Let's Discuss: "The Lord Leads His Church," by Henry B. Eyring

"The Lord Leads His Church"

By President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency
30 September 2017, Priesthood Session

Hymn recommendations:
19  We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet
20  God of Power, God of Right
220  Lord, I Would Follow Thee
249  Called to Serve
321  Ye Who are Called to Labor

Favorite quote:

It takes faith and humility to serve in the place to which we are called, to trust that the Lord called us and those who preside over us, and to sustain them with full faith.

Something to put on the board:

...you have the capacity to receive revelation and to act on it fearlessly.

Synopsis:

We can have faith that callings come from the Lord, even though we are all imperfect people.  The Lord, Jesus Christ, leads the Church, and can lead each of us in our respective callings.

Quotes and Discussion:

President Eyring in conference mentions he's especially speaking to younger priesthood holders, but that is not in the transcript.  He begins by outlining four fundamentals.  You may wish to write them on the board:

First, Jesus Christ is the head of the Church in all the earth.  

Second, He leads His Church today by speaking to men called as prophets, and He does it through revelation. 

Who are these men called as prophets?  The prophet, yes, also the First Presidency, and the apostles are all "prophets, seers, and revelators."  I might not ask the following in a classroom setting, unless Moved to share it, but for your study and mine:  Does anyone else fall under the subset of prophet?  What about someone with the gift of prophecy - are they not prophets?  Here also is a quote from Joseph Smith:

“No man is a minister of Jesus Christ without being a Prophet. No man can be a minister of Jesus Christ except he has the testimony of Jesus; and this is the spirit of prophecy [see Revelation 19:10].”  (History of the Church, 3:389; from a discourse given by Joseph Smith about July 1839 in Commerce, Illinois; reported by Willard Richards).

Just to ponder. ...  Now back to President Eyring:

Third, He gave revelation to His prophets long ago, still does, and will continue to do so. 

God works in patterns.  One way we can know the Church is true is that our leadership follows the patterns of old.

Fourth, He gives confirming revelation to those who serve under the leadership of His prophets.

Who falls under this fourth fundamental?  Pretty much all of us.  Even without a calling, we are in the service of our Lord through our baptismal covenants.  Have you ever felt confirming revelation that the Lord called your leaders?  I have many times felt a confirming witness of the Holy Ghost testifying that callings were made of God.  (If you haven't, here is a procedure I suggest:  When a calling is made, ask in your mind if it is good, right, or of God.  What do you immediately feel?  I have sometimes gotten a feeling of wonder and truth - almost of electricity - moving through my body, confirming callings.  You may have a different gift of confirming revelation.)

From those fundamentals, we recognize that the Lord’s leadership of His Church requires great and steady faith from all who serve Him on earth.

If we didn't have faith in these fundamentals, it might be difficult to follow our imperfect leaders!  But, we can trust our Savior, and thus we can trust the leaders of His Church on earth.  President Eyring next gives some examples of faith that you may not know you have/need:

For instance, it takes faith to believe that the resurrected Lord is watching over the daily details of His kingdom. It takes faith to believe that He calls imperfect people into positions of trust. It takes faith to believe that He knows the people He calls perfectly, both their capacities and their potential, and so makes no mistakes in His calls.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by a calling?  Or perhaps underwhelmed by a calling given to someone else??  President Eyring is speaking to you (us!):

That may bring a smile or a shake of the head to some in this audience—both those who think their own call to serve might have been a mistake as well as those who picture some they know who seem poorly suited to their place in the Lord’s kingdom. My counsel to both groups is to delay such judgments until you can better see what the Lord sees. The judgment you need to make, instead, is that you have the capacity to receive revelation and to act on it fearlessly.  [emphasis added]

I like that he says to "delay such judgments."  It reminds me of Pres. Uchtdorf, who said, "Doubt your doubts, before you doubt your faith" (reference).  We can keep our minds open to Purposes greater than what we can see.  Next, some more faith examples that you may not know you have or need:

It takes faith to do so. It takes even greater faith to believe that the Lord has called imperfect human servants to lead you.

Did you ever wonder if you have faith?  Do you follow your leaders?  Then you have faith!

Next we have President Eyring's hope, or purpose of his message:

My purpose tonight is to build your faith that God directs you in your service to Him. And even more importantly, my hope is to build your faith that the Lord is inspiring the imperfect persons He has called as your leaders.

