Podcast Summary: followHIM - Moses 7 Part 2 with Bro. Danny Ricks Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway | Guest: Danny Ricks
Episode Date: January 28, 2026

Overview

This episode continues the deep dive into Moses 7, focusing on Enoch’s visionary experience and the profound spiritual and emotional lessons drawn from it. Using personal stories, doctrinal insights, and candid discussion, Hank, John, and guest Danny Ricks explore Enoch’s journey, the reality of living in a fallen world, and the practical and sustaining power of focusing on Jesus Christ and our covenants. This conversation is meant to encourage Latter-day Saints in their study of Come, Follow Me, making the doctrine both accessible and applicable to their lives.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Enoch’s Vision: Darkness, Despair, and Divine Response

• Enoch’s Overwhelming Experience:
  • Enoch is shown the darkness and despair Satan spreads across the earth, which is an echo for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the world’s fallenness.
  • Danny: “This is not your everyday, I had a hard day. No, this is a racking of souls experience.” (00:05)
• Contrast Between Satan’s Laughter and God’s Tears:
  • While Satan laughs, God weeps, highlighting the empathy and sorrow of the Divine for humanity.
  • John: "He's down there looking up and then God looks down and weeps." (00:39)
• The Angelic Response:
  • When surrounded by darkness, God’s messengers testify of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, bringing hope and focusing Enoch (and listeners) on eternal truths.

2. Focusing on the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost

• President Nelson’s Counsel:
  • Real joy is tied less to circumstances, more to our focus on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the plan of salvation.
  • Danny: “The joy you feel in this life has little to do with the circumstances and everything to do with the focus.” (01:32)
• Life Application:
  • When overwhelmed—return to learning about and following the Father and Son; strive to emulate their example.

3. The Meridian of Time and the “Epic Moment” of Christ’s Atonement

• Definition of Meridian:
  • Drawing from the 1828 American Dictionary, “meridian” means the highest point, not just the midpoint.
  • Danny: "The coming of Jesus Christ . . . is certainly the high point or most important event of this world's existence." (03:02)
• Why Things Will Be Okay:
  • Despite the chaos, all hope is rooted in Jesus Christ. The atonement ensures eventual deliverance.
  • Danny: "Why is it going to be okay? It will be okay because of Jesus." (03:02)

4. The Emotional Roller Coaster: It’s Okay to Grieve and Struggle

• Enoch and Emotional Authenticity:
  • Enoch’s oscillation between ecstasy and sorrow validates our own ups and downs.
  • Danny shares a personal story (08:05) about losing his mother to cancer and learning comfort from scripture:
    • “I rejoice in that truth that's been given to me by my heavenly Father. But how beautiful it was for me to read Abinadi. Say, oh, death, where is thy sting? I will see her again.”
• Modeling Emotional Health:
  • Enoch’s tears, earth’s mourning, and eventual comfort through Christ—this is “normal” for covenant people.

5. Covenants and Restoration: The Path to Peace in a Fallen World

• God’s Promise to Enoch:
  • God “could not withhold” his covenant—He promises the ultimate redemption of the earth (51:00).
• The Restoration as a Source of Hope:
  • Enoch is granted peace by seeing the latter-day gathering and the promised rest for the earth.
  • Danny: "Prophets rejoice in your day. He showed Enoch our day. That brought Enoch peace." (11:03)
• The Lame Duck Presidency of Satan:
  • Even after Jesus’s victory, the world remains under Satan’s influence until Christ’s Second Coming.
  • Danny: "We're in the lame duck presidency of Satan." (16:58)

6. Gathering Israel Begins at Home

• The Practical Gathering:
  • Missionary and temple work are secondary; the most personal gathering happens within the home as parents gather their families.
  • Danny: "You are gathering Israel by being a diligent father and mother at home." (21:44)

7. Becoming Zion: Charity, Self-awareness, and Grace

• How Charity Grows:
  • It is both a spiritual gift and a result of recognizing our own need for grace.
  • Danny: “Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. Like, I'm clean. That's amazing to me. . . . When I realized I'm not a peach all the time either. . . . Instead of being like, they should be better, I think, Dad, been there.” (25:04-26:41)
• Focus on the Inner Transformation:
  • Jesus empowers us to become “of one heart and one mind” (Zion) through growth and covenants rather than enforcing it upon us.

