Sheri Dew Infuence for Good

Sheri Dew Multi Stake R.S. Conference 4/24/10

Let me just start out by saying this was a great conference. I have heard Sheri Dew speak in person several times. They were at places like Time out for Women. This was so much different and better and as her talk even hit upon it was because of the difference of being asked to talk for an event and one with a priesthood brethren presiding. I was asked to take notes and share so here it is. I took a lot of notes. I missed a lot but I will try to make it coherent.

Regardless of what is said at any meeting it is the spirit that translates to us what we need, and need to hear. She commended the righteous members of our stake leaders. Priesthood is what holds the keys that unlock the flow of power to our stake. It is important to know that we are members of the restored gospel who have men who have keys to access power to fulfill the restoration. We have access to these powers as sisters. Through the priesthood brethren and through the temple. Once on a trip to another country for some auxiliary training meetings she traveled with the area authority and someone from the YW presidency. They were going to separate locations. Sister Dew to teach the R.S. in one stake center and the other sister to another stake center to instruct the Y.W. leaders of the area. It was decided that the area authority would go with the Y.W. leader. Sister Dew was worried and asked who would be presiding over the meeting. The area authority said not to worry as there would be several stake presidents there. When she arrived she found that no stake president was assigned to preside over the meeting and none were willing to step forward. (not wanting to put themselves before another) It was the worst training meeting she had ever been to. It was as if her mouth was stopped. That is what happens when proper channels haven’t been organized and under the authority of one who holds the keys.

There is a book published in 1877 called The women of Mormondom by Tallmage. In one section of this book Eliza R. Snow talks about what occurred to her and her family during the extermination order. That bitter cold December they were driven from their homes. On the way to safety they stopped at a way station. Now this way station was a log building of 20 x 20. The chinks between the logs had long been removed and used as fuel. In the swirling shivering cold weather 80 people where standing shoulder to shoulder the entire night hoping to get some relief from the elements and rest. A fire was in one end (opposite the Snow’s location) They made room so their aging mother could sit while the others stood guard to protect her from being stepped on. It was so cold their food was frozen and they were unable to eat anything. They spent a long restless night in this manner. In the morning Eliza went out as fires were starting to be built so as to thaw out some food to eat. As she went outside she realized that all the men had stayed huddled outside around a fire as to let the women and children have the shelter. The next statement was most profound. Eliza stated “ But all in all that was a very merry night” Why are we here? What does it mean to live so we can say “it was a very merry night.”

We are each here for a mission and things for us to fulfill. Life is filled with pain, work, suffering, unfairness. Yet we need to show Heavenly Father that we care more about our mission and what we should do next. Maybe even to be here with less pay because that is what our mission is. (Ok this part made me smile because when we prayed to decide if we should move to Cedar City it was to come to a place unknown to us and for less pay. Our friends in WA could not understand why we would willingly move somewhere several states away and take a pay cut. )

When Sheri was growing up she lived in a small community in Kansas. Her Grandmother took her everywhere. She would go with her early to church to clear up the mess (beer bottles, cigarette buts) for church that morning. (even in this stale cigarette smelling hall the strong feeling of the spirit were always there at their meetings) She ran errands with her Grandmother and idolized her in everyway. One Sunday they drove to the next town for stake conference. During conference the Primary children were to come up and sing. Sheri (about 9) was a very shy child and when they called them up she felt rooted to the spot. Her younger brother went up but she could not move. After the conference was over her Grandmother who was on the stand made a straight be line for Sheri. Her grandmother asked her why she did not sing. She then said, “Well I was really disappointed in you.” Now that was crushing to Sheri who thought the world of her Grandmother. Her Grandmother died when Sheri was 11. Yet she was such and example that Sheri spent her life living so her Grandmother would not be disappointed in anything she did. Her Grandmother always made her feel as if she could do anything and she was not about to disappoint her again. How would you measure her Grandmothers influence? She never knew her grand daughter would grow up to be someone who would have the opportunity to be such an influence on so many. This is just one Grandmothers influence on one person.

