The following transcript is intended to aid in your study. However, while we try to go through the transcript, our transcripts are primarily computer-generated and often contain errors. Please forgive the transcripts’ imperfections.
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[00:00:00] Tammy Uzelac Hall: In the New Testament, Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount to encourage his disciples to strive toward perfection with the full purpose of heart. Then following his resurrection, Jesus appeared to the Book of Mormon people in the Western Hemisphere and again delivered this exact same sermon. The Sermon on the Mount is filled with so many incredible instructions.
And for those of you who have read and studied it, I have one question. Have you ever studied it through art? Now, listen, don't come after me. I know we did art last week and it wasn't my intention, but then I used the Book of Mormon art catalog and the art for this week's chapters is so good that I thought, how can we not?
So we are going to do that today with my guests and they are going to help me and they have kind of a background in art and I think you're going to love it. Welcome to the Sunday on Monday study group, a desert bookshelf plus original brought to you by LDS living, where we take the come follow me lesson for the week.
And we really dig into the scriptures together. I'm your host, Tammy. Use a lack call. If you're new to our study group, please follow the link in our description that will explain how you can best use this podcast to enhance your life. Your come follow me study, just like my friends. Oh, my dear friends, Karen and Guy Schissel, who are serving as the temple presidents in the Bismarck North Dakota temple.
Hi guys. Thanks for your work. Okay. Now, another awesome thing about our study group is each week we're joined by two of my friends. So it's always a little bit different and today is different. And I'm so excited to introduce you. So we have an original Sharon Staples. Hi, Sharon.
[00:01:31] Sharon Staples: Shalom everyone. Nice to be here.
Happy listening.
[00:01:34] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Yay. We're so glad you're here. And Sharon and I get to introduce you to our new friend. Her name is Amanda Herring. Hello, Amanda.
[00:01:40] Amanda Herring: Hello. Thanks so much for having me.
[00:01:43] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh, we're so excited. Okay. Amanda, before I say anything about you, very quickly, will you please tell our listeners a little bit about yourself? What do you want them to know?
[00:01:51] Amanda Herring: Oh, well, um, I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. That's the most important thing. Um, and I have a family of three kids who are growing up way too fast and ready to, um, fly the nest very soon. We own a shop in Draper, Utah. We import antiques and home decor. And my favorite part of what we do is that we, um, try to take every opportunity we can to lift the people who come in. We try to make everybody's day better, try to make everybody feel loved. And it's such a special part of what we get to do.
[00:02:22] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh. That is sweet. Okay. That, well, I like how she said I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ because here's my favorite story about Amanda. So I love Amanda's shop. It is the cutest little antique shop in Draper.
It's right off of, so in our town, we have this little old part of town that has like two old pioneer houses and an old park with a gazebo. It's so just like picturesque. We have concerts at that park in the summer. It's so much fun. And Amanda took one of those little pioneer houses and turned it into an antique store where I like to go.
So I went there one day and she was there and I'm talking to her. And the next thing I know is I'm inviting her to be on the podcast because I follow her on Instagram and she recently has been posting about her son who has come home from his mission. Is that right? Yeah. Yeah. And she's not afraid to post church stuff on her work Instagram.
And I just thought that is really awesome. So when Sharon got here today, Sharon comes to my house to record and Sharon said, so who is this Amanda? I don't know anything about her. And so I explained everything I just said to you. She owns it and she's not afraid to post on her Instagram account about her son and about the church or Jesus or anything.
And Sharon just, you guys know Sharon, she's been on the podcast a long time, so you can imagine how she just said it. Sharon looks at me and goes. Oh, so she's a disciple, I said. That perfectly sums up Amanda. She is a disciple. And so I just am thrilled that you are here with us today, Amanda.
[00:03:46] Amanda Herring: I'm thrilled to be here. And truly, there is no greater compliment than to be called a disciple. So thank you for that.
[00:03:52] Tammy Uzelac Hall: And tell us your thoughts about the section we're studying, because I love the way you describe it.
[00:03:55] Amanda Herring: Oh, this is Christmas morning in the scriptures. This is like, You know, you've been through, I love the war chapters. I know that's a little bit strange, but you've just been through all of this like turmoil and everything's been hard. And then here is this gift, this great big gift. It's just fantastic.
[00:04:13] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh my gosh. Okay. Well, this is, we are going to have such a fun discussion of Christmas morning as you put it. In fact, I'm putting that in my scriptures. Christmas morning. These chapters are awesome, but if you want to know more about my guests, make sure you go to see their pictures and their bios and you can find those in our show notes and that's going to be found at ldsliving. com slash Sunday on Monday. So grab your scriptures and we are going to dig into Christmas morning.
Third Nephi chapters 12 through 16. Okay. You two, I asked you to come prepared. Yes.
[00:04:42] Sharon Staples: Tammy, it's 12 through 18.
[00:04:44] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Well, I know. I, okay. Okay. You're right. Spoiler alert, everybody. Thank you for the correction, Sharon, because here's what happened. It really is 12 through 16 for the week, but I got carried away with the art. I was so excited.
And by the time I realized it was too late, I ended up doing chapters 12 through 18. So there you go, everybody. And next week, yes, we will still cover 17 and 18, but we'll do it with two new guests. So it's going to be totally different approach. I think we can all agree though. So a third Nephi chapter 17 is worthy of two weeks.
Am I right? It is. Absolutely.
[00:05:15] Sharon Staples: Absolutely.
[00:05:16] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Yeah. So there you go. That's our disclaimer for this episode. Thank you, Sharon. All right. So let's get started. You two then tell me, what did the Holy Ghost teach you as you read all of these chapters?
[00:05:28] Amanda Herring: Well, I had a lot of thoughts and actually, I really feel like you were inspired to include 17 and 18 because one of my favorite things, I don't know, I don't know.
I think the spirit speaks to us all a little bit differently. And I think, you know, I've read the scriptures enough times that it's easy to be a little complacent in your reading. And so I, I try to find. Something to focus on. And, and the spirit is really great at popping words out to me. So for me, it was right off the bat.
Um, third Nephi chapter 12, verse two, yea, blessed are they who shall believe in your words and come down into the depths of humility and be baptized where they shall be visited with fire and with the Holy ghost and shall receive a remission of their sins. And what jumped out to me with this and what stuck with me through all of this study was the word fire and like how cool, first of all, just fire, just that, just that the idea of being baptized by fire and you think about all of the things with the spirit.
That we learn about the burning in the bosom. Or you think about Joseph Smith in the first vision when the trees are like they're on fire. And then just all of this about fire and I, it really caused me to think about how much more fire I want in my heart and in my soul when I'm taking Um, thinking about, um, God or when I'm living my life, I want to be filled with that fire all of the time.
And what do I need to do? What do I need to change in myself that I can make more room for that fire? So for me it was fire.
[00:07:04] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Can I ask a follow up question? Because you asked a great question. What can I do to have more fire? And I want to know, did anything come to you as you studied this?
[00:07:13] Amanda Herring: Listen, I think it's just such a, such a normal answer. do the things, just do the simple things, but do the simple things more often and do them better and more completely, you know, really read your scriptures every day, pray every day, but maybe pray out loud instead of praying. In quiet, find that closet and pray out loud. Like take it a step further. I think for me that's the answer. I do the things, but I could do the things a whole lot better if I really put my mind to it.
[00:07:43] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Okay. I love that you said that, that you didn't like go off the rails into something that we haven't been asked to do. 'cause I agree with you. I think it is the basics. We call 'em the seminary answers.
Read your scriptures, say your prayers, go to church, attend the temple prayer, tithing. I mean, 'cause they really do work. And you're right, I do those things, but I could do 'em a little different. I could do some a little better. So thank you for pointing out. It really is the basics. That is awesome. Great.
Great thing. The spirit taught you. What about you, Sharon?
