Happy Sunday!

Hey everyone!

We've got a lot going on today! First, y'all are fabulous. Don't forget it. ;)

Okay, announcements:
1. Tonight is the Stake Leadership Meeting at 7:00pm at the Costco North Chapel 710 S 800 E in Orem. There are 2 chapels on that street, so it's the northernmost chapel.
Here's who needs to attend (I think I have all of them, but I'm not positive):
-Bishopric, ward clerks, executive secretaries, ward mission leader, Elder's Quorum presidencies and secretaries
-Relief Society presidencies and secretaries, Sunday School chairs, FHE coordinators, ALL instructors (RS, EQ, SS), family history and indexing chairs, and spiritual and temporal wellness chairs.
-Probably any other committee chairs that I've forgotten. Double check with Bishop.
2. Due to the training meeting, ward prayer will be at 9:00pm outside Fleur-de-Lis.
3. FHE tomorrow night @ 7pm.
4. Institute @ 7pm in B002 JFSB on Wednesday.
5. General Conference is this weekend! WOOHOO! Get stoked! Saturday and Sunday!
6. That means fast Sunday is on October 13th.
Then a heads up for later, more details to come...
7. Stake Fall Social on October 18th.
8. Ward Conference October 27th.

Okay, so that was a lot. Whew. OH! Hold on! We can't forget this one...

Mariah Livengood became engaged on Saturday just before the RS broadcast! :D
Ask her for the details.

Now for the lesson recap:
Jaden Harvier was our beautiful teacher today! She taught us from President Monson's April 2013 Conference talk. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/obedience-brings-blessings?lang=eng

Jaden started out telling us about an experience she had as a kid. Her parents warned her to not go swimming in the ditch. Her cousins and friends would always swim without any problems, so one day she decided to join them. Well, she ended up getting a big cut on her knee from a piece of glass. It was kind of an obvious consequence for her that she had disobeyed.

Commandments are guidelines. Like traffic signs, they don't punish us, but protect us. God doesn't want to punish us.

A story that President Monson shared in his talk was about two boys who were pulling weeds. They didn't like how long it was taking, so they decided to burn the weeds. The fire quickly got out of hand and the boys had to run for help. Had they obeyed, they wouldn't have had such a hard time.

Sometimes people mock us for obeying, and sometimes we wonder why we obey, but it is always a worthy goal.

1 Nephi 17:3 nourishment, strength, means to accomplish commandment
Mosiah 2:41 blessed and happy state temporally and spiritually
D&C 58:3-4 glory and blessings after much tribulation

Brittany Bailey commented: It's not only that we're blessed later on, but now. She shared the experience of explaining to a trusted friend why she doesn't participate in commercial activities on Sundays. This friend was having a hard time understanding, but Brittany explained that blessings aren't just for after this life. That very day she saw blessings of not participating in those activities.

Mackenzie Scott commented: It requires a lot of faith to be obedient. That obedience is always accompanied by immediate peace.
Marren Hanneberg commented: Sometimes we don't know why we are asked to do something, but we can say "God asked me to."

Ashley Gengler commented: The hardest things will be a sacrifice, but everything God commands us to do will bring us happiness. He doesn't benefit from us obeying or not obeying, but we do.

Arianne Sam shared a story from high school: She went to school where there were a lot of members of the Church, but she still decided that she would not date anyone who was not a member of the Church, so that they would always have the same standards. One time a really nice, good guy, who wasn't a member of the Church, asked her out on a date. Her friends said she should go on that date with him because he was a good guy, but she had decided that she wouldn't. He later started attending seminary and was baptized. He told her that he had asked another girl on a date and she gave the same response. He decided that if Arianne gave the same response, the Church must be true for two different girls to respond the same. On the flip side, if she had agreed he would've decided that the Church wasn't true.

