This was a very good talk about hope. Elder Andersen also referred to the early pioneers and the Saints in Haiti following the earthquake this winter. Concerning the early Saints:
These early Saints were indeed homeless, but they were not hopeless. Their hearts were broken, but their spirits were strong. They had learned that hope, with its attendant blessings of peace and joy, does not depend upon circumstance. The true source of hope is faith - faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in His infinite Atonement, the one sure foundation upon which to build our lives.
Then about the Haitian Saints: The faithful Haitian Saints . . . are teaching us that hope and happiness and joy are not products of circumstance but of faith in the Lord.
Then, speaking to the rest of us, Elder Andersen had these thoughts:
Some who at this very moment feel desperate or discouraged may wonder how they can possibly regain hope. If you are one of those, remember that hope comes as a result of faith. If we would build our hope, we must build our faith. Faith in the Savior requires more than mere belief. True faith requires work. Faith grows by keeping the commandments.
When we strive to keep the commandments of God, repenting of our sins and promising our best efforts to follow the Savior, we begin to grow in confidence that through the Atonement everything will be all right. Those feelings are confirmed by the Holy Ghost, who drives from us what our pioneer mothers and fathers called "our useless cares." In spite of our trials, we are filled with a sense of well-being and feel to sing with them that indeed "all is well."
Near the end of his talk, Elder Andersen cites a scripture in Helaman that I hadn't really thought of in this context - that, despite everything going on around us, we should have hope:
"Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall bear upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall." (Helaman 5:12)
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Elder Dallin H. Oaks: Healing the Sick
This was a great talk for Melchizedek Priesthood holders (or those who will eventually hold that priesthood.) Elder Oaks starts the talk by reinforcing that the Latter-day Saints believe in using modern-day medicine as well as faith and priesthood power. This is good to note in Oregon where there has been a lot of press given to a local Christian congregation who let children die by eschewing (my big word) medical attention and relying on faith-healing. He then talked about the importance of the "prayer of faith" in healing the sick. He then said:
We have this priesthood power, and we should all be prepared to use it properly. Current increases in natural disasters and financial challenges show that we will need this power even more in the future than in the past. That is quite a statement!
Elder Oaks then provides some excellent instruction in how to properly use priesthood power in this regard:
There are five parts to the use of priesthood authority to bless the sick: (1) the anointing, (2) the sealing of the anointing, (3) faith, (4) the words of the blessing, and (5) the will of the Lord.
Anointing- Elder Oaks mentions the use of oil as part of the blessing and for sanctification. He cites examples from the Old and New Testaments.
Sealing the Anointing- To seal something means to affirm it, to make it binding for its intended purpose. When elders anoint a sick person and seal the anointing, they open the windows of heaven for the Lord to pour forth the blessing He wills for the person afflicted. Elder Oaks then quotes Brigham Young on how the process works. I found this very instructive as one who gives blessings: "When I lay hands on the sick, I expect the healing power and influence of God to pass through me to the patient, and the disease to give way . . . When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord, a stream of power form the Almighty can pass through the tabernacle of the administrator to the system of the patient, and the sick are made whole." Elder Oaks cautions us to rarely refer to healings in public settings lest it seem that we are "boasting of ourselves."
Faith- Faith is essential for healing by the powers of heaven. Elder Oaks quotes President Spencer W. Kimball about the role of faith in the blessing and healing process. I thought this was very instructive also: "The need of faith is often underestimated. The ill one and the family often seem to depend wholly on the power of the priesthood and the gift of healing that they hope the administering brethren may have, whereas the greater responsibility is with him who is blessed . . . The major element is the faith of the individual when that person is conscious and accountable. 'Thy faith made thee whole' [Matthew 9:22] was repeated so often by the Master that it almost became a chorus."
