Gladys Knight - BYU Women's Conference - 1999

before I introduce our speaker let me indicate that she will be assisted in her presentation this evening by a delightful young women who come from the Warm Springs paradise and Green Valley stakes in Las Vegas Nevada in the conference room of Gladys Knight's office in Las Vegas stands the most unique piece of memorabilia that is now almost 50 years old in a glance it tells the extent the range and the scope of the Gladys Knight story it is a gold trophy that stands about 4 feet tall these days it is a little tarnished and the ornate spindle on top is wobbly for having been twisted on and off thousands of times through the years by her children but it is a treasure let me read to you the news release that ran in the Atlanta Daily World newspaper along with a picture of young Gladys standing next to this trophy quote mowing down competition all over the nation eight-year-old Gladys Marie Knight of Atlanta Georgia came out on top and last week was acclaimed National Amateur Radio champion of 1952 Gladys sang her way to the finals of the Ted Mack original amateur hour radio program and won hands down in New York's Madison Square Garden unquote and that as they say was just the beginning because Gladys Knight has been mowing down the recording and entertainment industry ever since by the time she was a teenager she was getting lessons in relating to an audience from Sammy Davis jr. and lessons in surviving show business from the legendary BB King during ensuing years she would play in there really nearly every prestigious concert hall in the country appear on every television show that really mattered and as the lead singer and Gladys Knight & the Pips chalk up one hit after another many of us grew up dancing to her legendary tunes midnight train to Georgia I heard it through the grapevine and neither one of us wants to be the first to say goodbyes are just three she has been awarded several Grammy Awards and has more gold and platinum albums than you and I have shoes believe me she has already been inducted into both the rhythm and blues Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame very simply by anybody's measure Gladys Knight is a superstar in the time I have known her however I have searched in vain for some evidence of the ego that you would expect to accompany such achievement perhaps that is because she is first and foremost a mother to her three children Jimmy Kenya and Shanga and a proud grandmother of 10 and I better say another one on the way and for all of the awards and the recognition she has received for all of the standing ovations and the roar of endless crowds I am certain she would agree that the most momentous day of her life occurred in August of 1997 when she was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints some of the recording industry's elite have dubbed her the Queen of Soul but as much as I respect her for her achievements in the world of entertainment I am most impressed with the quality and the depth of her soul it gives me great pleasure and is a great honor to introduce someone I have come to admire greatly for her courage her character and her convictions would you please welcome my friend Miss Gladys Knight thank you what a sight from where I said Siri just said while ago as I was coming coming up on the stage and sitting down she said okay girl break a leg all I want you to know I almost did when I was you know when you're on a mission for the Lord it's a little bit different than doing your own thing I am so honored I mean when Kenya told me that she had received a call for me to be here with you today I mean I was just speechless and that's difficult for me to know and look at this room I mean we're all here Heavenly Father's children in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we're all combined here in this room and it really bolsters my my topic that I wanted to speak about today talking about the song in my heart it's been a wonderful wonderful journey it really has and I thought about it and I said you know this missionary that I'm to be I just don't know exactly what I'm supposed to do here and I don't want to say the wrong thing I do so you know what we're supposed to do in that instance we're supposed to inquire of our Heavenly Father and he will give us what to say and what to do and it may come in a strange package I know I was going to my first ceiling this past weekend and I was so excited about it you know and weddings have always kind of just made me up there you know such a wonderful covenant you know and now I really understand what that's about it why it's so wonderful and I was going there for for Vic and shelleyan and I thought about what they were about to do in the old traditions they used to do and I said you know here's a package something old something new something borrowed something blue I was trying to find a way to give a synopsis of what I wanted to say to you today and that just kind of hit me I said something old definitely that has to be the gospel the restored gospel that we are so blessed to have today something new my testimony about two years is so old right now I wanted to share with you today Something Borrowed it's definitely this little bit of time that you're giving me right here in the time that we have on this earth that Heavenly Father has blessed us so with to be here learning and understanding and better getting to know his word so that we can finally come to live with him if we are to be obedient something blue the feeling that I get when I see those people not paying heed or witness some of the tiles and tribulations that our world goes through from time to time and then I added another one something red one of my favorite colors a red-letter day for all of us when our Heavenly Father sent our Big Brother Jesus Christ down here to die for us to make that sacrifice so that we could once again have the opportunity to