Hey everybody.

Welcome back.

This is week 36 of Creative.

Come Follow me for the New Testament.

This week we get to wrap up the book of one Corinthians and we

only have three chapters to cover.

I'm just a little bit excited about that.

We've had some intense study weeks.

I think the reason we only have three chapters this week is because

of the weight of the doctrine that's nestled into these three chapters.

In fact, right in the middle, you're gonna hear this incredible discourse

about resurrection, and since that's the pinnacle miracle that almost

everything else in the gospel hinges around then I think it's one of those

things we have to take our time with.

I just feel for Paul, you know, in the last couple weeks how I told

you it seems as if he's got so much that he wants to give the Corinthian

Saints, but because they've.

Atrophied a little bit in their testimony.

He can't, you know, he, he can't, he's like Moses coming down the

mountain and I just feel like it's, it, you almost get a feel this

week of what Paul has in his mind.

We don't get a detailed account of Paul's vision, but we do get bits

and pieces of what he has come to know and understand about the savior

and how much he hopes to share it.

It just, it reminded me so much of what we studied two years ago when we were

in the doctrine covenants together and we studied D n C section 76, and it

just, the enormity of that vision and then Joseph's attempts to put it into

words, you know, words that the saints could appreciate given their testimony

level and just mortal words even.

You just could feel that in his, in the writings about section 76, and that's

how I feel about this week's study.

What is interesting to me is the reason he can't give it to them in the fullness

that I think he hopes to is because.

They haven't kept things in memory.

You can see that in the introduction part of the K Follow Me manual because they've

let some of those core fundamentals slide.

They're not quite ready for this meat that he has that he could offer them.

The good news, you guys, is that we can, I just, as I was studying and reading,

I'm like, but if I'm keeping things in memory, if I've been studying and paying

attention to Paul's words and the words of the savior and the messages throughout

this year, then I'm holding those things in memory and I can know things.

And that's what I found so exciting about this week's study.

Even though I could feel that he was holding some things back, the spirit

taught me things between the lines.

I don't know how to describe it, you guys.

I just found.

There were some really sweet moments where the spirit could speak to me, a fullness

that isn't quite in the verses, and I'm not gonna spend a whole bunch of time

talking about my experiences, 'cause I think they'll be unique to each one of us.

What I will testify of throughout this week is that you can get

those understandings for yourself.

I just think, well, president Nelson said it, he said to those who have

eyes to see, God is giving away the mysteries of the universe.

And I wouldn't say I learned some great mystery about the gospel this week,

but I did get some clarification on my life and how God sees me and how

he will care for the people I love.

And it was sweet.

So you guys, there's so much to get out of this week study just in the

words themselves and also in the spirit that's between the lines.

I promise it's worth your time.

Grab your scriptures, grab your notes.

It's time to get started.

Paul's gonna pick up right where he left off when we start in 14.

'cause we were just talking about the gift of Cha charity and how

it is the best of all the gifts that we should seek after it.

In fact, I feel like he ups the ante in verse one.

'cause he says follow after charity.

And when you look in the footnotes, you can see that that means

pursue follow eagerly, earnestly.

To me, this is like the difference between.

If I lose some little thing like an earring versus if I lose my phone.

If I lose my phone, I am eagerly following after it.

It is something I am determined to find, 'cause I know the happiness

and the help I get if I have it.

I think that's how he wants us to seek after charity.

He doesn't want us to just kind of go about our day and hope

that that gift comes to us.

We're supposed to pray for it.

You guys we're supposed to seek it out, and he promises that if we seek it

earnestly, especially for the edification of the church, then we'll receive it.

We'll have opportunities to grow that characteristics in ourselves.

I just think there's power in that promise.

I think it's really powerful, especially for where he goes the rest of the chapter.

Most of Chapter 14 is focused on comparing these two different gifts.

So he's gonna compare the gift of tongues, you know, the ability to speak in another

language or in a language that's not understood by others or, and to bear it

to the gift of prophecy, which remember we studied this in the Old Testament a little

bit 'cause there were women who were called Prophetesses and we were wondering

like, how does that shake out a sense?

They can't hold the office of a prophet.

What does that mean?

And there's a big difference between the office of a prophet and his role in

the priesthood and the gift of prophecy.

Gift of prophecy is something anyone men and women can acquire.

In fact, Paul's encouraging all of us to get it.

There's great quotes in the notes this week from other prophets in our

dispensation who say the same thing.

This is a gift we should all seek after.

'cause prophecy just means you are able to testify powerfully of Jesus Christ.

And that is something we need.

The reason we need it is because it edifies the church.

So Paul's going to contrast these two gifts, gift of tongues, and the

gift of prophecy and talk about.

We should set down our desires for one and hope for the other.

Not that the gift of tongues is a negative thing.

I mean, you saw an outpouring of that on the day of Pentecost.

There is absolute beauty in the gift of tongues, but it is not what can

build and unify the church, and Paul's gonna teach them why in chapter 14.

So if you look in verse three, I love the way he phrases it, but

he that prophesy or speaks with that gift of prophecy unto men to

edification, to exhortation and comfort.

He that speaks within an unknown tongue edify it himself, but he

that prophesied edify the church.

He wants us to take the goodness work coming to understand and.

Steam it out to others.

That's what's gonna cause unity among these saints.

There's a great metaphor he uses around verse eight, and this is

when he talks about a trumpet that makes an unknown sound.

Elder Holland has a great talk about this, about teachers that we need to teach

in clarity and truth because an unknown sound isn't gonna call people to action.

And what a reminded me of is Jason and his whistle.

So you might not ever know this, but since I'm making these videos for my

posterity, they will know Jason has this.

Really loud shrill whistle that he can do like in the back of an auditorium.

And our kids on the stage or on the football field can hear it.

You know, like it is a very shrill sound.

And our kids know from vast experience that if Jason whistles in our house,

they have to immediately come down the stairs and find wherever he is.

It's this call to action.

It means we're gonna have scripture study, we're gonna have

prayer, we're gonna something.

In fact, when we were early in our parenting years, I teased him that he

was a lot like that dad on the sound of music with his obnoxious whistle.

Like that's the kind of parent you are, Jason.

But it, you know, as much as I teased him for it, like it works like a

charm, I can call up the stairs and be like, you guys come on down.

If Jason whistles, they all come running.

So there's value in it, and that's what Paul's trying to teach.

He's like, it doesn't help to speak the truth in an unknown sound.

You know, if I called everybody to dinner and I did it in this quiet,

soft voice, no one would come to the table and no one would be filled.

What he wants us to do is to speak.

With edification, with our goal being to edify the saints, to strengthen

them from within and to build up.

So that's what you're gonna see in the verses.

I love the way it's phrased in 12, this is where he says, even so you,

for as much as you're zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that you may

excel to the edifying of the church.

He's, I think, complimenting their earnestness.

They're earnestly seeking after the gift of tongues, probably because it's

very, demonstrative is the right word.

Like it's something that other people can see and be like, oh,

you must be super righteous.

