Our Perfect Example

Sorry I'm a day late, sisters. My Internet wouldn't work yesterday! But, better late than never!

It sometimes seems that Christ's injunction to "be perfect" (3 Ne 12:48) is a little to much to ask. Even Nephi lamented that he to often succumbed to "the sins which do so easily beset me." (2 Ne 4:18) As Latter-Day Saints, we expect a lot of ourselves, because we know the Savior expects a lot of us. The good news is, it is possible to attain perfection. There is a commandment to seek perfection, and as Nephi also knew, the Lord provides a way. Through the Atonement, and by following His example, the Savior gives us the tools we need to become as He is. President Eyring's talk, "Our Perfect Example," teaches us that by following the Savior's example, we can find greater happiness and hope in our lives. I love the reminder that hope and optimism ought to fill the lives of Latter-Day Saints, because we know that no matter what our failings may be today, we can be better tomorrow. I hope that I can follow President Eyring's counsel, and look for opportunities to be more Christlike.

Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit.

Learning to recognize the Spirit is HARD! That's why I appreciate Sister Matsumori's talk, "Helping Others Recognize the Whisperings of the Spirit." You see, I am in a life-long process of learning the hear the Spirit, to recognize what is His influence and what is just me coming up with stuff. One blessing of my calling as a teacher is my opportunity to learn--I can't teach the doctrines of the Abrahamic covenant unless I study the scriptures, study the lesson, study other correlated materials, and pray really hard about how to best teach and reach my class. I am confident that the same blessings will come into my life as I teach others how to recognize the Spirit. I want my children to follow the Spirit--I want them to seek out his influence. In order to do so, I must spend time on my knees and with my scriptures, inviting the Spirit into my life and home. As I earnestly seek to teach my children and give them opportunities to feel the Spirit, I will refine my own abilities as well! See how that works? Teacher and student, and both are edified.

Every Woman Needs Relief Society

We are beginning to inch up on April, so before we run out of weeks, I thought we'd better go back to the Relief Society Session. Sister Silvia H. Allred has such an interesting perspective. She is from El Salvador, and was very young when her parents joined the Church. She has seen the Church grow in her native land, and has had much experience where the Church is strong. She served a full time mission in the Central American Mission (back when it was only one mission :] ), stake and ward Relief Society and Young Women President, and on the Young Women General Board. She and her husband have been public relations missionaries in Madrid, Spain, Mission Presidents in Paraguay Asuncion mission, and were most recently serving with her husband as her presided over the MTC in the Dominican Republic. She has had a lot of training, a lot of experience, and many opportunities through her service to see the Relief Society work all over the world! She was called to the General Relief Society Presidency in 2007.

Her talk, Every Woman Needs Relief Society, reminded me of some important truths about Relief Society:

1. My involvement in Relief Society helps me show the women of the world and the women of my acquaintance a different way to find power in womanhood. So much of what the world teaches says that a woman can't have influence on the world unless she gets out there in it! She has to push, and prod, and leave her femininity at the door. Relief Society allows us to develop our divine nature and CHANGE THE WORLD!
2. Service in Relief Society, even (and maybe even especially) little things make a difference in the lives of others. The women who make a difference in my life haven't just done amazing, life altering things for me--they set examples and love me for who I am. That changes my heart and gives me room to grow. I need them. I need their service. I need to return the favor.
3. My favorite quote from this talk is, "Every righteous woman has a significant role to play in God's plan and in the building up of His kingdom. Relief Society needs you, and you need Relief Society." A significant role to play. Everything we do has consequences. Some little part of your duty, your talents, your love will make a difference to someone. That one person matters! Remember, if you labor all your days and only bring one soul to God, how great will be your joy! Even one matters. You matter. The one only you can touch matters. Each of us is needed.

Prayer and Promptings

This week's talk is a great companion to last week's. This week, President Packer teaches about Prayer and Promptings. He begins by reminding us that the dispensation of the fullness of times was ushered in by a 14-year-old boy's prayer. That made me think about all the other amazing things that have happened in answer to prayer: Nephi's vision of the tree of life, the conversion (or reclamation) of Alma the Younger, the Lord's prayer, and all the prayers He uttered in the Garden. I teach Sunday School, and it seems like a lot of the discussion questions outlined by the correlation department in the manual are oftem questions with "standard sunday school answers:" Pray, read you scriptures, attend your meetings....When we remember that scripture study (James 1:5), prayer, and attending church meetings ushered in a dispensation, we won't be so casual about these things. We will begin to see they are gateways to promptings, inspiration, and great works. After all, "by small and simple," even standard things, are great things brought to pass.

To Acquire Spiritual Guidance

Sorry I missed last week girls! I thought I had set the post to go on without me, and it didn't. I was in Seattle being a competitor/vacationer. It was fully awesome.
This week's talk is from Elder Scott. "To Acquire Spiritual Guidance" was the first talk of the Saturday morning session. What an excellent way to start conference! Here, Elder Scott invites us to learn to follow the Spirit, citing specific examples in his own life that could easily be emulated throughout the rest of conference.
We live in challenging times, and we need the influence of the Spirit more and more as we seek to discern our proper course. I know the Spirit can and will guide us. I know that the more we seek him, the easier he becomes to hear. I'm grateful for the gift of his companionship in my life.
*BONUS to ladies in 2nd ward: this is our Teaching for our Time lesson this month, so read up and be ready to participate on Sunday!

Be Ready

Today, my dear sisters, we return to the Priesthood session. I know we are bright enough and perceptive enough to apply this talk directed to the brethren to ourselves! President Eyring gives a stirring reminder of how important it is to be prepared in his talk entitled, "Be Prepared." It reminds me of another talk he gave about adversity where he spoke of a man who had lost his job, but was confident that the Lord would bless them and help them provide for themselves. He says tells us that this man had done more than prepare for temporal eventualities by storing food and saving money. He had prepared his heart to be worthy for the Lord's blessings BEFORE he came to his time of great need. This "spiritual self reliance" has been impressed on me frequently in the last year. I hope we can start our new year determined to "prepare every needful thing," and not be caught without oil in our lamps.

Being Temperate in all Things

I found myself laughingly rueful as I read this week's talk. You see, its been Christmas, and I don't know anyone who makes temperance an important part of their feasting! However, as we'll learn from Elder Watson, "Being temperate in all things" is more than just a quality that keeps us from eating too much.
I was very interested to learn that temperance is a gift of the Spirit, implying that our perfect exercise of this divine attribute is contingent upon our worthiness to have the Spirit, our desire to have this gift, and the grace of the Savior.
It's a new year, and many of us have had to make changes to adjust to a changing economy, a changing world. I hope we can find the inspiration and grace to make these temperate changes joyfully, gratefully, gracefully.