My Beautiful Sisters

My Beautiful Sisters,

I am so proud of you and how hard you work and love. I was so scared to be Relief Society President, but now I don't want to be released! It's happening so soon and for a couple months now I’ve been in denial and didn’t think I was ready. I’m still sad. I will still miss serving you as Relief Society President. However, I would be quite thick-headed if I ignored how often I’ve heard in conference talks lately about letting go of callings with grace when you are released. Not to mention President Brotherson and President Doxey’s smooth transition. I will let it go grateful for the opportunity I had to be with you, to get closer to you, and to feel SO much love for each and every single one of you. I noticed when you were there and I noticed when you were gone. I worry and pray for each one of you. I love the love I feel for you and I'm so grateful for how strong and real it is with the love of the Lord running through my veins as strongly as it does while I have this mantel upon me. My counselors and secretary have become my sisters. You have become sisters and friends. I love you and I want you all to be okay and to know that you are loved. Even those of you that I haven't officially met, or don't know as well, I want you to be okay. I want you to have the Spirit with you. I want you to be strong and know that you always have shoulders you can lean on.

I won't know how to not be a RS President once I'm released. I'm so used to being busy and full of thoughts for all of you! My poor presidency has had to deal with massively long emails as I thought of things we could do or try during the year because while I was at work I would suddenly get all of the ideas as I thought about you. This calling and YOU saved me this year. You gave me purpose, you gave me direction, and you gave me family. This calling allowed me to be completely immersed in the Gospel and the love of the Lord. You gave me a reason to be strong and to keep getting up in the morning. You kept me from making certain choices because I knew I needed to be as whole as possible for you. As much as I hope and wish that I helped at least a few of you, I know this calling helped me and I am so excited to keep trying and to keep moving forward in this last little bit and after I am released. I know that the Lord knew that I needed this calling even more than maybe you needed me in this calling. His Love is so real for us. I'm so grateful that I've had this time to remember it and to feel it for myself and for all of you.

I hope our Relief Society was able to teach you something. I hope you were able to feel loved. I hope you know that you are not meant to be perfect yet. Keep striving for it, but it’s okay that we aren’t there yet. Part way through this semester I heard a quote from Martin Luther King, Jr. that made me want to weep because of how much I felt it! He says, “Lord, I’m down here trying to do what’s right. Now, I am afraid. And I can’t let the people see me like this because if they see me weak and losing my courage, they will begin to get weak. I am at the end of my powers. I have nothing left. I’ve come to the point where I can’t face it alone.” This quote made me fall to my knees and beg for the same thing because I couldn’t handle it if any of you faltered because I wasn’t strong enough to get up that day and do what needed to be done. The Lord answers prayers. He answered mine. I have been held up by your love and His strength.

Keep being strong. Keep faking it until you make it if you need to. Heaven knows I do that all the time! Keep holding one other up and striving to serve. I have never been in a Relief Society that was so full of service as this one. Keep serving. You are blessing so many lives.

I know that this Gospel is true. I know now that Relief Society is a powerful force for good in our lives if we allow it to be. I know that my Savior lives and that He loves each and every one of us. I know that we are asked to go through varied experiences, good and bad, for our growth. He is there. We are never alone. I know that as we follow promptings and seek to come closer to Christ that faith begins to rule our lives and our decisions more than fear. I know that we become more enlightened about our lives, what to do, and how to help others as we keep striving to go forward. I know that we will each stumble and fall throughout our lives, but that we can ALWAYS come back. We can exercise the power of the Atonement and come back to our Father in Heaven. I know that we are His little flock and He will always come to find us when we stray. I know that we are always “encircled about in the arms of His love.”

I love you. The Lord loves you. You are strong. You are beautiful. YOU are a daughter of God and as such an heir of the kingdom of God.

With all my love,

Jasmine Anderson

In the lyrics to the following YouTube video (All That Matters from the musical Finding Neverland), when it talks about "my children" I couldn't help but think of you. When it talks about "him", it was my Savior. I was sick when I recorded this song (sorry for the moments of flat...and I had my music taped up on my desk/wall which is why my eyes wander a bit. :P), and it was during a bit of a low-point, but I was fighting to be what you needed. I love you. Thank you.