Say Yes

Our ward got to hear from another member of our family this week. It was my turn this time. The hardest part about writing this talk was in trying not to compare my talk to Bryan's amazing talk from last week. Here's my offering:

In Matthew chapter 22, one of the Pharisees came to Jesus with a question:

36 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Before moving to Pennsylvania, we lived in Illinois. Shortly after arriving in the Land of Lincoln, the Bishop asked to meet with me. He asked me to serve as the second counselor in the Relief Society presidency. This calling surprised me. We were new to the ward. I hadn’t served in a presidency since my days in Young Women. I had four active, busy kids and my youngest wasn’t even two. And Bryan had an hour and a half commute to and from Chicago each day, so he would rarely be home to take over parenting duties so I could fulfill this role. I felt overwhelmed at the thought. I said all of these things out loud to the Bishop as he sat in my living room. He told me he believed I could do it. Aware of all those concerns, I said yes.

In his April 2026 General Conference talk, Elder Patrick Kearon of the Quorum of the Twelve shared his own experience receiving a calling shortly after joining the church as a young adult. He said, “I was invited to meet with the bishop. He had taken time to get to know me when I was being taught by the missionaries. He rocked back in his chair, thwacking a ruler into his palm, and told me that we were meeting because he had a calling for me. He had prayed—about me—and he told me the calling would be of benefit to me and my future service to the Lord in His Church. He extended the calling of assistant ward clerk. The reaction in my mind was, “Assistant ward clerk? Well, that is not me!” Fortunately, a little grace intervened, and I responded with a “thank you” and that I would endeavour to learn what was involved. I did not have a clue.”

My own role in the Relief Society presidency was difficult. I hoped that I would be in charge of the teachers. Teaching is a calling that makes my heart sing; I felt like I could do a good job there. Instead I was put in charge of the monthly activities. This was definitely outside of my comfort zone. There was a sharp learning curve and there were assignments that I didn’t always fulfill to the level I wanted. I could have ended my time in this calling grumpy and bitter. What made the difference for me was the woman who served as the Relief Society president. Julie was a recent empty nester, a successful corporate lawyer, and a wonderfully nurturing and empowering leader. This was her second time serving in this capacity and she had already been serving for a few years. She trained me and encouraged me. She was supportive and flexible. And when I called her in tears over a major service activity with a community impact that had hit a significant roadblock, she gave comfort and gentle correction over a mistake I had made. She embodied the command to love God and her neighbor through the way she led.

Going back to his talk from April, Elder Kearon said, “I came to understand why everyone serves one another in a ward or branch: it affords us all the opportunity to pursue Christ and His virtues—such as charity, humility, meekness, forgiveness, and love—with people who may be very different to us. I clearly saw how faith is fortified and the body of Christ bonded together.”

We only lived in Illinois for a year. When we left, the whole presidency was released. Julie went from serving as the Relief Society president to being a nursery leader. And she was thrilled.

Elder Kearon said, “Some callings are highly stretching, while others may leave us wondering, “Isn’t there more I could be asked to do?” You might serve in a very visible role for a time, only later to be called to quiet, unseen service—or to support those with less experience. When callings change in ways that deeply impact you or your family, it can require great faith and trust in the Lord while you adjust.”

I’ve had many opportunities over the years to love God and my neighbors through serving in callings at church. Some of those have fed my soul. I loved teaching youth Sunday School, doing singing time in Primary, and directing the ward choir. Others have been really hard. I was never very good at calling women to get their Visiting Teaching reports, nor was I a standout secretary. Cub scouts tapped into my creativity which I enjoyed, but it also drained my energy. But I learned from each of those responsibilities, even the ones I didn’t particularly enjoy.

From Elder Kearon said, “Our service is a choice, an offering to God, and a blessing. We all know that prayer, study of scripture, and worship at church and in the temple are critical to the development of our faith. Have we also come to see our callings as having a foundational role in the expansion of our faith? Callings from the Lord are tailor-made for our growth, as we humble ourselves, look outward, and learn that, indeed, when we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are in fact in the service of our God. It really isn’t where we serve but how that matters to the Lord.”

