April 2016 Visiting Teaching Message and Handout

The message this month is called, "Daughters of Our Eternal Father".  You can find the full message HERE

I like this quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations.”



You can find this cute, free printable HERE


Go HERE to get this free printable. I love the thought provoking question!


Check out this cute idea!  It says "Reese pect your Divine Nature. 'The spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.'" Romans 8:16  Find this free printable HERE




This sister had the idea to give some gardening supplies along with her handout. You can get her free printable HERE

It Works Wonderfully!

Our lesson last Sunday was taught by Bonnie on the talk "It Works Wonderfully!" by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf. You can find the full talk HERE.

As usual, I want to share some of my favorite quotes from the talk.

Not long ago I saw a quote that made me stop and think. It went like this: “Tell a man there are trillions of stars in the universe, and he’ll believe you. Tell him there’s wet paint on the wall, and he’ll touch it just to be sure.”

Haha, isn't it true? We're always so quick to not trust what we're told (at least I am)!  President Uchtdorf tells his experience being a patient. How he kept second guessing his doctor, and looking up information for himself on the internet. He goes on to say:

It took me a little while before I realized the irony of what I was doing. Of course, researching things for ourselves is not a bad idea. But I was disregarding truth I could rely on and instead found myself being drawn to the often-outlandish claims of Internet lore.

Sometimes, the truth may just seem too straightforward, too plain, and too simple for us to fully appreciate its great value. So we set aside what we have experienced and know to be true in pursuit of more mysterious or complicated information. Hopefully we will learn that when we chase after shadows, we are pursuing matters that have little substance and value.

President Uchtdorf encourages us to ask questions of ourselves. I wonder if we as Church members might also benefit from asking ourselves from time to time: “Is my experience in the Church working for me? Is it bringing me closer to Christ? Is it blessing me and my family with peace and joy as promised in the gospel?”  He says there are many that can answer yes to these questions- that they are having a wonderful experience in the church, and they feel peace and joy.   But, there are some who are not having such a good experience, and they don't feel fulfilled.

This saddens me because I know firsthand how the gospel can invigorate and renew one’s spirit—how it can fill our hearts with hope and our minds with light. I know for myself how the fruits of the gospel of Jesus Christ can transform lives from the ordinary and dreary to the extraordinary and sublime.

But why does it seem to work better for some than for others? What is the difference between those whose experience in the Church fills their souls with songs of redeeming love2 and those who feel that something is lacking?

As I have pondered these questions, a flood of thoughts came to mind. Today, I’d like to share two.

Simplify  

First: are we making our discipleship too complicated? I think this is a wonderful question, and the answer for many of us women in the church is yes!

...sometimes we take the beautiful lily of God’s truth and gild it with layer upon layer of man-made good ideas, programs, and expectations. Each one, by itself, might be helpful and appropriate for a certain time and circumstance, but when they are laid on top of each other, they can create a mountain of sediment that becomes so thick and heavy that we risk losing sight of that precious flower we once loved so dearly.

Therefore, as leaders we must strictly protect the Church and the gospel in its purity and plainness and avoid putting unnecessary burdens on our members.

And all of us, as members of the Church, we need to make a conscientious effort to devote our energy and time to the things that truly matter, while uplifting our fellowmen and building the kingdom of God.

Too often as sisters we feel pressure to make things look nice. We can put a lot of effort into the presentation of things- making crafts and other lovely things to display, when those are things that don't really matter. I think being reminded to simplify and go back to the basics is good for us. 

President Uchtdorf says that if the gospel isn't working well for you, take a "...step back, look at your life from a higher plane, and simplify your approach to discipleship. Focus on the basic doctrines, principles, and applications of the gospel. I promise that God will guide and bless you on your path to a fulfilling life, and the gospel will definitely work better for you."

Start Where You Are

...Sometimes we feel discouraged because we are not “more” of something—more spiritual, respected, intelligent, healthy, rich, friendly, or capable. Naturally, there is nothing wrong with wanting to improve. God created us to grow and progress. But remember, our weaknesses can help us to be humble and turn us to Christ, who will “make weak things become strong.” Satan, on the other hand, uses our weaknesses to the point that we are discouraged from even trying.

Satan loves to put us down, make us feel discouraged and depressed. He knows that if he can stop us from even trying because we feel no hope, then he has won- there can be no chance of success if there is no effort!

I learned in my life that we don’t need to be “more” of anything to start to become the person God intended us to become.

God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you. All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord.

...My dear brothers and sisters, if we look at ourselves only through our mortal eyes, we may not see ourselves as good enough. But our Heavenly Father sees us as who we truly are and who we can become. He sees us as His sons and daughters, as beings of eternal light with everlasting potential and with a divine destiny

I Was a Stranger: Letter from the Relief Society, Young Women and Primary General Presidents

I Was a Stranger: Letter from the First Presidency

I Was a Stranger: Guidelines, Questions and Answers

I Was a Stranger

Woman's conference was last weekend, and Sister Linda K. Burton, the Relief Society General President has asked Latter-day Saint Women to "serve the refugees living in your neighborhoods and communities."  (You can find her full talk HERE)

“There are more than 60 million refugees including forcibly displaced people worldwide. Half of those are children,” said Sister Linda K. Burton. “These individuals have undergone tremendous difficulties and are starting over in new countries and cultures. While there are sometimes organizations that help them with a place to live and basic necessities, what they need is a friend and ally who can help them adjust to their new home, a person who can help them learn the language, understand the systems, and feel connected.”

