Talk Talk Talk

I was called to be the Stake Relief Society President in the Provo YSA 17th Stake in October 2009. I have had so many opportunities to talk to members of the stake. In August 2011 my husband, Kim, became the Bishop of the YSA 251st ward. I was released from Stk. RS President in Novembe. In August 2014, Kim was released and we returned to our home ward. I still have occasional opportunities to bear testimony of Jesus Christ. This is a compilation of just that. I am but one voice.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

The Savior Is Our Example

Three times a year, at the beginning of each semester, we have a stake leadership training meeting. It's held at 7:00 in the morning and all ward leadership is invited to attend. We meet first with the stake presidency to receive instruction from them. Then we divide into our own auxiliary departments. That's when we, as a stake relief society presidency, get to meet with all the ward presidencies. I am always so impressed with how many make it to that early morning meeting. It's a true sign of all of their dedication to their callings and their love for the Lord.

In May 2010 this is the message I prepared for our ward leaders.

Why are we here today? Because we are in the business of Saving Souls! So how do we do that? By doing what Jesus did. He came to the earth to atone for our sins, to save us spiritually. He came to save us from temporal death, to be resurrected so we could have our bodies for eternity. In 3 Nephi 27: 13-14 we read “I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me” (3 Nephi 27:13–14). In continuing His sermon, He revealed His second objective—to be our exemplar: “Ye know the things that ye must do … ; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do” (3 Nephi 27:21). To his apostles he said, “I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done” (John 13:15).

This is our charge as well, to do as he did. I’d like to take a few minutes and look at the things that He did. In John 4 we read how Jesus stopped at the well of Jacob while traveling through Samaria on his way to Galilee. He asks a Samaritan woman to give him a drink at which time she is confused that a Jew would ask a Samaritan for water. At which he replies that if she knew who He was she would know He could give her living water. In conversing with Jesus, the woman realizes He is the Christ and brings others to the well to be taught by Him. In John 4:41 we read, “And many more believed because of his own word.”

In Matt 4: 23 we read, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom. .” vs. 25 “and there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee.” and continuing on into chap. 5:1-2 “And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth and taught them.” He taught them the beatitudes which are the blessings available to us. He taught about the light of the world and reminded them about the teachings of Moses. And then He taught them a higher law, to love one another. He taught them about prayer, repentance and obedience and many other things. And when He finished speaking it says in Matt 7:28-29, “when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine: For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.” They knew he was someone different.

I love the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus had come to their home and was teaching. Mary sat at his feet listening and learning while Martha went about the home working and preparing food. Martha becomes frustrated that her sister is not helping and says something to Jesus about it. He then says to Martha, “Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part. .” Mary realized the importance of hearing his teachings and learning his words. Jesus spent most of his time teaching the people. He was a master teacher.

When Jesus wasn’t teaching He was serving. There are endless examples of the love he showed to others by serving them. As he was entering the city of Nain, there was a funeral procession, the men were carrying out the only son of a widow. When Jesus saw the weeping mother, he had compassion on her. Luke 7:14, “and he came and touched the bier; and they that bare him stood still. And he said, young man, I say unto thee, arise. And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.”

In the same chapter, the centurion’s servant was very ill. The centurion didn’t feel worthy to have Jesus enter into his home but asked him to heal the servant. When those that were with him returned to the centurion’s home, the servant had been healed.

In Matt 5 we read, that Jesus went about all Galilee “healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease. They brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatic, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them.” We know that when he visited the people in the Americas after his resurrection, that he asked that their sick and blind and lame or leprous and withered and deaf and any others be brought to him for he had compassion upon them and then he healed them.

Jesus also served by helping. When there was a wedding in Cana and the ruler of the feast wanted wine but there was none, Jesus had them fill the waterpots with water. He then told them to give from the pot to the governor of the feast. The governor was given wine. He said it must have been the best saved for the occasion.

