Bondage

It's been some time since I've posted here. I've taken a break in the last few months to focus on a little self-care. But I've missed sharing a few thoughts about the gospel with you. e
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It's Screen-free Week this week. Helping ourselves and our children unplug once in a while is healthy.

Unplugging, turning off, ceasing, escaping could apply to anything that has its grasp on us.

We may be in bondage to all kinds of things: Ways we've chosen to comfort ourselves, unhealthy ways we've learned to cope, health problems, difficult relationships, the choices of another, the strength of our emotions, and so on.

You name it and we can become enslaved to it.

Escape is possible. Relief and hope are possible. His arm of mercy is extended.

This scripture about the people of Alma in bondage to wicked King Noah is even more powerful when taken out of context and applied to our lives.

But behold, he did deliver them because they did humble themselves before him; and because they cried mightily unto him he did deliver them out of bondage; and thus doth the Lord work with his power in all cases among the children of men, extending the arm of mercy towards them that put their trust in him (Mosiah 29:20).

Notice the formula here?

Notice that it says "in all cases". Even your and my particular bondage.

The Lord can deliver us with his power and does extend His arm of mercy when we...

1. Humble ourselves before Him
2. Cry mightily unto Him
3. Put our trust in Him

This is how we activate our faith and our repentance. In all cases.

This is how we "unplug" from that which holds us captive. In all cases.

Ellen King

Photo by Kichigai Mentat

Lesson: Covenants

One of the most important concepts of revealed religion is that of a sacred covenant. It is a sacred promise with God. He fixes the terms. Each person may choose to accept those terms. If one accepts the terms of the covenant and obeys God's law, he or she receives the blessings associated with the covenant.

"And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated."
Doctrine & Covenants 130:21

Through the ages, God has made covenants with His children. The covenant God made with Abraham and later reaffirmed with Isaac and Jacob is of transcendent significance. It contained several promises including:

*Jesus the Christ would be born through Abraham's lineage.
*Abraham's posterity would be numerous, entitled to an eternal increase, and also entitled to bear the priesthood.
*Abraham would become a father of many nations.
*Certain lands would be inherited by his posterity.
*All nations of the earth would be blessed by his seed.
*And that covenant would be everlasting.

Some of us are the literal seed of Abraham; others are gathered into his family by adoption. The Lord makes no distinction. Together we receive these promised blessings--if we seek the Lord and obey His commandments.

Ours is the seed foreordained to help fulfill the Abrahamic covenant. Ours is the seed foreordained and prepared to bless all people of the world. That is why priesthood duty includes missionary work.
The Book of Mormon is a tangible sign that the Lord has commenced to gather His children of covenant Israel.

When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us. His law is written in our hearts. He is our God and we are His people. Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity. When that doctrine is deeply implanted in our hearts, even the sting of death is soothed and our spiritual stamina is strengthened.

The pioneers are a great example of people who were committed children of the covenant, remaining steadfast even in the midst of adversity.

Clip from Legacy start at 38:50 to 42:49

This quote captures the spirit of those who make and keep sacred covenants.

"In the book Daughters in My Kingdom, we read about Sister Hedwig Biereichel, a woman in Germany who suffered much sorrow and deprivation during World War II. Because of her love and charitable nature, and even in her own great need, she willingly shared her food with starving prisoners of war. Later, when asked how she was able to "keep a testimony during all [those] trials," she replied in effect, "I didn't keep a testimony through those times--the testimony kept me."

Personal Revelation and Testimony, Barbara Thompson, Ensign November 2011

Just like the pioneers and Sister Biereichel, we will be blessed and strengthened to face the challenges of this mortal life as we keep our sacred covenants.

Teachings for our Times:
Covenants, Russell M. Nelson, Ensign November 2011

The Blessings of Tithing

God’s purpose in giving us commandments is to bless us. He wants to give us eternal life, the greatest of all His gifts (see D&C 14:7). To receive the gift of living with Him forever in families in the celestial kingdom, we must be able to live the laws of that kingdom (see D&C 88:22).

He has given us commandments in this life to help us develop that capacity. The law of tithing is one of those preparatory commandments.

Tithing has a special purpose as a preparatory law. Early in this dispensation, the Lord commanded certain members of the Church to live the higher law of consecration—a law received by covenant. When this covenant was not kept, great tribulations came upon the Saints. The law of consecration was then withdrawn. In its place the Lord revealed the law of tithing for the whole Church.

On July 8, 1838, He declared: “And this shall be the beginning of the tithing of my people.

