John Bytheway:               00:01                   And now onto part two of Moses seven with Danny Ricks.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            00:06                   I love John that you brought us over to verse 26. Verse 26 is startling. We’ve mentioned multiple times the response that Enoch is having. This is not your every day I had a hard day. No this is a racking of soul’s experience and if you saw what he saw, you would be as startled, apprehensive,

John Bytheway:               00:27                   haunted,

Bro. Danny Ricks:            00:28                   haunted. And he beheld Satan and he had a great chain in his hands and it veiled the whole face of the earth with darkness. And he looked up and laughed.

John Bytheway:               00:40                   He’s down there looking up and then God looks down and weeps.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            00:46                   It is incredible. Look at the response. ’cause remember, right, we’re having our souls racked. We’re crying. Hank was crying earlier. How do I get through this? Look at the response in 27 and Enoch beheld angels descending out of heaven. And look at what they do. They bear testimony of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost fell on many and they were caught up by the powers of heaven in Zion. What’s God’s response? Forget everything. Focus on the right things. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. The Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost. President Nelson, the joy you feel in this life. Yes, it’s a fallen world. Yes, there’s a chain. Yes. Satan is laughing. If you don’t believe me, go and watch the news. Do we still sing that song in primary, right? Follow the prophet.

                                           01:34                   It’s a messed up fallen world. Yet the joy you feel in this life has little to do with the circumstances and everything to do with the focus. President Nelson mentions three things, heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, their gospel and the plan of salvation. What did the angels do when Satan’s laughing? This scornful haunting obviously has an effect on Enoch. The angels come down and be like, you don’t need to worry because the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost fell on many. And what does the Holy Ghost do better than anybody? Testifies of the Father and Son. So if you’re feeling overwhelmed, I have all these challenges. Focus on the Father and the Son. Go learn about them. Learn who they are, learn what they’re about. Then strive to live after their manner. That’s what we covenant to do. We’re riffing off of that third covenant in the Endowment, the law of the gospel. Love God, love your neighbor. And the doctrine of Jesus Christ.

John Bytheway:               02:31                   The youth theme is walk with me. I’ve said this before, but I love it when Moses says, I am slow speech and of a slow tongue. When Enoch says I’m but a lad and the people hate me. God doesn’t say, you’re great, you’re awesome, you’re, he just says, I’ll be with you. I’ll be with you. I will be with you. So walk with me.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            02:50                   Less to do with you and everything to do with Him.

John Bytheway:               02:53                   Exactly. You may not feel like you’ve got this, but I’ve got this. And what did Brad Wilcox say, you’ve got this ’cause he’s got you. So walk with me.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            03:03                   Let’s pause for a moment and realize I want everybody that’s ever been hurt. Everybody that’s ever been scared, anybody that’s ever felt apprehension about life, the future, anybody that’s cried out to the heavens that life isn’t fair. I think we probably got everybody. You’re Enoch. That is who Enoch is in this chapter. He’s seeing what God sees before him and he can barely handle it. John was mentioning before, but let’s look actually back at verse 30 for a moment. Were it possible that a man could number the particles of the earth, yea millions of earth like this. It would not be a beginning to the number of thy creations, not even a number. And thy curtains are stretched out still, yet thou art there and thy bosom is there and also thou art just and art merciful and are kind forever.

                                           03:59                   Like Enoch is his mind, his paradigm is expanding. 31 And thou hast taken Zion to thine own bosom, from all thy creations, from all eternity to all eternity; and naught but peace, justice, and truth is the habitation of thy throne; and mercy shall go before thy face and have no end; He goes, how can you cry when you have all of this? It is overwhelming him. He’s heartbroken. The world’s crying in 49. And when Enoch heard the earth mourn and he wept. He keeps being overwhelmed. He’s like, I can’t even handle this. I can’t even feel a drop in the ocean of the intensity of God’s feelings when I have even this small little fallen world glimpse of it I am overwhelmed. Lord, help me. How can I? Show me. How can I have peace? We’ve already talked about it. We riffed off of 27. What did the angels do? Testified of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost fell on their hearts and witnessed of the Father and the Son.

                                           05:04                   Verse 46. And the Lord said, it shall be in the meridian of time in the days of wickedness and vengeance. Oftentimes we correlate meridian of time to middle. But Bruce Satterfield teaches this in the 1828 American Dictionary of the English language. Joseph Smith owned a copy of this dictionary, has several definitions for the word meridian, one of which states quote the highest point as the meridian of life. Using this definition, we could understand that 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. But it is not only the meridian of our world’s existence, but it is the meridian of eternity. When Enoch states in 46, the Lord said, it shall be in the meridian of time. This is the epic moment. Jesus Christ is the epic moment, not just of our world, but of the eternities.