What did he say was his purpose?  (to build our faith that God directs us in our service to him, and build our faith that He directs our leaders)

You may think, at first, that such faith is not important to the success of the Lord’s Church and kingdom. However, you may discover—no matter where you are in the chain of priesthood service, from the Lord’s prophet to a new Aaronic Priesthood holder—that faith is essential.

Why do you think a person may think (at first) that this faith is not important to the success of the Lord's Church and kingdom?  In answer, I think it's easy to idolize people we don't know that closely - people can appear to be great communicators of their own right, or great successes, or great motivators, or spiritual giants.  Maybe in our minds, these are natural leaders of the kingdom, who may not even appear to need to rely on God. ...  But no matter if we have these gifts or not, they all and we all need to rely on God in our service.

Let’s start with what faith means for a teachers or a deacons quorum president. It is important for him to have faith that the Lord called him personally, knowing that teacher’s weaknesses and strengths. He has to have faith that the man who issued the call received revelation by the Spirit of God. His counselors and members of his quorum need the same faith to follow him with fearless confidence.

President Eyring shares the story of a newly called deacons' secretary who acts in faith.  I might skip this for time:

I saw such confidence when a boy sat with his deacons quorum presidency one Sunday morning. He was their newly called secretary. That young presidency counseled together. They talked about several ways they could fulfill the bishop’s request to bring a less-active boy back to church. After prayer and discussion, they appointed the secretary to go to the home of a boy who had never come to a meeting and to invite him.

The secretary didn’t know the boy, but he knew that one of the boy’s parents was less active and the other was not a member and not friendly. The secretary felt anxiety but not fear. He knew that the prophet of God had asked priesthood holders to bring back the lost sheep. And he had heard the prayer of his presidency. He heard them come to agreement on the name of the boy to be rescued and on his own name.

I was watching when the secretary walked up the street toward the less-active boy’s house. He walked slowly as if he were going into great danger. But within a half hour he came back down the road with the boy, smiling happily. I’m not sure he knew it then, but he had gone with faith that he was on the Lord’s errand. That faith has stayed with him and has grown over his years as a missionary, a father, a leader of young men, and a bishop.  [emphasis added]

Ok - what did you get from this example?  I liked that assignments given to us from our leaders are "the Lord's errand;" we can act in "fearless confidence" in these assignments.  I also like that anxiety is different than fear - anxiety is not a lack of faith, per se.

Now, President Eyring's next example concerns a bishop's calling:

Let’s talk about what such faith means for a bishop. A bishop is sometimes called to serve people who know him well. Ward members know something of his human weaknesses and his spiritual strengths, and they know that others in the ward could have been called—others who seem better educated, more seasoned, more pleasant, or even better looking.

There was laughter at the better looking bit - but how easy it is to judge outward appearance!

These members have to know the call to serve as a bishop came from the Lord, by revelation. Without their faith, the bishop, who was called of God, will find it harder to get the revelation he needs to help them. He will not succeed without the faith of the members to sustain him.

How can we sustain, support, encourage, and withhold unrighteous judgement for those we know "too" well?  Please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments.  I once received when a new calling of leadership was extended that the Lord wanted to "shape" this leader - maybe he didn't start off as what I might expect - but that the crucible of this particular calling would be a great way for him to learn and grow quickly!

Happily, the reverse is also true. Think of the Lord’s servant King Benjamin, who led his people to repentance. The people’s hearts were softened by their faith that he was called of God, despite his human weaknesses, and that his words came from God. You remember what the people said: “Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; … we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). 

For a leader to succeed in the Lord’s work, the people’s trust that he is called of God must override their view of his infirmities and mortal weaknesses. You remember how King Benjamin explained his own leadership role:

“I have not commanded you to come up hither that ye should fear me, or that ye should think that I of myself am more than a mortal man.

“But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me” (Mosiah 2:10–11).

Since our clergy is all volunteer, we need to remember that they are not so different than us!  Like King Benjamin, they are "like as [our]selves," yet chosen and set apart to be the leaders of our wards/stakes/quorums/etc.

Your leader in the Lord’s Church may seem to you weak and human or may appear to you strong and inspired. The fact is that every leader is a mixture of those traits and more. What helps servants of the Lord who are called to lead us is when we can see them as the Lord did when He called them.

The Lord sees His servants perfectly. He sees their potential and their future. And He knows how their very nature can be changed. He also knows how they can be changed by their experiences with the people they will lead.