One of the classic and most inspiring examples of obedience is that of Abraham and Isaac.
In relation to this story, Caitlin Metzger commented: Heavenly Father know, but wanted Abraham to know that he could be obedient to any commandments the Lord gave him.
Sarah Metzger said: One day while she was out running she passed an elderly woman raking her yard. She had a prompting to turn around and ask if the lady needed help. She had had a similar prompting years before and didn't follow it, so she did this time. The lady didn't need help. But as she was leaving Sarah felt like she was given the prompting to understand that she will follow more important promptings later in life.

All prophets have known that obedience is essential to salvation. Nephi didn't know how many people would be blessed for his obedience, but he was faithful anyways.
Jaden's great-great-grandfather was an interpreter for the missionaries when they first started preaching to her people. He had no interest in joining the Church, he just interpreted. After a while there was a famine in the area. He was told to go look in a specific place for food. He said, "There's not going to be any food there." After more prompting he went and found a loaf of bread. He was converted after that, and the first lamanite ward was formed.

We receive revelation through prayer and scripture study, then put that plan into action through obedience. -Barbara Winders

Rachel McCracken commented: Trials are going to come, but as we stay obedient and remember covenants we will be blessed. Heavenly Father will give us that lighter burden.

Everything works out better if you choose the right and do what's right. -Jaden Harvier

General Relief Society Broadcast

Hello Dear Sisters!

I hope most of you had the opportunity to watch the broadcast last night. It was wonderful. However, if for your personal reasons you were unable to, here is a brief recap. Of course you can watch it online, but these are just some thoughts I managed to write down. In fact, I encourage you to watch it online, because my notes don't do justice to the spiritual knowledge that was acquired.

Here's the link:
http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/archive/general-relief-society-meeting/2013/09?cid=HPTH091213087&lang=eng

First to speak was Sister Linda Burton, Relief Society General President:

Why should we make and keep covenants? They protect us. They allow us to strengthen each other in our burdens. Sharing burdens is keeping covenants.
Study the plan of happiness to better understand the ordinances of the temple.
Go to the temple to make covenants. Come home to keep them. (*I love this!)
If we really understood everything the Savior did for us, we would be anxiously doing all that He asks of us.

Second, Sister Carole Stephens, Relief Society First Counselor:

Those who want to serve the Lord need to serve others every day for their whole lives.
Who needs a little encouragement? Ask your Father in Heaven about her. He knows her better than anyone else. Be patient and consistent. The Relief Society was organized to save souls. What are you doing to participate?

She shared a wonderful story about a dear sister in Russia who openly invites and cares about everyone she meets into her home. She always tries to share the gospel. She follows the instructions in Luke 22: When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. She understands Elder Holland's reminder:

An invitation that is born of our love for others and for the Lord Jesus Christ, will never be seen as offensive or judgmental.

I thought that was so great that this sister in Russia is really taking to heart the counsels of our living prophet and apostles. When someone was offended she would take note and tell that was ridiculous.

Third, Sister Linda Reeves, Relief Society Second Counselor:
She started by relating the story of the Provo Tabernacle fire. Everyone was devastated that such a beautiful, historic building had been almost completely destroyed. Then we were all overjoyed when President Monson announced last October that it is to become a temple. Heavenly Father had a plan the whole time to take something beautiful, and make it more.

Pray unto God with firmness of conviction and exceeding faith and He will console you in your afflictions. Sometimes He allows us to be tried and afflicted, almost to the point where it's too much, but He has a plan to make us the temples He needs. In the end, all that really matters is how well we've kept our covenants.

Lastly, President Monson spoke to the sisters of the Church:

Relief Society is a vital part of the Lord's Church.
How can I keep my sights fixed on the Celestial as I travel through the Telestial? Remember prayer.

We should ask daily, "Did [I] think to pray?"
Remember prayer and take time to study the scriptures. Your afflictions and burdens will be lightened.

First Day of Fall

Hi everyone!

I hope everyone's had a great week! I know midterms are just around the corner now, so good luck studying this week. Y'all are in my prayers.

