Tonight, I was able to go to a fireside with my dear friends Jami and Andrea. Jami invited us to her stake's Relief Society fireside where Elaine Dalton spoke. Andrea and I brought our YW age daughters as well. It was such a great meeting. There were several things she said that I personally needed to hear and be reminded of. And there were several things that will go so well with the next two lessons I will be teaching in Young Women's. So it's a huge blessing that I was able to attend. And it was so great to get to see Jami!
Here are my notes from the fireside:
She began by bearing testimony of her deep and abiding testimony of Christ.
She told us that we are not ordinary women. She said: You have been reserved and observed. You showed exceeding faith, not just faith, but exceeding faith in the premortal life. Christ observed your faith and you were reserved for this time. You have a great work to do.
We are all struggling with things that may seem impossible to solve. But if we center our lives on Christ, everything will work out.
When she was serving as General YW President, she'd see Elder Perry almost every day. She'd say hello and ask, "How are you?" He'd say, "I'm great. I'm just great! I have never had a bad day in my life." She wondered how that could be...he'd known challenges, his wife had died, he'd had a daughter that died. She later found the answer in a talk given by President Nelson who said that our joy doesn't depend upon our circumstances but upon our focus. (See his talk
Joy and Spiritual Survival)
She talked about the beginning of Relief Society. It happened in Nauvoo. These women of Nauvoo understood the essence, the focus of the gospel. The men and women knew the temple was everything. The women saw the men working day after day on the temple and saw them getting ragged. These women knew they had something to contribute. So they banded together to sew new shirts for the men working on the temple. As they began to pattern their organization after other organizations and other women of the world, Joseph Smith said there was a better way. He taught the women, tutored them to prepare them to be endowed with power.
President Nelson has taught that everything we do in this church leads to the Lord and to the temple. When he held the press conference to announce the new First Presidency, they held it at the temple and said they would begin with the end in mind...the temple and its covenants. He asked us each to stay on the covenant path.
Sister Dalton asked us to please read and study President Nelson's talk "
A Plea to My Sisters." In fact, she encouraged us to memorize sections of it...to record all the things that he has asked us to do.
When a prophet of God speaks, we should listen...especially when they use specific gestures or words to convey seriousness of the message.
For President Hinckley, he would gesture with his hand as he spoke...pointing his finger.
President Monson would say, "I implore you" (such as when he told us to read the Book of Mormon every day...)
President Eyring has said we should be "riveted" on the words of prophets, seers and revelators.
President Nelson says, "I plead with you."
Sister Dalton said she has used President Nelson's talk and created a to do list in her journal with all of the things he pleads with us women to do. She works to do one at a time, adding on.
Here are some of the things he said:
- We need your strength, conversion, ability to lead, wisdom
- Speak with power and authority of God
- He quoted President Benson who said that women will flock to the church because of the women of the Church being distinct, articulate and different in happy ways.
- President Nelson said we are the women who will fulfill that prophecy!
- Be courageous defenders of morality
Because we know who we are, we will have the strength to stand as witnesses of God and to do His work. Remember we've been reserved and observed.
We are here to stand as witnesses, to be distinct, articulate and different in happy ways.
Satan is using everything he can to get in our heads, our hearts and our homes. He's trying to discourage, disenfranchise, and disqualify us. (This really stood out to me...because I feel like often lately I can feel him trying to do these things in my life...especially discourage me.)
The women who were there at the organization of the Relief Society changed the world...and so will you!
She spoke about virtue and the need for a return to virtue. She emphasized that return to virtue...that we can repent and change if we have made mistakes. She also spoke about abuse and said that far too many women have been victims of abuse and if that has happened, then you have not done anything wrong. She encouraged victims of abuse to seek healing, to see their Bishops because the Bishop holds the keys and can help her heal.
Virtue is so important because there are broken hearts and broken homes all around us. Many of these are a result of a lack of virtue. She says she believes that our economy, our government, our society all suffer because of a lack of virtue.
In addition, we must be pure to be accompanied by the Holy Ghost. Purity is our power! When we have the Holy Ghost, we will be guarded and guided.
Eliza Snow said we live far below our privileges...we could have the Holy Ghost as our companion at every moment...to guide us, to give us access to power and peace.
Be riveted on President Nelson's words in conference.
She showed a photo frame with photos of 5 generations of women in her family and talked about some of the strengths and gifts that each of those women possessed. They lived the gospel every day and changed her life and the lives of others.
She talked about her education and how it made her more fit for the kingdom.
We all have challenges.
Covenants keep us centered on the Savior.
As we partake of the sacrament, we can become just as pure and clean as we were when we were baptized.
We are elect women.
She also told of meeting with young women in Ghana. She asked them to share their challenges. They were silent. Finally, a young woman said, "We, the young women of Africa have many challenges." (Sister Dalton paused and said that she knew this was true...she had been in their huts, seen the river where they bathed, seen the many struggles they face daily.) But, Sister Dalton said, this young woman of faith continued, "But we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ." Sister Dalton repeated that: "We, the young women of Africa, have many challenges. But we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ." That knowledge puts things in perspective for them and brings them peace and joy. (Why do I so often find it hard to remember this perspective and to find this same joy and peace?)
