I am really so happy to be with you today, and I was really pleased to accept this assignment to speak to you.

I did not speak in general conference, but apparently I did a lot of talking last week, so I apologize that I am not going to be able to deliver my message with as much boldness in my voice as I would have liked.

I'm losing my voice a bit, so I'm sorry about that.

I'm really thankful to be accompanied by my husband, Doug, today. He's a chaplain spouse too,

and a wonderful support to me, and I love him so dearly.

Elder Jaggi is here with his beautiful wife as well, and I know him to be a consecrated and devoted disciple of our Savior, Jesus Christ. I also know that he is able to fulfill his responsibilities

as Seventy because he has his beautiful wife by his side. I was really touched by some of the comments that Elder Soares shared with us in conference on Saturday about that equal partnership we are all working to achieve in our marriages. I was really thankful for his counsel.

He reminded us that in marriage there are overlapping responsibilities, and I am thankful for my husband in this season of our life for him taking on some of the responsibilities that I otherwise might have had.

They've always been overlapping, and he's been willing to take on a load that otherwise might have been mine. I know you're doing the same.

In your role as chaplain spouses, sometimes you're taking on some overlapping responsibilities so that your husband, or in a few cases your wives, have the opportunity to serve and bless others in the way that our Savior would have them. And I just want to express my appreciation to you for doing that.

While I have never been a military spouse, I am the product of parents who served. when I was born in September 1963,

my mom was all alone. My dad was in officer training in Fort Sill, Oklahoma. I met several sisters who were presently serving there with their husbands. My dad had a two week leave about two weeks after I was born and was able to come home to Pocatello and meet me. And then he departed for Bamberg, Germany.

When I was six weeks old,

my mom left her lifelong home in Idaho to join my dad.

Her parents drove her in the car from Pocatello to Salt Lake City, and she boarded a plane from Salt Lake City to New York City and then on to Frankfurt. She had me, a six-week- old nursing baby in her arms before the days of folding strollers and baby backpacks—

just me and a bag and a few dollars in her bag.

She was very brave to go and support my dad, and my dad was very brave to serve.

It was a time, of course, in the 1960s when the Cold War was hot.

My dad served from 1963 until 1965, in the Second Armored Cavalry unit patrolling the border between East and West Germany. It was a powder keg when on November 12, 22nd excuse me, 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Fearing that the Russians would try to capitalize on the death of the American president or wondering whether the assassination was actually the effort of communist terrorists,

my dad was on high alert at the border,

and my mom remembers watching the US tanks roll through the streets of Bamberg. She watched out the window all alone with a nine-week-old baby in her arms.

And yet, for all the alone times and the challenges of being so far away from their extended family, my mom and dad blossomed.

Their relationship blossomed during that time, and they have made friends that have lasted a lifetime.

My dad served as the branch president in Bamberg, and my mom was the Relief Society president. They loved each other.

They loved their branch brothers and sisters and their colleagues in the Army. They spent two growing years in Germany, and then they returned to Pocatello, where my dad served as the commanding officer in the Army Reserve unit until he retired as a captain nearly ten years later.

I've always felt really proud of the military service that my dad and mom gave to our great country.

And while she was never in the military herself,

my mom was nonetheless part and parcel of my dad's service in the military.

Just like you. You are serving in support of your country and in support of your community. And I want you to know that your sacrifice is recognized.

In my preparations today, I had met with members of the Military Advisory Committee and the MAC, and I think I feel comfortable in expressing on behalf of the MAC and for me as well, our appreciation collectively for your efforts to serve.

I want to teach from the story told at John 4, the woman at the well. The painting you see in the slide actually hangs in my office in the Relief Society building, and I'm always happy when I have the opportunity to teach from this beautiful painting. You know this story.

Jesus was with His Apostles and they were traveling between Judea and Galilee and passed through Samaria. And He was weary from traveling. And so He rested at Jacob’s well and His disciples went on into the city to get meat. But He sat there at the well, and that's when the woman of Samaria came to draw water and the Savior asked her to draw some water for Him. Excuse me.

