Relief Society Lesson Recap - Pottstown Ward

Guest Blogger: Devon Linn

We hope everyone had a great Sunday attending church wherever you ended up.  I missed being able to be together!  Our family went to the Pottstown ward and saw quite of few of our ward members there too.  In Relief Society we had a great lesson from Elder Eyring's talk, "Help Them on Their Way Home" from our last General Conference.  I didn't remember this talk as well, so I just came home and re-read it again.  Here are some of my favorite quotes from this amazing talk:

Brothers and sisters, our Heavenly Father wants and needs our help to bring His spirit children home to Him again. I speak today of young people already within His true Church and so are started on the strait and narrow way to return to their heavenly home. He wants them to gain early the spiritual strength to stay on the path. And He needs our help to get them back to the path quickly should they begin to wander.

Many bishops in the Church are inspired to call the strongest people in the ward to serve individual children in the Primary. They realize that if the children are strengthened with faith and testimony, they will be less likely to need rescue as teenagers. They realize that a strong spiritual foundation can make the difference for a lifetime.

We all can help. Grandmothers, grandfathers, and every member who knows a child can help. It doesn’t take a formal calling in Primary. Nor is it limited by age.

The best counsel for us to give young people is that they can arrive back to Heavenly Father only as they are guided and corrected by the Spirit of God. So if we are wise, we will encourage, praise, and exemplify everything which invites the companionship of the Holy Ghost. When they share with us what they are doing and feeling, we must ourselves have qualified for the Spirit. Then they will feel in our praise and our smiles the approval of God. And should we feel the need to give corrective counsel, they will feel our love and the love of God in it, not rebuke and rejection, which can permit Satan to lead them further away.

The example they most need from us is to do what they must do. We need to pray for the gifts of the Spirit. We need to ponder in the scriptures and in the words of living prophets. We need to make plans which are not only wishes but covenants. And then we need to keep our promises to the Lord. And we need to lift others by sharing with them the blessings of the Atonement which have come in our lives.

I think some of my favorite parts of this talk were the emphasis that is put that we each can play a vital role in helping children and youth to stay on the straight and narrow path.  It really involves everyone, not just parents, to help children understand what their divine role in the world is during these turbulent times.  We can each reach out and love the children and youth in our ward and give them the support and love they need to return to our Heavenly Father someday.

What was the topic of the lesson you heard?  Feel free to post insights from whatever ward you went to in the comments section.  We'd love to hear from you!

Chapel closed on Sunday, June 27

Message from the Bishop:

Dear Brothers and Sisters:

Our building has been fumigated and will not be able to be used this Sunday. For this reason, we will need families to select a unit and meeting time and attend this Sunday at another unit instead of meeting as a ward family. Here are the meeting times and locations you may choose from:

Broomall Ward, 721 Paxon Hollow Rd., 19004, Meetings start at 9:00 a.m.
Norristown Branch (Spanish language meetings) 55 E. Marshall Street, 19401, 10:00 a.m.
Downingtown Ward, 1443 Telegraph Rd., 19380, 9:00 a.m.
West Chester Ward, 1443 Telegraph Rd., 19380, 1:00 p.m.
Philly First Ward, 3913 Chestnut Street, 19104, 9:30 a.m.
Philly Third Ward (YSA--no primary and YM/YW meetings), 3913 Chestnut Street, 19104, 2:00 p.m.
Philly Fourth Ward, 3913 Chestnut Street, 19104, 12:00 p.m.
South Philadelphia Branch, 1401 W. Moyamensing Ave., 19145, 10:00 a.m.
Widener Branch 721 Paxon Hollow Rd., 19004, 10:20 a.m.
Pottstown Ward, 93 Maugers Mill Rd., Pottstown, 10:00 a.m.

Please do plan on attending meetings with you family.

One other note you should be aware of. U.S. 422 and I-76 will have intermittent closures on Sunday Morning as PECO, Verizon, and Comcast crews restring utility lines. It would be best to take Ridge Pike or Germantown Pike to I-476 and then go South to Broomall or South on I-476 to East bound I-76 to the Philly units.

We will keep you posted on other developments.

Bishop Hood

Dry Pack Canning Day

Join me for a morning of dry pack canning.

I have made an appointment at the Church storehouse in Bridgeport, NJ (under an hour away) for Saturday, July 31, 8 AM - noon. We have to be out by noon.

I'm hoping to get a bunch of you (6-8 adults) to go with me.  If you want to involve your older children/teens/husbands, they're also welcome.

Foods available to can, and prices, are listed on this link from lds.org or this form:
Open pdf order form

You can buy 1 can or many.  The food comes in either #10 cans (large food service size), or in mylar pouches.

Storage life is around 20 years—but you know you should actually use and rotate it!

The advantage of dry-pack is the long storage life—the cans keep out insects, rodents, and moisture.  Prices are excellent.

Send me an e-mail if you want to sign up—or if you have questions.

As Pres. Hinckley said "there is a portent of stormy weather ahead".

Owenna Nagy
owennanagy [at] gmail [dot] com

Photo credit

Christ as Father

Father's Day has come and gone, without a single reference here. Can't let that happen. So here is a thoughtful and interesting look at Christ as our Father.

That Jesus Christ is our father, metaphorically speaking, is something I find beautiful and not the least bit troubling, but some may be confused still.

