"Lord, is it I?" - October 26, 2014

Carolyn P. provided an overview of President Uchtdorf's talk "Lord, is it I" from the October 2014 Priesthood session of General Conference and opened up a conversation from what sisters felt.

Imagine the last supper around a round table. Imagine the feeling at the table when Christ said "one of you will betray me."
President Uchtdorf offers the parable of the dandelions, similar to the mote/beam parable in the New Testament, where a man notes a single dandelion in another's pristine yard but doesn't work on the many dandelions in his own.

Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? …

Another example of missed perception is a man who thought lemon juice made him invisible to a camera and robbed two banks. Professors studied how people perceived themselves. People overestimated their accomplishment and underestimated others accomplishments.

Once-worthy [members] start to tell themselves that the Church is a good thing for [others] but not for them. Or some are convinced that their busy schedules or unique circumstances make them exempt from the daily acts of devotion and service that would keep them close to the Spirit.
“Lord, Is It I?”

Sometimes during General Conference we may think "I hope someone is listening to this." We need to hope we are all improving.

... none of us likes to admit when we are drifting off the right course. Often we try to avoid looking deeply into our souls and confronting our weaknesses, limitations, and fears. Consequently, when we do examine our lives, we look through the filter of biases, excuses, and stories we tell ourselves in order to justify unworthy thoughts and actions.
But being able to see ourselves clearly is essential to our spiritual growth and well-being. If our weaknesses and shortcomings remain obscured in the shadows, then the redeeming power of the Savior cannot heal them and make them strengths. Ironically, our blindness toward our human weaknesses will also make us blind to the divine potential that our Father yearns to nurture within each of us. ...
May I suggest that the holy scriptures and the talks given at general conference are an effective mirror we can hold up for self-examination. ...
As you hear or read the words of the ancient and modern prophets, refrain from thinking about how the words apply to someone else and ask the simple question:  “Lord, is it I?” ...
Over the course of my life, I have had the opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the most competent and intelligent men and women this world has to offer. When I was younger, I was impressed by those who were educated, accomplished, successful, and applauded by the world. But over the years, I have come to the realization that I am far more impressed by those wonderful and blessed souls who are truly good and without guile.
“Lord, Is It I?”

We need to set aside pride. He will lead us by the hand and we will be made strong and blessed.

We need to consider what is the expectation, our effort, it's a partnership with The Lord.
Humility is not putting our self down or thinking less of our contributions.
Where am I in relation to the gospel and where am I going?
Do we hide from The Lord?
Cassy B. suggested two books in addition to the scriptures that helped focus her improvement Anatomy of Peace and The Screwtape Letters.

Fall retreat 2014 - Arise!

We gathered for our annual retreat to recharge and relax with the theme: Arise!

Before dinner, drinks were available (including a yummy wassail) and you could tie blankets for donation to the VA hospital.

 

After a dinner of soups, salads and breads, we had a musical number and our keynote speaker.  She spoke on disruptive innovation and how we can improve ourselves through change and how we approach it.

 There were five classes to choose from for two rotations from yoga, knitting, indexing, writing your life story and getting organized.  The knitting was for donation to the Foster Care to Success - Red Scarf Project.

 The night closed with desserts and a presentation to Susan of one of our quilts to wrap her with love as her stay here draws to a close.

Individual Responsibility - October 19, 2014

Natalie M. taught from Chapter 23: Individual Responsibility in the Joseph Fielding Smith manual with direction from the scriptures and Daughters in My Kingdom.

from “A Wide and Extensive Sphere of Action” in Daughters in My Kingdom

After break out groups discussed certain scriptures each reported some of the following findings:
We can only give ourself, recognizing it's personal and gradual.
Be cheerful and patient, Heavenly Father is there to get us through our burdens, turn to Him to get strength. He knows our problems and visits us in our afflictions.
See needs and do. Have faith, remain humble. Before we help others, we need to be able to take care of ourselves. Service by not having to constantly rely on others.
We can be more open to be angels to lift others.  Asking for and receiving help is part of being self-reliant, recognizing when you need help.
Do things in the Lord's way and time, don't be prideful.