“… Those who have thus been tithed shall pay one-tenth of all their interest annually; and this shall be a standing law unto them forever.”

The law of tithing prepares us to live the higher law of consecration—to dedicate and give all our time, talents, and resources to the work of the Lord. Until the day when we are required to live this higher law, we are commanded to live the law of the tithe, which is to freely give one-tenth of our income annually.

There are at least three ways that paying a full tithe in this life prepares us to feel what we need to feel to receive the gift of eternal life.

First, when we pay our tithes to the Church, our Heavenly Father pours out blessings upon us. Anyone who has consistently paid a full tithe knows that is true.

To those who faithfully and honestly live the law of tithing, the Lord promises an abundance of blessings. Some of these blessings are temporal, just as tithes are temporal. But like the outward physical ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, the commandment to pay tithing requires temporal sacrifice, which ultimately yields great spiritual blessings.

I know of a couple who lived thousands of miles from the nearest temple. Although they earned little, they faithfully paid their tithing and saved all that they could to journey to the house of the Lord. After a year, the husband’s brother—not a member of the Church—unexpectedly came forward and offered them two airplane tickets. This temporal blessing made possible the spiritual blessings of their temple endowments and sealing. An additional spiritual blessing came later as the brother, touched by the couple’s humble faithfulness, joined the Church.

Tithing develops and tests our faith. By sacrificing to the Lord what we may think we need or want for ourselves, we learn to rely on Him. Our faith in Him makes it possible to keep temple covenants and receive eternal temple blessings. Tithing is a principle of faith more than a principle of finances.

Video Clip - Elijah and the widow of Zarapheth

 Second, all of us who have paid a consistent full tithe feel greater confidence in asking God for what we and our families need. He has promised blessings even greater than we can receive when we have been faithful to our covenant to pay our tithes (see Malachi 3:10).

 In the case of tithing, the Lord has said, “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

Would any of us intentionally reject an outpouring of blessings from the Lord? Sadly, this is what we do when we fail to pay our tithing. We say no to the very blessings we are seeking and praying to receive. If you are one who has doubted the blessings of tithing, I encourage you to accept the Lord’s invitation to “prove [Him] now herewith.” Pay your tithing. Unlock the windows of heaven. You will be abundantly blessed for your obedience and faithfulness to the Lord’s laws and commandments.

Third, those who pay tithing feel an increase in their love of God and of all God’s children. That increase of love comes from understanding how the Father uses the tithes we offer to bless people in this world and for eternity.

Through His authorized servants, He expends the tithes with great care. The tithe payer helps the Lord build temples, where families can be sealed forever. The tithe payer helps Him send the gospel to people everywhere. The tithe payer helps Him relieve hunger and suffering in His own way through His servants. Any of those servants can tell you how love increased because tithing was used to bless people. And so can the faithful tithe payer.

The Lord desires that all His children have the blessings of tithing. Too often we as parents do not teach and encourage our children to live this law because their contribution only amounts to a few cents. But without a testimony of tithing, they are vulnerable. In their teenage years, they become attracted to clothes, entertainment, and expensive possessions and risk losing the special protection that tithing provides.

Fathers and mothers, as you prepare for tithing settlement I encourage you to gather your little ones around you and help them count their pennies. Help your young men and young women consult their records and take inventory of their annual increase. What a marvelous opportunity this is to plant the seed of faith in the hearts of your children. You will start them on a path that leads to the temple. The generations of your ancestors before you and your posterity after you will rise up and call you blessed, for you will have prepared your children to perform saving ordinances on their behalf. It is no coincidence, my brothers and sisters, that under the direction of God’s living prophet on the earth today, President Gordon B. Hinckley, temples are spreading over the earth. Keeping the commandments, which includes paying our tithing, will qualify us to enter those temples, be sealed to our families, and receive eternal blessings.

In a few weeks each of us will have the sacred opportunity to sit once again with our bishop and settle our tithing with the Lord. Your bishop will be gentle and kind. He will understand the challenges you face. If you cannot pay back what you missed paying in the past, go forward. Begin today. Share with your bishop your commitment to pay a full tithe in the future, and work out a plan to return to the temple as soon as possible. As soon as you have demonstrated your faith in paying tithing over a period of time and kept the other necessary commandments, you will be able to enjoy the eternal blessings of the temple. I plead with you, do not let this opportunity pass by. 
Sources:
Elder Henry B. Eyring, The Blessings of Tithing, Ensign June 2011
Elder Robert D. Hales, Tithing: A Test of Faith with Eternal Blessings, October 2002 General Conference

Quotes - more Oil for our Lamps

This past Sunday Owenna shared a couple of wonderful, thought-provoking quotes as comments to the Relief Society & Sunday School lessons, and I've asked her to send them to us all for the blog.  They really made me think and ponder, as some of the best quotes are known to do!  Here they are in Owenna's own words:

I e-mailed my sister (Kathleen Bahr; retired BYU prof) to ask for her exact words. She told me I was actually quoting her paraphrase of Kiekegaard. Since I like hers better, I've included it as well as the original. I am grateful that these quotes that I have repeated to myself so often might be of help to someone else as well -- even though over time I have managed to garble them from the original.

