Relief Society E-news July 1 - July 7

Hi Sisters,

We've got a lot of fun things going on this summer. Read on to find out more!

Dates to Remember:

July 4th: Ward party at Melinda Park (at the corner of Santa Margarita Pkwy and Melinda) 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Relief Society is in charge of desserts, so look for the sign up sheet in Relief Society or just bring one. You can never have too many desserts!
July 6th: Ward temple night. Make your appointment early for the 6:30 p.m. session. Call 949-644-1820
July 17th: Relief Society Meeting Night. Retro Homemaking: How to Live Like Your Grandmother in a Modern World. Join as at 7 p.m. for a fun night of cooking, cleaning, and crafting. Really, it will be fun. Don't let those three c-words scare you.
July 21st: Pioneer Day 4-6 p.m. at Altisma Park. Go here for more information.
July 24th: Stake Humanitarian Day 7 - 9 p.m. at the Stake Center.

Book of Mormon Challenge:

Our annual summer Book of Mormon reading started on June 17, but it's not too late to start if you haven't! This is a great opportunity to encourage your children to read the entire book when they don't have homework or other school activities to distract them. It's also a great time to read it yourself! Reading it in a short amount of time gives you a whole new perspective on scriptures that may already be familiar. Look for bookmarks outside of Relief Society that have the scheduled reading.

Visiting Teaching:

Summer is crazy with people coming and going on vacation, so schedule your appointments early. Here is this month's visiting teaching message.

Summer Humanitarian Mission:

Our Humanitarian mission for this summer is to raise enough money to build six wells for people who don't have access to fresh, clean water. Find out more about it here

Missionary News:

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

Don't forget to keep not only the elders serving in our ward in your prayers, but also the elders serving from our ward. Patrick Carlile is in the Berlin, Germany mission and Landon Gold is serving in Durban, South Africa.

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!

Summer Fun Days:
School is out, so let's get ready for some fun! Here are some of the fun things a lot of local moms will be doing:
Mondays - Swim at Altisima Pool
Tuesdays - Head to the beach (changes from week to week, but usually San Clemente area)
Wednesdays - Free movie www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress
Thursdays - Mission Viejo Lake (contact a MV resident to get on the list to get in)
Fridays- RSM beach club (contact RSM resident to get on the list to get in)

For Our Singles:

Aug. 2 - 6: Orange County Singles Conference: Pursue Your Path to Happiness. Contact ocbconference@gmail.com with questions or talk to sister Cassandra Leonard.

Lesson Schedule:

July 1: Presidency Message

July 8: George Albert Smith ch. 13/14 Doing Our Part to Effectively Share the Gospel.

July 15: George Albert Smith ch. 15 Advancing the Work

July 22: TFOT The Race of Life, President Thomas S. Monson

July 29: Bishopric Message

Lesson Recap: Preparing Our Vessels

Our new second counselor, Melanie Jacobson, taught us today from the Parable of the Ten Virgins found in Matthew 25: 3-10. Usually when reading this parable we focus on how we can prepare ourselves for the Second Coming, but Sister Jacobson asked us to think about how we can prepare ourselves for the trials and unexpected things that may come our way.

We know there will be a Second Coming and we've been told how to prepare for it, and though we don't know the time of it, when it comes it shouldn't be unexpected. But we all will have unexpected trials in our lives that we can also prepare spiritually for.

Sister Jacobson quoted from Jesus the Christ and explained that it was the custom at the time of Christ for a Bridegroom to go the home of his bride and then escort her to their new home where the wedding ceremony would take place. As the couple proceeded with their attendants to the ceremony, smaller groups would join them along the way. Since the weddings customarily took place at night, lamps were necessary to light the way. The parties waiting to join them could approximate when the wedding party would appear, there was not an exact time. In the parable told by Jesus, five of the virgins took enough oil for the time they thought it would take the Bridegroom to appear. Unfortunately for them, he tarried and since they had not brought extra oil, they had to purchase more.

We read about these five virgins in verses 3-10. The five who had planned for just enough are not prepared for he unexpected. Those five have to buy more oil. They have to pay the price for not being prepared.

