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Alright. Here's our goal, folks. Leading Saints is

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no longer a podcast. Well, obviously, we are

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a podcast. We will continue to podcast, but

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we're really shifting our focus over to Zion

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Lab, which is an online community

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put on and developed by Leading Saints. And

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this is where we wanna go and gather

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the masses

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and share ideas about leadership, share ideas about

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different calling, share ideas about building Zion.

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And this is the place that we wanna

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make online where all things are discussed, great

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ideas are shared, and then we can help

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one another in whatever calling we're in or

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what calling we're not in to feel like,

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you know, I've got purpose here. I can

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really make a difference in shifting culture in

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a better way or developing Zion in my

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own corner of the kingdom. So join us

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over at zion lab at leading saints dot

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org slash zion,

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And there, you can just jump in. It's

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free to join and create a profile and

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jump in and and look around and answer

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some questions, leave a comment, pose a question,

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and I think you'll benefit from the things

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we're doing over at Zion Lab. So join

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us.

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So my name is Kurt Frankem, and I

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am the founder and executive director of Leading

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Saints and, obviously, the host of the Leading

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Saints podcast. Now I started Leading Saints back

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in 2010. It was just a hobby blog,

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and it grew from there. By the time,

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2014

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came around, we started the podcast and that's

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really when it got some,

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traction and took off, 2016.

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We became a five zero one c three

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nonprofit organization and we've been growing ever since.

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And now I get the opportunity of interviewing

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and talking with remarkable people all over the

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world. Now this is a segment we do

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on the Leading Saints podcast called How I

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Lead, and we reach out to everyday leaders.

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They're not experts, gurus, authors, PhDs. They're just

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everyday leaders who've been asked to serve in

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a specific leadership calling, and we simply ask

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them, how is it that you lead? And

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they go through some remarkable principles that should

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be in a book, that should be behind

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a PhD. They're usually that good. And, we

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just talk about, sharing what the other guy

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is doing. And I remember being a leader

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just simply wanting to know, okay. I know

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what I'm trying to do, but what's the

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other guy doing? What's working for him? And

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so that's why every Wednesday or so, we

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publish these how I lead segments to share.

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Hey, everyone. Welcome back to a how I

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lead interview on the Leading Saints podcast. This

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was originally recorded over at Zion Lab, which

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is our online

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community

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and archive of all things

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leadership and Zion building. Is that a good

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way to to frame? I I like that.

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I like that. Definitely make sure you're over

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at Zion Lab to participate in the discussions

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happening there. So many interesting,

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concepts and perspectives and best practices being shared

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there. And Eric Richards is

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one of those individuals

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in Zion Lab, and I wanted to interview

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him. This is a long time coming. Me

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and Eric have been, communicating and talking about

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getting him on the podcast. I'm so glad

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it's finally

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recorded. He is one of our Seminary Institute

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guys, and I love interviewing these guys with

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so much experience and

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strong perspectives of the gospel and doctoral knowledge.

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He teaches at the institute

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up in Logan, Utah, and he's also a

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very popular speaker at BYU Education Week every

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year. I always enjoy sitting in on his

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classes there. So much to learn. He's

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full of energy, dynamic speaker.

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And in this episode, we talk about some

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of the principles that he's put in place,

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him and his ward and his ward council,

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as him serving as bishop. And listen just

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to you're you're gonna enjoy this episode for

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various reasons, but I would love more of

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these types of interviews

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where an individual is just willing to come

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on and say, hey. This is what we're

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doing and why. And they're very, like there

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there may be a lot of intricacies here

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that you don't think about or you think,

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oh, it's just this little idea we had

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as a award. We'll we'll share it. Let

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us know how it's going. And so I

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would love to hear from any leader, whether

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it's in primary,

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nursery,

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young men, young women,

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and share with us what are what are

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you doing in your calling that's that's working

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or not working? What have you tried that's

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failed? I mean, we can learn together so

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much of this. And so this is a

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great model of the type of content we're

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looking for at Leading Saints. And you're gonna

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benefit so much from how,

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how bishop Richards goes about, you know,

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coaching and

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encouraging his, his speakers and teachers, how he

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approaches interviews and invites the revelation,

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personal revelation of the individual into that interview

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concept.

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We're gonna talk about ministering interviews and ministering

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in the word in general and overall just

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how to

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stimulate joy in your in your word, in

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your faith community, and that you'll be inspired

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by this episode for sure, one to share.

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And Eric is is over at the Zion

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Lab. So head on over there after listening

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to this and thank him. Go to send

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him a DM in the, Zion Lab and

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thank him and or ask him additional questions.

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Let's keep the conversation going. You can either

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comment on the on this episode over at

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Zion Lab or send him a direct message,

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and let's keep the conversation going. So here's

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my interview with Eric Richards.

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Let's jump into this Eric. Maybe just I

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mean, I know you from, just sitting in

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a lot of your BYU Education Week, sessions,

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and always, just love all that you teach,

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and there's so much to to to learn

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from you as you you know, I just

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remember so many of your slides that were

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were helpful and and perspective.

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So put yourself in the context for those

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who may not be

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as familiar with you.

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I'm

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boring.

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I I work, for seminaries and institutes. Currently,

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I'm just, have a great assignment at the

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Logan Institute of Religion. Logan's about an hour

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and a half north of Salt Lake City,

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and it's been awesome. Love it. I started

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teaching in 1996,

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and,

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it's crazy how fast thirty years can can

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go by. Yeah.

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So, yeah, I'm a dad,

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husband,

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and

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I'm I'm probably the most boring guest you'll

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have on

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all year. Well, we'll be the judge of

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that, so we'll see.

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And, I mean, as you do do you

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feel like you've,

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you know, as you put different

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message together or talks or firesides or things,

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is there,

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core messages that you keep coming back to?

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Jesus Christ. Okay. That's good. That is my

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my absolute foundation. I love him. I love

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to bear witness of him. I love to

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connect principles back to him.

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And I think of an approach with any

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leader,

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especially within our our faith, is connecting people

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to Jesus Christ. That's that's why we're here.

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Yeah. Yeah. And, really, you know, from a

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leadership perspective, that's truly all we we wanna

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do at the in the end. You know,

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we're not there to facilitate much more than,

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hopefully, a a stronger relationship with Jesus Christ

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and repentance and redemption and and all the

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things that come with it.

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Yeah. So true. And your and your works

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are awesome. Just that hope that you

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you're a guy that just personifies

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hope. Hope,

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in Christ. I I love that. So thanks

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for all your work. Awesome.

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So where's a good jumping off point when

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it comes to this topic of, you know,

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lesser known ideas to help members connect with

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with Jesus Christ? Yeah. I

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I'd love to to jump in and maybe

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start.

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I got called

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almost three years ago to be a bishop.

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I didn't know how that process worked.

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I'd served in, you know, Bishop Ricks.

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I'm I'm the world's best executive secretary. I've

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had that calling four times,

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been on the high council twice.

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I didn't know what it's like to be

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called as a bishop. Our amazing stake president,

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Eric Anderson,

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he brought my wife and I in, of

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course, meets with her to make sure that,

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you know, things are good and safe at

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home,

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and then brings me in. And then and

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I'm sure each state president is different, but

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he read the letter from the first presidency,

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and that was awesome. I'm not sure if

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every state president does that, but for me

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to see my name,

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in a letter from

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from our

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our prophet,

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was amazing and just confirming that, yeah, I'm

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this is I'm I'm the guy that the

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lord wants the next couple of years, and

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it it helped wipe away a lot of

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the doubts and insecurities of that moment. So

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that was absolutely incredible,

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to see. If any state presence are are

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listening in, I would highly recommend that because

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it's, it was just so good. It's so

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good.

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Yeah. A lot of confidence comes from that.

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You know? So Yeah. Yeah. I learned early

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on too.

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The

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the the Bishop's helpline

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is such a blessing.

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It it one way of conversations. I had,

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one of my students asked, you know, they'd

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heard a lot of us have heard that,

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you know, the helpline is there to, you

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know, to to, you know, to keep keep

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the church from getting sued. I asked that

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question once to one of the, the lawyers,

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and he, without a second's hesitation, said, that's

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exactly why we're here. We follow the law.

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We wanna make sure that there are no

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losses, that we're doing things the right way,

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the the legal way.

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And I have relied on them for so

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many I mean, just

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things you just you don't know. You know,

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you grow up and you hear some things

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that you don't know exactly how the laws

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work, especially state to state, and

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they have been such a blessing,

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to me.

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You know, one asked in a conversation, I

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had a a ward member that was very

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concerned about, we don't do background checks.

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And and, you know, I I coach,

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water polo, and there's so much safe sport.

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Obviously, in the church, there's a a good

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training to protect youth and children. And so

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I asked that question.

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He said, Eric,

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00:10:16,559 --> 00:10:19,120
do you know what a background check looks

269
00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:20,500
at? And I said,

270
00:10:21,039 --> 00:10:23,519
I kinda think maybe, but teach me. And

271
00:10:23,519 --> 00:10:25,700
he says most people think that the background

272
00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:27,299
check will ensure,

273
00:10:27,644 --> 00:10:28,545
you know, education,

274
00:10:29,245 --> 00:10:32,524
work history, driving history, their arrest record, criminal

275
00:10:32,524 --> 00:10:33,024
history,

276
00:10:33,404 --> 00:10:33,904
lawsuits,

277
00:10:34,605 --> 00:10:35,904
aliases, debts,

278
00:10:36,285 --> 00:10:38,524
credit score, Social Security number, date of birth,

279
00:10:38,524 --> 00:10:40,225
are they on the sex offender website,

280
00:10:41,320 --> 00:10:43,580
address history, social media review,

281
00:10:43,960 --> 00:10:45,100
CPS history,

282
00:10:46,120 --> 00:10:48,299
you know, anything with marriage or divorce,

283
00:10:49,240 --> 00:10:51,100
are they on the terrorist watch list?

284
00:10:51,879 --> 00:10:52,379
And

285
00:10:52,934 --> 00:10:55,115
he says, which which of those does

286
00:10:55,495 --> 00:10:57,355
the background check check?

287
00:10:57,815 --> 00:11:00,134
I I had no idea. And you're you

288
00:11:00,134 --> 00:11:01,195
probably know, but

289
00:11:01,894 --> 00:11:05,014
he said, here's what a background check, looks

290
00:11:05,014 --> 00:11:05,514
for.

291
00:11:06,379 --> 00:11:08,720
Criminal history within the last seven years,

292
00:11:09,899 --> 00:11:12,059
which, you know, kind of narrows it a

293
00:11:12,059 --> 00:11:14,139
little bit, but, boy, it also leads a

294
00:11:14,139 --> 00:11:16,879
lot off the table. It looks at aliases.

295
00:11:16,940 --> 00:11:18,540
Are you say who you say you are?

296
00:11:18,540 --> 00:11:20,480
Does your social match your name?

297
00:11:21,024 --> 00:11:23,264
Are you on the sex offender website? Do

298
00:11:23,264 --> 00:11:24,865
you live where you say you live? Is

299
00:11:24,865 --> 00:11:26,945
your birthday accurate? And are you on the

300
00:11:26,945 --> 00:11:28,164
terrorist watch list?

301
00:11:28,945 --> 00:11:30,865
He says it is it is a good

302
00:11:30,865 --> 00:11:31,365
safeguard,

303
00:11:31,745 --> 00:11:34,705
and in addition, we have so many other

304
00:11:34,705 --> 00:11:35,205
safeguards.

305
00:11:36,559 --> 00:11:38,420
The system we have to sustain

306
00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:39,300
members

307
00:11:39,679 --> 00:11:40,500
is a safeguard.

308
00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,279
We wanna look at this brother, that sister,

309
00:11:43,279 --> 00:11:45,540
and if we know something about them,

310
00:11:45,920 --> 00:11:48,225
we have a chance to, to voice that.

311
00:11:48,384 --> 00:11:50,944
We have a membership record number system that

312
00:11:50,944 --> 00:11:51,924
is very protective.

313
00:11:52,304 --> 00:11:54,225
If a member moves from one area to

314
00:11:54,225 --> 00:11:54,725
another

315
00:11:55,105 --> 00:11:57,664
and something big has happened, that record can

316
00:11:57,664 --> 00:11:58,404
be annotated

317
00:11:58,865 --> 00:11:59,845
to keep people

318
00:12:00,225 --> 00:12:00,659
safe.

319
00:12:01,220 --> 00:12:02,199
Too deep leadership,

320
00:12:02,500 --> 00:12:04,819
allowing youth to bring in an adult if

321
00:12:04,819 --> 00:12:06,899
they'd like to to a bishop's interview. There

322
00:12:06,899 --> 00:12:09,559
are so many safeguards in place, and I'm

323
00:12:09,699 --> 00:12:12,019
personally grateful. I wanna I wanna I want

324
00:12:12,019 --> 00:12:13,884
to follow the law, and I want to

325
00:12:13,884 --> 00:12:16,044
keep people safe. And that that helpline has

326
00:12:16,044 --> 00:12:18,205
been such a such a blessing to me

327
00:12:18,205 --> 00:12:19,745
personally and ecclesiastically

328
00:12:20,125 --> 00:12:20,865
as well.

329
00:12:21,325 --> 00:12:22,924
Yeah. So true. And, you know, going through

330
00:12:22,924 --> 00:12:24,764
so many interviews, I remember, you know, you

331
00:12:24,764 --> 00:12:26,524
just hear something you think, I don't know.

332
00:12:26,524 --> 00:12:28,149
Is that is there more to that? Like

333
00:12:28,230 --> 00:12:29,750
and and it's so nice just to have

334
00:12:29,750 --> 00:12:31,029
a place to call and say, this is

335
00:12:31,029 --> 00:12:32,870
what happened. Like, should I be concerned? And,

336
00:12:32,870 --> 00:12:34,149
you know, a lot of times, like, oh,

337
00:12:34,149 --> 00:12:35,830
no. You know, not no big deal there.

338
00:12:35,830 --> 00:12:37,670
But when you know, it was so nice

339
00:12:37,670 --> 00:12:40,004
to be able to rest easy knowing that,

340
00:12:40,565 --> 00:12:42,664
I'm not missing anything or taking

341
00:12:42,965 --> 00:12:44,965
or avoiding steps that I should be taking,

342
00:12:44,965 --> 00:12:46,664
you know, so really good.

343
00:12:47,044 --> 00:12:49,365
So with with interviews, like, when it comes

344
00:12:49,365 --> 00:12:50,485
to, you know, just,

345
00:12:51,125 --> 00:12:52,745
connecting people with Jesus Christ

346
00:12:53,605 --> 00:12:55,610
as as a bishop, as a leader, you

347
00:12:55,610 --> 00:12:57,529
know, especially as a bishop. But as a

348
00:12:57,529 --> 00:12:59,789
leader, there's a lot of interviews going on.

349
00:13:00,090 --> 00:13:02,090
And how how's your approach, or what can

350
00:13:02,090 --> 00:13:04,669
we learn about that interview process with Revelation?

351
00:13:05,610 --> 00:13:07,850
Oh, I love that. Thank you for asking.

352
00:13:07,850 --> 00:13:09,004
I, heavenly

353
00:13:09,465 --> 00:13:11,165
father, he is so good to bishops,

354
00:13:11,625 --> 00:13:13,644
and and I'm just I'm I'm grateful.

355
00:13:15,465 --> 00:13:17,644
When when someone texts me,

356
00:13:18,904 --> 00:13:19,404
directly,

357
00:13:20,024 --> 00:13:22,950
I'll usually ask them a a question. You

358
00:13:22,950 --> 00:13:24,149
You know? First of all, I just thank

359
00:13:24,149 --> 00:13:25,790
them. Thank you for looping me in. I

360
00:13:25,910 --> 00:13:27,990
I'm here to serve. I love you. I

361
00:13:27,990 --> 00:13:29,529
would love to sit in council.

362
00:13:30,070 --> 00:13:31,929
And depending on the nature

363
00:13:32,389 --> 00:13:34,790
of the situation or the individual, I'll I'll

364
00:13:34,790 --> 00:13:36,790
usually ask a couple of questions. The first

365
00:13:36,790 --> 00:13:37,845
one I like to

366
00:13:38,164 --> 00:13:40,964
post to them is, just what level they

367
00:13:40,964 --> 00:13:41,704
are at

368
00:13:42,164 --> 00:13:43,625
in their problem solving.

369
00:13:44,164 --> 00:13:46,084
You know, level one, you know,

370
00:13:46,804 --> 00:13:49,284
you've solved a problem and you wanna talk

371
00:13:49,284 --> 00:13:51,064
about the outcomes you're seeing.

372
00:13:51,684 --> 00:13:53,464
Level two, you're having a problem,

373
00:13:53,870 --> 00:13:56,850
You've identified maybe a few possible solutions,

374
00:13:57,470 --> 00:13:59,470
and you'd like my advice on which one

375
00:13:59,470 --> 00:14:00,529
might work best.

