christmas sunday 2020

i always look forward to what we refer to as "christmas sunday" which for us is the closest sunday to christmas - as church is a weekly thing for us, not just an easter and christmas thing. it's the sunday when we have our christmas program, with talks about christmas and carols and the christmas spirit. i think however, someone at church missed the memo, cause it was the least christmassy service i've ever sat through. hahaha. thank goodness for church thogyh, i feel very lucky to still be having face to face church when so many around the world are still suffering with the pandemic in full swing around them.

this may be my favourite photo with joseph ever. he just looks so happy! i love his messy hair. (grandma does not hahah)

and someone stuck this little monkey in a tree and he was thrilled to pieces. 

the countdown is on, just 5 days until christmas!

 

spiritual capacity: a young womens lesson

it was my turn to teach young womens this past sunday and i had been spending a lot of time thinking about what i would like to teach the lesson on. i had heard this talk from general conference once already as mum liked it and asked me to listen to it - and then again when it came up in the 40 days of general conference (i like to do this after each conference to ensure i have managed to listen to them all!). it was this second time that i realised we had discussed a lot recently that not many of our girls were good at knowing when the lord was trying to tell them something, or in fact just what personal revelation even is! bingo. this was a perfect topic to use for our girls. although they don't talk much, i know this lesson made them think and it was a great way for them to recognise when and how they might receive their own revelation.

to tailor this to your individual classes:

sister craigs original talk can be found here

discussion ideas and questions here

printable (and many others!) can be found here

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Spiritual Capacity

By Michelle Craig

As Jesus Christ’s faithful disciple, you can receive personal inspiration and revelation, consistent with His commandments, that is tailored to you.

“How can I tell when God is trying to tell me something?” I love this question. Our souls long for a connection with our heavenly home. We want to feel needed and useful. But at times we struggle to distinguish between our own thoughts and the gentle impressions of the Spirit. Prophets, ancient and modern, have taught that if something “invites and entices to do good, it comes from Christ.”

President Russell M. Nelson has extended a simple, powerful invitation: “My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. … Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.”

We are going to talk about four ways to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.

1. Be Intentional about Creating Time and Space to Hear God’s Voice

As you use your agency to carve out time every day to draw close to God’s voice, especially in the Book of Mormon, over time His voice will become clearer and more familiar to you.

In contrast, the distractions and noise that fill the world and our homes and our lives can make it more difficult to hear His voice. These distractions can so occupy our minds and hearts that we leave no room for the gentle promptings of the Holy Ghost.

The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that most often God reveals Himself “to individuals in private, in their chamber; in the wilderness or fields, and that generally without noise or tumult.”

Satan wants to separate us from God’s voice by keeping us out of those quiet places. If God speaks in a still, small voice, you and I need to draw close to hear Him. Just imagine what would happen if we were as intent on staying connected with heaven as we are on staying connected to Wi-Fi! Pick a time and place, and listen for God’s voice every day. And keep this sacred appointment with exactness, for so very much depends on it!

Many years ago when I was in the ward young womens presidency I was intent on my girls having a witness for themselves that they were in the right place and doing the right thing. I wanted them to ask their Heavenly Father to let them know that the church was indeed true. So while on our ward young womens camp out on my parents property we went out for a walk. Their property backs onto 4000 hectares of bushland so it is secluded, quiet and peaceful, allowing the noise of the world to not be a part of our day. We hiked up a hill and at the top spoke of Joseph Smith's desire to know of the truth. We then sent each girl in different directions to kneel, pray and speak to Heavenly Father. We didn't make a big deal about it afterwards so as to allow them to feel something within themselves, but I know it made a difference to many of them at that critical teenage time in their lives.

So girls… how can we know that God is trying to tell us something?

How do we know the difference between the promptings of the Holy Ghost and our own thoughts?

How can we remove distractions to better hear the Holy Ghost?

(Spend some time each day technology free, spend time each day in the quiet, pray and then pause after you pray!)

What are some things we might need to eliminate or rearrange in order to create time to ponder and pray for inspiration?

(social media, tv, tiktok, memes, wasting time…)

President Nelson has encouraged us to seek revelation. He said in his talk Hope of Israel at the worldwide youth devotional in June 2018, “You can learn for yourself—right now at your age—how to receive personal revelation. And nothing will make a bigger difference in your life than that!”

2. Act without Delay

When you receive promptings and then act with intention, the Lord can use you. The more you act, the more familiar the voice of the Spirit becomes. You will increasingly recognize God’s guidance and that He is “willing … to reveal His mind and will.” If you delay, you might forget the prompting or miss the chance to help someone for God.

What could cause us to delay in acting upon the promptings we receive?

(Inconvenience, effort required, might be something more difficult than we actually want to do, time of day, where we are, embarrassment)

I had recently been called as the ward relief society president not long after moving into Ellenbrook ward when I saw someone familiar to me in the local supermarket. Years earlier a girl about my age had been taught and baptised in our ward. She married a boy who was also a member, but not long after their marriage they had become less active and I'd seen or heard nothing of them since. We knew each other quite well, I had been called to serve as her visiting teacher and we'd had many conversations and spent quite a bit of time together. I decided I wouldn't say hello as it had been years and just continued to do my shopping and wheeled my trolley into the next aisle. That's when I knew very clearly that I had to go back and talk to her. To be honest, I wasn't thrilled about it and I still don't know to this day if it was guilt or a prompting that made me turn around, but I did. I don't know if it made a difference whatsoever either! But I like to think it did. Maybe one day she will come back to church, and she'll have a friend here, that's for sure.

