This is my talk that I have been working on all week (on a side note, a lot of this was paraphrased. Another side note, in the program someone had typed my name as "Ines"--last time I spoke in church I was "Irish" and the time before that they used my first name--same church/ward...):
My name is iris Marshall. About 13 years ago, I went to the clerks office at the Oak Hills 8th ward chapel in Provo Utah, to say hi to a guy I really liked. He wasn't there. Instead, I met that man sitting over there. His name is John Marshall.
John grew up in Provo, and served a mission in Argentina, Salta mission. I was raised in Washington state, and served a mission in Australia.
John went to BYU and I worked to support us, doing various costume jobs in and around Provo.
We moved to our current locale in laguna hills in 2003, when john was offered a job at such&such motor company as a digital modeler in the design department. I am a freelance tailor and cutter for theatrical costumes.
People are often curious about what I do. My specialty is men's period costumes. Essentially, a designer gives me an illustration and talks about the details. I take that design and the measurements of the actor and make a pattern. With that pattern I make a mock up out of an inexpensive fabric called muslin. The actor is called back for a fitting and the designer and I check the fit of the mockup, along with the design details and any special finishes he has in mind. The movements the actor makes are also taken into consideration. After the fitting, I take the new information and alter my pattern to fit what the actor and the designer need. Its very important that I am accurate in my pattern making,A quarter inch difference on paper can equate to an inch on fabric. It is also important that I have good communication with the designer.
The designer then gives me a length of fabric, buttons, notions, and interfacings. After my pattern is finished, I lay out my real fabric and cut it according to the pattern. The costume is sewn together to prep it for the next fitting. All the design lines are transferred by hand basting in long even stitches to the garment. Again the actor and the designer and I converge to see the new garment. We talk about hem lengths, collar heights and widths, button placement, finishing stitches, pocket placement, and of course, fit.
Getting a garment to the first fitting is the easy part. After that first fittings, I deconstruct most of the garment, remark the changes that need to happen, and begin the minute and systematic process if making welt pockets, pad stitch lapels and collars, make and secure the understructure of suit fronts, and line the garment. At the intersection of the sleeve and shoulder seam, there are no less than 16 layers of fabric, each painstakingly stitched into place. There are hundreds of stitches in a suit that no one ever sees, and yet without any one of them, the suit would be of lesser quality, look pulled or contorted and may not even hold together as a garment for a dry cleaning or the run of the show. Each stitch, no matter if it's a basting stitch used to mark where a button will be placed, or a tiny stitch used to secure the fly, is of utmost important in the construction of a garment.
Some of you are wondering when exactly I'm going to stop droning on about what I do for a living, and get on with my talk.
But what am I really talking about?
How does this apply to the gospel?
I am fortunate to work with some wonderful women whose insights and opinions are varied, freely given, respectful and often very inspiring. While preparing my talk, I was chatting with a few of my coworkers about my topic and one of them asked the question "what exactly is integrity?" Through a lunch hour discussion, we came up with integrity meaning much more than moral uprightness. The sum of our discussion is that integrity is woven into our character, it is who we are when no one else is watching.
In October 2010, Richard Scott said: The bedrock of character is integrity. Worthy character will strengthen your capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit and to be obedient to it. Your consistent exercise of faith builds strong character. A secure foundation for your growing character is laid by making Jesus Christ and His teachings the center of your life.
Like my work in tailoring, integrity is built in one decision at a time. If God is the master designer, and my life is the garment I am creating, each decision I make, whether or not I follow the well laid plan illustrated in the scriptures, determines the strength of my character.
Elder Scott: I have personally verified that concepts like faith, prayer, love, and humility hold no great significance and produce no miracles until they become a living part of us through our own experience, aided by the sweet prompting of the Holy Spirit. In early life I found that I could learn gospel teachings intellectually and, through the power of reason and analysis, recognize that they were of significant value. But their enormous power and ability to stretch me beyond the limits of my imagination and capacity did not become reality until patient, consistent practice allowed the Holy Spirit to distill and expand their meaning in my heart. I found that while I was sincerely serving others, God forged my personal character. He engendered a growing capacity to recognize the direction of the Spirit. The genius of the gospel plan is that by doing those things the Lord counsels us to do, we are given every understanding and every capacity necessary to provide peace and rich fulfillment in this life. Likewise, we gain the preparation necessary for eternal happiness in the presence of the Lord.
One of the odd jobs I had in Utah was for a motion picture. It was a reenactment of the hauling of the John Caird, the famous lifeboat of the Ernest Shackleton exhibition. Six men needed to pull a 22.5 foot boat across an ice field. My job was to sew together six harnesses that would be used to actually pull a heavy replica boat over ice. I was given very concise instructions about how to go about putting them together. Each stitch was planned to give the maximum strength to the harness. The last seam would be to joint the front and back of the harness, turning all the seam allowance to one side and stitch it place--kind of like the seams of jeans, the allowances would add strength to the fabric. However, I had not written the instructions down. Rather than turning all the fabric to one side, I opened the seam. By opening the seam, I exposed the bare threads, there was no real strength in the thread. The harnesses were compromised. The results could have been disastrous.
Elder Scott said: Material things do not of themselves produce happiness and satisfaction and the joy of attainment on earth. Nor do they lead us to exaltation. It is nobility of character, that fabric of inner strength and conviction woven from countless righteous decisions, that gives life its direction. A consistent, righteous life produces an inner power and strength that can be permanently resistant to the eroding influence of sin and transgression. Your faith in Jesus Christ and obedience to His commandments will strengthen your character. Your character is a measure of what you are becoming. It is the evidence of how well you are using your time on earth in this period of mortal probation.
So, what are the things that enable us to build our integrity and righteous character?
Communicate with the Designer, frequently. Even if it's just casually.
Keep track of the inspiration given to make those minute changes that need to be made.
Be obedient and when you make mistakes, don't hesitate to repent. A change of heart can begin so subtly, but can allow Heaven to direct and guide you to be a powerful force for good in your world, and the world definitely could use more good.
Do the things you know you need to do in the order you need to do them. If you are supposed to go on a mission, go. That counts for older couples as well.
And stand tall and valiant in your faith. If you don't feel valiant, fake it. Fake it and eventually you will be.
Remember the people who love you. Sometimes, in the face of temptation it is remembering that we are loved by our friends and families that can make a difference. Your faith will be an example to those around you.
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