Presidency Message from Sis. Snow

Sis. Snow taught the lesson this Sunday and the message for this months newsletter coincides right along with it! 

September is here marking another change in the season and the beginning of a new school year for our families. As we see the children going back to school, I would ask each of us what we are doing to obtain our "higher education." Along with our scripture study and attending church, I would also encourage making temple attendance a top priority to obtain greater understanding and learning. What a blessing this resource is that is just waiting for us to explore, yet often gets overlooked because of busy schedules filling up our time.

 Elder Perry spoke on the need for finding balance in life and emphasized the need to provide time for family, time for work, time for study, time for service, time for self, and especially time for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Why do you think he emphasized "especially time for the gospel of Jesus Christ?" I know that when you put that first, everything else that is needful will work out for your good.

I loved the example Elder Ballard shared in his conference address of the wilted tomato plant. (see April 2013 "This is My Work and Glory")

"Her small tomato plant, so full of potential but so weakened and wilted from unintentional neglect, was strengthened and revived through the simple ministration of water and light by the little girl's loving and caring hands."

"Brothers and sisters, as the literal spirit children of our loving Heavenly Father, we have unlimited, divine potential. But if we are not careful, we can become like the wilted tomato plant. We can drift away from the true doctrine and gospel of Christ and become spiritually undernourished and wilted, having removed ourselves from the divine light and living

waters of the Savior's eternal love and priesthood power.

 "What a powerful lesson -- through unintentional neglect we will drift and become spiritually distanced from our Savior's influence in our lives. Please take time to the check the condition of your testimony of Jesus Christ. Let us be ever diligent to provide the nurturing of divine light and living water to strengthen our devotion to hold fast to His principles and follow in His footsteps.

I am so excited about the news in the current September Ensign where it was announced that beginning in October the Relief Society Visiting Teaching Messages will focus on the divine mission of Jesus Christ and His many roles and attributes. How wonderful it will be to focus on the teachings and examples of our Savior and discuss this with the sisters we visit. Individuals and families will be strengthened as we invite the influence of the Savior into our lives.

Thank you for all you do to watch over, serve and love one another!

Sister Snow

Obedience Lesson Nugget

Sis Murdock taught today and pulled her lesson from 2 different conference talks in obedience. Here's a few nuggets from her lesson: 

3 Reasons why people don't obey the commandments - 

1) We convince ourselves the commandments don't apply to us

2) We don't believe they are important

3) It's too difficult to obey

I loved this quote she shared: 

You can't ask the Lord to guide your footsteps if you aren't willing to move your feet

Lesson 16 nugget

Sister Laraway gave the lesson today from Chapter 16 - That we may become one. 

She said when we think of unity we sometimes think of sameness. But we are different and we need to be. When we think of Unity it's not about all being the same. We can still be united and be different. 

How can we bind ourselves together? 

Pres. Snow said , "We talk considerably in regard to the principle of loving our neighbors as well as we love ourselves; we talk about it and we sometimes think about it, but how much do we really enter into the spirit of these things...Let your minds be expanded to comprehend and look after the interest of your friends that are around you, and where it is in your power to secure benefits to your friend do so...

We have the opportunity to RISE UP and reach out to those around us. Those that are in our ward but don't feel a part. Those that are struggling. Those we don't know. Those seeking a friend. Or those just seeking for someone to sit by. What about those wondering if anyone even knows they aren't there? 

We are united but only to a certain point or level. If we each did our own small part to become more unity it would trickle around the ward and our sisterhood would increase.

Chapter 15 - Lesson nugget

Sis. Amy Pressler gave the lesson today from Chapter 15 - Faithful, Energetic Service in the Kingdom of God. You can read the full lesson here but one of my favorite take aways from the lesson was this quote: 

"Because we have received the fulness of the gospel, we serve as ambassadors of Christ.

We testify to the whole world that we know...through the same Holy Spirit, we have become witnesses of him, and, having been called by the same divine and holy calling, we therefore assume the same position. Then, having assumed this position, we assume all the responsibilities of ambassadors of Christ, we become answerable for our individual acts and for the manner in which we use the talents and ability the Lord has given us."

