I was honored to be able to speak at the Menifee Stake Girls Camp about being a survivor. Their theme was Survivor: Valiant, Pure and Strong. Here is what I said. I should have some pictures to follow shortly.
Hello, My name is Laurel Taylor. I am the camp director for
Menifee Lakes Ward. This week at camp we learned about being survivors. We did a survivor challenge, went through our
rotations and had to survive obstacles.
We had tribe names, went to tribal counsel, and had our tribal
yell. All in all, we had fun. In fact, just this morning we had to survive
the early wakeup just to get here in time to listen to this sunrise devotional.
I come to you this beautiful morning and have been asked to
speak to you about being a survivor.
I thought long and hard about what message I wanted to talk
about today. I’ve decided to talk about
what being a survivor is to me. I think being a survivor is about enduring to
the end.
Remember in the movie about Sister Stephanie Neilson said
that she thought her life was like a fairy tale and everything was just
perfect. It reminded me that I have had
that same thought about my own life.
Last November my husband and I sat across from the Stake President after
preparing to go to the temple to be sealed in our recommend interview. I remember telling President Wilson that my
life was too good to be true. We were
already married and just bought a nice house.
He had the perfect job with the Fire Dept. and I had the perfect job in
the Sheriff Dept. And were expected a baby in just a couple months. Everything was perfect, it was my own fairy
tale. Then in January that all changed. Just like Stephanie’s fairy tale
changed in one day, mine did as well.
Although her trial is not the same as mine its still a trial. In January, my husband and I lost our baby
girl Brianna. She was born 4 days before
her due date. She was in distress and
just didn’t make it through the delivery.
In one day, our fairy tale changed.
The YCL’s made some fleece blankets during their service
project for a nonprofit organization I started called Blankets for
Brianna. This organization definitely has
been a help to me in the months since her birth. Friends, family and strangers have donated
all different types of blankets and beanies to this cause. In the few months since Brianna was born, I
have taken blankets given to me and given them back to hospitals. We have donated over 175 blankets and over 80
beanies to 6 local hospitals and handed them out to some local chaplains to use
in their jobs too. And this is only the
beginning. These blankets will bring
comfort and love to families going through this trial. The outpouring of love and support in the
days following Brianna’s birthday amaze me even to this day. Flowers and cards have filled our home. Our emails and Facebook walls have been
bombarded. The love given to us has been
huge.
Our emotions are mixed.
We have our ups and downs. We miss our daughter every day. I wish I had heard her cry even for a
second. It’s a struggle every day to
keep going. Our faith has been given a
test and so far I hope we have passed.
While Brianna is busy in the spirit world, we are on earth. My husband and I are sealed. She was born in the covenant. She came to earth for a split second just to
get her body. And what a beautiful, perfect body it was. She looked just like
her dad. We all know little children didn’t have to be born and she has already
reached celestial glory. Now my husband
and I have to endure to the end to return to our Heavenly Father and see
Brianna again. In a way, we have to be
survivors.
Enduring to the end is easier said than done. While on
earth, we are through daily temptations.
Having Brianna already in the celestial kingdom, it keeps me focused on
gaining that glory myself. I don’t want
to miss out on what I didn’t get a chance to do on earth- raise my daughter.
By being patient and focusing on the celestial kingdom, I
put off my worldly desires for my treasures in heaven. Without patience, we cannot please God. Patience is a purifying process that requires
understanding, deepens happiness and offers hope for peace. In D&C 121:7-8
it states, “My sons (or in our case daughters) peace by unto thy soul; thine
adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment. And then if thou
endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high.
Thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.”
In the whole scheme of things, our trials are only as this scripture
says: a small moment. If we think about
it like that, it’s not as hard to be patient.
Some of you may have heard the talk “Your Happily Ever After”
(http://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/05/your-happily-ever-after)
from President Uchtdorf. It’s a wonderful
talk. He talks about how fairy tales all
start with a “once upon a time.” Then
they all have their trials- Cinderella, Belle, Snow White. But in the end, they all had their happily
ever after. They all had to experience
adversity. Satan knows us well. He knows
where, when and how to tempt us. If we
are obedient to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, we can learn to recognize the
adversary’s enticement. Your trials
might not be as big as mine, but no matter what you need to overcome them. You need to be a survivor and stand tall in
the last days.
Heavenly Father loves us all. He knows all of us individually. Uchdorf says “If you ever feel your burden is
too great to bear, lift up your heart to your Heavenly Father and He will
uplift and bless you. Every temptation
we overcome strengthens us and teaches us.”
Enduring to the end, or remaining faithful to the laws and
ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ throughout out life is a fundamental
part of salvation in the Kingdom of God.
In D&C 14:7, the Lord says “If you keep my commandments and endure
to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest gift of all
the gifts of God.” Enduring to the end is not just getting by or hanging in
there. It is actively living the
commandments of God. Enduring to the end is a process filling every moment in
our life, every house, every day from sunrise to sunset. It is accomplished through personal
discipline and following the covenants of God.
Sometimes being patient and following the covenants of God requires
us to trust in the Lord. My last day at
work before I went out on leave to have my daughter, a coworker came up to me
to offer me some advice. She said that
even thought she isn’t married and doesn’t have any children, she had some
advice for me about my baby. Not lots of
people had already given me advice, but this woman’s words really stuck with
me. She said “Trust in your Lord.” This
is the strangest advice for having a baby I had ever heard. And to top it off this woman is of the Hindu
faith. So she believes in higher beings,
but it’s not exactly the same as our God and Lord so I thought it was
interesting that she delivered that message.
I didn’t forget that she told me to trust in the Lord, and the day
Brianna was born I help on to that phrase and trusted in him more than anything. I have spoken to her since returning to work
and I believe she followed promptings from the spirit to tell me that. This message
was the best for me and I am still trusting in the Lord and being patient as
possible. I am trying to follow his
commandments to return to him someday.
As Young Women, we are all given tools to help us endure to
the end. We have good friends, family,
scriptures, seminary, mutual, Personal Progress and the For the Strength of the
Youth Handbook. These standards and
teachings will guide you and direct you through this adventure we call
life. They will help make you the
ultimate survivor and will prepare you to make sacred covenants.
To be a survivor, you should stand for truth and
righteousness, overcome adversity, be strong, courageous, never give up and be
of good cheer.
I know this gospel will lead us all on the right path. You all have such amazing spirits and have accomplished
so much this week. Sisters, I hope you
all endure to the end and stand tall and clean through the last days. I leave you these words, in the name of Jesus
Christ, Amen.
