WEBVTT
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All right.
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The Few and the Faithful uh Highlands Ranch Ward members that are listening to this.
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Thank you for tuning in.
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This is your host, Grant Stukey.
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Today I will be interviewing John Warner.
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John, how are you doing?
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Doing well.
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Doing well.
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Appreciate uh the invite.
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Hopefully it's uh worth people's time.
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The few and the faithful, right?
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Yes.
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I'm sure it will.
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I think there's probably Bert Bear, we can count on him and others, maybe.
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Okay.
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That's uh okay.
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It's a tight group.
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Yeah.
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Okay, right.
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Anyhow, I'm excited for this.
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Uh I would dare I say overjoyed.
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It's taken a while to get you on the podcast.
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You're a busy man.
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So thank you for doing that.
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Of course.
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All right.
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So, first question for you is how would you answer the question of how did you convert to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
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Yeah.
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Um, you know, it's a good question.
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Interesting.
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I I I think through that a little bit.
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Um, so I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, um, born into the church, you know, it's been a part of my life forever and ever.
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Um, I think growing up, it's something, at least for me, it was easy, right?
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So you just kind of become pretty uh methodic and habitual about going to the things, doing the things, and it wasn't until really like for me when I, you know, became around kind of mission age.
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Uh you know, at the time you had to be 19.
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So I think I was high school senior, all of the different things that go into being a high school senior from an attitude and all that kind of stuff.
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So, you know, I thought I knew everything.
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Um, very much did not.
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Uh, but I remember having a discussion with my dad and talking to him about like how to know, you know, do you go on a mission?
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Like, should I not go?
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Should like what are the the other things that are available or kind of whatever?
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And just I remember a couple of statements that I made and really kind of the frame that he put on something that hit me pretty hard to this day I think about it.
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But I said, you know, and and it was it was very much like, you know, how do you know that um you know that the gospel was was restored by Joseph Smith?
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How do you know that?
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Like, that's the linkage for me.
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It's like there was Jesus Christ, there were the apostles for me personally, very easy to like believe that.
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I understand that, but the restoration of the gospel, that just having that as a core tenet foundation of your testimony obviously is relevant.
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And I just remember asking my dad, like, what if what if that what if it didn't happen?
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What if like you know it didn't happen the way that we think it did?
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Yeah, and he said, you know, John, I know, and kind of told me very specifically, like, I know this is how, this is why, blah, blah.
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And I said, No, you think you know that.
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And he stopped me, like, I mean, it wasn't a physical stop, but dead in my shoes, like, John, I know this.
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And to this day, I'm like, I think about that a lot.
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Because at the time, like, again, I was an 18-year-old kid, like, I don't know what's going on at all, but I thought I did.
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That was something that I didn't know.
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And and I I'll be honest about it.
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Like, it's that's I think a tough part for a lot of folks.
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But for me, like at the time, I was like, okay, well, this isn't a think, like, my dad knows this, I gotta figure this out.
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Like, because if he knows it, I want to know it, like at the same level that he does.
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Didn't happen overnight, did not happen probably for many years, but through service, serving a mission, you know, I would even say to this day, right?
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Like continuing to become converted to this gospel and to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ is something that is it's a, you know, sometimes it's you know, you go longer stretches of time where it's not something you think about, but I I still press and hope to know at that level.
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And I think a lot of times I do.
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I think I'm a long way down the road and have had plenty of I would call them experiences to where I do know, right?
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That it's something it's real, it's tangible, and you know, is I think the reason everybody wants, you know, or at least for me, it's the reason I continue to do what I do and you know, hopefully serve in the way that's best that I'm best able to.
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Yeah.
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I like that a lot.
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I think that is faith-promoting, and I think helps a lot of people.
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I I think um everyone is probably comes to know the gospel, the truthfulness of it in their own way, you know.
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It's probably just slightly unique to each person.
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And so it's hard, you know, if if like my child were to ask me to know exactly what to say, how to coach them, how to get them to that place.
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But um, like in a recent conversation I've had with my kids is like um well, like the way you put it, you know, the question is, what if it didn't happen the way we thought?
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And I feel like um, can frequently if there's a certain way in your mind that you know you think it happened, and then all of a sudden you read something or evidence comes out or reading.
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Exactly, you know, that that is different than what you think, that could be very jarring for you.
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And I to my kids, I explain it like, you know, um, I I don't, I'm sure I don't know exactly how everything happened.
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I haven't researched everything, and there's probably things that I'm they're gonna discover that you know will be like, whoa, that's interesting.
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And I that was kind of groovy information.
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Um, but it's not uh you know gonna throw me for a loop because like I guess my testimony is more founded on the fruits of all that stuff that happened, you know, and I can see the fruit so tangibly in my life, which is like the spirit, like uh having guidance and feeling peace and comfort, and just so many times having God help me and show me that this is the right path, you know, and that uh every time I open the scriptures, I I feel the spirit.
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Every time I read of a miracle of Jesus Christ or one of the stories from the prophets of the Book of Mormon, um every time I serve someone, every time I try to magnify a calling, every time I go to church, you know, like it's the fruit is there in my life saying this is right.
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And yes, that that doesn't necessarily mean I'm gonna understand exactly how it happened or how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon or who did what or what was said, or you know, clearly these were flawed people, and so there's probably you know, it could be more research to show up that they did some pretty stupid things, you know.
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And sure, it's very functional, but that's not gonna um negate the fruit of the spirit that I felt so many times in my life.
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I don't know.
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Yeah, I love that.
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And I I agree, and and I think just to even hammer it home a little more on my side, like it wasn't to your point, I know that something happened the exact way that did, but I know that the gospel has been restored, that you know the stories, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and how it happened, like those types of things, like that, you know, the way things came to be, you know, it is probably, at least for me at this point, really neither here nor there.
