RS Lesson: Jesus Christ Can Bring Us Peace

 Sunday, August 29th, I taught my Relief Society lesson from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's conference talk "Not as the World Giveth." The main message of this talk is what I titled this post: Jesus Christ can bring us peace. 

Elder Holland begins his talk directly with scripture verses from Christ's earthly ministry:

John 14:1, 18, 27 

"1.  Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

18. I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you.

27. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

In those three verses, Jesus asks us not to fear, and to believe in Him. In return, he promises us comfort and peace.

Elder Holland then goes into a summary of the grim things that have been prophesied for the last days.

JS Matthew 1:23, 30

"23. Behold, I speak these things unto you for the elect’s sake; and you also shall hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass; but the end is not yet.

30. And again, because iniquity shall abound, the love of men shall wax cold; but he that shall not be overcome, the same shall be saved." 

Elder Holland also said that the Book of Mormon prophets "prophetically warn us that violence and conflict will be a signature characteristic of relationships in the last days.”

And D&C 1:35 “For I am no respecter of persons, and will that all men shall know that the day speedily cometh; the hour is not yet, but is night at hand, when peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion.”

My ward talked about how knowing this stuff ahead of time helps us prepare both spiritually and physically. And that if our focus is on Christ, we will be okay.

Elder Holland said that the greater conflict lies not in the wars and rumors of wars, but something closer to home:

"Fortunately, the current generation has not had a Third World War to fight, nor have we experienced a global economic crash like the one in 1929 leading to a Great Depression. We are, however, facing a kind of Third World War that is not a fight to crush our enemies but a conscription marshaling the children of God to care more about each other and to help heal the wounds we find in a conflicted world. The Great Depression we now face has less to do with the external loss of our savings and more to do with the internal loss of our self-confidence, with real deficits of faith and hope and charity all around us. But the instruments we need to create a brighter day and grow an economy of genuine goodness in society are abundantly provided for in the gospel of Jesus Christ.” (emphasis added)

In addition to that, Elder Holland paraphrased President Russell M. Nelson that even if the world is generally not at peace, we can be individually. We discussed how to do that, and the conversation steered in the direction of taking care of ourselves and our family. Also, not to feel stress to save the entire world by ourselves. We save the world one step at a time: ourselves, our families, our ward, our neighborhood, our community.

Elder Holland then said, “Such help and hope are dearly needed because in this worldwide congregation today are many who struggle with any number of challenges - physical or emotional, social or financial, or a dozen other kinds of trouble. But many of these we are not strong enough to address in and of ourselves, for the help and peace we need is not the kind “the world giveth.” No, for the truly difficult problems we need what the scriptures call “the powers of heaven,” and to access these powers we must live by what these same scriptures call “principles of righteousness.”

There are three parts from this quote that I want to focus on. The first is that we are not strong enough to fix all of our problems ourselves. I asked the sisters what their initial feelings or reaction to that statement were. The common response was, "so that I can turn to Christ for help." Then we talked about the difficulty that many women have in accepting help from others, and the reminder that Heavenly Father sends help in the form of others.

The second is the inspiration behind the title of Elder Holland's talk. What "peace" that the world gives that both Christ and Elder Holland recommend that we stay away from? Probably temporary pleasures, addictive substances and behaviors, worshipping money, etc.

And last, Elder Holland says that living by "principles of righteousness" will bring us the peace that Christ gives us. We made a list of principles of righteousness: love, faith, humility, knowledge, teachable, obedience, service. etc.

Elder Holland said, "Absent those principles, it was certain we would eventually face discord and enmity.”

If not following the principles of the gospel means “discord and enmity,” does following them promise harmony and goodwill all the time? No, but it does help us gain the skills and strength to make it through hard times.

Elder Holland ends his talk with the reminder that in addition to finding peace for ourselves, we should also provide peace for others in our words and actions. He said, "Everyone has the right to be loved, to feel peaceful, and to find safety at home… The promise of being a peacemaker is that you will have the Holy Ghost for your constant companion and blessings will flow to you “without compulsory means” forever.”

I also believe that in bringing peace to others, through service, we can also bring peace to ourselves. I ended the lesson with challenging the women of my ward to find one way to bring peace to someone else, and to write down their experience in their journal.

