B (2:42)

This, whichever they don't write about this one.

A (2:44)

Yeah, this one, this one didn't make the cut. This one didn't make the cut of the book. Right. But like, like we just kind of started by saying where it's like, I can't believe you're talking about this. While that is happening. This is another one of those things where it's like, at first it doesn't seem very tender and kind, but then you realize the wisdom in it. And I think Everybody can. But 951 starts like this. Verily, thus saith the Lord unto whom I love and whom I love. I also chasten that their sins may be forgiven. For with the chastisement I prepare a way for their deliverance and all things out of temptation. And I have loved you. It's obvious, like this is an obvious principle like, of where this happens. It reminds me of the story, a story of that Truman Madsen told about Joseph Fielding Smith, where apparently Joseph Fielding Smith was a little bit intense, you know, as an apostle. I don't know as he became president of the church too, but. And people kind of got scared when he came. Like he sort of was like had a chastising sort of method to him. If you listen to that lecture on Joseph Fielding Smith, Truman Madsen says, I think it's his daughter in law who sees him one day so sad. And he's like, I wish I could be the storytelling apostle. Instead I have to be the one that chastises people like, that's the job God gave me. It's so tender and sad. But there is a story that might be apocryphal about his life where someone wrote him a letter and said, and P.S. who's right? People thought mean comments on Instagram are new. They just used to be in letters. But someone wrote.

B (4:18)

And that's actually worse.

A (4:19)

Yeah, someone wrote him a letter and said, you didn't inspire us at all. When you came to our state conference, you scared us. You were mean, you were too bold and all these things. And the line was in there. It's like, I don't want him coming to our state conferences anymore. He scares the hell out of me is what the letter says. And then apocryphally, this is like family lore, maybe in their family. His response back was like, well, good. That's what I'm trying to do. If I scare the hell out of you. There will be room for heaven to move in. And that's what 95 was one is essentially saying. He's just like, listen, I chasten you about your sins so that they can be forgiven, so that you can be delivered from the temptation of them. I've actually felt like I've experienced that before where I've been, like, chastened by the Lord. And it lowered my, like, desire for sin. Like, I've actually experienced it happen. Like, that was really beneficial to me to have him, like, come down a little bit boldly on it. So I'm like, oh, yeah. Ooh. And it sort of, like, scared it right out of me.

B (5:27)

Well, and as I read that verse, I started thinking, because I was like, here's the deal. When God asked the saints to build the temple, I think they probably really did want to. Like, I don't think that he asked them to do that. And they were like, no, thanks for asking, but I'm out on that. That's not, like, going to be my. That's not going to be for me. I don't want to do that. But I started trying to decide, like, what. And, like, I was just, like, thinking in my head, kind of like brainstorming of, like, well, what was holding them back then? And maybe it was, like, fear that they were like, wait, I've never done that before. I'm a little bit unqualified. Maybe it was the fear of the financial burden that that was going to be on them that they said, well, I need to figure out, like, my family first. And then maybe, like, after we can do the temple. Maybe it was just a little bit of, like, maybe it doesn't need to be that big of a rush. Like, maybe we can get, like, our feet under us and then go for it. Maybe part of it was like, do you even know, God, what's happening with the saints? Because this is kind of like a disaster seemingly right now. It's like, maybe it was like a timing thing, and it made me just stop and think. There are a lot of reasons in my life. Sometimes when you read verse number one, you're like, oh, yeah? Well, the saints were being dumb and God needed to whip them into shape, and that's why this all happened. And I'm like, oh. But usually when I, like, well, I sin for a lot of reasons, probably, but, like, usually when I sin, like, it's not like I'm, like, intentionally being like, I don't want to listen to you, God. Like, I'm Angry at you or whatever.

A (6:43)

Yeah.

B (6:44)

And then I, like, stopped, and I was like, maybe it's fear, maybe it's hesitation, maybe it's worry about disappointment. Maybe it's. They didn't even know what to do. Maybe it was like, go through and list all the reasons why and God's answer. And God's response is love. That is how he shows up. And it doesn't. Like, it's not like, oh, like, let me go through and, like, break this down for you. He says, whatever your reason is for disobedience, let me just show you that every single time, I will show up in response with, love. That's the answer.