                                           06:06                   It is not only the meridian of of our world’s existence, but it is the meridian of eternity. Again, Enoch’s overwhelmed. You are overwhelmed. Your stress, life is hard, it’s fallen, et cetera. What does Jesus show him? 47 and behold, Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of man. Why is it gonna be okay? Because of Jesus Christ. Everybody that’s listening, the problems that you have, why is it gonna be okay? It will be okay because of Jesus. He saw the coming of the Son of man even in the flesh. And notice what happens in Enoch. Enoch’s on this emotional rollercoaster and his soul rejoiced. He was in depression, he was in anxiety. And all of a sudden, right, he’s coming out, oh, why will this be okay? Because of our Savior, because of our Redeemer who redeems me from the Fall. Let’s not forget that correlation, right?

                                           07:04                   I’m not redeemed for redemption’s sake. I am redeemed from the Fall. His soul of joy saying quote, this is so beautiful. The Righteous is lifted up. I love that title. For him, the Righteous is lifted up, the righteous and the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world. And through faith, I am in the bosom of the Father and behold, Zion is with me. He’s the only way. It’s everything he is. So my mom got sick. Again my mom got cancer when I was in middle school. Those are memories. Rubbing your mom’s back while she’s throwing up because of chemo and stuff. Those are shaping ones. But she beat it. But it came back while I was on my mission in North Carolina. Tough stuff. She made it till I got home. So I got home in 2002, October, 2002. She passed away in February. And I remember being distraught, heavy semester, 18 credits, right?

                                           08:00                   I just had a shoulder surgery too. I mean, it was one of those hellacious experiences. The day after my mom passed away, I remember waking up in my apartment at BYU Idaho, going to the Word I just happen to be. Of course there’s no coincidences in the gospel of Jesus Christ. And Abinadi teaches me about the resurrection of Jesus. Woke up thinking about her. All those things that when we lose loved ones, oh, I hadn’t met my sweetheart yet. I remember like, oh, she won’t know my wife. She won’t know my kids. Even though I understand, I know she knows them. Of course I do and I’m rejoicing that I’m rejoicing 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.

                                           08:50                   We mourn, we cry. And it’s appropriate to do so. If you are 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, he’s not a picture on a wall. He truly broke the bands of death. He truly is our Redeemer, our Savior. He is the Only Begotten Son of God. So when Enoch is reading this and he goes, the Righteous is lifted up, the Lamb is slain from the foundation of the world and through faith, I am in the bosom of the Father. Look where that peace comes from. Right through Jesus Christ. He gets to the Father. The Lamb is slain from the foundation and through faith, I’m in the bosom of the Father and behold, Zion is with me.

                                           09:40                   Zion isn’t something that Jesus does to you. Zion is with me ’cause I am. I am Zion. I am with Him. I’m bound. I’m covenanted with him. I’m covenanted with him. This really is a rollercoaster ride. It’s not over. You could have put a period right there and ended it right and you’d be like, that was the most incredible chapter. But then Enoch notices then he is like, what is that noise? Oh, earth is bawling its eyes out. Earth is crying. Look at 49. And when Enoch heard the earth mourn, he’s back to crying. It’s okay. It’s okay. When you’re having these hard things that you, you have these respite moments, these balm of Gilead moments where I’m okay right now. I might not be okay tomorrow I might wake up and be sad again. I might still be heartbroken. And he gives us these brief reprieves that come through faith, especially when we’ve received our endowment of power from God through the temple, right?

                                           10:40                   He’s enabled me, enobled me even to bear life’s burdens better. That’s why this hesed love that President Nelson taught us so beautifully about like go and make covenants so you can access a greater portion of what Jesus Christ has for you. But it’s okay to still struggle the next morning. Enoch has this beautiful moment and then is back to crying in 49. I always say this to myself. I should know better. I should know better. I know the right answer because I know the right answer I should be okay. But yet what I’m feeling is still real. My emotions are real. Feelings aren’t bad necessarily. They are what they are. They are. They’re manifestations of where you’re at right now. Anxiety. Yeah, you’re anxious. Anger. Yeah ’cause this, this, they’re not bad in and of themselves. You are gonna use your agency through these feelings.

                                           11:34                   But he continues. Look at 50 and it came to pass that Enoch continued his cry unto the Lord saying, I ask thee, oh Lord, in the name of thine Only Begotten, even Jesus thou wilt have mercy upon Noah and his seed and the earth might never, please don’t flood it again. I can’t imagine how horrible it would be to see that. You would have no heart if you did not respond similarly to Enoch. It’s okay to have a good cry about the state of things in your life, in the world. Enoch’s modeling this for us. And then a beautiful phrase. I believe the first time this word is used in scripture on a side note, 51. And the Lord could not withhold and he covenanted with Enoch and the Lord could not withhold. No, I can’t. I’m gonna covenant with you. Then what does he do right?

                                           12:28                   Like he was super high. He was doing good. He was in the bosom of the Father. Then reality, the Fall, all these things come back into his place. God won’t. And he said, I will stay the floods in 51 and then some beautiful language, some restoration. He starts showing us glimpses of the restoration. Why will it be okay? Because of the restoration. I think that’s a really valuable lesson for us too, because we can throw ourselves pity parties, we can lament the state of mankind, et cetera. And God’s like, are you kidding me? Prophets rejoice in your day. He showed Enoch our day, that brought Enoch peace. Verse 61, the day shall come that the earth shall rest because Enoch’s like, please, please be kind to the earth. When will the earth be redeemed? The day shall come that the earth shall rest. But before that day, the heavens are gonna be darkened.

