord of hosts, meaning there are multitudes of people who are on this team.

Maria: 00:19:12

And when you choose to join, all of those people rally for you.

Maria: 00:19:16

Not just your own ancestors, but this web of people who are disciples

Maria: 00:19:20

of Christ, who are just You know, all of a sudden, you are surrounded

Maria: 00:19:24

on the right hand and on the left.

Maria: 00:19:26

That's his promise.

Maria: 00:19:27

He is the Lord of hosts and, you know, he'll never be outnumbered.

Maria: 00:19:31

I also love what you see in 16 and 17.

Maria: 00:19:33

I have put my words in thy mouth.

Maria: 00:19:34

I have covered thee in the shadow of my hand, that I might plant the, that

Maria: 00:19:39

I may plant the heavens and lay the foundations of the earth and say unto

Maria: 00:19:42

Zion, Behold, thou art my people.

Maria: 00:19:45

And then 17, awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, when you know who you are.

Maria: 00:19:50

When you know about the covenants and the promises and the way you are

Maria: 00:19:53

tethered to a source that is infinite in its power and scope, you can awake.

Maria: 00:19:59

You can stand up.

Maria: 00:20:01

In fact, I found myself researching what it means to awake.

Maria: 00:20:04

Because I don't think it just means to like You know, snap out of it.

Maria: 00:20:07

I think that's the very first stage.

Maria: 00:20:09

But this idea of awaking and arising and stepping forth.

Maria: 00:20:13

In fact, later we're going to hear about him referencing garments, like putting

Maria: 00:20:16

on this sacred, holy clothing so that you can step into who you really are.

Maria: 00:20:21

I just started researching it and digging it.

Maria: 00:20:24

One of my favorite, Explanations about what it means to really be

Maria: 00:20:27

awake came from Elder Pearson.

Maria: 00:20:28

I love his writing.

Maria: 00:20:29

So this is one from his 2015 talk.

Maria: 00:20:31

He says, We stay because we are converted unto the Lord.

Maria: 00:20:35

Alma taught, Behold, he changed their hearts, and yet he awakened them out of

Maria: 00:20:39

a deep sleep, and they awoke unto God.

Maria: 00:20:41

As we yield our hearts to God, the Holy Ghost changes our very natures.

Maria: 00:20:45

We become deeply converted unto the Lord, and we no longer

Maria: 00:20:47

seek the spacious building.

Maria: 00:20:49

If we stop doing those things that bring about deepening

Maria: 00:20:51

conversion, we regress spiritually.

Maria: 00:20:53

Apostasy is the reverse of conversion.

Maria: 00:20:56

True disciples continue to awaken unto God each day in meaningful personal

Maria: 00:21:00

prayer, earnest scripture study, and personal obedience, personal

Maria: 00:21:03

obedience and selfless service.

Maria: 00:21:05

Stay by the tree.

Maria: 00:21:06

Stay awake.

Maria: 00:21:08

I love this because I feel like the world teaches us to seek out comfort, you know,

Maria: 00:21:13

not an Isaiah kind of comfort that's like a really good coach, but the comfort

Maria: 00:21:17

of the world, meaning things that will numb you from all the hard things that

Maria: 00:21:22

will help you forget why you're here.

Maria: 00:21:24

Things that will cushion you.

Maria: 00:21:27

The world teaches you that you need those things.

Maria: 00:21:29

You need to buy them.

Maria: 00:21:30

You need to acquire them as fast as possible so that you

Maria: 00:21:32

can be safe and comfortable.

Maria: 00:21:34

And that's not the gospel, you guys.

Maria: 00:21:36

His gospel is one of.

Maria: 00:21:38

Being awake.

Maria: 00:21:39

He wants you fully aware of all of your choices so that you can choose

Maria: 00:21:44

the one that will lead to joy.

Maria: 00:21:45

You simply can't experience a fullness of joy if your body is numb.

Maria: 00:21:50

You know, if you've become sort of anesthetized by the ways of the world,

Maria: 00:21:53

you can't feel a deep and abiding joy.

Maria: 00:21:56

So the only way you can get us to feel that sense of True

Maria: 00:21:59

joy is to be fully alert.

Maria: 00:22:02

To me, being awake means being converted and choosing that every day I'm gonna

Maria: 00:22:07

step up and I'm gonna do those small and simple things that will keep my

Maria: 00:22:11

conversion Thriving that will make me feel and experience Everything this

Maria: 00:22:16

world is supposed to give me so that I can progress forward You see it a little

Maria: 00:22:20

further as you go deeper in the verses.

Maria: 00:22:21

This is 24 and 25.

Maria: 00:22:23

He says awake Put on, awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion.

Maria: 00:22:26

Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for henceforth

Maria: 00:22:29

there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.

Maria: 00:22:33

Shake thyself from the dust.

Maria: 00:22:35

Arise, sit down, O Jerusalem.

Maria: 00:22:37

Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

Maria: 00:22:41

I know it seems kind of weird to say that we should arise and then sit down, but to

Maria: 00:22:44

me this is like this beautiful imagery of, remember what we heard from Elder Bednar

Maria: 00:22:48

about putting on those wedding garments?

Maria: 00:22:50

You know, this idea of choosing to live up to the privileges

Maria: 00:22:53

that are in front of you.

Maria: 00:22:54

Choosing to.

Maria: 00:22:55

Put that on and then sit down at this feast of good things.

Maria: 00:23:00

Come to the table and feast on what the Lord is offering you.

Maria: 00:23:04

I just think that's his invitation.

Maria: 00:23:06

I also love that he says, shake off the dust.

Maria: 00:23:09

You know, like I asked you guys in the questions last week, dust to me is the

Maria: 00:23:13

mortal, natural man version of yourself.

Maria: 00:23:15

And so when he asks you to shake off the dust, it's like, get out of what

Maria: 00:23:20

the world is telling you you are.

Maria: 00:23:21

They think so small.

Maria: 00:23:23

And look at yourself.

