Sister Schmeil, the wife of President Schmeil, Florida Orlando mission leaders, put together a wonderful Sister Missionary Zone Conference. I helped with setting up along with Brent and some of the missionaries. Sister Schmeil also asked me to speak. Hear is my talk:
Dear sisters,
I am so happy to be here with you. When I was thinking about what to say to you, I remembered an email I received from my daughter when she was serving as a missionary. I liked it so much that I have kept a copy of that email by my bedside. This was back in 2013 when she was serving in Italy. She wrote in an email about an experience that she said “seemed to be happening a lot.” My daughter and her companion were working on making sure that the people they taught understood that they as missionaries knew that the gospel was true. As they were talking to a man at a park, he asked them, if sharing the gospel made them happy? They told him, yes, that it made them happy and he said, “I can see it, I can see it makes you happy and I believe you.” Then, my daughter said in her email, they were told by investigators and people in the ward that they always seemed happy. My daughter then said that “I guess people can know our message is true by how happy we are.”
In 2006 Sister Elaine Dalton who at the time was the Second Counselor in the General Young Women presidency shared the following poem:
You don’t have to tell how you live each day;
You don’t have to tell if you work or play;
A tried and true barometer stands in its place—
You don’t have to tell, it will show in your face. …
If you live close to God and His infinite grace—
You won’t have to tell, it will show in your face.
The light in your countenance comes because you have made and kept covenants with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and you have made choices which qualify you to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost.
In 1st Peter chapter 2 verse 9 It says
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
That light is the Savior's light. When we daily say our prayers, read our scriptures, serve others and live the gospel our face will glow with the fire of our faith and others will see it.
The adversary, however, is aware of who you are. He knows of your divine heritage and seeks to limit your earthly and heavenly potential by using distraction, deception and discouragement. He wants to distract us away from Christ. He doesn’t want us to be on the covenant path, because he doesn’t want us to be happy, he wants us to be miserable like him. In 2nd Nephi 2:27 it says: Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be miserable like unto himself.
Satan wants us to be discouraged. He likes to put unclean and unkind thoughts in our way. Sometimes he tells us things like: “You never do anything right,” “You can not be forgiven of your sins”, “It’s impossible to change,” or “You’re worthless and no one really cares about you.” These are lies, don’t believe them. We become discouraged especially when we compare ourselves to others. I used to do that when I was a young mom. I was miserable when I compared myself to other women. I would beat myself up, thinking others were better than me or more talented than me. I would see other sisters give the most amazing Relief Society lessons and in my mind I would hear myself think, you can’t do that, you are not a good teacher. When I was 21 my first husband was killed in a car accident. I was a widow with a 10 month old baby. I felt abandoned and alone. I prayed constantly for help and guidance. I didn’t know how I could do it. When I went to church I looked at all the perfect families or what I perceived as perfect families and felt that what they had was now unattainable for me. I was depressed and my negative thoughts were all consuming. I wish I had had people in my life who would have comforted me and helped me see and understand that blessings come on the Lord’s time table. I was miserable for months. The thought that I would be alone for the rest of my life and that no one would want to marry me just kept beating me up. I wasted too much of my time doing this. I made the decision to start thinking positively and I started reading the Book of Mormon. I changed, I was happier and those thoughts left. I put my faith and trust in the Savior. He suffered for me and knew exactly how I was feeling. Negative thoughts are not from God. In Moroni 7 verses 12 and 13 it reads: Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God, and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually. But behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God.
What helped me stop beating myself up was when I finally understood who I was, a beloved daughter of our Heavenly Father who has blessed me with gifts and talents that only I can use to help uplift and bless others. We are unique, we are different. I am not saying that I am perfect, sometimes I do feel inadequate and that is fine. Before coming here today to speak to you, I was nervous, and I felt inadequate. I am still nervous. But I didn’t beat myself up about it, this gave me an opportunity to pray and trust in my Heavenly Father.
One of my favorite speakers is sister Sheri Dew. She explained that in her youth she was very shy and had no self confidence. It was only when she began to understand how the Lord felt about her that her feelings about herself and her life began to change.
I wish I could tell you that your lives will be easy and without trials but I know by experience that they won’t. I also know that ultimately we wouldn’t want them to be. What I have learned through my experiences could not have been taught any other way.
I would like to share a short video from Elder Uchtdorf before I close. (video called Our true identity https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2010-04-0020-our-true-identity?lang=eng)
My sisters, you are glorious. Heavenly Father loves us. He knows us perfectly. He reserved us to come now, when the power of the adversary is more intense than ever. He knew we would be noble, great, courageous, determined, faithful and fearless.
Sister Elaine Dalton said: “Look into the mirror of eternity. Remember who you are! See yourself as our Heavenly Father sees you. You are elect. You are of noble birth. You were born to be a queen. There is no more beautiful sight than a woman who glows with the light of the Spirit, who is confident and courageous because she is virtuous.”
I know Jesus lives and that He is our light and hope of the world. I know He gives us courage to share that light with those around us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
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