It's not something we talk about often because we worry that it comes too close to the concept of the Trinity or three persons in one being. We want to be sure no one misunderstands our concept of the Godhead, that is three personages one in purpose rather than essence.

But it is doctrine that is taught all through the scriptures. So let's look at it. 

Below are a couple of articles that may clarify.

Larry E. Dahl, The Morning Breaks, The Shadows Flee

The four listed meanings of the term Father include:

1. Father as Literal Parent—referring to God the Father, or Elohim, as the father of our spirits

2. ‘Father’ as Creator—referring to both God the Father and to Jesus Christ;

Jesus Christ is often referred to as the Father because he is the Creator of heaven and earth. Amulek taught this truth in response to Zeezrom’s question, “Is the Son of God the very Eternal Father?” (Alma 11:38):  

Yea, he is the very Eternal Father of heaven and of earth, and all things which in them are; he is the beginning and the end, the first and the last;  

And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else” (Alma 11:39–40).

To Moroni the Savior explained His role as Father, or Creator, of the heavens and earth: “And in that day that they shall exercise faith in me, saith the Lord, even as the brother of Jared did, that they may become sanctified in me, then will I manifest unto them the things which the brother of Jared saw, even to the unfolding unto them all my revelations, saith Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of the heavens and of the earth, and all things that in them are” (Ether 4:7).

In their exposition on the subject, the First Presidency and the Twelve offered this clarifying insight: Jesus Christ, whom we also know as Jehovah, was the executive of the Father, Elohim, in the work of creation. … Since His creations are of eternal quality He is very properly called the Eternal Father of heaven and earth.

3. Jesus Christ the ‘Father’ of Those Who Abide in His Gospel;

King Benjamin provides an example of the idea that Jesus Christ is the Father of all who truly accept the Atonement. Benjamin speaks of those who are “spiritually begotten” of the Savior and become “his sons, and his daughters” (Mosiah 5:7) through making and keeping gospel covenants.

This same principle is spoken of by Abinadi when he explains that the Savior’s “seed” (Mosiah 15:10) are those who believe on him and hearken to the words of his prophets (see Mosiah 15:10–14).

Again the First Presidency and the Twelve summarize: If it be proper to speak of those who accept and abide in the Gospel as Christ’s sons and daughters—and upon this matter the scriptures are explicit and cannot be gainsaid nor denied—it is consistently proper to speak of Jesus Christ as the Father of the righteous, they having become His children and He having been made their Father through the second birth—the baptismal regeneration.

4. Jesus Christ the ‘Father’ by Divine Investiture of Authority.

The First Presidency and the Twelve wrote: In all His dealings with the human family Jesus the Son has represented and yet represents Elohim His Father in power and authority. … The Father placed His name upon the Son; and Jesus Christ spoke and ministered in and through the Father’s name; and so far as power, authority, and Godship are concerned His words and acts were and are those of the Father.

Hence, when Jesus Christ begins a revelation with “Listen to the voice of Jesus Christ” and says that “the righteous shall be gathered on my right hand unto eternal life; and the wicked on my left hand will I be ashamed to own before the Father,” then later in the same revelation speaks of “mine Only Begotten Son” (D&C 29:1, 27, 42), it can be understood in the latter verse that it is still the Savior speaking, by divine investiture of authority.

In that same revelation he speaks both for himself and for the Father. It may be in many of the scriptures where it appears the Father is speaking that Jesus Christ is really the voice, speaking in the name of the Father in the first person as if he were the Father. 

Good talk from LDS.org goes on to expound on Christ as the Son, Christ as the Father, and Christ as Redeemer. Well worth the read.

Reese Dixon, My Father's Day Sermon

...the record might not show Christ as a literal father, we can still turn to him as our example in all things. Throughout the scriptures, Christ is referred to as a father. Isaiah, in a passage quoted famously by Handel, refers to Christ as “Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” [Isaiah 9:6]

[1Cor 4:15] For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the gospel.

[Mosiah 15:11] Behold I say unto you, that whosoever has heard the words of the prophets, yea, all the holy prophets who have prophesied concerning the coming of the Lord—I say unto you, that all those who have hearkened unto their words, and believed that the Lord would redeem his people, and have looked forward to that day for a remission of their sins, I say unto you, that these are his seed, or they are the heirs of the kingdom of God.

[D&C 11:30] But verily, verily, I say unto you, that as many as receive me, to them will I give power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on my name. Amen.

Corinthians tells us that Christ bears us into the gospel. Mosiah says that we become His heirs and His seed when we hearken to those that testify of Him. The D&C tells us that if we believe in him we become His sons and daughters. Christ becomes our metaphorical father when we believe in his name. The baptismal ceremony is replete with symbolism of birth. We enter the waters of baptism and are reborn in His name.

She goes on to expound on Christ as a teacher, nurturer and exemplar. Good talk.

And last...

Teachings of Joseph F. Smith, The Father and the Son

“… I am in the Father, and the Father in me, and the Father and I are one” [3 Nephi 11:27].

I do not apprehend that any intelligent person will construe these words to mean that Jesus and his Father are one person, but merely that they are one in knowledge, in truth, in wisdom, in understanding, and in purpose; just as the Lord Jesus himself admonished his disciples to be one with him, and to be in him, that he might be in them.

