Relief Society Lesson: Trials and the Power of the Atonement

This week's Relief Society Lesson was done by the Relief Society presidency and was about trials and the power of the atonement.  A story was shared in the beginning of the lesson about a man who took his new truck to go up in the snowy mountains to cut down firewood, but when he got there the truck's tires got stuck in the snow.  He cut down trees for firewood anyway and piled them onto the truck, and when he tried again the truck was slowly able to get free and he was able to go home.  What happened was the weight of the wood gave his tires more traction (or friction) against the slippery ice allowing him to be freed.  

We all have our individual loads that we carry.  Some of the things the sisters mentioned included financial difficulty, worries about our family, or decisions about the future.  We also discussed some things could could act as a "spiritual traction" that will help us move forward as we carry our load.  These things include:

• Prayer
• Service
• Following the Lord's will
• Studying (scriptures)
• Temple
• Acceptance

The sisters pointed out that our loads, or trials, are necessary for us to not only move forward and grow as a person, but also to become humbled and strengthened in our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  It helps us to get a much greater understanding of the power of the atonement that we couldn't otherwise.  May we all have the courage to continually move forward in our trials and increase our faith and testimony in our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.  

A big thanks to our Relief Society Presidency for the wonderful lesson.

Relief Society Lesson: Baptism

Last Sunday's lesson was given by Rachel and the topic was "Baptism."  We discussed the importance of our baptismal covenants and what they were. Rachel wrote down some key points on the board as follows:

Baptismal Covenants

• Take upon us the name of the Savior
• Remember Him
• Keep the commandments
• Have His spirit to be with us
• Remission of sins
• Mourn with those that mourn
• Service
• Sustain the Kingdom of Heaven

During the discussion one sister pointed out how reminding ourselves of the first point, taking upon us the name of Christ, is a very important part of living the gospel.  By taking upon Christ's name and being His representative, we live in a way that only He would approve of with the music we listen to, the way we dress, etc.  In order to do so we must also remember Him on a daily basis.  

Many sisters discussed how the covenants we made at our Baptism are very basic but are so important because they are the foundation of everything.  Without these covenants we wouldn't be able to enjoy the blessings that we do today.  Sis. Chalmer pointed out that the big difference between those who are visitors/investigators/excommunicated and those who are members is that members have made those covenants and are living in a way that they keep those covenants that they had made and are able to enjoy the blessings that come from them as a result.  It's a very important thing that is not to be taken lightly.  But the beauty of repentance and the grace of the Lord also allows those who are not in the covenant the opportunity to participate in the making and keeping of them so that they too may partake of its blessings.

Many of us made our baptismal covenants when were 8 years old and others converted to the church later in life with each of us developing and enriching our testimonies at various points in our lives.  As Rachel pointed out, either way is amazing and admirable and we are very blessed to have baptismal covenants and be a members of this church.  Thank you Rachel for the wonderful lesson!

Health Night!

We will be having a Relief Society activity this week!  We will be doing Yoga.  Please bring your own towel/blanket/mat to use.  It will be this Thursday 04/03 at 8:00 pm between the L and K building.  Come and have fun learning about good health! :)

"Like a Broken vessel" by Jeffrey R. Holland

Last week's Relief Society lesson was taught by Rebecca on Jeffrey R. Holland's talk titled: "Like a Broken Vessel."  The lesson addresses the reality of depression that many people suffer from.  We also talked about how those of us who currently suffer from this condition can seek guidance and how the rest of us can reach out and better help our friends and family that may be suffering.

Rebecca began the lesson by defining depression and gave us insights to better understand what it is and how it affects people.  The type of depression this lesson focused on was not your typical bad day, but the more serious health condition that many people greatly struggle with on a daily basis.  I couldn't find the exact definition that she used, but here is one from wikipedia:

"Major depressive disorder (MDD)... is a mental disorder characterized by a pervasive and persistent low mood that is accompanied by low self-esteem and by a loss of interest or pleasure in normally enjoyable activities."

