Stake Women's Conference
Presentation of the theme: John 14: 26-27
My intro talk about our theme
Our desire today is that you
will feel our Savior’s love for you as a dear daughter of God who is valued and
cherished and watched over and guided. We hope that when you leave the conference
later today, you will be buoyed up, with new ideas and ways of looking at the
challenges in life. We hope that you
will be more appreciative of the joy that comes to you in your life. Many of you are looking for peace and comfort
and it is our fervent prayer that you will be inspired by the Holy Ghost to
attend the classes today that will best meet your needs and give you the peace
you are seeking. Our presenters are all
well prepared and have sought the guidance of the spirit. One class will be taught in Spanish for those
who would like to hear this beautiful language, either because it is their
native language or because it was their
mission language.
After seeking the guidance of
the spirit, our presidency has chosen the theme found in John 14: 26-27. In this chapter, Jesus is preparing his
disciples for the time when he will no longer be with them. He has taught them well and then states in
vs. 25: “these things I have spoken unto you, yet being present with you.” But he wasn’t always going to be present with them and of
course he isn’t physically present with us either. But then he tells them of a great gift he is
going to leave with them and says “But the Comforter, whom the Father will send
in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your
remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.”
The footnotes tell us what we
probably already know, that the Comforter is the Holy Ghost. Each of you here today who have been baptized
into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been give this
gift! Are you using it to bless your
life? Are you accessing the power and
help that comes through this incomprehensible gift? Are you underutilizing this precious gift and
are you looking for help for challenges and answers elsewhere? Are you letting
The Holy Ghost teach you and bring all things to your remembrance? Are you letting it teach you how to deal with
challenging children, stressful work situations, aging parents, unhappy
marriages, financial difficulties, mental health issues, loneliness,
infertility, too much fertility, and so on and so on? Are
you letting it bring to your remembrance all the good times of the past that
you have enjoyed with family and friends, the joy of a wedding day, the time
when you felt the spirit for the first time; the time when you knew that this church
was Christ’s church restored on the earth for the last time, or the time when
you read the Book of Mormon and felt the truthfulness of it burn into your heart
and know that is was the word of God?
How much time do we spend
being taught by the Comforter and letting Him teach us continually the teachings
of Christ? How often do we invite the
Comforter to comfort us? Let the
Comforter do his job! Invite him to
comfort YOU!
Going on in vs. 27 Jesus
says: Peace I leave with you, my peace I
give unto you; not as the word giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let
it be afraid.
We receive peace through
Christ! He gives his peace in a unique
and special way, tailored for our individual needs and circumstances. But sisters, we have to ask for it. We have to actively seek it. We have to look for peace in places where he has
said we will find it. Places like our
homes, the scriptures, through prayer, by going to the temple, at church,
listening to general conference, doing Family History work, going on a family
reunion and connecting with our loved ones, praying with our spouses or alone
if no spouse is readily available for a time.
We may find answers and peace through chats with trusted friends, or through
professionals who are trained in the skills of sorting out the challenges in
life. We find peace in The Savior’s
words, following his example, and truly trying to be more like Him. Peace is available to them who seek it. Simple enough, right? If only it were so.
The world cannot give us this
peace, and it never will. The world is
lead by the great destroyer will tell you that you’re not good enough, not
pretty enough, not smart enough, not desirable, not talented and that you have
nothing to offer. Don’t listen to this
con artist, the teller of lies and the great deceiver. He wants you to join his ranks and he will
stay at it, chipping away at your peace and comfort with great skill and
patience. Turn him away and tell him
that you’re on the Lord’s side!
We just sang a rousing hymn,
“There is Sunshine in my soul today.” I
loved to hear you sing with gusto! Let that light, which is Jesus shine in your
life! Because as the next line says: And
Jesus listening can hear, the songs I cannot sing.” He is the only one who knows the songs you
cannot sing, the desires of your heart and your innermost yearnings. Reread Elder Holland April 2017 talk for
valuable insights. He says:
Brothers and sisters, we live in a mortal world with many
songs we cannot or do not yet sing. But I plead with each one of us to stay
permanently and faithfully in the choir, where we will be able to savor forever
that most precious anthem of all—“the song of redeeming love.”11 Fortunately,
the seats for this particular number are limitless. There is room for those who
speak different languages, celebrate diverse cultures, and live in a host of
locations. There is room for the single, for the married, for large families,
and for the childless. There is room for those who once had questions regarding
their faith and room for those who still do. There is room for those with
differing sexual attractions. In short, there is a place for everyone who loves
God and honors His commandments as the inviolable measuring rod for personal
behavior, for if love of God is the melody of our shared song, surely our
common quest to obey Him is the indispensable harmony in it. With divine
imperatives of love and faith, repentance and compassion, honesty and
forgiveness, there is room in this choir for all who wish to be there.12 “Come
as you are,” a loving Father says to each of us, but He adds, “Don’t plan to
stay as you are.” We smile and remember that God is determined to make of us
more than we thought we could be.
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal, cure or remove.*(from the hymn, Come, Ye Disconsolate)
My testimony.
