Friday, October 3, 2008

Create Happiness

Every Fall our Church's women's organization, called the Relief Society, holds a general meeting that is broadcast throughout the world. The Relief Society is one of the oldest and largest women's organizations in the world. It began in 1842 and has been functioning ever since.

The meeting was held this past weekend and I think that for most of us our favorite speaker was President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, who is currently serving as a counselor to our Prophet, President Monson. Below is an excerpt from his talk that really spoke to my heart.

"The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.

"Everyone can create. You don’t need money, position, or influence in order to create something of substance or beauty.


"Creation brings deep satisfaction and fulfillment. We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter into our hands and mold it into something of beauty—and I am not talking about the process of cleaning the rooms of your teenage children.

"You might say, “I’m not the creative type. When I sing, I’m always half a tone above or below the note. I cannot draw a line without a ruler. And the only practical use for my homemade bread is as a paperweight or as a doorstop.”

"If that is how you feel, think again, and remember that you are spirit daughters of the most creative Being in the universe. Isn’t it remarkable to think that your very spirits are fashioned by an endlessly creative and eternally compassionate God? Think about it—your spirit body is a masterpiece, created with a beauty, function, and capacity beyond imagination.


"But to what end were we created? We were created with the express purpose and potential of experiencing a fulness of joy. Our birthright—and the purpose of our great voyage on this earth—is to seek and experience eternal happiness. One of the ways we find this is by creating things.

"If you are a mother, you participate with God in His work of creation—not only by providing physical bodies for your children but also by teaching and nurturing them. If you are not a mother now, the creative talents you develop will prepare you for that day, in this life or the next.

"You may think you don’t have talents, but that is a false assumption, for we all have talents and gifts, every one of us.
The bounds of creativity extend far beyond the limits of a canvas or a sheet of paper and do not require a brush, a pen, or the keys of a piano. Creation means bringing into existence something that did not exist before—colorful gardens, harmonious homes, family memories, flowing laughter.

"What you create doesn’t have to be perfect. Don’t let fear of failure discourage you. Don’t let the voice of critics paralyze you—whether that voice comes from the outside or the inside.


"If you still feel incapable of creating, start small. Try to see how many smiles you can create, write a letter of appreciation, learn a new skill, identify a space and beautify it.

"The more you trust and rely upon the Spirit, the greater your capacity to create. That is your opportunity in this life and your destiny in the life to come. Sisters, trust and rely on the Spirit. As you take the normal opportunities of your daily life and create something of beauty and helpfulness, you improve not only the world around you but also the world within you."

If you feel discouraged and frustrated, take heart that you are not alone in your feelings. Also take heart that you are doing good in your corner of the world--no matter how big or small that corner may be. And remember that creating is a divine gift that we as women have been given.

You can read or watch his entire talk if you're interested. The link to watch it is for the entire meeting. At the bottom of the screen you can scroll to the right and double click on the picture of Pres. Uchtdorf to listen solely to his talk. It really was an uplifting and motivating talk and is only about 22 minutes long.

3 comments:

  1. I always come out of the RS broadcast feeling so happy and grateful to be a woman!

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  2. This talk changed my WHOLE entire paradigm! I've always said, "I'm not very smart. I could never go back to school.", but when Elder U. put it in the context of being a spirit daughter of the most creative being in the universe, it just turned a light on for me. The thought of creating as a way to find eternal happiness made so much sense to me. Thanks for bringing it to the forefront.

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  3. I loved that talk. I remember feeling validated for all the craftiness and messes it creates...while my husband laughs and rolls his eyes, in the most loving and supportive way of course! Thanks for the reminder!

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