This morning I was able to go to the recently-dedicated BYU-I Conference center and hear Sister Julie B. Beck speak to sisters from all around our region! It was such a wonderful experience- I am so glad I dragged my poor sick self out of bed and went! It was so good to feel her love for us and for Christ. She bore great witness of our Savior, His mission, the Plan our Father in Heaven has for us, our role as Daughters of God and as women of the Church. She was the only speaker, although she didn't have a scripted talk. She opened the microphones up to audience members to ask her questions. It was very interesting to see questions from women of all ages and stages of life- new converts, those struggling with faith, young unendowed mothers, single mothers, Relief Society presidents from wards, mothers with grown children that have left the church, and more. From my notes:
- Listen to the Spirit. She said this so many times! Having the Spirit with us at all times allows us to fulfill our purpose fully. Without the Spirit we CANNOT make it through each day, uphold our covenants.
- Take leadership in our homes to create an atmosphere of love, protection, and a climate like the Temple has. We cannot rely on the testimonies of our husbands or fathers to teach the Gospel to others. We must be articulate women! We must read and study the scriptures so we can share the Gospel with others (and our children!). The words must be IN us before they are to come out of us.
- Satan has three main strategies he uses to attack us (Sister Beck called them "predatory messages"- no longer do Children of God have to search for bad things to do, the bad things are searching for us):
1. Satan tries to make us angry. About anything- to get us to raise our voices or be irritated or defensive or grumpy or whatever.
2. Apathy- to not care about values or sins or what people in the world are doing today- it doesn't matter- we don't have to worry.
3. 2 Nephi 28 calls it flattery, but Sis. Beck called it "entitlement". The feeling or belief that we are entitled to certain things, that we are owed something for whatever reason.
Sister Beck cautioned us to recognize these, and to fight this war. We are the Lord's defense, NOT pacifists!
-When asked the question about how to find and keep balance amid so many tasks that are put to us these days, she counseled that things fall into one of three categories, all of importance but some greater than others:
Essentials: prayer, scripture study, church attendance, temple worship, etc- those things we are commanded to do by the Lord
Necessary: housework, work, cleaning, cooking, creating order and peace in our homes, etc- those things that need to be done so we can live in this world
Nice to do: things like hobbies, movies, recreation
We need all these things, but they have their place. When we put the "Essentials" things first, it tells the Lord we are aligned with His will and He will support us through our days as we begin them with these few simple things. If we aren't doing the Essentials that will get us to Eternal Life, we are doing something else, and going somewhere else. The Lord loves our righteous offering, and as we get on our knees at the end of each day we ask the Lord "did I do ok today?" Some days it will be a guilty feeling, but He knows we can do our best.
- Bore testimony of the purpose and vision of Relief Society. She taught us that just as Christ called the 12, and the 70, He also then called women, in his conversation with Mary and Martha, as "an equal half of the divine pair" and just as priesthood leaders are set apart and ordained, women are essential to the Gospel and the Plan. Without strong women fulfilling their roles as wives, mothers, sisters, etc, the Plan would NOT work. Relief Society was an organization that was a part of the vision of His church from the time of Christ, not just Joseph Smith finding something for the women to do so they didn't feel left out.
- increase faith and personal righteousness
- strengthen families and homes
- seek out those in need
-"We believe in having children". Our title, according to His plan, is "MOTHER". She then spoke about the vast opportunities that our generations have been afforded- opportunities to do anything we wish- sports, music lessons, business classes, anything we want, women are able to do in this age. She then asked WHY. She told a beautiful, heart-wrenching story of a faithful pioneer mother who crossed the plains in a wagon while ill and with a small baby. the woman reached their log cabin home and wrote of the gratitude she felt for four walls that sheltered her from the cold winds, even if the roof leaked. She then wrote of the illness of her baby, how she and her husband did all they knew how to do for it, but it worsened and died. On the backs of these testimonies and sacrifices this church was built, and this country became what it is today. Why have WE of all God's children been blessed with so many opportunities, when so much sacrifice has been made to afford us these luxuries? Sister Beck answered that the reason is that we are being sent the best, strongest Spirits as our children- the Lord NEEDS our talents and experiences that we have had and been able to develop to raise the strongest, best generation of Saints in these Latter Days! She then told an amazing story about Sister Funk, who she had recently attended the funeral of. Sister Funk was General President of the Young Women when Sister Beck was a young woman. Sister Funk was an amazingly talented pianist, and at age 14, earned a grand piano from her father, who had promised her if she mastered a specific Chopin piece he would purchase one for her. A visiting world-renowned concert pianist (Leopold something) was staying in the house next to the Funks, and she went and sat on the porch to listen to him practice. He was playing the same Chopin piece that Sister Funk had learned! Leopold came out on the porch and demanded of her what she was doing. She answered " Listening to you practice! It's interesting... you seem to struggle with the same passages that I struggle with!" He denied that she could play that piece; "I'm the only one I know that can play that piece!" She affirmed that she could, indeed play that piece, and would play it for him. After that he invited her to come to New York and be his private student, for free. She received a priesthood blessing and was told that if she went to New York, she would fall away from the church and would not fulfill the great things the Lord had in store for her to do. She did not go to New York. Later in life, a prestigious symphony invited her to tour with them as their solo concert pianist. She again declined. She said that the greatest trial of her life was to have this gift, and not do the things she always dreamed of doing. She knew that the Lord owned her gift, and He owns all our gifts and NEEDS us to allow Him to call upon it as He needs to bring forth His work in these days.
-Sister Beck counseled us to not be afraid in this day- but to be faithful. This is a miraculous season- His work is going forth and we are a part of it!
- We must live in DEFENSE of His plan. Economies crumble, but the Prophet stands strong and confident and says we are building more temples- advance, advance, advance! She used the word DEFEND many times in her talk.
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