RS Lesson Summary February 8th

Sister Walter opened her lesson with an activity: write down every choice you made in 24 hours. After looking at the list, she asked us what is the most important choice of your day?

The lesson for the week is found here: Freedom of Choice, an Eternal Principle

Some answers included: going to church, reading scriptures as a family, saying prayers, expressing love. 

Freedom of choice is a gift from Heavenly Father. 

From page 60 of the manual: 
The central issue in that premortal council was: Shallthe children of God have untrammeled agency tochoose the course they should follow, whether good orevil, or shall they be coerced and forced to beobedient? Christ and all who followed Him stood for the former proposition freedom of choice; Satan stood for the latter—coercion and force. The scriptures make clear that there was a great war in heaven, a struggle over the principle of freedom, th eright of choice. (See Moses 4:1–4; D&C 29:36–38; 76:25–27; Rev. 12:7–9.)¹³

The war that began in heaven over this issue is not yetover. The conflict continues on the battlefield of mortality.

The Lord permits evil so that we can make choices. Sister Walter showed a clip from Elder Oaks' talk entitled "Good, Better Best". Good Better Best

"A childhood experience introduced me to the idea that some choices are good but others are better. I lived for two years on a farm. We rarely went to town. Our Christmas shopping was done in the Sears, Roebuck catalog. I spent hours poring over its pages. For the rural families of that day, catalog pages were like the shopping mall or the Internet of our time.

Something about some displays of merchandise in the catalog fixed itself in my mind. There were three degrees of quality: good, better, and best. For example,some men’s shoes were labeled good ($1.84), some better ($2.98), and some best ($3.45).¹

As we consider various choices, we should remember that it is not enough that something is good. Other choices are better, and still others are best. Even though a particular choice is more costly, its far greater value may make it the best choice of all."

We should devote our best efforts to our families. Our best time, our best energies. Sometimes we need to forego things that are good, for the things that are the very best. The business of our lives is making choices, we don't get to choose the consequences of the choices we make, so making the best choices will ensure happiness. 

"Let us begin, therefore, by saying that earnestly seeking our Father in heaven, having faith that he will answer our prayers, is a comforting base on which to begin. …The Lord will not take water from a dry well, so we must do our part. Sometimes attempting to find a correct decision takes great amounts of energy, study,and long-suffering. In decisions of crucial importance, fasting combined with prayer can bring great  spiritual insight."

RS Lesson Summary Feb 1st

Last Sunday Sister Call gave an excellent lesson on the topic of ministering. Dawn asked a lot of thoughtful questions to the group, and the first was this: Where does visiting teaching fit into the ward? 

Next we discussed the importance of ward councils. There are many sisters who don't know about the function of the ward council, or it's importance. All the leaders from every auxiliary get together with the Bishopric and discuss the needs of the wards. The human, real needs of families. Each auxiliary has it's stewardship, and each auxiliary comes together to help in whatever way they can. If the family has children in the ward that are primary age, assignments are given to the primary presidency, if the issues involve single sisters, either the Elder's quorum or the High Priests are asked to help. One of the big questions that is asked at these councils is: 'who is so and so's home teachers and visiting teachers'. The home teachers and the visiting teachers are the first real contact the ward council has with the membership of the ward. The leadership of the ward can't be everywhere all the time, so luckily we have great structures in place to take care of one another. The structure for us sisters is the relief society and visiting teaching.

Moroni 7: 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."

How do we become unified? How do we obtain charity in our hearts? Both are really important to help in the Lord's work. Perhaps one of the first steps is that we pray for these things. If we realize a deficiency in ourselves, and we want to change, we pray to gain the thing that we are lacking. Ether talks about praying for charity. 

 Ether 12:34 "And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father."

Elder Eyring said: "The great day of unity is coming, the Lord Jehovah will return to live with those who have become his people and will find them united, of one heart, unified with Him and with our Heavenly Father." 

For those of us who have gone to the temple, we have made covenants to give our time and talents to the building up of the church on the earth. Every opportunity we see to lift another, help someone, provide a service, is our opportunity to fulfill that covenant. 