8. Forgiveness, Compassion, and the Human Family

• President Uchtdorf’s Lesson:
  • “Help me not to judge those who sin differently than I do.” (27:53)
• Closer to God, Closer to Compassion:
  • John: “The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls.” (29:01)
• Understanding Each Other’s Struggles:
  • Quoting Marvin J. Ashton: “If we could look into each other's hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently...” (30:25)

9. Receiving Revelation: Real Desire over Box-Checking

• Genuine Engagement in Spiritual Practices:
  • Danny: “Anytime we do anything to check a box. It doesn't work. It doesn't work. It's gotta be real.” (33:38)
• Mercy and Weakness:
  • Elder Richard G. Scott: “Sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself.” (36:45)
  • God works compassionately with weakness—rebellion is the exception.

10. God’s Empathy and Sufficiency

• We Have Never Wept Alone:
  • Danny: “You've never wept alone. As alone as all of us have felt at some point in our lives, you have never wept alone.” (43:17)
• God’s Plan is Sufficient:
  • Joseph Smith (paraphrased): Jesus has made “ample provision” for the redemption of everyone—past, present, and future. (40:18-42:02)
• Mourning With Those That Mourn:
  • As covenant people, we practice being like Jesus by mourning and comforting as He does.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is not your everyday, I had a hard day. No, this is a racking of souls experience.”
  —Danny Ricks (00:05)

• “The joy you feel in this life has little to do with the circumstances and everything to do with the focus.”
  —Danny Ricks quoting President Nelson (01:32)

• “The coming of Jesus Christ to live in this mortal world, offering himself as an infinite sacrifice to bring about an infinite atonement, is certainly the high point or most important event of this world's existence.”
  —Danny Ricks (03:02)

• “If you're having a hard time, next time you're just having a good old fashioned cry, be like, hey, I'm like Enoch. Me and Enoch, we're just having a good cry. And life is hard. But Jesus lives.”
  —Danny Ricks (08:05)

• “We want the verse 62s more than we want the verse 49s... We are blessed with watchmen on the tower, so we are blessed out of our minds. Isn't it fascinating that the reprieve for Enoch was seeing what's going to happen in our day?”
  —Danny Ricks (16:58)

• “You may not feel like you've got this, but I've got this.”
  —John Bytheway, referencing God's message to Enoch (02:53)

• “When we recognize the mess that we are and how much I need Jesus, I think it's maybe a little easier to give grace to people as I see them needing Jesus too, because I'm like, oh, no, that's me too.”
  —Danny Ricks (25:15)

• “We all fall short of the glory of God.”
  —Danny Ricks (30:22)

• “If we could look into each other's hearts and understand the unique challenges each of us faces, I think we would treat each other much more gently, with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.”
  —Marvin J. Ashton, quoted by Danny (30:25)

• “He has made ample provision for their redemption. We're not getting by the skin of our teeth here.”
  —Hank Smith, summarizing Joseph Smith (40:18-42:02)

• “You've never wept alone.”
  —Danny Ricks (43:17)

• “He is patient. He is merciful. You'll be okay. And not because you're okay, but because He is so good.”
  —Danny Ricks (48:40)

• “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”
  —Danny Ricks (51:10)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Enoch confronts the darkness (00:05–01:32)
• Focus on the Father, Son, Holy Ghost (01:32–03:02)
• The Atonement: “Epic Moment” and why things will be okay (03:02–08:05)
• Personal story of loss and faith (08:05–10:40)
• Oscillating emotions—modeling mental health (10:40–13:10)
• Covenants, promises, restoration in the latter-days (13:10–16:58)
• Gathering Israel, starting at home (19:20–22:15)
• Discussion on charity and self-awareness (25:04–26:41)
• Forgiveness and compassion, avoiding comparison (27:53–29:39)
• The reality of God’s empathy; mourning with those that mourn (42:28–44:02)
• Consolation for those suffering, practical encouragement (47:54–49:59)
• Final sign-off and memorable closing statement (51:10)

Tone & Spirit

The podcast maintains a warm, faith-filled, and down-to-earth tone, blending scriptural insights with humor, empathy, and personal testimony. The hosts and guest frequently emphasize that the gospel is meant to comfort, empower, and be lived authentically—not just studied academically.

Final Messages

• Center your study, joy, and hope on Jesus Christ.
• It’s normal to feel up and down—so did Enoch.
• You are not alone in grief or struggle—God weeps and walks with you.
• The gospel and covenants offer real, sustaining power in a fallen world.
• Focus less on “box-checking” and more on real desire and engagement.
• Be gentle with yourself and others—everyone is working through something.

“Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. Turn to Him. Follow Him.”
—Danny Ricks (51:10–51:17)