3 lessons

I was a few minutes early to Stake Conference so I pulled out my ensign and began reading when I noticed everyone was standing up. Instinctively I stood up looking in the direction of everyone else and noticed a man and his wife walking toward me. It took me a moment or two, but when my eyes focused and I realize who it was walking toward me I felt the spirit witness to me that in my presence was the Prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson and his darling wife. Instantly I knew why he was there. His daughter was speaking in conference and had come to hear her. I was surprised he choose to sit in the congregation in the overflow area, but perhaps he felt more comfortable not wanting to draw too much attention to himself. He was five seats away from me and I couldn't help feel a sadness that my children were not with me attending the meeting. I know they would have loved to meet him.

It was a marvelous conference. Marvelous. Everything I could have hoped. I walked away feeling I had prayers answered and was so grateful I didn't pass up this opportunity to learn.

The Stake President related a story he had heard at a BYU commencement talk recently and I will paraphrase it.

A young man lost his father in his late twenties and was forced to take over a company and business he was not ready for. He was overwhelmed and prayed to the Lord that his father's spirit might be permitted to inspire him, but no inspiration came, no answers to guide him. It wasn't until years later that he had a dream one night where his father came to him and said he had been quite busy and then suggested to his son, "We really don't care much about your business up here-we care only about who you are becoming as you run your business."

Many thoughts ran through my mind as he told this story, it made so much sense, and I realized that I could fill that sentence with any number of things. For instance, We really don't care what calling you have or We really don't care how many children you have-we care only who you are becoming as you run your life. etc. Our choices are significant in the sense that it brings us to where we are and ultimately helps shape the person we become, but the Lord has given us free reign to choose for ourselves and He is only concerned about the person we are striving to become not the jobs we hold or where we live.

Another powerful lesson taken from the Stake Presidents talk was referring to a parable given in The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis.

There was a bus that would take the souls from Hell on a ride up to Low Heaven where they were greeted by angels coming to minister to them. The angels encouraged them to abandon their sins and stay with them and progress to Deep Heaven. Many souls struggled with making the choice, but sadly the souls made there was back on the bus and returned to Hell. One soul, inclined to stay in Heaven, asked, "how can they chose to go back", and the angel said, "The choice of every lost soul can be expressed in the words 'Better to reign in Hell than serve in Heaven'. There is always something they insist on keeping, even at the price of misery. There is always something they prefer to joy..."

"The reason the souls returned to the bus was because there was some part of the natural man that their pride simply did not allow them to let go of...some sin or aspect of their worldly character that they pridefully desired to retain despite the best efforts of the angels missionaries. In a fit of ego gratification they wanted to hold onto envy, self absorption, lusts or worldly acclaim even at the risk of losing heaven. And this brings us to the heart and essence of the opposite of humility, that is, pride--in that pride is at it's very core a competitive vice. The opposite of a humble person who forgets about themselves, is the prideful soul who is focused not only on self, but on comparing themselves to others, and are focused on how they look and not on their relationship with God. The element of comparison and competition creates enmity between us and others and ourselves and God.

I'm sorry I know that was long, but I had to share it. Comparison is something I have dealt with a lot in my life and have a sense we have all had a taste of it. Comparison or even caring about what others think is a sure fire way of bringing me down and making me feel like I have absolutely no worth, but I hadn't really thought about how those feeling could be hindering a relationship with my Heavenly Father. I know blogging can play a big roll in helping me compare to each one of you. It can be hard at times to see so many of you succeed where I fail, but I know that we have all come to this earth with difference strengths and weaknesses so that we will rely on each other. It would be a shame to let the one thing that pulls us together push us apart.

I love going to a conference where you walk out and think it was all prepared just for you. I have one last lesson I want to share, one more quote I don't want to forget. At the end President Monson made his long way up from the back and talked for a few minutes. He shared a story about when he was ten years old and was riding along the Provo River on an inner tube. He had been riding for quite some time when he came around a bend and heard people calling "save her". He didn't know who they were talking about until he saw the head of a fourteen year old girl come out of the water. He grabbed onto her, pulled her onto the tube, and took her to the shore. The point of his story was this..."Heavenly Father can intervene so always have listening ears." He had been on the water for some time alone, no one knew he was coming and yet he was there ready and willing to answer the plea to "save her". He ended by saying, "I am grateful God knows who I am and knows I will do what He asks me to do."

A very powerful lesson to remember to always listen...you never know when you might be needed.