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There's plenty of things like that, right?
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But the knowledge that the church has been restored and it is the church that Christ built, like it's it's it is a very consequential thing.
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And I think once you have that as a knowledge, some of the other stuff kind of falls away a little bit, or isn't as doesn't matter quite as much.
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Yeah, good point.
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Next question for you is what is this a favorite family history story of yours that kind of inspires you in some way?
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Yeah, and it's funny, I I'll have to try and think through the inspiration piece of it.
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But the biggest family history story that we always uh would hear as kids, still, you know, I tell my kids about it all the time.
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Um, is that goodness, and I don't know how far up and over, but it's not far.
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So my um um through my dad's line, um it goes up through him and like one or one above him, and then it gets into the patents.
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So great great uncle was David W.
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Patton, who was an apostle during the restoration of the church.
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I think he was one of the first, if not the first, martyr um back, and I can't remember, was it Hans Mill?
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I don't remember, doesn't matter, but um and hearing that story growing up um what yeah, was an inspiration just as far as we do hard things, and this'll come to play perhaps later on, but it's I don't I don't think anybody at any given point, and this is kind of my takeaway from it, like that the things that the pioneers or the early church members or you know, you kind of name it, were able to accomplish seem impossible, but I think a lot of the stuff that we deal with, slash our kids, whatever, whatever, deal with today would probably be equally as seemingly insurmountable for them, right?
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Like, how in the world, you know what I mean?
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And so I think, you know, although he was an incredible person, you know, obviously died really kind of in the name of pushing forward uh the church and helping to kind of grow it in those early days, like we can also do hard things.
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I think it's something that kind of resonated with me as a kid.
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Like, you know, we're not gonna be able to do everything, I don't think, but at the same time, like I don't think we really understand our capability and our our capacity to overcome and relying upon the Lord is something that um gets us there.
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Love it, I totally agree.
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Um, how about a favorite scripture story of yours?
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And yeah, yeah.
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So favorite scripture story again, you know, something that I um knew from very early on, but my name comes from the Bible.
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Jonathan um was best friend of David, so always heard that story growing up of the importance of Jonathan, what he gave up, what it was that he um meant, you know, from just an overarching support friend and kind of confidant to you know what an eventual profit is, you know, while being kind of a minor player, you know, I I think just what that meant and to me, like, you know, has been something I've tried to focus on in life, which is being kind, being a good friend, especially to, you know, and this is something I'm sure my kids are sick of hearing it from me, but you know, be a friend to people.
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Like, there's always going to be people who don't have as many as you, or maybe don't have any at all.
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Those are the people we reach out to.
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And so that's something that like was hammered home.
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Like, hey, this is your namesake, this is kind of who you are, understand that story, understand why it mattered, and try and like, you know, to a degree, emulate that as best it could.
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Wow, that's awesome.
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Yeah, what a what an incredible example of a friend that uh Jonathan was.
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And you're doing a great job as well, because you are a great friend to me and many people in this ward, so thank you.
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You know, it's uh it it's easy to do in this ward.
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I will say this is uh I mean, one of the best is not the way it's the best.
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I've been in a handful, and this is the best one by a margin.
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So I'm confident saying that.
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Well, that's good to hear.
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Um that's the two questions from now.
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Next question is what's the time that you've potentially had a struggle or a conflict or a trial in your life, and you felt the Lord, you know, Jesus Christ kind of helping you with that trial?
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Yeah.
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I mean, there's there's been many.
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Um, you know, I think back to man, a couple of bigger ones, and you know, can focus on probably one of them, but um, you know, I think back to the time when you know Allie was pregnant with Graham and her health struggles that she had, where she had the blood clot in her brain, and scary.
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As a at that point, I would have been 29, 29-year-old dad with two little kids.
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I'm like, this is not optimal.
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This is a bad situation.
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Um, and so feeling some very specific things kind of happened through that where it was like, you know, the challenge piece of it, which was we didn't know what was going on, had no idea kind of how to help, how to support, just months of like something's not right, and then a couple of key things, right?
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Like, for some reason, something happened in a certain way, and it's like, oh, like we should probably go to the hospital X date, need to get an MRI, not on our radar, but like a you know, prompting that like you need to go get something done today.
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Did that went to the hospital, they were able to identify, diagnose, get it solved, fixed to where we knew she was gonna be okay.
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Graham, eventual Graham was gonna be okay.
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Um, but like that process through seeing, you know, the health struggle components of, you know, and I I know everybody deals with health things or or this, that, and the other, but kind of going through that process and those, like I said, kind of those peaks and valleys of hey, this is not going to be it's a week, something went bad, and like it's resolved.
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Like it was challenging.
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But having the prompting, the comfort, you know, the spirit to kind of help guide, hey, like this is so above my pay grade, help me fix this or help me get to the other side, whatever it looks like, and and help Allie, obviously.
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But you know, those are the pieces to me that were, you know, probably one of the bigger kind of fake promoting um slash feeling that power of hey, like you can't solve this, but we'll get through it.
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I love that.
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Yeah.
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I feel like there's something you know special that happens when you're in in a trial um when you're in that place of kind of being afraid, sometimes feeling alone, sometimes can't see inadequate.
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Yeah, inadequate, yeah.
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Yeah.
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It feels like you can't see where things are going.
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And I feel like for me it's it's usually a pretty subtle, like step-by-step kind of presence of the Lord.
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Um, it's rare that it's just he comes and solves the problem and it's over.
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Right.
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You know, exist, those are called miracles.
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We see them or have seen them, you know, but absolutely like it is it's incremented, and that's what takes takes time, takes more faith, and I think that's uh he expects that.
