The following transcript is intended to aid in your study. However, while we try to go through the transcript, our transcripts are primarily computer-generated and often contain errors. Please forgive the transcripts’ imperfections.

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Segment 1

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Who did you wanna be? Like when you were growing up? Who was your model or your standard for greatness? Now, if you grew up in the seventies, it was probably Wonder Woman because listen, the power she had, I mean she could run so fast you guys, she had a lasso of truth and an invisible jet and she could probably do math too, but maybe your model was Dorothy Hamel, which was a way easier haircut to get.

Am I right? Some of you out there are nodding your head 'cause you had the Dorothy Hamel haircut. 'cause no 8-year-old could have long, luscious, wavy curls that always stayed in place or didn't end up in a ponytail. Well, today's lesson is all about a standard or a model and the Lord has something to say about that.

And good news, you guys, it has nothing to do with a hair. Welcome to the Sundown Monday Study Group at Deseret Bookshelf Plus original, brought to you by LDS Living where we take the Come Follow Me lesson for the week, and we really dig into the scriptures together. I'm your host, Tammy Uzelac Hall. If you're new to our study group, please follow the link in our description and it's going to explain how you can best use this podcast to enhance your come Follow Me study, just like my longtime listening friend, Lindsay Howell.

Hi Lindsay. I think you're gonna love who our guest is today. Now, another awesome thing about our study group is each week we're joined by two of my friends, so it's always a little bit different. And today I'm so excited because we get to have two women that I just really, really love. We have Sharmaine Howell, old Timer.

Hi. Hey Tammy. So good to be here coming in from Minnesota. Still, still love it still. I know, I know we laughed because you were like, I'm only going for two years and now it's been five. And we miss you. And we still miss you. And with Shar, Hal, and myself, we are going to, oh, this is gonna be so fun. We have Courtney Spencer.

Hi Courtney. Hi. How are you both? Happy to see your face for sure. It's been a while. I feel like I know. Now here's how I know Courtney. We, we were on the Magnify podcast together. She was the host of that episode, which was so fun. And I was taken in by her immediately. 'cause I'm like, oh, I love her. She's my kind of people.

And then we got to do the [00:02:00] magnify event together, where we went around and toured and spoke. That was so much fun. Amazing. Wow. You two are amazing. I love this. I'm so excited to be here. We kind of are a big deal, Shar. See, you guys are a big deal. I mean, come on. You're a big deal. I'm excited to talk with you.

Yeah, yeah. Seriously. Okay. But this is fun because for those of you like Shar, we know Shar, we love Shar, but Courtney's new. So Courtney, will you tell us a little bit about yourself? Sure. So I actually live in St. George, Utah right now. I grew up in Texas. I am adopted, married with two kids. I have two little kids.

And I just finished and published my first book, which was a 10 year undertaking that was prompted when I was training for the Winter Olympic sport of skeleton. And so that is, wow. Kind of like a memoir about resilience and faith and just kind of coming to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 'cause I joined the church as a convert in my twenties while living in New York City.

Wow. And so that's part of the book as well. That's amazing. What is your book called? It's called Embrace the Hit and it's on Amazon. Wow. That's so cool. That's awesome. That is so fun. For people who don't know, what's the skeleton, the skeleton's where you go face first down the bobsled track going 80, 90 miles per hour with no breaks.

And my sweet niece is always like, you look like you're wearing onesie pajamas. I'm like, USA onesie pajamas. But yes, and whatever happened with the Olympics, so I was the one who was training during COVID. So COVID happened. Bummer. And the pandemic just devastating and they pushed back the tryouts. And then when they pushed them back, I got pregnant with my first.

I said, okay, you can't go down with a bump on your tummy. And so I committed and said, look, let's do this. And me and my husband had our first daughter Ada, and she is my gold medal. So that was, I love that. That was kind of the end. I thought I was gonna go back right after. And then, um, somebody lost my sled.

I won't say which mailing company, but they lost it. What? [00:04:00] Oh yes. The 70 pound sled and we still have not recovered it. And it's like thousands of dollars and, and it's like very difficult to go buy. You can't go buy it at like big sporting goods. Right. Have to like, have it built for your body. I mean, I've tried it to go, but you know, you were like, where's the skeleton?

No. Yeah. So I, I haven't, I kept thinking I was gonna show up and then the Lord just kind of keeps telling me, you learned what you learned. And then we hear the Olympics is coming to Park City, so who knows? Maybe I'll come outta the retirement. Ooh, we dunno. What a great idea, but right now it sounds, what would that be?

So cool. Right now it sounds like you're on the plan path you're supposed to be on. Right. I mean, it all feels like it's working the way that it's supposed to and I just know that if I do come out of retire or I don't, either way, it's beautiful and I have my children and my husband and that's really the biggest win for me.

Yeah. Wow. Yeah. Listen, if you come outta retirement, you can stay at my house. Oh. In a pretty close drive, like the mouth of the canyon. So just stay in my basement. We have an extra room. Ah. That's what I did when I moved to Utah. Got plenty of room here at my house. And if you, if you ever need a train in Minnesota, you can stay at my house.

Oh, there you go. You've got no mountains. But I will make you a skeleton course in my backyard. Perfect. You've got ice, you've got water. Yes. We'll just freeze the, freeze the track. And then when she wins, she'll have one of those rocky moments. Sure. I, I remember when. I remember when. Oh, that is so fun. Okay, this is gonna be a fun discussion.

I have given these to an outline and questions that I'm gonna ask them, but who knows? We don't know what direction it could take. I might ask something completely different because these women have a lot to say and a lot to share, so make sure you check out their bios. You're gonna find that in our show notes, which is at lds living.com/sunday on Monday.

Okay, everyone, so grab your scriptures and something to mark them with, and let's dig into doctrine and covenants. Sections 115 through 120. Okay. You two, share with me what the Holy Ghost taught you as you studied doctrine and covenants. 115 through 100. There was kind of a lot, there was a lot of different [00:06:00] things in these chapters.

I got a lot of things out, but I guess I'll just stick to one verse that I guess it's kind of been on my mind since re reading them and rereading all of these sections. And you, it's gonna be weird, but it's, um, section one 17 verse three, and it's short and it says therefore if they tear, it shall not be well with them.

And this comes right after. The Lord has asked no. Okay, Whitney, to settle up his business, speedily journey from the land of Kirtland and go. And then two, he says, let them awake and arise and come forth and not Terry for either the Lord command it. He's like, all right guys, we gotta move. We gotta move now.

I need you to get up. I need you to go. And he says, if they Terry, it shall not be well with them. And I have thought about that a lot. Am I? So why? It's just, I just made me like, I guess I've rephrased it in my mind, like how am I carrying in my life? And you know, what am I waiting on that I'm not moving, that I'm not speedily settling up my business and just doing it.

Sometimes I feel like I sit in church and I get these promptings and I write 'em in my journal. I'm like, oh, I gotta go to the temple more consistently. Or you know, I hear a conference talk or whatever it is, and I'm like, I gotta do this man that is clear prompting. I write it down, I feel so good about it, and then days go on and I kind of just don't do it.

And so that verse just really hit me like, where am I tearing? What am I waiting for? Because I don't know, sometimes, uh, life can put you in a little fog or you're a little distracted or you feel like I'm doing the things. This is great, I'm doing my stuff. I feel good about life. But is that actually where you're supposed to be?

I bet. No. Okay. Whitney felt good about his life at that moment. Yeah. And he felt like we're doing it. This is the plan. And then he was told to just pack it up and let's go. And sometimes I think I haven't, uh, lately heated that command of like, pack it up and go, like, you gotta get move, Shar. You gotta get to business with the Lord's plan for me.

So I've just been really [00:08:00] pondering that this week. Like, where have I, where, where have I in my life? Have I been sharing and, and waiting instead of moving? This is what I love so much about that question, and I'm so glad to come Follow me, Manuel. Encourage us to ask this because never in a million years would I have gotten something out of verse three like you did.

That is, 'cause it's such a, just a random like don't tear. I mean it's, yeah, I thought that and I wrote in my scriptures, am I tearing where and how? Like that I'm so grateful you taught that to us. Very cool. Thanks Shar. Yeah, thanks Sam. Okay. Courtney, what about you? So I have been, the two words have just been popping out to me for probably the last three weeks.

And they are labor diligently. I don't know why, but every time I've been reading the scriptures, they've been popping out. And so the verse that, it actually said this a few times in here, but in section one 15 verse 10, towards the end it says, labor diligently to build a house unto my name. So one, there was those two words.

So that automatically caught my attention and I just remembered you can labor diligently doing the wrong thing. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And I don't wanna be that, so kind of like to your point of tearing, I do not want to be laboring diligently in something that, yeah. Not needed. And then the build a house into my name.

Immediately my mind went to, our bodies are a temple. They're a house unto his name. That's where the Holy Ghost can live. That's where, and so I just thought, build a house, be, build my body, build my life unto his name. And so that verse really helped me think about, one, the body being a temple, and where the spirit can dwell my life on, how I can use my time, my resources, my talents, even my tongue, uh, even to the point of what I can consume or let myself consume.

And I don't mean food, y'all. I mean, what am I watching? Yeah. What am I using my time for? Am I just sitting there binge watching? Because I wanna be anxiously engaged and laboring [00:10:00] diligently when Christ comes. I don't wanna be binge watching. A streaming service. I'll be slightly embarrassed because you'd be like, hold on just a minute.

Jesus. Let me just finish this like my kids say to me all the time, I, I need two more minutes. Lemme just this, the show's almost over. The movie's almost over, almost over. It was over with my father then watched six episodes. It's, but anyway, yeah, so that was kind of where my mind went and, and the body for me, you know, being an athlete, that matters a lot to me.