376
00:14:01,949 --> 00:14:04,049
Three, you know, you you have a problem,

377
00:14:04,350 --> 00:14:07,250
and you want me to recommend possible solutions.

378
00:14:07,985 --> 00:14:10,324
Or, and you can probably guess number four,

379
00:14:10,625 --> 00:14:11,985
you want me to try to solve your

380
00:14:11,985 --> 00:14:13,125
problems for you.

381
00:14:13,985 --> 00:14:16,945
Yeah. And, I like that. It just it

382
00:14:16,945 --> 00:14:19,904
helps them realize that, yeah, I am a

383
00:14:19,904 --> 00:14:20,404
resource,

384
00:14:21,230 --> 00:14:22,610
but the source

385
00:14:23,230 --> 00:14:26,190
is our heavenly father and our savior, Jesus

386
00:14:26,190 --> 00:14:26,690
Christ.

387
00:14:27,709 --> 00:14:30,269
And so giving them that moment of pause

388
00:14:30,269 --> 00:14:31,649
to think, oh, yeah. I

389
00:14:32,429 --> 00:14:34,589
yeah. I I yeah. I want the bishop

390
00:14:34,589 --> 00:14:36,690
to solve my problem. That doesn't seem right.

391
00:14:37,044 --> 00:14:39,764
It allows them some time to spend with

392
00:14:39,764 --> 00:14:40,504
their savior.

393
00:14:42,245 --> 00:14:44,725
And that's been helpful for me. Yeah. When

394
00:14:44,725 --> 00:14:47,365
someone comes in and they have problems and

395
00:14:47,365 --> 00:14:49,945
maybe they're they're having trouble seeing some solutions,

396
00:14:50,740 --> 00:14:52,660
I always try to package it as gently

397
00:14:52,660 --> 00:14:54,980
and kindly, especially if if it's gonna be

398
00:14:54,980 --> 00:14:57,000
some difficult counsel, hard counsel

399
00:14:57,379 --> 00:14:58,440
for them to hear.

400
00:14:59,220 --> 00:15:01,059
I'll I'll kinda tease and call it hot

401
00:15:01,059 --> 00:15:03,139
sauce. Like, okay. I've got some hot sauce,

402
00:15:03,139 --> 00:15:03,639
and

403
00:15:04,445 --> 00:15:06,365
I kinda use you've probably heard the the

404
00:15:06,365 --> 00:15:08,865
compliment sandwich model where

405
00:15:09,404 --> 00:15:11,264
you you build them up and

406
00:15:12,044 --> 00:15:13,184
you love them.

407
00:15:13,725 --> 00:15:15,644
In the middle, here comes a little bit

408
00:15:15,644 --> 00:15:17,745
of hot sauce. Something that might be

409
00:15:18,419 --> 00:15:20,500
contrary to what they are thinking or have

410
00:15:20,500 --> 00:15:21,000
considered,

411
00:15:21,460 --> 00:15:23,860
and then finishing it off again with more

412
00:15:23,860 --> 00:15:26,440
love and more compliments. It seems to

413
00:15:26,820 --> 00:15:28,200
help them metabolize

414
00:15:28,659 --> 00:15:30,840
something that might be a little bit troublesome

415
00:15:30,899 --> 00:15:33,195
for them to, to understand at first.

416
00:15:33,835 --> 00:15:36,075
Yeah. Yeah. And I I'd love this broach,

417
00:15:36,075 --> 00:15:37,754
you know, those where there are four different

418
00:15:37,914 --> 00:15:40,394
the kind of sort of perspectives to take

419
00:15:40,394 --> 00:15:42,875
into, an interviewer trying to figure out what

420
00:15:42,875 --> 00:15:44,235
what you're trying to accomplish there,

421
00:15:45,035 --> 00:15:47,299
that connecting it to revelation. Like, you're not

422
00:15:47,299 --> 00:15:49,459
there to solve their problem or to give

423
00:15:49,459 --> 00:15:51,059
them the right answer, but maybe to help

424
00:15:51,059 --> 00:15:52,839
them stimulate personal revelation

425
00:15:53,299 --> 00:15:54,440
that will lead to

426
00:15:54,899 --> 00:15:57,139
the solution or the next step or, you

427
00:15:57,139 --> 00:15:58,820
know, whatever it is that that needs to

428
00:15:58,820 --> 00:16:01,934
happen. Yeah. And again, that's that's our role

429
00:16:01,934 --> 00:16:04,575
as leaders. Well, yes, as leaders, but just

430
00:16:04,575 --> 00:16:07,615
as friends. We want to connect people to

431
00:16:07,615 --> 00:16:08,595
Jesus Christ.

432
00:16:09,375 --> 00:16:11,955
And I think how we structure those conversations,

433
00:16:12,174 --> 00:16:13,154
those are sacred.

434
00:16:13,970 --> 00:16:16,610
And so, you know, just starting off with,

435
00:16:16,610 --> 00:16:18,309
you know, Kurt, I you know,

436
00:16:19,169 --> 00:16:21,269
I'm I'm here to hold space for you.

437
00:16:22,129 --> 00:16:23,730
You know, when when the time is right,

438
00:16:23,730 --> 00:16:26,370
I'd be honored to have you invite me

439
00:16:26,370 --> 00:16:28,445
in for some counsel. I'm gonna give you

440
00:16:28,445 --> 00:16:30,225
a 100% during our time.

441
00:16:31,725 --> 00:16:33,165
Tell me what role you want me to

442
00:16:33,165 --> 00:16:35,884
play. Yeah. Do you want me to just

443
00:16:35,884 --> 00:16:37,644
rally with you? Do you want me to

444
00:16:37,644 --> 00:16:39,325
to be more of an educator? Do you

445
00:16:39,325 --> 00:16:40,315
want me to strategize?

446
00:16:41,149 --> 00:16:43,009
Or do you want me just to listen?

447
00:16:43,149 --> 00:16:44,269
Or is it a little bit of all

448
00:16:44,269 --> 00:16:46,110
of the above? Kinda let them set the

449
00:16:46,110 --> 00:16:47,570
tone for that time together.

450
00:16:48,429 --> 00:16:49,870
I love to ask them, you know, if

451
00:16:49,870 --> 00:16:52,129
this was the most important conversation

452
00:16:52,910 --> 00:16:54,529
of your entire life,

453
00:16:55,014 --> 00:16:57,274
What would happen during our time together?

454
00:16:58,375 --> 00:17:00,634
And, again, it allows them to kinda reframe

455
00:17:00,855 --> 00:17:03,195
that I'm trying to connect them with their

456
00:17:03,654 --> 00:17:06,054
with their heavenly father in Jesus Christ. I'm

457
00:17:06,054 --> 00:17:07,974
the guide on the side. I'm the Sherpa

458
00:17:07,974 --> 00:17:09,414
that wants to take some of the weight

459
00:17:09,414 --> 00:17:10,474
off of their backpack

460
00:17:10,829 --> 00:17:11,990
so they can have,

461
00:17:12,429 --> 00:17:14,849
maybe an easier ascent up to to,

462
00:17:15,309 --> 00:17:16,849
connect with with the divine.

463
00:17:17,390 --> 00:17:19,069
I love to ask you now, who have

464
00:17:19,069 --> 00:17:20,609
you brought in with you today?

465
00:17:22,109 --> 00:17:22,929
Because they'll

466
00:17:23,295 --> 00:17:25,134
think, oh, in other words, who is this

467
00:17:25,134 --> 00:17:28,255
affecting besides just you? Mhmm. And it helps

468
00:17:28,255 --> 00:17:30,335
them kinda see how big their problem is

469
00:17:30,335 --> 00:17:31,875
and who else is being affected.

470
00:17:32,174 --> 00:17:33,775
I always ask, you know, just as a

471
00:17:33,775 --> 00:17:35,940
baseline, you know, tell me about diet, sleep,

472
00:17:35,940 --> 00:17:38,179
and exercise. No matter what the problem is,

473
00:17:38,179 --> 00:17:40,119
let's just make sure that you're taking care

474
00:17:40,339 --> 00:17:42,259
of your physical body, that gift from our

475
00:17:42,259 --> 00:17:43,159
heavenly father.

476
00:17:43,539 --> 00:17:45,639
And then I always ask them about CPR.

477
00:17:46,419 --> 00:17:48,179
Tell me about church. Tell me about prayer.

478
00:17:48,179 --> 00:17:49,894
Tell me about reading. I have to throw

479
00:17:49,894 --> 00:17:51,174
a t in there. Tell me about the

480
00:17:51,174 --> 00:17:53,414
temple. How's that been? Just to get a

481
00:17:53,414 --> 00:17:55,494
baseline so I know where they're at in

482
00:17:55,494 --> 00:17:57,194
order, to help them

483
00:17:57,654 --> 00:17:58,954
learn more about receiving,

484
00:17:59,414 --> 00:17:59,914
revelation.

485
00:18:01,095 --> 00:18:03,279
I asked, who do you turn for,

486
00:18:03,740 --> 00:18:04,480
for support?

487
00:18:05,019 --> 00:18:06,160
Who's in your circle?

488
00:18:06,539 --> 00:18:08,539
Have you have you had situations like this

489
00:18:08,539 --> 00:18:09,980
in the past? What did you do to

490
00:18:09,980 --> 00:18:12,240
solve those problems with heavenly father's help?

491
00:18:12,619 --> 00:18:14,140
I'd love to ask you, if if your

492
00:18:14,140 --> 00:18:15,119
life were a movie

493
00:18:15,704 --> 00:18:17,944
and everyone's watching it, what would your friends

494
00:18:17,944 --> 00:18:19,325
be saying at this moment?

495
00:18:20,265 --> 00:18:22,025
That allows them to to kind of take

496
00:18:22,025 --> 00:18:23,005
a step back

497
00:18:23,464 --> 00:18:25,944
and realize they may have had some answers

498
00:18:25,944 --> 00:18:28,525
to prayers from friends and maybe other leaders

499
00:18:28,779 --> 00:18:30,240
that they hadn't considered

500
00:18:30,539 --> 00:18:32,559
as being answers to their prayers.

501
00:18:33,500 --> 00:18:35,099
You've heard, I'm sure, of the the miracle

502
00:18:35,099 --> 00:18:36,859
pill. You know, Curtis, you could wake up

503
00:18:36,859 --> 00:18:37,359
tomorrow

504
00:18:37,980 --> 00:18:40,700
and and all your this problem was solved.

505
00:18:40,700 --> 00:18:43,184
What would the perfect solution look like?

506
00:18:44,065 --> 00:18:45,285
And they start to process

507
00:18:45,745 --> 00:18:47,684
what really needs to to happen.

508
00:18:48,144 --> 00:18:50,945
And then the follow-up, let's say, heavenly father

509
00:18:50,945 --> 00:18:52,485
did not change anything.

510
00:18:53,265 --> 00:18:55,365
What would you start doing tomorrow?

511
00:18:56,600 --> 00:18:58,680
Because he goes, wow. Boy, if he if

512
00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:00,680
I can't get over my anxiety, let's just

513
00:19:00,680 --> 00:19:02,299
say that's gonna be with me forever.

514
00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:04,920
What would I do tomorrow knowing that I

515
00:19:04,920 --> 00:19:07,320
have to to deal with this demon for

516
00:19:07,320 --> 00:19:09,580
the next, you know, ten or twenty years?

517
00:19:10,085 --> 00:19:12,325
Well, I'd probably and here comes their answers.

518
00:19:12,325 --> 00:19:14,085
I'd probably go to the temple. I'd probably,

519
00:19:14,085 --> 00:19:16,424
you know, that's all of a sudden, revelation

520
00:19:16,565 --> 00:19:18,964
starts to, to flow. And at the end,

521
00:19:18,964 --> 00:19:21,525
Kurt, I I love giving them a vision.

522
00:19:21,525 --> 00:19:23,829
I I love that where at the end,

523
00:19:23,829 --> 00:19:25,509
I just see how Kurt and I can

524
00:19:25,509 --> 00:19:26,170
see you.

525
00:19:26,549 --> 00:19:28,329
I can see you in a happy marriage.

526
00:19:28,549 --> 00:19:30,250
Oh, I can see you with kids.

527
00:19:31,429 --> 00:19:33,910
It's Christmas. Kids are gathered, and I can

528
00:19:33,910 --> 00:19:35,369
see with this happy family.

529
00:19:36,134 --> 00:19:38,134
I can see you, you know, ordaining that

530
00:19:38,134 --> 00:19:40,695
that son of yours. I just giving them

531
00:19:40,695 --> 00:19:43,015
that vision, I think, lifts their sights and

532
00:19:43,015 --> 00:19:45,255
helps them know that heavenly father is there

533
00:19:45,255 --> 00:19:47,015
ready to to be a blessing to them.

534
00:19:47,015 --> 00:19:48,775
So those are little things I've done in

535
00:19:48,775 --> 00:19:50,615
interviews that have been been very

536
00:19:51,309 --> 00:19:52,670
it seemed to have helped helped quite a

537
00:19:52,670 --> 00:19:54,430
bit. Yeah. That that makes a lot of

538
00:19:54,430 --> 00:19:56,269
sense. I just love that, you know, giving

539
00:19:56,269 --> 00:19:57,570
them that vision because you're,

540
00:19:58,910 --> 00:20:00,670
you know, one therapist taught me just like

541
00:20:00,670 --> 00:20:03,255
the the church leader's role is to is

542
00:20:03,255 --> 00:20:04,934
to drive the hope train, and you can

543
00:20:04,934 --> 00:20:06,535
just give them hope and hope and hope.

544
00:20:06,535 --> 00:20:08,775
You don't have to, you know, diagnose them

545
00:20:08,775 --> 00:20:10,855
or figure out what what they need next.

546
00:20:10,855 --> 00:20:12,454
It was like, you can definitely give them

547
00:20:12,454 --> 00:20:14,615
hope because that's the you can always give

548
00:20:14,615 --> 00:20:16,375
hope when you're focused on Christ because he

549
00:20:16,375 --> 00:20:17,894
is, you know, he's the center of that

550
00:20:17,894 --> 00:20:18,210
hope.

551
00:20:19,089 --> 00:20:20,690
And I appreciate you know, this is something

552
00:20:20,690 --> 00:20:23,329
I've really tried to discipline myself with, obviously,

553
00:20:23,329 --> 00:20:26,609
not necessarily in in church leadership interviews, but,

554
00:20:26,609 --> 00:20:28,690
you know, I often meet people or have

555
00:20:28,690 --> 00:20:30,210
people reach out to me and maybe have

556
00:20:30,210 --> 00:20:32,130
have a question that relates to leading saints

557
00:20:32,130 --> 00:20:33,695
or some. You know? I've spent a lot

558
00:20:33,695 --> 00:20:35,455
of time in this space, so maybe I

559
00:20:35,455 --> 00:20:37,615
have some perspective to share. And as they're

560
00:20:37,615 --> 00:20:39,555
asking the question or or,

561
00:20:40,494 --> 00:20:42,414
laying out the scenario that they're in or

562
00:20:42,414 --> 00:20:44,494
the issue that they're struggling with, like, naturally,

563
00:20:44,494 --> 00:20:47,430
like, I've got two two scriptures I could

564
00:20:47,430 --> 00:20:48,710
share. I got all that. I got a

565
00:20:48,710 --> 00:20:50,869
great quote or, oh, I know exactly the

566
00:20:50,869 --> 00:20:52,549
one or two episodes they gotta listen to.

567
00:20:52,549 --> 00:20:54,309
Right? And I almost wanna be like, oh,

568
00:20:54,309 --> 00:20:56,630
here's your answer. I wanna jump Right. And

569
00:20:56,630 --> 00:20:58,070
to be like, here it is. Like, I've

570
00:20:58,150 --> 00:20:59,750
I know something about this that I can

571
00:20:59,750 --> 00:21:01,195
share with you, but I always try and

572
00:21:01,195 --> 00:21:04,174
discipline myself to say, actually, I'm gonna ask

573
00:21:04,475 --> 00:21:05,295
a few questions

574
00:21:05,914 --> 00:21:08,154
to better understand what it is they're asking

575
00:21:08,154 --> 00:21:09,674
or what it is that they're trying to

576
00:21:09,674 --> 00:21:11,775
articulate. And I've always noticed that

577
00:21:12,075 --> 00:21:12,815
I either,

578
00:21:13,779 --> 00:21:15,859
discovered that they have a lot of the

579
00:21:15,859 --> 00:21:17,539
answer that I was about to just spring

580
00:21:17,539 --> 00:21:18,980
on them. They already know a lot of

581
00:21:18,980 --> 00:21:21,220
it, or I didn't understand fully what they

582
00:21:21,220 --> 00:21:23,059
were asking or what the the issue was.

