Temple Bound
God's children are searching in greater numbers for answers and hoping for miracles as they look to Jesus Christ for relief. On 'Temple Bound,' hosted by Will Humphreys, explore how temples offer not just solace but also powerful tools for navigating these turbulent times through faith in Jesus Christ.
Tune in every Monday to hear Will Humphreys engage with guests who bring inspiring stories, profound teachings, and insights into accessing divine guidance through temple service.
Each episode promises to enrich your understanding and strengthen your connection to the Savior in unique and transformative ways.
Whether you're seeking answers, yearning for peace, or in need of a miracle, 'Temple Bound' is your weekly spiritual refuge, helping you anchor your soul to the Savior. Join us on this sacred journey to deepen your faith and discover the blessings of temple worship.
Temple Bound
The Temple, Tithing, and Transformation: Why It's Not About the Money with Brian Schenk
In this powerful episode of Temple Bound, we dive deep into the spiritual connection between tithing and the temple with guest Brian Wright, a former bishop and dedicated disciple of Jesus Christ.
Brian shares how his years of service as a bishop brought him a deeper understanding of Doctrine & Covenants Section 119, revealing that tithing is not just a financial principle it’s a priesthood principle. This shift in perspective reframes tithing not as a transaction, but as a sign of faith and a gateway to transformation.
We explore:
- The scriptural foundation of tithing in D&C 119
- How tithing builds the foundation of the temple and connects us to priesthood power
- Why the temple is where we prepare to receive all that the Father has
- How the adversary twists eternal principles into transactional lies
- The mindset shift that turns tithing into a liberating act of consecration
Whether you're struggling to understand tithing, or seeking a deeper spiritual perspective on temple worship, this episode offers profound insights into how giving a little can open the door to receiving everything.
Welcome to Temple Bound. Our guest today is Brian Schenck. He's a longtime friend, my former bishop and now a temple ordinance worker. He's going to be sharing his stories of how being a bishop prepared him to become a temple ordinance worker and how he was able to learn the connection between the priesthood and the temple and the blessings associated with tithing. It's an interesting connection between tithing and the temple that he's going to share with us, and as well as some amazing stories that he's going to give us, laced with beautiful scriptures that are going to highlight things. This recording is happening the week before Easter, during Holy Week, so we're even talking about the Savior and the cleansing of the temple. So make sure you pay close attention throughout this episode for what you're looking for in your life as you go temple-bound. Enjoy the show, all right. So, brian, as a former bishop, what were some of the things that you learned as a bishop that has served you as it pertains to the temple?
Speaker 2:bishop that has served you as it pertains to the temple. So for me, there's a couple of principles that I loved that I was able to be taught, and grateful that I learned as a bishop whether it was from others or just my own personal experience. I think it took me actually a couple of years. The first is the principle of tithing, as it's connected to the temple.
Speaker 1:Oh, tell me about that.
Speaker 2:So you know and I think it was my second year of tithing settlement that I actually really appreciated this principle and maybe just needed to learn over time that principle.
Speaker 2:But, in section 119 of the Doctrine and Covenants we learn about how tithing is actually a priesthood principle. So, for example, in verse 3 and 4, we learn the foundation of tithing. It says and this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people, and after that, those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually, and this shall be a standing law unto them forever, for my holy priesthood.
Speaker 1:For my holy priesthood. I've never caught that last part.
Speaker 2:Saith the Lord. In the prior verse, in verse 2, it talks about this principle is for the building of mine house and for the laying of the foundation of Zion and for the priesthood. And then it continues. So for me it was kind of an aha moment that tithing is not just a money principle, it's actually a priesthood principle. It allows us to build the foundation of his holy house and receive priesthood blessings in that holy house. Ultimately, those blessings are what we see in the oath and covenant of the priesthood, which is that we receive all that the father has. But it requires temples and those holy ordinances to be conducted to do that. So I love the principle of tithing. That's something that I really cherish and hold as one of my anchoring points personally that tithing is a priesthood principle, not just a financial principle.
Speaker 1:You know that's so interesting, brian. In that context I'd never seen that connection between tithing and the temple. You know, it's one of those things where what we learn in terms of consecration, that you know we should give everything to the Lord as part of our dedication to him, that we should give everything to the Lord as part of our dedication to him and so money being this very useful tool in this life that giving any of it away can be hard. But it's so powerful Because I remember, as a young missionary in Guatemala, worried about how I'm going to teach people about tithing, and realizing quickly oh, every church talks about it.
