April Presidency Message from Sister Kay Sampson…

Dear Sisters,

There is something about children that softens our hearts and searches our souls. They are so innocent, honest, teachable, trusting, of whom our Savoir said, “Except ye…become as little children, ye shall not enter…the kingdom of heaven.”

Elder Richard L. Evans said, “One should not rest well, it seems, with thoughts of children growing up in ignorance; not taught of God, of life, its purpose; not taught of cleanliness, honesty, morality; of children warped in their ways by the neglect or bad example of adults.” There are too many little ones around us that are growing up in neglect and troubled homes. There are those who are looking for a worthwhile cause to be involved in. We do great work at humanitarian endeavors and other causes but what about the children of our own stake and community? Maybe we need to turn to the cause of seeing that children are taught and cared for.

One of our granddaughters asked my husband if he could come to her school for “Dads and Doughnuts.” Her dad was out of town and could not go. So he went. When he came home, he told me of a little boy in our granddaughter’s class that did not have anyone to read with him and so my husband invited him to read with them. My husband said that the little boy was shabbily dressed and was in need of a bath. As they began to read, it was obvious that the little guy could not read. This broke my husband’s heart. He talked to the teacher after about the little boy and she said that he came from a dysfunctional home where the parents were not supportive at all.

“Every child,” said President David O. McKay, “has the right to feel that in his home he has a place of protection from the dangers and evils of the outside world. One should not sleep well while children are left unloved and lonely. God bless and watch over little children, and bless us to love and understand and teach and care for them and give them all we can of wholesomeness and happiness.”

“I think when I read that sweet story of old,

When Jesus was here among men,

How He called little children like lambs to His fold,

I should like to have been with Him them.”

May each of us find ways to reach out to our Heavenly Father’s little ones.

Sister Kay Sampson

Visiting Teaching

This message on visiting teaching from Sister Julie B. Beck is inspiring, motivating, informative, and heart, might, mind and soul opening!!! It will enhance and improve the way we as sisters feel about visiting teaching and it will be a great blessing in our stake if every sister will listen to this and make it a part of her life!  Click here:http://mormonchannel.org/relief-society/questions-and-answers/13

March Presidency Message:

Dear Relief Society Sisters,

Just a few days ago, my sister in law had her second child, a beautiful baby girl…born February 29^th J What fun it was to hold that sweet, new little girl! I wondered what she was thinking and what she remembered about our heavenly home. I also wondered what her life would be like…What kind of life would she create for herself through her choices surrounding the circumstances she will face?

Today, as I watched my children work together at building a few snowmen in our front yard, it brought to mind that same topic…CREATING.  I thought about the many things we can create in our lives and then I thought about the kind of life we create for ourselves.

What kind of life are we creating for ourselves through the choices surrounding our own circumstances? In a talk given by Joseph B. Wirthlin entitled, “The Abundant Life,” he says, “We are happiest when our lives are connected to others through unselfish love and service.”  What a true statement…each one of us knows the joy that comes into our lives when we create an atmosphere of love towards our fellowmen through simple acts of love, kindness, and service.

Yesterday, I witnessed someone reaching out to another as they shoveled snow from the sidewalks and driveway of a neighbor.  Then in return the neighbor who had been served, reaching out to thank the person who gave their time and energy in shoveling their snow with a card of thanks letting her know that she was their ‘snow angel.’

As I have thought about recognizing what kind of life I am ‘CREATING’ on a daily basis, I know it is important to remember that there really is a ‘spark of greatness within each one of us,’ just as Elder Wirthlin says…and so I will end with a quote from his talk which says:

“There is a spark of greatness within every one of us – a gift from our loving and eternal Heavenly Father. What we do with that gift is up to us.

Love the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. Enlist in great and noble causes. Create of your homes sanctuaries of holiness and strength. Magnify your callings in the Church. Fill your minds with learning. Strengthen your testimonies. Reach out to others.

…Sisters, the abundant life does not come to us packaged and ready-made. It’s not something we can order and expect to find delivered with the afternoon mail. It does not come without hardship or sorrow.

It comes through faith, hope, and charity….Who knows of what we are capable if we only try? The abundant life is within our reach if only we will drink deeply of living water, fill our hearts with love, and create of our lives a masterpiece.”

I know that we really can create of our lives a masterpiece as we rely on our Savior, Jesus Christ and the enabling power of His Atonement… We can learn to become like Him.

Much Love,

Sister Jocelyn Walker

Increasing our Faith & Personal Righteousness...

In the February Visiting Teaching message, Sister Barbara Thompson says, “The greatest help we will have in strengthening families is to know and follow the doctrines of Christ and rely on Him to help us.” Lately I have really been thinking about this and have come to know even more just how true it is. I believe that when true doctrine is understood and becomes a part of a person…like way down deep in the heart and in the mind, it can change us and we become more like our Savior. We ourselves become strengthened which enables us to strengthen our families even more.

I came across a quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, where he talks about the doctrine of repentance and reminds us of the importance of really understanding how a person truly can be purified and made new again. 