And then as someone who, you know, I still wanna grow my family and I need to take care of my body to be able to have that opportunity, you know, or not. But I wanna be there for my kids and I wanna be healthy and a, and have the ability to mm-hmm. To do all the things that are asked of me. So I really, I just really appreciated to read that in that way where the house all of a sudden became not just the house of the Lord.

Mm-hmm. The temple, which we know, but our bodies and our lives as well. That is great. I love how Love that you just framed the word house in that verse. Like I put a square around it and then I put equals, 'cause there's a space in my scriptures. I wrote me, my body, my home, my mind, my tongue. I love when you said that.

My tongue. Yeah. Or, and just the idea of my own home, like and my laboring diligently to make sure that the house I live in with my family is unto his name. Wow. Thank you for making me think like that. Yeah. Oh, that's good. Well, thanks for that question because also you just made me think, so when you hear about bearing your weapons of war, do you remember the scriptures?

Oh, I love that one. Do you know anytime I hear that, the first thing I think of is my weapon of war is my tongue. Like I can have a sharp tongue, like I can be too quick, too dark. Yes, but it can also be a gift. It's a great strength. So that's why Tongue was such a, a big thing for me to put in there. Well, that is so good.

'cause I put my mind, 'cause I'm not quick, I, I'm, I wish I was quick tongue. I wish that I could be sharp tongue and say things because I get in fights with people and I, I, I'm like that like two days later I come up with the best get back lines. I'm like, ah, I should have said that. I'm not that quick, but my mind is, so I [00:12:00] can't believe the scenarios my brain can come up with.

We're to the point where I'm like, I'm 100% right on this. Like, I think I have some gift to know more than Jesus does. And so I love that. Like, do the thoughts about that I have about people or scenarios. Yeah. Are they in his name? Most oftentimes they're not So. That was a great way to think about that verse.

Oh my gosh, how fun was that? That we're only, we're only one question in ladies and you've taught us so much. So thank you for doing that. You know, it's, these sections are very interesting because here's a little history about what we're studying today. So after being kicked outta Kirtland, Ohio and leaving their temple, they only had it for about two years.

The Saints, they settled in Far West Missouri. So between April and July of 1838 in Far West, we have only doctrine and covenant sections, one hundred and fifteen, one hundred twenty. These are the only revelations that were given in this place in Far West Missouri until they're going to be driven from Missouri starting in November, and then lasting clear until the next spring because of the extermination order given by Governor Lilburn Boggs.

So we are going to discover, and I think this is neat, what the Lord had to say to the saints in just these sections in Far West Missouri and how these sections apply to our lives. We'll start that in the next segment.

Segment 2

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Now this is a fun question. And now Courtney, this is the one I'm gonna point at you because my question going into this segment is how much thought goes into choosing a name, like the name of a business or the name of a child? But I wanna know how much thought went into the name of your book. Talk to me about the, like how much thought do we put into giving names and titles?

So I immediately, I will talk about the name of the book, but when I first read this, I think about my daughter Ada. Mm-hmm. So the reason her name is Ada is, is very specific. When I joined the church, I started doing family history work and I got obsessed with it. Like I love family history. That's awesome.

And, and I [00:14:00] was terrible at it, right? Because I had no idea what I was doing and all of that. And so I had really great YSA just leaders who guided me to do it. And I was going through and I found out my grandma, my mom's mom. She always went by Louise Davis did not have a middle name. And I did research and found her like birth certificate.

Her name was Ada Louise Davis. Oh. And I called my mom and my grandma had passed. My grandma passed when I was like three. And I said, mom, mom, did you know Baba's name was Ada? And she's like, no, no, no, no. And I'm like, no, look at these records. I had records like of her That's cool. Their household. And she was ada.

And then at like 13 or 14, she dropped the name. 'cause I guess she didn't like it. And then the fact that she never told my mom means that she really didn't like the name ada. So I am, and I said, I'm gonna name my daughter Ada. Like that is gonna be her name. And it's because I loved it. And I thought what a great way to share with her my conversion story, my testimony of family history and our.

Connect her to her family. Yeah. And so her name is a story and that's why I think that was so exciting to read that question because the name was this ability for me to share my testimony. And so then when she gets older and I'm gone, she can tell people My name is Ada because of this. And I just think that's, it's exciting.

That's so cool. I love it. That's kind of, I'm where writing down notes the name, uh, the name kind of hit wait with me, but Embrace the Hit. So the embrace the hit is because my coach would say, when he would like yell at me all the time, Courtney, embrace the hit. I'm like, dude, what does that mean? Mm-hmm.

And he said, one day after I'm bruised, broken, and like, look like I fell off a motorcycle. He said, when you're about to steer into the wall, don't deflect. Don't say, oh, do I, I don't wanna run into it. Like embrace it. Because if you embrace the hit, it actually absorbs and puts you off on a better path straight and you stay on the wall for less time.

So the impact then is shortened. Then you are put on a better path than you could have [00:16:00] ever picked, because one you can't see. 'cause the G-Force is so strong. But I just thought that's a life lesson. Wow. Embrace the hit like in life. And so the name of the book has embrace the Hit because I then go through all of the trials in my life where I did embrace the hit, where I did not embrace the hit.

Because as we know, we don't always do what we should. And I just talk about the consequences and the learnings and all of that. And so that's why the name of the book is embraced, the Hit because I think it's relatable to anyone who has had a trial, is in a trial, is in adversity, whether it's financial, divorce, uh, your own body, mental health, like literally there's so much.

And so it's about embracing the hit, which is what I learned, but with Christ. Because when I found the gospel of Jesus Christ, embracing took on a whole nother meaning for me because he can handle all of it. And he did. He can take the force of the impact for us. Yeah. Oh, beautifully said. Yes. Those are such great thoughts.

I wrote down so many notes about this idea because you said that your daughter's name was a way for you to share your testimony, and the name of your book is A Way to Teach a Life Lesson Connected to Christ. And both of those answers are so fitting for what's going on at this time because the saints are being asked to leave their temple that they love.

But at the exact same time, they're getting the name of the church. Now, the church had had a name up to this point, but they're gonna get a new name. So let's first read the names and then we're gonna connect it back to everything you just shared. 'cause that was so cool. Let's go to Doctrine and Covenant, section 20 verse one.

And we're gonna read what the first name of the church was on the day that it was organized. So section 20 verse one, and Shar, will you read that for us? Okay. The rise of the Church of Christ in these last days being 1,830 years since the coming of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the flesh, it being regularly organized and established, agreeable to the laws of the country by the will and commandments of God in the fourth month and on the sixth day of the [00:18:00] month, which is called April.

So the rise. Of the Church of Christ. Perfect. Put a cross reference next to that. Put 107 verse 59 Doctrine and Covenants 1 0 7 verse 59 and we'll turn there. Okay. I love a cross reference. Seriously. 'cause and then when you write it, you, it always comes up at the best time and you're like, oh, what did I put over here?

Yeah. You're a gospel doctrine and you're like, excuse me, let's go to verse 59. Okay. Will you read that for us, Courtney? Verse 59. Yes. 1 0 7, right? Mm-hmm. The Church of Christ and the Land of Zion, in addition to the church laws respecting church business. So there's the name again to the Church of Christ.

Okay. In addition to this name, here are some other names. The church was known by the Church of Jesus Christ and then later on the Church of God. But these three names for the church were just too common among several Protestant denominations to distinguish it from the restored church. So then we get a new name, the Church of the Latter Day Saints.

Now this worked, but then it kind of failed to properly identify Christ as the head of its source. So now the Lord is going to settle the matter once and for all. It was the church of Jesus Christ. It was the Church of the Latter Day Saints. Let's go to doctrine and covenant. Section 115 verse four, and next to 1 0 7, where you put that verse where you, we were at 1 0 7 verse 59.

You could just put the cross reference 115 verse four, A fun little scripture chain. And here is the official name. And Shar, will you please read verse four R. Thus shall my church be called in the last days, even the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. There we go. Highlight it. Love it. There's the official name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Okay, now take everything we just talked about with Courtney and the ideas of naming and Shar some of the ideas you have about naming. And tell me what is significant now about this official name, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. [00:20:00] Yeah. I like how it, um, like a, it defines whose church it is.

It's, it's Jesus Christ Church. Like we needed to know that, that we can't just cut that out and say the Church of Latterday Saints. Right. Yeah. And it also connects who, who's the church is made for. Yep. And um, and I like what, bringing it back to what Courtney said, you know, it's a chance to tell a story or, or to give a testimony.

So it's talking about, Hey, we all know Jesus Christ and we live in this day. And so this is the church that is his church for us in this day. Mm-hmm. Within, I was, I was listening to another kind of breakdown of the name. Mm-hmm. And they really pronounced the, in there just like the, like the church. Yes.

Like, it's not just church. It's, it's the church. And I, I like that because it does signify that authority and the power that comes from God and it's. Only in his church and Uhhuh. And then I also appreciated that because it is the church of Jesus Christ, it means that we're constantly looking for light in other places.

So like if there are other churches, we appreciate and acknowledge that light of Christ that you have, but then we are reminded that he is the head of this church and, and is for the latter day saints. And those are, those are people who choose to covenant with him and his power and his authority. And so there's really a lot to unpack there, depending on, you know, who you're talking to, right?

Mm-hmm. You're not gonna say that to, you know, somebody you just walk by on the street. But, um, if prompted you, there's a lot to say and be reminded of and promises. One thing I love about the name is also that, um, I, I feel like frequently it's easy in conversation to, like, especially out here, I'm, I'm constantly surrounded by, um, members of different churches.