 

What does it mean to YOU to be an ambassador of Christ? 

Upcoming August RS activity

August R.S. Activity - Ensign Peak! 

Come one come all - All Relief Society Sisters and all Young Women are invited. 

Wed. August 7th 

A fun field trip to "hike" Ensign Peak with the women of our ward. 

Meet in the church parking lot between 6:15 - 6:30. We hope to carpool up and head out by 6:30pm. 

Put the date on your calendar and we will see you there!

Lesson 13 - Lesson tibdit

Sort of changing the format a bit. Instead of a summary we'll be giving you just a little bit of a tidbit. Not too much and not too little but like the 3 bears - "hopefully just right". We want you to be present in RS. We can only become stronger and better as a ward of sisters when we can share in each others spirit. We hope these little tidbits will spark enough of a desire in your to come and participate and those that cannot we hope it sparks a desire to read more. 

Lesson 13 - Sis Amy Pressler

This was my favorite quote from Pres. Snow from the lesson and Amy's also: 

"This is what we desire to instill into the hearts of the sisters—to be useful in their sphere and not be discouraged because of difficulties in the way, but trust in God and look to Him, and His marvelous blessings, I promise you, will be poured out upon you. This shall be your experience. … Let me reiterate again, don’t be discouraged, but go on and accomplish good, exercise faith, and every opportunity that is presented seek to improve upon it. We want you to exercise all the talents that God has bestowed upon you. And there is this about it in reference to your prospects of success. When a person commences to travel over a path that the Lord has marked out, and by which to accomplish good in His interest, he is sure to succeed. He is precisely where God wants him to be, and there is the place that you may, with the greatest propriety, ask God for His blessing"

Full lesson here

Lesson Summary - Being Chaste

This Sunday's Lesson was from the conference talk by Elder Bednar - We believe in Being Chaste

Sis Murdock taught and although this topic is usually one more for the youth she explained, we need to be chaste and virtuous in our marriages too. 

Too many people live in their past mistakes. We all make mistakes. Don't let them hang over your head. We need to move on. 

She asked, "What is the law of Chastity so important?"

Elder Bednar lists 7 things that support the importance of it: 

1. The Father's plan of happiness - We are all created in His image. We are told Chastity and virtue are precious and dear above all. 

Who knows the difference between chastity and virtue? 

She shared this quote from Margaret Naudauld:

“Women of God can never be like women of the world. The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity.”

2. Physical Body - We knew life would be difficult and to remain virtuous would be a life long challenge. 

3. Power of ProCreation - It's not good for man to be along. Man and woman learn from, create and bless each other. 

quote - Guilt to our spirit is what pain is to our body

Sis. Murdock had a kidney stone last week and she related how tiny it was and how much pain it could cause. Think about that relating it to a small sin - so much pain for our spirits and it can lead to shame, bitterness, sneaking, hiding, lies, etc. 

4. Standards of Sexual Morality - Intimate relations between a man and wife in mortality are the ultimate expression of divine nature and way of strengthening emotional and spiritual bonds between husband and wife. Be loyal to each other. 

5. Natural Man - Will I respond to the inclinations of the natural man, or will I yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and put off the natural man and become a saint through the Atonement of Christ the Lord? That is the test. Every appetite, desire, propensity, and impulse of the natural man may be overcome by and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. We are here on the earth to develop godlike qualities and to bridle all of the passions of the flesh.

 

6. Intent of the Adversary - Heavenly Father desires us to be in the light and filled with hope. The Adversary  wants us to be confused and unhappy. Lucifer seeks to frustrate and hinder our progress. He entices us to share in his misery. 

What or How are we tempted today? 

Several answers were shared. Here are some: 

Innocent relationships between Men and Women that can go beyond friendship. 

Facebook - reconnecting with old friends of the opposite sex

Music

Dancing

TV - every 4 mins there is a sexual reference

Movies

Internet Infidelity 

Physical contact

DBA - Don't be alone with a member of the opposite sex

7. Blessings of being Chaste - “I can think of no blessings to be more fervently desired than those promised to the pure and the virtuous...And not only shall they see the Lord, but they shall feel at home in his presence."

