We visited my sister's ward to hear my niece give her very first talk in Sacrament. She just turned 12 in June. She was so excited to speak in Sacrament! I think she was asked to speak on a Wednesday and had her talk completely written on Thursday. Thankfully, she did not get my procrastination gene. :-)
Here is her talk:
"I was asked to give a talk about how education is important to life.
Well we should always work to educate our minds and our hands so we can succeed in our chosen fields. Our education should be an influence for good and our use of it should distinguish us as people of integrity. A good education will prepare us for opportunities as they come and will help us be an asset to our families, the Church, and our communities.
In chapter 130 D&C: 18–19 it reads, Whatever principle of intelligence we attain unto in this life, it will rise with us in the resurrection.
And if a person gains more knowledge and intelligence in this life through his diligence and obedience than another, he will have so much the advantage in the world to come.
If you’re now a teenager, people have probably stopped asking you what you want to be when you grow up and have started asking you much harder questions like “Are you going to college?” “Are you prepared to take the standardized tests you need for admission?” “What are you going to study?” “Have you thought about internships or trade schools?”
If all those questions make you want to scream and run away from getting more education, that’s normal. Your education and career choices are a big deal, but preparation can take the fear out of making those big decisions. So don’t run away just yet.
Shanna Butler told a story in the New Era, Nov. 2004 and it says: Elder L. Tom Perry, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has said, “It is never too early to determine the direction you want to prepare yourself for. Don’t wait until you register for college to decide what you want to study.” Christian McConner-Hughes is 17 and just got accepted to BYU in Idaho. He wants to study Japanese and become an interpreter. He’s been a part of the Chicago Illinois Stake’s mentoring program for a few months. He’s a good student but Christian needed to catch up a little on his physics homework, so he signed up for a program to help him right away. Christian has also prepared for his future by attending seminary. Craig Nelson, who is responsible for the career counseling center at LDS Business College, says, “Seminary and institute provide a great rounding to your education that you can’t get any other way.” Education in both spiritual and academic things is a great way to prepare for the future. You also need to be financially prepared. “You have to look realistically at how you are going to pay for your education,” Brother Nelson says. “The money does not appear magically. but careful planning and faith can carry you through your education and your career. President Boyd K. Packer, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said, “We encourage our youth in every country to get an education. Even if at times it seems hopeless. With determination and faith in the Lord, you will be blessed with success. It is a dream well worth pursuing. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen."
I think that only the first two paragraphs were in her own words, but she did a wonderful job with her presentation! She didn't even seem nervous to be up on the stand or at the pulpit. It was a very proud moment for her and her family.
The other special reason for a visit to my sister's ward was to witness the ordination of my nephew to the office of Priest. Another proud moment for my sister and her family.
What a good looking 16 year old!
Here are a couple of other pics from the day.
2 comments:
What a wonderful talk for such a young lady! I really like the phrase "we should work to educate...our hands." I've never heard that phrase before but it really stood out to me.
Also, tell Jeff he's lucky he's not in the Lake Nokomis ward if he wishes to keep wearing blue shirts like that one. We just got a "talking to" on Sunday about how colored shirts are selfish and inappropriate....
Hey I had to go private on my blog because of a creepy weirdo... so please text me your email so I can send you an invitation.
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