Latest / STRONG / FSY Oct. Week 2: Understanding the Word of Wisdom: Health, Revelation & Integrity (feat. Rylee Egbert)

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FSY Oct. Week 2: Understanding the Word of Wisdom: Health, Revelation & Integrity (feat. Rylee Egbert) · STRONG

0:00
SPEAKER_04: Welcome to Strong, where we follow the For the Strength of Youth curriculum to help you get a little closer to Jesus Christ and a little more ready for what's ahead.
0:08
SPEAKER_04: You've got the temple, a mission, and the life that you're building.
0:12
SPEAKER_04: I'm Kirby Hayborn.
0:19
SPEAKER_04: This week in your class in Quorum, the For the Strength of Youth curriculum covers the Word of Wisdom.
0:25
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, the Word of Wisdom, the Lord's own guide for taking care of your body and your mind, given through Revelation and Doctrine and Covenants, section 89.
0:34
SPEAKER_04: This is why what you put into your body actually affects how clearly you can hear the spirit.
0:44
SPEAKER_04: Let me tell you a story.
0:46
SPEAKER_04: For the longest time, I thought that improv meant making everything up.
0:51
SPEAKER_04: Every scene you're supposed to invent, a whole new life on the spot.
0:56
SPEAKER_04: And I've been fortunate the majority of my career as an entertainer, I've spent making stuff up on the spot.
1:03
SPEAKER_04: I've performed for thousands of people on stage making stuff up, and it's so satisfying and so fun.
1:09
SPEAKER_04: And that's what I thought it was.
1:10
SPEAKER_04: You make up something from scratch.
1:13
SPEAKER_04: There was a friend of mine who's an excellent improv coach.
1:16
SPEAKER_04: He once told me, he said, if you want to do longer form improv, that's improv that that's longer than a four-minute funny, quick scene, uh like a full-length musical or uh improvise a full play.
1:29
SPEAKER_04: The best thing that you can do is to bring in what you actually know, like pull from your real life.
1:37
SPEAKER_04: I thought, that's cheating, right?
1:40
SPEAKER_04: Isn't the whole point of improv to just make something up?
1:45
SPEAKER_04: Shortly after he taught me that, I got called in for a TV series.
1:49
SPEAKER_04: I needed to audition for this show.
1:51
SPEAKER_04: I was booking commercials and films.
1:53
SPEAKER_04: This audition came up in Los Angeles where there was an outline for every episode, but the dialogue was going to be entirely improvised.
2:03
SPEAKER_04: There's no script.
2:04
SPEAKER_04: So you would know where to start the scene, where to end the scene, but everything in between, you had to make up.
2:11
SPEAKER_04: So the character that I was auditioning for, he was a young dad navigating all the chaos of having a toddler.
2:19
SPEAKER_04: Guess what?
2:21
SPEAKER_04: At that same time in my life, I was a young dad navigating all the chaos of having a toddler.
2:28
SPEAKER_04: So in the room, instead of inventing some stranger's kid, I used my own.
2:34
SPEAKER_04: I wanted to try what this improv coach had taught me.
2:38
SPEAKER_04: Now, at the time, my toddler son had, and it wasn't funny.
2:44
SPEAKER_04: It's funny when you're making it up and you're not in the middle of it.
2:47
SPEAKER_04: My wife and I were working with him.
2:49
SPEAKER_04: He was biting other kids.
2:51
SPEAKER_04: Um, not like piercing skin or anything, but just like, you know, how a baby dog bites, just like a little warning bite.
3:00
SPEAKER_04: Um, but we didn't know how to deal with it.
3:03
SPEAKER_04: So in this scene, I thought I'm going to bring this real life story into my improv.
3:12
SPEAKER_04: I still made up some of the things.
3:13
SPEAKER_04: My scene partner is there and we're talking, but then I brought up this real life situation that we were having, and I gave the casting director and the director the whole real story, every detail, exactly how it'd been going on at our house that week.
3:30
SPEAKER_04: Here's the thing: they were laughing so hard, they could barely keep the scene going.