                                           13:23                   Veil of darkness shall cover. Guys nothing’s wrong with your life. You’re just in a fallen world like, Hey, I’m trying to be good. Why isn’t this working out? The answer is the Fall. Like Jesus is like, no, no, the program is what we signed up for. This is the plan of mercy and happiness and joy in this plan of salvation. The plan to redeem fallen beings to quote Brigham again, 61, the heavens will be dark and the veil of darkness covers the earth. The heavens shall shake and also the earth and great tribulation shall be among the children of men. Then that wonderful word, but. But’s a great word in scripture. But my people will I preserve. Yet it is everywhere. My people, I preserve, my people. So says Jesus. My people are his covenant people. Those who have made and kept sacred covenants with him.

                                           14:11                   There’s power in these covenants. Guys, we don’t have a monopoly on so many things. We don’t have a monopoly on good people. We don’t have a monopoly on good words and teachings of God. I love our Muslim friends, our Buddhist friends. Sikhism is amazing. They’re so service-minded. I love all this. What do I have to offer? Covenants through priesthood authority. It has been restored to the earth so that we can have what we can have. This peace, this covenantal relationship with him. He continues 62, my people will I preserve. Righteousness will I send down out of heaven and truth will I send forth out of the earth. There’s so many different things that these could be by the way, but certainly Restoration, Book of Mormon, oh, I love this part. I sent forth out of the earth to bear testimony of, again, testimony, the same thing.

                                           15:01                   The angels bore testimony of mine Only Begotten his resurrection from the dead yea and also the resurrection of all men and righteousness and truth will I cause. He’s so good. He goes, I won’t flood the earth. Actually I will, but it will be. With this I’ll sweep the earth as with a flood to gather out mine elect from the four corners of the earth unto a place that I’ll prepare. The holy city. What brought peace to Enoch is our day. We have everything we need in this life to have peace, joy, comfort is through focus. The right focus again to quote President Nelson. Little to do with the circumstances and everything to do with the focus. Enoch is having an absolute mess. What can he do? Please, God, please. It’s gonna be okay. Enoch keeps wanting to know how would the movie’s gonna turn out?

                                           15:56                   And it keeps progressing and he is like, oh, good. Jesus is on the cross it’s gonna be okay. Wait a second. It’s not okay. Even though Jesus broke the bands of death, I mean tune in everybody. Jesus died and was resurrected and we’re still a mess. We’re in the lame duck presidency of Satan. I had a friend say that once. Yes, Jesus conquered, but he doesn’t take over until His Second Coming. We’re in the lame duck presidency of Satan. What happens in a lame duck presidency for those that are not from America? I’ll just briefly touch on this. It’s when a president doesn’t get elected or is done with his two terms and he has from the November election to January and they kind of go wild and they don’t have to appease people anymore. This is it. I’m gonna do what I wanna do. Sometimes they try to do legacy things.

                                           16:43                   I’m gonna try to push this initiative through. It’ll be my legacy. Or they pardoned everybody and their dog. Right, because we’re just gonna keep going. They go wild. Welcome to Satan. Even though Enoch saw Jesus, he’s like, oh, it’s gonna be fine ’cause I just saw Jesus raised on the cross talking about Good Friday, he’s gonna redeem me. He doesn’t say it’s finished until he is on the cross, but then whoa, it’s still messy. Then Enoch’s like, I’m sad again. What’s gonna happen? He’s like, easy. The latter days, the latter days, 62. Righteousness will I send down out of heaven. Truth will I send forth out of the earth and dial into this. Let’s take a moment too. We’re blessed with prophets.

                                           17:29                   We’re blessed with prophets. If we haven’t taken the opportunity, and I think that’s the right word, opportunity to go and study the words of prophets, seers and revelators to see. They’re going to give us counsel on how to make our lives so we’re not Enoching all over the place. President Oaks, last conference, talk about the family. My family has been blessed because we have tried to implement his counsel. Things changed in the Rick’s household, tighten things up. Our focus, we dialed it in again, we tried to rivet more on the gospel of Jesus Christ and time and we’re at a stage where it’s on. It’s on in the Rick’s house. People are running into sports. I have a junior in college. I’ve got a junior in high school. I have five kids in five different schools in Rexburg. It’s on right now. President Oaks has taught me how to have peace, how to have comfort. Go study that talk if you haven’t in a while. If right now you’re like, what did he even talk about? That means you better go listen to it again and listen to the promptings from the Holy Ghost on how you can help you and your family have this peace ’cause we want the verse 62s more than we want the verse 49s. It will make our lives easier. Righteousness sent down from out of heaven. 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 gonna happen in our day?