A (7:13)

And it's a repeated word. And if you look in the heading, this revelation was received on June 1, 1833. And you might want to put a note in your Scriptures that they were commanded back in December to build the temple. So it's been six months of, like.

B (7:28)

They even, like, might have thought, like, they were like, oh, well, six months, right?

A (7:32)

So six months. So this is like God does chasten, right? Because he understands how. How costly our sins, how costly our disobedience can be. Not to him, but to us. He's like, I'm trying to protect you from your own decisions, right? And I will come in, you know. But Mark, how many times in verse one, love, love, love is in there. And he says, you need to be rebuked for this. And Grace brought up the reason why is in verse three. It's because I gave you this commandment to build my house. And you haven't done that yet. You haven't. No one's done anything about it. And then what he does, I think is so interesting is this is like parenting 101. He gives all the reasons why he gave that commandment in the first place. And he just said, this is why you want to do this, right? Isn't that interesting? He's like, I'm mad at you for withholding a blessing from yourself. I don't know if mad's the right word, but I'm chastening you because you are withholding or blocking some of the power I'm trying to pour into your life.

B (8:36)

You see his heart because he's not getting mad or getting mad. He's not like, correcting just to correct. He's not correcting to micromanage a life, right? That's not how it works from the beginning, which I think is also really cool. That section 93 was just last week and just a couple verses a couple sections ahead because that whole section is evidence of a God who does not give up on his people and who works little by little. And you see a real life example of that in section 95 that he says, listen, if I didn't love you, I would give up on you. If I didn't love you, I would just say, well, they don't want it. They don't want the blessing. I don't care. I'm hands off. But section 95 is him saying, I will not give up on you. While you are a work in progress, I will work with you. That's why I am correcting.

A (9:23)

Yeah. So here's some of the reasons why. Let's go through some of these verses that you might want in here to study or teach. Start in verse four.

B (9:31)

Here.

A (9:32)

He was like, it's a place I'm designing to prepare my apostles to prune my vineyard for the last time. I love that the Lord's like, I want you to be a part of, of this rescue mission on planet Earth that I'm doing. So prepare a place where I can teach you and arm you and empower you to be able to do that. I love this phrase in 4 that I may bring to pass my strange act. That's. I love that phrase so much. Like, what I'm going to do is going to be so wild. He says, three, I want to pour out my spirit upon all flesh. Build that house so that I can do that. Skip down to verse eight. It's a house I designed to endow those I've chosen with power from on high to gift them power in their lives. And let me just give a hint forward to the saints who are going to be experiencing a hardship in Missouri. Right? And he says, like, I want to gift you strength is what I'm trying to do for you. We haven't gotten to the Missouri part, but we will. And we'll say more about that in just a second. Skip over to 97 for just a minute. Some of the verses that are in here that also verse 13. A place of thanksgiving for all saints. I think that is so awesome to think of the temple as a place of thanksgiving. That's a place where you can learn and experience more. More ways to be grateful. A place of instruction for people in all their several callings and offices. Don't you love that idea? I love that word. Several in there. Whatever your office or your calling is right now in life, and I don't mean officially in the church necessarily, whatever stage of life that you may be in, whatever it is that you are facing. The temple can be a place of instruction for that. So many of you are going to wring your hands and stay up at night and say, I don't know what to do. And the Lord said, that's why I want you to build this place of instruction, so I can help you through the things that are happening in your life. 14 is so awesome. There's a million things, this is 9714 that you want to mark in there. 15 a place where my glory can rest upon you. 16 so that my presence can be there, right? So that you will see verse 16, see God, see me in your day to day life. So these sections are filled, I think, with phrases that you want to look through and mark and realize why he's saying, I want you to build this house. I love what you said about he's not correcting them to micromanage. He's like, I don't want you to be good soldiers. The commandments had a purpose. There was a reason. I gave it to you. I'm desperate for you to have all of these things in your life.