Speaker 1:So very few people struggled with why it was a commandment right, because all religions had been kind of talking about it. They might struggle in actually doing it, but just that idea that everyone's taught that concept. And even now, outside of religion, there's a whole bunch of people like Dave Ramsey who talk about no, you should give 10% of what you have away. And here's the studies that show your mindset. So all that aside, what really matters is what you said. It ties to the temple and allows us to get the heart set right, so when we go, we're able to let go just that little bit. You know it's not 20%, it's not 30%, but like this, that little bit that frees our hearts so that we can be, receive greater blessings and have nothing to do with this world, that's amazing.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you think about, we think about the oath in covenant priesthood as being speaking to the sons, which it is largely. But it then says you know, he that receiveth my servants receiveth me, and he that receiveth me receiveth my father, and he that receiveth my father receiveth my father's kingdom. Therefore, all that my father hath shall be given unto him. And that promise is not only to sons, it's to, it's to heavenly father's daughters as well. And so when you think about receiving all that the father has, the priesthood principle of tithing is he's only asking for 10%, but it opens the door to the temple to having all that the father has. And so I that's that's, that's a principle that I love is just appreciating tithing for what it is. And it says actually that it's a standing law forever. It's not just an earthly law, it's a true principle.
Speaker 1:And I love that. You know, the topic I had too is how the adversary spins that piece. Alex right now, as you know, is on his mission in Texas and he's talking to some people who are trying to open his mind to what truth really is right. And that was something that comes up is this idea that, like, you pay tithing to get to a temple and, yeah, that's the adversaries message. But the truth is so opposite of like, yes, you pay this minimal amount to get all that. The father half it's, it's, and it's not that you're, but it's either thing is it's not transactional? That's another adversarial technique. Right, it's not a transaction. Well, see, the thing is it's not transactional. That's another adversarial technique. Right, it's not a transaction. You're not buying to qualify for that. It's a sign of faith. Yeah, that's right, it has nothing to do with, like, a transaction, but it's everything to do with a transformation. That's right. Yeah, I love that.
Speaker 2:Thank you.
Speaker 2:Yeah so what else? As a bishop, you know, for me, and it's you know, you might say, how does this tie to the temple? But I gained a love and appreciation for the Aaronic Priesthood and for me the Aaronic Priesthood is the priesthood that you know, blesses us with the remission of our sins, it blesses us with. You know, I shared this with you before in a different article, but the law of justification, which is the, you know, the Savior's atonement, justified our sins in terms of being receiving a remission of our sins. But that Aaronic priesthood is absolutely essential and that law of justification is absolutely essential before the sanctification comes.
Speaker 2:And if you look at you know Moses, and same thing, when he was trying to, when he came down and he saw all the wickedness, he was unable to deliver the full gospel of Jesus Christ, the full law of Christ, if you will, and therefore he had to instill more of the Aaronic priesthood in those more carnal commandments to them, because they weren't ready for sanctification.
Speaker 2:But his job was to prepare them to see the face of God, you know, in the Doctrine and Covenants. And so in order to do that, the Aaronic priesthood is there first, as the law of justification, so that we can receive a remission of our sins day to day, and then the blessing comes that we can receive the Holy Ghost, which is the sanctifier, which is the sanctifier. And so you know, obviously the temple connects both of those laws, the Aramaic and Melchizedek priesthood, blessings which are, you know, the law of the gospel and the law of sacrifice, which are tied to the Aramaic priesthood, in that, in receiving remission of our sins and then the greater blessings and the greater law of Christ, which is the full and everlasting gospel, which is the blessings to see the face of our Heavenly Father Gosh full and everlasting gospel, which is the blessings to see the face of our heavenly father Gosh.
Speaker 1:You know, and I remember you as a bishop too, brian, where I remember once in the hall you were telling me he's like you know, well, I love you know this is a challenging calling. I love all the different things I get to do, but if I had my choice, I would just clear the plate and just only work with the youth and and that love that you had, I think it was such a powerful thing and it was evident, especially with the Errani priesthood, since that's who you were directly over. You had some incredible young women's presidents to assist you on the other side. But, yeah, I think that it was evident to us too. That love that you had for the Errani priesthood showed up in service, in a form of service for those kids.
Speaker 2:I love my time and I learned a lot of things personally. But you learn to love the youth, you learn to love those you serve and this is a special generation and I was grateful for that opportunity. Yeah, it was a lot of lessons learned in life.
Speaker 1:Is it fair to say that that was one of the highlights of being a bishop? Like? What were the? What would you say were some of the like the best parts of being a bishop?
