Time Out For Women - John Bytheway

The second speaker Friday night was John Bytheway. Entertaining and inspiring, but hard to take any notes.  He talks a mile a minute AND his talk was much of it quotes from other Time Out For Women speakers over time. I was too slow to get the authors and the quotes.

At one point he whizzed through the Young Women’s Values at high speed, then stopped and complimented/apologized to the man translating into American Sign Language and warned him that he was doing the Young Men next;      “Be.      Prepared.” 


He repeatedly quoted Majorie Pay Hinckley – probably partly so he could have her sweet face put up on the screen.  Many quotes from her little book “Small and Simple Things”.


John Bytheway quoted Sherie Dew as saying, “Sin makes you stupid, and it costs a lot, too.”  I am not sure, that may even be the title of one of her books.


One of the best things he said was that the best success formula is repeated every week by 16 year old boys – the Sacrament prayers.

He talked about choosing to be delightful. “I think I’ll be delightful today.”


Also how relationships often evolve (deteriorate) from Appreciate to Expect to Demand and how he and his wife made a conscious decision to stay on Appreciate and what a difference that makes in their relationship.


John related that he had heard a Jeffrey R Holland quote about the outcome of the world has already been decided, but we need to choose which side we will be on.  He wanted to quote it, but first, he wanted to authenticate it.  Unable to find it in his own research, he called Elder Holland’s office.  The secretary did not know the quote, but said she would ask Elder Holland.  John B. thought that was the end of that.   Weeks later he got an email from Elder Holland, acknowledging that he did indeed say what John heard he said and offering to write it and authenticate if for John.  And signed the email, “Jeff”.   !!! The quote:
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “The future of this world has long been declared; the final outcome between good and evil is already known. There is absolutely no question as to who wins because the victory has already been posted on the scoreboard. The only really strange thing in all of this is that we are still down here on the field trying to decide which team’s jersey we want to wear!”


Elder Faust’s quote refers to you, our young people, but I think also to all of us who live in the later days to help us remember to be true even in troubled times.

James E. Faust: “In many ways our young people are the hope of the future, like valuable diamonds that shine better against a dark background.”


I could not find the reference for this (yet?) but I think Bytheway said that Heber J Grant said something like My God is a cheerful, lively, and good-natured being.  I know this because when I am close to Him, I am cheerful, lively and good-natured. – I think a corollary would be that if we endeavor to be cheerful, lively, and good-natured, it will help us to be closer to God.