RS Activity for October

Conference quickies, quotes and quality time!

Tuesday October 2nd the RS Activity Committee has put together a treat for YOU! 

Come join us for oodles of ideas and sharing! 

Need some ideas for keeping your kids/grandkids engaged in conference? 

What about making it a special weekend or starting some new conference traditions? 

Food ideas? The committee has you covered with new fun breakfast recipes - and SAMPLING - woot woot! 

Plus we will all recap the RS Broadcast and the Ensign Challenge by sharing a favorite quote, thought, experience, talk, etc. 

**Please come "prepared" with something to share from the broadcast or the latest conference edition. Just write down a little something on a card and bring it**

The more we share - the closer we become! and you ladies are awesome - wink

6:30pm - nursery provided! 

We will see you there!!

Ch 17 - lesson summary

Sister Nolan started off her lesson by reviewing the following from the manual: Faith is a gift from the
Lord through which the righteous are empowered to do remarkable things.

President Smith tells a story of his experience as a mission president in Europe after World War I. His
job was to get approval for 250 missionaries to serve in that area where conditions were strained, and
where they were barely able to feed their own people. The American ambassador was able to get
him an audience with Sir Robert Horne, the Minister of Labour for Great Britain. Though this was a
daunting task President Smith’s faith afforded him the inspiration necessary to gain their confidence and
persuade officials to grant visas and allow the missionaries in.

She then asked the question; How have you been influenced by the faith of others, such as a family
member or close friend?

She discussed many of the prophets and others from the scriptures who displayed great faith; Noah,
Lot, Moses, Daniel, Shadrach, Mishach, and Abednego, Elijah, the brother of Jared, and of course Joseph
Smith. They all had some commonalities, they listened to the Lord and they were great examples. In
our dispensation our early prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young displayed great faith in many
aspects as they led members of the church through challenging times and eventually to the west. One
of Lexi’s ancestors was a settler in the Salt Lake Valley; their diary described the great miracle of the
seagulls devouring the crickets to save the crops of the pioneers.

Faith gives us hope in the battle of life, again from the manual: “It is this principle, my brethren and
sisters, that points us heavenward, that gives us hope in the balled of life. When we become confused,
and find ourselves confronted by obstacles, we, seemingly, cannot overcome, having faith in the
Redeemer of the world, we can go to Him and know that our prayers will be answered for our good”.

Sister Nolan shared a personal experience and testified that God does know us and what we need.
We need to be grateful for challenges and trials in our lives. She expressed that her trials have been a
blessings to her as they has better prepared her to have compassion and help others. She asked us to
ponder on how our faith has strengthen us for the battle of life.

When facing life’s challenges we need to be mindful of “giving the Lord a chance”. Several sisters shared
personal stories of how their faith has been strengthened as they’ve had faith in the Lord and in His
timetable as they’ve met challenges in their lives.

Our faith is contingent on our righteousness. It’s important to keep the commandments…see Alma
32:35-43. “If we lack faith let us examine ourselves to see if we have been keeping His commandments,
and repent without delay if we have not…May the Lord increase our faith, and may we live to be worthy
of it.”

This was Lexi Nolan’s first lesson as our new RS teacher and she did a wonderful job! Thanks Lexi! We
look forward to hearing from you every month!

- Sis. Mark

Chap 16 - lesson summary

Sis. Laraway taught our lesson today. It's always a treat to hear from her. I also enjoyed feeling like we had a "full house" in RS today. It was great to see so many faces! 

Sis. Laraway taught from chapter 16 - Offer up thy sacraments upon my Holy Day.

God's commandment that we keep the Sabbath day holy is not a burden but a blessing. 

Sis. Laraway talked about the importance of teaching our children about the Sabbath day. That it shouldn't be a day of dread of sitting and being quiet and things that we "can't" do. Instead make Sunday traditions. Things that you do on Sunday, things that they can look forward to. It should also "feel" like a different day. 

Sisters shared some things that they do or remember about the Sabbath day. Sis Laraway said growing up that was the only day they had dessert so Sundays were certainly looked forward to! Sis. Griffin said they got Koolaid on Sundays :) 

She went on to say that "We want church to a pleasant to be a pleasant experience for our kids."

