It was a wonderful program. She had each young woman create a poster about some of their projects, talents, interests and so on. After the song, prayer, theme, YM/YW theme, Annie introduced my new presidency. Then Susan spoke just a little bit about the theme...then several girls presented their posters and talked about what they have done in personal progress. Then Susan spoke a bit more. Then a couple more girls presented their posters. Then Susan shared a slide show of photos of this year's activities. Then the last couple of girls presented their posters and Susan shared a few more thoughts. Then I shared some thoughts and Bishop Carlson shared some thoughts.
I took notes because I am a notetaker. And because several of our YW were unable to make it...so I typed up my notes and took them to the missing YW along with their top hat.
Here are my notes:
Susan Gustafson:
Told of how much she
loved this show and how clear back in February she decided this is what she
wanted to do for YW in Excellence.
This life is the
greatest show. The gospel is everything we ever want and ever need. Sometimes
life is so hard. But we wanted to be a
part of this show…in fact, we shouted for joy to come to Earth.
There are trials but
this IS the greatest show.
I close my
eyes and I can see
The world that's waiting up for me
That I call my own
Through the dark, through the door
Through where no one's been before
But it feels like home
They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy
They can say, they can say I've lost my mind
I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy
We can live in a world that we design
The world that's waiting up for me
That I call my own
Through the dark, through the door
Through where no one's been before
But it feels like home
They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy
They can say, they can say I've lost my mind
I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy
We can live in a world that we design
Cause every
night I lie in bed
The brightest colors fill my head
A million dreams are keeping me awake
I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take
A million dreams for the world we're gonna make
The brightest colors fill my head
A million dreams are keeping me awake
I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take
A million dreams for the world we're gonna make
Dream big, girls. Sometimes your dreams might seem impossible,
but you can reach your goals and make a difference in this world.
Personal progress
prepares us for the future. It will help
you prepare to be a missionary, a wife, a mother, a college student…we want you
to want this for yourself and we will do all we can to help you and support you
to receive your medallion in this upcoming year if that is what you want for
yourself.
Personal progress blesses
our lives.
”No one ever made a
difference by being like everyone else.” P.T. Barnum
Be yourself…be who God
intended you to be.
It's up to you
And it's up to me
No one can say what we get to be
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
And it's up to me
No one can say what we get to be
So why don't we rewrite the stars?
Each week we stand and
recite the theme…We are daughters of Heavenly Father who loves us.. But do you realize that He loves you no
matter what. Not just if you have good grades or are good at sports or
have pretty hair. He loves you
right now, as you are. You are glorious.
Personal progress can be
overwhelming...don't try to do it all at once. Pick one or two things to
work on. But I promise that it will help
you be the best you can be.
From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the light
From now on
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
Let this promise in me start
These eyes will not be blinded by the light
From now on
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem
in my heart
From now on
From now on
From now on
From now on
From now on...let’s work on personal
progress. Let’s draw closer to Christ
and put our trust in Him.
****************
My comments (Jenny Panameno):
Susan created a slide show of photos from activities this
year…and I got pretty choked up looking at these photos. As the slide show was playing, we heard the
song “The Greatest Show” which says:
It's everything you ever
want
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
It's everything you ever need
And it's here right in front of you
This is where you wanna be
This is where I want to
be!! I genuinely love being with and
around you young women! I love serving
you and learning from you…there is nowhere else I would rather be right now!
I want to talk about two
related lessons that I think we can draw from the movie The Greatest Showman.
First, the characters in the greatest showman were each very talented. They
each had gifts and they were able to use their gifts or talents such as singing
and dancing in order to bring joy and gladden the hearts of others around them.
You also have gifts and
talents. Gifts such as music and dancing
are wonderful and valuable, but I think the gifts that are most important are
the gifts of the Spirit that we each have.
D&C 46 discusses
some of the spiritual gifts we can be given.
In Doctrine and Covenants section 46 verse 12 it says, “to some is given
one and to some is given another that all made profit thereby.”
Our gifts and talents
are given to us to bless our lives but also to bless those around us. They are
to be used to minister to others and to strengthen our own and others’
testimonies. Just as the performers in the greatest showman had to practice and
work to develop their talents we can work to develop our gifts and our talents.
