President Nelson said, "We will implement a newer, holier, approach to caring for and ministering to others."
Sister Jean Bingham said, "What a better way to prepare to meet Him (our Savior) than striving to become like Him through lovingly ministering to one another!" she continued, "Sometimes we think we have to do something grand and heroic to "Count" as serving our neighbors. Yet simple acts of service can have profound effects on others..." "He (meaning our Savior again) also smiled at, talked with, walked with, listened to, made time for, encouraged, taught, fed and forgave. He served family and friends, neighbors and strangers alike and He invited acquaintances and loved ones to enjoy the rich blessings of His gospel. Those "simple" acts of service and love provide a template for our ministering today."
Sister White pointed out that really, if we have been doing our visiting teaching like it was meant to be done, then nothing is really changing except for the reporting. However, if we have not been doing our visiting teaching like it was meant, then we need to make great changes. This new ministering will be regarded as visiting teaching on a Holier and Higher level. We need to take care of our sisters and their needs. We will do this through personal revelation that will lead us to who we can serve, and what their needs are. Sister White also stated, "how fabulous is it when we have a partner that helps us to go do those visits! To help lift us and make us better at being what we need to be as we minister to those we are called to visit."
We will still have partnerships. We will report to our Savior what we are doing and can ask Him to help us know what more we need to do to help those we are serving with and whom we are called to serve.
For the ministering interviews that will be held this next Wednesday, on May 9th, the Relief Society presidency has asked that we:
- Come prepared by praying before hand whom it is that Heavenly Father needs us to serve or minister with.
- Also, pray about whom it is that you need to be serving. Who can you help and what do you need to do to serve them.
If we will pray about these prior to the interviews we can come to the interview with an idea of what the Lord's will is. And His way is always better that what we think we should do, because He see's the bigger picture.
Sister Tammy began the next part of our discussion on Ministering. . . . .
First she told us what the word ministering means in the dictionary.
- It is a Chief Servant.
- An Agent.
- A high officer of state entrusted with the management of a division of governmental activities.
- To transact or manage given authority under another.
- An executive officer.
- One the king trusts to take care of everything.
- An Angel.
- A messenger of God.
The verbs describing the word minister would be:
- To supply the means to relieve.
- to functions a minister of.
- to give aid or service.
We can be as this word is described. We can be a messenger of God or to some an angel by being the means to relieve burdens, to give aid to and or serve.
Elder Holland expounded in his talk, "Brothers and sisters, we have a heaven-sent opportunity as an entire Church to demonstrate "pure religion . . . undefiled before God" - "to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light" and to "comfort those that stand in need of comfort," to minister to the widows and the fatherless, the married and the single, the strong and the distraught, the downtrodden and the robust, the happy and the sad - in short, all of us, every one of us, because we all need to feel the warm hand of friendship and hear the firm declaration of faith. However, Elder Holland said, "I warn you, a new name, new flexibility, and fewer reports won't make an ounce of difference in our service unless we see this as an invitation to care for one another in a bold, new holier way."
What does he mean in a bold, new holier way? One sister suggested that it means, to change how we do things would be a new and bold way.
How can we make these changes? Sister Rawlins said, "sometimes we recognize a need that we could help with, but then we second guess ourselves. We need to humble ourselves and move forward on those promptings."
Sister Allen (Joann) said, "We need to ask for help that is out of our comfort zone." She told of how when she had the triplets she being an independent person wanted to do it without help, but she came to the realization that she really needed help and she couldn't do it all on her own. She humbled herself and was willing to ask for help and she and her family were blessed by others that were willing to serve.
Sister Glory talked about a sister that had cancer. This sister had never needed help and was a pretty independent lady, but when she became ill, she had to ask for help to survive. This sister really hadn't known the people in her apartment building prior to her getting ill, but after a short time she came to know those around her. By their ministering and helping her she was able to get to know most of the people in her apartment building. The sister called it independence with benefits (her new friends).
Sister Jamie Johnson said, "We need to ask those we minister to how we can serve them, and then do what they need, not what we ourselves think they need."
Sister Cheri Smith talked about listening to the Spirit and listening to promptings. She talked about how we need to get out of our comfort zones and really serve.
The question was asked, "Is there a time in your life when you have been ministered to that you would share." (This question was given to Sister Christina Smith) She answered that there were 3 times that she remembers that she would like to share.
The first was a time when her mother came to her home for a visit. Sister Smith's mother told Christina that her front flower garden was really bad. So Christina went out and was going to work on it one day, and her mother came out and put on her gloves and they worked together in making it look better. Sister Smith's mother was willing to not just point out a problem, but she was then willing to help Sister Christina fix the problem.
The second time she remembered was when her visiting teachers saw her out raking up her leaves in the fall. Christina's yard has some very big trees and so the leaves in the fall are abundant. Her visiting teachers went and got their rakes and came back and helped her rake her leaves.
The third time she talked about was how whenever she goes anywhere with Annette Elllis, Sister Ellis will always talk with people. She is fearless in talking to people. This helps Sister Smith because Sister Ellis is so at ease in speaking with others - it helps Sister Smith come out of her shell, and that is a blessing to Christina.
President Nelson said, "The Lord has made important adjustments in the way we care for each other. Sisters and brothers - young and old - will serve one another in a new, holier way. Elders quorum will be strengthened to bless the lives of men, women and children throughout the world.
Relief Society sisters will continue to minister in their unique and loving way, extending opportunities to younger sisters to join them.
A hallmark of the Lord's true and living Church will always be an organized, directed effort to minister to individual children of God and their families. Because it is His Church, we as His servants will minister to the one, just as He did. We will minister in His name, with His power and authority and with His loving-kindness.
Let us go forward and minister in the Lord's way.
