Occasionally, I’ll dig up an old Relief Society Magazine. While reading an article about a speech given by Belle Spafford (9th Relief Society General President), this thought ran through my head: Why talk of failure and excuses when we can talk of victory?
I quote from her talk:
“When I was a little girl, we used to sing a song in Sunday School which said: “If we fail, we fail in glory.” How I loved that song, and how I sang out those words. It seemed so noble to fail in glory. Recently, however, I read a comment about this song by one of the elders of the Church, Mr. Sterling Sill, in his book on Leadership. “Ridiculous,” he said. “No failure is glorious … The one business of life is to succeed. We are not placed here to waste our lives in failure.”
Sir Winston Churchill has furnished the world with perhaps one of its most graphic examples of a leader who would entertain no thought of failure, even in the face of what appeared to be almost insurmountable difficulties. England, unready for war, was faced with possible annihilation as a nation by a strong, ruthless enemy. Sir Winston Churchill was named Prime Minister. When he met the House of Commons for the first time, he said: “You ask, what is our policy? I will say: to wage war by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all the strength God has given us; to wage war against a monstrous tyranny. … That is our policy. You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word: victory … victory, however long and hard the road may be.”
Motivational speakers talk about how to succeed. This is what makes them motivational. When we talk about the possibilities of success and victory it motivates us and causes our hearts to stir into action. We are filled with a desire to fight, defend, win, and overcome anything.
So, why do we spend valuable Relief Society time talking about the difficulties we are facing and how hard it is to raise our families. Why do we put ourselves down?
Relief Society should be a place where we are motivated to keep fighting the battles we are all immersed in. None of us are perfect, but all of us have a desire to be victorious and receive our rewards in heaven. So why don’t we talk about that more? Why don’t we talk about the possibilities of success and victory, and what is in store for all of us, so that we can go to our home fully armed and ready to conquer the battles of life?
Here are just a few scriptures that I hope make you feel that success and victory are possible for you and your loved ones.
“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).
“And [she] who is faithful shall overcome all things, and shall be lifted up at the last day” (D&C 75:16).
“And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it” (Alma 56:48).
“And, if you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God” (D&C 14:7).
“Behold, I have seen your sacrifices, and will forgive all your sins; I have seen your sacrifices in obedience to that which I have told you. Go, therefore, and I make a way for your escape” (D&C 132:50).
“[Sisters], shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, [sisters]; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad” (D&C 128:22).
Painting: Modern-day Mother in Zion by Anita Mae Hart-Carroll