Relief Society Lesson on Sister Eubank's talk, By Union of Feeling, We Obtain Power with God

Quotes from her talk in blue :)

Joseph Smith said, “Supposing that Jesus Christ and [the] angels should object to us on frivolous things, what would become of us? We must be merciful and overlook small things.  It grieves me that there is no fuller fellowship—if one member suffer all feel it—by union of feeling we obtain pow’r with God.”

That small sentence struck me like lightning. By union of feeling we obtain power with God. This world isn’t what I want it to be. There are many things I want to influence and make better. And frankly, there is a lot of opposition to what I hope for, and sometimes I feel powerless. Lately, I have been asking myself searching questions: How can I understand people around me better? How will I create that “union of feeling” when all are so different? What power from God might I access if I am just a little bit more unified with others?

Joseph Smith lets us know the Savior and the angels love us and work with us despite the ridiculous things we do and suggests we follow that example. 

Unity brings power 1+1=5  

We can accomplish so much more when we work together. 

Sister Eubank addressing unity is a bold move at a time of civil unrest, political difficulties and polarizing opinions. 

My own Relief Society president recently said: “The thing I … promise … you is that I will keep your name safe. … I will see you for who you are at your best. … I will never say anything about you that is unkind, that is not going to lift you. I ask you to do the same for me because I am terrified, frankly, of letting you down.”Joseph Smith told the sisters on that June day in 1842, “When persons manifest the least kindness and love to me, O what pow’r it has over my mind“… The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more are we dispos’d to look with compassion on perishing souls—[we feel that we want] to take them upon our shoulders and cast their sins behind our back. [My talk is intended for] all this Society—if you would have God have mercy on you, have mercy on one another.”

Sometimes, this is done by small, day-to-day simple acts of love.

Let’s establish a habit of stopping and repenting quickly when we find ourselves speaking negatively about each other, being critical of neighbors, ward members and leadership.  This is so important because others, especially children, pick up on our attitude.

A common enemy is a great unifier. The adversary would have us contend with and have unkind feelings toward each other. He would have us make enemies of each other rather than realizing that he is our greatest enemy. C.S. Lewis’s description of hell is misery, contention, arguing, choosing to live as far away from each other as possible.

Video clip of rowers described in book, Boys in the Boat

Rowers must rein in their fierce independence and at the same time hold true to their individual capabilities. Races are not won by clones. Good crews are good blends—someone to lead the charge, someone to hold something in reserve, someone to fight the fight, someone to make peace. No rower is more valuable than another, all are assets to the boat, but if they are to row well together, each must adjust to the needs and capabilities of the others—the shorter-armed person reaching a little farther, the longer-armed person pulling in just a bit.  Differences can be turned to advantage instead of disadvantage. Only then will it feel as if the boat is moving on its own. Only then does pain entirely give way to exultation. Good “swing” feels like poetry.

Unity doesn’t magically happen; it takes work. It’s messy, sometimes uncomfortable, and happens gradually when we clear away the bad as fast as the good can grow.

This makes me think of learning to weed as a child. My parents made sure I pulled the weeds by the roots. It’s hard work, not just superficial weeding.

We clear out our own bad as fast as we can grow better things in our habits and thought processes. 

Each of us is going to have deeply wounding experiences, things that should never happen. Each of us will also, at various times, allow pride and loftiness to corrupt the fruit we bear. But Jesus Christ is our Savior in all things. His power reaches to the very bottom and is reliably there for us when we call on Him. We all beg for mercy for our sins and failures. He freely gives it. And He asks us if we can give that same mercy and understanding to each other.

Jesus put it bluntly: “Be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine.”

Ours is one of the few churches left that define wards and stakes by boundaries.  Like families, you may have the unreliable sister, the overly competitive brother etc.  We are “forced” to get along with all sorts of people, not just people similar to us or our own choosing. 

Unity: agreement, harmony, peace, solidarity, understanding; awareness, insight, perception, mercy, compassionate, forgiving, benevolent

Benevolent: big-hearted, helpful, generous

Magnanimous: generous in forgiving an insult or injury; free from petty resentfulness or vindictiveness

Elder Pinnock asked, “Are we one with our neighbors? Is the street where you live a little more peaceful because you dwell there?”  Phrase from song, “You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be.”  To the people we meet and greet and live nearby, do we as covenant members of the Lord’s restored church, bring heaven into their lives?

