Today was stake conference for the BYU 22nd stake. Presiding was Elder Lynn G. Robbins of the seventy. I think he was my favorite speaker today. He spoke during both the general and adult session, but we're all adults so...yeah. Basically everyone attends both sessions. I love Sunday's where I come home feeling enlightened and taking something from the talks that have been given. It was a very spiritually uplifting day, as it should be...I did spend four hours at church. I was like a sponge just soaking it all in. Anyway, I just wanted to share a few things that he shared that I really enjoyed or felt like it applied to me.
He shared this quote by Winston Churchill: "Success is the ability to go from one failure to another without a loss of enthusiasm." Not only do I really like this, but it was something I needed to hear. I hate when I feel like I've let myself down and when I've let other's w down, especially my family. I tend to dwell on my failures. It's something I definitely need to change. I need to remember that when I fail at something, it's not the end of the world. Nobody's perfect, everyone makes mistakes, and I need to get up and dust myself off when I fall. I need to remember to remain enthusiastic and optimistic when I stumble. You can't change the past, you can only move forward and move forward with a positive attitude.
Elder Robbins and a counselor in the Stake Relief Society Presidency both talked about listening to the counsel of the prophet and the apostles, even when we don't completely understand or when it doesn't seem logical at the time. There is safety in following the prophet. Elder Robbins shared a story that is a great example of this.
On November 23, 1996, Ethiopian Airlines flight 961 was hijacked by three Ethiopians that wanted to seek political asylum in Australia. They stormed the cockpit and forced the co-pilot to leave. The hijackers told the captain that they had a bomb and would blow up the plane if their demands were not met. The captain told them they didn't have enough fuel to make it to Australia. The hijackers didn't believe him. He decided to follow the African coastline hoping they wouldn't notice, but they did and forced him to fly East. He knew of an airstrip on a nearby island where he could make a safe landing because they were running out of fuel from flying around off course.
When they ran out of fuel and the engines failed, he was going to make the emergency landing, but a fight at the last minute with one of the hijackers made him lose his visual of the airport. he knew the only option left was to make a water landing. He made an announcement telling the passengers and to put on their life vests, but NOT to inflate them yet. People started to inflate them anyways. One first class passenger even said, The captain told us not to inflate them". The passengers were thinking, "Well, we're going to be in the water anyway, so why not inflate it now?"
Well, the left engine and wingtip struck the water first and caused plane to spin and break apart into three sections. Of the 172 people on board, only 50 survived. A majority of the 122 that didn't survive was because they inflated their life jackets after being told not to. Once they hit the water and the sections of plane filled up, they floated to the top of the cabin and became trapped.
(There are videos on YouTube of the crash if you feel so inclined.)
I have a testimony of following the prophet, but this story illustrated the importance even more so. Even when it seems so simple or it doesn't fully make sense, we still need to listen. There is safety in following the prophet.
One theme for today, as I'm sure is the theme in many BYU wards (the single ones), is DATING & MARRIAGE. Yeah, only at BYU. The prophet has recently said that he's concerned about the lack of dating which is going on among LDS young adults. It's so true! Guys don't ask girls out. What's up with that? Our stake presidency brings this up EVERY time they speak. Today the guys were basically ordered to get a friend and ask girls out for a double date. It was funny and everyone was laughing, but let's hope that they actually follow through.
One other funny thing, Elder Robbins compared chastity to a chocolate chip cookie (everyone was craving cookies by the end of the session). He was making the point that "Temptation is easier to avoid than resist". If you're on a diet, it's easier to avoid the temptation by not having cookies in the house instead of trying to resist them when they are fresh out of the oven and on the kitchen counter. Same thing for remaining sexually pure; just completely avoid situations that would cause temptation instead of trying to resist it once it's already there.
All of the other talks were great as well, but I didn't want to make this post too long so I just shared my favorite bits & pieces.
And now a shout out to my girl
Thank you so much for becoming a follower of my blog! You are an awesome roommate and great friend. I'm really glad I got to know you and I'm so excited to live with you again next year. More good times ahead :) Thanks again!!
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