Saturday March 7

I have a lot to write....but it is so late.

So little bits for now :)

I was able to go to a Relief Society fireside this morning with Sheri Dew as the speaker.

Such a great meeting!

I will jot down my notes from that later.

The rest of the day was pretty much me painting, dad connecting wires, and the kiddos playing pretty darn well together.

Cassi had a friend, Kaili, over for a little bit.

We had a quick dinner then got ready to go to Kyra's baptism this evening.

It was a fun night.

I have never seen anyone as excited as she was tonight!

She was literally bouncing down the aisle on the way to the baptismal font :)

And once she was in the water, her smile was ear to ear, looking out at everyone SO EXCITED!

You couldn't help but feel her excitement and bounce around along right with her :)

Elsie was so excited about it all too.

They are cute little friends and I am excited to see them grow up together!

We went to the Morgan's house after for some yummy desserts, and some hang out time.

So fun to have great friends :)

Then once we left and got the kiddos home, I left to go to the grocery store.

You know, cause all I have been doing is painting, so things like groceries.....laundry.....well that stuff has fallen to the way-side.

So that's why it's so late, cause I had to stock up!

On the way home I saw the house lit up!

Brent got the lights put in out along the deck.

So awesome!

I just love it!

I can't believe it is all really coming together!

(These notes were taken by a lady in our stake, Andrea Crane.  I wanted to include them in my blog.....my notes will come later :)

Sister Dew began by acknowledging the presence of the two Stake Presidents and other priesthood brethren who were helping and presiding at the meeting.  She reminded us that that Stake President holds the priesthood keys for the entire stake, and that priesthood keys open up the flow of revelation for those who serve under those who hold them.

She reminded is that the speaker at meetings like this is never the teacher; the Spirit is always the teacher.  She then relayed to us an experience she had when she was in Brazil and went to a Sunday meeting schedule.  She expressed her love for the lively and wonderful Saints in that country.  When she arrived in the classroom for the Relief Society lesson, she found it was given by a Sister who spoke very little Portuguese.  French was her first language, English her second, and she was just learning Portuguese.  The translator who accompanied Sister Dew kept chuckling during the meeting and translating “what she meant to say was…” Nevertheless, it was a good lesson, but it ended twenty-five minutes early.  Sister Dew was surprised when the Relief Society president then asked her to fill the remaining time, even though she had not been scheduled to speak, or even to attend that ward by design.  Sister Dew admitted that she didn’t remember what she said, other than bearing her testimony, but she felt the same spirit there with those few sisters that she did at the large conference today.

After the meeting a young woman came up and hugged Sister Dew, thanking her for her inspired message, one that the young sister had come there that day to hear.  Sister Dew was surprised since she hadn’t been scheduled to speak at all and hadn’t known she would until a few seconds after she’d been asked! The Sister admitted that she had been struggling and was visiting friends at that ward, hoping to find comfort and an answer to her problems. She again thanked Sister Dew because whatever she had said had contained the answer. Sister Dew prompted the Sister, asking her what exactly she had said.  The Sister related the answer and Sister Dew responded back that she was sure the Sister had heard those words, but they weren’t the words that Sister Dew had said at all. She then asked the Sister who was in fact, speaking to her.  The Sister considered before answering, “God was talking to me.”  Sister Dew kept prompting, asking her what that meant.  The Sister concluded that if God was talking to her, that He knew of her problems, and He knew where she was going to be that day, and He knew what she needed to hear.  It was revelation.  All Sister Dew did was to testify of Jesus Christ, which allowed the Spirit to be present and to speak to this Sister directly.

The Lord knows we are here, Sister Dew reminded us.  Why did we come to the meeting? We certainly shouldn’t have used our beautiful Saturday to come and hear Sister Dew speak.  We came to let the Spirit speak to us.