Speaker 2:Um, yes, definitely the time with the youth. Um, you know, we, we, we received counsel and training often, as you know, in all these state trainings and we'd hear things about. You know, clear your schedule, clear your plate so that you're giving your time to the youth. I still look back and I realized I didn't do that enough and you learn so much from the youth. You've been a young men's president. You can just super appreciate how important the youth are. And I wouldn't say I don't have regrets, but I would say that I understand and know the counsel from our leaders that making time for them is the absolute most important thing.
Speaker 1:Well, obviously you have your own kids, you know, two of which are engaged at the moment. Like, you've gone through that journey and so, as a parent, you can appreciate the power of a leader and as a leader, you know, I think, I think only a great leader would look back and say, yeah, I could have done this and that Cause we don't know. We don't know until we're through it, like to me. I think that's one of those callings where everyone just goes tap, tap, not it, and so for you to lean into that was great and yeah, I mean it must've been so challenging too. What were some of the more challenging aspects? Just if I I don't want to get too far on this main topic, but I am curious.
Speaker 2:Well, let me back up too, because you're reminding me to say something that's really important too is this a bishopric can't do everything for the youth, and they're not supposed to. And so you mentioned the other side, which is the young women's. Leaders Oof Like to have the trust, and, and I just want to say I appreciate these sisters who I let them run as much as they could with those young women as well. I mean, we're told we're supposed to go with young men every, you know when we were doing every other once a month or whatever, that's right.
Speaker 2:Because everything changed when I was in the bishopric. Everything changed from three-hour church to two-hour church.
Speaker 1:Yeah, president, you went through the as a highlight, as a side note. Covid, right, yeah, you were 17 when you were put in. You had 2017 with your COVID and President Nelson's you know, prophet reign, whatever, Like all those changes happened while you were bishop.
Speaker 2:Yeah, but you feel this really great trust for the sisters that you've called these leaders that now then lead with these young women, and just the faith and trust that I had in them and being able to do so much when we couldn't be there always, yeah, I'm present. I learned great things that way, yeah, so you asked what else.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so the hard things, what were some of the challenges of that? It just came to mind, so I thought I would ask the hard things, yeah, what are some of the more challenging aspects of being a bishop in that regard?
Speaker 2:And then we'll go back to the temple, I think to be honest with you connecting with some youth and not being able to connect with others. If I'm just going to give you my honest opinion, sometimes I just, like you know, I was hoping I would talk to Ashley about this. You hope that you would have more connection with certain individuals, but I think that where there was rewards with certain youth that I still have connection with and I see them on missions now and it's wonderful Other times I think in some ways not connecting with others was hard for me. You know I'm one that I try and draw out of people. You know that connection and that you know feel their love, feel their spirit. So I think for me, when I didn't, you know, fully have that connection, that was hard for me sometimes.
Speaker 1:You know love is an interesting thing, brian. You know it's funny because in so many ways it acts like an asset that we can invest right Like it's. It's a, you know, for some would look at it a little bit like a skill, but I think of it more like an asset that we invest in. And so when we invest love in people, you know everyone is kind of like their own little. You know, individual investee, meaning some people, when we invest in them, they just they show up immediately and they have that and I think there's certain energies that parallel.
Speaker 1:But what's interesting is I think sometimes we confuse long-term investments as maybe not successful investments.
Speaker 1:When it comes to love, and as someone who knows that you've made a huge impact in their world personally, that sometimes I may not always show it I just hope you know that I know everyone was a recipient of your investment of love because you invested in everyone so personally during that time frame that some probably was more evident and you could see a cause and effect.
Speaker 1:But there's, there's an effect to your cause and I think that's true for all of us. Um, when we take that eternal perspective kind of tying back to the temple now of how, when we're making these efforts, especially as parents, man, I think the biggest thing that has helped me in the temple is just recognizing we're playing the long game, like, like, this is this is a long-term investment and we're not going to lose. We're not, you know, because it's not just us, it's not just our ward, it's not just great bishops like you, it's our savior, and I love that. So kind of tying that back now to other things that you learned as a bishop that may have helped you as as because, like, we're getting to a really beautiful place in this discussion about what Temple looks like for you today and what are maybe some other things, if anything else, that you've learned as a bishop that has really had something to do with the passion that you have today for Temple.
