Mt Olympus ward Oct 04 Waiting for a calling

One of my favorite conference talks was given by Richard G. Scott in October 1995. I came across it during by time at BYU and I keep a copy of it in a file marked “favorite talks.” Many of my comments today come from that talk. We will be moving in little over a week, and seeing as this is my farewell talk for the ward, I thought I would share one of the marvelous experiences I had while I was here.

Taylor and I first moved into this ward in February 2003. We came to church and discovered the ward members to be friendly and accepting. When we first arrived, I was looking forward to receiving a calling and to start serving in the ward. I didn’t receive a calling right a first, but I was pregnant with Brayden and figured it was probably a blessing. After the baby was born, I again began to look forward to getting a calling. I even asked Heavenly Father to help the process along.

Richard G. Scott states: It is so hard when sincere prayer about something we desire very much is not answered the way we want. It is especially difficult when the Lord answers no to that which is worthy and would give us great joy and happiness.

Well, the calling didn’t come and I was a little down about not feeling that I was contributing to the ward. It wasn’t something I will look back at as a major trial, but it was a small trial. I take comfort in the fact that Elder Scott said in his conference talk that when . . .

Trials are not consequences of your disobedience, they are evidence that the Lord feels you are prepared to grow more (see Prov. 3:11-12). He therefore gives you experiences that stimulate growth, understanding, and compassion, which polish you for your everlasting benefit. To get you from where you are to where He wants you to be requires a lot of stretching, and that generally entails discomfort and pain.

I wasn’t feeling pain from not having a calling, but it was a little stretch and I felt the discomfort. I can recall one particular Relief Society Lesson. The teacher stood up and told us that the topic was on the importance of magnifying our callings. During the course of the lesson, one sister raised her hand and made a comment that went something like this. “We all have callings. Some of us are called to be a relief society president, or a primary teacher, or a visiting teacher, or a variety of other things. However, we have all been called to be members of a family.” That particular comment lodged firmly in my mind. I even can remember who said it and where they were sitting in the relief society room. I decided that I would take it seriously and I began to focus my “calling efforts” on my family. I still wanted a calling mostly so I would have some connection to the ward, but I felt like I was doing what I should be.

Elder Scott points out that our Father in heaven’s invitation, “Ask, and ye shall receive” (3 Ne. 27:29) does not assure that you will get what you want. It does guarantee that, if worthy, you will get what you need, as judged by a Father that loves you perfectly, who wants your eternal happiness even more than do you.

I still went some time without a calling, but then I was called to be a visiting teacher and the second counselor in the primary all in about the same week. I have loved working in the primary. I think my calling is probably the best one in the ward. When I was called, one of the first things I learned was that my responsibility would be to teach sharing time the first Sunday of each month. I was given an outline of the theme for the year and I went home to look it over. As I studied the theme, I realized that this was particularly for me. The theme for primary is My Family Can Be Forever. I’ve always been taught that since I was young. However looking back, I realized, Heavenly Father had given to me, as a gift, a time when my only calling was to be a mother. I looked at that time as a trial, as a time when I didn’t have outlet to make close friends or to feel I was serving. However in reality, this time was given to me to make my testimony of the family rock solid. When I teach in primary and I tell the children about how the family is part of the eternal plan, I know it’s true.

Richard Scott says: The Lord’s plan is to exalt you to live with Him and be greatly blessed. The rate at which you qualify is generally set by your capacity to mature, to grow, to love, and to give of yourself. He is preparing you to be a god. You cannot understand fully what that means, yet, He knows. As you trust Him, seek and follow His will, you will receive blessings that your finite mind cannot understand here on earth. Your Father in Heaven and His Holy Son know better than you what brings happiness.

My early time in this ward was a prime example of the Lord knowing better than me what would bring me happiness and what would help me grow. For that short period in my life, it was the absence of a calling that I needed. Not only was I able to solidify my testimony of the family, I was able to sit back and observe this ward.

Elder Scott explains: [Heavenly Father] will place in your path packets of spiritual sunlight to brighten your way. They often come after the trial has been the greatest, as evidence of the compassion and love of an all-knowing Father. They point the way to greater happiness, more understanding, and strengthen your determination to accept and be obedient to His will.

As I was writing this talk, I realized the packets of light that have been given to me in this ward. In this ward, I have felt the unity of a ward fast. I have been enlightened by the testimonies of those with faith far greater than mine. I have watched widows unite and support each other. I’ve been given the opportunity to pray for members of this ward by name that I have never met. I’ve been able to serve by assisting the relief society with meals for families or funerals. I’ve observed couples that have been married for years treat each other with love and respect that can be lost over time, but has not been lost. I’ve seen the strong children of this ward and many times thought, “I hope my son grows up to be like that.” These experiences have been my packets of spiritual sunlight that have brightened my way. Without knowing it, many of you have pointed my way to greater happiness. I would like to share my testimony that God lives. He is mindful of each of us. He knows better than we what our experience in life should be. Jesus Christ lives. The atonement is real. And through the atonement He is the one who knows what our trials are. Families can be together forever, through Heavenly Father’s plan. And I always want to be with my family. I’m grateful for the organization of the church. I am grateful for wards and I am grateful for my time in this ward. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.