Tiny Booties - And the Plan of Happiness
President Quinn and I have the opportunity almost monthly to speak in a stake conference of one of our eight stakes here in our mission in California. We love meeting the saints and are grateful to the stake presidents who give us an occasion to bear our testimonies and talk about missionary work. Last night we spoke at the Woodland Saturday Session of Stake Conference where President Tibbetts presides. This morning we were at the Napa Stake Conference with President Barlow. There was a visiting area seventy, Elder Kauwe. He is from Hawaii. A thoughtful sister from the Napa Ward made beautiful and fragrant leis for those on the stand. We were the lucky recipients of these lovely leis.
Sister and President Quinn
I thought this week for my update I would share with you my most recent stake conference talk I delivered. I worry a little that it may not go over well having you just read it, since it is a very tender story I share. It is my prayer that you will feel the spirit of my message.
Stake Conference Talk - September 2024
Peonies
INTRODUCTION………
As a little girl I remember every year on Memorial Day my mother would cut peonies from our garden on the side of our driveway. She would have us children clean out tin cans and find rocks from the yard to put in the bottom of the cans. As a family we would drive 40 minutes to a little cemetery. There we would find the familiar water spigot to fill up the cans for the flowers, while my dad trimmed around the headstone of my sister’s grave. I remember putting the cans of flowers on the corners of the small headstone. The rocks protecting the cans from tipping over. The red and pink peonies looked beautiful in the sun’s light. Then we would all sit in a circle around my sister’s grave while my mother would once again tell us the story of how twins, Jean and Janet were born too early and after 6 days Janet passed away, while the doctors were able to save Jean.
My mom would show us the tiny white booties that a friend of hers had crocheted to dress this sweet daughter for her burial. She made an extra set of the booties so my mother could keep them and would be able to remember when holding them, how tiny, yet how perfect this premature baby was.
Sitting by Janet's grave
My parents helped us to understand that Janet was a celestial spirit waiting for each one of us to join her one day. We loved hearing the tender story of Janet’s funeral where the song “I am a child of God” was sung. It was then a new song and those attending heard it for the first time. Tears trickled down my mother’s cheeks as she spoke of Heaven and how much our Heavenly Father loves each one of us. As a little girl I felt a strong spirit of love and belonging. I knew there was a God and that He loved me.
My parents taught me God’s great Plan of Happiness. Which simply put is, that I came here to earth from Heaven. God, my Heavenly Father, wants me to learn and grow and find happiness in this life and then, one day return to His presence in Heaven and receive a fulness of joy in the life to come. I was grateful to be baptized as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to begin to follow the sacred and holy plan of happiness that my Heavenly Father has for me.
In the book of Moses verse 1:39 - God declares “For behold this is my work and my glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.”
What a beautiful declaration from a loving Heavenly Father. Over the years my parents taught me more about my Heavenly Father. So, when life became difficult, I was reminded that I am a beloved child of God with great worth and an eternal destiny. This is true for YOU and me. As children of God, I know that divinity is inherent in each one of us. This offers unparalleled potential for us to realize through God’s help. This knowledge has changed my understanding of who I am and how I feel about myself.
As I grew, I began to understand that God, our Heavenly Father sent his Son Jesus Christ to earth to make His plan of happiness possible. I love learning about the Savior, His life, His mission and His great and infinite atonement. It is the Savior who makes it possible for me through faith, repentance, and baptism to be with my loved ones in Heaven and to be with Janet my sister.
The House of the Lord - one of my favorite temples, the Chicago Illinois Temple.
I have chosen to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. As I come unto Christ, I am grateful I have been able to go to the House of the Lord and make covenants with God. These covenants help me to follow the plan of happiness, which is a covenant path. I testify that being on the covenant path has brought me perspective, guidance and joy. The covenant path by its very definition is a relationship path where I can walk with Jesus.
I stand here today to testify that God loves each of His children and will bless us greatly if we only keep His commandments.