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Like that's it's not easy, but yeah, I agree.
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Uh, scripture that we recently read from come follow me that goes with this is Psalm 23, 4.
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Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
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And I like I love that scripture because it's like you just the imagery, right?
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Like David's walking through the the trial, and it's very dark and it's very scary, and he's alone, and he he he's not comforted by the Lord solving the problem, but he's comforted by the Lord being there and just yeah, walking with him, and that's enough, you know, that's enough for him, and in that moment, yeah, love that.
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All right, the next question is what's an aspect of our war that you feel has been a blessing in your life?
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Um I mean all right, it's hard to describe.
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Um, I mean, we've been in Highlands Ranch Ward for 15 years.
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Um technically, we were part of the original annex from Northridge, and then effectively, when they we knew there might be another shift, my wife was like, we gotta move because I'm not risking being out of this ward.
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And so we moved from our first house to our second one because uh, I mean, honestly, she wanted to stay in the ward, and then I mean, we're not going anywhere, but ultimately the the ward has been incredible.
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Uh, it you know, has seen us through pretty much all of our kids come into the world.
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So our kids have grown up here, have made all of their friends here.
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Um, you know, from a community perspective, it's been absolutely phenomenal.
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Um, you know, and not to if you want me to like full-scale breakdown, I can get real deep into it.
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I don't think anybody wants to see that, especially Bert, because he's probably the only one who's gonna participate here, but through a lot of stuff, right?
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The what I was mentioning with with Ally, um with my dad passing away, like this ward has and steps up in ways that are pretty cool.
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Now, is that for me?
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Yes, it's for my wife.
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My wife is incredible, and so I think you know, when Allie needs help, people swoop in for sure.
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But it's just you know that you've got an army of people who are here to help and doing it because they generally care, which is it's been incredible to see for sure.
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Oh yeah, it's such a huge blessing to be.
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Oh I mean, to just to be a member of this church um is is such a blessing, I think, in many ways, but one of the great reasons is to be part of a ward, and there's just so many incredible wards.
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Like you said, uh me Brand and I have been in uh gotta be at least eight to ten wards in our marriage, probably more, and they've all been different and helped us in some degree.
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Um, and we really needed certain wards at times in our life, but um this ward here in Hounds Ranch is just special, I think, for us.
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We have I think a great group of people that's very real, and even though there's a lot of affluence and abundance, uh I feel like there's not a lot of um trying to act like you know, I don't know if the word's fake or trying to show off.
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It just feels like a lot of real people that are just like doing their best and trying to help everyone along, and there's not much competition or some of the weird things that maybe you could see in in some wards, but yeah, yeah, that's great.
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And quite frankly, like uh you know, I think we see it around us, you know, in different areas or or ways, but I I I don't know.
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Why, but it just feels like our words insulated in a way that people, to your point, like very real, very supportive, and nobody's nobody's above doing what's necessary to help people out.
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Yep.
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It's awesome.
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How about um what's the recent time that you felt the spirit?
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Oh um I had something in mind for this, and I'm forgetting what it is.
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Um but I can I can definitely go back to you know talking through and having the opportunity to work on the challenge um talk that I did in church.
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Um not to rehash, but I would say from just a spiritual perspective, something that was very regenerating, recharging, I think not only because of what it meant from just an overarching like you know, working with family history and being able to support the the work and you know the the work uh for the dead that that is so important.
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I think from a spiritual perspective, just being in the temple that much.
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I I I know I you know, depending on who's listening, like I I was able to knock out those ordinances in about a week, and I haven't been in the temple that many times in a week in a long time.
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And so just spending time there, uh you know whose house it is, and you can feel it, you see it in the people, the experiences, the closeness, proximity you call it, like it's it's tangible, it's amazing.
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And so I think that's a piece that I know I take for granted.
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You know, it's it's right there.
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I I love to tell people like growing up in Salt Lake, I've never lived closer to a temple than I do right now, which I have no excuse.
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However, things are busy, but I will definitely say from like a spiritual recharge slash just kind of purity of feeling map, no better place than the temple.
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So that's that's been a great, that was a great experience.
00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:21.920
I love that.
00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:29.680
Um yeah, but you're you're referring to for members of our board and they weren't weren't there last Sunday at your talk.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.920
Um it was a report.
00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:41.440
It was one of our challenge meetings that we've been doing where we give a challenge list, like a Christ centers challenge to our members.
00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:50.799
Um, a month before their talk, they have they pick one from a list of you know 30 or 40 things, and you do this challenge.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:25:04.960
In your case, it was to take someone through the temple, like the all the ordinances from from baptism to uh confirmation, priesthood, temple, endowment, everything to the end, ceiling.
00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:11.519
And uh that yeah, I felt the spirit so strongly when you were given your message.
00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:17.440
Really, all the speakers, too, was just um so inspiring for me.
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:29.839
Incredible to hear people report on how they've kind of grappled and struggled with living the gospel a little bit more intensely and what that looked like and how it blessed their life.
00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:31.200
I think was so awesome.
00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:38.000
Yeah, I think it's a very it's a challenge, it's a real challenge, but it's very humanizing.
00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:44.160
Like, you know, you look across the board, I don't think anybody's doing it perfectly.
00:25:44.480 --> 00:26:00.960
But I think having kind of that joint effort of like, hey, at least for the speakers or the people that I talked with, you know, and having talked to them before and after, like it's it's an effort, but uh you know, I don't think anybody would tell you it's not worth doing.
00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:03.200
Yeah, for sure.
00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:11.920
Our last question is if you could go a hundred years in the future and talk to your posterity, what advice would you give them?
00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:16.960
Yeah, I I think you know, it's funny we talk to our kids right now.