We know, that He went about doing good to others. He called the children to come to him when his disciples thought he was too busy to be bothered with children. He blessed the children of the Nephites when He visited there and commissioned the angels to teach them.

One of the greatest examples of service happened after Jesus had eaten the last supper with his apostles. He removes his outer robe, puts a towel around his waist and then commences in washing the feet of each disciple.

There are many, many, many examples of Him healing, helping, serving. Jesus Christ served and taught the people because he loved them. In everything you read, his love emanates. John 15:9 “As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.”

John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life.” As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is our responsibility to follow Jesus Christ and to do as He did. As members of Relief Society Presidencies it is our responsibility to teach, to serve and to love.

We are in the Business of Saving Souls. We live in a difficult world. We have the great responsibility to teach the sisters in our stake. They all know what is right. We just need to encourage them to live the gospel and to have faith in Jesus Christ’s commandments. Please remember that living the gospel will bring you far more happiness then living the life of the world. Pres. Monson said in closing in this past general conference (April 2010): “My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing.”

Look to the Lord. Follow his example. I love you. Heavenly Father loves you. Thank you for all that you do! Let’s go save some souls.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

LOVE

In May it was my turn to prepare the Stake Relief Society Presidency message. This is the message I gave.

My three year old granddaughter, in her 3 year old language, sang me a song the other day. I wish I could remember the way she said some of the words. It was priceless:

As I have loved you

Love one another

This new commandment

Love one another

By this shall men know

Ye are my disciples.

If ye have love

One to another.

This is my message to you this month. Jesus taught, “A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another” (John 13:34). Love is the miracle in all of our lives. It can heal souls. It can teach the gospel. We speak kindly and are gentle because of love. Love enlightens the understanding. It’s what causes us to be patient and obedient and to make sacrifices. Love saves souls. It can accomplish all things. Pres. Monson said in the Oct. 1996 Ensign, “Love is the catalyst that causes change. Love is the balm that brings healing to the soul.”

So what does it really mean to have love “one to another”? I think that means we are serving one another. We notice those who are alone in our Sunday meetings and either invite them to sit with us or we sit with them. I think it means that when we are outside of our apartments, we talk to those we pass on the sidewalks. We invite our neighbors over for a Sunday evening treat. It means we may have to get out of our comfort zone to reach out to others. It means we have to stop worrying about ourselves and start worrying about those that are less fortunate than we are. It means we treat others the way that we want to be treated.

In the same talk mentioned previously, President Monson also said “Tears came to my eyes when I read of a young boy who noticed a vagrant asleep on a sidewalk and who then went to his own bedroom, retrieved his pillow, and placed it beneath the head of that one whom he knew not. Perhaps there came from the past these welcome words: : ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me’ (Matt. 25:40).” This is what love is.

May you love your families. May you love your roommates. May you find in your heart the love you need to love those that are hard to love. May you love those that you don’t even know. May you have love one for another as Jesus loves you.

Friday, April 22, 2011

BECOME PRICELESS

In March 2010, we had a stake workshop. We offered 8 great classes for the girls to choose from. They could attend only two. We had the girls sign up in advance so we would have an idea of how many to expect, plus we were serving lunch afterwards so we needed to have an idea on how much food to prepare. So according to the signups we planned on 450 girls. WOW! Doesn't that sound impressive. We were so excited to think that many would come. Well, reality struck that Saturday morning when we only had about 150 girls. We were grateful for those dedicated young women. They really appreciated all the leftover food that many of them took home with them. It was a great learning experience for us. Take those signups with a grain of salt. Anyway, I was the "guest" speaker. After much prayer and studying, this was the talk I gave that morning.

Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Proverbs 31:10

I looked up virtuous in the dictionary. Sometimes we think of having virtue as being sexually pure. But it is more: it’s having or showing moral goodness or righteousness

Synonyms for virtuous are good, righteous, worthy, honorable and moral.