583
00:21:23,059 --> 00:21:24,180
And so I just love that some of

584
00:21:24,180 --> 00:21:27,194
these strategies lay layout that kinda allow a

585
00:21:27,194 --> 00:21:28,634
leader to pump the brakes a little bit

586
00:21:28,634 --> 00:21:30,315
and say, okay, well, wait a minute before

587
00:21:30,315 --> 00:21:31,674
we get into the issue. Right. And I

588
00:21:31,674 --> 00:21:32,174
remember

589
00:21:32,634 --> 00:21:34,714
very common scenario, you know, a confession type

590
00:21:34,714 --> 00:21:36,315
of thing where someone comes in and they're

591
00:21:36,315 --> 00:21:36,815
like

592
00:21:37,115 --> 00:21:38,875
just carrying this burden and they're just, they

593
00:21:38,875 --> 00:21:40,394
can't, they want to get it on that

594
00:21:40,394 --> 00:21:42,474
desk as quickly as possible. Right? Like here,

595
00:21:42,474 --> 00:21:43,730
take it. And,

596
00:21:44,210 --> 00:21:45,570
which is natural, and they get there. And

597
00:21:45,570 --> 00:21:47,650
so naturally, we wanna hurry and fix the

598
00:21:47,650 --> 00:21:49,330
issue that they just laid on that desk.

599
00:21:49,330 --> 00:21:50,930
But to just say, hey. Before we jump

600
00:21:50,930 --> 00:21:52,529
into that and the details of maybe what

601
00:21:52,529 --> 00:21:55,515
you're struggling with, let's what let's better understand

602
00:21:55,515 --> 00:21:56,955
why we're here. Like, what are you looking

603
00:21:56,955 --> 00:21:58,234
for with this problem? Do you want me

604
00:21:58,234 --> 00:21:59,275
to fix it, or are you just here

605
00:21:59,275 --> 00:22:01,035
to tell me? Right? The the things that

606
00:22:01,035 --> 00:22:02,955
you said. Yeah. It's really powerful. The hope

607
00:22:02,955 --> 00:22:05,595
train. I love it. And the principle you're

608
00:22:05,595 --> 00:22:07,434
teaching, you know, I I was it elder

609
00:22:07,434 --> 00:22:10,154
Bednar that said that the best lessons are

610
00:22:10,154 --> 00:22:11,940
caught and not taught?

611
00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,720
Mhmm. Interesting. If they can catch their own

612
00:22:14,720 --> 00:22:16,720
answers, that's so much better than anything you

613
00:22:16,720 --> 00:22:19,519
or I could could ever say. And and

614
00:22:19,519 --> 00:22:21,360
to leave them just, again, with that hope,

615
00:22:21,360 --> 00:22:22,019
you know,

616
00:22:22,480 --> 00:22:24,820
faith, you know, you take Lemuel and Lemuel.

617
00:22:25,884 --> 00:22:28,204
When remember, Nephi had his vision and they

618
00:22:28,204 --> 00:22:30,305
were frustrated they didn't have the same vision,

619
00:22:30,444 --> 00:22:32,365
and Nephi asked them, have you inquired of

620
00:22:32,365 --> 00:22:34,444
the Lord? And, of course, their answer is

621
00:22:34,444 --> 00:22:37,265
no. The Lord maketh no such thing known

622
00:22:38,204 --> 00:22:39,059
unto us.

623
00:22:39,539 --> 00:22:42,500
Notice their they they testify that they believe

624
00:22:42,500 --> 00:22:45,059
in God. They just said there is a

625
00:22:45,059 --> 00:22:45,559
Lord,

626
00:22:45,940 --> 00:22:46,680
and that

627
00:22:47,059 --> 00:22:49,640
he also reveals things. They testified

628
00:22:49,940 --> 00:22:51,240
of personal revelation.

629
00:22:52,235 --> 00:22:54,414
They have faith in several elements,

630
00:22:54,875 --> 00:22:57,434
but they didn't have hope. Hope being Mhmm.

631
00:22:57,595 --> 00:22:58,575
That it would apply

632
00:22:59,275 --> 00:22:59,934
to them.

633
00:23:00,795 --> 00:23:02,815
The same thing, Alma 33 where,

634
00:23:03,195 --> 00:23:04,735
the fiery flying serpents.

635
00:23:05,130 --> 00:23:06,589
Right? Many did not

636
00:23:06,970 --> 00:23:09,450
look because they did not think it would

637
00:23:09,450 --> 00:23:09,950
heal

638
00:23:10,570 --> 00:23:11,070
them.

639
00:23:11,690 --> 00:23:13,690
They knew. They had faith in the fact

640
00:23:13,690 --> 00:23:15,390
that people were getting healed,

641
00:23:15,930 --> 00:23:18,005
but they didn't think it applied to them.

642
00:23:18,005 --> 00:23:20,085
That's the difference between hope and faith. We

643
00:23:20,085 --> 00:23:21,365
can have faith in a lot of things,

644
00:23:21,365 --> 00:23:23,684
but that hope seems to be just a

645
00:23:23,684 --> 00:23:25,845
personal application of all these truths that it

646
00:23:25,845 --> 00:23:28,984
is. Yes. God answers my neighbor's prayers, but

647
00:23:29,799 --> 00:23:31,720
I know that he answers my prayer. Yes.

648
00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:33,880
The atonement can take care of of that

649
00:23:33,880 --> 00:23:35,180
individual and their

650
00:23:35,559 --> 00:23:36,059
sinfulness.

651
00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,000
But once we know that his atonement works

652
00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,920
for us, that's when that hope really see

653
00:23:41,079 --> 00:23:42,859
seems to, to sink in.

654
00:23:43,204 --> 00:23:44,964
Yeah. I mean, that's so true. Hope is

655
00:23:44,964 --> 00:23:48,085
really just a personal experience where and, you

656
00:23:48,085 --> 00:23:50,005
know, we've all experienced this. You you literally

657
00:23:50,005 --> 00:23:51,384
have, like, a return missionary

658
00:23:51,924 --> 00:23:53,865
there who's struggling with hope, but

659
00:23:54,164 --> 00:23:56,884
they just spent years, like, preaching their faith.

660
00:23:57,045 --> 00:23:59,259
They obviously have faith, but it's that hope

661
00:23:59,259 --> 00:24:01,599
component that they're that they're struggling with. Right?

662
00:24:01,819 --> 00:24:04,380
Right. Yeah. Yeah. That's interesting. So true. Anything

663
00:24:04,380 --> 00:24:06,559
else about interviews and and

664
00:24:06,859 --> 00:24:09,339
stimulating revelation, or do we cover it pretty

665
00:24:09,339 --> 00:24:09,839
well?

666
00:24:11,275 --> 00:24:12,954
The the only other thing I'd add here,

667
00:24:12,954 --> 00:24:13,535
you know,

668
00:24:14,075 --> 00:24:14,734
our world,

669
00:24:15,755 --> 00:24:18,075
with interviews, you know, the a lot of

670
00:24:18,075 --> 00:24:21,035
times people come in burdened with pornography. And

671
00:24:21,035 --> 00:24:22,714
this is, I know, a topic of yours

672
00:24:22,714 --> 00:24:24,954
that you have, you've done great work with

673
00:24:24,954 --> 00:24:26,575
and have passion for as

674
00:24:26,960 --> 00:24:28,960
as do I. And I in some of

675
00:24:28,960 --> 00:24:30,420
those interviews, just helping

676
00:24:30,880 --> 00:24:33,279
them know first of all, there's there's forgiveness

677
00:24:33,279 --> 00:24:34,980
and there's a path forward. But,

678
00:24:35,759 --> 00:24:38,835
helping people understand that their habit with,

679
00:24:39,315 --> 00:24:39,815
pornography,

680
00:24:41,474 --> 00:24:43,414
is more likely a a psychosocial

681
00:24:43,875 --> 00:24:44,375
developmental

682
00:24:44,914 --> 00:24:45,894
stage of life

683
00:24:46,274 --> 00:24:47,974
more than a sexual issue.

684
00:24:49,634 --> 00:24:51,394
You know, I I use an analogy of,

685
00:24:51,394 --> 00:24:53,794
you know, Seattle, Washington where it rains most

686
00:24:53,794 --> 00:24:56,110
every single day. If you're in a rainstorm,

687
00:24:56,170 --> 00:24:57,789
is the rain going to kill you?

688
00:24:58,090 --> 00:24:59,549
No. Yeah. But it's uncomfortable.

689
00:25:00,090 --> 00:25:02,490
And so people in Seattle and other places

690
00:25:02,490 --> 00:25:04,590
where it rains often, they'll grab an umbrella

691
00:25:04,650 --> 00:25:06,490
to make sure when it does rain that

692
00:25:06,490 --> 00:25:07,230
they're protected.

693
00:25:07,850 --> 00:25:10,269
The same is true when we are bored,

694
00:25:10,634 --> 00:25:13,994
lonely, angry, stressed, tired, the the blast, b

695
00:25:13,994 --> 00:25:15,214
l a s t, acronym.

696
00:25:16,474 --> 00:25:19,035
Our brains it's not comfortable to feel that

697
00:25:19,035 --> 00:25:20,955
way. So our brain wants to grab an

698
00:25:20,955 --> 00:25:21,455
umbrella.

699
00:25:22,075 --> 00:25:23,835
There's some umbrellas that are on the covenant

700
00:25:23,835 --> 00:25:26,150
path and some that are off the covenant

701
00:25:26,150 --> 00:25:27,690
path. And if someone has,

702
00:25:28,309 --> 00:25:30,809
gone into the the habit of of pornography,

703
00:25:31,589 --> 00:25:33,990
they've kinda trained that brain to look for

704
00:25:33,990 --> 00:25:36,710
those those umbrellas that are they're a little

705
00:25:36,710 --> 00:25:38,569
bit off that that covenant path,

706
00:25:39,055 --> 00:25:41,795
helping them just focus on, you know, emotional

707
00:25:41,855 --> 00:25:44,734
growth in addition to, you know, spirituality, chastity,

708
00:25:44,734 --> 00:25:45,555
things like that.

709
00:25:46,255 --> 00:25:48,894
Reminding them that guilt is so good. It's

710
00:25:48,894 --> 00:25:50,815
good that you feel guilty because people that

711
00:25:50,815 --> 00:25:51,315
do,

712
00:25:51,970 --> 00:25:54,289
things contrary to their character and feel no

713
00:25:54,289 --> 00:25:55,909
guilt, those are sociopaths.

714
00:25:56,450 --> 00:25:58,309
Right? Right. But shame,

715
00:25:58,769 --> 00:26:01,029
as you know, shame is Yeah. Satanic.

716
00:26:01,569 --> 00:26:01,890
And,

717
00:26:02,690 --> 00:26:04,529
it helps them. Even with with the younger

718
00:26:04,529 --> 00:26:06,744
people I meet with, reminding them that their

719
00:26:06,744 --> 00:26:09,384
prefrontal cortex, you know, doesn't develop fully until

720
00:26:09,384 --> 00:26:12,025
age 25, and that cortex is the breaking

721
00:26:12,025 --> 00:26:13,404
system for our brains.

722
00:26:13,785 --> 00:26:15,704
And as a result, you know, those teenage

723
00:26:15,704 --> 00:26:17,325
and early young adult years,

724
00:26:18,345 --> 00:26:19,964
we're kinda driven by impulse,

725
00:26:20,410 --> 00:26:22,970
unfortunately. Now, heavenly father can help us make

726
00:26:22,970 --> 00:26:23,869
wise decisions.

727
00:26:24,170 --> 00:26:25,869
We can keep covenants. But

728
00:26:26,170 --> 00:26:28,829
part of this stage of life is learning,

729
00:26:29,690 --> 00:26:32,809
to to have those, more logical approaches and

730
00:26:32,809 --> 00:26:35,234
covenant based choices when it comes to to

731
00:26:35,234 --> 00:26:36,214
things like pornography.

732
00:26:37,315 --> 00:26:38,835
I've seen a lot of people that, you

733
00:26:38,835 --> 00:26:39,234
know, they'll

734
00:26:40,355 --> 00:26:41,875
they kinda have two choices. At least they

735
00:26:41,875 --> 00:26:43,634
think they have two choices. Either they can

736
00:26:43,634 --> 00:26:45,875
just will power. I'm not gonna look. Not

737
00:26:45,875 --> 00:26:47,414
gonna look. Not gonna look.

738
00:26:48,029 --> 00:26:51,090
But because we're human, eventually, we get tired

739
00:26:51,630 --> 00:26:52,130
and

740
00:26:52,430 --> 00:26:55,309
we give in. And that cycle goes over

741
00:26:55,309 --> 00:26:57,470
and over and over again. It's almost like

742
00:26:57,470 --> 00:26:59,390
trying to hold your breath. Some people feel

743
00:26:59,390 --> 00:27:01,070
like, okay, I'm not gonna look. I'm just

744
00:27:01,070 --> 00:27:03,070
gonna hold my breath. I'm gonna white knuckle

745
00:27:03,070 --> 00:27:05,904
this. And eventually, because we're mammals, we we

746
00:27:05,904 --> 00:27:08,384
have to inhale. Eventually, those slip ups will

747
00:27:08,384 --> 00:27:08,884
happen.

748
00:27:09,744 --> 00:27:11,664
Helping them see kind of what leads to

749
00:27:11,664 --> 00:27:12,144
their,

750
00:27:12,464 --> 00:27:13,284
their use.

751
00:27:14,065 --> 00:27:15,088
You know, working gently, you know, just about

752
00:27:15,088 --> 00:27:15,189
their background. Maybe help them see why. Is

753
00:27:15,189 --> 00:27:15,765
this a have you been through

754
00:27:16,464 --> 00:27:16,964
some

755
00:27:26,369 --> 00:27:27,269
habit you've,

756
00:27:28,049 --> 00:27:30,130
you know, stumbled into, were exposed to, and

757
00:27:30,130 --> 00:27:32,734
now have. And every time, it's always, you

758
00:27:32,734 --> 00:27:34,974
know, let's get you some professional help. There's

759
00:27:34,974 --> 00:27:37,615
group therapy that the data is awesome. There's

760
00:27:37,615 --> 00:27:39,554
one on one therapy. There's been more,

761
00:27:39,934 --> 00:27:41,315
trauma. There's some comorbidity

762
00:27:41,615 --> 00:27:44,035
there. Those therapists are are so good.

763
00:27:45,119 --> 00:27:47,039
Inviting them to make a little vision board,

764
00:27:47,039 --> 00:27:48,400
like, what do you want in your life?

765
00:27:48,400 --> 00:27:48,640
Just

766
00:27:49,359 --> 00:27:51,059
let's let's put words to paper.

767
00:27:51,599 --> 00:27:53,539
What do you want? Career, family,

768
00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:54,980
car,

769
00:27:55,440 --> 00:27:58,304
your your home, kids. Let's probably and put

770
00:27:58,304 --> 00:28:00,785
that somewhere where you're gonna see it. Inviting

771
00:28:00,785 --> 00:28:02,804
them to review their patriarchal blessing,

772
00:28:03,184 --> 00:28:06,464
to look for their strengths and pray for

773
00:28:06,464 --> 00:28:09,345
those strengths to be strengthened. As our strengths

774
00:28:09,345 --> 00:28:10,964
get strengthened, our our weaknesses

775
00:28:11,265 --> 00:28:12,085
get weakened.

776
00:28:12,789 --> 00:28:14,789
And giving them little hope along the way

777
00:28:14,789 --> 00:28:17,609
that there is, there is hope for them.

778
00:28:17,670 --> 00:28:19,269
And also reminding them that, you know, when

779
00:28:19,269 --> 00:28:20,809
they do have those stumbles,

780
00:28:21,349 --> 00:28:23,109
all is not lost. Yes. You build up

781
00:28:23,109 --> 00:28:25,705
some good myelonin sheets in your brain, through

782
00:28:25,705 --> 00:28:26,445
that neuroplasticity.

783
00:28:27,225 --> 00:28:29,065
And if you've had a slip up, you

784
00:28:29,065 --> 00:28:30,985
know, you're not back to square one. It's

785
00:28:30,985 --> 00:28:33,625
not chutes and ladders. If you're driving from,

786
00:28:33,625 --> 00:28:35,705
you know, California to New York and you

787
00:28:35,705 --> 00:28:37,725
take a wrong turn in Omaha, Nebraska,

788
00:28:38,359 --> 00:28:39,640
you don't drive all the way back to

789
00:28:39,640 --> 00:28:41,720
San Diego to re you know, get your

790
00:28:41,720 --> 00:28:43,660
trip finished up to New York. You just

791
00:28:43,799 --> 00:28:46,279
reroute and you you finish the trip. But

792
00:28:46,279 --> 00:28:48,440
I think messages like that that are, again,

793
00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:48,940
hopeful,

794
00:28:50,119 --> 00:28:52,755
have just been helpful and encouraging for the

795
00:28:52,755 --> 00:28:54,434
people that I'm able to to meet with

796
00:28:54,434 --> 00:28:55,815
and sit and counsel with.

797
00:28:56,194 --> 00:28:58,194
Yeah. So true where, you know, especially in

798
00:28:58,194 --> 00:29:00,034
that maybe that confession, repentance, or the, you

799
00:29:00,034 --> 00:29:03,315
know, pornography dynamic of it that the behavior,

800
00:29:03,315 --> 00:29:05,815
the negative behavior can have such a gravitational

801
00:29:06,589 --> 00:29:08,769
pull on our focus of being like, okay.

