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A
Hello. Welcome to Follow him favorites. This is where John and I share a single story to go with each week's lesson. John, we are in section 58 and 59. The Saints get to Missouri. The Lord says something to them that I want to read to you. I want to tell you a story about how I learned this lesson that's in this verse. It's section 58, verse 3. The Lord is saying, I know that you think this is going to work out perfectly, but hold on. You cannot behold with your natural eyes, your human eyes, the design of your God concerning what's coming up, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation. The Lord basically is saying, look, you can't see what I see.
B
I've got the big picture.
A
When things get hard, it's okay. I learned this lesson, John, with a new technology. You might remember it. It was called TiVo. Do you remember TiVo?
B
Yeah. It was like a VCR, but it was digital.
A
You could record live television and you could rewind it right there before you could put a cassette tape in and you could record a show and then later go watch it. But this was. It's recording as it's happening, and then right in the middle of the show. Sure, I can pause the show, pick it up later. This was huge, John. I don't think the young people out there understand the trials we went through before.
B
Yeah, we went through the VHS years.
A
We suffered through commercials. Do you remember commercials?
B
Oh, kids see those now on YouTube. And they're like, dad, what happened? The TV broke. You know, that's called a commercial.
A
Commercials, if you remember, John, they always came at the wrong moment in the show. The part where it's just a cliffhanger. The guy's got the knife, he's coming after the other guy. Then we all knew you had two and a half minutes to go make popcorn, go to the bathroom. We all knew it. John, did you ever call it when you were watching a show, as it was getting up to this moment, you're like, commercial, commercial. I guarantee it. Commercial. And it would. It would go to commercial.
B
I watch really old shows. If you're watching sometimes you see a white circle go, boop, blip onto the film. It's a mark for the film to stick a commercial in. So if you watch Andy and Barney and Mayberry, you know when a commercial's coming.
A
I don't even think the youth today understand how hard it was to watch one episode a week.
B
You have to wait.
A
Yeah, you had to wait until next week. My students they watch entire season. One day, they binge watch. What would we have given? TiVo comes out. I can't afford TiVo when it comes out. But my buddy, Lynn Bowler, he could afford TiVo. He said, do you want to come over and watch Utah Jazz basketball with me? That's also been much tribulation, by the way. I said, yeah. He says, what we'll do is I'll put it on TiVo. We can start the game late. We can fast forward through all the commercials. Amazing. We're watching the Jazz game, John. This was a playoff game. If the Jazz lost, they would be done for the season. We're fast forwarding through the commercials and watching. Fast forwarding through the commercials. The second half starts. This was not looking good, John. The Jazz were going down. They were down by double digits. They're down by 15 or 16 point. The crowd for the other team is so happy. They're high fiving each other. I'm starting to weep. I just can't do this. Can't have the Jazz break my heart again. We get to this point where it goes to a commercial. Lynn pauses the game runs out of the room. He's going to go do something. I don't know what it was. He had a quick errand, he needed a run. I don't know. His wife Haley says, oh, we can fast forward through the commercials, get it ready. When he gets back, we can start it again. But instead of hitting fast forward through the commercials, she hit the live TV button. You got to see the game where it actually was. Well, right when she hits the live TV button, the game had ended not two seconds before. There's the Jazz. They are jumping up and down because there's the final score. The Jazz had won by three points. She's. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. She hurried and went back to where it was. She said, you didn't see that. Yes, I did. She said, well, don't tell Lynn. She and my wife left. They know the end. I'm sitting there. Lynn comes back and he said, hey, where'd Hayley and Sarah go? I said, oh, I think they're going to go do something else. He said, oh, they think it's over. Sort of something like that. He started the game again and they're. The Jazz were down by 16. The other team is. Fans are cheering so loud. The other team is so excited to be up by that much. He looks over at me, Lynn, and he says, so, who do you think's gonna win? And I remember thinking something like, yeah, I got a pretty good feeling. I got a pretty good feeling. And he said, you really think so? I said, yeah, I don't know. I don't know. Some people have told me, john, you should have bet him. I can't do that. He was my friend. Plus he was my bishop. Can you imagine when he's like, are you honest in your dealings with your. But, John, when the game was on, I remember being so calm. I think the Jazz went down even further. I just was calm as a summer's day. He's looking at me going, you seem okay. Before, I was yelling at the TV and crying. I said, I just feel good about this. I feel fine about it. And John, it happened exactly as I had prophesied. The Jazz slowly came back, hit a bunch of threes in a row. Pretty soon the game is over. Just as I had foreseen, they won by three. I remember watching the opposing team's fans cheering towards the end of the game. I almost felt badly for them, oh, this is all going to turn around on you. You're not going to feel good in here in a few minutes. I ended up telling Lynn. We laughed about it. I went home and I talked to Sarah and I said, I think the Lord just taught me, using TiVo, how he sees us. Because you don't get a lot of panic from him. You don't get him yelling at us in our lives, saying, what are you doing? What are you thinking? Maybe John, because he knows the end. You cannot see what I see. You cannot behold for the present time the design of your God. When we go to the Lord and say, lord, I don't think this is going to work out. We get back from him, be still, know that I am God. We can trust he's seen the end.
B
Great analogy when we think about in the midst of tribulation, before the second Coming. But we know how this is all going to turn out. We can watch things unfold in a calmer way.
A
Trust that he sees the end. The Lord has the Earth on TiVo.
B
Maybe we can even look up and go, are you seeing this?
