Stake Conference

Stake Conference was today. It was pretty neat. We had the temple president, mission president and our stake president there as well as Elder Huntsman and Elder Rasband. It was a really beautiful meeting.

Two things stuck out to me. One, that we need to be doing what is right, even if it means standing alone. He had all the youth stand up and talked to them about doing what is right, and that there may be times when they may have to stand alone as they make the right choices. While I'm sure that is true, my main thought as I watched all these youth stand up is how amazing it is to have so many young people that are (mostly) trying to do the right thing! And that if they join together, they will have others to stand with them. And really, I guess that applies to all of us. Here we were joined in conference and there were hundreds of us. If we join together and are all doing our best, think of the good we can do! And I don't think that is limited to those who are members of my church. There are many good people, and many of my friends, who are not members of my church but who are great people and we all have the power (and responsibility) to make this world a better place. But ultimately, we need to do the right things even if our friends and neighbors aren't. Something to work towards, a challenge for myself to improve...

The second thing I found very comforting. President David O. McKay once said (and is often quoted) "No other success in life can compensate for failure in the home." I think this is a very important quote, but it sometimes makes me worry. Am I doing enough? Do I spend enough time with my kids? Am I teaching them enough about their Savior? And so on. So I was very touched by what was shared today. At a meeting not long after President McKay said this, he was answering questions at a gathering of university students. One person asked a very insightful question, "What does failure in the home encompass?" President McKay's immediate response was, "Failure means you have given up. You do not fail if you continue to try." This was so comforting. My kids are still young and they have beautiful, developing testimonies of the church and they love the Savior. And I am trying to be a good mother and to teach them and be a good example. But I know I fall short in many areas. So I found it incredibly comforting to know that I'm not a failure because I work outside the home or because I don't do everything as well as I would like to. I am trying, and I am getting better at some things...and still have many areas I need to improve in. Anyway, this made me feel better about where I am and where I'm trying to head.