RS Lesson - A Perspective + Video

"United in Accomplishing God's Work" By Sister Jean B. Bingham

"What Lack I Yet" by Elder Larry R. Lawrence

Nina Hodge - North Relief Society

We live in a pretty divided world right now. There are major issues we face that affect our future and how life will progress from here. Opinions and feelings are strong, and it can be difficult to have meaningful conversations in which we feel safe expressing thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or attack.

 

Sister Bingham offered a lot of relevant counsel on how we as individuals can bridge the gap between ourselves and those around us. She started with lessons Adam and Eve learned first in the garden and later as they labored together to provide for their family. Many of the things they did then are things we can do today. But we must first have a desire to work together.

 

First, she pointed out that Adam and Even “counseled and prayed together.” Do we counsel and pray with others about the things that weigh on our minds and hearts? Do we approach difficult conversations with open minds and hearts? Do we have a sincere desire to both hear and be heard? It takes work and involves risk to put ourselves out there – to share our concerns or fears, to withhold judgment and criticism, to open ourselves up to the potential judgment or criticism of others, to give someone the benefit of a doubt instead of assuming they mean to do us harm.

 

To this point, Sister Bingham pointed out that “through the fall, [Adam and Eve learned that it was essential to act in unity and love.” They went on to teach their children what they learned through that experience, demonstrating for their children what it looked like to act in unity and love. Are we learning those same lessons? Do we really know how to act in unity and love? Do we model this for others?

 

Sister Bingham also taught that “Adam and Even learned to appreciate their differing strengths and supported one another.” This might be the most challenging of all. We hear a lot today about equality. We hear much less about the value of difference. Being united doesn’t mean we all have to be the same, but it does mean we need to be able to value what others bring to our lives.

 

In my family, I have a sister who is an exceptional pianist, one who can play almost any instrument with strings (I think the harp is the only one she hasn’t tried … yet), one who is an artist, and one who has a gift of connecting with people.  While the two instrumentalists are very similar in their talents, we are a very diverse group overall. Each has her own very unique set of lived experiences … no two even close to the same! We meet over zoom every Sunday just to check in and see how each other is doing. Our conversations are often long (we were online for nearly 2 hours today), but I have come to really love the time to learn from each of my sisters. We still often talk over each other in an attempt to be heard, and we don’t always agree on whatever we’re discussing. But, at the end of each call, what matters most is our relationship. Today, I thought of this description Sister Bingham provided of Alison and John:

 

 “Each desired the happiness of the other more than his or her own; each looked for the good in one another and worked to overcome the not-so-great in him or herself. They took turns leading and took turns giving more when one partner was struggling. Each valued the other’s contributions and found better answers to their challenges as they combined their talents and resources.”

 

Though the people here are a married couple, each individual can work toward having this kind of relationship with key people in his/her life. We can look for the good, support those who struggle, and acknowledge when we are in need of a little extra help. We can also work together to find solutions instead of trying to push through on our own. To me, this is what unity looks like.

South Relief Society Presidency - What Lack I Yet?