802
00:29:08,829 --> 00:29:10,609
Well, let's just get rid of the behavior.

803
00:29:10,910 --> 00:29:13,230
And then and then those other things will

804
00:29:13,230 --> 00:29:14,589
figure it out. But if you step back

805
00:29:14,589 --> 00:29:16,509
and say, well, okay. We recognize the behavior

806
00:29:16,509 --> 00:29:18,670
is there, and we recognize that it's nothing

807
00:29:18,670 --> 00:29:20,634
that you wanna continue to do.

808
00:29:22,134 --> 00:29:24,054
But let's step back and say, you know,

809
00:29:24,054 --> 00:29:25,734
what, where can we find hope and start

810
00:29:25,734 --> 00:29:27,894
to drill down on these other components that

811
00:29:27,894 --> 00:29:29,095
that are going on? I remember,

812
00:29:29,734 --> 00:29:31,174
a good friend reached out to me who

813
00:29:31,174 --> 00:29:33,990
was struggling with pornography and, and it's so

814
00:29:34,109 --> 00:29:36,829
and and and I'm recognizing that gravitational pull

815
00:29:36,829 --> 00:29:38,829
of that behavior. And so I'm just saying,

816
00:29:38,829 --> 00:29:42,609
actually, let's just step into your personal laboratory.

817
00:29:43,150 --> 00:29:45,390
And over the next few weeks, like, will

818
00:29:45,390 --> 00:29:46,210
you have relapses?

819
00:29:46,589 --> 00:29:47,089
Probably.

820
00:29:47,704 --> 00:29:49,785
But when those relapses happen, let's not necessarily

821
00:29:49,785 --> 00:29:51,785
focus on the the shame that you feel,

822
00:29:51,785 --> 00:29:54,125
but let's just say, wow. This is interesting.

823
00:29:54,265 --> 00:29:56,305
Like, this happened. And why is that? Like

824
00:29:56,424 --> 00:29:58,585
Yeah. I was I was bored that day

825
00:29:58,585 --> 00:30:00,450
or, I mean, a really stressful time of

826
00:30:00,529 --> 00:30:02,450
it was this really stressful week. Like, okay.

827
00:30:02,450 --> 00:30:04,130
These are indicators that we can note and

828
00:30:04,130 --> 00:30:06,769
start to understand and and if fuse with

829
00:30:06,769 --> 00:30:09,569
hope in those areas. And then over time,

830
00:30:09,569 --> 00:30:11,569
our hope would be that that that negative

831
00:30:11,569 --> 00:30:13,889
behavior goes away because we are new creatures,

832
00:30:13,889 --> 00:30:15,914
not necessarily because we're, you know, we can

833
00:30:15,914 --> 00:30:18,015
hold our breath longer. Right? Right.

834
00:30:18,315 --> 00:30:20,475
Yeah. Yeah. Data. Looking at those slip ups

835
00:30:20,475 --> 00:30:22,235
is just data. You're just over the next

836
00:30:22,235 --> 00:30:24,475
few weeks, you're collecting data to see what

837
00:30:24,475 --> 00:30:26,414
your triggers are and what's fueling

838
00:30:26,715 --> 00:30:27,215
this.

839
00:30:27,750 --> 00:30:30,150
And, eventually, to become a person that is

840
00:30:30,150 --> 00:30:30,650
tempted,

841
00:30:31,269 --> 00:30:31,769
and

842
00:30:32,150 --> 00:30:34,150
that they know how to make covenant based

843
00:30:34,150 --> 00:30:35,529
decisions and Yeah.

844
00:30:35,910 --> 00:30:37,609
Decisions that align with their values.

845
00:30:38,070 --> 00:30:39,130
Yeah. Really powerful.

846
00:30:39,835 --> 00:30:42,555
Let's jump to, supporting speakers and teachers. I

847
00:30:42,555 --> 00:30:45,355
think this is, always a concern for church

848
00:30:45,355 --> 00:30:47,515
leaders that wanna, you know, encourage their their

849
00:30:47,515 --> 00:30:49,595
teachers and speakers. So where's a good good

850
00:30:49,595 --> 00:30:50,735
place to start there?

851
00:30:51,355 --> 00:30:53,615
I'm sure I'm wearing bishop goggles.

852
00:30:54,350 --> 00:30:56,430
I would take some of our sacrament meeting

853
00:30:56,430 --> 00:30:58,590
talks, and I think they're some of the

854
00:30:58,590 --> 00:31:00,850
best in the church. It has been delightful.

855
00:31:01,789 --> 00:31:03,170
We asked the speakers,

856
00:31:04,109 --> 00:31:06,190
especially if they're newer, you know, introduce yourselves

857
00:31:06,190 --> 00:31:06,690
briefly.

858
00:31:07,825 --> 00:31:09,825
I know some people if our our kids,

859
00:31:09,825 --> 00:31:11,345
they kind of joke. Like, someone's been in

860
00:31:11,345 --> 00:31:12,865
the ward for, you know, twenty five years.

861
00:31:12,865 --> 00:31:14,384
For those that don't know me, now okay.

862
00:31:14,384 --> 00:31:15,924
We we know you. You've been here forever.

863
00:31:16,464 --> 00:31:17,684
So a brief introduction.

864
00:31:18,065 --> 00:31:21,125
And then we've asked them, Kurt, to share

865
00:31:21,505 --> 00:31:22,164
a story,

866
00:31:22,919 --> 00:31:25,500
a defining moment from their life,

867
00:31:27,159 --> 00:31:28,779
an up or a down,

868
00:31:29,480 --> 00:31:30,220
a success

869
00:31:30,679 --> 00:31:31,980
or a slump.

870
00:31:33,240 --> 00:31:35,799
We ask them to be be brave, to

871
00:31:35,799 --> 00:31:37,179
to lean into vulnerability.

872
00:31:38,484 --> 00:31:41,544
The idea being that hearts are usually healed

873
00:31:41,765 --> 00:31:42,265
and

874
00:31:42,804 --> 00:31:45,044
souls are unified through that little bit of

875
00:31:45,044 --> 00:31:45,544
openness.

876
00:31:46,484 --> 00:31:48,744
And then tying their experience

877
00:31:49,284 --> 00:31:50,105
back to

878
00:31:50,590 --> 00:31:53,309
a story from our savior Jesus Christ and

879
00:31:53,309 --> 00:31:54,610
testifying of him.

880
00:31:55,390 --> 00:31:55,890
And

881
00:31:57,070 --> 00:32:00,029
these talks and we usually have three speakers.

882
00:32:00,029 --> 00:32:02,350
We have, three speakers and we we do

883
00:32:02,350 --> 00:32:04,029
a musical number every week. The Lord, for

884
00:32:04,029 --> 00:32:05,945
some reason, has brought musical tell into our

885
00:32:05,945 --> 00:32:07,384
port like no other. So we have a

886
00:32:07,384 --> 00:32:09,085
musical number every week, and

887
00:32:09,384 --> 00:32:12,205
and, it's been absolutely incredible,

888
00:32:12,585 --> 00:32:13,244
the vulnerability.

889
00:32:13,545 --> 00:32:16,125
Because you know what happens? After their talk,

890
00:32:16,184 --> 00:32:17,085
all of a sudden,

891
00:32:17,705 --> 00:32:20,349
their net and their neighbor, hey. Yeah. You

892
00:32:20,349 --> 00:32:22,990
talked about your mom passing away. My mom

893
00:32:22,990 --> 00:32:25,169
passed away too. How's it been for you?

894
00:32:25,789 --> 00:32:28,589
The post church life of us as a

895
00:32:28,589 --> 00:32:30,829
community, I think, is is really what church

896
00:32:30,829 --> 00:32:33,149
is all about. I often say that church

897
00:32:33,149 --> 00:32:35,649
begins after the closing prayer is said,

898
00:32:36,144 --> 00:32:38,704
because that's really what we're here about is

899
00:32:38,704 --> 00:32:41,345
is connecting people together, and so to be

900
00:32:41,345 --> 00:32:43,585
vulnerable. Now, we don't obviously force them. We

901
00:32:43,585 --> 00:32:45,184
don't, you know, you must do this. But

902
00:32:45,184 --> 00:32:46,884
if they are willing

903
00:32:47,265 --> 00:32:49,505
to speak from the heart more than from

904
00:32:49,505 --> 00:32:50,164
the head,

905
00:32:50,650 --> 00:32:53,450
Boy, those have been just absolutely amazing, amazing

906
00:32:53,450 --> 00:32:53,950
messages.

907
00:32:54,650 --> 00:32:56,170
Yeah. And really, it's,

908
00:32:56,650 --> 00:32:58,089
the you know, the more you encourage that,

909
00:32:58,089 --> 00:33:00,009
again, you can't force people to be vulnerable.

910
00:33:00,890 --> 00:33:03,575
But but you can, like create examples of

911
00:33:03,575 --> 00:33:04,634
that. Right? And so

912
00:33:04,934 --> 00:33:07,575
you find the three or four individuals who

913
00:33:07,575 --> 00:33:08,934
are willing to be a little more vulnerable,

914
00:33:08,934 --> 00:33:11,015
that creates safety in that container so that

915
00:33:11,015 --> 00:33:13,414
those in other individuals stand out, stand up

916
00:33:13,414 --> 00:33:15,240
and get a little bit more vulnerable. And

917
00:33:15,240 --> 00:33:17,000
like you said, then church can really begin

918
00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:19,079
after those as we minister to one another

919
00:33:19,079 --> 00:33:19,820
and connect.

920
00:33:20,200 --> 00:33:21,559
Yeah. One thing we do to help that

921
00:33:21,559 --> 00:33:24,519
too, we have, ward historians, which is one

922
00:33:24,519 --> 00:33:26,619
of the most overlooked callings in the church.

923
00:33:27,335 --> 00:33:31,355
The the new the theunithistory.churchofjesuschrist.org

924
00:33:31,494 --> 00:33:32,154
is awesome.

925
00:33:32,535 --> 00:33:34,154
You know it. Yeah. You can put pictures.

926
00:33:34,535 --> 00:33:37,335
We have people historians call. They'll take notes

927
00:33:37,335 --> 00:33:38,714
during sacrament meeting

928
00:33:39,109 --> 00:33:39,609
and,

929
00:33:39,990 --> 00:33:42,330
publish those and send it to the speaker.

930
00:33:42,390 --> 00:33:44,070
Hey. During your talk, this is what I

931
00:33:44,070 --> 00:33:45,850
got out of it. Here's what I heard.

932
00:33:46,150 --> 00:33:47,850
And, boy, you talk about a validation.

933
00:33:48,470 --> 00:33:51,029
Like, oh, you never when someone listened to

934
00:33:51,029 --> 00:33:52,710
my talk, they remembered what I said, and

935
00:33:52,710 --> 00:33:54,490
they they wrote stuff down.

936
00:33:54,944 --> 00:33:55,684
Boy, it's

937
00:33:56,224 --> 00:33:58,325
that's been a game changer for us.

938
00:33:58,865 --> 00:34:01,345
Yeah. Yeah. We did a whole, I did

939
00:34:01,345 --> 00:34:03,184
a whole interview with, I wanna say she

940
00:34:03,184 --> 00:34:03,924
was in

941
00:34:05,105 --> 00:34:07,585
the Washington area where she's just really dialed

942
00:34:07,585 --> 00:34:09,949
in this this unit history tool that the

943
00:34:09,949 --> 00:34:12,190
church has put out. And, it's amazing what

944
00:34:12,190 --> 00:34:13,789
you can do, and and it really helps

945
00:34:13,789 --> 00:34:14,289
engage

946
00:34:14,670 --> 00:34:16,750
those who, would benefit you know, who are

947
00:34:16,750 --> 00:34:18,349
really good at that. They they love doing

948
00:34:18,349 --> 00:34:21,000
it. So Yeah. We had a a a

949
00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:21,500
sister

950
00:34:21,974 --> 00:34:22,474
who

951
00:34:22,934 --> 00:34:24,855
genius. Her notes were all it was almost

952
00:34:24,855 --> 00:34:26,954
too much. Like, she almost a stenographer.

953
00:34:28,135 --> 00:34:28,635
But,

954
00:34:29,015 --> 00:34:31,815
man, I I can look back during her

955
00:34:31,815 --> 00:34:33,655
time in that calling. I I can tell

956
00:34:33,655 --> 00:34:35,335
you almost word for word what happened at

957
00:34:35,335 --> 00:34:38,179
every SACRA meeting. So to find people those

958
00:34:38,179 --> 00:34:40,760
skills that, they are natural writers,

959
00:34:41,299 --> 00:34:43,299
boy, it's it's a game changer. So Yeah.

960
00:34:43,380 --> 00:34:46,179
Amen, amen on on that, that app and

961
00:34:46,179 --> 00:34:47,559
and that, that calling.

962
00:34:47,940 --> 00:34:49,539
And so review it one more time as

963
00:34:49,539 --> 00:34:51,034
far as, like, so this is specifically

964
00:34:51,414 --> 00:34:54,214
with sacrament speakers. You ask them to connect

965
00:34:54,214 --> 00:34:56,734
it to a story of Christ or how

966
00:34:56,734 --> 00:34:59,574
how did you say that? Yeah. Share we

967
00:34:59,574 --> 00:35:02,054
call it share your story, just an experience

968
00:35:02,054 --> 00:35:03,974
they've had and then connect that to Jesus

969
00:35:03,974 --> 00:35:04,474
Christ.

970
00:35:05,255 --> 00:35:05,699
Yeah.

971
00:35:06,420 --> 00:35:08,440
Yeah. That's powerful. That's powerful.

972
00:35:09,059 --> 00:35:10,260
We've asked, you know,

973
00:35:10,739 --> 00:35:12,820
almost the opposite is where does this sounds

974
00:35:12,820 --> 00:35:15,139
for our Sunday school instructors and elders core

975
00:35:15,139 --> 00:35:16,440
and religious society teachers.

976
00:35:17,619 --> 00:35:18,760
We've asked them

977
00:35:19,619 --> 00:35:20,904
to ditch the,

978
00:35:21,464 --> 00:35:22,364
the the PowerPoints.

979
00:35:24,344 --> 00:35:26,264
We've noticed so many in our in our

980
00:35:26,264 --> 00:35:29,384
ward are returned missionaries. So many listen to

981
00:35:29,384 --> 00:35:30,204
to podcasts.

982
00:35:31,464 --> 00:35:33,384
So many watch, you know, leading saints. They've

983
00:35:33,384 --> 00:35:35,005
learned stuff during the week.

984
00:35:35,469 --> 00:35:38,449
And so Sunday becomes a time for discussion.

985
00:35:39,309 --> 00:35:41,869
Elder Anderson is known for a metaphor that,

986
00:35:42,349 --> 00:35:44,849
spiritual understanding doesn't come from

987
00:35:45,390 --> 00:35:45,969
a lecture.

988
00:35:47,309 --> 00:35:49,489
He says, you know, the classroom of faith

989
00:35:49,550 --> 00:35:50,655
is more like

990
00:35:51,855 --> 00:35:54,255
more like a fitness center than a lecture

991
00:35:54,255 --> 00:35:56,655
hall. Mhmm. And he says, you know, students

992
00:35:56,655 --> 00:35:59,215
don't get stronger by watching someone else do

993
00:35:59,215 --> 00:35:59,875
the exercise.

994
00:36:00,655 --> 00:36:02,034
As students participate,

995
00:36:02,335 --> 00:36:05,199
their spiritual strength will increase. And so we've

996
00:36:05,199 --> 00:36:07,840
asked our teachers to as much as they

997
00:36:07,840 --> 00:36:09,840
wanted, you know, tell us the maps of

998
00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:10,980
of Paul's journeys,

999
00:36:11,280 --> 00:36:12,019
like, no.

1000
00:36:12,880 --> 00:36:14,480
We're not here. And you should do that

1001
00:36:14,480 --> 00:36:16,160
later if you wanna send it out in

1002
00:36:16,160 --> 00:36:18,559
in in the, word group me or whatever.

1003
00:36:18,559 --> 00:36:19,380
Yeah. Awesome.

1004
00:36:19,764 --> 00:36:22,565
But here is time for discussion. So when

1005
00:36:22,565 --> 00:36:25,125
when we call people, we have, five, I

1006
00:36:25,125 --> 00:36:26,644
know a lot of words do this, five

1007
00:36:26,644 --> 00:36:27,925
teachers that will teach,

1008
00:36:29,045 --> 00:36:32,250
real Reliefside elders quorum, small breakout groups,

1009
00:36:32,969 --> 00:36:34,269
also Sunday school.

1010
00:36:34,650 --> 00:36:36,110
That has been incredible.

