followHIM - John Taylor: No Snuff, No Chains • followHIM Favorites • August 18 - 24 • Come Follow Me

Episode Date: August 14, 2025

SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC234ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC234FRGerman: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC234DEPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC234PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastDC234ESALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIMpodcast.comYouTube:https://youtu.be/8MKyQHzKNoAFREE PDF DOWNLOADS OF followHIM QUOTE BOOKSNew Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastNTBookOld Testament: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastOTBookBook of Mormon: https://tinyurl.com/PodcastBMBookWEEKLY 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

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 Section 89 through 92 this week, The Word of Wisdom. I know you know it well. And I have a story to tell you. It doesn't go with any particular verse, but it does go with the idea of the Word of Wisdom. John Taylor, the third president of the church, long before he hears of the church. He's living in England.

He's not going to join. join the church until he moves to Canada. He's a young man. He's living in England and he chews tobacco. He uses tobacco like everybody else. One day, apparently, he goes to reach for his tobacco in what's called a snuff box. It looks kind of like a scripture case. He actually stops and he realizes that he's craving this tobacco. He doesn't like that feeling. He talks to his snuff box he actually says to it listen to me right can you imagine the box the box is like who me he says listen to me i will be a slave to nothing there's no word of wisdom john there's nobody saying this is bad for your health nothing none of that he just notices in himself that he's

a slave to something. He never uses tobacco again. He never uses it again from that day. I will not be a slave. That reminds me. I had a professor named Joseph Fielding McConkey who said one day, if you're high on drugs, you're low on agency. And I thought, what an interesting idea. If you're craving, if you have to satisfy that, your agency is lessened. What did the snuffbox say? I'm waiting Yeah, I wonder if the cell phone's like, well, let me show you. Anybody listening out there, including John and I, we need to take account of, am I a slave to something? Could even be a drink or a phone? I've heard some people say life is like getting your spirit to take charge of your body

because your body has cravings. When you're fasting, you're saying, is my spirit strong enough to be in charge of my body? To be in control. Yeah. I've heard it said the cell phone is a wonderful tool, but a terrible master. You want to be careful. I'm a slave to nothing. I heard you give a talk once where you asked people if they had ever had a cell phone do what on their head. Yeah, if it's ever fallen on your face because you're so tired. You're in bed. You're doing this and you. I got to crush the candy. And it bunks you on your forehead. Yeah. This candy ain't going to crush itself. One girl said to me, she said, Brother Smith, it was an iPad, right?

the scar right here. We hope you'll join us on our full podcast. It's called Follow Him. You can get it wherever you get your podcast. We are in sections 89 through 92, mostly spending our time in the Word of Wisdom with Sister Karen Hepworth, who loves the Word of Wisdom. You're going to love what she does with these sections. Then come back next week. We'll do another Follow Him favorites.