Good afternoon sisters, I hope you are enjoying
your day.
THOUGHT: “A teacher....should surely have so much of the
Spirit of the Lord, as she enters a house to know what spirit she meets in
there....Plead before God and the Holy Ghost to get [the Spirit] so that you
will be able to meet that spirit that prevails in that house...and you may feel
to talk words of peace and comfort, and if you find a sister feeling cold, take
her to your heart as you would a child to your bosom and warm [her] up.”
Eliza R. Snow
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
- YOUTH CONFERENCE: Thursday thru Saturday,
June 7th-9th. Youth need to meet in front of the Buckner home,
south end of Park. There will also be a special combined activity on
Wednesday, the 6t at 7 pm. Parents are invited.
- Wonder Ovens – will be sewed and
filled on June 14th at 7 pm at Lupe's home, 1245 N 1150 E. You
will need 3 yards of 100% cotton or flannel. If you did not sign up and
would like to make one, please contact Martha as she will be getting the
filler soon.
- June 21st.
Kristi Attaway
will be teaching us some great Summer meals.
- MOMMY MINGLE - June 19th
and July 10th at 11:00 am at the park behind Kohlers
- SUPER SUMMER SENSATIONAL
SUPPER –
Ward Activity coming up on Saturday July 14th – 6 pm @ VAL
VISTA PARK.
- The Young Women Camp is in need of Tents. If
you can let them borrow a tent, please contact Luone.
- Don't forget to check
our Relief Society Blog http://manila12thwardrs.blogspot.com
BIRTHDAYS: June 4th – Gloria L; June 8th
– Sarah H; June 9th Sally S.; June 9th Chao
S. Happy Birthday sisters, I hope you have a very special day.
Today's lesson was given by Martha “Blessings
and Gifts in Adversity”
My purpose in giving this lesson is to
recognize, reflect on the pivotal moments and personal growth from trials,
which can be seen as blessings or gifts – in other words, how we saw the hand
of God, learned, received answers, had a change of heart, learned gospel
principles, strengthened our testimonies, participated in a miracle, received a
tender mercy, a rescue, felt forgiveness or true joy.
As you all know, trials and adversity are part
of our earthly experience. They teach us divine attributes.
President Spencer W. Kimball said, “The
cultivation of Christlike qualities is a demanding and relentless task – it is
not for the seasonal worker or for those who will not stretch themselves, again
and again.”
I testify that we can endure our trials well if
we include our Heavenly Father, know Him, trust Him, believe Him, communicate
with Him, apply the Atonement, and allow the Savior to bear our burdens and
carry us when the mortal strain is too much. I testify He will ease our
suffering and lift our hearts.
Our trials are as old as time. Throughout the
ages, women have suffered pain, abuse, adultery, etc. We have valiant women in
the Church to be able to find the strength needed to survive trials. We, in our
ward, have had 4 deaths, surgeries, trauma. With my brother being in the
hospital and I spending time there, I find myself reading from “Daughters in My
Kingdom”. Luone, will you read from page 33 please?
“I will not try to describe how we
traveled through storms of snow, wind, and rain; how roads had to be made,
bridges built, and rafts constructed; how our poor animals had to drag on day
after day with scanty feed; nor how our camps suffered from poverty, sickness,
and death. We were consoled...by having our public and private meetings in
peace, praying and singing the sons of Zion, and rejoicing that we were leaving
our persecutors far behind. We were further consoled by seeing the power of God
manifested through the laying on of the hands of the elders, causing the sick
to be healed, and the lame to walk. The Lord was with us and his power was made
manifest daily.”
“The women also found spiritual strength
in each other's love and compassion. Throughout the journey, as they suffered
trials of illness and death, they prayed in faith for each other and comforted
each other. “The love of God flowed from heart to heart,” wrote Helen Mar
Whitney, “till the wicked one seemed powerless in his efforts to get between us
and the Lord, and his cruel darts, in some instances, were shorn of their
sting.”
Question: What blessings and gifts came from their trials?
Amy W: Their reliance on each other. Their
relationships and their sisterhood was strengthened.
I think of the word 'choice'. What is the
difference between being happy and of good cheer?
Those women had to leave their home, they were
starving – were they happy? Were they of good cheer?
Luone: Their travels were difficult.
Joseph Smith, was he happy to be tarred and
feathered? To lose his children, to have all those trails? What is the
difference between being happy and to be of good cheer? He was not happy but he
was of good cheer. Why?
Pat H: The Savior said: “Be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world”.
Lynette: I think of “What will not destroy me, makes me
stronger”.
Karen M: My daughters children attend an elementary
school and there is a child there who has no arms and legs and is in a wheel
chair. They had a dance festival last week and he was dancing in his wheel
chair. He could move that wheel chair and he was all smiles. He could do a lot
with his positive attitude, and so can we.
Holly: Knowing that I have the Lord's hand in my life
makes me happy. To know that I am not forgotten; I'm happy He is there with me.
Alisa: I think of Joseph Smith saying to the Lord, “Oh
God, where art thou? We'll say the same thing. Along those same line, there is
hope and belief in Jesus Christ that it will not be forever. That in the end
all injustices will be made up to us. I have not enjoyed messy diapers, staying
up at nights, having them bump into you, etc. I have not enjoyed those moments,
and have felt very guilty that I haven't always enjoyed them. But I can see the
difference between being 'happy' and being of 'good cheer'. There are the sweet
moments that I do enjoy with them. And I know that they will grow up and I
won't have to deal with the 'everyday' things.
