5th Sunday - Lesson Summary

The Priesthood and R.S. met together for combined instruction from the Elders Quorum Presidency. They focused on Scripture Study and Prayer. 

Bro. Nolan read the Stake Vision Statement and related how it mentions both of these topics. He then told a story about how we don't purposely let our car run on "E" or past "E". Eventually it won't run. We can't perform at our top level if we are running on empty. The scriptures keep us going. Daily study helps to keep our tank "full". 

Bro. Jones asked what we worry about as parents? After various comments were made he shared this quote from Pres. Eyring:

"Hearts were touched by the proclamation on the family read by Pres. Hinckley last fall because we want for our families what God wants for them: that they will live in love and righteousness. But in our thoughtful moments we know that we will need help. We will need to invite the powers of heaven to guide our families in days when we are not there and to face spiritual dangers we may not foresee. 

Our families can be given a gift to know what God would have them do and to learn it in a way that will encourage them to do it. God has provided such a guide. It is the Holy Ghost. We cannot give that to our family members as a companion, but they can earn it." 

He asked us Why is it important to have Gods help when raising a family?

He shared this quote from Pres. Packer - "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior"

There are things we can't control but we need to focus on what we can control. 

Bro. Hackers focus was on prayer. He shared some passages from Hallmarks of a Happy Home by Pres. Monson. He then talked on developing a Pattern of Prayer. We read Alma 37: 35 - 37. From these verses, what does a pattern of prayer look like? 

comments that were shared included: 

- counseling with the Lord. We have to have that relationship with Him to talk to Him like we do our own earthly Father. 

- We need to keep his commandments if we want his blessings

- We need to keep Him in our thoughts

How do we develop a pattern of prayer? Bro. Hacker said one way is simply by doing it. Having morning and evening family prayer. Personal prayer and prayer over a meal. Sort of seems like we are praying all the time but by doing so it keeps our mind pointed to the Savior. It keeps the members of our family minds pointed there as well. 

Heavenly Father desires to bless us and give us knowledge. In the Proclamation it says: 

Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

upcoming February RS Activity

Tuesday - Feb. 7 - 6:30pm

Come warm your heart and the hearts of others as we assemble education kits for the youth, and collect clothes to send to Honduras. Clean our your closets and bring any "gently used clothes" (children and adult). We will also learn how to make fashion scarves from t-shirts and share fun ways to tie scarves. If you want to make a scarf that night bring a t-shirt and a pair of scissors. Also - wear or bring a scarf to learn/share different ways to tie and wear scarves. Nursery will be provided. 

4th Sunday - Lesson Summary

Sunday’s lesson was given by Sister Jackie Young using the conference talks: Providing in the Lord’s Way by Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Charity Never Faileth by Sister Sylvia H. Allred, and Doing the Right Thing at the Right Time by Elder Jose L. Alonso.

She started by asking us to define CHARTIY: the pure love of Christ.

D&C 88:125 And above all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace.

Moroni 7:46-48

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

 47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

 48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

We then discussed the attributes of Charity:

Not judgmental, compassionate, generous, look for the good, forgiving, acceptance, respect, kindness, eternal, hope, nurturing.

She then asked, “How does the Lord express Charity to us?”

He died for us. He was the perfect example for us to emulate. He was the Master Teacher. He was perfect in His service.

Next, our focus was on SERVICE.From the talk by Elder Alonso:

In our day many people are living in the midst of sadness and great confusion. They are not finding answers to their questions and are unable to meet their needs. Some have lost a sense of happiness and joy. The prophets have declared that true happiness is found in following the example and teachings of Christ. He is our Savior, He is our teacher, and He is the perfect example.

His was a life of service. When we serve our neighbor, we help those who are in need. In the process we may find solutions to our own difficulties. As we emulate the Savior, we show our love to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and we become more like Them.

King Benjamin spoke of the value of service, saying that when we are “in the service of [our] fellow beings [we] are only in the service of [our] God.”

Each day we have the opportunity to give help and service—doing the right thing at the right time, without delay.We need to ask ourselves, “How can we serve?” and “Where can we serve?”

Let us start with our families first, then look for opportunities in the Church, community and all around us. Quiet acts of kindness – the more we do this the easier it becomes.

The last area we discussed: INSTINCT – the inborn tendency to act a certain way. It is when CHARTIY and SERVICE come together. It is an acquirable gift of the spirit.

Real Charity is not something you give away, it is something we acquire. Charity is bestowed upon true followers of Christ. When we can act instinctively, we will feel more of that charity.

