Conference Chart

Here is the link to the chart that Lori gave away from tonight's activity!

http://jennandben.blogspot.com/2012/03/general-conference-chart.html

4th Sunday lesson summary - the Race of Life

Sister Murdock started her lesson by asking 3 questions:

Where do we go after this life?
Why are we here?
Where did we come from?

These are the questions we consider in the times of our deepest reflection or in time of need.

Everywhere people are in a hurry. In a seemingly endless stream, and for a multitude of reasons we
rush about the business of the day. The trivial things we occupy our days with lose their significance
when times of crisis arise. At that point our thoughts become focused on the things that matter.

President Monson told the story of a woman who was preoccupied with cleaning her home, furnishing
it, visiting her hairdresser, and spending money adding to her wardrobe each month. Her grandchildren
were invited to visit only infrequently because what she considered at the time to be her ‘precious
possessions’ might be broken or ruined. Preoccupied that is until she received the shocking news that
her mortal life was in jeopardy and that she might have a very limited amount of time left. She knew
immediately with her diagnosis that things needed to change, that her remaining time would be spent
with her family and friends and with the gospel at the center of her life…that was really what was most
precious to her.

The Savior said “Lay not up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and
where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your
treasure is, there will your heart be also”. Happiness, true happiness comes from serving others, with
the gospel at the center of our lives.

So why are we here? Some of the answers from the sisters in the room were

To be tested
To use our agency
It’s a learning experience
To form relationships
To obtain a body
To become like Christ

Part of God’s plan is that we endure to the end. Although we come into mortality “trailing clouds
of glory,” life moves relentlessly forward. Youth follows childhood, and maturity comes ever so
imperceptibly. From experience we learn the need to reach heavenward for assistance as we make our
way along life’s pathway. We have to be committed to endure, and we have to always be on guard so
we aren’t swayed off our path. We know that if we endure to the end our reward is eternal life and to
live with God.

Sister Murdock compared enduring to the end to a marathon. When running a marathon you have
to work hard; climb hills, run down alleys, there are a lot of aches and pains associated with running a
marathon. Then as you’re wondering whether you can make it to the end you see people you know
cheering you on, you get a rush of adrenalin, and you can see the end. You cross the finish line to the
cheers of hundreds of people.

Life is like multiple marathons; sometimes just as you finish one, another one presents. We need to
remember the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong. The prize belongs to him who
endures to the end. But President Uchtdorf reminds us enduring to the end isn’t to suffer. Blessing we
receive along the way, and in the end are the metals we receive. The greatest of all being eternal life.

We were sent to earth with divine attributes to guide our journey. Jesus Christ is our exemplar. His life
was difficult in almost every way, yet He endured to the end. Christ marked the way to perfection.

That doesn’t mean we can expect things to be easy. Should the Lord protect the righteous? No, our
trials, if endured through faith, make us stronger. If everything came easy what reason would we have
to be righteous and strive to return to our Heavenly Father?

Joseph Smith counseled us to remember; “Whatever God requires is right, no matter what it is, although
we may not see the reason thereof till long after the events transpire.”

President Uchtdorf counseled; “We would do well to slow down a little, focus on the significant & truly
see the things that matter most.”

Sister Murdock closed her lesson by referring back to the questions asked at the beginning. We don’t
need to wonder about these questions, we just need to follow the commandments and do the things we
know need to be done. We want the metals of life.

We closed by singing, When Faith Endures

I will not doubt, I will not fear;
God’s love and strength are always near.
His promised gift helps me to find
An inner strength and peace of mind.
I give the Father willingly
My trust, my prayers, humility.
His Spirit guides; his love assures
That fear departs when faith endures

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

Lesson Summary - 4th Sunday

Sister Murdock’s lesson was around Bishop Richard Edgley’s conference talk; The Rescue for Real Growth. She reminded us we all have friends, neighbors, or family members who need to be rescued, we need to work to bring them back to Christ so they can receive the saving ordinances we enjoy.

One of the most meaningful and important ways to establish real growth in the Church is to reach out and rescue those who have been baptized yet are wandering in a less-active state, void of the blessings and saving ordinances. Regardless of our individual calling—home or visiting teacher, Sunday School teacher, bishop, father, mother, or General Authority—all can engage in the rescuing effort in a meaningful way.

When Bishop Edgley was serving as a member of a stake presidency they received a call from one of their bishops who was concerned about his congregation. He had a very active ward and couldn’t find callings for everyone; he was asking for the ward to be split. As they were waiting for approval from church headquarters they decided to call these ward member, who numbered around 100, to be ward missionaries. During their interviews to extend the call one young woman was surprised at the call, she said “don’t you know I’m not active in the church?” Bishop Edgley told her he had not known that, but encouraged her to be in church the following Sunday at 9:00am. She told him know how hard it was to come back after being inactive, there was so much uncertainty about how she would be accepted and treated. She told him she knew her parents had been praying for years that she would return to the church, and that for the last 3 months she had been praying to find the courage to return. She asked him if he thought this was an answer to their prayers; he replied “I believe the Lord has answered your prayers”. Ultimately she accepted the call and became a fine missionary. 

Sister Murdock reminded us we need to be more than “sort of” committed to the church. If we’re only sort of committed, we’ll sort of receive the blessings of the gospel and sort of have the windows of heaven opened to us. If we’re not moving ahead in our commitment, we’re falling backwards; there’s no middle ground.