He says, “We learn that when repentance is complete we are born again and leave behind forever the self we once were. To me, none of the many approaches to teaching repentance falls more short than the well-intentioned suggestion that ‘although a nail may be removed from a wooden post, there will forever be a hole in that post.’ We know that repentance (the removal of that nail, if you will) can be a very long and painful and difficult task….But where repentance is possible and its requirements are faithfully pursued and completed, there is no ‘hole left in the post’ for the bold reason that it is no longer the same post. It is a new post. We can start again, utterly clean, with a new will and a new way of life. Through repentance we are changed to what Alma calls ‘new creatures’ (Mosiah 27:26)… Repentance and baptism allow Christ to purify our lives in the blood of the Lamb and we are clean again. What we were, we never have to be again…Christ is the power behind all repentance.
("Alma, Son of Alma,” Ensign, March 1977, pg. 82-83). *This is a great talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland.

Truly understanding the doctrine of repentance gives a person hope

through our loving Savior, Jesus Christ.

Strengthening our Families...

The following article came from the Church News entitled, "Essential Ingredient"

By the end of the day, this typical Latter-day Saint family is just barely hanging on. One child is racing to soccer practice, another to piano lessons. A third has a school project due in the morning. The dad, who is called to serve with the youth in the Church, has only a few minutes after work before he needs to be to the meetinghouse.

And the mother is trying to help the younger child with homework in between driving the older children to their many activities. Something has to give. Let's hope it is not family dinner.

Researchers at one of America's most prestigious universities have called family dinner an essential ingredient in the recipe for raising happy, healthy children. In addition, family dinner is a predictor in keeping children away from unhealthy behaviors. More than a decade of research by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University has consistently found that the more often children eat dinner with their families, the less likely they are to smoke, drink or use drugs. "If I could wave a magic wand to make a dent in our nation's substance abuse problem, I would make sure that every child in America had dinner with his or her parents at least five times a week.," said Joseph A. Califano Jr., chairman and president of the center (http://casafamilyday.org/familyday).

According to researchers, frequent family dinners are associated with lower teen substance abuse. Compared to teens who have five to seven family dinners in a typical week, teens who dine with their families fewer than three nights in a typical week are two times more likely to have tried marijuana, more than twice as likely to have tried alcohol," according to the center's 2006 report, "The Importance of Family Dinners." (part 3).

The report also found that frequent family dinners are associated with higher academic performance. Teens who have dinner with their families five to seven times in a typical week are more likely to get A's and B's in school compared to teens who dine with their families fewer than three times per week.

Further, academic performance is associated with substance abuse risk; teens who report receiving grades of C or lower are at twice the risk of substance abuse as those who report receiving all A's or A's and B's (Church News, "Family dinner," Sept. 8, 2007)

All in all, there are numerous benefits to family dinners. Families that eat together have children who:

1. Eat healthier meals.
2. Are less likely to become overwieght or obese.
3. Are more likely to stay away from cigarettes
4. Are less likely to drink alcohol.
5. Are less likely to try marijuana.
6. Are less likely to use illicit drugs.
7. Are less likely to have friends who abuse prescription drugs.
8. Will get better grades in school.
9. Will talk to their parents more.
10. Will be more likely to tell parents about serious problems.
11. Will be more likely to feel that their parents are proud of them.
12. Will live in a home where there is less stress and tension. (http://children.webmd.com/guide/family-dinners-are-important).

"Remember, the family is one of God's greatest fortresses against the evils of our day," said President Ezra Taft Benson during the April 1986 General Conference. "Help keep your family strong and close and worthy of our Father in Heaven's blessings. As you do, you will recieve faith and strength which will bless your lives forever."

President Spencer W. Kimball once compared activities associated "with the saving of the family" to an umbrella. "If the umbrella is not opened, it is little more than a cane and can give little protection from the storms of nature. Likewise, God-given plans are of little value unless they are used." (The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball p. 334).

The First Presidency declared, in a Feb. 11, 1999, letter, that "however worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform. Family dinner is one of those things.

In a day when experts have warned against what they call overscheduled children, it seems the best thing parents can do for their children is to stay home and sit down for regular meals. Research confirms it will do them more good than soccer and piano combined.

So when you are at the end of your wit's trying to meet the demanding daily needs of your family, it may be helpful to remember the catch phrase promoted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse: "What your kids really want for dinner is you!"

February Visiting Teaching Message

For additional study helps on the February Visiting Teaching message, "Guardians of the Hearth," listen to this informative message from the Mormon Channel.
Go to: http://mormonchannel.org/player/89029

“Tie Yourself To Relief Society...” A great quote from Sister Beck:

“My parents, who had been my neighbors, announced that they would be moving to another part of the world. I had relied on my mother’s nurturing, wise, and encouraging example. Now she was going to be gone for a long time. This was before email, fax machines, cell phones, and web cameras, and mail delivery was notoriously slow. One day before she left, I sat weeping with her and asked, “Who will be my mother?” Mother thought carefully, and with the Spirit and power of revelation which comes to women of this kind, she said to me, “If I never come back, if you never see me again, if I’m never able to teach you another thing, you tie yourself to Relief Society.

Relief Society will be your mother.”

Julie B. Beck

“Fulfilling the Purpose of Relief Society”