Teaching Relief Society - Strength in knowing we are all children of God

I set up this draft before I taught in Relief Society to remind me to write about it when it was over.  It didn't go as planned.  I think I was going to explain about all of the quotes I had selected and how excited I was to talk about all of our diversity and then bring home that All of His sons and daughters means serving for all of the different groups that we are....people of other countries, our community, our neighbors, our ward family, our own family.  Some one mentioned: our enemies...good, yes, those that are difficult to love.

However, the lesson did not go as planned.  Two sisters mentioned how they do not feel welcomed in our ward and told us how unfriendly we are.  It was difficult to facilitate the resolution of this discussion.  I felt bad for them, uncomfortable for the other sisters in the room and really concerned for me as I prayed in my heart to know what to say.  In addition we had a neighbor visiting with us and I was trying to be sensitive to her experience as well.  I apologized that they felt the way they did.  I expressed that we all clearly had more to do.  Gratefully, the neighbor seemed sympathetic and asked to speak to say that both sides are responsibility to reach out to each other.   I know that one sister felt that she had attempted to do so.

As a follow up, I know that the sisters's concerns were address and I checked with L and found that the neighbor was fine with her experience in coming and worshiping with us.

I didn't get to most of the wonderful quotes of President Hinckley, but I think it ended up being a necessary lesson for us all.