Ever wondered how the simple act of serving others could fill your life with profound love and joy? This is the intriguing question we explore in episode 108 of the Latter-day Ladies podcast. Guided by the wisdom of Elder M Russell Ballard's engaging story of a young merchant and an old prospector, we dive into the beauty of accumulating acts of love and kindness.
We share insights on how prayer can foster charity in our hearts, and discuss how our bond with God deepens through experiences and obedience. We ponder upon the essence of the two greatest commandments - to love God and our fellow beings, and how this translates to serving others, and thus, serving Him.
Our conversation further unfolds around the transformative power of practicing Christ-like service. We discuss how being mindful and deliberate in our service can shift our perspectives towards a more Christ-centered viewpoint. The significance of small acts of kindness is highlighted, emphasizing how these seemingly minimal gestures can make a significant difference. We firmly believe that our expressions of love towards each other are essentially expressions of love towards God.
Ever wondered how the simple act of serving others could fill your life with profound love and joy? This is the intriguing question we explore in episode 108 of the Latter-day Ladies podcast. Guided by the wisdom of Elder M Russell Ballard's engaging story of a young merchant and an old prospector, we dive into the beauty of accumulating acts of love and kindness.
We share insights on how prayer can foster charity in our hearts, and discuss how our bond with God deepens through experiences and obedience. We ponder upon the essence of the two greatest commandments - to love God and our fellow beings, and how this translates to serving others, and thus, serving Him.
Our conversation further unfolds around the transformative power of practicing Christ-like service. We discuss how being mindful and deliberate in our service can shift our perspectives towards a more Christ-centered viewpoint. The significance of small acts of kindness is highlighted, emphasizing how these seemingly minimal gestures can make a significant difference. We firmly believe that our expressions of love towards each other are essentially expressions of love towards God.
Speaker 1:
You're listening to episode 108 of the Latter-day Ladies podcast. I'm your host and your friend, jenny Moss. This is a continuation in our For Strength of Youth series and I'm excited to dive in with this idea of real Christ-like love. Love God, love your neighbor. This is the next section in the For Strength of Youth pamphlet, and we're going to start this off with a little story that elder M Russell Ballard told in conference in 2011. He said this quote there was once a young merchant from Boston who sold all of his possessions to seek his fortune in the California Rivers, where he was told that they were filled with gold nuggets so big that one could hardly carry them.
Speaker 1:
Day after endless day, the young man dipped his pan into the river and came up empty. His only reward was a growing pile of rocks. Discouraged and broke, he was ready to quit until one day an old experience prospector said to him that's quite a pile of rocks. You're getting there, my boy. The young man replied there's no gold here. I'm going back home. Walking over to the pile of rocks, the old prospector said oh, there's gold, all right, you just have to know where to find it. He picked up two rocks in his hand and crashed them together. One of the rocks split open, revealing several flecks of gold sparkling in the sunlight. Noticing a bulging leather pouch fastened to the prospector's waist, the young man said I'm looking for nuggets like the ones in your pouch, not just tiny flecks. The old prospector extended his pouch toward the young man, who looked inside, expecting to see several large nuggets. He was stunned to see that the pouch was filled with thousands of flecks of gold. The old prospector said Son, it seems to me that you are so busy looking for large nuggets that you're missing filling your pouch with these precious flecks of gold. The patient accumulation of these little flecks of gold has brought me great wealth.
Speaker 1:
I love this story that he told and I believe it aligns very well with the idea of being kind throughout our life. Being kind and simply loving God and others can be overlooked in our world. I love watching videos online where large gestures of love are given to others, like someone just handing out $500 or paying off someone's car loan, but in my own life, kindness is often on a much smaller scale. Rather than helping bring a dad home from the army for the holidays, most of the service that I offer is like a tiny fleck of gold, sometimes barely noticeable unless you're looking for it. God is like the old prospector, knowing that the small flecks of gold add up quickly In his mind's eye. Every service rendered is counted. Every act of love is honored in heaven.