Listen for the characteristics of virtuous women as I read

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

13 She seeketh wool, and flax, and worketh willingly with her hands.

14 She is like the merchants’ ships; she bringeth her food from afar.

15 She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household, and a portion to her maidens.

16 She considereth a field, and buyeth it: with the fruit of her hands she planteth a vineyard.

17 She girdeth her loins with strength, and strengtheneth her arms.

18 She perceiveth that her merchandise is good: her candle goeth not out by night.

19 She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff.

20 She stretcheth out her hand to the poor; yea, she reacheth forth her hands to the needy.

21 She is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet.

22 She maketh herself coverings of tapestry; her clothing is silk and purple.

23 Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land.

24 She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.

25 Strength and honour are her clothing; and she shall rejoice in time to come.

26 She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness.

27 She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness.

28 Her children arise up, and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praiseth her.

29 Many daughters have done virtuously, but thou excellest them all.

30 Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.

31 Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates.

10 ¶ Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

These are beautiful verses for I see a woman who is beautiful, talented, hard working, unselfish, kind, knowledgeable, supportive, trustworthy, wise, giving of herself, charitable, willing to work with her hands and continually learning, growing and progressing.

This is your time. This is your day! Take advantage of the great opportunities all around you to gain temporal as well as spiritual knowledge. It is your responsibility to see that you grow and progress and become as valuable as the Lord sees you—far above rubies. BECOME PRICELESS!

I did some research on rubies. Rubies are not a simple gem. They are complex and a bit of a mystery. Geologists are amazed that rubies even exist because of the rareness of the material that they are made of and the extreme unlikelihood that iron and other elements didn’t mix with it to form other gems. Rubies like other gems, were formed with extreme high heat and extreme pressure. They have a remarkable radiance when put under ultraviolet light. Most ruby is found in concentrations of marble at the base of the Himalayan mountains. For centuries rubies have been used as a symbol of good fortune and protection. Some rubies are more valuable than the clearest diamonds.

In the scriptures we have many examples of women who exemplified their worth. Esther is one of my favorites. Esther was an orphan. She was raised by her adult cousin, Mordecai. When she was a young woman the queen of the land was dismissed , so the King was in need of a new queen. He asked for all the available maidens to come to his palace so that he might choose a new queen. Mordecai felt that his cousin, Esther, should go before the King. She was obedient and went. Of course we know that Esther was chosen to be his queen. And the King loved Esther. Unbeknownst to the King, Esther was a Jew. The King, being advised by one of his men, issued a decree to have all the Jews killed. When Mordecai found out, he told Esther she must go before the King and plead with him to take back the decree. Esther was frightened for the queen was not allowed to go before the King uninvited. Mordecai said to Esther, “Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews. “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, if you say or do nothing and think only of yourself . . . thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esth. 4:13,14).

I’m sure Esther was frightened. But Esther knew her role, she knew who she was and she knew her Heavenly Father and decided she must try to save her people. She along with all her people, fasted and prayed for 3 days and then Esther went before the King, without him calling her. Fortunately the King accepted her presence. She then asked him to take the decree back and explained that she was a Jew and he would have to have her killed as well. Esther’s wish was granted and the Jews were saved. Esther did not think only of herself. She showed great courage and faith.

Ruth, a Moabite by birth, is another great example. She married the son of Naomi, who was widowed early in life. Ruth’s husband and son of Naomi died also at a young age. After the death of both of her sons, Naomi desired to return to her homeland in Judah. Ruth insisted that she go with her, leaving behind her own family and traditions and beliefs to embrace the God of Israel. Ruth 1:16 And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: Naomi allowed her to come. Once they were in Bethlehem, Ruth went into the fields to glean the field after the reapers. She gathered what was missed. I’m sure this was not a pleasant or an easy job. She found favor in the eyes of Boaz, the owner of the fields, because of her dedication to Naomi and her hard work. Then Boaz, invited her to eat with him and the reapers and ordered the head servant to make sure that there was abundant barley left behind for her to glean. As Ruth continued to follow the counsel of her mother-in-law, she eventually married Boaz and gave birth to a son, Obed, through whose lineage the Savior was born. From Ruth we learn of faith, hope, charity, obedience, devotion and hard work.

