Speeches
Former Young Women General President Bonnie H. Cordon Testifies of the Blessings of Walking with the Lord
On Sept. 29, the university community gathered for a devotional to learn from Bonnie H. Cordon—former young women general president for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—as she shared her testimony of the blessings of walking with the Lord and trusting His guidance.
“An interesting truth is that our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ know us,” said Cordon. “In fact, they know us better than we know ourselves, because they can remember who we were in the premortal world. And that brings great power because they know the eternal you. And by drawing closer to them, you will know more about the purpose of life.”
Sharing the Book of Mormon story of the brother of Jared and his people preparing to cross the ocean, Cordon pointed out that while the Lord revealed how to receive air and light in the barges they built following His instructions, He did not reveal how they would be able to steer to the promised land.
“So what did this great man do?” said Cordon. “He prepared everything possible. He gathered his family, the animals, and food, and then set sail, commending himself and his family to God. Can you imagine how they must have been feeling, trusting God to take them to the promised land like that?”
“I think sometimes our lives are like that,” continued Cordon. “There will be times when we have to commend ourselves to the Lord and say, ‘I know the depths are going to be there. I know there is darkness ahead. I don’t know for how long or where I’m going. I don’t know what it’s going to look like. But I’m going to choose to trust the Lord and I’m going to learn to allow the Lord to direct my path. I am committing myself’.”
To showcase the Lord’s omniscient perspective on our lives, Cordon used the demonstration of an escalator breaking down, causing those on it to become frustrated and stuck as they called for help, unsure of how to reach their destination.
“To us, it’s obvious that all they had to do to solve their problem was walk up the escalator,” said Cordon. “But sometimes in our lives, we can get stuck in where we are trying to go and not see a way forward. Thankfully, we have the Lord who invites us to walk with Him. And if you learn to always walk with God, there will be a purpose and destination far greater than you can even imagine.”
Using a personal experience, Cordon shared that when she was approaching the completion of her undergraduate degree in education, she discovered she had pursued the wrong career path. Confused on how to proceed and wondering if she should delay her graduation and select a new major, Cordon turned to the Lord and received the prompting to complete her degree in education. Shortly after graduation, Cordon and her family moved to a new state. There, she was introduced to the software industry which launched her into a new career path.
“I want you to know that testing and committing ourselves to the Lord is not without trial and error,” said Cordon. “And that is the great thing about our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, because they are Gods of first, second, third, and fourth chances. I love repentance. It’s actually my very favorite commandment. I cherish the gift of repentance and seek to improve each day, and I’m grateful that the Lord keeps helping me, and He will help you as well.”
The devotional featured a musical number, “Nearer My God To Thee” performed by Accolade. During her talk, Cordon invited those in attendance to join her in singing, “There is Peace in Christ,” and the event closed with the campus community singing the University anthem, “Love One Another.”