Ok, here are the announcements for the week:

1. FHE is tomorrow night at 7pm! Our FHE leaders have been called now, and if you need a refresher you can see last week's post as to who's in which group.
Here's where everyone lives just in case you don't know where to go:
-Fleur-De-Lis (FDL) 275 N 300 E
-Women's House (WH) 369 N 300 E
-Sierra Condos (SC) 400 N 241/243 E
-Pendleton House (PH) 400 N 269 E
-Club 440 (C4) 440 N 300 E
-Hipster House (HH) 456 N 300 E
-Hansen Ranch (HR) 532 N 300 E
-Banbridge Square (BBS) 584 N 300 E
-Glen Haven (GH) 600 N 340 E
-Jed's House (JH) 568 N 300 E
2. General Relief Society Dinner & Broadcast at the Pioneer Building on Saturday, September 20th at 5:00pm. With this one, we've been asked to bring a blanket because we'll be eating dinner outside for a picnic.
3. Stake Leadership Training meeting on Sunday, September 14th at 7:00pm at the Costco North Chapel for all auxiliary leaders in the ward.
4. Wednesdays at 7PM is Institute! B092 JFSB. This year they're teaching Doctrine and Covenants.
5. If you need to renew your temple recommend, Bishop Badger really wants to help you update it! Call Austin Huntsman to set up an appointment when it's most convenient for you. That way, you can be on top of it and work with Bishop.

Now, for the Relief Society lesson recap:

Brittany Bailey was our wonderful teacher today, and she was covering lessons 17 & 18 from the book Teachings of Lorenzo Snow. It was a beautiful lesson about charity and service.
She started the lesson by posing these questions: Who has had a great impact on your life? What do you think was their motivation in life?

Lorenzo Snow taught that 1) the Lord has given leaders in His Church a divine commandment: "Feed my Sheep"; 2) Leaders and teachers are called to follow the Savior's example and serve with love, not to aggrandize themselves; 3) Wise leaders appreciate the talents of others and give people opportunities to serve; 4) the proper way to lead is by humility, good example, and devotion to the welfare of others.

1. Feed my Sheep: President Snow said "Do not think that you can make too great a sacrifice in accomplishing this work.” He called upon them in the fervor of his heart to do this work (pg. 218).
Elder Holland gave a talk on this during last October's General Conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u50__Z2P89Q
I love how he says that Christ was saying he doesn't need fish. He can get those if he wants them. What He needs are disciples forever.

2. Serve with Love, Not for Self-Aggrandizement:
“Why is [a] man called to act as president over a people? ... to become the servant of his brethren, not their master, and to work in their interest and welfare” (Pres. Snow, pg. 219).

Then she asked: "Why should we examine our motives as we give service?"
3. Give others opportunities to Serve: A great leader doesn't do everything themself, but inspires and empowers others to serve. Rachel McCracken commented, "We are willing to follow and give others the opportunity to lead and serve when we examine our motives. We can strengthen those around us and teach them how to be leaders."
Elder Christofferson had said, "we're all infants in our Father's kingdom." Heavenly Father will take what we can give and fill in the gaps is we're humble.

4. The proper way to lead is by humility, good example, and devotion to the welfare of others. Think back to that person who influenced you. Did they do these things? What are the results of humble leadership? Self check: Are you doing these things?
“The Lord has not chosen the great and learned of the world to perform His work on the earth. It is not those who have been trained and educated in the colleges and seminaries of learning, but humble men devoted to His cause whom He has chosen to take charge of the affairs of His Church, men who are willing to be led and guided by the Holy Spirit, and who will of necessity give the glory unto Him, knowing that of themselves they can do nothing. I can assure you, brethren and sisters, that I had no ambition to assume the responsibility which now rests upon me. If I could have escaped it honorably I should never have been found in my present position. I have never asked for it, nor have I ever asked the assistance of any of my brethren that I might attain to this position, but the Lord revealed to me and to my brethren that this was His will, and I have no disposition to shirk any responsibility nor to decline to occupy any position that the Lord requires me to fill” (Pres. Snow, pg. 221).
Marren Hanneberg commented that one time she wondered why she was put in a leadership position, but after a few months of serving with her heart, she realized she could do it.

