Showing Greater Love: YW lesson Apr 2023
Watch both videos and stop and talk after both of them and ask the girls what they learn about loving others from this parable.
· Jesus Christ is our great example of showing love for God by serving others, and class or quorum members will be inspired by studying His example. Invite each person to reflect on the mortal life of Jesus Christ and choose an experience from His life that shows His great love for other people. Ask each person to share the experience they chose, along with why it is meaningful to them. Invite those you teach to think of one way they would like to follow the Savior’s example of love. They could also share their thoughts about someone they know who follows this example.
Give them some ideas of things Jesus Christ has done in his life (use whiteboard), have Cheyenne lead this discussion
Why do we try so hard to serve others? Because Jesus would be performing all of this service if he was here on earth. He is not here, so we literally can be his hands and do the work that he would do. Let me tell you some stories of ways church members have been the hands of the Lord.
Loving your neighbors
These are all quotes and examples from President Nelson's talk The Second Great Commandment. Pass them out to girls to each read one of these.
1.In August, along with Elder Quentin L. and Sister Mary Cook, Sister Nelson and I met individuals in Buenos Aires, Argentina—most of them not of our faith—whose lives have been changed by wheelchairs provided to them through our Latter-day Saint Charities. We were inspired as they expressed joy-filled gratitude for their newfound mobility.
2. The Church’s humanitarian outreach was launched in 1984. Then a Churchwide fast was held to raise funds to assist those afflicted by a devastating drought in eastern Africa. Church members donated $6.4 million on that single fast day.
3. That is not all. To assist members of the Lord’s Church in distress, we love and live the ancient law of the fast.4 We go hungry to help others who are hungry. One day each month, we go without food and donate the cost of that food (and more) to help those in need.
Show girls a tithing slip. Show them where fast offerings are, and where to donate to the humanitarian fund.
4. A project in Luputa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is a great example. With a population exceeding 100,000, the town had no running water. Citizens had to walk long distances for sources of safe water. A mountain spring was discovered 18 miles (29 km) away, but townspeople could not access that water on a regular basis. When our humanitarian missionaries learned about this challenge, they worked with the leaders of Luputa by supplying materials and training to pipe the water to the city. The people of Luputa spent three years digging a one-meter-deep trench through rock and jungle. By working together, the joyful day finally arrived when fresh, clean water was available to all in that village.
5. Through generous donations to Deseret Industries outlets in the United States, millions of pounds of clothing are collected and sorted each year. While local bishops use this vast inventory to help members in need, the greatest portion is donated to other charitable organizations who distribute the items worldwide.
6. And just last year, the Church provided vision care for more than 300,000 people in 35 countries, newborn care for thousands of mothers and infants in 39 countries, and wheelchairs for more than 50,000 people living in dozens of countries.
7. The Church is well known for being among the first responders when tragedy strikes. Even before a hurricane hits, Church leaders and staff in the affected locations are mapping out plans for how they will deliver relief supplies and volunteer assistance to those who will be impacted. Last year alone, the Church carried out more than 100 disaster-relief projects around the world, helping victims of hurricanes, fires, floods, earthquakes, and other calamities. Whenever possible, our Church members in yellow Helping Hands vests mobilize in great numbers to help those afflicted by the disaster.
This is like the Good Samaritan where he goes looking for people who are hurt on the side of the road, and has the oil and bandages ready, in his bag, ready to go.
So all of these are examples of service our church does. These are the types of things that tithing and fast offering and tithing money go towards, to pay for things like this. But also, as a Young Women Presidency, we are working hard to give you opportunities to serve others and be Jesus’ hands. I hope you will take these opportunities that are provided to you to be a Good Samaritan to others. Next week we’ll have the opportunity to do service for our ancestors by doing work in the temple. In two weeks, we’ll be doing some yard work for Sister Forbes, and every month we are working very hard to make sure you have opportunities to serve others and be the Lord’s hands. From President Nelson's talk:
As members of the Church, we feel a kinship to those who suffer in any way.5 As sons and daughters of God, we are all brothers and sisters. We heed an Old Testament admonition: “Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy.”6
We also strive to live the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ as recorded in Matthew 25:
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:
“Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me. …
“… Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”7
Loving your family
So if Heavenly Father feels like we are serving Him when we are serving others, how do you think he feels when we are unkind to others? It also feels like you are doing it to Him. It’s hard to think about, isn’t it? But that’s how our Heavenly Father feels about all of His children, he loves ALL of them so much, that he doesn’t want ANY of them to be mistreated. He doesn’t want you to be mistreated, but he also doesn’t want you to mistreat others.
The rabbit story (from Elder Stephenson's talk Hearts Knit Together). A girl researcher was kinder to the rabbits she performed tests on, and the rabbits had better health outcomes.
I wanted to tell this story because Kindness really does make a difference. There’s a Primary song that goes like this (we sang it together):
“Kindness begins with me.”
You know in our families we can’t always choose how another person treats us, but we can ALWAYS choose how we respond.
When we were first married, sometimes I would be mean to my husband. I would say mean things or yell at him, but you know what? Brother Dilsaver was always kind to me in return. He never yelled back at me. It’s hard to be in a fight with someone when the other person won’t get mad at you, isn’t it? And it changed me. It made me want to be better, and it made me want to be different. And I figured out different ways to communicate with him, and talk to him about things that bothered me. Kindness literally changed me.
Does anybody have a story of being kind to a family member or a family member being kind to them?
“Before His death, the Savior commanded His Twelve Apostles to love one another as He had loved them.4 And then He added, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”5
The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire—no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.6” President Nelson, Peacemakers Needed
This is how we are going to be different than others in the last days. This is how we are going to prepare for Jesus Christ’s Second Coming. People will be able to tell if you follow Jesus because you will act different than everybody else, you’ll be kinder and more loving. But you know what? The way you become like Jesus is not by trying hard. Jesus actually helps you be kinder and more loving. HE changes you, you don’t change yourself. You just need to be humble and willing to ask for help, and open to the help he’ll give you and THAT will ultimately change you into a kinder and more loving person.
Loving yourself
LASTLY, we’ve talked about a lot of different neighbors: loving and serving strangers, we talked about loving and serving our family, but there is one person we haven’t talked about. Who do you think it is? YOURSELF.
Let’s read these verses in Matthew 25 again:
“For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me. …Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?… Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”
So why do you think it’s important to be kind to your own self? Because the way you treat any person is a reflection of how you treat Heavenly Father. You deserve as much kindness as anyone else, because “God don’t make no trash”!
