Young Women's Lesson

We taught a lesson to the Young Women at Church. We decided to post parts of it on this blog. 

      We were asked to speak in Relief Society a few weeks ago. I have always been embarrassed that I cry too easily, but I really cried that afternoon during that Relief Society lesson.  I cried worse than ever before.  I don't know how to talk about really important things without getting emotional, but we at least want to spend a little time laughing tonight.   
     When I was first diagnosed with ALS, I started hating that acronym.  I don't even use words that big!  So I decided to make up my very own acronym.  I changed it to "Always Learn Something." 
     We are going to start tonight by telling you a true story. It really did happen, and we have really laughed about it. We want you to think, " What can we learn from this?" After we finish the story, we will spend some time talking about what we can learn from it.
     Alan and I got in the van to drive to Cabella's.  I noticed a fly or two flying around inside the car.  Alan tried to get them out, but he couldn't find them.  I thought to myself, "What are the chances of one of those flies really bugging me?  The van is big enough.  Hopefully,  they won't even realize that I am here. "
     So that this story makes sense,  let me tell a little background.  I grew up on eight acres of property.  We had the most beautiful pastures!  At first we had cows.  Later we got horses.  I am not sure how old I was when I made a disgusting observation.  Flies love filth!  Whenever we would walk past cow pies or horse manure,  it was covered in flies!  They didn't just stop there for a quick rest.  They crawled around on it and in it!  They actually seemed to savor being there!  Gross!  Worse than gross! 
     Of course,  those same flies would sometimes come into our kitchen.  I can still hear my mother say,  "Get that fly!  Do you know where that thing has been?"  I would always visualize a fresh cow pie covered in happy,  disgusting,  filthy flies.  Gross!  Worse than gross! 
     Now,  back to my story... To get to Cabella's,  we took the freeway.  My ALS had progressed enough that I couldn't move my hands to my face anymore.  That could be frustrating because ALS makes it so your senses feel and react more.  When the doctor hits my knee with that rubber hammer,  my leg and foot jerk up a lot more than they did before I had this disease. 
    We were driving on the freeway when a fly suddenly landed on my face.  As it walked on my face,  I could feel it through my entire body.  Its crawling seemed exaggerated.  I could still move my head,  so I began shaking my head as quickly as I could.  That fly did not seem to notice or care!  I thought of my mother's words:  "Do you know where that thing has been?"  The unwanted picture of a fresh cow pie covered in happy, disgusting, filthy flies came into my mind.  I tried to tell myself that maybe this was a city fly that had never been around cow pies.  I was not foolish enough to really believe that rationalization!  My thoughts were interrupted when that disgusting, filthy fly went into my nostril!  Gross!  Worse than gross!  I tried blowing air our of my nose.  This really didn't help matters.  Didn't this disgusting,  filthy fly know anything about respecting personal space?  Apparently not!  Time slowed down!  I tried not to breathe through my nose.  I had a new worry!  Was it possible to inhale a fly through your nose?  Finally,  that disgusting, filthy fly got tired of my nose.  I was really relieved until my lips felt the tickle of six dirty little legs on my mouth!  Then I did what any fly hating person would do!  I screamed.  That might have been a normal,  ordinary reaction.  It was not,  however,  the smartest move I have ever made.  That disgusting,  filthy thing crawled right into my open mouth!  Now,  I tried to stay absolutely still!  I didn't want to become "an old lady who swallowed a fly!"  I felt those six, dirty,  little legs crawling on my teeth.  Never mind the teeth.  Suddenly those six little legs were crawling on my tongue!  Absolutely,  disgustingly gross!  Worse than gross! 
     Meanwhile,  poor Alan was still driving down the freeway.  We were not near an exit.  The only thing for him to do was to keep going.  He did keep trying to open the back windows that were the closest to that fly and me -  hoping that the fly would want freedom. 
     Eventually,  that disgusting,  filthy fly did leave my horrified mouth!  I was so relieved!  I was even happier when he finally flew out of the open window. 
     This story might sound made up.  Unfortunately,  it is not!  I did go into a lot of detail.  We have really laughed about this experience.  Our hope is that it gave you something to laugh about,  too.  Now,  let's take some time to try and learn from this situation.  What can we learn from this story? 

This story generated a lot of good discussion.  It was great to hear the different ideas these sharp young women came up with as to how we can learn from this unpleasant life experience.

Hens and Chicks

     When I was in college,  I took a religion class from Brother Leon Otten.  He was probably the best religion teacher that I everh had.  He knew how to really relate the scriptures to us and taught us how to apply them in our lives.  One day, he was discussing Doctrine and Covenants 10:65,  D. & C.  43:24, and D. & C.  29:2.  He read Doctrine and Covenants 29:2 which reads:  "Who will gather his people even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings,  even as many as will hearken to my voice and humble themselves before me,  and call upon me in mighty prayer. "  He then talked about chickens and asked if any of us had been around chickens enough to know how they behave.  My mind went back to a day when my sister,  Roberta,  and I were outside behind our house.  At that time,  we had lots of chickens.  
     We had a chicken coop, but the chickens didn't stay in it.  They roamed around the yard.  One of the mother hens came walking by us.  She had six,  seven,  or eight babies following her.  Another sister and her husband lived near us in a rental house.  They had a medium-sized dog.  That dog came tearing around the house and went after those chicks.  All of the babies ran to their mother.  She was no match for that dog.  The dog killed the mother hen,  but Roberta and I were able to save her babies.  We took them into our bedroom,  put them in a box with a light bulb,  and raised them until they were big enough to go back outside. 
     Brother Otten asked us if we were as smart as baby chicks.  Do we go to Jesus when life seems to be attacking us? 
     These scriptures let us know that we can go to Jesus,  pray,  and know that He can help us if we follow Him.  The commmandments protect us the way that the mother hen protected her babies that day. 

A Testimony that Changed my Life

     When I was attending B. Y. U.,  a return missionary bore his testimony.  If I remember correctly,  his name was Don Lewis.  I was amazed at his sincerity.  He never really cried,  but he stopped often to keep his composure.  That was great for me because it gave my mind time to try and keep up with his words. 
     He told us about an interview that he'd had with his mission president.  His mission president had asked him if he loved Jesus Christ!  He had answered, "Yes,  I do."  His mission president had asked him,  "How much?"  His answer stunned me.  He said,  "I love Him so much that I would die for Him."  Immediately,  I began to search my own heart.  Could I honestly say that I loved Jesus Christ enough that I would willingly die for Him?  Don shocked me out of my own thoughts when he said,  "My mission president told me, 'That is not enough."  My mind screamed, "Not enough?  What more could anyone do than to die for someone?"  Once again,  Don interrupted my thoughts.  His mission president's answer was so profound!  He said, "You need to love Him so much that you will live for Him!" 
     I have thought about loving Jesus enough that we do our best to live for Him.  Jesus loves us so much that He willingly lived AND died for us.  Would His death have been the incredible gift to us that it is if He had not lived for us first? 
     I have thought about the people that I admire the most.  They all have lived incredibly Christ-like lives.  When it has come time for them to die,  the pain of their death has been swallowed up in the joy and hope of Jesus Christ! 
     I have also thought of people who have chosen to live for Satan.  Their lives and death have been so different. 

We were grateful to be able to visit with these young women and, hopefully, get them thinking about life's experiences.  We all have great experiences in our lives and we all have challenging days.  The important thing is for us to learn from the experience and go forward, becoming what Heavenly Father knows we can all become.