00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:24.319
I don't know if I need to go a hundred years, but my guess is it'll continue to be the same because this is what my parents told me.
00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:28.000
Um and and it resonates.
00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:33.920
Um really it always has, even though I haven't always maybe had the best attitude towards it.
00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:50.240
Um, but I think what I would tell you know, posterity or or what have you given, and I think this is the relevant piece, like the challenges that we face today probably don't even resemble what it looks like or what it looked like a hundred years ago.
00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:55.680
Probably has absolutely nothing to do or will be nothing like what it looks like in a hundred years.
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:13.759
But what I do know that's pervasive, at least that I've seen in family history in my life, both as a kid and now and with my own kids, is as children of God, we can do hard things.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:17.359
I think a lot of times, and I'm just thinking of now, right?
00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:19.599
But that's the brain that I have right now.
00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:25.359
But a lot of things tell you that you're not.
00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:31.359
You're not X, you're not Y, you're not enough of this, you can't do these things.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:43.599
I think from a high, really, really high level, our Heavenly Father has endowed us with strength to be to persevere, to be strong.
00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:48.480
And I think a lot of times when I think of posterity, I think of my kids.
00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:56.880
I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've told them that, but life's not gonna be easy all the time, but we can do hard things.
00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:00.799
And if I were to tell them something, I would that's what I'd say.
00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:02.960
Awesome.
00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:05.200
Yeah, what a great message.
00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:17.359
Um thank you so much for for doing this uh interview, for sharing your spiritual journey, the the ways that you've grown spiritually.
00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:22.319
It's boosted me, and I think it will help lift our ward members as well.
00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:23.440
So it's a great thing.
00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:25.200
Yeah, absolutely.
00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:27.519
I'm glad I could glad I can make it work.
00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:33.440
Also, just want to say thanks for being a great executive secretary.
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:58.480
A lot of our people listening may not know that you are a member of the bishopric, and uh um it's your your spiritual um wisdom, your comments and work counsel, the time you put in, the efforts you make are just so um so valuable and precious to me personally, and so helpful that I really appreciate it.
00:00:10.720 --> 00:00:11.359
All right.
00:00:12.000 --> 00:00:17.120
The Few and the Faithful uh Highlands Ranch Ward members that are listening to this.
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Thank you for tuning in.
00:00:19.280 --> 00:00:21.199
This is your host, Grant Stukey.
00:00:21.280 --> 00:00:24.000
Today I will be interviewing John Warner.
00:00:24.079 --> 00:00:25.440
John, how are you doing?
00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:26.480
Doing well.
00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:27.280
Doing well.
00:00:27.519 --> 00:00:29.359
Appreciate uh the invite.
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Hopefully it's uh worth people's time.
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The few and the faithful, right?
00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:35.520
Yes.
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I'm sure it will.
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I think there's probably Bert Bear, we can count on him and others, maybe.
00:00:43.840 --> 00:00:44.159
Okay.
00:00:44.799 --> 00:00:46.719
That's uh okay.
00:00:47.439 --> 00:00:48.719
It's a tight group.
00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:49.280
Yeah.
00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.640
Okay, right.
00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:53.759
Anyhow, I'm excited for this.
00:00:54.000 --> 00:00:56.159
Uh I would dare I say overjoyed.
00:00:56.240 --> 00:00:58.479
It's taken a while to get you on the podcast.
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You're a busy man.
00:01:01.439 --> 00:01:03.200
So thank you for doing that.
00:01:03.359 --> 00:01:04.400
Of course.
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All right.
00:01:05.840 --> 00:01:13.280
So, first question for you is how would you answer the question of how did you convert to the gospel of Jesus Christ?
00:01:13.840 --> 00:01:14.400
Yeah.
00:01:14.640 --> 00:01:16.480
Um, you know, it's a good question.
00:01:16.719 --> 00:01:17.359
Interesting.
00:01:17.519 --> 00:01:21.439
I I I think through that a little bit.
00:01:21.599 --> 00:01:30.719
Um, so I was born and raised in Salt Lake City, um, born into the church, you know, it's been a part of my life forever and ever.
00:01:31.040 --> 00:01:37.840
Um, I think growing up, it's something, at least for me, it was easy, right?
00:01:38.079 --> 00:01:55.040
So you just kind of become pretty uh methodic and habitual about going to the things, doing the things, and it wasn't until really like for me when I, you know, became around kind of mission age.
00:01:55.280 --> 00:01:58.000
Uh you know, at the time you had to be 19.
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So I think I was high school senior, all of the different things that go into being a high school senior from an attitude and all that kind of stuff.
00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:08.960
So, you know, I thought I knew everything.
00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:10.960
Um, very much did not.
00:02:11.039 --> 00:02:19.919
Uh, but I remember having a discussion with my dad and talking to him about like how to know, you know, do you go on a mission?
00:02:20.080 --> 00:02:21.520
Like, should I not go?
00:02:21.840 --> 00:02:26.319
Should like what are the the other things that are available or kind of whatever?
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And just I remember a couple of statements that I made and really kind of the frame that he put on something that hit me pretty hard to this day I think about it.
00:02:37.039 --> 00:02:47.919
But I said, you know, and and it was it was very much like, you know, how do you know that um you know that the gospel was was restored by Joseph Smith?
00:02:48.159 --> 00:02:48.879
How do you know that?
00:02:49.039 --> 00:02:50.479
Like, that's the linkage for me.
00:02:50.560 --> 00:02:58.800
It's like there was Jesus Christ, there were the apostles for me personally, very easy to like believe that.
00:02:58.960 --> 00:03:09.840
I understand that, but the restoration of the gospel, that just having that as a core tenet foundation of your testimony obviously is relevant.