[00:08:09] Sharon Staples: Same thing. The basics. My gosh, he's got so much, especially in 17 and 18, he, he, he tells his disciples and he tells us what to do. Heals the sick. There's an addition to the fire and the miracles around the little ones. Of course, who cannot? resist the Savior talking about the little ones and encircled by the angels.
And he institutes the sacrament. Um, he tells us how to get the Holy Ghost. He, there's so much sweet instruction, not demanding, obeying, do this, do this, do that, this, this, but If you do this, this will happen. If you try this, this will happen. If you do, I'm giving you this and this and this and this. And he just does it for all those chapters of what he gives us.
I mean, we have so much now that people didn't have 2000 years ago to get us closer to him and, and, and gathering Israel and building the kingdom and all those things, it's just, they're just amazing chapters, just amazing. And I never tire of reading them.
[00:09:14] Tammy Uzelac Hall: And I like that you just called them chapters of instruction of how to get back to him.
[00:09:20] Sharon Staples: Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's, it's amazing. And all the stuff on the Holy Ghost. Oh my gosh. Yeah. That's really, that's really impressive. I think. Anyway.
[00:09:31] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Well, I absolutely agree. And all of these chapters combined. 12 through 18 is what we're going to cover today. Like I said, I got a little carried away because I use the Book of Mormon art catalog, and there are so many great depictions of these chapters that depict these chapters of instruction or Christmas morning, as we're going to put it.
And so in the next segment, I'm going to show you five pieces of artwork that just stopped me. And they're going to help us discover what the artists want us to understand about these words of instruction from our savior. So we'll do that in the next segment.
Segment 2
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[00:10:14] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Okay, you guys, I have five pieces of artwork to show you. And before we do this, though, really fast, Amanda, I have followed you on your Instagram account and you often go to Europe to find really cool antiques. And I noticed one of your posts, you went to a museum. How do you feel about art when you go to Europe?
[00:10:31] Amanda Herring: Um, it's my favorite thing to buy. It's my favorite thing to collect. My favorite thing to sell. I, I, it's so fun to watch how excited people get about a certain piece of art or how excited You know, I, I mean, we've seen some pretty intense situations where two people fall in love with a piece of art and who's going to get it, but I, yeah, I just, I love it.
I love it so much. It really is one of the biggest things we sell. People love it. I love it. I was an art history major for like five minutes. Um, and I just, it's just fascinating to me. I love it.
[00:11:08] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Okay. Then I did not know that about you. So it is so perfect that you're on this episode. The Book of Mormon art catalog just came out this year and this woman has been curating every single piece of artwork that's ever been done for the Book of Mormon starting in the 1800s until now.
And so there's some pretty incredible pieces and I picked out these five that stood out to me as I went through 3rd Nephi 12 through 18. So I'm going to show you these and after, and here's what I want you to do. As you see them, give me your reactions.
[00:11:37] Sharon Staples: Well, first of all, the woman, I don't know who she is, um, but she looks like a disciple and uh, it could be, um, Mary.
It could be Mary, the mother of, of Jesus. It could be Martha. It could be. Any number of women. I can't see it very clearly. Her head is covered. She looks, um, contemplative, but serene.
[00:12:10] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh, that's a good way to describe her.
[00:12:12] Amanda Herring: I love that she has fruit around her. Yeah. Like, I wanna, I wanna compare that to some things we read about fruits.
[00:12:20] Tammy Uzelac Hall: We probably will. I love it. Is there one that intrigues you? as you look at all these?
[00:12:26] Sharon Staples: Well, the Savior is there in one of them, and I can't see what he has in his hands, but there are people apparently worshiping this person, and it could be the Savior. Uh, he could be offering, it looks like maybe a cup and a loaf of bread.
He maybe is talking about the sacrament to the people in the Americas, and he's explaining. What the sacrament means and every age group almost and a lamb and and uh, different ethnicities. Um, it says if he saying, you know, here's my blood, here's my bread, here's my body. And they're all, Um, and so I'm intrigued by that.
I'd like to hear what he's saying other than reading it in the Book of Mormon. So that's, that's engaging. It's, it's engaging. It has, it's drawn me in. Oh, great. I like how you use that word engaging. What about you, Amanda?
[00:13:34] Amanda Herring: Well, I mean, my first take is I love how incredibly different all five of these are.
And what I love about that is that I, I love that God speaks to us in different ways and he speaks to us in ways that, that we can understand personally, that maybe not everybody else would understand, but that, you know, that this is, this is the interpretation of something from five different viewpoints and I don't understand all of them, but I love all of them.
I'm actually particularly interested in, um, the dot painting. I visited the Red Center in Australia and, um, watched Aboriginal people painting, and this feels the same, but I noticed there's 12 white dots gathered around the colored dots. And I'm sure that has to be the 12 apostles or disciples as they're referenced in these chapters.
I'm guessing that that is what that is.
[00:14:29] Sharon Staples: I guessed the same thing, Amanda. I started counting the dots. Yeah. The 12 white dots. And I thought, well, The number 12 is sacred. It could be representing the 12. It could be representing something else, but that, that's what I went to was counting those dots. So the same.
[00:14:47] Amanda Herring: Yeah. And I love that. It's like they've gathered this circle and they're protecting what's inside the circle. And, and I think that that's really cool. I also think that, I mean, I love the two that are more realistic. That's really easy to connect to, but I'm fascinated by this blue and white with the red dots.
And I want to understand that. Yeah. Uh, you know, is it a maze to get to the same year in the center? Like what, what is, what is the, I want to know what the artist is thinking and portraying, but. They're all incredible. And I just, I just, I'm truly moved by the fact that this is how God works. He works differently through each of us.
This gospel is a one person at a time gospel. This isn't a gospel for a mass. It's a gospel for you. And it's a gospel for me, you know, and, and I just think that's what these paintings represent to me. It's just, yeah. This is individual love for each of us.
[00:15:49] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Amanda, I like how you just explained that because as you were talking, I have this thought that was what will be so cool is for everybody, if you can access this art and you can go and find this in our show notes, you're going to want to look at these pieces of artwork because I think the goal is what Amanda just said.
It's to find yourself. in the artwork. And I think you can do that. You will find yourself in each one of these pieces. As we go through and describe, I'm going to give you the chapter and verse that the artist used to paint this picture. And then we're going to have a discussion about it. And that's the challenge is to find yourself and to see how the spirit speaks to you individually.
And I love how you just explained that Amanda, that it is, it's for you and that the, and that God speaks to all of us in our own way. And that is really cool how we, you're right, we have five artists and they have painted these verses of scripture in their own way. And when you, when I tell you about that maze with the dot, your jaw will drop because that, I mean, I think of all the pieces of art that one perfectly It just is perfect description of what you said, how there's different ways that is spoken to people and how they interpret the gospel.
So that's going to be so much fun. So thank you so much for expressing your thoughts and feelings about the pieces of art. So let's do this in the next segment. Then we're going to discuss one that is made entirely of a children's toy.
Segment 3
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[00:17:22] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Sharon, will you please just describe to the listeners what you see?
[00:17:26] Sharon Staples: I see 1, 2, 3, 4 blue, um, lines that form a big box, a smaller box, a smaller box and a smaller box. So there's a little box within another box, within another box, within another box. But each one of the boxes has a split in it. that you can get through.
So you can get through the big one, and then you can go around and get through the next one, and then you can go around the little ways and get through the next one, and then the last one. So that although it is a four dimensional box, there's a red square in the middle. of the smallest box, which is in the middle, and then there's a red dot on the corner of the third box in.
So as you go around, as you start through the big box, you go around and you get through to the second and And then you passed that red dot and go around to get in through the third, and then you go around and get into the fourth box where the red box is.
[00:18:36] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Yeah, excellent work. And Amanda in the last segment called it a maze.
It looked to her like a maze. How fun is this, that this piece of artwork, when you go onto the Book of Mormon Art Catalog and you really look up close and it actually says on the side, what the medium is the artist used, it's entirely made of Legos.
[00:18:55] Amanda Herring: Oh, that's so cool.