Sister Dew spoke of a couple of weeks ago when she was whistling a song everywhere she went.  All through her office throughout the day she kept whistling the song Hark! All Ye Nations (Hymn 264).  Pretty soon, she said, all of the people in the office were humming, or whistling, or singing along.  She expressed her love for the song and asked that we all stand and sing the first and third verses with her.  Once we had sung them, she asked us how we felt.  She asked us to think of one word to describe the feeling.  Sisters responded with: whoa, joyful, full, strong, powerful, electric, united, energetic, and spiritual.

She then asked us to look closely at the third verse which reads: Chosen by God to serve Him below, to every land and people we’ll go—Sister Dew pointed out that even means Meridian, Idaho—Standing for truth with fervent accord, teaching His holy word! And then the chorus: Oh, how glorious from the throne above, shines the gospel light of truth and love! Bright as the sun, this heavenly ray, lights every land today. Sister Dew pointed out the energy which flew into the room when we sang those words.  She said we all felt like her sisters and that she didn’t know us, but she loved us.  She said she used to hate it when people said that, because she didn’t feel it was true.  If anyone really knew her, they might not like her at all.  But she said her perspective has changed as she considers that perhaps we did know each other once.  Perhaps we were tutored and taught together in the pre-earth life.  Perhaps we had built friendships with other women who had made covenants and would make even more covenants when we lived on earth.  She said it is possible to love someone without meeting them.  When we are together, we can feel the spirit of covenant women.

Sister Dew asked us to remember the scripture found in Mosiah 2:41, which reads, “And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.  For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of neverending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it.”  She pointed out two of her favorite words in the verse: blessed and happy.  We all want to be blessed and happy.  And then she reminded us that we should pay particular attention when any scripture contains the words “all” or “every”.  She said that she didn’t know about us, but she’d had plenty of days of sadness and tears, so dwelling in a state of neverending happiness sounded good to her.

The next scripture she referenced was D&C 128:20-22, which reads: “And again, what do we hear? Glad tidings from Cumorah! Moroni, an angel from heaven, declaring the fulfilment of the prophets—the book to be revealed.  A voice of the Lord in the wilderness of Fayette, Seneca county, declaring the three witnesses to bear record of the book! The voice of Michael on the banks of the Susquehanna, detecting the devil when he appeared as an angel of light! The voice of Peter, James, and John in the wilderness between Harmony, Susquehanna county, and Colesville, Broome county, on the Susquehanna river, declaring themselves as possessing the keys of the kingdom, and of the dispensation of the fullness of times! And again, the voice of God in the chamber of the old Father Whitmer, in Fayette, Seneca county, and at sundry times, and in divers places through all the travels and tribulations of this Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! And the voice of Michael, the archangel; the voice of Gabriel, and of Raphael, and of divers angels, from Michael or Adam down to the present time, all declaring their own dispensation, their rights, their keys, their honors, their majesty and glory, and the power of their priesthood; giving line upon line, precept upon precept; here a little, and there a little; giving us consolation by holding fourth that which is to come, confirming our hope! Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing…”

Sister Dew said that she’s sure everybody who was at the meeting today wanted to do what they came down here on earth to do.  But, she also acknowledged, some days are hard. Some days are joyous. 

She told of being able to visit a niece and her family in Boise during this visit and how wonderful it was. She spoke of her 4 year-old grand-niece and a conversation overheard recently by her parents.  The little girl is incredibly bright and precocious.  She was imagining having a telephone conversation that went something along these lines. “Hello Daniel.  Oh, you’re stuck in a lion’s den? Well, you might want to have a conversation with God, then because there’s nothing I can do to help you.”  And then, “Hello, God, you may want to speak with Daniel.  He’s stuck in a lion’s den again.” Her family had been reading a book of Bible stories and through this imaginary play conversation she had obviously gotten the moral to the story: sometimes the only help you can get comes from God. We are all here on earth to help each other, but it is often that we need the help that only heaven can give.