What might be some consequences for ourselves or others if we delay our actions?

(Someone may have needed us then and there. We may miss an opportunity to serve or uplift.)

Were you all listening to Bella's talk in church just a few weeks ago? 

(Back story... one of our amazing YSA spoke in church recently about the importance of personal revelations and promptings. A friend of her mothers came over just a week before she would have been born and whilst visiting with her mother had a strong prompting and told her she needed to go to the hospital right away as something was wrong with the baby. She went to have things checked out and was told that her baby's heart rate had dropped to a dangerous level and that she could have died within a few more hours. In short, she would never have been born!) 

What would have happened if her mother’s visiting teacher had have waited?

Have you ever judged a prompting you’ve received? 

Dismissed them because they seemed too easy or weird? 

Have you been worried about how you will look carrying them out? 

How can we stop judging our promptings and start acting on them?

If we should stop judging each other, we should stop judging our promptings and simply act on them. It’s okay that they are different. The story of Moses, the Brother of Jared, Noah and Nephi are great examples. Can you imagine if we were to receive them today? “I can’t build a boat. I’ll look ridiculous. I’ll mess it up. It’s going to take up too much space.” I can’t collect up every animal there is! Where will I put them all? How will I feed them? What will I do with the poop? (Just by the way… when I read this to Madeline, she said, well throw it in the water. hahahaha I love kids!) When in this context, it’s easier to see the ridiculousness of ourselves second guessing our promptings. 

How do we stop doing so with our promptings today?

3. Get Your Errand from the Lord

The prayer Heavenly Father seems eager to answer is our plea to be led to someone who needs our help. President Henry B. Eyring has taught us to seek revelation by asking God who we can help for Him. “If you ask questions like that, the Holy Ghost will come and you’ll feel nudges about things you can do for other people. When you go and do those things, you’re on the Lord’s errand, and when you’re on the Lord’s errand, you qualify for the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

You can pray and ask the Lord for an errand. As you do, He can use your ordinary skills to accomplish His extraordinary work.

Sister Craigs grandfather, Fritz Hjalmar Lundgren, emigrated from Sweden when he was 19 years old. He arrived in America alone, with a suitcase and six years of formal schooling. Unable to speak any English, he made his way to Oregon and worked there as a lumberjack and then later, with her grandmother and my mother, joined the Church. He never presided over a ward, but as a faithful home teacher, he brought more than 50 different families into Church activity. How did he do that?

After her Grandpa’s death, Sister Craig was going through a box of his papers and came across a letter written by a man who had come back to church because of Grandpa’s love. The letter read, “Brother Fritz’s secret, I believe, is that he is always on an errand for Heavenly Father.”

That letter was from Brother Wayne Simonis. Grandpa visited him and got to know each member of the family. In time, Grandpa told them that they were needed and invited them to attend church. But that Sunday, Brother Simonis awoke with a dilemma—he had not finished reroofing his house, and rain was expected that week. He decided that he’d go to church, shake hands with Grandpa, and then leave and go home to finish the roof. His family could attend sacrament meeting without him.

His plan was working just fine until, on the roof, he heard someone climbing the ladder. In his words: “When I looked up, standing at the top of the ladder was Brother Fritz. He just gave me that big smile. At first, I was embarrassed and felt like a little kid getting caught for skipping school. Then … I felt anger. But Brother Fritz just took off his suit coat and hung it on the ladder. As he rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt, he turned to me and said, ‘Brother Simonis, do you have another hammer? This work must be very important or you wouldn’t have left your family, and if it’s that important, I want to help you.’ As I looked into his eyes, I saw only kindness and Christlike love. My anger left. … I laid my tools down that Sunday and followed my good friend down the ladder and back to the chapel.”

Brother Fritz had obtained his errand from the Lord, and he knew he was to seek out lost sheep. Just as when the four men who carried their friend with palsy onto a roof and then let him down to be healed by Jesus Christ, so too did Brother Fritz’s errand take him to a rooftop. The Lord sends revelation to those seeking to help others.

What are some examples of being on the Lord's errand?

What lessons can be learned from the story about Brother Fritz helping his neighbour fix the roof?

How can we seek out the "lost sheep"?

4. Believe and Trust

Another great missionary who obtained his errand from the Lord was the Book of Mormon prophet Aaron. Aaron was teaching the king of the Lamanites, who wondered why Aaron’s brother Ammon had not also come to teach him. “And Aaron said unto the king: Behold, the Spirit of the Lord has called him another way.”

The Spirit spoke to my heart: each of us has a different mission to perform, and at times the Spirit may call us in “another way.” There are many ways to build the kingdom of God as covenant-making, covenant-keeping disciples of Jesus Christ. As His faithful disciple, you can receive personal inspiration and revelation, consistent with His commandments, that is tailored to you. You have unique missions and roles to perform in life and will be given unique guidance to fulfill them.

Nephi, the brother of Jared, and even Moses all had a large body of water to cross—and each did it differently. Nephi worked “timbers of curious workmanship.” The brother of Jared built barges that were “tight like unto a dish.” And Moses “walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea.”

They each received personalized direction, tailored to them, and each trusted and acted. The Lord is mindful of those who obey and, in the words of Nephi, will “prepare a way for [us to] accomplish the thing which he commandeth.” Note that Nephi says, “a way”—not “the way.”

