Sunday Lesson, May 22nd

We had a wonderful substitute teacher for our Teaching For our Times lesson. She taught from Elder Holland's recent conference address, Tomorrow the Lord Will do Wonders among You. Elder Holland started out his address by telling us that, "You are the miracle of this Church. And we love you." His message of love and hope was so strong throughout his message.

We all have peak experiences where our testimonies are strengthened and our hope for tomorrow is grand. But then real life reminds us that there are challenges and trials to face. "Don't be cast down in spirit and don't give up." Satan will tell us that we can't progress and we can't improve. He only tells us these things because he can't. He wants us to be miserable like he is. Elder Holland says, "Well, don't fall for that. With the gift of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the strength of heaven to help us, we can improve, and the great thing about the gospel is we get credit for trying, even if we don't always succeed."

We all know that the first great commandment is to love God with all of our heart, might, mind and strength. Elder Holland teaches us that the first great truth of all eternity is that God loves us with all of His heart, might mind and strength. Elder Holland quotes President George Q. Cannon: "No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, [God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so]...He will [always] stand by us."

Our teacher reminds us that as we take Elder Hollands words to heart we need to fortify our families and those around us. We need to believe in them, no matter what their struggles. 

Elder Holland concludes his message with these powerful words: "If we give our heart to God, if we love the Lord Jesus Christ, if we do the best we can to live the gospel, then tomorrow - and every other day - is ultimately going to be magnificent, even if we don't always recognize it as such. Why? Because our Heavenly Father wants it to be! He wants to bless us. A rewarding, abundant, and eternal life is the very object of His merciful plan for His children! It is a plan predicated on the truth 'that all things work together for good to them that love God.' So keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever." 

Sunday Lesson, May 15th

The Scriptures - The Most Profitable of All Study was our lesson on May 15th. The scriptures help us gain a personal testimony of Jesus Christ, that is why it is so important that our study of them be consistent and ongoing. 

Studying the sciptures is the most profitable of all study in which we can engage. Central to the teachings in all scripture is that Jesus is the Savior of the World. Pres. Hunter teaches us that when we follow the counsel of our leaders to read and study the scriptures, benefits and blessings of many kinds come to us. Through the scriptures God speaks to man. It is where we can receive answers to our questions and guidance from the Lord. Pres. Hunter says, "The written word of God is in the most readable and accessible form ever provided to lay members in the history of the world. Surely we will be held accountable if we do not read them."

Studying the scriptures helps us learn and obey God's will. In order to be obedient to God's commandments, we need to learn and understand them. The gospel and the plan of salvation, explained to us through prophets of God, is contained in the Holy Scriptures. When we understand them and God's will, we will be able to follow His will. Pres. Hunter says, "I commend to you the revelations of God as the standard by which we must live our lives and by which we must measure every decision and every deed. Accordingly, when you have worries and challenges, face them by turning to the scriptures and the prophets."

To understand the scriptures requires concentrated, consistent, prayerful study. Pres. Hunter has asked us to do 2 things: 1) Read, ponder, and pray over the scriptures daily as individual member of the Church. 2) Hold family scripture reading on a regular basis. 

Prayer is also a big factor in our scripture sutdy. It can open our understanding and invite the spirit with us. The Holy Spirit will guide our understanding if we are ready and eager to receive. 

As a class we read the scriptural account of Jarius and then read from the manual as Pres. Hunter took us through that passage to help us understand the history and details of the story. It was facinating to learn of the prestige of Jarius, where Jesus and His diciples had come from when Jarius asked for help, and then the faith of his plea for Jesus to heal his daughter is incredible. 

The Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants will bring us closer to Christ.  The great mission of the Book of Mormon is to bring men to Christ. It is the word of God. "It is through reading and studying the Book of Mormon, and prayerfully seeking confirmation of its contents, that we receive a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth." 

The Doctrine and Covenants is unique in the fact that it is the only book with a preface composed by the Creator himself. It also contains more direct quotations from the Lord than any other book. It is of modern origin, not translated ancient scripture. It is for our day. 