In addition to losing the ability to be happy, depression is also detrimental to one's physical health.  Rebecca then showed us a video that presented what it is like to have depression.  You can click on the link below to watch the video:

"I had a Black Dog"--Defining Depression (click here)

Rebecca then went over a list of little pieces of advice that Elder Holland had for individuals who face depression and for caretakers, or those who are acting as support for those individuals.  The list was separated into "do" and "don't do:"

For Individuals and Caretakers:

Do:

• Have faith in the Lord
• Do all necessary practices to bring in spirit
• Seek and listen to counsel of Priesthood leaders
• Ask for Priesthood blessings (Don't be afraid to do so)
• Believe in miracles
• Rely on promised blessings of the Atonement
• Trust in the Lord
• Seek professional help (One sister advised not to get too embarrassed or feel like you could have done better because there are times in life where even after doing everything you can your body may not be able to recover by itself without some help and there's no shame in seeking help)
• Be compassionate
• Be grateful
• Offer prayers, give love to others
• Be kind
• Be nonjudgmental
• Be merciful

Don't Do:

• Do not take your life
• Do not diminish your health (For Individuals this means doing everything you can to take care of your physical health in order to help strengthen your emotional health i.e., adequate sleep, diet, exercise, etc.  For Caretakers, this suggests that you need to be well yourself first before being able to help another.  Rebecca shared a physician's quote regarding the importance of maintaining your health: "If you do not take the time now to be well, you will take the time later to be ill.")

 The trials we have to face in our lives may be very difficult and excruciating at times, but the gospel can help bring peace, comfort, and strength to help you endure to the end, as well as the help of family and friends.  Those of us who are supporters will also feel the love and joy of the spirit through service.  Thank you Rebecca for the wonderful lesson and to all the sisters who contributed.

The Last Supper

Relief Society Lesson: "The Significance of the Sacrament"

Yesterday's lesson was given by Sis. Flores on "The Significance of the Sacrament" (chapter 6 of the Joseph Fielding Smith manual).  Sis. Flores outlined the three main points of the chapter on the board:

1)  The Lord has commanded us to meet often to partake of the Sacrament.
2)  We partake of the sacrament in remembrance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
3)  It is our duty to thoughtfully consider the covenant we make when we partake of the sacrament.

In regards to the first point, Sis. Flores had a few volunteers read quotes relating to the institution of the sacrament during the Last Supper.  Once such quote reads:

"...It was a very solemn occasion; there the sacrament was instituted, and the disciples were commanded to meet together often and commemorate the death and sufferings of Jesus Christ, for his sacrifice was for the redemption of the world."

                   -Joseph Fielding Smith (page 95)

Sis. Flores accentuated the importance of the word solemn used in many of the quotes and comments of the sisters.  The dignity and seriousness of the sacrament since the Lord first introduced it to his apostles long ago deserves no less than our utmost reverence today.

For the second point of the lesson, Sis. Flores mentioned how the sacrament is a wonderful opportunity for us to repent on a weekly basis.  In addition, pondering the sacrifice that the Savior made for us brings us closer to Him and refines our perspective.  In the words of the prophet:

"...If we fully appreciated the many blessings which are ours through the redemption made for us, there is nothing that the Lord could ask of us that we would not anxiously and willingly do."

            -Joseph Fielding Smith (page 99)

Sis. Flores then had someone read the sacrament prayer aloud, the rest of us with our arms folded and eyes closed to help us focus on the meaning of the words as well as the covenants we make, encompassing the third point of the lesson (for a full description of the covenants, see pages 100-101 in the Joseph Fielding Smith manual).  Sis. Flores encouraged us to be more alert and focused on pondering the meaning of the sacrament as we are blessed with the opportunity to partake of it.

She ended the lesson with the following video from Elder  Dallen H. Oaks:

"Partake of the Sacrament" (click here)

Thank you Sis. Flores for the wonderful lesson and for all the sisters who participated!

Announcements

Just a couple of reminders:

• This coming Sunday is Stake Conference. 

                           7:30-9:30 am:  Priesthood Session
                           10:00 am -12:00 pm:  Stake Conference (come early to get a soft chair!)
                            4:00 -5:00 pm:  Adult Session

• Remember to report your visiting teaching.

Also...

Viola just had her baby!!  Sign ups are going around to bring her dinners.  If you would like to help in any way, contact Heavs (Phoebe Nartker) or any member of the RS presidency.