"To the Christian, love is the works of love. To say that love is a feeling or anything of the kind is really an un-Christian conception of love. That is the aesthetic definition and therefore fits the erotic and everything of that nature. But to the Christian, love is the works of love. Christ's love was not an inner feeling, a full heart and what-not: it was the work of love which was his life." —Søren Kierkegaard on Christianity

Owenna's version of Kathleen's version of Kierkegaard:

"When Christ commanded us to love one another, I do not believe he was commanding our emotions, because they cannot, in fact, be commanded. I believe he was commanding our behavior. Love is an action verb. He was commanding us to behave in loving ways toward each other, even when love, as an emotion, is weak or absent."

Gale, visiting our RS from Kansas, also asked for the definition of faith that I attributed to Elder Gene R. Cook in SS. Well, I was wrong again - with my memory it is a wonder that I remembered the quote at all. It is properly attributed to Elder Stephen Nadault (Ensign, Dec. 95), not Elder Cook.

Elder Nadault pointed out that "when Joseph Smith re-translated parts of the Bible, he changed the word "substance" to "assurance," the way it is in Greek. So we could re-word the scripture to read 'Faith is having or accepting an assurance of things hoped for, and accepting evidence of things not seen.'"

When I read this years ago, it really turned on a light for me. My own paraphrase is: "Faith is a willingness to accept the assurances our Heavenly Father has given us as being sufficient."
Owenna

Thanks Owenna for these great morsels to savor and ponder.  We can always use more oil to put in our spiritual lamps!

Lesson Recap: "Because of your Faith"

Lesson taught April 24, 2011 by Kristin Hinchman
Taken from Elder Holland's "Because of your Faith"

What is Faith?  Simply stated, it is believing in that which is not seen, but it is also more than that.  True faith also compels us to DO something.  It is not passive.  Elder Holland gives tribute and gratitude to all the members who serve the Lord and one another because of their faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel.

Owenna commented that something she tells herself is that "Faith is a willingness to accept the assurances our Heavenly Father has given us as being sufficient."  And our actions would  apply to those assurances as well.

Because of the faith that members of our church have in Jesus Christ, we give much of our lives to service.  Whether it is because we are given official callings to serve or just following promptings, we try to exemplify our Savior in our service to our fellow man.

There are many who sacrifice their time and talents in an effort to serve the church and it's members in the name of the Lord.  Elder Holland says:

"We all know there are special keys, covenants, and responsibilities given to the presiding officers of the Church, but we also know that the Church draws incomparable strength, a truly unique vitality, from the faith and devotion of every member of this Church, whoever you may be. In whatever country you live, however young or inadequate you feel, or however aged or limited you see yourself as being, I testify you are individually loved of God, you are central to the meaning of His work, and you are cherished and prayed for by the presiding officers of His Church. The personal value, the sacred splendor of every one of you, is the very reason there is a plan for salvation and exaltation. Contrary to the parlance of the day, this is about you. No, don’t turn and look at your neighbor. I am talking to you!"

We all give of ourselves in different ways and at different times in our lives.  Often in those times of service we feel we are not in positions where we are leaders making huge differences in the lives of great numbers.  Sometimes those are the most important moments when we are giving "behind the scenes" acts of service that often go by silently.  To these members Elder Holland states,

"And to the near-perfect elderly sister who almost apologetically whispered recently, 'I have never been a leader of anything in the Church. I guess I’ve only been a helper,” I say, “Dear sister, God bless you and all the ‘helpers’ in the kingdom.' Some of us who are leaders hope someday to have the standing before God that you have already attained."

Sister Hinchman then helped us to each really ponder what it means when someone serves us, and how we can then turn and find ways to serve others - even if we haven't been officially called.  As Visiting Teachers, we have many opportunities for quiet service and love.  How much stronger are we when we each take the time to truly serve!

Thanks Kristin for the great lesson.  It was wonderful hearing from you and feeling of your Spirit and testimony!

Image Credit

The Best Is Yet to Be

I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been.

