Virtue

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the General Young Women Meeting of the April 2009 conference.

Sister Elaine S. Dalton gave me a big hug when we met at an early morning Young Women Devotional in Omaha, Nebraska. She's a wonderful woman.

During her time as Young Women General President her focus was on the quality of virtue. As I listened to her talk from this session of conference I reflected on how relevant it seems right now; which I have come to realize is a way to recognize eternal truths, they never sound dated or old-fashioned, they sound fresh and current.

I've long said that human nature hasn't changed since Adam and Eve. Technology, fashion, styles, knowledge and many other things have changed, but human beings haven't. Eternal truths apply to us as God's children whether we live today or five thousand years ago; and when we hear them they sound relevant to us and our times.

John Adams, one of America's Founding Fathers, said, "Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other."

I thought of that as I listened to Sister Dalton's talk. We need, as individuals and as a nation, to return to virtue, morality, and righteousness to defeat evil and be ready for the Savior's return. 

This is a critical time. You are being tapped on the shoulder. You are preparing now for that work which will be your finest hour. You are preparing for eternity.

 

I Am Not Alone

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Morning session of the April 2009 conference.

Many years ago with five young children I felt overwhelming loneliness because my marriage was falling apart, I lived across the country from other family members and I didn't have close friends around me. One day I couldn't cope any longer. While the children were busy playing I went into my small walk-in closet, knelt down and poured out my heart to God. I asked to feel loved and understood. Immediately I felt strong, warm arms around me, enveloping me in a loving embrace that comforted me and was so real I began to weep.

Almost thirty years later I can still call to mind that glorious feeling of being loved, understood, and not alone.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said, "Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path—the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said, “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].”

What else do we need?

Doing A Great Work

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Priesthood session of the April 2009 conference.

"We live in an era of anticipation and preparation, entrusted by God to prepare ourselves, our families, our world for the approaching dawn--the day when the Son of God will 'descend from heaven with a should, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God' (I Thess. 4:16) and usher in His millennial reign."

So said then President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. This era stretches from Joseph Smith to Russell M. Nelson. As this is the last dispensation we (all who have lived or are living through it) are the ones to prepare for the Second Coming. 

"Our Heavenly Father seeks those who refuse to allow the trivial to hinder them in their pursuit of the eternal. He seeks those who will not allow the attraction of ease or the traps of the adversary to distract them from the work He has given them to perform. He seeks those whose actions conform to their words--those who say with conviction, 'I am doing a great work and cannot come down.' " 

In Relief Society there a long discussion about having time to study the gospel when "we are so busy from the time our feet hit the floor in the morning until our head hits the pillow at night." How are we to find the time? I didn't say much out loud, but in my head I was saying, "If you weren't so devoted to your careers/business/children's activities, etc., you'd have more time for the things of eternity. If you'd choose to stay home and actually be a wife, mother and homemaker, you'd have more time for the things of eternity." 

I loved what Elder D. Todd Christofferson said in the most recent conference, "One wise sister observed, 'I cannot think of a more profound way to worship God than to welcome His little ones into our lives and care for them and teach them His plan for them.' " What a profound observation! The things that the world tells us matter the most will matter the least in eternity, and conversely the things the world tells us matter the least will matter the most! But Satan has done a brilliant job distracting women from what matters most. The great work we are supposed to be doing is building the kingdom by welcoming children into our families, and rearing them in truth and righteousness. 

I wish I could have married at age 19 or 20 so I could have had five more children than I was able to. And I wish I could convince mothers to educate their children at home, avoiding satan's indoctrination centers. As hard as it was at the time I'm so grateful I was able to stay home to nurture and teach our children. I believe that the close relationships we enjoy now are the result of all the time we spent together when they were young.

My fondest hope is that in the economy of heaven motherhood will be the most important and honored "profession." It is certainly the greatest work I've ever done here, as well as the finest character builder ever devised.

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2009 conference.

"In uncertain and difficult times". . . has there ever been any other kind of times on earth? Mortal life IS uncertain, and is certainly difficult. You can think of a couple of dozen circumstances and events that make for difficulty and uncertainty.

Elder Kevin W. Pearson says, "In uncertain and difficult times, faith is truly a spiritual gift worthy of our utmost efforts. We can give our children education, lessons, athletics, the arts, and material possessions, but if we do not give them faith in Christ, we have given little." I think about this often and wonder what more I could have done for our children. I tried so hard to teach them the gospel and encourage them to live the commandments but three chose to wander down the wide path of worldliness as soon as they left home. One struggled to return but gave up and ended his life too soon. The other two, while successful in life by worldly standards, have no evident desire to return to the fold of God. 

Elder Pearson explains that, "Strong faith is developed by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. . . . If we desire more faith, we must be more obedient. . . . As patterns of obedience develop, the specific blessings associated with obedience are realized and belief emerges. Desire, hope, and belief are forms of faith, but faith as a principle of power comes from a consistent pattern of obedient behavior and attitudes."