It is in this sense that I understand this language, and not as it is construed by some people, that Christ and his Father are one person. I declare to you that they are not one person, but that they are two persons, two bodies, separate and apart, and as distinct as are any father and son.

[The Father and the Son] are one—in attributes. They are one in love, one in knowledge, one in mercy, one in power, one in all things that make them united and powerful, glorious and great, because in them is perfected all truth, all virtue and all righteousness.

Food for thought. Comments?

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No Institute Class on Tuesday, June 22

Here is a message from Sister Muldowney about cancelling Institute on Tuesday, June 22 for those who were planning to attend:

Hi all,

The Valley Forge Chapel will be closed tomorrow because of extermination issues so we will not be holding Institute class. Keep reading on in Isaiah to chapter 35.  

Thanks, Judy Muldowney

Lesson Recap: The Life of Christ

Gospel Principles, Lesson 11

The Life of Christ

Taught by Margie Clark

The life of Christ was predicted long before His birth
“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. …

“… Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. …

“He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities. …

“He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter” (Isaiah 53:3–5, 7).

He was the only begotten of the Father
Jesus is the only person on earth to be born of a mortal mother and an immortal Father. That is why He is called the Only Begotten Son. He inherited divine powers from His Father.

From His mother, Mary, He inherited mortality and was subject to hunger, thirst, fatigue, pain, and death.

No one could take the Savior’s life from Him unless He willed it. He had power to lay it down and power to take up His body again after dying.

He taught us how to love and serve one another
He came to earth not only to die for us but also to teach us how to live. He taught that there are two great commandments: first, to love God with all our heart, mind, and strength; and second, to love others as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:36–39).

His life is an example of how we should obey these two commandments.

If we love God, we will trust and obey Him, as Jesus did. If we love others, we will help them meet their physical and spiritual needs.

...He taught that whenever we find people hungry, cold, naked, or lonely, we should help them all we can. When we help others, we are serving the Lord. (See Matthew 25:35–46.)

• In what ways can we show the Lord that we love Him? Or in what ways have others served you and so you have felt His love?

Several sisters shared experiences that strengthened their testimonies: one sister with a difficult pregnancy was visited every week by another sister; one sister had very short notice to move and many sisters showed up to help pack everything up; a high priest group pitches in unbidden to clean up a fallen tree in one sister's yard after a storm. 

Each of us can think of a time when someone reached out to us in love and the Savior's love was felt. Please share with us in the comments.

And sisters, let's not let a thought or urge to do something for someone else slip away before we act. We could be means of strengthening another's faith in Jesus Christ.

He redeemed us from our sins and saved us from death
The night before His Crucifixion, Jesus went to a garden called Gethsemane. Soon He was weighed down by deep sorrow and wept as He prayed.

Latter-day Apostle Orson F. Whitney was permitted to see the Savior’s suffering in a vision. Seeing the Savior weep, he said: “I was so moved at the sight that I also wept, out of pure sympathy. My whole heart went out to Him; I loved Him with all my soul, and longed to be with Him as I longed for nothing else”.

Jesus taught: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you” (John 15:13–14).

He willingly and humbly went through the sorrow in Gethsemane and the suffering on the cross so we could receive all the blessings of the plan of salvation. To receive these blessings, we must come unto Him, repent of our sins, and love Him with all our hearts.

“I am the Way”

Elder Corbridge of the Seventy says...

...the Lord said, “I am the way.” He said, “Follow me.” He said, “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am.”

Don’t think you can’t.

We might think we can’t really follow Him because the standard of His life is so astonishingly high as to seem unreachable.

We might think it is too hard, too high, too much, beyond our capacity, at least for now.

Don’t ever believe that.

While the standard of the Lord is the highest, don’t ever think it is only reachable by a select few who are most able.

... this is not a human endeavor. It is, rather, the work of God. It is God’s work and it is His “glory … to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man.” There is nothing else like it. Not anywhere. Not ever.

... while the Lord’s invitation to follow Him is the highest of all, it is also achievable by everyone, not because we are able, but because He is, and because He can make us able too.

He said, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; … and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30).

Thanks, Margie, great lesson. I love seeing how deeply you feel about the Savior. And, I love hearing all your testimonies of Him.

e

Sincere Apologies

It looks like the RS Temple trip fizzled.

We tried to get the word out to everyone but missed a few. So sorry. :-(

Due to illness and last minute changes in plans, many of us could not go.

We will reschedule and let you know.

The Relief Society Presidency

"Mormon Mission Biz" Link from CNBC

Click below to watch an interesting clip from CNBC on Missionaries and Mormons in the global economy.  Thanks Cheryl for the link!

CNBC Video Mormon Mission Biz

New Look for Blog

Do you like it?

I went with the new design in order to get more width for the blog posts

If you could tweak one thing what would it be?

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Profile on Mormon.org

Hey, I just filled out my profile for Mormon.org! It took me half an hour and here’s how it works.

Register or Sign-in
First you have to have an LDS Account. I already have one because I buy things online at the Distribution Center.

If you don’t have one, you’ll have to register. You’ll need your membership record number and your date of birth. Get your membership record number from Bro. Hope or one of the other ward clerks. Or, look at your Temple Recommend. It’s on there too; an 11-digit number on the lower half.

Once you have an account you can sign in on this page and begin your profile.

You’ll be presented with an easy-to-fill-in page where you click and begin typing.