The past is to be learned from but not lived in.

We look back to claim the embers from glowing experiences but not the ashes.

And when we have learned what we need to learn and have brought with us the best that we have experienced, then we look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future.

~ Jeffrey R. Holland, The Best Is Yet to Be, Ensign, Jan. 2010, 22–27

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Joy Is Love Exalted

Joy is love exalted,

peace is love in repose,

long-suffering is love enduring;

gentleness is love in society;

goodness is love in action;

faith is love on the battlefield;

meekness is love in school;

and temperance is love in training.

~Dwight L. Moody

Lesson: Faith in Jesus Christ

Gospel Principles, Lesson 18, Faith in Jesus Christ

Margie Clark

What Is Faith?

Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel. It is a spiritual gift, and it is necessary to our salvation.

Faith is a “hope for things which are not seen, which are true”

Faith is a principle of action and power that motivates our day-to-day activities.

Would we study and learn if we did not believe we could obtain wisdom and knowledge? Would we work each day if we did not hope that by doing so we could accomplish something? Would a farmer plant if he did not expect to harvest? Each day we act upon things we hope for when we cannot see the end result.

This is faith.

How does faith move you to action?

Why Should We Have Faith in Jesus Christ?

We must center our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

To have faith in Jesus Christ means to have such trust in Him that we obey whatever He commands.

As we place our faith in Jesus Christ, becoming His obedient disciples, Heavenly Father will forgive our sins and prepare us to return to Him.

How Can We Increase Our Faith in Jesus Christ?

The Savior said, “If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, … nothing shall be impossible unto you” (Matthew 17:20). A mustard seed is very small, but it grows into a large tree.

How can we increase our faith?

The same way we increase or develop any other skill. How do we develop skills in woodcarving, weaving, painting, cooking, making pottery, or playing a musical instrument? We study and practice and work at it. As we do so, we improve.

So it is with faith.

If we want to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we must work at it.

• We increase our faith in God by acting on our desire to have faith in Him. 
• We increase our faith by praying to Heavenly Father about our hopes, desires, and needs. 
• We increase our faith by hearing and studying the word of the Lord. 

What Are Some Blessings That Follow Faith?

Through the gift of faith, miracles are wrought, angels appear, other gifts of the Spirit are given, prayers are answered, and men become the sons of God.

“When faith comes it brings … apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, gifts, wisdom, knowledge, miracles, healings, tongues, interpretation of tongues, etc. All these appear when faith appears on the earth, and disappear when it disappears from the earth; for these are the effects of faith. … And he who possesses it will, through it, obtain all necessary knowledge and wisdom, until he shall know God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom he has sent—whom to know is eternal life”
(Lectures on Faith [1985], 83).

How have you been blessed because of your faith?

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Bye-bye Church. We're busy, Teens Say

In a recent article on the Beliefnet, Mormon Teens, Protestant Teens: A Review of Kenda Creasy Dean's "Almost Christian", Jana Reiss looks at what the book has to say about Mormon teens.

Did you see this article in USA Today a few weeks ago? The upshot is that Protestant teens are skipping church in record numbers. They rarely even come for the pizza anymore....

One of the researchers in the National Study of Youth and Religion, Princeton Theological Seminary professor Kenda Creasy Dean, Almost Christian: What the Faith of Our Teenagers Is Telling the American Church, says that if teenagers don't have a firm grasp of core Christian doctrines and instead worship at what she calls "the Church of Benign Whatever-ism"—or don't worship at all—it's because youth pastors and other leaders have watered down the message....

In a chapter called "Mormon Envy," Dean further indicts Protestant churches by holding up Mormonism as an example of a religious group that is doing right by its teenagers. She makes it clear that she has serious theological disagreements with Mormonism, but from a sociological perspective, Mormonism is succeeding in creating young adults who firmly understand what they believe and why their faith needs to have a claim on their behavior.

She says that Mormonism is giving teens the four things they need in order to have a growing adult faith. They need sufficient teaching in beliefs by their own parents and by a spiritual community, to acquire a personal testimony, concrete religious goals and, hope for the future.

Read the full book review.

 

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Turn Your Life Over to God

Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. 
He will:

• deepen your joys
• expand your vision
• quicken your minds
• strengthen your muscles
• lift your spirits
• multiply your blessings 
• increase your opportunities
• comfort your souls
• raise up friends
• and pour out peace.

Whosoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life.

~Ezra Taft Benson,
The Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson (1988) p 361.

Respect for Diversity of Faiths

From the LDS Newsroom blog:

A respect for the diverse beliefs and unique contributions of all the world’s faiths is one of the hallmarks of Mormonism.

