Dating taught by Brother Justin and Sister Shannon Weiss
Decision Making taught by Bishop Kirk and Sister Kathy Benson
Presenting your Best Self by Sister Cassie Myers
Meal Planning and Healthy Lifestyles taught by Sister Sherrie Larsen
Budgets and Finances by Brother Kim Roper (my infamous husband!)
Balancing Life by Bishop Bob and Sister Celest Lott
Positive Attitudes taught by Bishop Reid and Sister Karen Heiss
Preparing to be a wife and mother taught by Sister Valerie Heaton
It was a pretty impressive outline if you do ask me! We started in the auditorium where I was the keynote speaker and President Richard Heaton spoke for a few minutes after me. We split up into our classes where they were able to attend two. Afterwards we had lunch all together. Sister Cherie Peterson and her husband, Terry, provided us with a delicious taco salad. I think everyone enjoyed the morning.
Here is my talk:
A few months ago: My presidency and I visited each of your wards for ward conferences and I left you with 3 areas of council and 1 challenge. Who remembers the areas of council that I gave you? (no one did :( but one girl, Beth Yates, had her notes from ward conference and she looked them up.)
1. Stay away from pornography and anything that resembles it.
2. Don’t spend countless hours doing things that have no purpose.
3. Be careful how you dress.
Challenge:
Get rid of anything that is too low, too short or too tight. Or at least modify it. Don’t buy anything that fits into those 3 areas.
How are you doing? Anyone have an experience with one of the 3 areas of council they would like to share?? [no one did! :( ]
When I prepared for ward conferences, I felt very strongly that these were the things the Lord would have been saying to you. This morning I felt like I needed to remind you of these things. I feel strongly that the Lord will bless you for your efforts to follow that council.
Going along with challenge to stay away from pornography and anything that resembles it: Pres. Monson said at a CES fireside in 2009,
"Whatever you read, listen to, or watch makes an impression on you.
Don’t be afraid to walk out of a movie, turn off a television set, or change the radio station if what’s being presented does not meet your Heavenly Father’s standards. In short, if you have any question about whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is appropriate, don’t see it, don’t read it, don’t participate."
Going along with how we spend our time: Elder M. Russell Ballard talked a little bit about time in Nov 2010 CES Fireside:
“Are you giving the Lord equal time? You live in a world filled with technology, where there is such easy access to electronic information, entertainment, and social networks on your home computer, your iPad, or your iPhone. No generation before you has had so much technology available at their fingertips. Through Facebook and other social networks you can stay in touch with friends all over the world. While these are marvelous tools, I caution you not to let the use of technology capture your time to the point that you become addicted to constantly using them. Somehow you need to limit their use so they do not steal away from you what is essential, precious, and eternal.”
Elder Bednar said at a CES Fireside in 2009,
A young man or woman may waste countless hours, postpone or forfeit vocational or academic achievement, and ultimately sacrifice cherished human relationships because of mind- and spirit-numbing video and online games. As the Lord declared, “Wherefore, I give unto them a commandment … : Thou shalt not idle away thy time, neither shalt thou bury thy talent that it may not be known” (D&C 60:13).
I read several talks where this topic was mentioned. I think our leaders are very concerned. Since ward conferences, I personally have been very much aware of how I spend my time. I’m also aware of my clothing and what I watch on TV and movies.
In D&C 130: 20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—21And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.
The Lord will bless you tremendously if you will do the things He asks.
At Ward Conferences, Pres. Mullen also gave you an assignment—does anyone remember what he asked you to go home and do:
--Look in the mirror and tell yourself that you are AWESOME!! Because each one of you are. . .
That brings me to today’s theme: BORN TO BE!
One of my favorite bible stories is the story of Esther. 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 Esther should go before the King. She went and consequently she was chosen to be his queen. 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. And that’s when Mordecai said to her:
Esther 4:14 “. . . who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Esther realized the great responsibility and role she had to try and save her people. She said she would do this and then said, “and if I perish I perish.” She than asked for all the Jews to fast and pray for her for 3 days. She prepared a great feast for the King and then went to him and asked him to take back the decree. He did take back the decree and her life was spared as well.
