Visions of love

I apologize for not posting much the past few weeks. Life has been very troubling for me lately, and I'm working hard at keeping my feet under me. One thing that has helped me a lot during this time is reading the new book Daughters of My Kingdom about the history and purposes of Relief Society. After watching the video about this book, which I put in my last post, I found my copy I had received at church, and I started reading.

This book has given me a great spiritual boost of compassion and kindness towards others. I am so touched by how Relief Society sisters have, from the beginning, been motivated in all they do by love and mercy. There are so many stories told of how the Relief Society sisters, either in organized efforts or individually, found ways to love and serve their fellow sisters throughout the world, especially in times of famine, war, economic poverty, in widowhood, and when testimonies are tried and questioned. Relief Society has always been there.

As I read, I remember a vision I once had of my grandmother serving her fellow Relief Society sisters. There was a large Relief Society luncheon being held at church, and I had been asked to work in the kitchen that day, preparing and serving the food. As I worked alongside my sisters, I suddenly envisioned my grandmother, who had passed away several years before, working alongside us, laughing with the women, working hard at getting the food ready, all with a smile on her face. This 'vision' of my grandmother was so overwhelming (because I love her and miss her so) I had to step outside for a few minutes to cry.

My gramma - Alice Herker

Later, I was talking to my mother on the phone, and I told her about this experience. She said that if my grandmother (her mother-in-law) had actually been there at that luncheon, the kitchen is where you would have found her, because she was always finding something to do to help someone else. She hated to be idle. My mother also said my grandmother used to be a Relief Society branch president in Iowa (I'm guessing at least 50 years ago now) and she would drive for hours and hours all over the state to visit with the sisters and attend to their needs. Such dedication. 

It warms my heart to know that, as I read this book, I have personal ties to the heritage of Relief Society through my mother and my grandmother. It also warms my heart to think of all the Relief Society sisters throughout the world, converts to the church as my mother and grandmother were, who are learning about and teaching the mission of Relief Society to future generations of wives and mothers, strengthening the entire world one precious heart at a time.

God bless you my most beloved sisters, wherever in the world you live, whatever language you read this post in. I love you and I am thankful for you.

Open The Gift

Sisters, do not take for granted the gifts God has given us. Sometimes the most delightful and enriching gifts come in very plain packages.

To download a free copy of Daughters of My Kingdom, click here

Forget Me Not

On September 24th, Elder Uchtdorf of the First Presidency of the LDS Church gave a wonderful talk to all the women of the church. The talk is entitled Forget Me Not. He talked about the tiny forget-me-not flower, and used it as a metaphor to teach us five essential principles we, as women, should never forget. To see Elder Uchtdorf's full message, just click on the video at the bottom.

• Forget not to be patient with yourself.

I want to tell you something that I hope you will take in the right way: God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. Let me add: God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not.And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths.Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It’s wonderful that you have strengths. And it is part of your mortal experience that you do have weaknesses.Dear sisters, many of you are endlessly compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others. Please remember also to be compassionate and patient with yourself.

• Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.

An acceptable sacrifice is when we give up something good for something of far greater worth.Every person and situation is different, and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another. How can we tell the difference for our own situation? We can ask ourselves, “Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?” There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective.

• Forget not to be happy now.

If we spend our days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.This is not to say that we should abandon hope or temper our goals. Never stop striving for the best that is within you. Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don’t close your eyes and hearts to the simple and elegant beauties of each day’s ordinary moments that make up a rich, well-lived life.

• Forget not the "why" of the gospel.

In our diligent efforts to fulfill all of the duties and obligations we take on as members of the Church, we sometimes see the gospel as a long list of tasks that we must add to our already impossibly long to-do list, as a block of time that we must somehow fit into our busy schedules. We focus on what the Lord wants us to do and how we might do it, but we sometimes forget why. My dear sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven, leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible fulfillment in the life to come. The gospel is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us.

• Forget not that the Lord loves you.

You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time! He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom.