Transcription
Sorry about the crappy sound in my last video. Probably won't be much better on this one. I think the grandkids came in and everything, which is fine. Um, hopefully you heard the message and it it worked out okay. And you're going to hear them in the background, I'm sure, here. I don't have a soundproof uh uh room and um my executive producer is is very uh lax in in the quality of of these v videos. Um and I'm the executive producer. I don't have a producer.
So, the this video is going to be um I've had a couple of people over time uh ask me how I feel about the some of the new hymns and the changes and you know, just some other things. And you know, they can I'll I'll be most of this stuff can be lumped into the globalization of the church, the globalization. And that word globaliz uh I think can have some nefarious kind of uh interpretations. Just that word, you know, global governments, global this, global that.
Um, personally, okay, here here's I'll just tell you straight up how I feel about a lot of this stuff. I I could give a rat's behind. I I I used to get a little exercised, but but now I so much of this stuff that goes on is beyond my control. And I try to I'm trying to focus I'm not the best at it, but I'm trying to focus on what I can control. Policy changes. Uh, you know, you if I had if I had children in young men's and young women's, I'd be kind of frustrated a little bit. I don't know how well this Bishop Rick taking over the young men's and young women's and not having a young men's and young women's president. Or I guess I guess we have a young women's president, but we don't have a young men's president anymore. Um I'm not sure about the the program that that I know there names were changed to protect the innocent. No names were changed for the different organizations and young women's and I I you know we soon and I haven't had children in in those organizations for a while and although our children have children in those organization so our grandkids to be honest I don't really stay on top of it. I listen to announcements and stuff and go man I wonder what that is and then that's about the extent of it.
Um, there's been a lot of changes uh since President Nelson has been in. There's a you can go on the church website and you can see it's I think it's in the church history if I think about it. I'll put a link to it cuz it's it's it's like a hundred changes that have happened in in his tenure. um you know everything from the uh making sure we say the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to changing the priesthood session at conference and then back and back and forth and flip-flop and this and that. All that was under him. Um we've had uh the renaming of of home teaching which still is home teaching. It doesn't you know There there's just all this stuff. All this stuff.
Um, what else? What else is there? um the home centered church supported which I don't I don't know you know I I think that that would fit under the globalization of the church where the church doesn't have um you know the numbers to to to have this full organization that's spelled out in the handbook. So, so the modification of that would just be to study it on your own and if the church can support you, great. I I I find that kind of interesting that this idea of of home centered church supported because still individuals have to support the church to keep it to keep it going. you know, you have callings in the church. And now we're we're we're getting an emphasis on we've had conference talks on, you know, have this this is your calling. You do it, you know, and and that's I get it. I I I have two callings. Sue has two callings. One's we have a state calling, we have a word calling.
Um, so I so back to the music and then there's one other thing I want to talk about and then I'm going to get into some scriptures, something more worthwhile I think. But the hymns um there's there's one um bread of life, living water. I love the tune of that, but I don't believe it it the doctrinal aspect of it. I I don't think it's all about the garden of Gethsemane. Um, you know, we we say the lamb of God, and you've heard me talk about this at Nauseium, but the lamb, the reason why Jesus is the lamb of God is because of the sacrificial lamb. It's the death. It's the death. It's the death. And um, we can definitely say that Christ suffered. And there are a couple of scriptures that that and we've talked about this. I'm not going to get into that again, but I love that hymn. I do love that hymn. And I'm I I can work through the words. I'm okay with it. Most of the other hymns I'm not it's like, you know, but one person when they they sing this little light of mine, I'm going to let it shine um in sacrament meeting. And you know, I if we were more of a lively bunch, I think it would be way more appropriate of a song, but we can't. We're the wrong um you know what to be singing songs like that. It's like when the tabernacle choir sang zippity doo dah. Uh it's just and then they tried to they tried to do some other songs different culturally and they just looked out of whack. You know, it's like the movie with Steve Martin the Jerk. He just couldn't, you know, he's he's like a big band guy. Couldn't quite get the rhythm of the other stuff. That's how our sac I mean the way we drone with music when Sue and I presided over mission in the Salt Lake City West mission. We had we it was kind of weird because we had a lot of different um wards that that were of different languages and cultures and and they expanded into other missions. because our mission boundaries we had I think we had 60 stakes and then ended up with 59 stakes. They canceled one whole stake in Magna I think it was uh just because the shrinking numbers imagine that that's you know 6 to 8 to 10 wards just like boom you're gone and then they assimulated into other other steak the other steak there but anyway but we had uh we had a a full tongen steak and then half of another tongen steak if that makes sense in our mission boundaries and then we had um Samoan wards but no Samo Samoan stakes which is kind of interesting but but you go to a Tongan ward and sing the hymns man you feel it I mean it just like rips through you it's awesome but we can't duplicate that we're too you know Protestant or um I don't I don't know what we are but the way we drone on with the hymns is is pretty pathetic, but but it is what it is. And I'm a droner, you know, I try to do a little like when I sing um I don't try, it just happens. I I kind of do a little bit of a country um flare to it, you know, where you might kind of come up to the note and uh have a little uh not a yodel, but a a little voice jump a little bit at the end. Um I I just like it. I I'll sing I I don't read music, but I can usually hear the the the the tune. Uh, and I can pick up the baseline pretty well. Um, I don't like the baseline. I don't like singing the baseline. It's too boring. But that's kind of what the the Lord blessed or cursed me with was is more of a bass. But that a good tenor voice. Um, I wish, you know, that's that's what I wish I had. most rock bands that the lead singer has that voice, you know, that that just goes up there. And and country, you know, the musicians, the guys that can hit the higher notes are the guys that that carry it really. You got a few guys that have bass voices that can uh, you know, belt out a tune here and there, but that's they're they're few and far between.