And we can develop spiritual gifts that we don't have yet.
Listen to what George Q.
Cannon (an early apostle) said, “If any of us are imperfect,
it is our duty to pray for the gift that will make us perfect. Have I
imperfections? I am full of them. What is my duty? To pray to God to give me
the gifts that will correct these imperfections. If I am an angry man, it is my
duty to pray for charity, which suffereth long and is kind. Am I an envious
man? It is my duty to seek for charity, which envieth not. So with all the
gifts of the gospel. They are intended for this purpose. No man ought to say,
“Oh, I cannot help this; it is my nature.” He is not justified in it, for the
reason that God has promised to give strength to correct these things, and to
give gifts that will eradicate them. If a man lack wisdom, it is his duty to
ask God for wisdom. The same with everything else. That is the design of God
concerning His Church. He wants His Saints to be perfected in the truth. For
this purpose He gives these gifts and bestows them upon those who seek after
them, in order that they may be a perfect people upon the face of the earth,
notwithstanding their many weaknesses, because God has promised to give the
gifts that are necessary for their perfection.”
We develop these gifts
by sincerely praying to our Heavenly Father, by exhibiting faith and by trying
to emulate the savior.
In 2nd Nephi chapter 31
verse 12 it says, “… follow me and do the things which you have seen me do.” As
we follow the savior and try to be more like Him, we can develop gifts such as
Charity, Faith, purity, hope, the gift of knowledge, patience, forgiveness, and
other spiritual gifts that we currently lack.
That leads me to the
second lesson that I feel like we can learn from the greatest Showman.
The circus performers
were viewed as peculiar/different/strange..but as we saw in the movie they each
were unique and talented and special.
1 Peter 2:9 says, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood and holy nation, a peculiar people that you should show forth the praises
of him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
We are called to be
peculiar... we are to be distinct and
different in happy ways...Sometimes the world will think that we are
peculiar…strange or weird.
But the word peculiar.
.scripturally it doesn't really mean strange... it means treasured
possession. We are Christ's treasured possession in the sense that we
were bought with a price...He atoned for us and rescues us. Because of His atonement, His suffering, we
are His precious treasure. We have been
called to act in a higher, holier way…because we are a chosen generation and a
holy nation.
While in the greatest
showman PT Barnum in a sense rescues the peculiar men and women who become the
acts in the circus he isn't always fully devoted to them…he at times gets
blinded by greed and a desire to receive the praise of the world. But Christ is always fully devoted and full
of love for us. In our good times and
our bad times. When we sin and when we
repent. Always, always He is there to
help us and to draw us near to Him.
Pres Nelson's words...from
A Plea to My Sisters. You’ve heard me
share these words before because I love them so much!
“ in
1979, President Spencer W. Kimball made a profound prophecy about the
impact that covenant-keeping women would have on the future of the Lord’s
Church. He prophesied: “Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church
in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world … will
be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that
the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives
and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and
different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.”5
My dear sisters, you who are our vital associates during this
winding-up scene, the day that President Kimball foresaw is today. You are the
women he foresaw! Your virtue, light, love, knowledge, courage, character,
faith, and righteous lives will draw good women of the world, along with their
families, to the Church in unprecedented numbers!”
This is how we are to be
“peculiar”…we are to be distinct and different in happy ways! Not like many people of the world. And these
are some of your spiritual gifts. Virtue, light, love, knowledge…these are
qualities you possess and are working to develop. These and others are the spiritual gifts our
Savior wants to bless you with. Just as
the men and women in the Greatest Showman needed to share their talents in
order to gladden the hearts, lift up the hands that hang down and bring joy to
those around them… so too we need to share our spiritual gifts with the world.
The impact of those circus acts was temporary and eternally of little
consequence. People left the circus feeling happier…but then returned to their
lives unchanged. However, the impact of
you choosing to share your gifts with the world is of eternal consequence and
will echo through the eternities as you help bring your brothers and sisters to
Christ by sharing your spiritual gifts. You are of such great worth..you ARE
changing the world by being yourself and sharing your light and your gifts with
others. Please remember who you are and
whose you are.
