Stake Conference with Elder Dallin H. Oaks

What an amazing Sunday!

A few weeks ago, we were told that we had been invited to a special Stake Conference with a visiting General Authority. This came as a surprise given that we had just held our Stake Conference the month prior, and General Authorities rarely attend Stake Conferences due to the rapid growth of the Church (usually we have broadcasts from Salt Lake City). It was quite the amazing experience to walk into the chapel today at our stake center and see Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles sitting on the stand. He has a distinct presence about him, but even more impressive was the spirit of the Lord we felt; it was yet another testament to me that he is indeed an Apostle of the Savior Jesus Christ. We heard from our Stake President, the Stake Young Women's President, Elder Reynolds of the Seventy (also the father of our friend Trent), and Sister Hales before Elder Oaks addressed it. Each of the talks given seemed to have a personal message for me, amazing how the Spirit works that way.

From our Stake President we learned about the history of the Apostleship from the time of Jesus Christ to the Restoration in these latter days; I felt a confirmation within my heart of the testimony I have that this is the restored Church of Jesus Christ. The Stake Young Women's President challenged us, as have other leaders, to use the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet now to teach our children, not waiting until they are teenagers. She reminded us (and me) that it contains the standards, commandments and promises of the Lord. She also challenged every Relief Society sister to earn the new Young Women's medallion by completing the new Personal Progress program, introduced in 2010. I remember when the new program was introduced because I had been called to serve in Young Women's. Although I began to go through the goals then, after Olivia was born, I stopped. I felt very strongly today that I need to finish what I started. The Personal Progress program is designed to strengthen our testimonies of the Savior and His restored Gospel. And isn't that the goal of this life?

I loved Elder Reynold's talk - what impressed me most was the love and respect he had for the women and mothers in the Church. He shared that within the family, it is the responsibility of fathers to not only be worthy of holding the Priesthood, but also to use it to create an environment in which mothers can raise and teach their children by the Spirit. What a divine design - fathers and mothers are equals, partners in parenting and their divine responsibilities compliment one another. I love what we learn from The Family: A Proclamation to the World - "Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities. By divine design, fathers are to preside over their families in love and righteousness and are responsible to provide the necessities of life and protection for their families. Mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children. In these sacred responsibilities, fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners." I love being a mother. We are blessed that Aaron has a job that enables me to be a full-time stay-at-home mom. It is work (even harder than teaching 4th grade!), but the most rewarding work. He also reminded us that as a family we should be friends! We become friends as we share common goals and experiences; he related it to the work place and ultimately to the relationship the Apostles had with the Savior.

Sister Oaks shared many messages, but the one that resonated most with me was this: this life isn't easy, there will always come trials and tribulations. She went on to quote Elder Jeffrey R. Holland who stated, "Why would it be easy for us when it was never easy for Him? Salvation is not a cheap experience." This is our life to prove ourselves, not only to our Father in Heaven but to ourselves.

Elder Oaks then spoke. Talk about power. Because of his background in law, he is direct and convincing in his addresses; today, however, I was able to see more than just his stoic presence. He taught not only with power, but also humor! He shared an experience: during a conference he had quoted President Harold B. Lee who said, "The Church is not a retirement home for the righteous but a hospital for sinners"; following the meeting a woman who was investigating the church thanked him for answering her question why our congregations are called "wards". We all burst out laughing - Elder Oaks admitted he had never thought of it that way! He ended his story by saying, "Welcome to the hospital, we hope you like your ward!" :) He talked about how the importance of families and the freedom of religion are being marginalized, and how he saw the law shifting throughout his career, and more so during his service as an Apostle. He asked that we pray to know what we can do to protect the freedom of religion and to have the courage to do it! One of the most inspiring and comforting messages he shared (his talk covered many messages) was that "attaining Celestial Glory is not only possible but probable" if we keep the commandments, our covenants, and do our very best; the Atonement of Christ and His mercy will make up the difference. There are days where I feel a little overwhelmed by my imperfections and sins, but Heavenly Father knew we'd make mistakes, which is why we have the gift of the Atonement and repentance. There is such hope in that message! He ended his comments by teaching us, "In the scriptures we learn that to some it is given to know, and to others it is given to believe on their words." And with regards to a testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ he continued, "If you don't know, believe on my words for I am a witness of Jesus Christ." What a powerful witness, and a powerful conclusion to our Conference.

We were privileged after the Conference to meet and shake hands with Elder Oaks. Olivia kept blowing him kisses while we waited for our turn, even trying to tap his shoulder as if to get his attention! He greeted us with that wonderful deep voice, kind eyes, and a strong handshake. He even said hello to our sweet Olivia, commenting on how beautiful she is. We shared with him that we had been missionaries in Chicago, and after he related his own experiences in Chicago, we thanked him for his time and parted ways. How amazing! To shake hands with one of Christ's Apostles on the earth today. We felt truly blessed for the opportunity. I should mention - the reason for this special conference was that Elder Oaks had given a Priesthood Leadership Training in Long Beach and asked which neighboring Stake had gone the longest without a visit from an Apostle - the Santa Monica Stake! He has grandsons and granddaughters in our Stake, and his wife has many friends - one of her closest friends is my Relief Society President!

Perhaps this blog would be more suited for a journal entry, but I feel too blessed to simply keep these messages to myself! I am grateful that our Heavenly Father is aware of each of us, and that He extends so many tender mercies through His servants. I know that He is our Father, that He loves us. I know that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins. I know that Christ lives. I know that if we live according to the commandments and covenants of God, we can inherit Celestial glory. I am grateful for the blessing and opportunity to have heard from and met Elder Dallin H. Oaks today; it was definitely the spiritual lift (and wake up call) I needed.