You can speak with the gift of tongues.

I only say that 'cause.

You know, we all have those tendencies.

Like you get up to bear your testimony or you go to teach gospel doctrine and you

wanna share some like really cool truth that you learned or there's some really

heart wrenching story and it's not bad.

Your intent is to testify of God.

What Paul is teaching is there's a better way to do it.

If you actually focus on the fundamental doctrines, then the

spirit can be the actual teacher.

The spirit can strengthen and edify.

I love this 'cause you guys, I was just in the Book of Mormon this morning.

I was studying the very end of second Nephi.

So between like 31 and 33, this is the very end of Nephi's life where

he's just wrapping things up and he talks about hearing the voice of God.

He talks about hearing the voice of the Savior.

He has all this guidance and all of it is so simple.

In fact, there's a great verse.

I wrote it down on my margin, 33 6.

So we go there, you can find it.

He says, I glory in plainness.

I glory in truth.

I glory in Jesus, where he has redeemed my soul from hell.

Of all the things that Nephi could have said at the end of his

incredible life as a prophet, he glories in truth and plainness.

And that's what Paul says too.

He's like, of all the things I could teach you and say to you, being able to

speak in plainness and simplicity is what will really pull your hearts together.

'cause it can be understood the same way the Savior demonstrated right in his life.

All of his ministry is.

Teaching simply and purely, and sometimes in layers.

You know, he'll teach in a parable so that anybody around

can understand at their level.

That's what Paul's inviting us to do.

So if you look in the verses, you can see his guidance to it.

So he says, for example, in 16 else, one thou shall bless with the spirit.

How shall he that occupy the room of the unlearned?

Say amen.

At the giving of things, seeing he understand if not, what thou

say is he's like, how can anyone else hear your testimony and say

amen if they can't understand it?

I think for us it's similar.

If you give this dazzling testimony that no one can relate

to, how do we say amen to that?

You know, it needs to be something that I can relate to and understand.

So he's like, keep your, keep your testimonies, especially those that

you're giving out to others, clear and discernible so that the spirit

can witness into their hearts.

19, he says this, yet, in the church I had rather speak five words with

my understanding than by my voice.

I might teach others also than 10,000 words in unknown tongue.

Paul is someone who I'm sure who has mastered the gift of tongues and could

dazzle them, and what he's saying is, I'd rather speak five words that

are clear and plain and precious than 10,000 to make you, you know,

be in awe of my spiritual gifts.

It's an imitation for us to step back and focus on those fundamental truths.

I also love the how it's phrased in 22.

Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that

believe not, but prophesying serve with not for them that believe, not

for, but for them, which believe.

The Gift of Tongues has its place.

I think it has its purpose.

It certainly had a purpose on that day of Pentecost.

Remember how many baptisms happened after that?

Thousands of baptisms happened because of the gift of tongues,

but it wasn't the gift itself and the amazing fanciness of the gift

that brought people to the waters.

What brought people to the waters is they could understand the

doctrines in their own native tongue.

That's what the Gift of Tongues was for.

It had a purpose.

It was to edify and teach the gospel to those who spoke a bunch of different

languages, so to seek after it, just to impress people who are already

believers and already in the chapel.

We're missing the point, right?

The same way I shouldn't go into gospel doctrine class with his hope

to like dazzle all the members with my impressive knowledge of something.

It just, it won't edify and it won't last.

And so he warns us.

He also talks a little bit in these verses about the unity that's lacking.

You know, he warns that if we speak like this, and this is around like 23 and

24, he says, if people come into your congregation and speaking in tongues

or everybody calling out in loud ways, it, it will be disorienting to them.

In fact, they won't feel edified when they come.

I think it's another reason we have to be careful how we teach.

'cause you just never know who's gonna come into your classes.

I had this a few times in Y Ss a were, I didn't realize there was someone who was

there who was not a member of the church.

And I was so grateful that the lesson manual verses are all focused on these

fundamentals of, you know, the creation, the fall, the atonement, like there's,

they're all on these key fundamentals.

I taught a whole lesson on the plan of salvation to a girl who was,

you know, curious about the church.

And I, it's just, I think that's, They should tell us something.

Every lesson we teach in church, every testimony I bear at that pulpit, I

should bear with the something that could be understood by anybody who

walks in, which means I need to be careful that I'm not using words that

will confuse that I'm creating unity.

What it reminded me of is, so Jason and, and my brother-in-law Scott,

they both went on Spanish missions and they can speak in Spanish.

And early in our marriage, I can totally remember sitting in a room and when they

didn't want me to understand what they were saying, 'cause they were saying

something funny or playful or whatever, they would just start talking in Spanish.

And it drove me crazy because it felt isolating.

You know, I just think it's, it, it creates separation and what

Paul wants to create is unity.

So it's like set, set all that down.

The gift of tongues has its use and it can edify you individually.

It's not for coming together as a congregation.

Seek for the gift of prophecy that can bring people in.

Um, so when you flip the page, you'll see a little bit more.

He says in 26, let all things be done unto edifying.

I actually really like the addition that's in 28.

This was comforting to me.

He said, but if there be no interpreter, meaning if there's a gift of

tongues, like the doctor in covenants teaches, there should always be an

interpreter present, otherwise there's no point to the gift of tongues.

So he says, but if there be no interpreter, let him keep

silence in the church and let him speak to himself and to God.

You guys, I like this.

I think what he's, this is how I interpret this.

I think he's saying like you're gonna have thoughts and experiences

and understandings that are not for general consumption.

That doesn't mean they're not good and it doesn't mean they

don't come from a good source.

It just means they're for you to, you know, sort out with God.

So I can come back in my prayers and I can wrestle with those questions.

If I have understandings that are unfolding, I can talk about those with

the God in my scripture study and hope for more light and more knowledge.

It doesn't mean I need to take all those understandings and dump some

on my Y Ss a class or on you guys.

'cause they're still unfolding.

I don't have a fullness yet and it's not.

It's not necessarily for general consumption, but it is edifying to

me and I feel like that's what Paul's trying to say is like start to use

your discernment to understand some things are to be brought to the

congregation and they will unify.

Some things are just for you to sort out with God and isn't that a beautiful thing?

I just kind of love verse 28.

And then in 31 he talks about how he wants everybody to have this gift for

you all may prophesy one by one that all may learn and all may be comforted.

This is stewardship, right?

He's trying to direct us to focus on our stewardship and to focus on order.

We worship a God of order not confusion.

In fact, I think it's the title of this week's lesson because

that's how he teaches us.

So we can't all shout out at the same time.

We can't have big raucous sacrament meetings.

We have to have order so that there can be harmony and unity.

And then you can see that added to N 32 and 33.

This is where I feel like you get more guidance about stewardship

and the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.

For God is not the author of confusion but of peace as in all churches of the saints.

I think he's trying to teach us a little bit about authority, that the gift of

prophecy is a beautiful thing and it should be used in your stewardship.

Uh, I am not one who will receive.

Prophetic understandings that are outside of my stewardship, I will not receive.

