Lipa Stake Conference, May 18-19, 2013

President and I were invited to attend the Lipa Stake Conference with Elder Brent Nielson and his lovely wife Sister Marcia Nielson.  I was privileged to work with Sister Nielson on Saturday to help teach the Auxiliary Presidencies from the wards and branches in the stake.  She taught them well about Preparing Spiritually to Lead and Teach, and about how to help in Raising Up a Generation to Serve.  I was given time to then teach the Auxiliary Leaders about Nurturing the Returning One.  We wanted to help the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary leaders to know that they are an auxiliary to the priesthood.  And that all auxiliaries exist to help Church members grow in their testimonies of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the restored gospel.  Through the work of the auxiliaries, members receive instruction, encouragement, and support as they strive to live according to the gospel principles.
Saturday evening there was an Adult session...Sister Nielson talked about the language of God.  Read the scriptures with your family so they are familiar with how our Father in Heaven communicates with us...through His written word.

Elder Nielson... Luke 21... Fear and faith cannot coexist.  Demand improvement only...God will make up the difference.  Challenges come...we must not fear.  God allows us to grow through challenges.  President Kimball said. ..."Give me another mountain to climb!" Talk by Pres. Eyring..."Mountains to Climb."  The Lord gave us families to help us through our trials...We weren't given a manual to raise a child...instead God sent a mother.  By divine design, fathers are to preside over your families in love and righteousness.  God looks at men as providers.  He showed the video with Elder Todd Christofferson..."Let us be Men".

On Sunday, Elder Nielson taught in a meeting that was held for Youth and Young Adults in the Stake.  He taught them about their "Road to Happiness"...
1.  Know who you are!  There is so much more of who you are than who you are right now...
2.  Keep the Commandments!  That keeps you safe...D&C 82:10 "...when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise."
3.  Serve others... If you lose your life (serving others) you will find it... Learn what is important and what is not.  "Never let a problem to be solved be more important than the person to be loved." (Pres. Monson)
4.  Good Education... If you think you can earn a living in this high tech world without an education, "You're crazy!"
5.  Serve a full-time mission...The Lord sends you to a place where you can grow... Stay with in the bounds of worthiness.
6.  Marry the right person in the right place by the right authority...

After that, we had the General Session of the Conference.  Sister Nielson gave a powerful talk on what she entitled, "The Parable of the Peach Tree".  The best peaches are at the top of the tree.  Stay in the top of the "Gospel Tree".  Don't let anyone talk you down out of the gospel tree...stay in it!

Elder Nielson taught...In the Church of Jesus Christ...people love each other and God.  Always move forward with faith! Matthew 19...Rich man...What lack I yet? When Christ told him to sell everything and follow me...he went away sorrowful. In contrast, when he called His disciples to "leave your nets and come follow me...they did leave their nets straightway and followed him." The Heavens are open to everyone!  The Lord came to a 14 year old. The Pope announced that the heavens were closed.  The gift of the Holy Ghost helps us to know what to do in our lives!  That is the difference of His Church.  He taught, "Having the Holy Ghost with us...It's in us like breathing.  Remember that the Savior took 40 days to get control of His body.  In Gethsemane the Savior prayed, "Father if it be possible remove this cup from me... Nevertheless, not my will but thine be done."
President Peterson talked about the the importance of the Book of Mormon in our day.  It was not written for Moses' time or Jeremiah's, Abraham's or Enoch's...Neither was it for the time of which it was written in the Nephite/Lamanite times.  It is for our day and if we feast upon the words of Christ we will know what we should say and do to have eternal life.  My talk center on "How are we to Govern our Lives" that I have given in another Stake Conference.  Put on the whole armor of God and you will be guided and protected to choose well and direct our lives in such a way that we will continually put the WILL of the Father ahead of our own.