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[00:00:00] What comes to mind when you hear the word cry? Do you think of a crying baby? How about a good cry with a friend? Maybe you recently cried or you know what? Maybe you're crying right now. The word cry can have several meanings and everyone reacts so differently to those who cry. Today's discussion of ether chapters one through five contain many cries and we're going to discuss them and see just how the Lord responds to those cries.

Welcome to the Sunday on Monday Study Group, a Deseret Bookshelf Plus original brought to you by LDS Living, where we take the come follow me lesson for the week, and we really dig into the scriptures together. I'm your host, Tammy Usilac Hall. If you're new to our study group, please follow the link in our description, and it's going to explain how you can best use this podcast to enhance your come follow me study.

Just like my friend Lene Hall from Texas. Hi, Lene. I'm so glad I got to meet you. Now, my favorite thing about this study group is each week we're joined by two of my friends, so it's always a little bit different each week, and I'm so excited to introduce you to two new friends. We have Mirinda Ashman and Rebecca Mullen.

Hi ladies. Hello. Hi Tammy. Ha ha. Okay. First, tell everybody how you two know each other.

Rebecca, why don't you go? So, uh, Miranda and I have known each other for 35, 36 years. We met at college, um, down at Brigham Young University. I was a junior college transfer student, and we both played volleyball at BYU.

Back last century, if that tells you when, when I say 35, 36 years ago, I'm talking about last century. Sure. Sure. Yeah. So that's how we met. And then we've just been lifelong best friends since then. She's been so gracious to me, made me a part of her family. We're lucky to have her as part of my family. My kids, I have five children and, um, Rebecca is absolutely their second mom.

So she's, we're so grateful that we're friends.

Wow. And here's how we know each other. Ladies. How do we know each other? It's one of my, one of my

favorite

places, right? We met in one of Rebecca's favorite places,

the Costco time. She's home. We go to Costco for lunch, which is really just tasters. And, um, Rebecca I recognized you, Tammy.

We were walking through the refrigerated section, which we didn't even need anything, but we walked through and we go to walk out and she says, By the way, that's Tammy Usilak Hall. And I was like, wait, what? Turned back in, said your tagline, which is my favorite. Um, did you know you are God's favorite and you turned around, you had Holly with you and I, I've been telling everybody that I just give you this big hug and Holly a big hug because to me, I know you guys, I've been listening to you for almost six years, right?

Like I know you and you're like, who is this strange woman giving me this big bear hug? But um, that's how we met in the cooler.

It was so well received. I think of that day fondly because then we stayed in the cooler and talked forever and we were freezing. In no part did we think we should get out because we're chilling, our teeth are chattering, but we could not stop talking and chatting.

And then, of course, because you're talking to Holly, you all found a natural connection because that is what Holly does. So it turns out you all have friends and mutual friends. Blew my mind. Uh, that was so fun. So there you go. It just teaches everybody out there. If you'd say to hi to me in the Costco, you might end up on the podcast.

So if you're

right, beware,

exactly.

I'm yes.

This is going to be so fun. I have no doubt about it. God's like, these are the two. I don't even know why it's you two, so I can't even wait to find out how this whole thing is going to evolve. It's going to be really great. We can't wait

either. We're not sure either.

So

if you want to know more about my guests and see their pictures, and by the way, when they said they're volleyball players, they are the most beautiful, tall women ever. It made my heart so happy. I wish my girls were with me because my girls are the same height. They're all in six feet tall and I just wanted them to see beautiful, confident, educated women.

you. So we'll have to work it out. So you guys can all meet. Um, they don't play volleyball. They do lacrosse. We tried volleyball, but they didn't like the bruising on their arms. So there you go. You know, but if you want to see my guests and read their bios, go find them in our show notes, which are at LDS living.

com slash Sunday on Monday. So everybody grab your scriptures and no matter how you're studying, we are glad you're studying with us and let's dig into ether chapters one through five. Okay. You too. What did the Holy Ghost teach you as you read

these five chapters? This was the question I answered last after kind of studying as I prepared for this.

And to me, what it taught me was that prayers are always answered. They can be big prayers, small prayers, the answers might come quickly. They might come slowly [00:05:00] and, and then something that particularly in Ether 2 that I noticed is, sometimes he'll answer all of your prayer. And sometimes just part of it, right?

Because, uh, the brother of Jared asked, well, how are we going to see, how are we going to steer? How are we going to breathe? And God only answered the third one, right? Cut the holes. He didn't answer really the big one that we know of like lighting the stones. And so sometimes he might answer all of it, but eventually.

He does. And so that was what the Holy Ghost taught me is it doesn't matter what kind of prayers we pray. He'll answer them no matter what.

Oh, I like that. Thank you for going that full circle with, even if you don't get the answer right then eventually you do like he does answer your prayers and not always the way we think.

So that's awesome. Thank you.

And not always the way we think, but for me, I just loved that. You know, when the brother of Jared cried unto the Lord that the Lord always had compassion that the Lord is Compassionate, you know, he's willing and ready to listen to our prayers, but he also has compassion He may like you said he may not answer him like we like him to but he does but even after that and He said You know go to work that it takes work like he didn't confound the languages You So that they could all understand each other.

He said he'd send him to a promised land. But to do that, it all took a lot of work. They had to gather all the animals. It's like doing Noah's Ark all over again.

They

had to have bees. Can you imagine traveling with bees? Nope. Yeah, or even animals, critters. I'm totally critter challenged. My friend, Mirinda, will attest to that.

I'm 100 percent critter challenged. Oh, I love

that, Rebecca, because I would absolutely go, Oh, Okay, but you don't really mean cats, do you, God? Or anything. Yeah. You weren't, you weren't making me include rats and sna I mean, it's so funny. I'd be very, very particular. Right, and then they

had to go through the wilderness to do that.

All that takes a lot of work. And even when Mirinda said when he was approached the Lord about the barges, about Having white and he had to come up with his own decision. He climbed up to a mountain, you know, he's carved out stones. I mean, how hard it's a lot of work and it all took a lot of time too. I think, I don't know what the time span was, but it wasn't instantaneous.

So a lot of times I think we need to learn to be patient when we're listening. I'm so

glad you said that. Yeah, absolutely. I always wish in the scriptures, this is my only like, I wish there was a little star or asterisks right after the problem in the scripture and before the answer, because it seems like the answer comes in the very, very next chapter or the very next verse.

I wish there was a little asterisks that said six months later or a year and a half later, whatever it was. It's because And I sometimes get frustrated when my prayers aren't answered in the next verse or in the very next chapter. And so I love that you said it. Of course it took time to carve out the rocks and oh, that's such great insight.

Very good. Okay. Well, those were great lessons that the Holy Ghost taught you. Thank you for sharing that. So we're going to have a lot of fun in these chapters. Then many of us are familiar with the story of the brother of Jared, but I don't know if we're familiar enough with it to study it the way we're going to study it today.

So I think this is going to be a lot of fun. So in the next chapter, then we're going to dive into ether chapter one. You're going to want to make sure you have something to mark your scriptures with because we're going to mark it up. We'll do that next.

Okay, everybody, you're going to need something to mark your scriptures with, like a highlighter, and then you're going to need a pen because you're going to write in your scriptures. Ether chapter 1 verses 1 through 33 contains a lot of information. I mean, a lot. So here we go. Let's mark it up. First things first, what we want to do is on the first page where it says the book of Ether.

You're going to want to highlight the subtitle below it or the sub, I don't even know if it's not subtitle, but it's more like sub information. Would you call it? I'm not an English major. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But it, it, it sums it up and it says the record of the Jaredites taken from the 24 plates found by the people of Limhi in the days of King Mosiah.

