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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Last week we learned that God wanted to make his people, men and women, a peculiar treasure, a kingdom of priests and priestesses, a holy nation with the stated goal that he would dwell among them. So what was his plan to accomplish this? Well, he commanded the people to create a place of holiness in the wilderness with covenants and laws and sacrifices, with the whole goal pointing their minds, hearts, and lives towards a savior.

So how did they do? Well, in this week's discussion of Exodus chapters 30 through through 40, Leviticus chapter 1, 4, 16, and 19, we're gonna find out how they did, and if his stated purpose clear back in Exodus 25 verse 8 that said, "That I may dwell among them," really ever came to be. Welcome to the Sunday on Monday Study Group, a 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. Now, 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 Carrie Godfrey. Carrie, I love that I met you, and I'm thankful that you made the drive to Layton, so worth it.

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 is different. This is... These are first-time podcasters, and I'm so excited they said yes. I am thrilled to introduce you to Su Jones and Jolene Bingham. Hi, ladies.

Hello. Hey. I love that you said that today was different. We are different, aren't we, Su? Scarily different. Scarily. Let me tell you about these two. The first time I ever knew who... that they existed or who they were, we were sitting in a circle group. Uh, well, I guess we can just say, like, I got... We all got invited to be on the BYU Women's Conference Committee.

You guys have been on it before, haven't you? Yes. Yes. That's when I first met Su. Long time ago. Yep. Okay. Yeah. I'm first-timer. I'm a newbie. And we're going around, and everybody's saying who they are and a little bit about them, and I immediately fell in love with these two 'cause they are funny. And they made me laugh.

And I threw... I truly thought this, you two. I'm like, "I want them to be my friend. How do- Yeah. ... how am I gonna do this? How is this gonna play out?" And so I did. I forced them to be my friend. I got to know them, and then they might not be my friends after this, though, because I said, "Will you be on the podcast?"

So not true. I love you two. Okay, now how do you two know each other? Okay. Su. I met Su. She was kind of like the leader of a service committee that I was on with BYU Women's Conference. But first of all, I just have to say I am just fan-girling over here. I love both of you. I can't believe I get to be on a podcast.

Obviously, it's one that's audio because I have a face for audio. I mean, for just- Yeah. What is it? Face for radio. I have a face for radio. Face for radio. Sure. Give me a break. So I'm just so ... I mean, honestly, to be able to share this with you is awesome. So I met Su, and I loved her. Our paths- Mm ... have kind of gone similar ways in that, um, we're both widows, which is- Yeah

um, kind of unique. I love that term. Oh. I know. I know. Absolutely. Well, we're married and our spouses are up in heaven. Just living the dream is what I call it. I mean. Yeah. And our husbands both served missions in Finland, which is kind of awesome, and they're up there speaking Finnish, I think, in heaven.

But I met her, and I loved her because it was this, this, this service committee and you're kind of a little bit intimidated. And everybody on her committee was supposed to bring a dessert, a cake, to describe something about them. And everybody brought, "This is Aunt Martha's cake that I've been making for 14 years, and this is one that was brought across from the plains."

And Su gets up, and her cake is from Costco. And she- Oh, of course it was. Everybody- Yes ... has a recipe card, and on her recipe card, she gives us the driving directions to Costco. Stop it. It was awesome. I loved her. I knew I was gonna love her forever and ever, and she just makes me laugh- ... always. I love her.

That's how I know Su. And I know Jolene because her heart is as wide as the ocean and beyond Right. Mm-hmm From the second I met her, I was welcomed in and invited. And even now, t- I mean, this was 20 years ago that we met each other. Wow. And now seeing her again at our women's conference meeting, she's going around introducing me to people.

She had just barely met them, but her heart is so good. It is just something you wanna just cling to because she- So good ... is a wonderful woman. Wonderful, wonderful. Thanks, Su. I want do-overs. I need to say something nicer about Su. No, don't. No, it's- Don't. No ... I forgot that story. It's the best thing ever.

It's the be- are you kidding? A story like that, if that was told of me, that's all that needs to be said. It's the best story ever. Oh my gosh. They love her. Yeah. And let me tell you what, for you two single ladies, you're doing it well, because I remember talking to Su on the way out of a meeting one day about what our day looked like, and mine was just chaos, and Su's like, "I'm meeting Jolene for lunch."

Of course you are. How fancy are you two? Going to lunch, and then you're going to the temple later that day. I'm like, "Yes, you're doing it well. Living the dream." Oh my gosh. Absolutely. Oh, okay. All righty, I can tell... We, we're gonna have so much fun in this discussion, and these women... Listen, I know I always say, like, Heavenly Father chooses the people for the episode, which is so true, but this one even more so.

And we haven't even started, but I know that they have opinions and thoughts and experiences with everything we're talking about and, and it's a big chunk of scripture. Like, I almost have to apologize, 'cause Exodus and Leviticus, seriously? Thank you. Thanks so much. That was really special. Thank you. I've never slept better.

Well, why was it special, Su? Um, it was special because I usually skip over that part. It, oh, it just... You know, give me some read this and some gold and silver and it's... And I d- have never really thoroughly sat down, but then Tammy, I was scared to death she'd find out that I didn't usually read that thing.

So in really reading it with purpose in mind, it was astounding. Mm-hmm. I mean, to really study it and figure out what it meant was, it, it, it was enormous. It was just- Cool ... a beautiful experience to finally just see that there was purpose in that whole section that seemed daunting before. Oh. Well, I also have just never recognized a lot of the Old Testament where we can liken it to ourselves, and this I did.

It was easy for me to lean into and just, I could relate. I could liken it to myself. Maybe it was because of some of the, the notes that you had sent our way for us to be looking for, but I mean, it b- it came alive. I relate. Oh. I'm right there with them Well, I think everybody needs to hear that because like you said, these are daunting verses, and we do gloss over them.

And you're just kind of like, "Oh, Leviticus, blah." But yeah, when you see how it really applies to us, it's so much fun. So we're gonna have a great time. Okay, so here's what you guys wanna do, 'cause I know you're all like me and you wanna see what my guests look like. So go check out their bios, which are in our show notes, and you can find those at ldsliving.com/sundayonmonday.

And here's what we wanna do, everyone, grab your scriptures and something to mark them with, and let's dig in to Exodus 35-40, Leviticus chapters 1, 4, 16, and 19. Okay, first things first, you two. Just tell me, what did the Holy Ghost teach you as you were studying these verses or preparing for this whole discussion?

I'll let you go first, Su. But if you take any of my material, I'm going to have you edit it out.

No, um, I, in a humorous way, I thought, "Mm-hmm, God's in the details," 'cause this is detail after detail. But as I read through it, I just felt such a love coming from Heavenly Father for His children. Mm. I mean, these children were ... I mean, I've judged them for so many years about those silly children of Egypt.

They can't put the- together. Come on, people, really? Golden calves. Think about, they had been in a slave-ridden society for over 100 years. They were not used to making decisions make- maybe. So to come out and g- have the freedom to make decisions, they were not always wise. And even after the grand debacle of, of the, the golden calf, eh, God could have just said, "Go back.

I'm done with you." But instead He just said, "Okay, let's rethink. Let's, let's get in here and figure out a way you can learn what I need you to learn. I want you to be a holy people, and I love you." And He taught them. He used symbols they could understand. He ... And they made mistakes, and it was then that I realized I am so much like the children of Israel.

I can have a marvelous experience, and 10 minutes later I'm thinking, "Hey, you know, my life's my own, and where's Heavenly Father? I don't know." Ooh, I like that. I, I learned that Heavenly Father loves His children. Mm. I learn it over and over again. So that was really wonderful for me. Oh, your perspective was awesome.

Thank you, Su. Absolutely. I felt the same thing as you were speaking, Su. As I mentioned earlier, I really felt like as we were reviewing th- these scriptures, I could lean into especially Exodus. I am a, a lifetime temple goer, and I love the temple so very, very much, having visited and been patrons in temples all over the world.

So it was easy for me to lean into this, these sets of scriptures, particularly those in Exodus. And I found that there were lessons that I could profit from, just as- Hmm ... um, you know, Nephi has taught, that we liken scriptures to ourselves, and then we have things that we can profit and learn from. So I just wanted to share just a few of those.

Yes. First one was that I need to be more obedient. The phrase, "As the Lord commanded," is repeated several times in those chapters. And as we know, the Israelites, as Su mentioned, had not always been obedient, but God is merciful, and he gives us as many chances as we need to return to him. The second lesson that I took away is that I need to have a wise, willing, and generous heart.

So the Israelites, they gave freely of the most precious things that they had, and so much that at one point Moses has to tell them to stop, that enough was enough. My question to me was, what things am I willing to sacrifice for God's kingdom, and could I ever possibly give enough? Hmm. The third lesson that I learned is that I need community.

Building the tabernacle wasn't a one-person job. It required everybody working together. Everyone had something to contribute, whether it was the materials, the needed skills, or leadership, and community accomplishes what individuals can't. So- Hmm ... my takeaway was, who is it in my community that needs what I might have to offer?

And then lastly, I need to create space in my life for that which matters most. The tabernacle was a well-planned-out physical place crafted with care, detail, and skill for God's presence. And as I plan out my detailed life, do I prioritize sp- space for him? Where can I go, or what can I do to feel God's presence?

I may not carry a tabernacle around with me, but what do I carry to remind me of my sacred covenants? So I found that even though I don't always relate to everything in the Old Testament... Or, you know, I honestly think sometimes the Old Testament has a bad rap. We tend to think that there's things in there that we can't relate to.

But just, you know, right there, I could relate to so much of that, and it made me want to be a better person. It did. It made me want to be- Wow ... the Israelites of, of late and not the ones of, of the earlier years. So that was my takeaway. Wow, you two. I feel like we could just say amen. There you go. That was- Can we?

Is that an option? Can we? It ... the- Maybe we should. First time only. That was so good. 'Cause I wrote so many notes from both of you. What a great thing that th- and the Ho- what the Holy Ghost taught me. I mean, that was so awesome. Those ... I'm not gonna say it now, 'cause it might be my takeaway, but that was good.

Thank you so much. So do this for me really quickly. Turn in your scriptures to Exodus chapter 25, and I wanted to read verse 22. Well, we're gonna ... There's actually two verses in 25, 'cause He says it twice. So just turn back to Exodus 25. And we covered this last week, but twice in chapter 25, the Lord is specifically saying something to the people about what He wants to do with them.

So Exodus chapter 25, and Su, will you read verse eight? "And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them." Thank you, and then turn the page, and Jolene, will you please read verse 22? My favorite. Thank you for giving that one to me. Oh, cool. "And th- and there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel."

Thank you. So in both places He says, He says, "I want to dwell with you, and I want to meet you, and I want to commune with you." And so what we're going to do then for the rest of this whole episode is we're gonna talk about this goal that the Lord had and find out if it actually was ever met, and what the Lord put in place so that there was a possibility of the Lord's goal being met with the children of Israel.

So first thing we need to do is find out how the people felt about building something again. We'll do that next.

Segment 2

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So Jolene brought this up in what the Holy Ghost taught her, which I think is so perfect, 'cause she talked about this willing and wise heart. If you heard her say that and you were wondering, like, "Well, where's that from?" Let us show you. This is so much fun. So we're gonna do a scripture chain, and you guys know I love a scripture chain.

So here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna give you the first scripture. We're gonna go and read it, and then to the outside I'll tell you what scripture to put next, and we'll just do that until we connect them all back to where we started. So let's start in Exodus. We're gonna go clear back to the very beginning of the story of the children of Israel leaving Egypt.

Go to Exodus 3:22. Okay. We did not cover this when we were in Exodus 3, 'cause I was saving it for this discussion. I knew I was gonna get to discuss this with Su and Jolene, so this is a fun surprise. Okay, Exodus 3:22. And here's with a little background leading up to this verse. So the m- Lord is having this really cool experience with Moses at the burning bush.

This is where Moses gets his calling to go and deliver the children of Israel out of the hands of the Egyptians. And Moses is terrified, and he says, "Well, who am I supposed to say sent me? And wow, who are they? Why would they believe me?" And we get the great verse of scripture where the Lord says, "You know, I am that I am."

Like, tell them, "Who sent you is me." And then after Moses gets the instructions on what he's going to do, I think it's so fascinating that the Lord just kinda slips in this one little verse and, and gives him all these great instructions, then He's like, "Oh, by the way, make sure you do this, too." So that's Exodus 3:22.

Su, will you read that for us? You bet. "But every woman shall borrow of her neighbor, and of her that sojourn in her house, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment: and ye shall put them upon your sons, and upon your daughters; and ye shall spoil the Egyptians." Now, cross out the word borrow in verse 22, 'cause in Hebrew it's actually ask.

They're not, they're not giving it back. They're literally gonna ask for all these jewels and silvers. 'Cause I'm thinking, like, the audacity of the Israelites to walk up to the Egyptians and be like, "Hey, will you just give me all your jewels and your silver and your gold?" That's the cra- They gave it to them.

Yeah. It's the- I know ... craziest request of all time. Okay. So cross-reference to the outside of verse 22. Put Exodus 11:2, and let's go there. And in 11, chapter 11 verse 2- The background is we've had all of these crazy plagues happen, and now we're at the last plague. This is it. Nine have happened, 10 is about to come, and the Lord is talking to Moses, and he says, "Okay, get ready.

You've got to get the children of Israel ready because the last plague is coming." And as he tells him that, he reminds him of this verse we just read. So in chapter 11 verse two, Jolene, will you read verse two? Absolutely. "Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold."

And borrow again- Yes ... you said is ask. Ask. Mm-hmm. Yep, so there it is again. Okay, now before the last plague comes, make sure they all go, ask for all the jewelry, all the silver. Okay, here's your next cross reference. Next to the side of verse two, just put chapter 12 verse 35 and 36. Okay, so then the plague happens.

But also the Lord has given them instructions for the Passover, and to put blood on the outside of the doors, and all of that has happened. The last plague happens, and right after that we have Exodus chapter 12 verse 35 and 36. And Su, will you read that? "And the children of Israel did according to the word of Moses, and they borrowed of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and raiment.

And the Lord gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they lent unto them such things as they required. And they spoiled the Egyptians." There it is, huh? They just gladly gave it to them. Like, "Here you go. Please take it, and get out of here," right? Yeah. Like, I think that is such a great, and, and it's such a good story.

So there we go. They... And again, in verse 35 where it says borrowed, it's ask. So they got all of the jewelry, all of the silver. Now here, let's do the next cross reference. Next to those two verses, put Exodus chapter 35 verse five. So now they're in the wilderness, and now we have the Lord speaking to the Israelites saying to them, "I want to dwell among you.

I want you to be a kingdom of priests and priestesses. I want to make you a holy nation or a peculiar people," which we talked about last week. And so, how am I gonna do that? Oh, I need you to build a sanctuary. I need you to build a tabernacle. So He gives all the instructions of what He wants them to build, but 35 is where the rubber hits the road.

Exodus 35 is where He's like, "Okay, and now we're gonna build, so here's how we're gonna do it." So Jolene, will you please read Exodus chapter 35, and start with verse four, but we're gonna focus on verse five. "And Moses spake unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying, 'This is the thing which the Lord commanded, saying, Take ye from among you an offering unto the Lord: whosoever is of a willing heart, let him bring it, an offering of the Lord; gold, and silver, and brass.'"

Okay. Now highlight willing heart. We're gonna put a little heart. Why do you love that, Jolene? I just love it. I love, first of all, how the Lord had put into place the things that they were going to need, then when He was going to ask them of that, I think it would've been a hard ask, um, for them to then give up the things that, that they had acquired.

Yeah. And they hadn't had those things. They've kind of been living in poverty, and now they have all these riches, and now He's going to... He's provided those riches for them, and now He's going to ask them to give those up. And I love that. Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. And how interesting that He starts with, "If you have a willing heart."

They wouldn't have had an ab- an abundance of gold and silver and brass. So they're probably thinking, "We're finally rich. Now we can buy anything we want." And the Lord's like, "Not so fast." Yeah, right? And the other thing I love is in the life they lived, it was forced labor. It was everything was demanded of them.

