Making it Up As I Go

This weekend was Stake Conference, and as a little extra, the attending General Authorities called a Stake Auxiliary meeting (so- all the women leaders over the women’s, young women’s and kids’ organizations.) As the meeting started, Elder Snow admitted that this was the first time he’d done such a thing, and really had no idea why he was prompted to do so. He asked us to wait for a moment while he listened for a prompting of how to proceed, and then started talking, and it was so amazing.  I think he directly answered 7 or 8 different prayers I’ve had in the last couple of weeks. The Spirit was amazingly strong, and it was just an awesome experience. Some things that stood out:

Note: These quotes are rough, but as close as I could get to what he said. I was writing frantically.

“The work of the Priesthood is the work of God. The work of God is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Immortality has already been taken care of, through the atonement of the Savior. So, all the efforts of God and the prophets are focused on one thing. Eternal life. If our work is anything other than eternal life, why? What servant works on something different from the Master?”

“Women can do the work of the priesthood just fine without holding the priesthood. You just do it. Each of you, in your homes, are one at a time, preparing spirits for eternal life. If we are doing other things before the work of the priesthood, we need to rethink things. Focus first on eternal life.” (NOTE: He emphasized that this statement was not just about mothers- each of us is preparing spirits for eternal life.)

He told the story of a guy who worked with the YM and he made the comment to him that “Every day is Tuesday! [The day they had YM activities]  I wake up each day, stretch, think, what day is it? Oh my gosh, it’s Tuesday again!” . He said that if we struggle with trying to balance out everything (no matter which day it is that it “always is” for us), we should read everything by Julie Beck that we can get our hands on. He said she is who he learned from.

In speaking of activities and trying to get people involved and feeling the Spirit, he said, (quoting someone else who I didn’t write down) “Don’t allow the means we use to overshadow the ends we seek”.

He reminded us that the family is the first line when it comes to teaching, and that if the girls/kids are struggling; instead of trying to be the first line, we perhaps need to help the parents learn how to teach their kids.

“Home is a place where everyone who wants to feel the Spirit, can, at any time.”

“Attendance at church meetings doesn’t cause anything to happen.  It only creates an opportunity. Programs can’t compensate for failure of personal, spiritual growth. The scriptures don’t say a principle of exaltation is coming to church, they say you must come to Christ. If all we are doing is inviting people to come to church, we are missing the point.”

And from the general meeting the next day:

“I think there is nothing that pleases God more than to see His daughters.”  I heard that and waited for him to continue- see His daughters do what? And the full stop at the end of that statement was almost deafening. To see His daughters. We are enough. We are loved.

“The Lord is not going to do something unless we are engaged in the process.”

“It is good to know we have a God who can move us about when His work is at stake. And His work is at stake every day with our lives.”

“You have the right to that clarity [of having the Holy Ghost communicate with you] and if you are living without it, not seeking for it, you are living beneath your privileges. ”

“You don’t have to be afraid. If you are ill, if you’ve lost your job, you don’t have to be afraid, if you’ll just choose Him. Because then you can access the power He is trying so desperately to get through to you.”

And these were the thoughts that came as I listened, copied straight out of the notebook I wrote them in as they poured into my head:

Does our output match our capacity? Do we see our potential honestly, realistically, as God does? Can we? How do we live based on that potential? How do we have the energy to do that?

This work (YW) is not about us, individually- our efforts aren’t intended to reflect on us and/or our capabilities. Our view is so narrow, so limited when we focus on promoting programs, and so broad and so clear when we focus on Christ.

That first thought there, the how do we live up to our potential and have the energy to do that nagged at me all weekend. It was so clearly a pointer in a direction I needed to think, and I so wasn’t coming up with an answer. So imagine my gratitude when this quote showed up in an e-mail in my inbox this morning. (Bold added by me.)

“When we invite the Holy Ghost to fill our minds with light and knowledge, He “quickens” us, that is to say, enlightens and enlivens the inner man or woman. As a result we notice a measurable difference in our soul. We feel strengthened, filled with peace and joy. We possess spiritual energy and enthusiasm, both of which enhance our natural abilities. We can accomplish more than we otherwise could do on our own. We yearn to become a holier person.”

–Elder Keith K. Hilbig, “Quench Not the Spirit Which Quickens the Inner Man“

And that’s what I need. The power to do more than I can do on my own. Seriously, so many answers in such a short little period of time. And now I just need to sort through them, ponder them, figure out how to apply them.  But I have direction, and hope.  Isn’t it wonderful?