Last weeks Family History Activity! 

Sorry the pics are so dark :P

Opening Hymn 116
Practice Hymn 12
Closing Hymn 131

Stake Conference 24th & 25th. Saturday at 7:00pm is the adult session. No nursery will be provided so make sure and snatch up your sitters. Sunday from 10:00am-12:00pm is the everybody session.
September 7th - General Relief Society President is speaking at 4:30pm
Brother Hollett is back from the hospital.  If you can take a meal over on Wednesday contact Sister Singletary.
Sunday was day 42 of the BOM reading challenge!

Chapter 16: “That We May Become One”

Lesson was given by Sister Sarah Brown
http://www.lds.org/manual/teachings-of-presidents-of-the-church-lorenzo-snow/chapter-16-that-we-may-become-one?lang=eng

President Snow talks about a fund that was set up o help the Saints that were emigrating to Utah.  He talks about how hard it was to ask of the saints to donate funds, but how the saints were so willing to serve.  I attached a Mormon Message link that I thought was a beautiful story about sacrifice.

Before the Saints were driven from Nauvoo, the leading Brethren of the Church met in the temple. They covenanted that they would “never cease [their] exertions, by all the means and influence within [their] reach, till all the Saints who were obliged to leave Nauvoo should be located at some gathering place of the Saints.”¹ Determined to keep this covenant, President Brigham Young established the Perpetual Emigrating Fund in 1849. Under this program, the Church loaned money to emigrating Saints with the understanding that the people would repay their loans after they arrived in Utah and found employment.

President Young called Elder Lorenzo Snow and others to raise funds for this effort. It was difficult for Elder Snow to ask the Saints for donations—they were poor themselves, having been driven from place to place before settling in the Salt Lake Valley. He wrote in his journal: “In performing the mission of soliciting means from the Saints who, after having been robbed and plundered, had performed a journey of more than one thousand miles, and just located in an unwatered, desolate recess of the great ‘American Desert,’ I found myself inducted into an uphill business. With very few exceptions, the people had very little, or nothing they could possibly spare.” However, everywhere Elder Snow went, people gave all they could. He reported: “The efforts and willingness, everywhere manifested, to eke out a portion of the little—the feeling of liberality and greatness of soul, which everywhere I met in the midst of poverty, the warm-hearted greetings I received even where comparative indigence held court, filled my heart with exceeding great joy. One man insisted that I should take his only cow, saying that the Lord had delivered him, and blessed him in leaving the old country and coming to a land of peace; and in giving his only cow, he felt that he would only do what duty demanded, and what he would expect from others, were the situation reversed.”

After collecting donations in northern Utah, Elder Snow observed, “The hearts of the Saints were open, and, considering their circumstances, they donated liberally and amply, and I need not say cheerfully.”²

Although the people had little to give individually, their unified efforts blessed many lives. The Perpetual Emigrating Fund expanded beyond its original purpose, helping more than just the members of the Church who had been in Nauvoo. It continued for 38 years, helping tens of thousands of converts from many lands gather with their fellow Saints. 

http://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-10-017-opportunities-to-do-good?category=mormon-messages/mormon-messages-2011&&lang=eng

Elder Snow goes on to talk about the importance of unity.

Unity is essential in the Church and in our families.

There should be greater union in our midst than we find today. There is a perfect union in the quorum of the Twelve. Should there not be a perfect union in that quorum? Most assuredly, every one would say Yes, a perfect union in the quorum of the Twelve Apostles. … And there is also a perfect union with the First Presidency, and should there not be? Every one will say, certainly, there should be. And should there not be a perfect union with the seven presidents of the Seventies? There most assuredly should be; we all say Yes. Should there not be a perfect union with the High Councils of the various Stakes of Zion? Certainly there should be, and there is a way to accomplish that union. And the same way with the various other organizations and quorums. Should there not be a perfect union with the presidencies of Stakes? Certainly, and if I were a president of a Stake, I would not rest day or night until I had union with my counselors. Should there not be a union with the Bishop and his Counselors? Most assuredly there should be.

Well, what is more important? Should there not be union in the family? … Most assuredly there should. And why should any man be satisfied, why should any husband and father of a family rest satisfied until he effects a perfect union, that is, just as far as a perfect union can be accomplished? And in this matter the father should make himself just as perfect as a man can in this life be made perfect before his family. And the wife should make herself just as perfect as a woman can possibly do in this life. And then they are prepared to make their children just as perfect as they are willing and are capable of being made perfect. And the father and the mother should be very careful. The wife should never in the presence of her children speak disrespectfully of her husband. If she thinks her husband has done wrong (he might have done), she should never speak of it in the presence of her children. She should take him out of the presence of her children and there tell him of his faults, in a pleasant way, but never in the presence of the children speak disrespectfully of the father. And the father the same. He has no right to speak disrespectfully of his wife in the presence of her children. And I pray God to give the husband and wife the spirit and the understanding to correct themselves in such matters. I know that a great many of the difficulties that now appear, and the disrespect that we find in reference to the Priesthood, among young people, arises from this fact, that there have been difficulties in the home circle, and there has been disrespect expressed in their presence, of the father by the mother, or of the mother by the father. Now I know these things are so.⁵