Hank Smith:                      19:02                   I think Moses seven, much like a lot of the things Joseph Smith gives us, speaks to the human experience, the ups and downs, the I believe, the I’m discouraged. I’m down. Oh no wait, I feel strengthened and then what’s gonna happen is the word it resounds with me. It speaks to me.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            19:21                   Yeah, and it’s interesting ’cause right now we’re like, okay, I have everything I need to have joy through Jesus Christ. Right now, Jesus actually doesn’t end there because, it’s still hard. 65 and it came to pass that Enoch saw the day of the coming of the Son of man in the last days to dwell on the earth in righteousness for the space of a thousand years. The millennium is one of the greatest gifts God gives us that we don’t really think about very much. This is when earth and man gets its first real reprieve. Its first real reprieve from the Fall. Jesus comes, he takes his proper place as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He’s our King. That beautiful, beautiful millennium and we’re getting closer ’cause we’re in the last. It’s the Church of Jesus Christ of last day’s Saints. That’s what we’re a part of.

                                           20:11                   He’s so grateful, so grateful for it and the knowledge that we have of it. Look at 62. We are actively engaged in the gathering of Israel. If we keep going, right after he sweeps the earth as with a flood, we like to pause there ’cause it’s such a beautiful imagery, but look at what happens to gather out mine elect. It’s the gathering from the four quarters of the earth. And let’s not forget too. In fact, we need to give them a shout out. Absolutely when you think gathering, picturing wonderful Elders and Sisters all around the world, wearing name tags is the gathering of Israel and we rejoice in that. On that same note, temple and family history, engage in it. Get into Family Search. Go to the temple, make an appointment with the Lord in the temple and keep that appointment and go and redeem. But let’s also not forget those two are, if the best way of gathering doesn’t work the way it’s supposed to, it’s the family.

                                           21:09                   My wife and I are gathering God’s children. I have five that are within my home and I’m gonna do my best to gather them to God. If that doesn’t work out in the world, then we send out missionaries and if we, the missionaries don’t get ’em before they pass away, then we’ll do temple work. Those are the tertiary, those are the secondary ways to gather. If you are in your family right now, if you’re a mom or a dad listening to this and you’re like, oh man, when’s the last time I gave a Book of Mormon? Don’t get me wrong, I hope you give as many people Books of Mormon as you can, but you are gathering Israel by being a diligent father and mother at home. The greatest gathering that can be done, the most personal, I don’t forget my family, the world might forget it. Someone on a church directory might not know a family member of mine because maybe they’re not on that covenant path. I will never forget them. I love them. I pray for them. I put their names in the temple. I reach out because they’re mine. That’s gathering.

John Bytheway:               22:16                   I’m trying to think of the other examples of prophets who had a vision like this that they saw the whole thing. Nephi, Moses, Brother of Jared, and it was the answer to this Enoch-like question, what’s going on? God shows them the whole thing. There’s great comfort in knowing that. What you’ve kind of showed us today, Danny, is why do we get to be here in the latter days? It’s exciting, motivating a little bit like, whoa, am I living up to my privileges here? I got sent in these latter days, which is, what did you just say Danny? The answer to Enoch’s question was, look, it’s all gonna turn out. Look what’s happening toward the end and we get to be here? Sobering.

Hank Smith:                      23:05                   I read this chapter, it’s like a really great movie. Things are up and down and up and down and things are really dark and you’re thinking it’s over. It’s very similar to Jacob 5, we’re working, we’re striving. Then it tanks. The whole thing’s bad. We’re not gonna recover. And then there’s this redemption. Hollywood can’t match stuff like this. This is just beautiful storytelling.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            23:32                   So grateful, grateful for Enoch, grateful for the prophet Joseph, grateful for God loving us enough to restore scripture and truth to us so that we can be what he needs us to be. And when we think about chapter seven, most people really dial into 18 and appropriately so. Yeah, a hundred percent. And the Lord called his people Zion because they were of one heart, one mind, dwelt in righteousness and there was no poor among them. How can we get there? We get there through Jesus Christ. He helps us become that. He’s not gonna do it to us. It’s such a fascinating growing and learning experience that our heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have created for us. They want us to do it and learn and grow. We’re supported and sustained through them and their goodness and their love and their grace and their mercy that makes it possible to have any semblance of joy in this world. Jesus is the answer.

Hank Smith:                      24:29                   We talk about Zion and loving God and loving your neighbor. I really do love God. I sincerely, genuinely love God. It grows and grows. Loving my neighbor is a little bit harder. You are someone who genuinely loves. You don’t seem like someone and I haven’t seen it at all who gets jealous. Who tries to tear anyone down. I just haven’t seen it. How do I get that way? How do I get there?

Bro. Danny Ricks:            25:05                   Good question. Two things popped into my mind. One, I believe that heavenly Father has blessed me with it. So that’s one. It’s a spiritual gift, a spiritual gift. Two, I am really aware of the mess that I am, maybe overly self-aware of the mess that I am and 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 ’cause I’m like, oh no, what? That’s me too. That’s me too. President Eyring said that gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity, the pure love of Christ. Like I am clean. That’s amazing to me. Like I am a new creature in Jesus Christ. I am not what I was. I was having a conversation recently with my friend and he goes, I don’t even want people to think of me as the person I was in my forties. He’s now in his fifties.

