Latest / Scripture Central / "Stand Forever" Ep. 25 | The Truth—Enduring to the End, Part I | Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge

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"Stand Forever" Ep. 25 | The Truth—Enduring to the End, Part I | Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge · Scripture Central

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  Enduring to the end. It's not just not smoking until
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  you die. It is to do whatever is
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  necessary to receive and follow the Holy Ghost in your life.
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  Yesterday's mistakes should be remembered long enough to not
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  repeat them, but they are in the past.
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  What you did in the past, good or bad, is not nearly as
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  important as what you do today. However, at some point the
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  weight becomes simply more than we can lift, more than we can
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  bear. Try as you might, it's just too
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  heavy. But if it is, go on how you just
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  do it. You just go on anyway.
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  You can always go farther than what you think.
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  Never give up, never quit. It is there.
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  It is there we meet the Lord. Hello again.
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  I'm Larry Corbridge and this is episode 25 of the Stand Forever
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  series. The focus of this episode is
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  enduring to the end, which is what you're doing if you're
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  still with me, and I hope that you will stay with with me.
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  As I have said before, the big picture is a big deal.
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  I just want to remind us of the overall framework of what we're
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  doing here. Few things provide greater
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  comfort and confidence and clarity than looking beyond
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  present cares to see and remember the big picture.
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  You may live life in the weeds, but if you don't see, if you
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  don't see beyond them, you'll think life is only weeds.
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  When we stand back, as I've said before, the big picture looks
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  like this. A The essential problem in life
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  is separation from God our Father.
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  Without God, chaos, darkness and death prevail.
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  B Jesus Christ bridges the gap if we will only believe and
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  follow Him to the end and help others do the same.
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  Christ is the way, offsetting chaos.
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  He is the truth, offsetting darkness.
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  He is the life offsetting death. So what's the conclusion Again?
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  Cross the bridge and close the gap.
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  Believe and follow Christ to the end and help others do that very
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  same thing. That is the big picture.
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  Again, in the primary framework for this series, the course, the
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  course to follow Christ, the course to close the gap is his
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  gospel meaning to have faith in Him and and then align our lives
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  with what we learn. In other words, repent, receive
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  ordinances beginning with baptism, receive the Holy Ghost
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  and endure to the end. Stay the course engaged in his
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  work as an active contributing member of his church.
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  So today we focus on the last waypoint, the last coordinate on
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  that journey enduring to the end.
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  Among various scriptural statements about what is
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  necessary to receive the gift of God's life, eternal life, the
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  common denominator is faithfulness.
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  It is staying the course, enduring to the end.
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  Let me just give you a few examples among a a much longer
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  list. Wherefore you must press forward
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  with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of
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  hope and the love of God and of all men.
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  Wherefore if he shall press forward, feasting upon the word
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  of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the
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  Father, ye shall have eternal life.
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  Another scriptural example. And I know that the Lord God
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  will consecrate my prayers for the gain of my people, and the
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  words which I have written in weakness will be made strong
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  unto them. For it persuadeth them to do
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  good, it maketh known unto them of their fathers, and it
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  speaketh of Jesus, and persuadeth them to believe in
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  Him, and what endure to the end, which is life eternal.
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  Another scriptural example. Then, my beloved brethren,
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  repent, ye enter in at the Strait gate, and continue in the
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  way which is narrow, until ye shall obtain eternal life.
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  Another And behold, he meaning Alma, preach the word unto your
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  Father's in a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts,
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  and they humbled themselves, and put their trust in the true and
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  living God. And behold, they were faithful
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  unto the end, therefore they were saved.
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  Another behold, I am the law and the light.
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  Look unto me, the Lord said, and endure to the end, and ye shall
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  live, for unto him that endureth to the end will I give eternal
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  life. I know this is a long list, just
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  another one or two. And if you keep my commandments,
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  the Lord said, and endure to the end, you shall have eternal
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  life. Which gift is the greatest of
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  all the gifts of God? Another Blessed are they who are
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  faithful and endure, whether in life or in death, for they shall
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  inherit eternal life. So this, this declaration
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  repeated throughout Scripture to endure, whether in life or in
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  death, is especially intriguing, suggesting the same process of
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  enduring continues beyond the veil.
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  Enduring to the end is about getting to the end is it is
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  about finishing. It is not.
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  It's not gritting your teeth, gutting it out, biting the
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  bullet, looking forward for a brighter, happier day.
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  And it's not just not smoking until you die.
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  It is to do whatever is necessary to receive and follow
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  the Holy Ghost in your life. Building up the Kingdom of God
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  is an active contributing member of his work as a member of the
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  of his church, the Church of Jesus Christ.
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  Beginning in your own home making a difference and never
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  ever ever quit. You don't stop, you keep going,
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  and during to the end is to stay the course and finish.
