Sister Nelson ~ Notes (Long)

So, today I had the opportunity to hear Wendy Watson Nelson speak! She was IN. Credible! I enjoyed it so much that I am going to post my notes in hopes that you too might glean something from her words and thoughts.

"Spiritual Preparation for Times of Tribulation"

I am not the teacher today, the Holy Ghost is, so I invite you to have the Spirit with you regardless of what I say. She then told a story about when she was 24 and engaged. She said she has made it a goal and challenged us to also make it a goal to not "waste General Conference" to go with a question in our hearts. She was wondering if it was the right thing to do to marry this man she was engaged to. She said that EVERY talk was on marriage and that when Conference was over she knew she was NOT to marry this man. She went straight to the phone and broke the engagement. She said that years later she was asked to speak on marriage and she KNEW exactly where to go to get direction ~ the Conference talks of April 1974! So, she looked it up and NOT ONE talk was on marriage. Again, she reiterated the fact that if you decide to listen to conference this way.... "What is the one question I need most to have answered at General Conference" HE will answer you. Again, the Spirit is what teaches... like she said at the beginning of her talk, the Spirit is what teaches regardless of what she says.

She went on to say that the Lord's time is not our time.... it wasn't until 32 years later (to the month) that she got married ~ To Elder Nelson!!!

She said if you can't think of a specific question to watch for at Conference, to Pray to know what to pray for! THEN (loved this) she said you must do it... You don't say, "Lead me, guide me", and then say "Just kidding"!

She told a story of a lady that was called to be the Stake Camp Director. The lady that WAS the camp director was moving and they called someone else to replace her and she had to bow out (can't remember why) and so she was then called. She went to this stake meeting with all the stake YW leaders and ward YW leaders and she sat in the back thinking, "I shouldn't even be here, I was really 3rd choice" (etc, etc) and the Stake Pres. was speaking... he stopped, walked 1/2 way down the isle, called her by name and said you are right where the Lord wants you, He wants YOU and needs you where you are serving. He then turned, went back to the pulpit and continued his talk as if nothing had happened. She said, the Lord was speaking to ME ~ he let every body else listen in ~ but he was speaking to me!

Sister Nelson continued to tell us that the Lord hears our prayers and He WILL answer us!

She told us to search Alma 5 ~ the 40 questions there and see which of the questions stirs our soul...

Quote: "As the forces around us increase in intensity, whatever spiritual strength was once sufficient will not be enough."

Thought question: "How can I increase my ability to hear the voice of the Lord?"

1 Peter 5:8 "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour"

Be Sober = take it seriously! YIKES!!! BEWARE!

Sister Nelson went on to tell us of a recent trip to South Africa. They were in an open hummer going through the wild. She told of what an awesome experience it was but they were warned to make sure they did not stand up or put their arms outside the vehicle. She said that the guide had told them that they animals are used to the shape of the vehicles but if they put their arms out or stood up they would surely attack. She said a leopard walked right by the hummer and she got a picture. She put the picture up on Power Point. (None of these pictures are hers, sorry) She said he was so close she could reach out and touch it! She told us that the very next day it was reported that a tour guide was attacked by a leopard and killed!

Sometimes we don't even realize how dangerous of a situation we are in!

She said, "The Power of a Question... Do they INVITE the Spirit or do they OFFEND the Spirit?"

Then she showed a picture of a locked gate.

When we are faced with a problem do we ask, "Why me?", "Why do I always have to_____", or "Why does she always get to _____?"

This only leads to Doubt, Discouragement, Depression, and/or Despair.

She said that Jeffery Holland, in a CES Broadcast, said that when we have self pity (a pity party) the Holy Ghost cannot come...

She said, "If the Lord could of made it more difficult for Abraham, He would have."

Sister Nelson said that some questions open up our minds.

"What can I do to learn from this trial?" "What can I do so that I will be MORE of my true self through this trial?"

She said she wishes there was some way that we could watch just 10 minutes of our Premortal DVD so we could remember who we were, who we stood by, and what we did!

What IS on my (or your) DVD?

What is on my "Things to do while on earth" list?

She challenged us to pray, fast and go to the temple over these questions! (LOVE that idea!)

MAKE TIME to get to your "Things to do on earth list"!!!!

Look at 1 Nephi 15:27 "And I said unto them that the water which my father saw as filthiness: and so much was his mind swallowed up in other things that he beheld not the filthiness of the water"!!!!

Did you read that??? His mind was on OTHER things... NOT the filth of the water...

Are our minds on OTHER things... are we consuming the filth of the world?

(One cute thing... she said we as women have a GREAT influence on our husband... on our children... and NO it is NOT nagging! It is "repetitive encouragement"!!!)

Things that we do on a daily basis.... Whose agenda is "THIS" supporting? (video, dress, music)

She said to pray to have the Holy Ghost as our constant companion and THEN picture Him right by your side all day long! "When I pray for and picture the Holy Ghost, the third member of the Godhead, being right by my side, what am I naturally drawn to say or do, or NOT say and do?"

(Do not have one conversations with ANYONE without the Holy Ghost)

She challenged some women to do this for a time (I can't remember how long, I want to say 21 days???) and they said the 1st thing they wanted to do was to clean their homes...)

She told of a conversation she once had with a Patriarch. She asked him, "How do you prepare to give a blessing?" He told her that he starts by vacuuming the room.

She said that a stake pres. once told her that when they have a disciplinary council they make sure there is not one extra chair in the room, not one extra piece of paper... they CLEAN the room first!

She then showed us a picture of a barn...She drove by a barn once that had THREE words on the side of it... She asked us to think, what would these 3 words be for US?

The barn had in large letters across the roof.... NOT EVEN ONCE.

She has ONE nephew. She asked herself what she could do to make sure that he had a good life. She decided (he was 6) that she would promise him 100 silver dollars if he would keep the Word of Wisdom. She told him that she would check with him every year and if he did NOT partake ~ NOT EVEN ONCE by the time he was 18 years old she would pay him. Every year on his Birthday she would ask him, "Brad, have you ever smoked a cigarette?" (he was 7) He said no. The following year she asked him, "Brad, have you drank a cup of coffee?" He said no. And on it went... When he turned 18, she once again asked him and he said, "No. Not even once." So, she wrote "Word of Wisdom" with the silver dollars and took his picture with it and gave him the picture and the money. (I loved this!!!)

What am I willing to commit to the Lord ~ NOT EVEN ONCE?

She challenged us to take ONE question to the scriptures DAILY every 30 days.

Kneel down, thank our Father for the scriptures, ask your question, and then open them and READ. Journal your question and the date and when you get your question write down where you found it. Do this every 30 days. She did warn, that it might be interesting... when you go back and look, the scripture angels might change the scripture you found it in, they always do! (like her conference when she was told not to marry ~ remember... ALL of the talks were on marriage ~ NOT.)

The scriptures are an answer book! Wear your scripture lenses.Sister Nelson then put up a picture of her niece (I THINK it was her niece, I didn't write down what relative, sorry!!! This is NOT her niece, just a pic I found on Flickr!)

She told of this sweet little girl that is 3 year and 10 month old. She can NOT read. BUT, she always gets her scriptures out and "reads" them. And she marks them. And she writes about them. Sister Nelson asked her what she wrote and this is what she "read" to her that she "wrote" (I copied this from her power point)

"And he spoke unto me, and he talked to me

And his apostles returned and he died.

And he listens to me and he loves me

And he was the truth of God

And he gave me everything I needed

And he was done."

When we gaze into Heaven...

When we ask...

When we truly want to know...

We will be answered.