Words of Blessing- In some priesthood blessings - like a partriachal blessing - the words spoken are the essence of the blessing. But in a healing blessing it is the other parts of the blessing - the anointing, the sealing, faith, and the will of the Lord - that are the essential elements. Fortunately, the words spoken in a healing blessing are not essential to its healing effect. If faith is sufficient and if the Lord wills it, the afflicted person will be healed or blessed whether the officiator speaks those words or not. Consequently, brethren, no elder should ever hesitate to participate in a healing blessing because of fear that he will not know what to say. The words spoken in a healing blessing can edify and energize the faith of those who hear them, but the effect of the blessing is dependent upon faith and the Lord's will, not upon the words spoken by the elder who officiated. This is important information to share in a priesthood lesson.
Will of the Lord- This caught my attention: Young men and older men, please take special note of what I will say now. As we exercise the undoubted power of the priesthood of God and as we treasure His promise that He will hear and answer the prayer of faith, we must always remember that faith and the healing power of the priesthood cannot produce a result contrary to the will of Him whose priesthood it is. From all of this we learn that even the servants of the Lord, exercising His divine power in a circumstance where there is sufficient faith to be healed, cannot give a priesthood blessing that will cause a person to be healed if that healing is not the will of the Lord.
We have this priesthood power, and we should all be prepared to use it properly. Current increases in natural disasters and financial challenges show that we will need this power even more in the future than in the past. That is quite a statement!
Elder Oaks then provides some excellent instruction in how to properly use priesthood power in this regard:
There are five parts to the use of priesthood authority to bless the sick: (1) the anointing, (2) the sealing of the anointing, (3) faith, (4) the words of the blessing, and (5) the will of the Lord.
Anointing- Elder Oaks mentions the use of oil as part of the blessing and for sanctification. He cites examples from the Old and New Testaments.
Sealing the Anointing- To seal something means to affirm it, to make it binding for its intended purpose. When elders anoint a sick person and seal the anointing, they open the windows of heaven for the Lord to pour forth the blessing He wills for the person afflicted. Elder Oaks then quotes Brigham Young on how the process works. I found this very instructive as one who gives blessings: "When I lay hands on the sick, I expect the healing power and influence of God to pass through me to the patient, and the disease to give way . . . When we are prepared, when we are holy vessels before the Lord, a stream of power form the Almighty can pass through the tabernacle of the administrator to the system of the patient, and the sick are made whole." Elder Oaks cautions us to rarely refer to healings in public settings lest it seem that we are "boasting of ourselves."
Faith- Faith is essential for healing by the powers of heaven. Elder Oaks quotes President Spencer W. Kimball about the role of faith in the blessing and healing process. I thought this was very instructive also: "The need of faith is often underestimated. The ill one and the family often seem to depend wholly on the power of the priesthood and the gift of healing that they hope the administering brethren may have, whereas the greater responsibility is with him who is blessed . . . The major element is the faith of the individual when that person is conscious and accountable. 'Thy faith made thee whole' [Matthew 9:22] was repeated so often by the Master that it almost became a chorus."
Words of Blessing- In some priesthood blessings - like a partriachal blessing - the words spoken are the essence of the blessing. But in a healing blessing it is the other parts of the blessing - the anointing, the sealing, faith, and the will of the Lord - that are the essential elements. Fortunately, the words spoken in a healing blessing are not essential to its healing effect. If faith is sufficient and if the Lord wills it, the afflicted person will be healed or blessed whether the officiator speaks those words or not. Consequently, brethren, no elder should ever hesitate to participate in a healing blessing because of fear that he will not know what to say. The words spoken in a healing blessing can edify and energize the faith of those who hear them, but the effect of the blessing is dependent upon faith and the Lord's will, not upon the words spoken by the elder who officiated. This is important information to share in a priesthood lesson.
Will of the Lord- This caught my attention: Young men and older men, please take special note of what I will say now. As we exercise the undoubted power of the priesthood of God and as we treasure His promise that He will hear and answer the prayer of faith, we must always remember that faith and the healing power of the priesthood cannot produce a result contrary to the will of Him whose priesthood it is. From all of this we learn that even the servants of the Lord, exercising His divine power in a circumstance where there is sufficient faith to be healed, cannot give a priesthood blessing that will cause a person to be healed if that healing is not the will of the Lord.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: Continue in Patience
This was a great talk. We studied it for our May, 2010 fourth Sunday lesson.
