This evening our souls have reached toward heaven. We have been
blessed with beautiful music and inspired messages. The Spirit of the
Lord is here.
Sisters
Julie Beck, Silvia Allred, Barbara Thompson—thank heaven for your dear
mothers and fathers, your teachers, your youth leaders, and others who
recognized in you your potential.
To paraphrase a thought:
It
is a great privilege for me to be with you. I recognize that beyond you
who are gathered in the Conference Center, there are many thousands
watching and listening to the proceedings by way of satellite
transmission.
As
I speak to you, I realize that as a man I am in the minority and must
be cautious in my comments. I’m reminded of the man who walked into a
bookstore and asked the clerk—a woman—for help: “Have you got a book
titled Man, the Master of Women?” The clerk looked him straight in the eye and said sarcastically, “Try the fiction section!”
I
assure you tonight that I honor you, the women of the Church, and am
well aware, to quote William R. Wallace, that “the hand that rocks the
cradle is the hand that rules the world.”
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In
1901 President Lorenzo Snow said: “The members of the Relief Society
have … ministered to those in affliction, they have thrown their arms of
love around the fatherless and the widows, and they have kept
themselves unspotted from the world. I can testify that there are no
purer and more God-fearing women in the world than are to be found
within the ranks of the Relief Society.”
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As
in President Snow’s time, there are, here and now, visits to be made,
greetings to be shared, and hungry souls to be fed. As I contemplate the
Relief Society of today, humbled by my privilege to speak to you, I
turn to our Heavenly Father for His divine guidance.
Let us consider each of these goals. First,
study diligently.
The Savior of the world instructed: “Seek ye out of the best books
words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.”
4 He added: “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”
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A study of the scriptures will help our testimonies and the testimonies of our
family
members. Our children today are growing up surrounded by voices urging
them to abandon that which is right and to pursue, instead, the
pleasures of the world. Unless they have a firm foundation in the gospel
of
Jesus Christ,
a testimony of the truth, and a determination to live righteously, they
are susceptible to these influences. It is our responsibility to
fortify and protect them.
To
an alarming extent, our children today are being educated by the media,
including the Internet. In the United States, it is reported that the
average child watches approximately four hours of television daily, much
of the programming being filled with violence, alcohol and drug use,
and sexual content. Watching movies and playing video games is in
addition to the four hours.
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And the statistics are much the same for other developed countries. The
messages portrayed on television, in movies, and in other media are
very often in direct opposition to that which we want our children to
embrace and hold dear. It is our responsibility not only to teach them
to be sound in spirit and doctrine but also to help them stay that way,
regardless of the outside forces they may encounter. This will require
much time and effort on our part—and in order to help others, we
ourselves need the spiritual and moral courage to withstand the evil we
see on every side.
We live in the time spoken of in 2 Nephi, chapter 9:
“O
the vainness, and the frailties, and the foolishness of men! When they
are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the
counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of
themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them
not. And they shall perish.
“But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God.”
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Required
is the courage to hold fast to our standards despite the derision of
the world. Said President J. Reuben Clark Jr., for many years a member
of the First Presidency: “Not unknown are cases where [those] of
presumed faith … have felt that, since by affirming their full faith
they might call down upon themselves the ridicule of their unbelieving
colleagues, they must either modify or explain away their faith or
destructively dilute it, or even pretend to cast it away. Such are
hypocrites.”
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There comes to mind the powerful verses found in 2 Timothy, in the New Testament, chapter 1,
verses 7 and 8:
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
“Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord.”
Beyond
our study of spiritual matters, secular learning is also essential.
Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for
uncertainties. Statistics reveal that at some time, because of the
illness or death of a husband or because of economic necessity, you may
find yourself in the role of financial provider. Some of you already
occupy that role. I urge you to pursue your education—if you are not
already doing so or have not done so—that you might be prepared to
provide if circumstances necessitate such.
Your
talents will expand as you study and learn. You will be able to better
assist your families in their learning, and you will have peace of mind
in knowing that you have prepared yourself for the eventualities that
you may encounter in life.
I reiterate: Study diligently.
The second goal I wish to mention:
Pray earnestly. The Lord directed, “Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing.”
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Perhaps
there has never been a time when we had greater need to pray and to
teach our family members to pray. Prayer is a defense against
temptation. It is through earnest and heartfelt prayer that we can
receive the needed blessings and the support required to make our way in
this sometimes difficult and challenging journey we call mortality.
We
can teach the importance of prayer to our children and grandchildren
both by word and by example. I share with you a lesson in teaching by
example as described in a mother’s letter to me relating to prayer.
“Dear President Monson: Sometimes I wonder if I make a difference in my
children’s lives. Especially as a single mother working two jobs to make
ends meet, I sometimes come home to confusion, but I never give up
hope.”
Her
letter continues as she describes how she and her children were
watching general conference, where I was speaking about prayer. Her son
made the comment, “Mother, you’ve already taught us that.” She asked,
“What do you mean?” Her son replied, “Well, you’ve taught us to pray and
showed us how, but the other night I came to your room to ask something
and found you on your knees praying to Heavenly Father. If He’s
important to you, He’ll be important to me.” The letter concluded, “I
guess you never know what kind of influence you’ll be until a child
observes you doing yourself what you have tried to teach him to do.”
Some
years ago, just before leaving Salt Lake to attend the annual meetings
of Boy Scouts of America in Atlanta, Georgia, I decided to take with me
enough copies of the New Era so that I might share with Scouting
officials this excellent publication. When I arrived at the hotel in
Atlanta, I opened the package of magazines. I found that my secretary,
for no accountable reason, had put in the package two extra copies of
the June issue, an issue that featured temple marriage. I left the two
copies in the hotel room and, as planned, distributed the other copies.