You know, the gift of prophecy that Paul is talking about is

testifying of Jesus Christ.

There are those in leadership positions who have revelation for

other things, and I need to, I need to be subject to those, right?

I need to be subject to those who are in authority positions that can teach

me and help me, and I think he's trying to hedge us in a little bit there to

be cautious about how we use this gift.

Okay?

Then I have to warn you in 34 and 35, there's.

Terrible, uh, phrasing.

It is just most people, in fact you can see in the compliment,

come follow me manual.

Nobody knows why these are here.

This is when he talks about let your women keep silent in the churches.

For it is not permitted unto them to speak, but they're commanded to be

under obedience as also say the law.

And if they will learn anything, let them ask their husbands at home for it is a

shame for women to speak in the church.

Okay.

Can I just tell you guys I was really nervous, so I didn't start putting

things on YouTube until almost all the way through the Old Testament year

because I really liked the comradery and the warmth I felt in the course.

And I knew as soon as I put things on YouTube, I would be subject to a lot

of opinions and a lot of 'em be grumpy.

And I just wasn't sure my heart could take that 'cause so much of my heart is in

this course, um, that I just wasn't sure.

Then I got off the guts, felt like it was the right thing to do.

Got off the guts to post on, on YouTube.

You guys, the very first comment I got on YouTube was these verses how

women should not prophesy, women should not teach and should be kept silent.

And I was just like, see, see, this is why I shouldn't be here.

And what was really interesting is in those moments when, I mean I deleted

the comment, I, I didn't need it, but it was, it reminded me of a, a

situation that I had back with Jack.

This was so interesting.

The way the spirit brings things back to my remembrance.

When Jack's diagnosis came, uh, he was four and we, he has autism and

he was diagnosed at four from this doctor that was from OUTTA state.

I happened to be visiting Jason's parents.

They had a connection with a pediatric neurologist.

They were worried about Jack, so they helped connect us.

So I didn't know this doctor at all.

He spent.

Three minutes with Jack and me and then gave me this diagnosis of

autism and he started to describe what I should expect of Jack and I.

I can still remember his words.

He basically described it like Rainman and he said, you can expect that he will

live with you the rest of your life.

You can expect that he probably won't be able to communicate very much.

You can, like, he gave me this big long list of things and then he looked at

me really weird and said, you know, normally mothers cry at this part.

And I didn't cry because the whole time he was talking, it's like

the spirit was teaching my head.

I don't know how to describe it, you guys.

I felt peace.

I was like, that's not happening for me.

That's not happening for Jack.

It's not that I didn't believe it could happen.

I just felt assured that that wasn't Jack's future.

His future would be hard.

And now I had words to use to understand what to study and how to help him, but

his future was not the future that.

This doctor was describing, and that's how I felt when I read that guy's YouTube

comment, you guys, that these verses don't apply to me and whatever the situation was

in Corinth and whatever prompted this from Paul, this is not how God feels about his

daughters and it doesn't represent truth.

So I don't know what's happened here or if we just have a piece of the story.

What I do know is what our prophets today teach about the value of women, especially

about the value of women prophesying and teaching and testifying in Jesus

Christ this morning as like part of my pump up to get ready to record today.

I listened to that incredible talk from President Nelson about the

value of women, a plea to my sisters.

There's quotes in it from in the in my notes and also in the Come Follow Me

manual, but I would encourage you men and women to go and listen to that full talk.

If there's any piece of you that doubts the worth of women, especially

women as leaders and teachers and voices in Zion that talk will I.

Push all of that darkness outta your head and fill it with light.

That's what I experienced today.

So you don't need to worry about those verses.

I do think Paul's intention is always good, but what we know from the rest

of Paul's words, especially what we studied last week and the week before,

this doctrine about women counters, Paul's other teachings, he already

taught us that women can prophesy.

He already taught us that women are in the congregation.

In fact, the Savior's whole ministry demonstrates that

this is not his doctrine.

And certainly everything we've learned in the restoration from, you know, that

beautiful section written to Emma Smith and her call to teach and to do more.

And what we hear from prophets today, everything counters these two verses.

So I don't think you have to get stuck there, and I certainly don't

think you have to doubt your worth or the worth of the women around you.

Another thing that helps with these tricky verses is to look at the J S T.

So you can see, see that Joseph Smith shifted that word to rule, meaning

there's something about authority here, not, not usurping authority,

not complaining against authority.

And that guidance I feel like is given to men and women in these verses, especially

if you read them in a bigger lens.

So if you look from like 31 to 37, you can see guidance to

men and women to be careful.

Like in 37 it says, if any man think himself to be a prophet or

spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things that I write unto you

are the commandments of the Lord.

I think this is a call to alignment for men and women, that our words

that we speak and the prophecies, those testimonies of Christ that

we utter need to be in alignment.

In fact, if we, our hearts are in the right place, we will

acknowledge the prophets of God.

We will acknowledge the testimonies of the apostles of God.

So I think there's.

Alignment that needs to happen and you can get a better understanding of that

when you use the Joseph Smith translation.

But I love where it ends in 40, let all things be done decently and in order.

God loves his men and he loves his women and he needs, he needs

us to work in harmony together.

It's that same talk from Sister Bingham that we mentioned last week.

It's this empowering each other to accomplish the works of God.

That's what I think Paul is trying to get us to do.

I love where Paul goes next in 15, just the same way we've been talking for, well,

maybe weeks and months now, that if you have questions about these finer points

of doctrine, like the gift of tongues, where you should seek answers is going

back to the fundamentals we should focus in and make sure that those fundamental

doctrines are steadfast in our hearts.

And a pivotal one is understanding the resurrection.

It seems as if at this point in time they've lost a little bit of

the ground they had already won.

I don't know if there's like a Shera, you know, antichrist type person that's

putting these thoughts in their minds or, or if this is just something that

atrophies when we stop being, when we stop following after our testimonies.

Maybe this is just a natural place, the mortal side of us goes, but they

seem to be losing their ground on the resurrection, whether it even occurred and

whether it will occur for everybody else.

And so that's where Paul.

Focuses in, in chapter 15 in a big, big way, because this is a pivotal doctrine.

You know, I, if you've watched those YouTube videos, my kids love these

where there's people who set up those gigantic domino trains, you know, the ones

that like take over an entire gym, and then there's just this one domino that

they push at the very beginning and it creates this ripple effect that courses

throughout the entire, you know, arena.

That's kind of what Paul's trying to help us understand.

If you lose an ability to believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ,

Every other domino of faith topples.

It has to 'cause everything hinges on that miracle and on the plan of salvation

that it centers around like it is.

He wants them to understand like, look what's happening to your faith.

You, we have to go back to the beginning.

We have to help you understand that resurrection is real.

So that's where he focuses his testimony.

If you look in one, moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel, which I

preached unto you, meaning he's already taught them this, they've just forgotten a

little bit, which you also have received.

And wherein ye stand by, which also ye are saved.

If you keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless he have believed in vain.