Do we miss or dismiss personal errands from the Lord because He has prepared “a way” different from the one we expect?

Sister Craigs grandfather was led to an unusual place—in a suit, on a rooftop, on a Sunday. Trust God to lead you, even if that way looks different than you expected or is different from others.

What’s an example of a way the Lord has personalized inspiration just for you?

Latter-day Saints come in many shapes and sizes, but “all are alike unto God”—“black and white, bond and free, male and female,” single and married, rich and poor, young and old, lifelong member and recent convert. No matter who you are or what you’re dealing with, you are invited to the Lord’s table.

The Church’s new program for children and youth is built on the foundation of learning to seek revelation, discovering what the Lord would have us do, and then acting on that direction. Each one of us, regardless of age or circumstance, can strive to seek, receive, and act. As you follow this eternal pattern ordained for our day, you will draw nearer to Jesus Christ—His love, His light, His direction, His peace, and His healing and enabling power. And you will increase your spiritual capacity to become an everyday instrument of His hands in accomplishing His great work.

In summary:

In seeking to know the voice and the will of the Lord, we need to eliminate distractions and act on promptings without delaying.

The Lord wants to help all His children. He often uses individuals to help one another and will send revelation to those seeking to do so.

Personal revelation from the Lord is tailored for each individual and will help each person to accomplish great things in the Lord’s way. 

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young women’s personal progress

i actually cannot believe this day has come. i finally completed my young women personal progress. only 17 years too late, but i finished. when i was in young womens all those years ago i made a pretty good effort initially, then decided it really wasn't that important and it got pushed to the side for other less important things.

at the end of last year - it was announced that a new youth program would be introduced in 2020 and that personal progress would be discontinued at the end of 2019. so what happened next? i got fomo and decided that i needed to get it done before the cut off. now. cramming what is meant to take 6 years into one year? a lot to do. when you decide in july you want to do it all? even crazier. but i decided i would get it done - and got to work.

i found an amazing website dedicated to completing it all in a twelve week period, so i followed that and oh was it a blessing. all the readings, the book of mormon broken up into sections to know how much to read each week and even suggestions for how to complete each task and what you might like to make as your goals. someone give this girl a medal!

so, i got it done. even my 10 hour projects! thankfully as a leader you only have to complete three value projects, including the one for virtue - but i did five! so proud, let me have this.

for faith i grew a strawberry garden in the backyard. for divine nature, i stitched a sampler of the scripture d&c 88:119 for a friends future home, to give as a wedding gift. here's a pic! took me ages, but i think the final product looked amazing!

knowledge had me learning about the proper care, repairing and altering of clothing. i had worked on this a lot over time, so i focused on doing it better and doing it for others. good works was nice for my family. many home cooked meals, some new recipes - to ensure i'm going to be a good homemaker one day. haha. and finally - virtue - to read the entire book of mormon. i have done this many times, but it was nice to complete that along with this program.

i am just so proud to have done it! i made sure to print all my journal and put it in a display folder, and said to my mother - "this this is for madeline. so that one day when she comes to me and says something is too hard and she doesn't want to do it, i will show her this folder and tell her, i did this! with 3 small children! and you can do much harder things than this!" hopefully it works haha.

now onto my honour bee! i have just enough time to get that done too, so here we gooooooo!

why do the choices i make matter: a young womens lesson

i gave my first young womens lesson today, since receiving my call to serve as a counsellor in the presidency at the end of december - coincidentally the same day a new president was called, and i was called straight back into the same position. there was a long list of options, but i felt strongly to talk about choices and the effects they can have on our lives... then felt even more strongly to get some women from our ward in to speak with them. some women with a little life experience, who had at some stage had a difficult choice to make. it worked a treat and i was pleased to see the girls paying close attention as these women spoke to them. ♥

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The choices we make will determine our destiny. Many years ago, President Thomas S. Monson gave a talk about choices:

When we left our premortal existence and entered mortality, we brought with us the gift of agency. Agency is the chance to choose, instead of being told what to do or how to act. Our goal is to obtain celestial glory, and the choices we make will, in large part, determine whether or not we reach our goal.

Most of you are familiar with Alice in Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. You will remember that she comes to a crossroads with two paths before her, each stretching onward but in opposite directions. As she contemplates which way to turn, she is confronted by the Cheshire Cat, of whom Alice asks, “Which path shall I follow?”

The cat answers, “That depends where you want to go. If you do not know where you want to go, it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

Unlike Alice, we know where we want to go, and it does matter which way we go, for the path we follow in this life leads to our destination in the next life.

May we choose to build up within ourselves a great and powerful faith which will be our most effective defense against the designs of the adversary—a real faith, the kind of faith which will sustain us and will bolster our desire to choose the right. Without such faith, we go nowhere. With it, we can accomplish our goals.

Although it is imperative that we choose wisely, there are times when we will make foolish choices. The gift of repentance, provided by our Savior, enables us to correct our course settings, that we might return to the path which will lead us to that celestial glory we seek.

Elder Joseph B Wirthlin said: “The Lord has given you the gift of agency and instructed you sufficiently to know good from evil. You are free to choose and are permitted to act, but are not free to choose the consequences. With absolute certainty, choices of good and right lead to happiness and peace, while choices of sin and evil eventually lead to unhappiness, sorrow and misery.”

Some choices are easy:

Should I wear deodorant?

Should I stick my hand on the iron?

