10 Must-Read LDS Talks

"Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men.
But now hold your peace; study my word which hath gone forth among the children of men, and also study my word which shall come forth among the children of men, or that which is now translating, yea, until you have obtained all which I shall grant unto the children of men in this generation, and then shall all things be added thereto."
~D&C 11:21-22~

 I am so grateful that we have the direction of a living prophet, apostles and other church leaders in our lives, who are the mouthpieces for the Lord in these latter-days! These 10 talks have changed my perspective, my actions, my attitude and my life. I would encourage everyone to take time to read even just one of these talks. I promise that the Spirit will impress you with thoughts on how to improve your own life, as it has done for me.

"The Hope of God's Light"

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf

General Conference April 2013

Favorite Quote:

“God’s light is real. It is available to all! It gives life to all things. It has the power to soften the sting of the deepest wound. It can be a healing balm for the loneliness and sickness of our souls. In the furrows of despair, it can plant the seeds of a brighter hope. It can enlighten the deepest valleys of sorrow. It can illuminate the path before us and lead us through the darkest night into the promise of a new dawn.”

Read it HERE

"Being A More Christian Christian"

Elder Robert D. Hales

General Conference October 2012

Favorite Quote:

"This is the call of Christ to every Christian today: “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep”—share my gospel with young and old, lifting, blessing, comforting, encouraging, and building them, especially those who think and believe differently than we do."

Read it HERE


"His Grace Is Sufficient"
Brother Brad Wilcox
BYU Devotional July 2011

Favorite Quote:

"Jesus doesn't make up the difference. Jesus makes all the difference. Grace is not about filling gaps. It is about filling us.”

Read it HERE


"Missionary Work and the Atonement"
Elder Jeffery R. Holland
MTC Address June 2000

Favorite Quote:
"I promise that because of your faithful response to the call to spread the gospel, He will bind up your broken hearts, dry your tears, and set you and your families free. That is my missionary promise to you and your missionary message to the world."
Read it HERE


"We Are Daughters of Our Heavenly Father"
Sister Elaine S. Dalton
General Conference April 2013

Favorite Quote:
"As daughters of God we are each unique and different in our circumstances and experiences. And yet our part matters - because we matter."
Read it HERE


"The Great Commandment"
Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin
General Conference October 2007

Favorite Quote:
“Nothing you do makes much of a difference if you do not have charity. You can speak with tongues, have the gift of prophecy, understand all mysteries, and possess all knowledge; even if you have the faith to move mountains, without charity it won’t profit you at all.”
Read it HERE


"Put Your Trust in the Lord"
Elder M. Russell Ballard
General Conference October 2013

Favorite Quote:
"It is impossible for us to fail when we do our best when we are on the Lord's errand. While the outcome is a result of the exercise of one's agency, sharing the gospel is our responsibility."
Read it HERE


"An High Priest of Good Things to Come"
Elder Jeffery R. Holland
General Conference October 1999

Favorite Quote:
"Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own the tears His children shed."
Read it HERE


"Your Happily Ever After"
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
General Young Women Conference 2010

Favorite Quote:
"It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself, that determines how your life's story will develop."
Read it HERE


"We Never Walk Alone"
President Thomas S. Monson
General Relief Society Meeting October 2013

Favorite Quote:
"Your Heavenly Father loves you - each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions, or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. IT is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simple always there."
Read it HERE

365 DAYS LATER

"Today I am pleased to announce that able, worthy young women who have the desire to serve may be recommended for missionary service beginning at age 19, instead of age 21."

It's been exactly one year since President Thomas S. Monson spoke these words in last October's General Conference. This is the sentence that changed my world, and has affected my future more than anything else ever has. I remember that day like it was yesterday. I was in my apartment, brand new BYU freshman, with my 3 roommates and quite a few of our friends. I lived in a freshman ward, so all of the people present had not been on missions yet. When President Monson said those words, and the words announcing the age change for young men from 19 to 18, my apartment exploded. There were tears of joy, screams of delight, and the overwhelming feeling that everything was about to change for all of us. 

On our way to October 2012 General Conference Sunday morning!

Keslee, Ashley, Kati and Laekynn

I am extremely excited to say that everyone in the above photo is either currently serving a full-time mission, or is waiting to enter the MTC! We will be serving all over the world - Australia, Ukraine, Ecuador, Hungary, Las Vegas, Chile, Mexico and Italy!

