Follow Him: A Come, Follow Me Podcast - When Your Life is on the Line • followHIM Favorites • August 12-18 • Come Follow Me

Episode Date: August 8, 2024

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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 may be have met. 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 made these flyers for 10 cents. You could come either beyond 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 blades. 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 Wa- Right? What do you think's gonna happen? It's not Niagara Walk. It's not Niagara Floats. 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, the balancing pole. He starts to walk across this tightrope.

He does it. It takes him like 15 minutes. I mean, it's a long way 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, Jon, 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. He did pull out this wheelbarrow. He said, who here believes that I can walk this tightrope pushing this wheelbarrow? And I can imagine the crowds 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 the crowds, we believe, we believe. They're knocking each other. Do you believe? And pretty 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, didn't you say you believe? I think 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. It was not Joseph. Joseph Smith just happened to be at Niagara Falls in 1850, 1860. 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. The great blonde was there for a long time, I'll do it, I'll do it. He ends up crossing Niagara Falls. And the great blonde and 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, act. Because don't you think, John, so often, I believe, I believe, and the Lord says, I'm so glad you believe. I need you to go on a mission. Yeah. Oh, wow. Oh, he wants to go. Yeah. 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 are 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 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. Thanks for watching. I'm Mike, and I'll see you next time.

Bye.