Good afternoon sisters. What a wonderful day it has been.
THOUGHT: “The singing of hymns is one of the best ways to learn the doctrine of the restored gospel” and “is a glorious way to worship.”
Dallin H. Oak
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- Stake Woman's Basketball: January 17 and run through Feb. 28th. Games will be played at the Manila Building (on 900 W directly North of the pond and across from the blue silos) on Tuesday evenings from :30-10 pm. “Open Gym” style games will be played. All skill levels are invited to play, including beginners.
- Relief Society “Circled in Warmth” Humanitarian Activity: Wednesday Jan. 18th at 7 pm. All women, young women and activity day girls are invited to participate. Refreshments will be provided.
- Reminder that our Church cleaning day is now on Saturday mornings at 8:00 am.
- Stake Relief Society W omen's Conference will be on Saturday, February 25th at 10:00 am. Put on your calendar.
BIRTHDAYS: Jan. 10th, Shanae Nay; Jan. 14th Lisa Miller; Jan 20th Staci Caroll. Happy Birthday to you.
Our lesson today was presented by Amy Waldron, lesson 2 “Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself”
We will do quotes from George Albert Smith. As we review these quotes, think in your mind which ones are specific for you to work on. Please don't beat up on yourself and feel that you are bad for not feeling that you are not doing all that you think you should. For example let's consider number one.
Quote one: “I would like to say I have never seen one of my Father's children in my life that I have not realized he was my brother and that God loves every one of his children.”
Luone: I would like to say it.
As you know, my husband Paul also teaches this same lesson, so for the High Priest I printed one that says, 'good, fair, poor' and for us it is 'needs improvement and yeah for me, because oh, my gosh, don't want anyone to feel so over whelmed, so awful. Don't want any one of you to feel, just not doing that. Today is not one of those days.
Lynette: I feel it is a test. It is so much easy to love just those majority of people that don't really create problems for us. But those who don't treat us well, it is hard.
Yes, but what we are saying here first is that we need to learn to love ourselves, because it we do not love ourselves, how can we love others.
Melissa B: I think we tend to have a hard time saying that we shouldn't focus on ourselves.
Robby: There is a difference between loving yourself and being a lover. In Australia wwe say 'a lover', one who is in love with yourself as opposite to loving yourself, taking care of yourself, being aware of my short comings, but not in love with self. It is difficult to be merciful and patient.
As the teacher it is my job to share with you what President Smith had to say. When we were studying the Principles of the Gospel, I opened the book to the Table of Contents and read the titles of each lesson to get an overview of how the year would go and it seemed that each lesson built upon the one previous to it. It made sense how the book was set up and I saw a pattern.
However, with this book, I couldn't see a pattern. However, the pattern is here. I read through the life and legacy of George Albert Smith. The specific gifts, themes, in his life. What did I see? (What would be the pattern for our life, if someone was writing about us?) The thing that was of most importance to him was lesson one “Living What We Believe”. The rest of the lessons is the means by which he did just that.
For some people, it comes so clearly as spiritual gift, not even as a second nature, but as their nature. For the rest of us, we copy those. George Albert Smith was one of those people who had those special spiritual gift. It is important for me to tell you this. It is extremely important to hear what he has to say.
Pat H: We have a prophet today that exemplifies this. President Monson has a lot of what President Smith said. President Monson is who he is. How does he find time for it?
I think they have time for it, because it's what they do. They may say, these are people that I love. Of course I will be kind to them. This is the real test. When someone is angry at you, unjustly. How will you react.
In 1919, in Europe it was the end of World War I. People were starving in the streets, there was death among the orphans and widows. George Albert Smith was called to represent the church in Europe,, so he saw all the devastation.
He was the prophet at the end of World War II and he sent Ezra Taft Benson to head up the program to help the people. President Smith knew exactly what they needed and how to provide for it because he has experience that. In fact, President Uchtdorf related in his address during the Priesthood Session of how he benefited from that assistance. “Sixty-five years ago, shortly after World War II, I experienced firsthand the blessings of the welfare program of the Church. Even though I was a young child, I still remember the sweet taste of canned peaches with cooked wheat and the special smell of the donated clothing sent to the post-war German Saints by caring Church members from the United States. I will never forget and I will always cherish these acts of love and kindness to those of us who were in great need.”
