Don't Forget to Remember • followHIM Favorites • December 2-8 • Come Follow Me

Summary

Podcast Summary: “Don't Forget to Remember” • followHIM Favorites • December 2-8 • Come Follow Me

Release Date: November 28, 2024
Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Title: Don't Forget to Remember • followHIM Favorites • December 2-8 • Come Follow Me

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Introduction

In this episode of the followHIM: A Come, Follow Me Podcast, hosts Hank Smith and John Bytheway delve into the profound themes of remembrance and the Atonement as presented in the Book of Moroni. Through engaging storytelling and insightful discussion, the hosts aim to enrich listeners' understanding and preparation for their weekly Come, Follow Me lessons.

Exploring the Book of Moroni

[00:03] John:
John warmly welcomes listeners to another installment of Follow him. Favorites, where both he and Hank share a story aligned with the weekly Come, Follow Me lesson. He introduces Gerald Lund, an esteemed author who has extensively studied the Book of Moroni, specifically chapters one through six.

[00:27] Gerald Lund:
Gerald shares an evocative story about the sacrament that he encountered at a CES symposium. He recounts how elder Gerald Lund (a different individual with the same name) introduced him to an article from a magazine called Private Practice, which intriguingly linked rock climbing to the concept of the Atonement.

The Belaying Analogy

[00:53] Gerald Lund:
Gerald explains the concept of "belaying" in rock climbing—a safety system where two climbers work in tandem to ensure each other's safety. One climber ascends while the other secures the rope, ready to catch any fall. This mutual reliance serves as a powerful metaphor for the Atonement.

[01:53] John:
John responds candidly, expressing his skepticism about engaging in such a trust-dependent activity, highlighting the depth of trust involved in both belaying and the Atonement.

[01:56] Gerald Lund:
Gerald illustrates the emotional weight of belaying through the story of a climber named Zenzkush. He describes a precarious situation where Zenzkush slips and begins a dangerous fall. In that critical moment, his partner’s strength and presence prevent tragedy. Zenzkush's reaction to his savior—“you always remember him. You never forget him”—serves as a poignant reflection on gratitude and remembrance integral to the sacrament.

Notable Quote:
“How do you respond to somebody who just saved your life? You always remember him. You never forget him.” — Zenzkush [02:15]

Connecting to the Sacrament and Atonement

[03:26] John:
John underscores the connection between the story and the sacrament by emphasizing the phrase “from the fall,” drawing a parallel to the foundational LDS belief in the Fall of Adam and Eve and the redemption offered through the Atonement.

[03:33] John:
He notes the significance of the words “remember” and “remembrance” in both sacrament prayers, highlighting their central role in LDS worship and doctrine.

[03:40] Gerald Lund:
Gerald references President Ezra Taft Benson, who highlighted “remember” as a crucial word, encouraging listeners to observe the acts of remembering and forgetting throughout the Book of Mormon. This reinforces the episode’s theme of intentional remembrance as a cornerstone of faith and discipleship.

Notable Quote:
“When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? He said it could be remember.” — President Ezra Taft Benson [03:45]

Conclusion and Upcoming Content

[04:05] Gerald Lund:
Gerald humorously remarks on his newfound appreciation for belaying, while John shares his personal apprehension about the activity, bringing a lighthearted close to the deep discussion.

[04:07] John:
John invites listeners to join the full Follow him podcast, introducing the upcoming episode featuring Dr. Chalice Adams, an audiologist who will discuss hearing loss and its relation to the lessons from the Book of Moroni. This preview hints at the podcast’s commitment to blending practical life insights with spiritual teachings.

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Key Takeaways

• Belaying as a Metaphor: The practice of belaying in rock climbing serves as a powerful analogy for the Atonement, illustrating the principles of reliance, safety, and salvation.

• The Power of Remembrance: The episode emphasizes the importance of remembering those who save us, paralleling the sacrament’s focus on remembering Christ’s sacrifice.

• Integration of Faith and Daily Life: By connecting a physical activity like rock climbing to spiritual doctrines, the hosts demonstrate how everyday experiences can illuminate and reinforce religious teachings.