RS Lesson: "Remember Your Way Back Home"

 This month's Relief Society lesson from me was Elder Jose A. Teixeira's talk "Remember Your Way Back Home." 

Ask yourself: What smell reminds you of your childhood home? For me, it's apple cinnamon candles.

Salmon hatch in a stream, spend their lives in the open ocean, and return to the stream of their birth when it’s time to spawn. How do you think they find the stream they were born in? Researchers discovered that they use their sense of smell to follow scents they recognize as their home.

In making the connection with the salmon, Elder Teixeira said, “The most important things we can do in this life is to recognize and remember the pathway back to our Heavenly Father and faithfully and joyfully persevere throughout the journey.”

Elder Teixeira gives us four things to remember to help us return home to Heavenly Father.

1. Remember that we are children of God

"“Knowing that we are children of God and that He wants us to return to His presence…” (emphasis added)

The reason I underlined the "and" is because knowing that we are children of God isn't a new concept. One of the first things we learn in the Church is that we are sons and daughters of God. But adding in that Heavenly Father wants us to return home is not new information, but it is something I haven't thought about as a motivation to follow the iron rod. Heavenly Father wants you to come back to him. He is rooting for you!

What helps us remember this?

• Remember our blessings from the Lord

• Trust what God’s servants say about our worth → the Spirit, Prophet, other church leaders, etc.

“Knowing who you are changes what you feel and what you do. Understanding who you truly are better prepares you to recognize and remember your way back to your heavenly home and yearn to be there.”

How has knowledge of your self worth helped you?

One sister shared that her acceptance of her self worth helped her quit a job that was mistreating her, and then gave her the courage to tell another potential job ten minutes after the deadline, "I am the right person for the job, please take my application."

Another sister shared that her self worth awareness helped her leave a group of friends in high school who were really mean to her, and find a new group who were much nicer; allowing her to have a much better high school experience.

2. We can remember the foundation that protect us

What is that foundation? Jesus Christ.

Helaman 5:6-12 has the word remember 13 times. And verses 9-12 specifically talk about what Christ has done for us, with verse 12 naming Christ as our foundation and rock.

When have you been protected by having Jesus Christ as your foundation?

Several sisters talked about how just in general having a foundation in Christ allows us to be strong during all of the stuff that life throws at us. Another sister added that part of this foundation is making decisions long before the situation happens, that way we aren't put on the spot and unsure of what the right choice it.

3. We can remember to be prayerful

What is the most common topic that you search on Google?

Answers: How to..., Cast of (fill in the blank movie), Recipes, Carbohydrates

We have something much better than Google: prayer.

D&C 19:38 Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you, and great shall be your blessing - yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth and corruptibleness to extend thereof.

“God is fully aware of each one of us and ready to listen to our prayers. When we remember to pray, we find His sustaining love, and the ore we pray to our Father in Heaven in Christ’s name, the more we bring the Savior into our life and the better we will recognize the path He has marked to our heavenly home.”

4. We can remember to serve others

“As we strive to follow Jesus Christ by serving and showing kindness to others, we make the world a better place… Loving service adds meaning to the lives of both the giver and the receiver...Loving service to others guides us along the path to our heavenly hoe - the path of becoming like our Savior.”

“We have Jesus Christ’s perfect example to follow, and the journey toward our eternal home is possible only because of His teachings, His life, and His atoning sacrifice - including His death and glorious Resurrection.”

Why do you think serving others is part of the path to returning home?

So, to review:

Remember that you are a child of God who is rooting for you! Remember to make Jesus Christ your foundation. Remember to pray and serve others.

RS Lesson: Faith in Jesus Christ Can Move Mountains

 Today was my first Sunday teaching Relief Society in the Relief Society room surrounded by the other women in my ward in over a year, and it was wonderful! Today's lesson was taken from President Russell M. Nelson's Sunday morning talk, "Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains."

Before jumping into the content of the talk, I have one question: From a secular point of view, who or what has great power?

The women in my ward answered: political leaders, the wealthy, high profile advocates, celebrities.

President Nelson said, “Faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available to us in this life. All things are possible to them that believe.”

Do you believe that? Do you believe that the power of faith is more powerful than the secular list we just made?

One sister said that it depended on where she was in her personal faith. Sometimes she has enough faith to not led the problems of the world get to her, and other times the world pulls her down into depression.

