Search Results for: blog supporting others during their trials

Are You Being Taken Advantage Of or Helping Others?

It can be difficult to draw the line between serving others and being taken advantage of. This is especially difficult when it comes to members of the church. I am not speaking of teaching an occasional class or serving in a church calling, but of the times you are asked to help out in some way. Too often others assume because you are in the same ward, that you will offer a discount or do it for free. It can be difficult to deal with this situation. I have known people who expect plumbers to come over and fix major … Continue reading →

Supporting Others During Their Trials

We are all faced with times of trial in our lives. It can be difficult to know what to do and how to do it. It can also be difficult to reach out to others when they are going through a trial. Sometimes people are reluctant to share their trials because they do not want to be a burden or to bother other people. Some trials are too personal to openly share with others. If you know someone is struggling through a trial here are four simple things to do for her. 1) Pray for the person who is struggling. … Continue reading →

General Conference: “Concern for the One”

In his talk “Concern for the One” Elder Joseph B Wirthlin speaks to and about those who may have strayed from the church. He opens his talk by briefly bearing testimony about the call of each new member of the first presidency. He then teaches that Christ has always been concerned for the one. He reminds of the parable of the shepherd leaving his flock and going after the one who is lost. Elder Wirthlin then explains that there are three types of people who are lost. Elder Wirthlin says that the first type of person that may be lost … Continue reading →

Friends

Yesterday during testimony a member of the ward got up and spoke briefly about how the gospel can help to make and cement lasting friendships. His comment caused me to think back through my life and the friends that I have made. The friends that understand the sweet joy and purpose that the gospel brings into life seem to last longer. It seems as though there is no awkwardness when we get together even if it has been years since we have seen each other. It is important to realize that the perspective that the gospel adds to our lives … Continue reading →

Relief Society: Celebrating New Additions to the Family

When it comes to supporting each other in Relief Society one way that we do this is to celebrate the joys with our friends. We also spend time mourning with sisters as they face their different trials. Latter-day Saints tend to have large families. Many people make sure that a baby shower is thrown for a first time mom, but then neglect to do something to celebrate the birth of the next baby. I was raised with the view that you really only need a baby shower for first, but this does not mean that we can not celebrate with … Continue reading →

When things Go Wrong

How do you respond when things go wrong in your life? When you pray and your prayers aren’t answered? Or worse still, the opposite of what you pray happens? This week I had two experiences of this. The temptation could be to get down in the dumps and say ‘then why bother praying. God’s not listening or doesn’t care.’ From previous experience and my relationship with the Lord, I know that is far from the case. So why do things not work out as hoped? Several reasons suggest themselves. One is, the Lord knows better than I do what I … Continue reading →

Serving in the Relief Society: Compassionate Service Leader

Another calling in the Relief Society is compassionate service leader. The compassionate service leader is in charge of coordinating all the service that needs to be done. She helps to assign sisters to take in meals, find babysitting and coordinates volunteers for other activities. She will work closely with the Relief Society president to help the sisters in the ward. My mother served as compassionate service leader for several years while I was growing up. I remember that she was on the phone a lot more than usual. A compassionate service leader does spend a lot of time on the … Continue reading →

Asking for Help

When we are going through struggles and different trials, we may be on knees daily asking the Lord for help. We may be asking for strength to get through this trial or for our burdens to be lifted. We may expect help to come in unexpected ways. We may expect that the bishop will magically appear on our doorstep to help in unexpected ways. While this does happen on occasion, it is important to realize that we need to ask for help as well. The church has set up a system, which can help to meet your needs. It is … Continue reading →

Gospel Doctrine: Manifesting The Works of God

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This week’s Sunday School lesson in John 9 focuses on the healing of the blind man. After the disciples asked whether the man or his parents sin caused his handicap, Christ answered that the cause of the affliction was “that the works of God should be made manifest in him.” In an October 1984 General Conference talk, James E. Faust taught several ways that the works of God are shown in the lives of the handicapped. As neither I nor anyone I care for at present suffers from any physical struggles, he taught a lesson that affected my life. As … Continue reading →

RS/EQ: Serving God Through Eternity

The second section in the President Kimball lesson manual centers on the eternal mission of Christ. Though we usually think of Christ’s time on earth as the primary substance of His mission, we must keep in mind that, like all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children (that’s us), He existed before the creation of the world, and will continue to exist long after. During that time, He continuously obeys the will of God and keeps Him as a primary focus. As Latter-day Saints, we know that Christ was Jehovah of the Old Testament. He organized the physical world we live on … Continue reading →