Relief Society E-news Oct. 14 - 20

 

Relief Society e-news Oct. 14 - 20

Hi Sisters,

This month is flying by, but here are some things you shouldn't forget!

Dates to Remember:

Oct. 19: Fantastic Friday 5 - 9:00 p.m.

Oct. 27: Fall Fun/ Trunk or Treat 5 - 7 p.m.
Nov. 11: Primary program

General Conference:

If you didn't get a chance to watch all of conference or you want to see it again, you can read, watch and/or listen to it here.

Fantastic Friday:

Fantastic Friday is this Friday from 5 - 9 p.m. at the church. Babysitting is available until 7:00, but your children will be brought to you at that time if they are not picked up. Most crafts are free and this a great activity to bring friends to! You view the schedule here. You can also find everything you need to know about it on the official Fantastic Friday Blog.

Relief Society Broadcast:

If you didn't make it to the annual Relief Society Broadcast, click here to watch it.

Visiting Teaching:

This month's visiting teaching message is about honoring our covenants. Here's a cute handout to go with it.

Missionary News:

If you would like to feed the missionaries, please contact Lauri Rex at laurirex@yahoo.com or 589-2929.

If you'd like to write to any of the missionaries, here are there addresses:

Elder Patrick Carlile

Germany Berlin Mission

Zerbster Straffe 42

12209 Berlin

Germany

Hermana Danielle Anderton

Chile Concepcion South Mission

O'Higgins 940, Oficina 503

Concepcion Bio-Bio

Chile

Elder Landon Gold

South Africa, Durban Mission

Suite 4, 2 Derby Place

Derby Downs Office Park

Westville 3630, South Africa

Elder Brendan Hong

Bacolod Philippies Mission

P.O. Box 660

Bacolod City

Philippines

Whether you know them or not, they would love to hear from you!

Members in the Military:

In addition to our missionaries, we have two young adult members of our ward currently serving in the military who could also use your letters and support. Here are their addresses:

LCPL, Ryan, Sean, M.

P.O. Box 349000 #696

Kailua, HI 96734

RCT Joyce, Jessica, M

4th RTBN, PLT 4027 Co, O

P.O. Box 16435

Parris Island, SC 29905-6445

(Jessica has completed boot camp and is home for a few weeks. I will update her address when she goes back out, but make sure to tell her hello while she's here!)

Temple Theme:

One of our goals as a Relief Society Presidency and the focus of our Stake Relief Society Presidency is to get sisters to the temple, so when I found this video of President Monson talking about the purpose and importance of temples, I had to share it. Please watch it when you have a chance!

Lesson Schedule:

 

Oct. 21: George A. Smith Ch. 20 Temporal Salvation

Oct. 28: TFOT: The Merciful Obtain Mercy by President Dieter F. Uctdorf

Lesson Recap: Temporal and Spiritual Blessings from the Word of Wisdom

 

Sister Flint taught our lesson today on the blessings that come from keeping the Word of Wisdom. Sometimes we focus only on the things prohibited by the Word of Wisdom rather than the blessings we receive through obeying it. And even though there are specific things we are advised not to partake of, the Word of Wisdom is a revelation we follow according to our own interpretation and through the discernment of the Holy Ghost. The purpose of it is not to prohibit, but rather to enlighten. Our bodies are unique gifts from our Heavenly Father that house our spirits and when we treat them as the temples they are we show gratitude to the One who created them for us.

 

We read in Doctrine and Covenants 89:3 that the Word of Wisdom is "...given for a principle with promise, adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all saints, who are or can be called saints.”

 

While many of us could partake of alcohol, tobacco, and/or coffee and tea without becoming addicted, the principle is adapted for the "weakest of the weak." When as a church we committ to living this principle, we shelter our brothers and sisters--those weakest of the weak--among us who could become addicted. When we all give up these addictive substances we lift each other up and out of harm's way.

 

President Smith said of this principle, "I look upon the Word of Wisdom as kind advice of our Father in heaven, who desires to see His children become more like Him. … I take it as the fatherly counsel of one who, knowing what I needed, said to me: “My son, these things are not good for you, and if you will avoid them I will give you the companionship of my Holy Spirit and joy while you live in the world and in the end eternal life.” How foolish I would be then to partake of these forbidden things, having the assurance that it is the counsel of the Lord I should abstain therefrom. I would feel under condemnation if I should partake of them, when He who knows better than anybody else says that they are harmful, and has warned me against them. …

… He thought it of enough importance to give it unto us, and to warn us, and if He who knows all things thought it necessary to give advice and counsel upon these temporal matters, how carefully we, who know not what the morrow has in store for us, should observe that divine counsel. I feel that the Latter-day Saints have in the Word of Wisdom a law that will exalt them and lift them above those who fail to keep it.^"

The promises associated with keeping the Word of Wisdom are found in  D&C 89:18-21.

We observe that compliance with the laws of health produces mental and physical strength, and we discover that through disobedience thereto, mental and physical deterioration follows. It is our Creator, the Father of our spirits, who gave us opportunity to dwell upon this earth, who has said that certain things referred to in that revelation are not good for us. He has made us valuable promises, if we will obey this law,—promises of wisdom, of health and strength, and that the destroying angel shall pass us by and not hurt us, as he did the children of Israel
President Smith warned of some of the spirtual consequences of not living the Word of Wisdom, stating, "I firmly believe that by reason of neglect of this simple requirement, faith has diminished in the hearts of some of our people—that, by a more general observance of the Word of Wisdom, faith will be increased among the Latter-day Saints, and greater knowledge will flow to us as a result; for by obedience to it, there will come a disposition to obey other laws of our Father, and compliance with each insures a blessing."

 

President Smith also talked about the blessings of living the Word of Wisdome,saying, "We are told that the glory of God is intelligence [see D&C 93:36], and we all admire intelligent men and women, therefore it should be our desire to lay the foundation for increased mental power and not do anything to weaken it. It is evident in the lives of some that they deprive themselves of the brain power they might enjoy, by the continued use of things our Heavenly Father has said are not good; they become less intelligent as a result, and fail to make the preparation for Eternal life that should be their ambition.^"

President Smith's concluding quote in the manual is an admonition to parents to teach their children the Word of Wisdom.

"Let me say to you that the best evidence of our faith in that law, that we believe it came from God, is a consistent observance of it in our lives. We may preach it all day long, but if we transgress it in practice, our example may be disastrous to those we love better than life, for they will feel that they can safely follow where we lead.¹⁶

Let me plead with you, search the Word of Wisdom prayerfully. Do not just read it; search it prayerfully. Discover what our Heavenly Father gave it for. He gave it to us with a promise of longer life and happiness, not if we fail to observe it, but if we observe it. Read the Word of Wisdom in the presence of your families and set the example. If we will do that Zion will continue to grow. If we will do that the Church of the Lamb of God will continue to become a power for good in the world.^"

 

Thank you Annette for reminding us about the importance of living this principle!

 

Have a great week!
 

Brittany Larsen

brittanylarsen73@hotmail.com

Presidency members:

Judie Clark - President judieclark@cox.net

Jalane Hong - 1st Counselor john_jalane@msn.com

Melanie Jacobson - 2nd Counselor melanie53@hotmail.com

Cindy Porter - Secretary cindyporter@cox.net