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  It is dogged faithfulness. Yesterday's accomplishments and
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  good deeds and triumphs should be remembered, sure and
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  cherished, but they're in the past.
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  Yesterday's mistakes should be remembered long enough to not
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  repeat them, but they are in the past.
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  Some people mistakenly live there in the past, either
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  reliving rethinking mistakes or coasting on past successes or
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  laborers. What you did in the past, good
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  or bad, is not nearly as important as what you do today,
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  right now. Johnny Kelly, an American long
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  distance runner who competed in the Summer Olympics of 1936 and
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  1948 and continued running throughout his life, is reported
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  to have said this. It's not what you once did that
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  counts the most, he said. But what you keep doing, that's
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  the key. What you keep doing.
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  Well, of course we rejoice in the light of day.
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  We shouldn't be afraid of the dark either, for as much as we
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  aspire to warmth and and and the clarity of light, darkness
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  cannot be wholly avoided. God did not do away with
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  darkness. Rather, he introduced light
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  where there was only darkness and divided the light from the
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  darkness. And we live in a recurring cycle
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  of day and night, light and darkness.
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  Without without darkness, we cannot appreciate light.
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  But if you're on the path, pressing forward, you need not
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  be afraid of the dark. When dark times come.
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  And make no mistake, darkness comes.
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  The most profound truths and the most brilliant shards of light
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  are often revealed in the depths of darkness and the extremity of
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  struggle. Never was there darkness like
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  the darkness of Gethsemane, to borrow Paul's words.
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  I have not seen nor ear heard, neither have entered into the
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  heart of man All that God suffered, both Father and Son,
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  when all darkness and evil bore down on one-on-one solitary
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  soul, the Son of Man. Never a night so dark, never
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  evil so malevolent, never suffering so awful, never a
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  burden so great, never survival so unlikely, and never 1 so
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  alone as when all of it raged and diabolical force pressing
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  down on only one. Not only was the light of the
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  world not spared darkness, he experienced and comprehends all
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  of it. Satan's resolve was to break
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  him, but the Lord not only bore it, but accomplish.
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  Listen to this. He accomplished the greatest
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  work of all eternity, the work of salvation, atonement for the
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  sins, suffering, pains, afflictions, temptations,
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  sicknesses, death and infirmities of all mankind in
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  the worst, in the worst of all conditions.
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  The greatest work of all time and eternity was done not in sun
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  shining moments of great inspiration, but in the depths
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  of total darkness and despair. Considering what he endured, we
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  can also endure whatever burdens we bear.
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  We can reach breaking points without breaking and be better
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  for it in the end. The straight and narrow path
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  does not go around the midst of darkness, but through it.
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  If you are on the path, pressing forward, clinging to the rod of
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  iron, don't be afraid of the dark or necessarily conclude
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  something that's going to arrive when you're in it.
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  You will get through, and you will be better for it if you
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  hold fast to the rod of iron and press on.
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  Just press on during some of the darkest times in my life that we
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  all experience in one way or another.
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  One thing I learned was, and continue to struggle to
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  remember, is to never give up. Here is a journal entry.
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  Although this is somewhat personal, it illustrates the
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  point I'm trying to make a journal entry from the depths of
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  despair many years ago, quoting my myself from my journal.
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  Never, never give up. When we speak of opposition, we
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  usually mean temptation or polar opposition of good and evil.
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  But truth is, there is much opposition that has no moral
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  implication, no association with right and wrong.
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  Someone is lonely, another afraid.
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  A child dies, someone diagnosed with a debilitating illness or
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  terminal cancer. Health fails, so Job is lost.
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  Another drunk driver takes another vibrant and brilliant
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  life. And on and on and on.
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  No temptation to curse God or to do evil.
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  No impulse to lie, cheat or steal.
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  No thought to harm another or to succumb to an immoral impulse.
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  Just the burden. Just the burden of life's ills
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  bearing down relentlessly, pressing down, weighing and
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  grinding down until you can hardly breathe and you wonder
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  how to go on. Forget about evil.
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  You just wonder how to survive. If it is part of God's design,
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  what is the point of so much suffering and hardship?
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  This seems to have little to do with good and evil.
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  It may be like the muscle that is strengthened bearing up
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  greater weight more consistently, the strength that
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  develops in time and direct proportion to the greater
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  weight, and the regularity of resistance.
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  We too become spiritually strengthened the more constantly
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  we lift and bear up underneath increasingly greater weight of
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  opposition. However, at some point the
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  weight becomes simply more than we can lift, more than we can
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  bear. Try as you might, it's just too
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  heavy. What then?
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  Give up or go on, but if it is, go on how you just do it.
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  You just go on anyway. You can always go farther than
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  what you think. Never give up, never quit.
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  It is there, it is there. We meet the Lord there at the
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  end when the weight is too heavy to bear, there He is.
