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Young Women general board member Sister Yvonne Hubert (front left) with her family on November 2019. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Hubert, courtesy of Church News. All rights reserved.This story appears here courtesy of TheChurchNews.com. It is not for use by other media.
By Yvonne Hubert, of the Young Women general board
Editor’s note: This narrative is part of a Church News series titled “Women of Covenant,” in which women of the Church discuss their personal experiences with priesthood power and share what they have learned through following President Russell M. Nelson’s counsel to “labor with the Spirit to understand God’s power — priesthood power” (“Spiritual Treasures,” general conference, October 2019).
Have you ever felt totally and helplessly unprepared? How did you make it through? Did you humbly turn upward and plead for some sort of miracle? In that focused moment of complete submission, how did your miracle come?
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Yvonne Hubert, Young Women general board member. © 2020 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.Recently, as I stood by the chalkboard one Sunday, contemplating how and what I was going to teach my youth class that day, I felt tired. My body was tired and so was my mind. All four of my young children had just recovered from a long week of illness. The effects of very little sleep and very little preparation for my Sunday School lesson were evident. I wrote a few ideas on the chalkboard, but I knew I would need to rely mostly on the youth for help with the lesson that day.
I greeted the chatting, happy children as they entered the room and found their seats. Then, my worst fear came true. The bishop poked his head in the room and asked, “Sister Hubert, would it be all right if President and I visit your class today?”
My heart sank as I watched the bishop and the stake president enter the room. “Why today of all Sundays?” I thought to myself. My calm smile belied my rising panic as I replied, “Sure, come in.”
Turning to the chalkboard and acting like I was still preparing for the lesson I turned my heart heavenward and pleaded with my Heavenly Father for help. He knew I was unprepared to teach, but He also knew why. He knew the trials I had encountered that week, and He knew I needed His power and guidance.
I do not remember what I taught during that lesson, but I do remember a sweet confidence filling my soul. Thoughts, ideas and questions came that were not mine. The Spirit, even the Comforter, was sent forth to teach the truth, and all understood one another, and all were edified and did rejoice together (Doctrine and Covenants 50:14-22). Despite difficult circumstances, I was seeking to do my best and the Lord blessed me with a portion of His word in the very hour I needed it (Doctrine and Covenants 84:85).
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Sister Yvonne Hubert with her first two grandchildren. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Hubert, courtesy of Church News. All rights reserved.“All Church members can exercise delegated authority as they are set apart or assigned to assist in accomplishing God’s work” (General Handbook 3.4). Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ share portions of their divine priesthood power to help us carry out Their great work, “to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man” (Moses 1:39). What greater work is there than to serve with God’s power and help someone draw a little closer to Him and His Son?
The General Handbook teaches: “God’s priesthood power flows to all members of the Church — female and male — as they keep the covenants they have made with Him. Members make these covenants as they receive priesthood ordinances (General Handbook 3.5).”
The blessings of priesthood power that members can receive include:
- Guidance for their lives
- Inspiration to know how to serve family members and others
- Strength to endure and overcome challenges
- Gifts of the Spirit to magnify their abilities
- Revelation to know how to fulfill the work they are ordained, set apart or assigned to do
- Help and strength to become more like Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father (General Handbook 3.5)
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Sister Yvonne Hubert (fourth from left) with her family on her daughter’s wedding day, June 21, 2018. Photo courtesy of Yvonne Hubert, courtesy of Church News. All rights reserved.I know that anyone striving to keep covenants with the Lord can choose to receive God’s priesthood power into his or her life.
President Russell M. Nelson recently taught, “All of us can do better and be better than ever before.” He also taught that “Jesus Christ … stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify and sanctify us” (“We Can Do Better and Be Better,” April 2019 general conference). Through God’s priesthood power, all members who engage in the call to further the work of salvation can experience miracles and will be uplifted and helped in their very hour of need.
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