In the book of Samuel we read of Hannah. Hannah was a righteous woman who loved the Lord. More than anything, she wanted to have a child, but she was baron. One day while worshipping at the temple, she prayed earnestly to God, and told him that if she would be blessed with a son she would give him to the Lord. Shortly after this, Hannah’s prayer was answered and she gave birth to a son, Samuel. After the child was weaned, Hannah kept her commitment and brought Samuel to the temple to be raised by the high priest, Eli. 1 Samuel 1: 27 For this child I prayed; and the Lord hath given me my petition which I asked of him:

28 Therefore also I have lent him to the Lord; as long as he liveth he shall be lent to the Lord. And he worshipped the Lord there.

How easily she could have said nothing and simply raised the child herself for no one had heard the words she had prayed at the temple. But she knew the Lord had heard her prayer and had granted her wish. She loved Him and wanted to serve the Lord, therefore she kept her word. We know, also, that Hannah loved this child when we read in chapter 2 vs. 19 Moreover his mother made him a little coat, and brought it to him from year to year, when she came up with her husband to offer the yearly sacrifice.

I can’t imagine the sorrow and heartache she must have felt to give up this child she had wanted so badly. Hannah was blessed, though, with many more children. I am confident that she was a great mother and that she taught these children to serve the Lord. Hannah, like Esther and Ruth, was a woman of faith, charity and obedience. She was also devoted to the Lord, and willing to sacrifice.

Sarah was the wife of Abraham. They lived at a time when the people were in apostasy and worshipped idols. There was great evil and wickedness on the earth. Abraham had been promised that he would be the father of a great nation, but his wife Sarah was baron. Even though I’m sure Sarah did not understand why she wasn’t being blessed with a child, she remained faithful. She stayed at the side of Abraham, supporting him and serving faithfully. Finally after many years of disappointment, trials, hardships, and I’m sure blessings, Sarah, at the age of 90, gave birth to Isaac. You know that she must have taught him the ways of the Lord, for he was a strong and faithful son, even though he would have been exposed to all the evils that surrounded him. She would have taught him about the covenant the Lord had made with Abraham and that he was the chosen heir of that covenant and how his honor would influence generations to come. I think of Sarah as a rock, patient, enduring all things, waiting on the Lord.

One more example of a virtuous woman in the Old Testament is Rebekah. I love the story of Rebekah. Abraham’s servants had been sent to find a wife for Isaac. When they came to the well outside the city, they were tired and thirsty but they knew what they were looking for. A woman who willing would let down her pitcher into the well and give them water and water for their 10 camels as well. Genesis 24: 16 And the damsel was very fair to look upon, a virgin, neither had any man known her: and she went down to the well, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Let me, I pray thee, drink a little water of thy pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord: and she hasted, and let down her pitcher upon her hand, and gave him drink. (she puts out her hands and gives him a drink out of her own hands, she didn’t just hand him the pitcher—to me that shows her character)

19 And when she had done giving him drink, she said, I will draw water for thy camels also, until they have done drinking.

20 And she hasted, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran again unto the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels.

We know that that would be a tremendous amount of water, a tremendous amount of work. Again, Rebekah’s character shines forth. She had learned to work hard. She cared about others. She had charity. It also makes me think, that she probably listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, which may have prompted her to get this man a drink. The servant of Abraham knew immediately that this was a righteous woman and that she would be the wife to Isaac. After a long journey, Rebekah met Isaac. “When she saw him, Rebekah put on a veil as a sign of her virtue, modesty, respect, and readiness for a covenant marriage.”

