James E. Faust was the concluding speaker at the Young Women’s General Conference Broadcast. His talk was titled “Your Light—A Standard to All Nations.” Elder gave an excellent talk in which he talked about other young women who are examples to us.
Elder Faust’s first story is about Mary Elizabeth and Caroline Rollins. These sisters are the two girls who rescued the pages of revelations that were being printed by W.W. Phelps. They were chased by the mob, but still took the pages and hid them at great personal risk to themselves. Elder Faust said this about the story:
“My dear young friends, you can stand apart from evil, just as the Rollins sisters did, if you will develop your own testimony of the Savior. As you do so, you will grow in spiritual strength. Cherish spirituality, and you will learn how sweet it is.
You want to make your own decisions, but you ought to make those decisions with an eternal perspective. With age, experience, and faith, you will have the wisdom to make good decisions and also to make the right ones. I believe you young people know where to go to get the right answers. In the words of Mormon, ‘Ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ.’”
Elder Faust then went on to tell the story of Joan of Arc. He speaks of the way she followed the promptings of the spirit. This ability helped her to liberate her oppressed country, and restore many people to freedom. She stood apart from the crowd, because she stood up for what she believed. Elder Faust says this of Joan of Arc:
“Although this is a sad ending, it does not take away from Joan’s greatness. She was courageous enough to follow the personal inspiration to which all of us are entitled. As the Lord said to the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘I am the true light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.’
To other girls in the fifteenth century, Joan of Arc seemed to be very different. Sisters, don’t be afraid to be different in our century! Sometimes we have to be different in order to maintain Church standards. So I repeat, don’t be afraid to be different, but be as good as you can be. Many girls are concerned about their friends’ conduct and style of dress. Such conduct may be motivated by a desire to be accepted by the peer group. Joan of Arc did not worry about what her friends did, but rather about what she knew she should do.”
Elder Faust then went on to share the story of a young girl who was able to share the gospel with a family. He says that the youth have a wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with those around them. He also spoke about filling our lamps with spiritual oil on a daily basis, while discussing the parable of the ten virgins.
Elder Faust concluded the talk by encouraging the young women:
“The counsel of the Lord to ‘arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations’ should energize all of us. Great opportunities await you dear sisters to fulfill. Technology will continue to increase. The avenues for expressing your talents may exceed your fondest hopes and expectations. Challenges will come to each of you, but you can find happiness by doing all that you know to be right. You will need faith and determination to find your place in the world, but with perseverance and the help of the Lord, you can do it.
As daughters of our Heavenly Father, each of you can be a partaker of His divine nature. It is inherent in your beings. I testify that each of you young women has special gifts from our Heavenly Father. Some of these gifts are unique to womanhood. As you cultivate these gifts, you will grow in strength, purpose, and nobility.
This is the work of God. We are all His servants. He is watching over us. He wants us to succeed. We all have some part of the holy work to accomplish, even though it may seem small and obscure.”
This is an excellent talk. It not only applies to Young Women, but it can be applied to any life. This would be an excellent talk to discuss as a family home evening lesson. I hope that you will take the opportunity to review it with your daughter.