Sunday, November 18, 2012

The Power of Kindness

November 18, 2012
Today's lesson was taught by Sister Deanne Mankins: "The Power of Kindness". Sister Mankins shared several examples of how treating others with kindness can result in greater kindness in return and improved relationships, "allowing others to live more righteously," for "Kindness begins with me"


"The Spirit of the Lord is a spirit of kindness; it is a spirit of patience; it is a spirit of charity and love and forbearance and long suffering; and there are none of us who do not need all these virtues that are the result of the possession of the Spirit of our Heavenly Father.4
Sisters shared examples of how treating others with kindness might help us to "judge not, lest ye be judged" and how often when we feel we have been offended we might realize that if we are honest we ourselves are not without fault. By recognizing our own culpability we might feel greater kindness towards the faults we imagine we find in others.

We discussed how such kindness might help lead people from their mistakes and Sister Mankins relayed a portion of the story Les Miserable when the character of the priest not only trusted Jean val Jean but gave him a second chance when none would so that he might improve himself and save his soul. By loving others and treating them with a high level of kindness they might see what is possible within themselves.

 Finally, kindness can be of great help in parenting children and we should remember that children need love and kindness, especially when they seem to not deserve it.


 

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