Youth Standards Night

Have you ever gone to a fireside and afterwards counted your many blessings that you did? This happened to me tonight.
I heard that President and Sister Brimhall (currently the LA Temple President and Matron) we the speakers at our stake youth Standard's Night. I thought to myself...."I have always enjoyed hearing them speak." However that was weeks ago. Now that the event was drawing nigh, I started thinking I didn't need to go, I wasn't ask to go.

A few days ago I learned I would be out at the Gonzales Building for a choir practice right before the fireside. I thought about the fact that I work with the YW in our stake so I talked myself back into it. Boy oh Boy am I glad I did!

I would like to share a few things I learned from tonight...

President Blickenstaff spoke to the youth about what a standard actually is, he defined it. He reminded us that we have a responsibility to take the gospel to the world. We need to be trust worthy to do so. People know whether or not they will trust us in 0.5 seconds. We need to make sure our appearance reflects who we are. He gave some great examples in the form of stories that will stick with us for a long time.

President & Sister Brimhall taught us the importance of standards through stories of people who had standards and those who let their standards slip. They emphasized the importance of prayer, having the spirit, keeping ourselves clean from substances and immorality. President Brimhall said that Joseph of Old was a great example of a "real man"...a standard keeper extraordinaire! In contrast he told of a young man, the son of a bishop, who was tired of living the standards and wanted to take a break. Three years after serving as the assistant to the bishop in his priest quorum he was in prison for life for murder. He started out slow by letting his standards of prayer and scripture study slip, then he began experimenting with drinking, then drugs, then sex. He wound up with his girlfriend pregnant and they got married. One night he came home very intoxicated and in a fit of rage stabbed both his wife and their baby (she was pregnant). He testified that the standards we are taught in the church are here to help us be happy. They will bless us and enrich our lives FOREVER!

I was uplifted by this fireside. I walked away having a greater desire to be a better person and to help the youth of our stake want to be better people.