President Uchtdorf started off with the story of a famous experiment where 4-year olds had a marshmallow place in front of them and were told that if they did not eat it, in 15 minutes they would be given a second one and could have both of them. What was interesting to me about that is, a couple of weeks before the talk I saw a video of a recreation of that experiment. Then, today, as we were discussing the talk in priesthood meeting I had the thought that 4-year olds don't comprehend the concept of 15 minutes. That is an infinite amount of time for them. So what they were really being asked to do was to wait until they received further instructions. This applies to us as adults too. We may think that waiting 15 minutes to double our reward is no problem. But it takes faith and obedience to wait an infinite amount of time for our reward - meaning that we usually don't know when we will receive the reward for our obedience. So, we either wait, or we don't.
President Uchtdorf continues: Waiting can be hard. Children know it, and so do adults. We live in a world offering fast food, instant messaging, on-demand movies, and immediate answers to the most trivial or profound questions. We don't like to wait. Some even feel their blood pressure rise when their line at the grocery store moves slower than those around them. I thought this was an extremely accurate description of our world (at least in North America) today.
Patience-the ability to put our desires on hold for a time-is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.
Patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.
If children are ever going to mature and reach their potential, they must learn to wait. I think that patience then, is a sign of maturity - physical maturity, social maturity, economic maturity, and spiritual maturity. We can gauge how we are doing - maturing - by noticing how patient we are in these areas.
Patience [is] far more than simply waiting for something to happen - patience require[s] actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn't appear instantly or without effort.
Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can - working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well! This is great counsel - to show patience, especially in times of adversity.
Impatience, on the other hand, is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-to-prevalent condition called "center of the universe" syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role. I shared the comment in priesthood that, sometimes, when looking at the positive attributes of patience doesn't work for me, I might just consider these negative attributes. I don't want to be like that! And so I need to be more patient.
[In] the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants. In a few verses, the Lord provides a master course in priesthood leadership. "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned. " (D&C 121:41)
The character traits and practices described in these verses are the foundation of godly patience and are inseparably connected to effective priesthood and patriarchal service. These attributes will give you strength and wisdom in magnifying your callings, in preaching the gospel, in fellowshipping quorum members, and in giving the most important priesthood service-which is indeed the loving service within the walls of your own homes.
Let us always remember that one of the reasons God has entrusted the priesthood to us is to help prepare us for eternal blessings by refining our natures through the patience which priesthood service requires.
As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve. Understand that they, like us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.
That was a long section to quote, but there was just so much good information for individuals and for leaders, I wanted to include it.
President Uchtdorf said, "Looking back, I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain."
Brigham Young taught that when something came up which he could not comprehend fully, he would pray to the Lord. "Give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself." And then Brigham would continue to pray until he could comprehend it.
I love this next quote, and it means more to me now that I am older: Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can't see the Lord's hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity , understanding, and happiness. I think I could use the main idea behind this quote when students ask me why they "need to learn all this stuff."
Patience is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasure of knowledge and understanding, and transform ordinary men and women into saints and angels.
Next, is another long quote, but I like how he outlines the definitions of patience.
Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich.
Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to is father." Ultimately, patience means being "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. In the words of John the Revelator, "here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and . . . faith [in] Jesus.
Patience is a process of perfection.
Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than the receiving that we grow the most.
President Uchtdorf finished his talk with this:
The work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments; trust in God, our Heavenly Father; serve Him with meekness and Christlike love; exercise faith and hope in the Savior; and never give up. The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness. They will help us to become worth priesthood bearers and faithful disciples of our Master, Jesus Christ.
It is my prayer that patience will be a defining characteristic of we who hold the priesthood of Almighty God.