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  One of the overarching purposes of enduring to the end is to
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  become fruitful. It isn't just about
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  faithfulness, but fruitfulness making a difference.
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  But how? And I think I've talked before a
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  little bit about this. The Lord said, Wherefore be not
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  weary in well doing, for you are laying the foundation of a great
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  work, and out of small things proceedeth that which is great.
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  Alma similarly said that by small and simple things are
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  great things brought to pass. This is a profoundly inspiring
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  and important truth. The Lord didn't say by grand and
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  complicated things are great things brought brought to pass
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  rather small and simple things. This is true as to what makes a
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  difference in our lives and also how we can make a difference in
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  the lives of others as well, whether for good or for evil.
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  A burning Bush, parting the Red Sea or the appearance of angels
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  may not be as life changing as smaller and more simple things.
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  One man said this about his experience of recovering from
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  divorce and the loss of the privileges as a member of the
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  church. He said destroying God's trust
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  in me was the lowest that I have ever been.
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  A Bishop that I visited with mentioned the importance of
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  fasting and praying. I began to fast every Sunday for
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  the ability to forgive myself and believe that the Atonement
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  could pick me up and clean my horrible stains.
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  I felt worthless inside and a failure in many different ways.
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  Doing this changed me. My heart changed, my thought
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  processes changed, and I realized that God still loved me
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  and had a plan for me. Small and simple things.
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  A woman long and strange from the church said this.
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  As soon as I walked back in the church, I felt a welcoming that
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  I had never experienced before. Small and simple things.
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  Another woman, angry at God because of the abuse she
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  suffered as a child and later as a wife, nailed in her closet.
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  And she said this. I sat there in anger, trembling,
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  trying to find the words to express the hurt and anger in my
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  heart. I remember angrily praying one
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  of the most honest prayers I've ever prayed.
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  Instantly I felt the most incredible peace and
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  indescribable love I have ever felt.
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  I knew for the very first time in my life that my Father in
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  heaven knew me and my pain. I knew at that moment I was
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  indeed His daughter and He had such an incredible love for me.
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  Every bit of anger towards Heavenly Father was instantly
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  replaced with love and gratitude again, by small and simple
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  things, great things come to pass.
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  A man explained why his marriage failed.
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  He said frankly, I've spent many hours pondering on what went
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  wrong. The first few years I tried to
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  fix blame on the circumstances. At times I blame my ex-wife.
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  Sometimes I blamed my career choice.
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  Other times I blamed the market conditions.
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  It wasn't until many years later that I realized that it was all
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  my fault. I did not strengthen my
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  testimony by going to church and renewing my covenants.
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  I did not read the scriptures daily nor ponder and study the
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  gospel principles. I did not attend the temple and
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  strive to live my life so that I could have a temple recommend.
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  I got carried away in the ways of the world and chased after
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  material things. That small and simple things
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  bring about great things is a truth that cuts both ways,
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  positively and negatively. For those who always pray, who
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  treasure up the words of life continually, who have faith in
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  God our Father and Jesus Christ. For those who repent worthily,
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  receive ordinances, receive the Holy Ghost, work to build up the
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  Kingdom of God, and are true and faithful to their covenants, are
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  great things brought to pass. They received the greatest
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  things, God's Son, his Spirit and his life.
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  I don't know the whole world, but I know of no one who while
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  doing those small things, woke up 11 morning thinking, Oh my
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  heck, the church isn't true, it's all a hoax, or there is no
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  God, or decide to lie, cheat and steal or commit adultery that
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  day. Conversely, those who neglect
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  any of those small and simple things inevitably weaken in
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  faith and gravitate toward chaos, darkness, and death.
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  To borrow a phrase from Moroni, they dwindle in unbelief, do the
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  little things and thrive, neglect them and die.
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  That by small and simple things are great things brought to pass
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  is a truth that applies not not only as to how you may be
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  blessed, but also but also how you may bless others.
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  You have an incredible capacity. We all do have an incredible
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  capacity to do good. But usually by small and simple
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  things you absolutely can and do make a difference.
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  People often doubt they can make a difference, be an influence
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  for good. Those doubts arise for various
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  reasons, but they are always wrong.
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  One of the great underestimations of life is how
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  much we are influenced by others and our incredible capacity to
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  influence other people, especially especially those who
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  are closest to us, especially family members.
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  A woman estranged from the Church and hateful toward God
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  and everyone else was helped on her journey, backed by
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  missionaries who never spoke to her.
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  She said this. My experience with protesters in
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  Utah and the missionaries reaction to them showed me a
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  love that I'm still working on and that I would like to be able
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  to show to all. Those missionaries will never
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  know the great good they do did as disciples of Christ at all
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  times and all places. Even when they are not teaching,
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  they are teaching by small and simple things.
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  They just don't know it, a state president said of a man who
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  struggled with pornography throughout his life.
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  After meeting his fiance, he seemed to find the hope he had
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  been lacking. He found someone.