Okay. So, I don't know how I got off on that, but um music um we have heard that we're going to get rid of patriotic hymns. I haven't seen that happen yet. They're still in the hymn book. And dog gone it, you know, Fourth of July, we're going to sing one, you know. Um Sue's favorite song is the Battle Hymn of the Republic. It's awesome. Uh it just it's just a great hymn. Uh but I don't know. I I don't really care. I I and I I really mean that. I I'm like what am I going to do? So they do away with them. You know, here here's the here's another thing that I think is interesting is is the garment uh with women. And we've talked a little bit about this, but the change in warmer clims uh to go to a slip uh kind of thing uh underwear. I I guess women would wear, you know, briefs. I don't know what you call them. You'd wear probably something underneath. I doubt you'd go commando, but uh you know, just to let everything breathe, I guess. And then you have the the um tank top. I almost said halter top, but I don't think that's right. The tank top so that you can go sleeveless so that you can deal with the heat. I you know, again, this it's not my pig, not my farm. I I'm not going to be making those decisions.
Um, if it ends up that we all just get tats with markings on our bodies and say, "Okay, that's our reminder of our covenants." You know, I I I would probably just say, "Okay, here's here's the deal. The Book of Mormon is true." Uh, Joseph Smith translated it by the gift and power of God. It it contains so much. And the Bible and the Book of Mormon contain a fullness of the gospel. It says that in the Doctrine of Covenants. A lot of people like to skip that, but but it's an amazing it's it's it's it's really the greatest blessing we have in my opinion as a church is the Book of Mormon uh as proof that this is the kingdom of God on earth. And so all this other stuff, I think a lot of it just depends on who's leading the church. Now, a lot of people say, "All this is directly from God and this is the way it is." Well, I I I don't feel that way. I feel like a lot of it's just personal um like for instance, you know, changing the priesthood sessions at at conference and flipping those back and forth. When when President Nelson did that, he said he said, "This is the ongoing restoration and that's why these things happen." And I remember at the time going, "Well, it's not really a restoration because I don't even know if they had general priesthood back in the day." Maybe they did. And maybe they changed it to women in the fall and men in the spring and then maybe they said, "No, we're not going to have anything." I don't know. But I don't think it was a restoration. I think it was more of a just change, you know, policy. And and didn't President Oak say policy is like their commandments, but they're temporary. So, we still have to live them while they're a policy. So, changes in the temple recommend question. Change changes in the temple ceremony, changes in temple clothing, and then changes in the garment. I don't think the guys have changed much. The only big gripe I have, and some of you might have this, is you try to get the same style or you know what you've figured works for your body the best and and you order the size and everything. And you know, I don't know how the quality control is there, but sometimes they're like two or three inches longer than than the other one. And it's I'm supposed to have the exact same size, you know? It's just like, well, you know, but again, I'm not I I I I don't worry too much about the hymns. And if they take every patriotic song out of there because we're a global church and we can't um have one country represented and not all countries, so we're not going to have any countries represented. I I'm okay. I'm okay with that. Uh, we're not going to we're not going to have the spiritual songs. Uh, um, I have to be careful how I how how I say this, the the ethnic songs of that have these these this this really strong spirit and lively. Um, you know, the Lord said to Noah, there's going to be a floody floody. I I love that song. and and and get those animals into the ary ary children of the Lord. You know, we're we don't we just don't have like we'll be a beat or two beats behind. We'll sing it just droning cuz that's how we do hymns. Everything is somber and you know and then if we try it just doesn't it just doesn't work.
