From the Conference Center
at Temple Square in Salt Lake
City, this is the
general women's session
of the 185th Semiannual
General Conference
of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Featured speakers will be
from the First Presidency
and the general women's
organizations of the Church.
Music for this
meeting is provided
by a choir of Primary girls,
young women, and Relief Society
sisters from southern
Cache Valley, Utah.
Women, young women, and girls
eight years of age and above
are gathered together
throughout the world
to receive counsel and
instruction from Church
leaders.
Sister Bonnie L. Oscarson,
Young Women general president,
will conduct this meeting.
Dear sisters, welcome to
the general women's session
of the 185th Semiannual
General Conference
of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We are grateful to gather in the
Conference Center in Salt Lake
City, Utah, and
rejoice knowing there
are similar gatherings
of sisters in meeting
places throughout the world.
We hope you feel of our
love for each one of you.
We acknowledge and welcome
friends from other faiths
and hope you enjoy
our time together.
President Thomas S. Monson,
who presides this evening,
has asked that I
conduct this meeting.
My name is Bonnie L. Oscarson,
Young Women general president.
We are grateful to
have President Monson
and his counselors, President
Henry B. Eyring and President
Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
with us tonight.
We likewise acknowledge the
presence of Elder Jeffrey R.
Holland of the Quorum of the
Twelve Apostles and Bishop Gary
E. Stevenson, Presiding
Bishop of the Church.
Also seated on the
stand are those
serving in the
Primary, Young Women,
and Relief Society
general presidencies,
along with their respective
general board members.
We count it a great
blessing to serve together
in this marvelous work.
The music tonight
will be provided
by a choir of Primary girls,
young women, and Relief Society
sisters from southern
Cache Valley, Utah,
under the direction
of Claudia Bigler,
with Bonnie Goodliffe at
the organ and Sarah Johnson
playing the flute.
We will open this meeting with
the choir and congregation
singing "Come, Ye
Children of the Lord."
The invocation will
then be offered
by Abby Morgan, a Laurel from
the Salt Lake Olympus Stake.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "COME, YE
CHILDREN OF THE LORD"]
Our kind and gracious
Father in Heaven,
we are so incredibly grateful
to be gathered here this evening
in the Conference
Center and in locations
around the world as
women of Thy Church.
We are grateful for President
Monson, President Eyring,
and President Uchtdorf, for
their examples in our lives.
We also recognize Sisters
Oscarson, Burton, and Wixom
and their counselors
for their guidance.
We ask a special blessing to
be with those speaking to us
this evening.
We also ask for an
outpouring of Thy Spirit,
that our hearts may be touched.
We are so grateful
for Thee, Father.
We love Thee.
We say these things
humbly in the name
of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, amen.
Thank you, Abby.
The choir will now sing a medley
of "I Will Follow God's Plan"
and "Faith in Every Footstep."
Following the singing,
Sister Rosemary M. Wixom,
Primary general president,
will address us.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "I
WILL FOLLOW GOD'S PLAN"
AND "FAITH IN EVERY FOOTSTEP"]
Sisters, we love you!
I testify that life is a gift.
And God has a plan
for each one of us,
and our individual
purpose began long
before we came to this earth.
Lately I have come to recognize
the miracle of a baby's birth
into mortality as part
of the Lord's plan.
Each one of us developed
physically within our mother's
womb while relying
for many months
on her body to sustain ours.
Eventually, however, the process
of birth--dramatic for both
mother and child--separated us.
As a baby emerges
into this world,
the change of
temperature and light
and the sudden release
of pressure on the chest
induce the baby to take
its first gasping breath.
Those little lungs
suddenly fill with air
for the first time, the
organs spring into action,
and the baby begins to breathe.
As the umbilical
cord is clamped,
that lifeline between mother
and baby is forever severed,
and the baby's life
on earth begins.
Job said, "The Spirit
of God hath made me,
and the breath of the
Almighty hath given me life."
We come into this world
"trailing clouds of glory."
"The Family: A
Proclamation to the World"
teaches each one of us "is a
beloved spirit son or daughter
of heavenly parents,"
and "each has
a divine nature and destiny."
Heavenly Father generously
shares a portion
of His divinity within us.
That divine nature comes as
a gift from Him with a love
that only a parent can feel.
We come to this earth
to nurture and discover
the seeds of divine
nature that are within us.
Elaine Cannon, a former Young
Women general president,
said, "There are two important
days in a woman's life:
The day she is born and
the day she finds out why."
We know why.
We have come to this earth
to help build His kingdom
and to prepare for the Second
Coming of His Son, Jesus
Christ.
With every breath we take,
we strive to follow Him.
The divine nature
within each one of us
is refined and magnified by the
effort we make to draw nearer
to our Father and His Son.
Our divine nature
has nothing to do
with our personal
accomplishments, the status we
achieve, the number
of marathons we run,
or our popularity
and self-esteem.
Our divine nature
comes from God.
It was established
in an existence
that preceded our birth and
will continue on into eternity.
We identify with
our divine nature
as we feel and give the love
of our Father in Heaven.
We have the agency to
nurture it, let it flourish,
and help it grow.
Peter said we are given
"precious promises"
that we "might be partakers
of the divine nature."
