Good Evening Thank You for Being Here Glad to Speak to You

Good evening – thank you for being here – glad to speak to you ......

I love to see all your happy, beautiful faces – love to watch you at church & activities and see the energy & radiance you exude.

-As I look at you I can’t help but think back to my days in YW –Sunday classes, mutual activities, girls’ camp, service projects, stake dances, -- I learned about testimony, what the spirit feels like, how to shoot an arrow, the satisfaction that comes from crossing off another PP goal, learned all about make-up application from my beehive leader/mary kay consultant, learned how to make crepes (well, not really – just watched my leader make crepes).

-There are many, many good memories . . . . but just a few I’d like to try to forget, like cleaning latrines.

*At girl’s camp we had chores (or capers) each day. At least twice during the week your group would get assigned to cleaning the latrines. We didn’t have toilets – well, actually one (which we affectionately called “flushy), but it always got clogged up the first day and was useless the rest of the week. So there were latrines. These wooden shed type things with a roof, some ventilation near the ceiling, and a wrap around entrance. Does everyone know what a latrine is / how it functions? Good, because I don’t want to explain the details – if you don’t know, ask your neighbor. Basically it was dark, scary, & smelly in there, with the hum of flies (although, half of us were convinced they were really bees). After rock-paper-scissors the 2 losers would arm themselves with spray cleaner, paper towels, and new rolls of TP. Cleaning usually went something like this: run in, scream, spray spray, wipe wipe as fast we could, scream again and run out batting the air around our heads for the flies/bugs we were sure had followed us out. Fun, huh? Like I said, something I’d like to try to forget!

*On the other hand there are many things from YW’s I want to always remember: And that is how I learned who I really am (a daughter of God), that I am loved, that I am unique and special, that I have talents that I can improve on and grow. That Heavenly Father loves me and knows me.

You are a beloved daughter of Heavenly Father, prepared to come to the earth at this particular time for a sacred and glorious purpose. You have the noble calling to use your strength and influence for good. Your loving Heavenly Father has blessed you with talents and abilities that will help you fulfill your divine mission. Through personal prayer, scripture study, obedience to the commandments, and service to others, you can develop these gifts. –First Presidency, personal progress manual

Heavenly Father has a plan for me, for each of you . . . . we just must live righteously enough that we can fulfill it, discover it.

What I’d like to talk to you about tonight is, how we can discover the gifts/talents/abilities Heavenly Father has given us, and develop them, the process that is involved, and how the YW program is going to help you do it.

*“With all my capacity I encourage you to discover who you really are. I invite you to look beyond the daily routine of life. I urge you to discern through the Spirit your divinely given capacities. I exhort you to prayerfully make worthy choices that will lead you to realize your full potential.” Richard G. Scott, “Realize Your Full Potential,” Ensign November 2003

So the question is, (not to sound too overwhelming) . . . . How do you reach your full potential?

*I have three words for you: Work, Courage, Faith

*Work:

Calvin Coolidge (30thUS President) said: All growth depends upon activity. There is no development physically or intellectually (or spiritually) without effort, and effort means work.

*Courage:

2 Timothy 1:7 – For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

*Faith:

David B. Haight: We believe in you, your parents and brothers and sisters believe in you, and God expects the best from you. You must believe in yourself. Don’t give in when the going is rough, for you are laying the foundation of a great work, and that great work is your life. (A Time for Preparation, Ensign, Nov. 1991)

D&C 84:88 – The Lord has promised: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels roundabout you, to bear you up.”

These 3 words are the seedlings for what I want you to learn & take away from tonight. Consider this phrase:

Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself, and you will grow.

Think about it: welcome the task / embrace the task

That makes you go beyond yourself – something that’s new, out of your comfort zone, maybe a little scary,

And you will grow. You will become stronger. Your life will be richer/fuller.

*think about this

I want to talk about 4 categories/areas that you will have the opportunity to grow in during your years in Young Womens. The choice is up to you whether you will take these opportunities and use them as a path for growth (remember it takes work, courage, faith). But I can guarantee there will be rewards/blessings if you do.

Preparation

I almost titled this category “talents” – that word to me implies something that you are really really good at and just shine. In YW hopefully you will be presented with many practical skills that you can learn that will prepare you for the future. Some of them you may be really, really good at, some maybe not as much (we all have our strengths and our weaknesses). But most of all, I think it’s important to open yourselves to learning opportunities, build your knowledge – because you never know when you’re going to need it.

