Notes from Journey to the Promised Land

Notes from “Journey to the Promised Land”, Single Adult Regional Conference sponsored by the Newport News Stake

Sept, 17, 2005

The Adversary and the Single Saint

Presenter: A fun and delightful speaker, Sister Amelia Hughes
Note: the original speaker, a mental health specialist, was asked to go to assist members affected by Hurricane Katrina. So at the last minute (one week ago) the new speaker was asked to speak. She shared she had recently moved from California, thus many of her materials for handouts, etc were in storage. She is divorced w/a daughter who is in college.

Disclaimer: I didn’t catch everything but have done my best to share my notes on Sis Hughes’ presentation w/those who have expressed interest. Most of what I wrote is word for word, I just didn’t use all the quote marks, etc. I am sure I missed a few points, especially w/some of the class comments. Anyway, this is to the best of my ability.

• Adversity is NOT UNIQUE to singles. Adversity is a choice we make in how to deal with adversity. We still raised our hands with joy to come here in these times. So when we have adversity, we have TWO Possible choices:


• We can say “Father, Help Me”, as we pray with open arms, OR,


• We can say, “NOT FAIR. I’m GOOD!”

Our choices either lead us to or away from the Savior. Therefore, we need to pray, keep the commandments, etc. She talked about Alma and his people and the pride cycle of joy and bondage.

1. ADVERSITY WILL NOT GO AWAY, but we can be strengthened through adversity. Therefore, subsequent trials will be easier secondary to you will have increased strength to endure due to having a better and stronger relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This DOESN’T MEAN that future trials will be any easier. You are not alone in your adversity. We have to constantly be saying, “help me endure the next half-hour, then the next hour, then the next day”, etc. Remember that when you are in your deepest Gethsemane, He knows what ALL trials are like. He knows what you need. Don’t do the “Supermom syndrome” of feeling you don’t need anything. You are no less if you need to ask for help. He will ease your burdens and you won’t feel them. He says, “I visit you in afflictions.”

1. SO HOW ENDURE ADVERSITY?

(Some but not all answers via class participation, listed in order of being said)

• Change our perspective. Ask what do Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want me to learn?


• Prayer


• Scripture study


• Decrease debt/Prepare for emergencies


• Chocolate!


• Get blessings/priesthood counsel


• Remember there is a light at the end of the tunnel (my comment!)


• Use support groups, ie home/visiting teaching


• Family/friends


• Use hymns for strength (my comment! My big mouth again.)


• Fasting/Tithing/Other offerings


• Temple Attendance


• Attending meetings, especially sacrament meeting where we renew our covenants


• Service


• Humor

The speaker also said in adversity we might feel, “I shouted for joy, but I didn’t know that it was going to be like this.” She said to remember that it was also hard for the Savior and to remember that angels came to strengthen him at Gethsemane. She urged people to remember, “you are not alone.”

She also relayed how during a difficult financial time, she did not get one of those tithing stories of paying tithing and then getting the exact funds the next day. Rather, in paying tithing, she has been spiritually strengthened and blessed. She shared a time when her daughter needed new shoes. Her child said, mom are we poor? Her daughter, just under 8 at the time, reminded her mom of all the gospel principles and knowledge that they have. For example, her daughter said, “We are not poor. We have prophets, etc. “ In so doing, her mom was reminded that they really were rich in having these special gospel blessings. They just didn’t have money for shoes. She stated how she feels her spiritual wealth by paying tithing comes from increased understanding of the scriptures, etc.

1. GET A PIECE OF HEAVEN

Examples include holding a newborn baby, visiting teaching service, temple service, scriptures, taking the sacrament, remembering covenants

• MEN ARE THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE JOY


• Living the Commandments


• Getting Priesthood blessings to endure, our Savior provided the way


• She said she is “not saying that adversity is joyous” but that “we are to have joy in life”. “We are spiritual beings living a mortal life”


• Remember D & C 121:7-8 and that man are that they might have JOY.

1. GOSPEL FOR ALL

All people, single or married, all experience adversity. She stated that Heavenly Father doesn’t distinguish between single/married people and neither should we. With great emotion, tender tears, this sister then said, “Heavenly Father promised me I will be sealed.” She said how she longes to be sealed to her daughter and to be with her forever, this was a tender and sacred testimony time where she could barely speak. She said she strives to do her part and she doesn’t worry about it, as she will “hold Him to it [the promise].” (This was said in a sweet and humble manner). She then referred to the scripture, “Be still and know that I am God.”

1. SO WHAT ARE SOME THINGS TO BE JOYFUL ABOUT

• A living Prophet on the Earth


• Apostles


• Joseph Smith


• Temples


• Priesthood/Patriarchal Blessings


• Sacrament


• Keeping the Commandments


• The Gift of having a chapel in which to meet. She shared a story of how she lived in some remote place where they once had to have church services in a veterinarian’s office, as they didn’t have any other place to meet. I think this was in Canada.


• Related to #8, be grateful for our fellow Saints and that fellowship. She shared how her daughter was the only Primary child and so one week they had Relief Society, one week Primary. So be grateful for the various Church programs that help us.


• Be grateful to be alive and for prayer

She also shared how before she was converted to the LDS Church, she was preparing to be a nun. She shared how she is glad things worked out so she could learn about this gospel. She joked how she still gets to be called sister!

Finally, she shared that poem, “I Asked God for all things”, one of the lines is “I was given life that I might enjoy all things”.



Finding Joy in Life
By Brother Douglas Mellars

Here are my notes on this talk. I did miss some things at the end.

I. He started by saying that our expectations will impact what we gain from his words. He said he personally won’t help us learn anything, but rather, The Master Teacher will help to warm our heart and help us to remember things.