Esther had a great role in her life. She knew that God had a plan for her and she had the faith necessary to accomplish that plan.
God has a mission for each of you sisters as well. I would like to alter that scripture to say,
“who knoweth whether thou art born on the earth for such a time as this?”
Elder L. Tom Perry: CES Fireside March 6
“You are the generation which the Lord has saved for this day!”
You have been told that countless times.
Many of you if not all of you have patriarchal blessings that tell you that you were foreordained to come to earth at this time. That because of the choices you made in the pre-existence you were saved to come to earth when the gospel is here.
You have been blessed and fore ordained and endowed with special talents that are just waiting to be discovered and developed. You are choice and noble daughters of our eternal Heavenly Father. You have divine potential.
This is a great and exciting and wonderful time. The world is filled with light and knowledge. There is so much available for you. The best thing is the gospel of Jesus Christ and each of you has been given the opportunity to be a part of building the kingdom of God through His gospel. With the gospel comes the Gift of the Holy Ghost. And with the Gift of the Holy Ghost comes personal revelation! Anything the Lord would like to reveal, HE can through this great power! What a great gift this is in our lives. We also live in a time when the earth has been flooded with knowledge. I am ever so amazed at the new things that scientists and researchers are continuing to discover.
Elder M. Russell Ballard said:
"Heavenly Father has an eternal plan for each one of you. Your birthright, the privilege you have of being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is like unto a miracle in a world of some six billion people. You made some very important promises and commitments to Heavenly Father while living with Him in the pre-mortal world."
You were Born to Be here TODAY! To be here when the world is full of good and evil. You were Born to Be the woman our Heavenly Father knows you can be.
You were Born to Be like our Savior, Jesus Christ.
You were Born to Be “examples of the believers, in word, in conversation, in faith . . .
You were Born to Be someone who will make a difference in this world.
You were Born to Be, “honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, lovely, of good report and praiseworthy”
You were Born to Be—stewards of your bodies. We were given this physical body, to take care of it. It is a temple of God.
Sometimes along the path of life, we may set our goals and ambitions and kind of decide what we want our lives to look like. And we think we know exactly how it should look. Which isn’t a bad thing as long as we are willing to let go when things don’t quite go the way we think they should.
Example: When I was pregnant with our third child, a few days before she was due, I stopped feeling her move. I became concerned and talked to a few people. My sister-in-law who was a nurse, told me not to worry that it meant I was going to go into labor. I tried to take her advice, but the longer it went the more I worried. That night I remember waking up in the middle of the night and trying to get the baby to move and crying for fear that she was dead. At that time, I begged and pleaded with Heavenly Father that he would make her live. I knew He had the power to do that. Jesus Christ had raised several from the dead, and if this baby was dead, He could make her live. This was not in my plans to lose a child. But it was in God’s plan and my baby was stillborn. I could have gone home after burying her, and curled up in my bed and spiritually and emotionally died. But I didn’t. I didn’t loose faith. If anything it strengthened my faith. I knew Heavenly Father loved me. I knew that my Meggie had gone on to another phase of her life. I felt the peace that only a loving Heavenly Father can send. I still am at peace. I now have a granddaughter that bears her name.
We don’t always know what lies around the corner for us. But we must trust in our Heavenly Father to know that He does know and He will never leave us alone. He will never expect us to live this life without his help and support and guidance. You made choices before this life that brought you here at this time. So no matter how hard or how easy, You Were Born for a such a time as this.
You have to decide What are you going to do with your time here and with the cards you’re dealt?
