Great lesson this week--Melissa--Chapter 8--The power of the word!!

We talked about the importance of the scriptures!!  President Benson gives us great insight into the promises that come from reading the scriptures.  

Quote:  We live in a day of great challenge.  We live in that time of which the Lord spoke when he said, "Peace shall be taken from the earth, and the devil shall have power over his own dominion."  We live in that day which John the Revelator forsaw when "the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.  The dragon is Satan, the woman represents the Church of Jesus Christ.  Satan is waging war against the members of the Church who have testimonies and are trying to keep the commandments.  And while many of our members are remaining faithful and strong, some are wavering.  Some are falling.  Some are fulfilling John's prophecy that in the war with Satan, some Saints would be overcome.

Then the promise:  When individual members and families immerse themselves in the scriptures regularly and consistently, testimonies will increase.  Commitment will be strengthened and families will be fortified.  Personal revelation will flow!! 

The Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts than by any other book.  (Introduction to the Book of Mormon!!)  

We had a great discussion on the question---Why don't we read the scriptures?   We had many excuses!  And as we voiced them, I think we all realized that they were pretty lame!  There were given many great suggestions as to how, when and how much to read daily.  

Conclusion:  It is individual!!  We all learn differently.  We all need different things in our lives.  We are all at different stages in our lives.  But we all know that reading them, no matter how it works for you, will make a wonderful difference in our lives.  And if we learn and then apply, that's what the Lord wants us to do.  

Great lesson.  Thanks to Melissa.  We so appreciate her efforts in our behalf!!  We missed you if your weren't there.  Read chapter 8.  Great information!! 

 

Great lesson last week...Rochelle Lunt--Chapter 7--Joseph Smith

"When the light rested upon me I was two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air.  One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other---This is My Beloved Son.  Hear Him!!"
We have all read and heard this phrase many times.  It gives me goosebumps every time I read it.  Our lesson was so good.  It's always so great to have your testimony of something you already know to be true, strengthen over again by such great instruction.
Do you have a testimony of Joseph Smith?  That he was a prophet and helped restore the gospel to the earth in this last dispensation?  It is so important to have your very own testimony of this very important man and event. 
I really can't imagine how hard it must have been for Joseph to have stood up for something that he could have easily denied.  Especially when him and his family were so abused and beaten on many different occasions.  But I LOVE this statement by him.
"I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation."
WOW!!  Would we have the courage to do this under such stressful circumstances???
We had a great discussion on the actual story and came up with so great insight. 
Please take the time to read the lesson.  You will gain some great knowledge of Joseph Smith and his great courage and willingness to do what the Lord asked of him.  14 years old, unlearned and completely committed!! Thanks Rochelle for your time and effort.  We love you so much!!!

Yeah...we get to clean the building!!!

May 2nd, 9:00 at the church.  We as a Relief Society presidency have been trained on the details of cleaning the building.  We are very excited to train you!!!  We haven't been doing all we need to be doing to make sure our building is clean and sanitized.  Sooo.... on Saturday the 2nd we please ask you to come and help.  It takes us as a presidency 2-3 hours to clean it alone.  But if we have many come we can have it done in an hour or so.
The Lord has given us this building for us to use.  We are very blessed!!   It is His church.  Believe you me, I know how busy everyone is!  And I know that lots of us work all week and then it's about the last thing we want to do to go clean for an hour.  But I truly believe that we show our love for the Lord by keeping His Holy House clean.  And by being obedient to the things that He has asked us to do.  He loves us all. I know that to be true!!

PLEASE come and join us.  

We would love to have everyone.  

Boy, that would be great!!!

9:00, Saturday the 2nd of May!!  

SEE YOU THERE!!!

There was going to be a temple day for our ward that same day, but it's been cancelled.  Due to the Ironman competition in St. George that day!!

BRING IT ON!!!
Also remember, it's only one Saturday every 3 months!!  We can do this!!

  

8 things the Atonement is not

The Atonement is not just about immediate perfection but also eventual perfection...

Justice requires immediate perfection or a punishment if that perfection is not attained.  Because Christ took that punishment for us, He can now provide a different arrangement.  He calls for eventual perfection and offers to support us throughout the process.  We don't go to church and partake of the sacrament because we are perfect but because we are willing to be perfected.  We don't go to the temple because we have made it, but because within those walls God and Christ are making us more like Them.  They could change us in an instant, but strength so easily attained is not strength at all.  This is why, as Christ and Heavenly Father change us from human to divine, They typically do it the same way that a child learns to walk-over time.  Time is the medium through which the power of the Atonement is made manifest in our lives.