                                           26:11                   I’m not that person. I’ve repented, I’ve changed. I am overwhelmingly grateful to my Savior for cleansing me. I’m redeemed. Gratitude for the remission of sins is the seed of charity. When I realize I’m not a peach all the time either. So when if I see someone that’s not being what they should be, instead of being like they should be better. I think I’ve been there. I do that. Yeah, I do that so seriously more than most. I’m weak, but he is strong and he forgives me. I can’t imagine people that don’t know this. This is why we have to share it with the world, the joy that comes from being cleansed by Jesus Christ. The joy that comes from knowing that I’m forgiven. That’s not me. Twas I but tis not I, like, it’s not who I am. I’m me this time and I’m gonna be a heck of a lot better tomorrow, or at least in a week or a year more. By the time I graduate from this life, I have an eternity in Jesus. I’ll be okay.

Hank Smith:                      27:17                   John. I picture Danny as the brother. When the prodigal son comes home, Danny like passes the father on the way to the son. Right? I’m getting there first. Hug him before you can.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            27:29                   Smoke the brisket. Let’s do this. Any excuse to party?

Hank Smith:                      27:33                   John, you’re very similar.

John Bytheway:               27:35                   I’d love to be like Danny.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            27:37                   You guys are kind. You guys are kind.

Hank Smith:                      27:40                   I’ve rarely, John, I think it’s almost never I’ve seen you get upset with someone or talk badly about them. Why is that for you? Is that a thing from your childhood? Is that, what’s your mindset there?

John Bytheway:               27:53                   I was thinking of the Lord’s Prayer as Danny was talking. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. I was thinking of President Uchtdorf, help me not to judge those who sin differently than I do. Just that reciprocity thing. If I want forgiveness, I’ve gotta forgive. And you know what brothers? I want forgiveness.

Hank Smith:                      28:15                   Danny, you spoke of Jesus’ parables. How many of them speak to this idea, right? The parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Why are you looking sideways? Why are you like the prodigal son? You’re looking sideways. The good Samaritan. You, I’m not gonna help that guy. He doesn’t deserve my help. Whatever it is. Jesus seems to speak to this internal love your neighbor. I know you love me almost. I know you love God, but it’s not translating.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            28:42                   As John says. Let’s read his words and I would like to just publicly say this to you, Hank, that’s so kind of you to see good and to say those kind things. I wonder how many people that know me that are gonna be watching this or listening to this podcast are gonna be like, you need to know him better.

John Bytheway:               29:00                   The same here.

Hank Smith:                      29:00                   Spend some time with him.

John Bytheway:               29:02                   What’s the Joseph Smith statement? The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls. Remember, we want to take their sins upon our backs, and that’s kind of an indicator of when we think about how far we have to go sometimes. And interestingly that the closer we get to God, the more we look differently on each other. I was thinking how far I have to go from Alma goes to Ammonihah. Which when I was a kid, I thought said Ammonia, which would be a bad experience. They spit on him, they revile him, they cast him out. And if that’s me, God is gonna nuke this place and I am so excited. That’s me. But Alma weeps because of their wickedness. It’s like, what did they treated you so terribly and he feels bad for them. I gotta get to where Alma was.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            30:03                   Everybody on this world is drowning in the Fall, but they’re drowning in different ways and it’s so ridiculous of us to be like, oh, look at them drowning as I’m drowning.

Hank Smith:                      30:16                   I can’t believe you’re struggling, right? Yeah. As I’m over here struggling.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            30:21                   We all fall short of the glory of God.

Hank Smith:                      30:26                   I ran into a quote that I’d forgotten. So if you’re on X, you can pin something that you’ve posted as your as the thing everybody sees. This is Morgan Scalley. This is the new head coach of the University of Utah football team. This is his pinned quote, 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 with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.

John Bytheway:               30:59                   When Morgan Scalley was recently introduced as the head coach of the University of Utah football team, the first thing he said was that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ and I’m not ashamed to say that. And I was just like, thank you. I was somewhere out, I don’t know, Cottonwood Heights, Sandy or something doing a fireside. Morgan Scalley’s wife and children came up and said hi, and I didn’t know that was their ward. And then I got to meet Brother Scalley as well. So I’m just so glad there’s good people that would say that in such a public arena, a disciple of Jesus Christ and I’m not ashamed to say that.

Hank Smith:                      31:37                   You and John both, and your wives are the same way. You seem to sort of look in someone’s heart and you try to understand the unique challenge that each person faces, the unique challenges that each person faces. And because of that, you treat people more gently with more love, patience, tolerance, and care.

John Bytheway:               31:58                   Hank, don’t sell yourself short ’cause you do that too. When you know somebody’s backstory, doesn’t it soften you up? So fun to see Enoch’s backstory. I love the way you started, Danny. We had four verses in Genesis about Enoch, and then the Lord comes and says, wait a minute, Joseph, I’m gonna tell you a lot more about Enoch. We see Enoch up and down and weeping and rejoicing and anguish. It’s a great, epic chapter.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            32:31                   In the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we walk a path of diamonds.