In the Book of Mormon we don’t have many women spoken of by name. But there is one that stands out to me. In the conversion story of King Lamoni, Abish comes forward. She gained a testimony of Jesus Christ after her father received a vision. Abish is a Lamanite and so for many years she hid her beliefs and studied in secret. When King Lamoni and his queen were taught the gospel by Ammon, they had such a strong witness by the spirit that they were all struck down as if they were dead. Abish, a servant to King Lamoni, understood what had happened to them. She was so excited that she ran to tell the people so they would see the great hand of the Lord and be converted as well. Unfortunately the crowd did not react the way Abish thought they would. They were angry with Ammon. Abish touched the hand of the queen, who immediately awoke and bore strong testimony to the people. Some left the area while others felt the spirit and stayed to learn more. When King Lamoni arose, he also began to teach his people. Many were converted. How disappointed Abish must have been at first. But she did not retreat, but went to the queen for help. She had faith and conviction. How excited she must have been when many were converted and baptized. She would no longer have to believe in secret. She was a woman of strong faith and knew how to endure.

Now you young sisters, we are so blessed with examples of righteous women all around us. You are blessed to be here in this valley where the gospel is strong. Where people want to live the gospel. There is so much good for you to learn and take hold of. The windows of opportunity are endless. It is up to you to decide how much knowledge you want to gain. It’s up to you to choose the path you want to go on.

My husband and I, especially my husband, like to watch American Idol. One of the things the judges often say to the contestants, “You have got to find out who you are. Every week you get on stage and portray a different image. What is it that you want to be known as? What kind of a singer are you?” That’s what each one of you girls have to do. You have to find out who you are. What do you like to do? What do you do well? What is it that you want to be known for? What personality do you want to portray to your fellowman? What is it that you want to fill your time with every day? You find out who you are by trying new things, by learning and growing and progressing. You find out who you are by DOING. God has a plan for you. You need to find out what it is.

Heavenly Father blessed all of us with great ability and talent. Our job is to seek out and find what those talents are.

D&C 46:8 . . . seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;. . . .

10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, . . .

11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, . . .

12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

Robert D. Hales said that verse 10 makes reference to our “minds,” meaning our ability to study, learn, and develop our intelligence, gifts, and talents. We have the responsibility to improve ourselves. (Robert D. Hales, “Every Good Gift,” New Era, Aug 1983, 4)

L. Tom Perry said, “All of us are endowed with abundant talent, beauty, and ability. Our lack of productivity can never be blamed on a lack of raw material.” (L. Tom Perry, “Staying Power,” Ensign, Jul 2003, 40–44) It’s all there—it just needs to be developed.

I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to speak to you today. It has caused me to do some deep reflecting. I have prayed earnestly for the Lord’s hand as I prepared this talk. I hope that it gives you strength and courage to move forward in your life, to listen to the Lord to know what direction He would have you take. The world is pulling you from every angle. Satan does not want you to be happy. He does not want you to be successful in life. He doesn’t want you to know how valuable you are. Please follow the council of Pres. Mullen. Become familiar with the “for strength of youth” pamphlet. I was so impressed last Sunday in our Sunday school class when during a discussion one sister pulled out her “for strength of youth” pamphlet and read exactly what it said about the topic we were discussing. Be careful about the way you dress, especially as we move into summer and warmer weather. Dress in such a way that does not draw attention to your body. Think before you speak so that your language is in accordance with a daughter of God. Treat others with kindness, compassion and love. Live the golden rule everywhere you go. Take every opportunity to help and serve others. Open your minds and learn as much as you can. Watch the good examples of others and follow in their footsteps. Be strong. Know that God loves you. Have hope and faith and press forward, always holding onto the iron rod. And as you do these things, you will see how priceless you are and that your value exceeds that of rubies.