Another sister brought up President Nelson's clarification of what faith to move mountains means: "Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest. Your mountains may be loneliness, doubt, illness, or other personal problems. Your mountains will vary, and yet the answer to each of your challenges is to increase your faith."

Piggy backing off of that, another sister explained that for her, visually, her mountains are a brick wall. Each brick is one struggle, and she can't break down the whole wall at once, she has to do it one brick at a time; which requires faith and patience.

President Nelson said, “Faith in Jesus Christ is the foundation of all belief and the conduit of divine power… Everything good in life - every potential blessing of eternal significance - begins with faith. Allowing God to prevail in our lives begins with faith that He is willing to guide us. True repentance begins with faith that Jesus Christ has the power to cleanse, heal, and strengthen us.”

Three of many scripture verses that back this statement up:

Moroni 10:7 And ye may know that the is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.

D&C 63:9-10 But, behold, faith cometh not by signs, but signs follow those that believe.

Yea, signs come by faith, not by the will of men, nor as they please, but by the will of God.

D&C 64:34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

What do these verses teach us about faith? Faith precedes God's power, signs, blessings, miracles, etc. And we need to be willing to work towards it.

President Nelson acknowledged that exercising faith can be overwhelming. And he gives two suggestions to help us out:

1. Experiment with your faith. Figure out how it works in your life.

Alma 32:27  But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, eyes, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

Matthew 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

While talking about the mustard seed symbolism, I was reminded of a personal experience from a week ago. I was working in my garden in the heat of the sun. Clouds covered the sun, a cool breeze blew, and some light rain fell. It was heaven to work in that environment. After I finished, as soon as I went inside, the clouds moved, and it was sunny again. I thought, "Wow! How lucky!" The Spirit in my head answered, "That wasn't luck. The Lord took care of you in your garden today, and he will take care of you as you look for a job. The Lord will provide."

I believe that Heavenly Father will lead me to the right job this summer. He did last summer, he'll do it again.

2. President Nelson reminds us that our faith does not have to be perfect to work. He uses words like: potential, growing, to describe faith. “The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe.”

President Nelson then challenged us to "start today to increase your faith" and gives us five steps to help us increase our faith:

1. Study: Christ’s mission and ministry, the doctrine of Christ, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, miracles. Where do we find information about those specific topics? The scriptures.

2. “Choose to believe in Jesus Christ.” President Nelson said,  “Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. Study with the desire to believe rather than the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures… Allow the Lord to lead you…”

3. Act in faith.

What is an example of acting in faith?

One sister shared that she went through a time where she spent three years applying and interviewing before she got the job she has now. Three years. She said that it got to the point where she didn't even know why she was doing this anymore. But she felt to keep trying, and faith is what kept her going to continue to apply.

Another sister shared that she never considered serving a mission until she started going to the temple once a week with her friends. In the temple, she felt inspired to serve, and moved forward mission preparations, and is getting ready to turn her papers in!

4. Partake of sacred ordinances worthily.

It takes faith to participate in sacred ordinances, and continuing to participate increases our faith.

5. Ask your Heavenly Father for help.

What do the five underlined words have in common? They are verbs, actions words. Faith requires action. We can't just sit there and wait for it to happen.

I will end with my favorite quote from this talk:

“Do not minimize the faith you already have. It takes faith to join the Church and remain faithful. It takes faith to follow prophets rather than pundits and popular opinion. It takes faith to serve a mission during a pandemic. It takes faith to live a chaste life when the world shouts that God’s law of chastity is now outmoded. It takes faith to teach the gospel to children in a secular world. It takes faith to plead for the life of a loved one and even more faith to accept a disappointing answer.”

What is something you did this past week that took faith?

We didn't have time for anyone to answer that question today. So, if you are comfortable answering publicly, put it in the comments. If not, write it down in your journal. Or make this question a part of Family Home Evening this week and share it with your family.

Working Full Time Improved My Mental Health

 Stay-at-home-mom depression is a real thing. To my [Google search] knowledge, physicians don’t diagnose it under that terminology; but enough women struggle with it, that it is something. Gerson “diagnosed” me with it towards the end of the summer of 2016 when Luna was almost a year old, and I had been a SAHM for a little over a year as well. 

It was one in the morning, and while crying, I told Gerson that I wasn’t happy. He started crying too and asked, “Is our marriage in trouble?” 

