RS Lesson Recap, February 24

Today we celebrated discipleship within the Relief Society. The path for discipleship is very individualized. The purpose of Relief Society is: 1) increase faith and personal righteousness 2) strengthen home and family 3) provide relief. Some view these as parts of a pie, with equal weight. Others think of these as a machine that is powered by faith, which in turn powers the others purposes. Finally, some may think of the hierarchy of these, with the basis being faith, next family and then to provide relief.

In contemplating a theme for this year, Catherine has felt that there should be no theme, because  faith and personal righteousness is a theme in an of itself.

Sue discussed how her faith has made her who she is. She discussed how in her early married years there was no temple near her. When she moved to California, there was a temple close by, but it wasn't part of her habit. In a conference she heard a quote that Zion will be made of those families that already Zion families. She further read an article on welfare, where he linked the law of consecration contained in the temple covenants to service. First, we must take care of the needs, not wants, of our families but then how we can serve others. The motto of the relief society is charity never faileth, which she strives to make the motto of her life.

Heather spoke on how her faith has enabled her to receive help. She doesn't naturally share her burdens with others. A few years ago her mother was diagnosed with advanced cancer, with a poor prognosis. Heather was in her first trimester with their third child. How can you know what it feels like to be succored if you have never suffered. During this time she saw a picture of Christ and was moved to run toward him...she knew she needed support. She confided in a friend who served her daily. She learned that not only do we love those who we serve, but also that we love those that serve us.

Catherine the expressed her belief in the magnificence of the women in the ward and God's intimate interest in our well being. She described an expertise where a ball of twine is randomly passed through the room and everyone is thus entangled.

Fourteen years ago she decided to run a marathon. She found that people that run marathons are all shapes and sizes. Likewise, we all are different. None of us have the same path. We have 164 sisters. Of those 25 percent come, although some serve elsewhere. Married - 66 percent, ingle 34, widowed 9 divorced 8, ever divorced 14, has children 63. We are united by the spirit of Christ and our desire to do something extraordinary. At the end of her marathon, she was exhausted and didn't think she could finish. She hadn't prepared - it was self inflicted. We have life experiences that are like that. In this marathon she found a man who was heavy and was moving, she felt like she could follow him to finish. She owed her success in finishing to this person she would never have guessed could help her.

As we exercise our faith, it can move us to make the right choice in the moment, the point is not the lifetime milestones of mission, marriage, etc. it is the choice in the moment. Are we praying and reading and trying to make the right choice? When we do that then we can come to know God and Christ. Through the Spirit we see truth, including how we view ourselves and others. Once we have the lens of the Spirit we can see ourselves as God and Christ see us. He knows us and desired that we become His. Catherine expressed her desire that we will choose the way of truth.

RS Lesson Summary, Feb 17

A big thanks to Lisa for providing her lesson notes!

Elder Snow had a drowning experience while on a mission to the Hawaiian Islands in 1864. Through the ministration of his companions and heeding the promptings of the Spirit, Elder Snow’s life was preserved.

“Finally we were impressed to place our mouth over his and make an effort to inflate his lungs, alternately blowing in and drawing out the air, imitating, as far as possible, the natural process of breathing. This we persevered in until we succeeded in inflating his lungs. After a little, we perceived very faint indications of returning life…”

Looking back on this experience, Elder William Cluff knew why he and Elder Alma L. Smith were able to save Elder Snow’s life. “We did not only what was customary in such cases,” he said, “but also what the Spirit seemed to whisper to us (p. 73)

☼ Have there been times in your life when you were blessed by someone else responding to the promptings of the Spirit?
Have there been times the Sprit has directed to help another?