She was really surprised, of course, because she was a Samaritan woman and He was a Jew, and the Jews were generally unfriendly to the Samaritans.

So she asked him, why did you ask me for water? And this is the answer that He gives. I’m reading from verse 10,

“If thou knewest the gift of God and who it is that saith to thee,

give me to drink, thou wouldst have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.”

And she said that you have nothing to draw water with.

And the well's really deep. How could you give me living water?

And then the Savior explained,

“Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again, but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting light.”

In what feels like to me a very believing and sincere response.

The woman then says to him, “Sir, give me this water, and I thirst not neither come hither to draw.”

It’s always felt like to me that this conversation between the Savior and the woman was very intimate and very personal.

Right there at the well. And then the savior asked her to go get her husband and she responded, I have no husband. And He said, That’s right, you have no husband,

but you've had five husbands. And the man that you're presently living with isn't your husband.

The woman's response? Well, you must be a prophet to know this about me. And then she goes on and says, I know that there is a Messiah coming and He is going to tell us all things.

And then Jesus said, “I that speak unto thee, am He.”

And then the disciples returned to Jesus with the food. And the woman left her water pot and she went into the city to tell the people what she'd heard.

And many of the people believed in the Savior because of the testimony of the woman at the well. I think this is a beautiful, illustrative story for many reasons, but importantly, for today's purposes,

it demonstrates that the Savior knows and loves us individually and in our perfection. He didn't wait.

He doesn't wait to draw close to us until we can get everything right in life. He asks us to work at perfection and offers His help along the way.

I am impressed that the Savior talked with the Samaritan woman at the well where she was doing a task she had done probably 100 or maybe even a thousand times. Retrieving water was undoubtedly a way of life for her, but He talked with her there at the well in a way she could understand using the metaphor of water.

Using water as the metaphor for the eternal life that He offers for all of us. The Savior

let the woman know that she was known to Him.

He knew about her life and He knew about her challenges.

She didn’t have to be perfect to receive His attention.

Brothers and sisters. I testify that the Savior is interested in you

individually. He knows you and He loves you.

He knows your heart and your intentions and your goals.

And He knows your challenges. Just like He knew the woman at the well.

We don’t have to be perfect for Him to know us and love us.

We are perfected in Him, and through Him. It is a process we are all working on and which is possible because of the Savior, because of His living water.

He will meet us at our well— in our homes, in our work,

in the washroom, in our grocery stores.

And I testify that He will talk to you in a way that you can understand.

He will use a metaphor that speaks to you.

But usually in a still small voice, because those manifestations will be made true to you through the gift of the Holy Ghost.

If right now you’re wondering if you’re known to God,

will you please lean on my testimony until yours is stronger?

Will you consider with me experiences you have had when the Spirit has touched your heart and spoken that truth to you?

Perhaps you felt it today when the beautiful music was performed.

Perhaps it was an answer to a prayer that was uniquely yours.

Or maybe you felt it when you sang the song “I Am a Child of God.”

It is the Holy Ghost that will bear witness to you

of that foundational truth, that you are a child of God and known and loved by Him.

Please be intentional in looking for evidence of God's love for you.

I loved how Sister Craig put it in her talk on Saturday evening.

She talked about her sister, who was stuck in that room with no carpet around her and no furnishings on the walls. If she’d only opened the door. Brothers and sisters, I think that's so true for all of us.

Sometimes we wonder if we're known or loved, and I fear that it's because we've closed the door.

Will you open the door so that you can feel God's love for you?

Perhaps you’ll feel His love and appreciating nature.

These September days. Now we're into October. October days in Utah are spectacular. It's my favorite time of year.

Bright blue skies. And I was touched when the Tabernacle Choir sang

a Primary song this weekend. Do you remember? “My Heavenly Father Loves Me.”

“Whenever I hear the song of a bird or look at the blue blue sky,

whenever I feel the rain on my face or the wind as it rushes by.”

There's lyrics about roses and lilacs and butterfly wings, and then it ends with this truth: “For all His creations, of which I’m a part, yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.”

