May
6
Women’s Conference–Loving the Praise of God More Than the Praise of Man
Filed Under Family, Personal Light, Written by Emily
This is one of the concurrent sessions I went to. Three amazing women partnered to address this topic. Once again, these are just the highlights that touched my heart.
Rene Butler
- We are not just here on earth for a sight seeing vacation or a shopping trip. Sight seers are those that hear the counsel of the Lord and have a great time watching others live it, but are not motivated to DO what they know is right. Shoppers are those that buy into the word’s views about what is important and what will bring happiness (possessions, wealth, fame, etc.). We are here to come to know the Lord and to help others come to know Him.
- Are we spending more time worrying about what we have (and don’t have, but want) and not about who we are?
- Doctrine & Covenants 25:10 “And verily I say unto thee that thou shalt lay aside the things of this world, and seek for the things of a better.”
- If we love the Savior first and foremost, we will prize what the Lord thinks and not what others think.
- She shared the life story of Lydia Knight, wife of Newel K. Knight. She was an amazing example of someone who put the Lord first and consecrated her life to following Him. Once she was seeking an answer as to why a certain trial was necessary, and the answer that came was, “Be patient…in time you will understand why.” I loved that. So many times I fight the circumstances of my life, only to realize later that those very experiences I resisted or complained about were the ones God used to mold me into what I want to be. He knows what He is doing in our lives! We just have to trust Him!
- She suggested doing a spiritual checkup–just like we have physical checkups. It is a personal inventory of sorts. What brings me joy? What are my highest priorities? How am I using my discretionary time? Is there anything that is a part of my life that I should not be doing?
- She shared the comment of a friend, “I try my best not to over schedule my life so that when opportunities come to serve, I am ready, willing, and able.”
- Allowing time each day for opportunities to assist another is a sure way to feel the influence and approval of God in our lives.
- Pleasing God must be more important that pleasing anyone else in our lives–including ourselves.
- We are spending our lives where we are spending our time.
Joy Haffen (Marie’s daughter-in-law that shared her experience with having triplets)
- People often ask her how she does it (being a mom of 6, including a set of triplets). Her response–I don’t do anything else!
- How she dealt with the new addition of triplets–I simplified my life, eliminating everything extra and became simply the mother of my family. That is what mattered and that is what brought her joy.
- She shared a wonderful analogy–this was one of my favorite teaching moments in Women’s Conference. There is the path I am on and the pack that I carry. The path we are on has to do with the direction of our lives, the plan that we are here as a part of. It is constant, set forth by the Lord. the pack we carry is defined by our experiences. It changes. Some things the Lord puts into our pack and somethings we choose to add to our pack. She had many wonderful insights about the pack we carry in our lives.
- Trust that the Lord will only put things into our pack that are for our good and that we are strong enough (with His help) to bear.
- Don’t put things in your pack that distract you from staying on the path you want to stay on.
- Beware of the subtly of good things. Just because something is good is not reason enough to give a part of your life to it.
- Material possessions add a lot of weight to our pack. We don’t need to cumber our journey with more things.
- Adding service to others to our pack will lighten our load!
- Only add thing to your pack that are of eternal worth.
Marie Haffen
- She shared the story of two of her pioneer ancestors, stating, “Maybe their stories can help us with ours.” These ancestor was asked by Church leaders to sell their beautiful home and help colonize a new area–”The Muddy”. After a few years it was determined that the area they were sent to was not a successful venture, and they returned to nothing. As she and her husband stood outside their old home that now belonged to someone else, her husband asked her if she wished they had never gone. She boldly replied, “I would rather live in a dugout with our mission filled than in a fancy house with our mission unfilled.”
- If you don’t get out of your comfort zone you won’t learn. If you don’t learn you won’t grow. And, if you don’t grow you will never know true joy!
- Life is a set of problem to face. Everyone is either in one, coming out of one, or heading into one!
- The gift of problems is that they make us choose and prioritize what is most important in our lives.
- God is not so interested in comfort as character, in happiness as holiness.
- Learn to say no to yourself and be content.
- Mormon 8:39 “Why do ye adorn yourselves with that which hath no life?”
- 2 Nephi 25:26 “And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”
- May we seek to live out of our comfort zone, stretching, growing, running to the Light!
I loved her last reference to running to the Light! This class was a wonderful reminder that our only true joy and peace can come by seeking to know and serve Jesus Christ with all our hearts!
Emily, you are amazing. I am constatly in awe over you. THank you so much for sharing this with me. I have only been able to glance through and I already love it and can’t wait to read and learn more. Thank you!!