Notes from the Sister Kristen Oaks fireside

I know this Relief Society fireside was over a month ago, now, but I promised at least one person that I would share my notes. Things have been busy since then, and now I'm finally getting a chance to sit down and "share" those notes. Hopefully they'll make sense to others, as well, since my notes are often intended just for my own benefit. :)

Wheat is fungible (i.e. replaceable). We are not fungible. [This was in relation to the scripture "Satan desireth to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.] "The worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (Doctrine & Covenants 18:10).

We are celestial beings having a telestial experience.

The only way we can distinguish the voice of the Lord from the voice of the world is through the scriptures.

We need to develop anticipatory forgiveness--be willing to forgive even before people say something.

Personal revelation is for those who libe close to the Lord. The life I am living now is the life the Lord wants me to live.

Self-worth cannot be based on whether or not we are married. It is difficult not to be chosen and to be asked why we are not participating in "the game." The problem we have is that we don't have the Lord's perspective. The purpose of this life is to come unto Christ, and He needs us where we are now.

We need to focus on building our testimonies and on developing kind and nurturing hearts, remembering we will be mothers in eternity.

Don't be afraid to stand up for who you are and what you believe.

As we make plans for our lives, we need to allow the Lord to become the architect for those plans.

When life doesn't go as planned, rewrite your dream. Even righteous desires may need to be rewritten on the Lord's timeline.

Going to the temple alone is not a consolation prize. It is a consummate blessing from our Heavenly Father. [Sister Oaks mentioned that some young women in their late 20s believe they still have to wait to go to the temple, because they are not getting married. She reminded us that the temple offers blessings to all of us.] The temple will make a difference in our lives!

Education--the more you learn, the better you'll be, and the happier you'll be.

Create a quality life in the environment we are in now. It is within our powers to create holy havens. [She pointed out that there is no reason to wait for new dishes, etc., until you get married. If you want them now, instead of having hand-me-downs from relatives, why not get them?]

Service is a great antidote and makes us less selfish and more concerned for others. It also makes us more flexible. Put yourself in a situation to serve other people when they need to be served.

Membership in the church is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience.

We need each other. Stay close to family and friends.

Respect the feelings and emotions we are given.

Keep soft hearts and do not become judgmental.

The single best thing we can do: Choose to be grateful. If we are always grateful, we will also be content.

Tragedy is the celebration for the human capacity to change. [Sorry, now I wish I'd written a little more here...]

If we do everything with an eye single to the glory of God, we cannot fail.

Do not be fungible. Be peculiar.

Doctrine and Covenants 135 (Be like the Prophet Joseph Smith--calm as a summer's morning.)

OK, these are my own words again rather than just notes. I think we all thoroughly enjoyed what Sister Oaks shared with us. The over-arching message I received was that if I am doing my best to seek and follow the Spirit and to come unto Christ, then I am where the Lord wants and needs me to be right now. As she said more than once--if we are still single, it is because that is the Lord's plan for us right now. It's nice to hear from someone who has spent most of her life single, who married for the first time in about 2000. She understands. But being single does not stop us from creating our own lives, from establishing our own identities, from progressing in the gospel and in the Lord's kingdom.

I did get to shake Elder Oaks's hand briefly before the fireside. He had just come back into town, but he wanted to be there to greet people, even though he didn't stay. I also loved the chance to sing "Grace" once more with our little women's choir. It's such a beautiful song!

So, for Mike Peck, who specifically requested these notes, and for anyone else who may find them interesting, here they are!

Time and eternity

Our sacrament hymn today gave me some new insight. I've really liked it ever since I woke up in the middle of the night, a few years ago, with it in my head. I didn't know it very well at that point, but after that I took the time to play through it and to memorize the words. Today I realized why I love its message so much. Here are the words of the hymn:

Oh thou, before the world began,

Ordained a sacrifice for man,

And by th'eternal Spirit made

An off'ring in the sinner's stead;

Our everlasting Priest art thou,

Pleading thy death for sinners now.

Thy off'ring still continues new

Before the righteous Father's view.

Thyself the Lamb forever slain;

Thy priesthood doth unchanged remain.

Thy years, O God, can never fail,

Nor thy blest work within the veil.

Oh, that our faith may never move

But stand unshaken as thy love,

Sure evidence of things unseen;

Now let it pass the years between

And view thee bleeding on the tree:

My Lord, my God, who dies for me.

As the sacrament was passed, these words kept running through my mind, and the concept of eternity began to make a little bit of sense. Jesus Christ was ordained before the creation of the earth to be our Savior. This truth is eternal. His priesthood, the same priesthood that is on the earth today, is eternal. His work and His love are eternal. I hope I can put some of my thoughts into words that will actually make sense to others.

The atonement, crucifixion, and resurrection occurred nearly 2000 years ago. But those 2000 years do not matter! Though Christ atoned for our sins at that time, the atonement is infinite and eternal. This hymn reminds us that because of the love of Christ, we can pass the years between now and then and partake of the atonement. The same holds true for those who lived and died before Christ came. It is as if He were atoning now for our sins. It is as if He had already atoned for the sins of those who lived before He lived on earth. It brings to mind Abinadi's words: "And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption" (Mosiah 16:6) and also of Alma the Younger's words: "...all is as one day with God, and time only is measured unto men" (Alma 40:8). Because of the power of God and His love for His children, He sent His Son to atone for all mankind: those who were on earth at that time, those who had already lived, and those who would yet live on earth. The atonement is real. As Amulek taught, it is the great and last sacrifice, infinite and eternal. It is personal. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, which means He is my Savior. I am so grateful for this knowledge. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that because He lives, I will live again. After saying all this, I can think of no better way to end this post than in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.