The Original "Become Priceless"

I prepared this talk originally for the Relief Society March Workshop in 2010. I don't remember for sure, but as I recall, the day before the workshop, I just wasn't feeling great about this talk and I re-wrote it. I never gave this talk. You'll notice lots of similarities in the one I gave and this one but also many changes. It's interesting how things work sometimes. Here's the original:

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

I did some research on rubies. Rubies are not a simple gem. They are complex and a bit of a mystery. Geologists are amazed that rubies even exist because of the rareness of the material that it is made of and the extreme unlikelihood that iron and other elements didn’t mix with it to form other gems. Rubies like other gems, were formed with extreme high heat and extreme pressure. They have a remarkable radiance when put under ultraviolet light. Most ruby is found in concentrations of marble at the base of the Himalayan mountains. For centuries rubies have been used as a symbol of good fortune and protection. Some rubies are more valuable than the clearest diamonds.

So you women are very valuable indeed. You are priceless. Thus our theme: “Become Priceless” for your journey here with all the experiences you have and all the knowledge you gain, continues to add to your value and worth. And your color and clarity become visible to all. This is your time. This is your day! Take advantage of the great opportunities all around you to gain temporal as well as spiritual knowledge. It is your responsibility to see that you grow and progress and become as valuable as the Lord sees you—far above rubies.

In January 2008 my oldest sister was diagnosed with chronic lymphomic leukemia or CLL. When the doctor gave her this news, she told my sister that she could not be cured but that this disease was treatable. They hoped to be able to give her at least 20 more years of good life. At the time she was 56 years old. Relatively young but the prospects of being able to live until your 76 isn’t all THAT bad. Not perfect or great news but news you can live with. At the time she was acting as superintendent of a small school, contingent on her getting her doctorate degree, which she was working on. She went through all of her treatments, continued her busy schedule of working full time, going to school part time, being a wife and mother, being actively involved in her ward and working in the temple on weekends. About a year later, after completing her treatments six months previously, she was still extremely tired. She contributed that to her busy schedule and scaled back on her activities. After many blood transfusions and more testing, she was further diagnosed with diffused large B-cell Lymphoma. Her cancer had spread through the spinal fluid and into the lining of her brain. She lived 2 ½ more months. On her headstone was engraved her favorite scripture, Proverbs 31:10 “For who can find a virtuous woman, for her price is far above rubies.. . .” My sister never planned her life to be over at age 58. None of us know, when our journey here is done. Now is the time for us to prepare for what will come tomorrow. So often at your stage in life you might say, “I’ll wait to learn to do that when I’m married. I’ll do that when I have children. That can wait until I’ve finished with school.” It’s so easy to put off til tomorrow what you can do today! And some things just have to wait because of lack of time or it isn’t the right time. But right now, take advantage of all that you can. Live everyday as if it were your last. You have so many opportunities for growth. Not only in your school and formal education, but in every aspect of your life. My sister was doing all that she knew how to do, to be the person her Heavenly Father wanted her to be. She was priceless. Each one of you girls is priceless as well. My sister knew who she was. She wasn’t just a daughter of God, which is the most important thing to know about yourself, but she was an educator, she was a mentor to young people, she was a teacher to her children, she was a support to her husband, she loved her heavenly father, she loved life and the people that were around her.

My husband and I, especially my husband, really like to watch American Idol. One of the things the judges often say to the contestants, “You have got to find out who you are. Every week you get on stage and portray a different image. What is it that you want to be known as? What kind of a singer are you?” That’s what each one of you girls have to do. You have to find out who you are. What do you like to do? What do you do well? What is it that you want to be known for? What personality do you want to portray to your fellowman? What is it that you want to fill your time with every day? You find out who you are by trying new things, by learning and growing and progressing. You find out who you are by DOING. God has a plan for you. You need to find out what it is. My sister grew and progressed and expanded. And then her time here came to a close. Now she is continuing to grow and progress in the next segment of her life. The journey continues. You are at the cross roads of your journey. It’s up to you which direction you choose to go.

Heavenly Father blessed all of us with great ability and talent. Our job is to seek out and find what those talents are.

D&C 46:8 . . . seek ye earnestly the best gifts, always remembering for what they are given;. . . .

10 And again, verily I say unto you, I would that ye should always remember, and always retain in your minds what those gifts are, . . .