1011
00:36:36,969 --> 00:36:39,130
They're calling. Your your job is to come

1012
00:36:39,130 --> 00:36:41,230
up with seven questions for discussion

1013
00:36:41,929 --> 00:36:43,929
for that. So if it's an elders quorum

1014
00:36:43,929 --> 00:36:44,429
teacher,

1015
00:36:45,130 --> 00:36:47,150
you know, we have little five pods.

1016
00:36:47,625 --> 00:36:49,545
And, yeah, you've got about twenty minutes because

1017
00:36:49,545 --> 00:36:51,065
we do some other, you know, say, quorum

1018
00:36:51,065 --> 00:36:53,465
business and then, some other things. But, yeah,

1019
00:36:53,465 --> 00:36:56,445
about twenty, twenty five minutes on Elder Anderson's

1020
00:36:56,664 --> 00:36:59,945
talk and your job, seven questions. Rather than

1021
00:36:59,945 --> 00:37:01,289
just doing a book report,

1022
00:37:01,849 --> 00:37:03,070
let's have a conversation

1023
00:37:03,369 --> 00:37:04,190
about it.

1024
00:37:04,489 --> 00:37:06,489
And, boy, that has been so good to

1025
00:37:06,489 --> 00:37:09,369
have these these Christ centered conversations in Sunday

1026
00:37:09,369 --> 00:37:11,390
school and elders quorum and religious society.

1027
00:37:11,929 --> 00:37:14,090
Yeah. I love that. And that probably takes

1028
00:37:14,090 --> 00:37:15,449
off a lot of the pressure from the

1029
00:37:15,449 --> 00:37:16,510
teacher. Right? Especially,

1030
00:37:17,085 --> 00:37:18,844
going into the old testament, you're being like,

1031
00:37:18,844 --> 00:37:21,324
oh, man. How am I gonna understand this

1032
00:37:21,324 --> 00:37:24,364
Israelite history and the politics and all everything

1033
00:37:24,364 --> 00:37:26,625
going on or be like, no. Like Hebrew.

1034
00:37:27,005 --> 00:37:29,244
Yeah. Yeah. Like, come with some questions, and

1035
00:37:29,244 --> 00:37:30,925
you'd be amazed what we can learn together.

1036
00:37:30,925 --> 00:37:33,839
Right? Yeah. Yeah. It's been fun. I I've

1037
00:37:33,839 --> 00:37:36,400
loved our our format, especially on the Elders

1038
00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:39,679
Court Relief Society weeks. We, people gather. There's

1039
00:37:39,679 --> 00:37:41,920
usually an icebreaker question. It's just fun. You

1040
00:37:41,920 --> 00:37:44,980
know, it's just silly banter, and, opening prayers

1041
00:37:45,039 --> 00:37:48,075
had, and visitors are welcomed. That's that's a

1042
00:37:48,075 --> 00:37:48,434
must.

1043
00:37:49,954 --> 00:37:51,875
Usually have a training that a member of

1044
00:37:51,875 --> 00:37:53,875
the presidency will do just a short, you

1045
00:37:53,875 --> 00:37:56,515
know, three to five minute training on on

1046
00:37:56,515 --> 00:37:59,235
a a topic if it's the priesthood power

1047
00:37:59,235 --> 00:38:00,960
of women or, you know, how to give

1048
00:38:00,960 --> 00:38:02,659
a blessing, just a little training.

1049
00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:04,019
And then

1050
00:38:04,400 --> 00:38:05,219
short open,

1051
00:38:05,519 --> 00:38:06,420
you know, moment,

1052
00:38:06,880 --> 00:38:09,199
what's on your mind? Have you read anything

1053
00:38:09,199 --> 00:38:10,800
in come follow me this week that was

1054
00:38:10,800 --> 00:38:13,039
impactful? Do you have any gospel questions on

1055
00:38:13,039 --> 00:38:15,125
your mind that we could help with? Any

1056
00:38:15,125 --> 00:38:17,204
practical life things that you need help with?

1057
00:38:17,204 --> 00:38:17,704
Let's

1058
00:38:18,005 --> 00:38:19,605
we've got ten minutes. And,

1059
00:38:20,324 --> 00:38:22,085
and then we break into those little groups

1060
00:38:22,085 --> 00:38:22,905
once a month,

1061
00:38:23,525 --> 00:38:25,284
for the, the, you know, the quote unquote

1062
00:38:25,284 --> 00:38:26,585
lesson for the conversation.

1063
00:38:27,150 --> 00:38:29,069
Cool. At the end, then coming back together

1064
00:38:29,069 --> 00:38:31,309
with about eight minutes to go and just

1065
00:38:31,309 --> 00:38:33,230
asking the class for quorum, is there anyone

1066
00:38:33,230 --> 00:38:34,369
that needs our prayer?

1067
00:38:34,909 --> 00:38:37,150
And they'll talk in that also and then

1068
00:38:37,150 --> 00:38:39,469
the vulnerability. Sometimes people are brave and, you

1069
00:38:39,469 --> 00:38:41,969
know, my son is, you know, struggling or

1070
00:38:42,724 --> 00:38:44,804
or or, hey. You know what? I'm I

1071
00:38:44,804 --> 00:38:46,244
have a big week this week with,

1072
00:38:46,804 --> 00:38:49,605
performance review at work. I'd love your prayers,

1073
00:38:49,605 --> 00:38:51,625
and that closing prayer becomes

1074
00:38:52,244 --> 00:38:52,744
unifying.

1075
00:38:53,285 --> 00:38:54,965
And I've invited our our,

1076
00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:59,079
our second hour. Let's end with about five

1077
00:38:59,079 --> 00:39:01,820
minutes to go because you've seen this, Curt.

1078
00:39:01,960 --> 00:39:03,640
As soon as Amen is set and they

1079
00:39:03,640 --> 00:39:05,640
look at their watch, there's still five minutes

1080
00:39:05,640 --> 00:39:07,179
left, what do they do?

1081
00:39:07,640 --> 00:39:08,804
They turn their neighbor.

1082
00:39:09,525 --> 00:39:11,444
And now they actually have time to connect.

1083
00:39:11,444 --> 00:39:13,605
Again, the church starts after the closing prayer

1084
00:39:13,605 --> 00:39:15,684
is said, and so that that little sacred

1085
00:39:15,684 --> 00:39:18,025
window to expand it for connection

1086
00:39:18,644 --> 00:39:18,964
is,

1087
00:39:19,605 --> 00:39:20,264
is awesome.

1088
00:39:20,644 --> 00:39:22,264
Yeah. Really good stuff.

1089
00:39:23,969 --> 00:39:26,309
Tell me about inspired counsel, about callings.

1090
00:39:26,849 --> 00:39:27,750
Yeah. I,

1091
00:39:29,010 --> 00:39:30,610
I don't know where this came from, but

1092
00:39:30,610 --> 00:39:33,909
I the the first principle that I've used,

1093
00:39:34,289 --> 00:39:36,230
and this is all heavenly father. I

1094
00:39:37,534 --> 00:39:38,914
so background. I was,

1095
00:39:39,614 --> 00:39:42,174
I had about three months between that letter

1096
00:39:42,174 --> 00:39:44,094
moment and our stake present with my wife

1097
00:39:44,094 --> 00:39:46,255
and me to when I was sustained. They

1098
00:39:46,255 --> 00:39:47,394
were doing some reorganization

1099
00:39:47,775 --> 00:39:49,474
of stakes, and so I was

1100
00:39:49,940 --> 00:39:52,119
on the sidelines, kind of.

1101
00:39:52,820 --> 00:39:53,320
Yeah.

1102
00:39:53,619 --> 00:39:56,340
And I I don't know. The heavens opened

1103
00:39:56,340 --> 00:39:56,840
and,

1104
00:39:57,700 --> 00:39:59,480
I I got some very specific,

1105
00:40:00,500 --> 00:40:02,760
instructions on how to help these ward members

1106
00:40:02,820 --> 00:40:04,760
connect more deeply with their savior.

1107
00:40:05,175 --> 00:40:07,494
One of them is is callings, just thinking

1108
00:40:07,494 --> 00:40:08,795
differently about callings.

1109
00:40:09,735 --> 00:40:12,535
The first thing, whenever whenever someone gets a

1110
00:40:12,535 --> 00:40:15,515
calling, we invite them to add their signature

1111
00:40:15,815 --> 00:40:16,795
to that calling.

1112
00:40:17,429 --> 00:40:19,109
The idea, you know, ten years from now,

1113
00:40:19,109 --> 00:40:21,210
when you're released from being the,

1114
00:40:21,909 --> 00:40:23,369
I don't know, word organist.

1115
00:40:24,070 --> 00:40:26,230
When people think back ten years ago to

1116
00:40:26,230 --> 00:40:28,389
that word organist, what will they remember about

1117
00:40:28,389 --> 00:40:28,889
you

1118
00:40:29,525 --> 00:40:30,505
or that ministering

1119
00:40:30,805 --> 00:40:31,305
brother

1120
00:40:31,765 --> 00:40:34,405
or that primary teacher? Like, what's gonna be

1121
00:40:34,405 --> 00:40:36,025
your thing? And if it's,

1122
00:40:36,405 --> 00:40:38,244
I want to be the person that's known

1123
00:40:38,244 --> 00:40:40,184
as, I celebrate birthdays

1124
00:40:40,965 --> 00:40:42,184
or that I,

1125
00:40:42,485 --> 00:40:44,739
I don't know, I bring treats to church,

1126
00:40:44,739 --> 00:40:46,980
little hard candies for people or whatever whatever

1127
00:40:46,980 --> 00:40:48,119
your thing is.

1128
00:40:49,700 --> 00:40:50,200
Yeah.

1129
00:40:50,579 --> 00:40:51,960
Counsel with the Lord

1130
00:40:52,420 --> 00:40:52,920
on

1131
00:40:53,380 --> 00:40:55,079
why you have this calling

1132
00:40:55,460 --> 00:40:57,914
and what unique gifts and skills you've been

1133
00:40:57,914 --> 00:41:00,494
given that could be utilized in this moment.

1134
00:41:00,795 --> 00:41:02,095
And add your signature,

1135
00:41:02,795 --> 00:41:05,275
to this calling. Yes. You're working under priest

1136
00:41:05,275 --> 00:41:06,715
of keys and in the name of Jesus

1137
00:41:06,715 --> 00:41:08,255
Christ, but what is your

1138
00:41:09,400 --> 00:41:12,219
your contribution to this calling going to mean?

1139
00:41:12,519 --> 00:41:14,780
So in in terms of unique callings,

1140
00:41:15,079 --> 00:41:15,579
we've,

1141
00:41:16,280 --> 00:41:17,960
a couple of my favorites. We have a

1142
00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:20,460
a communication director that is so helpful.

1143
00:41:21,239 --> 00:41:24,460
Sometimes channels get bombarded with a lot of

1144
00:41:24,465 --> 00:41:26,224
stuff. As we have a group meet that

1145
00:41:26,224 --> 00:41:27,285
we use in our ward,

1146
00:41:27,905 --> 00:41:29,905
and so instead of, you know, this leader

1147
00:41:29,905 --> 00:41:31,585
and that leader and this person and and

1148
00:41:31,585 --> 00:41:32,885
all of a sudden, it just,

1149
00:41:33,505 --> 00:41:35,025
people start to mute the group meet. So

1150
00:41:35,025 --> 00:41:37,025
we have a communication director. So if someone

1151
00:41:37,025 --> 00:41:38,405
wants to send out a message,

1152
00:41:39,150 --> 00:41:40,609
to the ward about

1153
00:41:40,989 --> 00:41:43,549
an event coming up, we always work through

1154
00:41:43,549 --> 00:41:45,710
him or her. And that's just kinda streamline

1155
00:41:45,710 --> 00:41:46,369
the communication.

1156
00:41:47,710 --> 00:41:49,170
Been been super helpful.

1157
00:41:50,429 --> 00:41:52,190
Both of our elders quorum and religious study

1158
00:41:52,190 --> 00:41:54,289
presidencies felt strongly about having,

1159
00:41:54,924 --> 00:41:55,744
a ministering,

1160
00:41:56,764 --> 00:41:57,264
secretary

1161
00:41:58,045 --> 00:42:00,684
assigned to each the president and the two

1162
00:42:00,684 --> 00:42:01,184
counselors.

1163
00:42:01,964 --> 00:42:04,605
So in addition to having a counselor in

1164
00:42:04,605 --> 00:42:06,545
that presidency, there's three ministering,

1165
00:42:07,380 --> 00:42:09,859
secretaries that have been so helpful, especially for

1166
00:42:09,859 --> 00:42:12,179
those ministering interviews. Almost like they have their

1167
00:42:12,179 --> 00:42:13,799
own personal executive secretary.

1168
00:42:14,179 --> 00:42:15,880
And the function in that role,

1169
00:42:16,980 --> 00:42:19,480
is is been incredible for both the presidency

1170
00:42:19,539 --> 00:42:20,279
member and

1171
00:42:20,605 --> 00:42:21,985
that ministering secretary.

1172
00:42:23,324 --> 00:42:25,805
We've loved having two music coordinators. One that

1173
00:42:25,805 --> 00:42:28,864
just, takes care of the sacrament hymns and

1174
00:42:29,085 --> 00:42:29,744
the organist.

1175
00:42:30,045 --> 00:42:32,204
The second one that works with people to,

1176
00:42:33,085 --> 00:42:35,710
to come up with these musical numbers. And,

1177
00:42:36,030 --> 00:42:37,250
it's been so good.

1178
00:42:37,710 --> 00:42:39,010
We have Ward Bakers.

1179
00:42:39,949 --> 00:42:41,250
Again, not in the handbook,

1180
00:42:41,630 --> 00:42:43,969
but part of our Ward Mission program. Anyways.

1181
00:42:44,110 --> 00:42:44,849
Yeah. Yeah.

1182
00:42:46,030 --> 00:42:46,349
They,

1183
00:42:46,829 --> 00:42:47,650
they bake.

1184
00:42:48,224 --> 00:42:49,985
There's a little committee and they bake each

1185
00:42:49,985 --> 00:42:51,744
week. And what we do as a bishop

1186
00:42:51,744 --> 00:42:53,285
is we go do our visits,

1187
00:42:53,825 --> 00:42:55,224
really exciting presidency as well, out of school

1188
00:42:55,224 --> 00:42:57,905
and presidency. They go pick up, you know,

1189
00:42:57,905 --> 00:43:01,125
a couple, you know, dozen cookies or brownies.

1190
00:43:01,460 --> 00:43:03,219
And when we do our visits, we we

1191
00:43:03,219 --> 00:43:04,599
don't come empty handed.

1192
00:43:05,139 --> 00:43:07,779
And those bakers, they they love it because

1193
00:43:07,779 --> 00:43:08,759
that's their thing.

1194
00:43:09,139 --> 00:43:10,980
We have a few, members not of our

1195
00:43:10,980 --> 00:43:12,900
faith that are on the baking committee as

1196
00:43:12,900 --> 00:43:13,799
called people,

1197
00:43:14,494 --> 00:43:17,375
because they, you know, they they love to

1198
00:43:17,375 --> 00:43:19,535
bake, and they think that this church is

1199
00:43:19,535 --> 00:43:21,394
a good thing, and so that's how they

1200
00:43:21,454 --> 00:43:22,275
they participate.

1201
00:43:24,094 --> 00:43:26,335
Loneliness is probably one of the biggest things

1202
00:43:26,335 --> 00:43:27,235
I deal with.

1203
00:43:28,550 --> 00:43:30,250
So one random calling,

1204
00:43:30,630 --> 00:43:32,969
we have we've called it community connections.

1205
00:43:33,429 --> 00:43:35,030
So once a week, Sunday night in the

1206
00:43:35,030 --> 00:43:36,949
word group meet, they'll just send out a

1207
00:43:36,949 --> 00:43:39,030
blast on things that are happening in the

1208
00:43:39,030 --> 00:43:39,530
community.

1209
00:43:40,405 --> 00:43:42,565
In that way, if someone wants to go

1210
00:43:42,565 --> 00:43:43,305
and connect,

1211
00:43:43,605 --> 00:43:45,605
you know, grab their family, go to an

1212
00:43:45,605 --> 00:43:48,644
organ concert. Or if, if it's younger adult,

1213
00:43:48,644 --> 00:43:50,085
they wanna go on a date, or there's

1214
00:43:50,085 --> 00:43:53,045
this, you know, concert, or there's ice skating,

1215
00:43:53,045 --> 00:43:55,340
or whatever it is. To know what's happening

1216
00:43:55,340 --> 00:43:57,820
in the community has really helped people overcome

1217
00:43:57,820 --> 00:43:59,119
loneliness because they know

1218
00:43:59,420 --> 00:44:01,420
that there's there's things out there and it

1219
00:44:01,420 --> 00:44:02,559
makes that ask,

1220
00:44:02,940 --> 00:44:05,360
an invitation to others a little bit easier

1221
00:44:05,579 --> 00:44:07,340
once they know exactly what they might be

1222
00:44:07,340 --> 00:44:09,164
able to to go and do. Some of

1223
00:44:09,164 --> 00:44:11,965
our award mission team, they've been called just

1224
00:44:11,965 --> 00:44:12,465
to,

1225
00:44:13,164 --> 00:44:15,485
host a game night, you know, once a

1226
00:44:15,485 --> 00:44:18,125
month, once every six weeks. Just open up

1227
00:44:18,125 --> 00:44:21,105
your your home or apartment, invite people over,

1228
00:44:21,339 --> 00:44:23,339
just play games, you know, have some hot

1229
00:44:23,339 --> 00:44:24,719
chocolate or whatever afterwards.

