Hank Smith: 00:00 Hello, everyone. Welcome to followHim favorites. My name is Hank Smith. I’m here with the incredible John, Bytheway, and the amazing Dr. Susan Easton Black. We’re here with followHim favorites: Doctrine and Covenants section 124. John, you know how this works. You get to pick one thing from our lesson this week to share.

John Bytheway: 00:21 Well, thanks Hank. This is a long section, but right towards the beginning, verse 15, the Lord says something to Hyrum Smith. He says something similar to George Miller in verse 20, but I just think, wow, how would it feel to be Hyrum and have the Lord say this? “‘Verily I say unto you. Blessed it is my servant, Hyrum Smith, for I, the Lord love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me,’ sayeth the Lord.”

John Bytheway: 00:46 And I just want to talk about the word “integrity” because it’s related to the word “integrated.” And I heard somebody say it like this once. For those of you who can see me, I’m holding my hand up here, my left hand, saying this is what we know is right. This is where we’re living, right?

John Bytheway: 01:04 And integrity, one definition, is to get your actions to come up to the level of your understanding, and then what you know, and what you do, we might say are integrated and that’s integrity. We are actually not only talking the talk, but walking the walk, and the Lord sees that in Hyrum. And I think what a compliment to say the integrity of his heart. Now, I want to be there where Hyrum is someday, so I got to work on getting my actions up to the level of my understanding. That’s why I like that verse.

Hank Smith: 01:39 Yeah, I think it was Gandhi who said, “Happiness is when, what you believe and what you live are the same.”

John Bytheway: 01:45 Happiness and integrity.

Hank Smith: 01:47 Yeah. My followHim favorite is in verse 60. This building is mentioned many times. Everyone knows… Most people know what the Nauvoo Temple is, but if you read the name Nauvoo House in verse 60, you might not know what this is. And it’s a resting place, “like a hotel,” the Lord says, “for the weary traveler” in verse 60, that he may contemplate the glory of Zion and the glory of this, the cornerstone thereof, right? And that they’re going to build the temple, but they need to build a hotel, and they get started building this hotel, but it never is completely finished.

Hank Smith: 02:24 Joseph is killed and the saints move west. And you might think, well, that was a prophecy that didn’t come true. There was no weary travelers that came to Nauvoo, and there were some during Joseph’s life, but now there are plenty of weary travelers who go to Nauvoo. I’ve been one of them. Many times. So sometimes we might think, oh, the Lord’s prophecy here, what he said wasn’t fulfilled, but it absolutely is.

Hank Smith: 02:50 Nauvoo is a place for many, many travelers. I think in our full podcast, Susan told us 330,000 visitors came to the re dedication, the open house of the Nauvoo temple. That is a fulfillment of the nations of the earth, coming to Nauvoo, a place for the weary traveler. All right, Susan. Dr. Susan Easton Black is here and she’s going to share with us her followHim favorite.

Dr. Susan Black: 03:18 Well, my followHim favorite is, basically, the opposite of John’s. I like your idea of integrity, but sometimes when you get the contrast, it’s pretty interesting. My favorite today is verse 84 and it’s about a man named Almon W. Babbit, and he is told by the Lord, “There are many things with which I am not pleased.” And then the Lord tells one of them, he said, “He setteth up a golden calf for the worship of the people,” meaning he’s choosing money over the Lord.

Dr. Susan Black: 03:55 And my favorite story of him illustrating this is that on June 26th, 1844, Joseph and Hyrum were in Carthage Jail, and visiting them is their uncle, John Smith. Joseph asked uncle John Smith to go find WW… This Almon W. Babbit who is an attorney by trade, and tell him that they would like him to defend them in a court of law, which they think this will be a court at that point.

Dr. Susan Black: 04:27 And when uncle John Smith comes to see Almon W. Babbit, he says to him,” Do you know, Joseph and Hyrum are in Carthage Jail?” And Babbit indicated he did, but then uncle John Smith says, “Oh, good.” He said, “I’ve come because they want you to defend them in a court of law.” At which point Almon W. Babbit says, “I’m sorry, uncle John. You’re too late. I’ve already been hired by the other side.”

Dr. Susan Black: 04:56 So the message to me is there are blessings, there are warnings, and just watch what you’re doing. Stay close to the center of the church. If you got the Achilles heel out there, if it is a golden calf or whatever it might be, choose the Lord. Don’t choose a false substitute that actually won’t bring you happiness. Choose integrity that John talked about. Go visit Nauvoo. We’ve all been weary travelers there, but would go back again in a heartbeat, right?

Hank Smith: 05:35 Absolutely. And feel the spirit of Joseph. I love that, Susan. I love the contrast between both of your followHim Favorites.

John Bytheway: 05:42 Susan, did I get that date right? June 26th, a day before the martyrdom, that happened?

Dr. Susan Black: 05:48 A day before the martyrdom. I mean, can you imagine? And you go, it was his time to rise up and be great and-

John Bytheway: 05:56 Right. Oh.

Hank Smith: 05:57 Ugh.

Dr. Susan Black: 05:59 -just didn’t.

Hank Smith: 06:00 I remember Elder Holland saying once, “Beware the scars of any battle of which you’ve been fighting on the wrong side.”

John Bytheway: 06:07 On the wrong side, yes.

Dr. Susan Black: 06:10 Great, great statement.

Hank Smith: 06:11 Well, we are grateful for Dr. Susan Easton Black being with us, and we hope you’ll join us on our full podcast. You can get it wherever you get your podcasts. Come on over and you’ll be able to learn so much from her, but if not, please join us next week for followHim favorites.