July Presidency Message

Dear Sisters,

          Happy Summer! 

I love the month of

July and all of the great celebrations we enjoy. Time for picnics, family reunions and fun!  It is definitely time to reflect on all of our blessings and think of all those that came before us that sacrificed so much in our behalf.  The 4th of July and Pioneer Day are two of the most important historical events that occurred to make sure that we have the freedoms we enjoy.  I feel so blessed to be able to live free and also have the true gospel in my life.

This month I will be teaching our lesson on Esther.  She was a very courageous woman who was guided by the Holy Spirit to make a very courageous decision to help free her people.  I hope you have the chance to read about her and the wonderful example she is.  We will be talking about her and discussing how we can apply what she did into our own lives today.  Romans 15:4  reads, “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.” 

Thanks for all you do!  We love each of you and pray for you daily.

             ~Janet Sims, RS 1^st Counselor

May Presidency Message

Dear Sisters,

 Mother’s day is this month and I’m so thankful for a special day set aside to celebrate my mother and the wonderful person she is, and reflect on the things that she has taught me.

Like my mother, there are many women in the scriptures that I can come to know and by their example become a better person.  Rebekah is one of these women.  She was a woman of faith, a follower of Christ, a giver of service, hard worker and obedient.  She helped ensure that the Lord’s prophesy came to pass by taking action, even though the circumstances were difficult. She was a woman of strength, one who was willing to say “I Will Go” and follow the will of the Lord. 

It is my hope that we will strive to be women who “Will Go”, trust in the Lord, place him at the forefront and fulfill our responsibilities as daughters of God; women entrusted during our mortal lives with sweet spirits in whom we teach gospel truths, whether they are biological children, adopted children, students, nieces and nephews or simply friends. 

 We are on the Lords’ errand.

 Much love,

Shelly Ward

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

February Presidency Message

Dear Sisters,

It's good to finally be back with you for a time.  I've had quite a month and I'm sure your January was busy as well.

As we take time to discuss Women from the Scriptures this year in our Presidency lessons; I hope we will take time to emulate the lessons we can learn from these women. Perhaps we can take time to reflect how to improve our lives and seek to make our lives more in keeping with the gospel and find peace amid all the busy of our lives.

This month I would like us to reflect upon the first woman in the scriptures; "Eve the Mother of all Living." I began thinking of Eve as my mother was going through the dying process; passing away on Jan. 12. I reflected on what a wonderful mother I had been blessed with and it made me think of the first mother in this mortal journey we are all on. There is much we can learn from Eve. She was willing to take the harder road in life when she accepted partaking of the forbidden fruit; as she came to realize the need for the fall to open the door for the rest of us to come and gain the experience necessary to obtain eternal life.

President Russell M. Nelson in a Conference talk entitled "Lessons from Eve" points to 5 fundamental lessons of everlasting importance we can learn from Eve. 

1. She labored beside her companion (see Moses 5:1)

2. She and Adam bore the responsibilities of parenthood. (see Moses 5:2)
3. She and her partner worshipped the Lord in prayer (see Moses 5:4)
4. She and Adam heeded divine commandments of obedience and sacrifice (Moses:5-6)
5. She and her husband taught the gospel to their children (see Moses 5:12)

I hope we will focus on one of these aspects each month for the next 5 months to create our legacy we will leave to our posterity as daughters of Eve and spirit daughters of our Heavenly Father.

Love,

Linda Rogers, RS 2nd Counselor