Speaker 2:Um, well, one thought that I had was uh, for those, for those youth that maybe I didn't connect with, it's interesting too that I did gain an appreciation about how, how important parents are, and even though I may not have had a great or strong relationship for a certain youth like, for example, some youth need their bishops more than others, and sure, and other youth don't. Actually, you know, you may not have other than your annual or semiannual interview you may not have a lot of interaction with, but you realize that there's still teaching happening in the home and there's mentoring and gospel instruction and all these good things that happen with good parents, and so I love, I love that principle of Nephi being born of goodly parents. I'm grateful that there's good parents that prepare their children, that the bishop can't do it all anyways, and he's not supposed to, but as you look at these inspiring youth, they also have wonderful parents behind them and so it's inspiring to see these good youth.
Speaker 1:One story I could share, probably right now I am an ordinance worker in the Gilbert Temple. Yeah, that's where this is kind of led to this thing that you've done as a bishop have led to this place, where now you're an ordinance worker.
Speaker 2:I got to tell you not trying to boast in my own experience here, but you're crushing it.
Speaker 1:No, you're crushing it as a temple worker, that's not true.
Speaker 2:What I wanted to say was it's actually my favorite assignment ever, really Ever, that's.
Speaker 1:I didn't know that, tell me about that.
Speaker 2:I absolutely love it and you know it's obviously. The commitment is once a week and for me it's Wednesday evenings. Ashley's now taking her turn with the young women on weeknights.
Speaker 1:That's right, and I have a buddy she serves with my wife.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's right, they're together and so I get to go and it's about five, five and a half hours of kind of all time in. But, you know, blessing, that's only about two and a half, three minutes from the house, so it's not too far. We live very close to the temple but for me, I get to see in the eyes of the patrons and matrons and the youth, the blessing that it is to them, wow, and and it it's really and obviously. I want to talk more about this. Hopefully we have some time to talk about just the re, the reinvigoration. I feel personally, um, and how it fills my cup and how you know, uh, the term is it it. You know we, um, you know we are filling our cup, but virtue is being restored in our lives. I feel that much more personally and I love it. So it's a weekly assignment, it's Wednesday nights. We go for about five hours and we serve with about a hundred other people on this particular shift it might be more like 200, as we meet in the, you know, downstairs basement room and we're first 45 minutes, are trained by the temple presidency and the matron. Wow, and so it's just, it's a wonderful experience, but you know.
Speaker 2:Going back to what I see, one experience that I've had in the last 30 days is you, look about the inspiring nature of our youth and what they're trying to do. I was called I'm sorry, I was assigned a particular Wednesday this is about three weeks ago and mostly to work at the veil, on the receiving side of the veil, and that particular day a few other brethren were out and so I was asked to go immediately first to the baptistry, which I wasn't assigned to. Okay, and so I, I, uh, I went to the baptistry and the first couple you know groups that we had coming in. I'm always paired up with another brother and these are, you know, wonderful brethren that I'm paired up with and we're helping the youth, you know, with confirmations. And I saw this young man come in and he's a tall young man, senior, you know, in high school age, and he just he was kind of by himself, but he was paired up with a couple of young ladies that were friends, that were getting ready, and anyway, they got baptized and they came in later for confirmations and the whole time that, first I was helping with the group, I was recording a confirmation and then, when their particular group came in, I'm like you know what, I'm going to take a turn. So I asked the brother if I could actually confirm.
Speaker 2:And when this young man sat down, I noticed his name and it was a unique name, it was a name that you'll hardly ever hear. Got it. And I asked. I said, is your father so-and-so first name? And I and I won't say his name just because I haven't talked to him about this but but this personal experience was, I saw this young man and he sat down and I went to confirm him and I saw his name and, um, his dad was my mission companion.
Speaker 2:What Former mission companion? That's cool. And since then, in the last 10 years, his dad has left the church. Yeah, and so you know, in this instance, with this young man, I knew a little bit about their history. I've talked to this brother, who's still a friend today, but he's very open about it why he's left and why he's not part of the church.
Speaker 2:But this is their youngest son now and here he is in the temple by himself, and I was just inspired as I talked with him, he had a group of friends that really brought him back to seminary in his life and he started to see the importance of the gospel and he's now working on his mission papers and his whole family is not active. This is a young man that's coming to the temple by himself and I, just I, was so grateful to see him and I introduced myself, obviously as a mission companion. He's like what you knew, my dad, you know this, this, this experience of just you know, that little window that I, that I had because I got reassigned in the temple. I'll call it inspiration, because there's no coincidence. There's no coincidence. I was able to see this young man. I was able to text his father afterwards and we had some nice pleasantry texts thereafter, but he is an amazing, amazing young man and I said you know, you're going to save your family someday and he said that's what I'm trying to do, wow.
