So today I was asked to speak in Stake Conference. Oddly enough, I wasn't really nervous about it and gladly accepted the call. The topic was one that I am passionate about it, and as a result, preparation came rather smoother. Like anytime we are asked to speak, I'm sure I got WAY more out of it than anyone who listened, and I'm grateful I had an opportunity to really ponder and pray on some important matters. Anyway, just thought I'd share my talk on here for a few reasons. I want to remember it for myself so I can put into practice what I preached. I also know of many friends who would have love to have been attend today and could not, so now they can at least read it. And lastly, because we can never share our testimony too often. I hope you are able to get something out of it, and more importantly that it will cause a desire to in your heart to make a change and do something a little better every day. Here goes:
Today I have been asked to speak on how “the New MTC is the Home” as stated by Pres. Packer a few months ago. We are all aware of the recent age adjustment for missionaries. Both men and women have been called to serve at a younger age. This lowering of the age “is a very powerful message that God trusts His youth.” (Elder Brimhall) President Monson said, “I think the youth today are stronger than they have ever been before in the history of the Church.”
Having served with the youth for 3 years, I know this to be true! The youth in the church are amazing! Elder Scott in his most recent conference talk said to the youth, “In the premortal life, you proved to be valiant, obedient, and pure. There you worked hard to develop talents and capacities to prepare yourselves to face mortality with courage, dignity, honor, and success.”
The fact that the youth of this generation are more prepared than ever before also speaks volumes about the parents. That is what I really want to focus on today. How we as parents, grandparents, and leaders of these remarkable youth, can truly magnify our call to ensure that the youth are truly prepared to serve when the call comes. Elder Pieper said that "this change [the lowering of the missionary age] brings a ‘real urgency’ to parents.” And it should.
We as parents hold a HUGE responsibility to rear these children in love and righteousness and will be held accountable to the discharge of these obligations. The things we have been counseled to do have not changed, but the urgency to truly do them has.
Many years ago “Bishop Stanley Smoot was interviewed by President Spencer W. Kimball. President Kimball asked, ‘How often do you have family prayer?’ Bishop Smoot answered, ‘We try to have family prayer twice a day, but we average about once.’ President Kimball answered, ‘In the past, having family prayer once a day may have been all right. But in the future it will not be enough if we are going to save our families.’
I wonder if having casual and infrequent family home evening will be enough in the future to fortify our children with sufficient moral strength. In the future, infrequent family scripture study may be inadequate to arm our children with the virtue necessary to withstand the moral decay of the environment in which they will live. Where in the world will the children learn chastity, integrity, honesty, and basic human decency if not at home.”
Brothers and sisters, we live in the future spoken here and we need to do better. We have heard it lots of times, “the youth are being raised in enemy territory,” and it is in the home that they not only need to find a place of peace & refuge, but where they will get the armor to keep them safe.
I’m reminded of the song & scripture about the wise man and the foolish man which can be found in Matthew 7:24-27. Which reads:
24 ¶Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon fa rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a crock.
26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:
27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Take a moment to reflect on your own situations. Are you doers of the word or hearers only? Because that is the difference between building on the Rock and building on the sand.
Helaman 5:12
12 And now, my sons [my brothers & sisters], remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.
Again I ask, are you doers of the word or hearers only? Because I promise you that the rain and the winds will come. Not only will they come but they will “beat upon” you. We have been promised that if we do the things that we have been commanded we will be safe. We will be protected. We will be prepared.
Elder Richard G. Scott recently said, “I’m sure you can identify the fundamental principles that center your home on the Savior. The prophetic counsel to have daily personal and family prayer, daily personal and family scripture study, and weekly family home evening are the essential, weight-bearing beams in the construction of a Christ-centered home. Without these regular practices it will be difficult to find the desired and much-needed peace and refuge from the world… Simple, consistent, good habits lead to a life full of bountiful blessings.”
It is amazing to me how such seemingly simple commandments can be so hard to implement! To pray, read the scriptures and hold weekly FHE are not difficult tasks, yet we all struggle to do them. Our lives are so busy. It seems as though we run from one activity to the next. They are not bad activities, in fact most are great things to be involved in. Yet we must remember, Good, Better, Best. “However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.” (first pres. Letter, Feb. 11, 1999) There is a saying that I love, it says: “If you do not have time to pray and read your scriptures, you are busier than God ever intended you to be.”
