We Are All Blessed by the Influence and Faith of Women

Dear sisters, I am pleased to be able to participate in this marvelous Relief Society event. I appreciate all that has transpired. I love the messages that were given by President Camille N. Johnson, Sister J. Anette Dennis, and Sister Kristin M. Yee.

I have been blessed with exceptional women in my life, and I am eternally grateful for their influence on me. My appreciation is beyond my ability to adequately communicate. They have sought excellence in every aspect of their lives but have emphasized feeling and appreciating God’s love in their lives.

My wife, Mary, has exemplified this and tries to live on the “sunny side of the street.”

I feel a great responsibility in speaking to you wonderful women. You have my love and admiration for who you are and your commitment to the Lord and His Church in this difficult world.

Dear sisters, please do not underestimate the power and impact of your capable, loving, and sensitive influence on those with whom you associate. You bless many as you strive to live Christlike lives.

At times, in your sincere desire to follow Jesus Christ and do good, you may feel that no matter how hard you work or what you do, it isn’t enough. Sometimes despite the fact that everyone else feels you have been “just right,” you may feel inadequate and ineffective. Yet the excellent work you do, the kindness you show, and the love you exhibit are blessings beyond measure to those who have the privilege of association with you, and it is enough!

We live in a turbulent time. The world is literally in commotion. Many of the challenges are in the spiritual realm. They are social issues we as individuals cannot necessarily resolve but nevertheless concern us. Convincing people to choose righteousness is an age-old challenge. There has always been “opposition in all things.” The difference today is that the “great and spacious building” skeptics seem to be louder, more contentious, and less tolerant than at any time during my life.

In actual fact, these kinds of challenges have always existed. One year before The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized, the Prophet Joseph Smith was translating the Book of Mormon. The Lord revealed to Joseph and Oliver Cowdery what is now section 6 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It contains counsel for difficult times.

The Lord comforted them, “Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.” He also counseled them, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not. … Be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Amen.”

Looking back to those early Saints, we are deeply touched by the hardships they endured and the example they provided of recognizing God’s love and ministering to one another.

The baseline or starting point for reviewing our life and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ is baptism.

For many of us, except for new converts and the very young, our baptisms were many years ago. The great prophet Alma speaks eloquently to us when he states, “And now behold, I say unto you, … if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”

Alma continues with a profound message that is completely relevant to our day. He essentially asks the Saints, “If they were called to die, would they be prepared to meet God?” Alma then emphasizes four qualities in order to be blameless before God.

First, are we sufficiently humble? In a sense, this is a return to the requirement for baptism, humbling ourselves and having broken hearts and contrite spirits.

Second, are we stripped of pride? In speaking of pride, Alma counseled against trampling the Holy One under our feet and being puffed up in pride, setting our hearts upon the vain things of the world and upon riches, supposing we are better than one another, persecuting those who are humble.

Third, are we stripped of envy? For those who have great blessings but do not feel gratitude because they can only focus on what others have, envy can be most pernicious. Lifestyle envy has increased as fame and fortune have replaced faith and family as a core aspiration for much of society.

Fourth, do we mock or persecute a brother or sister? In today’s world we see much of this in social media.

Could anything be more relevant to the issues that exist in our day than this message about pride, envy, and persecutions?

The great debate across much of the world is about temporal, day-to-day economic issues. Yet there is very little discussion about returning to Christlike principles focused on preparation to meet God, and the condition of our spirits. We need to focus our lives and increase emphasis on spiritual matters.

I have always been inspired when I have reviewed the events leading up to the dedication of the Nauvoo Temple. I have been particularly impressed with the faith of the sisters. The overwhelming attribute that flows through is the faith of the sisters. Their faith in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the Prophet of the Restoration, Joseph Smith, was most remarkable.

These dedicated women demonstrated their faith in the eternal significance of the endowment and temple sealing by the sacrifices they were willing to make. They sacrificed their time and what little treasure they had. They also, by assignment, did the first ordinance work performed in the Nauvoo temple. As they helped prepare the Saints to leave Nauvoo, many of the sisters left records of assisting with temple ordinances all day and then cooking and washing much of the night. However, they made it clear that the faith and knowledge that was bestowed upon them in the temple allowed them to rejoice as they moved into the unknown and headed across the plains.

Women have historically the greater responsibility for home and children and thus a desire for security and stability. The faith of the sisters in being willing to vacate Nauvoo for the unknown was inspiring.

Sister Bathsheba Smith’s recorded feelings, as she prepared to leave, are very touching. She had experienced the mobs arrayed against the Saints in Missouri and was present at the death of Apostle David W. Patten. As she was facing the evacuation of Nauvoo, she wrote:

“My last act in that precious spot was to tidy the rooms, sweep up the floor, and set the broom in its accustomed place behind the door. Then with emotions in my heart … , I gently closed the door and faced an unknown future, … faced it with faith in God and with no less assurance of the ultimate establishment of the gospel in the West and of its true, enduring principles, than I had felt in those trying scenes in Missouri.”

Sister Smith recorded the poverty, sickness, and privation that the Saints suffered as they made their way west. In March of 1847, her mother passed away, and the next month her second son, John, was born. Her record of that is brief, “He was my last child, and he lived only four hours.”

Later in her life, she was the matron of the Salt Lake Temple and the fourth president of the General Relief Society.

If one had to characterize the most significant attributes of our pioneer sisters, it would be their unwavering faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

I think the women of the Church today are every bit as strong and faithful. Viewed through a clear lens, faith is an expression of love and appreciation for the Savior. Because of His atoning sacrifice, no disappointment is final and virtually no transgression is beyond repair. As we focus our faith on Jesus Christ and stay on the covenant path we can reach our eternal goals.

Conditions in the world today increasingly require deepening individual conversion to and strengthening faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The Church doctrine and scriptures provide an inspired roadmap to assist you in making righteous choices. The Lord’s prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks, provides specific guidance for our day. The Lord has prepared us, line upon line, for the perilous times that we now face.

Regardless of our trials, with the abundance of spiritual guidance we have today, we would be ungrateful if we did not appreciate our blessings.

Thank you for who you are and what you do. I witness to you that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He lives and provides the love and guidance we need to return to Him. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.