Maria: 00:23:24

In my way, my way will always be bigger and it will always

Maria: 00:23:27

involve you feeling All of it.

Maria: 00:23:30

You know, you can't be numb.

Maria: 00:23:32

You can't be apathetic.

Maria: 00:23:33

You've got to be fully awake, fully converted.

Maria: 00:23:35

And if you do that, miracles can flow.

Maria: 00:23:39

I call spark number four the prodigal heart.

Maria: 00:23:42

Because I think there is such lovely parallels between the prodigal

Maria: 00:23:47

son story, parable, and what you see in Jacob's sermon in 9.

Maria: 00:23:51

This is Jacob's opus on the atonement.

Maria: 00:23:54

I mean, it's just this rich, deep doctrine that is also so easy to comprehend

Maria: 00:24:00

and understand, and it's beautiful.

Maria: 00:24:02

So it's almost like he's taking that stepping stone that he placed with

Maria: 00:24:05

Isaiah's writings, and he's advancing it one step further, saying, let me teach you

Maria: 00:24:09

what I know about why we need a Redeemer.

Maria: 00:24:12

So it starts in One, this is 2nd Nephi 9 verses 1 through 3, and he says this,

Maria: 00:24:17

And now, my beloved brethren, I have read these things, meaning the words of

Maria: 00:24:20

Isaiah, that you might know concerning the covenants of the Lord, that he has

Maria: 00:24:23

covenanted with all the house of Israel.

Maria: 00:24:26

Thus he has spoken unto the Jews by the mouth of his holy prophets, even

Maria: 00:24:28

from the beginning, down generation to generation, until the time comes

Maria: 00:24:32

that they shall be restored to the true church and fold of God.

Maria: 00:24:35

They shall be gathered from their home to the lands of their

Maria: 00:24:38

inheritance, and they shall be established in their lands of promise.

Maria: 00:24:42

And then this is verse three.

Maria: 00:24:43

Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things, that ye may

Maria: 00:24:46

rejoice and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord

Maria: 00:24:50

God shall bestow upon your children.

Maria: 00:24:53

I found myself wondering, why does he send prophets at every age?

Maria: 00:24:57

Why can't he just send them right before a new dispensation opens?

Maria: 00:25:00

You know, because there's so many in the Old Testament who get rejected,

Maria: 00:25:03

stoned, murdered even, like they are, why does he continually send messages?

Maria: 00:25:09

And you know, it came to me, you guys, it was that talk from President

Maria: 00:25:12

or Elder Uchtdorf where he was speaking about the Prodigal's dad,

Maria: 00:25:16

you know, and waiting by the window and hoping that his son will come.

Maria: 00:25:20

And I found myself thinking like if that dad knew where his son was staying, you

Maria: 00:25:24

know, whatever city he was in or whatever friends he was living with when he was

Maria: 00:25:28

living his high life, I think that dad would have sent a letter every day.

Maria: 00:25:32

I don't think he just sat by the window.

Maria: 00:25:34

I think he perpetually reached out.

Maria: 00:25:36

The same way All of us who have loved ones who are wandering continually

Maria: 00:25:41

reach out, we continually invite, we extend love in any possible way we can.

Maria: 00:25:46

That's what I think the Lord did with the children of Israel.

Maria: 00:25:48

That's why he continued to send them prophets, despite their

Maria: 00:25:51

continued rejection of him.

Maria: 00:25:53

Because he loves them, you guys, and he never gives up hope.

Maria: 00:25:57

In fact, he knows that they will circle back eventually.

Maria: 00:26:00

And he wants each and every generation, no matter where they are in time, to know

Maria: 00:26:05

that he is there and that he loves them.

Maria: 00:26:07

And that to me was so powerful.

Maria: 00:26:11

Because what he promises, in fact what Jacob teaches, is not just that

Maria: 00:26:14

these people will be restored, but they will be restored, they will be

Maria: 00:26:18

gathered, and they will be established.

Maria: 00:26:20

To me, that is exactly what happens with this prodigal dad.

Maria: 00:26:24

When his son finally does come home, he doesn't treat him as a second class.

Maria: 00:26:28

Son, he doesn't treat him as a servant, like the son wanted.

Maria: 00:26:31

He gets the robe and the fatted calf and he puts his arm around him.

Maria: 00:26:36

Like he rushes to meet him.

Maria: 00:26:38

That's the love of a dad.

Maria: 00:26:40

He's his son's status as, as a son, never changed despite the rejection

Maria: 00:26:47

and the loss of funds and the betrayal that the dad must've felt.

Maria: 00:26:52

His who his son was, couldn't change.

Maria: 00:26:56

And I feel like that's.

Maria: 00:26:58

That's the same thing he feels for us.

Maria: 00:26:59

We, no matter where we go, or how far we wander, we are his.

Maria: 00:27:04

And the moment we decide to come home, there will be a

Maria: 00:27:06

robe, and a ring, and a fat cap.

Maria: 00:27:08

I just loved it.

Maria: 00:27:09

If you want to go back and read Elder Uchtdorf's words, I clipped

Maria: 00:27:12

a few of them to share with you.

Maria: 00:27:14

I love the way he phrased it.

Maria: 00:27:15

He said, Who among us has not departed from the path of holiness, foolishly

Maria: 00:27:19

thinking we could find more happiness going our own self centered way?

Maria: 00:27:23

Who among us has not felt humbled, brokenhearted, and desperate

Maria: 00:27:26

for forgiveness and mercy?

Maria: 00:27:28

Perhaps some may even have wondered, is it possible to go back?

Maria: 00:27:31

Will I be labeled forever, rejected, and avoided by my former friends?

Maria: 00:27:34

Is it better just to stay lost?

Maria: 00:27:37

How will God react if I try to return?

Maria: 00:27:39

The parable gives us the answer.

Maria: 00:27:41

Our Heavenly Father will run to us, His heart overflowing

Maria: 00:27:44

with love and compassion.