Should I tell my brother he’s a moron?

Should I steal my sisters clothes and makeup?

Some will be harder in years to come:

Should I smoke that cigarette?

Should I drink that coffee?

Should I wear that dress?

Should I tell my parents what happened at school?

Should I study or go out with my mates?

Some will be a struggle:

Should I serve a mission?

Should I date that boy knowing he’s not a member of the church?

How many children should I have?

Should I repost that meme even though I’ve posted 14 others today?

As we contemplate the decisions we make in our lives each day—whether to make this choice or that choice—if we choose Christ, we will have made the correct choice. Remaining active in the gospel and being worthy to hold a recommend to enter the house of the Lord are both things that will bring about wonderful blessings in this life and pay off with an amazing eternal reward.

We have a few visitors today and they are each going to in turn tell you about a choice they have made that has, in effect, helped them to choose Christ.

Guest speaker – “choice to return to church”

(I chose a younger girl, not too much older than the young women themselves to talk about why she returned to church after spending much of her teenage years inactive)

Guest speaker –  “choice to join the church”

(A new member of around 6 months, speaking on how she found and joined the church)

Guest Speaker – “choice to serve a mission”

(Our current sister missionaries and how they made their choice to serve a mission)

Guest Speaker – “choice to marry in the temple”

(A girl around my age, who had to make the difficult decision of choosing a temple marriage first up when not one family member could attend her sealing, followed by the the same situation when their adopted son was sealed to her and her husband a few years ago)

Video presentation: a young man choosing a better path to lead him closer to the Lord - from the lds media library 

May we maintain the courage to defy the world. May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.

For as William Law said: “If you have not chosen the kingdom of God first, it will in the end make no difference what you have chosen instead.”

a modern day "standard of truth"

a friend shared this wonderful declaration from jeffrey r. holland over the weekend, which in the article was referred to as a "modern day standard of truth." i love to read the words of the leaders of our church and to know that they are divinely inspired of god. i read it to the relief society sisters in our ward during opening exercises yesterday and wanted to share it here also. what wonderful words! ♥

“What a terrific time to be alive!

The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most certain, the most secure, the most reliable, and the most rewarding truth on earth and in heaven, in time and in eternity. Nothing—not anything, not anyone, not any influence—will keep this Church from fulfilling its mission and realizing its destiny declared from before the foundation of the world. Ours is that fail-safe, inexorable, indestructible dispensation of the fulness of the gospel. There is no need to be afraid or tentative about the future.

Unlike every other era before us, this dispensation will not experience an institutional apostasy; it will not see a loss of priesthood keys; it will not suffer a cessation of revelation from the voice of Almighty God. Individuals will apostatize or turn a deaf ear to heaven, but never again will the dispensation collectively do so. What a secure thought! What a day in which to live!

If there are some bumps along the way while waiting to see every promise kept and every prophecy fulfilled, so be it. If you haven’t noticed, I am bullish about the latter days. In nothing could I have more faith than I have in God the Eternal Father, in Jesus Christ His Son, in Their redeeming gospel, and in their divinely-guided Church. Believe. Rise up. Be faithful. And make the most of the remarkable day in which we live!”

(the article can be found online here)

emma smith: an elect lady

 i was asked to speak in sacrament meeting on mother's day, with the topic of emma smith. there is so much to be found of her, much of it terribly sad... i read article after article to find what i thought was a good representation of her, without it being too miserable, it was mother's day after all. i have great admiration for emma and am truly grateful to follow in her footsteps and those of other latter-day saint women. ♥

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I’ve been asked to speak on Emma Smith, the wife of the prophet Joseph Smith, who was, as such, the “mother” of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

More than 200 years have passed since Emma Hale was born in Pennsylvania. Emma is honoured as the first president of the Relief Society, remembered for her efforts in compiling the original Latter-day Saint hymn book, and revered as the wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith. But Emma’s role during the period of the establishment of the Church covered an even wider range of experiences.

Emma’s first act of support for Joseph Smith was marrying him in spite of her father’s firm opposition. Joseph, who had just turned twenty-one loved Emma Hale; her willingness to marry him under difficult circumstances affirmed her belief in his spiritual experiences. She was twenty-two at the time and a school teacher. Emma possessed a ready wit and a natural ease with other people. She became a valuable asset to Joseph as the events of his life demanded frequent social occasions.

When Joseph took his new bride home to Manchester to meet his family, she was welcomed warmly by the Smith Family. Emma soon discovered that life with Joseph was neither tranquil nor dull. She accompanied Joseph to the Hill Cumorah on that dark night when he received the gold plates, keeping a careful watch below as the young Prophet climbed the terrain to meet the angel Moroni. In the months that followed, as speculators and gold-seekers harassed the Smiths, Emma helped keep secret the places where the plates were hidden. One on occasion she even rode a stray horse, to Macedon, New York, where Joseph worked, to warn him of a gathering mob.

In the setting of Joseph’s boyhood home, a close and lasting friendship developed between Emma and her husband’s mother, Lucy Mack Smith. Lucy said of Emma: “She was then young and being naturally ambitious her whole heart was in the work of the Lord and she felt no interest except for the church and the cause of truth. Whatever Her hands found to do, she did with her might and did not ask the selfish question, “shall I be benefited any more than anyone else?” If Elders were sent away to preach she was the first to volunteer her services to assist in clothing them for their journey and let her own privations be what they might.” 

