You know, I think I have only seen the movie Field of Dreams one time, but the saying from it "if you build it, they will come" has had a great impact on my life for the past year.
When I got put into the Relief Society Presidency of my YSA ward ten months ago, attendance at a lot of things was starting to wane. Especially Relief Society activities. As second councilor, RS activities were my duty to organize and plan and carry out. I really struggled along. I planned what everyone said they wanted to do, but less and less people showed up. I prayed for inspiration, and then one day, a flash of lightning struck my brain about the solution to both RS and Wednesday night activities. "If you build it, they will come". that was exactly my thought. But, I thought, I am already planning and carrying out the activities. what is meant by this? What was meant by it was faith. Faith is an action word. Faith cannot just be dormant or passive, it is active, it requires doing, and believing. If we wanted people to come we needed to believe in what we were doing ourselves ,and plan for twenty to show up, not the five we were getting. we did that, and now they come.
Lately our attendance at institute has been dropping and dropping. our teacher was getting discouraged, i think we all were. Again the thought entered my head "if we build it, they will come" I had the first Sunday lesson in RS class, and I felt inspired that I should teach on that. I talked with the bishop about it, and had the institute instructor come and talk with the class. I felt like I had done my best, but my faith and believe in the program didn't, to me feel like it had reached anyone in the room. I was kind of sad about it. Then my roommate gave me encouragement last night and told me one of the girls had decided she would go to institute and she shared with others at the activity some of the things the instructor had said during my lesson. A lot of people not at my lesson heard me going on about my lesson and preparations for it, and told me they would come. I started to have more faith. my faith initially was to follow the spirit and give what i saw as a very difficult lesson. I did that. Then the lord reinforced that with encouragement from my roommate.
By the time it was time for institute tonight, I felt confidant that we would fill the room (we have had 10-7 people for like the last month, we barely filled one row). I was late getting in and didn't get to help our instructor set up the desks because of a presidency meeting, but when I got there I nearly cried. She set up only three tables instead of the usual six. I turned to her and said "we have to have more tables, we are going to fill this room, people are going to come". she was still discouraged and said "no, we will just have them sit in chairs" it didn't seem worth putting them up for no one. she wasn't there yet. I yelled out "If we build it they will come!!!" and then I grabbed some more tables and put them up myself. we compromised and put up five tables, with four chairs per table. By the opening hymn we had almost filled the three tables. ok, it was better, but still, no way were we filling the room. well, i knew we would. I said the opening prayer, and rather than praying people would come i decided to continue in my faith more were coming and I prayed those traveling to institute would do so in safety and that we would all feel the spirit and learn together as we were taught. By the last half hour of class, every single table and chair was completely full, and one more person came in and pulled the small entry way table and a chair up because there was no where to sit. It was a lesson to me, and I know the institute teacher learned from it too. all of our faith grew a little bit today. and it was a small but awesome miracle. from seven people our class grew to 21, and I know it can grow even more - If we build it. If we believe we are acting according to the will of God, and act in faith on correct principles, and we work to accomplish those things knowing that it is true, it can happen and even exceed our own expectations. I feel I should try this in other areas of my life now, like my search for a husband. So I am going to go do that now. I know, if under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you work to build families, you work to build friendships, or you work to build the Kingdom of God, you will build it, and miracles will happen. I testify to you of this truth , and promise if you have the faith to committee to act in faith amazing things will happen.
When I got put into the Relief Society Presidency of my YSA ward ten months ago, attendance at a lot of things was starting to wane. Especially Relief Society activities. As second councilor, RS activities were my duty to organize and plan and carry out. I really struggled along. I planned what everyone said they wanted to do, but less and less people showed up. I prayed for inspiration, and then one day, a flash of lightning struck my brain about the solution to both RS and Wednesday night activities. "If you build it, they will come". that was exactly my thought. But, I thought, I am already planning and carrying out the activities. what is meant by this? What was meant by it was faith. Faith is an action word. Faith cannot just be dormant or passive, it is active, it requires doing, and believing. If we wanted people to come we needed to believe in what we were doing ourselves ,and plan for twenty to show up, not the five we were getting. we did that, and now they come.
Lately our attendance at institute has been dropping and dropping. our teacher was getting discouraged, i think we all were. Again the thought entered my head "if we build it, they will come" I had the first Sunday lesson in RS class, and I felt inspired that I should teach on that. I talked with the bishop about it, and had the institute instructor come and talk with the class. I felt like I had done my best, but my faith and believe in the program didn't, to me feel like it had reached anyone in the room. I was kind of sad about it. Then my roommate gave me encouragement last night and told me one of the girls had decided she would go to institute and she shared with others at the activity some of the things the instructor had said during my lesson. A lot of people not at my lesson heard me going on about my lesson and preparations for it, and told me they would come. I started to have more faith. my faith initially was to follow the spirit and give what i saw as a very difficult lesson. I did that. Then the lord reinforced that with encouragement from my roommate.
By the time it was time for institute tonight, I felt confidant that we would fill the room (we have had 10-7 people for like the last month, we barely filled one row). I was late getting in and didn't get to help our instructor set up the desks because of a presidency meeting, but when I got there I nearly cried. She set up only three tables instead of the usual six. I turned to her and said "we have to have more tables, we are going to fill this room, people are going to come". she was still discouraged and said "no, we will just have them sit in chairs" it didn't seem worth putting them up for no one. she wasn't there yet. I yelled out "If we build it they will come!!!" and then I grabbed some more tables and put them up myself. we compromised and put up five tables, with four chairs per table. By the opening hymn we had almost filled the three tables. ok, it was better, but still, no way were we filling the room. well, i knew we would. I said the opening prayer, and rather than praying people would come i decided to continue in my faith more were coming and I prayed those traveling to institute would do so in safety and that we would all feel the spirit and learn together as we were taught. By the last half hour of class, every single table and chair was completely full, and one more person came in and pulled the small entry way table and a chair up because there was no where to sit. It was a lesson to me, and I know the institute teacher learned from it too. all of our faith grew a little bit today. and it was a small but awesome miracle. from seven people our class grew to 21, and I know it can grow even more - If we build it. If we believe we are acting according to the will of God, and act in faith on correct principles, and we work to accomplish those things knowing that it is true, it can happen and even exceed our own expectations. I feel I should try this in other areas of my life now, like my search for a husband. So I am going to go do that now. I know, if under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, you work to build families, you work to build friendships, or you work to build the Kingdom of God, you will build it, and miracles will happen. I testify to you of this truth , and promise if you have the faith to committee to act in faith amazing things will happen.
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