He started by referring to the question of “Is the glass empty or half-full?” He said that we should consider the third possibility when there is a glass. Basically, tell yourself, “I have a glass”. Be grateful for this. The first two choices are based on our perspective.

II. Focus on the opportunities Heavenly Father gives us to get joy.

1. 1 Nephi 16/18- Nephi was bound and he prayed for strength to break the bonds. In first Nephi 18, he was on the boat voyage. He endured “soreness exceedingly sore.” At this time, Nephi wanted the Lord to break those bonds. But He didn’t, at first, the answer was “No.” When we get a No answer, we need to think, “What does Heavenly Father want me to learn from this?” He then said, “so I propose Nephi’s testimony grew in face of adversity though he received a “No” answer.”

The larger lesson, he said, was “Growth/education”, this is the perspective of the glass.

1. 1 Nephi 3/16 - In 1 Nephi 3, Nephi goes back to Jerusalem to get the plates. Bro. Mellars says how the travel time must have been difficult and prolonged as they didn’t have cars, etc back then. Then, after doing this and getting the plates, he had to GO BACK for wives. Bro Mellars said maybe someone questions why he had to go back a second time, as this wasn’t convenient.

Bro. Mellars states the reason was for Nephi to demonstrate growth and to provide an opportunity for obedience. “Regardless of convenience, we are given a cup. Will you fill it?”

He then talks about Temporal Education (High school is basic, college is more specific and focused, Master’s degree education is where you ask mre “why” questions and combine lots of perspectives. Then in a PhD level, you find new things, research).

He then applies these levels to Gospel Education. High school gospel ed is basic, college level is where we develop talents, serve in callings, master’s is where we find the spirit/prayer. Finally, the PhD level is where we consecrate and turn everything over to the Lord, and let Him teach us what we need to know.

Note: I got a bit mixed up and didn’t catch everything in the above portion.

1. Alma 14/Mosiah 18- This is about Abinidi/Noah. Heavenly Father told Abinidi that he would die for his testimony.

“Manner of Suffereing” = we are being developed and groomed. All Heavenly Father does, He does for the individual via individual learning experiences.

1. Alma 24/Alma 43 He talked about the Anti- Nephi-Lehis and their commitment to their covenant. He went on to say that “turning the other cheek can be very hard.” There was also comment about defending the faith and sharing testimony. Our education in different ways varies. (I didn’t get everything in this area).

He again referred to the idea of the cup, he said how Nephi’s boat must have been small and cramped. He proposed were they in a boat that was a “half-empty boat” due to being cramped or were they just grateful to have a boat? He said that “the method of travel for every person is different, however, he is trying to get us to the same place.”

He then said, the “ Method of Escape (?) is different” ( I can’t read my writing there). Why can’t Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ make it easy? Again, the answer is for growth and education. Sometimes, we do things ourselves. Other times, he intervenes in our behalf. His goal is to “save individuals”. Everything is designed for our individual salvation.

He then shared a personal story from his work life. He is an army person and said how in his 25 years of marriage, they have moved every 3 years. He has adapted his “half-empty” perspective to his work and frequent moves. He shared that often people will say isn’t that hard,etc to pack up and move, leave everyone,etc. He said he looks at it as a opportunity to get to know new people and get to know new things, basically to start fresh as needed. He said after each move, he writes in his journal how he learned /grew in that location.

He then told a story about moving to Virginia. Originally, he had bee asked to go to Langley Air Force Base, and found a home 5 minutes away from that location. He was excited about that move. Then, before moving, he was reassigned to “Norfolk, VA”. So now he would have to deal w/more traffic. He was told this area had the 7th worst traffic in the nation. He now ended up, on good days, having a half hour commute. However, he dubs this commute, his “half-cup commute”, for he uses his travel time, in both directions, to listen to the scriptures on CD.

He had another cup, that of General Conference and the recent stake conference for the people of this area. He asked, “Did you get your cup filled at stake conference?” He said the speaker could say one thing but w/the spirit you can hear something else, ie to get the personal perspective intended for you.

He also referred to Sunday school as being what he calls, “Spiritual School”. This is another opportunity to have a prepared heart so that the Master Teacher can teach you.

Take the cup of opportunity and be willing to fill it. He then said something about our goal is to learn, we are weak. “Heavenly Father will design activities so that we can learn.”

He then encouraged people to ask, “How have you learned through experiences that Heavenly Father has given me?”

He then sang the first verse of a beautiful song from a CD titled, “Women of Destiny”. The song is called, “Sometimes He Lets it Rain”. He then played the rest of the song and encouraged people to think of their individual trials/learning experiences. This song has beautiful lyrics about enduring trials and how “sometimes it rains” and how “he let the fierce winds blow” and “sometimes He lets it rain”.

Choose to have the cup and put your cup in the rain and let it get filled by the teachings of Heavenly Father and the scriptures. Grow and Develop. Heavenly Father has an Eternal Growth and Education plan for each of us.

D & C 124:45-48 – if we listen and are obedient, we cannot be moved. If we are polluted and don’t listen, we won’t be blessed. “Heavenly Father knows what is a ‘lame excuse’”.

He talked about a ward and stake family being blessed or cursed together. (to illustrate this he shared how his stake members were recently challenged to travel together to the DC temple, all on the same day. He shared that he feels the entire stake will be blessed for this, not just those who were able to attend). We can learn from “storm” experiences. I thought this part was funny: he said the “Plan of Salvation is not an army but individually- tailored plan. (He said we are not all marching along and doing the same thing.) You have an individual counselor! When was the last time you sat with the Master teacher and if so, what is your grade?”

1. Ether 21/1 Nephi 17


2. Mosiah 22/24

1. Alma 19:6 about Ammon and King Lamoni

That is it, I got a little mixed up at the end and missed some things.