In the book the History of the Prophet Joseph Smith by His Mother, Lucy Mack Smith’s tribute to her daughter in law Emma can be found, and I quote: “I have never seen a woman in my life, who would endure every species of fatigue and hardship, from month to month, and from year to year, with that unflinching courage, zeal, and patience, which she has ever done; for I know that which she has had to endure—she has been tossed upon the ocean of uncertainty—she has breasted the storms of persecution, and buffeted the rage of men and devils, which would have borne down almost any other woman.”

When Joseph obtained the gold plates and continued his mission of being an instrument in the hands of God in restoring the gospel, Emma served as a scribe during his first efforts to translate the Book of Mormon. She was baptized on 28 June 1830, shortly after the Church was organized. In July 1830 the Lord outlined her mission, in a revelation found in Doctrine and Covenants Section 25: “Thou art an elect lady, whom I have called. … And the office of thy calling shall be for a comfort unto my servant, Joseph Smith, Junior, thy husband, in his afflictions.” She was also directed to compile a book of hymns for the Church, and she was warned to “continue in a spirit of meekness, and beware of pride.”

Emma’s patriarchal blessing, given on 9 December 1834 by her father-in-law, Joseph Smith, Sr., presents important information concerning Emma’s contribution to the Restoration, how the Lord viewed Emma, and what he promised her. “Emma … thou art blessed of the Lord, for thy faithfulness and truth, thou shalt be blessed with thy husband, and rejoice in the glory which shall come upon him. Thy soul has been afflicted because of the wickedness of men in seeking the destruction of thy companion, and thy whole soul has been drawn out in prayer for his deliverance; rejoice, for the Lord thy God has heard thy supplication. Thou hast grieved for the hardness of the hearts of thy father’s house, and thou hast longed for their salvation. The Lord will have respect to thy cries, and by his judgments he will cause some of them to see their folly and repent of their sins; but it will be by affliction that they will be saved. Thou shalt see many days, yea, the Lord will spare thee till thou art satisfied, for thou shalt see thy Redeemer. Thy heart shall rejoice in the great work of the Lord, and no one shall take thy rejoicing from thee. Thou shalt ever remember the great condescension of thy God in permitting thee to accompany my son Joseph when the angel delivered the record of the Nephites to his care. … Thou shalt be blessed with understanding, and have power to instruct thy sex, teach thy family righteousness, and thy little ones the way of life, and the holy angels shall watch over thee and thou shalt be saved in the kingdom of God, even so, Amen.”

As a mother, life for Emma must have been a heart wrenching experience, filled with much pain. During their seventeen-year marriage, nine children were born to Joseph and Emma, and they adopted two. Emma’s first three children died shortly after birth: Alvin in 1828 and twins in 1831. They adopted twins, Joseph and Julia Murdock, whose mother, had died just one day after the birth of Emma’s twins, leaving a bereaved husband quite unable to care for the infants. Little Joseph Murdock died in March 1832 as a result of exposure during an incident of mob violence. The following November, Emma gave birth to a healthy son, Joseph Smith III. Although Emma enjoyed little Julia and Joseph, she truly grieved over her lost babies.

The Lord comforted Emma once again in her patriarchal blessing: “Thou hast seen much sorrow because the Lord has taken from thee three of thy children. In this thou art not to be blamed, for he knows thy pure desires to raise up a family, that the name of my son Joseph Smith, Jr. might be blessed. And now, behold, I say unto thee, that thus says the Lord, if thou wilt believe, thou shalt yet be blessed … and thou shalt bring forth other children, to the joy and satisfaction of thy soul, and to the rejoicing of thy friends.” 

Emma’s faith was rewarded: Frederick was born in 1836, and Alexander in 1838. Don Carlos was born in 1840, dying just fourteen months later. An unnamed son was stillborn on 6 February 1842; and David Hyrum was born in 1844, four months after the death of his father.

Emma’s care for the untold numbers of ill and homeless Saints as well as her care for Joseph’s extended family—his parents, brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews—is legend. Emma’s work in the Church naturally included attending to Joseph’s business in his absence and taking care of their children.

She manifested courage and intelligence, defending Joseph in her letter to Illinois Governor Carlin. In her office as the first general president of the Relief Society, she set an example of strong leadership. Her instructions on compassionate service set the tone for generations of Relief Society members under the theme she promoted: “Charity Never Faileth.”

Emmeline B. Wells wrote of her: “Sister Emma was benevolent and hospitable; she drew around her a large circle of friends, who were like good comrades. She was motherly in nature to young people, always had a houseful to entertain or be entertained. She was very high-spirited and the brethren and sisters paid her great respect. Emma was a great solace to her husband in all his persecutions and the severe ordeals through which he passed; she was always ready to encourage and comfort him, devoted to his interests, and was constantly by him whenever it was possible. She was queen in her home, so to speak, and beloved by the people, who were many of them indebted to her for favours and kindness.”

The Prophet wrote in his journal, reflecting on a visit from Emma while he was in great danger and difficulty in 1842: “With what unspeakable delight, and what transports of joy swelled my bosom, when I took by the hand, on that night, my beloved Emma—she that was my wife, even the wife of my youth, and the choice of my heart. Many were the reverberations of my mind when I contemplated for a moment the many scenes we had been called to pass through, the fatigues and the toils, the sorrows and sufferings, and the joys and consolations, from time to time, which had strewed our paths and crowned our board. Oh what a commingling of thought filled my mind for the moment, again she is here, even in the seventh trouble—undaunted, firm, and unwavering—unchangeable, affectionate Emma!”