If you'll hold on to those fundamentals of the gospel that I've already taught

you, those dominoes can stand back up.

And then in three, for I delivered unto you first of all, that which

I had received, how that Christ died for our sins according to

the scriptures that he was buried and he rose again the third day.

According to the scriptures, that simple, plain testimony of an

apostle, remember, it's he's a special witness of Jesus Christ.

It's the exact same witness you'll hear from our apostles today, that they

testify of those key fundamentals, that the Savior lived, that he died for us,

and that he rose again and lives today.

That is the core of their testimonies, and that's where Paul begins.

And then he basically says, but you don't need to take my word for it.

There are others.

I love this because it's, it speaks to the natural doubts we all have.

You know, they, they would maybe doubt one man's testimony.

So then he starts to stretch it and say, but there are so many more.

So if you look in the verses, you can see he was seen of cefas, meaning

Peter, that he was seen of 500 brethren at once, some of whom have

died, but most of which are living.

You can go talk to them and communicate like, did this happen?

Tell me, do, do you know him?

He, he was seen of James, he was seen of others.

In fact, I love that he was seen of James.

'cause remember James is the Savior's brother who doubted his divinity.

Uh, I don't know how much of his lifetime he, he was in doubt, but we

know during the Savior's ministry, his brother did not believe.

So I love this little.

Peace.

You know that at some point the savior came to his brother, his,

you know, half brother, I guess, and witnessed to him, and then James

becomes this mighty witness for others.

He'll be basically like the bishop of Jerusalem and he'll be a mighty force

in this early church, but he has his own experience with, with Jesus Christ.

You also see that there are many apostles who are witnessing.

In fact, Paul calls himself the least of the apostles.

I love the way he says it.

For I am the least of the apostles in verse nine, that I'm not meet

to be called an apostle because I persecuted the Church of God, but

by the grace of God, I am what I am.

And his grace, which was bestowed upon me was not in vain, but I labored more

abundantly than they all yet, not I, but the grace of God, which was in me.

This to me sounds like the testimonies of Alba, the younger for the rest of

his lifetime, or the sons and was I, and for the rest of their lives, you

know, that they, they see themselves as someone who set the church back

a little bit, and so then they spend the entire rest of their lives.

Teaching.

I don't think it's that they're trying to make up ground.

I don't think they're trying to say like, well, I caused so much

damage so I better do a lot of good.

I actually think it's that they've experienced firsthand grace.

You know, Alma knows what it feels like to be harrowed up and he knows what

it feels like to be forgiven and that contrast ignites a fire in him and he

wants to take it to anyone who will listen because he knows their fate otherwise.

And so he, you can't hold him back like he wants to share

that good news of the gospel.

That's where Paul is too.

He's lived another life and he's persecuted the Church of God and now

he's seen what Grace can do and so he invites anyone who will listen

to be a consumer of that grace.

You know, lean in and come boldly to the throne of grace and ask for the help

you need 'cause it's available to you.

When you go a little further, he says in 13, but if there be no resurrection

of the dead, then Christ is not risen.

This is the beginning of that domino train.

He's actually gonna go through several of those first dominoes.

He's like, if you can't believe in the resurrection of the

savior, then the next thing that falls is the life of the savior.

And then the apostles testimonies are in vain.

In fact, faith is in vain and the apostles are liars.

And like he starts, you see these dominoes of darkness start to fall.

This idea of like everything falls apart if we can't understand

and believe in the resurrection.

What I like about this, especially with the modern lens, is we have

prophets and apostles today who teach.

How to put those dominoes back up.

There's a great talk from Elder Christofferson where I felt

like this is what he was doing.

He was basically saying, but if you believe in Jesus Christ, it's almost

like there's a thread that connects the tops of all of the dominoes.

Because if you can just pick that domino back up and believe in

the resurrection of Jesus Christ, then you can believe in prophets.

You can believe in the words of the apostles.

You can believe in the Book of Mormon and in the restoration of the gospel that

Joseph Smith, like all those dominoes, come up with a belief in the resurrection.

So I just found myself fascinated by that understanding that

that's, uh, that's the reason.

I think in the last conference, we heard so many messages about the value

of Easter and about teaching our kids about the glory of the resurrection.

'cause if they can believe that domino, oh, so many other

ones stand up in the process.

So that's where Paul's focusing like it, you know, he, he wants to

rivet our attention on this miracle.

So you can see he says in 18, then they, which are fallen

asleep in Christ are perished.

That's like the end of this domino chain.

Like all those, we've lost, all the people that have died now

and in the past are just gone.

Without the resurrection, they are gone.

And then in 19, if in this life we if, if in this life only we have hope

in Christ, we are of all men most miserable, and then 20, but now is

Christ risen from the dead and become the first fruits of them that slipped.

This is when Paul shifts his tone and starts to talk about the hope.

He's like, this is all the negative that could happen if this wasn't true.

But I'm here today to tell you that it is true.

And I have seen the Savior.

I mean, Paul has had his own encounter with the Savior it sounds like

multiple times from what we've read.

He is a strong witness that the risen Lord lives.

So he says basically he is the first fruits.

What I like about this, and I didn't realize this until this morning when

I was studying my book of Mormon, is that first fruits concept is what

we studied in the Old Testaments.

This idea of, at the beginning of the harvest or at the beginning of the

season, you offer up first fruits to God.

I was even, Jason and I were in Maui with my parents, um, maybe six months or so

ago, and I was walking on the beach and I happened to find this like historic

monument that was an altar basically.

And I read the inscription on the plaque and it said, this is where they would

offer the first fish of every kind, like every kind of fish that they would get

from the ocean, one of them would be offered up, the very first one would be

offered up to the gods, and then that would bless the rest of the season.

I think that's the principle that's existed, you know,

since Adam and Eves day.

I just love that we see the Savior as the first fruits.

He is the first one who had experienced death, who comes back.

He, he is the first resurrected being.

It is this powerful witness.

What I love about it, when you add in the piece of the Book

of Mormon is it teaches that.

The righteous are those who he will offer as the first

fruits of what he is gathering?

I just love this.

I can't remember.

Lemme see if I wrote down.

It's in Jacob.

Four.

Okay.

Jacob four.

Verse 11.

This when he says he's going to present those who are righteous

as the first fruits unto God.

I just love this piece of it.

He is seeking after every soul.

It's the beginning of this great harvest that will happen, and those

who chose to listen and believe are the first fruits that he offers up as

a presentation to God, and then goes out and seeks all that will listen.

I, I just love the Jacob edition.

When you go in there, if you go in 22, you can see this pivotal phrase.

It says, for as, as in Adam, all die.

Even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Because of the fall, we were able to access this mortal experience, right?

We, it opened up pain, it opened up death, it opened up all kinds of hard,

but it opened up a lot of learning and a lot of joy at the same time,

because of Christ, all men shall live.

You know, they, they call, um, Adam the first, Adam, meaning the first

man, and then they call Christ the second Adam, which means he's the

first one to have a resurrected body.

Adam is the first one to have a natural mortal body, and Christ is the first one

to have this perfected resurrected body.

