Thanks to those who helped with the humanitarian project

The recipients were grateful and our goal is to do more throughout the year. So watch for announcements.

Lesson for September 22, 2013

“Come Unto Me” President Henry B. Eyring Lesson for September 22, 2013 Our lesson was given by Jessica Lewis. President Eyring gave a lovely talk. He began by saying he was grateful to be in this church, God’s church. He invites us to be close to Him. His talk was about how we can come close to the Savior. The Spirit is our greatest teacher, so we need to reflect on what we can do to come closer and the Spirit will prompt us. President Eyring made a promise that if we will do what He tells us, we will come close to Him. He says that we come closer to Him through simple acts, such as meeting with the Saints. He remembers an experience when it was cold and dark outside the church meeting and yet it was light and warm inside. How have we grown closer to the Savior by obedience? Sister Harker said she was feeling anxious and wasn’t reading her scriptures, but she got the feeling to read her scriptures and she was comforted. Another sister told of being a missionary and having trials getting her investigators to the church meetings. She asked the Lord what to do because the mission president was coming to visit their meeting. She and her companion decided to fast, which was very hard. We just knew that was the right thing to do to demonstrate their faith. They went to everyone they had ever taught and when they showed up, there were 5 investigators there and then a little old lady who had said she would never come, showed up. There were 7 eventually who showed up. She and her companion gained a testimony that fasting is real. Another sister moved out here with her car filled up with her things and no job and no plans. She went to the temple with her friend and she found an apartment and then a job and her life started falling in place. President Eyring told the stories of Biblical people who had been faithful at the time of Christ’s death and the results of their obedience, such as the women at the tomb, and the men on the road to Emmaeus. Christ said to the men that he would tarry with them as they invited him. He ate with them and then Christ vanished. They asked if their hearts had not burned while he was with them. They went back to the other apostles where Christ came again. How have the scriptures brought you closer to the Savior. Sister Card told of getting little impressions about checking on her young children, but nothing was every wrong. She got another impression one day and checked, only to find that her children were playing with matches. Another sister said she wasn’t particularly happy and then she decided to get up early to study the scriptures. She didn’t know why, but that is what she decided to do. She decided to write her thoughts and set a time to study. She could tell such a difference, made her happy, she could study better, and she found friends. It made such a difference just because she was trying, with a humility to accept whatever the Lord wanted to tell her. Sister Cantrell has a daughter who is experiencing difficulty. Sister Cantrell worried and prayed and felt the presence of the Savior. She got the impression to kneel down and pray and read the scriptures. She was able to tell her daughter to be kind to those who were giving trouble and that kindness begets kindness. President Eyring said that the Savior cares for us as he cared for others, and we should care for others and comfort them. We are under covenant both to lift up those in need and to be witnesses of the Savior as long as we live. We will be able to do it without fail only as we feel love for the Savior and His love for us. As we are faithful to the promises we have made, we will feel love for Him. It will increase because we will feel His power and His drawing near to us in His service. Sister Emily Campbell said that by switching her focus from managing her family while her girls are so ill to serving her daughters, her love for her daughters has increased beyond what she thought possible. What she thought was important before, is not so important. Another sister said her sister-in-law lost her baby, but she had hers due about the same time and it was hard. Another sister said she is newly married and sometimes counts times she’s done dishes or her husband has and she has found she needs to serve her husband and not keep count. Sister Lopez said that service is part of our covenant and we promised to keep it. Another sister said to put things in the terms of what Christ would do, and He doesn’t keep a tally. He sees us in a different light from what we see ourselves and our spouses. There is so much more to what He sees us as. A visiting sister said that although so many good people are doing good things, when we do things under the direction of the priesthood order, we are brought closer to Christ. The world is trying to seek their own way, when what we are really being called to do is be united in Christ and come unto Him and then everyone would be taken care of.