So, if the how of service is more important than the where, how should we serve? Mother Thereas taught, “I never look at the masses as my responsibility. I look at the individual. I can love only one person at a time. I can feed only one person at a time. Just one, one, one.” I saw an example of this last Sunday. Our family was sitting in the Relief Society room after church, waiting for the baptism to start. I was tired, sitting in the back, kind of in my own head. While the prelude music was playing, my daughter Sophie turned to me and said, “We need to go help Sister Gerber.” I looked over and saw her sitting at the piano, playing the music I was listening to and trying to patiently wrangle her two boys at the same time. Sophie had noticed and felt inspired to act. I responded, “Oh, yes we do.” I followed her lead and we crossed the room and each entertained one of the boys so their mom could play the piano. Now, I’ve been talking about serving in callings in the church, this story might feel like a departure from that. But it’s not. It’s at the heart of every calling we have. Service in the church is about seeing the needs of those around us, and acting through inspiration. 

This is how the Savior operated. His life was dedicated to seeing needs and then meeting them. He turned water into wine when His mother asked him to. He healed the son of the man who plead “Help thou mine unbelief.” He comforted Mary and Martha and raised Lazarus from the tomb. He washed the feet of his disciples, knowing that His time in the Garden and on the cross was imminent. He served, even when He was tired, even when He was weary. Remember, He was the one that taught “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” And then He lived what He taught.

We’ve talked about how to serve when we’re called to, but what if we’re not the one called? Many Sundays we sit in these pews and listen while the name of someone in the congregation is called to a new role in the ward or stake. Then we’re invited to raise our arms, showing that we agree to support this person in their service. What does that mean? To support them in their service? And what if we don’t like the way they serve? What if we feel someone else could do a better job? 

In April 2013 President Jeffrey R. Holland taught: “Be kind regarding human frailty—your own as well as that of those who serve with you in a Church led by volunteer, mortal men and women. Except in the case of His only perfect Begotten Son, imperfect people are all God has ever had to work with. That must be terribly frustrating to Him, but He deals with it. So should we. And when you see imperfection, remember that the limitation is not in the divinity of the work. As one gifted writer has suggested, when the infinite fulness is poured forth, it is not the oil’s fault if there is some loss because finite vessels can’t quite contain it all. Those finite vessels include you and me, so be patient and kind and forgiving“ (“Lord, I Believe,” Liahona, May 2013, 94).

I chatted with my parents about this topic during our weekly call a few days ago. My dad shared that when he served in the Bishopric when I was a teenager he would often look out at the congregation from his seat on the stand and feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for those members that were serving in callings. He was very aware that the ward wouldn’t function without all of those people who said yes when they were asked to serve and then showed up on a regular basis to fulfill their responsibilities. I feel the same way about everyone who serves in primary. Whenever someone says yes to serving in primary, my heart feels like it’s going to explode with joy.

            After the Savior’s atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection, Jesus appeared to his disciples. He gave them instructions while they were fishing, then they gathered with Him on the beach to eat. John chapter 21 tells us about the conversation that followed. Starting with verse 15:

15 ¶ So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.

16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.

This year in primary we learned a song called Choose to Serve the Lord. Listen to the words of the chorus: “I will choose to serve the Lord like my scripture heroes of old. I will learn and grow in faith. God will be my strength with every step I take, I will choose to serve the Lord.” The scriptures that we study are full of people who said yes to doing hard things to serve God and their neighbors. Nephi said he would “go and do” when asked to get the brass plates. Abinadi and Samuel the Lamanite said yes to teaching groups of people that wanted to cause them great harm. Noah built an ark. Moses stood up to a Pharaoh. Esther spoke on behalf of her people and saved a nation. The Savior Himself said “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” in Gethsemane, before the greatest act of love that we know of. 

This is a church built largely on the service of its members. Our wards and stakes could not function without the people that have been willing to say yes to organizing, teaching, supporting, and showing up. At the heart of every calling in the church is the admonition to love God and love our neighbors. Callings are love in action. Pope Francis said, “You pray for the hungry. Then you feed them.” We can feed them literally, and we can feed them figuratively through our love and attention and service. We have not been asked to build an ark or face a horde with bows and arrows. But we have been asked to love God and our neighbors. We can follow the example of the Savior and love and serve those around us.