So you'll see some of those references in these verses, but it's like Paul's trying

to teach the whole plan of salvation in this, in this way that they could

understand and wrap their heads around.

And I just think it's beautiful.

And then in 26, the last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

That's promise, right?

That's the incredible promise that we all hope for, that we all choose

to believe in that domino, that first domino, because we want that promise and.

There's dozens, dozens of talks about the power of the

resurrection and conquering death.

One of my very favorites was from Paul Johnson.

He was talking about his daughter, who sounds like she was a young

mom when she passed away of cancer.

And I loved, he cited some of her words and she basically talked

about how Christ has cured cancer.

Because at some point, all of us will be perfected, all of us will be healed.

Whether you lived a good life or not, the promise of these verses is

that all men will be brought back.

All men will be resurrected and have a chance to live again.

And that is a momentous thing.

And you could plug in any ailment or any problem into that cancer phrase.

In fact, I think he says that in his conference talk, but it helped my heart.

I just think there's incredible promise in that gift, uh, that he, I.

He can overcome.

In fact, he has, that's the last enemy, 26.

The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.

There is nothing bigger.

There is no greater miracle.

He conquered death and hell.

And so we get to rejoice in what comes after.

Um, I love it when you think about it as those verses about every niche

shall bow and every tongue confess.

I talked to you guys if you were in the Old Testament course with me.

I, we've talked about this before, but I had such a clear understanding

of that verse when I was reading it once, that it was, um, that the

reason we every niche shall Bow and every tongue confess is because we all

can, you know, we will miraculously be made whole again, it's a process.

You can go on the notes and learn more about that, but there is a promise

that we all will be made whole.

And if I'm looking at all the people around me who I've seen live in

broken bodies, or wounded bodies or disfigured bodies, and all of them

are made whole, if I see all my own weaknesses and problems be made whole.

How can I stand?

Right?

We all get to experience that miracle firsthand.

That's a pretty monumental promise, and for those who didn't

experience it in their lifetime, you have the promise of 28 and 29.

This is where he talks about baptisms for the dead.

I just, we don't have a lot of context.

We don't have a lot of details, but in these verses he talks about like,

what would be the point of baptisms for the dead that you guys are currently

doing if there was no resurrection?

And he almost says it that quickly, like, like they would understand it and

acknowledge, oh yeah, that makes sense.

I, we just don't have any more details in the New Testament

about it, but it does help.

Reaffirm my witness that we, this is the restorative church of Jesus Christ because

we are the only ones who practice this.

This idea of baptisms for the dead and standing in proxy for others.

In fact, there were a couple quotes from prophets this week that talked about

how it's a, a nearness to the gift of the Savior that we get to stand in proxy

and provide this service for others.

Not in the, not in its depth or majesty, but in its similitude.

When we stand in proxy, we are taking on and sacrificing so

that others can be blessed.

And there's a closeness to the savior that comes with that.

And I just thought that was beautiful.

In 34 out, Paul calls us and he says, awake to righteousness and sin not.

I think it's the reason he wants us to focus so much on the resurrection

is when you really wrap your head and even your spirit around that

miracle and begin to believe and let that desire kind of work in you.

Like Alma teaches, you have a desire to.

Wake up.

I think it's the reason Alma has those same words in his sermons where he is

like, oh, wait and shake off the chains.

It's this motivating thing that as soon as we begin to believe in

the gift and the miracle of the resurrection, everything else doesn't

seem worth holding onto and that's what Paul's trying to get them to do.

But it's interesting.

In 35, it's almost like he's wrestling with some who want to

understand in their mind and in their heart they're asking, but how?

Like how does a resurrection body come back?

And you can understand why they would have questions.

What I like is that Paul teaches to both.

He doesn't just say, just believe me spiritually and get over it.

He starts to try to explain how a resurrected body can possibly come back.

Because remember a lot of the people at this time thought that the

body was something to be cast off.

So he uses this analogy of a seed and you can go into the notes and

learn a little bit more about this.

I loved some of the commentary I read, gosh, I can't

remember which apostle it was.

It was like a hundred years ago.

And he compared this to a factory that had metal filings and he said, The

metal filings would get combined with the copper filings in this factory,

and careful people in the factory would gather them all up together and

put them in a barrel, and then they would take this gigantic magnet and

it would only pull out the, the metal filings and all the copper would stay.

And he's like, but if you didn't understand magnets, you would look

at that giant barrel and think those things can never be separated.

But then you see a magnet come in and you're like, oh yeah, in a flash they can

be separated and it's perfectly separated.

He's like, don't you think God has a magnet of sorts?

These are not his words, and you should go on the notes and read it.

But I just loved that idea.

He's like, don't doubt the goodness and the abilities of God if he

needs to resurrect bodies who have been scattered to the winds or have

been at the bottom of the sea or whatever the circumstances were.

He can do it.

He has a celestial magnet that will handle all of this.

And that's what I think Paul's trying to say.

He basically teaches them with this metaphor of grain, that the grain

continues to thrive and it continues to grow, and it becomes something better.

It sheds this seed form and becomes a more perfected form in its fullness, and

that's kinda what a resurrected body is.

It will look the same.

It will sound the same.

In fact, one of the prophets I read this week said that as we are resurrected,

we'll begin with the same scars and the same issues that we had in life,

and then those will become perfected.

It's a process.

I don't know how long that process takes, but I think in some

ways that might be comforting.

If there's people who are recognizable in certain ways, you'll recognize them again,

and then over time, all of us will become.

A perfected version of ourselves.

And then he talks about that there are different kinds of bodies.

This is gonna feel a lot like section 76.

'cause you get inklings, right?

You get this is a restored gospel.

So you see a fullness or a more full picture in section 76.

Then you get from the New Testament.

But, but the threads, those golden celestial threads are all in there.

So if you look in 39, all flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one

kind of flesh of men, another obese, another of fishes, and another of birds.

There are also celestial bodies and bodies terrestrial.

But the glory of the celestial is one and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

The J S T adds in that we have all three listed in that verse.

There is one glory of the sun and another glory of the moon and another

glory of the stars for one star different from another star in glory.

Paul's teaching the same concepts that Joseph Smith taught in section 76, that

when we are resurrected, our bodies will be different from each other.

We don't have a lot of data points about what that looks like.

I don't know exactly what a celestial body can do that a tres trestor or a

celestial can't, except for the fact that we know that they can't have increase.

That's something that's limited to just that celestial,

that upper celestial glory.

But I think there's power and understanding that the

bodies will be different.

I think again, it motivates us to seek after the good, to set down whatever sins

are besetting us and seek after something.

Greater 'cause.

The promise is substantial.

Do you guys remember in the doctrine covenants when we studied this together

and I got into all the details because I was curious about the difference in light.

You know, when he is talking about the moon and the sun and the

stars, it's not so much about size.

In fact, at least in the doctrine of covenants, it's talking about brightness.

And so I started to get curious about the brightness variance between the sun

and the moon and the moon and the stars.

