Sister Neill F. Marriott: Share Your Light

Contributed By Marianne Holman Prescott, Church News staff writer

  • 28 September 2014

Sister Neill F. Marriott, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, speaks at the general women's meeting on September 27.

Article Highlights

  • Faithful women who give voice to truth and share their light push back the darkness of the world.

“We must stand firm in our faith and lift our voices to proclaim true doctrine.” 
—Sister Neill F. Marriott of the Young Women general presidency

As faithful women give voice to truth and share their light, they are able to push back the darkness of the world, said Sister Neill F. Marriott, second counselor in the Young Women general presidency, during the general women’s meeting held in the Conference Center on September 27.

Watch Sister Marriott's full address.

“Do you know how important you are? Every one of you—right now—is valuable and essential in Heavenly Father’s plan of salvation,” she said. “We have a work to do. We know the truth of the restored gospel. Are we ready to defend that truth? We need to live it; we need to share it. We must stand firm in our faith and lift our voices to proclaim true doctrine.”

Drawing from the scriptures, Sister Marriott said “that which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light.”

Each woman carries two important responsibilities—to add gospel light and truth to her own life and to share that light and truth with others, she taught.

“We must go to the source of light—to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and the scriptures,” she said. “We can also go to the temple, knowing that all things within its walls point to Christ and His great atoning sacrifice.”

Recognizing the effects of temples around the world today, Sister Marriott said they beautify inner cities and shine from prominent hills. “Why do they beautify and shine? Because as the scriptures say, ‘truth shineth,’ and temples contain truth and eternal purpose; so do you.”

Rainy weather in Salt Lake City didn't deter thousands of women and girls from attending the meeting at the Conference Center.

A choir of women, young women, and girls from the Salt Lake Valley, as well as a prerecorded choir of children from Korea, provided music for the meeting.

Wherever a temple is built on the earth it pushes back darkness, Sister Marriott taught. The temple’s purpose is to serve mankind and give all of Heavenly Father’s children the ability to return and live with Him.

“Isn’t our purpose similar to these dedicated buildings, these houses of the Lord?” she asked. “To serve others and help them push back the darkness and return to Heavenly Father’s light?”

Sacred temple work will increase faith in Christ and help members better influence the faith of others, she said. “By the nourishing spirit of the temple we can learn the reality, the power, and the hope of the Savior’s Atonement in our personal life.”

Sharing a personal experience where she went to the temple in a time of need, Sister Marriott shared the inspiration she received—that it is only through the Atonement of Jesus Christ that she could be changed and enabled to do good.

“Placed around the world, temples have their own unique look and design on the outside, but inside they all contain the same eternal light, purpose and truth. … We too, as daughters of God, have been placed all around the world, like temples, and we each have our own unique look and outward design, like temples,” she said. “We also have a spiritual light within us, like temples. This spiritual light is a reflection of the Savior’s light. Others will be attracted to this brightness.”

Each woman has her own role to play on the earth—whether it is daughter, mother, leader, teacher, sister, wage earner, wife, and others—and each role is influential and has moral power.

Remembering when her children were young, Sister Marriott spoke of the many daily responsibilities and tasks. Although many days were full of “forgettable things,” she spoke of the need to do the simple, consistent acts—including family prayer, scripture study, and family home evening—that allow great things to come to pass.

No matter the role someone plays, all can be a power for good and a light to others as they give voice to the truth, follow the Savior’s example, and help others to come unto Him.

“We sisters of the Church do not walk the roads of Palestine healing the sick, but we can pray for and apply the healing love of the Atonement to a sickened, strained relationship. Though we will not cause the blind to see in the manner of the Savior, we can testify of the plan of salvation to the spiritually blind. We can open the eyes of their understanding to the necessity of priesthood power in eternal covenants. We will not be raising the dead as did the Savior, but we can bless the dead by finding their names for temple work. Then we will indeed raise them from their spirit prison and offer them the path of eternal life.”

  Listen