Relief Society Lesson: Embrace the Future with Faith by Russell M. Nelson

by Preethi B. Harbuck

President Nelson’s central points in his talk:

1. Create places of security
2. Prepare your mind to be faithful to God
3. Never stop preparing – never be complacent

I’d like to start by reading some stories. If you’ve read President Nelson’s talk, I invite you to consider how these stories are related.

These stories epitomize three ways that President Nelson suggested we can prepare to embrace the future with faith – by creating places of security, by preparing our minds to be faithful to God, and by continuing to prepare and never giving up.

Create Places of Security

READ “The Heroic Daughters” in Girls Who Choose God: Stories of Strong Women in the Book of Mormon.

The heroic daughters could have just run and tried to escape themselves. Instead, they created literal places of security for their entire families. They took bold risks in order to achieve security and acceptance for ALL of their family – not just themselves.

Tell or read the story of Ruth and Naomi.

There are many ways to create places of security – the primary one being LOVE. Naomi clearly created a place of security for Ruth – so much so that Ruth clung to her and did not want to depart back to her own land.

• Can you think of other women in the scriptures who created places of security? How did they do it?
• What about women in your lives? How have they created places of security for their children, parents, friends, coworkers, etc.?
• How about YOU? How have you created places of security? When have you placed the needs of your family above your own? When have you established boundaries to create safe spaces for yourself? What is one way you can work to create a place of security?

READ Jutta Busche – pg. 234 in At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women. When she and her husband became temple president and matron, Pres. Hinckley advised her, “The most important thing is to have love and love and love.” That’s true for all of our safe spaces.

Prepare Your Mind and Never Be Complacent

READ various paragraphs from At the Pulpit pg. 157-158. Sister Sharp shares the knowledge we are to seek. By preparing our minds, we’re better able to go forward with faith. Knowledge of the scriptures, knowledge of the doctrines of Christ help prepare us for this life and the life to come.

Going back to Ruth, she also prepared through learning – she learned the traditions and language of Naomi’s people. She reached beyond her own culture to a new one and expanded her mind.

READ Mary & Martha from Girls Who Choose God: Stories of Courageous Women in the Bible.

• What other women in the scriptures or in the modern church have pursued learning, either academically or through the doctrines of Christ?
• When was a time you made time for gospel learning? How has learning and education helped you prepare for the future?

TELL story of Corrie Ten Boom – Dutch watchmaker (first female), helped Jews escape Holocaust, was imprisoned along with family members, father and sister died, continued the work of God and of helping others for good by setting up a rehab center for concentration camp survivors

Closing

Embrace those turbulent times and the impact we can have during them – embrace the future with faith. Close with Jutta B. Busche’s story in At the Pulpit of being tied to the tree, but real learning happens in times of hardship (pg. 234-235)