followHIM - When Your Life is on the Line • followHIM Favorites • August 12-18 • Come Follow Me

Episode Date: August 8, 2024

SHOW NOTES/TRANSCRIPTSEnglish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM33ENFrench: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM33FRGerman: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM33DEPortuguese: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM33PTSpanish: https://tinyurl.com/podcastBM33ES YOUTUBEhttps://youtu.be/AOzzNifwUnsALL EPISODES/SHOW NOTESfollowHIM website: https://www.followHIMpodcast.comFREE 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 NotesJamie Neilson: Social Media, Graphic DesignWill Stoughton: Video EditorKrystal Roberts: Translation Team, English & French Transcripts, WebsiteAriel Cuadra: Spanish Transcripts"Let Zion in Her Beauty Rise" by Marshall McDonaldhttps://www.marshallmcdonaldmusic.com

Hello, welcome to Follow Him Favorites. This is where John and I share a single story to go with each week's lesson. John, we're in the first half of the war chapters this week, Alma 43 through 52. A lot of chapters. I thought of a story that I would share as I was reading Alma chapter 46. Prepare yourself, I want to hear your thoughts. In Alma chapter 46, Captain Moroni makes the Tide of Liberty, waves it around, and then calls the people to him. And he gives them this speech. It made me think of a story I read many years ago. The year was 1859. Not when I read the story, but when the story takes place, 1859 at Niagara Falls, there's a man named Jean Gravelot. He's from France.

He's a daredevil. He is there with his friend, Harry Concord. And this is 1859, John. This is before color. I was born just a few years after that. Were you? Okay. You might've been there.

You maybe have met Jean. They're looking out over Horseshoe Falls. You've been there. Jean Gravelot, his stage name, because he's a daredevil, is the Great Blondin. I guess he had this poofy blonde hair. He says to Harry, who is his friend and manager, he says, I'm going to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. So they decide they're going to get to work. They make their own tightrope because I guess in 1859, you can't run down to Walmart and get yourself a tightrope.

So they have to make it themselves. Takes them about a year to get the whole event ready. They've made these flyers for 10 cents. You could come either be on the Canadian side or the American side of the falls. And you can come here and watch this guy walk across Niagara Falls on a tightrope. And really, I think, John, those who bought a ticket were coming there to see this guy die. Because it's a long ways down. And even if you survive the fall, it's like a washing machine with razor blade.

It is a churning machine. You're never going to make it. And hello, it's called Niagara Falls, right? What do you think is going to happen? It's not Niagara Walk. It's not Niagaraagara walk it's not niagara floats yeah you and i know of people we've heard the stories of people who go over in barrels people who jump over the falls they don't live it's a miracle if you live well the day comes and he gets out

there on the edge and he's got his long pole that he used, balancing pole. He starts to walk across this tightrope. He does it. It takes him like 15 minutes. I mean, it's a long ways across. He makes it to the other side and people are screaming and yelling and he's famous. He's amazing. He's wonderful. He didn't die. Apparently, I haven't seen the video of this, John, but apparently he says, I'm going to go back. I'm going to go back to the other side. And people are, what? This is outrageous. This is more than what I paid for.

This is more than my dime's worth. He gets his balancing pole back out and he walks back to the other side of the fall. I mean, this would be so stressful for people watching. Of course, for him, he's got to be so tense the entire time. Well, the story goes that he is a showman and he's working up the crowd. He throws his pole away and he says, bring me the wheelbarrow. Somebody brings out an 1860s wheelbarrow. I have no idea what that looks like. If it was like mine, it would have duct tape. Like the wheel looks like from a covered wagon or something yeah so they pull out this wheelbarrow he said who here believes that i can walk this tightrope pushing this wheelbarrow and i can

imagine the crowd's kind of quiet like really and he says do you believe and pretty soon i believe do you believe i believe i believe do you believe and pretty soon soon, I believe. Do you believe? I believe. I believe. Do you believe? And pretty soon the crowds, we believe. We believe. You know, they're knocking each other. Do you believe? I believe. We believe.

And they're all yelling. This is wonderful. This is great. We believe. And then he says, quiet down, quiet down. I'm so glad you all believe. Because I only need one volunteer who will get in the wheelbarrow and you can see the crowd go um

didn't you say you believed he said he believed he will he said what's wrong i thought you all said that you believe. The story goes that one man raised his hand and said, I will get in the wheelbarrow. One man raised his hand. I remember I was teaching this once, John, to a group of youth. And I said, who do you think it was? And this little girl in the front row, she goes, Joseph Smith. No, it was not joseph joseph smith just happened to be at niagara falls in 1850

1860 oh that is awesome it was yeah it would have been a great story but no it's his manager it's harry concord who knows him no kidding who says i'll do it i'll do it he ends up crossing niagara falls and the great Blondin was there for a long time, I guess, many years doing all these tricks. People would come out and watch him. Well, John, look at this. Alma 46, 15. The true believers in Christ will take upon them the name of Christ. Moroni in verse 19, waves this rent part of his garment, his title of liberty. And he says in verse 20 behold whosoever will maintain this title upon the land let them come forth in the strength of the lord almost as if

moroni is saying the same thing if you believe then act if you believe i act because don't you think john so often i believe i believe and the lord, I'm so glad you believe. I need you to go on a mission. Yeah. Oh, wow. He wants to go. He said he believed. I believe, I believe. Oh, good. Because I need you to bear your testimony to these friends.

I need you to walk out of this movie. I need you to fill in the blank. We can't just be those who say we believe. We have to step up and get in the wheelbarrow. Boy, and you mentioned verse 15. All those who are true believers in Christ took upon them gladly the name of Christ. Like when we take the sacrament that they're willing to take upon them the name of Christ. I hope we're also glad to, we're honored, we're thrilled to take upon us the name of Christ.

And it reminds me of Moroni later on. What say ye, my sons? Okay, let's see. You want to take them on? That's good. Let's go. I'll get in the wheel of Christ. And it reminds me of Moroni later on. What say ye, my sons? Okay, let's see. You want to take them on? That's good. Let's go. I'll get in the wheelbarrow. Let me be first.

Love that attitude. Well, we hope you'll join us on our full podcast. It's called Follow Him. You can get it wherever you get your podcasts. We're with Dr. David Boren this week. You're going to love him and his stories and all the insights he pulls out verse after verse after verse about leadership. It's a really amazing episode. And then come back here next week. We'll do another follow him

favorites.