Now, we're going to cross reference so you know where this comes from. We studied it a long time ago and you'll probably remember it because you drew a map. Let's put two references next to that. The first one is Mosiah chapter 8, verses 5 through 13. So Mosiah 8, 5 through 13. And then the next reference is Mosiah 28, verses 11 through 19.

And we just want to go back to Mosiah chapter 28 to kind of remind us of what the story is. So Mosiah chapter 8 verses 5 through 13. And if you go back to Mosiah 8, summing up the story, we have [00:10:00] Ammon. And Ammon comes along, along, And he meets up with the people of limb high and limb high speaking to the people.

And he's telling them, starting in Mosiah chapter eight, verse seven, he says, I'm going to tell you about what's been going on with my people. He's kind of giving a brief recap and how they were out in the wilderness. And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days because he said in that verse seven, he sent 43 of his people into the wilderness because he's like, I wanted him to find the land of Zarahemla.

I wanted him to find our people. So those 43 people in verse seven that went out, they got lost. They never found the land of Zarahemla, but look what they did find in verse eight. Rebecca, can you read verse eight for us? Yes,

in verse eight, it says, And they were lost in the wilderness for the space of many days, yet they were diligent, and found not the land of Zarahemla, but returned to this land, having traveled in a land among many waters, having discovered a land which was covered with bones of men, and of beasts, and was covered with ruins of buildings of every kind, having discovered a land which had been peopled with people, with a people who were as numerous as the hosts of Israel.

Oh, thank you. Okay. To the outside of verse eight, you could write Ether and Jaredites. So we are now entering into the history of these people, the numerous people, and they find the bones of men. But here's something else they found. Look at verse nine and Miranda, will you read verse nine for us? You betcha.

And for a testimony that the things that they have said are true, they have brought 24 plates, which are filled with engravings, and they are of pure gold. Thank you.

So they have these 24 plates, but none of them can read them. They have no idea what it says. So King Lim High says to Ammon, can you translate these plates?

And Ammon says, Oh no, no, no, I can't do it. But I do know someone who can. King Mosiah, he has this gift to interpret the plates and that's where it ends. We don't even get to read if he reads the plates yet until we go to Mosiah 28. So that's why I gave you the second cross reference. So go to Mosiah 28

and we're going to look at these verses starting in verse 11.

So Mosiah chapter 28 verse 11, and Miranda, will you read verse 11?

Therefore, he took the records which were engraven on the plates of brass, and also the plates of Nephi, and all the things which he had kept and preserved according to the commandments of God, after having translated and caused to be written the records which are on the plates of gold, which had been found by the people of Limhi, which were delivered to him by the hand of Limhi.

Amen. Amen.

Thank you. And so there it is. Mosiah translated those plates and now we have the book of ether. So it's been passed along with all of the plates and we're finally getting to read what Mosiah translated and why in the world of all the records would they put the book of ether in? So let's talk about this.

Here we go. Go back to ether. We're going to mark up. When I said there's a lot in ether, there's a lot. So ether chapter one. Now that we have those cross references and we know a little bit about this book, bracket off verses 2 through 5. And verses two through five to the outside, just right, Genesis chapters one through 10.

Approximately Genesis chapters one through 10 is what is summed up in these. And so he says, listen, I'm not even going to give you all the information that was actually on the plates because it's already in the book of Genesis, but just know it's the creation of Adam and it's approximately chapters one through 10 of Genesis.

So we're going to just kind of cut that out is what that's saying right there. We don't need to have all of the days of Adam written on here. So that's two verse five. Then we have verse six and verse six, we're going to highlight a name. So grab your highlighter. It says, and on this wise, do I give the account?

He that wrote this record was ether, and he was a descendant of Corianter now ether, but the outside is a profit and he will come into play. About Ether chapter 11 verse 23 is when we first are introduced to him. So you can cross reference his name right there with 11 verse 23 and then chapter 12 verse 2.

So later on in Ether, we're gonna find out about him. But we are gonna go from the prophet Ether and then bracket off. Oh my goodness. Verses 7 through 32. You got a lot of begats. Right? Lots of names, as they call it in the Old Testament. A lot of begats or a lot of names. What could we label all of these verses you two, if you were to have a class and say, let's label this, what would you label it?

Genealogy.

Genealogy.

Yay. Put that right to the outside. Genealogical record right there. And it goes all the way back to A man in verse 32, Jared, highlight his name in verse 32, kind of a fun thing in [00:15:00] Hebrew. The name Jared means to go down. And I think this is awesome. Like, because when we think of to go down, we think of walking down a hill to go down, but it might also mean to go down on your knees.

And

to pray or

to be a leader of a group and take them down. I don't know. I just think it in Hebrew, it's Yared and so not just Jared, there's no J's, but Yared is his name.

All right. My kids, Tammy. We, I share what I learned on these podcasts and I'm always like, and did you know that in Hebrew, this. So when they knew I was on, they were like, so mom, are you going to learn some Hebrew for your podcast?

And then here it is. I could have found it with Jared Dang.

Oh, that's so awesome. I love that. Did you learn some? Well, you're going to tell him the Hebrew you learned for sure. I

most definitely will.

It is. But honestly, isn't it the coolest thing to know something in Hebrew and you can work it in a conversation?

Well,

to me, it just gives such a greater understanding. And so they almost expect it every time I talk about what I learned on the podcast. I'm like, yeah, okay. There was some Hebrew. I'll share it with you.

Oh, I think that's so awesome. That's fun. Okay. That's so cool. All right. No, this is good. This is good.

So here we go then. Now we have the story. We're starting out with Jared. Now, verse 33, Rebecca, read verse 33 for us.

Which Jared came forth with his brother and their families, with some others and their families, from the great tower, at the time the Lord confounded the language of the people, and swore in his wrath that they should be scattered upon all the face of the earth, and according to the word of the Lord, the people were scattered.

Now, cross reference that, Genesis 11 is where the story takes place in the Bible. Genesis 11, it's after Noah. That's important to know. So we have this story of the tower. Okay. Now, knowing all of this then, before we go on in the story of Jared and his brother and all the good stuff, here's what I want us to do.

Go back to Mosiah chapter 28 real quick, because this stood out to me. So Mosiah chapter 28, we're going to look at verse 12. Because Mosiah had translated the plates, these plates that we're going to be studying for the next couple of weeks. And I thought this was really cool. Here we go. Mosiah chapter 28, verse 12.

And Rebecca, can you please read verse 12?

And this he did because of the great anxiety of his people, for they were desirous beyond measure to know concerning those people who had been destroyed. Ooh. Yeah, tell me why you oohed that. Well Because, you know, the people that were lost that came across, you know, buildings and bones and all that kind of stuff of a great nation of some kind that was utterly destroyed.

So you're gonna, why wouldn't you be in fear?

I know. I think this is so crazy to me when I look at this and, and I think of it too, as a way where I'm like, Oh my gosh, there were dead people and they brought back some of the plates and things they fought with. And it's almost like. I don't know, maybe it brings out the um, reality TV lover in me because I'm like, there were real people!

What happened to them? Like, I want to know people's stories. The other day I was driving with my daughter and we saw something like, and I said, boy, don't you want to know that story? Don't you want to know what's going on and why that looks that way? And she's like, yeah, like we love the stories. And it just struck me in verse 12 because I thought, am I desirous beyond measure?

to know concerning the people of ether. I checked myself because I've never entered the book of ether desirous beyond measure to read their story. And here, these people are so excited to find out and we get to be these people. Now we are as if we're with Mosiah and he just translated it and he's reading it to us.

So that's sort of my challenge for the next two weeks is to come. Ready to learn and be desirous beyond measure to find out the story of the Jaredites and all of their people. And so I just, yeah, that's what it, that's kind of what the spirit taught me.

