My heart is so full at the end of this day. I feel so loved and supported. I should leave on a mission more often ;) I gave a farewell talk in my church service today and my family hosted an open house in our home. Thank you to all who have messaged me, sent words of support, and came to listen and support me. I am so blessed.
For my farewell talk I was given a topic and rolled with it. I learned more from writing the talk than I am sure the people I gave it to. I thought I would take the chance to share it here on this blog. It is long, sure, but it holds so many of my beliefs and what I know to be true.
I know that with every hug and every "good bye" that they are all truly just a "see you later." So, with this talk as my see you later...
xoxo,
Lyds (soon to be Hermana Vergara and cannot wait!)
Topic: Becoming True
Millennials by President Russell M. Nelson
When the word “Millennial”
pops up on your news feed, usually the word is sandwiched into a negative
statement. The Millennials are an entitled generation who expect instant
gratification. Employers especially have an issue with Millennials because they
are narcissistic and lack respect for their elders.
Having been born near the end
of the Millennial generation, I don’t just inherit the negative results of
studies and experiences with this generation, but I am surrounded by the
millennials that may or may not fall into the general description of
millennials. I am blessed to be attending BYU where professors drill into our
minds that we cannot take part of the negative side of the millennial
generation, but rather step up and be a different millennial generation rising
into the work force.
Luckily my professors are not
the only people that believe the Millennials can and should be different.
President Russell M. Nelson spoke at the first YSA devotional of this 2016-year
and his talk was labeled “Becoming True Millennials”. The outline of the talk
was as follows: (1) Learn Who You Really Are, (2) Expect and Prepare to
Accomplish the Impossible, (3) Learn How to Access the Power of Heaven, and (4)
Follow the Prophets. Simple enough, right?
President Nelson references
the research and studies done on Millennials and he says he is quite
uncomfortable with the results and what the researchers are saying about this
generation. He says, “I feel something far different from what the researchers
say. Spiritual impressions I’ve received about you lead me to believe that the
term Millennial may actually be perfect for you.”
Now, What does it mean to be
a “true” millennial? How do you become one? And how can these teachings to the
Millennials apply to those members that are not a part of the generations
included?
President Nelson’s definition
of a true millenial is “a man or woman who God trusted enough to send to earth
during the most compelling dispensation in the history of the world.” The
millennials are here to help prepare the world for Jesus Christ and his millennial reign.
The topics of President Nelson's talk answer the question of how to
become a true millennial. The answers
are so incredibly essential and so often forgotten, I hope that we can each
plant one seed today and remember what the Lord sees in this chosen generation.
Who are you? A child of God
was probably the first answer to that question, right? I had the opportunity to
attend girl’s camp this past week. Having been only two years since I have been
there myself, I was treated as an adult, but still very much felt like a young
girl finding refuge from the world in the spiritual haven that is Camp Hulaco.
The theme for girl’s camp was “Coals to Diamonds” Think back to that young age
or even think about now. How easy is it to get lost in a world chalk full of
social media images and opinions about what and who we are supposed to be? How
often do we forget what God sees us as? We are constantly placed in the
refiner’s fire and faced with challenges that God knows we are fit for in order
to become the diamonds He sees.
Clear your mind for a second
and prayerfully consider these facts: (1) You are an elect son or daughter of
God, (2) You are created in his image, (3) You were taught in the spirit world
to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter in these latter
days. Is that not amazing? I grew up with this knowledge having been born in to
the church, but when these facts are shared with those that have not had these
things said to them all their life, it can be a shocking and heart-wrenching
experience.
“For ye are all the children of God by
faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ
have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond
nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to
the promise (Galatians 3:26-29).”
We are quite literally
Abraham’s seed and therefore we are heirs to the wonderful promise of eternal
life, also as a part of Abraham’s seed, we have a divine purpose to be laborers
in the vineyard. The Lord says “For behold, the field is white already to
harvest; and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call
laborers into my vineyard (D&C 33:3).” We are living in the eleventh hour.
We are called to prepare the way for Christ. This is not just a call to the
millennial generation, but to all generations on the earth today. In Jacob 5 we
are told that we will be sent to prune and dig up the vineyard one last time,
but we are not alone in this endeavor. Verse 72 says, “And the Lord of the
vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the commandments of the Lord
of the vineyard in all things.” He is truly with us.
I am standing up here because
of this call to action. I have been called to the vineyard to help others
prepare for the millennial reign of our Savior. This call and the peace it has
brought me make me want to explode in hallelujahs. I hope that each of us can
feel this peace and joy when Christ calls us to be leaders and teachers. We
must prepare the way for his coming.
