Stake Conference and Testimony

This weekend we had Stake Conference for our church.  This entails approximately 10 wards which makes up a stake.  We have an adult session on Saturday evening and everyone on Sunday morning.  There are also leadership meetings on Saturday.  We have these meetings every 6 months.  I always come away from them feeling rejuvenated.

This weekend was no different.  We had presiding at our Stake Conference Elder Kevin Pearson a General Authority Seventy from our SLC.  It isn't often that we have leadership come from SLC to these meetings.  He gave an amazing talk last night and asked us to think about some pretty important questions.  Here are the main points of his talk:
1.  We can call upon the Lord in the name of the Son.  Pray more often.  Do you still believe the Lord will answer your prayers?  When you pray can you see and feel him?
2.  How often do you plead to have the spirit of the Holy Ghost with you.  When was the last time you plead with Heavenly Father to send the Holy Ghost to be with you?  The Holy Ghost can give you great comfort.  The language of the spirit isn't a spoken language.  Our native language is a spiritual language. 
3.  (There was a song sung called) Savior Redeemer of my soul.  He truly is that!  When we pass away, we are going to be stunned to know how intimately Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were involved in our lives and were aware of us.  God will never leave us comfortless. 
4.  Be of good cheer.
5.  Now is not the time to give in, give up or give out.  You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead.

After the meeting I was talking to some sweet sisters in my ward.  When our conversation was over I thought about going up to shake Elder Pearson hand.  But I really don't like doing those things.  So I walked out to my car.  I got half way there before turning around and going back in.  I did this twice before I finally went back into the chapel, where my Stake President motioned for me to come to the front.  He told me he wanted to introduce me to Elder Pearson.  He asked me my story and with tears I told him that I had cancer.  We had a conversation about faith, prayer and enduring.  He took me by the shoulders, looked in my eyes and said, "Keep fighting.  Don't you give up.  And don't you quit."  He then gave me a hug and kissed the top of my head.  I thought this was pretty neat and a spiritual experience.  He also asked me what I learned from the meeting.  It was that I needed to attend the temple more often.  The funny thing was the meeting wasn't even on that topic, but just the personal revelation that I received.

This morning as I was on the stand to sing with the choir and before the meeting, Elder Pearson came and gave me a hug and kissed me on the forehead.  After 4 speakers and a song, the Stake President got up and said before the concluding speaker, Elder Pearson, we would ask Sister Terah Young and the new Patriarch to bear their testimonies.

It was interesting that as I was sitting in the meeting that I was thinking of my testimony.  It was an incredible experience to share what I know with the congregation. I told them about my cancer and how when I was in the hospital my mom asked me if I wanted anything from home.  I asked her to bring a picture of the Savior, which she did.  Often I'd look at the picture and think to myself that no one could possibly know what I was going through.  But as I looked at the Savior it was as if He was looking back at me telling me that He knew exactly what I was going through.  I testify that the Atonement if more than just for sin, but that the Savior also bore our heartaches, our disappointments, our emotional and physical pains.

I testify that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  That at the age of 14 he went into a grove of tree's in Palmyra, NY in 1820 to pray to know which church to join.  I testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him telling him to join none of them.  In time they taught him of the church which replicated the same church when Jesus Christ was on the earth and he brought this forth in our time.

I testify that Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers.  I don't know how He hears so many prayers but I testify that He does.  It is quite possible that He has different ears than we do.  I told them about Aidree's prayer last week and how it touched my heart in knowing that He hears the prayers of all of his children.

I testify that the Book Of Mormon is Another Testimate of Jesus Christ.  I know that as we read from it's pages daily we will come closer to Christ.  After returning home from 15 days in the hospital, I opened my Book Of Mormon to where I had left off.  It was Mormon chapter 9.  In this chapter it talks about prayer, miracles and faith.  I remember weeping knowing that Heavenly Father was aware of me and my situation and had answered my prayers through His words.

I testify that we have a Prophet President Monson.  That he leads this church under the direction of our Heavenly Father.

I testify that family's can be together for eternity.  And I testify of the power of the Priesthood.

Elder Pearson then spoke about faith during adversity.  In his talk he said, "I know one person in this congregation who puts her faith in the Savior even among adversity; (he turned to me and said) our sweet Terah."  It was pretty special that he saw my faith in my Savior in only just meeting me.