Maria: 00:27:45

He will embrace us, place a robe around our shoulders, a ring on our finger,

Maria: 00:27:49

and sandals on our feet, and proclaim, Today we celebrate, for my child who

Maria: 00:27:54

was once dead has come back to life.

Maria: 00:27:57

Heaven will rejoice at our return.

Maria: 00:28:00

That's what it feels like to be restored.

Maria: 00:28:03

How can something that is so broken and so distant be restored and established?

Maria: 00:28:09

The missing piece that we're going to need to help us understand how

Maria: 00:28:12

to bridge that mighty gap comes in the rest of this chapter as we

Maria: 00:28:15

go into the infinite atonement.

Maria: 00:28:16

So let's go there next.

Maria: 00:28:18

One of Jacob's most powerful teachings in this week's study is about the

Maria: 00:28:22

gift of the infinite atonement.

Maria: 00:28:24

That because of what Christ did for us, we have the power to conquer death and hell.

Maria: 00:28:29

So his first focus will be on death.

Maria: 00:28:31

That's in like the first half of chapter 9.

Maria: 00:28:33

You're gonna see him teach the people about Their inevitable end this idea

Maria: 00:28:38

of without the gift of the atonement of Jesus Christ all of us end in

Maria: 00:28:42

dust In fact, I call this spark learning from Legos because that's

Maria: 00:28:46

what my mind kept thinking of You know the way my boys love Lego sets.

Maria: 00:28:49

We've got a bajillion Lego sets and Every time I go to buy one, my brain

Maria: 00:28:54

thinks about the pile of Legos they will inevitably become, you know, at

Maria: 00:28:57

some point, somebody's going to knock that Hogwarts castle off the shelf,

Maria: 00:28:59

and it's going to be this pile of Legos on the ground, or maybe when

Maria: 00:29:03

the age out of their Avengers sets, I will be hauling a big pile of Legos

Maria: 00:29:07

to DI to give to someone I can see.

Maria: 00:29:10

that inevitably they end in destruction and sort of this box of chaos.

Maria: 00:29:14

And I just think that's sort of what Jacob sees on an eternal level.

Maria: 00:29:18

He sees that everything that is here in front of you has to die.

Maria: 00:29:23

There's a great, I think originally it came from Hugh Nibley, but I read

Maria: 00:29:26

it in Jack Welch's writings this week, but he talks about this, the

Maria: 00:29:29

entropy of the universe and that things are slowly breaking down.

Maria: 00:29:33

And the only thing that holds everything back together is this understanding about.

Maria: 00:29:37

The Atonement, what it offers us.

Maria: 00:29:39

And a big piece of that comes with the resurrection.

Maria: 00:29:41

So if you look in 6 and 7, this is what he says.

Maria: 00:29:43

For as death hath passed upon all men to fulfill the merciful plan

Maria: 00:29:47

of the great creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection.

Maria: 00:29:50

And the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall.

Maria: 00:29:54

And the fall came by reason of transgression.

Maria: 00:29:56

And because man became fallen, they were cut off from the presence of God.

Maria: 00:30:00

That's his first step.

Maria: 00:30:01

He's trying to help us understand why the fall occurred.

Maria: 00:30:03

Remember how I said we were going to build on those agency blocks?

Maria: 00:30:06

I think Jacob is trying to help us get a better grasp of what

Maria: 00:30:09

happened in the Garden of Eden.

Maria: 00:30:10

That basically where Adam and Eve were, they were at a terrestrial

Maria: 00:30:14

level in the Garden of Eden.

Maria: 00:30:16

They, they needed to descend in order to experience all the

Maria: 00:30:21

things they needed to experience.

Maria: 00:30:22

The good and the bad.

Maria: 00:30:24

the light and the dark, they, they needed to descend.

Maria: 00:30:27

In order to descend, they have to do something to offend God.

Maria: 00:30:30

In order to be separated from God, there has to be a transgression in place.

Maria: 00:30:34

So that's kind of more about, that's more of the understanding that I gained as

Maria: 00:30:37

I studied Jacob's words, is that their transgression allowed them to descend.

Maria: 00:30:42

But there would be no point in them being at this telestial level where they can

Maria: 00:30:46

make mistakes and live in this gritty hard world and learn and strengthen each other.

Maria: 00:30:51

And, you know, like when you read Adam and Eve's words about feeling joy in

Maria: 00:30:55

their posterity and rejoicing, what would be the point of all that if

Maria: 00:30:58

there wasn't a chance for resurrection?

Maria: 00:31:00

If they couldn't ever get back up again, you know, they couldn't ever.

Maria: 00:31:04

Come back to that judgment scene and see their savior again.

Maria: 00:31:08

What would be the point of all that?

Maria: 00:31:10

So they need a chance to be resurrected.

Maria: 00:31:12

That's, that's the justice and mercy of God.

Maria: 00:31:15

He provides a redeemer so that they, their bodies can be resurrected and they go

Maria: 00:31:19

back to that terrestrial level to face.

Maria: 00:31:22

Judgment.

Maria: 00:31:22

That's why I think when we talk about the second coming that we talk about the

Maria: 00:31:25

earth being restored to its terrestrial level It's a place where you can come

Maria: 00:31:30

back where people are resurrected where you have these Chances to learn and to

Maria: 00:31:34

grow in a different way I think that's what he's trying to help us understand

Maria: 00:31:37

is we needed that gift and it can't just be a partial gift, it must be infinite.

Maria: 00:31:43

So we look in verse 7, it says, Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement.

Maria: 00:31:47

Say, if it should be an infinite atonement, this corruption

Maria: 00:31:49

could not put on incorruption.

Maria: 00:31:51

Things that are broken down can't last forever.

Maria: 00:31:53

Legos that are in pieces can't be built again without this infinite atonement.

Maria: 00:31:59

Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon men must needs have

Maria: 00:32:01

remained in an endless duration.

