Visiting Teaching Message November 2016
I Will Bring the Light of the Gospel into My
Home
We can bring the light of the gospel
into our homes, schools, and workplaces if we look for and share positive
things about others.
In
response to Sister Linda K. Burton’s invitation at April’s general
conference,1 many of you have been involved in thoughtful and
generous acts of charity focused on meeting the needs of refugees in your local
area. From simple, one-on-one efforts to community-wide programs, those acts
are the result of love. As you have shared your time, talents, and resources,
your—and the refugees’—hearts have been lightened. The building of hope and
faith and even greater love between receiver and giver are inevitable results
of true charity.
The
prophet Moroni tells us that charity is an essential characteristic of those
who will live with Heavenly Father in the celestial kingdom. He writes, “Except
ye have charity ye can in nowise be saved in the kingdom of God.”2
Of
course, Jesus
Christ is the perfect
embodiment of charity. His premortal offering to be our Savior, His
interactions throughout His mortal life, His supernal gift of the Atonement,
and His continual efforts to bring us back to our Heavenly Father are the
ultimate expressions of charity. He operates with a singular focus: love for
His Father expressed through His love for each of us. When asked about the
greatest commandment, Jesus answered:
“Thou
shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with
all thy mind.
“This
is the first and great
commandment.
One
of the most significant ways we can develop and demonstrate love for our
neighbor is through being generous in our thoughts and words. Some years ago a
cherished friend noted, “The greatest form of charity may be to withhold
judgment.”4 That is still true today.
Recently,
as three-year-old Alyssa watched a movie with her siblings, she remarked with a
puzzled expression, “Mom, that chicken is weird!”
Her
mother looked at the screen and responded with a smile, “Honey, that is a
peacock.”
Like
that unknowing three-year-old, we sometimes look at others with an incomplete
or inaccurate understanding. We may focus on the differences and perceived
flaws in those around us whereas our Heavenly Father sees His children, created
in His eternal image, with magnificent and glorious potential.
President
James E. Faust is remembered to have said, “The older I get, the less judgmental
I become.”5 That reminds me of the Apostle Paul’s observation:
“When
I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a
child: but when I became [older], I put away childish things.
“For
now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part;
but then shall I know even as also I am known.”6
When
we see our own imperfections more clearly, we are less inclined to view others
“through a glass, darkly.” We want to use the light of the gospel to see others
as the Savior does—with compassion, hope, and charity. The day will come when
we will have a complete understanding of others’ hearts and will be grateful to
have mercy extended to us—just as we extend charitable thoughts and words to
others during this life.
Some
years ago, I went canoeing with a group of young women. The deep blue lakes
surrounded by green, thickly forested hills and rocky cliffs were
breathtakingly beautiful. The water sparkled on our paddles as we dipped them
into the clear water, and the sun shone warmly while we moved smoothly across
the lake.
However,
clouds soon darkened the sky, and a stiff wind began to blow. To make any
progress at all, we had to dig deeply into the water, paddling without pausing
between strokes. After a few grueling hours of backbreaking work, we finally
turned the corner on the large lake and discovered to our amazement and delight
that the wind was blowing in the direction we wanted to go.
Quickly,
we took advantage of this gift. We pulled out a small tarp and tied two of its
corners to paddle handles and the other corners to my husband’s feet, which he
stretched out over the gunwales of the canoe. The wind billowed the improvised
sail, and we were off!
When
the young women in the other canoes saw how we moved along the water with ease,
they quickly improvised sails of their own. Our hearts were light with laughter
and relief, grateful for the respite from the challenges of the day.
How
like that glorious wind can be the sincere compliment of a friend, the cheerful
greeting of a parent, the approving nod of a sibling, or the helpful smile of a
co-worker or classmate, all supplying fresh “wind in our sails” as we battle
the challenges of life! President Thomas S.
Monson put it this
way: “We can’t direct the wind, but we can adjust the sails. For maximum
happiness, peace, and contentment, may we choose a positive attitude.”7
Words
have surprising power, both to build up and to tear down. We can all probably
remember negative words that brought us low and other words spoken with love
that made our spirits soar. Choosing to say only that which is positive
about—and to—others lifts and strengthens those around us and helps others
follow in the Savior’s way.
As
a young Primary girl, I worked diligently to cross-stitch a simple saying which
read, “I will bring the light of the gospel into my home.” One weekday
afternoon as we girls pulled our needles up and down through the fabric, our
teacher told us the story of a girl who lived on a hill on one side of a
valley. Each late afternoon she noticed on the hill on the opposite side of the
valley a house that had shining, golden windows. Her own home was small and
somewhat shabby, and the girl dreamed of living in that beautiful house with
windows of gold.