B (12:16)

Well, and I also don't think that he was naive to the sacrifice that it would require. He understood that he was asking his people to sacrifice so much for this temple. But all throughout section 95 and 97, he is giving them a reason. He's telling them, I promise you it will be worth the sacrifice. This temple will be worth the sacrifice. And at the end of the day, when I was going through and I was reading these promises, I became so aware that those promises are still true. I like marked verse number 16 in section 97amillion times because I crave that promise. That which verse? Section 97, verse 16. That his presence will be there, for I will come into it. And all the pure in heart shall come into it, shall see God. And. And I just thought that is what I need in my life right now. I want to be able to see God working and moving and orchestrating my life every single day. And he already told me how. He said, you just need to get to my house, get to the building. And the promises described in these sections are still just as relevant and just as true today. And all I could think was just that phrase over and over is, it's worth the sacrifice. It is worth the sacrifice of time. It is worth the sacrifice of making your schedule fit it. It's worth the sacrifice of moving things around. It's worth the sacrifice of other things that you could be doing. It is worth Everything you have to do, whatever that is to get into the temple, that is worth it. Because the promises he described.

A (13:48)

Right. I love that you're connecting that to. For them to build it so they get into it. But for us, like, I'm just thinking about President Nelson almost, in a way, chastises. But he just does it in such a nice, sweet way, right? Where he just says. Or even recently, I guess, you know, There were someone DMed me and asked me, like, what do we do about President Nelson saying, like, there's not much time. Or like, phrases like that where you're like, ah, that feel a little bit chastising. It's like, please connect that together with the promises of the temple, the promises of gospel ordinances, the power that can flow into our lives from those, like, they go together. So if we go back to 95, there's an interesting instruction that he gives them about this and is in verse 15, and that's a lie. Minus 1:14 is the verse I want you to go to in section 95. You may know this, that the word temple comes from the word template, which of course means a pattern. And that's our word for the week is pattern. And it's because God is like, let me show you a pattern of living. In verse 95, 14, he says, Let it be built after the manner which I shall show unto the three of you. Talking to the first presidency at that time. And interestingly, he actually does. The three of them have a vision of the Kirtland temple that is shown to them, and they see exactly how to make it and what to do. Now, have you ever been to the Kirtland temple? You look at it and you're like, that's not our best temple. You know, like, how about that ice castle? And I'm just saying, like, visually. Visually.

B (15:22)

But right now it's got those green doors, and I think that's cute.

A (15:25)

Okay, that's awesome. Okay. But that's just because they came back in style. But visually, the ice castle in San Diego is like, wait, that's the Rome. The Rome. Yeah. Rome temple. These are the ones that. That we want to build. But for that time and for where they were, that was a remarkable building. In fact, the history and the records talk about them meeting to talk about how it should be constructed. And it says that in this council, Joseph requested each of the brethren should give their views with regard to the house. And when they'd all got through, he would give his opinion concerning the matter. They comply with his request. Some were in Favor of building a frame house. Others were in mind to put up a log house. Joseph reminded them they were not building a house for man, but for God. And shall we, brethren, said he, build a house for our God of logs? No, I have a better plan than that. I have a plan of the house of the Lord given by himself. And I think that is when we talk about temples become such a symbol for so many things. And one of those is a template or a pattern for the kind of lives that we want to live, the kind of people that we want to become. And I think someone could ask that. We could ask ourselves that same question. Shall I build a life for my God out of logs? No, I have a better plan than that. A plan for a life of the Lord given by himself. It's that promise that's so famous from President Benson that what God can do with a life is so much better than what they can do for themselves. And that's one of the purposes of the temple is let me show you that pattern. And not only in the instruction that happens inside, but even the process of building it. I think God was teaching them a process about how to build a life as they were building the temple, if that makes sense. I want you to see these same principles at work. For example, porrigemplo, as they say. My Spanish lessons are paying off. You guys go back to section 94 and think about this. Not for a temple, but for a life. And this is what you're going to put on the tippins, by the way, to remember this lesson. Some of these patterns of building instruction that happen in. In these places. But go to 94 for just a minute. Start in 6. Be dedicated from the foundation thereof. Think about that in context of someone's life. I'm dedicated in my very roots, from my foundation to the beginning of my day. Shows a dedication to the Lord. That would be a pattern to live by that I think he's showing. Look at verse seven. Wholly dedicated unto the Lord, right? I want all of. I want to get there. I want to get there like 93. Taught grace by grace, right? But I want to get to this place where I'm fully and wholly dedicated to the Lord. He will still accept you if you are partially dedicated. There will still be a power of godliness that flows into your life in that way. But I want to get to that place of wholly dedicated so I can experience that fullness from last week of, you know what he's offering. So I think that's a really cool thing. You Know, to study. Oh, should we do that? One more verse. One more verse is so good. Don't suffer verse 8, 94 8. Any unclean thing to come into it, into your life, into your Instagram feed, into the media selection. Right? My glory shall be there and my presence shall be there. He just saying, this is a better way. Don't build a life out of log out of logs. Build it according to the pattern. He has a much better plan and pattern in mind for you.

