Thursday, September 16, 2010

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.

8 comments:

  1. Deseret News, 25 Feb. 1857
    http://lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?hideNav=1&locale=0&sourceId=cf716a4430c0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD#footnote10
    I looked it up
    ;)
    good blogging

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  2. thanks for all of this good stuff! i was just looking for a little inspiration and came across your post. it was so good of you to share!

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  3. Thank you for this post!! I've been searching to authenticate that quote about the team jersey and now I can confidently share it with my Seminary class! So glad you posted this and all the other great info, thank you for your notes and great insights!!

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  4. Does John Bytheway give the reference for that quote by Jeffery R Holland?

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  5. Does John Bytheway tell when Elder Holland said that? I know I heard him say it, but it isn't found on lds.org

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  6. I thought I remembered hearing it in conference, but apparently I misremember. I can find other people quoting Elder Holland as having said it, but no citation date or place. frustration

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  7. Unless it is verifiable in a first hand reference the quote has no meaning...and I have yet to find the first hand source of this quote...JB's story although nice is still a second hand reference... for me this is not sufficient and it is frustrating

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  8. Which quote do you mean? I go the wrong Heber on the cheerful quote. "I am perfectly satisfied that my Father and my God is a cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured Being. Why? Because I am cheerful, pleasant, lively, and good-natured when I have His Spirit. That is one reason why I know; and another is-the Lord said, through Joseph Smith, “I delight in a glad heart and a cheerful countenance.” That arises from the perfection of His attributes; He is a jovial, lively person, and a beautiful man. (Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses, 4:222)
    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!” (BYU devotional, 1983)

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