I’ve decided that since I give/gave detailed recaps of my FSY weeks on my podcast, I don’t need to do the same thing here.
I might repeat some of the details, but it makes more sense (and makes me feel less stressed) to focus on the grand picture and on specific stories.
Last year at FSY, I was with one of my girls when she was getting a priesthood blessing.
Prior to receiving the blessing, the coordinator shared a scripture with her.
It’s become one of my favorites, and it’s my go-to scripture to share. Since I’ve learned about it, I’ve shared it with more people than I can count! Especially my FSY youth.
This scripture is Revelation 21:4. It says,
“4 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
This scripture isn’t the focal point of this blog post, however, so I’m not going to share my many, many insights. Maybe one day.
On Thursday of my first week as an FSY counselor this summer, I was in charge of teaching Gospel Study.
There is an assigned lesson for Gospel study each day of FSY (from Tuesday to Friday). Thursday’s lesson is specifically about feasting upon the words of Christ and receiving personal revelation.
It went well, and I remember one of my boys asking me what personal revelation was. I was super excited to share with him what it means and how awesome it is!
Each day, after teaching a mini lesson, you give the youth about 30 minutes of personal study time.
You tell them that they can spread out somewhere close and study.
As a counselor, you have a few choices. The two main choices are that you can study yourself (that’s what I often do), or you can talk to the youth individually.
I’ve never felt like the type of counselor to spend the entire time talking to different youth. I see the value in it, and I admire and respect when other counselors chose to do that.
When I was assigned to teach Gospel Study, I would set the youth loose and then have my own personal study. Sometimes I’d fill in my own handbook to be better prepared to teach other activities or other lessons.
That particular day, I remember looking up and glancing over at each of my kids.
One of my boys stood out to me. I felt like I needed to go over and talk to him.
I fought the urge even though there were only three minutes left of personal study.
For an entire minute, I went back and forth of whether I should go over and talk to him. It just seemed strange. It seemed weird.
I remember looking down at my watch and seeing that there were now only two minutes left of personal study.
The choice to get up was made up for me when I thought about how much I would regret not talking to him when I felt like I needed to.
Before I went over there and sat down, I didn’t know what I was going to say to him or what scripture I should share with him or even if I was going to share a scripture with him. I didn’t know.
I walked over to him and said, “Hey, Josh. Can I share a scripture with you?”
It was when I sat down that Revelation 21:4 came to mind.
Josh said, “Uhh, sure.”
So I did.
And then I asked if I could give him a hug.
He gave me a wide-eyed look, but then he said yes.
I gave him a quick hug and walked back to where I was sitting.
My thoughts started spiraling.
“Kyra, you’re so weird. That was so weird. Why do you have to be so weird? You weirdo.”
Luckily, personal study time was up, so I didn’t have much time to berate myself.
I gathered everyone back and didn’t think about that experience for the rest of the day.
That is, until Josh got up to bear his testimony at the end of the day.
He walked up on the stage (we were assigned the auditorium that week), and he grabbed the microphone.
I remember sitting there, anxious to hear what he was going to say. He didn’t talk much all week, so I wasn’t really sure where he was at with the Gospel.
He started by telling us that he told himself that he was convinced that he wasn’t going to get a testimony. That no matter what happened at FSY, it wasn’t going to happen.
What he said next shocked me. And not necessarily what he said next but how he said it.
He looked at me and said, “But then Kyra came up to talk to me during gospel study, and she asked if she could share a scripture with me. I don’t even know what the scripture was. Then she asked if she could hug me.”
I looked at two of the girls in our company wide-eyed and thought, “Am I about to be assaulted right now?!”
While looking up at him on stage, I sat there and thought, “WHAT?!” But I listened on, anxious to hear where the story was going.
He explained that he told me yes. That I could hug him.
I did.
And then his facial expression showed one of contemplation.
And he shared that when I hugged him, it didn’t feel like one person was hugging him. It felt like three people were.
He then added that he knew that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ were hugging him too, and he knew that they know him and love him.
Listening to him speak, I felt shocked. Stunned. Excited.
I felt grateful.
Grateful I received the prompting. Grateful I followed through on the prompting. Grateful Josh had a miraculous experience. Grateful he shared it with us.
I felt grateful.
I’m glad I got up, walked over to him even though I had no idea what I was going to say, and talked to him.
Even if it was weird.
Even though I felt like a weirdo.
Even if it made me weird.