In August 2008 a young mother went with her husband and his flight instructor in a small aircraft for a “day trip” from Mesa to New Mexico. When taking off from an airport, they got tangled in some power lines and the plane caught on fire and crashed. Stephanie Nielsen and her husband Christian survived the crash. Christian had burns over 35% of his body. Stephanie had burns over 83% of her body. They had 4 young children waiting for them at home. Stephanie was in a coma for 3 months. She spent 3 more months recovering in the AZ Burn center. Stephanie was an avid blogger before the plane accident. She had hundreds of followers because of her love for being a mother and wife. She wrote about the good times and she wrote about the struggles and I think that’s why people loved her. She was real. After her accident, Stephanie no longer looked like Stephanie. She, at first, didn’t feel like her old self. Physically, she was in a lot of pain. Eventually, with the persuasion of her family she started blogging again. She now feels responsible to tell and share her story. Life is still difficult Physically for Stephanie. If any of you have seen her, you understand when she says, “I am not my body.”
She also has said, “Some days I’m proud of this face. . . other days I think, oh man, I sure miss the old me.” This experience has strengthened her.
She tells of an experience of while doing the laundry she went to her closet and touched all her clothing and she said she had a wave of emotion come over her.
“I missed me again. I mourned for that woman again. I felt that familiar sadness. But then it was followed by a beautiful spiritual confirmation that this is my new life. It is good. It is OH so good. Then I felt that I should bring home me. Because it is still me and those clothes still fit.”
She had learned that even though she isn’t attractive to look at, and maybe some would find it difficult to look at her, she is still her. She sees things differently and she sees life as being more than her physical appearance. She’s grateful to be on the earth. Her role is more divine. She is a mother who enriches and teaches the gospel of Jesus Christ and sees her life as a privilege. There is a plan for you. It is a plan that will ultimately give you the greatest joy and happiness you will ever experience. It can only be possible through Jesus Christ. Stephanie Nielsen grateful for her challenges and trials. She has a great relationship with HF.
“Spiritually, I have a better sense of who I am, what my divine purpose is, what I’m doing here on earth and why I’m still here. Life has a different meaning than it did before.”
Stephanie has chosen to stand up and be an example to all women. She has chosen to have gratitude for her life. She has learned to trust and rely on her Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. She has chosen to try and make a difference in the lives of others. She has chosen to not sit in her home and mope about the way she looks and feels. She has chosen to move forward with strength and courage. She has learned that life is not about your physical appearance, it’s about what you do with your life! She has found her true Beauty.
Jesus Christ said, “There will I be also, for 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 you to bear you up.” D&C 84:88
Your lives do not have to have trials and tragedies for you to grow and become the woman our Father knows you can become. There used to be a great lady that lived in our ward. She came to BYU right after graduating from High School. She had great plans. She wanted to get a college degree, serve a mission, travel the world and then marry and become a mother. The first week she was in Provo, she met this great guy. He was a return missionary and well on his way to getting his education. He was ready for marriage. She fell in love with him. He was everything she ever wanted and dreamed of. There was only one problem, she was NOT ready to get married. She had plans. Marriage was not yet in the plans for this 18 year old girl. But she did have faith in prayer and in her Heavenly Father so she prayed for guidance as to what she should do. 'I want to travel. I want to go on a mission. I want to get my education. BUT here is this great guy who wants to marry me.' Well, she felt prompted that if she would marry him she would still be able to do all the things she had plans to do. So she married him, and it didn’t take too long for her to see answers to her prayers. After he graduated from BYU he got a great job in Italy. This woman got to travel the world, bear her testimony and teach the gospel to non-members and she got to have a family. Never did she dream that she could have such blessings.
Sometimes life is so amazing and sometimes life is so hard. You don’t need a tragedy to feel of God’s love. You don’t have to lose things that are of great value to know who we are. You need to trust in our Heavenly Father. You need to see your role as so divine. You are women of God. You have great worth. If you will have the same attitude regardless of how life is going, to fully rely on God to guide you and direct you, and totally trust Him, then you will feel great joy and you will BE the person that He knows you can be.
You were Born to Be Great!
You were Born to Be educated!
You were Born to Be a mother.
You were Born to Be beautiful.
You were born to be you!
Remember: “There will I be also, for 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 you to bear you up.” D&C 84:88
In the name of Jesus Christ. AMEN!
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