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This week:
Write: Write about a family member who has made great sacrifices to do what is right.
Note: The full reading schedule is also attached.
Join the journey today! No need to catch up! You can still reap the rewards of reading the Book of Mormon, church history, and writing your own personal history!
In addition to King Benjamin's magnificent sermon on Christianity, atonement, and the path to exaltation, this week we read of the trials of Joseph Smith and early church members in Missouri. I was struck, as I always am, by the power of individuals to resist injustice and cruelty--and the fact that we do not always do so. We have many opportunities in our day to day lives to speak up for justice, kindness, and fairness in the world around us. Let us always stand up for those who are unfairly accused, persecuted, and neglected!
This week's personal history was written by Cathrine Wheeler, Relief Society President in the Ravenna Park ward. Thank you Cathrine!
Mosiah 2:17
17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.
It strikes me that some of the service that has touched me the most profoundly is service that I have received as a secondary beneficiary. I have felt deeply indebted to those who have offered up their care and compassion to my family members.
For example:
- The ward members in Idaho that visited my mother during her chemotherapy treatments. Including the friends who gave her a box of different head scarves and hats to try out when she worried about what to wear when her she lost her hair.
- The mother of a classmate at my son’s middle school who read his sad essay, reached out and said, “I remember what that feels like,” and offered him a unique opportunity to get a sneak-peak at a break-through technology device.
- The bishop in Boston that came in the night to bless my sister’s wheezing baby, even though she hasn’t attended church for years.
I’m quite sure that these people never considered the ripple effect that their service would have on me. But when a family member suffers, and for one reason or another I am limited in my ability to ease their suffering, seeing others reach out to them in love fills me with a depth of gratitude that chokes me up every time I think about it.
As a human family, we are so connected that the service given to one ripples out in concentric circles to others around us. I am grateful for those that have touched my life by loving and serving those closest to my heart. I am grateful that the power of love given from one to another can touch many.
-Cathrine Wheeler, Ravenna Park Ward
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