We must also expect and
prepare to accomplish the impossible. President Nelson says, “Because you are
covenant-keeping sons and daughters of God, living in the latter part of these
latter days, the Lord will ask you to do difficult things. You can count on
it—Abrahamic tests did not stop with Abraham.” We are placed in the refiner’s
fire to become as diamonds, or become sanctified. We become clean, pure, and
spotless. We are free of the sins of the world. We are renewed by rebirth
through the Spirit. When our will is perfectly submissive to God and his
Abrahamic tests, we are sanctified. We have been promised this by prophets of
old and now.
None of us will willingly
jump in to the refiner’s fire, but when called to do so we must have faith, an
understanding of the doctrine, and relentlessly seek truth. “I can do all
things through Christ which strengtheneth me (Phillipians 4:13).”
For those of you that know me
pretty well, you probably heard me say just last fall that I had no plans to
serve a mission and felt that I was exactly where I needed to be, doing exactly
what I was doing. I had never really wanted to serve a mission and didn’t feel
like I needed to or was being asked to. Both of my parents served and though
the pressure was not on, being the Type A daughter that I am, I felt it. I
chose to talk a mission prep class from my study abroad director after we had
gotten home because I felt strongly about being a member missionary. I feel
that everyone, regardless of whether you are preparing for a mission or not,
should take a mission prep class, so I took it. I learned to tell and share
with others why I was not serving a mission and why the social pressures of the
age change were not getting to me. I gave completely honest answers at that
time. When I came home for Christmas, I was catching up with Bishop about life
on one Sunday and by the next Sunday I had opened papers and pretty much
finished them. My call to action was so simple, but once I got it I knew I had
to take action. I knew what I was signing up for was hard and was going to be
impossible at times, but I know that through God all things are possible. I am
humbled when I look back on experiences that I loved or maybe did not love, but
were the stepping stones of my preparation and my timeline up to this point.
God truly does make weak things become strong and through the Holy Ghost I can
testify that my call to Paraguay is exactly where I need it to be and where God
needs me to be.
We can access the power of
heaven through the Holy Ghost. Heavenly Father and His Son are standing by just
ready to respond to our questions through the Holy Ghost. We must learn how to
qualify and receive those responses. President Nelsons tells us to start by
spending more time in holy places. We must create holy spaces and places where
we can find relief. Places where we can pray to know what we need to be doing
or stop doing in order to have the spirit with us. In those prayers ask for the
gift of discernment so you can know what is true. “That body which is filled
with light comprehendeth all things (D&C 88:67).”
President Nelson tells us to
serve with love and to spend more time in places where the Spirit is present.
This is not just your holy places, but this is the time you spend with friends,
family, scriptures, family history work, and prayer. Each time we are told to
spend more time I know it can feel as though we do not have enough time to do
and be everything God is asking of us, but ask yourself, what will you make
room for in your wagon? We are not being called to load our wagons and head
west as the saints did, but we must decide what we will make room for in our
personal wagons and what is of the most value to us. Do not forget to see with
an eternal perspective as you pack. God has truly given us everything, so we
too must give. Our time, our service, our energy can be hard to give, but
please remember the saints and remember the apostles who were told to leave
their livelihood of fishing and fish for men.
The Lord has promised us “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy
laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I
am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke
is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).” (Ardeth G. Kapp 1990)
God has truly given us as
much access to the Lord as he has given to the prophets and leaders of the
church. We must seek, ponder, fast, pray, study, and wrestle with difficult
questions and we will receive answers that you simply cannot find on Facebook.
Lastly, President Nelson
counsels us to follow the prophets. Prophets see the dangers ahead. They also
foresee the privileges and promises that await those who listen and obey. Our
church may be changing, in statements and policies, but we have been promised
that the prophet will never lead us astray. President Harold B. Lee declared:
“You may not like what comes from the authority of the Church. It may
contradict your political views. It may contradict your social views. It may
interfere with some of your social life. But if you listen to these things, as
if from the mouth of the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, the promise is
that ‘the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God
will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to
shake for your good, and his name’s glory’ (D&C 21:6).” You may not always
understand, but when you know a prophet is a prophet and approach the Lord
asking for understanding, you will receive witness about whatever the prophet
has proclaimed.
We are a chosen generation (1
Peter 2:9), truly not just the Millennials, but all those living in the
latter-days. We must have the desire to know who we truly are, accomplish the
impossible, access the powers of heaven, and follow the prophets with exactness
to truly prepare the world for the millennial reign of Jesus Christ.
I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. I know that this gospel is true and brings so much happiness to my life. I know that God is our Heavenly Father who loves us so dearly and cannot wait for us to come home to the mansion He has prepared for us. I know that families are eternal and I will miss mine so much, but I know I am going to help other families be together forever through the glorious gospel. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet who restored the church. I know the Book of Mormon is a true book and is a daily source of strength. I know that we have living prophets on the earth here today who lead and guide us. The Holy Ghost has testified to me of these things and I am so grateful for the love God has for me. If I did not know these things, I could not take off on this adventure, but because I do know I will serve with all my heart to prepare the way for the living Christ. In the name of His son, Jesus Christ, Amen.
