Guardians of Virtue

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the General Young Women Meeting of the April 2011 conference.

If my calculations are correct then the young women attending and viewing this session are now between 26 and 33 years old. I hope most are married and mothers. I know that some won't be, I have a 36 year old daughter who has never had the opportunity to marry and have children though she would love that blessing.

 

These talks were so encouraging to even me, a "little old lady" in the autumn of life. Wouldn't it be wonderful for those girls to hear or read them again and be reminded of all that was said.

 

Sister Elaine S. Dalton is special to me because of the way she greeted me with a hug, as if we were best friends, prior to a regional Young Women morning devotional in Omaha, Nebraska.  She made me feel special and important and I was in my fifties having driven some young women from our branch to the meeting.

 

One thing I've learned as I've lived into my seventh decade, is that each generation lives in what seems to be the most wicked times. And for that generation it is! No generation has had it easy, without challenges and struggles. Mortality is hard, but it's supposed to be; after all, it is a test.

 

Young women, in a world ever growing in moral pollution, tolerance of evil, exploitation of women, and distortion of roles, you must stand guard of yourself, your family, and all those with whom you associate. You must be guardians of virtue.

 

Being a guardian of virtue means you will always be modest not only in your dress but also in your speech, your actions, and your use of social media.

 

For mothers listening tonight [and these young women, now grown up], you are your daughters' most important example of modesty and virtue--thank you. Never hesitate to teach them that they are royal daughters of God and that their value is not based on their sensual appeal. And let them see your belief modeled correctly and consistently in your own personal attitude and appearance. You are also guardians of virtue.

 

When we were praying about homeschooling in 1994 I received an unexpected answer. I was told that we needed to know how to homeschool because in the future it would not be safe to send covenant children to public schools. I have seen that answer fulfilled year after year. Whether or not you homeschool, we all need to stand as guardians of godly virtues and be a light to the increasingly wicked world. Modest, virtuous young women and young men are especially needed lights to those who are seeking a better way to live but haven't been taught in their own homes.

 

Building our life upon the rock of our Redeemer is the only sure way to stand firm in keeping covenants, obeying commandments and withstanding temptations. As the gulf between good and evil deepens and widens let's be found on the right side, the Lord's side, safely anchored in His teachings, ordinances and covenants.

Parental Correction

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday afternoon session of the April 2011 conference.

I've long believed that parents need to teach two important things to their babies, toddlers and children: the word NO, and obedience without negotiation. There are many ways to do this because there are many personalities of children, but those who don't learn those two things have lots of trouble in life.

By "parental correction" I mean a parent noticing the child doing something wrong and correcting the child and leading them to do the right thing. Acknowledging that we have standards in our homes and expecting children to attempt to the best of their abilities to live up to those standards makes life better, more peaceful, more abundant.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson said, "Our Heavenly Father is a God of high expectations."  He knows who He wants us to be and provides ways for us to be transformed. "He knows what is required, and so, to make our transformation possible, He provides His commandments and covenants, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and most important, the Atonement and Resurrection of His Beloved Son." 

Our own little children don't know enough to ask for correction; we usually have to just give it to them, teaching and training them in the ways of the Lord and our home. 

We as adults though, know enough from gospel study and living to know when we are falling short of the Father's high expectations. Elder Christofferson says, "I would like to speak of one particular attitude and practice we need to adopt if we are to meet our Heavenly Father's high expectations. It is this: willingly to accept and even seek correction."

I know this is scary--what if I have to give up something that I really enjoy (perhaps my favorite sin), or do something that is uncomfortable, or causes feelings of embarrassment or vulnerability? I don't think I've asked because I'm afraid of what the answer might be.

Though it is often difficult to endure, truly we ought to rejoice that God considers us worth the time and trouble to correct.

 Divine chastening has at least three purposes: (1) to persuade us to repent, (2) to refine and sanctify us, and (3) at times to redirect our course in life to what God knows is a better path.

All of those are good reasons! Elder Christofferson repeats what Elder Johnson said in the Sunday morning session, "we should take care not to resent the very things that help us put on the divine nature."

This promise is comforting, "If we sincerely desire and strive to measure up to the high expectations of our Heavenly Father, He will ensure that we receive all the help we need, whether it be comforting, strengthening, or chastening."

Why do I ever doubt that my loving Father in Heaven will do whatever He can or needs to, to help me return to Him in our heavenly home? He's a better parent than I am and I can trust Him to give me what I need to become who I am supposed to be. 

 

Hear Him!

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday morning session of the April 2011 conference.

One of President Nelson's admonitions was to "Hear Him" especially as we made Jesus the focus of our lives, and let God prevail. Elder Uchtdorf's talk has some important reminders about how we can do exactly that.

To better hear His voice, it would be wise to turn down the volume control of the worldly noise in our lives.

 

My husband frequently asks me if I've heard about this or that in the news currently. Often I have only seen a headline but not followed through reading the whole article or listening to a podcast or YouTube video. I just don't have the "bandwidth" to keep up with all the bad news in the world. It gets to be so depressing and discouraging. (I wish there was a channel devoted to just reporting the good things that are happening!)

