Today the Bishop conducted a combined RS/Priesthood meeting. To begin, the Bishop had Bro. Brown read the following quote;
"The need today for Christlike love is as great as or perhaps even greater than when the Savior walked on this earth. As shepherds we must understand that we should nurture each one of our sheep to bring them to Christ, which is the purpose of all we do in this Church. . . As we stay in tune with the needs of the people, we can strengthen them and help them overcome their challenges, so they will remain steadfast in the way which will lead them back to our Heavenly Father's presence and help them endure to the end." Ulisses Soares, "Feed My Sheep," Ensign, Nov. 2005, 98
He then asked how can we strengthen and help our ward family overcome their challenges, especially those who are not joining us on a regular basis?
Bishop Bonham then had President Shaw give us a list of fundamental, basic things we should do every day to strengthen our own foundation. These included; prayer and scripture study (both individual and family,) paying a full tithe, going to the temple regularly, keeping our baptismal covenants, and keeping the spirit in our home. By following this list and nurturing our own testimonies, we can better serve and nurture those around us.
It was brought up that it is important to remember not to beat yourself up when you can't meet all of your own expectations in accomplishing the items on this list.
The Bishop then said; "We are constantly striving to better understand the needs of the ward and it's members and to be in tune with the spirit to know how to serve it/them better." With that in mind, there were several resources discussed to better serve and nurture our ward, the members, our families, and ourselves. The list we came up with included the following;
Extended family- don't assume what their response will be to your inquiries.
Visiting Teachers/Home Teachers- allow others the opportunity to serve. When they ask what they can do to help, don't automatically say "nothing, I'm fine." They can not address your needs if they do not know what they are.
Relief Society sisters and Priesthood brethren- a ward is a family. Just like in any family, the more effort you put into the relationship, the stronger your bond will be. Work to build friendships in and outside of the church.
The Internet- there are a LOT of spiritually uplifting and helpful web sites available. The church now has numerous web sites to help nurture it's members and others. www.lds.org , www.mormon.org , www.combatingpornography.org , www.familysearch.org , www.mormonmessages.org , radio.lds.org to name a few. There are also unlimited blogs and family web sites available. Also, social networking sites can be a tool in reaching out to members.
In conclusion, the Bishop stated that "We [as a ward] need to fight together, help each other, and support each other" as we strive to build the kingdom.
Have you done any good in the world today? Dede B.
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