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  Listen to this. He found someone who seemed to
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  believe in him, which sparked a hope in him and the future
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  possibilities of an of an an eternal family.
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  He found a reason to fight the addictions and temptations that
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  imprisoned him. Continuing on with the quote,
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  the many words of counsel and pleading from his parents and
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  Bishop Gains gained some credibility in his mind.
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  He began to trust in the things he had been taught in his youth.
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  The familiar spirit began to teach and reteach him of his
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  loving Heavenly Father and his Savior Jesus Christ.
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  He began to not only attend the 12 step program, but but it
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  became a part of his life. When I asked him what he would
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  do if his relationship with his fiance were terminated, he
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  testified with tears in his eyes that it would not change the
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  direction he was going nor the truth he has found.
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  That's the end of that quote. Again, by small and simple
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  things, amazing things, great things come to pass.
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  Another man said, If it hadn't been for my faithful, loving
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  wife who doggedly and unceasingly believed that the
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  good side of me was and is my true self and the power of the
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  Atonement, I don't know where I would be today.
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  He said small and simple things. Another said, I have been
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  blessed with a wonderful woman that helped me to heal and
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  forgive myself. She brought light and hope to my
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  life, and with the help of her unconditional love, the guidance
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  of my stake and ward leaders, and the blessings of the Lord,
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  it has been possible for me to complete my disciplinary process
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  and become an active member of the church.
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  Small and simple things, a woman said.
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  After I remarried, I learned what true love really is.
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  I learned what it was like to have someone treat me tenderly
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  with kindness and concern for my feelings.
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  I learned that everything that went wrong in the household
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  wasn't my fault. When I make a mistake, my
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  husband is so kind and loving and helps me feel appreciated
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  regardless. Small and simple things can also
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  can also go the other way. Can also discourage and weaken
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  faith, a woman said of her prior husband.
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  I sincerely feel that the moment the Internet and cell phones
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  invaded our lives, it was then that I lost him.
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  He was there physically, but in every other capacity he was not.
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  I remember a few years before our our divorce begging him for
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  attention and courtship to no avail.
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  I then became resentful when he had not said 2 words to me all
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  day or for weeks or even months. The mundane routine was always
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  discussed but never anything meaningful.
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  The last several years of our marriage we shared a roof but
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  not alive. Small and simple things going
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  the other way A young woman developed a serious eating
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  disorder, claiming she was never never able to please her mother
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  as much as she tried. Her mother compared her
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  accomplishments with those of a sibling and she never measured
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  up in the eyes of the mother. A very common thread throughout
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  troubled marriages is the lack of self worth and self respect
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  that comes from belittling, demeaning, dismissive comments
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  and actions of one spouse toward the other.
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  A marriage failed because of a wife's adultery, low self worth,
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  and a husband who is controlling, manipulative and
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  demeaning. She stopped attending church and
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  began drinking alcohol without excusing her choices.
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  One wonders what would have been the outcome if she had been
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  treated differently by her husband, A man said of his wife.
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  I was constantly reminded how I fell short of her expectations.
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  I tried so hard to make her proud of me.
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  I wanted more than anything just to get some sort of praise or
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  recognition. It did not matter how well I
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  did. I never heard any praise or
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  encouragement from her. It felt like she took every
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  opportunity to take a jab at me when I when I made a mistake.
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  I've always tried not to let what others think or say about
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  me hurt me. But it really did hurt when it
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  came from her and she was probably trying to motivate him
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  to to do and be better. But it didn't work.
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  By small and simple things it didn't work, a woman said of her
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  deceased husband. When we were in the company of
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  others, he would very often dominate the conversation and I
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  did not feel acknowledged nor encouraged.
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  After he died, I came to realize that I did not know who who I
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  was. I would often hear myself refer
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  to what he said or did not, what I failed or thought.
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  Over the years of reading the life stories of many people
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  seeking redemption, there was never once, not once, an
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  instance of a single individual that did not involve other
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  people. The damage from sin is never
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  limited to the Sinner alone. There is always collateral
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  damage that hurts others as well.
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  Conversely, the blessings, the blessings that that flow from
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  obedience to God's commandments is a river so wide it washes
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  over the obedient child and splashes those nearby as well.
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  Except for Heavenly Father, no one has greater capacity to
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  inspire and lift, inspire and lift, or demoralize and defeat
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  than a spouse or a parent. One of the greatest
• 33:26
  responsibilities we have in mortality is to use that power
• 33:34
  for good, to build others up, especially those who are closest
• 33:45
  to us. We build others by turning
• 33:51
  toward them, giving them our attention, connecting with them,
• 33:57
  looking at them in their eyes, and helping when we can.
