A poignant childhood story of her family's effort to save a flock of motherless lambs from starvation and predators was related Sunday afternoon by Jayne B. Malan, first counselor in the Young Women general presidency.
She compared those efforts with the Savior's mission to reach and save mankind.In her address, Sister Malan recalled that she and her brother, as young teenagers, were given responsibility for about 350 lambs whose mothers had died after a violent storm.
She explained that the lambs didn't have teeth to eat grass, nor did they know how to drink from a trough. Despite all their efforts "most of the lambs were slowly starving to death. The only way we could be sure they were fed was to hold them in our arms, two at a time, and feed them like babies."
And at night coyotes would single out several to kill. "All we wanted to do was save our lambs. The hardest part was seeing them die.
"One of the lambs . . . was an awkward little thing with a black spot on its nose. It was always under my feet and knew my voice. I loved my lamb. One morning my lamb didn't come when I called. I found it later that day under the willows by the creek. It was dead.
"With tears streaming down my face," she related with emotion, she went to her father and asked, "Dad, isn't there someone who can help us feed our lambs?"
"Jayne," responded her father. "Once, a long time ago, someone else said almost those same words. He said it three times: `Feed my lambs. . . . Feed my sheep. . . . Feed my sheep. (John 21:15-17.)
Many years later, related Sister Malan, "I thought about our summer with the lambs and for a brief moments, I thought I could sense how the Savior must feel with so many lambs to feed . . . so many souls to save.
"You wonderful young people, from what we've observed, you're not unlike our lambs. You, too, are hungry - hungry for things of the Spirit that will make you grow strong and will keep you safe from the coyotes that are out to destroy you.
"Be on your knees daily and talk to your Heavenly Father," she entreated the youths. "Share the happy times. Talk about what's hard for you. Heavenly Father will understand."
Parents, priesthood leaders, teachers and advisers should be watchful shepherds, she emphasized. "Reach out with loving arms to those who are weak or wandering. Help bring them back to the fold where they can learn of the Good Shepherd and grow close to Him.
"Of our little flock, we saved only one third. And what of the Savior's flock? He has said, `Feed my lambs . . . Feed my sheep.' With more people to help, more lambs will be saved."