Relief Society Lesson 23 May 2010

Our lesson was taught by Sis. Heintz, and was based on President Eyring's October 2009 talk "Our Perfect Example."
Moroni 7:48 says “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."
All of us have different circumstances and problems. We all want to become better, smarter, more than we are. And, we all can. Through living the gospel of Jesus Christ, our perfect example, we can become more like our Savior.

President Eyring recalled an experience of listening to a group of children singing "I'm Trying to be Like Jesus." Many of us are familiar with the lyrics;
I’m trying to be like Jesus; I’m following in his ways.
I’m trying to love as he did, in all that I do and say.
At times I am tempted to make a wrong choice,
But I try to listen as the still small voice whispers,
“Love one another as Jesus loves you.
Try to show kindness in all that you do.
Be gentle and loving in deed and in thought,
For these are the things Jesus taught."
President Eyring said of the experience; "It seemed to me that they were not just singing; they were declaring their determination. Jesus Christ was their example. To be like Him was their fixed goal. And their eager looks and their shining eyes convinced me that they had no doubts. They expected to succeed. They believed that the instruction of the Savior to be perfect was not a hope but a command. And they were sure He had prepared the way."
What strikes me about this song, is the title...I'm TRYING to be like Jesus. None of us is capable of perfection. Our Heavenly Father made us that way. If we were able to be perfect on our own there would be no room in our lives for the atoning sacrifice of our Savior. That is not the plan! That is not how it is supposed to be. Aren't we lucky that we have the gospel and example of Jesus Christ to help us on our mortal path? The "grown up" version of this song, so to speak, would be "Lord, I Would Follow Thee." Read through the lyrics below and you will see how the two songs basically say the same thing.
Savior, may I learn to love thee,
Walk the path that thou hast shown,
Pause to help and lift another,
Finding strength beyond my own.
Savior, may I learn to love thee-
Lord, I would follow thee.

Who am I to judge another
When I walk imperfectly?
In the quiet heart is hidden
Sorrow that the eye can't see.
Who am I to judge another?
Lord, I would follow thee.

I would be my brother's keeper;
I would learn the healer's art.
To the wounded and the weary
I would show a gentle heart.
I would be my brother's keeper-
Lord, I would follow thee.

Savior, may I love my brother
As I know thou lovest me,
Find in thee my strength, my beacon,
For thy servant I would be.
Savior, may I love my brother-
Lord, I would follow thee.

President Eyring also said "Just as Jesus used a child in His mortal ministry as an example for the people of the pure love they must and could have to be like Him, He has offered us the family as an example of an ideal setting in which we can learn how to love as He loves.
That is because the greatest joys and the greatest sorrows we experience are in family relationships. The joys come from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is. And the sorrow comes primarily from selfishness, which is the absence of love. The ideal God holds for us is to form families in the way most likely to lead to happiness and away from sorrow. A man and a woman are to make sacred covenants that they will put the welfare and happiness of the other at the center of their lives. Children are to be born into a family where the parents hold the needs of children equal to their own in importance. And children are to love parents and each other."
I especially like the line that states that "joy comes from putting the welfare of others above our own. That is what love is."
Have you ever heard it put so simply, so succinctly, so perfectly? It's simple. Joy+Service= Love. Sorrow +Selfishness= No Love. We can honor and respect others as Christ would have us do. He is our perfect example in deed, AND in thought. We can learn to love others as our Savior loves them. We can also learn to love ourselves as the Savior loves us.
President Eyring also spoke of the following; "There is a gravestone near my home of a mother and grandmother. She and her husband were sealed in the temple of God to each other and to their posterity for time and all eternity. The inscription on the gravestone reads, “Please, no empty chairs.” She asked for that inscription because she knew that whether the family will be together depends on the choices each family member makes. The word “please” is there because neither God nor she can compel another to choose happiness. And there is Satan, who wants misery, not happiness, in families in this life and in the next." What have you done that makes you worthy to be at the Lord's table today? Dede B.