Relief Society Lesson June 2004

June 2004

Yesterday, I was wishing I had gone to the cabin.  I wasn't accomplishing what I had wanted to do and I was having a hard time understanding why I didn't feel right about going up on Friday night.  And then, I went to Relief Society this morning and I knew I was meant to hear the lesson.  The Relief Society President was in charge of the lesson.  She decided that we would choose the lesson; she gave us some possible topics – the atonement, our founding fathers or what ever we felt like discussing.  She did have her notes, so she wasn't unprepared, but it was obvious that she desired to teach with the spirit.

One sister spoke up and said that she had problems with visiting teaching message.  (The Ensign, June 2004).  It was on exercising charity.  This sister spoke of how she is having trouble being charitable toward a loved one, who is a trial in her life.  Others mention how they have to deal with difficult people and forgiving others.  It was mention that you can’t change the person, but that somehow you must come to grips with the suffering that someone is causing you and let the atonement work.  The general idea was sometimes, you just have to turn to the Lord and give him your problems.  When you have to force yourself to forgive or you let it eat away at you; there is something wrong when you do either and it just plain unhealthy.  One sister said something along the lines, that isn't the person you know that is hurting you, it is the addictions or addictive behavior and I add the illness, the bitterness and the anger speaking out.  This sister’s remark hit me hard, because I deal with a person who is gone for the time being.  It is the illness, not the person, which says and does things to hurt me and others.  I can’t afford to take what this person’s illness is saying or doing to me personally. 

The Relief Society President then quoted Alma 7:11-12, which is about the atonement.  “And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.  And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

In the meantime, I need to let the atonement work in my life, even though I don’t understand it all.  The atonement must be so simple that I have a hard grasping the beauty of it all.  I can’t change this person; I can’t force the person into getting better.  I can’t tolerate the behavior that is being shown toward me and others close to that person.  And I can’t force myself to like this person, because it wouldn't be me trying to forgive.  But I can still love this person. I need to see the way our Heavenly Father sees this person.  Then I can forgive and let the atonement work in my life.  And then, I can have charity toward this person.

Moroni 7:47-48 “But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.  Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.”