The Mormon Therapist
Here is the Relief Society lesson I’ve prepared for Sunday, July 14th.
My favorite quotes and scriptures from the lesson:
I was hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me… Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my sisters, ye have done it unto me. Matthew 25: 35, 36 & 40
And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail – But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever. Moroni 7:45-47
You in the Relief Society certainly deserve all the enjoyment you can get.
The mission of the Relief Society is to succor the distressed, to minister to the sick and feeble to feed the poor, to clothe the naked, and to bless all the sons and daughters of God. Its basis is true charity, which is the pure love of Christ.
They (RS members) will find that it will strengthen their faith, give them broader ideas of life and its responsibilities, and advance them materially along the path of progress and perfection.
This is what we desire to instill into the hearts of the sisters – to be useful in their sphere and not be discouraged because of the difficulties in the way, but trust in God and look to Him, and His marvelous blessings.
We want you to exercise all the talents that God has bestowed upon you.
The members of the Relief Society have most surely exemplified in their lives pure and undefiled religion.
Questions to Ask Ourselves
Isn’t is interesting that the entire lesson starts out with an admonition for us to have fun? Why is fun important?
One of the supporting scriptures of the lesson is Mosiah 4:27: And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a woman should run faster than she has strength. Why would this particular passage be included? How do I balance charitable efforts with the rest of my responsibilities? Are any responsibilities (even those to myself) devoid of charity? Don’t they all count – from feeding my kiddos to washing my face at night?
How does understanding what my “sphere” is help me not worry about things I have no control over?
How do we incorporate women of all ages, belief and personality into our Relief Society? How do we better utilize the talents and gifts of our sisters in our ward?
Am I using anything in this lesson against myself inappropriately? Am I walking away from this lesson feelings better about myself, healthily challenged and rejuvenated for the week to come?
I would also add the following resource which I found incredibly useful:
From the Life of Eliza R. Snow by April at Exponent
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