The thoughts I have expressed in this post series I have called "All For One and One For All - Surviving the Battle For Our Souls", are thoughts I shared in a Sacrament meeting talk in May. In my current church responsibility, I often have the opportunity to speak in various church meetings. For this particular meeting, I had been given the assignment to talk about the service Relief Society sisters offer to others. I had been pondering some ideas in my head for this talk but really had no direction. As I sat down to write the talk, I said a simple prayer asking for guidance and after only 15 minutes, the talk was written. That doesn't usually happen. (It was only 10 minutes long - obviously, I've dug deeper on the blog.)
If the Spirit hadn't guided me, I don't know that I would have completely connected Parts 1-3.5 with Part 4 and then finally with what I am going to write here in Parts 5 and 6. Now that I see the connection clearly, I can't believe I didn't see it earlier. I had seen glimpses of the connection but it is amazing how the light of inspiration can bring so much clarity. (And yet, I am fully aware that there is still so much more to learn - as always.)
We return back to those fateful last hours of the Savior's life. From the ashes of His inexplainable pain, came His understanding of...well, everything and everyone, but for our purposes today, we will explore how His complete comprehension of our mortal minds and hearts has lead to the commandments to love one another by fulfilling modern day assignments such as visiting teaching and home teaching and to fulfill our baptismal covenants to "bear one another's burdens" (Mosiah 18:8). It's not just busy work. It is real work; it is hard work and it is the work the disciples of Jesus Christ must be about every single day because it is the work of LOVE - and love, love, love has an amazing power to help us survive the battle in which we are all engaged.
Out on that battle field, we are each fighting our own individual battles. Each person and each family is dealing with the responsibility of building up the walls of defense around their homes. Satan will look for any weak spot in our fortifications, therefore a constant vigil must be kept to protect ourselves and our families. This isn't easy and if we are not careful, a weak spot will be found and then the battle will intensify significantly.
Here is the reality, if you think a person or a family is not struggling in the battle, then you don't know that person or family very well. NONE OF US IS EXEMPT! None of us. Thus, the Savior commands us, when we are baptized to "bear one another's burdens, mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." (Mosiah 18:8) He doesn't do this just to keep us out of trouble - although serving others can do that. He doesn't do this just to teach us valuable lessons - although serving others can do that. He doesn't do this just because He knows how it will help us with our own problems - although serving others definitely can do that. Remember, He has been to our darkest places - and He did it alone. He knows what it is like to fight the battle ALONE and He doesn't want any of us to have to endure the same loneliness. So He asks us to do more than just be nice. He gives us assignments at church in which we have stewardship over others and even more specifically, He simply asks us to visit two or three sisters or families each month to see how they are fairing in the battle.
So, in your mind's eye, envision yourself as a home teacher or a visiting teacher, dressed in full battle armor (because it is wise to never take it off), approaching a family's fortress once a month. Now, you have your own fortress to take care of, but we're all in this together and sometimes it takes someone standing at a different perspective to help us fix things up. There is nothing wrong with that. It seems pretty clear, when you think of how extensive and intense this battle can be, we can't do it alone. We simply cannot do it alone.
And maybe the family or sister is doing okay that month and doesn't really need help, except for a quick pep talk and a prayer (we can all use that on a daily basis). But sometimes, there may be a need, a huge need and the family feels overwhelmed with the pain of wounds they are dealing with but there you are, someone in whom they have learned to trust because of your integrity and they feel safe with you and you are ready and willing to help with love and no judgment - just an understanding that we are all wounded from time to time and healing can take place, especially because it is the Master Healer who sent you. You are on His errand and He will be by your side to help you know how to help this family not feel alone and forgotten. He knows how that feels, remember?
This is the work of Relief Society and of the Priesthood. Is the work you are doing as part of the RELIEF Society bringing relief to others? It isn't always easy work. It isn't always convenient or pretty or heroic. It isn't always heart warming and although dinners and humanitarian aid kits and quilts are a significant part of serving others, the battle is growing so fierce and the wounds are so great, it is requiring more spiritually minded, forgiving, loving and understanding disciples of Jesus Christ than ever before.
"It is not enough merely to speak of Jesus Christ or proclaim that we are His disciples. It is not enough to surround ourselves with symbols of our religion. Discipleship is not a spectator sport. We cannot expect to experience the blessings of faith by standing inactive on the sidelines any more than we can experience the benefits of health by sitting on a sofa watching sporting events on television and giving advice to the athletes. And yet for some, “spectator discipleship” is a preferred if not a primary way of worshipping." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Way of the Disciple",Ensign, May 2009, pg 75.
And here is the clincher..."It does not require a calling more than being a member to nourish by reaching out in kindness." Henry B. Eyring, “Feeding His Lambs,” Liahona, Feb 2008, 2–7. Got that? We don't need to wait for an assignment to serve someone and there is no need for us to say something such as, "I am not her visiting teacher so I'll just leave that up to them." That is not what the Savior would do.
We must roll up our shirt sleeves and be willing to get in the thick of things. "Ours is not a secondhand religion. We cannot receive the blessings of the gospel merely by observing the good that others do. We need to get off the sidelines and practice what we preach." President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "The Way of the Disciple" (reference above.)
And as I wrote earlier, even if all you can do is pray for someone, then at least do that.
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