In this parable the following objects represent the following things:

Vessels - represent being spiritually prepared
Lamps - represent the light of the gospel we carry with us
Oil - represents our faith and testimonies

How do we apply this scripture to the unexpected challenges that come in life?
We can't coast in preparing ourselves spiritually. When things get easy, if we think we know what's going to happen we sometimes get complacent.

Elder Quentin L. Cook said in his October 2008 General Conference address, Hope Ya Know, We Had a Hard Time, ... many of the trials and hardships we encounter in life are severe and appear to have lasting consequences. Each of us will experience some of these during the vicissitudes of life...One of the essential doctrines illuminated by the Restoration is that there must be opposition in all things for righteousness to be brought to pass.² This life is not always easy, nor was it meant to be; it is a time of testing and proving.

Elder Cook goes on to say, One of the great blessings of the scriptures is that they warn us of challenges that are unexpected but often occur. We would do well to be prepared for them. One form of preparation is to keep the commandments.

In numerous places in the Book of Mormon, the people were promised that they would prosper in the land if they would keep the commandments.²² This promise is often accompanied by the warning that if they do not keep the commandments of God, they shall be cut off from His presence.²³ Clearly, having the blessings of the Spirit—the ministration of the Holy Ghost—is an essential element to truly prosper in the land and to be prepared.

Sister Jacobson also shared a story from Elder Walter F. Gonzales's October 2007 Conference address Today is the Time.

When President James E. Faust informed my wife and me that we would be transferred to Lima, Peru, we had no clue that on August 15, 2007, only a few days after our arrival, we would witness a devastating earthquake. More than 52,000 houses were destroyed by its sheer strength. Worse yet, it left more than 500 dead. Nine of them were members of the Church. Members in the Ica and Pisco stakes and the Cañete and Chincha districts suffered the brunt of the tremor’s aftermath.

The Church provided immediate relief to its members and those of other faiths. The morning after the quake, our members in the disaster area were receiving food and clothing, and before noon the Church was donating humanitarian aid to the nation’s civil defense. Many members who were left homeless were sheltered in our meetinghouses. Despite how unexpected the catastrophe was, the priesthood organization functioned very well to bring relief to those less fortunate.

Stake and district presidents along with bishops went out to help their members only minutes after the earthquake. The terrible situation in which these priesthood leaders went out is worth highlighting: it was nighttime; the lights were out; destruction abounded; and the earth would not stop shaking. These magnificent priesthood leaders left their families secured and walked out into the darkness, among people who wept, surrounded by destroyed houses. Thus our leaders went out during the night and the following days, facing frequent, strong aftershocks and a tsunami warning. They searched among the rubble, in the midst of commotion, risking their own lives to get to all the members. A bishop declared, “Without as much as a second thought, I ran in search of my Church brothers and sisters and leaders.” He found them. That’s how he spent most of the night.

What motivated these leaders to go out and help others, even to the risking of their own lives? Certainly it was their great faith in the Savior and His Church. It was their understanding of their calling as leaders in the priesthood. It was gospel principles engraved in their lives before the earthquake, not during the crisis—engraved not with ink but with fire by the Spirit in the fleshy tablets of their hearts (see 2 Corinthians 3:3).

The possibility of an earthquake was always there. When or how it would hit no one knew. When it came, it was devastating. But under the direction of the priesthood, the moment’s challenge was faced. In many cases, when members were unable, the Lord made up the difference. Some members tell of seeing men in white helping to save their lives. Others heard guiding voices. Years of Church service were a preparatory school to becoming organized and helping one another.

The same happens in our lives. We don’t know when or how earthquakes will hit us. They likely won’t be literal shakings of the earth, as happened in Peru, but rather quakes of temptations, sin, or trials, such as unemployment or serious sickness. Today is the time to prepare for when that type of quake comes. Today is the time to prepare—not during the crisis. What are we doing today to engraven in our souls the gospel principles that will uphold us in times of adversity?

So what do we do to prepare ourselves? The following are suggestions from some of the sisters:

Ask the lord to prepare us
Attend the temple
Do the part of the gospel that scares us
Pay tithing
Read scriptures

Melanie left us with the final thought that we can do hard things. When trials come, look for the tender mercies in your life and know that our Heavenly Father is watching over you and reaching out to help you.

Thanks you for a great lesson, Melanie. We're so glad to have you as part of our Relief Society Presidency.

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

Shannon Lo - Secretaryfoxymomsml@cox.net

Relief Society E-News June 24 - 30

Hi Sisters,

I was out of town last Sunday so I didn't find out about the Relief Society Presidency's release until I read about it on Facebook late that night. Then it took me the rest of the week to get over my shock, so I never got around to the blog!

A special thanks to Geralene, Diane, and Katie for their service over the past two years and a welcome to Judie Clark, Jalane Hong, and Melanie Jacobson.  

Dates to Remember:

July 4th: Ward party at Melinda Park (at the corner of Santa Margarita Pkwy and Melinda) 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.  Relief Society is in charge of desserts, so look for the sign up sheet in Relief Society or just bring one. You can never have too many desserts! 

Book of Mormon Challenge:

Our annual summer Book of Mormon reading started on June 17, but it's not too late to start if you haven't! This is a great opportunity to encourage your children to read the entire book when they don't have homework or other school activities to distract them. It's also a great time to read it yourself! Reading it in a short amount of time gives you a whole new perspective on scriptures that may already be familiar. Look for bookmarks outside of Relief Society that have the scheduled reading.

Visiting Teaching:

Here is the link for this month's visiting teaching message and a cute handout. Only one week left in June, so make sure to schedule your appointments!

Summer Humanitarian Mission:

Our Humanitarian mission for this summer is to raise enough money to build six wells for people who don't have access to fresh, clean water. Find out more about it here

Missionary News:

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

Don't forget to keep not only the elders serving in our ward in your prayers, but also the elders serving from our ward. Patrick Carlile is in the Berlin, Germany mission and Landon Gold is serving in Durban, South Africa.

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!

Summer Fun Days:
School is out in this week, so let's get ready for some fun! Here are some of the fun things a lot of local moms will be doing:
Mondays - Swim at Altisima Pool
Tuesdays - Head to the beach (changes from week to week, but usually San Clemente area)
Wednesdays - Free movie www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress
Thursdays - Mission Viejo Lake (contact a MV resident to get on the list to get in)
Fridays- RSM beach club (contact RSM resident to get on the list to get in)

For Our Singles:

Aug. 2 - 6: Orange County Singles Conference: Pursue Your Path to Happiness. Contact ocbconference@gmail.com with questions or talk to sister Cassandra Leonard.

Lesson Schedule:

June 24: TFOT: And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

July 1: Presidency Message

Lesson Recap: And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

Sister Griffith began her lesson today by sharing this video with us:

The Savior has asked for our help to feed His sheep which is the message of Pres Packer's conference message that Sister Griffith taught us from today. This video beautifully depicts President Packer's plea for us to reach out to all of God's children and share the gospel with them.

Children ideally should be raised by their mothers and fathers. President Packer says

Husbands and wives should understand that their first calling—from which they will never be released—is to one another and then to their children.   

Not every one will have the blessing of raising their own children in this life, but we are all blessed with the opportunity to be an influence for good in the lives of the children who surround us, whether they be nieces, nephews, close friends, or neighbors.

In his talk President Packer shared the following stories that illustrate our Heavenly Father's love for each of His children:

Years ago on a cold night in a train station in Japan, I heard a tap on the window of my sleeper car. There stood a freezing boy wearing a ragged shirt with a dirty rag tied about a swollen jaw. His head was covered with scabies. He held a rusty tin can and a spoon, the symbol of an orphan beggar. As I struggled to open the door to give him money, the train pulled out.

I will never forget that starving little boy left standing in the cold, holding up an empty tin can. Nor can I forget how helpless I felt as the train slowly pulled away and left him standing on the platform.

Some years later in Cusco, a city high in the Andes of Peru, Elder A. Theodore Tuttle and I held a sacrament meeting in a long, narrow room that opened onto the street. It was night, and while Elder Tuttle spoke, a little boy, perhaps six years old, appeared in the doorway. He wore only a ragged shirt that went about to his knees.

On our left was a small table with a plate of bread for the sacrament. This starving street orphan saw the bread and inched slowly along the wall toward it. He was almost to the table when a woman on the aisle saw him. With a stern toss of her head, she banished him out into the night. I groaned within myself.