On
the final day of meetings, I had no desire to attend the scheduled
luncheon but felt compelled to return to my room. The telephone was
ringing as I entered. The caller was a member of the Church who had
heard I was in Atlanta. She introduced herself and asked if I could
provide a blessing for her 10-year-old daughter. I agreed readily, and
she indicated that she and her husband, their daughter, and their son
would come immediately to my hotel room. As I waited, I prayed for help.
The applause of the convention was replaced by the feelings of peace
which accompanied prayer.
Then
came the knock at the door and the privilege which was mine to meet a
choice family. The 10-year-old daughter walked with the aid of crutches.
Cancer had required the amputation of her left leg; however, her
countenance was radiant, her trust in God unwavering. A blessing was
provided. Mother and son knelt by the side of the bed while the father
and I placed our hands on the tiny daughter. We were directed by the
Spirit of God. We were humbled by its power.
I
felt the tears course down my cheeks and tumble upon my hands as they
rested on the head of that beautiful child of God. I spoke of eternal
ordinances and family exaltation. The Lord prompted me to urge this
family to enter the holy temple of God. At the conclusion of the
blessing, I learned that such a temple visit was planned. Questions
pertaining to the temple were asked. I heard no heavenly voice, nor did I
see a vision. Yet there came clearly into my mind the words, “Refer to
the New Era.” I looked toward the dresser, and there were the two extra copies of the temple issue of the New Era. One copy was given to the daughter and the other to her parents. We reviewed them together.
The family said farewell, and once again the room was still. A prayer of
gratitude came easily and, once more, the resolve to ever provide a place for prayer.
My
dear sisters, do not pray for tasks equal to your abilities, but pray
for abilities equal to your tasks. Then the performance of your tasks
will be no miracle, but you will be the miracle.
Pray earnestly.
Finally, serve willingly.
You are a mighty force for good, one of the most powerful in the entire
world. Your influence ranges far beyond yourself and your home and
touches others all around the globe. You have reached out to your
brothers and sisters across streets, across cities, across nations,
across continents, across oceans. You personify the Relief Society
motto: “Charity never faileth.”
You
are, of course, surrounded by opportunities for service. No doubt at
times you recognize so many such opportunities that you may feel
somewhat overwhelmed. Where do you begin? How can you do it all? How do
you choose, from all the needs you observe, where and how to serve?
Often
small acts of service are all that is required to lift and bless
another: a question concerning a person’s family, quick words of
encouragement, a sincere compliment, a small note of thanks, a brief
telephone call. If we are observant and aware, and if we act on the
promptings which come to us, we can accomplish much good. Sometimes, of
course, more is needed.
I
learned recently of loving service given to a mother when her children
were very young. Frequently she would be up in the middle of the night
tending to the needs of her little ones, as mothers do. Often her friend
and neighbor across the street would come over the next day and say, “I
saw your lights on in the middle of the night and know you were up with
the children. I’m going to take them to my house for a couple of hours
while you take a nap.” Said this grateful mother: “I was so thankful for
her welcome offer, it wasn’t until this had happened many times that I
realized if she had seen my lights on in the middle of the night, she
was up with one of her children as well and needed a nap just as much as
I did. She taught me a great lesson, and I’ve since tried to be as
observant as she was in looking for opportunities to serve others.”
Countless
are the acts of service provided by the vast army of Relief Society
visiting teachers. A few years ago I heard of two of them who aided a
grieving widow, Angela, the granddaughter of a cousin of mine. Angela’s
husband and a friend of his had gone snowmobiling and had become victims
of suffocation through a snowslide. Each of them left a pregnant
wife—in Angela’s case, their first child, and in the other case, a wife
not only expecting a child but also the mother of a toddler. In the
funeral held for Angela’s husband, the bishop reported that upon hearing
of the tragic accident, he had gone immediately to Angela’s home.
Almost as soon as he arrived, the doorbell sounded. The door was opened,
and there stood Angela’s two visiting teachers. The bishop said he
watched as they so sincerely expressed to Angela their love and
compassion. The three women cried together, and it was apparent that
these two fine visiting teachers cared deeply about Angela. As perhaps
only women can, they gently indicated—without being asked—exactly what
help they would be providing. That they would be close by as long as
Angela needed them was obvious. The bishop expressed his deep gratitude
in knowing they would be a real source of comfort to her in the days
ahead.
Such
acts of love and compassion are repeated again and again by the
wonderful visiting teachers of this Church—not always in such dramatic
situations but just as genuinely, nevertheless.
I
extol you who, with loving care and compassionate concern, feed the
hungry, clothe the naked, and house the homeless. He who notes the
sparrow’s fall will not be unmindful of such service. The desire to
lift, the willingness to help, and the graciousness to give come from a
heart filled with love. Serve willingly.
Our
beloved prophet, even President Gordon B. Hinckley, said of you, “God
planted within women something divine that expresses itself in quiet
strength, in refinement, in peace, in goodness, in virtue, in truth, in
love.”
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My
dear sisters, may our Heavenly Father bless each of you, married or
single, in your homes, in your families, in your very lives—that you may
merit the glorious salutation of the Savior of the World: “Well done,
thou good and faithful servant”
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I pray, as I bless you and also the dear wife of James E. Faust, his
beloved Ruth, who is here tonight on the front row, and their family, in
the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
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