I struggled to tell him I felt like the walls of our home were caving in on me. The tiniest problem with Benjamin or Luna could send me into a crying mess - and those breakdowns had no rhyme or reason. They just happened at the most random times. We went to sleep without a solution; only with the fervent promise that I absolutely was NOT considering a divorce.

The next day, I called my mom and told her about the previous night’s conversation. We used to go on a date once a month and had already gone on a date for that month. My mom told me to tell Gerson that she wanted to have the kids come over for dinner and sleep over. That way we could go to dinner and have the night to do whatever or talk about whatever we needed to. 

That night, Gerson said, “I think being a SAHM makes you depressed.”

I tried looking for part time teaching jobs. I found one opening to teach ESL in the evenings. I really wanted to apply, but Gerson didn’t like the idea of us basically handing off the kids in between jobs. That’s how I had done college courses for my final two years after Benjamin was born, and it wasn’t fun. We rarely got to eat dinner as a family. Part time teaching jobs during the day didn’t pay enough for daycare to be worth it. If we financially needed it, we would make that sacrifice; but we didn’t need me to work. I wanted to work.

Over the next few years, I tried other methods to find happiness. We increased date nights to once a week. We also added a reading night once a week; where I read out loud for about an hour. So far, we have read the Harry Potter series, Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, and are currently on the Twilight series. My kids sleepover at my parents’ once a week during the summer, and once a month during the school year. And once a year we go on a couple’s trip, while my parents take the kids. I also made some mom friends, and we would do girls’ night once a week. (Which no longer happens, because we all moved too far away from each other in the last 18 months.)

All of those things helped, but as they became part of my normal routine, they eventually weren’t enough. I still love doing all of those things, and giving them up would devastate me, but I needed more.

More came from VIPKID in March 2018. In the beginning, it was perfect. Teaching part time, early in the morning while the rest of my family slept. I didn’t have to get a babysitter or hand off the kids to Gerson while we switched working hours. It made me happy, and I felt fulfilled. 

Two years later, at the beginning of a worldwide pandemic, I was burned out with VIPKID. I’m sure it didn’t help that after teaching my students, I had to turn around and teach my children. But the real issue was that I wanted normal working hours, and I wanted to be in charge of my own lesson and unit plans. VIPKID lessons are already made by someone else, and the teachers have to follow them exactly. I also really missed history. I hadn’t taught history since my student teaching semester in 2015.

Throughout the four years between 2016 and 2020, I continued to have frequent mental breakdowns. Yes, parenting young kids is stressful. Yes, it’s okay to cry. But I always felt an overwhelming sense of guilt afterwards for acting like that in front of my children, and even more guilt that my children were the cause. 

As I took part in online forums and talked with other moms, I came across so many that felt the same. The advice? 

“It will pass. As they get older, it will get easier.”

“Enjoy every minute. You will actually miss this when they are grown.”

I must be a different breed of mom, because that did not help. Lily was still a baby and I was already counting down until she went to school so that I could start my career. Benjamin is old enough that I think I can look back at his baby days and decide if I miss it. I don’t. I enjoy the memories, but I don’t miss it. I don’t wish I could turn back the clock and have him be a baby again. I’ve always been that way. I like time moving forward. I don’t wish I could relive high school or college or the childfree years of my marriage. I enjoy the memories from those times, but I don’t miss them or wish I was still living them. 

In May 2020, Gerson was let go from his job. He was one of the 38 million Americans that would be unemployed by the end of June. I started applying to teaching jobs that day. We spent the summer of 2020 racing each other [for fun] to see who would get hired first. As I applied to teaching positions and prepared for interviews, I became excited. This wasn’t because tragedy had struck my family and I had to - though that was the motivating push. I wasn’t begrudgingly applying for jobs, just in case Gerson didn’t get a new job fast enough. I wanted this. And I decided quickly that regardless of what kind of job Gerson got, I was going to work too. I was done being a SAHM. I wanted to have a career.

At the end of July, I was hired to teach 10th grade U.S. History for a small online charter school. I spent the month of August creating unit and lesson plans, and began teaching at the end of the month. I loved it immediately. I feel happy and fulfilled. I enjoy providing for my family in this way while contributing to society as a teacher.