Well, I kind of wonder too, right? Because after studying this, so first up, I love how you always send us on these little chains.

Cause I gotta say, I get a little lost in the book of Mormon. Like I'm like Messiah. That was like hundreds of pages ago. Right. Right. Right. And so that's been great. But from studying also think of how, how many things were not written that were actually in ether that have been sealed. Are we going to be as desirous?

Like maybe our prophet is anxious because we kind of want to know all of that too. Um, as I was thinking of that while I was studying, I thought, I love Jesus. And anytime I see a picture of Jesus, some of them just resonate a lot more with me than others. And I thought, huh. When those come about, we're going to actually have the true right picture of Jesus because he's going to describe when he saw him, right?

The brother of Jared. Well, but [00:20:00] I just thought that too, like they wanted to know why all the bones, what were those people that left? We sent them on this mission. They didn't come back. We left them. Um, but. We know there's so many more things that, I mean, the last pages, the, the sealed portions, we have so much more that we can be desirous beyond measure to learn more about.

And then I think, yeah, that Brenda, are you even like doing what's here? Like let's be real, right? Like, are you really diving into the scriptures that have been given let alone waiting for more? So maybe making sure. I have a fuller understanding. So when those do come, it will answer some of those questions.

Like it helps me when I listen to you, Tammy, of kind of taking us back on these chains to make sense of what's happening where in, in time and sequence for me. I

like how you just applied it when you said, are we desirous beyond measure for the scriptures we do have?

I

mean, in fact, I didn't even know you could do this. So on your phone, on the gospel app, you can actually check and it has, it runs the streak that you have for reading the scriptures every day. I didn't know that. And my daughter said, mom, let me see your phone. And she was, I don't know if she was trying to trick me or something, but she's like, mom.

Your streak is so long. And I was like, what are you talking about? She goes, look how many days you've been on the Book of Mormon every single day. And I was like, well, if I do so say myself, I said, actually kid, you know, this is part of my job. Of course, I'm going to not that righteous, but I do think that's kind of cool.

Like, oh, now this is going to change it. Are we desirous beyond measure to read what we do have? That was so cool. Thank you for saying that. Okay. So let's do this then in the very next segment, we're going to talk about the word we talked about at the very beginning. So, if you have a highlighter, pause this right now, what you're listening to, and we want you to go through, starting in verse 34, all the way to the end of this chapter, and highlight every time you see the word, cry.

Do that right now, and then come back. We'll talk about it next.

We've highlighted the word cry, or cried. Throughout the rest of this chapter and I, I wanted to ask you to then as you've done this, what kind of cry are we talking about? I think a pleading. Yeah. Yes. Pleading. Talk to me about the word. Isn't it interesting that that's the word they would use for all of these pleadings or prayers?

Why do you think the word cry?

Crying is relatable.

How,

Rebecca?

I

mean, we come into this world crying, you know, it's just, I think when you're, I mean, really worried about something or really struggling, you're more apt to cry. So yeah. Like, if you're really, really like in an urgency, especially if the tower, you know, you're really confounded, you don't want your language to be confounded, you're going to be scared and you're going to cry for help.

It's like a plea for help or a plea for help. There's urgency in it. Absolutely. When you're crying. And then I think particularly for these scriptures, we're going to study next is he cries. And then he gets compassion. That was my takeaway. Why I love these. I never really, I highlighted it in a whole different color of who God had compassion for.

I've always just said, Oh, here was his prayer. Here was his answer, but I never paid attention to who God had compassion for each time the brother of Jared cried. And that was a, that was a big deal for me. And this one was just to see that God didn't just say, Oh yeah, okay, yep. Not confounded. Oh,

yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Not confounded. Oh, you're friends too. He just said, I had compassion on, and each one was a little bit different of who he, who God had compassion on. So I think we cry, we receive compassion.

Mirinda, take us through this then. I want you to take us through what you found. That is so cool. Yeah. I'm thinking about how many, how many of my prayers have I really cried, right?

How many of us really do shed tears when we're praying or pleading and all of that? Yeah. Hand in the air. So take me through what you found with all of the times that the brother of Jared cried to the Lord. So here Jared says to his brother, go, go and talk to the Lord. Go cry to the Lord. Whatever it takes.

What did you find? Miranda was so cool. So

a few things to, um, As I talked with my husband about it, like, I mean, we just went through all those begat begat the genealogy and it doesn't say, right. And he was the son of the brother of Jared. It's Jared. Yet it's the brother of Jared who is now been [00:25:00] asked to pray.

And I say, why isn't Jared so great? His name is in there, not like the brother of Jared and the brother of Jared is only the brother of Jared. Like, we don't even, I know it's in there somewhere, and I'm sure you'll tell us, but I've often just thought, why? Why? Why doesn't he have a name? And why, if everything's about the brother of Jared, why didn't the genealogy take him to him?

Right? Okay. So let's pause right there. Let's answer that. I'm so glad you said that. So how fun is this? First of all, here's what you want to know. His actual name is Mahanrai Moriankamer. Yeah. Is that the craziest name? Especially when your brother's name is Jared. Yeah. No kidding. That is awesome.

Especially when your brother's name is Jared. Yeah. Your brother's name is Steve and you're Mahan Roy Ankomar. Yeah. Oh, that's awesome. In our show notes, we actually have a link that will take you to the story. So here's how we know his name. It was given in a baby blessing and it was given by Joseph Smith.

Yeah. We've talked about this. This is so fun. Uh, it was in Kirtland, Ohio. Elder Reynolds Cahoon had a son born to him, and one day President Joseph Smith was walking past the door, and President Cahoon yelled out and said, Hey, come in and bless and name my baby. And so Joseph did, and he gave the name of to the child, Mahonrey Mori Incomer, which can you just imagine the mother's jaw, like horrified, kind of leaning more towards Jonathan, you know, or something familial.

Whatever. Anyway, they did. They named it that. They named Mahanre Moriankumar. And when he finished blessing, he laid, it says right here, he laid the child on the bed and turning to Elder Cahoon, he said, the name I have given your son is the name of the brother of Jared. The Lord has just shown or revealed it to me.

Now you're going to see in the land of Moriankumar later on in the book of Enoch. Yeah. Right. Isn't that fun? So they named it after Osmond. After people who live right there, another interesting take that I've heard two different ideas about why his name isn't listed. I read one scholarship article from BYU studies, which said the idea is that maybe his name isn't listed because he's a type of Christ.

And they wanted to keep it sacred when you, when you look at all the different experiences, the brother Jared had or what he did for his people. The other thing is because later on they'll name the land after him is that he would have been the kinsman, which we learned about last year. He would have been the one with the birthright and that the one that of course Jared went to his brother, the kinsman and said, here's what we need.

You have to pray to the Lord because you're the one who's in charge. I love that because I love

this kinsmen. That's the whole new thing for me that I've learned through this. The

kinsmen is a great thing. So kind of keeping it sacred and hidden and it's Jared. And one of the things I have noticed as I went through the genealogy, I made a big genealogy chart on my wall so I could kind of see how this works.

And it's not always. The firstborn son, they list. There's lots of sons. They just happened to name this one that had more of a spotlight on him. Like this son did this. Cib was the king, but it didn't mean he was the firstborn and they got his dad made him the king. So Jared could have been any one of Cib's sons at any point.

Um, And it could have been that brother of Jared was the firstborn or not, but we, we knew all that. He probably was the kinsman. So there you go. So now the brother. So Jared's coming. Well, this

is like changing the

whole thing. I love this and saying, look, you're the one, you have the birthright. You're the one who can talk to God.

Here's what we need though. So

carry on. I love it. I love. Okay. So that's changing a little bit for me. Um, because when I talked with my husband about it, he said, who's to say Jared didn't pray. And I was like,

Ooh.