If you don’t feel like you felt the love of God lately,

will you please pray tonight and ask to feel His love?

And ask Him to tell you in a way you can understand?

I am confident that as you’re intentional in looking for God’s love,

you will know that you are known and loved by Him.

Let me turn to another scriptural example that I love.

This one’s 3 Nephi chapter 10.

And remember, in the darkness,

the voice of the Savior comes to the people of the Book of Mormon.

And I love what He says. This is the voice, right? It’s still dark.

They haven’t seen Him yet, but this is the voice that says, “How oft have I gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings and have nourished you? And again,

how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings.” And then a third time, “How oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings? If you’ll repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart.”

How often am I gathering you? How often have I gathered you?

How often will I gather you in the future?

I love that the Savior uses an analogy of a mother hen to describe Himself.

Again, imagine those people of the Americas in the darkness.

They were familiar with hens, and they knew how hens gathered their chickens.

This would make sense to them, and I hope it makes sense to you.

You've seen a chicken before, haven't you?

They can grow their wings to keep those baby chicks under their wings.

Under them, all of them. It’s quite an amazing thing where they click, you

know, the [making clicking sound] and they call those chicks and they open up their wings so that every single one has a safe place to come.

There are so many things we could draw from that analogy with respect to the Savior, a willingness to sacrifice His body for us, which a mother hen will do.

But I love that visual image of those wings extended as large and as wide as necessary so that every single chick is cared for because that mother hen knows every chick and makes room for every single one. I think it's beautiful that the Savior described His love in a way that was so encompassing and broad and big and inclusive. Mother hens know all of their chicks, don't they?

And just like a mother hen, our Savior knows each one of us.

Brothers and sisters, I testify that you are known and love.

I add my testimony to that that was shared by President Nelson yesterday.

Humbly add mine to his. He told you you were known and loved.

And that the Savior’s arms are outstretched waiting for us.

Now, sometimes we feel the love of God through the words or the actions of another. You each have the opportunity to show love to others, and when they feel your love,

they will fill the love of our Heavenly Father and our Savior.

As they feel that love of our Heavenly Father and Savior,

then their love for Them will grow and with it a desire to serve God by caring for His children.

President Nelson said recently in a talk that has been published in the Liahona this month, October 2022, called “The Everlasting Covenant,”

he said this, “The greatest joy you will ever experience is when you are consumed with love for God and for all of His children.”

So do you see the circle of love? Sort of like those wings, right?

Of the chicken. When I feel love for God,

because someone has expressed love for me, I feel that love for God. Then I, in turn want to partner with Him to love others. And then they feel the love of God so that they can continue the circle.

It's the circle of love. So, brothers and sisters, how big is your circle?

How big is the circle? The circle can be as big as you want it to be, can it?

Like the hen whose wings can be stretched and outstretched

to take in all of those, all of those chicks, your circle of love can be extended as well to include all of your brothers and sisters. So I hope the Spirit has impressed upon you that you are known and loved and that you will feel impressed to expand your circle of love.

Now, some of my next remarks are focused on a talk that President Nelson gave to the sisters. Brothers in the room, it’s for you too, okay. It’s sort of like when the scriptures say “he” but we say it means for for the women too, this is this message is for you too

so don't discount that.

In a conference address that President Nelson gave in 2015,

he referenced a talk that had been given by Spencer Kimball in 1979,

who made a profound prophecy about the impact covenant-keeping women would have on the future of the Lord’s Church.

President Kimball had testified, prophesied that much of the major growth that is coming to the Church in the last days will come because many of the good women of the world will be drawn to the Church in large numbers.

This will happen to the degree that women of the Church reflect righteousness and articulateness in their lives, and to the degree that the women of the Church are seen as distinct and different in happy ways from the women of the world.

And President Nelson said this: “Dear sisters,

you who are our vital associates during this winding up scene,

the day that President Kimball foresaw is today. You are the women he foresaw.

