Relief Society Presidency Message by Jody Done, May 2, 2010

Previously in Relief Society . . . Sunday, May 2, 2010, Jody Done taught the Relief Society Presidency Message entitled, “You Have His Love.” She began by sharing some of her life experiences and trials. Jody told us “I have had to rely on my Heavenly Father many times in my life and I still do. I know he loves each of us and would love to share that with you wonderful sisters today. He has been by my side through many trials and I still have to call on him each day.”

Jody expressed that “We have his love—he always loves us.” She played a song by Jenny Phillips, “To Become Like Him.” The key to Jody’s lesson was well expressed in the chorus of the song. “Remember you are greatest when you walk with God, when His light is in your eyes. You are truly strong, you don’t have to prove your beauty in the eyes of men. You are divine within. You were sent here to become like him.” Jody explained that part of our preparation for life on earth meant dealing with “sickness, pain, sorrow, death and many other trials. We understood that we would learn from these and He would always love us.” We can recognize the Love of God because he gave us scriptures to teach us and uplift us. He gave us a Savior to help us and show us the way. We have modern day prophets to guide us. The greatest example of God’s love for his children is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Jody asked three sisters to share experiences when they have felt Heavenly Father’s love whether through facing trials or in everyday life. Pat Stevenson shared her experiences with her son Ryan’s accident. Ryan was airlifted from Brighton, where it was discovered he’d cut his spinal cord, resulting in paralysis from the chest down. Pat found it hard to grasp the situation, let alone the future. She found strength in the scripture from 1 Corinthians 10:13, knowing that Heavenly Father wouldn’t give more than she could handle. Doctors expressed that “Ryan was still Ryan.” Pat felt like a “cold, wet towel started to be lifted and a warm blanket was wrapped around her shoulders” from all of the meals, cards, phone calls and chocolate chip cookies (“chocolate chip cookie therapy”). Pat expressed that Ryan started a car show to ”give back” after he was shown so much love and concern from family, friends, and the community. Pat feels that God loves us and uses angels to show his love.

Donna Thorum expressed that she feels the love of the Lord through the world, earth sciences and her love of birds. Forty-four years ago, when she moved into the ward, she saw her first scrub jay, a beautiful blue bird that sparked a life-long love of birds and learning about each type. She has identified 504 different species of birds in North America. She also felt God’s love for her through the prayers of ward members in her behalf after surgery. Donna felt that all of her prayers were answered and she is blessed to still be able to look at birds.

Kendrick Smaelie shared her year-long growing experiences of applying to college. She looks back on her initial plans and how they changed as she made new decisions. Each prayerful decision lead to unexpected changes in her future path. In this experience she feels Heavenly Father’s love guiding her to where she needs to be, because she wouldn’t necessarily make the best decisions wholly by herself.

Kathy Jones shared a story, “A Penetrating Light” by Michelle Bowden about how she felt Heavenly Father’s love. Jody then challenged the sisters to go home and make a list of the ways we have felt His love in our own personal lives.

Jody closed by telling the sisters, “You are loved. Be positive and spiritually centered and [you] may feel more of your Heavenly Father’s love and how we can become like him: see as He sees, think as He thinks. Pray and talk to Him and tell Him how you feel His love. She expressed her gratitude for all of the help and love she has received from her Father in Heaven.

Other Sources:
Gordon B. Hinckley, “Women of the Church,” Ensign, Nov. 1996, p.67.
Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Love of God,” General Conference, Oct. 2009.

From the Heart By Nicole Fisher

At our house, we are in the midst of a major remodel. I’m sure if you’ve driven up our lane, you haven’t missed seeing the story high pile of dirt, chunks of cement and stacks of plywood littering our front lawn. Thankfully, we’ve moved beyond what we have jokingly referred to as “The Death Drop,” (for several weeks, opening the front door could result in a 12 ft. plummet to certain injury and possible death). Needless to say, I was concerned for the safety of my children and that of the neighborhood children. Several neighbors kindly asked how I was handling all of this chaos. I realized that I was actually enjoying the process because despite the dangers lurking in my front yard, I knew the long-term plan. Besides, we still had a safe, comfortable environment inside our home and had taken precautions to warn our neighbors of any possible dangers.
We live in very difficult, often dangerous, times. Unlike my house that was only unsafe for a short while, we are constantly bombarded with problems in our everyday life. In this past General Conference, President Monson said in his closing address “ . . . Today, as we look at the world around us, we are faced with problems which are serious and of great concern to us. The world seems to have slipped from the moorings of safety and drifted from the harbor of peace . . . My counsel for all of us is to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. There is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what its beacon light can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. The lighthouse of the Lord sends forth signals readily recognized and never failing.” I love the image of the gospel of Jesus Christ as a safe harbor, where peace and love comfort and protect us from the storms of the world.
I feel blessed to have the gospel in my life. Just like blueprints and caution tape in my remodel, the gospel gives me guidance, direction, safety and teaches me of the eternal plan of our Father in Heaven. Chaos may rein today, but I take comfort in the knowledge of a loving Savior who lights the path to happiness.