April Presidency Message

Dear Sisters,
         On March 17 we celebrated with over 6 million other women around the world the Birthday of Relief Society. Sister Julie Beck a previous Relief Society general president said, "the glorious heritage of Relief Society has ties back to the ancient Church during the time of Jesus Christ." This year marked over 172 years since the Relief Society was established in this dispensation. The Sisters were given the authority to preside over the unique work that would help build the kingdom of God and would make a significant contribution to the Lords work of salvation. The purposes of Relief Society have remained constant through all time.
         The purposes- to increase faith and personal righteousness, to strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help those who are in need- still guide this organization today.
         I am so proud of all of the women in this ward. You are constantly doing small and simple things that touch all of us, from hugs, to an unexpected phone call, to providing meals to someone and other small anonymous things that often touch all of us and extend into the community.
         Even though we as Relief Society members are doing well in our callings we must not be complacent about anything when it comes to the Gospel if Jesus Christ. We cannot be indifferent to our need to do a bit of spiritual "spring cleaning"-- to dust and scrub and shake our souls to let in the pure love of Christ. The cleansing will help us be better women, wives, mothers, grandmothers, visiting teachers, missionaries and friends.

Love and thanks to all of you
Lorraine Anderson
Relief Society President

March Presidency Message

Dear Sisters,

I hope you are all well and I give you lots of love from our Relief Society Presidency.  This year has been a focus on the Old Testament.  I have personally challenged myself to read the Old Testament this year.  I have enjoyed this challenge even though I don’t fully understand what I am reading a lot of the time.  To be in Sunday School with our wonderful teachers has helped me to understand more of what I have read.   We as a Presidency also decided to focus our year on the Women of the Old Testament.  I have decided to choose Ruth.  I chose her because she also has the same name as my grandmother, my father’s mother.  She was the sweetest person I know.  She definitely reminded me of Ruth in the Old Testament.  Ruth was an example of fidelity, and loyalty, love, generosity, humility and gentleness.  I loved the story of Ruth and Naomi.  Naomi was unselfish after the deaths of her husband and two sons and was willing to let her two daughters-in-law go back to their own people and customs.  She demonstrated great strength during this adversity in her life.  It was during this adversity and sacrifice that Ruth told Naomi that she wanted to go with her.  Ruth was a great example of love and devotion to Naomi in a time of great sadness for them both.

We too live in an age of conflict and adversity.  The relationship that Ruth and Naomi have is a great example to us about unity and devotion in community and family relationships.  We can learn so much from these two daughters of our Heavenly Father.  We too can strive to cultivate loyalty, devotion, humility and gratitude in our own families.  We can listen to the whisperings of the Spirit; reach out to someone who seems to need encouragement in his or her life through our friendship and support.    We can ask in prayer for guidance in improving our lives and then listen for answers.  I hope that all of us understand the spirit of eternal womanhood.  I know that our Father in Heaven blesses us who live by hope and faith.

May each of us use that spirit to spread the gospel in our homes and lift up those with whom we come into contact.  

Thanks to all of you for your continued service and love.

Janet Sims