President Uchtdorf started off with the story of a famous experiment where 4-year olds had a marshmallow place in front of them and were told that if they did not eat it, in 15 minutes they would be given a second one and could have both of them. What was interesting to me about that is, a couple of weeks before the talk I saw a video of a recreation of that experiment. Then, today, as we were discussing the talk in priesthood meeting I had the thought that 4-year olds don't comprehend the concept of 15 minutes. That is an infinite amount of time for them. So what they were really being asked to do was to wait until they received further instructions. This applies to us as adults too. We may think that waiting 15 minutes to double our reward is no problem. But it takes faith and obedience to wait an infinite amount of time for our reward - meaning that we usually don't know when we will receive the reward for our obedience. So, we either wait, or we don't.
President Uchtdorf continues: Waiting can be hard. Children know it, and so do adults. We live in a world offering fast food, instant messaging, on-demand movies, and immediate answers to the most trivial or profound questions. We don't like to wait. Some even feel their blood pressure rise when their line at the grocery store moves slower than those around them. I thought this was an extremely accurate description of our world (at least in North America) today.
Patience-the ability to put our desires on hold for a time-is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.
Patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.
If children are ever going to mature and reach their potential, they must learn to wait. I think that patience then, is a sign of maturity - physical maturity, social maturity, economic maturity, and spiritual maturity. We can gauge how we are doing - maturing - by noticing how patient we are in these areas.
Patience [is] far more than simply waiting for something to happen - patience require[s] actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn't appear instantly or without effort.
Patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can - working, hoping, and exercising faith; bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it is enduring well! This is great counsel - to show patience, especially in times of adversity.
Impatience, on the other hand, is a symptom of selfishness. It is a trait of the self-absorbed. It arises from the all-to-prevalent condition called "center of the universe" syndrome, which leads people to believe that the world revolves around them and that all others are just supporting cast in the grand theater of mortality in which only they have the starring role. I shared the comment in priesthood that, sometimes, when looking at the positive attributes of patience doesn't work for me, I might just consider these negative attributes. I don't want to be like that! And so I need to be more patient.
[In] the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants. In a few verses, the Lord provides a master course in priesthood leadership. "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned. " (D&C 121:41)
The character traits and practices described in these verses are the foundation of godly patience and are inseparably connected to effective priesthood and patriarchal service. These attributes will give you strength and wisdom in magnifying your callings, in preaching the gospel, in fellowshipping quorum members, and in giving the most important priesthood service-which is indeed the loving service within the walls of your own homes.
Let us always remember that one of the reasons God has entrusted the priesthood to us is to help prepare us for eternal blessings by refining our natures through the patience which priesthood service requires.
As the Lord is patient with us, let us be patient with those we serve. Understand that they, like us, are imperfect. They, like us, make mistakes. They, like us, want others to give them the benefit of the doubt.
Never give up on anyone. And that includes not giving up on yourself.
That was a long section to quote, but there was just so much good information for individuals and for leaders, I wanted to include it.
President Uchtdorf said, "Looking back, I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain."
Brigham Young taught that when something came up which he could not comprehend fully, he would pray to the Lord. "Give me patience to wait until I can understand it for myself." And then Brigham would continue to pray until he could comprehend it.
I love this next quote, and it means more to me now that I am older: Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can't see the Lord's hand in our lives until long after trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity , understanding, and happiness. I think I could use the main idea behind this quote when students ask me why they "need to learn all this stuff."
Patience is a godly attribute that can heal souls, unlock treasure of knowledge and understanding, and transform ordinary men and women into saints and angels.
Next, is another long quote, but I like how he outlines the definitions of patience.
Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratification for future blessings. It means reining in anger and holding back the unkind word. It means resisting evil, even when it appears to be making others rich.
Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to is father." Ultimately, patience means being "firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. In the words of John the Revelator, "here is the patience of the saints; here are they that keep the commandments of God, and . . . faith [in] Jesus.
Patience is a process of perfection.
Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than the receiving that we grow the most.
President Uchtdorf finished his talk with this:
The work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments; trust in God, our Heavenly Father; serve Him with meekness and Christlike love; exercise faith and hope in the Savior; and never give up. The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness. They will help us to become worth priesthood bearers and faithful disciples of our Master, Jesus Christ.
It is my prayer that patience will be a defining characteristic of we who hold the priesthood of Almighty God.
