What Are Your Intentions With My Book? • followHIM Favorites • December 16 - 22 • Come Follow Me

Summary

Episode Summary: "What Are Your Intentions With My Book?" • followHIM Favorites • December 16-22 • Come Follow Me

Release Date: December 12, 2024
Hosts: Hank Smith & John Bytheway
Podcast: followHIM

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Introduction to followHIM Favorites

In this episode of followHIM Favorites, hosts Hank Smith and John Bytheway delve into a poignant story that underscores the importance of sincere intent when seeking spiritual truths. The discussion is anchored around Moroni’s promise from the Book of Mormon, specifically Moroni 10:4, which encourages individuals to seek divine confirmation through sincere prayer.

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Exploring Moroni’s Promise

Hank Smith begins by reflecting on Moroni’s promise, highlighting its frequent reference and the common understanding it holds among Latter-day Saints:

"Sometimes we say, oh, you just need to read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, and God will tell you if it's true. And it seems there's a lot more to it than that."
[00:02]

He emphasizes that understanding God’s mercy is integral to comprehending this promise fully.

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The Story of Bella: A Lesson in Sincerity

The core of the episode revolves around Hank's experience teaching seminary at Copper Hills High School, where a Danish exchange student named Bella captures the hearts of her classmates with her genuine spirit and enthusiasm. Despite the language barrier, Bella becomes beloved, engaging in light-hearted exchanges like her curiosity about Oreo milkshakes and Sour Patch Kids:

"Have you ever had an Oreo milkshake? ... Have you ever had Sour Patch Kids?"
[00:02 – 01:48]

Her integration into the class is seamless until she confronts a deeper spiritual question. As the next semester approaches, Bella continues her seminary studies, maintaining her cheerful demeanor and forming meaningful bonds, receiving personalized scriptures from her peers.

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Bella’s Quest for Truth

Towards the end of the year, Bella approaches Hank with a heartfelt question about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon:

"I've been praying about the Book of Mormon."
[03:XX]

Hank initially hesitates, unsure if Bella should pursue this line of inquiry without her family's support. However, when Bella insists she has her mother's blessing, they discuss her experience of prayer:

"I kneel down to pray and nothing happened. Am I broken, Rosemary?"
[04:03]

Hank reassures her that she is not broken and guides her through Moroni’s promise, emphasizing the need for sincere intent:

"If you will ask with a sincere heart, with real intent... what do you intend to do?"
[04:03]

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Understanding "Real Intent"

The conversation shifts to the concept of "real intent," a critical component of Moroni's promise. John Bytheway adds depth to this idea:

"Sometimes it involves some pretty huge changes in their lives."
[04:53]

They collaboratively explore what consequences and commitments come with accepting the truth of the Book of Mormon, discussing the challenges Bella would face, such as integrating her newfound faith into her life in Denmark and the potential social implications.

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Insights on Divine Mercy and Readiness

Hank reflects on Bella’s sincerity and the possibility that divine timing plays a role in spiritual confirmations:

"I think she was sincere. I think it was merciful that the Lord would not give her that answer at that time."
[04:53]

John concurs, suggesting that Bella might not have been ready to undertake the necessary commitments, highlighting the balance between divine mercy and personal readiness.

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Concluding Thoughts: The Importance of Intent

The hosts conclude by reiterating the significance of asking with sincere intent and being prepared to follow through with the commitments that such an answer entails:

"If you shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent... what's expected?"
[05:31]

They encourage listeners to reflect deeply on their own intentions and readiness when seeking spiritual truths, using Bella’s story as a compelling example.

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Final Reflections and Teasers

Before wrapping up, Hank expresses hope that Bella's journey might still lead her to join the church, emphasizing the ongoing nature of spiritual exploration. John adds a hopeful note about divine timing and individual readiness.

The episode concludes with an invitation to listeners to join the full followHIM podcast for more in-depth discussions, featuring guests like Dr. Anthony Sweatt, promising enriched insights and transformed understandings of scriptural chapters.

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Connect with followHIM:

• Show Notes: https://followhim.co
• YouTube: FollowHimOfficialChannel
• Instagram: instagram.com/followhimpodcast
• Facebook: facebook.com/followhimpodcast

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Note: The followHIM Podcast is not affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The opinions expressed represent the views of the guests and podcasters alone.