Hank Smith:                      32:37                   Danny, I wanna ask you about verse 62. Righteousness will I send down out of heaven. Truth will I send forth out of the earth. I love this vision. It’s coming down. What could that mean? It’s coming from the up top, it’s coming from under, and it seems to me this could be revelation coming from heaven. It could be even those who are held back for this day, I’m sending ’em out of heaven. I would guess that out of the earth is coming the Book of Mormon. Truth is coming out of the earth.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            33:08                   Out of the earth, from the heavens, raining and flooding, flooding the world.

Hank Smith:                      33:12                   Here we go. What did Isaiah say? Those who think they’re beating God are those who dream and eat, but wake up hungry. Those who are dreaming and they dream of drinking and they wake up thirsty. You have an excitement for the revelation coming down out of heaven and the truth coming out of the earth. How did you get your sense of enthusiasm for what’s happening for the work?

Bro. Danny Ricks:            33:37                   The first time I actually read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, I was actually in eighth grade, but I don’t count it. I actually had a Sunday school teacher that was like, if you haven’t read the Book of Mormon yet, you need to. So I went and I plowed through it. I did. It was done. I felt nothing. Anytime we do anything to check a box, it doesn’t work. It doesn’t work. It’s gotta be real. We talked about how real Enoch prayers were today, right? It has to be real. People will feel it themselves if you minister because you’re supposed to minister, people will feel it. If you have a calling, if you, especially with the youth. The youth have a better bull meter than anybody, like they can sense bull fast. I got nothing. The only scripture I remember, and it was Jacob talking about the destruction of the wicked.

                                           34:30                   I remember being super excited and I showed my dad, I was like, dad, check out this verse. My dad goes, why would you like that verse? That verse is probably about me. I remember like, oh, okay. Like I was all excited and my dad’s like, why son? Why would you think that was cool when I’m gonna be destroyed? That was his mentality, right? Like I was like, oh man. Got nothing out of it. I had a wonderful bishop and a wonderful religion professor Greg Williams at Ricks College at the time, took a Book of Mormon class, got into this book. I had to have it. When everything’s good, sometimes we don’t have that. We need it. As you grow older, you’re like, no, I need help. The second I started reading the book for reals, for realsies, I call it, you know, my a freshman in freshman in college.

                                           35:19                   If you want this, if you’re in the middle of this Enochness, how do you respond? How do you come out of it? And the answer is first of all, like it has to be a real desire. It has to be a real desire. Remember when Elder Holland said, don’t rush past the Spirit in some unnecessary foot race. We’re so quick. We’re so busy we’re like, hey, I rushed. I can check a box. I’m a good quote unquote Mormon. Now, I know we don’t use that word, but I think it actually is an appropriate word in this context because it’s like now I’m a good Mormon because I read my scriptures and I did the Come, Follow Me, and we had a prayer of whether my kids liked that or not. Mercy, let people be okay with people learning. Be okay with people growing. Be patient with yourself too. We need to give mercy to ourself. As a bishop, I couldn’t believe how many people thought they were going to hell, thought they were damned. They’re like, I’ll never make the Celestial Kingdom. I’m like, are you kidding me? One, you’re amazing, but two, remember, it has more to do with Jesus and his greatness, and you yoke to him and then strive. Just remember, it’s Him.

Hank Smith:                      36:29                   Lehi to Jacob. I know that thou art redeemed because of the righteousness of your Redeemer, right? Not because of you, because of him.

John Bytheway:               36:40                   The best kept secret in the church is the gospel.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            36:44                   Right? How about a public confession here. I know my Savior and I worry, oh man, who’s listening to this right now? The first time I did this with you guys, I told you one of the biggest blessings of it was so many people I hadn’t heard from for so long reached out. It was so beautiful and tender. I wonder how many also listened to it and were like, I know that guy and I’m not impressed. I promise I’m drinking from the same reservoir of living water as everybody else, and I rejoice in Jesus and his forgiveness of me. I’m not who I was. I rejoice in that and I’m gonna be different. I’m going to continue to rely on him, and it’s so easy for us to get into this fallen world and get distracted. It is very hard. I wanna read a quote if that’s okay, from Elder Richard G. Scott, and I can hear his voice saying this, but he said, sadness, disappointment, and severe challenge are events in life, not life itself.

                                           37:46                   They’re events in life, not life itself. I do not minimize how hard some of these events are. They can extend over a long period of time, maybe even our lives, but they should not be allowed to become the confining center of everything you do. A pebble held close to the eye appears to be a gigantic obstacle. Cast on the ground it is seen in perspective. Likewise, problems or trials in our lives need to be viewed in the perspective of scriptural doctrine. Otherwise, they can easily overtake our vision, absorb our energy, and deprive us of the joy and beauty of the Lord intends us to receive here on the earth. Some people are like rocks thrown into a sea of problems. They’re drowned by them. Be a cork when submerged in a problem fight to be free to bob up to serve again with happiness. Moses seven. We see this bobbing of Enoch. Yeah, I want to have this joy. I want to have this peace, refocus on the Savior.