President Henry B. Eyring: Be Ready
President Eyring started out with a story about being prepared to use the priesthood to bless (literally) others:
When the call came, I was ready. The preparation was far more than having consecrated oil close at hand. It must begin long before the crisis which requires priesthood power. Those who are prepared will be ready to answer.
The preparation begins in families, in Aaronic Priesthood quorums, and mostly in the private lives of young men. The quorums and the families must help, but the preparation that counts will be made by the young men making choices to rise to their great destiny as priesthood servants of God.
The destiny of the rising generation of priesthood holders is far more than to be ready to bring God's power down to heal the sick. The preparation is to be ready to go and do whatever the Lord wants done as the world is preparing for His coming. None of us know exactly what those errands will be. But we know what it will take to be ready, so each of us can prepare.
He then talked about "two of the things you will need and the preparation it takes to be ready."
The first is to have faith. So you must have faith that God lives and that you have won the confidence to allow you to use the power for His purposes.
He also added a caution: Not all of the youth choose to prepare. That choice must be their own. They are responsible for themselves. That is the Lord's way in His loving plan. But many young men have little or no support from those who could help as they prepare. Those of us who can help will be held accountable by the Lord.
The second thing they will need is confidence that they can live up to the blessings and the trust which God has offered them.
Young men need to listen to the Spirit, even when their peers and others around them are suggesting they choose sin: If young men choose sin, those messages from God will become more faint. We can help them even more by our example of a faithful and inspired servant.
President Eyring then talked about his bishop and how he watched out for President Eyring and the other young men in their ward:
The bishop had a system. Every adviser of every quorum was to contact every young man he had not spoken to that Sunday. They were not to go to bed until they had either talked to the boy who had been missing, to his parents, or to a close friend. The bishop promised them that he would not turn out his light until he had heard a report about every boy. I don't think he gave them an order. He simple made it clear that he did not expect their lights to go out until they had given that report.
He and those who served under him were doing far more than watching over us. They were showing us by example what it means to care for the Lord's sheep. I have no idea whether they thought any one of us was going to be anything special. But they treated us as if they did by being willing to pay any personal price to keep us from losing faith.
When the call came, I was ready. The preparation was far more than having consecrated oil close at hand. It must begin long before the crisis which requires priesthood power. Those who are prepared will be ready to answer.
The preparation begins in families, in Aaronic Priesthood quorums, and mostly in the private lives of young men. The quorums and the families must help, but the preparation that counts will be made by the young men making choices to rise to their great destiny as priesthood servants of God.
The destiny of the rising generation of priesthood holders is far more than to be ready to bring God's power down to heal the sick. The preparation is to be ready to go and do whatever the Lord wants done as the world is preparing for His coming. None of us know exactly what those errands will be. But we know what it will take to be ready, so each of us can prepare.
He then talked about "two of the things you will need and the preparation it takes to be ready."
The first is to have faith. So you must have faith that God lives and that you have won the confidence to allow you to use the power for His purposes.
He also added a caution: Not all of the youth choose to prepare. That choice must be their own. They are responsible for themselves. That is the Lord's way in His loving plan. But many young men have little or no support from those who could help as they prepare. Those of us who can help will be held accountable by the Lord.
The second thing they will need is confidence that they can live up to the blessings and the trust which God has offered them.
Young men need to listen to the Spirit, even when their peers and others around them are suggesting they choose sin: If young men choose sin, those messages from God will become more faint. We can help them even more by our example of a faithful and inspired servant.
President Eyring then talked about his bishop and how he watched out for President Eyring and the other young men in their ward:
The bishop had a system. Every adviser of every quorum was to contact every young man he had not spoken to that Sunday. They were not to go to bed until they had either talked to the boy who had been missing, to his parents, or to a close friend. The bishop promised them that he would not turn out his light until he had heard a report about every boy. I don't think he gave them an order. He simple made it clear that he did not expect their lights to go out until they had given that report.
He and those who served under him were doing far more than watching over us. They were showing us by example what it means to care for the Lord's sheep. I have no idea whether they thought any one of us was going to be anything special. But they treated us as if they did by being willing to pay any personal price to keep us from losing faith.