Lesson for September 15, 2013 Serving in the Church

Lesson for September 15, 2013 Sister Amy Fehlburg gave the lesson on Chapter 18 Church Leadership and Selfless Service. Why do we have jobs in the Church? The answers were that because it is so much fun that no one person should have all the fun. It is also to help us learn and it is to make sure that all the members are taken care of. We read the scripture where Jesus said that if we serve even the least of his children, we serve Him. Why is it important that we fulfill our callings? Because the Lord has given us everything and we can give a small portion back. If we do it only half way, we show that we are not committed to the Lord. Sometimes we get busy and don’t do things as well as we can or we forget. Sometimes we think that our callings are not that important, so it doesn’t seem important to do our callings to the best of our ability. Sister Fehlberg said we don’t need fifty bishops. We need everyone to do their callings. The lesson manual says to be content and satisfied doing small things. We should never feel too lofty to be cut down to fit into the place we need to be. Amy Young said she now feels that the most important calling in the church is home teaching and visiting teaching and she needs us to do our visiting teaching so we watch out for everyone and receive the blessings we get by doing what we are called to do. President Snow went to a ward where the bishop was taking all the credit for himself and the feeling in that ward was not good. We need to be humble and we need to pray for our Heavenly Father’s help in our callings and in our family duties. If we have that attitude that we can do anything with Heavenly Father’s help, we will be able to do things we may not have been able to do. We are here to help lift each other up. In John 21:15-17 it tells when Jesus asked Peter if he loved him, three times, and three times Peter was told to feed His sheep. Jesus loves his sheep/children and he wants us to be taken care of and we need to do Jesus’ work. President Snow said that we should go forth with our whole heart and take care of the people. Do not think that you can make too great a sacrifice in helping others. Sister Fehlberg said that while she was single, she was pretty self-centered. Then she married and had a child and she learned what it is to be selfless. Selfless people are those who put themselves out to help others. One sister said that Paige Gibson came over and sat next to her and became her friend and she thought that Church was wonderful after that. Sister Lopez said that her husband ran into a guy he knew from Mexico after 37 years who he had taught in Primary and this man fondly remembered him as his Primary teacher. If we do our callings with our hearts, then we do good. We thought about leaders who stood out. The ones who made an effort to make people feel welcome stand out. One sister remembered her early morning seminary teacher who had been Mrs. America and had ten children. This woman was so sincere and loved each student. Sister Harker told about Mark Jones and how much he loved all the boys in the ward and even gave her son his shoes to wear when the boy wanted to go to a stake dance, which ruined the shoes. Shanacy Critchfield told about Sister Laycock and how she impacted the children in Primary as she taught the children music and how that was the best part of church for her children. The lesson says that we should be humble and committed as we serve. Brother Gibbons was remembered as someone who practiced service with humility and good cheer. Sister Fehlberg also told of Jesus Christ who washed his disciples’s feet and how, like Peter, do not accept His service, we cannot partake of the blessings.

Lesson for September 8, 2013 For the Salvation of the Human Family

September 8, 2013 Relief Society Lesson: Chapter 17—For the Salvation of the Human Family Sister Maggie Kopp gave the lesson on the priesthood and how it helps the human family. She said many people think that lessons about the priesthood are about men only, but she hopes we can share personal experiences to show it is also about women. Lorenzo Snow had some things to say about it. The priesthood is the delegated authority of God given to man. It presides over everything in the gospel. It is so that all people can be good and happy so everyone can share in what makes them happy. The priesthood makes it so anyone in the world can have the gift of the Holy Ghost, temple blessings, and return to Heavenly Father—all alike. The priesthood makes it so we can extend the same blessings to those who have already died. We can counsel with our husbands and so we can help priesthood bearers. We also have the power to ask for blessings. A big part of that is service to our neighbors and families and allowing our husbands to do their callings. We can also give prayers of faith for family, friends, and even those who are not of our faith. President Snow told of going to Italy with missionaries and were confronted with rumors. They decided to share their examples with people in their area. They were able to bless a child through fasting and prayer who was ill and the family. The child became well. Temple service gives all women blessings of the priesthood and make the same covenants and perform the same ordinances. One sister said she and her husband decided to go to the temple once a week while they were dating so they could be worthy to get married in the temple. Sister Kopp said she once did the work for a woman who lived in the time and area she studied for her master’s degree and it was a wonderful experience for her. It was a really special experience. Another sister said she was able to do the work for three people in her husband’s family and she envisioned that family coming back together. Another sister, a convert, said she was able to take her mother’s name through a few days after her own work was done and the missionary who had converted her was able to stand in for her father. Her brother was also part of it and they are the nucleus of their family. Sister Lopez told of going to the temple and making a huge sacrifice in going to the temple. She was able to help with her grandmother’s work and had a love for that grandmother. How does it bless us individually, to do the work for others? We can be good examples to our children and grandchildren and come back happier and that blesses others—encourages them to do their own work. Sister Kopp’s mother works in the temple and it has blessed their lives. Another great blessing is having the priesthood in our homes. Our homes can be blessed every hour because we can be blessed every hour our covenants are kept. Sister Judd said that knowing that we can repent and invite the Spirit back into our homes is such a blessing. If we try to influence others in our homes, if we do it the Lord’s way, it works so much better—that is power, the Lord’s kind of power. When the parents keep the covenants, the family is blessed, even if they decide not to stay active. It still holds the family together—even if one parent keeps covenants. Just go and do.

September 17 is our activity and humanitarian project.

There are several items we are collecting. We are helping the House of Hope and the Juvenile Justice Services. We are donating and making birthday bags to give them a sense of belonging to their community. We will be making baby things as well. We will also be gathering stationery and making jewelry to help them heal spiritually and physically. New is great, but lightly used is good, too. Other things that are needed are school supplies, books, hygiene kit items, games (with all the pieces), packaged food like cookies and crackers and candy bars and canned goods, jewelry supplies, journals, yarn,toys, fabric.

Come to Women's Conference Sept. 28

Our stake is hosting the televised Women's Conference On Saturday evening September 28. A dinner will be held from 4:30-5:50 p.m. and conference will start at 6:00. No nursery. Please come and join with our sisters in worshiping together.