00:03:09.919 --> 00:03:15.199
And I just remember asking my dad, like, what if what if that what if it didn't happen?
00:03:15.360 --> 00:03:19.759
What if like you know it didn't happen the way that we think it did?
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Yeah, and he said, you know, John, I know, and kind of told me very specifically, like, I know this is how, this is why, blah, blah.
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And I said, No, you think you know that.
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And he stopped me, like, I mean, it wasn't a physical stop, but dead in my shoes, like, John, I know this.
00:03:37.199 --> 00:03:41.759
And to this day, I'm like, I think about that a lot.
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Because at the time, like, again, I was an 18-year-old kid, like, I don't know what's going on at all, but I thought I did.
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That was something that I didn't know.
00:03:51.599 --> 00:03:53.680
And and I I'll be honest about it.
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Like, it's that's I think a tough part for a lot of folks.
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But for me, like at the time, I was like, okay, well, this isn't a think, like, my dad knows this, I gotta figure this out.
00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:12.080
Like, because if he knows it, I want to know it, like at the same level that he does.
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Didn't happen overnight, did not happen probably for many years, but through service, serving a mission, you know, I would even say to this day, right?
00:04:23.120 --> 00:04:43.439
Like continuing to become converted to this gospel and to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ is something that is it's a, you know, sometimes it's you know, you go longer stretches of time where it's not something you think about, but I I still press and hope to know at that level.
00:04:43.519 --> 00:04:45.040
And I think a lot of times I do.
00:04:45.199 --> 00:04:54.079
I think I'm a long way down the road and have had plenty of I would call them experiences to where I do know, right?
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That it's something it's real, it's tangible, and you know, is I think the reason everybody wants, you know, or at least for me, it's the reason I continue to do what I do and you know, hopefully serve in the way that's best that I'm best able to.
00:05:13.040 --> 00:05:13.680
Yeah.
00:05:14.319 --> 00:05:15.360
I like that a lot.
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I think that is faith-promoting, and I think helps a lot of people.
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I I think um everyone is probably comes to know the gospel, the truthfulness of it in their own way, you know.
00:05:32.639 --> 00:05:36.240
It's probably just slightly unique to each person.
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And so it's hard, you know, if if like my child were to ask me to know exactly what to say, how to coach them, how to get them to that place.
00:05:47.120 --> 00:06:00.800
But um, like in a recent conversation I've had with my kids is like um well, like the way you put it, you know, the question is, what if it didn't happen the way we thought?
00:06:01.199 --> 00:06:14.000
And I feel like um, can frequently if there's a certain way in your mind that you know you think it happened, and then all of a sudden you read something or evidence comes out or reading.
00:06:14.240 --> 00:06:19.759
Exactly, you know, that that is different than what you think, that could be very jarring for you.
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And I to my kids, I explain it like, you know, um, I I don't, I'm sure I don't know exactly how everything happened.
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I haven't researched everything, and there's probably things that I'm they're gonna discover that you know will be like, whoa, that's interesting.
00:06:39.279 --> 00:06:42.079
And I that was kind of groovy information.
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Um, but it's not uh you know gonna throw me for a loop because like I guess my testimony is more founded on the fruits of all that stuff that happened, you know, and I can see the fruit so tangibly in my life, which is like the spirit, like uh having guidance and feeling peace and comfort, and just so many times having God help me and show me that this is the right path, you know, and that uh every time I open the scriptures, I I feel the spirit.
00:07:19.759 --> 00:07:35.120
Every time I read of a miracle of Jesus Christ or one of the stories from the prophets of the Book of Mormon, um every time I serve someone, every time I try to magnify a calling, every time I go to church, you know, like it's the fruit is there in my life saying this is right.
00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:53.040
And yes, that that doesn't necessarily mean I'm gonna understand exactly how it happened or how Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon or who did what or what was said, or you know, clearly these were flawed people, and so there's probably you know, it could be more research to show up that they did some pretty stupid things, you know.
00:07:53.120 --> 00:08:02.079
And sure, it's very functional, but that's not gonna um negate the fruit of the spirit that I felt so many times in my life.
00:08:02.319 --> 00:08:02.800
I don't know.
00:08:03.040 --> 00:08:04.000
Yeah, I love that.
00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:37.679
And I I agree, and and I think just to even hammer it home a little more on my side, like it wasn't to your point, I know that something happened the exact way that did, but I know that the gospel has been restored, that you know the stories, the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and how it happened, like those types of things, like that, you know, the way things came to be, you know, it is probably, at least for me at this point, really neither here nor there.
00:08:37.759 --> 00:08:39.519
There's plenty of things like that, right?
00:08:39.759 --> 00:08:52.320
But the knowledge that the church has been restored and it is the church that Christ built, like it's it's it is a very consequential thing.
00:08:52.480 --> 00:09:00.720
And I think once you have that as a knowledge, some of the other stuff kind of falls away a little bit, or isn't as doesn't matter quite as much.
00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:02.559
Yeah, good point.
00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:10.559
Next question for you is what is this a favorite family history story of yours that kind of inspires you in some way?
00:09:10.879 --> 00:09:15.600
Yeah, and it's funny, I I'll have to try and think through the inspiration piece of it.
00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:24.320
But the biggest family history story that we always uh would hear as kids, still, you know, I tell my kids about it all the time.
00:09:24.480 --> 00:09:30.480
Um, is that goodness, and I don't know how far up and over, but it's not far.
00:09:30.720 --> 00:09:43.759
So my um um through my dad's line, um it goes up through him and like one or one above him, and then it gets into the patents.
00:09:44.080 --> 00:09:46.399
So great great uncle was David W.
00:09:46.639 --> 00:09:50.960
Patton, who was an apostle during the restoration of the church.
