Yesterday, I had the privilege of speaking in sacrament meeting along with my two counselors. Brenda gave a great talk on why change is necessary and good. Victoria gave a wonderful talk on noticing miracles in our lives.
"Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You're off to Great Places!
You're off and away!
You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself
any direction you choose
You're on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.
You'll look up and down streets. Look 'em over with care.
About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."
With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,
you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street."
Perhaps as He sent us to Earth our Heavenly Father said something similar to these words from Dr. Seuss…though there would have been one significant difference—He would have reminded us that we are NEVER on our own. He is always there and He can help us decide which streets to go down! In fact, often He asks us to go down streets that we might not choose to go down on our own!
My topic today is “Yes, We Can!” Specifically, I was asked to talk about the idea that we can do hard things when we are asked to by our Father in Heaven and Savior…through our priesthood leaders. We can accept challenging callings. We can accept changes. We can teach our families. We can do temple and family history work. We can remain faithful despite trials and challenges. I have probably mentioned something that feels overwhelming to you…or if I haven’t, then I’m certain that you can think of something that feels overwhelming to you. We are asked to do hard things and sometimes (probably often!) we lack confidence in our abilities. As Dr. Seuss said, “there’s a very good chance that you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.” (Though we’ll hope that’s metaphorical and not literal!) Dr. Seuss continued, “There are some down the road, between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you don’t want to go on.” So what do we do when we are asked to do something that scares us so much that we don’t want to go on?
In this past conference, Sister Michelle Craig said, “Have you ever felt your talents and gifts were too small for the task ahead? I have. But you and I can give what we have to Christ, and He will multiply our efforts. What you have to offer is more than enough—even with your human frailties and weaknesses—if you rely on the grace of God. The truth is that each of us is one generation away from Deity—each is a child of God.18 And just as He has done with both prophets and ordinary men and women through the ages, so Heavenly Father intends to transform us.”
With Christ, what we have to offer is more than enough!
Listen to these incredibly encouraging words from Isaiah:
“Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard?”
“[God] giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. …
“… They that wait upon [Him] shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles. …
“For … the Lord … God will hold [their] right hand, saying unto [them], Fear not; I will help thee.” (Isaiah 40:28, 29, 31; 41:13.)
I’ve had a number of experiences where I’ve been asked to do things that I wasn’t sure I could do. Perhaps the experience that comes to mind first for me was when I was called as RS President. Forgive me because I know some of you have heard me tell this before—probably several times... A few months before I was called as RS President, I was feeling so very overwhelmed. I was trying to do good things…teach full time in a demanding school, be a good mother, be a good wife, fulfill my calling in Primary, and so on. But I wasn’t feeling very successful at balancing all of these responsibilities. I felt overwhelmed, exhausted and absolutely like I wasn’t enough. I prayed and prayed to know what to let go of…but I really didn’t feel like there was anything I could let go of. I shed many tears and really wondered if it was going to get better. In what seems like an ironic twist of events, my answer came. I was called on a Saturday afternoon and asked to meet with Bishop Delamare the next day. I told Alfredo that I thought I was going to be called as Relief Society President…and I was. At a time when I felt overwhelmed and like I needed to let go of some of my responsibilities…at a time when I felt like my talents and gifts were too small for what had already been asked of me, I was given even more responsibility…a responsibility that I felt keenly. But that’s when the miracle took place. I found very quickly, almost overnight, that when I put first things first and trusted in my Savior, He helped me carry all of my burdens.
President Eyring said it this way: “You can have the utmost assurance that your power will be multiplied many times by the Lord. All He asks is that you give your best effort and your whole heart. Do it cheerfully and with the prayer of faith. The Father and His Beloved Son will send the Holy Ghost as your companion to guide you. Your efforts will be magnified in the lives of the people you serve. And when you look back on what may now seem trying times of service and sacrifice, the sacrifice will have become a blessing, and you will know that you have seen the arm of God lifting those you served for Him, and lifting you.”
That is exactly what happened to me. It hardly even seems that was a time of sacrifice because I was so richly blessed during those two years. That time of service was such a blessing and so life changing for me!
In Come Follow Me, two weeks ago we read Matthew 11, verses 28-30:
"Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."
Typically when you yoke oxen, you want them to be “equally yoked”…you want to put two strong, large oxen together so they can pull evenly. But when we are yoked to the Savior, it really is like having one large, strong oxen and one much smaller, weaker oxen yoked together, with us being the smaller, weaker oxen…yet despite these differences in size and strength, the Savior meekly invites us to yoke ourselves with Him and removes our burden and allows us to find rest.