Hank Smith:                      38:53                   I had a discussion with a student just yesterday who said, you know, I struggle with the same thing that, am I doing enough? I said, you know, the interesting thing about mercy is that you don’t deserve it. In fact, by definition, if you’re gonna rely on the Savior’s mercy, it’s something you don’t deserve ’cause the moment you deserve it, it’s no longer mercy. It’s justice. He thought about it for a second. He said, I’m, so, I have to rely on the Savior’s mercy, which I don’t deserve. I just have to accept the fact that I don’t deserve it, but he’s giving it to me.

John Bytheway:               39:30                   King Benjamin, are we not all beggars? We are all in the position of a beggar. None of us can say, I earned it. Give it to me.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            39:40                   Let’s keep riffing off of some Elder Maxwell. Shall we? He says, if Enoch had not looked and been spiritually informed, he would’ve seen the human condition in isolation from the grand reality. If God were not there, Enoch’s why would have become an unanswered scream of despair.

Hank Smith:                      40:01                   But there’s an answer.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            40:02                   Yep. Him.

John Bytheway:               40:03                   And God was so kind and merciful that he showed him. He showed him, look, I’ve got this whole thing. I’ve got the whole end game. I’ll show you everything.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            40:14                   Jesus had zero issue with the messy Enoch. He has zero issue with the messy you.

Hank Smith:                      40:20                   You mentioned Bruce Satterfield, brilliant teacher up at BYU Idaho for so long. When he was here with us four years ago, he shared a thought from Joseph Smith that I think fits perfectly. John, you know this. I have not been able to get my mind off of it since. So here’s Joseph. Speaking of Jesus and I, I’ve just got pieces of it here. We can put the whole reference in our show notes. The great Jehovah contemplated the whole of events connected with the earth before it rolled into existence. Just that. What are you looking at? The earth. There is no earth. There’s going to be, and I’m seeing every moment of it. He says, the past, the present and the future were and are with Him one eternal now. Just try to wrap your mind around the idea that Jesus sees the past, the present, the future, all at the same time.

                                           41:20                   He knows the situation of both the living and the dead. That’s everyone. Right John? I think you’re gonna fall into one of those two categories, living or dead. Then this thought, which should calm our hearts and give us the enthusiasm of Danny Ricks, he knows the situation of both the living and the dead and has made ample provision for their redemption. We’re not getting by the skin of our teeth here. The Lord has the capability, the skillset, the time to save anyone, to exalt anyone who wants to be exalted. That’s who we’re dealing with here.

John Bytheway:               42:03                   And maybe you’re thinking not just for you, but my children, my grandchildren, my nieces, my nephews, and here. Nope. He has made ample provision.

Hank Smith:                      42:12                   Ample provision. I love it’s just not provision. Right?

John Bytheway:               42:15                   That’s one of the things I love about this chapter. Enoch finds out that God is, like I said before, he’s not aloof. He’s not detached. He is involved to the point that he weeps for us.

Hank Smith:                      42:29                   With what we just said about the Lord. It frees me up to love people rather than try to judge them and save them. Right. Instead of trying to save my children, I can love ’em.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            42:41                   You can’t. Yep. It’s not your job. John, when you were mentioning this weeping God, something came into my mind when you’ve had your Enoch moments. Well, certain verses of Enoch, right, where you’re cannot be comforted. That’s a phrase I’m confident we’ve all had moments in our lives where we could not be comforted. Lectures on Faith says for you to have real faith in God, you have to have a correct understanding of God’s perfections, character and attributes. Knowing this about God, you have never wept alone. You’ve never wept alone.

John Bytheway:               43:14                   Wow. Nicely put.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            43:16                   We know this because of Enoch. You’ve never wept alone. As alone as all of us have felt at some point in our lives. You have never wept alone.

John Bytheway:               43:28                   If God is telling us to mourn with those that mourn, then I think yeah, he knows how to mourn with us.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            43:36                   Oh, I’m so glad. That’s inspiring that you brought that up because we’re covenanting to practice being like Jesus. What he is doing with Enoch in Moses chapter seven, he’s mourning with him. He’s comforting, Enoch’s bawling and God’s like, I know. It is hard. He knows what’s gonna happen.

Hank Smith:                      43:57                   Once I realized I’m not my kid’s Savior, I can, I can just enjoy them where they are.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            44:03                   The Holy Ghost has told me multiple times, quote, he’s a way better boy than you ever dreamed to be in. That’s true. He is. He doesn’t have an ounce of vinegar in him. He’s sweet and good, and he’s absolutely what a growing young man should be.

