Hello ladies! Sister Naumann has asked that we share the notes that Sister Lynae Thompson, a RS president in the Stake, took down during the recent Stake Women's Conference when our surprise speaker was Sister Dibb.
Here are her notes - enjoy! It was a wonderful conference!
"The special speaker was Sister Ann Dibb, 2nd Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency and also the daughter of President Thomas S. Monson. She was very humorous and engaging and it was a treat to listen to her. I am almost unsure of how to approach this email because I jotted down so many little things that meant something to me, but I think for the sake of making sense…I’ll try to stick to what I felt were the main ‘themes’ of what she talked about.
Sister Dibb said that a major drawback in life is our fears; fear of failure. Heavenly Father wants us to learn what he feels. That is one of the blessings of becoming parents, so we can know that we are able to love so greatly. She quoted Kevin Costner as saying “People are so afraid of feeling that they don’t even want to try.” She thought it was a wise & true statement and that we shouldn’t want to live life that way. She read us a children’s story book calledThe Girl Who Never Made Mistakes by Mark Pett and Gary Rubinstein. Check it out from the library when you can. (But you might have to wait until I return the copy we’re using. J) You might think it odd or silly that she read from a children’s book, but to me it was actually very thought provoking and touching, especially the way she read it and with the spirit of the meeting. I’ll admit it, I was in tears by the end, definitely in part because I realized that I have too often in life been ruled by my fear of failures or the fear of the unknown. Sister Dibb questioned us, “What are some of the mistakes that we are so afraid of making?” and we discussed several things that audience members shared. She said, “Sometimes we make mistakes so we will never repeat them again.” And she also urged us to think, “If He can forgive me, then I can forgive myself.”
The girl in the story she read us juggles, and at one point she juggles eggs. Sister Dibb compared that to our lives…there are many eggs that we juggle and often we don’t want them to fall because we are afraid of the consequences if they break. “But sometimes they do fall – and it’s okay.” Sister Dibb asked us what we are juggling? And she shared a nice idea of how to gain perspective those times we feel overwhelmed with our juggling act. She said that sometimes she writes two lists; one with all her worries, to-do’s and things she feels she needs to juggle and then she writes one with all her blessings, what she has accomplished and the good things she has done. She then tears up the ‘bad’ list so she is only left with the ‘good’ list that she can visibly see.
Another main theme she talked quite a bit about was keeping the commandments. She said that the “For the Strength of Youth booklet has no age limit. It is for all of us. Keeping the commandments is key for any of us.” She talked about how the commandments are all about relationships; the first 4 are about a relationship with God and the rest are about relationships with others. “Lives and relationships are shattered when the commandments are broken.” She said that the scripture, “If ye love me keep my commandments” works both ways…for parents honoring children or for children honoring parents. It seemed to me that she couldn’t stress enough the importance of us keeping those basic commandments and the good that it would bring to our lives.
Here are some of my other notes that I thought were great thoughts:
“How do we find peace, assurance and love? We look to Heavenly Father and look to His Son’s example and strive to emulate Him. Then we do our best and realize the Lord knows our heart. Don’t let your fears keep you from moving forward or from trying. We need to put aside our fears and think about who we are trying to please? Our Heavenly Father. Not everyone else. And as we do so we will feel of His peace, love and assurance that all is well and He will accept of our sacrifices.”
“We don’t get to pick and chose the various challenges in life. But we do get to chose how we will face them – with faith.”
“Every prayer isn’t answered and that is not a reflection on a person’s faith. It is a reflection on the Lord’s will.”
She said that sometimes the voice she hears (the Holy Ghost) says, “That would be a nice thing to do, Ann.” So she will do it, sometimes with unexpected or surprising consequences. And often that is how the Lord answers individual prayers – through the service of others.
She closed her talk by speaking about her parents and sharing a little insight into their lives. It was very touching. Both of her parents will be 85 this year and she says that “it is not easy, and yet they go forward.” She knows that her mother has been preserved in this life because her father needs her. She shared some stories about a few difficulties they have been through and included a little story of her mother, Francis, straightening President Monson’s suspender strap before an important event because she didn’t like the little bulge it made under his suit coat. Sister Dibb said, “That is what she has done her whole life – looked for how she can help him be better and do what he needs to do.” I was very touched by that and it made me realize how much more I could be doing in my own marriage to help my husband be better and do what he needs to do.
It was so neat to attend the conference and see so many women from our ward there. It was a wonderful turnout. I don’t think there were any open seats left. I’m so glad that I took notes, not only to help me remember my thoughts and feelings, but also so I could share some with you. I’m grateful to our Stake Relief Society Presidency for arranging such a lovely and meaningful event for us. And I hope that we can all move forward with faith, even in spite of our fears."