Mm-hmm. So, you know, we'll say, oh, what church do you go to? Okay, cool. Yeah. I go to this church and this, and then, then we'll be like, oh yeah, my church does the same thing. Yeah. We have a youth night. Oh, my church does that too. And I just love the [00:22:00] reminder when I read this, that it's not my church. The church is for us, but it's not my church.

It's not our church. It's Jesus Christ Church. And I just love that reminder to not call it my church. Like, oh yeah, our church does that. Oh yeah. Oh, we do that our church. It's Jesus Christ Church. And like taking his name out of that phrase, when we talk about his church or when we used to say like, oh, we're Mormons taking his name out of it, out of the phrase or out of our conversation, takes the power out of that conversation, you know?

Mm-hmm. We've been taught his name brings power, and like as we eliminate that and we call it my church or our church or the Mormon church, then we are losing that and we're losing that focus that, that the name is meant to bring to him. Yes. Oh, absolutely. Well, and, and tying it back to what Courtney taught too about this idea that a name can teach a life lesson, I've never considered that the name of our church would provide an opportunity for us to teach a lesson or to point out this idea.

Like it's almost sort of e an evangelical way for us to praise Jesus is with his name. Yeah. The church of, and I love how you pointed out the, because officially now when you write out the name of the church, you capitalize the Yeah. It didn't used to always be that way. So it is the church of Jesus Christ who helps me embrace the hits of Latter Day Saints.

Yeah. And so I, I think that's so cool. The connection and all the things you can say about Christ when you come to someone who doesn't know what your church is. And, and I think by default sometimes we wanted to then say, oh, the Mormon church. Yeah. Or sometimes the name's too long and we'll just say The Mormons.

I'm grateful now we've been instructed to say the full name with Jesus Christ in it. What a powerful tool for a testimony. But also the blessings that come with saying the name. Right? President Nelson gave us this talk to remind us that there is power in the name and there are blessings that come and just I, it's not ironically, but right after verse four, in section one 15, okay, [00:24:00] we just read that in search.

Uh, section one 15 verse four, verse five is in a call to action, very lay, I say unto you, all arise and shine for, so then it's telling those latter day Saints us. And then six is the blessing that the gathering together upon the land Zion and upon her stakes may be for a defense and for a refuge. So I just, one, I obviously am in marketing, so like a call to action and then to see the response, that's key.

You have to have that. And so here it is in the scriptures where he's like, here's the name of the church, here's what I'm asking you to do, and then here's the blessing that comes. And so just as President Nelson said, here's the name of the church, here are the blessing. It's not a small thing. It's a powerful thing that we get to say the full name.

Ah, so cool. Absolutely. Let's read this quote. This is from Elder BH Roberts and here he was a former church historian and leader, and here's what he has to say about the name of the church. So Courtney, will you read the first paragraph and then Shar, will you read the second paragraph? The appropriateness of this title is self-evident and in it there is a beautiful recognition of the relationship, both of the Lord Jesus Christ and of the saints to the organization.

It is the church of Jesus Christ. It is the Lord's. He owns it. He organized it. It is the sacred depository of his truth. It is his instrumentality for promulgating all those spiritual truths with which he would have mankind acquainted. It is also his instrumentality for the perfecting of the saints as well as for the work of the ministry.

It is his in all these. But it is an institution which also belongs to the saints. It is the refuge from the confusion and religious stout of the world. It is their instructor in principle doctrine and righteousness. It is their guide in matters of faith and morals. They have a conjoint ownership in it with Jesus Christ, which [00:26:00] ownership is beautifully recognized in the latter part of the title.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is equivalent to the church of Jesus Christ and the church of the latter day Saint. Thank you. Now, taking that quote and everything we've discussed today, I'd love to know and do some application here because the Saints are being asked to leave, give up the temple.

They just spent years to build and money to build, to go live in a place called Far West Missouri and start all over. Tell me why is the timing of the name of this church, or why do you think the timing of this is so important given this quote and the name?

First, right there, it is their refuge from the confusion and religious doubt of the world. So they could use that as, as almost like a fire in their bellies to be like, we have already experienced that one. They're not, they're not unfamiliar with that. And then to reassure them that I am gonna protect you when we go across, when you go to the next place, and it's probably going to happen again.

But you know, I've got your back. Like, I've got you. I am the, the almighty. Like I am the biggest person that can ever protect you. And here I am, and I'm saying I will. Oh, I like that. And just like, just like how it seems to them that they might be losing all their things and they have to move and uh, you know, like.

They're asked to get, you know, just to move on so, so quickly. I love, love. The very first line of that sentence is, he says it is the Lord's, he owns it. He organized it. He is like, not, this isn't changing, that my church is coming with us. It's gonna be with us forever. It's gonna be with you, it here to guide you no matter where you live, here or there.

This is the church and it's, it's not going anywhere. Mm-hmm. And how incredible to think that they've, they're leaving the temple and then we get this revelation in far West and the Lord says, going back to what you shared, Courtney Labor diligently to build a house into my name, it would've been [00:28:00] so easy if you didn't have a solid foundation of whose church this is to go.

Mm-hmm. Again, are you kidding me? We already did that. Yeah. Why are we doing it again? I mean, the frustration the saints could have felt, but here he's saying, build a house unto my name, the new name I just gave you. You're my church, my people. We're gonna do this even though they'll never build in far West.

But I love how the Lord's consistently said to his saints, you will build a temple. You will build a house in my name. Everywhere you go, I will ask you to do it. And how lucky that we have pioneers who didn't put their foot down and say, we're not doing it. It's too expensive. Because look at us today. All the temples we just keep building.

Can you imagine if we as members are like, one's enough? All right, we don't need 300 temples. We've already done this. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Exactly. But also you, Shar, you just said they we're giving things up, but then what about this? They have a conjoint ownership with Jesus Christ. So like, think about that.

I'm gonna shed myself. Right? If you think of it from shedding the natural man and putting on the armor of God, like that's exactly like that. They're shedding their, their, you know, temporal things, right? Their businesses and all of that. You may be even leaving some very cherished things behind, but you're gaining mm-hmm.

This conjoint ownership. In the, in the church of Jesus Christ here on the earth. So I mean, that would, that would help me feel like, okay, I can leave behind my oxen and my whatever's in my house, and because I am going to something greater than I can even understand. Mm-hmm. And he's gonna protect me. Boy, I like that.

That's something we could apply to our lives today. We don't understand. That's, I was just thinking Yeah, were you, go ahead. Sharp. I, I was just thinking like, wow, conjoint ownership. Well, we still have the same name of the church right now. Mm-hmm. Do I feel that conjoin ownership? Do I feel that like, oh, it's so easy for me to shed, because I know I've been gaining from it.

Like, you know, it was, I don't know. I don't know if I feel that all the time. Like it's so easy to be like, yeah, I can give that up because look what I get here. Mm-hmm. [00:30:00] That's, that's harder said than done, I think, and I'm just so impressed by these pioneers who made it look easy almost to be like. Moving on, shedding that, gaining this, let's go, you know?

Yeah. Wouldn't we like to read those journals? That would've been maybe what I had would've thought, really? Come on. Yeah. I wonder if anyone was a naysayer. I mean, oh, the, are you sure? Yeah. Really? Okay. Are you sure? All right. We're doing it would've been my journal probably would've gotten like burned somewhere in the fire.

Me too. Mine would've been chucked. Oh, listen, if I was a pioneer fire would, they would've left me for dead on the planes. For sure. Like you don't get to come to Salt Lake. How about that, Tammy? Oh, that's great. Well, I loved our discussion of this, and Courtney, you set this up beautifully because we get the name of the church and now he's gonna say something to the people of the church and what he expects of them, and so we'll talk about that in the next segment.

Segment 3

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Okay, you too. I started out by talking about growing up I wanted to be Wonder Woman or Dorothy Hamill, and I know you too young. You guys are both way too young to know who Dorothy Hamill is. I was like, I gotta Google what my haircut looks like. You should Google her haircut because I had it between second and fourth grade until my mom gave me a perm.

Oh. Oh boy. Oh, then she gave me a perm, please. Then I looked like curb. Then I looked like a secretary from the 1970s. Oh my gosh. That sure helped. Thanks mom. Thanks Mom. No wonder I was single until I was 35. No, I'm just kidding. I know the perm. Who did you guys wanna be when you grew up? Who was your model or your standard?

Oh, anyone. Who did I wanna be when I grew up? You didn't have anybody like that. You didn't have a wonder woman in your life. Uh, my mom. Yeah. I just always wanted to be like my mom. That's so sweet. Yeah. I'm gonna cry. Oh, and, and everybody says I'm just like her. So I guess that worked out well. Oh, how a shit's pretty awesome.

So I just was looked at her and I was like, man, if I could just be like her as mom, I'd be happy. Well, that's a [00:32:00] good answer. Shout out to you Shara's mom. Oh man. I'm not gonna lie, that was hard because I'm just gonna unpack this because it was, there were lots of people in my life that I loved and they taught me and they helped me to decide who I am.

Right. In the sense of like, I'm like, I want a piece of that. I want a piece of that. And when I heard this question, I was like, oh, come on Courtney. Think of, so come on. There's gotta be like a million people. And I feel like it's because the Lord was reminding me, I'm gonna cry. I feel like it was almost like a, like a chastening of.

I don't want you to focus on one. I want you to see everyone the way that I see them. Mm-hmm. And like the thing I needed to learn was to see him and every single person, like even at the grocery store or in my daughter who's three, my husband in my people I work with in my neighborhood, in my ward, members of different faiths.