*When I was in YW the PP program was organized a little differently. For one of my Laurel projects I spent one summer taking sewing lessons from a woman in our ward. I picked out a pattern and fabric with my mom and then spent time at this sister’s house cutting out the pattern, pinning, sewing, ironing, and learning all the basics until I had created the cutest pink gingham jumper you had ever seen. I looked at it, I was proud of my little masterpiece, it hung in my closet for a long time, come to think of it – I don’t think I ever wore it. It was a cool project, I felt like little miss homemaker, but I thought, “really, who even sews nowadays?”

Sister Cook (the new 1st counselor in YW presidency): Shared how she and her husband were called on a mission to Mongolia. She soon found that it was difficult to find food and ready-made house-hold items. Most everything had to be “hand-made”.

*She found that she had to really reach back to the “basic” cooking lessons she had received from her mom to creatively put meals together using very little. The sewing skills she learned as a teenager helped her when she needed to make curtains for their apartment.

Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself, and you will grow.

- anytime you’re learning something new, you are going beyond yourself – going beyond the Emily or Meghan that is content to just sit there and watch mom make dinner night after night, or watch mom sew your pioneer dress while you eat a bowl of popcorn. It’s when you step and say “gee, mom could you show me how you do that?” – that’s when the magic happens.

Going back to my sewing experiences – how did I grow? GROW: My newly acquired sewing skills sat on the shelf for many years, until one day I thought I’d try it again. I’ve been able to make my kids’ Halloween costumes, pillows, curtains. I did a sewing project recently that I was very proud of. My mom commented to me: “Aren’t you glad that I made you spend that summer taking sewing lessons?” Yes mom. Thank you so much.

-Reminder to parents: sometimes your encouragement/push is needed to help your YW move along in her personal progress. And most likely they will thank you for it 14 years later.

-Sister Cook says: Look around for new opportunities to learn, and don’t be afraid to try the hard things. The greater your preparation, the greater your confidence to deal with challenging circumstances, which surely will come your way.You never know when and how the Lord may need to use you

Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself, and you will grow.

****Notecard for everyone (some kind of flower motif)

*challenge you to write a note to someone – cheer up a friend’s day; to thank a teacher for a great YW lesson; share your testimony with a non-member; tell your mom, grandparent, brother (gasp) how much you love him; welcome one of these beautiful Beehives in YW. –I’m sure if you look through your PP manual there is a goal somewhere to go along with it. (Divine Nature #3, Individual Worth #3, good works #1)

Reaching out to others

*When I was a Beehive, one random day I received a notecard in the mail – addressed to me – from one of the Laurels in my ward. As I looked at the return address and recognized her beautiful hand-writing my heart stopped in it’s tracks. Leigh Perrett sent a letter to . . . . me? I’m thinking: I’m just a 12 year old Beehive and she’s the most beautiful/popular/thin/well-dressed girl in YW. What could she possibly be sending me in the mail???? I opened it up (still quite bewildered) and found a simple notecard with a message inside. She wrote (in a few sentences), how happy she was that I was in YW’s ?????, then went on to point out a few characteristics/talents of mine that she noticed/admired, I don’t remember how she closed the note . . . . but at that point I was floored. Flattered. On cloud nine. And thinking, did that just really happen?

*President Monson’s story – Be Thou An Example, Ensign, May 2005

Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself, and you will grow.

Think of these girls, this YW class, and what an example they are of reaching out to the one. Isn’t it amazing to see what a little kindness can do. I was happy to hear on Sunday a few comments in sacrament meeting related to fellowshipping in Seminary.

For a long time (years even) I’ve thought about that note & wondered why: Is it something she just decided to do? Was it part of a personal progress goal or something her Laurel Advisor suggested to the class? In all reality, it didn’t matter to me what the motive was. What did matter to me was the way that it touched me and the way that it made me feel. This gesture, for me, contributed in part for the way that I now very much understand and appreciate the value of a thoughtful written note. Or kind words. Or a sincere compliment.

These are small, simple things that you can do

– Will it take you out of your comfort zone? Maybe.

Eleanor Roosevelt said: You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

You have a strength & influence in you that you probably don’t even realize. There are people in your family, at school, your neighborhood, or in this very room who yearn for someone like you to reach out to them. To welcome her, to recognize her, or to simply fill the empty chair that sits beside her.

