Relief Society Notes

Going Old School

2009-05-22T06:36:00.001-07:00

I apologize dear reader(s) for not updating this poor blog for so long. Ever since I became the mother of 4 in November, I have lost track of much of my former life. In view of what appears to be the very limited readership of this blog, even when I was updating it regularly, we have decided to move the weekly RS lesson notes from this electronic format back into good old-fashioned ink on paper. Look for the new "Last Week's Lesson" column in our "Minute From the Second" newsletter. If there is anyone left on the planet to read this message who would like me to also post the "Last Week's Lesson" column here, leave me a comment to let me know. Otherwise, you can consider this blog officially dormant.

Yours Truly,

PG

Sunday, October 5, 2008

2008-10-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

General Conference Sunday Morning Session

President Monson conducted this session. The speakers are:

1) Henry B. Eyring spoke about being united
2) Robert D. Hales addressed responding in a Christlike way to those who attack the church
3) Keith B. McMullin
4) Elaine S. Dalton spoke about returning to virtue
5) M. Russell Ballard
6) President Monson spoke about enjoying the journey today

Sunday Afternoon Session

President Uchtdorf conducted this session. The speakers were:

1) Boyd K. Packer
2) Russell M. Nelson talked about marriage
3) William D. Oswald who spoke about some basic principles of good teaching
4) Eduardo Gavarret
5) Carlos A. Godoy
6) Quentin L. Cook talked about hard times
7) President Monson

Saturday, October 4, 2008

2008-10-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

General Conference Saturday Morning Session

President Monson conducted this morning's session, announcing 5 new temples: Philadelphia, PA; Calgary, AB; Kansas City area; Cordova (Argentina?); Rome, Italy. The speakers for this session were:

1) L. Tom Perry who talked about Walden Pond, Henry David Thoreau, and simplifying our lives
2) Silvia Allred of the RS General Presidency
3) Neil L. Andersen, who told several great stories, but I can't remember the theme of his message
4) Marcos A. Aidukaitis who shared a bit about his father's baptism in 1940 and the importance of the Book of Mormon in their lives
5) Dallin H. Oaks who instructed us on the proper preparation for participating in the sacrament/ sacrament meeting
6) Dieter F. Uchtdorf who gave a wonderful talk on hope

General Conference Saturday Afternoon Session

President Eyring conducted this session. The speakers were:

1) Joseph B. Wirthlin, who talked about facing adversity with 4 strategies: a) laugh b) seek for the eternal c) understand the principle of compensation d) put your trust in God
2) Jeffrey R. Holland talked about ministering angels both in heaven and on earth
3) Gerald Causse
4) Lawrence E. Corbridge
5) D. Todd Christofferson
6) David A. Bednar who spoke about prayer

Sunday, September 28, 2008

2008-09-28T14:17:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson taught by yours truly, Potato Girl, on Elder Dennis Neuenschwander's April 2008 Conference address "One Among the Crowd."

This talk uses three scriptures stories to illustrate the idea of a righteous individual struggling against a wicked crowd. The first is the story of the woman with the 12 year issue of blood found in Matthew 9:20-22, Mark 5:24-34 and Luke 8:43-48.

The second story Elder Neuenschwander uses is that of Alma in the court of King Noah, found in Mosiah 17:1-4.

The third story is Lehi & Nephi's vision of the people partaking of the fruit of the tree of life and the mocking crowd in the great and spacious building (1 Nephi 8:10-12, 25-28, 33 and 1 Nephi 11:7-23,32-36).

In the first story, the woman with the issue of blood moves through the crowd that is thronging Jesus in order to touch him, having faith that she will be made whole if she can do this. Elder N. tells us that the main difference between this woman and the rest of the crowd is that they came to see Jesus, perhaps hoping to witness something out of the ordinary, a spectacle, while she came to be healed. We discussed the differences between approaching the Savior/ attending church/ watching General Conference with the goal of seeing or with the goal of being healed.

In the second story, Alma must leave the crowd of evil priests in order to follow the teachings of the prophet Abinadi. When he speaks out on Abinadi's behalf, he is thrust from the group and must flee from those who are seeking his life.

In the third story, the righteous people partaking of the fruit of the tree of life are already separate from the crowd in the great and spacious building. Their task is to ignore the mocks and scorns coming from the crowd. Some of those who have partaken of the fruit hear the crowd and feel ashamed, eventually wandering away from the tree and becoming lost. Others pay the crowd no heed, and are able to continue to feast on the fruit, which represents the love of god.

Elder N. says of the woman with the issue of blood that she "resolutely and quietly pressed forward with a single purpose in mind: to come to the Savior, having faith that He had the power to heal her, that He cared about her and would respond to her need." He reiterates this statement at the very end of his talk, saying: "In all of life’s circumstances let us quietly and resolutely press forward to the Savior, having faith that He cares about us and has the power to heal and save us."

We put the key elements of this statement up on the board like this:

-quietly and resolutely press forward to the Savior
-have faith that the Savior
---has the power to heal and save us
---cares about us
---will respond to our need

I asked everyone to think about what they could do to follow the example of the woman with the issue of blood as she sought healing from the Savior.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008-09-21T16:05:00.000-07:00

Today's RS lesson taught by Kristin Ellis from Joseph Smith Manual Chapter #17: "The Great Plan of Salvation."

We started with this statement by Joseph Smith on page 210 of the manual:

“I am dwelling on the immortality of the spirit of man. Is it logical to say that the intelligence of spirits is immortal, and yet that it has a beginning? The intelligence of spirits had no beginning, neither will it have an end. That is good logic. That which has a beginning may have an end. There never was a time when there were not spirits. …"

We need to remember when we are teaching the plan of salvation to others that although it is helpful to talk about pre-mortal, mortal, and post-mortal periods in our existence, there is no beginning or end to our spirits.

Why are we here on earth? To receive a body. To have mortal experiences which allow us to learn and become more like god.

The one quote that stood out to Kristin more than any other as she prepared the lesson is this from page 210:

"We consider that God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect; and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin; and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker, and is caught up to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a moment.”

We discussed this quote in parts. The discussion topic for the first part: How does acting on the revelation we receive help us to receive more? Some answers:
-Keeping a scripture journal of impressions that come while reading helps me to notice or remember the revelation I receive. -Following President Eyring's counsel to keep a journal of god's hand in my life helps me in a similar way.
-My capacity to recognize revelation increases as I exercise it.

To better discuss the second part of the quote, Kristin asked: How do we live the gospel as Joseph Smith describes without becoming overwhelmed? Some answers:
-Day by day.
-Be realistic and don't beat yourself up.
-Remember that our life happens in stages, and we can't do everything at once.
-Set short-term goals to help you reach long-term goals. I like to mark off goals on charts and give myself rewards.
-When I start the day with a prayer and then report back to god in prayer at the end of the day, I feel a sense of accomplishment, and that god is guiding my day.
-I try to remember that Satan wants us to feel overwhelmed and give up. Christ, on the other hand, wants us to have hope.
-Making Christ an active part of my life makes it all possible.
-Sister Hinckley shared an experience in her book Small & Simple Things about setting a goal to read each of the 4 standard works for 15 minutes each day. After a week or so with very little progress, she realized that she had aimed too high with this goal and modified it.
-I tell people what I'm going to do so that I'll feel accountable.

For the last few minutes of the lesson we talked about the section that starts on page 211 "We came to earth to obtain a body." Kristin asked: How have you gained a testimony of the sacredness of your body? Some answers:
-Seeing someone sick or with a body that doesn't function properly has helped me appreciate how miraculous it is to have a body that works properly. It helps me to respect the gift I've been given, to be able to move freely, to leave a room and go somewhere if I choose.
-I have prayed for help in seeing modest fashions as beautiful.
-I met a man on a plane once who told me how impressed he was by the mormon women at the gym who always dressed differently than the other women.

We ran out of time. Kristin closed by bearing her testimony of the Savior and his central role in our salvation.

Sunday, September 14, 2008

2008-09-13T18:46:00.000-07:00

Today's RS lesson was taught by Sondra Soderborg based on the Joseph Smith manual chapter 16, "Revelation and the Living Prophet."

In 1831 the prophet Joseph Smith was living in Kirtland, Ohio. It was a time of great revelation. Others were often present when the Lord answered the prophet's prayers through revelation. Parley P. Pratt recorded this:

“After we had joined in prayer in his translating room, he dictated in our presence the following revelation. Each sentence was uttered slowly and very distinctly, and with a pause between each, sufficiently long for it to be recorded, by an ordinary writer, in long hand. … There was never any hesitation, reviewing, or reading back, in order to keep the run of the subject.”

The general membership of the church did not have access to these revelations. The leaders of the church met together and decided to publish some of them. Doctrine and Covenants section 1 was given by the Lord as a preface to this collection of revelations.

Revelation is necessary and will be provided in God's true church. Through revelation, Joseph Smith was given to understand that the rock referred to in Matthew 16:18 is revelation.

Joseph had to help the early saints understand that only the prophet receives revelation for the whole church.

Discussion Question #1: Please share a time in your life when you can see that by following the prophet your life was blessed.

Discussion Question #2: Please share a personal revelation that has been important in your life.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

2008-09-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

RS Lesson by Kathy Diehl based on Elder Scott's October 2004 Conference address "Peace of Conscience and Peace of Mind."

The RS theme for our ward this year is D&C 19:23. How do we get peace in our life? When have you felt peace, and where have you been? When you felt peace, were you problem free? Is it easy to feel or find peace? We are fortunate to have people to guide us to the source of peace.

Elder Scott says that a tranquil conscience is rare on earth. 2 Nephi 2:27. The adversary works to take peace from us. External forces affect our peace of mind, worry us. This kind of unsettled mind can be resolved, often by the passage of time. What worries are affecting your mind right now?

This type of worry is very different from peace of conscience, which is controlled by what you do. What does a conscience do for us, why have we been given one? To guide us. To help us distinguish right from wrong.

Moroni 7:15-19. What is the connection between the light of Christ and conscience? Every person has the light of Christ, and conscience is a manifestation of that light. Conscience is a defense against that which is spiritually harmful. Elder Scott says that the ability to have an unsettled conscience is a gift of god to help you succeed in this life. The light of Christ activates our conscience.

1 Timothy 4:2. The phrase that struck Kathy in this scripture is "conscience seared with a hot iron." What is the difference between good guilt and bad guilt? What it motivates you to do. Bad guilt is a feeling you have about things your shouldn't feel bad about.

Conscience permits the Lord to be there. Conscience can be a flash of insight, a twinge to do good. When we go against light we attempt to justify ourselves. Any time we know "to do good and do it not" is sin. Elder Packer says in his talk "The Light of Christ" that we can be directed to moderate our actions. We must maintain our sensitivity to conscience.

Kathy closed by reading this poem by Myra Brooks Welch, quoted by Elder Packer in his April 2001 conference address:

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
Thought it scarcely worth his while
To waste much time on the old violin,
But held it up with a smile: "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?"
"A dollar, a dollar"; then, "Two!" "Only two?
Two dollars, and who'll make it three?
Three dollars, once; three dollars, twice;
Going for three—" But no,
From the room, far back, a gray-haired man
Came forward and picked up the bow;
Then, wiping the dust from the old violin,
And tightening the loose strings,
He played a melody pure and sweet
As a caroling angel sings.
The music ceased, and the auctioneer,
With a voice that was quiet and low,
Said, "What am I bid for the old violin?"
And he held it up with the bow.
"A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two?
Two thousand! And who'll make it three?
Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice,
And going, and gone!" said he.
The people cheered, but some of them cried,
"We do not quite understand
What changed its worth." Swift came the reply:
"The touch of a master's hand."
And many a man with life out of tune,
And battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd,
Much like the old violin.
A "mess of pottage," a glass of wine,
A game—and he travels on.
He's "going" once, and "going" twice,
He's "going" and almost "gone."
But the Master comes, and the foolish crowd
Never can quite understand
The worth of a soul and the change that's wrought
By the touch of the Master's hand.

Sunday, August 31, 2008

2008-09-07T06:07:00.000-07:00

Combined Meeting of Priesthood, Relief Society, Young Men & Young Women
Topic: Being Member Missionaries

Our first speaker was Bishop Soderborg. He passed out a handout for each family titled "Missionary Emphasis in the Ann Arbor 2nd Ward." If you missed this meeting, please get a copy of this handout for yourself/ your family from a member of the bishopric. Bishop S. told us that earlier this summer, all of the stake/ ward/ branch leaders of the church received a request from the First Presidency to help the members of their units improve in sharing the gospel. This is what prompted today's combined meeting, as well as this new handout and our ward fast theme for September. Bishop S. emphasized two foundations of missionary work: 1) Faith & Testimony; 2) Love. We must follow the Lord's timetable in sharing the gospel, not our own. We can pray with the expectation to act and not just to express. Next week (today, actually), please fast for yourself as a member missionary. Ask how you can use your own unique talents and gifts to share the gospel. The Bishop went over the entire handout with us, which includes the Ann Arbor 2nd Ward Mission Plan, a number of helpful quotes from church leaders, and a large excerpt from Elder Bednar's May 2008 Conference address, "Ask in Faith."

Our second speaker was Kathy Diehl. The main point that she made was that in her conversion experience, it was a personal relationship with one special elder that drew her, finally, to accept the truth. We can cultivate those relationships that ultimately make the difference in others' ability to accept the gospel.

Our third speaker was Walt Garf. He asked this question: Do you believe that God has prepared families in Ann Arbor to hear the gospel? Do you believe that he has brought students to this university in order to hear the gospel? He then encouraged us to use the Preach My Gospel manual in our work as member missionaries. He shared a favorite quote from Bruce Lee: Beginners study basics; Intermediates study technique; Advanced study basics. He said the Preach My Gospel manual is full of the basics, for both beginners and advanced. He read us the First Presidency letter at the beginning of the manual. He reminded us that when our friends ask us questions about the church, they are ready for us to push the button on the drinking fountain of knowledge, not to have the fire hose of information shoved in their mouths and turned on.

He recommended these finding techniques. 1) Start with people you care about. 2) Ask "what do you think about when you think about god?" 3) Stop, and listen to what they say. Really listen. As you are waiting for their answer, they have a chance to think, and the Spirit can touch their hearts. 4) Invite your friends to do something based on their answer.

There are people who are seeking the truth. We can find them.

Elder Nelson "Scriptural Witnesses"

2008-04-29T11:41:00.000-07:00

King Benjamin and Alma taught us what scriptures do:

1. Enlarge our memories
2. Teach of God and Christ
3. Help to overcome Satan
4. Teach covenants of the Lord
5. Teach us the error of our ways
6. Transform us

When we read and study the scriptures we need to see two things: Christ and ourselves. If we don't see both we're missing something.

We took the next ten minutes to share a passage of scripture that had recently touched us and we shared with our neighbor.

We then shared some of passages with the whole RS and wrote general themes on the board. Some questions to consider when choosing passages: Why did that effect you? What do you do differently now knowing that? Are you a different person because of that?

We then identified principles from these experiences. Elder Scott teaches that principles are compact bundles of truth--applicable to a wide variety of circumstances. We saw that our examples/principles reflected what King Ben. and Alma taught that the scriptures do.

We then answered the question: What are you doing to show the Lord we are grateful for the scriptures?

--reading them
--sharing them
--teaching them to our children

The lesson closed by reading 2Nephi 25:26: And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Our Children gain a testimony of Christ through teaching the scriptures, which will connect us generationally because we all have the same scriptures.

I am grateful for the scriptures and for the countless sacrifices to preserve them and translate them for me. I know that the time I spend in them is never wasted and always a blessing to me.

2008 Ann Arbor Stake Women's Conference

2008-04-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

Just a little plug for this year's women's conference. Please go to the website to read all about our 12 great teachers and the classes they are doing. And while you're there, register! It will be held Saturday, May 3, 2008 at our building from 9 to 2:30.

Elder Uchtdorf: "Have We Not Reason To Rejoice?"

2008-03-23T17:34:00.000-07:00

This lesson was taught on Sunday, March 23, 2008 by Michelle Rackley.

Click here to see the full text of Elder Uchtdorf's October 2007 General Conference address "Have We Not Reason To Rejoice?"

We started with a brief summary of Elder Uchtdorf's address. The world focuses on the bad. But even amid trials we have reason to rejoice. Read Elder Uchtdorf's description of his experience as a boy in Germany during World War II.

Michelle read us the account of another woman who survived World War II. Ask her for a copy.

We read the account of the Brother of Jared and his people crossing the ocean in barges (Ether 6: 4-12), thinking of it as a metaphor for our own lives, with the wind and water representing our trials. Here are some of the phrases/ ideas Michelle highlighted as she read to us:

-They commended themselves to God

-The Lord caused a furious wind to blow them. What are our trials meant for, and what are they pushing us toward?

-When the waves are upon you, what do you resort to?

-What makes us tight and strong like the Jaredite vessels?

-The wind was constant, continual

-They prayed all day and night in praise and thanks. What do I do all day long? Sister Beck's talk in October ("Mothers Who Know") counsels us on how to best use our time. There are so many good things to do with our time, but are we doing the best things (Elder Oaks "Good Better Best")?

-How can we become so strong that nothing could break us (like the barges)?

-They could see the glowing stone in each barge. It acted as a physical manifestation of God's presence. What physical manifestations of God's love do you have in your life?

-What do you do to endure your trials? Do you sleep, eat, yell, spend time on the computer, watch t.v., go shopping, get angry? Are there better things you could do?

-We can endure our trials with cheer by recognizing God in our lives and by living with faith in the atonement of Jesus Christ.

Some points made by various sisters during our discussion:

-I don't think we know what our blessings are. I have had so many health problems which have been a trial to me, but I can also see that they have blessed my life so much by forcing me to move slowly.

-Trials were pushing the Brother of Jared toward the Promised Land and he was praising God for it.

-Remember that you're a child of God. Be grateful. Are you feeling sorry for yourself that you have to walk 6 miles to work and back every day? Be grateful that you have strong legs. Look for God's hand. Appreciate the times when your bread lands with the butter side up. Don't waste energy asking "Why me?" Why not you?

-The Jaredite barges, like Noah's ark, were sealed with pitch. The hebrew word used for pitch is the same word used for Atonement. It is Christ's atonement that makes us water tight against the floods of life.

-People all around us are going through worse trials than we are and they are still making it. Remember that there is a reason for this and remember how good you have it.

-Asking for help or accepting help does not mean that you are not handling your trials well. It does not mean that you have failed. When people offer help it does not mean that they think you're doing a bad job. Let them love and serve you.

-Put yourself in a peaceful mode so you can think. Take yourself away from negative things, like the television, and immerse yourself in something like the scriptures. That is how you can find answers.

-Not only does the wind bring changes, but it moves things, it comes from different directions, you don't always know where it will come from or what it will bring. "The Basics" will cover you now matter what comes, so take care of those things and be prepared spiritually.

Potato Girl note: Michelle, you did a great job today. The Spirit was with us and we appreciated your preparation, humility, and sincerity. Thanks for helping us learn!

Saturday Evening Session of Stake Conference

2008-03-15T18:56:00.000-07:00

This is my report of the Adult Session of Stake Conference, held Saturday, March 15, 2008 from 7 to 9 p.m. I wrote a lot of notes, and it is late so this will not be perfect, but I hope it will strengthen you in some way to have this to read.

First Speaker: Cynthia Christensen, Stake RS President
Assigned Topic: Family Home Storage

Food storage has been important to Cynthia because it was one of the first things she heard the prophet counsel the church to day after she was baptized almost 30 years ago. She watched her sister-in-law carefully add to the family's food storage each week, and then she saw how it sustained her family for several months when her husband lost his job.

Look at the new pamphlet the church has put out: "All is Safely Gathered In: Family Home Storage." The first presidency message in the front of the pamphlet says, in part: "

The greatest resource the pamphlet identifies is the website for provident living, which is full of important information.

There is a new Family Home Starter kit that you can order from the distribution center.

The church is trying to make food storage simpler now than it was 30 years ago.

This stake has its own "Home Storage Center" (formerly known as "the Cannery") in Farmington Hills. Its website is www.homestoragecenter.net

30 years ago people living in the United States didn't have to worry too much about disaster striking us, but times have changed. In a geography class Cynthia took at Eastern last semester, the teacher gave a lecture on sustainability. She told the members of the class that the safest thing for them to do would be to grow a garden and store their own food. Cynthia was touched because that was a message she's heard from the prophet for many years, but to the members of her class it was new and strange counsel. It is wonderful to have a living prophet. Let's listen to and act on his words.

Second Speaker: President Mallory
Assigned Topic: Family Finances

Look at the new church pamphlet "All is Safely Gathered In: Family Finances". It covers five key principles of financial management. The Mallorys have a number of grown, married children who have added to their understanding of financial principles. President Mallory read us letters written by several of the children and their spouses about finances in their new families.

His daughter-in-law Emily wrote that she was raised to believe that you should always spend less than you save (not less than you make), and that you don't buy what you don't need. She admits that as an adult it is not always practical to spend less than you save, but you can come close. Her father would give the children a list of work that needed to be done each morning at breakfast. For some tasks they could earn "a return on their investment of time." Their dad kept all of their money recorded on a spreadsheet in three categories. 10% of their earnings went to tithing, 10% to spending, and the other 80% to savings. The only cash they saw was the money he gave them to pay tithing, which was turned over directly to the bishop. If they wanted money from spending, he would ask them if they were sure they wanted to spend their money on that, and they usually wouldn't. He helped them open savings accounts, and then money market accounts at a brokerage house. By the time of her marriage at age 24, she had a significant portfolio built up, as well as a powerful sense of thrift.

President Mallory's son-in-law, Adrian, wrote about how he and his wife have had to establish a budget, and that it has been a great blessing to them. They married in their late 20s/ early 30s, and were accustomed to having a lot of disposable income. Now they feel that they are protecting themselves from the financial difficulties and fighting that hurts so many couples in and out of the church. They discuss their finances daily. They allocate all of their money at the beginning of each month. They give themselves a small allowance for personal spending each month. They have decided to avoid debt. The temptation to go into debt is always present. It has helped them to cut up their credit cards and know they must save cash before they can buy anything. The Lord has blessed them greatly for putting their financial house in order. President Mallory shared several specific financial blessings they've received, such as a much smaller tax bill than they had expected, a tuition reimbursement they had not expected, a much lower student loan interest payment than they had expected. They see each of these instances as small miracles from God. His daughter said that working with a small allowance each month has been liberating compared to the unlimited spending she was used to before marriage. Now she is more careful in her choices and appreciates the things she does buy much more. A financial planner said that when people set their minds to becoming debt-free, amazing things happen to them. It is like building a testimony...faith precedes the miracle.

