WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:03.059 Jethro D. Jones: All right, Connor, welcome to a decade Never to be Forgotten. 00:00:03.239 --> 00:00:04.460 I'm excited to have you here. 00:00:04.460 --> 00:00:05.620 Thanks for taking the time. 00:00:06.000 --> 00:00:10.099 And, uh, before we start, I think it'd be good to just kind of explain 00:00:10.500 --> 00:00:14.180 a little bit about where this came from and, and what led to it. 00:00:15.000 --> 00:00:19.860 in October 24, general conference, uh, elder Stevenson gave a talk 00:00:19.860 --> 00:00:21.500 called Days Never to Be Forgotten. 00:00:22.400 --> 00:00:28.419 as he was sharing that, uh, that message, I got this little prick in my heart that 00:00:28.419 --> 00:00:30.459 said, you need to do something with this. 00:00:31.300 --> 00:00:36.260 I was like, what does that mean, And, uh, you've, you've gotten your 00:00:36.380 --> 00:00:38.100 own personal revelation before and. 00:00:38.590 --> 00:00:40.410 And felt things tell you to do things. 00:00:40.590 --> 00:00:42.570 And probably people who are listening have too. 00:00:43.110 --> 00:00:46.530 And you don't always know what it means, but you know, when, when that 00:00:46.530 --> 00:00:48.170 feeling comes, then you gotta act. 00:00:48.430 --> 00:00:50.330 And so, so that's what I did. 00:00:50.390 --> 00:00:54.530 And, um, what we're doing here is we're interviewing the same people 00:00:54.900 --> 00:00:58.010 every year for the next 10 years to see how they've made this, 00:00:58.100 --> 00:01:00.370 their decade never to be forgotten. 00:01:01.540 --> 00:01:05.200 And I'm grateful for you coming on because, uh, we don't have 00:01:05.200 --> 00:01:09.760 someone who is a recent college graduate or close to that. 00:01:10.980 --> 00:01:11.200 uh. 00:01:12.315 --> 00:01:15.705 Which is you who, uh, you're just finishing up at BYU. 00:01:15.965 --> 00:01:22.345 And so, you've, you've been a center for a BYU football team and, uh, a 00:01:22.505 --> 00:01:24.345 remarkable career, which is awesome. 00:01:25.205 --> 00:01:29.265 now, uh, you're right now in the throes of preparing for the NFL. 00:01:29.645 --> 00:01:33.665 So I wanna start by just talking about what brought you 00:01:33.965 --> 00:01:35.185 to this point in your life? 00:01:35.275 --> 00:01:37.745 Where, did you plan on this? 00:01:37.804 --> 00:01:41.025 Was this part of the plan or did this just, happen? 00:01:41.175 --> 00:01:42.225 Like, tell me about that. 00:01:43.520 --> 00:01:44.370 Connor Pay: Yeah, I think, um. 00:01:46.615 --> 00:01:47.035 My dad. 00:01:47.735 --> 00:01:49.515 My dad played in the NFL. 00:01:49.935 --> 00:01:53.955 Um, and so it, it is something that has kind of been a part of our family. 00:01:54.575 --> 00:01:58.995 And so once I got into high school and got to the point where I was like, 00:01:58.995 --> 00:02:00.795 okay, I'm getting college scholarships. 00:02:01.024 --> 00:02:05.955 Like once, once you go to play division one football, your ultimate goal is to 00:02:06.075 --> 00:02:09.035 at least have a chance, um, at the NFL. 00:02:09.094 --> 00:02:11.195 And it's, it's obviously very difficult. 00:02:11.614 --> 00:02:16.035 You know, it's, uh, you're in, you're in the 1% of the 1% if 00:02:16.035 --> 00:02:18.394 you can, uh, make it to the NFL. 00:02:18.415 --> 00:02:21.635 And so I, I feel really blessed that I'm in a position where I, 00:02:21.714 --> 00:02:25.795 I get a chance to, and hopefully I can go and make the most of it. 00:02:26.094 --> 00:02:33.515 But, um, yeah, it's, I mean, once, once I got to BYU and, uh, was a 00:02:33.515 --> 00:02:38.315 backup my red shirt season, um, in 2020, then once I earned a starting 00:02:38.464 --> 00:02:40.195 spot as a red shirt freshman. 00:02:41.695 --> 00:02:46.885 Which was kind of considerably younger than some of the other players or 00:02:46.885 --> 00:02:48.565 other starters in their careers. 00:02:48.565 --> 00:02:52.565 You know, you typically, you don't get to start until your junior or senior 00:02:52.565 --> 00:02:54.124 year, maybe your sophomore year. 00:02:54.344 --> 00:02:58.484 And so to be a red shirt freshman starting, I was like, okay, I feel like, 00:02:58.484 --> 00:03:01.005 you know, songs I keep playing well. 00:03:01.005 --> 00:03:03.364 Like I, I could do something with this. 00:03:03.464 --> 00:03:08.445 And so now here we are, four seasons later, you know, started somewhere 00:03:08.734 --> 00:03:12.524 north of 45 to 50 games at this point. 00:03:12.704 --> 00:03:15.885 And it, it kind of became a reality as I, as I played better and better 00:03:15.904 --> 00:03:19.644 and started getting recruited by agents and stuff like that. 00:03:19.644 --> 00:03:21.725 Were like, okay, like there my name is out there. 00:03:22.114 --> 00:03:24.964 This could be a reality for me. 00:03:25.304 --> 00:03:27.644 And so now here we are. 00:03:27.784 --> 00:03:30.325 I'm in, uh, I'm in Atlanta, Georgia. 00:03:30.904 --> 00:03:34.204 You know, it's staying in an Airbnb in the suburbs of Atlanta for. 00:03:35.154 --> 00:03:37.704 eight weeks while I'm at a training facility down here, 00:03:37.704 --> 00:03:39.424 getting prepared for Pro Day. 00:03:39.424 --> 00:03:42.744 And it's, it's kind of surreal that now I've, you know, I, I 00:03:42.744 --> 00:03:44.704 graduated from BYU in December. 00:03:45.684 --> 00:03:49.424 Um, you know that I'm a college graduate now, and I'm, now, I'm, 00:03:50.084 --> 00:03:51.744 I'm actually a professional athlete. 00:03:51.744 --> 00:03:55.265 Like this is my occupation, this is, this is my job. 00:03:56.045 --> 00:03:57.424 And so it is kind of surreal. 00:03:58.680 --> 00:04:01.980 Jethro D. Jones: So, you know, there's, I, I've heard a lot of people talk 00:04:01.980 --> 00:04:08.860 about, being an athlete is, a lot of it is, is mental and that it's probably 00:04:08.860 --> 00:04:10.620 more mental than it is physical. 00:04:11.279 --> 00:04:14.019 So I want to talk about that, but a lot of people don't talk about 00:04:15.300 --> 00:04:16.540 spiritual part of it as well. 00:04:17.399 --> 00:04:21.740 And one of the things we've seen with a lot of the recent college football bowl 00:04:21.740 --> 00:04:27.300 games are, are guys finishing and praising Jesus after they finished and more of 00:04:27.300 --> 00:04:32.870 that spirituality it, where it seemed like that was not So much of the focus before. 00:04:33.330 --> 00:04:38.229 So can you talk about what brought you to this point and mentally? 00:04:38.729 --> 00:04:40.909 And feel free to blur the lines on that. 00:04:41.130 --> 00:04:45.190 And, you know, you don't have to like totally separate it, but what is, 00:04:45.340 --> 00:04:49.150 what has that spiritual and mental process been like, getting to hear? 00:04:49.150 --> 00:04:53.590 Because, you know, physically you've got a, a dad who played in the NFL, 00:04:53.930 --> 00:04:57.590 so you know, you've got some genes, you've got the experience of that. 00:04:58.010 --> 00:05:01.590 And so, talk about the mental and spiritual aspect of it. 00:05:03.315 --> 00:05:06.974 Connor Pay: I think, uh, well, I think as I've gotten older, as I've grown closer 00:05:07.195 --> 00:05:12.284 to the savior, those two things have kind of become one and the same a little bit. 00:05:12.365 --> 00:05:15.844 I try to involve him in, in every aspect. 00:05:16.705 --> 00:05:21.484 Uh, and so, but I, I guess maybe just, uh, a little background for maybe some 00:05:21.484 --> 00:05:24.765 of the people who don't know, you know, what you were referencing when they said 00:05:24.784 --> 00:05:27.724 how mentally challenging this can be. 00:05:27.835 --> 00:05:31.885 It's, uh, I guess just one example is, you know, the, the turnaround 00:05:32.315 --> 00:05:34.844 that it was coming to Atlanta. 00:05:35.594 --> 00:05:40.484 Like, uh, my, my agent, I had told the agency before the bowl game. 00:05:40.625 --> 00:05:43.965 I'm like, Hey, when, when the bowl game's over, I'm gonna sign with you 00:05:44.875 --> 00:05:46.445 like, you're, you're who I'm going with. 00:05:46.474 --> 00:05:49.525 Obviously, I couldn't actually physically sign with them, um, 00:05:49.525 --> 00:05:50.844 or else I'd lose my eligibility. 00:05:50.984 --> 00:05:52.685 So it had to be done after the bowl game. 00:05:53.505 --> 00:05:54.685 Um, but I let 'em know. 00:05:55.874 --> 00:05:57.934 And they're like, okay, you just focused on the bowl game. 00:05:57.934 --> 00:06:00.054 We're gonna handle everything else behind the scenes. 00:06:00.195 --> 00:06:05.455 And, and nowadays facilities, training facilities, uh, they 00:06:05.455 --> 00:06:08.974 recruit you like agents do, which is, which is kind of interesting. 00:06:09.034 --> 00:06:12.614 So this facility velocity that I'm out here in Georgia, which has been phenomenal 00:06:12.674 --> 00:06:17.294 so far, they reached out to me almost a year ago, maybe a little more than 00:06:17.294 --> 00:06:20.374 a year ago, and just starting to build the relationship and things like that. 00:06:20.374 --> 00:06:24.614 And so you have multiple facilities reaching out and so your, sometimes your 00:06:24.624 --> 00:06:30.054 agent has a facility they really want you to go to, and sometimes it's kinda like, 00:06:30.054 --> 00:06:34.174 Hey, we, we have someones, we like, but we also want to hear where you want to go. 00:06:34.275 --> 00:06:38.335 And, you know, this facility was, was one of my tops and I, and so I 00:06:38.335 --> 00:06:42.294 said, here's my top three facilities I want to go to, blah, blah, blah. 00:06:43.414 --> 00:06:48.744 And then, you know, after the bowl game, we get home and, uh. 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:55.969 That week we had a Zoom call with my agent in this facility on a Wednesday, 00:06:57.050 --> 00:06:59.750 and they're like, we were going through dates of when my pro day was, 00:06:59.770 --> 00:07:01.230 how the training would be structured. 00:07:01.370 --> 00:07:05.170 And they're like, yeah, well, we want you to get here as quick as you can. 00:07:06.030 --> 00:07:06.890 And I was like, okay. 00:07:07.670 --> 00:07:11.290 And we, we worked it out like, we want you to start, you 00:07:11.409 --> 00:07:12.409 know, can you leave tomorrow? 00:07:13.310 --> 00:07:16.000 And she's like, yep, I guess I can. 00:07:16.659 --> 00:07:22.200 And so I packed up and uh, you know, I packed up my car and I drove to Atlanta 00:07:22.260 --> 00:07:25.800 the next day, you know, having no idea that that was gonna happen the day before. 00:07:27.020 --> 00:07:31.360 And so that's, that could be a little bit mentally challenging how all of a 00:07:31.360 --> 00:07:36.400 sudden now, just in a blink of an eye, I spent the night packing for eight 00:07:36.400 --> 00:07:39.560 weeks and everything I need for training and I'm on the road and I'm leaving. 00:07:39.660 --> 00:07:42.640 And that's, that's a little bit of like what the NFL lifestyle 00:07:42.700 --> 00:07:45.640 is, you know, over the next uh uh. 00:07:47.249 --> 00:07:51.510 Six or seven months of my life, it's gonna be a drop in an interviewing with a team. 00:07:51.569 --> 00:07:56.069 If they wanna bring me out for a visit, bam, I get a phone call and I'm on 00:07:56.069 --> 00:07:58.229 a plane that night or the next day. 00:07:58.890 --> 00:08:04.189 And, you know, while that is exciting and it's really fun, it can be, it could 00:08:04.189 --> 00:08:08.030 be a little bit challenging where like at any moment you're, you're all of a 00:08:08.030 --> 00:08:09.830 sudden your, your life can totally change. 00:08:10.840 --> 00:08:13.900 And once you actually get into the NFL, it will get even worse. 00:08:14.070 --> 00:08:17.460 Where, you know, if you get cut from a team, you could 00:08:17.460 --> 00:08:19.140 get, you can get fired any day. 00:08:19.484 --> 00:08:19.905 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:08:20.159 --> 00:08:22.379 Connor Pay: And if you do get fired, another team could pick you 00:08:22.379 --> 00:08:24.299 up and say, Hey, you, we want you. 00:08:24.299 --> 00:08:28.029 And if you clear your waivers, then bam, you're on a plane and 00:08:28.029 --> 00:08:31.940 you're playing for a different team a day and a half later, you know? 00:08:31.940 --> 00:08:36.530 And so it's a little, it's a little, it's taxing in, in that way, 00:08:37.175 --> 00:08:40.115 Jethro D. Jones: Uh, or you could not get picked up for a while 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:41.070 Connor Pay: right. 00:08:41.455 --> 00:08:45.515 Jethro D. Jones: you could be out there hanging out, waiting for someone to, to 00:08:45.515 --> 00:08:47.475 pick you up when, when the deadline comes 00:08:48.255 --> 00:08:48.745 Connor Pay: Totally. 00:08:48.805 --> 00:08:50.505 You could be unemployed, no checks. 00:08:51.175 --> 00:08:51.465 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:08:51.565 --> 00:08:52.185 That's crazy. 00:08:52.885 --> 00:08:59.025 Um, so, so talk more about what you've done to prepare to be ready 00:08:59.125 --> 00:09:04.065 for this mentally and spiritually and, and how you got here and, and 00:09:04.065 --> 00:09:05.985 what that actually looked like. 00:09:06.095 --> 00:09:11.145 Like you've gotta be, gotta be prepared to say, okay, I can do this, I can leave. 00:09:11.920 --> 00:09:17.740 At the drop of a hat, you've gotta do some prep work beforehand, and like have things 00:09:17.760 --> 00:09:19.860 in order, have, have your life in order. 00:09:19.970 --> 00:09:20.900 Talk a little bit about that. 00:09:21.340 --> 00:09:21.460 I. 00:09:21.955 --> 00:09:25.125 Connor Pay: Yeah, I think, no, there was definitely a lot of preparation. 00:09:26.040 --> 00:09:29.050 Knowing that this is what my life was gonna be like. 00:09:29.830 --> 00:09:32.810 You know, it's obviously having a dad who's done it was really helpful. 00:09:33.470 --> 00:09:35.890 He gotta just give you some tips, be like, okay, this is, 00:09:35.890 --> 00:09:37.050 this is what it's gonna be like. 00:09:37.230 --> 00:09:41.210 And my dad played in the NFL for three seasons for three different teams. 00:09:41.390 --> 00:09:46.010 He got cut out of the blue three different times, you know, and so he was, he 00:09:46.010 --> 00:09:49.650 knows what that, uh, uh, lifestyle is like, and he is like, look, your life's 00:09:49.650 --> 00:09:54.870 gonna be a little volatile for these next, uh, you know, six months or so. 00:09:54.890 --> 00:09:57.590 And so I think I had a little bit of an advantage in terms of, 00:09:57.670 --> 00:09:58.710 I kind of knew it was coming. 00:09:59.640 --> 00:10:05.460 Um, and, uh, but no, you definitely have to be, get yourself into the head 00:10:05.460 --> 00:10:09.500 space of being okay with that, where it's like, and I don't, I don't want 00:10:09.500 --> 00:10:12.580 to use the word that, you know, your life is being upended, but it kind 00:10:12.580 --> 00:10:13.820 of feels that way where it's like. 00:10:14.585 --> 00:10:18.405 All of a sudden, before I even have time to think about it, I'm in this place 00:10:18.435 --> 00:10:22.245 that, you know, I'm living in a place that I've, I've only visited before. 00:10:22.315 --> 00:10:23.045 I've never stayed. 00:10:24.025 --> 00:10:27.865 Um, my family's 2000 miles away, you know? 00:10:28.085 --> 00:10:32.705 And, uh, it's, uh, it's a little weird, you know, it's a little weird. 00:10:32.765 --> 00:10:37.865 And it can be, it can be a little lonely at first, but I think, um, one great 00:10:37.865 --> 00:10:41.905 example when, when it, when the scriptures talk about the commandment we're given 00:10:41.925 --> 00:10:47.255 to gather together often, you know, and, uh, you know, and, and those verses of 00:10:47.455 --> 00:10:50.945 miah so that you can be numbered with the, with the people of the church. 00:10:51.745 --> 00:10:56.225 I, I went to church just a few hours ago for the first time out here, and 00:10:56.225 --> 00:10:59.545 that was one of the, one of those moments where I was like, uh, I kind 00:10:59.545 --> 00:11:00.985 of felt like I was at home again. 00:11:02.135 --> 00:11:02.435 You know? 00:11:02.455 --> 00:11:05.595 And just, just sitting in a sacrament meeting, you know, preparing to take 00:11:05.595 --> 00:11:07.955 the sacrament, going to elders quorum. 00:11:08.950 --> 00:11:10.800 Obviously it was fun to meet the ward members. 00:11:11.120 --> 00:11:14.560 'cause I kind of told I'm gonna be an honorary member of your ward for the 00:11:14.560 --> 00:11:17.280 next , you know, eight weeks or whatever. 