 

Chastity and virtue are now, always have been, and always will be “most dear and precious above all things” (Moroni 9:9).

 

Sis Murdock encouraged us to share this conference talk with our kids and grandkids. 

Congrats to Sis Laraway

Hey! it's a "good news" minute! 

Congrats to Sis Laraway on this award! 

Lesson #8 - lesson Summary

Sis. Amy Pressler gave the lesson on Sunday - Search Me, O God, and know My Heart"

Sis Pressler said as women we judge ourselves harshly. But we have a loving Heavenly Father and older Brother and we are judge on our hearts not on our clean house, our hair do or our waist size. 

If we have established a proper character, we can confidently invite God to search our hearts.

We read from the manual, "In cases where a stranger applies for employment, or an office of trust, it is often required that he produce papers attesting his worthiness, from reliable parties, letters of recommendation and of introduction which are exceedingly useful in their way, assisting in obtaining favors and privileges which otherwise would be difficult to secure. It is, however, comparatively easy to obtain a written character, as it is termed, a character that one can put in his pocket; and, indeed, according to my observation it is not infrequently the case that people are the bearers of written characters which their real and true character fails to attest."

Sis Pressler asked, "What if we wrote letters of recommendation for ourselves? What it would look like/say coming from us vs. coming from someone else? Contrast that with a letter of recommendation written from Jesus Christ...Would we live differently? 

Think about writing such a letter. It could be a way to recognize your own gifts and talents and  you've been given these things to help and bless others. Think about your qualities outside of those associated with your profession. 

The manual goes on to say, "We must be true men and true women; we must have faith largely developed, and we must be worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost to aid us in the work of righteousness all the day long, to enable us to sacrifice our own will to the will of the Father, to battle against our fallen nature, and to do right for the love of doing right, keeping our eye single to the honor and glory of God....we must be constantly en rapport [in harmony] with the Spirit of the Lord."

She asked us, What does it mean to be TRUE men and women? 

These are several accounts in the scriptures that can teach us to improve our character. As we exercise faith and repent of our wrongdoings righteous character traits develop within us gradually. 

In Ether 12 we are told that we are shown our weaknesses so that we can become strong. 

How can we allow ourselves to see our short comings without getting discouraged? 

Pres. Snow reminds us, "Our character, as Latter-day Saints, should be preserved inviolate, at whatever cost or sacrifice. Character, approved of God is worth securing, even at the expense of a life-time of constant self-denial. While thus living we may look forward … , with full assurance that … we shall be crowned with the sons and daughters of God, and possess the wealth and glory of a Celestial kingdom."

Joy in Womanhood

Sis. Snow gave a beautiful lesson today with the focus being, "Finding Joy in Womanhood". 

With Mother's day next week she wanted us to think about the Blessings from being a woman. In 1999 there was a declaration released about Relief Society. In that is says, "We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose and direction...Find nobility in motherhood and joy in womanhood."

Sis. Snow shared this video with us:

Our daily routines can be filled with Challenging moments or times. But joy comes at other times.
She asked us, "How can we find joy in womanhood?" Motherhood has layers of meanings. More than bearing children. It defines our traits given to us from our Heavenly Father. The work of women is righteous and holy. We are all mothers in Isael who need to raise the upcoming generations. Motherhood was within us before we came to this earth.

She focused on 3 areas to bring a balance for joy in our lives.
1) Prayer - we wouldn't send out kids out the door ready for school without shoes. The same as we wouldn't go off to work/store without makeup or clothes....so why would you head out the door without the power and protection of prayer.

2) Scripture Study - 

The scriptures are full of righteous women.
We have the privilege of having modern revelations. And conference is a wonderful place to hear the added words we need to hear for our day and time (psst! Get on the Ensign Challenge train!!!)

3) Service -
"As we lose ourselves in the service of others we discover our own lives and our own happiness" - Dieter F. Utchdorf

Grab hold of these 3 things and it will bring balance to your life and bring you joy.

She ended her lesson with this short video which had us all in tears:

May we honor our motherhood. Find joy in knowing we are in an eternal partnership with our Heavenly Father. Thank you Sis Snow for your wonderful Lesson!