Another one of President Mallory's daughters-in-law wrote of following the counsel of two different bishops. The first was the bishop of her ward where a lot of members, including her husband, worked for the auto industry. He told his ward several years ago that they would have much less to fear from the job cuts at Ford, etc., if they would listen to and follow President Hinckley's counsel about saving money and storing food. She did this, and when her husband lost his job, they were greatly comforted by the preparations they had made. Her current bishop has counseled the ward that too many people assume that the Lord will provide for them in their time of need when they don't take the steps to prepare themselves for that time. One way the Lord provides for us is by giving us commandments to follow. Often he strengthens us instead of delivering us from our trials.

Many of us can find ways to bring ourselves into greater alignment with the counsel of our leaders in this area.

Third Speaker: Elder Temple

If we wish to truly follow the Savior, we should be loving other people and developing charity. When we get our finances in order, not only can we take care of ourselves, we can take care of others. Alma 34: 27-28. We need to do our best to be able to help others. Elder Temple's great grandfather, Arthur Winter, was able to join the saints in Utah with the help of the perpetual emigration fund. He paid it back when he could. Brother Temple went from modest circumstances as a child to comfortable ones as an adult. Now he must ask himself what more he can do with the blessings he has received. He feels compelled to be more generous in his fast offerings, and in other donations to the church, such as the perpetual education fund, the humanitarian aid fund, the missionary fund, etc. Galatians 6:10 God asks us to help each other. In his later years, after Beethoven lost his hearing, he wrote his 9th symphony. He was afraid to perform it because he could not hear it, but friends convinced him to do so. After the symphony the audience rose to their feet applauding him, but he could not hear them, and could not see them because he was facing the orchestra. One of the soloists noticed this, came to Beethoven, and turned him around to face the audience and see their approval. Each of us sometimes needs someone to turn us in the right direction. And we can be the person that can notice and turn another.

Fourth Speaker: Elder Costa
One of the hardest things for me to do is to speak English. I am from Brazil, and grew up speaking Portuguese. When I was a mission president in Brazil, I received a new batch of missionaries straight from the Provo MTC. I realized that I would never be able to have intimate conversations with them in Portuguese because their command of the language was so limited. So I decided to study English to better serve my missionaries. I started the next morning at 4:30 a.m., reading the Book of Mormon in English and memorizing 5 new words a day. I did this for three years. Later I learned Spanish in the same way when I was asked to serve as a general authority over the South America South area, which was all Spanish-speaking. I wanted to serve the people there better, and realized I needed to learn Spanish to do so.

I would like to talk about the process of replacing a prophet. I have seen this happen three times since I became a general authority. president Hinckley was buried on a Saturday and the next morning President Monson was ordained and set apart as the president of the church. Replacing a prophet is not like getting a new president or leader of a country. It is not like getting a new CEO for a corporation. It is a very tender process. It shows us that the Lord is a god of peace, of unity, not division. President Monson, like President Hinckley, looks ten years younger now that he is the prophet than he did before. The Lord gives strength to his prophets. I don't know who will become the next Apostle, but I can sustain him already because I know he is the man the lord has prepared to be an apostle. I will raise my hand and sustain him with all my heart.

A member of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles will never retire. His work will continue on the other side of the veil...have you ever heard us release with a vote of thanks an apostle who has passed away? You would see, if you could observe the parking lot where the general authorities park, that they arrive a bit before 7 a.m. and put in a 10 hour day, even the ones in their 90s. In the future it will become rare to have a general authority attend your stake conference. The church is getting so big, and more and more technology will be used in order to give you contact with the brethren. The quorum of the first presidency and the quorum of the 12 apostles have no room for expansion. The expansion in leadership for the church as it continues to grow takes place in the quorums of the 70s. The first quorum of 70 is called for life. The second quorum usually serves for aobut 5 years. The area seventies keep their regular jobs and also do a great work for the church. A seventy is set apart to first testify of the Savior, to study and try to know him. Second a 70 is given apostolic authority, the right to officiate in any assignment they receive from the 12 apostles. Read D&C 107 to find our more about the 70s. The 8 quorums of the 70 are led by the 7 presidents of the 70, of which Elder Costa is a member. He was called at the age of 45 to be a general authority. He needed to learn fast how to do that, but the Lord can teach us and help us learn fast. The Brethren love you and you are in their conversations every day. They are always asking what can we do to bless the lives of our brothers and sisters? We pray in the temple for the members of the church. The Lord is ready to bless each of you. I had a talk prepared, but when I heard the musical number, "O Divine Redeemer" I changed that topic. I want to talk to you about our divine redeemer.

He talked to us about Christ's role in our pre-mortal life. He spoke of his birth and childhood. He told us that like the Savior as a 12 year old boy teaching in the temple, any good deacon in our ward, our own children, know more about the Savior than the ministers of other churches. Before Christ began his ministry he fasted and prayed for 40 days. He refused all the temptations. He won, he conquered. He was not weak and skinny as some artists portray him. He was strong, physically. He could attack his aggressors, he could defend himself, but he did not. Elder Costa read us many passages about the cruel things that were done to him before he was crucified. "In about the 9th hour Jesus cried..." Elder Costa told us to try to meditate upon this verse for an hour. You will have many thoughts. You will cry, too, and you will suffer as you think about the suffering he experienced for each of us. When Jesus asked that the cup could pass from him, one of the things he was most wishing to avoid was the necessary separation from his Father's presence that he would have to experience in order to suffer all things. He would have to experience spiritual death, the separation of our spirits from God's spirit because of sin. Although he did not sin, he still need to suffer and experience this kind of death. He did not want to be apart from his father, he wanted him to be with him, close by during his suffering. According to Elder costa, Christ suffered that separation in the Garden and again on the cross...two times, the worst kind of suffering for him. He gave all of the water and blood in his body, the essence of his life, for us. But nobody could take his spirit from him. He gave his spirit freely into the hands of his father when his work was done. Jesus defined eternal life for us in John 17:3 to know our Father and his son. 1 Nephi 3:7 tells us that god prepares a way for us to do all that is required of us. That way is the church. We need to come to church, be part of the church in order to return to his presence. We also need to have a family. If you will review Lesson 20 in the Spencer W. Kimball manual, you will see that faithful women who are not given the opportunity for marriage in this life will not be denied any blessings. President Kimball was not talking about men. Men need to get married.

Our homes need to have the same spirit as the temple. The temple is a model god has given us on earth for our homes. Think about the kind of voices we use in the temple. Think about the reading material in the temple. Think about the movies we watch in the temple. We need to have the same kind of pure, high quality things in our homes.

When the leaders of the church plan, they are often looking 100 years ahead of our time. Can you imagine what would happen in this city if trucks couldn't enter from one week? There would be no food left in the stores. Look at the price of grain now, and the price 10 years ago. It has gone up dramatically. We don't pay a lot of attention to these things. As the people of the world rise from poverty, they begin to eat different things. They eat more meat. That requires more grain to feed the animals. That leaves less grain for us to eat. Stable economies are going down. Great companies are broken. The world is changing. This is not to say that we need to fear. The future will be glorious for us, if we obey the Lord.

The prophets talk a lot about family. At the beginning of Elder Costa's marriage, he and his wife decided that they would eat together from 7 to 8:30. They would talk. They determined topics for their conversation. We need to learn to say no to our children to keep them from having too many activities. We need to protect sacred family time. Some fathers come home from work and say they are tired and need some time to themselves. When you are a father, there is no time for yourself. All of your time away from work is devoted to your wife and children. You can have time to yourself when you are sleeping. Fathers need to spend time at home with their families. They need to leave work at work and devote themselves fully to their families when they are at home. Home is not an extension of the office.

You are the people the Lord trusts and counts on. I invoke a blessing upon you, the blessing of memory and knowledge of his atonement.

Joseph Smith Lesson #4: The Book of Mormon: Keystone of Our Religion

2008-03-09T11:29:00.000-07:00

This lesson was taught on Sunday, March 9, 2008, by Sondra Soderborg.

We began the lesson by reading Joseph Smith History 1: 28, 29 & 34. Joseph was 17 years old. Think about the 17 year old boys that you know in our ward. Think of how lonely he was. Think of what great faith he had. The angel Moroni repeated his message exactly three times in a row. Sondra said: "I appreciate the repetition." God gives us many opportunities to understand and learn.

The two events (the First Vision and the appearance of the angel Moroni) that happened over this three year period set the course for and defined Joseph's life.

"I told the brethren that 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" (64). The keystone is the stone at the top of an arch upon which everything else balances.

The Book of Mormon, like the two pivotal experiences in Joseph Smith's life, has the power to shape and define us. It was after reading the Book of Mormon that Sondra decided to commit herself to becoming a Mormon. The discussion was opened up for others to share experiences with the Book of Mormon shaping their testimonies.

Andrea: at age nine my dad read the Book of Mormon with me. Later when my seminary teacher challenged each of us to read and pray to know if it was true, I found myself praying and asking God to tell me if the Book of Mormon was true. I felt so silly. I could hardly bear to ask him such a question, for I had known it was true since I was 9 years old. It was like asking him if my name was Andrea, or if I was alive, or if the sun was real. I realized then that I didn't need to ask for a confirmation because I already knew that it was true. Later in my life when I ran into things that upset me, or questions, or aspects of the church that bothered me or confused me, I could always return to my sure knowledge of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon.

Alane: I joined the church in my early 20s. I loved hearing all of the weird things the missionaries had to say. I kept inviting them back to hear more of their strange stories. They asked me to read the Book of Mormon and I agreed. I loved to read, I read cereal boxes, so why not the Book of Mormon? I can still remember the chair I was sitting in, the exact position in which I was sitting when I had a very clear sense that all of the people I was reading about in the Book of Mormon were real people. Joseph Smith didn't make this up. Once I knew that there was no going back.

Sondra: Once that Book of Mormon has got a hold of you, what do you do? What can you do but follow? I had a friend once who started to read the Book of Mormon. She told me that she knew there was something to it, but she did not want to be a Mormon, so she made herself stop reading it.

Ollie: The fact that Joseph Smith prayed to God and received the answer he did means that all of us have that same opportunity to go to God.

Michelle E.: I love this passage from the lesson: "He that can mark the power of Omnipotence, inscribed upon the heavens, can also see God's own handwriting in the sacred volume: and he who reads it oftenest will like it best, and he who is acquainted with it, will know the hand wherever he can see it; and when once discovered, it will not only receive an acknowledgment, but an obedience to all its heavenly precepts" (66).

The statement Michelle read was also written on the board by Sondra before class started. When you do read it often, you do like it. It gets into the way you think and do things.

Sondra: I am so grateful for Joseph Smith's integrity in insisting that what was real was real in spite of the cost. Read Joseph Smith History 1:25. I am grateful for his courage, for the choice he made not to try and withstand God. He chose to submit to the will of God. And having gained my own testimony of the Book of Mormon, I ask myself the same question: "Who am I to withstand God?"

The Temple

2008-03-02T10:50:00.000-08:00

Today's lesson, taught Sunday, March 2, 2008, was given by Janie Ward. The topic was the temple. The objective of the lesson was to help get us excited about attending the temple, especially our RS temple trip on Saturday, April 19, at 4 p.m.

In the early history of the church, the Lord was constantly revealing temple plans to his Saints.

Read D&C 124: 39-41

Temple ordinances are crucial to us. The blessings promised us for attending the temple affect every aspect of our lives.

Quote #1: "Many parents, in and out of the Church, are concerned about protection against a cascading avalanche of wickedness which threatens to engulf [the world]...There is a power associated with ordinances of heaven--even the power of godliness--which can and will thwart the forces of evil if we will but be worthy of those sacred [covenants made in the temple of the Lord]...Our families will be protected, our children will be safeguarded as we live the gospel, visit the temple, and live close to the Lord." (President Ezra Taft Benson)

Quote #2: "Our labors in the temple cover us with a shield and a protection, both individually and as a people." "The Lord will bless us as we attend to the sacred ordinance work of the temples. Blessings there will not be limited to our temple service. We will be blessed in all of our affairs. We will be eligible to have the Lord take an interest in our affairs both spiritual and temporal." (Elder Boyd K. Packer)

Quote #3: "I am satisfied that if our people would attend the temple more, there would be less of selfishness in their lives. There would be less of absence of love in their relationships. There would be more of fidelity on the part of husbands and wives. There would be more of love and peace and happiness in the homes of our people." (President Gordon B. Hinckley)

Making it to the temple can be hard. What are some of the challenges that face us?

-finding a babysitter

-not feeling like we're in the right mood or state of mind

-the need to prioritize and make time for it

-we don't always have an amazing spiritual experience when we're there, which can cause us to think maybe it is a waste of our 5 hours

There is opposition whenever we try to go to the temple. Regarding this, George Q. Cannon (I think) said:

"Temples are the very center of the spiritual strength of the Church. We should expect that the adversary will try to interfere with us as a Church and with us individually as we seek to participate in this sacred and inspired work. The interference can vary from the terrible persecutions of the earlier days to apathy toward the work. The latter is perhaps the most dangerous and debilitating form of resistance to temple work."

He also said: "Every foundation stone that is laid for a temple, and every temple completed according to the order the Lord has revealed for his holy Priesthood, lessens the power of Satan on the earth, and increases the power of God and Godliness, moves the heavens in mighty power in our behalf, invokes and calls down upon us the blessings of the Eternal Gods, and those who reside in their presence."

Janie had asked 5 sisters ahead of time to share some of their thoughts about the temple:

1) Michelle Garn: While she was serving as YW president in another word, she found out that both of her counselors would have to be released to serve in other callings. After a week of praying about who her new counselors should be, she could not get any answers. She and Byron went to the temple at the end of that week, and she determined that she would not leave that sacred building until she had the names of her new counselors. Finally, one of the workers told her that the temple was closing. She still did not have the answers she had been seeking. As the worker opened the double doors leading out of the celestial room, Michelle saw a large beautiful painting of the Savior directly in front of her. She was overwhelmed at that moment with a sense of his love for her. She knew that he had accepted and was pleased with the work she had done as the YW's president, and that it was time for her to move on to a new calling. Throughout the previous week as she had sought the names of her new counselors, the only recurring thought she'd had was that her time as YW's president might be over, but she kept pushing it out of her mind b/c it didn't seem right to go to the bishop and ask to be released. But this ended up being the answer all along. She believes that being in the temple made it possible for her to feel more clearly that outpouring of love from god.

2) Julie Kincaid: has been studying some academic writings by a British scholar who is not of our faith, but researches the ancient temples of the Jews. This scholar notes that the two main purposes of those temples was to teach about the creation and the atonement. The people went to the temple to get the knowledge of God, and there he teaches us the most important things he knows, just as we try to pass on to our children the most important truths that we know.

3) Sharon Thacker: as a youth, attending the temple to do baptisms for the dead was an important, regular activity for her. She believes that regular temple attendance with her friends is one of the main ways that she "survived" a very difficult teenage-hood. On days that school started late due to teacher inservice meetings, etc., she and her friends would often go to the temple together to do baptisms.

4) Lisa Jibson: After spending this past week in San Diego with her children, she was surprised by their desire to spend time on the temple grounds there. They chose to go there three times over the week, instead of activities like going to the beach, etc. Take children to the temple grounds, have a picnic there, let them feel the safety and peace that surrounds the temple long before they are old enough to enter themselves.

The temple ceremony has been hard for Lisa to enjoy. After years of difficult struggle asking herself "what is wrong with me?" she has finally made peace with her mixed feelings about the temple. She loves the covenants and the truths that are taught there, and believes them with all her heart. It is the presentation that she struggles with, the physical way in which those covenants and truths are represented that doesn't really click with her. But she's decided to let that go and not worry about it so much. She has tried to stop thinking about herself and to stop feeling bad for not loving her experience in the temple. She reminds herself that attending the temple after the first time isn't really about us, anyway. We only make those covenants one time for ourselves, and the rest of the time we are extending god's blessings to his other daughters. He wants those covenants brought to each one of his children, and each time we choose to not go to the temple, we are making one of his children wait that much longer to receive her blessings and make her covenants. These are some of the thoughts and attitudes that have been helpful to her.

5) Jill Mitchell: Likes to read her scriptures in the celestial room as she asks the question "what does God want me to learn?" She feels his love there.

We ran out of time for others to share their thoughts. Janie closed by telling us about the time last year when she went to the temple hoping for help in preparing her RS lesson on temple attendance. She left the session feeling uninspired and mildly disappointed. But several hours later her mind was filled with ideas of things to do in her own life to help herself and her family. She felt that God had given her the most important information, even though she had been seeking something else. She told us that when we choose to attend the temple, we are showing god a willingness to take a further step. He is asking us, "will you make this step so that I can shower more blessings on you?"

October 2007 General Conference Address by Elder Robert D. Hales: "Personal Revelation: The Teachings and Examples of the Prophets"

2008-02-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

This lesson was taught on Sunday, February 24, 2008, by Linda Johnson.

We began class by thinking about the three most important truths of our existence as outlined in this statement by Elder Hales:

"Personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves the most important truths of our existence: the living reality of God, our Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ; the truthfulness of the restored gospel; and God's purpose and direction for us."

Our hope for today' class is that each of us will go home feeling more eager to seek personal revelation.

A pattern for personal revelation is revealed in part in the story Elder Hales tells about reorganizing a Stake Presidency with Elder Marion G. Romney. We discussed this statement by Elder Romney and how we can apply it to our own every day errands: "I have learned that when we are on the Lord's errand, we have His blessings to accomplish whatever we are asked to do." We may not be selecting the next Stake President, but our work is just as important to God.

There is a pattern for receiving revelation in D&C 138: 1-6, 11. Other ideas of things that help us receive revelation?

-fasting...having a chance to turn our attention from the procurement, preparation, clean up of food to more spiritual things

-reading the scriptures with purpose

-having a reason/ purpose/ motivation behind our prayers

-asking

-having patience in uncertainty

-striving to replace fear with love

Another story told by Elder Hales in this talk is that of David O. McKay seeking a witness of god as a youth. In spite of his earnest inquiries, the witness he was hoping for "did not come until many years later while serving his mission in Scotland." The answer to our prayers may be "not now--be patient and wait."

Remember the suffering the Savior went through to get to where he is today. Are we expecting to grow without going through our own suffering? We need to be willing to suffer patiently.

Enoch, Abraham & Moses received revelation while seeking the welfare of their people. Elijah received a still small voice. Daniel received guidance in a dream.

The pattern of revelation is centered on the Atonement. Why is that, or how is that so?

-Christ bridges the gap so that we can feel the spirit in spite of our imperfection.

-Christ has suffered all so that he can know exactly how we are feeling

-Christ suffered for each one of us, and knows us personally

-We are told to ask in faith, nothing wavering. Because of the atonement, we can be so bold as to ask god in spite of our shakiness...the atonement allows us to repent of our doubts and to approach god even when our faith is not always equal to the task

Lots of times we don't get the answer to prayer that we are seeking. Problems with depression and/ or anxiety can interfere with our ability to feel good things. Getting treatment for such illnesses can help restore our ability to feel the spirit.

Think about the difference between being handed a feast on a silver platter, and being a hunter-gatherer out foraging for your food. Although we are occasionally handed answers from the Lord in the "silver platter" way, more often we must hunt and gather small bits of information. The hunter-gatherer method takes more time; it forces us to build more muscles; we have to make our own decisions and can't blame god for "making" us do things; we often must take steps without the assurance we were hoping for.

Can you think of a time when you found your answers in this more laborious way? When you've walked to the edge of the light and then had to take a step in the dark? As we struggle for answers, often over a period of years, we discover for ourselves where our true desires lay. Our hearts are revealed to us. We can struggle and struggle for an answer, and then it can come overnight. Or it can come piece by piece.

"Our responsibility is to seek personal revelations for ourselves and for the responsibilities the Lord has given us." It can be so hard when we want another person in our life to change. We can pray for the Lord to guide us in our actions and thoughts toward that person that we love. He will not take their agency from them, but he can help us know how best to use our own agency in reference to them.

Sometimes we receive revelation that we have not even sought. An inspiration will come as a free gift, unbidden, on occasion.

Our willingness to obey whatever the Lord may ask of us helps us receive answers in some instances. Are you really willing and planning to do whatever you are told?

Immersing ourselves in the words of god can really help us sort out our thoughts.

You may try keeping a promptings journal.

We may not understand or "know the meaning of all things" but we can be assured that god loves each of his children.

Joseph Smith Lesson #3: Jesus Christ, the Divine Redeemer of the World

2008-02-17T11:14:00.000-08:00

This lesson was taught on Sunday, February 17, 2008, by Aubrey Potter.

This chapter is filled with things we probably already know about our Savior, Jesus Christ. As you reflect on these doctrines, ask yourself how they affect your daily life. And how can you more effectively teach these doctrines to others, especially children?

Aubrey read many of the quotes from the lesson. As she read to us, sisters interjected their own thoughts. Here are some of the things we discussed:

-What is an advocate? A lawyer. He pleads your case before the judge. He is on your side, he is by your side. He sits next to you in the court room, not above you. He is not looking down on you and passing judgement on you. You feel braver with an advocate by your side. Being alone is scary.

-Pray to God to take your fear away and give you the strength to do your duty.

-Share your realizations about the gospel with your children. When your eyes are opened and you understand something for the first time, or in a new way, share your excitement, share your experience with others. They will feel your enthusiasm. We don't have to wait to see Christ in person to have our eyes opened to him and his truths.

Question: What day-to-day things do you do that help you to remember?

-Michelle Rackley: in family scripture study before school our children pick a picture of a scripture story from their box. After sharing the story, we write a commitment and sign our names to it. For example, "I can be like Peter today by choosing faith instead of fear." We put this statement on the fridge to look at throughout the day.

-Scriptures on our mirrors, pictures of the Savior in each room, inspirational words to read when we're in the bathroom, etc. All of these things can help us to remember the Savior throughout the day. One sister has had success with leaving her scriptures open on the counter in the kitchen. She can read a verse when she walks by, and think about it until she has time to read another verse. Another sister keeps a set of scriptures in the kitchen that she can study while she's microwaving something, waiting for people to gather for dinner, etc. In this way she has been able to read the Book of Mormon five times a year!

