"I am convinced that a husband is never more attractive to
his wife than when he is serving in his God-given roles as a worthy priesthood
holder—most important in the home. I love and believe these words from
President Packer to worthy husbands and fathers: “You have the power of the
priesthood directly from the Lord to protect your home. There will be times
when all that stands as a shield between your family and the adversary’s
mischief will be that power.
Brothers and sisters, we need each other!
As covenant-keeping women and men, we need to lift each other and help each
other become the people the Lord would have us become. And we need to work
together to lift the rising generation and help them reach their divine
potential as heirs of eternal life. We could do as Elder Robert D. Hales
and his wife, Mary, have done and follow the proverb “Thee lift me and I’ll
lift thee, and we’ll ascend together.
We know from the scriptures that “it is
not good that … man should be alone.” That is why our Heavenly Father made “an
help meet for him”
The phrase help meet means “a helper suited to, worthy of, or
corresponding to him. For example, our two hands are similar to each other but
not exactly the same. In fact, they are exact opposites, but they complement
each other and are suited to each other. Working together, they are stronger.
In a chapter about families, the Church handbook
contains this statement: “The nature of male and female spirits is such that
they complete each other.”
Please
note that it does not say “compete with each other” but “complete each other”!
We are here to help, lift, and rejoice with each other as we try to become our
very best selves. Sister Barbara B. Smith wisely taught, “There is so much
more of happiness to be had when we can rejoice in another’s successes and not
just in our own.”
When
we seek to “complete” rather than “compete,” it is so much easier to cheer each
other on!
and I also like the talk from elder Rafael E. Pinto of the seventy. I found out he is from Venezuela and my brother met him when he was in his mission. The Eternal Perspective of the Gospel:
We might test ourselves by asking a few questions. With a
little adaptation, these questions can apply to most of us, whether we are
married or single, whatever our home situation might be.
1. When was the last time I sincerely praised my companion,
either alone or in the presence of our children?
2. When was the last time I thanked, expressed love for, or
earnestly pleaded in faith for him or her in prayer?
3. When was the last time I stopped myself from saying
something I knew could be hurtful?
4. When was the last time I apologized and humbly asked for
forgiveness—without adding the words “but if only you had” or “but if only you
hadn’t”?
5. When was the last time I chose to be happy rather than
demanding to be “right”?
Understanding the plan will help people keep the
commandments, make better decisions, and have the right motivation.
Perspective is the way we see things when we look at them
from a certain distance, and it allows us to appreciate their true value.
It is like being in a forest and having a tree in front of
us. Unless we step back a little, we will not be able to appreciate what a
forest really is. I once visited the Amazon jungle in Leticia, Colombia, near
the borders of Brazil and Peru. I was not able to appreciate its magnitude
until I flew over it and gained perspective.
This is one way of contemplating the Lord’s plan. We do not
have to concern ourselves with each of its parts separately but rather to try
to bring the entire picture into focus, keeping in mind what the final result
will be. The Lord knows where each piece belongs so that it fits into the plan.
All the commandments are of eternal importance in the context of the great plan
of happiness.
It is extremely important that we do not make decisions of
eternal value from the perspective of mortality. For decisions that affect
eternity, having a gospel perspective is essential.
Not having an eternal perspective, or losing it, can lead us
to have an earthly perspective as our personal standard and to make decisions
that are not in harmony with the will of God.
The Lord knows what He wants to accomplish with each one of
us. He knows the kind of reform He wants to achieve in our lives, and we do not
have the right to counsel Him. His thoughts are higher than our thoughts.
I love my Heavenly Father and I am glad that I have an eternal family.
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