Thank you sisters for all that you're doing! Please remember that these aren't necessarily exact quotes from sisters in our Relief Society; I'm just trying to capture the lesson as best as I can. Feel free to add more comments and testimonies below!

The First Weekly Newsletter

Good afternoon Sisters!

I hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday! I sure loved being at Church today. It's always nice being able to partake of the sacrament and feel the Spirit. :D

Well, the purpose of this blog is to keep all of you wonderful ladies up to date with our Relief Society announcements and activities (and ward announcements). It's kind of like our newsletter, but better because you can comment and add your testimony!

I'm the secretary, Emilie Breitenstein, so I'll be keeping this up dated weekly. If you have any questions or concerns, come let me know in Fleur-de-Lis #104 (or call me). As a presidency we're super excited to have you in the ward and way stoked to spend the year with you.

So as far as announcements go for this week...

1. The Bishopric really wants everyone to join the ward Facebook page. It's pretty much the easiest way to keep in touch with everyone about activities. Here's the link:
2. Tonight is ward prayer out in front of Fleur-de-Lis. 300 N 300 E. 8PM. Be there. It's awesome. (I always love going to ward prayer. It just makes life feel better.) It'll probably end up being here on most Sundays, but we'll see what the Bishopric decides.
3. Tomorrow night is FHE at 7PM. Tomorrow night we'll have a combined ward FHE.
Other weeks we'll be with our regular groups. Here's the breakdown:
Group 1: BBS 1, C4 Upstairs, FDL 101, SC West Basement
Group 2: HR, BBS 2, FDL 302, SC East Basement, FDL 103
Group 3: HH, BBS 4, FDL 104, SC East Middle, FDL 105
Group 4: BBS 5, BBS 12, FDL 304, SC East Top, PH
Group 5: BBS 10, GH 1, FDL 205, SC West Top
Group 6: GH 3, GH 6, BBS 8, FDL 203, SC West Middle
Group 7: C4 Downstairs,BBS 9, FDL 102, FDL 305, FDL 201, JH
Group 8: BBS 7, BBS 4, FDL 204, FDL 301
Group 9: BBS 11, BBS 6, FDL 202, WH, FDL 303
We'll rotate around each week. Pay attention to the directory for the location. If you need directions, also refer to your ward bulletin.
4. Wednesdays at 7PM is Institute! B092 JFSB. This year they're about teaching Doctrine and Covenants.

Funny story for the day:
We all introduced ourselves today by stating which cartoon character we would marry, if we could. I choose Woody from Toy Story. :D

Okay, now for the lesson recap: (P.S. Forgive me for misquoting. I'm going to paraphrase everything. So the quotes are not exact.)

Rachel McCracken taught a wonderful lesson from the Teachings of Lorenzo Snow, chapter 16. It was about unity.

She started the lesson by relating President Snow's experience. He was in charge of the Perpetual Immigration Fund. The Saints were super poor and trying to take care of themselves when President Snow asked them to donate whatever they could to help the immigrating Saints. He was overwhelmed by the generosity. Kylee Jacobsen quoted a general authority who said, "The best time to serve is when the call comes." The Saints clearly understood this principle, because even though it was difficult, they shared what little they could.

When we are united in the Lord's Church, we have the opportunity to share the Lord's characteristics with those who are not of our faith. The great thing about that is that non-members recognize our unity. They will always comment on how cool it is that members of the Church look out for each other.
We always hear that we want to build Zion around us, and by our actions with others we will actually achieve that goal. Mackenzie Scott commented, "the personality we have now will be the same in the next life. If we're unified here, we'll be unified there."

Evie Taylor said, "we are set apart as members of the Church to build unity and strengthen the Church wherever we go. And we are never alone because we have the Spirit of God."

Rachel shared 4 Nephi 1:16-17 and part of The Family: A Proclamation to the World.
"Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities."
Then she finished with her testimony: "As you strive for unity, you will be blessed wherever you need it in your life."

Thanks Hermanas! I love you all! Have a great week! You are beautiful and loved! :D