Relief Society President Julie B. Beck: Relief Society-A Sacred Work
Tonight I hope to enlarge our testimony and understanding of Relief Society as a faith-based work.
We know that the purpose of Relief Society as established by the Lord is to prepare women for the blessings of eternal life by helping them:
Relief society is a faith-based work and has a three-fold mission. Next, Sister Beck talked about the role of Relief Society in relation to the Priesthood. This was the first time I've had the relationship between the two explained.1. Increase their faith and personal righteousness.
2. Strengthen their families and homes.
3. Serve the Lord and His children.
Relief Society is unique because it was organized after the “pattern of the priesthood”3 and we operate on a general and local level under the direction of priesthood leaders. We work in partnership with priesthood leaders, who hold keys which give them authority to preside in the name of the Lord. We operate in the manner of the priesthood—which means that we seek, receive, and act on revelation; make decisions in councils; and concern ourselves with caring for individuals one by one. Ours is the priesthood purpose to prepare ourselves for the blessings of eternal life by making and keeping covenants. Therefore, like our brethren who hold the priesthood, ours is a work of salvation, service, and becoming a holy people.
She then quoted Elder Boyd K. Parker who gave some interesting insights as to how seriously the sisters should take Relief Society - As seriously as men take the priesthood. That tells me two things: Men need to take the priesthood seriously and women need to approach Relief Society with a new found (for most) respect.
“Attendance at the Sunday meeting is but a small part of your duty. Some of you have not understood this and have set aside much of what Relief Society has meant over the years—the sisterhood, the charitable and practical parts of it.”
“The Relief Society, the Prophet [Joseph] told us, is organized after the pattern of the priesthood. When a man holds the priesthood, . . . it requires full dedication and loyalty. . . .
“If you sisters follow after that pattern, . . . you will serve your organization, your cause—the Relief Society. . . .
“Service in the Relief Society magnifies and sanctifies each individual sister. Your membership in Relief Society should be ever with you.”
Under the heading "Working in the Lord's Way, Sister Beck discusses a key issue for women AND for men - time. She also models a great method for understanding what we are doing: understand the group's purpose; and, find the appropriate way to carry out individual responsibilities. And then says that we are respecting the Lord other sisters when you use Relief Society in the appropriate way. Then comes a great quote and some thoughts from President Uchtdorf about getting rid of "non-essential" things.
When our purpose is clear, it naturally follows that there is an appropriate way to carry out our responsibilities. One of the most precious commodities we all have is time. Most women have many responsibilities and never have sufficient time to do everything their hearts and minds want to do. We show respect for the Lord and the sisters when we use Relief Society time in an inspired way.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf taught: “A wise man once distinguished between ‘the noble art of getting things done’ and ‘a nobler art of leaving things undone.’ True ‘wisdom in life,’ he taught, consists of ‘the elimination of non-essentials.’ ” President Uchtdorf then asked: “What are the nonessential things that clutter your days and steal your time? What are the habits you may have developed that do not serve a useful purpose? What are the unfinished or unstarted things that could add vigor, meaning, and joy to your life?”5 We can apply his questions to all Relief Society meetings and work.
She talked about the different types of Relief Society meetings. This entire section should serve as a training manual for Relief Society Presidencies and Bishops. I started copying points down and found myself copying most of this long section! If you need to, review the actual talk and what it had to say about the role of the Sunday meeting and the weekday meetings.
Then Sister Beck talked about Visiting Teaching. She talks about how it is important and how it is set up. I like this quote about Visiting Teaching because it applies very nicely to Home Teaching:
Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task.
Great talk for both the sisters AND the brothers!
Then Sister Beck talked about Visiting Teaching. She talks about how it is important and how it is set up. I like this quote about Visiting Teaching because it applies very nicely to Home Teaching:
Visiting teaching becomes the Lord’s work when our focus is on people rather than percentages. In reality, visiting teaching is never finished. It is more a way of life than a task.
Great talk for both the sisters AND the brothers!
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