1230
00:44:25,420 --> 00:44:27,579
That's been so fun. One of my favorites

1231
00:44:27,579 --> 00:44:28,960
is our Just Serve committee.

1232
00:44:29,420 --> 00:44:30,940
Service is my love language,

1233
00:44:31,260 --> 00:44:32,859
and so maybe this is why I like

1234
00:44:32,859 --> 00:44:35,264
it so much. But they're calling, just look

1235
00:44:35,264 --> 00:44:37,984
at the JustServe app. We forget about that

1236
00:44:37,984 --> 00:44:39,684
JustServe app, I think, too often.

1237
00:44:40,065 --> 00:44:41,824
And just find a little something that we

1238
00:44:41,824 --> 00:44:42,484
could do,

1239
00:44:43,025 --> 00:44:44,964
maybe as a ward or as a neighborhood.

1240
00:44:45,664 --> 00:44:47,309
And, let's just go see what we can

1241
00:44:47,309 --> 00:44:49,230
do. Let's do, you know, maybe other every

1242
00:44:49,230 --> 00:44:50,910
other month, find something that we go and

1243
00:44:50,910 --> 00:44:53,230
rally around and and do. And we have

1244
00:44:53,230 --> 00:44:54,670
a lot of people on that Just Serve

1245
00:44:54,670 --> 00:44:56,190
Committee, and that's been it's been a lot

1246
00:44:56,190 --> 00:44:57,710
of fun. So I don't know. I think

1247
00:44:57,710 --> 00:45:00,190
it's good to find meaningful ways for people

1248
00:45:00,190 --> 00:45:00,849
to serve,

1249
00:45:01,215 --> 00:45:02,515
especially if they're not,

1250
00:45:02,894 --> 00:45:05,695
gifted naturally at finding ways to to serve

1251
00:45:05,695 --> 00:45:07,135
and show up. But if they have a

1252
00:45:07,135 --> 00:45:09,295
little assignment with a little direction, it's been

1253
00:45:09,295 --> 00:45:11,394
fun to watch people magnify those assignments.

1254
00:45:12,095 --> 00:45:14,539
Yeah. That's really powerful. I love that. I

1255
00:45:14,539 --> 00:45:15,119
love that.

1256
00:45:16,300 --> 00:45:17,359
Anything else around

1257
00:45:17,659 --> 00:45:18,159
inspired,

1258
00:45:18,859 --> 00:45:20,719
counseling about callings or,

1259
00:45:21,099 --> 00:45:22,699
I mean, you covered a lot there. Is

1260
00:45:22,699 --> 00:45:23,679
is that it?

1261
00:45:24,300 --> 00:45:26,219
Yeah. I speak way too fast. No. You're

1262
00:45:26,219 --> 00:45:27,625
good. I I love it. I love it.

1263
00:45:27,625 --> 00:45:29,305
The only other thing I'd add there, I

1264
00:45:29,305 --> 00:45:30,925
I do have a very sacred,

1265
00:45:31,305 --> 00:45:32,204
it's my own

1266
00:45:32,664 --> 00:45:34,585
I I hope this isn't sacred. I don't

1267
00:45:34,585 --> 00:45:36,425
think it is, but, it's a it's a

1268
00:45:36,425 --> 00:45:38,425
bishop's prayer list. It's just my own list

1269
00:45:38,425 --> 00:45:39,945
I keep of people that are on my

1270
00:45:39,945 --> 00:45:42,369
heart and mind, and I I I pray

1271
00:45:42,369 --> 00:45:44,150
for them every day. And,

1272
00:45:45,570 --> 00:45:47,829
did you ever see the movie War Room?

1273
00:45:48,929 --> 00:45:49,909
Yeah. I believe.

1274
00:45:50,769 --> 00:45:52,449
I I I have memories of I don't

1275
00:45:52,449 --> 00:45:53,570
know if I saw the whole thing, but,

1276
00:45:53,570 --> 00:45:55,635
yeah, I do remember it. My wife and

1277
00:45:55,635 --> 00:45:57,394
I watched that years ago. Just this cute

1278
00:45:57,394 --> 00:46:00,434
older lady, African American, and she just has

1279
00:46:00,434 --> 00:46:03,074
this closet that's her her war room where

1280
00:46:03,074 --> 00:46:05,414
she goes to war with God in prayer.

1281
00:46:05,474 --> 00:46:07,394
And that just, I don't know, resonated with

1282
00:46:07,394 --> 00:46:08,914
me. And so I thought, man, if I

1283
00:46:08,914 --> 00:46:11,039
can keep these people, it just helps me

1284
00:46:11,039 --> 00:46:13,280
know how to minister to them and and

1285
00:46:13,280 --> 00:46:14,720
what things I could do to help them

1286
00:46:14,720 --> 00:46:17,280
with their their discipleship. Yeah. Yeah. Some called

1287
00:46:17,280 --> 00:46:19,360
the war Room. Others called the Celestial Room.

1288
00:46:19,360 --> 00:46:20,960
You know? So we're you know? That's right.

1289
00:46:20,960 --> 00:46:21,860
That's right.

1290
00:46:22,905 --> 00:46:24,425
You just can't yell on the celestial Room

1291
00:46:24,425 --> 00:46:25,724
if Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

1292
00:46:26,744 --> 00:46:28,905
Yeah. Really, really cool. Well, let's go to,

1293
00:46:29,224 --> 00:46:31,565
ministering interviews and and strengthen faith.

1294
00:46:33,224 --> 00:46:36,585
Kurt, you probably realized this a lot sooner

1295
00:46:36,585 --> 00:46:38,125
than I did. But

1296
00:46:38,730 --> 00:46:40,590
the purpose of the ministering interview

1297
00:46:42,090 --> 00:46:44,489
really is to minister to the ministering brother

1298
00:46:44,489 --> 00:46:45,150
or sister.

1299
00:46:45,530 --> 00:46:46,730
You're not supposed to say it out loud.

1300
00:46:46,730 --> 00:46:48,409
That's supposed to be a secret. Oh, I'm

1301
00:46:48,409 --> 00:46:48,909
sorry.

1302
00:46:49,530 --> 00:46:51,449
You said the quiet part out loud. That's

1303
00:46:51,449 --> 00:46:53,070
right. What an opportunity.

1304
00:46:53,644 --> 00:46:54,385
Yeah. Yeah.

1305
00:46:54,764 --> 00:46:55,484
So we've,

1306
00:46:56,284 --> 00:46:58,224
we've invited our ward members

1307
00:46:58,525 --> 00:46:59,425
to come up.

1308
00:46:59,804 --> 00:47:02,525
Ward goals are are good. Yes. Goals are

1309
00:47:02,525 --> 00:47:05,244
good. We've noticed that the trickle down effect

1310
00:47:05,244 --> 00:47:07,724
of ward goals, especially created by the ward

1311
00:47:07,724 --> 00:47:08,224
council,

1312
00:47:08,630 --> 00:47:09,690
approved by the bishop,

1313
00:47:10,230 --> 00:47:12,469
administered by the ward mission leader, and then

1314
00:47:12,469 --> 00:47:14,650
orchestrated by the elders quorum police side councilor,

1315
00:47:15,030 --> 00:47:16,730
sometimes it doesn't trickle down.

1316
00:47:17,030 --> 00:47:20,630
And so our ward mission and temple goal

1317
00:47:20,630 --> 00:47:23,110
has been inviting members to come up with

1318
00:47:23,110 --> 00:47:24,170
their own personal

1319
00:47:25,005 --> 00:47:27,744
mission goal and their own personal temple goal.

1320
00:47:28,125 --> 00:47:30,764
And so in these ministering interviews, as they

1321
00:47:30,764 --> 00:47:32,764
come in, the interview goes like this, you

1322
00:47:32,764 --> 00:47:34,605
know, Kurt, how are you? And of course,

1323
00:47:34,605 --> 00:47:36,284
you'll say good because that's what you have

1324
00:47:36,284 --> 00:47:38,444
to say. Right. That's right. You know, Kurt,

1325
00:47:38,444 --> 00:47:38,944
really,

1326
00:47:39,300 --> 00:47:41,539
how are you? Tell me about your family.

1327
00:47:41,539 --> 00:47:42,920
How are you really doing?

1328
00:47:43,860 --> 00:47:45,780
And after that, all of a sudden, we're

1329
00:47:45,780 --> 00:47:46,680
starting to connect.

1330
00:47:49,140 --> 00:47:50,420
I it says here, you know, you did

1331
00:47:50,420 --> 00:47:52,394
that little survey on what your your goal

1332
00:47:52,394 --> 00:47:53,914
was for Mission Network. He said you you're

1333
00:47:53,914 --> 00:47:55,114
gonna try to give out a Book of

1334
00:47:55,114 --> 00:47:57,515
Mormon this year. Have you done that? Any

1335
00:47:57,515 --> 00:48:00,155
any luck there? Oh, no. Actually, I've been

1336
00:48:00,155 --> 00:48:01,515
trying to get my hands on a Book

1337
00:48:01,515 --> 00:48:03,195
of Mormon. Kurt, I got you. I will

1338
00:48:03,195 --> 00:48:05,215
have a book more in your hands tomorrow.

1339
00:48:06,630 --> 00:48:07,130
Temple.

1340
00:48:07,589 --> 00:48:09,589
Wow. Kurt, you go to the temple once

1341
00:48:09,589 --> 00:48:10,170
a week.

1342
00:48:10,789 --> 00:48:11,989
Do you have a time or day? Oh,

1343
00:48:11,989 --> 00:48:13,670
yeah. I go Thursdays at seven. Can I

1344
00:48:13,670 --> 00:48:15,510
go with you next Thursday at seven? I'd

1345
00:48:15,510 --> 00:48:16,949
love to hang out in the in the

1346
00:48:16,949 --> 00:48:17,954
temple with you.

1347
00:48:19,315 --> 00:48:22,355
After that, then almost as an afterthought, oh,

1348
00:48:22,355 --> 00:48:24,275
and by the way, how are your families

1349
00:48:24,275 --> 00:48:24,775
doing?

1350
00:48:26,195 --> 00:48:28,914
Somehow Yeah. People think that or maybe even

1351
00:48:29,075 --> 00:48:30,375
we've been trained that

1352
00:48:30,730 --> 00:48:33,130
we should wait till the ministering interview to

1353
00:48:33,130 --> 00:48:35,690
bring up concerns about our families that we're

1354
00:48:35,690 --> 00:48:36,430
assigned to.

1355
00:48:37,210 --> 00:48:37,710
No.

1356
00:48:38,570 --> 00:48:40,650
Hopefully, we do that long before the ministry

1357
00:48:40,650 --> 00:48:43,289
interview takes place. So just using those just

1358
00:48:43,289 --> 00:48:46,045
to minister. But asking those questions to make

1359
00:48:46,045 --> 00:48:47,985
it less awkward and just more,

1360
00:48:48,364 --> 00:48:50,224
revelatory has has been a blessing.

1361
00:48:50,684 --> 00:48:52,284
Yeah. I found, you know, in my experience

1362
00:48:52,284 --> 00:48:54,204
currently as an elders quorum president with those

1363
00:48:54,204 --> 00:48:56,784
ministering interviews, I I bet there's some,

1364
00:48:57,164 --> 00:48:58,925
like, some elders in my quorum. Like, if

1365
00:48:58,925 --> 00:49:00,460
you were to to corner and say, have

1366
00:49:00,460 --> 00:49:03,019
you received a ministering interview this quarter or

1367
00:49:03,019 --> 00:49:04,960
whatever, they'd be like, I don't think so.

1368
00:49:05,180 --> 00:49:06,619
But then I'd be like, hey. Remember that

1369
00:49:06,619 --> 00:49:07,579
time when you came over to your house

1370
00:49:07,579 --> 00:49:09,260
and we chatted? Like, that was your ministering

1371
00:49:09,260 --> 00:49:10,640
interview. Like, sometimes

1372
00:49:11,019 --> 00:49:13,180
there's this pressure be like, we will now

1373
00:49:13,180 --> 00:49:14,559
start the ministering interview.

1374
00:49:14,934 --> 00:49:17,174
How are your families? You know? Right. You

1375
00:49:17,174 --> 00:49:19,255
have to make it like when in reality,

1376
00:49:19,255 --> 00:49:21,014
we just have a conversation. I'm ministering to

1377
00:49:21,014 --> 00:49:22,775
them. I'm learning about their life and their

1378
00:49:22,775 --> 00:49:24,694
struggles, whatever. And then near the end, I

1379
00:49:24,694 --> 00:49:26,694
say something like, so do you feel like

1380
00:49:26,694 --> 00:49:28,480
you're being ministered to in, you know, in

1381
00:49:28,480 --> 00:49:29,920
the ward? Like, feel like you have good

1382
00:49:29,920 --> 00:49:32,019
connections? Do you feel like you have opportunities

1383
00:49:32,160 --> 00:49:34,400
to minister to others? And Yeah. You know,

1384
00:49:34,400 --> 00:49:36,000
sometimes I'll be like, you know, I know

1385
00:49:36,000 --> 00:49:37,840
on you know, in the in the app

1386
00:49:37,840 --> 00:49:40,554
you're scheduled or you're assigned to to the

1387
00:49:40,554 --> 00:49:42,074
Andersons. I don't know if you know them

1388
00:49:42,074 --> 00:49:43,835
or whatever, but, I mean, are you having

1389
00:49:43,835 --> 00:49:45,994
opportunities to connect with them and others? You

1390
00:49:45,994 --> 00:49:48,394
know? Because they're so ministering is so nuanced

1391
00:49:48,394 --> 00:49:49,875
in when it happens. Right? Like you said,

1392
00:49:49,875 --> 00:49:52,155
it could be those moments after the closing

1393
00:49:52,155 --> 00:49:54,519
prayer or well, I'm next door to the

1394
00:49:54,519 --> 00:49:56,440
Johnsons and, yeah, I connect with them all

1395
00:49:56,440 --> 00:49:57,880
the time or, you know, those little things

1396
00:49:57,880 --> 00:49:59,480
just to help them know that you are

1397
00:49:59,480 --> 00:50:01,480
ministering. You know? That's that's that's cool. You

1398
00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:02,380
know? Yeah.

1399
00:50:02,920 --> 00:50:04,380
We have a lot of those,

1400
00:50:05,574 --> 00:50:07,255
what do you call them? It's not false

1401
00:50:07,255 --> 00:50:09,894
doctrine, but just maybe false perceptions of things.

1402
00:50:09,894 --> 00:50:10,394
Yeah.

1403
00:50:10,775 --> 00:50:13,494
The missionary portal is another one that I

1404
00:50:13,494 --> 00:50:14,715
think we need to demystify,

1405
00:50:15,574 --> 00:50:18,090
these youth. They hear about, oh, oh, she

1406
00:50:18,090 --> 00:50:20,329
opened her portal, and it's like this new

1407
00:50:20,329 --> 00:50:22,809
world has opened up. And, you know Like

1408
00:50:22,809 --> 00:50:25,309
doctor Strange, she opened the portal. Exactly.

1409
00:50:25,849 --> 00:50:28,430
Yeah. Harry Potter. Yeah. Exactly.

1410
00:50:28,970 --> 00:50:30,650
But bishops, you know, opening,

1411
00:50:30,970 --> 00:50:32,030
a mission portal,

1412
00:50:33,275 --> 00:50:35,535
when a young man becomes a priest.

1413
00:50:35,835 --> 00:50:37,755
Yeah. Let's put it on his radar. Let's

1414
00:50:37,755 --> 00:50:40,155
have that tile show up in the tools

1415
00:50:40,155 --> 00:50:41,914
app so that he's thinking about a mission

1416
00:50:41,914 --> 00:50:43,135
for the next few years,

1417
00:50:43,434 --> 00:50:45,855
and let him see the interview questions. And

1418
00:50:46,269 --> 00:50:47,630
I I don't know. My daughter just went

1419
00:50:47,630 --> 00:50:49,950
through this. I've told her, like, yeah. Just

1420
00:50:49,950 --> 00:50:52,349
start your papers. Open the portal. And she

1421
00:50:52,349 --> 00:50:53,970
had this idea there was this

1422
00:50:54,349 --> 00:50:54,849
unknown

1423
00:50:55,230 --> 00:50:56,349
other world. And,

1424
00:50:56,910 --> 00:50:59,150
anyway, I I think we can normalize. Yeah.

1425
00:50:59,150 --> 00:51:02,704
Let's start this. Melchizedek Priesthood interviews and ordinations,

1426
00:51:03,005 --> 00:51:03,505
same.