Oh, yeah. Because how often do we say that, right? Like, I'm going to pray about this, but would you also, right, let's add that.

I love that too. But kinsmen makes a lot more sense, but my husband's still pretty cool by coming up with that.

Oh, no, I'm writing that down. I think Jared did pray. That's so cool. I do too. And pray with me. And so did

everybody. Yeah. Will you please? And now that I know he's the kinsman, he even said, will you please as well?

Okay. I love it. Thank you. Thank

you. Well, and I'll just give you one more verse to say that he might be the kinsman. Verse 34, because it says the brother of Jared being a large and mighty man and a man highly favored of the Lord. Right. And Nephi was highly favored of the Lord and would become the kinsman.

So then Jared, his brother said unto him, cry. Okay, there we go. So we're in the crew, the cries, who it is that the Lord had compassion on because that is so cool. I've not read these verses in that light. This is neat. Okay. Thank you.

Okay. So at first in verse 34, right? The brother and, and it's funny cause I am a, um, a note taker and I add pictures, but I am far from being, um, An artist and everything that I took when I took my notes, there is a picture of like a stick man with really strong muscles.

And that's the brother of Jared because he was large and that's how I differentiate who he is. [00:30:00] Okay. So he says, uh, cry unto the Lord that he will not confound us that we may not understand our words. And then in verse 35 says, okay, so the brother of Jared did cry unto the Lord. Okay. And the Lord had compassion on Jared.

Okay, so the first person he has compassion on is Jared. The brothers of Jared's brother. Um, so he, right, cause he says, please ask that we're not confounded so that we can communicate. And God says, yeah, I have compassion on Jared. And so right there, the Lord answers. And again, maybe there's an asterisk. We don't know how quickly, but it felt to me like this happened right after the prayer, right?

And he did not confound the language of Jared and Jared and his brother were not confounded. So now they were able to communicate, right? That's very cool. Then we go to verse 36, and now Jared says, Can you also cry unto the Lord, and ask that he might turn away his anger from them who are our friends, that he confounded not their language?

And so, the brother of Jared cries unto the Lord, and who does he have compassion on? He has compassion on their family and friends. And I just think even, I mean, as I'm on this podcast with my best friend, if I couldn't talk to her, wow, would I miss a lot of, I mean, she gives me compassion that I know God knows I need, right?

I couldn't talk to her or my family. I would lose a lot of joy. So he has compassion on them. And again, I think it's immediate. They weren't compounded. And then he does one more, right? In verse 38. He says, now that we can all communicate with each other, um, cry unto him, whither we shall go. And so he cries unto him, if you think we should go somewhere, you tell us exactly where we should go.

Um, and he says, and who knoweth but the Lord will carry us forth into a land, which is choice above all the earth. And if it so be, which I love that part too. Let us be faithful unto the Lord that we may receive it for our inheritance. And so then that's when the brother of Jarrett does cry, and this time what I love and, and, and it makes so much more sense now that he's the kinsman, right?

Who does he have compassion on? Yeah. The leader. The brother of Jared. The leader. Yes. I am going to help you through every, I got a little bit of goosebumps on that because I didn't know that until just now. Right? But no wonder he had compassion on him. This third time because he's saying yes, let's bring you and then he further directs him right on collecting everything But maybe not the critters or the cats.

I didn't know you were a cat hater Rebecca's allergic to them too. You're in good company. You and me Rebecca. Yeah

Thank you. Thank you for coming prepared to share that. In fact, everyone, just so you know, I did not ask Miranda to do that at all. That was just straight off. I got off the fly. She did. That was so cool.

Here's let's do this, then go back through these versus and highlight the words, compassion. So neat. I like how we studied this way that he. Responded with compassion. I looked up the etymology of the word compassion and I thought this was pretty neat. So because I thought I knew what compassion was to feel bad for other people.

But then when you think about the savior having compassion, I thought this was cool. It means a deep sorrow or tenderness for one who is suffering. But look at this. It means to suffer with another and to share in their affliction.

So

now when the Lord has compassion, he doesn't just feel bad for me, he's suffering with me.

Amen. And he is sharing in my affliction and he is suffering with like that. Like I think that's so powerful that the Savior is not like, Oh, okay, I feel bad for you. So I'm going to answer your prayer. He's like, I'm going to feel bad with you. I'm going to be with you in all of this and how scared you are and how frightened you might be.

And I, I want us to kind of be thinking about this and Rebecca, I'd love to hear from you. Has there been a time in your life where you felt like the Lord had compassion for you? Because you cried unto him.

So yeah, of course, um, I don't know that it's anything like life altering, but it was for me at the time, um, I travel for work, I'm gone a lot.

And uh, this one in particular time, I was actually living in New York city. I was in California. And my aunt who lives in California [00:35:00] came to visit with me. She had just been in New York City. She had left her phone charger at my house or something. And so she came to pick it up. She had a question about her computer.

You know, um, her laptop. So she brought that up to my room because she thinks I'm, uh, more technologically savvy than she is, which I'm not. Um, and for some reason, when she was in New York, she left me some money. So I was giving her her money back, you know, uh, so I had my wallet out. And then, I took her and I walked her down back out to her car and as soon as we left out of the hotel, which was on a busy street in a busy area, this thought came into head.

Where's your wallet? You know, I just kept walking while this was going on and I had this little bag that went over my shoulder. I'm feeling in there. I don't feel it, but I also don't have my phone either. And I'm like, Oh, I must have just left it up in my room because I was just up there. I just had it out.

I don't have my phone. So my phone and water in my room. I go back up there. Yeah. And my phone is there, but my wallet's not there, and I'm like, oh, darn it. So I call her to make sure she didn't get it in her purse. She didn't. I retraced my steps. Nothing. I asked the hotel if anybody turned anything in.

Nothing. And it wasn't particularly good timing for me, um, to lose it. Not that it's ever good timing, but I was leaving on a trip. When I got back, finishing this work trip, and um, also my social security card was in my wallet, which you should never carry your social security card in your wallet, and so I'm not very good at praying.

I've never been a good prayer, and especially in that time in my life, but the first instinct I had was to get on my knees and pray. And so I knelt down and I prayed, I was just like, Heavenly Father, you know, my wallet is gone, and I felt like I immediately got an answer. Was I had this overwhelming feeling of like peace and comfort and said, you know what your wallets gone.

Don't worry about it Just do what you need to do on your end like cancel credit cards or whatever, but it's not don't worry about it So I didn't I didn't ever worry about it. I canceled the credit cards that I had Long story short, you know, I was able to go on my trip I got a new driver's license everything but a month later My wallet was mailed back to me with everything in it, including the cash What?

And, um, and with a little note said, sorry, it took us so long to get this back to you and, and not to criticize, but you know, I would take your social security card out of your wallet if I was you. That's my favorite part. Yeah. And by the way, you shouldn't have that security card in here, but it was just, you know, I felt like I was answered and I really wasn't.

I never worried about it, but I don't pray as often or do, you know, when you open your mouth to pray and just say, heavenly father. He's there, and it's important to me, so it's important to him. And I'm sure I could probably cry unto the Lord and to him for more important things, which I'm trying to get better at.

What stops you from doing that?

I think that's a very good question. I, you know, that's a very good question. I'm trying to do better. I guess I don't even know really what to ask for. I need to decide what's important in my life or what I want to do.

In

my life, I think we get stuck, you know, complacent and stuck.

And I mean, I live, I feel like I'm a happy person, that I'm a decent person, a pretty good person.

Yeah.

But I feel like there's so much more. And, but then I'm also, it's like the natural man, you, you tend to get a little bit lazy because it takes work. Oh, it does take work. There's a lot of work. And maybe I, I don't know if I want, it's like, you know, when you, when they cry into the Lord, maybe sometimes you don't want the answer.

