1001. Brad Wilcox at our Stake Women's Conference January 27, 2018-- my notes.

I wrote on Sunday that I would write about my notes from our West Bountiful Stake Women's Conference, held Saturday, January 27, 2018.  I will write what I can here, but I have references to a 32 minute you-tube talk about grace, and a speech he gave at BYU on Grace.  I encourage you if you have time to check them out, by copying and pasting the links below.









































https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yLXr9it_pbY

The following link is the above talk written out to read:


https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/brad-wilcox_his-grace-is-sufficient/


     I had never met Brad Wilcox, but I had heard so much about him over the years.  My son Wayne had been his teacher for Spanish when Brad was in the MTC, and having struggles learning the language at that time.  Later he was a wonderful missionary, and became a Mission President in Chile.  I was anxious to go up after and speak to him.  When I told him I was Wayne's mother, he gave me a big hug, and we chatted a few minutes.  That is when we took this picture:  (He asked me to be sure and show it to Wayne!)

A beautiful musical number began the conference.  It was a women's trio, accompanied by the piano and a cello, and they sang this beautiful song:  "Come As You Are" .  There is a beautiful you-tube video of Nathan Pacheco singing it here:  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TKE4zYT-q6E

This beautiful song has one line that says: 

Come sit at the table, come taste the grace--

Brother Wilcox first of all recognized the women at the conference, saying they needed a chance to get away -- to be able to soak in the Spirit.  He said "You're always busy even at Church!.  He mentioned often even on Sunday you don't get your bucket filled --taking care of kids, having to find shoes before you went, teaching in Primary, studying for lessons, etc."  

He said the Prophet Joseph Smith said we could actually "taste" true doctrine.  He then told of a situation where he was in a class of children, probably about age 8, and wanted to explain "grace" to them.  He gave them each a hymn book, and asked to see who could come up first with a hymn with the word "grace" in it.  One boy quickly said "Called To Serve!"  He said he didn't see the word grace in it, and the boy said:  "It is written by Grace Gordon!"  It's true!

Grace has so many meanings -- he mentioned several.  In Hebrew it means "good will."  God's favor -- We LDS people know it means how God engages with us.  Pres. Uchtdorf said it is divine assistance which helps us grow into exaltation. Grace is the power that surrounds us now.  His grace isn't a supplement for our effort.  God answers prayers and does tender mercies.  Grace reaches into our heart and changes us.  Grace helps us to change.  When we see ourselves changing -- that is grace.

He talked about a phrase in the hymn "I Stand All Amazed"  :  I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me,  Confused at the grace that so fully he proffers me."  When you offer something to someone you ask them if they want it.  When you "proffer" you take it to them!  So Jesus "proffers" us grace.

Grace is like getting a scholarship to a college.  Those who paid for the scholarship for you hope you use it wisely and well.  God does the same for us as He offers us grace.  He wants us to use it wisely and well, and receive the blessings.

One habit Brother Wilcox has is that he reads a book to any newborn child or grandchild of his.  He knows the child doesn't understand it yet, but he wants the child to love books.  When they get old enough to read he asks them to read a book to him.  When they do, he immediately gives them another book!  He said "What good is a book to someone who doesn't read?"  Until someone learns to love books, they won't enjoy a library.  He applied that idea to the parable of the talents -- Remember where the man to whom He gave 5 talents doubled his talents?  The same principle applies to God's gifts (grace implied) -- where He will give more to those who use them.  D & C 71 verse 76 states: "For unto him that receiveth it shall be given more abundantly, even power."    Our ordinances are how we accept grace.  The Temple is all about receiving and engaging Christ's atonement.  Other Christians believe they will simply be with Christ (or something similar) after this life, but we know that through Temple ordinances we will receive so much more!

As the song said: "Come As You Are", but don't expect to stay that way.  "Saved by grace" is exaltation, becoming like God Himself.  The miracle is that we can become like God.  God turned the Kirtland Temple into something great, and He's doing the same with us.  He mentioned that the Kirtland Temple was built by many men who didn't understand building, and the type of foundation that a building needs.  He said that the weight of the pulpits on each side should have caused them to crash into the basement, as they didn't have strong beams under them.  It since has had much construction to give it a good foundation. 



But God accepted it, and gave them many blessings in that Temple.  

He told of a missionary that wanted to go home after 3 weeks in the MTC, saying that he hadn't learned the language and that the "gift of tongues" was a fake!  They explained to him the principle that was taught to Oliver Cowdrey in D & C 9  verses 7, 8 and 9, "Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me.  But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right.  But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong  ....."  The gift of tongues takes time.  God doesn't just want us to look like we have the right answers -- He wants us to "be" the right answer.  

He told of a time that he was on the bus with a bunch of teenagers, going to some kind of school event.  They were playing "Matthew, Mark, Luke and John" as they called it.  While saying that you would slap your legs two times, clap your hands one time, and then put your thumps up -- and when you put your thumbs up you would shout out someone's name on the bus.  The next time in rhythm if your name was called out you would shout someone else's name.  If you missed the rhythm you had to go to the back of the bus.  He said he sort of froze when someone said his name and he would end up going to the back of the bus several times.  But he emphasized he was "still on the bus!"  He used that analogy to talk about when we "mess up", and have to repent, we are "still on the bus!"  

We must "stay on the bus".  Enduring doesn't mean enduring without errors -- it means enduring through errors -- however long it takes.  We need to believe in the reality of His power to save us!
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That is what I remember from my notes!  I must tell you -- today is Thursday, 5 days since that Conference.  I had this mostly written yesterday, and had to make a quick trip to Ogden for a family matter.  I planned to come back before dark.  I said a prayer before I started driving -- alone -- to Ogden, about 3:30 p.m.  I got along well, going 70 mph most of the way.  I got off the exit, and went a mile or two coming into Ogden, and got on the place where you are on a one way street almost into the first main street -- Wall Avenue.  About 2 blocks before Wall Avenue I had the right front tire BLOW OUT!  I have a rather heavy car, a Buick, and I didn't lose control, but I immediately had to slow down, and one car passed me on the right (not heavy traffic at that time of the day.)  And then I was able to slowly go to the right and pull into a parking lot on a level surface!  I called my daughter to come get me, and her husband later came and put on my spare tire, and took me to a place where I bought two new front tires.  But I have truly felt I was protected!  I wasn't on the freeway!  I was close to help!  I was on a one-way street, where there was no on-coming traffic!  I stayed in Ogden last night, and my car was ready this morning, and I'm back home -- VERY THANKFUL, AND SAFE!  

LOVE TO ALL!