Ellen Fisher said that Lowell looks forward to the promise of being able to "stand" before the Lord. Aubrey remembered a seminary lesson in which the teacher tried to bring home the idea that this earth life is temporary, and has very different "rules" of experience than our eternal life. For instance, right now we can't remember our time with god in the pre-mortal realm. Right now we are buffeted by temptation and sin. Right now we get hurt and sick and die. These are just temporary parts of our earthly test. These will not be the way things are for eternity.

Sondra mentioned seeing the Fishers in the temple Thursday night. She said that when she moves slow enough to pay attention to the actions of those around her, she can see the spirit at work in their lives. Sitting back and observing Ellen helping Lowell is like seeing the Savior.

Brooke talked about reading in 3 Nephi when the righteous people are waiting for the sign of the Savior's coming. As a reader you know that he is just about to come, and you want to yell out to the people not to worry, he will be arriving soon. This reminded me (Andrea) of a friend that I am watching go through a very difficult time. I asked her if she knew that in three years, if she just could hold on and not give up, things would be better, would she stick it out? She said yes. If the Savior told you, just don't give up and in 24 days things will take a radical turn for the better, it might be easier to hang on for the 24 days. But it can be so hard to hang on one day at a time, not knowing when relief will come. Even if it is just around the corner, we can't see that. This lead into a discussion of the fact that when the gospel feels hard to live, it may be because we are not using the Atonement effectively. We don't have to hang on and hang on without help. Even if things are going to be hard for 24 more days, or three more years, or the rest of our lives on earth, we can have the Savior by our side each step of the way. We don't have to wait for his love and help, even as the trials continue on.

Aubrey read John 14:27 ("Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid"). She referred us to a talk given by Elder Maxwell ("Plow in Hope" April 2001 Conference address) in which he said to think of that verse as a commandment: "Let not your heart be troubled!"

Joseph Smith Lesson #2: God the Eternal Father

2008-02-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

This lesson was taught on 10 February 2008 by Sondra Soderborg.

Three things Joseph learned about God from the First Vision:

1) The Father and the Son are individual beings

2) Their power is greater than the power of evil

3) We are fashioned in God's image

Some questions from the lesson to ask yourself:

1. Why are these three truths so important? How has knowing these things about God changed your life?

By comprehending the character of God we better understand ourselves. Read John 17:3 ("And this is life eternal, that they might know thee, the only true god, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent.") Coming to know God is our purpose, and through that we come to know ourselves. God wants us to know and understand ourselves.

2. What things do you know for a certainty about God's character?

-He has a vital respect for agency

-He is profoundly gentle. Sondra shared an experience in which she felt called to repentance by the Spirit, but at the same time she was aware of God's gentleness and reassurance, which replaced the sense of mistake and softened the blow of the initial realization of error.

-He loves us unconditionally

3. Is there something you have learned about yourself through understanding the nature of God?

4. Is there a change in yourself you've sought to make because of your knowledge of the nature of God?

The lesson closed with a reading of Moroni 7:48 ("pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure.")

Living by Faith, Not Fear (Elder Cook--Oct. 2007)

2008-02-06T02:32:00.000-08:00

Jan. 28, 2008

Purpose: For the Ann Arbor RS Sisters to increase their knowledge of the atonement and know what they needed to do personally to be filled with more faith and choose faith over fear.

Choosing to be filled with faith instead of fear is something I struggle with on a daily basis. Think about it. The common negative feelings that women generally feel (inadequacy, depression, despair . . .) stem from indulging in fearful thoughts we've created of that have been put there by Satan. Choosing to listen to those thoughts instead of one of faith create thoughts, words, and actions that aren't completely in line with how Heavenly Father would have me live.

So, I asked the Sisters "What do YOU fear?" I asked them to just shout these answers out as I wrote them all across the board:

not being good enough (wife, daughter of God, mother . . . )
violence
money
retirement
death
illness
death of loved one
children
school

There were many other answers. So, I asked, "Do we have reason to fear?" YES! With everything that is constantly bombarding us today, we do. BUT we know we've been given all that we need to rely upon faith. We know that faith needs to be founded upon Jesus Christ in order to produce salvation (not faith in other--ourselves, parents, friends, husbands . . . )

So, What produces or strengthens your faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ? For me it is hearing, reading, remembering testimonies of Him.

I told the sisters that for the next 18 min. they would be listening to testimonies of the prophets and apostles of our Savior. Before I played the CD I let them know that they would feel the Spirit. That they would feel it strongly and that they would leave RS today with a greater understanding of the atonement. I also told them that the spirit would tell them what they needed to do or change in order to be more filled with faith.

As we listened to the CD (which is filled with witnesses of Christ: Hinckley, Hunter, Faust, Monson, Erying, McConkie, Packer, . . . . and others), I placed the pictures of these men on the board covering up our fears.

When the CD was over, I asked the sisters, "What do YOU need to do so that their words and the words in the scriptures ring SO loudly in your mind that any fearful thought will just be a quiet whisper--that any fearful thoughts won't even be felt?"

We took a few minutes to listen to the sister's answers.

In closing, I said that I knew it was possible to live our lives filled with faith ALL the time, by the things we choose to participate in and the thoughts we choose to fill our minds. I closed by reading in Alma 13:5 that living "in and through the atonement of the Only Begotten Son". By living in and through the atonement of Christ we can always choose faith.

Side Note: I can make copies of the CD if anyone is interested. I received this CD from my nephew on a mission. Since then, I've listened to it a couple times a day. It is amazing to see and feel how the spirit fills our home when I play it and how I am able to focus on their words of Christ, instead of any fearful ones I may be having. Contact me if you are interested in a copy: rackley_michelle@yahoo.com.

I also appreciated Anne following up on this lesson in her lesson the following week. As a teacher, I often wish I could do a follow up the next week and ask sisters what they may have done differently as a result to the things we discussed and the things we felt we needed to change. Follow-ups are great teaching tools that can help us all work a little harder and be a little better at implementing the things we learn on Sunday.

18 November 2007: Visiting Teaching Conference

2007-11-18T16:03:00.001-08:00

Today was our ward visiting teaching conference. Thanks to all the men who did their best to fill in for the women today so that as many of us as possible could attend our conference. We each received a nice booklet about visiting teaching that you could probably get a copy of by contacting Shirley Thornton. Here is the outline of our lesson today:

Dear Visiting Teacher:

*You are the chosen messenger of the Relief Society (presented by Karen Rees)
-Karen remembers the day in 1982 when her first son was born and her ward reported 100% visiting teaching for the month. Visiting teaching is very important to her, and that is a very happy memory for her because it means that each of the 200 sisters in her ward had received a visit.

*You are the link connecting each woman with her organization (presented by Shirley)
-For this part, each of us wrote our names on a strip of paper and we formed a giant chain out of all the strips.

*To the sick you are the angel of mercy (Jessica Edwards)
-Jessica had severe preeclampsia and had to have her baby delivered early. She was only able to go home with the baby from the hospital if she had help. Her family couldn't come, but a group of sisters from the ward came to her aid.

*To the shut-in you are the sunlight (Liz Hedquist)
-Liz visits a sister in our ward with MS who lives in a nursing home. She has told Liz that it is so wonderful just to have someone to talk to.

*To the bereaved you are sympathy and understanding (Karen Aungst)
-When Summer's dad passed away, Karen sent her a card saying that she was keeping Summer in her prayers. That meant a lot to Summer.

*To the lonely you are a friend in need (skit by Nan Mastie, Kesli Aiken & Telia Anderson)
-This skit was our comic relief. Nan played a woman who did not want to be visit taught. Kesli and Telia played her committed visiting teachers. After nearly a year of phone calls and unannounced visits, Nan finally invited Kesli and Telia in when they came to her door dressed in bathrobes and shower caps.

*To the inactive member you are a challenge; a call to duty (Andrea Richards)
-I read an email that my mother sent me about a less active sister that she visits:
"I visit teach Lisa L. and her college-age daughter Tara. Lisa was baptized as a child but doesn't know anything much about the church. She doesn't even know if she believes in God or life after death. When I first got her name, I could rarely reach her by phone, and she didn't return messages. Her husband and son look very scruffy, and some members refused to go to the home because they were afraid of the family. I found her husband a little strange, but more like possibly slightly brain-damaged (I found out later that he has a panic disorder). Her son was huge and silent and dressed all in black, with long black hair. (Think of an overweight Professor Snape.) However, they never seemed threatening to me.

"Over the course of a few years, though, Lisa warmed up to me, and we now have really enjoyable visits. One thing that happened is that her nephew, whom she raised as her own son, was killed in Iraq. I found out about it and offered to help with food. Her work took care of that, and she didn't really want help from the church. I told Bishop T., however, and both of us went to the funeral home (separately). I think that meant a lot to her and her husband. A couple of weeks later, I saw him in Winco, and he was very warm and friendly to me.

"Last Christmas, Lisa gave me a basket full of homemade jams. When my dad died last month, I sent a letter to the sisters I VT and explained why I had had to be out of town most of the month. Lisa sent me a sympathy card. It really touched me.

"Tara is also very friendly. She also knows basically nothing about the Gospel...but she is nice. Bill, the husband, always stays in the room while I visit, so he hears the message too.

"I have learned that I can find something in common with almost everyone I meet. Many times people aren't knowledgeable about their own church, or they have personal reasons for not coming. There are so many different reasons: they are shy, depressed, too busy and overburdened, offended, living against the principles of the gospel and not ready to change, not in the habit, unwilling to go against a spouse's wishes. But most people eventually like people who like them. I try to find something I genuinely like about the sisters I meet, and the relationship grows from there. Also, I remember that God loves each sister I'm asked to teach, and He wants me to share His love with them."

*To the doubtful you are the answer to her questions (Sondra Soderborg)
-Sondra talked about how her father can always tell if the people from church who come to visit him are there in order to get the visit checked off and say they did it, or if they have a genuine interest in him. As you can imagine, he responds very differently to these two types of visits. She emphasized how vital it is that we visit without a spirit of judgment...that we listen to the things people want or need to talk about, and not let ourselves be shocked by whatever they may say. She reminded us that it is not only the less active sisters that have doubts and questions about our faith, and that we all need people who can listen without judging.

*To the active member you are a reminder of her blessings (Julie Kincaid)
-Julie has noticed that visiting with her sisters makes her more aware of and grateful for her own blessings. We all have trials, but most of us would prefer to keep our own rather than trade with another. When we take the time to immerse ourselves in the life of another sister, it gives us some important perspective on our own situation.

*To all who know you, you are the symbol of love and devotion.

We were all served a delicious pumpkin dessert and some refreshing ice water...sorry you can't experience that electronically! We also received new visiting assignments, so if you weren't there you may want to contact Shirley to get yours.

Have a great week!

11 Nov 2007 SWK#22: Revelation: "A Continuous Melody and a Thunderous Appeal" by Shannon Allen

2007-11-11T10:26:00.000-08:00

Today Shannon Allen taught Lesson #22 from the Spencer W. Kimball Manual on Revelation. She emphasized a number of statements from the manual. The first one she selected was from page 237:

President Kimball trusted in the principle of continuing revelation, declaring that it was “the very lifeblood of the gospel of the living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”2 This trust, said Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “was clearly a part of the makeup of this very special man.”3 President Kimball took his responsibility as President of the Church seriously, knowing that he was the only person on the earth who was authorized to receive revelation for the Church. He testified: “I know that the Lord called me to this position. I know that there are greater prophets, perhaps, than I, but I wish to do all I can to carry forward the work of the Lord as he wants it done. Every night and morning I kneel and pray with deep sincerity that the Lord will inspire me and reveal to me the direction I should go and what I should tell the people of this Church.”4

I (Potato Girl) was impressed by the image of the prophet praying morning and night for guidance. I thought how helpful it would be in my life if I would pray this fervently for guidance in the various stewardships I've been entrusted with.

Shannon was a full-time missionary in Georgia, and frequently was asked about the issue of African Americans being denied the priesthood until the 1970s. She read us President Kimball's description of some of the preparation that went into receiving the revelation that it was finally time for all worthy male members of the church to have access to the priesthood and subsequent temple blessings:

“I knew that something was before us that was extremely important to many of the children of God. I knew that we could receive the revelations of the Lord only by being worthy and ready for them and ready to accept them and put them into place. Day after day I went alone and with great solemnity and seriousness in the upper rooms of the temple, and there I offered my soul and offered my efforts to go forward with the program. I wanted to do what he wanted. I talked about it to him and said, ‘Lord, I want only what is right. We are not making any plans to be spectacularly moving. We want only the thing that thou dost want, and we want it when you want it and not until.’ ”5

Shannon was particularly impressed that in spite of the social pressure on the church, and in spite of President Kimball's own fervent desire that the priesthood be extended to all worthy males, he wanted above all to do the Lord's will. She read:

“We had the glorious experience of having the Lord indicate clearly that the time had come when all worthy men and women everywhere can be fellowheirs and partakers of the full blessings of the gospel. I want you to know, as a special witness of the Savior, how close I have felt to him and to our Heavenly Father as I have made numerous visits to the upper rooms in the temple, going on some days several times by myself. The Lord made it very clear to me what was to be done. We do not expect the people of the world to understand such things, for they will always be quick to assign their own reasons or to discount the divine process of revelation.”6

Shannon asked us to raise our hands and talk about some of the things we think of when we hear the word 'revelation.' She told us that we often mistakenly think of it as something spectacular, something that we as individuals may not experiences. She said that as she prepared the lesson, she was struck by the importance of the act of seeking God's guidance. She read us this statement about the Father and Son's willingness to speak to us:

"Someone has said that we live in a day in which God, if there be a God, chooses to be silent, but The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proclaims to the world that neither the Father nor the Son is silent. They are vocal and commune as proper and necessary, and constantly express a willingness, indeed an eagerness, to maintain communication with men."

God wants to be a part of our life, but we have to get on our knees and seek him.

She read us this statement:

"How presumptuous and arrogant for any man to say God is unapproachable, unknowable, unseeable, unhearable because that one himself has not prepared himself for the experience."

Shannon told us a story about the time in her life when she was trying to decide whether or not to go on a mission. She received an unexpected letter one day from a sister in the mission field that felt like an answer to her prayers for guidance. She prayed and asked god if this letter and the feelings she had reading it were indeed his answer for her.

She asked us how many times we should be getting on our knees in prayer each day. She asked us if we were relying on our own intellects to guide our lives without thought to what the Lord might want for us. She read this statement:

"It should be kept in mind that God cannot be found through research alone, nor his gospel understood and appreciated by study only, for no one may know the Father or the Son but “he to whom the Son will reveal him.” (Luke 10:22.) The skeptic will some day either in time or eternity learn to his sorrow that his egotism has robbed him of much joy and growth."

She concluded by reading this series of questions posed by President Kimball and challenging us to answer them on our own at home:

"Do you want guidance? Have you prayed to the Lord for inspiration? Do you want to do right or do you want to do what you want to do whether or not it is right? Do you want to do what is best for you in the long run or what seems more desirable for the moment? Have you prayed? How much have you prayed? How did you pray? Have you prayed as did the Savior of the world in Gethsemane or did you ask for what you want regardless of its being proper? Do you say in your prayers: “Thy will be done”? Did you say, “Heavenly Father, if you will inspire and impress me with the right, I will do that right”? Or, did you pray, “Give me what I want or I will take it anyway”? Did you say: “Father in Heaven, I love you, I believe in you, I know you are omniscient. I am honest. I am sincerely desirous of doing right. I know you can see the end from the beginning. You can see the future. You can discern if under this situation I present, I will have peace or turmoil, happiness or sorrow, success or failure. Tell me, please, loved Heavenly Father, and I promise to do what you tell me to do.” Have you prayed that way? Don’t you think it might be wise? Are you courageous enough to pray that prayer?"

SWK #21: "The Prophet Joseph Smith" by Sondra Soderborg

2007-11-04T15:15:00.000-08:00

Dearest Sisters:

I have gotten so behind on our blog that I'm just going to start over. What follows is Sondra's handout from today's lesson. It is very similar to what she actually said. Enjoy!

Lesson 21: The Prophet Joseph Smith

November 4, 2007

President Kimball testified of Joseph Smith:

This young boy was entrusted with the greatest block of knowledge known to men. Remember, that spring morning not one of all the people in the world had absolute knowledge of God. There were many good people, but they had all walked in spiritual darkness these many centuries. But here was a boy who knew that morning in the grove in New York when the Father and Son came to him was perhaps the greatest revelation ever given to the world. (Manual p. 230)

The scriptures testify of Joseph Smith’s life: 2 Ne. 3:14-15. The words in Isaiah 29:11-12, 14 comforted Joseph and helped him understand his prophetic calling. He came to understand them at a very dark time in his life, when Emma, nearly dying in childbirth, delivered a son who lived only briefly, and Martin Harris told Joseph about the lost 116 pages of translation.

Joseph Smith had singular knowledge and responsibility. His claims and his work were audacious, and his burdens were at times almost unbearable. When he was allowed to show the plates to the witnesses to the Book of Mormon, Joseph’s mother wrote of his reaction:

He threw himself down beside [me] and exclaimed that “the Lord has now caused the plates to be shown to more besides myself.” “They will have to bear witness to the truth of what I have said, for now they know for themselves, that I do not go about to deceive the people … I feel as if I was relieved of a burden which was almost too heavy for me to bear, and it rejoices my soul, that I am not any longer to be entirely alone in the world.”

(Rough Stone Rolling, pp. 78-79).

Despite his unique position in the history of the world, his work could only go forward based on his righteousness and humility. David Whitmer describes Joseph challenged in an ordinary way, and unable to do his work without resolution:

One morning when he was getting ready to continue the translation, something went wrong about the house and he was put out about it. Something that Emma, his wife, had done. Oliver and I went up stairs and Joseph came up soon after to continue the translation, but he could not do anything. He could not translate a single syllable. He went down stairs, out into the orchard and made supplication to the Lord; was gone about an hour—came back to the house, asked Emma’s forgiveness and then came up stairs where we were and then the translation went on all right. He could do nothing save he was humble and faithful.

(Rough Stone Rolling, p. 77).

In the face of grave hardships that surrounded the early years of the church, Joseph suffered great harm and disappointment. In 1838, William W. Phelps, a high-ranking church leader in Missouri and the composer of some of our most important hymns, including “The Spirit of God, was excommunicated for disobeying counsel and using church money for his own purposes. His testimony at a trial helped put Joseph and other church leaders in prison. Two years later, on their way to Europe, two missionaries found him. With their encouragement, he wrote to Joseph asking forgiveness. Joseph Smith replied on July 22, 1840. His response, which demonstrates his commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ, said in part:

I must say that it is with no ordinary feelings I endeavour to write a few lines to you … at the same time I am rejoiced at the priveledge granted me. You may in some measure realize what my feelings, as well as Elder Rigdon’s & Bro Hyrum’s were when we read your letter, truly our hearts were melted into tenderness and compassion when we ascertained your resolves &c

It is true, that we have suffered much in consequence of your behavior—the cup of gall already full enough for mortals to drink, was indeed filled to overflowing when you turned against us: One with whom we had oft taken sweet council together, and enjoyed many refreshing seasons from the Lord “Had it been an enemy we could have borne it”

Believing your confession to be real and your repentance genuine, I shall be happy once again to give you the right hand of fellowship, and rejoice over the returning prodigal.

Your letter was read to the Saints last Sunday and an expression of their feeling was taken, when it was unanimously resolved that W.W. Phelps should be received into fellowship.

“Come on dear Brother since the war is past,

For friends at first are friends again at last.”

(Personal Writings of Joseph Smith, pp. 472-473).

William W. Phelps composed “Praise to the Man” after Joseph’s martyrdom.

Introducing Aubrey Potter

2007-09-04T11:22:00.000-07:00

Our family just moved here from Utah so Casey could attend law school at Ave Maria. I have two boys, Ammon who is 4 and Hinckley who is 2. We are home all day together, and love to have friends over, so if anyone else is bored or lonely, our phone # is 929-2615. I graduated from BYU 5 years ago with a BA in English. I love reading and music--singing, dancing and playing the piano or guitar. I work from home after the boys go to bed as a tutor at tutor.com tutoring math and English. I'm a big fan of chocolate chip cookies, seven-layer bean dip, and game nights, so if anybody else has similar passions, come on over any Friday night and we'll party :)

Introducing Julie Savage

2007-08-30T10:48:00.000-07:00

Hi my name is Julie Savage. I grew up as Julie Lovell in Pleasanton CA, and then Sacramento CA (with a couple years in Union City CA, Houston TX, and South Jordan UT). I have 4 brothers, one sister, and one partial foster brother. I am so close with all of my family. I went to Ricks college in the fall of 1999 with my sister, and graduated with my associates in graphic design. Spent a semester abroad in Paris with BYU, and then transfered to BYU in Provo. I graduated in 2004 with a Degree in Communications marketing and advertising. I love any kind of art, and I love doing things with my hands. I met my husband my senior year when he was the EQP and i got called to be the RSP. We kept the romance a secret from almost everyone until we announced we were engaged, We got married July 2004, and had our daughter June of 2006. Before she was born I did all of the marketing and advertising for a couple small businesses my husband started through college, and worked as the Human Resources associate for Convergys (anyone from provo might be laughing at me now) I have been at home with my daughter since June of 2006, doing freelance jobs here and there. I love my family, and I love the gospel. I am excited to be here in Ann Arbor, although I am already understanding the term law school widow!

Prez Says: Obedience

2007-08-29T18:20:00.001-07:00

The Prez Says… Recently I listened to a sacrament meeting talk at the Hill Street Ward. Because the young man spoke thoughtfully and sincerely, I could see what was in his heart, and I was touched with how strongly he desires to be obedient to the Lord. I know that he must have a firm testimony of The 3^rd Article of Faith, “We believe that through the Atonement of Christ, all mankind may be saved, by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel.” His dedication and devotion to obedience was inspiring and reassuring. It encouraged me to continue taking steps toward greater obedience.

Obedience is not blind faith, but rather is a choice to submit to the will of a loving Father. The fruits of obedience are endless, one of which is happiness. Alma 41:10 clearly teaches that “wickedness never was happiness,” and a life of obedience is a total rejection of the adversary. Obeying with exactness demonstrates valiance and consistently choosing the Lord’s side.