I love listening to the new hymns while I'm working around my home, currently packing up to move, or while I'm driving (it's forty-five minutes to the towns where I shop and attend church). The hymns are soothing, inspiring, and conducive to hearing the Spirit.

My dear brothers and sisters, let us strive to be among those whom the Lord can rely on to hear His whisperings and respond, as Saul did on his road to Damascus, "Lord, what wilt thou have me to do?"

Not only can we receive promptings for service, but answers to questions, solutions to challenges, and ways to move forward.

I remember what it's like to be home surrounded by clamoring children and in the throes of intense motherhood. Generally at the end of the day I could be heard saying, "Please, Mother needs peace!" Putting on some classical music to soothe the savage beasts helped relieve the clamor and brought a better spirit into our home, enough so that I could feel calm and be able to hear and perceive the Spirit. I remember a few times of receiving promptings of what I could do for the sisters I visited taught (the olden days). But also answers to what I could do for solving challenges we were facing in our family. Never discount the work we do in our homes with our families as somehow less than serving others outside. The people most important to us, now and in eternity, are our own family, spouse and children!

If we live according to our beliefs, people will notice. If the countenance of Jesus Christ shines in our lives, if we are joyful and at peace with the world, people will want to know why.

Once I asked my children if they could tell what was most important to me. "Yes, Mom, the gospel," they answered in an almost exasperated tone, as if that was a duh question. It made me feel good to know that I was doing something right and that they knew what and who my life was focused on, besides them.

Brothers and sisters, dear friends, let us not wait too long on our road to Damascus. Instead, let us courageously move forward in faith, hope and charity, and we will be blessed with the light was are all seeking upon the path of true discipleship.

So Many Thoughts

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

First things first. What a weekend!! Waking up Sunday morning to the news that President Russell M. Nelson had graduated from this mortal boarding school brought me to tears. Not for him, but for the rest of us left behind to continue slogging through the fight against evil. Which was evident Sunday morning in the attack on the church in Grand Blanc, Michigan. A place of peace and refuge from the storms of life was breached and burned to the ground by a madman. So much sadness in one day. But I suppose that we are getting a taste of the tribulations to come as the fight heats up and all hell breaks loose. We know which side wins, but the battles will be fierce and there will be mortal and spiritual casualties. I've always felt that our son James was a casualty in that fight. Satan succeeded in getting him addicted to alcohol and filling him with thoughts of worthlessness to the point he couldn't take anymore and ended his life seeking peace. I know from sacred experiences that James is now, in fact, at peace, progressing and very happy. 

Well, this priesthood session was full of good counsel for the brethren. But, as President Uchtdorf said, "The words written in the scriptures and spoken in general conference are for us 'to liken them unto [ourselves]', not for reading or hearing only." So I have applied that counsel to the group I am a part of, the Relief Society.

Elder Steven E. Snow gave a wonderful talk about Hope.

Hope is an emotion which brings richness to our everyday lives. . . . Hope can inspire dreams and spur us to realize those dreams. Hope alone, however, does not cause us to succeed. Many honorable hopes have gone unfulfilled, shipwrecked on the reefs of good intentions and laziness. . . . The exercise of hope enriches our lives and helps us look forward to the future. . . . In the gospel, hope is almost always related to faith and charity. . . . The spiritual journey of today requires no less hope nor faith than those of the early pioneers. Our challenges may be different, but the struggles are just as great.

I've often said that technology, fashion, and such change over time but human nature is the same today as it was in the days of Adam and Eve. We all have to overcome the natural man/woman and choose to be disciples of Jesus, obeying His commandments and keeping our covenants.

President Uchtdorf said that ". . . somewhere between the hearing, the writing of a reminder on our smartphone, and the actual doing, our 'do it' switch gets rotated to the 'later' position. [Sisters], let's make sure to set our 'do it' switch to the 'now' position. As you read the scriptures and listen to the words of the prophets with all your heart and mind, the Lord will tell you how to live up to your [Relief Society] privileges. Don't let a day go by without doing something to act on the promptings of the Spirit."

I remember President Kimball was known for having a little plaque on his desk that said "Do it" and he added the word "now!" to the sign. (Nike stole the slogan!)

President Uchtdorf talked about the emphasis on education and vocational training and commended those listening for becoming an expert in their chosen field. Then said, "I invite you to also become  experts in the doctrines of the gospel--especially the doctrine of the [Relief Society]."

I feel sad that few sisters know the history and purpose of the Relief Society anymore. To the younger women it's just another Sunday class, with an occasional get together to socialize.

How can the Relief Society sister strengthen homes and families when they are out chasing fulfillment in the workplace rather than finding it in the making of homes for weary husbands and children? How can we reach out to the needy, and supply their needs if we're too busy juggling a full-time job and the full-time work of raising a family? (No disrespect is meant to women who are single yet want to be married, my daughter being one; nor to any widows; or any other non-ideal situation. I know that many can't currently live the ideal. But that doesn't mean we disregard God's ideal and accept the world's.)