Share something others can relate to
As you can see from my profile I had to choose a user name from a set of pre-determined choices in a dropdown menu.

I was free to add a short intro of 80 characters or less and attach a picture.

I was able to hook up to my Twitter, Facebook, Blog or Flickr accounts, but that was optional. Actually, it was the only optional field. You must fill out the whole form.

There are instructions and tips all along the way, such as, “Share things that can help others relate to who you are and what you do. ...Avoid sharing personal information such as your last name, your family members’ names, your school, your city, or any other contact information of either you or someone else.”

Tell about yourself in your own words
About Me, How I Live My Faith and Why I’m a Mormon are all free-form text fields where you can tell your story. I chose to tell a few of my hobbies and interests, how I serve in the ward, and how  being a Mormon helps me be a better person. I encourage you to be authentic and share your testimony.

Choose a topic you are comfortable with
The next two sections are Frequently Asked Questions and Personal Stories. These two sections offer a couple dozen questions in a drop-down menu to choose from. “What is the role of husband and wife in the family? What is the Mormon lifestyle like? How do Mormons live? Who wrote the Book of Mormon? What are Mormon church services like? Could you talk about your baptism? In what ways are your prayers answered? Please share your testimony of Joseph Smith”

Finish
As you fill out the profile your entries don't show up for a few minutes. It’s a little slow to update, so be patient.

Your progress shows in a box at the top of the page. All profiles are reviewed before appearing on Mormon.org. They’ll notify you as soon as your profile changes are public. You can update your profile anytime.

Fill out a profile today on new.mormon.org

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Video: Good Things to Come

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland recalls his days as a poor young father with a broken-down family car and testifies that for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, there are better days and good things to come. Read the entire talk here: http://bit.ly/9lZUYI

Video: Missionaries Help with Tornado Cleanup

Found this piece on the Toledo News website:

Missionaries travel from all over to help tornado victims

(Wish they could get the name of the church right. -sigh-)

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Lesson Recap: Scriptures

Taught by Marie Tiller

Gospel Principles, Lesson 10

Scriptures

John Wycliffe, William Tyndale and others gave their lives so we can have the Bible. Do we appreciate the treasure that it is? See a history of the bible.

When the Lord’s servants speak or write under the influence of the Holy Ghost, their words become scripture (see D&C 68:4).

From the beginning, the Lord has commanded His prophets to keep a record of His revelations and His dealings with His children. He said: “I command all men, both in the east and in the west, and in the north, and in the south, and in the islands of the sea, that they shall write the words which I speak unto them; for out of the books which shall be written I will judge the world, every man according to their works, according to that which is written” (2 Nephi 29:11).

What scripture stories inspire you? Why?

4 books of scripture

The Bible is a collection of sacred writings containing God’s revelations to man. These writings cover many centuries, from the time of Adam through the time when the Apostles of Jesus Christ lived. They were written by many prophets who lived at various times in the history of the world.

Through the Prophet Joseph Smith, the Lord has expanded our understanding of some passages in the Bible. The Lord inspired the Prophet Joseph to restore truths to the Bible text that had been lost or changed since the original words were written.

The Book of Mormon is a sacred record of some of the people who lived on the American continents between about 2000 b.c. and a.d. 400. It contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ (see D&C 20:9; 42:12; 135:3). The Book of Mormon tells of the visit Jesus Christ made to the people in the Americas soon after His Resurrection.

The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of modern revelations. ...This book contains the revelations regarding the Church of Jesus Christ as it has been restored in these last days.

The Pearl of Great Price contains the book of Moses, the book of Abraham, and some inspired writings of Joseph Smith. The book of Moses contains an account of some of the visions and writings of Moses, revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. It clarifies doctrines and teachings that were lost from the Bible and gives added information concerning the Creation of the earth.

Words of the living prophets
In addition to these four books of scripture, the inspired words of our living prophets become scripture to us. Their words come to us through conferences, the Liahona or Ensign magazine, and instructions to local priesthood leaders.

“We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 1:9).

Studying the scriptures

What blessings can we receive when we study the scriptures?

We should each study the scriptures every day. We should share these truths with our children. We should read the standard works with our children so they will learn to love them and use them for the truths they contain.

If we desire to avoid the evils of this world, we must feed our minds with the truth and righteousness found in the scriptures. We will grow closer to God and to each other as we read and ponder the scriptures together.

Cyberspace Missionary Work

“Why bother with all this internet stuff. It just soaks up my time and offers danger around every corner. It's evil.”

Have you heard someone say this (I have!) and maybe even thought so yourself? Then you are missing the fact that the internet can be a powerful tool for the Lord's work.

Ever since the now famous talk by Elder Ballard urging participation in internet conversations more and more good information about the church is being published by ordinary members like you and me. You can join in too. Start a blog or comment and share your testimony on other blogs. He said, 

Gradually, accurate and positive information is rising to the top of lists generated by various search engines. Those seeking information are more likely to encounter accurate information today than at any time since the Internet began, even though we still have a long way to go.

So let me pose a question. What are you prepared to do about it? If you are a member of the Church, what is your responsibility during this period of unusual attention and debate? Interest has continued at a high level and probably will for some time. If a national conversation is going on about the Church, are you going to be an active participant or a silent observer?

(Get the full transcript here.)

Here are a couple ideas of how others are doing it and how you can get involved.