00:09:51.120 --> 00:09:58.159
I think he was one of the first, if not the first, martyr um back, and I can't remember, was it Hans Mill?
00:09:58.399 --> 00:10:44.080
I don't remember, doesn't matter, but um and hearing that story growing up um what yeah, was an inspiration just as far as we do hard things, and this'll come to play perhaps later on, but it's I don't I don't think anybody at any given point, and this is kind of my takeaway from it, like that the things that the pioneers or the early church members or you know, you kind of name it, were able to accomplish seem impossible, but I think a lot of the stuff that we deal with, slash our kids, whatever, whatever, deal with today would probably be equally as seemingly insurmountable for them, right?
00:10:44.240 --> 00:10:46.240
Like, how in the world, you know what I mean?
00:10:46.480 --> 00:11:04.799
And so I think, you know, although he was an incredible person, you know, obviously died really kind of in the name of pushing forward uh the church and helping to kind of grow it in those early days, like we can also do hard things.
00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:08.639
I think it's something that kind of resonated with me as a kid.
00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:27.919
Like, you know, we're not gonna be able to do everything, I don't think, but at the same time, like I don't think we really understand our capability and our our capacity to overcome and relying upon the Lord is something that um gets us there.
00:11:29.840 --> 00:11:31.759
Love it, I totally agree.
00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:34.960
Um, how about a favorite scripture story of yours?
00:11:35.120 --> 00:11:37.279
And yeah, yeah.
00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:47.120
So favorite scripture story again, you know, something that I um knew from very early on, but my name comes from the Bible.
00:11:47.360 --> 00:12:36.240
Jonathan um was best friend of David, so always heard that story growing up of the importance of Jonathan, what he gave up, what it was that he um meant, you know, from just an overarching support friend and kind of confidant to you know what an eventual profit is, you know, while being kind of a minor player, you know, I I think just what that meant and to me, like, you know, has been something I've tried to focus on in life, which is being kind, being a good friend, especially to, you know, and this is something I'm sure my kids are sick of hearing it from me, but you know, be a friend to people.
00:12:36.399 --> 00:12:43.519
Like, there's always going to be people who don't have as many as you, or maybe don't have any at all.
00:12:43.840 --> 00:12:45.919
Those are the people we reach out to.
00:12:46.159 --> 00:12:49.120
And so that's something that like was hammered home.
00:12:49.200 --> 00:13:02.639
Like, hey, this is your namesake, this is kind of who you are, understand that story, understand why it mattered, and try and like, you know, to a degree, emulate that as best it could.
00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:05.120
Wow, that's awesome.
00:13:05.440 --> 00:13:11.120
Yeah, what a what an incredible example of a friend that uh Jonathan was.
00:13:11.679 --> 00:13:18.240
And you're doing a great job as well, because you are a great friend to me and many people in this ward, so thank you.
00:13:18.559 --> 00:13:21.759
You know, it's uh it it's easy to do in this ward.
00:13:21.840 --> 00:13:27.120
I will say this is uh I mean, one of the best is not the way it's the best.
00:13:27.200 --> 00:13:32.000
I've been in a handful, and this is the best one by a margin.
00:13:32.240 --> 00:13:34.639
So I'm confident saying that.
00:13:35.039 --> 00:13:36.559
Well, that's good to hear.
00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:40.320
Um that's the two questions from now.
00:13:40.480 --> 00:13:55.759
Next question is what's the time that you've potentially had a struggle or a conflict or a trial in your life, and you felt the Lord, you know, Jesus Christ kind of helping you with that trial?
00:13:56.240 --> 00:13:56.879
Yeah.
00:13:57.519 --> 00:13:59.919
I mean, there's there's been many.
00:14:00.080 --> 00:14:24.799
Um, you know, I think back to man, a couple of bigger ones, and you know, can focus on probably one of them, but um, you know, I think back to the time when you know Allie was pregnant with Graham and her health struggles that she had, where she had the blood clot in her brain, and scary.
00:14:25.360 --> 00:14:30.639
As a at that point, I would have been 29, 29-year-old dad with two little kids.
00:14:30.720 --> 00:14:33.279
I'm like, this is not optimal.
00:14:34.080 --> 00:14:36.000
This is a bad situation.
00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:57.840
Um, and so feeling some very specific things kind of happened through that where it was like, you know, the challenge piece of it, which was we didn't know what was going on, had no idea kind of how to help, how to support, just months of like something's not right, and then a couple of key things, right?
00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:16.639
Like, for some reason, something happened in a certain way, and it's like, oh, like we should probably go to the hospital X date, need to get an MRI, not on our radar, but like a you know, prompting that like you need to go get something done today.
00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:27.600
Did that went to the hospital, they were able to identify, diagnose, get it solved, fixed to where we knew she was gonna be okay.
00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:30.960
Graham, eventual Graham was gonna be okay.
00:15:31.200 --> 00:15:57.440
Um, but like that process through seeing, you know, the health struggle components of, you know, and I I know everybody deals with health things or or this, that, and the other, but kind of going through that process and those, like I said, kind of those peaks and valleys of hey, this is not going to be it's a week, something went bad, and like it's resolved.
00:15:57.600 --> 00:15:59.519
Like it was challenging.
00:15:59.840 --> 00:16:16.879
But having the prompting, the comfort, you know, the spirit to kind of help guide, hey, like this is so above my pay grade, help me fix this or help me get to the other side, whatever it looks like, and and help Allie, obviously.
00:16:17.039 --> 00:16:33.600
But you know, those are the pieces to me that were, you know, probably one of the bigger kind of fake promoting um slash feeling that power of hey, like you can't solve this, but we'll get through it.
00:16:36.159 --> 00:16:37.039
I love that.