Bishop Edgley said he’s learned several things as he’s interviewed less active members

• I learned that many less-active members have loved ones on their knees daily
petitioning the Lord for help in rescuing their loved one.
• I learned that it is not all that easy or comfortable for a less-active member to just walk
back into the Church. They need help. They need support. They need fellowship.
• I learned we have less-active members who are trying and willing to find the path back
to activity.
• I learned that many less-active members will hold callings if asked.
• I learned that a less-active member deserves to be treated as an equal and be viewed
as a son or daughter of a loving God.

Sister Murdock asked Venna Kearl to share her story of returning to activity. She said during
the time she was inactive she had many friends who simply loved her and her family for
who they were. She didn’t feel judged, but loved by many. She closed with her testimony
that “Heavenly Father loves us and gives us that love through others.

Sister Murdock reminded us we need to give opportunities to those who are less active. We
need to involve them. Many will accept callings and are willing to help serve in many capacities.
She shared a story with us from President Packer on the importance of reaching out and
including those we may not typically think of. He was visiting a stake conference and asked the
stake president if he would make sure to include those who were not the typical active members
as he asked people to speak. He was not convinced this was the right thing to do. He pointed
out that many less active members attended stake conference and he felt his strongest
members were the best ones to speak. When President Packer encouraged him again to look
around and include some of the less active members his comment was “Guess you are the
general authority so I’ll do what you want me to do”. The first he asked was a woman who
had served a mission when she was young. In the subsequent 52 years she had never been
asked to participate. The next was the mayor. This man had grown up in an active family, but
had not been active himself. As he walked past the stake president and President Packer he
said “I don’t know why you called me to speak”, but as he started talking he said he knew the
gospel was true, he’d always known it was true, that the church wasn’t “out of order”, it was him
that was “out of order”. He then said “I want to come back, you won’t let me. After the meeting
members flocked to him to let them know of their love and support.

Sister Murdock reminded us how important it was to rescue our less active friends and relative,
the loss of one can result in the loss of hundreds and even thousands over the course of several
generations. We wouldn’t hesitate to attempt to rescue someone in physical harm; we need
to make the same effort to rescue those who need us spiritually. We need to be mindful of
including everyone and not to overlook anyone. We need to continue to reach out and love
people into activity. The worth of souls is great in the sight of God.

- Sis. Mark

Chapter 15 - lesson summary

 Sis. Crouch gave today's lesson and it was her last lesson as she got released today. 

Chapter 15 was titled Advancing the Work of the Lord

By the end of Pres. Smiths service as President of the Church the membership had surpassed 1 million. 

He said, “How happy we should be,” he said to a general conference audience in 1950, “not that we have increased in numbers in the organization that we belong to, but that more of our Father’s children, more of his sons and daughters, have been brought to an understanding of the truth, and are coming into his organization that he prepared to teach us the way of life and lead us along the pathway of eternal happiness.”

In 1946, President Smith prophesied about the use of such technologies: “It will not be long until, from this pulpit and other places that will be provided, the servants of the Lord will be able to deliver messages to isolated groups who are so far away they cannot be reached. In that way and other ways, the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord, the only power of God unto salvation in preparation for the celestial kingdom, will be heard in all parts of the world, and many of you who are here will live to see that day.”

Sis. Crouch asked what technologies have come along since 1946? 

We had a good time sharing memories through out different lifetimes and joking about the "technology" of then and now. 

Sis. Crouch shared letters written from 3 of our ward missionaries specifically for this lesson. Elder Olsen, Elder Snow and Elder Larkin all shared experiences and their testimonies with us. They were very touching and amazing to see how by small and simple acts this work is going forth on all fronts. 

Sis. Crouch reminded us what Bro. Black said in sacrament meeting - "Just do your part and the Lord will do His."

Sis. Crouch finished up her lesson by sharing bits of the current Church World Report that is shared at each General Conference summarizing what the Church is doing around the world. You can see that program HERE.

Thank you Sis. Crouch for your service as a Sunday instructor. 

- Sis. Pyrah

Chapter 14 - lesson Summary

Sis. Pressler filled in this week as our instructor and taught from the 14th chapter - How to Share the Gospel Effectively

Sis. Pressler started off her lesson by playing this song for us to hear. I found it online in a video and am able to share it that way. 

The manual recounts a story about Pres. Smith:

"In his tireless efforts to share the gospel with others, George Albert Smith followed this statement from his personal creed: “I would not seek to force people to live up to my ideals but rather love them into doing the thing that is right.”¹ He felt that the most effective way to share the gospel was to look for the good virtues in people of other faiths and then, with boldness but kindness, offer to share the additional truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. He related the following experience he had while presiding over the European Mission:

“I was riding on the train one day. My companion in the compartment was a Presbyterian minister, a very pleasant, fine gentleman, and when he gave me the opportunity to do so, I told him I was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was amazed and he looked at me with astonishment. He said, ‘Aren’t you ashamed of yourself to belong to such a group?’

“I smiled at him and said, ‘My brother, I would be ashamed of myself not to belong to that group, knowing what I know.’ Then that gave me the opportunity I desired to talk to him and explain to him some of the things we believe. …"

Sis. Pressler asked - " Think of someone who is not a member. Think of the qualities you admire about them. What truths do they already believe? What truths could they use? How does thinking about them in this way change they way you view them and sharing the gospel? 

One of the great comments that was shared was this, " If we share our experiences and how they made us feel - people can't argue with that." 

Thank you Sis. Pressler for sharing that message with us! 

- Sis. Pyrah

Summer Salad Social '12

We had a wonderful RS activity this month! It's a favorite Summer tradition in this ward and I think it has started to trickle out to other wards as well :)



A HUGE thank you to Lori and her Committee!!! It was a wonderful event!