Yes. They came out here and the Lord said, "If you are willing." Mm. Mm. He invited them to participate. So true. That must have been so freeing to them to- Ah ... like, "Ah, yeah, I can do that. I can, I can do that." Yeah. Yeah. Having gone from slavery to agency. That's great. They had the agency. And, and I love that you're pointing this out, and that He's giving them the chance again.

It would've been so easy for Him to say, "And now here's what you're gonna do." Mm-hmm. Oh my gosh- Mm-hmm ... I, I've never connected this before. But God loves agency, and that's the first thing He gives these people right out of the gates. Yeah. Well put. Oh. Thank you for pointing that out. And even, even though maybe, well, you know, the, their past record had been they're not really trustworthy-

and yet He trusts that they will make the right choices, and that they will have that willing heart, and that they will give freely. Yeah. And He knows us. He knows our potential. A- and I love this idea because, you know, Su, at the very beginning you said that it, y- that the Lord could've just been like, "You know what?

Go back. You're all a bunch of complainers." This, and I think it's interesting because one of the things the Israelites said right when they were at the border of the Red Sea and Pharaoh and his armies were behind them is they said to Moses, okay, the first thing they said was, "Is this a trick? Like, there wasn't enough graves in Egypt, so you had us come here to bury us in the wilderness?"

Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. But then the second thing they said, "Or maybe w- we, we should just go back. It would've been easier if we could be in Egypt being enslaved than what it is right now." And I think of that line all the time, 'cause now I'm thinking of the Lord going, "You're right. It would've been easier for me to send you back to Egypt."

Like, I know what I gotta look forward to for the next 40 years. So I, I just think the Lord could've so easily been like, "Yeah, scrap it. This is why- And- ... they, forget about it." And now He's asking these people to have willing hearts, and not only willing hearts, let's keep going. So let's go to, um, cross-reference next to verse five.

Just put verse 10, and let's read that. And Su, read verse 10 And every wisehearted among that you shall come and make all that the Lord hath commanded. Okay, we're gonna h- um, highlight wisehearted, and then I'm gonna have you guys talk about this in a minute. Let's go to verse 21. Jolene, verse 21. This is awesome.

"And they came, every one whose heart stirred him up, and every one whom his spirit made willing." Okay, that's interesting, his spirit made willing. "And they brought the Lord's offering to the work of the tabernacle of the congregation, and for all his service, and for the holy garments." And look at verse 22.

I mean, this is like a nail-biter, isn't it? "And they came, both men and women, as many as were willing hearted, and brought bracelets, and earrings, and rings, and tablets, all jewels of gold: and every man that offered" offered "an offering of gold unto the Lord." So every man that offered offered an offering. I love it.

Oh my gosh. So much agency in these verses. Now, why did you say you loved verse 21? Yeah, I love, I love that scripture. I think the reason it spoke to me is because they came with their offering. They were willing to give what they had, but he is the one that makes us so that, that we have something to give.

I mean- Yeah ... everything that we have has come from him, and I love that he can speak to us. He can give us that little nudge, you know? Maybe our heart is willing, but our confidence wanes, and so he can just prompt us with that spirit and, and move us forward. Oh, fantastic. You know, and another thing I noticed is that maybe everybody didn't do it.

It was just, he specifies that it was those with a willing and wise heart. There were some that maybe didn't, and then the next time they're asked, they think, "Oh, wait, they really were serious. They weren't gonna force us. Maybe- Yeah ... that was an example to them. Next time, I'm gonna obey." Now, that is so cool, because the Lord didn't open up the earth and swallow those who kept their riches.

He's not- No ... that really honors our agency. Didn't strike them down. Yeah. Wow. Mm. And it would've been hard to give those up, and I think sometimes- Yeah ... you know, we can liken it to ourselves. What is it the Lord asked us to give up? Well, it takes great faith to just say, "Okay. I mean, this is what I have, but then I'm willing t- to give it to you."

I think that it takes a lot of faith, and he puts those promptings in us so that we can. Yes. So look what he did then. Let's finish out our scripture chain with verses 25 through 29, and we'll each take a verse. We'll go Jolene, Su, and then me. "And the women that were wisehearted..." I want to be one of those.

I want to be one of those. Yeah. I think we do. "The women that were wisehearted did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, both of blue, and of purple, and of scarlet, and of fine linen." "And all the women whose heart stirred them up in wisdom spun goats' hair. And the rulers brought onyx stones, and stones to be set, for the ephod, and for the breastplate."

"And spice and oil for the light, and for the anointing oil, and for the sweet incense." "The children of Israel brought a willing offering unto the Lord. Every man and woman whose heart made them willing to bring for all manner of work which the Lord had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses." Thank you.

And then to the outside of those verses, you're just gonna put where we started, Exodus 3:22. Okay. So I love these verses, 'cause right there, men and women built the tabernacle. Like, that idea right there where it's, they're s- they're spinning goat's hair, that is how they're going to make the outside curtains that even of the outside of the tabernacle and the tabernacle itself.

Like, women were an integral part of building this, and it took wise and willing hearts to do this. Now, here's my question, and I love this idea, 'cause you've already brought this up, Su, but after finally escaping generations of enslavement, where the Israelites were forced into hard labor by the Egyptians, tell me what you think these verses maybe teach us about the people who are willing to build again for the Lord.

What do you think they were thinking? The Lord gave them what they needed. Yeah. They didn't know that's what they needed. They just came, and they already knew how to weave or whatever. Mm-hmm. Maybe not with goat's hair, but s- they, they had developed skills in their life. They had the jewels. They probably brought more than, than even the jewels.

Maybe they brought things of their very own, and they just brought them because the Lord had enabled them for years- Yeah ... to prepare for that moment. I mean, I th- I'm thinking so much of the world we live in today, 'cause how often do we hear people be like, "Can I just get a break? Like, I've just been serving in this calling for five years."

Mm-hmm. I always hear people like, "I'm gonna stay under the radar." Try and hide in another calling for a little while. And I think it's just our initial human in us, and I think of the Israelites where they're like, "Can we just get a break and not have to build something for a minute?" And I love how the Lord's like, "No, let's get going.

Like, you know how to do this. You're good at it, and I gotta, I gotta have you dwell with... I'm gonna dwell with you." I can't think of a better thing. And so I'm, I'm looking at all of these, uh, this, this connection to the world we live in right now. I want us to read this quote by Elder Donald L. Hallstrom and what he has to say about a heart and a willing mind, and then I'd love for you two to share your thoughts about this and the connection to real life today.

"The heart is symbolic of love and commitment. We make sacrifices and bear burdens for those we love that we would not endure for any other person. If love does not exist, our commitment wanes. Having a willing mind connotes giving our best effort and finest thinking and seeking God's wisdom. It suggests that our most devoted lifetime study should be of things that are eternal in nature.

It means that there must be an inextricable relationship between hearing the word of God and obeying it." Thank you. So based on that quote from Elder Hallstrom and the verses that we've read, what will wise and willing hearts allow us to do to build the kingdom? How does that play into our relationship with God today?

I, I, I... He gives us all the tools, everything that we need. I, as I read that quote, I reflected upon the covenants that we make in the temple, so these were covenants that were going to be be- being made. I mean, one of the first is actually the second covenant that we make, is that we will live the law of sacrifice.

And then the last covenant that we make is to, it's the law of consecration. My husband and I have had the blessing of serving in Nauvoo in the historic sites, and to me, I, so much of this, as I was reading these chapters, it took me back to Kirtland and the temple that they're building. It took me to Nauvoo and the temple they're, they're building, how they have very little and they, they give everything that they have, and how they're living the law of consecration, basically.

Nobody has more than what anyone else has. And I remember at the time sharing the quote by the prophet Joseph Smith where he said, "A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation." Mm-hmm. Just shortly after we got home from our mission, we had, um, at that time, our family has family mottos, and we had met in front of the Carthage Jail with the statue, the bronze statues of the Prophet Joseph and Hyrum, and we had just done a Zoom call with our family, 'cause of course we were on a mission and we were kicking off the next year's theme.

It was 2021, and our theme was "All In." And we talked about how the Prophet Joseph and, and Hyrum had given so much, you know, for, for the gospel of Jesus Christ, and little did I know that just a few weeks after coming home from our mission, I felt as though I was asked to give my all with the, my husband passed suddenly.