...The spiritual and physical needs of the world require goodwill and cooperation among different faiths. Each of them makes a valuable contribution to the larger community of believers. In the words of early Church apostle Orson F. Whitney, “God is using more than one people for the accomplishment of his great and marvelous work. The Latter-day Saints cannot do it all. It is too vast, too arduous, for any one people.”

...It is important to note that interfaith cooperation does not require doctrinal compromise. Though the Church asserts its ecclesiastical independence and recognizes its doctrinal differences, this does not prevent it from partnering with other faiths in charitable projects. These efforts are based on universal values.

Read the entire article at the LDS Newsroom.

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Church News addition to monthly Visiting Teaching message

Each month, the Church News publishes a message to complement the Visiting Teaching message found in the Ensign magazine. This article is based on the July 2010 theme, "Strengthening at every opportunity."

 
This is Sister Julie Maree Beugre Powa from Africa's Ivory Coast.  Sister Powa served as first counselor in the Cocody Ivory Coast Stake Relief Society presidency during the Ivorian civil war in 2002 and is now the stake Young Women president.  She tells of the struggles that the sisters and the families faced during their civil war, and how the gospel helped to strengthen them.

In the Church News article, Sister Powa emphasized how the members relied on visiting teaching and food storage to help them with the difficulties they faced in the Ivory Coast.  In addition to their hard work and provident living needs, here is an excerpt about how the members spiritually handled their struggles.

"We taught them that they should keep their faith; most of them did keep their faith," she said. "You have to rely on God. If you don't have hope, your life is gone. You have to keep praying that the war will stop; you shouldn't give up."

Eventually, the war did end, but members still face difficulties every day. What amazes Sister Powa about her ward and stake are the people who walk miles and hours to and from church, who have tough challenges in life and who sell goods on the street to feed their families when no other jobs are available. These people come to church with smiles on their faces, excited to be part of the gospel, she said.
 
It's a great article, and if you'd like to read the rest of it, you can find it here.  It's so faith inspiring to read how members all over the world use their faith to assist them in their trials, and it makes me want to be better too!  Plus, this gave me a lot more to think about when reading this upcoming month's visiting teaching message.  Strengthening families and homes really can be life and death in different times and areas around the world, and it makes me really think if I could do the same when hard times come to me.  I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy this inspiring article!
 
Devon

Pics from RS Meeting

Melanie taught the first section on what is 

Essential, Necessary and Nice-to-do in our lives.

Charity taught the second section on how 

we can fortify our families, 

using the example of Moroni from the Book of Mormon.

Elizabeth reminded us that we are to

provide a safety net for each other in our lives 

as we try to balance all the good things that we need to do.

The evening ended with yummy strawberry shortcake. 

Thanks to Charity and all the RS board 

for making it such a nice evening.

Sister Beck's talk reminded us that 

we each need to be in tune with Spirit so we can 

know how to increase in faith and righteousness, 

strengthen home and family, and seek out and help those in need.

(Listen to the talk given by Julie S. Beck
titled “Faith and Values” to review what you heard here tonight.)

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Name the 3 Lifelong Responsibilities of RS

Quick! It's a quiz...

Okay, okay, nice try. The answer can be found in a recent talk by Julie B. Beck. She speaks with conviction about how we can fulfill our sacred responsibilities as Relief Society Sisters.

3 Lifelong Responsibilities

As Latter-day Saint women we have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and testimonies of the plan of salvation.

We are responsible for the female half of that plan.

It cannot be delegated to others.

We are accountable before the Lord for the discharge of our duties.

And the first Sunday of the month [and every Sunday] is the Lord’s gift of time to us as Relief Society sisters to learn how to fulfill our responsibilities.

I hope that we will use that gift of time to fulfill our three lifelong responsibilities as members of the Relief Society: (1) increase faith and personal righteousness, (2) strengthen families and homes, and (3) seek out and help those in need. 

The pattern for study and teaching in our homes

I hope we will turn to the scriptures and approved Church resources for the examples, principles, and doctrines that will help us accomplish these responsibilities and learn how to meet the challenges of the latter days.

Emma Hale Smith, our first Relief Society president, was told to “expound scriptures, and to exhort the church, according as it shall be given thee by my Spirit” (D&C 25:7). We can follow her example.

...[I would] prayerfully decide what we should be learning [in my home].

I would then search the scriptures to discover what they have to teach [me] on that topic.

I would learn what prophets and Church leaders have taught.