Around November, I realized that I had not had a mental breakdown or cried since getting hired. Yes, I had work stress, but I didn’t feel like the walls of my home were caving in on me. Issues like my children refusing to clean up, or emptying an entire box of cereal onto the floor (both have happened recently) no longer sent me into a crying episode. Yes, I still get frustrated, but it is no longer the type of hysteria that it used to be.

I truly believe that working full time is the primary factor in this emotional change.

So, if you are struggling with the stay-at-home-parent life, and the well intentioned “it will get easier” and “you’ll miss this one day” is not helping, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I have a career goal?

Do I wish I was in that career right now?

Is it possible for me to start right now?

Is the stigma of my kids going to a babysitter/daycare the only thing holding me back? 

Granted, my kids aren’t going to a babysitter/daycare. Gerson is currently doing school online as he goes through a career change. However, as soon as he also gets a job, our younger kids will go to a babysitter or daycare, and I do not feel guilty about that one bit. 

Working full time has given me the opportunity to appreciate family time differently. I don’t miss my kids while I’m working, but I enjoy them after work. Bedtime has been pushed back an hour so that we can spend time together. I have also moved my house cleaning from Saturdays to Fridays nights so that we can just enjoy each other on Saturdays. 

Even though it took a global pandemic to get me into my career, I’m glad that I’m here. I’m happy. I’m healthy. I’m me.  

 

RS Lesson: Developing Christlike Attributes

 Today's Relief Society Lesson was inspired by Elder Scott D. Whiting's conference talk, "Becoming like Him." In his talk, Elder Scott recommends that each of us discover which Christlike attributes we are lacking or could improve on, and get to work attaining that attribute. 

According to Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel, the following are examples Christlike attributes:

• Faith
• Hope
• Charity and Love
• Virtue
• Knowledge
• Patience
• Humility
• Diligence
• Obedience

The sisters in my ward also added Compassion and Service to the list. (What else would you add?)

Also in Chapter 6, there is an Attribute Activity to help you figure out where you are with each attribute. I copied and pasted the activity into a Google Doc, to make printing it easier for anyone who is interested: 

Attribute Activity (Preach My Gospel) Printable 

I filled out the survey. In order to better discuss the next part of Elder Whiting's talk; I am going to be open and vulnerable, and tell you that the attribute I need to greatly improve on is Patience. 

According to Elder Whiting, the first step in improving patience, is to commit to it:

1. I need to have a desire to be patient.   
2. In order to develop patience, I need to understand what it is. The following scripture verses are attached with the Patience section in the Attribute Activity:
1. 2 Nephi 10:17 Christ has promised that he will bless us
2. Romans 8:25 Faith requires patience (connects two attributes!)
3. Alma 17:11 Those who are patience in their suffering will serve as good examples to others
4. Romans 15:1 Choose others over ourselves, and help them in their struggles
5. Ether 12:27 The Lord gives us weaknesses so that we will turn to Him.
1. "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
2. Thinking about the attribute you have chosen, how can you use the above verse to help you with that attribute? --> The sisters in my ward talked about the difficulty in asking for and accepting help. I'm definitely one of those people, but when I do let my guard down, and ask for help, I am always so grateful that I did. 
6. Alma 34:40-41 Be patient in your afflictions, and be patience with those afflicting you. Losing patience can lead to sin. Patience allows hope (faith).
3. Look for examples of patience in others. Elder Whiting said, "This will encourage us in our own quest, for if others can attain in some measure His attributes, so can we."
1. How has watching someone else achieve your goal helped you? --> One sister shared that her roommate in college would go up to people she wanted to get to know and say, "Hi, I'm so-and-so, what's your name." She said that example helped her become more open and social when she wanted to get to know someone new.
4. I need to be honest with myself about where I am in my patience levels in comparison to where I need to be. 
5. I should ask Heavenly Father where I am at, and where I should focus.

Once I have committed to improving my patience, it is time to act! Elder Whiting said:

"These attributes won't come cheaply and suddenly, but through His grace they will come incrementally while endeavoring. Christlike attributes are gifts from a loving Heavenly Father to bless us and those around us. Accordingly, our efforts to obtain these attributes will require heartfelt pleas for His divine assistance. If we seek these gifts to better serve others, He will bless us in our efforts. Selfishly pursuing a gift from God will end in disappointment and frustration."

