Sister Bonnie L. Oscarsen: Defenders of the Family Proclamation

It's been a while since I posted and today has turned quiet so I thought I'd pull up the next talk from Women's Conference. This one was given by the Young Women's General President.

Sister Bonnie L. Oscarsen: Defenders of the Family Proclamation

Read the full talk here.

As you can tell from the title, the focus of Sister Oscarsen's message is the Proclamation to the World on the Family (Here's a link to read the full document).

She begins her talk with an account of a brave young Italian woman who had to make a stand against a mob that was threatening the missionaries that had taught her the gospel. (Ok, that was a mouthful. Hopefully I didn't confuse you too much.) This young Italian woman stood up to these men, and, essentially, ordered them to depart.

What happened next was amazing. They mob left, "that strong ferocious body of men stood helpless before a weak, trembling, yet fearless girl."

There are other aspects of the talk that I want to focus on, but I couldn't write this post without acknowledging that story. As I read the account I was struck by the reminder of the power a righteous daughter of God holds when she uses her influence for good.

Thank you, Sister Oscarsen, for that reminder.

Ok, now I want to move on to the next part of the talk. Sister Oscarsen explains that we need to stand up for the Family Proclamation, which we absolutely do, but then she admits that "life rarely goes exactly according to plan for anyone."

This is very true for me. I am thirty four years old and single in a church whose focus is firmly centered around the family.

I appreciated Sister Oscarsen's acknowledgment, and I agree that "it is still important to understand and teach the Lord's pattern." I believe that we can, and should, use the Lord's patterns to help guide us as we make decisions. There are beautiful truths in the Lord's patterns. I know that Heavenly Father loves me. Right now, my life doesn't fit the pattern, but I know that I can trust in His timeline. So can you.

Heavenly Father has promised that "nothing will be withheld from those who faithfully keep their covenants." And I intended to do just that. 

In the mean time, I will continue to progress and prepare for the future. As Sister Oscarsen reminded us, we should "aim for the ideal but plan for contingencies." Thankfully, the contingencies can be pretty wonderful.

Ok, that's all from me for now. But I'd love to hear what you thought about Sister Oscarsen's talk. Share your thoughts in the comment section below. 

The Family is Ordained of God (Video Presentation)

This is the video that was shared during the Women's Session of General Conference. It was a beautiful reminder of the fact that we are all part of a heavenly family. After watching, the idea that struck me the most is the truth that our family relationships are what bring joy and purpose to our lives. Brothers and Sisters, we receive many blessings from our family, particularly as we work to be united. I will continue to strive, and I hope you will, to show love and support to my family. (Even when they drive me crazy. Love you guys.)

Thoughts on A Church News Article: Elder Ballard at BYU's Women's Conference

I was reading an article today on LDS.org when I felt a nudge from the Spirit. There was one moment that stuck me so much and was so uplifting and encouraging that I had to share it with you. The article was written by Marianne Holman Prescott, a staff writer at Church News. She was reporting on a talk that Elder Ballard gave at the recent BYU Women’s Conference.

Here is a link to the article.

In his presentation, Elder Ballard said this: “As members of the Church, we should not be critical of those who have sincere, heartfelt questions or concerns about their faith.” Instead we should remember that “the Restoration, in all of its glory and wonder, was launched in response to a spiritual question of a 14-year-old young man. Such questions can be a catalyst to real conversion if they prompt us to seek truth in the light of faith.”

As someone who struggles with depression and anxiety, I often feel guilty about the questions, and even doubts, that sometimes enter my head. We’ve been told to be of good cheer and that Heavenly Father’s plan is a plan of Happiness, but at times I simply don’t feel happy. I struggle to have confidence and to feel my faith. Unfortunately, this can sometimes last for long periods of time, periods when I'm in survival mode and when I struggle to live daily as the disciple of Christ that I want to be. In these moments, I feel guilty about not being a good example for my family and friends. 

Thankfully, I’ve had enough experiences to know that this is the true Church, so these struggles don’t pull me away from the Church. But they do make life … challenging.

It was wonderful to read Elder Ballard’s words and to know that Heavenly Father can, and will, use the questions that inspire, and sometimes plague me to strengthen my testimony and to help me fulfill my purpose. As I move forward, I will strive to use these questions to strengthen my relationship with Heavenly Father and to strengthen my resolve to live my faith.  

Sister Carole M. Stephens: The Family is of God

Ok, it’s time to tackle the second talk from Women’s Conference. (Does anyone else love that this is happening twice a year now? I’ve always loved Women’s Conference Weekend, but I joined the church as an adult so I never watched the Young Women’s Session in April. Now that the two are combined, I get to enjoy an extra weekend of conference.

Sister Carole M. Stephens: The Family Is Of God

Read The Full Talk Here

Sister Stephens begins her talk by saying that one of the pure doctrines of the church is that “the family is of God” and “that we are each part of God’s family. I love being reminded that families are forever and that we are part of Heavenly Families. Knowing this truth brings much comfort and joy to my life.