In the Doctrine and Covenant 35:24 we can read - “Keep all the commandments and covenants by which ye are bound; and I will cause the heavens to shake for your good, and Satan shall tremble and Zion shall rejoice upon the hills and flourish.”
Following God’s Plan of Happiness and having the heavens shake for your good is a message for everyone.
In my life, as I have relied on the Savior, I have personally experienced hope and healing. I have overcome a serious chronic illness. This happened as I trusted my Savior for strength, direction, guidance and comfort. Through fervent prayers I was led to doctors and therapists. Over time and with patience I witnessed miracles. I was guided to find healing and wellness.
Today, I’m grateful to serve my Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ and for my calling to be a mission leader and to work with amazing missionaries.
Testifying of our Savior and God’s great plan is something our missionaries do every day. They help people here in beautiful Northern California to understand that they are worthy of love, that they belong to a heavenly plan, and they are a child of God!
Elders Murri and Henrie - two of our wonderful missionaries.
It is a wonderful thing to witness a person begin to understand that there is a loving Heavenly Father who wants them to find happiness today and to return home to Him one day. Our missionaries teach that we all can make the glorious choice to follow Jesus Christ. As we follow the Savior and keep the commandments we will see miracles in our lives.
As missionaries we see that God is in the details of our lives!. In the California Santa Rosa mission we have a saying - “Expect Miracles!” In fact, every Monday evening we have what we call ‘Miracle Monday.’ At 9:00 pm as a mission we all gather on a zoom call and share miracles. Every Monday night for fifteen minutes missionaries take turns sharing stories of how the Lord has miraculously placed people in their path who are ready to hear and learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I look forward to Monday nights.
Being a lifelong disciple of Jesus Christ is our mission theme. We love knowing that the great prophet Mormon when introducing himself, stated: In 3 Nephi 5:13 – “Behold I am a disciple of Jesus Christ the Son of God. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people that they might have everlasting life.”
It is our greatest hope that our missionaries will be lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.
Today as I walk the covenant path I know that the Lord wants me to continue to learn and to grow. I smile when I tell my children and grandchildren, “it is never too late to be a rockstar!” I love what President Nelson, our prophet, has told us about enduring to the end, and that is to joyfully endure to the end. Life is full of wonder and goodness.
My parents - Daryl and Hank Hoole
I am eternally grateful for my knowledge of the great plan of happiness and for my parents who not only taught me the gospel of Jesus Christ but lived that gospel. They have been a great example to me of emulating the Savior and his characteristics and choosing to follow the Savior. They kept the Sabbath Day Holy, read the scriptures, attended the temple, served and loved their fellowman. Most of all they put God first in their lives. and because of this, blessings have been showered on them. My dad passed away ten years ago. I believe he joins my sister Janet in watching over our family and being our family’s guardian angels.
My mother recently turned 90 and I was able to attend her 90th birthday celebration. While in her home I walked into her bedroom to look for the little white box on her dresser. Opening it I saw the second pair of tiny, crocheted booties just like the ones Janet was buried in. I could hold them in the palm of my hand. My sister Jean, Janet’s twin is now sixty-six years old. We are so glad she has been a part of our lives. What an outstanding and loving sister she has been to me. My mom still often sheds tears when speaking of Janet, yet they are tears of joy knowing that she will be with her again.
The second pair of the tiny booties.
Today I would like each of you to know that through the power of the Holy Ghost it has been testified to me that I have a Savior who died for me and now lives and that a loving Heavenly Father awaits my return. I know that the Savior’s church has been restored and that we have a living prophet in the world today who communes with God and guides and directs us. The Book of Mormon explains the great plan of happiness in beautiful detail. The Book of Mormon is a testament of the Savior, and bears witness of Him on every page. We enjoy serving here and love the people of Northern California.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Daryl Hoole at her 90th birthday celebration
Daryl Hoole with her children. Jean is the one on the right. - July 2024
Thank you for taking the time to read my posts. I am truly grateful to each of you for your friendship, support, and love. - Elaine
