General Conference Tender Mercy

As I was saying my personal prayers tonight before climbing into bed, I was thinking about how General Conference is this weekend.  I’ve read lots of quotes about how if we come prepared w/ a question, it will be answered in General Conference.  I love this one by Elder Holland, “If we teach by the Spirit and you listen by the Spirit, some one of us will touch on your circumstance, sending a personal prophetic epistle just to you.”

As I was thinking about what question I would want to have answered.  3 questions immediately came to my mind:

1. What can I do to help Autumn & be a better Mom to her? … Recently I’ve been thinking that I have too many callings (Laurel’s Advisor, Stake Single Adult Committee member, JustServe.org Committee member, & visiting teacher) and that those take me away from Autumn too much.
2. What can I do to find a good husband for me/father for Autumn?
3. Is Heavenly Father pleased with me and what I’m doing with my life right now?

After I said my prayer, I climbed into bed and the random thought came into my head to get out my phone and search for the word “sinew” in the Scriptures app on my phone.

What came up was an IMMEDIATE and DIRECT answer to my 3 questions!!!  It was a talk given by President Hinckley back in General Conference, October 1996, called “Women of the Church.”  The actual paragraph that it brought up that had the word “sinew” in was good, but didn’t make a huge impact on me.  However, as I kept reading I felt the Spirit wash over me and I knew that what I was reading was a tender mercy from my Heavenly Father to let ME know that He is acutely aware of me.

Here are a few lines I wanted to share from the talk that spoke directly to my heart & spirit:

DIRECT ANSWER TO QUESTION #1: “With all that you have to do, you are also asked to serve in the Church.  Your bishop will not ask you to do anything that is beyond your capacity… You will grow in knowledge and understanding and wisdom, and in your capacity to do.  You will become a better mother because of the service you give in the work of the Lord.”

“There are some women who have to work to provide for the needs of their families.  To you I say, do the very best you can.  The greatest job that any mother will ever do will be in (here’s a list of how I can help Autumn): 1) nurturing, 2) teaching, 3) lifting, 4) encouraging, and 5) rearing her children in righteousness and truth.”

“It is well-nigh impossible to be a full-time homemaker and a full-time employee.  I know how some of you struggle with decisions concerning this matter.  I repeat, do the very best you can.  You know your circumstances, and I know that you are deeply concerned for the welfare of your children.”

DIRECT ANSWER TO QUESTION #2: “To you single women who wish to be married, I repeat what I recently said in a meeting for singles in this Tabernacle, ‘Do not give up hope.  And do not give up trying.  But do give up being obsessed with it.  The chances are that if you forget about it and become anxiously engaged in other activities, the prospects will brighten immeasurably…”

DIRECT ANSWER TO QUESTION #3: “For you who are single parents, I say that many hands stand ready to help you.  The Lord is not unmindful of you.  Neither is His Church.”

“May He bless you, my beloved sisters who find yourselves in the situation of single parenthood.  May you have health, strength, vitality to carry the heavy burden that is yours.  May you have loving friends (I do) and associates (I do) to bear you up in times of trial.  You know the power of prayer as perhaps few others do.  Many of you spend much time on your knees speaking with your Father in Heaven, with tears running down your cheeks.  Please know that we also pray for you.”

“I bear testimony before the entire world of your worth, of your grace and goodness, of your remarkable abilities and tremendous contributions, and invoke the blessings of heaven upon you.”

 

I haven’t been caught up at all w/ this movement going around about women wanting the Priesthood, I DO NOT want it.  But, I thought it was interesting that this talk (from 1996…over SEVENTEEN years ago) addresses this topic directly:

“First let me say to you sisters that you do not hold a second place in our Father’s plan for the eternal happiness and well-being of His children.  You are an absolutely essential part of that plan.  Without you the plan could not function.  Without you the entire program would be frustrated … Each of you is a daughter of God, endowed with a divine birthright.  You need no defense of that position.

As I go about from place to place, I am interviewed by representatives of the media.  Invariably  they ask about the place of women in the Church.  They do so in an almost accusatory tone, as if we denigrate and demean women.  I invariably reply that I know of no other organization in all the world which affords women so many opportunities for development, for sociality, for the accomplishment of great good, for holding positions of leadership and responsibility.

It was the Lord who designated that men in His Church should hold the priesthood.  It was He who has given you your capabilities to round out this great and marvelous organization, which is the Church and kingdom of God.”

Now, just b/c I got the answers to my 3 questions already, doesn’t mean that I won’t be listening intently at conference.  I’ll still be paying close attention and hoping that the Spirit will teach me additional things that I need to hear.