Speaker 1:And I said you know you're going to save your family someday and he said that's what I'm trying to do. Wow, I love the beauty of the fact that the Lord sent this young man another father figure from his dad's mission. You know, it's like he was able to see. I can imagine that it was like for him a connection to his dad, so it had that same line. But it was one of a good example of someone to follow and hope and an inspiration that you know we both love my dad.
Speaker 2:We can do this and, yeah, what a beautiful example this is inspiring for me too, personally and these it's not just for the matrons and patrons, those of us who are working in the temple. I get to be inspired by the Lord's tender mercies of of being used and being someone that has an opportunity to be introduced to others in the temple and having experience of seeing people that you know there's connection here and the Lord's very mindful of each of us but very, very inspired of his faith and his valiancy, and that I got to see that what a great tender mercy for me personally.
Speaker 1:Totally, and it's such an interesting thing. I've, you know, I hear people talk about callings in the temple in a totally different light. I have a sister, I have others. When we all get callings, you know there's callings that challenge us. There's, you know all the things, but I've never once talked to someone who works in a temple who doesn't say exactly what you just said. How did you get started in that? Was that a choice? Were you called to it?
Speaker 2:Yeah, you know, actually it was an invitation by a friend who had been doing it as well, and and and More of like Brian, you should do this.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:They, they personally. This is a friend and peer of mine that he personally is.
Speaker 1:Is had done it for now he's probably a couple of years, years I've only been about six months and and he just said, hey, if this is something you, you know, want to do, you should do it. And and I was like, okay, so I was getting recruited. People don't know about the recruiting system. To good work for the volunteer temple.
Speaker 2:There's a secret that it's like the best, I think best assignment in the church, so so I think it's kind of like oh, I mean you're.
Speaker 1:Oh, you don't get absolved. You're still our sunday school teacher as well, right you're? You're teaching gospel doctrine, right yeah?
Speaker 2:but this is, this is, uh, you know, just an imitation. So I I thought on it and I considered it and I went through the process of asking, you know, putting my name through it with the bishop and state president. They have to kind of, you know, make sure they they put your name through. And then you're interviewed by a member of the state, of the uh, the temple presidency, because everyone is, oh, I didn't know that. And when, when they say, okay, good, are you ready to start? We'll get you, you know, set apart because it's already been approved by your local bishop and stake president.
Speaker 1:Okay, and then, like are you going next day?
Speaker 2:Like, yeah, I mean as soon as you can join in your shift that you're assigned to, you're ready to go and of course you when you're new there. Maybe repeating the ordinances as an ordinance worker and temple worker throughout becomes redundant, but the reality is it does not.
Speaker 1:Really.
Speaker 2:For me it's still special every time.
Speaker 1:That's amazing. Yeah, Do you also go like? In addition to that, as you know, a participant as well as a Norse worker, so you do both. Yeah, absolutely. You know participate as well as a Norse worker, so you do both.
Speaker 2:Yeah, absolutely, you do feel a renewed again vigor and virtue as you're participating in the ordinances, because someone has to confirm, someone has to baptize. I've been assigned to go down and baptize as well. But yeah, absolutely, I definitely go on a personal basis and whether it's seamen's with my wife or I go to the baptistry with my kids.
Speaker 1:I definitely take that opportunity to do so. That's awesome. That is so wonderful. I love that you've shared that. So if someone was listening to this right now and feeling like a little inclined to investigate in this recruiting podcast episode that we're doing together, what would you recommend that they do?
Speaker 2:Um, you know, I think it is a time commitment and so I think you'd have to, you'd have to understand if you do have the ability and time to do that. It's times and seasons, it's usually they asked. At least the current presidency wanted us to commit to two years, if we can.
Speaker 1:Okay, those are the details I have no idea about. This is so fascinating?
Speaker 2:Yeah, because you know remember there's some processes that you have to go through, and memorization of ordinances, oh yeah, and so that it's smooth and it's given in a dignified and reverent manner. So you're trying to do that. So you know, their invitation is to give some time to it. So you know, certainly you have to consider that and if you have the availability to do that, but there are substitutes and there's things that sometimes you have to miss and you let your coordinator know. But you know, for the most part, um, you know it is a time commitment, but I would say, if you're, if you're able to do it, it's, it's been a, it's been a great blessing in my life. Every time I come home, I just I just feel renewed and I feel like being a better person and I just I just I learned something every time I go and so I'm just grateful.