3:36
SPEAKER_04: My partner, he was great, he stayed in the scene, but they were laughing, and I felt this connection, and I realized that's it.
3:45
SPEAKER_04: I can bring in my real life and still be a great improviser.
3:49
SPEAKER_04: Guess what?
3:51
SPEAKER_04: I booked the series.
3:53
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, I trusted the advice before I had any proof that it would work.
3:59
SPEAKER_04: And then I got the proof.
4:02
SPEAKER_04: This week we're talking about somebody who ran the same kind of test, but at way higher stakes.
4:12
SPEAKER_04: Here's the thing.
4:14
SPEAKER_04: Daniel was a teenager when Babylon took him.
4:17
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, that Daniel, you know him.
4:19
SPEAKER_04: He was pulled out of his home, he was dropped into the king's palace, and he was put on a track for royal service.
4:26
SPEAKER_04: Every day the king's own food and the king's own wine got sent to his table.
4:32
SPEAKER_04: It was the best in the kingdom.
4:34
SPEAKER_04: Everyone around him, they ate it, loved it, gobbled it up without a second thought.
4:39
SPEAKER_04: But Daniel, brave, beautiful, amazing Daniel, he asked for something else vegetables and water.
4:50
SPEAKER_04: He said, Give us ten days, and then compare us to everyone else at the table.
4:57
SPEAKER_04: In Daniel chapter 1, verses 15 and 20, some of my favorite verses, and I already have it marked.
5:02
SPEAKER_04: Don't think I'm that fast at finding scripture.
5:04
SPEAKER_04: I marked it.
5:05
SPEAKER_04: It says in verse 15, we find out exactly what happened.
5:09
SPEAKER_04: At the end of ten days, their countenances appeared fairer and fatter in flesh than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's meat.
5:19
SPEAKER_04: So that's Daniel and his friends that followed that guide.
5:22
SPEAKER_04: And in verse 20 it says, And in all matters of wisdom and understanding, love that, that the king inquired of them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers that were in all his realm.
5:39
SPEAKER_04: Now Daniel and his three friends, they looked healthier and better nourished than every young man who'd eaten from the king's table.
5:48
SPEAKER_04: And that ten-day test, it turned into three years of training, hard training.
5:53
SPEAKER_04: And when it was over, the king found these four young men ten times sharper than every wise man in his court.
6:00
SPEAKER_04: It wasn't just that they were physically stronger, but they had that wisdom.
6:04
SPEAKER_04: They were smarter.
6:05
SPEAKER_04: All right, so here's what I want you to catch.
6:07
SPEAKER_04: Daniel trusted the God who gave him that guide, and the guide turned out to be true.
6:13
SPEAKER_04: It's trust and then proof.
6:16
SPEAKER_04: That's the same thing that happened to me with that improv audition.
6:19
SPEAKER_04: I didn't believe that advice until I tested it.
6:23
SPEAKER_04: Then I had my proof.
6:25
SPEAKER_04: Centuries later, God gave us a guide of our own.
6:28
SPEAKER_04: It's section 89.
6:30
SPEAKER_04: He called it a principle with a promise.
6:34
SPEAKER_04: It's a promise that was written down, just waiting for you to test it the same way that Daniel did.
6:40
SPEAKER_04: I am here with an amazing human being, Riley Egbert.
6:44
SPEAKER_04: She's one of the best high school varsity tennis players in the state, I would venture in the world.
6:49
SPEAKER_04: Riley, thank you for being here.
6:51
SPEAKER_02: Thanks for having me.
6:52
SPEAKER_02: I'm so excited.
6:53
SPEAKER_04: Good.
6:54
SPEAKER_04: So, Riley, you started playing competitively when you were 13.
6:58
SPEAKER_04: A lot of the other kids that are playing at your level, they all started before they were even born, going to lessons and private coaching.
7:06
SPEAKER_04: But you now are one of the star players on your high school varsity team.
7:10
SPEAKER_04: What does it take to be that good?
7:14
SPEAKER_02: It's taken a lot of hard work, a lot of tears, a lot of hard days, but it's helped me get to the good days and make me excited for trusting the work that I've put in.
