Sunday Snippet

This weeks lesson was given by Nicole and the topic was "The Atonement".
Nicole divided us into 5 groups and we discussed sections of the lesson within our groups.
The topics were
1. The Atonement is necessary for our salvation.
2. Jesus Christ was the only one who could Atone for our sins
3. Christ suffered and died to Atone for our sins.
4. The Atonement and resurrection bring resurrection to all.
5. The Atonement makes it possible for those who have faith in Christ to be saved from their sins.

A spokesperson from each group then explained to the class what ideas their group had on the topic.
Nicole finished the lesson with a parable on justice and mercy, and how the only way to show mercy and to satisfy justice is to have a mediator. Someone who is prepared to pay our debts for us.

'Our sins are our spiritual debts. Without Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and Mediator, we would all pay for our sins by suffering spiritual death. But because of Him, if we will keep His terms, which are to repent and keep His commandments, we may return to live with our Heavenly Father.

It is wonderful that christ has provided us a way to be healed from our sins, He said:
"Behold, I have come unto the world ... to save the world from sin."
"Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a litttle child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold, for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again; therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved"
(3 Nephi 9:21-22).'

Sunday Snippet

Sorry everyone...I missed last week.  I was sick!

So this weeks post is about the lovely lesson Emi gave us on Sunday.
It was about the life of the Savior, the things he taught, the miracles he performed and the example he set.
We watched parts of two dvd's;  'Special Witnesses of Christ' and  'Finding Faith in Christ'.
Emi posed two questions:
1. How can we love God?
2. How can we love our Neighbour.

We broke in to four groups and came up with a few ideas:
know Him (through prayer, study, service)
Be obedience (the 'O' factor, how is yours?)
Acknowledge Him in all aspects of life
Trust in Him, rely on His guidance
Respect and appreciate others and all creations
Become part of His plan.  Have a sense of partnership with Him
Love unconditionally as the Savior & Heavenly Father do.
Accept & fulfill callings
Be humble
Look after our families
Care for those around us
Live the Gospel
Listen to the Spirit
Be temple worthy
Be thankful
Keep the commandments
Ask for blessings
feed our testimony
Be helpful
create opportunities to serve
Love the sisters we visit teach
Always give people the benefit of the doubt
Don't judge
Be honest with ourselves and others
Count your blessings
Learn to cook - making a meal for someone might make their day!
Make the right choices
keep on going, even when we have had enough!

Quite an extensive list.  I'm sure there's something for everyone there.

Announcements:

• Starting in July we will have RS Meetings (activities) every 4th Tuesday of the month
• Alyssa Thomasson will be getting baptised July 3 10am
• If you are participating in Week at the Temple, you MUST book in to sessions with Bro Stokes

Sunday Snippet

Announcements:

Youth Sports Activity Saturday 12 June (Huonville)

Week @ Temple schedules to Bro Stokes

Indoor Soccer competition starts Friday 11th June

On Sunday I taught and we started with a fun game then talked about the different things that are precious to us.  Friends, family, health, special trinkets, family heirlooms & the gospel were among a few we talked about.

The Gospel, and more specifically, Relief Society (RS) is precious to me and something I need in my life.

Shortly after the Church was organised Joseph Smith also organised the Relief Society.  He said, "The church was never perfectly organised until the women were thus organised...".  It's good to know that RS is an essential part of the church.  It is my desire that each of us will understand why it is essential in our lives.

What does RS do for those women who choose to embrace it as part of their life? How does it bless families, homes and individuals? This is a question that was posed on Sunday and each sister present was able to share their thoughts with everyone.  The list was a long one and included; 

leadership skills

organisation

friendship & diversity in friends, companionship

a sense of belonging

love & respect

discovery of gifts, talents, abilities

opportunities to serve (VT, compassionate service)

skills for motherhood

self-reliance

knowledge

preparation for the temple & other covenants

help in staying true

identity & self-worth

Sister Allred (of the General RS Presidency) has a daughter named Norma.  She once said, "Your attendance at relief Society Sunday meetings will bless you...but your participation in the work of Relief Society will bless the whole church."

And the General Relief Society Presidency have this message for us:

"Whether you are young or old, single or married, widowed or living in a family, we want you to bless your life and home with the influence and power of Relief Society"

Our Previous Prophet, President Hinckley had some wonderful things to say about the women in our lives.  We watched this on Sunday, it only goes for about 3 minutes.  Click to watch this short address.

I believe that one of the most useful resources we have as an organisation is each other.  I believe that Heavenly Father intended for us to teach each other, to use our talents, abilities and gifts to help and enrich each others lives. I believe that within the Hobart ward we have a goldmine of things to offer each other but I also believe that this resource is mostly untapped.  As a Presidency and with the help of our Relief Society Meeting Coordinators, we plan to change that!!