Okay. kind of hammered all that because it really all these changes are under the umbrella of it's a global church. So now we're going to have represent we're either going to have representation from other cultures and everything or we're not going to we're just going to skip it. Okay. So fine, that's okay. I don't I don't really care.
Um, you know, the the older I get, the it it's it's kind of interesting cuz even on this channel, I've I I used to get so exercised over certain things and and I probably will again. I don't know. It could just be a a phase I'm going through. I'm going through the change now. Um, but you know, I love the scriptures and I love to to to see what they have to say and study them. Uh, the the dayto-day changes and things and that that happen in the church. I I'm really not that interested anymore. I I I I guess I should be, but I'm just telling you straight up. I'm telling you how I feel.
Okay, we're in section 76 of the Doctrine of Covenants this week and uh one of the all-time great sections in the Doctrine of Covenants. It's a vision and it's had by two people simultaneously. This is I just got goosebumps. This is so unique um to have this type of thing because you don't have to depend on Oh, did this really happen? Yeah. The exact same vision by two people. I think there's a story out there and you can verify it. Put it in the comments that that uh Sydney Rigdon was like just white as a ghost laying like sitting on the floor back against the wall or something just exhausted after this and and Joseph made a comment something like you know Sydney's not used to this is overpowering to him. Joseph experienced this, remember, with the first vision and then subsequently with the angel Moroni. He was exhausted. Granted, he was younger, but but he he developed the ability to be to to get used to this. I've actually um when when you have the opportunity if when some people get an opportunity to preside over a mission or have a calling like that, you you really can't prepare for talks and all that. You just have to always be ready and be studying and thinking and and and experiences and and because it's just when you first start it's exhausting. It's exhausting trying to and then then you just go you know what Lord I'll do the best I can but I I don't have time to do all this stuff. So it becomes a lot easier. And I think in a small small way that's what Joseph Smith was saying about Sydney Rigdon. That's just you know you get used to you get used to these things. Wouldn't that be awesome to be used to visions? And and and what a vision it is. I wanted to read a couple of things here that I thought were so good. Um because I'm is all Israel all the time, right? And um I always feel like I have this desire and a need to defend Israel and Jerusalem because it really is the focal point. And section 76 confirms that. I'm going to go right to um I'm um I'm going to go um to verse 62. So section 76:62. These shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. Now, isn't that interesting? dwell with God and his Christ forever and ever. These are they whom he shall bring with him. Now listen to this. When he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on the earth over his people. Now these are these are the people that are quickened that are righteous that are still alive or people that come forth in the morning of the first resurrection. They'll be resurrected and then they'll come with Christ. I I want to I I for some reason, and I've said this many times before, I want to be quickened and and be in this army. And I firmly believe we're men are anointed to to do such. But these these shall dwell in the presence of God and his Christ forever and ever. These are they whom he shall bring with him when he shall come in the clouds of heaven to reign on earth over his people. These are they who shall have part in the first resurrection. These are they who shall come forth in the resurrection of the just. Verse 66 is key here. These are they who are come unto Mount Zion and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. These are they who have come to an innumerable company of angels to the general assembly and church of Enoch and of the firstborn.
Okay. So it gives us a location and it gives us um who is going to be there. It's it's awesome. Now if you look at the footnotes, the first footnote um Oh, I thought I had that marked. I'll have to look it up here real quick. Is in Isaiah. So, it's 66. It's Isaiah uh verse 668. Isaiah 24. So, if we go to Isaiah 24, um it says this. Um okay, it's Isaiah 24:23. Now, listen to this, guys. This nails it. Then the moon shall be confounded and the sun ashamed when the Lord of hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his ancients gloriously. Now is that awesome or what? It tells us so Mount Zion is the is is the city of David and Jerusalem, the current Jerusalem is the center is is the Temple Mount, Mount Mariah. So, we know exactly where this is. Here's another one that's in uh Joel uh chapter 2. Joel 2:32. And this is cross reference in our scriptures. So, I'm not just making this stuff up. So, Joel 2:32, "And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered, for in Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, and the Lord hath said, and in in the remnant whom the Lord shall call." So again, we have this holy city and the holy city is Jerusalem. It's the it's it's the city of the living God. Now, just to confirm that, I have a quote from President Nelson, and I've quoted this before. This is what he said in the April 2020 back then, the end sign. That's another thing that we changed the name of the magazine because of the global church. Anyway, he said this, "Another temple will yet be built in Jerusalem. From that temple, he shall reign forever as Lord of Lords." That's the holy city, Jerusalem. Why we don't focus on that, I don't know. But I'm going to be singing that song until I'm either dead or quickened and then maybe I'll continue to do it.
