My dear brothers and sisters, this is a joy for me to accompany my husband on this assignment. After two months pretty intense for me and probably for my husband as well. We spent the month of July in France for the summer break, and then our two oldest daughters joined us in Utah with their families. So for the last two months, it was only in French for me, so I have to switch back to English, which is sometimes hard for me. I won't blame you if you can't understand everything I will say, because sometimes I don't even understand myself. So I will just try to do my best today. During this last month, we had our daughters and their families, so we had eight grandchildren in our home, and six of them sleeping in the same bedroom. So you can imagine the joyful bliss that was in our home, and sometimes it got pretty intense between the siblings and the cousins, and I could hear them fighting, arguing, and sometimes telling not very kind words to each other. So I tried to sometimes to intervene in their discussions and fights, and arguing. I tried to ask them, "What do you learn in your homes and at church about the teachings of Jesus Christ? How do you think He would like you to behave like that?" and so and so. Then I realized that maybe I should turn the same questions to myself.
Do I always talk to each other with kindness and patience? Do I always consider myself as a representative of my Savior with the others? And would I be another person without the gospel in my life? Am I really different from that person who doesn't have the gospel? And then I thought of those words from President Nelson, who says, "As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others—especially when we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people." [1]
So, I know that sometimes I blame my genes, my educational background, my DNA, for being a bit fast to react on some situations. I'm very often hear people say, "Well, I am like this because it's who I am. I can't change." I try to overcome those physical attributes that I have, that I was given at birth, and I try to remember my spiritual DNA. Who I really am, and who I can become as a child of God and as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I tried to remember that meekness is not weakness, that I can show love and patience to others without fearing to be too weak with them. I think that with my children and grandchildren, I shouldn't consider my position of authority more important and valuable than my love I have for them and for all my brothers and sisters. I should have shown my love to my Savior through my acts and thoughts for others. I should try to be the best disciple, and I should try to show others that I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ. I hope that when they see me, they can see me as a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I just want to bear my testimony that I love my Savior. I know that because of Him, I can become another person. Because of Him, I can become better. I can overcome all the difficulties, and I can humble myself to be the kind of person He wants me to be. I love Him, I want to show Him through my acts that I love Him. I know my Redeemer lives. I know that this is His Church and I know that we have prophets to guide us on the right path, and I just share with you this simple testimony I have with you this morning in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Russell M. Nelson, "Peacemakers Needed," Ensign or Liahona, April 2023, 98