My Firm Foundation of Testimony

I had the opportunity to attend the General Women's Broadcast last night in the Conference Center and thought it a bit ironic that we would sing verses 1, 2, 3, and 7 of the hymn "How Firm a Foundation". Last week was our Primary program and the children sang verse 1 and then the congregation joined in on verses 3 and 7 of the same hymn.

1. How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled.

3. "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid;
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by My righteous, omnipotent hand.

7. "The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I will not, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, no never, forsake!"

I can't even begin to describe the power of singing with 20,000 other women that we will never forsake the gospel of Jesus Christ. I felt a little like one of Helaman's 2000 stripling warriors going into battle. It also brought back to rememberance the talk Sister Beck gave at BYU Women's Conference this last spring. In her talk she brought up the plague of pornography that is inundating the homes of good Latter-Day Saint homes and families throughout the world. She paused and then very forcefully said, "Fight!" "Fight pornography and defend our homes." It was very moving and actually brought the audience to spontaeous applause.

So I reaffirm Sister Beck's words to fight! Fight against all that is unholy and ungodly. Fight for goodness and virtue. Fight vigilantly for the family, for more time with our families, for less media and distractions.

My dad once told me the story of Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young. They were both called on a mission to England in September of 1839. Heber C. had just finished his new log cabin for his family that measured 14' by 16', and they left for their mission so sick and weakened by disease "that both of use could not take a common trunk two feet long and ten inches square and put it in a wagon." Brigham then said, "The Devil meant to afflict us to see whether he could not back us out; but he had two hard fellows to deal with."

Well, the devil has got a hard gal to deal with in Melissa Seamons Leary. I'm a fighter. I fear not what the devil can do, neither am I dismayed by the world in which I live. I will never desert to the other side, and I will never, no never forsake the testimony I have that God lives. His church is on the earth today, restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that God is in the details of my life and is very interested and concerned about me. HE KNOWS ME PERSONALLY BY NAME. Of that I declare with certainty.