I leave for the MTC in 46 DAYS! Started at 116, and I can't believe how quickly the time has gone! As surreal and exciting as that is, it is also extremely humbling. I'm going to be a missionary, learning Spanish and teaching the Gospel in 46 days. A year ago, I doubted my abilities to be a missionary, especially one who has to learn a new language. There is no way that I could ever do this on my own. But, with the Lord's help, I have found the desire, strength and courage to go to PUEBLA MEXICO and share the Gospel! I can't wait to go out with the other 80,000+ missionaries!

I testify with my whole heart that this is the Lord's work. I thank Him each and every day for this blessed opportunity. I know that now is the time to be a missionary, whether that be as a full-time missionary or a missionary at home. The world is ready and they are waiting for the knowledge of Jesus Christ and His restored church!

Go forth with faith to tell the world

Of Jesus Christ, the Lord

Bear witness he is God's own Son;

Proclaim his wondrous word.

Go forth with hope and courage strong

To spread the word abroad

That people of all nations

Are children of our God

(Hymn 263, "Go Forth with Faith")

The House of the Lord

"As you and I go to the holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified."

~President Thomas S. Monson~

On Saturday, I had the opportunity to go to the Mount Timpanogos Temple to receive my endowment. August 17, 2013 will be remembered as a wonderful and perfect day! It was literally a dream come true, a dream that I have had my whole life. That whole morning, I was feeling very nervous. However, the moment I entered the temple, feelings of peace and comfort came over me. I knew that everything was going to be just great! It was such a blessing to have members of my family with me as well. My parents, my sister Heather, my brother-in-law Scott and my brother Kyle were all able to join me in the temple that day :) 

The Temple is a remarkable place. There is no other place that I'd rather be. I can't wait to spend the next 93 days going back as often as I can! I know that the temple is where we need to be. It is where we can feel the presence of the Lord, where we can feel His love for us and where we can receive instruction essential to us living with Him again. I know it is the only place that can bind families together forever. I loved being there with my family, and I'm excited for the day when I can be there with my own husband and children. I love the temple!

Dear Sister Smith...

On Thursday, July 25, I opened my mission call! This is the video that my sister Heather took of me opening it.

Needless to say, I think we were all a little shocked. 

MEXICO PUEBLA SOUTH MISSION. 
None of us thought it would be Mexico. I'll admit, I'm a little terrified. Maybe a lot terrified. But I can not wait to serve the people of Puebla!! Most of those tears were happy, joyous ones! This is such an incredible opportunity and I know that there is someone in Mexico who I need to meet and share the Gospel with. It is exactly where the Lord needs me! And I can't wait to serve!! Here I come, Mexico, ready or not!!

Me and my cute Daddy :) 

My best friends Jordan and Navar came down from Logan!

Face timing with Staci...

Me and my brother Kyle :)

Me and my awesome sister, Heather!!!

Can't wait to serve the people of Mexico!

THIS IS THE WEEK

After three and a half months...my call has officially been assigned! And we anticipate it arriving this week... I can't wait to see where the Lord has called me to for 18 months! I know that wherever it is, it is exactly where He needs me to be. I love this Gospel and I can't wait to be a missionary!

Learning to Accept God's Will

"I was living up in Canada. I had purchased a farm. It was run-down. I went out one morning and saw a currant bush. It had grown up over six feet high. It was going all to wood. There were no blossoms and no currants. I was raised on a fruit farm in Salt Lake before we went to Canada, and I knew what ought to happen to that currant bush. So I got some pruning shears and went after it, and I cut it down, and pruned it, and clipped it back until there was nothing left but a little clump of stumps. It was just coming daylight, and I thought I saw on top of each of these little stumps what appeared to be a tear, and I thought the currant bush was crying. I was kind of simpleminded (and I haven’t entirely gotten over it), and I looked at it, and smiled, and said, “What are you crying about?” You know, I thought I heard that currant bush talk. And I thought I heard it say this: “How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. I was almost as big as the shade tree and the fruit tree that are inside the fence, and now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me, because I didn't make what I should have made. How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.” That’s what I thought I heard the currant bush say, and I thought it so much that I answered. I said, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn't intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and some day, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down, for caring enough about me to hurt me. Thank you, Mr. Gardener.’”

