This last weekend I was able to participate in a Women’s Conference that the local Stake Leaders of my church put together once a year. I love attending this conference. It always fills my cup. I learn about experiences that others have that help me to desire to become closer to my Heavenly Parents and Savior, Jesus Christ. This conference did not disappoint. The theme was A Perfect Brightness of Hope.

We started off in the Chapel together as a group. We sang songs, heard amazing talks, listened to a beautiful Sister sing a beautiful solo, and then we heard from a woman that was in a terrible car accident. It was a miracle that anyone came out of her car alive. She had many broken bones and a very long recovery. She told of her miraculous experience and then played a video of her accident and the long process of her recovery. The Spirit was so strong in the room.

After this, we broke out into classrooms. I went with a friend to a class that talked about Change. I actually wanted to go to a different class, but the Spirit told me to attend this one with my friend. I assumed I needed to go and support my friend. I soon found out that there was a different purpose for me to attend this class.

The woman teaching the class works in the mental health field and because of the extensive therapies I have done with my children, I knew most of the material. However, during the class, I was reminded to have more empathy and grace for them as they struggle with some very basic things in their life. I knew immediately that this was a gentle way that my loving Heavenly Parents were reminding me to be more loving and patient with my “big needs” kids.

It never feels good to be rebuked. Even one in such a loving way had me feeling disappointed in myself and wondering how I can do better when things can be so overwhelming with their needs each day. The time for class went quickly and we rushed to decide which class to attend next.

There was a total of four classes, but only two sessions to attend. I would not be able to attend two classes. My friend wanted to attend the class about music and I knew that this time, I would attend a different class. There was a class on meditation that I really wanted to attend. We separated and I rushed off to get a seat in this meditation class.

The woman teaching this class is a woman that I adore. She has taught classes I have attended before, and she always shares about her trials in life and how she gathered the strength from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ to overcome them. There are always tears in the room as we each feel the Spirit testify of the truth of her message. I knew that I could not miss out on her lesson this evening.

As she greeted everyone, she had a bowl full of small stones. On these stones were mantras, and she told us to pick from them without looking. When the class started, she shared about her battle with lymphoma. She had a friend come and tell her to stand out in the sun everyday on a hill near her house. Her friend encouraged her to let the sun, and the Son of God, heal her. She did this for a significant period of time. And eventually, she became cancer free.

After this time, her daughter began to study meditation and this woman was motivated to learn about it as well. At this point in the class, she got out blankets for us to sit on the floor if we liked and then she walked us through a meditation. This is what I wanted to share with you today.

She had us sit comfortably, then relax our bodies, and focus on our breathing. She had us imagine that we were surrounded by a purple flame. She talks about this flame covering our heads and closing around it. Then after a while, the flame goes down into the ground around us. She tells us to imagine ourselves getting up and preparing to hike up a mountain. She told us that we would go on this journey with a companion. Who is that companion? I immediately thought of my Savior, Jesus Christ.

We start on this journey which takes us up this mountain and about halfway up, there is a path that takes us over to a ledge. On this ledge is a woman, and she gives me something. I was stumped; what did she give me? In my hand was my mantra stone. She had given me this stone. It was an interesting thing to feel this stone in my hand right when I was confused as to what she gave me. Of course, she gave me this stone.

We continue on the journey up the mountain and come to a man. This man whispered something to me. He whispered the same words that were on my mantra stone to me. Then we continued up to the top of the mountain and stood looking towards the sun. Then the sun began to move towards us. It came closer and closer as we were consumed by the love of Christ and were healed by it.

I went on this journey with my Savior. The woman I met was my Heavenly Mother. She gave me something to treasure everyday for the rest of my life, a reminder of Her love for me. The man was my Heavenly Father. He whispered to me the words on this treasure that my Heavenly Mother gave me. Those words were: You Are Loved. I AM LOVED by my Heavenly Parents!

This was such a tender experience for me as I had just left one class where I felt a gentle rebuke from Them to be a more loving, patient, graceful mother; and went right into an environment where they showed their love to me. Even in my flawed nature, even as They had just reminded me that I need to be better. They LOVE me!

I spoke with my friend after the class about my experience and she told me that she had never heard anyone say that their companion was Jesus Christ. A lot of other women shared who their companion was and it was typically their husband or best friend. The woman on the ledge was a grandmother or someone similar. She gave them water, or hiking gear, or advice. The man at the top was a grandfather, uncle, friend. He gave advice or words of wisdom.

I know that my Heavenly Parents were teaching me how they wanted me to gently rebuke my children and then shower them with a tangible love that is bigger than the rebuke. What an amazing experience to cherish. I have a lot of work to do to change my parenting habits. I know that with their loving guidance, I can become the mother my children need me to be for them.

2 Nephi 31:20 “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”