*****
Bishop Carlson:
Amen to what has been
said. Pause ...take in the spirit that is here...The Holy Ghost is
here...it brings us joy. Testimonies are here at the greatest show…I can
feel your testimonies.
I admit that for months
I had no desire to see the movie…I knew the music of Greatest Show.
Finally saw movie this weekend with my family and enjoyed it.
Never Be Enough
All the shine
of a thousand spotlights
All the stars we steal from the night sky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it'll
Never be enough
Never be enough
For me
Never, never
Never, never
Never, for me
For me
Never enough
Never enough
Never enough
For me
For me
For me
All the stars we steal from the night sky
Will never be enough
Never be enough
Towers of gold are still too little
These hands could hold the world but it'll
Never be enough
Never be enough
For me
Never, never
Never, never
Never, for me
For me
Never enough
Never enough
Never enough
For me
For me
For me
We have an insatiable
thirst, a desire for more...this is great gift...Elder Maxwell called it divine
discontent...it's good to have these desires...important to have this within...it
helps us become who we are meant to me.
Please…Listen to
promptings from the spirit of ways for you to be a bit better.
Each of us has spirit of
Christ…it guides us and gives us this divine discontent, this longing to return
home, this desire to become more than we currently are.
Listen to first
promptings...we will be right 9 out of 10 times...then hopefully we can listen
to the spirit to help us correct that 10th time when we aren’t.
“All things are possible
to them that believe.” All things! Just
believe. Believe in Christ and believe
in yourself.
And buried in
your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore
Taking your breath, stealing your mind
And all that was real is left behind
Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer
Taking your breath, stealing your mind
And all that was real is left behind
Don't fight it, it's coming for you, running at ya
It's only this moment, don't care what comes after
Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer
The Greatest show...have
you ever had the feeling that something great is coming? It is…
Everything is possible
if we walk with Christ. We may have to put in effort and do some planning.
But you can do it.
You can come out of the
darkness into the light.
I'm not a
stranger to the dark
Hide away, they say
'Cause we don't want your broken parts
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one will love you as you are
But I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
Hide away, they say
'Cause we don't want your broken parts
I've learned to be ashamed of all my scars
Run away, they say
No one will love you as you are
But I won't let them break me down to dust
I know that there's a place for us
For we are glorious
When the
sharpest words wanna cut me down
Gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
We can be bruised by
words and actions of others and even by the words or actions we take ourselves...but
our Savior wants our broken parts and can heal all our scars.
When you are on the Lord's
errand you have no need to apologize...
Let me go back to the
idea of “Not enough”...divine discontent is good but discouragement and despair
come from the adversary....At times we feel we are not measuring up...we all
have moments when we feel not enough.
Nephi explained in 2
Nephi 25:23: “23 For we labor diligently to write,
to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in
Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that
we are saved, after all we can do.”
None of us is “enough” on our own…but if we do all we can do, then Christ will save us through His grace. He loves us despite our weaknesses.
Elder
Uchtdorf said, “Sometimes we feel discouraged because we are not “more” of
something—more spiritual, respected, intelligent, healthy, rich, friendly, or
capable. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve. God created
us to grow and progress. But remember, our weaknesses can help us to be humble
and turn us to Christ, who will “make weak things become strong.”4Satan,
on the other hand, uses our weaknesses to the point that we are discouraged from
even trying.
I learned in my life that we don’t need to be “more” of anything
to start to become the person God intended us to become.
God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to
work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust
in the Lord.”
Our weaknesses can help
us be humble and make weak things in us become strong...
No matter your
circumstances...you will always be enough for the Savior!
Elder Uchtdorf said, “My dear brothers and sisters, if we look at ourselves only
through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our
Heavenly Father sees us as who we truly are and who we can become. He sees us
as His sons and daughters, as beings of eternal light with everlasting potential
and with a divine destiny.”
Elder Uchtdorf said, “Exaltation
is our goal; discipleship is our journey.
As you exercise a little faith and begin your walk as a
peaceable follower of our Lord Jesus Christ, your heart will change.16 Your
whole being will be filled with light.17
God will help you become something greater than you ever thought
possible. And you will discover that the gospel of Jesus Christ is indeed
working in your life. It works.”
If you have desire to be
better...our Savior stands with open arms to receive you.
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