Relaying another experience, Sister Dew spoke of a phone call from the Church public affairs office, asking her to give an interview with a reporter who was doing a story about the roles of women in the Church.  The reporter was particularly interested in speaking with Sister Dew because of the position she held as the CEO of a major Church-owned corporation. Sister Dew was slightly wary, wondering if the interview would be hostile or negative, but finally agreed.  She was quickly impressed with the young woman reporter, however, who seemed open-minded and had done her homework to prepare for the interview.  Sister Dew could tell this woman was a devout Christian and their shared devotion allowed Sister Dew to open up perhaps a little more than she might normally have done in an interview.  During the course of the conversation, Sister Dew mentioned something about how we women have access to great power. The reporter stopped her and seemed puzzled.  She then asked if Sister Dew meant that LDS women have greater access to the power of God than other women do.  Sister Dew needed to be careful in her answer, she knew, not to offend, while still testifying of truth. Almost against her better judgment, she found herself answering that yes, we do. She was not saying that God loves her more than he did the reporter, or that she was more special, or more likely to have her prayers answered.  However, ultimately, we do have greater access to God’s power, we believe.  When we make promises—covenants—with God, He makes promises—covenants—back to us.  He will unlock our hearts and minds to greater knowledge and power if we seek after it.  We gain this access mainly through the covenants made in the temple. Sister Dew said that the Spirit wooshed into the room. She felt it, and she knew that the reporter did, as well.

The reporter then asked what the effect of the gospel has been in Sister Dew’s own personal life.  Sister Dew was quite frank with the young woman, admitting that she was 60 years old and had not yet been married. (She emphasized the yet, and warned us to watch the Church News because she was sure there would one day be a front page story—and it had better be front page!—when it happens.) She acknowledged that her position as a single woman in a very family-centered Church has never been easy.  The loneliness and disappointment could be overwhelming. To cope, she needed to start to learn how to get help from heaven, or those feelings would have consumed her.  She affirmed that the gospel of Jesus Christ means everything to her; it saved her. The reporter admitted that she wished she could feel that way about her Church.  Sister Dew offered that she could, we were willing to teach her at any time and to allow her to find out for herself.  She then bore her own witness and urged the reporter to work to get her own witness, too.

Sister Dew told us that the Spirit will always testify of what is true.  It is not the words spoken by the speaker or the teacher.  That is why we need to strive so hard to have the Spirit with us wherever we are—in our homes, in our classes, etc.  There are divine laws that allow us to have access to God’s power and having the Spirit with us allows us the opportunity to have that blessing.

Teaching Young Adults is something Sister Dew loves, she said.  She had taught for years at the Institute levels and has kept in touch with many of her students over the years. Last year she had several experiences which she shared with us to illustrate a point.

One young lady wrote her a letter, wanting to tell Sister Dew of her circumstances before anyone else did.  She had strayed from the path of the gospel, unsure if she believed it any longer, and found herself meeting a non-member young man, one thing led to another and she was pregnant.  Sister Dew contacted her and asked if they could talk.  They did over a phone call and Sister Dew proceeded to tell her that she was not this woman’s judge, but that she loved her and wanted to do anything she could to help.  The woman related her story in greater detail, speaking of how she had left the Church, but kept it a secret from her family, leading a double-life, as it were, and wasn’t sure she believed in any of it anyway.  Sister Dew asked if she’d like to have a testimony. The woman replied with “not right now.”  Sister Dew was disappointed, but confirmed her love and faith in the young woman.  She told us that she believes deep down that this woman does know the truth, and believes that one day she may turn back to the road she once knew.  Sister Dew ended the call in tears and fretted about what she had said to the woman, worrying that she may have said too much, or perhaps not enough, or maybe not used the right words.

Two days later, she received another call from a different young woman who was about the same age as the first.  This woman was having a crisis of faith and was worried that the gospel wasn’t true.  She had many questions which were causing her doubts.  Again, Sister Dew posed the question “do you want a testimony?” When the woman answered in the affirmative, Sister Dew challenged her “are you willing to work for it?”  The woman again answered “yes.”  They began a process of meeting together often, bringing her questions, scriptures, and Preach My Gospel.  They met more than thirty times to talk and try to find answers to her questions.  She met with her Bishop and other leaders to ask them questions.  This woman had questions, but she sought answers to them rather than letting the doubts take over.  She contacted Sister Dew some time later, informing her that she now had a temple recommend.