• 34:04
  We build others by living and teaching the gospel of Jesus
• 34:08
  Christ. We build others in the Kingdom
• 34:11
  of God, as the Lord said, by persuasion, long-suffering,
• 34:16
  gentleness, meekness, and love unfain, by kindness and pure
• 34:21
  knowledge reproving. But times were sharpness when
• 34:26
  moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and then showing forth
• 34:30
  afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast
• 34:34
  reproved, lest he esteemed thee to be his enemy, that he may
• 34:40
  know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of
• 34:43
  death. All interactions, especially
• 34:48
  with family members, either listen to this.
• 34:54
  It seems to me at least that all the interactions, especially
• 34:59
  with family members, either lift and strengthen and edify or
• 35:05
  discourage and weaken. There may not be any neutral
• 35:12
  interaction. And that which does not edify,
• 35:16
  the Lord said, is not of God. And it's darkness.
• 35:23
  We sing in the hymn we are sowing daily, sowing countless
• 35:28
  seeds of good. And I'll by a whisper sow we
• 35:32
  blessings, by a breath we scatter, strive.
• 35:38
  In our words and thoughts and actions lie the seeds of death
• 35:44
  and life. We are always sowing seeds.
• 35:54
  We cannot live, take up space on this planet and not make a
• 35:59
  difference. The Lord said He that is not
• 36:03
  with me is against, and he that gathereth not with me
• 36:09
  scattereth. We either gather or scatter one
• 36:15
  or the other. Even one who does nothing makes
• 36:19
  a difference by evoking indifference, influencing others
• 36:23
  to do nothing, as well as by foregoing all the good that
• 36:28
  would otherwise emerge in small and simple ways.
• 36:33
  No one is inconsequential. Everyone makes a difference.
• 36:38
  The only question is whether the countless seeds you sow will be
• 36:43
  for good or I'll. If we are always sowing
• 36:48
  countless seeds, why not sow seeds of good?
• 36:55
  Each of us makes a difference. Let it be for good.
• 37:08
  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the great
• 37:14
  stone rolling for throughout the world.
• 37:18
  It is the Kingdom of God on earth.
• 37:22
  His is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
• 37:27
  It is His Church, but it is also our Church because He gives it
• 37:35
  to us that His work, Kingdom, power and glory be ours as well.
• 37:44
  His Church is not the Church of Jesus Christ of the prophets of
• 37:49
  the latter days, or the priesthood of the latter days.
• 37:53
  It is the Church of Jesus Christ of all of its members, of every
• 38:00
  man and woman, every boy and girl.
• 38:04
  It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
• 38:12
  When He named His Church, He put our name next to his.
• 38:18
  Do you see that it is there for all to see high up on the Grand
• 38:24
  Marquis? He gives us equal billing with
• 38:28
  him. He makes us Co stars with him,
• 38:32
  that we become coworkers with him, that we become Co heirs
• 38:38
  with him. Embedded in the name of the
• 38:42
  church is an invitation to become one with Him, one with
• 38:49
  Christ, by engaging in His work. That is at the very heart.
• 38:56
  That is at the very heart of enduring to the end.
• 38:59
  If you want to get close to the Lord, engage in His work.
• 39:06
  Do what you can. The many prophecies and signs of
• 39:11
  the Lord's Second coming reveal 2 contrasting truths, one bad
• 39:17
  and the other good, which lead to a single conclusion.
• 39:23
  So first, the bad news. Conditions in the world
• 39:30
  generally will worsen regardless of what we may do.
• 39:35
  The downward slide of mankind and nations is not predestined,
• 39:40
  but it has been foreseen and foretold throughout the ages.
• 39:45
  There are over 2000 scriptural prophecies regarding the signs
• 39:51
  of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, similar to the
• 39:56
  prophecies about the life and ministry of Christ.
• 39:59
  The conditions of our day have been more clearly and
• 40:03
  extensively previewed and prophesied than any other time,
• 40:07
  in order that we may be forewarned.
• 40:11
  Prepared and recognize the signs of the times for what they are
• 40:16
  among those signs. The Lord said this.
• 40:21
  He said there will be distress of nations with perplexity and
• 40:27
  men's hearts failing them for fear.
• 40:32
  Every day the media reports nations and distress whose
• 40:36
  leaders and people are perplexed.
• 40:39
  They don't know what to do. All the King's horses and all
• 40:44
  the King's men don't seem to be able to put it together again.
• 40:49
  And everyday people lose heart, lose hope and fall into despair.
• 40:55
  The conditions of the world are temporary, and we will not
• 41:00
  change those conditions much or turn the tide of human events on
• 41:05
  a global scale. So again, that's the bad news.
• 41:11
  Here's the good news. By contrast, the Kingdom of God
• 41:17
  will stand forever. It's not temporary.
• 41:22
  The Kingdom of God, including families, is eternal.