Whether in sacrament meeting talks or in our conversations with family and friends, it is important for us to share our experiences and our desires to be obedient. By doing so, we lift each other, we encourage each other, and we inspire each other to be obedient to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel. And we demonstrate the way to achieve true happiness.

Support Your Local Blogger

2007-08-26T18:42:00.000-07:00

This is a plea to my dear sisters to leave me some encouraging comments from time to time. We bloggers live for comments...they let us know that our words are reaching others, they make us feel connected, and they remind us that the time we spend writing into the void is worthwhile. Even if you have nothing to say, a simple comment like, "I read this post" would give me the inspiration to keep on keeping on. And any suggestions you have for how this blog might better meet your needs would be very welcome.

Welcoming More New Sisters

2007-08-26T18:30:00.000-07:00

First of all, many weeks ago we welcomed Itzel Mostert to our ward, and somehow I have not mentioned her in this blog yet. I am so sorry! I think I was waiting to get a picture of her, but people are moving in so quickly now that school is about to start, I don't think I'll be able to get pictures posted of everyone right away.

Today we heard from the following new sisters:

1) Julie Savage, a friend of Jenny Peterson's, is here from Sacramento with her husband, who is starting Law School.

2) Sarah Francis has come to Ann Arbor to do a master's degree in social work while her husband goes to law school.

3) Tracy Oberholzer, from Harrison, Michigan, works in the pharmacy and hotel business.

4) Shannon Allen has moved here from Salt Lake for her husband to attend Law School.

5) Kesli Aiken, from Vista, California, is here while her husband does a master's degree in Russian and Eastern European Studies.

6) Michelle Eusebio is teaching at Gretchen's House while her husband does a master's degree in Math Education.

7) Brooke Rasmussen is here with 2 1/2 year old Lincoln and baby Tad while her husband does a master's degree in Public Policy.

I think I have done some serious misspellings in our new sisters' names, but as soon as I get more information (and pictures) I'll let you know. In the mean time, WELCOME TO ANN ARBOR!

26 August 2007 Lesson by Michelle Rackley: "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer" by Elder Scott

2007-08-26T17:43:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson, taught by Michelle Rackley, was based on Elder Richard G. Scott's April 2007 General Conference address "Using the Supernal Gift of Prayer."

Michelle began the lesson by talking about four different types of prayer. As an example of the first type, a prayer for forgiveness, she read us Enos 1: 2-8. For the second type, a prayer for guidance or truth, she read us the account of King Lamoni's father in Alma 22: 15-18. For the third type of prayer, a prayer of gratitude, she read us 2 Nephi 4: 18-25. For the fourth type of prayer, a prayer for comfort, she asked us to suggest some examples from the scriptures. The first example given was of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26, Mark 14, Luke 22).

Here are some of the great comments on prayer by various members of the class from the rest of the lesson:

-When my mother died it felt like the end of the world. I prayed a lot. I remembered that my mother had asked me not to grieve for her, and in time, I was able to focus on my happy memories of her.

-I was impressed when we read the scriptures in Enos and Alma that both men hungered for answers from God. If our desire is great, like theirs was, we are better able to follow through.

-I've found that my desires for good are stronger after trials and struggles which cause me to grow.

-Sometimes we need to pray to be sustained through ongoing trials that are not going away.

-For many years we struggled to get pregnant. I got to a point where I felt that I could not go on. I told my husband, and he said to me that we were not supposed to stop trying, that we would have a child of our own first, before we turned to adoption. I was angry at first, and felt that he didn't understand what I was going through. But as I prayed I received confirmation that what he had said was true and from God. I'm grateful for the guidance the priesthood can bring to our lives.

-Once I helped plan an activity for the graduating Laurels. For part of the activity, we asked the girls to spend 30 minutes saying a prayer of gratitude. I did this myself, and although I initially thought 30 minutes was a very long time, I had barely made a dent in the things I'm grateful for when the timer rang.

-There was a period of my life when I was a student at BYU when I felt an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. I had a Doctrine & Covenants teacher that I trust and admired, and I thought that she might be able to say something that would help me. I tried to talk to her after class one day, but was not able to tell her what I really wanted, and left disappointed. I went outside and prayed that if there was something she could say that would help me, the Lord would facilitate another meeting. Shortly thereafter, the teacher found me and we had a long talk, which left me feeling greatly comforted.

-I'm thinking about what Kathy wrote in her Prez Says column this week about being real with each other. When we are open and willing to share with one another what is really going on in our lives, we can bless each other. We can pray for each other.

-One day I was touched by the instruction to forgive found in conjunction with a description of prayer in Mark 11: 24-25. At the time I was feeling like nothing. I read this scripture and prayed. A feeling washed over me, and I said God, your son knows exactly how I feel. Please let him help me get over this. My Savior has been through what I'm going through. I know that he's real, that he's a person, a friend, a companion, and an adviser.

Michelle closed by reading John 17: 9, "I pray for them." She wants us to pray for each other, the way the Savior prays for us. She told us that she knows many people have been praying for her and for her family over the past several months. Her home has been filled with peace and love instead of discouragement and despair because of our prayers for her. God has filled her with peace and love every time she has gone to him in prayer.

SWK #16: The Sabbath--A Delight

2007-08-26T17:42:00.000-07:00

I was out of town this week, and missed our lesson. Please feel free to leave your comments about it.

Prez Says: Be Yourself

2007-08-26T17:39:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… Marjorie Hinckley once presented a fireside at BYU where she captivated and delighted an audience of 12,000. At the conclusion of her remarks the audience jumped to their feet and gave her a standing ovation. She later remarked how surprised she was by the audience’s responsiveness. A friend told her, “Marge, they loved you because you were so relaxed and just yourself.” Sister Hinckley replied, “I couldn’t think of anyone else to be!”

Just being ourselves and honestly sharing the stories and lessons of our lives builds meaningful connections and true friendships. “When we risk sharing our real feelings, we develop relationships of understanding and trust. For we cannot really care or be cared for, love or be loved, understand or be understood, unless we are willing to open our treasures of time, substances, and self.” (Lloyd Newell, “May Peace Be With You”)

When we share how our lives really are, rather than trying to look like we always have it all together, it’s affirming and encouraging to others. When speakers tell personal stories the audience’s attention is riveted because honest stories and life lessons are meaningful gifts that can help everyone feel braver, stronger, less alone, and more capable of making it through life’s challenges.

This time of year brings many hellos and goodbyes in our ward. Let’s be as genuine, as relaxed, as open, as honest, and as real as Sister Hinckley was at the BYU fireside, and just be ourselves. By doing this we will build bridges of friendship and love that help us with our lives and that can span eternity.

Prez Says: Do Not Fear

2007-08-26T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… I spoke with someone this week who went into great detail about how many things he fears. He is afraid of his wife and mother dying, afraid of terrorist attacks, afraid that strangers who walk in his neighborhood may be criminals who will rob him, afraid of failing as he begins a new career, afraid that his home is losing value due to the declining economy, and his list went on and on. As I listened, I reflected on how blessed I am to have the assurance and peace that the gospel brings. The Savior promises, “If this generation harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them…Therefore, whosoever belongeth to my church need not fear, for such shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.” (D&C 10:53:55)

Who hasn’t felt fear at times? Fear being made fun of, fear of failure, fear of the unknown, or of the present or future. Fear can hold us hostage, and comes from the adversary. “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7) Fear is the antithesis of faith. Being a member of the church isn’t insurance against bad or frightening things happening in our lives, but the gospel is a resource for us as we face the challenges of mortal life. We are never left alone or defenseless because we possess the gift of the Holy Ghost, who dispels all fear and brings peace to our hearts. The greatest security of all is promised in D&C 68:6, “Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you.”

Prez Says: Precious Principles of Truth

2007-08-26T17:35:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… When the Conference Center was dedicated, President Packer shared a parable to teach about the type of building that the Lord values most. A merchant seeking precious jewels at last found the perfect pearl. He had the finest craftsman carve a superb jewel box and line it with blue velvet. He put his pearl on display so others could share his treasure. He watched as people came to see it, and soon turned away in sorrow. It was the box they admired, not the pearl.

Our temples are breathtakingly beautiful, yet the buildings themselves are just boxes. It’s what occurs inside the temples that’s “the pearl.” When we enter The House of the Lord to perform sacred ordinance work, we undertake building our inner personal temples. We access power and light as we ponder, pray, and learn surrounded by the Holy Ghost. Read the dedicatory prayer for the Kirtland Temple in Section 109. Think about how you can see and apply this section from a very personal perspective. The very first word is “Thanks.” How appropriate for the Kirtland Saints, and for us! Verse 22 helps us understand that when we leave the temple we do so armed with the power of His name upon us, with glory surrounding us, and with access to the help of angels. Do we know how to gain access to this power?

More than 1000 people attended the dedication of the Kirtland Temple and were blessed to hear and ponder this revealed dedicatory prayer. Take a look at Section 109 and see if it doesn’t unearth some precious principles of truth that you can apply in your life as you continue to build and beautify your inner personal temple.

August 12, 2007 Lesson by Sondra Soderborg: SWK #15 We Should Be A Reverent People

2007-08-26T17:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the handout Sondra passed out. It nicely outlines the main points of her lesson:

“We Should Be a Reverent People”

SWK #15

Reverence is “a feeling or attitude of deep respect love, and awe.” It is devotion to God. “It is one of the highest qualities of the soul,” because it involves “true faith in God and in his righteousness.” “True reverence involves happiness, as well as love, respect gratitude, and godly fear.”

Pres. Kimball considered reverence a way of life. There is a story in the manual of a time when he was visiting a meetinghouse. In the restroom, he threw away paper towels that were on the floor and cleaned the sink.

This example indicates that reverence is more than a feeling—it is practical, active, and confident.

Those are words that provide an approach to reverence that I want to focus on. It’s only been a few months since we had a sacrament meeting on reverence, and I’ve been thinking about reverence in our ward since then. One of the things Bishop Soderborg asked is that each of us take a more active role in creating a reverent environment in our Sunday meetings, and particularly in sacrament meeting. Our demographics create particular challenges for our ward.

Parents of young children:

We’ve seen it all before—get past shame (flipping)
Don’t be embarrassed if you need help
Be practical and considerate in your choice of seats. If you know that for a certain week (months or years) that you’ll be taking children out, choose a seat that minimizes the disruption
Don’t bring sick children to church--even though church is where we belong, we have to consider the whole community.
Please take out disruptive kids quickly. Briefly try to comfort, but don’t wait if it isn’t working. Recently, I couldn’t hear the speaker when there was a particular roar of children, even though I was sitting in the fifth row back.
Plan ahead: ask for someone to sit by you to help, like one of the youth or a person without young children to attend to. Ask someone to keep on eye on things, so that they’re prepared to step in when you need them. You can ask on your way in; it doesn’t need to be one more item on your list of things to do.

Parents of older kids:

Continue to expect reverent behaviors

Anyone with free hands:

Be confident about stepping forward to help. Do it in a spirit of love. You’ll have fun.
Look around to see who might need support in that meeting—is there a parent alone with their children? Plan ahead helps with the self-consciousness of the moment.

Everyone:

Arrive on time
Visit outside the chapel (“The chapel is not dedicated to pharisaical piety where are found long faces, stiff formalities, or cold and barren silences, yet reverence for holy places, sacred purposes, and divine personages should always be found there.

2 New Sisters

2007-08-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

Today we met two new sisters. First is Anne Bednar. She is recently married, and has come to Ann Arbor with her husband so that he can do a Ph.D. in Organizational Behavior. She is a pediatric nurse, and is looking for a job.

Second is Laura Hall, mother of 7-month-old Felix, who has come to Ann Arbor for her husband to do a Master's degree in Business and Music. She is finishing up a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy.

5 August 2007: Janie Ward teaching "Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light" by Elder Hales

2007-08-12T18:13:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson, taught by Janie Ward, was taken from Elder Robert D. Hales' April 2002 General Conference address: "Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light."

Prez Says: Eliminate the Poison of Jealousy

2007-08-12T18:12:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… Do you sometimes struggle when others get special recognition? I spoke with a client this week whose best friend was hired for a well-paid professional job despite not having a college degree. Her past volunteer work convinced the employer that she was talented, capable and would be an asset to his staff. She didn’t even need to formally apply for the position. This was especially difficult for my client because she is struggling to pay for and complete college courses for the degree that is normally a prerequisite for the job her friend was given.

Jealousy and envy can be silent killers, extinguishing the companionship of the Spirit. The first step of jealousy is comparing ourselves to others. Comparisons result in either feeling better about ourselves (which leads to pride), or worse (which leads to jealousy that someone else has it better than we do.) Both conclusions can be deadly.

David’s slaying of Goliath brought the praise of many, and won him a spot of favor in Saul’s eyes—temporarily. The people sang and danced for joy, repeatedly chanting, “Saul has slain his thousands and David his ten thousands!” (1 Sam. 18:7) Saul became increasingly angry and jealous of David, and worried that the people would want David to be their king. Saul gradually became consumed with fear and jealousy, and this became his downfall. Saul is a tragic example of how jealousy can lead to self-destruction. (Read 1 Sam. 18-19)

When someone else is praised or blessed, let’s rejoice with them and dismiss thoughts of jealousy and envy. Being mindful of our own blessings and of the generosity of the Lord in our lives can eliminate the poison of jealousy.

29 July 2007: Combined RS/ Priesthood Meeting on Families

2007-08-12T18:10:00.000-07:00

For our lesson today, the Bishop invited 4 members of our stake to come and talk to us about their experiences in the church as "non-traditional families." We heard from Cynthia Christensen, Katsuo Kurabayashi, Miran Forsythe, and Marilyn Roubidoux.

Prez Says: Testimony

2007-08-12T18:08:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… Because Carrie was in the Hill Cumorah Pageant this year, I had the opportunity to attend two evenings of the show, as well as to attend the closing sacrament meeting on the Hill Cumorah last Sunday. It was a very special experience to be in that sacred space, and it was amazing to be surrounded by 680 cast members who had been experiencing an intense spiritual high for 2 ½ weeks.

At the beginning of the Pageant experience, some seeds were planted in small pots. They had sprouted and grown over the 2 ½ weeks, but remained delicate and fragile. One of the sacrament meeting speakers said that now everyone was leaving the artificial environment of the Pageant, and returning to the real world, their real challenges and problems, and real life. He entreated them to take their sprouted seeds of testimony and to protect and keep them growing in their daily lives. He noted that “the Pageant is not truer than the everyday church in our real lives,” and that there is no such thing as a testimony of the Hill Cumorah Pageant, or of Relief Society, family home evening, or Primary. While these (and all of the programs of the church) are wonderful, they are simply vehicles to bring us closer to Jesus Christ. The only thing that we can truly have a testimony of is Jesus Christ. He lives, He heads this church, He selflessly atoned for all sin, He is the perfection of every attribute and teaches and invites us to be like Him.

Neal A. Maxwell said, “If one day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ, why not do so now?” All things testify of Him. Luke 19:40 says that even the stones testify of Him. Let us stay clear and focused on how we can grow closer to and testify of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Why not do so now?

Introducing: Renee Mitchell

2007-08-12T17:50:00.000-07:00

Here is the introduction that Renee wrote for herself:

Renee Mitchell was born November 17 th in 1969 in Detroit, MI, to Mary & Justice Mitchell. She is the 2nd daughter of three children. She had three children of her own: Javon and Donavon, her 2 sons, and a daughter, Jacquline. She moved to A2 to pursue an education in graphics design. Some of her interests are reading , knitting, quieting, creating art, and singing. Some of the simple things she enjoys are having a good laugh with family and friends and partaking in the beauty of God's creations. Sister Mitchell has been a member since October of 1992 and was baptized into The Detroit New Center Branch.

Favorites:
color: lavender
food: homemade mac & cheese
dessert: ice cream
t.v show: lost
hymn: In humility & Lord I will follow thee
scripture: I Nephi 3:7

22 July 2007 Michelle Rackley on "The Healing Power of Forgiveness"

2007-07-22T13:41:00.000-07:00

Michelle Rackley taught our Sunday lesson on James E. Faust's April 2007 General Conference talk, "The Healing Power of Forgiveness". Elder Faust told many stories in his talk, but Michelle was especially touched by his account of the Amish community in Pennsylvania that freely forgave the family of the milkman who killed 5 of their daughters and then took his own life. Michelle shared the story of a family in California whose 11 year old daughter was abducted, raped, and murdered. The perpetrator was caught and put in jail. This family visited him in prison, and after he was beaten to death by fellow inmates, attended his funeral. 3 Nephi 1 describes the Nephite preparation for Christ's birth. Wicked members of the community were threatening to kill those church members who believed in a sign that would come to tell them of Christ's arrival across the sea. When the sign does appear, it causes many to repent and join themselves to the church (see verses 9, 15-17, 23). Can you imagine attending church with people who had planned to kill you?

Michelle told another story of two LDS boys who were leaders among their peers. In high school these boys got involved in drugs and alcohol, and many of the active LDS teens followed after them. The two boys eventually repented, served honorable missions, and married in the temple. But a number of the people who they influenced to stray never returned. Can you imagine how it would feel to be the parent of one of the children who had been permanently affected by this event, and to see the men who had started it all participating actively in the church, possibly in a priesthood leadership position? She related this to the story of Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah, reading from Mosiah 27 verses 8-10, 24, 28, and 32. Alma, who had led so many astray, went on to become the prophet.

The next example Michelle gave was of forgiving ourselves. For this she used the story of Joseph Smith when he allowed Martin Harris to take the Book of Mormon manuscript and then lost it. He was devastated when he heard that Martin had lost the manuscript. The angel took back the plates and the urim and thumim. But after a short time, during which Joseph sincerely repented, these things were returned, and Joseph received a message that God was pleased with him. If Joseph had not been able to forgive himself for this mistake, could he have finished the work of translating the Book of Mormon?

Michelle's final example of forgiveness was from 3 Nephi 8. This is the account of the natural disasters and destruction that took place in the new world at the time of the Savior's death. As Michelle put it, it was Hurricane Katrina times ten. She pointed out that this is an excellent example of forgiving life in general...bad things that happen to us that cannot really be blamed on anyone. We can choose to be bitter, or we can choose to have our hearts softened.

How does forgiveness work in your life? L.S.: forgiveness does not mean to reconcile, necessarily, but to let go and move on. With the help of the spirit, I've been able to let go, but that doesn't mean that I'm friends with that person anymore, because I don't trust them anymore.

S.T.: I like what L. said. But the Amish went out of their way to reach out to the family of the milkman. We don't know how to handle anger. But they didn't lash out at his family.

L.J.: It is a mystery why forgiveness is instantaneous for some people and takes so much time for others. Leave a space in your heart for forgiveness so that it can come in when the time is right. A man's whose whole family was killed by a drunk driver found the motivation to forgive because he wanted to be reunited with his family in the next life. Instead of saying I can't forgive, say I can't forgive right now, but I'm leaving a space for it.

L.J.: Not forgiving is too expensive. I don't want to pay the price of hanging on to the hurt.

J.E.: It is a personal transformation. I have a relative who doesn't like me. I forgive her, but I also find that I need to stay away from her.

S.T.: How do you teach people to forgive?

L.R.: I think we're born knowing how to forgive, but we unlearn it.

P.F.: A lot of it is what you see in your family. We all argue and fight at home. You can show your children right then how to make up after fighting. Are you going to use the silent treatment? Will you hold a grudge? Or will you apologize?

M.G.: Bearing testimony strengthens it. Forgiveness is similar...the more we do it, the better we get at it. Sometimes we want to forgive, but it is so hard. We can tell the Lord that we are trying, and he can help us.

S.S.: The life of Joseph Smith is a great example of forgiving (see D & C 3). He was betrayed again and again, and he says "I frankly forgave the man." He wrote a letter to W.W. Phelps after being betrayed, and forgave him.

Michelle: Nephi frankly forgives his brothers and they continue on their journey.

L.Q.: People can do things to me and I don't care, but when people hurt my family it is harder to forgive. Heavenly Father says we have to forgive, though. I have to stop dwelling on it.

L.J.: I try to remember how much I need forgiveness for my own shortcomings. We actually hurt and offend others, and we need forgiveness, so we shouldn't withhold it.

Michelle: To close, the Lord taught us to love our enemies. How do non-Christians view Christians? Christians are people who teach that we should return love for hate. Think of something you need to let go of. Do you want to? Can you? Can Christ help you? Christ's atonement makes it possible for us to forgive and be forgiven. Jesus taught us to love our enemies.

Prez Says: The Lives That Touch Ours

2007-07-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… President Hinckley stated, “All of us, in our various situations, are the result, largely, of the lives that touch ours.” Every day we are affected, for good or ill, by those whom we come in contact with.

One reason that I love to come to church every Sunday is that my contact with the members of our ward encourages and inspires me to live more closely to gospel standards. While none of us is perfect, I see your goodness and your efforts to do your best in your lives. I see your willingness to serve one another, and to encourage each others’ spiritual growth. At weekly meetings I see the strong testimonies, dedication, and love that our good Bishop and priesthood leaders demonstrate for every member of our ward.

I love associating with each of you. It is a blessing for me to be surrounded by your influence. It helps me navigate through the challenges and temptations of the world. It helps me to want to do and be better. In 1 Thessalonians 2:4, Paul says that he speaks, not to please men, but to please God. I am continually touched by your actions and decisions that please God and help me to keep perspective in the clamor of the world. Feeling the Spirit at our meetings grounds me, and helps me stay focused on the things that really matter. I am thankful to be touched by your testimonies and works, I am grateful to you for helping me along the way on my journey, and I love associating with each of you.

Four New RS Sisters

2007-07-16T11:18:00.000-07:00

This Sunday we welcomed four new sisters to our Relief Society. I have pictures of three of them, and a tiny bit of information about them. Stay tuned for their self-introductions, which I will post when I get them. First, we met Renee Mitchell:

Many of us have been in the same ward with Renee in the past, and we are so happy to be reunited. She has three children, ages 20, 19 and 17.

Next is Annette Tang, who has moved here with her husband and 4 children, ages 5, 4, 2 and 3 months. They will be here for 6 years doing an oral surgery residency:

Third, Karri Smyer. Her huband has been here for about 6 weeks, so many of you might know who he is. They are here for 3 years for law school:

And last, but certainly not least, our very own Leslie Smith has turned 18 and joined us in Relief Society. I don't have a picture of her, because I think everyone knows what she looks like.