In the manual is says, "Let us teach these boys and girls [of the Church] as they grow up to do the things that the Lord would like to have them do on the Sabbath day, and it will be surprising the influence they can have in the communities that they live in.

Some people appear to think that if they have attended religious meetings or performed some portion of the service required of them on Sunday, they are then at liberty to pursue pleasures and engage in activities incompatible with the spirit of the Sabbath and still continue to enjoy the favor of our Father. I say to you that if the members of the Church, knowing better, persist in desecrating the Sabbath day in the pursuit of worldly pleasures, they will lose their faith; and the Spirit of our Heavenly Father will withdraw from them.

Honor the Sabbath day and keep it holy, Latter-day Saints, and it will bring to you great joy ..."

Sis Laraway pointed out we are all in different stages. Be in tune to that. Let us not judge others. We all have years that are difficult to come whether it's because of small children or other circumstances.

Make the most of your Sabbath Meetings

The manual says, "It is not only the word that we hear that is profitable, but it is the influence that pervades our houses of worship that comes from our Heavenly Father that is essential. We may have a radio receiving set in our home, but we will not benefit by it spiritually, as much as if we go to the house of the Lord upon his holy day."

Sis. Laraway asked "What are the benefits of coming together on the Sabbath?"

Partake of the Sacrament Worthily & Renew our spiritual strength

That is the purpose of the Sabbath - to renew our spiritual strength. 

"… I desire to call your attention to the fact that there is danger if we do it [partake of the sacrament] unworthily. Before partaking of this sacrament, our hearts should be pure; our hands should be clean; we should be divested of all enmity toward our associates; we should be at peace with our fellow men; and we should have in our hearts a desire to do the will of our Father and to keep all of His commandments. If we do this, partaking of the sacrament will be a blessing to us and will renew our spiritual strength. …"

May Sundays be a day of joy and spiritual strength. 

Thank you Sis. Laraway

- Sis. Pyrah

Presidency Message - Commitment

 Sis. Snow gave the lesson today. She started off by sharing her enthusiasm for the hint of Fall that is in the air and the fact that it's September now so her favorite season - FALL - must be on it's way!

This also signals a time of year for change in our lives too. With back to school schedules and more "structure and organization" in our days. 

Sis. Snow had a backpack and from it she pulled an empty jar and a bag of beans. The jar represents our day and the beans all the fill that up our day. She poured the beans into the jar as we mentioned things like - cooking, cleaning, carpool, visiting friends, running errands, catching a favorite TV show, etc. 

The jar became full to the top. Then she put a ping pong ball on top and said it represented Scripture Study and Prayer. If we wait and let all the other things of the day "fill up" our schedule there isn't always time leftover for this. Hence the lid won't go on. BUT if you put it first, everything needful thing will be done.

She shared a wonderful quote - 

"If you are too busy to pray and read your scriptures, you are busier than God ever intended you to be."

She said we all have time to do what we want to do. People make time for what want. 

So - Where is our Commitment? 

Where are our priorities? How do we feel about the gospel?

Guilt is a tool that Satan uses so don't let him use that on you. Just work towards being more committed each day. 

She pulled a few other items from the backpack all relating to what is really important and emphasizing our Commitment to do the work of the Lord. 

Sis. Snow shared a powerful story by Bishop H. Burke Peterson. You can read it here about a return ticket. 

  

Sheri Dew has said, " ...in the days ahead a casual commitment to Christ will not pull us through." She has also been quoted as saying, "Mortality is a test, but an open book test. We have access to the text and the author." 

Sis Snow wrapped up her lesson with a handout - a box of new crayons for each of us - with a return ticket attached that said this:

Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing - D&C 88:119

 Identify at least one thing you can do to come out of the world and come closer to Christ. This is a call to action - a call to "arise and shine forth" D&C 115:5 - a call to live as women of God so that we and our families may return safely home. 

Today I will commit to:___________________

  

Thank you Sis. Snow. May we all earn our return tickets home and reach out to those around us and help them as well. 

 -Sis. Pyrah