What will you do this week to love God and your neighbor?

I bear my testimony that what I’ve said today is true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Choose to Serve the Lord

A new year means a new course of study at church and home. This year we're studying the Old Testament. In primary we're focusing on the heroes we'll read about. To reflect that, we switched out our Doctrine & Covenants bulletin board from last year and put up pictures of people and places the kids will be learning about this year. We plan to add a banner at the bottom that says "I will choose to serve the Lord," which goes along with a song we're learning. I love the way it turned out!

To Be Connected

Topher gave a talk in primary last Sunday. I've been so busy driving kids around, getting them ready for school to start, that I wasn't home to help him. Bryan took over that job this time. He said he and Topher studied the lesson, watched a few church videos, and discussed. This talk was the result. He did a great job delivering it.

Heavenly Father told the Saints to keep journals. In D&C 85, it says the saints should keep a history of the things that happen in the church, how they lived their faith and what they did. Journals are where we write the things that happen to us.

My Mom has a blog that she’s kept for almost 20 years with pictures and stories of us kids and our family. It talks about important times for our family – like when I was born, or went to the hospital – and also about the things we do together. It’s a history of our family and we all like to read it. It is her journal.

Even if we can’t write words, we can keep journals. There’s a poem in the July 2006 Friend that says how:

I can keep a journal,
And I can't even write.
But I can color pictures—
I do it every night.

Special things that happen
And special things we do,
I draw them in my journal.
And you can do it too.

I have my own journal, it's black and white. I draw pictures of things I experience or imagine.

Even if you can't write a lot of words yet, you can still keep a journal like me. When you grow up you can look back and remember all the things that happened when you were little, and share those things with your family.

Heavenly Father told us to keep journals so we can be connected to our families. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Never Alone

A few weeks ago Cooper was asked to give a talk in yesterday's Sacrament Meeting. And then he forgot about it until Saturday night. I learned about it on Sunday morning when I heard the kids discussing what he was writing. Thankfully, he was able to gather his thoughts quickly to write what I think is his best talk yet.

Never Alone

A few weeks ago, I found myself in an oddly dark place. I felt great sadness but I didn't know why and I felt extremely alone. It was late at night and I was by myself in my dark kitchen, confused with my sadness. After some time, my sister came in to get something, and I broke into tears, struggling to breathe. It wasn't a good experience at all, but afterwards I was talking with my parents. My mom had said that my sister had felt a desire to go into the kitchen to get something at that time. It was a time where I wanted to go into my family and join them but I simply couldn't. Yet my sister felt a strong feeling that she needed to be in that kitchen at that time. Standing in my parents room, I was overcome with a warm feeling as the Spirit washed over me. I had realized that at a time when I felt alone, Heavenly Father was watching me and I knew that he sent help my way when I felt too weak to get it myself.

While this was simply one moment of time, I was able to feel a profound sense of our Father in Heaven and our Savior's love for me, that same love which he has for each and every single one of you and every other person.

John 14:18 says:

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

In D&C 121, Joseph Smith pleads with the Lord against the suffering of the saints, saying:

1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place?

And the Lord responds by saying:

 7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; 

8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes

That seems so comforting to me, that even through our struggles, we will have power over our enemies, over the darkness of Satan, if we endure and turn to God in faith.

But there are times, like my experience, where we simply can't seem to find that faith, to know what to do or where to go, exactly like Peter when he walked in water. Seeing the Savior gave him that faith to step from the boat in the commotion of the storm and move towards Christ. But the darkness overcame him and the storm got to his head, and he fell. I feel like all of us can imagine what Peter felt, in that moment of falling, where he lost everything and felt like all things were gone. And suddenly crying to Jesus, he shouted, “Lord, save me.”

And the Lord immediately reached out His hand, grabbed Peter, and pulled him from the cold darkness of the water.

I love this word, “immediately,” how Peter simply wants Jesus to help him and the Savior does not hesitate to help Peter when he needs it most.

In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus Christ suffered from every pore for not only our sins, but all of our pains and afflictions.