We are so fortunate to have the four standard works to study and learn from. So many blessings and promises can be ours if we only consistently study and ponder over these sacred words.

Gaining Gospel Insights through Motherhood

Great article on how daily activities as a mother can increase our knowledge and faith.

READ HERE

Try to find ways in your life that the spirit is teaching you.

Sunday, May 8th

A wonderful lesson was given from Chapter 7 of our manual, Continuous Revelation through Living Prophets. After Pres. Hunter was sustained President of the Church in 1994, he shared some of his feelings. "He expalined that he found stregth and reassurance in his conviction that the Church is led not by men, but by Jesus Christ Himself, who prepares and inspires those He calls to preside."

In each dispensation, God has raised up prophets as His spokesmen. Throughout all time the Church has been lead by a prophet of God. This is evident as one studies the scriptures, Old Testament, New Testament, and Book of Mormon alike. Each prophet is a teacher, defender of the gospel, and of course bears witness of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. "God chose prophets long before they came to this mortal existence."

God provides guidance for His children through a living prophet today. Pres. Hunter says, "May our vision not be so narrow that we would relegate revelation to only the ancients. God is merciful and loves his children in all ages and has revealed himself to this time in history." Our guidance from God comes to us through a living prophet. This is the way the affairs of the Church are directed. The Savior reigns in our midst today through continuous revelation.

In this day of spiritual famine, we can find spiritual abundance by heeding the voice of the prophet. Pres. Hunter explains that we live in a day of spiritual famine, as Amos taught in Amos 8:11. The world is in a state of confusion and frustrations, but as faithful members of the Church who follow a living prophet we can find spiritual abundance. We only need to have the faith to follow our prophet.

If we follow the teachings of the living prophets, we will not go amiss. The most important prophet we can follow is the one we have guiding us today. "In each of the past dispensations, prophets have been raised up by the Lord as his spokement to the people of that particular age and for the specific problems of that age." We need to remember that only the President of the Church has the right to receive revelations for the entire Church. We will not go wrong if we heed to and follow our living prophet.

In general conference, we receive inspired counsel from prophets, seers, and revelators. Our teacher expounded on this principle of the lesson the most. We were able to share in class some of our thoughts and the blessings that come to us when we learn and are familiar with what was recently taught in conference. The messages are inspired and they should be a regular part of our personal study. How blessed we are to be able to re-read their inspired words.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!

You are so appreciated and loved by more people than you would ever know! Most importantly though... by your Heavenly Father!!!

Sunday Lesson: May 1st

Our RS President, Marty Rozeski, gave our lesson on this fast Sunday. She chose her lesson from a recent conference talk from October 2015 by Elder Vern P. Stanfill, Choose the Light. In his talk Elder Stanfill tells a story of when he and his wife were excited to go on a bike ride with friends that would include deep canyons and long tunnels through the mountains. They prepared themselves with lights strapped to their helmets and bicycles because they had been warned than the tunnels would be very dark. 

When they started into the tunnel, however, their anxiety increased as their little lights were engulfed with the darkness. Elder Stanfill says, "Finally, after I did express my discomfort to those around me, I was able to draw closer to the more powerful light of a friend. In fact, everyone in the group began to form a tight circle around him." They pushed on into the darkness of the tunnel and after a very long time they finally saw a pinpoint of light. Elder Stanfill immediately began to feel reassured. 

The bikers felt confident before the bike ride that all would be well. He soon felt surprised and afraid and eventually asked for help in the tunnel. He received help and soon his confidence was restored. This is much like faith. We often will have experiences that challenge our faith, we will feel surprised and afraid, need to ask for help from our Heavenly Father or from others, and then when we receive that help our faith is restored. If we don't ask for help we will soon be driven from the light.