00:11:17.620 --> 00:11:21.080 And, uh, you know, and obviously a lot of 'em recognized me from 00:11:21.280 --> 00:11:22.200 football and stuff like that. 00:11:22.260 --> 00:11:23.920 So it was fun, it was fun to chat with them. 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:29.040 But just, um, you know, that, that commandment kind of rang true 00:11:29.060 --> 00:11:32.320 for me a little bit today where it's like, I was just thinking 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:33.480 about like, man, this is amazing. 00:11:33.580 --> 00:11:38.160 No matter where I end up going, no matter what ends up happening, I'm always gonna 00:11:38.160 --> 00:11:43.030 have a family and a support system, um, through the people of the church. 00:11:43.160 --> 00:11:43.510 Right. 00:11:43.510 --> 00:11:45.670 And then my, my brothers and sisters in Christ. 00:11:46.780 --> 00:11:53.520 And you know, I think on my own personal faith journey, that's, that's what's 00:11:53.520 --> 00:11:55.760 kept me in the boat, so to speak. 00:11:55.900 --> 00:11:59.800 And, uh, I've, uh, I've been pretty public about some of the, the 00:11:59.800 --> 00:12:01.040 faith challenges that I've had. 00:12:01.140 --> 00:12:01.360 Uh. 00:12:02.255 --> 00:12:05.215 BYU does this series called Deep Blue, where they kind of 00:12:05.215 --> 00:12:06.335 dive deep into your stories. 00:12:06.575 --> 00:12:10.935 I, I don't know if you were familiar or saw mine, but they, they 00:12:10.935 --> 00:12:12.495 were able to do one with for me. 00:12:12.980 --> 00:12:13.270 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:12:13.495 --> 00:12:13.785 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:12:14.365 --> 00:12:16.025 And yeah, go ahead. 00:12:16.150 --> 00:12:19.590 Jethro D. Jones: of you haven't always thought that church was the 00:12:19.590 --> 00:12:22.630 place where you'd find that community and peace, you went to church 00:12:22.630 --> 00:12:25.070 because was what we do as pays. 00:12:25.130 --> 00:12:26.950 That's, that's why you would go. 00:12:27.185 --> 00:12:27.475 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:12:27.650 --> 00:12:32.830 Jethro D. Jones: now like you made it a and, and I just wanna share like behind 00:12:32.830 --> 00:12:36.670 the scenes, uh, you and I were texting about setting this up and you're like, 00:12:37.250 --> 00:12:41.150 um, I get in Sunday's probably gonna be the only day I'm available to do it. 00:12:42.130 --> 00:12:46.550 you gave yourself an hour after church got out, uh, to, to be able to do this. 00:12:47.530 --> 00:12:48.950 but like that was a priority. 00:12:49.170 --> 00:12:53.830 It wasn't like, Hey, let me, I'll skip church this week. 00:12:53.970 --> 00:12:55.830 No, you were like planning on it. 00:12:55.830 --> 00:13:00.070 And it wasn't a question, it was a, I already know what time church is. 00:13:00.070 --> 00:13:01.390 That's already part of the plan. 00:13:01.390 --> 00:13:04.510 That's already part of what I did to get ready to come out to 00:13:04.510 --> 00:13:08.510 Atlanta was I found out what time church is and I'm ready to go. 00:13:09.430 --> 00:13:13.860 so like that idea of going from We all go through faith journeys, right? 00:13:13.860 --> 00:13:17.660 Going from a kid who's like, I'm not even interested to serving a 00:13:17.660 --> 00:13:22.820 mission, playing at BYU, and then now you're like, this is, this is the 00:13:23.060 --> 00:13:25.900 priority, and there's no question I, I know I'm gonna find my people here. 00:13:26.520 --> 00:13:27.820 That's, that's pretty amazing, right? 00:13:29.695 --> 00:13:32.425 Connor Pay: Yeah, no, it is, and it was not the way I 00:13:32.425 --> 00:13:34.225 thought for a really long time. 00:13:35.115 --> 00:13:38.655 You know, it was, uh, like, like you said, it was, I, I went because my 00:13:38.655 --> 00:13:42.535 family went and kind of the, over the years as I thought more about it, the 00:13:42.535 --> 00:13:45.575 kind of, the way I describe it, and I think I described it this way in that 00:13:45.575 --> 00:13:49.775 video, I don't remember, but is that I was, I was physically active, but 00:13:49.775 --> 00:13:52.835 I was spiritually inactive, you know? 00:13:52.855 --> 00:13:56.395 And, uh, and that's how I spent most of my teenage years. 00:13:57.095 --> 00:14:04.165 Um, and uh, and I think, uh, and I think that's a little bit, honestly, 00:14:05.035 --> 00:14:08.295 uh, a little bit of a challenge with the, with the Utah culture. 00:14:09.175 --> 00:14:10.115 Uh, a little bit too. 00:14:10.735 --> 00:14:14.115 You know, I think there's a lot of, especially teenagers who are 00:14:14.115 --> 00:14:17.075 physically active, they go to church every Sunday, but spiritually 00:14:17.075 --> 00:14:18.235 they're completely inactive. 00:14:19.215 --> 00:14:22.235 Um, and I think that comes with just like, oh, this is just 00:14:22.235 --> 00:14:23.235 what everybody does, right? 00:14:23.235 --> 00:14:25.315 Everybody around goes to church, blah, blah, blah. 00:14:25.775 --> 00:14:28.835 You know, it's, uh, it's just what we do around here. 00:14:29.535 --> 00:14:35.115 Um, but no, that, that community, and, you know, that, uh, the guy I referenced 00:14:35.115 --> 00:14:39.835 in the video, that youth advisor Chip Taylor, he was, he was the one that 00:14:39.835 --> 00:14:43.635 kind of got me, got me into it again, and I noticed some things with him. 00:14:43.635 --> 00:14:52.665 And, um, and then now obviously getting in into the mission field and experiencing 00:14:52.765 --> 00:14:58.965 all that for the first time and gaining a, a, a true testimony, a personal 00:14:59.285 --> 00:15:03.965 testimony of the, not only the gospel of Jesus Christ as a whole, but also 00:15:03.965 --> 00:15:06.245 the individual points of doctrine. 00:15:07.555 --> 00:15:08.895 The church is founded upon. 00:15:09.815 --> 00:15:15.385 That was, that's one thing that I, I, I did as a missionary is when, before this 00:15:15.385 --> 00:15:19.185 new version of Preached by Gospel was released, or there's 40 now, but there 00:15:19.465 --> 00:15:23.545 previously were 42 doctrinal points, um, in the missionary lessons where 00:15:23.545 --> 00:15:28.345 it's like, look, the brethren broke down all the basic doctrines of the church, 00:15:28.445 --> 00:15:33.985 and we believe in, they came up with 42 points and I took 42 days and I studied 00:15:34.045 --> 00:15:37.945 and prayed and tried to gain a testimony of every single one individually. 00:15:38.745 --> 00:15:43.605 And, and when I did that, I did that over a transfer in the, in the mission field. 00:15:43.675 --> 00:15:49.215 I've, I, I, I was able to gain a testimony of all of them, and I haven't, 00:15:49.535 --> 00:15:51.735 I haven't had to look back since. 00:15:52.015 --> 00:15:55.615 'cause now I have something that I can, whenever I have questions or whenever 00:15:55.695 --> 00:16:00.135 I don't understand something or I'm challenged by something or, or there's 00:16:00.135 --> 00:16:04.015 something that's, uh, bothering me or I don't understand, I now have a backdrop. 00:16:04.995 --> 00:16:10.845 A foundation I could go back to, um, in any of those moments, uh, in any 00:16:10.845 --> 00:16:14.405 of those challenges and which, you know, one of those is right now, you 00:16:14.405 --> 00:16:16.805 know, doing something that's, uh, you know, a little outside your comfort 00:16:16.835 --> 00:16:21.285 zone, showing up in a random city with a bunch of guys I've never met 00:16:21.765 --> 00:16:27.645 training to, to, you know, try to do something extremely difficult and, uh, 00:16:28.715 --> 00:16:32.175 Jethro D. Jones: And, and you're all, you're all basically competing 00:16:32.175 --> 00:16:33.775 against each other also, right? 00:16:34.005 --> 00:16:36.415 Like, you're not, you're not there. 00:16:36.725 --> 00:16:38.335 Like we're all gonna go do this together. 00:16:38.335 --> 00:16:40.935 You're not a team like you were at BYU. 00:16:41.225 --> 00:16:42.495 These are guys that you're gonna be 00:16:42.675 --> 00:16:42.965 Connor Pay: yeah. 00:16:42.975 --> 00:16:43.455 Jethro D. Jones: to head against. 00:16:44.115 --> 00:16:47.375 Um, so, so that's, that's a reality. 00:16:47.565 --> 00:16:50.735 Also, you, you mentioned something that I think is really powerful. 00:16:50.755 --> 00:16:53.775 You said that you were physically active but not spiritually active. 00:16:54.195 --> 00:16:58.255 And I wanna dive into that a little bit more because one of the things 00:16:58.255 --> 00:17:00.095 that's so important is for each person. 00:17:01.100 --> 00:17:06.320 To gain their own testimony have their own understanding of the 00:17:06.320 --> 00:17:08.920 truthfulness the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:17:09.620 --> 00:17:15.480 And that doesn't seem important you're a teenager and you're just going 00:17:15.600 --> 00:17:16.520 'cause your parents are making you. 00:17:17.600 --> 00:17:22.240 I feel like every single year that becomes more and more important to me. 00:17:22.660 --> 00:17:27.400 And so what would be your advice to yourself or to another kid, 00:17:27.860 --> 00:17:29.280 uh, in their teenage years? 00:17:29.780 --> 00:17:35.160 How do they gain their own testimony for themselves and why is that so important? 00:17:38.045 --> 00:17:41.885 Connor Pay: I think, um, you know, the, the, uh. 00:17:43.295 --> 00:17:50.205 The outline has been set pretty clearly on how you go and gain a, a testimony. 00:17:50.425 --> 00:17:55.205 The, the most, the most repeated promise in all of the standard works 00:17:55.385 --> 00:17:59.565 by a mile is ask, and you shall receive, you know, knock knocking. 00:17:59.585 --> 00:18:00.885 It shall be open, done to you. 00:18:01.585 --> 00:18:05.885 You know, if I remember, uh, uh, elder Holland, I remember him teaching this 00:18:05.885 --> 00:18:09.085 where he said, that's, that's repeated more than any other scriptural promise. 00:18:09.385 --> 00:18:13.045 All of the other ones combined, you know, and then, then that 00:18:13.045 --> 00:18:14.685 promise is still repeated more. 00:18:15.345 --> 00:18:19.645 And so I think it's safe to assume that God actually means that, you 00:18:19.705 --> 00:18:22.305 know, a ask ask and you shall receive. 00:18:22.405 --> 00:18:28.265 And I think that's, that's step number one is you gotta ask questions, right? 00:18:28.265 --> 00:18:32.225 Like questions of yourself, you know, to discover what you 00:18:32.585 --> 00:18:38.615 actually believe, and then go to correct sources for information. 00:18:40.205 --> 00:18:44.805 Scriptures, standard works, words of the living prophets, 00:18:45.345 --> 00:18:46.605 you know, the Gospel library. 00:18:46.785 --> 00:18:50.845 You could read Gospel Library for the rest of your life and not go through 00:18:50.845 --> 00:18:55.395 everything that's on there, you know, and it's, uh, um, and then there's, there's, 00:18:55.395 --> 00:18:57.275 there's great historical sources too. 00:18:57.375 --> 00:19:00.754 If, if, you know, there's things about the restoration or church 00:19:00.754 --> 00:19:01.915 history you don't understand. 00:19:01.935 --> 00:19:04.355 You know, the Joseph Smith Papers project was massive. 00:19:05.135 --> 00:19:07.514 And, you know, I spent a lot of time reading that kind of stuff. 00:19:07.575 --> 00:19:10.835 And so you have to gather information, but at the end of the 00:19:10.835 --> 00:19:13.305 day, you have to take it to God. 00:19:14.245 --> 00:19:17.905 And that's the only way you're gonna gain a testimony. 00:19:18.685 --> 00:19:24.065 Um, you know, we always, I remember as a missionary where we are always told, 00:19:24.065 --> 00:19:27.345 and my mission president always talked to us about how you, your job is to 00:19:27.625 --> 00:19:30.504 convince your job is not to convert. 00:19:31.355 --> 00:19:35.355 Your job is to convince somebody to try it for themselves. 00:19:35.945 --> 00:19:37.955 That the Holy Ghost is the only. 00:19:38.660 --> 00:19:44.389 Person capable of converting somebody to the gospel of Jesus Christ. 00:19:44.450 --> 00:19:49.270 And that's, and I think that's what my advice would be, is to go and 00:19:49.270 --> 00:19:52.590 study it out in your mind, like the, like the doctrine at covenants teach 00:19:52.590 --> 00:19:55.070 us, then go ask God if it's right. 00:19:56.520 --> 00:19:59.220 And uh, you know, there's a promise in that verse. 00:19:59.379 --> 00:20:04.649 I think it's section 88, 84, I can't remember, but, uh, 00:20:04.705 --> 00:20:04.825 Jethro D. Jones: okay. 00:20:04.915 --> 00:20:06.265 We're nobody's citing us here. 00:20:06.745 --> 00:20:07.305 Somebody will find it. 00:20:07.335 --> 00:20:07.905 It's all good. 00:20:08.260 --> 00:20:08.550 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:20:09.210 --> 00:20:14.899 Um, and, uh, and so then he says that, you know, he promises it'll 00:20:14.899 --> 00:20:17.540 cause you bosom to burn within you. 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:21.220 And so I would say you have to, you have to take it to God. 00:20:21.280 --> 00:20:25.300 You have to do something to put yourself in a position to have 00:20:25.300 --> 00:20:29.460 experiences with the Holy Ghost, because that, that's what I wasn't doing. 00:20:29.520 --> 00:20:33.860 You can only, you can only rely on what your parents are sharing with you or what 00:20:33.920 --> 00:20:36.899 you hear other people say for so long. 00:20:38.060 --> 00:20:42.350 That can all be helpful in creating the positive environment you need for 00:20:42.350 --> 00:20:43.710 the Holy Ghost to touch your heart. 00:20:43.730 --> 00:20:49.389 But until you act on an individual level and exercise your agency 00:20:50.050 --> 00:20:55.629 to go and essentially challenge God and say, is this correct? 00:20:56.610 --> 00:21:00.550 You're never gonna, you're never gonna have an understanding for yourself, 00:21:00.760 --> 00:21:03.150 which is everyone's ultimate goal. 00:21:03.240 --> 00:21:03.590 Right? 00:21:03.590 --> 00:21:06.350 That was, that was the issue all the way from the pre-existence. 00:21:07.185 --> 00:21:10.635 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, and And you have to have that witness yourself, 00:21:10.985 --> 00:21:17.395 your, parents having it is not gonna do you as good as you having it. 00:21:17.565 --> 00:21:21.115 It'll, it'll provide some support, some foundation, but ultimately 00:21:21.115 --> 00:21:25.355 when the hard things come, then it's, can't rely on that. 00:21:25.495 --> 00:21:30.875 And so, like, I wanna, I wanna talk in that same vein, but a, a 00:21:30.875 --> 00:21:37.155 little bit different, um, people looking on the outside, your life 00:21:37.645 --> 00:21:40.395 successful, good season with football. 00:21:40.655 --> 00:21:46.155 You started, you had an injury in there, but like, what, what has been 00:21:46.155 --> 00:21:50.195 the challenge, the big challenges that you've gone through this year, whether 00:21:50.195 --> 00:21:51.995 they're physical, spiritual, or mental. 00:21:52.105 --> 00:21:54.235 What are, what are the things that you've gone through? 00:21:54.615 --> 00:21:59.115 How have you overcome them and what has helped you through and persevere. 00:22:02.585 --> 00:22:02.805 Connor Pay: Um. 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:10.920 I think, you know, the biggest one had to have been, uh, probably the injury. 00:22:11.950 --> 00:22:19.300 Um, just because obviously football has been the biggest, uh, you know, 00:22:19.370 --> 00:22:24.140 part of my life for the last, uh, uh, four and a half years or so. 00:22:24.330 --> 00:22:27.260 I've dedicated most of my time to it. 00:22:28.040 --> 00:22:32.820 Um, and, uh, I had never been injured before. 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:37.060 Um, and I, I had little things here and there, but nothing that had kept 00:22:37.060 --> 00:22:41.380 me from playing and, you know, it was harder than I thought it was going to be. 00:22:42.650 --> 00:22:45.290 'cause you know, I just tried to, I was like, you know what, 00:22:45.350 --> 00:22:46.650 I'm gonna attack this head on. 00:22:47.000 --> 00:22:50.450 Just immersed my, immersed myself in almost kind of a coaching 00:22:50.450 --> 00:22:54.530 role to help, uh, Bruce Mitchell, my backup, get up to speed. 