Like I have so many people in my life and different aspects of my life that I am so grateful for. And so I think it really was this beautiful moment for him to say, I love everyone so much. And there is there I am in them, like mm-hmm. We are all children of God. And so for me it's just being able to pick pieces of each person that I meet and involve myself with and whether they realize it or not, and then see that light of Christ in them and take it with me and say, I want to.

Build accordingly based on those characteristics of each person. What I about it. Sorry. I dunno. Where this just like hit me. Wow. No. What a beautiful gift. I felt the spirit so strong when you talked about seeing Christ in everybody. Hmm. It made me kind of think when, um, sometimes there's some like pretty [00:34:00] amazing women in my ward that are just like, just got it.

Seems like they got it all figured out. It's kinda like when I used to live in your ward, Tammy. That's what I thought about you. Oh, you're so, until you got to know me. Yeah. And then I gotta know her now. I was like, huh. She's, you'd be like, I need to be more like Tammy. There's actually a woman in my ward, her name is Tammy at camera.

She goes by camera and I, one day I said to her, I'm like, Tamara, I just wanna be like you when I grow up. 'cause all her kids are grown and she's just doing it the way I hope to do it one day. Oh, that's cool. And she's like, no you don't. You just wanna be like you. Mm-hmm. And I love that. She just reminds me like.

Kinda like what you were saying, Courtney, like you get little pieces from people, but ultimately we're just, we're being like, you know, we're trying to be our best selves with Christ in our life, you know? Yeah, absolutely. Just wanna be your best you. Yes. Well, let's read in section one 15 verse five, what the Lord has to say about that idea of who he wants us to be like, or what is the model or the standard.

And you shared this already beautifully, Courtney. So will you read this verse again for us? Sure. Section one 15 verse five. Verily I say unto you, all arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations. Now underline the word standard. Highlight that box, that word, Tammy, box that word.

Love it. And to the outside, here's the definition of that word. According to the Webster's 1828 dictionary, it is that which is established as a rule or a model. By the authority of public opinion or by respectable opinions. Now I thought that was pretty neat. So here we have a very respectable opinion, which is the Lord.

And so he's establishing the rule or the model for all nations and it's us. I think this is so cool that he's like, you don't need to, there's like that woman said to you, Shar, oh, you don't need to be like anyone else. Yeah, just be you. And the best way to do that is, oh my gosh, I can't believe how many connections are, [00:36:00] and the best way you can do that is by embracing the hit with Jesus Christ is being His example, being his light, being his people.

Going back to that quote that we read. I mean, just that, taking ownership with it with him. This is so cool because we have this idea where the saints, they're being kicked out and this is going to be a very hard time for them. And so here's the Lord saying, you're my church. Oh, and by the way, I want you to be an example or a light.

Now apply that verse being an example or a light to a people who are going through a very difficult time. Connect that verse to them. How can we do that? How can we be a standard to the nations when things are not going well? So in that talk, windows of Heaven by Elder Bednar, they, he, I mean there's paragraphs on this, but he talks about, and it's regarding tithing, but he talks about how we may be praying for, you know, relief or help.

He talks about a pay raise or wanting to find employment or wanting to, you know, just have something that we're, we're struggling with, be removed or, or lighter. And he says that those blessings come in subtle, like significant, but subtle blessings. And so them being a light could be them having an extra portion of grace.

It could be having the ability to see their circumstances in a different way. It could be having, oh, this line, a subtle but significant blessing we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude that enables our appreciation for what we have to constrain desires for what we want. So, and then he gives this great quote, A grateful person is rich in contentment.

Ungrateful person suffers in the poverty of endless discontent. Wow. I mean, that would be, in my opinion, how they may have been able to do that. Where it wasn't about the things, the temporal things or the luxuries, but maybe being grateful they were given that blessing of gratitude. Right. Of [00:38:00] gratitude.

And or maybe they saw the vision, they saw all of the generations coming after them who are going to have it very differently because the church will be built and they have endured to make it so. Oh, that's good. I like that so much. I mean, as I think about your question time, be like, how can I be a light when things are tough and not going well or going easy, like these pin pioneers did.

Um, the thing that just keeps coming to my mind is that stripping away and that shedding that we talked about, like getting rid of stuff because when there's just too much going on in life and it is too rough, like you have to just go down to the basics. And you're not gonna be able to let, um, I like that it says in five that thy light may be a standard for the nations.

A lot of times in scripture it says like that, he's the light and shine forth my light. And so we're supposed to hold up the light of Christ. And he's saying, you also have a light. Mm-hmm. Your light. And I definitely know that when things are hard, um, all the chaos of the world really feels like it dims my light really quick.

It just puts that little bushel right over it and I'm like, poop. I'm out. Light's gone. Yeah. And I have to really strip away the extras in my life, the extra things that I'm putting on my plate that I, you know, this little. You know, I just became a trainer at the gym, and that adds, it adds confusion, it adds chaos to my schedule, to my day.

And, and as you add these little things, like going to the school, volunteering, whatever you're doing in your life, it just keeps adding. Mm-hmm. Sometimes I feel like something tough comes along and then you're like, oh, I shouldn't be doing X, Y, ZI really need to be, you know, reading my scriptures more. I need to be more intently on my knees.

And how did I forget that this is where it's at, you know? Mm-hmm. And that [00:40:00] we, we can't really shine and share our light if we're not constantly feeding off of his light and off getting the, getting the nuggets of light that we need from those small spiritual experiences every day. And for me, it just over clutters and gets chaotic so easily.

Yeah. And it really dims my light when I'm not doing those daily little things to keep feeding my light and keep feeding my lamp and my oil. And, and then when those winds come, like. Uh, it just seems like if I'm that little house on that rock and the winds are blowing and I'm trying to keep that good foundation, uh, it kind of seems like the winds are blowing, you know, like the benches off my front porch.

Mm-hmm. And they're blowing the swings outta my trees and they're blowing all the extras away. And I'm trying so hard to just hold the basics still and hold the basics together. And if I could just focus on the basics, that's where I feel like I can try my best to shine a light and, and it's his light that I'm hoping to shine through me.

Yes. You know, both of your answers were so good. And I took notes. Like I keep thinking about this concept of, and we've talked about this before, just the idea of being, having gratitude. Boy, that's a light. And going back to the basics. Absolutely. A light. So thank you both of you for sharing that. And going back to the context of this whole section, we're in far West Missouri, and they're having, because they had to leave Kirtland, they get their new name.

Oh, by the way, you're gonna be the light, you're gonna be the example for all the nations. And then the Lord says, oh, and also there's something I want you to be for the whole world. We're gonna find out what that is. In the next segment,

Segment 4

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I'm gonna show you guys a picture and I want you to describe in detail for the listeners what you see. Okay. It looks like a [00:42:00] really big sandstorm, huge brown cloud. Swallowing up a small little city. Yeah. It looks fast and it's very tall. Like it looks like the top of the sandstorm is almost touching the clouds.

Mm-hmm. And then you can't see anything in between it or behind it. And it's. About to kind of just cover a quaint little place where people live with houses and buildings and day-to-day life. How does it make you feel when you see that? A little panicky. You know, don't wanna be down there a little panicky.

Get out, right? Yeah. Just like, what do you do? Yeah. Can I outrun it? How fast can I drive? Right? All those movies you see of those kind of sandstorms, just billowing in, you're like, they're toast. Absolutely. How you shelter, you see this, you see this in a movie, and you're like, it's over. Like you can't run it.

Yeah, for sure. Now, this is not AI generated, this is an actual picture that was taken. It was taken on August 25th of this year, 2025. It's called a Haboob, which is an Arabic word for a violent dust storm, and it was taken in Arizona. Oh, and this huge dust storm came in and it engulfed this city. And it just like all you said, if you saw it coming, what would you try to do?

Outrun it. You'd be scared, you'd be panicked. All the things. And I thought of this when I was reading in section 115 verse six, because I feel like, and I'm gonna ask you this, I feel like we have haboob violent dust storms every day in our lives all the time, constantly that we're trying to outrun and outrun with our loved ones.

And it just sometimes seems like I can't, like no matter how fast I drive or run, it's just coming upon me. It does make you feel so overwhelmed. And so with that, the Lord said, okay, I, you belong to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I want you to shine [00:44:00] forth your light to a standard of all the nations.

And then here's what the church and the people will be. Verse six in section one 15. Shall we read that? Yep. And that the gathering together upon the land of Zion and upon her stakes may be for a defense and for a refuge from the storm and from the wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.

Okay. Grab something to mark your scriptures with and let's go back to verse six. And now what I want you to do is underline our mark, what it is that we will and the church will be, and I'm gonna read it. Here we go. And that the gathering together upon the land of Zions, that's all of us, all the members of the church, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense and for a refuge from the storm and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.

Okay. What did you mark? Defense and refuge. Same. Yeah. Yes. I think. Now tell me what you thought of when you marked those. What emotions, what images came to your mind? Is the church that. Its people. Yeah, I think it is. Tell me how Shar. Um, I just, I just see that it has a place for, um, you know, when we are going through tough things, there's, it's a, it's, it's a place of hope.

I, I see it in people helping each other. I see it all the time with people in my own ward, in my own area, that when somebody has something go wrong in their life, there's people there running to them to help them, you know, kind of be that defense line for them mm-hmm. In whatever they're, you know, going through.

And, and I don't know. I've felt that in my own life that when something's been hard or whatever, I have people immediately in my ward texting me, Hey, how can I help you? Hey, what's going on? Can I do anything for [00:46:00] you? And that's a defense. We're here for each other to, to help defend each other and to get through those storms of life.

