Good Morning, Good Afternoon, Good Evening,
this post should take three to five minutes to read from start to finish.
Have you ever felt satisfied after overcoming the past challenges in life?
This post focuses on a October 1987 General Conference talk, and it is called "Overcoming Challenges along Life’s Way" by Joy F. Evans. This post is part one. I would like to share with you some highlights while I was reading the talk recently, and I hope you would learn something new as you read this post.
Sister Evans mentioned the following; "Do you ever wonder, as I do, what gave the pioneer women the courage to sing, “All is well!” in the face of their many challenges? Do you wonder how, as we face today’s problems and concerns, we can continue to sing, “All is well”?
We need our personal answers to these questions as we, the sisters of the Church, respond to the charge given us to seek out and relieve the distressed, minister to the poor and needy, feed the hungry, teach and train wives and mothers, welcome and include every sister, lead the young women, and nurture the children - all these to further the work of perfecting the Saints.
... Sisters, we, too, can know that if we sometimes forget the instructions, when we are wondering what to do, indeed our Father will come. ... Our God will never us forsake. We may not, probably will not, receive a personal visit from the Lord, but the answers do come from prayer, the scriptures, the words of the prophet, the still, small voice of inspiration.
I should like to reassure you that we truly can find courage to face our challenges and also give service to those whose needs are even greater than our own. ... Sometime to each of us will come questions of life and death, purpose and our own inevitable parting. All of us have had losses or will have. Perhaps it is for this that we are taught “to mourn with those that mourn” (Mosiah 18:9) and to “weep for the loss of them that die” (D&C 42:45).
There are those in this group who have never married, although most of them would like to do so. There are widowed sisters who live alone and those whose marriages have been shattered by divorce. Many have difficult decisions to make regarding their choices in life.
Should they pursue a career? Can they be successful in what is traditionally a man’s business world? Should they try to be? How do they balance their expectations with the reality of their lives? ... How can they best fulfill the role given by the Lord to women?
... Sisters, we, too, can know that if we sometimes forget the instructions, when we are wondering what to do, indeed our Father will come. ... Our God will never us forsake. We may not, probably will not, receive a personal visit from the Lord, but the answers do come from prayer, the scriptures, the words of the prophet, the still, small voice of inspiration.
I should like to reassure you that we truly can find courage to face our challenges and also give service to those whose needs are even greater than our own. ... Sometime to each of us will come questions of life and death, purpose and our own inevitable parting. All of us have had losses or will have. Perhaps it is for this that we are taught “to mourn with those that mourn” (Mosiah 18:9) and to “weep for the loss of them that die” (D&C 42:45).
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| "Don't limit your challenges; challenge your limits. Each day we must strive for constant and never ending improvement." - Tony Robbins. |
... We do miss those who die. No matter how many friends or family members one has, the loss of one beloved person is difficult.
One great difference for us is our added knowledge that death is not permanent, that families can be forever.
The understanding we have of the reality of the Resurrection makes the waiting endurable and purposeful. Indeed, “sweet is the peace the gospel brings” (Hymns, no. 14).
... Single women in the Church continue to be included daily in the prayers of Church leaders. Many single sisters are living rich, full lives. They have made happy homes for themselves, their families, and friends. ... They attend the temple and do genealogy work. They give compassionate service. They make the world better for their being in it.
There are those in this group who have never married, although most of them would like to do so. There are widowed sisters who live alone and those whose marriages have been shattered by divorce. Many have difficult decisions to make regarding their choices in life.
Should they pursue a career? Can they be successful in what is traditionally a man’s business world? Should they try to be? How do they balance their expectations with the reality of their lives? ... How can they best fulfill the role given by the Lord to women?
Some of these sisters are single parents. Their challenges are many as they try to be both father and mother on what is most often a diminished income. ... Even when their children are grown, single mothers are still mothers and share in the trials as well as the joys of their children. ... For all of them, there are no simple answers except, as for all sisters, to do the best they can every day to look up; to learn; to evaluate resources within themselves, their families, their communities; to pray with faith; to search the scriptures; to find ways to be of service; to keep their own lives clean and pure, their relationships true; to forgive those who have caused the hurt.
Even as this is so, however, may every sister feel the warmth of friendship from her sisters in the Church and priesthood support from home teachers and bishops who care. May she be included, welcomed, given
opportunities to serve."
opportunities to serve."
Stay Tuned until next time.
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