During Sarah's lesson we read over the following scriptures:

John 13; 34-35

John 17; 20-21

Matthew 5; 14-16

3Nephi 18; 24-25

Matthew 5:9

Luke 6; 35-37

Moroni 7; 48

John 3; 40

Alma 34; 17-29

To read the lesson in full I have provided a link at the beginning of the Lesson.  Remember your visiting teaching and remember to report it. Have a wonderful week! 

Relief Society Sunday August 11, 2013

Opening Hymn # 309

Opening Prayer by Sister Leslie Russell

Practice Hymn # 12

Closing Hymn # 219 

-Family History Activity this Tuesday at 7:00pm. Nursery will be provided.

-Seminary this Thursday at Sister Roberts house from 6:00pm-8:00pm. Bring Scriptures and scripture journal.

-Good News Moment: Chelsea (Sister Cassie Smith's sister) is having twins! 

Chapter 15: Faithful, Energetic Service in the Kingdom of God

We had a wonderful lesson by Sister Neely-Bey.  The Lesson was Chapter 15: Faithful, Energetic Service in the Kingdom of God. We began the lesson by singing the hymn "Called to Serve."  Sister Neely-Bey started the lesson by asking a couple of questions "What word or words would you use to describe your service in Gods Kingdom?" and "How good and faithful are we in the Lords Kingdom?" 

We testify to the whole world that we know, by divine revelation, even through the manifestations of the Holy Ghost, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, and that he revealed himself to Joseph Smith as personally as he did to his apostles anciently, after he arose from the tomb, and that he made known unto him [the] heavenly truths by which alone mankind can be saved. This … is assuming a very important and responsible position, knowing, as we do, that God will hold us accountable for the disposition we make of this sacred trust which he has committed to us.

What does it mean to us to be Ambassadors of Christ?

My take on this was that to be an ambassador of Christ means that we are representing everything that Christ stands for. We not only represent the values and strengths, but we are knowledgable on all the information and doctrine that comes from Christ.

Membership in the Church is a call to help others receive salvation.

When Jesus came, He came as a sacrifice not simply in the interest of Israel, or the posterity of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but in the interest of the whole human family, that in Him all men might be blessed, that in Him all men might be saved; and His mission was to make provision by which the whole human family might receive the benefits of the everlasting Gospel, not, as I say, Israel alone, but the whole human race; and not alone those dwelling upon the earth, but those also in the spirit world. …

We have the same Priesthood that Jesus had, and we have got to do as He did, to make sacrifice of our own desires and feelings as He did, perhaps not to die martyrs as He did, but we have got to make sacrifices in order to carry out the purposes of God, or we shall not be worthy of this holy Priesthood, and be saviors of the world. God intends to make us saviors not only of many that now dwell on the earth, but of many in the spirit world: He will not only place us in a position to save ourselves, but He will make us competent to assist in the redemption of many of the offspring of the Almighty.⁷

Sister Reynolds shared the scripture D&C 90:24 which states

24 Search ^adiligently, ^bpray always, and be believing, and ^callthings shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the ^dcovenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.

The Lord will use your experience for your good and for the good of others that you come in contact with.

Its hard sometimes to trust the Lord because we don't know the end result, but trusting the Lord is the most important thing.

The work of the Lord is sometimes difficult, but it brings great joy.

We meet many things associated with this labor that are not pleasant, but there is a great pleasure connected with it. When we look back upon our determinations to devote ourselves to the cause of truth and keep our covenants, we have great joy, because the spirit of our callings rests mightily upon us, without which spirit we cannot keep pace with the kingdom of God.¹¹

Thank you Sister Neely-Bey for the wonderful lesson. 

 Hope to see you sisters at Tuesdays activity! 

"You Are My Hands"

Hello Sisters!

 

A few reminders for you…

·         1^st Ward Temple Trip is this Friday, August 9^th - If you have names ready for the temple please give them to Brother Roberts.

