Each woman in a ward creates the Relief Society. Each of us is vital and needed to make the sisterhood complete. As I looked around the chapel on Sunday, I saw unique and different women, like different blooms in a stunning bouquet of flowers. I could immediately discern talents/spiritual gifts some sisters had that were different or more competent than mine. And I was glad!
Spiritual gifts are characteristics of our Divine Parents given to each of Their children. The Lord revealed that we all have at least one spiritual gift and that we can claim others!
When I perceive the talents of others, I see those talents as characteristics of Deity expressed in that sister’s unique way. And so I fully expect to see a ward of covenant women expressing many and varied Divine characteristics because we are daughters of God. The more spiritual gifts and talents are cultivated and celebrated, the closer we are to Zion.
The adversary wages war against us and our families, and we are all susceptible to attacks on our divine nature involving things like comparison/jealousies, believing we must hide our “real” selves, or believing we don’t really make a difference.
We Need Every Relief Society Sister to Make Our Sisterhood Complete!
We need every sister’s spiritual gifts to lift and love each other in times of happiness, crisis, sorrow, growth, doubt, and darkness, and to help carry life’s burdens we cannot carry alone. I’ve experienced being carried by women’s unique strengths through my dark storms and lonely valleys, and know that your spiritual gifts can strengthen me now.
So when I looked across a chapel full of covenant women, I rejoiced in the differences I could quickly perceive. Instead of comparing your obvious strengths with my weaknesses, I choose instead to celebrate your strengths, ask for the Savior’s enabling power for my weakness, and offer my spiritual gifts, as they are, to our sisterhood, willing to strengthen anyone who could use my unique expressions. I pray that if you can, you will too.
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