There are parallels between the two stories, Sister Dew pointed out.  Both women had questions about the gospel and its truth.  However, when one woman let her doubts take over and hid from her friends, family, and leaders, the other asked for and received help.  The second woman is in a much safer and happier place.

The second woman once told Sister Dew that the most important thing that Sister Dew had ever said to her was “questions are good.”  It took the pressure off and allowed this woman room to explore the gospel.  Sister Dew reminded us that the gospel can stand up under questions.  The testimony of God our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is sure enough to withstand questions.

And why are questions so good?  They lead to revelation, Sister Dew said.  When we seek solace and direction, when we ask and seek answers, our questions can lead to knowledge and peace of mind.

Sister Dew read a list of questions which she had been recording over the past year or so which she had herself, had been asked, or had overheard.  Many of them were personal such as “why is this trial happening to me,” or “why did my husband die,”  “why can’t I find someone to marry,” “who should I marry,” or “why can’t we, as a married couple, have a baby?”  Many were doctrinal such as, “what is the Church’s stance on gay marriage,” or “why can’t women be ordained?” The list was extensive.  One woman shocked Sister Dew with the question “what if I don’t have any questions?”  Sister Dew was unsure how to answer that one.

Her response to all of the questions was “are you willing to engage in a spiritual wrestle?”  She reminded us that Enos “wrestled” before God, Alma “wrestled” with God and pleaded with Him.

Not having come from a sports-central family, Sister Dew wondered about the word wrestle.  She spoke to several people she knew who engaged in the sport and was told that wrestling is not about muscles, but about leverage, and about using the strength one has to leverage over another.

We can use the gospel as our strength to leverage over our questions.  Part of this life on earth is solving problems and answering questions.  When we have questions and are willing to “wrestle spiritually” to get answers, several things happen:

1.       We learn things, usually truth.  Sister Dew directed us to the scriptures to learn more about gaining knowledge. She challenged us to read 2 Nephi 32—even a verse at a time, if needed—until we understood the process of getting knowledge.

2.       We get revelation.  At times the things that come into our minds answer the questions we have.  At others, they may not provide answers, but they give us just enough peace to continue on. Questions unlock revelation.  We have the scriptures in the D&C because of many of the questions that Joseph Smith took before the Lord.  The Book of Mormon is a record of the questions that prophets took before the Lord, and His responses. 

3.       We feel peace, which comes through the nurturing of the Holy Ghost.

4.       Our faith increases.  We are never told everything about everything in this life.  That’s not a part of God’s plan for us, but walking by faith is a part of it. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, in a recent CES devotional said, “Not all gospel questions have answers yet…”  There may come a time when we are permitted answers to the things we question, but for now some things we have to take with faith.

5.       We gain an eternal perspective.  When we take our questions to the Lord, we can find ways to find answers.  Questions are meant to ennoble and enlighten us.    Questions have little do with our testimony, and more to do with our growth.

The process of wrestling to get our answers is becoming more and more foreign, Sister Dew warned.  We live in a fast-paced society where we all want Google answers, appearing instantly just a few seconds after being asked.  But Google can’t answer the critical questions, Sister Dew reminded.

The world is more in need of women who know what they believe than ever before.  We need to teach it, live it, be firm and not shaken even if we don’t know the answers to questions we are asked.  We need to take the view that what we don’t know is far less than what we do know, and build upon that foundation.

There are questions worth wrestling to get answers.  Sister Dew related several she thought were worthy of the struggle and experience she has had in receiving her own answers.