All About Mormons
Strives to answer questions posed by investigators and less-active members, hoping to “dispel some of the many misconceptions about the church and its members.”

Site author/administrator Jacob Durrant explains: “When someone buys a car, they usually want to read the manual and other specs provided by the manufacturer. That’s why there will always be a role for official church websites like mormon.org. However, when buying a car, many people also talk with friends who already own the same car. That’s why it’s so important that we as members voice our opinions, ideas and feelings on the Internet. We can serve as important ‘non-authoritative sources.’” And Durrant is quick to link to the authoritative sources throughout the site.

It is offered in Portuguese, Spanish and Italian so it can reach a wider audience.

You can volunteer to help with this site.

Mission Musings
A blog by Elder and Sister Watts, serving in the Hill Cumorah Visitors Sites area. They have provided a three-part virtual tour of  “The Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site” in Palmyra.  Part 1 - Floor One | Part 2 - The Pressroom | Part 3 -The Bindery .

Share what you know and are experiencing as a member of the church and a woman in the gospel.

ldsWebGuy
Need help understanding how to use the web to build The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Here’s a blog by Larry Richman, director of Internet and project coordination for the church’s Curriculum Department.

Typical topics include wise use of the Web and other media; ideas for using new technology to build families, strengthen faith in Jesus Christ, and share the message of His restored gospel; tips on creating great Web sites and blogs; using social networks; how to keep your family safe on the Internet; how to use other kinds of media in productive ways.

Get some good tips here.

New mobile apps available
Get the LDS Library and the Mormon Channel on the Android, Blackberry, iPhone, iPod, iPad, and webOS at Tech.LDS.org.

Share this link with husbands and friends. Share a video from the Mormon Channel with a friend over lunch or during a conversation about the church.

---------------
I’ve published these links on our Other Church Websites page, as a reference for the future.

Reference:
Cyberspace Missionary Work

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Facing and Overcoming Addiction

If you or someone you love struggles with addiction, there is hope.

Web resources
Check out this website, Facing and Overcoming Addiction--Resources and Personal Stories. 

If you are a wife or mother of someone who is struggling with addiction to pornography, there is help here for you too...spouses, parents.

Support group
We have an Addiction Recovery Program in our area, provided by the Church and based on gospel principles. It is confidential and is meant for those with addictions, those affected by addictions, and support people. Everyone is at a different step of recovery so there is a lot of love and understanding.

It's every Sunday at 7:30 pm at the Stake Center. I go down every week and would be glad to pick you up. Call me.

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Julie Beck's Women's Conference Talk

For those of you who asked for the link to the talk we discussed at our Activity this week given by Sister Beck at this year's Women's Conference, here it is!  It is an amazing talk, with so many great applicable ideas for each of us.  Hope you enjoy it!

http://www.lds.org/library/display/0,4945,9118-1-5187-1,00.html

Pics from RS Meeting

Melanie taught the first section on what is 

Essential, Necessary and Nice-to-do in our lives.

Charity taught the second section on how 

we can fortify our families, 

using the example of Moroni from the Book of Mormon.

Elizabeth reminded us that we are to

provide a safety net for each other in our lives 

as we try to balance all the good things that we need to do.

The evening ended with yummy strawberry shortcake. 

Thanks to Charity and all the RS board 

for making it such a nice evening.

Sister Beck's talk reminded us that 

we each need to be in tune with Spirit so we can 

know how to increase in faith and righteousness, 

strengthen home and family, and seek out and help those in need.

(Listen to the talk given by Julie S. Beck
titled “Faith and Values” to review what you heard here tonight.)

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Mentoring Moms Google Group

Our Mentoring Moms Relief Society group meets once monthly to set goals and encourage one another. They have recently set a Google group so communication is easier. It is valley-forge-mentoring-moms [at] googlegroups [dot] com. Contact Aubrey Behunin to ask to be added to this e-mail list.

Find out more about the activities and what they are working on this month.

e

Lesson Recap: Prayer

Gospel Principles, Lesson 8

Praying to Our Heavenly Father

Taught by Ellen King

A review

Prayer is…a sincere heartfelt talk with our Heavenly Father.

Elder Richard G Scott in a talk titled The Supernal Gift of Prayer, given in April Conference 2007 said:

We pray to our Heavenly Father in the sacred name of His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Prayer is most effective when we strive to be clean and obedient, with worthy motives, and are willing to do what He asks. Humble, trusting prayer brings direction and peace. 

Don’t worry about your clumsily expressed feelings. Just talk to your compassionate, understanding Father. You are His precious child whom He loves perfectly and wants to help. As you pray, recognize that Father in Heaven is near and He is listening.

We pray to God the Father and no one else.

3 Nephi 18:19-20 - Therefore ye must always pray unto the Father in my name; And whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.

We pray in the name of Jesus Christ because he is our mediator and advocate with the Father.

1 Tim. 2: 5 -  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.

Why do we pray?

• Commanded since Adam and Eve
• To draw closer to God
• That our thoughts, words, actions may be righteous
• For strength to live the gospel, to stay on path
• To overcome temptations
• To confess sins, seek forgiveness
• For guidance
• For others - families, friends, neighbors, crops, animals, daily work
• Protection from enemies
• To express our love to Him
• To thank Him, praise

Cookie Cutters

Do you feel like your prayers aren’t drawing you closer to God? Are you still giving simple Primary-like prayers?  It’s easy to let our prayers become cookie cutter prayers..the same every time and predictable.