Later the little boy returned. He slid along the wall, glancing from the bread to me. When he was near the point where the woman would see him again, I held out my arms, and he came running to me. I held him on my lap.

Then, as something symbolic, I set him on Elder Tuttle’s chair. After the closing prayer the hungry little boy darted out into the night.

When I returned home, I told President Spencer W. Kimball about my experience. He was deeply moved and told me, “You were holding a nation on your lap.” He said to me more than once, “That experience has far greater meaning than you have yet come to know.”

As I have visited Latin American countries nearly 100 times, I have looked for that little boy in the faces of the people. Now I do know what President Kimball meant.

I met another shivering boy on the streets of Salt Lake City. It was late on another cold winter night. We were leaving a Christmas dinner at a hotel. Down the street came six or eight noisy boys. All of them should have been at home out of the cold.

One boy had no coat. He bounced about very rapidly to stave off the chill. He disappeared down a side street, no doubt to a small, shabby apartment and a bed that did not have enough covers to keep him warm.

At night, when I pull the covers over me, I offer a prayer for those who have no warm bed to go to.

I was stationed in Osaka, Japan, when World War II closed. The city was rubble, and the streets were littered with blocks, debris, and bomb craters. Although most of the trees had been blasted away, some few of them still stood with shattered limbs and trunks and had the courage to send forth a few twigs with leaves.

A tiny girl dressed in a ragged, colored kimono was busily gathering yellow sycamore leaves into a bouquet. The little child seemed unaware of the devastation that surrounded her as she scrambled over the rubble to add new leaves to her collection. She had found the one beauty left in her world. Perhaps I should say she was the beautiful part of her world. Somehow, to think of her increases my faith. Embodied in the child was hope....

These children of whom I spoke represent all of our Heavenly Father’s children. “Children are an heritage of the Lord: and … happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them

For The Strength of Youth is a guide every home should have to help us teach children the gospel and their are three important things we can do for our own children and the children who surround us:
Pray for them
Bless them Teach them 

Thank you Shelly for a wonderful lesson!

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

Shannon Lo - Secretaryfoxymomsml@cox.net

Relief Society E-news June 10 - June 16

Hi Sisters,
We've got a lot of news this week, so please read carefully!

Dates to Remember:

June 14 - Last day of school
June 17 - Father's Day
June 17 - Book of Mormon summer reading challenge begins
June 19 - Relief Society Meeting Night


Book of Mormon Challenge:
Our annual summer Book of Mormon reading will start on June 17, so get ready! This is a great opportunity to encourage your children to read the entire book when they don't have homework or other school activities to distract them. It's also a great time to read it yourself! Reading it in a short amount of time gives you a whole new perspective on scriptures that may already be familiar. Look for flyers next Sunday!

Visiting Teaching:

Here is the link for this months visiting teaching message and a cute handout. Only two weeks until kids are out of school, so schedule your appointments soon before summer madness starts.

Summer Service Opportunities:

Adam Andrews is leaving for Peru for a service project this Wednesday (June 13). He is taking shoes and clothing to children there who are desperately in need. If you have anything to donate, please contact him at 235-3818 or adamandrews92@gmail.com,

Linda Denos, a former member of our ward, has been in a care facility for many months now and has made a miraculous recovery after she wasn't expected to live. She loves getting letters and visitors. If you would like to send her a short note you can send it to her c/o Rob Denos, 20702 El Toro Rd., #583 Lake Forest, Ca 92630

Missionary News:

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

Don't forget to keep not only the elders serving in our ward in your prayers, but also the elders serving from our ward. Patrick Carlile is in the Berlin, Germany mission and Landon Gold is serving in Durban, South Africa.

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!

 

Father's Day Gifts:

Looking for a special gift to give Dad on Fathers' Day? How about some hand dipped chocolate covered pretzels made with love. Proceeds help to pay for Girls Camp. The cost is $10. Order through Becca Haggard at cheri@FamilyHistory123.com.

Thank you, Lark Curry, Ashley Smith, Caity Hassell and Becca Haggard

Need Stuff?:

Jessie Bair is moving and is giving away a lot of her things: napkins, patio furniture, appliances, etc. If you are interested in any of it please call her at 305-7858. She lives in the Madrid Apts. #5107 (28401 Los Alisos).