Upon instruction from the Lord, the Relief Society was organized in March of 1842 by the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was originally called the Female Relief Society of Nauvoo, and Emma Smith, the wife of Joseph Smith, was selected as its first president. Joseph Smith taught, “The Church was never perfectly organized until the women were thus organized.” (Let’s be honest, we all know women are organised!)

Historical records of the Church in our dispensation describe the devotion of early Relief Society women as they bore testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ and served the sick and poor among them to build up the kingdom of God. The Relief Society provided opportunities for Latter-day Saint women to expand their influence and to bless their families, wards, stakes, communities, and nations. Throughout its history, members of the organization have spoken up regarding relevant issues of their time. Relief Society continues to provide such opportunities for women today with around 6 million members throughout 170 countries.

What a blessing it is to have the Relief Society for women in the world today, to have a place of safety and refuge amongst so much evil. To know that it was formed in such a way, to ensure that it has lasted for us today, following in the footsteps of women such as the “elect lady” Emma Smith. How grateful I am to be a mother in Zion. How blessed I am to raise my children in the gospel and to watch them grow, both in body and in spirit, to see their faith and testimony grow as they get older. Although trying at times, I know there is no greater purpose in my life than to be a mother, to teach them, to guide them and help them develop a love for their Saviour. I am forever grateful to have been brought up by a wonderfully strong mother, who is everything I hope to be. For strong grandmothers who brought up my father and mother in the gospel, and for my bonus mother, my mother in law Oliveta for faithfully raising my husband in the gospel, so that we can do the same. What joy there is to be found in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ!

I am forever grateful for the women of the church, who paved the way, for us to receive the blessings we do today. I know of the truth of the gospel. I know Joseph was a prophet who restored the gospel for all of us to find the joy we have. If you do not know of the truth, find out for yourself, you will never regret the decision to ask your Father in heaven to know.

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much of this information was taken from two wonderful articles, which you can read in full here and here

back to basics

i chose an unusual topic for my relief rociety lesson today, what i decided to call, “back to basics.” i feel as though with our busy lives these days, time is simply flying by and sometimes we forget the simple things we should be doing. the idea came to me whilst watching the sunday morning session of the most recent general conference, during elder claytons talk... he recalled speaking with a bishop who had suggested that members of his ward struggling with every day trials and issues do the simple things to help, but that they thought the things he spoke of didn't apply to them! he then spoke about how naaman was told to do something so simple to be healed, but that he didn't want to do it, because it seemed so easy! it really struck a chord with me and i felt that i should base my next lesson on those "simple and basic things"... so here you have it!

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During his talk “Whatsover He saith unto you, do it.” During the Sunday morning session of the April General Conference, L Whitney Clayton said:

A few years ago, I spoke with a young bishop who was spending hours each week counselling with members of his ward. He made a striking observation. The problems that members of his ward faced, he said, were those faced by Church members everywhere—issues such as how to establish a happy marriage; struggles with balancing work, family, and Church duties; challenges with the Word of Wisdom, with employment, or with pornography; or trouble gaining peace about a Church policy or historical question they didn’t understand.

His counsel to ward members very often included getting back to simple practices of faith, such as studying the Book of Mormon—as we were counselled by President Thomas S. Monson to do—paying tithing, and serving in the Church with devotion. Frequently, however, their response to him was one of scepticism: “I don’t agree with you, Bishop. We all know those are good things to do. We talk about those things all the time in the Church. But I’m not sure you’re understanding me. What does doing any of those things have to do with the issues I’m facing?”

It’s a fair question. Over time, that young bishop and I have observed that those who are deliberate about doing the “small and simple things”—obeying in seemingly little ways—are blessed with faith and strength that go far beyond the actual acts of obedience themselves and, in fact, may seem totally unrelated to them. It may seem hard to draw a connection between the basic daily acts of obedience and solutions to the big, complicated problems we face. But they are related.

Some rewards of obedience do come quickly; others come only after we are tested. God asks us to bear with Him—to trust Him and to follow Him. Things work out when we stand firm during the “trial of our faith,” however hard that test may be to endure or slow the answer may be in coming. I am not speaking of “blind obedience” but of thoughtful confidence in the perfect love and the perfect timing of the Lord.

The trial of our faith will always involve staying true to simple, daily practices of faith. Then, and only then, does He promise that we will receive the divine response for which we long. Only once we have proven our willingness to do what He asks without demanding to know the whens, the whys, and the hows do we “reap the rewards of faith, and diligence, and patience, and long-suffering.” Real obedience accepts God’s commandments unconditionally and in advance.

What are some things we need to do in the gospel? The standard answers to every question in primary. So… who can help me? 

Examples:

PRAY

READ YOUR SCRIPTURES

GO TO CHURCH

ATTEND THE TEMPLE

PAY YOUR TITHING

FAST

HAVE FAMILY HOME EVENING

KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS

and my personal favourite, BE GOOD TO YOUR MOTHER haha

So let’s cover a few of them. I truly believe that by ensuring we do the little things, our lives will gain greater insight and purpose and we will draw closer to our father in heaven day by day.

PRAYER (ceramic children)

We all know what prayer is. It is our method of communication with our father in heaven. We can speak and he will listen. We can pour out the desires of our hearts, our gratitude for our blessings and draw closer to him.