And this was a talk that had just barely had come out at that point from Elder Holland, and you'll remember it in October '21 General Conference where he taught, "Come unto Christ. Come completely and wholeheartedly. Take up your cross, however heavy it may be, and follow Him. In the kingdom of God, there are no halfway measures, no starting and stopping, no turning back.

When difficult things are asked of us, even things contrary to the longings of our heart, remember the loyalty we pledge to the cause of Christ is to be s- the supreme devotion of our lives, and, and be prepared for it to cost not less than everything." Do you remember that phrase? Wow. "Not less than everything.

Be prepared for it to cost that." Wow. I don't know. It's just something. Oh, I love that phrase, "not less than everything." Yeah. And I think- Yeah ... about those people fasting, and then I think about your own life. Hold on. I'm writing that at the top of the page of Exodus 35. Because they had to give their everything to build this sanctuary, this tabernacle, to build the kingdom.

I have a, I have a personal question for you, Jolene. Mm-hmm. So after your husband died, how did that line, "Not less than everything," apply to you? It, it just become... My daughter at his funeral actually shared that quote, um- Mm ... in her talk because he had lived a life of all in. We have raised our family to live a life of all in.

I have chosen to live that type of a life as well. And honestly, having been asked to give our all is so little by comparison to what the Lord gives us. Are you kidding? I could never give enough. There is no way that I could ever repay Him for all that He has given me. So what He asks of us is so little by comparison.

Mm-hmm. So even if He should ask, as Elder Holland said, you know, be prepared for it to be everything, it's little by comparison. Wow. It's the least I could do. Thank you. That is a wise and willing heart. I think that's the whole point of it. So- Exactly ... thank you for sharing. And thank you for sharing that story.

That was beautiful. Okay. So Su, do you have anything you wanna add? Just that the Lord made them capable. Mm-hmm. The Mor- Lord makes us capable, and I find when we are in our own personal wilderness- Mm-hmm ... that if we will offer even the tiniest bit of willingness, just taking it small steps at a time, if that's all we're capable of doing, He will...

It'll be the loaves and fishes. He will add to that, that step that we take. He will consecrate our efforts- Oh, Su ... and allow us to become so much more, and to offer... I mean, He's helping us to serve Him. To helping us to love Him, and He does that out of His love for us. Yeah. It is just overwhelming to me how much He offers.

Okay. Then let's just end with this verse of scripture, with what Su said. And Su, will you read Exodus 36 verse one? 'Cause I think it's so perfectly... Actually, one and two. Yep, you have to read both verses because it's- Okay ... it's what you just said "Then wrought Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whom the Lord put wisdom and understanding to know how to work all manner of work for the service of the sanctuary, according to all that the Lord had commanded.

And Moses called Bezaleel and Aholiab, and every wise hearted man, in whose heart the Lord had put wisdom, even everyone whose heart stirred him up to come unto the work, to do it." That's what you just said, Su. The, the Lord gave him an understanding and a knowledge of how to do what he needed them to do.

Even if you just take that first step forward, like, he's gonna give you what you need. So- Mm-hmm ... thank you to both for, for what you shared. Mm-hmm. So in the next segment, let's dive into all the things they built and what those things mean. We'll do that next.

Segment 3

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Okay, I have the greatest thing to show you guys. I c- I'm so excited about this, but a friend of mine dropped this gift off at my house on my doorstep. I had no idea what this was, and I pick up the bag and I'm like, "What in the world?" And this is what it is.

It's called Bible Bricks. Oh. And it is a Lego put together version of the Old Testament tabernacle. No way. Can you stand that? I can't. Did someone say General Conference? I think I know what my family's doing this fall for October General Conference because- Oh, that's amazing ... it's an entire Lego set. And guess what?

It comes with a high priest. I wanna hear him walk. And the top of his hat says holiness to the Lord in Hebrew. I cannot- Oh, my goodness ... get enough of this. We are gonna put this together. It is so adorable, and the thing I love about it, it has all the parts. Now, there are so many parts to the tabernacle, like clothing and all the things the people had to build, and I sent a very exhaustive list, over 21 things, and I made my guests look up these verses to find out what it was we were talking about, and then to find a, and a Latter-day connection to it.

So we do not have time in this podcast to go over all 21. So I recommend going to the show notes so you can look them up. But I asked my guests to each pick three things that they had to build and put in the tabernacle, and then tell me what the application is to our modern-day temples. You guys ready for this?

Yes. And what did you guys think about this assignment? Loved it. Well, I loved it. I mean, this just- Yes ... made it more personal, my, my visits to the temple. So yeah, loved it. Oh, very cool. So anyone teaching gospel doctrine, this would be so fun to do for your class. Assign it out, find the application, and then maybe build the Lego tabernacle.

As a class together. Very sweet. Okay, here we go. Su, what are the three things you picked? So give us the- Okay ... uh, reference so we can mark it, and then tell us Well, um, I combined, so we could do more- Right ... altar of sacrifice and the blood of the animal sacrifice. Ooh, okay. So- Very cool. Where is that? Altar of sacrifice is Exodus 38:1-7, and Exodus 27:1, and Exodus 29:10-14.

Very cool. And the blood of the animal sacrifice is Leviticus 16, verses 14 and 15. Okay. The sacrifice they gave, or that was done by the priest and the participant, was certainly much different, but ... than that we do, but we are still required to give a sacrifice, and it's a sacrifice for me. It'd be easier to go get a goat sometimes-

uh, than sometimes to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit. Oh, yeah. And sometimes that is so difficult. And when you think about it, it's really not a sacrifice, but it is. Um, and to attend the temple each time you go and to let, give yourself that willing heart to sacrifice, and sacrifice the human tendencies, the whatever you're going through, and enter in there.

Mm. And even as part of the process of the temple, of as you're going through the endowment, to let things go, let things go- Mm ... and become more, more holy. Excellent. Um, the second one I chose was the veil- Okay ... which I love. Ah. Just the concept of the veil that was in the, the tabernacle, where that's what was there before you entered the Holy of Holies.

Let's read that verse, 'cause it's such a good one. Exodus 26, verse 33, and Hebrews 10, verses 19 and 20. Will you read that verse in Exodus for us, Su? Okay. "And thou shalt hang up the veil under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy."

Yeah. Yeah. As we enter the celestial room, we get there by having Jesus Christ, and what a remarkable experience to go through that veil then and have that knowledge. That's just always been such an important part to me. Um- It's so cool because our prophet, President Nelson, has taught that the veil represents the savior Jesus Christ.

And then when you consider that that's the thing that separates us between the world we live in and the presence of God- In the whole, in the Old Testament tabernacle, and then even today in our temple. Like, it's just- Exactly ... so cool how we're- Yeah ... still being prepared the same way as those naughty children of Israel.

Well, you know, and the Savior's the only way by which we can enter into the presence of our heavenly Father. It's through his atoning sacrifice. Having been a veil coordinator for a few years, there's that phrase that I think most of you probably, if you're a patron, you're just getting your name out and just, you know, lining up to see which veil you're gonna be at.

But there's that phrase that just says basically, you know, that you're going to enter, prepare to enter the presence of God, and I... That's the only bay, way by which we can, is through our Savior Jesus Christ. So I love that, Su. Anyway. Great scripture. It's your thing, not mine. No. You keep going. Love it. No, but I love that.

Um, okay. The third one was the Ark of the Covenant. Um- Mm-hmm ... I've never really understood that, but really studying it and seeing what was in the Ark of Covenant, but the best thing to me was the top of the Ark of the Covenant. It was the mercy seat. Exodus 25:10-22. Lots of reading there. And in verse 17, it talks about the mercy seat, and I love that because in the temple- Mm

we make such important covenants, and we're not always gonna be perfect the second we walk out of the temple and live our lives, and we may not live up to the covenants perfectly like we wanted to. Mm-hmm. But that mercy covers us. He loves us. He is going to look at our willing and wise hearts with mercy and allow us to become what He knows we are capable of being.

So it gave me a whole new insight to the covenants that I've made. Okay, tell me this, Su. So beautiful. I love that you pointed that out. What does it tell us about God that it's a mercy seat? Like, what do you envision when you think of a seat, a mercy seat? Well, first of all, can I tell you that last Sunday we sang I Stand All Amazed, and there's that phrase at the very...

