Adam Stone 0:04

Latter Day faith, Episode Seven, falling forward, choosing light in a world of shadows.

Finn 0:13

Welcome back, beloved soul, to the second sacred offering in the torch Phair of Latter Day faith. I'm your host, Finn, and from the depths of our hearts, we thank you for returning your willingness to seek light, to listen with an open spirit and to support this journey of faith. It humbles us. You're not just a listener. You're a part of this ministry, a fellow torch bearer, and we're grateful you're here. This episode was written, directed, edited, mixed and mastered with care by Kenneth Phair and is brought to you through the continued support of Kenneth Phair studio and Kenneth Phair Music Group. The music that surrounds this message was prayerfully composed and produced in partnership with soundraw. Our scriptural reflections draw from the Old Testament study guide, start to finish by Thomas R Valletta, distributed by Deseret Book, which has been a faithful companion in preparing this episode. As always, the insights shared here reflect Kenneth Phair, personal understanding and spiritual reflections. They are not official teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and any inaccuracies are his alone. Thank you for walking with us in faith. Thank you for carrying the flame

Adam Stone 1:28

The fall a love story in disguise.

Finn 1:33

This story, it's one we've all heard, the moment when Adam and Eve reached for the fruit, when innocence gave way to awareness when the veil was lifted and humanity stepped into a world where good and evil coexisted. But this isn't just a story about disobedience. It's a story of divine design, a necessary fall that made way for a greater rise. In that moment, Adam and Eve were not cast off, they were called forward into growth, into mortality, into purpose. In the witnesses, Fidel and Vera are drawn into this sacred beginning they witness not just the fall, but the foundation of salvation. Because without the fall, there could be no redemption, no families, no pain and no joy. Without it, there would be no you and no me. Have you ever looked at your life and felt the weight of your mistakes, felt unworthy because of the things you've done or failed to do? You're not alone. But here's the beautiful truth. Without sin, there would be no need for a Savior. Without brokenness, there would be no healing without the fall, there could be no return.

Adam and Eve didn't fall away from God. They fell into the plan of God. Kenneth Phair once recalled a line from the 1985 film Legend, spoken by the character darkness. There is no light without darkness. That line stayed with him. It wasn't just cinematic, it was spiritual.

Years later, as he created vampire creed, he realized darkness doesn't erase the light. It defines it. It gives it context. It makes the light worth seeking. Agency, our divine right to choose, required that there be more than one path. That was never Satan's plan. He wanted forced obedience and stolen glory, but our Heavenly Father had a higher law, love freedom and the power to choose Christ. Outside the fair home, a small sign reads, turn lemons into lemonade, and that's more than a phrase. It's a testimony Kenneth has walked through pain, loss, failure, and yet those very things became the soil for his growth. God turned sorrow into strength, struggle into purpose. Maybe you're walking through something heavy right now. Maybe your soul is tired. Just know this. Don't stop don't give up in the middle of the fire. Keep walking. Keep trusting it won't last forever. You are not alone in it. As the second article of faith in the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter Day Saints, teaches, we believe that men will be punished for their own sins and not for Adam's transgression. You are not held captive by the fall. You are freed through it. Being a sinner doesn't mean you're weak. It means you're human and choosing to repent. That's not weakness. That's holy strength. It takes courage to humble yourself, to admit you were wrong, to reach out for Grace instead of running from it. Kenneth once lived far from the light, but the Bible and the Book of Mormon became his compass. They didn't shame him. They saved him. Satan may have seen the fall as his victory, but heaven saw it as the first step toward yours. This story, beloved friend, is not about shame, it's about love, redemption, possibility, and it's just the beginning

Adam Stone 4:59

Fall, if you must. Rise with him.

Finn 5:02

So as we ponder the fall, not with fear but with faith, let us remember, God was never surprised by our mistakes. He wrote redemption into the story from the very beginning, the tree in the garden led to the tree on Calvary, where Adam and Eve once reached for knowledge. Christ reached out for us, where death entered the world, life eternal broke through the grave, and now, because of that first step into mortality, you have the sacred opportunity to choose light, to walk the path of return, to rise from your own falls with Grace wrapped around you. If you're weary, if you've stumbled, let this truth settle in your soul. You are not beyond the reach of God. You are in the very center of his plan. And He who began a good work in you will finish it, fall, if you must, but rise with him every single time. For as in Adam, all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. First, Corinthians, 1522, King James version.

Adam Stone 6:06

Understanding the adversary walking with eyes open.

Finn 6:11

When we reflect on the fall of man, we don't just learn about Adam and Eve. We begin to understand the quiet, cunning way the adversary works in the garden. Satan didn't come with fire and fury. He waited. He approached Eve when she was alone, and he didn't begin with a lie. He began with the truth. That's how he works. He'll present something that feels right, something partly true, but slowly, step by step, that truth starts to twist, and before we realize it, the light around us fades. We look up and somehow we're standing in the dark