7:24
SPEAKER_04: I love that.
7:25
SPEAKER_04: Lots of hard work.
7:26
SPEAKER_04: It's all of the work that makes it so you can do it on the court.
7:30
SPEAKER_04: But before we go any further, Riley and I, we wanted to show you what really good actually looks like.
7:41
SPEAKER_04: All right, Riley, we're here.
7:43
SPEAKER_04: We're at a tennis court, it's beautiful.
7:45
SPEAKER_04: And uh here's how this is gonna work.
7:47
SPEAKER_04: Hit the tennis ball across the net over here, and one of us is gonna be sitting underneath this.
7:53
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
7:53
SPEAKER_04: We're gonna see who gets the other one with the most water balloons.
7:58
SPEAKER_04: Are you ready to lose?
7:59
SPEAKER_02: Um, we'll let the game show.
8:01
SPEAKER_04: Okay, alright.
8:02
SPEAKER_04: I'm gonna go first, so you get situated right under there, okay?
8:05
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
8:06
SPEAKER_04: Here we go.
8:06
SPEAKER_04: I'll go set this up over here.
8:08
SPEAKER_04: Okay, Riley, do I put the balls on this side?
8:11
SPEAKER_02: The other side so that's not in the way of your side, okay.
8:13
SPEAKER_03: All right, I'm gonna win.
8:15
SPEAKER_03: Here we go.
8:17
SPEAKER_03: Are we ready?
8:18
SPEAKER_03: Go.
8:20
SPEAKER_03: Oops.
8:23
SPEAKER_03: Gotta aim better.
8:28
SPEAKER_03: Okay, gotta get it over.
8:29
SPEAKER_03: I'm trying to.
8:33
SPEAKER_03: Oh, so close.
8:36
SPEAKER_02: There.
8:39
SPEAKER_03: Did I pop any?
8:40
SPEAKER_02: Um no.
8:42
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
8:42
SPEAKER_02: You were close though.
8:43
SPEAKER_04: Okay, all right.
8:45
SPEAKER_04: That's all right.
8:46
SPEAKER_04: Okay, I guess it's your turn.
8:47
SPEAKER_02: Okay.
8:48
SPEAKER_04: Okay, here we go.
8:48
SPEAKER_04: Let's swap out.
8:50
SPEAKER_04: Okay, so here I go, Riley.
8:54
SPEAKER_04: Good luck.
9:11
SPEAKER_03: Okay, tummy.
9:13
SPEAKER_03: Time.
9:14
SPEAKER_03: I'm okay.
9:15
SPEAKER_03: All right, time.
9:16
SPEAKER_03: Is it time in it?
9:18
SPEAKER_03: How much more does she have?
9:19
SPEAKER_03: Time.
9:20
SPEAKER_03: Time, I'm okay.
9:22
SPEAKER_03: Time.
9:22
SPEAKER_03: Alright, that's good.
9:24
SPEAKER_03: Time.
9:24
SPEAKER_03: I'm coming.
9:25
SPEAKER_03: That's good.
9:26
SPEAKER_03: It's a little bit better than me.
9:28
unknown: Okay.
9:30
SPEAKER_04: Alright.
9:31
SPEAKER_04: Okay, Brandy.
9:32
SPEAKER_04: How did you get this good?
9:34
SPEAKER_02: I feel like I'm trying to get some good sleeping and drink lots of electrolytes and hydrate a ton.
9:40
SPEAKER_02: Just lots of hard work.
9:41
SPEAKER_02: I'm at the courts a lot and I'm also doing other things outside of tennis, like running and working out other parts of the day.
9:47
SPEAKER_04: What do you do like on a day, like before a match?
9:49
SPEAKER_04: What's your routine?
9:50
SPEAKER_02: Well, the night before I drink a lot of electrolytes.
9:53
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
9:54
SPEAKER_02: And then I drink lots of water, and then I usually have a good breakfast, like a banana or like a protein drink, and then I do my warm-ups with the team, and then yeah, and then I play.
10:05
SPEAKER_04: You are so good.