One
day the girl was given permission to ride her bike across the valley. She
eagerly rode until she reached the house with the golden windows that she had
admired for so long. But when she dismounted from her bike, she saw that the
house was abandoned and dilapidated, with tall weeds in the yard and windows
that were plain and dirty. Sadly, the girl turned her face toward home. To her
surprise, she saw a house with shining, golden windows on the hill across the
valley and soon realized it was her very own home!8
Sometimes,
like this young girl, we look at what others might have or be and feel we are
less in comparison. We become focused on the Pinterest or Instagram versions of
life or caught up in our school’s or workplace’s preoccupation with
competition. However, when we take a moment to “count [our] many blessings,”9 we see with a truer perspective and recognize the
goodness of God to allof
His children.
Whether
we are 8 or 108, we can bring the light of the gospel into our own environment,
be it a high-rise apartment in Manhattan, a stilt house in Malaysia, or a yurt
in Mongolia. We can determine to look for the good in others and in the
circumstances around us. Young and not-so-young women everywhere can
demonstrate charity as they choose to use words that build confidence and faith
in others.
Elder Jeffrey R.
Holland told of a young
man who was the brunt of his peers’ teasing during his school years. Some years
later he moved away, joined the military, received an education, and became
active in the Church. This period of his life was marked with wonderfully
successful experiences.
After
several years he returned to his hometown. However, the people refused to
acknowledge his growth and improvement. To them, he was still just old
“so-and-so,” and they treated him that way. Eventually, this good man faded
away to a shadow of his former successful self without being able to use his
marvelously developed talents to bless those who derided and rejected him once
again.10 What a loss, both for him and the community!
The
Apostle Peter taught, “Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves:
for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”11Fervent charity, meaning
“wholehearted,” is demonstrated by forgetting the mistakes and stumblings of
another rather than harboring grudges or reminding ourselves and others of
imperfections in the past.
Our
obligation and privilege is to embrace improvement in everyoneas we strive to
become more like our Savior, Jesus Christ. What a thrill it is to see light in
the eyes of someone who has come to understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ
and is making real changes in his or her life! Missionaries who have
experienced the joy of seeing a convert enter the waters of baptism and then enter the doors of the temple
are witnesses of the blessing of allowing—and encouraging—others to change.
Members who welcome converts who might have been considered unlikely candidates
for the kingdom find great satisfaction in helping them feel the love of the
Lord. The great beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ is the reality of eternal
progression—we are not only allowed to change for the better but also
encouraged, and even commanded, to continue in the pursuit of
improvement and, ultimately, perfection.
President Thomas S.
Monson counseled: “In
a hundred small ways, all of you wear the mantle of charity. … Rather than
being judgmental [or] critical of [one] another, may we have the pure love of
Christ for our fellow travelers in this journey through life. May we recognize
that each one is doing her [or his] best to deal with the challenges which come
[her or his] way, and may we strive to do our best to help out.”12
Charity,
in positive terms, is patient, kind, and content. Charity puts others first, is
humble, exercises self-control, looks for good in others, and rejoices when
someone does well.13
As
sisters (and brothers) in Zion, will we commit to “all work together … to do whatsoever is
gentle and human, to cheer and to bless in [the Savior’s] name”?14 Can we, with love and high hopes, look for and
embrace the beauties in others, allowing and encouraging progress? Can we
rejoice in the accomplishments of others while continuing to work toward our
own improvement?
Yes,
we can bring the light of the gospel into our
homes, schools, and workplaces if we look for and share positive things about others
and let the less-than-perfect fade away. What gratitude fills my heart when I think of the
repentance that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has made possible for all of us who
have inevitably sinned in this imperfect and sometimes difficult world!
I
bear my witness that as we follow His perfect example, we can receive the gift
of charity, which will bring us great joy in this life and the promised
blessing of eternal life with our Father in Heaven. In the name of Jesus
Christ, amen.
“Into My
Home”
cji
11/1/16
Peace
and tranquility
finding roots
within
3 years
olds to 16
terrors with
legs/arms
children
to be loved
precious
ones of Father
our
responsibility always
in this
mortal estate
teaching
lifelong lessons
repeatable
and righteous
into my
home this love
peace
and tranquility
will I
bring this day!
Copyright © 2016 – cji