As the Proclamation says, we are each a “beloved… daughter of heavenly parents.” Think about that for a moment. We have heavenly “parents.” That means that not only do we have a Heavenly Father, but we also have a Heavenly Mother. Out of respect and reverence, we don’t speak of her often, but she is there, watching over us and loving us. We are her children.

The second principle that Sister Stephens spoke about is an idea that Elder Scott explained. He said, “our purpose in coming here [to earth] is to be tested, tried, and stretched.”

We all know that each of us will experience challenges and temptations. These are those stretching opportunities that Elder Scott referred to. Thankfully none of us have to face them alone. Jesus Christ atoned for our sins, he experienced everything and anything that we possibly could, and he is there to support us, just as we should support others.

According to Sister Stephens, “our opportunity as covenant-keeping daughters of God is not just to learn from our own challenges; it is to unite in empathy and compassion as we support other members of the family of God in their struggles, as we have covenanted to do.” She then quotes Joseph Smith, who said we should “act according to the sympathies which God has planted in our hearts.”

I had to stop when I read this section to think about what that means. It is such a beautiful thought, and one that I intend to use as I move forward with my life. For me, it suggests that the groups or challenges that we, individually, sympathize with are groups that we are called to help. If Heavenly Father has planted sympathizes in our hearts, it’s because He wants us to help and support that group.

As Sister Stephens said, we should all go about doing good and expanding our sphere of influence. These sympathizes are one way we can do this. That is my prayer for you, and for myself, brothers and sisters, because I know doing this will help bring more love into our lives.

Cheryl A. Esplin: Filling Our Homes with Light and Truth

I'm am starting this latest challenge with the first talk of Women's Conference. It was given by Cheryl A. Esplin. She is currently the second counselor in the Primary General Presidency.

Read the full talk here.

One of the first truths that Sister Esplin shared was this: "When filled with the Spirit and with gospel truth, we have the power to withstand the outside forces of the world that surround and push against us." This was a wonderful reminder for me. I couldn't help thinking back to President Hinckley's challenge a few years ago to reread the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. He gave the challenge in August, giving us five months to complete it. That was a wonderful period for me. I was reading roughly two chapters a day and I truly felt "filled' with the Spirit.  That challenge strengthened my testimony and brought peace into my life. 

Now, years later, after struggling to consistently maintain a daily scripture reading habit, I have to admit I have struggled spiritually. I knew there was a connection, but I wasn't acting on that knowledge, I wasn't working to develop that habit. Thank you, Sister Esplin, for this wonderful reminder. I truly know that I can bring more peace into my life by developing a daily scripture reading habit, by filling my heart and mind with the Spirit.  

Later in the talk, Sister Esplin shared a family history story. Her ancestor spoke about a time in her life when her faith was challenged. One particular moment in this story stuck me. Sister Esplin's ancestor said that "she felt she could not have defended her belief." When I read those words, I stopped, almost frozen. I couldn't help asking myself this question: can I, will I defend my faith? 

We live in a world where it is increasingly unpopular to stand up for Christian values, a world where leaders who have spoken out about the importance of freedom of religion are criticized. I have to admit that I have been, and continue to be, concerned about the possible loss of religious freedom. I know that some people will laugh at my beliefs, that some people will criticize me for them, but that doesn't make them untrue. As Joseph Smith said, "I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it."  

I never, never, want to be afraid to stand up and share my testimony. I suppose that's one of the reasons I gave myself this challenge. I want Heavenly Father to know, and I want to know, that I will always stand up for what I know to be true. 

Conference Weekend

I love General Conference weekends. My best friend calls them Pajama Church because she loves to watch from home. I usually watch about half of Conference at home, and half at church. My favorite way to start the weekend is at the church building. It sets the mood for the weekend and helps me get into the right spirit.

I'll get up early Saturday morning, shower, put on appropriate (and comfortable) church attire and drive over to the Stake Center. The building is usually pretty peaceful. When I first walk in, the sound of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir streams down the hallways.

I'm never alone. The missionaries are there, as well as a few other families and single adults. Once I'm situated in one of the back pews, I stretch out, lean back, close my eyes, and soak in the hymns. Then, after the opening prayer, I pull out my journal and write to Heavenly Father. It's really a prayer, a short journal entry about how thankful I am for the wonderful weekend ahead of me and for all of the many blessings in my life. I also write down my thoughts, which are focused on the questions and concerns that I need guidance about.

When the final session comes to a close on Sunday afternoon, I'm tired but filled with the Spirit. So many wonderful words of wisdom have been shared from the pulpit and I'm ready to reflect on all that I have learned.

Now, because of my desire to keep that Spirit in my life even more, I've decided to continue my Conference Reading Challenge. Starting this week, I will read and reflect on all of the talks presented in the April 2015 Conference Season. I'm sure I'm not the only person out there blogging about conference, but I hope you will join me. Subscribe on the right and you'll receive an e-mail every time I post about another session.