Monson: You can strengthen one another; you have the capacity to notice the unnoticed. When you have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to feel, you can reach out and rescue others of your age. (Be Thou An Example, Ensign, May 2005)

Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself, and you will grow.

Courage

I will admit – I’m a bit of a wuss. I don’t like confrontation, conflict, or debate and will avoid it as much as I can. I will also point out that in jr. high, high school I was very, very quiet. I had my close friends I could open up with and have fun with. But generally, in school/social settings I didn’t usually speak unless spoken to.

*I remember attending a stake youth fireside and I was sitting in the chapel of the stake center with my friend before the meeting began. There was a group of 2 girls and several loud boys sitting directly behind me. The laughing, joking, noise, and rowdiness had escalated way beyond anything that would have been acceptable in the halls of the church – let alone the chapel. I remember sitting there, staring straight ahead, just steaming over what was going on behind me. Again, keep in mind my quiet nature. I stewed & debated & tied myself in knots until I finally got up the courage to turn around and very politely say, “Excuse me, but we are in the chapel. Could you please quiet down?” I turned back around and had to listen to the giggles and snickering – although the volume had dramatically decreased. Okay, that may not sound like anything huge – but that was a big deal for me!

Welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself, and you will grow

What is courage? “Courage is acting in spite of fear.” Howard W. Hunter

*Does it take courage to refrain from gossiping when everyone around you is doing it? Does it take courage to voice your standards around friends who don’t follow them? What if those friends are members of the church? Does it take courage to give a talk in church? Yes! Does it take courage to accept an assignment from your YW leader or priesthood leaders even though you’re convinced it’s beyond your abilities?

*The key word in Pres. Hunter’s quote is “acting”. Doing.

Yes, you can stew & debate & tie yourself in knots -- but eventually you have to act.

Monson: Make every decision you contemplate pass this test: What does it do to me? What does it do for me? And let your code of conduct emphasize not, “What will others think?” but rather, “what will I think of myself?”(Be Thou an Example, Ensign, May 2005)

After that youth fireside I had the pleasure of carpooling home with one of the girls that had sat behind me – and then over-hearing her relate to the other girls in the back of the van what had happened in the chapel and what the boys had said about me afterwards – and they weren’t compliments. But . . . . it didn’t bother me. It was very clear to me at that moment that what I thought of myself was waaayyy more important that what a group of rowdy boys thought of me.

You are going to be in situations throughout your entire life where you will need courage. But if you take a deep breath, brace yourself and

welcome the task that makes you go beyond yourself, you will grow.

Testimony

Work, Courage, Faith – does gaining a testimony require these things?

Work: “We should remember that acquiring a testimony is not a passive thing but a process in which we are expected to do something.” Dallin H. Oaks, Testimony, Ensign, May 2008

What do we do: study the scriptures, pray, ask in faith, listen to the holy ghost

Courage: “We gain or strengthen a testimony by bearing it.” Dallin H. Oaks

Does it take courage to bear your testimony – whether in sacrament meeting, or to a friend. Courage to step outside of yourself – especially when you’re unsure or just starting to build a testimony.

Faith: Faith that He knows us and will answer us when we go to Him in prayer.

For many of your personal progress goals it requires that you write your thoughts in a journal. I recently came across the journal that I used for my personal progress notes and had fun flipping through it. As I read page after page where I described a gospel principle, what things I need to do to live it, and my testimony of it . . . . I started to wonder if these were things that I really, truly knew at age 13, 14. Maybe I didn’t know these things in the sense that I didn’t have a perfect knowledge or testimony – I hadn’t really been tested yet and my life experience was limited.

*But this exercise of writing my thoughts in a journal served a greater purpose than just checking off another PP goal. By thinking about these gospel principles, practicing them in my life (setting goals), and writing it out . . . By doing this, by going beyond my 13-year old knowledge & experiences, by going beyond myself at that point & time . . . . . I was able to plant the seeds of a testimony and then watch them grow.

* The point I want you to understand is that the simple act of doing, practicing will yield growth in your testimony and spirituality. And many times it is the small and simple things, that build upon each other over time to yield great results.

I want to compare this idea to your personal progress goals: As small and simple as they may seem . . . . each time you tryto be more patient with your family members or try to speak more kindly ; each time you think about gratitude; each time you memorize a scripture on faith; each time you write in your journal about what it means to be a daughter of God; each time you fill out a pedigree chart or participate in a school music recital; each time you learn how to conduct the hymns; each time you pray for a missionary experience;