I saw this over and over as I served as RS President…when I put my trust in Him and focused on what really mattered, I was able to accomplish more AND become more than I could ever have done on my own. And I have continued to see this in my life, nearly daily since that time. On my busiest weeks, on the weeks when I look at all that needs to be accomplished and it feels impossible, if I conscientiously invite the Lord’s help through prayer and scripture study and serving others and temple attendance…then everything works out. I get everything done. And He allows me to see and experience tender mercies…evidence of His hand in my life.
So what do you do if you’re extended a calling that you don’t feel qualified for? I love these reminders from President Eyring… a man that I am certain has been given callings he didn’t feel qualified for: “Henry B. Eyring…”Rise to Your Call”: “First, you are called of God. The Lord knows you. He knows whom He would have serve in every position in His Church. He chose you. He has prepared a way so that He could issue your call. He restored the keys of the priesthood to Joseph Smith. Those keys have been passed down in an unbroken line to President Hinckley. Through those keys, other priesthood servants were given keys to preside in stakes and wards, in districts and branches. It was through those keys that the Lord called you. Those keys confer a right to revelation. And revelation comes in answer to prayer. The person who was inspired to recommend you for this call didn’t do it because they liked you or because they needed someone to do a particular task. They prayed and felt an answer that you were the one to be called.”
“Just as God called you and will guide you, He will magnify you. You will need that magnification. Your calling will surely bring opposition. You are in the Master’s service. You are His representative. Eternal lives depend on you. He faced opposition, and He said that facing opposition would be the lot of those He called. The forces arrayed against you will try not only to frustrate your work but to bring you down. The Apostle Paul described it this way: “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.”
While I served as RS President, I came to love the hymn The Time is Far Spent, written by one of my heroines, Eliza R. Snow. It says,
- Verse 2:“2. Shrink not from your duty, however unpleasant,
But follow the Savior, your pattern and friend.
Our little afflictions, tho painful at present,
Ere long, with the righteous, in glory will end,
Ere long, with the righteous, in glory will end.
4. Be fixed in your purpose, for Satan will try you;
The weight of your calling he perfectly knows.
Your path may be thorny, but Jesus is nigh you;
His arm is sufficient, tho demons oppose.
His arm is sufficient, tho demons oppose.
We can accept and magnify callings…even and perhaps especially callings that feel soul stretching or beyond our present capabilities…and when we do, we will see miracles!
What if the things that we don’t feel capable of right now aren’t specifically callings? What if it is some piece of counsel from the prophet or apostles? What if it’s doing family history work? Or teaching in our homes? Or speaking in sacrament meeting?
I had a humbling experience after October General Conference. I love General Conference and while I am far from perfect at applying everything that is taught, I can’t really remember a time when I really struggled with a change occurring or a precept being taught. That’s NOT to say that I understand or know everything. Anyway, when the change to two hour church was announced, I struggled. For nearly two months, I really struggled internally. I believed in the promises given by our leaders and I absolutely know that President Nelson is a prophet of God. The spirit has born witness to me that this is true. So why was I struggling? Well, first and foremost, this world is hard to live in and church—for me—is a respite from the world. I love studying the scriptures with others in Sunday School. And I LOVE teaching the young women and learning from them. I love being edified together. I just kept thinking that with the wickedness of the world, we need MORE church, not less. I need more time with my fellow saints, not less. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to teach my family, because I was excited about that aspect of it. But I really worried both about my own spiritual growth and also worried for those that might struggle due to these changes. And I was so sad to have less time to interact with and teach the precious young women. I spent a lot of time praying and worrying and worrying and praying and discussing my feelings with a couple of trusted friends and leaders. And then I determined that regardless of my personal concerns, I would do my best to sustain our beloved apostles and trust in their greater wisdom…or really, in the greater wisdom of our Savior because it is truly He that leads the Church. I determined to exercise faith and to do my best to implement these changes and to help others to do so as well. And while I do miss having 3 hours of church…I know I’m weird in that way…but I do miss the third hour…I am seeing wonderful blessings already. I am seeing how the Lord is strengthening my family and the precious YW. I am seeing how He continues to multiply my time and my efforts.
We are all going to face some type of change or some type of challenge that stretches us. When that happens, will we react with faith or with fear? Will we believe that we can do what we are asked to do…not alone but with the Savior’s help?
President George Q. Cannon once taught: “ [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so]. … He will [always] stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all these trials and difficulties the better and purer for them.”
When faced with challenges, when asked to do hard things, I hope our response will be “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” (Philippians 4:13) As we are taught in D&C 6:36, “Look unto {Christ} in every thought, doubt not, fear not.” Can we do hard things? Yes, we can!