10:06
SPEAKER_04: You're gonna have an amazing season.
10:08
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
10:08
SPEAKER_04: If this is any indication.
10:10
SPEAKER_02: Well, thank you.
10:14
SPEAKER_04: Okay, Riley is a great example.
10:17
SPEAKER_04: She told us it's sleep, it's the electrolytes, it's everything she puts in her body.
10:21
SPEAKER_04: That's section 89, word for word.
10:24
SPEAKER_04: Run and not be weary, walk and not faint.
10:27
SPEAKER_04: Riley is living proof of a real promise.
10:30
SPEAKER_04: Why do you think that promise, obeying the word of wisdom, and then the run and not be weary and walk and not faint, why would that be important to someone who's in sports?
10:40
SPEAKER_02: Because the whole point of a sport is to use your body.
10:42
SPEAKER_02: Your body is a gift from God that He's given to all of us, and He wants us to use that gift and to use our bodies.
10:49
SPEAKER_02: And so to play a sport, you have to use your body at its best, and it requires a lot of energy and it takes from your body.
10:56
SPEAKER_02: And so you have to be in good health and in good shape in order to fulfill the needs that a sport requires.
11:02
SPEAKER_04: I love that.
11:03
SPEAKER_04: So it's all of that.
11:04
SPEAKER_04: It's in strength that doesn't quit.
11:06
SPEAKER_04: It's uh that's a promise with your name that's already on it.
11:09
SPEAKER_04: So, President Boyd K.
11:11
SPEAKER_04: Packer, he taught that the purpose of the word of wisdom has as much to do with revelation as it does with health, just like what Riley was saying.
11:18
SPEAKER_04: Someone whose mind is clouded can hardly follow plain talk, let alone something as quiet as a prompting from the spirit.
11:26
SPEAKER_04: And that's really what this is all about feeling that spirit.
11:30
SPEAKER_04: Riley, I want to ask you, how has obedience to the rules of tennis helped you on the court?
11:37
SPEAKER_02: I think that's something that I'm learning every day.
11:40
SPEAKER_02: I think tennis is so cool because it's an integrity sport.
11:43
SPEAKER_02: There's no referee out there.
11:45
SPEAKER_02: And you're responsible to make the calls, you're responsible to be honest on the court.
11:50
SPEAKER_02: And so I love that when I have noticed in my life that as I've tried to obey those um requirements on the court, that I have seen blessings.
12:00
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes it's hard when, you know, you may hit the ball with your racket and it's so silent that the opponent doesn't hear, and it would be easy to just like keep playing the point like nothing happened, but you know that you hit that ball.
12:11
SPEAKER_02: And so I love that tennis gives you the opportunity to be honest and it obedience to the rules of tennis on the court, it are also builds you for something bigger, which is your integrity and your character.
12:23
SPEAKER_02: And I love that I love that.
12:25
SPEAKER_04: Goodness, I love that.
12:26
SPEAKER_04: So even obedience builds integrity.
12:29
SPEAKER_04: That's beautiful.
12:30
SPEAKER_04: How has being obedient helped you feel closer to Heavenly Father?
12:35
SPEAKER_02: I feel like obedience can sometimes be a sacrifice.
12:38
SPEAKER_02: I think sometimes to be obedient means to give up something you want for something of more eternal importance.
12:47
SPEAKER_02: And I think to make a sacrifice is one of the most vulnerable things you can do.
12:51
SPEAKER_04: Oh, absolutely.
12:52
SPEAKER_02: Um, and one of the ways you are building a relationship with someone, getting close to someone is vulnerability.
12:58
SPEAKER_02: When you're vulnerable with someone, and vice versa, that's when you build an emotional connection.
13:03
SPEAKER_02: And I would say also spiritual.
13:05
SPEAKER_02: Jesus Christ was the most perfect example because he made the biggest sacrifice known to mankind.
13:12
SPEAKER_02: He sacrificed his life to save all of ours.
13:15
SPEAKER_02: That was a sacrifice.
13:16
SPEAKER_02: He gave his life for something bigger and of more eternal importance.