Summer Fun Days:
School is out in this week, so let's get ready for some fun! Here are some of the fun things a lot of local moms will be doing:
Mondays - Swim at Altisima Pool
Tuesdays - Head to the beach (changes from week to week, but usually San Clemente area)
Wednesdays - Free movie www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress
Thursdays - Mission Viejo Lake (contact a MV resident to get on the list to get in)
Fridays- RSM beach club (contact RSM resident to get on the list to get in)

For Our Singles:

 

June 11: Simple Answers to Gospel Questions fireside for 31+ singles' FHE with Brother Russ Greiner. 7 pm at the Altisma building in the Relief Society Room. Refreshments served.

 

Aug. 2 - 6: Orange County Singles Conference: Pursue Your Path to Happiness. Contact ocbconference@gmail.com with questions or talk to sister Cassandra Leonard.

Lesson Schedule:

June 10: George A. Smith Ch. 11 Revelation from God to His Children

June 17: George A. Smith ch. 12 An Enthusiastic Desire to Share the Gospel

June 24: TFOT: And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

Lesson Recap:  Revelation from God to His Children

Sister Flint taught our lesson today from the manual. She did an incredible job teaching us about the important principle of revelation and how unique our church is in our belief in modern-day revelation. Jospeh Smith taught that, "salvation cannot come without revelation."

President George Albert Smith taught that

The distinction between this great Church and that of all other churches from the beginning has been that we believe in divine revelation; we believe that our Father speaks to man today as he has done from the time of Adam. We believe and we know—which is more than mere belief—that our Father has set his hand in this world for the salvation of the children of men.³

It is not only because we have faith in these books [the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price] that we are considered a peculiar people but also because we confidently believe that our Father in heaven has spoken in this day and age. In fact, we know that there is communication with the heavens. We believe that Jehovah has the same feeling towards us, the same influence over us that he had for and over his children who lived in this world in times that are past.

By the unbeliever, the members of the Church of Jesus Christ in all ages of the world have been considered a peculiar people. When the Lord has spoken through his servants, there have been at different periods of time many people in the earth who have said, “I do not believe in revelation.” This age is no exception to the rule. The thousands, yes, the millions, of our Father’s children who live in the earth are but repeating the history of the past when they deny that God has revealed again his will to the children of men, and say that they have no need of any further revelation.⁴

We do not believe that the heavens are sealed over our heads, but that the same Father who loved and cherished the children of Israel loves and cherishes us. We believe that we are as much in need of the assistance of our Heavenly Father in the directing of our lives as they were. We know that in the day and age in which we live the seal has been broken, and God has again spoken from the heavens

Sister Flint shared with us a story from President Smith's life that he felt illustrated how revelation works.

“Near Milford, Utah, we suddenly flew into one of the worst fogs I have ever seen. I tried to look out of the window of the plane but could not see anything through the fog. Not a thing could be seen in any direction outside the plane.

“I knew that we were approaching the mountains at the approximate rate of three miles a minute, that we were compelled to pass over them to get into the Salt Lake Valley. I was worried and asked myself, ‘How can the pilot find the way when he cannot see a thing?’ He had his compass but the plane might drift off its course. He had instruments indicating our distance above sea level but he had no way of knowing how far we were from the ground. I thought he might fly high enough to clear the mountains between us and the Salt Lake Valley and try to find the landing field by the flash of the beacons if we got close enough, but I chilled when I thought of the danger of losing our way and missing the beacons and the airport.

“In my anxiety I went up into the space that was occupied by the pilot and the co-pilot to see how they knew where we were going. I could not tell whether we were a hundred feet, a thousand feet or ten thousand feet above the ground and I did not know how they could tell, except approximately. I noticed that the pilot had a little device over his ear like operators in telephone offices use to receive with. I inquired of the co-pilot how they could tell whether we were flying in the right direction or know if we were off course. He replied, ‘When we cannot see we are guided by the radio beam.’