We have not received this knowledge through flesh and blood, we have not received this testimony from man, we have not received it through the reading of the Bible … or Book of Mormon, but we have received it through the operations of the Holy Ghost, that teaches of the things of God, things past, present and to come, and that takes of the things of God, making them clearly manifest unto us. You cannot take this knowledge from us by imprisonment or any kind of persecution. We will stand by it unto death (p.75)

We should try to learn the nature of this Spirit, that we may understand its suggestions, and then we will always be able to do right. This is the grand privilege of every Latter-day Saint. We know that it is our right to have the manifestations of the Spirit every day of our lives (p. 76)

“The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a ‘still small voice.’ And while we speak of ‘listening’ to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, ‘I had a feeling…Revelation comes as words we feel more than hear. Nephi told his wayward brothers, who were visited by an angel, ‘Ye were past feeling, that ye could not feel his words’” (President Boyd K. Packer, Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60).

From the time we receive the Gospel, go down into the waters of baptism and have hands laid upon us afterwards for the gift of the Holy Ghost, we have a friend, if we do not drive it from us by doing wrong. That friend is the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost, which partakes of the things of God and shows them unto us. This is a grand means that the Lord has provided for us, that we may know the light, and not be groveling continually in the dark (p.76)

We should endeavor, as far as possible, to forget all worldly matters which grieve and vex us, and fix our minds upon the Lord, having a sufficiency of His Holy Spirit that we may be enabled to receive such knowledge and suggestions as will help us in our onward path (p. 80).

From Boyd K. Packer’s 2011 Conference address, Guided by the Holy Spirit, sometimes we may be directed to “leave it alone” when something isn’t good for us.

We are liable to do that which will lead us into trouble and darkness, and those things which will not tend to our good, but with the assistance of that comforter which the Lord has promised his Saints, if we are careful to listen to its whisperings, and understand the nature of its language, we may avoid much trouble and serious difficulty (p. 77).

Lesson Recap: February 10, 2103

Today Sara shared her thoughts today on lifelong conversion and how we need to continue to advance on principles of truth.

She began by posting pictures of two metaphors President Snow used in his teachings; a sailing ship and pickles. 

"We should be men and women of faith and power as well as good works" - President Snow

President Snow joined the church in the early days of the church, following the conversion of his two sisters. He stated that he joined because it felt reasonable and made sense. After his baptism, as he began to study, he realized that he had not had a spiritual conversion that the course he had chosen was right. He often prayed in a particular quiet place, and one day he felt too discouraged to pray. He did so and he received an undeniable, unmistakable revelation of the reality of the gospel. 

"No language can describe the instantaneous transition from a dense cloud of mental and spiritual darkness into a refulgence of light and knowledge, as it was at that time imparted to my understanding. I then received a perfect knowledge that God lives, that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and of the restoration of the Holy Priesthood, and the fulness of the gospel... As long as memory continues and reason shall assert its throne, I never can permit the powerful testimony and knowledge that was communicated to me to remain silent.” - President Snow

We all need to gain a testimony individually but it is just a starting point as followers of Christ. 

What is it that we really need to know for ourselves for our knowledge of the gospel? Sisters shared their ideas including: Belief in God and Jesus Christ, Christ as our Redeemer, continual revelation, that the gospel is true otherwise we are wasting our time, plan of salvation, Book of Mormon and the restoration.

We can bear testimony in many ways: public, small groups, in a letter. Have you born testimony in a way that it can be preserved? This is just a starting point, we need to "grow to be better," "exert ourselves" and "dig deep". 

One scripture phrase that stands out is having a perfect brightness of hope. What is it that we hope for as followers of Christ? Hope that we will eventually understand all truth, that all people will know, that there will be peace and harmony, that our greatest potential will be realized, internal peace, all sorrows will be gone, see ourselves as God see us, Eternal life and eternal families, 

Quentin Cook in his October talk discussed our many individuals that have had a testimony begin to lose hope and faith, and can no longer feel that spiritual witness. What are the things that shake our faith? Life challenges especially when they result following revelation and righteous living, when we expect blessings that we don't receive (even if we create the expectations on our own), fear and doubt, when things go wrong for children. 

To return to the metaphors referenced at the beginning. The ship of Zion, "stay on it," even if we don't like some of the people on the ship or other ships look better. We together are creating a new society. Making a pickle takes time. We have to be immersed to transform. We can learn continually and grow better, exert ourselves in service and learning and dig deeper.