15 July 2007 SWK #14 "Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me" by Sondra Soderborg

2007-07-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our lesson Sunday was taught by Sondra Soderborg from the Spencer W. Kimball Manual Chapter 14: "Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me." Sondra still remembers the General Conference talk given by President Kimball "The False Gods We Worship" printed in the June 1976 Ensign. This was an important theme in his presidency. While preparing for this lesson, Sondra was impressed by a scripture in D&C 1:16. She felt that she needed to think about this verse during the youth conference trip to Palmyra. The phrase that jumped off the page when she read it was "walketh in his own way" and that this is equivalent to idolatry. She asked herself this question: "in what (small) ways am I interfering with my ability to worship God because of my willfulness?" She felt that with this question in mind, youth conference was a series of parables designed to answer that question for her.

First was the Parable of the Pants. Their youth conference "family" was assigned to go to the temple the first night. The youth were tired, and not particularly happy with dinner. One boys said "I'm not going." Sondra and Nathan wanted all of the youth in their group to go to the temple, so they sent him into the church with the others to change into temple-appropriate clothes. Minutes after the others had come out, this boy was still in the bathroom. Nathan went in after him, only to find him muttering to himself that he couldn't go to the temple because his church pants didn't fit. Somehow the wrong pair had been packed. Now that he was faced with the possibility of not being able to go to the temple, he realized that he wanted to go. He ended up wearing shorts with his church shoes, socks, shirt and tie, and was allowed to enter and participate in baptisms with the others. Sondra was struck by the realization that sometimes our willfulness gets in the way of what we actually want on a deeper level. She didn't particularly want to go to youth conference, but she knew that it was likely to be a good experience for her. When we stubbornly resist certain things, we can get in our own way of getting what we really want.

She didn't give a name to the second parable, but it could be the Parable of the Sacred Grove. Early on in the trip, they gathered their "family" to set goals together. Sondra had thought of some very concrete goals, such as taking responsibility for one's self, and keeping hands off others and their stuff. As she was explaining these goals to the group, a realization opened up in her mind that these temporal-seeming goals were in fact spiritual. She saw that without following principles of self-management, we limit our ability to feel the Spirit. As she tried to explain this to the youth, the Spirit was there, and led them to a discussion of more spiritual goals. One of the boys said that when they were in the Sacred Grove, they should have time alone, because it is a powerful spiritual place. Sondra felt herself clenching against this suggestion. When they go to the Grove, and they separated into small groups, she felt resistant. She had heard so many people talk about sacred experiences that increased their testimonies in the Grove, that having an experience like that seemed like a cliche, and she did not want to experience a cliche. But she did want to gain a stronger testimony of the restoration. Because she was thinking about this lesson during the trip, she was aware that her resistance to the Sacred Grove "experience" might be getting in her way. She was able to sense the temple-like atmosphere of that place, and was given a gift from the Spirit of a strengthened testimony of Joseph Smith that was very personal, not a cliche at all.

Being in Palmyra really helped her think about consecration and what it means to truly worship God. It struck her there that she is easily distracted by things that she spends time and energy on that really don't further the kingdom of God. She gives too much attention and respect to her own will [potato girl note: who doesn't?] She invited us to take a moment to think, what things are distracting you? Is there a false God in your life?

S.H. talked about how she read the lesson this week, and was struck by the story of President Kimball giving up his schooling to accept a calling in the Stake Presidency. She has recently decided to go back to school, and feels like this is the right decision for her, but worries about the time she spends away from her children. This week she's been really thinking about her true purpose and goals.

S.T. shared a story about her son-in-law, who was treated for cancer during the first year of his marriage. Shortly after the cancer went into remission, he and his wife decided to find a bigger house and start a family. Then he was called into the Bishopric. To accept the calling, he would have to give up his search for the new house he wanted. He decided that he could express his thanks to God for sparing his life by accepting the calling and staying in the tiny house.

Sondra told us that she has never been disappointed when she has made a choice that she thought the Lord wanted her to make. When we have chosen to serve the kingdom of God, we've been blessed so abundantly and miraculously. Trying to consecrate our lives is in fact an easier course. She referred us to this statement, which was on the board throughout the lesson:

"Because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things."

Prez Says: Let Go

2007-07-08T20:33:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… One quiet afternoon an 18-month old girl was playing under the kitchen table. She suddenly let out a piercing shriek, followed by louder, wilder, eardrum splitting screams. Her mother dragged her out from under the table and looked her over. Her tiny fist, clenched in a death grip, was swollen twice its normal size. As her fingers were pried open, a wasp flew out. She had been stung multiple times because her instinct was to clutch her hand tightly because of the pain. She had not yet learned that wasps do more damage when held tightly than when hands are kept open.

I haven’t been bothered by a wasp lately, but I have been worried, anxious, and bothered about something. I have clenched the worry tightly inside, acutely aware of its accompanying pain and suffering, but not letting go of it. I’ve been afraid that if I let go, things won’t turn out the way I want them to. There’s a part of me that is certain that there is a way for me to control the situation and outcome. Like that toddler, it appears that I haven’t yet learned that more damage is done by holding on tightly than by letting go of my willful agenda.

Mormon declared, “And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will.” (Words of Mormon 1:7) I know that God has a plan for each of us, and it is only by submitting and opening ourselves to Him that we can begin to realize His will for us. He knows us and our possibilities much better than we do. We can trust His loving omniscience. Such trust is not a singular decision or event, but is chosen and practiced throughout our lives. I recognize that I’ve been holding tight to a worry, and I see the folly of thinking that I know best about how things should turn out. I am letting go of this pesky “wasp” to put myself in the Lord’s hands. He fully knows what’s best for me.

8 July 2007

2007-07-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Sorry, Sisters...I attended Relief Society in Washington D.C. today. I sure missed you. Please write in if you made it to our lesson.

Prez Says: Land of the Free

2007-07-05T13:29:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… This past week we once again celebrated our nationhood, on the anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Living in America is a blessing worth thinking about more frequently than on national holidays. There is no country that compares with the United States. America is a land of promise, a land of choice above all others, founded by good and noble men who were inspired by God. This land was not only founded by God, but preserved by Him. We owe our privileges and prosperity to God, and we have a responsibility to govern this land with righteousness. Proverbs 14:34 confirms that “righteousness exalteth a nation.”

More than 175 years ago, French historian and philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville visited America to observe and analyze why freedom was successful here. He reported, “Not until I went to the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good and if America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” He noted that it was goodness and righteousness that bound the melting pot of American citizens together. America can be no stronger than the goodness of her people. John Adams said, “To be good and to do good is all we have to do.”

Freedom is not free. Each of us has the opportunity and responsibility to do good and to live righteously to keep America great. Let us never take for granted the blessing and privilege of living in this free country.

1 July 2007: Kathy Diehl on The Atonement

2007-07-01T17:27:00.000-07:00

When we arrived in RS today, Kathy had already written this quote on the board, by Bruce Hafen:

"While no other success of ours can compensate for failures within or outside our homes, there is a success that can compensate when we cannot, after we conscientiously do all we can. That success is the Atonement of Jesus Christ, which can mend what for us is beyond repair."

Kathy began the lesson by talking about the Mackinac Bridge, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. It is the 3rd longest bridge in the world, and the longest suspension bridge. It is made of 42,000 miles of cable, and is 55 stories high. Before it opened, it could take as long as 24 hours waiting in line to get on the ferry that connected the upper and lower peninsulas. Several people died while making the bridge, but we usually don't think about how it was built. That is, unless we happen to be on the bridge during a storm. Then we might find ourselves wondering if it was really built to withstand the wind or the rain or the ice, and when it holds, we may think gratefully of those who designed and built it. Life can be like that...when it is smooth we don't give much thought to those who sacrificed before us, including the Savior. But in times of trouble, our minds are turned to Him.

Our theme for Relief Society this year is softening our hearts, and each of the presidency-discretion lessons, which are taught on the first Sunday of the month, is designed to help us think more about this theme. Thinking about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice helps to soften our hearts.

We can't talk about the atonement without mentioning the plan of salvation and the fall of Adam and Eve. Kathy grew up in the Catholic church, where it was clearly taught that if Adam and Eve hadn't transgressed and partaken of the forbidden fruit, we would all still be living in paradise. The restored gospel teaches us that Adam and Eve's decision, instead of being a mistake, was a necessary part of God's plan for us. Without their transgression, we would never have been born. What did Adam and Eve learn after they left the garden?

TB: They learned that parenting is really hard.
Kathy: They learned all about troubled families.
OT: They learned the power of obedience.
Kathy: They learned by experience along the way. Did they ever make mistakes? They weren't perfect, but they learned along the way.
SP: They had a long time to learn. They lived 800 years of so. I'm glad for how old I am because of all I learn each year.
Kathy: The fall gives us the chance to learn. The plan of salvation is developmental. Although Christ atoned for their sins, that did not mean that Adam and Eve got to go back to the Garden and to the way things were before.
TB: They learned the power of loneliness. There were no other adults for them to talk to. Eve had no other women to help her through childbirth. They were cut off from God. They felt such an intense drive to reconnect with God, and this opportunity was provided them by the atonement.
Kathy: They experienced life in God's presence, as well as life separated from His presence.

NM: One of my husband's ancestors died while working on the Mackinac Bridge. Because of that, crossing the bridge is a very meaningful experience for his family. It means something personal to them. The atonement needs to be personal for each one of us.
Kathy: Look at the word "one" embedded in the word "atonement." The atonement happens one person at a time. Adam and Eve learned about hard work, they learned about not having enough resources, they learned about conflict with children and each other. Sometimes we think that because of our problems we're not going to make it back to God's presence. But we are here on earth to have problems. Ether 12:27 tells us that God gives us weaknesses so that we can be humble, and that if we'll come to Him, He will help our weaknesses become strengths. If we are becoming more aware of our weaknesses, we're getting closer to God. Bruce R. McKonkie once said that a lot more people are going to make it to God's kingdom than we think. We just need to want that with all our hearts.

LQ: Small daughter called out to her from bed. She went in to her to comfort her and then asked, why do you call out? Why don't you just come to me? The small girl answered that she wanted to know that her mother was there and was listening to her. As L. went back to her room, she felt the Lord asking her, "why don't you just come to me?" She realized that even when she doesn't go to Him for help, He comes to her.

Kathy: What do we need to do to access the blessings of the atonement?
LJ: How do you get a relationship with the Savior, or with anyone? Through repentance. At times you can't create a sense of well-being for yourself, but on your knees in prayer, if floods your soul. Try to read and understand what happened when Christ atoned for our sins.
Kathy: What a blessing repentance is. How good it is to go to Him and pour out our hearts. Picture summer on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. How do you think those gardens got that way?
LH: When I'm out in my garden weeding, I think of Adam and Eve, and how they learned about "noxious weeds." It inspires me to keep weeding. I think a lot of weeding goes on at Temple Square.
Kathy: What happens to weeds if we mow them down? We need to pull them out by the roots. This is similar to repentance.

OT: A friend is having problems with her son. She says that she know the Lord won't let certain bad things happen to him. I want to help her understand that we need to repent, and get a clean opening, a connection with God so that we can really pray and find out from Him the truth of things.
Kathy: Faith does not protect us from bad things.
LS: The flowers on Temple Square receive individualized attention. I need to find my own answers to my personal questions and needs, not a general blanket answer for the whole church. I need personal instruction from God.

MR: Ryan Earp recently taught a lesson in Elder's Quorum about the atonement. He presented a scenario that he'd heard in a class at BYU. The professor said suppose you committed sexual sins before your mission, but repented and served honorably. Now you are engaged to a worthy young woman who asks if you've ever had problems with the law of chastity. What do you answer her? The BYU professor said the correct answer is to tell her no, you've never had a problem with that law. This is because you have repented and been cleansed by the Lord through the atonement, and it is as if that sin never occurred. This story has helped M. be more forgiving of the mistakes that she makes. She can tell herself that because of her sincere repentance and the atonement, it is as if those mistakes never happened.

Kathy: We often get caught up in the phrase "after all that we can do." How do we know when we have done all we can?
TB: I try to do it alone. But Jesus needs to be with us through the whole process. I recently tried to imagine him with me every step of the way, and I knew when I'd done all that I could do and could then turn it over to Him. We need to let go of our control-everything lives. Ask the Savior to walk with you from the beginning.
Kathy: It is scary to give up control. As I was preparing this lesson, it wasn't coming together. I got her today and it still didn't feel together. I don't like to feel out of control. But when we let go and let the spirit guide it is OK. The atonement compensates for more than just sin. It covers any kind of pain, difficulty, loneliness, disappointment, mistake, inadequacy. He bled from every pore for each person. There is no greater expression of love. As I think about the Savior, it does soften my heart.

Prez Says: Maintaining Good Relationships

2007-06-28T21:02:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… Last week I received an e-mail at work with the subject line screaming in capital letters, “YOU ARE DELINQUENT!” The manager who sent it wrote the entire message in caps, saying that “high level administrators” knew that my mandatory training requirement wasn’t done, that there had been repeated messages to do it, and that it had to be done by 5 p.m. or there would be “consequences.” I was out of the office that day, and replied that I had completed the requirement a month earlier, and that I had a full day of appointments and obligations. I said that if I could access the training site remotely I would redo it that day, but if not, I’d redo it the next morning before 8 a.m. The manager replied that getting this job task done took precedent over anything else I had to do in my life. I was offended, angry and upset for the next 2 days about being treated so insensitively. Ironically, the training topic was about restraint and seclusion of patients, which isn’t even applicable in my adult outpatient clinic setting. There was no quiz involved, just acknowledgment that the policy had been read. It was ultimately confirmed that I had completed the requirement over a month earlier, but an IT systems error hadn’t registered my completion.

I believe that there is no job task at work that is more important than the relationship between the supervisor and employee. It is essential that employees know that they are respected, cared about, and valued. Even difficult situations can be effectively resolved when approached with the goal of maintaining the relationship. When I have a boss (or leader) who is genuine regarding having a good relationship, I am more motivated.

Isn’t this true in all areas of life? There is no task, possession, or checklist that is more important than maintaining a good relationship with our family and others. Our greatest impact is in our personal relationships. We need to pay attention and listen carefully to those we supervise (or serve) as well as to those who supervise (and serve) us. We are to “increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men,” (1 Thess.3:12) and “be willing to communicate.” (1 Tim. 6:18)

This week I spoke with my manager and shared my thoughts about relationships being more important than job tasks. She has been a manager for only a year, and had never thought about this. She thanked me, said that she’d never send another e-mail like the offending one, and asked if I would be willing to meet with her periodically to discuss leadership principles. I agreed. I can share a lot about leadership principles—I learned them from my church leaders as they have taught and lived gospel principles.

Introducing Jessica J. Loftus Edwards

2007-06-26T10:48:00.000-07:00

This past Sunday we were pleased to meet the newest member of our Relief Society, Jessica Edwards. Here is a short introduction she wrote for us:

"I was born in California and moved to Michigan when I was only a few months old. I received a scholarship to Wayne State University in Detroit and that is where I received my Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Physics. Yes, I am a geek. I met my husband in 2000 at an Institute class in Westland and he is also a local who served his mission in Argentina. We were married at the end of 2000 and had been living in Taylor, MI until our move here to Ann Arbor. We are expecting our first child, a girl, in the middle of October."

Welcome to Ann Arbor, Jessica (and husband, Mike)!

24 June 2007: Michelle Rackley teaches "The Tongue of Angels"

2007-06-24T14:41:00.000-07:00

Our lesson today, taught by Michelle Rackley, was based on Jeffrey R. Holland's April 2007 General Conference address, "The Tongue of Angels." We started by spending a few minutes writing down silently any thought that came to our minds on a piece of paper. Then we labeled each thought as negative or positive. Michelle emphasized that no thought was neutral. Ask yourself, she said, if the thought leads you towards hope and faith, or anger and doubt.

Michelle then summarized some of the main points of Elder Holland's talk. He mentioned the power of our words. He encouraged us to speak more kindly. She read us this quote from the talk:

I love what Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: “The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.” We should honor the Savior’s declaration to “be of good cheer.” (Indeed, it seems to me we may be more guilty of breaking that commandment than almost any other!)

Then she told us that she wanted to focus her lesson on this part of Elder Holland's talk:

In all of this, I suppose it goes without saying that negative speaking so often flows from negative thinking, including negative thinking about ourselves. We see our own faults, we speak—or at least think—critically of ourselves, and before long that is how we see everyone and everything. No sunshine, no roses, no promise of hope or happiness. Before long we and everybody around us are miserable.

Our thoughts determine what we say, as well as our actions. In trying to think of examples of people from the scriptures who changed their negative thoughts into positive ones, Michelle remembered Nephi in 2 Nephi 4. She also thought of Joseph Smith's prayers in the Doctrine and Covenants. Both of these men were able to change their thoughts from despair to praise for God. Eric suggested that Michelle try to find examples of more ordinary people from the scriptures who weren't prophets, but who also succeeded in combating negative thoughts. she read to us an example of a group of ordinary people in Ether 6: 5-11

5 And it came to pass that the Lord God caused that there should be a ^afurious wind blow upon the face of the waters, ^btowards the promised land; and thus they were tossed upon the waves of the sea before the wind.

6 And it came to pass that they were many times buried in the depths of the sea, because of the mountain waves which broke upon them, and also the great and terrible tempests which were caused by the fierceness of the wind.

7 And it came to pass that when they were buried in the deep there was no water that could hurt them, their vessels being ^atight like unto a dish, and also they were tight like unto the ^bark of Noah; therefore when they were encompassed about by many waters they did cry unto the Lord, and he did bring them forth again upon the top of the waters.

8 And it came to pass that the wind did never cease to blow towards the promised land while they were upon the waters; and thus they were ^adriven forth before the wind.

9 And they did ^asing praises unto the Lord; yea, the brother of Jared did sing praises unto the Lord, and he did ^bthank and praise the Lord all the day long; and when the night came, they did not cease to praise the Lord.

10 And thus they were driven forth; and no monster of the sea could break them, neither ^awhale that could mar them; and they did have light continually, whether it was above the water or under the water.

11 And thus they were driven forth, ^athree hundred and forty and four days upon the water.

She asked us to picture ourselves on a road trip with all of our extended family, friends, and animals, for 340 days. Could you sing praises to God? When I feel myself passing through a tempest, she said, I spend my time asking God for help, not singing his praises. She also read us Alma 62:41

41 But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their ^aafflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility.

She asked herself if she would be the person who hardened her heart in the midst of a war, or if her heart would be softened.

To open the time for a discussion of how our thoughts have affected us at different times in our life, Michelle shared this experience of her own. On Tuesday, her son broke his leg. They didn't realize it was broken, and when the nurse came back in with the x-rays, they were shocked. Michelle was flooded with negative thoughts. As she walked across the hospital from her son's appointment to her own ultrasound, she remembered this lesson that she was preparing. She prayed that God would take away her negative thoughts. It didn't happen right away, but comforting, positive thoughts began slipping into her mind bit by bit over the next few hours. During the time of her purely negative thoughts, she could feel herself being snappy with the doctors and nurses, and she knew that it was only a matter of time before she turned on her husband and children. She told us that she knows a broken leg isn't as big a problem as many of the problems of sisters in our ward, but she hoped we would be willing to share with the class any experience, large or small, where our thoughts affected us.

S.S. was the first to speak. She told us about how her husband is one of eight children, and when she first learned of this, S. thought his mother must be crazy. When she met her, she couldn't believe how nice she was, and thought she must be faking it. S. found out that her husband's mother had made a covenant with God after her first few children were born that she would not raise her voice with her children, or say any negative things to them. S. could not believe that a person could do this, but her husband told her that his mother had indeed kept her promise to the Lord. S.'s initial reaction was to say to herself that yelling a lot at your kids is not that big of a deal. But when she hears her 7 1/2 year old emulating her, mothering her little sisters, and she raises her voice with them, S. can see that she doesn't want that for her family. She told us that she has been reading her scriptures and praying for help to not be harsh or nasty in her reactions to her children. She feels better about herself and her relationship with them. She can now see where her mother-in-law was coming from when she made this commitment to the Lord, and it gives her a direction to aim for.

Next, L.J. shared a strategy that worked for her. She has never been much of a little kid person, but she knew she wanted big kids, and thus had to start with little ones. She just told herself this over and over when her children were small (have to have little kids to get big kids), and it helped her get through her days.

P.F. told us that she struggles daily with negative thoughts. In her work, she is in front of people all day, and has to be so careful to not start down a negative path in her mind so that she can control what she says and does around her customers. She has made a commitment to study the scriptures in the morning before work. She has never been a very good memorizer, but the other day she found some scriptures that she really wanted to learn to help her with her negative thoughts. She was able to memorize 4 verses in 10 minutes, which is a miracle. Those 4 verses, as well as the words to a hymn that took her two months to memorize, repeated over and over, along with a constant prayer in her heart, help her get through the difficult moments.

Michelle responded by saying that during our Mother's Day musical tribute, she heard the song "I Feel My Savior's Love" and felt prompted to memorize that word to that hymn. She also mentioned the title of a book her mother had once read: "You Can't Afford the Luxury of a Negative Thought." She said that negative thinking actually causes physiological changes to take place in our bodies that are harmful to us.

S.S. said that when she feels tension at home and wants to yell she has been trying to break into song instead. Her children know the words to many primary songs, and singing these cuts the tension.

S.S. (#2) said in response to P.F. that she has felt a sweet feeling around her place of business and now she realizes that it was the Spirit brought by P.'s prayers and efforts. She also said that when she is having a hard week she reminds herself that in just a few days she'll be back together with her fellow saints on Sunday.

T.B. said that she beats herself up constantly. When she has a bad thought, she gets upset with herself for having it. She's learned that if she can embrace the thought, it helps her to deal with and move past it. She said that as a child she was surrounded by the darkness of her parents' unkindnesses toward her. As hard as she tries to change her thoughts today, their voices still echo in her head, dragging her down. She prays every day for help, but it is not enough.

