8 Ways to Discover Your Part in the Ongoing Restoration
By Emily Carolynn Baker
In his October 2020 General Conference talk entitled Sisters in Zion, President Henry B. Eyring quoted President Russel M. Nelson saying: “It would be impossible to measure the influence that…women have…as wives, mothers, and grandmothers; as sisters and aunts; as teachers and leaders; and especially as exemplars and devout defenders of the faith.
“This has been true in every gospel dispensation since the days of Adam and Eve. Yet the women of this dispensation are distinct from the women of any other because this dispensation is distinct from any other. This distinction brings both privileges and responsibilities.”
Do you know what makes you distinct?
Do you know the privileges and responsibilities you have as a woman living in the Latter-days?
In April 2020 General Conference, Elder Legrand R. Curtis Jr. said, “The Restoration began in the Sacred Grove 200 years ago and continues today—and you and I can be part of it.”
At the time I didn’t think too much of it. But as the year went on and grew to a close, I realized that whole year had been a year in which God was guiding me to the truth of my part in the Ongoing Restoration.
Sometimes these ideas can feel heavy and burdensome to carry.
I do not believe they were meant to.
Of course effort is required.
Of course there will be challenges.
Of course there will be gut-wrenching, crying-on-the-bathroom-floor moments.
That does not take away from the AND.
The last days will be challenging AND there will be support like never before on both sides of the veil.
The last days will be dark AND the light will shine ever brighter.
The last days will be filled with moments of despair AND there will still be hope.
One of the thoughts that has brought me great comfort in the moments when tasks before me seem impossible came from a worldwide devotional by President Nelson back in 2016 entitled Becoming True Millennials.
In this talk he shares how we were prepared & taught before we came to earth. He said:
“You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you would encounter during this latter part of these latter days. That teaching endures within you!”
I was reminded of this message when President Eyring shared in his most recent talk entitled Sisters in Zion this quote:
“Sisters, you were given the blessing of becoming daughters of God with special gifts. YOU BROUGHT WITH YOU into mortal life a spiritual capacity to nurture others and to lift them higher toward the love a purity that will qualify them to live together in a Zion society…
“…I testify that you are citizens of the Lord’s kingdom on the earth. You are daughters of a loving Heavenly Father (and Heavenly Mother), who SENT YOU INTO THE WORLD WITH UNIQUE GIFTS THAT YOU PROMISED TO USE TO BLESS OTHERS.”
In those moments when I look at my life, look at what I have accomplished and seemingly see little to encourage me in my ability to accomplish all that I feel has been placed upon me, I trust in the fact that my education & preparation did not begin with this life.
And that as I move forward with faith, those rememberings and knowledge will come and can be called upon to carry me through some of life’s greatest challenges.
So how do we go about discovering the part we promised to play and get to work in fulfilling it? President Nelson and Sister Sharon Eubank both share 8 things we can do. To begin, from President Nelson:
1. Learn Who You Really Are. “Take time to think prayerfully about these facts: You are an elect son or daughter of God. You are created in His image. You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you…You are living in the “eleventh hour”. The Lord has declared that this is the last time that he will call laborers into His vineyard to gather the elect from the four quarters of the earth. And you were sent to participate in this gathering…This is part of your identity and your purpose as the seed of Abraham.”
2. Expect and Prepare to Accomplish the Impossible. “God has always asked His covenant children to do difficult things. Because you are covenant-keeping daughters of God living in the latter part of these latter days, the Lord will ask you to do difficult things. You can count on it- Abrahamic tests did not stop with Abraham.”
3. Learn How to Access the Power of Heaven. “You too will learn best by asking inspired questions…Begin by spending more time in holy places…make your apartment, your dorm, your home, or your room a holy place where you can safely retreat from the dark distractions of the world. Prayer is key. Pray to know what to sop doing and what to start doing.”
Then from Sister Eubank:
4. Be Righteous. “Being righteous doesn’t mean being perfect or never making a mistake it means developing an inner connection with God, repenting of our sins and mistakes, and freely helping others…Women who have repented change the course of history.”
5. Be Articulate. “Being articulate means to clearly express how you feel about something and why…” In a world that seems to have somehow managed to become even more decisive and divided how wise these words from four years ago feel today.
6. Be Different. “Innovation and creation are spiritual gifts. When we keep our covenants, it may make us different from others in our culture and society, but it gives us access to inspiration so we can think of different solutions, different approaches, different applications. We aren’t always going to fit in with the world, but being different in positive ways can be a lifeline to others who are struggling.”
7. Be Distinct. “Distinct means to be recognizably well defined. The restored gospel is recognizably well defined. But we have to be distinct about how we follow it.”
8. Be Righteous, Articulate, Different, and Distinct in Happy Ways. “Being happy doesn’t mean to slap a plastic smile on your face no matter what is going on. But it does mean keeping the laws of God and building and lifting others.” Quoting President Gordon B. Hinckley she goes on to say “You don’t… build out of pessimism or cynicism. You look with optimism, work with faith, and things happen.”
Together this knowledge that I have a work to do, that I was prepared pre-mortally, and that there are specific ways I can go about fulfilling this work. I am filled with enthusiasm and excitement, instead of simply fear and dread, as I look forward towards the remainder of these last days.
Sisters we have a work to do. As President Monson put it, “My dear sisters, THIS is YOUR day, THIS is YOUR time.”
Emily is a Trained Life Coach Specializing in Leadership & Navigating Spiritual Journeys. You can find out more about her passions, inspiration, and work on Instagram by following @i.am.emily.carolynn.baker and/or @sistersleadingzion