Have you ever had the experience where you didn't think someone would be called, but they were, and you received confirming revelation?  Please share your experiences in the comments.  Once, when a new stake president was due, in a spirit of speculation, I thought of an individual, and followed with, "But I don't think he's ready for that," ... well, he ended up being called as the stake president!  Immediately, the Spirit testified to me that the calling would make him ready - that He doesn't always call the biggest spiritual giant possible - but that he would teach and make this individual the leader He wanted and knew He could be.  Then, the presiding 70 in his talk to us, said almost the same thing!  I had two witnesses that he was the man for the job for the time!  The Lord's ways are not our ways!  Thankfully!

You may have had the experience of being made stronger by the people you were called to serve.

Think about one of your callings, past or present.  Can you think of growth you experienced from your service?  Please share if you feel inspired to do so.  I have played the piano all my life.  So I was surprised when I received the calling to be a choir director!  What?!  Totally out of my comfort zone!  Yet, I learned, I stretched, I sought the inspiration of the Lord, and by the time I was released, I was again a new creature in Christ.  If our callings cause our growth, they will help our leaders grow, too.

President Eyring shares some growth he experienced as a bishop in a YSA ward:

To a degree I do not understand, most of those young people in that ward acted as if I was called of God especially for them. They saw my weaknesses but looked past them.

I remember one young man who asked for counsel about his educational choices. He was a freshman at a very good university. A week after I had given the advice, he scheduled an appointment with me.

When he came into the office, he surprised me by asking, “Bishop, could we pray before we talk? And could we kneel? And may I pray?”

His requests surprised me. But his prayer surprised me even more. It went something like this: “Heavenly Father, You know that Bishop Eyring gave me advice last week, and it didn’t work. Please inspire him to know what I am to do now.”

Now you might smile at that, but I didn’t. He already knew what the Lord wanted him to do. But he honored the office of a bishop in the Lord’s Church and perhaps wanted me to have the chance to gain greater confidence to receive revelation in that calling.

It worked. As soon as we stood up and then sat down, the revelation came to me. I told him what I felt the Lord would have him do. He was only 18 years old then, but he was mature in spiritual years.

He already knew he didn’t need to go to a bishop on such a problem. But he had learned to sustain the Lord’s servant even in his mortal weaknesses. He eventually became a stake president. He carried with him the lesson we learned together: if you have faith that the Lord leads His Church through revelation to those imperfect servants He calls, the Lord will open the windows of heaven to them, as He will to you.

From that experience, I carried away the lesson that the faith of the people we serve, sometimes more than our own faith, brings us revelation in the Lord’s service. [emphasis added]

For the sake of those we serve in our callings and assignments, the Lord will bless us!  We do not have to rely on our personal worthiness (although we should strive to be found worthy), or our own level of faith (although we want to be faithful).  When we serve others, the Lord inspires us on their behalf.  Do you feel that you receive revelation for your calling?  Could you benefit from more of the Lord's revelation and guidance in your calling?

There was another lesson for me. If that boy had judged me for my failure to give him good advice the first time, he never would have come back to ask again. And so, by choosing not to judge me, he received the confirmation he desired.

Both the young man and the bishop were blessed in this example.  I love that.

Yet another lesson from that experience has served me well. As far as I know, he never told anyone in the ward that I had not given good counsel at first. Had he done that, it might have reduced the faith of others in the ward to trust the bishop’s inspiration.

I love that this young man did not get offended, or attempt to undermine the bishop.  It is tempting sometimes to share our gripes, or voice our grievances at quirks and weaknesses.  They may even truly be weaknesses.  But that does not mean he is not called of God.  I remember once when my husband was called into a scouting position, we had a bishop who did not seem to support the scouting program in the way my husband felt it needed support. ...  We talked about it together, and ultimately some counsel of my father's came to mind, which is that "this bishop was called at this time for a reason" - maybe the reason wasn't scouting - and that's ok.

I try not to judge servants of the Lord or to speak of their apparent weaknesses. And I try to teach that by example to my children. President James E. Faust shared a credo that I am trying to make my own. I commend it to you: 

“We … need to support and sustain our local leaders, because they … have been ‘called and chosen.’ Every member of this Church may receive counsel from a bishop or a branch president, a stake or a mission president, and the President of the Church and his associates. None of these brethren asked for his calling. None is perfect. Yet they are the servants of the Lord, called by Him through those entitled to inspiration. Those called, sustained, and set apart are entitled to our sustaining support. 