[00:18:56] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Is that so fun? How much time they took to put together the blue, white, and the red Lego?
I, that just blew my mind. Okay. Made of Legos. Let's turn to the scripture reference that the artist used for this piece of artwork. Turn to third Nephi chapter 12 and we're going to read verse eight. So third Nephi chapter 12, what you first want to know Is we talked about how Christ came to the American continent and he's speaking now to all of the people and he's giving them the Beatitudes.
This is where the Beatitudes begin. And the reason why they're called Beatitudes is, and Amanda, you set this up perfectly when you gave us the word blessed. Before you talk to us about fire, if you go through and highlight, every time you see the word blessed, you're going to start in verse one and you're going to see it through verse 11.
A lot of blessings. Cause these are the beatitudes. Now, if you've ever wondered like, now, wait a minute, where does it even get the word or the name beatitude? This is kind of cool in the Latin Vulgate Bible. When you translate this into Latin, it doesn't say blessed are in Latin. It's going to say beatitude or beatitude.
So that's how you say blessed in Latin is beatitudo. So these are the beatitudes, but we want to retranslate that word for a moment. And we want to retranslate blessed into the Greek translation. And so in the new Testament, when you read it and right here, somewhere on your scriptures, right? Blessed equals the word happy.
That's what it means in Greek is happy. So, Amanda, can you please read 3rd Nephi chapter 12 verse 8? And I want you to, after we read this verse of scripture, tell me why the artist did this. I'd love for you to connect it to the art.
[00:20:37] Amanda Herring: And blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.
[00:20:42] Tammy Uzelac Hall: How do you see the art in this?
[00:20:44] Sharon Staples: Well, you'd have to look at the red dots, one being the Savior and one being you. And if you are blessed, if you are pure in heart, then you will be able to see God who's in the center. If you are one of the red, one of the red squares and the Savior is the other red square. And if you get to that far, that far into finding out who he is, you'll be able to see him.
[00:21:12] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh, I like that connection. That's good. Do you see anything, Amanda?
[00:21:17] Amanda Herring: Yeah, I mean, it's hard not to see these as pathways to Jesus. I do like that they're both red, both of the dots. Like if that's what the artist intended, is that the center at the heart of it is Jesus and then the other red dot is, is one of us.
Um, I like that we're the same color and I like that there's a way to him. That it's not, that we're not identified different as him, but the same as him.
[00:21:42] Tammy Uzelac Hall: I agree.
[00:21:43] Sharon Staples: I mean, if, if we are in his likeness, meaning spiritual likeness, so our spiritual likeness would have to be the same dimension and color as his is.
[00:21:56] Amanda Herring: I also think that when I look at this, I see the white as the pathway and the blue as the spaces between the pathway. And so when I look at this and I see that the red dot is in the blue, I kind of feel like maybe it's saying. He makes it so that we can get to him any way that we can get to him. You know what I mean?
Like we don't, I mean, I know, I know like the straightest, the gate narrows the way, right? But also Jesus wants us to find our way to him in any way that we can. And if that means we don't. Walk on the white path, but we cross over the blue to get to him at the heart like that's okay Just matters that we get to him.
[00:22:33] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh Amanda I love when you were saying that I was thinking of me in a corn maze when I was in young women's And to this day, I hate a corn maze more than anything because I'm through the corn I'm the one that wants to just go through the corn and get to the center. I don't got time for this I get lost all the time and and one of the things I found is every time I'd cut through the corn It was a dead end you can't cut through the corn.
That's my problem. And so unless you get back on the path and you follow whatever they decided to do to trick you, I just hate corn mazes. And you look at this and I like how you said, At any point, if you decide to cut through the corn, you're going to find the entrance to the savior. Like, I just think that is so awesome.
There's no tricks to this maze and every maze has a trick because I just looked through this and I said, Oh my gosh, there are no dead ends in this maze because even if you miss the first spot that you can cut through and you actually keep going, you're just going to keep going around until you get there.
Like there's no tricks in the maze to get back to God. Oh, okay. This is so cool. This is so cool. We're going to talk some more about these Beatitudes. Here's what we're going to do though. I want us to read this quote by Harold B. Lee, because here's what Harold B. Lee compares the Beatitudes to. And I think this is really powerful.
Sharon, can you read this quote for us, please?
[00:23:48] Sharon Staples: Christ came not only into the world to make an atonement for the sins of mankind, but to set an example before the world of the standard of perfection of God's law. and of obedience to the Father. In his Sermon on the Mount, the Master has given us somewhat of a revelation of his own character, which was perfect, or what might be said to be an autobiography, every syllable of which he had written down in deeds.
And in so doing has given us a blueprint for our own lives.
[00:24:26] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Thank you. Look at the end of that quote right there because Harold B. Lee calls it something. What does he compare the beatitudes to for all of us?
[00:24:35] Sharon Staples: A blueprint.
[00:24:36] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Yeah. Awesome. Blueprint for our lives. And I like to call, now that we know what blessed means, I'd like to call it the blueprint for happiness or what all of these verses are. And, and do either one of you have experience with a blueprint? What is a blueprint?
[00:24:53] Amanda Herring: Directions on how to build something. Well, maybe not directions, but a guide of how things should go.
[00:25:01] Sharon Staples: A guide. It's a, it's a map. Yeah. How to get to where you're going.
[00:25:07] Tammy Uzelac Hall: One of the things I noticed, we, we redid our basement and we needed a blueprint, but before we could build, it had to get a stamp of approval too.
You can't just willy nilly drop a blueprint and start building like you have to go all sorts of rigmarole and have people approve it. And then it's sanctioned it. And then you have to stick to your blueprint also. And so here we have this sanctioned blueprint. From the Father and Jesus Christ to say, okay, here you go.
Here's the blueprint for happiness. And so I asked the two of you to just read through these verses in chapter 12 and tell me if this is a blueprint for happiness. What, what part of these make you happy? Are there any specific verses that you're like, oh yeah, this is good.
[00:25:49] Amanda Herring: Well, I mean, we already know that I love too. It's fire, right? Right. All the fire. But I feel like two through eight, can you not put yourself in one of those? Like who does that exclude? I don't think it excludes a single human being on earth. I think every single one of us can put ourselves in one of those, what, five, six verses. And I love, I love that, that, um, you know, we're all poor in spirit sometimes. We're all like, there's, we all fit into that. It's inclusive of everyone.
[00:26:24] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Absolutely.
[00:26:27] Sharon Staples: Um, my overall. feeling about them was the significance, well, especially the one that says, blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled with the Holy Ghost. Since the Holy Ghost is our guide and our constant comforter 24 seven, I, that makes me so happy to know that if I hunger and thirst after righteousness, which is what the Savior has taught us, is righteousness, then I'll be filled, not just having him as my constant companion, but I'll be filled with the Holy Ghost, up to, you know, to almost to overflowing.
And I really love, I love that one.
[00:27:20] Tammy Uzelac Hall: It's an excellent one. As Amanda pointed out, like who couldn't fit into these? I would say the only time in my life that I was all of them at once was as when I was a missionary for 18 months. I think I could have, I was all of those. Why are you laughing, Amanda?
[00:27:37] Amanda Herring: I don't know. I just like, I'm not laughing because you were all of those, but I'm laughing because like, man, I, I feel like I could pick out times in my life where I felt like that too. Right. And what else can you do but laugh? I mean, it's not a great position to be in. It's just, right. It's like a, it's like a, oh man, I totally. Can relate to that.
[00:27:59] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh, are you kidding me? It's hilarious. I mean, you absolutely, I'm poor in spirit. I was meek, I was humbled. I thirsted after righteousness. I had to be merciful, pure, I mean, all of them. And the fascinating thing to me is that I look back on my mission, it was probably the most consistent 18 months that I was happy all the time.
