Notable quotes:
“By virtue of the Restoration of His gospel, we can be filled with the light of the Savior. However, that light is not meant for you and me alone. Jesus Christ has called upon us to, ‘Let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.’ ”
“The Lord’s invitation to let our light so shine is not just about randomly waving a beam of light and making the world generally brighter. It is about focusing our light so others may see the way to Christ.”
“You and I have enough light to share right now. We can light the next step to help someone draw nearer to Jesus Christ.”
Summary points:
- Christ is compassionately aware of the needs of every individual. By coming to know Him every person can become an instrument of light in His hands.
- There are many people on the earth who have not yet been exposed to the truth of the gospel only because they know not where to find it. Disciples of Christ have a responsibility to shine their light for others to follow.
- Those that follow the Lord “shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Talk summary:
Jesus Christ has called upon His disciples to “Let your light so shine before this people, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” This invitation from the Lord is an earnest invitation to “be more intentional about helping others see the path and, thereby, come unto Christ.”
But the Lord’s invitation is about more than just making the world a generally brighter place. “It is about focusing our light so others may see the way to Christ.” His invitation is about gathering Israel on this side of the veil and helping others to see their next steps forward in making and keeping sacred covenants with God.
Christ is compassionately aware of every individual’s needs. As in the story of the woman at the well, by coming to know Christ, individuals can become instruments of light, “shining the way for others to see.”
Despite the seeming weakness of one’s own light at times, the Lord “reminds us that He will bring the light if we will just point others to Him.” He is the light; His disciples need only help point others to Him.
The Lord has said “there are many yet on the earth … who are only kept from the truth because they know not where to find it.” As disciples of Christ, “We can help. We can intentionally shine our light so others may see. We can extend an invitation. We can walk the journey with those who are taking a step toward the Savior, no matter how halting.”
Every effort one makes can be magnified by the Lord. “The Holy Ghost will prompt us to know what to say and do.” And at times, “such attempts may require us to step out of our comfort zone, but we can be assured that the Lord will help our light shine.”
In the news:
- Sister Bonnie H. Cordon spoke at a campus devotional at Brigham Young University on Feb. 4. The Young Women general president shared how she had come to a better understanding of the power of prayer in her life.
- On Dec. 13, Sister Cordon spoke at BYU–Hawaii’s fall commencement ceremony about the two principles that have most blessed her life.
- Joining Young Men general president Brother Stephen W. Owen for an interview with the Church News in November 2019, Sister Cordon explained what makes the new ward youth council different from the bishopric youth committee and why the change is important.
- In November 2019, Sister Cordon joined Elder Gerrit W. Gong and other Church leaders for a Face to Face event with youth to discuss the new Children and Youth program.
About the speaker:
- Sister Cordon was named the Young Women general president on March 31, 2018.
- Sister Cordon served a full-time mission in the Portugal Lisbon Mission and later served with her husband from 2010 to 2013 as he presided over the Brazil Curitiba Mission.
- She met her husband, Derek Cordon, at BYU, and they were married in the Salt Lake Temple in 1986. They have four children and four grandchildren.
- She received a bachelor’s degree in education and went on to work in management, own a business and volunteer at schools.
Recently on social:
- In an April 2 Facebook post, Sister Bonnie H. Cordon posted a picture of a painting that she said brings questions to her mind. “Where are you looking? What are you searching for? And how will you know when you see it?” she asked in the post. She then added, “The Restoration of the gospel has changed everything for us, and yet it is so much a part of our lives sometimes we don’t even realize it! … As we look forward to a historic general conference this weekend, I hope we will all remember to prepare for and look to Him for the answers we are seeking.”
- “We live in a time when ‘Go and Do’ looks a little different than you’d imagine,” Sister Cordon wrote in a March 16 Facebook post about the difficulties people are facing during the coronavirus pandemic. She shared some of the ways people are ‘going and doing’ despite difficult circumstances.
- In a Jan. 24 Facebook post, Sister Cordon suggested ways that might help young women learn the new Young Women theme by heart.
- On Jan. 11, Sister Cordon highlighted on Facebook how she and her two counselors in the Young Women general presidency stepped out of their comfort zones by participating in a podcast.
- In a Dec. 4 Facebook post, Sister Cordon highlighted the new Young Women section of the ChurchofJesusChrist.org website and encouraged young women to turn there for resources and help in answering some of their questions about the new Children and Youth program.