So perhaps you say, I don't know what I can do for that sister, or that person. I am struggling with my own burdens. I have my own life to live, my own problems. One of the best ways to help with another's burden is to simply relate to it. To empathize or sympathize. We may or may not be in a position to fix a problem, or relieve a burden but we can offer a shoulder, an ear, a tender heart. Sometimes the burdens we take help alleviate our own burdens. Our own hearts become lighter, our burdens seem easier to bear, when we lift another. Our capacity to help is highlighted by our strengths and our experiences. 

Sister Call mentioned that sometimes our loads and burdens overlap with others. Maybe you know someone who is lonely, maybe she's a widow, divorced, or single. Perhaps you are the widow or the single sister and you know a new mother who is struggling with her new baby and toddler. How do your burdens overlap? The lonely sister can offer to help the other by bringing some relief by simply coming over to hold the new baby for the mother for a couple of hours, or maybe the overwhelmed mother comes over to the single sister's home and chat for an hour while the little children play. There are lots of ways the scenario could play out. 

From the Church News an article entitled: "Visiting Teaching is a way of Life" by Sarah Jane Weaver Jan. 2010

"Visiting teachers have two major responsibilities: to teach and to minister. Most women in the church understand the visiting teaching part. Visiting a sister with a lesson each month is the teaching part, but it is 'not always ministering'.

After we visit our sisters, it is important to report back to our visiting teaching coordinator. She takes the reports back to the RS Presidency, and then the RS Presidency sees an overall picture of the needs of the sisters of the ward. Without our input, it would be hard to know what is happening all over the ward. When something is urgent and confidential, it is important to tell the RS immediately. She will involve the compassionate service coordinator or other leadership of the ward. 

Our wards are unique! We each have a wonderful opportunity to help and uplift the sisters in our ward. We are not islands floating around alone, we are in a sisterhood and we have something to contribute that is worthwhile and needed. 

It is also important to have our lives organized in order to help others. Having some back up groceries in your pantry to make a meal for someone in need was a suggestion. The question Sister Call posed at the end of the meeting was: what is standing in our way? Why are we not sometimes the servants the Lord needs us to be? What is our stumbling block? Our circumstances are different, our issues may be varied, but the needs of the ward are present and will always need the hands of the sisters. We do a work that no one else can do, in a way no one else can do it. If we look inside ourselves and see something that needs changing, we can ask the Lord to help us improve. We can rely on the Lord to help change our hearts, and help charity to take root. 

No matter what, this is the Savior's work, we are what the Savior has. 

"In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness ad despair, let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be a instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers."- Excerpt from Daughters in my Kingdom

RS Lesson Summary Jan 11th

Sister Walter gave a wonderful lesson last Sunday The Great Commandment-Love the Lord from the teachings of the church, President Ezra Taft Benson. President Benson was a great man, there are some wonderful stories about his life before he became the prophet, as well as the wonderful relationship he had with his wife. You can read more about it here.

From the Life of Ezra Taft Benson

President Ezra Taft Benson’s life reflected his love for the Lord and his steadfast commitment to living the gospel. An extended family member once said, “To Ezra and his family religion is a complete way of life—something to be lived seven days a week. It takes first place in his consideration when the time comes for making decisions.”¹

1

The first and great commandment is to love the Lord.

The great test of life is obedience to God. “We will prove them herewith,” said the Lord, “to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them” (Abraham 3:25).

The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.

The great commandment of life is to love the Lord.

2

We show our love for God when we put Him first in our lives.

Why did God put the first commandment first? Because He knew that if we truly loved Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments. “For this is the love of God,” says John, “that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3; see also 2 John 1:6).

We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must come first, just as He declares in the first of His Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).

3

When we choose to put God first in our lives, His blessings come in abundance.

Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life.⁹

I testify to you that God’s pay is the best pay that this world or any other world knows anything about. And it comes in full abundance only to those who love the Lord and put Him first.

The great test of life is obedience to God.

The great task of life is to learn the will of the Lord and then do it.

The great commandment of life is, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” (Mark 12:30).

When we put the Lord first in our lives we are granted peace and comfort when dealing with life's challenges. When our priorities are in the right place we can expect blessings. Sister Walter showed a video about the widow of Zarapah. Luke 4:25-26. We all agreed there are very few people we would feed before we would feed our starving children. But the widow had great faith and she was blessed for feeding the prophet Elijah. You can watch this video clip here.

Sister Welsh challenged each of us for one week to truly put the Lord first in our lives. We can expect to feel great love from the Savior, and see blessings. 

