Dear Sisters,
Can you believe that summer is already here? Time for vacations, beach, and spending lots of family time together!
During this summer time with our families it is also a great time to try to fit in those activities where we can teach our children some important gospel principles. Even if we don’t have children at home anymore, with the longer warmer days of summer it gives each of us the opportunity to think of others.
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, it starts out with the question a man asked Jesus. “Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” Jesus responded by asking, “What is written in the law?” The man answered, referring to Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…and thy neighbor as thyself.” The man challengingly replied, “And who is my neighbor?” In answer to this man’s questions, Jesus told the parable of the Good Samaritan. (See Luke 10:25-35).
Sisters please read this parable so we can all discover who our neighbor is. We will all have experiences in our lives where we are like the people in this parable. Will we be like the thieves or robbers? Will we be the Levite who came and saw but did not help? Will we be the Samaritan who stopped and went out of his way to help?
In His parables, Jesus taught the essentials of the Father’s plan of salvation. Let us each remember these principles that were taught and bring them into our lives. Take the time to teach them to our children and grandchildren.
This summer as we go about building wonderful memories with our families, let’s look around for those opportunities to help and think of others. “And that is done by going and doing as the Savior did, in loving our fellow beings, for when we serve them we are only in the service of our God (Mosiah 2:17).
We love each and every one of you! Thank you for your continued friendship and service. I look forward to teaching the lesson in July on the parable the Good Samaritan.
Love, Janet Sims