Speaker 1:Yeah, what a great share. I've always admired the temple workers Um, just because I know it's a time commitment, you know, and the people who do, they're really giving. But again, it's so interesting because, despite the time commitment, I've never talked to someone who doesn't say exactly what you say, and so it's taken me in my journey with the temple, a long time to get to a point where now, as soon as I walk in, most of the time, I feel this instant sense of relief and peace. And so I think that you know the repetition around. This is this like spiritual training of sorts, where our spirits get to adapt in that sacred space and receive revelation and get renewed. And I think that's probably why, in my opinion, why people who are doing what you're doing are able to do it, because it's not like other work. You're truly in a work that gives more than it gets in terms of spiritual renewal. So how fascinating that you're sharing that. So if any of you who are listening are just wondering, you know, maybe this is for me or not. After you pray about it, if you're feeling inclined, go talk to your bishop. Is that the step? Yeah, that's where it starts. That's where it starts, seems like it, all roads lead to the bishop at some point in that regard, so that's awesome. Well, brian, listen, this has been phenomenal.
Speaker 1:I want to share something more personal in this episode, because you had a hand in the show's creation. You had a big hand in it. I should get a commission. You should get a commission from the millions of spiritual dollars that are raining down upon me. And it's so funny because you know, I haven't talked a whole lot in the show about why I started it. I do reference that there was a miracle I needed in my life for a family member, and I found it through the temple in a way that was so palpable that I can never deny it, like I just can't deny it. So palpable that I can never deny it, like I just can't deny it. And there was something very special because, anyway, would you mind sharing your side of this story, just so you know people could hear what that was like? Sure, yeah.
Speaker 1:So I was going through this period of difficulty where I needed a miracle. I find this miracle in the temple and it was truly palpable, and it was something that started through fasting and prayer. I was really struggling with this thing that I was working through with a family member, and so I went away and I went to the mountains Like I went in tents I don't usually do this right Like I was fasting and praying and I was really trying to evaluate everything in my life, not just this situation, but I got a distinct impression to focus on my ancestors and it made no sense at the time. I mean, it's so funny, we're in Temple, bounce Everyone's like, of course. But like I literally was like what? Really?
Speaker 1:I had this like three line thing in my patriotic blessing about how important it was. It was like it's very small but super powerful. It's like and, by the way, do this because it'll change your life forever. I'm like whatever. So I'm praying and fasting.
Speaker 1:I read that part, it's totally confirmed. I'm supposed to focus on temple and then we have the miracle and I am just like. First of all, I am lit up, kind of like like Ammon in Alma 26, where he's, he's coming out and he's just like. You know, I'm not boasting, because me and God, we can do everything and I came out of this more humbled than that, but just super on fire about wanting to share the message. And I was praying. I was literally praying at the time for a way to be able to share what I had learned, because I thought I really felt like I was commanded to do so. But I also just had this natural inclination, after we've been served, how you just want to share that with others, and so it was during this time that I think you're part of the story. We'll probably kick in.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, yeah, we were. We were, we were debating it or not debating, we were, I think, discussing and counseling together in ward council actually was as a bishop I think it was in bishop bishop rick meeting and we were identifying the need of really focusing on the youth as it relates to temple. Um, just temple worship, but just just just family history in general, and, um, that really didn't come up for me. It came up from a spiritual thought that came from our executive secretary at the time, and it became very clear from his testimony and from his spiritual, just thought in the very beginning of our bishopric meeting that family history and temple work is so very important, it's so important as it relates to the youth, is so very important. It's so important as it relates to the youth, and so you know, I'm the first to tell you that.
Speaker 2:You know, we talk about how bishops hold the keys for the work in the ward. The reality is, though, is the bishop is not intended to make all the decisions and to give all the inspired counsel. The reality is the counsel process. If it works right, you know, inspiration will come, and that's why I was like. There's a verse in Proverbs I always like to use, which is Proverbs 15, 22. It says without counsel purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counselors they are established.
Speaker 1:Could you say that again one more time, just slowly. That was so profound.
Speaker 2:Yeah, so Proverbs 15, 22,. Without counsel purposes are disappointed, but in the multitude of counselors they are established. So for me it was a personal witness that you know even my counselors necessarily don't, and myself, as a former bishop, we don't receive all the answers In a council setting, whether it's a bishopric or a council. This inspiration came from the spiritual thought of an executive secretary which then prompted us to then say you know what, who would be a great blessing to our youth, who you know could, could help lead this family history, you know, initiative for our ward and be an inspiration to our youth. And of course, you know Will Humphreys is not. You know he's known for being the best comedian in source.