• What can we do to teach children self reliance?

Start teaching skills at a young age, let them gain ownership. Give them space to be, to rely on The Lord.
Watch your attitude when serving or being self-reliant, don't be stressed out, see a need and get it done.
Be good example. "Cook your own turkey, put up your own tent"

The temple in our lives - October 12, 2014

Sue A. focused thoughts around the temple with insights from General Conference and Daughters in My Kingdom.

“Miss [Margaret] Cook … one day in conversation with me on the subject of a recent appeal for provisions, clothing, bedding and general supplies for the workmen and their families, remarked that she would be pleased to contribute needlework if it could be made available. I proffered material for her to make up, and suggested that others might feel as we did. We then [discussed] the subject of organizing a sewing society. The object of which should be to aid in the erection of the temple.

“About a dozen of the neighboring sisters by invitation met in my [home] the following Thursday.”

In that era, it was a popular practice for women to form their own organizations, often with constitutions and bylaws--sets of rules to govern the organizations. The women who met at Sarah Kimball’s home decided to establish a constitution and bylaws, and Eliza R. Snow accepted the responsibility to write them. Then the women asked Joseph Smith to review them and give his opinion of them. After the Prophet read them, he said they were “the best he had ever seen. ‘But,’ he said, ‘this is not what you want. Tell the sisters their offering is accepted of the Lord, and he has something better for them than a written constitution. I invite them all to meet with me and a few of the brethren … next Thursday afternoon, and I will organize the women under the priesthood after the pattern of the priesthood.’”
“Something Better”: The Female Relief Society of Nauvoo. Daughters in My Kingdom

Elder Russell M. Nelson taught, “As temples are prepared for the people, the people need to prepare themselves for the temple.”²

• How do you physically prepare to get to the temple?

Make a date with someone else, lunch, go for 2+ sessions, join with 9a-6p Thursday ladies, trade childcare, go with someone in a similar life phase, work around school schedules, early Saturday morning session gets you can be back by 10am, put it on the calendar early, just go, enjoy the drive, take babysitter with you, offer a ride/meet at church with someone else.

The temple is less busy earlier in the day, earlier in the week and earlier in the month.

• How do you prepare yourself spiritually?

Listening to lds.org recordings during daily activities; as Moses talked to God we can prepare to ask Him questions, what you bring to the altar.

'In Matthew 25 we read:

“Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.

“And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. …

“[They that were] wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

“While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.

“Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.

“And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.

“But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.

“Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

“But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, Ye know me not.”⁵

I don’t think there is anyone, especially among those with tender hearts, who doesn’t feel sad for the foolish young women. And some of us just want to say to the others, “Can’t you just share so everyone can be happy?” But think about it. This is a story the Savior told, and He is the one who calls five of them “wise” and five of them “foolish.”

As we consider this parable as a pattern for temple preparation, consider the words of a latter-day prophet who taught that “the oil of spiritual preparedness cannot be shared.”⁶ President Spencer W. Kimball helped clarify why the five “wise” young women could not share the oil in their lamps with those who were “foolish” when he said: “Attendance at sacrament meetings adds oil to our lamps, drop by drop over the years. Fasting, family prayer, home teaching, control of bodily appetites, preaching the gospel, studying the scriptures—each act of dedication and obedience is a drop added to our store. Deeds of kindness, payment of offerings and tithes, chaste thoughts and actions … —these, too, contribute importantly to the oil with which we can at midnight refuel our exhausted lamps.”⁷

Can you see the pattern of preparedness—drop by drop—that can help us as we think how we might be more diligent in our preparation to receive sacred ordinances for ourselves and others? What other small and simple things might we do to add precious spiritual drops of oil to our lamps of preparation?'
Linda K. Burton, Prepared in a Manner That Had Never Been Known, General Women's Meeting

Jane Clayson Johnson in an interview on the Mormon Channel, described a moment of choice when she chose to be modest and said we can lift others by our own example.
We can be an example.