The first was to understand the power of the Atonement and the Lord’s grace.  That is worth any struggle we have to endure to achieve.  She shared a little about her own father, who was a strong, determined man, faithful in the gospel.  He served in many leadership positions and faithfully attended to his Home Teaching families, who sometimes lived very far away.  Every month he would travel the one hundred mile route to see them all.  Everyone in their town knew the integrity of her father.  He did have an Achilles heel, however, and that was his temper.  Throughout his whole life, he never learned how to control it, and it affected his family deeply.  Sister Dew remembered struggling with the fear of setting him off, worried that she would never be able to do the right thing around him. She admitted to having a bit of a temper herself and that occasionally their tempers would clash, leaving a struggling, tentative relationship between them, with an uneasy love.

Years later, as her father lay dying, with only a few days to live, Sister Dew found herself alone with him.  For the first time, she was inspired to pray for this man, to pray that Heavenly Father would forgive him for the anger which he never learned to control.  She reminded the Lord of how much good he had done in the world, despite the heartache caused in his close relationships.  She said that after her prayer, she felt something wash over her head to toe, spiritually and physically.  In that moment, she could remember all of the things her father had done in anger, but she could no longer feel the pain of those moments. And while the memories have stayed, the pain has never returned.  While driving home after that experience, Sister Dew called a friend of hers and related the feelings, asking for help in understanding.  The friend pointed out that it was grace.

Grace is the power that comes from the Atonement, the enabling, ennobling, healing power.  Sister Dew directed us to read Luke 4:18 to understand that grace is a part of the mission of the Savior.  He was “sent…to heal the brokenhearted.”

We need to learn to access the power of grace when we can’t handle our own emotions in a situation.  He is ready to help us.  The doctrine of healing applies to sin, weakness, weaknesses, faults and mistakes, pain and trials.  As further study about grace and the healing power of the Atonement, Sister Dew suggested we read Ether 12 and Alma 7 to see what the Savior has done for us.

Another thing that is worth the spiritual wrestle is to discover how to receive revelation and how we receive personal revelation.  She relayed a struggle she once had over making a decision and having reached out to a friend for direction.  She was worried after having thought about it so much that she might have been imagining the answers in her mind, rather than feeling the promptings of the Spirit. Her friend asked her a simple question which changed everything.  “Have you asked the Lord about revelation?”  For her, it was a turning point.  She’d never thought about asking the Lord to teach her the language of revelation before.  She directed us to think of the Book of Mormon, since so much of it deals with revelation, and challenged us to get a copy and mark all of the communication between heaven and earth which occurs in the book.  We would be surprised, she said, in how often it comes.  The Book of Mormon is one way in which we can learn that language of revelation.  Just like the story she told of her great-niece and the conversation with God about Daniel in the lion’s den, we need help from heaven.

Understanding the Priesthood is another thing worthy of a spiritual wrestle to understand.  Do we realize that it is just as important for us, as women, to understand as it is for men?  We need to see how the  Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood, along with the temple Endowment applies to us as women.  She directed us to several scriptures to begin our study: D&C 76, 87, 107, 110, 121, and 128.  Do we know the difference between keys, power, and authority?  Elder Dallin H. Oaks in the April 2014 Conference address “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood” said: “We are not accustomed to speaking of women having the authority of the priesthood in their church callings, but what other authority can it be?  When a woman—young or old—is set apart to preach the gospel as a full-time missionary, she is given priesthood authority to perform a priesthood function.  The same is true when a woman is set apart to function as an office or teacher in a Church organization under the direction of one who holds the keys of the priesthood. Whoever functions in an office or calling received from one who holds priesthood keys exercises priesthood authority in performing her or his assigned duties.”

Priesthood keys are used to give authority.  Sister Dew used the example of getting a temple recommend.  When we seek to do so, we visit the Bishop, who holds the keys for the ward, and we visit the Stake President, who holds the keys for the stake.  If we are found worthy, we are given authority to attend the temple.  In the temple, men and women are given authority through priesthood keys to endow us.  Elder M. Russell Ballard has said, “Men and woman are both endowed with the same power when they attend the temple.”  We are both endowed with knowledge.  Sister Dew asked us to examine our lives to determine what God has given us that perhaps we don’t realize or recognize.  She reminded us that if we don’t utilize, or even recognize what we have been given, what makes us so sure that God will give us more?