B (19:01)

And all I can think is that if this is how much when the whole time I read these sections, I thought, if this is how specific and careful God is with a building, then why would God not be that careful with a life and with a heart? And if he is just intentional on the way a building is built, then, oh, you have no idea how careful God is being with your heart. And I just went through my margins and I just wrote the similarities of how God builds a building and how God builds a heart. And it really is like, you'll see that as you study that it is designed by revelation, that it is built slowly, not in one day. And that doesn't mean that you should wait a million years to start, because obviously section 95 tells you that's not the way. But that means it's going to take a while. It's not going to be quick, it's going to require sacrifice. But those are the places God dwells in hearts and in buildings. And I think that the more time you spend building something for God, like, the more of your life that you dedicate it, the more you follow that pattern, God will show up in what you build for him. And that is true about hearts, and that is true about buildings. And I just think that I love a God who's careful.

A (20:11)

And I think we'll bring this up again, I am sure of it. But I just, you know, the Kirtland temple, I know I said visually, but those who've been there, like, winced. Like Grace did. And not just because of the green doors, but there's something about that place because it was built with so much sacrifice, that so much of the presence of God is there. And you can experience that in every time you go to, like, the cathedrals of Europe and you're just like, oh, my gosh, like, think of the sacrifice to build a place of worship like this. And it adds to the sense of God's presence there. And I think that's interesting because he's like, this is the pattern of how to build it. But as we enter into temples. We are also taught patterns while we're in there. We're taught the pattern of obedience, the pattern of sacrifice, the pattern of chastity, the pattern of living the gospel by loving God and loving neighbor, a pattern of consecration. Those are the laws.

B (21:07)

And.

A (21:08)

And the patterns is a better word that we covenant to in the temple. And what's happening is God's saying, like, the endowment of power in part comes by living the patterns I show you. So we're taught a pattern of how the power of God can flow into our lives in greater measure. And I think in here, you were just talking about that in. In that one, but we see examples of it at this time. So this is actually. You tell this story. Do you want to tell your story? No.

B (21:35)

You can. You can. You love him. You love him more than anyone on earth. You have to.

A (21:38)

I really love Hyrum Smith so much. Here's one example. Hyrum Smith. This revelation comes in section 95, remember December, build the temple. Nobody does for six months. The June revelation comes where the Lord says, hey, get on that temple. That night, Hyrum Smith goes and grabs a shovel and starts digging a trench for the foundation of the temple on the land.

B (22:03)

I can't.

A (22:03)

No architect has drawn up any plans yet, but he just goes out and does it. And there's something about that that is really power, because a person might think, like, I want to live a life more in pattern with what God has in mind. Let me think of how to do that. Let me set a plan. And there's some value in that. There's also value. And just go grab a shovel and start digging. Just start doing something. And the synergy of that will start to motivate. And anyways, the good that will come from just grab a shovel and start digging.

B (22:32)

This is a little unhelpful because I don't even remember when this was, but Elder Bednar just said something about that.

A (22:37)

Oh, really?

B (22:37)

Who knows? Who knows what it was? Everyone, it's fine. But. And this is not going to be a direct quote, but he was talking about God guiding your life and this pattern of God building your heart up. And he said, if you want more revelation in your life, the first thing you need to start doing is moving. And I. That Hyrum Smith is the best example of that ever. He said, I don't even know what this house is going to look like. We have no plans. There's not a blueprint. And Hyrum said, let me get my shovel. Let me go out and just Start. And he was building a temple. But it's the same for our lives that I think there's these moments that we catch a vision and maybe it's after the Lord chastens us a little bit. Or maybe it's this moment that we say, wait, I want to be different. Or I want to build my life. I want to shape my heart differently. And then we say, oh, I better wait for God to tell me what to do. I better wait and just see what happens. I better wait for specific instruction. When in reality, maybe sometimes, just like Elder Bednar said and just like Hyrum Smith showed us, just go grab a shovel. Just start. Just get out there.