1427
00:51:03,885 --> 00:51:05,885
When a young man turns 18, he can

1428
00:51:05,885 --> 00:51:08,304
be a Melchizedek Priesthood holder. The the idea

1429
00:51:08,684 --> 00:51:11,005
has perpetuated that all that's something we do

1430
00:51:11,005 --> 00:51:12,684
after high school and,

1431
00:51:13,005 --> 00:51:16,070
no. That endowment, yes. But priest ordination, no.

1432
00:51:16,070 --> 00:51:18,170
When they turn 18, let's start having those

1433
00:51:18,630 --> 00:51:20,789
those moments of preparation. Well, long before they

1434
00:51:20,789 --> 00:51:22,869
turn 18, preparation. But when they do turn

1435
00:51:22,869 --> 00:51:25,369
18, let's get them ordained. But wait, they're

1436
00:51:25,510 --> 00:51:27,670
they're 18 and they're it's October of their

1437
00:51:27,670 --> 00:51:29,655
senior year. Yeah. They can be a Melchizedek

1438
00:51:29,655 --> 00:51:31,575
priest over in that high school. What a

1439
00:51:31,575 --> 00:51:33,494
blessing to have more Melchizedek priest over in

1440
00:51:33,494 --> 00:51:35,275
that high school. Right? Yeah.

1441
00:51:35,575 --> 00:51:36,315
Yeah. Interesting.

1442
00:51:36,775 --> 00:51:38,614
Because we sometimes treat it like it's a

1443
00:51:38,775 --> 00:51:41,015
like, graduation or something. It's like, okay. This

1444
00:51:41,015 --> 00:51:42,795
event has happened. We'll now start,

1445
00:51:43,369 --> 00:51:45,289
when in reality, it's always happening. Just I

1446
00:51:45,289 --> 00:51:47,550
mean, it's like sanctification. It's always going on.

1447
00:51:47,610 --> 00:51:49,050
You know? We don't have to have an

1448
00:51:49,050 --> 00:51:51,309
event that starts it. But Right. Right.

1449
00:51:51,610 --> 00:51:52,110
Yeah.

1450
00:51:52,650 --> 00:51:54,489
Tell me about, like, as far as,

1451
00:51:55,235 --> 00:51:58,195
you know, cultivating a joyful award environment. Anything

1452
00:51:58,235 --> 00:51:59,394
I'm and you've talked about a lot of

1453
00:51:59,394 --> 00:52:01,815
stuff already, but anything else we're missing there?

1454
00:52:02,195 --> 00:52:04,114
Yeah. And this is me. I one of

1455
00:52:04,114 --> 00:52:06,775
my favorite compliments from a student years ago,

1456
00:52:07,554 --> 00:52:09,235
I mean, years ago. This is twenty years

1457
00:52:09,235 --> 00:52:09,735
ago.

1458
00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:11,800
He raised it and said, hey. Tomorrow's our

1459
00:52:11,800 --> 00:52:12,539
last day,

1460
00:52:13,079 --> 00:52:14,139
of our semester.

1461
00:52:14,760 --> 00:52:17,239
Brothers, you are so happy. Can you teach

1462
00:52:17,239 --> 00:52:18,539
us how to be happy?

1463
00:52:20,039 --> 00:52:21,239
Yes. I mean, I don't know if I

1464
00:52:21,239 --> 00:52:22,630
can, but yes.

1465
00:52:22,994 --> 00:52:25,315
So when we had that awesome message from

1466
00:52:25,315 --> 00:52:27,074
elder Karen about the, you know, the church

1467
00:52:27,074 --> 00:52:27,815
of joy,

1468
00:52:29,154 --> 00:52:32,275
obviously, leading with it. Obviously, church begins after

1469
00:52:32,275 --> 00:52:34,114
the closing prayer. We are a people of

1470
00:52:34,114 --> 00:52:35,795
joy, not just a you know, the the

1471
00:52:35,795 --> 00:52:38,710
church. Right? Church happens outside of that that

1472
00:52:38,710 --> 00:52:41,829
little block of time. But I I myself

1473
00:52:41,829 --> 00:52:44,329
and my counselors, we we try to remember

1474
00:52:44,869 --> 00:52:46,890
that this might be a person's

1475
00:52:47,269 --> 00:52:49,670
first time in church or the first time

1476
00:52:49,670 --> 00:52:50,809
in a long time.

1477
00:52:51,465 --> 00:52:53,644
So just to be warm at the pulpit,

1478
00:52:54,105 --> 00:52:55,164
to be welcoming,

1479
00:52:55,465 --> 00:52:56,364
to be inclusive,

1480
00:52:57,224 --> 00:52:59,305
and nothing against the, you know, brothers and

1481
00:52:59,305 --> 00:53:01,864
sisters, we welcome you to the forty first

1482
00:53:01,864 --> 00:53:05,409
point. That's fine. That's some people's default, and

1483
00:53:05,409 --> 00:53:07,750
that's okay. That word probably needs that. But

1484
00:53:08,050 --> 00:53:10,530
just to stand and just be that light

1485
00:53:10,530 --> 00:53:13,170
and pastor, we are so glad you've come

1486
00:53:13,170 --> 00:53:15,670
to worship with us today. I'm Bishop Richards.

1487
00:53:15,889 --> 00:53:17,110
Here's my two counselors.

1488
00:53:17,594 --> 00:53:20,234
If you're new, thank you for being here.

1489
00:53:20,234 --> 00:53:22,234
This is gonna be an awesome meeting as

1490
00:53:22,234 --> 00:53:25,054
we get to gather to worship Jesus Christ.

1491
00:53:25,675 --> 00:53:27,695
Just to make it a positive experience,

1492
00:53:28,474 --> 00:53:30,795
we've you know, we we try to relax

1493
00:53:30,795 --> 00:53:31,614
at the pulpit.

1494
00:53:32,250 --> 00:53:34,030
I think it's okay to be personable

1495
00:53:34,329 --> 00:53:35,230
as we conduct.

1496
00:53:37,130 --> 00:53:38,730
I'm a little bit of a word nerd,

1497
00:53:38,730 --> 00:53:40,570
as you know, with a couple of the

1498
00:53:40,570 --> 00:53:42,650
books I've written. I Mhmm. We try to

1499
00:53:42,650 --> 00:53:45,070
avoid some of the the sayings, you know.

1500
00:53:45,454 --> 00:53:46,815
At the end of sacrament meeting, you've seen

1501
00:53:46,815 --> 00:53:48,655
this before, Kurt. You know? And so all

1502
00:53:48,655 --> 00:53:51,054
the speakers are done, and the person stands

1503
00:53:51,054 --> 00:53:53,534
up, we'd like to thank, you know, Kurt

1504
00:53:53,534 --> 00:53:55,315
Francom for that beautiful message.

1505
00:53:55,614 --> 00:53:55,934
I was

1506
00:53:56,655 --> 00:53:58,815
he's sitting right there. He he's right there

1507
00:53:58,815 --> 00:54:00,735
behind you. Like, you can thank him. What

1508
00:54:00,735 --> 00:54:02,849
is this? We would like to thank him.

1509
00:54:02,849 --> 00:54:05,250
Well, no. You can. He he's right there,

1510
00:54:05,250 --> 00:54:07,170
and and you can thank him. And so

1511
00:54:07,250 --> 00:54:09,510
Uh-huh. We've tried to do a, hey.

1512
00:54:10,049 --> 00:54:12,929
Guys, those were great messages. Thank you so

1513
00:54:12,929 --> 00:54:13,429
much.

1514
00:54:14,154 --> 00:54:16,154
I think that's okay. You notice that pattern

1515
00:54:16,154 --> 00:54:18,394
in general conference. We thank. It's more of

1516
00:54:18,394 --> 00:54:20,474
that active voice in the past where we

1517
00:54:20,474 --> 00:54:22,474
thank Kurt and and Stacy and and Rebecca

1518
00:54:22,474 --> 00:54:24,315
for their messages today. Mhmm.

1519
00:54:25,194 --> 00:54:25,674
We do

1520
00:54:26,554 --> 00:54:28,414
this is this is very nitpicky.

1521
00:54:29,109 --> 00:54:29,929
I love it.

1522
00:54:30,630 --> 00:54:32,389
Sorry. You know, you and I kinda know

1523
00:54:32,389 --> 00:54:35,769
each other. Yeah. Obviously, never thanking the priesthood,

1524
00:54:35,909 --> 00:54:37,929
you know, for blessing and passing the sacrament.

1525
00:54:38,070 --> 00:54:39,909
First of all, the priesthood didn't do that.

1526
00:54:39,909 --> 00:54:41,675
There's people that hold the priesthood. If the

1527
00:54:41,675 --> 00:54:43,755
priesthood truly put away the chairs or bless

1528
00:54:43,755 --> 00:54:45,375
the sacrament, that would be a miracle.

1529
00:54:45,914 --> 00:54:47,835
But those that hold the priesthood and by

1530
00:54:47,835 --> 00:54:49,375
the way, why do we

1531
00:54:49,675 --> 00:54:52,414
thank them for doing their calling?

1532
00:54:53,275 --> 00:54:54,449
We've got away from that.

1533
00:54:55,329 --> 00:54:57,429
Because if I'm gonna thank those

1534
00:54:57,730 --> 00:55:00,289
12 or maybe 15 young men for doing

1535
00:55:00,289 --> 00:55:01,030
their calling,

1536
00:55:01,969 --> 00:55:03,670
why not thank the primary

1537
00:55:03,969 --> 00:55:04,469
teachers

1538
00:55:04,769 --> 00:55:05,989
and the ward organist

1539
00:55:06,530 --> 00:55:07,030
and,

1540
00:55:07,864 --> 00:55:09,484
the ward scheduler and

1541
00:55:09,784 --> 00:55:10,284
why

1542
00:55:11,304 --> 00:55:11,804
so

1543
00:55:12,264 --> 00:55:14,184
and I told them, you know, the the

1544
00:55:14,184 --> 00:55:16,264
priesthood holders, like, this is not it's nothing

1545
00:55:16,264 --> 00:55:18,605
personal. Please know we are grateful. And

1546
00:55:18,905 --> 00:55:20,425
and, yeah, I I know if we need

1547
00:55:20,425 --> 00:55:22,184
a moment right then to thank you for

1548
00:55:22,184 --> 00:55:24,300
doing your calling because that might set a

1549
00:55:24,300 --> 00:55:26,220
precedence that we should thank all the 150

1550
00:55:26,220 --> 00:55:28,240
other people for doing their calling as well.

1551
00:55:28,460 --> 00:55:30,539
So that's been a fun little moment for

1552
00:55:30,539 --> 00:55:32,619
us and and those that that hold the

1553
00:55:32,619 --> 00:55:33,119
priesthood.

1554
00:55:33,500 --> 00:55:35,579
We try to get away from the words,

1555
00:55:35,900 --> 00:55:36,400
special.

1556
00:55:37,844 --> 00:55:39,525
Are you a special guy, Kurt? Are you

1557
00:55:39,525 --> 00:55:42,324
a special musical number and special prayer Oh,

1558
00:55:42,324 --> 00:55:43,545
yeah. Special fast?

1559
00:55:44,804 --> 00:55:47,364
So the, we're having a special musical number?

1560
00:55:47,364 --> 00:55:47,925
It's just,

1561
00:55:48,724 --> 00:55:51,179
we if everything's special, nothing special. Is that

1562
00:55:51,179 --> 00:55:54,000
that we've seen? Yeah. You've seen Incredibles. Right?

1563
00:55:54,139 --> 00:55:56,780
Yeah. So yeah. And there's nothing wrong with

1564
00:55:56,780 --> 00:55:58,059
it at all. Please, I'm not you know,

1565
00:55:58,059 --> 00:56:01,179
there's nothing doctorally wrong, but I yeah. We're

1566
00:56:01,179 --> 00:56:01,820
gonna have,

1567
00:56:02,539 --> 00:56:05,414
I I want every fast to be special.

1568
00:56:06,194 --> 00:56:08,114
Yeah. I want every musical number to be

1569
00:56:08,114 --> 00:56:10,994
special. And so we yeah. Yeah. It's it's

1570
00:56:10,994 --> 00:56:11,974
it's positive conversations.

1571
00:56:12,355 --> 00:56:13,635
The the more you say that, it's like,

1572
00:56:13,635 --> 00:56:15,394
oh, yeah. Special world where it does pop

1573
00:56:15,394 --> 00:56:16,835
up at random times in our Oh, yeah.

1574
00:56:16,914 --> 00:56:17,734
In our lexicon.

1575
00:56:18,510 --> 00:56:20,590
Right. Right. Right. I'm not sure why because

1576
00:56:20,829 --> 00:56:22,289
Yeah. So Cool.

1577
00:56:23,070 --> 00:56:25,570
Yeah. Just yeah. That church of joy conducting

1578
00:56:25,630 --> 00:56:27,010
with joy and

1579
00:56:27,469 --> 00:56:29,630
and just living in that spirit of joy

1580
00:56:29,630 --> 00:56:31,890
after that closing prayer to connect people,

1581
00:56:32,429 --> 00:56:34,724
that foundation being Jesus Christ has been has

1582
00:56:34,724 --> 00:56:35,785
been so good.

1583
00:56:36,164 --> 00:56:37,144
Yeah. Awesome.

1584
00:56:37,445 --> 00:56:39,125
Alright. I wanna hear about the the three

1585
00:56:39,125 --> 00:56:42,485
word council training topics that transform councils. I

1586
00:56:42,485 --> 00:56:43,465
love it. Oh,

1587
00:56:43,765 --> 00:56:44,985
yeah. I

1588
00:56:45,765 --> 00:56:48,085
the word council and, you know, the it's

1589
00:56:48,085 --> 00:56:50,950
the eyes, the ears, the heart, the heartbeat

1590
00:56:50,950 --> 00:56:51,930
of the ward.

1591
00:56:52,269 --> 00:56:52,769
And,

1592
00:56:53,430 --> 00:56:56,390
those are sacred meetings. We we laugh together.

1593
00:56:56,390 --> 00:56:57,690
We cry together.

1594
00:56:59,110 --> 00:57:00,490
That becomes a little

1595
00:57:01,190 --> 00:57:03,849
family for for that moment while those individuals

1596
00:57:03,990 --> 00:57:04,570
are called.

1597
00:57:04,925 --> 00:57:07,005
I always ask, heavenly father, who should be

1598
00:57:07,005 --> 00:57:09,324
on the word council? And then I figure

1599
00:57:09,324 --> 00:57:11,085
out what calling they're supposed to hold to

1600
00:57:11,085 --> 00:57:12,864
be on the word council. Mhmm.

1601
00:57:13,565 --> 00:57:14,204
It has,

1602
00:57:14,605 --> 00:57:15,984
really, really been helpful.

1603
00:57:16,764 --> 00:57:18,525
Reminding them a few things. And you you

1604
00:57:18,525 --> 00:57:20,159
teach this often, Kurt. But,

1605
00:57:21,839 --> 00:57:23,839
number one, that, you know, revelation is found

1606
00:57:23,839 --> 00:57:26,579
among us, that we we need your contribution.

1607
00:57:27,599 --> 00:57:29,859
And with that, we need your

1608
00:57:30,159 --> 00:57:30,659
perspective.

1609
00:57:31,760 --> 00:57:33,734
You need to wear different hats. You wanna

1610
00:57:33,734 --> 00:57:36,054
wear that hat as just a a random

1611
00:57:36,054 --> 00:57:36,795
ward member.

1612
00:57:37,094 --> 00:57:39,414
You wanna wear that hat as a member

1613
00:57:39,414 --> 00:57:41,594
of a family or living in an apartment,

1614
00:57:42,054 --> 00:57:43,574
and we want you to wear the hat

1615
00:57:43,574 --> 00:57:46,295
of you with the people that you have

1616
00:57:46,295 --> 00:57:47,434
stewardship over.

1617
00:57:47,949 --> 00:57:49,890
And so as ideas are proposed,

1618
00:57:51,630 --> 00:57:53,489
filter it through those different hats.

1619
00:57:53,949 --> 00:57:56,030
Instead of and I think human nature, we

1620
00:57:56,030 --> 00:57:57,949
have a knee jerk reaction to any idea

1621
00:57:57,949 --> 00:57:58,769
that's proposed,

1622
00:57:59,390 --> 00:58:00,829
but we have to take away some of

1623
00:58:00,829 --> 00:58:02,590
that. That is one of the three hats

1624
00:58:02,590 --> 00:58:03,329
we're wearing,

1625
00:58:03,844 --> 00:58:06,184
filter it through our our neighbor, our friend,

1626
00:58:06,324 --> 00:58:07,464
a family member,

1627
00:58:07,844 --> 00:58:10,484
people they have stewardship over. How might this

1628
00:58:10,484 --> 00:58:12,885
help them connect with Jesus Christ? And it

1629
00:58:12,885 --> 00:58:14,344
kinda strips away the ego.