Two things stick out to me from that quote. First, we need to plead to Heavenly Father for help in this endeavor to improve my patience. That tells me that this isn't going to be an independent project. Second, Elder Whiting states that these attributes need to be used to help others. So, I ask myself, who do I want to serve with my patience? How do I want to serve with my patience? (Ask yourself the same questions in relation to the attribute you have chosen.)

The first answer that comes to my mind is my children. They will benefit the most from me having better patience. The employees of the businesses that I patron will benefit from me having patience. On a more spiritual viewpoint, those who are struggling will benefit from me having patience with them and where they are spiritually. 

The third thing to do, according to Elder Whiting, is record our experiences. I should write down what I learned from the scripture verses related to patience, the examples that I see in other people, answers to my prayers, and my own journey as I work on this attribute. 

In case we become frustrated with ourselves - and we will - Elder Whiting ends with the following reminder:

"The commandment to be like Him is not intended to make you feel guilty, unworthy, or unloved. Our entire mortal experience is about progression, trying, failing, and succeeding... You are good enough, you are loved, but that does not mean that you are yet complete. There is work to be done in this life and the next. Only with His divine help can we all progress toward becoming like Him."

I can speak from personal experience, that the feelings of guilt and worthlessness will not help in this endeavor. Those are not true forms of motivation. Like Elder Whiting said earlier, the desire to change for the purpose of blessing others is the best motivator. I have a lot of work cut out for me to improve my patience, but I have faith that I can do it. I challenge you to choose a Christlike attribute that you would like to improve, and follow Elder Whiting's steps to bring that attribute into your life.  

RS Lesson: How Christ Heals

 In Sister Cristina B. Franco's women's session talk, "The Healing Power of Jesus Christ", she opens with a story about a piano she and her husband purchased, which broke upon its arrival. I recommend to watch the story in her words here. (0:34-3:39)

Upon finishing the story, Sister Franco continued,

"Sisters and brothers, aren't we all like this piano, a little broken, cracked, and damaged, feeling like we will never be the same again? However, as we come unto Jesus Christ by exercising faith in Him, repenting, and making and keeping covenants, our brokenness - whatever its cause - can be healed. This process, which invites the Savior's healing power into our lives, does not just restore us to what we were before but makes us better than we ever were. I know that through our Savior, Jesus Christ, we can all be mended, made whole, and fulfill our purpose, just like a beautiful-sounding, brand-new piano."

Let's review what the manager of the music store said, "The wood is broken, and once the wood is broken, it can never sound the same." The manager's implication is negative. However, when Sister Franco compares our moments of feeling broken to her piano story, she adds that using the Atonement will "make us better than we ever were." That is the difference between us and a piano. We aren't ruined when we break.

How does Christ heal us?

Matthew 11:28-29 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Yokes bind animals together, so by using this symbolism, Christ is inviting us to be bound to him.

D&C 6:36 "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not." (When are we supposed to look to Christ? What is the opposite of doubt and fear?)*

Christ's use of the phrase "every thought" essentially means always. We need to turn to him always. What is the opposite of doubt and fear? Belief and faith. Have faith in Christ. 

Revelation 7:17 "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." (What does Christ feed us? How can His word heal us?)

We know from the gospels, that when Christ talks about bread (food) and water, He's talking about the word of God. And I think it's safe to say this is what is going on here as well. The Lamb feeding us and leading us to water, is giving us the word of God - reading our scriptures, listening to general conference, testimonies, etc. How can the word of God heal us? Priesthood blessings can heal us physically and spiritually. The knowledge of Christ's love can heal us spiritually. The knowledge of the plan of salvation can bring us hope, which can also heal spiritually. 

Luke 4:18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor;  he hath sent me to heal the broken hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised." (How does Christ use others to help us heal? How can we be used to help others heal?)

In this verse, Christ states that Heavenly Father sent him to earth to do several things, healing being one of them. Yet, Christ is not here the way he was during his mortal ministry. Even though he can and still does heal us; one way he heals us is through other people. This can be a physical healing that a doctor performs, or it can be spiritual and mental healing that family, friends, neighbors, and ward members can perform. 

What do we do once we are healed?

Mosiah 24:14 "And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions." (What does Christ expect us to do when he eases our burdens?) 

When I read this verse the second half stuck out to me. Christ wants us to share our experiences and testify that He does heal, comfort, and liberate. 