Then I would pray for the Spirit’s guidance as I wrote down some discussion questions we could use as we study [in our families]...

Use this pattern to study in [your] homes and teach [your] families.

Increase faith and personal righteousness

[Do you] frequently have questions about how to live through the experiences of this mortal life in a faith-filled way? [Turn to] the combined faith that exists in each Relief Society. The wisdom of all present can help answer real questions and provide inspired answers.

My grandmother, Isabelle Bawden Bangerter, was known to be a woman of great faith. She acquired her faith as a child and worked to increase it all her life. She taught Relief Society for many years, and among Relief Society sisters she was known as a theologian, a woman who knew the gospel well and could teach it from the scriptures. She was still studying the scriptures when she died at the age of 97.

Grandma Bangerter was a woman who was confident in her eternal roles and responsibilities. When I was a young mother, I asked her if it was possible to rear a righteous posterity in a world filled with wickedness. She raised herself up, and pointing at me, she emphatically said, “Yes! You must! That is why you are here!” Her teaching inspired me to become more intentional about my responsibilities and to approach life with greater faith.

Strengthen families and homes

When I was a young Relief Society sister, we had a mother-education class once a month. Though I had a wonderful and skilled mother, I still learned from my teachers in Relief Society how to be a better mother and how to improve my home. We learned homemaking principles and skills, we learned how to be better parents, and we learned how to strengthen our marriages.

Young mothers often ask me if we can ever have mother education again in Relief Society. My answer is yes. We can learn how to uphold, nourish, and protect families [in our Relief Society lessons.]

Seek out and help those in need

[Relief Society] lessons are our opportunity to strengthen one another and find answers to life’s difficulties. At any given time many of the sisters in each Relief Society are experiencing trials and disappointments.

President Boyd K. Packer, President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, has called each ward Relief Society a “circle of sisters.”

He said: “Each sister, no matter where in that circle she stands, can look to either side and feel the spirit of inspiration coming back as she extends the gentle hand of charity to those on either side. …

“… You will serve your organization, your cause—the Relief Society—this great circle of sisters. Your every need shall be fulfilled, now, and in the eternities; every neglect will be erased; every abuse will be corrected. All of this can come to you, and come quickly, when you devote yourself to Relief Society.”

It has been my experience that each ward Relief Society has the capacity to give to one another the support that is needed.

If we seek and receive the help of the Holy Ghost, all answers can be found in each circle of sisters.

We have the responsibility to provide relief—relief of poverty, illness, doubt, ignorance, and all that hinders the joy and progress of woman.

Relief Society has always been engaged in providing relief to others.

Purifying, refreshing
At a wonderful Relief Society meeting, Eliza R. Snow recorded in the minutes that ‘nearly all present arose and spoke, and the spirit of the Lord like a purifying stream, refreshed every heart.’

We hope you, our sisters, feel nourished, edified, and uplifted every time you attend a Sunday lesson.

(And if we are not helping you fulfill the 3 lifelong responsibilities as members of the Relief Society, you let us know.)

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Lesson: Our Perfect Example

Taught by Cheryl Wentzel

President Henry B. Eyring

Our Perfect Example, October 2009

The message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is that we can and must expect to become better as long as we live.

Part of that expectation is set for us in a revelation given by God to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It describes the day when we will meet the Savior, as we all will. It tells us what to do to prepare and what to expect.

It is in the book of Moroni: “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”

That ought to help you understand why any believing Latter-day Saint is an optimist about what lies ahead for him or her, however difficult the present may be.

We believe that through living the gospel of Jesus Christ we can become like the Savior, who is perfect.

Considering the attributes of Jesus Christ should quash the pride of the self-satisfied person who thinks he or she has no need to improve. And even the most humble person can take hope in the invitation to become like the Savior.

...determination and confidence can and must be in the heart of every Latter-day Saint. The Savior has prepared the way through His Atonement and His example.

Love is the motivating principle by which the Lord leads us along the way towards becoming like Him, our perfect example. Our way of life, hour by hour, must be filled with the love of God and love for others.

There is no surprise in that, since the Lord proclaimed those as the first and great commandments. It is love of God that will lead us to keep His commandments. And love of others is at the heart of our capacity to obey Him.

...First, I give counsel to husbands and wives. Pray for the love which allows you to see the good in your companion. Pray for the love that makes weaknesses and mistakes seem small. Pray for the love to make your companion’s joy your own. Pray for the love to want to lessen the load and soften the sorrows of your companion.
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...Now I give counsel to the parents of a wandering child. The Savior is the perfect example of persisting in love. ...The story of the prodigal son gives us all hope. The prodigal remembered home, as will your children. They will feel your love drawing them back to you.

