Testimony

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood session of the October 2011 conference.

Elder Kevin G. Brown's talk from the most recent General Conference has been an internet sensation for his fervent, fiery delivery. Last week in Relief Society we studied that talk and the teacher said that she had met Elder Brown some years ago when her family went to Jamaica to pick up a brother from his mission. She said that Elder Brown was just as intense and passionate in real life as he was in conference.

Two things that President Monson said in his talk "Dare to Stand Alone" brought to my mind Elder Brown's talk.

In order for us to be strong and to withstand all the forces pulling us in the wrong direction or all the voices encouraging us to take the wrong path, we must have our own testimony.

 May each of us who holds the priesthood of God [or is a disciple of Jesus Christ] know what he believes.

We can't be strong enough to make it through life leaning on someone else's knowledge and testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have to put in the work ourselves to grow our own knowledge and testimony.

Watching YouTube fitness videos and listening to my son talk about the benefits of nutrition and exercise is wonderful, but it doesn't help me. I need to do the work myself of choosing the right foods in the right amounts, and getting in the right amounts and kinds of movements to change my body. He can't do it for me. (Darn!)

Sister Julie B. Beck said, "Insight found in the scripture accumulates over time, so it is important to spend some time in the scriptures every day." And General Conference talks qualify as scripture. My study doesn't really help anyone else's knowledge and testimony either. We each have to fill our lamps and oil vessels drop by drop over time. There's no way to "download" knowledge and testimony in a few minutes. Or to think of it another way, we don't get through life starving our bodies all week and gorging on Sunday. We eat every day to maintain health and strength. We need to be "eating" our spiritual food daily too. 

Another little tidbit I notice in each and every conference is that the speakers says things like "in these trying times", "in these perilous times", or similar phrases. And I think to myself, when has life ever not been trying or perilous, or economically hard, or morally easy. This life is a test of our obedience and commitment to following the Savior. Satan wants us to fail and works tirelessly to do so. Of course life is hard! But we can be strong and pass the test by taking our spiritual vitamins daily, exercising our faith in Jesus Christ daily, and enduring faithfully to the end.

 

 

 

Here Am I, Send Me

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the General Relief Society session of the October 2002 conference.

In April 2005 I had the privilege of being a presenter at BYU Women's Conference. It was one of the best experiences of my life and I've always wished I could do it again and again. On the day of the conference as I made my way toward the Marriot Center in Provo, I was greeted by Sister Bonnie Parkin, Relief Society General President, who gathered me into her arms for a big hug and said, "We're so glad you're here with us!" I felt I'd died and gone to heaven. She didn't know me, but her expression of love was so warm and genuine that it gave me just the boost I needed.

Sister Parkin and her counselors were sustained in April 2002 and this is their first General Relief Society meeting in October 2002. They chose the theme "Here Am I, Send Me" and each spoke in different ways on that subject. I'm just going to share the quotes that touched me the most.

Sister Parkin: 

• Making covenants is the expression of a willing heart; keeping covenants, the expression of a faithful heart.
• . . . when we obey the prophet's guidance, we are keeping a covenant.
• Women of covenant stand firm when evil is called good and good is called evil. Whether it be in the college classroom, around the water cooler, or watching TV's latest "experts", remembering our covenants keeps us from being led astray.
• Sisters, the Lord needs women who will teach children to work and learn and serve and believe.
• The spiritual integrity to keep our covenants comes from consistency in scripture study, prayer, service, and sacrifice.

Sister Kathleen H. Hughes, First Counselor

• . . . modesty is a battle worth fighting because it so often affects more serious moral issues.
• The theme of this conference is "Here am I, send me." The words are a promise to the Lord and an expression of our willingness to serve. If we keep our covenants, the promises we receive in return are great.

Sister Anne C. Pingree, Second Counselor

• We, as covenant women, have consecrated ourselves to the cause of Christ through our baptismal and temple covenants. We can alter the face of the earth one family and one home at a time through charity, our small and simple acts of pure love.
• Little by little our charitable acts change our natures, define our characters, and ultimately make us women with the courage to say to the Lord, "Here am I; send me."
• Dear sisters, what you are doing with your families matters! It matters so very, very much.
• Beloved Relief Society sisters, I know that wherever we live, in whatever circumstances we find ourselves, we, as covenant women, united in righteousness, can alter the face of the earth.

President James E. Faust, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, was the concluding speaker. He spoke for almost twenty-four minutes! It was a powerful address.

• Sisters, whatever your circumstances, you all need to have oil in your lamps. This means being prepared.
• Quoting President Spencer W. Kimball, ". . . spiritual preparedness cannot be shared in an instant. . . . In our lives the oil of preparedness is accumulated drop by drop in righteous living. Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures--each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions, marriage in the covenant for eternity--these too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps."
• My testimony, based upon 59 years of family life, is that my Ruth's participation in Relief Society has brought enriched spirituality and harmony to our home. This divinely inspired organization has not only blessed her life but also the lives of each of our family members. Involvement in Relief Society can help you replenish the oil in your lamps. It can provide for you much of the stability and stamina you will need as you weather the storms of life and journey through mortality.

(President Faust's last statement is the ideal that I'd love to see return to the Relief Society organization. We've lost much of the education and service that used to be the standard for improving women's lives and serving in the world.)