come and live again with him that is certainly a red-letter day your faces this site definitely puts a phone in my heart so my prayer was let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in my sight O Lord my strength and my Redeemer song to me is symbolic of joy the joy in my heart yes I have a song in my heart and I'm just bubbling over with it it becomes my testimony that song is not I heard it through the grapevine or neither one of us wants to be the first say goodbye or you're the best thing that ever happened to me or the most popular midnight train to Georgia do I love those songs especially since they were hit it's a wonderful thing the song in my heart is of Jesus Christ and all the things in the restored gospel that I have learned and of where I stand and then peace he has given me since I've joined this church he's blessed me with a wonderful family my son Jimmy and my daughter-in-law Micheline set the example and led us to this church my daughter Kenya and son-in-law Jimmy followed them they were great light to me also and along with them my 10 and 1/2 grandchildren and we are working on the rest of the family I also enjoy the wonderful blessings of a church family oh how magnificent you are now I finally understand what my song is for it is to be a part of my light shining so that people may see and in return I can be the missionary that Heavenly Father would have me be I'm so excited about all of this I want to tell the world about it shout it from the mountaintops you know I ain't never been one for gossip but you talk about gossip I want a gossip about the Lord and his wonderful truth I want to tell what he's done by restoring his truths back to the earth and tell all about the blessings we can receive by following him my friends have reminded me that because of my travels and singing I'm in a position to share the message of the restoration all over the world I accept that I'm also pleased I am so very pleased that God has chosen me but know me to be one of his disciples and I'm so ready to shine his light you know there's so many things that we sometimes do in our daily lives that if utilized for the good we could receive greater blessings simple things like dieting everybody is preoccupied with it now and you know what that's because our physical temples are out of whack I've been aware of that and recently I've been working on it I have a new program and I found that the more I eat certain types of food the more I lose weight our special spiritual temples get out of wet to that same dieting principle applies instead of filling our spirits with junk food we can feast upon the Lord's words the more we feed our spirits the gospel which is the correct food the more worldly weight we lose the principle gets our spirits and bodies slim and trim and the better our bodies and spirits feel the lighter our step becomes and the sweeter the song is in our hearts music and the gospel go hand in hand to Emma Smith through a revelation given to her husband Joseph the Lord said for my soul delighteth in the song of the heart yes the song of the righteous is a prayer unto me and it shall be answered with a blessing upon their heads to Brigham Young it is revealed if thou art Mary praise the Lord with singing with music with dancing I ain't seen those dance yet and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving we also learned that the great latter-day events will be initiated with the sound of a trumpet even up to the time when Michael the Archangel will sound his trumpet at the last resurrection that kind of music may be a little unusual for those who have been born and raised in the church but we should get ready for the great band of compass we should get ready for that great brand of Trumpets that will accompany the Lord at his great second coming you know I think Heavenly Father gives people an extra perception when it comes to bridge in certain kinds of gaps and music is definitely one of his best tools that's why I feel like music is considered the universal language even on a personal level if if you're down you can put a good music song on and it lifts you or if you need to meditate you can play something that helps you get deeper into the spirit it's like being quickened it gets too close to the Lord right away when I exercise in the morning I like to meditate and talk to my Heavenly Father I look around me and thank him for the many gifts he's given me for Jesus Christ for the gospel for my family for my beautiful home music has so many uses and it does touch the heart not talked about the beauty of music let me say a little about the other side if I may the adversary is always working trying to mess up Heavenly Father's great works and music is no exception too much music plays in to the power of the adversary it's unfortunately making its mark but it does show you the power of music so we have to be very careful with the music we put into our spirits as well as the other things we place there if we choose the right music we definitely experience a good power in our lives sometimes I think about Sesame Street and the power of music on that show just the way children experience learning on a different level even I learned some things off of Sesame Street I just fit there with the kids and watch I just like that little ball you know they roll down the pin but 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 maybe I could count to 12 really well that's music and it's positive and it's wonderful so to liken the joy in the spirit to having a song in our hearts is a perfect analogy because of the role music plays in our lives we all should carry a song in our hearts I know that during the time of slavery the spirituals we used to sing in the fields helped us get through when we were calling upon the Lord we found a way to put into song the heavy load we carried as a people even the joys we felt in the midst of pain the Lord gave us the gift of