R.S. Lesson: April 15, 2018

Sister Nickerson's lesson was on Elder O. Vincent Haleck's October General Conference talk: The Heart of the Widow.

"Let us do that which is necessary to have the widow’s heart, truly rejoicing in the blessings that will fill the 'want' that results."

We broke up into groups and discussed different parts of this wonderful talk about sacrifice, in which Elder Haleck gives many examples of Saints of the Pacific with "the Heart of the Widow."

• The older man and his wife, who prayed to know if the Church and Book of Mormon were true. When "the answer to their prayers came in the form of a sweet but ringing affirmation: 'Yes! It is true!'," they chose to join the Church, at a high personal cost. "They lost employment, they sacrificed social standing, important friendships dissolved, and the support, love, and respect of family were withdrawn." Despite all they suffered, their testimonies remained strong. Regarding the gospel, they said, "'It is true, isn’t it? Our choice was clear.'”

• The chief of a village in Samoa, who "opened the village to the Church, permitting our missionaries to teach those interested in learning about the gospel and its doctrines." "This leader was willing to relinquish years of tradition, confront much opposition, and stand firm so that others might be blessed...[his] heart was focused on the welfare and happiness of his people rather than on considerations of tradition, culture, and personal power, [saying] 'A man can live in the dark for a period, but there will come a time when he will long to come into the light.'"

 

 

• The 99 members of a ward in Samoa, who were asked to "prayerfully consider what they could give" to the building fund when a temple was being built in Samoa, [and] as [the] donations were opened in private, [the] bishopric was humbled and touched by the faith and generosity of [their] wonderful ward members. ...These were, in every way, modern-day widow’s mites given freely from their 'want'...These families had consecrated all that they could to the Lord, with the faith that they would not be left wanting.”

Elder Haleck said,"The heart of the widow who gave her two mites is a heart that will give all by making sacrifices; by enduring hardship, persecution, and rejection; and by bearing burdens of many kinds. The heart of the widow is a heart that senses, feels, and knows the light of truth and will give anything to embrace that truth. It also helps others to see that same light and come to the same measure of eternal happiness and joy. Finally, the heart of the widow is defined by a willingness to give all for building up the kingdom of God on the earth."
 
Question for Discussion:

In your life, what sacrifices have you made for the gospel? What was the outcome?