How can we improve our prayers? What do you do to add more power to our prayers?

Here are a few ideas that work for me, even though I don’t do these all the time:

1. Kneeling: a physical act of humbling myself, putting myself in a position of complete vulnerability, a metaphor for submitting my will to Him.
2. Speaking aloud: Formulating the words and hearing them with my own ears is strengthening and also teaches me about what to pray for.
3. Making a list of specific names and needs: This is powerful.
4. Praying whenever and however we need to...sparrow prayers (Matt 10 - even a sparrow shall not fall to the ground without your Father) ...at church, at home, while walking, while working, fixing dinner. This is part of the “always remember Him” covenant we make.
5. Fasting: Every time I feel I hunger pain I’m reminded to pray about my purpose.
6. NOTICE the answers and give thanks: Shirley has taught me to praise God more. When she feels a blessing in her life she says “God is good.” Let’s you and I say that more when we feel and see the tender mercies in our lives.
7. Let thy will be my will. When my whining and selfishness get in the way I lose my way.

Elder Scott speaks of this key:

A key to improved prayer is to learn to ask the right questions. Consider changing from asking for the things you want to honestly seeking what He wants for you. Then as you learn His will, pray that you will be led to have the strength to fulfill it.

How are prayers answered?
The manual says: (p. 37) Our sincere prayers are always answered. Sometimes the answer may be no, because what we have asked for would not be best for us. Sometimes the answer is yes, and we have a warm, comfortable feeling about what we should do (see D&C 9:8–9). Sometimes the answer is “wait a while.” Our prayers are always answered at a time and in a way that the Lord knows will help us the most.

But it’s more complicated than that, isn’t it?!

I guarantee that some reading this today are thinking why does she pray for x...a job, a house, a baby and gets it and I don’t? Why is her child, mother, husband healed and mine not? Why does she pray when she’s lonely and her neighbor, visiting teacher, or friend call or show up and mine doesn’t? Why does she find her keys, her wallet, her child in danger and I don’t/didn’t?

I think the point here is that just as we are individuals, answers to prayers are very individual. How we speak to God and how he speaks to us may not be the same as for others.

Elder Scott says…

Often when we pray for help with a significant matter, Heavenly Father will give us gentle promptings that require us to think, exercise faith, work, at times struggle, then act. It is a step-by-step process that enables us to discern inspired answers.

I have discovered that what sometimes seems an impenetrable barrier to communication is a giant step to be taken in trust. Seldom will you receive a complete response all at once. It will come a piece at a time, in packets, so that you will grow in capacity.

As each piece is followed in faith, you will be led to other portions until you have the whole answer. That pattern requires you to exercise faith in our Father’s capacity to respond. While sometimes it’s very hard, it results in significant personal growth.

Heavenly Father teaches us general principles and adapts his tutoring to our own individual hearts and circumstances.

It’s important figure it out for ourselves, with the help of patterns that emerge from other’s experiences.

When I feel that prayer is not working for me, I remember that these are some of the answers I get. If you are struggling with a particular issue right now, one of these may apply. Think about your prayers lately.

It’s not time.
It’s not good for you.
They have their agency.
You haven’t studied it out.
You need to grow, to learn more.
You are not asking for the right thing.
You don’t see the big picture and I do.
I’ve already told you the answer.
I tell you often in small ways you don’t recognize.
You need to repent of a sin.
You are too distracted to see.
There is too much noise in your life.
Your heart, sincerity, or faith is missing.
You have yet to surrender your will to me.
You hear me but you don’t do as I direct.
Your pride gets in the way.
You don’t come to me often enough.
You need to fast first.
You need to put off the selfish natural woman.
You’re not specific enough.
My grace is sufficient.
Relax, all things will work together for your good.

Now please, don’t misunderstand. He’s not saying I can’t hear you or you’re not good enough. He’s saying I love you, I know you. I want you to grow. I’m in charge here. Trust me, repent and come unto me and it will be enough. Don’t give up.

Listen to these words from Elder Scott. Listen for the reassurances.

Should you ever feel distanced from our Father, it could be for many reasons. Whatever the cause, as you continue to plead for help, He will guide you to do that which will restore your confidence that He is near….

Often when we pray for help with a significant matter, Heavenly Father will give us gentle promptings that require us to think, exercise faith, work, at times struggle, then act. It is a step-by-step process that enables us to discern inspired answers….

He will always hear your prayers and will invariably answer them. However, His answers will seldom come while you are on your knees praying, even when you may plead for an immediate response. Rather, He will prompt you in quiet moments when the Spirit can most effectively touch your mind and heart. Hence, you should find periods of quiet time to recognize when you are being instructed and strengthened. His pattern causes you to grow.

Did you catch it...
He will guide you.
Have confidence.
He is near.
He always hears your prayers.
He will prompt you in quiet moments.

This scripture in Psalms 46:10 is often the answer to my prayers:
“Be still and know that I am God.”

