Presidency Message

Elder Perry’s talk in General Conference of April 2008 painted a visual for me that I could really relate too as a homemaker. He talked about how cookbooks display picture perfect creations. Once we have the vision of the out come we have to “strictly follow” the recipe if we want a picture perfect meal. He stated, “It is important to begin with the end in mind, but the end represented by pictures in cookbooks is an end that is only possible if everything is done right.”
In his concluding remarks he focuses on the recipe step “Enduring to the End”. When baking cookies you actually don’t get a cookie if you stop with just mixing your ingredients--which is the quick part of the creation--you have to endure many sessions of opening the oven (refiners fire if you will) to get the completed recipe. This takes diligence, patience, and faith (that the treats will turn out because you followed with exactness the recipe given to you) to enjoy the morsels of your labors. Sometimes the most difficult part of baking and cooking is dealing with all the other distractions and duties of life that we face.
Elder Perry stated, “Enduring to the end is definitely not a do-it-yourself- project...each of us has a role to play, each of us is important, but in order to succeed we must be unified in our Savior.” Like a recipe, each ingredient is unique and strikingly its own entity, but when we mix the individual traits of sugars, flour, soda, butter, and chocolate--we get ingredients unified in one purpose; to make a delicious treat. As we love others accept their gifts and talents while not comparing ourselves to others so that our gifts and talents can shine through we become one in the Savior and the end product is incredible!!
In closing I quote Elder Perry, “May we be diligent in following the recipe for eternal life that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” so that we can taste the sweetness that Lehi explained as the most sweet above any he had ever tasted. This fruit is desirable and brings us happiness and joy. Each sister in our ward is needed to make our experience and growth in the gospel complete--"picture perfect!" We are so grateful for your individual talents, perspectives, friendship and endless service to others that bless and lifts each of us continually. ~Jill