11 For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, . . .

12 To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.

Robert D. Hales said, that verse 10 makes reference to our “minds,” meaning our ability to study, learn, and develop our intelligence, gifts, and talents. We have the responsibility to improve ourselves. (Robert D. Hales, “Every Good Gift,” New Era, Aug 1983, 4)

Ezra Taft Benson, said in a talk in 1988. Jesus knows our weaknesses and He knows our strengths. By personal revelation, we may discover some of our strengths through careful and prayerful study of our patriarchal blessing. In prayer we can ask Him to reveal to us our weaknesses so that we can amend our lives. The Lord has promised in Ether 12:27: “If men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. … if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

God can reveal to us our talents and our strengths so that we will know what we can build upon.

Each of you should have a patriarchal blessing. I love my patriarchal blessing and I read it from time to time. It helps me to know that not only does my Heavenly Father love me, but He has a plan for me. It has helped me to know where I have strengths and weaknesses and that I can make my weaknesses strengths.

Our weaknesses may be a weakness only because we haven’t put effort into it and made it a strength. Some of you were born with talents that were just laid before you and all you’ve had to do was take of hold of them and run. Some of you have talents that have taken hard work and will continue to take effort to fully develop them. All of you have weaknesses, but if you will go to your Heavenly Father he can help you make them strengths. For example, some of you may have a hard time controlling the money that comes into your possession. When you have cash, you spend it. When you see something you want, you buy it, maybe even making the excuse that you NEED it. When you see something on sale you buy it because it’s a really good deal. You can’t have a credit card because you rack it up to the maximum and then you can’t pay it back. This is a weakness. But is this something that can be made into a strength? Absolutely!

One of my weaknesses is that I cannot communicate what is in my head. I have these great thoughts but they just don’t come out my mouth. I feel like I totally understand something, but there isn’t any way that I could help someone else understand the same principle. I also go completely blank when I am in front of people. But the Lord has continued to call me to positions where I have to stand before a crowd, as I am today. I know that if I will adequately prepare that my weakness will be made strong and I can see the Lord’s hand in my life. This would never happen if I had said to the many Bishops and Stake Presidents who have extended callings to me, I can’t speak in front of people, I can’t accept this calling. My weakness would overpower me and I would be missing out on great opportunities for growth and many blessings in my life. Don’t run away from your weaknesses. Be humble, and search for ways to overcome. Heavenly Father cannot make your weaknesses into strengths if all you do is watch TV, play computer or video games and eat brownies. You have to be an active participant. The same idea applies to talents. You won’t know you have a talent until you’ve tried it out. Robert D. Hales said, A friend of mine was asked, “Do you play the piano?” He replied, “I don’t know, I haven’t tried yet.” What a great lesson! How many talents we may have hidden that are waiting to emerge if we just try!

I have some river rocks that I have brought with me today. A river rock may spend hundreds of years with water running over it. This causes the rock to be smoothed and shaped. It may also be pushed through the water, tumbling over and around other rocks. This will also help its formation. When I was looking up river rocks on the internet. I mostly found landscaping sites. One site said, Every stone is hand picked for their unique shapes and individual characteristics.

We are like these river rocks, we go through life tumbling along being bumped and smoothed and shaped by our experiences and by those that we come in contact with. Sometimes the forces that are around us may actually break off a chunk of us leaving us with sharp and jagged edges. But over time, those edges can be made smooth to the point that you would never know that they had once been rough. Like the river rocks, we all have unique shapes and individual characteristics. Don’t be ashamed of who you are. Don’t think you have to be like everyone else. WE are all unique. What a boring world if we all liked the same things and wanted to do the same things. In fact, I don’t think our society could exist if that were the case. There is too much to be accomplished and if we were all doing the same thing, it couldn’t all be done.

Proverbs 31:10-31: I looked up virtuous in the dictionary. Sometimes we think of having virtue as being sexually pure. But it is more: having or showing moral goodness or righteousness