"Forget Me Not" and "You Matter to Him"

So last Sunday I was asked to prepare a lesson of my choosing for Relief Society. When I started to think about what to teach I had this strong urge to look through the past General Conference addresses by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf called Forget Me Not and You Matter to Him. When I first started reading through these, I couldn't figure out how on earth I was going to get them to relate to each other, but the more and more that I started reading them, the more I realized that they worked together hand in hand. Anyways, here is what I came up with and I hope that you enjoy it and learn as much as I did!

Forget Me Not
"A while ago I was walking through a beautiful garden with my wife and daughter. I marveled at the glory and beauty of God's creation. And then I noticed, among the glorious blooms, the tiniest flower. I know the name of this flower because since I was a child I have had a tender connection to it. The flower is called forget-me-not.
I'm not exactly sure why this tiny flower has meant so much to me over the years. It does not attract immediate attention; it is easy to overlook among larger and more vibrant flowers; yet it is just as beautiful, with its rich color that mirrors that of the bluest skies--perhaps this is one reason why I like it so much.
And there is the haunting plea of its name. There is a German legend that just as God had finished naming all the plants, one was left unnamed. A tiny voice spoke out, 'Forget me not, O Lord!' And God replied that this would be its name."

I think we are all like the forget-me-not at one point in our lives or another. We all feel as if we are forgotten and alone, but we must remember that we are not alone. We have a Heavenly Father and loving older brother that is up there watching and guiding us. They love us more than anything. We are God's greatest creations, and we mustn't forget that.

First, forget not to be patient with yourself
"God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. . .God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not. And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others...This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet."

As future mothers, we must strive not to compare ourselves to others. This is Satan's greatest hold over us; he tries to tear us down by hitting our self-esteem. By making you feel as if you are not good enough, you begin to forget the blessings that have been bestowed upon you and you feel useless. Satan can then take advantage of that and you will yield to temptation so much easier than you would have before. Be mindful of Satan's power over you. Love yourself and look for the good. It is always best to strive to do better, however use others as a checklist of how to improve, not a checklist of why you are not good enough.

"Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. . .God wants to help us to eventually turn all of our weaknesses into strengths, but He knows that this is a long-term goal."

Ether 12: 27 says--
     "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."
We were made imperfect on purpose, so that we could learn to cleave unto Heavenly Father, we have to humble ourselves before Him and have faith that He can turn our weaknesses to strengths. We must put forth the effort and ask for His help; He will not take away our agency, but He also will not leave us to our own devices. He wants to help us, we just have to learn to let Him.

"Keep working on it, but stop punishing yourself." 3 Nephi 12:48 says--
     "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect."
We must strive for perfection, however remember that perfection does not come in one day. It is a work in progress and we must not get frustrated with ourselves when we are struggling with sins, temptations, etc. 2 Nephi 28:30 says--
     "For behold, thus saith the Lord God: I will give unto the children of men line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little and there a little; and blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more; and from them that shall say, We have enough, from them shall be taken away even that which they have."