Maria: 00:32:03

And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its

Maria: 00:32:07

mother earth and to rise no more.

Maria: 00:32:09

The inevitable end result of all things here in this telestial level

Maria: 00:32:15

without the atonement is Crumbling.

Maria: 00:32:17

We all break down again.

Maria: 00:32:19

And that's what I think they're trying to help us understand.

Maria: 00:32:22

That's what Jacob wants to get across.

Maria: 00:32:23

That's how much we need the Atonement.

Maria: 00:32:26

Remember we've talked about if you don't understand the Fall, then you won't

Maria: 00:32:28

understand the need for the Atonement.

Maria: 00:32:30

When you realize that there is no other way to get back to that place,

Maria: 00:32:34

there is no other way to ascend, then you realize how much we need His gift.

Maria: 00:32:39

There's this beautiful talk from Elder Johnson, I've mentioned it in the

Maria: 00:32:42

past, maybe a couple of years ago, but he talks about his daughter's

Maria: 00:32:45

cancer battle, that she eventually loses that battle and she passes away.

Maria: 00:32:50

And he has this sweet about resurrection and this gift that he gives.

Maria: 00:32:56

I only have a portion of it here.

Maria: 00:32:57

I hope you go back and find it.

Maria: 00:32:59

It's in the notes if you want to read the full thing, but it says,

Maria: 00:33:01

Each of us has physical, mental, and emotional limitations and weaknesses.

Maria: 00:33:05

These challenges, some of which we seem so intractable now,

Maria: 00:33:09

will eventually be resolved.

Maria: 00:33:10

None of these problems will plague us after we are resurrected.

Maria: 00:33:14

Elisa researched survival rates for persons with the type of cancer she had,

Maria: 00:33:17

and the numbers were not encouraging.

Maria: 00:33:19

She wrote, But there is a cure, so I'm not scared.

Maria: 00:33:22

Jesus has already cured my cancer and yours.

Maria: 00:33:25

I will be better, and I'm glad I know this.

Maria: 00:33:28

We can replace the word cancer with any of our other physical, mental, or

Maria: 00:33:31

emotional ailments that we might face.

Maria: 00:33:33

Because of the resurrection, they have already been cured, too.

Maria: 00:33:36

The miracle of resurrection, the ultimate cure, is beyond the

Maria: 00:33:39

power of modern medicine, but it is not beyond the power of God.

Maria: 00:33:43

We know it can be done because the Savior is resurrected and will bring to pass

Maria: 00:33:46

the resurrection of each of us, too.

Maria: 00:33:48

That's the gift.

Maria: 00:33:49

And that's what I hope, I think Jacob's trying to get across to us is you don't

Maria: 00:33:52

need to be afraid no matter what your physical body is experiencing or the

Maria: 00:33:56

loved ones you watch experience hard.

Maria: 00:33:59

All of those things have been cured and you will be risen.

Maria: 00:34:04

All of those blocks will come back together again and you will stay intact.

Maria: 00:34:08

And that's a beautiful promise.

Maria: 00:34:10

Spark number six I call spiritual merit badges because recently I've

Maria: 00:34:14

been studying Elder Sabin's talk in a lot more depth You know the one

Maria: 00:34:17

where he talks about his son who?

Maria: 00:34:19

was trying to get a merit badge for archery and he's got these physical

Maria: 00:34:22

ailments that make it virtually impossible for him to Shoot like

Maria: 00:34:25

the other boys shoot and Elder Sabin talked about when his son came back.

Maria: 00:34:29

He was so overjoyed to see that his son had earned a merit badge.

Maria: 00:34:32

In fact, the son was lighting up because he'd hit a bullseye.

Maria: 00:34:35

And he says, it was on the target next to mine, but I got a bullseye.

Maria: 00:34:39

And I just, something about that opened up my heart to these verses this week.

Maria: 00:34:44

I just think one of the sweetest things Jacob teaches is that you get.

Maria: 00:34:48

Rewards for trying for the desires of your heart.

Maria: 00:34:52

He also talks about how the atonement covers.

Maria: 00:34:54

Everything you don't know and don't understand, you know, this applies to

Maria: 00:34:57

things like infant baptism and, you know, those who have mental disabilities or

Maria: 00:35:01

whatever, whatever your situation is, you are only held accountable to what

Maria: 00:35:05

you understand and know, because I think Heavenly Father always sees weakness

Maria: 00:35:09

differently than he sees rebellion.

Maria: 00:35:11

He knows we have weaknesses.

Maria: 00:35:13

He knows we have insufficiencies in our knowledge so we make dumb choices

Maria: 00:35:17

sometimes and he understands that and so often in scripture he talks about

Maria: 00:35:21

the desires of our hearts I love the way it's phrased in chapter 9 this

Maria: 00:35:25

is 25 through 27 or so says wherefore he has given a law wherefore there is

Maria: 00:35:30

no law given sorry where there is no law given there is no punishment and

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where there is no punishment there is no condemnation and when there is no

Maria: 00:35:37

condemnation the mercies of the Holy One of Israel have claim upon them because

Maria: 00:35:41

of the atonement they are delivered by the power of him He's basically saying

Maria: 00:35:45

if you didn't know the laws, he's not going to hold you accountable for them.

Maria: 00:35:48

He's not going to condemn you for not keeping commandments you didn't

Maria: 00:35:51

know, which is why I think our work of teaching people and bringing people

Maria: 00:35:56

to an understanding of the covenants and the promises is so pivotal because

Maria: 00:36:00

he wants everyone to have all the choices clearly in front of them.

Maria: 00:36:05

Remember when we were teaching in the Doctrine and Covenants about Section

Maria: 00:36:08

76, we compared it to the prices, right?

Maria: 00:36:10

And that idea of like, Section 76 is basically like throwing open all

Maria: 00:36:13

those bays and saying, here's all the prizes, which one do you want?

Maria: 00:36:17

That's kind of what I feel like he does with Joseph Smith.

Maria: 00:36:19

And it's what Jacob is doing here, too.