As we understand who we
are--daughters of God--we begin
to feel those precious promises.
Looking out through a window,
not just into a mirror,
allows us to see
ourselves as His.
We naturally turn
to Him in prayer,
and we are eager to read His
words and to do His will.
We are able to take our
validation vertically from Him,
not horizontally from
the world around us
or from those on
Facebook or Instagram.
If you ever question that
spark of divinity within you,
kneel in prayer and
ask Heavenly Father,
"Am I really Thy daughter,
and dost Thou love me?"
Elder M. Russell
Ballard said, "One
of the sweetest messages
the Spirit will relay
is how the Lord
feels about you."
We are His.
Paul said, "The Spirit
itself beareth witness with
our spirit, that we are ...
children of God."
Often the first Primary song we
learn is "I Am a Child of God."
Now it is time to take
that beloved phrase
"I am a child of God" and add
the words "Therefore, what?"
We might even ask questions
such as these: "What will I
do to live my life
as a child of God?"
"How can I develop the divine
nature that is within me?"
President Dieter
F. Uchtdorf said,
"God sent you here to
prepare for a future
greater than anything
you can imagine."
That future, a day at
a time, comes alive
when you do more
than just exist;
it comes alive when
you live your life
to fill the measure
of your creation.
This invites the
Lord into your life,
and you begin to let
His will become yours.
Divine nature breathes
into us the desire
to know these eternal
truths for ourselves.
A young woman named
Amy recently taught
me this lesson when she wrote:
"It is hard being a teenager
these days.
The path is getting narrower.
Satan is really trying.
It is either right or wrong;
there is no in-between."
She continued: "Good friends
are sometimes hard to find.
Even when you think you have
best friends who will never
leave, that could
change for any reason.
That is why I am so glad that
I have family, Heavenly Father,
Jesus Christ, and the Holy
Ghost, who can be my companions
whenever things with
friends go wrong."
Amy went on to say, "One
night I was troubled.
I told my sister I
didn't know what to do."
Later that night her sister
sent her a text and quoted Elder
Jeffrey R. Holland when he
said: "Don't give up. ...
Don't you quit.
You keep walking.
You keep trying.
There is help and
happiness ahead. ...
It will be all right in the end.
Trust God and believe
in good things to come."
Amy explained, "I remembered
reading that and just praying
that I would feel love from God
if He really was there for me."
She said: "As soon as I asked
and believed that He was there,
I felt the most amazing,
happy, warm feeling.
Words can't describe it.
I knew He was there
and that He loved me."
Because you are His child,
He knows who you can become.
He knows your fears
and your dreams.
He relishes your potential.
He waits for you to
come to Him in prayer.
Because you are His child,
you not only need Him,
but He needs you.
Those sitting around you right
now in this meeting need you.
The world needs you,
and your divine nature
allows you to be His trusted
disciple to all His children.
Once we begin to see the
divinity in ourselves,
we can see it in others.
Divine nature breathes into
us the desire to serve others.
Recently, Sharon
Eubank, the director
of Humanitarian Services
and LDS Charities,
told of an experience shared
by Elder Glenn L. Pace.
There was widespread
drought and extreme famine
in Ethiopia in the mid-1980s.
To provide relief, feeding
stations with water and food
were created for those
who could get to them.
An old man who was starving
was walking a long distance
to get to a feeding station.
He was passing a village when
he heard the cry of a baby.
He searched until he found
the baby sitting on the ground
next to his dead mother.
Picking up the baby,
the man continued
to walk 25 miles to
the feeding station.
When he arrived, his first
words were not "I'm hungry"
or "Help me."
They were "What can be
done for this baby?"
The divine nature within
us ignites our desire
to reach out to others
and prompts us to act.
Heavenly Father and
Jesus Christ can help
us find the strength to do so.
Could the Lord be
asking us, "What
can be done for this daughter,
this brother, this father,
or this friend?"
It is through the
whisperings of the Spirit
that the divine
nature of a doubter,
after gasping for breath, finds
the peace to breathe again.
When the prophet
speaks, his words
resonate with our divine nature
and give us strength to follow.
Partaking of the
sacrament each week
breathes hope into the
divinity within us,
and we remember our
Savior, Jesus Christ.
I promise as you
seek to discover
the depth of the divine
nature that lies within you,
you will begin to further
magnify your precious gift.
Let it guide you to
become His daughter,
walking the path back to
Him--where we will be "restored
to that God who
gave [us] breath."
In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
As part of tonight's
meeting, we will
see two videos that show
the divinity, nobility,
and beauty of women
and the blessing
you are to those around you.
Before our first
video, the choir
will sing "As Zion's
Youth in Latter Days."
Following the video, we
will be pleased to hear
from Sister Linda S. Reeves,
second counselor in the Relief
Society general presidency.
After her remarks, we will
view the second video.
Sister Carol F.
McConkie, first counselor
in the Young Women
general presidency,
will then address us.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "AS ZION'S
YOUTH IN LATTER DAYS"]
My name is Melanie.
I met Molly when I was
a substitute teacher
for her Primary class.
We became friends, and
this is our true story.
Dear Melanie,
Thanks for teaching
me in Primary class.
I love to get mail.
I don't get mail very often.
Can you send me a
letter very soon?
When can you come to my house
and make cookies with me?
