Today Ella Romney and I taught Relief Society. The lesson was Pres. Russell M. Nelson’s October 2023 Conference address titled “Think Celestial!” What a treasure to teach the Prophets words with my dear friend!

Ella opened by sharing how we met 40 years ago in Dallas, Texas. We were just starting out as new wives and mothers. Now, 40 years later, we are together again here in Frankfurt serving the Lord.

Since our lesson was on thinking celestial and how our choices matter, I shared the following story of the positive influence Ella had on me. Growing up, I loved choir music, especially the Tabernacle Choir. I love to sing. Twice in my teenage years and once in college I went to choir practice and was asked to leave. In high school, my voice did not fit in. In college, only music majors could participate. I still wanted to sing in college, so I took a group beginning voice class. After listening to me sing, the instructor said I had a mediocre voice, so the highest grade I would receive would be a mediocre one. Did I still want to proceed? I said yes and received a mediocre grade. But at the end of the semester, I came away saying to myself that I would never put myself through that again and I stopped singing.

Time passed and a few years later Geoff and I moved to Dallas. Ella invited me to sing with her in the Ward choir. I declined but she kept insisting, “We need  people, we need you!” Because of her encouragement to come and participate, music fills my soul again and my heart sings. I have gone on to sing in every ward choir where we have lived: Texas, California, Colorado, Oregon and back to Colorado. I have sung the Messiah every year at Christmas time, and I can sing every part.  I love it so much. In 1993, at the age of 33, I started taking voice lessons. I won first place in the Colorado music teachers state competition for the “over 30” group.  I tried out and was accepted to sing in the Colorado Mormon Chorale. We sang the National Anthem at a Colorado Rockies baseball game. I also sang the National Anthem solo at the Oregon Special Olympics. I sing to Music and the Spoken Word with the Tabernacle Choir every week. I used to be able to sing the first verse of every song in the hymn book from memory. Now my memory is fading and my voice is aging so that skill is not so sharp. But music still fills my soul with joy and thanksgiving. I dream of being part of heavenly choirs to sing praises to my Savior and Redeemer.

Why this story today? Because what we do matters, both for ourselves and for others. Pres. Nelson said, “I have learned that Heavenly Father’s plan for us is fabulous, that what we do in this life really matters and that the Savior’s Atonement is what makes our Father’s plan possible.”

Also: “Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be!”

One more story I shared today:

When I was 17, I learned I had severe scoliosis. Within two weeks I went in for surgery and my back was fused from my neck to my hips.  After ten days in the hospital, I was sent home wearing a plaster cast that fit me like a giant, thick tank top. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror with tears running down my face because I looked so ugly.  My mom came in the bathroom and wrapped her arm around my shoulders. She gently said, “Some things in life you will not be able to control or change, like this cast. But you get to choose who you will be. You can choose to be an angry, bitter person or you can choose to smile and be beautiful on the inside.” In essence, my mom was inviting me to become like Christ. Pres. Nelson said, “When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view–an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first, because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand eternal reward tomorrow.” I chose then, and I choose now, to think celestial.