To this, Michelle responded, "it is enough." She said that she had wanted to talk about exceptions. She told us that for those of us with backgrounds of abuse, or who struggle with depression and other mental illnesses, it is harder to fight negative thoughts. She said that in praying for a loved one recently, who struggles with untreated depression and bipolar illness, and can be unkind, she felt the Lord tell her that this loved one is doing everything He wants her to do, and that in His eyes she is just fine. Heavenly Father understands our struggles and the origins of them. She read us a quote by David O. McKay, who said that the thought in our mind right now is contributing to the shaping of our soul. How we think, Michelle said, affects how we look. We can become more beautiful by filling our minds with positive thoughts. Others will be more attracted to us, and feel that they are near their Savior when they are with us. She asked us to get out our papers where we had written our thoughts. She told us that for every negative thought on our paper, we should write a positive response to it. She thanked us for sharing our experiences with the class, and for baring our souls. She told us that God has given us the ability to change our negative thoughts through prayer and the Atonement so that we can be filled with light.

Prez Says: News Headlines

2007-06-20T05:52:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says… Reading and processing world news becomes more and more overwhelming. I empathize with Lily Tomlin when she quips, “No matter how cynical I get, I just can’t keep up.” News reports are filled with fear and anguish, dehumanization, personal tragedy, threats of terrorism, and all manner of vile things. Woody Allen stated, “More than at any time in history, mankind faces a crossroads. One path leads to despair and utter hopelessness, the other to total extinction. Let us pray that we’ll have the wisdom to choose correctly.” His sentiment is humorous because we recognize that it contains some truth. Indeed, our news headlines are consistent with what we’ve been told to expect in the last days.

Yet President Hinckley has always, and continues to, paint a hopeful picture about the world. “I see so much good in people everywhere. Wonderful things are happening around the world.” He has observed and commented on the wonders of technology, and he reminds us that living in the last days gives us unique opportunities and blessings as we align ourselves with the righteous. President Hinckley’s optimism and energy instructs us to “be of good cheer for (he) will lead (us) along.” (D&C 61:36; 78:18)

News headlines remind us of the difficulty of our times, but more importantly, President Hinckley reminds us that through repentance and obedience to the Lord we can experience gospel gladness and joy regardless of what the newspaper headlines (or Woody Allen) might say.

17 June 2007: My notes on Sondra's lesson

2007-06-18T04:53:00.000-07:00

Sondra told us that she has been asked to teach more than one lesson on integrity. Each time, she has told the following story. Her dad has had periods of activity and inactivity in the church. Because he is so capable, during his periods of activity, he has had many church duties. One of those was to staff the church welfare farm for their area. He made a lot of phone calls. In time, he discovered that many active members of the church would readily agree to work at the farm, but then not show up. Less active members, however, would say yes or no, but if they said yes, they always followed through. Someone mentioned the scripture that says let your yea be yea and your nay, nay (James 5:12).

Sondra directed our attention to the board, where she had written a definition of integrity taken from the words of President Kimball (see handout in previous post). She underlined the phrase "unadulterated genuineness", saying that she just loves this part. We need to ask ourselves, what is right for me in the situation, not what are others thinking. Julie shared an experience with her son's preschool in which she acted with integrity and others reacted badly. Because many of the parents at the school were poor, they decided that for a group trip to the zoo, they would organize themselves into false family groups, in order to make use of the available zoo passes. Because Julie didn't want to teach her son that it is acceptable to deceive others, she quietly went to the school and told them that she would prefer to pay her own way. This made people very angry, and they stopped talking to her for the rest of the year. Sondra pointed out that how we deal with seemingly small issues really affects children. She remembered how as a young person she was quite small, and her family would say that she was 12 so that she could get into the movies at a reduced price. This never felt right to her, it made her feel confused and uneasy, because it didn't match what she was learning at church.

President Kimball teaches that integrity gives us confidence, peace, and security. Michelle G. told the story of a recent Sunday when they came home from church to find the neighbor kids jumping on their trampoline. Her boys, knowing about their own rule of not using the tramp on Sundays, asked if it was alright for other people to use it. Michelle felt that with her children watching, she needed to stand firm, so she went out and kindly explained to the neighbors that the trampoline is closed on Sundays. Sondra said that both Julie's experience and Michelle's sounded scary to her, but important.

I (Andrea) talked about my experience as a 17 year old exchange student in Japan. At the end of the year, after living with 4 different host families, I attended a dinner with all of my families. The mothers had never met each other, and we all sat at a table together. The first thing they asked each other was, "when Andy lived with you, did she go to church every Sunday?" And then, "when Andy lived with you, did she skip two meals on the first Sunday of every month?" Those were the very first things they wanted to know from each other. I was so glad that I had been consistent.

Natalie told a story about how she was always very modest as a teenager because her parents taught them how important that was. The one time she decided to not be modest was when her cross country team ran a race in only their sports bras. This was a tradition, and she decided to join in, thinking that no one would know. But lots of her leaders ended up coming to the race, and then her picture ended up in in the newspaper. She was so humiliated. Sondra responded by saying that two times in her life, she spent her tithing money, and both times her car was wrecked the same day.

Sondra asked, what do we most want to hide from those we love and respect? We need to look for and acknowledge our well-hidden hypocricies. We read Moses 4: 14-16 and Sondra pointed out that it was Satan who suggested that Adam and Even hide from God. Hiding is his principle. It is because we don't trust the Lord enough that we hold on to things that we don't want to know about ourselves or don't want others to know about us. President Kimball says that we all have the tendency to justify our behavior. How do we do this, what do we say to ourselves? Julie says that when she catches herself justifying she know she needs to step back and see what she is doing. Lea said that often we don't want to hurt others' feelings, and we use that as a justification.

Michelle R. talked about a really hard week she had, and how in the end she realized that one of the problems getting in the way of receiving the Lord's blessings and gifts is hiding from past mistakes. It is hard to open up and see the truth about ourselves. Sondra said that people are so complex, it is very hard to sort through all of our layers. Kathy said that if we don't feel good about ourselves we give up on ourselves. The adversary uses discouragement. Sondra: we deny God's love for us and what he wants to do for us.

Paula: how do we go back and make up for times when we've not acted with integrity? What can we do to make things right? Sondra: I really think that is what the repentance process is for. A friend of hers joined the church as an adult, and she had had an abortion. Her Bishop wanted to help her make restitution for this. She was very poor, and he asked her to donate money to Save the Children for one year. This helped her. Lisa J.: we can use our past mistakes to help us teach and relate to others, especially our children or the youth. And we need to be careful that when we learn of others' past mistakes, that we let them grow past those mistakes.

Sondra ended by sharing the story of Arthur Kane from the documentary New York Doll. She was especially touched by the prayer he offered backstage before going out for his reunion concert with his band in London. Integrity takes courage, determination, and practice.

Introducing Julie Kincaid

2007-06-17T17:25:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't get to attend RS on Sundays, it can be hard to get to know the new sisters that move in to our ward. So let me introduce you to our newest addition, Julie Kincaid. Here is what Julie wrote about herself:

I was born/raised in Anchorage, AK. I am one of 8 kids. I went to college in Seattle, and studied Economics. I went on a mission to Scotland. Five years ago we moved from Seattle to Michigan for my husband Jesse's Radiology residency, which was in Royal Oak. Now we are here to do a final year of fellowship training in Neuro-Radiology. We have 4 kids, ages 10, 8, 4, 2, and another one due in December. :) (I forgot to mention that today...we are just starting to tell people and sometimes I forget, which is amazing because usually I feel so crummy that it's all I think about) We are living in a rental house in the NW corner of the ward, close to Jackson and Zeeb roads.

Welcome, Julie! I wish I had a picture to post...

17 June 2007: SWK #12 Integrity

2007-06-17T16:52:00.000-07:00

Sondra Soderborg taught our lesson today from the Spencer W. Kimball Manual, chapter 12: "Integrity."

I am posting her handout immediately for your perusal. I will add a second post with my notes soon. Here is her handout:

Integrity defined by President Kimball: quality of being complete, undivided or unbroken. It is something whole, unimpaired. It is purity and moral soundness, unadulterated genuineness and deep sincerity. It is courage, honesty, uprightness and righteousness.

I think of it as one’s values and beliefs being fully integrated into one’s thoughts, actions and choices.

President Kimball says that integrity does not ask, “’What will others think of me and my practices,’ but ‘What do I think of myself if I do this or fail to do that?’ Is it proper? Is it right? Would the Master approve?”

Integrity brings peace, sureness and security. Lack of it brings disunity, fear sorrow unsureness. What are examples from your life of confidence arising from integrity?

It is important that we examine our lives regularly and look for our well-hidden hypocrisies, dishonesties and rationalizations. What do we most want to hide from those we love and respect?

In Moses 4:14-16, Adam and Eve, having partaken of the fruit, realize that they are naked and seek to hide from the Lord. It is Satan who has encouraged them to hide. Most of us probably want to hide certain things from ourselves and Heavenly Father. President Kimball talks about this tendency as self-justification—ways that we convince ourselves that the things we are ashamed of don’t matter.

What are some the ways we justify behavior that we know is not right?

If we live with integrity, we will keep our covenants, including baptismal and temple covenants. Temple covenants in particular are not about refraining from sin. They require action.

Dishonesty robs us of integrity. President Kimball was a businessman. In his employment and in working with members of the church in many callings, he saw many forms of financial and other dishonesty. He also warns against breaking rules or laws that we find inconsequential—like paying child’s price for an overage child.

What are the temptations to dishonesty that we experience?

It is truly important that we discipline ourselves to having integrity in small things. Our example matters to children who really do watch the choices and behavior of adults in their lives. It is also important to our own spiritual growth that we be honest with ourselves and with God.

Prez Says: Hard Sayings

2007-06-17T16:48:00.000-07:00

From the inspired thoughts of our beloved President, Kathy Diehl:

Jesus was in the synagogue in Capernaum when He gave the speech that is known as the Bread of Life discourse (John 6:22-71). He explained that He was not the kind of Messiah the people wanted, that He was not here to free the Jews from Roman domination and oppression. He said that He had to be the kind of Messiah that His Father commanded Him to be. This was a huge disappointment to those who followed Jesus only because they had eaten loaves and fishes and were intrigued by His miraculous powers. They murmured, “This is an hard saying; who can hear it?” (v. 60) and John records, “From that time many...went back, and walked no more with him.” (v. 66)

In each of our lives we are faced with “hard sayings” that present us with decisions to be obedient, true disciples of Christ or to become bogged down and “walk no more with him.” The hard sayings are different for each of us. For some, tithing might be a hard saying. Serving a mission may be a hard saying for some young men or for some older couples. Accepting a calling may be a hard saying for others. Certain chronic problems, disappointments, or trials can be hard sayings. The adversary tempts us to give up, to get discouraged, and he is relentless in his deception that we can’t or won’t progress at mastering our hard sayings. He is the father of all lies, and would like nothing better than for us to “walk no more with (the Savior).”

Whatever your current hard sayings may be, never give up! Pray for insight, help and strength. Jesus Christ is the one and true Bread of Life. We will never regret our efforts to continue to walk with Him.

10 June 2007: SWK #11 Self-Reliance

2007-06-17T15:51:00.000-07:00

Shauri Quinn taught our lesson today, SWK #11: "Provident Living: Applying Principles of Self-Reliance and Preparedness." She began by asking us what it means to be self-reliant. We answered that you can take care of yourself. Shauri divided the principle into three buckets: financial, spiritual, and emotional.

Financial self-reliance: be a nut saver; don't spend more than you take in; beware of credit cards and buying things that you don't have the cash to pay for. Learn to determine accurately the difference between a need and a want. Bargain shop, or don't shop at all. Get an education. Be prepared to support your family.

Spiritual self-reliance: practice/ develop confidence in getting answers to your own prayers. How do you know when the Lord is speaking to you? A priesthood blessing; study the scriptures; read Patriarchal blessing. In the end we can't be spiritually self-reliant because we're completely dependent on God. Stop trying to be self-reliant in that area; say "Uncle". Rely on God instead of the worldly things that you may put your trust or find security in. Self-reliance v. relying on God is a paradox. Remember two hymns: "I Need Thee Every Hour" and the line from "Guide Us O Thou Great Jehovah" that says "we are weak but thou art able..." He gives us tools, but we need to create a quiet place/ time in our lives so that we can tune in. Nobody else can get you to Heaven...you have to have your own testimony.

Shauri talked about how when she was younger she used to think about all the things that would change in her life, that she would do differently after she got married. She finally realized that she couldn't depend on a future spouse to spur her to action...she needed to act for herself now. I (Andrea) said that there are things I don't do now that I am married that I used to be better at when I was single because I tell myself that these things are my husband's responsibility. I can't do that...I need to take responsibility for myself.

Shauri asked us how self-reliance makes us free. Gwen said because you can sleep when the wind blows, you're prepared in the midst of a storm. If you are prepared, not only can you take care of yourself, but you can help others. The more dependent you are on others, the less freedom you have. Shauri gave the simple example of how her father couldn't upload his photos to his computer without Shauri's help. Because of this, he was dependent on her busy schedule if he wanted to get his pictures off his camera. Another example Shauri gave is of a flock of seagulls in St. Augustine, Florida, that didn't know how to fish for themselves because the shrimpers had always thrown them things to eat. When the shrimpers left the areas, the seagulls began to starve to death. We also talked about how our actions can enable the dependence of our loved ones. Linda remembered that President Kimball had once said that the most loving thing to do is the responsible thing. She uses this to guide her choices in regards to meeting the needs of others. When is it love, and when is it hurting the other person to do things for them?

Freedom from dependence is freedom from fear. Paula shared an experience that happened after a big power outage a few years ago. Corey got scared that they wouldn't have any water to drink. He was so relieved when Paula told him that they had a two week supply of water for every family member. His fear was gone. Michelle R. talked about how last year they were in a sticky situation financially, they panicked, they stopped praying for a short time. This year their financial situation is even worse, but they are in a much better place spiritually, and are not afraid like they were before. Heather said that Elder Eyring's father was on his death bed and he asked if he was prepared to die. His father said "I've been taking care of it along the way." Shauri said that we're often scared to lose someone we love to death, but faith can help take the fear away.

Emotional self-reliance: freedom from self-doubt. Lisa Q. said we can overcome self-doubt through experience, learning that we can do it. A key is having God's help throughout. She told us how the other day, she really needed a nap, but her two children's sleep schedules don't usually overlap. She prayed, asking God for 30 minutes of rest, and she got it. We need Heavenly Father as a companion. Lisa J. said it is hard to help others if we are absorbed with self-doubt, folding in on ourselves, filled with darkness. God's principles help us to be more shiny. Shauri said that self-reliance builds our self-esteem. She read us some selections from a book by Elizabeth Gilbert: Eat, Pray, Love. The author left the country to find herself. Her depression and loneliness followed her to Rome. She uses her journal to write to God, and she writes his answers back to her. She tells of a day that she saw a reflection of herself in a mirror and for a split second, mistook the image for a friend. She writes in her journal "never forget that once...you recognized yourself as a friend."

It is important to serve others. Shauri read us part of a letter from Delsa (Shauri's mother who is on a mission in Australia). In the letter, she shared the story some of the Elders in the mission told of helping a woman in a grocery store parking lot get her bags into the car. They were surprised because she just sat in the car and didn't try to help them. They later found out that she'd just had a c-section. President Kimball once said that there is a "constant flow of revealed communication" a river flowing next to us that we can drink of whenever we choose.

Prez Says: Do What We Can

2007-06-17T15:48:00.000-07:00

Weekly words of wisdom by our fearless leader, Kathy Diehl:

“Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which in heaven is perfect,” (Matt. 5:48) can feel overwhelming, impossible, and guilt-provoking. But go back to verse 43, which is the beginning of the paragraph or thought, and read through verse 48. The passage when read in its entirety, talks about loving others. We are asked to love others perfectly, as our Father in heaven does.

Lazarus’ sister, Mary, bought an alabaster box filled with precious, very expensive ointment and poured it on Jesus’ head as he “sat at meat.” (Matt. 26:6-13; Mark 14:3-9; Luke 7:36-50). The apostles complained that she’d wasted her money, which could have helped many poor people. Jesus explained that they should not criticize Mary because she “wrought a good work...and she hath done what she could.” That’s all the Lord asks or expects—that we do what we can! In Luke’s account, Mary is described as “a sinner.” Jesus agreed that Mary had many sins, which had been forgiven, “for she loved much.”

We are asked to do what Mary did—to do what we can and to love much. Moroni 7:47-48 defines love as “charity, which is the pure love of Christ,” and says that this is a gift of the spirit. The Lord will give us, as a gift, what he’s asking from us! Let’s replace thoughts of perfectionism and needless guilt with the charge to ‘do what we can, and to love much.’

3 June 2007 Lesson: "Blessed Are The Peacemakers"

2007-06-17T07:52:00.001-07:00

Today's lesson was taught by our very own Nan Mastie. We began by reading the Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5. Nan referred to an article from the September 2001 Ensign by Robert Wells, "Peace on Earth." She read Elder Wells' description of the setting for the Sermon on the Mount:

"I like to think of when the sermon was first taught. In my mind’s eye, I see a scene of peaceful beauty: I envision an afternoon in early spring. The sky is softening toward dusk, with not even a breeze. White, wispy cirrus clouds stand almost motionless in the clear blue sky. And below, on the coast of the Sea of Galilee, soft waves lap against moored fishing boats. A group of people assembles on the side of the hill. Eager listeners sit on the grass or stand amidst the rocks and early spring flowers. All are hushed and thoughtful as every face is lifted up, every eye looking toward the Lord, and every ear listening as the Savior tells them what they need to do in order to have peace in their lives."

Then she read this statement by Elder Wells:

"To follow Christ and bring forth the blessings of heaven, we must actively make peace in the world, in the community, in the neighborhood, and above all, in the home we live in."

Nan said that sometimes a disruption in one area of our lives can mess up our peace in another area, like when we bring troubles from work home with us. She asked us how we pull back the reins and find peace when we are faced with trouble. What strategies work for us? Gwen said bite your tongue and pray for the correct words to come to you. Michelle R. said that when she has negative thoughts about herself it affects how she treats her children, the things she says, etc. She said I know I can change negative thoughts to positive with help from prayer. Nan told us that the Bishop had asked the Youth to be peacemakers at home for one month, and then report back on their efforts. Some of the things they found were that they didn't engage in argument as much, and they learned that they didn't have to have the last word.

Nan helps to run a child care center. She has a parent that is very argumentative that she has been dealing with. He confronted her at work, yelling at her and trying to catch her off guard. She had similar confrontations with him on the phone, which left her crying. She prayed for help before seeing him the next time. She asked for calmness and for the ability to speak clearly. She was surprised when he began their next encounter by apologizing for his argumentative style, excusing his behavior by saying that he is a lawyer (Nan thought of many other lawyers she knows that are not argumentative). But their talk ended peacefully.

Then Nan told the story from Elder Wells' article about when President Harold B. Lee was asked by the Press to make a statement about the Vietnam War. He said:

“We, together with the whole Christian world, abhor war. But the Savior said, ‘In me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation’ ” (John 16:33). President Lee then explained, “The Savior was not talking about the peace that can be achieved between nations, by military force or by negotiation in the halls of parliaments. Rather, he was speaking of the peace we can each have in our own lives when we live the commandments and come unto Christ with broken hearts and contrite spirits” (see “Be a Friend, a Servant, a Son of the Savior,” Ensign, Nov. 1982, 70).

Peace-making, said Nan, is about our peace inside, not about "making peace" between others. Nan said that she had felt the same feeling Sondra talked about last week when she saw the Mortensens in Sacrament Meeting the week before (Rob Mortensen is one of our former Bishops). The thing Sondra said, and Nan seconded, was that seeing old friends from the ward filled her with a sense of love and family, the peace of coming home, of being gathered together. Both women were moved to tears by when they unexpectedly saw old friends from the ward. One of the blessings of visiting teaching is the opportunity to come together and have peace with one another.

Nan asked us to share how we are able to find peace. Lisa said that as a former law enforcement officer, she always thinks of how the police call their batons "peace makers." And sometimes she wants to make peace that way, especially with certain people. But she remembers a time when she was having a conflict with some other members of the ward and President Quinn asked her if she wanted to be right, or if she wanted to be effective. Now she asks herself that question a lot, especially when interacting with her children. Usually she just waits until the right time, or her children come to the realization on their own.

Kathy told a story about an email she received from Marilyn this past week. Kathy had had a discouraging week, but Marilyn's email helped her feel better. Marilyn talked about how her daughter was visiting, and she prayed in the morning for a good experience with her. A few hours later her daughter got in an accident that ripped the bumper off of Marilyn's car. Marilyn made a conscious choice to believe that her prayer from that morning was effective, in spite of what had happened. Later that day, Marilyn's daughter was rear-ended in Detroit, in a more serious accident, but was not hurt. Marilyn saw that her prayer had been answered, and that her daughter had been protected from physical harm. The second accident put the ripped-off bumper into perspective. Kathy's comment was how important it is that we share with each other and try to be open and truthful.

Jill said that writing in her journal helps her find peace. Sondra said that before entering a difficult situation, she prays for compassion. By trying to choose compassion it got her mind off of herself and how difficult the situation was for her personally. Nan closed by saying that when we can find and hold on to our peace, the heavens open up, and we can receive revelation and comfort from our Heavenly Father.

Prez Says: Getting to Know God

2007-06-17T07:50:00.000-07:00

I don’t know who said, “I was betrayed by the tyranny of urgent situations,” but I find it too often true in my life. Isn’t there always something that needs to be done or someone who needs or wants something? To do the best you can each day does not mean to do the most you can. When we try to put too much in one day, it just doesn’t work.

We can become so focused and insistent on reaching certain self-imposed goals that we can begin to view those goals as ends in and of themselves. It’s not just daily life tasks and goals that beckon and can distract us. Our church goals are a means to an end—even going to the temple is a means to an end. So what’s the great goal in life? I believe that it’s to get to know God, to build a relationship with Him, and to know His Son. Read Jesus’ Intercessory prayer (John 17) where he says, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” We must be careful not to focus on the quantity of tasks and goals we have accomplished. In order for us to know God, it requires putting aside our list of tasks and goals, and to schedule ‘Be still and know days’ (see Psalm 46:10). 3 Nephi 13:34 reminds us that “sufficient is the day” to do the things that really matter.