Yeah. Or what if you don't get what you're, yeah, like what if you don't get your answer? That's a scary one too. That's the

patient part that you have to weigh into.

I do love so much the scripture in Romans chapter eight that I like how you said, maybe I just don't know what to pray for. It gives me so much hope in verse 26 because it says, likewise, the spirit infirmities.

For we know not what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit make it intercession for us with groanings, which cannot be uttered. And I just think I like the word groanings as opposed to cries because boys have been groanings, which, and I think which cannot be uttered or dare not be uttered.

Maybe you could even insert right there. I think sometimes it is scary to ask for specific things or to get specific with the Lord because we just want to believe it'll all work out as long as we're good people. And it does. It does. And it takes work. And so maybe you just need to pray. I mean, I've had this, what should I even be praying for?

And the wording will be given to you. So that's pretty cool. What a great discussion that was at those chapters. That was so, thank you for sharing those experiences. Okay. So, wow, this is fun. Then in the next segment, we are going to talk about what Rebecca kind of already talked about, which [00:40:00] was the idea that when you do cry unto the Lord and in order for him to have compassion, you do have to put in the work.

And we're going to talk about that next.

I want to know from the two of you, who taught you how to work? Like, I want to know who gave you your work ethic, or maybe what was your first job where you

had to learn how to work? Oh, hands down, pretty much the answer to anything that helps me be a better person is my mother. She's amazing. So my mom had eight kids.

I am number seven of eight. She came over to America after World War II. So she lived through the war. Wow. She was the oldest of four children. She and her mom kind of helped them through, navigate, uh, the war. She came over, she worked hard, she made money, brought my dad over, they got married, they had all of us kids, and actually, I, they had six of them here in the state of Washington and then they moved up to Canada where my little sister and I were born, so everyone pretty much lives in Canada now.

But for sure, her, she taught me how to work. I mean, we had chores from day one and my mom is, is the hardest worker I know. So, hands down, she taught me. Very awesome. Wow. I love your mom. She's still alive. She is 90 years old, almost 91 and she's a rock star. So she is just, she's, she's my favorite person. I love her name.

Her name is Irene Gorbon. And so she lived Irene. She just moved in with my brother and his wife. They're so wonderful. She'd been on her own up until July. And so I was just up there a week or so ago, just being able to spend some time with her. But she's, she's amazing. She's an amazing mate. She was a seminary teacher, Tammy, for like 28 years.

She stopped when I had my twins, so she could spend like two months with me to help.

Wow. Irene. Love that name. It was my

grandma's

name. I love it too.

Wow. Thank you for sharing that. What about you, Rebecca? I don't know if anybody, uh, particularly inspired me to work. I started working when I was quite young.

I had a paper route and I think I had a paper. I just wanted money because I liked money. So, but I, so I started with a paper route and then I started working in restaurants and stuff. I feel like I'm a very loyal worker. Mm hmm. A hard work. Like I'm very, I'm very dependable. I guess you could say reliable, dependable when it comes to work.

I'm going to show up and get it done

at work. I believe it. That is awesome. Okay. I want us to be thinking about this idea of work and how hard are you willing to work for specific things? How hard have you worked for things in your life? We're at a phase of life with my one daughter who's 15. She decided to quit her job.

She had an afterschool job or she cleaned the elementary school. And she just didn't like it. So she's like, I'm just going to quit. And I said, okay, but you need money. Like I don't know what to tell you because you have an expensive lifestyle that I'm not willing to pay. And she was like, okay, well I'll just babysit and save money.

Well, I'll be darned if, and you know, my husband and I were like, she needs to work. And I said, that's true. But this is low stakes bingo. Like I have to learn school hard knocks at 15 because she's going to come to us for money. And this is when we can say, Sorry, kid, we're not paying for that. You got to learn how you got to learn to work.

And so, you know, I'll be darned if she hasn't now come back and said, okay, I think I want my job back. And so she's asking him to get her job back because she realizes she needs money. So this idea of how much are we willing to work for things? Put this into perspective then with this quote from our prophet, President Russell M.

Nelson said this. And so Rebecca, I'm going to have you read this quote. He 2018.

Okay, President Russell M. Nelson said, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.

Thank you.

Now, I asked you guys to read through these chapters, Ether Chapter 2, Chapter 3, and Chapter 4, and I asked you just to mark, like, what did you learn about the spiritual work that it took for these people and for the Brother Jared to get their prayers answered? What did you guys come up with?

Well, first Rebecca and I kind of discussed this one. It was a little harder than we thought to do this one. So we were like, I don't know, what'd you get? I don't know. What'd you get? Well, I don't know. Right. And we were like, not quite sure. Um, and so a lot of it, I mean, I don't know. So of course this is the one ether two is the one where he puts in the work, but my takeaway for the crying was that he is always called on the Lord.

Well, not so right. He comes to him [00:45:00] and says, it has been four years. Give us that verse. Let's read that Ether chapter two, verse 13. Um, before that moron ice talking gives his little 2 cents, and then he says, oh, and now I proceed with my record. For behold, it came to pass that the Lord did bring Jared and his brethren forth even to that great sea, which divided the lands.

And as they came to the sea, they pitched their tents. And they called the name of the place, Maury and Comer, and they dwelt in tents and dwelt in tents upon the seashore for the space of four years. Now 14 is where I think it gets really interesting because then it says, and it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared and stood in a cloud and talked with him.

And for the space of three hours, did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared? Chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord. So I'm like, maybe he just thought, well, he got us here where we needed to be. We'll just kind of hang out,

right?

And I'll just kind of wait to see what he says.

Kind of the hard work we were talking, talk about spiritual, right? And our hard work that comes with it is we think, oh, maybe Rebecca, I'm happy. I'm easygoing. Everybody likes me. I don't really need to pray for anything in particular because I'm here. The Lord sent me here. I'm doing well. Right. But he's saying, no, you're, I'm going to chastise you because you have not called unto me.

And, and then I do, Oh, can I jump to chapter three real quick? Cause I think that was another verse that was an aha for me because of chapter two. But if we go to, um, ether chapter three, verse two, Hey, so this is where, uh, this chapter is the one where. Um, the brother of Jared asked Christ to, to touch the, to touch the stones.

So he says that he has the 16 of them, but it's a verse two where my aha of continually crying and calling to the Lord was, he says in two, Oh Lord, thou has said that we must be encompassed about by the floods, but behold, Oh Lord, and do not be angry with thy servant because of his weakness before thee.

For we know that thou art holy and dwellest in the heavens, and that we are unworthy before thee. Because of the fall, our natures have become evil continually. Nevertheless, and this is my big one, O Lord, thou hast given us a commandment that we must call upon thee, that from thee we may receive according to our desires.

So he again, humbly says, I know that we are unworthy. I know we're a fallen man. And I wrote next to that last part of verse two was. Could that have been what he learned when he sat in the wilderness or on the shores for those four years? And he was chastised and he took it over and it kind of just changed the rest of it for me as I read that But I thought

Mm hmm.

When did that happen for me? So the spiritual work that was one do I Forget the importance and what is it that helps me remember that as well

Wow Miranda, I really like how you connected it, that it takes spiritual work to repent, in Ether 2, verse 15. He repented, but then I like how you came. I agree with you.

I think that is a great connection to Ether 3, verse 2, when he had maybe never considered I'll Oh, it is a commandment to pray. He asks us to pray. That is spiritual work. In fact, let's read this quote by Elder Renlund because I think it is so good and I want you to read it. So

everyone knows. Um, Elder Redmond said in, um, 2018 in his talk, choose you this day, he says, no matter how long we have been off the path or how far away we have wandered, the moment we decide to change, God helps us return.