In the year 1871, Horatio G Spafford, a wealthy attorney, had lost his fortune in the Great Chicago Fire. His son shortly thereafter died from Scarlet fever. With all this devastation occuring he decided to send his wife and four daughters away on ship to England. But the ship had a terrible collision and tragically, all four of his daughters passed away. His wife sent a telegram from England that said, “Saved alone. What shall I do?” On the journey to his wife, he wrote the words to the profound hymn, “It is Well With My Soul,” from which I would like to read the second verse.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,

Let this blest assurance control:

That Christ hath regarded my helpless estate And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

[Chorus] It is well with my soul; It is well, it is well with my soul.

I bear my testimony that God is real. He is constantly watching over us. His son Jesus Christ atoned for us. I know that the Holy Ghost is sent to comfort us, and to be the ultimate source of guidance.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Trust Him

Topher was asked to give a talk in Primary next Sunday. His response was, "Are you kidding me?! Of course!" Then yesterday morning we found out the person that was supposed to give a talk that day was sick. I asked Topher if he'd be willing to quickly help me write a talk and speak that day instead of next week. He said yes. Thankfully we have afternoon church, so we had time to put this together. He dictated most of the first paragraph and I talked him through the lesson of the second paragraph. He did a good job reading it to the Primary. 

Topher's Talk

Joseph Smith and Martin Harris were translating the Gold Plates. Martin wanted to take the first one hundred and sixteen translated pages to show his family. Joseph prayed three times to ask Heavenly Father if Martin could take the pages. The first time God told him no. The second time God told him no. But the third time God told him it’s up to Joseph. Joseph said Martin could only show the pages to certain family members and he had to bring them back in two weeks. The two weeks had passed and Martin hadn’t come back to Pennsylvania. Joseph traveled to his parents’ house in New York and Martin said the pages were lost. Joseph was sad.

Sometimes we really want something and are told no. And sometimes we ask again and again and again, trying to get the answer we want. That’s what happened to Joseph. But what he wanted wasn’t what God wanted for him. And because Joseph kept asking, the one hundred and sixteen pages were lost. It can be hard, but it’s important to listen when Heavenly Father gives us an answer to our prayers, even if it’s different than the answer we wanted. Heavenly Father loves us and wants the best for us. We can learn to trust Him. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Follow the Instructions

Cooper spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday. He did a wonderful job. One of the primary kids commented to me after that he spoke really fast. I told her he had slowed down to give the talk. I don't think she believed me.

Here's his talk:

In the book of Ether, we see the account of the Jaredites and their journey to the promised land and their life there. One of the biggest parts of this story is how they traveled across the ocean with the help of the Lord.

We see another example of an ocean expedition in 1st Nephi, which is very similar to the journey of the Jaredites. First, both groups began in a situation where their setting was wicked, and so the Lord gave them instruction to leave and travel to a promised land. The Nephites were in danger from the Babylonians, and the Jaredites were in danger from the wickedness of the people who built the Tower of Babel. Interestingly, both Babylon and Babel come from the same Hebrew root meaning “confusion.” So, in both accounts, the people are living in confusion, and the only way for them to be saved is by turning to the Lord. The Lord also gives both groups very specific instructions on how to build ships for them to be saved.

The brother of Jared is told on how to build these vessels by the Lord, but faces problems. They cannot steer, cannot breathe, and cannot see. So, the Lord gives three examples of what the brother of Jared can do. First, He promises to do all the steering Himself using the wind and the waves. Second, He tells the brother of Jared to do specific things in order to make windows for air. And third, He tells the brother of Jared to come up with his own idea for light. One requires only the Lord, the second requires both the Lord and the brother of Jared, and the third requires that the brother of Jared comes up with the solution himself and then turns to the Lord. The brother of Jared brings his idea to the Lord, asking him to touch stones in order to light them. And the Lord agrees to this, lighting the stones and providing the people with light. Because of the brother of Jared’s faith, he is then able to see Jesus’ finger and full spirit body, after using his faith in Christ to find a solution to his problem. When we have faith, we will also receive answers to our problems. 