“… Disrespect for ecclesiastical leaders has caused many to suffer spiritual weakening and downfall. We should look past any perceived imperfections, warts, or spots of the men called to preside over us, and uphold the office which they hold” (“Called and Chosen,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2005, 54–55).

Next, President Eyring shares some disloyalty for the prophet Joseph Smith that had crept in:

In the early days of the Lord’s Church, leaders close to the Prophet Joseph Smith began to speak of his faults. Even with all they had seen and knew of his standing with the Lord, their spirit of criticism and jealously spread like a plague. One of the Twelve set for us all the standard of faith and loyalty we must have if we are to serve in the Lord’s kingdom. 

Here is the report: “Several elders called a meeting in the temple for all those who considered Joseph Smith to be a fallen Prophet. They intended to appoint David Whitmer as the new Church leader. … After listening to the arguments against the Prophet, Brigham [Young] arose and testified, ‘Joseph was a Prophet, and I knew it, and that they might rail and slander him as much as they pleased; they could not destroy the appointment of the Prophet of God, they could only destroy their own authority, cut the thread that bound them to the Prophet and to God, and sink themselves to hell’” (Church History in the Fulness of Times Student Manual [Church Educational System manual, 2003], 2nd ed., 174; see also Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Brigham Young [1997], 79).

There is a thread that binds us to the Lord in our service. It runs from wherever we are called to serve in the kingdom, up through those called to preside over us in the priesthood, and to the prophet, who is bound to the Lord. It takes faith and humility to serve in the place to which we are called, to trust that the Lord called us and those who preside over us, and to sustain them with full faith. 

This should be a reminder and a warning to us that apostasy isn't all at once - it can start with seemingly innocuous criticisms.  Also, we can be like Brigham Young:

There will be times, as there were in the days of Kirtland, when we will need the faith and the integrity of a Brigham Young to stand in the place the Lord has called us to, loyal to His prophet and to the leaders He has put in place.

Where do we stand?  Do we have a testimony of the prophets?  Do we have a testimony that Christ leads this Church?  Do we have a testimony that He extends the calls His servants?  What can you do today to get these testimonies?

In closing, President Eyring's testimony and blessing:

I bear you my solemn and yet joyful witness that the Lord Jesus Christ is at the helm. He leads His Church and His servants. I bear witness that Thomas S. Monson is the only man who holds and exercises all the keys of the holy priesthood on earth at this time. And I pray blessings on all the humble servants who serve so willingly and well in the restored Church of Jesus Christ, which He leads personally. I testify that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. They spoke to him. The keys of the priesthood were restored for the blessing of all of Heavenly Father’s children. It is our mission and our trust to serve in our place in the Lord’s cause.

Christmas scripture songs are live

Around holidays, especially Christmas, I've tried to find festive scriptures, or scriptures with a special holiday spirit about them.  This December has been a little different - we put aside our scripture songs to focus on memorizing The Living Christ, by special request of our stake presidency.  In general, though, for Christmas scriptures, I have looked for a Christmas carol (tune) that I can fit the words of a scripture into.

This first one is from Mary's Lullaby.  I used it the first year we started learning the scriptures through song - we did just the verse 37 (of Luke 1) the first year, but the next year, I added verse 38.  I had initially planned to do both verses, but I talked myself into splitting it up, to be more child-friendly.  I consulted the children for ideas, and my daughter drew the lovely picture.  If nothing is impossible, then pigs can fly, right?  :)

Here is Luke 1:37

Here is Luke 1:37-38

For Luke 2:13-14, I used the tune, Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains, because it has the "Glory to God" section built in, so I was also teaching the kids part of a Christmas song they would recognize in the future.  I thought it fit pretty well.

Matthew 2:1-2 - this scripture is about the wise men and the star, so the tune from We Three Kings seemed only natural! 

This last one is the only Christmas song with an original tune.  I often get this one stuck in my head, too, but it is lovely enough to me not to be bothersome.  ;)  I often ask the children for their advice on what pictures will help them remember the words.  The idea of God handing someone a large sign was memorable!  Therefore, the Lord, Himself, shall give you a sign...  Isaiah 7:14:

Merry Christmas!