Speaker 1:
One of the ways that we show the Lord that we love him is by working to keep his commandments. That is a tiny fleck of gold each day as we choose to keep the commandments, but over time it accumulates to a large quantity, a treasure that we can have as we are becoming like our God. The pamphlet says this quote to help you make good choices, god gives commandments. He does this because he loves you, and the best reason to obey God's commandments is that you love him. Love is at the heart of God's commandments. End quote.
Speaker 1:
The type of love that's being described here is charity. Charity is the pure love of Christ. How do we cultivate that in our own lives, especially when we have situations that are frustrating, things that make us sad or angry? The answer of having and cultivating charity, especially when we feel like we can't do it ourselves, is praying to our Heavenly Father for the gift of charity and acting on that love that we feel. In Moroni 7.48. It says, quote pray unto the Father with all energy of heart that ye may be filled with this love charity which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, jesus Christ. End quote.
Speaker 1:
Our relationship with the Lord, just like everyone else in the world, grows with experiences together. When we obey the commandments that the Lord has given us, we are experiencing life with him and showing him that he can trust us. We are also getting to know him better because we are experiencing life together. I was shocked at how close I felt when I went up to girls camp with the leaders and the girls. Only after a few days together, our conversations that we had, our connections, helped us grow together individually and collectively as a group. It's the same situation for us and our Heavenly Father. When we create time and space to be able to experience life together, to be able to counsel together and have time to hear him, our ability to be able to know him and to follow him will sharpen.
Speaker 1:
The pamphlet continues.
Speaker 1:
God loves you. He is your Father. His perfect love can inspire you to love Him. When your love for Heavenly Father is the most important influence in your life, many decisions become easier. Show love for God. By keeping His commandments. For example, by keeping the Sabbath day holy, including by faithfully preparing for and partaking of the sacrament, you show God that you're willing to dedicate one day a week to Him.
Speaker 1:
The two greatest of all commandments Jesus taught are to love God and to love your neighbor. And who is your neighbor? Everyone. Everything else taught in the scriptures and by the prophets is connected to these two commandments. All people are your brothers and sisters, including, of course, people who are different from you or disagree with you. Heavenly Father wants His children to love each other. When you serve His children, you are serving Him.
Speaker 1:
As a parent, this makes complete sense to me when my children are kind to each other, when they serve each other and speak kindly to each other. It makes my life euphoric. But it's not a natural reaction for most people to look outside their own needs and fill and serve others. It's something that we have to practice and focus on, to incorporate it into our lives, and oftentimes we can't even do that unless we call upon the power and abilities of our Savior, jesus Christ. Elder M Russell Ballard said this quote the love the Savior described is an act of love. It's not manifested through large and heroic deeds, rather through simple acts of kindness and service, end quote. I love how he describes that. It's those simple flecks of gold. When we choose to swallow our pride in an argument, when we choose to not get frustrated with the person who cut us off on traffic, these small acts of kindness and service add up and those flecks of gold become more and more as we practice this in our life. I've previously talked about angels showing up in moments where they can only be described as miraculous.
Speaker 1:
A few months ago I had a big gut punch of an experience that left me with a series of very dark thoughts. In a moment of asking God if there was anyone who knew me and loved me. I had a friend who texted me and asked if she could print and bind the April General Conference wide margin for me. I was stunned. Not only did this friend know me, she wanted to serve me, which is my love language, and she wanted to give me a copy of General Conference, which for me is like Christmas. Her act of service reverberated within me for weeks. I kept re-remembering that kindness and it meant so much to see her see me. It also helped me try to be better about seeing others in my own life and being able to find more opportunities to serve. These small acts of kindness may take a little extra effort in our daily life, but they are making a difference. She made such a difference for me and I know that you, using your talents and abilities, will make difference for others.
