This past summer I had the incredible opportunity to work as an EFY counselor! EFY stands for Especially For Youth and is a camp put on through BYU that helps bring youth closer to Christ. There are a lot of activities that happen within the week, like: classes, dances, Games Night, Gospel study, and so many others! Everything I see the letters EFY though, I don't think Especially For
Youth. I have started thinking Especially For
You. The youth that were in my groups, the counselors that I worked with all of these people truly touched my life and changed it for the better. It wasn't just meant for the youth, it was meant for me.
Because I am crazy late in posting anything about EFY I have decided to dedicate a post to the main principles that the Spirit taught me whilst I was at EFY.
1. Do not compare yourself to others--Provo1B (Training Week)
The very first EFY meeting I had this was the first thing they said to us, "Dare not to compare." I was new at this job! Sure I have worked with youth before, but not in a setting like this! I was scared and I didn't know what I was doing, so I automatically compared myself to others. You know what I learned from comparing myself to others? Nothing!
It is true! The only thing I learned was that they were really good at something and I wasn't as good. It made me feel hopeless and like I wasn't the right person for the job. It kept me from looking at the good I was already doing, from the things that I do really well.
Instead of having the mentality of "I will never be as good as ." Be grateful for their strengths, and then recognize your own.
2. "We hear about the dangers of distracted driving, but what about the dangers of distracted living?"
This quote comes from my
favorite EFY video! We hear so much about how dangerous it is to drive while doing other things like: texting, eating, doing make-up, etc. Yet we don't hear so much about how important it is for us to live in the moment. Instead of letting your mind be so focused on what
has happened, or what
could happen, focus on what is happening right now. Satan does not need to get you to participate in a "big sin". All he needs to do is distract you from what you should be doing.
The last week of EFY we were playing the game Killer Frog. The youth sit in a circle and there are several killer frogs chosen (only the killer frogs know they are killer frogs). There is a detective standing in the middle who has to figure out who the killer frogs are. While the detective is looking around and trying to figure out who they are, the killer frogs are sticking their tongues out at others in the circle killing them. Through my ten weeks at EFY I had never been killed! I was determined to make it out alive again this last time! As I kept my focus on the detective I saw somebody wave behind them. I looked down and died. It was the killer frog and he had gotten me! I couldn't believe it! I was so focused on the detective (Christ) and yet the killer frog (Satan)
still got me. All because I got distracted! Satan works the same way; if he can distract us from following Christ and continuously being fixed on Him, then he has the chance to win.
We need to keep our eyes continuously fixed on Christ
"at all times, in all things, and in all places.".
3. "Can't Stop Me From Being Resurrected!"--Orem Stay-at-Home 2
I had the incredible opportunity to meet Brother Jason Robbins during the Orem SAH 2 Session that I worked. Brother Robbins is a seminary teacher and an amazing one at that! I had the opportunity to conduct for one of his classes on Wednesday. The class was called "Living the Reality of the Resurrection".
Now, I have to tell you a little bit about Brother Robbins; he is one of the funniest and happiest people I have ever met in my life! When I met him the first day I made a point to call him by name. The next two days, whenever we saw each other we were calling each other by name! As I went in to conduct for his class he came in and was bubbly, just like he always ways. A few minutes into our conversation his energy seemed to lessen significantly. I looked up at him and asked him what was wrong. He told me that he had invited his parents to come watch this final class because they had never seen him teach. But his father had some illnesses and surgeries recently and wasn't well enough that day to come. I listened to him talk about his father and could feel the love that he had for his family. I weakly smiled and told him I was sorry they couldn't be here. This is where I learned my lesson. Brother Robbins looked up at me with a twinkle in his eye and a smile on his face and said,
"Well, can't stop him from being resurrected!"
I must have given him a confused face because he started explaining what he meant. "Sarah, we made a choice long ago, before the world even began, to follow God and come to Earth. All of the people on this Earth made that same choice. Because we made that choice, we get to keep our body forever! No matter what we do in this life, we will
all be resurrected. So what is the point of always worrying? It can't stop you from being resurrected." He is right! Everybody that has lived, is living, and will live on this Earth made the choice to follow Christ before we came here. Which means we will all be resurrected. We have bad days, we have days when things don't go well, we make mistakes, and so on. But all of these things can't stop you from being resurrected, from overcoming physical death.
4. YOLF--Orem SAH2
This was something I learned in that same class with Brother Robbins. So, really this should be 3A, but whatever! Brother Robbins, when talking about the resurrection, said, "YOLO should be YOLF:
You
Only
Live
Forever!" People try to reason things out by saying, "Well, you only live once!" That is stupid!! We have our whole life here on Earth to experience joy, sorrow, success, grief, happiness, and pain. We not only have this life, but we have the next! Remember, "Can't stop you from being resurrected!" We have life after death! You don't only live once, You Only Live Forever!