“This is an opportunity to serve one on one, in families, and by organization to offer friendship, mentoring, and other Christlike service and is one of many ways sisters can serve,” she said.

Sister Burton said on the day Relief Society was organized, Emma Smith declared, “We are going to do something extraordinary..."

A First Presidency letter sent to the Church on October 27, 2015, expressed great concern and compassion for the millions of people who have fled their homes seeking relief from civil conflict and other hardships, Sister Burton explained. The First Presidency invited individuals, families, and Church units to participate in Christlike service in local refugee relief projects and to contribute to the Church humanitarian fund, where practical. (You can find more information about the first presidency letter HERE)

“The general presidencies of the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary have considered how to respond to the First Presidency’s invitation. We know that you, our beloved sisters of all ages, come from all walks of life and live in varied circumstances. Each member of this worldwide sisterhood has covenanted at baptism to ‘comfort those that stand in need of comfort’ (Mosiah 4:27). Yet we must remember that none of us should run faster than we have strength.”

With these truths in mind, the Church has organized the “I was a stranger” relief effort, she said. “Sisters, we know that reaching out to others with love matters to the Lord.”  Check out "I Was a Stranger" website HERE

Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration

I missed church yesterday because my family has the dreaded cold and HFM disease going around. But I still read the lesson and would like to mention my favorite quotes.  You can find the full lesson HERE

Many times the gospel [has] been given to the world through the prophets, and each time [it has been] lost because of disobedience. In the year 1820 the silence was broken, and the Lord again appeared to a prophet. This prophet, Joseph Smith, could testify of his own positive knowledge that God lives, that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, a Resurrected Being, separate and distinct from the Father. He did not testify as to what he believed or what he or others thought or conjectured, but of what he knew. This knowledge came to him because God the Father and the Son appeared to him in person and spoke to him.

God … revealed himself [to Joseph Smith] as a personal being. Furthermore, the Father and the Son demonstrated the undeniable truth that they are separate and distinct personages. Indeed, the relationship of the Father and the Son was reaffirmed by the divine introduction to the boy prophet, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” [Joseph Smith—History 1:17].

Those who rejected the Savior when he came to earth with the declaration that he was the Son of God said of him: “Is not this the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55.) When Joseph announced that he had seen a vision and had seen the Father and the Son, the query came to the minds and lips of the neighbors, the ministers, and the townspeople: “Is not this the farmer’s son?” Christ was persecuted and put to death, but time has been his vindicator. As with the carpenter’s son, so it has been with the farmer’s son.

I testify that the boy prophet, who in so many ways remains the central miracle … of this church’s experience, is living proof that, within God’s hands and under the direction of the Savior of the world, weak and simple things should come forth and break down the mighty and strong ones.

Through [Joseph Smith] and by subsequent events, the priesthood and the gospel in its fulness were once more restored to the earth, never again to be removed [see D&C 65:2]. The Church of Christ, the kingdom of God on earth, was reestablished and destined, according to scripture, to roll forth and fill the whole earth [see Daniel 2:35].

The coming of the Prophet Joseph into the world was the fulfillment of a prophecy uttered many centuries ago by Joseph who was sold into Egypt:

“A seer shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins. … And his name shall be called after me; and it shall be after the name of his father” (2 Nephi 3:6, 15).

Joseph Smith, Jr., was called after the name of Joseph of old who was carried captive into Egypt, and also after the name of his father, Joseph Smith, Sr., thus fulfilling this prophecy. He is known as the Prophet Joseph Smith and is called “Joseph the Seer.” He is often referred to as “prophet, seer, and revelator.”

It's explained in the chapter that prophet, seer and revelator have different meanings.  A prophet is a teacher who expounds truth as revealed to him by God.  A seer is one who sees and knows of things which are past, and also of things which are to come.  A revelator is one who receives divine messages and can reveal truth through the spirit.

We praise Joseph not only for his capacity to endure but to “endure it well” (D&C 121:8). Early on, as a boy, there was the painful operation on his leg—without which surgery he could not have made the later arduous Zion’s Camp march from Ohio to Missouri. During the march Joseph “walked most of the time and had a full proportion of blistered, bloody, and sore feet” [Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, 287]. Likewise, we praise him and Emma for enduring the sorrowful loss of six of their natural and adopted children to early death. Parents who have lost even one child are filled with empathy.

We praise Joseph for enduring bitter and repeated betrayals and disappointments. Thus, he went to Carthage “like a lamb to the slaughter,” “calm as a summer’s morning,” and “void of offense towards … all men” (D&C 135:4). He did not go to Carthage bitterly. He did not go to Carthage complainingly. What a marvelous capacity to endure well!

Joseph knew which way he faced. It was toward the Savior Jesus Christ to whom he listened ever since our Heavenly Father first instructed young Joseph, saying, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” [Joseph Smith—History 1:17]