“‘What is that?’ I asked. He explained that the beam might be likened to an electric highway between two points, and in our case the points were Milford and Salt Lake City. He said that the device over the pilot’s ear operated so that when the plane was in the beam a low, purring sound continued to be heard, but if the plane goes to the right or left the sound changes and the pilot is warned by clicking as of a telegraph key. If he … pulls back to the beam or highway, on to the path of safety, the clicking ceases and the purring resumes. If we continue on the beam we will arrive at our destination in safety.

“I returned to my seat greatly comforted to know that notwithstanding we were enveloped in fog and darkness and could neither see nor feel where we were, the pilot was receiving information constantly that we were on the highway and he knew that we would soon arrive at our destination. A few minutes later I felt the plane descending. We had passed over the mountain tops and were nearing the airport. When we were nearly down we could see the powerful lights of the field indicating where to land and the plane with its precious cargo touched the ground gently as a seagull lights on water, slowly came to a stop and we stepped from our conveyance to the ground, happy to be at home again. …

“I have thought many times of the lesson I learned on the plane and have applied it to experience in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. …

“Not only has the Lord given us the advice already recorded in the scriptures to guide us but he has placed a leader in this Church, one of his sons who has been chosen and ordained and set apart to be the President. He is our pilot and he will be directed by a voice that will enable him to lead us where we should go. If we are wise we will not set up our judgment against him but will be happy to honor him in his place as long as the Lord sustains him...

If we are living as we know that we should we are entitled to the whispering of a still small voice calling attention to danger, saying this is the pathway of safety, walk ye in it. … If we have erred in our conduct the voice will whisper to us ‘turn back, you have made a mistake; you have disregarded the advice of your Heavenly Father.’ Turn from the error of your way while there is yet time, for if you go too far from the right path you will not hear the voice and you may be hopelessly lost. …

“My advice to you is to get the Spirit of God and keep it and the only way we will retain it is by living near him, by keeping his commandments. … Listen to the still small voice that will always direct you if you are worthy of it in a path that means eternal happiness

The prophet is Christ's representative on earth. He is the only one who can receive revelation for the church. President Smith said of this doctrine:

We have had misguided souls in the Church who have, in their ignorance, opposed the advice of the [President of the Church], not sensing the fact that they were opposing the Lord and they have fallen into darkness and sorrow, and unless they repent they will not find a place in the celestial kingdom.

Let us remember that the President of this Church has been officially designated as the pilot of the Church here in mortality to represent the Master of heaven and earth.⁸

When men, as they have sometimes done in order to win their success along some line or another, have come to an individual or individuals and said, “I have had this dream and this is what the Lord wants us to do,” you may know that they are not on the Lord’s side of the line. The dreams and visions and revelations of God to the children of men have always come through his regularly appointed servant. You may have dreams and manifestations for your own comfort or for your own satisfaction, but you will not have them for the Church. … We need not be deceived.⁹

My soul is filled with gratitude this day to know that as we continue our membership in the Church we do have a pilot who knows the way, and if we will follow his direction … we will not meet the spiritual disasters that the world is meeting but we will go about doing good, blessing mankind, and rejoicing in the companionship of those we love.

We are entitled to personal revelation and it is important that we use this gift. President Smith said of this gift,

I believe in you, my brethren and sisters. … You are entitled to the same knowledge that he is who presides over the Church. You are entitled to the same inspiration that flows to those whom God has caused to be ordained as His leaders. You are entitled to the inspiration of the Spirit, and the knowledge that He is your Father, and when I say “you” I speak of all those who have obeyed the commandments of our Father, and have partaken of the sweet influence of the Spirit of the Lord in the Church of Christ. … Each of us is entitled to the inspiration of the Lord in proportion to the manner in which we live a godly life.

In our April General Conference, Elder Richard G Scott gave a talk entitled How to Obtain Revelation. Some of the practical principles he gave for receiving revelation were to exercise, eat well, and get enough sleep. In addition to these basic things, he spoke on other ways revelation received, including the following:
Dreams-
Temple
Blessings
Promptings
Prayer
Scripture
Talks/ testimonies

Sister Flint shared a beautiful story with us about a dream she had after her mother died where she was able to hug her and say the good-bye she didn't have the chance to say before her mother's sudden death. This dream brought her great peace and comfort and is a great example of how revelation can work in unexpected ways.

The Holy Ghost is for us and it is through him that we receive revelation. It is the Spirit of the Lord that confirms truth so we must have it. To close her lesson, Sister Flint shared the following video with us.