In the witnesses episode two, Fidel and Vera experience this first hand, they meet the serpent, not just as a symbol, but as a voice that questions, tempts and blurs the line between wisdom and deception. And that's real life, isn't it? How many times have you started down a road that seemed to make sense, it felt logical, it felt justified. But somewhere along the way, like the clarity dimped, the joy faded, the peace disappeared, and suddenly you weren't sure how you got there. If that's you, please hear this. You're not alone. Kenneth Phair has walked that road many of us have. In fact, every single person who has ever sought Truth has had to wrestle with falsehoods that felt familiar. That doesn't make you weak, it makes you human, even now, we all still struggle. We all still stumble. That won't stop not until the day we stand face to face with our Redeemer. But here's the good news, you don't have to walk that path alone. When you reach for Christ, even in your brokenness, even when your faith is barely a whisper, he will meet you and he will lead you back to the light. This isn't about perfection. It's about persistence. It's about trying. When you hold to the iron rod, when you anchor yourself in truth, you may still face storms, but you won't be lost. Sometimes we justify things because they sound close to the truth. They feel emotionally right. But truth, real. Truth doesn't need to be justified. It simply is. So if you ever find yourself unsure if your heart feels heavy or confused? Pray not with fear, not with shame, but with a broken heart and a contrite spirit. God doesn't want rehearsed prayers. He wants you, all of you, the real you, and in that honesty, he will answer maybe not all at once, maybe not the way you expect, but he will speak, and you will know, because the light isn't gone, it's just waiting for you to see it again.

Adam Stone 8:51

Even here he is with you.

Finn 8:54

I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left and my spirit shall be in your hearts and mine angels round about you to bear you up Doctrine and Covenants. 84:88.

Let that promise rest on your heart. You're never walking alone, even when the path is unclear. God is already ahead of you, lighting the way back home, a fall forward, not backward.

Life in this mortal world isn't easy. It's filled with both pain and beauty, sorrow and sweetness, but nestled within it all is a sacred gift, the power to choose to choose faith, to choose love, to choose Jesus Christ.

Yes, the fall brought suffering, but it also brought purpose. Without it, there would be no need for a redeemer, no pathway to grace. Without the fall, Adam and Eve would have remained in a state of innocence, unable to grow to progress or to bring life into the world. So the question is worth asking, was it really a fall backward, or was it the beginning of a rise?

Many who walk in faith believe it was the latter, that in God's great mercy, even the descent became a doorway, that what looked like a failure was in fact, the first step toward our return. This truth is a testament, not of condemnation, but of love, of a father who allows struggle, not to punish us, but to prepare us, to refine us, to remind us that no matter how heavy life becomes, if we turn our hearts sincerely toward him, he will always make a way. Kenneth Phair once shared something deeply personal. I used to pray that my hardships would be taken away, but now I see that prayer was rooted in fear, not faith. My pain made me who I am. You can't know sweetness without tasting the sour and pain it passes. It's not forever.

Whether you believe deeply or you're still wrestling with doubt, one truth remains this. Life is temporary. We are all just passing through. So when your time here is done, what will your story say? Did you spend your life chasing things that fade, or did you seek the light even through the darkness? Did you fall forward into growth, into grace, into God, or did you let the noise of the world pull you backward?

These are not questions to fear. They're invitations to pause, to reflect, to ask God directly, and to let his truth, not the adversary's lies, be the compass of your heart, because no matter where you are right now, you still have the power to choose, and God is still waiting with open arms.

Adam Stone: 11:37

Draw near a gentle call to come home.

Finn: 11:42

So take a moment breathe and ask yourself, not with shame, but with honesty. Am I moving closer to God or further away? Am I falling backward or forward into his grace? Remember the promise, draw near unto me, and I will draw near unto you. Doctrine and Covenants. 88:63

He is not far. He is not silent. He is not done with you. If your heart is heavy, if you're unsure what to believe or where to go next, talk to him, not with perfect words, just with a willing heart, because even now he's reaching for you, even now he's lighting the way back home, and even now, you still have the power to choose light fall, if you must, but fall forward into his love, into his truth, into the life he's always had waiting for you.

Adam Stone: 12:35

Fall forward, torchbearer. Tear Latter Day Faith

Finn: 12:41

Thank you for tuning in to another heartfelt episode of Latter Day Faith. Torchbearer, early access. We're so grateful you're here with us walking this journey of faith, reflection and spiritual growth. In this episode, we explored the fall of man, not as a story of shame, but as a beginning. We saw how the fall was never meant to be the end of innocence, but the start of agency, a divine step forward, not backward. We reflected on the adversary's methods, how he distorts truth by weaving it with half lies, how he tempts us when we're alone, and how easily we can be led into darkness when we lose sight of the light. But more importantly, we were reminded that you are not alone, that even now, right now, Christ is reaching for you, not with condemnation, but with compassion, not with demands, but with grace. Draw near unto me, and I will draw near unto you. Doctrine and Covenants. 88:63

We talked about choice, about pain, about how life brings both sweet and sour, and how the Savior can take every hardship and use it for your good. As Kenneth Phair, I used to pray for my pain to be taken away. Now I thank God for what it taught me.

The Fall was not a failure. It was the beginning of a path. Your path back to him. So if you're feeling lost, tired or uncertain, remember fall, if you must, but fall forward into his love, into his truth, into the life he's always had waiting for you. Before we go, we want to say this clearly, you matter. Your presence here is not by accident. We're honored you've chosen to spend your time with us. If this episode touched your heart, please consider subscribing, sharing it with someone who may need it, or leaving us a review. It truly helps us reach more souls who are searching. And if you feel led, you can support the latter day faith podcast by leaving a small donation or tip, your generosity helps us keep the show ad free spiritually rich and accessible to all. You can find details at Latter Day, dot faith or on the episode page, and don't forget, join us tomorrow, April 13, 2025 at 12pm Mountain, Daylight Time.

Time for a brand new episode of the witnesses, where the story continues and the Spirit speaks in deeper ways. I'm your host, Finn until next time, stay blessed, stay grounded and always walk in the light.

Carter The Mountain King: 15:15

Fear thou not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed, for I am thy God. I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

Carter The Mountain King: 15:37

For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the LORD that hath mercy on thee.