00:22:54.630 --> 00:23:00.900 Who played phenomenal in those, those four games that I was out And, um, uh. 00:23:02.580 --> 00:23:05.700 I tried to immerse myself in that and I was like, you know, the way I'm 00:23:05.700 --> 00:23:10.710 gonna, that's, that's kind of how I, uh, it was, it's kind of the same idea 00:23:10.730 --> 00:23:16.480 of in the mission field, I think, uh, the story of, uh, uh, Gordon b Hinkley 00:23:16.480 --> 00:23:19.400 talking about when he was in the mission field and feeling sorry for himself 00:23:19.420 --> 00:23:23.360 and wanted to go home, and he got a letter from his dad and all it said 00:23:23.360 --> 00:23:24.880 was, forget yourself and go to work. 00:23:26.220 --> 00:23:28.870 Like it was, I, I tried to do like, kind of that method, right? 00:23:28.870 --> 00:23:32.270 Like, okay, I'm not gonna, I'm gonna attack my rehab, do everything the 00:23:32.270 --> 00:23:33.750 trainers are saying and all that stuff. 00:23:33.750 --> 00:23:37.470 It's like, but I'm gonna, I'm gonna immerse myself in other people, you know? 00:23:37.630 --> 00:23:42.820 'cause at the end of the day, that's where I find the most joy and the most solace, 00:23:43.300 --> 00:23:44.780 I think is when I'm helping others. 00:23:45.850 --> 00:23:48.350 And so that's kind of what I tried to dive into. 00:23:48.930 --> 00:23:52.590 But, but that didn't change how difficult it was. 00:23:53.050 --> 00:23:56.150 It helped me get through it, but it didn't lessen the pain. 00:23:56.890 --> 00:24:00.510 Um, not only the physical pain, but also when they, when they ran onto that field. 00:24:01.660 --> 00:24:03.280 For that first drive of that game. 00:24:03.480 --> 00:24:07.800 I think Arizona was the first game where I was injured when I ran out for 00:24:07.800 --> 00:24:09.040 that first drive to start the game. 00:24:09.160 --> 00:24:12.040 I remember standing on the sideline almo almost in tears. 00:24:12.440 --> 00:24:16.880 'cause it was like, you know, it's been, it's been over four years since 00:24:17.360 --> 00:24:18.480 I haven't been out there doing that. 00:24:19.180 --> 00:24:22.940 You know, like since I hadn't jogged out there with the offense when they got out. 00:24:22.940 --> 00:24:26.860 That was, that was harder for me than I had anticipated it being. 00:24:27.600 --> 00:24:27.820 Um, 00:24:28.090 --> 00:24:29.340 Jethro D. Jones: what made that so hard? 00:24:29.370 --> 00:24:32.940 Because you're on the sideline when the defense is out. 00:24:32.940 --> 00:24:33.140 Right? 00:24:33.400 --> 00:24:39.220 And, and surely there was some time where you came off 'cause your helmet came 00:24:39.220 --> 00:24:44.100 off or something, but what made this so different that you were like near tears? 00:24:46.000 --> 00:24:46.220 Connor Pay: um, 00:24:48.610 --> 00:24:49.930 I think there was a couple of reasons. 00:24:50.430 --> 00:24:54.570 Uh, for one, I felt like I was letting my teammates down. 00:24:55.895 --> 00:25:00.715 You know, you put in all this work all off season long and me as a, as a 00:25:00.715 --> 00:25:05.435 captain of the team, you know, giving a lot of speeches and, and trying to 00:25:05.585 --> 00:25:09.155 hype the guys up and talking about how I'm always gonna be there for 'em. 00:25:09.865 --> 00:25:12.845 And it's like, you know, this is the first time in my career where out on 00:25:12.845 --> 00:25:15.805 the field I couldn't be there for them. 00:25:15.945 --> 00:25:19.485 And, and, uh, you know, just, uh, yeah. 00:25:19.565 --> 00:25:24.115 I think just that feeling of letting the team down was, was really hard. 00:25:24.660 --> 00:25:24.950 Jethro D. Jones: Okay. 00:25:25.135 --> 00:25:27.565 Connor Pay: And then also, yeah, go ahead. 00:25:28.045 --> 00:25:28.335 Yeah. 00:25:28.335 --> 00:25:28.855 No, go ahead. 00:25:29.150 --> 00:25:32.350 Jethro D. Jones: piece, but like, why do you feel like 00:25:32.350 --> 00:25:33.310 you're letting the team down? 00:25:33.490 --> 00:25:35.830 You couldn't control getting injured. 00:25:35.850 --> 00:25:37.270 You didn't get injured from some. 00:25:38.165 --> 00:25:40.055 Mistake you made, at least I don't think so, 00:25:40.965 --> 00:25:41.185 Connor Pay: No. 00:25:41.215 --> 00:25:42.535 Jethro D. Jones: caused that to happen, right? 00:25:42.675 --> 00:25:46.215 It was an accident, and yet you still felt like you were letting people 00:25:46.245 --> 00:25:48.335 down because you weren't there. 00:25:48.755 --> 00:25:54.215 And, and the reason why I'm asking this deeper is because everybody feels that in 00:25:54.215 --> 00:25:59.415 some way, shape, or form, you know, just wait till you have kids and then and then 00:25:59.915 --> 00:26:04.455 you see your own weaknesses that manifest in them, and it just breaks your heart. 00:26:04.485 --> 00:26:08.295 Talk about letting people down so you couldn't do anything about it. 00:26:08.555 --> 00:26:10.535 You, you ha you couldn't be in there playing. 00:26:10.715 --> 00:26:15.095 And so why do you think that felt like you were letting 'em down so much? 00:26:15.405 --> 00:26:16.375 Tell me more about that. 00:26:18.225 --> 00:26:20.785 Connor Pay: I think it's because in a way, especially as a leader, 00:26:20.945 --> 00:26:22.305 I felt responsible for them. 00:26:22.535 --> 00:26:22.955 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:26:23.555 --> 00:26:27.015 Connor Pay: You know, I felt, I felt as a captain, I had a responsibility 00:26:27.075 --> 00:26:28.935 for the performance of the entire team. 00:26:30.045 --> 00:26:34.385 You know, that's what I was, that's what I was voted by my peers to do. 00:26:36.030 --> 00:26:38.650 Is to, uh, is to lead the team. 00:26:38.710 --> 00:26:45.570 And, and I, it was, it was a growth moment for me because I didn't know how to lead 00:26:45.570 --> 00:26:48.810 the team in any other way, but by example. 00:26:49.870 --> 00:26:52.890 And, and vocally obviously too, on the field as well. 00:26:52.950 --> 00:26:56.930 But I could always, I could always be confident in what I was saying 00:26:57.030 --> 00:26:59.930 as a leader, what I was challenging my teammates to do, because 00:26:59.960 --> 00:27:03.330 they know they could just watch me and they'll watch me do it. 00:27:04.110 --> 00:27:07.490 I'm not gonna ask 'em to do something that I'm not willing to do myself. 00:27:08.380 --> 00:27:10.800 And then for the first time, it's like, I'm, I'm cha I'm yelling at 00:27:10.800 --> 00:27:14.780 people and I'm challenging them and I'm on a scooter, you know? 00:27:14.780 --> 00:27:18.220 And it just, it, it just, it felt, I had this like pit in my stomach 00:27:18.230 --> 00:27:22.090 where it was like, man, you're at, you're getting on this guy for doing 00:27:22.090 --> 00:27:23.650 something you can't even do right now. 00:27:24.770 --> 00:27:27.390 And, and, and, and I know I shouldn't have been feeling that way. 00:27:27.590 --> 00:27:29.230 'cause it's like, you know, I had over 40 starts. 00:27:29.430 --> 00:27:30.430 I had, I. 00:27:30.555 --> 00:27:33.115 I knew I had already earned the respect to my teammates, 00:27:33.505 --> 00:27:34.835 like, and, and all that stuff. 00:27:34.975 --> 00:27:38.595 And I, I don't, I think that was less the issue, but just more the 00:27:38.595 --> 00:27:41.795 fact that for the first time I feel like I couldn't back it up. 00:27:42.685 --> 00:27:42.985 You know? 00:27:42.985 --> 00:27:47.625 I, I couldn't back up what I was saying or what I was challenging them to do. 00:27:47.750 --> 00:27:48.040 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:27:48.765 --> 00:27:51.105 Connor Pay: Um, which, which was hard. 00:27:51.470 --> 00:27:55.360 Jethro D. Jones: yeah, to this point in your career, you'd never, never 00:27:55.580 --> 00:27:58.080 had to not be able to back it up. 00:27:58.170 --> 00:27:58.520 Right. 00:27:58.905 --> 00:27:59.195 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:27:59.505 --> 00:28:01.315 I've never so much as missed a practice. 00:28:01.690 --> 00:28:01.980 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:28:02.640 --> 00:28:09.780 So for you to, to take some, some time off and heal, you were like diving into 00:28:09.950 --> 00:28:14.260 supporting them, but you couldn't support them in the way that you knew how to do, 00:28:14.320 --> 00:28:16.420 so you had to learn a new way to support 00:28:16.505 --> 00:28:16.795 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:28:17.200 --> 00:28:20.660 Jethro D. Jones: And so, so how did that change things you came 00:28:20.660 --> 00:28:23.220 back where you could support them? 00:28:23.400 --> 00:28:26.700 Did you just forget about that and go back to now I can prove it again? 00:28:26.880 --> 00:28:29.180 Or, or did that adjust anything? 00:28:30.370 --> 00:28:34.160 Connor Pay: Um, yeah, I think I had to, I had to learn how 00:28:34.180 --> 00:28:35.800 to lead a little differently. 00:28:36.780 --> 00:28:44.250 Um, you know, and in terms of, uh, you know, like it's, uh, I, there's a 00:28:44.250 --> 00:28:48.230 difference between leading on the field and leading off of it, you know, and 00:28:48.230 --> 00:28:52.510 it's, uh, kind of more of the leadership role that a coach would normally take 00:28:52.570 --> 00:28:55.990 on, you know, 'cause obviously they can't be out there, so, you know, you 00:28:55.990 --> 00:29:01.120 have to motivate in a different way, you know, and, and, uh, I think that was 00:29:01.140 --> 00:29:03.560 the, that was the biggest thing for me. 00:29:03.560 --> 00:29:06.760 It was just kind of learning a few more of those leadership characteristics, 00:29:07.730 --> 00:29:11.000 which, you know, at the end of the day was, it was a blessing, right? 00:29:11.240 --> 00:29:14.320 'cause I then got to kind of expand my leadership horizons. 00:29:15.485 --> 00:29:20.635 Uh, a little bit and, and, uh, you know, 'cause that's eventually, you know, 00:29:20.635 --> 00:29:24.075 when I, uh, business is what I studied, that's what, that's what I want to go 00:29:24.075 --> 00:29:25.515 do eventually in the business world. 00:29:26.305 --> 00:29:29.725 I'm gonna be in some form of leadership position where I'm gonna have to be 00:29:29.725 --> 00:29:33.125 able to motivate an employee or someone to do a job that I have never done 00:29:33.125 --> 00:29:35.965 before or, or something like that. 00:29:36.025 --> 00:29:40.015 Or I'm not physically doing at the moment, you know, but you, but it's 00:29:40.015 --> 00:29:43.415 still your job as a leader, you know, to, to take care of that person. 00:29:44.355 --> 00:29:46.695 And, and I think that's kind of what I had to learn, like, 00:29:46.695 --> 00:29:48.375 okay, what are some new tactics? 00:29:48.475 --> 00:29:55.295 And, and that, I think it created a new sense of me relying on my teammates. 00:29:56.115 --> 00:29:58.775 Um, which is something that I felt like really did transfer 00:29:58.775 --> 00:29:59.935 over to when I returned. 00:30:00.005 --> 00:30:04.615 It's like, you know, I had to rely on guys like Braden K or Waylon, 00:30:04.885 --> 00:30:08.255 Lapa, Caleb, et tn, the guys who had been in there and done it before, 00:30:08.315 --> 00:30:09.815 who had been my teammates for years. 00:30:10.485 --> 00:30:12.615 It's kinda like, you know, meeting with them a little more and be 00:30:12.615 --> 00:30:13.655 like, okay, this is what we need. 00:30:13.675 --> 00:30:15.655 And said, this is, this is what I need from you. 00:30:15.655 --> 00:30:19.495 You're the leader out there right now where, 'cause it's always been me. 00:30:19.495 --> 00:30:22.655 I've always been the one, you know, as, as the center, you're kind of a natural, 00:30:22.965 --> 00:30:24.815 it's a natural leadership role anyways. 00:30:25.055 --> 00:30:27.015 'cause you're making calls and everyone's waiting for you. 00:30:27.635 --> 00:30:30.375 And so it's really easy to just take charge of everything out there. 00:30:31.275 --> 00:30:35.135 And now we have a young center in there, you know, who's just, 00:30:35.145 --> 00:30:36.375 who's just trying to do his job. 00:30:36.385 --> 00:30:36.735 Right. 00:30:37.435 --> 00:30:39.255 You know, that's, that's all he is worried about. 00:30:39.255 --> 00:30:41.935 He can't worry about all, all four of the other guys. 00:30:42.115 --> 00:30:45.545 And so, you know, and then when I came back it was like, 00:30:45.985 --> 00:30:47.185 I, I brought that with me. 00:30:47.795 --> 00:30:48.725 It's like now it's okay. 00:30:48.765 --> 00:30:54.645 I, I'm relying on Waylon, you know, next to me in those games and, and time even. 00:30:54.705 --> 00:30:55.125 And, uh. 00:30:56.340 --> 00:31:00.720 Uh, Caleb, you know, like there was, and, and I could get super technical 00:31:00.720 --> 00:31:04.000 into the football sense of how we did that, but you know, it was, it was a 00:31:04.000 --> 00:31:09.639 lot more of us working con jointly, um, together as a unit versus me just barking 00:31:09.639 --> 00:31:14.270 out commands and then us executing 'em, which, which still worked great for 00:31:14.270 --> 00:31:15.950 us in the first half of the season. 00:31:16.010 --> 00:31:19.270 We were playing really well, but I think, you know, we became really 00:31:19.340 --> 00:31:23.350 unified as a group near the end, um, because of that too, in a lot of ways. 00:31:24.645 --> 00:31:26.805 Jethro D. Jones: I, I think that's such a powerful statement. 00:31:27.025 --> 00:31:30.725 Um, background is being a school principal, and so I would have 00:31:30.725 --> 00:31:34.565 to go and do teacher evaluations on teachers teaching things 00:31:34.565 --> 00:31:35.685 that I'd never taught before. 00:31:36.145 --> 00:31:41.525 And my favorite was, uh, somebody doing a, uh, a Spanish teacher where I'd 00:31:41.525 --> 00:31:43.205 have to go give feedback on teaching. 00:31:43.625 --> 00:31:45.485 And I've never taught Spanish before. 00:31:45.565 --> 00:31:46.565 I don't know how to do it. 00:31:46.725 --> 00:31:47.925 I, I learned to. 00:31:48.080 --> 00:31:51.845 Another language for my mission, but, um, but I didn't know Spanish. 00:31:51.985 --> 00:31:54.045 And so how, what am I supposed to do? 00:31:54.145 --> 00:31:56.045 How am I supposed to even give feedback to this person? 00:31:56.105 --> 00:32:00.885 And yet that's part of my job is to be a support and help them. 00:32:01.945 --> 00:32:06.485 and you really understand that, like you said, you can't just 00:32:06.505 --> 00:32:09.125 be, you know, barking out orders. 00:32:09.965 --> 00:32:14.085 have to give people an opportunity to see what they're doing and see 00:32:14.085 --> 00:32:17.965 how they can impact and what, what they can bring to the table also. 00:32:18.625 --> 00:32:24.045 And, and that just opens the door for, opportunity, revelation, uh, 00:32:24.065 --> 00:32:25.565 the spirit to influence everything. 00:32:25.675 --> 00:32:27.885 Like it just opens the door a ton for that. 00:32:28.205 --> 00:32:28.965 Anything you want to add to that? 00:32:30.325 --> 00:32:33.575 Connor Pay: Yeah, I think, uh, I think what I'm hearing is, you 00:32:33.575 --> 00:32:36.495 know, great leaders in power, right? 00:32:36.595 --> 00:32:41.815 And it's, uh, it's, uh, and, and you can, I think one of the marks of a 00:32:41.815 --> 00:32:46.335 great leader is you can take something like an evaluation, which, you know, 00:32:46.395 --> 00:32:50.615 can be intimidating for, you know, the employee, for someone else to have your 00:32:50.615 --> 00:32:54.655 leader coming in, critiquing you, and you can turn that into a really empowering 00:32:54.655 --> 00:33:00.425 experience for them by, I think helping them become or feel more personally 00:33:00.535 --> 00:33:02.185 responsible for their performance. 00:33:03.405 --> 00:33:05.745 And I think that's a little bit of what happened, at least in the 00:33:05.905 --> 00:33:07.985 football sense with, with, with us. 00:33:08.285 --> 00:33:10.945 And then I remember learning those lessons from my mission 00:33:10.945 --> 00:33:12.145 president in the mission field. 00:33:12.165 --> 00:33:16.905 And I think the savior is the ultimate example of that as 00:33:16.905 --> 00:33:17.985 a leader and as a teacher. 00:33:18.955 --> 00:33:20.735 You know, when you think about the way he taught. 00:33:21.880 --> 00:33:22.440 Parables. 00:33:22.500 --> 00:33:26.640 He, he empowered the people to figure and interpret things out on their own. 00:33:27.770 --> 00:33:30.870 Um, very rarely did he just blurt out or tell you the answer. 