Thank you Annette for a great lesson!

Have a great week!

Brittany Larsen

brittanylarsen73@hotmail.com

Presidency members:

Geralene Beckett - Presidentbeckettbunch@cox.net

Diane Smith - 1st Counselordianebsmith.smith5@gmail.com

Katie Anderson - 2nd Counselorkatiewoodanderson@gmail.com

Shannon Lo - Secretaryfoxymomsml@cox.net

Relief Society E-news June 3 - June 9

Hi Sisters,

Summer is almost here and the year is nearly half over. Time really does fly.

Dates to Remember:

June 8 - Last day of seminary
June 10 - Stake Priesthood Meeting 7:30 a.m. at the stake center. Please encourage your husbands and sons to attend.
June 14 - Last day of school
June 17 - Father's Day
June 17 - Book of Mormon summer reading challenge begins
June 19 - Relief Society Meeting Night

Summer Fun Days:

School is out in two weeks, so let's get ready for some fun! Here are some of the fun things a lot of local moms will be doing:
Mondays - Swim at Altisima Pool
Tuesdays - Head to the beach (changes from week to week, but usually San Clemente area)
Wednesdays - Free movie www.regmovies.com/summermovieexpress
Thursdays - Mission Viejo Lake (contact a MV resident to get on the list to get in)
Fridays- RSM beach club (contact RSM resident to get on the list to get in)

Book of Mormon Challenge:
Our annual summer Book of Mormon reading will start on June 17, so get ready! This is a great opportunity to encourage your children to read the entire book when they don't have homework or other school activities to distract them. It's also a great time to read it yourself! Reading it in a short amount of time gives you a whole new perspective on scriptures that may already be familiar.

Monthly Demo Class:
We will be offering demos monthly that can help strengthen our families and homes. Here is the schedule for the next few months. The times and dates change depending on the teacher, so take note of when demos are offered.

June - Making wheat bread with Eileen Stidham - time and date TBD

If you have a skill you would like to learn or a skill you would be willing to offer, please contact Katie Anderson or Geralene Beckett and we will get it on the schedule for the second half of the year.

Visiting Teaching:

 

Here is the link for this months visiting teaching message and a cute handout. Only two weeks until kids are out of school, so schedule your appointments soon before summer madness starts.

Missionary News:

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

Don't forget to keep not only the elders serving in our ward in your prayers, but also the elders serving from our ward. Patrick Carlile is in the Berlin, Germany mission and Landon Gold is serving in Durban, South Africa.

Lesson Schedule:

June 3: Presidency message

June 10: George A. Smith Ch. 11 Revelation from God to His Children

June 17: George A. Smith ch. 12 An Enthusiastic Desire to Share the Gospel

June 24: TFOT: And a Little Child Shall Lead Them

Lesson Recap:  Foolish or Wise

 

Sister Beckett taught our lesson this week which centered around our theme this year of Filling our Lamps. Today she focused on how making wise choices and prioritizing our time is our path to eternal salvation. 

In the parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) it is taught that 5 women were wise and 5 were foolish. The virgins in this parable represent the members of the church. It’s interesting to note that as all the women in the parable were waiting for the bridegroom to come (striving to follow the Savior and waiting His arrival) with their lamps, only half of them were actually ready and prepared to meet the Savior and be worthy of eternal salvation. 

Matthew 25:2- 4 reads,

 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish. They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.

How can we know if we are being as the wise women or the foolish? Last month Katie taught us about filling our lamps “drop by drop” and that we needed the essential things to be as the wise virgins who have a surplus of oil  - or a surplus of faith.

When we recognize what are the essential things, then we can prioritize them.

Wisdom and Order

King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon  teaches us that all things must be done in wisdom and order( Mosiah 6:27).

Wisdom and order means to put the most important and essential things at the top of our list.

We can know if we are being wise when we take a good look at how we spend our precious and very limited time.

The scriptures teach us …seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matthew 6:33)

Keep Your Eye On The Ball:

It’s been said by many team coaches to “keep your eye of the ball.” Why is that so important? If the team player is not focused on the ball he will miss the play and could ultimately loose the game. Same as it is in life for us. We need to keep our eyes on reaching our ultimate goal of eternal salvation.

