THANKS BE TO GOD !

This coming Sunday, the first in November, our Presidency message will focus on gratitude and thanksgiving, especially to our Heavenly Father and his son Jesus Christ.

"And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is His wrath kindled, save those who confess not His hand in all things, and obey not His commandments. ( Doctrine and Covenants 59:21)

Please read part of King Benjamin's address at Mosiah 2:19-21, and then read of the magnificence of God that Isaiah describes in Isaiah, chapter 40. 

Shakespeare's  King Lear said  "How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is, to have a thankless child."  Have you ever experienced an ungrateful child or a thankless friend?  - or been an ungrateful child/adult?  Does God want our gratitude because He needs it?  Or do we need it?  Come Sunday, and let's discuss.

Gratitude is not only the greatest of all virtues, but a parent to all other.

Enduring to the End

"Life is a mountain, not a beach" read my prophetic fortune cookie from last night's tasty Chinese food dinner. Upon arrival to Lake Mead for my first Olympic distance triathlon, the sun peeped over the mountains making them appear more drastic in contrast to the stillness of the lake. Open water swimming for 1500 meters is not that much of a mental game. You basically have two options: swim or drown. Quitting is never an option for an open water swim. Biking 24.8 miles up the side of a mountain IS a mental game because there are many other options. The option to turn around and speed quickly down the mountain seems grander every time you are forced to switch into a lower gear. But why go backwards when you worked so hard to get to this point? The option to just stop and rest for a little bit and avoid forward progression is equally enticing. However, if you stop your bike while going up the side of a mountain, you lose momentum. Stopping isn't a good idea because you'll just have to start back up again. Enduring to the end is like biking straight up the side of a mountain. Eventually, if we realize that our goal is to get to the top of the mountain then we cannot allow ourselves to halt forward progression. And we certainly can't let ourselves take the easy path back down the mountain. For the record, I don't put much stock into fortune cookie messages. This one just struck me as very profound because right now at this point my life is a mountain and not a beach.

Rachel Roark

The Constitution...A Heavenly Banner

With an election upon us and all the many details that swirl around us, the Bishop felt it was time to remember the great legacy of being part of the United States of America. President Ezra Taft Benson has stated that understanding and reading the Constitution should be part of our scripture study!
Sunday, October 28th, 7-8PM, Meandering Way Chapel, we will have a WARD FAMILY FIRESIDE about the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of this Republic.
Hilary Grant Weber, an attorney and an instructor for BYU/Idaho, will be our guest speaker (and she has made a solemn promise not to be boring!!). She has given this fireside in several other Stakes around this area.
We will have a nursery provided by our Single Adult Ward and also refreshments.
We hope this starts a tradition again of learning on a Sunday night through ward firesides. What better subject to begin with than remembering the privileges involved in being part of this GREAT country and better understanding the Constitution.

General Conference Highlights

I found this video of a few highlights from our fabulous General Conference Sessions. What great reminders and direction we received this month from our Prophet and Apostles of the Lord. One topic that resonated with me during Conference was the notion to stay the course and constantly improve. Have I returned to any bad (or lazy) habits? Am I trying to be better today than I was yesterday? How well am I following through with resolutions I've made in my life?

Watch this video for an uplifting 23 minutes. Pay attention to the Spirit that comes into your heart as you recall the personal revelation you received during General Conference a couple weeks ago. Did anything stand out to you?

One of the speakers talked about how loyalty is the crowning expression of love. Do you remember who said it? One of the blessings of serving in the Relief Society presidency has been the opportunity to see each of you demonstrate loyalty to the Lord through your service, testimony, and character. Thank you for being an example to me on how to show more love towards the Savior.

Mountains to Climb

Dear Sisters,

As I have been studying this talk by President Eyring I keep hearing that childhood song in my head, "The Bear Went Over The Mountain"! We always sang "The bear went over the mountain to see what he could see", followed by " He saw another mountain..."

Sometimes life can seem like a series of mountains, with very little valley in between. President Eyring relates that: "Trouble itself can be our way to strengthen and finally gain unshakable faith," and that "It is never too late to strengthen our foundation of faith." This Sunday we will discuss some ways we can build and strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ so that "the hardest as well as the easiest times in life can be a blessing."

See you Sunday,

Sister Stoddard

To read the talk, click HERE.