Maria: 00:36:21

He's saying, if you couldn't see behind the doors, You're

Maria: 00:36:24

not accountable for that.

Maria: 00:36:25

He will make sure that you have as much light and knowledge as you can.

Maria: 00:36:28

And if you live this mortal life and you don't get that light and

Maria: 00:36:30

knowledge, the Atonement will cover you.

Maria: 00:36:32

Isn't that just a beautiful doctrine?

Maria: 00:36:34

It's kind of unique to our faith, but it is such a, an incredible component

Maria: 00:36:39

of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Maria: 00:36:41

It, it gets even deeper as you go into 26 and 27.

Maria: 00:36:44

For the atonement satisfieth the demands of justice upon all those

Maria: 00:36:47

who have not the law given to them.

Maria: 00:36:49

They, that they are delivered from the awful monster death and hell, and the

Maria: 00:36:53

devil, and the lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment, and they are

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restored to that God which gave them breath, which is the Holy One of Israel.

Maria: 00:37:00

But woe unto him that has the law given, yea, that has all the commandments of

Maria: 00:37:03

God likened to us, that transgresseth them, and wasteth the days of his

Maria: 00:37:07

probation, for awful is his state.

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To me, this is his warning to say, if you do know what is true, and if you

Maria: 00:37:14

do have light and knowledge, act on it.

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That's why you are here.

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In fact, I've started to read those phrases, President Nelson often

Maria: 00:37:22

will say things like, The very air you breathe is a gift from God.

Maria: 00:37:26

I think it's Elder Sabin who talked about how he always prays, he's so

Maria: 00:37:30

grateful that he has lungs that work because of watching his kids struggle.

Maria: 00:37:34

And I just think there's something about that in that probationary state.

Maria: 00:37:37

This is not just a time to repent and come to know God.

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It is this space he's given you.

Maria: 00:37:42

He is holding your body together.

Maria: 00:37:45

He is allowing you time and breath and a heart that beats so

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that you can come close to him.

Maria: 00:37:51

It's almost as if you can see his hands holding back that red sea around

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your life, that entropy and chaos that the universe is trying to happen,

Maria: 00:38:00

trying to create for you, and he's saying, Nope, I'm giving you space.

Maria: 00:38:04

The probationary state phrase is what sparked for me, probably because

Maria: 00:38:08

of an experience I had this week.

Maria: 00:38:09

So, I'm writing an article for LDS Living, I'm at the very early stages,

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and this is fairly new ground for me, so I'm trying to figure this out.

Maria: 00:38:17

And what I loved is I was reading the kind of rubric of, guidance that they gave me.

Maria: 00:38:20

And what the editor recommended is take this first draft and just make it messy.

Maria: 00:38:25

You know, like she basically said, it's not going to be pretty.

Maria: 00:38:28

Just send it to me, take this space and do as much as you can to get

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your thoughts out, get the arc there, get the flow, get the feel,

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don't worry about the little things.

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And I can tell you guys, it totally changed my writing process

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because I knew that that's what she was expecting me to send her.

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I felt so much freedom to just.

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You know, I didn't worry about every comma being in the right place or

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getting my quotes exactly correct.

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Like I just, I just got the flow out.

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And because I knew she was going to be this gracious editor who expected

Maria: 00:38:59

a rough draft, I wasn't afraid.

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That's how I feel about the probationary state, you guys.

Maria: 00:39:04

I feel like the savior is basically saying this mortal

Maria: 00:39:07

experience is your rough draft.

Maria: 00:39:08

It's going to be messy.

Maria: 00:39:09

You're going to make mistakes.

Maria: 00:39:11

Just come to me.

Maria: 00:39:12

Don't be afraid of your imperfections.

Maria: 00:39:14

Come to me and let me help you place those commas.

Maria: 00:39:16

Let me help you put the quotes in exactly the right spot and format things right.

Maria: 00:39:20

Just get the flow, which is why I think it's so beautiful that

Maria: 00:39:23

he repeatedly teaches us about the desires of your hearts.

Maria: 00:39:27

I think what the editor can see in me is, what's the desire of

Maria: 00:39:30

Maria's heart when she wrote this?

Maria: 00:39:32

What is she trying to say and how can I help her do it better?

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I think that's what the Savior does with His atonement.

Maria: 00:39:37

It doesn't just offer us resurrection and a body that can stay intact forever.

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It also offers us a chance to make mistakes and to learn and to grow

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and take risks and You know, advance on, in this earth life, and that

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I think is just a remarkable gift.

Maria: 00:39:53

I love the way Elder Maxwell says this.

Maria: 00:39:55

This is from 96.

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He says, Therefore, what we insistently desire over time is

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what we will eventually become, and what we will receive in eternity.

Maria: 00:40:04

Kind of sounds like President Oaks and even President Nelson.

Maria: 00:40:06

For I said the, for I, said the Lord, will judge all men according to their works,

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according to the desires of their hearts.

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I know that God granteth unto men according to their desire,

Maria: 00:40:16

I know that He allotteth unto men according to their wills.

Maria: 00:40:19

To reach this equitable end, God's canopy of mercy is stretched out, including

Maria: 00:40:24

all that shall die henceforth without a knowledge of the gospel, who would

Maria: 00:40:27

have received it with all their hearts.

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And the heirs of the kingdom.

Maria: 00:40:31

For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according

Maria: 00:40:33

to the desire of their hearts.

Maria: 00:40:35

This is my favorite part.

Maria: 00:40:36

God thus takes into merciful account not only our desires and our performance,

Maria: 00:40:40

but also the degrees of difficulty which our varied circumstances impose on us.

Maria: 00:40:45

No wonder we will not complain at the final judgment, especially

Maria: 00:40:48

since even the telestial kingdom's glory surpasses all understanding.

Maria: 00:40:52

God delights in blessing us, especially when we realize joy

Maria: 00:40:56

in that which we have designed.

