Twice a year, in April and October, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints holds a General Conference. Leaders of the Church speak on many topics over two days, and their messages are broadcast during those days and also made available on-line and in print. Today, I want to share one of the talks from last April that has really stuck with me.
One of the biggest challenges in my life has been to find myself the sole provider of spiritual education and care in our home. It is an immense responsibility and I often wonder if I'm even making a difference. In April, Elder Boyd K. Packer spoke about families. He related a story about finding a snake in his yard that attacked a nest of birds. He compared this to family life. He encouraged us to fortify our homes against the influences of evil. And then he made a statement that has stuck with me.
Faith grows little by little as principles and truths are put into practice. I have been pondering this statement and have found comfort in knowing that there is power in prayer. It still isn't easy. I'm not sure if I'll ever feel confident in filling this responsibility. But I will keep trying.
Elder Packer's talk lasts just a little more than 14 minutes. I've included the video here, or you can read it in full here.
3 comments:
I love conference and the messages of faith and encouragement that they give. I worry about the grandkids and all the stuff that is out there that isn't good. I pray for their parents.
Can I tell you something funny and cool? I have that picture of the statue of the mother with kids and the tulips and the temple hanging up in my bedroom. My brother dated the photographer of that picture, her name is Hannah. When he shared her pictures with our family, I had to have a copy of that one! So he sent me an enlargement of it. When I saw it on your blog, I pulled my framed copy of it off of my wall and compared every flower--sure enough, it was her picture. So I wrote him about it, and he said, yes, that's it :). She submitted it to lds.org and they accepted it :). And now everyone gets to enjoy it. Isn't it awesome?!
I love the thought that you shared with us though, the quote from President Packer that is on top of the photo. It goes along with a lesson I learned in Sunday School--every single one of us has equal access to God's power and blessings on the earth, regardless of any of our personal characteristics (including gender), so of COURSE a mother's prayer is powerful! Our kids can be richly blessed by our prayers for them.
Thanks for your heartfelt post :). And, may you be blessed for your efforts and faithfulness :). You are awesome, did you know?
I just read/reread that article this morning before reading your post. That quote was the one that stuck out to me as well. I also liked that he wouldn't take back youth, or the mobility in his body for all the wisdom he's gained.
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