Do you guys remember we did an object lesson about this where like the

difference between the brightness of a star as viewed from earth and the sun

as viewed from earth was the difference between a pinhole and like a spotlight

that would cover most of North America.

That is a really big difference.

So I just don't think we should take this lightly.

I'm not pretending that I know by some, any kind of science what the

difference is between these bodies.

But I do know that the difference is substantial.

That's what Paul taught.

That's what Joseph Smith taught.

He's saying it is worth it to strive, keep striving.

You want to seek after that's celestial glory.

'cause that's the glory of your heavenly parents.

So why would you want anything less?

So then he talks about corruption and incorruption.

This idea of here you're in a body that can age and decay and

deteriorate and slowly fall apart.

And when you go to that next world, that won't be the case anymore.

You'll step into something that is steadfast.

I just thought this is when you can see more directions like in 45.

And so it is written, the first man Adam was made a living soul.

And the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.

That's what he's talking about.

The difference between Adam as the first mortal man and the savior

as the first resurrected beam.

There'll be many others, right?

Even at the resurrection of the Savior after him, there were many

others who were resurrected, but he is the beginning the same way.

Adam was the very beginning of all the mortal men.

In 49 it says, and as we have born the image of the earthly, we shall

also bear the image of the heavenly.

I just love that verse.

I don't even know entirely what it means, but I think he's saying you'll have

both all men when they're resurrected, will have, you'll have the image of the

earthly, which I take to mean like you'll still look like yourself, look like

your parents, and you know, we will be.

Those things come with us, but you'll also have the I image of the heavenly.

You'll have pieces that are part of you that are divine, something that lasts.

If you go in the notes, you can learn.

A lot of this relates to blood to some way.

There will be no blood in our bodies.

There will be bodies of flesh and bones, but not bodies of flesh and blood.

So that blood is replaced by something heavenly and that's

what he's trying to teach us.

And then in 51, behold I show you a mystery.

Shall we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.

Uh, he believes Paul, similar to Joseph Smith, that the second coming is soon.

I think he just hopes that the second coming is soon the same way.

All of us hope that it's, and he's saying all of us are gonna be changed

and not everybody's gonna die.

I don't know if that's specific to his time or maybe he's thinking about John.

I don't know what that means, but I think there's promise in it.

He's saying, I can't explain all of this, but let me tell

you a little thing I can say.

And so he teaches them about that.

And then in 52, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye at the

last Trump, for the trumpet shall sound and the dead shall be raised

incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

That twinkling of an eye is the promise that in the

millennium there won't be debt.

That's just a marvelous promise that there will still be mortal people.

We will still live, there will be births and marriages and lots of

good work will happen during the millennium, but there will be no death.

There will be no weeping and mourning and loss because you'll

change in the twinkling of an eye.

Isaiah teaches that it's at age 100, but I don't know, maybe there's, it's hard to

know if that's an accurate translation or what that is, but at some point you'll be

changed and then you will have a different kind of body, a resurrected body, and

I think there's promise in all of that.

So I'm 53.

It's the invitation for this corruptible must put on incorruption and this

mortal must put on immortality.

It's this, uh, you have to let go of one in order to get the other.

You'll have to really forgive this interpretation, but when I was talking to

my boys about this before we compared it to Wolverine, because he basically has to

go through a process kind of like this.

He has to set down and submit himself to a process that like takes over his

bones and makes them metal and cool.

I can't even remember the name of the metal, my boys could tell you, but I

think it's that concept of like you set down what is corruptible and what

can't last, and you exchange it for something that is mighty and eternal.

In fact, that's where he goes next.

So in 54, so when this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this

mortal shall put on an immortality, then shall be brought to pass.

The saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.

That's what happens when we all submit and we all receive this resurrected body.

Death is swallowed up.

It's, I really like the word choice.

We studied this a little bit in the Book of Mormon, but I think swallowed up

doesn't mean all the pain is forgotten.

It means it's superseded by the good.

The same way in childbirth.

I can remember how hard it was.

I can remember how often I threw up.

I can remember all the pains, maybe not all of them.

I can remember a lot of the pains, but the joy I experienced since that

point supersedes everything else.

And that's what I think it means to have deaths swallowed up in victory.

Because what we gain is lasting and eternal in 56.

The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law, but thanks be to God.

In fact, in 55 it says, oh, death, where is thy sting?

Oh, great.

Where is th victory?

It's like this, that domino, because it stands, everything else stands up with it.

So there is no fear.

I don't think it means we don't have to.

I don't think we have to be ashamed of fear and pain that we

experience when we lose someone.

Now, there is pain and there is loss, and that loss is evidence of

the love that we have for a person.

But the promise is there's no lasting sting.

There's nothing that can impact us eternally because death is conquered

and we don't need to be afraid.

57, thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ.

And this is my favorite, maybe of the whole chapter 58.

Therefore, my beloved brethren be steadfast and unmovable, always abounding

in the in the works of the Lord.

For as much as you know that your labor is not in vain, in the Lord.

All of this teaching about the resurrection is to, for

me to get to this verse.

He's like, if this is true, then act do abound and go to works.

I love the phrase, be steadfast and immovable.

'cause those are words you could use for a resurrected body, right?

They are steadfast and they are unchanging, and they are

eternal, steadfast, and immovable.

Doesn't seem like something that can happen in this world.

But what I think Paul is trying to teach is in your spiritual

sense, you can choose to be this.

Your body might decay and break down and be subject to all kinds of illness

and cancer and all kinds of things, but your spirit, you get to choose.

And I encourage you based on this doctrine to be steadfast and immovable.

Unchanging, set aside the corruptible parts of your spirit and exchange

them for something incorruptible.

Hold on to this truth that you're learning and hold it so

tightly that it changes you.

That's Paul's motivation.

Be anxiously engaged in a good cause and use this as your motive.

If you believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ, you can be anxiously

engaged and you can be confident in the goodness of God, and that should

empower you to do all other things.

Paul's gonna wrap things up in chapter 16.

This is where he is gonna talk about their tithes and offerings, that

he's gonna take them to Jerusalem.

Some people think, I read a scholar who said this was about a famine

that was happening, and another one thinks this is maybe the beginning

of the church welfare system.

Uh, I don't really know, but for whatever reason, he's

taking their funds to Jerusalem.

And then he talks about how he hopes to be with them.

Because remember, this is not him in person.

This is his epistle sent it to them to nourish them.

I think it's because I've been studying so much in Jacob five.

So in my Y S A class, we were studying Jacob five these last two weeks.

One of the parts I love is how often the Lord goes to the

nether parts of the vineyard.

You know those far off places that have just one tree or maybe two trees,

you know, that had wild fruit at some time that he's been cultivating this

long time, and I feel like that's what Paul's doing with these epistles.

He hopes to be with these saints.

That's what he says in six and seven.

He hopes to winter with them.

He hopes to stay with them despite the fact that they live in this port

city party town that everybody thinks is like full of debauchery and sin.

He wants to be among them because he loves this part of the vineyard.