13:20
SPEAKER_02: And um, sometimes when you're playing tennis, you make a sacrifice.
13:24
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you give up a point you want for integrity.
13:28
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you give up your pride to make your opponent feel good on the court.
13:32
SPEAKER_02: Sometimes you need to make those sacrifices.
13:34
SPEAKER_02: And just like how in our own lives, like the word of wisdom may be a sacrifice, all of that is stuff that makes us closer to our Heavenly Father because we're being vulnerable with him and we're being real.
13:45
SPEAKER_02: And um, yeah, so I just love that the word of wisdom and obedience sometimes take sacrifice, but that's what built our relationship with Heavenly Father.
13:53
SPEAKER_04: Goodness, Riley, that's so amazing.
13:54
SPEAKER_04: It builds your relationship with Heavenly Father because of sacrifice and vulnerability.
14:01
SPEAKER_04: That's an amazing concept that goes beyond just the word of wisdom, just in life in general.
14:06
SPEAKER_04: You want to be close to someone, sacrifice and be vulnerable.
14:10
SPEAKER_04: You want to be close to Heavenly Father, sacrifice and be vulnerable.
14:14
SPEAKER_04: I know that when uh you have a clear head and a body that's being cared for, that's more than winning matches, like you said.
14:21
SPEAKER_04: It creates integrity.
14:23
SPEAKER_04: Um, it gives you moments where you can be quiet too.
14:27
SPEAKER_04: When you're obeying, you can hear something even quieter than the crowd, than your dad and mom and me cheering for you.
14:35
SPEAKER_04: It's the spirit.
14:36
SPEAKER_04: It's the spirit.
14:37
SPEAKER_04: And you're able to make those calls and listen to the spirit and say, what I need to do right now is help out either my partner or this opponent.
14:46
SPEAKER_04: That's amazing.
14:47
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, I love that it's between you and God.
14:49
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
14:49
SPEAKER_04: So, Daniel, he wasn't measuring himself against the king's men.
14:53
SPEAKER_04: Riley's not measuring herself against you or against her opponent or against anybody else.
14:58
SPEAKER_04: This is about becoming who God actually built you to be.
15:03
SPEAKER_04: Riley, how has living the word of wisdom blessed you?
15:06
SPEAKER_02: I feel like it's blessed me in so many ways.
15:09
SPEAKER_02: Ways that like not, I think I'll find out more even in the next life.
15:14
SPEAKER_02: I think sometimes we don't always understand everything with the word of wisdom.
15:17
SPEAKER_02: I think it'd be easy to question some things, but it all goes back to building a relationship with Heavenly Father, keeping his commandments.
15:24
SPEAKER_02: And he says, if you love me, keep my commandments.
15:27
SPEAKER_02: And because he says that, I think even if we don't understand every part of the word of wisdom, it's important to do it because we love Heavenly Father.
15:34
SPEAKER_02: And I've seen that in my own life when there were things I didn't understand and I didn't know.
15:38
SPEAKER_02: I knew that because I love Heavenly Father, I wanted to do it, even if I didn't fully understand the answers.
15:44
SPEAKER_02: And because I've done that, I've seen my relationship with him grow.
15:47
SPEAKER_02: I've felt felt my testimony be stronger, and it's helped me and put me in positions in my life where I was able to be there for other people and share my testimony with others and also be able to learn from others.
15:59
SPEAKER_04: So thank you.
16:01
SPEAKER_04: And now it's your turn.
16:02
SPEAKER_04: How has living the word of wisdom blessed you?
16:06
SPEAKER_00: The word of wisdom has blessed me because as an athlete who mountain bikes, um, you gotta stay really physically fit.
16:13
SPEAKER_00: And the stuff that the word of wisdom kind of condones just isn't the best for the body, and so makes it kind of harder to perform at the best level I possibly can.
16:23
SPEAKER_01: Um, the word of wisdom has blessed my life.
16:25
SPEAKER_01: As an athlete, I enjoy playing tennis and lacrosse.
