We can do hard things

The following thoughts may be a bit disjointed, but some how, one thought led to the next, and somehow they are all connected in my brain, hopefully you can see the connection and not get lost in the process.

On Saturday we attended the World Wide Leadership Training of the church. It was wonderful, and if you didn't have a chance to attend you can view it here.

During the training they shared this video.(The one from the training was a little different you can view it here starting at 24:00)

It made me cry, as it does every time that I watch it. But it brought to my memory another Mormon Messages video that I watched recently that moved me greatly.

Elder Holland is talking to the young men, but all he says can easily be applied to the young women as well. His words "You must be ready and worthy to act" has stuck in my mind since I first saw this video. It is one of my  greatest desires as a mother, that my children will be ready and worthy to act, in what ever situation they find themselves. That in that day when "lightning strikes" they will know to whom they must turn for strength and guidance. They will be ready, they will have already made those hard choices in their hearts and in their minds, and they will be able to press forward in righteousness.

A few weeks ago I finished reading Tennis Shoes Among the Nephites with Kathryn and Tansley. In those last chapters as the three youngsters are preparing to make their journey back to their own time, the Prophet Helaman councils them with these words
"Your visit to this people has been a very wonderful gift. It was meant to prepare your minds and hearts for the great struggle of the last days. The Lord has told me that the last generation before his final coming will consist of his choicest children since the creation of the earth. But you will face a world filled with much pain and evil. Men like Amalickiah will gain great power over God's children. You such as yourselves, will have a great responsibility to build up a pure and undefiled people in the midst of all this pain."
 I know these are fictitious words written by the author, however they provided me with a teaching moment for my children. I told them that the choice generation that was mentioned included them. They are among Heavenly Fathers most righteous spirit children, and they were saved for this day, when things will be hard. But Heavenly Father knew that they could handle it. He knew they would have the strength to do hard things. I told them to always remember that, especially when things feel to hard or when it seems impossible. Remember, Heavenly Father know you can. You can do it. Don't ever forget it.
Yesterday, I was asked to do a hard thing. I had to remind myself that I was among this choice generation. That Heavenly Father knows that I can do these hard things. Just like Spencer from the first video, I have learned, in times past, that I can do hard things. I can do this.