Instruction from your Relief Society presidency
Our focus is on love, unity, and friendship. The first Sunday of every month is a time for instruction regarding our sacred duties as members of the Relief Society. So in thinking about prayer we'd like to ask:

1. Pray for greater love and unity in our ward. Seek for what you can do personally and in your calling.

2. Regarding Visiting Teaching and prayer

   - Pray every day for your sisters, by name, in your individual prayers and when appropriate in your family prayers. Let your, and your family’s, faith add power to your prayers. Listen for inspiration to come regarding a sister.
   - Pray together as a partnership, before visiting, for each sister individually and the specific needs she may have.
   - Bring the Spirit into her home by teaching the gospel and giving the message, don’t just show up and chat.
   - Ask to pray before leaving, if it feels right. It is not required. But do it as often as you can.
   - Let her choose who prays.
   - Pray specifically for the needs you heard while there, bless her home with love and unity.
   - As a sister visited, ask your visiting teachers to fast and pray with you for specific needs. You may put your name in the temple and have faithful strangers pray for you, but you may also ask two friends to pray for you.

Remember this

We learn to pray by praying. One can devote countless hours to examining the experiences of others, but nothing penetrates the human heart as does a personal, fervent prayer and its heaven-sent response.
~President Thomas S. Monson, Oct. 2004

Alma 37: 37 - Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that he may watch over you in your sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God; and if ye do these things, ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Additional reading, well-worth the time: BYU Devotional regarding prayer, by Cynthia Compton. She explores two ideas about conversing with God: experimenting with the requests we make and using our prayers to consecrate.

e

Photo credit

Easy Pull-Apart Sticky Buns

Looking for something amazing and different to make for Father's Day breakfast in a few weeks?  I have been asked countless times for this recipe for these yummy Sticky Buns, so here it finally is on the blog!  We have these all the time in our house: for Sunday General Conference breakfast, Mother's and Father's Day, Christmas Eve, and whenever we have company staying here.  Basically, they are easy enough to make for LOTS of fun occasions!  You just throw the ingredients in a Bundt pan the night before, cover and let rise overnight, and pop in the oven to bake the next morning...and they are DELICIOUS!

Ingredients/Supplies:
18 white Rhodes rolls frozen dough (comes in bag of 36 or 72)
about 3/4 cup - 1 cup light brown sugar (not packed)
half of a 3.5 oz. Jell-o Butterscotch Instant Pudding Mix
about 1/3-1/2 cup finely chopped pecans or walnuts (either one is great - we alternate)
1 cube (1/2 cup) butter, melted
bundt pan

First, place 18 white Rhodes dough rolls in a lightly sprayed or non-stick Bundt Pan (9 rolls on the bottom spread evenly, and then 9 rolls on the top overlapping the ones on the bottom.

Next, sprinkle between 3/4 cup -1 cup of light Brown Sugar evenly over frozen rolls, followed by about half of a 3.5 oz box of Butterscotch Instant Pudding Mix.  Then sprinkle your choice of finely chopped nuts over the top of the pudding mix, and once all of the dry ingredients are in, pour your 1 cube of melted butter evenly over rolls. It will look like this:

Cover with clean dish towel overnight (between 7-10 hours depending on the temperature of your kitchen, or if you put them in a slightly warm oven that's been turned off, then they take only about 4-5 hours).

In the morning, it will have risen to the top of the pan (often puffed over top). 

Then bake (lay foil lightly over the pan to keep top of rolls from over browning) at 350 for 35-40 minutes.
You can check if it's done by pushing down slightly on the top off the rolls with a spatula, and it should compress a little bit, but not too far or easily or it's probably still too doughy inside.  Usually if you do the full 40 minutes with foil on top the whole time, it won't be too doughy.

Remove from oven and use a heat-protected spatula (I have melted many that weren't geared for heat making these) to slide up and down each groove of the pan all around the outer and inner edges around and under the rolls to make sure that they aren't stuck to the pan in anyway.  Then put the plate or dish you want to put the sticky buns and lay it on top and centered on the pan.  Using oven mitts, hold onto the sides of the bundt pan and platter, and flip it over, shaking slightly to make sure you get everything out.  This actually works best as soon as possible after removing from oven (I usually wait only about a minute), because then the yummy sauce is still really hot and drizzly enough to slide right down and pour all over the sides of the sticky buns.  If you've let the pan sit out for too long and it has cooled a bit, just remove the leftover sauce in the pan with the spatula and spread around the sides of the sticky buns. (These pictures were taken one of the times I let it sit too long before removing from pan, so the nuts and sauce kind of stuck up on the top (bottom of pan) and didn't run down the sides.  It's still yummy, just not as pretty)

That's it!  Pull some apart and enjoy! They are extra yummy with a glass of milk.  They are actually SO much easier than I probably made them sound to make, but I am pretty good at ruining recipes that aren't explained in great detail, so I try to err on the side of caution.

Also, I know I've seen variations on this recipe where people try to actually cook the sauce all together beforehand and then pour on top of the rolls, but this honestly is so good WITHOUT the extra effort, that I can't understand the need to dirty another pot!  These are just that good as is!  Hope you enjoy them (or your husbands/fathers/etc. if you decide to use Father's Day as an excuse to make them!)

From Devon Linn

Visit New Mormon.org, Create a Profile

Here is a great missionary opportunity...

New changes are coming to Mormon.org, the biggest of which is our profiles of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our goal is to have 1,000 profiles of Mormons by the end of May 2010. [oops! this deadline is past. Join anyway!]

Mormons come from diverse backgrounds and experiences who all share a deep commitment to Jesus Christ and to each other.