Thanks for giving me
hugs whenever I see you.
I'll be waiting for
your notes in the mail.
Love, Molly
Dear Molly,
Thank you for your letter.
Your letters always
brighten my day.
I love spending time
with you and your family.
Even though I don't
have children of my own,
I am so grateful for you
and my nieces and nephews
and many other
children that I love
in my life that have given
me opportunities to mother.
It brings me so much joy to
teach and to love and to learn
from children like you.
Molly, I want you to know
that life isn't always easy
and may not turn out the
way you think it should.
Always stay close
to Heavenly Father
through daily scripture
study and prayer.
Follow the prophet and stay
true to your covenants,
and you will be able to make
it through any challenge.
One of my favorite scriptures
is Philippians 4:13:
"I can do all things through
Christ which strengtheneth me."
I look forward to
your next letter.
Love, Melanie
Mom, Mom, I got a
letter from Melanie!
Don't you love this sister?
We know that many
of you who have not
had the opportunity to
bear children of your own
have spent your lives
loving, teaching,
and blessing children.
And, oh, how our Heavenly
Father and we, your sisters,
love you for it!
Have we all, including
you dear younger sisters
in Primary and Young
Women, had the opportunity
to hold a newborn
baby in our arms
and have him or her
look up into our eyes?
Have we sensed the sacred
and holy feeling surrounding
this celestial spirit,
so recently sent
by our Father in Heaven
to its newly created,
pure little body?
I have seldom
experienced feelings
quite so sweet, so
tender, and so spiritual.
Our bodies are sacred gifts
from our Heavenly Father.
They are personal temples.
As we keep them
clean and pure, we
can be worthy to help our
Heavenly Father create
bodies for His beloved
spirit children.
In President Boyd K. Packer's
final general conference talk,
which you may remember
as "a cookie and a kiss,"
he testified that "the
commandment to multiply
and replenish the earth ...
is essential ...
and is the source
of human happiness.
Through the righteous exercise
of this [creative] power,
we may come close to
our Father in Heaven
and experience a fulness
of joy, even godhood.
The power of procreation is not
an incidental part of the plan;
it is the plan."
He continued:
"True love requires reserving
until after marriage
the sharing of that affection
which unlocks those sacred
powers ...
[by] avoiding situations where
physical desire might take
control. ...
"...
Our happiness in mortal life,
our joy and our exaltation
are dependent upon
how we respond
to these persistent,
compelling physical desires."
My dear sisters, both
young and not so young,
I have felt a great anxiety
as I have prepared this talk.
As Alma the Younger expressed,
"I wish from the inmost part
of my heart ...
that ye would ...
call on his holy name, and
watch and pray continually,
that ye may not be tempted above
that which ye can bear, ...
that ye may be lifted
up at the last day."
Later, Mormon also testified
that in Alma's day, Korihor,
the anti-Christ,
"did preach ...,
leading away the hearts of ...
many women."
Sisters, Satan has
raised a "Korihor-like"
banner in our day with
increasing success.
What are some of his tools?
Seductive romance
novels, TV soap operas,
married women and old boyfriends
connecting on social media,
and pornography.
We must be so
careful, dear sisters!
We cannot play with Satan's
fiery darts and not get burned.
I know of nothing
that will qualify us
for the constant companionship
of the Holy Ghost
as much as virtue.
Many in today's
world are looking
for instant
gratification and instant
knowledge on the Internet.
In contrast, we will
be exceedingly blessed
if we exercise
faith and patience
and go to our Heavenly Father,
the source of all truth,
with our concerns.
So many answers
and assurances can
come through daily searching
and studying the scriptures
and with sincere
and pleading prayer,
but there are no such
promises on the Internet.
The prophet Jacob
testifies: "For the Spirit
speaketh the truth
and lieth not.
Wherefore, it speaketh
of things as they really
are, and of things as
they really will be."
When we are involved
in watching, reading,
or experiencing anything that
is below our Heavenly Father's
standards, it weakens us.
Regardless of our age,
if what we look at,
read, listen to, or
choose to do does not
meet the Lord's standards in
For the Strength of Youth,
turn it off, rip it up, throw
it out, and slam the door.
None of us are perfect,
but when we have sinned,
President Packer has reminded
us that "the promise is:
'Behold, he who has repented of
his sins, the same is forgiven,
and I, the Lord, remember
them no more.' ...
"...
The Atonement, which can reclaim
each one of us, bears no scars.
That means that no
matter what we have done
or where we have been or
how something happened,
if we truly repent, He has
promised that He would atone.
And when He atoned,
that settled that.
There are so many of us who
are thrashing around ...
with feelings of guilt, not
knowing quite how to escape.
You escape by accepting
the Atonement of Christ,
and all that was heartache
can turn to beauty and love
and eternity" (from
President Packer).
Besides repentance,
what helps or tools
have we been given to help
us stay clean and virtuous?
Our Primary and Young
Women all know and sing
the song "Scripture Power."
Can we expand it to "Prayer
Power," "Temple Power,"
"Covenants Power," "Sabbath
Day Power," "Prophet Power,"
and "Virtue Power"?
There are also great
blessings and protecting
promises associated with the
proper wearing of our temple
garment.