A very conservative estimate is that each person has influence on 100 people. Neighbors, ward members, work, family, extended family. These are the people we have constant interactions with. Now in this conference there are about 2,500 individuals. If each of us influences a 100 that in just this group is 250,000 who can be influenced. These good brethren on the stand if I asked them who had the most influence on them they would more then likely say their wives. The most influential people in someone’s life is their WIFE and MOTHER. Both of these roles are filled by women. Men can deal with corporations and large groups. Women excel in one on one contact. It is this one on one contact where life changing influence takes place. Heavenly Father gave his sons and daughters each talents, gifts, and strengths. He then sent us here to use and fulfill our mission.

Sheri’s great niece is 3 a sunbeam. Her sunbeam teacher has taught these children the importance of reading the scriptures. This 3 year old came home from church proclaiming that she needed the scriptures read to her every night. Not just a bit but she makes sure she gets the whole chapter in. What influence has that primary teacher had on this child? Not only the child but through her, her parents. This is all from one teacher and just one child in her class.

We are here at this time because we each have a mission to fulfill. Satan knows this and is trying to derail us. Not in just sin but to take us just a bit off the path, to discourage us, to make us defensive. If Satan wanted to lead us astray he would only need to work on 4 things to get us going on the wrong path.
1- Get us to criticize and judge others.
2- Confuse us about our identity and who we are.
3- Keep us from understanding what the Savior did to atone for us and make it so we can’t/ don’t use the atonement.
4-Keep us from hearing the word of the Lord and how Heavenly Father feels about us.

1- Women are more inclined to gossip judge criticize. We are nurturing and caring and the adversary neutralizes these gifts by getting us to judge and criticize. In the R.S. minutes from Nauvoo there were 6 times that Joseph Smith came to give a lecture. In each of those instances he always admonished the sisters to be nice. He said to put a double watch over the tongue. The tongue is an unruly member and put a hold on it. Take notice of any moment where your hold is not on.

2- Since the day Adam and Eve prophets have been talking of the last days. Would Heavenly Father take a chance in sending women he couldn’t count on at the last days? Cannon stated that Heavenly Father held and reserved daughters to the latter days that would be courageous, determined, and fearless in building up Zion. We are here to make life changes despite weakness and insecurity. If you do not know of Heavenly Fathers esteem and worth read D&C 138 and Abraham chapter 3. Read ponder and prayerfully approach the lord if YOU have a mission and how he feels about you. As you see your self as a daughter of God temptations will fall to the side. We are daughters of a God “Don’t mess with us!” This is what we do how we live. We love the Lord, make mistakes but we keep going. This only comes through the ministering of the spirit. (It was here that I thought how wonderful it would be to have my teenage daughters and myself to start this challenge together and how much it would give my girls to have that knowledge of Heavenly Fathers love and plan for them)

3-Sheri talked about a tragedy in her life that sent her in a deep depression. It was horrible but through that she came out with a understanding of the atonement. I have come to heal the heart of the brokenhearted. The atonement is a doctrine of healing. Heal weakness, sadness & pain. Ether 12:27 The Savior is there to heal strengthen when we could never do it without his help. If you have never felt this power try it. Take your sadness, weakness to him. Even when circumstances don’t change the lord can heal your heart and pain.

4-The language or vocabulary of revelation is in the scriptures. 3 Nephi 14:7 Ask and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. The scriptures teach how to approach the Lord and feel the Holy Ghost. We should diligently seek to know how he speaks to us :what to pray for, how to understand when the spirit is speaking to you.

If we help each other, seek a personal witness of who we are and that Jesus is the Christ and seek to feel the spirit we will be able to do the things we were sent here to do. We are not here by chance but because Heavenly Father needs us her new. We must diligently try to be what the Lord wants us to be. I testify that ours is a God of miracles, love, power, healing, peace, hope and that angels do minister. We were sent here to do the job only Latter-day Saint Women can do.

Any mistakes were by me and my notes. :) Debra Stowell