President Uchtdorf said, "Too often we fail to experience the bliss that come from daily, practical [Relief Society] service."

That daily, practical service can most often be in our own homes! What would it mean to a man, weary from the cares of providing for his family, to come home to a calm place of rest and love? That is service! Teaching children manners and reverence so they are well behaved at church. That is service! Sharing something with a neighbor. That is service! And from our homes and families we reach out to those beyond our immediate circle. 

I deeply appreciate what President Uchtdorf says about ministering (then called Home/Visiting Teaching), "[Sisters], if your [ministering] efforts don't seem to be effective to you, I invite you to see with the eye of faith what a visit from a servant of the Lord will do for a family that has many unseen problems." That was sure me, the family with many unseen problems; and I bless the two faithful sisters who visited me every month, talked of the gospel and bore their testimonies to me faithfully. They lifted me up and keep me going when I wanted to give up, all the while not knowing anything about my situation. They were angels to me.

There was more, but I think it best if you read the talks and hear what the Lord says to you through the Spirit. I love the talks to the men of the priesthood as I hear so much counsel that applies to me so perfectly.

Face the Future with Faith!

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday afternoon session of the April 2011 conference.

Elder Russell M. Nelson's address about faith is certainly timely in light of the condition of the world today. I'm so grateful for apostles and prophets (are they one and the same?). 

At the beginning of this year my sister asked me if I'd like to go on a trip to New England and Prince Edward Island in October. We made some plans but towards the end of the summer she confessed that she was fearful of social conditions and didn't want to go. We ended up going to Utah for a lovely week together. But we missed out on all the interesting historical sites in New England, and the life-long dream of seeing the place of Anne of Green Gables. Oh well. Maybe another time.

We live in a time of turmoil. Earthquakes and tsunamis weak devastation, governments collapse, economic stresses are severe, the family is under attack, and divorce rates are rising. We have great cause for concern. But we do not need to let our fears displace our faith. We can combat those fears by strengthening our faith.

We strengthen our faith by doing the things we learned in Primary: praying, studying the scriptures and words of modern prophets, participating in church meetings, worshipping in the temple, giving service to our fellow students in this mortal boarding school.

Elder Nelson encourages us to "start with your children." Teaching them by our words and actions to have faith in the Savior Jesus Christ, faith in God's plan of salvation, faith to keep all the commandments. 

Warn them that they will encounter people who pick which commandments they will keep and ignore others that they choose to break. I call this the cafeteria approach to obedience. This practice of picking and choosing will not work. It will lead to misery. To prepare to meet God, one keeps all of His commandments. It takes faith to obey them, and keeping His commandments will strengthen that faith.

I've learned as a parent that children pick up on any hypocrisy displayed by adults. They want to trust in parents and leaders whose actions match their words. This is also called integrity. We adults need to be the "do as I do" variety, not the "do as I say" kind. It's difficult and tiring, but it also gives us opportunities to teach about repentance and forgiveness as we confess our mistakes and press forward working on improving.

One commandment Elder Nelson mentions specifically is tithing.

To develop enduring faith, an enduring commitment to be a full-tithe payer is essential. Initially it takes faith to tithe. Then the tithe payer develops more faith to the point that tithing become a precious privilege. Tithing is an ancient law from God. He made a promise to His children that He would open "the windows of heaven, and pour out . . . a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it." Not only that, tithing will keep your name enrolled among the people of God and protect you in "the day of vengeance and burning."

Interestingly, two days before he ended his life, our son received some money (I don't know what kind of payment it was) and he did two things: paid tithing and went to the grocery store. He didn't always attend church, but he always paid tithing. He had a firm testimony of the blessings from living that commandment. 

Elder Nelson asks, "Why do we need such resilient faith? Because difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested."

After our son died I wanted to quit life too, not seriously, but it just seemed too hard to keep going. Except that I knew I needed to pass my tests if I wanted to be with my son in an eternal family. No giving up allowed! Elder Nelson said, "You faithful Saints do not have to fight life's battles alone. Think of that! The Lord declared, 'I will contend with him that contented with thee, and I will save thy children.'" That promise keeps me going.

  

 

The Atonement Covers All Pain

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday morning session of the April 2011 conference.

"No pain that we suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. It ministers to our education, to the development of such qualities as patience, faith, fortitude, and humility. . . . It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation, that we gain the education that we come here to acquire."

Elder Kent F. Richards was quoting an earlier apostle, Elder Orson F. Whitney.

Sometimes in the depth of pain we are tempted to ask, 'Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there?' I testify the answer is yes, there is a physician. The Atonement of Jesus Christ covers all these conditions and purposes of mortality. 

I can add my testimony and witness that what Elder Richards said is true. I have felt the healing power and comfort of the Atonement through all kinds of physical, emotional, and spiritual pain. Some experiences are too sacred to share. But I know His power is real and His love is limitless and compassionate.

P.S. I got to visit Marilyn of Light in Leaves this past week; she and her children are as delightful in person as they are in her blog.