16:28
SPEAKER_01: Um, knowing that when I'm presented with certain substances as an athlete or opportunities to drink or smoke or do things that would damage my body, knowing the word of wisdom and that God would prefer me not to do that has been so helpful to always refuse those things to maintain my body to be healthy and um also for longevity.
16:49
SPEAKER_04: However, it shows up for you, if it's sharper thinking, better sleep, a body that can actually serve across the whole net, a body that can do what you're asking of it.
16:59
SPEAKER_04: It's the same promise that Daniel got.
17:01
SPEAKER_04: It's the same promise that Riley is living.
17:05
SPEAKER_04: It's yours too.
17:06
SPEAKER_04: All right, Riley, on every episode, we have a question submitted from a real youth who's asking a question that maybe they uh might be afraid to ask in class.
17:16
SPEAKER_04: So this is a little bit harder, and I'd love to hear what your take is on this.
17:20
SPEAKER_04: The question is it's just one drink.
17:24
SPEAKER_04: Why is that such a big deal?
17:27
SPEAKER_04: Let me tell you this.
17:28
SPEAKER_04: Daniel's test wasn't really about food.
17:31
SPEAKER_04: It was one plate offered once in a moment that nobody back home would have ever found out about.
17:38
SPEAKER_04: And that's usually all it takes to start something.
17:41
SPEAKER_04: It's one quiet yes, and then the next one gets easier.
17:46
SPEAKER_04: From the gospel topics and questions under Word of Wisdom, Elder Dieter F.
17:51
SPEAKER_04: Uchdorf teaches us that the pressure on Daniel must have been immense to abandon his old beliefs and adopt those of Babylon.
18:01
SPEAKER_04: But he stayed true to his faith in word and in deed.
18:05
SPEAKER_04: And the Lord did bless Daniel.
18:08
SPEAKER_04: Though his faith was challenged and ridiculed, he stayed true to what he knew by his own experience to be right.
18:15
SPEAKER_04: Riley, what would you say to that about the one drink one time?
18:20
SPEAKER_02: I love that.
18:21
SPEAKER_02: I think it's so true for just life.
18:24
SPEAKER_02: It's so easy, whether it gets easier to say yes or easier to say no.
18:30
SPEAKER_02: Every time we make those little decisions, it makes it easier to make the next decision.
18:36
SPEAKER_02: And that could be for good or bad.
18:38
SPEAKER_02: And so I love that.
18:39
SPEAKER_02: I think it's so important that as you make those small and simple decisions every day, that it makes the harder decisions easier.
18:47
SPEAKER_02: And because you've already done it, you've already been there.
18:50
SPEAKER_04: It's the little steps, it's a thousand little footsteps that make a big decision possible.
18:59
SPEAKER_04: Because if you're just waiting, if you ignore, and it's the same thing with tennis, if you ignore all the thousand little steps, the training, the serving, the hurt shoulders, working through the pain, the exercise, if you ignore all those tiny little steps, you're not going to be able to perform and you're called on to perform.
19:16
SPEAKER_04: Yeah, absolutely.
19:16
SPEAKER_04: So perfect.
19:17
SPEAKER_04: All the little steps that it takes.
19:20
SPEAKER_04: So Daniel faced real pressure and he held the line anyway.
19:25
SPEAKER_04: That's what really blessed him.
19:27
SPEAKER_04: Riley, has there been a moment in your life where living this was genuinely hard?
19:32
SPEAKER_04: Not because of who was watching or that you didn't know what to do, but uh like what it might cost you socially.
19:40
SPEAKER_02: Yeah, so I think something this is a recent thing for me.
19:44
SPEAKER_02: I feel like so this is kind of embarrassing.
19:47
SPEAKER_02: I was drinking like 32 ounces of Diet Dr.
19:51
SPEAKER_02: Pepper Day, like two or three of them.
19:53
SPEAKER_02: So this is it was a lot.
19:55
SPEAKER_02: It was a lot.
19:56
SPEAKER_02: And I just kept having the nagging thought in my head that I needed to slow down a little bit or just stop.
20:04
SPEAKER_02: And I like heard this quote one time, day one or one day, and I was like, nope, I'm on the one day train.