From God's perspective. Through sincere repentance and pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ, once back on the path, it will be as if we were never off.

That is so good.

And

Brother Jared, great example of that. So thank you. Rebecca, give me an example of spiritual work that you saw in this story.

I mean, they had to have tremendous faith, you know, because first of all, they have all of these critters or whatever, you know, and to me, it sounds like they're building submarines,

you know,

and as far as the Lord, you know, how am I going to steer it? Lord says, Oh, don't worry about it. I'm going to blow the wind.

I'm going to do the sea. We're just going to go. [00:50:00] So. Who decided that they were going to get into these barges one day, you know, like we don't know where we're going the air, not so great, you know, the light, at least we have some light now, but we're going to be tumbled and tossed. And I think it was a pretty Pretty smelly.

Pretty long. They would have had to have, I think, tremendous faith because I wouldn't have wanted, I first found a little claustrophobic. I don't want to get in that, you know, and there's no light, you can't see out the window. Can you imagine for as long as they journeyed? Oh, for

over a year. Well, almost a year.

300, like 344 days. Yeah. Yeah.

So Rebecca, I think you're absolutely right. I want to tie your idea into Ether chapter three, because when the Savior touches, it's Jared sees the finger of the Lord and he touches the stones and the reason why, and I think it's right here what you said, Rebecca, look at verse nine.

We have a because I love a because in the scriptures, which is going to tell us, here's why you get to do this. And so it's what you just said, Rebecca, read verse nine because the Lord saying, you know, the brother judge, like, why do I get to see this? This is crazy. I'm seeing the finger of the Lord. And here's the reason.

Go ahead, Rebecca. Read verse nine.

And the Lord said unto him, because of thy faith thou has seen that I shall take upon me flesh and blood and never has man come before me with such exceeding faith as thou hast for, or not so you could not have seen my finger, sawst thou more than this. I love how the savior says, did you see anything else?

And the next, and the next verse he answered, nay Lord. Show thyself un me. Like, no, I didn't see you all, but, but I'd like just true. Yeah. I'd like to show yourself. Un me. I don't think I would've had the nerve to Oh, I would've, I

would've assumed I was in trouble. No, I didn't see anything . Yeah, yeah, yeah. I

would've freaked out.

Oh yeah. Faith was so high. Yeah, that's, he's so audacious. He's so bold. No. Well, show me more obviously, because he has so much faith. And the Lord did show himself unto him

because of his

faith,

because he repented, because he cried to the Lord. I'm going to add one more spiritual work. I think this is so fun.

So we talked about in ether chapter two, going back to the three problems, he needs light. He needs air and he needs to know how he can steer the ship. He gets instruction on specifics, but except for, you know, the light, you need to figure it out. You can't have windows. If you look at chapter ether, chapter two, verse 23.

So my favorite thing is just a cross reference that we just have to look at and we're going to cross ref. In fact, down below, it even gives you a cross reference of Genesis chapter six, verse 16. We're going to give you some Hebrew, Miranda. It's my favorite. Okay, so go to Genesis 6, 16, because here the Lord says, No, you can't have windows because they're going to dash to pieces.

Okay, that's great. Now, later on, we're going to find out, it will tell us that the barges were built after the manor of Noah. Like, it's very similar to that. So if you go to Genesis 6, 16, here are the instructions to Noah on how to build his ark. And verse 16 says the very beginning, Miranda, what does it say at the very beginning?

A window

shalt thou make to the ark. Well, that's weird.

Like why would Noah get a window and the brother of Jared doesn't. So you love

this.

Click on the footnote, footnote a for the word window. Okay. It's confusing with what it says. It's actually the Hebrew word Zohar. Some rabbis believed it was a precious stone that shone in the ark.

There are many scholars who believe, what if the brother of Jared went to his scriptures and thought, well, what did Noah do? That's where I want the asterisks to be at the end of chapter two, because you turn the page and all of a sudden he's got these stones for the Lord to touch. What if he went and read scriptures and took some time to ponder on what has already been done?

Oh, I could do that. And so he then is like, well, if he had one stone, I'd like to in each one. So let's just do 16 because we got eight barges. Yeah. And there's his answer. So for me, I think oftentimes doing the spiritual work requires reading our scriptures. Look at all this great spiritual work, repenting, reading scriptures, crying to the Lord, having faith.

I mean, all of these things are what are going to help the Lord. Answer our prayers. And I want everyone to kind of be thinking about that in their own life. What will it take for you? What spiritual work? And I hope as I ask this question, the spirit immediately touches your heart and tells you, here's what you need to do.

What will it take for you to get closer to the savior? so that he can have compassion on you and that the spirit will be able to guide you because that it's right here. It's in ether. So if it's in scripture, it's true. And we just had two perfect women witness of how spiritual work really does get us answers.

So in the next segment, then we're going to read more scriptures. And in fact, we're going to talk about ones we can't even read yet. We'll do that in the next segment.[00:55:00]

If you have the Gospel app, if not, grab a hymn book and everyone turn to hymn number 300, hymn 300. It's Families Can Be Together Forever, so go there. Very familiar song. It has a nice little intro. And follow along because if you have verse, verse one and you can sing along to, I have a family here on earth.

They are so good to me. I want to share my life with them through all eternity. Now the chorus and Rebecca, you're a singer. We know Rebecca told us she had to sing on her mission and she mouthed the words. But okay. So here, here are the words are in the chorus. Families can be together. Listen to the chorus.

And then I want you to notice what plays immediately after the chorus.

Now that is a very specific thing in music and it's called an interlude. Now, why do I bring up this idea of an interlude? Turn with me to Ether chapter five. The whole point of an interlude, while you're going there, I'll tell you what interludes do. In music, it's like a pit stop or a rest for the listener.

It's also, it can be sounds, it can be spoken words or an instrumental thing. One music teacher says that an interlude is a way to cleanse the musical palate. To start over or to start afresh. I like this one though. It's a great way for the listener to focus or recalibrate their attention so you can get a bigger picture.

It's a way for the listener to reflect on what we've just heard or read. Now thinking and knowing all of this, Ether chapter five, scholars call an interlude. We're going to cleanse our scriptural palate. We've just got done talking about the story of the brother of Jared and the barges. And now we have this little interlude from Moroni and it's a quick, short six verses.

And I believe that it was written as a way for us to recalibrate our attention. To then go from the story. And now Moroni wants to tell us something really important right here. And so as we think about this, there's such go to the show notes, because in our show notes, we are going to have a picture that you want to copy and tape into your scriptures.

I've done it because it's going to help make sense of what this chapter is about. Ether chapter five, verse one, Rebecca, can you please read that verse for us?

And now I, Moroni, have written the words which were commanded me, according to my memory, and I have told you the things which I have sealed up.

Therefore, touch them not, in order that ye may translate, for that thing is forbidden. You accept by and by it shall be wisdom in God.

Okay. Thank you. Highlight, sealed up. He's talking about the sealed portion of the plates. There is a whole portion of the Book of Mormon that we have not yet read. This picture that's in our show notes gives you the breakdown of where the scriptures come from.

And if you look at this. There is a significant chunk that is sealed. Scholars believe two thirds of the entire Book of Mormon plates are sealed. And so now I go back to the idea, how desirous will I be to read this sealed portion? Can you imagine how exciting that's going to be? We're going to get the sealed portion someday.

In fact, in verse one, it says, by and by it shall be wisdom and God highlight by and by in the world we live in. What does by and by mean? How do you translate that? Eventually. Right. It's exactly it eventually. And this is a, this is a phrase right here that today means something different than it did back in the day.

Today it does mean eventually, but back in the day it meant immediately. So put immediately.

