How Will You Turn On Your Light?

How Will You Turn On Your Light?

Read Sister Eubanks talk here.

This is a powerful question. One that causes people to dig deep. I know that in spite of all the spiritual rituals a person can do. It doesn't always feel like the light is on. Sometimes it feels like there is a shadow looming around the corner, and you just can't shake it off. And all at the same time because you are doing these spiritual rituals you are receiving a LOT of personal light.

How can that be? I ask myself how is that even possible? I am doing the things I am being asked. I know at these times, in the back of my mind, I honestly know exactly what I need to do . . . but I resist the change. It's when I STOP resisting the change and accept it into my life . . . CHANGE HAPPENS, and THE LIGHT GOES ON.

In her talk, Turn On Your Light, Sharon Eubank Quotes a prophetic statement made by President Spencer W. Kimball which is not new to me:

"Finally, my dear sisters, may I suggest to you something that has not been said before or at least in quite this way. Much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world … will be drawn to the Church in large numbers. This will happen to the degree that the women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different—in happy ways—from the women of the world.

“Among the real heroines in the world who will come into the Church are women who are more concerned with being righteous than with being selfish. These real heroines have true humility, which places a higher value on integrity than on visibility. …

“… It will be … female exemplars of the Church [who] will be a significant force in both the numerical and the spiritual growth of the Church in the last days.”Link

I am always amazed at how statements like these NEVER DIE, THEY ALWAYS APPLY.
It was given 38 years ago at the second General Women's Conference. Here is her summary of that quote:

• It will be the good relationships of women that will trigger much of the major growth coming to the Church in the years ahead.
• The friendships that Relief Society women, young women, and Primary girls build with sincere, faithful, godly women and girls of other faiths and beliefs will be a significant force in how the Church grows in the last days.
• President Kimball called these women from other backgrounds “heroines” who will be more concerned with being righteous than selfish, who will show us that integrity is more valuable than visibility.

These prophetic statements regarding us are sweet above all that is sweet. To me they honor my very purpose in becoming and remaining a a righteous daughter of my Heavenly Father. I would be honored to help Him bring others to the Savior. What a beautiful privilege. And may I add to that, we not only bring others, we keep others by the side of Christ, as we "fellowship one with another."

"Well, how do we play our part? What should we do?"

The first is to be righteous. "Being righteous doesn’t mean being perfect or never making mistakes. It means developing an inner connection with God, repenting of our sins and mistakes, and freely helping others."

Serving others is indicated by Sister Eubank of something that connects us with God and sometimes it is easy to breeze past the repenting part that also connects us to God. I recently caught up with a friend and asked her for forgiveness for something that happened over 20 years ago. It could of been considered a small and insignificant thing that didn't need to be said out loud to someone other than Heavenly Father, but I was carrying it as a burden and couldn't be released from it. I knew I wanted to let it go by openly confessing the wrong. 
(The sad thing is that I kept putting it off because of that awful "fear monster." which in addition to the wrong, causes anxiety.)

"Jesus Christ [is] stronger than [our] terrible circumstances!"

When we repent we become more righteous and we find ourselves with "a wide-open heart for others who have made mistakes and want to change."

The second is to be articulate. "Being articulate means to clearly express how you feel about something and why." 

"Each of us needs to be better at articulating the reasons for our faith. 

• How do you feel about Jesus Christ? 
• Why do you stay in the Church? 
• Why do you believe the Book of Mormon is scripture? 
• Where do you get your peace? 
• Why does it matter that the prophet has something to say in 2017?
• How do you know he is a real prophet?

Use your voice and your power to articulate what you know and feel—on social media, in quiet conversations with your friends, when you’re chatting with your grandchildren. Tell them why you believe, what it feels like, if you ever doubted, how you got through it, and what Jesus Christ means to you."

The third is to be different.  "When we keep our covenants, it may make us different from others in our culture and society, but it gives us access to inspiration so we can think of different solutions, different approaches, different applications. We aren’t always going to fit in with the world, but being different in positive ways can be a lifeline to others who are struggling."

"Innovation and creation are spiritual gifts."

Under this heading, Sister Eubank shares a story about being different in a crisis: read a story

One time I heard a women talk in a negative manner of her children, using a trite saying of the day. Trite sayings regarding our children, are often of a negative nature. I vowed that I was never going to use that statement. I was very aware how fun it is to have fun lingo that we all share and get. But that wasn't one I wanted to pick up. . . then a few years later I did. I was sad that I couldn't seem to keep that out of my mind. We have a strong innate pull to follow the example of others. We can easily mirror thoughts and behaviors of others. I was pulled in, but . . . I wanted to be different. 

Now that I have studied the mind, I get it. I held out, but when my life got hard and other negative behaviors and emotions were present, it was harder to be different, harder not to mirror the negative thoughts and behaviors of others. 

Like the story Sister Eubank tells under this heading I was caught in a negative riptide.I am now grateful for what I have learned, and grateful that I know how I can manage my mind and my thoughts. I am becoming a strong swimmer.

The fourth is to be distinct. "Distinct means to be recognizably well defined."  
(in the story that Sister Eubank tells about the riptide, Jessica had a distinct skill: she knew how to swim against a rip current.)


What are your distinct skills? You have them; write them, know them, articulate them. Included in your list is the your love of the gospel.

Fifth is to do one through four in happy ways. 

"Being happy doesn’t mean to slap a plastic smile on your face no matter what is going on. But it does mean keeping the laws of God and building and lifting others."

      "There is an ENERGY that comes from HAPPINESS and OPTIMISM that doesn’t just BLESS US—it BUILDS EVERYONE around us."

Joy in the Journal:  Pick a few of these questions in from Sister Eubanks article. Answer them in a journal. Ponder the rest in your mind and honestly answer them. As you do you may find an area of your life you can focus on.

• [How will I] be righteous? 
• [How] will you articulate your faith? 
• Can you bear being distinct and different? 
• Will your happiness in spite of your trials draw others who are good and noble and who need your friendship? 
• [How will I] turn on [my] light? 
• Include the questions under the articulate section.

***All blog posts in this section are from LDS Conference Talks. All Quotes are from one indiviual talk with references to whom the speaker was also quoting. This is how I started recording my thoughts while reading Conference talks. Now I want to share them with you.***

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/turn-on-your-light?lang=eng