20:10
SPEAKER_02: Like, this is something I can deal with later.
20:12
SPEAKER_02: But I just kept having the thought and I knew it was something I needed to do.
20:16
SPEAKER_02: And so I started praying to Heavenly Father for strength and help in this goal because it was it became an addiction.
20:22
SPEAKER_02: And it, even though this wasn't against the word of wisdom now, it was my own personal word of wisdom for my Heavenly Father.
20:30
SPEAKER_02: It was his own advice to me.
20:32
SPEAKER_04: It's like you had said, it's it's between you and Heavenly Father.
20:35
SPEAKER_04: That's really how obeying the word of wisdom.
20:37
SPEAKER_04: I love that you said my own personal word of wisdom.
20:40
SPEAKER_04: Because for someone else, that's great.
20:42
SPEAKER_04: That's okay to drink that.
20:43
SPEAKER_04: But for you, in the way you wanted to perform.
20:45
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
20:46
SPEAKER_02: Heavenly Father knew I needed to not be doing that.
20:48
SPEAKER_04: Yeah.
20:49
SPEAKER_02: And so as I kept praying, finally, one day I had a friend come up to me and they just were like, Hey, like, I want to do like no soda, and I'm gonna try and like be healthy with this.
20:58
SPEAKER_02: Like, is there any way you'd want to do it with me?
21:01
SPEAKER_02: And I'm just like, ha ha, like you're funny.
21:03
SPEAKER_02: There's no way I can do that.
21:05
SPEAKER_02: As you're drinking.
21:05
SPEAKER_02: I was like, I'm on the one day turn, remember.
21:07
SPEAKER_02: I told you that.
21:08
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
21:09
SPEAKER_02: And they were like, okay, well, I'm ready to do it with you if you want to do it with me.
21:13
SPEAKER_02: And so I was like, okay.
21:15
SPEAKER_02: And I just was like, okay, this was my answer from Heavenly Father.
21:19
SPEAKER_02: This is my way out of this addiction.
21:21
SPEAKER_02: This is my way to improve.
21:23
SPEAKER_02: And so every I started simple.
21:26
SPEAKER_02: I started just by saying, Okay, I'm only gonna get 132 ounce a day.
21:30
SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
21:31
SPEAKER_02: And so finally I did that.
21:32
SPEAKER_02: And then it became okay, now I'm only gonna go two times this week.
21:36
SPEAKER_02: Okay, now only once.
21:37
SPEAKER_02: And eventually it got to the point where I wasn't drinking any that week, and I wasn't like even having a desire to have it.
21:45
SPEAKER_02: And I watched my friends' example as they set the example of yes, they had their own way of doing it.
21:51
SPEAKER_02: They completely stopped.
21:52
SPEAKER_02: And I wasn't ready to be at that point with them yet.
21:54
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
21:54
SPEAKER_02: But I watched them set that example for me and it blessed my life.
21:59
SPEAKER_02: They were an answer to me.
22:00
SPEAKER_02: My prayer because God knew that this was something I needed.
22:03
SPEAKER_02: And He sent someone to me who was going to help me with this goal, who is going to help me obey this word of wisdom he gave to me.
22:09
SPEAKER_02: And so I'm just so grateful for that friend that they helped me because eventually I was done with it.
22:15
SPEAKER_02: And now I don't drink soda.
22:18
SPEAKER_02: And honestly, I don't want to.
22:19
SPEAKER_02: Like I never want to go back to what I was doing because it really wasn't good for me.
22:23
SPEAKER_02: I've noticed on the court I'm a lot faster.
22:26
SPEAKER_02: Oh wow.
22:26
SPEAKER_02: I've noticed my anxiety has gone down.
22:29
SPEAKER_02: I'm not as stressed about stuff.
22:30
SPEAKER_02: I feel like I can listen to the spirit more.
22:33
SPEAKER_02: And that might not be the case for everyone, but God knew that that was the stuff I needed in my life.
22:39
SPEAKER_02: And he knew that that's what it took for me to get to that point.
