I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak today and leave with you my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. During this week leading up to Easter, my children and grandchildren have been posting "Because He Lives" messages on Instagram. A granddaughter posted this quote from Sister Carole Stephens' talk in the Women's Conference Saturday night.
He is the way, the only way we can overcome mortal challenges, be healed, and return back to our heavenly home.[1]
Alma assures us in his parting words to his son Helaman:
Whosever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.[2]
This is such a wonderful promise.
We are born with the Light of Christ within us; and because of His atoning sacrifice, we can also receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. This light and this gift are from God. They give us access to the path that builds our trust in God and returns us to Him.
As part of our mortal challenges, we face opposition. Satan invites and entices us to love him and the world more than God. Will we accept Satan's invitation and love the world, or will we love God and accept the Savior's invitation to come unto Him in order to qualify for exaltation and eternal life with our Father in Heaven?
When I was your age and attending BYU, I learned that accepting the Savior's invitation to come unto Him becomes easier as we develop the ability to follow a very simple pattern of living. This is what I learned: Be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there!
Following this pattern has helped me to become more honest, dependable, and trustworthy because I kept my commitments to other people to "be there." And being prepared to be there also has added value to my life.
Let me give you some examples from my college years at BYU, which is when I made a commitment to follow this pattern in my life. During my first two years at BYU, I worked for Custodial Services every day from 4 a.m. until 7 a.m. My first class was English at 7 a.m. It seemed logical to schedule my classes early because I would already be on campus. However, as you can guess, it wasn't always worth that convenience. The temptation many days after work was to find an empty recliner or cot in one of the women's restrooms on campus and skip that first class. If I did, and fell asleep, I could easily miss the whole morning of classes. (In those days we didn't have cell phone alarms.) I had to resist that temptation and walk sleepily to class repeating to myself, "Be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there."
Following the pattern was great because it got me to class! But on those days when I had prepared by getting plenty of sleep the night before, I was much happier to leave work and go to class, and my participation in class was much more meaningful!
Here is another example. Following the advice to be there helped me develop a pattern of always attending my Church meetings. I had followed that pattern at home with my family, but on my own sometimes I was tempted to sleep in on Sundays. Again I resisted the temptation, and with the words "be where you are supposed to be" coaxing me out of bed, I attended Sunday School every Sunday morning and returned to the Church each Sunday evening for sacrament meeting.
Setting that pattern of always attending my Sunday meetings had an important impact on me while raising my children. On many, many Sunday mornings when President Clark was out of the house fulfilling his callings, it was up to me to get the family to Church on time. It wasn't easy, but we were there every week—all eight of us—including two somewhat reluctant teenage sons! It took a lot of preparation to set everyone's expectations, get us all ready and fed, and get out the door in time for me to lead the opening hymn and fulfill my calling.
Another commitment to follow the pattern during those college years was to actively be involved in home evening group meetings and activities. I can tell you that habit had a direct positive impact on my life and the lives of my children—literally. It was in my home evening group that I found their dad—my true love. Where would our children be today if I had skipped out on home evening? Because I was following the pattern at that time in my life, I was also prepared to be sealed with him in the House of the Lord.
I would like to pass this same advice on to you. Be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there, and be prepared to be there.
Be there for all of your ward meetings and activities, ready to contribute. When you are in school and supposed to be in class, be there with assignments done. When you are supposed to be at home evening, be there and be ready to love and serve your brothers and sisters and maybe even to fall in love with one of them. Be there for your work commitments, and be prepared to serve well. Be there for the people you live with, ready to love and to serve them. When it is time for you to be on your knees speaking with the Lord, be there. Go through your day saying to yourself, "Where am I supposed to be? What do I need to do to be prepared?" And then be there, prepared.
I pray you will establish this pattern in your life now. Make it your motto: Be where I am supposed to be when I am supposed to be there, and be prepared. If you follow this pattern in your life, it will help you lay the foundation for accepting the Savior's invitation to come unto Him and qualify for exaltation and eternal life with our Father in Heaven.
You will be like the five wise virgins. They were at the marriage feast when they were supposed to be there, and they were prepared.You will make and keep sacred covenants with the Lord; you will build a home full of faith and spiritual power; you will create an eternal family; you will magnify whatever callings you receive; you will run the Lord's errands wherever He sends you; you will always be where the Lord wants you to be when He wants you to be there, and you will be prepared. And in that glorious day when He comes again, you will be there, ready to receive Him—the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer.
I know He lives. I love Him. I testify to you today that because He lives he will sustain you in these efforts. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Carole M. Stephens, "The Family Is of God," Ensign, May 2015
[2] Alma 36:3