Last sunday... the 12th I had to give a talk in sacrament! It was so nerve racking! I was so scared when I was asked. You know how your are having a good day and then something happens and it ruins it. Well this didnt quite ruin it but it made it not as good as it could have been. I know it should be a good thing when you are asked to give a talk but I was not happy. Sorry... I feel like I am rambaling. I know that I am. Also sorry about all of the spelling errors. I suck at spelling and saying what I want to say. Anyway... I worked and worked on the talk. Grandpa and Grandma helped me. And Dad SAVED me. He helped so much. I was asked to speak on personal progress so it wasnt some strange subject. Sometimes it seems like Sacrament goes by so slow but that sunday it flew by. I was about to have a spaz in the seat up there when I knew that I was next. I talked really fast and stumbled over some words. But it went ok I guess. I got alot of people coming up to me and tell me that it was a good talk. So thanks for that. I worked it up alot but still... talking in front of people is really scary. But thank goodness I dont have to do that every week!
Personal Progress talk
In our church, 12 is a very special age. For the young men it means going into the priesthood and for us girls it means going into the Young Women’s. When entering the Young women we are given 3 guides; For the Strength of Youth, A journal and a young women’s Person Progress Pamphlet. These will help me not only now, but also in my future. I have been asked this morning to speak on Personal Progress, how it affects my life and the blessings that can come from it.
Personal progress; there are many different types of personal progress. From the Young Women’s Personal Progress pamphlet the definition, if you will, is- helping you learn and apply the teachings of the lord Jesus Christ in your life, prepare you to make sacred covenants and strengthen families. I looked in the dictionary for definitions of the words personal and progress and then combined the two and came up with- an individual movement toward a goal or to a further or higher stage. As good as these two definitions are I think they are fancy sentences for one word. Growth.
In our personal progress book the first presidency of the church reminds us that we are daughters of our heavenly father and that we have come to this earth for a glorious purpose and that through obedience to his commandments we can develop those talents and abilities that he has given us. With these talents and abilities we are encouraged to lift and bless our family, and other young women and young men with whom we associate. And as we do this we can accomplish what Christ has instructed us in Mosiah 18:9 “To stand as witnesses of god at all times and in all things and in all places.”
In the young women personal progress pamphlet are 8 values: Faith, Divine Nature, Individual Worth, Knowledge, Choice and Accountability, Good Works, Integrity, and now Virtue. Each is given 6 value experiences and 1 value project. We are given 6 years to complete this program. At the end if the projects and value experiences are completed the young woman is given a medallion and an Achievement Certificate plus having many choice experiences. An experience of mine has been with a 10 hour project or a value project. I chose to prepare to be a good homemaker by collecting recipes, shopping for food and preparing meals for my family. My family was very supportive of it. I called my mom and went online looking for recipes that I thought my family would enjoy. My dad took me shopping and always cleaned up the kitchen after I was done. They always ate what I made and never complained. From that project I learned how hard my parents and family work to make healthy and nutritious meals that everyone would eat. I always took what they did for granted but now I know better. I know that if they didn’t love us and didn’t want the best for us they wouldn’t put so much thought and preparation into a 30 minute meal. I was and still am thankful for what I learned.
As I am in high school now, I think of what the future holds. The young women’s guide, and those close to me, help make decisions on what lies for me after. College, career, mission, and family are all progressive steps that I will take, and are a part of personal progress. I’m finding more in my life how good progress comes from making good decisions. Staying close to the lord through prayer, going to the temple, and attending my church meetings, helps me make these good decisions. I have learned from watching my parents, grandparents, and leaders, what good comes from making good decisions and how they have not only been blessed, but are happy.
The question can be asked, “When does personal progress end?” Education, developing talents and strengthening our testimony ought to be a personal progress that never ends. I’ve seen in recent past how both my grandmothers have taken interest in their personal family histories and how that has benefited not only me but my extended family as well. My one grandmother will make me go to cemeteries with her and take pictures of head stones and then she’ll make sure their work is complete. They have aided in temple work for those that have gone before them.
President Erying once said, “The lord has given us his standards not to keep us away from him but to draw us near him.” If I continue to follow what I’ve learned and continue to learn. I know the future will not always go smooth, but I will be close to the lord. I am so grateful for the young women’s program, the other girls to look up to and to learn from, the leaders and the bishopric that teach us and help us as we strive to do our best and achieve the purposes of this program. I know I am learning things now that will help me find joy in the rest of my life. I am at the beginning of my journey in this life. I know my heavenly father wants me to be happy and do the things that will bring me back into him. I know the decisions I make now are important. I know that as I keep the commandments and live the things that I have been taught my life will be happier and I will have the gift of the Holy Ghost to accomplish this.