As compared to generations earlier we are given more discretionary time due to advancements in technology. I often think about my grandmothers whose days were mostly spent doing labor-intensive work. Washing clothes, making bread and preparing meals for not only their own families but for the farm help as well. I have similar jobs to do in my days but I can microwave my dinner and run to the store to purchase my bread. I don’t have to hang dry my cloths or iron them. I often think… What am I doing with all this extra time that the generation earlier did not have options for … I also often think about my accounting of my time to the Lord? I wonder if I’m filling my time with the things he was hoping I would be privileged to be here on the earth at this time. 

It’s easy to rationalize our time, get over involved, feel entitled to more leisure, spend much of our time on the internet, Facebook, Pinterest and all our fun App games. Sisters … we need to keep our eyes on the ball – to not loose sight of our ultimate goal of eternal salvation in exchange for things that have no life! 

 It has been suggested that what happens in a certain city stays in a certain city. I like the sign posted in Sevier County, Utah, which states, “What happens in Sevier County … you can share with your friends!!!” When we realize that we are accountable to God, we see how foolish rationalizations can be. Those who rationalize remind us of little children who cover their eyes, convinced that if they can’t see us, we can’t see them. I would suggest that if we think about giving an accounting of our actions to the Savior, our rationalizations would be seen in their true light. (Gene R. Cook – Quorum of the Twelve Apostles)

A good woman knows that she does not have enough time, energy, or opportunity to take care of all of the people or do all of the worthy things her heart yearns to do. Life is not calm for most women, and each day seems to require the accomplishment of a million things, most of which are important. A good woman must constantly resist alluring and deceptive messages from many sources telling her that she is entitled to more time away from her responsibilities and that she deserves a life of greater ease and independence. But with personal revelation, she can prioritize correctly and navigate this life confidently. The ability to qualify for, receive, and act on personal revelation is the single most important skill that can be acquired in this life.—Julie B. Beck

Setting Goals:

To manage our time we can divide priorities into three categories- “must do”, “should do”, and “nice to do”

The Must Do’s are the essential things pertaining to our eternal salvation – those things we must do if are on the path back to our Heavenly Father.

·        Personal scripture and prayer

·        Make and keep covenants – baptism, sacrament, temple

·        Love and care for my family

·        Keep the commandments Matthew 19:16

How Can We Know If We Are Being Wise?

How do we know if we are wise or foolish? When we hear inspired counsel, we obey. That is the test of wise or foolish.

What does it profit us if we listen to wise counsel and do not heed the words? Of what use is experience if we do not learn from it? What good are the scriptures if we do not cherish the words and incorporate them into our lives?

Elder Utchdorf taught us that we can know when we are being foolish or wise without time and sacrifices, he said, “ We can ask ourselves, “Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter most?” There are so many good things to do, but we can’t do all of them. Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for something far greater with an eternal perspective.

  Elder Uchtdorf  also taught the important of understand the “why’s” of the gospel not use the what and how, he said … “When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet.”

Then, after we have done all that we can, we should remember the wise counsel and comforting assurance of King Benjamin, who taught, “And see that all these things are done in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength” (Mosiah 4:27).

Our Should Do list could include the following:
Exercise
Eat right
Self care
Work
Take care of what we have/keeping our houses in order
Education- seek learning
FHE
 

And our Nice to Do list could include some of these things:

Hobbies
Read/write
Sew
Friends

Whatever we put on our lists we need to balance them with the essential things. The only things we need to do are on our Must Do list, but even the things on that list must be balanced. If we spend all of our time focused on church service to the detriment of our families, or vice versa, that's not a wise use of our time. Let’s be as the wise virgins ready and prepared to meet the bridegroom by filling our lives with the essential things.

 

Thank you Geralene for a fantastic lesson!

Have a great week!

Brittany Larsen

brittanylarsen73@hotmail.com

Presidency members:

Geralene Beckett - Presidentbeckettbunch@cox.net

Diane Smith - 1st Counselordianebsmith.smith5@gmail.com

Katie Anderson - 2nd Counselorkatiewoodanderson@gmail.com

Shannon Lo - Secretaryfoxymomsml@cox.net