Presidency Message  May 2013

           

Dear Sisters,

We are quickly moving toward the middle of Spring. Spring is such a beautiful time of year. New life burst forth in the form of new flowers and the Light of a beautiful spring day can bring us a feeling of warmth, and peace tingling with anticipation for what tomorrow will bring. The Gospel of Jesus Christ can bring forth the same feeling. Unfortunately there are many of our sisters who can’t feel or can’t see the Light of the Gospel in their lives. For whatever reason we need to be a Good Shepherd and help them to find that Light of Christ again. Virtually everyone in our circle of responsibility has become lost in one way or another. A lost sheep can be a young person, far away from home faced with loneliness and temptation, a single mom who lost a critically needed job, a grandmother whose children and grandchildren don’t have time for her, a man just called to be a new bishop, a mother whose child is again making choices that are wrong for them. In Isaiah 53:6 I am the lost sheep, You are the lost sheep, All we like sheep have gone astray…

It is my prayer the LIGHT of the Gospel will lead us and guide us to help those who are LOST, and if we are in a place where we are LOST I hope that we can brush the cobwebs of doubt and despair away from our eyes so we follow his LIGHT back to Him.

Lorraine Anderson

Relief Society President

Presidency Message - April 

Dear Sisters:

It's now Spring and we celebrate the rebirth of the earth and Easter. It is a time when we contemplate with more earnestness our Savior's atonement and resurrection. We are here today because of that great gift. We will return to our Heavenly Father because of the resurrection. I encourage you to take the time in your busy lives to ponder upon the richness of this gift and what it means to you personally. In focusing on the Savior and his great gift, I'd like to share a small quote from Sister Marjorie Pay Hinckley's book, By Small and Simple Things.

"The gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest force for peace and unity on the face of the earth and, when every knee shall bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, there will be no divisions among us."  By him, and through him, and of him, the worlds are and were created, and the inhabitants thereof are begotten sons and daughters unto God. D&C 76:24

Let us use this time of rebirth to remember that even though the world may seem in turmoil, we are all children of our Heavenly Father. He gave us this probationary time on earth so we could grow spiritually and show our love for him by being obedient and by serving others. We are his hands, we are capable of great things. The challenges of this world are all overcome by the gifts bestowed by our Savior Jesus Christ. If we start and end each day with prayer, thanking our Heavenly Father for that great gift, we will find more joy, more peace, a greater desire to give and share, and in so doing, strengthen ourselves and those around us. It is my hope that we can all be empowered to do good by living the gospel of Jesus Christ each and every day.

Love,

Carol Rhodes, 1st Counselor

Presidency Message - March

Dear Sisters,             

I have enjoyed my time with you in Relief Society. I didn't think I was missing anything while I was serving in Primary, YW etc. I am not saying that you cannot be filled spiritually while serving outside of Relief Society; I am saying, that we need the spiritual boost we get from taking a look at our own lives from time to time.  The last few months have caused much introspection on my part. It has filled me and lifted me up to share with you your beautiful spirits, comments, and experiences.

As we take a personal inventory, I find myself and perhaps you do too; weeding out habits that have crept into our lives with non-essential fillers; gets in the way of doing good things that are so much more rewarding than some of the endeavors we get involved with in our day to day living.  We need to do a Spring cleaning of our inner houses. Repenting of things we need to repent of; getting rid of old habits that weigh us down.

Jesus taught a parable known as the "Empty House." He taught that repentance requires we fill the void left by discarded sins/habits with good actions to keep the bad actions from returning.  President Kimball stated, "The devil knows where to tempt, where to put in his telling blows, He finds the vulnerable spot. Where one was weak before, he will most easily  be tempted again. In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must make them...He must eliminate anything which would stir the old memories."

In March 2003, Elder Victor D.  Cave said, "True repentance, then, is not merely eliminating the negative in our lives; it also must involve replacing the negative with positive attitudes and actions.   

As we strive to fill our "empty houses" with good actions; we will find ourselves taking time for personal study; reaching out to others; helping lift them up and they in turn will lift us in the process; we will be walking in the Savior's footsteps and filling our lamps with oil; helping others fill theirs as we strengthen them and help them learn to walk with Christ

With love,

Linda Rogers, Assistant Secretary

Presidency Message - February 2013      

Dear Sisters,                                           

Many sisters had the opportunity to meet with the Relief Society Presidency in Visiting Teaching interviews last month, to share their joys, strengths and challenges. We were uplifted by your sweet spirits and the love you have for one another, the sacrifices you make and the care and concern you share for those sisters in our ward. We appreciate the way you uplift each other, are quick to accept service opportunities and share your talents.

Taking a personal inventory, expounding on what we see in ourselves and setting goals, will help us to improve our “caring”. How can we be a better friend? How can we prepare ourselves to be open to the spirit and willing to obey the promptings we receive so we can be in tune with our sisters needs? Robert D. Hales said "As we follow [the Savior], He blesses us with gifts, talents, and the strength to do His will, allowing us to go beyond our comfort zones and do things we’ve never before thought possible."

How well we prepare will help to define the way we emulate our savior as we fill our lamps with oil. As I sit in Relief Society Meeting taking roll, looking out at each of you sisters, I am often awestruck at how I feel. I’m amazed at the caliber of sisters in our ward, talented, beautiful, righteous sisters. A room full of magnificence. And yet, we are missing so many; they are not there to share in the gospel light with us. They are not there to help strengthen their testimonies and their families. They are not receiving the blessings that are offered to them through the Savior. Our lives would also be enriched if these same sisters were with us.

As we walk with Christ this year, as we fill our lamps, let us beckon those who are missing, to walk with us.

Many of our sisters are simply in need of a friend, someone who will take the time to get to know then, love then unconditionally and not give up on them.

Who will we beckon to walk with us, as we Walk with Christ this year?

Hugs,

Shelly Ward, Secretary

Presidency Message-January 2013

Dear Sisters,
I think many of us, at this time of year, find our hearts and homes turned toward the Savior. It is near impossible, with the constant reminders of Christmas, like decorations, being with family, gifts, lights, and music, to turn away from the Savior. Would it be a horrible thing if we thought of the Savior as often as we do during Christmas, all year long? Now, I am definitely not suggesting that we leave our Christmas decorations up all year long as a reminder (although if you would like to, please do so).

This year, our wonderful Stake Presidency has decided that our theme for the year will be "Walking With Christ". This will be a great way for us, both as individuals and families, to work to grow closer to our Savior and be more like Him. On the first Sunday in January, we will be passing out "Walking With Christ" goal cards to assist us on our journey back to the Savior.

My daughter, Savannah, loves to listen to the Primary music CD that is passed out to the children to help them learn the words to the songs for the Primary program. Because she does not have a CD player of her own, we often listen to the CD in the car. In a previous year, there was a song called "If the Savior Stood Beside Me". When I heard the words to the song, I cried. I have included the lyrics from the first verse here for you, as we begin together here on our journey to Walk With Christ.

"If the Savior stood beside me, would I do the things I do?
Would I think of His commandments and try harder to be true?
Would I follow His example? Would I live more righteously,
If I could see the Savior standing nigh, watching over me?"

With Love,
Tara Poulsen, Second Counselor