The new Mormon.org is designed for visitors to learn more about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Each profile is a collection of stories and testimonies from Mormons. Participation is optional, but you must be a member of the Church to create a profile. The profiles will be made public this summer when the new site will launch. English-only profiles will be available this year; other languages will follow after.

Get a sneak peek at the new mormon.org and create your missionary profile—an exciting new way to share the gospel.

[You will need to register and have an LDS Account to create a profile on Mormon.org. LDS Account is the sign in credentials (user name and password) that most LDS Church Web sites require you to have to access their site.]

I'm in the process of creating mine! I'll let you see it when it's done.

e

Summer Institute Starts June 8

Judy Muldowney, our Institute teacher, writes:

Just a reminder that summer Institute class will begin this coming week on Tuesday, June 8th, at 10:00 a.m. at the Valley Forge Chapel.

We are studying Isaiah.

As always, children are welcome.

Hope you have had the opportunity to read Elder McConkie’s 10 Keys to Understanding Isaiah and Enrichment sections E and F in the Old Testament Institute Manual Part 2 Sam-Malachi. If you ordered a manual contact Aubrey Behunin. They have arrived.

You may want to bring a notebook and pen/pencil to the first class as we will be working through a chapter of Isaiah as a template for your personal study this summer.

Spread the word!  We’d love to have everyone who wants to be there come.

Brothers are very welcome.  If your husband would enjoy attending with you we’d love to have him attend. Thanks to Brother Dilks for his willingness to provide a Priesthood presence each week. He’d probably enjoy having a larger Priesthood presence for company!

See you soon!  

Owenna

Civil War Reunion This Weekend

Pennypacker Mills is having their annual Civil War Reunion on June 5th & 6th, starting @ 10:00 am.

If your kids like exploding cannons and ladies dressed in pretty dresses, they will love it!

It's FREE!!! It's fun!

For more info, go to civilwarreunion.org

Margie Clark

A Sociological look at our lives as women in the Church

Renata Forste

Guest Blogger: Devon Linn

What a boring title for a blog, right?   Well, I suppose I should start by explaining that sociology runs in my blood, and it's what I got my degree in.  Being a sociologist isn't really good for much besides calling myself a sociologist,  but I confess that since it's been years since I've been in a classroom, so I especially don't often think (or use big words) like one on a day to day basis.  Due to this lack of involvement in my chosen field, I was pleasantly surprised to see that Renata Forste, who is the Department Chair of Sociology at BYU and a friend of my family, was speaking at Women's Conference this year.  I was curious what she would be speaking about, so this week when the text of her talk was put on the Women's Conference transcript page, I was eager to read it.

Her talk was titled "Coming Together and Sustaining Each Other in Righteous Choices" which I loved because it's similar to when we talked about on Mother's Day in Relief Society last month on how we need ALL of the sisters in our ward to be complete.  If you get a chance to read Sister Forste's talk, I highly recommend it because there are some really great (and funny!) parts that are much too long to copy and paste onto here (especially check out her excerpt from Dave Barry on page 5 on the difference between how men and women look at themselves...HILARIOUS!)  She also has some great examples and messages on how advertisements target and distort our ideals of perfection, and also how pride plays a great role in our feelings of competition and inadequacy with one another, and how we can overcome it.

Some of my favorite parts of her talk were about how we need to support each other in our decisions as women. Speaking of this, Sister Forste says,

"We need to sustain each other in righteous choices, even when they are different from our own. How we work out family roles, manage our food storage, build faith, participate in genealogy, keep a journal, and so forth depends upon our individual circumstances. How we apply the principles of the gospel to our individual lives is dependent upon our ability to seek and receive personal revelation. Making such choices should not create contention between us. Instead, the differences we see between us should create a bond – they should be a source of strength. Sharing and celebrating our righteous differences – whatever they may be – provides greater resources for all of us to draw from. It fills our community well with a diversity of talent and abilities to move the Lord’s work forward.  What is gained in coming together if there is nothing unique to bring to the table? 
 
I believe it is possible to respect the righteous decisions of others, without necessarily making the same decisions ourselves. When we pray and receive personal revelation from the Lord about a decision, that does not mean it is revelation for others – personal revelation does not mean others must make the same decision. If my answer from the Lord was for me to follow one life path, and your answer was to follow another – we both can still be making righteous choices. We can both be doing what the Lord wants us to do.

Thus, being of the same mind does NOT mean making the same daily choices. We have to pray and decide individually what is right for us and our family – what is right based upon our own life circumstances. Being of the same mind – DOES mean we support and sustain each other in the righteous choices we each make."
 
I wholeheartedly agree with her on this.  If we truly know that the sisters around us are doing what is right for them (and trusting that they are praying and recieving revelation for their lives), who are we to judge if it is a different choice than ours?  The gospel doesn't dictate right or wrong for every situation, it just tells us to make decisions with our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost helping us, and then we can love and support each other, because we have faith in one another. 
 
I really hope you get an opportunity to read this talk in it's entirety.  While I admit that I LOVED reading all the sociology terms like "vicitims of socialization," "normative expectations," and "status characteristics theory," (because they made my brain revert back to a time when I used bigger words on a daily basis), the truths spoken by Sister Forste were so uplifting and much needed to strengthen my identity as a daughter of God, and I they really touched my heart and made me re-commit to being better and loving more fully.