1630
00:58:14,644 --> 00:58:15,924
E. F. R. E. G. O. Is an

1631
00:58:15,924 --> 00:58:17,065
acronym, edging

1632
00:58:17,364 --> 00:58:18,344
God out.

1633
00:58:18,760 --> 00:58:21,160
Mhmm. And so just checking ego at the

1634
00:58:21,160 --> 00:58:23,720
door, open heart, open mind, but contributing for

1635
00:58:23,720 --> 00:58:26,840
that, moment of revelation as a council. Reminding

1636
00:58:26,840 --> 00:58:29,160
them that every ward council member has a

1637
00:58:29,160 --> 00:58:30,300
a puzzle piece.

1638
00:58:30,680 --> 00:58:32,059
And if you don't participate

1639
00:58:32,440 --> 00:58:34,140
in that council meeting,

1640
00:58:34,824 --> 00:58:37,644
there's literally a piece of the puzzle

1641
00:58:37,945 --> 00:58:38,925
that is missing.

1642
00:58:40,425 --> 00:58:42,425
The hardest part I've noticed is,

1643
00:58:42,985 --> 00:58:45,085
some people take ownership of ideas

1644
00:58:45,864 --> 00:58:47,785
where they come ready for the meeting and

1645
00:58:47,785 --> 00:58:49,785
they throw out an idea to the word

1646
00:58:49,785 --> 00:58:50,099
council.

1647
00:58:51,140 --> 00:58:53,000
And if that idea is

1648
00:58:53,380 --> 00:58:55,720
is chewed up, spit out, transformed,

1649
00:58:56,099 --> 00:58:57,239
maybe even rejected,

1650
00:58:58,900 --> 00:59:01,480
realizing that no. No. You helped

1651
00:59:01,780 --> 00:59:02,840
spur revelation.

1652
00:59:03,764 --> 00:59:05,304
You had an idea,

1653
00:59:05,764 --> 00:59:08,404
but it wasn't the final idea that heavenly

1654
00:59:08,404 --> 00:59:09,304
father wanted.

1655
00:59:09,764 --> 00:59:11,924
And because you were brave enough to share

1656
00:59:11,924 --> 00:59:14,484
an idea, it led to what heavenly father

1657
00:59:14,484 --> 00:59:17,369
wanted from us. The idea being that once

1658
00:59:17,369 --> 00:59:20,170
an idea once your idea is thrown out

1659
00:59:20,170 --> 00:59:22,589
onto the floor of the word council meeting,

1660
00:59:22,969 --> 00:59:25,949
it then becomes the word council's idea.

1661
00:59:26,409 --> 00:59:28,329
You have to kinda divorce yourself from any

1662
00:59:28,329 --> 00:59:29,715
feelings or emotion. I

1663
00:59:30,275 --> 00:59:32,275
I wrote the seminary curriculum. I was on

1664
00:59:32,275 --> 00:59:34,195
this team for five years. So the online

1665
00:59:34,195 --> 00:59:37,155
seminary curriculum, it was so painful because you

1666
00:59:37,155 --> 00:59:40,195
would have this beautiful outline. Oh, it's so

1667
00:59:40,195 --> 00:59:43,494
good in these questions and these quotes and,

1668
00:59:43,989 --> 00:59:46,090
oh, it went through the the grinder

1669
00:59:46,550 --> 00:59:48,789
and the final product, in my opinion, was

1670
00:59:48,789 --> 00:59:50,710
sometimes a little bit less, but I knew

1671
00:59:50,710 --> 00:59:52,789
it was more what heavenly father wanted. So

1672
00:59:52,789 --> 00:59:53,289
just

1673
00:59:53,590 --> 00:59:56,114
divorcing ourselves from our own ego to let

1674
00:59:56,114 --> 00:59:58,434
that spirit of of revelation take place has

1675
00:59:58,434 --> 00:59:59,094
been key.

1676
01:00:00,114 --> 01:00:03,735
Awesome. So are there three specific, like, topics

1677
01:00:04,434 --> 01:00:05,875
that that you focus on? Or, like, I

1678
01:00:05,875 --> 01:00:07,155
I guess I don't wanna miss that if

1679
01:00:07,155 --> 01:00:08,550
there are Oh, no. You're fine.

1680
01:00:09,110 --> 01:00:11,910
Reminding them that revelation is found among us.

1681
01:00:11,910 --> 01:00:14,730
Two, reminding them to wear those different hats

1682
01:00:14,789 --> 01:00:17,590
in the meeting. And three, just encouraging them

1683
01:00:17,590 --> 01:00:20,010
to bring their their piece of the puzzle

1684
01:00:20,150 --> 01:00:21,530
to a word council meeting.

1685
01:00:21,989 --> 01:00:24,329
Yeah. Yeah. That's so so powerful, especially,

1686
01:00:24,684 --> 01:00:27,244
you know, we we assume so much, you

1687
01:00:27,244 --> 01:00:29,085
know, and it's not just in our faith

1688
01:00:29,085 --> 01:00:31,724
tradition just as humans. Right? But when somebody's

1689
01:00:31,724 --> 01:00:33,105
called to a ward council,

1690
01:00:33,804 --> 01:00:36,684
they may have never experienced a council like

1691
01:00:36,684 --> 01:00:38,880
that, a council setting. And so they don't

1692
01:00:38,960 --> 01:00:40,319
kinda even know how to show up or

1693
01:00:40,319 --> 01:00:42,239
how to act, and so it's easy for

1694
01:00:42,239 --> 01:00:43,920
them to maybe just sit back and listen

1695
01:00:43,920 --> 01:00:46,739
and not step forward with perspectives or ideas.

1696
01:00:46,799 --> 01:00:48,719
Or or they think, oh, they wanna hear

1697
01:00:48,719 --> 01:00:51,279
my opinion, or finally, I'm gonna just gonna

1698
01:00:51,279 --> 01:00:53,039
fire hose them with, you know, my strong

1699
01:00:53,039 --> 01:00:55,014
opinion here, there. Right? But to say, let

1700
01:00:55,014 --> 01:00:56,375
me tell you what's going on here, and

1701
01:00:56,375 --> 01:00:57,275
here's three

1702
01:00:57,655 --> 01:01:00,215
three lessons to consider as you step into

1703
01:01:00,215 --> 01:01:01,974
this council setting. Right? And it doesn't have

1704
01:01:01,974 --> 01:01:03,034
to be those three, but

1705
01:01:03,574 --> 01:01:04,074
just

1706
01:01:04,375 --> 01:01:05,195
any intentional

1707
01:01:05,815 --> 01:01:07,574
framing that you can give people in the

1708
01:01:07,574 --> 01:01:10,680
council so that they are they feel empowered

1709
01:01:10,900 --> 01:01:13,219
to participate and to receive and share that

1710
01:01:13,219 --> 01:01:15,780
revelation. Right? Yeah. 100%.

1711
01:01:15,780 --> 01:01:17,940
Yeah. That's that's it. So training them on

1712
01:01:17,940 --> 01:01:19,940
how to have a council is is key.

1713
01:01:19,940 --> 01:01:21,559
Yeah. Yeah. So true.

1714
01:01:21,965 --> 01:01:22,625
Good stuff.

1715
01:01:23,085 --> 01:01:26,204
Eric, any other point, principle, concept, story, that

1716
01:01:26,204 --> 01:01:28,125
we need to make sure we we include

1717
01:01:28,125 --> 01:01:29,724
here before we wrap up? Or how do

1718
01:01:29,724 --> 01:01:30,385
we do?

1719
01:01:30,844 --> 01:01:33,804
Kurt, just gratitude. I am so grateful for

1720
01:01:33,804 --> 01:01:36,059
what you have. You are brave. This is

1721
01:01:36,059 --> 01:01:37,579
a and you've done this for a long

1722
01:01:37,579 --> 01:01:39,739
time. And I just wanna add my voice

1723
01:01:39,739 --> 01:01:42,059
to the others that, we there are so

1724
01:01:42,059 --> 01:01:43,820
many of us that are grateful. And I

1725
01:01:43,820 --> 01:01:45,019
know there's so many of us that wish

1726
01:01:45,019 --> 01:01:47,420
we had deeper pockets to help fund this

1727
01:01:47,420 --> 01:01:49,474
five zero '1 c three. Yeah. Just thank

1728
01:01:49,474 --> 01:01:51,554
you. Thank you for your stamina. Thanks for

1729
01:01:51,554 --> 01:01:52,295
your energy.

1730
01:01:52,755 --> 01:01:55,074
Thanks for providing a space for leaders to

1731
01:01:55,074 --> 01:01:57,315
be trained. I listen every episode. I know

1732
01:01:57,474 --> 01:01:59,315
Oh, thank you. Thousands of other people do

1733
01:01:59,315 --> 01:02:02,010
as well, and we're just just so grateful.

1734
01:02:02,010 --> 01:02:04,110
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Awesome.

1735
01:02:05,050 --> 01:02:06,250
Awesome. Well, it means a lot.

1736
01:02:06,650 --> 01:02:09,530
Last question. Oh, I I guess, with your

1737
01:02:09,530 --> 01:02:11,769
experience with teaching and things, is there if

1738
01:02:11,769 --> 01:02:13,905
people do wanna know more about your teaching

1739
01:02:13,905 --> 01:02:14,945
or I don't know if you have books

1740
01:02:14,945 --> 01:02:16,224
or things, or do you have a home

1741
01:02:16,224 --> 01:02:17,525
base where you send people,

1742
01:02:17,905 --> 01:02:19,744
that wanna learn more about you or some

1743
01:02:19,744 --> 01:02:21,744
of the some of your content? Or Oh,

1744
01:02:21,744 --> 01:02:22,244
I'm,

1745
01:02:22,704 --> 01:02:25,184
again, I'm the least. But if you do

1746
01:02:25,184 --> 01:02:27,344
have young adults that are attending Utah State

1747
01:02:27,344 --> 01:02:27,844
University,

1748
01:02:28,359 --> 01:02:30,679
have them look have them look up our

1749
01:02:30,679 --> 01:02:33,320
classes. We've got 23 teachers. An institute is

1750
01:02:33,320 --> 01:02:33,820
worldwide

1751
01:02:34,280 --> 01:02:36,119
wherever your your young adults are.

1752
01:02:36,440 --> 01:02:38,139
The we've had a

1753
01:02:38,519 --> 01:02:40,539
huge shift over the last,

1754
01:02:40,920 --> 01:02:42,619
oh, four to six years.

1755
01:02:43,614 --> 01:02:45,394
New classes, new content,

1756
01:02:46,494 --> 01:02:48,755
really a new structure on teaching. So,

1757
01:02:49,375 --> 01:02:51,055
that would be my battle cry. Get your

1758
01:02:51,055 --> 01:02:52,114
kids into seminary

1759
01:02:52,655 --> 01:02:55,215
and get your young adults into institute, and

1760
01:02:55,215 --> 01:02:57,269
and let let us try to be a

1761
01:02:57,269 --> 01:02:59,130
blessing to them, walking

1762
01:02:59,670 --> 01:03:01,190
arm in arm with them, trying to lead

1763
01:03:01,190 --> 01:03:03,289
them to to their savior Jesus Christ.

1764
01:03:03,829 --> 01:03:06,150
Very good. Well, Eric, last question I have

1765
01:03:06,150 --> 01:03:08,150
for you is just reflecting, you know, to

1766
01:03:08,150 --> 01:03:09,769
give you a specific time frame,

1767
01:03:10,445 --> 01:03:12,445
reflecting on those last few years of being

1768
01:03:12,445 --> 01:03:14,605
a bishop, being that leader, how has being

1769
01:03:14,605 --> 01:03:16,764
a leader helped you become a better follower

1770
01:03:16,764 --> 01:03:17,824
of Jesus Christ?

1771
01:03:19,724 --> 01:03:20,864
Priesthood keys,

1772
01:03:21,324 --> 01:03:23,985
I've come to learn, are all about

1773
01:03:24,844 --> 01:03:25,344
alignment.

1774
01:03:27,190 --> 01:03:30,250
Yes, I can receive some promptings, some discernment.

1775
01:03:31,269 --> 01:03:33,510
Yes, yes, that comes with the stewardship like

1776
01:03:33,510 --> 01:03:34,010
this.

1777
01:03:34,469 --> 01:03:36,170
But I found that when

1778
01:03:36,630 --> 01:03:39,369
I have a prompting or an idea,

1779
01:03:39,835 --> 01:03:42,235
if I can align that with my heavenly

1780
01:03:42,235 --> 01:03:42,735
father,

1781
01:03:43,035 --> 01:03:44,335
that's what it's all about.

1782
01:03:45,035 --> 01:03:46,715
If I have a prompting about a ward

1783
01:03:46,715 --> 01:03:49,035
member, how can I connect them with heavenly

1784
01:03:49,035 --> 01:03:50,974
father? If there's an idea about award

1785
01:03:51,355 --> 01:03:53,295
activity or event or program,

1786
01:03:53,835 --> 01:03:56,190
how can we structure that? I use my

1787
01:03:56,190 --> 01:03:58,849
keys to try and align myself with

1788
01:03:59,150 --> 01:04:01,630
with Heavenly Father. That's been the biggest blessing

1789
01:04:01,630 --> 01:04:04,449
that that leadership is really about alignment,

1790
01:04:04,909 --> 01:04:07,010
with with Heavenly Father more than anything.

1791
01:04:21,144 --> 01:04:24,019
And that concludes this how I lead interview.

1792
01:04:24,239 --> 01:04:26,079
I hope you enjoyed it. And, I would

1793
01:04:26,079 --> 01:04:27,920
ask you, could you take a minute and

1794
01:04:27,920 --> 01:04:29,840
drop this link in an email, on social

1795
01:04:29,840 --> 01:04:31,920
media, in a text, wherever it makes the

1796
01:04:31,920 --> 01:04:33,599
most sense, and share it with somebody who

1797
01:04:33,599 --> 01:04:36,565
could relate to this experience. And this is

1798
01:04:36,565 --> 01:04:38,804
how we develop as leaders, just hearing what

1799
01:04:38,804 --> 01:04:40,405
the other guy is doing, trying some things

1800
01:04:40,405 --> 01:04:41,704
out, testing, adjusting

1801
01:04:42,085 --> 01:04:43,204
for your area, and,

1802
01:04:43,844 --> 01:04:46,005
that's where great leadership is discovered. Right? So

1803
01:04:46,005 --> 01:04:48,005
we would love to have you, share this

1804
01:04:48,005 --> 01:04:50,819
with, somebody in this calling or a related

1805
01:04:50,819 --> 01:04:53,219
calling, and that would be great. And, also,

1806
01:04:53,219 --> 01:04:54,280
if you know somebody,

1807
01:04:54,659 --> 01:04:56,500
any type of leader who would be a

1808
01:04:56,500 --> 01:04:58,679
fantastic guest on the how I lead segment,

1809
01:04:59,139 --> 01:05:01,880
reach out to us. Go to leadingsaints.org/contact.

1810
01:05:02,135 --> 01:05:04,534
Maybe send this in individual an email letting

1811
01:05:04,534 --> 01:05:06,534
them know that you're going to be suggesting

1812
01:05:06,534 --> 01:05:08,775
their name for this interview. We'll reach out

1813
01:05:08,775 --> 01:05:09,815
to them and,

1814
01:05:10,375 --> 01:05:11,494
see if we can line them up. So

1815
01:05:11,494 --> 01:05:13,835
again, go to leadingsaints.org/contact

1816
01:05:13,974 --> 01:05:15,914
and there you can submit all the information

1817
01:05:16,260 --> 01:05:17,940
and let us know. And maybe they will

1818
01:05:17,940 --> 01:05:19,699
be on a future how I lead segment

1819
01:05:19,699 --> 01:05:21,320
on the Leading Saints podcast.

1820
01:05:35,164 --> 01:05:37,664
It came as a result of the position

1821
01:05:37,724 --> 01:05:40,704
of leadership which was imposed upon us

1822
01:05:41,244 --> 01:05:43,805
by the God of heaven who brought forth

1823
01:05:43,805 --> 01:05:44,625
a restoration

1824
01:05:45,085 --> 01:05:47,400
of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

1825
01:05:47,860 --> 01:05:49,000
And when the declaration

1826
01:05:49,300 --> 01:05:50,039
was made

1827
01:05:50,340 --> 01:05:53,219
concerning the own and only true and living

1828
01:05:53,219 --> 01:05:55,400
church upon the face of the earth,

1829
01:05:55,940 --> 01:05:58,599
we were immediately put in a position of

1830
01:05:58,659 --> 01:05:59,159
loneliness.

1831
01:05:59,574 --> 01:06:01,195
The loneliness of leadership

1832
01:06:02,054 --> 01:06:05,035
from which we cannot shrink nor run away,

1833
01:06:06,054 --> 01:06:08,535
and to which we must face up with

1834
01:06:08,535 --> 01:06:10,074
boldness and courage

1835
01:06:10,775 --> 01:06:11,594
and ability.