Cheering Each Other On
J. Anette Dennis, First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency
Sister Dennis encourages members to support each other with Christlike love and avoid judgment.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
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Cheer Each Other On
Sister Dennis uses the story of Orville Rogers, a 100-year-old athlete, to illustrate the importance of supporting one another in our personal races of life. The spectators" encouragement helped him persevere, symbolizing how we should uplift each other.
Just like the Masters Championship, our congregations and families can be gathering places where we cheer each other on—covenant communities fueled by the love of Christ for one another.
Sisters and brothers, let’s be like those spectators in the story and cheer each other on in our journey of discipleship no matter our circumstances!Key Points:
- Orville Rogers" story shows the power of encouragement.
- We all need to feel a sense of belonging.
- Cheering each other on is an expression of Christlike love.
- Think of a time when someone cheered you on during a difficult period.
- Recall an experience where you supported someone else and how it impacted them.
- Share a moment when you felt like an outsider and how encouragement helped you.
Avoid Judging Others
Sister Dennis stresses the importance of refraining from judgment and instead offering love and support, recognizing that only the Savior fully understands each person's struggles and capacities.
President Russell M. Nelson said: "If a couple in your ward gets divorced, or a young missionary returns home early, or a teenager doubts his testimony, they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ reflected in your words and actions."
Only the Lord fully knows the actual level of difficulty with which each of us is running our race of life.Key Points:
- Judgment can alienate those who are struggling.
- The Savior is the only one qualified to judge.
- Our role is to reflect Christ's love and support.
- Reflect on a time when you felt judged and how it affected you.
- Consider a situation where you withheld judgment and instead offered support.
- Think about an instance when you misjudged someone and what you learned.
Create a Sense of Belonging
Sister Dennis highlights the need for everyone to feel wanted and needed, emphasizing that church should be a place where individuals find purpose and connection, regardless of their circumstances.
It is a basic human need for all of us to feel a sense of belonging, to feel that we are wanted and needed and that our lives have purpose and meaning, no matter our circumstances or limitations.
Our experience at church is meant to provide vital connections with the Lord and with each other that are so needed for our spiritual and emotional well-being.Key Points:
- Belonging is a fundamental human need.
- Church should be a place of connection and purpose.
- We should strive to include everyone, regardless of their differences.
- Share a time when you felt a strong sense of belonging in a community.
- Describe an experience where you helped someone else feel included.
- Reflect on a moment when you felt isolated and what could have helped.
Embrace Christlike Love and Charity
Sister Dennis teaches that Christlike love, or charity, is essential in our interactions with others. This love propels us to support and uplift each other, fulfilling the commandment to love our neighbors.
Charity propels us ‘to bear one another’s burdens’ rather than heap burdens upon each other.
The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade, and inspire. … How we speak to and about others … really matters.Key Points:
- Charity is the pure love of Christ.
- True disciples uplift and inspire others.
- Our words and actions should reflect Christ's love.
- Consider a time when you felt the pure love of Christ through someone else.
- Think of an occasion when you were able to show Christlike love to someone in need.
- Reflect on how you can better emulate Christ's love in your daily interactions.
Recognize the Savior as the Ultimate Judge
Sister Dennis reminds us that only the Savior fully understands each person's journey and challenges, and He is the only one qualified to judge. We should trust His compassion and justice.
Only the Savior can fully judge where you should be at this point, and He is compassionate and just.
He will take into account your limitations, your capacity, your life experiences, and the hidden burdens you carry, as well as the desires of your heart.Key Points:
- The Savior knows our struggles and capacities.
- We can trust His compassionate judgment.
- Our role is to support, not judge.
- Reflect on a time when you felt the Savior's understanding and compassion.
- Share an experience where you relied on the Savior's judgment rather than your own.
- Consider how acknowledging the Savior as the ultimate judge has impacted your interactions with others.
