Carlsbad Stake Women's Confrence

I had the opportunity to take a few hours out of my Saturday morning to attend this event for my new stake. It was a great little timeout for me and best of all we had great speakers and we even had Emily Freeman come from Utah. She has written many books and has spoken at other Time Out for Women events that I have attended.

The theme of the conference was, "Tune into the Lord," so our Stake RS President introduced the theme to us and taught us how her father, a piano tuner, tunes pianos and how you have to have a great ear to hear certain pitches and chords. It was very fascinating to learn about because I have no musical ability however I am learning right along with my girls and their music lessons. She then went on to speak of how we need to train our ears to be in tune with the spirit. Then to put yourself into the position to allow it to enter which you'll need to be in a place to receive inspiration (temple, scripture study, church, etc.)

Another thought she shared was that we just need to stop and mute out our distractions. I personally have quite a few which I turn to instead of doing what I know I should be doing. Then we need to develop the skill to hear and then we will be aware of what changes in us. In Doctrine and Covenants 8:2 which reads:
"Yea, behold, I will ^atell you in your mind and in your ^bheart, by the ^cHoly Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in your heart."
So we need to pick up the right tuning instruments to help us play our own orchestra and our own song that belongs to us personally.

Finally Emily Freeman spoke and what a wonderful Instrument in the Lord's hands that she has been in her life. This was the title of her talk and I just soaked it all up and really enjoyed her message. She spoke about how at the beginning of this year she prayed to find out how she could be an instrument in the lords hands each day of this year. Of course its a process and it requires alot of prayer and personal revelation but it can be done. She added this scripture:

Philipians 1:6 - "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will ^aperform it until the day of Jesus Christ"

5 lessons to become more in tune

1. Alma 17:9 -"And it came to pass that they journeyed many days in the wilderness, and they fasted much and ^aprayed much that the Lord would grant unto them a portion of his Spirit to go with them, and abide with them, that they might be an ^binstrument in the hands of God to bring, if it were possible, their brethren, the Lamanites, to the knowledge of the truth, to the knowledge of the baseness of the ^ctraditions of their fathers, which were not correct."

The importance of prayer is essential and to ask for it and dedicate yourself to the Lord in placing you in situations to be there. She mentioned a man in her ward that just seems to know and is very influential to her and she asked him how he does it.

He asked her 2 questions:
1. When was the last time you had an answer to your prayers? If you haven't had it in the last few days you need to change the way you speak in your prayers.
2. When was the last time you received an answer while reading your scriptures? If it hasn't been in the last week then you need to change the way you are studying.

Be very specific in your prayers. My job is to prepare myself and to pray hard. President Utchdorf said, "The number of prayers we answer will be more beneficial to us then the number of prayers given."

2. Mosiah 23:10 - "Nevertheless, ^aafter much ^btribulation, the Lord did hear my cries, and did answer my prayers, and has made me an ^cinstrument in his hands in bringing ^dso many of you to a knowledge of his truth."

Often our trails will teach us to be better individuals. We need to be the ones to succor, lift and strengthen those around us. We need to remember our trials and those who were there and when those times come again into our life reflect back on those experiences for confirmation. We need to be the ones to let others know that they aren't forgotten.

I learned personally from this that I have been the one that others turn to for a listening ear and that I need to reconfirm to them that they will not be forgotten but that I can't be the one to help them along. I have to lead them to the Savior to help pick them up and to just use my own faith to help them through it. I can't fix their problems even though I would like to.

3. 2 Nephi 3:24 - "And there shall rise up ^aone mighty among them, who shall do much good, both in word and in deed, being an instrument in the hands of God, with exceeding faith, to work mighty wonders, and do that thing which is great in the sight of God, unto the bringing to pass much ^brestoration unto the house of Israel, and unto the seed of thy brethren."

Do much good in word and deed. She encouraged us to write down our promptings for service. She spoke of a lady who has been a great example of service who just used what she already had to help serve the missionaries in her area by just making them a plate of sugar cookies. Its a simple act of kindness but those missionaries felt loved and appreciated. She was a person who knew what to do before you thought of what to ask.

4. Alma 29:9 - "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy"

We will find great JOY when we are instruments. Think of what you could teach your children when you do service. Actions speak louder than words. She told of what her neighborhood has done for this troubled teen. Four families including hers in her ward took in this boy each night for dinner and homework and to see the progress he has made with his decisions and actions by just being in these homes has changed him.

5. Alma 25:17 - "And now behold, Ammon, and Aaron, and Omner, and Himni, and their brethren did rejoice exceedingly, for the success which they had had among the Lamanites, seeing that the Lord had granted unto them according to their ^aprayers, and that he had also verified his word unto them in every particular. "

Recognize the Lord in every particular and he will fill it. Recognize these moments and she encouraged us to start an instrument journal.