RS Message 1-4-2009

Happy New Year, Sisters! 
 
Today, Kerinda gave her presidency message on "Coming to Christ."  It was a 
very appropriate choice since many of us are still trying to decide what we 
are going to do as a New Year's resolution. 
 
Kerinda taught from three sources:  The book "Mary, Martha, and Me" by 
Camille Fronk Olson, a BYU women's conference (2008) address by Sheri Dew, 
and a talk by President Benson.  I have included links to each of the talks. 
 
http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82
620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=1aebd7630a27b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 
 
http://ce.byu.edu/cw/womensconference/archive/2008/pdf/sheriDew2008.pdf 
 
The link for President Benson's talk is REALLY long, so if it won't work, 
cut and past the entire link into your browser window.  If that doesn't 
work, the talk is called "The Great Commandment - Love the Lord" and is 
found in the May 1988 Ensign. 
 
One of the quotes from President Benson that Kerinda used in today's lesson 
is as follows: 
 
"To love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength is all-consuming 
and all-encompassing. It is no lukewarm endeavor. It is total commitment of 
our very being—physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually—to a love 
of the Lord. 
 
The breadth, depth, and height of this love of God extend into every facet 
of one’s life. Our desires, be they spiritual or temporal, should be rooted 
in a love of the Lord. Our thoughts and affections should be centered on the 
Lord. “Let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord,” said Alma, “yea, let 
the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever” (Alma 37:36). 
 
Why did God put the first commandment first? Because He knew that if we 
truly loved Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments. “For 
this is the love of God,” says John, “that we keep his commandments” (1 Jn. 
5:3; see also 2 Jn. 1:6). 
 
We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must 
come first, just as He declares in the first of His Ten Commandments: “Thou 
shalt have no other gods before me” (Ex. 20:3). 
 
When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop 
out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our 
affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order 
of our priorities. 
 
We should put God ahead of everyone else in our lives." 
 
That quote reminded me of two scriptures from Paul's writings that I love: 
 
"Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved 
us.  For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor 
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor 
height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from 
the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 8:37-39 
 
"That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be 
strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may 
dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 
May be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth, and 
length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passeth 
knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God."  Ephesians 
3:16-19 
 
Sisters, we love you.  You are in our thoughts and prayers consistently.  We 
wish for all of you a new year filled with Christ.  We hope for all of you a 
desire to comprehend the breadth, length, depth, and height of the love of 
Christ.  We anticipate great joy as we all strive together to come unto 
Christ and to let our lives show our commitment to Him. 
 
Love, 
 
Your Relief Society Presidency 
 
PS  Don't forget to read next week's lesson.  It is Joseph Smith lesson #24, 
"Leading in the Lord's Way."