.

.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Returning to Faith

Dear Sisters,

This Sunday we will be discussing and pondering on the words from an April General Conference talk titled, Returning to Faith, given by Rosemary M. Wixom, Primary General President.

Sister Wixom recalls and highlights the journey of faith and conversion shared by a young mother in a Relief Society meeting who grew up in the church. The young mother shared that her constant quest was to know why, and she began to question some of the very foundations of her faith. Through all of this her parents gave her space while she searched for understanding and ward members gave her love and nurtured her.

There is a key element in this talk I found that touched my own heart, that this young mother was teachable, had an inquiring mind and was a proactive seeker of answers. This sister during her struggles in what she believes, felt her deceased grandparents were nudging her and saying, “Focus on what you know.”

We all have a unique journey of faith. President Monson counsels in his talk, “Find Joy in the Journey, and let us relish life as we live it, find joy in the journey, and share our love with friends and family.”

Sisters I invite and encourage you to read and ponder this talk by Sister Wixom and come to Relief Society ready to share your personal examples of faith or of someone you know, whether it is past or present so that we can all be uplifted and edified by personal strength and testimonies.

I look forward to this opportunity to substitute teach in Relief Society for Claira Wilson while she is in Utah.

Love,

 Sharon Morales

Thursday, August 13, 2015

"The Sacred Callings of Fathers and Mothers"

Coming this Sunday is Lesson 15 in the Ezra Taft Benson manual “The Sacred Callings of Fathers and Mothers”. Please take the time to read the manual this week and bring it with you to class. This lesson is chuck full of wonderful advice on the calling of parenthood. President Benson gives us 10 suggestions for fathers and 10 suggestions for mothers on magnifying those stewardships. Please read them and see how many you have encorporated in your role as a mother.

This lesson, as all of President Benson’s lessons speak to the “ideal”. in this case, the celestial family. Sisters, I testify that whatever state you find yourself in at this moment, excellent parenting is a skill-set you will eventually need in the Celestial Kingdom.

President Benson declared, “There is no more noble work than that of a good and God-fearing mother.” What examples have you seen of noble motherhood? As worldly attitudes about motherhood change, what can we do to uphold the sacred responsibilities of mothers? We were all reared in homes with mothers and fathers. maybe only a mother, perhaps a grandmother – what did you like and admire about the home you were reared in?

What greater tribute could be paid to mothers than the stripling warriors did as we read in Alma 56:47-48 “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers then they did upon their lives: yes they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubts our mothers knew it.”

Do we know that God will deliver us? Have we taught it to our children? Let's discuss, Sunday. 

With love,
 Karen Bateman

Friday, August 7, 2015

President Ezra Taft Benson, Chapter 14: Marriage and Family -- Ordained of God

Sisters,

This week in Relief Society, we will be discussing Chapter 14 in the Ezra Taft Benson manual, "Marriage and Family -- Ordained of God". 

President Benson teaches, "[t]he Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints views the family as the most important organization in time and all eternity. The Church teaches that everything should center in and around the family." Sisters, these are bold and powerful principles!

He also taught, "God intended the family to be eternal. With all my soul, I testify to the truth of that declaration. May He bless us to strengthen our homes and the lives of each family member so that in due time we can report to our Heavenly Father in His celestial home that we are all there -- father, mother, sister, brother, all who hold each other dear. Each chair is filled. We are all back home."

On Sunday we will discuss these principles and share ways we can practice and teach these things in our own homes and to our own families so that we will have no empty chairs in the eternities.

-Stephanie Johnson