22:43
SPEAKER_02: And so I just think it's so important that with the word of wisdom or anything in our lives that we surround ourselves with good friends and people who will stand with us in our goals and our ambitions to come closer to Heavenly Father in Jesus Christ and to obey what God has asked of us.
22:59
SPEAKER_02: And so it's just so important.
23:01
SPEAKER_04: It's so important.
23:02
SPEAKER_04: Everything about that is so beautiful because you had a friend who helped you.
23:08
SPEAKER_04: You did it little steps at a time.
23:11
SPEAKER_04: And you saw the blessing, like we talked about in the beginning.
23:15
SPEAKER_04: There's a promised blessing of run and not be weary.
23:18
SPEAKER_04: There are treasures that are up in heaven for you.
23:21
SPEAKER_04: And you saw that.
23:22
SPEAKER_04: You're living proof of doing that.
23:24
SPEAKER_04: And that it's a personal thing.
23:26
SPEAKER_04: That's the beautiful thing about the gospel, is so many aspects of it are a personal to you, between you and Heavenly Father.
23:36
SPEAKER_04: So we should all follow Riley's example and say, okay, this one quiet yes, it doesn't have to jump into the next one.
23:45
SPEAKER_04: Um, it can be step by step.
23:47
SPEAKER_04: Um and with your friends, you don't have to hold that line by yourself.
23:51
SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
23:51
SPEAKER_04: That's beautiful.
23:52
SPEAKER_04: Riley, thank you so much for being here with the show.
23:55
SPEAKER_04: Thanks so much for having me.
23:56
SPEAKER_04: I've learned so much.
23:57
SPEAKER_02: I've learned so much.
23:58
SPEAKER_02: I'm so grateful for this opportunity.
24:00
SPEAKER_02: Thank you.
24:01
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
24:05
SPEAKER_04: Here's your move this week.
24:07
SPEAKER_04: Pick one thing uh sleep, what you're eating, what you're putting in your body, or even scrolling through late at night and change it for the next seven days.
24:19
SPEAKER_04: Just seven days.
24:20
SPEAKER_04: It's close to what Daniel did.
24:22
SPEAKER_04: He did 10, but I'm just asking you to do seven days and write it down.
24:27
SPEAKER_04: You saw what happened when I finally tested something I didn't believe in, but I trusted the person who gave it to me.
24:33
SPEAKER_04: It's the same principle that applies here.
24:36
SPEAKER_04: Try it once and see what happens for you.
24:41
SPEAKER_04: Now pay attention to what shifts.
24:43
SPEAKER_04: You're gonna see something physically and spiritually.
24:47
SPEAKER_04: Watch especially what happens to how clearly you can hear the spirit.
24:53
SPEAKER_04: And as always, be sure to write that down.
24:56
SPEAKER_04: And if there's a habit with more of a grip on you than that, something that you've you've tried to quit, um, but it hasn't stuck yet.
25:04
SPEAKER_04: The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet says that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have the power to help you.
25:12
SPEAKER_04: Fill your life with the things that invite that power in.
25:16
SPEAKER_04: Prayer, scripture study, serving somebody else, seek help from family leaders and trusted professional counselors as needed.
25:24
SPEAKER_04: They can help you regain control of your life.
25:27
SPEAKER_04: It might take time, so be patient and never give up.
25:32
SPEAKER_04: I love the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet.
25:35
SPEAKER_04: So clear, so concise, so true.
25:39
SPEAKER_04: When we turn to Christ and His gospel, weaknesses become strengths.
25:45
SPEAKER_04: Well, that's strong for this week.
25:47
SPEAKER_04: Remember, you are a beloved son or daughter of God, and he has a work for you to do.
25:54
SPEAKER_04: So go do it.
25:55
SPEAKER_04: I'd like to thank our sponsors, Jared and Holly Swain, for making Strong possible.
26:00
SPEAKER_04: Thank you.
26:01
SPEAKER_04: Visit strongyoutfoundation.com for episodes and more.
26:07
SPEAKER_04: See you next week.
26:08
SPEAKER_04: Praise his name, he is master.