Elder Stanfill gives us three lessons from his experience in the tunnel. First no matter how intense the darkness of doubt, we choose how long and to what extent we allow it to influence us. We have the choice to decide how things will influence us. We can also receive help from the Savior and those around us. Elder Stanfill teaches, "While we are struggling in the darkness, there is nothing wrong with relying temporarily upon the light of those who love us and have our best interests at heart." He also says, "Just as I was embarrassed in the tunnel, we might feel too embarrassed to ask for help when we doubt. Perhaps we are one to whom others have looked for strength, and now we need help. When we realize that the light and the comfort of the Savior can extend to us are far too precious to lose to pride, then inspired Church leaders, parents, and trusted friends can help. They stand ready to assist us in gaining spiritual assurances that will fortify us against challenges of faith."

The second thing Elder Stanfill teaches is that we must trust in the Lord in order to develop spiritual strength within ourselves. At some point we have to act upon our faith and and do the work the Lord has asked us to do. Keep the commandments, search for answers in the scriptures and expect that the Lord will fulfill His promise to us to lift us from the darkness if we draw near unto Him. Elder Stanfill advises us to, "remember the spiritual blessings and feelings that have penetrated our hearts and lives in the past and place our faith in Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ." 

Third there is no darkness so dense, so menacing, or so difficult that it cannot be overcome by light. Elder Neil L. Andersen recently taught: "As evil increases in the world, there is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous. As the world slides from its spiritual moorings, the Lord prepares the way for those who seek Him, offering them greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence in the spiritual direction they are traveling. The gift of the Holy Ghost becomes a brighter light in the emerging twilight."

We have the power to choose belief over doubt. With Heavenly Father's help, and our obedience to His commandments, we can choose the light of the Savior and share that light with others.

MAY 2016 NEWSLETTER

Presidency Message by Marty Rozeski Taken from www.lds.org - I Was a Stranger 
“In a world of constant change and commotion, we may often feel like strangers. All around us we hear of distress, tragedy and hardship. We live in a time of uncertainty and unrest. Many around us live in fear of an unknown future. What can our role as women be in the last days to prepare the earth for the coming of Christ? What can we do to reach out, to love, to nurture, and to minister as He has invited us to do? We each have the invitation as women and young women to open our eyes and our hearts to see those among us who feel alone, afraid, or uncertain so that we are no longer strangers (see Mathew 25:35-36; Ephesians 2:19). We are invited to share our love, our confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ, and our hands to strengthen others and love them as the Savior would have us do. This is not a program; it is who we are. With our divine nature as women, we can be a light in a darkening world. We can give hope, love, and care to those around us. We are not asked to ‘run faster than [we have] strength’ (Mosiah 4:27). Although we can work together, we are each asked to seek personal revelation about whom the Lord would have us strengthen and love as individuals and as families. The Savior invites us to remember His words: ‘Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these…, ye have done it unto me’ (Matthew 25:40). The errand of angels is given to women; And this is a gift that, as sisters, we claim; To do whatsoever is gentle and human, To cheer and to bless in humanity’s name. (“As Sisters in Zion,” Hymns, no. 309)

Birthdays
1 Deborah Fiore
2 Claudia Forbes
2 Laura Hernbloom
14 Jamie Schenck
16 Mary Opidee
19 Kayla Cook
20 Jennifer Weight
21 Margaret Rhoades
23 Amy Johnson
29 Sharon Rankin
30 Jacquelyn Brady

Lesson Schedule – (Ezra Taft Benson)
May 1 Presidency Message by Marty Rozeski
May 8 #7 “Continuous Revelation through Living Prophets”
May 15 #10 “The Scriptures – The Most Profitable of All Study”
May 22 “Always Retain a Remission of your Sins” by David Bednar AND “Tomorrow the Lord will do Wonders Among You” by Jeffrey Holland

Upcoming Events 
May 8 Mother’s Day
May 18 Ward Temple Day
June 4-5 Stake Conference
June 9 Relief Society Meeting 6:30 pm

Other Opportunities 
May 10 Lunch Bunch at Dairy Queen
May 14 Ward Party 5:00 to 7:00 at the Quail bldg. (5k/1mi course begins at 4:00)
Thursdays 9:00 am playgroup (ask Jan)
Saturdays 8 am basketball Stake Center
Mon & Wed 9 am Aerobics