Today's RS Lesson Recap by Lisa H.

Today's Lesson: Lorenzo Snow: Chapter 6 - "Becoming Perfect Before the Lord: "A Little Better Day by Day" - taught by Lisa Hill

3 nephi 12:48 Therefore I would that ye should be aperfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.    

Often times we feel discouraged not only because we can't be perfect, but in our minds we can't even reach the level of where we want to be, let alone be perfect.  Brad Wilcox in his BYU devotional talk "His Grace is Sufficient" talks about how we need to not think of it as two separate parts, but that Christ fills the entire gap.  He gives the example of a mother paying for piano lessons.  When we practice, it's not as if we are paying her back, but we are changing ourselves and showing appreciation for what she has done.  We need to change in order to be comfortable in the presence of God.  

President Snow teaches that when the early Saints follow the commandment to leave the land of their fathers, and leave their families, that as far as they complied with this requirement, they were as perfect as men could be in the circumstances and in the sphere that they were acting.  They weren't perfect in knowledge or power, but in their integrity, their motives, and their determination.  pg 97.

He also teaches that when we are subservient to the will of God, and have no will of our own except to do His will in all things, such a man in his sphere is perfect and commands the blessing of God in all that He does.  

President Snow says we must also not allow ourselves to be discouraged when we discover our weaknesses, pg. 101 and most of all we need to be PATIENT.  

“Do not expect to become perfect at once. If you do, you will be disappointed. Be better today than you were yesterday, and be better tomorrow than you are today.”  pg. 103

This quote is about being patient.  Elder Uchdorf taught in Conference April 2012-“Patience—the ability to put our desires on hold for a time—is a precious and rare virtue. We want what we want, and we want it now. Therefore, the very idea of patience may seem unpleasant and, at times, bitter.

Nevertheless, without patience, we cannot please God; we cannot become perfect. Indeed, patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace.

I learned that patience was far more than simply waiting for something to happen—patience required actively working toward worthwhile goals and not getting discouraged when results didn’t appear instantly or without effort.

Patience means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace, and faith. It means being “willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us], even as a child doth submit to his father.” 8 Ultimately, patience means being “firm and steadfast, and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord” 9 every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. In the words of John the Revelator, “Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and … faith [in] Jesus.” 10

Patience is a process of perfection. The Savior Himself said that in your patience you possess your souls. 11 Or, to use another translation of the Greek text, in your patience you win mastery of your souls. 12 Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most. This was true in the time of the Savior. It is true in our time as well, for we are commanded in these latter days to “continue in patience until ye are perfected.” 

Remember the BEES-Elder Ballard Oct 2012  It is estimated to produce just one pound of honey, the average hive must collectively visit millions of flowers and travel the equivalent of 2 times around the world.  Over it's short lifetime, a single honeybees contribution of honey is a mere 1/12 of one teaspoon.  So much work, and  the yield is so little, but remember that honey contains all the substances necessary to sustain mortal life, just as the doctrines of the Gospel of Christ is the only way to obtain eternal life. Perfection can be gained, not all at once, but drop by drop.  

The song we didn't have time to listen to was Be Still My Soul.  The words are so appropriate as we learn to be patient with ourselves and rely upon the Lord to strengthen and sustain us.  He already bore the cross of pain and grief.  There is no need for us to carry that weight upon our shoulders.  The Celestial Kindgom will be filled with people, just ordinary men and women who have been made perfect through Jesus the Mediator.  Let Him carry your load.  Let Him help your burdens to be light.

- Lisa

1. 1. Be still, my soul: The Lord is on thy side;
   With patience bear thy cross of grief or pain.
   Leave to thy God to order and provide;
   In ev'ry change he faithful will remain.
   Be still, my soul: Thy best, thy heav'nly Friend
   Thru thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
2. 2. Be still, my soul: Thy God doth undertake
   To guide the future as he has the past.
   Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
   All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
   Be still, my soul: The waves and winds still know
   His voice who ruled them while he dwelt below.
3. 3. Be still, my soul: The hour is hast'ning on
   When we shall be forever with the Lord,
   When disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
   Sorrow forgot, love's purest joys restored.
   Be still, my soul: When change and tears are past,
   All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
   
   
   Thank you, Lisa, for a beautiful lesson that touched each of us. We are thankful to have you as our new RS instructor and for the Spirit that you brought as you taught.