Speeches
Crafting a Masterpiece: Weaving the Threads of Life and Faith Together
On Friday, Oct. 11, the Southern Virginia University community gathered in the Knight Arena to hear Sharon Eubank, director of Humanitarian Services of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and JustServe, testify of the power of the unassuming threads in our lives when woven with the gospel of Christ.
Eubank compared the gospel of Jesus Christ to string. Like the small pieces of string made by Mary Whitmer, which bound the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ is aware of His children and the impact they can make, no matter how small.
“There are all kinds of things in this world that are invisible, that nobody’s paying attention to, that are valuable and make a difference,” Eubank said. “You don’t need to worry that you’re not in the front leading the charge because there is great value in doing something that might be invisible to other people but is important to the Lord.”
Sharing a personal story, Eubank spoke of how her 70-year-old mother displayed confidence in her ability to learn to crochet by gifting Eubank with an improved homemade washcloth each year. She shared that, like her mother’s understanding of progression, Christ’s Atonement and the ability to repent allow one to continue to learn and develop.
“There’s a great lesson: You don’t have to be perfect at everything because of the Atonement. We can repent, we can start over, and we can continue to be better,” said Eubank. “You don’t have to be perfect at the very beginning because Jesus Christ came on the earth and died for us. His Atonement allows us to have this time to practice and learn.”
Eubank shared how Vesta Stoudt, the inventor of duct tape, used string to create a stronger tape for sealing and opening ammunition boxes during World War II by sewing it to the backside of duck cloth.
“It worked so well that we still use duct tape now,” Eubank said. “So if you want to do something meaningful in the world or something good, this is important to understand: the Holy Ghost increases your capacity to create and do things that are meaningful.”
Highlighting string theory, the idea that the universe is connected through energy traveling along threads, Eubank shared how the connection to the light of Christ ties us together throughout life’s journeys.
“The Christ-centered perspective of the gospel is every man or woman seeking the interest of his neighbor. In other words, look outward, not inward,” Eubank said. “The true heart of being a humanitarian is building bridges between people who don’t understand each other right now. And you can do that anywhere you live. You can do it in any setting because the light of the gospel is inside you.”
The event featured an arrangement of Ronald Staheli’s “More Holiness Give Me,” performed by the Chamber Singers and conducted by Visiting Instructor of Music Jon Clawson. It closed with the traditional singing of “Love One Another.”