I miss my family. Sure. I was a little bit homesick. Missions were hard. One thought. I mean, anyone listening right now, play this for someone, you know, who's about to serve a mission. And I will tell you this, it's the hardest thing you will ever do ever. It kicked my butt and I was, I was happy. Isn't that fascinating that this blueprint for your life, this blueprint for happiness, it really is real.
I can testify. That it is truly a blueprint for happiness. And I'm going to give us a cross reference next to these put third Nephi chapter 15 verse one, because this is what the Holy ghost taught me as we were studying. I'm reading along. I'm reading all these awesome things that the savior is telling us to do.
And then I get to third Nephi chapter 15 verse one. It says, and now it came to pass that when Jesus had ended these sayings, He cast his eyes round about on the multitude. Now think about that. He's done. He's finished telling the whole sermon on the mount, cast his eyes on the multitude and said unto them, behold, ye have heard the things which I taught before I ascended to my father.
Therefore, who so remember it, these sayings, Of mine and do with them, him, will I raise up at the last day? And the word raise struck me because I went back to the blueprint and the blueprint raises a house. It's the, it's how to raise a building and all of this. And I thought, isn't that cool? It really is a blueprint for our lives to be raised up at the last day.
And God is building something awesome. in each one of us with this blueprint for happiness. I, I love these Beatitudes.
[00:29:54] Amanda Herring: That's great, Tammy. Thank you. I love that. Yeah. Yeah, that's great. I think the thing I feel the most when I read these verses is how much he loves me. . And, um, you didn't leave anybody out. He, he visited everyone and shared the message. I love that.
[00:30:09] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Okay. Then I have a follow up question 'cause this is kind of cool. One of the things he did differently that is not in. The Beatitudes in the New Testament is third Nephi chapter 12 verses one and two. This is really interesting. So bracket those off because here he says, blessed are ye if you shall give heed unto the words of these 12 whom I have chosen.
So a part of the Beatitudes is you will find happiness if you give heed to the quorum of the 12 apostles. And then he says at the end of that verse, blessed in me if you believe in me and are baptized. We have a whole two new chapters. Beatitudes right here with the world we live in today. Why is this beatitude so important?
[00:30:51] Sharon Staples: Have to listen to the prophets. You have to listen to those who are inspired. To guide us with everybody else yelling at us, everybody else demanding that we do this and do that and do this and do that and be modern and, you know, get a grip and come to the party and all that stuff. We need to listen to those good men and women who receive inspiration for us to keep us on track.
It's significant to have 12 apostles in the first presidency. It's more than significant. It's essential. Like that.
[00:31:25] Tammy Uzelac Hall: It's essential. I'm writing that down. Thank you both of you for sharing your thoughts about that and the Beatitudes. So in the next segment, I'm going to show you two pieces of art and two verses of scripture.
And I asked my guests to help me connect them because I think there is a connection and it's a really cool one. So we'll do that next.
Segment 4
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[00:31:51] Tammy Uzelac Hall: All right, here's your two next pictures.
[00:31:54] Sharon Staples: Well, my goodness gracious. Well for me, it's confusion. I can only handle. Line upon line, precept upon precept, and I'm getting the whole book, you know, in my face. The brightness, the brightness of the colors is nice, but it makes no sense to me. I'm sorry. It makes absolutely no sense. It's just circles, circles and arrows and points and, and more circles and looks like hot peppers.
[00:32:29] Amanda Herring: Fire.
[00:32:30] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Fire. Oh, now see. Amanda saw the fire. I like it because Amanda said earlier, he's going to speak to all of us in a different way. Because Amanda, tell me what you see.
[00:32:39] Amanda Herring: Yeah. Do you want my, my immediate thought and I don't know the scripture reference and I apologize, but it's in the scriptures and it talks about if your eye be single.
So in to me in the center, I see the eye and I think of like, like the God is radiating out from the center of this.
[00:32:58] Tammy Uzelac Hall: You nailed it, Amanda. It's the piece of art that the artist drew, it is third Nephi chapter 13 and we're gonna get 22 and 23. Go ahead and read those two.
[00:33:08] Amanda Herring: Um, the light of the body is the eye.
If therefore thy eye be single, thy whole body, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness?
[00:33:24] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Okay.
[00:33:24] Amanda Herring: But like, look at this, like all of, I mean, I understand what Sharon's saying, that it, that there is a, there is a lot going on, but like for me, I'm imagining.
Just this power coming out of God and like shooting out to all of us, you know, and that if, if we, I have this thing that I always think, you know, we learn the gospel line upon line, but I like caught this thing light upon light. Tell me about that. Because light is knowledge. And I feel like the more light we add to ourselves, the more.
are to be with the Savior. So for me, I see this and it's like light shooting out from, from this central eye, you know, and it's like, I don't know. And there's fire, right. But I, but I just, I just feel like there's such power coming from the center of this piece of art that's shooting out.
[00:34:20] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh, my gosh. Now, this is cool. Both of you are right. I think your descriptions are perfect because Sharon, it is chaos. Everything around it. And you, and you juxtaposition this art with light and singleness, but chaos and then darkness all around it. Cause you then have kind of dark on the outside, right? And so here's something I, and tell me if you have this experience, Sharon.
So looking at this piece of artwork, it is chaotic. I can. That. And there's a lot of stuff around it, but just stare straight at the eye now.
[00:34:48] Sharon Staples: And I did. And when Amanda mentioned it, I thought, well, I saw the eye too, but it's so little. And, and. It is not emanating. It is encapsulated in the white. And so, if it had not been encapsulated in the white, I would have thought it would be shooting out.
Anyway, it's just, well, it's my schizophrenia coming to the forefront.
[00:35:15] Tammy Uzelac Hall: For me, when I, when I stare at it, it seems like everything on the outside disappears. If I just look straight at the eye and all of the chaos, it kind of goes away. And then all I see is these, the round visuals of like an eye.
[00:35:30] Amanda Herring: Yeah. That's very fascinating.
[00:35:33] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Yeah. Just staring straight at the eye. Okay. That was, so that's the scripture that goes with that. Again, the light of the body is the eye. Therefore if you find I be single, my whole body shall be full of light. Now we're going to take that and connect it to this next piece of artwork.
Okay. And Sharon, you did a great job of describing this in the second segment. When I put up the pieces, it's the picture of the woman and she's got fruit all around her and you can see shadows on her face and on her hands, the way she's standing with the white around her face. Let's go to the scripture reference for this.
We're going to go to third Nephi chapter 14 and Sharon, will you please read for us verses 16 through 20,
[00:36:17] Sharon Staples: 16 through 20. Ye shall know them by their fruit. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them.
[00:36:52] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Thank you. Thank you. You see her now connect the scripture to hurt this painting.
[00:36:57] Sharon Staples: Absolutely. Look at those beautiful fruits surrounding her.
[00:37:02] Tammy Uzelac Hall: So I asked you to, you both are gardeners. I know this. I know Sharon. I know you have an incredible garden and Sharon right, um, in the fall is just in the back in the fall. You were in the thick of canning and bottling and all sorts of stuff. Amanda has a beautiful lavender garden on the side of her store. Yeah. It's a pretty amazing thing. So I asked you to, to connect these two paintings and these two verses of scripture.
Help me understand what light and growing fruit have to do with each other.
[00:37:35] Amanda Herring: Well, I was, I was, I got a little nervous when I read this part and I was like, Oh, I better read up about photosynthesis because I'm not sure I know the answer to this question. And actually I found this really cool thing, uh, that said that it explained it like this and I thought this was really, really cool.
It says fruit is a scent that needs to be filled with sugar by the leaves around it. The leaves work like Say that again. Fruit what? Fruit is a sink that needs to be filled with sugar by the leaves around it. The leaves work like solar panels, taking the light and turning it into sugar. And I just thought that's so cool to think of like, to think of ourselves as a sink, to think of ourselves as needing to be filled with sugar and the gospel being the solar panels that fill our fruit.
You know what I mean? Like, I just thought it was so cool.