I like that. Courtney, I'd like to know your thoughts on this, especially as a, a convert to the church. Has the church been a defense or a refuge for you? A hundred percent. How do you know? I obviously lived up to, you know, my mid twenties without this further light and knowledge. And I say that because I was brought up Lutheran and Baptist, and I knew who Jesus Christ was.

I knew he died and rose again like that. I knew, I knew the Holy Ghost could help me in times of, of distress and then also in times to feel the peace that I was experiencing. But when I, I just can't explain it. Things felt harder, like it felt bleecker, it felt more challenging to discern between where I should go, who I should trust, how, and I, I would do, you know, I would go to church, I would go to bible study.

I was doing daily devotionals and I read my journals. Before I joined and after. And the way that the Lord just like tilts your lens, you know, you think of like your eyes, you have an astigmatism, right? And you need corrective lenses, or you need contacts or whatever. That was the gospel for me. All of a sudden, I could look at trials difficulties, um, my parents divorce, you know, financial hardships, and I could see them with a completely different lens.

And it was out of he loves me and this will be for your benefit. Like, you're gonna learn from this even if I went mm-hmm. The wrong way. I love, uh, when Elder Holland gave that talk where he was like, I was with my son, I think, and they had two different paths and he said, dad, why? Why did we go down this wrong one?

And he was just simply saying, you know, I'm ad-libbing, but so that we would know this was the wrong one. And now we know exactly where to go. And I feel like that is what the gospel has been for me and it's been [00:48:00] this defense. So when times do get hard and I have to embrace these hits because they still come, just because I received the gift of the Holy Ghost and was baptized and you know, I decided to go through the temple and I make covenants with the Lord.

The hardships are still here, but there is a lightness and a peace and a possibility that I didn't have before. Yeah. Where now, even though things might not change, things may still be hard. I can't see what's coming next. But he just wraps me up when I, um, this is just a visual I got, I went to the temple in Cedar City and I was waiting in initiatory.

You know, you sit in your little seat and I realized there was no back. It was just like a stool. And I kind of leaned back on the wall and someone once told me like. Christ walked through and touched the walls of the temple, and when I leaned back, it almost felt like when I, my back hit the wall, that Christ just hugged me and just embraced me.

And he was like, I love you and I know you're here because you love me. And that is what it is. It's, it's not a change in life situations. It's his embrace in those situations that make it bearable. And you can lean back and you can relax and you can know that he is and will be no matter what is happening.

You know, Courtney, I really like that you said that it doesn't stop hard times from coming. No. It just helps you when you're there. Like it makes me think of, you know, the Moses and the children of Israel and we get to the final plague and the Lord's like, listen, the angel of death's coming no matter what.

So it's, I'm not gonna prevent that from happening, but here's what I'll do for you to protect you. So put the blood on the doorpost like I'm just now connecting. That is so important part of that story because he is like, I'm not gonna stop it. It's still coming, but if you wanna be protected, here's how.

And so. So many times in our life we're going to have to have a defense and a refuge from the storm. 'cause he's right there. He is not saying, I'm gonna stop the storm. Oh it's [00:50:00] coming. But the church, Zion, its people and Christ can be a refuge. It can help you. A place for protection. That's what that word means.

A a little place to hide under a tent. That's not gonna blow away. 'cause he staked it down and he put, yeah, he dug. You know what, if we had to dig around our tents when we at girls camp, you guys are probably too young to remember that. Did you dig a moat? What are we protecting ourselves against? Where did you camp

every year at Girls camp in Utah. We had to set up our camp and then we had to dig a, that was just your leaders keeping you busy. Tammy Trust. It's keeping trust. What is not coming in with the, you're probably so right. Dang it. What's that word called? Um. Trench. Trench. Thank you. Oh, we had to dig trenches around our tents every year at girls camp in case it rained so that the rain would fall in the trench and go away from our tent.

Oh, you relaxing? What if you were already in a sunken ground? And listen, Courtney, you just wait. I don't. It might have been to keep us busy, but here's the point. God's not stopping the storm, but he provided leaders to help us learn how to set up those tents and dig a trench for extra protection. Yeah.

And so, oh my gosh, that's funny. Okay, but go back to verse six. 'cause I have to show you this. You're gonna love this. At the very end it says. It's also gonna protect you from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth. Highlight that 'cause you're gonna love what this means. So when it says right there, wrath, okay, the word wrath is scary enough and it's gonna be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.

The meaning of that is this. It comes from, if you wanna cross reference the outside, it comes from Revelation chapter 14 verse 10, and Revelation chapter 16 verses one through 19. And here's what it means. So the Jews anciently mixed table wine with water to avoid intoxication. So it's using that imagery by saying, when the wrath of God is poured out at the end of the world, [00:52:00] for the wicked to drink, it's going to be straight and undiluted.

It will be without mixture, right? That's what the Lord's saying. He will not go easy on anyone who's been wicked, so he will pour out his wrath without mixture upon the whole earth. Now, that's pretty scary. Yes. So here's what I want you to do. Next to verse six, write Hym 3, 3, 5, and let's turn to hymn number 3, 3, 5 in your Gospel library app.

On your phone, on the very bottom of the homepage are the little scriptures and things, and if you hit those scriptures, in the very middle is the green box that says music. Hit that and then hit hymns, and then scroll until you get to 3, 3, 5. All right. As soon as you get there, call out the hymn. What is it?

Brightly Beams, our father's mercy. Okay, now I want you guys to look through these verses and I'm gonna give you a little backstory about how this hymn came to be and what it has to do with verse six. 'cause I think this is pretty cool and all of us being his lights. So the history of this hymn is it's the story of a ship in the mid 18 hundreds.

And it was trying to come into port in a storm near the Cleveland Harbor in the United States. So sailors on the boat, they could see the lighthouse where they needed to get to, but unfortunately, they needed to navigate through a straight, which was a very narrow passage between some rocks that surrounded the harbor.

Now, normally there would be lights upon the shore that's gonna mark the passage through that straight so that the boat could get safely along there, guiding them all the way in. And it was in almost complete and total darkness that the captain, as he's steering the ship, he missed the channel. And the boat crashed upon all the rocks and all the sailors on the ship died because they didn't have the lower lights guiding them in to the harbor of where the lighthouse was.

So a preacher by the name of Dwight Moody, he recounted this story and he told the members of his congregation Be the lower lights, be the little lights that were going to [00:54:00] guide that boat through the channel. To the lighthouse, Philip Paul Bliss heard the sermon that Dwight Moody was giving, and he then wrote these lyrics to Brightly Beams, our father's mercy.

And if you look at these, hi, this hymn, I love the lyrics. So just kind of call out what stands out to you when it comes to being a lower light and also being a refuge and a defense. Uh, I like verse two, the dark, the night the sin has settled loud. The angry billows roar, eager eyes are watching, longing for the lights along the shore.

Ooh. Why do you like that? I just like that imagery. It's just, um, so clear that there's, you know, lots of people around us who are watching longing for some guidance, some, some support through whatever storm they're currently being crashed in. Mm-hmm. And, uh, we could be that light for them, but it reminds me of Elder Irene gave a talk in 2018 called Try, try, try.

And in it he says how somebody was talking to him and they said how when you meet someone, treat them as if they were in serious trouble, and you'll be right more than half the time. And I just love that we don't know what's going on, but people have things going on in their life and we can be there for them.

Well, isn't that the truth? We're all struggling, but we're not alone in this story. It's more than half the time when you greet me. So just remember that 90% of the time. Yeah, that's, it's, but like, is there a way for us to kind of think of that as not a wo you know, like can we, I only say that because, yeah.

Do you remember when President Nelson was asked by that cute little girl and she, her name was Pearl. And Pearl said Pearl. She was like, like being a prophet. Is it like really hard? And he is like, yes, yes. It's, and he, but he ends it with, and he says it twice, but that's [00:56:00] good. That's good. And he talked about how everything to everything to be like a disciple or to be more like Christ or to be a disciple of Christ is hard or is difficult, he said.

Mm-hmm. And he is like, but that's good. That's good. And the joy that came out of his body when he said that, I was like, how do I, how do I do that? How can I look at something that's hard? Difficult. 'cause he said, I'm pretty sure he said hard and difficult and be like, and that's good. And that's with such a chipper disposition.

'cause when you just said we're all struggling, I'm like, we're all struggling. Right? And not so much taking it as like a bomb ball. We're having terrible lives. But more, I was thinking like we can just change our hearts and the way we approach people and approach them with that joy that President Nelson has.

'cause we can share that with them because you know what? They're gonna need that. And if we can bring that love and that joy to conversations to people we talk to, that is what we need to do to share our light. But like we all need to be talked to and approached that way. And so more so just saying like, and realize people are going through stuff, but bring something to them to help lift them up while they're doing that.

Yeah. And practice doing it right Because yeah, I think I'm gonna have to practice doing that. Yeah. That's so good. Good job ladies. Love it. Anything stand out to you, Courtney? There's kind of two things. One of them is the trim, your feeble lamp. 'cause I just think sometimes I'm like, here is my feeble offering.

Like yeah, I'm not very bright. No. Yeah, I'm not very bright. Um, but that one matters. Like the lower lights be burning, like your little light, no matter what is so relevant and, and your sphere of influence is so poignant because it's what is needed. So I just, I liked that the trimer feeble lamp and then the trying now to make the harbor [00:58:00] in the darkness may be lost.

Once again. The trying now I feel like that's me. I'm like, I'm trying, I am striving, I am working, working, working. It's just like that. I think I get, I think I get, I think I get. Yeah. Yeah. Um, and so I just, I feel that, I feel that constant strive and then darkness may be lost. It may not be, you know, like you might be in the darkness and you might get lost, but you have a choice in it.