5. Feast upon the fruit of Christ/Build an Unshakeable Testimony--Orem SAH2
One of my favorite things to study and read is Lehi's vision in 1 Nephi 8. In this vision Lehi sees the tree of life. There is an iron rod that leads straight to the tree, but there is also "a large and spacious field" (v. 9), "a river near the tree" (v. 13), "a mist of darkness" (v. 23), and "a great and spacious building" (v. 26). Lehi partakes of the fruit and describes it like this: "
I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I behold that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted . . . the fruit thereof was white to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen. And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also . . ." (v. 11-12).
So he turns and sees his family and calls them to come to the tree. Sariah (Lehi's wife), Sam, and Nephi (two of his sons) all grabbed the rod and came and partook of the fruit. But Laman and Lemuel (Lehi's other two sons) "
would not come unto me and partake of the fruit." Then Lehi saw many other people that I put into four groups.
- This group wandered away from the iron rod and were lost.
- This group was "clinging to the rod of iron" and "after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed." There were people in the great and spacious building that were mocking them, so these people left the fruit of the tree.
- This group "came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree."
- This group sought out the great and spacious building.
The group that always bothered me was the second group! They had tasted of the goodness of the fruit, the tasted that same thing that Lehi had! Why would they let the people in the great and spacious building mock them away from it. Do those people in the building have nothing else to do? Is there not a pool table or something in there to entertain them instead of mocking those who strive to follow Christ? I didn't understand, and couldn't understand, how that happened! Then, Brother Hank Smith answered my question.
I've had this question 10+ years, and I finally have an answer! The scriptures say that "After they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away . . ." They had only tasted of the fruit. When you taste something you get a small sample of what it is like. It could be the most delicious thing in the world, but if you only have a taste you are sure to forget it eventually! Brother Smith took us to Alma 32:42 where it says: " . . . and ye shall feast upon this fruit even until ye are filled, that ye hunger not, neither shall ye thirst."
That was the difference! Lehi along with the third group feasted on the fruit of the tree. The continued to eat and hold on to it. We are expected to do the same! There are people out there in the great and spacious building who will mock you for worshiping God and following His commandments. If it hasn't happened to you yet, it will. So we must learn for ourselves what is true. "A person with an experience is never at the mercy of a person with an opinion."
Build an unshakeable testimony and feast on the fruit of Christ.
6. The Spirit of Nauvoo--Nauvoo1
I feel as thought Nauvoo in and of itself was a journey for me. There is this incredible and beautiful spirit that is there! It is kind of like BYU-Idaho in that I cannot describe it to you. But, I want to testify of a few of the things that I learned whilst I was there. I took our Session Director, Brother McMullen's, challenge that he gave all of the counselors and the youth at the very beginning of the week. "As you go through Nauvoo, make sure Nauvoo goes through you." But Nauvoo didn't go through me, because I still have it with me.
What I learned in Nauvoo is that I can take that spirit that I feel there with me everywhere I go! I'm not just talking about the amazing memories that I had there. I am taking my testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith, of temples and the work that happens within them. I am taking my testimony of enduring to the end, I am living those testimonies and I won't stop! These Saints had every reason, Joseph had every reason to look up at God and quit! They went through so many hardships, so many trials, and they didn't deserve it! And yet they pressed forward, continuously relying on the Lord. When things got bad, they turned to God and asked for help and God heard them.
You and I are no different in our lives! We all have our own "Nauvoo" experiences where everything seems to fall apart and things aren't going how we expect. We also have times in our lives when we have such immense joy and success. When we can see God's hand in our life and we see great reason to rejoice! It is during those trials though that we need to rely on the Lord, that we remember our testimony of God's love for ALL of His children. That love, that peace, that joy that comes from that knowledge is what helps us endure to the end. Knowing that all bad days come to an end, and that Christ is walking right beside you.
While I was at the Visitor's Center in Nauvoo I had an interesting thought about Jesus Christ and his suffering on the cross. Christ was pierced in three places: hands, feet, and side. Each of those places represent what Christ does for us. Christ succors, or runs to, His people (feet), His arms are outstretched still (hands/wrists), and He is always by your side. Walk with God, because whether you are aware of it or not, He walks with you. You are not alone.
This is quite a long post. There are so many other things that I learned about this past summer and I have so loved all of the experiences that I have had. I want to share my testimony that I know Christ lives! Because He lives, I can and will live again. Because He lives, I can be with my incredible family forever. I know that Joseph Smith truly did see Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that beautiful spring morning. I know that God loves all of His children; I know that you are not forgotten. Even during those times when you feel like nobody cares or that you don't matter, He is there. I know that because Christ gave His life, I can regain mine. I can repent of all of my sins and return back home with my Heavenly Father. I know that I am a daughter of God. I extend this invitation to you: if you made it all the way through this post, one good on you because it is really long! But I invite you to ask God for yourself. I promise that God will answer your questions, it may not be in the time or in the way that you expect, but He will answer you. If you don't feel anything at first, don't stop! Remember that we must feast on Christ's fruit, not just taste it. Pray with an open mind and open heart and be willing to wait if God needs you to. I promise that He will answer you.
". . . Shall [I] not go on in so great a cause?"