It, in that hymn, and I just listened to that, and I thought, "Oh my gosh, I probably have just sung that a million times." Yes. I'm so proud I have all the verses memorized, and I'm singing alto, and I'm just really into it. I just loved that phrase, and I, I don't know if this is the answer you're looking for, Tammy, or not, but to sit with Him.

I love what you're about to say. Just to sit with Him, sit side by side with Him. Well, now we have to go to that song. Well, Su can sing it- Yeah ... 'cause she's got the beautiful voice. She does. I do. Okay. Verse three says, "I think of his hands pierced and bleeding to pay the debt. Such mercy, such love and devotion, can I forget?

No, no. I will praise and adore at the mercy seat until at the glorified throne I kneel at his feet." Amazing. Billus. Oh. Fabulous. I'm putting that right next to verse seven. Hymn number... Oh, my gosh, Jolene, thank you for bringing that up You know, what about it's just me and God sitting together in mercy?

Mm-hmm, mm-hmm. I sit beside you. It's a love seat. It's a love seat. Yes. Yes. It, it- Like, I just... Don't... I love that you just said that, the idea of sitting with him and talking over all the things in your life, and knowing that he will only give you mercy. Like, you've done all you can do. Mm-hmm. That's what you need, and he's like, "I got you."

And he's not in a hurry. I just sit with you. He's got all the time in the world. Yeah. Yeah. Oh. I love it. Thank you. Thank you, Su, for your three. That was beautiful. Thank you. Have the spirit strong. Mm. Okay, Jolene, what are your three? So I love studying these, because right now I am in the temple district for the Lindon Temple, where we are so excited for this beautiful new temple that's just been built, and I will have an opportunity to serve there.

But I'm serving as a, as a tour guide right now, and then also I do a speaking part in the celestial room. And so... Not in the celestial room. Nobody talks in that one. In the sealing room. Okay. And so to kind of review this and to what temples are right now, but I want to give just some thoughts. Because as people are going through the temple, what's, what are they asking us?

What are you looking for when you go through? You're on this tour, and what does that flower represent? And, oh, what does this mean? And what's that carving? And everybody is so caught up in... Well, it's what we do when we go to a new temple, isn't it? Mm-hmm. We just kind of look to see, "Oh, they decorated in teal," or, "Oh, look at that painting," or...

Anyway, so we were, in our training they, they told a story that has been referenced a few times by Elder Gong and others. People oftentimes are so focused on the beautiful box that contains the pearl that they want to know all about the box, but it's the pearl that is signi- is of significance. Mm. And so even though our temples are so incredibly beautiful, they provide the purpose of the sacred covenants that we make.

And I think even in their day, their tabernacle, I can't imagine carrying that around. I can't. I can't imagine the work... I can't even comprehend how you weave goat's hair. Yeah. And yet everything was of the finest because it was for our Heavenly Father. It was for God. And everything had a meaning for it.

The reason it was what it was is because it had a meaning. And so the ones that I chose were washed and anointed. I mean, do we even need to say anything about that? No. Is that just not so perfect? And those who have received endowments, we quote... We are quoting scripture when we start with our initiatory with the wash and anointing.

It's just b- brought it to life. And I don't think there's ever a time as a temple ordinance worker where you don't make mention of being washed clean. It, it just doesn't- I mean, people are emotional at that. We have that opportunity when we partake of the sacrament where we can be washed clean every single Sunday if we choose to repent and make those things right in our life.

And here in the temple, it's a beautiful washing that takes place, and then we are anointed. I mean, so just the significance of that, that in order to enter into our Heavenly Father's presence, we do need to be made clean. Mm-hmm. It's... Well, I mean, we've been told no unclean thing can, can dwell in, in the presence of God, so this is an opportunity for us to be washed and anointed.

So washed and anointed, as we read in Exodus 40:12-13, "And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest's office."

That's a little different. But it's kind of fun to know where it is in the Bible, 'cause you hear it- Yeah, yeah ... and you're like- Absolutely ... "Wait, where does it say that?" You... I've always- Yeah ... I always wondered for years, you know. Well, we always say in Ex- Here we have it ... yeah. Mm-hmm, in Exodus. I love it. Yes.

Okay, so washing and anointing. Now tell us your next one. Okay, and the next is being clothed in the holy garments. Ah. Do we not just love this? So let me- Mm, give us our references for that ... yes. So in Exodus 39:1, we read, "And of the blue, and purple, and scarlet, they made cloths of service, to do service in the holy place, they made the holy garments for Aaron; as the Lord commanded Moses."

We then have Exodus 28:2, all of Exodus 28 actually, and Leviticus 16:4. I have loved so much even just the phrasing of when we receive the garments in the, the temple, we are reminded how much they're a reminder of the temple covenants that we made, and it's a symbol that we have taken upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ.

And I love that other religions have things that symbolize their beliefs. I love that we have the garment. I, I mean, I can't even tell you how grateful I am for the, the holy garment in my life and the, for the protection that it has felt to me. This might be weird, but I'm gonna just say it. You know, when my husband passed, there were things that, um, people wanted, you know, maybe his shirt or something.

For me, it was his garments. I slept with those for a very long time. Just they were like my little comfort blanket. Mm. Those are the most sacred things that our Heavenly Father has given us, that we can have a daily reminder of Him in our lives, and the covenants that we have made with Him, and the way in, in which we are bound to Him, and the way He strengthens us and protects us.

Could we ask for anything more? Okay, last one Last one was incense, was the altar of incense. And so that is found- Oh ... in Leviticus chapter 16, verse 12, and then in Psalms section 141, verse two. It was something that burned at the veil. And what it represented, and I loved so much learning about this, it was in the front of the Holy of Holies, and each morning and evening they would burn this incense.

It was a symbol of prayer. How perfect is that as a symbol? As you could see the smoke rising, it's as if your prayers are going up. Yeah. I mean, how many of us think that maybe the prayers ended at the ceiling? Sometimes I feel like that. Sometimes, you know, or- Yes ... I can't even get them lit. I'm trying to light them, but they're just not even lighting.

And I love that this was just the visual reminder that as the, the smoke rose so that our prayers would raise regularly to heaven. The altar position before the Holy of Holies, it was a symbol of how important prayer is in preparing to enter the Lord's kingdom. Wow. So that was my takeaways. Those were three, right?

Yes. Those were... Ladies, well done. That was awesome. So good. So if you're, for those of you listening, if you want to know all of them, just go check out our show notes, 'cause there's so many things that made this temple or this tabernacle, and it, it's such a fun discussion to have with any class that you're in.

And I have just loved, love, loved this. So let's turn to Exodus chapter 39, and let's look at verse 30, 'cause this is so great. And I said that this was what was on the hat or the, the, yeah, the bonnet of the priest. So sweet in Hebrew. So we just want to make sure we mark it. 39 verse 30. It says, "And they made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote upon it a writing, like to the engraving of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD."

That's where we get that phrasing right there in scripture. I had no idea until we read this. Mm-mm. Mm-mm. Isn't that fun? Mm-mm. So highlight that. I have a, a- Yeah ... an eternal true scripture color. It's purple, so I always highlight stuff that is absolute truth in purple, and there it is. Holiness to the Lord.

I love that. Yeah. And the thing that, here's what I love. Here's my takeaway from this, is that Joseph Smith didn't make this up. He didn't sit around and think, "Let's just..." Like, it's all right here, and he restored it. And that is my favorite reminder about the Old Testament, is that Joseph Smith restored everything we do and believe in.

He wasn't bored one day and thought, "Let's make him wear garments." Mm-mm. And so the Spirit guided him bit by bit as far as his knowledge would last. It makes sense that the garments were the way they were in his time, 'cause that's what modesty was back then. Mm-hmm. Absolutely. And it looked like... And, and it's okay that things can change, and I love that.

Okay, so well done. That's awesome. Now the tabernacle's complete, and so in the next segment we're gonna find out what major significant yearly event took place at the tabernacle. Do that next.

