Joseph Fielding Smith Lesson #20Love and Concern For All Our Father’s Children
It is in the thoughtful little things of life that the real Joseph Fielding Smith could be seen most clearly.”
* How do you develop a lifelong pattern of serving?
“I think if all men knew and understood who they are, and were aware of the divine source from whence they came, and of the infinite potential that is part of their inheritance, they would have feelings of kindness and kinship for each other that would change their whole way of living and bring peace on earth.” -JFS
* How does understanding your own divinity lead to feelings of kindness for others and potentially even world peace??
“I believe it is our solemn duty to love one another, to believe in each other, to have faith in each other, that it is our duty to overlook the faults and the failings of each other, and not to magnify them in our own eyes nor before the eyes of the world. There should be no faultfinding, no back-biting, no evil speaking, one against another, in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We should be true to each other and to every principle of our religion and not be envious one of another. We should not be jealous one of another, nor angry with each other, and there should not arise in our hearts a feeling that we will not forgive one another our trespasses. There should be no feeling in the hearts of the children of God of unforgiveness against any man, no matter who he may be. ...” -JFS
*What jumps out at you in this quote? What do you need to work on in your relationships?
“I know of a mother who used her nurturing power to strengthen and bless a son and bring him back to Church activity. At age 18 the son announced that he did not intend to serve a mission. His activity in the Church dwindled. But the mother had faith, and she was a powerful nurturer. Every morning at 4:00 a.m., when her son got up to go to work, the mother arose at the same hour. She lovingly prepared a breakfast for him and packed a large lunch that he could take with him. She sat with him while he ate his breakfast and listened as he talked through his struggles in those dawn hours. This went on month after month for more than a year. Then one morning the son told his mother he was going to make the changes necessary to qualify to serve a mission. She listened morning after morning as he talked about his feelings and challenges, encouraged him as he met with the bishop, and fed him at her table in her consecrated home. Eventually her son received a mission call. He served an honorable mission and continued into temple marriage and faithful fatherhood. He later said of the mighty change that took place in his heart: “I could not resist the love of my mother. The pull she had on my spirit during those reflective early morning breakfasts was too powerful to resist.”” –Julie Beck
* Replace mother with whatever role you play: visiting teacher, friend, teacher, daughter, sister. What can you do to make your love too powerful to resist?
A few final thoughts:
“As we arise each morning let us determine to respond with more love and kindness to whatever might come our way.” -Thomas S. Monson
“Friendship is one of the grand fundamental principles of Mormonism.” - Joseph Smith
“The call to love comes so often through the countenance of others.”
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