Jaley's first talk in Sacrament Meeting

Jaley gave her first talk in Sacrament Meeting this past Sunday.

She read the Conference Address to John and me while we were working on re-routing some underground downspouts this past Friday (John's day off of work!). We had fun discussing it.

Here is her talk ...

When my mom was a little girl, her dad had the entire family sit on the front pew of the chapel. This encouraged the kids to be reverent. My mom told me that she remembered sitting on that pew as still as one could be without moving an inch. She remembered concentrating on how many times she would blink during the talk. If only she had been taught the words to a Primary Song that she later learned as an adult.

The song goes

Rev’rence is more than just quietly sitting:

It’s thinking of Father above,

A feeling I get when I think of his blessings

I’m rev’rent, for rev’rence is love.

She was reverent on the outside, but not on the inside.

My talk today is on respect and reverence from a talk given by Sis. Lifferth from April’s General Conference.

Reverent behavior is not a natural tendency for most children. It is a quality that is taught by parents and teachers by example. This spirit of reverence that is taught will strengthen the children and youth and will invite the spirit of worship into our homes and chapels.

We live in a loud and busy world. TV, movies, music, friends just to name a few. If we as children and youth are not taught how to seek and recognize peace from being reverent and also recognizing the promptings of the Holy Ghost we will become accustomed to the loud and busy world.

Boyd K. Packer gave a conference address 20 years ago entitled, “Reverence Invites Revelation.” That phrase alone speaks volumes. We must create reverence in our hearts, our homes and our meetings. We must create places of reverence that will invite the Spirit to comfort, guide, teach and testify.How can we develop this reverence? We learn this as we learn to pray using the proper language of prayer. We can handle the scripture with respect. We refer to our adult leaders and peers by calling them Brother, Sister, Bishop, Elder, President (just to name few) while we are in a church setting.

Parents and leaders MUST set the example of reverent behavior in our church meetings. Our conversations must be held in the lobby before and after our Sacrament Meeting so that those in the chapel can be prepared to be taught by the Spirit. The prelude music helps to invite that spirit and reminds us of where we are. Our reverent behavior is key in inviting the spirit of reverence to our meeting. This is shown by how we act when we enter the chapel.

"We encourage reverence," says Sis. Lifferth, "when we take a crying child out of the chapel and find another room where we continue to listen to the meeting until the baby is calmed down or a disruptive toddler is soothed. Reverence includes turning off our cell phones and BlackBerry devices. Texting or reading e-mails in a church meeting is not only irreverent; it is distracting and signals a lack of respect for those around us. So we exemplify reverence by participating in the meeting listening to the speakers and singing the hymns of Zion together."

I am grateful that my parents and teachers have taught and encouraged me to find reverence in my life. My parent’s instruction was key in helping me get through my first year on the bus and in middle school. The language was terrible. I found peace and reverence by finding a reverent place in my mind to think of what my Heavenly Father would want me to be. It is a loud and busy world that can drive the Holy Spirit away. I feel at peace when I am reverent on the outside and on the inside.

I leave these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.