00:33:32.220 --> 00:33:37.080 And, uh, you know, and, and at the same time giving, you know, at times 00:33:37.330 --> 00:33:42.480 harsh and, and scathing critiques of the Pharisees and the SOEs, but also 00:33:42.480 --> 00:33:46.050 at the same time teaching them, right. 00:33:46.110 --> 00:33:51.540 And, and, and maybe they weren't ready to receive it in a way, but everyone who was 00:33:51.540 --> 00:33:57.870 around and listening was ready to receive it and, and interpret those teachings. 00:33:57.890 --> 00:33:59.630 And, and he empowered the people. 00:34:00.490 --> 00:34:05.070 And I think that's what made his, the response to him is, and the movement 00:34:05.070 --> 00:34:09.670 that he started and, and his original church, I think that's what gave it 00:34:09.770 --> 00:34:13.909 the strength to rise, is they had a great leader who was capable of 00:34:14.000 --> 00:34:15.750 empowering the people who followed him. 00:34:16.719 --> 00:34:18.699 And, you know, I think that's, uh. 00:34:20.464 --> 00:34:23.125 At least that's what I think of when I think of the story of this year. 00:34:23.145 --> 00:34:25.884 And as you were sharing your evaluation as a principal, 00:34:25.944 --> 00:34:27.444 that's kind of what came to mind. 00:34:28.054 --> 00:34:28.344 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:34:28.804 --> 00:34:30.824 So there was something else you're gonna say about your injury. 00:34:30.824 --> 00:34:32.384 Do you remember it or did you forget it? 00:34:33.105 --> 00:34:33.225 Connor Pay: Hmm. 00:34:34.275 --> 00:34:37.574 Um, it was, uh, it was about the challenges. 00:34:37.574 --> 00:34:37.815 Right. 00:34:37.864 --> 00:34:38.214 Jethro D. Jones: Uhhuh, 00:34:39.645 --> 00:34:39.864 Connor Pay: Um, 00:34:43.335 --> 00:34:43.804 let's see. 00:34:43.824 --> 00:34:44.725 Do I remember what it was? 00:34:46.634 --> 00:34:46.924 Yeah. 00:34:46.924 --> 00:34:50.205 It was, um, not being able to be on the field anymore. 00:34:56.025 --> 00:34:57.245 We might have to come back to it. 00:34:57.500 --> 00:34:58.120 Jethro D. Jones: That's fine. 00:34:58.380 --> 00:35:00.440 If, if you remember, just be like, I remember now 00:35:01.035 --> 00:35:01.325 Connor Pay: Okay. 00:35:01.915 --> 00:35:02.205 Okay. 00:35:02.305 --> 00:35:02.725 Gotcha. 00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:03.040 Jethro D. Jones: of thing. 00:35:03.259 --> 00:35:03.680 It happens. 00:35:03.980 --> 00:35:07.920 And, and the whole point here is for us to go where the conversation leads us and, 00:35:08.895 --> 00:35:09.115 Connor Pay: Yep. 00:35:09.480 --> 00:35:11.240 Jethro D. Jones: questions just for everybody who's listening, but we 00:35:11.240 --> 00:35:14.160 don't have like a, bullet by bullet. 00:35:14.160 --> 00:35:15.560 This is what we're going through. 00:35:16.060 --> 00:35:22.480 Um, I want to talk about the, the idea of being, a D one athlete and 00:35:22.620 --> 00:35:28.000 how much time, energy, and focus that takes how you stay faithful, and. 00:35:29.045 --> 00:35:34.464 Uh, and stay close to the savior that's, when there's, there's 00:35:34.705 --> 00:35:35.825 pressure on everybody, right? 00:35:35.924 --> 00:35:37.265 No matter what you're doing. 00:35:37.924 --> 00:35:45.025 How do you stay close to the savior when football, school, work, whatever can 00:35:45.125 --> 00:35:50.025 be such a distraction from, from what the savior needs you personally to do. 00:35:52.280 --> 00:35:54.880 Connor Pay: I think, I think it's honestly quite simple. 00:35:55.580 --> 00:35:56.920 Um, in my opinion. 00:35:57.710 --> 00:36:01.480 There's, uh, there's something that I would teach in the mission field. 00:36:01.580 --> 00:36:05.600 I'm sure it's commonly used, but I call, I call it, uh, spiritual 00:36:05.840 --> 00:36:08.360 CPR, you know, go to church. 00:36:09.404 --> 00:36:11.674 Pray and read your scriptures. 00:36:12.975 --> 00:36:17.585 I've never, I've never met anyone in my life who has lost their relationship 00:36:17.585 --> 00:36:21.544 with the savior, who has consistently done on a daily basis those three things. 00:36:23.075 --> 00:36:26.654 You know, it's almost always, you know, you the, it might, there might be some 00:36:26.654 --> 00:36:32.654 blanket issue when we were helping to either, you know, help, uh, someone 00:36:32.714 --> 00:36:37.174 who was first learning about the church to prepare for baptism or helping, 00:36:37.435 --> 00:36:40.214 uh, members who's been inactive for a long time to come back to the church. 00:36:40.214 --> 00:36:43.694 There might have been this glowing issue, but as we asked more questions 00:36:43.694 --> 00:36:48.424 and got to know them better and got down to the crux of it, it all began 00:36:48.625 --> 00:36:51.384 when they stopped reading their scriptures and stopped praying. 00:36:52.705 --> 00:36:57.085 You know, that's, that's, uh, that's, that's where that path began. 00:36:57.975 --> 00:37:02.355 And so for me, that's, that's what I, that's the approach I take. 00:37:03.205 --> 00:37:07.924 I know that if I, if I am praying daily and I am reading my scriptures daily. 00:37:09.570 --> 00:37:16.260 That I'm always gonna maintain my relationship with the savior and then if 00:37:16.280 --> 00:37:22.100 I'm going to church weekly, but then also daily trying to live up to the covenants 00:37:22.180 --> 00:37:26.780 I made this last Sunday, or the covenants rather I renewed this last Sunday. 00:37:27.620 --> 00:37:30.960 You know, I think that's been, that's, and, and you know, I think 00:37:30.960 --> 00:37:37.220 the gospel at its core is extremely simple and, and you can do a lot and 00:37:37.250 --> 00:37:39.100 read a lot to over complicate it. 00:37:39.120 --> 00:37:44.000 But when you really break it down to its five core elements, it's really 00:37:44.060 --> 00:37:47.360 not, not, uh, not that complicated. 00:37:48.480 --> 00:37:51.020 And so I think for me, that's what I've tried to do. 00:37:51.220 --> 00:37:53.100 'cause anybody can do that in their busy schedule. 00:37:53.990 --> 00:37:57.640 Like there, there were some days, especially when, when I was in, you know, 00:37:57.760 --> 00:38:03.280 a heavy semester of school in season that, you know, I was getting home at 10 00:38:03.280 --> 00:38:07.400 30 at night and I had to be up at seven o'clock the next morning for classes. 00:38:08.714 --> 00:38:09.654 And it's like, you know what? 00:38:10.015 --> 00:38:14.754 I found a way to just, okay, if, if five minutes is all I got for my 00:38:14.915 --> 00:38:16.395 scripture study today, that's all I got. 00:38:17.365 --> 00:38:20.335 Some days I have extra time and it's an hour and that's awesome. 00:38:21.484 --> 00:38:25.665 Um, but I always made sure that I said my prayers and I read 00:38:25.694 --> 00:38:28.345 something in the scriptures that day. 00:38:29.214 --> 00:38:33.595 And, uh, because no matter how busy you think you are, you can 00:38:33.595 --> 00:38:35.035 always find a way to do that. 00:38:35.785 --> 00:38:38.515 Even if all you can get is that little verse of the day, 00:38:38.865 --> 00:38:39.284 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:38:39.714 --> 00:38:42.734 Connor Pay: you can set that on your phone in the Gospel library app, even 00:38:42.734 --> 00:38:48.024 if all you do is get your notification once a day and you read that like 00:38:48.145 --> 00:38:51.904 that, that sometimes that can be enough to sustain you for that day. 00:38:53.125 --> 00:38:57.024 Um, but I think, you know, it's impossible to have a relationship with 00:38:57.024 --> 00:38:58.384 someone you don't communicate with. 00:38:59.015 --> 00:38:59.255 Jethro D. Jones: yeah. 00:38:59.774 --> 00:39:01.995 Connor Pay: So you have to pray to talk to heavenly father. 00:39:02.015 --> 00:39:04.435 And for me, the scriptures are how he speaks back to me. 00:39:04.915 --> 00:39:05.335 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:39:05.745 --> 00:39:07.685 Connor Pay: And so that's, that's how, uh. 00:39:08.859 --> 00:39:12.339 I think that's how I've been able to maintain that relationship 00:39:13.040 --> 00:39:16.459 the same way I would maintain any relationship here on Earth. 00:39:17.105 --> 00:39:22.315 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, You, um, talk a little bit more about that, about 00:39:22.634 --> 00:39:24.035 maintaining relationships here on earth. 00:39:25.680 --> 00:39:30.120 Connor Pay: Well, I think about what that means, like, okay, who are the 00:39:30.120 --> 00:39:32.200 people I'm closest with on this planet? 00:39:33.410 --> 00:39:37.229 My parents, my siblings, you know, I have a lot of friends, but I 00:39:37.430 --> 00:39:42.249 have two or three that are like my real close friends, right? 00:39:42.410 --> 00:39:43.209 I have my girlfriend. 00:39:43.439 --> 00:39:46.089 It's like, okay, what, what makes us that close? 00:39:47.890 --> 00:39:53.109 And it's the frequency of communication and the amount of 00:39:53.109 --> 00:39:54.350 information they know about me. 00:39:55.859 --> 00:39:59.359 That's, that's the only thing that separates them from everyone 00:39:59.359 --> 00:40:00.479 else around me in the world. 00:40:01.759 --> 00:40:06.129 They know more about me and they've spent more time with me. 00:40:07.420 --> 00:40:09.680 That's, if you, if you really think about it, that's it. 00:40:10.700 --> 00:40:11.049 Right? 00:40:11.069 --> 00:40:13.850 And then obviously with parents and family, there's genetics 00:40:13.850 --> 00:40:14.569 and all that stuff too. 00:40:14.670 --> 00:40:17.170 I'm not disregarding that, but I'm just taking it kind of at 00:40:17.170 --> 00:40:22.129 face value and it's like, okay, um, I feel like my relationship 00:40:22.129 --> 00:40:23.250 with God isn't as good lately. 00:40:23.440 --> 00:40:27.410 It's like, okay, well if I think about it like that, how much time 00:40:27.410 --> 00:40:28.890 have I spent with him recently? 00:40:30.520 --> 00:40:35.540 How much does he know about, you know, my life and what I'm going through right now? 00:40:36.720 --> 00:40:38.080 I guess a better way to phrase that. 00:40:38.080 --> 00:40:39.920 Obviously he knows how much have I told him? 00:40:40.715 --> 00:40:41.155 Jethro D. Jones: Exactly. 00:40:41.375 --> 00:40:41.595 Yep. 00:40:41.750 --> 00:40:46.279 Connor Pay: know, and, uh, um, it's like, man, did I have, I said as much 00:40:46.279 --> 00:40:50.279 of my prayers as I told my buddies when we got on to play Call of Duty tonight. 00:40:50.339 --> 00:40:53.200 And we were, you know, just chatting, chatting about our lives over the headset 00:40:53.339 --> 00:40:57.140 and what we were going through that week, you know, and challenges we're facing 00:40:57.279 --> 00:41:00.940 what's going on with them at work or me at football or school or whatever. 00:41:00.940 --> 00:41:02.740 It's like, have I told God those things? 00:41:03.255 --> 00:41:03.675 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:41:04.904 --> 00:41:07.734 Connor Pay: Oftentimes, oftentimes the answer is no. 00:41:08.915 --> 00:41:09.214 You know? 00:41:09.214 --> 00:41:14.044 And so that's kind of a, that's kind of my litmus test that I use a little bit. 00:41:14.115 --> 00:41:14.645 Okay, okay. 00:41:14.665 --> 00:41:16.685 Who, where, who are the people that I'm closest to? 00:41:18.194 --> 00:41:22.634 Does have I told them or have I told God the same amount or 00:41:22.634 --> 00:41:25.285 everything that I've told to them? 00:41:27.404 --> 00:41:29.685 'cause then that's, that's 'cause that's how those close 00:41:29.685 --> 00:41:32.285 relationships are developed. 00:41:33.504 --> 00:41:41.044 And so that's, uh, I think there's a strong correlation with, uh, you know, 00:41:42.075 --> 00:41:45.075 how relationships are built here. 00:41:46.475 --> 00:41:52.035 I think in a lot of ways is the same way they're built up there just through avail. 00:41:52.740 --> 00:41:53.029 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:41:53.819 --> 00:41:58.390 Well, I, I like that the way you're talking about that, because I think about 00:41:58.390 --> 00:42:07.029 my own prayers and I do not like tell God what's going on, and, and I haven't really 00:42:07.029 --> 00:42:09.830 thought about telling God what's going on. 00:42:09.830 --> 00:42:10.589 Like I would tell. 00:42:11.605 --> 00:42:13.485 A, a friend, what's going on? 00:42:13.905 --> 00:42:20.445 And there have been a few times where I've like had a real deep talk and like a 00:42:20.445 --> 00:42:22.765 wrestle with God about things in prayer. 00:42:23.305 --> 00:42:24.925 But those are few and far between. 00:42:24.985 --> 00:42:28.845 But I'm, I'm now thinking like, what if I prayed like that every day? 00:42:29.115 --> 00:42:34.525 What if I said like, here's what I did today here's, here's the 00:42:34.725 --> 00:42:36.925 exciting things that happened and here's how I feel about it. 00:42:37.325 --> 00:42:40.925 I mean, I do that with my wife pretty regularly, but I don't do that with God. 00:42:41.265 --> 00:42:48.615 And so in your experience in doing that, um, like do you get, I don't 00:42:48.615 --> 00:42:55.839 wanna say do you get, but do you feel like, like Don't take this wrong way. 00:42:56.039 --> 00:42:59.200 I believe our prayers are heard so it's not that. 00:42:59.299 --> 00:43:05.519 But I, I often feel like our, the, the heavens are silent when I want something 00:43:06.240 --> 00:43:10.200 specific and they're not always like, I'm not like Joseph Smith where I can ask and 00:43:10.200 --> 00:43:12.279 then I start dictating the revelation. 00:43:12.279 --> 00:43:14.319 Like, doesn't happen with me. 00:43:14.499 --> 00:43:16.279 It comes in much different ways for me. 00:43:16.459 --> 00:43:22.109 So, um, so I haven't tried doing that on a regular basis and maybe that's 00:43:22.129 --> 00:43:23.669 an area where I need to improve. 00:43:24.129 --> 00:43:25.549 And to add there? 00:43:27.230 --> 00:43:30.150 Connor Pay: Yeah, I think, I mean, obviously I think I feel the same, you 00:43:30.150 --> 00:43:35.589 know, and it's, uh, you know, I can only count on maybe one hand the, those, those 00:43:35.620 --> 00:43:39.630 very strong experiences that I've had with the Holy Ghost the rest of the time. 00:43:39.740 --> 00:43:44.940 It's, uh, you know, um, I think, uh, the way the scripture's 00:43:44.940 --> 00:43:47.020 described is, is still small voice. 00:43:47.920 --> 00:43:49.460 That's, that's truly what it is. 00:43:49.569 --> 00:43:52.140 It's not, it's not, you know, shaking you. 00:43:52.915 --> 00:43:58.444 And, uh, um, but I, there are moments where it has and where I 00:43:58.444 --> 00:44:03.165 definitely needed it, but that's, that's, uh, few and far between. 00:44:03.165 --> 00:44:06.805 And it's, it's ironic that you say Joseph Smith because I hear people so many times 00:44:06.875 --> 00:44:11.444 they draw that comparison where it's like, man, he just kept praying and we 00:44:11.444 --> 00:44:14.085 got 130 something sections in the DNC. 00:44:14.185 --> 00:44:19.205 And it's like, oh yeah, like, that's true, but you gotta remember he had a calling 00:44:19.305 --> 00:44:24.285 and some keys we don't have, you know, and it's, uh, the, the roles are a little 00:44:24.285 --> 00:44:27.565 different and if you really want to get into it, a lot of those revelations are 00:44:27.625 --> 00:44:32.484 not what he was expecting and not probably exactly what he was hoping to hear. 00:44:33.070 --> 00:44:33.360 Jethro D. Jones: yeah, 00:44:34.245 --> 00:44:34.464 Connor Pay: and, 00:44:34.580 --> 00:44:38.880 Jethro D. Jones: But if we think about our own stewardship, we could 00:44:39.200 --> 00:44:44.240 probably fill a hundred and so sections about the things that we need 00:44:44.240 --> 00:44:45.680 to be doing and paying attention to 00:44:46.115 --> 00:44:46.404 Connor Pay: yeah. 00:44:46.900 --> 00:44:49.840 Jethro D. Jones: and, and so he's do getting it for the whole church, 00:44:49.980 --> 00:44:54.160 but we definitely are promised that we can get it for whole lives. 00:44:54.420 --> 00:44:57.120 And I'm definitely here to testify that that is the case. 00:44:57.380 --> 00:45:02.240 And anybody who's listened to my interview with my wife on this podcast, um, at 00:45:02.280 --> 00:45:07.600 a decade never to be forgotten.com, there is definitely, um, we're in 00:45:07.600 --> 00:45:11.280 the middle of that right now and we are, we're getting little inklings. 