Knowing God is a lifetime endeavor. The scriptures are filled with accounts of how others came to know God and Jesus Christ. Samuel, Nephi, Paul, Joseph Smith, and others can guide us to trust and better know God. To know Him is to know and experience His love. Then as we set goals and do things for others, we emulate his pure love and move toward becoming like Him rather than focusing on how many tasks we can get done each day.

Sondra's notes from 27 May 2007 lesson

2007-06-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Sisters, here is a copy of Sondra's notes from the 27 May lesson:

Fortifying Ourselves against Evil Influences

Spencer W. Kimball Chapter 10

* “Fortify” means to strengthen. The Latin root, “fortis,” also means powerful and morally courageous and steadfast. Courage, power and steadfastness begin with choices.

* President Kimball taught that we only have to decide once to obey a gospel principle or resist temptations, and when we are faced with that temptation, we will not have to reconsider how we want to act. We are much more open to temptation if we are undecided. We still must consciously resist temptations, especially when our choice to do so is fresh, but over time our resistance will become second nature, and we will have developed a trained response.

* President Kimball also taught that it is much easier to resist evil influences in the first place than to return from sin. Christ when tempted by Satan responded without hesitation. The scriptures indicate that He did not open the door to Satan’s influences by listening to his full argument or thinking over what he had to offer.

* We are all subject to evil influences. Satan is very subtle. He tempts us in small ways that we think don’t matter. He uses all possible approaches to confuse us, to help us rationalize and to weaken our resolve. He uses all our senses, our time, our interests, the ordinary tools of daily life, our desires and ambitions, our character weaknesses (which he knows). He can turn anything to his purposes. He uses all of our vulnerabilities.

* Evil influences aren’t just the big things that we know to avoid, like substances, pornography, extremism, abuse or sexual promiscuity. We must be aware of the unique and subtle ways that Satan tempts us. What are the small and insidious ways that he is tempting you?

* We must fortify ourselves against these influences. Ephesians We must choose not to give in to them, even if we have in the past. We must practice not giving in, until over time, we are no longer vulnerable to those influences.

* We must seek the help of the Lord to make a bold stand before Satan. “He who has greater strength than Lucifer, he who is our fortress and our strength, can sustain us in times of great temptation. While the Lord will never forcibly take anyone out of sin or out of the arms of the tempters, he exerts his Spirit to induce the sinner to do it with divine assistance. And the [wo]man who yields to the sweet influence and pleadings of the Spirit and does all in [her] power to stay in a repentant attitude is guaranteed protection, power, freedom and joy.”

27 May 2007: SWK #10 Fortifying Ourselves Against Evil Influences

2007-06-17T06:51:00.000-07:00

Sisters, I'm sorry I've gotten so behind in posting the notes for our lessons! A few new features since my last post: 1) I've added some links at the side of this blog for your convenience; 2) Kathy is now sending me the weekly Prez Says messages to post; 3) I've started putting links to the manual and to scripture references in the body of my post...just click on any words that are a different color to see how it works.

Sondra Soderborg taught our lesson today from the Spencer W. Kimball manual #10: "Fortifying Ourselves Against Evil Influences." Fortify means to strengthen. It comes from the root fortis, which means moral courage, power. President Kimball is very clear in this lesson that the way to fortify ourselves is to learn to resist sin. He says (108-109):

"Right decisions are easiest to make when we make them well in advance, having ultimate objectives in mind; this saves a lot of anguish at the fork, when we’re tired and sorely tempted.

"When I was young, I made up my mind unalterably that I would never taste tea, coffee, tobacco, or liquor. I found that this rigid determination saved me many times throughout my varied experiences. There were many occasions when I could have sipped or touched or sampled, but the unalterable determination firmly established gave me good reason and good strength to resist.

"...The time to decide that we will settle for nothing less than an opportunity to live eternally with our Father is now, so that every choice we make will be affected by our determination to let nothing interfere with attaining that ultimate goal.16

"Develop discipline of self so that, more and more, you do not have to decide and redecide what you will do when you are confronted with the same temptation time and time again. You only need to decide some things once!

"How great a blessing it is to be free of agonizing over and over again regarding a temptation. To do such is time-consuming and very risky.17

"We can push some things away from us once and have done with them! We can make a single decision about certain things that we will incorporate in our lives and then make them ours—without having to brood and redecide a hundred times what it is we will do and what we will not do.

"Indecision and discouragement are climates in which the Adversary lives to function, for he can inflict so many casualties among mankind in those settings. … If you have not done so yet, decide to decide!"

President Kimball was the prophet when Sondra was a teenager. She clearly remembers him saying that there are some things that we only need to decide once. But when temptations come, even if we've decided how we will resist beforehand, the pulls can be very strong. But we can prepare ourselves. She remembers Bill and Joyce Connett's son, Heath, saying that he was afraid of what would happen if he stopped reading his scriptures. He was afraid to break the habit that he'd created for himself. In order to succeed, you only have to try again one more time than you give up or fail. Mortality is an infinite process of trying to be better.

President Kimball talks about Christ's response to the devil's temptations in Matthew 4: 3-10 He says that he believes the Savior was prepared in advance for Satan's attack--he responded quickly and without flirtation. He didn't even entertain the ideas. Satan is really subtle, smart, and powerful. He'll tempt us in the ways we're most vulnerable. When we do certain things, temptations can't reach us in the same ways. Satan knows us. Many of us have counsel about our vulnerabilities in our Patriarchal Blessings. Laurie W. said that Satan exploits our weaknesses, while God strengthens them. Michelle R. said that when we follow prophetic counsel we should ask God for the attendant blessings. Tiffani pointed out that the Savior's response to each of Satan's temptations was a scripture reference. She emphasized the importance of reading the scriptures daily.

Sondra said that in her life, she tends to resist checklists. She is not a highly organized person--she does better if she stays flexible. However, she said, I regret that I've not held myself to a higher checklist standard with certain things in the gospel. There are some things worth checking off. Kathy said that there is a type of therapy they use with their patients in which they tell them to do just what is needed...no more, and no less. Some things are needed and some are optional. We also need to ask ourselves "what do I need" (not the house, our employer, etc.) Andrea (me) said that the idea of doing "perfect" scripture study gets in the way...thinking I need to sit down with a notebook and a red pencil and read for an hour. When I can't do this, I don't do anything. In fact, it would be better to just read a verse than to wait for the perfect opportunity. Sondra said that what we need is a moment with the scriptures. We all struggle with different things--some more obvious, some subtle. Think for a minute about ways that Satan is working on you right now. Pat said that when we compare ourselves to others, we come up short, become discouraged, and stop trying. Sondra said that Satan distorts the natural bonds between women. Ollie said that Satan bothers us most in the areas where our involvement is greatest--the things that we most love and care about, like our children. Sondra said that Satan is psychologically astute. He "plays" us. He is deeply manipulative, and comes back again and again. Natalie said there can be simple answers to the deception. The gospel is not too complicated and we can be helped in simple ways. We don't have to be astute to fight him. Sondra said that we are equipped by the Lord himself. She read us one of her favorite scriptures, Ephesians 6: 11-18. Christ is stronger than Satan. President Kimball says (105):

"He who has greater strength than Lucifer, he who is our fortress and our strength, can sustain us in times of great temptation. While the Lord will never forcibly take anyone out of sin or out of the arms of the tempters, he exerts his Spirit to induce the sinner to do it with divine assistance. And the man who yields to the sweet influence and pleadings of the Spirit and does all in his power to stay in a repentant attitude is guaranteed protection, power, freedom and joy."

The small acts we do have a protecting influence that is real. Committed service to the Church is a way we are fortified.

Prez Says: Turn Toward the Light

2007-05-24T03:53:00.000-07:00

The Prez Says: I planted some flowers this week, feeling drawn to go outside to soak up and enjoy the sunlight. I reflected on how amazing it is that plants literally turn toward the sunlight. The basic laws of photochemistry state that light must be absorbed in order to produce any kind of reaction which in turn produces energy. Remarkably, plants seem to realize their literal life-dependence on light. Rather than sitting idly by, though rooted to the ground and severely restricted in their mobility, they use what ability they do have to turn towards the light and maximize their capacity to receive it. They don’t wait around for the light to zap them.

According to scripture, light literally is truth. God doesn’t just possess light and truth, but IS Light and Truth (see John 8:12; D&C 84:85). Therefore, when we seek light, we are seeking Him. Why then is it that we, who have infinitely more capability than plants to actively seek light and truth, sometimes remain so sedentary, waiting for the Light to find us? Let’s actively commit to never let a day pass by without turning toward the Light of Christ.

Al Wimmer & Cynthia Christensen on Home and Visiting Teaching

2007-05-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was our Ward Conference. Sacrament meeting went a little longer than usual, and then instead of Sunday School, we had a joint Priesthood/ Relief Society lesson taught by Al Wimmer, with a short wrap-up at the end by Cynthia Christensen. I was, unfortunately, late for class, and thus missed the beginning. If anyone is reading this and cares to add a comment about what happened before I arrived, please do so.

The topic of the lesson was home and visiting teaching. When I arrived, Al was passing on some counsel that he had heard President Mallory give. He suggested that we try to find out the goals of the family we are visiting--not just their spiritual goals, but the everyday, temporal things they are working on. When we know more about what they are trying to accomplish, we can offer our services in a way that will make our visits part of the solution, instead of an intrusion in their already overly full lives. We can think of this effort as "Home and Family Service."

Then Al reminded us that President Hedquist wants us to focus on home and visiting teaching as a way of building relationships with individuals and families. It is about people, not numbers. Sister Elaine Jack, he told us, has said that we cannot always lift the burden from another person, but we can try to lift the person, giving him or her added strength to lift their own burdens.

Al then turned the time over to four people he had asked to share personal experiences with home or visiting teaching. The first to speak was Rebecca Shaw, who shared the story of when she found out she needed to be hospitalized. She didn't know how she could do this with a three-month old baby, a husband on his way out of town, and her family on the other side of the country. But her visiting teachers came to her aid as they took charge of the care of her baby so that she could focus on getting well.

The next story was by Shirley Thornton. She told us about the time when she was a young mother with three or four little children and a husband in graduate school. Her shoulder was dislocated in a car accident, and her arm was in a sling. Her visiting teachers stopped by at the end of the month. They had not heard about her accident, but instead of trying to find out how they could help her through this difficult time, they told Shirley that they were in a hurry and had to go. This hurt Shirley, and she determined then to try to be more sensitive to the needs of the sisters she visited, and to make a point of going to see them early in the month, and not at the very end.

Our third story was by Tom Cotton. He told of his experience as the home teacher to a wheelchair-bound sister who was quite needy. He was frustrated by all of the things she wanted other people to do for her, but he was able to find a way of serving her that he felt good about. He offered to work on her family history, researching her family tree back several generations. With the help of his wife and the woman's son, they were able to do the temple work for many of her family members, and then help her participate in their sealings.

Our final story was by Bob Pace. He told us about his first home teaching assignment here in Michigan in the 1950s when he had a 75-mile route with 8 families. He was able to re-activate one of the brothers on his route. Then in 1983, while living in Utah, Bob came back to Michigan to baptize his mother. He was worried about who would take care of her as a new member, with him all the way in Utah. But then he found out that her new home teacher would be Dave Downie, the same brother that Bob had helped to re-activate as a home teacher in the 1950s.

To close the lesson, Cynthia Christensen re-iterated the message of Bob's experience, reminding us of the ripple affect our service in the church can have. She told us that she will always remember the counsel of President Quinn, who told us to pray daily, by name, for each of the people we visit or home teach. Doing this will help us to think of them each day, to remember them. This will make it easier for us to receive revelation from God on their behalf.

Prez Says: Choosing How We Use Our Time

2007-05-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

*Dear Sisters: Kathy has agreed to let me post her weekly "Prez Says" column here on our blog, so keep an eye out for it each week, in addition to notes on our Sunday lessons*

The Prez Says...

I talked with a man this week who said that he knows what he should do, but he never gets around to actually doing what it takes to be a good father to his young children. Like you and me, he has 24 hours available every day. But there are many activities that distract and lead him away from time with his children. We talked about how he wants his children to feel abut him in the future, and whether his current behavior and activities are likely to build the outcome that he hopes for.

How we allocate our time and attention determines our outcome. The difference between Paris Hilton and Mother Teresa is the way they have chosen to allocate their time. They both built their reputations by consistently choosing how they would fill each day. One has chosen selfishly, while the other consistently chose to serve selflessly. We don’t have to try to be Mother Teresa, but she was a shining example of choosing righteousness. Each day the forces of evil and the forces of good enlist new recruits. Each day we personally make many decisions showing which cause we support, and we are building the foundations of our own final outcomes. Joshua entreated, “Choose you this day whom ye will serve…as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15) Choosing to serve and draw closer to the Lord promises that our outcome will be one of peace and joy.

Kathy Diehl and Heather Wimmer on Mothers

2007-05-13T20:34:00.000-07:00

Because of our special two-hour Mother's Day extravaganza, we had two great lessons today. The first was a short talk given by our beloved President, Kathy Diehl. I want to thank her for emailing me the text of her message:

I’d like to credit Sherri Dew for the content and ideas expressed below. Her latest book, “No One Can Take Your Place” includes a chapter, “Are We All Not Mothers?” from which the bulk of this talk was taken.

I want to wish you a Happy Mother’s Day. At times the words ‘mother’ and ‘motherhood’ have divided rather than united us. Some of us feel guilty about having children who didn’t turn out the way we had hoped and prayed; some of us had mothers who were abusive, unloving, bad examples; some of us fiercely miss our mothers who have passed away; some of us haven’t been given the opportunity to have children. Motherhood can be a tender subject that can evoke strong emotion, ranging from great joy to great heartache.

As daughters of our Heavenly Father, and as daughters of Eve, we are all mothers, and we have always been mothers. It is the essence of who we are as women. It defines our very identity, our divine stature and nature, and the unique traits and talents that our Father in Heaven gave us. We tend to equate motherhood with maternity, but in the Lord’s language the word mother has layers of meaning. Eve was called “the mother of all living” before she ever bore a child. Moses 4:26 says, “And Adam called his wife’s name Eve because she was the mother of all living; for thus have I the Lord God, called the first of all women, which are many.” The Lord does nothing with a short-range view; our motherhood began before we were born. Motherhood is more than the bearing of children, though it is certainly that.

Prophets have taught the doctrine of motherhood again and again, without the slightest variation. What does this doctrine mean to all women? That motherhood is divine and eternal and core to the nature of every woman. It is the work of the women of God. Elder Matthew Cowley of the Quorum of the Twelve taught that “women are born with an inherent right, an inherent authority, to be the saviors of human souls…the regenerating force in the lives of God’s children.” Motherhood has an unparalleled role in helping God’s children keep their second estate.

For reasons known only to the Lord, some women are required to wait to have children. The delay and the disappointment are not easy for any righteous woman. But the Lord’s timetable doesn’t change our very nature. We are all needed as mothers; all around us are those who need to be loved and led, nurtured and mentored. The spiritual rewards of mothering are available to all. Few of us reach our potential without the nurturing of mothers—the mothers who bore us and the mothers we have been blessed to have as Primary teachers, visiting teachers, youth leaders, neighbors, friends, and maybe even a Relief Society president. These mothers in Israel have loved us, encouraged us, and helped us build a sense of confidence, safety and security while they have shown us where to find peace and truth. Motherhood is not only about those we have borne, but also about those we are willing to bear with. Every woman can show by word and by deed that the work of women in the Lord’s kingdom is magnificent and holy. And our work influences not only the here and now, but reaches into the eternities.

Mother is the word that will define a righteous woman made perfect in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom. Let us stand united and steadfast as mothers in Israel and as women of God. As mothers we have a sacred stewardship and a holy crown in the kingdom of God. Today we celebrate that we are all mothers, and we have always been mothers. Happy mothers day!

After Kathy's message, we enjoyed listening to Brandon Bascom play three pieces on the piano, followed by Leslie Richards, who played four pieces on the viola. Then we enjoyed yummy treats in the cultural hall.

For the last hour, we gathered in the Relief Society room for a lesson by Heather Wimmer about celebrating the women in our lives who have mothered us. She started with this quote by President Hinckley: "Gratitude is the very essence of worship." And D&C 59:7 "Thou shalt thank the Lord thy God in all things." She explained that she would like to spend this time expressing our gratitude for the women in our lives who have mothered us in various ways.

She began by sharing some stories from her own mother's life, who Heather said is one of her treasures. Heather's mother married a lieutenant in the air force after only ten dates (including the day they went to the temple). She quit her job as a teacher so they could move to France, where she expected to start a family. But after two years, they had been unable to conceive. She received a blessing from a visiting general authority who promised her that if she had sufficient faith, she would be able to have children.

Upon their return to the United States, they visited a friend, Dr. Wooley. Heather's mother asked him if he ever came across any extra babies that needed a home. He said that from time to time, he did meet young mothers who were looking for a family to adopt their babies. It was in this way that Heather's parents were able to adopt first a baby girl, and then a baby boy. When their little girl was old enough to talk, she told Heather's mother that she was praying for a baby sister to come to her mother's tummy. Heather's mother explained that it might be better for her to pray for Dr. Wooley to find them a baby sister, since she had never been able to have a baby in her own tummy. But the little girl insisted that Heavenly Father could do anything, even put a baby sister in her mother's tummy. So Heather's mother joined her prayers with those of her little girl, and in time, she found out that she was indeed pregnant. That little baby was Heather! It was a very difficult, risky pregnancy, but she got through it with the help of many, including her husband. She had two more daughters before her doctor warned her that another pregnancy would probably kill her.

After sharing these experiences, Heather told us some of her mother's favorite expressions. One is "Motherhood is not a popularity contest." Another: "Cut the dramatics." Or, "Failed motherhood again!" This last one was not meant to lay a guilt trip on her teenage daughters, but to comfort herself that she'd have another chance, another day. To conclude her tribute to her own mother, Heather read us Philippians 1:3 "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you."

The next part of the lesson involved all of us splitting into small groups to discuss women in our lives who have mothered us. Each group was given a piece of paper to guide their discussion.

The first group was to discuss the word "Bear" by reading 1 Samuel 1: 19-20. Do you know the story of your birth? Tell about your birth mother's gift of life to you.

The second group's word was "Nurture" with D&C 121: 41-42. Bonnie D. Parkin said that nurturing feels like the words in these verses. Who are the women that have nurtured you? Tell about someone who mothered you by nurturing you.

The third group talked about "Protect" by reading 1 Nephi 5:7-9. Mothers always want to protect their children, but can't always do it. How has a mother protected you? Do you know of a prayer or prayers for your protection? Tell about someone mothering you by protecting you or praying for you.

Group four did "Teach" with Alma 56: 47-48. One of the main jobs of mothering is teaching. Who has mothered you by teaching you about faith? What did she teach you? Share your experience about this mother.

The last group had "Lead." Their scriptures were 2 Nephi 31: 9-10 and Proverbs 31:10. As Jesus Christ showed, the best leading is by example. Share an example of a virtuous woman whose influence and example has touched you.

Unfortunately, there was not enough time for each group to report back on their discussion to the rest of us. If anyone is reading this and would like to report on what you talked about in your small group, please leave a comment for us to enjoy. Heather closed with this quote by Sheri Dew from her talk "Are We Not All Mothers?":

Every one of us has an overarching obligation to model righteous womanhood because our youth may not see it anywhere else. Every sister in Relief Society, which is the most significant community of women on this side of the veil, is responsible to help our young women make a joyful transition into Relief Society. This means our friendship with them must begin long before they turn 18. Every one of us can mother someone--beginning, of course, with the children in our own families but extending far beyond. Every one of us can show by word and by deed that the work of women in the Lord's kingdom is magnificent and holy. I repeat: We are all mothers in Israel, and our calling is to love and help lead the rising generation through the dangerous streets of mortality.

SWK #9: Forgiving Others with All our Hearts

2007-05-10T04:51:00.000-07:00

Tammy Stafford taught our lesson on Sunday, from the Spencer W. Kimball manual, lesson #9: Forgiving Others with All Our Hearts. There are so many dimensions to forgiveness, she said. Imperfection causes conflict. A person causes hurt to another, small or large, intentional or accidental. The victim of the hurt can retaliate in anger, thereby hurting the original perpetrator. We can hurt ourselves. As she was preparing to teach the lesson, Tammy felt overwhelmed by the diversity of the sisters she would be presenting to, and wondered how she could present a lesson that would be suitable for all of us. She had someone read quote #1: "I, the Lord, will forgive whom I will forgive, but of you it is required to forgive all men" (D&C 64:10).

Tammy said that this scripture answered her concerns...we are required to forgive all men, regardless of the size of the offense or any other factor. There are no qualifiers in this scripture. Someone else read quote #2: "When they have repented and come on their knees to ask forgiveness, most of us can forgive, but the Lord has required that we shall forgive even if they do not repent nor ask forgiveness of us..." (SWK 97). We have to forgive even the unrepentant. The D&C scripture focuses on the victim, the hurt person. Ours is a god of love, and his commandments are love-based. The commandment to forgive all men is for our spiritual health and progress. Tammy wrote on the board: "Forgiveness: Why? What? How?" She said that what we had just discussed was the Why.

Now to the What. What happens in our mind when we forgive? M. said we can't forget entirely, but we can cast our burden on Christ and find peace. Tammy said we give up our claim to justice. Our anger is justified, but God wants us to turn it over to him. Quote #4: "Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord" (Romans 12:19). The act of turning justice over to the Lord is huge and hard, but being right is not the issue. We need to be unburdened from the anger and hate and give vengeance to God. L. said that when we forgive others, we are, in effect, trading in our own sins. We can forgive, but we don't have to trust that person again. If we want to be forgiven for our sins, we can't say that the Savior's atonement doesn't count for another. S. said that forgiveness and repentance go together because we often need to repent of the anger we feel after someone has hurt us. Another sister said that we need to remember that as much as some people test our patience, we are surely testing someone else's patience. Tammy remembered a time when someone asked her if maternal guilt had set in yet. She answered, "No, I'm a thorn in their side that God gave them." P. asked if we need to continue spending time with someone after they've hurt us. T. said that separation from someone who's hurt you can be a blessing to them. Tammy said that forgiving someone is not the same as saying that the hurt is okay. It also does not necessarily mean becoming a friend with this person. Forgiveness is refocusing--changing the focus of our heart from the hurt or the hurter to the people we love, our work, et cetera. We become free. Someone on a television program said that we give power to what we focus on. S. said that forgiveness is about having a clean heart. L. said that if the hurt someone has done against you is a crime, you can forgive them and still press charges. T. said that to remove someone from committing the crime again is a service to them. N. said the benefit of refocusing is that it becomes easier to forget the hurt.