I have come to feel
that I am symbolically
putting on royal robes given
me by my Heavenly Father.
I testify, sisters,
that when we strive
to wear the garment
properly, our Father
recognizes it as a great sign
of our love and devotion to Him.
It is a sign of the covenants
we have made with Him,
and He has promised,
"I, the Lord,
am bound when ye do what I say;
but when ye do not what I say,
ye have no promise."
Recently I talked
to an old friend
who has gone through two
divorces due to the addictions
and unfaithfulness
of her husbands.
She and her three children
have suffered greatly.
She pleaded, "I have tried
so hard to live righteously.
Why have I had so many trials?
What have I done wrong?
What does Heavenly
Father want me to do?
I pray and read my
scriptures, help my children,
and go the temple often."
As I listened to this sister,
I felt like shouting out,
"You are doing it!
You are doing all
that Heavenly Father
wants and hopes you will do!"
Understandably,
many have expressed
that our Father's promised
blessings are just
"way too far away," particularly
when our lives are overflowing
with challenges.
But Amulek taught that
"this life is the time ...
to prepare to meet God."
It is not the time to
receive all of our blessings.
President Packer explained that
"'and they all lived happily
ever after' is never
written into the second act.
That line belongs
in the third act,
when the mysteries are solved
and everything is put right."
However, a vision of our
Father's incredible promised
blessings must be the central
focus before our eyes every
day--as well as an awareness
"of the multitude of his tender
mercies" that we experience
on a daily basis.
Sisters, I don't
know why we have
the many trials that we have,
but it is my personal feeling
that the reward is so great,
so eternal and everlasting, so
joyful and beyond
our understanding
that in that day
of reward, we may
feel to say to our
merciful, loving Father,
"Was that all that
was required?"
I believe that if we could
daily remember and recognize
the depth of the love that our
Father in Heaven and our Savior
have for us, that we would
be willing to do anything
to be back in Their presence
again, surrounded by Their love
eternally.
What will it matter,
dear sisters,
what we have suffered
here if, in the end,
those trials are the very
things which qualify us
for eternal life and exaltation
in the kingdom of God
with our Father and Savior?
I testify that our bodies are
sacred gifts from our Heavenly
Father and that as we
keep our lives pure
and clean through the atoning
sacrifice of our Savior,
and keep the vision of our
Father's promised rewards
daily in front of us,
we will one day receive
"all that [the] Father hath."
In the sacred name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
I first met my sister in
Relief Society 10 years ago,
and it has changed my life
for the better and the lives
of people I know,
because I am a better
person for having known her.
My sister completely embodies
the pure love of Christ.
I've never seen anybody handle
their trials with such grace.
She's never met somebody
that she doesn't love.
Everyone she meets
feels that from her.
Here are some things our friends
have said about our sister:
She is very genuine.
I have always felt
that she truly
cares about me no matter what.
The word I would use to
describe her is charitable.
She is the very
definition of charity.
Her love for me and
others isn't conditional.
She never treated me
like she had to get
to know me before she loved me.
She just loved me.
As humans, we guard
ourselves and judge,
and people earn our love.
She gave it freely from
the first moment I met her.
I personally met her when I was
at a horrible time in my life.
I was angry and far from
being kind to others.
Lisa treated me with
such genuine kindness,
it really softened my
heart and opened my eyes.
And my sister is Lisa.
This is not good.
I am sitting here thinking,
"Who is this person?"
I was sitting here
thinking, "This is not
a realistic person."
No, it truly is ...
No, it's not a realistic person.
No ...
because, do you know what?
All of those words were
given by our friends.
I asked all of them what
they thought of you,
and that's what they truly said.
Oh ...
that is so sweet.
Thank you.
We love you.
Thank you.
Everything she said
was overly generous
and not how I
think about myself.
Well, you should.
But I am grateful that I
have friends that think
that I am better than I am.
I think that is a mark of a
good friend--is to see your good
qualities and ignore
your weak ones,
because I think sometimes it's
easy in the world to focus
on things that don't really
matter or that are not positive
about other people.
I am very grateful for
my friends who really
are like family to me and
treat me in such a way
that I want to be better.
I am grateful that we
may gather together
with faithful
women such as Lisa,
who are pure in heart,
who love the Lord
and serve Him, even
amid their own trials.
Lisa's story reminds me that
we must love one another
and see in one another
the beauty of the soul.
The Savior taught,
"Remember the worth of souls
is great in the sight of God."
Whether we are age
8 or 108, each of us
is "precious in [His] sight."
He loves us.
We are daughters of God.
We are sisters in Zion.
We have a divine
nature, and we each
have a glorious work to do.
Over the summer I visited
with a lovely young mother
of daughters.
She shared with me her
feeling that our young women
need a cause, something
to help them feel valued.
She knew that we may
discover our individual
and eternal worth by
acting in accordance
with our divine
purpose in mortality.
Tonight, this beautiful
and remarkable choir
sang words that
teach our purpose.
Through test and trial,
even through fear
and in the midst of despair,
we have valiant hearts.
We are resolved to do our part.
We are here to serve
a righteous cause.
Sisters, in this cause
we are all valued.
We are all needed.
The righteous cause we serve
is the cause of Christ.
It is the work of salvation.