The journey of the Jaredites then begins, but it was not easy for them. The waves crashed into the ships and the winds were constantly blowing, but the Lord did not cease to offer assistance when they turned to him. Ether 6, verse 3 says: 

“And thus the Lord caused stones to shine in darkness, to give light unto men, women, and children, that they might not cross the great waters in darkness.”

This tumultuous ocean can represent life’s challenges and the extremely difficult things that we as humans face. What are the lights that we see today? God has given us Prophets to turn to for modern revelation and specific teachings that, with faith, will help us overcome today’s challenges. We also have the scriptures, which can always be studied, they can always be pondered, and we can always receive guidance from prayerful and faithful searching. Which brings up prayer. We can always turn to the Lord in prayer for more light to guide us.

Ether 6, verse seven says: “And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being tight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.”

How often in life do we go beneath the surface of the water? How often do we have struggles and trials that seem impossible to deal with? It’s part of our mortal journey and part of how we grow. But like this verse says, when we cry unto the Lord with sincere prayer, he will bring us to the top of the water again.

Finally, after struggling for 344 days, the Jaredites arrived in the promised land.

Ether 6, verse 12, which says “And they did land upon the shore of the promised land. And when they had set their feet upon the shores of the promised land they bowed themselves down upon the face of the land, and did humble themselves before the Lord, and did shed tears of joy before the Lord, because of the multitude of his tender mercies over them.”

I love this whole account of the Jaredites, how they started in a confusing world, but through faith turned to the Lord and were able to make it through the intense sea, to the promised land. When we turn to the Lord in faith, at least hoping that He will help us, then we will receive guidance from Him and be able to make it through our mortal journeys, no matter how many bumps we hit on the road, or waves we hit on the sea.

As Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante said in the October 2024 session of General Conference, “Each of us—and those around us—faces our own storms of opposition and waves of trials that submerge us daily. But ‘the wind [will not] cease to blow towards the promised land … ; and thus [we shall be] driven forth before the wind.’”

I have a testimony that when we turn to the Lord in faith and listen to His instructions, we will have strength during our trials. I know that the Lord gives us prophets, scriptures, and personal revelation for their instructions. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

What They've Learned

Topher and Sophie each got to write their own parts for the primary program. I read the prompt to Topher one Sunday after church and he dictated his talk to me on the spot. I asked a few clarifying questions, then wrote it all down. Sophie's took a little more time and a lot more effort on her part. They're both great talks.

Topher's talk:

My favorite story from The Book of Mormon is when Nephi and his brothers went back to Jerusalem to get the brass plates. God told them to go get the plates because Nephi's family needed them to learn more about God and Jesus Christ. It's my favorite story because I like how they never gave up and how they kept trying. They obeyed what Heavenly Father asked them to do. That took a lot of faith.

Sophie's talk:

This year during my study of the Book of Mormon I have learned that it takes faith to share the gospel with people. I like the story in Alma 17-19 about a woman named Abish. She was a servant in King Lamoni’s household who had great faith in and love for the Lord. One day a man named Ammon came to the Lamanites and preached to the king and queen about Jesus Christ. The spirit was so strong that everyone fell to the ground and did not move. Abish saw them and recognized what had just happened. Alma chapter 19 verse 17 states: 

“17 Thus, having been converted to the Lord, and never having made it known, therefore, when she saw that all the servants of Lamoni had fallen to the earth…she knew that it was the power of God; and supposing that this opportunity, by making known unto the people what had happened among them, that by beholding this scene it would cause them to believe in the power of God, therefore she ran forth from house to house, making it known unto the people.”

Abish wanted to show the people so they could feel how she felt. I love this. I want to be like Abish and share the gospel with my friends. At school one day I was wearing a bracelet that said “I Am a Child of God.” A friend saw it and asked if I was Christen. I said yes and that I was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Saints. I am very glad that I got to share with someone what I believe in and I look forward to more missionary opportunities.

I bear my testimony that when we share the gospel with others that we are gathering Israel and we are making Jesus and Heavenly Father happy. 

Honor Your Mother

Cooper gave a beautiful talk in church on Mother's Day. I definitely teared up a few times. He shared it with me so I could post it here.