[00:38:27] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh my gosh. I love that. Cause now I'm thinking we always say this, that the gospel of Jesus Christ is so sweet. Um, that the light is sweet, that Christ is sweet. That's what this is because it's the light that gives it growth to fill the sink. So isn't that so cool?
It is the gospel suite. Oh, that's good. Amanda, keep going. What else did you guys come up with?
[00:38:48] Sharon Staples: Light dispels darkness on all counts. So, If you are filled with light, if your home is filled with light, then darkness is dispelled. It's, it can't get in it, it's gone, it's and with gardens, no light, no fruit, no light, no leaves, no light, no nothing, no nothing. You cannot grow anything, well, you may, well, not even in a hothouse. You have to have light. Light is the source of all living and Christ is the light. So cool.
[00:39:27] Tammy Uzelac Hall: I like how you just, the way you said it, it was a testimony to me. The way you testified of that, that was awesome.
[00:39:35] Sharon Staples: That is my testimony. Light is the source of all good and he is the light.
And, you can feel it in the temple, you can feel it when you partake of the sacrament, you can feel it. In your homes, when you have family prayer, you can feel it when you're studying. If you're sitting down to read the Book of Mormon, you can be infused with the light of the Savior, and it dispels darkness, depression, heartache, pain.
Light is a healer, and Christ is the light.
[00:40:08] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh, I like that. One of the things I noticed, cause I also had Amanda, they'll appreciate this. I had to look up stuff too. Cause I'm like, again, photosynthesis, seriously, seventh grade. One of the things that I really struck me was finding out that of course, all plants require light to grow.
Not a single plant can live without light. Then I was like, okay, but really, cause they always have those plants that never die. And they say, if you can't let a plant grow, pick a spider plant, cause it doesn't need a lot of care or light. maybe a little bit of light. So I thought there's got to be some kind of plant that doesn't need light that can grow.
And this article was saying there are some parasitic plants that can grow in darkness. But what blew my mind was that if there is a plant or a parasitic plant that doesn't necessarily need direct light, it gets its nourishment from the roots of other plants. That are getting light. And so thereby saying there's nothing that can survive without light.
And then it just made me think of those of us who have loved ones that struggle. You are their light source and that maybe just maybe they're feeding off of your roots. So don't give up. Keep going to the temple. Keep your covenants. I mean, Sharon, you have such a testimony of temple work and covenants.
How would you connect that to light?
[00:41:28] Sharon Staples: Well, Hugh, Hugh Nibley said that the temple is the center of the universe. It connects us to the heavens. And you can't do that in darkness. I mean, you can't connect the center of the universe to the heavens at night. I mean, in the dark, it, it has to be, light has to emanate in the temple, has to emanate in you, has to emanate in those covenants, has to emanate from everything.
It's just. The, for me, I feel so close to the heavens when I'm in the temple and that is, fills me with light. But when I leave, I get the inspiration that I may have been asking for in the temple. So the light goes home with me. When I'm making decisions, when I'm praying, when I'm trying to do the right thing, whatever comes up in my life after I have been prayerfully attending in the temple.
That, it doesn't extinguish, it stays, it's, it, that, that light, just sitting in the celestial room or doing an ordinance, doing an endowment, doing ceilings, that, what you do there, I think, fills me with light. And then I take it with me. It's, it's just not one and done. It's one and continue and continue and continue.
So it's, uh, the temple is the, the nourisher, the feeding ground. Just feeds your soul, feeds my soul.
[00:43:22] Tammy Uzelac Hall: I absolutely agree. Amanda, I don't know why I want to ask you this and you don't have to answer it, but do you have an experience in your life where the temple was that for you or a loved one?
[00:43:33] Amanda Herring: You know, um, yes. So I, I mean, this is one of those moments and we talked about this early on where I might share something I didn't expect I would share. So here we go. Here we go.
[00:43:48] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Yeah. Yeah.
[00:43:49] Amanda Herring: Um, I have had, um, I was diagnosed with anxiety disorder at four years old, so I've spent my whole life managing anxiety and, um, and to some degree, depression as well, like they kind of go hand in hand for me.
And it's been a lifetime of management of that and, and navigating through dark times or hard times or, you know, almost all of them completely created in my own mind, not Actually existing. Right. But, um, when I finally went through the temple, my husband is a convert. So when I waited a little bit for him and we went to the temple and the first day I sat in the celestial room was the first day of my life that I experienced peace.
And so, um, I have a, a strong testimony of, of the temple and of the things that we can receive there and the, the light that is there, Sharon, as Sharon talked about, and, you know, the need to go back often to refill that piece or that light. But I do think often about that, that moment in the temple where I got to, I got to feel what I think.
Lots of people, maybe most people, feel every day just calm, just a sense of calm that I'd never experienced before. So I don't know if that answers your question, but, um, yeah.
[00:45:19] Sharon Staples: Thank you, Amanda, for sharing that. That is so sweet and is a testimony builder for me. So thank you. Thank you very much.
[00:45:28] Tammy Uzelac Hall: And I appreciate you sharing that too, because I went back to the statement and now the statement you made is even more true because I imagined you as a sink being filled with just the sweetest calm in the temple and your sink just gets filled. I think nothing's ever been more relatable to me because I feel that way.
What? When I go to the temple today, that was, I went to the temple this morning and I remember just sitting in the sluster room and I felt calm and I haven't felt that for a long time. There's a lot of stuff going on in my life right now. Uh, and it's, I don't even know. I've never had this. My jaw is hurting now.
I've never had a hurt jaw from stress. I was like, what's going on? And someone's like, you're stressed. I was like, I've never had a hurt jaw. I mean. It's, I'm, I'm stressed. You bet I'm stressed. But today I just sat and I thought, I feel so at peace. And so, yeah, it is amazing. It is true, Amanda. So thank you for sharing that.
[00:46:24] Amanda Herring: Yeah. And there was something in President Nelson's recent address in April, April conference that I, I feel like really applies here. He said, we are also promised that in the temple, we may receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost. Imagine what that promise means in terms of having the heavens open. For each earnest seeker of eternal truth.
[00:46:44] Tammy Uzelac Hall: That's interesting.
[00:46:45] Amanda Herring: I don't know. My husband is on the high council and he was preparing a talk and his talk is on this and he knew that I was preparing for this and um, I'm, you know, we're going to be talking coming up about. being filled. And so I was really kind of thinking a lot about filled and fullness and fulfill like those three words and how they relate to each other.
So when he said receive a fullness of the Holy Ghost, he was like, Hey, this works for you in terms of what we were just talking about. I think like this whole idea that, um, imagine what that promise means in terms of having the haven't opened. For each earnest thinker, seeker of eternal truth, thinker. I feel that, I mean, it seems like me, I'm a, I'm an, I'm an earnest sinker.
Yeah. I like that. I like that. Yeah. But, but no, but I mean like, you know, just imagine what that means, a fullness of the Holy Ghost. Like. Think of all that fire. It's just so much fire.
[00:47:49] Tammy Uzelac Hall: That's why you liked it. Cause you're, you just keep going back to this idea of fire. That is so cool. Wow. Thank you for sharing your experience and thank you for sharing that quote.
I want to come back to that quote then for sure. When we, like you said, we're gonna talk about being filled. So let's make sure we reread that again cause that's a great quote. So thank you. And thank you Amanda's husband.
[00:48:09] Sharon Staples: Yes, that's right. Great.
[00:48:11] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Very good. Okay. So then we're going to do this. Then in the next segment, we're going to talk about what I think was one of the most obscure of all the paintings.
And we're going to see where the references for that painting. We'll do that next.
Segment 5
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[00:48:31] Tammy Uzelac Hall: So this piece of artwork you both described because I, I asked you to like, what was the one that intrigued you the most? And this was it. And you both were kind of talking about what you thought it meant. So tell the listeners again, what is it that we're looking at?
[00:48:46] Sharon Staples: We're looking at a lot of, um, maroon covered small dots.
