I went with my daughter and friends to a Women's Conference sponsored by the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently. At the end there was an evaluation that asked why we came to Women's Conference. One of the multiple choice answers we could choose from was something to the effect of did we come to be uplifted and at the same time giving service. I wrote in that I came to give service while at the same time being uplifted. The service project was what originally drew me to woman's conference.
When you first arrive at the Marriott Center, you can choose service projects to work on during the conference. I choose a scarf and also this little owl. Isn't it cute!
When you see so many gathered together and think of the collective goodness of the group, you see that if we all would do just a little bit, the world truly would be a better place.
We attended the general sessions and then classes of our own choosing. Of course, we had a little fun too! We have our traditions, ice cream cones at the BYU dairy being one of them.
My Take-away's
1. We can ask for angels to help us by praying to our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for those on the other side of the veil to be dispatched to help us or those we love.
2. We are able to do more good when we are able to recognize the light in others.
3. There is a power in saying a name out loud. We all respond more powerfully when someone knows our names. It is important to know, and speak other's names. People respond joyfully when we speak their names out loud. They know they are not forgotten.
4. I miss my mother's voice. It is not a woman's desire to be forgotten. Women often sign their name on a cloth, a diary, a painting or into a heart because of this desire. I think we all hope that someone carries our name in their pocket. I know I carry my mother's voice in the pocket of my heart. Hopefully my own posterity will do the same.
4. Mother Eve made a conscious decision to partake of the fruit in the Garden of Eden because she knew that we needed this mortal experience so we could gain a body and learn to choose good from evil. But because she is the one who made the choice, Mother Eve worries about her daughter's and son's that don't know about a Savior; about a redemption. She worries more than any other woman.
5. In Hebrews 12:2 is says, "Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God." I learned that Those who kept covenants and repented are His joy. It helps strengthen my own resolve to do right when I think that those people who kept their covenants and would repent, helped strengthen him and gave him focus as He finished the atonement and endured the cross.
6. In Genesis 2:18, when God says that it is not good for man to be alone, he says, "I will make him an help meet for him. We could read that as, an help, meet for him--just right for him. Husbands and wives should need each other. We are individuals, who also are part of a greater whole. As such, we have individual parts to play. Children need fathers, perhaps because they aren't mothers.
7. When Lehi had his dream of the tree of life, Nephi desired to know the things that his father had seen. Nephi was given the vision of the tree of life, but he did not just see what his father saw, but he also got full explanations and understood things his father didn't even notice (see 1Nephi 15:27 for an example). When I think about that, I realize that I have much to do have the understanding as Nephi, but that IT CAN BE DONE.
8. i need to ask myself the question: How can I fulfill the FULL measure of MY creation?
9. In the parable of the 10 virgins, (5 wise and 5 foolish), it was the burning lamp and not unused oil that qualified the virgins to meet the Savior. And in the parable of the talents, the true value is not in the coin that is kept, but the talents that have been used. We should meet the Savior with a diminished oil reserve, used up in helping others.
I see the beauty of flowers wherever I go. These were on the BYU campus.
What does that mean to me?
As I look at the list of take-away's, it seems a bit random, but when I was there, I got impressions that were much more cohesive. The sum of what I felt and learned was that I can make a difference in this world as a woman by using my unique talents. I have often felt that my talents were a bit random, and not in large enough quantities to really accomplish much. But I had many specific impressions of what I need to do with my specific talents. I hope that over the next few months, I can be obedient to those impressions. I felt I got the big picture. Kind of like looking at the Marriott Center filled with people. If we each individually do our part, the good that the collective whole can do will be amazing!
The Women at the conference put together 275,000 meal packets for the Local Food Bank. Talk about the collective good we can do!