• 41:27
  It will not pass away. And it is greatly listen to
• 41:31
  this. It is greatly influenced by what
• 41:36
  we do. God's Kingdom has been
• 41:40
  established once again in our day, never to be destroyed, and
• 41:47
  it shall stand forever. And it is greatly affected by
• 41:53
  what faithful Saints do everywhere in every corner of
• 41:59
  the world. Therefore what what is the
• 42:03
  conclusion in the Lord's words? Wherefore seek not the things of
• 42:10
  this world, but seek ye first to build up the Kingdom of God and
• 42:15
  to establish His righteousness, and all these things, meaning
• 42:20
  everything else we need, shall be added unto you.
• 42:26
  Seek first to strengthen families, the Saints, the rising
• 42:31
  generation, proclaim, share the gospel, care for the poor,
• 42:37
  redeem the dead, and strengthen the Church, which will
• 42:40
  increasingly become an end sign to all nations as city set upon
• 42:44
  a hill. Focus more on saving souls than
• 42:49
  saving the world. Now of course, this is not to
• 42:55
  say we should be uninvolved or passive, apathetic, fatalistic,
• 43:02
  pessimistic, pessimistic or defeatist regarding the affairs
• 43:06
  of mankind. Rather, it is to say, as members
• 43:10
  of the Church, we should first concentrate or consecrate
• 43:17
  ourselves along with our limited time and means where they will
• 43:22
  do the greatest good both in time and eternity.
• 43:30
  That's what the Lord did. That's what Jesus Christ did.
• 43:35
  It's no wonder he came to the earth during the height of the
• 43:39
  Roman Empire, possibly the most brutal authoritarian
• 43:44
  governmental regime in the history of the world.
• 43:49
  And yet he did little, if anything, to push off the heavy
• 43:53
  boot of Rome from from the neck of the people, much to the
• 43:57
  disappointment of many. To the contrary, He said, Render
• 44:03
  unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and he paid taxes
• 44:09
  instead. Christ concentrated or
• 44:13
  consecrated Himself all that He had, all that He was His time
• 44:22
  and His means, where it would do the greatest good both in time
• 44:27
  and eternity. He went about teaching and
• 44:31
  preaching and healing the sick, ministering to the people.
• 44:37
  He focused on saving souls more than saving the world.
• 44:41
  He gave Himself to His Father's work, and He invites us to do
• 44:48
  the very same. He said his words.
• 44:52
  He said, The works which you have seen me do, that shall ye
• 44:58
  also do. He also said, Verily, verily, I
• 45:04
  say unto you, He that believeth on me.
• 45:08
  And now this is an interesting thing that he says.
• 45:11
  The works that I do shall he do also, and greater works than
• 45:17
  thee shall he do, because I go into my Father.
• 45:23
  The Lord invites us to do as He did, build up the Kingdom of God
• 45:28
  on earth, proclaim and extend the blessings of His gospel to
• 45:32
  all people on both sides of the veil.
• 45:37
  And given, given the size of His army and given the means of
• 45:44
  communication and transportation available today, our works in
• 45:48
  that sense may even be greater, as He said, by reaching farther
• 45:55
  than what was ever possible before, even to the ends of the
• 45:59
  earth. And if that were not enough,
• 46:03
  with hundreds of temples spanning the globe, an untold
• 46:06
  number of ordinances are performed for the vast majority
• 46:11
  of God's children who could not receive them while in mortality.
• 46:16
  Greater works in that sense, as Saints everywhere labor to build
• 46:21
  the Kingdom. All nations of the earth will be
• 46:24
  blessed through the seed of Israel in fulfillment of the
• 46:28
  promises made to the fathers. The Lord said I am able to do
• 46:35
  mine own work. He explained that if the
• 46:40
  shepherds of Israel do not gather, care and feed His
• 46:44
  scattered sheep, the shepherds will suffer.
• 46:47
  But he, the Lord, will seek out His sheep, He will deliver them,
• 46:52
  and He will feed them. His purposes, as He said, will
• 46:58
  fail not, neither are there any who can stay His hand.
• 47:04
  So in light of that, one might wonder, why worry about all of
• 47:11
  it? Why engage in God's work if he
• 47:14
  will do it anyway better than we can?
• 47:18
  Some, maybe many, view their service somehow as a favor they
• 47:23
  are rendering to God, helping God out in his work.
• 47:27
  That view sees service as a burden rather than a blessing.
• 47:34
  It produces token and sporadic service and eventually burnout.
• 47:40
  And yet the Lord has promised, and any man that shall go and
• 47:45
  preach the gospel of the Kingdom and fail not to continue
• 47:48
  faithful in all things, shall not be weary in mind.
• 47:55
  Should not burnout, neither darkened, neither embody limb
• 48:00
  nor joint, and the hair of his head shall not fall to the
• 48:04
  ground unnoticed. And they shall not go hungry,
• 48:07
  and neither a thirst. Those who engage in the work of
• 48:12
  the Lord and view their contribution as a favor, they
• 48:17
  render to God Those who see it as as a burden.