music to get us through and the old Negro spirituals were definitely a part of that when you're troubled you can see in your blues away or you can sing a lullaby to a little baby ensue this tiny spirit the gift of song is something wonderful when you're in the same ward with other members of your family you get to share so many things about the gospel with each other music being one of them my daughter Kenya who would be the first to admit she is not the other singer in the family also carries a song in a heart seat she's kind of tone deaf but she loves to sing she would do so show tunes for you know her little nieces and nephews as they were being born you know she she loved them Stunna come out to my wrong stay old kidney you're gonna wake up the baby but on the other hand we will always on the phone talking about what we got out of sacrament meeting or one of the classes that we just talked about Christ all what a blessing just simply attending meetings in this church especially with family is a wonderful thing the song in my heart the fullness of Christ's restored gospel there's such magnificent fruit recently for example I I've been kind of build this recording studio in my mom's house she passed away about two years ago and she was always there doing things for us helping us to further this calling this mission that he knew Heavenly Father had us on and I've been running around like crazy making constant decisions in a project like that it's pretty difficult and I came home one day and there was Becky the wife of my contractor Bart to help me she's one of the sisters in my ward I didn't have to call her I didn't have to say Becky could you do me a favor my husband Bart mentioned to her that I had been busy on the road doing performances they knew I could use some help Becky has special talents in making those decisions and choices when it comes to building and decorating she's a wonder she asked me if I would like for her to pick the style samples for me to look at which saved me loads of time and legwork I know some of you understand all I had to do was tell me what I like that's the kind of service that is especially meaningful it's like giving someone a gift a true gift is giving something you would also enjoy having we've been working together ever since then this kind of caring and thoughtfulness are such special elements of sisterhood I love this element of service that we have among us even if I were to use the words of our you say like awesome or red they're not enough words to express the power enjoy I feel as a result of finally finding this church the Lord said seek and ye shall find knock and it shall be opened unto you the Lord keeps all his promises and after a long journey the Lord kept that promise for me he knew I was looking he knew I was hurting he knew he knew I was confused he knew I was diligently wanting to draw closer to him the interesting things about this is that his was and is like no other way now I know why Paul said study to show thyself approved unto God we must learn to understand his language and to rise to his level of doing things this gospel was they all along hidden in plain sight some people will see it from people won't I'm so honored and happy that the Lord led me to find it of all the things that I've experienced coming to the fullness of the Lord's gospel has been the most life-changing thing that I have ever ever done without a doubt this is the best thing that ever happened to me if I were to sing my own song the difference between my life yesterday and today is that I'm a brand new me I'm not the same girl I used to be even my show when I perform is different people tell me all the time there's something different about you I see a light in you what is this thing we see and you know I want to tell them the gospel gives me hope it gives me joy and I know it will do the same for others what a wonderful song Heavenly Father has placed in my heart the Lord's prophet today President Gordon B Hinckley said I invite every one of you wherever you may be as members of this church to stand on your feet and with the song in your heart move forward living the gospel loving the Lord and building the kingdom together we shall stay the course and keep the faith the Almighty being our strength the best way to put a song in our hearts is by following the counsel and teachings of the Lord's prophet I'm so grateful that I know most assuredly there isn't any confusion here the adversary is the master of confusion I know what the certainty that we have a prophet on the earth at this time this used to be one of my dreams I wanted to live back in the times when there were living prophets I wanted to be near them but now here he is a real prophet of God on this earth just like Peter was to the ancient church it's a blessing it's a dream come true last October I had the privilege of meeting president Hinckley it was another dream come true but I never knew I would be so nervous once this dream manifested itself I mean in time we found ourselves in a room in the church office building in Salt Lake City my first sight of the Prophet was when he walked by the door to speak to someone he wasn't even in the room yet and my heart was just touched the moment was intense after he entered and hid my hand and we were introduced my mind went completely blank I could not remember one single name of my nine grandchildren who were there with me you know we were all standing in a family receiving line the Prophet was so attended to each of us starting with my first grandchild sterling whose name completely escaped me at the time so the Prophet offered for all of us to call him bill for the time being finally Milo Stirling popped over saying my name is sterling that broke the ice and finally I was okay but I became flustered again when I remembered I was going to be sitting at the table of president and sister King Klee the next afternoon when I would be performing