00:45:11.460 --> 00:45:12.520 And, and that's it. 00:45:12.540 --> 00:45:17.000 And this, this conversation right now, I didn't tell you this so 00:45:17.000 --> 00:45:17.840 I'm gonna tell you it right now. 00:45:18.440 --> 00:45:20.840 I, your name was one that came to me. 00:45:21.480 --> 00:45:23.800 was like, there is no way I. 00:45:23.990 --> 00:45:26.430 I am ever gonna get Connor Pay on my show. 00:45:26.430 --> 00:45:28.229 There's just, it's just there. 00:45:28.289 --> 00:45:30.029 It doesn't make any sense at all. 00:45:30.450 --> 00:45:33.229 And I was listening to Two Point Conversion, which is a podcast 00:45:33.410 --> 00:45:34.669 you do with Chase Roberts. 00:45:35.129 --> 00:45:40.229 And, um, you said something on there, and I was in the gym and I was like, 00:45:41.789 --> 00:45:43.990 I, I got this little impression. 00:45:44.249 --> 00:45:48.789 You need to share this on social media and then you need to reach out to 00:45:48.910 --> 00:45:51.669 Connor and, that's what you need to do. 00:45:52.169 --> 00:45:56.870 And lemme tell you, man, like it was, it was like, you need 00:45:56.870 --> 00:45:57.829 to just do it right this minute. 00:45:58.129 --> 00:46:01.749 So I'm in the middle of a set and I finish my set and then I do it. 00:46:01.850 --> 00:46:05.789 And, and then you got back to me and I was like, well that is amazing. 00:46:06.059 --> 00:46:10.189 There's no reason why you would feel any need to reply 00:46:10.189 --> 00:46:12.629 to me and yet, and yet you did. 00:46:13.049 --> 00:46:17.870 And that's one of those things where, because I was pondering and open, I. 00:46:18.504 --> 00:46:22.285 The spirit said something and, and then we were able to connect. 00:46:22.464 --> 00:46:28.325 So those kinds of things happen often enough that, that you can either 00:46:28.544 --> 00:46:33.285 say it's a fluke or you can ascribe it to, a miracle from God, which is 00:46:33.285 --> 00:46:35.285 how I prefer to ascribe it myself. 00:46:37.970 --> 00:46:38.390 Connor Pay: Agreed. 00:46:38.630 --> 00:46:41.120 I think so much of, uh, um, 00:46:43.270 --> 00:46:46.330 you know, so much of what happens around us is purely perspective. 00:46:46.825 --> 00:46:47.245 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:46:47.640 --> 00:46:50.820 Connor Pay: You gotta, you gotta make a choice, um, where you think 00:46:50.820 --> 00:46:52.700 it came from because both make sense, 00:46:53.055 --> 00:46:53.475 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:46:54.029 --> 00:46:54.380 Connor Pay: right? 00:46:54.480 --> 00:46:57.700 And I think, uh, um, no, but it's true. 00:46:57.700 --> 00:47:02.220 But I do like what you said about, um, you know, where you, you can, you 00:47:02.220 --> 00:47:04.460 can write your own DNC so to speak. 00:47:05.300 --> 00:47:08.620 I think that's how it works with parents, you know, a husband 00:47:08.680 --> 00:47:09.779 and wife for their family. 00:47:10.124 --> 00:47:10.544 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:47:10.779 --> 00:47:15.080 Connor Pay: You know, that's how it works for, uh, a bishop on behalf of 00:47:15.080 --> 00:47:18.960 his ward, a relief society president on behalf of her relief society. 00:47:19.700 --> 00:47:24.360 So we were always one, I think one of the key pieces of agency. 00:47:26.424 --> 00:47:29.924 Um, is that we're all given jurisdiction over something, 00:47:30.270 --> 00:47:30.690 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:47:31.225 --> 00:47:34.875 Connor Pay: even if that only means you're given jurisdiction over yourself. 00:47:36.105 --> 00:47:36.455 Right. 00:47:36.595 --> 00:47:42.205 And, and you have the ability then to receive revelation on 00:47:42.205 --> 00:47:43.404 behalf of that jurisdiction. 00:47:44.415 --> 00:47:47.355 And, and for the vast majority of us, it's just us, right? 00:47:47.384 --> 00:47:51.955 Like until, like, in my case, until I'm older, have a married, have a family, 00:47:52.575 --> 00:47:54.634 you know, like it's just me right now. 00:47:55.134 --> 00:47:57.555 And that's, that's who I have jurisdiction over. 00:47:58.475 --> 00:48:01.815 And that's, that's who I have personal responsibility for, is myself. 00:48:02.895 --> 00:48:03.245 Right? 00:48:03.245 --> 00:48:08.165 And so I, I kinda love that that analogy you used of writing our own personal, 00:48:09.490 --> 00:48:09.779 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:48:10.555 --> 00:48:13.634 Connor Pay: DNC because it's, 'cause like I said earlier, it's the most 00:48:14.035 --> 00:48:17.115 promised thing in the scriptures, the most repeated promise in the scriptures. 00:48:17.804 --> 00:48:18.095 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:48:18.394 --> 00:48:22.575 And, and so the other part of that is that you have to actually ask something. 00:48:23.245 --> 00:48:23.535 Connor Pay: Yeah. 00:48:23.874 --> 00:48:26.774 Jethro D. Jones: you can't just say, I need, I need, I need, you have to 00:48:26.774 --> 00:48:32.584 say, I need, I need this, and I'm asking you to help me achieve this. 00:48:32.924 --> 00:48:38.064 And, and, and that's what I think is so powerful is that, know, it's 00:48:38.064 --> 00:48:43.664 not just, it's not, it's gotta be something that you're looking for. 00:48:43.764 --> 00:48:47.944 You, the doctor in covenants came from Joseph asking specific questions and 00:48:47.944 --> 00:48:49.704 wanting guidance on specific things. 00:48:50.204 --> 00:48:53.904 That's a pattern for us to ask for guidance and, and 00:48:53.904 --> 00:48:55.424 direction on specific things. 00:48:55.764 --> 00:49:02.504 And so, as, as you are making decisions, how do you bring that in to your life? 00:49:02.504 --> 00:49:05.744 There are some things where you're like, know, if I want to get ready 00:49:05.744 --> 00:49:07.064 to be in the NFL, I gotta go. 00:49:07.984 --> 00:49:11.745 some training and then go to a pro day, but like how do you decide which 00:49:11.805 --> 00:49:16.584 one of these camps to go to and how do you make those kind of decisions 00:49:17.734 --> 00:49:19.305 that may be big or they may be small. 00:49:21.730 --> 00:49:22.049 Connor Pay: I try. 00:49:22.940 --> 00:49:25.100 I try my very best and I'm not perfect at it. 00:49:25.520 --> 00:49:28.980 Um, to, to just follow the instructions that were given in 00:49:28.980 --> 00:49:31.900 the DNC to study it down your mind and then ask me if it'd be right 00:49:32.044 --> 00:49:32.464 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 00:49:33.110 --> 00:49:36.380 Connor Pay: where it's like, at least in my case, in the athletics world, 00:49:36.890 --> 00:49:42.050 there's thousands and thousands of papers of research, of all kinds of stuff on 00:49:42.050 --> 00:49:46.490 how, how, at least for me, how to train my body the best for upcoming pro day. 00:49:46.490 --> 00:49:50.970 And it's like I, I could objectively look at each different facility I 00:49:50.970 --> 00:49:55.860 wanted to go to, um, and be like, okay, here's pros and cons here. 00:49:55.970 --> 00:49:57.460 Pros and cons here, blah, blah, blah. 00:49:57.840 --> 00:50:01.740 But then it's like, okay, now that I've done all that, like I, I've done 00:50:01.740 --> 00:50:03.380 the study it out in my mind part. 00:50:04.080 --> 00:50:06.380 That's when now I, I took it to my knees. 00:50:06.620 --> 00:50:08.700 I said, heavenly Father, this is what I found. 00:50:09.980 --> 00:50:12.680 Um, you know, and then it's like, this is, this is what I'm feeling. 00:50:14.410 --> 00:50:19.410 I feel like this, this place in Atlanta, um, you know, is, is the 00:50:19.410 --> 00:50:22.890 one I feel like this is the one that would help me progress the best. 00:50:24.090 --> 00:50:29.510 And it's like, if, if you please let me know in, in some way somehow that, 00:50:29.570 --> 00:50:34.590 uh, you agree with that, and or if I'm, if I'm on the wrong track, please 00:50:34.820 --> 00:50:37.150 find a way to or let me know that too. 00:50:38.010 --> 00:50:38.310 You know? 00:50:38.330 --> 00:50:41.710 And it's, uh, for me, that answer came when I presented my 00:50:41.850 --> 00:50:43.470 top three options to my agent. 00:50:43.470 --> 00:50:46.790 And they were like, we've worked with Velocity in Georgia before. 00:50:46.840 --> 00:50:48.070 We've had great results there. 00:50:48.090 --> 00:50:49.110 We think it should be velocity. 00:50:49.210 --> 00:50:52.830 And for me that was kinda like a confirmation, like, okay, velocity 00:50:52.930 --> 00:50:54.810 was what I was feeling, you know? 00:50:54.810 --> 00:50:58.890 And then, and then, uh, now to have, uh, in this case, my agent 00:50:58.960 --> 00:51:04.650 kind of be, um, in, in my mind kind of the, the, the confirmer, right? 00:51:04.670 --> 00:51:06.130 The, the messenger that, okay. 00:51:06.650 --> 00:51:09.570 I, I do think I'm on the right track here and you know, that I've, I've kind 00:51:09.570 --> 00:51:11.730 of had a good feeling about it inside. 00:51:12.555 --> 00:51:14.174 Um, ever since then. 00:51:14.835 --> 00:51:16.855 And so that's kinda what I tried to do. 00:51:16.995 --> 00:51:19.895 And, and sometimes it's not as cut and dry as this was. 00:51:20.214 --> 00:51:23.095 'cause you know, I'm able, I'm able to categorize things 00:51:23.194 --> 00:51:24.734 in this form of training. 00:51:25.205 --> 00:51:29.055 Like I said, it was very easy to be very objective with all this stuff. 00:51:29.075 --> 00:51:33.174 But then there's, it gets, I think it gets a little more interesting 00:51:33.274 --> 00:51:36.815 now when you have to choose between good and good, right? 00:51:36.964 --> 00:51:41.975 It's, I think it's very easy to choose between good and bad, but how do you 00:51:41.975 --> 00:51:44.174 choose between good and good, right? 00:51:44.274 --> 00:51:48.455 Or, or, uh, or good and maybe a little bit better, but you just can't quite tell 00:51:48.455 --> 00:51:50.815 that it's a little bit better, you know? 00:51:50.815 --> 00:51:54.294 And it's, I think that oftentimes is more of the challenge. 00:51:55.265 --> 00:51:55.555 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:51:55.575 --> 00:51:56.715 So how do you manage that? 00:51:58.745 --> 00:52:01.625 Connor Pay: I think that one takes a little more work on, on your 00:52:01.625 --> 00:52:02.944 part and a little more trust, 00:52:03.475 --> 00:52:03.765 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:52:04.125 --> 00:52:07.145 Connor Pay: um, where it's like, okay, there might, there might be something. 00:52:07.265 --> 00:52:08.944 'cause it's like that the lines get thin. 00:52:09.985 --> 00:52:12.795 Between good and good where it's like you may feel strongly about 00:52:12.795 --> 00:52:16.555 something just 'cause of your own personal opinion, and God may say, 00:52:16.555 --> 00:52:17.875 Nope, we're going the other way. 00:52:17.875 --> 00:52:22.475 And you have to be, I think for me, I have to go into those prayers 00:52:22.475 --> 00:52:25.595 being willing to act regardless of the answer that I receive. 00:52:26.335 --> 00:52:31.365 Or it's like if I go in just secretly hoping like, oh my gosh, I really hope 00:52:31.365 --> 00:52:32.525 it's this, I really hope it's this. 00:52:32.525 --> 00:52:35.725 And then if like, if it's not this, I'm kind of gonna be deflated and 00:52:35.745 --> 00:52:40.605 ugh man, I don't even know if I want to do it anymore, then why? 00:52:40.825 --> 00:52:46.105 Why would God gimme an answer then if he knows I'm not gonna do anything with 00:52:46.105 --> 00:52:47.505 the answer that he's gonna give me? 00:52:48.674 --> 00:52:49.025 Right. 00:52:49.085 --> 00:52:54.944 So I think having a humility and a willingness to where you, you really just, 00:52:54.964 --> 00:52:58.065 you get to the point where it's like, look, I've, I've, I've done everything 00:52:58.145 --> 00:53:00.345 I can to try to come to a decision. 00:53:00.575 --> 00:53:01.585 I've done my part. 00:53:03.395 --> 00:53:04.275 I need your help on this. 00:53:05.095 --> 00:53:06.585 Like, help me figure this out and I will. 00:53:07.669 --> 00:53:11.250 You know, the kind of the sense of not my will, but thine be done type 00:53:11.250 --> 00:53:16.560 of a thing, type of a mindset, um, where it's like, just, just tell me 00:53:16.560 --> 00:53:18.080 what I need to do and I will do it. 00:53:19.080 --> 00:53:22.810 I think that's when that's when answers really come. 00:53:22.930 --> 00:53:27.049 I think that's when, you know, when you hear the, the phrase regarding prayer, 00:53:27.109 --> 00:53:33.480 the broken heart and the contrary spirit, you know, and, uh, willing to act. 00:53:34.799 --> 00:53:38.640 I think, uh, that's, that's when we really can receive answers to those, 00:53:38.640 --> 00:53:40.399 maybe those questions of good and good. 00:53:40.819 --> 00:53:44.480 And I think I'd maybe put like the facilities and, uh, that I was choosing 00:53:44.480 --> 00:53:46.080 from in a good and good category. 00:53:46.160 --> 00:53:46.960 'cause they were all good. 00:53:47.669 --> 00:53:51.279 They, they had all trained tons of professional athletes before, had 00:53:51.279 --> 00:53:55.470 really good reputations and it was kind of having to find the fine lines. 00:53:55.529 --> 00:53:59.069 And for whatever reason, I felt, uh, I just had a feeling, a little 00:53:59.069 --> 00:54:01.910 inkling that I felt like this is the place I needed to go and. 00:54:03.024 --> 00:54:06.749 Eventually got that confirmation and now after being here for a 00:54:06.749 --> 00:54:10.789 week and a half, so far it's been nothing but a great experience. 00:54:12.255 --> 00:54:17.565 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, and, and I think that's so illustrative of. 00:54:18.725 --> 00:54:21.015 What of the process that you need to go through. 00:54:21.285 --> 00:54:24.575 Like you need to do your own work, you need to figure things out on your own, 00:54:24.995 --> 00:54:26.654 and then you need to take it to the Lord. 00:54:26.995 --> 00:54:31.654 And then you need to be willing to do what he directs you to do. 00:54:31.995 --> 00:54:38.815 And, a lot of times, like you're, you're gonna go to Pro Day and the draft, 00:54:39.315 --> 00:54:44.335 and it, it could be that you are an undrafted free agent or you could be 00:54:44.335 --> 00:54:46.214 picked high or anywhere in between. 00:54:46.634 --> 00:54:51.615 And so you have to be okay with whatever the result is when that comes. 00:54:52.555 --> 00:54:58.615 And when you work hard for something and you, and you put all this effort in, 00:54:58.995 --> 00:55:00.775 and then it doesn't come to fruition. 00:55:01.435 --> 00:55:03.255 Um, that's, that's tough. 00:55:03.435 --> 00:55:07.775 How do you foresee yourself dealing with that, if that were to happen? 00:55:07.884 --> 00:55:12.055 Like what, how are you gonna stay strong and still trusting God? 00:55:13.835 --> 00:55:17.694 Connor Pay: Um, I feel like that's a lot easier to handle when I know that 00:55:17.694 --> 00:55:19.134 I've done everything that I can do. 00:55:19.494 --> 00:55:19.575 Jethro D. Jones: Hmm. 00:55:19.994 --> 00:55:20.374 So good. 00:55:21.295 --> 00:55:28.415 Connor Pay: Um, that's, uh, when it's, I, I think, uh, you could take, uh, 00:55:29.785 --> 00:55:32.605 this, uh, football season for example. 00:55:33.025 --> 00:55:36.485 You know, we really, we really felt like we were the best team in the Big 12 and 00:55:36.485 --> 00:55:39.285 we should have been in that championship game and we could have won it and 00:55:39.285 --> 00:55:40.924 played in the college football playoff. 00:55:42.384 --> 00:55:49.645 But, um, you know, this is this, we, we worked so hard in this off season and 00:55:49.645 --> 00:55:55.245 during the season that, uh, you know, when we found out that we didn't get it, 00:55:56.305 --> 00:56:01.725 as much as that stung and as much as that sucked, we could all look each other in 00:56:01.725 --> 00:56:04.845 the eyes and be like, look, we had some things that didn't go our way, but we, 00:56:05.545 --> 00:56:07.404 we poured our hearts out on that field. 00:56:07.404 --> 00:56:09.404 We did everything we possibly could. 