The Lord taught, "This is my
work and my glory--to bring
to pass the immortality
and eternal life of man."
We are the cause for which
Jesus Christ suffered,
bled from every pore, and in
perfect love gave His life.
His cause is the good news,
"the glad tidings, ...
that he came into the
world, even Jesus,
to be crucified for
the world, and to bear
the sins of the world,
and to sanctify the world,
and to cleanse it from
all unrighteousness;
that through him
all might be saved."
Our Savior has "marked
the path and led the way."
I testify that as we
follow His example,
love God, and serve one another
with kindness and compassion,
we may stand in purity,
"blameless before God
at the last day."
We choose to serve the
Lord in His righteous
cause that we may become
one with the Father
and with His Son.
The prophet Mormon
boldly declared,
"For we have a labor
to perform whilst
in this tabernacle
of clay, that we
may conquer the enemy
of all righteousness,
and rest our souls in
the kingdom of God."
The early Church
leaders and pioneers
of the past pressed forward with
heroic courage and determined
faithfulness to establish
the restored gospel
and build temples where
ordinances of exaltation
could be performed.
The pioneers of the present,
meaning you and me--we also
press forward in faith, to
"labor in [the Lord's] vineyard
for the salvation of
the souls of men."
And, as President Gordon
B. Hinckley taught,
"How magnificent will be the
future as the Almighty rolls
on His glorious work ...
through the selfless
[service] of those
whose hearts are
filled with love
for the Redeemer of the world."
We join with faithful
sisters of the past,
the present, and of the
rising generation when
we join together in
the work of salvation!
Before we were ever born, we
accepted our Heavenly Father's
plan "by which [we] could
obtain a physical body
and gain earthly experience
to progress toward perfection
and ultimately realize
[our] divine destiny
as heirs of eternal life."
Of this premortal
covenant, Elder John A.
Widtsoe explained: "We
agreed, right then and there,
to [not only be] saviors
for ourselves but ...
saviors for the
whole human family.
We went into a
partnership with the Lord.
The working out of
the plan became then
not merely the Father's
work, and the Savior's work,
but also our work.
The least of us,
the humblest, is
in partnership with the
Almighty in achieving
the purpose of the eternal
plan of salvation."
Here in mortality we
have again covenanted
to serve the Savior in
the work of salvation.
By participating in sacred
priesthood ordinances,
we pledge that we will
embark in the service of God
with heart, might,
mind, and strength.
We receive the Holy Ghost
and seek His promptings
to guide our efforts.
Righteousness emanates
out to the world
when we understand
what God wants us to do
and then we do it.
I know a Primary child
who said to a friend
while standing at the
bus stop, "Hey, you
ought to come to church with
me and learn about Jesus!"
I saw the girls in
a Young Women class
link arms together and make
a commitment to minister
to one another and then
plan an appropriate way
to help a young woman who was
struggling with an addiction.
I have seen mothers
give everything
of their time, their
talents, and their energies
to teach and exemplify the
principles of the gospel
so that their children,
like the sons of Helaman,
may stand courageously and
faithfully through trial,
temptation, and adversity.
But perhaps most
humbling to me was
to hear a young single
adult sister declare
with the fire of pure testimony
that the most important work we
can do is to prepare
for marriage and family.
Although this is
not her experience,
she knows that family
is the very heart
of the work of salvation.
"The divine plan of happiness
enables family relationships
to be perpetuated
beyond the grave."
We honor the Father's
plan and glorify
God when we
strengthen and ennoble
those relationships in the
new and everlasting covenant
of marriage.
We choose to live pure
and virtuous lives
so that when the
opportunity comes,
we are prepared to make and
keep that sacred covenant
in the house of the Lord.
We all experience times
and seasons in our lives.
But whether we are at school,
at work, in the community,
and especially in the home,
we are the Lord's agents
and we are always on His errand.
In the work of salvation, there
is no room for comparison,
criticism, or condemnation.
It is not about age,
experience, or public acclaim.
This sacred work is about
developing a broken heart,
a contrite spirit,
and a willingness
to use our divine gifts
and unique talents to do
the Lord's work in His way.
It is having the humility to
fall on our knees and say,
"O my Father, ...
not as I will,
but as thou wilt."
In the strength of the Lord
we "can do all things."
We continually seek His guidance
in prayer, in the scriptures,
and in the whisperings
of the Holy Ghost.
One sister, faced with an
overwhelming assignment, wrote,
"Sometimes I wonder if the
sisters in the early history
of the Church didn't,
like us, put their heads
on their pillows
at night and pray,
'Whatever tomorrow brings, will
Thou help me through it?'" Then
she wrote, "One of the blessings
is [that] we have each other
and we are in this together!"
Whatever our
circumstances, wherever
we are along the path toward
salvation, we unite as one
in our commitment to the Savior.
We sustain one another
in His service.
Recently you may have read
about Sister Ella Hoskins, who
at 100 years old was called to
help young women with Personal
Progress.
About two years later,
at 102, Sister Hoskins
earned her Young Womanhood
Recognition award.
The young women, the ward and
stake Young Women and Relief
Society presidencies,
and family members
gathered together to
celebrate her accomplishment.
Boundaries of age,
organization, and marital status
faded away in faithful service.