RS Lesson Summary January 4th

Sister Ericson gave a wonderful lesson covering Elder Richard G Scott's recent General Conference talk
Make the Exercise of your Faith your First Priority.


When Adam and Eve were in the garden, there was no opposition, no death. Everything was provided for them. Because there were no challenges, they didn't understand real joy. Eventually Adam and Eve transgressed and they had to leave the garden. They left a perfect situation and became mortal and subject to disease, death, sorrow and progress and happiness. By partaking of the fruit, knowledge and understanding would enter their minds. Good and evil entered the world. They were also blessed with the ability to choose. This is all part of our Heavenly Father's plan of happiness.
We live in difficult times. Times of trial, heartache, but also great opportunity, enlightenment and joy. We were educated in the pre earth life that we needed to come to earth to be tested, to gain a body, to learn and prove our obedience to the Lord.
The life was too full of other things to accommodate what the Lord has asked us to do that the important things had no place. So, she started over. Empty jar, but this time, filled the jar with the eggs first: Prayer, Scripture Study, etc. Then she added everything back into the jar, and all the other things still fit. Once we make the things the Lord has asked us to do a priority we will be surprised at what we can accomplish. We will be able to do all the things we need and want to do, but first we are growing closer to the Savior.We are expanding our testimonies, and growing in spiritual strength.

"We were taught in the premortal world that our purpose in coming here is to be tested, tried, and stretched.³ We knew we would face the evils of the adversary. Sometimes we may feel more aware of the negative things of mortality than we are of the positive. The prophet Lehi taught, “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.”⁴ Despite all of the negative challenges we have in life, we must take time to actively exercise our faith. Such exercise invites the positive, faith-filled power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives.

Our Father in Heaven has given us tools to help us come unto Christ and exercise faith in His Atonement. When these tools become fundamental habits, they provide the easiest way to find peace in the challenges of mortality. Today I have chosen to discuss four of these tools. As I speak, consider evaluating your personal use of each tool; then seek the guidance of the Lord to determine how you could make better use of each one of them."

Sister Ericson demonstrated how our lives can be filled with lots of good things, but not filled with the things the Lord has asked us to do. There are things we think we HAVE to do, like working, school, housework, exercising, etc. But there are a few things that the Lord has asked us to do that are musts. 

She showed us an empty glass jar which represented our lives. Then she showed several different items that we can fill our jars- rice, pasta, sugar, each representing something we feel we have to do, or things we like to do, like watch tv, go to shows, social media, working, house work, talking on the phone, reading, exercising, etc. Once the jar was completely filled with these things, she showed us four eggs labeled with the words Prayer, FHE, Scripture Study, and Temple Attendance. The jar was so full the eggs had to sit precariously on the top of the jar. 

" These four tools are fundamental habits for securing your life in the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Remember our Savior is the Prince of Peace. Peace in this mortal life comes from His atoning sacrifice. When we are consistently praying morning and night, studying our scriptures daily, having weekly family home evening, and attending the temple regularly, we are actively responding to His invitation to “come unto Him.” The more we develop these habits, the more anxious is Satan to harm us but the less is his ability to do so. Through the use of these tools, we exercise our agency to accept the full gifts of His atoning sacrifice."

RS 2015 Theme

This year the Christmas gift from the RS Presidency to the sisters of the ward was somewhat different than what you might have expected. Looking ahead, the RS chose a different route to inspire us for the new year. The presidency gave each sister a lemon. Why on earth would we give you a lemon? Seems odd, seems strange, and yet this simple gift has tremendous meaning to Sister Jessica Welsh, our RS President.

Please visit the link below and read or watch a little bit about her extended family members who have struggled and risen above the devastation of chronic cancer.

Cancer Claims Life of Utah Teen

Here is the letter from Sister Welsh:

Each day is a gift, and the onset of the a new year gives each of us the renewed opportunity to evaluate our role in our own happiness, and the happiness of those around us. A positive attitude can help us rise above our trials when we center our lives on the gospel of Christ.

President Dieter F Uchtdorf stated: "True gratitude is an expression of hope and testimony. It comes from acknowledging that we do not always understand the trials of life but trusting that one day we will. In any circumstance our sense of gratitude is nourished by the many and sacred truths we do know: that our Father has given His children the great plan of happiness; through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ."