Segment 4

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Ladies, grab your phones. This is a fun little thing. Grab your phones and go to your calendar. That's what I want you to do. Go to your calendar on your phone. And I want you to go to the date of September 21st

and tell me what holiday is already on that calendar for you. At the very top, it should be in blue with a little star. Yom Kippur. Yom Kippur. Okay. Now, this is so fun because I can remember as a kid growing up, and even a young adult, seeing Yom Kippur and like, "What is that day?" With all the other holidays that I don't really know, is it...

You know. And, and other things, too. You have calendars that are like National Hamburger Day, National whatever, Cheese Day, and I'm like, "Maybe this is one of those days. It's National Yom Kippur Day. I don't know what that means." And then I started studying Hebrew. So this is so much fun. Okay, Yom, Y-O-M, in Hebrew means day, and Kippur comes from the Hebrew word kafar, which means atonement.

Mm. Day of atonement. So Mar- September 21st is Day of Atonement. And you guys, it is the high holy day, the holiest days for all Jews. They wait an entire year for this incredible festival, and it's rooted in Leviticus 16. So turn to Leviticus chapter 16. Here's where we get this and why it's on your calendar.

Leviticus 16. And everyone grab a highlighter if you're in your scriptures. I asked my guests to do this ahead of time, and so I'm just gonna ask them what their answer is. I wanted them to go through Leviticus chapter 16 and highlight every time they saw the word atonement or any iteration of it. What did you guys find?

Um, I, I found that I found some people, some people may say there are 15. There are actually 16. Ooh. Because in the introduction in the italicized- ... part it says atonement there. There you go. You win. She's totally right. 'Cause I said 15, and she said, "No, there were 16." I went, "No, there's not. I've got them all marked."

In the introduction. And that's the beauty of Control + F. Ah, it's so true. I love that function. Okay. So you're gonna find it 16 times in this chapter, which is pretty amazing, 'cause here's the thing. It is the most of any chapter in the entire Bible, is where you're gonna find reference to the, that word atonement in here.

So this is really powerful. Let's just go to Leviticus 16:34, and we're gonna read what the Lord has to say about this incredible moment. Here's what he wants out of it. Verse 34, then we're gonna kinda go backwards a little bit. So Su, will you read verse 34? "And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year.

And he did as the Lord commanded Moses." Highlight, you have atonement highlighted, highlight once a year. So once a year we're gonna do this. Already that's a little different for us. Aren't we so grateful that the savior's atonement can apply more than just once a year? Yes. For sure. Daily. Daily. Go to verse 30, and this is the verse I've highlighted and put stars all around.

Su, please read verse 30. "And for on that day shall the priest make an atonement for you, to cleanse you, that ye may be clean from all your sins before the Lord." Okay. Now, we're gonna pause for just a second there because I had the coolest moment with this chapter, Leviticus 16. So the whole point of Leviticus 16 is to tell them how they're going to celebrate this annual day of Yom Kippur.

And there's so many things involved in here, where they will take the sins of the people and the priest will then put his hands on the head of a goat, and he'll put all the sins on that goat and then let the goat run out into the wilderness. And that's where we get the term scapegoat. It's in Leviticus chapter 16, verse eight.

There it is. Scapegoat. Then they're gonna offer another goat as a sacrifice. But the interesting thing about this day of atonement, it's the only day in the whole entire year where the high priest will come to the tabernacle and actually enter the Holy of Holies. Only one time a year will he go into the Holy of Holies to commune with the Lord and to talk for the people about all their sins, asking to be forgiven.

But we're gonna expand this just a little bit more. So here's what I want everyone to do, including you two. I'm gonna give you just a couple of minutes to do this. Grab a piece of paper. Do you have some paper and a pen real quick? Mm-hmm. Okay, grab a piece of paper and a pen. And here's what I want you to do.

Write down everything in your life that is difficult, struggling, heartache, or physical ailment. On your mark, get set, go. Just write it out as much as you can.

Is this in my life or just in life in the- In your life. And listen- Oh ... I'm not gonna ask you to share any of it. It's, it's not, I'm not gonna be like, "Pick which one's the hardest." No. This is totally private. So just write all the stuff in your life, the whole history of your life.

I might need two pages. For sure. I hear you, sis.

Okay. Well, Lee, you have to stop at some point. You can go on for as long as you want. But I have to tell you about this cool experience I had. So I was teaching young women as a couple of weeks ago, and I did this exercise with them. And but instead of having them write on one piece of paper, I brought several cut up pieces of paper.

So many, like a huge stack. And I said to the girls, "Okay, just start writing everything on these pieces of paper. And once you write down one, fold it and put it in this basket." And I had a basket. And so I let the girls write, and boy, did they write. And I ... Because I had to assure them, "I'm not gonna give this to your leaders.

We're not gonna go ahead and read it and then figure out who's who." So I, I gave them my word it was all private. And they wrote, and they wrote, and they wrote. And they filled my basket, overflowing with all this stuff. And I, I think there were probably maybe 12 girls in this room. Of stuff that just makes life difficult and hard- Mm-hmm

physically, emotionally- Mm-hmm ... all the things. Okay. Then we went into Leviticus 16, and I had them look for the word atonement. And then we discussed what this word means in their own lives. And it was one of the most powerful visual moments I've ever had because we h- highlighted the word atonement, and all of you have done this.

Somewhere at the top of your page in Leviticus 16, I want you to write out the word atonement. And then I want to tell you, and I said out this already in Hebrew, but just so you have it in your scriptures. Because in Hebrew, the word atonement is the Hebrew word kaphar, and it's spelled K-A-P-H-A-R.

K-A-P-H-A-R. And what that means in Hebrew is to cover. Mm-hmm. And then I took a red piece of material and I opened it up and I covered the basket with it. Oh. And I said to the sweet girls, "Okay, now let's talk about all the stuff that the atonement just covered for you. For instance, is the basket still here?"

Yes. And I didn't ... And I lifted the, the material off and I said, "Oh, they're still there. I didn't even ... It's not a magic trick. They didn't go away." So then I said, "What do you feel like the atonement does for your basket of stuff? And if I were to take your stuff and add it to it, ladies, and put that covering over it, tell me what that visual does for you.

What did you just learn about the atonement when it comes to your basket of yuck?" He's got it. He's got it covered. He knows what's in the basket. I'm not hiding it from him. Mm. He, he sees it. He knows it. He's not ashamed for me. Mm-hmm. And he's got it covered. Nice. I like that so much, Jolene. He's, he's not taken it away, but he's taken it.

Mm-hmm. He's helping me carry it. Mm-hmm. He's cov- it's not covering it to hide it. He's covering it to join with me. So it doesn't have to be mine alone. It can be ours. Mm-hmm. I like that. In fact, here's a cool verse. Let's go back into Leviticus 16:31, because I think when I was studying it this time, I love the implication of what this Day of Atonement is for them.

Su, will you read verse 31 and tell me why you're shaking your head? "It shall be a sabbath of rest unto you, and ye shall afflict your souls by a statue forever." So just the beginning of that, Su, why were you shaking your head? That it's a rest. Yeah. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. And isn't that what we need? Mm-hmm. The rest from the- Yeah

the overwhelming weight of everything in that basket. Yeah, we give it to Him. Mm-hmm. He carries it. Yeah. Yeah. And this meaning that you will afflict your souls by a statute forever, the meaning of that is, is that f- this will apply to you forever. You will be able to feel this. You will be able to feel what this atonement can do for you forever.

Every year we're going to do this as a reminder. And how grateful, like we said at the beginning, that it's not a yearly event for us, that we do this every day, many times a day, but that it is a rest. Using the atonement of Jesus Christ is indeed a rest. And when we apply it to that, wow, it's so big. I, I loved the reminder, too.

It was years ago. I had really been studying the atonement. And you know one of those testimony meetings where your heart's just pounding and you just know you have to stand up and... And so I just stood up and I shared a testimony. Basically, I must have said the phrase that it is something that I need, I access every day in my life.

And afterwards, there was a well-meaning gentleman in my ward, you know, and I guess when he came up to me, I thought he might have said, "I really enjoyed your testimony." But what he said is, "Sister Bingham, you must be doing something really wrong if you have to access the atonement every day in your life."

So I didn't share that for a really long time. I, that wasn't part of, of what I would share i- in a testimony. But can I tell you the joy when President Nelson gives the talk on- ... the need for daily repentance, and he gave it to a worldwide congregation, and I was hoping that that brother might be listening.