Choose to converse with your Father in Heaven often. Make time every day to share your thoughts and feelings with Him. Tell Him everything that concerns you. He is interested in the most important as well as the most mundane facets of your life. Share with Him your full range of feelings and experiences.

Because He respects your agency, Father in Heaven will never force you to pray to Him. But as you exercise that agency and include Him in every aspect of your daily life, your heart will begin to fill with peace.

Parents, help safeguard your children by arming them morning and night with the power of family prayer. Children are bombarded every day with the evils of lust, greed, pride, and a host of other sinful behaviours. Protect your children from daily worldly influences by fortifying them with the powerful blessings that result from family prayer. Family prayer should be a nonnegotiable priority in your daily life.

READING 1:

On several occasions President Ezra Taft Benson shared the poem “Prayer,” by Eliza M. Hickok, with members of the Church. It is a poem he learned while he was in the Aaronic Priesthood:

I know not by what methods rare

But this I know, God answers prayer.

I know that He has given His Word,

Which tells me prayer is always heard,

And will be answered, soon or late.

And so I pray and calmly wait.

I know not if the blessing sought

Will come in just the way I thought;

But leave my prayers with Him alone,

Whose will is wiser than my own,

Assured that He will grant my quest,

Or send some answer far more blest.

And please remember sisters: If you are too busy to say your prayers and read your scriptures, you are busier than God ever intended you to be!

SCRIPTURE STUDY (scripture quad)

We are forever being reminded of the importance to daily study the scriptures. President Monson spoke just twice at the most recent General Conference, with his talks both being less than 4 minutes. He took the time however, to remind us of the importance of studying the scriptures, in particular, the Book of Mormon. What greater reminder could we possibly have, than one directly from our prophet?

READING 2:

“This morning I speak about the power of the Book of Mormon and the critical need we have as members of this Church to study, ponder, and apply its teachings in our lives. The importance of having a firm and sure testimony of the Book of Mormon cannot be overstated.

We live in a time of great trouble and wickedness. What will protect us from the sin and evil so prevalent in the world today? I maintain that a strong testimony of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and of His gospel will help see us through to safety. If you are not reading the Book of Mormon each day, please do so. If you will read it prayerfully and with a sincere desire to know the truth, the Holy Ghost will manifest its truth to you. If it is true—and I solemnly testify that it is—then Joseph Smith was a prophet who saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Because the Book of Mormon is true, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s Church on the earth, and the holy priesthood of God has been restored for the benefit and blessing of His children.

If you do not have a firm testimony of these things, do that which is necessary to obtain one. It is essential for you to have your own testimony in these difficult times, for the testimonies of others will carry you only so far. However, once obtained, a testimony needs to be kept vital and alive through continued obedience to the commandments of God and through daily prayer and scripture study.

My dear associates in the work of the Lord, I implore each of us to prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day. As we do so, we will be in a position to hear the voice of the Spirit, to resist temptation, to overcome doubt and fear, and to receive heaven’s help in our lives.”

That was President Monsons entire talk. Pretty much sums it up!

Elder Richard G Scott spoke of it also in 2014, “Study the word of God in the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. We talk to God through prayer. He most often communicates back to us through His written word. To know what the voice of the Divine sounds and feels like, read His words, study the scriptures, and ponder them. Make them an integral part of everyday life. If you want your children to recognize, understand, and act on the promptings of the Spirit, you must study the scriptures with them.

Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it!

There are many prophetic promises of the blessings of daily studying the scriptures. I add my voice with this promise: as you dedicate time every day, personally and with your family, to the study of God’s word, peace will prevail in your life. That peace won’t come from the outside world. It will come from within your home, from within your family, from within your own heart. It will be a gift of the Spirit. It will radiate out from you to influence others in the world around you. You will be doing something very significant to add to the cumulative peace in the world.”

GO TO CHURCH (Relief Society / Priesthood lesson manual)

This is pretty self explanatory. Church is not a museum for saints, it is a hospital for sinners. Go to church not for others, but for yourself. It enables us to renew our covenants each week by partaking of the sacrament and allows us to learn more of the gospel and the teachings of the Savior. If for any reason you cannot attend every week, go as often as you can. The Lord knows our hearts and understands our circumstances.

ATTEND THE TEMPLE (Framed temple pic and temple ornament)

READING 3

Go to the temple. We all know there is no more peaceful place on this earth than in the temples of God. If you don’t have a temple recommend, qualify to get one. When you have a recommend, use it often. Make it a goal to have a recommend at all times, even if you cannot make it to the temple for any reason.  Schedule a regular time to be in the temple, for example, once within each calendar month. Don’t let anyone or anything prevent you from being there.

While you are in the temple, listen to the words of the ordinances, ponder them, pray about them, and seek to understand their meaning. The temple is one of the best places to come to understand the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Seek Him there. Remember that many more blessings come from providing your own family names in the temple.

Raise your children to love the house of the Lord. Ensure they know where you are headed. Take them to the grounds so they also become familiar with the temple. My children love to be at the temple even though they know they cannot yet enter. One of the most wonderful experiences of my life was taking Madeline to visit the Salt Lake City Temple and watching her stare up at that amazing building with pure awe in her eyes. We regularly discuss the temple in Family Home Evening – and both of my children love to look at pictures of any of the temples around the world.