for them at sister Hinckley's birthday celebration when the next day rolled around - enough I was escorted to the table of the president and sister Hinckley and I was nervous all over again but the Lord always knows what he's doing he certainly knows how to choose his prophets what a wonderful man he kept me laughing he's the spirit all afternoon sometimes we imagine that our church leaders are always stir but I saw firsthand what a great sense of humor our prophet has since we were honoring sister Hinkley on that occasion the entire program was about her in a way president Hinckley was there as a guest but at one point without water he was invited to the stand to speak this classic opening line was I didn't see my name on the program I thought I was bother but he made me laugh and I felt loved and it was all done by I'll wrap it with a smile and it made me think of a song that I had done that's it with a smile you can show you the smile you lives by the world to share if you show the world it will come back to you you don't need to be crying so good to see you try whereas my biggest problem seemed so with a smile you will ride the bird oh it shouldn't be and I know that we can do it we smile the Blues away in store because what I say all these things smile you just have to try I know you'll see you can do you can do you carry it in your heart you take it with you wherever you go I also want you to know that I'm so grateful for Joseph Smith and his great role as the lord's chosen servant in restoring the fullness of the gospel in these latter days it's so wonderful to know that Heavenly Father speaks once more to his chosen servants he communicates he's not turned away from us I've always felt that and I'm glad to know that with certainty and that certainty is given to me and magnified by the power of the Book of Mormon it is the blueprint and foundation of my testimony I seek the spirit and everything I do now I don't feel right if I don't take the sacrament I attend church every Sunday wherever I am I'm better at it than the postman rain snow sleet the dark of night couldn't keep me from my appointed sacrament meeting and these meetings I hear my wonderful and loving brothers and sisters given that testimonies the foundation of those testimonies is the same because of the Book of Mormon we know why our Lord is such a gracious and merciful Savior I know that he lives I'm so grateful to be acquainted with his plan of salvation and to know its grandeur it gives us a cause to have courage it gives us a reason to build fortitude it is the standard and measure of true discipline I pray for all of us to have the courage to stay on the straight and narrow path of the Lord and to appreciate this wonderful gift of the restored gospel that he's given us we like a fish swimming around in his water if his life's blood just like the gospel is to all of us it's everything but he doesn't realize it until he's chasing a worm it's on a hook then when he's pulled out of the water he realizes where's my water I need my water I miss my water at last he sees how precious the water was to him that's how we should be about the gospel I'm awed to focus on the real sacrifice that our eldest brother has done for us just imagine if an earthly brother of ours gave up his life for us that's what our eldest brother did for us it's such an amazing amazing gift to know that He loves us that much unless to have to earthly brothers Bob and David so many times I've sought their help in always they bail me out but that eldest brother of ours Jesus Christ Oh will I ever be out there singing his praises he's bailed us out of everlasting physical death he's also made it possible for us to escape spiritual death if we love him enough to follow his teachings and example as we have true faith in Jesus Christ and then our Heavenly Father we find that they verify the truths we obey we don't have to walk by blind faith the influences of the spirit and the answers we received our prayers continually assure us that God is there I'm so grateful for my wonderful mother she was and is a great system I'm so glad Heavenly Father gave her to me I'm so glad she was still alive when I made that great conversion to this wonderful church no she was not Mormon but we were always coaxing her knowing the very spiritual being that she was to step into the waters get into the true church she went after us by saying I'm a Mormon in all y'all cystic she said now who tells you about General Conference and we would ask you do gram which was a nickname see that now who tells you to do what the Prophet tells you to do again we'd reply you do gram I sincerely believe though she never told me that she was a believer in this church she was a great believer in God and family which is another one of our Heavenly Father's gifts also the first thing I can remember before I was taught anything else was my mother teaching me about Christ and so it is that we have to nurture our children and help them find their way we also to help our husbands together we help our family it's wonderful to see our children in sacrament meeting I was attending a Lessing in another war few Sundays ago a member of the class who's new to the church expressed a concern about little children attending sacrament meetings I raised my hand I said you know when you really look at our world today and what is becoming we see that it's jet set its microwave but it's not spiritual we should learn first how to play pray in the restored gospel as soon as our babies are born and breathing we haven't been Church I think this is a wonderful thing this is the way we ought to be exposed to his laws his gospel his word his spirit his light by being taught from our very earliest years during the time when we're fresh from heaven there's no way we should ever be out of the Lord's presence we should always be exposed to the truth and light found in his gospel whether we're young old in Sakura