Hank Smith: 00:02 Hello and welcome to another FollowHIM Favorites. My name is Hank Smith. I’m here with the incredible John Bytheway. Welcome, John Bytheway.

John Bytheway: 00:09 Hi, Hank. Thank you.

Hank Smith: 00:10 We’re going to have a great FollowHIM Favorites today. You know the routine, John, we’re going to take on one question from this week’s lesson. We’re in the latter half of 2 Corinthians, and in the manual, this question comes up, “How have you found simplicity in Christ and his gospel?” Because often, John, there’s a lot, right?

John Bytheway: 00:31 Yeah.

Hank Smith: 00:31 As you get to know the scriptures and the church and the policies and doctrines, it can be a little bit overwhelming at times, but yet we’re supposed to find simplicity in it. So, how do you do that?

John Bytheway: 00:42 Well, we can get into our Sunday school classes or elders quorums, whatever, and really have some spirited discussions about this or that, or so many principles, so many doctrines. If only somebody would’ve just said, “Well, here’s the first principles and ordinances of the gospel.”

Hank Smith: 00:59 Here’s where you should start.

John Bytheway: 01:00 Thankfully, that Wentworth letter, Articles of Faith, Joseph Smith says, “Here’s the first principles,” and I just love it, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, faith in Christ. That is the first principle, second repentance. And then he gave us some ordinances, but when you get overwhelmed, go back to that. How’s my faith in Christ? And am I learning of him and listening to his words? Thankfully he said that it can be overwhelming.

Hank Smith: 01:28 I remember Elder Uchtdorf talking about airplanes. You might remember Elder Uchtdorf talking about airplanes at sometime, John, but he talked about turbulence. Do you remember this? He talked about turbulence and he said, “Often the best thing to do when things get turbulent as a pilot is to slow down,” just slow down a little bit, and I think that may be what we’re talking about here, to find simplicity and you’re feeling overwhelmed, slow down a little bit and come back to basic beliefs, and I like what you brought up with the Articles of Faith because you can start in Article of Faith 1, I believe in God, I believe in his Son, I believe in the Holy Ghost. I believe I can be saved through the atonement of Christ.

John Bytheway: 02:11 What’s that hymn, be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side? That’s faith in Christ. You’re, okay, I got you. Be still, know that I am God. All that other stuff, we’ll figure it out together, but start with first principles, I’m right here and I’m with you.

Hank Smith: 02:27 I love that, John, and we’ve talked about this many times on the podcast. The Lord says, “My role is to save and I am mighty to save-“

John Bytheway: 02:27 So good at it.

Hank Smith: 02:36 “… And I can do my own work.” I’m pretty good at this job. You can trust me.

John Bytheway: 02:40 You’re not, but I am, so rely on me because I got this. I got you and I got this.

Hank Smith: 02:46 And then try to learn all you can, try to experience all you can, but come back to the idea that I save.

John Bytheway: 02:53 I hope that’s a good answer, that’s simplicity.

Hank Smith: 02:56 That’s simplicity. I hope so too. We hope that you’ll join us on our full podcast. It’s called FollowHIM. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We’re with Dr. Joe Spencer this week and he is just a fabulous philosopher. I think you’ll love what he does with these chapters and then come back here next week and we’ll do another FollowHIM Favorites.