EFYSA Thoughts

 Last week I had the awesome opportunity to attend an EFYSA (Especially for Young Single Adults) conference. There were speakers, activities and a service project, and I loved it. I want to share a few of my thoughts here.

On the drive to the event center, one of the girls I was riding with asked me what I was most excited for about the conference. I had to think about it for a minute, because I was excited, but hadn't yet tried to put into words why. I decided I was excited for the positive, inclusive energy from a large group of faithful youth. I was excited for the classes and speakers. I was excited to do something different and higher energy than my life is right now. I loved EFY, and was excited to do something like that again. 

The theme of the conference was "Think Celestial", from President Nelson's October 2023 General Conference talk. Most of the speakers' addresses were themed something like "Think Celestial by..."

The keynote speaker on the first night was Brandon Sanderson. He's a very popular fantasy writer, and everyone was very excited that he was coming. I've tried to read some of his books before, but couldn't really get into them for various reasons. So I was a little unsure how much I would enjoy his speaking style if I didn't like his writing style. But when he started by sharing that he loves to look at the stars and ponder the vastness of the universe, that he is a dreamer and a wonderer, and shared a quote from Neil deGrasse Tyson, I decided we could be friends :)  It turned out that his talk was my favorite overall address.

His talk was titled "Love the Process". That hit me a little bit, because I had used that exact phrase when talking to Katie a few weeks ago. We were discussing an artist we both watch on YouTube, and all art goes through an "ugly phase", where it looks bad, and it can be hard to see the vision of what it can become. In these moments, this artist always tells her audience "trust the process". I said to Katie "The audience has to trust the process, but the artist has to love the process." I knew it was true of art, but it never occurred to me that it was true of life.

Brother Sanderson reminded us that in our journey to eternity, the process is the point. The process of becoming like God is the point, and that we need to love the process of becoming to the point that it is more forefront in our minds and more important than the "goal". Because becoming is the goal. The process is the point.

Later, I was thinking about this, and I likened it to a race. In a race, the goal is not to cross the finish line. The goal is to run fast. The journey is more important than the destination.

He also shared Matthew 10:22 "He that endureth to the end shall be saved." The word translated here as "endure" is the Greek "hupomeno", more commonly translated as "abide", "tarry", or "await".

The themes of loving the process, becoming and "abiding" came up again and again in the conference.

The second day we heard from Elder Kim B Clark and Sister Sharon Eubank.

Elder Clark's talk was "Your Eternal Identity in God's Eternal Plan." He shared a quote from President Nelson: "First, you are a child of God. Second, you are a child of the the covenant. Third, you are a disciple of Christ." These aren't labels. They are things to learn to embrace and become.

He also shared a story from his own life. When Elder Clark was younger, he was in a rock band. They were pretty good and enjoyed local success. After one important performance, a friend told Elder Clark that he was a different person when he was with the band. Elder Clark knew his friend was right. He was two people. One was sarcastic and snappy and not very nice; the "band person". The other was an Eagle Scout, kind, generous and faithful; the "church person." Elder Clark knew that he needed to decide right then which person he wanted to be. So that day he quit the band, put away his guitar and never touched it again. 

Sometimes we have to give up things we love in order to become the person we truly want to be. We put off the natural man and become new creatures in Christ. The tricky bit is that the desires and habits of the natural man are not always evil. They can be good and beautiful. But, and this is the important part, if they are keeping you from thinking celestial, from serving others, from coming closer to God, they have to go.

Sister Eubank spoke on hope and the celestial goal of service. I took three things away from her talk:

1) You don't have to wait to be generous.

2) You don't need to help hundreds or thousands of people. One is enough.

3) No matter what terrible things have happened, God will never leave us alone.

Elder Stevenson gave a devotional the second night. He gave us four "flags" to fly as we Think Celestial.

1) Peacemaker

2) Understanding

3) Restoration (of the gospel)

4) Engagement (in good causes)

Proverbs 4:7 "With all thy getting, get understanding" I realized that "getting" here had two meanings. One way to read it is "With all the things you get, get understanding." The other is "With all your effort of getting, get understanding." One adds it to our collection and the other puts the effort and responsibility on each individual.

 

The last day I heard two speakers, one on "Paths of Righteousness", and the other "Even When Dark Clouds Press"

On "Paths of Righteousness", I wrote two thoughts. "Some of us are born on the path, others find it. But at some point each one of us has to choose if we are going to follow the path, and return to it when we wander. That is conversion."

And, inspired by Psalm 23 "He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me by quiet waters. Though I travel through dark valleys, I do not wander, I do not fear. For He is my light, my guide, my shepherd forever."

During the address "Even When Dark Clouds Press", I didn't write much down until the very end, and what I wrote was "Find the light." 

Doctrine and Covenants 34:2-3 "The light and the life of the world, a light which shineth in darkness and the darkness comprehendeth it not; Who so loved the world that he gave his own life, that as many as would believe might become the sons of God" There's that word "become" again. 

The last address was the morningside on the last day, given by two of the local stake presidents.  One of them reminded us, one of Brother Sanderson's themes (which I hadn't written any notes on at the time) was that hard work is important, but it isn't everything. So don't get discouraged when your hard work isn't yielding the results you desire. The Lord's plan it the Lord's and He directs it. Keep working hard, keep loving the process, and council with the Lord.

The other said that in the planning of the conference, they prayed that it would be transformative. I think it was for me, in small ways.