Hank Smith: 00:03 Hello everyone. Welcome to followHIM Favorites. This is where John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week’s lesson. John, we’re in 3 Nephi 13, 14, 15, 16 this week and you’ve told me you have a story. Tell me what it is.

John Bytheway: 00:16 In 3 Nephi 13, the Savior teaches the Lord’s Prayer and he warns against vain repetition. Says, “Shut your door. Go in secret that your father who seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” I just remembered, Hank, as I was reading this and we were talking about it, a funny poem I heard when I was a kid about prayer. Because the Lord’s concern that people are thinking that there’s this rigid way to pray, when the Lord’s saying, “Go in your closet.” This is a thing between you and your Heavenly Father. I remember, Hank, I must’ve been a deacon when I heard this. I looked it up and I found it this morning.

  00:49 The Prayer of Cyrus Brown. You ready? “The proper way for a man to pray,” said Deacon Lemuel Keyes, “And the only proper attitude is down upon his knees.”

  00:58 “No, I should say the way to pray,” said Reverend Dr. Wise, “Is standing straight with outstretched arms and rapt and upturned eyes.”

  01:06 “Oh, no, no, no,” said Elder Slow, “Such posture is too proud. A man should pray with eyes fast closed and head contritely bowed.”

  01:14 “It seems to me his hands should be austerely clasped in front, with both thumbs pointing toward the ground,” said Reverend Dr. Blunt.

  01:24 And then here’s Cyrus Brown. “Last year I fell in Hodgkin’s well, head first,” said Cyrus Brown, “With both my heels, a-stickin up, my head a-pointin down. And I made a prayer right then and there. Best prayer I ever said. The prayinest prayer I ever prayed a-standin on my head.”

Hank Smith: 01:45 I like that though. I like it. That’s the prayer. The one that you mean it.

John Bytheway: 01:50 You can talk to the Lord in whatever situation. While you’re driving, keep your hands on the wheel and your eyes open, you can pray. The important thing is that you’re sincere and that you’re talking to Heavenly Father. I loved this idea of all these guys, different ideas. Well, actually, I prayed once upside down in a well, and that was the best prayer I ever said.

Hank Smith: 02:12 Oh man, I love that. I think it’s some of the most sincere prayers I’ve ever said, and it was probably not kneeling down. It’s probably like sitting at a desk before a test or something.

John Bytheway: 02:21 Something like that, exactly.

Hank Smith: 02:23 I love it. Hey, come join us on our full podcast. It’s called followHIM. You can get it wherever you get podcasts. We’re in 3 Nephi 13-16 this week with Dr. Brad Wilcox. He’s fantastic. And then come back here next week. We’ll do another followHIM Favorites.