Let's Discuss: "Value beyond Measure" by Joy D. Jones

"Value beyond Measure"

By Joy D. Jones, Primary General President
September 23, 2017 Women's Session

My hymn recommendations:
57  We're Not Ashamed to Own Our Lord
98  I Need Thee Every Hour
113  Our Savior's Love (she quotes a line from this one)
157 Thy Spirit, Lord, Has Stirred Our Souls
279  Thy Holy Word

Favorite quote:

We may seldom, if ever, receive huge spiritual manifestations in our lives; but we can frequently savor the sweet whisperings of the Holy Ghost verifying the truth of our spiritual worth.

Something to put on the board:

If we sin, we are less worthy, but we are never worth less!

Synopsis:

Our worth to God is independent of our worthiness.  Remember your divine worth - combat negative self-talk by savoring and cultivating the sweet whisperings and moments of the Spirit.

Other preparation for a classroom setting:

The pictures of the women she shared during conference are at the conference link above.  You may want to consider printing them out for visual aids.  You may want to provide pencils/pens and paper for your class for taking a moment to ponder your divine worth (described below).

Quotes and Discussion

I love that Sister Jones begins her talk with examples of women/young women from around the world.  Let's begin there:

While visiting the country of Sierra Leone in West Africa, I participated in a meeting conducted by a stake Primary leader. Mariama led with such love, grace, and confidence that it was easy to assume she had long been a member of the Church. Mariama, however, was a fairly recent convert.

Her younger sister joined the Church and invited Mariama to attend a Church class with her. Mariama was deeply impressed by the message. The lesson was on the law of chastity. She asked to have the missionaries teach her more and soon received a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. She was baptized in 2014, and her daughter was baptized last month. Imagine, the two fundamental teachings that led to Mariama’s conversion were the law of chastity and the Prophet Joseph Smith, two points the world often sees as irrelevant, outdated, or inconvenient. ...

I want to interrupt here, because I thought it was interesting that she pointed these doctrines out.  I think Sister Jones may be telling us not to be ashamed of these doctrines - or any doctrines.  How do you defend the law of chastity and Joseph Smith?  Do they need defense?  Do you have a testimony of them?  Do they not matter if you have a testimony of other things, like the Book of Mormon?

But Mariama testified that she was like a moth attracted to the light. She said, “When I found the gospel, I found myself.” She discovered her worth through divine principles. Her value as a daughter of God was revealed to her through the Holy Ghost.

What truths of the Gospel did/do you feel drawn to as a moth to the light?  Comment below.  I love the doctrine of eternal families.  I also love that we can ask questions, study them out, and receive personal revelation.

Now let’s meet the Singh sisters from India. Renu, on the far right, the first of five sisters to join the Church, shared these thoughts: 

“Before I started investigating the Church, I didn’t really feel that I was very special. I was just one of many people, and my society and culture didn’t really teach me that I had any value as an individual. ...

Another interruption ...  Can you think of some wrong messages your culture says about individual worth?  Some of the things I thought of are pressures to be skinny, pretty, fashionable, sexy, "authentic," ...  If you get a lot of feedback from the class, consider asking a followup question like, How can we focus on what matters most?

...When I learned the gospel and learned that I was a daughter of our Heavenly Father, it changed me. Suddenly I felt so special—God had actually created me and had created my soul and my life with value and purpose. 

“Before I had the gospel in my life, I was always trying to prove to others that I was someone special. But when I learned the truth, that I am a daughter of God, I didn’t have to prove anything to anyone. I knew that I was special. … Don’t ever think that you are nothing.”

I love that!  You don't have to prove anything to anyone.  You are special, period.

I was recently blessed to meet another young woman who understands this same truth. Her name is Taiana. I met her at Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City. Taiana was a junior in high school when she was diagnosed with cancer. She fought a brave battle for 18 months before passing away a few short weeks ago. Taiana was full of light and love. She was known for her contagious smile and her trademark “double thumbs-up.” When others asked, “Why you, Taiana?” her response was, “Why not me?” Taiana sought to become like her Savior, whom she so dearly loved. During our visits, I learned that Taiana understood her divine worth. Knowing she was a daughter of God gave her peace and courage to face her overwhelming trial in the positive way she did.