But I think, you know, oftentimes we link it to sin, or we link it to- Right ... yeah, a transgression or it's bad. Mm-hmm. I love so much that it's not that anymore. Our children are being taught very different than I think- Yes ... perhaps I was. Yeah. I, I just think that we've gone such a beautiful direction as to what it is.

Such a beautiful gift. The atonement is a gift, and for us to be able to access it is one of the greatest gifts we have. It was the purpose for which the Savior came. And it's, um... Yeah, I just love it. Anyway. Appreciated your reminder. I'm gonna use that visual. I'm gonna do that for a family home evening.

Yes, we do- Oh, yeah ... still have those. Yeah. I think you should, because I think- Mm-hmm ... and the thing for me that I love too is that, like, he didn't take it away, and, and I wanted to remind the girls- Mm-hmm ... like, you're still gonna have these struggles. But when you- 100% ... have the savior, when you have the atonement of Jesus Christ, when you lean into that, it almost makes it...

You don't have to really look at it right now. It's okay. Mm-hmm. He's g- he's got you. He's covered you. He has... Y- I, I think it's so beautiful with that. So this whole discussion on Leviticus in chapter 16 and having it be a Sabbath is powerful because then in the next segment we're gonna learn what the atonement is prep- pairing us to become.

We'll do that next.

Segment 5

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Okay, you two, this is fun. Fire off your answers for this. As two very wise women who have raised children, been married, all the things, what's your advice to someone who wants to get better at something? Hmm. Okay, go. I wanna get better at something. Okay, just- Tell me what to do ... practice. Yeah, practice. Yeah, practice for sure.

Perhaps surround yourself with somebody who has that strength where you feel weak. Be consistent. Yeah, so true. Yeah. Don't skip. Don't take the shortcut. Take as many steps as it takes. Don't look for the quick fix, in other words. I'm writing all your answers down. Find a mentor. Oh- Yeah ... that's a good one.

Yeah, to be accountable. Have someone that you're accountable to, 'cause that helps. These are good answers. Look and see what, what it r- what it really means. I mean- Yeah ... analyze that thing you wanna become or be better at, and really understand it so you know better how to become that. Yeah. And even to see if that's really what you want.

Maybe, maybe I'm not gonna be a ballerina. Yeah. Oh, these are good answers. If you go for it, you know, it's all right. Okay. I'm gonna take all those answers and apply them to this whole segment. This is cool. So let's see how this applies to Leviticus chapter 19, verses one through two. Here we go. We have Yom Kippur.

We've had that explained to us. So then you go into Leviticus chapter 19, and here's what the Lord expects of us. Here's what the Lord's hoping the tabernacle and Yom Kippur will do. So Jolene, will you please read Leviticus chapter 19, verses one and two? "And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto all the congregation of the chil- children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy."

We're just gonna be in that verse. Mm-hmm. Couple of... Okay, here's a couple things about that. First of all, what does he want the people to be? Holy As he is. Holy as he is. Yes. I like that. Yes. Perfect. Mm-hmm. So he wants them to be holy as he is. Um, circle all the congregation. This is really fascinating that I learned, that this phrase right here, all the congregation, it's only given in one other place in all scripture, and it's in Exodus 12:3 where the Lord's setting up the Passover.

And the Lord says to Moses, "Speak unto all the congregation." So he's setting up Passover, and we have now Day of Atonement. What is significant about that phrase, then? When he's saying, "Speak to all the congregation," what is the Lord hoping will happen? Who does he wanna hear- Well- ... have hear it? It applies to everyone.

Yes. It isn't something that's just for a few, maybe perhaps just the high priest. It's a call for all of us, and it basically is, "Be ye holy; for I the Lord your God am holy." Yes. So that's what he's asking us to be, is to be like him, which is not any different than what he's asking us today. You're exactly right.

Mm-hmm. In fact, let's look at how holy the Lord is. I thought this was fun. So another scripture chain. Underline, "For I the Lord your God am holy." This is how holy he is. I thought this was so cool. Go to Moses 7:35. I'm gonna give you a couple of different cross-references. Moses 7:35. And Su, when you get there, will you read that for us?

Mm-hmm. "Behold, I am God. Man of holiness is my name; Mm. man of counsel is my name; and endless and eternal is my name also." So when he says he's holy, he's literally saying, "It's my name. My name is holy." Mm-hmm, mm. Let's do another one. Go to Isaiah 57:15. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to receive the spirit of the humble and to receive the heart of the contrite ones."

What a beautiful scripture. Isn't that beautiful? Yes. You're gonna have to have us back when you do it. Okay. I love that. Who's na- why do you think it's so beautiful? I just love the descriptions of, of what he is. What holy is, yeah. His, yeah- Great power ... and what holy is. Yes. It's contrite, humble. Mm-hmm.

Receive the hearts of the contrite ones is what he does. I just thought it was- So I'm gonna, I'm gonna add that to your list of what to do if somebody says, "How do I get better?" Mm. Be contrite. Be humble. Mm. Mm. Mm. Yeah. Good. Mm-hmm. Good. Mm-hmm. Okay, let's do another one. Turn to 1 Nephi 22:21. "And now I, Nephi, declare unto you that this prophet, of whom Moses spake, was the Holy One of Israel; wherefore, he shall execute judgment in righteousness."

Then go to verse 24. Skip down and read that one for us, Su. "And the time cometh speedily that the righteous must be led up as calves of the stall, and the holy one of Israel must reign in dominion, and might, and power, and great glory." And then go to verse 28. "But behold, all nations, kindreds, tongues and people shall dwell safely in the holy one of Israel, if it so be that they will repent."

Thank you. Okay, so it's literally his name. So he's saying, "I want you to be holy. I am holy. You can be like me." But look back at verse two in Leviticus chapter 19, 'cause there's a word that I really like. When it says t- when he tells us to be holy, what's the word, the conditional word in there? Does he say, "You will be holy.

You might be holy." Shall be. You shall be holy. Highlight shall. Mm. Okay. This is pretty cool- That is nice ... because in the Hebrew, the way that this is constructed is it's called a future tense verb, meaning he's not making, saying, "You're gonna be holy in this moment." He's saying, "You shall be. You will be holy eventually."

It's a process. It's something that's going to take a lot of work. I'm gonna give you a cross-reference for the word shall. Put Doctrine and Covenants section 46 verse 33, and let's read that verse. Section 46 verse 33. Jolene, can you read that for us? Okay. "And ye must practice virtue and holiness before me continually.

Even so. Amen." There it is. Yes. Practice. Practice. So I'm gonna read all your answers. Mm-hmm. How do we become holy? We practice. We surround ourselves with strength. Mm-hmm. We are consistent. We don't stop. We don't take a shortcut. We don't look for a quick fix to becoming holy. We decide what it really means to be holy, to analyze on how to become holy.

I love the one you said, we have to decide if it's really what we want. Do we really wanna be holy? 'Cause it's a lot of work. And then to have a mentor to become holy. What a great idea. Mm-hmm. And then become more accountable for being holy. So tells us there, "You shall be holy. I am holy." That's the point of the tabernacle, or in other words, the temple today.

The goal is for us to be holy. And then I love- Mm ... this quote by Sister Carol F. McConkie. I just love it, and I love Sister McConkie. Okay. Here's what she has to say about this idea of being holy. Jolene, will you read the first part and then Su the second? "I see the beauty of holiness in sisters whose hearts are centered on all that is good, who want to become more like the Savior.

They offer their whole soul, heart, mi- mind, and strength to the Lord in the way that they live every day. Holiness is in the striving and the struggle to keep the commandments," I love that, striving and struggle, "to keep the commandments- Mm-hmm ... and to honor the covenants we have made with God. Holiness is making the choices that will keep the Holy Ghost as our guide.

Holiness is setting aside our natural tendencies and becoming a saint through the atonement of Christ the Lord. Every moment of our lives must be holiness to the Lord." Wow. And I, but I just noticed, it's the Holy Ghost, and I've never thought of that word of holy. Mm. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Mm. You... There's, there's your mentor.