Christ can heal us when we have faith, turn to him, and bind ourselves to him. Once we have turned t o him he will feed us with the word of God, heal our broken hearts, liberate us, and comfort us. And when we have experienced that healing and comfort, we need to share our experiences as a witness to others the Christ does heal because He loves us. 

*Note: I used this blog post as my lesson plan, so the questions in parenthesis are what I verbally asked during my lesson.

RS Lesson: How to Love Your Enemy, According to President Oaks

 On Sunday, January 24, I taught Relief Society in my ward. The talk I chose was "Love Your Enemy" by President Dallin H. Oaks. I have loved this talk since listening to it the first time last October. I felt very strongly to choose this talk for my RS lesson, but because of the very obvious political undertones, I originally shied away from it because I didn't want my lesson to turn into a political soap box. I read a few other talks trying to find one to choose, but the spirit kept bringing me back to this one. As I reread it, I noticed two parallel messages: 1. the political one, and 2. a "how-to" for loving one's enemies. For my lesson, I focused on message number two. 

The first thing I did before diving into the content of President Oak's talk, was define the word, enemy. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary enemy is: "One that is antagonistic to another, especially one seeking to injure, overthrow, or confound an opponent; something harmful or deadly; a military adversary; a hostile unit or force." Also, in the footnote for Matthew 5:44, the word enemy sends us to the topical guide Opponent. And in the New Testament Student Manual, the expansion for that verse talks about forgiving those who have harmed or injured us. So, for the context of this lesson, the term enemy can by anyone that we feel either negative feelings towards or they have hurt us.

Christ's teachings that President Oak's derives his talk from is Matthew 5:43-44:

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love they neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you."

The New Testament Student Manual explains the historical and cultural context behind "hate thine enemy:"

“The commandment ‘Love thy neighbor’ is found in Leviticus 19:18, but no scripture in the Old Testament commands us to hate thine enemy. It appears the Savior was referring to a saying common in His day. The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1946 may reveal that some Jews at the time of Christ did in fact teach that they should love fellow members of their community but hate outsiders.” - Chapter 3

So, how do we place ourselves in the mindset to love, bless, do good to, and pray for those who we feel negative feelings towards?

According to President Oaks, the following actions will help.

Do not have the Spirit of Contention in your heart

3 Nephi 11:28-30 "...And there shall be no disputations among you, as there hitherto been; neither shall there be disputations among you concerning the points of my doctrine, as there have hitherto been.

For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another.

Behold, this is not my doctrine, to stir up the hearts of men with anger, one against another; but this is my doctrine, that such things should be done away.”

I have always loved verse 28, it is marked in my personal scriptures. This time, reading these verses the phrase "the spirit of contention is not of me" stuck out. When we are defending our religious beliefs - a righteous endeavor - if we do so with aggressive words and tone, the message will be lost, the Holy Ghost will leave, and the Spirit of Contention will be present.

Ask the Lord for help

Matthew 7:7-8 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened."

Follow the law

President Oak's said, "How do we keep these divine commandments in a world where we are also subject to the laws of man?... we are to follow the laws of men… to live peacefully under civil authority, and we follow the laws of God toward our eternal destination… Though Jesus’s teachings were revolutionary, He did not teach revolution or law breaking."

We also have D&C 58:21-22 "Let no man break the laws of the land, for he that keepeth the laws of God hath no need to break the laws of the land.

Wherefore, be subject to the powers that be, until he reigns whose right it is to reign, and subdues all enemies under his feet."

And the 12th Article of Faith: "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law."

Get to know them

President Oaks said, "In countless circumstances, strangers’ suspicion or even hostility give way to friendship or even love when personal contacts produce understanding and mutual respect...The Savior’s teaching to love our enemies is based on the reality that all mortals are beloved children of God.”

My senior year in high school, there was a girl in one of my classes who drove me crazy. I thought she was so annoying amongst other verbs. Over the course of the school year, I got to know her and we became good friends. I never told her that I started out the school year not liking her, but in my yearbook she wrote that she did not like me at the beginning of the school year and she was so glad that she gave me a chance and got to know me.

Understand what love is

President Oaks provided several quotes from other prophets and apostles defining love. In summary, you can't give love, if you don't know what it is.

I testify from personal experience that these actions work in creating love in your heart for those you currently do not love. If you have not read President Oaks' talk recently, I highly recommend that you sit down and do so.