Elder Christopherson video clip

I believe the change we seek in ourselves and in the groups we belong to will come less by activism and more by actively trying every day to understand one another. Why? Because we are building Zion—a people “of one heart and one mind.”

As covenant women, we have broad influence. That influence is applied in everyday moments when we are studying with a friend, putting children to bed, talking to a seatmate on the bus, preparing a presentation with a colleague. We have power to remove prejudice and build unity.

Everything testifies of Christ. President Nelson reminded us this morning of our need to remember not only the palms from Palm Sunday but His palms, on which are spiritually graven our names. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. This is not just a phrase. He actually paid for our pain, heartache, vulnerabilities, being taken advantage of etc. What He is telling us is specific and a real price was paid. As part of our covenants we take His name upon us.  When we truly love God, then we love His children. The second great commandment is to love our neighbor. Just as he washed the feet of the apostles, our small everyday acts of love, preparing food, recording memories of a grandparent or reading with a child, etc. are the same as if serving the greatest life that ever lived.

Let God Prevail

• Anytime we do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.  

• His covenant with us depends on our individual willingness to repent and live the gospel.  President Nelson notes, "If you are married to a companion who has broken his or her covenants, your willingness to let God prevail in your life will allow your covenants with God to remain intact."  In like manner, the gathering of Israel takes place one by one.  We each play a central role in the gathering of Israel. 

• When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us.  His pattern is one of "using the unlikely to accomplish the impossible." -Accomplishing the Impossible by President Russell M. Nelson

• "But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days…I will put My law within them and on their heart, I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people…for I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more." (Jeremiah 31:31)

•  We live in a world that is largely dependent on agreements, pacts and treaties to keep some semblance of order. Some of these agreements last longer than others. Eventually the terms are compromised in some way. Yet, each of us has the opportunity to take part in a pact with our Creator that will last forever and live with the assurance of promises that will never be broken. -Promises, Promises: The Concept of Covenant and Why We Should Care by Amer Olson

• As God’s covenant people, Israel has been given a special charge and commission.  Covenant Israel has a responsibility to take the gospel to all the world and be a witness of God’s work and glory.

• God reestablished His covenant with Israel in mortality but the promises are honored beyond the grave.  “Nor is this covenant confined to mortal life. It extends beyond the grave and into the celestial kingdom. The children of Abraham, if they will keep the covenant as they receive it in the house of the Lord, shall, as Abraham their father, continue on through all eternity to increase, and there shall be no end to their posterity. In this way the blessings of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, are extended to them, and they become partakers to the fullest extent. For there is to be a continuation of the ‘seeds forever’ among those who receive exaltation in the kingdom of God. This is the promise, and there shall come through Abraham kings and priests and rulers, not only on this earth but in the heavens, and so shall it be worlds without end” -Joseph Fielding Smith

• How does this change what we do?  We see ourselves as part of the house of Israel, stewards of the covenant, with a commission to “Go save my people”.  We can ask ourselves, “Am I willing to make and keep covenants?”  We can follow our prophet’s plea to step up and help bring about the gathering.  We say through our actions, “I’m here, choose me”. 

 

December Relief Society Lesson

 Dear Sisters,

 

In Elder Godoy’s talk, I Believe in Angels, he described challenges he faced after joining the church as a teen.  “As I was trying to adjust to my new life, a new culture, and new friends, I felt out of place. I felt alone and discouraged many times. I knew the Church was true, but I had a hard time feeling part of it.”  He describes himself as uncomfortable and uncertain trying to fit into a new religion.  As a side note, many years later he gave a speech at BYU called Enter to Learn, Go Forth to Fight, that recounts the grit and determination that helped him keep covenants.  He refers to various earthly angels that helped him along the covenant path, including a Young Men’s President and Home Teaching companion, Marco Antônio Fusco. “Despite my lack of experience and different appearance, he gave me assignments to teach in our priest quorum meetings and home teaching visits. He gave me the chance to act and to learn and not just be an observer of the gospel. He trusted me, more than I trusted myself.”