00:56:11.620 --> 00:56:14.080 And at that point it's kinda like, you know what? 00:56:14.959 --> 00:56:17.129 It's, uh, it is what it is. 00:56:17.879 --> 00:56:19.330 Life, life goes on. 00:56:20.109 --> 00:56:24.769 And thankfully we got another chance to go, to go and play in a, in a 00:56:24.769 --> 00:56:26.249 Great Bowl game against a great team. 00:56:26.310 --> 00:56:30.769 And I think because of that mindset, we were able to go and perform well. 00:56:31.620 --> 00:56:31.859 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 00:56:31.859 --> 00:56:36.890 Connor Pay: Um, and uh, you know, but I think that's, I think that 00:56:38.669 --> 00:56:44.479 handling this, the potential failure that's in front of me is how I 00:56:44.479 --> 00:56:46.919 handle, that's gonna be determined by what I do between now and then. 00:56:47.540 --> 00:56:50.660 Or if I do everything in my power 00:56:52.879 --> 00:56:56.220 to make an NFL team and I get cut, so be it. 00:56:57.580 --> 00:56:57.879 You know? 00:56:57.919 --> 00:56:58.519 I know I did. 00:56:58.680 --> 00:57:01.769 I maxed out my potential. 00:57:02.569 --> 00:57:03.330 I maxed it out. 00:57:04.814 --> 00:57:08.674 If I just find different ways to get everything out of myself that I can, 00:57:08.834 --> 00:57:11.915 I have nothing to be ashamed of or to be mad, I, I'll obviously, I'll be sad 00:57:11.915 --> 00:57:14.035 about it and I'll be upset, you know? 00:57:14.234 --> 00:57:16.995 'cause obviously it's a dream that I've always wanted, but at the same time, 00:57:17.015 --> 00:57:18.674 if I know that I've given everything 00:57:21.075 --> 00:57:24.154 at that point, you know, there's, there's nothing you can do. 00:57:24.774 --> 00:57:30.314 And so I think, uh, I think that's why I can, uh, my mind can rest easy on it 00:57:30.314 --> 00:57:35.794 and I can go in stress free because I know that, I mean, I'm only a week into 00:57:35.794 --> 00:57:37.435 this eight week training process, right? 00:57:37.435 --> 00:57:41.154 But I've, so far, I haven't wasted a second, right? 00:57:41.294 --> 00:57:44.834 And so it's, uh, I know that I'm doing everything that I 00:57:44.834 --> 00:57:45.995 need to do to be prepared. 00:57:46.654 --> 00:57:52.725 And I think that kind of, uh, kind of helps you move forward because 00:57:52.725 --> 00:57:57.444 sometimes you can, you can work so hard and work harder than everybody else, 00:57:57.544 --> 00:57:58.765 and you still don't get what you want. 00:58:00.529 --> 00:58:02.350 And that's just how the world works. 00:58:02.350 --> 00:58:05.729 Sometimes it just wasn't meant to be right. 00:58:05.749 --> 00:58:10.129 And that doesn't, that doesn't mean that you're, uh, that you're not, 00:58:10.270 --> 00:58:15.129 you're not worth anything or, or that, uh, you know, there's, you, you must 00:58:15.129 --> 00:58:16.770 have made some mistakes along the road. 00:58:16.770 --> 00:58:19.910 Sometimes things just don't happen, right? 00:58:19.910 --> 00:58:23.029 Because there's, there's a hundred other things happening around you 00:58:23.029 --> 00:58:27.799 that you have no control over and God gave them agency to, right? 00:58:27.899 --> 00:58:32.759 And it's, uh, I think, uh, you know, that's kinda where my head goes. 00:58:34.325 --> 00:58:36.055 Jethro D. Jones: Well, I, I really appreciate that. 00:58:36.234 --> 00:58:40.095 And for those who haven't seen your, your deep blue episode where you talk about. 00:58:40.944 --> 00:58:44.944 hard you prayed for your grandpa to survive, uh, cancer and, 00:58:45.604 --> 00:58:47.144 um, and then it didn't happen. 00:58:47.524 --> 00:58:50.504 That's a good, parallel to this also. 00:58:50.805 --> 00:58:59.384 And, you know, what, what I'm struck by is, is I'm hearing echoes of, 00:58:59.604 --> 00:59:06.064 of similar sentiments, that it's, that God has a plan and it's okay 00:59:06.944 --> 00:59:11.464 trust in God's plan and don't know it, and you, and that's okay too. 00:59:11.964 --> 00:59:19.285 And you can still, you can still have joy and happiness, even not 00:59:19.285 --> 00:59:20.444 understanding the full picture. 00:59:21.785 --> 00:59:26.124 and, and that's what I'm, I'm hearing from you today and from, uh, knowing, 00:59:26.345 --> 00:59:28.444 uh, a little bit about your past as well. 00:59:29.024 --> 00:59:30.004 Um, I. 00:59:30.330 --> 00:59:30.549 So 00:59:32.770 --> 00:59:37.230 one of the other things that I think is, well, you touched on, on this, 00:59:37.549 --> 00:59:42.390 remembering our covenants and, um, this was a few minutes ago, but, but 00:59:42.390 --> 00:59:48.509 it peaked something in, in me that I think is really, uh, I'm not, I'm not 00:59:48.509 --> 00:59:50.509 sure where exactly I'm at with it still. 00:59:50.650 --> 00:59:54.670 So I, I go to sacrament meeting and we sing these songs, 00:59:55.130 --> 00:59:56.470 uh, before the sacrament. 00:59:56.470 --> 01:00:02.549 Then we take the sacrament and I feel such peace and I feel such, um, forgiveness 01:00:02.770 --> 01:00:05.670 and I feel like, okay, I can do anything. 01:00:06.430 --> 01:00:13.069 then the world hits and it's almost like I forget and, uh, and life gets 01:00:13.100 --> 01:00:14.910 hard and then I do something stupid. 01:00:15.210 --> 01:00:19.549 And I'm not talking like major sins, but it, it's exactly what you're 01:00:19.549 --> 01:00:23.230 talking about where when you know you've put everything in and you've worked 01:00:23.230 --> 01:00:25.630 as hard as you possibly can, then. 01:00:26.654 --> 01:00:28.145 Then you're okay with the outcome. 01:00:28.944 --> 01:00:33.185 so in those times, like I tried to put everything in and I try to 01:00:33.185 --> 01:00:37.705 do my best and I still fall short of what I believe I'm capable of. 01:00:38.484 --> 01:00:44.024 And, and I forget too quickly who I am and, and that I am God's son 01:00:44.325 --> 01:00:47.024 and that he is given me gifts and abilities to be able to do things. 01:00:47.444 --> 01:00:52.024 Um, what's your advice to someone who's in that situation where they wanna 01:00:52.024 --> 01:00:55.984 do the best they can, it feels like they just constantly come up short? 01:00:58.774 --> 01:01:02.414 Connor Pay: I think, um, it reminds me of a, a talk by Elder 01:01:02.414 --> 01:01:05.414 Holland, um, in general conference. 01:01:06.575 --> 01:01:09.314 Um, I, I don't know if this is the title. 01:01:09.674 --> 01:01:12.154 I can't remember the title off the top of my head, but he talks about 01:01:12.154 --> 01:01:16.234 how we can, we'll, uh, we'll never be perfect like the savior commands, 01:01:16.234 --> 01:01:18.075 but we can be perfect in trying. 01:01:19.724 --> 01:01:23.745 And, you know, I think, um, you know, and someone in that, in 01:01:23.745 --> 01:01:28.345 that scenario where you feel like you're constantly falling short 01:01:29.015 --> 01:01:29.435 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 01:01:29.704 --> 01:01:31.604 Connor Pay: is where maybe, maybe sometimes. 01:01:33.024 --> 01:01:37.955 You know, for where you're at, you're setting the bar too high, where, 01:01:38.575 --> 01:01:42.835 you know, even, even the savior himself had to learn grace for grace. 01:01:43.825 --> 01:01:48.154 You know, as we, as we learn in section 93 of the doctrine and covenants, and 01:01:48.495 --> 01:01:54.174 you, it's, it's by small and simple things that great things are brought to pass, you 01:01:54.174 --> 01:01:55.734 know, as the Book of Mormon teaches us. 01:01:55.754 --> 01:01:59.975 And so it's like, okay, you might feel like you're falling short, 01:02:00.475 --> 01:02:05.035 but okay, think about the small and simple things you did right that day. 01:02:06.174 --> 01:02:13.935 Because I think oftentimes, um, we think of, we think of repentance and why 01:02:13.935 --> 01:02:18.774 repentance is talked about so much, and we always think of, um, repentance as 01:02:19.055 --> 01:02:20.975 stopping to do something that is bad. 01:02:22.145 --> 01:02:26.004 But so much of repentance is simply starting to do things that are right. 01:02:28.110 --> 01:02:32.600 It's, it's not always doing something that's bad and, you know, you might feel 01:02:32.600 --> 01:02:38.720 it, the feel the need, you know, feel the, that godly sorrow as the scriptures 01:02:38.740 --> 01:02:41.100 say after you've done something wrong. 01:02:41.170 --> 01:02:43.580 It's just a little more poignant in those moments. 01:02:44.400 --> 01:02:52.390 But I would say, um, you know, I loved, uh, the talk from Elder Dunn from Lesko. 01:02:52.420 --> 01:02:53.390 It's 1% better, 01:02:54.015 --> 01:02:54.305 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:02:54.529 --> 01:02:54.880 Connor Pay: right? 01:02:54.940 --> 01:02:59.310 You, you don't have to, you may feel like you're falling short and you don't 01:02:59.310 --> 01:03:02.350 have to fix that all at once, right? 01:03:02.370 --> 01:03:04.750 That's, that's not, that's not how things are done. 01:03:05.490 --> 01:03:06.430 You know, history. 01:03:06.610 --> 01:03:10.370 The scriptures make that clear, right? 01:03:10.370 --> 01:03:15.680 That, that this is a process over time, you know, and that, and that we are 01:03:15.680 --> 01:03:23.570 trying to go through a transformation of sorts while we're on this earth, right? 01:03:23.590 --> 01:03:25.490 And you think of some of the best to ever do it. 01:03:26.615 --> 01:03:29.555 The people who were translated Enoch and his people, he was 01:03:29.555 --> 01:03:31.075 like 300 and something years old. 01:03:31.794 --> 01:03:35.605 Like it took him a long time to figure it out and get to that point. 01:03:36.725 --> 01:03:39.334 And I think he's a great example, right? 01:03:39.355 --> 01:03:42.895 And I think of, I think of when he received his calling from, from God 01:03:43.035 --> 01:03:47.855 in Moses chapter six, you know, where he talks about how he, God calls 01:03:47.875 --> 01:03:51.654 him to lead these people essentially gets his little mission call, right? 01:03:51.714 --> 01:03:55.935 Or uh, or uh, something of that nature or received a new calling at church. 01:03:56.234 --> 01:04:00.814 And, and you know, this is, you gotta remember when you're reading these 01:04:00.814 --> 01:04:04.575 verses, this is Enoch talking, the prophet that got an entire city translated 01:04:05.745 --> 01:04:08.004 and he is like, why are you asking me? 01:04:09.254 --> 01:04:10.634 He is like, I suck at talking. 01:04:10.984 --> 01:04:12.194 Everybody hates me. 01:04:13.325 --> 01:04:15.464 And he is like, I am not the person for this job. 01:04:16.935 --> 01:04:18.384 . That was his initial response. 01:04:19.285 --> 01:04:21.305 He was basically like, I am falling short. 01:04:21.605 --> 01:04:23.904 I'm not, I don't think I'm the person for this. 01:04:25.410 --> 01:04:28.950 And I think it's so interesting what God asks him to do. 01:04:29.009 --> 01:04:30.749 He says, anoint your eyes with clay. 01:04:31.970 --> 01:04:33.749 So Enoch anoints his eyes with clay. 01:04:34.289 --> 01:04:39.470 And then I think the phrase is so interesting that it says he beheld the 01:04:39.470 --> 01:04:47.509 spirits that God had created where he had a simple change in perspective, right? 01:04:47.569 --> 01:04:50.549 His, his worldview had changed a little bit. 01:04:50.549 --> 01:04:56.529 He started to see the world as God sees the world, you know, and, 01:04:56.549 --> 01:05:00.289 and he saw people not for what they are right now, but what they 01:05:00.289 --> 01:05:02.769 could be and what they can be. 01:05:04.240 --> 01:05:08.580 And I think that's, I think that's the mindset we have to take with ourselves. 01:05:09.919 --> 01:05:14.100 So I think the, the meanest person sometimes, or the, the meanest, uh, 01:05:14.359 --> 01:05:19.459 person or the person we are, the meanest to oftentimes is ourselves. 01:05:20.629 --> 01:05:22.689 And it's that we give ourselves no grace. 01:05:23.565 --> 01:05:28.319 Sometimes the grace that we would, we as good people, as empathetic 01:05:28.319 --> 01:05:31.799 people would easily give to others if they came to us with the similar 01:05:32.160 --> 01:05:33.200 challenges that we're going through. 01:05:34.420 --> 01:05:37.240 But for whatever reason, we refuse to give it to ourselves. 01:05:38.759 --> 01:05:43.060 And so I think, you know, and I, and then maybe this is just a, a long-winded 01:05:43.060 --> 01:05:47.950 answer, but, um, I'll, I'll try to wrap it up in, in a thought here where 01:05:47.950 --> 01:05:52.860 it's just, you know, there's, I think, uh, all you need to do when you're 01:05:52.860 --> 01:05:56.420 feeling that way, and it's, it's a lot easier said than done, is just simply 01:05:56.490 --> 01:05:59.880 have a shift in perspective, right? 01:05:59.940 --> 01:06:05.009 To where you don't view yourself as what you feel in that moment. 01:06:05.150 --> 01:06:10.000 You view yourself as what God has said you are and what you can be. 01:06:11.779 --> 01:06:18.410 And just find something, something small and say, that's what I'm gonna fix today. 01:06:19.720 --> 01:06:20.810 This is what I'm gonna do today. 01:06:21.750 --> 01:06:27.630 Small bite-sized pieces that are easy to accomplish and you can all of a 01:06:27.630 --> 01:06:30.710 sudden start taking bigger and bigger bites and, and next thing you know, 01:06:31.420 --> 01:06:36.640 you know, I think that's, I think that's a, a natural process in life. 01:06:36.680 --> 01:06:42.080 I think of the way we grow as human beings, the way we grow 01:06:42.080 --> 01:06:43.720 muscle or something like that. 01:06:43.740 --> 01:06:47.040 If you're working out, you're never gonna notice any difference. 01:06:47.040 --> 01:06:50.859 If you start lifting, if you look in the mirror after one day, even 01:06:50.980 --> 01:06:54.140 a week, you're not gonna notice a difference of lifting every day. 01:06:54.990 --> 01:06:55.890 But you still do it. 01:06:55.890 --> 01:06:57.569 You tear and you break those muscles down. 01:06:57.589 --> 01:07:03.000 And then if you go and look at day one and day 100, all of a sudden 01:07:03.100 --> 01:07:04.799 you notice this huge difference. 01:07:05.299 --> 01:07:08.000 But in the moment, it doesn't necessarily feel that way. 01:07:08.920 --> 01:07:11.940 And I think, uh, oftentimes that's how it feels for us too. 01:07:11.960 --> 01:07:14.460 You're probably making more progress than you realize. 01:07:15.730 --> 01:07:17.540 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, that that is absolutely correct. 01:07:17.840 --> 01:07:25.180 And the other of that is that you, you may not be making progress in one 01:07:25.180 --> 01:07:30.340 particular area, but you're likely making progress in another area that's 01:07:30.340 --> 01:07:36.100 complimentary or, uh, or adjacent or even like on the other side of that, you know? 01:07:37.040 --> 01:07:41.940 you know, I, I think about someone, um, who I know who's, who's trying 01:07:41.960 --> 01:07:47.700 to, uh, quit smoking and, um, is really, really struggling with it. 01:07:48.279 --> 01:07:55.180 Um, but then like they, they haven't kicked that habit yet, Their spiritual 01:07:55.180 --> 01:07:58.740 growth over time, even though they're still saddled with this physical 01:07:58.980 --> 01:08:01.500 weakness is, is growing immensely. 01:08:02.960 --> 01:08:07.650 at some point they're gonna have the, the spiritual strength that 01:08:07.650 --> 01:08:11.410 is stronger than their physical and they're gonna be able to kick that 01:08:11.410 --> 01:08:13.569 habit, but it's just not there yet. 01:08:13.870 --> 01:08:17.410 And, and they feel like a failure because they can't do that one 01:08:17.410 --> 01:08:23.050 thing, but they, they're growing in other ways that are incredible and, 01:08:23.550 --> 01:08:25.689 and it's often hard to see that. 01:08:26.309 --> 01:08:30.609 And you know, one of the things that's beneficial about football is that you have 01:08:30.689 --> 01:08:36.930 a clear, like is where the performance really needs to shine game day, right? 01:08:37.710 --> 01:08:42.210 And, and you have that day where you can measure and say, this is how I performed. 01:08:42.590 --> 01:08:46.210 And every mistake that you make, you go back and look at it in film and you can 01:08:46.210 --> 01:08:48.330 see how you did and you can correct it. 01:08:48.430 --> 01:08:50.210 And then in practice, you're working on it again. 01:08:51.160 --> 01:08:55.979 And even as much as you practice these last four years, you 01:08:55.979 --> 01:08:57.179 still make mistakes, right? 01:08:57.639 --> 01:08:58.899 And you're still not perfect. 01:08:59.319 --> 01:09:02.939 And so you were to beat yourself up over every one of those little things, 01:09:03.279 --> 01:09:06.540 it would be, know, you'd, you'd never step back out on the field. 01:09:06.639 --> 01:09:09.340 And yet you know that you gotta just keep on going. 