Enduring to the end doesn't just mean to the end of the week, month, year, or even the end of this life.  Enduring to the end means enduring to our ultimate end--becoming more like God and Jesus.

The Six word Phrase Mormons should stop saying!!

I stared at the woman's facebook entry.  It was several sentences long about how her family had just gotten some bad news and when were they ever going to catch a break and didn't life just completely stink a lot of the time?  I read the update to my husband.  He is the Home Teacher to this woman and her family.  I know he cares about them and would want to help.  I scrolled through the comments and most were variations of, "Oh my gosh, what happened?  Call me if you need anything!" "Yeah," my husband nodded, "Tell her to call me if they need any help."

If they need any help????

Good grief!!!  Of course they need help.  Look at that Facebook post!!

I'll tell you what I told my husband:  NEVER say the words, "Call me if you need anything?"  We need to strike this phrase from our collective vocabulary.  Usually we say this to someone who we know needs help; whether it's because they aren't felling well, or they're have family issues or they just got called to be the Primary President; this is a phrase we blithely offer to someone who is in a more difficult situation than they normally are.  This sentence, meant to be helpful, places the entire responsibility of help on the person who is already struggling.  And we all know how easy it is to ask for help!!  I don't care how low I've been, I would never dream of calling up a friend to go to the post office for me or to fold my laundry, even when these are the very things I've needed.  Even when a dozen people have invited me to "call them if I need anything."

If you really want to be helpful, call a person and ask how you can help, not if you can help.  Give them a couple of options so they know you're serious. 
Could I pick up your kids from school and have them stay til bedtime? 
What day would be best to bring you dinner this week? 
Could I do your grocery shopping for you? 
Could I drive you to any of your appointments?
Some people are very stubborn about accepting help.  I've had to say to sisters in my ward, "Listen, I'm going to help you.  Either you can tell me what you need or I'll just pick something."  They always laugh at that point and say... "Well, ok then!"  There is always something that can be done. 
LIsten, friends, good intentions are nice but we aren't a church of good intentions.  We are a church of action.  That is what Christ has asked of us.  To bear each other's burdens.  Not to pat a friend on the back and give her a frownsmile. As nice as it is to commiserate with somebody on Facebook, the true Christian actually show up.  The true disciple picks up the phone and say,, "I can tell you're having a hard time right now.  How about I bring over some lunch and we can talk?"  Or one of a thousand other things that a hurting person might need.  The Holy Ghost can give you some great ideas.

Don't make a friend beg for help.  Most of us would rather suffer in silence.  Be the person that is an answer to someone's prayers.

ldsliving.org/segullah.org/

Love this one too....

"Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, loudly proclaiming,

"WOW!!! what a ride!"

Marjorie Pay Hinckley

A quote from one of my very favorite ladies

"I don't want to drive up to the pearly gates in a shiny sports car, wearing beautiful tailored clothes, my hair expertly coiffed, and with long, perfectly manicured fingernails.  I WANT TO drive up in a station wagon that has mud on the wheels from taking kids to scout camp.  I want to be there with grass stains on my shoes from mowing Sister Schenk's lawn.  I want to be there with a smudge of peanut butter on my shirt from making peanut butter sandwiches for a sick neighbor's children.  I want to be there with a little dirt under my nails from helping weed someone's garden.  I want to be there with children's sticky kisses on my cheek and the tears of a friend on my shoulder.  I want the Lord to know I was really here and that I really lived."

8 things the Atonement is not!!

The Atonement is not just about earning but also learning.

Our faith, repentance, covenants, and efforts to receive the Holy Ghost and endure to the end are not works performed to earn salvation.  Rather, they are how Christ is transforming us.  He asks us to follow Him and keep His commandments, not to earn our way to heaven but to become more heavenly.
We chose to enter this mortal school because we knew that through the Atonement, not only could we go home but we could also be better for having come.

Exciting News!!

I know that we announced it in Relief Society this last month but I just got the pictures back and wanted to share.  Cute little Mildred went back to the temple for the first time in I don't know...maybe 25 years.  We are so excited for her!!  She is such a sweet and amazing lady.  If you had the time, her life story is something to be heard.  She has had so many trials in her life but just keeps moving forward no matter what.  She is an amazing mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.  Just ask Devyn, her great-granddaughter who Mildred has raised since she was just a little girl. Wish everyone could know her like I do and love her as much too.  Congratulations to her and her family.  She now gets to do very important work for those in her family that are on the other side of the veil!!

 We love you Mildred!!

Change of plans...

No temple night tonight with the Relief Society ladies!!  We will be talking about doing it another time this month in Relief Society this week.  Sorry.  You can still go without us though.  I'm sure they would love to have you!!  Have a great week!!!