The Saviors actions were instinctive to heal and to bless. We learn so much about the love of our Savior from the account in 3 Nephi 17 when he appeared to the people of the Book of Mormon – “And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.” And they brought their sick to Him, and He healed them. The multitude bowed down at His feet and worshipped Him and kissed His feet, “insomuch that they did bathe his feet with their tears.” Then He commanded them that their little children should be brought, and He blessed them one by one. That is the model the Savior has given us. His love is for all, but He never loses sight of the one.

Jackie gave us a challenge to teach our families to look for ways to give service. She also handed out a little heart charm to keep in our pockets so that each time we feel it there, it can help us “focus on the heart – because that is love.”

Thank you, Sister Young, for sharing such an important message on how we can become more like our Savior.

-Sister Snow

#2 Love thy neighbor as thyself - lesson summary

Sister Crouch taught lesson #2 out of the George Albert Smith manual.  She began by giving us a little background on President Smith:

President Monson tells a story that demonstrates President Smith’s true character, one of love and generosity of his fellowman, by giving up his coat to a worker on the street in front of the Church Administration Building…read the full story on page 13.  President Smith's grandfather  and namesake was a cousin to the Prophet Joseph Smith; he also served as a counselor to President Brigham Young.  His father served in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.  His maternal grandfather, Lorin Farr was the first mayor of Ogden, Utah and the first stake president in that city.  President Smith truly loved and admired his parents and learned the importance of loving his fellowman from their good example.When he returned from his mission he began courting his childhood sweetheart Lucy Woodruff.  She had many admirers; some of them were very well to do and offered extravagant gifts.  To that President Smith responded, “If you are interested in marrying someone for money it would not be me, because I have long ago decided that I will not devote myself or my life or my time to making money but toward serving the Lord and toward helping His children in this world”.  Lucy made her choice and the two were married May 25, 1892. You can read more about President Smith’s history in the front of the book. 

President Smith love for others grew from his sincere conviction that we are all brothers and sisters, children of the same Heavenly Father.

The lesson talked about 4 ways that we should reach out and show love.  Sister Crouch broke us up into groups to discuss and report on these sections.

1)      All people are our brothers and sisters, children of our Heavenly Father

We should always look for the best in our brothers and sisters and help them as we can. President Smith said “I have never seen a child of God so deep in the gutter that I have not had the impulse to stoop down and lift him up…”

Alma displayed this unconditional love toward his son Alma the Younger by never giving up on him.  Though it can be frustrating at times when those we care about aren’t making the best choices, we need to love and help them as best we can.

2)      The gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love all of God’s children

Queen Ester demonstrated her great love for her people when she risked everything to reveal herself as a Jew to her husband the king and ask that he spare her people.

We’ve seen modern-day examples with the recent news story of the men in Logan who jumped into the Logan River to save children trapped in a sinking care.

President Smith counseled “Let us evidence by our conduct, by our gentleness, by our love, by our faith, that we do keep that great commandment…thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself”.

3)      We exercise charity by reaching out to those who need help and encouragement

 We need to reach outside of our circle by showing unconditional love to those around us even if they don’t respond in kind.  It’s easy to love those who love us back.  Everyone deserves love and respect ; it’s real charity to reach outside of our circle and love those who need help and encouragement regardless of how long it takes them to love us back.

4)      True happiness comes from loving and serving others

“When our life here is ended and we return home, we will find credited to us there every good act we have performed, every kindness we have done, every effort we have put forth to benefit our fellows.”  President Smith was a true example of loving his fellowman unconditionally and with generosity and reminded us of the reward for doing so; “your happiness will be in proportion to your charity and to your kindness and to your love of those with whom you associate here on the earth…the more we give of that which is uplifting and enriching to our Father’s children, the more we have to give.  It grows like a great fountain of life and bubbles up to eternal happiness.”

Thank you Sister Crouch, we’ll enjoy having the opportunity to learn more about this prophet and his teachings.

 - Sister Teri Mark

January RS Meeting - Snack & Yak recap

This months activity was wonderful! 

Lots of great snackin' and lots of good yakin' 

Thank you to Sister Griffin and her committee for all the work they put into that night for all the sisters! 

Each sister that wanted to was able to create one of these blocks in a few different colors and embellish them up that night too!

Be sure to block out the 1st Tuesday of each month on your calendar so you don't miss these activities!

Living what we believe - lesson summary

Sister Kirksey gave our lesson from chapter 1 of the George Albert Smith manual. 

She went over his personal creed of 11 things that he wrote at age 34 - 11 ideals that he committed to live by:

“I would be a friend to the friendless and find joy in ministering to the needs of the poor.

“I would visit the sick and afflicted and inspire in them a desire for faith to be healed.

“I would teach the truth to the understanding and blessing of all mankind.

