As Sisters in Zion

Als Schwestern in Zion

Als Schwestern in Zion vereint laßt uns wirken

es segne der Herr unser Mühn, unsern Fleiß.

Sein Reich wolln wir bauen mit all unsern Kräften

und trösten und stärken nach seinem Geheiß.

As Sisters in Zion

As sisters in Zion, we’ll all work together;

The blessings of God on our labors we’ll seek.

We’ll build up his kingdom with earnest endeavor;

We’ll comfort the weary and strengthen the weak.

That's the first verse of the Hymn "As Sisters in Zion" both in German and English. I thought it rather appropriate.

The General Relief Society Meeting occurred at four this morning. As I was sleeping at that time, I watched it online this afternoon. Even though many of you have already heard a lot about it and the little reminders are everywhere on Facebook, I'd like to put my two cents in.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf spoke about the Forget-Me-Not flowers. They are small little flowers the color of clear blue skies. Each flower has five petals. In his talk, he gave us five things those petals represent:

1. Forget not to have patience with yourself.
2. Forget not the foolish sacrifice verses a good sacrifice.
3. Forget not to be happy now.
4. Forget not the why of the gospel.
5. Forget not that God loves you.

President Uchtdorft said, "The happiest people I know are the people who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who thread by daily thread weave their tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their life. These are they who are truly happy."

The little Forget-Me-Not flowers are a symbol of the little things that can make your life sweet. I'd recommend you not forget them. Personally, I'm now planning on having a little flower pot with these flowers in it. I'm probably planning this along with hundreds of other women around the world, but I really think it's a good idea.

Today after Sacrament meeting, Brother Siegenthaler, the same gentleman from last week, came over to chat with me. He's such a sweet man. He expressed to me his love of my generation. He has great hope and joy for the future because he sees my generation strong and active in the gospel. He told me that my generation is a wonderful one. Then he was very sweet, informing me that I am a very beautiful young lady and very spiritually strong and that it was going to be very easy for me to find a "young gentleman" to marry because these days my generation is full of young men in the gospel who actually deserve the wonderful young ladies. I love this man. He's such a sweetheart.

Then in Relief Society we spoke of Eve. It was fascinating.

One of the questions posed to us was: What were the commandments given to Adam and Eve?

1. "Be fruitful, and multiply" (Moses 2:28). Meaning they should have children.
2. "Replenish the earth" (Moses 2:28). Meaning they must take care of the earth and all the plants and animals on it.
3. Adam and Eve must stay together. (Moses 4:18). They were married before they were ever made mortal, so they had made a covenant to be together forever. The marriage was eternal from the beginning. If one was made mortal and the other was still immortal then they would not be keeping their covenant.

The one that usually is the first that comes to people's minds is that Adam and Eve were commanded to not eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Moses 3:17 reads:

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it, nevertheless, thou mayest choose for thyself, for it is given unto thee; but, remember that I forbid it, for in the day thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

It was not a sin that they partook of the tree of knowledge. It was a transgression. God told them the actions and the consequences of such actions upfront. They really had the agency to choose to keep God's commandments. They realized that in order for them to keep the three commandments of having children, taking care of the earth, and staying together (especially for Adam after Eve had already partaken) they must partake of the tree of knowledge. I almost think that it was a relatively easy choice to make knowing that they were married eternally and that they would have a Redeemer to return them to the presence of God after they physically leave the Garden of Eden where the literal presence of God was. It must have been a great comfort. They could have children, take care of the earth and be mortal, and still be able to have a chance to return to God's presence after their mortality.

In anycase, it was a fascinating lesson given in High German and translated for me.

To finish up this day about my sisters in Zion, I was able to go to church with not just one, but three of my girl cousins.

On the way home, we realized that we were each daughters of sisters. It would be so nice to someday have each of our mothers' sisters' daughters in a photo. In this photo, we were only missing five other girl cousins, our mothers, and our grandmother to make this more complete.

As Sisters in Zion indeed.