And they are surrounded by 12 big white dots, and then there is a beige, um, surrounding of those that's a solid kind of pathway. And then on the other side of that, there are some more maroon big dots. So you'd have, um, You have a circle of beige, a circle of white dots, and a circle of little maroon dots. As I see it.
[00:49:21] Tammy Uzelac Hall: You're not wrong. Let's turn to the scripture reference that has to do with this. So you guys were guessing earlier that it was the 12 apostles in white circles. And that was an awesome guess. This comes from third Nephi chapter 17, verse 23. Okay. See, and this is where I got out of control. Say it, Amanda. Why'd you say that?
[00:49:43] Amanda Herring: I know. Oh, it's the little ones. That's so cool. They're the angels around the little ones.
[00:49:49] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Right. Yes. Go ahead and read that verse for us. 3 Nephi 17, 23.
[00:49:55] Amanda Herring: I might cry. And he spake unto the multitude and said unto them, behold, your little ones.
[00:50:00] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Tell me why you might cry.
[00:50:02] Amanda Herring: I don't know. Is there a sweeter verse in all of scripture than Jesus having them bring their children? And I just can't imagine anything I'd want more from my children than for Jesus to hold them and bless them. And then like the whole concept that angels just descend out of heaven and there's my favorite fire is there so much of it.
Like. You just, like, I cannot imagine that there would be a more sweet, more cherished experience that you could ever have in your life than this one. This is like pinnacle earth experience, right? Like, can you imagine?
[00:50:45] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Well, it's so amazing to me because One of the, like, according to Ezra Taft Benson, who said that much of third Nephi will parallel what it will be like in our day before the savior comes.
And then after, I mean, will we get to have this experience? I'd like to think so. It's phenomenal. Third Nephi 17 is packed with so much goodness. In fact, as the both of you are reading this, tell me about this chapter, because this to me is also Christmas morning right here, everything that happens. And so tell me some of the highlights for you in third Nephi 17.
[00:51:19] Sharon Staples: Well, first of all, I want to comment that the 12 are protecting the little ones from the outside world. I mean, they have pushed away, they have pushed away all those big dots. They have pushed away the world, and they, they are together, and you can almost see them holding hands, but they aren't holding hands, but those twelve are protecting those little ones.
So, that, that's what I thought, and that was sweet, and what, what Amanda said just capsulated on all of that, and it makes so much sense, and it's so sweet.
[00:51:50] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Well, Sharon, and we just have to say this too, though, because the number 12 in Hebrew, we've learned that the number 12 is a symbol of God's government and his power, his priesthood power.
So that just adds to that idea of these 12 angels or angelic beings. I like how you say pushing the world away and protecting them. Oh, good stuff. Carry on.
[00:52:10] Sharon Staples: Okay. Chapter 17. Um, Chapter 17. Um, He, I think four, four things caught me. One, um, he is asking me to ponder. He was asking them to ponder his words, to go home, think about it.
You know, I'm telling you this stuff and. In order to understand, he wants, I have to prepare to hear his words and to receive the gifts of the Holy Ghost and to do the things that he would have me do and have me experience. I have to do my part. That was one thing. The second thing was that his, his healing of the sick.
And, and the, the other one is, he prays in a language that cannot be written. And I want to know what that language is. I want to be able to read it someday. So
[00:53:02] Tammy Uzelac Hall: you'll probably learn it. Who are we kidding. Sharon's like let's add that to our list of languages.
[00:53:07] Sharon Staples: And then of course the, um, The fourth thing was that, um, what Amanda mentioned and you mentioned, and that is that the angels minister and fire encircles the little ones.
So that chapter is, well, it's filled with, with sweet instruction and it's, you know what's not, you have to obey this. You have to do this. You have to, you must do this. You have to obey. It's, he directs the people to ponder what he has to say. He didn't say, okay, you go home and study this and get back in the morning.
I mean, it's not like, you know, there'll be a quiz. It's not. And, and he heals the sick and he just pours out his heart and his soul and his spirit and we know he weeps. Um, it's just tender. These chapters I think are tender, well all of chapter, all of 3rd Nephi is tender.
[00:54:00] Tammy Uzelac Hall: But this chapter for me. It is the Jesus I believe in. This is, this is, if I were to write, I couldn't even write as good as this was written, but this is who I want to have really come. I believe this will happen. Um, it's, it's everything. Like you said, the word I love how you use the word Sharon encapsulates, it encapsulates who my Jesus is. What did you, what about you, Amanda? Share.
[00:54:25] Amanda Herring: Well, I mean, there's so many things, right? Um, just to begin with, he, he said he directs them to bring their sick and afflicted, but he says all of the sick and anyone afflicted in any manner. So for me, I'm like, Oh man, I would be in that line, like take away my anxiety. Like the idea of being healed is so beautiful.
Um, so I love that. But then I also love. I love along the lines what Sharon was talking about where he prays. It says, and this is in verse 16 and 17, the eye hath never seen, neither hath the ear heard before so great and marvelous things as we saw and heard Jesus speak unto the father and no tongue can speak, neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men can see so great and marvelous things as we both saw and heard Jesus speak and no one can hear.
Can conceive of the joy which filled our souls the time we heard him pray for us and the Father. I, there's a lot of words in there that are like, very, very, um, you know, like this is, this has never happened. This, we've never heard this, like no one has ever heard this. Like those are pretty big statements, right?
So we know that that must have been a truly incredible, unbelievable moment to hear him pray for them. And then the really, like the really cool thing for me is that Jesus says in 20 he says, and now behold, my joy is full. And I just think about Jesus in the new Testament. And I. I have so much sorrow for the Jesus in the New Testament because I am like, why, why not people listen?
Why won't they just do what he wants? Here's me over here not doing what he wants and not listening. Right. I mean like it's really easy to, to read this and just think like, Oh, you don't know what you have. And Jesus is just trying so hard. He's so patient with his apostles and with the people, but it's like the long slog.
You know what I mean? Like it's hard. And this is Jesus's moment in the scriptures where here are these people and they're like, please don't leave. We love you. We want to be with you. And. And he's praying for them and he's seeing them receive it. And it's like this fulfillment of this moment where I felt like Jesus is finally getting what he deserves from these people and his joy is all.
And just the idea that, that Jesus gets to feel love. I know it's so silly, right? No. I just love it. I just love that he is being adored and loved and worshiped. I just feel like it's just such a sweet moment for me to see him be loved.
[00:57:16] Tammy Uzelac Hall: My gosh, Amanda.
[00:57:21] Sharon Staples: That was, that was beautiful, Amanda. And I will add to that in the Jewish faith, every prayer, every blessing, every ordinance, every occasion, there are seven words.
that Jewish people utter before they pray. Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu, Melech ha olam. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe. They, they recognize how blessed their God is, and, and we recognize how blessed. Our God is. And when you talk about how tender our God is, then I think, Oh, blessed art thou, O Lord, our God.
And it brings me to tears. And I think that understanding of who he is and the emotion that he brings out in you and brings out in me and Tammy and others is truth and light and fire. I think fire.
[00:58:29] Amanda Herring: Yes. It's true. It's true. And I mean, doesn't it make you want to be like, I want to love him better. I want to do a better job.
I want to be, I want him to feel like his joy is full in me. I want. When, when he sees me, I don't want there to be any disappointment. I just want it to be. Yeah. Amen.
[00:58:53] Tammy Uzelac Hall: And I'm feeling the spirit so strong right now as both of you testified of that. And it takes me to that verse 23 because now I, I'm wondering, I don't know, I'm, I'm kind of thinking we talk about how he takes the multitude, he, he has the multitude and he took their little ones one by one and he blessed them and he prayed unto the father for them.
Um, um, And then verse 23, he spake unto the multitude and said unto them, behold, your little ones. And I, I love that verse. And part of me wonders if he's, when he said, cause he says he speaks unto the multitude, but now I'm wondering was the multitude, the moms and dads, Or was the multitude, the angels coming down as he says, behold, your little ones, and maybe were included in the little ones were told to be like little children.
