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Sister Delia Rochon, former member of the
Relief Society General Board, spoke with Brigham Young
University-Idaho students about developing and strengthening a
personal testimony during her devotional address on Tuesday,
October 4, 2005.
She began by explaining her personal conversion story. As an
11-year-old girl in Uruguay, the missionaries approached her
family and asked if they could share a message with them. “There
was something in their message that immediately touched my
heart. It was the account of the first vision...I had an
impression in my heart that what they were saying was true. They
invited us to pray and also gave us the Book of Mormon,” she
said.
After reading chapter ten in Moroni and heeding Moroni’s
challenge, Sister Rochon prayed to know if the gospel was true
and the spirit witnessed to her that it was. “I knew the gospel
was true, before I knew the gospel,” she said.
She then told students how important it is to re-read the first
vision and be familiar with the story. “My invitation for you
today is to know for a certainty that the church is true and
Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. Be familiar with the account
of the first vision,” she said.
She further explained the importance of service in the church.
As a new member in a small branch with 20 members, Sister Rochon
said that everyone was given a calling. Upon being called as
primary president and having no background in primary, she felt
inadequate for the position. During her interview with the
branch president, he handed her a manual and said, “If you have
any questions, pray.” Sister Rochen testified, “Praying was the
best advice I ever received.”
She invited students to, “always be engaged in doing something
in the work of the Lord. There is so much to do. We must accept
with willing hearts what we’ve been asked. Let’s look for
opportunities where we can serve. When we are invited to serve,
let’s do it with open hearts. All of us have a contribution that
is unique. Serve, because that is the way we grow.”
Another basic principle that strengthens testimony is studying
the scriptures daily. Sister Rochon reminded students of the
challenge by President Hinckley to read the Book of Mormon by
the end of the year and encouraged them to heed the counsel of
the prophet.
She reviewed Elder Perry’s remarks in the recent General
Conference when he discussed why the Book of Mormon is important
for us today. “Elder Perry said the writers were writing for
this generation. It was written for us. Follow, give heed to the
invitation by President Hinckley; make an effort to finish the
Book of Mormon by December,” Sister Rochon said.
As a final invitation, Sister Rochen challenged students to
check for the light of Christ in their eyes. “If it’s time to
rekindle your spiritual light, think often of the great moments
you have had, maybe in your youth, when you were baptized, on
your mission, or when you read the Book of Mormon and felt so
much power that you didn’t want to stop,” she said.
“If we do what the Lord has asked of us, if we trust in him, he
will be us. He will not forsake us. He will be with us even in
circumstances that we may feel we don’t deserve His help. He
loves us, he knows us and he’ll help us no matter where we are,”
she concluded.
Next week will be the inauguration of President Kim D. Clark,
fifteenth president of BYU-Idaho. Admission to the Hart
Auditorium is by ticket only with additional seating in the
Hinckley Chapel, Taylor Chapel and Kirkham Auditorium. The
inauguration will be broadcast on KBYI-FM 100.5 at 2 p.m. and
rebroadcast Tuesday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m.
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