Transcript

[A]

Hello, everyone. Welcome to Follow Him Favorites. This is where John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week's lesson. John, we're almost done with the Book of Mormon. Our lesson this week is In Moroni, chapter 10, the last chapter in the Book of Mormon. We've made it quite a ways, and I have a story for you. It has to do with Moroni, chapter 10, verse 4. Most people know Moroni's promise, right? Something that comes up a lot. Sometimes we say, oh, you just need to read the Book of Mormon, pray about it, and God will tell you if it's true. And it seems there's a lot more to it than that. We look at God's mercy, ponder God's mercy, and then Moroni makes this statement. Ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true. And if you will ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, I have a story for you. It doesn't turn out as well as you'd hope, but it actually does, I hope, teach this lesson right. Way back when, I taught seminary at Copper Hills High School, if anybody knows where that is. Go Grizzlies. I was there for quite a few years. In this one year, we had a foreign exchange student come in from Denmark. Her name is Bella. And because Bella's host family, the daughter that was in the host family, about the same age as Bella, she took seminary. So Bella took seminary. I knew upfront this wasn't a matter of, let's try to convert this girl. So this particular seminary class of which she was a part of, they adored her, John. I mean, she's spoken kind of broken English. She was really fun. They said, bella, have you ever had an Oreo milkshake? And she says, what is that? Oh, we got to get her an Oreo milkshake, right?

[B]

Absolutely.

[A]

Have you ever had Sour Patch Kids? They're basically giving her diabetes. Everyone bought her a treat every time. Her friend in her host family, she would explain to her, what is a bishop, what is a deacon, what is Right? So there was a lot of that going on. And in fact, when the next semester came and her host family, their daughter, when she switched her schedule around, Bella decided to take seminary again. And this time, she wasn't with her friend. The class just loved her. They ended up giving her a set of scriptures with her name on it. Really beautiful experience. And I told them upfront, look, this is not about trying to convert Bella or asking her to be baptized. We can do none of that. She's 17 she's going to go home to Denmark. It's not allowed. And it's not really okay to do that without her family around. Towards the end of the year, she came into my office and she said, brother Smith, can I ask you a question? I said, sure, Bella. What's up? And she said, I've been praying about the Book of Mormon. And I, of course, said, oh, Bella, I don't know if you. If that's something that you should even be interested in or talking or thinking about. And she said, oh, don't worry. I've talked to my mom. She's okay with me praying about the Book of Mormon. I said, okay, okay. What's going on? And she said, I kneel down to pray and nothing happened. Said, okay, what's happening? And she said, I kneel down. I say, heavenly Father, is the Book of Mormon true? And nothing happened. Am I broken, Rosemary? And I said, yes, Bella, you are. No, just kidding. I didn't say that. We went through Moroni's promise. We got to this part about if you shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, John. I think she had a sincere heart. I think she really wanted to know. I think she loved these friends that she had made. Yeah. Now this real intent is a little bit different. I think it was the Holy Ghost. I hope it was the Holy Ghost. I said, bella, if you get your answer that you are after here, what do you intend to do? Do you intend to follow up with everything that comes with that answer?

[B]

That is the question.

[A]

It's a lot. She hadn't thought of that. She said, no, like what? And I said, well, I mean, you're going to go home to Denmark and the nearest Chapel is 45 minutes from your house, and you're going to have to tell your friends you joined this church. And she loved having coffee with her friends. And I said, that's probably something you're going to have to have a conversation about. There was just a lot. We kind of listed all the things that are awesome, would be really good for her, but are significant. Those are significant changes. She kind of looked sad and disappointed, and she said, brother Smith, I don't want to do those things, but I do want to know if the Book of Mormon is true. I think she was sincere. I think it's merciful that the Lord would not give her that answer at that time. Don't you think?

[B]

Yeah, maybe she wasn't ready for that. And that real intent, that's. That's something you might have to work up to. I really intend to follow what I'm told. Thankfully, there's stories of so many others who get to that point. I really intend to do what I'm told. And sometimes it involves some pretty huge changes in their lives. Yeah.

[A]

This girl was wonderful, John. Just a wonderful sweetheart. I do think she was sincere. We would ask anyone who is going to pray about the Book of Mormon to, I think, think about that question. Right, John? Okay. If I get this answer, what's expected?

[B]

What am I going to do? Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. Do I intend to follow through on.

[B]

All of that with everything that means?

[A]

I hope that was a little bit of an insight. Of course I wished that she would have joined the church. That's still maybe yet to happen. Yeah.

[B]

I think he will suit his mercies and maybe even his answers according to our conditions at the time. Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. 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. Anthony Sweatt this week and John, he changes this chapter almost entirely for us. Yeah, it's awesome. Come join us there and then come back next week. We'll do another Follow him favorites.