I mean, I want to think I would have been in that group. I would have been so sad if, but I would have been like, well, what about me? I want the fire around me for one minute. I'm like, maybe, maybe he was just looking up saying to the father, behold, your little ones, all of your children who you love. And let's minister to them.
And this picture is pushing, like Sharon said, it's pushing away the world. I want to be worthy enough to be encircled by those angels who are protecting me. Um, I want to feel that fire and Amanda, as you said, and I wrote that down that the more fire we have in us, the more likely we are to survive the things around us.
And, um, I think this is a beautiful example of that. So thank you ladies. Thank you for sharing your testimony of the Savior and for teaching us beautifully about this piece of art in this verse of scripture.
[01:00:33] Sharon Staples: And thank you for, yes, thank you for your doing in the same.
[01:00:37] Tammy Uzelac Hall: So fun. Okay. So we have one more piece of artwork and we're going to talk about what it means to be full according to this piece of art.
We'll do that next.
Segment 6
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[01:00:54] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Okay, here's our last piece of art and Sharon did a fabulous job of explaining this clear back in the second segment when I showed the art. So we're going to put it up one more time and then just point out anything else that you didn't notice before or Amanda, anything that strikes you with this painting.
[01:01:10] Amanda Herring: I love seeing the different depictions of Christ. I love. I love how, I love the more, what I would imagine to be slightly more authentic versions of, of him with the dark, dark hair. And I think it's interesting that everyone in this picture is looking a different direction. Oh, I've never noticed that before.
You're right. I'm not sure what the meaning of that is, except for the two here on the, on the left. They're looking, well, they could be looking slightly different directions, but they're all kind of looking different directions. One's looking up, one forward.
[01:01:48] Tammy Uzelac Hall: It looks like looking at us too.
[01:01:51] Amanda Herring: Yeah. Yeah. And I wonder what the, I mean, that was surely intentional by the artist and I wonder what the, what their meaning is. I love that there's someone holding your sheet.
[01:02:01] Sharon Staples: Well, this might be too abstract from what we're talking about right now, but how will he appear to us when he comes? He, he's clothed in white.
He doesn't have his priesthood robes on. He's just clothed in white and he's teaching about the sacrament. Will he be in a three piece suit? With a tie, when he comes, will he be in his temple priesthood clothes? Will he be like this? Will he look like this? And what I question is, the Nephites did not know what he looked like.
They didn't know what to expect. They didn't know who, how he would appear. But they recognized him when he did, and these people surrounding him now are anxious. For me, I think they're anxious to learn what he has to teach them, because they recognized him as the Savior, and they want him to feed them what they need to have to be like him.
That, that, all that flashed into my mind, and it may be too abstract, but I think, what am I, will I know him? Well, I recognize him, so, because we've had so many depictions of him over the years, we've had for over 2, 000 years, what he looks like and what he wears. So many people watch the program, The Chosen, and he is in his, uh, Jewish, Garb his Jewish clothing.
If he doesn't come in that will I recognize him in a three piece suit. . I mean, I, I, he'll have a red robe so you can know that A red robe and I, I know where he'll be. Yeah. You know, uh, and where, you know where he will come, but not when. and what he will really look like. I mean, I, these are artists depictions of what he looks like. . , none of them having seen him, well, maybe they did. I don't, maybe artists do that. I don't know. Anyway, the picture itself just brings out all those questions.
[01:04:26] Amanda Herring: Do you know what else I'm noticing about this is, um, he is giving us an invitation.
[01:04:33] Tammy Uzelac Hall: It looks like that.
[01:04:34] Amanda Herring: Uh, yeah, he's absolutely inviting us to join with these people to part of, you know, I mean, I'm sure you could make the invitation, lots of things, but he is absolutely offering an invitation there. And I would say not even offering an, an invitation, but like, Oh gosh, help me with the word here. Just like when you really want someone to come. That's the word. He's imploring us. It's not just invitation, but doesn't it feel like the intensity in his eyes? Like you feel like he's imploring you.
[01:05:09] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Okay. Look at this. Cause I, I'm just now connecting the, the look on their faces to this piece of information. Turn to third Nephi chapter 18. I'm not going to give you the verse yet. For the artist's rendition. But I wonder if this information from third Nephi 18 has anything to do with the look on their faces.
So in third Nephi chapter 18, you can bracket off verses one through three. And here we have these three verses. And so Sharon, will you read those for us?
[01:05:35] Sharon Staples: Sure. Chapter 18, verses one through three. And it came to pass that Jesus commanded his disciples that they should bring forth some bread and wine unto him.
And while they were gone for bread and wine, he commanded the multitude that they should sit themselves down upon the earth. And when the disciples had come with bread and wine, he took of the bread and break and blessed it. And he gave unto his disciples and bid that they should eat,
[01:06:06] Tammy Uzelac Hall: now, this is the very first time the sacrament has been introduced to these people.
They've never done the sacrament before. Now look at the faces of the people. Because if we saw the bread and the wine in his hands, we'd be like, Oh, he's doing the sacrament. All right, everybody. We know what to do. They've never had the sacrament before. And now you look at their faces like the woman in the corner is kind of like, wait, what's going on here?
She looks a little pensive. Doesn't she? Like, I know who you are. I recognize you, but what's this bread and wine stuff? Right. We've been doing the law of Moses all this time. Maybe that's why she has the lamb. Now I'm just thinking about, I wonder if she's bringing the lamb to offer as a sacrifice.
[01:06:45] Amanda Herring: I feel like that had to be something like that in there.
[01:06:48] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh, and now she's like, wait, we're not going to kill this.
[01:06:51] Amanda Herring: Wait, what? Well, we're doing what?
[01:06:54] Tammy Uzelac Hall: We're just going to eat. It replaces. What? I just now noticed that. We're just going to eat bread?
[01:06:58] Amanda Herring: Yeah. That's cool. That's so cool. Cool connection, Tammy.
[01:07:03] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Well, and I like the little girl. She just kind of looks like, yeah, this is what we're doing.
Like she's always known.
[01:07:07] Amanda Herring: Kids are so adaptable. Right.
[01:07:10] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Oh my gosh. I have so many comments about faces. Yeah. So this is the first time the sacrament is being introduced to the people on the Western Hemisphere. And as they're doing this. Here's the scripture for this painting. It's third Nephi chapter 18 verse nine.
And Amanda, will you read that for us? Because you've already introduced this concept and then you're going to give us that quote again from our prophet. So go ahead.
[01:07:33] Amanda Herring: And it came to pass that they did so and did drink of it and were filled and they gave unto the multitude and they did drink and they were filled.
[01:07:41] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Thank you. You could also connect that to verse four, because it says, after they ate the bread, they were filled. And so his idea of this, where they are filled. And so I just asked the two of you, what do you think is filling them? And talk to me about this concept of being filled.
[01:07:57] Amanda Herring: Well, I, I've thought a lot about.
I thought a lot about it and I read a lot about the word tilled and the word fulfill and the word fullness. Like I was kind of like on this thing about those and I, but I think ultimately what it comes down to with being filled is I think we're, we have a spiritual gas tank and taking the sacrament and going to church on Sunday when we are really prepared, we can have our gas tank filled.
And I think the idea long term is that we become more and more efficient and there's less empty. We're not running on empty. But I think that it is so important that we go prepared to be filled, that we're ready to feast, not ready to take a snack. We're ready to be there to feast and we're ready to be just completely. Whether that's just, we just need a quarter or half tank or a full tank, whatever, it's, it's still needful for us to be filled.
[01:08:59] Sharon Staples: And for me, it's filled with what it's, what we're filled with. Are we filled with hope, courage, faith? Love, um, a sense of camaraderie to our fellow being. Are we filled with the desire to be more like him?