Time passed. Years passed, and I found myself in England. I was in command of a cavalry unit in the Canadian Army. I had made rather rapid progress as far as promotions are concerned, and I held the rank of field officer in the British Canadian Army. And I was proud of my position. And there was an opportunity for me to become a general. I had taken all the examinations. I had the seniority. There was just one man between me and that which for ten years I had hoped to get, the office of general in the British Army. I swelled up with pride. And this one man became a casualty, and I received a telegram from London. It said: “Be in my office tomorrow morning at 10:00,” signed by General Turner in charge of all Canadian forces. I called in my valet, my personal servant. I told him to polish my buttons, to brush my hat and my boots, and to make me look like a general because that is what I was going to be. He did the best he could with what he had to work on, and I went up to London. I walked smartly into the office of the General, and I saluted him smartly, and he gave me the same kind of a salute a senior officer usually gives—a sort of “Get out of the way, worm!” He said, “Sit down, Brown.” Then he said, “I’m sorry I cannot make the appointment. You are entitled to it. You have passed all the examinations. You have the seniority. You've been a good officer, but I can’t make the appointment. You are to return to Canada and become a training officer and a transport officer. Someone else will be made a general.” That for which I had been hoping and praying for ten years suddenly slipped out of my fingers.

Then he went into the other room to answer the telephone, and I took a soldier’s privilege of looking on his desk. I saw my personal history sheet. Right across the bottom of it in bold, block-type letters was written, “THIS MAN IS A MORMON.” We were not very well liked in those days. When I saw that, I knew why I had not been appointed. I already held the highest rank of any Mormon in the British Army. He came back and said, “That’s all, Brown.” I saluted him again, but not quite as smartly. I saluted out of duty and went out. I got on the train and started back to my town, 120 miles away, with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. And every click of the wheels on the rails seemed to say, “You are a failure. You will be called a coward when you get home. You raised all those Mormon boys to join the army, then you sneak off home.” I knew what I was going to get, and when I got to my tent, I was so bitter that I threw my cap and my saddle brown belt on the cot. I clinched my fists and I shook them at heaven. I said, “How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?” I was as bitter as gall.

And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, “I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.” The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness and my bitterness."

I have always loved this story, a memoir from Elder Hugh B. Brown. But it has never had the impact on me that it did today. For the last 3 weeks, I have been feeling confused, frustrated and pretty bitter about a turn of events involving my mission papers. A situation arose that involves me having to wait even longer to submit my papers to Salt Lake. The situation involved the past - something that I had fought so hard to let go of and move on from. It hurt and I questioned God, asking why I had to once more deal with this trial. And I questioned why I had to keep waiting. I am ready to serve the Lord, and I didn't understand why he wasn't allowing me to leave as soon as possible. Satan filled my heart with so much contention, and so much self-doubt. I often thought to myself over the last few weeks, "Maybe this is Him telling me that I'm not supposed to go on a mission." 

Then today, I received news that everything will be fine, and that I shouldn't have to wait much longer to submit my papers. I was so relieved, but at the same time, I still wondered. Why did old wounds have to be reopened, and why did Heavenly Father put me through this? I was sitting in Relief Society with all of these thoughts running through my head, searching for some kind of an answer. The lesson began - Chapter 11 in "Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Lorenzo Snow". Guess what chapter that is? "I Seek Not Mine Own Will, but the Will of the Father". 

The instructor played a Mormon Message that tells Elder Brown's story. I'm not afraid to admit it - I bawled like a baby. My prayers for understanding had been answered. Suddenly, everything made sense. I finally knew why I had to go through all of this again. Throughout this whole ordeal, I was the currant bush. "How could you do this to me? I was making so much growth. I thought you were the gardener here." Well I am here to testify that Heavenly Father is the gardener. And every now and then, he will cut us down and prunes us. Not because he wants to hurt us and stunt our growth, but because he wants us to reach our full potential. Because he loves us. 

I once attended a fireside where the speaker explained the two reasons why we have trials: because of sin, or because the Lord thinks we're ready to grow some more. If it's the first, fix it. If it's the second, EMBRACE IT. I'm still not positive about why I have had to wait longer than I had hoped, or why I had to once again deal with the past. But I know that it has taught me to be patient. It has taught me to rely on the strength that the Lord can give me. It has taught me that things will not always go the way that I want them to and that they rarely will! It has taught me to turn my will over to the Lord and to trust in His will. Heavenly Father knows EXACTLY what we need. 

Thank you, Father, for caring about me enough to hurt me. Thank you for loving me enough to cut me down.

You Only Get One Chance...

I discovered this quote today and I obviously had to share. What a great message from Elder Holland.