Most of his talk was taken from a talk he gave in 2009 General Conference entitled, Faith In The Lord Jesus Christ.  You can read it HERE.  It was amazing.

Here are some favorite quotes from his talk:
~Faith comes in many forms, levels and degrees.
~It takes a greater amount of faith to succeed in adversity.
~When we learn to trust in God it is as if we are focusing and accessing great power from Heaven.
~When we pray with real intent we can come to know God.
~Adversity is the trail of our faith and trust. Those who survive adversity put their trust in Heavenly Father.
~Press forward saints with steadfast faith in Christ and trust in the promised of our Heavenly Father.

After the meeting He talked with me two other times.  He told me that it was his idea to have me speak.  He also told me that he wanted to keep in touch with me and gave me his email.

My stake president told me that my talk couldn't have been better if I'd had the chance to prepare it ahead of time.

I now have the energy to keep doing what I need to do to overcome this illness.  Yes it is hard at times, but I know I can accomplish what I have been sent to this earth to do.  I've been sent to be tested, and that is just what is happening.  It is my goal to pass that test.

Endurance Through Trials With Prayer

Yesterday at church a man spoke about endurance.  He used me as an example of enduring through physical trials.  He stated that we need to decide if we will endure through our trials.  I thought this was interesting.  His talk was from Oct. 2013 General Conference address from Richard J. Maynes.  Elder Maynes says, "Our ability to endure to the end in righteousness will be a direct proportion to the strength of our testimony and the depth of our conversion.  Heavenly Father has organized our journey through life to be a test of our character."  I love this last line.  It makes me wonder what kind of character I have because of my trials.  "When we face adversity in life and our desire is to emulate the attributes of Jesus Christ, it is essential to be spiritually prepared.  Being spiritually prepared means we have developed spiritual stamina or strength...We will consistently choose the right...We will become immovable in our desire and ability to the live the gospel."  He also quotes an anonymous author which I love, "You must become the rock the river cannot wash away."

Last night in my studies I read the following quote from Oct. 2013 General Conference from President Thomas S. Monson, "Our Heavenly Father, who gives us so much to delight in, also knows that we learn and grow and become stronger as we face and survive the trials through which we must pass.  We know that there are times when we will experience heartbreaking sorrow, when we will grieve, and when we may be tested to our limits.  However, such difficulties allow us to change for the better, to rebuild our lives in the way our Heavenly Father teaches us, and to become something different from what we were-better than we were, more understanding than we were, more empathetic than we were, with stronger testimonies than we had before.  This should be our purpose-to persevere and endure, yes, but also to become more spiritually refined as we make our way through sunshine and sorrow.  Were it not for challenges to overcome and problems to solve, we would remain much as we are, with little or no progress toward our goal of eternal life."

I love this quote.  As I have read it over and over the past two days I have seen how this past year of trials has made me want to be better, more understanding, and has definitely increased my testimony.  I hope that when I go back to work in 2 weeks that I will have more compassion, be a better listener and better provider to my patients; because of the amazing care I have had I want to give just as amazing care or better.  

Tonight's daily quote also by President Monson said, " It is imperative that we recognize that whatever has happened to us has happened to others.  They have coped and so must we.  We are not alone.  Heavenly Father's help is near.  We are all in this life together.  We have our share-sometimes it seems like an unfair share-of trails, disappointments, pain, and heartache large or small.  But God will not leave us comfortless or alone.  He has not left us without promised blessings and heavenly sustenance.  We can communicate with our Father in Heaven through the passport to peace and consolation: prayer. To any who from anguish of heart and sadness of soul have silently asked, 'Heavenly Father are  you really there?  Do you hear and answer every child's prayer?'  I bear to you my witness that He is there.  He does hear and answer every prayer.  His son, the Christ, burst the bands of our earthly prisons.  Heaven's blessings await you."

I know that the trials that I and you face are known to our Heavenly Father.  Is it always easy, no, no.  He knows the pains that I have experienced and the sorrows of my heart.  I know He has a Son our Savior Jesus Christ who has felt our pains and sorrows through the atonement.  I know that my prayers are heard and that I will be a better person as I endure the trials He feels I need so that I can grow and become like Him.