Good Morning! Happy Mothers Day! I’m Quincy. This year I took an Emergency Medical Technician course at NWACC. This class was probably the hardest and most emotionally and physically exhausting class I have ever taken. It consisted of constant studying, clinical hours, a quiz every night, and an exam every weekend all year. As hard as it was, I absolutely loved it. I discovered my passion for emergency medicine as I enhanced my life saving skills and knowledge about the complexities of the human body. But it took a lot of work. Senior year wrapped up this week I had my final exam for EMT. This was a 3 hour final that required an 80% to even pass. I studied intensely for weeks and failed it. I was so discouraged and I felt like a failure. Despite my negative feelings, I studied even harder for the retake and prayed to pass.
I failed again. I couldn't quite understand why this was happening to me after putting in so much work and effort all year only to fail at the very end.
President Nelson said “The Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.” I love this quote because it is a reminder that if we put in the work, God will grant us with blessings and support us along the way. After some more prayers, countless hours of studying, a priesthood blessing, and sacrificing some social events, I finally passed my exam.
From the struggle, I learned how to trust in the Lord, even if his plan for me was different than what I expected. God gave me spiritual gifts and tools to help me succeed in my endeavors and persevere. Having faith in the Savior empowers us to overcome and do his will. The scripture, Moroni 7:33 - “And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.” God did not design for us to try things only one time and then give up once we fail. He gave us weekly, daily, regular repentance so we can try and try and try again to reach our divine potential.
In the 2014 General Conference talk, Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence, Elder Jorg Klebingat talks about applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ to increase our Spiritual confidence. He says, “Whenever the adversary cannot persuade imperfect yet striving Saints such as you to abandon your belief in a personal and loving God, he employs a vicious campaign to put as much distance as possible between you and God. The adversary knows that faith in Christ---the kind of faith that produces a steady stream of tender mercies and even mighty miracles---goes hand in hand with a personal confidence that you are striving to choose the right. For that reason, he will seek access to your heart to tell you lies----lies that Heavenly father is disappointed in you, that the Atonement is beyond your reach, that there is no point in even trying, that everyone else is better than you, that you are unworthy, and a thousand generations of that same evil theme. As long as you allow these voices to chisel away at your soul, you cannot approach the throne of God with real confidence. There will always be just enough self doubt chipping away at your faith.”
The voices we choose to listen to are critical for our development. Did you know that when a baby is born the sound of their mothers voice can be immediately soothing for the newborn? The baby associates the voice of their mother with safety. It calms them down and creates a sense of security. Parenting is not only a duty but a full-time calling, especially for a mother. Being a mother is a sacred responsibility. Mothers can use their own voice to teach their children to listen to the voice of the Spirit, the ultimate comforter.
My mother is my security blanket. Some people have an emotional support water bottle, fidget toy, or a buffer of a best friend. I have my mom. She is my best friend. My sadness is her sadness, my joy is her joy. In my family we feel all the feelings BIG. We talk openly about how we are feeling, sort out conflicts, and lift each other up. My mom brings happiness, laughter, and the ultimate joy into my life. Everyone needs some sort of support system in their life. Someone they can go to when they are struggling or celebrate their successes with.
Last week I was in the library with a friend and I had an experience where I started to compare myself to others and I was tempted to feel inadequate and like all of my efforts were falling short. Right at that moment, my thoughts were interrupted with a text from my Mom. She sent me a scripture verse 2 Timothy chapter 1 verse 7. It says,
“For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind.”
Stressing out about the little things that people say, or giving too much importance to the actions of others, or being too nervous to ask for help---these are all fear based thoughts and they are not from God. Thoughts from God should make you feel empowered, loved, capable, and inspired.
Mothers take on the responsibility of raising a family and from what I’ve seen it looks like the hardest and most fun job there is to have. Mothers not only take care of their children’s physical needs but their emotional needs as well. When their kids fall apart, the mother welcomes the tasks of picking them and helping them put their lives back together. They teach us by example how to trust God, how to repent, and how to recognize the voice of the Spirit and seek his counsel. My mom is my number one supporter. She is always there for me and never fails to be present in my life.
Whatever difficult job or task we are faced with, whether it’s parenting, overcoming a complicated social situation, or just trying to pass an exam you studied really hard for, it is important to remember that Heavenly Father’s plan provides chances for us to keep trying again and again and again. There is purpose in our repeated and continued efforts to succeed. Repentance is a practice.
I would have loved to have been done with the EMT course and out celebrating with friends a week ago, but instead I got some opportunities to develop patience and perseverance and have my faith tested as I continued to learn to trust in my divine gifts and abilities. I testify that God gives opportunities to fail because he cares about our path to success. He wants us to feel good about our efforts. Real growth and real spiritual change come through the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It is because of the Atonement that we are able to reach our divine potential. I love my Heavenly Father and I am grateful for his love for me. I bare this testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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