Speaker 1:Generous, very generous, yes.
Speaker 2:And uh, but it it became very clear that, um, you know this calling was directed to, to sign to you at that time. And so, you know, I, you know there's times that you kind of go uh with you know the promptings that you feel and go with your gut, but this was a very clear direction that we needed to call you to be an inspiration to our youth and and, frankly, you know, you felt that as you started connecting our ancestors to them as as their purpose and and so, yeah, that that came that way, we sat down and had a wonderful, you know discussion, you and Heather, and and so yeah, I, I have no doubt that the Lord's work is guided, and and you know sometimes we're nudged, but sometimes he gives us strong impressions and it was very clear.
Speaker 1:Yeah, when you shared that with me, I was in that state of praying to like find an avenue to share this, and it was specifically with the youth, because that's it was a youth that I needed the miracle for in my life. So that started this whole journey that has landed now where we are in Temple Bound, and it's interesting because that was such a sacred time for me. I would say my favorite callings I ever had were the ward and then later Temple family history leader. That was so great because we were able to, like you said and this was your vision, giving you credit for this was a rebrand of Temple and family history and you're like, hey, maybe instead of being the Temple and Family History leader, we should call you the Tomb Raider. I remember yes, I knew this. You were just trying to make me laugh. I'm like something we could say to the youth that would make it more innate Tomb Raider. Tomb Raider, it's a video game Mildly inappropriate. I think it was all really inspired because you know I'd say that and everyone would laugh. They knew. But at the end of the day, what we were trying to do was reach the youth and I really believe the Lord did at that time it was such a special, sacred moment to be able to work with the youth across the stake and especially in our ward, and help them realize this thing. And, listeners, if you don't know this, one of the main things we're trying to do on this show is that we're trying to reach the youth, and we're trying because they're the ones.
Speaker 1:The plagues of the latter days, hands down, are these anxiety and depressive disorders that are plaguing our kids. It affects every kid a little bit differently, but this mental and health struggles that our kids are going through are a direct response of the technologies and all the things you already know. But the Lord has provided a solution and that is the craziest thing to me. They've done studies outside of our faith that show that when kids feel connected to their ancestors through family stories at the dinner table, they are exponentially more equipped to launch more successfully and they have much lower incidences of anxiety and depression.
Speaker 1:And so when we talk about temple and family history work in our home, we're talking about the most, according to Joseph Smith, the most significant work we can do in the latter days to usher forth the second coming of our Savior and to unite the children of men to becoming one family under God. And I don't know how we're ever going to get the show to that point, because right now, as we grow, we are dominating the 40 to 70 year old space on on the different platforms. But right now that we're starting with the parents and parents like you, brian, who came in with your callings with such a passion for the youth, who were able to pave that way and follow impressions I can't thank you enough. I wouldn't, we wouldn't be having this conversation if you weren't trying your best to be a good disciple and listen to the spirit.
Speaker 2:And I recall that those studies were not done by the church. These are actually like university or some other kind of. The New York Times did one.
Speaker 1:It was in that it was. It's called the Do you Know? Study. You can Google this. It was and I can for anyone who's listening. If you want to just reach out, I'll send you a copy of the article. It's unbelievable. These aren't members of our faith. These are again studies done out in the world that are proving the link between how, when you said it better than anyone, it's become a flagship word for me. When you called me to that calling this is how significant that was for me you said, will, we've got to get these kids to feel like they belong. That's right Belong. And that touched my heart and brought me to tears when you did that, because it was so real for me with where some of my family was at that point, just to know, man, the most important thing we can ever feel is that we belong and that we matter, and so that's, at the end of the day, that's what we do here with temple and family history. We're connecting those links yeah, connecting to our ancestors.
Speaker 2:That's right, and those stories, and they did that. We saw that it was wonderful to see mutual nights where, yeah, young men especially I got to see, were taking stories from their family history and going around sharing something about a great, great, great or whatever. And I believe you're, you're related to some Roman emperor.
