For the Young Women

"Be ye clean, that bear the vessels of the Lord," Isa. 52:11 (D&C 38:42; D&C 133:5).



Last night, I had an interesting dream and felt much like Nebuchadnezzar wishing I had someone like Daniel to interpret my dream.  But at 3am I woke up (wide awake) and kept thinking about the dream and only could think of how to get back to sleep.  I sent an email to a friend that popped into my head and asked how she was doing with her new baby and went back to bed.  And this morning I remembered the dream and figured out something...

First, the dream...

Scene 1: I was a leader at Girl's Camp and some of the Young Women (YW) were playing with hot coals.  The girls started throwing them onto a garden with their bare hands.  The other leaders were laughing. 

Scene 2: I was giving a talk in Sacrament meeting about gossip and explaining a Mormon Ad that I'd seen with hands holding a glop of oil.  I was telling people that when you pass gossip you don't have clean hands everyone just keeps getting dirty and that when you do bad things your hands stay dirty unless you repent. 

Scene 3:  I was back at Girl's Camp and everyone was having a party.  They'd made multi-flavored crepes (chocolate, coconut, vanilla, strawberry) and put coconut rice inside and a gentleman said "These are for Almond Beach!" 

Scene 4:  I confront the YW leaders about their laughing.  And I ask them "If you knew none of these girls were going to be in the Celestial Kingdom, what would you tell them right now to change that?"  and I was getting choke up and starting to cry, but asked "If you knew that all of them would have to pass threw sorrow and get their hands dirty and be scarred, persecuted, or spiritually burned in this life to earn their seat in the Celestial Kingdom, what would you tell them so they would endure?" 

Scene 5:  I'm in Utah with my sisters-in-law and we're chatting about one-piece bathing suits and working out to actually desire to be seen in a bathing suit.  Then, I decide that I really would prefer swimming in a dress than a bathing suit.

Then...I wake up!

I thought of all the things that I'd want to tell my own daughter now so that she knows the importance of Heavenly Father's plan and returning to Him is vital.  I'd want her to know that Jesus Christ can resolve her pain and her sin through the Atonement and Resurrection's power and she can be saved and at the very least have her burdens lightened so she can endure them.  And although she'll have trials, temptations, challenges and joys, her scarred, weary and tired hands will be clean by her obedience to the counsel of the Prophets, Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost and her own divine inspirations. 

That's what I'd want all women to know...that you aren't going to have an easy life.  Most of you are not going to be rich or famous or rid of struggles, but YOU CAN HAVE JOY NOW in knowing that every good choice will keep your hands clean and ready to meet your loving Father in Heaven!

"[She] that hath clean hands and a pure heart shall ascend unto the hill of the Lord," Ps. 24:3–5