“I would seek out the erring one and try to win him back to a righteous and a happy life.

“I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals but rather love them into doing the thing that is right.

“I would live with the masses and help to solve their problems that their earth life may be happy.

“I would avoid the publicity of high positions and discourage the flattery of thoughtless friends.

“I would not knowingly wound the feelings of any, not even one who may have wronged me, but would seek to do him good and make him my friend.

“I would overcome the tendency to selfishness and jealousy and rejoice in the successes of all the children of my Heavenly Father.

“I would not be an enemy to any living soul.

“Knowing that the Redeemer of mankind has offered to the world the only plan that will fully develop us and make us really happy here and hereafter, I feel it not only a duty but also a blessed privilege to disseminate this truth.”

The manual shares 2 stories on page 2 that show how he lived up to his creed. They are worth the read and will even make you chuckle a bit. 

Another observer wrote of George Albert Smith: “His religion is not doctrine in cold storage. It is not theory. It means more to him than a beautiful plan to be admired. It is more than a philosophy of life. To one of his practical turn of mind, religion is the spirit in which a man lives, in which he does things, if it be only to say a kind word or give a cup of cold water. His religion must find expression in deeds. It must carry over into the details of daily life.”

What a fine thing it is to feel that we belong to a church that is or should be composed of saints. It is not sufficient that we have our names upon the records. It is important that we live the lives that entitle us to be called Saints, and if you will do that, you will be happy. …

Sister Kirksey asked us what it means to each of us to be a Latter day Saint? 

There were several comments including - 

"Happy, family, gives me a purpose, connection, strive to be better, teachings of love, example of light, etc. 

The manual says - Let us do better than we have ever done before. Let us renew our determination to be real Latter-day Saints, and not just make-believe. … I do not know anybody who can not do a little better than he has been doing, if he makes up his mind. 

It goes on to say that Heavenly Father expects us to prepare for and live worthy of His promised blessings. It gives the example from Matthew 22 of the man who came the wedding feast unprepared and was cast into outer darkness. 

The manual says - ...if there ever was a time when we should examine ourselves, to find out if we are doing what the Lord would have us do, it is today; if there ever was a time when we should be sure that we are in the pathway of eternal life, it is now.

Sister Kirksey wrapped up her lesson with a darling handout that had 12 spaces on it. She challenged us to write down 12 things we could do to draw closer to the Savior in 2012. They didn't have to be big things - just little things. 

Thank you Sister Kirksey for bringing to life this lesson and making it personal for each sister. 

Armor of God - lesson summary

Sis. Mark gave the lesson this Sunday on the Armor of God. 

In Ephesians we are told about the Armor of God. There are four vulnerable parts listed:

Loins

Breast/chest

Feet

Head

Sis Mark broke us into 4 groups each researching and discussing the scriptures and quotes associated with the piece of armor that protected these areas. Then each group shared their thoughts. 

I (Sis. Pyrah) was in the Shield of Faith group. A few things that struck me about the shield was, "The shield is made from: reverence, courage, chastity, repentance, forgiveness and compassion. In church we learn how to assemble and fit them together. But the actual making of and fitting on the shield of faith belongs in the family circle. " - Pres. Boyd K. Packer - may 1995

The scriptures in Ephesians also tell us of some offensive armor - the Sword of the Spirit. 

Sis Mark said you can't just a piece of armor - you need all the armor. 

General Conference warns us about the different "fiery darts" and sometimes it's the same ones they warn us about over and over.

Sis. Mark gave us 6 examples from the scriptures of those who put on all the armor of God

1. Joseph 

2. Daniel

3. Queen Esther

4. Anti Nephi Lehi's

5. Stripling Warriors

6. David

Quote that was read: "Examine your armor. Is there an unguarded or unprotected place? Determine now to add whatever part is missing. No matter how antiquated or lacking in parts your armor may be, always remember that it is within your power to make the necessary adjustments to complete your armor. Through the great principle of repentance you can turn your life about and begin now clothing yourself with the armor of God through study, prayer, and a determination to serve God and keep his commandments. " - Pres. Tanner - May 1979

Sis Mark shared an idea that she had received once and found it be helpful. She would pray that her family would put on the whole armor of God each day and carry that protection with them. 

Thank you Sis. Mark for sharing so many wonderful thoughts and personalizing the Armor of God for our day and time. 

January 3rd - SAVE the DATE!

Tuesday, January 3rd, 6:30 pm at the church. 

The Annual RS Snack n' Yak! 

Not the big furry YAK but the chit chat "yak" all ladies love to do! 

SO - bring a snack to share, a neighbor/friend and come for a good time! 

There will be a small craft to do for those that would like to! Watch for the sign ups today!!!