A (23:36)

Something about just doing it. It helps you, like.

B (23:38)

Yeah. And is it always the right choice? Well, who's to say? But is it going to get you in the right way?

A (23:43)

Obedience was the right choice, right?

B (23:45)

Yeah, exactly.

A (23:46)

Show God. Okay, I heard you. And I want to do something about this.

B (23:50)

Yeah. And it's not just. It's not just words like, I am sold on it.

A (23:53)

Yeah. And I think it was as much for Hyram as it was for the Lord when he did that. Another example is who Section 96 is all about. John Johnson. Who's your great, great, great. We don't even know how many greats. He was so great. That was so dumb. I retract that from the record. Anyways, it's Grace's great, great, great, great grandpa. And there's this verse 8 where it says, it's a conspedia me he should become a member of the order, the group of people that were handling the translations and the properties and all of those things that he may assist in bringing forth my word unto the children of men. I love couching every good act into that context of assisting in bringing forth God into the children of men. And this is so sweet, because he does. And you've been to his farm before and his house that he lived on.

B (24:47)

The cutest house you've ever seen in the whole entire world. The best farm ever.

A (24:51)

Yeah. He was so moved and Inspired by verse 8, when this revelation was given to him. He sold that house and he sold that farm so that the church could buy the land for the Kirtland temple and begin the construction of it. And I just want you to consider and think about the. What has flown into your life because of the sealing blessings, the powers that were restored in that temple, both the marriage, sealing and sealing to children. That sealing power reaching our ancestors, connecting us to those who've gone before all because of the assistance of people like John Johnson. That's what's so remarkable about the kingdom of God, is that it's built on the backs of willing hearts of people who you never would know their stories or their contributions. The multiplying of the bread and fishes miracle happening in our life, where somebody just says, I just want to help, and God takes it and I will bless her with blessings and multiply a multiplicity of blessings upon her and upon her generations forever ever, saith the Lord your God. Amen. Your evidence of that. Somebody who says, I'm going to offer a little God says, I will bless that with blessings. I will multiply it with a multiplicity, not just on you, but on your generations to come. And I love that example of John Johnson in here. He's a helper. And that's how God builds the kingdom. That's how he builds people, is with helpers.

B (26:17)

And I love that he's doing both at the same time in these sections. That he says, I will show you what it looks like to build a kingdom, people, a kingdom, house, a kingdom. This is it. I am just as invested in every single one of those things.

A (26:31)

Yeah. And I think that's kind of the message of 97, and we'll end with this. 97 is when the Independents, the printing press is destroyed. Their houses are burned down. They're being forced to sign papers and promises that they'll leave the county illegally. It is this terrible atrocity that's committed against the people who were there in Missouri. Remember, we're still in Kirtland and we're in Missouri. So those sections 94, 95, 96 were to the Kirtland Saints building this temple in 97. He says to them in Missouri, I want you to build a temple also. But by the time the letter gets to them of the Revelation, all this has already occurred. Right? Where literally the things thrown out the window, houses burned down, people ransacked and rummaged. A terrible, terrible time in our history. And as you read the stories of that, you're just like, oh, my goodness. One of the shining lights that comes out of that experience is Edward Partridge, who's the bishop there. And he actually offers himself and says, do whatever you want to me, but leave the rest of the people alone. And they make him. They force him with a decision. Either renounce your faith and leave the county, or we're going to do terrible things to you. And he doesn't renounce his faith and tells him it's illegal for you to kick us out. And so they strip him down with the other leaders and they. And they pour acidic tar on them and feathers, and they're just beating them. The journals say that they took that so meekly with that Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do heart, that it caused the crowd to disperse and it softened people, you know, and it's interesting that we see that pattern. God taught a pattern of the way to live a life is not revenge, whatever vengeance or anger, anger that other things. She's like, let me show you a pattern of sacrifice. Let me show you a pattern of living the law of the gospel. And you watch the power of God flow into that moment as people lived that pattern and that template for their lives. And it's amazing to see evidence of that. It's encouraging to want to try it yourself, right? And live out some of those same patterns. And we learn from this one. So read 97 in context of what's happening there and the promises that are in there about the temple.