So I, I, that's how I like to read that. Like, you have a choice. You can change that by your little feeble lamp and helping. And so, I don't know. You can really unpack number three for me. Yeah. Oh, absolutely. And, and how applicable all of this is to our life today. And then you have the chorus. Let the lower lights be burning no matter how bright, no matter how small, no matter how feeble, we need everybody's light.

Mm-hmm. 'cause any amount of light would work. Send a gleam across the wave and then here it is with your Shar. Some poor fainting, struggling se. All of us, you may rescue, you may save. And that's the goal and that's the whole point of us being lights as a standard for all nations and then being a defense and a refuge in the storm.

So thank you both of you for sharing. Okay. Well those were just three verses in section 115. I mean, we could spend forever in this section, but we can't because we don't have enough time. And I'm so sad. But what we're gonna do is in the next segment, this is awesome. When we've talked a little bit about this, we're gonna learn about one of the lower lights that we can learn a huge lesson from, and we'll do that next.

Segment 5

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So we get to learn a really powerful lesson from one of these lower lights that kept burning, and I love this story. Let's turn to doctrine and covenant section 117. And you've kind of told us a little bit about this, Shar. It's my takeaway already from you, which I thought was so great. So go to section 117 and will you read the section heading, Shar?

Yeah. The [01:00:00] section heading, revelation Given through Joseph Smith, the prophet at Far West Missouri, July 8th, 1838, concerning the immediate duties of William Marks Newell, K Whitney, and Oliver Granger. Okay, we're mostly gonna talk about New K Whitney here because Shar, you introduced this to us in verse one.

Will you please read verse one for us? Thus say the Lord unto my servant, William Marks, and also unto my servant Neil Kay Whitney. Let them settle up their business speedily and journey from the land of Kirtland before I, the Lord, send again the snows upon the earth. Now highlight, settle up their business and speed.

Settle up their business speedily and journey from the land of Kirtland, because Newell k Whitney was very successful. He had a store and not just any store. This store was successful and he had a post office attached to it. And so to just settle your affairs, it wasn't like they had a little pop-up tent and they're just gonna put it away and move on to the next city.

He's successful and the Lord's telling him to do something specifically now. So we're gonna go in and we're going to read these verses. And Shar, I like it 'cause we're gonna connect it to what you said when he said, let them awaken, arise and come forth. And Terry, not for I. The Lord commanded it.

Therefore, if you Terry, it shall not be well with them. So the Lord's being very clear. I need you outta here. Mm-hmm. Just knowing that, what do you think Newell k Whitney, and his wife might have been thinking at this point, or, wow. William Marks really. Um, like, where, where do you, are we gonna be able to set up stores again?

Are we gonna, how, how are we gonna make a living? Are you sure this is the right move? I mean, these are all the questions I asked my husband when we moved to Minnesota. I was just gonna ask you that. Are you sure? Are you sure we're gonna be able to make a living anywhere, do something different? Okay. I'll trust that.

We'll do this. Oh no. I want you to share, look your rent. Yeah. Share with me your heart and concerns because her husband left a banking job to open up. Yeah. Crumble cookie stores. Okay. Right. Like a big time banking [01:02:00] job. Like this is, this could have been his life. Yeah. People retire in those jobs. Yes. And then everybody ask us, oh, you guys must just love baking.

And I'm like, no, we don't know how, like we don't know how to cook, make cookies. We dunno what we're doing. Yes. So, so as a mom and a wife, tell me about that. Right. Huge shift in our, our thinking of like, we both felt very, very strongly this was the right thing to do. And then at the exact same time, felt very strongly, how is this gonna look?

We don't know at all what it's gonna look like. How is this gonna feel? How our kids are gonna be able to handle this? You know, what is going to happen to us as we move out there? Are we gonna have friends? Is this, you know, are the concerns, especially as a mom of five little kids moving there and just like all the prayers in my heart, like, I hope we succeed.

I hope this works. But at the, but with that assurity, like this is what we're supposed to be doing. Yeah. So there's like a little bit of like, okay, let's do this. And a little bit of like a, oh crap, what are we doing? Well, and as her friends, as your friends, all of us were like, yeah. Terrified for you because we are of the same Like, no, when you get a job, you stick with it till you die.

Like you get a nice severance for a nice pension or whatever you wanna call it. I mean, we were scared, like, starting over. You don't wanna start over. That's so scary. I mean, we were scared for you too. It's turned out, absolutely turned out. But going into this section and going into this command to Newell K Whitney and his family, like, okay, pack it up, you're done.

Mm-hmm. You're leaving a successful store and a post office, and then verses six through nine are the lesson of all lessons. So in verses six through nine is what the Lord has to say. And I think he might be addressing some of the same concerns that you had, Shar and that we have. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Or any of us when it comes to doing what the Lord's asked us to do.

So let's each take a verse and we're gonna read verses six through nine and talk about one specific thing the Lord says to him. So we'll start with Courtney Shar and then me for have I not the fouls [01:04:00] of heaven and also the fish of the sea and the beasts of the mountains. Have I not made the earth? Do I not hold the destinies of all the armies of the nations of the earth?

Therefore, will I not make solitary places to bud and to blossom and to bring forth in abundance? Say it the Lord. Okay, let's just talk about those two verses. Mm-hmm. Sum it up in your own language. What's the Lord saying? Hit it. Courtney, who do you think I am? Like, I got this. That's, I love it. I love how you just interpreted that.

Perfect. What about you, Shar? Uh, I wrote next to the verse six, consider the lilies of the field. That's like my favorite scripture. Yeah. And he's just like. I know all things. I think about all things. I even think about the little lilies, like you don't need to worry. Mm-hmm. And I love the word abundance in seven.

Yes. Ooh. I'm in north mouth. I will make solitary places to bud and to blossom and to bring forth in abundance like you're gonna get. I underlined that too. Yeah. You're gonna get even more than what you have here. You think you got a lot. You're getting more. Oh, that's good. Why did you underline it, Courtney?

Well, I just was like, he created everything and, and you are his. Mm-hmm. So like, why would he not take care of you? Like I think of my own kids, I'm like, I just leave you without shoes on. You know? Like, I'm gonna make sure you've got what you need. I may not be able to provide it in a way that you would think I would, but I am going to help you.

You know? Mm-hmm. And so I just see him being like. Guys, I created everything. Like I couldn't imagine if I had created everything. And then I showed up with my kids and I'm like, what do you want? I can do it all. Yeah, that's good. But I, but he, once, he's very much more humble and, and kind about it. But I would probably boast, but I think abundance to me was just like, you don't even know what that means.

Mm-hmm. Because I created everything and I think of everything. So the word abundance, all of a sudden becomes way past my pay grade. Oh, I [01:06:00] like that. Because earthly abundance, our vision of abundance is much different than God's. And God's is way bigger, thank goodness and better. And then he gives us in verse eight, the greatest mic drop of all time.

And I love this. So verse eight says, is there not room enough on the mountains of Adam Onan. Now, FYI, Adam Onan is introduced to us in section 116. You can read about that. It's an actual place where the saints will also be asked to build a temple. They will not build it there. Mark Adam Deman and do go down the rabbit hole of Adam on Deman during church some Sunday if you're bored, like look it up.

Read everything you can. It's the most wonderful place I went there this past summer and you wanna know everything you can about Adam on Deman and what's gonna take place there. We don't have time to discuss it, but we did four years ago and it was a great discussion. Let's keep going. And on the plains of Ola Shaha, those are Hebrew terms for the moon and the sun, which is kind of cool.

That's how you say that in Hebrew. Okay. Or the land where Adam dwelt. Now here it is that you should covet that which is, but the drop and neglect, the more weighty matters. Underline that. Mm-hmm. I love that thing that you should covet that which is but the drop covet. But the drop, I mean that is the greatest terminology right there.

He's like, don't even covet what is just a drop to me. And, and neglect the more weighty matters. To think that he would call the store that, that this family built the post office, that he built the house, they're going to leave their abundance, all of their life. Everything. And he's just like, it's just a drop.

Yeah. Like it's, it's not that big of a deal. Like I can make it up. Right? Isn't that what he is saying? Yeah. Yeah. I feel like he's saying, don't trade my overflowing bucket for your drop. He's like, which one would you prefer? I like that. My overflowing bucket or your drop. Yeah. Like it just such a huge, um, different, it's like that picture where Christ [01:08:00] is holding the big teddy bear behind his back and the little girl has her tiny one and she's like, I don't wanna give it to you.

And he is like, just do it. Just do it. It, I, I love this phrasing right here. Cover covet, but the drop, it's such a good reminder. And, and then you're just gonna Enough neglect, the more weighty matters. It reminds me of my mission to, you know, 18 months. Ah, but to think if I had coveted and been worried about.

Being gone 18 months, I would've neglected the more weighty matters. Ooh. And God gave me so much more in abundance than I could have imagined. I thought that was a sacrifice to give it up. And God's like, you have no idea. Mm-hmm. What these 18 months will be for you and for the rest of your life. But anything we are asked to sacrifice, he will bring forth in abundance if we choose not to neglect, the more weighty matters.

And then verse nine, come up hither unto the land of my people, even Zion, like, just come, I've got your backs. We're gonna be able to do this. And so I asked you guys just to think about that verse specifically, and I wanted to know what your thoughts were because what do they teach us? And, and we've already actually had this discussion, but what does it teach us about who God is and what we're asked to sacrifice?

Did you have any thoughts or experiences come to mind about your own drop? I, I mean, mine was literally when I found out that I was getting recruited to do the skeleton. I was living in New York and they said, can you move to Utah? Which I had never been to Utah in my life. And they were like, can you live there for two to three months and train in Park City and then we'll decide if like you can actually move forward in the sport.

