General Young Women Meeting: Overcoming adversity key to 'happily ever after,' says President Uchtdorf

SALT LAKE CITY — In most languages there exists a phrase as magical and full of promise as perhaps any in the world: "Once upon a time," said President Dieter F. Uchtdorf during the General Young Women Meeting for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Those words "promise something: a story of adventure and romance, a story of princesses and princes," the second counselor in the First Presidency said Saturday. "It may include tales of courage, hope and everlasting love. In many of these stories, nice overcomes mean and good overcomes evil. But perhaps most of all, I love it when we turn to the last page and our eyes reach the final lines, and we see the enchanting words 'and they lived happily ever after.' "

Speaking to a capacity congregation in the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City, President Uchtdorf told more than 20,000 teens and their mothers that everyone desires to be heroes and heroines in their own stories, to triumph over adversity, experience life in all its beauty and live happily ever after.

In addition to President Uchtdorf, Sister Elaine S. Dalton, general Young Women president, and her counselors, Sister Mary N. Cook and Sister Ann M. Dibb, spoke.

President Thomas S. Monson and President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency, also attended the meeting, which was broadcast to LDS meetinghouses around the globe.

During his remarks, President Uchtdorf asked the teens to think back to their favorite fairy tale.

"In that story, the main character may be a princess or a peasant; she might be a mermaid or a milk maid, a ruler or a servant," he said. "You will find one thing all have in common — they must overcome adversity."

Sandwiched between their "once upon a time" and "happily ever after," they experienced hard times, he said.

"Why must all experience sadness and tragedy? Why could we not simply live in bliss and peace, each day filled with wonder, joy and love?" President Uchtdorf asked. "In stories, as in life, adversity teaches us things we cannot learn otherwise. Adversity helps to develop a depth of character that comes in no other way."

President Uchtdorf told the young women that they will experience their own adversity.

"None is exempt. You will suffer, be tempted and make mistakes," he said. "You will learn for yourself what every heroine has learned: through overcoming challenges comes growth and strength.

"It is your reaction to adversity, not the adversity itself that determines how your life's story will develop."