 

We talked about behaviors and Christlike characteristics we see in the life of someone who is striving to be an instrument in God’s hands.  These include, 

 

·      Seeing the good in us.

·      Mentoring us in new skills or responsibilities.

·      Seeing us as a child of God rather than by worldly measures.

·      Meeting our needs without seeking credit.

·      A true friend will encourage us to keep God’s laws.

·      Exemplifying steadiness and strength.  Moroni (who would become an angel himself) is a great example of this.  Even though he knew it would possibly cost him his life, he said, "and I Moroni will not deny the Christ".

·      Giving us confidence and assurance in our time of need.  An attitude of, “If more challenges come, we’ll deal with them together.”

 

We watched a section of a Conference talk referenced, The Ministry of Angels.  It’s a powerful story of God’s love, covenants kept and angels.  It starts at 8:55 and ends at 13:55.

 

As we make efforts, even those that seem small and simple, to do God’s work, we receive a promise in the Savior’s own words, “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:88).  

 

Merry Christmas and much love!

Ruth

September Relief Society Lesson

 Elder Bednar’s talk, “Let This House Be Built unto My Name” describes the paramount importance of covenants kept and honored in this “the dispensation of the fullness of times”.  He expounds on the importance of temples and the work that is performed therein in the salvation of the human family.  He quotes the prophet Joseph Smith.  Please note it’s similarity to another quote in the talk by Elder Eyring that we covered last month (see paragraphs 7 and 8).  We know that the Lord reveals truth by the mouth of two or more witnesses, so we can safely assume that this theme is a message the Lord wants us to be aware of:

“The building up of Zion is a cause that has interested the people of God in every age; it is a theme upon which prophets, priests and kings have dwelt with peculiar delight; they have looked forward with joyful anticipation to the day in which we live; and fired with heavenly and joyful anticipations they have sung and written and prophesied of this our day; but they died without the sight; … it is left for us to see, participate in and help to roll forward the Latter-day glory.” 

 

“The heavenly Priesthood will unite with the earthly, to bring about those great purposes; … a work that God and angels have contemplated with delight for generations past; that fired the souls of the ancient patriarchs and prophets; a work that is destined to bring about the destruction of the powers of darkness, the renovation of the earth, the glory of God, and the salvation of the human family.” 

 

In preparing this message, I had a distinct memory come to mind that I hadn’t thought of in years.  Eleven or twelve years ago, I found myself on the side of the 805 freeway where it joins the 5 North in San Diego with a flat tire, cars speeding within what felt like inches of my driver’s side, a dangerously steep hillside directly on the other side of the car, a three-year-old in the backseat watching my every move and a not yet one-year-old contently unaware of our precarious circumstance.  I was trying to hide my tears from my little ones, whose safety I was so scared for.  I had an outdated cell phone with few local contacts, none of whom could be reached.  I had recently been teaching my three-year-old to pray and had the thought that I should have him say a prayer.  My immediate reply was, “No”.  It was painfully obvious that my silent prayers were not effective and I didn’t want to do anything to hurt his faith.  However, I had experienced God’s hand in my life before and admittedly with few options, I asked him to pray.  He said a short, to-the-point prayer asking for help.  As he finished, a tow truck pulled up behind us.  The driver kindly offered assistance and within a few minutes, my boys and I were driving in a huge truck, (every 3-year-old boy’s dream) to a safe parking lot, where the driver had everything that I could possibly need for roadside assistance and kindly put on my spare tire.  He worked for the city helping people during peak traffic hours.  He told me that if I needed anything in the future, I could call 211.  I thanked him profusely, reattached carseats, prayed with my boys again to acknowledge God’s help and made the short drive home.  

 

Sometimes, when trying to keep our part of covenants in our journey to our heavenly home, we find ourselves in dangerous situations with challenges we weren’t prepared for.  It is easy to incorrectly assume we know exactly what options are available to help us.  When, “other helpers fail and comfort flee” we can be misguided by the adversary into thinking the Lord actually doesn’t love us or even care about us despite our great need.  We assume we are seeing things clearly, when in reality, our All-Powerful God knows the end from the beginning, sees the big picture, knows us better than we know ourselves (imperfections, immaturity and all) and knows of resources we may be completely unaware of.  He invites us to not only turn to Him in faith but also help those in our stewardship turn to Him in faith.  