Amy W: Elder Bednar in his talk “The Enabling Power
of the Atonement” tells us that we tend to remember the Atonement when it
benefits us when we make mistakes, repent and have need for forgiveness. It is
not just when we call upon him for those blessings, but also the Atonement is
when we need extra strength, when we are doing everything right. These people
were applying the atonement, they expected the Savior and the Atonement to
bring them through their trials.
Janet S: Sometimes I think of the huge problems that we
don't seem to be able to resolve; but when I'm looking for his tender mercies
on the little problems, I find that he is there. Look for the small moments. I
was driving my children to Salt Lake where they were going to perform at the
Salt Palace and was past the point of the mountain, and had not allowed for
extra time, when I realized that we had forgotten the music stands. Some of the
children had their music memorized, but two of them didn't. The thought came to
me as I approached the Church Office Building that the Joseph Smith Memorial Building
would probably have stands that I could borrow. A brother there told me that
one room was opened and that there may be one stand there. Sure enough, one
stand,. Then I thought that maybe a Relief Society room would have one, and
sure enough there was one there. I had my two music stands. I need to remember
the tender mercies for me. I know that the Lord is watching out for us.
Pat H: The atonement enables us to live from day to
day. I have often pondered what could the be worse adversity I would have to go
through. In my own opinion, I have finally concluded that the worse adversity
for me would be to have one child kill another of my children. Well, Adam and
Eve went through that one. It can't get any worse. The Atonement enables me and
we are allowed to go through trials and Christ is there. It allows me to see
the Lord enabling power for all. To trust in that enabling power gives me hope.
Thank you Pat. I look to you for an example of
strength amid adversity. As I listened to your Women's Conference talk, that to
be would be my worse trial. Heavenly Father places people in our lives, to
bless us, like finding food at our doorsteps, cards, etc. Heavenly Father wants
to bless us. He wants us to include Him, but he will not take away our trials,
because trials are to help us. I testify that there are those beyond the veil,
loved ones, those whose temple work we do, that are cheering us on. Nephi, “O
wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul
grieveth because of mine iniquities. I am encompassed about, because of the
temptations and the sins which do so easily beset me. And when I desire to
rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I
have trusted.”
Elder Orson F Whitney: “No pain that we
suffer, no trial that we experience is wasted. All that we suffer
– and all that we endure, especially when we endure it patiently, builds up our
characters, purifies our hearts, expands our souls, and makes us more tender
and charitable. It is through sorrow and suffering, toil and tribulation that
we gain the education we came here to acquire.”
I know that each of us does not want to forsake
that education. We have made promises, and this is the probationary state, the
time to prepare.
I have found joy in read the book “Divine
Signature” In the book is the story of a Mission President in Brazil who has a
new Brazilian missionary who is very timid. He assigned him to a Senior
companion and they go out tracting. The Senior companion knocks on a door and
show him how to do it. The second door is his and he knocks on the door and who
opens the door but his sister. She had run away from home, the parents' hearts
were broken, they had all prayed for her and didn't know where she was. His
first missionary interaction and it was his sister. She becomes his first
convert. The divine signature is attached, Heavenly Father is involved. It's
like saying 'brought to you by Heavenly Father'.
Elder Eyring: Great blessings come from
adversity that more than compensate for any cost.”
QUESTION: How can we lay an unshakable foundation of faith
and unshakable spiritual strength to help us whether the storms, floods, and
waves of adversity?
We live in perilous time. Life is not a piece of
cake, can't say that no one is suffering. We all have trials. The key is fund
on faith and strength that is build on a rock. I can do hard things.
Luone: We as women pray for each other, we support each
other. Visiting Teaching does that, we share our experiences, those stories
that help us gain strength and hope.
There are ministering angels on the earth. My
visiting teachers ministered to me. I was so tired, and had no strength while I
was in the hospital with my brother, but one night I saw Lindsey Hawley's face
in my mind. She had said they would be there to help, but she needed to know,
that I had to tell her. So in the middle of the night I texted her and asked
her to pray for me. What can I do, she said, I have been praying for you. Do
you need a meal? No, I said, but then Friday would be nice. Thursday was a long
night and as I started home, I found myself falling asleep while driving, so I
decided to stop and get my nails done and I did fall asleep there. I got home
and tried to sleep, but I had all these thoughts running through my head and
then I ended up with a house full of people. They were hungry and I remembered
that my visiting teachers were bringing food, but I thought it would not be
enough. There were 10 of us. I heard people upstairs, but didn't want to go up.
It was like the fishes and the loaves. They brought so much good food. We ate
every crumb. I cried to know that I was not forgotten. It didn't take away the
stress, but it sweetened the experience.
I want to share with you my favorite scripture –
D&C 84:88
“And whoso receiveth you, there I will be
also,for I will go before your face, I will be on your right hand and on your
left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you,
to bear you up.”
As a young girl, I wanted this in my life. It is
such a comfort to me. It's true, angel do bear us up. The scriptures, the words
of the prophets bear us up. We can be of good cheer. We have the gospel of
Jesus Christ. It's not just for the sinner, but for us when we can't figure things
out, when we are depress. We love joy, blessings, goodness. We cling to every
good thing. It was interesting, I thought this lesson was for you, but I will
email it to my brother.
I want to be like Brother Webster from the
Martin handcart company.
“Was I sorry I chose to come by handcart?
No. Neither then nor any minute of my life since. The price we paid to become
acquainted with God was a privilege to pay.”
I want to live my life in such a way to want to
be acquainted with God. This journey will prepare us. I can't imagine how
wonderful it will be.
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