Hank Smith:                      44:25                   Sometimes we get upset at puppies for being puppies.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            44:27                   Well, if you’re in your twenties and listening to this, I’m confident Heavenly Father’s like that’s exactly what 20 year olds are supposed to do. It’s age appropriate. You 30 year olds, those things that you’re challenging with age appropriate, keep going to Jesus Christ and he will dry those tears and help you learn and grow. Forties, fifties, sixties, seventies, eighties, nineties, all age appropriate and understood perfectly by He who has bore your sins, your challenges, your struggles. He understands. He is God. He understands because He is God.

Hank Smith:                      44:59                   I kneel down to say my prayers and I say, Lord, I am, and he just says, I know. I know. We’ll try again tomorrow. All right? Okay. Okay.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            45:11                   That’s age appropriate. Hank, I know your heart. Elder Richard G. Scott said that God views weakness differently than he does rebellion. With weakness it’s always with mercy. So for those of you that are listening, you’re just weak.

Hank Smith:                      45:26                   A message from the church of Jesus,

Bro. Danny Ricks:            45:31                   He has zero problem with weak. Weak he can work with, weak can work with. Now, if you’ve got some rebellious in you, repent quick, but the good news is you can. You can be like, I’m going to stop and I will just continue being weak, but strong through Him.

Hank Smith:                      45:50                   Yeah, God, be merciful to me a sinner. This quote from Elder Holland is linked in the manual, the Grandeur of God. October, 2003. Jesus did not come to improve God’s view of man nearly so much as he came to improve man’s view of God and to plead with them to love their heavenly Father as he is always and will always love them. Feeding the hungry, healing the sick, rebuking hypocrisy, pleading for faith. This was Christ showing us the way of the Father. In His life and especially in His death Christ was declaring this is God’s compassion. I am showing you as well of that as my own, in the perfect Son’s manifestation of the perfect Father’s care, in their mutual suffering and shared sorrow for the sins and heartaches of the rest of us. We see ultimate meaning in the declaration, for God so loved the world that he gave His Only Begotten Son. I bear personal witness this day of a personal living God who knows our names. Hears and answers prayers, and cherishes us eternally as children of his spirit. Almost no one can say it like him. Right. Elder Holland.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            47:10                   We’ve quoted some of the Mount Rushmores today, haven’t we? Ordained and used and consecrated their talents to the building of the kingdom of God.

Hank Smith:                      47:21                   Yep. And wasted and wore out their lives as Joseph Smith. We watched Elder Holland and President Nelson both just wear out right in front of us. Danny, John and I, we talk frequently of who’s listening. We wanna remind ourselves that many listening are in pain. Danny, if you wouldn’t mind, will you speak to those who are suffering and then I promise we’ll let you go. I promise. We have a captive in our studio right there.

Bro. Danny Ricks:            47:55                   I love being with you boys. It’s a blessing. One of the great blessings of my life is how kind God has been to me with people and those that I get to have enter into my sphere and my orbit that I’m blessed by, and I’m grateful for both of you, Hank and John. Thank you. Man if I was to speak, just rally to them, I would say, read Moses seven. Read Moses seven, and know that you are not alone in this suffering, and you’re also not lost. Did you notice that Moses chapter seven, it’s like a dissertation on how to deal with life in a fallen world with a lot of tears, and Jesus doesn’t mind them. Every time Enoch dipped, right? Went into the water and before he corks back up, is he gets immersed in the fallenness and the tragedy. Some from this fallen world, some from the choices of others, some from our own bad choices.

                                           48:58                   The answer still is the same and it’s, it’s Jesus. There’s no two ways about it. Yes, the book is titled Moses, but it’s a book about Jesus Christ. How through Him, by Him, I witness to you that he loves you. That’s not some cute cliche phrase. It is legitimate. It is real. It is fact. It’s fact. He shows that through his actions. Look in the white space of Moses seven, and look how tender he is with Enoch. Look how he’s ministering to him and helping him get to where Enoch needs to get, and in process of time, be patient with yourself ’cause he is patient. He is merciful. You’ll be okay and not because you’re okay, but because He is so good. I leave that with you in the name of that eternal and wonderful righteous to quote counselor, to quote Enoch. Right? Jesus Christ. Amen.

Hank Smith:                      49:59                   Amen. With that, we want to thank Brother Danny Ricks for being here today. What a blessing he is to Rexburg and what a blessing Rexburg has been to him. We want to thank our executive producer Shannon Sorensen, our sponsors David and Verla Sorensen. In every episode we remember our founder. He had the enthusiasm of a Danny Ricks, John.

John Bytheway:               50:21                   Yeah.

Hank Smith:                      50:22                   Our founder, Steve Sorensen. We hope you’ll join us next week. We’ve got more of the Old Testament coming up on followHIM. Thank you for joining us on today’s episode. Do you or someone you know speak Spanish, Portuguese, or French? You can now watch and listen to our podcast in those languages. Links are in the description below. Today’s show notes and transcript are on our website. Followhim.co. That’s followhim.co. Of course, none of this could happen without our incredible production crew, David Perry, Lisa Spice, Will Stoughton, Krystal Roberts, Ariel Cuadra, Heather Barlow, Amelia Kabwika, Sydney Smith and Annabelle Sorensen.