The things we have been asked to do are so simple and yet the promised blessings are so significant. Now I’m aware, each of us are human, and we do make mistakes. Our Heavenly does not expect perfection from us, but he does certainly expect our best efforts. Elder Scott brings me comfort when he said, “We need not worry if we can’t simultaneously do all of the things that the Lord has counseled us to do. He has spoken of a time and a season for all things. In response to our sincere prayers for guidance, He will direct us in what should be emphasized at each phase of our life. We can learn, grow, and become like Him one consistent step at a time.” I love this concept and we hear it all the time, line upon line, and precept upon precept. One little step at a time. It makes everything so much more doable.
About a year and a half ago I decided that we really needed to kick our family spirituality up a notch. As I made goals and a plan to achieve them I decided to really focus on one aspect and never miss. I chose to master weekly family home evening. I knew this would be hard to implement because my husband’s long work hours. As we talked about it, Sunday was the first thought that came to mind, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized it was not the right option. With both of us working with the youth, firesides, choir practice and family dinners all happening on Sundays I knew that it would be so easy to say, “we’ll just do it another day this week,” which in our experience rarely happened.
As I pondered and prayed about it, I decided to do Extended Family Home Evening. We are blessed enough to live a few minutes away from all of the Grandparents & Great-Grandparents. Before we started I extended an invitation to each of them to join us every Monday for Extended Family Home evening. I was nervous about extending the invite, I knew they each have lots of things going on, but I also knew that if I did not make FHE a big deal, it would not happen consistently. Happily every grandparent and even one great grandparent thought it was a great idea and were excited to join and support us. A year and a half later, we have not missed a week.
Now my kids are only 3 & 4 years old but the impact of doing FHE consistently every week has been amazing. I love how excited they are when it is Monday because we get to have FHE. I love how it is guaranteed that at least once a week I verbally express my testimony to my children. I love how they can hear experiences and testimonies from their grandparents. I love that even though the lessons are often short and simple; the kids truly are learning the gospel. And most importantly, I love how it has strengthened our family relationships as we learn, laugh, and feast upon the word together. Although I truly wish my husband could be a part of this on a more regular basis, I know that this was the right choice for our family at this phase in our lives. And when he can attend it makes it even better!
Preparing this talk has reminded me that now that we have the hang of weekly FHE we need to move onto another principle and make it better. The first presidency has counseled us “to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities.” Are you making it the highest priority in your home? If not make a change! Pick one thing, master it and then move onto the next. This is how we build upon The Rock, one piece at a time.
I know, because I have experience it, that as we do these things “We [and our children] will be strengthened, we will experience real personal growth and lasting conversion, we will be better prepared to successfully withstand the storms and calamities of life, we will experience the joy and happiness promised and we will have the confidence that our lives have been built upon a sure foundation—a foundation that will never fall.” (Bishop Dean M. Davies)
Brothers & Sisters, the home truly is the new MTC. The bar has been raised, the youth have been called and it is our responsibility as parents & leaders to make sure they are prepared when they step foot out the door. They are truly walking into a battlefield every single day, and we need to make sure that they are armed with the armor of God; the only armor that will not fail them.
And I ended with my testimony that Jesus Christ truly is our Savior. He is our Redeemer, and he needs to be our Rock. The Rock in our own personal live, The Rock in our family, and The Rock of our home. I know as we make Him The Rock and the center of our lives we will find that peace and refuge amid this world of heartache and turmoil. We will be better prepared to face the storms of life that will surely come.
I know that families are forever. Raising kids today is a scary thing. There are days that I literally do not want my children to step foot out the door. But I know that as we implement the things we have been command that they will be safe. They will be armed & prepared and there fore it is crucial that we not fail them, and that we do as we have been commanded.
I am so blessed to be a member of this church. I love it and I know that it is true with every fiber of my being. And I pray that we all can try a little harder to be a little better.
Happy Sabbath!
(If anyone wants the references to the quotes let me know. Most came from the most recent General Conference talks.)
Comments
Wonderful talk.....