Good Morning Brother and Sisters. My name is Ruby Holloway and I was asked to give a talk on how we can turn to Heavenly Father in our challenges and specifically about how we can follow the example of Joseph that we read about in Genesis 37-50.
Joseph was one of Jacob’s 12 sons. He was favored by Jacob so his brothers were jealous of him so they sold him into slavery and then told their father he was killed by animals. Joseph was purchased by Potiphar a captain of the guard of Pharaoh who was the ruler of Egypt.
Potiphar could tell that the Lord helped Joseph. So Potiphar trusted Joseph and put him in charge of his house and everything he owned.
Potiphar’s wife liked Joseph. She wanted Joseph to break the Lord’s commandments with her. Joseph told her no. She was angry so she lied to Potiphar about Joseph and he put him in jail.
The Lord still helped Joseph by helping the prison guard see the good in Joseph and he then put him in charge of the other prisoners. He helped two other prisoners interpret their dreams. When they were released and worked for Pharaoh, they told him about Joseph.
Joseph was brought out of prison to explain Pharaoh’s dreams. Joseph said the dreams meant that Egypt would have seven years with lots of food followed by seven years of famine with very little food. Joseph told Pharaoh that Egypt should save extra food during the good years.
Then the famine came. During this time, no one could grow any food. People traveled to Egypt to buy the food Joseph had stored. Because of Joseph, the Egyptians saved enough food to help them and others survive the famine.
One day Joseph’s brothers came to buy grains and didn’t recognize him. Joseph knew who they were and he forgave them for selling him to slavery.
The important part of the story was how even though Joseph was faced with many trials, he stayed loyal to the commandments and to the Lord. Joseph turned every experience no matter how hard, into something good.
President Harold B. Lee once said “Sometimes when [we] are going through the most severe tests, [we] will be nearer to God than [we] have any idea.”6
When we turn to Christ, we will not only find the comfort we seek, but in so doing we will also gain an increased testimony of the reality of the Savior and His Atonement, which can heal all suffering.
We are not always healed from pain and sickness. Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve has said, “Sometimes we are ‘healed’ by being given strength or understanding or patience to bear the burdens placed upon us.
Our youth theme this year is “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”
I know that if we trust in the lord, and pray to him for guidance and follow his commandments, we will be able to overcome any challenges that we are faced with and the Lord will direct our paths and be there for us.
Josephs brothers sold him for not very much silver believing he wasn’t worth much. The Lord saw his worth, and because Joseph never gave up, he ended up saving thousands in Egypt. The Lord knows each of our worth. Even when we don’t see our own sometimes, we can use Joseph’s example to never give up and know that Heavenly Father has a purpose for us far greater that we can see.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.