In small groups on Sunday, sisters compiled an extensive list of the talents, gifts, and abilities of those in their group.  In the same manner another extensive list was made, this one contained things people need or want to learn, experiences and activities people would like to be involved in, skills they would like to have etc.  The plan is to use these lists when we plan lessons and activities for Relief Society.  I'm guessing that the first activity will have something to do with learning how to handle 'Man Tools!'

While I was planning this lesson, I was very aware that we have many sisters who do not attend church, and are not participating in RS.  I feel very strongly that we need to reach out to these women and take up the call from our Relief Society General Presidency when they said,


"...To those of you who already attend Relief Society, we extend a call.  We ask you to go to the women who are not engaged in relief Society work in your wards and branches to teach them with love what Relief Society will do for them.  Testify to them that Relief Society will enrich their homes and personal lives.  Offer your friendship and sisterhood.  Watch over and strengthen them.  Help us reverse society's trend of disintegrating families.  Help your sisters turn to the Lord and His plan of happiness for His children.  They will find guidance, comfort, peace, understanding, and inspiration.  They will know Heavenly Father loves then and cares for them in ways beyond measure."

Blanche 

P.S If you would like to read the talk that inspired this lesson it is 'Every woman needs Relief Society' - Nov 2009 Ensign.

Sunday Snippet

Ward Conference 2010

Our Relief Society lesson was led by the Stake Relief Society Presidency; Katie, Olan, Lesley and Lyn.  The focus was very much our divine role as women and teachers in the home.  Each of us has the capacity to have a positive influence that reaches into many facets of life; school, home, church, community, workplace, to name a few.  We have many examples available to us of righteous, successful women who can help us in our efforts to teach and nurture those we have stewardship for.  Each of us is at a different place in our lives, each of us has our own specific talents, gifts and abilities, we are all unique.  Having said that though, there is something common to us all regardless of our situation in life, we are all daughters of God and he has blessed each of us with the capacity to love and serve.  If we humble ourselves before Him, and are willing to be obedient, He will show us how we can best do this.




Announcements:

• Primary Activity 4 June 10-12 @ stake centre
• Week @ Temple schedule need to be in to Bro Stokes asap (both bro Stokes & I have schedules if you need)
• Stake Youth Sports Day 12 June
• Strengthening Marriage course to start 18 June (see Bishopric or RS Presidency if you'd like to participate) The course will consist of six 90 minute classes taught over 6 weeks by Bro Andrew & Sis Fran Ross.  It is the hope of the Stake Presidency that every couple will have the opportunity to participate over time.
• Tithing Settlement interviews - there is a sign up sheet on the ward notice board

Sunday Snippet

Hello!! Oh my heck, I have just spent the last hour trying to find the notes that I took in Relief Society today.... here they are!!!

Today in Relief Society Sister Angela gave the lesson taken from the talk The Love of God, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf . The scriptures shared were:
John 14:15
Matthew 22:37-38
Matthew 22:39
Angela asks us Why are we commanded to love God?
If we love him, we will more likely take on his ways and want to become more like him. His glory is not diminished if we do not love him, it is for our benefit.
What we love determines what we seek, what we seek determines what we think and do, what we think and do determines who we are and who we become.
Angela asked us to remember those feelings of falling in love for the first time, you would do anything for that person.
If we do not develop our love of God we may be less likely to do what he asks... his commandments might feel inconvenient to follow, like a duty or chore, we may be reluctant to act.... all these things lead to a rebellious nature.
Love is the source of bliss and heavy burdens, to love the wrong things can bring us misery, the love of good brings us joy.
We can come to know God by reading the scriptures, as we come to know him we will love him and want to follow him.

Thank you Angela for a great lesson.

Blanche gave the five minute music today. She shared a lovely story about passing judgement and bubbles.... well worth a read.

Of Bubbles and Blame Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell
The story is told of an inquisitive widow in 17th-century England who lived next to a man she considered quite eccentric. Each day her neighbor would sit outside in the heat of the sun and, for hours at a time, blow soap bubbles through a clay pipe, staring at them until they popped.

One day, the woman received a visit from a Fellow of the Royal Society, England’s renowned academy of science. When she described this bizarre behavior, her visitor asked if he could get a better look at the man she described as a poor lunatic.

“That poor lunatic,” he said, “is none other than the great Sir Isaac Newton, who is studying the refraction of light upon thin plates—a phenomenon beautifully exhibited upon the surface of common soap bubbles.”¹

It’s easy to find fault in others. But when we do, we may be revealing more about ourselves than those we criticize. The famed psychologist Carl Jung wrote, “Everything that is unconscious in ourselves we discover in our neighbour, and we treat him accordingly.”² In other words, sometimes our hasty judgment of others stems from the worst that is in us rather than what we assume is the worst in them.