Speaker 1:
The pamphlet continues, quote treat everyone as a child of God. As a disciple of Jesus Christ, you can lead out. Treating others of all races and religions and any other groups with love, respect and inclusion, especially those who are sometimes victims of hurtful words and actions. Reach out to those who feel lonely, isolated or helpless. Help them feel Heavenly Father's love through you. End quote. Elder Joseph B Worthland said this quote kindness is the essence of greatness. It is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes. End quote. I've seen firsthand how the kindness of members of the Church have softened hearts and created relationships that have helped others understand who they truly are. I've talked a little bit about a man who I taught on the mission, who the only reason why he was ready to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ was because of all of the relationships he had around him of supportive members who showed him love and respect, who offered him a Book of Mormon, who answered questions and showed up as a friend. This man was, as the missionaries call it, a golden investigator, but he was made golden because of the kindness of the people around him.
Speaker 1:
The kindness we use in our daily interactions signals to others who we are and what we center our lives around. I remember a woman who saw me in the store with my two young boys many years ago. We passed each other a few times as we were shopping and at the end of the store visit we ended up being in line right next to each other. She was talking with my little boys and being really kind and turned to me and said I know you're a believer by the way you speak to your children. I remember instantly starting to cry and she gave me a big hug. I hadn't thought about how my interactions with my kids merited the status of being a believer of God, but it opened my eyes to future interactions I had with everyone around me. Are my words indicating to others that I'm a believer? I've had this phrase in my brain so many times and I feel like I've been more careful to communicate to others and show them my relationship with Christ through the words that I choose to say to them. It's a powerful way to look at our everyday choices, but it really helped me have a huge shift in the way that I approached daily interactions.
Speaker 1:
The pamphlet continues, quote Make sure your language reflects love of God and others, whether you're communicating in person or virtually, say things that uplift nothing, that may be divisive, hurtful, offensive, even as a joke. Your words can be powerful. Let them be powerful for good. Loving all of God's children starts at home. Do your part to make your home a place where everyone can feel the Savior's love. End quote.
Speaker 1:
I know there's many parents and leaders who are concerned about the different interactions that youth can have virtually online, through text, through Snapchat, and I believe one of the core things that this pamphlet is teaching us is reminding ourselves and our youth who we are, because when we understand who we are, that can help us dictate how we choose to act. When we talk to our youth about their divine identity and purpose, when they understand that their covenants bind them to the Savior Jesus Christ, we won't have to have as many discussions about modesty and appropriate conversations or living beneath our standards. I believe that their understanding of their identity and purpose can help them truly want to be modest, want to live the standards that the Lord has given, want to have conversations that they would be comfortable having in the presence of the Savior. Now for the promised blessings from living the doctrine and principle of loving God and loving others. The pamphlet says this quote your relationship with God will deepen as you express your love by obeying His commandments and keeping your covenants with Him. I love that promise that our relationship with God will deepen and we will be able to feel closer to Him as we keep the commandments. The next promised blessing says this quote your relationship with others will deepen as you express your love through Christ-like service. You will find joy in making the world a more loving place. End quote.
Speaker 1:
I have found when my children are struggling, when they are having a hard time getting along and when it seems like there's contention and discord in our home, that's the time where we have to direct our efforts outward.
Speaker 1:
Recently, when we're having those days or those hours, we sit down and we try to decide a person that we can serve. It's been a very new experiment, but I feel like we've seen a lot of positive results from it, and the kids can feel a shift when they are directing their efforts towards others through the lens of Christ-like service. I'm excited to focus more in my own life finding ways to serve in a more Christ-like way, finding ways to view and speak to people in a more Christ-centered lens, and I know that as we point our youth towards the Savior and doing the things that he would do, we will all be able to gather Israel together. I love you guys and I hope you have an amazing week. If you liked this episode, please consider sending it to a friend or rating and reviewing our podcast. You can visit our website at thelatterdayladiescom. There's a link there for our Etsy store where you can find all of the Christ-centered artwork that we've done. Thank you so much.