August 23rd, 2006- Sacrament Meeting Talk

We were asked to speak in our Gainesville Ward recently. This would be our first talks in this Gainesville Ward. We were excited and a little nervous- especially me (Kaley)! We were asked to speak on President Hinckley's talk "A prayer and and counsel for the Youth". Here President Hinckley lists "6 B's" that the youth should strive to be more like. But these principles really apply to all of us... be clean, be smart, be grateful, be prayful, be true, and be humble.

I spoke on humility and being truthful and here is a little excerpt from that "True humility will inevitably lead us to say to God, “Thy will be done.” And because what we are does affect what we do, our submissiveness will be reflected in our reverence, gratitude, and willingness to accept callings, counsel, and correction.
The more humble we are the more willing we accept our callings and magnify them. The more willing we are to ask for counsel and then actually follow that counsel. And the more willing we are to recognize our own mistakes and make the corrections necessary to get back on the right track."

President Hinckley talks to the youth about pride and I think it applies to everyone:
“There is no place for arrogance in our lives. There is no place for conceit. There is no place for egotism. We have a great work to do. We have things to accomplish.”
D&C 112:10: The Lord has said, “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers”

To be true to ourselves means being an example of righteous living in all situations and circumstances.
President Howard W. Hunter, spoke on this same subject in the May 1990 Ensign and said: “ Ultimately, what our Father in Heaven will require of us is more than a contribution; it is a total commitment, a complete devotion, all that we are and all that we can be.
He continues…Please understand that I do not speak only of a commitment to the Church and its activities. I speak more specifically of a commitment that is shown in our individual behavior, in our personal integrity, in our loyalty to home and family and community, as well as to the Church. "
Example of being true and faithful in my life:

My mother who converted to the church when she was a young woman, even though her family opposed it.
My great- great grandfather- who listened to the missionaries back in 1898 and is recorded as saying, “For the first time in my life I have heard the truth”.

John spoke on being smart, clean, and prayful:

"STORY of Family: President Hinckley emphasized the importance of education and continually learning. My parents were strong supporters of education and learning. They wanted us to perform well in school, and it was their own time that was sacrificed to accomplish this. More time than the average parents. I am the 16th of 17 kids, all from the same mother and father. My Mom's daily school routine was 5 shifts of breakfast (seminary, my dad, middle school, elementary, and preschool). Afternoons and evening were spent coordinating activities, overseeing homework completion, and just keeping track of all of the kids. Luckily, by the time I came around, they were a little bit more relaxed and didn’t see too many of my report cards. My parent's examples really helped me understand this principle... the of the importance of being engaged in learning. "

Learning is a spiritual and practical matter that trains the mind and body. It is a refining process. President Hinckley said this about learning, “[Learning] is something that need never stop. No matter how old we become, we can acquire knowledge and use it. We can gather wisdom and profit from it. We can grow and progress and improve- and, in the process, strengthen the lives of those within our circle of influence.”

Just a few little clips from our talks. You all missed some good preaching!