Honor Your Mother

Exodus 20:12 says, “Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.” Blessings will come from honoring your parents, and today I will focus on honoring mothers. How can we honor our mothers?

As the words to the primary song go, “When my mother calls me, quickly I’ll obey.” As simple as these words are, they are very true. I have personally found that obedience to my mother is one of the best ways that I can show my love for her. There is nothing my mother wants more than to see me grow and become a spiritually strong and Christ-like son of God. She raises me to become the best I can be. Like the young men of the great Army of Helaman who attributed the spirit they felt to their mothers who taught them, I am grateful for my mother for teaching me the gospel. Alma 56:48 says “We do not doubt our mothers knew it.” Our mothers do know what's best for us and we should obey them.

Perhaps the greatest example of the honor we can show for our mothers is by looking at how Jesus Christ treated his own mother. In Galilee there was a marriage, and Jesus’ mother was attending. Jesus and his apostles were needed at the wedding when there was no more wine. Jesus then asked his mother in John 2:4, “Woman, what have I to do with thee?” At the time, “woman” was a highly respectful term. Jesus was respectfully asking what he could do to serve his mother. Both respect and service are great ways to honor our mothers. Respect is looking up to someone, understanding and abiding by what they say, and being polite when speaking with them. Every time we choose not to talk back to our mothers or even fight with our siblings shows mothers that we love them and want them to be happy. Service shows that we not only love our mothers but are willing to spend our time helping them, when they spend so much of their time helping and raising us. This can take many forms, whether it's doing a chore you weren't asked to do, offering to help your mother with the things she needs, and caring for her when she is sick. When Jesus was suffering on the cross, his disciple and his mother were standing by him. Jesus speaks to this disciple in John 19:27, saying “Behold thy mother!” and the disciple took his mother to his home. How true! Behold the remarkable nurturing of your mother as she sacrifices time to fulfill her sacred role in the family. These are all how we can honor our mothers: obedience, respect, service, showing the deep love and charity we have for our mothers. Though there are many, I would like to talk about one other thing we can do through the power of prayer. Pray to know what you can do to honor your mother. Every person is in different circumstances and the best person we can get assistance from is God. Pray for your mother. Ask for her to receive blessings, and not only can we pray, but we should then seek to fulfill the things that the spirit prompts us to do. Finally, in a 1973 talk, Thomas S. Monson said “May each of us treasure this truth; one cannot forget mother and remember God. One cannot remember mother and forget God. Why? Because these two sacred persons, God and mother, partners in creation, in love, in sacrifice, in service, are as one.” When we honor our mothers, we honor God. I bear my testimony that I know we can feel joy and the peace the spirit brings when we honor our mothers. I know my mother also feels joy when I honor her. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Preparation

Sophie gave a talk in Primary a few weeks ago. This is one that she wrote almost completely by herself. We discussed the subject before she started writing, then I gave a little feedback at the end. She did a great job delivering it.

Preparation

Matthew chapter 25, verses 1 through 12 says

“1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.

3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:

4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.

 The ten virgins is about ten women who were waiting for the bridegroom to come so they could enter a wedding. The bridegroom represents Jesus. The ten women represent us. The bridegroom arrived around midnight and woke up the ten women. But five of the women didn’t have enough oil to keep their lamps burning so they asked the other five women for more oil. But the wise women who had brought more oil said that there would not be enough if they shared and to go to the sellers who had more oil. But by the time the other women had come the door was shut. 

Just like the ten virgins we have to be prepared for the second coming when Jesus comes again. We need to have lots of faith, repent when we make mistakes, read our scriptures, keep the commandments, go to church, and someday go to the temple so then when Jesus comes again we will be ready. I bear my testimony that if we do these things we will be ready. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Attitude of Gratitude

Peter spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday. He worked on his talk over a few days and finally let me see a copy late on Saturday night. I had a few very minor edits and asked that he practice out loud several times before he actually delivered his talk. I think he did well. Peter does not like public speaking, but he kept a good tempo, was articulate, and managed to look up from his paper a few times. Several people complimented him afterward. Today a friend told me he sounded more like a missionary talking than a youth.