We may think we know a hundred bad things about someone. But there may be one thing about him or her that we don’t know—something that, if we truly understood it, could completely change our perspective.

The next time we are tempted to judge someone else, perhaps the story of the widow and her eccentric neighbor will remind us that the faults of others, even when they seem real, may in fact be nothing more than bubbles that disappear in the sunlight of knowledge, compassion, and understanding.

Announcements.....Priesthood meeting... if you did not go you already missed it... tonight 7pm
Activity night 7-8pm... bring books
Ward Bush walk 3-5pm this Saturday at the Reeds home, BBQ provided.
Stake Indoor Soccer 11 June... need to advise if wish to form a team or play
Strengthening Marriage course starting soon, see Bishopric member if you wish to attend, Family course soon after.

Well that is all folks!!!
(How about that gorgeous bubble picture?!)
Happy Week.
xx Fiona

Sunday Snippet

"We thank thee, O God, for a prophet 
to guide us in these latter days" 

(Hymns, no.19)

Today's lesson ( Prophets of God, chapter 9 in the Gospel Principles manual) was taught by Emi Nagasaka.
We discussed the powers and gifts a prophet has, the many ways prophets have guided God's children in the past and what we can and have learned from the lives and teachings of the prophets.
We talked about President Monson, our living prophet on the earth today and why we need him.  We looked closely at what we can do to follow and sustain the President of the Church:

• Pray for him - his burdens are heavy, and he needs to be strengthened by our prayers.
• Study his words - listen to his conference address, read the Ensign or Liahona.
• Follow his inspired teachings completely - we shouldn't follow only part of his counsel and discard that which is unpleasant or difficult.  In D&C 21:4-5 it says:

"Thou shalt give heed unto all his words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them, walking in all holiness before me; For his word, ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith"

Do you know what President Monson has taught or emphasized recently?  If not why not have a read of the April 2010 General Conference in the May '10 Ensign or click here to read it online.  You could also check out one of President Monson's talks at the previous conference here or read it in the November '09 Ensign.
If we obey, the Lord promises:

"The gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his names glory" (D&C 21:6)

When we do as our prophet directs, blessings pour down from heaven.



Announcements

• CES Broadcast 5.30pm @ Rosny tonight
• YW General Broadcast 6.30pm @ Rosny tonight
• Saturday 22 May 10.30 Stake RS Activity @ stake centre
• Primary activity day 26th May 7-8pm 
• Primary Activity 4th June 10am @ stake centre
• Week at the Temple - if you wish to participate please book sessions with Bro Stokes (RS Presidency have schedules available)
• Family in Need - if you are able to help out the family who lost everything to a house fire please contact a member of the RS Presidency or Angela Stewart.  
• Baptism - Luke (Sharon Morrisby's son) will be baptised on Saturday at 2pm.
• Brother Ray Baldwin's Funeral is scheduled for Wednesday 1pm - please check the Mercury Newspaper for further details.

Til next time,

Blanche

Sunday

This week we welcomed Katrina Smith into Relief Society, she turned 18 last Friday!! Say Hi to Katrina when you see her.

Our lesson was given by Sister Carmen Bell, the topic Service. Elder Cooks talk 'Stewardship' and President Monsons talk 'What have I done for someone today' provided the inspiration for her lesson.

We have a stewardship not only for ourselves but for our family, friends, belongings and those other responsibilities in life.

We have all benefited from the service of others. We also can help people around us. We read in these scriptures...

Galations 5:13
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

Luke 9:24
For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.

Mosiah 2:17
And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Often we think we are too busy to serve. We all have important duties in our lives but if we are not careful we can find ourselves immersed in the thick of thin things and neglect important causes.

It is easy to serve simple acts of kindness, a smile or a listening ear can make a difference in the lives of those around you.

Some ideas....
Cook a meal
Babysit
Dropping our own agenda to help others
Being available
Visit people on the Sabbath
Help with restless children in sacrament
Talk to people to find out their needs
Visit old age facilities
Having a steady temperament
Love your own family and neighbours

Carmen has encouraged each sister to participate or be more fully aware of the acts of service offered this week.

Thank you Carmen for a lovely lesson.

Announcements...
22 May
Stake Relief Society Service Project
need to register

15th May
Aaronic Priesthood activity

16th May
Young Women activity

Have a great week and keep an eye out for new Visiting Teaching callings assignments soon. Sister Blanche explained that she had family support and even though her family lived overseas and down the Huon she still was able to stay in contact with them and see how they were going. She asked us to keep this in mind when we receive our VT assignments, showing care and keeping in contact is not something we do with those live close by.

xx Fiona