Lehi Utah Stake Relief Society

Message for August 2014

—Written on August 12, 2014

The other day my husband, Lauri, and I were at Deseret Book picking up some scriptures we had engraved for our granddaughter for her birthday. At the checkout stand we made one of those "impulse" purchases. It was a CD of the BYU Men's Chorus singing missionary hymns called, "Set Apart" and it was only $3.00! Wow! What a bargain! 

Last night we drove to Bountiful to visit my widowed mother–in–law for her birthday and we played it coming back home. It was wonderful! But one of the songs really hit a "note" of truth with me. It was the hymn by Carrie Rounsefell (music) and Mary Brown (lyrics) "I'll Go Where You Want me to Go." Lauri and I are planning to go on a mission for the Church when I retire in a couple of years, but the words of that hymn made me reflect on what President Boyd has said recently in a Ward Conference I attended. He said that every day he prays to Heavenly Father and asks Him for that day what His "will" is for him. He wants to do the Father's will–wherever that might direct him and in whatever path that might take him. And the hymn, "I'll Go Where You Want me to Go," reflects that admonition. Isn’t that what we all should be doing when we get on our knees, pray to Heavenly Father, and then go about our daily activities–not just when we are on an "official" mission for the Church, but in our everyday lives?

The words of the hymn say: "But if, by a still, small voice he calls, To paths that I do not know, I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine: I'll go where you want me to go." And then in the chorus it says: "I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord; I'll be what you want me to be."

One of the interesting things to me about that verse of the hymn are the words "I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine." How comforting those words are and how true!  We never do anything righteous and of His will without Him being right there by our side–holding our hands and guiding our paths. That makes the words of the final verse even more special, "So trusting my all to thy tender care, And knowing thou lovest me, I'll do thy will with a heart sincere: I'll be what you want me to be.”

Let's all try to do His will with a "heart sincere" knowing that He will be right by our sides, guiding and directing us for good not only for ourselves but for others as well.

I bear you my testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I feel privileged to be a member of His Kingdom here on the earth.

With great love from,
Betsy McCreary,
Lehi Stake R.S. Presidency, Secretary