And at the time, I'm a very broke, broke, broke individual in Manhattan. I was literally sleeping on like six coats 'cause I couldn't afford a mattress yet. And I was like, how am I going to do this? Because I don't know anyone there. And I had just joined the church. It had almost been a year. Wow. So of course I tell my YSA friends, they're like, my mom lives in Utah.

My, you know, all these people. So I lived in the basement of a friend's mom's house. And the other one was like, I left my car there, like, you can borrow [01:10:00] my car. Um, just talk to my parents. And everyone just started setting me up. But I remember thinking if I didn't do this, I ended up meeting my husband while I was in Utah.

So we had gone on one day in Manhattan and then he asked me out every single day when we were in, in, in Utah. And I. Look back, and I'm like, and then you think of, oh, you gave up the Olympics because you know, you got pregnant. And, and I'm like, oh my gosh, but what did he give me? Mm-hmm. Like, I remember talking to a bunch of youth and this sweet little boy goes, but like, you didn't even go to the Olympics.

And I was like, you're right. I didn't, I didn't go to the Olympics because it wasn't about the Olympics. It was about that the Lord wanted me to find my eternal companion and to have an eternal family. Mm-hmm. Like he gave me. Mm-hmm. The biggest gift there ever was because of all of these hoops I had to jump through so I could be in the right place at the right time and in the right mindset and in the right humility to receive that gift.

Yeah. And so for me, that drop, I, I look back and I would've never thought at the time that that would've been the outcome, right? Mm-hmm. I was working towards going to the Olympics, like that was my tunnel vision. Yeah. But that whole time, you know. It was, I was learning about the gospel 'cause I was still a new convert.

And then I end up, you know, finding my husband and then we get sealed like less than a year later. And then right when the Olympics is coming. My biggest joy after getting married was to have my daughter and I just looked back and when he said that, I wasn't even ashamed. I was like, yeah, I didn't go to the Olympics, but I got an eternal companion and an eternal family.

Like, can't top that. Wow. Weighty matters indeed. Yeah. I, I, when you get to reflect and look back, you look back at the things that, like you said, the 18 months, but then what did you gain? You know? Yeah. So I think, yeah, there's a lot of reflection in that. Uh, little coveted drop. Mm-hmm. Yeah. What's your drop Shart?

I mean, I, I don't know. I feel like I have a lot of little drops that I'm like, oh, I don't wanna give that up. And I don't, I don't know about that. Right. [01:12:00] But I mean, like, thinking about moving out here, um, I, I just keep reading on this. I wrote in the margins of my scriptures right there that the trouble of coveting is not wanting too much, but wanting too little.

He has all to give to us. And so just coveting, you know, like, we're just like, no, no, thanks for all that. I just wanna hold onto this little, little piece, you know? Mm-hmm. Because this is so safe. And, you know, moving out here, I know that I felt like we were giving it all up. We were moving away from our family.

We had tons of tears. All of our friends, we didn't know a single soul that lived out here just like you, Courtney, just like, okay, we'll go. I don't know, a single person. And, you know, surprise, surprise, I've been able to keep my friends there, Tammy, and build new friends here. And not just like the friends and the people I've met, but.

Seeing like the things that I have personally learned and grown and become as my own, my own person, let alone each of my kids and the things that they've learned and grown and become such full, you know, wonderful people as we've been here. Not that we couldn't have done that in Utah, but I do know that just making this change and going with, um, just with faith that this was the path I needed to be on.

I truly do feel like that, you know, I've become the person I needed to be as I've stepped forward and done those things and let God kind of lead and build this life path that I need to be on because he does have so much more to give us. And, you know, blessings follow when we, when we follow him. So these blessings will continue to follow us.

And one of those blessings was a year later, my sister and her family moved out and they live here and they're in my ward. And it's like, no idea that would've happened in hindsight when we were like crying on the curb and leaving and driving our cars out. You know, and, and you just don't know what's gonna happen As you follow and as you say, okay, here's my little drop, gimme that bucket.

I'm ready for it. You know? Right. Yeah, absolutely. I won't be overflowing bucket, even though it seems empty right now. [01:14:00] Oh, thank you to both of you for sharing your experiences and your stories, because they're so real and everyone listening has a drop. They all have their moments, or like you said, multiple drops or one that really stands out.

And in section 117, I've connected verse eight to verse 13, because I love how in verse 13, he says, for his or her sacrifice shall be more sacred unto me. Than his increase sayeth the Lord. And that is so big to me because we live in a world that's focused on increase and more and better. And the Lord's like your sacrifice is way more sacred than what you could possibly have in an increase in this life.

And that's going to be very important in our next segment because in the next segment we're going to cover sections 119 and 120. That has something to do with sacrifice and increase, but the revelations came because Joseph asked a question and we'll find out what that question is and what God's answer was.

In the next segment,

Segment 6

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turn to section 119. Courtney, will you please read the section heading of section 119? 'cause it's kind of long, but as Courtney reads it, I want you guys to notice what is the question Joseph has? Okay. Revelation given through Joseph Smith, the prophet at Far West Missouri, July 8th, 1838. An answer to a supplication, oh Lord, show unto thy servants how much thou requires of the properties of thy people for a tithing.

The law of tithing as understood today, had not been given to the church previous to this revelation. The term tithing in the prayer just quoted and in previous revelations, had meant not just one 10th, but all free will offerings or contributions to the church funds. The Lord had previously given to the church, the law of consecration and stewardship of property, which members chiefly the leading elders entered into by a covenant that [01:16:00] was to be everlasting because of failure on the part of many to abide by this covenant.

The Lord withdrew it for a time and gave instead the law of tithing to the whole church. The prophet asked the Lord how much of their property he required for sacred purposes. The answer was this revelation. Oh, is that so fun? Okay. What's the big question? What do we wanna know? How much diving there in the saints?

What do we have to pay still? Yeah. And how much is that? And we love that. Joseph asks, that's been our theme this year. He's always seeking more knowledge and so he goes through the Lord. He's like, okay, how much should we pay? Let's mark verses three and four, and Shar, will you read those verses for us?

And this shall be at the beginning of the tithing of my people. And after that, those who have thus been tithes shall pay one 10th of all their interest annually, and this shall be a standing law unto them forever. For my holy priesthood. Say it the Lord. Thank you. So highlight that. There it is, one 10th of all their interest annually.

But what I love is verse six, because it teaches us a new way to frame tithing. And I just really thought a lot about this throughout this lesson. Courtney, will you read verse six? Sure. And I say unto you, if my people observe not this law to keep it holy, and by this law sanctify the land of Zion unto me, that my statutes and my judgments may be kept there on that, it may be most holy behold, verily I say unto you, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you.

Now let's look back at that verse. 'cause he says, if you don't keep the law of tithing by this law, the law of tithing, sanctifies, the land of Zion unto me means make holy. So he's saying, if you keep the law of tithing, I'm gonna make this land of Zion holy. And then at the end he goes, otherwise, it shall not be a land of Zion unto you.

It won't be a land of ref of refuge or a land of protection or safety or any of that. [01:18:00] And I'd never considered the idea that, wow, paying tithing makes Zion holy. It makes us as a people holy. It makes us God's people, a holy people. And it, it just kind of reframed this whole idea. But then I went into my favorite conference talk October, 2013 by Elder Bednar, and I asked my guest to read this because he reframes tithing as well and just how holy it makes us as a people.

And so will you two share. What stood out to you from this talk about the concept of tithing. Was anything reframed. Piled onto the talk. So there I obviously was studying it and then realizing that tithing is just as essential as baptism. The gift of the Holy Ghost. Like all, I mean, it's essential. Oh, I like that.

Mm-hmm. And then when I, when I reframe my brain to then be like, tithing, is that essential to being a covenanted disciple of Christ? And then reading the Windows of Heaven talk? I just really loved how he just rephrased that, the temporal blessings. Like, I think I always just thought, oh, I'm gonna, well, this actually happened to me, but one of my bills in New York, I was like, how am I gonna pay this?

And I was really stressed out and I was like, but I'm gonna pay my tithing and then I'm gonna do what I can and get on a payment plan for this bill. And I kid you not. One day I called and I said, hi, I am, I'm just calling to make this payment. I just wanna confirm how much is left. They said it was paid, it was done.

Mm. And I thought, no, no, no, no. I did not do that. And they said, well, it's gone. There's, there's zero balance. And I thought, no, no, no, no. I think you have it wrong. And I double checked this for weeks and I found out that it just was, it was paid. I have no clue. And I remember that was such a beautiful testament to tithing, but what a small drop compared to when I learned about this.

Because then all of a sudden I realized that it, it could be the eyes and ears of faith that he talks about. Right? [01:20:00] You recognize spiritual gift of enhanced discernment that can empower us to identify job opportunities that maybe people overlooked. Like this is what he says in here. So it's not just about the temporal coin.

Mm-hmm. It's all of a sudden about even the spiritual gifts that could be heightened or given Yeah. As a benefit. Yeah. Yeah. Paying your tithing. Like, I like how he said, and, and I'm gonna come back to you, Courtney, but he says, often when we teach and testify the law of tithing, we emphasize the immediate, dramatic and readily recognizable blessings we receive.

Which absolutely 'cause that's true. Mm-hmm. But then he says, sometimes the blessings we obtain to being obedient are subtle. He goes, they're significant but subtle and they can only be discerned if we are both spiritually attentive and observant. And then he went on to say, for example, subtle but insignificant blessings we receive is the spiritual gift of gratitude, which you already taught us about.

