Follow Him: A Come, Follow Me Podcast - followHIM Favorites • 24

Episode Date: June 5, 2025

SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC224ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC224FRGerman: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC224DEPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC224PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC224ESYOUTUBE: https://youtu.be/L2lUH8YzocQFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookWEEKLY NEWSLETTERhttps://tinyurl.com/followHIMnewsletterSOCIAL MEDIAInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/followHIMpodcastFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/followhimpodcastThanks to the followHIM team:Steve & Shannon Sorensen: Cofounder, Executive Producer, SponsorDavid & Verla Sorensen: SponsorsDr. Hank Smith: Co-hostJohn Bytheway: Co-hostDavid Perry: ProducerKyle Nelson: Marketing, SponsorLisa Spice: Client Relations, Editor, Show NotesWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish TranscriptsAmelia Kabwika: Portuguese TranscriptsHeather Barlow: Communications DirectorIride Gonzalez: Social Media, Graphic Design"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

Hello, welcome to Follow Him Favorites, this is where John and I are sharing a single story to go with each week's lesson. John, we are in Doctrine and Covenants 60-63. You've told me that you read a verse and it reminded you of a great story. Right in section 61 at the very end, verse 36, and I love that the Lord ends with this because there's some heavy things in some of these sections, verse 36, and I love that the Lord ends with this because there's some heavy things in some of these sections. Verse 36, now verily I say unto you, and what I say unto one, I say unto all, be of good

cheer. Cheer. Little children, I am in your midst. I have not forsaken you. He wants us to be happy. Happiness manifests itself sometimes in a sense of humor. When I was taking the teach seminary classes, they wanted us to read this book, Teach Edilgently from President Packer. He said, a sense of humor is a powerfully important attribute of a good teacher. The gospel is a happy and a pleasant gospel. There

are times when we may be solemn to tears, but a good teacher will develop a sense of humor. Following are a few illustrations of humor that can be used in the classroom. Then he tells one of his own experiences, which was so hard for me to imagine President Packer doing this. To have a sense of humor is a lesson a teacher must learn. When I was attending college, I enrolled in a physiology class. One day during a lecture, the professor asked me to sit up on the high table in front of the room so he could demonstrate the principle of reflexes. What do you think he's going to do, Hank? He took a little mallet, similar to the one a medical doctor would use, proceeded to tap me on the knee, expecting my leg to jerk noticeably in the typical reflex action. However,

hailed my leg very rigid and flipped my arm in the air when he tapped my knee. The class roared with delight. The professor was not amused. We did not thereafter appreciate one another. I was branded as an impudent upstart, and at the end of the semester, my grade reflected that categorization. We are all going through this life. It's tough. Maybe I can cheer people up a little bit. I want to add to that story then, John, because my father-in-law, Sarah's dad, when he walked in late to a meeting with President Packer, he walks in, he quickly knew that he was in trouble for being late. He looked around the room at the other state presidents, he noticed one wasn't there besides him.

Well, he walked in and he said, I'm sorry, I'm late, I'm President Morby. That's not his name, that was the state president that wasn't there. They said all the state presidents laughed except for elder packer. He said he looked over at him. He did not laugh one bit. I have to share with my father in law, the story of elder packer trying to make a joke for that teacher.

It came full circle. That's funny. I got to read this quote from elder Holland. He says, we should honor the savior's declaration to be of good cheer. Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other. Be of good cheer. It's a commandment. Hank, you're really good at that. What does the Lord say? Not with much laughter, for this is a sin. I'm like, oh no, I thought you said be of good cheer. Thanks for bringing that up. I love the distinction that Brother Truman Madsen made. He said there's a difference between being light-minded and light-hearted. Good. Light-mindedness is making fun of sacred things, which we just don't do, Hank. Light-heartedness, Hank, we do that all the time. We do that all the time. It keeps things light. President Hinckley said a

good sense of humor is like the shocks of a car. Keeps things from being a little too bumpy. Makes a smoother ride. We hope you'll join us on our full podcast. It's called Follow Him. Get it wherever you get any podcast. We are in section 60 through 63 this week with Dr. Scott Espland. He's the Dean of the Religion Department at BYU. It's pretty incredible what he does with these sections. Come over, join us there and then come back next week. We'll do another Follow Him favorites.