Quotes to Remember

• “You always remember him. You never forget him.” — Zenzkush [02:15]

• “When you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? He said it could be remember.” — President Ezra Taft Benson [03:45]

Additional Information

• Show Notes: https://followhim.co
• YouTube Channel: FollowHimOfficialChannel
• Instagram: @followhimpodcast
• Facebook: followhimpodcast

Note: The followHIM Podcast is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The views expressed are solely those of the guests and hosts.

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This episode of followHIM: A Come, Follow Me Podcast offers listeners a meaningful exploration of remembrance and salvation through a relatable and engaging story. By intertwining personal anecdotes with doctrinal insights, Hank Smith and John Bytheway provide a rich resource for individuals seeking to deepen their understanding and practice of their faith.

Transcript

[John]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to another Follow him. Favorites John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week's Come follow me. Lesson. John, we're in the Book of Moroni, which you have wrote a book on. I did Moroni, chapters one through six. So since you wrote the book on this, well, Moroni might say he wrote the book on this. Tell me what story you had in mind.

[Gerald Lund]

Well, I have a beautiful story about the sacrament. And I actually heard it at a CES symposium years ago. They used to give you cassette tapes for those. And it was elder Gerald Lund, also brother Gerald Lund, who wrote the work in the Glory series. He said he had given a talk one time and somebody afterwards stopped him and said, I want you to read this magazine article. It's about the Atonement. He said, okay. He got this magazine and it was called Private Practice. It was a magazine for doctors and it was about rock climbing. And he thought, what in the world does rock climbing have to do with doctors, first of all, and with the Atonement? Maybe that's what doctors do when they can't get a tee time. They go rock climbing. But he said, I'm reading this article, it's about belaying. And he said, belaying is a system of climbing where two guys climb and you're attached to a partner and you go up to a certain height, you pound some instruments into the crevices of the rock so that they can hold not only your weight, but the weight of your partner. And then you look down and you say, you're on belay. And I remember hearing belay from Star Trek, you know, belay that order which, stop that or something. So I thought, oh, I think a belay is a stop or something. And he said that that's how they would ascend the mountain. One would climb and then stop and say, you're on belay. The other guy would climb. But somebody was always anchored to the rock and attached to each other so they could stop them if they fell.

[John]

John, I gotta tell you, this is not something I could do.

[Gerald Lund]

Pretty trusting.

[John]

Yeah.

[Gerald Lund]

He said that the rock climber that they interviewed was named Zenzkush. Like C, Z, E, N S. Kush. Some Zenz Kush was his name. Zenskush. When they interviewed him, he said, some of my best and worst experiences in rock climbing have been while belaying. He said, one time I slipped. I started to fall. It was a sheer rock face. I'm going down pretty fast. I ripped three supports, my belay supports, out of the rock. I started to drag my partner. And he said, my partner saved me with the strength of his outstretched arms, just holding on to the rock. And he said, he stopped me. I was upside down, about 10ft above the ground. Just like that. He was so funny, this Zenskush, this man. He said, how do you respond to somebody who just saved your life? He said, you give him a new climbing rope for Christmas and then listen to this, Hank. This is where you'll hear the sacrament in there. He said, no, you just remember him. You always remember him. You never forget him. That's when Brother Lun said, okay, I see why this is talking about the atonement and the sacrament. How do you respond to someone who saved your life with the strength of his arms? You always remember him. You never forget him. Sometimes when I hear the priest say that and always remember him, I think of someone who saved us from the fall.

[John]

Yeah, from the fall.

[Gerald Lund]

From the fall. Right. See? See how he worked that in there? Yeah.

[John]

John, isn't always remember him or remember him the only promise that's made in both sacrament prayers? Yeah.

[Gerald Lund]

The word remember and remembrance is in both of those. We've talked about this before, but President Kimball famously said, when you look in the dictionary for the most important word, do you know what it is? He said it could be remember. If you want a fun experience, watch for the remembers and the forgets in the Book of Mormon next time you go through.

[John]

Yeah. Remember to remember. I love it. That story gives me the you don't.

[Gerald Lund]

Want to go belaying anytime soon.

[John]

I will keep my feet on the ground. I just feel like being in the air is for the birds. That sounds scary to me. Well, we hope you'll join us on our full podcast. It's called Follow Him. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We're with Dr. Chalice Adams this week. She's an audiologist, John, and she talks to us about the ear and hearing loss and how to get your hearing back, and she relates that to wonderful lessons in these chapters. So come join us over there and then come back next week. We'll do another follow him favorite.