Written By: Kris Denison
I love BBY camp! I have been involved since it first started over 20 years ago. I loved teaching the modesty class and being a Head Counselor during the week of camp. It has been my 1 week home in the summertime that I have always looked forward to that special week. When I say "home" or "house", I think of that as a family or social unit occupying a building where love is and service is given. That’s BBY!!
So what is your house? Where do you find love and service?….. Well I like to say for Young Women that your house is your body. So you and your body are going to serve the Lord…
How are you going to serve him?
Even though our YW theme has changed a bit, it still states, “I will stand as a witness of God at all times and in all places." It didn’t say some of the time and in some of the places…. but ALL of the time and in ALL the places.
So I need to take care of this house of mine because I am important and that is how I will be able to serve my Heavenly Father.
When flying on a plane, which not too many of us are doing right now, the flight attendant will say, “In an emergency put your mask on first and then you can help others do the same." We need to do everything we can to take care of ourselves first so that we can help those around us. Take care of your body - mentally, spiritually, and physically so you can "use your house" to serve and make a difference in this world - one girl at a time! (BBY style!)
There are three main points I have loved teaching BBY girls.
1. God doesn’t make junk.
Rembrandt was a famous painter. He painted a painting that was worth millions of dollars. Why was it worth so much? Because it was created by a Master and there is only one like it. You were created by a Master and there is only one like you. Look at your thumb. Each one of you are different and there are no two thumbprints alike.
I want you to hold your thumb up…. then take your thumb and point to you and say. I am ‘thumb-body’. Don’t you forget that! People put themselves down and compare themselves to others when we should be uplifting ourselves and only comparing ourselves to who we were yesterday. Comparing yourself is Satan’s tool to destroy you, your house, and your prosperity. We cant give him any power.
We are going to be strong and we are going to fight and we are going to win.
2. We need other's help!
I love the movie The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy was confused on what she wanted in life. She ran away for a moment just like some of us do in our life. We get confused, but trails help us to know what we want and help us to grow and to get back on the path.
When Dorothy and Toto are swept up in a tornado and deposited in the Land of Oz, the Munchkins told her to follow the yellow brick road. She wasn’t sure where this road was going to take her - all they said was “follow the yellow brick road.” She had faith and did what they said. As she followed the road she met others that would help her; the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Lion. As we go through life, can we do it by ourselves? … No, we need others help. Good help! We always think that life is better somewhere else. Dorothy realized that she wanted to go home. She knew she had to see the Wizard who would get her home. Just as we need our Heavenly Fathers help to get us back home.
3. Choose the path that will lead to your destination.
Most of you are familiar with the movie ‘Alice in Wonderland’. You will remember that she comes to a crossroad with two paths before her, each stretching onward but in opposite directions. As she contemplates which way to turn, she is confronted by the Cheshire Cat, of whom Alice asks, “Which path shall I follow?” The cat answers, “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”
Unlike Alice, we know where we want to go and it does matter which way we go, for the path we follow in this life leads to our destination in the next life.
May we choose to build up within ourselves a great and powerful faith, which will be our most effective defense against the designs of the adversary—a real faith, the kind of faith which will sustain us. It will bolster our desire to choose the right. Without such faith, we go nowhere. With it we can accomplish our goals to make it home.
Know that God loves you and that during these times of Covid-19, life is quite different, but God hasn’t changed. Take care of yourself first. Then as President Hinkley once suggested, “Forget yourself and go to work”. Serve others and always remember ‘You are Thumb-body’!
You are special and your Heavenly Father wants to see you get back home safe.
Love, Kris