We need to be willing to spiritually wrestle to learn what it means to be a woman and to see the gifts we have been given by being women. Sister Dew related a sweet experience she had last year.  She was invited to be at the hospital when a niece of hers gave birth, although not in the exact room.  It was the first time she’d been included in that way and she was very grateful.  She said that when she stepped onto the labor and delivery room floor, she felt as if she were on holy ground, as if a conduit had opened up and heaven was touching earth, just for that small moment when the baby was born.  That is a holy thing, she reminded us.  She said she was not minimizing how hard motherhood can be, and admitted that she doesn’t know how to raise children, or how to find the time we need to wrestle spiritually for answers, how hard it is to struggle to find time to pray and read our scriptures when we are surrounded by little children who have constant needs.  But she can tell us of the process of child birth and rearing, and the privileges.  We all, whether we have our own children or not, can nurture children along the path of the gospel.  She admitted that at times it is hard for her to cope with the idea that she will never have her own children in this life, but a perspective of the gospel and what motherhood means helps.  Motherhood is divine.

She told of an experience she had several years ago when she was serving in the General Relief Society Presidency for the Church.  Before the Spring General Conference, all of the General Authorities and leadership were called to a large meeting, a special training. The topic was how to support the organization of the Family as leaders and as a Church.  It was quite intimidating, she said, being one of only nine women included.  During the highly interactive meeting, conducted by one of the senior members of the Quorum of the Twelve, they were encouraged over and over to not use the terms woman or man, but mother and father.  During the four hours, this wore and grated on Sister Dew. As she looked around, she realized she was the only one in the room who had not had an opportunity to be a parent.  She felt insecure and out of place as her heart started to hurt.  She felt as if she didn’t belong and wondered if singles like her even belonged in the Church at all.  She kept all of this inside and grew more and more frustrated.  As the meeting ended, she couldn’t wait to get home and have a good cry.  The hurt stayed in her heart for weeks and she stewed over it, knowing that it was wrong, but unsure what to do about it. Could she really go to her Bishop and confess that she was mad at a member of the Quorum of the Twelve?! The pain slowly turned to anger and she nursed it for months, letting it fester.

As fall approached, Sister Dew was asked to prepare a talk for the upcoming General Conference.  She prayed to receive a prompting of what she should speak about, but came away with nothing.  Time and time again she searched for the topic she should use, but only a stupor of thought came.  One last time she prayed, and finally received an answer, but it was not the one she had expected.  She was directed that she needed to resolve the feelings of hurt and anger that she had been carrying for nearly six months.  Finally, she forced herself to examine the feelings and her reactions to the meeting.  Had she missed something during the meeting?  As she pondered that, inspiration came that she needed to give a talk about motherhood.  Sister Dew was shocked.  That was the last thing she had expected to be asked to speak on considering her situation and her feelings. She began to search, looking to the doctrine for what it said about motherhood, and what the prophets have said.  She wrestled with the subject and that wrestle led to the talk entitled “Are We Not All Mothers?” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2001/10/are-we-not-all-mothers?lang=eng

It was when she humbled herself and finally asked, that the Lord sent clarity and revelation which helped her understand her emotions and resolve some of the questions which she had.

Sister Dew reminded us that there is a clear need for women to spiritually wrestle these days. The Lord needs women who know what they believe.

While Sister Dew has had no chance in this life to bear children, she has had the privilege of mothering and mentoring through her nieces and nephews, and the youth she has taught through the years.

As covenant women, we can shepherd others along the road that leads back to our Heavenly Father. Sister Dew reminded us that there is no greater safety than being a covenant keeping man or woman in the gospel of Jesus Christ.