Another Layer

Our Ward Conferences are on going in our stake at the moment. We have had three thus far and have four more in the coming weeks. As a Stake Young Women Presidency we visit the six wards with YW (one ward in our stake is a singles' branch, which we visit, but they have no YW, just Relief Society ladies) and teach their Sunday lesson. Each visit is a lesson on VIRTUE.

Virtue was added as the eighth YW value in early December. Sister Dalton spoke on "A Return to Virtue" in October General Conference. The year long annual Mutual Theme for the Year, from 1 Tim 4:12, is "Be an Example of the Believers, in Word, in Conversation, in Charity, in Spirit, in Faith, in Purity." This new value, Virtue, fits right in, don't you think?

My section of teaching at each ward conference is the directive to "cleave unto your covenants" (from D&C 25:13) as a point in developing Virtue. But this morning in my personal study, I read something int he Preach My Gospel manual that suddenly struck me. It is in the chapter on Christ's attributes and it falls in the attribute of virtue. The sentence says, "...Virtue is prerequisite to receiving the Spirit's guidance."

That is a little Yin-and-Yang then, isn't it? You need the guidance of the Spirit to develop virtue, but you need virtue to receive the Spirit's guidance.

I see many people who are wishing and hoping for the Spirit to move them to some action, or for the Spirit's peace in the apparent inaction of their lives. Perhaps the real need is more virtue. We have learned that the root word for virtue means 'strength' in Latin. The kind of strength that eventually manifests itself as virtue comes from hope and faith and charity.

Every piece of the Gospel, each point of testimony is interwoven with another value. Which is why it is so important that we teach this to our Young Women. If they have testimony enough to develop attributes like Christ's, they will have strength to withstand all the disappointments and temptations that teenage life will throw at them. If they have testimony enough as they grow in the YW program, they will transition to Relief Society easily as they will know that they will learn more as they join the adult sisters of the church. If they have testimony rooted strongly enough in Christ and His Atonement, they will develop qualities to invite others to the Gospel, to teach the Gospel in their own homes, will grow to take callings and fulfill them with determination and steadiness. They will make and keep covenants, blessing themselves and everyone around them.

So, I feel I have another layer to add to the lesson on Sunday. Some days, knowing what it is I an supposed to be doing in this calling and the vital importance of what I am teaching and to whom, I wonder "What where they thinking, giving this job to me?! It is too big for me and I am not worthy enough to do it properly." Then I shake my head, say a little prayer, get up and go teach the lesson.