Are we filled with the spirit of the Holy Ghost? Are we filled? What are we filling ourselves with when we partake of the sacrament? And in our sacrament meeting, of course, the, the bishopric and the counselors say when, when we're about to partake of the sacrament, they say, please consider your relationship with the savior as you partake of the sacrament.
Amen. And I think that's, you know, sound advice and good advice. But this, I think, is better, to be filled. Filled. What am I being filled with when I take a little piece of bread and a little sip of water? What, how does that fill my soul and what does it fill me with that I want to move forward in being more compassionate, being more understanding, filled with a desire to go to the temple, filled with a desire to be kinder to my family, filled with, you know, what? It depends on the filling.
[01:10:16] Amanda Herring: I have three scripture references that I found that gave me, that really worked for me with this. Oh, please. Do you want me to start up? Yeah. The first is in John 4 when Jesus is at the well with the woman. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. And he's asked her to draw out, she's asking him, and he says to her, in verse 13, he says, Jesus answered and said unto her, whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give shall never thirst.
So I love the idea of, um, and then it says, but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. So I love the idea that, you know, you're filled with the gospel in that sense. And then in third Nephi 12, six, it says, and blessed are all they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness, where they shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. so I think, you know, um, Holy Ghost is the filling there's as Sharon was talking about, like the different kinds of filling and then in Helaman 3:35. Nevertheless, they did fast and pray off and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and the firmer and firmer in that they were. of Christ unto the filling of their souls with joy and consolation, even to the purifying and sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification come up because of their gilding their hearts.
So there they're filled with joy and consolation. So I totally agree with what Sharon was saying. What is the filling? It's there for us to be filled with whatever it is that we need to be filled with. Like it's there for the taking. We just got to do the things to take it. Great.
[01:12:00] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Great. Thank you. So here's the challenge to everyone listening then, because this next Sunday, you won't be able to take the sacrament because you're going to be listening to general conference. And so do this. Notice what the Holy Ghost inspires you to be filled with. Notice all the areas that you get filled because you have apostles. And remember, Go back to third Nephi chapter 12. For those of us preparing to listen to general conference, where we're first promised, we're blessed. We're happy if you give heed unto the words of the 12 and then in verse two, again, more blessed that are they who shall believe in your words because that you shall testify that you have seen me and that you know that I am.
And I believe that of the quorum of the 12 members, and I believe that of our prophet. And so as you listen to their words, you'll be blessed. But I also think you'll be filled and their words will be sweet. We'll fill that sink with so much sugar as Amanda taught us just so much light this weekend as we listen to general conference.
And so just notice that. And I know sometimes it's crazy and it's chaotic. And there have been many general conferences that I've thought, I'm going to have to read this talk because my kids are fighting and I'm about to lose it. That's okay. But there will be talks that will speak to your soul that you'll think, Oh, I needed that.
And I really do, I can testify of that because there's plenty of talks when I think someone else needs it. But if you can't, you know what I'm talking about, right, ladies?
[01:13:23] Amanda Herring: No, I've never done that.
[01:13:26] Tammy Uzelac Hall: But our challenge is to be ready to be filled this weekend. Get ready, get filled and notice the results. All of the happiness that comes from listening to the words of the prophet and apostles, and it's going to be a great weekend.
So thank you. ladies. What a fun discussion.
[01:13:42] Amanda Herring: Oh, great. Okay. Yeah, that was wonderful.
[01:13:45] Tammy Uzelac Hall: So gather all your thoughts and I'm just going to ask you for one quick takeaway. What's something you'll remember or something you experienced during this discussion?
[01:13:53] Sharon Staples: I'll go first, if that's okay, Amanda. I have to be prepared.
All of the attitudes are conditional. I will be blessed IF I hunger and thirst. I will be blessed IF I do this. I will be blessed IF I do that. I will be, everything is conditional. He offers every righteous blessing, but I need to be prepared in doing what he's asking me to do in order to receive those blessings.
Um, I need to learn line upon line, I need to learn precepts, I need to, I just need to hunger and thirst, I need to take care of the poor, I need to do so many things. All of that is, the blessings are contingent upon. my efforts, but they're so sweet. The blessings are so sweet and so eternal and so constant. Perfecting my preparation is worth every effort.
[01:15:07] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Amen. Thank you, Sharon.
[01:15:09] Sharon Staples: You're welcome. Thank you. Thank you.
[01:15:14] Amanda Herring: Um, I think for me, I, it's hard for me to not feel, you know, at the conclusion of all of this discussion, just. The immense amount of love that Jesus has for us and seeing these five pieces of art and how incredibly talented each one of these artists is and how incredibly different their portrayal of, um, the scriptures is and how, if I were to do it, how different that would be that in all of our differences.
our blessings from God that he's given us talents and gifts and ideas and thoughts. Sharon has different thoughts than I do, but I'm inspired by hers as I am by yours, Sammy. And just that, you know, in this gospel that we, that we practice in this religion that we practice and The, the differences of all of us and how God has created this incredible place where we can gather together and share, um, our love for him and feel his love for us.
Like it's just really, truly incredible to be blessed so much by God. This God that loves us and that came to these people and showed them this love. And if we've learned anything from seeing that he did this in multiple places, we can have hope that we will get to have these same experiences when he comes again, that we will get to experience the same thing, right?
Because he wants to make sure everybody has the same opportunity to feel loved, to be taught. And I just think it's easy to feel, to struggle, to feel loved in this world. Yeah. It's easy for so many people, but I just, I hope that when people read this, they feel that love. I hope that they feel his love and just can take solace and be filled from that.
[01:17:14] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Wow. Thank you. Thank you for pointing that out. Just how loved we are. I believe that with all of my heart, my takeaways, Sharon, when you said light is the source of all good and Christ is the light. But when you said it, it just was so. done stamp of approval from Sharon. There's no other way to say it and it's true.
So thank you. And then Amanda, I wrote a couple of years down, but I'm just, I keep going back to the more fire we have in us, the more likely we are to survive the things around us. And I thought that was so great because we're going to get a lot of fire this weekend with general conference and then we go to church.
There's fire. I just think. And how fire stood out to you and now I'm noticing that word even more as I'm reading these chapters. And so thank you for sharing that about fire and the challenge to be filled, that quote from our prophet that we're going to need, um, in the world we live in today. So thank you for coming prepared.
Both of you. What a great discussion. I just love it. Thank you very much,
[01:18:09] Sharon Staples: Tammy. We appreciate your guidance. So fun.
[01:18:12] Amanda Herring: I agree. Mm hmm. Truly an honor.
[01:18:15] Tammy Uzelac Hall: Well, what was your takeaway? Go and join us on Facebook or follow us on Instagram to share what you have learned. You can even ask questions throughout the week or just post something that you thought was really interesting or significant, or maybe a piece of artwork that you really liked.
Then at the end of the week, we ask the question, That has to do with this specific lesson. So comment on the post relates to this lesson and share your thoughts. You can get to both our Facebook and Instagram by going to the show notes for this episode at LDS living. com slash Sunday on Monday. And it's not a bad idea to go there anyway, because it's where we're going to have links to all the references, a transcript of this whole discussion, as well as links to all of the artwork.
So you can go check it out. Now, there is still another opportunity to come and see me come to the lift up your heart magnify event. It's everything we've loved about time out for women in the past, and I will be at the event in St. George, Utah. So if you're close to St. George, Utah and you're in Las Vegas, maybe LA girls trip, I don't know.
But on November 9th, I will be there. So come and say hello. The Sunday on Monday study group is a desert bookshelf plus original brought to you by LDS living. It's written and hosted by me, Tammy Uzelac Hall, and today our Fabulous. Incredible. I just love them so much. Study group participants were Sharon Staples and Amanda Herring, and you can find more information about my friends at ldsliving.
com slash Sunday on Monday. Our podcast is produced by Cole Wissinger and me. It is edited and mixed by Cole Wissinger and our executive producer is Erin Hallstrom. Thanks for being here. We'll see you next week. And please remember that you are God's favorite.