01:09:09.800 --> 01:09:15.460 And so being able to have that day of this is, this is where it matters, and 01:09:15.460 --> 01:09:16.779 this is where I'm taking a snapshot. 01:09:18.019 --> 01:09:19.260 I imagine that really helps. 01:09:19.529 --> 01:09:22.779 Does, how does that help you in other areas of your life? 01:09:24.990 --> 01:09:29.149 Connor Pay: I think it helps immensely because that, that process, 01:09:29.409 --> 01:09:32.829 the reason we use that process is that's the quickest way to improve, 01:09:33.059 --> 01:09:33.410 Jethro D. Jones: Uhhuh, 01:09:33.839 --> 01:09:34.189 Connor Pay: right? 01:09:34.450 --> 01:09:42.349 And so that's, uh, it's easily something that I can apply to other areas of my 01:09:42.349 --> 01:09:47.509 life in my schoolwork, takeout I did on a pre the last test, for example. 01:09:48.179 --> 01:09:50.709 Okay, these are the, these are the questions I got wrong. 01:09:51.539 --> 01:09:53.109 This is the categories they're from. 01:09:53.109 --> 01:09:56.780 Clearly didn't know that well enough that I know that that's the 01:09:56.780 --> 01:09:59.619 area of emphasis I need to focus my studies on for the next test. 01:10:00.480 --> 01:10:05.110 You know, and it's, uh, I think, um, you know, ironically. 01:10:06.200 --> 01:10:09.490 There's something in preach my Gospel on more of a spiritual 01:10:09.490 --> 01:10:11.089 sense that I still use today. 01:10:11.870 --> 01:10:17.639 You know, I think, uh, I'm a massive proponent of, uh, preach my gospel. 01:10:17.959 --> 01:10:22.139 I think every member in the church should study, preach my gospel, um, 01:10:22.290 --> 01:10:27.179 just the outlines of the doctrines there that makes everything so clear. 01:10:27.320 --> 01:10:32.299 And I think we'd have a lot less false doctrine being preached by accident in 01:10:32.299 --> 01:10:36.099 church on Sundays if people would just read chapter three or preach by gospel. 01:10:36.519 --> 01:10:40.820 But anyways, chapter six in Preached by Gospel is, is about 01:10:40.820 --> 01:10:42.580 developing Christlike attributes. 01:10:44.290 --> 01:10:49.749 And there's, there's a little quiz in the back of that chapter 01:10:50.080 --> 01:10:54.950 where you can essentially gauge where you're at on developing some 01:10:54.950 --> 01:10:56.150 of those Christ-like attributes. 01:10:56.150 --> 01:10:58.030 And that's one of those things I like to do for fun. 01:10:59.700 --> 01:11:02.610 Where it's, uh, I'll, I'll go through and I'll see where I'm at 01:11:02.710 --> 01:11:05.490 on some of those, and I have to be honest with myself in answering it. 01:11:05.490 --> 01:11:09.650 And I, I could find areas that I need to go back and study and find 01:11:09.679 --> 01:11:14.309 ways to improve to help myself become more like the savior. 01:11:15.309 --> 01:11:15.660 Right? 01:11:15.660 --> 01:11:20.500 And that's been, that's, that's like one, one clear thing on paper 01:11:20.570 --> 01:11:26.900 that I know I can do to kind of give myself a, so I mean a score, I, I, 01:11:27.120 --> 01:11:28.380 if that's what you want to call it. 01:11:28.679 --> 01:11:32.620 Um, but, but, uh, really all it is, is it's an assessment 01:11:32.720 --> 01:11:33.940 of my strengths and weaknesses. 01:11:34.720 --> 01:11:37.809 And you have to be honest with yourself and accountable to yourself 01:11:37.910 --> 01:11:41.889 on what your strengths are, but also what your weaknesses are. 01:11:42.860 --> 01:11:47.160 And, and just keep in the back of your mind that weaknesses 01:11:47.380 --> 01:11:49.760 are not, are not detrimental. 01:11:50.070 --> 01:11:53.349 They can seem that way in the moment, but you know, the. 01:11:54.540 --> 01:11:59.440 God has made it clear in the scriptures that he gives unmet weakness, uh, 01:11:59.440 --> 01:12:02.320 that it can become strong, right? 01:12:02.940 --> 01:12:07.600 And, uh, and so that's, that's one, uh, that's one random thing I kind 01:12:07.600 --> 01:12:10.240 of thought of, you know, is that, that that assessment is great. 01:12:10.380 --> 01:12:11.360 I'm glad that put that in. 01:12:11.360 --> 01:12:12.080 Preach by gospel. 01:12:12.860 --> 01:12:14.750 Jethro D. Jones: Well, well that's awesome because that 01:12:14.879 --> 01:12:19.349 gives, uh, a to game day and a 01:12:20.059 --> 01:12:20.350 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:12:21.269 --> 01:12:24.709 Jethro D. Jones: checking in and seeing where you're at and performing to, to 01:12:24.709 --> 01:12:28.349 make sure that what you're doing is, is meeting the goals that you're setting 01:12:28.410 --> 01:12:35.230 for yourself and allowing you to become kind of person that want to become. 01:12:35.339 --> 01:12:35.790 Look at you. 01:12:35.830 --> 01:12:37.469 I mean, you got that within Arm's Reach. 01:12:37.610 --> 01:12:38.429 Preach my gospel. 01:12:38.490 --> 01:12:39.030 That's awesome. 01:12:39.049 --> 01:12:41.150 You're just like, oh yeah, I just have that right over here. 01:12:41.540 --> 01:12:42.309 Talk about like 01:12:42.380 --> 01:12:42.800 Connor Pay: Oh yeah. 01:12:42.910 --> 01:12:43.360 This is 01:12:43.469 --> 01:12:43.830 Jethro D. Jones: mouth is. 01:12:43.919 --> 01:12:44.469 There you go. 01:12:46.269 --> 01:12:49.240 Connor Pay: This is, uh, this is a new one I just got, so I'm starting 01:12:49.240 --> 01:12:50.400 to work my way through it, but. 01:12:51.915 --> 01:12:55.565 It's, uh, I still study, preach by gospel almost every day if I can. 01:12:55.885 --> 01:12:56.175 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:12:56.644 --> 01:13:00.264 Connor Pay: And not only because I've been a mission trainer and a mission prep 01:13:00.264 --> 01:13:06.965 teacher for the last four years, I'm not anymore, but it's just, like I said, it 01:13:06.965 --> 01:13:08.925 outlines kind of the doctrines so clearly. 01:13:10.995 --> 01:13:13.974 Um, yeah, it's called the attribute activity 01:13:14.845 --> 01:13:15.135 Jethro D. Jones: Okay. 01:13:16.275 --> 01:13:17.095 Connor Pay: and it's, 01:13:17.355 --> 01:13:20.394 Jethro D. Jones: I did my mission and preach, my gospel was just being 01:13:20.394 --> 01:13:22.075 developed when I left my mission. 01:13:22.255 --> 01:13:27.235 And so I didn't have, uh, I didn't have any exposure to it, and so I've only 01:13:27.505 --> 01:13:30.235 seen it cursory, uh, over the years. 01:13:30.335 --> 01:13:32.195 And so it's fascinating to hear you say that. 01:13:32.195 --> 01:13:34.995 Like you still study it because it's, uh, 01:13:35.264 --> 01:13:35.555 Connor Pay: yeah. 01:13:35.745 --> 01:13:39.434 Jethro D. Jones: it's almost like a, a, a, I almost think of it like a book that 01:13:39.434 --> 01:13:41.155 doesn't really apply to me in the gospel. 01:13:41.434 --> 01:13:41.875 'cause I'm not 01:13:42.775 --> 01:13:43.065 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:13:43.315 --> 01:13:45.075 Jethro D. Jones: I think you're calling me to repentance on that. 01:13:47.335 --> 01:13:47.875 in a nice 01:13:47.965 --> 01:13:49.025 Connor Pay: no, I'm, uh. 01:13:51.065 --> 01:13:55.365 No, I, I think, uh, yeah, this is one of those, this is one of those soapbox I'll 01:13:55.365 --> 01:13:59.805 stand on, you know, it's, it's for members to, to study from preach by gospel. 01:14:00.125 --> 01:14:02.485 'cause then I could stop hearing things that make me 01:14:02.485 --> 01:14:03.805 go, what on earth are we doing? 01:14:04.144 --> 01:14:06.045 And fast and testimony meaning, or something. 01:14:06.665 --> 01:14:07.125 But, uh, 01:14:07.235 --> 01:14:07.525 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:14:08.474 --> 01:14:12.525 Connor Pay: yeah, no, if it just goes through, you can, you can respond to these 01:14:12.805 --> 01:14:18.585 questions one through five, one being never, two, being sometimes three, often 01:14:18.815 --> 01:14:20.945 four, almost always, and five always. 01:14:21.085 --> 01:14:26.535 And there's like six or seven questions on the attribute of Faith, hope, charity 01:14:26.555 --> 01:14:34.005 and love, virtue integrity, knowledge, and um, you know, and then it has a scripture 01:14:34.365 --> 01:14:35.525 reference attached to all of them, 01:14:35.945 --> 01:14:36.065 Jethro D. Jones: Hmm. 01:14:36.805 --> 01:14:40.025 Connor Pay: you know, and so it's, uh, humility, diligence, obedience, 01:14:40.125 --> 01:14:43.585 and, and so I'll go through that just to kind of as a little, uh, 01:14:44.315 --> 01:14:47.635 check myself type of, type of thing. 01:14:48.095 --> 01:14:48.315 But. 01:14:49.035 --> 01:14:49.325 Jethro D. Jones: Well, 01:14:49.575 --> 01:14:51.784 Connor Pay: This is my public endorsement of Preach my Gospel. 01:14:52.485 --> 01:14:56.545 Jethro D. Jones: I'm, I've got a, uh, a three hour drive, uh, today with my wife. 01:14:56.845 --> 01:15:02.545 Uh, we're going the west side of the state today, and, um, she, uh, 01:15:02.555 --> 01:15:03.865 we're gonna do that in the car ride. 01:15:04.325 --> 01:15:05.665 So that's, I 01:15:05.744 --> 01:15:06.034 Connor Pay: Yeah, 01:15:06.144 --> 01:15:09.745 Jethro D. Jones: had planned, but that's, I'm driving and this is, this 01:15:09.745 --> 01:15:14.065 is the radio I wanna listen to is, uh, doing the Christlike attribute activity. 01:15:14.065 --> 01:15:14.665 That's great. 01:15:15.405 --> 01:15:21.465 Um, so as, as we get kind of close to wrapping up here, I wanna talk about 01:15:21.685 --> 01:15:26.305 the, the future o obviously you want to be in the NFL this time next year. 01:15:27.055 --> 01:15:34.355 What other, What other and things are you trying to accomplish in the next 01:15:34.585 --> 01:15:37.675 year and then also in the next 10 years? 01:15:38.175 --> 01:15:39.675 And, so let's 01:15:39.744 --> 01:15:39.964 Connor Pay: Ooh. 01:15:40.175 --> 01:15:42.115 Jethro D. Jones: the next year, 'cause we're gonna talk 01:15:42.115 --> 01:15:42.995 about 10 years in a minute. 01:15:42.995 --> 01:15:45.355 But what are some things you wanna accomplish in the next 01:15:45.355 --> 01:15:48.445 10 years or next one year? 01:15:48.445 --> 01:15:49.005 Excuse me. 01:15:49.015 --> 01:15:49.365 Sorry, 01:15:50.044 --> 01:15:50.964 Connor Pay: I was gonna say 10 years. 01:15:51.044 --> 01:15:52.245 I don't even know if I thought about that. 01:15:52.985 --> 01:15:58.605 Um, but no, I think, uh, obviously the biggest goal for me right now is, you 01:15:58.605 --> 01:16:01.245 know, I wanna make an NFL team, right? 01:16:01.245 --> 01:16:04.004 And that's, that's, that's my biggest goal right now. 01:16:04.235 --> 01:16:08.285 Just 'cause, uh, not only has it been my dream for a long time, 01:16:08.424 --> 01:16:09.684 but, and a very real way now. 01:16:09.684 --> 01:16:13.724 It's how I provide for myself and for my family right now. 01:16:14.184 --> 01:16:17.304 And so, uh, that's the biggest goal. 01:16:17.304 --> 01:16:22.705 But I, I, I also, I also want to continue to develop my relationship 01:16:22.705 --> 01:16:23.504 with my heavenly Father. 01:16:24.245 --> 01:16:25.294 You know, it's, uh, 01:16:27.374 --> 01:16:31.075 and, and honestly, I, I feel like I'm doing a decent job, 01:16:32.224 --> 01:16:33.044 you know, at the moment. 01:16:33.905 --> 01:16:36.245 And so, but now it's kind of like, okay, now. 01:16:37.270 --> 01:16:38.000 What do I do now? 01:16:38.070 --> 01:16:40.720 What are, what are some action items I can kind of use to 01:16:40.720 --> 01:16:42.160 take that to the next level? 01:16:42.160 --> 01:16:45.600 Because it's the, it's kind of the same thing about we were talking about earlier. 01:16:45.740 --> 01:16:52.120 You know, it's, I, I look back 365 days ago from today and I'm like, Hey, 01:16:52.120 --> 01:16:55.900 that's a lot of spiritual progress made, you know, and I, and I feel like 01:16:55.900 --> 01:16:57.820 I could do that from now to last year. 01:16:57.850 --> 01:17:02.060 It's like now, okay, I need to continue doing those things, but also take, 01:17:03.070 --> 01:17:05.600 you know, the next step as well. 01:17:05.700 --> 01:17:09.760 And I think, uh, you know, in, in a strange way, chase and I's 01:17:09.760 --> 01:17:11.120 podcast has been a big thing. 01:17:11.770 --> 01:17:14.790 And that for me, I feel like that's taken my study to another 01:17:14.790 --> 01:17:18.780 level, uh, because I gotta, I gotta know what I'm talking about. 01:17:19.000 --> 01:17:21.540 If, you know, thousands of people are gonna listen to me, talk about 01:17:21.540 --> 01:17:25.420 it with, with church leaders and general authorities, you know, 01:17:25.680 --> 01:17:27.660 on, or have it on these podcasts. 01:17:27.660 --> 01:17:30.339 Like the one we just recorded this week was with Elder Michael Dunn. 01:17:31.410 --> 01:17:32.030 Of the 70. 01:17:32.250 --> 01:17:35.670 And so it's like if you're going in there to have a gospel conversation 01:17:35.670 --> 01:17:37.910 with these dudes, like you gotta know what you're talking about. 01:17:38.440 --> 01:17:38.790 Right? 01:17:38.930 --> 01:17:43.750 And so it's like that, that's been the thing in the last, you know, six months 01:17:43.750 --> 01:17:48.639 that's helped me take it to the next level for me on an individual basis. 01:17:49.339 --> 01:17:49.629 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:17:49.660 --> 01:17:53.790 Connor Pay: And so now I think I gotta, I gotta do some, uh, I gotta 01:17:53.790 --> 01:17:56.910 do some introspection a little bit and figure out, okay, now what's, 01:17:56.910 --> 01:18:02.440 what's my thing gonna be for this year to help me take that next step? 01:18:03.019 --> 01:18:03.360 You know? 01:18:03.380 --> 01:18:08.320 And uh, and uh, you know, and I guess, I guess we'll have to see, 01:18:09.080 --> 01:18:09.370 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:18:09.599 --> 01:18:09.889 Good. 01:18:10.309 --> 01:18:14.330 So, uh, make an NFL team develop your relationship with your Heavenly Father. 01:18:15.260 --> 01:18:18.410 let's think further out, like 10 years from now. 01:18:18.760 --> 01:18:23.130 What is it that you wanna be focusing on and, and paying attention to what's gonna 01:18:23.130 --> 01:18:25.769 be important your life 10 years from now? 01:18:27.650 --> 01:18:30.059 Connor Pay: yeah, 10 years I better be married and have some kids. 01:18:30.980 --> 01:18:31.269 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:18:31.360 --> 01:18:32.030 There you go. 01:18:33.250 --> 01:18:33.870 Connor Pay: That's for sure. 01:18:33.870 --> 01:18:37.110 That's, that's, that's something that I've always wanted, you know? 01:18:37.170 --> 01:18:41.230 And so, uh, um, yeah. 01:18:41.250 --> 01:18:43.910 And so my girlfriend and I started dating recently. 01:18:43.910 --> 01:18:46.469 That's why I didn't put that into, into this year's goals. 01:18:47.290 --> 01:18:49.950 I'm not trying not, not trying to put too much pressure on us, right. 01:18:50.010 --> 01:18:51.830 But, uh, um, 01:18:51.840 --> 01:18:52.130 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:18:53.330 --> 01:18:53.550 Connor Pay: no. 01:18:53.550 --> 01:18:57.480 But in 10 years, I, I definitely, you know, that's, that's the highest 01:18:57.840 --> 01:18:59.080 covenant we can make on this earth. 01:18:59.269 --> 01:18:59.690 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 01:19:00.389 --> 01:19:00.690 Connor Pay: All right? 01:19:00.690 --> 01:19:03.690 And that's, uh, I wanna, I wanna do that, you know? 01:19:03.690 --> 01:19:08.240 And, uh, and you know, the idea of bringing life into this world 01:19:08.340 --> 01:19:10.360 is a, is a pretty special thing. 01:19:10.360 --> 01:19:15.950 We've been given one godly power on this earth, the power to create life, 01:19:16.210 --> 01:19:19.790 you know, and it's, that's something that I wanna, wanna participate 01:19:19.790 --> 01:19:24.580 in, you know, and it's, uh, always been a dream to, to be a father. 01:19:25.775 --> 01:19:28.615 Jethro D. Jones: Well, uh, I will say being a father is like 01:19:28.634 --> 01:19:29.695 the best thing in the world. 01:19:30.835 --> 01:19:33.215 um, and it is just incredible. 01:19:33.675 --> 01:19:39.495 And it, you talk, you talk about creation, often you think like that's 01:19:39.495 --> 01:19:41.255 just the act of creating a baby, right? 