Sue Cornwall - Monrovia Ward

Sue will be one of our speakers at the Women’s Devotional which will be held on Sunday, July 11th at 7:00 p.m. at the Arcadia Stake Center, 150 West Duarte Road, Arcadia.  Come join us!!!

I have lived every second of my married life in  Monrovia, California.  I have lived on the same street that entire time (two houses though).   I became a wife here, I became a mother here, I became a grandmother here.  I have worked here, I have served here, both in our church and our great community.  I have had the greatest joys here and the hardest sorrows here.  I completed my formal education a couple of weeks before I moved to Monrovia but the most important learning has come at the hands of the most wonderful women on the earth, the Women of the Arcadia Stake, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This social media account was created to highlight those women.  In my current assignment in the church I have the opportunity to meet and get to know the most amazing women.  Women who are faithful, women who serve, women who are resilient, women who are brilliant, women who make me laugh, women who bake, women who are innovative, women who are well read, women who are kind, women who are selfless, women who are musical, women who teach, women who write, women who lead, women who are strong, women who have charity, women who have hope, women who are thoughtful friends, women who are confident, women who are natural ministers, women who are humble, women who create, women who heal, women who listen, women who love the scriptures and women who have testimonies.  I have observed these women and have tried to incorporate all good from them. They are all a piece of me and it has made all the difference in the world for me and subsequently my family and especially my daughters.  When I hear from other quarters of the earth that women are petty and critical I must admit, I just don’t see it in my world.  Thank you!!  In these many years of association with these women, I have developed a strong and abiding testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.    I have learned the purpose of life and the joy that is derived from that knowledge.  I find peace in my understanding of what happens after this life.  I have deepened my love for and devotion to Jesus Christ and for all he has done for me.  I am thankful that there is “hope smiling brightly before us”.  Sue Cornwall - Monrovia Ward

 

REMARKS

Thank you for joining us tonight for this Women’s Devotional.   We calendared this event last September 2020.  We just weren’t sure what life would be like in July 2021, but we wanted to have an event, something for women, something to look forward to, something edifying, some way to have the sisters hang out - even if it was virtual, and which included encouraging words to help us hang on and to hang in there with what was going on in our world.  We as a presidency knew exactly who we would like to speak - the wives of our Stake Presidency - this amazing trio.  Thank you Barbara and Lana. We are missing Sister Trista Ogilvie tonight.  She had a medical procedure that prevented her from being with us. Marissa was inspired with the theme of this evening which comes from a talk Sister Joy D. Jones gave in April 2020 - An Especially Noble Calling.

But, here were are - meeting in person, with zoom capability that lets us join from wherever you are vacationing, having things in three languages with a video shown simultaneously, no masks, no social distancing, singing and some food.  That is a big change from last September.  Instead of a message of hangout, hang on and hang in we have felt impressed with a line from Sister Jones’ talk where she is quoting President Nelson.  “I plead with my sisters to Step Forward.”

I think we are all a little different because of our experiences with the pandemic.  I have gotten into some bad habits.  During the pandemic when I went shopping. I put my ball cap pulled down low.  My mask on, pulled up.  I don’t use a cart, I have a bag over my shoulder.  This helps me maneuver around.  I think I’ve set a new personal speed record for getting in and out of the store.   Have done it with as little  human contact as possible, especially when I use self-check out, including eye contact.  I feel very comfortable getting in my pajamas right after dinner.  I feel uncomfortable when my doorbell rings.  Even with the mask mandate being relaxed for those who are fully vaccinated, I still feel comfortable with a mask on when I shop.  May I have liked the anonymity.  I am beginning, slowly to feel more confident in being able to step out, step up and step forward in public places but I am a work in progress.

What about increasing our confidence in stepping out, stepping up and stepping forward as women and  disciples of Jesus Christ?  What could that look like going forward?  President Nelson in that landmark talk that Sister Jones referenced “A Plea to My Sisters - October 2015 has some possible suggestions.   As I read these words, pay attention to the promptings of the Spirit for an area where  you could make a step.

“We need your virtue, light, love, knowledge, courage, character, faith, and righteous lives.”

“We need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices.”

“We need women who are organized and women who can organize. We need women with executive ability who can plan and direct and administer; women who can teach, women who can speak out. …

“We need women with the gift of discernment who can view the trends in the world and detect those that, however popular, are shallow or dangerous.”

“We need women who know how to make important things happen by their faith and who are courageous defenders of morality and families in a sin-sick world. We need women who are devoted to shepherding God’s children along the covenant path toward exaltation; women who know how to receive personal revelation, who understand the power and peace of the temple endowment; women who know how to call upon the powers of heaven to protect and strengthen children and families; women who teach fearlessly.’

“We need your impressions, your insights, and your inspiration. We need you to speak up and speak out.  We need your strength.”
“We need women who have a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ and who will use that understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation. We need women who can detect deception in all of its forms. We need women who know how to access the power that God makes available to covenant keepers and who express their beliefs with confidence and charity. We need women who have the courage and vision of our Mother Eve.”

The step or steps that we are inviting you to make do not need to be large, but they do need to be a step forward.  You will need to utilize the beautiful principles that Lana outlined in her remarks regarding personal revelation.  I will not sugarcoat it - it will take some effort.  The Lord loves effort because effort brings rewards that can’t come without it.  We have been invited recently by our general and local leaders to Love, Share and Invite.  One of our Stake goals is to use theses principles of love, share and invite to grow and strengthen our stake.  Women have natural skills in these areas.  You may not feel comfortable at first with these invitations.  We need to learn to be comfortable with being uncomfortable.


I close with Sister Jones’ words - “Sisters, it is our turn.  We have a divine errand from the Lord and our faithful, unique contributions are vital”. Sisters, may we step out, step up and step forward in this marvelous work.   In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.