As our children got to be teenagers they wanted more freedom so we would explain to them that obedience to the family and household rules proved trustworthiness and thus they could gain more freedom. When they cooperated and things worked smoothly they realized we were telling the truth (belief emerged) and their obedience was strengthened and reinforced. It's not a perfect analogy, but it works. Elder Pearson said, "We get what we focus on consistently." 

He goes on to explain about opposition and the influence of Satan. He calls these influences the "Six Destructive Ds--doubt, discouragement, distraction, lack of diligence, disobedience and disbelief--[which] all erode and destroy our faith. We can choose to avoid and overcome them." 

Going back to my simple analogy, teens can be really challenging to parents, and life can feel really challenging to the teens. Elder Pearson says, "Challenging times require greater spiritual power. Consider carefully the Savior's promise: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever is expedient in me." Teens need to have faith in their parents, believing that Mom and Dad want the best outcome for their child, and that Mom and Dad have the experience and wisdom to give good counsel. As a teen is obedient he/she can see that the parents were correct, and that more freedom and responsibility results from that obedience. In a similar way, we have to trust the Savior's teachings and example. As we are obedient to the commandments we gain greater spiritual freedom, responsibilities, and power to overcome challenges. "In a household of faith, there is no need to fear or doubt."

 

I trust that the Savior is working behind the scenes to lead back to the fold our two wayward sons. My patience is sorely tried, but I have faith that Jesus loves my sons even more that I do so I can trust them to Him. I'm so thankful for His tender mercies, His empowering grace and His eternal love.

Provident Living

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday morning session of the April 2009 conference.

It's hard to believe that twenty years ago I was a presenter at BYU Women's Conference. The subject was "Facing Financial Challenges through Provident Living." At the time my husband was in his last year at BYU, we had five children ages 16 to 7, and we were the proverbial starving student family. (We advised all our children to go to college while young because babies don't feel poor, but teens sure feel the pinch.) I had given a class at a Relief Society activity in our ward at which our Stake RS president also taught a class. Turns out she was on one of the BYU conference committees and when the subject of provident living was chosen she said she knew just the right sister to present on that subject. I got a letter in the mail in December inviting me to do so. I burst into tears! Then in January at our first information meeting we were told that all our names had to be cleared with the prophet and president of the church, at the time Gordon B. Hinckley, and I cried all over again. It turned out to be among the best experiences I've ever had. (I have often wished I could do it again.)

In this General Conference sessions Elder Robert D. Hales addressed the same subject. (And said many of the same things I did; so nice to be in sync with an apostle!) 

. . . for both debt and addiction, the hopeful solution is the same--we must turn to the Lord and follow His commandments. We must want more than anything else to change our lives so that we can break the cycle of debt and our uncontrolled wants. . . . you will be filled with hope in our Savior, Jesus Christ, and find hope in the doctrines of His restored gospel.

He talked about the challenge of overcoming temptations. "Each temptation we overcome is to strengthen us, not destroy us. . . . Our success is never measured by how strongly we are tempted but by how faithfully we respond. We must ask for help from our Heavenly Father and seek strength through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ. In both temporal and spiritual things." 

Elder Hales gives examples from his own experience about lessons learned. First was being told by his wife that they couldn't afford the beautiful dress he wanted her to have. "I have learned that the three most loving words are 'I love you,' and the four most caring words for those we love are 'We can't afford it.'"

Second, later when they were more financially secure he wanted to buy his wife a lovely fur coat during a time when she was a ward Relief Society president helping to minister to needy families. She asked, "Are you buying this for me or for you?" She wanted to know if "the purpose of the gift [is] to show your love for me, or to show me that you are a good provider or to prove something to the world?"

He says "These two lessons are the essence of provident living. When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, 'We can't afford it, even though we want it!' or 'We can afford it but we don't need it--and we really don't even want it.'"

Plenty of people complain today about not being able to afford a home yet are mired in debt for things they can't even remember, meals, outings, movies, drinks, clothes, and such. The shackles of student loan debt is another example of the consequences of not following the counsel of God to stay out of debt.

I invite you to come unto Him and hear His words: "Wherefore, do not spend money for that which is of no worth, nor your labor for that which cannot satisfy. Hearken diligently unto me, and remember the words which I have spoken; and come unto the Holy One of Israel, and feast upon that which perisheth not, neither can be corrupted." (2 Nephi 9:51) 

 This was a memorable talk that has become one of the classics referred to again and again. There is even a little video made from the story about buying the dress.

I have such a strong testimony of the blessings that come from living the Lord's financial commandments. I saw it in my parent's lives, as well as good friends whom I've known for many years. I've also seen in my own marriage what happens when choices are disobedient to the commandments. It's not pleasant. Thank God we have the gifts of repentance, forgiveness and second chances.