B (28:54)

And.

A (28:54)

And a reminder in verse 21, this is Zion, the pure in heart. Therefore let Zion rejoice. It wasn't about a place, it's not about buildings. It's about a people. That's been the point all along.

B (29:09)

And he describes them. He describes Zion in one of the most beautiful ways I've ever read in verse number eight. And he says, if you wonder who Zion is and who my people are, I will tell you and I will claim them confidently and boldly and happily. It's the people whose hearts are honest and who are broken. And it's their spirits that are contrite and they're willing to observe the covenants by sacrifice. It's the people who are brokenhearted. It's the people that have cried themselves to sleep at night. It's the people who lost their homes. It's the people who never imagined they'd have to give up what they had just given up. It is the people that are on their very last ounce of hope. It is the people who are still choosing to believe when it doesn't even make any sense. Those people just lived it. And God said, those are mine. I claim you at the hardest and worst moments of your lives. I hope you know that he claims you as Him His. He says, you know what? At the end of all of this, I look at you, I see you, and I accept you for exactly who you are and exactly how you are right now. I choose you. In verse number eight, I accept you wholeheartedly in all your brokenness in all your sadness, in all of your disappointment, in all of your struggle to be good, even when it is difficult, I accept you right there. I claim you as mine.

A (30:29)

Yeah, I just think there's something remarkable about this revelation coming to a People before Joseph knew what was happening in Missouri. And you can still see evidence of God saying, I know what's happening. All throughout the verses. You see that. And that was written before they knew. But it's just evidence. One of the spots of evidence in the doctrine of covenants that God knows what's happening and he knows what's in your story. And he's preparing an escape. Is one of the verses in 97 for you and. And away through this. And one of those, he says, is this temple. And this pattern of. I'm going to show you. He still says, so I want you to build a temple. Why? So you can make it through what it is that you are experiencing. Experiencing. Do you remember that story? And I'm trying to remember the details of it. In. In Maui, when they just had all of the fires and there was that gathering of all the young men and young women in one of the stakes that have been affected there. And, you know, the person who was there asked everybody, what do you. What is it that you're praying for? Was that the question? What is it that you want and need? And everyone's like, I want my dad to have a job again. I want my house back. I went to school, you know, and all these things. And then gets to a boy who just says, I want a temple on Maui. And it's interesting because you're sort of like in a time of great devastation. You're like, your mind went to a temple. Like, those other ones made sense. And they were beautiful answers. Yes, those were the needs of all the people, and they're the needs of the people here when they get kicked out. We actually need a house. We need blankets, we need food. We need all those things. But in the midst of that, there is another voice that says, and we need a temple because we need the strength of God and the power of God. I love that that voice saw so clearly what it is that a temple could do for the people who were there, for the situations that they were in at the time. P.S. the best part of that story might be that three weeks later. Was it three weeks.

B (32:25)

Three weeks later.

A (32:25)

Three weeks later, at general conference, President Nelson announced a temple in Maui.

B (32:31)

And everyone wishes they could just see that boy's face when he heard it.

A (32:34)

Yeah. Because he was like, I think that was because of my prayer.

B (32:38)

It was in my heart.

A (32:39)

It really was. Was for him. Evidence again. In our day, I was like, God says, oh, I know your story, and I know it is. And I know what it is that you need before it ever happened. I've been preparing an escape and a deliverance for you. And I've been preparing a better life for you to live.

B (32:56)

And in those moments when we feel so broken and so hopeless and we don't know what's going to happen next, this just makes me want to run to the temple.

A (33:03)

Yeah.

B (33:04)

Just race there.

A (33:04)

Yeah. We already have them. Someone already built them.

B (33:07)

Yeah.

A (33:07)

No, we just go in.

B (33:09)

Exclusive promises.

A (33:10)

Yeah. All right, y'. All, we'll see you next week. If you want to follow along in everything we're doing, you can find us on Instagram at. Don't miss this study, at this week's Grace and at MrDave Butler.

B (33:21)

And if you want to subscribe to the app or get our weekly newsletter, all of the information can be found@don'tmissthestudy.com.

A (33:27)

See you next week.