"You only get one chance to serve a mission; it is your responsibility, your duty, to use it to the fullest; to give every last ounce of energy until you collapse in exhaustion at the end of it. All the hardships, all the tears, all the hard work will be looked back upon as the best thing you've ever done, not because you enjoyed it, not because you baptized everyone, but because you gave everything you had, even when you didn't think you could, and especially when you didn't want to. Live your mission to your fullest, work harder than you've ever worked before. Let people know that this is the most important thing in the world to you... If you do not run until you have nothing left to give, and then keep going anyway; cry and pray and work and sweat and plead until you are so drained that all you can do is turn to the Lord; if you don't do this, then these people will not come to this joy because of you - their failure to come to Christ will be partially upon your head. Come out of your mission proud of what you've done, and this experience will bless the rest of your life."

~Elder Jeffery R. Holland

Almost There!

My papers have been submitted to the bishop! I just have two more interviews (bishop on Sunday and stake president after that) and then they will be in! I am so excited! 

I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

The BYU Men's Chorus has released a new album this month, titled "Set Apart". Due to the overwhelming reaction to President Monson's announcement last October, they decided to make this album of missionary hymns. And better yet, it's available to download for FREE at their website, www.setapartalbum.com. I just downloaded it, and I love it! Some of my favorites are "Press Forward, Saints", "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go" and "Sweet is the Peace the Gospel Brings".

I have always loved the hymns, but it wasn't until one afternoon in my mission preparation class at BYU that the words to "I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go" really hit me, especially since I do not have my call yet. I could be called to ANYWHERE in the world. I could have to teach the Gospel in a completely different language. And as scary as that may be, it is just another testament to me of how much trust the Lord has in every single missionary. He believes in us. He knows that we can do hard things. And it is up to each of us to have the same attitude as Nephi, when he proclaimed, "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

It may not be on the mountain height

Or over the stormy sea,

It may not be at the battle's front

My Lord will have need of me.

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

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Over mountain or plain or sea;

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;

I'll be what you want me to be

Perhaps today there are loving words

Which Jesus would have me speak;

There may be now in the paths of sin

Some wand'rer whom I should seek

O Savior, if thou wilt be my guide,

The dark and rugged the way,

My voice shall echo the message sweet:

I'll say what you want me to say

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Over mountain or plain or sea;

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;

I'll be what you want me to be

There's surely somewhere a lowly place

In earth's harvest fields so wide

Where I may labor through life's short day

For Jesus, the Crucified.

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

I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord,

Over mountain or plain or sea;

I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord;

I'll be what you want me to be

Missionary Preparation Plan

My name is Ashley Smith. I am a Logan, Utah native, a freshman at Brigham Young University, 19 years old and starting my papers this week to become a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I am so excited for the opportunity to serve a mission. It is a fantastic blessing in my life to be able to serve right now, at age 19. I know that the Lord is preparing those whom I will share the Gospel with, and I can't wait to meet them and share my testimony of the truthfulness of this Gospel with them. 

In preparation for my mission, I was asked by my bishop to complete a "missionary preparation plan". The whole purpose of this plan is to "decrease the influence of the world" and "increase the influence of missionary work" so that I will be ready when I enter the MTC and the mission field. It has only been a week since I have started this plan, but I can already feel my love for the Gospel and missionary work grow even more! 

One of my goals is to study at least 100 General Conference talks before I leave on my mission. Tonight, I read the very inspiring talk given by Elder Neil L. Andersen in last October's Conference, titled "Trial of Your Faith". In this talk, he quoted George Q. Cannon, and is now one of my favorite quotes:

“No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, God will never desert us. He never has and he never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character. He is an unchangeable being; the same yesterday, the same today, and He will be the same throughout the eternal ages to come. We have found that God. We have made Him our friend, by obeying His gospel; and He will stand by us. We may pass through the fiery furnace; we may pass through deep waters; but we shall not be consumed nor overwhelmed. We shall emerge from all of these trials and difficulties the better and purer for the, if we only trust in our God and keep His commandments.”

As a missionary, I am sure I will have hard days - without a doubt in my mind! But I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, as He loves all of His children, and as long as I put my faith in Him, I will make it through all of those hard days. It saddens me so much to think that there are so many people in the world without this knowledge, without the knowledge of their one true Friend. If I am able to teach to even one person that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them so much, a Savior who atoned for all of their sins and heartaches, and that they can return to live with them again, then I will consider my mission a success.