Now we want immediately to be. Today. Isn't that word interesting that Miranda is like, and immediately pretty soon you're going to get these, the sealed portion, but we have not yet had them. Here is what Neal A. Maxwell has to say about sealed portion of scriptures. Mirinda, will you please read this quote by Neal A.

Maxwell and what he has to say about the sealed portion?

Absolutely. Many more scriptural writings will yet come to us, including those of Enoch. All of the writings of the Apostle John, the records of the Lost Tribes of Israel, and the approximately two thirds of the Book of Mormon plates that were sealed.

And the day cometh that the words of the book which were sealed shall be read upon the housetops and they shall be read by the power of Christ and all things shall be revealed unto the children of men, whichever have been among the children of men and whichever will [01:00:00] be even unto the end of the earth.

Thank you. So go back to that idea again, desirous beyond measure, connected to the sealed portion.

I just think, right, we'll be bread upon the housetops, I just envision even from COVID, right, but even before that for how many years, my mom said they would do it even when the soldiers, the Russians would come into their cities, they would be banging pots and pans, right, to bring attention, to make it loud, to make it noticeable, and that's what I think, right, I think also Kirkwin Temple, we're up on the housetops, we are, where everyone can see us, Yes.

We are making noise. We are. We are excited about this. Yes.

So excited. So excited. And what are your thoughts, Rebecca, about the sealed portion?

Well, just when she said that about being excited, it's like when a team wins. Like a national championship or a championship and they celebrate with a big parade and everybody comes out and is cheering and everything.

So, you know, it could definitely be like that. Can I share a personal that just made me think of this? Please. My youngest son was drafted by the Detroit Tigers, and this summer, they ended, he ended up moving up to low A, playing with the Flying Tigers in Florida, and as he got called up, he got, he's a pitcher, by the way.

And his role at the University of Utah was as a closer. So for those of you that don't know baseball, a closer is the guy that comes in and either he's the hero or he's not because either the team is winning or they're not winning. It depends on what he does at that time. And so he ended up playing on this team.

They ended up going in the playoffs and they ended up playing in the championship while he was on it. And the coach put him in for the first game of the championship as a closer. And there's two things I want to talk about this. He closed out the game, which meant they won the first game of the championship.

Okay. And for those of you that don't know baseball, you play like a series or three, but everybody stormed the field to him, Gatorade going, they bring, um, baby powder because it poofs up into the air. They had sunflower seeds poofing up into the air so that when there was this picture, it was just so cool.

Like it wasn't just a bunch of guys excited. There was the white fluff. There was the water. There was the, there were the sun, sunflower seeds. And that just, when you were talking about that, Rebecca, it brought that image into my head of, you knew that was a big moment,

right?

But something else about this that, um, he had a pitching outing before that.

That was not his best. Okay, like the kid, he very rarely hits anyone. He very rarely walks anyone. He hit the guy. He walked the guy. Gave up a two run home run. Like the kid doesn't even do this in the season. He did it in like one, one outing on the mound, right? But his manager had enough faith in him to put him in, in this very high pressure situation.

Brand new little rookie, just a greenie, right? Hadn't even been with the team for super long and gave him that confidence. It just kind of makes me think of this too. And I got to say, right, think of when President, um, Nelson was first called in and we had like all of these, this is happening, change, change, change, change.

And we're like, what is going to happen on the next conference? Right. And so then you start thinking, are we going to get the steel plate? Are we getting the hundred and sixty? I don't know. Like, what is he going to say? Right. And, and I just think that we kind of, Build up that, that excitement for these things and powder and sunflower seeds and all of these things are, are spraying and excited in these moments.

But that visual came to my head when we were talking about this, just because you can just feel the energy and the excitement of it as well by, by what's around.

Oh, I like that. Powder and sunflower seeds.

Right? Like who knew? But they are like,

I hope it's like that when we get the sealed portion. I hope it's a powder and sunflower seeds moment for all of us.

Yeah. Because we will have already known what's in the scriptures we have here. So how fantastic will it be to get the scriptures from the lost tribes? Like, that is going to be so awesome. And we know that Jesus visited them because when he was on the American continent, he said, and other sheep I have, which are not of this fold, nor of the fold over in Jerusalem.

I have other people I have to go and meet and see. And here's a really cool thing about this is that. We're going to talk about the Book of Mormon and the significance of this palate cleanser right here in this interlude, because Moroni says, listen, there's a sealed portion that you don't know anything about.

And by the way, I'm going to need some [01:05:00] help so that everybody will be able to believe that this second witness really is of the Savior, Jesus Christ, and that it coincides with the Bible. So let's do this. Then in the next segment, we're going to find out the revelation that talks about the help that the Lord's going to need.

I just want to know this from the two of you because you've been friends for so long. Okay. Friends for so long. So when either

one,

first of all, I just want to know

that I am the older, wiser friend. She is definitely my elder, just so you know, just don't anybody ever forget that. Okay. Well, let me ask you this.

My two weeks

as your older and wiser friend, um, when Rebecca comes to you and tells you you should see something or do something, how do

you

do it?

So this is the best, Tammy, because. I was like, dude, all I need for anything, for a movie, a book, I don't need more than one witness. I just need Rebecca. If Rebecca says I'll like it, she knows me so well that she knows I will.

There's not enough swearing. There's not all of these things in it. She knows I'll watch it through the beginning. I don't need it. I just need a Rebecca. I just need a Rebecca witness. And I'm good. There you go. I love that. Rebecca, who do you need? Who's, who do you, whose opinion do you trust? Oh, I definitely trust Marinda's opinion.

Maybe not on all movies. Yeah. Cause she watches too much Hallmark for my tasting. Oh, that's funny. But no, really like, you know, I have, uh, I have a great family and that they're ton, they're movie goers, they're avid readers and stuff. So really I rely a lot on my family and their input. If they say something is really good, then.

And then she does it and then she lets me know. Well, this is so awesome that

I want us to be thinking about this. Like, who do you trust? Because it would have taken someone's witness. You said that word, Miranda. And so let's look at this. This is so cool. In ether chapter five, and we're going to go to verse three and we get done to hearing about the sealed portion and then we get these verses, verse three and four is what we want to read.

Rebecca, will you read that for us?

And unto three shall they be shown by the power of God, wherefore they shall know of a surety that these things are true. And in the mouth of three witnesses shall these things be established, and the testimony of three, and this work, and the which shall be shown forth the power of God, and also his word, of which the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Ghost bear record.

And all this shall stand as testimony against the world at the last day. Thank you. Next to those

verses to the outside, right? Law of three witnesses. This is so powerful that the Lord teaches this idea, the law of witnesses, specifically three witnesses. And right there in that verse, we got three witnesses, God, Jesus Christ, the Holy ghost.

There's three. Think about the first presidency, prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, Elder Oaks, Elder Eyring, three witnesses. We have a scripture, three witnesses, the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and then the Doctrine and Covenants. It is powerful with these three, but here's the even cooler part. So as Joseph Smith is translating the Book of Mormon in June of 1829, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris approached Joseph Smith to ask whether they could view the plates.

And in response, Joseph dictated a revelation and stated, and here's what he said, it is by your faith that you shall obtain a view of them, even by that faith, which was had by the prophets of old. And after that you have obtained faith and have seen them with your eyes. You shall testify of them by the power of God.

The thing, the revelation that he received to the outside of those verses, put doctrine and covenant section five. That's where he received the revelation that there would be three witnesses, but according to Joseph Smith history, he had just translated these chapters. And he read about the three witnesses and the timing of it is so cool because he's like, Oh, I just read, we're going to need three witnesses.

And here are these three men and they will then become the three witnesses of the book of Mormon. And we'll include in our show notes the link where you can read this church history story. And then if you go to the beginning of the book of Mormon, you'll have the testimony of the three witnesses. There is power in threes.