He loves these people and he wants to cultivate them.

He keeps sending epistles to nourish them while he's away,

but he hopes to be with them.

I think it's the same thing our apostles feel for all of us today.

They can't be in our wards and our branches, but they send their epistles

as nourishment, right, to enrich us.

No matter how far out, how nether I am out in the vineyard, they send guidance

and inspiration to us so that we can feast on that for a little while and

be strengthened in it until they can come, until we can see them in person.

I also think his guidance is cool.

In nine, he says, I wish I could be with you, but there's a great

and effectual door that has opened.

I, we don't know what this is referring to, at least I don't,

but I love it compared to with what we read in the doctrine covenants,

it's some opportunity to grow.

The kingdom of God has opened and he's going to take it.

It's not just a great door, it's an effectual door.

It reminds me of what I read in the Book of Mormon with Amman and King Lamon.

When King Lamon converts to the gospel.

An effectual door opens when his father is also converted and opens up,

you know, and sends that decree out that says the missionaries can preach

this great ineffectual door opens and thousands of hearts are changed.

That's what Paul is teaching about.

He's saying this opportunity is a, is a risen.

What I think is really interesting is what you see at the end of a nine.

So he says, for a great door, an effectual is opened unto me

and there are many adversaries.

Whenever a great and effectual door opens, Satan swoops in.

You know, it's the same thing that happens when we build temples and

when we open up missions, he goes on the alert and he sends his, you know,

best efforts to try and thwart it.

But the promise is you have the Lord on your side.

Paul knows with this great ineffectual door, whatever it is, with the Lord

on his side, he can accomplish it.

And I just think there's a stains of confidence that he has in it.

And then in 11 he warns about not despising who he can send.

So Paul talks about how he can't be with them right now 'cause he has to go take

care of this great ineffectual door.

But he is gonna send Timothy in his stead.

This is interesting to me.

'cause I think if Paul's an apostle, then that would mean, Timothy is

probably like an area authority or a local leader of some kind.

And he asks them in 11, let no man therefore despise him, but conduct

him, conduct him forth in peace.

I think there's good guidance here for all of us.

I, I think we all have local leadership, not just priesthood leadership,

but you know, leaders of our relief societies and things like that.

And it can get tempting to.

Hope for something grander.

You know, the way you might hope that gen general authority will

come to your state conference.

Or I can remember when I was first, when we first moved here, I was called in the

release study presidency of this ward.

And I was, I think this first or second counselor and I, at the time, Julie

Beck was the president and I found myself just wanting to be her friend.

I knew I never would ever meet her even, but I loved the way she taught

and the way she thought and the way she articulated her thoughts.

And I found myself thinking like, oh, if I could be her friend, if I could

just go on a hike with Julie Beck, I would learn so much and I would

know what our release society needs.

And I, you know, like I found myself not really aspiring to be her friend,

but you know, like I was just wishing that somehow I could connect with her.

And then the spirit corrected me and basically said, you need to talk

to your release society president.

You know, I was the counselor in the presidency, but the impression

I got was go talk to Ricky.

She was our release society president.

She was an an incredible woman of faith.

And I was like, I.

She has been set apart and she has been authorized to use

priesthood power to do her calling.

I should talk to her.

I should go to lunch with her and say, what can I do better?

And how do we take Sister Beck's words and apply them to

our particular relief society?

I just think sometimes we, we look beyond the mark and I, we have to,

we have to trust, uh, and we have to show kindness and compassion and

support for those who are close by.

And I think you get guidance for that in chapter 16.

I also love what you see in 13 and 14, so where the previous chapter, I, you know,

like void you up, especially for women to go and listen to President Nelson's

words to from a plea to my sisters and believe in the power of women and believe

in their ability to preach and teach.

I love this one for men because I think where Paul ends this in 16 is just

powerful for the men of the church.

He says, watch you stand fast in the faith, quit you, quit

you like men and be strong.

And then in 14, let all your things be done with charity.

Okay, here's why I love this couple verses.

First quit You Like Men is a weird phrase, but it basically just means

behave like men and be strong.

And then he tells you how to behave like men and be strong.

And that's in 14.

Let all your things be done with charity.

I just think this is surprising 'cause charity is something that we always

associate with the Relief Society.

It's in our seal and our motto.

But charity is something that never fails for men and women.

And I think he's saying that the epitome of men is someone

who has a heart full of charity.

And charity isn't just service.

Charity is seeing people with Christ-like eyes and having a pure love for them.

That is what it means to be strong like men.

You see that all over the place in scripture, right?

Like all those mighty prophets of the Book of Mormon.

You think about King Benjamin and you think about Nephi and you think about

Alma and even Captain Moroni you.

You see people who are strong like men.

Powerful examples of what it means to be a man of God who are full of charity.

They are full of the love of Christ for their people.

They will put their lives on the line to help their people.

They will serve their entire lifetimes to benefit their people.

That's what it means to be a man of God.

And I just kind of love that piece.

In fact, I loved it when I read President Nelson's Guide to the Men.

So in 2019, there's this call to action for the men.

I can't remember the title of the talk, but it's in the notes where he

basically said, we need to do this.

We need to stand like men.

We need to behave like men and be full of charity and we need to change.

It was this like, you know, pep talk for the Men In's Church.

So I think there's value in both.

There's guidance from President Nelson about the women of the church, and

there's guidance to the men of the church.

And boy, when you combine both of those with the words of Paul, I think

there's really riveting guidance in it.

So I hope you enjoy it.

You can find all that in the notes.

Then he talks about the blessings he's received from the saints so far.

He thanks some of them.

'cause remember, this is the end of his epistle, so he is

gonna thank some of the saints.

I just like the way it's phrased in 18.

It says, for they have refreshed my soul or my spirit and yours, therefore,

acknowledging them that are such.

There are those who are not in leadership positions, not in positions of authority

in any way, but they have refreshed and I found myself thinking that's what I

hope to do for whether it's my local leaders or apostles or anybody that I

could pray for, that they, because of my efforts, feel refreshed in their spirit.

I think that's a good goal for all of us.

Then he wraps up, he says in 21 that he wrote this with his own hand, even

though he has a scribe that probably wrote a lot of the words themselves.

He.

Finishes it off with his own hand and then he gives this guidance in 22.

There's a bit of a curse that he puts in here basically saying like, if

you choose not to believe, you'll, your progress will be stopped.

You'll be stunted.

And then in 23, the grace of your Lord Jesus Christ be with you in 24.

My love be with you all in Christ.

In Christ to Jesus.

The reason I like that combination is it's similar to what we see in doctrine CO 77.

So this is where he says that, that Grace May instruct an edify.

I think the reason Paul wants grace to stay with them is because he

knows that grace will strengthen them while he's not there.

You know, he can't be with them.

He can't always be writing them epistles.

He is got a lot of people to care for.

But if grace stays, then they can still progress and grow.

And then when you go to his love, that's what you see in 24.

My love be with you all in Christ Jesus.