Holy Ghost in the temple. Yes. Oh, what- Isn't that the best mentor? Yeah. And it, being accountable to him? Yes. Like, all your answers are in these, this h- quote. This is so cool. Mm-hmm. You guys answered perfectly. Okay, the next one. "Our Father in Heaven knows us, He loves us, and He has provided for us all that is required so that we can become holy as He is holy.

Heavenly Father has given each of us the capacity to become holy. May we do our best to keep our covenants and take the Holy Ghost as our guide. With faith in Jesus Christ, we become saints through His atonement, that we may receive immortality and eternal life, and give God our Father the glory due His name.

May our lives ever be a sacred offering, that we may stand before the Lord in the beauty of holiness." Mm. I love that, the beauty of holiness. Yeah. Yes. And the sacred offering of a wise and willing heart. Yeah. Like, you can just see everything so beautifully woven together with this quote and everything we've discussed, so awesome.

Thank you, ladies. Okay, so then let's do this. In the next segment and in our last segment, we're gonna take all of this and roll it up into a ball and see how it applies to our lives today when it comes to the temple. We'll do that next.

Segment 6

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Okay, we're gonna go back to how we started, Leviticus 25:8 and 22, where the whole goal of the tabernacle was for Him to dwell among them and for them to become His people, all those good things we've talked about. And we have seen how the Lord set up the opportunity for them to do it. And so my question for these women is, is the goal the same today for the temple as it was for the tabernacle?

Absolutel I believe that what all of this has been teaching us, and what this discussion has, has tried to lead us down that path, is that the temple isn't just a one-time thing that you do and you check off the box. It's a way of life. It's the covenants that we make there that make us different than before we made those covenants.

And I just wanted to, as we were reviewing some of Sister McConkie's comments, I love recently what we heard from our president, Camille Johnson- Mm-hmm ... in the recent Relief Society broadcast, where she said, "You can do hard with Jesus Christ, or you can do hard alone." I love this. "When you do hard with Jesus Christ, the hard becomes holy.

Trials are transformational when centered in Christ. Holy women worship in the temple, pray deeply, keep covenants, trust God's timing, consecrate what they have. Choose not to face life alone. Turn to Jesus Christ consistently. Let him change the nature of your struggles. Hard things don't go away, but with Jesus Christ, they become purposeful, refining, and even sacred."

Mm-hmm. My experience has been that that is so true. I have, um, found answers to prayers consistently, have been found in the temple. I loved how some of the things that you talked about with the, the Atonement covers, those items in that basket, I have found that I leave s- many of those problems at the door.

I go into the temple, where I'm able to feel peace, but guess what? Those problems are still there when I exit the temple, but I can pick them up with greater strength and, and yeah, endurance. I noticed, Tammy, that many times you introduce your guest hosts as PhDs. You call them doctors. Well, I have- Mm-hmm

a PhD in the temple, where I receive- I love it ... peace, hope, and direction. And when- Mm ... our kids were younger, I, I didn't work outside the home, and so I, I s- established something called Temple Tuesdays. I've been doing it now for nearly 50 years, Temple Tuesdays, where I would go to the temple, and sometimes I would feel so guilty.

It was a feeling of guilt that I was in the temple and my husband was at work, sometimes working two jobs. And he said, "There's nothing better that you could be doing for our family than being in the temple." And I have found that it was in the temple where I received very real, the blessings that were given in the dedicatory prayer of, um, the Kirtland Temple, where I realized them in my own life, just some that I jotted down.

We ask thee, Father, that thy servants may go forth from this house armed with power, that thy name may be upon them, and thy glory be round about them, and thine angels have charge over them. We ask thee, Holy Father, to establish the people that shall worship and honorably hold a name and standing in this thy house to all generations and for all eternity.

I also love the scripture, for it says that we grow up. It's in the temple where we grow up and receive the fullness of the Holy Ghost, and I feel as though I have grown up in the house of the Lord. I mean, is there a better school of instruction than there? And then as I mentioned in, like, the recent years, a scripture from Isaiah has just really been what I carry with me when I go to the temple, and it says in Isaiah chapter 4 verse 6, "And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge or fortress of safety, or, and for a covert or a cover from the storm and from the rain."

I have felt in my life that just the beating sun...

Sorry. In a desolate desert where I have been parched- It's okay ... and needing the living water in my life, I have gone to the temple for refuge, for safety. I have gone there when the storms of life... And let me tell you, we all, we all have them. Sometimes I feel like we are just, like, in a hurricane or a tornado most of the time, and I find myself constantly having to look for the silver linings in the clouds.

And the, and, um, when I'm in the temple, I, I, I can see the sun,

obviously meaning the Son of God. So I have found that the temple is so much more than just a place. The temple is who I am. Mm. And I am amazed that we have a merciful Father in heaven that allows us to enter into sacred covenants with Him. It's an honor and a privilege to be able to bear His name, to wear His garment, and I am forever grateful for the covenants that we make there that bind us together as a family.

Wow. Jolene, thank you. Thank you. I will amen what you said. Thank you. Wow. The, the goal was met, a time when the Lord has met you or communed with you in the taberna- in His tabernacle or temple, so thank you. Su, what about you? Have you had an experience where the Lord has met you or communed with you in His holy house?

Oh, so often. I often refer to the temple as my crystal ball. When I need answers so desperately and can't find them, I study and I learn and I- ponder and alls I need to do is go to the temple and answers are there. Nearly eight years ago, my husband was diagnosed with cancer, and we were making our way through the chemo and doing all that, and had great hopes, and the doctors were very positive.

But after a while, they weren't so positive. Mm. And I had not really thought through the process of what this would mean. And so I went to the temple. In fact, it was the day I was working at the temple. And I was in the initiatory room, in, in the last area of the initiatory room, and I guess things had slowed down and I was just sitting there, and all a sudden I felt that absolute panic of, "I'm gonna be a widow.

I can't do that. I can't, I can't do that." Just having a panic attack. "I can't. I'm not one of those people. I can't ha- no. No, I can't do that." And I just s- shook sitting in that little stool there. And the voice of the Spirit came so strongly to me and said, "Have I ever left you alone?" And it's like my life just passed before my eyes of all the times he had been there when I thought all was lost, and I knew in that instant that I would be covered, that he would be there.

And it was a long process, and it was hard, and it was a wilderness. But from that moment, I knew. I knew I could be what I needed to be because he was there, and that's all I needed, just to know he was there. And how many times have any of us been to the temple and found the answer, found the direction, found the peace that happens there just by meeting him and allowing him to meet with me, meet with us?

Wow. Thank you, Su. Both of you women, you wise, willing women And that's what I believe you are. You've been that to me in the time that I've known you. I'm so thankful for the Spirit that has been here today, and truly a testimony from both of you that the atonement of Jesus Christ is a sabbath. It really is, and it has given you rest in ways you probably never imagined.

You probably had these lives that were perfectly mapped out, like we all do, and nothing's ever perfectly mapped out. And, and I just think, I love that the Lord takes with what we are willing to give him, and then he just makes, he makes it work, you know? And I, I love that, going back to that scripture we read about the tabernacle being built, that those who are willing and wise-hearted, the Lord then put in them an understanding of the work that they were supposed to do.

Mm. And I think he does that for us. He's like, "You don't even know what I have in store for you. And it's not what anything you've planned, but I will put it- Mm-hmm ... in your heart so that you will get it, and it will lead you to me." I think that's the whole goal. So thank you, ladies. Wow, what a great discussion.

Thank you for having the Spirit with you so that we could feel the Spirit today through your stories and your experiences. I love you both. That was awesome. We love you. All right, bye. Wow, that was a great discussion. Oh, my gosh, I love it, I love it, I love it. Okay, I just wanna know, tell me what you've learned.

This is so much fun. Go on Instagram or Facebook and share what it is that you've learned, and comment on some of the posts that have been put on there. You can get to both our Facebook and Instagram by going to the show notes for this episode at ldsliving.com/sundayonmonday. And go there anyway, because it's where we're going to have links to all the references, a complete list of all the things that were in the tabernacle that you're gonna wanna use if you're teaching it, 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 incredible study group participants were Su Jones and Jolene Bingham. And you can find more information about my friends at ldsliving.com/sundayonmonday.

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, oh, please remember that you are God's favorite.