Women's Conference - Day One, John and Kim Bytheway

I wasn't sure that I would attend the session that John Bytheway taught, but I am glad that I made the decision to go. I ran across campus and arrived in the Smith Field House before about 3300 other people. I realized that I probably didn't have to run like it did, but the building was expected to fill to capacity (3500 people).

The topic of this session was on Covenants. They posed three questions and then answered them.

1. How can we keep our covenants in sight every day?
- God is all about freedom
- Satan is all about bondage
- Put a picture of the temple in every room.
- Put reminders of your covenants everywhere - pictures of Christ on the wall, pictures of the temple, scriptures out in the open to be used frequently.

They told of a family member who often told her kids as they walked out the door "Remember who you are". One particular day their teenage son was leaving with his friends and his little sibling (can't remember if it was a boy or girl) yelled out the door "Don't forget your name!" :)

They said "If our children see a lesser version of ourselves Monday-Friday, we cannot expect them to be different"

We watched a video from the April 2003 General Conference. It was Elder Holland's talk entitled "A Prayer for the Children"


We were admonished to Keep the Covenants that our children know we have made. Do they know we have made covenants?


2. What activities move us closer to our coventants?

With whom have I made my covenants.?"I have not made a covenant with ESPN, TV, INTERNET, SIBLINGS, PARENTS, etc."
Any activity that brings us closer to our family is a covenant activity.
Pray for spiritual eyes to see those in need

3. How can we look to our covenants to find strength?
"No matter what, I will not leave him"  They told a story of a young boy who had been having some trouble with behavior at school. The teacher, in response to his behavior, gave him a project that was due the next day. It was a lengthy project and it caused a lot of stress for the young boy. The parents were at their wits end. The mom sent all of the kids, and her husband away and she stayed with her son until the project was finished. When she ascended the stairs, her husband asked how she could possibly help him and she said "I don't know, I just said to myself - No matter what, I will not leave him."
The Lord is the same with us. He never leaves us no matter what.
They taught to use what they called the "vertical dimension" (prayer)

Pray in the morning for the Spirit. When temptations come, or when situations are trying -- pray again and really picture the Spirit of the Lord being right there.

Covenants are power!

At the end of the session, though they were out of time, they posed the question "How do we find strength from our covenants when our children are struggling?" They then recommended that we read "Our Moral Environment" by Elder Boyd K. Packer. I haven't done that yet, but I plan to.