01:19:41.594 --> 01:19:47.014 But really, you are creating a life all as long as they're with you 01:19:47.325 --> 01:19:49.655 because their life isn't finished yet. 01:19:49.755 --> 01:19:55.735 And so conversations that you have, like insights that you receive about them, 01:19:56.045 --> 01:20:00.335 like you're still creating and molding their life by what you're doing with 01:20:00.335 --> 01:20:05.094 them, and that like, you know, your dad is still influencing you and helping you 01:20:05.205 --> 01:20:11.134 make decisions and helping you to find who you are now because you're an adult 01:20:11.195 --> 01:20:17.224 out of the house, but, but still in a powerful way that, um, That you listen 01:20:17.334 --> 01:20:22.344 when he says something and every child listens when their dad says something. 01:20:22.695 --> 01:20:26.304 Even if their dad is a, is a deadbeat, you know, he's still their father. 01:20:26.334 --> 01:20:30.905 Even if they don't really know him a personal level, uh, and haven't 01:20:30.905 --> 01:20:34.945 really connected with him, he still is the one who gave them life and, 01:20:35.204 --> 01:20:37.144 and can continue to influence them. 01:20:37.964 --> 01:20:38.184 Um, 01:20:38.980 --> 01:20:39.950 Connor Pay: Yeah, no doubt. 01:20:40.349 --> 01:20:40.830 I think, uh, 01:20:41.485 --> 01:20:41.704 Jethro D. Jones: go 01:20:41.870 --> 01:20:44.249 Connor Pay: can I say one thing about that too before we jump ahead? 01:20:44.429 --> 01:20:46.370 Do you have, do you have any adult kids yet? 01:20:46.724 --> 01:20:48.105 Jethro D. Jones: Uh, my oldest is 18. 01:20:49.379 --> 01:20:49.669 Connor Pay: Okay. 01:20:50.330 --> 01:20:51.190 Um, nice. 01:20:52.070 --> 01:20:55.230 I think the, the only reason I bring that up is because I remember when I 01:20:55.230 --> 01:20:59.669 got back from my mission, my parents became less parents and more my friends, 01:21:00.344 --> 01:21:00.634 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:21:00.780 --> 01:21:04.879 Connor Pay: and it's been a pretty cool, it's been a really cool transition. 01:21:05.469 --> 01:21:10.950 It's like now that I'm older, they share a lot more about their life with me and 01:21:10.950 --> 01:21:14.549 like kind of the, the struggles that they had to hide when I was younger, 01:21:15.450 --> 01:21:19.150 you know, and some things my dad's in, uh, my dad's a corporate attorney and. 01:21:20.370 --> 01:21:24.600 There was some times when I was little, six or seven that some companies were 01:21:24.600 --> 01:21:28.560 coming after his company and he, he was getting named these lawsuits that 01:21:28.560 --> 01:21:32.080 could have landed him in prison and they were obviously totally false. 01:21:32.210 --> 01:21:32.560 Right. 01:21:32.580 --> 01:21:36.080 And, and he obviously is fine now, but it's like, dang, you were going through 01:21:36.080 --> 01:21:40.240 all that and I was fricking playing Guitar Hero on the Wii or something, and you 01:21:40.240 --> 01:21:43.880 were, and you would come home and throw the football around with me like nothing 01:21:43.940 --> 01:21:49.720 was going on, you know, and it's like, you know, it's, it's, it's really fun Now 01:21:49.720 --> 01:21:54.640 it's like, obviously, you know, my, my dad is, will always be like the leader of 01:21:54.640 --> 01:22:00.000 our family and, uh, him and my mom will always be the leaders of our family and 01:22:00.000 --> 01:22:01.520 I'll always respect them in that way. 01:22:02.230 --> 01:22:07.310 But it's like, now my parents are more my friends than they are my parents. 01:22:07.690 --> 01:22:09.990 And I gotta be careful with that sometimes when I tell them 01:22:10.090 --> 01:22:13.830 how, how, uh, you know, how well they're doing their parenting job. 01:22:13.830 --> 01:22:17.910 Sometimes I need to know my place and be more of a kid in certain moments. 01:22:18.090 --> 01:22:18.310 And. 01:22:19.130 --> 01:22:19.420 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:22:19.690 --> 01:22:21.849 Connor Pay: I tell him that they don't make my little brother do anything, 01:22:21.849 --> 01:22:23.690 and his life is so easy, but you know, 01:22:25.429 --> 01:22:25.720 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah, 01:22:25.980 --> 01:22:28.160 Connor Pay: But no, I don't, I don't know if you're seeing that transition 01:22:28.179 --> 01:22:32.719 yet with your, with your 18-year-old, but, but you, you become more, more 01:22:32.719 --> 01:22:34.440 friends and it's, it's pretty fun. 01:22:34.970 --> 01:22:36.070 Jethro D. Jones: it, it totally is. 01:22:36.290 --> 01:22:40.630 And, and what's really fun is, is listening to the spirit as you figure 01:22:40.730 --> 01:22:44.750 out how to make that transition and what things you share and 01:22:44.750 --> 01:22:46.830 what things you, you still don't. 01:22:47.050 --> 01:22:51.110 And you know, we had four kids pretty quick, uh, all within 01:22:51.110 --> 01:22:52.110 about two years of each other. 01:22:52.250 --> 01:22:57.510 So 13 or 13 is the youngest, then almost 15, then 17, and 01:22:57.510 --> 01:22:59.550 then the 18, almost 19-year-old. 01:22:59.929 --> 01:23:01.269 And so like, they're all 01:23:01.299 --> 01:23:01.589 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:23:01.690 --> 01:23:02.110 Jethro D. Jones: in age. 01:23:02.170 --> 01:23:07.545 So You know, in just five short years, we're gonna be empty nesters, basically. 01:23:07.924 --> 01:23:11.384 And like that really changes things too, because that's not very long. 01:23:11.445 --> 01:23:14.264 The last five years went by so fast, I can't even believe it. 01:23:14.445 --> 01:23:18.825 And, and, and yet, like we're seeing them grow and develop and 01:23:18.825 --> 01:23:21.144 develop their own testimonies, and we think that's really important. 01:23:21.165 --> 01:23:24.424 And so we've been harping on that for years and years. 01:23:24.485 --> 01:23:30.344 And now when I see it, it's so inspiring see how they're doing and 01:23:30.405 --> 01:23:33.545 see like, oh, has her own testimony. 01:23:33.644 --> 01:23:37.865 He understands this aspect of the gospel that I didn't ever explicitly 01:23:37.865 --> 01:23:39.785 teach, but he totally gets it. 01:23:39.884 --> 01:23:42.224 And he just showed me by how he's acting now. 01:23:42.224 --> 01:23:44.945 And like, oh man, it's, it's so good. 01:23:46.085 --> 01:23:52.705 Um, so you are going from a very structured, place to less structure, 01:23:53.174 --> 01:23:56.745 more structure right now in, in the, in the training facility. 01:23:57.804 --> 01:24:01.585 you've gotta, you, you don't have devotional BYU weekly. 01:24:01.724 --> 01:24:02.464 You don't have like. 01:24:03.240 --> 01:24:03.530 Team 01:24:03.969 --> 01:24:04.259 Connor Pay: Yeah. 01:24:04.450 --> 01:24:07.970 Jethro D. Jones: day and all these other things, how are you going to, 01:24:08.750 --> 01:24:11.610 uh, like in charge of your time? 01:24:11.670 --> 01:24:14.650 So you're given the right amount of time for you to the Lord 01:24:15.150 --> 01:24:16.490 as you make this transition. 01:24:18.580 --> 01:24:20.559 Connor Pay: Um, I think that just comes onto to the basic 01:24:20.650 --> 01:24:22.200 skill of time management. 01:24:22.740 --> 01:24:26.320 You know, you kind of kinda, like I said earlier, you can always find 01:24:26.320 --> 01:24:29.179 time for, for God during the day. 01:24:29.599 --> 01:24:34.540 And, and thankfully right now, you know, this is, I'm almost on a, on a missionary 01:24:34.780 --> 01:24:36.219 schedule right now with this training. 01:24:36.519 --> 01:24:39.780 You know, we're just with a lot more free time at night, you know, just, uh, 01:24:40.320 --> 01:24:44.780 you know, we're at the facility from like seven to about, I get home on a 01:24:44.780 --> 01:24:46.459 longer night, I'll get home at like five. 01:24:47.820 --> 01:24:51.440 And so that's, that's all at the facility, that's all structured over there. 01:24:51.499 --> 01:24:55.320 I'm always doing something and then I, I get home and I kind of have the 01:24:55.320 --> 01:24:58.290 night to myself, you know, and it's, uh. 01:24:59.410 --> 01:25:00.539 It's, it's kind of nice. 01:25:00.740 --> 01:25:04.580 I have like a two hour window during the day, which is kinda like my quiet time. 01:25:05.459 --> 01:25:09.940 'cause I'm like, I'm, I'm two hours ahead, uh, from Utah time. 01:25:10.700 --> 01:25:13.160 And so it's like my parents are siblings. 01:25:13.499 --> 01:25:15.200 My girlfriend's still in the middle of their day. 01:25:15.910 --> 01:25:18.980 Like they're not back from work or school or whatever yet. 01:25:18.980 --> 01:25:22.019 And so it's kinda like I can turn my phone off. 01:25:22.099 --> 01:25:23.940 Nobody's gonna text me or call me. 01:25:23.940 --> 01:25:27.059 And it's like I can, I can, that's kind of the time when I 01:25:27.059 --> 01:25:28.259 first get home from training. 01:25:28.870 --> 01:25:31.339 Gotta be careful if I lay on my bed too quick, I'll be out 01:25:31.339 --> 01:25:32.740 because I'm so tired from the day. 01:25:32.799 --> 01:25:39.219 But, um, if I, uh, you know, or I can sit down and actually have, this 01:25:39.219 --> 01:25:42.379 has been really fun being out here 'cause I've had more time to study the 01:25:42.499 --> 01:25:46.179 scriptures than, you know, I had during the season just 'cause we're so busy. 01:25:46.639 --> 01:25:48.980 And so that's been a big deal for me. 01:25:49.089 --> 01:25:55.160 Just, uh, and then obviously once I, uh, once my schedule gets less structured. 01:25:55.925 --> 01:25:59.985 You know, getting back for Pro Day, it's really just gonna be, I'm, I'm a big 01:25:59.985 --> 01:26:04.625 scheduler person where it's like, okay, I'm gonna, I, I, I'm picking a window 01:26:04.845 --> 01:26:09.845 during the day where I'm gonna do some studies and, you know, that's my window. 01:26:10.894 --> 01:26:15.755 And then I always take when I wake up in the morning, and, you know, before I go 01:26:15.955 --> 01:26:18.755 to bed to have that time to pray, right? 01:26:18.815 --> 01:26:21.394 And, and obviously I, I pray throughout the day. 01:26:21.975 --> 01:26:25.475 Um, but that's, that's kind of my structured time where, where I know 01:26:25.555 --> 01:26:31.595 I can get it and, uh, um, you know, and I try to, try to cut that time 01:26:31.615 --> 01:26:36.595 in half, you know, where I spend the first half praying and, and telling 01:26:36.595 --> 01:26:40.155 heavenly father what's, what's on my mind and what I've been going through. 01:26:40.215 --> 01:26:43.875 And then the other half, I'll have a little pen and paper and I just 01:26:43.875 --> 01:26:48.495 spend sitting there listening, you know, to, uh, to see what heavenly 01:26:48.495 --> 01:26:51.335 father has to say to me because, uh. 01:26:52.885 --> 01:26:56.125 I remember Elder Holland talking about that at a youth devotional hill. 01:26:56.125 --> 01:27:00.005 They're hiring, I think they did like the Hill Kimora like 10 years ago. 01:27:00.485 --> 01:27:01.845 I don't remember exactly where it was. 01:27:01.905 --> 01:27:05.605 We talked about how oftentimes we're talking to God, saying this prayer 01:27:06.315 --> 01:27:08.005 that was saying everything we need. 01:27:08.005 --> 01:27:09.845 And you know, it's like a phone conversation. 01:27:09.845 --> 01:27:11.775 Like, okay, sweet, thanks. 01:27:11.845 --> 01:27:13.535 Name of Jesus Christ am Amen. 01:27:13.715 --> 01:27:13.934 Bam. 01:27:14.085 --> 01:27:15.575 Slam the phone down right. 01:27:15.575 --> 01:27:16.495 Conversation over. 01:27:16.495 --> 01:27:19.905 And we didn't even give him a chance to talk back, you know? 01:27:19.905 --> 01:27:22.905 And so ever since I've heard that, I've always tried to do that where I'd say, 01:27:22.985 --> 01:27:27.705 I say my prayers and then I give some time to where I just listen within with 01:27:27.745 --> 01:27:30.825 a notepad and paper and I write down the thoughts and feelings that come. 01:27:31.945 --> 01:27:35.205 Um, and it's like those are things that I know I can do every 01:27:35.205 --> 01:27:36.605 day regardless of my schedule. 01:27:36.975 --> 01:27:37.395 Jethro D. Jones: Mm-hmm 01:27:37.995 --> 01:27:43.485 Connor Pay: And so that's, that's what I like about those because I can, they're, 01:27:43.485 --> 01:27:47.724 they're easily adaptable with all the crazy stuff, schedule-wise I'm gonna be 01:27:47.724 --> 01:27:48.885 going through in the next little bit. 01:27:50.429 --> 01:27:56.309 I, I know that I'm gonna be able to find windows to study, you know, and, uh, I 01:27:56.309 --> 01:28:01.799 know that I can take five or 10 minutes before I go to sleep, or right when I 01:28:01.799 --> 01:28:04.320 wake up in the morning to pray and listen. 01:28:04.910 --> 01:28:09.889 Like it's, you know, it's, uh, it's, so that's, that's, uh, that's 01:28:09.889 --> 01:28:13.929 kind of my, my philosophy that I'm, that I'm taking to it right now. 01:28:15.995 --> 01:28:18.835 Jethro D. Jones: I like that and that, and what I appreciate about it is, 01:28:19.014 --> 01:28:23.795 uh, another thing that, that I am just reminded of that I need to do better 01:28:24.055 --> 01:28:26.235 is, um, take that time to listen. 01:28:26.695 --> 01:28:31.875 And, uh, you know, I, able to listen at different times throughout the day 01:28:33.014 --> 01:28:38.474 but the middle of that prayer, uh, I, I very much at the end of the day am 01:28:38.474 --> 01:28:44.675 like, pray goodnight, and boom, hit the pillow and take much time to listen. 01:28:44.775 --> 01:28:46.514 So I, I can definitely get better at that. 01:28:47.335 --> 01:28:49.835 Um, thi this has been an awesome conversation. 01:28:50.315 --> 01:28:50.434 Connor. 01:28:50.875 --> 01:28:53.514 Anything else that you want to add or say before we sign off? 01:28:55.620 --> 01:28:57.160 Connor Pay: Um, no, not that I can think of. 01:28:57.320 --> 01:28:59.040 I just really appreciate the opportunity. 01:28:59.040 --> 01:29:00.000 This is a cool thing. 01:29:00.780 --> 01:29:05.600 You know, it's a cool, almost, uh, annual spiritual journal entry, right? 01:29:05.830 --> 01:29:06.120 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:29:06.309 --> 01:29:06.599 Yeah. 01:29:06.870 --> 01:29:12.120 Well, I, that is what I am most excited about because in the moment, like we 01:29:12.120 --> 01:29:18.040 don't think about like this is going to impact and we can all look back 01:29:18.040 --> 01:29:22.280 and be like, 10 years ago, wow, that really was amazing or hard or whatever. 01:29:22.940 --> 01:29:29.879 Um, but to do it in the middle, like such a gift that you are, uh, like you're full 01:29:29.879 --> 01:29:34.679 of anticipation and positivity about the NFL draft and, and that's, that's awesome. 01:29:36.179 --> 01:29:39.639 and next year your life is gonna be totally different no matter what happens. 01:29:39.639 --> 01:29:39.960 Right? 01:29:40.905 --> 01:29:42.964 Connor Pay: Yeah, yeah, yeah. 01:29:42.964 --> 01:29:45.124 Next year's episode's gonna be a doozy probably. 01:29:45.515 --> 01:29:45.735 Jethro D. Jones: Yep. 01:29:45.995 --> 01:29:50.375 And, uh, and there's gonna be a lot going on for sure, and we may need to adjust it 01:29:50.375 --> 01:29:54.815 because you might be, uh, preparing for the Super Bowl and you may not have time 01:29:54.955 --> 01:29:56.535 to sit down and have this conversation. 01:29:56.675 --> 01:30:00.015 So you know, that's, that's the prayer at least. 01:30:00.035 --> 01:30:03.215 So, you know, this, I, I think it's gonna be really fun. 01:30:03.375 --> 01:30:07.055 I think it's gonna be beneficial for your kids and, uh, your 01:30:07.055 --> 01:30:08.655 posterity later to see this. 01:30:08.955 --> 01:30:09.175 And, 01:30:11.195 --> 01:30:14.125 well listen to it 'cause we're not saving the video, just the audio. 01:30:14.345 --> 01:30:19.475 So, you know, I, I, I'm just really appreciative of it and to everybody 01:30:19.475 --> 01:30:20.635 who's listening, thank you so much. 01:30:20.975 --> 01:30:25.715 And, uh, um, can hear all the episodes at a decade never to be 01:30:25.715 --> 01:30:27.795 forgotten.com Connor, thank you so much. 01:30:28.015 --> 01:30:30.555 Is there any way you want people to connect with you, follow 01:30:30.555 --> 01:30:31.795 you on Instagram or anything? 01:30:31.795 --> 01:30:32.755 What do you I. 01:30:33.760 --> 01:30:37.980 Connor Pay: Uh, hit me up on Instagram, Twitter, you know, uh, uh, feel free. 01:30:37.980 --> 01:30:39.020 Those are kind of the main. 01:30:40.110 --> 01:30:42.509 Platforms that I'm on and yeah, just, yeah. 01:30:42.509 --> 01:30:45.509 Thanks again for, for putting this all together and doing this. 01:30:45.509 --> 01:30:46.070 It's really cool. 01:30:46.775 --> 01:30:47.065 Jethro D. Jones: Yeah. 01:30:47.075 --> 01:30:47.505 Thank you.