Whate'er Thou Art

So, this weekend is one of my favorites of the year. Not only is it Easter Sunday, but it is General Conference. General Conference is a semi-annual gathering of all members of the LDS faith from around the world where we hear from leaders of our church, people that God directs today. There are 4 different sessions of conference that are two hours each, two sessions on Saturday and two on Sunday. What a better way to celebrate the Resurrection of the Savior of the World than to hear from His chosen servants today?!

Just wanted to share with you a quick experience from conference a few years ago that changed my life.

The year 2013 was an eventful year for me. I had 3 trips to the ER (which broke my clean streak of never having gone before), spent a month in a wheelchair, and went on a semester study abroad trip to Spain. There were many unbelievable blessings that came from that year: so many unexpected tender mercies that I could have never imagined, so much outpouring of love from Heavenly Father and from those around me, and so many incredible opportunities that I had never before had. But at the beginning of that year, my immediate future did not seem to have much promise.

I was in my 9th semester of college, with at least a year left to go. Life seemed so mundane and dull. The purpose I had had 6 months previous--serving as a missionary for my church bringing people to the Savior every day-- was gone. Most of my dear friends had graduated and moved away while I was on my mission and I was still stuck in school. Now, my life wasn’t horrible by any means. I was living a comfortable life with all my basic needs met. Yet I was stuck in the routine-ness and doldrums of life without much promise for change.

So I began watching conference with some concerns on my mind. One of those concerns was how I could find greater hope and faith in my future. In the very first session, I found the answer I was looking for. Sister Elaine S. Dalton, who at the time was the leader of all young women of the church ages 12-18, gave a talk entitled “We Are Daughters of our Heavenly Father”. One phrase that she spoke pierced my soul. It was “Whate’er thou art, act well thy part”.

Elaine Dalton is one of the most enthusiastic people that I know. She always seems happy and full of hope. Yet in this talk, she shared of a time when she was young and discouraged after her father had passed away. When she was travelling through Europe, she saw a stone carved with the phrase I mentioned before-- “Whate’er thou art, act well thy part”.

Here are her words:

That simple statement renewed my vision that Heavenly Father knew me and had a plan for my life, and the spirit I felt helped me understand that my part mattered…

As [children] of God we are each unique and different in our circumstances and experiences. And yet our part matters—because we matter. Our daily contributions of nurturing, teaching, and caring for others may seem mundane, diminished, difficult, and demeaning at times, and yet as we remember that first line in the Young Women theme—“We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us”—it will make all the difference in our relationships and our responses.

Did you see that?! She talked about life being “mundane” and “diminished”. She talked about life contributions seeming “demeaning” at times—the exact feelings that I had at the time. Yet she realized that no matter what we do, OUR PART MATTERS. WE MATTER.

I had no idea what was to come, both the trials and the blessings. I had no idea that my life was about to change from being simply mundane to being filled with great adventure. But I knew then in that moment, that what I was doing was so important. I had renewed hope that I had influence over those around me. I remembered who I was. I began sharing my testimony with others more and trying to be a light to others.

I know these simple words were given to me, not only from Elaine Dalton, but from Heavenly Father. He knew what I was going through. He knew where I had been, and where I was going. And He wanted to prepare me for what was to come. The saying “Whate’er thou art, act well thy part” became a motto for my life at that time. And then, a month later, when I fell off of a 30 foot cliff and my way of life changed drastically as my body recovered, I knew without a doubt, that the Lord knew who I was and that this accident was all part of His plan. I knew He had protected me and kept me alive or a reason.  I knew that I needed to “act well my part” and to experience the recovery process gracefully. During that time, I felt so strongly that the Savior of the World was strengthening me—small, insignificant me—through His Atonement. I knew that my part mattered and that I mattered.

I promise that the Lord knows you. He knows you intimately. And He speaks to His servants today. This weekend, I invite you to take time to listen to the words spoken by Prophets, Apostles, and other leaders He has chosen. The words will be given to you as if from the Lord Himself. Go with concerns. Go with questions. He will answer them. He will guide you. He will comfort you.

I know that He is real and I know He Lives.