We offer you this humble lemon as a symbol of the possibilities a bright outlook can bring, and the joy of finding happiness in the unexpected. We hope you have a truly Merry Christmas, and a New Year filled with an abundance of 'lemonade.'
With Much Love,
The RS Presidency

This year our RS theme will use this quote from President Uchtdorf to inspire each of us to rise above our circumstances to see our 'day to day' lives with a fresh positive outlook and a desire to lift and bless those around us.

RS Lesson Summary December 21st

Sister Armstrong gave the lesson on the topic of the second coming. If you would like to read the entire talk you can visit lds.org and read Preparing for the coming our Lord.

From the Life of Joseph Fielding Smith

President Joseph Fielding Smith once told a group of Latter-day Saints that he was “praying for the end of the world.” He said, “If it came tomorrow I would be glad.” In response to that declaration, a woman spoke out, loudly enough for others to hear. “Oh, I hope not,” she said.

Sharing this experience some time later, President Smith taught:

“Do you not want the end of the world to come?

“Most people have the wrong idea of what is meant by the end of the world. …

“… When Christ comes there will be an end to the world. … There will not be any war, any turmoil, envying, lying; there will be no wickedness. Men will learn then to love the Lord and keep His commandments, and if they don’t they will not stay here. That’s the end of the world, and that is what the Savior prayed for when His disciples came to Him and said, ‘Teach us to pray.’ What did He do? He taught them, ‘Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.’ [See Luke 11:1–2.]

1 The coming of the Lord is near.

We are rapidly approaching the great day of the Lord, that time of “refreshing,” when he will come in the clouds of heaven to take vengeance upon the ungodly and prepare the earth for the reign of peace for all those who are willing to abide in his law [see Acts 3:19–20].³

2 There will be a judgment when Christ comes.

The parable the Lord taught of the Wheat and the Tares had reference to the last days. According to the story a sower planted good seed in his field, but while he slept the enemy came and sowed tares in the field. When the blades began to show, the servants desired to go and pluck up the tares but the Lord commanded them to let both the wheat and the tares grow up together until the harvest was ripe, lest they root up the tender wheat while destroying the tares. Then at the end of the harvest, they were to go forth and gather the wheat and bind the tares to be burned. In the explanation of this parable, the Lord said to his disciples that “the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels.” [See Matthew 13:24–30, 36–43; D&C 86.]⁶

3 To prepare for the coming of the Lord, we need to watch and pray and get our houses in order.

There are many events in the world today which indicate that the great day of the Lord is drawing near when the Redeemer will again appear to set up his kingdom in righteousness preparatory to the millennial reign. In the meantime it is the duty of members of the Church to seek for knowledge and to prepare themselves by study and by faith for the ushering in of that great and glorious day.¹³

We do not need to be worrying about the times and the seasons when Christ shall come, but we do need to watch and pray and be ready.¹⁴

4 Latter-day Saints can be instruments in God’s hands to prepare a people for the Lord’s coming.

Would it not be an extraordinarily strange thing if the Lord should come and begin his reign of peace, take vengeance on the wicked, cleansing the earth from sin, and not send messengers to prepare the way before him? Should we expect the Lord to come to judge the world without first giving it warning and preparing the means of escape for all who will repent?

5 The Millennium will be a time of peace and a time to labor in the work of the Lord.

The righteous will rejoice when he comes, because then peace will come to the earth, righteousness to the people, and that same spirit of peace and joy and happiness which prevailed upon this continent for two hundred years [see 4 Nephi 1:1–22] shall again be established among the people and eventually shall become universal, and Christ shall reign as Lord of lords and King of kings for a thousand years. We are looking forward to that time.²³

For one thousand years shall this happy time of peace prevail and in due time all the inhabitants of the earth shall be brought into the fold of the Church.²⁴

"The Lord has said through his servants that during the Millennium those who have passed beyond and have attained the resurrection will reveal in person to those who are still in mortality all the information which is required to complete the work of these who have passed from this life. Then the dead will have the privilege of making known the things they desire and are entitled to receive. In this way no soul will be neglected and the work of the Lord will be perfected.³⁰

I pray every day of my life that the Lord will hasten His work. … I am praying for the end of the world because I want a better world. I want the coming of Christ. I want the reign of peace. I want the time to come when every man can live in peace and in the spirit of faith, humility and prayer."