00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:38.000
Yeah.
00:16:38.960 --> 00:16:59.840
I feel like there's something you know special that happens when you're in in a trial um when you're in that place of kind of being afraid, sometimes feeling alone, sometimes can't see inadequate.
00:17:00.080 --> 00:17:01.600
Yeah, inadequate, yeah.
00:17:01.759 --> 00:17:02.080
Yeah.
00:17:02.399 --> 00:17:05.839
It feels like you can't see where things are going.
00:17:06.720 --> 00:17:16.319
And I feel like for me it's it's usually a pretty subtle, like step-by-step kind of presence of the Lord.
00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:20.079
Um, it's rare that it's just he comes and solves the problem and it's over.
00:17:20.319 --> 00:17:20.640
Right.
00:17:20.720 --> 00:17:22.799
You know, exist, those are called miracles.
00:17:22.960 --> 00:17:37.039
We see them or have seen them, you know, but absolutely like it is it's incremented, and that's what takes takes time, takes more faith, and I think that's uh he expects that.
00:17:37.200 --> 00:17:41.680
Like that's it's not easy, but yeah, I agree.
00:17:42.799 --> 00:17:48.480
Uh, scripture that we recently read from come follow me that goes with this is Psalm 23, 4.
00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:58.079
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me.
00:17:58.799 --> 00:18:03.279
And I like I love that scripture because it's like you just the imagery, right?
00:18:03.359 --> 00:18:28.960
Like David's walking through the the trial, and it's very dark and it's very scary, and he's alone, and he he he's not comforted by the Lord solving the problem, but he's comforted by the Lord being there and just yeah, walking with him, and that's enough, you know, that's enough for him, and in that moment, yeah, love that.
00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:38.000
All right, the next question is what's an aspect of our war that you feel has been a blessing in your life?
00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:46.640
Um I mean all right, it's hard to describe.
00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:54.160
Um, I mean, we've been in Highlands Ranch Ward for 15 years.
00:18:54.400 --> 00:19:10.319
Um technically, we were part of the original annex from Northridge, and then effectively, when they we knew there might be another shift, my wife was like, we gotta move because I'm not risking being out of this ward.
00:19:10.640 --> 00:19:22.480
And so we moved from our first house to our second one because uh, I mean, honestly, she wanted to stay in the ward, and then I mean, we're not going anywhere, but ultimately the the ward has been incredible.
00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:28.480
Uh, it you know, has seen us through pretty much all of our kids come into the world.
00:19:28.559 --> 00:19:32.480
So our kids have grown up here, have made all of their friends here.
00:19:32.960 --> 00:19:38.799
Um, you know, from a community perspective, it's been absolutely phenomenal.
00:19:39.039 --> 00:19:44.640
Um, you know, and not to if you want me to like full-scale breakdown, I can get real deep into it.
00:19:44.720 --> 00:19:53.599
I don't think anybody wants to see that, especially Bert, because he's probably the only one who's gonna participate here, but through a lot of stuff, right?
00:19:53.759 --> 00:20:09.039
The what I was mentioning with with Ally, um with my dad passing away, like this ward has and steps up in ways that are pretty cool.
00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:11.279
Now, is that for me?
00:20:12.079 --> 00:20:13.839
Yes, it's for my wife.
00:20:14.000 --> 00:20:20.559
My wife is incredible, and so I think you know, when Allie needs help, people swoop in for sure.
00:20:20.799 --> 00:20:35.279
But it's just you know that you've got an army of people who are here to help and doing it because they generally care, which is it's been incredible to see for sure.
00:20:35.680 --> 00:20:38.160
Oh yeah, it's such a huge blessing to be.
00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:54.000
Oh I mean, to just to be a member of this church um is is such a blessing, I think, in many ways, but one of the great reasons is to be part of a ward, and there's just so many incredible wards.
00:20:54.240 --> 00:21:08.880
Like you said, uh me Brand and I have been in uh gotta be at least eight to ten wards in our marriage, probably more, and they've all been different and helped us in some degree.
00:21:09.119 --> 00:21:20.400
Um, and we really needed certain wards at times in our life, but um this ward here in Hounds Ranch is just special, I think, for us.
00:21:20.559 --> 00:21:38.559
We have I think a great group of people that's very real, and even though there's a lot of affluence and abundance, uh I feel like there's not a lot of um trying to act like you know, I don't know if the word's fake or trying to show off.
00:21:38.799 --> 00:21:51.759
It just feels like a lot of real people that are just like doing their best and trying to help everyone along, and there's not much competition or some of the weird things that maybe you could see in in some wards, but yeah, yeah, that's great.
00:21:52.000 --> 00:21:59.599
And quite frankly, like uh you know, I think we see it around us, you know, in different areas or or ways, but I I I don't know.
00:22:00.160 --> 00:22:15.759
Why, but it just feels like our words insulated in a way that people, to your point, like very real, very supportive, and nobody's nobody's above doing what's necessary to help people out.
00:22:16.160 --> 00:22:16.720
Yep.
00:22:16.960 --> 00:22:18.160
It's awesome.
00:22:18.480 --> 00:22:22.799
How about um what's the recent time that you felt the spirit?
00:22:23.839 --> 00:22:31.039
Oh um I had something in mind for this, and I'm forgetting what it is.
00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:48.720
Um but I can I can definitely go back to you know talking through and having the opportunity to work on the challenge um talk that I did in church.
00:22:49.039 --> 00:23:14.960
Um not to rehash, but I would say from just a spiritual perspective, something that was very regenerating, recharging, I think not only because of what it meant from just an overarching like you know, working with family history and being able to support the the work and you know the the work uh for the dead that that is so important.