Um, so really interesting stuff and and people who who say, "Well, Israel isn't really Israel and the people there aren't aren't really Jews and they they don't they're secular. They don't believe in anything. Well, the the Lord is using all this to to establish Zion again in the land of Israel. The Lord is and and when I say Zion, it's Mount Zion. It's the city of David. That's that is a holy place. But but where the city will be or where the his his temple will be will be in Jerusalem or the temple mount mount Mariah. So this is all we have to go to Abraham back to Abraham when he took Isaac to Mount Mariah. It was all symbolic. So we know we know where all this happened, right? So Christ will actually put his feet on top of the Mount of Olives right across right across the Kidron Valley. Uh, he will be east of the temple and he'll go right through those gates and into his temple which will be built by the Jews. Uh Wilfr Woodruff has said this, John Taylor has said this, Joseph Smith has said this. The Jews will rebuild their city and their temple. Uh there'll be um sons of Levi will offer up a sacrifice again. Joseph Smith stated that. Uh I can go over all those things again. And this section 76 is just a confirmation of that of establishing Mount Zion and Jerusalem as the holy city, the city of the living God, the heavenly place, the holiest of all. If if you've ever had an oper if you ever thought of going to Jerusalem, which is the holiest city of all, was when Christ was there, will be when he returns. Um, you should take that opportunity.
Now, just to end this video, um if you're planning on going with with Sue and I in the fall, uh with Legacy Tours, you probably got an email saying, "Trip still planned. We're still moving forward. We know that there's all things going on all the time in in the Middle East and in Israel, but right now things are looking pretty good. The airport's open again. Flights are just abundant. And so we're we we go forward with faith and think about it. if if uh that trip right now is full, but we have one planned in February. You can go to Legacy Tours uh and Travel of Utah and you can see um the traditions of Christ in Israel tours and we have one scheduled in February. Those are smaller groups and uh it's it's pretty exciting. the one in the fall that we're doing will um there's there's an add-on at the beginning of the trip and an add-on at the end. The middle is Israel. That's the focus, right? It's the kayasmus. So, so that's where we want to spend most of our time, but we're going to start in Egypt uh for those that that want that are, you know, going to do that. And we're going to have a great time. We're going to be on the Nile. We're going to see the pyramids. We're going to see the Spinx. We're going to we're going to see uh uh Luxor and Carnak, I believe, on that trip. Um, it's going to be amazing. And then we'll spend the bulk of our time in Israel. We'll go to incredible sites there. And then we'll end in Petra at Jordan. And we we'll actually end I think in the Wadi Rum Desert. It's just uh I can't wait for that. Um, I've only been that area one time and I just have such a desire to go back. And we'll tie that all in to to the Bible. Um, Petra and uh uh King Herod, his first wife and where she's buried and all that. We'll talk about uh uh Moses and Aaron and all that in Jordan. So, it'll be it'll be a fantastic trip. Um, there's other there's plenty of other tour companies, but a lot of them are taking Israel off their their uh radar because it's just too too much. And I I'm just like I I I there's some other places I would like to go and I would check out all the tours on Legacy Tours. They're awesome. They really are. In fact, I'll put the link to their website that that I'll do that. And what was the other one I was going to do? the other link. Oh yeah, the church website on all the changes that have taken place since President Nelson. I'll do those too hopefully.
Um, okay. I think that's it for this video. You guys are awesome and amazing. Thank you. Hopefully the mic sounded a little bit better this time. I apologize uh for for the technical difficulties that I seem to have on a fairly consistent basis, but you're all a blessing to me. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the kingdom of God on earth. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. um just the the the more simple we keep it the better. But the changes are changes and I think if we if if we um look critically at every change um it's which I I see some justification in there's no question but what good does it do? This is a a from the top down. Uh, and us little people have no say. And and and I'm okay with that. I'm I'm totally okay with that. Give me this. I'm holding my Bible and I'm holding my triple. Give me that. I'm good. God bless. We will talk to you very soon. Bye-bye.