And so now I'm thinking to this whole idea of who, Who will believe you? Who will believe you are witness of the Book of Mormon? And I think it's cool how you trust each other. Would you guys trust me? Yes. Yes. Hopefully. I would. We have. We have. Yeah, there you go. We have. I want it. I just want people to think about this who are listening.

Who would trust your witness of the Book of Mormon? There's a really great thing right now on the gospel app. Did you know you can actually send the Book of Mormon to someone? So if you go to your gospel library [01:10:00] app, go ahead and click on there. Go to the library and then click on scriptures. And when you're in the scriptures, click on Book of Mormon.

And when you get to the Book of Mormon up in the top right hand corner, there are three little dots. Click on those three little dots. And it says you can share. It's the very first one hit share, and then copy the link. You want to copy that link and you can send that to anyone you want, and it will give them the entire Book of Mormon.

And the other thing they have is a Book of Mormon app, and you can share that, and that is also on your scripture page at the very top above all the scriptures you get to choose from. So you can share that as well. I love that.

Is that

so fun? Yeah, you don't even have to buy a Book of Mormon anymore. You can share the Book of Mormon straight from your phone.

And so I'm going to challenge everyone listening at some point in this next year as we get into doctrine and covenants and we learn about the three witnesses to share the Book of Mormon app with anybody and then to be a witness of the Book of Mormon to join the witness of threes. And I asked Rebecca and Miranda to come prepared to share their witness of the Book of Mormon.

And I'd love to know, tell me maybe where your testimony came from or where it's at or what it looks like when it comes to the Book of Mormon. Well,

I feel like. I'm a believer. I don't question everything. Like I have a sibling that questioned everything very philosophical. So really had to have the answers.

I feel like I have a tender heart. And so, um, the greatest thing I think about the Book of Mormon as you read it, I mean, it testifies so much of Jesus Christ. I mean, it's, it's hard not to. I mean, who wouldn't want more than one witness? Yeah. You know, standing up for you. So as another Testament of Jesus Christ, but I love Moroni's promise.

You'll get an answer whether or not these things are true. Have you done that? Oh, yes. I did. I did. And what answer did you get? What answer did you get? Well, yeah, no, I, I, an overwhelming, yeah, it definitely, I know something that we're all trying to work on and that President, uh, Nelson wants us to is to have our own personal revelation, too, and to work on that.

And that's something that I'm working on. There was that talk from 2018, President Nelson's, uh, Talk where I'll just read a little quote because I liked it because I think it hit home to me because it's something That I need to work on. He says pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses Yes, the very longings of your heart and then listen Write the thoughts that come to your mind, record your feelings, and follow through with actions that you're prompted to take.

And as you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will grow into the principle of revelation. It's a work in progress.

Right? Aren't we all?

Yeah.

Thank you, Rebecca. Thank you. Miranda, what's your witness?

I'd say for me, The Book of Mormon, because I, I wanted to be obedient and read it.

I read it because we were asked to read it. I read it because for Christmas, right, we're giving a gift to Christ and we're going to finish it by the end of the year and it's an award or a stake, goal, all of those things were reasons why I read it, but I didn't really study it. I didn't study it until our prophet had come follow me.

Which put the learning on our own shoulders. And, and I think I just was complacent with being taught rather than learning. And, and so for me, personal revelation is probably one of the things I'm most grateful for that our Heavenly Father allows us. Um, because I've just seen it too often in my personal life where I had to rely on it in order, I don't want to say survive, that sounds so traumatic, but, um, to survive in some cases and, and if it wasn't for having that revelation that was personal for me, where he spoke to me personally, I probably would have made a lot of different choices in my life and I wouldn't be where Where I am, and I'm grateful for where I am

now.

I love Jesus and Why wouldn't I want to read a book that testifies of him

when you said that I felt it in the same way You're feeling it right now. I To love Jesus and why [01:15:00] wouldn't I want to read a book about him? I believe that the Book of Mormon is the Word of God And I believe that the, just like Joseph Smith said, that the more we read from these scriptures, the closer we will become to our Savior.

And especially talking today about compassion, just this idea, I have felt that in my life when I read the Book of Mormon and I, I love it. I love it with all my heart and I will absolutely believe that it is true. And it is the word of God. So thank you both of you. Amen. Thank you. Okay. So gather your thoughts real quick and tell me what was your takeaway?

What's something you'll remember from today's discussion?

For me, it's your, uh, definition of compassion or your etymology of compassion and how it's not just, you know, having, you know, deep sorrow and suffering, but that you're suffering with me.

Yep.

Yeah.

It's always, it's always a little bit easier to have someone else suffer with you,

right?

Especially if it's Jesus. Yeah.

He's the best.

He's the best.

Hmm. Hmm. I got to say my, probably my biggest aha for sure. That one. That's it. started in my notes is, is just what compassion, right? The definition of compassion, but is that the brother of Jared was probably the kinsman and it totally makes sense that he would have cried unto the Lord.

And even now when I read it, I'm like, and he went to the, he was at the head of the group, right? And leading them. Well, no wonder he's the kinsman. Right. He's the kinsman. And it's, you know, one of the. Towns, cities, I don't even know what they call it, land names. Yeah.

Rankimer.

Um, and, and then I just really loved that maybe we didn't use his name very often because they wanted to keep it sacred because he was a type of Christ.

And

I would just say in this podcast, I just really felt that, wouldn't it be great if our names were kept sacred because we were such strong witnesses. of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and, uh, that people would know that when they Say our name or speak of us. They know we're true followers of Christ.

Thank you.

Um, my takeaway is that the two of you were supposed to be on this podcast. I have felt the spirit so many times today and just so you all of you know. Those of you are listening, they were terrified and they did not think that I would call them as soon as, because when I saw them in Costco and even I thought, Oh, I'll probably call you next year, church history.

And it was within weeks.

And I didn't expect that. It was like a week later. Yeah. And then we were like recording in a week, like, I mean, it was

so

fast.

It's unprecedented to use, to overuse a word that gets used all the time. This is an appropriate use of unprecedented. It's never happened truly. And Miranda, the, the way you took us through the idea of, of who he specifically had compassion for.

That was so cool. And Rebecca, the way you taught us when you said it takes time to get answers. I know that. I know that. But when you said it. I felt it. I was like, that's where it's true. Ah, I love that somebody else gets that. It takes time, but the God does answer our prayers and, and then this idea, like sometimes it's scary to ask for things.

Sometimes it is scary to utter those words to pray for. And so I'm just grateful for your own experience in that, in that sphere, in that space, because I think a lot of people related to your words. So Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you ladies. I love you both. Love you too. Hopefully I run into you again at Costco.

Rebecca, go to sleep. You've been up for 15 hours. I know. You guys are awesome. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Bye. All right. Well, that was so fun. Okay. What was your takeaway? I really want to know. So go join our group on Facebook or follow us on Instagram and share what you have learned. I'm really looking forward to it.

At the end of the week, we usually ask a question that has to do with this specific episode. So comment on the post that relates to it and share your thoughts. You can get to both our Facebook and Instagram by going to the show notes for this episode on ldsliving. 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.

And we had a lot for this episode as well as a transcript of this whole discussion. So go check it out. The Sunday on Monday Study Group is a Deseret Bookshelf Plus original brought to you by LDS Living. It's written and hosted by me, Tammy Usilak Hall. And today, our very brave and awesome study group participants were Mirinda Ashman and Rebecca Mullen.

And you can find more information about my friends at [01:20:00] ldsliving. com slash Sunday on Monday. Our podcast is produced by Colbeth Singer and me. It is edited and mixed by Colbeth Singer. And our executive producer is Erin Hallstrom. Thanks for being here. We'll see you next week. And please remember that he has compassion for you because you are his favorite.