viewing to teach my grandchildren to be reverent and most people do in our church and they'll sometimes draw dello pictures and doodle or coloring but you know I have the greatest sense that the word is getting through just the environment itself is being in the church with their moms and dad promotes spirituality another thing I love about our church is that the mothers and fathers come together to nurture and raise their families it's so important that's why God gave us to parents even though we fall short of the mark sometimes this is the way it was intended I love it even though I have to strain sometimes they hear and wonder what did the speaker just say that's okay it's worth it in the outside world there seems to be a pessimism about families and their relationships but through the restored gospel we have the knowledge that we can have eternal families whole what a blessing somebody to know before I came here just knowing there's a power and a promise that we can have our mates and our children eternally it's a great thing such a blessing makes our lives journey worthwhile and helps us to keep an eternal song in our hearts true sisterhood true Brotherhood the sealing covenant and eternal families are some of the unique gifts of love extended from our Heavenly Father through the restored gospel the restoration of the gospel in itself is one of the greatest verifications of his existence I have any father's soul generous to us and we're so bad sometimes he's also so very kind he also Chasen's his children sometimes but to me that's the measure of a good parent because then you know he really loves you and if you if you ever feel his chastening we know he is very mindful of us and that we have his attention he shows his love this way sometimes so we can make the needed changes to one day qualify for all the wonderful gifts he has to bestow when I go to the temple I feel so good to know that God deals with us on our level he knows that we can't comprehend certain things it's a worldly environment so he has a house right here among us all weekdays I like to find a nearby temple and attend I'm addicted to the temple it's been a journey like anything I've ever known just as the glory will be exposed to after this life is so unimaginable so also has been this experience for me in contrast to my life before I joined this church by visiting a friend we can go to the Lord's house to visit him through the great abundance of his Spirit we find there I feel his presence and I know that he is there he welcomes us to his holy house where we can feel his spirit in such great great abundance yeah we have to be worthy to go there but that standard is just another sign of God's good parenting I've often thought if this is how wonderful this experience is in this life what will it be like on the next level the Lord's temples and the work done within them further manifest his goodness and His graciousness and his understanding of where and who we are I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and for his marvelous light that now breaks forth and his restored gospel in these latter days sisters he is a light our salvation he is our everything let it know that you understand Oh no need to worry no need to fear the Lord is my light and my salvation I think we've known that I know collectively we know that when I see these young ladies it's so beautiful they really are to stand up for Heavenly Father and give their testimonies through song I know this church is true I know that we have the fullness of the gospel as we live worthy to receive God's wisdom and truths I know that someday everything will be revealed to us just as he promised but it's up to us he gives us the formula the degree to which God blesses us with the gifts of knowledge and wisdom is proportional to a personal level of faith and obedience it's a matter of our agency which is a gift from him I like that through this pattern God is truly just and merciful on the basis of how we use our agency he gives us those things we are willing to receive again I like that I know this is the Lord's to church and Kingdom upon this earth I savior stands at the head and and we're being guided by his toes and prophet today and I'm so grateful that in this dispensation of time Gladys might has been given a bonus every everlasting gospel Jesus Christ and I feel this song in my heart and I want to share it with you right now you know gets a little heavy sometimes but again those wonderful promises but he thinks it can stand us in such a good stead if we just call on our face and put this song in our hearts you don't and don't joy comes in troubles they don't last always for there's a friend through Jesus who will wipe your tears away and if your heart just hit your hands and say oh I know that I can I know but I have a friend I know that I can take through him I know I can say no matter what may come my I love communicating with my healthy father it's been a wonderful wonderful journey I cannot thank him enough for the blessings that he's given me for this opportunity to stand before you so humble but so honored to be chosen to represent our Heavenly Father it's all his we are all his children I do so love the Lord there's a song I want to do for you I heard this song a while back I wanted it to be part of my testimony only heard it a few times so John help me out here to God be the glory it's a song I give thanks for all that you've done for me things did you've given me - girl be the glory to God be the glory God look see just let me let it be please anything let it go ah these things humbly in the name of Jesus Christ amen Gianluca rocking board you

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Rating: 4.8565574 out of 5

Keywords: Gladys Knight, Mormon, LDS, Latter-day, Saint, BYU, Brigham Young University, Temple, Dancing With The Stars, Soul

Id: zAEYMKBPd1Y

Length: 60min 4sec (3604 seconds)

Published: Wed Mar 21 2012