Day 46: The Relief Society

Tonight, I visited a Relief Society sister who just lost her daughter.  The Relief Society president, Sheryl, and I were able to provide support and friendship to a woman in need.  The visit really made me thankful for the Relief Society.  Founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, the organization with the motto "Charity Never Faileth," includes more than 5.2 million women in over 170 countries. All Latter Day Saint women age 18 and older, as well as women younger than 18 who are married or are single mothers, are welcomed into the sisterhood of Relief Society.  Relief Society assists priesthood leaders in carrying out the mission of the Church by helping sisters and families come unto Christ. The Relief Society helps sisters and their families receive all essential priesthood ordinances, keep the associated covenants, and qualify for exaltation and eternal life.

The Relief Society Declaration states: We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity who:

• Increase our testimonies of Jesus Christ through prayer and scripture study.
• Seek spiritual strength by following the promptings of the Holy Ghost.
• Dedicate ourselves to strengthening marriages, families, and homes.
• Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood.
• Delight in service and good works.
• Love life and learning.
• Stand for truth and righteousness.
• Sustain the priesthood as the authority of God on earth.
• Rejoice in the blessings of the temple, understand our divine destiny, and strive for exaltation.

The following objectives of Relief Society show the vastness of its purpose and the breadth of its mission, setting it apart from all other associations:

• Build faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and teach the doctrines of the kingdom.
• Emphasize the divine worth of each sister.
• Exercise charity and nurture those in need.
• Strengthen and protect families.
• Serve and support each sister.
• Help sisters become full participants in the blessings of the priesthood.

I am proud to be a member of such a great sisterhood of women and am thankful for the influence and guidance it gives to my life.

Day 36: My Testimony

Today, I taught Lesson 3: Our Testimony of Jesus Christ from The Teachings of George Albert Smith to the Relief Society women.  The lesson had a ton of great information...I didn't have near enough time to talk about everything I wanted to because we were having some great conversations.  My favorite portion of the lesson was the following story:

In his travels as a General Authority, George Albert Smith occasionally met those who thought Latter-day Saints do not believe in Jesus Christ. This misconception amazed and worried President Smith, and he tried to correct it by sharing his personal witness of the Savior.

On one occasion, in Cardston, Canada, he spoke at a Church meeting, about the life and mission of Christ. The next morning he went to the railway station to buy a train ticket.

While he waited in line, he overheard a conversation between a woman and the ticket agent. The woman mentioned the evening before she had decided to attend a Latter-day Saint worship service.

The ticket agent looked surprised. “My goodness,” she said. “You do not mean to say you went to church there."

“Yes, I did,” the woman answered. “Why not?”

The ticket agent said, “They do not even believe in Jesus Christ.”

The woman replied, “Only last night I listened to one of the elders of the Church speaking of the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and I have never heard anybody who seemed more profoundly impressed with a knowledge that Jesus was indeed the Christ, than the speaker on that occasion.”

As I prepared for the lesson, I thought a lot about my own testimony. I was pretty nervous about the lesson because I think I have a very young testimony. I've gone through periods of inactivity, but I really never stopped beleiving, unfortunately I did makee some bad choices.  I have a testimony of my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, the living son of God.  I know Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon through the power of the Lord and he was the first prophet in this dispensation.  I beleive in and have felt the power of tithing in my own life.  I know Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet today.  The church leadership does receive revelation for the church and leads it to the best of thier ability.  I beleive families can be sealed together forever in the temple (and I am so thankful to work there each week).  I know I am happier and more content in my life when I follow the commandments and continually think about the eternal perspective.

Day 8: Teaching Relief Society

In late October 2011, I was asked to be the 1st counselor in my ward's (San Diego 12th) Relief Society.  I was very apprehensive since I just moved into the ward in August, but I've always been taught to accept whatever callings are offered.  Since my call, I've had the blessing to teach 2 lessons to the Relief Society sisters, so today I am thankful for teaching Relief Society.

I've always had a fear of talking in front of large groups.  I always cry and make myself sick from all the worrying.  My last calling was teaching 6 young women (ages 12-18), which was a mixed blessing.  I learned a lot about the gospel from the lessons I prepared, but getting young women to talk is sometimes like pulling teeth.  Teaching Relief Society is very different because there are women 18-90 years old with lifetimes of different experiences and most of them aren't afraid to share :)

Today's lesson was "Living What We Believe" from the George Albert Smith manual.  When George Albert Smith was 34 years old, he made a list of resolutions called his “personal creed”—11 ideals he committed to live by:

1.   Be a friend to the friendless; find joy in ministering to the needs of the poor

2.   Visit the sick and afflicted; inspire a desire for faith to be healed

3.   Teach the truth to the understanding and blessing of all mankind

4.   Seek out the erring one and try to win him back to a righteous and a happy life

5.   Not seek to force people to live up to my ideals, but rather love them into doing the right thing

6.  Live with the masses; help solve their problems, so life may be happy

7.   Avoid the publicity of high positions and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends

8.  Not knowingly wound the feelings of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do good and make him my friend

9.  Overcome selfishness and jealousy; rejoice in the successes of all the children of my Heavenly Father

10. Not be an enemy to any living soul

11.  Know the Redeemer of mankind has offered to the world the only plan that will fully develop us and make us really happy here and hereafter, I feel it not only a duty but also a blessed privilege to disseminate this truth

If I could live the above ideals, my life would be pretty happy, but I know I am there yet.  Preparing for the lesson really made me think about how I am living the gospel in my daily life.  Some gospel principles come really easy to me...tithing, family, prayer, temples, etc. While other items are personal trials and I need to gain a stronger testimony, so they aren't as diffcult for me.  I do want to be known as different from my neighbor for all the good things I am accomplishing.  Being middle of the road isn't good enough.  In the coming weeks, I am going to think about my own life ideals and what it will take to live them.