How do we forgive? M. said that Christ has already borne the burden of the hurt, so why are we holding on to it too? What a waste of his sacrifice. Tammy invited her mother, Lea, to share a personal experience with forgiveness. Lea was in the temple, and saw someone that had hurt people she loved. She felt angry, and prayed that the Lord would help her to stop feeling that way...she didn't want to have those feelings in the temple. The feelings left. The thought came to her that she was not responsible for this person and the things he had done, and she should not allow his actions to remove her peace. She learned two things from this experience: 1) painful feelings are to remain with the perpetrator; 2) forgiveness is a gift of the atonement. L. told of her experience growing up Catholic, and how much it helped her as a young woman to be able to light a candle when she needed to get rid of any bad feelings she was having. She said that even today, it helps her to do something concrete like this when she needs to let go of something. Quote #5: "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ" (Moroni 7:48). We can give the hurt to God and he can give us peace.

Family Finances

2007-04-30T17:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we enjoyed another lesson by Alida Abbott, this time during a combined Priesthood/ Relief Society third-hour meeting in the chapel. The topic of the class was family finances. All of the information presented to us was found by Alida on the Church's new financial website (www.lds.org - go to "home and family" - click on "family finances"). Each family in attendance received a budgeting worksheet, a debt repayment worksheet, a new pamphlet put out by the church called "All Is Safely Gathered In", and an outline of Alida's notes at the end of class. I think the best way to review what was covered in the lesson would be to email Alida and ask her for an electronic copy of her notes. There may be more copies of the new pamphlet at church this week. Otherwise, you can get it free of charge through the Distribution Center. Here are some of the highlights from the lesson:

Quote by the First Presidency: "We encourage you wherever you live in the world to prepare for adversities by looking to the condition of your finances. We urge you to be modest in your expenditures; discipline yourselves in your purchases to avoid debt...If you have paid your debts, if you have a financial reserve, even though it be small, you and your family will feel more secure and enjoy greater peace in your hearts."

Here are the 5 principles of a healthy financial plan, as outlined by the First Presidency:

1) Pay tithing and offerings
2) Avoid debt
3) Use a budget
4) Build a reserve
5) Teach family members

Stake Conference

2007-04-30T16:59:00.000-07:00

Please feel free to post any insights that you had during Stake Conference last week here.

SWK #8: Selfless Service

2007-04-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

Alida Abbott taught our lesson yesterday. She began by reading the story from the life of Spencer W. Kimball found on pages 79-80 (it is kind of long, so I'm not going to quote it here). After reading the story, Alida asked if any of us had ever been helped by a complete stranger. She shared her own experience of shopping at an outlet mall and having a stranger offer her a coupon that saved her a lot of money. Someone else shared about a time that a stranger at the airport helped her get a room at a hotel when her flight got bumped. P. told about an experience in Paris when a man helped them by using his phone card to find their hotel for them.

Next, Alida quickly covered three quotes from the lesson that she wanted us to think about: 1) "None of us should become so busy in our formal Church assignments that there is no room left for quiet Christian service to our neighbors." (SWK 82)

2) "We should not be afraid to ask our youth to render service to their fellowmen or to sacrifice for the kingdom. Our youth have a sense of intrinsic idealism, and we need have no fear in appealing to that idealism when we call them to serve." (SWK 84)

3) "May I counsel you that when you select causes for which you give your time and talents and treasure in service to others, be careful to select good causes. There are so many of these causes to which you can give yourself fully and freely and which will produce much joy and happiness for you and for those you serve. There are other causes, from time to time, which may seem more fashionable and which may produce the applause of the world, but these are usually more selfish in nature..." (SWK 83)

For the discussion portion of our lesson, Alida directed us to this quote from the manual: "[The Savior] gave himself for his followers...He was ever conscious of doing what was right and of meeting the real and true needs of those he served." (SWK 81) Alida emphasized the idea of figuring out others' 'real and true needs'. Various sisters gave examples of this from the scriptures: when the Savior restored life to the widow's son, although she had not asked him to do so; when the Savior forgave the sins of the man who was lowered down through the roof, and healed him so that the man would know He had the authority to forgive; when the Savior fed the 5,000 who had not come for food, but were hungry. One sister pointed out that like us, our children often want things that aren't good for them. God doesn't always give us what we want, but he always gives us what we need. In our service to others, we need to be tuned in to what is needed, not just what is wanted.

We talked about the brother of Jared's experience with the Lord when he asked for help with the barges. He needed a way for his people to breathe in the barges, and a way for them to see. The Lord gave him the solution to the first problem, but made him come up with his own solution to the second problem. The brother of Jared needed to do the work necessary to prepare himself to see the finger of the Lord (see Ether 3: 19-20). Another example of meeting real and true needs is found in the counsel that Alma gave to his wayward son, Corianton. Although Corianton's sin had to do with the law of chastity, Alma was inspired to give him counsel not on that law, but on the reality of life after death and the resurrection. Alma, as an inspired parent, realized that Corianton's true need was to understand that his actions in this life would affect him in the life to come.

We discussed what we can do to better meet the real and true needs of those over whom we have stewardship: our families, and the sisters we visit teach. We need the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, and although it sounds simple, it is often hard to actually follow the promptings we receive. L. pointed out that we often behave as though we want our visiting teachers to somehow guess what are true needs are when we aren't willing to tell them. Alma knew his son, but it is difficult to get to know our visiting teaching sisters on that level, and we need their help in order to serve them properly. If we would open up more in our visits and really share how our life is going it would help. It is also important to be a gracious receiver of the service that others try to give us. S. suggested that if we can get to know our visiting teaching sisters outside of a formal monthly visit, it could help us to open up more.

In closing, Alida turned our attention to this statement by President Kimball: "In the Doctrine and Covenants we read about how important it is to '...succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.' (D&C 81:5.) So often, our acts of service consist of simple encouragement or of giving mundane help with mundane tasks, but what glorious consequences can flow from mundane acts and from small but deliberate deeds!" (SWK 82) As an example of the importance of simple acts of service, Alida thanked everyone who has emailed or spoken to her in person, telling her that she is doing a good job in her calling. She said that although it takes just a moment to do something like that, it means a great deal to the person you thank and encourage.

To end the lesson, Alida had asked a small group of sisters to sing this favorite song of hers.

"Saints" by Thomas L. Kay and Rachel Bastian:

Thank God for those who give relief, For those who really care, Who put their arms around the weak And plead for them in prayer.

Thank God for those who hear the heart And listen to the words, Who know a look or gentle touch Mean more than all the world.

Thank God for those who lift the hands And strengthen feeble knees, Who go about restoring souls In quiet ministry.

April 2007 General Conference

2007-04-03T10:38:00.000-07:00

Dear Sisters:

Please write in about your favorite Conference talks this past weekend. One of my favorites was Elder Holland's Saturday morning talk about speaking with the tongue of angels. It inspired me to both be more careful with the negative things I say, and to be more generous with the positive. I especially struggle with saying bad things about myself, and this talk reminded me that I need to keep working on that. If you missed any of the sessions, or, like me, struggled to hear and pay attention to the sessions you were trying to listen to, you can find the audio for all of the talks on the church website (www.lds.org).

"That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us"

2007-03-25T18:43:00.000-07:00

Today, Michelle Rackley taught a lesson based on Elder Bednar's April 2006 General Conference address: "That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us." This was not the lesson scheduled for today, but Michelle explained that it was one of three lessons she had prepared over the past year and not been able to give, and it was the one she felt most strongly about sharing with us. To begin, Michelle asked if it is an overstatement to use the term always in reference to having the Spirit's presence with us. L. said that is exactly what we are promised when we are confirmed after our baptism. Michelle said that a bishop had told her that even members who have sinned seriously enough to be excommunicated from the church feel a loss of the Spirit at the time their blessings are revoked. L. said that for her, the key word in the phrase is not always but may--it is up to us to be worthy and willing to have the Spirit as our constant companion. S. said that even when she is not living right, she can still feel His guidance. J. said that the Spirit's presence can be like water. A person standing up to their neck in water in a swimming pool will not be as aware of the water as someone in a desert during a drought. Michelle said that the Spirit can be with us but we may not feel it or be aware of its presence.

Next, Michelle asked how we can ensure that the Spirit will always be with us. Here are her answers:

1) Ask for it, in prayer. We read Alma 34:18-27 aloud, noticing how many times we are instructed to pray in these verses. It helps if we can keep a prayer in our hearts.

2) Expect it, today. This has to do with exercising our faith. In Joseph Smith's History, he tells us that he had full confidence in obtaining divine manifestation. Do we have this kind of confidence when we pray? Are we praying but not expecting an answer?

3) Create it with our thoughts and actions through obedience. Are we expected to be perfect? G. said that perfection is expected, but not demanded. Michelle said that the scripture in Matthew when Jesus tells us to be perfect is hard for her to understand. Why would he say that when he knows that we are sinful? She shared a recent experience she had with prayer. After several very difficult weeks, she was praying for comfort and understanding. The thought came into her mind: "Do I expect you to be as perfect as President Hinckley?" Her answer was yes. The next thought was, "Do I expect you to be President Hinckley?" Her answer was no. Then, "Every day is a different day for you, and I expect different things on different days." She was left with a powerful awareness of God's love and mercy. He is so willing to tell us that we've done the best we could.

What gets in the way of us always having the Spirit? Michelle wrote her answer in bold letters in the middle of the board: LIFE. She told us that, honestly, when she thinks about life, sometimes all she can think of is negative things, such as fear, doubt, loneliness, heartache, illness, divorce, feeling overwhelmed, tiredness...in other words, pain and suffering. Our society, she said, teaches us to avoid pain at all costs. We've been taught that pain is bad. But is pain bad? L. said that at the time we are feeling the pain, it is bad, absolutely. A. said that it depends...she has learned from her husband, who is a doctor, that there are more than one kind of pain. Some kinds of pain are a warning. But there are other kinds of pain that do no harm to the body whatsoever. R. said that pain warns us that something does not work properly. It wears on us spiritually, and we have to learn to deal with it. Life is not the problem, she said, but how we react to it. M. said that she has experienced a great deal of emotional pain and suffering in her life, and that she used to wish that she could have someone else's life instead of her own. But now, realizing all that she has learned, and how far she has gotten because of those experiences, she would not trade them. If given the choice, she would choose her same life all over again.

Michelle had us read 2 Nephi 2:23, Lehi's final words to his children as he prepared for death. Referring to Adam and Eve he said, "...they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin." She asked us, can we feel joy without sadness? Can we know our Savior without trials?

Is there a difference between pain and suffering? R. answered yes, pain is physical; suffering is what we do with it. Michelle read us a dictionary definition of both. Pain is an unpleasant physical sensation. Suffering is distress and anguish. Is suffering a part of life? Sometimes. She asked K. to share her feelings during the time immediately after her husband's injury. K. said that we can turn pain into suffering. She spent a lot of time asking why, and agonizing about how life should have been for them. This caused her great suffering. When she was able to accept the reality of their new situation, the suffering was alleviated.

B. asked whether the suffering caused by mental or emotional illness is the same as what we were talking about. She explained that she has bipolar disorder, and that when she is depressed, she often asks, "why me?" She turns away from people, and she pushes away spiritual things. She is not sure when the suffering is caused by herself and her attitudes, or by her illness. K. responded that there is a difference between accepting what is in our life, and turning our backs on the promise of God's Spirit being with us always. Michelle told us that her own mother, like B., suffers from bipolar disorder, and does not take medication to treat it. Her illness gets in her way, and Michelle believes that God understands that.

Michelle agreed with what K. had said about acceptance affecting pain and suffering. God knew we would feel these trials, and gave us a way to heal. They have a purpose...to bring us closer to our Savior. Ask yourself: have you turned away from God, and thereby turned pain into suffering?

Michelle shared stories from the lives of three people that she has thought of repeatedly during her own struggles. The first is her brother. He experienced tremendous difficulty in a two-week period recently, including the return of his cancer, an unexpected emergency surgery, being evicted, moving in with his in-laws who do not approve of him, having his car break down, and breaking his foot. During this time, he was calling Michelle up to seven times a day for support. He was depressed, sad, and fearful. But at the same time, he acknowledged that God had provided every needful thing for him, and was able to list a number of specific blessings he had been given to help him get through this difficult time.

The second story is of a family that is close friends with Michelle's sister. Last year, the father lost his wife and three children in a car accident, leaving him all alone. He was praying one day, telling the Lord that he could not go on without his family, and that he wanted them back. The thought came into his mind, "you can have them back, but you would have to also give back all of the experiences you have had with the Savior since them, including his atonement, which will make it possible for you to be with them forever."

The third example is a family science professor at BYU. He used to be an atheist, and loved to make fun of Mormons. One day, he was prompted to read the Book of Mormon, and this led to his conversion and baptism. After that, he was inspired to get a Ph.D. from BYU. He left his job, sold his house in California, and moved his wife and children into a small apartment in family housing. Part way through his studies, he came to a point where he realized he had no job prospects whatsoever. He went to the temple and asked the Lord why he had guided him to this place. The answer he received was, "If you knew me, you would not ask why." This experience caused him to re-commit himself to knowing his Savior, and not shying away from experiences that would bring him closer to this goal.

In closing, Michelle shared her testimony with us. She told us how grateful she is for the promise that we can have the Spirit with us always. She hopes that through our trials we can get closer to the Savior, and eventually grow to be grateful for the pain we experience.

SWK #6: Discovering the Scriptures for Ourselves, Part III

2007-03-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the third and final post on last week's lesson. Our discussion was about personal revelation. To remind us of the importance of following the Spirit's guidance in our individual lives, Lea cited the story of Nephi killing Laban to obtain the brass plates (1 Nephi 4). Nephi did not want to take Laban's life. He knew that God's law prohibited this. And yet, he could not deny that this was what God wanted him to do. If he had refused, his people would not have had the scriptures to guide them in the promised land, and they would have dwindled in unbelief. Lea told the story of a friend who felt prompted one day on his way home from work to enter a night club. This was not something he would normally have done, and it took several repetitions of the prompting before he was ready to comply. Entering the bar, he ordered a soda and sat down, waiting to see why he was there. Soon he saw an old friend and they were able to have an important talk. It was good that he was willing to follow this prompting although it seemed like a strange thing to do.

I was concerned that someone might take the idea of following personal revelation too far, and let themselves be deceived into thinking that a prompting to go against church doctrine was coming from God, when it was actually coming from the Adversary. As Linda Johnson pointed out, many of the groups that have left the church have justified their actions as being dictated by personal revelation, in spite of the fact that they are in direct opposition to truths revealed by living prophets.

It has been one week since Lea's lesson. Today I had a good talk in the library with her about it. She told me that she wished she had mentioned a talk by Elder Melvin J. Ballard about personal revelation. In this talk, Elder Ballard explained that the leaders of the church must speak in generalities to the church as a whole. Individual members, therefore, must turn to the Spirit to find guidance for their personal situations. He warned, however, that the Adversary can deceive us if we are not careful, and that there is such thing as false or counterfeit revelation.

I left the lesson last Sunday with many questions. In my own research during the week, I found several talks that make similar points to the ones Lea told me about today. If anyone is interested, they can find and read these talks on the Church website (www.lds.org):

1. "I Have a Question" Jeffrey R. Holland, Ensign Sep. 1976
2. "When Shall these things be?" Elder Ballard, Ensign Dec. 1996
3. "Is it Revelation?" Elder Lund, New Era Jul. 2004
4. "Recognizing Personal Revelation" Preparing for Exaltation: Teacher's Manual Lesson 15
5. "Personal Revelation" Elder Packer, Ensign Nov. 1994
6. "I Have a Question" Rodney Turner, Ensign Feb. 1996

SWK #6: Discovering the Scriptures for Ourselves, Part II

2007-03-19T19:25:00.000-07:00

Part two of the lesson began with this question: Can an every-day member of the church have the same level of spirituality as the president of the church? In answer, Lea referred us to these statements:

1) "One cannot receive eternal life without becoming a 'doer of the word' (see James 1:22) and being valiant in obedience to the Lord's commandments. And one cannot become a 'doer of the word' without first becoming a 'hearer.' And to become a 'hearer' is not simply to stand idly by and wait for chance bits of information; it is to seek out and study and pray and comprehend. Therefore the Lord said, 'Whoso receiveth not my voice is not acquainted with my voice, and is not of me'(D&C 84:52)." (SWK 66)

2) "Every member of this Church in his place has as much right as the President of the Church to have knowledge from God...If all would do this, then the Church would be easily guided because the people would know for themselves and would be of one heart and mind and understand alike...There is not that amount of revelation enjoyed by us which there should be...Now, if we live as we should, there is no event of any importance that could occur but we would have some intimation respecting it; we would be prepared for it." (Gospel Truth, Discourses and Writings of President George Q. Cannon, by George Q. Cannon & Jerreld L. Newquist, chapter 22)

3) "And Moses said unto him, Enviest thou for my sake? would God that all the Lord's people were prophets, and that the Lord would put his spirit upon them!" (Numbers 11:29)

L. said the strength of the church lies in the individual testimonies of the members. Kathy said that it is so easy for us to live below our privileges. Lea reminded us that the Holy Ghost will not override our agency. J. remembered the scripture pray always. Lea told a story about having to come to the church Saturday morning to open the library for the Single Adult conference. She had gone through the ward list trying to think of someone that would be there anyway who could do it for her, but couldn't think of anyone. When she arrived, her fellow librarian, O., was there for the conference. On her way home, frustrated, Lea asked herself why the Lord didn't reminder her that O. would be there? The answer she came up with was that she had forgotten to ask the Lord.

The second question for discussion was this: Can an every-day member of the church have something revealed to her that has not been revealed to the prophet? The simple answer to this question was yes, the prophet receives guidance for the church as a whole, but we receive guidance for our own individual lives. I added a caveat--we will not receive personal revelation from God which contradicts what the prophet has revealed to the church as a whole. This led to an exciting and rather lengthy discussion, which will be the subject of the third and final post on this lesson.

Lea closed with her favorite quote of all those Tammy had put together on the class handout: "In 1906 Elder B.H. Roberts of the First Council of the Seventy declared that the 'crying need' of Mormonism is, 'For thoughtful disciples who will not be content with merely repeating some of its truths, but will develop its truths; and enlarge it by that development. Not half--not one-hundredth part--not a thousandth part of that which Joseph Smith revealed to the Church has yet been unfolded, either to the Church or to the world. The work of the expounder has scarcely begun. The Prophet planted the germ-truths of the great dispensation of the fullness of times. The watering and the weeding is going on, and God is giving the increase, and will give it more abundantly in the future as more intelligent discipleship shall obtain. The disciples of 'Mormonism', growing discontented with the necessarily primitive methods which have hitherto prevailed in sustaining the doctrine, will yet take profounder and broader views of the great doctrines committed to the Church; and departing from mere repetition, will cast them in new formulas; cooperating in the works of the spirit, until they help to give to the truths received a more forceful expression, and carry it beyond the earlier and cruder stages of its development." (Improvement Era. Volume 9: 712-173).

SWK #6: Discovering the Scriptures for Ourselves, Part I

2007-03-18T15:23:00.000-07:00

Today's lesson was prepared by Tammy Stafford, but she wasn't feeling well, and so her mother, Lea, presented it to us. It was chapter 6 in the Spencer W. Kimball manual: Discovering the Scriptures for Ourselves. The lesson was divided into two main parts: 1) how scripture study helps individuals progress and 2) how the growth of individual members helps the church as a whole progress. The first part of the lesson covered five reasons that God wants us to read the scriptures, with quotes to back up each:

1) To get answers to prayer or personal revelation: "The years have taught me that if we will energetically pursue this worthy personal goal [to study the scriptures] in a determined and conscientious manner, we shall indeed find answers to our problems and peace in our hearts" (SWK 66).

2) To increase our knowledge and peace: "[When we read the scriptures] we shall experience the Holy Ghost broadening our understanding, find new insights, witness an unfolding pattern of all scripture; and the doctrines of the Lord shall come to have more meaning to us than we ever thought possible. As a consequence, we shall have greater wisdom with which to guide ourselves and our families" (SWK 66). "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee" (Hosea 4:6)

3) To keep our connection to God: "I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns...the scriptures are available to nearly every soul, and, through them, men can become intimately acquainted with their Heavenly Father, his Son Jesus Christ" (SWK 67).

4) To gain power against temptation and adversity: Matthew 4:1-11, especially note how the Savior himself used/ quoted scripture when tempted.

5) To strengthen our faith and testimony: "I find that all I need to do to increase my love for my Maker and the gospel and the Church and my brethren is to read the scriptures. I have spent many hours in the scriptures...I cannot see how anyone can read the scriptures and not develop a testimony of their divinity and of the divinity of the work of the Lord, who is the spokesman in the scriptures" (SWK 67).

When Lea asked us to share additional ideas on why God wants us to read the scriptures, here are some of the things that were said. Someone (I can't remember who) said that according to Elder Packer, if we want to talk to God, we pray. If we want God to talk to us, we read the scriptures. A. said that reading the scriptures helps her gain confidence in her standing before God. R. said that we learn in the first book of Nephi how important scriptures are in preventing us from dwindling in unbelief. E. said that she'd heard that even with a living prophet we would dwindle in unbelief without scriptures. T. said that by reading the scriptures, we can see things that we want to imitate or avoid in the lives recorded there, without having to learn those things from personal experience.

This is the end of part one of the lesson. I'll post part two soon.

Welcome

2007-03-16T07:50:00.000-07:00

My favorite part of church is usually attending Relief Society. I often feel the Spirit's presence most clearly during that last hour. Maybe that is because my children are not with me and I can concentrate. Maybe it is because of the special bond I feel with my sisters. Recently I was thinking about sisters who cannot attend Relief Society for one reason or another. The thought came to me that those of us who attended the lesson could share our thoughts on it with those of us who were unable to be there. This blog can be a place to continue the discussion that was cut short by the bell (and by the primary children banging down the door), and expand it to anyone who wasn't there but wished they could be. I will try to post something each Sunday after church. I hope you will add your comments.