Sisterhood and Unity

I want to preface this post with the fact that I know that there were other messages tonight, and that there may have been other things that stood out to other people. I just know that these are my thoughts right now, after participating in the Women's Meeting.

Luana's drawing (an example of what Primary children can offer)

If I took away anything from the Women's Meeting this evening, it was a message of a need for greater unity, love, and service. From Sister Wixom: "As individuals we are strong. Together, with God, we are unstoppable." From Sister Oscarson: "We must stop concentrating on our differences and look for what we have in common" and "I invite you to not only love each other more but love each other better." From Sister Burton: "Help Wanted: Women to lift one another with love." And from President Eyring: "You are more alike as daughters of God than you are different." This underlying theme struck home on multiple levels.

First, several of the talks mentioned preparing Young Women for the transition to Relief Society, helping them to understand the sisterhood that exists and to have a desire to join this wonderful worldwide sisterhood. This is necessary; it is also necessary for those who are already in Relief Society to open their arms and hearts to those who are joining or returning. We could all be better, more welcoming. I think I speak for many young single adults when I say that it can be very difficult for us to feel like we belong somewhere. But in Relief Society, of all places, we should feel that we belong. I can't limit it just to the young single adults, though. I know there are others who would love to find the friends and support they need. We all need to be more conscious of those who need a hand of friendship. I definitely include myself in that. If Relief Society is about sisterhood, then let's be sisters--daughters of God, and disciples of Jesus Christ. If this is our focus, Relief Society will become a truly welcoming place for all sisters. Also from Sister Burton's talk, "Our true identity is that of a disciple of Jesus Christ!" Let us seek to live up to that identity.

The other thought I had as I considered this was regarding factions that have arisen within the Church. It was mentioned that it is the adversary who wants to divide us and emphasize our differences. If we all believe in and are seeking to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, we have so much in common! I don't believe this means that I have to embrace the things that I still believe to be contrary to the teachings of the gospel. However, I could be better at showing love and compassion, at focusing on our similarities as daughters of God. We are Christ's when we stand together in unity as His disciples. It is the adversary who wants to see us divided against each other. So let's learn to stand together.

All of this brings me to what may have been my favorite moment of the entire meeting: Sister Wixom had the 8-11 year old girls sing the first verse of "Teach Me to Walk in the Light":

Teach me to walk in the light of his love;
Teach me to pray to my Father above;
Teach me to know of the things that are right;
Teach me, teach me to walk in the light.

Then, everyone 12 and up sang the second verse:

Come, little child, and together we'll learn
Of his commandments, that we may return
Home to his presence, to live in his sight--
Always, always to walk in the light.

I couldn't help smiling, and I couldn't help but feel that we were all unified in this desire of teaching and learning together. It is not just the Relief Society that is a worldwide sisterhood. We have a responsibility to the Young Women and the Primary as well, and all three organizations can serve each other. We are all sisters. I believe this is the message that our leaders wanted to convey. Even before the conference, when some people were questioning the wisdom of having a meeting for ages 8 and above, I was very excited! This would be the perfect opportunity for mothers and daughters, for women and girls of all ages, to come together in sisterhood, to learn the gospel together, and to continue discussing the gospel as they returned home. It would be added encouragement for all ages to learn and study together. This was reinforced so strongly for me this evening! There were beautiful messages, meant for all who were there. Reach out in sisterhood! Reach out to those younger than you, and to those older than you. We all need each other, and we all have something to offer. Let us be sure to remember that "[we] are more alike as daughters of God than [we] are different" and focus our energies so that we can say in all integrity, "Our true identity is that of a disciple of Jesus Christ!"

Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart...

This morning I was struck by some of Elder Holland's words, as I listened again to his talk from October 2012: The First Great Commandment. As we have often read, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets" (New Testament, Matthew 22:38).

Elder Holland's talk was focused on how we demonstrate our love for God, beautifully illustrated through a personal account of the apostles following Christ's resurrection. Many of us have read and reread the New Testament account, where the resurrected Lord visits His apostles on the shores of Galilee and questions Peter: "Lovest thou me?" But Elder Holland's interpretation of the Savior's message is striking: "Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn't it obvious then and isn't it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me." In other words, Christ may have been asking Peter why he had returned to his former life, after serving with Christ in His ministry and witnessing not only His death, but more importantly His resurrection.

The words hit home even more forcefully as Elder Holland applied this message to us today. First: "So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to lift up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can’t quit and we can’t go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before. The Crucifixion, Atonement, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ mark the beginning of a Christian life, not the end of it." Read that again, especially the following: We can't quit and we can't go back. When we know, we have a responsibility to live and to share. When we have received a testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we must hold fast to it!