I realized after pondering this section that I haven't asked, "Why me?" in a long time.  Not in at least 15 years, maybe 20.  I have come to know that our trials are hand-picked for us, to teach us and to stretch us - to mold us and help us be more like Christ.  What is a faith-filled way you like to respond to trials?  Comment below.  Sometimes, I look for the things to learn - in other words, I might ask myself:  What can I learn from ___? - I like to believe that having this attitude might even shorten the length of the trial - if I learn the lesson the trial can be over, right?  (Of course it always depends on the will of the Lord).  Sometimes, I think about my specific gifts - and see if they can help me overcome.  Sometimes, I ponder the sufferings of Christ, and endure to understand Him better.  Sometimes, I imagine that Christ is there with me, and I take comfort in Him.  There is much we can endure, with Christ by our side.  Our joy in Him is independent of our circumstances.

Mariama, Renu, and Taiana teach us that the Spirit will confirm to each of us individually our divine worth. Truly knowing that you are a daughter of God will affect every aspect of your life and guide you in the service you render each day. ...

Has the Spirit confirmed to you your divine worth?  If you have time, take a sheet of paper (or a journal), and sit still for a moment, contemplating your divine worth.  Write down the impressions you receive.  Remember that the Holy Spirit is always accompanied by the fruits of the Spirit (love, joy, peace, etc.).

President Spencer W. Kimball explained in these glorious words: 

“God is your Father. He loves you. He and your mother in heaven value you beyond any measure. … You are unique. One of a kind, made of the eternal intelligence which gives you claim upon eternal life. 

“Let there be no question in your mind about your value as an individual. The whole intent of the gospel plan is to provide an opportunity for each of you to reach your fullest potential, which is eternal progression and the possibility of godhood.”2

I love first that in this quote, President Kimball mentions Heavenly Mother specifically.  If you look for Her, you find Her in the writings of the prophets (and elsewhere).  Second, this quote is the inspiration for the title of this talk.  We are valued beyond any measure ... by our heavenly parents!  We can't get more fundamental value than that.  Have you ever doubted your worth?  I don't want to dredge up those feelings - but to shine this light of truth on them - you are valued beyond any measure by Heavenly Father and Mother.

Next Sister Jones takes some time to tell us the difference between worth and worthiness.  Why do you think this is important?

Let me point out the need to differentiate between two critical words: worth and worthiness. They are not the same. Spiritual worth means to value ourselves the way Heavenly Father values us, not as the world values us. Our worth was determined before we ever came to this earth. “God’s love is infinite and it will endure forever.”3 

On the other hand, worthiness is achieved through obedience. If we sin, we are less worthy, but we are never worth less! We continue to repent and strive to be like Jesus with our worth intact. As President Brigham Young taught: “The least, the most inferior spirit now upon the earth … is worth worlds.”4 No matter what, we always have worth in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

Have you internalized that your worth is independent of your worthiness?  (rhetorical)  "The least, the most inferior spirit ... is worth worlds."  That is so profound.  I kept thinking of an apple seed, or a tomato seed.  Even just one apple seed has the potential to grow into a tree that produces many more apples, that may produce more trees of their own, and on and on.  Each soul on earth is like that seed - we have the potential for eternal lives.

Despite this marvelous truth, how many of us struggle, from time to time, with negative thoughts or feelings about ourselves? I do. It’s an easy trap. Satan is the father of all lies, especially when it comes to misrepresentations about our own divine nature and purpose. Thinking small about ourselves does not serve us well. Instead it holds us back. As we’ve often been taught, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”5 We can stop comparing our worst to someone else’s best. “Comparison is the thief of joy.”6

Negative thoughts and feelings about ourselves are a TRAP from Satan!  I love that Sister Jones exposes this truth.  How can we escape this trap?  Comment below with your ideas.  If you haven't already, let's start today in recognizing these negativities for what they are - and unroot and cast those thoughts out from you!  When we wallow in self-pity, or "beat ourselves up" emotionally, we are in a snare.  We must remember our divine nature, our heavenly parents, our Savior's love, ...

Next, Sister Jones gives us a key to confidence.  She suggests confidence as the remedy to the negative self-talk:

In contrast, the Lord assures us that when we have virtuous thoughts, He will bless us with confidence, even the confidence to know who we really are. There’s never been a more crucial time to heed His words. “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly,” He said. “Then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God; and … the Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion.”

What does it mean to you to "let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly?"  What is virtue?  I believe it is power (Christ noticed virtue/power gone from Him when the woman touched His hem) - we might say positive power, the benefit of the doubt, the measuring of a thought to divine truth.