Maria: 00:40:58

Don't you just love that addition to the atonement that Jacob teaches,

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that Elder Maxwell teaches, that so many others in scripture have taught.

Maria: 00:41:06

He is not looking at where that arrow lands.

Maria: 00:41:08

He is looking at What did you try to do?

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What was the desire of your heart when you let that arrow fly?

Maria: 00:41:14

And no matter what target it hits, whether it's the one you expected or another, you

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will make a connection and he will say, Well done, thou good and faithful servant.

Maria: 00:41:24

That's his promise.

Maria: 00:41:27

Spark number seven I call a portal to power.

Maria: 00:41:30

That's how I visualize it.

Maria: 00:41:32

Let me tell you some context about why this week, because my

Maria: 00:41:35

Institute class, I'm teaching the foundations of the restoration.

Maria: 00:41:38

So this week's lesson was all about Keystone, what the Book of Mormon

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offers as this Keystone, just like what we talked about a few weeks ago.

Maria: 00:41:44

And what I liked is we were sketching it out right on the, on the blackboard.

Maria: 00:41:47

And I was talking about those same things I talked to you about that each of those

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stones, because they're part of this arch now has purpose and power and permanence.

Maria: 00:41:56

And we started to talk about.

Maria: 00:41:58

What that keystone offered what I like is what I add into that in my study of

Maria: 00:42:02

Jacob's words I didn't get it in when I was teaching the YSAs But it that

Maria: 00:42:07

visual of that keystone on the blackboard came back to me as I was studying

Maria: 00:42:11

This is what you see in the verses.

Maria: 00:42:12

So this is chapter 9 verse 39 and 41 says Oh my beloved brethren Remember

Maria: 00:42:16

the awfulness in transgressing against that Holy God and also the awfulness of

Maria: 00:42:20

enticings of the cunning one Remember to be carnally minded is death and

Maria: 00:42:25

to be spiritually minded is life eternal Oh, then my beloved brethren,

Maria: 00:42:28

come unto the Lord, the Holy One.

Maria: 00:42:30

Remember that his paths are righteous.

Maria: 00:42:32

Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him.

Maria: 00:42:36

And the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel, and

Maria: 00:42:38

he employeth no servant there.

Maria: 00:42:40

And there is none other way save it be by the gate, for he cannot be

Maria: 00:42:43

deceived, for the Lord God is his name.

Maria: 00:42:46

What I started to think about when I was picturing that keystone on the

Maria: 00:42:49

chalkboard is how much weight is above it.

Maria: 00:42:52

You know, if you've ever seen like, um, those drawings of the ancient city of

Maria: 00:42:56

Jerusalem, that they've got these kind of keystone arches in certain places

Maria: 00:43:00

along those walls, and up above those arches are thousands upon thousands

Maria: 00:43:05

of pounds of pressure pushing down, you know, because each of those blocks

Maria: 00:43:08

was multiple thousands of pounds, and that's why it's so amazing that the

Maria: 00:43:11

Romans were able to get all of them.

Maria: 00:43:13

Um, completely broken down because they're huge.

Maria: 00:43:16

And what I loved about this visual is I started to appreciate the power

Maria: 00:43:20

of that portal that is created.

Maria: 00:43:22

This archway with that keystone on top where the savior stands, you know,

Maria: 00:43:27

he doesn't have any servants there.

Maria: 00:43:29

It is this, he is holding back everything else so that you can pass through.

Maria: 00:43:35

He is holding up all that pressure and all that weight so that you have this

Maria: 00:43:39

open entry To the joy he wants for you.

Maria: 00:43:43

Something about visualizing that portal.

Maria: 00:43:46

Was powerful to me.

Maria: 00:43:47

I just thought what a sweet offering this is.

Maria: 00:43:50

You can almost feel the weight of it on his shoulders as he creates this

Maria: 00:43:54

archway for you to pass through.

Maria: 00:43:57

What I love is he doesn't ask much of us in return.

Maria: 00:43:59

What he does is he asks that we can fit . I mean, I think what he

Maria: 00:44:03

is trying to say is you're gonna need to set down what doesn't fit.

Maria: 00:44:06

That's why I love this description of it being a narrow opening, this gateway.

Maria: 00:44:10

You know, it's not so much a gate like.

Maria: 00:44:12

an iron gate as much as as an opening and it never closes remember we learned

Maria: 00:44:16

that from john and revelation they are open all the time but you have to fit

Maria: 00:44:21

through them and in order to fit through those narrow openings you have to shed

Maria: 00:44:25

some things you know we have to set down the natural man we have to set down our

Maria: 00:44:30

Weaknesses and our, you know, struggles and our sins, all those things have to be

Maria: 00:44:35

cast off before we can fit in that portal.

Maria: 00:44:38

And something about that does help me.

Maria: 00:44:40

Uh, when you look a little further, he talks about some of

Maria: 00:44:42

the things you might need to shed.

Maria: 00:44:44

So, if you look in 42, And whoso knocketh, to him will he open.

Maria: 00:44:48

And the wise, and the learned, and they that are rich, who are puffed

Maria: 00:44:51

up because of their learning, and their wisdom, and their riches.

Maria: 00:44:54

Yea, they, they are they whom he despiseth.

Maria: 00:44:57

and they say they shall cast these things away and consider themselves fools

Maria: 00:45:01

before God and come down in the depths of humility, he will not open unto them.

Maria: 00:45:05

This is him just trying to be really clear, like you can't

Maria: 00:45:08

carry any of that in with you.

Maria: 00:45:09

You have to, you know, you have to be able to shed all of that weight and

Maria: 00:45:15

come with this posture of childlike humility to realize how much you

Maria: 00:45:19

need him in order to proceed through.

Maria: 00:45:21

And so then you get this invitation from Jacob from 50

Maria: 00:45:24

to 52 that I can't summarize.

Maria: 00:45:26

I, I just think it's worth it to read.

Maria: 00:45:29

Come, my brethren, and everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters.