Young women expressed
gratitude for Sister Hoskins,
for her teaching, and for
her righteous example.
They want to be like her.
Afterward, I asked Sister
Hoskins, "How did you do it?"
She promptly responded,
"I repent every day."
[LAUGHTER]
From a gentle lady, so full
of the Spirit of the Lord
that she glowed
with pure light, I
was reminded that to shine
with the beauty of holiness,
to stand with the Savior, and to
bless others, we must be clean.
Purity is possible through
the grace of Christ
as we deny ungodliness
and choose to love God
with might, mind, and strength.
The Apostle Paul
taught, "Flee ...
youthful lusts: ...
follow righteousness, faith,
charity, peace, with them
that call on the Lord
out of a pure heart."
None of us is perfect.
We have all made mistakes.
But we repent so that we
may be better and "retain
the name [of Christ] written
always in [our] hearts."
When we serve in the name of
the Lord, with purity of heart,
we reflect the Savior's
love and give others
a glimpse of heaven.
May we choose to serve
a righteous cause
as valiant emissaries of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
Let us stand together and "with
a song in [our] heartheart[s] move
forward, living the
gospel, loving the Lord,
and building [His] kingdom."
I testify that in
this glorious work,
we may know the
pure love of God.
We may receive
true joy and obtain
all the glories of eternity.
In the sacred name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
Dear sisters, we express
our sincere appreciation
to each of you for sharing
this evening with us.
We thank the
members of the choir
and all others for
their participation
and gratefully acknowledge
the many people
behind the scenes who
have assisted in preparing
for this meeting in any way.
The choir will now favor
us with "Dearest Children,
God Is Near You," after which
our concluding speaker will
be President Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
Second Counselor in the First
Presidency.
The choir will then sing
"Go Forth with Faith."
The congregation will be
invited to join in as directed.
Our benediction will then
be offered by Sister Grace
Teh, a Relief Society sister
in the Bountiful Utah Central
Stake.
And now the choir.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "DEAREST
CHILDREN, GOD IS NEAR YOU"]
Isn't this a beautiful choir?
Thank you so much, sisters.
My beloved sisters
and dear friends,
I am delighted to
be with you today,
and I'm grateful to be in the
presence of our dear prophet,
President Thomas S. Monson.
President Monson, we love you.
We are saddened by the loss
of our three precious friends
and true Apostles of the Lord.
We miss President Packer,
Elder Perry, and Elder Scott;
we love them, and we pray for
their families and friends.
I always look forward to this
session of conference--the
beautiful music and the counsel
from our inspired sisters bring
the Spirit in great abundance,
and we could feel this tonight
again.
I am a better person after
being in your company.
As I pondered what I
should say to you today,
my thoughts turned to the
way the Savior taught.
It is interesting how He was
able to teach the most sublime
truths using simple stories.
His parables invited
His disciples
to embrace truths not
just with their minds
but also with their hearts and
to connect eternal principles
with their everyday lives.
Our dear President
Monson is also
a master at teaching with
personal experiences that
touch the heart.
Today, I too have
a story to share.
I invite you to listen
with the Spirit.
The Holy Ghost will help you
to find the message for you
in this parable.
The story is about
a girl named Eva.
There are two important things
you should know about Eva.
One is that she was 11
years old in this story.
And the other is that she
absolutely, positively
did not want to go and live
with her great-aunt Rose.
Not at all.
No way.
But Eva's mother was
going to have surgery that
required a lengthy recovery.
So Eva's parents were sending
her to spend the summer
with Great-Aunt Rose.
In Eva's mind, there
were a thousand reasons
why this was a bad idea.
For one thing, it would mean
being away from her mother.
It would also mean leaving
her family and friends.
And besides, she didn't
even know Great-Aunt Rose.
She was quite
comfortable, thank you
very much, right where she was.
[LAUGHTER]
But no amount of
arguing or eye-rolling
could change the decision.
So Eva packed up a suitcase
and took the long drive
with her father to
Great-Aunt Rose's house.
From the moment Eva stepped
inside the house, she hated it.
Everything was so old!
Every inch was packed with old
books, strange-colored bottles,
and plastic bins spilling over
with beads, bows, and buttons.
Great-Aunt Rose lived there
alone; she had never married.
The only other
inhabitant was a gray cat
who liked to find the highest
point in every room and perch
there, staring like a hungry
tiger at everything below.
[LAUGHTER]
Even the house
itself seemed lonely.
It was way out in
the countryside,
where the houses are far apart.
No one Eva's age lived
within half a mile.
That made Eva feel lonely too.
At first she didn't pay much
attention to Great-Aunt Rose.
She mostly thought
about her mother.
Sometimes, she would
stay awake at night,
praying with all her soul
that her mother would be well.
And though it didn't
happen right away,
Eva began to feel that God
was watching over her mother.
Word finally came that the
operation was a success,
and now all that was
left for Eva to do
was to endure till
the end of summer.
But oh, how she hated enduring!
With her mind now at
ease about her mother,
Eva began to notice
Great-Aunt Rose a little more.
She was a large
woman--everything about her was
large: her voice, her
smile, her personality.
It wasn't easy for
her to get around,
but she always sang and
laughed while she worked,
and the sound of her
laughter filled the house.
