1
thy people shall be my people

• Khinckley1_at_yahoo.com

2
J. Golden Kimball

• An interesting experience is told of Brother J.
  Golden Kimball in speaking to a meeting of Saints
  on the subject of tithing. He said, "All of you
  who would be willing to die for the gospel please
  put up your hands." Nearly every hand in the
  congregation was raised.
• Then he said, "All of you who have been paying an
  honest tithing please raise your hands." It seems
  that only a few hands were raised.
• Brother Kimball turned to the bishop and said,
  "See, they would rather die than pay their
  tithing."

3
Naomi

• Travels with her
  husband and two
  sons from Bethlahem
  to find food among the
  Moabites.
• Husband dies
• Both sons, marry, then die
• I went out full and the Lord hath brought me
  home again empty

4
Question-

• Despite her losses and now her poverty, what was
  Naomi not seeing?
• Her own covenant blessings!

5
Naomis effect on her daughter in law?

• Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from
  following after thee for whither thou goest, I
  will go and where thou lodgest, I will lodge
  thy people shall be my people, and thy God my
  God where thou diest, will I die, and there will
  I be buried

6
Question

• As we keep our covenants what effect does that
  have on those around us?

7
Camille Fronk, BYU Womens Conference

• We may believe that lifelong cheerfulness is
  achieved through our own management and efforts
• When we look through the lens of our
  righteousness and take comfort in our good
  efforts, the idea of depending wholly on Christ
  seems a bit risky.
• Listen to a series of domino-like sentiments that
  such a perspective can produce
• What if I depend on God, but He doesnt answer me
  when I need His immediate help?
• With all the serious problems in the universe,
  why would He have time or interest in my personal
  crisis?
• Then again, if I organize my life carefully and
  think smart, I could resist temptation and not
  have to lean upon on the Lord for help at all.
• What is more, I will then not be one of those who
  contributed to His suffering in Gethsemane. If I
  just use my skills and brain, I can actually help
  the Lord rather than drawing on His strength.
  After all, so many people around here are in
  worse circumstances than I.

8
Bro. Robert Millett

• Interview with young couple
• Bishop, Cindy and I have been active members
  of the Church all our lives. We both had
  wonderful parents, who brought us to Church and
  involved us in all the things LDS families do. I
  served an honorable mission, we were married
  worthily in the temple, and we now have four
  beautiful children. I work at a job that I enjoy
  and we are blessed with an income that allows us
  many luxuries.
• Supposedly we have everything a couple could ask
  for, but our questions are
• Is this it? Is this all there is? Is this what we
  prepared all our lives for?
• Bro. Millett It is sobering to know that someone
  can possess the fullness of the gospelbe fully
  engaged in the work of the Church, and still feel
  empty and unsatisfied

9
Question

• What has happened when active, involved Saints
  still feel empty?

10
Remember Ammon?

• After all he had accomplished
• I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own
  wisdom but, behold, my joy is full, yea my heart
  is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God.
• Yea, I know that I am nothing as to my strength
  I am weak therefore I will not boast of myself,
  but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I
  can do all things.

11
How did the Savior see Himself?

• I do nothing of myself but as my Father hath
  taught me, I speak these things.
• And
• The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he
  seeth the Father do

12
How, then, do we achieve the joy of Ruth

• Worlds Approach
• Self Esteem Classes
• Discover your own empowerment
• Assertiveness Training
• Take care of Number One!

• Lords Approach
• Meek (not weak)
• Teachable
• Loving (not enabling)
• Doing nothing except that we have seen the
  Savior do.

13
C.S. Lewis

• The natural life natural man in each of us, is
  something self centered, something that wants to
  be petted and admiredand especially it wants to
  be left to itself to keep well away from
  anything better and stronger or higher than it.
• It is afraid of the light and air of the
  spiritual world, just as people who have been
  brought up to be dirty are afraid of a bath.
• And, in a sense it is quite right. It knows that
  if the spiritual life gets a hold of it, all its
  self centeredness and self-will are going to be
  killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to
  avoid that.

14
Question

• How dependent are we on the Lord?
• How does that fit with churchs focus to be self
  sufficient

15
Temperance Ricks Hinckley

• In 1886, called as Relief Society President in
  Rexburg Idaho.
• Served for 17 years
• Stake stretched covered part of Montana, Wyoming
  and half of Idaho
• Yet, her childrens tribute to her
• She could knit in the dark