Sister Dibb: “I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it."
“Oftentimes, it is in these quiet, prayerful moments that we feel encircled in Heavenly Father's love, and those joyful, loving feelings are restored.” —Sister Ann M. Dibb of the Young Women general presidency
Sister Ann M. Dibb, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, recalled meeting a teenage member of the Church a few years ago. She immediately knew this sister was not from Utah because of the words on her T-shirt which read, “I'm a Mormon. Are you?” Sister Dibb was impressed by this young woman's bold declaration and pondered what her own T-shirt would figuratively say. She concluded it would read, “I'm a Mormon. I know it. I live it. I love it.”
She said it is important to be confident in Church membership, just like the apostle Paul who said, “...I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. . . .”
“Such conversion and confidence is the result of diligent and deliberate effort. It is individual. It is the process of a lifetime,” Sister Dibb said.
Members should prioritize their gospel knowledge above other interests and activities, she said.
“With so many distractions, do we have the strength, discipline and commitment to remain focused on what matters most? Are we as well versed in gospel truths as we are in our studies, careers, hobbies, sports, or our texts and tweets? Do we actively seek to find answers to our questions by feasting on the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets? Do we seek the confirmation of the Spirit?”
As members expand their gospel knowledge, they can know how to apply the gospel to their lives and will increase their confidence in their individual testimonies. She encouraged members to follow the counsel of Paul, to be “doers of the word, and not hearers only.”
Members who learn about gospel principles and abide by the principles they learn will eventually be able to say they love the gospel and feel the peace that comes from keeping the commandments, she said.
Challenges may dull the excitement for the gospel some members once felt, Sister Dibb said, but as they renew their focus on learning the doctrines and keeping the commandments, those peaceful feelings will return. Humility and surrendering to God's will are especially effective in rekindling feelings of love.
“In Christ's prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane, He expressed to the Father, 'Not my will, but thine, be done.' This should be our prayer, as well,” Sister Dibb taught. “Oftentimes, it is in these quiet, prayerful moments that we feel encircled in Heavenly Father's love, and those joyful, loving feelings are restored.”