Every night she sat down
on her overstuffed sofa,
pulled out her scriptures,
and read out loud.
And as she read,
she sometimes made
comments like "Oh, he
shouldn't have done that!"--
[LAUGHTER]
--or "What wouldn't I
give to have been there!"
or "Isn't that the
most beautiful thing
you've ever heard!"
And every evening
as the two of them
knelt by Eva's bed to
pray, Great-Aunt Rose
would say the most beautiful
prayers, thanking her Heavenly
Father for the blue jays and
the spruce trees, the sunsets
and the stars, and the
"wonder of being alive."
It sounded to Eva as though
Rose knew God as a friend.
Over time, Eva made a
surprising discovery:
Great-Aunt Rose was quite
possibly the happiest person
she had ever known!
But how could that be?
What did she have
to be happy about?
She had never married,
she had no children,
she had no one to
keep her company
except that creepy cat--
[LAUGHTER]
--and she had a hard
time doing simple things
like tying her shoes
and walking up stairs.
When she went to town, she
wore embarrassingly big, bright
hats.
But people didn't laugh at her.
Instead, they crowded around
her, wanting to talk to her.
Rose had been a schoolteacher,
and it wasn't uncommon
for former students--now
grown up with children
of their own--to stop and chat.
They thanked her for being a
good influence in their lives.
They often laughed.
Sometimes they even cried.
As the summer progressed,
Eva spent more and more time
with Rose.
They went on long walks, and
Eva learned the difference
between sparrows and finches.
She picked wild elderberries
and made marmalade from oranges.
She learned about her
great-great-grandmother
who left her beloved homeland,
sailed across an ocean,
and walked across the plains
to be with the Saints.
Soon Eva made another
startling discovery:
not only was Great-Aunt Rose
one of the happiest persons
she knew, but Eva
herself was happier
whenever she was around her.
The days of summer were
passing more quickly now.
Before she knew
it, Great-Aunt Rose
said it would soon be time
for Eva to return home.
Though Eva had been looking
forward to that moment
since the day she arrived,
she wasn't quite sure
how to feel about it now.
She realized she
was actually going
to miss this strange old
house with the stalker
cat and her beloved
great-aunt Rose.
[LAUGHTER]
The day before her father
arrived to pick her up,
Eva asked the
question she had been
wondering about for weeks: "Aunt
Rose, why are you so happy?"
Aunt Rose looked at
her carefully and then
guided her to a painting
that hung in the front room.
It had been a gift from
a talented dear friend.
"What do you see
there?" she asked.
Eva had noticed the
painting before,
but she hadn't really
looked at it closely.
A girl in pioneer dress skipped
along a bright blue path.
The grass and trees
were a vibrant green.
Eva said, "It's a
painting of a girl.
Looks like she's skipping."
"Yes, it is a pioneer girl
skipping along happily,"
Aunt Rose said.
"I imagine there were
many dark and dreary days
for the pioneers.
Their life was so hard--we
can't even imagine.
But in this painting, everything
is bright and hopeful.
This girl has a
spring in her step,
and she is moving
forward and upward."
Eva was silent,
so Great-Aunt Rose
continued: "There is enough
that doesn't go right in life,
so anyone can work themselves
into a puddle of pessimism
and a mess of melancholy.
But I know people who, even
when things don't work out,
focus on the wonders
and miracles of life.
These folks are the
happiest people I know."
"But," Eva said, "you
can't just flip a switch
and go from sad to happy."
"No, perhaps not," Aunt
Rose smiled gently,
"but God didn't
design us to be sad.
He created us to have joy!
So if we trust Him,
He will help us
to notice the good, bright,
hopeful things of life.
And sure enough, the world
will become brighter.
No, it doesn't happen
instantly, but honestly,
how many good things do?
Seems to me that
the best things,
like homemade bread
or orange marmalade,
take patience and work."
Eva thought about it a
moment and said, "Maybe it's
not so simple for people
who don't have everything
perfect in their lives."
"Dear Eva, do you really think
that my life is perfect?"
Aunt Rose sat with Eva
on the overstuffed sofa.
"There was a time when
I was so discouraged,
I didn't want to go on."
"You?"
Eva asked.
Aunt Rose nodded.
"There were so many things
I wished for in my life."
As she spoke, a sadness
entered her voice
that Eva had never heard before.
"Most of them never happened.
It was one heartbreak
after another.
One day I realized
that it would never
be the way I had hoped for.
That was a depressing day.
I was ready to give
up and be miserable."
"So what did you do?"
"Nothing for a time.
I was just angry.
I was an absolute
monster to be around."
Then she laughed a
little, but it was not
the usual big,
room-filling laugh.
"'It's not fair' was the song I
sang over and over in my head.
But eventually I
discovered something that
turned my whole life around."
"What was it?"
"Faith," Aunt Rose smiled.
"I discovered faith.
And faith led to hope.
And faith and hope
gave me confidence
that one day everything
would make sense,
that because of the Savior, all
the wrongs would be made right.
After that, I saw that
the path before me
wasn't as dreary and
dusty as I had thought.
I began to notice the bright
blues, the verdant greens,
and the fiery reds, and I
decided I had a choice--I could
hang my head and drag my feet
on the dusty road of self-pity,
or I could have a little
faith, put on a bright dress,
slip on my dancing shoes, and
skip down the path of life,
singing as I went."