• 48:22
  It's a sacrifice. They do eventually become weary
• 48:27
  in mind, darkened and burnout. God does not engage us.
• 48:34
  Listen to this. God does not engage us in his
• 48:40
  work to help him, rather to help us, he said.
• 48:49
  And how blessed are they who have labored diligently in His
• 48:53
  vineyard? It is never a burden.
• 48:59
  It is always a blessing and unspeakable privilege to be to
• 49:05
  be engaged in the work of God. What greater work could there
• 49:13
  ever be? There are always 2 consequences
• 49:20
  that flow from engagement in God's work and building up the
• 49:25
  church. They are the greatest of God's
• 49:29
  gifts. For example, here's a few
• 49:32
  scriptural examples. And you know when I say few, it
• 49:37
  may be more than two or three, but I'll try to make it quick.
• 49:41
  For example, the Lord said this, Therefore, O ye that embark in
• 49:46
  the service of God, see that you serve him with all your heart,
• 49:49
  might, mind and strength, that who that ye may stand blameless
• 49:59
  before God at the last day. Therefore, if you have desires
• 50:04
  to serve God, you're called to the work.
• 50:07
  For behold, the field is white already to harvest.
• 50:10
  And lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same
• 50:15
  layeth up in store that who? That he perisheth not, but
• 50:24
  bringeth salvation to whose soul?
• 50:29
  To his soul. And then the promise ask, And
• 50:34
  you shall receive knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
• 50:38
  Amen. He also has repeatedly said
• 50:43
  this, Behold, the field is white already to harvest.
• 50:47
  Therefore, whoso desireth to reap, let him thrust in his
• 50:52
  sickle with his might, and reap while the day lasts, That who
• 50:58
  that he may treasure up for his soul everlasting salvation in
• 51:05
  the Kingdom of God. And then he repeats it.
• 51:09
  Yeah, whosoever will thrust in his sickle and reap, the same is
• 51:13
  called of God. Therefore, if you will ask of
• 51:16
  me, you shall receive. If you will knock, it shall be
• 51:21
  opened unto you now, as you have asked, Behold, I say unto you,
• 51:27
  keep my commandments, and seek to bring forth and establish the
• 51:32
  cause of Zion. On another occasion the Lord
• 51:36
  said, Therefore thrust in your sickle with all your soul, and
• 51:42
  then this marvelous promise, and your sins are forgiven you.
• 51:48
  One might reasonably expect a different admonition, like
• 51:53
  thrust in your sickle with your might to save the souls of other
• 51:57
  men, that they may ask and receive.
• 52:00
  But the promise is rather your salvation, your redemption, that
• 52:10
  ye may stand blameless and receive answers to your prayers.
• 52:18
  The Lord asked, how long can rolling waters remain impure?
• 52:26
  Rolling waters seem to suggest continual engagement in the work
• 52:30
  of the Lord. And then continuing on.
• 52:33
  He says, what power shall stay the heavens as well?
• 52:38
  Might, might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the
• 52:42
  Missouri River and its decreed course, or to turn it upstream,
• 52:47
  as to hinder the Almighty God from pouring down knowledge from
• 52:50
  heaven Upon the heads of who? Upon the heads of the Latter Day
• 52:58
  Saints? The Lord also said very clearly
• 53:04
  to Nephi. And blessed are they who shall
• 53:08
  seek to bring forth my Zion at that day, this day, for they
• 53:14
  shall have the gift and power of the Holy Ghost.
• 53:19
  And if they endure unto the end, the implication is seeking to
• 53:22
  bring forth Zion. If they endure to the end, they
• 53:26
  shall be lifted up at the last day, and shall be saved in the
• 53:31
  everlasting Kingdom of the Lamb. And whoso shall publish peace.
• 53:37
  Yeah, tidings of great joy. How beautiful upon the mountains
• 53:43
  shall they be? So again, I know that's another
• 53:49
  long list of scriptures, but they they clearly reveal that
• 53:56
  there are always 2 consequences that flow from engagement in
• 54:02
  God's work and building up the church, the gift and power of
• 54:07
  the Holy Ghost, and eternal life.
• 54:13
  God's greatest gifts are His Son, His Spirit and His life.
• 54:21
  When you engage in the work of His Son, the other two gifts are
• 54:26
  the result. Some step back from committed
• 54:32
  activity and service in the church, saying I don't need the
• 54:36
  church to teach my children good moral principles, they say.
• 54:42
  Others might rightly say there are good people everywhere, in
• 54:48
  every faith and walk of life. I don't need the church to be a
• 54:51
  good person. Other people seem to be happy,
• 54:55
  So why do I need the church? Those sentiments align with a
• 55:00
  growing trend generally cutting across all religions to withdraw
• 55:05
  and not return even after marriage and children.