Maria: 00:45:32

He that hath no money, come by and eat.

Maria: 00:45:35

Yea, come by wine and milk without money and without price.

Maria: 00:45:39

Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your

Maria: 00:45:41

labor for that which cannot satisfy.

Maria: 00:45:44

Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken, and

Maria: 00:45:47

come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not.

Maria: 00:45:51

Neither can be corrupted, and let your soul delight in fatness.

Maria: 00:45:56

This is Jacob's invitation to feast on what can fit through that portal.

Maria: 00:46:01

You know, he's saying, you can set all that extra stuff down.

Maria: 00:46:04

You don't need it anymore.

Maria: 00:46:05

You won't find joy there, but you can delight in the things that will last.

Maria: 00:46:10

And when you think about the things that last in our worlds, you know,

Maria: 00:46:12

our relationships, our families, our testimonies, he wants you fatness of those

Maria: 00:46:18

things and then let everything else go.

Maria: 00:46:21

It's just this invitation to come.

Maria: 00:46:23

joyfully through his gate.

Maria: 00:46:25

And I love the way Jacob phrases it.

Maria: 00:46:28

Time for the question side of week eight.

Maria: 00:46:30

Okay, guys, my hope here is just to prompt ideas in your head and get

Maria: 00:46:34

you to open up your scriptures and see what the Spirit teaches you.

Maria: 00:46:37

Then, of course, if you come up with an answer, if you have something in

Maria: 00:46:39

mind already, I hope you'll share it.

Maria: 00:46:41

Put it in the comments thread if you want, or on the discussion boards

Maria: 00:46:44

on the course, or better yet, just talk to somebody in your sphere.

Maria: 00:46:48

Bring it up in the classes that you're in, or talk to somebody on your way to work

Maria: 00:46:51

and see about what their thoughts are.

Maria: 00:46:53

I just think it's a way for us to dive into our scriptures

Maria: 00:46:56

in a lot of different ways.

Maria: 00:46:58

Okay, so here's my five questions.

Maria: 00:46:59

The first one comes from 2 Nephi chapter 6.

Maria: 00:47:02

This is when he's talking about the gathering, and he's talking about

Maria: 00:47:05

what the gathering will look like.

Maria: 00:47:06

It says, And now these are the words, Thus saith the Lord God, Behold,

Maria: 00:47:09

I will lift up mine hand to the Gentiles, and set up my standards to

Maria: 00:47:12

the people, and they shall bring thy sons in their arms, and thy daughters

Maria: 00:47:16

shall be carried upon their shoulders.

Maria: 00:47:17

It's, it's this rich visual that I just think teaches us so

Maria: 00:47:22

much about this gathering work.

Maria: 00:47:25

My mind, I always think about this with like a firefighter, you know, almost

Maria: 00:47:28

like what you picture on the cover of time magazine after a, you know, natural

Maria: 00:47:31

disaster of some kind that you'd see some emergency responder carrying someone.

Maria: 00:47:37

Out of the flames and inevitably what you see is the strain of it, you know,

Maria: 00:47:42

that's what makes those photos So gripping is because you see the danger

Maria: 00:47:46

behind them You see the soot and the ash that they're covered in you you see the

Maria: 00:47:50

worry on their face you you see the the contrast and that grips you and I just

Maria: 00:47:57

feel like There's a reason this is such a beautiful metaphor for missionary work.

Maria: 00:48:01

And I guess that's my question to you is, as you think about this idea

Maria: 00:48:04

of carrying sons and daughters on your shoulders, hefting things and

Maria: 00:48:09

bringing them out of danger towards safety, especially the safety of Zion,

Maria: 00:48:14

where do you see connecting points between that and missionary work?

Maria: 00:48:17

Why does that metaphor work so beautifully?

Maria: 00:48:20

And maybe if you want to talk to your classes or your families,

Maria: 00:48:23

think about a time when you've.

Maria: 00:48:24

seen missionary work do this in your life?

Maria: 00:48:27

Where you've seen someone spiritually carried to truth

Maria: 00:48:30

and what did that look like?

Maria: 00:48:32

Okay, question number two.

Maria: 00:48:34

This actually isn't a direct quote from scripture, but it comes from

Maria: 00:48:37

commentary I read about scripture, and this is from President Nelson.

Maria: 00:48:39

He was talking about the gathering.

Maria: 00:48:41

This is way back, 2014, you guys.

Maria: 00:48:43

He's been talking about the gathering forever because That's the

Maria: 00:48:46

mind of an Apostle of God, right?

Maria: 00:48:48

This is what they're focused on.

Maria: 00:48:49

And he says this, A loving but grieving father scattered Israel far and wide, but

Maria: 00:48:54

he promised that one day scattered Israel would be gathered back into the fold.

Maria: 00:48:58

This promise was just as emphatic as the promise of the scattering of Israel.

Maria: 00:49:01

Isaiah, for example, foresaw that in the latter days, the Lord would

Maria: 00:49:04

send swift messengers to these people who were scattered and peeled.

Maria: 00:49:08

My question is, I thought his word choice was particularly interesting.

Maria: 00:49:11

When he says, A loving but grieving father scattered Israel far and wide,

Maria: 00:49:16

With this understanding of a promise that one day they would be gathered back in.

Maria: 00:49:19

I guess I wonder how you can relate to that.

Maria: 00:49:22

What experiences in your life have you seen where you had to scatter something?

Maria: 00:49:27

Obviously not in the same way, but where do you see love and pain in that choice?

Maria: 00:49:34

Especially when it comes to the scattering of his chosen people.

Maria: 00:49:37

Where do you see these emotions?

Maria: 00:49:38

How do you see him loving and grieving and Where do you see

Maria: 00:49:43

that connecting with your life?

Maria: 00:49:44

So, that's my first, my second question.

Maria: 00:49:46

Third question.

Maria: 00:49:47

This one comes from chapter 8, verses 1 and 2.