Now her voice was skipping along
like the girl in the painting.
Aunt Rose reached
over to the end table
and pulled her well-worn
scriptures onto her lap.
"I don't think I was clinically
depressed--I'm not sure you can
talk yourself out of that.
But I sure had talked
myself into being miserable!
Yes, I had some dark days, but
all my brooding and worrying
wasn't going to change that--it
was only making things worse.
Faith in the Savior
taught me that no matter
what happened in
the past, my story
could have a happy ending."
"How do you know that?"
Eva asked.
Aunt Rose turned a
page in her Bible
and said, "It says
it right here:
"'God ...
will dwell with them, and
they shall be his people,
and God himself shall be
with them, and be their God.
"'And God shall wipe away
all tears from their eyes;
and there shall be no more
death, neither sorrow,
nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain:
for the former things are passed
away.'" Great-Aunt Rose looked
at Eva.
Her smile was wide
as she whispered,
with a slight
quiver in her voice,
"Isn't that the most beautiful
thing you have ever heard?"
It really did sound
beautiful, Eva thought.
Aunt Rose turned a few pages
and pointed to a verse for Eva
to read: "Eye hath not seen, nor
ear heard, neither have entered
into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared
for them that love him."
"With such a glorious
future," Aunt Rose said,
"why get swallowed up in the
past or present things that
don't go quite the
way we planned?"
Eva furrowed her brow.
"But wait a minute," she said.
"Are you saying that being
happy means just looking forward
to happiness in the future?
Is all our happiness
in eternity?
Can't some of it happen now?"
"Oh, of course it can!"
Aunt Rose exclaimed.
"Dear child, now is
part of eternity.
It doesn't only
begin after we die!
Faith and hope
will open your eyes
to the happiness that is
placed before you now."
And she said, "I know
a poem that says,
'Forever--is composed of Nows.'
I didn't want my forever to be
composed of dark and fearful
'Nows.' And I didn't want
to live it in the gloom of
a bunker, gritting my teeth,
closing my eyes, and resentfully
enduring to the bitter end.
Faith gave me the hope I
needed to live joyfully now!"
"So what did you do then?"
Eva asked.
"I exercised faith
in God's promises
by filling my life
with meaningful things.
I went to school.
I got an education.
That led me to a
career that I loved."
Eva thought about this
for a moment and said,
"But surely being busy
isn't what made you happy.
There are a lot of busy
people who aren't happy."
"How can you be so wise
for someone so young?"
Aunt Rose asked.
"You're absolutely right.
And most of those busy, unhappy
people have forgotten the one
thing that matters most in all
the world--the thing Jesus said
is the heart of His gospel."
"And what is that?"
Eva asked.
"It is love--the pure love
of Christ," Rose said.
"You see, everything else in
the gospel, all the shoulds
and the musts and the
thou shalts, lead to love.
When we love God, we
want to serve Him.
We want to be like Him.
When we love our
neighbors, we stop
thinking so much
about our own problems
and help others
to solve theirs."
"And that is what
makes us happy?"
Eva asked.
Great-Aunt Rose
nodded and smiled,
her eyes filling with tears.
"Yes, my dear.
That is what makes us happy."
The next day Eva hugged
her great-aunt Rose
and thanked her for
everything she had done.
She returned home to her
family and her friends
and her house and
her neighborhood.
But she was never
quite the same.
As Eva grew older, she
often thought of the words
of her great-aunt Rose.
Eva eventually married.
She raised children and lived
a long and wonderful life.
And one day, as she was
standing in her own home,
admiring a painting of a girl
in pioneer dress skipping down
a bright blue path, she
realized that somehow she
had reached the same age
her great-aunt Rose was
during that remarkable summer.
When she realized this, she
felt a special prayer swell
within her heart.
And Eva felt grateful
for her life,
for her family, for the
restored gospel of Jesus Christ,
and for that summer so long ago
when Great-Aunt Rose taught her
about faith, hope, and love.
My beloved sisters, my
dear friends in Christ,
I hope and pray that
something in this story
has touched your heart
and inspired your soul.
I know that God lives and
that He loves you, each
and every one of you.
As you walk along your own
bright path of discipleship,
I pray that faith will fortify
every footstep along your way;
that hope will open your eyes to
the glories Heavenly Father has
in store for you;
and that love for God
and all His children
will fill your hearts.
As an Apostle of
the Lord, I leave
this as my testimony
and blessing
in the sacred name
of our Savior,
in the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.
[MUSIC PLAYING - "GO FORTH WITH
FAITH"]
Our dear Heavenly Father, we
have heard many inspiring words
this evening.
We thank Thee for prophets,
seers, and revelators
and all the other leaders
whom Thou hast called
to guide and teach us.
We thank Thee for this evening
that we are all gathered here.
May the Spirit carry the
thoughts and feelings
that we each need
to hear and feel.
May we receive strength
and understanding
and answers to our prayers.
We pray that we
will be strengthened
by the things we
have heard and felt,
and we indeed will go
forward and continue
to stay true to the path
and will always choose Him,
choose Thee.
We pray for guidance always and
the strength to always do Thy
will.
In the name of
Jesus Christ, amen.