Elder Quentin L Cook said in his talk “See yourself in the temple”: Please know how earnestly we desire that everyone make any necessary changes to qualify for the temple. Prayerfully review where you are in your life, seek the guidance of the Spirit, and talk to your bishop about preparing yourself for the temple. President Thomas S. Monson has said, “There is no more important goal for you to work toward than being worthy to go to the temple.”

PAY AN HONEST TITHE (Jar of coins)

The basic purpose for tithing is to provide the Church with the means needed to carry on His work. The blessing to the giver is an ancillary return, and that blessing may not be always in the form of financial or material benefit. The scriptures tell us that by faithfully paying our tithing, “the very windows of heaven will be opened unto us, to pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.”

READING 4:

President Hinckley recalled an experience he had as a stake president during a talk he gave in 1982. A man whom I knew came to get his temple recommend signed. I questioned him in the usual way and asked, among other things, whether he was paying an honest tithing. He candidly replied that he was not, that he could not afford to because of his many debts. I felt impressed to tell him that he would not pay his debts until he paid his tithing.

He went along for a year or two in his normal way, and then made a decision. He talked about it some time later and he said: “What you told me has proved to be true. I felt I could not pay my tithing because of my debts. I discovered that no matter how hard I tried, somehow I could not manage to reduce my debt. Finally my wife and I sat down together and talked about it and concluded we would try the promise of the Lord. We have done so. And somehow in a way we can’t quite understand, the Lord has blessed us. We have not missed that which we have given to him, and for the first time in many years we are reducing our debt. We have come to the wisdom of budgeting our expenditures and of determining where our funds have been going. Because we now have a higher objective, we are able to curtail some of our appetites and desires. And above all of this, we feel we can now go to the house of the Lord with clear consciences as those deserving of this wonderful blessing.”

I can testify to the blessings that come from tithing. My husband and I certainly are not rich, but we have always had enough. I know it is from faithfully paying our tithing, even during hard times.

FAST (Empty Plate)

One Sunday each month Latter-day Saints observe a fast day. On this day we neither eat nor drink for two consecutive meals. If we were to eat our evening meal on Saturday, then we would not eat or drink until the evening meal on Sunday.

All members who are physically able should fast. When we fast each month, the Lord asks us to help those in need. One way we do this is by giving through the proper priesthood authority the money we would have spent on food for the two meals. We should give as generously as we are able. Through our fast offerings we become partners with the Lord in administering to the needs of our less-fortunate brothers and sisters.

Fasting can have many purposes. We can overcome weaknesses or problems by fasting and praying. Sometimes we may wish to fast and pray for help or guidance for others, such as a family member who is ill and needs a blessing. Through fasting we can come to know the truth of things.

One thing I recently learnt from the scriptures it is appropriate on occasion to use fasting to show gratitude. It is demonstrated in Alma 45:1

“Behold, now it came to pass that the people of Nephi were exceedingly rejoiced, because the Lord had again delivered them out of the hands of their enemies; therefore they gave thanks unto the Lord their God; yea, and they did fast much and pray much, and they did worship God with exceedingly great joy.”

How’s that?! I don’t know how keen I would be on fasting to show gratitude, but I certainly learnt something new!

HAVE FAMILY HOME EVENING (FHE lesson manual)

There are so many awful things in the world today, beating down our doors and trying to sneak their way in, to destroy our homes and families. To strengthen your family and cultivate peace, remember this tool: weekly family home evening. Be cautious not to make your family home evening just an afterthought of a busy day. Decide that on Monday night your family will be together at home for the evening. Do not let employment demands, sports, activities, homework, or anything else become more important than that time you spend together at home with your family. Again, remember the Lord knows our circumstances. If Monday night does not work for you, set aside another night that does!

READING 5:

The structure of your evening is not as important as the time invested. The gospel should be taught both formally and informally. Make it a meaningful experience for each member of the family. Family home evening is a precious time to bear testimony in a safe environment; to learn teaching, planning, and organizational skills; to strengthen family bonds; to develop family traditions; to talk to each other; and more important, to have a marvellous time together! Sister Linda S. Reeves boldly declared: “I must testify of the blessings of daily scripture study and prayer and weekly family home evening. These are the very practices that help take away stress, give direction to our lives, and add protection to our homes.”

KEEP THE COMMANDMENTS (chalkboard commandments)

There are 10 of them. Some rules and regulations if you will, that God gave us to make sure we are safe. I am sure you are familiar with them and if you’re not, maybe look them up tonight. It’s not that hard. I often like to refer back to something my Sunday School teacher in my teens said. They are called the 10 commandments for a reason. If God wasn’t that fussed over them, he would have called them the 10 suggestions.

I am not suggesting that all of life’s struggles will disappear as you do these things. We came to mortal life precisely to grow from trials and testing. Challenges help us become more like our Father in Heaven, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible to endure those challenges. I testify that as we actively come unto Him, we can endure every temptation, every heartache, every challenge we face.

Sisters I urge you to do the simple things, so that the harder things become easier… and the difficulties in your lives seem bearable. Please do what you can, when you can and build yourself up as you follow the Saviour and fill your lives with light.

References:
Whatsoever He saith unto you do it (Elder L. Whitney Clayton)
See yourself in the temple (Elder Quentin L. Cook)
Tithing: An opportunity to prove our faithfulness (President Gordon B. Hinckley)
Make the exercise of faith your first priority (Elder Richard G. Scott)

Fasting (Gospel Principles Chapter 25)

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i think it went really well! here's hoping it helped someone other than me! ♥