Maria: 00:49:49

This is when Isaiah is teaching about, look unto the rock

Maria: 00:49:52

from whence you are hewn.

Maria: 00:49:53

One of the things I love about the way Jacob teaches it and Isaiah

Maria: 00:49:56

teaches it, is they use both Abraham and Sarah in those verses.

Maria: 00:49:59

He says, you know, look back to Abraham, look back to

Maria: 00:50:01

Sarah from which you are born.

Maria: 00:50:03

I can't remember how he said it.

Maria: 00:50:04

Like she, they together represent this covenant, which I just love in particular.

Maria: 00:50:09

But, I guess my question is, what do you think that verse means?

Maria: 00:50:12

There's some obvious answers that come to mind first, but I think we

Maria: 00:50:16

can take it a few levels deeper.

Maria: 00:50:19

Or maybe the obvious answers are the right answer.

Maria: 00:50:20

I'm just kind of curious about what you think it means.

Maria: 00:50:22

What is the rock that you're hewn from?

Maria: 00:50:25

Who's doing the hewing?

Maria: 00:50:27

And what is the end result as you're being carved out?

Maria: 00:50:30

What, what does that refer to?

Maria: 00:50:32

I have some thoughts, but I'm anxious to hear yours.

Maria: 00:50:35

Okay.

Maria: 00:50:35

Question number four.

Maria: 00:50:36

This one comes from chapter eight as well.

Maria: 00:50:38

This is in those first couple verses, but I think it's, Oh, sorry.

Maria: 00:50:41

I take it back.

Maria: 00:50:42

This is nine verse 18.

Maria: 00:50:43

So it says, But behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy one of Israel,

Maria: 00:50:46

they who have believed in the Holy one of Israel, and they who have endured

Maria: 00:50:49

the crosses of the world and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the

Maria: 00:50:52

kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world

Maria: 00:50:56

and their joy shall be full forever.

Maria: 00:50:59

There's this interesting connection between Those who endure the crosses

Maria: 00:51:04

of the world, the suffering and the strain in a type and a shadow

Maria: 00:51:08

of the Savior himself, those who endure those things, experiencing

Maria: 00:51:11

a richness and a fullness of joy.

Maria: 00:51:15

You can go in the notes and you can learn more.

Maria: 00:51:16

President Eyring has, I think it was a BYU devotional.

Maria: 00:51:18

This is back in 2008.

Maria: 00:51:20

You can go find the full quote in the notes.

Maria: 00:51:22

He says, trials are necessary for us to be shaped and made fit to receive that

Maria: 00:51:26

happiness that comes as we qualify for the greatest of all the gifts of God.

Maria: 00:51:30

I thought his word choice was so interesting.

Maria: 00:51:32

Kind of like president Nelson's word choice that he says the trials actually

Maria: 00:51:36

shape us so that we can hold the joy.

Maria: 00:51:39

And I want to know what that means.

Maria: 00:51:41

You guys, where do you see that connecting with Jacob's words,

Maria: 00:51:44

Isaiah's words, and president Eyring, where do you see adversity

Maria: 00:51:47

shaping you so that you can hold joy?

Maria: 00:51:50

I don't, I don't entirely know what that means.

Maria: 00:51:52

But I have some thoughts and I'm hoping to hear yours.

Maria: 00:51:55

Okay, last one.

Maria: 00:51:56

This comes from 2 Nephi 9, verse 50.

Maria: 00:51:58

We just read this at the end of the Insights, but he says, Come, my

Maria: 00:52:01

brethren, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that

Maria: 00:52:04

hath no money, come by and eat.

Maria: 00:52:07

Come by wine and milk without money and without price.

Maria: 00:52:10

I think it's really interesting that what he says in this verse is not, you

Maria: 00:52:15

don't have to have money, come and eat.

Maria: 00:52:17

What he says is, come and buy, even if you don't have wealth, come and buy.

Maria: 00:52:22

And I.

Maria: 00:52:23

Wondered why?

Maria: 00:52:24

I, I think it's an interesting word choice and I started digging and pulling

Maria: 00:52:30

back some layers to try and understand what relief he's really offering here.

Maria: 00:52:35

And I'm curious what you think.

Maria: 00:52:37

Why does it say buy and not just eat or drink?

Maria: 00:52:40

Why is he giving them the opportunity to purchase something?

Maria: 00:52:44

And then maybe by extension, what other nourishment might he be offering?

Maria: 00:52:48

something beyond what is obvious.

Maria: 00:52:51

When he says, I'm going to allow you to buy without money.

Maria: 00:52:55

What other nourishment is he giving them spiritually?

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I would love to hear your thoughts.

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I think there's a lot we could discuss on just that question.

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Okay, go study, seek out answers, and then come back and share what you learned.

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Before we head into the creative, I just wanted to wrap up with a thought.

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I think maybe one of the reasons Jacob chose to focus here, one Nephi thought

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this study of Isaiah would Help assuage their feelings of isolation or fear or

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being cut off from these great promises Is that that's what the understanding

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the atonement of jesus christ offers to each of us He can sucker us, you know,

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he is someone who has been through every struggle every combination of struggles

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every adversity He knows all of them.

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So anyone that's struggling with Those feelings of being left alone can

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find comfort and solace by studying the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

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It is the ultimate answer that fills all gaps.

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And I, I learned and felt so much this week as I studied Jacob's writings.

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I hope you will too.

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I, I, I felt the same.

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Well, at least when I heard Jacob talk about the greatness of God's plan, I

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could almost picture the joy in his face.

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Maybe because we've seen it in President Nelson's eyes, you know, when he talks

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about God's plan being fabulous and his eyes light up, that's how I picture Jacob.

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I think what he wants us to understand is that this This plan was mapped out

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long ago, and it has every possible opportunity for you to find joy.

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No matter where you are and how, how much, how big that gap seems, the infinite

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atonement of Jesus Christ can fill that gap, and it will do it beautifully.

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And I hope you find that in the verses this week as well.