***A very long post mostly for my reference and benefit of remembering but if you read ONE thing read the story of Mariama Kallon***
Virginia Hinckley Pearce
Talked about leading a successful life and how we define success
- "Good women always have a desire to know if they are being successful"-Julie B Beck
- Markers for making progress: losing your disposition to do evil and seeing things the way the Lord sees them.
- {Get out of the business of comparison} Comparison is the fast track to misery.
Wendy L. Watson Nelson
- D&C 46:3 -practice holiness
- Gave her friends a challenge to do one activity a day while being holy. Some results were more patience, being/playing with children, being kinder to husband.
- Ask for angels to help you -Jeffrey R Holland April 2010 conference
Sheri Dew
One of my favorites.
- She showed an old candid camera clip about people in an elevator where actors got in and faced the back and then they turned to the back. One man did anything they did turning around with them and removing his hat when they did because that is what the other people were doing.
- Who's influencing you? the WORLD or the LORD?
- She showed a clip of an Olympic relay race where the US was able to make up a large distance and win the race because the runner in first lost her focus on the finish line and looked up at the mega tron. We are running the last leg of the race in the latter part of the latter days-stay focused on the finish line.
- be FIXED on our mission (the concept of our mission here was mentioned very often during the whole event)
- Strengthen your faith in Him as you come to know Him-Henry B Eyering
{Saturday}
Deanne Flynn
- The proof is in the pattern. Good patterns produce good results.
- A perfect pattern does not always produce perfect results (referring to children-they still have agency)
- Have a morning devotional-you will be deeply blessed (promised by a prophet, apostle or scriptures not sure which one)
- Shortcuts rarely pay off-they are pitfalls and should be avoided.
At this point there was a musical performance by Mercy River and one of the songs they had us all sing Nearer My God to Thee and it was absolutely amazing to have this group of 2600 women singing this hymn. I never realized how much I love that hymn. Really moving.
Brad Wilcox
Turning weakness into strength by the grace of God.
- 2Nephi 25:23-After all we can do. Depending on what word you accent, this phrase can mean different things.
- The Lord is more interested in the offerer not the offering.
- When you are feeling mediocre look at in as half way there and you have to pass the halfway point on the way to the top.
- Nothing doesn't mean worthless it mean powerless. Powerless without God.
- Not human doing we are human beings. By knowing and doing we become like Him.
- Heaven will not be heaven for those who are not Heavenly. Be comfortable there.
- Jesus doesn't make UP the difference he makes ALL the difference.
- After all WE can do. We= us and the Lord.
- When referring to children taking piano lessons...Practice is not punishment or payment it's to cause a change.
- Get into heaven by holding the hand of the Lord-come as you are.
- God's Love for us is because He is good not because we are good.
Mariama Kallon
The speaker that touched me the most. Her story is absolutely amazing and her faith is astounding. Her passion for life and the Gospel and her knowledge of the scriptures (which she refers to as her therapist) was something to aspire to. She teared at some points while telling her story (understandably-especially considering I was crying the whole time I was typing this) but overall extremely upbeat and passionate.
- There was a service project for the event and everyone brought in hygiene items to put together Hygiene kits for the Sojourner Center in Phoenix. We broke the record with 530 of them. After hearing her story and how much she treasured her kit I will never look at them the same.
Her story (as told by me-she was much better at it and referenced and recited scriptures all along the way)....
She is a native of war torn Sierra Leone in Africa-she says the movie, Blood Diamond, is pretty accurate and all of the killing and fighting is over the diamonds offered by Sierra Leone. As a teenager she witnessed her parents being killed by the rebels and her brothers arms cut off and killed because he refused to join their army. She fled and escaped to another city where she witnessed her sister being raped by the rebels and her legs were cut off as well (this was a regular practice of the rebels) where she was basically waiting in line for this to happen to her. She prayed to God and soldiers came at that moment and rescued them so she was spared. In the town she was taken to she met up with someone she had known as she attended some schooling and she introduced her to the church. She immersed herself in the gospel and was baptized.