...Now, here is my counsel to children. The Lord gave you a commandment with a promise: “Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.”

...For all of us it may be hard to see in our lives an increasing power to love and to see ourselves becoming more like the Savior, our perfect example.

...Because of His Atonement for you, your childlike obedience will bring a feeling of love of the Savior for you and your love for Him. That is one of the gifts that is promised to His faithful disciples. And this gift can come not only to you alone but also to the loving members of your family.

...None of us is perfect yet. But we can have frequent assurance that we are following along the way. He leads us, and He beckons for us to follow Him.

Faith in the Lord is trust in the Lord. 

We cannot have true faith in the Lord 

without also having complete trust 

in the Lord’s will 

and in the Lord’s timing. 

As a result, 

no matter how strong our faith is, 

it cannot produce a result contrary 

to the will of Him in whom we have faith. 

Remember that when your prayers 

do not seem to be answered 

in the way 

or at the time 

you desire. 

The exercise of faith 

in the Lord Jesus Christ 

is always subject to the order of heaven, 

to the goodness 

and will 

and wisdom 

and timing of the Lord. 

When we have that kind 

of faith 

and trust 

in the Lord, 

we have true security and serenity in our lives.

—Dallin H. Oaks, The Atonement and Faith, Ensign, Apr 2010, 30–34

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The Gospel in Action: The Test

By Sara Fultz, Guest Blogger

D&C 88:58: And thus they all received the light of the countenance of their lord, every man in his hour, and in his time, and in his season . . .

The experience has been brought to my remembrance several times in the last week or two. Random conversations, starting out only as “small talk”, evolve into this one memory.

Back in my college days, I studied Mathematics and Art. I was intent on doubling my major, because I’m an overachiever; a running-faster-than-you-have-strength-type of woman.

Math was never a strength of mine. I can remember a time when I sat, in elementary school, learning long hand division.

Hiding my face, hovering low over my paper and crying tears I was too embarrassed to show, because it seemed to me that all of the other kids were brilliant, but not me. It wasn’t until high school Geometry, that something clicked. Something made sense, and I decided that I wanted to be a Math teacher.

That’s the overachiever part of me.

A few years later, I confidently started my degree in Math! To my shocking surprise, my junior year brought long, hard nights full of advanced calculus—proofs, theory, math . . . in words!

Once again, I hung my head low, after reading and rereading chapter upon chapter. I prayed, I cried, I read, I searched, I prayed, I cried, I doubted, I cried, and after a long several days of the same obnoxious cycle, I prayed and . . . I slept.

The night before a test and after a vicious aforementioned cycle, I had a dream.

All of the knowledge I had crammed into my imperfect brain, began to be reorganized to provide a clearer understanding. The one problem I was completely distraught over was literally written out on paper. Not by my hand, nor by a hand visible to my mortal eye, but by the Hand that could be directed by perfect knowledge and understanding. I watched, step by step, through hazy vision, the process come to light.

The next morning I awoke, in awe over the dream I had. I tried to write it on paper, but it wouldn’t come out so clearly. I walked to class, with another prayer in my heart, to have the ability to write my proofs with ease, for the dreaded test.

I sat down, read the questions, and in the very hour, when I needed the knowledge, the words and images came to mind. I knew exactly what to write, it was logical to me, and my hand scripted every last thought. I handed over my test, walked out of the room, knew it wasn’t perfect, but it was given to me, in the very hour that I needed, after my long effortful prayers of faith.

Looking back, that experience of foreign math concepts and theories is still mind boggling to me, but was just a primary lesson in trusting the Lord.

As times get harder, may we remember to put our trust in the Lord, and be blessed to see His hand directing us in all things. Even when there may never be a completely clear understanding, He will guide and comfort us through our Test. When we hand it over (our Test, or life) it may not be perfect, but it will have been guided by Him.

Sara Fultz

Photo Credit

Thoughts on a Gospel Principle: Agency & Eternal Progression

Part 1 of a 3-Part Series
By Guest blogger: Jenn Low

Somewhere in the middle of an hour-long conversation I had with a colleague about the church she queried, “Does everyone in your church know as much about your religion as you do?”

My answer was a resounding YES!

I replied that the church encouraged all of its members to gain as much knowledge of things eternal as possible and that the organization of the church required members to do so, for we are in a constant state of being called upon to instruct others.

My friend remarked that this was a wonderful thing. It is wonderful that I could just as truthfully have said to her that such attainment of truth and knowledge is essential in gaining exaltation.

Why?