·         Relief Society Activity – August 13^th @ 7pm.-  All Young Women are invited to join us!  We will be talking about Family History and how to "use it" and work on it in our busy lives. Refreshments & nursery will be provided.
·         August 30^th – Tallahassee Stake Zone Conference -  1^st Ward is in charge of the lunch for this zone conference on Friday the 30^th. We will need sisters to help prepare to food, serve, and clean up.   Please check your schedules for that day to see if you will be available to help!  We will have a sign-up sheet in the binder next Sunday.
·         Updated Visiting Teaching Routes for August were handed out Sunday at church. If you did not get your new route please see a member of the RS Presidency!  Several changes have been made so you’ll want to be sure to get an updated route before you start making visits this month.  Please know that the Relief Society Presidency has put much thought and prayer into each and every change made on these routes.  We prayed specifically about each of you and felt inspired to place you with the sisters you see on your routes, as well as your companion. We would like to ask that you also take the time to pray to our Heavenly Father for guidance and direction as you get to know your sisters (if you don’t know them already) and how best to minister to them and love them.

“You Are My Hands” – Ministering by the example of Christ

I wanted share a few thoughts with you this week from the lesson that Bishop gave on Sunday in Relief Society.  I know that many of the sisters serving in other auxiliaries on Sunday’s don’t have the opportunity to be a part of our RS lessons and this one was a really important reminder and lesson for us all.

First, I would ask that each of you read the talk given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf  during General Conference this past April.  It is entitled  You Are My Hands.  You may remember his story of the statue of Christ that was damaged by the bombings during World War II.  Experts were able to repair most of the statue but the hands had been damaged so severely that they could not be repaired.   The statue ultimately remained without hands, however the people of the city added at the base of the statue of Jesus Christ a sign with these words: “You are my hands.”   

Elder Uchtdorf goes on to say, “When I think of the Savior, I often picture Him with hands outstretched, reaching out to comfort, heal, bless, and love. And He always talked with, never down to, people. He loved the humble and the meek and walked among them, ministering to them and offering hope and salvation.  That is what He did during his mortal life; it is what He would be doing if He were living among us today; and it is what we should be doing as His disciples and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Sisters, we ARE the hands of Christ, and we should be following his example in ministering to those around us as he would. It is our calling as members of this church. When we take upon his name at baptism, we are promising to do so.  We are also part of a wonderful organization that is set up in a way that should help us easily follow this counsel.  It’s called Visiting Teaching!  J   The purpose of Visiting Teaching is to minister; The purpose of ministering is to help others become true followers of Jesus Christ.

How Visiting Teachers Love, Watch Over, and Strengthen a Sister:

·         Pray daily for the sisters you visit, and her family
·         Seek inspiration to get to know her and her family  (Moroni 6:4)
·         Visit her regularly to learn how she is doing and to comfort and strengthen her
·         Stay in frequent contact through visits, phone calls, letters, e-mail, text messages, and simple acts of kindness
·         Inspire her by setting a good example (Daughters in My Kingdom, page 123)
·         Loving her without judgment (John 13:34-35)
·         Watching over your sisters and strengthening their faith ‘one by one’ as the Savior did (3 Nephi 11:15; 17:21)
·         Establishing sincere friendship with them and visiting teaching them in their homes and elsewhere (D&C 20:47)
·         Teach her the gospel from the scriptures and the visiting teaching messages

Think about all the wonderful things we can do for each other if we truly embrace our calling as a Visiting Teacher to those sisters that we are asked to watch over. Think of the blessings it will bring to the sisters you care for, and the blessings that will be poured out upon you as you are obedient and follow His counsel in ministering to his children.  When we serve others as visiting teachers, we receive blessings ourselves.  Sister Barbara W. Winder, the eleventh Relief Society general president, taught:  “It is vital that each sister have visiting teachers—to convey a sense that she is needed, that someone loves and thinks about her. But equally important is the way the visiting teacher is able to grow in charity. By assigning our women to do visiting teaching, we give them the opportunity to develop the pure love of Christ, which can be the greatest blessing of their lives.”

I wanted to leave you with this quote by Dieter F Uchtdorf (it is also from his “You Are My Hands” conference talk). I hope that we can all take his words to heart!

“True love requires action. We can speak of love all day long-we can write notes or poems that proclaim it, sing songs that praise it, and preach sermons that encourage it- but until we manifest that love in action, our words are nothing but “sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.”  Christ did not just speak about love; He showed it each day of His life. He did not remove Himself from the crowd. Being amidst the people, Jesus reached out to the one. He rescued the lost. He didn’t just teach a class about reaching out in love and then delegate the actual work to others. He not only taught but also showed us how to “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”  Christ knows how to minister to others perfectly. When the Savior stretches out His hands, those He touches are uplifted and become greater, stronger, and better people as a result.  If we are His hands should we not do the same?”   ~Dieter F. Uchtdorf   

We love you all, and are so very grateful for your willingness to serve.

Love,

Sister Mandy Carroll

Sister Jennifer Porter

Sister Lori Fairbanks

Sister Alisha Bell

Adorable Blocks from the R.S. Activity

Adorable Blocks from the R.S. Activity
At last week's activity the sisters helped make some really cute blocks for the Primary kids