At some point there were sanctions that allowed nothing in an out and the church sent money so they could buy food and at one point they got large containers full of hygiene, school etc. kits. Her only possessions were 2 outfits and her hygiene kit. She said that the women would bathe in the river and 25 women would share one bar of soap and they would use the toothpaste all the way to the point that they would open the tube and lick every last bit out of it. She said she did not share her tooth brush though:). She said there was a bottle of shampoo she never used because she did not know what it was or how to use it-she showed is the kit and held up the bottle and showed it to us-it had no label. A girl took a school kit to school where the other kids had nothing and she ripped paper out of her notebook so everyone could have a piece and the pencils were broken down so that everyone could have one and every inch of the paper was used and all that was left were little pencils. The children cherished and really appreciated everything because they had nothing. As she was leaving Africa ( more on that in a minute) people begged her to leave her kit for them but she was impressed that she need to take it with her and there was definitely a purpose for that.
As she immersed herself in the gospel she met missionaries with the black name tags and inquired as to what that was all about. She wanted to serve a mission but because she had nothing she did not see how that was possible. The mission president told her that if she wanted to serve a mission he would make that possible. As she was preparing to serve a mission they (the govt?) brought her her step sister and nephew that were found alive and she was the only living relative and she would have to take care of them. She referenced scripture (the mission president might have told her this) that says leave the little ones for a short time and He will make a place for them. The mission president agreed to watch after them while she was gone. She was expecting a close area in Africa because that is where these missionaries usually served, but she was called to be the first African to serve in Temple Square. Her friends were all very impressed that she got to go the United States. She left Africa with two outfits and a hygiene kit and was really excited when she was outfitted with clothes that made her look like the other sister missionaries, finding the knee highs odd and still has problems with shoes. She came on stage without her shoes on and put them on just for us:)
While on her mission she got called to go see the mission president and she was wondering what she did and if she was in trouble. But no. There was an American family there that was desiring to adopt an African child and asked her if she knew of any that were needing adopting. This was a blessing for her serving a mission and a manifestation of that scripture...leave the little ones for a short time and he will make a place for them. The family adopted both of them and they all reside in Utah now. The step sister is now 21 and married and the boy is 12 I believe.
She was the last speaker before our lunch break when the kits were to be assembled. She pleaded for the kits to be assembled with love because they are definitely loved by the recipients.
Doesn't that just make you want to run out and make 100 kits?!?!?! Maybe it's not as impactful with my retelling the story, but let me tell you it was impressive to hear her story in person. She deservedly received a standing ovation. There is a biography of hers out and I am very interested in seeing/reading it.
Amanda Dickson
She talked about doing something we have been told not to do-Get your hopes up.
- Don't let the fear of the worst thing stop your from trying something. Sometimes you won't hate the "worst thing that can happen"
- She referenced her eldest step daughter who has down syndrome and said that she is always happy and upbeat while the other children are whining and complaining. Maybe we are the handicapped ones.
- If you never change your mind, why have one?
- Funny and used a lot of humor.
- She is not a member but frequently reference the church and how we radiate love especially the sisters. She jokes around with the other ladies in her culdesac (all members) that visiting teaching is amazing and how amazing it would be to have someone assigned to love her.
- Change is inevitable no matter how much we try to avoid it so we need to exercise the change muscle so that we are used to it-she joked about changing up what pew we sit in at church and throw everyone off.
Merrilee Boyack
Her story was an astounding example of hope, resilience and enduring well. The last time she was in Phoenix was 3 years before and I think she was supposed to be a presenter last year but because of her story she was obviously not able to attend last year.
I will just highlight the events that were happening in her life pretty much all at the same time, but definitely within one year span.
- Relief Society president for the second time
- writing a book and speaking at TOFW events
- running (I believe re-running) for city council
- then she was asked to help with the Proposition 8 campaign (against obviously) in California where she lives
- After she was committed to all of these things she found a lump and consequently started treatments and had a mastectomy, which was supposed to be a lumpectomy, on election day.
- She won the election and the mayor died and she was going to be made the mayor but was betrayed in the council and was not.
- She started radiation treatments and her husband lost his job. They had decided they would sell there house but were unable to sell it because it had settled 3 inches.
She is fully reconstructed and as she told us that she joked about another presenters comments about our bodies she said she had one breast that was too big and one that was too small but she was glad to have something.
Decide to be cheerful. She got up every morning, sometimes crying as she did, and decided to be cheerful.
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I thought there was no way they could top or even equal last year because it was amazing as well, but they did. I am already looking forward to next year.
There was also great music by Mercy River and Dallyn Bayles through out the program.