Courtney enables us to be appreciated it. And then I love this one 'cause you brought this word up, Shar, a grateful person is rich and contentment. So being content is one of the gifts of paying tithing. Um, like that was kind of what stood out to me. Or the ability, if you're paying your tithing and you're not getting a job offer, but maybe the blessings of heaven come.

With a greater capacity to act and change your circumstances rather than expecting your circumstances to be changed by someone or something else. Like, I love that part. It'll, he'll help you to maybe figure out how to live on less or figure out how to cut ti. I don't know. Just there's so much art, subtle blessings for pain, tithing and that tithing is but a drop.

Yeah. And how many times do we covet that drop? How many times are we like, I could pay off so much with this tithing. Yeah. And I'm thinking to tithing settlement. Isn't it interesting when we have tithing settlement, it's, it's just a yes or no between you and God. Can you imagine if the bishop's like, all, well pull up your financial statements for the year and let's go into math.

Is it really 10%? You know, like that does. I do that with my own kids though. I'm like, how much you make this year? Did you pay your tithing? Yeah. What about Grandma's a hundred? She [01:22:00] gave you, huh? Yeah. Listen, I know how much you got paid last week. Isn't that great? That Yes, it is a commandment and yes, it it is.

But oh, I love this connection that tithing is but a drop, it's just. Yeah. Guess even though it feels like so much towards the end of his talk in the la in the third to last, um, paragraph, it says the, he says, the honest payment of tithing is much more than a duty. It is an important step in the process of personal sanctification.

Yes. Yeah. I never, I never think about tithing that way. And I I love that kind of connects what you were saying, Courtney, about like it's is just as essential as all these things that tithing is a process and a step towards personal sanctification. Wow. Like I had no idea when I, and forgive the, that goes to verse six right there.

Yeah. This law will sanctify the land of Zion. All of us. Yes. Forgive the umbilical cord reference, but I literally think of like how that nourishes the baby and it sustains the mother too. And it's like you have Christ who is literally like, you're literally tethering yourself to him for that sanctification through something so personal that no one can see.

And that is tithing. Oh, that absolutely is. Well, and then how interesting that at the very end of this section, verse seven, and this shall be an in sample unto all the stakes in Zion. Like p tithing not, and, and I like the word example, but also in sample can mean a pattern or a model to imitate. So there, there it is again, that word model and standard, like that's what the Lord wants us to be, for everyone to show like we pay our tithing and who are we paying our tithing to?

Jesus Christ. 'cause we are members of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and we are his light and we pay tithing and that is significant. And then going back to the name of the church when we say, oh, I'm painting tying to the church. No, no, no, no. I'm paying tithing to the church of Jesus Christ of latter Day Saint like, then we start remembering who's the head of the church, which is Jesus Christ.[01:24:00]

Which will make me holy. Isn't that kind cool To teach your children when you pay tithing, it sanctifies you. It makes you holier. Wow. It is his church. And he therefore will pour out blessings. And he says that at the end of his talk, I testified that by your obedience to this law of the Lord, it's not, it's not a law of of the church.

It's the law of the Lord. The heavens will be opened to you. The windows of heaven will be opened to you. Mm-hmm. So as it goes back to that overflowing bucket and that it is a law of the Lord, it is, it is his commandment that we are why we are doing this. And then we are overflowing, we blessed because of it, giving that one drop and then receiving even more.

Wait, so the part where it says tithing is not a lesser law to be replaced by some future time, so that means it, it actively right now is the higher holier It is the law. Yes. Like it is that it, it's not like how. Forgive me. I, I'm, I'm starting to get a slight bit of confusion, but we had, let's look at that.

Good question. We had home, we had home teaching. Right? And then the higher holier law now is ministering. Mm-hmm. And we learned how ministering now is not just this like checkbox of things. It's literally, you know, praying and feeling the spirit to know what to do for your ministering sister's companion.

So then in this case, this is like, it, it's not gonna get any more. And it's not lesser. It is like. What does that mean? Courtney? I love that you asked that question. That is such a good question. And so here's something very cool, is the law of tithing is one of the ways that the law of consecration is practiced.

It's one of the ways that we consecrate ourselves to the Lord. And here's something neat that Brigham Young said about the law of tithing. He said, the law of tithing is an eternal law. The Lord Almighty never had his kingdom on the earth without the [01:26:00] law of tithing being in the midst of his people, and he never will.

It is an eternal law that God has instituted for the benefit of the human family, for their salvation and exaltation. This law is in the priesthood, but we do not want any to observe it unless they're willing to do so. So I thought that just kind of sums up everything we're gonna talk about here with this law of tithing.

So yes, I'm so glad you pointed that out, Courtney. Thank you. So we can make sure we understand that. So then this is like a, this is. Would it be like a stepping stone to consecration? Is that kind of how we're supposed to be reading it here? I mean, I think so. That's my understanding of it, is that it's teaching us how to give but a drop because what we'll be required to give with the law of consecration, that's a bucket that's a lot more than a drop.

Yeah. And I think the differentiation is that the law of consecration isn't just like consecrating all your money and all your properties. Oh, right. As the time talents. Yeah. That's so like you can't really say these are the one and the same because, and eventually we'll just be paying all of our money to the church.

Right. Because I think Bo of consecration just encompasses so much more and it as a higher lot that you know like than tithing does. And so we are trying to live the L of tithing and hoping to one day live the law of consecration to its fullest while we are still being asked to try to do that right now.

Mm-hmm. Because could you imagine your bishop saying, okay, you're doing your tithing? Yes. Are you doing your tithe the year one 10th of your time? And your talents. Right? And you're, you're like, I don't know. And when you go to the temple, that's one of the last covenants we make is that law. Yeah. Right. And And you're just doing your best.

I think just striving to do that. Thriving. Yes. That's exactly it. Oh wow. Ladies, that was a good discussion. I love that about this, is that three women can take this concept and discuss it and then apply it to our lives and figure it out. That was so cool. So thank you. Yeah. That's a lot of tithing. Yeah.

And again, going to this idea that the sacrifice is way more important than the increase. And [01:28:00] that much of what we're asked to do is a drop and God mm-hmm. Loves us. And so one of the things I think that I've learned from this is that the standard or model for all of us is to pay our ting, to build a temple, to covet, not the drop, to be a light, to be a member of the church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints.

And that is the message from all these sections. So thanks for joining me ladies. We're done. That was great. I loved it. I learned so much. So gather your thoughts really quickly and just tell me what's something you learned from today's discussion? What's an eternal truth that was taught to you? I loved our whole discussion on being a light.

And, um, I like that when Courtney, when you talked about being grateful, even just the act of trying to be more grateful and showing gratitude as a way of, of having a shining our light. And then I just loved reading that hymn brightly beams and thinking about being a lower light and, um, even if it's feeble and just shining my little light for people who are around me.

Oh, I like that. I like that a lot. I agree. I just, the, that little phrase that you shared for section, I think one 17 Shar in verse six, and you said the lilies of the field, it just keeps, just keeps repeating in my head. Mm-hmm. And I think it's just a reminder of. Whether it's tithing, whether it's circumstances or learning something new like this.

Like I, I feel like I just had my mind expanded on tithing and I'm actually really excited to go study it more. And I feel like I can give that time to that study because I know he is going to take care of all those things that I wanna sit down and make a checklist of and spend my studying time doing that and figuring out how to get ahold of my life.

I feel like I have this ability to go and just commune in the scriptures and step away and be able to, to really just feel being a part in a co conjoint person in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Mm-hmm. Like we have [01:30:00] conjoint ownership and I feel like for me to live up to my privileges to that is to take the time to do these scripture studies.

Yeah. It was such a fun discussion today. I appreciate both of you being so real and willing to really dive in and and discuss what these things might mean and how they matter to us. Shar, I loved when you started out with, am I tearing? Like I'll always think about that verse. That was so cool. Am I tearing, am I kind of complacent with where I am or am I willing to move?

So thank you for teaching me that. And then for sure, Courtney, I love when you taught us about the name of your daughter, that it gives you the opportunity to share your testimony of family history work that just tying that into the name of the church. Like, am I using the name to bear a testimony? Am I using the name to teach a life lesson, to embrace the hit with Christ?

So that was all of that was such a good discussion. So thank you to both of you for teaching me so much today. Fun discussion. Thank you. And I'm so grateful to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I don't wanna forget that it is his church and in his name, we have so much power.

That is another one of my takeaways was, sorry, I just had to add that in. Yep. Through his name, we receive power and we can receive light. So I love that. Yeah. Hear here. Awesome ending. Thank you, Shar. Oh, I love you both. That was so cool. Thanks Tammy. Thanks Courtney. Yes, thank you. Well, what was your eternal truth or your takeaway?

Go join our group on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and share what you've learned. You can even ask questions, which we love to answer, and then at the end of the week on a Saturday, we post questions from this discussion. So comment on the post that relates to this lesson and share your thoughts.

You can get to both our Facebook and Instagram by going to the show notes for this episode at ldsliving.com slash Sunday on Monday. And it's not a bad idea to go there anyway because it's where we're gonna have the links to all the references and a transcript of this whole discussion, so go check it out.

The Sunday on Monday Study Group is a Deseret Bookshelf plus original, brought to you by LDS Living. It's written and hosted by me, Tammy Uzelac Hall. And today our fabulous study group participants were [01:32:00] Sharmaine Howell and Courtney Spencer. And you can find more information about my friends at ldsliving.com slash Sunday on Monday.

Our podcast is produced by Cole Wissinger and me. It is edited and mixed by Cole Wissinger, and our executive producer is Erin Hallstrom. Thanks for being here. We'll see you next week, and please remember that you are God's favorite light.