This to me is his invitation is if, if you hope for more from me,

if you wish I could be among you.

Seek Jesus if you, I think it's actually something we can apply

to everybody that we love.

This idea of if there's somebody you miss or there's somebody you hope to

hear from, seek the words of Jesus Christ and let that be a comfort to you.

I think that's his guidance.

You'll feel my love for you as you study the words of the Savior,

and isn't that a beautiful thing?

I hope my kids and my grandkids, when I'm gone seek the words of

Jesus Christ to hear what I would say, to hear, to feel my love.

I think there's beautiful guidance in that verse.

Hey everybody, welcome back.

This is the creative side of week 36.

So my goal with this portion, as always, is just to inspire creative teaching now

because I think you have to put on a show.

Remember, this whole week study was about the plainness and

the simpleness of the wave.

But I do think there is value in.

Catching someone's eye.

I think sometimes, especially when it comes to our kids, it helps

to teach them in different ways.

'cause different object lessons and different styles of teaching

will catch different people's attention and then the spirit can

swoop in and do what's mighty work.

So I think there's value in teaching in a variety of ways,

and I'm just hoping to inspire a little bit of creativity in yours.

So lemme walk you through the first, the object lessons.

First, I'll give you just a quick rundown of what they are and why

we're gonna teach them and talk to you about the supplies you're gonna need.

And then for those of you who are in the full course or listening

on the private podcast, I'll walk you through each one individually.

And then I'll also give you access to all the notes that I use to teach

and all the printables so that you have all the tools at your disposal

and you can add your own spin or twist to make it work for your group.

Okay, here's your supplies list for these three object lessons.

First, since so much of Paul's message this week was about the gift of tongues

and comparing it to the gift of prophecy and why we should value one over the

other, I needed some cool way to teach the gift of tongues, and I think I found it.

You guys, okay?

I'm calling this a cryptography calendar.

I have to tell you, I cannot take credit for this idea.

I found it on Instructables.

If you guys don't follow that site, I just think they have

the most bizarre, fun ideas.

Anyway, the guy who invented this made it out of wood and

like three D printed stuff.

I just took what he created and put it on paper so that you

could take it into your classes.

But the idea behind this one is talking about how these weird, random

marks are completely indiscernible.

They have no understanding that can be applied to them until

you use this fancy slider.

To isolate certain parts of the text so that you can read it.

It's a a really easy way to help your kids understand why the gift of tongues

is still a spiritual gift and something that comes from God, but that it's

not intended to teach the doctrine.

To teach the doctrine.

We use a much simpler approach called the Gift of Prophecy, and we'll talk all about

the difference with this object lesson.

Okay.

Second one.

Oh, that one.

You just need cardstock in the printable and you'll be good to go on that one.

The second one involves a lot more cardstock and another printable, but

it's for a whole different purpose.

So I think that those two verses that teach about baptisms for the dead in

the New Testament are pivotal this week.

Not so much that we have a lot of understanding about why they practiced

it or how they practiced it, but just the fact that we know that

they did in fact practice baptisms for the dead in the days of Paul.

That's a huge understanding to have and it's something that should.

Help our kids value what we know today, that we have the restoration of the

gospel so we know why we practice baptism for the dead and what it's for.

So I wanted to give you some tools to help accomplish that.

I'll direct you some cool videos and other things that you can learn

more about Baptisms for the Dead.

But the printable is this little booklet similar to what I did

last year in the Old Testament.

I gave you a little booklet to hold family name cards so that when

you took cards to the temple, they didn't get all rumbled in your bag.

I'm giving you the amped up version this week and I'll walk you through what it is.

But basically inside that you're gonna find these little sleeves that can

hold family name cards so that your kids, or you can prepare names for the

temple and then take them to the temple and keep them in a neat, orderly way.

I actually think we see that a lot in this week's study.

You see the Lord call for order and organization and structure in

things that are of great worth and baptism for the dead is one of those.

So I'll walk you through this in just a second.

Okay, third one.

There is some really.

Pivotal doctrine about the kingdoms of glory and the resurrected

bodies that will inhabit those kingdoms in this week's study.

And it piggybacks on, or maybe I could say the restoration piggybacks

on this one, but what we learned from Joseph Smith in the doctrine

covenants, especially in 76, adds fullness and richness and understanding

to what Paul began with these verses.

And I wanted my kids to have a better grasp of that, what resurrected

bodies are like, how they will be different from each other based on.

What kind of body you have.

The, the body that you have determines a little bit where you belong and

that there are different levels.

So the, an easy way to teach that is with creating levels in a glass jar.

So this is actually a really similar lesson to what we taught in section 76.

So if you're in the course, you can go back to the doctrine and covenants and

learn more about why we taught it there.

To create it, you just need to have some different layers of material.

So for us, the easiest ones that you can always find on hand, we have

oil, like vegetable, oil, water, with just a fraction of food coloring so

that you can see where that line is.

And at the bottom is just corn syrup, like a light corn syrup or something

heavy like that will work great.

And you're gonna talk about the differentiation that happens between the

three of them, how they don't really mix.

And I'll show you a cool way to teach that in just a second.

All right?

Get those supplies on hand and then you'll be good to go.

You guys.

All right you guys.

That's it for week 36.

I hope you enjoy it.

This is your very last week of one Corinthians, so I hope you feel a little

more solid in this book of scripture.

Now that we've been through it together, I know for me, all this

study has helped me profoundly.

I think my understanding of First Corinthians before was kind

of at a surface level, and now I've taken things a lot deeper.

So I hope that happens for you as well.

If you want to go a little deeper, I would strongly encourage

you to go into the notes.

That's a big Google Doc designed to help you apply the

teachings of Paul to our day.

And the way I do that is by connecting you to modern revelation.

So from conference talks from our apostles, from the prophet,

from women, leaders of the church, from previous prophets.

Anytime I find a patch of prophetic commentary about these

scriptures that I think applies, I try to plug it into the notes.

So they're usually 30 or 40 pages, but I think they're worth your time.

If you're hoping to go a little deeper or you struggle with certain areas,

go into the notes and I promise you'll get a little more understanding.

You're also welcome to join me on Instagram, you guys, 10:00 AM Monday.

Um, there's usually a good, it's almost like a separate institute class, I

feel like, because I see the same names and it's kind of getting comfortable

over there in Instagram, 10:00 AM Mondays, you can, that's Mountain Time.

You can pop on and listen to some of the insights that I couldn't

quite fit into the podcast with videos that I think are worth it.

There.

There are a few things that I wrote on my post-its that I did

not remember to say, and I hope to add those into the live on Monday.

But otherwise, I just hope you get into your scriptures, whether you use these

object lessons, the notes, or any of the commentary you heard here, I hope you

just get into the verses yourself and see what the spirit has to teach you.

All the tools I'm providing are just designed to help.

Help supplement that, but my goal is to get you into your scriptures yourself.

'cause I think that's where you'll find the most good.

It's certainly where I find the most good, so I hope it helps.

All right, you guys.

Enjoy your week and I'll see you on Monday.