Because if one truly believes in something, they will act upon it.

Faith, in the Bible dictionary, is defined as a “principle of action” for we know that it is by our works that we able to reap salvation and exaltation (Mosiah 5:15). As our active faith becomes stronger in the Savior, we become more like Him.

This earth life has been afforded to us as a probationary time of action, of preparation, of progression, of growth, of molding our characters to become like God’s (Alma 12:24).

However, such progression does not end with this earthly existence. We will learn, and grow, and act, and become more like God in the Spirit World and then again in whichever kingdom of glory our actions have made us worthy of.

To be unable to grow and progress and become more glorified is the very definition of being damned.

Why then, with literally eternity in which to become like God (and we will need it!) is there such a push for us to act NOW in full force and without delay?

There are certainly many answers to this question!

Part of the reason is because during this perfectly orchestrated “testing ground” portion of the Lord’s plan (a.k.a., earth life) our ability to mold our characters has the greatest turnaround time we will ever experience in the whole of our existence! Our ability to progress and grow directly correlates with our ability to use our agency.

Agency is only valid when there is a choice available to be made and acted upon. And there will never be another time like this earth life when such magnitudes of unhampered choices are available to the children of God.

The veil and the lack of God’s physical presence ensure this and act as catalysts for growth.

We are utterly and completely free to choose, and because of this our choices have a more profound impact and who we are and who we will become (2 Nephi 2:27).

(Part 2: The Principle of Progression)

Scriptural Insights: Optimism

Guest blogger: Miranda Searle

Because the times are tough for many with the economy and high prices, a scripture story that I have read many times, really stood out to me.

I was reading the Book of Mormon in first Nephi chapter three, where Nephi and his brothers have just been told by their father, Lehi, to "go unto the house of Laban, and seek the records, and bring them down hither into the wilderness."

In vs. 5-7, Lehi says "thy brothers murmur, saying, it is a hard thing which I have required of them; but behold I have not required it of them, but it is a commandment of the Lord." Then he commends Nephi, "thou shalt be favored of the Lord, because thou hast not murmured."

Now Nephi shows his amazing example of faithfulness. He says, “I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.” In contrast, in the following verses, the brothers continue to murmur.

I have heard this story many times, but this lesson really stood out to me: In these times when life is difficult and it seems like we are surrounded with things to murmur about we should strive to be more like Nephi.

I have always strived to be a positive person and find the best in all situations. I do not consider myself a complainer or a pessimistic person, but as I read this story I had a new desire to always be like Nephi and not murmur, for I want to be "favored of the Lord.”

Let's all be like Nephi and not murmur about our trials, but go forward with faith.

The scriptures are true and we are so blessed to know that. I testify of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and I hold them close to my heart.

The Prophet in Liberty Jail

Joseph Smith, Chapter 31
Taught by Sandy Fultz

You can have sacred, revelatory experiences
with the Lord in the most miserable experiences
of your life.

A Prison-Temple Experience

"Most of us, most of the time, speak of the facility at Liberty as a 'jail' or a 'prison'—and certainly it was that. But Elder Brigham H. Roberts, in recording the history of the Church, spoke of the facility as a temple, or, more accurately, a 'prison-temple.'

"So in what sense could Liberty Jail be called a 'temple'—or at least a kind of temple—in the development of Joseph Smith personally and in his role as a prophet? And what does such a title tell us about God’s love and teachings, including where and when that love and those teachings are made manifest?

"[The message is] that when you have to, you can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experience with the Lord in any situation you are in. Indeed, let me say that even a little stronger: You can have sacred, revelatory, profoundly instructive experience with the Lord in the most miserable experiences of your life—in the worst settings, while enduring the most painful injustices, when facing the most insurmountable odds and opposition you have ever faced." Jeffrey R. Holland, Lessons from Liberty Jail

Binding Our Hearts to Family and Friends

Joseph Smith also taught that "every species of wickedness and cruelty practiced upon us will only tend to bind our hearts together and seal them together in love." How does this work? Several ideas were given by the sisters...we are humbled and turn to one another and Lord; we can choose love and doing what's right in the midst of the trial rather than being broken and becoming cynical; the bonding with others is often recognized later; and over time we come to understand and feel empathy for others with similar pain.

He Will Be With Us

The Savior descended below all (D&C 122:8-9), so He understands and can give us peace. That peace can be a feeling of calm during the trial. It can be acceptance and the strength to move on. It can be greater faith or a knowledge that all things will work together for our good. It can be a realization that we are stronger than we think we are.

All things will work together for your good.
~ D&C 100:15