A
Are you fast forwarding through this part? I wish I was. 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 are with sister Whitney Johnson this week. She is phenomenal. She brings in some expertise that John and I just don't have. You're going to love what she does with these sections. Then come back next week. We'll do another Follow him. Favorites. SA.
God Has the Earth on TiVo • followHIM Favorites • June 2-8 • Come Follow Me
Release Date: May 29, 2025
In this episode of the followHIM Podcast, hosts Hank Smith and John Bytheway explore sections 58 and 59 of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ Come, Follow Me curriculum. These sections chronicle the Saints' journey to Missouri, emphasizing the theme of trust in God's overarching plan amidst trials and tribulations.
Hank opens the discussion by highlighting a pivotal scripture:
“[00:03] Hank Smith: 'You cannot behold with your natural eyes... the design of your God concerning what's coming up, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.'”
This verse sets the foundation for understanding how believers are encouraged to maintain faith despite not fully comprehending God’s immediate plans.
To elucidate the scripture's message, Hank introduces an analogy involving TiVo, a groundbreaking digital video recorder of its time.
“[00:45] Hank Smith: 'I learned this lesson, John, with a new technology. You might remember it. It was called TiVo. Do you remember TiVo?'”
John responds by reminiscing about TiVo's functionality:
“[00:56] John Bytheway: 'Yeah. It was like a VCR, but it was digital.'”
Hank elaborates on the advantages TiVo brought to television viewing, such as the ability to record live shows, pause, rewind, and skip commercials—features that significantly enhanced the viewing experience.
“[01:00] Hank Smith: 'You could record live television and you could rewind it right there before you could put a cassette tape in and you could record a show and then later go watch it.'”
Through this technological lens, Hank draws a parallel to spiritual insight, suggesting that just as TiVo allows viewers to see the entire show without missing critical moments, God sees the complete picture of our lives beyond our limited perspective.
To bring this analogy to life, Hank shares a heartfelt personal story involving a Utah Jazz playoff game and the use of TiVo.
“[01:24] Hank Smith: 'We went through the VHS years. We suffered through commercials... kids see those now on YouTube.'”
He recounts how TiVo enabled him and his friend Lynn to fast-forward through commercials during a tense basketball game, providing a semblance of control and reducing anxiety.
“[02:25] Hank Smith: 'My buddy, Lynn Bowler, he could afford TiVo. He said, do you want to come over and watch Utah Jazz basketball with me?... We can fast forward through the commercials.'”
As the game intensifies with the Jazz trailing by 16 points, the hosts describe the mounting tension and the eventual turnaround where the Jazz clinch a three-point victory. Hank reflects on his calm demeanor during the game's climax:
“[03:45] Hank Smith: 'I just feel good about this. I feel fine about it.'”
Despite the seemingly dire situation, Hank's unwavering faith mirrors the trust believers are encouraged to have in God's plan, even when immediate circumstances appear bleak.
Drawing from his experience, Hank extrapolates the significance of maintaining trust in God's unseen plans:
“[06:35] John Bytheway: 'Great analogy when we think about in the midst of tribulation, before the Second Coming... but we know how this is all going to turn out. We can watch things unfold in a calmer way.'”
Hank encapsulates the lesson with a compelling statement:
“[06:51] Hank Smith: 'Trust that he sees the end. The Lord has the Earth on TiVo.'”
This metaphor serves as a powerful reminder that, much like TiVo captures the entirety of a game, God comprehensively understands and oversees the progression of our lives, ensuring that ultimate outcomes align with His divine purpose.
As the episode nears its end, Hank and John emphasize the importance of adopting a perspective of trust, especially during challenging times. They preview upcoming content featuring Sister Whitney Johnson, who brings additional expertise to their discussions, enriching the listeners' understanding and application of the Come, Follow Me lessons.
The hosts encourage listeners to embrace the calm assurance that comes from trusting in God's broader vision, even when immediate circumstances seem uncertain or unfavorable.
“[00:03] Hank Smith: 'You cannot behold with your natural eyes... the design of your God concerning what's coming up...'”
“[01:31] Hank Smith: 'Commercials always came at the wrong moment in the show... you had two and a half minutes to go make popcorn...'”
“[03:45] Hank Smith: 'I just feel good about this. I feel fine about it.'”
“[06:35] John Bytheway: 'Great analogy when we think about in the midst of tribulation, before the Second Coming...'”
“[06:51] Hank Smith: 'Trust that he sees the end. The Lord has the Earth on TiVo.'”
Trust in Divine Insight: Just as TiVo allows viewers to see the entire arc of a show, believers are encouraged to trust that God has a complete understanding of their life's trajectory.
Calm Amidst Tribulation: Maintaining faith during challenging times can lead to a sense of peace, mirroring how Hank remained calm during the playoff game's intense moments.
Perspective Over Present Circumstances: Recognizing that current struggles are part of a larger divine plan helps in navigating life's ups and downs with resilience and hope.
Embracing Technological Analogies: Using relatable technology like TiVo can effectively illustrate and simplify complex spiritual concepts, making them more accessible to a broader audience.
This episode of followHIM provides a rich and engaging exploration of trust, perspective, and divine timing, all through the relatable analogy of TiVo technology. Whether you're preparing for your weekly Come, Follow Me lesson or seeking fresh insights to enrich your spiritual journey, Hank and John's discussion offers valuable lessons on embracing faith amidst life's unpredictable moments.