Speaker 1:Julius Caesar Come on, were direct descendants of the murderer himself. Yeah, it was really funny. Don't you belong? I belong in jail is what I've learned. No, it's so funny because, like when you do family history this is another interesting part, brian is that they've found that, like they did a study to find out which stories matter most to our, our sense of identity, which build us confidently. Are they the stories that, like, are, like you know, our great grandfather who chopped down the tree and built the cabin with his bare hands and all that stuff or is it the one that we don't talk about? Who's maybe in jail? And, like you know, it's all of them. Yeah, it's this balance of life the Lord uses. We were talking about, right before we hit record, and you have such great insight on this how the Lord can use our weaknesses, even our sins, to promote his great purposes and bring us back home in love. And so when we talk about the sins and the successes of the saints of our ancestry, all of it connects us and makes us feel like we belong. That's awesome. Yeah, I love that. Well, brian, this has been phenomenal. You know there was a talk at some point that we had read, so maybe we'll have you back on another episode to discuss that if you're open to it.
Speaker 1:But one thing I would like to ask you and this is something I'm asking everyone is you know you have these wonderful kids who I love. I love your family. What would you want, especially right now? You've got two kids who are engaged, who are going to be married soon. They're going to start having babies, um, and your family is going to triple in size over the next five years. I've just got this feeling. What would you want them and their, their kids, to know about? How you feel about temple and temple, temple service.
Speaker 2:Um, thank you for the question. Um, I'll start by saying a week ago I I had the the most rare opportunity to be asked by a young man to you know, have my blessing to marry my daughter. Oh, man, and so that that brings a whole different kind of emotions and feelings. And the one question that I asked him and I'll just preface that I actually don't care if they're poor, I don't care about asking the question of how are you going to take care of my daughter financially, right, how are you going to provide for her? My one question to Tyson was how are you going to help my daughter get to the social kingdom? That's all I cared about, and we had a wonderful personal discussion which I won't talk about here. But for me, what pulls to the strings of my heart is how do I, how do I help my children and how does their legacy of their family and their children get to the celestial kingdom? And that's really, really the most important thing I could, I could ever feel in a young man who would strive to be worthy to marry my daughter, is how, what plan do they have personally to get themselves there? As far as my testimony of the temple, life is hard and again Satan wails on us from every direction outside of the temple. I love Neal A Maxwell's comparison of we have telestial signs all around us. You know, call it. You know signs as in like lights and stop lights and traffic or whatever, however he compared that. But basically we have telestial signs all around us as we move throughout the world, especially in las vegas, absolutely. And the most glaring, yeah, for LED signs, like crazy.
Speaker 2:And you know, the temple is a place where we can go to restore our virtue and where we can come out stronger. Leave that place to come home is, I feel, the desire to be better and my cup is filled. And President Nelson made it very clear that in regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity, and where we have things all around us which is trying to pull out virtue from us because of all these celestial signs and things that are right in front of us. The temple is the one place that we can go to restore our faith and our virtue and our charity and come out stronger and come out wanting to be better. And it's that process of remission and sanctification that that process is just recycled over and over again. And if our children are to overcome the challenges of the world all around them and these celestial things, we have to be in the temple if we're hoping to save our children, because it's really not us, it's the Savior that saves them.
Speaker 2:And you know, this week in our study of Easter, I think about the Savior who had to clear the temple. He had to cleanse the temple, and what did he do after he cleansed the temple of the, you know, of the den of thieves and all those that were doing the work in his house that he had to cast out. What did he do thereafter? Immediately he started teaching. That was the principle, and in each of our lives I was talking about this with Ashley today it's a very similar comparison In each of us he has to purify us, he has to cleanse us, and then the revelation can come, then the teaching can really come. And so to me, the message of that this week with Easter is let's cleanse ourselves through the remission of our sins, through the Aaronic Priesthood and through our repentance process and our faith in our lives, and then our Savior can teach us, and that's all. Those things happen in the temple.
Speaker 1:Wow, I have like a flood of like thoughts around what you just said that I'm not going to share, just because that was such a great way to close out the podcast.
Speaker 1:I just I guess there's one thing I do want to say is that idea that, like when you were talking about the savior cleansing the temple, the he went at it like he didn't. He did not it was one of the few times that it gets misconstrued for like anger or whatever but like he went through just with passion and intensity because he knew that the learning was so important and I think I just it was like clear in my mind for me and for my kids and my family. I want us to be that intentional about cleansing our mind from the intrusive thoughts that even especially the ones that put us down and make us less than you know the adversary whispering in our ear, recognizing that they have no place in us, and to be to call upon the Holy Ghost to push those out so that the Savior can fill us with the Spirit, and I love that the temple is a house where we can get most of that. Brian, thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you, thank you for this time together.
Speaker 1:Thank you for listening to today's episode of Temple Bound. If you enjoyed today's content, please leave a review and share the episode with others so that people who are looking for this information can find it. Thank you again for listening. Until next time.
