Living the gospel of Jesus Christ is not always easy, but I have found out for myself that it is definitely worth it. Being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints brings both challenges and blessings, but you are never sure which one is coming and how long it will last. One thing is certain: Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us. If we will let Him be an active part of our daily lives, experiences and opportunities will enrich our journey here on earth.
I am a very fortunate father of four children living in sunny southern Alberta. My wife Lorena and I have been married for 44 years and were sealed in the Cardston Alberta Temple in 1980. Our three daughters and one son are all married and have thus far provided us with 12 grandchildren and many wonderful experiences together. Like any family, we have faced various health challenges and obstacles. However, I can testify that the covenants we have made and do our best to keep are instrumental in bringing us joy and moving us along the covenant path.
Recently, Lorena and I were at an empty nester family home evening lesson in one of our friends' homes. As the Come, Follow Me lesson was being taught, the Spirit was present as we talked about the steadfast testimony of Abinadi. As you will recall, Abinadi stood before wicked King Noah and his priests and prophesied their destruction if they did not repent (Mosiah 11:20-25.) Abinadi was able to stand alone before this tyrant, knowing that he would most likely lose his life. What an example of courage and faith! As my wife sat there, she felt the spirit of the message and was reminded of an experience our daughter Shaylena had where she, like Abinadi, chose to stand alone.
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A Surprise Request
About twenty years ago, at age fourteen, Shaylena came to us with an interesting announcement. She is our third oldest child, whom we often refer to as being tender-hearted due to her sensitive nature. She was very pretty and quite shy as a young girl but showed the ability to work hard and make friends easily. Attending Young Women classes and activities, church meetings and seminary were an important part of her life. She was also a good student. All these efforts to walk the covenant path helped her develop a strong testimony and a firm determination to make correct choices.
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Unexpectedly, in April of 2004, she asked our permission to enter the Miss Teen Canada Pageant being held in Toronto. To enter the pageant, Shaylena would be required to go through an interview process to see if she would be chosen to represent southern Alberta at this national event. Needless to say, as parents, we didn’t want to squash her dreams and ambitions, but we were not sure about sending our little girl to that kind of event over 2000 miles away. At the conclusion of the selection process, she was named Miss Teen Southern Alberta, and reality clicked in. As a family, we rallied together to help her raise money and make arrangements to travel to this event in August.
Though only fourteen, Shaylena was well grounded, converted to the gospel and committed to her Young Women goals and standards. She knew that some parts of the competition had events that might require less than modest clothing. She discussed her concerns with her supervisor and was assured that there was no need to worry. She was told that accommodation would be made if necessary to make her more comfortable. With these assurances, we continued our preparations and finally arrived at the Pageant in Toronto.
Standing Strong
Shaylena discovered that the opening number would require wearing sportswear that consisted of sweatpants and a sports bra for a top. She was upset and threatened to quit, so they provided her with a T-shirt to wear over the top. The next event was the eveningwear parade, where the gowns provided with spaghetti straps were backless and low cut. In Shaylena’s opinion, that was not going to be okay. Her supervisor once again promised her that a shawl would be available to make the dress modest. This helped ease Shaylena’s mind, and she thought all would be well. Some of the other girls asked why her dress standards were so different from the rest, and she had the chance to share her feelings about the church and the reason for these seemingly odd standards.
We still vividly remember sitting there as a family in the auditorium as the competition went forth. Our daughter stood out in a way that's hard to describe. During the sportswear routine,15 girls were on stage, but only one was wearing a T-shirt. Then, the girls appeared in their evening gowns, but only one was wearing a shawl. She looked more beautiful than words can describe. There she was: our young daughter of God standing up for goodness, decency and modesty. As she stood there without apology for living gospel standards, we could not have been more proud. In our minds, she won the biggest prize of all: self-worth.
There is no greater reward than to be trusted by God
Interestingly enough, we came to find out later that the supervisor working with Shaylena had hidden the shawl, and when the girls were about to go out, she told her to go on the stage and not be so difficult! Shaylena threatened once again to walk off. Then, just before they walked on, the lady threw the shawl at her and stated that the judges would hear about this and that she would never win. It was sad for her to hear this, but it only increased our admiration for our daughter. She did not win the competition, but Shaylena came through this experience knowing who she really was, and ultimately, she won something far more important: a bond of trust with her Heavenly Father.
This was a great experience for all of us, particularly for Shaylena. She still keeps in touch with one of her nonmember roommates. I truly believe that our faithfulness to the gospel of Jesus Christ is one of the great keys to happiness. As we make and keep covenants, the blessings come, and the ability to handle challenges deepens. Shaylena has been blessed with a great husband, three awesome boys, a career that enables her to serve others and the strength to deal with life's inevitable hurdles. I have been blessed with an awesome wife and supportive family. I testify that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, and living by the teachings of the Savior will bring us the greatest happiness in this life and the world to come.