I felt grateful I did it anyway.
How often does the thought, “But that’s weird” hold us back?
How often do we weigh the pros and cons of our promptings, trying to rationalize avoiding doing the “weird” thing?
And then, in turn, miss out on really cool and miraculous experiences?
There were more times than I can count where I got a prompting that felt “weird” this summer.
Go talk to that young man.
Go stop those two young women and tell them a story. (Ya it was crazy!)
Go to the musical program just a little bit earlier than you were planning.
Share this story.
Add that detail that you normally don’t add.
Print more quotes. Go to Walmart on your break to retrieve them.
Write a note to your youth.
Say this in your prayer.
Go hug that young man.
Give one of your dissolvable Airborne tablets to your roommate.
Have your company circle up and listen to Healer together.
Tell your assistant coordinator that you see her efforts and are grateful for all she does.
Take the microphone and answer a question that no one is going to ask. (Just wait for that podcast episode and blog post!!!)
Bear your testimony even though you’re not supposed to.
Go tell that young man that Heavenly Father loves him and is aware of him.
Sing A Child’s Prayer for your company.
Just knock.
Offer to give everyone a hug if they’d like one.
Ask that young woman to share her thoughts.
Call on that young man to answer your question.
Give your co-counselor a hug.
Be vulnerable with these young women. Tell them that you get insecure too.
Share this quote from this talk and take it deeper. Relate it to their lives.
Ask this rhetorical question.
Ask the youth how they’re doing.
Tell your co-counselor sorry.
Go talk to the teacher in that room.
Wink and smile at that young woman.
Wake up and answer the door.
Tell these young men why you are an FSY counselor.
Tell that young woman that you are praying for her.
Run down the hall. Hurry. Faster.
Encourage your company to read Alma 36.
Grab her hand. Hold it tight.
Put the trash can in the door.
Tell that young woman that it will get better. Promise her.
Stay there for a few more minutes. Don’t leave yet.
Pray with and for your girls tonight instead of tomorrow night.
Give that young woman a microwaveable mac-n-cheese cup.
Tell your co-counselor you’re grateful for him.
Hum I Am A Child of God on your way to breakfast. Ask your company to join you.
Get out of bed and sit in the kitchen.
Fast for these youth. Invite your co-counselor to join you.
Tell that young woman that you fasted for her and that you believe in her.
Don’t go to class. Sit in the hall instead.
Put earphones in your backpack today.
Make sure your portable charger is charged.
Ask that young woman her name and talk to her. Tell her Heavenly Father loves her.
Sometimes I got to see the fruits of my labors. As in, sometimes I got to see why I was prompted to do something. Sometimes I got to watch miracles take place and sometimes I got to partake in them.
Sometimes I didn’t know. Sometimes I just did something “weird” and will never know why. Sometimes I felt foolish, and I felt silly. Sometimes I didn’t listen at first. Sometimes I fought the persistent and random thought in my head.
Sometimes I did something and someone cried, but I didn’t get to know why what I did was an answer to their prayer.
Sometimes I followed through and nothing came of it.
Sometimes I followed through and felt embarrassed. But I did it anyway.
All of those promptings that I shared above are actual examples of promptings or random/persistent thoughts that I received this summer. Every single one of them. Some of them more than once. More than twice.
Most of them felt “weird” to me.
But I did them anyway.
Even if it was weird.
Even if it felt random.
Even if it made no sense.
I’ve come to understand that Heavenly Father sees the grand picture. He knows intimately, individually, and personally what His children need.
And He sends people, like you and me, to answer those prayers. To fulfill those promises. To be the angel in someone’s time of need.
And that’s why I do it.
That’s why I follow through.
That’s why I act.
Even if it’s weird.
Because He knows, and I trust Him.
And I hope that when I need someone to follow their prompting, they’ll do it.
Even if it’s weird.
I loved this one so much Kyra!!! Your list of promptings 🥹. I am so grateful for your willingness to follow the Savior. He knows He can trust you with the things He needs said and done. What a life to lead! You are INCREDIBLE!
Kyra reading some of those promptings you listed really hit me. I remember humming a child of god on the way to breakfast. I felt peace and joy despite the many looks we got as people did their personal study. Or reading Alma 36. That was one of my favorite personal studies that time and the discussion was also amazing. Thank you for posting this blog so I can reminisce at home the amazing experiences we had. Those promptings you had, made my FSY more memorable. Thanks Kyra!