Our Father in Heaven takes His part of covenants seriously as evidenced by the recurring theme of the fulfillment of covenants in scripture (see 1 Nephi 15:18, 3 Nephi 21:4, 25, Abraham 2:11).  Whereas, He has our eternal best-interest in mind, in contrast, the adversary will entice us with momentary pleasures, popularity and an apparent easy way out of the demands of covenant keeping.  However, let’s not be fooled by his feigned forms of succor.  He rewardeth us “no good thing”.  Even if we don’t completely understand when and how, the Lord has strength and support beyond what we are able to see with our mortal eyes.  “The heavenly Priesthood will unite with the earthly, to bring about those great purposes”.  I don’t know the ins and outs of how this will happen but it may be like the tow truck appearing out of nowhere to offer the exact aid we need.  The making and keeping of covenants binds us to the one sure rock of our salvation, He who has overcome both sin and death.  So, in times of challenge and trial, let’s take courage, recommit to our covenants and “act well our part” in this, “the last dispensation of the fullness of times”.

 

August Relief Society Lesson

Dear Sisters, 

President Eyring’s powerful talk, Prayers of Faith, gives us key instruction and counsel regarding our role in this, “the prophesied last dispensation”.  He is clear, simple and bold:

·      As part of our preparation for His coming, He will lift each of us so we may rise to spiritual challenges and opportunities unlike any seen in the history of this world.

·      The work which has to be accomplished in the last days is one of vast importance, and will call into action the energy, skill, talent, and ability of the Saints.

·      We as a people will become more united amid increasing conflict. We will be gathered in the spiritual strength of groups and families filled with gospel light.

·      Even an unbelieving world will recognize The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and realize the power of God upon it. 

·      Faithful and brave disciples will fearlessly, humbly, and openly take upon them the name of Christ in their everyday lives.

·      The enemy of the Restoration will try to stop us from praying.  

·      Joseph Smith used prayers of faith to obtain continuous revelation. As we face today’s challenges and those yet to come, we too will need to practice the same pattern.

·      A feeling of light will stay with us even as the world around us becomes darker.

Here are two poignant short videos that express how we, like faithful women who have come before us can call upon the power of God in our lives and lives of those we love:

A Mother's Hope

Joy D. Jones Unexpected Hardships

 As we face challenges that may seem insurmountable, we can pray with faith then act with courage.  The Lord has a work for us to do and we can have confidence that He will bless us with power and abilities beyond our own.   

Much love!

Ruth Grey

July Relief Society Lesson

Dear Sisters,

President Ballard’s talk, Shall We Not Go On in So Great a Cause? beautifully tells of devotion and sacrifices of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in restoring the Savior’s church to the earth.  At the close of the talk he asks us to “… as a church and a people, and as Latter-day Saints, offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.”  President Ballard promises us that the Savior is pleased when we present Him an offering from our hearts 

D&C 59:8 gives us additional insight into what kind of an offering the Spirit will inspire us to give. Thou shalt offer a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God in righteousness even that of a broken heart and a contrite Spirit. 

Elder Douglas Holmes said, “We offer a broken heart to receive a new heart. Turning to Christ and following Him more diligently—or obedience—is the essence of repentance… often repentance deals with the small and simple things in our lives that need to change.”

Throughout the scriptures, righteousness is spoken of as both a protection (2 Nephi 1:23) and a weapon (1 Nephi 14:14) against the adversary.  Individual, seemingly simple acts of daily discipleship require the same courage required in battle.  However, we can be comforted in knowing that as we strive to repent and live righteously, the Lord will be on our side and go before us, D&C 27:16, Eph. 6:14.  What a blessing that the “Son of Righteousness” 2 Nephi 26:9 knows us individually as well as the heartaches and challenges unique to each of us.  He loves us perfectly and recognizes our unseen efforts to follow Him.

My invitation to you is to follow President Ballard’s invitation and ask the Lord today what it is He would have you offer Him.  It may be something very simple.  Notice the thoughts that come to your mind and feelings in your heart.  Let’s write them down then act in faith.  I love you, pray for you and miss our regular opportunities to be together. 

Much love!

Ruth Grey