Next, he issues an invitation to all either to come or to come back, to learn and continue learning and striving to keep the commandments, to make and keep sacred covenants. The following, especially, stood out to me: "I include in that call to fixed faithfulness every returned missionary who ever stood in a baptismal font and with arm to the square said, 'Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ.' That commission was to have changed your convert forever, but it was surely supposed to have changed you forever as well."

My heart breaks as I think of people I love--family, friends--and of people I have never met who have let go, who have turned back. In my responsibility to feed the Lord's sheep, not to quit, not to look back, what can I do? How can I help? The Lord is ever ready to receive those who will turn unto Him. He always loves His children. If my heart breaks as I see those I love turn away, how His heart must break as He sees the same--as He sees those for whom He gave His life turn away from Him. He will always fulfill His covenants, but if we want to receive the blessings promised in those covenants, we must fulfill our part of those covenants. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!" (New Testament, Matthew 23:37). And from the Book of Mormon, "And again, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, who have fallen; yea, O ye people of the house of Israel, ye that dwell at Jerusalem, as ye that have fallen; yea, how oft would I have gathered you as a hen gathereth her chickens, and ye would not. O ye house of Israel whom I have spared, how oft will I gather you as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, if ye will repent and return unto me with full purpose of heart" (3 Nephi 10:5-6). He is waiting. Will we heed Him? Will we heed His living prophets? Will we return unto Him and allow Him to bless us?

As I pondered on this talk today, I also thought of President Uchtdorf's talk from April 2008, Faith of Our Father. He quote the chorus of the hymn, "Faith of our fathers, holy faith, we will be true to thee till death!" (LDS Hymns, #84). He described the pioneer ancestry of many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. However, he also mentioned that there are many who do not have pioneer heritage, whose ancestors were of other religions. (In spite of my own pioneer heritage in one line, a mere century ago the faith of my fathers could have included at least the following religions: Catholic, Lutheran, and Church of Ireland.) However, we are not dishonoring them by living the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Rather, we honor them and generations before as we worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; the God of Enoch and Noah; the God of Adam and Eve. "The faith of our Father in Heaven has been consistent since the beginning of time, even from before the foundation of this world.... Therefore, do we not owe our allegiance to God, our Heavenly Father?"

President Uchtdorf bears strong and powerful testimony: "I testify that the doctrine of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is the faith of our Heavenly Father. It is His truth, revealed to His servants the prophets from the days of Father Adam until our own time.... Our Heavenly Father loves His children. He hears the prayers of the humble and sincere of every nation, tongue, and people. He grants light to those who seek and honor Him and are willing to obey His commandments. We joyously proclaim that the faith of our Father is on the earth today." Then he also extends an invitation: "We invite everyone on this beautiful planet to taste of His doctrine and see if it is not sweet and good and precious. We ask those of sincere heart to learn of this doctrine and ask their Father in Heaven if it is not true. And by doing so, all can discover, embrace, and walk in the true faith of their Father, which faith will make them whole."

Accept this invitation. This is not a gospel of fear, but a gospel of love. The doctrine teaches us that we can repent and turn to our Heavenly Father and serve Him. By serving His children and sharing His gospel with them, we demonstrate our love for Him. Will we do so? Will we receive the love He is so eager to offer us? "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me" (LDS Hymns, # 193). I can't possibly understand it. I can't possibly return it. But I can do my best to serve Him by loving serving His children.

These are some of my thoughts. But I also know that each person who studies and prays with faith is entitled to inspiration. I have included links to both conference talks that I have quoted here. Read them for yourself. Ponder on their meaning. Seek the Lord's guidance.

In so many ways, I still feel at a loss as to what I can do. The Lord has asked us all to participate in hastening the work of salvation. There are people I want very much to help, to remind them of the things they already know. But I don't know how. What I do know is that Heavenly Father loves them; they are among His children. Jesus Christ loves them; He suffered and died to atone for their sins and shortcomings, just as He did for me. Perhaps in some way I can help to remind them of that amazing love. I am still learning, too. As I said, I do not understand the love our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ feel for us, nor do I believe that I can understand it in mortality. Similarly, I do not fully understand how to feed Christ's lambs. I am continually reminded that living the commandments, keeping my covenants, living up to my privileges--all require humility and reliance on my Savior, Jesus Christ. I continue to seek His guidance, and I hope that one day I can answer, as Elder Holland describes in his talk: "the voice of Christ comes ringing down through the halls of time, asking each one of us while there is time, 'Do you love me?' And for every one of us, I answer with my honor and my soul, 'Yea, Lord, we do love thee.' And having set our 'hand to the plough,' we will never look back until this work is finished and love of God and neighbor rules the world."