After the key to confidence, Sister Jones gives us a technique to help us turn to righteous self-talk:

The Lord revealed this additional truth to the Prophet Joseph Smith: “He that receiveth of God, let him account it of God; and let him rejoice that he is accounted of God worthy to receive.”8 When we feel the Spirit, as this verse explains, we recognize that what we feel comes from our Heavenly Father. We acknowledge Him and praise Him for blessing us. We then rejoice that we are counted worthy to receive.

When we feel a prompting, an answer to a question, joy, or even a brief feeling of hope or peace, we have been counted worthy to receive.  Sister Jones continues with some examples of what she's talking about:

Imagine that you are reading the scriptures one morning and the Spirit softly whispers to you that what you are reading is true. Can you recognize the Spirit and be happy that you felt His love and were worthy to receive?

Mothers, you might be kneeling next to your four-year-old as he says his bedtime prayer. A feeling flows over you as you listen. You feel warmth and peace. The feeling is brief, but you recognize that you, at that moment, are counted worthy to receive. We may seldom, if ever, receive huge spiritual manifestations in our lives; but we can frequently savor the sweet whisperings of the Holy Ghost verifying the truth of our spiritual worth. [emphasis added]

We don't need to wait for a huge spiritual manifestation.  We can fill our lives with the sweet whisperings of the Holy Ghost.  This is in part why studying our scriptures and other Gospel basics (going to church, saying prayers, ...) are so important.  We can learn to recognize and rejoice when we receive even the little, brief feelings of peace or testimony of the Spirit of truth during a speaker's talk.  These are like little miracles in our lives.  They may be personal - often we may even be the only person who receives them, but they are real, and they mean we have been counted worthy to receive.

Next Sister Jones brings in the connection to He who makes this all possible - our Savior, Jesus Christ.

The Lord explained the relationship between our worth and His great atoning sacrifice when He said:

“Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;

“For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him.”9

Sisters, because of what He did for us, “we are bound to him by loving ties.”10 He said, “My Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me.”11

Whether we acknowledge it or not, we ARE connected to Jesus Christ.  He earned that right when He paid our ransoms.  Continuing:

King Benjamin also explained this binding connection with our Savior: “And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.”12 That suffering and the results of that suffering fill our hearts with love and gratitude. ...

Jesus Christ is our Savior.  Take a moment to reflect on what He did for you, personally, and express love and gratitude in your heart to Him.  Share any insights you feel inspired to share.

...Elder Paul E. Koelliker taught, “As we remove the distractions that pull us toward the world and exercise our agency to seek Him, we open our hearts to a celestial force which draws us toward Him.”13 If the love we feel for the Savior and what He did for us is greater than the energy we give to weaknesses, self-doubts, or bad habits, then He will help us overcome the things which cause suffering in our lives. He saves us from ourselves. [emphasis added]

I love this concept of a celestial force which draws us toward Him.  I think President Uchtdorf spoke of it also, in the Saturday morning session of this same conference, an inner guidance system that draws us to our heavenly home, "a heavenly stirring."  I think Sister Jones here is teaching us that we may have to remove the "world" from ourselves in order to align ourselves closer to Him.  Continuing, she says:

Let me reemphasize: if the pull of the world is stronger than the faith and trust we have in the Savior, then the pull of the world will prevail every time. If we choose to focus on our negative thoughts and doubt our worth instead of clinging to the Savior, it becomes more difficult to feel the impressions of the Holy Ghost.

So we have that choice when feelings of negativity attack us.  We can choose to focus on the negativity or focus on the Savior.  Can you think of a time when you chose to focus on the Savior and were able to dispel negative thinking?

Sisters, let’s not be confused about who we are! While it is often easier to be spiritually passive than it is to put forth the spiritual effort to remember and embrace our divine identity, we cannot afford that indulgence in these latter days. [emphasis added]

What effort can we put forth to remind ourselves of our divine identity?  Some ideas might be reciting positive affirmations like "I am a beloved child of God; My value is beyond any measure" or setting a daily reminder on our phone to turn our mind to Christ, or ???  There are as many ideas as individuals.  Comment below with your ideas!

I'm going to conclude my discussion with her concluding words:

May we, as sisters, “be faithful in Christ; … may Christ lift [us] up, and may his sufferings and death, … and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in [our minds] forever.”14 As the Savior lifts us to higher ground, we can see more clearly not only who we are but also that we are closer to Him than we ever imagined. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.