In the last three weeks Phoebe, Sophie (in Primary last week, I wrote the whole talk since she was drowning in school and didn't think I needed to post it), and Peter have given talks at church. Cooper is waiting for for his invitation to speak, he expects it will be coming soon.

Here's a copy of Peter's talk:

Attitude of Gratitude

In Mosiah Chapter Two, we hear King Benjamin address his people. He discusses many important things throughout this chapter, but I want to focus on verses twenty and twenty-one, where he says: “I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace one with another—

I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.” While King Benjamin may not have been specifically talking to us, we can still take some things away from those two verses. It is important to show gratitude to our Heavenly Father for many, many reasons. First, he created us and is the Father of our spirits. He gave us our Earth and our earthly bodies that allow us to stay in mortality. He gave us his Only Begotten Son, to suffer for our sins in Gethsemane, and die on the cross, so that we may all be resurrected and return to live with him. It is the least we can do to show our gratitude towards him.

In the October 2010 general conference, President Monson gave a talk titled “The Divine Gift of Gratitude” he said: Quote, “A grateful heart, then, comes through expressing gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His blessings and to those around us for all that they bring into our lives. This requires conscious effort—at least until we have truly learned and cultivated an attitude of gratitude. Often we feel grateful and intend to express our thanks but forget to do so or just don’t get around to it.” Close quote. An attitude of gratitude isn’t just being grateful, but also expressing that gratitude. An attitude of gratitude can be shown by following many of God’s commandments. We can show Him our gratitude for our earthly bodies by following the Word of Wisdom, to show him that we are truly thankful by taking the best care of ourselves and our bodies. We can repent of our sins whenever we have the chance, to show our gratitude for the Savior who suffered for those sins to give us that opportunity to repent.

Not only can an attitude of gratitude show Heavenly Father that we are thankful for all that he has done for us, but it can bless us in its own right. In Doctrine and Covenants Section Seventy-Eight, verse Nineteen, we read “And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.” Through an attitude of gratitude we can be blessed. In our modern world, there are many things that we may not want to be grateful for, or even many things we should be grateful for that we just take for granted. Having an attitude of gratitude can allow us to have a more optimistic view of our world, even in the most turbulent of times. According to an article I read from Harvard Health Publishing:  Quote, “Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside themselves. As a result, being grateful also helps people connect to something larger than themselves as individuals — whether to other people, nature, or a higher power.” Close quote. Showing gratitude for the good in our world can help us to have a stronger connection with those around us who may be a source of that good, and ultimately with our Heavenly Father, who has provided us with the world itself. According to the same article: “In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships.” While writing this talk, I remembered a movie I once saw called Pollyanna. In this movie, there is a young girl named Pollyanna who is incredibly optimistic. She holds onto this optimism by playing something she calls the “Glad Game”. When she is feeling sad or discouraged about something, she will try to think about all the reasons she has to be glad, or grateful, for that thing. This kind of view of life, to always try to be grateful for something is inspiring for me, especially in those moments when I feel there is nothing to be grateful for. In those hard moments, I try to think of something I can be grateful for, then see that things aren’t so bad, and begin to have a much better outlook on things. In the April 1992 General Conference, President Monson gave a talk called “An Attitude of Gratitude”. He talks about the story of the ten lepers, all of whom were healed by Jesus, while only one came back to thank him. He then says, quote, “Like the leprosy of yesteryear are the plagues of today. They linger; they debilitate; they destroy. They are to be found everywhere. Their pervasiveness knows no boundaries. We know them as selfishness, greed, indulgence, cruelty, and crime, to identify but a few. Surfeited with their poison, we tend to criticize, to complain, to blame, and, slowly but surely, to abandon the positives and adopt the negatives of life” Close quote. With an attitude of gratitude, we can do the reverse, and slowly but surely abandon the negative and adopt the positives of life. We can begin to push back those modern plagues, as we recognize and show gratitude for all the good around us. I’d like to bear my testimony that it is important to have an attitude of gratitude, not only to show our Heavenly Father that we are thankful for all that he has given us, but to also be closer to Him and those around us. I know that if we can cultivate an attitude of gratitude in ourselves, we can begin to have a much more positive outlook on the world, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.