00:23:15.440 --> 00:23:20.400
I think from a spiritual perspective, just being in the temple that much.
00:23:20.480 --> 00:23:32.000
I I I know I you know, depending on who's listening, like I I was able to knock out those ordinances in about a week, and I haven't been in the temple that many times in a week in a long time.
00:23:32.480 --> 00:23:48.400
And so just spending time there, uh you know whose house it is, and you can feel it, you see it in the people, the experiences, the closeness, proximity you call it, like it's it's tangible, it's amazing.
00:23:48.480 --> 00:23:53.599
And so I think that's a piece that I know I take for granted.
00:23:54.160 --> 00:23:56.160
You know, it's it's right there.
00:23:56.559 --> 00:24:05.440
I I love to tell people like growing up in Salt Lake, I've never lived closer to a temple than I do right now, which I have no excuse.
00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:17.039
However, things are busy, but I will definitely say from like a spiritual recharge slash just kind of purity of feeling map, no better place than the temple.
00:24:17.200 --> 00:24:20.160
So that's that's been a great, that was a great experience.
00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:21.920
I love that.
00:24:22.079 --> 00:24:29.680
Um yeah, but you're you're referring to for members of our board and they weren't weren't there last Sunday at your talk.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:31.920
Um it was a report.
00:24:32.000 --> 00:24:41.440
It was one of our challenge meetings that we've been doing where we give a challenge list, like a Christ centers challenge to our members.
00:24:41.839 --> 00:24:50.799
Um, a month before their talk, they have they pick one from a list of you know 30 or 40 things, and you do this challenge.
00:24:50.880 --> 00:25:04.960
In your case, it was to take someone through the temple, like the all the ordinances from from baptism to uh confirmation, priesthood, temple, endowment, everything to the end, ceiling.
00:25:05.759 --> 00:25:11.519
And uh that yeah, I felt the spirit so strongly when you were given your message.
00:25:11.920 --> 00:25:17.440
Really, all the speakers, too, was just um so inspiring for me.
00:25:17.759 --> 00:25:29.839
Incredible to hear people report on how they've kind of grappled and struggled with living the gospel a little bit more intensely and what that looked like and how it blessed their life.
00:25:29.920 --> 00:25:31.200
I think was so awesome.
00:25:31.440 --> 00:25:38.000
Yeah, I think it's a very it's a challenge, it's a real challenge, but it's very humanizing.
00:25:38.160 --> 00:25:44.160
Like, you know, you look across the board, I don't think anybody's doing it perfectly.
00:25:44.480 --> 00:26:00.960
But I think having kind of that joint effort of like, hey, at least for the speakers or the people that I talked with, you know, and having talked to them before and after, like it's it's an effort, but uh you know, I don't think anybody would tell you it's not worth doing.
00:26:02.319 --> 00:26:03.200
Yeah, for sure.
00:26:03.440 --> 00:26:11.920
Our last question is if you could go a hundred years in the future and talk to your posterity, what advice would you give them?
00:26:12.400 --> 00:26:16.960
Yeah, I I think you know, it's funny we talk to our kids right now.
00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:24.319
I don't know if I need to go a hundred years, but my guess is it'll continue to be the same because this is what my parents told me.
00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:28.000
Um and and it resonates.
00:26:28.319 --> 00:26:33.920
Um really it always has, even though I haven't always maybe had the best attitude towards it.
00:26:34.079 --> 00:26:50.240
Um, but I think what I would tell you know, posterity or or what have you given, and I think this is the relevant piece, like the challenges that we face today probably don't even resemble what it looks like or what it looked like a hundred years ago.
00:26:50.640 --> 00:26:55.680
Probably has absolutely nothing to do or will be nothing like what it looks like in a hundred years.
00:26:56.000 --> 00:27:13.759
But what I do know that's pervasive, at least that I've seen in family history in my life, both as a kid and now and with my own kids, is as children of God, we can do hard things.
00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:17.359
I think a lot of times, and I'm just thinking of now, right?
00:27:17.440 --> 00:27:19.599
But that's the brain that I have right now.
00:27:19.839 --> 00:27:25.359
But a lot of things tell you that you're not.
00:27:25.599 --> 00:27:31.359
You're not X, you're not Y, you're not enough of this, you can't do these things.
00:27:32.079 --> 00:27:43.599
I think from a high, really, really high level, our Heavenly Father has endowed us with strength to be to persevere, to be strong.
00:27:43.680 --> 00:27:48.480
And I think a lot of times when I think of posterity, I think of my kids.
00:27:48.720 --> 00:27:56.880
I mean, I can't tell you how many times I've told them that, but life's not gonna be easy all the time, but we can do hard things.
00:27:57.119 --> 00:28:00.799
And if I were to tell them something, I would that's what I'd say.
00:28:02.160 --> 00:28:02.960
Awesome.
00:28:03.279 --> 00:28:05.200
Yeah, what a great message.
00:28:06.400 --> 00:28:17.359
Um thank you so much for for doing this uh interview, for sharing your spiritual journey, the the ways that you've grown spiritually.
00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:22.319
It's boosted me, and I think it will help lift our ward members as well.
00:28:22.400 --> 00:28:23.440
So it's a great thing.
00:28:24.160 --> 00:28:25.200
Yeah, absolutely.
00:28:25.279 --> 00:28:27.519
I'm glad I could glad I can make it work.
00:28:28.960 --> 00:28:33.440
Also, just want to say thanks for being a great executive secretary.
00:28:33.599 --> 00:28:58.480
A lot of our people listening may not know that you are a member of the bishopric, and uh um it's your your spiritual um wisdom, your comments and work counsel, the time you put in, the efforts you make are just so um so valuable and precious to me personally, and so helpful that I really appreciate it.