• 55:09
  More people are not only concluding they do not need
• 55:12
  religion to be a good person and teach moral principles to their
• 55:16
  children, but they also view religion in conflict with their
• 55:21
  heightened and exaggerated worship at the throne of
• 55:24
  tolerance and do not view organized religion as made in
• 55:29
  the image of that God. They see religion as intolerant
• 55:35
  and therefore not worthy of affiliation.
• 55:39
  Although that kind of thinking is grounded in some truth, it
• 55:43
  leads to a false conclusion because it is also based on 2
• 55:48
  fallacies. The first is the
• 55:52
  misunderstanding and narrow obsession with tolerance above
• 55:57
  everything else, even God. The second problem is that it
• 56:01
  misperceives the purpose of the church.
• 56:07
  Yes, of course, it is true. There are good people
• 56:12
  everywhere, and members of the church have no corner on
• 56:17
  goodness. If the only purpose of the
• 56:21
  church is to make bad men good and good men better than we
• 56:24
  might, we might all look for another path less rigorous.
• 56:29
  Because make no mistake, the Lord requires everything, all we
• 56:34
  have, time, talents, even our will to build up His Kingdom.
• 56:43
  Almost all religions coincide with the common purpose to
• 56:47
  improve mankind. If, however, If, however, the
• 56:52
  purpose of the Church is more, much more.
• 56:56
  If its purpose is to make available the full measure of
• 57:01
  the gift of God's Son Jesus Christ, including the blessings
• 57:06
  of redemption of sin by his atonement and the fullness of
• 57:10
  the Gospel. If the purpose of the church is
• 57:13
  to confer the gift of God's Spirit and engage his children
• 57:19
  in his work. If it is to seal families
• 57:23
  together eternally and ultimately confer the gift of
• 57:27
  God's life, eternal life, to His children on both sides of the
• 57:32
  veil, then, then it not only makes a great deal of difference
• 57:38
  to which church you belong, but how thoroughly you engage in its
• 57:43
  work and how long you stay. We qualify initially for the
• 57:51
  gift of the Holy Ghost by faith in Christ, repentance, baptism
• 57:57
  for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the
• 58:00
  gift of the Holy Ghost. The gospel of Jesus Christ sets
• 58:05
  the course, but we retain listen to this, We retain a remission
• 58:11
  of our sins, and we retain the companionship of the Holy Ghost
• 58:17
  and greater measure ultimately, potentially the fullness of the
• 58:21
  Holy Ghost to ultimately receive eternal life by enduring to the
• 58:28
  end, engaged in God's work is active contributing members of
• 58:34
  His church. An integral part of enduring to
• 58:39
  the end is building up the Kingdom of God.
• 58:45
  Again quoting from the Scriptures.
• 58:47
  And it came to pass the that the Lord of the vineyard sent his
• 58:51
  servant, and the servant went and did as the Lord had
• 58:54
  commanded him, and brought other servants, and they were few.
• 58:59
  The Lord, the Lord of the vineyard said unto them, Go to
• 59:04
  and labor in the vineyard with your mind.
• 59:09
  For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my
• 59:12
  vineyard. For the end is not at hand, and
• 59:15
  the season speedily, speedily cometh.
• 59:19
  And if you labor with your might, he said with me, if you
• 59:25
  labor with your might with me, ye shall have joy in the fruit
• 59:30
  which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which shall
• 59:36
  soon come. And it came to pass that the
• 59:39
  servants did go and labor with their mites, and the Lord of the
• 59:42
  vineyard vineyard labored also with them, and they did obey the
• 59:48
  commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
• 59:51
  And then continuing on again, I know this is a long a long
• 59:55
  quote. And it came to pass that when
• 59:58
  the Lord of the vineyard saw that this is fruit was good, and
• 1:00:02
  that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his
• 1:00:06
  servants and said unto them, Behold, for the last time have
• 1:00:11
  we have we nourished my vineyard?
• 1:00:16
  We nourished my vineyard. And thou beholdest that I have
• 1:00:21
  done according to my will. And I have preserved the natural
• 1:00:25
  food, fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the
• 1:00:29
  beginning. And blessed art thou, for
• 1:00:34
  because ye have been diligent and laboring with me in my
• 1:00:41
  vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and it brought
• 1:00:46
  unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more
• 1:00:49
  corrupted, and the bad is castaway.
• 1:00:54
  Behold, shall ye have joy with me because of the fruit of my
• 1:00:58
  vineyard. Those who endure to the end,
• 1:01:03
  seeking to bring forth Sion shall receive God's greatest
• 1:01:08
  gifts, His Son, His Spirit, and His life.
• 1:01:16
  If you want to get close to God, engage in His work.
• 1:01:25
  In the next episode, we will continue this same discussion
• 1:01:30
  about enduring to the end. I hope that you will join me
• 1:01:35
  then. Thank you.