Youour true light, love, knowledge, courage, character, faith, and righteous lives will draw good women of the world, along with their families, to the Church in unprecedented numbers.”

Sisters, you are the women he foresaw. You were the women President Nelson

described as “vital associates” in preparing the world for the Second Coming of the Savior.

You will be seen as distinct and different in happy ways.

So consider with me where you are seeing. Where are we seeing?

In the workplace? Certainly. We’re seen at home. Were seen at Church.

At the grocery store. In your social media posts.

In fact, as I think about it, there's not very many places where you're not seen.

So how will you be seen as distinct and different in happy ways?

I invite you to prayerfully consider that question for yourself.

I'll share with you how I'm trying to be distinct and different in happy ways. Over the course of the last several months,

I have had the opportunity on a number of occasions to share my testimony that we are all children of God. I have met with diplomats that are here visiting Salt Lake City, and in my travels I've had the opportunity to meet with government officials, and on many occasions I have felt impressed to look right into the eyes of the people with whom I am talking and to tell them that they are children of God with a divine identity and purpose.

I wish I could describe for you the reaction of these people. Words don't do it justice. I have seen a visible change in people.

When you teach and testify of that truth—that they belong to a Heavenly Father who loves them, that they have divine identity and purpose,

I've seen countenances change, people light up. It's like the light of Christ is just in them in that moment.

Because I know that the Spirit’s testifying to them of that truth.

So I'm trying to be seen as distinct and different as a person who's always willing to testify of our divine nature and potential. I hope we can be seen as distinct and different because we are joyful. Ours is a gospel of joy. We heard so many joyful messages during conference. I hope that we can be distinct and different in that way. And of course we will be joyful when the focus of our lives is on the Savior. I love the scripture from Isaiah: “Behold, God is my salvation.

I will trust and not be afraid.

For the Lord, Jehovah is my strength and my song.

He also is become my salvation.

Therefore, with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”

We can be joyful because we are known and loved by our Heavenly Father and Savior. Brothers and sisters, you were all needed. Needed to be distinct and different in happy ways.

President Nelson invited the sisters to “step forward, take your rightful and needful place in your home, in your communities, and in the Kingdom of God.

I promise you, in the name of Jesus Christ, that as you do so,

the Holy Ghost will magnify your influence in an unprecedented way.”

When my husband Doug and I were serving as mission leaders in Arequipa, Peru,

we were there and privileged to be part of the groundbreaking for a temple that's there. And we watched the temple rise.

We enjoyed the ministering of angels, we believed, Amongst our missionaries as the work was progressing on both sides of the veil in preparation for that temple to be dedicated.

But it wasn't dedicated until we after we left.

Shortly, however, before we returned home and while the temple was receiving its finishing touches,

we were blessed and privileged to learn about the chandeliers that would be placed in the celestial room and to actually watch their assembly.

I had naively assumed that those chandeliers came fully assembled.

They don't. Each of those Swarovski crystals is placed individually by a gloved hand onto a framework using a very, very detailed instruction manual.

And as it turns out, every single one of those crystals was needed to reflect light. We are like those crystals.

Our prophet has invited us to take our needful place on the frame.

And his invitation is accompanied by a promise that the Holy Ghost will magnify us, make us sparkle in an unprecedented way.

Sisters and brothers, thank you for serving.

Thank you for being the eyes and the ears and the hands and the feet of our Savior, Jesus Christ. For supporting your spouses in their important role to bring hope and peace and joy to their brothers and sisters.

I joyfully testify to you that our Heavenly Father lives and loves us, that He sent our Savior as a perfect example.

He has atoned for our sins, but also for our troubles and our challenges.

I know that He is our perfect hope, the brightness of hope, the author and finisher of our faith and our stories.

And I leave my testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Now, sisters, before you go, and brothers,

we’re going to put up a QR code. Let me tell you what this is for.

We're interested in gathering information from you about how we can

best serve you. So if you’ll take a picture of that QR code in the privacy of your know your home, you can complete a survey.

It'll come back anonymous to us, but it'll help us know how we can better address your needs. Thank you.