It affected the next generation of leaders. What other group of people wanted to help the Germans?
Lynette: Elder Maxwell told a story about 2 missionaries, a couple missionaries who were being checked by someone who asked them why they were there. You live in this cold place, with no warm water. Go home where you can be with your families. The couple answered, “we are here because you are my brother. A week later this man had them moved to his warm apartment white he went to live with his sister. His heart was softened.
They were bearing testimony just by saying that 'you are my brother'. They spoke to his heart.
I had a conversation with Gayla M. during the week, and she said that she felt so bad because she was not able to do much service, due to the ages of her children. Any one in the same situation would probably say that. But she is serving the little people in her home. I remember Amy s. saying that her friend said that we are clothing the naked, feeding the hungry when we do that with our own children. To see it as really serving.
Megan: I read that President Smith suffered from mental illness and had several health issues. Even the prophet had struggles to love himself. “...from 1909 to 1912 he fought an illness so severed that it kept him bedridden and prevented him from fulfilling his duties in the Quorum of the Twelve. It was a very trying time for Elder Smith, who wanted desperately to resume his service. The death of his father in 1911 and a serious bout of influenza afflicting his wife made Elder Smith's recovery even more difficult.”
He was so grateful when he was able to move again. I visited with my mother who is not able to walk anymore and I felt so grateful to being able to exercise. As we go over the quotes, think of where you are on the scale.
Janet S read Quote two. “As members of the Church of Christ, we should keep his commandments and love one another. Then our love should pass beyond the border lines of the church with which we are identified, and reach out after the children of men.”
On our own consider how you do with this one. Again to some people it is second nature.
Luone: How can we be the salt of the earth if we are all sitting as one lump?
Martha M: I have been blessed with translating in the MTC for the new missionaries. We had 400 new missionaries from all over the world and the high concentration of them were from Utah. You are raising missionaries.
There is always room for improvement.
Being raised outside of Utah, I would find myself having to explain myself to people. No, my father doesn't have several wives, etc. There are great challenges when you don't live in Utah. My father was not a member and in 1999 when he moved here to be near the grandchildren, his family was not happy.
And even he, who never had problems making friends had a difficult time. He would say that it was so much harder to make friends in Utah than anywhere else. Consider, do you know of someone who is not LDS? Make this place friendlier for someone else. We tend to have all our social and cultural protection here. We have a responsibility to reach out.
Alisa: I was goggling 'play groups in American Fork and I saw one specifically for non-mormons. It said, if you do not fit into the Mormon culture, contact us. I want to go to see how they feel and why.
Sharon H: I have a neighbor who doesn't like Mormons and it's hard to be nice to him. He doesn't understand that my three little ones will put leaves on his driveway and other things. I have to put effort to be nice.
Think of someone who is harsh with his neighbor. Are they happy? Love is very powerful stuff, more powerful than anything else. If we can bring love into our hearts, then our actions and the things we say will reflect that love.
Sally J: I had a little experience this week. I was driving in Orem and I saw this beggar who had a sign that said 'will work for food.' I didn't have anything to give, but at that moment I had so much love for him. So in my mind, I prayed for him and as I drove by I smiled at him and he smiled and waved at me. I thought that he felt the love of Heavenly Father. We're all the same, and we are all trying to live better and closer to him. The gospel is about trying to feel closer.
I recognize that when I have to deal with my children, I can figure out a way to show love to them at that very moment. They need love right now, not correction, punishment. Need to figure how to show that love and have them feel that love. I now have that thought in my mind.
Let's look at number Six. “Do not forget no matter how much you may give in money, no matter how you may desire the things of this world to make yourselves happy, your happiness will be in proportion to your charity and to your kindness and to your love of those with whom you associate here on earth.”
The challenge to me and to you is to come up with ways to make ourselves more happy so that we can better love those around us.
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